“He may be small, but there are parts of him that could fit.”

- Thoughts of an unkown person.

***Outer Rim***

***Ouluk***

I fidget under Batlin's inquisitive gaze. He called me into his quarters to receive my report on the actual state of affairs, but I have no idea what to tell him.

Honestly, what does he expect me to do? I barely had two days to study the Demons, and now I am told to hand him solid information; based on which he is going to make a decision which will affect all of us. “This is happening too fast. I didn't even have time to verify my results-”

The General raises his hand, stopping me. All the while, he continues looking out of his fake-window. “I had two more meetings with the Demon leaders, and I can tell that they are becoming impatient. On our next meeting, I'll have to give them something. Our Xeno-Psychologist said that the Demons could react violently if that happens. For whatever reasons, the Demons seem to be a race of action and quick decisions. There are none of the fancy bureaucratic games which most other races are so fond of. They also seem to be bad at empathizing with us. Either we play their game, or we don't.”

He turns to face me. “So, you give me what you have and it will be my task to make the best of it.”

I clear my dry throat and look down at the notepad in my hands. “There are some points I want to mention, even though I don't think that it will help. First of all, the demons have nano-technology.”

Batlin isn't surprised. It was clear from the very beginning that the Demons have access to forbidden technologies, either developed by themselves, or traded from the Hob. This technology is dangerous, and therefore restricted for a reason, but if the demons can handle it, then fighting them over it isn't prudent at this point. It would be like lashing out at someone who is playing with an illegal rocket launcher, while a nuke is ticking down just five feet away.

“Is it human nano-tech?”

“Uncertain.” I look down at my notes. “As you know, human nano-tech is very diverse and prone to mutation. It takes just a few generations for it to be almost indistinguishable from the original. I, err, made a few tests, and all I can say at this point is that both technologies are based on the same principles. Both rely on organic and technological components. It's not definitive proof, but the Demon nano-tech could be a variant of the human strain.”

“And the Cyber?”

“Same result,” I answer. “Though, I don't understand how there could be two groups of escaped humans fighting each other. Back on their homeworld, they all seemed united in their purpose. We have never observed something like different factions among them.”

Batlin grumbles, clearly unsatisfied that I didn't give him a clear answer. “It would be a good way to distract us, but my staff says that the Cyber are too numerous for that. Our projections indicate that a species which relies on cloning or other technological means of procreation could conquer an area of space which fits either what's occupied by the Demons, or by the Cyber. They can't have the same origin. Though, I assume that if the demon's had been on a lower stage of technological development, the human arrivals – if they are indeed the Cyber – would have eliminated them fairly quickly.”

He turns back to face the window. “What else do you have?”

“We went through the Demon databases, which was easy. The systems which we have access to are very rudimentary and their programs are all very hardware orientated. I assume that their secret information is on isolated servers which we can't access without a direct connection,” I explain, and quickly elaborate when I realize that Batlin doesn't get my meaning. “It means that, at least the stuff which is shown to us, is very primitive, yet complicated at the same time. I think it has something to do with the way the Demons think.”

“Go on.”

I turn my tablet around to show him. “This is a recording from a discussion with one of their technicians. She showed me one of their navigational systems with a starmap of the region.”

The camera wobbles a little and isn't focused on the party in question because the exchange was recorded while I held the tablet at my side.

“Is there a reason why this map doesn't provide any functions like distance-measurements between two systems?”

I asked the question because I was irked that the program wasn't as intuitive as G.S. software. With our own computer systems, such an option would be provided in an obvious manner.

It takes a few moments of stunned silence for the technician to answer. “Why would anyone need such a feature?” Her bewildered expression is still fresh in my memory.

“To make it easier on the user. How do you find out the distance between two stars.”

“Each star has coordinates.”

“And?” My voice sounds a little exasperated.

“What 'and'? Every little demonling can add and subtract a few numbers. Subtract the coordinates of the two stars from each other to get their coordinates in reference to each other, then just take the square of each coordinate, add them, and take the square root. Takes a mere glance. Why would anyone waste the time to interact with a program for that? Just operating the system would take more time than adding the numbers in your head.”

“O- o- of course I can do that, but interstellar navigation is a precise matter. It's not a question of estimating a few numbers.”

“I am not talking about estimating, little man. I can calculate the result up to the tenth decimal point in my head.” There is a long moment of heavy silence. “But you can't. I am sorry. Of course, that's why your programs have so many seemingly useless assistance features. It's to make up for your people's mental deficiencies. I am sorry, that came across the wrong way.”

“N- no. It's okay.”

“It's not, little man. The rulers told us to be extra 'nice' and I completely failed. Could I offer you physical relief as an apology? You are very small, but I think the basics are the same. Maybe it's better than using toys, especially if you would be willing to use an arm. It's very hard to find a man for-”

I quickly switch off the recording. “Ah, yeah. Back to the important subject. The point is that these people seem to have some freakish abilities with numbers, probably thanks to their nano-tech. This seems alarming, but at the same time, it prevents them from developing complicated software. They simply don't have much need for it.”

Batlin looks at me with an incredulous expression. “You were offered... physical attentions... by one of their females?”

I lick my lips, not really in the mood to answer such an intimate question. “Yeah, they don't seem to think much of a physical encounter. There are much more females than males, and the females can lay up to ten eggs per year. Apparently, they are under serious population pressure, which seems to be the reason why they don't value life as much as we do. They have to fight for their place in society from the day they leave the egg,” I stammer.

“Sounded more like she just wanted you as a toy,” Batlin grumbles. “Please refrain from... interspecies relationships... at least until we are sure of what to make of the Demons.”

Just stop. That would be like bestiality! Aside from that, their women are huge. It wouldn't even work. And why did it take him so long to come up with the term? Interspecies relationships! What's that supposed to mean? We don't even know the complete details of their reproductive cycle. What if they eat their males after the deed is done? One moment, that could be the explanation why they have so few men.

This is going too far. “I would never!”

“Just continue with the report.”

“Fine!” I turn my tabled to study my notes. “The last point on my list is their hierarchical structure and their way of life. It doesn't fit.”

Batlin keeps looking at me. “More details?”

“First, why are they living in this medieval society system? We don't know much about the humans, but when we first met them, they lived in a democracy. The subjects which escaped the facilities were educated according to our ideals, so why would they embrace something as barbaric as a hierarchical society? It's one point against the possibility that the Demons have anything to do with the escaped humans.

“Then there is the fact that the Demon's entire civilisation is based in space. Why don't they colonize any planets? That's one point which hints that the Demons are in fact mutated humans.”

Batlin looks around. “It seems like they perfected their environmental systems. Living in space also allows them to control their population, which is, as you pointed out, a problem for them.”

When I don't come forth with more ideas, he steps away from the window. “The path to go forward stays unclear. I am afraid that I have to rely on my guts and stay vigilant when it comes to dealing with this species. For the time being, we will have to use them against the Cyber, as fighting this enemy on our own would be troublesome.”

Having made his decision, he walks towards the door and I know that this meeting is at an end.