The Martial Unity

The macrobes seemed to be relieved despite the fact that Ria had just incinerated many of them to ashes with a powerful attack. When she inquired them about it, they simply seemed to squeeze an excuse for not lashing out at her over it.

”It-was-in-retaliation-to-our-attacks, done-using-our-flames,” the cell that seemed to lead the colony reassured her. ”As-long-as-you-do-not-voluntarily-attack, we-will-be-peaceful.”

”We-seek-information,” Ria insisted. ”Give-us-information-and-we-will-leave-you-alone.”

Ria rapidly grew better and better at speaking the language. Ultimately, language and communication had causality as well, making it possible for her to rapidly learn and master language of an alien species that communicated in a highly complex way. Something that was only possible because she was a Martial Master and a highly capable one at that.

”I-am-” the single-celled leader of the colony made a sequence of sounds that served as his name, his label in overlapping ultrasonic sounds. Ria made a mental note to call him Bob, because it was too difficult for her to use ultrasonic sounds as a way to refer to somebody. ”We-are-willing-to-cooperate-as-long-as-you-do-not-harm-us. Please-allow-us-to-welcome-you-as-guests.”

The translations weren’t precise, but she did what she could. There were some concepts that were just fundamentally and ontologically different. For instance, Bob hadn’t said ’guests’ but rather had seemed to vaguely gesture to the concept of how different kinds of cells could still exist within colony, even if they came from the outside, for a brief amount of time.

There were probably terms in microbiology that were more fitting for it, but guest was a close-enough translation.

She translated all of that for her friends, conveying the invitation.

”…Are you confident that this is worth it?” Sternon raised an eyebrow. ”Couldn’t this be a trap?”

”They were acting in self-defense because they thought we were hostile entities.”

”We technically are.”

”Yes, but they don’t know that. So far, our presence in this world has been highly non-violent. We only attacked after they did and they seemed to understand and respect the concept of self-defense.”

”Couldn’t we have done this from the start?” Runark scratched his head. ”Just pull up and bully them into submission? Why did we go through all the clandestine stuff if we could just dominate them?”

It did feel a little silly, in hindsight. But in Ria’s defense, she was being cautious. They were dealing with absolute unknowns, in which case it was always better to err on caution. If they had been dealing with entities that were more powerful than they could handle, then they would have died in that confrontation instead of emerging as the dominant victors.

The universe was vast, and life was virtually limitless. There was especially no telling what could happen on an infected world. Of course, there probably could have been a better way to handle all of that, but in their defense, it was their very first attempt at a very unique and unprecedented operation.

”…I think we should hear them out,” Misha remarked, falling into thought. ”They clearly seem to place importance and significance, based on the fact that they fight for control over the firestorm and that their territories are constantly reshaping and restructuring around it. Any information that we get from the locals will be useful for when we enter the manifold.”

Ria nodded. ”Then it is decided.”

She turned back to the macrobes that all gathered some distance before her, floating above the ground. Bob stood at the front of them, seemingly anxiously waiting for a decision, if the marcobes could even experience such an emotion.

”We-accept-your-offer. We-hope-that-you-will-share-information-in-exchange-for-receiving-peace.”

If the macrobes were relieved, it wasn’t immediately visible. They didn’t have expressions and Ria hadn’t worked out body language for such a radically different from of life. Bob offered to take them somewhere, but Ria refused.

”We-don’t-have-too-much-time-to-spare. We-would-like-to-get-going-soon,” Ria replied. ”Please-share-with-us-all-the-information-you-are-able-to-and-then-we-will-continue-on-our-way.”

Bob seemed to hesitate at those words, based on her read of its movements.

”May-I… Inquire-why-you-have-come-to-our-world?”

”We-have-come-to-study-the-exotic-phenomena-of-this-world,” Ria replied with ultrasonic hums. ”We-have-detected-that-this-world-is-extremely-special-and-unique. And-we-simply-sought-to-visit-and-inspect. Not-to-harm.”

The fact that an alien seemed to the progressively better at speaking their language seemed to unnerve, or the equivalent, the macrobes, causing many of them to grow even more afraid of her than when she didn’t seem to understand what they were communicating to her.

”It-is-a-threat! They-all-are!”

”Destroy-them-no-matter-the-cause!”

”Silence!” Bob roared at his fellow macrobes, before seemingly returning his attention, although she couldn’t tell, back at Ria. ”Where… do-you-hail-from, aliens?”

”We-come-from-a-faraway-world,” Ria replied.

”How-did-you-traverse-the-vast-expanse-of-space?”

”We-traveled-in-a…” Her ultrasonic voice trailed off.

They didn’t have the equivalent set of sounds for a spaceship or even a vessel. The macrobes seemed to travel physically everywhere, since they could just float and fly by controlling gaseous exchange through the pores in their bodies.

”We-traveled-together-from-afar-through-special-means,” she replied back. ”Rest-assured, we-are-explorers. We-do-not-seek-to-expand.”

They understood that concept well, for the macrobes were in conflict with other colonies that sought to conquer more territory and expand.

”…How-can-we-trust-you?” Bob’s final question was more intense than its previous questions.

”…I-suppose-you-cannot,” Ria replied. ”But-if-I-truly-meant-harm-to-you, then-you-would-be-dead-right-now.”

The macrobes considered those words before ultimately falling prey to the victim of her logic. Ria felt really guilty about lying to these creatures. Especially when they were just trying to look out for themselves. Even though they weren’t human and she felt no kinship to them at all, it still felt bad to lie so brazenly.

It weighed on her mind in the background, even if she had already moved on to focusing on more important matters.

”What-is-in-the-firestorm?” She asked with a stronger tone of voice. ”Why-do-you-macrobes-fight-for-it?”

Bob considered the question, simply floating midair as it pondered the question for several moments.

Then, it finally answered.

”…Within-the-firestorm… is-another-world.”

Her amber eyes lit up at those words. The fact that Bob had made that particular statement meant that the firestorm that she had chosen as their first target was indeed an entropy vent leading into the manifold.

”Another-world?” Ria asked.

”Yes, another-world, one-said-to-lead-all-of-us-macrobes-to-a-higher-state-of-life,” Bob communicated with a low ultrasonic voice. ”A-world-said-to-possess-”

He conveyed a meaning that was harder to translate. He alluded to a greater form of life, one that was divine and numinous in its nature.

It immediately drew the interest of Ria.