Scission: Instinct
At Tyr's suggestion they went to the crew quarters first. There was no usable clothing or food but they used the much needed humaniod style facilities and found a blanket. Which Beka wore like a shawl having given up Tyr's sleeveless shirt.
She looked up at the flickering light coming from the seam between ceiling and wall of the ship's main central corridor. "Back on Command I had another thought to why we don't seem to the drawing full backup. What if the power cut off trapped the central computer in this state and its drawing back up to maintain it." She looked up at him. "It may not be drawing enough power for its higher processes as opposed to being fried by a backwash of power. It could mean that once backup is drained we would shift into normal space."
"It would also mean that should something happened for its state to change the central computer could come back online and bring its internal defences up."
"And I thought I was cynical." They continued on in silence.
The quietness of the ship had been eerie, but suddenly her uneasiness became an unscratchable itch.
Tyr stopped and looked around the featureless corridor. "There should be an alien here."
Beka instinctually followed the source of her unease to the ceiling. There was a utility access just above her head.
Tyr gently pushed her behind him, then reached a long arm up from his superior height and yanked open the hatch. A body dropped to their feet.
Beka stepped around Tyr to the far side of the alien, while he covered her with his already drawn rifle.
This was the first of the enemy they had seen without the black armoured body suit. It was the first they had seen in the flesh so to speak. Gingerly Beka reached out and touched the chilled flesh. It was grey, satiny smooth and nearly translucent. The features were nearly archetypically abhorrent. A shudder passed through her that herd of Magog couldn't raise. It was thin and hard-edged. Its grey lips were pulled back exposing sharp pointed teeth. Long ears wrapped around its mostly bald head.
"It looks like one of the creatures from Harper's Earth vids. His 'children's' stories. What were they called? Where is Harper when you need him" She looked up at Tyr.
"Never around," he confirmed.
Beka went back to studying the alien. It wore a grey loosely fitted coverall, the universal and, apparently, multidimensional sign of a technician. It was a comforting thought.
She examined the cloth. It seemed to have a network of electronics woven into it. She pulled back the collar and saw a ribbon of wires entering the base of its skull. "I think I can guess why they are all out cold."
Tyr squatted beside her, gun still trained on the silent form. She showed him the cybernetics. "They are hooked into the central computer."
She nodded, "That would mean that there was feedback from the energy stream. And it may explain why with their technology, they don't have an AI. They don't need it."
Silently, Tyr passed her the rifle. She rarely got to handle the BFG as Harper called it. She tested its weight; it really was a big fucking gun. She'd have to consider getting herself one. She slung the strap over her head and levelled it at the alien, who Tyr picked up and threw over his shoulder.
