Phila cracked her knuckles. “Sarat, may I strike him?”

  Sarat smiled. “While I would love nothing more than to watch Ed scream like a baby, he is our guest, our paying guest.”

  Ed stammered as if he were about to complain, then decided to close his mouth.

  Phila nodded, satisfied. “What is odd about the jetsam is that it appears to be ejected from the craft in equal intervals. Without testing, it will be impossible to know if it’s a failure in the ship, something to indicate habitation or nothing at all.”

  “What do you recommend?”

  “We need to physically investigate the ship.”

  Ed stomped his feet, anger bristling. “Isn’t that what I just said?”

  “Perhaps if you waited until I was done with my observation, you wouldn’t have been berated like a child.” Phila stared at Ed. “You also need to be reminded that you are a passenger, not part of the crew. Let us do our job.” Phila’s dark eyes narrowed dangerously. “If you wanted to be in control, perhaps you should have bought your own ship.”

  Ed scoffed and pointed at Sarat. “She should be Captain.”

  Pregnant silence filled the bridge. Phila crossed her arms defiantly.

  “Don’t you think I tried?” Sarat asked. “Phila would make a damn fine captain. But I must make do with asking for her advice.” Sarat kept his eyes on Ed. “Tonopex, bring the Hindsight closer to the derelict. Try and locate a docking port. Phila, please continue doing your science at a distance in the meantime.”

  Tonopex clicked his pinchers, stating something in Velox. “Captain, the derelict has holes in the side of its hull. I will find a suitable landing site. If this ship is truly alien, I doubt our docking couple would find a matching surface.”

  “Agreed,” Sarat said. “Please be gentle with the Hindsight. I can’t afford a replacement.”

  Tonopex clicked his pinchers again, grinding the appendages together.

  Ed looked startled by what Tonopex said in Velox, then glanced at Sarat.

  The captain sighed. “Tonopex, you know I don’t speak Velox, yet you continue to do so in my presence. I am forced to believe you are disrespecting me and my position. If this behavior continues, I will fire you and put Ed in as navigation. Then Ed can find an asteroid for you.” Sarat turned to face Tonopex in case the Velox was about to react badly. “Do I make myself clear?”

  Ed’s eyes widened. He looked terrified.

  Tonopex tossed his head back. A fitful and grating sound erupted from his convulsing mouth and mandibles. “Excellent, I wondered what it would take to force a confrontation from you.” The Velox stood from the console and stepped inches from Sarat. “I watch you look at my mandibles with fear in your eyes.” His mouth parts clicked with emphasis. “I find your species pathetic. Now that you have shown some fortitude, I am willing to listen, for now.” Tonopex nodded then returned to his station.

  Sarat opened his mouth to say something more, but Ed’s head shook, and Phila’s boot struck his shin.

  Tonopex glided the Hindsight closer to the derelict. As he stated, the ship's side was open to space, as if the vessel were in a great battle or perhaps ravaged by time and gravitational forces. The derelict was a giant vessel easily spanning fifteen levels. The Velox found a section where enough floors were missing to allow the Hindsight to land inside the ship.

  The derelict seemed to shudder as they touched down. Tonopex, Ed, and Phila exchanged glances. “Are you sure you are not getting any energy readings?” Tonopex asked. “It seems like we found gravity.”

  Phila shook her head. “Nothing.”

  Low tilted her head and turned a knob on her console. She waved her arms with excitement. Stopped, then looked down at the floor. One thin arm reached out and picked up her communicator. Low manipulated the small instrument then started again. “I hear something. At first, I thought it was the rumble of the sun, but it’s something else. I think I hear the engines of this ship.”

  “What?” Phila demanded. “I haven’t found any emissions.” She shook her head then continued. “The small jetsam I found was more like debris than emissions. For the sake of argument, if this ship put out debris as emissions, there would not be enough to account for this whole ship. Not even ten percent.” A light seemed to sparkle in Phila’s eyes. “Perhaps if only a section of the ship were active.” Her fingers danced on the console as she bit her bottom lip. She inhaled sharply, then frowned. “Still, nothing. Not enough to account for an engine hum or the presence of gravity here on the outskirts of the ship.” Phila looked at Low. “Could the noise be from something else?”

  Low bobbed her head in thought. “To me, it sounds mechanical.” Her thin, willowy shoulders shrugged.

  “Don’t bother me with the minutia.” Ed raked quote symbols in the air. “Enough science at a distance. Let's go and investigate.”

  Sarat looked to the others on the bridge and nodded. “We should investigate. But, you, Ed, are not the captain. Phila, Low, and I will go.

  Ed stomped to Sarat’s side. “You can’t do this to me. This is my find. I demand that I be allowed to disembark.”

  Sarat leaned into Ed. “I need you here, and I need to be there making snap decisions.” Sarat turned away from Ed, which forced the older man to readjust his footing, moving closer. Sarat whispered to him, “I’m not sure I trust Tonopex. The last thing I need is for that Velox to leave us all behind. But if I remove him from his post, he would have more opportunity to do something nefarious.” He cleared his throat and spoke louder. “Besides, we are going to be here for hours. You can go out when we come back with samples. This derelict isn't going anywhere.”

  Ed frowned, then smiled in such quick succession that it looked like he was experiencing a seizure. “You ought to take his mate, then Tonopex won’t do anything stupid.”

  Sarat nodded, placing his hand on the old man’s shoulder. “I could use some insurance right about now.” He turned away from Ed and walked to Tonopex’s console. “Tonopex, how many different classes of ship has Poxoti worked on?”

  Tonopex’s compound eyes looked behind Sarat, and his mandibles moved slightly as if he were mentally counting. “Twenty to twenty-five.” His eyes refocused on Sarat. “Why do you ask?”

  “I believe Poxoti would be fascinated by this new technology. I think I will invite her to come with us.” Sarat rubbed his chin.

  Mandibles clicked. “It’s old technology. Surely Velox ingenuity has outpaced this heap of junk.” Tonopex’s eyes moved around the room, but his exoskeleton prevented any other signs of discomfort from marking his face.

  The captain shrugged. “I think Poxoti ought to make that decision. Don’t you?” Sarat moved away from navigation and walked to engineering.

  Four of them stood in the airlock. Poxoti’s massive eight-foot frame enshrouded in her spacesuit took up a full one-third of the room. Low’s spacesuit was tiny in comparison. Most of her suit was to house her head. The modular design allowed her to share a suit with any Elowan, even though she favored her left side with an extra arm and leg.

  The airlock door hissed as it opened. Then, in silent agreement, everyone moved together until Poxoti stepped from the Hindsight. It was apparent that the helm had a blind spot that prevented the Velox from seeing below her without bending, and no one wanted to be trampled.

  Poxoti held her scanner and was studying it. “The gravity is light here. It appears to be originating from deeper inside the ship.” The Velox’s pleasant baritone sounded across the helmet’s speaker and into the bridge, where observers watched all four of their personal cameras on the main screen. She walked forward, her stride long and graceful. Phila, Sarat, and Low followed.

  “Look here.” Phila pointed to a section of metal. “It was cut. I don’t see any indication of an attack. At least not here.” She punched something into her scanner then moved it back and forth. “Nothing impressive with the metal. It’s made of elements we are all familiar with.”

  Sarat imagined Ed frowning. “Sorry, Ed. Might not be that exotic after all.”

  The enormous Velox moved aside some metal to gain access into the derelict. “We’ve only scratched the surface, Captain. Besides, it's the engines and tech that should have the most differences.” She paused. “Well, this is unexpected.” Poxoti grumbled in Velox then stepped aside. “Phila, take point.” Beyond Poxoti was a corridor much shorter than the Velox’s frame. “Clearly, this shipbuilder didn’t have us Velox in mind.” Poxoti made a noise that Sarat was beginning to associate as a Velox swear word or curse.

  Static crackled over the com. “Come back Poxoti, I’ll bring a set of interchange devices,” Tonopex begged over the helmet’s speakers.

  “Don’t be ridiculous,” Poxoti replied to her mate. “This is a discovery of a new ship. I’m not about to give up dexterity for a pair of interchange devices. I promise I’ll be careful.”

  The corridor had bars on the ceiling every foot or two. If the bars were removed, the height would have been eight feet or more. Why install them? Sarat stepped into the hallway after Phila and Low then turned to watch Poxoti. The Velox bent forward and used her middle arms as legs. This wasn’t ideal as the space suit’s gloves were less durable than boots. Interchange devices would have turned Poxoti’s manipulating gloves into durable tread. Which would be perfect for walking but would hobble Poxoti. Sarat could appreciate the idea of having extra limbs and then being forced not to use them. In a time and place where learning new tech might require extra hands, Poxoti was right to not use the boots. The Velox navigated closer to Sarat. Even in this unusual position, Poxoti was easily five feet tall at the top of her helm but nowhere near as maneuverable.

  “Want me to take up the rear?” Sarat asked her.

  “No, you’d do me a favor if you could walk before me and watch the floor for anything that could damage my gloves. My own people didn’t think it was important enough to see below our own heads.” She pointed to the blind spots in her helm, then repeated the comment in Velox, confirming that it was indeed a swear word. “My people are no better than anyone else, but often we forget that. Why else make a blind spot in such a way? Such a purposeful negative space would only exist so that we may not see those we stomp upon.” Poxoti swore again. “Often, it is my mate who behaves in such a way. I will not apologize for him. It is our way.”

  The three of them kicked aside the odd bits of debris to make sure Poxoti’s path was clear. Each tidbit appeared to be a cut section of the ship, square tube, round pipe, and flat sheets. The edges were melted or cut mechanically.

  “Sir,” Phila said excitedly. “I’m getting a reading.” The science officer stood at an intersection in the corridor. “Down that way, the sensor picks up a slight tick.” She pointed the sensor at each of the passageways. When she swept past the suspected corridor, the detector beeped a couple times before becoming quiet.

  “Suggestions?” Sarat pointed to Low.

  “The signal could be anything, detecting power from the Hindsight or even the sun. I recommend continuing down this corridor. It should lead us to the bridge of the ship.”

  Sarat nodded, then pointed to Poxoti. “What are your thoughts?”

  “The bridge would be a source of technology that would indicate what species utilized this vessel.” Poxoti nodded. “Assuming all species use and house their bridge in the same location. However, the signal could be an indication of a power source, which is a definite sign of technology.”

  “And Phila?” Sarat asked.

  “Doesn’t matter, either way, I’m learning something.”

  Sarat nodded. “I’ve always been a fan of breadcrumbs. I say we follow the signal.”

  Phila started down the corridor with the signal, swinging the sensor in front of her. At every intersection, she would test for the strongest signal. “Look,” Phila announced excitedly. Over her shoulder was a metal wall crudely welded into place. It bisected the corridor at an angle. “The signal is stronger here.” She pounded on the surface with her gloved hand. “We’ll have to try another intersecting corridor.”

  Poxoti backed slowly out of the passageway into the closest intersection. “I can feel my gloves wearing under the stress of using my hands.” She squatted down, sitting on the floor. “Maybe I ought to have gone back for the interchange devices.” Poxoti studied the gloves on her lower arms. She reached into her hip pouch and pulled out a roll of tape. “Sarat, would you help me? I need to reinforce my gloves before they tear.”

  Sarat looked at the Velox sitting in the passageway, looking dejected. “Phila, Low, you two go ahead. Keep us updated.” He grasped Poxoti’s hand, studying her gloves. There was a wear mark on the palm and knuckles of her hands. If they covered her hands with tape, she would lose the dexterity she fought to keep. He looked at the floor and the debris that was kicked near the walls. “Poxoti, I’ve got an idea.” Sarat gathered the largest segments and brought them back to Poxoti. He set a tube on top of a thick plate. “If we used tape to connect these two together, could you use it to walk?”

  The hissing rasping curse of Tonopex filled their helms.

  Poxoti looked up to the ceiling and returned the grating sound of Velox to her mate. An uncomfortable silence was broken by a periodic static hiss. “Tonopex assumes you are insulting me.” Poxoti’s voice shook as she tried to maintain control of her emotions. “But he is not here. He does not understand.” She picked up the tube and plate. “Many centuries ago, we used gadgets like this, but they were crude. We left them in our past, and now we use the interchange devices. Tonopex assumes you know our history, and your offer to make me one was meant an insult. I know this to be false. You don’t even know our language. And without that, you would never know our history.”

  Sarat kicked the junk to the edge of the wall. “I would never insult you. This was not my intent. I understand your desire to maintain the dexterity of all four limbs. I just wanted to help.” The captain looked down, fearing that he made an enemy of both Velox.

  Poxoti pointed. “Please grab that bent pipe and that plate. Bring them to me.”

  Sarat gathered the U-shaped pipe and the square plate. “What are your plans? Can I assist?”

  “Your idea is a solid one. Logically I can’t find fault with it.” Poxoti joined the two pieces of metal together with tape. Then wrapped a single strip of tape around her palm and knuckle where the wear was the worst. “Let's give it a test run.” Poxoti used the device and hobbled down the passageway, following in the direction Phila and Low went. After passing a couple intersections, she stopped and examined her gloves and the damage to the tape. “Perhaps the ancients knew what they were talking about. Sarat, please find me another set of materials that are similar to this.” Poxoti pounded the makeshift boot into the floor.

  Sarat smiled. He had been looking for similar parts as they walked and mentally marked them. He was back at Poxoti’s side in minutes. A short time later, Poxoti had a set of metal boots.

  “If you two are done messing around, we found a door.” Pride oozed from Phila’s voice. “Low is coming to show you the way.”

  The pressure door was made from many layers of metal, appearing crudely but effectively made. Near the top and in the center was a circular handle that seemed to pull six different tabs from the door assembly. Sarat assumed that was a locking or sealing mechanism. The metal had a patina on the edges where it seated into the wall to form a seal, which suggested it was exposed to air and time. Sarat wondered how that could be when it was currently exposed to the vacuum of space.

  Phila waved her sensor around the door’s edges. “I’ve tested it twice. I’m getting a slight oxygen count, but only at the door seal. I haven’t seen it anywhere else.”

  Poxoti made a strange grating noise, which Sarat had never heard before. “That door looks like it has reached the end of its life. I’m not sure if it’s safe to open. We might cause permanent damage.”

  Low moved forward, placing her slender hand on the door. “Oxygen indicates life. We can’t open this door without some safety precautions.”

  Phila raised a finger. “Airlocks require two doors. If I’m sensing air out here, that means the inner door has failed to some degree.” Phila ran her sensor around the door again, then checked the seams between wall and floor, and then wall and ceiling.

  “Low and Phila are right.” Sarat nodded. “Poxoti, do you have any equipment that would repair an airlock?”

  Poxoti turned and looked at the captain with a slightly tilted head. “This is our first mission. The equipment I have onboard is fairly minimal.”

  Sarat sighed. “From your tone, I’m guessing, no.”

  The Velox placed a tape-enhanced glove on his shoulder. “We have a laser welder. While I can’t fix that door without welding it shut, I could create a new one. A very crude one, mind you.” She sighed. “That means putting in a bulkhead too.” Poxoti patted the walls and ceiling around her. The metal flexed and vibrated. “And reinforcing these thin walls to withstand air pressure.”

  “Tell me what you need, and I’ll make it happen.”

  “Right now, I need sleep and food.”

  Phila pointed at Poxoti and nodded. “I agree.”

  For three days, Poxoti, Tonopex, and Phila worked together to strengthen the area and install an airlock. As Poxoti predicted, the door was crudely made from the materials that could be found on the derelict. They secured their door and filled the space with air, testing it for leaks.

  Sarat stood in engineering and watched as Poxoti created a welded set of metal boots for herself and Tonopex. The design was light and elegant, reminding Sarat of an ancient Arth device used to flatten clothing. Why anyone needed such a thing was a mystery. Why Tonopex agreed to using his set after his outburst was also a mystery.

  “We are ready, captain.” Phila stood in a parade stance just inside engineering. “We are waiting for you. Unless you’ve decided not to join us.”

  “I wouldn’t miss this for any reason. How about you, Poxoti? Are you ready to see what is on the other side of that door?” Sarat asked.