Beth

“Be. Beings. Creat. Creatures,” Tern said. “Thoughts.”

Beth sighed. The two of them had retreated back to her room, while Birgitta had retired to her own, but Beth had with a determined mind stayed awake and continued the work. The faster she could communicate properly with Tern, the better the chances they had for the peace talks to commence.

But the work loop was disheartening at times. Since Tern still only was able to place a few understandable words in her head and Tern would repeat these words until she was able to determine what they meant. When she made the connection quickly, it was a smooth process, but often it took two hours of her yelling to arrive at the correct conclusion. They had established some small things. ‘Beth. Flesh.’ Meant that she was Tern’s flesh now. She shuddered at the thought, even though the full explanation or what the exact details this would entail had not been revealed yet. But she guessed that Tern meant something in the lines of ‘companion’ everytime he said ‘flesh.’ They needed fluid, open communication. And they needed it now. She knew the crew relied upon her ability to make this happen. Tern used the same method over and over again, implying that this was the way they always connected with new species. To her it felt a bit crude, but breaking the language barrier across species was a difficult task.

“Beings. Thoughts,” Tern said, the orb floating still and lacking any outgoing emotions.

Beth sucked down some air, her body was sore and her mind tired. But this work could not wait. With a fresh mind she might be able to crack the code quicker. But when the other alien orbs came visiting again, she knew she had to be ready. She looked at Tern, they had to be ready. She let the sweetness trickle down her tongue, giving her that boost of energy she desperately needed.

“Beings. Thoughts.”

“Yeah, I get it, Tern. Beings and creatures think. We all think. We all create thoughts in our brains. I understand, but why are you telling me this?” Beth asked. “Why are you repeating it?”

We all think. All sentient creatures think.

It clicked, as if a light switch was flipped and the context jumped at her.

If all sentient beings think, then what would be the quickest way to translate their alien language to your own? By having the mechanism of looking through several series of thoughts and determining the how, the why and the what, those building blocks meant. That was the way Tern was in her head. Beings think. A bond that crossed between aliens, thoughts had similar traits from species to species. The specific words were different, but the emotions and intent behind them, the same. ‘The same’ might be a little too good to be true, but something that was similar enough so that Tern’s people were able to duplicate this method on all species they met and bonded with.

“Goody.” Tern floated closer to her. For a moment she thought the orb vibrated, but the sensation went away.

“Yeah. Goody,” Beth said. “There is something I want to ask. Your species, what do you call it? I am human, what are you?”

“Few words. Complex words,” Tern said.

Beth nodded, that question would have to wait.

“Modules make orb,” Tern said.

“What is a module in this context?” Beth asked. And they made the orb, like literally constructing it? She rubbed her eyes, using her strength to stay awake could not last forever, she would need sleep eventually. The barrier between them would not be shattered tonight.

“Modules make orb.” Tern bumped into her, but he pulled back again. Beth’s fingers met the smooth surface. It was warm. She had suspected it would have been cold. Straight seams became distinct in the dark surface, they grew until they met each other, creating four separate squares. Smoke billowed out from between them, the squares rose. Rectangles! They stopped after rising for several inches, standing out from Tern’s surface like four pistons.

“Modules.” Tern rolled back and forth.

Beth reached with her hand towards one of the fours rectangles. All four retracted at the same time with a smooth motion. The seams disappeared just as suddenly as they had appeared.

“Make orb.”

“I get it! Modules! Those rectangular things are the modules and they do something to you? Wait. Modules make orb. Your body is built from these modules?” Beth asked.

“Goody.” Tern rolled forward.

“But what do these modules do?” Beth asked. “There has to be a purpose for them, more than just constructing your sphere.”

“All.”

“Is this all you are, a collection of modules? ” Beth said. “It supports our theory that you are metal through and through.”

“Beth. Flesh. Me. Modules.”

Tern had said all when she had asked about the modules. But what could that really mean? The word was too vague. But their current level of communication would make it difficult for Tern to detail the specific functions of the modules. But some might be easier than others, if Tern was able to display their usage, then she could deduct.

“Your modules, can you show them to me? Or one of them? I want to understand what they can do,” Beth said.

From the surface of the orb, a square was formed, just like last time, but it turned bright red the moment the seams met. Tern fell, landing on the floor and bounced twice. The orb rolled across the floor. The red square turned black again and the seams vanished. Tern floated back up into a hovering state again. The module made him levitate. If Tern had a module that allowed this function, then how many more did the orb have? If every function of the orb required a module to create the function, that would mean Tern needed a lot of them. Even for basic needs only. But it would make their bodies highly adaptable and customizable. Want a new weapon? Slot in a new module. Want faster propulsion? Slot in a new module. Was this how Tern’s kind achieved individuality? Birgitta would go mad when she told her. Beth barely held herself back from running and crashing into the scientist’s accommodation. But she knew that Birgitta was asleep now. It was due for her to sleep, too.

Beth went through her sleeping routines. Gave Tern’s orb a pet on its dark, warm surface. She fell into the soft bed, exhausted from staying awake for this long. The sweetness retreated from her mouth and sleep grabbed a steady grip.

-

But it would not last.

Sweetness flooded her mouth, her closed fists connected against mom’s skull, shattering its cranium and sent blood and bits of bone across the room. She raised her arm again, incapable of stopping herself. Saif stood by her side, laughing.

A blast of light.

Beth stirred awake, her skin flowed into metal and she sat up, but her face knocked into something. Tern floated right above her. She rubbed her face. Fuck! Why was the orb doing that? She shoved the dark orb away.

She was soaked in sweat. The nightmare had been the usual one. Her hands trembled and now she was cold. The sweetness was on her tongue, her strength ready to go. It was a bit scary how her body went into battle mode when she slept. She tossed in the bed and that was when she saw it. The burn mark on the wall. A dark strip that went across the whole room at the exact same height. She looked at Tern, the floating orb looking as menacing as usual. Had Tern fired that weapon? In here?

“What did you do?” Beth asked, getting off the bed.

If that weapon had hit her while asleep, she would have died. Her skin had not flowed into metal until she came to. Why had Tern done that? She tensed her hands into fists, relaxed them and tensed them again. Her anger pulled at her.

“Beth. Dream. Me. Dream. Mo. Thoughts.”

Right. The fucker was in her head, why would Tern not be able to perceive her dreams? Even her nightmares. What a disaster. Could the orb not leave her alone for a minute while she slept?

“Why not let me sleep? And why would you have your weapon active? I could have died! Get away from me. Get out of my head!” Beth yelled. “Leave my head!”

“Beth. Flesh. More. Thoughts.”

Beth growled at the dark orb. “Leave.”

Tern floated out of the room. But the orb’s presence in her mind would not go away. Could not go away.

Sleep was difficult when you knew someone always kept an eye, and a mind, on you. She rubbed at her temples again. Were they tingling? She closed her eyes and tried to lay still, maybe sleep would come.