The Index -|-

With the help of Viinox, Zara put together a recorded message to convey her wishes for the well-being of each of the subjects that were penned on Hsstak. She had first suggested that she would enter each of the pens in person and speak to them, but Viinox had convinced her that this was a dangerous idea. She had considered wearing a protective suit as a possible workaround, but finally, when the trip to Jorqu came to a close, she ran out of time. None of the Xi crew were pleased by the contents of the farewell message.

The message was in form of a hologram. Zara’s own person was represented inside the pens of the Hkkli, and her voice spoke in calm and reassuring tones. It was the only way she might convince them to trust her.

“Hello. I am Zara.”

She gestured toward her right, and an image of Iqw Okrat appeared next to Zara’s form.

“These are the Xi. They stole you and I from our homes, but I have escaped and conquered them. Soon, I will return you to your family and leave you in peace. My wish is that you never encounter the Xi again, and I hope that you will consider me a friend.” She raised her hand with her palm outward. “Goodbye.”

She watched as her image appeared in the Hkkli pen first. The Hkkli pair rose and stood together as Zara spoke. There was a pause afterward then the larger Hkkli murmured something low and squeaky at his mate. The Hkkli both stomped their rear left paws twice and then returned to their food.

The Xi devices translated the Hkkli words without emotion: “More lies from the gods,”

Rog went berserk when Zara’s form appeared. It reared back and snorted a cloud of noxious fumes toward the hologram. When there was no ill effect, it leapt into the air and began to circle the pen rapidly with powerful gusts from its leathery wings. Occasionally, Rog would swoop at Zara’s hologram, but as soon as the message ceased and her image disappeared, it stopped circling and landed to rest near the molten pool.

Kanta stood near the pool and listened to the message. When it was over, Kanta pulled off her helmet and spoke clearly.

“I know you can hear me. I wish to meet you in person.”

Zara ignored the request, and within a few hours, the crew had placed the sleeping pair of Hkkli on the surface of Jorqu next to a stream that ran near to a grassy field.

“Let’s free Rog next,” she said.

It took another two days to reach a small planet that orbited the red dwarf star that was unnamed on the Xi map. It was known only as a numerical indicator: O98820A. There were three other planets in the star orbit, but Rog was from the scorched orb closest to the star. The view and atmosphere were very similar to what the Xih had reproduced in the pen.

From orbit, Viinox and Oiitr scanned the planet’s terrain while Zara watched. Every surface they saw was black shard and red fire. Lava flowed out of numerous pock marks on the and pooled in a cycle of never-ending repetition. There were a few larger lakes of lava, and those usually rested at the foot of larger volcanic peaks. It was near the largest peak that they dropped Rog- literally.

It was launched out of the Hsstak as if from a canon, fully awake, and Zara saw Rog plummet toward the ground. Its wings fluttered like torn rags in the wind behind it. Just before it met the slope, the wings unfurled, and it pulled up with a sharp banking movement. As Tiirw took the Hsstak out of orbit, Zara breathed a sigh of relief and held a secret hope that one day Rog would be grateful for the life she had given it.

The Hsstak took the small, roundish animal back to its home, which was a beautifully lush world only a day’s travel from O98820A.

By this time, Zara had decided to speak to Kanta in person. When she informed Viinox of her decision, it responded in the negative with a downward tilted of its chin.

“Kanta is very intelligent, and though we have seen no violent tendencies, its mind is not fully known. It would be very dangerous to appear before her.”

Zara frowned. “My Ma told me once that though some others may be less powerful than we are, we must treat them like family. Of course, that only applies if they are peaceful toward us. The Xih’s unwillingness to approach others with respect is what makes the them untrustworthy. My intuition tells me that speaking to Kanta is safe, and I do not want to continue Mangas’ legacy. You may provide a defense in the event that I am attacked, but I will speak to her.”

Zara stood at the door to Kanta’s pen and wrapped herself in a shield of Qon. After a moment, she nodded and drew a deep breath. Viinox, from his vantage point in the lab caused a door to open. From Zara’s standpoint, an opening appeared in the wall near where she stood. There was a shift, a pause, and then a slight hiss of pressure being released. After a longer moment, the opening slid away and the pen was visible through the thick wall.

Kanta stood next to her pool and waited.

Zara walked into the pen and up the small rise, noticing the crunch of sand on her moccasins and the odd smell in the air. Through her extra senses, she could not see any aji surrounding Kanta nor her fishbowl breathing helmet, and she breathed a sigh of relief.

[No aji means less danger at least.]

Kanta raised her right flipper as Zara approached. Her mouth made a shape or two and bubbles rose and came to rest in a pool of air at the top of her helmet.

Zara stopped at the crest of the rise a few paces from Kanta. She smiled in a friendly manner, raised her hand to wave, and spoke. “Hello, Kanta. My name is Zara. I am here because you want to meet with me.”

Kanta spoke, and the water in her helmet swirled.

Zara heard nothing, and there was no translation from the Xih devices. She pointed at her ear and said, “I cannot hear you.”

Kanta reached up and removed her helmet, the water splashing down her body as the seal broke. When she spoke again, the sounds were garbled, but the Xih device spoke the translation softly. “Thank you for meeting me.” Kanta’s small gills fluttered and then remained closed. “I have received your message, and I wanted to see for myself if you are real.”

“I am real, and I will not lie to you.”

“Are there more Xi?”

Zara nodded. “I have conquered the Xi in charge of this vessel, but there are three alive who serve me. These say that there are many more who live where they come from.”

Kanta ‘s nose wrinkled, and after a second, she spoke again. “Where are these Xi, and how do I know they serve you?”

Zara raised her hands. “These Xi who serve me are able to operate the vessel that we are on now. I have allowed them to live in exchange for their help.” She paused, not knowing how much to say. “The Xi killed my Mama, and then I was stolen from my Da. After I return you to your home, I will find him again.”

After a long moment of silence, Zara spoke again. “As far as how you may know that they serve me… You must know that this place you dwell in is not real. The Xi records say that you have been here for two hundred fifty-nine of your days. What can I say to prove that I am sincere? Nothing. There are only actions.”

Zara turned and walked toward the door. She gestured at Kanta. “If you wish, please come, I will show you.”

Zara walked slowly to Hsstak’s command center and Kanta waddled behind her with her water helmet freshly replenished, silently staring in all directions. When they arrived, Oiitr and Tiirw were standing and facing the doorway.

[Viinox must have warned them.]

“These are two of the Xi that serve me,” Zara said pointing to Oiitr and Tiirw. “Tiirw’s primary skill is operating this vessel’s flight and control systems. Oiitr supports Tiirw and also works in the labs. There is one other, Viinox who works in the labs and handles most of the subjects.” Zara looked at Kanta. “You and I were both subjects of the Xi. We were studied and hurt for their research.”

Kanta just stood there and looked around at the Xi and at the command center.

Just then, the door opened behind them, and Viinox came in. Zara turned quickly to look at Viinox, and braced herself for a confrontation.

Viinox surprised Zara by stopping at the door and clasping its hands on its chest. It bowed slightly at the waist. “Kanta. For my actions toward you, I ask forgiveness. For the actions of the Xi and the Xih, I apologize.” It looked at Zara. “I serve the Ixant.”

Zara was surprised, but she breathed a sigh of relief. “Thank you, Viinox.” Turning toward Tiirw, she said, “How close are we to Kanta’s home?”

Tiirw glanced toward a data cloud hovering over a red device. “Just about eight hours.”

Zara looked at Kanta. “Come, let us talk, and we can share stories.”

Zara approached the door and then turned back for a moment. “Tiirw, notify me when we’ve arrived.