The Celaran Probe (Parker Interstellar Travels Book 7)

by Michael McCloskey

  Siobhan expected the inside of the Celaran ship to have larger spaces than a Terran vessel, but she still felt shock when she saw the feed from the attendant.

  The entire ship is one big open space!

  At least a dozen Celarans hung inside on wall rods. Three fingers at one end clasped the rod, then their two-meter long bodies hung outwards toward the center of the ship. They looked just like larger versions of the feral snakelike flyers they had seen on the planet, except they wore the harnesses or clothing as Cilreth had figured out. The Celarans were restless, always moving, swinging, or curling their bodies.

  Maybe that’s a sign of excitement?

  “That’s crazy,” Magnus said.

  “It’s just like the space habitat,” Cilreth said.

  “And the hangars we found on the planet,” said Caden. “Look, their bodies are pointed—”

  “Toward the center!” Telisa finished. “Though the attendant reports very low acceleration, less than a third of a G.”

  “Wouldn’t they want the gravity pulled outwards, as if the walls of the ship were the ground?” Siobhan wondered.

  “And can they really afford to waste that much volume? If the hull is breached then there’s no way to mitigate the loss of air,” Magnus said.

  “This is their way,” Telisa said. “I’m sure it’s no waste to them. And they survived the battle.”

  Siobhan thought about what Magnus had said. If this ship had been hit by a fragment from the battle and pierced the hull, there would be no segmentation structure to stop the loss of the atmospheric pressure. Why would they risk that?

  “They must have rapid repair systems, advanced shields, possibly each crewmember can protect themselves from vacuum,” she thought aloud.

  “Ready? Here we go,” Telisa said. She added a bit more over the channel so Cilreth could hear: “Watch our little flying guest just in case.”

  “Will do,” Cilreth sent back. “Good luck.”

  “Two at a time in the tunnel,” Telisa ordered. Magnus entered the tunnel with her. Caden and Siobhan beat out Jason for the next pair. Jason looked dismal and Siobhan knew it was not because he was last; it was because Imanol was dead.

  The Celaran robot had flown into every open space of the Iridar. Siobhan wondered if it noticed any inconsistencies stemming from the Terrans being in a Vovokan ship.

  It’s like when we found the Blackvines living in a Celaran habitat. We had no idea for a long time.

  Telisa had arrived in the Celaran ship. A Celaran floated near the door, only two meters away from her now. Siobhan imagined it was there to welcome them, though she knew that was a very Terran assumption.

  “By the Five, it’s beautiful,” Telisa said. Siobhan and Caden started across the tunnel, watching the video feed from ahead.

  The Celaran wore a black and blue harness across its long, flat body like the ones they had found in the ruins. It floated down to the level of the Terrans before it. The creature’s many chevrons shimmered with bright color across its otherwise black skin. It was a living, flickering iridescent light.

  It’s saying something.

  “It’s larger than the ones we saw before!” Siobhan said over the shared channel.

  The Celaran abruptly slid away through the air. Its flat body undulated like the fins of an eel. Siobhan noticed it fold the three fingers on each end of its body down against its underside for flight. Siobhan remembered that its clothing probably had tech to help it move as well.

  “It moves surprisingly fast,” Magnus said. The tone of his voice suggested an appraisal of the danger it posed.

  Telisa floated a bit farther inside to make room for the others. She moved very slowly. Then she started to fall toward the center of the ship, so she had an attendant nudge her toward the nearest hanging bar. Once there, Telisa hooked her lower legs around the bar and let her upper body float toward the center of the ship in the light gravity.

  “When in Rome...” Telisa said with a smile. Siobhan smiled too. She felt genuinely happy until she recalled the crewmember who had not lived to see this.

  Jason and Marcant came across, then all the Terrans hooked their lower legs around the rods at the knee and hung with the Celarans. The low gravity ensured that it was not uncomfortable for them to hang “upside down”, with the blood rushing to their heads.

  “I’m sure we look ridiculous, not only to the folks on the Midway, but also to the Celarans,” Siobhan sent Caden privately. He just grinned and kept watching the Celarans.

  “We’re going to need some fancy light emitters and recorders,” Telisa said. “For starters, we should record their flickering and play it back for them, to let them know we’re aware that’s how they speak.”

  “Your flashlights can do it, at least for part of the spectrum,” Marcant said. “Record from your links. Shall I try?”

  “Yes,” Telisa ordered.

  Marcant released his hanging rod and floated forward under the power of his attendant. He detached a light from his suit and held it forward. It flickered in several colors. Immediately a Celaran glided forward to see it up close. It came so quickly that Marcant looked startled.

  They’re fast. Very fast.

  “Let’s hope they sense at least part of the same light spectrum we do,” Siobhan said.

  The Celaran clearly responded. It flashed bright red and held it, then bright blue. Marcant repeated the sequence, at least the part of it in the spectrum visible to Terrans.

  “It knows we know that it’s talking,” Telisa said. “And I’m sure it can tell from how lame our lights are that we don’t know how to say anything that way.”

  “The light patterns they use are sophisticated. I now also ascribe to your theory that this is their primary method of communication,” Marcant said imperiously.

  “Good,” Telisa said. “Marcant, it’s on you. I want to talk to them. Figure it out.” Telisa’s voice was harder than usual.

  It’s like she’s making it clear, Marcant needs to prove he’s worth everything that’s happened, Siobhan thought.

  Marcant stared at Telisa for a moment as if trying to check for a joke.

  “Understood,” Marcant finally said calmly enough, but his composure cracked just a little bit.

  And try not to kill anyone, Siobhan silently added.