A/N: A few more people reviewed the last chapter, for which I thank them. However, there were noticeably less views. Maybe people don't really like this sort of story. Sad, but it's not going to stop me writing the story, though.
Thanks, once again, to klipdoctor for the beta on this chapter.
Chuck is getting ready to send a message to his sister. I've struggled with the message Chuck needs to compose, just as much as he does. The first paragraph in this chapter mirrors my feelings….
Exo
Chapter 19: Recording
'God, what the hell do I say to Ellie?' Chuck thought. He'd been agonizing over this for three days now.
"Hi, El. I'm alive but living on a planet one-hundred light years from you." God that sounded crap!
"Hi, El. You're never going to see me again, but I'm now with this gorgeous blonde, so that's ok." True, but not the right message.
"Hi, El. Missing you like crazy, but I'm never coming back." Also true, but not what he wanted her to get from this.
He was getting nowhere fast. He hadn't dragged S'ra into this mess, but he definitely needed help. He decided he needed to find out how long the message could be, so went looking for Zixak.
Zixak took Chuck to see Xarux, the lead scientist on the team that would send the message.
"The length of the message is less relevant than the total size. The video image impacts that."
Of course it did! God, was he forgetting everything he learned back on Earth! "Yes, I realize that, along with the resolution of the images and the frame rate," he responded.
"Good that you understand that," Xarux responded.
"So, if we send a video clip of 1000 by 800 pixels and a frame rate of 60 frames per second. How long could it be?"
The Shaxi scientist didn't seem to have to calculate and immediately responded, "With that resolution and frame rate, it could be several hours. We were assuming both to be much higher."
Chuck sat back to take that in. He finally said, "Maybe increase the resolution by a factor of ten then, but a faster frame rate would be too much for computer graphics on Earth." He sighed. "So, it comes back to what I want to say and that composition of the picture."
"Yes."
Chuck left with more information but still no clear idea of what this recording could be like.
"The image should include things that do not occur on Urth," S'ra advised. He had finally decided to seek her assistance.
He knew what she meant but couldn't resist saying, "There are no women as beautiful as you back there, so just seeing you will do that."
She smiled and gave him a kiss. "Thank you, Chuck. Just hearing you say that is good for my ego, but I don't think that would be sufficient."
He smiled. "When Ellie sees you with me, she will be very happily surprised!"
S'ra's smile turned mischievous. "So, a passionate kiss should be included?"
He laughed, but then thought seriously about the image to send. "It would have to be you kissing me and looking happy about it."
She nodded and then frowned. "We are not sending a recording of us having sex, Chuck!"
The idea appalled him. Sending something like that to Ellie would horrify her. He shook his head. "No. Your cries would definitely be authentic, but that's just for me to hear, not my sister."
"You're making me want that now, Chuck!"
He stood and held out his hand. "Happy to oblige."
This wasn't helping move things forward on the recording, but both needed it.
As Chuck lay next to his naked wife, both of them covered to prevent any surveillance, he thought about her comment on non-Earth images.
He already wanted to include a Shaxi person with them, maybe with this city as a backdrop. It would also be good to go outside and get a view of the sky and mountain range.
As he thought about this, he also wanted to get in their flier and take off to show another difference between the two worlds.
He was getting quite excited until he realized that he had no idea how the recording was to be made. Was the device to be used even portable? Also, would a Shaxi have to operate it or could he or S'ra do that?
More questions to ask the Shaxi scientist.
He rolled onto his side and looked into the gorgeous eyes of his wife. "Have you been watching me?" he asked.
She smiled. "I like doing that, Chuck. You have a very expressive face."
He smiled. "Gazing into your eyes is a favorite pastime of mine, S'ra. You are so very beautiful. I still find it hard to believe how lucky I am."
She moved closer, saying, "I am lucky you came here to me, Chuck."
The passionate kiss that followed led to more lovemaking.
Xarux showed Chuck and S'ra the recording device. It was much like a digital recorder on Earth. Larger, because the Shaxi were larger than humans, but definitely portable. Xarux showed them how to operate it. Point and press, just like Earth devices. It could also be mounted on something like a tripod, but more sophisticated. When closed, it was smaller than the recorder, just a curved shape that the recorder would sit on, but pressing a place on the side, it turned into a pyramid. It would stop opening when it hit an obstruction, so was perfectly safe.
"Are S'ra and I allowed to take these out and onto our flier to make recordings?" Chuck asked.
"That would have to be approved," Xarux replied. "You would be taking our technology out into the world."
That made sense. Chuck suspected that it would be declined.
"Ask Zixak," Xarux added.
Chuck went straight to his friend, as he now thought of Zixak.
"Taking Shaxi technology out on your own certainly needs to be considered," Zixak said. "It cannot fall into others hands."
"We wouldn't go beyond the mountains," Chuck replied. He would have liked the pink plains to be seen, but that would take days to reach, so wasn't realistic.
"Maybe I could take you in my craft," Zixak said.
Chuck hadn't thought about how the Shaxi traveled. "Is that like the fliers we see over the city?" he asked.
"One for flying over the planet invisibly."
"Wow! Stealth technology!" Chuck's eyes lit up, thinking of Klingon Birds of Prey.
The image that appeared in Chuck's mind made Zixak reply, "Yes."
"Would that need authorization?" Chuck asked.
"No. I would be with you."
"I'm guessing that your craft is faster than ours," Chuck pondered.
"Yes."
"Could we fly to the pink plains and back?"
"Yes."
Chuck felt like jumping up and down clapping like a kid. "When can we do that?"
"Now?"
"I'll have to get S'ra, but in an hour?" Chuck asked.
"I will collect you," Zixak replied.
Chuck and S'ra took their coats with them in case they got cold. Chuck was, however, pleased with what they both looked like when video recordings of them were made.
He'd asked Zixak to collect the recorder and stand before collecting them.
The craft that landed outside their residence was nothing like either their own flier or those that flitted about the city. For one thing, the cabin was completely enclosed by a glass-like cover. Viewing would be easy through that as Chuck noticed no reflections when close to it.
As he looked around inside it, the complete absence of controls was the first thing he noticed. Where Zixak sat, there was nothing in front of him. "How do you fly it?" he asked.
"By thought," Zixak replied.
'Of course you do!' thought Chuck. 'Just like everything you do that's beyond my understanding.'
There were two seats near the front of the craft. A little way away from where Zixak sat down. Chuck assumed they were for the two passengers, so he helped S'ra into one and jumped up into the other.
"How do we get out of the city?" Chuck then asked.
"An entranceway," Zixak replied unhelpfully.
The craft took off and glided toward the south of the city.
"Can we have recordings of the city from above?" S'ra asked. Chuck looked at her gratefully as he hadn't thought of that.
"Yes," Zixak said and aimed the recorder toward the floor, which seemed to disappear as far as S'ra was concerned. She gripped her seat tightly, but it didn't fall through.
Chuck had guessed what had happened. "Zixak made the floor transparent," he told her.
"It would have been nice to know that was going to happen," she muttered.
"Sorry, S'ra," Zixak said. "You expected it, Chuck?"
"No, but I guessed it."
"Transparent floors are common on Earth?" Zixak asked.
Chuck smiled. "Not common, but they do exist." Then, he thought of something else. "I am assuming no voice recording is happening."
"No. You can add that later."
Chuck nodded. "That's what I want to do."
As they approached the far wall, Zixak looked at it and a small part of the wall disappeared and they could see the glacier beyond the hole.
"Oh wow!" Chuck exclaimed. "So, you can fly over the glacier?"
"Yes, and the protection circle. It doesn't affect our craft."
"I definitely want a view of the glacier, both from above and panning over toward the other side."
"That can be done."
They flew out and over the glacier. Looking down at it wasn't that exciting, but the view across it was spectacular as they could see the fringe of glaciers and mountains beyond. Zixak lifted the recorder and placed it on a shelf that appeared. The shelf molded itself around the lower half, securing it. Chuck had stopped being surprised by the seeming magic of the Shaxi. S'ra hadn't and looked in awe at what had happened.
Chuck looked out again. "The glacier is not that large, is it?"
"About eighty of your miles," Aixak replied.
"Earth miles or those of S'ra's people?" Chuck asked.
"Earth."
"Will we fly over your main city?" S'ra asked.
"We can, but we will not go down into it as we haven't been invited."
"S'ra and I or you as well?" Chuck asked.
"You."
"But you can go regardless?" Chuck wanted to confirm this..
"Yes, but I am stationed at the outpost and have no purpose in the main city," Zixak replied. Chuck didn't really understand that. Why would his friend need a purpose to go? Zixak noticed this. "I have no need to go. Where I am stationed is good. If I took you there, we would not be turned away, but there would be no one to receive us. You wouldn't benefit from it."
It was obviously not somewhere they would go, so Chuck asked to travel over the pyramids and mountains. As they did this, the view was impressive. The recorder's position alternated between the perch and the floor, capturing both views.
"Would you like to go higher?" Zixak asked.
"How high can this go?" Chuck asked. It wouldn't be limited by their breathing, after all.
"Into space. Would a view of the planet and then dropping down to the ground be desirable?"
Chuck couldn't say yes quickly enough. "Oh my God, yes! Taking in the whole planet would be like the view from Earth!"
"Indeed."
S'ra had obviously never seen this and just sat in awe for the next twenty minutes as the craft rose higher and higher, further and further from the ground. However, before they dropped back down again, she started to feel less comfortable because Chuck mentioned that they wouldn't be able to breathe outside. She realized that she should know that from when they got higher and higher in their own flier. However, she kept quiet about that discomfort, not wanting to spoil it for her husband. She was glad when they finally came back down to a level she could fly and breathe.
By this time, the planet had rotated, so the landscape beneath them had changed. They were now over the mountains.
Zixak commanded the craft to move forward again. Chuck had seen from above where they were heading. Toward the pink plains. The forward view from the recorder showed this approaching.
"Can we land?" S'ra asked.
"Yes."
"And can we get out and have a recording of the two of us, maybe three of us, standing on the pink moss?"
"If no other species are close enough to see me," Zixak replied.
"Sentient species?" Chuck asked to make sure they understood.
"Yes. Lower life forms would be acceptable."
Chuck looked at his wife. "It would be good to capture a recording with some landic."
"They would run away, Chuck," she replied. His shoulders slumped. She was right.
"Not if I froze them," Zixak replied.
Chuck's eyes lit up again.
So, that is what they did. They found a herd of the moss eaters and Zixak seemed to freeze them. When Chuck and S'ra walked out amongst them, they found that the creatures were still breathing and watched them, moving their heads as they did. However, their legs were immobile. They didn't look panicked, though.
Zaxik told them that the freezing process also relaxed the creatures. Chuck frowned at that. "You haven't used that on us, have you?"
"It doesn't work on sentient creatures."
Chuck breathed a sigh of relief.
The recording captured Chuck and S'ra walking amongst the landic and also standing together, first facing each other, holding hands, then moving together and kissing before facing the recorder with Chuck's arm around her shoulder and hers around his waist.
Then, Zixak used the stand and placed the recorder upon it. The recording captured the Shaxi walking toward them and turning to look back. Chuck decided to show that Zixak was a friend and asked if he could move closer and put his arm around the Shaxi.
Surprisingly, Zixak was uncomfortable with this. "Why touch me?"
"Is that a problem?" Chuck asked.
"It is not something I have experienced before," Zixak replied.
""Should I not do it, then? Just stand next to you?"
"Do it, but not for long."
So, the recording captured Chuck putting his arm around the Shaxi. Due to the height difference, his arm was around Zixak's legs, but Chuck was happy with anything.
"We should go," Zixak said. No reason was given and Chuck suspected he had upset his friend, but didn't ask. They had captured all he wanted for now, so he had no problem leaving.
"Where next?" Zixak asked once they were all seated again. There was no hint of discomfort, so Chuck dismissed his concerns.
"Back to the mountains? And land on one of the pyramid ledges?" he suggested.
"Even to your people, we do not want to show the cabling."
That surprised Chuck. "But any species with fliers could land on the outer ones and see the cabling."
Aixak considered that for a moment. "That is true. Just not the working inner ones."
So, they landed on an outer pyramid and captured a recording on the construction as they did that. Chuck and S'ra also got out and posed for a recording there.
The next stop was the clearing with their own flier. As they came down, Chuck noticed there was no hole by the steps of the inner pyramid. "What's happened to the cavern?"
"No longer needed. You had entered."
Both Chuck and S'ra gawped at the Shaxi. "It was only there for me?" Chuck asked.
"Yes."
"But I thought the darkness was to deter others."
"Yes."
Chuck shook his head, the short answers not helping. "How long was it there for? Did you see me coming and create it just for me?"
"It was created when you arrived on the planet. We did not track you, if that is what you are asking. Once you arrived in the city, it was no longer needed, so it was closed."
"So, we can't leave?" S'ra asked nervously.
"We can open it when you choose to leave. Or bring you out in one of these craft."
That was a relief to the married couple.
Chuck and S'ra left the craft and climbed into their own. Zixak recorded them walking to it and lifting off. Then, the recording panned the area, capturing them flying around. This was what Chuck wanted. They switched over piloting on one pass.
Once back on board with Zixak, Chuck didn't know what else to record outside, so suggested they return inside.
"I will want to record myself talking to my sister, but first I need to work out what to say," he told the other two.
"I should talk, as well," S'ra said. "Maybe with you talking to me in my language."
"Good idea," Chuck replied. He loved how invested in this she was.
They thanked Zixak profusely before getting out. As they walked back to their residence, Chuck knew he could delay thinking about the message to Ellie while narrating the tour they had just done. He would enjoy doing that. Of course, part of it would be explaining the two people with him, so part of his message to his sister would need to be covered in that.
He knew Ellie would be over the moon about him still being alive and with the most beautiful woman on two planets. However, he really did need to compose a clear message about how he got here and why he couldn't return, showing his sorrow that the two siblings could never hug each other again.
A/N: Okay. I dodged the verbal message in this chapter as the idea of the landscape recording appeared in my head. Sorry about that. It will be covered in the next chapter. If any of you have thoughts on what Chuck should say to his sister, let me know. If I can use your ideas, I will.
Please also let me know what you thought of this chapter.
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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
Xarux (Zar-Rurcs) – Shaxi scientist
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