"This... doesn't look healthy..."
Nikolai muttered to himself towards the frankly, not so great state of the alien ship as he takes a basic inspection of it.
Firstly, it is actually a big surprise there is even power still radiating out of it. Not of the nuclear variety of sorts, but rather the static frequency emitting as consequences of it's irregular energy output, which could damage nearby electronics. Of those equipment, is Nikolai's hazard suit's instruments were being tampered by the irregularities. The most likely culprit of the situation is the emergency back up power of the ship, which is still active after it's crash. Second, with how scorched the ship is, the atmospheric re-entry must have been very, very rough and unexpected. Because they wouldn't have landed this hazard zone of a forest in a derelict state. Added with how they crashed on top of the trees and bits of what Nikolai assumed it's engines in pieces being snag by the branches inside out, a fire and a small explosion must have happened inside.
It will be a surprise if somebody even survived, but not exactly impossible either. Considering it's alien technology.
Third and lastly, the most suspicious thing about it, is how is it still there in one piece... If the crash site is so obvious from it's initial fall before the distortion field was up, then it would have been identified and spotted before it even crashed like any other object. Perhaps even dismantled already like all the other alien ships the moment they crashed into orbit by human hands. But ignoring how or why is it still there, the ship is about roughly almost a week old since it crashed. If the bioengineered trees are to be used as a basis, maybe even three or four days old. As it's super growth traits are now in the beginning stages of trying to grow over the alien ship.
With all the basics gathered, Nikolai concluded that the alien ship must have been one of the victims of the failed ambush that was done few days ago. Since there are no other significant engagements in the pass two weeks, except that ambush.
'As far as anybody knows that is...'
Who even knows how this particular alien ship manage to slip out of being scrapped.
Either, way Nikolai has no answers. Nor he even wants to dig any deeper. But since he is here, he might as well shut the distortion field off. Because if the distortion field is up, then the computers of the ship is still online where the stray channel frequency keeps on broadcasting itself. Though most likely not in the best state, it is still a dangerous variable that cannot be overlooked. However, there is one problem that Nikolai needs to face...
"Maybe participating on one of those lessons for the basics of the language of the aliens might be helpful now..." The language instructor was right, there is a reason for every lesson.
Unfortunately for Nikolai, it is too late to think of it now, as he is already at the crux of the problem he brought himself into, because even if he learned about it, he doubted simple language learning could make him a alien computer engineer anytime soon. With a sigh to himself, he then prepared the short range direct thermal firearm to spread. Walking warily into the ugly hole that the ship had on it's starboard. With another sigh, this time much more nervous, he got inside as the ship creaked and echoed throughout it's dark corridor. The ship may not be very large, but sure is making itself appear so with how spooky it is.
Clank...
Clank...
Clank...
". . ."
It is quiet as expected...
It is not surprising, just... eerie.
Nikolai double checked his recorder if it is still working, but base on the information on the HUD, it is functioning but not able to view anything correctly because of the interference. Leaving his voice the only feature that has no horrible noise that could make it inoperable as he began to walk forth on the empty corridor. Turning on the lights of his hazard suit, to make chances higher of survival higher at the cost of stealth.
Massive.
That's the first word Nikolai thought at the ceiling height of the alien ship. Nikolai was tall for his age, at least to the pure variety. However, the corridor in itself was a tall 5 meters. Nikolai has never seen someone that tall in his entire life, yet the pictures he saw from the dead aliens with their suits on shows how massive they were when compared to the average human. Wide too with their legs on a spreading stance, hence also the wide corridor as Nikolai could already imagine what it would look like if the ship was beaming in life.
It doesn't help that Nikolai doesn't actually know what they look like. He has seen them in the simulations and on the Net with the videos, and even in person, though only the armour and their suits being presented. However that's only it, he has never seen what is underneath it. Not even the propaganda videos show it to keep their morale up. All he knows that they look like a Earth mantis, except bigger and even carnivorous to eat humans base on his biolife classes or the hearsay he hears alot.
Not like he doubted too much of the hearsay, but Nikolai needs something to visualize before he thinks too much and turned himself a victim of his own paranoia.
"Eh? It's still on..."
Nikolai reached a dead end on a sealed bulkhead. He tapped on the door after tampering it for almost a minute, but it is still locked. There is a biometric scan needed in order for it to open. Meaning, power not only is still circulating, but amenities also function inside. "Great... I am really starting to regret this. Cecilia, I hope you still got my chilhood will with you!"
Nikolai huffed as he traced his steps back. Though he can use his plasma pistol, he doesn't want to waste it's already small energy capacity to cut the door despite it being relatively standard in thickness. It makes Nikolai too vulnerable for his liking to be coming inside unarmed.
Which is why he began to scour in his surroundings for some kind of card or identity key as he traced his trail back to where he came from. Unfortunately, he found none so far, heck, it is even unusually too clean for something that has supposedly crash.
"Cecilia mentioned that in videogames, it would always be in the back, but as far as I know, there is no back! There's gotta be a door somewhere around here..." Unfortunately once more, the rear part of the ship is in tatters like how Nikolai observed from the outside. Leading to no other entrances, at least from the starboard side of the alien ship. But Nikolai will be having a hard time accessing the port side, if he didn't have arms that could support himself from the drop fall of certain death, 100m from the earth.
"... looks like contacting them right now would be a good idea..." That means giving up in this small adventure of his, not that he is regretting it too much. If the alien threat is removed, then that is far greater than any reward or prestige given to him. It seems this was his limits, with a sharp breath he began to walk out at the ugly hole before he heard a noise and looked back.
Nikolai paused as he saw a rat coming up behind on a broken panel. Carrying decomposing meat. It didn't take long for Nikolai to put two and two together as he didn't need to say anything more to tore the panel off where the rat came from, revealing another broken layer beneath the damaged reinforcements. With all his might, he kicked the metal layer as hard as he can five times before it eventually brought itself down with a inconspicuous metallic noise. Revealing an alternative entrance, much to his glee.
"Looks like I will be in the kitchen area of the ship... Must be infestation going on there." Nikolai breathes heavily as he already have ordered his suit to provide oxygen on his small oxygen tank. The smell was simply too much at the moment for him to handle, even with the filtering, it makes Nikoali wonder how much food has rotted that much in such a small amount of time.
Creak... creak... creak...
"Come on now, I can fit through just fine!"
Unfortunately for Nikolai for the third time... it wasn't just meat he would be meeting...
Creeeaaakk...
"Almost there...! There!"
Nikolai dropped into the floor with a loud noise, thankfully, the polymer wasn't as brittle, so his HUD was safe from any damages except scratches. Only for his relief to instantly formed into repulsion, his blood running cold, and his stomach attempting to spew something out of his mouth which he luckily contained himself from doing so by looking away. Barely holding himself in as his suit warns his body was having spikes in brain activity and heart rate.
After composing himself, and taking deep breaths, Nikolai then very reluctantly looked back at the pile... of corpses. Rotting corpses with holes all over their bodies, with their purplish blood now dried all over the place. Both armed and unarmed aliens lay dead, and for the first time, Nikolai now knows what they looked like, and the worst of it all, they looked... human.
"URP..." Nikolai looked away hurriedly, taking more deep breaths as the layered out innards of the aliens that lay bare for the Pagoda equivalent of maggots and flies to crawl over their bodies. He can't help but identify them as humans, despite obviously looking alien. Especially the faces bothered him so much, because it kept on correlating the two of the similarities that just crept in the uncanny valley. Perhaps there was a reason why no media has portray them without the armour, and it seems Nikolai has stepped himself into a landmine he cannot forget either. As no amount of therapy can make him pretend he didn't see that.
Nikolai thankfully regained control of his legs as he shakily got himself up. He then grabbed a nearby table as he realised the room wasn't actually a kitchen... it was a private quarter. A very large one at that for those... corpses... to be piled in one area. Some of the bodies even layed out on the bed... at least half of their bodies on the large bed like furniture.
"Aperture's sake... get yourself together..." He whispered to himself and began warily eyeing the lit room.
The corpses aside, the inside looks untouched, heck, even new if it weren't for the corpses. It seems his assumptions of the inside burning up was wrong, but it didn't answer his question of the dead bodies... Nikolai shakes his head and leaned at the wall behind him. Though he was repulsed of the blood stains, thankfully they have dried out. This time Nikolai has a clearer thought to think of his situation, rather than grim, he feels like he is interfering something instead. Interfering something much deeper than he even wishes to with the way it is going.
Simply put, after participating many Live Exams many times. He knows the outline of a kinetic shot and a energy one. The one in front of him, is no doubt, kinetic. Caseless ammunition is definitely the projectile used per standard, and if he dug into the corpse, a bullet will definitely be found. Not that Nikolai wants to though. Yet the answer is clear, his military already have cleared this one out, but it was left intact enough to be still barely operable. Nikolai may not know what it entails, only that he stepped in too far this time. He may not care too much of the aliens despite his revulsion earlier, but he definitely cares who did it to them. There was only two possibilities.
The Black Coats or the Intelligence Bureau.
The former is from his nation, the Republic, the latter, the Union. Both secretive factions of the respective governments he doesn't want to involve himself in. Why accuse them first? If the prelude and beginnings of the Periodical War have anything to say, messed up scenarios are something those two organisations will do to meet their objective. Heck, it will not be a surprise if the SAI is even involved to devise this crazy plan... but the question is... what is the plan exactly?
Nikolai could conjour up all the machinations of those two branches of the government for all day long, but as long as they remained silent, not even the sanest or most insane person could guess their intentions. And whatever their plans are...
Nikolai glanced at the dead bodies with a gulp.
They are at least doing it for the betterment for humanity. Which is the only silver lining Nikolai could think off if he returned back to the Live Exam Area, and hopes he won't be punish for accidentally interfering something he shouldn't.
. . .
Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.
"(Rh/×￡@ylwb?! Rh zmbylwb ++×&!?)"
Just as he made up his mind, he heard something moving on the other side of the wall. Immediately putting his fight or flight response as he pushes himself to the wall to remain as stealthy as possible. His mind wasn't playing tricks with him. He definitely not just heard a sound on the other side, but also in the public channel in the computer as the HUD indicated. It's not just a coincidence anymore, someone is there. And that someone is not human.
Carefully, Nikolai slowly go towards the door where it was partially closed, leaving him ample space to get out. However, he decided to check his surroundings and it didn't take long for Nikolai to spot the alien.
The space, unlike the corridor, was much more bigger and probably even luxurious. If the fancy catwalk on the centre wasn't a dead give away, then portraits of what Nikolai assumed it's current leaders or religious figures are scattered on prominent parts of the space where anybody could see him. It was reminisce of the ships he saw on the Net from the Royal Space Navy, which are known to be quite fancy than the rest of the Iron Cross Fleet, where their current Queen and Saint paintings are plastered all over the main bridge. It was giving Nikolai some nuance of the aliens, but it didn't make his situation less scarier because it shows they are far from dumb animals trying to indiscriminately kill them.
On the backend, Nikolai could see where his entrance was suppose to be on that locked door. While the opposite, is... where the alien is... Frolicking around the heavily damaged consoles of the computer systems. Base on the dead bodies hanging around on some kind of large chair for each person(?), the secret intelligence guys must have been brutal with their killing. Probably the moment they dropped, everybody was executed... except one.
Nikolai doesn't know if it was sloppiness or they were simply so good enough to hide from their scanners. Nikolai hopes it was the former than the latter, as there is no way he can survive if it was the latter. If his ass was being handed by Cecilia, how much more someone who evaded the equivalent of walking death machines? Either way, Nikolai already had a strategy for this, since his pistol was only effective in 5m, going close is the obvious solution. Charging straight is a death wish, but he can atleast use his plasma pistol for a good enough distraction for his basic thermal knife to land a hit at maximum output. Which can and will penetrate alien's skin(?) as demonstrated from his class.
"Alright Nik. Take a deep breath. You can do this. You can-"
Tap... crash!
At that moment, the moment Nikolai put his foot out to only knock over some cans, the world turned white. As Nikolai and the alien frozed up. Together, they slowly then turned their heads to one another as a silent intensity crashed over them warily. At the same time, his HUD was warning him again of heightened intensity in his body while classifying the alien in front of him as a threat from it's static filled camera.
Nikolai couldn't even begin to describe how he is feeling. He was feeling light headed, even fainting, but the hard bang of his heart kept him from doing so as the most tense stare off he ever witnessed in his lifetime happened before him. Static from the channel buzzed, and breathing from his mouth can only be the stimulant he needed to make sure he didn't pressed the trigger of the pistol, knowing how ineffective it was with how far the alien is. The standby between them felt like 10 minutes has passed, but actually, they just met the 2 minute mark in their stare off.
It then stretched for almost another minute, until the alien made a move as Nikolai raised his pistol. The alien hesitated, clearly cautious or perhaps frightened, either way after much deliberation, they continued to raise their hands.
A form of surrender? Whatever it is, they raised their stubby paws? Hands? Nikolai was certain that under their equivalent of a hazard suit, or even a space suit, all 2 pairs of their arms are raised, except the the other two pairs since it is obviously it's legs, which is also obvious by the thickness of it when compared to it's arms. Nikolai didn't say a word as the stare off continued, this time less intensely, but there is no way he is putting his guard down. Until that is, the alien spoke that Nikolai nearly pull the trigger out of instinct.
"(Yu... huminn...?)"
Nikolai didn't need to be a genius, under the thick accent and distorted voice of the alien was a poor attempt, but a attempt nonetheless to speak in English through the public channel. He couldn't believe his ears, but what Nikolai indeed hear is the voice of the alien. It's like meeting a foreigner that didn't use the Standard Language to talk, so they try to speak in english in a awkward attempt of communication. Only of course, Nikolai ever so wished that was his situation, instead of the one in front of him now.
"Oh Aperture... why do you put me in this trial?..." Nikolai is definitely certain he was being divinely punished. But Nikolai shakes his thoughts off to attend to the current situation.
"(I am one. State you're purpose invader, and tell me how did you survived the Black Coats?)" Nikolai put some authority in his tone to make him seem important, which worked as the alien flinched and did a equivalent of a stutter. At least in Nikolai's observation.
"(Kras... ship, not worc. Ned help... from naby.)" The alien barely made a coherent sentence as Nikolai put the safety down, to show he wasn't kidding in firing it. "(Huminn atak... I surbiv, mi. Only. I hide... closet!)"
Nikolai could only inwardly curse, the distress signal was already sent and he can't do anything about it. What's worse that they somehow missed one survivor hiding in a closet?! This ain't no assassin, but sheer dumb luck they even lived! That's basically 101, even Nikolai ain't that dumb. Regardless, that means the alien was indeed a unknown variable and not part of whatever plans his government is going to do. So not only he accidentally intervened in some elaborate grand plan, but the plan was already fucked up the moment they let one survivor out in the wild.
With a deep breath, Nikolai thought how he even never killed someone, let alone aliens, however an alien is an alien. If they didn't show them mercy, why bother doing the same? With his nerves reluctantly steeled, Nikolai then charged the pistol. Immediately alerting the alien as they sway their arms. "(Wet! Wet! Kovzhv! Kovzhv!)"
The alien begged, bet they saw the same thing from Nikolai's perspective to his fellow man. Making his stomach lurch, because if that's how sentient they were in front of him, why do xenocide in the first place? If they were so... human, for the lack of a better term, why act upon this crazy crusade on wiping them out? With a another breath, Nikolai was about to pull the trigger as he subtly moved himself in the maximum effective range of the plasma pistol as they converse. Upon seeing this, the alien in a futile attempt of protecting themselves, covered their face with their paws? Hands? Making Nikolai hesitate of the rather... human like actions again.
"(Li.. lisen! Kovzhv!)" The alien begged once more as Nikolai's stomach lurched once more.
With gnashing teeth, he then pointed the pistol away as it charges down. With a angry tone, mostly to himself for his weakness, he then issued a warning. "You better give me a good reason not to kill you now this instant, or else, this bolt of plasma will be frying whatever's left in your xenocidal skull. You get it?! Now, turn off this damned ship, and if you think of detonating anything, know that it won't just be those humans coming after you. Now, do it."
It seems the alien understand him, because few seconds after, it hurriedly then grabbed the necklace thing it was wearing as it began to do some things in the console. Hesitantly it then grabbed the necklace thing, before inserting it and turned sideways. Like a automobile, the frequency of the ship stop humning, as the subtle droning of the ship died down. Making it dead for good, and most likely the distortion field as well as Nikolai's HUD suddenly become crystal clear without any noises.
Now that the main problem was solved, unto the next one as he can finally hear outside frequencies as well, but his channel was still recovering in receiving anything. However, it was enough for him to secretly send a message to Cecilia for some back up. With that out of the way, Nikolai then leaned into railing, unholstering his pistol as a psychological move. The alien seems to understand it as they too, then positioned themselves in front of him, albeit hesitantly.
"So, xeno, who are you, how did you survived all this time, why publicly broadcast yourself like a idiot waiting to be shot at, and lastly... who are you going to contact?" The last one especially is important despite the obvious answer, as Nikolai cares not who they were but only what's their influence is at. The less important they are, the most likely they were easily left to die and for the consequences within reach for Nikolai's hands... but on the other hand...
The higher up they go in the importance food chain, then Nikolai is not sure how will it go from there on. The Space Navy can barely holdout and they were loosing ground each year, and if whoever the person is in front of him, Nikolai genuinely hopes it is the former than the latter.
The alien paused, most likely trying to come up with a answer. However, unexpectedly, a transparent hologram thing appeared in front of Nilolai from the alien's helmet. Followed by four keyboard looking holograms for each hand(?), as the second most bizarre thing ever happened. Like his earlier comparison to the foreigner, there are times when the foreigner who cannot speak the Standard Language, but can actually write very well in the Standard Alphabet... The alien... no, the person in front of him, seems to know a little too well for his liking as a bad feeling crept up in his spine.
"[I hope this way of communication is enough to satisfy you're needs human, this way, we can make our important conversation in haste. Do you accept this form of communication?]"
A bad feeling that keep on growing as he nodded dumbfounded.
"[I would like to apologise for any mistranslations, as I will be adopting Religiosa terminology to you're lingua franca. I hope you can fill the gaps or correct me, but I assure you my knowledge of english will be sufficient enough.]"
Nikolai nodded as the alien immediately typed its response, at the same time, that instinct to runaway now invaded his mind from the bad feeling that now pierced his bones. That he was thrust upon something he shouldn't, or even involved with something far greater than any secret government operation in his lifetime could come up.
"[To answer you're questions, my name is Ash'Ent of the Grand House of the Ent Clan of Planet Orbos, I am the sole daughter of three hatchlings and in line to be the next heiress of the Ent Clan. I was participating in the lookout of the subjugation of you're Core World, through the Royal Yatch when two events happened.]"
Nikolai's gut feeling was right, this far more than what he bargained for. Grand House? Ent Clan? A Royal Yatch? The person in front of him must be royalty for all he knows, and also... a girl?! Nikolai thought it was a man this whole time! Heck even listening to their politcal system is enough to make him light headed again of the already piling worry of how good she is at english. Most importantly however, was that why his government was targeting that fleet in a suicidal operation? Yet, something is still missing. Nikolai leaned his head slightly forward to listen further.
"[The first event was an insurrection. I will not probe any further than that. All you need to know, it incapacitated our fleet when we attempt to visit and observe you're world after the 10th Anniversary of the Grand Subjugation. It made us divert our course straight to the drydock on you're planet when the second event happened.]"
There was some tension in the air between them before she continued.
"[For some reason, you're ragtag fleet manage to not just accurately guess our location, but the time of our arrival as well. Though we suffered minimal casualties, it was enough for the second wave of insurrection to happen, this time we were unprepared because of the pior engagement and I have to escape after their takeover of the fleet. Thus, after being shot down, I ended up here.]"
For the better or for the worse, it seems to there must be something happening in alien's side of things. Firstly, a insurrection? Enough to actually hurt their fleet? Nikolai could only wonder what kind of madman even attempt to do it twice, and in enemy territory where the military could ambushed them anytime at the moment. However, his thoughts on the politics of the mutiny halted when her next line of text showed up that made him even doubt everything once more.
"[At first, my fellow followers and I have luckily survived after the emergency landing, and quickly established a perimeter to hide from human sensors. At least in the first half of a planetary cycle, perhaps we underestimate the human will to kill, because when you're 'Black Coats' came in without us noticing, it was already too late to react. A team of three was enough to wipe even my Royal Alpha Guards, yet they let me live after confirming I was the last one, and locked me inside the ship after overriding the computer.]"
At that moment, Nikolai's heart stopped for a second. As his prior assumptions are once again shifted, because the plan was not broken. They deliberately let her live, heck there was even a good chance they already know she's some sort of nobility and decided to use her position against them on whatever grand plan they are doing... leaving Nikolai, himself... as the actual wild card in this plan. Upon this realisation, Nikolai took a deep breath. Calming himself down enough to not irrationally say something that could break his facade of dominance over the alien.
However still, there was one last question she didn't answer yet that could also possibly answer why they let her access the computer. If keeping her alive was the objective, why bother asking for more problems with reinforcements? Unless of course the insurrection was so bad, that they care if they can hear her if they don't come to rescue her.
"How about the last question? With the way everything is going, I doubt they would even rescue someone they deemed unworthy of such a position. Don't you think so, Lady Ent?"
Nikolai swear to the Seeker, when he felt like he was being glared at. Kind of horrifying when considering how much dangerous the noble alien is compared to him, because as far as Nikolai knows, almost all rich kids, except Jhonn, have some combat skills that could overtake him if it weren't for his skill in the rifle. He would be dead if the noble alien made a move. Yet despite the glare he feels, the noble alien typed.
"[You are horribly wrong. Despite the insurrection, this whole star system is still loyal to the Grand Queen, it is only the fleet who defected. That's why I decided to put my call for assistance in public so anybody can hear it. It doesn't matter if you humans or the insurrectionist can detect my distress call. You're people already knows about my presence and the insurrectionist wouldn't come inside human infested territory to a unkown source of the signal.]"
She then stopped typing and look directly at Nikolai.
"[That is, until you ordered me to turn the cloak field off. Because once they know it was me who send that signal. Then they would risked it to capture me alive than dead. My head after all, is much more precious alive than dead.]"
Before Nikolai could say anything more, as if on cue, the wrecked ship then rocked. At the same time, his HUD then suddenly shows multiple red dots, indicating hostile signatures. Nikolai could curse under his breath, of course she was right, he simply didn't thought of it because he was tunnel visioned by her presence. Especially now his civilian computer suite is immediately outclassed by the military grade electronics from the insurrectionist all over their heads!
"For Aperture's sake! Are you not scared for you're life?!" Nikolai asked the alien as he slipped his persona off, but unlike earlier when they first met, she was much more composed and was not fidgeting like Nikolai. She calmly then replied to his question.
"[Of course I am frightened for my existence, which is why this time, it is my turn to ask you a question.]"
She then grabbed the necklace keycard from the console as she presented it on one of her four hands towards Nikolai.
"[Simply put, I would like to offer you're assistance in helping me escape this ship. In my claw, lies my biodata in allowing you access to all weapons and tools that you can use if it is compatible to you're physiology. Even if you stole it, if I am dead or have not give you permission, it will be useless. In return, I would be you're people's bargaining chips in you're endeavours in the field of poltics, you're 'POWs' from what I personally learned.]"
Another shake came upon the ship as Nikolai stared at the chip, then at her. Noticing his shock, she then take a step closer, but Nikolai didn't raise his plasma pistol at her as she typed.
"[Being picky with my choices is not within reach. You are my only option, you're only option, is me. I have similar apprehensions, however my eyes do not lie in a opportunity in the midst of a crisis. So, are you willing to spare you're hand to the monsters that destroyed you're planet? Or be dragged together with me into the cosmos, never to return.]"
At that moment, Nikolai knew he no longer has the upper hand in this situation. Neither does she, however between them, she is his key for survival because he is outgunned if he uses the short range plasma pistol. And if he refuses and got caught with her, she too is his only option to survive, because of her authority despite being a prisoner. Unlike him, a human who will be killed the instant he showed his face. And even if he let himself die than bargain, Nikolai knows he doesn't have the guts to leave behind his family and Cecilia alone.
After a second pass, he grabbed the keycard and looked at the alien... no, his employer on where Nikolai guesses her eyes are at on the suit she is wearing. With great reluctance, but without hesitation, he replied.
"I accept you're terms."
