✘ Round 2 | Audio

[glacius]

I... I require assistance. [The feed comes on and the normally calm ice alien's voice is tinted with sadness. He takes a small breath, then continues:]

I have been keeping a small number of lightbugs that appeared in the caves about three... [there's a brief pause as he struggles to remember the proper terminology used by humans for this span of time--] ... months ago. But now it appears they are dying. I don't know what I did wrong. I made sure their enclosure had plenty of space, insulated it from the cold, and even provided them with things to eat. And yet still...

[Glacius trails off. Given that his homeworld is frozen over, there aren't any insects on it, so he has no idea how their general life cycle works--or in this case, how short it can be. He doesn't even realize that he was lucky to get three months with these heartwarming little critters! His voice is therefore regretful when he speaks again, but it sounds like he's trying to scrounge for some determination because he hasn't yet realized their time is simply coming to a close.] ... I don't want to lose them. Is there anyone who knows enough about these life forms to help them?

Comments

[voice]

[synthedick]

They might not be smart enough to even realize they've been trapped all this time.

[He says that lightly, hearing the concern in Glacius' voice. The big guy really does have a big heart to match.]

But what everyone else has already covered is true. Insects don't typically last very long, not even the irradiated ones where I come from.

[voice]

[glacius]

[Glacius casts another look at the fireflies that have mostly settled onto the various clipped plants he's provided and refreshed for them at regular intervals. It's true, the insects do not seem particularly intelligent or even particularly mindful... maybe he's just projecting his own experiences, but it's still hard to shake the slight feeling of unease. He chooses to focus on a topic he's more comfortable with while he tries to decide to do with the little glowing bugs.] I see. It's very strange, and seems like that would make it hard for the species to survive... but then I am used to the life on my homeworld. Most of the species are sturdy--a necessity for thriving in conditions most would find unforgiving--and long-lived. These poor things seem so fragile in comparison.

[voice]

[synthedick]

Not everything is as sturdy as you and me.

[Says the guy who had his arm ripped off not a week ago.]

[voice]

[glacius]

[Unfortunately Glacius has no idea that has even happened! So instead he just gives a little chuckle. He's very familiar with just how tough mechanical humanoids can be, though he does not want to compare Nick to the killing machine Ultratech had created, given all the things they've talked about together.] Well, I hope that means you've been doing alright for yourself recently. It can be harder to stay together in this place than most, especially when the gods get ideas.

[voice]

[synthedick]

[Hard to stay together indeed.]

I've seen better days. Did you see what the Door dragged in this month?

[voice]

[glacius]

... Wait. The Door operates on a monthly basis? [He hadn't actively been tracking the new arrivals or any other activity of the interdimensional portal, but now that he's thinking about it, that... actually makes a lot of sense. The alien makes a quiet mental note; he's interesting in trying to figure out the Door's patterns in hopes of one day manipulating it, but he'd also be willing to defend new arrivals even if it means putting himself between them and some monsters.

And now, as he consider's Nick's words, a part of him wonders if that's exactly what the synth did.] Ah, anyways... I did not. But I think I can hazard a guess and say that it was not friendly.

[voice]

[synthedick]

[Nick forgets not everyone has a clock and calendar built into their head. His is off date-wise, but it's been useful in tracking the days between the openings of the Door.]

I haven't got an exact figure, but it seems like it opens approximately around the same time every month. And this month, it brought in some nasty business from my world. Creatures called deathclaws.

[They are called that for a reason.]

[voice]

[glacius]

And a month is... what? Approximately every thirty days? [Keeping another culture's terminology straight in his head can be difficult, at times! No, that certainly does not sound friendly. I have heard of the gods pulling things from the worlds of people here... it seems like an abhorrent act of deliberate cruelty, bringing old torments back to be faced once more. [And boy, after last month, Glacius has Some Feelings about that. Nick can probably hear the way the alien's voice drops to a disgusted rumble at the very thought.]