November 7 2105 (military calendar)Tempestria(transted) 27 10,156 (Tukyarid calendar)Kheks Onboard the Scalkets (explorer)In the sol Oort Cloud Accounting for deliberation this ship day cycle we should receive an answer from home on what we should do with these strange aliens.
It took us decades to create a working lexicon so we could communicate but I have a feeling it wasn’t the right nguage. Just one of many oddities about them they have hundreds of nguages, not one.
It must be difficult to understand one another. Maybe that’s why they fought themselves. The concept of internal conflict took many months to understand.
While I can’t feel the full hive’s comforting presence this isoted I know it’s still there but that very presence kept us unified.
In the end, the closest we had to their wars was external conflict between the various hives before they decided to work together. It took some incredibly deep diving into my genetic memory to discover that.
I click my mandibles in impatience and flutter over to my ship's engineer and the two scientists. One linguistic expert and a biologist.
I ask the linguist, Scins, “How do you think the soft people will react when we reveal ourselves” They ruffle their wings in thought for a few moments. “I am hoping they will at least be open to talking but I fear what is more likely is they will see us as a threat”
My antenna twitched in irritation. I know Scins is likely right. “I guess we’ll just have to wait for our orders then” I state.
A few hours ter my consol indicates I have a new message. I hurry over and open it. The crew crowd around eager to see what our orders are each hoping it’s not more watching.
Immediately something is off. The one speaking is doing so in hushed tones and even through the video we can feel their anxiety.
“Do not return home, it’s not safe. There is too much to expin but we found another people, ones with ships capable of traveling the stars in months not decades”
“We greeted them but they answered by invading us. They already killed one hive queen I fear they will track down and target the rest”
“I’ve attached all the data I could, I also managed to delete all the data you sent us after I had a look and while I believe it to be a monumental risk contact them ask for their help beg them if needs must but I refuse to let out glorious hives be crushed like this”
Once the video part of the message ends I see dozens of documents and while my heart is racing and my ichor is boiling I force my mind to stay calm.
I know what must now be done all that is left is one simple message.
GriffinKyper (inner belt)My brand new bar is surprisingly busy even ignoring all the 104th drinking free. Frank didn’t actually have enough to pay for it but luckily I made a few smart investments such as a major contribution to the rebranded Steam now called Nova. While I can’t voice any opinions or compints with how Gabe runs it I do get a portion of the profits. That allows me to pay the bartenders and guards.
I’m in a private booth with Tanya and we are both watching Jed on a date I set up. They both look to be having fun so I’ll call it a win.
“So when will me and Jed be sitting here watching you and Casper” I ask her only slightly joking. She punches me “your an ass sometimes you know that”
I snort and ugh “Whenever it happens just let me know and I’ll get you what you need maybe I’ll open a fancy restaurant just so you can eat at a nice pce”
She gres at me but her smile tells me she’s actually appreciative. Both of our comms go off and when I pull it out to see the message I can’t help but stare in confusion.
-priority one-
-gear up for ship boarding and make best speed to meet with the UER Behemoth further orders will be reyed upon docking-
“What the fuck” I gnce at Tanya and it’s easy to see we got the same message. I look over to Jed who seems oblivious. “Guess it’s just us, this is weird”
We get up and make our way down a docking tunnel to the Onager. “Gear up we’ll take the woodpecker it’s faster than the Onager” she says. I sprint to gear up and pack anything I’ll need.
If I forget anything I’ll just take it from the Behemoth's crew. Half an hour ter and we are on the bridge of the woodpecker at full burn.
While we burn to intercept which will be a few hours I ask Tanya “What fleet is the behemoth in anyway” She takes a moment to respond probably looking it up “Strike fleet Sol”
Eventually, we flip and burn to match the behemoth, and the helmsman expertly guides us to a clean dock. Without another word, we grab our gear and rush to transfer over.
What’s waiting for us though further confuses the situation. Spero is waiting at the hard point. “You made quick time thank you. I’ll be upfront with you both, you’ve earned it”
“A xeno species just sent us a message requesting to speak, in Americanese, the pn right now is some only slightly subtle threats while we try talking to them”
“I’ll be front and center you both will be behind and to the side’s helmets on, if things go hot we’ll either just hit them with the main gun or you will go in for a more personal welcome”
As he finished we entered the battle bridge, which was bustling, and as soon as we stepped in the red alert went out.
We got into our positions and I slung my rifle across my chest and locked my armor joints and magnetized my boots so it wouldn’t look like I was moving.
Spero spoke “open comms” then after a moment he switched to Americanese “to the unidentified xeno craft state your intentions or you will be destroyed”
He wasn’t kidding about the threats. I move my eyes to see the ship’s captain gesture for the main weapons station to charge up the spinal cannon.
The main feed flickers and a visual comes through. The first intelligent life humanity has found are bugs. Great. It speaks in clicks and other bug noises that transte to Americanese.
“We request you do not fire, this is an unarmed research vessel” Spero doesn’t show any emotion “What are you doing in this system it’s obvious you've been here a while”
The bug shifts “We offer apologies our mission started off to observe your kind so we may communicate like we are now but things have changed”
I raise my eyebrows and sense everyone else doing the same. Spero takes the initiative “Expin, how have things changed we are talking like you wanted”
The bug seems to look at me and Tanya in our abused and battered armor. It seems scared? “We have documents that we would like to share that will expin the change and our new request”
Spero gnces at the captain who nods indicating the incoming comm buffer is isoted “Send the data. while we parse it what is your new request”
I know this is a new species and everything but it looks almost desperate “We request… no beg that you liberate our people”
Even Spero seems genuinely shocked. The captain throws the transcript of a video along with detailed diagrams of some other spices onto a secondary screen.
Spero lets his hard facade down somewhat “I see… do not send any communications to anything but this ship and maintain position we’ll be in contact”
With that, the feed cuts out. Once Spero moves I unlock my armor “Locust mantis hybrids and giant spider-looking things just our luck” I state.
Spero shrugs “Keep them locked and weapons hot can you point the maser at Earth for me captain” he then leaves the bridge. Tanya looks at me and gestures that we should leave too.
Outside the bridge, she speaks and I can hear the feral grin “This is the perfect opportunity, we lucked out with this”
I tilt my head “How do you mean” she turns to face me “More recognition to be had, plenty of pnets to take, and possibly a ‘workforce’ plus it’ll just be new and exciting to fight aliens than people”
I shake my head smiling “Of course it was your feudal idea… how fast can Misriah make a blueprint” she shrugs “depends but Cliff loves us so it’ll be worked on immediately, I have a few ideas I’d like them to make for us”
I nod “I’ll pass it on to you then and we’ll just give them a big order” She crosses her arms “I’ll have to get the boys off vacation but such is life”
I punch her shoulder ‘softly’ “let’s go stomp some bugs” Through the helmet I can see her eyes widen and she grabs my shoulders “Griffin that’s it” she yells
“The 104th bug stompers… we extinguish species” I blink then smile “So we finally have a name. the poor bastards won’t know what hit them”
With that, we both excitedly head to our guest quarters and I compile my idea for Misriah and send it to Tanya. With that a week passed with on the surface nothing happening.
In reality, Spero and the council were in deliberation every day for that week. Meanwhile, the now christened Bug Stompers were slowly recalled to the nearest base to then be collected.
Some were climbing the Alps and Everest others were doing the same but on Olympus mons on Mars. A few were having a diving expedition on Europa. We were all over the pce. which is only fair we did take it all.
Finally, we were called into the bridge and found Spero and the captain talking. Once we entered though they both turned to us Spero speaking first “That took much longer than expected regardless thank you both for your patience”
“Regarding the situation, I believe it’s an opportunity we'd regret not taking. Since it won’t be a secret for much longer I’ll go ahead and tell you, for the past few months final checks and preparations have been made to a test bed ship”
He pauses and grins “It’ll be testing the first faster-than-light drive and will jump to the Oort Cloud of the proxima centauri system. This will test the drive itself and its accuracy as well as navigational data after all a drive is useless if we can’t use it”
He then looks pointedly at Tanya “As for actually helping these aliens you will be the spearhead. Having the most experience in interpnetary combat I believe your unit will pave the way for garrison forces to hold what you take”
We both nod and I can’t help but smile. I know Tanya is as well. For any compints we may give for being worked to the bone or always being the first in none of us would have it any other way.
Tanya clears her throat “If I may sir” Spero nods “I’d like to request supplemental forces as we will be invading entire pnets I fear the 104th might not have enough manpower”
Spero stays quiet for a moment “What units are you thinking” Without a beat, Tanya answers “The Liquidators and the Devil Dogs maybe some forces from Germany if they are sorted out. I’d also like dedicated transport ships for each”
Spero nods “Good choices. I’ll see what can be done. Now you’ll be operating completely independently so I’m going to see if we can get at least some of this alien crew to go with you for on-the-go information”
“Why don’t we go ahead and contact them further preparations can be made once we know more” We nod and about a minute ter the screen shows the alien again.
“Greetings how may we assist you” it states. Spero csps his hands behind his back “We have some questions that need to be answered before we can move forward”
It bobs up and down possibly in an imitation of a human nod “First how many pnets do your people have” the alien answers quickly “Last I knew only our home world though I guess in our time here we may have expanded”
I feel like there is something to that statement and Spero hones in on it as well “How did your ship arrive here” The alien clicks its mandibles “Our people can enter what you call hibernation state. This has allowed us to explore other stars without a faster-than-light device”
I and Tanya look at one another that is pretty big but Spero continues “I see and you’ve obviously have been here a while to transte our nguage. So what did you think when the Pacific pte erupted”
The bug is so obviously surprised that even though species barriers it’s clear as a lunar day. Once it collects itself it answers “We thought you killed yourselves and your pnet but when we saw the destruction on the rge satellite above your pnet we realized you were still alive down there”
Spero ughs “I can see why you’d think that. I have only a few more questions” the bug bobs again “You’ve seen what we do to ourselves and yet you still contacted us. I’d like to hear your thoughts I’d like to believe you're not so desperate to trade one violent species for a more aggressive one”
The bug tilts its head and clicks its mandibles. “I believe I understand what you are asking. Part of it is desperation but members of my crew myself included can see the other side of your people. Your information broadcasts show this well. For every self-inflicted wound, there are a dozen moments to be proud of”
Spero nods “Now then the st two questions…what is your name” The transtor spits out half a dozen alternate meanings for name and after a few moments the bug answers “I am kheks captain and pilot of this vessel”
Spero smiles warmly “Well met kheks would a member of your crew be willing to join one of our fleets? Specifically, the first one to liberate your people”
After a pause kheks answers “As the only member with weapons training I will accompany the fleet. My crew will stay behind and it is my hope to work together with your scientists so we may better understand one another”
Spero nods “Then it seems it’s up to our doctors to determine if you can safely exist in our atmosphere” Sensing we aren’t needed now we leave the bridge. Once we are out of earshot Tanya ughs “We have a lot of work ahead. Can you head up the Xeno side of this while I organize the invasion? Some maps even outdated would be useful”
I shrug “Sure shouldn't be a problem seeing as we’re going to be on the Behemoth probably until we pick up the bug”
Some hours ter we get called to the bridge and the air is thick with anticipation. I overhear the communication station announcing “edge of discovery has reached transit point. Awaiting command to transte”
I quickly check the main screen and it shows a modified frigate in the center of the screen. The smaller monitors show different angles as well as a few news broadcasts about the ship.
Spero stands tall and proudly decres “We have been through much, pnet freezing temperatures, atomic hellfire, and diseases that were nothing short of apocalyptic”
“Yet we endured and now we are all about to witness the scientific miracle of humanity. With this, I give you the stars”
As he loudly decred the st part and it seemed the universe itself held its breath. the ship rips open reality itself and rockets straight in elighting cheers from the bridge.
With wide eyes and a sck jaw, I just witnessed something that countless scientists have long said was impossible.
