Chapter 19

Year 3, Day 39, Solitude, Terra Prime.

Alexander was being lazily productive, he was sitting a beanbag dressed only in a pair of shorts and a singlet, eating two minute noodles (with curry powder for the extra kick), while watching the week's take on a two hundred and forty centimeter flatscreen. There was something vastly satisfying for a former IT worker to be able to afford, well if you consider a five finger discount as 'affording', all the latest and greatest toys.

Once again he marveled at the image quality of the microsatellites, they were in High Earth Orbit, over thirty five thousand kilometers above the planet, and he could still read the print of the orders the Kromagg officer was reading out to his soldiers.

The translation feature of LVIOS was a bit odd when it came to the written word; with the spoken word he simply heard English, and he had zero clue how other people understood him, it worked and that was all he cared about. However with documents he saw English superimposed over the top of whatever language it really was, it took sometime to get use too, but after several years Alexander didn't blink at the harsh slashes and curves that made up the Kromagg language with the English translation floating gently above.

The Kromaggs, a human name for them; Alexander was unsure of what they called themselves since they were not descended from 'Cro-Magnon' despite the similarity of the names, the Cro-Magnon were human after all, granted primitively looking bulky brutes, but human. It was obvious however from their appearance and what little Alexander knew from his research that they shared a common ancestry with humanity.

Alexander knew they originally came from a world where they had evolved alongside humanity, but unlike the other cousin races, such as the Neanderthals, they had managed to survive into recorded history. Alexander could only wince at the sheer bloodshed that world must have experienced in it's history; his own world was bad enough with the fighting between the human 'races', but to have two seperate, if genetically compatible, species on a single world would be like throwing petrol on a bonfire, explosive in the extreme.

It was honestly a wonder that both sides had managed to make it to the twentieth century, but it did explain their advanced technology; after all war had always been a major reason for the advancement of human technology, so it wasn't odd that it held true for other species. It was only recently that the Kromaggs had been 'expelled' from their original homeworld by the human nations there.

Alexander was unwilling to bet on which side had developed what they called 'sliding' technology first, but the humans had shown either extreme stupidity and/or extreme selfishness, in his opinion at least, when they had exiled the Kromaggs and locked away their world under a protective barrier, preventing most forms of inter-dimensional travel. They had saved themselves, for now at least, but given the Kromaggs an entire multiverse to prey upon, and in time he was sure that unless they were stopped they'd find their way back home.

Alexander doubted it would be a pleasant experience.

***

A few hours later a much different looking Alexander was sitting at the head of a long conference table at the Endeavour Scientific Research Organisation; his hair was combed neatly, he'd shaved, and he was wearing a three piece business suit complete with a dark blue tie. Lately he'd noted some of the members of his little community were aping his dress sense, and that was the last thing he wanted, an entire community of unkempt people in jeans and t-shirts, so he was making an effort to appear more 'leader like'.

So far it didn't appear to be working, the other eight people around the table were dressed in a strange mixture of lab coats and casual clothing. The only person dressed even somewhat formally was Viriathus, Alexander's second in command, and he was dressed in what could be charitably called 'business casual'.

Alexander was jolted out of his musing on fashion, glad no-one knew what he was thinking, when he realised that everyone was looking at him; obviously the boring, but necessary, details before each meeting had been taken care of and they were waiting for him to start.

"Err.. right, sorry everyone" Alexander said, glancing at his notes, "I think Elizabeth and Rémi wish to go first?"

Three seats down to the right Rémi Plourde half stood in his chair, before sitting again, "Thank you" The French biologist said, "I'll try to make it brief, research on the Translator Microbes obtained in FarU is continuing, and ready for human trials" he paused slightly, "However, both Elizabeth and I recommend against it at this stage"

Alexander frowned slightly, noticing a similar reaction around the table, before glancing at Elizabeth, who nodded slightly.

"We simply don't know enough about how they function" The Frenchman continued, "for it to meet the safety guidelines established for biological augmentation. That is to say we know how they function in individuals. Primate testing has shown they migrate to the 'language' section of the brain and colonise there, providing a biological translator for their host, replicating as needed to replace natural loss"

Elizabeth Halford-Smith took over, "The problem is that they are too good" the head of communication research and development stressed, "at translating new languages. The material provided with the initial samples claims that they begin translating a previously unknown language after only a few words, and that simply shouldn't be possible."

Rémi nodded rapidly, "It's logical to assume that they would have an inbuilt store of known languages, but deciphering previously unknown languages in only a few seconds with a few words?"

"I assume you've got a theory." Alexander said.

"We do," Elizabeth said, "We can't prove it at this stage, but it's likely that whenever two beings with translator microbes meet up some form of wireless communication takes place, like smart phones syncing, each sharing any language the other doesn't have. Like I said we can't prove it, we can't detect any signal, but it fits."

Alexander nodded thoughtfully, noting similar reactions around the table, "Recommendations?"

"More research before we move onto human trials." Rémi said firmly. "We need to be sure that we're not going to be infecting our people with a device that can eavesdrop on us."

"The idiots in the FarU don't even know where the tech came from in the first place" Elizabeth interjected, "it's just 'always been there' according to the information provided, though one interesting theory held that they were made by the same species that created those living ships"

"That makes sense" Dieter Hoffmann, the head of space research, said "Any race capable of making intelligent living ships with a unique biological FTL capability obviously has incredible knowledge of genetic manipulation."

Seeing that a spirited debate was in the offing Alexander quickly held up a hand, "Alright, we'll held off on human trials until you're both comfortable with it, and I'll look into acquiring a more technological based UT"

There were approving nods and comments around the table and the meeting continued onto different projects.

***

After the meeting Alexander was walking in the large central park of Endeavour with Viriathus.

"I thought Matt was going to be sitting in this week" Alex asked ideally.

Viriathus and Matt Campbell split most of the major duties that came with being Alexander's go-to subordinates.

"He's stuck with the FSU Ambassador" Viriathus said with a smirk.

Alexander grimaced, "What does that asshat want this time?"

"The usual, more access to the R&D, more transits each week"

"Matt better tell him to fuck right off, I'm not acting as a pack mule for that bastard." Alexander said. He'd initially agreed upon two weekly transits of a diplomatic bag back to the Falling Skies universe, but he'd cut that back punitively after the third time the 'diplomatic bag' had consisted of a large crate of booze.

"Oh don't worry Boss, worst comes to worst and I'll just send terror twins to have a chat with him" Viriathus said with a grin.

Alexander thought he was joking, but he wouldn't put money on it, "As tempting as that is, next time I'm in Vladivostok I'm going to ask he be replaced, the man's a right chancer"

Viriathus just shrugged and said "As you say Boss".