Chasing The Stones: Chapter 4

Ula’s eyes opened and their body shuddered. Getting their bearings, they could hear the soft whirs of the ship as it sped through space. Looking out the windshield she watched the stars streaking past them and smiled slightly.

Hyper jumping was one of their favorite things about flying in space. The black canvas of space streaked by star as they passed through. Watching things stream past as only blurs reminded them subtly of home. Of the programming that created them and the role they were made to fill. Did they truly enjoy flying or did they just like it because of their circuits.

It was questions like that that bothered them when no one else was around. Tahu didn’t worry about such things. Tahu enjoyed being free and all that it granted. They never wondered if they were a product of the great mind. Tahu was authentically themselves. Something Ula envied at times.

Ula moved to check the monitors as they flew and nothing caught their eye. Glancing at the seat beside them, they saw Tahu, eyes closed and plugged into the seat. They checked the connection of their cords, following them from the back of their head to the ships console. Secure and what’s more Ula felt energy coursing through their veins.

They were the copilot to Tahu’s pilot. On a ship like this they could fly it solo with some complications but together there was nothing that couldn’t be done. Ya’Cahin was a good pilot but they were organic and this ship was designed for a zorg.

Reaching to the console they slowly unhooked from themself. Turning the cord they pulled out slowly and their spine jolted slightly with each one. Taking a slow deep breath, they stood and stepped out of the cockpit and walked down the hallway. There were a few windows down the hallway and they caught glimpses of planets streaming past.

Leaning against the hallway wall Ula frowned remembering the simulations they would run during their programming. Training to be a perfect engineer and pilot. Hooked into the grand monitor and shown what the galaxy was like as a ship was made specifically for the two of them. At the end of cylces of testing, programming and training they were given the choice: Stay or leave?

The simple act of choosing between staying or leaving was life changing. Those who stayed lost the ability to choose in the future. To become apart of the great mind. Those who chose to leave lost a home and immediate purpose. Was freedom worth the unknown? They took pride in their skill as both a pilot and engineer so freedom was their choice. 

They left the planet together on their ship and took to the galaxy at large as their new home. It was luck that they ran into Xilo and later Ya’Cahin but Ula was glad they did. Tahu always said that Ula didn’t know how to live and to let their spark of life shine.

Going to the half circle room door they saw Ya’Cahin tapping on a holo display. Ula stayed at the door and watched curiously. Her face was in deep concentration and she absently rubbed her fingers against the spines on her hand. Something was bothering her more than she would willingly talk about.

Ula hadn’t met many Xanics in their lifetime. They’d met two with Ya’Cahin being the second  The Xanic female opened up to them over time but she was still a guarded creature at times. It was Xilo’s loss that brought them all closer. Forced Ya’Cahin come out of her shell and brought out Ula’s ‘spark of life’ as Tahu put it.

They were going to open the door when an alert caught their attention. Raising their arm it said that they were leaving hyper jump soon to avoid collision with a planet. Frowning they hurried back down the hallway to the cockpit where Tahu was slowly rousing themself.

“Why am I waking up?” they asked detaching from their seat.

“There appears to be a planet in our path. Something that should not be happening.” Ula said sitting down and plugging into the ship. Checking the display’s Ula saw they were on course to pass dangerously close to a planet. It’s size was enough that it’s gravity would divert their path to cause a collision at their current speed.

Ula frowned but gripped the lever and pulled it back as the galaxy slowed around them and suddenly they were in regular space. As stars fixed into place the planet quickly came into view. It was green planet but within the greens were tiny islands with oceans surrounding them. There were two within eyesight each near poles of the planet. Stretching far out from those islands were massive pillars they Ula could oly assume were trees.

However from what Ula could see they were nowhere near the planet. A collision even at hyper jump would be impossible because of how far away it was.

The cockpit door opened and Ya’Cahin entered glancing at her Zorg companions. “What’s up guys? Why’d we leave hyper jump? Are we at the slums already?”

“Not quite.” Tahu said and all three of them stared at the planet. It was turning somewhat quickly to the point where they could see another of the green spots on the top of the planet followed by a fourth. They spread out in a cross pattern but didn’t stretch the entire length.

The ship once again said that a collision was imminent if they did not change their course soon. “Why’s it saying that?” Ya’Cahin asked frowning. “The ships at hundreds of thousands of units away from it.”

“That is what is puzzling me,” Ula said and then stared down at the display.  “Wait a moment. How is there so much greenery on that planet. The nearest star is millions of units away. No way it can support plant life with that little amount of light.”

“Tell that to the giant tree.” Tahu said with a chuckle. “Directing us away from the ship while we figure out the situation captain.”

“Please do,” Ya’Cahin said. Taking the yoke Tahu turned it slowly as they began flying away. The thruster levels increased dramatically and they shot away with a boom. “Any luck Ula?”

“Not yet. Though I might be on to something,” Pulling the display out of the screen they held it over the cockpit window. “That is the planet before us. To us it is a small planet without the mass or pull us in to cause a collision like the ship predicts. However if I do this,” They tapped the screen and suddenly everyone was seeing a huge sphere around the planet itself.

“What are we looking at Ula?” Ya’Cahin asked folding her arms.

Tahu shook their head slowly. “That Yaya is the atmosphere.”

“Are you joking? The atmosphere is like three times the size of the planet.” Ya’Cahin glanced at both her Zorg companions.

“That is what we’re looking at.” Ula said as their gaze remained on the planet. “Fascinating. It seems that the expanded atmosphere is enhancing the limited sunlight to allow extreme and rapid growth.”

“I wanna go.” Tahu said as they slowed the ship down. Rotating the yoke slowly so that they were facing their distant planet they grinned. “I mean how often are we in this neck of the galaxy anyway?”

Both of them glanced toward the Zorg who had their hands behind their head. “You want to visit every alien planet we find.”

“Well duh. Who doesn’t?” Ula looked at them for a long moment. “Yes Ula, I know you like the cities but imagine a city made from nature. Fun side trip right?” Tahu said and glanced toward Ya’Cahin. “I know you’re interested in it too.”

She conceded to a nod. “I left home to explore the galaxy along with finding my friend.”

Tahu turned toward Ula again. “Don’t you think that how those trees naturally grew count as a type of architecture? Nature was the original builder after all. Let’s see what nature made on this weird planet.”

Ula’s blank face turned thoughtful and finally they gave a slight nod. “I will have to take notes and maybe map some things out.”

“Yes. So captain are we going to go explore this new planet?”

“Sure. Let’s check it out. Though not for long because we need to get those parts.”

Ula set the course of the ship to enter the orbit of the planet slowly and drop them off close to one of the tree formations. Filing back, they changed into their suits and armed there selves appropriately. Tahu preferred pistols, one that they kept strapped to each leg.

Affixing her helmet around her head Ya’Cahin walked toward a smaller door near the hatch. Going to the display she read over a few things and made a sound. “Apparently the air is breathable.” Opening the door she stared through the softly glowing blue film that colored the green below as the ship settled over one of the planets trees.

“Who wants to go first?”

“Like you have to ask Yaya?” Tahu jumped down disappearing into the leaves. She let out a sigh but followed in their footsteps. Blue energy surrounded her as she stepped through and dropped down. Ula not one to be left behind joined them.

Immediately Ya’Cahin collided with the leaves but found her footing on a branch. She slid down it quickly turning to a spring as she jumped to a lower branch. These branches were thick pieces of wood almost the size of a hallway but they swayed at the tiniest provocation from her weight. She swung down another and darted forward a few times.

Jumping closer to the trunk of the tree her gaze went down and she paused. As she got closer and closer to the trunk the darker it became. The canopy above her was thin and allowed sunlight to stream downward but was choked away by the branches above. Everything branched out from the center tree but there was no bottom. Just giant tree as far down as she could see. As if the tree came from the core of the planet and everything grew out of that.

Surrounding this tree was a great ocean that stretched almost infinitely in every direction. A branch snaped beside her and sank into the ocean below. She had a rough idea of where the trunk was in relation to herself but the branches and leaves around her were like a forest. A thick gathering of them below her like a canopy stretching further than her eyes could see. How deep did this forest go? A better question was where were her companions.

She stared around her in the darkness of the canopy but she couldn’t necessarily see where they had gone. So she grabbed a vine and swung deeper into the forest. Raising her legs she vaulted over a mass of branches and landed on what could be a floor. They had grown tangled together and were thick enough to maintain her weight.

She heard creaking all around her and touched one of the branches to her side. She could bend these, almost malleable. She began to pull it back and the branch resisted at first but slowly came backward. But it didn’t snap.

“This is wild.” She said smirking. The ground beneath her rumbled slightly but she ignored it as she continued to walk. “How did this tree come to life I wonder.”

Suddenly there was a crack and she began to fall. She managed to grab a branch before falling too far and grunted. Her legs dangled down but she looked up and watched as the hole above her head opened and expanded. The hole turned into a split turning the path she had walked on into two entirely new paths.

Heaving herself onto the branch she looked at the two paths before her and the distance between them. She wasn’t sure of the jump but she couldn’t stay where she was either. Getting to her feet and finding balance she turned toward the second branch and stopped in place.

She was staring at someone else. They were wearing a cloak and had leaves around their arms, legs, and chest. They had two legs but six arms, some of them folded in front of the cloak while the others were hidden underneath. Several leaves were wrapped around the head except for several gaps. Four of the gaps had eyes that blinked slowly. When they blinked they would reappear in another gap.

She stared at it interested. The strangers eyes focused on her and tilted their head to the side. Ya’Cahin’s head ached for a moment before she was forced to look away. Grunting she pressed fingers to her temples. When her eyes opened again she was alone.

How could they just disappear? The branch she stood on trembled again. Ready this time she dropped down and swung to the next branch. Landing badly she rolled forward and slammed into a thicker limb groaning.

“Captain. Captain do you read me?”

Ula’s voice in her ear sounded concerned. Tapping her arm and then placing her fingers to her ear she nodded. “Yeah Ula. I can hear you.”

“Good. How close are you to our position?”

Ya’Cahin paused for a moment as the helmets display was changed to an overlay. As a light traveled down and scanned her environment she saw outlines of where Ula and Tahu were. “I am a few units away from you all. You both are below me I think.”

“Yes we are. Tahu’s likely to get into an altercation with the natives. If you could to provide assistance I believe that would be wise.”

“I’m on my way.”

Making her way through the tangle of tree limbs and branches she could notice that some of them had been moved purposefully like she had. There was a clear path that someone had attempted to make. Though she decided not to use this in case she was spotted.

It was getting progressively darker as she went and she saw Tahu’s form moving slowly. Their arms moving around and Ula being very still. They might have their gun ready to fire.

“What have they gotten into?” She asked. Reaching forward she tried to stay above them. Continuing forward she watched as Tahu’s signal disappeared underneath her feet. Slowing down started to climb down very carefully. She managed to part a series of branches and her eyes lit upon them.

Tahu was trying to communicate, cycling through every language that they knew and a few they were probably downloading now. They surrounded by five figures similar to the cloaked figure she’d run into between them. They were tall but low to the ground. The tree had created a natural wall behind them that Tahu must have jumped down. There was a sign that the indigenous had made camp here.

They had two legs and six arms. Four of those arms were on the ground while the other two brandished weapons at him. Beneath each arm was a flap that looked like a leathery wing. Mostly spears of sharpened wood but there were some bows. They had green skin with red, purple and other colored tattoos across their arms. Maybe war paint.

Spears were being brandished at Tahu who tried to find a language that fit them. No such luck as they advanced. The cloaked one in the middle spoke to them quickly which got a few raised voices and hollers. There was head shaking and then foot stamping as there seemed to be an argument brewing.

Finally, one of them shouted, seeming to have had enough and attacked Tahu. Tahu ducked to avoid the tip and hesitated. They could go for his guns but attacking indigenous people wasn’t something they were keen on.

So they jumped backwards and away from them but Tahu would soon run out of tree to stand on. “Captain, should I engage them?”  Ula asked.

“Not quite yet.” She said then watched as Tahu jumped around the spears. They however didn’t realize that they were backing themself into a corner. Taking careful steps around Tahu grunted as a spear slashed at their thigh. Whipping their hand out they got their side arm. They pointed it at one of them and the cloaked figure said something urgently. Quickly they retreated into a half circle of spears.

“We might lose Tahu if we delay things any further.”

“Wait. I feel something, strange.”

Ula didn’t understand but kept their eyes on the scene. Something on Ya’Cahin’s scanner warranted an alert and she focused on it for a moment. Something with a strong psykik energy was rapidly approaching their location.

The cloaked figures turned as another cloaked figure broke through the branches and stood in front of them. It spoke quickly motioning toward Tahu who’s head tilted in confusion.

The pair’s voices became raised and arms were flailing back and forth now. The warriors were as confused as the travelers but for most likely different reasons. Finally, one of the cloaked figures threw up their arms and turned. They shouted and the warriors began to retreat though there was united grumbling amongst them. One even went so far as to thrust the spear at Tahu though they were too far for it to be of consequence.

That left Tahu and the cloaked stranger while Ula and Ya’Cahin watched from a distance.

“Well uh. Thanks?” Tahu said tilting their head to the side. “Do I know you or are you just a benevolent cloaked alien thing?”

“Know you. I do not. Your languages are strange.” They said and their head shook in frustration. They held out a square piece of metal with legs and damaged wings. “This is yours.” They said at Ula.

“Wait, you’re speaking a language I can understand?”

“Yes.” The stranger said and turned slowly toward her hiding spot. Ula’s head ached once again however this time a voice spoke directly in her head. “You can come out. I will not harm you. Or your friends.”

Ya’Cahin’s face went blank, hearing the voice in her head. Whoever or whatever this was, was a psykik. “Do as they say Ula. I’m coming.” Stepping through the vines and branches Ya’Cahin slid down into view. Tahu started at them and laughed.

“Shoulda known Ula called for help instead of leaving me high and dry.”

“Don’t count on that.” Ula said but turned their attention to the psykik in front of them. “You have something that belongs to me.”

“Indeed. I was merely using it to better communicate with you. It was damaged during its flight. I apologize for the wing.” Their voice reverberated like an echo instead of producing from the mouth of the creature before them.

“It is fine.” Ula said as the tablet exchanged hands. “Who or what are you?”

The cloaked figure looked at the pair of them then at Ya’Cahin and back to the zorgs. ”Their minds are very different from yours. Why is that?”

“Our minds are not like yours,” Ula explained. “We are not organic. At least not entirely.”

“Fascinating. So different than what I was led to expect.”

“You talk like this is not your planet.”

“It isn’t.”

The cloaked figure waved a hand through the air and an image appeared inside Ya’Cahin’s minds. It was a small planet very close to a star. The star was purple and radiated a substance onto the planet. It eventually passed through the planet and into space

“This was my planet. However its proximity to the our native star could not safely sustain our life for extended periods of time. So we send our children to other planets. Mostly those without a well-established society.  Using our abilities, we place ourselves into a position of power and then influence those societies to evolve and nuture us.”

“To prolong your own species you influence another?” Ula asked.

“Yes. If not for this, we would have died out a long time ago. I am not fond of this planet. Unfortunately the ability to leave our assigned planets isn’t given to us. Meeting you three is lucky happenstance.”

“So what you want to leave with us?” Tahu asked.

“Yes. I want to leave this planet. There is more to this universe than to elevate a bunch of cave dwellers to civilization. Even at my benefit.”

Ya’Cahin came forward, “I’m not sure about that. What reason should we bring you along? We have a pretty tight ship at the moment. Not to mention you probing our minds.”

“You are the captain?” their eyes focused onto her and there seemed to be uncertainty on its body.  When she nodded they tilted their head. “Probing your mind is difficult.”

“I have training against other psykiks.” She said though she was relieved that her training held out.

“What was with you and the other one? The one you got in the shouting match with.” Tahu asked.

“Two of us were sent to the same planet. We’ve done our best to coexist with our goals but there is a limit to what coexistence can bring.”

Suddenly without warning the ground beneath them opened up. The branches split, with a rush of air and shot up leaving them suspended in the clear sky. A few leaves floated past them and then gravity took hold and they began to fall.