Part 12
"Doctor, prepare to head over to that alien vessel. I want to know what they can eat and what they can't. Take what you need and do whatever you have to do, but I don't want those aliens to starve or die because we fed them something with food colouring," you say.
"I thought you'd never ask," says Dr. Campos.
You switch channels over to your next victim.
"Chief, do you have the schematics of that vessel handy?" you ask.
"Yes, what do you need?" asks Volkova.
"I need you to identify if there are any other suitable compartments nearby. If our elven friends tire of their surroundings it would be best to have a cleaner area for them to call home," you say, before continuing, "I also need you to find us a working airlock to ferry supplies aboard."
"I'll have Mitchell work on the airlock," says Volkova, "I'll take a look at the nearby rooms. The marines have already swept them, and frankly anywhere is better than where they currently are."
"Good. Colonel Pierce, do you read me?" you ask.
"Loud and clear," he confirms.
"Any luck finding supplies over there? Anything that could sate the elves hunger?" you ask.
"Our search of what's left of the cargo bay turned up very little," he says, "Anything that wasn't bolted or welded to the floor got blown out into space. We could try to recover some if we backtrack in a shuttle but it would be like trying to uncrack an egg while blindfolded."
"Best you don't then. We can't afford the amount of fuel and the inherent risk of the shuttle being separated from the ship for that long," you muse before asking, "Would you say that the ship is secure?"
"There's a few compartments we haven't checked yet, but I'm willing to declare the ship secure," confirms the Colonel.
"Good, I'll be sending over supplies for our new 'friends' and a medical team soon," you say, "until then, I think it would be beneficial to clear the halls immediately surrounding them of corpses. There's no one there to mourn the snouts but make sure you treat the elf corpses with respect."
"Understood," says the Colonel.
You flick over to your supply officer the moment your call to the Colonel is done.
"Lieutenant Cole, prepare a shuttle and some food, water and blankets to be flown over to the alien vessel. Additionally, prepare an area in the pressurised section of the cargo bay as a holding area if our elven 'friends' decide they don't like their current digs." you order.
"Do we even know what those elves eat?" he asks.
"No idea, hold on," you say, before patching in Dr. Campos.
"Doctor, what kind of food would you recommend as a starter for the elves?" you ask.
"Well, I was hoping to start with lollipops," he says.
You facepalm. You always hated it when he gave you one after a medical exam because it felt as though he were treating you like a child. The fact he does it to everyone regardless of rank, age, or sex and the fact that he's a damn good doctor makes you tolerate it.
"Will that even work?" you ask.
"They're just hardened sugar, captain," he says, "If they use the same isomers we do, it will nourish them, if not, they'll be harmless. Their teeth may be in some slight danger if they overindulge though."
You hope that's a joke.
"Anything else?" you persist.
"Basic foodstuffs, simple carbohydrates and the like," he explains.
"In english, Doctor," says Lieutenant Cole irritably.
"Oh. Um. Cereals, potato chips and the like," he explains, "I'm not confident in feeding them any meat until I've had a chance to see what their biochemistry is like."
"You heard the man, snap to it," you order.
"Aye captain," says Lt. Cole.
"Ensign Izumi," you say, turning to her, "Anything that will help the translation along? Perhaps some equipment?"
"What would help," she grumbles, "is if I wouldn't have to keep trying to infer meaning and just ask them."
"Ensign?" you ask, probing for an explanation.
"Languages are a lot easier to learn if you have someone to teach you. Listening in just won't cut it. I..." she trails off as a thought strikes her. She swallows nervously and looks to you, before finding the confidence to speak again, "Captain, permission to meet with the elves?"
"Will going in person really help that much?" you ask.
"Yes, I'm positive I can make a difference, ma'am," she says with conviction, "I will learn their language if it's the last thing I do."
"Let's hope that it isn't then. Alright Ensign, suit up and head over on the next shuttle, if you can get those elves eating that'd be great, and if you can get them on my ship there'll be a promotion in it for you," you order.
"No, no suits," says Ensign Izumi, "Our suits are part of the problem. You get the same thing back home when the CDC rolls up to contain an outbreak in airtight suits. It's difficult to trust someone when they're not breathing the same air you are."
"You do realise what you're asking," you say, "You could catch an alien plague and die. At the very least you're looking forward to a month of quarantine."
The Ensign looks at you determinedly.
"Captain, this is our first contact. I refuse to let this go wrong. I will not let those aliens die because we took too long to figure out their language. We need to understand them as soon as possible and this is the single fastest way to do it. I am fully willing to accept the consequences of what I'm about to do," she announces.
Did she always have that fire in her eye? That set to her jaw? Your greatest critique of Ensign Izumi was that she always seemed to lack confidence... but if this is that same Ensign then that critique is gone with the wind.
"Clear it with Dr. Campos on the shuttle," you say, rather taken aback, "Take whatever you need."
"Y-yes captain!" she says, the uncertainty returning before she rushes to her station to collect her things.
"Oh, and Ensign, no slacking on your paperwork unless you're dying of the plague," you say.
"Yes ma'am!" she affirms before scooping up her things and running off the bridge.
"Never thought she had that in her," says O'Malley.
"I think we might have underestimated her," you say with a wry grin.
--
You watch from the bridge monitors as the shuttle docks with the alien airlock with a thud. A membrane extends outward to create an airtight seal as the alien design and yours mismatch, but eventually a solid seal is formed and positive air pressure is achieved.
"Last chance to back out, Ensign," says Dr. Campos, "You can still suit up, but once that hatch opens..."
"I meant what I said," says the Ensign without a trace of fear.
"Alright, hold on then," he says, and cracks the seal.
Air rushes out of the shuttle in a gentle breeze as pressures equalise. The marines waiting by the lock salute the Ensign, probably more for her bravery than her rank, and then file into the shuttle, grabbing the food, the water and the other supplies.
"Just don't fiddle with the filters in your nostrils, or the smell alone would probably kill you," he jokes.
"I can already taste it," she says, making a disgusted face, "this whole ship, it tastes like death."
The two make their way to the detention block. You can see that the area has been cleared somewhat. The spear wielding elf looks on warily if impatiently.
"Any change Colonel?" asks Ensign Izumi as she makes her approach.
"None," says the Colonel, "they know they need us but they don't know if we can be trusted."
"Will you follow my lead?" she asks.
"Ma'am, you're more of an expert on this kind of thing than me," he admits and then grins, "my job is to shoot things and on rare occasions, not shoot things."
"Alright then," says the Ensign.
She takes a deep breath. She then gags because the air is foul and takes a moment to settle herself. That done, she grabs a small heap of supplies and she finally steps out into view of the spear wielding elf.
The reaction is not immediate. The elf's eyes lock onto the newcomer as though assessing a new threat. Then she realises she's not in a suit and lets out a gasp of surprise. Finally, her eyes narrow and she grips her spear tightly once more, as though making a new threat assessment.
The ensign slowly approaches with the supplies in hand and stops a meter from the door the spear wielding elf is guarding, easily within spearing range, and then she sits down on the floor and looks up, holding her hand out as invitation to do the same.
The spear wielding elf looks back and forth between the marines, then down at the sitting ensign, then back at the marines again.
"Colonel, have your men back off about ten meters," says Izumi calmly.
"Ma'am, they won't be able to stop that elf if she does anything rash," warns the Colonel.
"I'm aware Colonel, please," insists Izumi.
"Very well," says the Colonel unhappily.
The marines back off. The spear wielding elf looks down at the ensign with a renewed curiosity, and finally, warily, she settles into a ready crouch, though her hands never leave the spear.
The ensign is unphased and begins upacking a small portable table. She sets upon it two cups, one red and one blue, and pours water out from a flask. The two stare each other down until finally the elf gives the ensign a wan smile and takes the red cup for herself. Izumi takes the red cup and together, they share a drink.
And then they wait. The elf refuses to drink or talk for almost thirty minutes, holding the cup to herself and simply staring that Izumi, waiting for something. You feel as though its for the other shoe to drop.
When it doesn't, she lets one hand off the spear and points to the flask.
"Memal," she says, then, letting her other hand off the spear, points to her palms and holds them out, "Memal."
Izumi picks up another flask of water and hands it to her. The water is passed backwards into the door, where blue hands shoot out of the dark, grabbing it quickly and retreating. The formerly spear wielding elf looks to Izumi and holds her cup outwards once more.
The ensign obliges, filling her cup. She moves to fill her own but finds the elf gripping the flask, stopping her. She lets go, allowing the elf to take the flask and, to her surprise, finds the elf filling her cup before setting the flask down once more.
"Memal," says Izumi, holding her cup as though toasting her new friend, "Water."
"Wat-ter," repeats the elf slowly.
Izumi nods, and the two of them drink.
"Izumi," she says pointing to herself.
"Izumi?" asks the elf, before looking outwards and pointing to the marines, "Izumi?"
"No," says Izumi, shaking her head. The elf seems to understand that meant no, and quickly catches on, "Human," she says, pointing at them, then pointing at herself, "Humans."
"Izumi?" asks the elf, and points at Izumi.
"Yes," says Izumi, nodding and pointing to herslf, "Izumi."
"Izumi," says the elf, tasting the name, "Humans?"
She gestures towards the marines.
"Yes," confirms Izumi, "You?" she asks, pointing at herself and then back at the elf, "Izumi, Human, you?"
The elf falls silent and simply shakes her head. She seems sad about something, but neither you nor your ensign know what.
"You need a name," says Izumi. She looks to the elf's weapon and finds inspiration, "Spear."
"Sp-ear?" asks the elf.
"Izumi," says Izumi, pointing to herself, then points to the elf, "Spear."
"Spear," says the elf, tasting the word, before saying it again more confidently, "Spear. Loroi."
"Loroi?" asks Izumi pointing towards those in the room.
Spear nods, "Loroi," she says with an expansive gesture.
The two lapse into a brief silence as they think things over briefly.
"Pomai?" asks Spear.
"Pomai, no," says Izumi slowly, shaking her head, "Pomai, urrp."
She imitates being sick for several minutes. At first Spear seems confused, but then seems to understand what Izumi is getting at.
"Pomai lirran dizoi?" she asks.
What follows, between a lot of cups of water between the two, is an hour of fairly boring language lessons between the two. It mostly consists of pointing at things and naming them in their respective languages.
"Ensign Izumi, I assume contact is going well?" asks Dr. Campos.
Spear looks at the Ensign curiously as she sets about answering the Doctor.
"Very well, I think we've made friends," she says.
"Good enough to submit to some medical tests perhaps?" he asks hopefully.
"I don't think we're that far along," says Izumi, "Food would go a long way towards that though."
"Well, I have good news and bad news," says the Doctor, "Which do you want?"
"Good news first, Doctor," says Izumi.
"It will take me another three hours to get a decent workup of their biochemistry from the samples I have, but from my preliminaries I do believe that they can digest the same sugars we do and while I'm still waiting on the results I believe that our carbohydrates won't harm them either," he announces.
"And the bad news?" asks Izumi.
"There are definitely pathogens in the air you're breathing. Fortunately it seems that they're no more harmful than the common cold, at least as far as I've been able to check, what with all the juggling I'm doing back here," he says.
"Am I clear to pass on some food to our friends here?" asks Izumi.
"Most certainly, but only a little at a time," he says.
Izumi nods and begins the next phase of her plan. She withdraws two of Doctor Campos' infamous lollipops and demonstrates to spear how to unwrap it. She then pops the sugary end into her mouth and bites it clean off the stick, chews it, swallows it, and finally says a single word.
"Pomai."
Izumi slides Spear's lollipop over. She looks at her lollipop, swallows, and then slowly begins to unwrap it, copying Izumi's actions almost exactly, with only unfamiliarity with the foodstuff to hinder her.
Eventually, the elf begins to crush and crunch the lollipop between her teeth.
"Vimas," she says with a curious expression.
This time Izumi knows what to expect. It seems that Spear is on a similar page, even if it is in a different language. She's waiting to see if there's a bad reaction or poison.
You watch on fascinatedly as the two pass the time by chatting in broken elven and english that gradually becomes better and more understandable as the hours pass. Finally, the elf seems to nod and taps her lips once more.
"Pomai rabara, Pomai... bozil?" she asks.
Izumi passes her another lollipop. Spear holds it and gives her a disdainful look.
"Bozil! Bozil!" she says in encouragement.
Though she doesn't seem to fully understand, Izumi passes the box to her. It is quickly snatched by the elven hands waiting in the darkness and the sound of rifling and crunching can be heard, alongside the occasional 'Vimas!' by way of exclamation.
"I think they like the lollipops," grins O'Malley.
"I'm glad someone does," you say, glad that you'd tolerated the Doctor's eccentricity until now.
What follows are more food tests. In keeping with Doctor Campos limitations, they are fed potato chips, several kinds of cereal, and a few vegetables both cooked and raw. While Spear has varying reactions to the taste, they're mostly decent to good, with the exception of carrots which she spits out disgustedly on contact.
After washing out the evidently horrid taste, she fixes Ensign Izumi with a look and nods.
"This, bad," she says in broken english, pulling at her collar, "take, please."
"Chief," says Izumi over the radio, "have you been looking at those collars?"
"Hn? What? Oh. Those things?" she asks, "Yes, I figured them out an hour ago. Highly advanced. Can't tell what their purpose is though, but they come off with a screwdriver. I've been concentrating on their computers for now."
"You figured it out an hour ago?" asks Izumi incredulously, "Mind sharing the secret Chief Baka?"
"Huh? Sure, okay," she says.
Izumi stands up, wobbling on her feet from how long she'd sat down for, and then staggers off towards where Volkova is holed up.
"Izumi?" calls out Spear.
Izumi turns around and look to Spear.
"I'll be back," she says.
Spear doesn't understand her words but she does understand the emotion beneath them. She nods, and turns back to those behind her. The sound of elven talk filters out down the hallway.
--
"Alright, this is how you do it," says Volkova, handling a closed collar that was mercifully not around the neck of a decomposing elf.
She fiddles with it until it suddenly unlatches.
"That's it?" asks Izumi, "Why couldn't they have figured that out?"
"The cell is dark and I doubt they have screwdrivers in there. They're probably lucky they even got a spear," reasons Volkova, "It was hard enough to figure out how to do it in the light, but once you know how, it's simple enough."
Izumi rushes back to Spear with both the collar and Volkova's screwdriver in hand.
"Spear!" she exclaims, rushing to sit at the portable table.
Over the twenty minutes she shows the method Volkova showed Izumi to undo the collar, but despite multiple tries and assists, Spear can't seem to get it. It isn't helped by the fact that Spear categorically refuses to touch or be touched by Izumi, making it harder to demonstrate the proper technique.
Finally in frustration, Spear grumbles loudly and turns her back on Izumi, lifts her hair out of the way, and reveals the part of the collar that she needs to mess with to release it.
"Please," says Spear.
Izumi carefully puts the screwdriver to the collar, mindful not to touch the elf and the fact that so much trust is being put into her right this second. The reward comes as the collar unlatches. Spear rips the collar away, revealing bruises and swelling where the collar had sat for so long, and throws it to the ground. She gasps in exhiliration, and then surprise. She looks to Izumi curiously, then all the marines standing to attention in the distance.
"Izumi... lotai?" she asks.
"What is lotai?" asks Izumi in turn.
"Lotai is..." Spear trails off as she tries and fails to find the words.
She looks to Izumi helplessly and then just shakes her head. Instead, she looks back into the cell and lets forth a string of alien words that you can only make out a handful of, and none of them important details.
What follows however makes it clear. In place of Spear sits a green haired elf with sallow eyes. She turns her back, lifts her hair, and points to the collar. Izumi frees her, only to find a new lavender haired elf in place. She repeats the process, over and over again, until all the elves are freed.
Finally, Spear comes back to the door.
"This place, bad," says Spear, "Urkuk bad!"
She spits at the word Urkuk.
"Urkuk...?" asks Izumi, miming a long snout.
"Annen," says Spear, "you good."
"You come my place?" asks Izumi, "See if good?"
"Yes," affirms Spear.
A grey haired elf appears by Spear's side. The two look at each other intently, before Spear passes her weapon over. She then steps out of the room for the first time and nods to Izumi.
"I follow. If good, we follow," says Spear.
You sit back in your chair and look to the roof in disbelief. The timid ensign that you thought would drop out of the military lifestyle in a few years due to a lack of confidence in herself and her abilities has managed to talk down a belligerent if desperate group from wanting to disembowel you on sight to practically running into your arms.
"Commander, please write up a letter of commendation for Ensign Izumi," you say, "If we ever get back she's definitely up for promotion off this rust bucket. And if not, I'll promote her myself."
--
Your work here is done. All the Loroi have been evacuated from the Urkek vessel. You could salvage the vessel, but that would take up too much time that you simply do not have. You could leave it to drift or destroy it. The Loroi now in your care have asked that the bodies of their former comrades be incinerated along with that hated vessel.
Though you briefly toy with the idea of letting it drift, you decide to obliterate the vessel and everything it stood for. Spear stood witness to the event and thanked you deeply for granting their meager request.
A part of you did destroy that vessel to accommodate their need to grieve, but another part of you wanted to leave no evidence behind that you were ever there. Paranoid as it may be, a rapidly expanding cloud of debris is harder to glean evidence from than an intact and drifting ship.
And from what the Loroi have told you, there are numerous advanced and aggressive species out there. As advanced as you were over the Urkek, there are species out there, Loroi included, that are as advanced over you. If you're going to survive, it's best not to leave things to mere chance.
--
Izumi's First Contact Plan: 94 + 17 – 10 = 101 (Supercrit)
Reaction to Unsuited Izumi: 63 – 10 = 53 (Success)
Izumi's Language Roll: 84 + 17 + 18 + 12 = 131
Spear's Language Roll: 81 + 12 + 17 = 110
Biochemistry Speed: 26 + 19 = 45 (4 hours)
Biochemistry Results: 53 + 19 = 72 (Good results!)
Contagion Roll: 62 + 19 = 81 (Mostly Harmless)
Volkova Collar Roll: 88 + 17 + 10 (DC 90) = 115 (Supercrit)
Izumi Collar Roll: 87 + 15 = 102 (Supercrit)
Izumi Collar Demonstration: 19 + 12 = 31 (Fail)
Trust Roll: 93 + 17 – 10 = 100 (Supercrit)
Lotai Roll: 68 – 10 + 11 = 69 (Decent)
Lotai Explanation: 2 (Crit Fail)
Invitation to the L'Amour: 92 + 17 = 109 (Supercrit)
Loroi: 402 / 3000: Highly limited. Can refer to common objects. Child-level conversations.
Spear's English: 110 / 3000: Somewhat gibberish, though she does understand a small number of common terms.
Bonuses Unlocked:
Spear will report that conditions on your ship are favourable and the remaining Loroi will transfer over without incident. They will also submit to medical testing for their benefit.
Ensign Izumi is considered a friend by the Loroi, and they have chosen to share some of their common knowledge with her, and thus you by extension. Gain knowledge on several common species, technological levels. Gain knowledge of telepathy.
While the group is still wary of your intentions, the fact that you've fed them, removed their bonds, and offered to take them in has gone a long way towards assuaging their inherent mistrust of non-telepathic species. -10 modifier to diplomacy rolls with telepaths reduced to -5 for this group.
Revealed certain advantages / disadvantages of the human race.
Psi Stat revealed.
Ensign Izumi gains +5 Diplomacy. Gains Trait: Diplomat: Any failure on a diplomacy roll is automatically rerolled. The highest roll is always kept.
Race – Human
Psi Immunity: You cannot be detected nor read through Psi abilities. (Psi locked out. Bonus to rolls on intrigue vs. Psionic species, malus to rolls on diplomacy vs Psionic species).
??? [LOCKED]
??? [LOCKED]
Well Rounded: The costs of space travel preclude all but the best and brightest having access. (Stats cannot start below 10, can fall later due to injury or other actions).
Disadvantages
Psi Immunity: You cannot use Psi abilities nor benefit from Psi. (All Psi based research requires alliance with Psionic species to unlock. Psi locked out. Mistrust from Psionic species).
Technologically Backwards: You are severely behind in technological development compared to most of your rivals. (Very low tech, will have to work hard on research)
Low Population: You have barely a few hundred people to work with. Unless you can find other lost souls in this region, it will take you generations to set up something appreciable. (Low numbers)
Junk Assignment: Your ship was a lowly transport vessel, and this was your first command. You may be the exception, but anyone that was ever exceptional amongst your crew got snapped up. (Stats cannot start above 20, can rise with effort and training).
--
Because this update is huge, I'm gonna post up the next vote tomorrow. I'll say this much though. Your rolls were insane. You did have a few failures here and there, but you crit everything you needed to crit when you needed to crit it. Ensign Izumi's crits stole the show and pretty much derailed everything for the better.
For now, I'll share with you some rough maps of the area you'll be playing about in. These maps are not to scale. The Urkek tended to navigate from memory and the maps were just a reference, and often stolen from anyone they could raid, and not an accurate representation. Distances may vary.
Black Hex = Empty Space
Purple Hex = Nebula
Mountains = Impassable Anomaly
Radiation Symbol = Lethal Radiation
Skull = Pirates and Raiders
Red/Green/Blue Dots = Asteroid Fields
White Cross = Derelict
White Pinwheel = ???
Yellow House = Trading Post
Blue Four Pointed Star = Your Current Position
Blue Three Pointed Star = Your Initial Starting Location
Oh, also, here's another map. Your choices will be Red Green or Blue. Descriptions to come later. Discuss amongst yourselves for now. I need to sleep.