“When we uncovered the slaver's base we discovered that they were actually using someone's lab. Whether it was abandon by the owner or the slavers were working for a scientist is unknown. The slavers claim to know nothing about this but their booty consisted of the kidnapped slaves they abducted as well as a great deal of technological wonders.

“Most of this we have with similar devices, though there are a few that are … strange. Anyway, care to have a look? I was contacted about it but I am still in deep space following up on an Ashlyn incursion. Just some loose ends I'm looking into but it will be a bit before I get there. I can give you the coordinates, your up for a bit of leave soon, right? Regardless, I got some clot and can arrange something if your interested.

“After that whole thing last time I've read up on your file a bit and this seemed like something that would be interesting for you from what I've gathered.” Luna was using the real time communications on her ship to contact her. All the ADD military vessels had them to coordinate better in the event of an incident. She would transmit those coordinates if Alex showed any interest and even arrange for some down time if needed, provided that she was not deployed anywhere where her absence would be felt. Even if she were, getting there straight away could wait a few days since the find wasn't going anywhere.

Alexandra's involvement with the Ashlyn and their technology was anything but pleasant. She was enslaved and used to learn more about the technology and even installed it on Goro's ship. It was months of rehabilitation after being trained by two different slavers and broken to the point she craved nothing but sex from her masters. Alexandra had finally detoxed from the drugs they used on her and she was deemed fit for duty though they kept her on smaller missions with less combat involvement.

But now she was being asked to look into the technology once more. "Yes, Sergeant," the Russian woman replied, "I will set a course there..." In a military environment, being asked may as well be an order. Alexandra was the only one who knew anything about the technology so it was up to figure out whether the technology was useful or dangerous.

The mention of her time as a captured slave did not improve the Russian woman's mood. Her jaw clenched as she forced away the terrible memories of begging for sex as countless cocks plundered her voluptuous form. She cuts off the transmission and proceeded to fly her ADD scout vessel towards the provided coordinates.

The coordinates had been sent to her. “Excellent.” She had been looking forward to having a look herself after she finished off this matter with the Ashlyn and ensured that there was no addition threat at the moment.

“Hopefully this won't take long and I'll see you out there.”

---

Some time later she arrived at Khelp IV a barren world though it did have a thin atmosphere. She was being contacted as she was coming in, detected by sensors where she was asked to identify herself and supply her clearance codes before she was given permission to land and her final destination.

The ground opened up, an artificial covering sliding out of the way allowing her access to a subterranean landing platform. There were already two ships present, an ADD fighter and a larger ADD freighter.

As she landed she was greeted by a tall woman with long brown hair tied back into a pony tail with green eyes, a lab coat and dressed in a casual, but nice manner.

“Agent Losev, I am Dr. Colette Ambrose from the ADD's Research and Development division. I understand that you are fluent with many Earth based languages and Sergeant Umbage tells me that you have a strong technological background. Would you like some time to change and unwind a little, get a coffee or get right into matters?”

'I'll see you out there?' Did that mean Luna would be heading to the same place? It did not really matter either way to Alexandra. She would head for the coordinates given and accept the hail coming from the planet.

There was already an ADD research group at the location in some sort of underground lab that the slavers were using. Alexandra provided her clearance codes and landed with the other ADD spacecrafts. A doctor and possible lead for the research group greeted the agent. She was not sure why her language experience was mentioned as it did not really help much with the Ashlyn technology.

"If it is fine with you, Doctor," Alexandra replied, "I rather just get this done and over with." She had enough horrible encounters involving this technology. Just the mention of the name brought up horrible memories. The Russian woman followed Colette to where she needed to be. The ADD agent was wearing her tight fitting nano suit with a white lab coat over it. She had her glasses on and was ready to get started on whatever research and analysis was necessary. Get in, get done, and get out. That was the only plan of action Alexanda had in mind.

“Of course, this way then.” Colette lead the way down a hall. There had been a few other people here, the research team and the agent that piloted that fighter out there, the only one in a combat flight suit rather than white lab coat indicating she must have been a baby sitter of sorts, that the doctors had only basic training.

Colette came to a door that opened into a storage area that had tons of crates. “We haven't been able to go through all of it. A lot of it is stuff that the slavers were using. Slave collars, restraints and so forth. But we uncovered this.”

In the corner of the room was a large construct of some sort that was about seven and a half feet in height. There were lights behind a face plate or rather small light bulbs as none had been lit up. Nearby was a table with a computer on it that Colette brought her attention to.

“Oh, it is deactivated as far as I have been able to determine. There were minor energy readings from it and we discovered a series of internal weaponry but that restraining bolt makes it so it cannot move and it has been disarmed of those dangerous weapons.

“Oddly though we have found no way to activate it and that computer over there isn't in Galactic basic. The some of the keys are in a hybrid language Russian and something I have yet to determine, have a look.”

Russian. They were mostly Russian keys though there were slight differences to about half of them. A language that used Russian in part? What did this mean …

“I ran it through the translator and it picks out a few words though I have no clue if they are actual words or assumptions the program is make. Sky could be ocean for all I know.

“There are other things but this and the box where the most baffling.”

The mention of the slave tech sent shivers through Alexandra's body. Her suit detected the tension and adjusted temperature to try and aid in the woman's comfort. She had experienced this tech or similar before unfortunately. There were so many torturous experiences mixed with moments of mind numbing bliss. Months of detox and rehabilitation. The last thing the Russian woman needed was to relapse. She just tried not to think or look at anything involving slavers for the time being.

The red head eyed the deactivated robot. Probably a security droid of some variety. As long as it does not turn on, things will be fine. She approached the console and looked it over. It seemed like Russian keys in some places but others they were not. How Russian got this far out in the depths of space was unknown.

"I am not a linguist, Doctor," Alexandra replied, "But I will look at what I can find. If the translator can't decipher it, I am not sure what I can do." It was not impossible but creating a program from scratch to decipher this would take a great deal of time most likely. Sitting down, the Russian woman began to typing and seeing what output she got from pressing various keys.

VODKA?

The word appeared there on the screen in Russian, of course there was a strong possibility it meant something entirely different. Further tinkering had gibberish appearing on the screen. A few words made sense but in the context of a sentence it was utter nonsense.

“I know your not a linguist but this was the main reason I wanted someone to with better expertise than I to take a look. She came over with a black cube about the size of one of those multi colored puzzle cubes she had seen though it was one solid piece of black metal cool to the touch.

“I get high energy readings from the cube but it doesn't seem to do anything. It doesn't look like it opens … I even tried exposing it to different types of energy and sound but have not been able to determine anything about it.”

She handed the cube over to her when the reaction was instantaneous the top of the cube becoming blue and projecting a hologram of a bearded man who looked human. The hologram moved and blinked gazing at Alex as she held it in her hands.

“Whoa! That's never happened.” And the hologram seemed to wait … was this some sort of mobile picture? Was this an incoming transmission? Colette was scrambling to take some readings.

She received nothing but gibberish on screen. The buttons were at least consistent in what they output for the most part. But, there was no way of knowing what to input. There were not even any menus to navigate. It was just pure junk that happened to be Russian. It made no sense to Alexandra. Why use Russian and how it get this far out in space? If the purpose was encryption, there were far more complicated alien languages that could be used.

Colette brought another device that needed analyzing. This one seemed to be some sort of recorded message or holographic AI. The only reason Alexandra could made those assessments was due to it activating the moment she touched it. Was this a communicator? Guess there was only one way to find out. "Can you hear me?" Alexandra asked, "Why did this activate when I touched it?"

The old man scratched his chin and looked at her. “Yes. And because you turned me on,” it had taken him a full minute to speak as if he had been assessing her language and running some sort of translation … it may have been nothing more than a dramatic pause any way. His voice was accented though … Eastern European though not quite as if he had been speaking with a deliberate accent though he spoke in Galactic Basic.

“What is it that you wish? This is a receptical of sorts … you can say I am an impression, an article construct … a tutorial in a way. I trust you have accessed some of my work?

“What may I assist you with?”

"I didn't do anything," Alexandra replied, "But since you are here. I do not know how to use this console. What is it for and why does it output nothing but Russian gibberish?" There were many questions but maybe Colette can get some answers from this. Once she gets enough information to work with, she saw no reason not to pass it to Colette who had more experience with this particular research site.

“A rare find … you are from Earth. This box picks up your genetic code. In the event that it or any of my goods were stolen they were all useless to the thief more or less. The console … it is actually simple in that it meshes the native languages of my protege and that of a slave girl that I had rescued and freed. It may appear to be gibberish but isn't … if I could see the script … well see is sort of misleading,” he chuckled.

“The computer contained most of the information on devices that I've researched myself and have invented or notes on the improvements of technology that I recovered and tinkered with. Such as the construction of this box … a message in a bottle if you will. Think of me more like an index than a sentient being. I can only reveal limited knowledge as to what has been recorded and answer those questions that seem common enough or I've been given answers too.

“Unless you require me to go into details concerning the construction of this device of course ...”

She would find that the image would go out if she turned the cube over to Colette but she got it to turn on just by touching it with no effort on her part. The top of the cube shifted changing I it rotated so that the hologram was always emitting from the top. Further, it tended to go out whenever she gave it to another and but as long as no one else touched it the device remained on as long as she was close so she could set it down but it did not acknowledge anyone save for her thus far as I it had been set up to ignore those without that genetic coding, specifically something in her lineage rather than something as general as just being human.

"Not so rare anymore," Alexandra replied, "And all of us here are human so if you would work when other agents hold you, that would make my life easier." The Russian woman usually would love to study new technology. But this was technology that had ruined her life on more than one occasion. This was not her mission but Colette's. Alexandra was nothing but a the middle man in this conversation as the device only worked for her for some unknown reason.

"How do I 'show' you the script then?" she asked, "We wish to learn more of what is on the console." The sooner she figured that much out, the sooner she can stop standing there holding a holocube in her hand. She rather not type with one hand if at all possible. Alexandra just wanted to leave here as soon as she could.

In other parts of the galaxy a colony ship had detected the activation of the cube. The ship had been little more than a husk with engines by this stage as the ship had been taken over by the Ashlyn. It was a pirate ship a mid sized freighter.

The sensors worked as well. The Ashlyn, when blessed with large numbers, new how they were suppose to work though they were still somewhat dependent on their thrall to pilot the vessel for the colony given that the ship hadn't been designed for their anatomy.

The ship was partially automated with machines which made it a bit easier or the Queen since these robots could be used just by turning them on and having the pilot order them to help.

The Queen in this case was a young albino, a rare Ashlyn indeed to become Queen. Rarer still to be an albino among the species. They were on their way to the source of the Aschen device that had been activated.

He wiggle a finger and shook his head. “Humans may be plentiful but this device has been encoded to function only for specific ones. It can remain in operation but has to remain within a yard or you to unction. Sorry, I don't make the rules.”

The holographic persona explained to the agent. As far as seeing it had a simple answer for that as well. “Just pass any facing of the cube over the text or keys or what have you and I shall be able to process the information." After scanning in the keys the bearded man nodded.

“Very basic. It's a pigeon language of gibberish that I invented. Well, not me personally but you get the gist. Three things. Option one would be the long way where I can assist you in decoding it; option two I could tell you what keys to depress and in what order if you tell me what you are searching for or the third would be using the invention I commandeered recently if you have found it in what ever collection this cube is in.

“I tinkered with a machine, quite large. A weapon of war but seeing that it was a failure in that regard and it was reprogrammed or collection duties I also placed a few additional features on it, one that allows it to decrypt this mess … I was going to give it commands to follow my instructions but to my surprise it already had that ability hard wired into it, well sort of, though I never truly made the time to reset that programming. It was about that time when I discovered the means of creating this cube and got distracted.”

His response was less than clear. Specific ones? What did that mean. He mentioned about being from Earth but that is irrelevant. There had not been enough time off Earth to claim a change in genetics due to the environment, much like two Americans having a child in Russia does not suddenly change that child's genetics to Russian heritage. So Alexandra had no clue what triggered the device.

"I rather not activate a war machine," Alexandra replied, "Guess you will just help me with decoding all this. It was why I was called here in the first place." It may take awhile but at least everything decoded would be accurate and without any concerns of mistakes. This was the creator's code after all. "This may take time, Doctor," Alexandra stated, "I will let you know what this device is as soon as I can."