A/N: I was pleased to see that some readers have stayed with this story. However, less than before and certainly less reviews. I plan to continue this for myself and the few readers still wanting it.
Thanks, once again, to klipdoctor for the beta.
I realized as I went through the corrections that he'd spotted, that I had not mentioned before about S'ra's language. They do not use contractions like we do in English. So, they will always say "he had" rather than the contracted version "he'd." Apostrophes do appear in the text in thoughts and names, just not in standard speech.
This chapter is dedicated to the amazing, talented actress who played the part of Sarah Walker in the show, Yvonne Strahovski. It's published on her birthday. She won't read this, of course, but without her brilliant acting, I probably would've given up on Chuck long before I got to the finale.
In this chapter, Chuck and S'ra enter the black cavern at the base of the Kazmar pyramid…
Exo
Chapter 18: Shaxi
Shining their torches into the cavern achieved nothing, so it seemed unlikely that that would change when they entered, but they plunged forward anyway.
Neither were surprised when they got several feet into the darkness and nothing changed. They looked behind them and were surprised to find that they could still see nothing. Their exit had disappeared!
"Chuck! I am scared," S'ra said.
"We just have to retrace our steps," he said, trying to reassure her, while feeling the same panic she was obviously experiencing.
They released each other's hands and turned around, then reached for the other's hand again. Not being able to see, they missed the first time, but fortunately, Chuck's had bumped into her wrist and he grabbed that and then slid his hand down until they could clasp each other's hands once again.
They then gingerly moved forward, with Chuck hoping that they had turned through one-hundred-and-eighty degrees. He thought he had and that S'ra had swung around him, but he couldn't be sure. With the entrance being so wide, they shouldn't miss it, but the utter darkness was so unnerving, that fear crept in.
Both let out sighs of relief when they emerged into the light again.
Chuck stated the obvious, "Well, that did not work!"
"I never want to go in there again," S'ra replied.
He looked at her and saw she was visibly shaking. He wrapped his arms around her and held her tightly.
"I was so scared that we would never get out," she whimpered into his chest.
He tightened his hold on her. He'd felt that too, but wanted to be strong for her.
After a while, she stopped shaking and he released her enough to be able to pull her up into a kiss.
They sat down and just looked at each other for several minutes. Chuck finally spoke, "I thought I would lose you in there. You probably noticed how tightly I gripped your hand when I found it again after we turned."
She grimaced. "I think you might have bruised my wrist before that."
Chuck could see the humor in her eyes and knew she wasn't upset. Hopefully not hurt either. "Sorry, my love."
She placed her palm on the side of his face. "I'm just teasing, trying to ease the tension."
He took that hand and kissed her palm. "I love you so much, S'ra."
She nodded. "I know. I love you, too."
They both looked back into the black void. When she looked back at him, his eyes continued to focus in the entrance, his brow creased. After a few moments, she said, "You want to go back in there?"
He looked at her apologetically, but didn't deny it. After a long pause, he said, "If you stayed out here and I had a rope tied to me, it would stop me losing my way."
She tipped her head slightly and gazed at him. "Why go?"
He looked down and blushed. "I have to know if there is anything in there to explain this mystery. Something worth bringing out into the light."
"What if it is just a tunnel into the pyramid?" she asked. "It could go on and on and you find nothing."
"A long rope," he hesitantly suggested. "I am sure there will be something in there."
She could see his need for knowledge. She knew he wouldn't rest if he didn't try this. However, she hated the idea of being apart, even though they would be connected by the rope. "What if it slices through the rope when you get in there… or… or when you are part way in?"
He hadn't thought of that, but did now. "If it does immediately, I will just turn and come straight back out. I will hold onto the rope, so I will feel my end go slack. Same if I am further in. If it happens then, I will turn and grope on the ground until I find the other end and then come back. I will not pull hard on it, so the other end should not move far from the entrance."
"And if it slices closer to you?"
"Then I'll find the piece after the cut," he quickly replied.
She sighed. Clearly he was determined to try this. She stood and reached for his hand, pulling him up. "Then we will return to the flier to get rope and tie many pieces together."
He looked closely at her. "Are you comfortable with this?"
She laughed at the question. "Of course I am not! However, I do not want you wishing you had done this for the rest of our vacation."
He smiled. "Probably not the whole time. I have a wife that distracts me so well!"
She chuckled at that and gripped his hand and pulled him to start their walk back to the flier. "Maybe a distraction when we get back to the flier?" she suggested.
He grinned. "If that is a reminder of why I need to return, I am all for it."
They held each other's hands all the way back to the flier. Both holding on tightly. They were not going to be permanently separated again.
Finding the ropes and tying them together took very little time. The lovemaking took much longer. Both of them wanted the other to know how much they were loved.
When they recovered from that, they stood, dressed, picked everything up again, including the rope, and set off for the pyramid again. Both walked in silence. Neither wanted to think this was a doomed trip.
Once back at the entrance, S'ra tied one end of the rope to Chuck's wrist and he gripped the free end. The rope would unravel as he walked but she would be releasing it a small stretch at a time. She was not going to let go of it.
He kissed her and turned.
She watched him disappear into the darkness. Her chest tightened and she looked at the rope she was holding. It was still taut, so that first test had passed.
After a pause it pulled, so he must have started forward and she started releasing the rope.
She knew this was going to be a tense time for her.
Chuck was happy to find that the rope stayed taut, so the entrance way had not cut it. He hadn't expected that to happen, but in here craziness happened so he hadn't really known.
He then started forward, slowly, one small step at a time. He stopped when he'd gone five steps.
S'ra could well be correct and this was just a tunnel, but eventually it must reach something and not just pass completely through the pyramid. He was sure of that. However, he wasn't sure what to do next. He wondered about moving to the sides to see what might be there.
He chuckled at the thought of finding a light switch! Then, he thought of the lighting in the golden city. If lights were needed, they just activated. He doubted that the people who built this were any less advanced.
He quickly decided to walk ahead. That would reassure his lovely wife that he was moving and ok. He started creeping forward. He was not going to rush in case he tripped over something.
He kept moving forward for what felt like an age, but was probably no more than forty minutes.
The complete lack of sound or vision was very disturbing. He guessed this was what it was like to be deaf and blind. He felt so lucky not to be like that. However, he was starting to question whether he could continue. The lack of sensory input was quite unnerving.
He took another few steps forward and then froze. Everything had changed. He had to cover his eyes as a bright white light invaded them.
The humming from all around wasn't loud, but after the absolute silence, that affected his ears, too.
He fell to his knees, but made sure to retain his grip on the rope.
He gradually uncovered his eyes, blinking in the brightness.
He first looked back down the area he had traversed. The light did not reach the entrance, it only went back fifteen feet or so.
He focused around him.
The floor was the same rock color as outside and nothing was in his immediate vicinity. Looking to his left and right, the light extended further than behind him. In either direction, probably about thirty feet away, walls curved up from the floor. This tunnel was obviously narrower than the entrance itself. There was nothing on those walls.
Looking ahead, however, there was something. If it wasn't such a scary situation, Chuck might have laughed. What looked like an android from a 1970's movie faced him. It was about fifteen feet tall and six wide, all black with what looked like arms either side. The hands at the ends of these arms seemed to be clenching items, but he couldn't see what. The 'head' was almost humanoid in shape, but completely devoid of color. It didn't seem like black skin covering it, too dark for that and slightly shiny.
The eyes, or what were in the place of eyes, were a piercing white color, that was the only exception to the uniform black.
It was just standing there observing him in silence. Or rather in the hum that surrounded them. The sound didn't seem to be coming from any specific direction, just pervaded everything, as if the air itself was humming.
Chuck decided to try communication. "Hello," he said in S'ra's language, and got no response. That wasn't surprising as the language probably didn't exist back when this thing was created.
"Hello," he said in the Pradurian language and still got no response.
Not sure what to try next, Chuck cursed in English.
He got a shock then as he heard a voice say, in English, "You are not from this world."
Chuck's jaw dropped. This was the last language he expected to hear on this planet. "You- you speak English."
"Follow," the voice said. The figure started to turn.
"Wait!" Chuck shouted. The turn was reversed. "My wife needs to join me," Chuck continued.
After a short pause, the light extended back, hopefully to the entrance. Chuck looked at the figure. "Thank you. I'll get her." He ran back to the entrance. It took only five minutes.
As he ran, he looked around. The tunnel was uniformly uninteresting. As he neared the entrance he saw two things. The walls opened out. They were still uniformly blank, but what drew his eyes was S'ra standing in the entranceway, looking at him. She looked both worried and the most beautiful thing he had ever seen.
He slowed down and swept her off her feet, kissing all over her face. She started to giggle before he crashed his lips to hers.
When he lowered her to the ground, she said, "The darkness suddenly lit up but I couldn't see you. You must have dropped the rope because the tension stopped. I thought the light coming on was because someone had found you and hurt you." Her teary eyes locked with his. "I did not know what to do!"
He kissed her again, then told her what had happened.
"So, you want me to come with you?" she asked. "What about the rope?"
He thought about that. "I think it would be safe to leave it now. I was not under threat. When we want to return, I am sure that will be allowed."
She looked at him. The ever trusting Chuck. However, it didn't sound dangerous. She nodded and untied the rope around his wrist. Then, she clasped his hand. "Lead on," she said.
He grinned at the phrase and did so.
Approaching the figure, which had remained motionless, he looked at S'ra. "Do not worry, but it has only spoken in English. I will translate."
She nodded, looking apprehensively at the black figure.
"Follow," the voice said and the figure turned.
She looked at Chuck. "The voice seems to appear in my head, not through my ears."
He realized she was right. "Mine too."
She added, "I understood it, it was in my language." He stared at her. That was definitely a surprise, especially as he'd heard it in English.
They looked at the figure which was starting to move away. They followed and it sped up. Chuck had half expected it to float, but it was actually walking on two legs.
S'ra looked over her shoulder. "Chuck, the light behind is disappearing."
It was, whereas the light ahead was reaching further and further along the tunnel.
Chuck squeezed her hand to reassure her and they continued to follow the figure.
They continued to walk at this steady pace for about fifteen minutes before noticing a light ahead. The tunnel finally opened up before them into another cavern.
Both of them stopped when they saw the fully lit cavern. S'ra gasped and Chuck just looked ahead in awe.
Several buildings were laid out in front of them. Fliers flitted between. The ceiling was about one hundred feet above and the rock surface seemed to be covered in some sort of metal.
Looking back down, Chuck saw that the figure had stopped and two more were approaching them. When they stopped a voice said, "Welcome." It seemed to be a different voice to the other. "You must have questions, as have we."
Without another word, all three figures turned and moved back in the direction the two had come from. Chuck and S'ra had no choice but to follow.
They were taken into one of the buildings and led to a large room with a table in the center and large chairs around it. Apart from the scale, this could have been in Los Angeles, Chuck thought.
The figures sat at the table and Chuck and S'ra needed to sit opposite them. The chairs were obviously not made for Chuck and S'ra, so he lifted her up by her waist to help her up. She would have struggled otherwise. Then, Chuck leapt up to the seat beside her. He reached out and they just managed to hold hands, the distance apart making them stretch.
The table was within reach, but again higher than either were used to.
"Drink?" a different voice spoke to them.
"Please," both replied in their respective languages. Chuck looked at his wife and grinned.
One of the figures went to get refreshment. Glasses were placed in front of them. Chuck noticed larger ones were placed on the other side of the table. He also realized they were not made of glass but some slightly opaque material.
He reached for his glass and took a drink. It was just water, but very refreshing. "Who are you?" he asked.
"We are the Shaxi. The glacier bears the same name." Chuck wasn't sure whether to ask if they were living or some form of android. "We have lived on this planet longer than most."
Well, that answered my question, Chuck thought.
"How are you speaking to us?" S'ra asked. "And in our respective languages?"
"Our bodies are different to yours, not just in skin covering," the first voice stated. "We used to be more like you, eons ago, but we no longer have vocal cords and communicate with our minds."
"Telepathy," Chuck muttered.
"Indeed, We no longer have ears like yours either. We read what you say in the same way. As you speak we hear you think it."
"Wow!" Chuck said, louder.
"How do you know Chuck is from another planet?" S'ra asked.
"We know where he comes from. We brought him here."
Two jaws dropped.
"Why?" Chuck managed to ask.
"Partly to see if we could," the second voice stated.
"You didn't know?" Chuck questioned.
"No."
"So, I might not have made it?"
"No."
Chuck was stunned. "What would have happened to me?"
"We believe you would have returned to your body on Earth."
"But you don't know for sure?" he asked.
"99.9% percent probability."
"So, I was a scientific experiment," he stated, incredulously.
"We also could see that you would make a difference."
Ignoring the content of the statement, he asked, "You are clairvoyant?"
"There was a high probability," was the reply.
"How would he make a difference?" S'ra asked.
"Your race was close to extinction by the Frakku. He would change that, as he did."
Both Chuck and S'ra were reeling under this information.
"So, you have observed me?" Chuck finally asked.
"Indeed."
"Can you send him back?" S'ra asked. Chuck looked at her with hurt in his eyes. She turned to him. "I do not want you to go, but are you not wondering?"
He was, so he squeezed her hand and looked back at the Shaxi.
"That would be harder."
That piqued his curiosity. "Why?"
"Your body has been cremated back there."
Chuck hadn't thought about that happening. "So, my body remained there and one appeared here too?"
"It was unexpected."
He started to spiral. "Oh god! Ellie will have been devastated! And then she would have had to receive my body and arrange for cremation."
"We had not expected that."
"Can you communicate with her? Can I?" he asked.
"We cannot talk to her remotely, but it may be possible to pass a message."
Chuck looked at S'ra. "I could tell her what happened."
"Chuck, be careful," S'ra advised. "Would she not think it was a cruel joke? It would seem so unbelievable."
"The message could be a recording to her. You would be visually telling her."
Chuck was over the moon. "Could S'ra be in it? And one of you?"
"Indeed."
That was it. Chuck had no more questions, he just wanted to make the recording.
A voice then said, "We have questions for you."
He had forgotten that. "Yes?"
"You have now experienced a number of species. Some degenerated, some not. We would appreciate your thoughts on them all." There was a pause. "Including us."
Chuck was surprised to hear the people they'd met were of different species, but replied, "With pleasure."
"I can give my opinions too," S'ra added.
"Yes. That would give us two perspectives."
"How long will it take to capture and send the recording? And how will Ellie receive it?" Chuck got back to his desire to communicate with his sister.
"We have not transmitted to Earth before, just observed and brought you here. It will take some time to do this."
"Days? Weeks?"
"Weeks."
"And how will she receive it," he asked again.
"You have devices on your planet that can receive messages. We have to work out how to link with those. That is what will take the time."
Chuck immediately thought of his computer. "Can you bring one here and power it up, so I can use that to set up the message?"
"Harder than bringing your body, but possible," the voice replied.
"Oh my god!" Chuck cried.
"That will take time and may not work," he was advised.
"Probability?" he asked.
"67.2%" was the reply.
"Oh my god! It's worth a try!"
He looked at his wife with such excitement on his face. S'ra just hoped that it wouldn't be misplaced.
S'ra woke before Chuck and decided she would get things started without him.
The stool was already in the bathroom as she hadn't wanted his help trying to get up to relieve herself last night. Once she had done that again, she carried the stool over to the sink and washed her hands.
The next task was in the kitchen, so she carried the stool there.
The Shaxi had provided food and beverages for them to consume. They had tasted them all and liked them.
Chuck had said one of the beverages, provided in granular form, needed boiling water added and made something he missed from Urth, coffee, he called it. She was determined to make this for him.
Boiling the water was not a problem. One of the taps provided that. The challenge was opening the coffee container, getting some into one of their cups and then holding that cup under the stream of boiling water. All of that sounded easy, but not in this oversized kitchen. Even on the stool, it was impossible, so she needed to get up onto the surface. That was a struggle, but she finally achieved it. Kneeling to make a drink felt like being outside doing it, something she was more than used to doing. She soon had his coffee made, pulled it close to the edge, away from where the stool was placed, and she lowered herself back down.
Then, she lifted the stool and moved it to the right position. As she turned, clutching the cup, she felt very pleased with herself.
She looked up when she heard clapping. Chuck stood leaning against the kitchen entrance as he grinned and clapped.
"You watched me do that?" she asked, slightly offended that he hadn't helped.
"I did not want to spoil your achievement," he replied.
She huffed and carried the cup to him. "Your coffee," she said, thrusting it at him.
He took a sip. Then, looked at her seriously and stated, "Gorgeous, just like the person who made it."
His words pleased her, so she couldn't really be upset with him. She smiled. "All because I love you so much."
He smiled. "I do appreciate it, S'ra, and it does taste as wonderful as the coffees I remember from Earth."
"Good. I do not want you desiring to go back there."
He put the cup on the kitchen table surface and picked her up. "Never." He kissed her and she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed back.
They finally stopped and she said, "So, we start off working with them today."
"I have so many questions for them," he said.
"You might have to earn the answers by providing what they want," she replied.
"I think I will enjoy that. After all, you will be helping me with it."
"Hmmm," she happily replied.
Over the next week, the information flow was two-way.
Chuck had to talk about the people they had encountered. He spoke in S'ra's language so that she would understand what he said. S'ra joined in with all but the one Chuck started with, hers. She just listened to that, which took the first day. Each day, Chuck was able to ask his questions after covering theirs.
So, on the first day, Chuck talked about S'ra's people, which Zixak called the Renari. He just described them and what he thought of them. He didn't talk specifically about S'ra herself, as he wasn't asked about her.
Finally, it was his turn. "Can I start by asking about the different sentient species?"
The Shaxi with them was called Zixak, who just said, "Yes."
"Why are there so many? And why are you so different from the others?"
"That is two very different questions."
"But so linked that they feel like one," he replied.
"We are different because we came here from another planet."
Chuck looked at Zixak in surprise. "Where from?"
"Another question. Which do you want answered first?"
Chuck hastily answered, "This one first."
Zixak gave a longer answer than normal. "Our planet was about to be hit by another. We all had to leave. We were like you then, with far less skills than now. We escaped but most did not. We had seen this planet, in its infancy. The cold region was perfect for us, so we came here."
"Wow!"
"I believe you humans are nearly able to do that," Zixak added. He was going to ask when this was, but got the answer before asking. "That was over three million years ago."
Zixak would answer no more that day and Chuck and S'ra returned to their accommodation.
Chuck was trying to get his head around a planetary evacuation like that.
On the second day, Chuck described the Frakku and the two of them covered their encounter with that species.
"Disappointing," Zixak said when they spoke of how the Frakku were decimating villages.
When they described how they nearly wiped out those that attacked, Zixak was silent.
When it was their turn to ask questions, S'ra got one in before Chuck.
"What were my people like when you arrived on the planet?" S'ra asked.
"They hadn't evolved."
S'ra didn't understand the word, which sounded more like one of Chuck's. Chuck saw her confusion. "Species change over time, sometimes into different species. That is called evolution." He looked back at their companion. "I thought evolution was slower than that implied."
"We helped."
Chuck gaped. "You helped?"
"After being here for two million years, our skills had developed. We were unable to live in the warmer zones, and felt there should be sentience out there."
"So, you took creatures in and accelerated their evolution?" Chuck asked.
"Yes."
Chuck was used to these short responses and would ask more if he wanted further information.
"So, why do they all seem the same apart from their skin coloring?"
"That form seemed to suit this world better than ours." After a pause, Zixak added. "We based it on humans."
This kept getting more and more confusing. "You were observing Earth two million years ago?"
"Yes."
"Which species came first? Or were they all created at the same time?" S'ra asked.
"The Anzari first. We observed their development before trying again."
"They were seen as a success?" Chuck asked.
"Initially. Tomorrow you will tell me about your encounter with them."
On the third day, they did indeed talk about the golden city and creatures that had been the Anzari.
Zixak said, "They were not able to live peacefully and clashed with others. They wiped out the Alurian species before we could intervene."
"But you thought they were a success at first and created more species?" Chuck asked.
"Yes."
Chuck just said, "And?"
"We created the Pradur next, followed by the Frakku, the Ikstra (you met two tribes: the Langsta and the Xaksta), the Alurians, the Vertuk, the Garee, the Nulk, the Druxx, the Kzaax, the Priliur, the Xkard, the Budux, and the Slxurx. Your Renari species was the last, S'ra."
She sat back to contemplate being the last.
"So, there were fifteen species created, one of which no longer exists. We have yet to encounter nine of them," Chuck observed.
"It is a large planet."
"Did you name them?" Chuck asked. "Some are almost unpronounceable."
"They named themselves."
"Some did not work out so well." Chuck said.
"All were good at the start, but some degenerated. The Anzari brought their degeneration upon themselves." After a pause, Zixak added. "Which was unfortunate."
No further conversation was allowed that day. To Chuck, it seemed that Zixak was too upset to continue, saddened by what happened to the Anzari.
On the fourth day, Chuck and S'ra covered their experience with Traada of Pradur.
Chuck was keen to ask other questions, this time, "We were told nothing can fly over the glacier."
"Correct."
"We assume the pyramids and cables are involved in that."
"They are."
"So, what made you create that?"
"The Anzari. They felt driven to dominate the world. We wanted no problems from them."
"So just defensive?" S'ra asked.
"Indeed. It acted as a deterrent after the first two hundred crashed."
The couple were shocked. Two hundred fliers and all their crew perished before it was seen as a deterrent.
"The rings seem to have contracted," Chuck stated.
"We still wanted privacy, but after the Anzari threat ended with their degeneration, we did not want too many to perish."
"So, you pulled back."
"Yes."
"The Pradur came, though," S'ra said.
"Yes, but they realized their folly quickly."
"You are based here now, not within or on the glacier," Chuck stated.
"Our main city is within the glacier itself and under it. Our skin reacts to the light from the star. We avoid it, mostly underground, in the city and this outpost and ten others."
On the fifth day, they described their encounter with the Langsta and Xaksta tribes, along with their discovery of the weapons of the Pradur.
"Two tribes of the Ikstra species," Zixak stated once again. "One tribe peaceful and the other not. Sad."
Zixak was interested in how the two tribes had adapted to life in the forest. "Their species was developed from tree creatures. They return to their origin."
"They certainly navigated the branches easily," S'ra stated.
"I really liked them," Chuck said. "Well, the Langsta tribe."
"A very insular species. You seem to have been adopted."
Chuck smiled at the memory.
When it was his turn to ask questions, he just stated, "I had originally expected that Pradur scientist might help me understand how I got here."
Zixak said, "They are a benevolent species. They would not harm you, but you no longer need to seek their help."
"Indeed," Chuck responded and S'ra covered her mouth to hide her sniggering at his choice of word.
"They will not have answers for you, but will want to know about your origins and will ask questions to understand how you got here. We do not want them to know that or of us."
Chuck had guessed all that. "I will not tell them."
"Good."
On the sixth day, they told Zixak about meeting his, or her, species.
"First of all, I just realized I do not know if you, Zicak, are male or female."
"Both," was the replied.
"Oh. A hermaphrodite," Chuck said. S'ra didn't not know the human word but the meaning was obvious.
"Indeed."
Chuck then described the initial meeting.
"You all look so different to all the other species. I did not know if the first I saw was alive or some sort of automation."
"Interesting."
"That was after the terrifying ordeal with the darkness in the tunnel."
"That is to deter entry."
"We guessed that," Chuck said.
"But it did not deter you," Zixak said. Chuck wasn't sure but he thought there may have been a hint of appreciation in that statement.
"Humans are very curious creatures. We do not like puzzles being unsolved," he said.
S'ra laughed. "He certainly is curious. That is the main reason he wanted this journey, this exploration, as he calls it."
Zixak said, "Solving puzzles and determination to succeed are amongst the reasons we brought you here."
"I had been wondering," Chuck replied. After a brief pause, he continued, "You being so much taller than us gives us challenges, but we have managed."
"You have adapted well."
Chuck was surprised they had noticed. Then his eyes narrowed. "Have you been observing us? Part of your study?"
"Indeed."
"Even in the bedroom?" S'ra asked, worriedly.
"Only how you get onto the bed. Your fornication is just like other species, so of no interest."
Chuck and S'ra stared at each other. He finally said, "Fornication is the scientific term. It doesn't describe the wonderful experience of making love."
"We are scientists," Zixak stated.
Chuck didn't like what they'd just discovered, but puffed out a breath and said, "Well, apart from being part of your study, you seem to be a benevolent species."
"Thank you," Zixak said. "What are your questions?"
"You mentioned some of the reasons you brought me here, what were the other reasons?" Chuck asked.
"You were less war-like than other humans and were adaptable. You would try to fit in here."
S'ra smiled at him. "You want people to like you, and they do."
"You were also more intelligent than many humans and learn quickly."
"How do you know all this?" Chuck asked, totally confused.
"We searched for someone like you."
Chuck couldn't imagine that. "There are nearly eight billion humans on Earth!"
"Indeed."
"That's an amazing number to search through," S'ra said.
"We found Chuck after only three billion."
Chuck just sat dumbfounded by this.
After a few moments, he asked, "And you chose me to stop the Frakku?"
"Yes."
"You analyzed probabilities that with my abilities I could do that?"
"Yes."
"What was the probability?" he asked.
"There were several scenarios, including the one that happened. Each had its own probability of success."
"And this one?"
"99.1% chance of success."
"And the probability I would choose this?"
"70.3%" Zixak continued, "The others all had over 96% probability of success."
"Good odds," Chuck muttered.
"Indeed."
Chuck was so full of information that he had no more questions for that day.
When they went to bed that night, they made sure they were under covers before making love.
Having talked through all the species they had encountered, on the seventh day, Chuck was asked to talk about his experience of being on the planet that first day.
"Discovering myself naked on a very different planet was a shock." He shook his head and then smiled. "I found I could jump long distances."
"Earth has stronger gravity than this planet," Zixak said.
Chuck continued, "I managed to create clothing from the plants in a nearby forest. Then, I spotted a creature about to attack S'ra. I stopped it and befriended her."
"He is underplaying what he did," S'ra said. "He threw a spear with such force that it pierced the hide of an ixtag, passed through its body, through its hide again and pinned it to the ground."
"The reduced gravity here means you are strong,"
Chuck nodded. "I can also throw further than most here. Further than I could on Earth."
"Describe how being able to throw further helped."
"My vision seems better than other people… and maybe other creatures, too. Anyway, I can throw my spear from far enough away that creatures are not worried about me."
"You befriended S'ra."
Chuck looked at his wife. "Meeting S'ra was the best thing that has ever happened to me."
She beamed at him.
"S'ra took you back to her city." It wasn't a question.
"Yes," Chuck answered.
"And you were accepted."
"Strangely, yes. My story was believed."
"He easily demonstrated he could jump and throw so far that it was obvious he was not from here," S'ra said.
"Interesting," Zixak noted.
Chuck rushed to his question. "You are not planning to send me back, are you?"
Zixak replied instantly. "We have made it obvious that we cannot. We never had any intention of trying. You fit in with the species here."
Chuck smiled at that.
"And S'ra does not want us to try."
"I would be devastated if he left," S'ra said, but she was pleased that her opinion mattered to them.
"Indeed."
Chuck then asked, "Earth is one-hundred light-years away. Light takes all those years to get between the planets, but you are communicating interactively, as if the time was simultaneous."
"Yes."
"How can that be?"
"Our science is beyond your understanding."
Chuck huffed at that response. He moved on to his next question, "When will I be able to make the recording for my sister?" He'd been holding that in all week.
"We have two teams working on different tasks. One attempting to bring your computer and one focusing on how to send a message to one of those computers."
"And?"
"The first team believe they know how to bring one, and are testing on smaller inanimate objects. They believe they may succeed with your computer in two weeks once they have resolved problems. There is an 82.4% chance of success."
That was disappointing to Chuck. He knew they said weeks, but he had hoped they were wrong. "And the other team?"
"They are further ahead, and are testing sending small images to a computer. They believe they will be ready in one week. 91.1% chance of successful transmission of a longer message."
That sounded more hopeful. "How would such a message be recorded?" he asked.
"We could do that here, with existing devices," Zixak answered. "Do you know what message you want to send?"
Chuck sighed. "I need to work that out."
"Then do so," Zixak stated.
So, Chuck now needed to focus on that. His message needed to be clear, convincing and reassuring for Ellie.
Chuck was in deep thought as S'ra led him back to their accommodation.
A/N: Not really a cliffhanger this time. Hopefully Chuck will get his message back to his sister in the next chapter.
So, what do you think of the Shaxi? Please leave a review to let me know and to indicate whether you still want to read this totally AU Chuck story.
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Glossary (pronunciation in brackets)
People:
Altia (Al-Tier) – green skinned woman saved by Chuck
Alurians (Alu-Riens) – human-like people (extinct)
Anzari (Anz-Sari) – golden-skinned people and now creatures
B'rack (Bur-Rack)– S'ra's previous boyfriend (we never meet him)
Budux (Bud-Erks) – human-like people (not encountered)
Chaldir (Charl-Dere) – governor of the city state Grillain
Druxx (Drucks) – human-like people (not encountered)
Durban – (Dur-Ban) Air Sargent helping Chuck
Flack (Flack) – one of the generals under Commander Thrace
Frakku (Frack-Ku) – purple-skinned savages
Garron (Gar-Ron) – S'ra's father
Garee (Gar-Ree) – human-like people (not encountered)
Gralik (Grar-Lick) – second son of Praid
Ikstra (Ik-Strar) –name of the green-skinned people that include the Langsta and Xaksta
Kaldik (Cal-tick) – son of Commander Thrace
Kzaax (CrZar-Acks) – human-like people (not encountered)
Langsta (Lang-Ster) – tribe of green-skinned people encountered
Nulk (Nulk) – human-like people (not encountered)
Pal'na (Paal-Nar) – wife of Chaldir
Pradur (Prar-door) – Pale-blue-skinned people
Praid (Pray-Id) – governor of the city state Sanklin
Priliur (Pri-Loor) – human-like people (not encountered)
R'lna (Rul-Nah) – wife of Praid
Renari (Ren-Eri) –name of S'Ra's people
S'mia (Sur-Mere) – S'ra's mother
S'ra (Sur-Rah) – first person Chuck Bartowski meets on the new planet
Shaxi (Shack-Si) – people who live at the southern pole
Silva (Silver) – woman leading the Langsta tribe of friendly green-skinned people
Slxurx (Serx-Coorcs) – human-like people (not encountered)
Tald (TarlD) – first son of Prad
Thrace (Thrase) – military commander of the city state Grillain
Thurgar (Ther-Gar) – warrior of the green-skinned people
Traada (Trar-dar) – leader of the Pradur settled on Graflir island
Vertuk (Ver-Took) – human-like people (not encountered)
Verzian (Verr-iss-ien) – chief astronomer in Sanklin
Xaksta (Zack-Ster) – warlike tribe of green-skinned people
Xkard (Cs-Xerd) – human-like people (not encountered)
Zixak (Zik-zak) – one of the Shaxi people
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Plants and animals:
Clarek (Clar-Rek) – plant that produces leaves that people use to clean themselves
Conith (Con-Eeth) – leaves of this plant produce fast-acting, healing liquids
Deak (Dee-Ack) – small plants that manage to grow in the crevasses of rocks in the mountain ranges
Grakxar (Grak-zar) – Piranha-like fish
Gritch (Grit-Ch)– flesh of this plant used to clean teeth and breath
Ixtag (Eecs-Tag) – black-colored predator that live in forests
Krattak (Crat-tark) – terrifying, huge sea creature
Landic (Land-Ick) – deer-like herbivore
Pake (PayK) – plant, the flesh contains pain-killing properties and is used for that purpose
Ritti (Rit-Tee) – small yellow birds
Vetia (Vet-Ia) – leaves of this plant very flexible and used by Chuck to cover himself. Sap burns people from the planet but didn't affect him
Xaxic (Zacks-Ick) – foul smelling leaves of this plant used to ward off predators
Xynth (Zinth)– flying predator
Zryth (Zreeth) – stone-colored cat-like predator. Related to the ixtag
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Places:
Angarz (Ang-Garz) – the golden city
Caspan (Caz-Pan) – sea near Grillain
Flarzere (Flarz-Zere) - southern jungles
Garverd (Gar-Vert) - mountain range
Graflir (Graph-Lear) – main island in the chain near Angarz city
Grillain (Grill-Ain) – city state S'ra comes from
Kazmar (Kaz-Marr) – southern-most mountains
Niteth (Nee-Teth) – largest of three moons that circle the planet
Pallain (Pall-Lain) – neighboring city state
Retith (Ret-Teeth) – the planet Chuck was now on
Sanklin (Sank-Lin) – city state governed by Praid
Shaxi (Shack-Si) – glaciers at the southern pole
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Other:
Bract (Br-Act) – nutritious bars carried to eat when access to other food hard to achieve
Chendia (Chen-Dere) – powerful anesthetic, like chloroform
Flaxik (Flack-sic) – new drug created to induce ovulation
Merriclat (Merry-clat) - device for rebuilding and repairing lungs