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I'd never seen one in the flesh, but I knew what I was looking at, the same way I knew fire burned flesh and poison killed.
The Endar ignored the bulky medical attendant standing in front of him with a dismissive air that said no other being in the universe would dare lay a hand on its person. The red eyes swept imperiously over the room and locked on me. "I ordered your administrator to report to me the moment it woke up," it snarled at the Zeek.
The Marines played a recording of the Endar language, or Arpi, for us once. It sounded like a series of creaks, snarls, snaps, and clicks. Rumor said they considered their native tongue sacred and did not speak it to the rest of us other, lowly species. Arrogant bastards. All I knew was my EA language pack never received software to interpret it, leaving me chip mute to Arpi.
This one had its translator set to convert its audible speech to Xix. The sounds came out with a harsh, snarling undertone my attendant did not effect. It was disturbing, but my software translated XIX.
The Endar had referred to me as 'it'. Looked as if we shared the same level of regard for each other.
The Zeek gave another rumble, which my language chip interpreted as "just woke."
"And yet you have not reported. I am forced to rely on the security monitors to receive my information."
The white-coated mountain made a slight bow. "Patient able have visitor two minutes."
The Endar cut the attendant a dismissive glance. "I will take all the time I require."
The Zeek made a distinct sound of displeasure and took a slow step toward the door.
"You will remain," the Endar ordered.
The attendant stopped, then shuffled around to face into the room. He locked his eyes on the monitors above and behind me.
"It is well enough to travel?" the Endar asked, its red-irised eyes locking back on me.
"Human recovers."
"Not here. Not any longer."
It would be nice if someone told me where 'here' was. "Can someone tell me where I am, please?" I asked.
The Zeek started a rumbling response.
"Be silent!" The Endar snapped. "Human, you do not belong here."
Left up to the Endar, I doubted I would belong anywhere in the universe.
"I am the High Jerak Seok, Faiya of the Endar Primacy," he continued. "Your presence on this world is a violation of Whooex Union law. You will be removed immediately."
How does one respond to such a gracious greeting? Not in the manner of my first instinct.
At least he hadn't announced my arrest. Yet. "I want to talk to the Earth Alliance Ambassador." I croaked. One of the few things we'd gotten right on Earth, all on our own, was the Whooex Union setup for diplomatically relating with fellow member Star Associations—at least in the formal arena.
"Humans have no representation here."
The Ritto-ssa had brought me to a Whooex world that did not have diplomatic ties with the Earth Alliance? Great. That meant I must tread carefully to minimize political ramifications.
Serious as the situation appeared, there could be a reasonable explanation for it.
"High Jerak Seok," I gave him a polite nod while my mind struggled to come up to speed. "I assure you, there is no intentional violation of law here. I was injured in a deepspace accident. My rescuers did not have the skills to heal me. I'm sure they brought me to the closest medical facility they found. You are aware I have recently awakened and I am not currently linked into the world system." If this world banned Humans that made sense. "Please tell me the name of the world on which I trespass."
The Endar stared at me as if he didn't comprehend my words, though I had the distinct impression he simply didn't consider them worth a response.
I took advantage of the pause to absorb the details of his appearance. My information might never get to the right people, but, once an EA-trained observer, always an EA-trained observer.
I had heard Endar were tall and thin to the point of near-stick-figure caricatures. Check that off as accurate. The High Jerak's face had Humanoid features—meaning a discernable set of eyes, a nose, and mouth—but its head was longer and thinner, and its face flatter, so the eyes and lips sat almost flush to the smooth gray surface. Between, there was a faintly raised, corrugated ridge running down the center between a pair of long, diagonal, fleshy slits.
A thin neck with ridges of smooth, rounded material that reminded me of tubes supported the head. Those cartilage strips supposedly enabled his people to turn their heads over one hundred and eighty degrees. His eyes were rounded, similar to a bird's, with blood red irises and a shiny dot of black pupil. The skin on his hands was gray and tight, accentuating tendons and bone. Though most of his body was covered, I knew it was gaunt, the long, flexible sinews sharply revealed over his bones. His long, triple jointed fingers sported scythe-like black nails. More striking than all that, however, was his garb. His outermost robe was an open, floor-length black leather coat, stark, expensive, and authoritarian. Beneath it, he was drowning in more layers of leather, from short jerkins to long vests, to coats in varying lengths. They were all thin, black leather, with simple lines, and heavily worked with intricate detail. A thin strip of red satin tucked at the neckline of his top layer jarred the senses against all that black.
The parts of the High Jerak's skin not covered with leather were smooth and grey, shading darker along the sides of the hands and face, and his thick black hair flowed from a sharp widow's peak on the forehead, straight down his back.
Straight. Rigid. The same as him. No doubt, High Jerak Seok was an important being in the Primacy.
The sight of all that leather sent wavelets of uneasiness lapping over my own skin. Humans possessed the technology to manufacture something far superior to tanned animal skin, but there were still people willing to lay down huge sums of money to own bits of clothing made with the real thing. It was an effete symbol of prestige.
I was willing to bet his leather was real.
The EA didn't know enough about the Endar to put up a paragraph in a textbook. When I got off this world, that information would double. I didn't want to prolong my contact enough to contribute more.
In contrast to our ignorance, the Endar knew a lot about us. As prospective members, we had opened our greedy, grasping souls to the Whooex Union. Now, after one hundred and sixty years as junior members, the Whooex Union of Stars had yet to hand us the full manual on itself. There were twelve inviolate zones, full of other, sentient peoples, many of whom we knew little to nothing about. Maybe we should have been a bit more circumspect. A little less aspiring.
Too late now.
The High Jerak continued to stare at me with its unblinking red eyes.
Someone once told me that when Endar got extremely agitated they emitted a pungent, unpleasant odor. I felt pretty sure their best politicians, diplomats, and especially a High Jerak, had figured a way to overcome any "stink" handicap. Still, the juvenile entertainment in the thought helped ease the intimidation factor for me.
"The Ritto-ssa report they found you floating in space outside an abandoned mining facility in the Scylla Quadrant. Why were you there?"
We both knew it would take more than an exchange in a medical facility to produce the kind of details he wanted.
"I was not in Primacy space," I said.
"You are on a world where we are responsible for security. Humans do not have an alliance with the Proambu. Why were you there?"
"Fulfilling a contract. With proper clearance," I added. Mother Universe, let that be the truth! I clenched my fists beneath the coverlet, suddenly fearing the Frairy-MoMo trickster team could be entirely capable of pulling off the operation at Idwal without proper authorization from the owners. The High Jerak would have to contact the Proambu to confirm it, however, which, considering their situation, didn't seem likely to happen. But still... "I was injured in an accident at the facility."
Those blood-red eyes were unsettling as they stared at me. I hoped he didn't know enough about Human physiology to recognize the thin film of sweat on my face as burgeoning unease.
"What sort of accident?"
"A section blowout." Anyone who ever thought of going into space knew the terror that kind of event caused.
"How did it happen?"
"I don't know."
"You were there! What caused it?"
"I said I don't know. The station is in Proambu territory. That's not Endar jurisdiction," I said.
"Sabotage?" He continued as if I'd never spoken.
Did he mean by me, or someone else? "Not that I'm aware." My instincts told me being near this creature was bad for my health. I wanted him to leave so I could focus on the things I had to do. Things to which I suspected he would strongly object.
"Did you have companions?"
Did I have companions where? "No." I didn't know where Saura was at the moment, but I suspected Idwal's proximity to Endar space made this character a greater threat to her than anything in the deep dark. No way was I letting his people get their hands on her.
"The Idwal Facility. It is an isolated area of space. Curious, how the Ritto-ssa managed to rescue you so quickly."
Yeah, I silently agreed with him on that: the system seemed strangely active for its remote location. "You'd have to ask them." It made me feel a little treacherous to direct his attention back on my rescuers—it sounded as if their report might have been a bit spare on the details, too—but I did not intend to help expand his information.
The dusky areas at the edges of the High Jerak's face darkened. "Do not insult me with your transparent attempt at deflection, Human. What were you doing at the Idwal Facility?"