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Unloading the cargo bay was an arduous process, especially for a young entity whose primary function was of a more scientific nature than for intensive manual labor. Carrying hefty crates full of marketable goods was not an easy task on Hadri’s joints and pistons, but it was rewarding nonetheless. After all, the cargo that he was assisting to unload had been obtained with his help. There was a muted delight about him as he continued the repetitive task of walking up the loading ramp, grabbing another crate of Albumen Pearls, and taking them back down the ramp to place in the pile with the others.
Helping in the unloading of the commodities was Traveller Entity Theus, who seemed much more used to manual labor than the young Korvax. He moved more swiftly and didn’t struggle to lift the crates. His motions were smooth as he scooped up crate after crate to remove from the back of his old, dilapidated space hauler, the Infinity Hawk.
The Traveller must have noticed Hadrizahens watching him while he finally brought out the very last crate from the ship, placing it in the stack off to the side of the hangar.
“Thank you again for your assistance.” Traveller Entity Theus said cheerfully.
Hadri’s mechanisms whirred pleasantly in response despite his embarrassment for being caught staring. “Certainly, Traveller… though I did very little.”
“Please, don’t be so modest.” Theus chuckled. The Traveller often responded in this way when he found Hadri’s actions or behavior unnecessary but still charming.
Hadri watched the Traveller walk to the control panel on the back of the Infinity Hawk. It only took two button presses to retract the unloading ramp and for the cargo doors to close, though it did so rather loudly as the hauler’s better days had come and gone a long time ago.
“It is not modest to admit that Korvax are not well known for their feats of strength.” Hadri spoke as soon as the grinding creak of the cargo doors stopped with a loud clunk and a hiss, indicating that the door had locked and sealed itself.
“I’m not talking about unloading the ship, Hadri.” The Traveller chuckled again.
“Your comprehension and usage of the Korvax language has improved since we first met, but I am afraid I do not understand your meaning.” Hadri stated.
“What I mean is that I appreciate your quick thinking back in the caves. Without you, we might not be here having this conversation.” Theus spoke with a certain softness to his tone.
Hadri was taken aback even though what the Traveller said was true. Hadri had indeed saved both of them earlier that day.
They had been exploring a cave system together while on an expedition to an uninhabited planet of some interest. Traveller Entity Theus had suggested they take a look within the caverns once he had noticed his scanners indicating resources of interest further within. The technology equipped between the two of them meant that they had no reason to fear getting lost, but in their eagerness to explore further, they had neglected to notice warning messages beginning to appear on the scanners.
The cavern had been home to an impressively aggressive fungi that weaponized highly toxic spores. By the time the two foolish explorers had noticed the danger they were in, the fungi had already spread across their exit and began pumping the spores into the air. Traveller Entity Theus used an air filtration system to keep himself safe on hostile planets, and Hadri had no reason to respirate as a mechanical lifeform, but the spores were so numerous and so large that they were rapidly posing a threat to whatever cooling or venting systems either of them had.
Hadri had been the one to save both of them when Traveller Entity Theus had been unable to disintegrate the fungi with his multi-tool. No matter how many the Traveller destroyed, three more grew rapidly out of the nutrient rich stone of the cave walls. Hadri was the one who switched the multi-tool function over to the small-scale terraforming device while Theus was still using it to burn through more fungi. The multi-tool had instead shot out a dense displacement ray that deposited a silicate-based stone at the fungi, burying patches of it efficiently. The silicate had been condensed into the Traveller’s inventory from excavating earlier that day.
The fungi had tried to regain the ground it had lost, taking root in the silicate stone, but there was nothing to help supplement its frighteningly rapid growth capabilities, which gave the Traveller the upper hand. Once the growth had been slowed, it was only a quick matter of burning off the remaining fungi and the spores before his ventilation systems were flooded with spores, and before Hadri’s cooling system was overclocked and overheated. Their reward for Hadri’s quick thinking was their lives, as well as large egg sacs further in the cave that each held a large, condensed pearl that glowed a beautiful yellow-green hue in the darkness of the cave. Albumen Pearls. These gemstones were highly valuable due to their beautiful glowing properties, but especially because they took centuries to form.
Seeing how Traveller Entity Theus always. Seemed to be in need of funds, this was an exceptionally worthwhile find.
“…Your gratitude is appreciated…” Hadri replied, feeling a swelling sensation in his core. It felt like a pleasant flood of positivity and warmth beyond pride and flattery.
“It is not just gratitude, I owe you Hadri.” The Traveller said, turning to face Hadri fully. The young Korvax could feel himself locked in the Traveller’s gaze despite how unreadable the helmet was. It looked so similar to the head of a Korvax, but it was so foreign and unreadable to him. There were no clever flashes of light or hum of electricity to betray what the Traveller was thinking. It was as lifeless as an empty Korvax casing, void of any electronic soul or song of the Convergence.
“…Is it because the atmosphere was too poor and your respiratory functions would have ceased?” Hadri asked, tilting his head to better observe his mysterious Traveller. He knew this line of questioning might not lead him to the outcome he desired, but he felt compelled to try. He wanted to know the enigmatic entity that stood before him.
“Yes, very rapidly. My life support was functional enough to alert me to that.” Traveller Entity Theus gave a hollow laugh, which Hadri recognized as an odd response to a humorless or stressful situation.
“Does your life support system alert you to all atmospheres?” Hadri questioned further.
“No, only to atmospheric conditions that are immediately hazardous to the system.” Traveller Entity Theus explained. He seemed confused but still amused enough to humor Hadri’s questions. The Korvax could tell because the Traveller made himself more comfortable by leaning against the stack of crates they had just unloaded.
“It doesn’t give you alerts about conditions that would be hazardous to you?” Hadri asked, shocked by this new information. What sort of safety function didn’t alert its user to dangers to itself?
Hadri was taken further aback by the Traveller laughing out loud.
“No, it would be alerting me constantly if it did. There aren’t many atmospheres that I can handle.” The Traveller finally spoke once his laughter died slightly.
Hadri had to stop and think for a moment. He had a suspicion that there was a reason why the Traveller always hid his form under his exosuit. He had never dared to ask before, for fear of being heretical in questioning the power and strength of a Traveller. He never could have guessed that the reason for it was the incompatibility the lifeform had with most of the galaxy.
“…What is the purpose of creating Travellers to be unable to inhabit the worlds they are sent to explore…?” Hadri finally asked.
Traveller Theus only shrugged. “You tell me.”
Hadrizahens could not. The logical fallacy was too complex for him to decode in an instant. It would take time for him to unravel a satisfactory theory to the problem; which was easier said than done. The mysteries that followed the Traveller grew as quickly as the fungi in the cave. With one answered, a multitude more took its place, leaving Hadri with a crushing sensation that he might never be free from them.
“Don’t think about it too hard…” The Traveller placed his hand on Hadri’s shoulder, pulling him out of his theorizing and contemplation with a jolt. He was surprised to hear his processor fans working so hard that they were audible. He had clearly been quite deeply lost in thought.
“But there must be a reason for your design…” Hadri said, unwilling to let the subject go just yet.
“Perhaps… perhaps not. Some mysteries are best left alone.” Traveller Entity Theus replied distantly. Hadri was surprised by how distant and dark the tone of the Traveller’s voice seemed. Like he was standing on the night side of the rusty planet that was still visible outside of the colossal hangar entrance. “…they don’t always have the satisfying answers that you want.”
“Or perhaps you prefer to stay a mystery for your own sake.” Hadri responded curtly. He didn’t mean the bite to his words, and the Traveller seemed to sense it as well. He was simply frustrated with his own lack of understanding.
“Perhaps. You certainly seem more interested in me this way. If you knew all there was to know about me, you might leave to find a new discovery, young Explorer Entity Hadrizahens.” The Traveller chuckled, finally taking his hand away from the Korvax’s shoulder to press his knuckle to Hadri’s faceplate affectionately, but only for a moment. Hadri’s shoulder felt cold without the hand there, and he didn’t want the Traveller to pull away with that final word.
“I could record everything there is to know about you an
Even if I could record everything there is to know about you, there is nothing in this universe that I could find of more interest to me than you. You are a Traveller. Only a malfunctioning fool would turn away from your company.” Hadri stated quickly. He surprised even himself with the passion behind his own words.
“…I appreciate that…” Traveller Entity Theus said quietly after a long, shocked pause. Hadri could tell that he was being studied very closely by the Traveller, but then the entity looked away. It was as though something had startled him. Perhaps his own musings? “…I enjoy your company as well.”
Hadri felt his core warming up pleasantly once again. The Traveller had given Hadri no signs that he disliked having him around, but it still meant so much more to hear it spoken aloud. Hadri had no intention of leaving the Traveller, and Traveller Entity Theus had no intention of leaving Hadri behind. It felt rewarding to have a confirmed companion, and Hadri would treasure that far more than any answer to the mysteries that surrounded the Traveller.