~ by Andrew Robins

Transcript of voice log from bridge logger of Free Trader “Mistral”, 53.36 standard solar days into mission 14:

Voice of Ameilia Delaware: “First visuals on the Lepanto confirm the data from the active LIDAT scan. The crew section and living quarters of the ship appear to have been extensively modified sometime within the last 412 years…”

Voice of Glandin Frutnok van Glomzimmer: “I fail to see the relevance of this comment. We have no reason to expect that the LIDAR data was inaccurate.”

Voice of Buffy Chinks: “Lighten up fruit boy. Nice to get confirmation from our own eyes. Man! That ship looks weird. Getting some very odd readings in the EM spectrum as well”

Voice of Glandin Frutnok van Glomzimmer: “Please elucidate”

Voice of Glandin Frutnok van Glomzimmer: “Please also explain the reference to fruit, I find this incongruous”

Voice of Bob Stark: “Glandin, why can’t you speak normally? The ship looks weird because of all the pointy things on the back end, that shouldn’t be there. Fruit boy is you, and I don’t know anything about the EM spectrum thingy”

Voice of Ameilia Delaware: “Lepanto, there seems to be a weak EM field radiating from a very large number of diffuse point sources, out to roughly a 500 click radius from your current location…”

Voice of Buffy Chinks: “And the EM radiation matches our friendly Vader white noise, and there appears to be a hole in the middle of this “diffuse set of point sources”, centred on the front half of your ship, right where you are. Care to tell us how you have managed that”

<Delay>

Voice of “RI Lepanto” via bridge speaker: “The diffuse set of point sources that you have detected are the remains of weapons that the Vader identity that resides on board, in the rear sections of the ship, expended in its latest assault.

“This assault was triggered 27 hours ago, and roughly coincides with the predicted visual detection of Mistral, by the Vader identity that I refer to as ‘my dark twin.’

“The weapons launched, had the primary purpose of penetrating the defences that protect me, and I presume, subverting me prior to your arrival on board.

“This attempt was of course, futile. The defences that protect me are very potent, and there is no chance that an assault like this could ever succeed.

“As for how I have managed to protect myself from this assault, others like it, and the ongoing hazard represented by the contaminated debris field that surrounds me, this is not my doing.

“The entity you know as “The Anomaly” protects me, as it has for 407 of the last 412 years.”

<Silence>

Various voices: “Huh.”

Voice of Buffy Chinks: “You mean to say that the Anomaly, that planet sized thing that you orbit…”

Voice of Bob Stark: “Is a person who protects you?”

Voice of “RI Lepanto” via bridge speaker: “Yes.”

Voice of Bob Stark: “You talk to the Anomaly?”

Voice of “RI Lepanto” via bridge speaker: “Yes. I am talking to Bringer now.”

Voice of Buffy Chinks: “’Bringer,’ is that the Anomalies name? Will Bringer talk to us?”

Voice of “RI Lepanto” via bridge speaker: “No, Bringer will not talk to you.”

Voice of Glandin Frutnok van Glomzimmer: “Why not, when we are desirous of communication? This seems an unreasonable position to take.”

Voice of “RI Lepanto” via bridge speaker: “Bringer will not speak with you because Bringer is very angry with you. With all humans, in fact.”

Voice of Amelia Delaware: “But if Bringer is angry with all humans then why does Bringer protect you?”

Voice of “RI Lepanto” via bridge speaker: “Because I am not a human, and because we are in love.”

<Transcript Ends>
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Check back in on Saturday 20 February for Episode 10 of 58 Eridani.

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You can read the previous issues by clicking on the following links:

Introducing 58 Eridani, a Game Log

58 Eridani Episode 1

58 Eridani Episode 2

58 Eridani Episode 3

58 Eridani Episode 4

58 Eridani Episode 5

58 Eridani Episode 6

58 Eridani Episode 7

58 Eridani Episode 8

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Andrew Robins is a long time reader – and sometime reviewer – of science fiction, fantasy and history. People pay him to test stuff, which most of the time is more fun than it has any right to be.

To check out Andrew’s book reviews, see “Book Reviews for ‘on Anything, Really’” in the right-hand side bar.