Ordinarily the sight of a Knight Harvester confronting me in a narrow corridor with no weapons and no place to run would result in soiled pants and a girly scream. But there is a lady present. Who is currently fulfilling the girly scream part for me as she cowers behind my body as if that would provide even the smallest ounce of protection. Not so sure on the pants soiling part, don't think her species does that and she's not wearing pants regardless, so I may still have to provide that service myself.

  "Metal Beasts, lie."

  It's been saying stuff like that for a little while. Don't think talking is what that mouth was designed for. It sounds rough and a bit garbled. Like someone trying to talk while their mouth is full. The voice is husky and breathy. Almost as emotionless as the Diegiton.

  "Alcea, can you understand it, too?"

  She shakes her head no. Her eyes are closed and head pointed down so that's probably all I'm going to get. The Harvester language hasn't been translated to my knowledge. And this creature's speech seems too rough and guttural. Accents are a thing and it can be hard to convey but this doesn't seem to be the problem. It seems the creature is speaking my language.

  "How do you speak human?"

  "We lern. We lern menei thin. You, humen. Come to help Metal Beasts."

  So they knew about the negotiations after all. Interesting. Wonder who's info they used for that.

  "Alright, so you know a bit about who I am and why I'm here. Unfortunately,. I don't know much about you. So, I think It's my turn to learn."

  It tilts it's head. I might have been the first person to ever ask to learn from it.

  "We tach. Whut lern?"

  "Well I guess to start, what is your name?"

  "Nane? We no Nane."

  Of course you don't. Bad start.

  "Alright, never mind. Well how do you speak my language?

  "Lern. Righten lef behin. Read."

  "You read our literature? I didn't even think that was possible."

  "Not fer lonn time. Righten, no known. Lern sloe."

  It's been debated for a long time if the Flesh Harvesters were a truly intelligent race or merely hyper advanced animals. This proves things definitively. They can learn all on their own. And if they can learn, they can be reasoned with.

  "The Union has been attempting contact with your race for many decades. We'd pretty much given up entirely. Why are you talking to us now?"

  "Us thenk you ferals."

  "You thought we were animals? Well that's irony for you. I suppose there's a reason all those com and sensor pings didn't tip you off."

  "Eyes nd ears. No us can see or hear. Calls us no stends. Us hide from calls. No be see. No be hear. You no see or hear Us calls. Us do same."

  A total break down in communication. That explains a lot.

  "So how do you communicate?"

  "Smel, feel, thenks."

  "A psionic connection?"

  "Psitonac? No lern Psitonac."

  "It means you can communicate with others through your thoughts."

  "No. Us no Calls in thenks. Us thenks same. No Calls at all. Knew what other wants. Same wants all."

  "So a kind of intuition. With smell and touch as well, did you use sound at all before realizing that's how most other races communicated?"

  "No. Hears no need. No till Metal Beasts come."

  "The Diegiton. What happened? From your side of things."

  The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

  There's a pause. Harvesters have small eyes. Tiny black orbs attached to an inexpressive face of armored chitin. Impossible to read what they are thinking. Despite that, this one seems hesitant to speak. Perhaps it's trying hide something. Or maybe, speaking of this is too painful.

  "Us liv quiet. Farm lan. Hent beast. Mak hive to liv. Then Metal Beasts come. Lan turn to fire. Water turn to steem. Hive turn to grave. Us die by many. Us fight. Lern mak war. Lern kill. Lern die. Push Metal Beasts from home. Metal Beasts come agains. More fire. More steem. More die. On and on. Us lern of dark water. Make biggest Us to war on Metal Beast Homes. Till mak war. On and on."

  Classic viscous cycle. Seems the Diegiton aren't as innocent in this conflict as they often claimed. Though that doesn't excuse the Harvesters for their actions either.

  "You've killed a lot of Union civilians. There are a lot of people out there that want your species extinct."

  "You of that? You save Us. Why?"

  Alcea tugs on my legs. I'd almost forgotten she was there.

  "You saved it? W-why would you d-do that?"

  Wish I could tell her. Don't really know myself.

  "My reasons are mine. And it's still my turn to learn. You attack this vessel. Tried to kill the Diegiton ambassador. Why?"

  "Long time, thenk you and Metal Beast one nd sames. Long time lern no true. Lern you nd Metal Beast to join. Can no let be. Us can no war both."

  "Only just realized we weren't on the same side? You guys learn pretty slow."

  "Metal biggest seem sames. No tell what is who."

  "You don't use sensors like the rest of us, do you?"

  "No."

  Curiouser and curiouser. Smell and sound don't work in space and they don't have traditional sensors. Perhaps they are relying on pure sight? From the immense distances between vessels, that would make it hard to tell who is who. We'd all just look like metallic blobs.

  "Last question then. You don't want us to join with the Diegiton. So then, what do you want?"

  "No help Metal Beasts. No more."

  "That can't be all. If we stay out of this the war will just continue on forever. Even if one of you two eventually wins, there won't be much left by the end of it all. Like I said, a lot of people want your species gone."

  "Want Metal Beast Die! Want liv Home! No else. No mak war to Us."

  "So your plan is just to hope you can win and then that we will leave you alone after all of that?"

  "Yes."

  Seems they still need to learn about long term planning.

  "That won't work out for you. You don't need to go it alone just because you had a bad first contact. Let us help you. I can order the council to speak to your race as an equal. We can lay down some mutual agreements and-"

  "NO WANT YOU!"

  That sounded like genuine anger. Must have touch a nerve.

  "Us no want helps. Us want war stops. War stops wen Metal Beast die. You help Metal Beast, you die to. No more Calls."

  The Knight turns away and starts to rush into the darkness.

  "I can't protect you!"

  It stopped. It said no more calls, but it still wants to listen.

  "If you do this, the Union will declare war. They don't like the Diegiton much either. But if you force them to chose a side, it won't be yours. I don't want that either. Just try things our way. Please."

  The Knight turns back my way. I'm sure I'm only imagining this. A look of sorrow. Regret. Maybe even fear.

  "Us let you liv. Pay for help Us Liv. Met more, you die. Or Us die."

  With that they vanish into the darkness. If there is only one thing the Diegiton and Harvesters have in common, it's that they are stubborn. The shivering leaf at my feet has lessened her shaking. Should be able to continue on.

  "Alcea, it's gone. We need to reach the bridge."

  "I-I'm fine h-here. Just go on w-without me."

  "Alright. I'll just leave you here in the dark with the Harvester."

  Alcea goes from cowering to tugging my arm forward faster then a dog running away from lightning.

  "Let's go go Go!"

  We double time it. Passing through the corridors at breakneck speed. Alcea even stopped working on all the maintenance. She really wants out. Who am I to slow her down? Before I know it we reach another transport tucked away in a far corner.

  "Here! This one. Quickly."

  "Hold on, where does this lead?"

  "Straight to the bridge. It's a forgotten transport. I think it was put in for emergencies. It's not on any of the schematics. There are a few like that all around the ship. Probably commissioned by a previous Captain."

  "You knew about these? Have you reported them? Or are you keeping them for yourself?"

  "W-well, I... that is I was planning to but, but, but-"

  "Forget it. Conversation for later. Let's just get out of here."

  The transport is a bit cramped. Think it was only meant for one person. On my own there is just a little bit of room left. Alcea is going to have to squeeze real close to fit in. Tight and up against me. First good news I’ve had all day.

  “I promise to be respectful. Just, try and find some space.”

  “D-don’t worry. There’s plenty. Let me just get adjusted.”

  Alcea is unhooking her leaf bra. Not that I don’t appreciate a good show but why is she…oh. Oh no! Tendrils. She’s become a giant mass of tendrils. Sliding into every nook and cranny around my body. It feels like I’m in a coffin filled with snakes. Don’t panic Tom. I SAID DON”T PANIC TOM. Just push the button and get out of here. Move past it all. Ignore them slithering across your hands.

  “Uhmm. C-Captain.”

  She can talk like this?

  “P-please be careful You, uh, t-touched a very… personal vine. Just now.”

  They all look and feel the same. This is going to be a long ride.