Dog of War

Princess exited the chat with a sigh. Daisy's energy was draining at times, even if they were fond of the pet. They were not looking forward to filing her in on the plurality stuff in a few hours. At least they had a serviceable username now, they could hardly imagine any objections to 'Royal-Tea.' They quickly accepted all the pending friend requests before navigating back to the main screen of the pad. It was finally time to do some reconnaissance. 

 

After a little deliberation, Princess started at the most logical point of entry for the subject- simply typing 'Flower Festival' into the search engine and limiting its range to the local net. Millions of results poured in immediately. The first of which was an official site, and they clicked on it immediately. At the top of that was a countdown- this season’s Flower Festival was in seventy two hours and change. They chewed their lip in frustration; it was both not enough time and eternity. They could already feel themselves slipping into the comfort of Miss Verdun- just being near the Affini made their head grow fuzzy. Would they even be able to last that much longer? 

 

We have to. The alternative is unacceptable. 

 

Princess took a steadying breath. They knew how long it would be now. That was an anchor. It would help keep them grounded and let them dig deep into their reserves. They must avoid becoming property again. At any cost.

 

Even if her berries are tasty .

 

And her vines were comfortable, and safe, and she was- Princess shook their head. That was the exact line of thought they needed to avoid! 

 

R-right, back to the Flower Festival.

 

What sort of event was it, any ways? Daisy had mentioned something about planting flowers, but that was it. A simple scroll down gave them the information they needed. It was earnestly a festival, with all the trappings. Music, dancing, booths with every kind of food and activity, and to cap it all off, the flower planting event itself. Below a list of the activities was a brief history of the event. 

 

The Tenth Cassius Flower Festival is happening soon! 

 

Soon after the Affini arrived, they had fixed the atmosphere to be breathable, and even cleared the skies! However, one Affini couldn't help but notice there were still so many sad cuties. One cutie in particular was so sad they ended up getting a wellness check! When the Affini asked the adorable little sophont why they were so sad, they said that Cassius was just too bleak! Even with the clear skies, the waters were still a sickly gray, and the soil a forbidding black! 

 

Determined to fix this, the Affini assisted the Terran in getting better, and noted that they took great joy in their brightly colored flowers! The cutie loved to snuggle into their vines and bury their face in the Affini's many flowers. One day, while cuddling, the Affini had an idea- if Cassius was covered in flowers, the cute little Terran wouldn't be so sad anymore! The Affini gathered alllll their friends and their florets, and their friends' friends, and even their friends to go out and plant flowers! 

 

The Affini took the sad little Terran out to see all the flowers and they asked to be their pet on the spot! Now they are the happiest pet in the whole system! Everyone else had so much fun playing around and planting flowers, that they decided to do it again in a month. Word spread quickly, and this time way more sophonts joined in, and there were the first booths! This went on to become the very first official Flower Festival~

 

Since then the Flower Festival is held every season- and it's been growing every time, just like all the flowers that get planted!

 

At the bottom of the page was the statue Princess had seen on their walk, the apparent epicenter of the festival and originators of the event. 

 

So the entire planet is essentially celebrating the domestication of one sophont?

 

It was, if nothing else, extremely Affini. It did seem like it had gotten away from that as the event grew. It was now more about the festivities, and all the things the Affini had brought to the formerly lifeless rock. All things considered, it seemed fun, and more importantly than that, it seemed busy . The few pictures on the official site showed massive crowds. They would be easy to get lost in, and should complicate pursuit even for an Affini. However, none of them offered them a glimpse of what they needed. They had exhausted the usefulness of the official site. 

 

A chime rudely interrupted them. "Hey, just wanna give you a reminder you should eat lunch in the next hour or so, Princess! Now wouldn't be a bad time either, y'know~"

 

"Thank you Jess, I will get to it later. We are kind of busy right now."

 

"Okay, just make sure you do!" 

 

Returning to what they were doing, Princess backed out to the search and clicked the 'social' tab. Countless pictures and posts flooded onto the Pad. Most were people getting excited about the event just around the corner. After a few minutes of scrolling through mostly text posts, they filtered the search to only pictures. Their eyes poured over picture after picture- a fair amount were still useless, only showing excited florets, their Affini, and the occasional seemingly independent sophont. Most however were exactly what they were looking for; pictures from the ninth and eighth Flower Festival, as well as a few vendors getting their spots set up for the tenth. 

 

Princess' eyes scanned each of them, searching the background of countless pictures. They were looking for a hatch, or a red metal door. Both were used in the construction of the silos. All they had to do was find one, and they were as good as free. Most photos were quickly passed over, containing no scenery. If it was in a picture, it would doubtlessly be in the background. 

 

Minutes ticked by as Princess fruitless continued their search, and soon an hour had passed. They began to grow worried as Jess reminded them once again they needed to eat soon. Was it really possible to find what they were looking for when it was so specific, and their method so indirect? The worry was starting to bleed into a small panic when they finally struck gold. A picture of a food stand being set up, with the caption 'Getting ready for the festival!' More important than that was the alley behind it, and the edge of a Terran-sized red metal door visible at the end. 

 

Princess checked the date, and smiled as they saw it was posted only a day ago. Not only did they have what they needed, they had a landmark, and an excuse. Surely Daisy would think nothing of it if they asked her to wait there while they grabbed whatever they served at the booth. They memorized the booth’s appearance and name- Patrick's Potatoes, serving some kind of fried potato ball that honestly looked delicious. With its orange, white, and green flag, it should be quite easy to spot. The only obstacle between them and their freedom was convincing Miss Verdun to let them go alone with Daisy. 

 

Well, not the only obstacle.

 

Princess resumed browsing the images of the festival, to avert any suspicion from the AI. Of course, there were still numerous obstacles once they got inside, and that was if they even could get inside. There was no time or discrete method to procure the tools needed to force it open. They could turn the bulkhead's dog, but if the entrance was sealed, they were as good as owned. The blood loss was a minor problem, a tourniquet was easy to fashion. All they needed was any sturdy stick, or piece of metal. Shorting the door could be tricky, but they would just have to figure out the control panel on the fly. 

 

The main issues were navigating their way into the city, actually blending in, and eventually getting off-planet. The monitor would surely send out all kinds of alarms. They may have to evade Affini in the tunnels as well. They would likely only have minutes before Miss Verdun figured out what happened. It wouldn't take long to coordinate to block all the entrances and exits. They would have to use the door to sever their arm and quickly exit to the surface elsewhere, away from the festival. 

 

Food as well. We do have to leave behind Miss Verdun's cooking...

 

Two or three days without eating was rough, but they should be able to manage. It wouldn't be the first or longest time Princess had gone without food. However, they hadn't lost such a significant amount of blood any of those times. They might be able to snag a few synthcubes from the emergency supplies kept in the bunkers as they ran through it. Those should get the job done, if nothing else.

 

That might be an issue- we can taste now. 

 

Princess blinked. That simply hadn't occurred to them. All the other crew aboard the Valiant had griped about synthcubes whenever it came time for rations. There was even... whatever his name was. He elected to starve himself to death than eat even one more of them. 

 

They can't be that bad... right?

 

They did still need to eat lunch, and a synthcube would let them have more time to look up ideas for a new last name... Princess cleared the search and put in a compiler order for one. 

 

An error sound played as Jess chimed in.  "Woah! Hold on there Princess! I really don't think you wanna do that!"

 

"I think we do."

 

"Well I'm telling you right now it's a bad idea. How about I compile you a nice sandwich? Or those potato ball things you were looking at!"

 

Oo, those did look good . 

 

This was likely their only chance to try a synthcube before the escape. 

 

We could have something tasty though...

 

They ignored the objection. "Just give me the synthcube," they deadpanned. 

 

"Uhhhh, listen, it's not marked as 'dangerous' in my files so I can't exactly say 'no,' but I really think you should reconsider!" 

 

"Jess. Give me the cube." 

 

"Fine, but don't say I didn't warn you!" Her vocals cut out. 

 

Princess sighed as they set the pad down and took the bear with them to the kitchen. They had dealt with aggressive and rogue AIs from the moment they were cracked out of their gestation tube, yet somehow Jess was the most annoying one yet. They retrieved the familiar brown cube from the compiler, rolling it over in their palm for a moment. It didn't look appealing, sure, but it didn't exactly look foul. 

 

They shrugged and, as they had done countless times before, popped it into their mouth. 

-_-_-_-

Camila exited the shuttle, quickly finding her balance as she re-entered the gravity of the Vervarium . Microgravity rarely agreed with her. At least the trip was a short one and Viola was there to greet her. 

 

"Thank you for coming. I've been trying to make some headway with the corrupted samples you sent but haven’t had any luck. Do you have it?"

 

Camila nodded. "I can't believe I never realized, it seems so obvious in retrospect."

 

"Don't blame yourself, dear, you are hardly the first Affini to be tricked by a sophont," Viola comforted. "Let's head back to my hab, I'm sure you're even more eager than I am to learn what's inside."

 

"Yes, of course" Camila followed after the older Affini. The walk took several minutes, giving her time to appreciate being back on the ship. It had only been days, yet she missed the air of it, the sights. Cassius wasn't bad, but it was still a work in progress. The Vervarium was built entirely with Affini and their florets in mind. Once Princess was ready they would return here. Camila could even take her to the bridge once she started her shift again. A nice pet bed under or to the side of her desk would be perfect. 

 

"We're here." Viola’s hab was dimly lit by giant bioluminescent plants in a range of dark blues and purples, clearly from whatever jungle fae had been uplifted from. They crossed the room quickly, entering Viola's own room. The plant life and aesthetics were much the same. There was a shaded alcove that was used by fae to rest, a small waterfall providing fresh mineral water, and a large desk. Fae opened part of the desk, revealing it to contain a sizeable computer. Fae turned to her, reaching out a vine. "Can I have the data disk?"

 

"Ah, yes." Camila retrieved the coin, handing it over. 

 

Viola examined it for a moment with a curious rumble, "Remarkable. It really does look quite mundane. I don't blame you for not noticing sooner. Without the proper tools it would be impossible to detect." Fae inserted it into a scanning compartment, and closed the desk, the massive screen springing to life. Viola opened a program to examine the coin, scrolling through countless lines of code. After several minutes, fae grunted in dissatisfaction.

 

"Is something wrong?" 

 

"It's odd..." Not even one of fae's eyes budged from the screen. "It can't seem to get a handle on the encryption method. It keeps changing every few seconds..." Viola sighed, "This is going to take longer than I thought."

 

That was not encouraging. It was almost impressive that the encryption had held up to the Affini computer. "I suppose there is nothing I can do?"

 

"Not unless you know how her encryption works, no. I'm sorry." 

 

Camila let out a sigh of her own, and took a seat. She would have said her thoughts wandered back to Princess, but they never truly left the girl. She had managed to keep from checking in on her all day, but the urge was building. She had been hoping for a quick cracking of the coin and copying of the files before returning, but that was seeming less and less likely now. 

 

Maybe a quick peek wouldn't hurt? It's not like Princess would be able to tell she was being spied on. No, no, that was a bad idea. Just the thought of her on her own ate at Camila. If she actually saw her alone, there was nothing that would keep her from rushing back to the hab. Jess had explicit instructions to let her know if anything happened. As long as she didn't have a message from the AI, the little one had to be at least doing okay.  

 

Time continued to tick by. Camila dipped a vine into the stream, enjoying some fresh water as she waited. She could at least plan the rest of the evening as Viola made progress. Cordelia had asked to come over when she returned, and she had accepted of course. She had agreed it was a good idea to give the little one some space so she could realize she didn't want that. Daisy had been heartbroken about not seeing Princess that morning. Cordelia had proposed a 'sleepover' to make up for it; a charming Terran tradition involving movies, games, snacks, gossip- and seemingly little sleeping.

 

Camila should pick up some ice cream on the way back. It was a fairly customary 'sleepover' treat, and Bell's parlor was on the way. She sent him a quick message, requesting a tub be made available. She couldn't help but let a few of her vines wiggle with excitement. It was such an intoxicating idea; their two cuties playing together, Cordelia staying over for the night... It almost felt like something out of a romance novel. They'd be basically living together for an evening! They would wash and feed their pets together, they may even sleep together! They'd definitely be together in the morning. 

 

Camila was snapped out of her daydream as Viola spoke up. "Okay I've figured out what the issue is."

 

"Oh?" 

 

"It's using over a dozen different layers of encryption, and randomizing the order of application every two to four seconds, occasionally not applying certain layers for an extra randomness." Viola sighed. "It's going to be difficult to crack without the key."

 

Camila stood up, worried. "Can you do it?"

 

"Of course!" Viola puffed up defensively, "I am a xenoarcheobureaucrat and expert in xenocryptology after all. But... it's going to take time. All night to be exact. The computer needs several hours to establish what forms of encryption are being used, then it can work from there."

 

"Wouldn't the randomization keep you from making progress?" 

 

Viola shook her head. "Once I build up enough information on the encryptions being used, every shift will only take a second or two to adjust for. It seems to be a static key, albeit a very long one, so progress can be made. It will just take time "

 

Camila frowned. It seems the little one's secrets evaded her for just one more day. "I suppose I should head back then. You'll let me know when you make progress?"

 

Viola smiled, briefly intertwining a few of faes vines with her own in friendly comfort. "Of course. Sorry to disappoint you. I simply wasn't expecting such an extreme method of encryption." 

 

"It's alright, but I really should get going. I was going to have my friend petsit but Princess insisted on being on her own today. I've yet to hear from the Hab's AI, but she's too attuned to my biorhythm to not miss me."

 

"My! Well, have fun dear, and feel free to send me more pictures. She's quite the cutie~"

 

"I will!" 

 

The two Affini exchanged one final farewell before Camila showed herself out. She had plenty of time to enjoy the Vervarium on her way back, walking leisurely to the transit shuttle. The ride down was once again mildly disorientating. Maybe one bloom she would be used to the sudden shifts between true gravity, microgravity, and back again. 

 

Back on Cassius however, time was essential. Camila hurried along once her senses had recovered enough to do so. Upon reaching the Affini district's square, she pressed into Bell's ice cream parlor. 

 

The digital bells jingled, coaxing the proprietor from the back. "Ah, Camila, right? Let me get that tub for ya."

 

"Thank you for getting it ready on such short notice."

 

"Ahhh, it's no trouble! Been stocking up for the big day anyways~" David opened a drawer underneath the main ice cream display, frosty air pouring out as he retrieved the requested item. He shut the drawer and stood up, offering it. "You and uhhh, Princess was it? You two going to the Flower Festival?"

 

Camila graciously accepted the ice cream.  "Yes, we-" An alert for a priority message came through Camila's pad and she whipped it out, eyes wide as they scanned the message. "I'm sorry little one, I don't have time to chat." She sped out the door before David could reply, hurtling towards the Hab. 

 

Princess was throwing up. 

-_-_-_-

Princess was on their hands and knees, stomach convulsing again and again, seemingly just to spite the fact that they had run out of even stomach acid at this point. The acrid taste stung their mouth and senses, but not nearly as much as the synthcube .

 

How could anything taste so foul ?!

 

They could hardly care that Jess had freaked out and informed them that she had contacted Miss Verdun. Had they really eaten those things every day? How did the rest of the crew stomach them?! Their mind turned once again to that man- what had his name been? Stevenson? Steade? They had thought him weak at the time. They could have hardly been more wrong. Starving would be preferable to eating those every meal. 

 

Sweat beaded on their brow. Everything twisted around them. It was taking all their strength to not collapse into the puddle of bile. They thankfully had the presence of mind to toss the bear to the side before emptying themselves, sparing it their fate. Why did this have to happen the first time they were allowed to be alone? Tears welled up in their eyes as the severity of the situation dawned on them. Miss Verdun would be here any moment now, and find them like this.

 

It would be a miracle if she even let us out of her sight again.

 

It was then a sense of calm washed over them and a feeling of safety chased the dark clouds away. That odd fuzziness formed in their chest again, telling them things would be alright. They heard the door slide open. 

 

" Princess ?!" 

 

The vines caught them before they fell into their own filth.