Four kets. That's how long we've been stuck in this blue and green hellhole.

Hunger had become a constant companion, gnawing at me with relentless persistence. Our searches for food had been futile; we couldn't remove our visors to eat, as the planet's chlorine-rich air was deadly, and our suits had deemed all local flora and fauna toxic for both our biologies. And with my hunger came a disconcerting realization: Jack, with his human omnivorous diet, might eventually see me, a Nafa'Callian, as a potential source of sustenance. Ironically, I might be the only 'edible' option for Jack in this alien environment... Though he'd shown no sign of such a drastic thought, the mere possibility made me uneasy.

Jack himself was quite a character, brimming with a seemingly endless supply of energy, humor, and anecdotes. Was this a common trait among humans? He was like a live wire, his conversation leaping from one topic to another. "Check out that tree, so cool! And that sunset – wow! Did you see that thing? It was like a tiger, but with eight legs! A Spiger! Man, I can't wait to tell everyone about seeing a Spiger! Imagine taming one, K'Tal? A pet Spiger – now that would be something!"

I found myself nodding along to his lively banter, despite my inner reservations. His fascination with Earth's predatory 'cats' was oddly endearing yet perplexing. They were outright banned on my planet, they were absolutely devastating to the local ecology, and sometimes even preyed on our own young. His aspiration to one day cuddle with a 'Tiger', an animal supposedly four times larger than a human, was bewildering. His youthful demeanor, coupled with the fact that he was already a Captain, spoke volumes about the rapid and ruthless nature of war.

"Oi, you with me?" Jack's voice held a hint of annoyance.

Admittedly, I had drifted off. "No," I replied, unapologetically.

Jack let out a resigned "Bah." We continued trudging through the alien jungle in a brief spell of silence before he broke it, his voice edged with the strain of hunger. "Man, I'm so hungry. It's getting tough to keep my mind off it."

I hacked away at the dense vegetation, my unease about becoming an impromptu meal returning. I replied without looking at him, "Perhaps if you conserved some energy instead of talking non-stop, you wouldn't feel as hungry."

He shot back, "And how about you? How are you holding up?"

"Starving, just like you," I stated, slicing through another stubborn branch.

Silence fell again for a moment before he curiously prodded, "So, what's on your mind then?"

I paused, turning to face him. "Thinking about my family," I responded, tapping my temple to indicate my internal preoccupation.

Jack's interest piqued. "Oh yeah? You Naffa'Callians are, what's the word... Poly... Polyarb... Polyarbitrary?"

A chuckle escaped me. "Polyamorous."

"Right, that's the one! How many in your family?"

I resumed clearing our path, "Four of us in the 'cule. F'Asy, N'Tal, K'Pek, and me. It's been a little over a hundred years together."

He whistled, a sound of genuine intrigue. "A hundred of your years, huh? That's... quite a commitment."

"Indeed," I said, turning back to the green wall before us. "It's a lifetime for some, just a part of ours."

Jack's head cocked to the side, his eyes narrowing in concentration as he quickly ran through the calculations in his head. "So, that translates to about two hundred and twenty standard years, which is... around four hundred and thirty or so years going by Earth years. That's an incredibly long time. My longest relationship was just about three years. Ended when I joined the rim fleet. She's stationed with the center fleet, no desire to come all the way out here."

I couldn't help but be impressed, not only with his swift mental conversion between different planetary time scales but also his knowledge of our Nafa'Callian year. "That's quite remarkable. And three years? On Nafa'Cal, that's barely a season."

He shrugged, a wry smile playing on his lips. "Three years is considered a decent run back home. Humans typically live up to about a hundred and fifty years. We tend to experience numerous shorter relationships before settling down with a lifelong partner."

I processed Jack's words, struggling to comprehend the notion that the galaxy's most advanced species lived such brief lifespans. It seemed unfathomable.

He added nonchalantly, "And there's something else – we procreate a lot. Especially on colony worlds. Human pregnancies last less than a year, and our population can swell by twenty-five percent annually. Triple that in a standard year if you count twins and triplets. That's a lot of mouths to feed."

I couldn't hide my astonishment. "Unbelievable. Your kind could effectively outgrow the rest of the galaxy. No need for conquest when you can simply outnumber."

He grinned. "Yep, that's us – prolific as they come. Unlike you guys, with centuries under your belt and no kids to show for it. We're resource hogs by comparison."

I thought about our distinct reproductive methods. "Naffa'Callians approach reproduction differently. Each child has a minimum of three parents, and up to seven people can contribute genetically."

Jack's eyes widened. "Seven parents? How the hell does that work? Do you guys have like, non-stop orgies or something? Jesus Christ, what are you working with down there? You got seventeen dicks or what?"

I coughed in surprise at the comment, part amused, part annoyed. "I'd rather not delve into the specifics of Naffa'Callian mating practices, Jack," I said, then relented slightly, deciding to humor him. "But for the record, it's just one. We might be different, but we're not that alien." I continued hacking through the dense flora. "In our society, group matings are common within a family unit. If the child bearer wants certain traits, they can choose partners accordingly. It's not a free-for-all; some family members might be excluded if they carry traits we'd rather not pass on." I swung at a cluster of vines somewhat aggressively as I finished my explanation.

Jack's tone shifted, picking up on something in my voice. "That last part sounded a little bitter there, buddy"

"You're right, it did, didn't it?"

Jack didn't reply.

-------------------

Hyperion Cube Transcription - Subject Jack Tennison

Compiled by Hyperion Cube - Subject K'Tal for Chronological Consistency

I didn't know what to make of K'Tal. He was very polite, but a right bugger bitch of a turd at the same time. He was often moody, not the chattiest companion, and had this knack for infuriating me. To think, of all the beings I could have rescued, he was the one.

Nilly's interruption pulled me back, her question just barely beating my own.

"Wait, what's happening? This isn't your voice anymore, K'Tal."

I watched as K'Tal's expression registered mild confusion. "What do you mean?" he asked.

Nilly gestured towards the projection, her curiosity peaking. "This is from Jack isn't it? We're seeing through his eyes."

K'Tal nodded in understanding. "Ah, yes. You see, Jack shared these memories with me later on. The Hyperion cube has assimilated them into my timeline. It records not just my experiences but also the impacts of my life, allowing me to see events from various angles. When Hyperion cubes synchronize data, the accuracy is unparalleled."

I rubbed my temples, trying to grasp the concept of such advanced technology. The idea of a device capturing and intertwining lifetimes was beyond my understanding.

Nilly, still intrigued, pressed on. "Can it show how you've influenced us?"

"Of course, although only from my perspective, not yours," K'Tal responded, his hand moving through the air. In an instant, the scene changed, and we were looking at ourselves.

I stood, or at least I felt like I stood, watching the projection with a mixture of awe and disbelief. My mind struggled to reconcile the sensation of sitting on the bench while simultaneously perceiving myself standing. The image of Nilly twirled around her own projection, yet I could feel her weight still resting against me.

I circled the projection, my reflection chuckling at a memory, while Nilly's image tilted her head inquisitively. "What is this?" I asked K'Tal, my voice laced with a mix of curiosity and skepticism.

"That," K'Tal pointed, "is you from just a few moments ago. It was right around the time that Jack asked me if I have seventeen dicks, I believe."

The scene felt surreal, like being in a dream yet fully conscious. "So, this is all just a dream-like experience?" I asked, trying to find a way to rationalize it.

K'Tal chuckled. "In a way, yes. Though it's more complex than a mere dream. It's history, memories, and experiences all woven together."

I shook my head, slightly amused by K'Tal's cryptic explanations. I looked down at Nilly, who seemed to be taking it all in stride. "Does this make sense to you, Nilly?"

Her eyes sparkled with excitement. "Yeah, it's like a super cool history book that you can watch!"

Good enough. I sighed. "This is not what I was expecting from this trip."