AQUIVER || Award-winning short stories about love won and lost

Cerulean

I promised myself to never again get involved in inter-planetary quibbles after my last outburst almost destroyed Kzi, the frozen planet I ruled with my other half.

Unfortunately, the left part of our entity had been called away to deal with equipment trouble. If the technology to convert atmosphere into fuel for the entities inhabiting Kzi failed, we'd all be dead space matter soon. As the more analytical half of our entity, Left would probably be gone for days to fix whatever went wrong this time.

Which meant that the inter-planetary conference was all mine. If my Vapouriser hadn't been confiscated by Left two rotations ago, I'd have used it on myself before attending.

Several mechanical entities were squirrelling around the receiver room to optimise transmission. Living under layers and layers of frozen material and mineral, as close to the planet's heated core as possible, made communication beyond Kzi a precarious matter. Thankfully, it also meant we'd been safe from the shooting games the other species of our star system liked to get involved in. That was, if I didn't blow up the great city of Kzi-Tan because some bloated alien insulted Left.

The frequency receiver vibrated in wavelengths I felt to my core, until the atoms in the screen emitted image after image of my alien counterparts across our Star system. The array of colours hurt my visual cortex, but not as much as the image at the bottom right corner. Looking at the ruler of Horl was like staring into a black hole and feeling your very core getting sucked out into nothingness. I directed my attention to the image in the middle where a large group was assembled.

The hive mind inhabiting the fiery Star of our system was interesting to say the least. For one, they were the only species adaptive enough to survive on the superheated Star, but that was not what made them stand apart most. Even four scores into our rule, I hadn't gotten used to the way every entity of the group moved as one. All equal, all part of a system working in unison.

Something was off though.

In the centre of the black-and-white hive, cerulean swirled with boundless energy. The frequency called to me, until all I could see was the vortex of pulsing blue.

The hive's amorphous silhouettes remained still while the cerulean moved and stretched, expanded. It shouldn't be possible, and yet I watched entranced as the swirling movement accelerated.

I cut off all visual stimuli and checked my internal systems. Everything functioned as it should, which meant the discrepancy laid at the other side of the transmission.

Before I could re-engage my visual cortex, I felt Cerulean's call strengthen, thrumming in the depths of my entity. Even amid the red tones of my conscious mind, it showed resplendent cerulean.

Behind me, Left entered the room, and our entity reassembled to be whole once more.

I should have been relieved. I should have transmitted my observations and bolted from the receiver room to hide from the political games I loathed.

Instead I wished Left had stayed away. Cerulean was mine, and mine alone.

Still, I did the sensible thing and opened my being for Left to understand what happened, fully expecting Left's analytical energy to dampen the powerful blow Cerulean had dealt to my inner balance.

Instead, its call strengthened, shaking my very core almost violently.

Left's disapproval swarmed our mind, but I couldn't care less. Cerulean was taking over my systems, the frequency distorting my connection with Left.

Before we could address the obvious issue, the hive on screen spoke as one, "Kzi-Tan, prepare."

Never before had I felt Left's anxiety course through our entity with such intensity.

"You." The hive directed their appendages towards me. "Prepare. Ours."

The transmission cut off, despite the mechanical entities' best efforts.

In its stead, the screen pulsed with cerulean, and its frequency made the mineral deposits around us rumble.

The alarm on our visors went off simultaneously, alerting me and Left of an imminent threat.

"Incoming unknown transportation device from Star. Estimated arrival in one rotation. Please advise."

Cerulean was coming for me.

And I couldn't wait.