Under

Sol

She dreamed.

Her perception rushed from her body, out of L’yophin’s silk mansion. She flowed out into the dark skies, her vision blurred from frentic movement.

“Oh dear! What is happening?”

She rushed towards the sky, towards cavern ceiling. She braced herself, preparing to crash.

Please do not collide! Stop!

She phased through the rock, her vision going dark. Her impending impact instead became a journey.

Where am I going? This is incredible.

She didn’t wait long, her view rushed away from the planet she was just occupying. She saw the stars and the wide open deep space. The sun of the system shined brightly into the darkness, he vision unimpeded by the glare. She trembled to her being, seeing the unimaginable vastness.

“What is this?”

She had no time to think as the stars blurred, she suddenly rushed faster than light, faster than thought, faster than abstract possibilities. The glowing tunnel of white engulfed her, thrusting her to her destination. Before she could process what had happened, she arrived to a lone and sad planet. It was small, covered in a layer of grey cloudy albedo, obscuring the surface beneath.

Her memory was jogged. One of her five questions asked of Gideon was answered.

This must be a moon that he spoke of. The universe appears vast. Chances of this being Gideon's moon are slim.

She rushed along, pulled ahead on the phantom strings of fate; towards a destiny unknown. The moon grew in size, eclipsing her view. Grey atmosphere invited her, swirling with intent. She felt no fear of the unknown, only curiosity.

She struck the gaseous albedo with her scanners inoperable, much to her disappointment.

Even a little information could reveal something about my past. I know of moons and planets, suns and stars, matter and empty space. This could lead to more.

She broke the cloud cover, witnessing the abysmally bleak place. The ash dust and rusty iron crystals, the nearly empty lands and massive metal mountains. She had no opinion either way except the desire to explore the moon. She also felt a new and odd feeling; a desire to tidy up the planet.

Strange. Why would I want to do that?

She floated along, following her fated destination, into the oncoming dust storm. It blustered and howled, the ash tore and the winds whipped as the torrent's wall crushed into her. She held firm, gazing curiously at the oncoming rush.

She descended towards the ground, following her unknown drive. Within minutes, she spotted a small group making their way in the storm. The ground shook from a blow off in the distance. The group staggered, continuing their ponderous retreat. She floated in to inspect. Two were Anforms, dragging a gurney behind themselves. Another she suspected was an Anform, but the way it moved and acted was odd. Walking on four legs, looking urgently to the fourth person. And speaking of hunger.

"Gid, I am hungry."

And fatigue.

"I am tired."

A fourth person lay in the gurney, unmoving.

"Gid are you just OK?"

"Good Baxter, Captain Gideon is well, the shock of the encounter has drained him."

Gideon! This is his planet!

She rushed above him, trying to get his attention.

"Gideon, hello!"

He lay unmoving, unresponsive to her cries.

She floated just inches in front of him, the strange four legged not-Anform sniffed in her direction, ears alert.

"Gideon, you were right. L'yophin is trying to repair me. I just wish we could repair you."

She was pulled away as a voice spoke. The voice of a relieved father.

"What I have set free is free indeed. You never faced your isolation alone. Gideon will need your support. You are my delight."

the dream ended.

She awoke, her consciousness embarking into reality once again. It was odd but comforting to know she could journey and explore outside of her broken body. She was worried about Gideon, her other friend. The voice was comforting, as if someone was watching over her.

Who was that?

Her systems flared to life, her eyes revealing the same relaxing guest room from before with the addition of a glowing rhombus cell on the table afar.

Gideon… I hope he is alright. He needs more help than I do, but there is little I can do. If I could solicit another to assist…

She checked her systems on habit, seeing a new change:

Power: ninety-nine percent (QC)

Quantum Charge: 99/100

My power increased. Up to one-hundred from nintey-three. How?

She scanned the glowing cell, in front of her, picking up a large amount of energy.

It is radiating power! And I can absorb it…

She scanned further, trying to pry out more information. Anything could jostle her memories. She thought to the next big revelation: they were latent, not lost. Her scanners caught sight of a strange square symbol. One she could read. It was packed with data, her mind devouring all she could.

Tachodine nacelle model Delta-1404

Manuf: Primetech

Listed price: N/A

Average QC: five thousand

Nacelle pooling: no

Average reviews: N/A

Warranty: Expired

Blueprint acquired!

Would you like to know more about nacelle warranty renewals? Please visit 'unknown 404' for more!

Tachodine nacelle by Primetech. Fascinating. I like that QC charge, I could last for dozens if not hundreds of hours before needing a recharge. If power management goes well enough, I may never need to rest again. Nacelle pooling… I suspect it means I can only use that nacelle and no others. My secondary internal diode is damaged; a worthwhile trade. I know how it's built. I'm compatible! Everything else contains broken links and data.

She was comforted by the knowledge of the warm nacelle and by the fact her spidery host looked after her.

"L'yophin."

Gideon was correct. My host wanted to refurbish me. He seemed, rugged, yet friendly. His home and lands are well maintained and guarded, based on the confrontation at the gate.

"Hello?"

She listened intently as her voice traveled the halls. Silence ensued.

He must be outside. This is good. I understand the nacelle. That will aid in the repair!

And so, she waited, putting her systems in hibernate and triggering to wake on noise. Her systems awoke upon the clattering of the front door. The lock clicked, the room rumbled as the hatch opened. She welcomed the mixing sounds of skittered tapping and creaky groans. L'yophin was home.

His movements were slow and not as energetic as before. He skittered into the main room, dragging a firearm behind him while gripping his side. He looked haggard and wounded. He dropped the rifle, the clattering barrel still smoked.

“L’yophin! Are you-”

The spider held up a digit, asking her to wait. She paused, watching as he staggered to the cabinet. He opened it hurriedly, the contents jingled frantically as he grabbed a bottle and square fibers. He sat in his special chair, revealing the injury on his abdomen. It appeared to be a nasty graze wound, the hair and chitin having cracked off, revealing the soft oozing green flesh underneath.

“Oh L’yophin!” Sol cried out.

The spider held up a digit to quiet her, wincing as he surveyed the wound. He uncorked the bottle, swigging a hit from the unknown imbibement. The spider sighed, smacking his lips as he prepared the strange fiber patch. He bobbed his head as if counting down. On ‘three’, he doused the injury with the contents of the bottle, letting out a screeching raspy cry before tearing off a patch of the fiber and smoothing it over the damage. He began to sag from the drain, his eyes closed as he breathed heavily. He imbibed again, sighing as he opened two eyes to her.

“Hate trows.”

He barked those words, filled with a frustration that was steeped in history.

Sol’s eyes flashed as she processed his comment.

“What are those? I are you alright?”

L’yophin waved off her worry.

“Yes. Fine. Trows are… Mean- bad. They take, hurt, and bully. They are… here."

“Is that bad? What can we do?”

He shrugged as he inspected the bandage, wincing as he felt at it.

“Eh, not bad. Not much to do. Get bored. Move on.”

"Oh, that is not ideal. They could return, correct?"

The spider nodded, his tired eyes unwilling to speculate. She could swear he was saying 'again'.

"Are those the only trows?"

L’yophin cocked his head, his eyes blinking in a wave.

“No? What? No- Trows many,” he gestured with two limbs, making a large circle.

“Oh.”

The room went quiet as L’yophin to another swig, sighing deeply as he smacked his mandibles.

“Hm, root ale- good. Drink,” he paused, placing the bottle down as he inspected her, “Won’t worry. Right now. Fix power. Yours.”

Sol felt her processes skip at the news. It was happening. She was going to be repaired.

“L’yophin thank you! I will find a way to repay you!”

He waved a hand, brushing off her offer, “figure out later. Damaged? No memory?”

“Yes. When you excavated me, I only knew my name and the barest sliver of data.”

Sol decided it was best to explain her visions.

"And I've dreamed,"

L'yophin's eyes blinked together, all eight staring at her vacantly.

"Uh. Dream. Yes. No. Right now repair."

He wasn't interested.

Understandable. I am unsure of their significance apart from jogging my memory. Or Gideon. That voice. Whatever a McDonough is. That is fine, repairing is most critical.

L'yophin rose from his chair, wincing at the disturbed wound. He grasped the nacelle, inspecting it between his fingers. He showed it to her, the soft blue glow catching her eyes.

"This. Will do."

"I agree. I suspect I am compatible with the nacelle."

He closed his eyes with a sigh, placing the nacelle on his thorax while he grasped her, extricating her from the soft couch before lifting overhead. He strained with a raspy whine, his injury hampering him.

"Are you alright?"

"Just. Fine," he grunted, "not worst wound. Not last. Patch become chitin. Soon."

He skittered down the hall with Sol aloft, witnessing everything from a tilted angle. They advanced to the engineering room once again, the creaking of wood replaced by the tapping of metal. He placed her in the center coiled root bundle, tapping at the extended console. The process repeated, with her chassis ascending feet above the floor.

"What is this place?"

It was unlike the rest of the house. The twisted coiling of green alien metal stood out amongst the furnishments of the previous accommodations.

"Proturan Assemblage. Make. Repair. Good. Very good."

His smile explained much. He skittered to her, gently turning her levitated head to the parts against the far wall, held tight by the root-like metal.

"First, make casing."

He reached atop his thorax, grasping the balanced nacelle. He casually tossed next to her, it caught the antigrav current and floated aloft alongside her.

He spoke, chittering his strange language.

The Assemblage spoke back, scanning the nacelle with a scattering of green light. Holographic blueprints appeared, showing the workings of a nacelle case. It then scanned her, processing a way to attach. It updated the blueprint, revealing a round clamp with split metal tubing. The workings of the nacelle container had an ejection case.

Clever. If the nacelle or case ever fails, it can be easily replaced.

L'yophin nodded, palming his mandibles at the Assemblage's assessment. He donned his facial blast shield

He got to work, grabbing the tools and parts from the wall, floating them in place near the blueprint. He gripped the laser torch, beginning the first cuts of sheet metal. It was a plain steel sheet, unlike the rest of the alien alloy. This meant either advanced fabrication or trade.

"L'yophin, where did you procure that steel?"

He grunted as he darted a pair of eyes to her, his work unphased by the split attention.

"Mined it. Made it. Was iron."

"Do you make everything?"

"Most. Trade some. Find some."

Sol was impressed. Her spidery host was resourceful and clever.

L'yophin cut the panels for the outer pack, the six pieces floated in a cluster together. He grabbed another sheet, working deftly to cut out the inner ejection case. She spotted the subtle laser outline against the steel sheet, guiding L'yophin's torch. He pushed a few squares of cut steel away from the rest, the Assemblage began its own work of creating the finer tuned neck clamp. Laser scoring simply appeared, carving through the part, shaping the threading and cylinders. It would need to be able to unscrew without twisting the cables.

Within minutes, the inner and outer case was complete, leaving the neck clamp to the Assemblage . He gathered Sol's loose wires, tying them together in a bundle. L'yophin wiped his brow, the work and concentration alongside the injury having drained him. He worked on welding the pieces together, starting with the inner ejection case.

He clicked the laser torch off, lifting the blast shield to inspect the piece. He grabbed the nacelle, fitting it snuggly inside. He smiled, nodding his approval. He removed the nacelle, floating it towards Sol. It bumped against her chassis, halting in place.

He collected the pieces for the outer casing, beginning his welding project. He quickly completed the hollow box, testing the corner hinge of the inner and outer casing. It clicked loosely in place, held on only by the tight fit. She spotted the smaller details, the spring loaded system of the ejection case, which the Assemblage was producing from the steel sheet.

He pieced the fragile part together, fitting it to the opened inner case before sealing it with the welder. He swung the hinge inside the main case, clicking it in place with an audible snap. He shook the nacelle casing, testing it for imperfections.

He glanced to her, smiling eyes and mandibles.

L'yophin drifted the case near Sol, collecting the pieces of the neck clamp. He worked the split cylinder to her neck, fitting it in place as he worked the threaded secondary tube. He grasped the main casing, testing the fit between both pieces. Sol was excited, her quiet patience was about to pay off.

He completed the case, welding the final panel with threaded barrel. He tightened the clamp against her tightly. She felt no fear of her neck crumpling under the force; she was made of a very strong metal.

He skittered to the wall, grabbing a case filled with cables. He rifled through, collecting and feeding the parts into his other hands. Six of his eight limbs worked Sol's cable, attaching the connectors and clamping them down.

He looked to the Nacelle and sighed.

"Now hard part. Attaching power. May not work…"

"Oh! I scanned the symbol, I understand the blueprint!"

L'yophin's eyes went wide as he glanced to her.

"Good fortune. Walk through."

He gingerly grasped the nacelle, inspecting it while awaiting her queue. She ran through the blueprint, finding the guide for a manual connection.

"Take off the darkened outer casing."

L'yoohin nodded, squinting as he inspected the tiny screws. He skittered muttering to himself as he grabbed a tool, testing it to the nacelle before shelving it. Several more slender tools later, he had found the correct fit. He returned to Sol's side, uncapping the nacelle, revealing two cables merged to the inside of the loosened casing.

"Good. Now unclasp the wires, leaving the lid aside."

L'yophin complied, unclicking the wires from their base and letting the cap float away with a gently flick.

"These are the manual attachment wires. Blue and green. Match them to the unit's wiring."

L'yophin nodded inspecting her bundled cables. He separated a blue and green from the pack. He let out a chittery grunt.

"Three blue cables and one green. Which?"

Sol looked through the blueprint, finding no resolution.

"I am unsure. Perhaps it will not matter?"

"Or you vanish. Forever."

There was a worry to his words.

Process. Green is certain. It is a one in three chance. Thirty three… Point three; repeating, of course. Odds are against me. Whoever is looking out for me, please help.

She said her prayer, her eyes flashing with decision.

"Choose a cable, L'yophin."

Her spidery host gulped.

He grabbed a cable at random, capping it with a clip. He plugged both cables into the nacelle, holding his breath. She felt a click in her systems; it felt like a handshake waiting to happen.

"I think that worked!"

L'yophin breathed a sigh of relief, giving her a spidery smile.

"Finally, the override code is one-five-three."

L'yophin unhooked the cables, with Sol feeling the disconnect. He fed the cables through pack, mounting the nacelle inside the ejection case. He reattached the cables, which Sol felt once again that odd feeling. He clicked the casing to the cylindrical base at her neck, fitting it secured. He tapped on the nacelle's built-in keypad and clicked the case close, securing Sol's new power pack. She felt her systems update.

New nacelle attached

Relegate secondary nacelle diode?

Yes.

Initializing nacelle connection.

Warning: shutdown in progress.

Please. Whoever is looking out for me. Let me live.

Her eyes flash, her words coming out in a rush.

L'yophin, wait for me-"

She shut down, her chassis going dark.

Her spidery host glanced about, his eyes blinking in a wave.

"Sol? What happening?"

She left her confused savior behind.

And a dream had beckoned her.