After some time, Zeros returned to the Virtixes.
He noticed immediately—
they were keeping more distance now.
Not afraid…
but cautious.
They hovered in a tight cluster, occasionally sending short, sharp pulses of light—
as if discussing him among themselves.
Zeros dragged a hand across his face and muttered, exhausted:
“Fuck… I’m already sick of them
and this whole damn planet.
Phoenix—tell these glass lamps
we did our part.
They better do theirs—
before I run outta patience.”
Z-P-N-E-S 2.0, hovering high in the fog,
flashed in streaking bands—
a rainbow ripple across its hull,
like someone booted up Winamp
with the ugliest visualizer from the 1990s:
bright, painful,
and so aggressively tasteless
it made you want to lose your sight, your hearing,
and your will to exist.
The Virtixes reacted—
flinching and drifting closer at the same time—
confusion tangled with curiosity.
That long, flat Virtix—
the one who first made contact,
probably their “elder,”
or just the bravest idiot in the group—
drifted toward Zeros.
A soft wave of light ran along its stretched body—
like a responsible adult
who deeply regretted being the one stuck handling diplomacy.
Phoenix began translating:
“Oh… great one who births stars…”
Zeros let out a low, rough growl.
Phoenix paused for a microsecond—
like even he had to process that phrasing.
“That’s… uh… how he’s addressing you, Zeros.
After the plasma show,
they probably think you literally gave birth to a star. Heh.”
“Phoenix. Stay focused.” Zeros cut in.
Phoenix continued:
“Yeah, yeah… sorry.
Anyway—there’s a long stretch of
‘great this,’
‘mighty that,’
and a whole pile of other bullshit
I’m not gonna quote.”
He lowered his voice slightly:
“But the point is this:
‘We fulfill our part of the agreement.
The gift is on its way.
And you… fulfill our one more small request…'”
The board AI froze for a second.
“Oh damn. That’s a bad idea.
Yeah… I probably shouldn’t translate that.”
Blindy, still on the ship, lit up like a missile:
“RUSTY—! Don’t drag this shit out—!”
He slammed his hand against the console.
“What request—?! What now—?!”
His voice sharpened, irritation spilling over:
“We gotta kill somethin’ else? Someone—?!”
A bitter snort.
“Fine—fuck ’em—all of ’em—!”
He shook his head, pacing half a step.
“I’m already sick of this shit—!”
Phoenix rushed to intervene before things spiraled:
“No, no, captain…
He says… well…
I’ll put it plainly:
‘Take one of our daughters.
She will not be your wife.
She will not bear you children…'”
Phoenix exhaled.
“Well… that part was obvious.
Heh…
Anyway, continuing:‘…But she is very talented and smart.
Our best hunter.
In her short life, she has killed dozens of the dense ones.
She will be a valuable companion on your journey.
And… she will see the outside world.’
In short—
that’s the request.”
Blindy detonated with excitement:
“THAT’S SOOOOO COOOL—!
I’VE SEEN THIS—
I’VE SEEN THIS SO MANY TIMES—!”
He pointed at the display like it confirmed everything.
“Stranger shows up—saves the tribe—
THE TRIBE GIVES HIM THEIR DAUGHTER—!”
He started pacing in tight circles, losing it.
“YES—!
YES!
YEEEEEES—!”
He froze mid-step, realization hitting sideways.
“Wait—
is she like—
dangerous-hot or—
or like—hunter-hot—?”
A beat—brain derailing further.
“Actually don’t answer that—
doesn’t matter—
I’m open-minded—”
He snapped back to full volume:
“ZEROS—!
If you say no—
JUST—just tell ’em—!”
He pointed at himself with full confidence.
“There’s another guy—
right here—
READY—!”
A quick nod.
“Fully available—
emotionally flexible—
adaptable—!”
He leaned closer to the console, lowering his voice like this sealed the deal:
“I learn fast.”
Phoenix, disappointed, like his last hope for a normal captain just died:
“Captain… Zeros does not need a family.
And Virtix biology is entirely different.
Not compatible—even for someone as… gifted… as you.”
The stillness thickened.
“And they understood that themselves.
Also… they don’t have wives.No marriage.
No gender in the human sense.Scientifically speaking, they’re not even—”
Zeros snapped.
“NO!”
A short pause.
“NO WIVES.
NO DAUGHTERS.
NO PARTNERS.
AND NO MORE ‘REQUESTS.'”