The Pentambuluni: Cephalopodial Sentinels

Nobody can hear a scream in the vacuum of space, or so they say.

And what is a scream without sounds but a form of visible manifestation of a complex biological organism in ultimate distress caused, in this case, of being thrown out into the empty void of outer space.

It hadn’t just happened to one of its bipedal kind but to twenty-five of them by their count, each ripped from sleeping within the safety of their shelled space transit craft, after it had been pierced by colliding with a smaller space craft of alien origin travelling out of control, while travelling near the first gas giant of this start system.

The bipeds and their spacecraft had come from the third planet further in the star system, all explorers bound to the outer planets, blissfully unaware of what is out here.

But now, the ones still inside their space craft are looking onto the remains of an alien looking vessel and about to encounter its hostile occupants, while for the ones outside, flying, floating and flipping quickly away, intervention was at hand.

Either way, the bipeds from the third planet, specifically the Humans of Planet Earth, were about to find out that they were not alone.

*

Lieutenant Casias fought to keep panic and his stomach in check. The rupture of the ship’s hull had thrown him out at ten feet per sec flipping on the horizontal. With each spin, he saw that Solar 1, the name of the United Nation’s first joint spacecraft that he and hundreds had called home for the past few months, getting further away, while, in the other direction, the planet Jupiter was coming closer.

He had turned off his communications unit in the first minute as the localised network had been swamped by the screams of everyone who now inexplicably found themselves outside. After that, all he heard what the sound of his own breathing.

Unfortunately, he surmised that he may have left it of too long or the unit was damaged as he now found that he couldn’t turn it back on. He only hoped that the suit’s in-built distress beacon was still functional.

Beyond that, the Extra Vehicular Emergency Suits that the mission commanders insisted they all slept, had done what they were designed to do, prevented death in the event of unplanned void exposure.

What am I going to do now? He thought to himself as he started seeing flashes of blue around him in the distance. And I’m now starting to hallucinate.

Turning his head left and right as best he could, he saw more and more blue flashes, noticing that five flashes at a time were clustering in groups.

What is going on? This isn’t part of the recovery process. His vision was blurred as four flashes went off near him in quick succession, followed by a fifth directly in front of him causing him to shut his eyes from the brightness.

It wasn’t until he felt things upon his arms and legs that Casias opened his eyes, only to see an odd coned shape creature before him, with two appendages at the narrow end and four at the other end that appeared the same as the ones on the other end. Two glowed blue and were pointed at Casias and remained so as if baleful blue eyes were watching him as it aligned itself to his torso, narrow end towards his feet, slowly coming towards his chest.

Whatever it was, did not react to Casias’ screams of terror.

*

Nightwatch Commander Obidea did her best to keep calm in the face of the screams of pain and terror that was heard throughout the Solar 1, mostly via the ships intra-communications system as well as working with the skeleton crew at her disposal to get the vessel under control.

The ship has been damaged and we are in a first contact situation but those contacts are hostile. She thought, as calmly logically as possible.

It was her first time in the shift rotations to be in command of the ship, in this case, the sleep or night watch, where she sat in the middle chair, which was able to be turned in any direction as required. She and the crew had been running diagnostics on the ship’s systems in preparation for entering Jupiter’s orbit the next day when they felt the collision, sending the ship into system wide alert.

Whatever had collided with the Solar 1 had tunnelled into the port hull, forcing its way through the habitat quarters. Worse was the indication that the objects had occupants and now those occupants were running amok the ship. The first reports of sightings that came in that were coherent were contradictory and typically ending in the observer’s screams. The only consistency was the aliens were hostile and that their colouration were various hues of red.

She had roused the ship’s complement of sleeping crew, assigning tasks as they reported to readiness, while keeping her blue eyes on the main screen, watching the lurching of Jupiter as the helm operator fought to steady the ship.

In the background, she could hear the engineer watchman cursing repeatedly at the ship’s status, while the sensor operator kept updating her with tracking of the transient signals of the intruders as well as those of all the distress beacons belonging to the crew who had been flung out into the void.

“Commander Obidea! The crew outside.” the sensor operator called out.

She turned quickly to her left. “What about them, Ensign Adams.”

“I’m not sure on what I’m reading but miniature energy flares are popping up around the crew outside. It’s interfering with the signal of their distress beacons. I don’t think they are alone out there either, Commander.”

She cursed inwardly as she acknowledged the security detail and recovery detail reporting in.

*

Casias cursed repeatedly as he watched and felt the creature attach itself. Indeed, as he moved his limbs, he could see there was one on each of his legs and arms. To him, they resembled the cephalopods of earth in their shape.

He made to try to push or pull at the one on his chest only to find his arms required effort to move. There was similar resistance in his legs.

What are these things? Despite his circumstances, his scientific curiosity was piqued.

As if in answer, he watched a blue glow surround him, as his mind was assailed with images.

First he watched as if floating in a murky fog, sparks of electricity arcing out whenever the view moved, to be quickly changed to one of rapidly swimming through that murky fog on contrails of electricity until it was left behind as space came into view. The view was dominated by a distant binary star.

The next moment was looking upon charcoaled worlds with plumes of gas exuding out of volcanoes and fissures upon the surface only to quickly move on to plunging down into an atmosphere to gaze upon the world beneath. At first there was only barren land and water, but, as if watching the view in time lapse covering eons, the land and waters changed as it was population by plant-like and animal-like creatures.

Next he found himself in space once more, surrounded by others, cephalopods floating in space. Gazing back at the twin stars, arcs of electricity linked every one of them and then the stars and planets and eventually a miasmic galaxy receding away. The view was replaced for the longest time with nothing but the blackness of the void that was slowly being lit up as stars and galaxies came into being. The last view was one of entering one of those galaxies, into one of its star system and plunging into an orbiting gas giant.

The series of images repeated in similar cycles, culminating in the plunge into Jupiter and the imagery of the vigil over what looked like Earth with overlapping images of Earth’s development from early marine life, the first life on land, the dinosaurs, all the way to coming of early mankind and their development to space travel.

However, throughout these sentinel creatures’ vigil of Earth, spacecraft were shown to have visited with varying interactions ranging from peaceful to downright hostile. The final images were that of what amounted to a battle in space near Jupiter against a few rock shard-like small vessels, where the last one had been damaged, causing it to careen away towards a spacecraft in the distance. The Solar 1.

Casias’ consciousness asserted itself at that moment as it processed what it had just been shown. It felt like something was sifting through his mind and memories. He went to resist but felt a calmness over him.

Do not fear. He heard a voice in his head, in somewhat stilted language as if unused to it. It felt as if it came from the creature that appeared to be staring at him with its blue antennae. Returning you and the others to stop the invaders of your ship.

Casias opened his eyes and found himself still covered in a blue glow, moving back towards the Solar 1, surrounded by others. He could see a gaping rent in the ship’s portside hull but then saw the lights of the one of the main ingress/egress doors towards the rear of the ship, foretelling it was about to open.

He mentally imaged this to the creature, hoping it would understand.

No time. Your ship and crew in danger. Came in the way of reply.

Casias felt his frustration grow. We can’t go against hostiles unarmed and unarmoured.

With us with you, you are neither. Confidence filled him. Trust Us.

Okay. Please, just take myself and the four closest to me in but send the others to the end of the ship. Casias implored the being.

There was no reply but Casias saw that he and four others were heading towards the rent in the hull, while the others veered away towards the opening door at the port side rear of the ship.

He wished he could move his arm but then found he suddenly could do so. He held a thumbs up to the other four, which was copied in reply.

Pointing to the rent in the hull, he hand-signalled to stick close to him as he directed them towards the hull.

*

Commander Obidea directed a question incredulously at Ensign Adams, who had interrupted her briefing the Captain of the Solar 1 of the situation. “The crew outside are closing with the ship? The recovery crew are only opening the port main door now.” It had only a few minutes since the initial impact.

Ensign Adams ran his hands over his forehead and through his black hair, confusion on his youthful features. “I don’t understand it either. First they were intermittent signals floating away from the ship and now, they are coming closer.”

“Well that’ll make their recovery easier. Any change in their vitals?” asked Obidea.

“All twenty- five are still alive. I ….. Commander, twenty of the signals appear to have veered towards the rear of the ship, while five are on course with the impact point.” replied Ensign Adams.

Obidea nodded as she went to interact with her communication headset only to hear the security details had engaged the hostiles.

She engaged the controls of the seat to bring up the holographic display of the tactical situation, and studied it intently. The blue markings representing the security details were easily seen but what concerned her was the flickering red markings coming out of the void in the display where the ship had been damaged.

*

As his cohort of five alien human approached the tear in the ship’s damaged hull, Casias took in the rare view of the ship of the ship from the outside.

The Solar 1 consisted of five long cylinders, with one being the central cylindrical hull, containing their combustible fuel/water source, surrounded by the four other cylindrical hulls, which capped at the front by the command core and protection/collection buffer shield and the back by the engineer core and main propulsion drive.

As Casias continued to look while drawing near the ship, he was startled as his view went black but was soon population with moving hues of shaped colours.

You humans refer to this as infrared. offered the disembodied voice in Casias’s mind.

Sure enough he was able to discern the human shapes clustering in groups with remarkable clarity but was dismayed as the groups were broken up by large shapes whose brighter heat signatures flickered about his view.

His vision returned to normal as he and the others alighted on the deck. He looked at the others and had a first-hand close look at their “rescuers.”

On the limbs and chest of each individual had a creature attached to it. The creatures did indeed resemble large cephalopods but appeared hard except for where their limbs/tentacles attached and clung onto them.

He felt as if they were regarding him back, so he mentally thanked them and went to reengage his suit’s communication system but was only met with silence.

“Damn it.” He swore only to find himself suddenly inundated with voices, all in different states of tension, fear and terror but some clamoured for his attention.

Commander Obidea’s voice came through. “Casias, is that you? How did you all get back?”

He went to reply but felt he was being pulled to take the damaged tunnel heading further into the hull. He acquiesced to the impulse as he said. “I’ll tell you later, we’re off to deal with the boarders.”

There was a pause. “Acknowledged, situation first. Debrief later.”

Looking to the others, he rattled off their names, each nodding in kind. However, as he went into the debris strewn tunnel, two stayed behind and turned around.

They will begin to repair the skin of your ship. Not displeased at that notion, Casias simply acknowledged mentally in reply as he and two others followed the tunnel, intent on meeting the alien invaders while listening to the communication network.

*

Obidea made her way towards the points of conflict, careening and floating down the hallways as fast as safely possible, having turned off her suit’s replicative gravity lining. She had left the command deck the moment the captain had entered and was appraised of the unfolding situation.

Encountering others at the armoury, she had despatched them to key points to ensure that the trouble would hopefully be contained in the left hull. Her personal group, she broke up to take other tunnels to check for others and get them to safety. She had estimated that there should be sufficient armed security to put down the threats but listening on, she had started to become unsure.

People were still screaming and yelling where they encountered the aliens but were fighting back at least. Upon hearing Casias and the others had reboarded the ship, she felt relief on that front until he had said he was off to repel the boarders. Last time she knew, no one rested with weapons in arms reach.

Shaking off the thought, she passed empty rooms and soon closed to where the fight was but encountered one of the bulkhead airlocks that had sealed off the moment the impact caused a hole that leaked the atmosphere out.

Quickly negotiating the airlock, she reactivated her suit, so could safely run along the hallway, following the signals of her HUD to the location of the fight. It appeared to be one of the storage bays. And when she arrived, she entered on the gantry above the bay, noting two melted tunnel entrances in two of the side walls. However, the sights and atmosphere nearly made her retch.

Floating in the air was the bodies of two of what must have been the aliens but they were far outnumbered by the numbers of human bodies and associated body parts as two aliens appeared to be eating.

Each alien’s red hued body appeared to shift as she looked upon them from solid to gas and back. She was sure they were giving off considerable heat, adding to the stifling atmosphere. When solid, they were lithe and long limbed with claws at the hands and feet.

Two more were harassing two remaining groups of humans, one group at each of the designed doorways, who were fending their respective alien off with combined firepower of UV tasers and flushes of fire suppressant foam.

Appraising what she saw, it appeared that the fire foam solidified the aliens which allowed their human weapons to bite into them.

She now saw that they had bulbous heads with jet black eyes, which came with concern as she realised that one of them was now looking directly at her on the gantry above. She raised and pointed her UV taser as the creature’s body blurred and leapt up towards her, fangs and claws all in plain view.

Obidea realised that her weapon, which was designed for safe use in the confines of the ship, may have left her underarmed and in great danger.

*

Casias knew he was going unarmed towards a dangerous foe via a hazardous path, but largely let his actions be guided by those attached to him. He realised then he had no idea what to call them.

He heard the now familiar voice in his head. You may call us Cephalopodians or Pentambuluni. Those have become our preferred names that we have been called by your kind in the past.

That brought Casias short as he neared the rear of what was the invaders craft. He had likened it to an imbedded splinter but the voice’s last comment drew his attention abruptly.

You have been to Earth in the past? He asked mentally.

The reply came quickly. Members of our species have had reason to go to Earth, mostly as guides for those who wished to observe you but occasionally to stop those who would bring you harm. The latter tended to be forced to stay on your world and hide but some made it back to Jupiter to report back when your kind started to take its first steps in space.

Only some? You mean others have stayed on Earth? Casias continued with his questioning. He stopped though, when he noticed that he had been left behind by the other two who had already created a hole in the invader’s ship, a feat that he did not see due to his inattentiveness. He was urged to follow.

He entered and vacated the hole quickly and saw dim light ahead of him. He saw the shadows of his companions beyond, their presence confirmed by his alien companion. Before he moved away, he absentmindedly stuck out his left arm behind. He squeezed his hand and was surprised to feel a surge of energy. There was a flash and as he turned around, he saw the hole slowly close behind him.

Come. The aliens are attacking your ship mates at the end of the tunnel beyond. Casias went to the, assumedly, front of the alien’s vessel and saw a ragged hole had been made. It looked as if it were melted.

He greeted his two shipmates and they proceeded up the tunnel. He tried to communicate with the ship’s crew but found nothing but static. He also felt that their attached friends were at a loss.

They followed the tunnel until they found it suddenly had split three ways. They each picked one as if an unspoken decision was made, all feeling a sense of urgency.

Casias followed the tunnel, picking his way carefully. He once again tried his communicator but found only occasionally audibly discernible words, all laced with tension.

He hurried when he saw the brighter light at the end of the tunnel and in his rush, found himself thrust into what resembled a storage bay. There were four red bodied aliens. One appeared to be eating something or someone. Two were engaged singly with groups of people.

However, it was the one in mid leap heading towards an individual he recognised as Commander Obidea that drew his attention and ultimately his ire.

Without thinking, he reached up as if to grab the alien and found that it had stopped in place. It let out a screech that was felt and heard. The one feeding had turned around as it crouched and bared its fangs towards Casias.

Resoundingly, he slammed the one in his invisible grip on top of the crouching one. The two that were engaged with members of the crew turned towards Casias, the others seemingly forgotten.

“Get back! Lock those doors!” yelled out Casias. He watched with satisfaction as the crew promptly vacated through the doors and closed it behind them. On the gantry, he saw Obidea had retreated to the wall entrance.

*

Obidea looked on with concern towards Casias. She had recognised the voice. Again, she looked at her weapon and wished she had something else more substantial.

The four aliens had corralled around Casias. Four predators eyeing their prey. After what felt like an age, but couldn’t have been more than half a minute, one leapt at Casias only to be hurled back with a punch into the opposite wall where it dissipated into red smoke before pooling and reforming on the floor.

The two on either side of Casias then ran in towards him. Casias turned to his left and flashed out with a right hook, sending that one towards the other tunnel entrance before whipping his left arm behind him.

Obidea looked on in horror as the creature grabbed hold of Casias’ left arm and pulled him towards the floor, laying Casias prone flat on the floor.

This spurred the fourth to attack towards Casias’ right leg and went to bite at where the leg was covered by the attached alien.

To Obidea’s surprise, the alien reared back in back as bits of broken teeth flew away. It went to snarl at Casias only to be greeted by another one of its kind flying into it, hurled at it by Casias.

He stood up in time to see the one by the other tunnel entrance leap at him, only for it to freeze mid arc and fall towards the floor as if it were a statue. He calmly sidestepped and let it bounce.

Seeing this, the other three aliens reacted, their forms shimmering as they superheated the air, the metal they touched beginning to melt. But this was short lived as Obidea watched Casias reach out with both arms and gestured towards the creatures. He was joined by another crew member coming out of the second tunnel mouth, arms out in the same manner as Casias.

The air rapidly cooled as the creatures resolidified, still as statues.

*

Casias stood perfectly still, unsure what to do next. It was then he felt then saw the aliens attached to himself and the other crew member detached themselves and float away. Then he watched as the they, in their respective cluster of five, start to join one another, forming a simulacrum of a bipedal form.

Two became legs, the wide end with its four appendages for feet, with the two at the narrow end joining with single appendages from the narrow end of the inverted one that formed the body, which he recognised as the one that had been attached to his chest. The two blue appendages remained as such while the remaining appendage to either side was joined to by the those of the narrow ends of the ones forming arms. The sight was a little unsettling until a globe like ball of energy formed where a head would be.

“We require sustenance.” spoke the cephalopodian in perfect Standard English. Both of them turned towards the still frozen forms. Three suddenly turned into bright yellow flame before coalescing into one ball of white energy that then split into two, merging with the cephalopodians.

Both cephalopodians heaved as if breathing in, their forms glowing for a time until the glow ebbed away.

Unsure of how to react to what he had just seen, it was only then that Casias realised that Obidea had climbed down the ladder from the gantry to stand beside him. He gestured for the other crew member to join them.

The two cephalopodians turned towards Obidea as if appraising her. Obidea for her part stood back away from them and the remaining frozen alien, herself unsure for a moment but adjusting her uniform and her tied back long black hair when she realised that the cephalopodians were looking at her.

Sensing that she was ready but apprehensive, Casias decided introductions were in order. “Commander Obidea….. These are the Cephalodians ….. of Jupiter.”

The one who had been with Casias extended an arm and held out a hand. “Please, you can also refer to us as Pentambuluni.”

“Five walks as one.” Obidea looked surprised. The energy ball on top of the Pentambuluni tilted as if it were nodding. Casias looked to her for an explanation.

“It is from Latin.” Obidea took the hand gingerly. “Do you have a personal name?”

Casias saw the two blue appendages look at him for a moment before replying. “For now, call us…. Call me Pentacas. We have much to discuss I think. But first, there are more of them left on your vessel…. “ Pentacas gestured to the remaining frozen red one.

Commander Obidea reached to her communicator as a report came in. More intruders had been reported headed towards the command core. She verbally relayed the information.

“The third tunnel.” said Casias. He held out his hand towards Pentacas. The other crew member performed the same gesture to the other.

“Let us put a stop to them.” said Pentacas before reverting back to its original five components and rejoining with Casias.

The other crew member saluted Obidea before heading into the tunnels.

Casias turned and, raising his right hand to his head just under his rusty brown locks, saluted Obidea. Obidea returned the salute but stopped to give Casias her communicator.

“This should work better in the tunnels.” she explained. Her fingertips lingered with his for longer than a moment before her hand returned to her side.

Casias nodded, clutching onto the communicator, and gestured for the other crew member to go ahead in the tunnel.

Commander Obidea watched them disappear into the tunnels as she heard the two door opens and the murmur of people came in. She looked around the bodies and parts floating around her as other crew rushed in.

She wiped a tear from her eye before it threatened her face. Raising her voice, she said. "Get the medical and clean up crews down here. Security details, bring your tasers and grab more fire extinguishers, we have more of the red bastards to hunt down."