Chapter 2

Aocles couldn't believe his eyes. This was something that happened in stories. Or in distant places to people he would never know. Yet right in front of him on the ramp into the hole was a spaceship. It was fourteen feet in length going from a three foot radius at the nose to a full seven foot radius at the rear. A three foot bubble sat near the rear of the ship nestled in between two raised ridges. The two ridges were only two of four. The ridges stuck out at forty-five degree angles. At the front they started five feet from they front and widened as they went back. Ending at five feet wide and only four feet from the back of the ship.

Seeing that the pinnacle was a spaceship Aocles figured that the bubble was the cockpit. He walked up to it to inspect it. The bubble was blue in color with a black strip of metal separating it into three separate pieces. The part of the bubble facing him suddenly disappeared. Inside the cockpit was a faint light.

The cockpit held one chair surrounded by electronics. Being careless and curious Aocles jumped into the seat to really look through the cockpit. Settling into the chair the bubble resealed itself. The chair itself was a marvel. It was cushioned and went right to the top of his six foot three inch body. He thought the chair had been made for him it was so comfortable. His right armrest was empty except for the joystick at the end of it. It was the perfect distance so that he wouldn't have to stretch to reach it. The left armrest was the same even down to the joystick. The only difference was that the right joystick seemed to have a throttle switch for the thumb. In front of the joysticks was a console. His feet went under this to two pedals. One for each foot. If this was anything like a helicopter then the pedals would control side to side motion. The console itself had several buttons and a few empty screens.

Studying the console Aocles found a turn switch with weird letters underneath it. He turned it. Around him small lights appeared and the buttons themselves seemed to start to glow.

"Shileak amaths riksle," a disembodied voice said.

"What the fuck," Aocles said.

"Unecleth ... dospes ... leiota. Language change made. Please identify yourself." The voice sounded almost female but Aocles knew it was the ship by the metallic scratchy noise.

"Umm ... Aocles Nathogn Kaper," responded Aocles.

"What is a brasfet doing in the cockpit of a Tol'marinea? You have entered a restricted vehicle. Remove yourself at once." The bubble once again disappeared. Not wanting to tick the ship off Aocles rapidly removes himself from the ship.

"Thank you. Now please alert the nearest Tol'marinea to my location. There is information in me that needs to be given to the Arnekfith. Get moving brasfet."

"I am sorry but I do not understand. What is a brasfet? Or a Tol'mari-whatever?" Aocles was confused yet excited at the weird names. Yet from the sound of the names a brasfet was a slave to the Tol'marinea. If what the ship was saying is true than humans were slaves to another species.

"A brasfet is a human. They are the eternal servants of the Tol'marinea. The Tol'marinea are the creators of most. They have designed most of the species across the know universe. There have been other species that were more advanced then them but they have always been secluded. Recently the Tol'marinea have gone to war against one of their own creations. The Gr'Ivicus were insectoids that were placed on an almost deserted world. They mastered space flight in a few days. The Tol'marinea suspected intervention from their own kind. They never thought that the few habitants on the planet had mastered space flight way back when the Tol'marinea were still young. For fear of monsters they stayed on planet slowly dying off.

"Now please tell me what a human like you is doing in possession of a fighter like me?"

Aocles figured what the heck and told the fighter all about discovering a pinnacle and then digging up the ship. When the ship asked for the date and received it it went silent. It was calculating the date in Tol'marinea date.

"I can't believe this. I have been off for well over three centuries. In those three centuries you humans have receded back to simple planetary living. With few of you looking at space flight. I need to return back to my system. I must find the Tol'marinea. Help me Aocles. Repair the parts that need to be repaired. I beg of you.

"Wait. What am I doing asking for assistance from a brasfet? I have truly sunk low." The ship fell silent after that comment. It seemed to really just fall in on itself. Almost like a mental breakdown.

"Look I can help you with whatever you need. I happen to be very proficient in engineering. Just show me what I need to fix you," Aocles offered. The ship didn't respond. Aocles sat down and waited for the fighter to accept his offer. He waited till it was almost dark. He finally stood up intending to leave. "Look I must go. My dad will be wondering where I am and then come looking for me. I don't really want him to find you. I'll be back later."

As he started to walk away the fighter called him back. "Wait. You are my only hope. There isn't even an outpost here. Reach into the cockpit. In the left armrest will be a simple chip. Place it on your neck. Preferably near the spine. The chip will connect to the nervous system. This will allow us temporary communication. In three hours the chip will fall off. It will have completed its purpose. It will have released a special nanobot army into your body. They will allow you permanent connection to me and others with the nanobots in them."

Aocles did as he was told. He reached into the cockpit expecting the armrest to be empty. He was surprised to see a small compartment in the armrest. He took the chip and placed it just to the left of his spine under his neck. The chip sucked onto his skin then pierced it several time for nanobot insertion.