Chapter 185: Do You Understand?
"On my planet, it was determined that apex predators hold a key position in maintaining a healthy ecosystem. They control the species under them, preventing their number from growing into an unmanageable number and destroying the environment. Each ecosystem exists in a delicate balance, and by removing one apex predator, you are upsetting that balance. For example, seals are now a protected species, meaning that no one is allowed to hunt them. Because of that, their population has bloomed until they are now threatening to wipe out a large number of fish species because of their overhunting," I said, trying to explain it to the best of my ability.
Ecosystems and nature were not really in my wheelhouse. I only knew enough to understand why many people were against disrupting them. However, I also didn’t really get upset when people went out and hunted. See my obsession with furs.
"You are saying that maybe the Hive had played an important part in their ecosystem," mused Da’kea. I shrugged; it was a good possibility that their entire planet was no longer inhabitable due to the Alliance’s decision to remove them. It would be interesting to see how those who were given the planets afterward managed.
I saw Ye’tab frantically typing on his wrist unit before looking up at me. "Those planets are now considered off limits to other species. One particular native species, the tapahtyn, have taken over and annihilated all of the colonists sent."
"And how much do you want to bet that those tapahtyn are what the Hive used to incubate their young?" I asked with a smile on my face. Midnight looked at me, his eyes widened in surprise.
"You are correct in your theory; the tapahtyn were the number one species that the Hive used," muttered Ye’tab, lifting his head to look at me.
"And if we return the Hive to their planets, the ecosystems will be restored, the Hive numbers would increase, and all the other species would no longer be so scared of them because there would be a lot less flying around in space killing people off to be able to make a living," I continued. I didn’t know exactly how accurate my statement was; it would depend on feedback from the queens, but my gut was telling me that I was on the right path.
Besides, the planet was just lying there empty, so why not return it to its original owner?
"I can approach the queen with your proposal," said Da’kea as he read what I was typing over my shoulder. I understood where he was coming from and why he would offer. After all, he was one of the most prominent diplomats that the Saalistaja used. However, I didn’t think that it would work in this case.
"Thank you, but no," I said, trying to let him down gently as I paused to figure out how I was going to write out this next part.
"May I ask why?" he asked, not sounding overly upset, but I couldn’t be sure.
"Because it would be seen as an insult," I replied, focusing back on how I was going to word my proposal. I needed to look through it for any unfavorable loopholes.
"Please explain," pressed Da’kea, and I let out a sigh. I needed a nap, but I needed to get this done before I did.
"In a society where the ruler is a queen and the males are relegated as workers or guards, or in this case assassins, it would stand to reason that they see all males the same way. That means, if you go on my behalf, I am looking down on their queen by sending a male, someone lesser, to act as the go-between. If I had another female, I could send her to negotiate, but since I don’t, I will need to do it myself."
I was also going to have to find a way to do everything from the bridge of my ship without it seeming too insulting. If the guys were anything to go by, having my period might be seen as a weakness. And the last thing I wanted to do was put blood in the water... in more ways than one.
Rereading my terms, I nodded my approval.
I think that I have come up with some counterarguments, depending on which way the queen leaned and kept things precise. This felt like my PhD dissertation all over again. But instead of a panel of judges, I was facing a queen who may or may not decide to kill me by the end of it.
Finishing up my hot chocolate, I put aside my laptop and stood up. "I’m taking a nap. Anyone that wants to join me is more than welcome," I declared before strolling out of the room and heading to my quarters. A two-hour nap seemed like it would be just what the doctor ordered. At least the cramps had died back to annoyingly painful thanks to some Mydol.
After a quick trip to the washroom, I crawled into my nest and promptly fell asleep.
-----
In the deepest part of his system, a place that no one but him could access, Stargazer rewatched the feed of Pippa talking to the other human female. He didn’t care about the interaction between the two. Instead, what caught his interest was the android body that housed L11042.
The body’s mouth moved, forming only three words. Zooming in on the mouth, Stargazer read his lips. "Do you understand?" he had asked. But who was he talking to?
Wait... if that was the body of L11042, and it was fully functional, did that mean that L11042 was still alive? And if he was still alive...
Stargazer quickly changed to the video feed left on the Sisalik research ship and saw the blue crystal drive that was L11042 being inserted into the computer and then remaining until the ship blew up approximately two catawr later.
"Do you understand?"
Stargazer froze the screen just as the android mouthed the last word. He didn’t understand then, but he did understand now.
L11042 had survived his drive exploding. Now, all Stargazer had to do was figure out how.
