The Index -|-

When Zara snipped the three, green lines, the ship blinked. Every shred of visible light switched off instantly. In Zara’s alternate perceptive view of the aji realm, every aji connected to the Hsstak also went dark. This had never happened to her, and the new situation was quite jarring.

“That didn’t work like I planned,” she said quietly. She raised her hand slowly and then felt the floor slide away from her feet. It was a new sensation of weightlessness; not at all pleasant. Her hand, mere inches from her face was invisible.

Viinox chittered quietly. “Hsstak is broken.”

“How do we fix it, Viinox?” Zara reached out to grasp something, anything to provide an anchor, but she found nothing. Her arms and legs were disconnected from reality and twitched with weird and awkward swimming motions. In the darkness, her inability to see and move caused a cacophony of disquiet to rise. “What’s happening?!” she asked.

Suddenly, a pale green glow appeared as Vinnox pulled a hand tool out of its waistband. “The core of Hsstak must be purged and then reset. I will help you.”

Zara could now see that she was floating above the floor at an odd angle. She tried, but had no means of propelling herself forward. Fortunately, her initial movements had caused momentum, and that momentum carried her ever so slowly toward the mottled, grey ceiling.

Oiitr moved quickly and directly toward one of the red-tiered devices on the other side of the room. It arrived, and landed with poise and grace that surprised Zara. She could see that the back of its suit issued alternating streams of air from two tiny nozzles.

“I need a suit like that,” she said. “Odd though, it doesn’t use any aji.”

Oiitr turned with its hand resting lightly on the device. “These suits are specially made for Jariit and other specialize Xi roles. The propulsion is old technology.” It sunk and began to pull a panel off the lower side of the device.

Viinox spoke up. “Certain sensors on Hsstak are built with a feedback loop. These are generally connected with more than one aji line of type Etui. If you cut those, the ship’s system will be corrupted.” It raised its hand as if teaching a class. “We must proceed with the purge and reset. Please watch.”

Viinox pulled a panel off the nearest red-tired device and began to disconnect various tubes and wires. Oiitr did the same, and Tiirw only watched Zara. After a few moments, Viinox and Oiitr looked at each other and then each of them began to pull a lever repeatedly.

It made no sense to Zara. [Aji is not physical, and yet they pull and push physical parts of Hsstak. How odd.]

“If Hsstak is broken, why did all aji in your suits cease? And what is your tool powered with?” Zara pointed at Viinox’s pale, green light.

Viinox ignored her and pumped the lever four more times before stopping. It looked at Oiitr and then pressed another set of protrusions in sequence with Oiitr. The panels they were at began to glow with a weak and sickly yellow light. Viinox turned toward Zara. “The purge has been completed. Now we must reset the core.”

“Please explain it for me.” Zara looked at Viinox and then at Oiitr with a look that she hoped conveyed something between respect and power.

Viinox looked at Oiitr and lifted its chin slightly.

Oiitr spoke. “The ship’s aji store is located in the standard Qiah froji basin. The twelve interlapping imami fields contain the positive hu-pairs in a tensile and fractal state, and they repel negative hu-triads. It is the froj that must be purged when the negative hu-triads penetrate the bath and change the pH.”

“Urh,” said Zara nodding slowly while she repeated what she thought she had heard. “Hsstak stores aji in a bucket… er, basin, and then since they’ve been corrupted by the who-triangles the frogs have to be purged.”

“Froj.” If it was possible, Oiitr was even more deadpan than it would normally be considering that it was a member of such an outwardly emotionless race.

“Great. Well… Now to the reset.” She pointed. “I see yellow lights, which is good, right? No aji though. Did it all leak out when we purged the frogs?”

“Froj.” Oiitr gave Viinox a side-eye before speaking again. “Hsstak will take days to replenish its aji stores and reset the balance. Until the reset is complete, we have limited atmosphere generation capabilities and no ability to see, communicate, or fight.”

“This is a bad thing since the First Terminal will come to find us.” Zara looked around at the others. Tiirw still only watched her with its sharp, blue eyes, and Viinox studied her face as she spoke. “If the Xih arrive before the reset is complete, what will happen? We can move, right?”

“If they Xih arrive during our reset, we will surely die. Their protocol is to destroy any potential outbreak.” Viinox looked at Tiirw. “What was your exact message to the First Terminal?”

Tiirw paused before speaking slowly and clearly as if reciting a studied phrase. “Hsstak has experienced a Class IW outbreak. We require assistance.”

After a short pause, Viinox spoke again. “Nothing about Ixant?”

Tiirw tilted its chin downward. “Iqw Okrat would not allow the news of your capture or your status as Ixant be transmitted until it had completed its research. If First Terminal received news of an outbreak involving an Ixant, they would send a fleet immediately.”

Zara nodded. “I hope they don’t know. We need time to disappear before they come to find us.” She looked around the command center at her three, captive Xi.

[I wonder who the real captive is here? Have I successfully kept their respect? Or fear?]

Each of the Xi looked at her and remained silent as if waiting for an answer.

Zara sighed. [The truth is, I need them. I have no idea how this ship is designed or how it works at all. How can I even begin to get back home to Da without them? What can I do to make sure they keep obeying me?]

The train of thought was unsettling to her. She may hold the upper hand in some ways, but the Xi were not stupid.

[Where does the aji come from that replenishes the frog basin? What is Hsstak surrounded by in this dark void? There is so much I don’t know. I have to keep their loyalty.]

Zara cleared her throat and smiled at the Xi. “Is there anything productive we can do while we wait for the aji to refill?” She paused. “How about a tour of Hsstak?”

Viinox lifted its chin and awkwardly exited its sling. “Yes. There is much to show you.” It waved with a three fingered hand and walked toward the door.

Zara looked at Tiirw and Oiitr. “You will come with us.”

They followed without a sound.