Page 92 - The Perpetrations of Captain Kaga

Recounting the Binary Neeks

Captain Kaga’s attention drifted off. Nothing else was of interest
to him in the report. He noted that it had been filed seventeen years
earlier. He wondered if it were still up-to-date. No doubt he’d learn
soon enough: the warning buzzer sounded, indicating the end of
warpflight and the ship’s entrance into the solar system containing
PJ947-S5853-G9421. Kaga clicked off the ComSet and got busy with
endflight routines.
The landing was smooth, and Kaga hurried into the PKU post. It
was a larger-than-usual operation, requiring a staff assistant to control
trade operations. This individual turned out to be an anemonoid
from Olirwat named Pemulla. Kaga identified himself as a PKU
officer, but neglected to mention the unofficial status of his visit.
Pemulla was about to announce his presence to Lieutenant Lugo
when the outer door burst open and a local clattered in, waving its
upper limbs and uttering a series of growling snorts. The Languex on
the reception desk immediately began translating as the creature came
to a crashing halt in front of Kaga, nearly bowling him over.
“Pemulla! Look what I did!”
It threw a crumpled piece of paper on the desk and stood back,
hissing and gurgling. Kaga observed that the paper was decorated
with a crude stick-figure drawing of an anemonoid—if one used a
little imagination.
Pemulla seemed embarrassed. She frowned at the creature and
scolded, “Snarling Hopper! I’ve told you a hundred times not to
come barging in here like that. Now mind your manners, please. Let
me introduce Captain Kaga, from the same planet as Lieutenant
Lugo. Captain, this is one of my favorite locals; we call him Snarling
Hopper.”
‘‘Urn, pleased to meet you,” said Kaga.
“Enchanted, my dear sir, to make your acquaintance,” the creature
replied via Languex, and extended six of its limbs vertically.
Pemulla squinted squishily at the upraised open and closed digits.
“110100,” she said. “Weren’t you 110101 yesterday?”
“Yes, I was, but poor old 1011 died last night. Now tell me,
Pemulla, what do you think of my sketch?”
Just then the inner office door opened and Lieutenant Lugo
emerged. “Pemulla—” he began, but stopped short when he saw
Kaga.
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