Obviously I’d never really thought about what kind of tools you’d need to run salvage out in space. From what Corona explains they largely perform salvage operations either in orbit or on low gravity, thin atmosphere satellites, as their ship and landing craft aren’t designed to land on planets at all (the fuel and repair costs if they did would be exorbitant), and they lack the provisions and manpower for large scale deep space salvage operations, at least not on their own. Sometimes they aren’t even commissioned to bring things back, but instead bring down orbiting wrecks too large to allow uncontrolled re-entry.

  The tools are curious. Mini, disposable thrusters meant to keep a ship in relatively stable orbit while they work; simple metal cords meant to use a planet’s magnetic field (if it had one) to pull a wreck out of orbit once they’re done; intelligent multitools designed to remove every nut and bolt across 16 different empire specifications; plasma cutters for when nobody can be bothered anymore. Corona goes over every single one, including the manual backups that they keep just in case nothing works anymore, but with the tacit reminder that at that point you may as well just give up. I listen, cataloguing every detail, and shoving it into the back of my memory, there’s no way I’ll be able to work through this properly today.

  [As to their operation…] Corona says. [This is not the best time for us to go over it, you likely will not remember most of it in any case. For the time being I suppose I will show you around the ship itself. When we pick up new recruits they will assign you to one of the work groups and run all of you through the orientation as a group. The work groups themselves usually only cover a specific part of the work, in your case that will likely be the simple things like cutting down the hull into manageable sections or moving them to storage.]

  [Don’t you have other work to be doing?] I ask Corona offhandedly as we wander they lead me out of the tool area.

  [I am mostly in charge of monitoring the ship’s systems. At the moment things are holding fairly well. While we have taken a fair amount of damage me and my team have run bypasses so that all the systems we need are functional.] Corona clicks in place for a few moments. [That is not to say we will not require significant repairs however, the rarer materials for which are something we aim to acquire at the station as well while we are docked.] A hint of annoyance worms its way into their speech. [That said the time limit on our contract means that some parts of the ship will simply have to remain sealed off, we simply do not have the time to dock for the repairs needed.]

  [I’m assuming that’s not going to make your work easy.]

  [Understatement.] Corona replies, directing my attention to one of the sealed bulkheads. [That section held one of the bay areas for dispatching our teams, the depressurization lost us some of the equipment. The nature of the damage means that the gear that remains will require us to saw through the hull if we want to get them out.]

  They guide me through the ship, pointing out the mess/cafeteria, the clinic and the gym. Some of the people stare at us as we pass. I can’t read any of their body language, though I imagine it’s largely apprehension. [This reminds me.] I send to Corona. [The language you just taught me doesn’t seem to have a spoken form. Am I going to have to learn another language or will I just be sending the message directly to their translator?]

  [Another language.] Corona notes sheepishly. [The translators aren’t able to handle Imperati at an acceptable level of proficiency. I taught it to you because it makes our communication more efficient, but I am sure you’ve noticed that even the written form is much less efficient that direct data transfer.] They weren’t wrong there, each equation had to be evaluated and constructed as a whole, which slowed everything down when it came to reading or writing it.

  [Which means that for the time being I won’t be able to communicate with the crew?]

  [Technically it means that communicating with them is more difficult.] Corona explains. [But with a foundation I am certain that you will be able pick up one of the standard languages before we dock at the station.] They pause for a moment. [One more note, to my knowledge you do not match any species in the known database across the Alliance. Unless this changes, it would be prudent to consider hiding your face and body while traversing other stations. If you catch notice from one of the Alliance’s members you may be pursued, since a previous incident they are very wary of unidentified species and possible biological weapons.]

  [Duly noted.] I cock my head. [Hmm, does that mean that the rest of the crew suspects me to be some kind of weapon?]

  [None of them have access to the database I do, they are likely content to consider you a mercenary of exotic species. However, if you set foot onto a station and they capture you clearly on camera, others with greater means will likely take interest. For that matter, the armour you wore will need to be concealed in some way. It is a fascinating material. I don’t suppose…] They leave the question in the air.

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  I shake my head. [I’m not comfortable talking about that, the same as my origins and history.] I reply curtly. [It’s both sensitive and volatile, and I’d rather not share one of the main edges I use to keep myself alive. The only thing I’m willing to say is that the armour is tuned to me alone.]

  [What about the rest of the things we found on you then?] Corona continues, unphased. [I believe we recovered a few woodcarving knives and a magical blade hilt of some kind.]

  [Why would you think it’s magical?] I ask, cocking my head.

  [It is reminiscent of the weapons used by the Order of Ten Thousand Suns, a magitech empire within the Alliance. While I cannot glean it’s working principles, I am informed that magical expression can vary quite liberally between traditions, due to them being some form of interpretation appealing to a “higher” truth.]

  [Magic exists?] I ask. [Wait, why isn’t it incorporated into this vessel then? If it’s a matter of interpretation wouldn’t all empires have magic of their own?]

  [The principles that govern magic are… difficult to pursue and pin down.] Corona replies, giving me another mental shrug. [They appear to be some alternative, flexible, rulings for the state of the universe, which makes them very difficult to incorporate into designs grounded in a single immutable macro model of the universe. Furthermore, far as I am aware affinity for it varies between species, with most species only capable of minor invocations even at the best of times. The Order is an anomaly. The number of Alliance members capable of even attempting Magitech lies within the single digits, while somewhat more efficient it accrues more overhead than a pure focus.]

  [Well that is… intriguing.] Page notes, thinking things over. [I imagine that’s horrifically dangerous. Even minute changes to minor constants could… how does reality stay intact?] No idea, let’s find out. I think back, relaying the question to Corona.

  [It does not alter reality with a degree of specificity so much as… overwrite existing laws with another law.] Corona replies. [Far as we can tell they are overlaying a separate model of the universe over our own. There are rules to what they can do and the model seems stable but…] Corona stops, seemingly frustrated by what they are saying. [I apologize. I am unable to provide you with a proper explanation as it falls outwith my area of expertise. Suffice to say that it is self-limiting in a way that prevents widescale destabilization of reality. You would have to find an arcanist or artificer to understand more.]

  [That’s fine, I expect I won’t just find one off the street.] I say, a wry smile catching the corner of my lips. [To answer your question. The sword hilt is a weapon, one I would stay away from, as even I am unsure as to its integrity at the moment.] After all, it was meant for a different reality, to use mana that may or may not even exist in this one. All in all not a theory I want to test until I’m back on solid ground. Just in case.

  [I understand.] Corona replies. [For now, let me find a partner for you to practice the language with. It will be best if you hear ‘natural’ vocalizations rather than the mimicry I perform.]

  They flag down someone in the hall, starting a conversation with them as I look on. Definitely humanoid. Makes sense if I’m going to use their language I’d probably want to look similar in body shape. Their skin is a very pale almost cyan colour, noticeably darkening from the sides of their face to the back. Ears… similar to mine, but the hair… I notice light, fine hairs covering their skin starting from around their face, it looked pretty even across the head and neck, but they noticeably didn’t seem to have hair the way I did atop their head. Interesting… The rest of their body was covered by a dark grey metal and plate suit, but I was able to see four fingers and a thumb on each hand at least. Not quite the same length as mine though.

  They look my way now and then as they converse with Corona, I notice their stance becoming less guarded as they continue. Huh, guess Corona’s a good speaker.

  [That or it’s a matter of trust.] Page chimes in. [This Corona could be in good standing with the rest of the crew, enough for their word to mean a great deal.]

  They finally finish, and Corona calls for me to follow them, ending up in the dorms that I’d been left in. The other person pulls up a chair, and I hear a click noise as it locks onto the floor. [I’ll be helping to translate for the early parts.] Corona says. [They will walk you through the pronunciation as well as the body language typically used.]

  Working through the language, it’s pretty easy to grasp, once I lay out my framework to get them on board. The grammar takes some getting used to but the really interesting part is the body language. Most of it is similar enough that to anyone but another member of their species I could probably pass as one of them, I wonder if Corona paid attention to that when figuring out who to assign and what language to get me onboard with.

  “Well that’s about the gist of it.” The alien, Idon, says to me. “I’ll send you a dictionary later I guess? You picked this up insanely fast.”

  “I’ve had to.” I say, rolling my neck as I shift into a more comfortable position. “Wouldn’t really be able to survive if I couldn’t pick up languages quickly. This place is just a nightmare from all the languages you guys do use. It took me probably several hours just to confirm you were all using a separate language, though in hindsight I should have realized it when looking at the disparate biology.”

  “How so?”

  “It’s the reason I’m glad that Corona gave so much thought to who to pick.” I elaborate. “From what I’ve seen there’s probably a quarter of the population on this ship that physically cannot speak the same language as the others.”

  “Way to make me feel less special.”