To the Dead Planet
A week had passed since the dead star's xenoform—Nahibi, or rather, the squishy blob Eve had named Malangi—planted itself on our ship. A whole week. In that time, an eerie peace had settled over the Night Raven. The only change was that Eve now spent several hours a day chatting with Nahibi in the corner of the cargo bay or tucked into some pipe crevice.
"Malangi, look at this! I made a finger!" Eve kneaded a lump of white slime into a grotesque hand shape.
[Ooh… impressive, Lady Eve. Seven fingers? Truly, your noble aesthetic sense is unparalleled.]
"Right? You try making one too."
[Urgh… I, I don't have fingers, but… I'll give it a try.]
Eve treated it like a toy and a friend, while Nahibi worshipped her like a goddess. It was sharing the burden of Eve's boundless energy, playing with her as promised, and staying out of sight, so I'd been turning a blind eye, not wanting to stir up trouble. Until that night.
It was just before dawn, and for once, I was deep in sleep, lulled by the steady hum of the engines drifting through dreamland. Then a chilling presence brushed my ear.
"……Wake… up… me…."
A voice unlike any I'd heard—grating, laced with metallic undertones. Half-asleep, I furrowed my brow. Eve? No, her voice wasn't this raspy.
"Hey…."
The voice grew clearer. Then came the wet, sticky sensation crawling along my earlobe.
"Wake… up… lowly… creature…."
"……?!"
I snapped my eyes open, yanking the pistol from under my pillow and bolting upright in one fluid motion. Click!
In the darkness, my gun barrel pointed at… nothing. Or rather, something. Up on the bedhead, in the pipe crevice. A blob of white liquid huddled like jelly. It was slowly dripping white fluid onto my face. Embedded in its surface was a single red eyeball staring straight down at me.
Nahibi.
"Hee hee hee…."
Nahibi's offshoot jiggled unpleasantly. The voice I'd heard in my ear just now wasn't the usual telepathic ring in my head—it had vibrated the air, spoken aloud.
"You… did you just talk?"
I asked, dumbfounded. It narrowed its red eye, opening its "mouth" again as if mocking me.
"Low… ly… hu… man…."
The pronunciation was clumsy, but the meaning was crystal clear.
"You crazy slime bastard!"
I roared, finger itching on the trigger, but it vanished into the pipes in a flash.
"Hey! Get out here?!"
Only its giggling vibrations echoed away down the conduit. I huffed, holstering the pistol.
Did that thing learn to talk from Eve already?
Language acquisition in a week. Were xenoforms smarter than I'd thought?
Sleep was long gone. That morning, Nahibi's attitude did a complete 180. No more skulking in the pipes, avoiding my gaze. It strutted the corridors in full jelly form like it owned the place, even plopping onto a dining chair.
Like right now.
"Malangi, try this!"
In the mess hall, Eve offered Nahibi some of her dried fruit snacks.
Nahibi extended a tentacle from its chair-sprawled slime body and snatched the fruit.
[Ooh, rations graciously bestowed by Lady Eve…! Such an honor.]
It absorbed the fruit into itself, radiating waves of.
I crossed my arms, watching the spectacle, then narrowed my eyes and stepped closer.
"Hey, squishy."
Nahibi's eyeball swiveled to me.
"I told you to stay out of sight. Stick to the pipes, remember?"
My growl made it jiggle like a dismissive snort.
[Hmph. Am I your minion? I'm Lady Eve's retainer. Not your pet.]
It was openly defying me in Federation tongue now.
"This little shit's got some guts."
I drew my plasma cutter from my belt. As I advanced threateningly, Nahibi feigned shock and darted behind Eve.
[Eek! Lady Eve! This barbaric lowly creature's trying to burn me alive!]
"Kal! No!"
Eve jumped up, arms spread wide to shield Nahibi.
"Don't bully Malangi!"
"Eve, move. You know what that thing said to me last night? Needs some discipline."
"No! Malangi didn't do anything wrong!"
Eve pouted, glaring at me.
"Malangi plays with me! You're always busy and won't! So don't scold Malangi!"
"……."
A sharp pang hit my solar plexus. I'd thought squeezing in playtime amid my busyness was enough, but apparently not for Eve. Defending this random slime intruder like that. A strange sense of betrayal stung.
And Nahibi, flashing a victorious smirk from behind her, was starting to really piss me off…
[See that, lowly creature? That's the pecking order.]
That little…
But with Eve blocking so desperately, I had no choice. I sighed heavily and sheathed the cutter.
"Fine, fine. Just don't cause trouble."
I sat at the table, nursing a bitter defeat.
"Let's eat."
I prepped breakfast: grok steak, high-protein bars, vitamin drink.
"Yay! Meat!"
Eve plopped down, grabbing a fork like her anger had vanished. She sliced a big chunk and chomped away.
But then.
[Tsk tsk.]
A tutting sound—no, vibration—from somewhere. I turned to see Nahibi coiled in the table corner, eyeing my menu with pity.
"What's with that look?"
[That's why it's pathetic. The self-proclaimed guardian plans to starve Lady Eve to death?]
"What? Starve?"
I barked a disbelieving laugh.
"Hey, this diet's perfectly balanced. Protein, carbs, fats, vitamins—the works."
Nahibi wagged a tentacle mockingly.
[By human standards, maybe.]
It stretched its slime body tall across the table.
[Lady Eve's in her growth phase. Not some basic biological spurt, but the awakening as the galaxy's true master. And you feed her dead meat lumps?]
"What?"
[Haven't you noticed? Lady Eve's sleeping more lately, always hungry no matter how much she eats.]
I froze at Nahibi's point. Yeah, it was true. Eve's naps had spiked. She'd whine about hunger right after meals more often. I'd chalked it up to the unknown power she'd used against Nahibi draining extra calories.
[Lady Eve needs more than biological calories. High-purity energy to build her body and wield her powers. That garbage—no offense—food won't cut it.]
Nahibi was dead serious. Its red eye locked onto mine.
[Keep this up, and her growth stalls from energy depletion. Worst case, she'll devour her own life force. Thanks to her ignorant guardian.]
"……."
No rebuttal. I was a rookie even at human childcare. Monster parenting? No clue. I'd done my best by human standards, but that could poison Eve… Ego bruised, but facts were facts. Her health was on the line.
I set down my fork, meeting Nahibi's gaze.
"……So."
[?]
"What should she eat? If you know so much, give me an alternative."
I conceded a step, and Nahibi puffed up smugly.
[Finally seeing reason. Should've asked sooner.]
In a haughty tone, it began explaining.
[Lady Eve needs essence. The pure energy held in a planet's core.]
"Planet core? You telling Eve to swallow metal or lava?"
[Ever the shortsighted lowly race, seeing only what's visible. Planetary cores aren't just metal—they hold higher-dimensional energy.]
"Energy?"
[The spark of life, promoter of evolution.]
"What's that supposed to mean?"
[Pointless explaining to a lowly thing like you. How could you grasp the universe's mysteries? Enough chatter—reroute the ship here.]
Nahibi peeled off a chunk of itself, sketching a map on the table. White goo formed intricate lines and dots—a star chart. A tentacle jabbed a specific coordinate.
[Head here.]
I overlaid it on the Federation charts.
"This is… Outer Rim PQ-6 sector. Barren wasteland, nothing there."
[Planet Garcia. Seventy years ago, devoured by my great mother, Nariant, leaving only the husk.]
Awe and longing colored Nahibi's voice.
[Mother consumed all life and core energy, but scraps spilled in the process linger. Energy crystals buried in the dead star's ruins. Gather them, and they'll be the perfect tonic for Lady Eve now.]
"Dead planet…."
[It's dead—no other xenoform hunts there. Federation marks it barren, won't bother. Safest, surest feeding ground.]
Nahibi's pitch made sense. Dodge pursuers, score Eve's high-purity energy. But I didn't fully trust it.
"Not a trap, right?"
I squinted. Nahibi snorted incredulously.
[Why would I? What do I gain endangering Lady Eve? I think only of her welfare. Unlike you.]
Its gaze shifted to Eve munching her steak. That look was genuine.
I glanced at Eve. Sauce smeared her mouth, but dark circles shadowed her eyes. Definitely energy-starved.
Choice time. Follow the shady monster's lead? Or stick to my way and risk Eve? Answer was obvious.
"……Fine."
I stood.
"We'll go. Call it a sucker bet."
[Wise choice.]
"But if it's a bust or a trap."
I slashed my thumb across my throat at Nahibi.
"I'll make you die the most painful death in the universe."
[Hmph. Threatening who?]
Nahibi grumbled, but its tentacle tips wagged happily. Clearly proud to help its queen.
I punched in the coordinates.
The Night Raven swung its bow. Toward the scar of past catastrophe. Toward the star where only death remained.