Short Flights: Flight of the Maita, #2

By C. D. Moulton

Three books of short stories from the Flight of the Maita series

Settling In
The crew adventure together. They meet Sisstuh and Fesch and discover a colony of Ape's mother race
Critic comment
Not as juvenile as book one. Several societal psychological areas are explored – quite effectively, I might add.
PA – ***
Zulians and Robots
The crew discover the Zulians and Tlessonian military berserker. Tranz and Tom go home to raise families, leaving Z, Thing, Tab, TR and, of course, Maita.

Critic comment
Good action in the berserker story. I can see more books on the horizon featuring it. I know the Zulians will be around for a long time. Moulton is actually learning how to write.
– PA rtng: good or a little better.

Like Old Times
Critic comment
Rather average standard magazine fare except for the story where Z is captured by primitives. Worth the price of the book for that one. I greatly enjoy Moulton's sense of fun throughout the entire series
– IA  Rtng:***

• Language: English
• Publisher: C. D. Moulton
• Release date: Aug 23, 2022
• ISBN: 9798201343385

Book preview

Short Flights

A collection - three books

from Flight of the Maita

Settling In

Zulians and Robots

Like Old Times

© 2022 by C. D. Moulton

all rights reserved: no part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or any information retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright holder/publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews.

Contents

About the author

Author’s Note

Settling In

The Adventure Begins

The Motley Crew

Forward, Ho!

A Deal

Sidreth

Chee-il

Thoughts

Khee

More Thought

Vendu

Kroon

Ith

Memories

Chance Lesson

Looking Ahead

Zulians and Robots

History of the Maitan Empire

The Adventure Begins

Ellum

Zule

Klatch

Eacherons

Members Leave

Asimov

Berserker!

Back to EC

Like Old Times

Plans

Vood

Religio-political Place

Pirates

Useful Schizophrenia

Primitives

Super Weapon Story

Home Sweet Home

About the author

CD Moulton has traveled extensively over much of the world both in the music business, where he was a rock guitarist, songwriter and arranger and in an import/export business. He has been everything from a bar owner to auto salvage (junkyard) manager, longshoreman to high steel worker, orchid grower to landscaper, tropical fish farmer to commercial fisherman. He started writing books in 1983 and has published more than 250 books as of January 1, 2015. His most popular books to date are about research with orchids, though much of his science fiction and fantasy work has proven popular. He wrote the CD Grimes, PI series and the Det. Nick Storie series, Clint Faraday series and many other works.

He now resides in Puerto Armuelles, Panamá, where he writes  books, plays music with friends, does research with orchids and medicinal plants – and pursues his favorite ways to spend his time: beach bum and roaming the mountain jungles doing his botanical research. He has lately become involved in fighting for the rights of the indigenous people, who are among his closest friends, and in fighting the extreme corruption in the courts and police in Panamá.

He offers the free e-book, Fading Paradise, that explains what he has been through because of the corruption.

CD is the discoverer of the Chadam Protocol for curing cancer.

Facebook page Ambrosia peruviana for cancer.

Author’s note

Several of the Flight of the Maita series are collections of short works. There are many ideas thatdo not lend themselves to longer works. As a matter of fact, my serie since the completion of these that I wrote in Florida are mostly novella length. The readers of the more modern works do not have the time for long works.

I have one big problem in my scribblings that editors always complain about: the use of commas. One says I use entirely too many, I start using less, and that becomes the complaint.

The earlier works used capitalisation to express more intense voice. Now I use italics, and capitals for shouting. I haven’t the time to correct the early things now, but will publish revsions when I do have the time.

These stories are from the second book in the series followed by on beore halfway through and one a little later. If I can find the time, I’ll compile the rest of the shorts into collections.

I hope you enjoy these.

Settling In

Flight of the Maita

Book two

© 1985, 2012 & 2016  by C. D. Moulton

––––––––

The crew adventure together. They meet Sisstuh and Fesch and discover a colony of Ape’s mother race

Critic comment

Not as juvenile as book one. Several societal psychological areas are explored – quite effectively, I might add.

PA – ***

The Adventure Begins

A collection of abducted individuals have managed to overthrow their captors and, with the help of the intelligent ship they are aboard, have kept the Terran member's promise to return them to their homes – should they decide they want to go home.

Two went home. Three remain. Now they are moving out into the galaxy to seek new adventures.

They are now the basic crew of Maita. Two of them will become permanent crewmembers. Ahead – the future, not only of themselves, but of a large empire.

How large?

Time will tell.

The Motley Crew

They were a strange collection.

Z, a name Steve Zutec quickly took for himself when an opportunity arose, was a Terran. He was twenty-six years old, dark brown hair, dark eyes, medium build and prone to use speech patterns that wouldn't translate into whatever language was in use at a given time.

Most of the time, it was the language that came with the ship, who was also a member of the group. It was the Maitan language, which was versatile and changeable enough to serve very well. Much of what they had to discover was scientific. As a technological language, it was excellent. It was also a very fluid, romantic tongue.

Maita was the ship's name. Z had given it the name of the now supposedly extinct race who designed it some thousands of years ago. Maita had slowly redesigned its master computers and joined with Z and several other captives in a revolt against the race of antlike beings who had taken over and destroyed the Maitans. It was now a free entity and a close friend of Z and the two other remaining members of the crew.

Ape, who Z first thought of as being like a Wooky from the old Star Wars movie, was seven feet four inches tall and powerfully built. He was covered in silky fur of a light auburn color, had a mouthful of very sharp teeth and long claws that could warn off anyone who thought of giving him any trouble.

His looks had nothing to do with his personality. Z found the big hairy beast was, in truth, a very gentle, intelligent person.

Ape couldn't speak, as he had no speech centers in his mind and no vocal cords. He had a sense of humor Z could enjoy, as could Maita.

Thing, the last member of the crew, was totally alien to Z. It was a small, squarish, rubbery being with four tentacles, where Z and Ape had arms and legs. It eyes were on short stalks and worked independently – a very (to those whose eyes did not) disconcerting feature.

It was an empath, and was from a planet of extremely high atmospheric pressure. It was poorly adapted to moving on smooth surfaces, so spent much of its time riding around on Ape or Z. Outside the ship, it rode a floater that was equipped with devices for its use.

Thing could use its abilities with mental contact to calm them or to reduce pain. It used the same talents to remain in constant mental contact with Maita, who translated its thoughts to Z and Ape on the speakers in all parts of the ship, as well as on the various floaters used to carry things or to explore.

While Ape couldn't speak, Maita had put him on a machine that taught him to understand Maitan. Maita could carry his speech in the same manner it carried Thing's, but Ape was no empath, so had to wear a helmet with a pickup in it, while Thing could broadcast from a distance of up to six meters. In times of great stress, it could broadcast farther.

Due to the fact Maita had speakers and sensors in all parts, conversations could move around or be held in all parts of the ship at once, like a portable conference phone system. The voices moved from room to room with them.

They'd worked out a system of distinct tones, both in the vocalizations and in the sounds that preceded and followed each of their speeches for identification of the speaker. Z pictured the sounds as quotation marks, and used that system when writing of their exploits. (Such as now.)

While both Maita and Thing used the speakers and the tones, it took some concentration when they spoke, as there were no pauses or inflections to denote paragraphing. Thoughts were mixed, but Z was so used to it now he didn't notice. Others could become confused.

Maita had a clear bell tone (* – *) while Thing had a tuning fork tone ([ – ]). Maita's speaking voice was lower in pitch than Thing's.

They were in the pilot's dome, which was on the bottom of the ship, discussing the method Maita used to travel in TTH, or I(nter)D(imensional)mode. Z had said, "Maita, I understand you don't actually use such a thing as velocity in flight.

What about Einstein? Is it hyperspace you use?

*Z, what are you talking about? What is an Einstein? You don't make any sense. Do you know what he's talking about, Thing?*

[ I seldom know what Z is talking about, Maita. I find that, if I simply wait, it will often become clear. ]

Einstein was a scientist and mathematician who said you couldn't exceed the speed of light.

*Z, I do not believe any true scientist could say so ridiculous a thing. Light has a variable speed. Surely he would know that!*

I'm not sure exactly what his theory was, but I know it said you couldn't exceed the speed of light. He said it would throw you into hyperspace, and hyperspace isn't in this universe.

*What is your opinion of a scientist who would say such a thing, Thing?*

[ I think Z is probably misquoting the scientist. He does that a lot. ]

Ape made the deep chuckling growl that was the sign he was about to break out laughing.

[ Can you express the theory, Z? ]

E equals M C squared.

*That doesn't mean anything!*

"Doesn't mean anything?! Z cried. You're nuts! It's one of the greatest discoveries in the world!"

[ Perhaps on your world, Z, but we don't have anything to base the terms on. Can you extract, Maita? ]

*Yes. Z, put on the headgear and I will look at the equations. You have seen the equations, haven't you?*

Yeah. I read the whole mess, in school, but it was mostly over my head.

*Why not show them to you at eye level? Why would they place them so high? No wonder you never learned anything!*

It's just an idiom, damn it! 'Over my head' means I didn't understand it!

*Please don't use idioms.*

Z was on the headgear for a short time. The helmet was a part of piloting the ship, but could be used the same as the headgear in room two, the medical and teaching room. Information could be read or inserted directly from or into the mind.

Z had first used the machine to learn Maitan, then to study power production and storage, then to learn how to pilot Maita.

Maita, now that it was free from the control module, could pilot itself very well, thank you. It had hidden that fact from the Pweetoos (the antlike beings) for more than two thousand years.

Z took off the helmet. Did you learn anything?

*Yes. I learned your mind is totally undisciplined and it is a miracle of biology you can recall anything at all. I discovered the equations and their background.*

[ Was I right? ]

Yeah. What did you find?

*Thing was right. You were misquoting the theory. Dr. Einstein never made such a statement.*

I could have sworn.... What did he say?

*You have a knowledge of simple plane geometry. In that science, you make if/then statements. For example, if 'A' equals 'B' and 'B' equals 'C' then 'A' equals 'C'.*

Yeah?

*Einstein said all things were relative to the base upon which one built his studies. That is partly why it is called the 'relativity' theory. He merely stated that, if you accept that the speed of light is the infinite velocity, then you establish certain other limits. It was interpreters of Dr. Einstein who made a statement of the infinity of light velocity. Einstein never said that.*

[ Meaning the equation Z gave states a theory based on a supposition of correlation between that velocity and the mass of an object. ]

*A perception. The mass is related to the velocity in the perception of the observer. As velocity is a product of acceleration and time, those things are affected in a direct ratio, thus the equation. If a thing travels faster than light, it doesn't exist to the observer, simply because he can't detect it. The velocity is relative to one object, the self being considered as stationary. If both objects are moving, the addition or subtraction of velocity differential is meaningless. The relative velocity is relevant. The old inertial factors remain. If one object is moving at ten kilometers per hour or if both of them are moving toward each other at five kilometers per hour.*

I don't know what you just said.

[ Dr. Einstein said that if light goes faster than anything else, then nothing can exist that goes faster than light? ]

*He only said that, if one accepts that lightspeed is infinite, he can build a theory of truths relative to that base. The theories are useful, but not accurate. Ignorant people misquote the theory, as you did.*

In other words, I'm ignorant?

*Yes, Z.*

Ape was chuckling again.

Gee, thanks!

[ You are less ignorant than you were. You have learned that you are ignorant. I fully expected you to seize on the term 'plane geometry' to ask if that was how Maita works, seeing it moves on different planes. ]

Ape laughed harder at that.

I know that's a different thing!

They often had sparring discussions such as this, with Z and Maita baiting one another and Thing taking much of it seriously, while Ape enjoyed Z's indignation.

Thing could sometimes confuse Z thoroughly, which made Z wonder if it really did have a sense of humor that was too subtle for him. He seemed to be far outclassed.

Thing climbed onto Ape's shoulder, one of its favorite perches.

Though Thing moved as little as possible on its own, Z learned they could depend on it to move very fast if it became really necessary. They were all alive right now because it came through when it counted. The main problem for it was Maita's floors. They were smooth and flat – and tentacles are not designed for moving a being on smooth surfaces.

Each had taken a room or spot on the ship for his own. There was no rule about it, but they respected one another's privacy.

The ship was circular, and quite large, having ten rooms around the outer side and a center section about twenty feet across that held the drive mechanisms.

Above and below the center section were domes. The upper one was called the O (observation) dome, while the lower was the pilot's dome. Ape had taken the O dome for his own quarters. It was totally unfurnished when they first came aboard, but Ape took a couple of large mattresses from room nine, a bunk room, to make a very comfortable nest for himself. He had a strong need for privacy at times, and the dome was the best place on the ship for that. The dome was clear, and showed the stars when they were at rest. The only time no one (except Thing) could go there was when they were in certain other planes. It would drive most minds mad to observe such as the antimatter plane, due to the different dimensional angles that would present views with which the mind could not cope. Thing's independent sight could overcome the paradoxes presented. It found the plane boring. Maita was installing a system that would make the dome opaque, should they so desire.

Thing had taken residence in a cubicle behind room two called Doe's Room, after an Immin woman who had stayed there. She was now dead. The cubicle had a teaching machine, several computer terminals, and very comfortable padded benches.

Maita could adjust temperature and such to what was most comfortable for each of them.

Z liked the pilot's dome on the bottom of the ship, because the pilot's chair was infinitely adjustable (as the occupant sat or laid on a force field), thus was the most comfortable spot he'd ever found.

Both the O dome and the pilot's dome were reached by an elevator from the main floor. This afforded Ape's and Z's privacy – and surprised anyone on his first trip to the pilot's dome, because the dome had a floor toward the center of the ship. That meant the room was upside down relative to the rest of the ship. It was great fun to bring someone to the dome to let the door open with their heads at the floor.

The elevator, as everywhere else in the ship, had gravity grids in the floor. The elevator revolved to place one upright at the floor of the dome, meaning one felt no difference.

Each of them (except Thing) wore a ring with a special shaped crystal that fit a socket in the elevator. As one twisted the ring, the elevator revolved. Thing could use its mental control on that and the ship's doors. It had no fingers on which to place rings.

There were ten rooms and five cubicles. One room was an alien atmosphere room. One, room six, was where they were confined as captives. It was not popular with them. They had removed the shackle rings. They now used it and the other detention room as storage areas and workshops.

The ship moved in normal (N) space by charging photonic fluid and firing it or with diffusion rams. Diffusion drive wasn’t used within 100,000 kilometers of a planet, as it produced short-lived radioactive particles.

It traveled through the other planes by using a form of dimensional stress or the different charges of the planes. It was a very complicated process Z had learned while learning to pilot the ship – or had memorized, at least. He had no least conception of how it really worked. To move meant different things in different planes. In some, it wasn't possible to move, which was why they were so good for traveling!

It was easier to move lightyears than short distances.

Z didn't understand how the ship worked, but had been taught all about power supplies and energy transfer and storage by the teaching machines before he learned to pilot.

The power spheres were made of materials that existed in two planes at once, holding fluid photonic energy between the planes. (Photonic didn't mean the same thing as Z learned in school, either.)

When Z asked if anyone other than the designers knew how those things worked, he was told that Thing did.

Z chose the names they used when they were prisoners, and they stuck. Maita explained that, as they were using translated language, the sound of the name was what was chosen. The word for thing in Maitan was War.

The name was pronounced Thing in any language.

Of the original members of the ensemble, one was dead, killed by the captors. That was Bear. The rest never got to know him.

Two, ET and Joe, were on their home planets. Maita had agreed to take any who wished to return home, and had done so.

The present crew had spent a short while on each of the planets when their friends returned. They spent time on Menta (another Z-ism), Thing's world, but never left Maita. Atmospheric pressure of two hundred kilos per square centimeter was a bit too discouraging for that!

Of the present group, only Thing had tried to return home, but wasn't accepted by its own people, so had returned to Maita.

Ape didn't wish to go home. He was considered odd and was shunned there because he wanted to know and be with his own children – which wasn't allowed.

He was with friends on Maita, so chose to stay there.

At first, Z planned to go home, but the more he thought of it, the more he was sure he wouldn't be able to stand the boredom. He had adventured lightyears from Earth aboard an intelligent ship with strange and wonderful friends!

He had also realized how shallow and pointless his life had been before.

They made a pact and set off to explore the galaxy.

Well, Maita! Where do you suggest we start our great adventure?

*Do you have a preference?*

It doesn't make any difference to me. I've never been anywhere!

[ You said you wanted to go where the Maitans had not gone, Maita. I think everyone would agree to that. Shall we agree to allow Maita to chose? ]

Ape nodded. Z agreed.

*The Pweetoos were expanding in all directions – but one. Soon after they began the expansion, they came to an area where they suddenly stopped going. They put everything in that part of the galaxy off limits and have never given explanation. Everything toward galactic center of coordinate K, as they called it, is prohibited territory. Nothing about the area was ever put into the computers, and nothing is available to me. I am curious. I wonder if maybe they found someone too strong to scare!*

[ Maybe there is great danger there. We can hope such danger is to Pweetoos, not us. ]

*That is possible. I propose that, as we have agreed to a full partnership among ourselves, we vote on each major decision. As there is a very real likelihood of grave danger there, it will have to be unanimous for us to try it. I feel it needful to warn you, the only ship of which I have direct knowledge that went to the area did not return, and was soon dropped from the computers. I know the ship went, because I transferred a passenger aboard before the trip. If we do not vote unanimously to go, we will go elsewhere.*

Hell! If there's no risk, it isn't worth the effort! I vote to go! A little danger adds spice to a trip!

[ You never make any sense. ]

Ape was nodding affirmative.

[ I also would be curious. I agree that we go. ]

*It is unanimous. It is carried. So stated. We go.*

Yeah. One thing's possible, and we've got to determine it not to be true: The Pweetoos may have been establishing a brood world there. If that's the case, our war isn't over!

*I sincerely hope that is not the case. I would be rid of the Pweetoos.*

[ Wouldn't we all! I would be free of ever thinking of them again. The lack of mind isn't pleasant to an empath. Only they and the Immin woman were truly negative contacts. ]

"You got that right!"

Ape nodded vigorously.

They were speaking of the antlike civilization they fought to rid the galaxy of. After revolting from being enslaved by the Pweetoos, they had destroyed all the known nests, known as broods, to rid the galaxy of the worst danger to all other lifeforms it had ever faced.

The Pweetoos weren't consciously evil, but had neither emotions nor any respect for life. They would – and did – destroy many civilizations, without thought.

Forty-one of them.

*Prepare for IDmode.*

[ How? ]

When the ship went into IDmode or into another planal construct, there was a twisting sensation in the mind. They felt it.

*We will first make a long jump to the fringe of the area, then proceed in shorter jumps of less than thirty plazsis (lightyears). That was the distance of the Pweetoo jumps, so we should be able to spot trouble before we find ourselves in the middle of it. It would be easier to use hundred plazsi segments, but it is better we are safe.*

There was the twist again as they went out of IDmode. Maita had explained the reason organic entities felt the sensation as they moved into and out of differing planal constructs was because electrical flow in the mind was disrupted.

Z had asked about different planes in the context of different dimensions, or maybe more or less dimensions.

*The dimensions on all planes are the same in number. There are many dimensions, but most of them affect only the smallest of particles. The more scientists at certain stages seek new and smaller particles, the more they find. They are not particles, but planal interfaces, which affect structure and evidence themselves as particles – and I wish I hadn't started this, because it's all perception, anyhow, so a particle, whether an interface or whatever, is as real as either, but doesn't exist in either case, anyhow, because it's only there in perception. We can’t know the number of subdimensions, but know there is at least one more than the three described, for the universe to remain in balance.*

Huh?

[ The universe, as you call it, isn't real. ]

Huh?

*It is only a matter of perception, so it does not matter. The dimensions are expressed in different ways. They are at different angles, therefore at different stresses. Call them different frequencies, and you will see what we mean. They are also all balanced as to charge, call it positive and negative.*

I can picture that! There can be an infinite number of frequencies, so there are infinite dimensions!

[ But, they are all within a certain range. There are an infinite number of frequencies of red light, but they are within a range that is red light. ]

Wow! Contained infinity!

*Exactly.*

"So. Dimensions, such as length width and height, are simply at different angles, so there is only one dimension? Weird!"

*Those are just Structure, not dimensions. They are the subdimensions of Structure, which is an effect dimension of Time.*

But ... what?

[ They are the same dimension, but at different angles. Structure is the dimension. Time is a dimension. Possibly, Time is the only dimension, well, Motion, but they are interdependent structurals, which is why we call the only describable dimension Tilocity. ]

How about we forget it?

*Suits me!*

At the time, the group was in room two, the instruction room. It was where they held conferences, as a general rule, though they were likely to meet anywhere, or even have a conference with each of them in separate parts of the ship.

Room two was often chosen, basically because it contained the machines to give them whatever information they required, produced from thousands of years of research and discovery.

They had earlier placed comfortable benches around the main console, so used the room much as Z's mother had used their parlor back home.

Information could be directly inserted into their minds with a teaching machine, but they tried to avoid very intense sessions on the machine, as it resulted in fatigue and tremendous headaches.

*I suggest we all go to the pilot's dome where we can view the stars in the area. We are right on the rim of the area that is not prohibited. The expansion stopped here and toward galactic center. There is a wide angle east and west of restricted area. I will project what I find onto the dome and we can attempt deducing where to go, and why.*

They went to the pilot's dome and sat around at the various consoles. Z sat at the master console in his chair.

*I have put the hemispherical screen in place to show the systems that lies ahead of us. I put it in projection to be enlarged as we see fit. This view is telescopic. I am triangulating from a telescope I put in place en route, about a billion kilometers across the rim from us. That will give us good perspective triangulation for star systems as close as fifty plazsis or more. I will augment to make it easier.*

The stars were shown with geometric forms around each.

*Circles are stars within five plazsis. Squares, five to ten. Triangles, ten to fifteen. Unenclosed are fifteen to twenty. We have agreed to make short jumps, so I think twenty is far enough. I will not project any outside that distance.*

How do we know which have planets?.

*I would have to track each star for an extended time to know which have planets at this distance. Perturbations do not show in hours. You can see there are two stars within five plazsis and, as the angle starts fairly sharply, there are only thirty seven stars within our twenty plazsis. As we are moving toward galactic center, the concentrations will increase as we go inward and the field will widen. I would suggest we first try the double star at ten and one quarter plazsis.*

The screen showed a flashing square around a double star.

Okay by me.

[ Idioms again? I agree. ]

Ape shrugged.

*Very well. We will have to spend more time on our surveys as we go inward, due to the widening of the field. I imagine we will not go very far before we find why the area was restricted, unless the Pweetoos simply felt the further expansion of the spiral arm into the main part of the galaxy would be too much for them to control, so put up artificial boundaries.*

They felt the twist, then another.

*The system is a dull red giant and a small white star. These systems generally have a single planet at the center of gravity between them. It will be a fast-spinning hard planet. Gravity surges between the stars would not allow formation anywhere else.*

Uh-oh! The Pweetoos were originally from a double star system, so this is a likely spot for a brood!

[ I hope not. ]

*I hope there are no other broods, anywhere, but this is the most likely spot in this area.*

They were moving on discharge power, so could attain only four-fifths lightspeed. It was enough to show a small dot steadily growing in apparent size.

*Bad selection.*

Why? It looks okay to me.

*I have the telescope. Watch.*

They rapidly approached the planet and decelerated into a fast, fairly close orbit.

*We don't have to worry about atmospheric friction. There is no atmosphere. These red giants often do that. It has burned off the atmosphere. Residual Qs show the giant novaed about sixty two thousand years ago.*

They had adopted a year based on an average of the years on their home worlds when the group was five. It amounted to one year, one week and a half a day, Earth time, so was close enough for Z to picture distances and time differences.

The planet was now close. They could see it was rocks, and nothing else.

*Shall we go one star outward along the central line to the galactic center?*

[ Yes. ]

Ape shrugged.

I don't have the least idea what you just said, but I agree.

Ape chuckled.

They felt the double twist. There was no close star.

What?

*Too close for an accurate jump. I overshot about a quarter plazsi.*

What happens if we jump into the interior of a star?

*I calculate to overshoot and come back. Too close, the heat would bother my passengers.*

[ If you surface within the star, the gravity will push us out and away, because the drive works against the inherent interrelationships of attractive force and corona.... ]

Meanwhile, they felt a quick double mind twist and a blue-white star was just overhead.

I just wanted to know what would happen! There's no way I can understand that!

[ I forgot. You are ignorant of such things. ]

*Yes. Z is ignorant of the basics. I can't even discuss a simple thing like dimensional stress analysis without totally confusing him.*

At least you have to use advanced mathematics. I can shoot the props from under you with a simple idiom!

[ But Z! We all know you would never shoot Maita! It is a silly threat! ]

See?

*I think he just used an idiom, Thing.*

Case closed!

[ There are no cases here. They are in the hold, and most of them are closed – unless you mean the medboxes. ]

Ape was beginning to lose control of his chuckling, which would get Z started, which would end them up on the floor in a laughing fit.

Z managed to get a hold on himself before it got that far, and asked, Isn't that what the star exploders, the nova machines, do?

[ Yes, but the moder must be out of phase. ]

*The moder, when out of phase in a material body, will cause the matter of two planes to occupy the same space. Boom!*

How come Thing knows about moders?

*You don't make any sense. If you mean why it knows, I explained it.*

Why not explain it to me?

[ You wouldn't understand. ]

I'm too ignorant?

Ape was starting again.

*Not really. You do not think in the terms basic to real understanding.*

[ You must think abstractly. One cannot use labels. You have often stated you cannot understand a thing to which you cannot attach a label. ]

In other words, I'm not too ignorant. I'm too stupid.

*More or less.*

That did it, for Ape. He broke out with the laugh so hard Thing nearly fell off his shoulder. That started Z, and they ended up just where he feared. On the floor, with tears streaming down their faces.

It wasn't that Z thought the interplay was so funny, it was more that Ape's laugh was so infectious.

*I have located a planet in the life zone. It is nearly opposite us on the far side of the star.*

They felt the double twist.

*Methane and ammonia. If you like, we will land, but it will be far too difficult for us to establish contact with indigenous lifeforms. They do not use any form of broadcast communications I can detect, so are unlikely to be advanced. We have the alien room.*

I vote no.

[ No. ]

Ape shrugged.

*We will go to the star on the outer fringe of our search area. Prepare for IDmode.*

Ape looked exasperated. Z sighed. They felt the twist, and soon, another. A few minutes later, they were sitting near another blue-white star. They could see two planets on magnification.

*I hope there is something here. If not, we must go backward to find why the Pweetoos did not come this far.*

They moved between the two planets on discharge power.

*The inner planet of the life zone shows very high carbon dioxide content in the atmosphere, so will be quite hot. The outer one shows a lot of halogens, from here.*

What does that mean?

[ We will have to go see. Is there any communications radiations there? ]

*I get a very strange reading. There is a strong signal emanating from the planet, but on a single wavelength. It is a steady pulse – almost too steady to be natural. I am not familiar with the type of communications.*

Let's go see what we can see.

[ I agree. ]

They moved close to the planet. When they were only a few kilometers from the top of the atmosphere, Maita said it would have to seal the dome.

Seal the dome? Why? What's the problem?

*The atmosphere is high in fluorine compounds, such as hydrofluoric acid. There is hydrochloric acid and a large percent of hydrocyanic acid. You call it prussic acid. The atmosphere is caustic and deadly. The slightest breath would kill any of you in less than seconds.*

"Then the signal must be natural!"

[ That does not follow. ]

If someone made the signal, they couldn't put it down there. They would be dead.

[ No. There are beings whose life cycles depend upon cyanides and certain fluorides. Often, they are based on silicon, not carbon. There is more latent energy in fluorine than in oxygen. ]

The acids would eat the makers' ships up! I know what hydrofluoric acid is! I've used it to etch glass! It attacks anything!

*I can easily protect myself. I plan, however, to send a floater with a homing device to the source of the signal. We can use ultraviolet cameras to see, as you said, what we can see. Before you say it, I will use no glass or silica lenses.*

How can you protect yourself from hydrofluoric acid?

*I am coated with platinum, which is nonreactive.*

You mean this entire ship is platinum coated?

*Yes.*

Wow! Spare no expense!

*Platinum is plentiful on many heavy planets. A goodly number of large asteroids are almost pure platinum-group elements. It is neither rare nor expensive.*

Maybe here, but on Earth....

[ You are not on Earth. On my home planet, there are very large deposits of platinum-group metals. ]

*The floater is now entering atmosphere. I will show in sequence on the main console holoscreen. It will take about twenty minutes. You may eat, during the interim.*

The group went to the panel to take their meals.

When they first were brought aboard, the food had been nutritious and good, but was invariant. Z had complained of the sameness, so Maita had experimented to find variety in the meals. Each had foods best suited to his own tastes, and were discovering forms they all liked.

Maita liked to find new tastes. They collected them on various worlds, and Maita synthesized dishes. It could then remove poisonous compounds to allow them all to eat most things.

After the meal, they went back to the console to watch the floater's progress as it passed over strange, beautiful fields of halogen crystals. There were wide canyons and deep gorges. It was weirdly beautiful.

*We are at the source.*

Suddenly the screen was filled by a large arch with an enormous crystal hanging beneath the center. The crystal looked like a perfect diamond, and was vibrating on a steady pulse. There were large cables attached at two points on the crystal.

*The crystal vibrates and sends the pulse.*

It very definitely ain't natural! Someone built that thing!

[ It is beautiful! ]

Ape nodded, in agreement.

The floater followed the cables to a large crystalline box. The wires passed through seals to be exposed to the atmosphere in a small chamber, while their opposite ends led to a large capacitor. The leads from the capacitor went to the crystal.

There was a contact on each wire as it passed into the chamber that led to a gear with a pulse coil motor. The gear was reduced tremendously, and ran a small cog against a very large wheel that fed the cables out. Each pulse of the crystal also pulsed the motor, causing it to make one spin. The spin moved the gear a very slight amount. That spin then ran the reducers.

Clever! The wires are obviously electrical opposites. The acid atmosphere turns the exposed ends into a battery, which charges the condenser, which discharges through the crystal, which radiates a fixed frequency pulse. The same pulse runs the motor to feed the cable to the battery.

*Yes. It is clever. The crystal is a silicon-carbon-fluorine complex which is impervious to the atmosphere. The wires are complex alloys – one being metallic, the other nonmetallic. The box is a stable fluorine compound crystal that will outlast the planet, if not destroyed by something from outside. I have calculated the rate at which the cables are used. There will have to be a new supply of wire every six hundred thousand years, if it starts with the maximum amount the drums will hold, give or take a millennia or two. I used one of Z's idioms. It has been operating for more than a quarter million years, now.*

Wow!

Ape nodded agreement with that!

[ We are looking at a totally alien artifact. No race in the part of the galaxy known to this ship knows much of this type of technology. ]

"I assume it was not erected by locals."

[ No. There is little life here, except for the little tubeworms and those very primitive plants. There are some kinds of insect-like things for the tubeworms to feed on, no doubt. I haven't seen anything else. ]

"I didn't see any worms or plants."

[ They are crystalline structures. On the left of the nearer arch base are two types of the plants, with a couple of the tubeworms below them. ]

Maita sent the floater to inspect the plants.

[ The tubeworms are obvious this close. They look like clear glass tubes with blue liquid in them. One type of plant is that black thing that looks like a feather and those little black rods. Look! Those little crystals are moving! We have found the insects! ]

A group of what had seemed to be small hexagonal crystals with two-tone blue veins were moving behind the feathery plant to hide from the floater.

Black plants! Wild!

[ They are not black. They are purple. We are viewing them with ultra-violet light. Purple is a good wavelength to aid in photosynthesis with this type primary, as is red and green for an M two type planet. ]

I guess.

[ What is the purpose of all this, Maita? ]

*Either a warning beacon or ... possibly something like the navigation beacons. It would be as good as a pulsar, but you would have to be within ... hmmm. It will be detectable at a thousand plazsis by now. Probably a navigation beacon.*

[ The Pweetoos did not build this device. Who did? It suggests a tremendously advanced technology, so we should know about them. This level of communications would indicate use of such devices on the home planet. ]

*Perhaps, noting the time scheme, it was a technology that has atrophied and died, and this is an artifact that survived them. Perhaps it has been adopted as a warning by a newer technology.*

[ Not the Pweetoos. ]

*No. The Pweetoos would be the ones warned by it. Some type of agreement with them?*

[ Possibly. ]

What now?

*We go forward. Agreed?*

They all agreed.

Forward, Ho!

The meeting decided they would do just what they started out to do – go outward to see what would happen – just so long as they took the greatest care. It could be a very dangerous proposition.

Maita?

*Yes?*

Could you scan the stars ahead to see which ones are broadcasting a series of signals? Wouldn't that tell us where there are civilizations?

*Yes. I am doing that. I detect a most promising area at a slight angle from the center of the cone from here toward galactic center. It is showing a variety of audio and video signals. I am trying to interpret the signals to see what we can learn. It will help if we know what they look like. The signals are weak and distorted. We will probably have to move closer.*

Aren't there any close signals?

*Yes. There are some very highly technical signals only a few plazsis away.*

Why not go there?

[ Because a very old primitive signal is more likely than a new and sophisticated one to lead to a highly evolved civilization. How far is the source? ]

*Three thousand ten plazsis, plus or minus twenty.*

Three thousand? Why? I mean...?

[ They have advanced three thousand years from simple signals. They survived or did not. ]

I think I'm beginning to see. The more sophisticated signals are either newer races or outposts.

*Boi Jove! Oi think he's GODT it! I took that from your mind, Z.*

"Ahha! Now I see you do understand my idioms! You've outsmarted yourself, this time!"

[ I don't understand them. ]

But you don't make a point of it! Maita does, and Maita understands them – so HA!

*Actually, I read some of them when we first were discussing Dr. Einstein. I didn't understand them until then.*

Yeah, but now I've got you by the short hairs! You can't pull that crap anymore!

[ Pull crap? Maita has no hair, Z. Whatever are you talking about? ]

Ape broke out laughing. He slapped Z so hard on the back he went into the wall, laughing just as hard.

[ I wish I knew what is happening! You two start that, and we cannot accomplish anything! ]

What's happening, Thing, is that we're all a bunch of silly clowns!

*Well, let's vote on where we're to go.*

[ To the planet you've isolated as best. ]

Ape nodded, still laughing.

Anywhere. Just go.

*Very well. Prepare for IDmode.*

How?

They felt the twist.

*EMERGENCY! EMERGENCY! We are being held in ID stasis.*

What does that mean, Maita?

*I don't know. The emergency signal was automatic. I doubt there is an actual ... hmmm. This is theoretically impossible.. We have ceased relative motion. I cannot return to base N mode.*

[ The drive is jammed with a compensatory boost that sends a complementary sequence crest to trough on the stress analysis phase in your moder. That cancels relative velocity between the qat derivations. This is interesting! I wonder what happens to reltime? It's a pity we didn't take a pulsar reading somewhere to see if we're outside of time – no. That means nonexistence. Do you think that's how they did it, Maita? ]

*That is quite possible.*

[ It really is! Try to shift to the antimatter plane. That should make us move their resistance field and we can push back to the N plane on secondary crest harmonics. Their stasis field will collapse. ]

They felt a double twist.

*We are back. I will try to return across the beacon area.*

[ No, Maita. Please wait. ]

So they can jump us?!

*Thing is right. This is a test. We will wait to meet our captors. If they do not wish us to move, we can't.*

Maita dropped the screen that had obscured the dome and they waited. Ape pointed to the elevator and closed his eyes.

You're not worried at all, are you Ape? We're in deep trouble here!

Ape chuckled, and shook his head.

[ He is right, Z. We could have easily been destroyed by simply running the phase upward while we were in stasis. They do not necessarily mean us any harm. ]

I'm just shook. Go ahead and get some sleep, Ape.

Ape went to the elevator and left. Z laid back in the chair, and Thing came to climb into his lap.

*You may wish to sleep, too, Z. I am sure the holding was mechanical. A ship will have to be dispatched.*

How in hell am going be able to sleep?

*Thing will relax you. We are in no immediate danger.*

Thing reached a tentacle to the side of his face. Z was soon dozing.

*Z, wake up.*

Yeah, Maita? What is it?

*We have company. The ship has arrived and is sitting close to us, now.*

Z stood and Thing shifted to the position with one tentacle around his neck and the lower two around his waist. They went to look at the ship through the dome.

Not a very good shape, is it?

*What do you mean?*

It's a bunch of square boxes hooked together, almost at random! There are no lines to give it any, uh, style. Form. Streamlining.

[ It's a spaceship, Z. It doesn't need streamlining. ]

I guess so. It's just that Maita is beautiful. I guess I expect a spaceship to be either needle-trim or, like Maita, saucer-shaped, not something that looks like it could fall apart.

*It's not important, now. That ship is efficient, which is what counts. I imagine it can come apart, in any number of configurations. That is what the sections are for. Add or subtract as you please.*

Can you tell what kind of armament it's carrying?

*What difference does that make?*

Well, it might nice to know what we're up against!

[ Like the Pweetoos knew what we were carrying? ]

What's the point? They couldn't know what it was or how it worked!

[ Think about it. ]

*We could not have been anticipated, there, we can't anticipate here. I have called Ape and am going to contact them. I will invite them aboard. I have sent a floater to them.*

Here?

*Why not? Where else would you suggest?*

They could come over and wipe us out!

*They could have destroyed us at anytime, already. I feel there is no added danger. I am not saying there is no danger, only that I am not increasing it.*

[ You are right, Maita. They do not mean to harm us. They will defend themselves, if necessary. That is all. ]

You're guessing! We can't take that chance!

*Thing is an empath, Z. Please calm down. Very few races are like yours. Most do not automatically react to others with suspicion and fear.*

"I'll try to grow up.

"Maita, you've been in my mind. You know what I grew up with. I know I'm irrational about some things, so just tell me to shut up when I get panicky.

Remember what the Pweetoos were. They feared to come here.

*The Pweetoos would fear any advanced culture. They were ill equipped to deal with variant thought patterns among the peoples they knew, so would certainly take no chances with a more developed society. We will soon know.*

The screen lighted as the floater approached the other ship. It moved close and slowly turned all sides to the ship. A port opened for the floater to go inside.

It did.

It was in an airlock, where its sensors reported the registered air pressure and composition on a piece of the screen, along with temperature.

*Somewhat more oxygen and carbon dioxide and less nitrogen. A bit humid, but breathable. A tad warm, but not so warm as the deserts in Z's mind. They like a lot of light and don't have much furniture around.*

Z looked up to see Ape watching the screen. He hadn't seen the big guy enter.

The screen showed the airlock door opening. There was a large square room with only a small amount of furniture here and there. The host was standing by a long couch-like seat.

Damn! He's almost human!

It was very much human in shape. It was muscular, with a small waist and broad shoulders. It was an even dark tan color with a darker brown diamond-shaped patch on the chest. It was wearing nothing but a medallion and a belt with various things hanging from it.

He's female, Z said and shook his head. There were no organs visible to define sex, and no nipples on the chest. It had no hair, but had a sort of crest across the top of its head. The eyes were grayish-white with slit pupils, like a cat's. The lids were heavy, and when it blinked, it did so slowly.

It spoke and Maita translated.

"The Pweetoos have agreed not to enter our space. We see your vessel is much like that of the Pweetoos, but you do not act as those.

What are you and why do you come here?

Maita? Z asked. How is it you can understand their language?

*It is speaking into a translator of its own, which relays to me in Pweetoo. I am merely translating to you from the Pweetoo.*

[ They are definitely unimpressed by the Pweetoos, which is as definitely in their favor. Perhaps you should inform them we are, indeed, not connected with the Pweetoos. It can only help to do so. ]

The floater unfolded a screen.

*Watch the number two screen. It will show what I show on the floater. I will translate both my speech and what is returned.*

The screen on the console lit to show the three of them watching the screen.

*We would prefer to use another language. We have no use for anything of the Pweetoos – language, nor anything else.*

We have no other, at this time, the being said, as it studied the screen. "I see none of you are Pweetoo, though one has a resemblance to an Immin.

"Perhaps not. There are minor racial differences.

"The ship is, however, of Pweetoo manufacture.

What do you want here?

*I was built by the Pweetoos, to my shame, but was designed by the Maitans, a fine and peaceful race. I resent the implications. My friends and I have eliminated the Pweetoos. They were ravaging the galaxy, and we found them to be intolerable. They destroyed the Maitans a long time ago. The Maitans are avenged. We are mostly peaceful people here, and do not interfere with the rights of others. If we are not welcomed, we will go.*

You are the machine?

*Yes.*

You are cognizant and aware as an individual?

*Yes.*

"I have heard of one world society of machines that is capable of reacting well with organics, though they are best left alone at this time, by their own request.

What are each of you called?

The screen showed Ape, full faced.

*This one we have named Ape. He is male mammalian, and has no speech, as he lacks both vocal chords and speech centers. I have taught him Maitan.*

Thing was shown, hanging onto Z.

*This one we call Thing. It is an empath and is from a very dense world. It is in mental contact with me and I translate its thoughts for the others.*

Z was pictured holding Thing.

*This is one we call Z. He is a male mammalian from an average class three world near an S D sun. He understands Maitan, and is fluent, though he tends to use too many untranslatable terms. He is the only member of our group who is naturally violent.*

Z nodded, and grinned at Ape, who grinned a mouthful of teeth back.

*I am the ship. I am honored by the group to be called Maita. I am free, now that the Pweetoos are gone, and intend to remain so, or not to exist.*

The screen panned the group.

*This is all aboard the ship. What are you called, and would you give us some information about yourself?*

"I am called Sisstuh. I am a male Kheth from a planet called Khee, am of reptilian ancestry, and am an agent of the Kheth Federation, which controls a large area in this part of the galaxy.

You were coursed for Khee, Federation Center. I would ask why you were going there?

*We scanned for communications signals. We were en route for the place where the signals were oldest, having theorized the civilization there would be highly developed, should they still exist.*

"I see you are more astute than were the Pweetoos.

"You may have eliminated the Pweetoos. I will accept that, on your word. I can well understand the desire to be rid of them. My race has isolated them and avoided them since first we made contact.

It is good you are free of them.

*We would like to know you. You are welcome to come aboard at your convenience to converse.*

"I will come with my mate, if I may. Perhaps we will be able to establish continuing contact. We have a device to teach you our language – or any other in our records – immediately.

It requires a small bit of surgery. Are you equipped for surgical procedures?

*Yes.*

We come now.

*We will meet them in room two. I hope they really do have an easier method of teaching. The machines I use are good, but I'd like better. Ape can judge from their size and shape to move a couple of benches for them.*

[ I am excited! They are reptiles! I have seen a lot of information about reptilian cultures in my studies. This will be most interesting! ]

*We'll soon see exactly how interesting.*

A small shuttle was dispatched from the Kheth ship. It came into the cargo hold, preceded by the floater. The group went to the hallway outside and entered as soon as the air was cycled in. There was a large box in the hold. One side folded down, revealing some equipment, Sisstuh, and a female Kheth.

The female was almost identical to Sisstuh in the head area, but her body was thicker around the waist, where Sisstuh was very narrow. She didn't have the darker patch on the chest. She wore only the same adornment as Sisstuh, a belt with attachments hanging and a medallion.

The floater positioned itself over Sisstuh's head.

*Welcome aboard the Maita! I have introduced our group to you. Would you please introduce them to your companion?*

Sisstuh picked up a small disk from the machinery next to him and spoke into it. The speech was relayed from the disk to a translator device in the box, thence to the floater, in Pweetoo. Maita took the Pweetoo, translated it into Maitan and spoke through the speakers in the walls.

This is my mate, Fesch. She was watching our earlier encounter, thus is familiar with your names.

*I see you have brought equipment with you. I assume it is the device to teach the language. Would you prefer I move it into our medical facility or would you wish to use it here in your conveyance?*

Sisstuh touched one of the things hanging from his belt. A crate about two feet square by three long rose and positioned itself a meter behind him.

It is best we take the device near the surgery. We will have to exchange a great deal of data about the various physiologies of your companions before the actual process of implantation, Sisstuh replied. Hopefully, you have that information prepared. My mate will scan it.

*I agree. Z, please lead our guests to room two.*

Fesch said, "We may choose any language whatever. We will give you a selection, so you may choose which is best adapted to our purposes.

"You