Near computational crisis

The base was a secure facility. Despite having made a good impression on Tisss and the rest of her welcoming party, Dustin and the crew of the Solar Ascent were still technically under observation and thus not allowed out to see the rest of the planet. They weren’t prisoners exactly; they would be allowed to leave the system if they wanted, but leaving now would definitely break what trust had been built and spoil any chance humanity had of allying with the enigmatic Olanse.

In theory, they could also have just walked out the main gate to the compound - it didn’t appear to be guarded at all. In practice, Dustin was pretty sure that the base was far more occupied than it seemed. Despite focusing hard, he couldn’t spot where any of the Olansians would appear as their camouflage faded. Even Yril’k’s exceptional pheromone senses struggled to place the alien life; the outfits the locals wore appeared to be doubling as temperature and odour control to further mask their presence. Dustin was pretty sure Defia could have spotted them though, and he had pondered asking her to come down from the bridge - but the more he got to know the Olanse, the more he realised how catastrophic an idea that might be.

Most of his knowledge in that regard came from a discussion on the history of their species. While the reaction from Tisss to Earth’s long history of internal conflict was one he’d expected after being present when other aliens learned for the first time about just how aggressive humanity could be to itself, he hadn’t been prepared for the details she provided in her explanation of her own kind.

“The first we knew of the stars was the screaming,” the lizard woman remarked with a wave of her hand that seemed to encompass the desert around them, Sola, and the sky above. “We were visited by what the ancients called the tree-that-screamed. Archaeologists now believe it to have been a starship from a since-extinct species. It arrived, followed by the shadow according to the old tales; the shadow ate the tree, and the ancients looked on in wonder.”

She paused, then shrugged. “Aliens fought in the sky over our world. We were always a species that prided ourselves on our ability to hide, but the arrival of the tree and the shadow led to our becoming even more cautious. That proved useful when we encountered the shadow next.”

Dustin sat forward at that point. “The shadow?” he asked, already pretty sure he could guess where this was going.

Tisss’s skin rippled as she shifted in her chair, the background colours of the desert rolling over her face for a moment before she stilled. “Machine life. They consume. We had grown… careless, as the stories of the past seemed to just be myth. We’d discovered other species, our neighbours, and no sign of either the builders of the tree or the destroyers of the shadow. We assumed that it was just the superstitions of primitive Olanse. We were wrong.”

That pretty much confirmed that the shadow of myth was the Fractals, as far as Dustin was concerned. The similarities were just too close to be a coincidence. Before he could react however, the reptilian woman just shook her head and continued her tale. “We had established a colony. Far from our home world, using routes our neighbours had plotted that we then travelled by computer. Our kind has limited routes, our neighbours could see more although they rarely followed them for fear of evil spirits in the stars. Again, we assumed this was superstition. We should have listened. Our colony… we abruptly lost contact. Ships were dispatched, but it was two weeks flight away. When they arrived… the world had been consumed, shattered. It took us years to identify the cause.”

Leaning back in her seat, Tisss abruptly frowned, her eyes narrowing. “This is not unknown to you. You are not reacting to a world being cracked the way I would expect. Why?”

Dustin shook his head, choosing his words carefully. “It isn’t the first time I’ve heard of worlds being destroyed by hostile species. The loss of life is a tragedy, the manner of that loss isn’t something I’ve never heard of before. So, once you’d found the destroyed colony, what did you do?”

Whether Tisss hadn’t noticed him deflecting or just chose to ignore it, she sat back forward and continued her tale. “When we discovered the cause, we were glad that we had flown a route via computer rather than one our pilots could navigate. We, like you, found a probe left behind. One made by the shadows. Dismantling it allowed us to learn much about their technology; they gain knowledge of weave paths via consuming sentient life.”

She shook her head sadly and stared into the dunes for a moment, seemingly lost in thought before she resumed speaking once more. “After that, we grew more cautious. Our neighbours had routes that could reach our worlds - it would take only a single vessel to be lost to allow the machines to reach our homeworld. To that end, we built the shroud and the lesser shimmers to protect our friends. In the time since, vessels we believe to be those of the machine have visited the systems of our neighbours many times - and each time they have gone on without finding any life to absorb.”

“And now you come. Outsiders. With knowledge of worlds being cracked. And a head full of new paths that might lead to us.” She frowned again, then stood. “I must report to my superiors. I will return shortly.”

While the Olanse delegation were busy, Dustin pulled the rest of the crew together. “Thoughts?”

Yril’k spoke first, the warrior woman’s voice low and rapid. “I cannot sense’k where they are. Any discussion’k might be overheard, moreover’k I cannot guarantee’k they will not attempt’k to follow us into the ship’k. I am working on’k a countermeasure.”

As the Vex’ess woman fell silent, Meli sighed. “I recommend we proceed cautiously with regards discussion of our foes, husband. Based on what we’ve seen, their technology would be highly valuable - but they might also view us as a threat to their way of life given we were able to find a route here. Perhaps more investigation of their friends? Ask how they suggest we approach their neighbours if we are to come across them?”

Dustin was about to reply, when Bleu cut in. “I’d like to get a closer look at one of them. Their ability to camouflage themselves is not unique among sapient species, but each species approaches the problem differently. Can I join you in the next round of discussions with the leader of the delegation? My attempts to get approval from one of her assistants hasn’t been successful so far.”

Sighing, Dustin nodded. “I don’t know if we’ll have much more luck talking with Tisss. I get the impression she’s little more than a spokesperson for whoever is really watching us. I’ve been trying to figure out where they’re watching from - and I think it’s over there.” He gestured subtly to the far side of the landing pad, in the opposite direction from the rest of the buildings.

Meli frowned, then shrugged in agreement. “It makes sense, husband. None of the other buildings would allow easy viewing, but given what we’ve already seen of their stealth capability, it would not be impossible for them to cloak an entire structure.”

“Exactly. But that’s not the only reason - I’ve been watching the sand over there; it doesn’t move quite the way it should.” Dustin said, making a point of not looking at the region he’d identified as being under a concealment effect. “The wind’s blowing it, but there’s a point where it just seems to stop. But it’s not piling up, the way it would if there was a cloaked wall or a naturally sheltered area, it just… kind of vanishes. I’m pretty sure the effect is extended somewhat beyond the building. Given they saw Sola from their ships when cloaked, I think we can safely discard our earlier theory that their hiding tech blocks them from seeing out.”

Yril’k drummed her fingers irritably against her leg, the chitinous noise echoing slightly in the largely empty bay. “That significantly’k complicates things’k if we do not leave’k peacefully. I will continue’k to try and identify a way’k to ensure we do not’k have stowaways.” As Dustin opened his mouth to reply, the air at the entrance to the bay shimmered to mark Tisss returning. With a nod to his crew, he turned to go and continue the negotiations once more.