The Communicator, Chapter 14

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Chirrup!  Chirrup!

 

Brevix tapped his teeth with an index finger.  Would this day never end?  Since the last communication with Overlord Chklarna, his Communications Officer, Powrlen, had been moping around the ship, sullenly responding to his requests for information.  The new communicator had arrived, and Powrlen was now sequestered in the Media Center with the visiting specialist.  His Chief Engineer was sending him endless streams of reports complaining about the ongoing stress to the system due to remaining constantly veiled.  And many of his crew had been complaining about the newly enforced dress standards.

 

Chirrup!  Chirrup!

 

This time the sound of the warning signal was accompanied by a pounding at the door.  Pinching the bridge of his nose, he then swept his hand over the panel releasing the door lock, and it swung open revealing his Chief Investigator, Nautewlus, and one of the human clones.  The two entered and stood before his desk.

 

"Skipper, this is 06CI31549.  She's taken the name 'Opal'."  

 

Brevix nodded a greeting at the clone and maintained his focus on Nautewlus.  "And?"

 

"She has a report sir."

 

"Of course she does.  Do tell, Six.  Uh, I mean Opal."

 

"Thank you sir." Opal's voice instantly grated at Brevix, but he couldn't quite determine why.  "Sir, Pearl and I, that is Thirteen and I, we've been tasked with surveilling a part of the planet referred to, locally, as Europe.  Sir, there is a remarkable body of information regarding what we strongly believe are the drragh."

 

"Remarkable, huh.  Which one of the crew are they mentioning?"

 

"Well sir, that's the important part of this.  There are numerous reports, and each only mentions a single Drragh.  But in the one geographic area, no less than fourteen Drragh are mentioned." Opal poked at her tablet for a moment and a holograph of the planet appeared on his desk.  "The region highlighted in bright red is Europe, sir."  The red faded to a brownish outline and another zone within it pulsed blue. "The blue is an island nation they call England.  Or the United Kingdom.  It has several appellations.  Here, skipper, we've identified separate references to at least seven creatures that we believe to be Drragh."

 

"Do we have names?"

 

"Well, some, sir.  We have identified Schmargh, ddraiggoch, ddraiggwyn, Blue Ben, Knucklerhole, Bestraggahn and Drekhæð."

 

"Most of those do not sound Drragh.  Why do you think they are?"

 

"Much of this is hypothesis, sir.  But, Schmargh bears a strong linguistic similarity to Schmagrach.  It's reaching but plausible.  Ddraiggoch can be translated as red dragon in a language local to that area..."

 

"Sir, if you recall a few reports back, the communicator translated Overlord Chklarna's comments into Welsh," interjected Chief Investigator Nautewlus.

 

"Yes, yes.  Go on, Opal."

 

"Ddraighgwyn, sir, is translated as white dragon in the same language, sir.  The two dragons were reported to be fighting between themselves a lot sir.  But, the crew files given us by the Drragh," she paused for a moment then continued.  "I mean, given to you by the Drragh, before the mission began indicates two drragh, one white and one red.  These two could be the two mentioned.  That would be Olezaharrgh, the white drragh, and Bomorizacgh the red one."

 

"I'll buy that logic, please continue."

 

"Then there's Blue Ben.  This one is harder.  There was a black drragh who might have been Blue Ben. Azuquokan.  Knucklerhole might be Nuexlehaerggh.  Bestraggahn... to be honest sir, I don't know how they got that one right!"

 

"Indeed.  Perhaps this one spent more time with the earthers?"

 

"Possibly.  And finally Drekhæð would almost certainly be Drekhæðlaegh."

 

The blue outlined England faded to the same brownish outline as the rest of Europe, and another area began to glow.  "The yellow zone, is Scandinavia.  Here we find reference to two more, Nidhogg and Jǫrmungandr."

 

"I can see those.  Very similar to their Drragh name.  Any others?"

 

"Six more, skipper.  Thyrus from Italy," Italy glowed briefly, "Tarasque and Vouivre from France," Italy ceased glowing and France glowed. In turn three more areas glowed, as Opal named more Ddragh. "Wawelski in Poland, Vahagn in Armenia and Tiamat in Babylon."  The last site was considerable further afield from the rest of Europe, but before Brevix could comment, Opal addressed the fact.  "There are more recent references to Tiamat closer to Europe, for instance in Turkey, which the locals consider to be part of Europe."

 

Brevix had pulled up a list of the Drragh and was evaluating it.

 

"I see, so, let me see.  Thyrus might be Tragushnagh.  Tarasque, Taraskehna.  Vouivre, Vroarvghra.  Wawelski?"

 

"That one we just don't know sir. It's named for a location in Poland.  We're researching that one further."

 

"Very well.  Vahagn is probably Varghanagh.  Tiamat is Tamossarrgh?  I suppose.  That one seems farfetched, but I'll go with it for now.  Are any of the reports on these Drragh, if that is who they are, recent?"

 

"Within the last thousand earth years, sir.  And sir?  It's not good.  There are several reports of the humans killing them."

 

"Well, we best hope we find evidence that they did not.  Because you all know if there's a dead one, Chklarna will launch an invasion. The outcome will not be good."

 

Opal blanched at the tone in his voice, and Nautewlus quickly interjected.  "Sir, I've notified the watch officer of the best set of coordinates.  At your order, we'll be underway.  Opal and I will get started on analysis of local reports as soon as we arrive."

 

"As you suggest."

 

Nautewlus poked her tablet, and the two investigators quickly departed.  As they did, Brevix detected just the slightest indication the ship was in motion.  He turned back to his reports.

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