FSE

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Working on the pod's transceiver, Key sits on top the pod, working through an open panel. As he works, he splits his attention between it and Drudge's findings about Avy. Since she's been inactive the last few days, it's given him time to do an intensive biological scan of her.

He pulls out a cylindrical component and examines it for a moment. Finding no problems with it, sets it aside and continues to work.

So far he's learned she's immature, which is odd given her inherent calm. Of course that could stem from her ability to read his mind, and possibly the ones of others around her.

He pulls out a box-shaped junction box and set it aside.

The thing that puzzles him the most is how she grew so much in the short time. He can tell it took a lot of energy since she still hasn't done a lot. Another thing he knows is that she's still changing. His last scan discovered a tube-like organ that runs the length of her tail. Right now that tube has no obvious function.

Key pulls out a part that looks like a spool of wire. He looks at it and sighs heavily. There's a dent in it. That's why the diagnostics didn't find a problem, technically the coil still works.

As he reaches back into the opening, Drudge announces, "There's a storm approaching."

"How long?"

"Maybe five minutes. Pressure's dropping fast."

Key pockets the coil and sets the rest of the stuff back inside the opening. As he starts securing the panel, the wind starts to pick up. Rocks and debris quickly start to pelt him in the back, and his helmet automatically closes.

"This bad already?"

"It will get much worse."

Securing the last fastener, Key slides from the pod and ducks inside the shelter's door. He's suddenly glad he put a shield up around it. Avy gives him a curious look as he steps in a closes the door.

"Shields," Key states.

The noise quickly fades as the debris is deflected from the shelter walls and roof.

"If these storms keep up, we'll run out of power before a year's up."

Avy slowly gets up and walks over to Key's desk. There, she starts moving things around with a foreleg until she finds a tablet.

Key watches as the tip of the leg splits into four parts. She then uses those four crude, inflexible fingers to pick up the tablet.

"How'd...y--y--you didn't have those yesterday," he stammers.

She nods and set the tablet on the floor. Then, with a few swipes and taps, she brings up its keyboard. She then looks up at him and points to the other tablet.

Unable to take his eyes off her, he clumsily reaches for the other tablet. Once he has it, he flops into his chair. "Drudge, will you...uhm, do, make the....thing--"

"I believe I know what you are trying to say," Drudge interrupts. "Tablet connection established."

"Yeah, that."

Avy nods and then looks down at the tablet. After uncoiling her tail, she settles back on it and holds herself up with her four hind legs. With her forelegs, she begins to type.

ARAMAN KEYLAN I AM AVY.

Key looks up from his tablet. "How?"

I KNOW WHAT YOU KNOW. I KNOW MORE. ASK.

Key closes is eyes for a moment, fighting off the flood of questions that come to mind. It takes a moment, but he settles on one, one that's bugged him since he landed. "Why did you help me?"

She nods. This was the question she was hoping he'd ask.

AVY SEE YOU NEED AVY. AVY KNOW AVY NEED YOU. SOON MOON'S ALIGN. MERR GET FROZEN. WE NEED TO BE READY, OR GONE.

"Merr? Freeze? I don't understand."

WE ON MERR. THIS PLANET. WHEN MOONS ALIGN, MERR IN SHADE. MERR FREEZE. I HYBERNATE. YOU DO NOT. IF WE NOT READY, YOU DIE.

Key feels his heart sink. He clearly understood that. The three moons have slow orbits. An eclipse could take weeks, and in that time... "How long till the alignment?"

She looks back down at her forelegs again and starts making gestures in the air. After a moment she types, 45 DAYS.

"Local days?"

She nods.

That's at least some comfort. "Does everything hibernate?"

She nods.

He leans back and thinks for a moment. A thought hits him, and he hesitantly asks, "Why aren't there more like you?"

She bows her head for a moment, then begins to slowly type, AS FAR AS I KNOW, I AM THE LAST OF THE MERRIN.

The blood runs from Key's face in shock. "Last?" he croaks.

MANY ALIGNMENTS AGO, MERR HAD 4 MOONS AND WAS COOLER. THE STORMS WERE LESS VIOLENT.

ON ONE SUCH ALIGNMENT, WE ENTERED HYBERNATION WITH 4 MOONS, BUT AFTE WE WOKE, WE ONLY HAD 3. WE DID NOT KNOW WHY THEN, BUT WITH WHAT YOU KNOW, I HAVE FIGURED OUT WHAT HAPPENED.

IT WAS HIT BY SOMETHING, REMOVING IT FROM OUR ORBIT.

Key sets the tablet aside and rubs his head with his hands. "That means the orbit shifted, climate changed...that's why I see riverbeds but no ground water." He looks back at her. "What happened to your people?"

MANY DIED WHEN THEY CAME OUT OF HIBERNATION TOO EARLY. MORE DIED AFTER THE WATER EVAPORATED. OTHERS FELL AS PREY.

"How did you survive?"

I WAS BORN AFTER. MY PROGENITOR LEARNED HOW TO ADAPT, AS DID MANY OF THE LESSER CREATURES.

There's a moment of silence, as Key absorbs the knowledge she's revealed to him. He feels a tear run down his cheek, and realizes that he's crying.

Crying for both himself, and her.

Outside, the storm continues to rage well into the night.