Deep Space

"That's quite a gutsy move, but still commendable. I just wish I could've been of more use to you. As it is, I'm not much more than a pilot and a glorified mechanic."

Sam, not knowing what else to do, led Tyr on a quick tour of Scimitar.

As they reached his quarters, he asked, "I'm not sure exactly how to phrase this question... is there a difference of gender on your planet, for purposes of procreation, I mean?"

Tyr smiled slightly, "Yes. In fact, there are three genders. The first... the male of our species, is Kyneem. Kyneem bear the seed of the fruit that is our species. Kyneet are the females that can breed. They receive the seed, germinate, and bear the young. The third, Kynejt, are the females that cannot breed. While appearance on the outside is the same for Kyneet and Kynejt, Kynejt do not have the proper reproductive components to germinate or bear young. I am a Kynejt. Kynejt and Kyneem can become elders, but Kyneet cannot, as it is their main purpose to maintain population and care for the young."

"So your... Kyneet reproduce in the same manner as our females?"

"From what we have learned of your species, I believe it is a similar method. Why do you ask these questions?"

Sam smiled apologetically, "I would rather not think of you as an 'it.' It just seemed disrespectful, especially since, if anything, I might be considered an 'it' to you in terms of advancement of species."

"For all intents and purposes, I am as a female of your species, and I suppose I think of you as a male of my species. Does that ease your conscience?" Tyr tilted her head slightly, in a possible gesture of curiosity.

Sam nodded, "I think it does. Anyway, these are my quarters."

"Quarters..." Tyr surmised, "So this is a... personal space for you."

"Sort of," Sam explained, "I use this area to sleep, eat, and if I need to be by myself to think."

"But you are the only one of your species on this ship. Could you not do what you felt like anywhere on the ship?"

Laughing, Sam shrugged, "I suppose I could, if I wanted to. This is just a space designated for it."

"I do not require sleep," Tyr revealed, "And, thanks to this shell, I require no additional nutrients to fuel my body."

Tyr went to the desk, where the cube, still activated, still projected the picture of Valerie, suspended in time as she would never again be, except for death, "Is this a person of significance to you?"

"You could say. That is my wife... my late wife. She is most likely... deceased... by now."

Tyr peered closely at the picture, tilting her head first one way, then another, and then asked, "She was your companion. Did she bear any young for you?"

"Children? No, she couldn't. She wasn't fertile."

"And yet she remained your companion? Why would you not seek a female of your species that could breed young... children?"

Sam shrugged, "I loved her in spite of her infertility, and sometimes because of it. Times are not all that great on my planet. Raising a child has become increasingly tough, and I wasn't sure I'd want to put a child of mine through that."

"I have heard of the concept of 'love,' but I am not sure I understand it."

Sam took a moment to think about a good explanation, and then tried, "It is... a commitment between two people, when used correctly, that forges a bond between them."

"A commitment?" Tyr mused, "Is this like what your people call marriage?"

"There are different types of love: love between members of a family, love between friends, and love between lovers. Valerie and I fell into that third category. We met, fell in love, got married, and shared a deep bond. Unfortunately, my people also frequently get married for the wrong reasons, such as sexual infatuation, money, convenience, and sometimes even spite. And sometimes couples fall in love but do not get married. So, suffice it to say, it's complicated."

"It sounds quite complicated," responded Tyr, "So, you spoke of her as your late wife."

"Yes," Sam sighed, "She was diagnosed with cancer. It's also complicated... the best way I can explain it is to say that it...consumes the human body from the inside, replicating as it does so. We don't have a cure for it yet, just treatment. Unfortunately, by the time it was diagnosed, it was too late for effective treatment. She is dead now."

Tyr turned back to the picture, studying it more closely, and then asked, "You keep this image of her to... remember her?"

"Yeah. This helps me to remember her as she was before the cancer."

Seeming to sense that he wanted to drop the subject, she turned away from the cube, "Sam, my people are dying even as we speak. Is there no possible solution to this?"

Sam had no real answer. He replied, "Maybe Valerie can help."

"Valerie... is that not the name of your late wife?"

"It is. It's the AI... Artificial Intelligence that runs this ship when I'm not. I gave it her name, and her voice is my late wife's voice, recorded onto a module. Valerie?"

Valerie responded promptly, "Yes, Sam."

"Have you listened to our conversation?"

"I have been."

"Good. From what you have heard, are there any possible solutions that will yield a better outcome for her people?"

Valerie took a few minutes, and then answered, "Since humankind is not likely to be very hospitable to her people, and there are no other hospitable planets within range of their technological capabilities, the best option is to find a way to neutralize the toxins that is destroying her people."

"We have tried this option," Tyr spoke irritably, "It seems to be beyond the capabilities of even my technology. The more we try to pump out of our atmosphere, even more comes up to take its place. We cannot effectively seal the fissures from which the toxins are emitted; they just eat through the seals. We cannot live above the toxins, as they reach all the way up to the edge of our atmosphere. We have ships placed in orbit, but with very limited space, and the elders seem to be of the opinion that only those who can fulfill a vital role in our continued existence should be aboard the ships. Our oxygen filters are shutting down faster than we can repair them. I am the daughter of an elder, which would allow me a place on the ship only by the thinnest margin, as I am not a breeder, nor do I fulfill what the other elders consider a vital function. But what of the rest of the population? I cannot see letting them die a viable option!"

Valerie replied emotionlessly, "Finding a way to expel or neutralize the toxin is the only possible way to ensure your peoples' survival. Does the toxin corrode through all materials?"

"Yes," Tyr cried, "It eats through every alloy, composite, and organic substance on my planet. Even our shells aren't impervious. It eats through the very rock itself, widening fissures into gulfs, and consuming everything."

"Wait," Sam's mind seized on a single detail, "You said it eats through rock, right? So... what held it in before your planet became unstable?"

Tyr, on the verge of answering, stopped for a second, "We're not sure. We never considered that."

Valerie caught on quickly, "If it was effectively containing the toxin before the planetary instability, then it might be useful in containing it long enough to pump it out of the atmosphere. After that, it's just a matter of filtering the remaining toxin from your breathable air using similar materials."

"But how would your people get down to where this material is without being consumed?"

"Their protective shells," Valerie answered quickly, and then directed the next question to Tyr, "How long would it take for the toxin to corrode them enough to be hazardous to your people?"

"At the normal rate of toxin, it would take approximately... well, in human terms, one year. However, if it becomes more concentrated, as it must be in the fissures, or further, to get to this material, it will take less time... Maybe two to three... months."

"So, it might still be possible to get to this material and get it up to the top to be turned into tubes or whatever you need to make out of it," Sam concluded.

For the first time since he had first met Tyr, she appeared to be more than just hopeful; she appeared to be excited.

She trembled, "Then there is hope! I must get word of this to the elders so that they can get started on this project right away."

"If your elders are still monitoring Earth transmissions, then they would hear one coming from my ship, right?" Sam asked.

"Absolutely! The elders still hope that Earth can provide help. They will be listening closely in case somebody on your planet has heard our distress transmissions."

"Good, then let's send them a message," Sam then spoke to Valerie, "Valerie, I'd like you to start recording on Tyr's command, and then send the transmission in the direction of her planet."

"Very well, Sam. Tyr, I await your command."

Tyr nodded, "Okay, begin recording."

Tyr launched into her native tongue, a very melodious, guttural language. She spoke this way for about five or six minutes, and then concluded, "Okay, that's all."

She gave Valerie the coordinates, and Valerie assured Tyr that she would send the transmission immediately, repeating it each ten minutes to ensure they received it.

"I have real hope for the first time in a long time," Tyr grinned, revealing small, but sharp-looking teeth.

"I suppose you have to get back," Sam said, not without some disappointment, as having another being aboard his ship was favorable. Valerie was okay, but she was only an AI, and conversations with her were not very rewarding.

"I would, but I cannot," admitted Tyr, "I expended most of the power source of my shell. I would not be able to reach any of the ships orbiting my planet, and, despite my father's pleas, the other elders would not waste valuable resources to come for me, especially as my actions have not been permitted."

"But you provided them with a possible solution to saving your people. You would be a hero."

"Solution or not, I am expendable. I accepted this fact before I left the ship. While my father will miss me, the other elders have always considered me... irritating. Often, when they seem to fail to think of the people above themselves, I am usually first to speak up. You see, my people are not much different from your own. I am sure there are those among us that would treat you as your people would most likely treat us."

"Were you in line to be an elder?"

"Possibly, but my actions even before this would have prompted the elders to find technicalities with which to prevent my elevation. Surely you now see my situation."

"Yes," acknowledged Sam, "You're in pretty much the same situation I am."

"Am I?"

"Yes, I think so. I volunteered for my mission, which would normally be below my pay grade. I knew the dangers, and I didn't care. Once Valerie went into a coma, I didn't care anymore. I took the mission, half-hoping I wouldn't come back from it, though I intended to complete it anyway. My family is mostly gone, and my wife as well, so there wouldn't be many people to miss me."

"So sad, is it not?"

"It is, a little bit. What would happen to you if you couldn't become an elder?"

"Since I cannot breed, I would be pretty useless. I could do menial labor, assist others with more power, I suppose, but my status would be lowly. I wouldn't want to be remembered that way."

"Then we share similar situations. What do you intend to do now?"

"I am not sure. I was focused on getting help, not on what would happen to me after."

Sam spent a few hours explaining things about humans and Earth, mostly filling in gaps in Tyr's understanding from the countless transmissions her people had received. But, despite her comforting presence, Sam was beginning to get hungry, and he was still a little tired.

"I need to eat and get a little sleep," he explained, "If it is okay, Valerie can answer most any question. She will be available to do so for as long as you want."

He paused for a few minutes, and then added hopefully, "I hope that you will be here when I wake up."

She reminded him, "I have nowhere else to go. Besides, I could think of worse company to keep than yours."

He instructed Valerie to answer any questions she might have, and to allow Tyr to roam about the ship as she wished. Once Tyr left his quarters, he pushed a button just over the small hatch from where his food came, indicating that he wanted to eat. Immediately, the hatch opened and a tray was deposited onto his desk. He ate quickly, took a shower, which used about three gallons of water, which was recycled, filtered, and reused, providing him with as long of a shower as he wanted. He finished his shower in about five minutes, dried off, and donned fresh clothes, feeling immensely better. Then he lay back on his bunk and tried to drift off to sleep. Of course, he remembered the dream, where he had seen Tyr, covered by her liquid shell. Had it been a dream, or had he gained some sort of precognition? As he was pondering this, he fell asleep.

He wasn't sure if he was dreaming or not, but he thought he heard his door open and close at some point, and then a gentle hand on his arm. For a second, he considered that it might be Valerie, who had come upon him while he was having a nightmare or something, and she was attempting to soothe him. Only, he didn't remember having a nightmare... and Valerie would no longer touch his arm, or touch anything, for that matter. He had left her lying in a deep coma, assured solemnly by the doctor that this was a coma she wouldn't be waking from. This brought him awake.

He opened his eyes, and he saw that Tyr was crouched next to his bunk, her lightly-furred fingers stroking the hairs on his forearm. She was focused on what she was doing, so she didn't immediately notice that Sam had awoken. He simply watched her, wondering what she was thinking about. Finally she looked up from his arm and saw he was wide awake.

She immediately stood up and backed up a few steps, "I am sorry. I was only... curious. I thought... that if you were asleep, you might not be offended."

"I'm not," Sam reassured her, "I was curious, myself. We have a species on Earth that we call cats, or felines. I mean no offense, but you slightly resemble this species, except, of course, you're much more intelligent, advanced, not to mention, you walk upright while cats walk and run on all four."

Tyr held her hand out, and Sam reached out slowly. He let his fingertips brush against the fur on her arm, amazed at how soft it was. Her eyes closed as she allowed him to do so, though he wasn't sure if this was because she might be enjoying his touch, or just getting it over with.

"Your fur is so soft," he complimented, "I can stop now, if you're uncomfortable. I don't want to overstep my bounds."

"A curious phrase," she mused, smiling slightly, "I suppose this could be like a game, with rules and boundaries. I am not uncomfortable at your touch. In fact, I feel some interesting sensations. I must say, I am not used to it, but it feels... pleasant."

So, encouraged, he let his fingertips stroke from her wrist to the other end of her forearm, and he felt her tremble. Back and forth, slowly, he did this for more than a minute. Finally, she put a hand on his, stopping him.

"I beg you, please stop," she whispered, "Your touch weakens my legs. May I sit?"

"Please do," Sam obliged, "It's only fair that I extend the same courtesy."

He held out his hand, and she hesitated.

"It's okay," he reassured her.

She stroked his arm much as he had done to her, alternately looking at his face and his arm. He could see why her legs had gone weak, if his touch was anywhere as arousing as hers.

While he let her continue, he asked her, "I need to ask you something. I had a dream not long before you arrived, and you were in it. Do you know anything about that?"

"Yes... my shell allows me to send thoughts and the like."

"But why did you?"

"It would've been disastrous if I had reached your ship only to be destroyed because you weren't sure if I meant harm or not."

"Oh, I see. You wanted me to know ahead of time that you weren't a threat."

"Exactly. It expended a lot of energy to do so, but I deemed it necessary."

"How much energy is left in your shell?"

She stopped stroking his arm and placed her hand in his. It seemed okay for both of them.

"It will last until I have to use the shell again."

"You said it provides you with nutrients, though."

"It does, but that in itself seems to be a side effect from wearing it. It captures nutrients from everything around me, keeping me healthy. However, using the shell to protect me, or changing shape while inside it expends its energy. If I can't recharge it, it would no longer be useful in any aspect."

"And how do you recharge it?"

Tyr replied, "We have spheres in every home, and on the ships. The spheres generate endless amounts of power, and we simply have to stand near it for our shells to recharge."

Sam thought about that for a few minutes, while Tyr again stroked his arm, and then wondered aloud, "I wonder if the power supply on this ship would recharge your shell any."

Tyr pondered this, and shrugged, "I doubt it would hurt to try. But it is not necessary at this time. What... are you feeling right now?"

"I feel pretty good. I think I understand why your legs went weak when I stroked your arm."

"Then you are not..."

"Not what?"

Tyr started to speak, stopped, and then blurted, "You are not disgusted?"

"Why would I be disgusted?"

"I am not of your species, yet you say that it feels good to you."

"Considering that you are more advanced a species than I am, if anyone were to be disgusted, it should perhaps be you."

She did consider this, and then admitted, "I am not in the least bit disgusted."

"I'm not really sure what to do," Sam said frankly, "It's been a while, and this is something new to me."

Tyr agreed, "This is new for me, as well... not... the act, I've done that before. I do have my uses... I mean to say, I've never been this... intimate with a human being before. I would like to see you without your garments on, though. Curiosity leads me at this point."

Sam stood up, his heart pounding in his chest, and he wondered if "the act," as Tyr had described it, was the same thing for both species, or similar enough, anyway. What if he tried to lead, only to find that "the act" for Tyr was a completely different act? He unzipped his flight suit, pushed it down and off, and then pushed his temperature-controlled sweat pants off. Despite his fears, he found that he was quite aroused. This surprised him, and then he immediately thought of Valerie. It had only been about eight months since he had said goodbye to her. Was this too soon? His body argued with his heart at this point, but his mind sided surprisingly with his body, deciding that he had already gone too far to stop without offending and hurting Tyr, who had never even seen a human before, let alone been with one. If he had any regrets, he would keep them to himself and dwell on them later. He slid his boxers down and off, kicking his shed clothes to the side. As his erection jutted stiffly before him, he took his shirt off, adding it to the pile of clothes on the floor.

Tyr stared at the staff in surprise. It appeared to be more like a bludgeon than the staffs of the Kyneem of her species, which were thinner in diameter, and even less bulbous at the head of the staff. She wasn't sure how she would be able to work with Sam's bludgeon, but she supposed that she did want to try it.

Sam saw her staring, and felt compelled to ask, "So... how do I compare, to your Kyneem, I mean?"

Tyr smiled slightly, "Similar... may I have a closer look?"