fulfill a life debt. It had taken Yarin Prime two Earth years to create a new shell for this human and the balance of the time to learn how to exactly transfer her progenitor's intellect. An exact synapse by synapse parallel was created, and the electrochemical potentials between those synapses duplicated exactly between the broken body in stasis and this new and improved doppelgänger.
Her new body was infused with both repair and construction nanites that would continuously analyze her environment and adjust her physiology accordingly. All that remained was to transfer her previous memories into her new synaptic matrix.
***
With a sudden realization , Catherine Kimbridge felt her memories rushing back like a floodgate opened. The feeling was overpowering, and she shuddered. She had been in a crash. She remembered most of her lower torso being crushed and the brief but intense fire that had rushed through the ravaged bridge of the Arizona. Why was she alive? Looking down at her legs she saw no sign of any injury... Nor did she see any sign of clothing. With a sudden start, she realized she was naked.
A slight movement of air which raised the soft hairs on her arms was the first indication that she was not alone. Turning quickly, while using her arms to cover her exposed privates, she was startled to see what looked to be some type of land-based cephalopod with eight ridged legs and matching eyestalks. The legs appeared capable of working both for locomotion and manipulation. One of them held what appeared to be a soft white ball.
" Greetings beloved of the creator "
"Where am I?"
The ball undulated colors wildly. Just as quickly the alien's entire body began to shift colors in an equally wild pattern. The ball in turn... spoke .
" You are here. "
"Not especially helpful... Wait! You speak English?" Cat gasped in an utterly astonished voice.
" Technically this is not correct. My race, the Heshe, do not have a spoken language. We can perceive sounds, but we have no apparatus to produce complex sounds. "
"So you can understand me , but you need to use that glowing ball in order to answer."
"Again, technically not correct. My brain is, in your parlance, wired to perceive complex color patterns and process them for communication. While I perceive sounds, my ability to interpret them in any meaningful sense is quite limited. That said, my technology is able to bridge the communication gap my biology cannot. "
Cat watched the incredible light display played out between the Heshe , as it called itself, and the glowing ball that it carried. Suddenly she remembered that she was naked.
"I seem to be missing my clothes"
" Yes, regrettably your synthetic coverings were destroyed with your previous body. "
Cat blinked as she digested that comment. "I promise you... I'm going to want to come back to that one... In the meantime... Is there anything we can do about getting me some clothes?"
The alien moved forward with astonishing speed and touched the glowing ball to Cat's skin. As Cat backed away in alarm, the ball quickly dissolved into her arm where it had touched. "What the hell!"
" My apologies. It was necessary for me to manually program your encounter unit. It has been incorporated into your nanite systems... You will now be able to understand me directly "
"How is this possible?" Cat asked. "I see your color flashes , but I'm hearing you as if you are speaking."
" If you will follow me, I will show you to your quarters where artificial coverings are available. On the way, I will attempt to explain the events that have occurred since your death. "
"Now see... There you go again" Cat said with just a hint of sarcasm in her voice, "I most certainly don't feel dead."
" I should hope not " the Heshe named Yarin Prime responded.
***
Lt. Commander Catherine Kimbridge straightened her dress uniform.
Her new body was infused with both repair and construction nanites that would continuously analyze her environment and adjust her physiology accordingly. All that remained was to transfer her previous memories into her new synaptic matrix.
***
With a sudden realization , Catherine Kimbridge felt her memories rushing back like a floodgate opened. The feeling was overpowering, and she shuddered. She had been in a crash. She remembered most of her lower torso being crushed and the brief but intense fire that had rushed through the ravaged bridge of the Arizona. Why was she alive? Looking down at her legs she saw no sign of any injury... Nor did she see any sign of clothing. With a sudden start, she realized she was naked.
A slight movement of air which raised the soft hairs on her arms was the first indication that she was not alone. Turning quickly, while using her arms to cover her exposed privates, she was startled to see what looked to be some type of land-based cephalopod with eight ridged legs and matching eyestalks. The legs appeared capable of working both for locomotion and manipulation. One of them held what appeared to be a soft white ball.
" Greetings beloved of the creator "
"Where am I?"
The ball undulated colors wildly. Just as quickly the alien's entire body began to shift colors in an equally wild pattern. The ball in turn... spoke .
" You are here. "
"Not especially helpful... Wait! You speak English?" Cat gasped in an utterly astonished voice.
" Technically this is not correct. My race, the Heshe, do not have a spoken language. We can perceive sounds, but we have no apparatus to produce complex sounds. "
"So you can understand me , but you need to use that glowing ball in order to answer."
"Again, technically not correct. My brain is, in your parlance, wired to perceive complex color patterns and process them for communication. While I perceive sounds, my ability to interpret them in any meaningful sense is quite limited. That said, my technology is able to bridge the communication gap my biology cannot. "
Cat watched the incredible light display played out between the Heshe , as it called itself, and the glowing ball that it carried. Suddenly she remembered that she was naked.
"I seem to be missing my clothes"
" Yes, regrettably your synthetic coverings were destroyed with your previous body. "
Cat blinked as she digested that comment. "I promise you... I'm going to want to come back to that one... In the meantime... Is there anything we can do about getting me some clothes?"
The alien moved forward with astonishing speed and touched the glowing ball to Cat's skin. As Cat backed away in alarm, the ball quickly dissolved into her arm where it had touched. "What the hell!"
" My apologies. It was necessary for me to manually program your encounter unit. It has been incorporated into your nanite systems... You will now be able to understand me directly "
"How is this possible?" Cat asked. "I see your color flashes , but I'm hearing you as if you are speaking."
" If you will follow me, I will show you to your quarters where artificial coverings are available. On the way, I will attempt to explain the events that have occurred since your death. "
"Now see... There you go again" Cat said with just a hint of sarcasm in her voice, "I most certainly don't feel dead."
" I should hope not " the Heshe named Yarin Prime responded.
***
Lt. Commander Catherine Kimbridge straightened her dress uniform.
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