Page 230 - The Chronicles Ser2 (6-10)

ensign that neither of them could place. There was an isolation field in place and Lucy was tending to
someone inside on an examination table.
“Captain; why have we…?” Myra started to ask but then clasped eyes on the figure sat on the
examination table. A small side trolley was beside the Table with a number of medicines; potions
and an array of strange instruments. One of these looked like a Kryst Wand, but was shorter and
stubbier. The figure was vaguely reminiscent of a creature from the ancient Terran Archives. It
looked like an Imp as depicted in some Children’s literature, but of gentler features. It had smooth
skin like the skin of most amphibian races.
“We’ve had to recreate the Alien’s atmosphere; hence the need for the isolation field. Its encounter
suit got damaged during removal. T’luha and Ensign Brom are examining that to see how it can be
repaired” Dagnor said unfixing the two women from their locked up stance. Midas had entered
behind them so quietly that when he spoke; they both jumped.
“Are either of you two Ladies acquainted with the Machine Language known as Bachi?” he asked
Zyra responded
“Yes; I tried to learn it as part of my side study project. Not too successfully I’m afraid. It’s a
modulated tonal speech similar to the ancient system used to program computers. An audio based
Binary Translational Codex. I haven’t used it since I completed my studies, but I understand that
there are practitioners here in the fleet. One of the Flutvarn Chemists on the Hydraxia is supposed to
be so well versed; that she can program service droids by merely talking with them” was her detailed
reply.
“Shiva Mxxkkkrth?” queried Midas. Zyra replied in the positive. Midas left quickly for the Bridge.
“Captain; what does that have to do with our being summoned here?” Myra demanded
“Lucy; can you get our friend to recite what she said earlier?” Dagnor asked. Lucy made a series of
gestures and sounds and the little figure replied in a burst of sing-song tones, noise bursts and clicks.
One of the medical terminals shut down, a hand scanner flashed wildly as its logic circuits froze and
the programmable Auto clave blew yet another fuse, making the tech who was trying to fix it curse.
“Ah! I see! And I thought Kryst “B” was a hard nut to crack” Myra responded. Zyra looked around at
the havoc the short exchange had wrought. “I do not want to be around if she gives a long speech”
she thought.

The occupant had indeed turned out to be female as suggested by the lines of her encounter
suit. The helmet of which had automatically formed around her head when the Stasis Chamber was
opened. She stood about one and a quarter metres in height, was slim of body and not as developed
in the chest. That gave her the look more like that of a child than a full grown adult. That would be
proved wrong on several counts later. Her skin was Greenish-blue; her eyes almond shaped and
totally black, like those of the Ulahri. She had the nictitating membranes that were common to the
Flutvarn and Voodon races; and some ancient Earth Amphibians. Her head was not as
disproportionate as the Ulahri and Alurak, and had features distinctly un-common to both those
races. But you felt that sometime in the far distant past, there was a connection. The top of her head
had bony ridges protruding through the skin. Her mouth had thin lips that had a slight curl upward at
either side. This gave the impression that she was smiling wistfully. Myra couldn’t get the impression
of a mischievous child out of her mind. Lucy came out of the isolation field.
“I can’t understand half of the things she is saying, but I get the impression that she is called Twinkle
Twice. That’s how my translation circuits get the sonic symbols as meaning” she announced.
“I wonder if that is figurative.” Myra said thumbing her chin. The Alien; picked up the wand and
deftly adjusted the device. She then picked up a ceramic tile that Lucy had been using to mix
compounds into a paste. Lucy had applied the paste to a small wound on the Aliens right arm.
Twinkle Twice then used the fine beam from the wand to etch some glyphs on the tile. Then she
drew a diagram that seemed to represent a star system. She looked over to them and made gestures
pointing at the tile and pointing upward. Though when she spoke in her Bachi tongue; the console
next to her failed in a cascade of sparks and bangs. Doc Mason was starting to look like he was going
to erupt at the sight of expensive; delicate, and sensitive equipment giving up to the Bachi Imp.