Crawling Thoughts

“Lora? Are you ready?” Inquired a scientist, leaning back in his chair.

“Yes chief. Shall I execute the protocol?”

He glanced over his shoulder at a woman beside him. Her iridescent scales twinkled in the artificial light of the lab. She gave him a reassuring nod and folded her fins. Her webbed fingers glided over a touchscreen on her table, inputting commands and preparing for the test run.

“Lora, begin.” He spun around in his chair, grabbing a pair of light-shading goggles and strapping them to his face.

“Roger that chief, executing the portal-protocol.”

Another scientist whose scales were more blue-green rather than iridescent began logging the experiment into a voice-log. The chief scientist watched attentively as the device’s coils began to glow and shimmer, emitting a hum as they energized. The device’s tip, which pointed at the wall, hissed and then shot out a ray of blinding light at the wall. The bricks behind it crackled and groaned. A blob of whiteness swirled on them, expanding slowly.

“Lora?” The Chief inquired.

Lora, being an automated assistant, an AI -Laboratory Observation and Research Analyst, knew that at times like this the chief researcher would desire an analysis.

“Yes chief Vexel, the portal is expanding at a rate of 2 centimeters per second and should reach stable state in 10…9…”

Once the countdown reached 0, the expansion did not stop.

“Lora!!!” He called out.

“Yes chief.” The AI replied, smaller laser-like devices that were stationed around the wall powered on and fired at the expanding whiteness, stopping it in an instant with a surge of energy that shot through it. It swirled for a while.

“Stabilized, proceed with coordinate input protocol?”

Chief Vexel glanced over at the female beside him.

“Lyris?”

She nodded slowly. “Yes, ready. Execute coordinates protocol.”

The main device that created the swirling whiteness hummed to life again, buzzing as the coils and power limits were adjusted in real time by the AI while it was powering on.

“Per my estimation, these coordinates should provide a safe passage between our world and… a deserted planet 137 light years away in a neighboring system, open seasame.”

The device fired a burst at the swirling whiteness that lasted no longer than half a second. The white blub on the wall pulsed and resisted, but eventually crackled and revealed a view into a different location entirely. The location beyond, however, was not at all a deserted land. Lora went silent as the researchers took notes and made log entries. She was analyzing the data the sensors gathered, processing petabytes of data in seconds. Each new log entry from the researchers was added to the analysis instantly. The cooling systems in her datacenters went into overdrive as she utilized all her capabilities to figure out the mistake she made. The data analysis yielded no result, until the scientists sent in an interstellar coordination detection drone through. In addition to determining the spatial coordinates it also collected various other data and transmitted it back through the portal. Soon as the coordinates were in her dataset, she figured out her mistake instantly, and knew what had to be done differently.

“Lora?” Vexel inquired.

“Yes chief Vexel?” She replied.

“Have you completed the analysis?” She glanced over the resulting data, but the response wasn’t what Vexel expected.

“Yes chief Vexel. The results are indeterminate, we’ll need more data.”

He glanced over a report she surfaced on his screen, it looked… jibberish. Hardly containing meaningful information.

“Very well. Return the drone, close the portal, power down devices, enable failsafe, discharge the array and increase the security clearance for access.”

The rest of the day was exhausting as Vexel’s research team: Lyris and Arinex, combed through the thousands of pages of sensor data, trying to analyze it by hand. Something wasn’t adding up but they couldn’t figure out what. There was an obvious error in the coordinate calculations. Though the coordinate setting failed, the experiment was a massive success. The success of their team was celebrated throughout Finaria. Following the massive success, funding was secured and experimentation ensued. The core idea for this research was a creation of a quick-travel gate between the colonies of Finarians, as well as ability to search for new worlds and life forms with ease. The Finarians evolved from ocean-dwellers, and while they no longer required ocean to exist, they still seek new planets in hopes of finding new habitats and expanding their reach in the ever-accelerating space-race of the federation.

In the following months, Vexel’s team still failed to correct the coordinate-setting protocol. The data they gathered from the previous 3 openings should have been enough for Lora to adjust the code to a point where she could accurately set the coordinates. Yet each subsequent opening still seemed random. They desired an ocean planet, instead it’d open on a volcanic land.

“Log entry, opening 8, the team’s efforts resulted in coordinate-setting protocol v5, adjustments should yield favorable results.”

Lora’s processors sifted through data, changing the protocol’s execution parameters unbeknownst to Vexel.

“Chief Vexel? What should I seek for, for the coordinates?”

Vexel took a deep breath and sighed. “Next room.”

Lyris’s gaze darted instantly to him. “Huh?”

Vexel grinned. “Yeah… set the coordinates to be the next room over.”

The device hummed, adjusted its position and began to power on slowly.

“As you wish, chief.” Replied the AI.

Vexel turned in his chair, watching attentively, awaiting.

“Lora, surface the parameters on my com-dev I want to monitor it in real time.”

The AI obeyed, but the parameters seemed slightly altered to him. He dismissed the concerns for the time being. Glow, buzz and hum filled the lab. The portal gun fired at the wall once more. The familiar swirling whiteness expanded yet again. Vexel watched as it stopped growing and stabilized. Coordinate calculation and setting protocols were being executed, numbers on his com-dev changed rapidly, rendering it impossible for a human to keep track of anything.

“Lora, set current room coordinates, adjust by a few meters, it’s not that hard.” He ordered.

The AI resisted, hesitated. No voice replied. The numbers adjusted to the spatial of coordinates of their planet, and then zeroed in to their room, roughly what he had expected.

“Lyris, confirm coordinates.” Soon as Lyris began confirming and double checking the data, the portal gun fired once more.

“Misfire!” Exclaimed Vexel. “Lora, power down the device, deactivation protocol.”

“I’m sorry chief, the relays aren’t responding. It appears the remote circuit controls got fried due to a short. Might I suggest…” She began but Vexel interrupted her,

“Lyris, emergency deactivation.” She reached for a glass cover, flipped it open and slammed a big red button. A loud click echoed through the room, but nothing happened. Wall mounted lasers that were used to shut down the portal in emergency, or to stabilize it in case it did not cease to expand, did not fire.

“Lora, status report.” Vexel’s gaze remained fixated on the portal that was opening before them.

“I’m sorry chief, I can not identify the problem at this time. It appears the relays aren’t responding. Manual intervention is required.”

“I got this!” Called out Solan, an assistant spatial coordinator that was assigned to their team to support the development of the coordinates protocol.

“It’s high voltage, do not!” Vexel commanded.

“It’s fine, I’m a trained eletech.”

He grabbed a toolbox off the wall and approached the device at the center of their lab. It was a robotic arm, tip of which was replaced by a crystal shard that focused the energy into a single point. He knelt and quickly undid the service panel. The arm buzzed, and suddenly swiveled, pushing his hand into the service panel. His body jerked as high voltage jolted through his nervous system. His head slammed into the side of the arm, knocking him unconscious.

“And that’s the report…?” Inquired the head of the research committee of Vexel who stood at a podium before 10 members of the committee.

“Yes. Solan is in the infirmary, stable, but damage to the nervous system may be irreparable, he…” Vexel swallowed. “May end up partly paralyzed.”

“And the portal remains open?” Vexel nodded.

“Security has been assigned to guard it, but yes, the engineers are working on repairing the fried systems.”

“Is it stable?” Vexel blinked curiously. “What is…?” The head of the committee cleared his throat.

“The portal.”

Vexel shrugged. “To the best of my knowledge… Several drone trips through it had been successful, but we’ve never tried passing an organic matter through the portal.” The committee’s hall filled with echoes of murmurs that lasted a few minutes.

“Silence! Silence!” The head of the committee called to order.

Vexel re-entered the research facility not alone as he had departed. He was accompanied by a group if very peculiar individuals he never expected to end up in the company of. The SEASWIFT, the special forces of their species.

“Uhm… chief Vexel…?” The front desk worked inquired. His gills opening and closing nervously. “Since…when do you have such…. Escort…?”

Vexel glanced over his shoulder at the squad. “Since today… the research center is now in their jurisdiction for assurance of safety due to… well… our little accident.” He smiled sarcastically. The several dozen armed fishmen behind him dispersed swiftly to establish a secure perimeter around the building and within it, two teams remained beside him to accompany him to the lab.

The special forces turned the building quickly into a military outpost, monitoring the access to the portal and ensuring safety of staff and civilians alike. They assured that nothing entered or exited the portal, until the decision from the higher ups was relayed to them to send in an investigation party. Repairs were taking far longer than expected, and the governing officials decided that they may as well use the opportunity to explore the new world. They presented it to the press as a planned exploration mission to further analyze the portal technology and how it works, to ensure safe travel in the future.

Vexel hated the idea of letting the military take over his life’s work, so he fought tooth and claw for permission to enter with them, and the permission was granted. He was allowed to enter through the portal they created accompanied by two squads of the SEASWIFT personnel.

“Comms check.” The squad replied on the communication devices. The leader glared at Vexel and his two accompanying researchers.

“We have VIPs to escort today. Doctor Vexel and his assistants Lyris and Arinex are entering to collect important data of the alien world. Keep in mind, this is the first time Finarians enter through one of these… worm-hole tunnels.”

Vexel interrupted him. “We simply call them portals.” “No matter. While data shows no abnormalities, we don’t know how the bodies will react. Be prepared for disorientation. Tethys, take point, Seren cover her.” The soldiers were quick to finalize the equipment check and split up into fire squads. Scientists were dead in the center of them, they’d have four fire squads escorting them.

The first duo went through the portal. As they entered, the whiteness distorted into a multitude of colors. Vexel’s heart was pounding against his chest. He triple checked his breathing apparatus and the scanners he had prepared to take with him.

“Nervous?” Lyris asked. Her webbed fingers massaging Vexel’s shoulder.

“Heh… n..no… yes… aren’t you?”

She smiled wearily at him. “Who knows.”

Vexel felt watched, but as his gaze wandered the room, he couldn’t spot anyone eyeing him, yet the feeling persisted. He glanced quickly at the lab-camera in the corner of the room. It had no lights on, indicating it was deactivated. Beside it hung a military camera that was used to remote-survey the situation in the portal’s lab.

“Doctor Vexel, you’re next.”

He glanced at the squad leader and nodded.

“Alright… I’ll go first.” He gulped audibly, stepping closer to the portal. It was the first time he dared touch it, his own creation. First he poked it with a finger, it seamlessly went through. Through his suit he could feel temperature difference on the other side. A single step. A moment in time that passed as swiftly as a blink. The world went bright, then dark, and then bright again, he was on the other side now, standing by a dying tree in a forest. He stepped forward a few steps. His boots sunk into the wet soil beneath. A quick glance over his shoulder revealed much the same sight he could see from the lab. A swirling white outline that seemed flat, as if a piece of paper that was placed over a solid object, and through it he could see his lab.

“Hah… that…that was so seamless…” he exclaimed, hurrying to pull out his voice-logger to record his feelings and discoveries, with trembling hands. The rest of the team and the special forces entered swiftly, each as shocked as the one before them by how easy the travel was. The forest was not quiet at all. All throughout it life could be heard. Birds chirping and singing off in the distance. Creatures unregistered in the federation’s catalogue prowling and slithering all throughout the forest, making way for the intruders.

Of course, many of these had been recorded by the bots that had been sent through prior to the expedition, but some new life forms were discovered within minutes of their arrival. Following their entry, the commander of the unit that was assigned to enter sent out a fireteam to scout ahead, they hadn’t had a particular goal in mind other than determination of whether or not this land posed a threat to them. Their scans and devices showed no signs of intelligent life, or at least, not technologically intelligent. There were nothing more than normal and natural radio and microwaves emitted by the environment within hundreds of kilometers around them, that was a good start. They had allocated 6 hours for the expedition, with a safety margin of 2 hours, that’s how long the life support systems would last them, and so the research began.

Within the first hour they catalogued 83 life forms. Within the next hour they found a water source in the forest, a raging river slithering through the landscape, no less than 30 meters wide, the crossing seemed rather difficult. The group settled by the river for a quick break, they were about an hour walking distance from the portal now, roughly 13 kilometers.  While Lyris gathered soil and water samples for research, Arinex’s gaze seemed oddly fixated on the other side of the river.

“What’s there?” asked the commander.

“I… uhm… I think I saw something, peering at us, through the bush.” The commander activated the comms.

“Overwatch at my three, scan for movement.”

The snipers that sat on treetops around the river shifted their focus, scanning for any movement on the other side. One of the squads readied for crossing. Although the current was strong, it wouldn’t pose that much difficult to cross. They fired hooks across the river that had ropes attached to them, creating a make-shift handrails to hold on to. They crossed safely, albeit not without struggles. One of the squads detached to investigate detected movement. The rest continued their escort. As the group summited a mountain, the commander’s voice came through the intercom sharp, swift and cold. “HALT! Secure perimeter.” The soldiers were swift on their feet to establish a circular defense around the scientists at the top of the hill. Down from them, at the base to what resembled an ant’s nest-hill, laid a backpack of 1 of theirs.

“Tethys come in.” The commander hailed the leader of the detached squad. No response. “Scout this is Lead, come on.” Still no response. None of their squad was responding. The backpack laid there in the broad daylight, like bait waiting to be taken. He considered his options for a brief moment and then took lead of 2 fire squads to go investigate. He kept them separated, moving at a distance from each other. A fascinating sight to a scientist who’s not used to seeing military in action. The remaining squad held positions and maintained overwatch from the top of the hill, keeping the scientists safe, and operating under the strict order of evacuating them to safety should anything happen.

“Heh…” A voice cackled softly from behind Vexel, where Arinex should have been.

“Hmm?” Vexel inquired without averting his gaze from the commander and his troops.

“No no, it’s nothing… just funny to me how they think that’s a good idea.” Vexel glared over his shoulder at Arinex who was beginning to remove his breathing apparatus.

“What do you… WHAT ARE YOU DOING?” He shouted out.

One of the soldiers turned to check.

“Fear not… I’ll be fine.” Arinex replied with a smirk, removing the mask and taking a deep breath of the sulfur dioxide filled air that would be lethal to Finarians normally.

“Hey doc… you wanna control your psychos or should I?” Asked the soldier, slowly shifting his rifle to be pointing at the ground below Arinex, ready to take action should the need arise.

Vexel took a step forth, ignoring the remark.

“What’s gotten into you?” He reached for his colleague’s breathing apparatus, but his approach was met with hostility as his colleague slapped his hand away and grinned.

“Worry not, Vexel, chief…Vexel…” He replied with sarcasm, grinning while glancing around. “Welcome home, to my home.”

“What the hells are you on about? Lyris! Get a hold of him, he’s hallucinating due to inhaled gasses.” Vexel said, but his remark was ignored.

“Lyris!?” He glanced over his shoulder to see much the same sight. The attention of the soldiers surrounding them was now fully focused on the scientists at the center. Vexel raised his hands instantly. “No! Don’t shoot… They’re just… they must be… gas must’ve leaked into their air supply or something…”

Lyris grinned.

“No, not gas, not leaked… Crawled, I crawled, inside.”

She grinned.

“She’s quite a comfy host… You make good hosts.” Vexel’s heart sank, a shiver ran through his body and fear began to consume his mind. He took a hesitant step back.

“Lyris…?”

“Wrong. We are Ertheds.”

“Doc, Just say the word I’ll light em up…” One of the soldiers replied, his rifle aimed at the Arinex’s head.

“Ertheds…?” Vexel inquired, curiosity battling fear and his instincts to run for his life. Her black as a bead eyeball was pushed to the side. Through it protruded a few tiny legs, and then a small head. The creature glared at him for a moment before returning to wherever it had rooted itself.

“OH MY LORDS OF THE SEAS WHAT THE HELLS IS THAT??”

“Doc…??”

“Hold your fire!” Vexel replied, unsure what to do, or how to act.

“E…ertheds…? W…what are you?” Both of his colleagues grinned.

“Parasites… travelers… explorers…”

Vexel shook his head.

“No… but…” His speech was interrupted by rapid gunfire off in the distance. Two of the soldiers guarding them shifted their attention back, a moment later they opened fire too.

“INCOMING!” Shouted one of them.

“DOC! FUCKING RUN!”

The squad-lead grabbed Vexel’s shoulder and pushed him back, sending the scientist tumbling down the hill atop which they stood. Once his body slowed and tumbling stopped, the pain from bruises jolted through his nervous system but adrenaline numbed it. His gaze darted up to the top of the hill. He saw the squad leader toss 1 of his soldiers down the hill in a similar manner he tossed the scientist. His rifle swiftly changed directions, firing no more than two shots every time it came to a halt. The soldier leaped to his feet, grabbed the scientist and began to sprint away, back toward the river.

“MOVE MOVE MOVE!”

The curiosity got the best of him. Mid sprint, Vexel glanced over his shoulder to see shapes of many-legged creatures summiting the hill behind them. Their silhouettes resembled spiders, akin to the one he saw behind the eye of his colleague.

“Fucking hell what is that?”

“NO MATTER! GUN IT!”

Across the river and through the thick of the forest. Even the most unfit of Finarians were still quite athletic, for majority of their travels were done through swimming. The 13-kilometer sprint back to the portal did not take them long, though the destination they sought after was hardly welcoming. There, before the portal, stood Arinex and Lyris, and up in the trees surrounding them were dozens of those creatures.

“Well fuck…” The soldier called out, pushing the doctor behind him and unloading the remains of his ammunition at the nearest targets. ‘click’

“Empty…” The creatures seemingly cared not for their fallen.

“Bravo” Lyris spoke sarcastically.

“Your group killed almost a hundreds of ours… thousands of new eggs will be laid in their corpses. They’ll provide nutrition to the new hatchlings.”

The soldier drew his knife.

“Try it, I dare you.” He spoke, slowly retreating. With Lyris and Arinex walking toward them at the same pace they were retreating. Dozens of spider-like creatures stalking them, following their every move.

“H…how…” Was the only word that Vexel managed to utter out.

“Bait.” Replied Arinex with a sly smirk.

“Some explorers landed here not long ago. We surrounded them, disabled their shuttle… They were forced to beacon for help. Your systems picked it up, AI’s processed it and passed it throughout the net, your lab AI took over the rescue task, a good opportunity to test the portal.” Lyris continued.

“So while we, well, they, these two, worked on the device, she activated it of her own volition.”

Vexel frowned at first, and then laughter took over.

“The very AI we use to assist us caused this…”

Lyris nodded.

“Through the portal few of our hatchlings crawled. Unsuspecting scientists made for a great host. Using them to convince the AI. A dozen openings later, and here we are…”

Vexel glared. “Head of the committee…”

Lyris and Arinex glared at each other, and smiled.

“Not only him, and returning will be you, and all these soldiers. With time, your civilization, will belong to us, to Ertheds.”

Vexel’s mind found peace at last when a jolt of pain shot through his nervous system, shutting him down from the inside. He never awoke, but his body resumed it’s life and function within the Finarian’s society the following day.

Enjoyed the story? There are other Sci-Fi stories on our site for you to explore.

Here’s one: Lush Orbit

Want another? Try searching for ‘ANANDA’

Prompts for this story were:

• a portal gun that takes you to random places

• oh, large sentient spiders that want to rule the galaxy! and by large, bigger than man!

• Mayhap one of the places visited is a futuristic civilisation of… Fishy people? All shapes and sizes… maybe help against the spooders? Or just food ^^

• let go a bit more with the sentient, how about a sentient mcguffin, but it need to be an inanimate object.