FSE

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For the remainder of their first day on the Reichell station, Andrea's party became fractured and dissonant. They were offered guest rooms that were standard for every dome of the base as she slept in the same bed as Haytham whilst James and Chanoch had their own separate bunks in the form of claustrophobic holes in the wall that were surprisingly comfy and well-lit at a strangely soothing wavelength for them. The lemming and lizardman had both taken a vow of silence independent of each other, sleeping off their worries and eating what they could at breakfast and lunch in some basic attempt of a routine to lose themselves to. Neither of them spoke to each other, nor did Haytham and Andrea try to until they were ready to speak again. The lack of a day/night cycle did not help matters, turning the group irritable with sullen awkwardness until it was time for the Earth Day Dance performing later that evening.

The humans admittedly felt out of place, not just because they were the only members of their species but for the fact that they had no formal wear except what they were now currently wearing. A grand ballroom opened before them shaped like the inside of a giant glass bowl, giving the illusion that it was a curved floor to reflect the peerless stars above within it. Around the room itself were pillars of glossy red crafted from the architecture projects of this very dome, weaving patterns of constellations and what appeared to be starmaps in gilded gold that made it almost resemble an Arabic boudoir.

"Nervous?" asked Shuffa beside them.

"Just, well," Dixon muttered, "a little lost really."

"Whut ya dinnae ken how tae dance?" said Fleek-Gleek. "Thought you humans would be up tae tha' with yer huge-arse feet."

"Sir please," muttered Durai, "we are simply exhibiting horripilation from the fact we are about to dance as strangers in a foreign land."

"Alrigh' nae need tae get sensitive, ah mean ah had tae borrow mah feet." He noted the cyber-legs attached to his absent legs that clanked quietly. "Anyways come oan ah gots the fever tae boogie."

"Oh really Fleek must you use that word?" protested his wife with a leering stalk. "You know that wild bodily gyration-based dances frighten me!"

"Whuh, they dae?!"

"YES of course did you forget what happened at our tenth anniversary!?"

"Ohhhhh......nope, sorry lass."

"Hmph, sunspots for brains as usual."

"Hold up." A rhinoceros-faced guard stopped them from entering the room. "Have to check for weapons, hope ya don't mind."

"Oh, right of course."

Dixon let herself be pat down before the guard found her single handgun and put it in a sealed closet. Haytham however only carried his notebooks and the grand Omnilex, whilst Shuffa and Fleek-Gleek had come to the dance unarmed.

"Alright, enjoy your dance."

"Thank ye kindly, keep it up aye?"

They bowed and stepped to the dancefloor. The mirage played tricks on their feet as they stepped to the floor ungainly like fawns in winter, Durai's sandy robes and Dixon's white coat cutting a rather conspicuously-plain look amongst the gloriously-decorated dancers that swished elegant gowns of water-silk and prestigious suits of strangely fluid minerals that gleamed like jade strata. Shuffa was in a resplendent-looking gown of black, red and blue, somewhere between a modern art painting and a contessa's robe, whilst Fleek-Gleek came in a silver waistcoat shaped like a lean suit of armour over his torso. A plant familiar to them noticed their arrival and waved them over gladly.

"AH, doctor, over here!"

"Heheyyyy there girl, you lookin' fine!"

"Thank you, and oh goodness Shuffa and Fleek you look marvellous!"

"Naturally as befitting our customary roots," said the spathi twirling herself round beneath her husband's wing, "is everything going satisfactory?"

"Oh yes indeed, thankfully."

The supox bowed in a dress of cyan silk woven from what looked like spiders' webs laid on top of each other. Standing next to her was HOX in a rather surprisingly ceremonial suit of blood-red with dark emerald epaulettes.

"Forgive our lack of formality," said Durai, "we did not expect such civilities in our forthcoming."

"No one gives a damn what you dress," snorted HOX sucking a glass through his snout, "long as you cover your extremities."

"Hmhmhaha," the plant patted his shoulder teasingly, "is that why you came in your best?"

"This was my father's suit, of course it is my best."

"OH, that is right he was a general yes...it looks wonderful on you."

"Thank you," the VUX nodded, "he despised me for not taking a military career so I enjoy mocking his memory by wearing this for such frivolous occasions."

"So why'd you become a scientist?" asked Andrea grabbing a drink from a spathi waiter.

"Firstly I am an immunologist, not some basic general intern. Secondly, I wanted a challenge, killing enemies of my kind is far too easy and quite frankly ridiculous. SAVING them, now that is much more admirable and a greater ocean to cross."

"Yanno what, agreed, any idiot can point a gun and shoot, but it takes REAL skill to figure out how to fix the wound."

"Exactly!" he cried raising his glass. "Whether that wound is superficial or but a blood-malady, it is an insurmountable task that only the greatest minds are capable of achieving."

"And our dear professor HOX is one of them!" said Sa-shi wiggling her stem. "Without him we would have no immunology department!"

"Very much so, hmhmhaha."

Despite the lack of lips he gave a smile through his single eye towards the supox as she tweaked her mantis-like mouth, gentle little mandibles wiggling as she flustered slightly to ask:

"Y-you...you know it would be quite a waste if we did not take the opportunity to dance, whilst we are here."

"Are you sure they would allow it?" asked HOX.

"If they do not...then damn them all the same."

She hoped that little spurt of disrespect pulled him in and he took the bait, plonking down his glass and taking her leafy arm to pull her towards the dancefloor. Fleek-Gleek turned to the humans and asked rubbing his long ptero-scalp:

"Wuzn' there like four o' yous?"

"Yes," said Haytham, "they are not attending this performance it seems."

"Awwwww well thassa shame, that means mair room fer us come oan mah wee binky!"

"F-FLEEK, d-do not call me that in front of-AAAAH!"

He pinched her somewhere in her lower region that made her stalk shoot straight up like a pole as he wrapped one wing round her body and took her to the dance, spinning her out fruitfully into a beginning waltz to flow in time with the rest of the group. Haytham watched impressed at the displays of dance that every species managed to mimic despite their various anatomies.

"I have nary seen such a congregation as synchronous as this."

"They sure got it huh?" said Dixon crossing her arms. "God this sucks, I want to enjoy this for the sake of things but-"

"You worry about our compatriots yes?"

"Are we getting old Haytham? I mean I know Chanoch is technically like a hundred-sixty but yanno he's young, or at least his body is-"

"Let them confer to themselves," he replied grasping her fingers, "it is our time to be and we are being diplomatic by attending this piece. Now...would you give me the honour of being your partner for this crepuscular celebration?"

"...god, you had me at 'would'."

She smiled and offered her hand fully to him as he took it and led her to the room's centre, pulling her closely in front of his body as they put a hand on each other's waist, and the other cupping just beneath their armpit. A steady rollick began as their feet moved to sway, swishing back and forth as her lab coat spun behind her gently.

"You know," he began, "your eyes reflect your destiny."

"Hmm?" she smirked.

"They reflect the stars always, that spark of curiosity that I love so from you."

"Well...have to say the same for you, you got some bright eyes for a gentleman of your age."

"Only made brighter by your presence."

"Oh god you're doing it again please stop," she struggled not to laugh with a creasing grin.

"Never my dear," he sent her flying at arm's length in a brief spin before reeling her back in against his chest, "twould be the same as asking me to still my breath, or cease my beating heart."

"You are a s-serious casanova arentcha, I feel bad I got nothing to give back for it!"

"You have given me plenty Andrea. Your presence, your words, your mind is the greatest tonic I could ever ask."

Andrea was speechless. She felt something rush inside her as she pulled him close for a kiss, deep and sincere. She wrapped one hand around his head as he did the same, sharing that moment of peace when the world no longer existed except for the one beside you. It was something she had missed, something he had forgotten and something both of them needed for the longest time as all the stress and woe flooded out of their bodies. If only for an instant. But it was the longest instant of their lives thus far.

"Thank you," she murmured.

"Hmm?"

"For just...being here with me."

"Tis nothing I would not do for you, my dear."

"I know."

She smiled as they waltzed through the crowd of intergalactic voyagers, sweeping cloaks of strange minerals and fine-suited chitons clasping against their exoskeletons. As they danced, there was another couple enjoying each other's presence in the form of Shuffa and Fleek-Gleek, his silver waistcoat sparkling like crystal wine whilst her shawl draped like water across her metallic thin limbs. The yehat's robotic legs whirred silently to themselves as they steadily clunked across the floor with the grace of a swan in winter, whilst Shuffa tittered on her effortless sliding slugfoot.

"You know what is sad about this?" she started. "You dance much better on those legs than you did without."

"Not as good as ah dance in zero-g," he replied wrapping his wings around her body. "First dance ah ever gave ye ah whisked ye aff yer foot literally."

"You did...ohhhh did you ever Fleek." Her pincers clamped against his waist softly pulling him closer. "Let me hear your voice...like on our first date."

"Aye?"

He tapped the small button at the base of his neck which stopped glowing, his voice now becoming a tender trill of alien tongue.

"~How's that my dear binky?~"

"O-oh...hohhhh..." she clicked off her translator to turn her voice into a native series of glorbulant sounds. "~Wonderful. You still sound just as miraculously handsome as the day we met, goldy.~"

"~You know I will always love you aye? So long as the stars still shine in your eye I'll always let you keep my heart.~"

"~And I shall let you keep mine, for as long as the breath of the universe still remains in your voice. Your sweet, magnificent voice that melts me.~"

"~Aye...let me melt you then, like the last snedbars of the green.~"

He pressed his beak against her stalk, rubbing tenderly with soft licks across her verdant skin that made her shiver with the strangest ululation that made more than a few give looks to them but they did not care. No one else could understand their languages, their own private world in the midst of faces. This was their moment and they did not care who else was watching. The stars glimmered down upon his long hard beak and her single pupil as a tear dripped down from it.

"~H-how...long-~"

"~Shhhh no no,~" he gripped her tight, "~not now. Tell me about our future.~"

"~E-everything?~"

"~Yes. Everything, please...let me remember this. I need to remember this.~"

"~A-alright then...~"

As they whispered sweet nothings to each other, Sa-shi grasped the tentacles of HOX who politely clutched her less like a lover and more like a fragile patient, her hovering craft swishing like a pendulum with exceptional control.

"Are you alright?" she asked.

"Yes I uh...ahem, you look well tonight," he said licking the end of his proboscis.

"Thank you professor! You look so dashing in that suit."

"Hmph, seems it was right of me to take it from my father's wretched feelers."

"I admit, your usual coat gives you much more of an air of intelligence, but this makes you look so wonderfully dignified, like an emperor."

"Hmhmhm...really?"

He slipped his tentacles closer round her body in mid-dance, swaying from side to side doing little in the way of actual dance but she did not mind. She sighed content staring upon his single radiant eye burning his gaze upon her in satisfaction.

"I really appreciate you coming...to this dance with me."

"You seem to be monitoring the situation well...dare I ask it was not my assistance you required but my presence?"

"Was it...that obvious?"

"Of course Sa-shi...it is clear that you admire my position so much that you cannot help but feel enlightened around me."

"I-i would...well, one can put it that way yes," she demurred gently to spin herself round on his tentacle, "but I do enjoy your presence. Greatly."

"You always did recognise my genius much earlier than the others did."

The supox smiled a wide mantis grin and shook through her stem as he pulled her closer, but not close enough. Her leaves shook with a desperation but she contained herself as he chuckled.

"Are you cold?"

"No, n-not at all."

"Good because I don't have a jacket to spare."

"I would not mind wearing your laboratory coat, if it ever got too cold."

"I would rather not, your position is not adequate to wear such."

"Well..." she slipped herself underneath his face and fluttered her eyes upon him, "how can I make that position adequate?"

"Buh-uh, I-i-i-what are you doing?!" he blustered pulling back.

"Dancing of course, come on HOX surely a masterful VUX as you must know how to dance."

"I-i-i, of course I do, just that I-AH!"

He jumped suddenly grabbing his behind to pull out a small handheld radio.

"Yes, what?! I'm in the middle of something can it not wait?!"

His face darkened with a severe nod before moving farther away from Sa-shi.

"Yes, I understand, so that means we must-...yes, of course we cannot delay, the plan is still-...no, I will be there soon as I can, DON'T do anything more until I arrive, you have done more than enough."

He clicked off the radio and threw his tentacles up in a show of almost too much frustration.

"I must go, there has been a situation I must contain."

"OH, is everything alright?!" cried Sa-shi.

"Well, NO obviously or else I would not have to leave you like this, but I must go!"

"O-of course, please take care I hope everything turns out-"

"THANKYOUGOODBYE!"

He dashed off in a frantic run leaving the supox alone on the dancefloor. Her fronds nervously twitched against each other torn between two emotions that forced her to take a deep breath and sit herself down upon her pot against the wall, watching the other happier dancers. Dixon saw her in passing but tried not to look it, whilst Haytham looked around vigorously towards the exit as something shook him with fright.

"Oh my god the poor thing," she muttered, "you think she got dumped, god that would suck she seemed to really like tha-...Haytham are you alright?"

"I-i...I am sorry but," he turned back to her to put his hands on her shoulders, "could I ask you for a favour?"

"Um, s-sure?"

"Could you come with me for a moment?"

"What, wh-why?"

"Trust me, please."

His voice dipped to a level she had never heard before from him, a man that was usually so astute and prepared as if he had a speech in his pocket for every occasion. Now he sounded like everyone else, and it frightened her.

"A-alright, where are we going?"

"Follow me please."

They made their exit quietly as they could and headed towards the long hall towards the communications room where less and less people had gathered. Hurrying through throngs of partying aliens that were mixing drinks and eating strange meats, they soon reached the empty corridor where the comms room lied on the wall to their left.

"Alright, what is this?" she asked. "I mean if you're THAT thirsty I'd rather go back to our room-"

"No no," he muttered waving a finger, "I just need to confirm something before I start ruminating on our consenescence."

"Oh-kayyyy you've lost me again."

He started to sneak and so she followed, lightly treading on the tips of their toes as they pressed against the wall edging closer to the door.

"You know this is only making us MORE obvious," she muttered, "I mean if we walked normally no one would think anythin-"

"Sh-shh!" He leaned in closer to prick his ear. "Do you hear that?"

"...no?"

"Exactly. Nothing. Surely there should be sounds coming from that room."

"You're right....that is odd."

They crept in closer as the door opened sensing their access passes. What they saw inside made Andrea reel with shock and sickness in her gut as she clutched her mouth.

"O-oh...jesus fuck."

"Good...gods."

What once remained of the Zoq-Fot-Pik technicians was now smeared across the walls and every single console in the communications room. Blue, green and brown smudges clung to the metal with pieces of sharp plant stems sticking out in fragments, the smell of a compost heap in summer making Andrea sick enough to turn and swallow in restraint. Haytham leaned against the door with the wind from his sails gone in a flush at the sight of Blon, Grue and Bleen's faces, viscous remnants with their base bodily structures still rooted to their seats.

"Wh-wh-what...the fuck, what the FUCK happened?!"

"I was hoping I was wrong, but then I overheard something during the waltz."

"Wh-what?!"

"I fear we are in the midst of a dangerous mission Andrea," he turned towards her recomposed, "something rotten lies in this base and it starts with-hrhhhhhnnnnuuuh."

"Wh-wh-...uh, Haytham?"

"Uhgnnnhhhuhmn...unreuuh!"

He suddenly collapsed against the wall as his legs failed him, his face becoming loose as he lost all feelings in his nerves with hands struggling to open his satchel. Dixon rushed to his side, but she felt a sharp pain in her neck that followed her own legs crumpling hard to hit her head into the wall. Her tongue was a cold lump in her throat, her screams almost bestial as she felt her fingers turning colder to the point of numb.

"HHHNNTHUM, HNNNN, HNNNTHUM!"

"U-UHHNNNHHHREEUHH!"

The humans became paralysed on the floor as they stared upon a shadow that loomed over them. Andrea was dragged feet first down the hall as Haytham grabbed for the doorjamb with what little strength he had left, his fingers desperate for purchase before he was taken too by the mysterious stranger, his gasping screams too faint for any to hear.

"Could you at LEAST say something?!" cried James. "Your silence is deafening."

Chanoch looked up from his fingers where he was busy sewing a small circle of cloth. The two of them sat on large cushions in the guest quarters, the light unseen sources giving a faint hospital glow to the atmosphere as he shrugged whilst the lemming rubbed his head.

"You have not said a single thing since yesterday, I know you are not much for words but this is rather worrying now, is this a form of protest?"

He shook his head and pursed his lips.

"Are you upset with me?"

Again he shook his head.

"Alright...hhhh..."

James returned to his book, reading quietly whilst Chanoch continued sewing. The sounds of a needle pulling through cloth burned through the air like a guitar string as he plucked and threaded with one eye closed and his gargantuan claws gripped tightly round the needle.

"Do you think they are having fun?" James looked up a page later. "Andrea and master Durai I mean."

The lizardman shrugged.

"Do you know how to dance at all?"

He nodded.

"Really? I never learned myself, the only dancers in my tribe are the ones who make offerings to the heavens. No one in my family really dances actually...then again I suppose my-...sorry I am rambling I will let you be."

He kept on reading. Chanoch kept on sewing, contemplating on whether he could ask Andrea to teach him knitting as well before then wondering on what was the actual difference between sewing and knitting besides the instruments used. His claws deftly worked the needle, layering green thread upon each other in a quarter stitch fashion with the gentle creak of tightening fabric before James put down his book after a chapter of failed reading.

"You know," he mused looking up at the ceiling, "I have come to realise that Andrea's venture into this place was not for the sake of curiosity. I mean she is the reason the humans are in this realm, I mean, the realm of the earth below us that is and encountering a place such as this with advanced technology would mean great things, perhaps even a way to return home finally. I mean, twenty years, can you IMAGINE being away for tha-"

He stopped himself by biting his fist upon realising who he was talking to.

"Of course. I cannot imagine that, it would be terrible having no means to return nor ever knowing if you COULD. So her cautious diplomacy is understandable, something I never truly understood until she-...hhhh, saviour I am an idiot."

The lemming put his book aside and placed hands of prayer against his snout.

"I have been an unruly child so focused upon my own tasks that I was blind to her struggle within and master was just helping her in the best way he knew with his magnanimous grace. And here I am sulking like an errant page. Do you think I should write them a letter of apology?"

He turned fully towards Chanoch with expectant look. The lizardman licked his lips.

"I mean, truth is I am far more eloquent with ink than I am with tongue, so it would make sense rather than mis-step and end up in another feud. What do you think?"

But still he said nothing much to James' exasperation.

"Chanoch please I am asking for a second opinion, I NEED this. I want to make amends to doctor Dixon and I require your input. You are the only one I can ask of this."

"......yes." He nodded finally. "You write well. Write to them."

"Haaaaah...alright, alright then I will, would you give me feedback on my written apology once I have composed it?"

"...yes."

The lemming brought out his notebook and pulled a page from it. He debated between pencil or ink, having a small pot that he carried around with him and deciding instead to go the humble route of a simple pencil. He took twelve minutes to form a concise apology after a few rewrites before he was satisfied.

"Alright, how is this? 'Dear Doctor Dixon, I wish to apologise for my spurious irascible behaviour. I have only just come to realise that your mission is far more important to your people than I initially understood, and that our being on this station is not a means of pleasure for you but one of future imperative. My actions were childish, and my words belligerent that came from a place of ignorance that has shamed me truly. I beg for your forgiveness, but it is entirely your choice as to whether I deserve it. I can only offer my two hands for should ever require an additional assistant, please do not hesitate to contact me. Yours sincerely, James'."

Chanoch smiled with a proud nod.

"Good."

"Well, in that case I shall deliver it to their quarters, that way they can read it themselves after the dance."

"I will come with you." The lizardman stood up putting his fabrics back in his pouch. "I need coffee."

"Hahaha, you only just started on that yesterday and already you are a glutton for it!"

"That is your fault."

"Yeeees I suppose it is," demurred James stepping out of their sleeping quarters, "it is good of them not to charge us though, considering we have no funds for their system."

"I thought we paid them."

"No, apparently they use an 'elek-tronik' system where money is transferred through signals in the air."

The lizard screwed up his face confused.

"Money is...sent through the air, like a bird carries it?"

"No, it," James tapped his fingers together trying to form ideas, "you know those radios that they use on the base, and how it transfers sound through them?"

"Yes."

"Imagine you could send money through that."

"But...the holes are too small for coins."

"N-no, not physically but-you know I'll just have Andrea explain it I am not quite sure myself."

"Hmm." Chanoch scratched his head as they walked down the hall greeted by a drunken gaggle of tentacles. "I have not used money in years."

"Did they have that at the castle?" asked James swerving past a supox floating by.

"Yes. My friend Karam was a trader, the demons used coins and gems to buy from him."

"I did not expect an army to have a monetary system, would that not be part of the service?"

"Castle requires upkeep. Expansions. Rations and provisions."

"I suppose that is true, one would need materials for anything. My tribe do not use money actually, we use a bartering system, I am AWARE of monetary transactions from other lands and from what master Durai told me of his home realm, but nothing beyond that."

"Hm." Jarogniew nodded as they turned a corner. "Karam said I was his worst customer."

"Why?" asked James keeping step with him.

"I never had money. He gave me things for my services."

"What sort of services?"

"Protection."

"Ahhh, yes. Here we are."

They soon reached the others' quarters and gave a polite knock on the door. A handsome robotic voice made the lemming jump seeing a large looming eye beam down upon them from above the door.

" Greetings. You are not authorised to enter these quarters, can I help you?"

"OH, u-um, hello there, I have a message for doctor Andrea Dixon and Haytham Durai."

" They are currently unavailable at this time, would you like to leave a message with me?"

"Actually yes, I have this note." He proffered the paper. "Can you please deliver it to their bedsit?"

" Please place all deliveries in the adjacent slot."

A small vent opened beside the door as James slipped it in watching the machine scan it for potential contaminants before sucking it up inside.

" Your delivery has been approved to send to doctor Andrea Dixon and Haytham Durai. Thank you, and have a nice day."

"How can you tell?" remarked Chanoch looking upwards at the eye.

" This is a generic form of pleasantry that has been recorded by a focus audience to be the least-threatening response to the end of a conversation. Thank you, and have a nice day."

"...I do not like you."

" If you are dissatisfied with my programming, or wish to report an error, please contact maintenance at your nearest Helplet. Thank you, and have a nice day."

"Come on," said James waving him over, "let us find some coffee and replenish ourselves yes?"

"Good."

They walked towards the cafeteria which was now running its night shift crew. The mixture of aliens with various clothes to keep their tentacles and beaks sanitary was bizarre to say the least, plants stirring meat stews and solemn-masked beings gravely chopping vegetables as if sacrificing their children. Chanoch ordered coffee from the Horsehead Nebula with the same plate of meat and veg that he had yesterday, whilst James settled for some Rigellian tea along with his food. The reptile struggled not to gulp the entire mug in one go with tentative slurps, licking his lips frantically as his eyes bulged everytime he sipped before calming himself down with some food he forked. The lemming sat opposite him at the table with gentle gulps of his tea.

"Mmmm, this is quite nice, very peppery."

"Mmm."

"Would you like a taste?"

"No thank you." His fingers shook slightly making James chuckle.

"Hmhmhaha goodness, I have never seen your hands so unsteady!"

"Coffee is good, very good, tastes like nectar but bitter."

"You are certainly more talkative, maybe I should start brewing my own for you."

"Mmm, yes, brew some for me, yes."

"Hahahahaha, you are adorable like this!"

Chanoch tightened his lips and looked slightly nervous, filling his mouth to keep it busy as the lemming smirked at his friend's vigorous tongue running looser with each sip. James realised he had an opportunity here and after eating half his plate he leaned forwards with arms on the table.

"SO, now that I have whet your whistle, let me ask you a few things."

"Mmm, yes?" he looked up with a wild glint.

"Are you enjoying your time at the base?"

"Yes, very much."

"What is your favourite book?"

"Epic of Gilgamesh."

"Oh, I have not heard of that one."

"It is very good," he muttered rapidly, "two best friends, demi-god and beast, fight together, great adventures, find they love each other more than they love women."

"Oho my that does sound a rip-roaring yarn." James pondered looking around him with a finger to his chin. "What do you actually think of all this science?"

"Some of it is good, like at the base. Some of it is pointless like here, but the plants are good."

"I agree the medicinal lab is absolutely vital."

"Doors that speak to you are useless, lights you cannot snuff are useless."

"You really did not like that door did you hahaha-"

"Um, pardon me."

The sound of shuffling leaves alerted them to Sa-shi's presence, her fronds gingerly rubbing each other.

"Have you seen professor HOX around?"

"No?" James replied. "Is everything alright?"

"O-oh, yes of course just he had to leave rather suddenly and I worry about him."

"Well we have not seen hide nor hair of him so, would you like to sit with us?"

"Oh, would that be alright?"

"Of course, please."

"Thank you, let me get some water first I will be just a moment."

Floating over towards the counter she received a large jug of water before returning back to their table. The plantform poured a quarter of it into her soil-packed pod, wettening the dirt and sucking through her roots with a gentle sigh.

"Are you two not attending the dance with your friends?"

"No," said Chanoch, "we do not dance."

"Awww, that is a shame. Your friends certainly made the charming couple, your group have made quite the discussion in the arboretum."

"Really?"

"Oh my yes, I mean firstly we have not had humans here in the entire history of the base, and truth be told I do not recognise either of your species."

"I am Chanoch." He bowed politely. "Lizardman."

"And I am a lemming," said he bowing too, "James if I did not introduce myself already."

"Delighted to meet you two again," said Sa-shi pouring more water into her pot, "oooh lovely nutrients, nice and cold today so, I have to ask, if you will forgive me for asking, but all of you seem very separate from each other in terms of garments. Are you all from different colonies?"

"Yes," said Chanoch taking a swig of coffee, "I am a soldier, he is a scribe, Andrea is a scientist and Durai is a scholar."

"I see, very eclectic group, but I suppose you cover all your bases well!"

"I-i suppose we would yes!" added James clearing the last of his plate. "Mmmm...the food here IS marvellous however, for what little we recognise of it."

"Thank you, we care very much about all nutritional needs for visitors and members alike."

"So, what exactly do you do here if I may ask?"

"I am a security officer, largely, but I also manage the administration of visitors."

"You guard us," said Chanoch rubbing his fingers, "to protect your people from threats."

"Well...since you put it that way yes, that is my primary job."

"Not Shuffa and Fleek-Gleek?"

"They are the actual guards, I protect another field."

"Do you know how to fight?"

"Not in the way you think." She smiled saying this with clicking mandibles. "But let us not bore ourselves with occupational matters, this is a moment of respite."

"Yes indeed," replied James clasping his fingers, "it has been quite a long day though I admit we are quite unused to the lack of a sun in orbit round this place."

"Oh dear, did you manage to sleep well?"

"Well...we did struggle at first-"

"I do not like the lights," muttered Chanoch rolling the mug in his fingers, "no windows, feel like a prison."

"And you were complaining about the roof being entirely a window, make up your mind!"

"A window in a private room is fine, not for the entire house."

"Well I dare say your academic friends will need a private room," tittered the supox pouring a little more water in her roots, "they were rather flustered last time I saw them heading back to their room."

"Wait, what?" the lemming shifted up in his seat. "When was that?"

"Ohhh about, hundred-and-thirty-minutes ago I think."

"That...did Andrea and master Durai return at all to the dance?"

"No, that was the last I saw of them today, why do you ask?"

"Because we went to their room and they were not available, not even there."

"Really?" The plant gave a puzzled rustling from her throat. "That is odd. And no one has seen them since?"

"Noooooo...Chanoch, would you mind if-"

"No," he stood up almost immediately, "let us find them."

"I mean they would not wander off surely, even though they are not obliged to inform us."

"Nevertheless I would not want them to end up lost," the supox added carefully pouring the last of her jug into the dirt, "I will accompany you then, truthfully I would enjoy some company."

"Alright, let us trace their steps."

They left the lunchroom together as Sa-shi led them to where she last saw the two humans, heading back to the dance hall which was starting to thin out its crowd with the late-night stragglers. Taking a left turn they moved in a U-turn to head down one specific corridor, asking guards if they saw them pass and theorising the best route.

"This is quite a ways off from their quarters," said James as the halls became emptier, "what is even through here?"

"Well there is the lunar observation room, a few of the rec rooms, the comms room further down-"

"AH, yes that must be it! Doctor Dixon was fascinated by the technology there, she must have gone to see-"

"Stop."

Chanoch stepped out first and put his arm across their sight, barring them as he sensed a disquiet.

"Do you hear that?"

"...no," whispered James.

"Exactly. No noise."

"...you are right," said the supox hovering slightly upwards, "normally there should be all sorts of sounds from the comm room."

"James, guard the rear."

He advanced forwards whilst James kept cover at the rear, putting Sa-shi between them as they approached the communication room. The door had been left open which made the plant suspect something wrong with the power before she smelt something sickening to her people and a scent that Chanoch knew immediately. Compost, of a sort.

"Wh-what...what has happened?!"

"Stay back," Chanoch warned, "there is death."

"OH, o-oh heavens no!"

Sa-shi shivered with fright and cowered against the wall whilst James stuck close to her raising his umbrella to prepare for combat. The soldier entered the darkened room with his rifle at the ready, checking the remains of Blon, Grue and Bleen that now dripped over machines disabled in darkness. The smell was overpowering, a thickening ripeness as he stepped over puddles and clicked on the light of his rifle in the darkest corners of the room. His eye followed along his gun, the silent comms weighing upon his head as he stepped into the back of the room and made a slow spin to make sure no one was hiding. His first clue was a small blast ring hidden behind one of the machines, the smell of an explosive lingering in the air.

Not big enough to damage anything. Burned itself out?

He made a full circuit back to the door, seeing the light from outside as Sa-shi-ha finally mustered the courage to look inside and struggle not to scream from the sickening sight, turning fast to feel a retching disgust turn through her system as Jarogniew noticed something glinting next to the door.

"O-o-OHHHH...I-i-i feel sick."

"What could have...oh, please tell me they are not-"

"No," said Chanoch, "they are not here."

"Oh thank the saviour."

"But I found this."

Hidden in a small gap beside the door, the lizardman bent down to pick up a small bracelet and a feather beside it. James reeled back with shock stumbling against the wall.

"TH-THA, THAT...TH-THAT IS MASTER'S QUILL!"

"Wh-what?!" gasped the supox.

"M-master, his quill I know it from anywhere!"

"It was in the door," said Chanoch bringing it closer, "the bracelet too."

"But, m-master would never toss aside his quill, never!"

"That means,"_Sa-shi murmured rubbing her leaves, _"the door was being kept open by his pass."

"...he left this behind on purpose." James carefully took the items to put in his satchel. "He must have witnessed this terrible act but-"

"Something happened," said Jarogniew looking across the floor, "look there."

He walked over to where the hall turned a corner as something glinted. A miniscule pin that Sa-shi gasped from recognising.

"Th-that...that is a medical dart!"

"Dart?"

"In the immunology department, we have patients we cannot be in the same room with due to quarantine measures, so we devised a dart-based administering device to safely inject them from afar."

"A gun?"

"N-no...though we do have staff equipped with tranquilisers in case of any adverse reactions."

"S-so...that means," James rubbed his hands feeling his breath become short, "s-someone, has taken master and Andrea, th-they were kidnapped?!"

"Now let us not be hasty."

"YOUR COMMUNICATION TEAM IS DEAD!"

"I KNOW!" she screamed back. "But this is still a medical research base, we do not lose our heads here! I will call security, we need to tell the Director about this and put out an alert for any sightings of your friends."

Sa-shi moved her bracelet close to her head and tapped a few commands into it, forming a blue ring before her face.

"This is Sec. Off. Sa-shi-ha, we have a situation at the comms room."

"What's wrong?"

"Three staff dead, two visitors potentially missing. Put out a yellow code for Andrea Dixon and Haytham Durai, check the ECTM in the comms room vicinity for the past one-hundred-forty minute-"

"WH-WHAT THE, FIRE SHOOT IT!"

"WHA-WHAT HAPPENED?!"

"SOMETHING JUST ATTACKED, S-SOME KIND OF ROBOT TAKE IT DOWN BEFORE I- KRRZZHH!"

"Security?! SECURITY!"

She frantically tapped her device to no avail as they heard the sounds of screaming coming back from the dancefloor's direction. James and Chanoch ran immediately with Sa-shi following by a fast hover as a myriad group of aliens ran panicked to their quarters in a heaving swarm of stalks and tentacles and beaks. The ballroom had become a focal point of gunfire blasting off from laser weapons as the small security force took aim and fired towards their targets. The lush crimson atrium was now a deadly playground to a horde of drones and strong-armed robots that battled against their former masters, levitating around the shots and firing back with their own smaller blasters to rip through the soldiers' armour and force them back out of the room.

But the true beast was the pale colossus in the middle of the dance floor, a 40-foot gorilla without a head, standing on stumped legs with giant arms the size of ashen trees with the firepower to match. Sometimes it swung with devastating force, crunching through a pillar or simply knocking back two of the guards in one vicious backhand. Other times it aimed its fist to reveal a rifle pulling from its wrist to shoot clean through one hornless rhino-soldier and cave his head in through his spine, splattering a jelly burst of brain and skin before he slumped in deathly spasms. The remaining dancers had either fled, or cowered panicking in the cul-de-sacs of the ballroom fearing for their lives as impromptu hostages. The trio ducked quickly into a doorway farther from the action as drones and hoverbots flew across the promenade chasing the staff with potshots that never fully hit, except against the guards who fired back as best they could.

"WHAT IS THAT?!" cried James.

"I-I DO NOT KNOW!" screamed Sa-shi. "T-TAKE IT DOWN ALREADY!"

"WE'RE TRYING DAMMIT!" roared a guard taking cover behind a curved corner. "BASTARD'S ALREADY KILLED FOUR OF US AN-AAARGH!"

"No defence," murmured Chanoch seeing the guard's shoulder get charred by laser, "I knew this would happen."

"We have to do something!" barked the lemming. "Any ideas?!"

"Ah got a fair idea or two."

The voice of Fleek-Gleek came from behind as he unsheathed his blade, his wife Shuffa pulling back a crank on her mag-cannon until it gently hummed with a menacing aura.

"We'll take care o' the big bastard, you guys get oan them wee buggers messin' aboot."

"Alright," said the lizard, "James, come!"

"Right," James nodded, "miss Sa-shi stay here please!"

"A-alright but, please be careful!"

She watched from the safety of her hiding as two more guards swooped in to cover her in case. Heading into the fray James and Chanoch drew their long-distance weapons of gun and magic towards the drones whilst Shuffa and Fleek-Gleek rushed towards the ballroom. Jarogniew braced his rifle towards one drone that was chasing a wounded guard and fired straight into its wing, sending it down with a brief hail of bullets as another drone turned upon him with looming blaster. Chanoch turned and fired instantly with a cracking shot through its cortex before a hoverbot came at his back with a bullrush charge that Chanoch shut down with a hard slam of his tail whipping across its head. More drones arrived in a flock of four as Chanoch watched for the first one to fire, dodging the shot and firing back straight at the laser barrel and cracking it in half from the force of the bullet. Another drone tried to charge him rather brazenly whilst a third tried to shoot him, but the soldier shot first at the shooter before he turned and drove his fist straight into the small machine with such crippling force that it shattered into a dozen pieces. Flexing his fingers he smirked looking up at the fourth drone that seemed to have an odd moment of hesitation, before he dropped his gun back against his strap and beckoned it forwards with open arms. The drone charged forth building up its laser for a shot before Chanoch spun on the ball of his foot and pulled out his sword with a monstrous crack, crushing it with the flat of his blade like a fly.

"Weak."

James meanwhile found himself facing two hoverbots that readied their blasters to fire, but the lemming popped open his umbrella to repel the shots that bounced off in scraping arcs, the canopy reacting with a soft shimmer to harden against as James pulled his sword out with channelling fireblasts to shoot one of the robots backwards. It staggered somewhat but came forwards with a brazen punch that James parried with a hard boff of his brolly, leaving it open as flames porous dripped from his blade before he plunged straight through its carbon abdomen with his superheated tip, severing the conduits to a sparking death. The other machine came swinging with a whirling pair of fists like a helicopter as James tried to defend, but his guard was knocked aside hard and he received two fists of steel straight to the skull sending him to the floor with a gasping cry.

The robot came down upon with both fists high as James dodgerolled fast, countering with a gust of wind that tore across the hall sending the technoguard reeling back along with a few drones that struggled to maintain their flight. Responding to the errant wind, two drones beamed upon James with a dual-firing shot he blocked hard with his umbrella before one rushed at him. Batting one flyer away, he shot for the other one with a thick buildup of dust he formed into a hard stone block, crunching against the front of the drone and smashing it into the wall. The remaining drone hovered behind James ready to fire another shot, but the lemming ducked behind his brolly shield and reflected the laser back with a surprising dead-on counter. The drone teetered somewhat stunned and whirring brokenly, an easy target for him as he pondered something watching it spark with spittling crackles.

"Huh...electrical..."

With a brief hiatus of no one attacking him, and a wounded non-sentient opponent to make the perfect practice, the student whipped his blade out and channelled two elements through them. Rippling cold wind and a burning smoulder, he caused a thickening cloud to form around his weapon that started to tingle the steel along his arm.

"FULGUR!"

Crackling white fingers struck free from his blade to electrocute the drone, a wide arcing stream that frantically clutched at the walls around before the drone was kaput. James staggered back with a nervous glee and started laughing uncomfortably at the surge of power he felt.

"Ahahaha, HAHAHAHAHA, haahahhahahaaaaooookay then that was-W-WHARGH!"

Another hoverbot came swinging from behind him, missing the first punch but cracking his jaw with the second as he went falling on his back with a hard bruise on his face. The strong-armed bot aimed its arm with a blaster ready to shoot from afar as James dodgerolled fast, putting his brolly over himself as the laser sparked off the canopy. But he was trapped against his own shield as the robot kept firing upon him, screeching shots of laserburns scoring across the mystic fabric as he huddled his body like a turtle underneath. The machine didn't let up, joined by another compatriot shooting double upon him as he felt the warm uncomfortable heat building up on the surface of his shield. He tried to peer out with creeping fingers before a stray shot almost scorched one of his hands as he recoiled back until the sound of a deep screeching tear carve through solid steel.

The lasers stopped at last as James looked up to see Chanoch rip his sword through one robot, before booting the second one hard into the wall with a solid football kick as it crumpled hard. He pulled James up with one hand as they stood together before a new flotilla of drones.

"How many more are there?!" the lemming gasped.

"Not enough," muttered the lizard, "stay back."

"Wh-why, I can fight too."

"I know, let me thin them out."

He stepped back carefully as Chanoch took a deep breath from his lungs and tensed his grip, the muscles in his throat becoming rigid as his head shook with a vehement snarl.

" DIIIIIIIIE!"

The roar shattered through the hall with such force that some of the guards still shooting were left staggered by the velocity, his voice become a shockwave that ripped through the drones and shut down four of them to send careening off into the walls much to the lemming's shock. The soldier turned with a beckoning hand to invite him up at the front, as they faced down six of the flyers left that began firing en masse upon them. James followed up with a gust of wind to throw off their aim as they stuttered in flight, wobbling to shoot past them as Chanoch deflected the rest of the shots with his sword before rushing forth with a colossal sweep, tearing upwards in a ruthless uppercut that ripped two drones in half. James slipped past him to shoot a chunk of stonedust at two more drones before the last two tried to charge him at once. The lizardman turned with a slap of his tail as James ducked, whalloping one before the lemming slashed the remaining flyer with his sword burning up a hot flame to sever through the machine.

"Haaah...t-talisman's grace these are exhausting with all the magic I have to use."

"I will cover you," said Chanoch, "if you need to recover."

"Thank you...come on, the guards need help!"

During all of this the biggest robot was pounding its fists into the floor of the dance hall as Shuffa and Fleek-Gleek approached it. The yehat cricked his neck and pulled his sword out with a razor sheen whilst the spathi took aim with a large blue-steel mag cannon.

"Wow yer an ugly bastard arentcha?" said the dactyl cackling. "If ya had a heid even."

"What a shame it lacks a cranium," said the slug-like, "would make a much more predictable target for penetration."

"Well ah guess we haftae rip its baws oot instead an' shove 'em elsewhere aye?!"

"HAHAHAA!" she fired one magnetic blast hard into the robot's chest. "You are incorrigible, you mean bolts surely!"

"Ah meant whut ah said, now let's take this fucker doon!"

The monolith shuddered from the mag-shot before swinging towards Shuffa with a giant fist. She dodged sleekly with a hard slide of her slugfoot like a baseball player as her husband slipped past to slash its waist, his blade vibrating with an ultrasonic whirr that caused a raking scar on the top layer of steel. The 40-foot beast turned with a trembling fist almost in anger as it slammed downwards upon his head, the yehat flapping his wings hard backwards to move his entire body out of its shadow. His wife moved to the opposite side and charged up her two-handed rifle with a puncturing blast to the back of its shoulder, sending it staggering forwards slightly to try and backswing hard behind itself. Shuffa bent her body backwards hard with eyestalk almost dropping to the ground to evade the sweep, pressing the gun against the ground like a crutch to push herself back up and charge another shot into its turning body.

"Too slow! Next time aim for my foot you overgrown sub-galactic melnorme!"

The machine seemed to take offence to this by whamming its fist down upon her head, but Fleek-Gleek was ready as he took flight briefly with a lunging strike of his sword shining a crystal blue to pierce through the gargantuan fist, knocking it off-kilter to sweep barely past Shuffa's gleaming stalk.

"You fucked wi' the wrong couple boltface."

The yehat stomped his hard metal legs on top of the fist to bring it down to earth.

"You fuck wi' mah wife, you fuck with ME!"

Wrenching his sword free he drove it down into the top of the robot's thick hand before ripping through the length of its arm in a huge sweeping cut, sending sparks and components to scatter like bone as the machine recoiled with horrendous spasms shooting up its limb. Struggling to keep function before the arm turned stiff, it fired up the rifle from its other arm that turned and blasted towards Fleek. The pteroguard slashed through the laser shot to deflect it perfectly, shooting into a pillar before three more shots came at him, all of which he struck diagonally with shining sonic blade that created blurs behind it, until the fifth last shot he cut clean through to sever in half, the laser energy diffracting too much to even render past him in more than a dozen specks of light. This only served to distract the golem from Shuffa slickly strafing round to get in position, scuttling herself up the wall with the tremendous suction of her abalone body before firing through the base of the rifle's attachment. The casing bent hard against itself as the rifle was snapped out of alignment, not completely off but now rendering it almost useless as the robot thumped its tremendous feet to turn towards the spathi on the wall.

"COOOOEEEEEE!"

She waved to the shambling fiend as it lunged towards her, taking a brief run towards the wall and slamming its still-good fist straight to where she was as she scuttled out of the way. With height for advantage she crawled herself higher up much to the surprise of the dancers cowering still in the nooks behind the back of the giant beast, before Fleek-Gleek rushed to their side and escorted them out quickly.

"GO, GO WE GOT THIS!"

Herding them out of the room before the titanic creature took notice, the yehat looked back towards his wife gleefully sidestepping the attempted punches that crunched into the steel.

"MISSED! MISSED AGAIN! Is that all you truly have you pugnacious pile of SCRAP?!"

With only one arm it became more difficult to hit her, the blaster rifle too out-of-alignment to make shots with but eventually there came a chance. The gunner Shuffa was getting tired as she felt a sudden fatigue come over her, the eyestalk drooping and her thin reedy pincers starting to struggle with the weight of her gun. She was not physically exhausted, but somehow lost all energy in a single flush that made her wince.

"H-hoh...no, n-n-no not now d-damn you!"

"SHUFFA: "

Her husband alerted her briefly to see a fist readying to pull back for the final crunch. She pulled up her mag-cannon and fully-charged her shot to wait for the moment it would come driving straight towards what would soon be a smear of green on the wall. But the spathi countered with a brutal blast straight into the shoulder that sent a careening fist stumbling hard to barely miss her, swooping fast with a whirring gust that almost sucked her off the wall as the robot staggered in a half-spun haymaker that nearly threw it off-balance. Fleek-Gleek was ready to meet its fist, gripping his blade tightly as his metal legs clunked across the floor and made a daring slide to slash through underneath its wrist.

"GET FUCKED YA BASTARD CUNT!"

Severing its hand's circuits almost completely, the monstrous machine sputtered a rainfall of sparks from its broken-open wrist with fingers stuttering to reassert control. Lumbering with arms now rendered inert, the robotic foe resorted to stomping tactics, crunching hard feet that tried to squash Fleek-Gleek's evasive body. Despite his own robotic legs being not especially flexible, his wings helped him dodged much faster with hard flaps of creaking leather, distracting the fiend from his wife's exhausted form slinking discreetly out of the room before she propped her gun up against a dead hoverbot's form and aimed carefully with leaning stalk forwards along the barrel. She saw the pillar closest to her target as her eyeball lifted its singular lid upwards in a cruel smile.

"And the crowd goes wild."

She flipped open a small panel in the side grip and clicked two buttons, causing the rifle to whirr with a different sound before she fired at the column. A high-pitched piercing whine rippled through the steel structure before it started to crumple inwards like a soda can, bending towards the robot that turned too late to see its fate. The sound of crunching metal caved in through its shoulders as its core was twisted up inside its chest from the sheer pressure, before it was finally defeated sprawled out in the midst of the ballroom. Shuffa took a moment to breathe deep and leaned up against a piece of its shell marked with a golden symbol.

"Well," Fleek-Gleek sauntered towards his wife spinning the sword in his claws, "that wasnae bad, wunnit?"

"N-no," she gasped, "not until I felt that-...guh..."

"Shit you alrigh'?" He sheathed his sword and quickly hurried over to wrap his wing round her back. "Dinnae push it sae hard-"

"I am fine please!" she shook him off with a forced "grin" in her eye. "Besides I should be the one ruminating my fears constant over you with that bravado of yours, look at your face!"

"Ahm fiiine ah just banged mahsel' a bit," he shrugged off her grabbing pincers trying to rub along his bruised cartilage beak. "Sides ah thought ya liked mah bravado, why else didya marry me?!"

"Well, firstly your hoverbike was the latest model at that time and the clothes you wore made my stalk tingle something fierce. Secondly anything to upset my mother was good for me I reasoned."

"Oh ah wuz never good fer you." He pulled her close and nuzzled his beak across her neck. "Ahm the baddest prick ya ever meet."

"Oooohoohoohoohooo...oh, could you remove that piece of the armour for me dear?"

"Why certainly mah love."

The yehat brought out his vibroblade and carved the symbol free from the cold metallic husk with a snarling grunt that made the spathi give an odd trill of excitement.

"Oooooh I love watching you get rough."

"Wait until later."

He gave a lewd grin across his entire beak as they walked out the dance hall together to see the rest of the guards cleaning up what was left of the robot revolution into a pile of rubble for recycling. They marched towards Sa-shi-ha currently speaking with the two newcomers.

"I do not want to think it is related but-"

"It has to be," insisted the lemming, "it cannot be a coincidence they went missing so soon before this attack."

"Whut's goin' oan?" asked Fleek.

"Master Durai and doctor Dixon have disappeared."

"Ehhh?"

"The communications room was breached," said the supox cupping her large insect eyes into her fronds, "Blon, Grue and Bleen are...th-they...s-someone killed them."

"What?!" gasped Shuffa with a metal hand to her chest. "What even happened?!"

"We do not know. We were planning to go see the director and tell them about all this."

"Let us investigate the scene of this incidental murder first, our powers of observation shall help dearly in the matter for a fuller preliminary report to the directing chief."

After a long careful examination of the comms room, the small group of five made their way back to the pharmacy branch where the Director waited in their office. The plant-superior loomed over them from within the octo-bubble, the tentacles pulling up from the floor behind their desk as the Director sighed with a grievous frustration.

"I ask only that your group not make any trouble, and not only do I hear two of you are missing, but at the same time I lose three communication officers and several guards to a belligerent brawl in a public space?!"

"Ah dinnae ken how they managed to get a robot that huge past us," muttered Fleek, "looked like a TFZ-45 model used fer maintenance."

"I do not care if it was a maintenance droid or a converted precursor ship, IT somehow managed to infiltrate MY station and I want to know who is responsible!"

"We have the ECTM recordings from the dance," said Sa-shi floating forwards, "but the comms room recordings were damaged."

"Oh you cannot be serious," the Director threw up her leaves exasperated, "you are SUPPOSED to be on top of this sort of thing!"

"I-i am sorry, n-nothing like this has happened before!"

"IT IS YOUR, JOB, TO MAKE SURE NOTHING LIKE THIS DOES HAPPEN! Now." The Director turned towards Shuffa and Fleek-Gleek. "Tell me how it happened."

"After eliminating several possibilities," began Shuffa wiggling her eye in thought, "we have discovered that the tables used at the dance were actually parts of the titanic automaton that we were forced to engage."

She brought up her bracelet upon her spindly prosthetic arm and tapped a few buttons to reveal the recording. The hall became a frantic mess of panicking guests as the furniture covered in cloth and fine cutlery suddenly started fusing together, unpacking the steel-crate look before forming a pair of legs for the base, then the torso and arms that magnetically clamped to start shooting across the walls.

"We are currently investigating the catering staff," continued Shuffa, "the communications' surveillance was damaged by what we believe to be a subsonic blast mine that had been planted in the back of the room."

"Sub, sonic?" asked Chanoch raising an eyeridge.

"A hyperfrequency distortion device."

"Basically it fucks up machines," said Fleek rubbing his crest, "but it ALSO melts anybody's brains aroond it into a thick soup, so their heids exploded like literally."

"Th-that is HORRIBLE," gasped James stomping with outrage, "what kind of monster would create such a device?!"

"The same kinda monsters that wanna win wars at any cost." He gave a solemn look that slightly drifted before shaking his head. "Uh, sorry whut's yer name again?"

"James."

"Righ', well, basically whoever had their claws on this musta either made it themsel' or traded fer sum dark star shite."

"What of the machines that we fought?"

"The big one's modified maintenance, nae that hard to make honestly, but sumbody had tae be activating all them bastards in thuh first place."

"They seemed to be remote-controlled," implied Sa-shi tapping her jaw with a leaf, "the way they moved whilst you were fighting them was too slow to be an automated response."

"That is possible," said the spathi guard swaying her orbular pupil like a metronome. "We did note that the colossus had a rather unique insignia, Fleek?"

She gestured to her husband who brought forth the piece of metal with the odd golden symbol upon it. The Director reeled back in their bubble with a pneumatic whirr as they slammed their fronds down upon sterile pillows.

"What...do they WANT from me!?"

"What is that?" asked the lemming peering at the symbol.

"This has nothing to do with you."

"Considering our friends have possibly been kidnapped, I think it does!"

"How do you know they were kidnapped even? Are you sure they did not just scurry away to exchange fluids?"

"Because we found THIS." James slapped down the quill and broken bracelet onto the desk. "Master Durai uses this quill to write his notes, he would NEVER leave it behind."

"We found the bracelet tucked into the door of the comms room," said Sa-shi-ha, "it was keeping the door open to expose the murder within."

"Huh, really?" muttered Fleek crossing his armwings. "You never telt me that when we went there."

"It was easier to repeat all this before the Director, my apologies."

"It is far too much a coincidence," argued the lemming with his brolly rapping the desk, "that something happened to my master and our superior in the same hour that these attacks happen. Considering that without doctor Dixon's assistance you are trapped in this far-off region of space, I would think you be more receptive to our aid or else you are trapped along with us!"

"...MORHA, play the latest Aurum file."

" Yes, Director."

The room AI hummed briefly as the walls emitted lines of blue to reveal a holographic screen. Chanoch and James stepped back slightly in awe of the semi-light technoviewer gleaming a dull green colour before it played a transmission of black and red. A voice warped with masking growled through the interference as words flickered across the screen to punctuate its threat.

"yOu. aRe INFECTED. SiXty-sEveN-tHoUsAnD, EigHt-hUnDrEd-aNd-niNeTy-ThReE, VOICES cRY foR JUSTICE. wE aRe tHe ANGELS oF AURUM, fOr wE HaVe cOmE tO dEmAnD yOuR aToNemEnT. rEpeNt yOuR SINS aGaiNst tHe PeOpLe yOu SENTENCED tO DEATH, oR yOu ShALL bE ERASED."

The video cut off with a static shock, flickering a brief image of shadows amassing against a wall in darkness before it ended. Sa-shi-ha was first to break the silence of confusion.

"Wh-what...WAS that?"

"The Angels of Aurum," began the Director cupping their dry pale leaves, "an apparent terrorist organisation who has seen fit to harass and now murder our inhabitants."

"Wh-what?! Have we contacted the New Alliance about this?!"

"We checked through the GalaCrime list fourteen times and not once has there ever been an Angels of Aurum group. So I did not consider them to be a threat, more of a nuisance trying to demand money for vague threats."

"Except now," added Chanoch half-crossing his arms, "you are their first target."

"It would appear so."

"Do you know what they want?"

"No I do not, they have made no demands other than this. But this means we have a traitor on board this station." The Director took a deep sigh to refocus before sitting back against the rear of the bubble. "What story did you feed to the staff?"

"I explained that a virus infiltrated our system," said Sa-shi bowing, "gave them a lengthly diatribe about the Ex-Pii worm enough to bamboozle them."

"Good. For now this must never leave the room, that we are under attack from a terrorist group. Shuffa, Fleek-Gleek, you are in charge of investigating this incident. Find out who the traitor is and have them brought to me alive if possible."

"We understand Director," said Shuffa taking a deep bow with rifle against her shoulder, "we shall leave no corner unsullied in our effortless pursuit for the quisling."

"Sa-shi you are to accompany them in case the traitor is a higher access level than them, we cannot afford any chances of them slipping away."

"Yes Director," the supox tapped her pot on the ground like clacking boots.

"Can ah make a request?" asked Fleek raising a wingfinger. "Can we have these two u-uhhh James an' uh...uhhh-"

"Chanoch."

"Righ' aye, we'd wan' em tae accompany us."

"May I ask why?" demanded the plant-CEO leaning forwards with magnified face.

"Cuz we need the extra help, them two were pretty braw facin' up them robots wi' just an elem-blaster an' a sword o' steel!"

"That and we must find our friends!" insisted James with brolly at his side like a walking stick. "I will not rest until we find them!"

"Very well." The boss nodded. "It saves me from babysitting two oxygen-breathers, and whilst I would normally suspect visitors such as you to be perpetrators, you have not shown an inch of technological aptitude good enough to pull this off."

"Your words are so appreciated," said the lemming bowing like the first kid in detention for the week. "We shall put an end to this ourselves."

"I await your results. You will need these, MORHA, present them the Sky passes."

From the wall came a small slot that got picked up by a tentacle to offer two new bracelets to James and Chanoch.

"These will allow you access to further parts of the Reichell base. Be warned, if you commit any suspicious activity, your accompanying guard will execute you without question, understand?"

"Perfectly," said Shuffa nodding with a hard salute, "we shall hunt down this interloper before the end of this decacycle."

"Awrigh' let's mosey lads!" cried Fleek with fist pumped. "Let's take doon this bastard 'fore mah wings seize up ken?!"

They nodded with respectful bows to the Director as they left to undertake their mission. The supox chief simply sat in their bubble, contemplating thoughts that had long been filed for this eventual day.

"MORHA. Call Tixsilga."

" Yes Director."

A small beeping trembled through the desk until a hideous rasping voice slithered from the comms.

"Director. To What Do We Owe You The Pleasure Of This Unexpected Communique?"

"We have a potential breach," they replied. "A small group may be heading towards your location."

"For What Reason Do They Come To Our Nest?"

"Revenge. Be wary of any intruders you do not recognise, I suggest you prepare the AUD to eliminate anyone that comes to you."

"We Understand, Director-"

"However!" They cut him off swiftly. "Should you happen to find a human with dark skin, do NOT harm her."

"A Hu-Man?!" cried the voice of a thousand scratches. "We Have Never Met Such A Species In Our Lives With Such Fascinating Flesh Bound Upon Their Bones."

"She is important, she is necessary for us, do you understand Tixsilga?"

"Yes. We Shall Keep Her Within Our Appendages For As Long As You Desire, Director."

"Thank you. Report back to me if anything happens, MORHA end call."

The comms clicked off and the Director slumped back into the cushions. They cast their eye across the Angels of Aurum's symbol upon the steel carapace left on the desk. Slowly their leaves shook with a clench of building fury.