Axel was in heaven.
Before him was something that was so advanced, so brilliant, so amazing that it most likely shouldn't exist. He had no idea what even kept B-64 running, much less being able to function at all.
Axel, having researched a metric ton of miscellaneous subjects during the summer on his phone due to not being able to get many paid games, was in scientific heaven. He couldn't tell what was better, that something like B-64 existed, or that whatever he was, it was possible to do.
B-64 had placed himself on the scratched table as the group crowded around him. Axel took the lead, beginning to look around him with a sort of methodic pacing that was akin to the scientists at The Foundation, "What are you made off?"
B-64 knew the answer to that, but he did not know how to spell it in a language that they understood. He guessed that the closest translation would be Horonmenten, but he wasn't sure precisely. What he did put down was "Protogen Steel.".
He knew that familiar look from the doctors and researchers on Axel's face, but this time he had actually asked for his permission, so B-64 did something that he normally wouldn't have done in the presence of other species, he exposed his chest cavity.
He never really cared to learn about anatomy, so all the organs inside him he barely remembered the names of, and he couldn't quite pinpoint why they could function, but then again, he could barely remember anything. Marissa acted a bit queasy as she saw the organs, but stayed calm enough to observe them with Axel, who seemed excessively intrigued.
"What's that?" Mason asked, pointing to a small metallic disk right beside B-64's... Well, they weren't sure what it was, it certainly didn't look like any organ they had ever seen. Axel muttered a small I don't know.
B-64 knew what it was. His Boson Generator. The thing that allowed him to escape the Foundation, though again, his memory of doing anything there was but a fading memory. He felt somewhat foolish, but he doubted it was his fault.
B-64 let loose his dagger once more, calmly writing into the soft wood while they peered inside him, "Boson Generator." From the looks of the planet, they weren't advanced enough to know what Boson's were. Granted, neither did B-64 know much about the source that powered his existence, but that was for his own planet's scientists to decide.
Marissa peered closer to his visor, tilting her head. She observed the many tiny pixels, the graphite material shifting as he noticed her staring. She looked away quickly, as if afraid that he had caught her doing something that could be seen as offensive.
"Boson Generator huh... What is that?" Axel asked again, peering inside of B-64 at all angles. B-64 shrugged his shoulders, not fully knowing himself. He probably should've paid more attention when he was first let out of his birthing tube, but that's besides the point and way far behind him now.
All that B-64 really knew about Boson Energy was that it powered his conscience and kept his blood-pumping, which he then also scratched into the wooden table. After Axel was done observing his insides, B-64 closed his chest cavity with a light push.
It took nearly three hours of grueling work for Mason and Marissa, but it felt like twenty minutes to Axel. He found that within the visor was a synthetic tongue, complete with it's own saliva, though B-64 had no stomach, so he couldn't see the need for saliva to break down the food.
The synthetic tongue was completely black and looked as soft as velvet. The visor, when split open to reveal the mouth, showed that it is not completely uniform, and that it could be smooth as butter, or as jagged as a rocky mountain side. The way the visor split open, that is.
B-64 was used to long, boring hours of doing nothing but waiting. As an old captain of a starship, it was more or less expected that he has a lot of patience, but he was entertained by the antics of Mason, Marissa and Axel.
But as the hours dragged on, and when Marissa went to bed, he grew more and more tired. He found himself somehow yawning, and he could feel drowsy. He hadn't slept in a very long time, B-64 then remembered, and then the entire weight of not sleeping for seven and a half years hit him full force.
He was nearly physically knocked back by the realization, and even his visor showed that his eyes had grown tired, showing little green pixelated droops coming from his eyes. Axel noticed it, and soon found himself letting B-64 finally off of the table and brought him to the more comfortable part of the floor, apparently satisfied by what he had seen.
Mason was draped over one of the chairs, almost asleep. His purple eyes were almost cloudy, but he seemed content with just waiting there. After bringing B-64 a small blanket, Axel walked over to Mason and sat beside him on the chair.
"What do you think?" he asked his friend, tapping his fingers against his chairs arms. Mason glanced at B-64, still tired but with something to focus on, he could stay away for much longer.
Mason shrugged, readjusting himself on his chair, "I don't know. I... I'm happy I guess. I don't know, I just... I think I'm just worn out by everything that happened today..."
Axel understood that perfectly. Even he was starting to be just a tad too over everything and just observing the thing they had found that day. He had often found himself making up scenarios in his head about the potential origin of B-64, but it was just speculation, nothing more.
He would be remiss if he didn't include the fact that he was dead set on hiding B-64 for as long as they needed to, and he knew Mason shared the same sentiment. That thing was alive, and as far as Axel was concerned, it needed to be protected.
Of course, looking at the things on B-64, it was obvious that he could protect himself, but that's besides the point. They both felt protective of him, and even if Marissa didn't say it, they knew she did somewhat care about what happened to him.
Mason stared at the sleeping figure soundly, crossing his legs. Although his mind was foggy, and without a doubt he was definitely going to fall asleep in close to three minutes, but he remembered something that B-64 has written. Boson.
"What do you think Boson's are?"
Axel grimaced, tightening his hands. That was a pet peeve of his, people asking him questions that he did not know the answers of, but he let it slide because he most likely should've. If it was something that they already knew of.
But Axel tried his best to answer, "I think it's like a power source. He did say Boson Generator. Plus whatever that red light came from probably emitted from that. What I don't get is why it doesn't make any noise, or something to show that it's on."
Mason has no real answer to that, nor any follow up questions. He quietly and nimbly got up from his chair and slipped into his own designated floor space, having put in a pair of jeans and an actual jacket due to it getting much cooler inside the house compared to the nice outside.
Axel stayed awake though. He had too much on his mind and he couldn't go to sleep without some answers.
He gripped his phone and pulled it out of his pocket, stretching his fingers as they danced across the keyboard in Google Search. He typed Boson Generator into it, and waited for the links to pop up.
But the only things that popped up were videos on the Higgs-Boson, something that he had already watched a couple of times. He doubted that it was what B-64 meant however, as he seemed to not really know much about the thing and for the simple fact that Boson Particle just can't be generated.
So what was he talking about.
Axel had no ideas to run off, nor did he have any leverage to do anything to find out. There has to be some clues, something that could point him in the right direction because if there wasn't, he finds something to try and find out, or else resort to actually doing or asking B-64, which he deemed as cheating for one reason or another.
As he contemplated on what to do, he noticed something. B-64 was asleep the entire time, that much he could tell by the complete lack of visor activity and the almost corpse-like non-movement. But he had moved.
He was turned over on his side, snuggled right up against Mason. Neither one realized it, nor seemed to object to it. He noticed a faint red glow emanating from B-64's stomach. His mind raced as he thought of what to do, quickly standing up to get closer to the both of them.
Both were sleeping soundly: Mason was in a deep, dreamless sleep and B-64 seemed to be asleep, given the almost lifeless stillness, but they were huddled together, Mason the little spoon, and B-64 the big. B-64 had an arm around him, and Mason was smiling.
Warmth surrounded the both of them, but it was more like a pleasant warm breeze on a perfect day, not too hot and not too cold. Perfect. Axel looked at the both of them, finding it strangely cute.
He thought about separating them, but then thought about it. Even if Mason is scared by waking up in the arms of B-64, which he was near a hundred percent sure that Mason didn't care, it would just be for that night.
Axel pursed his lips, but stayed silent.
He wondered what drew the two together like that. Perhaps it was just a cry for comfort, a hug? It could just be B-64 seeking out someone to touch because of his time wherever he was, and was craving touch. He didn't know.
Axel decided that it was most likely the best idea for he himself to get to bed, knowing that they'd have a lot of things to do in the morning, all things considered. He wasn't all that tired, but he knew that whatever was going to happen the next day, he would need some energy to do anything.
He wrapped himself in a soft, nearly silk blanket. He plopped himself onto one of the wooden chairs and stared out the dusty windows, thinking.
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Ok, so here, I don't like how this chapter came out, but I hope you enjoyed it, 'cause tomorrow will be the next chapter, and it'll be, well, if the few of you that remember the old book, one word. Obelisk.
Anyways, thank you for reading and tell me hat you think!
~ Candle