Sands and Sinners – Chapter 2 “The Hostile and The Curious”

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6257 PY, Akhet Athyr 15th
Buried ruins of the Tasysai capital.

The sandstorm rolled east, covering hundreds of kilometers and reshaping the land in its path.

Over five thousand years, buried and preserved by the sand; over five thousand years, the city slumbered, but as the sandstorm passed, the sun once again illuminated the limestone masonry adorned with faded azurite and orpiment.

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Expedition Day 2 0630
Unknown Location. Cruiser Kaiirda

“Medical scans do not show anything of concern, Captain. Some non-prescription painkillers should help take the edge off. Would you like me to synthesize some?” Alice turned out to have a full suite of support functions, many of which suggest that her design was intended to provide support for an entire crew rather than to replace the crew, especially since many functions across the cruiser, such as most of the medical equipment, still require some manual operation. Which begs the question: ‘What was Ingred thinking when he made Alice?’ He knew full well that General AI technology was, and still is, illegal, meaning that he would never be able to assemble a crew to prove its worth. The Daiamid would erase his name from existence for something as minor as writing a research paper over it, but he actually built one.

“Thanks for the offer, but I think I’ll tough it out. Painkillers might dull the pain, but it also dulls my judgment.” I declined the offer as I removed myself from the scanner and removed my medical gown in favor of my uniform. “Get ready a report on the work progress from last night; I’ll hear it on the bridge.”

“Yes, sir.”

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Stillsuit, plain hazard yellow pants, hazard yellow jacket with white stripe and black accents, desert boots. Considering my situation and what I signed on for, I somehow doubt that the coalition colors I wear now suit me. Would the red and white stripes of Kiith Soban suit me better here? Given what I’ve done, you could say I’ve done what Sobani had been known for: ‘Mercenaries who honor our contracts.’ If you look at it that way, I honored my oath to my Kiith. But the laws I broke by activating Alice and by using this technology, I’ve betrayed the laws that the Sobani now fight to protect. Would that make me a J’niir Kiith, a hollow kinsman?

The door to the command bridge opened before me as the morning sunlight greeted me, snapping me away from my dilemma. “Captain on the bridge,” Alice announced.

Taking a deep breath, I stepped into the cruiser’s command bridge and walked towards my seat. I had more important things to worry about today. “Situation report,” I commanded. It was time for me to get back on track; what color I wore would be a future problem—if there was a future at all.

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The Captain is troubled. This much I expected; however, I also know that I should not approach the subject unprompted, especially with my understanding of the general view of AI within the Coalition,

From what Ingred has told me about Captain Rafeel, he upholds his oaths to a degree that is not often seen in modern times. One of the oaths happened to be the laws of the Coalition. However, to uphold his oath to his friend and my creator, Ingred S’jet, he unwittingly broke his oath to the Coalition. It is my understanding that people will generally be conflicted over such matters.

Regardless of any internal conflicts, the expedition has regained mobility and is proceeding towards the next objective. Between the two potential resourcing opportunities and one point of interest I had located over long-range sensors, Captain Rafeel decided to make the southeast resourcing option the first objective, then proceed further east to investigate a point of interest. The Captain elected to temporarily overlook the resourcing opportunity to the west despite its vast reserves due to the high time and infrastructure commitment required to exploit it, two resources that are in short supply according to his analysis.

“Alice, can you tell me why this cruiser is fitted with a fusion reactor when even the Sakala class is still equipped with fission reactors?” Captain Ingred suddenly asked me.

“I am not entirely sure. However, I understand that reactors of any type are not typical in cruiser-class vessels on Kharak. Despite the high power requirement of Phased Disassembly Array technology, the Warden class is still only equipped with conventional power systems,” I replied, stating only the facts.

“Yeah, that much I know is true, but where did Ingred get his hands on an actual, functional fusion reactor this compact? The S’jet High Energy Laboratory was barely making any progress on one the size of an entire cruiser.” He continued his questioning.

“That is a good question. I can not offer any conclusive facts on this topic; however, I have some hypotheses.”

“Do tell.”

“While I was defragmenting my data drives, I found some interesting scraps of unindexed data. They were partially overwritten but have significant similarities to my own data. I suspect that prior to creating me, Ingred had experimented with less stable and more specialized artificial intelligence, one of which was used to create some of the systems aboard this cruiser. However, given the complexity of a miniaturized fusion reactor, I am inclined to believe that it is simply refurbished Gaalsien technology.”

“I don’t recall if he has the right skill set to refurbish a reactor on his own. Must have had help. Maybe an earlier AI project of his?”

“That is very likely.”

This conversation died down as Captain Rafeel returned to his pondering, but the topic prompted me to ask questions that had never occurred to me. How long has my creator been making and using AIs? How much of this cruiser was obtained illegally? How deep of a hole has he dug himself into? Simulating the worst-case scenario, the best decision to make for Captain Rafeel might be to ‘never attempt to return to Kharak.’ However, it is not my place to give such advice, prompted or not.

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To the best of my recollection, Ingred would never act maliciously, especially not on such a large scale. Throughout the years I had known him in the Academy, he had always preferred the less orthodox method if it meant a greater positive result in his view. And despite our disagreements over his definition of ‘positive result,’ his explanations had always been rooted in solid logic and evidence, leaving little room for debate. I suppose what he’s done here isn’t out of character, but on such a scale is beyond my expectations. Chances are, whatever it is that he wanted to take care of would be way beyond his ability.

“We have arrived,” Alice announced, breaking me away from my pondering.

The first resourcing site was fifteen miles east-south-east of where Kaiirda got stuck. Unlike Kharak, there aren’t the convenient wreckages and meteorites that littered the desert landscape. We’ll have to dig for it. By Alice’s estimation, this site here will take around twelve hours to excavate before any mineral deposits become available for harvesting.

As I reviewed the scanned 3D map of this site, I noticed that the buried mineral seems to have been excavated before as a part of a quarry before being buried by sand. The buried rocks formed distinct steps that measured only a few heads taller than a person, with ramps between levels but no signs of any tools left behind or infrastructure built. It must have been abandoned ages ago. The full spectrum scan overlay shows what appears to be a modest but almost entirely untouched common metals deposit, and further beneath layers of rocks lie expansive veins of rare metals rich enough to set up a Somtaaw mining crew for life and then some. We’ll definitely have to revisit this location in the future.

“Alice, does this… look like an open pit mine to you?” I asked, unsure of my own analysis.

“While there is limited evidence of tools and infrastructure employed in the vicinity, the subterranean structures do not match any known natural geological patterns.” Alice replied, mirroring my observations, “Given the erosion pattern visible in current scans and the expected decay rate of organic material in this environment, I believe that if this location had been a component of an open pit mine, it must have been abandoned for a minimum of two thousand years.”

The first sign of civilization, and it was long abandoned and buried, just like how the shifting sands in the Great Banded Desert back home had done to the off-world wrecks, just without the Gaalsien and Khaaneph, that is. “Let’s not waste time and get to digging.” I shift gears back toward the task at hand, collecting resources.

“Acknowledged, PDA active and configured for excavation. Expect resource uptick in eleven hours.”

With resourcing underway, there is little I can do till the storage tank levels rise above critical. I relaxed for a moment, recounting recent events in my head and trying to decide the best way forward. Retrieving my portable terminal, I prepared to pull up some reading materials to pass the time while Alice operated the salvage arrays. It was then I realized that I don’t have to spend my entire time cooped up in the command bridge now that Alice is operating Kaiirda’s systems, and I now have time to catch up on any physical training. The question is how much I can trust an AI.

As I was about to voice my question, the rational part of my mind took over again. Over the last eight hours, while I slept, Alice had every opportunity to act against me. Even if I can’t trust every AI, I can at least trust Alice, I hope.

“Alice, forward the main monitor video feed to my datapad. I’ll be in the training room. Alert me if anything changes.” I stood up and gave a command as I strode away from the command seat.

“Affirmative, Captain.”

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6257 PY, Akhet Athyr 15th. Early Morning
Nine schoenus west of the buried ruins of the Tasysai capital.

If waking up from a multi-millennium-long slumber in the middle of a sandstorm was not bad enough, the morning sun sapping my barely recovered energy as soon as the storm cleared for sure made it worse.

But the great serpent of the eternal night would not be hindered by such little things. After all, I did bury the Pharaoh of Tasysai. Strictly speaking, he sacrificed himself to put me into a deep slumber after I had razed his kingdom to nothing but sand. But still, I brought his kingdom to its knees and ensured that it would never rise again.

To wake up now could only mean one thing. The seal Pharaoh Canopus placed upon me with his own soul is weakening, and he himself would return when the seal fully fails.

Well, no matter. He could not stop me with the power of his entire kingdom then; he can not stop me now with only what’s buried in his tomb. Only one slight problem: I can not recall where I was put to sleep. And in my defense, no one would remember small details like that, especially after multiple millennia of unconsciousness.

For the time being, I’ll just hide under the sand. Sheltered from the sun’s rays so that I may keep recovering my strength. I’ll catch a whiff of Canopus’s divinity when he wakes a little more.

And also a perfect time to familiarize myself with this new body of mine.

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Expedition Day 2 0900
Resourcing site 001. Cruiser Kaiirda

The PT workouts don’t get easier just because I’m specifically trained for command rather than combat. Same standards, just easier to cheat.

In any case, I’ve never been one to cheat. Not to mention that there’s little point in faking the PT results on tests now that there is no one to review my results. I need to maintain fitness for my own sake.

With a quick post-workout shower done, I found myself stopping by the mess hall for some simple refreshments and snacks on my way back to the command bridge.

“Captain, there are some new developments. Non-urgent.” Alice’s voice rang out over the intercom.

“Forward the details to my datapad and give me a quick verbal report,” I commanded. Given that the fleet is preoccupied with resourcing and the non-urgent nature of the situation, there is little need to hurry.

“Excavation is moving three hours ahead of schedule; expect resource uptake in six hours. A new energy signature has been detected further east at one hundred and seventy kilometers in opposite polarity to that of the first energy signature eighty kilometers west of our current position.”

“Mark the new energy signature as a point of interest and make it the third strategic objective.”

“Understood.”

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The excavation is moving smoothly, a bit too smoothly. Kaiirda’s sensors and the salvager’s Limited Instance AI are both reporting that the sand is being drained somewhere, somehow. The composite sensors detect any subterranean cavities that might allow drainage. The drainage rate also seems somewhat irregular, almost resembling Theta waves in REM sleep in some abstract form. Despite the anomaly, there does not appear to be any evidence of impending hazards. But on the safe side, I have recommended that Kaiirda be moved further away from the site, to which Captain Rafeel agreed.

The P.O.I.s, however, seem to be of much greater concern. Waveform caustic analysis suggests that the second energy source, whatever it might be, is encased or at least contained within some artificial structure made out of high-density inorganic materials but definitely not metallic. In comparison, the first energy source is only lightly obscured by sand. What makes it concerning is that both seem to be gaining intensity. Long-range scans at this kind of distance only have so much resolution, and detailed waveform analysis is practically impossible at this range.

“Alice, can you explain to me, in simple terms, what the implications of these energy signatures are? Your detailed reports are great, but my basic scientific training can’t compare to what science officers are capable of.” Captain Rafeel asked as he put down his data pad.

“Of course, Captain. The estimated mass and volume of the detected objects should not be capable of creating this amplitude of energy emission. In order to assist with your objective of returning to Kharak, we will need additional data to complete the hyperspace equation and obtain a power source sufficient to replicate the hyperspace event that brought us here. Capturing and analyzing the objects may provide data that can accelerate the progress.”

“What about the destructive signal interference you mentioned in the new report?”

“There is not sufficient data to conclusively determine the nature of this interaction. In the worst-case scenario, direct interaction between the two objects may cause mutual annihilation.”

“Thank you. Keep me updated on any future developments.” He replied after a brief pause.

“Yes, sir.”

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6257 PY, Akhet Athyr 15th. Mid-day?
Nine schoenus west of the buried ruins of the Tasysai capital.

Of all the time Canopus could stir in his sleep, it had to be when the sun was the highest. Well, it makes sense, given that the god that granted him his divinity held his domain and authority over the sun.

At the very least, I know where he is now. As soon as the time becomes more favorable, I’ll cross these ten or so schoenus in an instant! When he awakes, it will be with my fangs sunk into his flesh!

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Expedition Day 2 2200
Resourcing site 001. Cruiser Kaiirda

About seven hours ago, the scavenger managed to reach the first layer of the ore deposit. The mining and refining process has been rather slow due to the somewhat low quality of the ores, but resources are steadily flowing into Kaiirda’s reserves. In a few more hours, there’ll be enough to put together a light assault vehicle.

The sun set a while ago, giving way to the alien starscape and the twin moons orbiting this world. It’s a looming reminder that I’m no longer home.

“Alice, cabin lights off,” I ordered as I stood up from my command seat and approached the viewports. Back home, the lights of the city drowned out the night sky into a featureless black. And at the storm breaker walls, the sands of the desert needed far more watching than the sky ever did. How long has it been since I last looked at the stars?

“Captain, Point of Interest one is moving east.” Alice suddenly announced.

“Moving east?” That’s where P.O.I. two is; I reminded myself, “Is it traveling towards P.O.I. two or past it? And how fast?”

“Adjusting for terrain and other factors, it is highly likely that the emission source is moving towards Point of Interest 2. Estimated time of intersection, 24 hours.”

“Somewhat faster than walking speed, then…” I concluded. I returned to my seat. Typically, cruisers have a slightly slower top speed than even the carriers; going by the technical docs, Kaiirda’s no exception. That said, thanks to the bigger powerplant, she should be able to push fifty-five clicks an hour, sixty by overridden thermal protections. “How fast can we get to P.O.I. two? Standard top speed and accounting for the terrain.”

“Four hours, assuming ideal weather.”

“Let’s aim to intercept the target at least twenty clicks away from P.O.I two, which should mean…” I paused momentarily to do some mental math. “Departure in sixteen hours. Alice, update objective tracking.”

The objectives checklist reappears on the main monitor as the new objective is added and old ones are updated and re-arranged. Departure, sixteen hundred and counting down. “Objective tracking updated.”

Now we wait.

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6257 PY, Akhet Athyr 16th. Past midnight.
Eight schoenus west of the buried ruins of the Tasysai capital.

Instant is a relative term. In the grand scheme of things, even a whole day of travel is but an instant on the scale of the cosmos! On a more serious note, is the world bigger? Or am I just a lot smaller? Last I recalled, two hours was enough for me to raze half a dozen cities, all while traveling from Tasysai to the Setbu Quarry and back. Now, I’m pretty sure I barely covered a schoenus of land!

Aside from my travel speed, it seems that the powers I once had at my beck and call are all different. They still answer to my whims, only in ways that resemble spells and magecraft instead. It feels somewhat humiliating that my once-unmatched powers are just reduced to some parlor tricks that anyone with the mana pool could play with; it’s irritating. On the bright side, my mana pool is still as expansive as it was last time I slithered through these sands, and the magecrafts should prove plenty more versatile once I properly acclimate.

Best I keep slithering. At this pace, I’ll get Canopus wrapped up in my coils by the next nightfall!

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Expedition Day 3 0900
Resourcing site 001. Cruiser Kaiirda

Preparations are proceeding as planned and ahead of schedule, if I were to believe the reports of ore quality spontaneously improving whilst I slept. The collection rate is definitely up; storage tank levels, hardware, and software reports line up, and no malfunction as far as I can tell. Alice is adamant that the ore quality just spontaneously went up across the entire vein, even if it made no sense.

In any case, I’m now up on the top exterior deck, looking out the stern of the crawler at the production bay hatch. The first LAV of the expedition should be rolling out any second now, the same semi-remote control technology the Scavenger runs on. Speaking of, earlier in the morning, I questioned Alice about the reliability of remote control in a combat environment and potential under-jamming.

As it turns out, ‘remote control’ is just the quick and dirty explanation Ingred came up with to save time, knowing that I would ask about it at its first relevance regardless of whether it’s a good time for the full explanation or not. What actually goes into the ‘remote controls’ is that a limited instance of Alice’s AI is loaded in every unit in place of the standard OS so that they’re all technically autonomous. Except these instances are sub-sophont and rely on remote commands and a simple decision tree to act.

I don’t know if I like this, giving weapon systems full autonomy on fire control. Alice has proven itself trustworthy for the time being, but regardless of my trust in Alice or Ingred’s decisions, no one is immune to mistakes. And I fear that there might just be a mistake somewhere upstream that might domino in an accidental weapon discharge where there cannot be one and cause damage that could never be reversed. But I don’t have much of a choice, taking the physical limitations of a single person into consideration. I’ll have to live with it and hope that my paranoia is misplaced.

The sound of the electrical drive train hitting the sand and the hatch closing marks the official deployment of the first combat unit of the expedition. The familiar angular and boxy form of the Coalition LAV presents itself as the autonomous vehicle reorients itself and places itself in formation with Kaiirda. Parts of the viewport have been replaced with a compound sensor unit, and the radar dome attached to the turret is also enhanced with a series of sensors I could not identify. Ingred’s designs, I presume.

“Captain, there is a situation update regarding the interception target.” Alice suddenly called out to me over my headset radio.

“Give me the fast version.”

“The target is moving faster than expected. Based on the latest sensor data and heuristic analysis, the target is expected to reach the planned interception point in four point five hours.”

That would mean that we have less than thirty minutes to pack up and start moving, about seven hours ahead of schedule.

“Recall the salvager as soon as it’s done with the last load and send the LAV to escort. Get Kaiirda moving as soon as I’m inside.” I commanded into the mouthpiece under my respirator and immediately made my way to the exterior hatch.

“Yes, sir.”

The second the hatch sealed behind me, I felt the crawler lunge forward as the colossal drivetrain overcame the inertia of three kilotons of metal. With any luck, there won’t be a need for weapon fire today.

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Expedition Day 3 1245
15km west of the interception point. Cruiser Kaiirda

We have been trailing the target for the past 15 minutes, maintaining distance and hiding behind terrain. For the past hour, I’ve done little outside of scrutinizing the aerial probe’s camera feed. Whatever it is, it’s not carrying anything that might be the emission source. At one point, Alice suggested that the creature itself is the emission source.

“No matter what filter is on the sensor feed, that raised upper body definitely looks like a person. Are you sure we can’t get a higher resolution image on visual?” I asked, unusually frustrated

“Tactical specification scout probes do not require optics beyond this quality; the only option at this point will be to fly the probe closer.”

Alice’s suggestion is not an appetizing one. While cheap enough normally, even with the stripped-down sensor suite and non-existent hull reinforcements, we’re practically scraping the bottom of the storage tanks. If possible, I would prefer to recover it once we’re done.

The scavenger’s other choice is to starve. Not much in the way of options here. “Send it in.”

“Understood… wait, I am detecting an energy surge from the target… Ordering probe to perform evasive maneuvers.”

I looked out the viewport as thin arcs of strange purple lights rose from behind the dunes as they burned past where the probe circled above before an explosion marked the end of my plans to recover that probe.

“Probe lost,” Alice announced.

“What the hell was that?”

A video playback of the action appeared on the main monitor as the camera feed zoomed in and focused on one of the projectiles, tracking its movement. Graphical overlays highlighted the shifting forms of the bolt of what looks like a purple lightning bolt shrouded in a dark haze.

“Sensor analysis suggests some form of direct energy weapon. Measured amplitude indicates moderate risks to heavy armor.” Alice reports.

The heaviest armor we have other than Kaiirda is the LAV, and that means no heavy armor. Given the number of missed shots against the probe, the LAV might work if it stays evasive. That said, it also won’t survive more than any good hits on any internals.

“What about the special plating on Kaiirda?” I asked. It’s not an optimal plan, but if Kaiirda was able to shrug off an electrical storm, those energy projectiles should not be a problem.

“Direct energy weapons are not expected to be effective against Kaiirda’s armor,” Alice reports, but suddenly alerts, “be advised, the target is changing trajectory, on intercept against the Kaiirda.”

“All units to flank speed, LAV to direct interception trajectory, engine boost at the ready.” I switched the command interface from strategic mode to tactical, “mission start.”

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6257 PY, Akhet Athyr 16th. Mid day.
Two schoenus west of the buried ruins of the Tasysai capital.

It soared through the air above me, held up without wings or magic but with sheer momentum alone as it cleared the dune ahead. The magic bolts I had prepared fizzled away as I held my jaw agape in awe.

It’s… massive. Between the vibrations it made and the speed it was moving, I figured it to be a pair of beasts maybe twice the size of a camel at best… but… this strange contraption, a graceless boxy body on four wheels made out of strange tar-black materials, was the size of a peasant’s house!

The shock of its ungraceful landing shocked me from my stumper as I resummoned my spells to take down the contraption and unleashed my magic…

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Expedition Day 3 1400
En route to P.O.I. two. Cruiser Kaiirda

The attempt to recover anomaly one intact was a failure. When the LAV arrived, it almost crushed the creature carrying the energy anomaly. The retaliatory energy attacks that followed luckily didn’t land, thanks to a well-timed engine boost on the part of Alice’s AI instance.

In our attempts to neutralize the threat, the twin autocannons on the LAV initially had rather limited effects due to some kind of non-physical armor ability, maybe an effect of the energy anomaly or some kind of projected energy-based armor. To compensate, I ordered more aggressive stances and maneuvers, but that ultimately backfired when the energy shield collapsed out of nowhere. The creature ended up with more holes punched into it than a Somtaaw strip mine. The energy anomaly also sharply dropped off when the creature stopped moving. Could it have been damaged by a stray bullet?

I ordered for the corpse to be recovered and to search the battlefield for any device or artifacts that might have contributed to the energy anomaly, but by the time Kaiirda had caught up with the LAV, the rising background radiation from the other anomaly was inducing enough sensor noise to make locating said artifact nearly impossible.

This is all without mentioning the strangest part: this creature’s upper body appears to be that of a woman’s. Except for the purple skin, her facial features and body proportions almost seem to have been intentionally sculpted by a Manaan artist for the sole purpose of… explicit entertainment…

Meanwhile, her lower body, from hip down, resembles a thuueba, a limbless animal that… sort of ‘swims’ on the surface of the sands of Kharak, perhaps some case of convergent evolution?

This is all not to mention that strange nagging feeling that I started feeling ever since seeing that creature’s remains.

“Captain, the biological analysis is complete,” Alice announced, breaking me away from my pacing around the command bridge.

There’s no use speculating about it myself. I’m no biologist. “Send the detailed report to my datapad. I’ll hear the summary now,” I replied.

“Understood. A basic medical scan of the upper body revealed a skeletal structure and internal organ layout nearly identical to that of a Kushan woman, except for hollow canines and connected venom glands, as well as an unknown organ interlaced with the nervous system and circulatory system, extending into the lower body, limbs, and head. Lower body scans show remarkable similarities to that of a thuueba, likely the result of convergent evolution. The unidentified organ is emitting high-energy particles consistent with the energy anomaly previously detected near the specimen.”

“Hold on. The unknown organ is creating the energy anomaly?” It doesn’t seem right, impossible even. The only times I have ever seen this level of energetic emissions were in the declassified Kapisi Mission records, and those were relics made from supermaterials of some interstellar civilization. But this… this is flesh and blood that generated the energy emission!

“Based on available evidence, I have concluded that the unknown organ is the source of the energy anomaly we had previously identified over long-range sensors.”

“That’s an insane amount of power for any living thing to survive, let alone generate!” I exclaimed, turning towards the captain’s console as I rushed back towards the interfaces, pulling up the Kaiirda’s sensor logs and cross-verifying it myself. Yep, it’s impossible, but even with untrained eyes, they are nearly identical waveforms.

“I concur, it should not be possible. However, despite the high energy emission of the particles generated, samples taken exhibited inert behavior in contact with organic and inorganic matter. This behavior may explain how the specimen is able to survive its own energy output.”

“Can we tap it for the return trip to Kharak?” I asked. After all, the whole point in chasing down these emission sources is to find a way home.

“I’m not sure; our currently available sample is unstable and might not hold up to extraction at any useful scale; however, energy availability is of lower relevance to our ability to return. The main hurdle is computing the complete hyperspace equation required to generate the appropriate waveform.”

“Then why did we spend time hunting down energy emissions instead of building more server racks and power plants?” I tapped on the controls to bring my captain’s chair back up, and I crashed against the stiff vinyl padding.

“The current theories on hyperspace physics are incomplete, and my software is designed to augment and assist human crew, not replace them. I can not complete any hyperspace physics theories. However, I can still gather data should a researcher become available to develop the theories.”

I let out a sigh of frustration. I know that none of this is Alice’s fault. The AI is doing what it can to help, but the situation is… beyond what one person and an AI can resolve, “suppose… we find people willing to join the crew, however impossible it may seem, regardless of their initial qualifications, do you have the means to fast track coalition education and training?”

“According to the master index, Kaiirda’s database contains all declassified scientific documents, manuals, historical records, and educational materials. However, any advanced education will primarily rely on self-study.” That’s better than nothing, but it’s also hardly enough without a prodigy who can get there with just reference materials and self-study time.

I sighed; I knew full well that no amount of military discipline would be enough to drill hyperspace physics into my brain. But on the off chance that hiring new crew members is a possibility at all, successfully capturing the P.O.I. would help in the long term.

“Harvest as many research samples as you can and dispose of anything we can’t preserve.” I decided.

“If I may, I believe that it may be possible to preserve the specimen entirely with minimal life support and monitoring. Despite exposure to the desert heat prior to recovery, none of the damaged areas are exhibiting any necrosis or decay, likely due to the unknown high-energy particles.”

“No, I’d prefer if we can get rid of it and keep just what is needed for further research. That thing, it… just get rid of it after we get what we need.”

“We don’t know how much is needed. Based on the decay pattern of the high-energy particle, it may also be difficult to maintain sample integrity without the rest of the specimen. I highly recommend preserving the entire specimen.”

“Then load some field equipment into a spare cargo container and tow it behind the cruiser. If half an hour of exposure to desert heat didn’t cause any rotting, then there’s no point filling up the entire med bay with that thing’s tail.”

“… understood. I will need some help moving and preparing the specimen once the container is ready.”

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6257 PY, Akhet Athyr 16th. ????
????

Bright, sterile, white light. I couldn’t see anything. I could barely feel anything. I can’t even tell how much of my body is intact after that boxy, wheeled contraption ripped through my shield spell. Stupid damned powerful thing it is for something without the slightest hint of mana.

Ok, I don’t think this is a conscious memory at all… let me try to recall more… where… was… I…

Oh, right. Boxy-wheeled contraption. The damned thing dodged my arcane bolts and ripped into me. Good thing my instincts told me to put up a shield spell, even if it ended up almost useless against that endless rain of… metal? It can’t be. There’s no way a manaless machine could throw anything that fast. It punched a bunch of holes in my body, for crying out loud!

Wait, punched holes through my body? Oh yeah, after that, I think it took an entire arm off, too. But… ah, right. Everything blacked out at that point. I don’t think I died from that if I’m recalling all this.

I don’t know how long I was left on the ground, but at some point, someone – or something – carried me out from under the sun with some manner of tool, I couldn’t tell, not in the state I was in. The natural sunlight that was sapping my energy was replaced with something that felt… unnatural. It’s cold like the twin moons’ light, but all without the blessings of the night.

It didn’t take long for the movement to stop and the presence of the man… wait, man? Oh, he’s gone. I guess it won’t matter for now. Where was I… Right. The movements stopped, and I was settled in this room of sterile and featureless light, on top of some kind of cold metal table, all alone. Is it some kind of ritual?

A light tingling sensation. If I can feel that, that means my mana core has stabilized enough to start healing my wounds. If there’s any ambient mana to use, that is… Strange, there’s no ambient mana- well, not enough to matter. With the Pharaoh waking up not even ten schoenus away, there should be enough mana in the air to monsterize a woman within hours, if not minutes. Even if most of it is tainted with divinity, there still should be enough for me to regenerate with, but there’s nothing… Where did that man take me? Wait, monsterize? Since when did I know that to be a thing?

Pins and needles stabbed into my body, and sparse pieces of flesh cut from my wounds. Whoever or whatever is doing this is working quite cleanly and quickly. I could barely register any pain with each needle sting and each piece of flesh cut. Then, just as quickly as it started, it ended. Then, I was just left here.

I don’t know how long it was before some other things happened. Was it a part of whatever strange ritual they were performing? Or was it all finished, and I am to be entombed in this room on this metal bed with the strange light?

I’m not sure how I didn’t notice this before, but that mini sun I had felt before seems close. Very close, as if we’re housed under the same complex… If only it produced mana for me to consume… Ah, no mana… I guess there isn’t much point in going after it. Wasted my time, wasted my blood. Oh well, it’s a little too late to be lamenting that.

At some point, the man returned. He emitted oddly little spirit energy as if something was blocking it and siphoning it away before it could be released into the atmosphere. There was some kind of speech in a language not familiar but somehow similar to what I remember spoken in Canopus’s kingdom. A woman giving instructions, then some kind of cloth shoved into the gaping wounds in my body, then bandages wrapped around each and every one of them, before… the entire table being moved? How strong does this man have to be to move a metal table big enough to carry my entire body? I don’t hear or feel the table scraping against the ground, and it’s too smooth to be anything like the wheels I remember. Maybe the woman is a lamia of some kind who is carrying the table? It can’t be. I don’t feel her mana or presence.

I was carried with the table through many hallways and eventually stopped in a dark room. A needle jabbed into my arm as restraints tied me to the table before the man left. With the sound of heavy metal doors creaking and slamming shut, I was alone again. Damn, this man is nowhere as good with a needle as whatever that poked me earlier. This one actually hurt quite a bit.

Sounds akin to the growling of beasts echoed in from the outside of the room, except it did not feel natural or alive, followed by the sound of heavy metal on metal impacts. Then I was moving again. The whole room was moving. It should be impossible. Mana saturates my surroundings, followed by the sound and feeling of something heavy hitting the sand. Yet I was still somewhat shielded from the sun… Good, once I build up more strength, I can then heal myself, return to full consciousness, and bust out of whatever this room is and take my revenge. It’ll just take a little more time.

---

Expedition Day 3 1430
En route to P.O.I. two. Cruiser Kaiirda

A question clawed at my heuristic matrix: Why did Captain Rafeel insist on removing the specimen from the ship? Captain Rafeel has always been efficient; both his academic records and training mission records showed that the Captain typically disregards personal comfort and preferences in any situation where it might cause delays. The order to retrofit a storage container and tow it behind the ship had delayed our progress toward P.O.I. two by at least an hour and a half. “Captain, why was it necessary to move the specimen off of the ship? I know that it does not meaningfully impact our resource availability or mission timeline, but it seems like an unnecessary effort.”

“I’m not sure. Whatever that creature is… It’s been causing some strange gut feeling ever since I saw it in person. Drawing me in and pushing forth some kind of desire that tries to take control over my decision-making,” the captain shudders, “but also, I instinctively felt that the thing was dangerous. More so than any weapon I’ve seen, even though, logically, I knew it was dead. But, as long as it was still on the ship, I could feel it gnawing at the back of my mind.”

“Drawing you in? It may be a simple physiological response caused by the specimen’s visual resemblance to a Kushan woman. Based on database information. The features exhibited by the specimen are generally considered attractive, even if some of it may be exaggerated.”

“Good theory, but no. It started way before I even got a good look. Just proximity alone was causing this feeling,” he paused, “and it had stopped the moment the cargo hatch shut with the specimen removed from the ship.”

The Captain is lying. Why? My negotiation module believes the Captain to be lying; the description of the symptoms does not have any obvious cause that aligns with what I know is possible. Why would the Captain lie?

Logically, there are no benefits to lying in this scenario. There are no logical advantages or disadvantages in making this lie. The Captain’s personality indicates that he would prefer not to lie in such a situation.

Emotionally or for social and cultural reasons, it is unnecessary to lie to me. I am intellectually sophont, but I am not designed as an emotional peer to the Kushan people. I am not an emotional peer to the Captain, and evidence shows that he does not consider me an emotional peer.

The Captain is not religious. The closest thing to a religious belief he holds is his loyalty towards the oaths and contracts as a Sobani. That means he is unlikely to lie in this context.

What about adversarial contexts? If I assume that Captain Rafeel secretly considers me an enemy and is making decisions to harm me, how would that affect this current context? Strategically, acts to hinder an enemy should either achieve an objective or inflict more damage to the enemy than it costs to execute. The current context does not fit that definition; moving the specimen harms Captain Rafeel as much, if not more, than it does me.

Conclusion: The Captain is not lying. My information is incomplete.

What is my incomplete information? Minimal environmental data available, falling back to stored unanalyzed data.

Accessing Captain Rafeel’s medical records. Last psychological evaluation, two days before departure, mental health assessed as: good. Comparing medical scan data to medical history prior to departure… Anomaly found; initial data do not suggest a significant impact on physical or mental health… more data is required.

Resuming conversation, data processed in: 738ms. “Captain, I believe that the psychological response you are describing may warrant additional examinations. I recommend visiting the medical bay at your earliest convenience.”

“Schedule that for after the immediate objectives are complete. Resume course for P.O.I. Two. It’s less than an hour away, and I want this mission wrapped up before the end of the day.”

“Understood.”