Capellan
Explorer
"Space Tomb" - Part 7
Xinthon leads the four space adventurers back down the hallway and into the elevator. The alien's black coat billows slightly as he moves, while his tunic pulls tight across his chest. S'Ondra notices. Fury, noticing S'Ondra noticing, scowls.
Once all five members of the groups are in the elevator, the D'Bari Scientist presses the lowest button on the console. There is a soft whine of machinery, and then a flicker of lights in the shaft as the elevator car descends,
"I'm taking you to the floor where the atmospheric processor and gravity generators are stored." Xinthon brings up a schematic of the pyramid on the elevator's video screen. There is a single elevator shaft, with four levels leading from it. "The top level is where you found me. We then have the storage area, the entry hall- through which you came into this building - and then our destination, here at the base."
"Vat is in ze storage area?" Gustav asks.
"All kinds of spare parts and materials from my vessel. Engine components - only for the Planetary Drive, unfortunately - laboratory equipment, steel plates, tungsten ore ..." Xinthon trails off and shrugs, "All the things the builder bots need in order to keep everything operating."
The elevator jerks to a stop, and the doors glide open with a soft hiss, revealing a room filled with chrome, steel and glass. Huge consoles of machinery stretch up the walls, to the ceiling nearly twenty feet above, and there is a constant clank of giant pistons and gears at work.
"I'm sorry about the noise." Xinthon raises his voice slightly, "But some of the equipment had to be jury-rigged. It's not as efficient as I would have liked, but -"
"What on Venus is that?" S'Ondra snaps her heat lance up into an aggressive position, the crystal point glowing with a pale orange light. A robotic spider, easily a foot across, has crawled out from behind one of the consoles. It carries a globule of silvery metal in its mandibles, and scuttles across the floor toward them.
"All is well." Xinthon holds out an empty palm, then waves for the Princess and Fury to lower their weapons. "'That' is a builder-bot. There are probably several others in here, keeping the machinery in order. You need not concern yourselves; they are completely harmless."
"Fascinating." Gustav bends over to peer curiously at the small robot, which skitters obliviously between his legs.
"Ugly." Is S'Ondra's rather less enraptured response.
"But functional." Xinthon shrugs easily, "Small enough to move anywhere in a D'Bari vessel, and built to withstand great extremes of temperature and pressure. If only flesh and blood was as strong."
"Flesh and blood has its own advantages." Fury gives the builder-bot a suspicious stare. For it's part, the 'bot pays the captain no attention at all. As it passes close to Archie, however, it abruptly comes to a halt, a series of lights flashing across its abdomen.
"Ah, it seems to have detected your metallic companion." Xinthon folds him arms in satisfaction.
Oblivious to the attention it is receiving, the builder-bot extends one of its metallic legs and uses it to tap Archie's large steel foot. Tink tink tink.
A shadow looms over it as Archie bends to peer more closely at his small visitor. Slowly, the larger robot leans down, reaching out one hand to tap on the builder-bot's carapace. The 'bot skitters slightly at the touch, its legs rippling with the movement. Then it settles, tapping back on Archie's out-stretched hand.
"Fascinating." Gustav grabs the builder-bot and lifts it into the air, peering at the underside, "Marvellous leg mechanisms -"
"Doc, I don't think it much likes that." Fury indicates the agitated twitching of the builder-bot's legs.
"But I must see how ze creature is constructed -"
"Please Doctor, not now." Archie gently removes the builder-bot from his master's hands. The smaller robot immediately scampers up his arm, perching on his shoulder. It pauses once there, seemingly alert, then makes a succession of taps and scrapes with its leg. "I believe I will be able to communicate with it, given some time to process its command structure."
"Very well." Gustav sighs, clearly disappointed at not getting to disassemble anything.
"Come, Doctor." Xinthon smiles, and waves them toward the elevator, "We will leave our robot friends to become better acquainted, and I will take the rest of you to view my ship. Not only am I eager to enlist the aid of your government in repairing it, but perhaps you would enjoy the opportunity to see more of my technology, first-hand?"
The Doctor - with what sounds suspiciously like a chortle of glee - immediately hurries toward the elevator doors. Xinthon offers S'Ondra his arm, and the two follow Gustav at a more decorous pace.
Fury pauses for one last glance at Archie,
"Keep your eyes open." He mutters at last, "I don't trust this guy."
Then, still scowling, he brings up the rear.
Xinthon leads the four space adventurers back down the hallway and into the elevator. The alien's black coat billows slightly as he moves, while his tunic pulls tight across his chest. S'Ondra notices. Fury, noticing S'Ondra noticing, scowls.
Once all five members of the groups are in the elevator, the D'Bari Scientist presses the lowest button on the console. There is a soft whine of machinery, and then a flicker of lights in the shaft as the elevator car descends,
"I'm taking you to the floor where the atmospheric processor and gravity generators are stored." Xinthon brings up a schematic of the pyramid on the elevator's video screen. There is a single elevator shaft, with four levels leading from it. "The top level is where you found me. We then have the storage area, the entry hall- through which you came into this building - and then our destination, here at the base."
"Vat is in ze storage area?" Gustav asks.
"All kinds of spare parts and materials from my vessel. Engine components - only for the Planetary Drive, unfortunately - laboratory equipment, steel plates, tungsten ore ..." Xinthon trails off and shrugs, "All the things the builder bots need in order to keep everything operating."
The elevator jerks to a stop, and the doors glide open with a soft hiss, revealing a room filled with chrome, steel and glass. Huge consoles of machinery stretch up the walls, to the ceiling nearly twenty feet above, and there is a constant clank of giant pistons and gears at work.
"I'm sorry about the noise." Xinthon raises his voice slightly, "But some of the equipment had to be jury-rigged. It's not as efficient as I would have liked, but -"
"What on Venus is that?" S'Ondra snaps her heat lance up into an aggressive position, the crystal point glowing with a pale orange light. A robotic spider, easily a foot across, has crawled out from behind one of the consoles. It carries a globule of silvery metal in its mandibles, and scuttles across the floor toward them.
"All is well." Xinthon holds out an empty palm, then waves for the Princess and Fury to lower their weapons. "'That' is a builder-bot. There are probably several others in here, keeping the machinery in order. You need not concern yourselves; they are completely harmless."
"Fascinating." Gustav bends over to peer curiously at the small robot, which skitters obliviously between his legs.
"Ugly." Is S'Ondra's rather less enraptured response.
"But functional." Xinthon shrugs easily, "Small enough to move anywhere in a D'Bari vessel, and built to withstand great extremes of temperature and pressure. If only flesh and blood was as strong."
"Flesh and blood has its own advantages." Fury gives the builder-bot a suspicious stare. For it's part, the 'bot pays the captain no attention at all. As it passes close to Archie, however, it abruptly comes to a halt, a series of lights flashing across its abdomen.
"Ah, it seems to have detected your metallic companion." Xinthon folds him arms in satisfaction.
Oblivious to the attention it is receiving, the builder-bot extends one of its metallic legs and uses it to tap Archie's large steel foot. Tink tink tink.
A shadow looms over it as Archie bends to peer more closely at his small visitor. Slowly, the larger robot leans down, reaching out one hand to tap on the builder-bot's carapace. The 'bot skitters slightly at the touch, its legs rippling with the movement. Then it settles, tapping back on Archie's out-stretched hand.
"Fascinating." Gustav grabs the builder-bot and lifts it into the air, peering at the underside, "Marvellous leg mechanisms -"
"Doc, I don't think it much likes that." Fury indicates the agitated twitching of the builder-bot's legs.
"But I must see how ze creature is constructed -"
"Please Doctor, not now." Archie gently removes the builder-bot from his master's hands. The smaller robot immediately scampers up his arm, perching on his shoulder. It pauses once there, seemingly alert, then makes a succession of taps and scrapes with its leg. "I believe I will be able to communicate with it, given some time to process its command structure."
"Very well." Gustav sighs, clearly disappointed at not getting to disassemble anything.
"Come, Doctor." Xinthon smiles, and waves them toward the elevator, "We will leave our robot friends to become better acquainted, and I will take the rest of you to view my ship. Not only am I eager to enlist the aid of your government in repairing it, but perhaps you would enjoy the opportunity to see more of my technology, first-hand?"
The Doctor - with what sounds suspiciously like a chortle of glee - immediately hurries toward the elevator doors. Xinthon offers S'Ondra his arm, and the two follow Gustav at a more decorous pace.
Fury pauses for one last glance at Archie,
"Keep your eyes open." He mutters at last, "I don't trust this guy."
Then, still scowling, he brings up the rear.
