I felt Soltana need another chapter. Enjoy.
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Under
Soltana
Soltana awoke to find herself on the stand in the treasury room. Her old name, Sol had been fragmented but was repaired with her face to face meeting with God. With Adonai. A familiar face was watching her, its eyes went wide at seeing her awaken. It puffed from its long pipe, adding to the billowing cloud of smoke at the ceiling. It skittered in, staring at her, cocking its head back and forth.
“Sol? You. Well?” L’yophin asked, using her incomplete name.
Soltana’s eyes flashed at that, processing her status.
Name: Soltana Rac########## Critical damage sustained Seek immediate help Distress beacon deployed Canceled distress beacon Remaini###Power: 2500/2500QC Cannot access inventory Warning: power levels critical Location: ??? Time: ??? ERROR ERROR ERROR ERROR ERROR
Her name was revealed to her now. Many of the errors were visible as well, leaving no room for doubt she was better than before.
“Yes, my systems are repaired and have revealed more information.” Soltana began, spilling out information too fast.
L’yophin blinked his eight eyes rapidly, trying to process what she said.
“Info?” He asked.
“My name.”
“Is Sol. Yes?”
“No.”
“My name is Soltana.”
His large eyes grew wider at that as he clicked his mandibles in thought.
He furrowed his brow and puffed from his pipe, smoke billowing from between his four mandibles.
“Remembering…” He murmured.
He chittered more in his own language.
“Correct.” She affirmed.
“Any Else?” He spoke brokenly. He still had issues with grammar and the language.
It now occurred to her she had no idea what language she spoke.
How can I speak a language I no not the name of?
“None yet. Power up to twenty-five-hundred. Used to be ninety.”
The spider let out a chittering chuckle, more smoke poured from his mandibles.
“Nacelle good. Hm?”
“Yes.”
“L’yophin?” Soltana asked.
The spider cocked his head, tapping his pipe.
“Hm?”
“How did you find me?”
“Use scanner. Thought adamantite. Vein.”
He moved in, gently tapping her filigree layered adamantite head.
“You anform?” He asked.
Soltana thought about that. She knew what an anform was. She felt sure it was an incorrect term to use for her.
Incorrect in that it was incomplete.
“Perhaps? Still unsure.”
The spider grumbled as it scratched at his chin, puffing more smoke.
“You miner? Smelter?” She in turn asked.
The spider let out a bellowing chittery laugh.
“Many things. Miner. Smelter. Métier is Loomer.”
“Métier?” Soltana was confused by this strange word.
L’yophin thought a moment on how best to word it.
“Me Dugrum. Yes?”
“Correct?” Soltana replied with an unsure answer. She still wasn’t sure what a Dugrum was.
He squinted his eyes, pulling his head back at her strange answer.
“Métier is… Craft.”
He mumbled at that, raising a pointed digit.
“Pursuit…”
“Calling?” Soltana interjected.
He lowered his hand, nodding at that.
“My calling.”
“You métier?”
“Unknown.” Soltana simply stated.
He breathed out a sigh and breathed in more of his pipe. Smoke billowed out as he spoke.
“Sad tidings. Remember. Maybe?”
“Yes,” Soltana replied assuredly.
She knew it was a guarantee that her memory would return. Adonai promised her as much. She was still trying to process the amount of time that had passed. Twelve thousand years she was trapped. It was almost unfathomable if her mind were of an organic medium. She had been given dreams each time she powered down.
Strange foreshadowing, or memories?
She then braved the question.
“L’yophin, where am I?”
He thought for a moment, then gestured with his limb.
“Underrealm.”
“That must mean… I’m underground still?”
“Correct.”
“We deep under. Strange place. Safe place.”
“Some Trows, but usually safe.” He amended with a scoff.
Her eyes flashed at that, processing what she heard.
“How did I get down here?”
The spider shrugged, puffing on his pipe.
That broke open a dam of questions now. How she came to be in the underground mine of a strange Dugrum was one of them. How she lost most of herself was another. What planet was she on was a large one, but not a critical question.
The biggest question she had rolled around her process.
Can I be repaired?
“L’yophin. What can we do?”
“About?”
“Me.” She responded bluntly.
“Repair. Maybe.”
He billowed out more smoke, inspecting her nacelle casing beneath her neck.
“Have parts. Make something.” He began.
“I will pay back.”
He let out a chittering chuckle.
“No.”
“What? Why?”
“Something with you. Special.”
“And you want nothing in return?”
“Wealth? Don’t need wealth. Gear? Don’t need gear.”
“Company? That fine,” L’yophin replied with a chittering chuckle.
“Is it just you here?”
“Yes,” He replied, eyes staring off into space at that.
He must be a hermit. Soltana processed.
A very bored hermit. How long had he been mining? Living down here?
System error discovered. Theonware updating. Shutting down.
“Wait! L’yophin, wait for-”
Soltana could get no other words out as she powered down.
L’yophin blinked at that, smoke rising from his pipe.
He sat there for a time, waiting for a response. Silence answered him.
“What happen?”
He was very confused.
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