Space Explorer: The Azanian

Steam valley, next to the glass hills of the Tachera. A place where thick smoke could only be seen through the large crystal clear obelisks slowly erupting and growing from the underground river of lava. Clouds and pillars of cotton white smoke, visible from miles around, asking, or rather, demanding for attention only to reveal to the most curious the large forest of crystal stalagmites. Such magnificent scenery was very common on Wokar, deserted moon In the Nasm system.

Nasm was and had been under human colonization for the last century, though the five planets and fifty four moons had yet to be fully explored and for good reason. Human forces were scarce, dispersed all over the Solar System, Nasm and Asve. While Solar had been easy to conquer with rather clement temperatures and weathers, the same could not be said about most of Nasm and some distant planets in the Asve system. Wokar was the twelve moon explored so far in Nasm, orbiting KJB-1, a massive planet one and a half time the size of Jupiter and while Wokar had so far proven to be beautiful and rich in glass, iron, diamonds and water, its climate was off the charts. Temperatures were so extreme, only the glass fields were capable of welcoming visitors. The planet’s temperature was far, setting absolute zero to a whole new freezing level.

Only the underground lava could keep some areas of the planet to more reasonable degrees, though the toxins in the air was too much for living beings, or at least, complex livings such as animals and plants, thus exploration was done using drones, robots and only once using an exploration vessel piloted by humans. After the spacecraft crashed, caused by low visibility and crushing high speed winds, exploration was handed and lawed for machines only.

Could you please analyze this rock, over here?

All you want is rocks. It’s getting pretty boring. There’s pebbles on every planets y’know?

Aza, please don’t sass. Just do your job.

Wouldn’t you prefer some of that water? I mean, look at those pretty colors! There’s got to be microbes in there.

Ah yes, water samples. It’s further down on the list. The ‘’pebble’’ will do fine for now. Wait. Aza. No. Don’t!

Using the android’s own ‘eyes’, explorator, scientist and professor Verrnum had been studying various areas on the trecheous moon. His goal was to find microscopic life and, if possible, a zone which could be colonized by the humans. Sadly though, the past two months had been fruitless and both Aza and the professor were being annoyed.

There. Now you can cross water off the list. No need to thank me.

If there’s a list, there’s an order. If there’s an order, we must follow it Aza.

You see what i’m seeing, right? Because i’ve been looking at rocks for days and i haven’t seen anything worth that time.

Maybe we haven’t look at the right places yet, dear.

There is no right places here. Its a beautiful landscape, good for pictures, empty of life.

Just check one last rock and we will move on, Okay?

A helmet over his head displaying images taken from the anidroid, the man sitting not-so-comfortably in his chair, inside the Isidius research station, sighted in disappointed. As much as he hated to admit it, his ‘girl’ was right. There has been nothing yet. Two months of searching, without any good results and with Aza now complaining about it, this mission was about to become a whole lot harder to complete.

Can i just stay here for a bit? Look, it’s fun and all, but i didn’t get a chance to relax much since i got here. Just look at all this! Glass fields! Ain’t that cool? I hope you’re taking pictures for lil miss May. Hey wait. Come on!

Aza had a good reason to be frustrated. Her usually being so friendly, surrounded by people, she have been alone since her departure of the station and was missing contact with other people. An other good reason to be frustrated was to be forced to do what she did not wished to do, just like what was happening right now. The anidroid’s body refused to cooperate to the female’s will as the lead was priority was given to the man with the gloves, the one who always had the final word and there was no fighting it. Against her will, Aza kneed down, reached for a two inches rock, brought it closer to her visor and scanned dit before leaving back where she found it.

You could’ve asked. Said the furious yellow bot.

I did.

I was gonna do it!

You already done it.

Mrrr. Cut the damn communications for a while okay? ‘think i deserve a break now and you as well. Take a coffee or something. You’re annoying me.

First, let me just get to that hill, i’ll have a better eye of what’s around.

As the feline was forced to get back up and her right paw first made a step forward, she exploded in rage.

I swear on the Isidius if you don’t let me walk on my own, when i come back i’m breaking your legs Verr! Cut the crap! I’ll get you a fucking view from there alright? Jeez.

The anidroid never enjoyed someone controlling her. Yes, she was used of being given orders, being part of a research team commanded by a military officer, being commanded to take actions happened every day, but someone using her own body against her will, that was far worst. It felt awful every step of the way. She could very well do things on her own, there was no need for such a drastic measure. Would they like it if she would control them like so? Most certainly not. Of course, there has been some times in the past where it had been useful, but most often then not, being overridden was setting the orange feline on a roller coaster of emotions, humiliation being there most of the ride.

There you go. Finally some sense knocked into you. Get me on that hill and we’ll take half an hour off afterwards.

Aza shrugged off her emotions, hold an inner hiss and sighted before making her up a steep and steady hill covered in warm, crusted lava. From the top, all the feline could see was columns of smoke, country-size icebergs crashing into each others and one possible valley of lava.

You know where to go when i get back, Aza?

Lemme guess, waaaaay over there.

The anidroid pointed forward, way ahead of her. The composite finger showing up in the man’s screen in direction of the possible heat spot.

Tha’dda girl.

Godamit.