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Sol
Sol awakened with many questions. She remembered her dream last night. She ran a quick diagnostic on herself:
Name: Sol##### Ra######### Critical damage sustained Seek immediate help Distress beacon deployed Canceled distress beacon Remainin####wer: 92/92 QC Cannot access inventory Warning: power levels critical Location: ??? Time: ??? ERROR ERROR ERROR ERROR ERROR
“What was that…” Sol processed on what had happened.
She opened her eyes to see she was in the same room as before, snug against the nacelle. Many of the errors had vanished. Her power increased slightly by leaching off of the nacelle. She was wrapped comfortably in a silk blanket, the nacelle cuddled close to her. She was still on the metal pedestal that the spider left her on before. She could feel the slight warmth emanating from the nacelle. The spider must have tucked her in after she powered down.
What was that?
Did I always dream?
I must not have remembered anything once I powered down. A blessing for certain.
She still felt something was different, but didn’t know what.
There was a skittering sound of floors groaning and squeaking. The spider had woken up and was hustling around. Sol heard the front door close with a dull clang. The spider must have returned from chores or errands. What stood out was the floor was unusually noisy. She could almost tell where it was in the Sphere Mansion. The spider started to ascend the stairs, the mushroom wood stairs squeaked and groaned in response.
The spider peaked it’s head in the doorway and pondered in. It had several books in it’s arms and a bowl it kept balance in one limb. The stack of books was unknown to her, as were most things. The spider performed a balancing act of stacked books and the bowl with a clinking spoon, which it was doing admirably. It had a grin on it’s face and waved at Sol.
“Hello…” Sol tried to greet the spider, but it came out as a burst of static. The spider flinched, it’s eyes closed in a wave, but it didn’t stop it from smiling as it approached and plopped the books down like a load of laundry. It gathered the bowl and filled the spoon with the clear liquid, it had the properties of egg white and gelatin. The spider gently put the spoon up to Sol’s mouth, however she didn’t have one. The spoon clinked against her alloy.
The spoon clinked again as the spider kept trying.
The spider looked sagely for a moment and chittered to itself.
It’s trying to feed me…
She thought it adorable even with the fact it was a spider trying to feed her egg white of ‘who knows what’ in a spider silk house, deep under the crust of the earth.
The spider grabbed a rag and decided to try something else.
It dipped the rag in the liquid and dabbed her head. Sol felt something immediately. Like an electric charge that her being absorbed. Her systems updated with new information.
Remaining Power: 105/92 QC (Up From 92/92 QC)
It was electrolytic and Ionic!
Sol processed with surprise. Stranger things have happened, like the dreams, so Sol accepted it. Not to mention it was a complete benefit.
The spider noticed a good reaction and smiled, chittering in it’s unknown language.
The spider kept feeding her until the bowl ran out. The spider placed the bowl down with a clink of the spoon. Sol’s power was updated, almost double what it was previously.
Remaining Power: 150/92 QC (Up From 105/92 QC)
Her internal nacelle had been filled up beyond it’s capacity, the overflowing power was temporary. All she knew was she needed to communicate with the spider to begin her repairs. To start, she needed to get plugged into that nacelle she was cuddling with. The spider picked up a book and began to speak.
“…. . .-.. .-.. — ……. .– — .-. .-.. -.. ?”
Sol had no idea what was said, so she stood there impassively. The spider nodded, unceremoniously tossing the book behind him on the open floor, creating a ‘bad’ pile. It picked another book, opening up and reading it.
“!Sh’lal hal’! hamla.”
The language was guttural and more shouting than a sentence. Sol stayed silent. The spider nodded again and tossed the book into the pile. Sol was patient. Afterall she waited thousands of years to reach this point, she could wait a few hours.
The spider picked up the third book and read from it.
“A… Hello… To… Where Onion?” His voice came out as creaky and guttural.
“Yes! Hello,” Sol responded, her eyes flashing.
The spider nodded its head quickly with a smile, hugging the book. The larger pile of books was abandoned.
The spider and Sol began to learn from one another, the book acting as a translator. They spent several hours talking and finally got a system down. The grammar irked the spider, which took some time to get used to. Many times the spider spoke it’s thoughts out loud, in a jumbled pattern.
“Are from location where?” The spider asked, blinking intently at her.
“Unknown. Memory lost,” Sol replied, trying her best to be brief and descript.
“Sad tidings of rock, but fortune for me, L’yophin,” L’yophin said, furrowing his brow.
“Dugrum, we. Dig, toil, and build. Talent purpose for you?” L’yophin asked, gesturing with his front arms.
“You are L’yophin the Dugrum Spider, correct?” Sol asked to clarify
“Analysis Dugrum. Correct,” He replied, waiting for her to speak again.
“Purpose? Unknown,” Sol said, with a hint of sadness to her voice. She knew she was created for some purpose, but for what she did not know.
“Sad tidings. Uncomplete of damage, correct?”
“Correct. I am damaged. Unknown why,” Sol replied, trying to keep to his grammar.
“However. Repair possible,” Sol added.
L’yophin perked up at that. It cocked it’s head to one side, curious.
“Needed?” L’yophin queried.
Sol explained how she needed to be hooked up to the nacelle, the extra power assisting her. What is strange to Sol was that she had an instinct on how to repair herself.
L’yophin nodded and picked up Sol and the nacelle, taking them downstairs to the workbench.
“Good home. Comfy,” Sol remarked.
“Thanking. Much time, find foundation,” L’yophin responded with a nod.
L’yophin skittered downstairs, the wood groaning in response. He passed several rooms and made his way to workroom. He gently placed Sol down on the table and placed her inside a padded vice, which he gently closed. The nacelle was dropped on the table, it’s glow painting the table with a blue hue. L’yophin went to a cabinet and began rifling through it for the correct tools. It grabbed a small plasma torch, auto-welding tape, a tiny screwdriver to open the nacelle, and some scrap metal. He also grabbed a male and female attacher, to allow the nacelle to be detached from Sol. He intended to attach the nacelle to the base of Sol’s neck, welded to the cables. He would encase the nacelle and Sol’s neck in a container, protecting it. L’yophin would then need to figure out a better way to transport Sol. She was heavy for only being a damaged head. That phthalo blue steel was known to him, but it was the first time he’s seen it in an age.
He placed all of the items on the table.
“First?” He asked.
“Top of nacelle. Outer casing with grooves. Remove screws,” Sol explained. Even in a time after time, screws were universal. As was not having the correct screwdriver; but that was not the case this time. L’yophin held the nacelle with two hands and unscrewed the top with two more hands. He gently lifted the casing with a chitinous finger and let it dangle from the cables. The top case was the power slot.
“Done.”
“Good. detail cables.”
“Green, no glow. Red, glow. Yellow, glow. Blue, glow,” L’yophin said in detail, narrowing his eight eyes in concentration.
“Good! Cut green. Manual reroute cable,” Sol said.
They were getting close. Once the green cable was cut, the rest of the cables would go dark as well, with the nacelle preparing for a manual reroute.
L’yophin began test fitting the cable attachments to Sol and the nacelle. He began work on the scrap metal, creating the outer casing. He equipped his large welder’s visor, covering all eight eyes as he works. He cleaned and buffed out the parts. He test fit the nacelle casing with the cable attachment, and with some minor adjustments later had a good working prototype. L’yophin made it modular so it would eventually be replaced.
“Good work,” Sol complimented
“Thanking,” L’yophin responded with his spider smile.
Now the real work began.
L’yophin worked carefully, making sure to not make a wrong move. He fitted and refitted the cable attachment, the most fragile part. The casing was complete and the nacelle fit snug in the case, attached by sliding handles. L’yophin then made the final jump and attached the cable add-on to Sol, the attachment auto-welded into place. The spider was curious if Sol could feel that. L’yophin attached the male end of the cable to the nacelle’s green reroute cable. He then fit the casing to Sol’s neck, testing the fit to make sure it was solid.
“Begin reroute,” L’yophin declared. He attached the cables together fitting the case to Sol’s neck, the casing clicking in place, giving her neck a box protrusion. The spider-powered it on.
Sol could feel a large surge of power go through her. It had been too long since she felt such power before.
Remaining Power: 250/250 QC (Up From 92/92 QC) Remaining Power: 750/750 QC (Up From 250/250 QC) Remaining Power: 1600/1600 QC (Up From 750/750 QC) Remaining Power: 3000/3000 QC (Up From 1600/1600 QC) Remaining Power: 5000/5000 QC (Up From 3000/3000 QC) Warning: New power source detected. Implementing new power. Warning: Cannot Implement New Power Without Shutdown. Warning: Powering Down.
“NO WAIT-” Sol shouted as she powered down, to the confusion of L’yophin.
Her eyes dimmed and went dark. She emitted no activity.
“What happening?” L’yophin asked.
He blinked his eyes in a wave, staring intently.
He sat and waited for activity from Sol. He stared patiently at her powered down form.
He cocked his head, awaiting any activity, finding none.
L’yophin was confused.
>>> The Book of Gideon: Temple – 24
After Megiddo 
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