what the hell a Tassali is. Some sort of priest or faith healer. We’ve got files on most Palani variants, but not much about that one.”
Black flicked through the pages. “I knew they made different flavours of themselves, sir. Ages ago. Really went wild with genetic engineering and stuff. There’s the big ones: thick-boned and heavily muscled. And the lean, nimble ones, and the super smart ones. One other variant was supposed to be radiation-proof, which is neat. Now the traits are inherited, like we inherit eye colour.”
“Or hair colour,” said the Captain with a grin. “So, what’ve we got?”
The Chief gave back the datapad. “We’ve got a few tons of wreckage in the hangar, sir. The bulk of her ship is falling into the gravity well of that gas giant. When it broke up, the debris kept its forward speed. Must’ve been going flat out. Judging by the trajectories of some other wreckage, they were manoeuvring violently beforehand. They tried like hell to get away from something. It was quick, though, sir.”
“Okay. We’re not chasing scrap metal into a gas giant. According to this,” he waggled the datapad, “they don’t give a damn about bodies. As long as the spirits are given a proper sendoff, they’re happy.”
Black nodded aft. “And we’ve got their priestess. Think that’s why she was the only survivor, sir? They knew they were screwed, so they packed her off? You know, so she could clear their way to Valhalla or whatever?”
Dillon pulled the pen from his mouth, and pointed the chewed end at her. “I bet that’s it. Genius.”
“True.” She looked past him, toward the bridge door. “Singh?”
The Captain pivoted his chair to look at the young medic. She had hesitated at the entrance to the bridge, looking expectantly at him. He beckoned her closer. “Master Seaman?”
“Sir,” she said, “I’ve been to see the Palani.”
“Ah. Well done, Singh. How’s our guest? She’s been in there ten hours and not a peep.”
“Aye, sir. I decided to check on her. The cabin console said her vitals were low for a Palani, so I knocked. Turns out she was meditating, sir. She let me run a quick scan, but declined any other help. It’s really cold in there. She’s got it set it to five degrees.”
“Huh. Anything from the scan?”
The medic shook her head. “Nothing we didn’t already know, sir. Mostly the same organs as us, but different arrangement. Five glands we don’t have. I’ve got no idea what they do. Scanner says she’s fine, but there’s some readings I’ll have to look up. Probably some of those inherited things. Otherwise it’s straight out of the xeno textbook, sir.”
“Good initiative, Singh. Anything else?”
“Thank you, sir,” she nodded. “And yes, she asked me to tell you — and this is a quote, sir — she will see you now.”
The Chief suppressed a snort as her face lit up. “Congratulations, Captain. You’ve been summoned for an audience.”
Dillon looked from the medic to the Chief and back again. “Summoned? Whose ship is this, anyway?”
-----
While the airlock cycled, blowing cold air into the small antechamber, Dillon did up his overcoat and put on his winter gloves. Even before the inner door opened, he could see his breath. Singh wasn’t kidding about the temperature.
The door slid open, revealing the xeno officer’s cabin. Barely three metres square, it had enough room for a bunk, desk, two chairs and an over-plumbed head. The far wall was dominated by a large window. The screen was fully open, and the nearby gas giant filled the view, its colourful green-and-yellow clouds swirled into planet-spanning stripes.
The Palani turned away from the window, her white cloak swirling around her legs. Her blue eyes sought his. “Captain.” Her multi-tone
Black flicked through the pages. “I knew they made different flavours of themselves, sir. Ages ago. Really went wild with genetic engineering and stuff. There’s the big ones: thick-boned and heavily muscled. And the lean, nimble ones, and the super smart ones. One other variant was supposed to be radiation-proof, which is neat. Now the traits are inherited, like we inherit eye colour.”
“Or hair colour,” said the Captain with a grin. “So, what’ve we got?”
The Chief gave back the datapad. “We’ve got a few tons of wreckage in the hangar, sir. The bulk of her ship is falling into the gravity well of that gas giant. When it broke up, the debris kept its forward speed. Must’ve been going flat out. Judging by the trajectories of some other wreckage, they were manoeuvring violently beforehand. They tried like hell to get away from something. It was quick, though, sir.”
“Okay. We’re not chasing scrap metal into a gas giant. According to this,” he waggled the datapad, “they don’t give a damn about bodies. As long as the spirits are given a proper sendoff, they’re happy.”
Black nodded aft. “And we’ve got their priestess. Think that’s why she was the only survivor, sir? They knew they were screwed, so they packed her off? You know, so she could clear their way to Valhalla or whatever?”
Dillon pulled the pen from his mouth, and pointed the chewed end at her. “I bet that’s it. Genius.”
“True.” She looked past him, toward the bridge door. “Singh?”
The Captain pivoted his chair to look at the young medic. She had hesitated at the entrance to the bridge, looking expectantly at him. He beckoned her closer. “Master Seaman?”
“Sir,” she said, “I’ve been to see the Palani.”
“Ah. Well done, Singh. How’s our guest? She’s been in there ten hours and not a peep.”
“Aye, sir. I decided to check on her. The cabin console said her vitals were low for a Palani, so I knocked. Turns out she was meditating, sir. She let me run a quick scan, but declined any other help. It’s really cold in there. She’s got it set it to five degrees.”
“Huh. Anything from the scan?”
The medic shook her head. “Nothing we didn’t already know, sir. Mostly the same organs as us, but different arrangement. Five glands we don’t have. I’ve got no idea what they do. Scanner says she’s fine, but there’s some readings I’ll have to look up. Probably some of those inherited things. Otherwise it’s straight out of the xeno textbook, sir.”
“Good initiative, Singh. Anything else?”
“Thank you, sir,” she nodded. “And yes, she asked me to tell you — and this is a quote, sir — she will see you now.”
The Chief suppressed a snort as her face lit up. “Congratulations, Captain. You’ve been summoned for an audience.”
Dillon looked from the medic to the Chief and back again. “Summoned? Whose ship is this, anyway?”
-----
While the airlock cycled, blowing cold air into the small antechamber, Dillon did up his overcoat and put on his winter gloves. Even before the inner door opened, he could see his breath. Singh wasn’t kidding about the temperature.
The door slid open, revealing the xeno officer’s cabin. Barely three metres square, it had enough room for a bunk, desk, two chairs and an over-plumbed head. The far wall was dominated by a large window. The screen was fully open, and the nearby gas giant filled the view, its colourful green-and-yellow clouds swirled into planet-spanning stripes.
The Palani turned away from the window, her white cloak swirling around her legs. Her blue eyes sought his. “Captain.” Her multi-tone
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