Karak stared at the image on the screen. The two human boys were standing on the edge of the crater. One had dark brown hair, the other had blond. They watched the probe in the center, which throbbed with a dull green light.
“The specimens are close enough to scan, Supreme Senator.” Alixza said. “Shall I commence?”
“Please do.” Karak said, a hint of sarcasm creeping into his voice. He heard the double-jointed fingers of his Eqation secretary start tapping the paper-thin keyboard. The boys on the screen began talking to one another. They spoke in an unidentifiable language that filled the room with its strange syllables and gave Karak a painful throbbing in his head. It appeared as though they were arguing about something, although the shorter one appeared to be laughing.
“Is the translator activated?” Karak said.
“Affirmative.” Alixza said, her eyes focused on the screen floating in front of her. “It would appear that the language is not covered in the inter-system transcript.”
“Really?” Karak said.
“No, Sire. Earth is the only known system outside the borders of the league, and the ITT. Shall I attempt a preliminary language cast?”
“No.” Karak said. “Just finish the scan.” His suctioned fingers tapped against the arms of his chair, making popping noises as they attached and detached, over and over again. He watched the screen. The laughing boy slid down the edge of the crater. About halfway down, he tripped and rolled the rest of the way down. He stood up, covered in dirt, but unharmed. He gestured his friend down, but other boy just frowned down at him. The two struck up another conversation, filling the room with that ugly softness again. It was quite too bad Alixza couldn’t mute it. Eventually the other boy slid down as well.
“Scan complete.” Alixza said. The screen changed to a cut through of human anatomy. Bones veins and organs were visible, all with labels describing their function. Karak studied it with intrest.
“They seem, simple,” he said. “Un-evolved.”
“Do not be fooled, Sire.” Alixza said. “The human race has survived since the beginning of time, and has since populated their entire planet. They have something special.”
“Yes, the human heart. The source of their life. It is the perfect power core for our device. Is it not, Alixza?”
“All my research points to that conclusion.” Alixza said.
A satisfied smile spread across Karak’s face. “Bring them in.,” he said.
The anatomy disappeared, bringing back the two boys. They stood shoulder to shoulder beside the probe. The laughing one reached out to pick it up. The other one rolled his eyes. As soon as the boy's hand touched the sleek metal a flash of green light lit up the screen. When it disappeared, the duo was gone, along with the probe.
“What happened?” Karak said, his voice raised.
"It would appear that the instability of the probe reacted to any touch. When the boy touched it, it captured them and returned to deep space."
Karak shouted in frustration. Objects flew back and forth across the room, unsupported. Alixza ducked a senator chair, losing her composure momentarily. Karak growled deep down in his throat. He forced himself under control, pausing the objects in midair. As the pieces slowly began to drift back to their places, he took a deep breath, setting his teeth.
“Alixza, can you find them?”
Alixza scrambled back to her chair, re-opening her keyboards and monitors. “The humans and the probe are floating in deep space,” she said. “They could be anywhere at this point. However, without a destination the probe will attempt to return to its landing point. It will probably be found within the Aromodea galaxy. Other than that I cannot tell you.”
Karak stood up, raising himself to his full seven and a half feet. “Send out all my ships. Send out search parties, offer a reward, use the army if you have to, I don’t care. But find them. I will not let these past seven years go to waste. The Device must be finished. ”
Alixza busied herself with her keypad and monitor, pulling several more up, her hands flashing across the keys. Karak gathered his cape around him and stepped out of the Senate Hall, the door sliding closed behind him.