Xant glanced at his time keeper. It had been three hours since the incident in Krydon’s office. Jasmine had not contacted him or any other attending staff. It being [0408 hours] currently, he calculated it was probably during her sleep cycle. Concern, however, convinced him to check on her; he brought up the security feed on his personal terminal from the camera that had been installed in her room.

Jasmine was indeed sleeping - curious that her species would require such a long cycle, even more curious that she would be willing to lay prone for hours at a time. He recalled her talking of the benefits of caffeine and how the people of her homeworld were so accustomed to it there were entire professions built around it. Such things would have to be sanctioned of course; unregulated caffeine providers wouldn't be allowed into Council Space.

The specimen she had taken into her custody was awake, taking a walk around and sniffing various items in the admittedly bare room. Then it decided to jump up into the sleeping alcove, circling before resting at Jasmine's feet.

The human stirred a little, her arm patted the bedding in front of her. The creature looked up and immediately moved to lay beside Jasmine, almost face to face. Jasmine laid a hand over the ‘puppy’ and stroked its fur. The puppy sat there, happily awake and on watch.

Actions were wiser than words when it came to humans; did they sleep such long cycles because the protection of these creatures allowed them to do so? But to what end? Would it not be more productive to be awake? Did the creature have to be taught to read her gestures? Or was it simply an understanding, like with his own people? The specimen did have an external translator fitted, but why did it rip it out? Why would it not want to be understood by those around it?

Jasmine understood it. She cared for and protected it, felt its pain and fear - she already followed the teachings of The One without even knowing its name.

Of course she wouldn’t know its name. Perhaps ‘The One’ translated to something more ominous in her tongue. She had been tactful in her apprehension. He’d have to explain it himself, the thought of returning to Behavioral Studies to ask for help made his nose twitch. Between Myra’s deafening infatuation signals and Jess’s erratic thought patterns, he’d need to take a full shot of depressors just to go down there again. It had been years since he had spoken with another Zenthi: Five in total since his assignment to Uleesia station. Having just a taste of it again with Jasmine, he realised how much he missed his own kind. Jasmines translator was capable of channeling her 'thoughts’ into the speech Frequency as all Zenthi translators were supposed to do, but it couldn't project it onto the natural Zenthi Frequency. The translator had never needed to. The complications of her brain's physical makeup would be challenging technicians for years to come. Why would any being her size need that much brain power?

So many questions; thankfully, it was his profession to ask and answer.

If she was stroking the ‘puppy’s’ fur then she would be conscious enough to converse.

He rose from his desk, collected his project dataslate, and headed outside.

Jasmine's room was right at the end of the hall for security reasons; he was happy they had not posted a guard in light of the incident.

‘Who goes there?!’

Xant stopped in his tracks. He was alone in the living quarters, no other Zenthi were in several thousand [light years] of his location and yet he was being contacted on the Natural Frequency.

His ears lay flat on his head as he took another step closer.

‘(I’ve smelt you before,)’ The voice pondered. ‘(Who is there?!)’

Xant was hesitant to answer. It was not Jasmine's voice and there was only one other creature within the vicinity. The puppy.

‘(A friend…)’ He answered cautiously.

‘(Friend?! Another Friend!)’ The voice was excited.

‘(Yes I am a friend, I do not wish to cause you any harm.)’ Xant explained as clearly as he could.

‘(Yay Friend! Oh! Friend! I found a Namegiver!!)’

Xant continued forward, opening the door to Jasmine's room. It was dark still, but he could see just fine in the low light. The 'puppy’ lay under her arm, it's ears folded down when it saw Xant.

‘(Friend?...)’ The creature asked sadly. Xant walked slowly, sitting down at the desk stool carefully, so as not to disturb Jasmine - she was sound asleep in the alcove.

‘(Yes, I am a friend)’ Xant insisted; mimicking the puppy’s speech pattern as best he could.

The specimen sniffed the air, still refusing to move from underneath Jasmine’s comforting arm.

‘(You smell like the Namegiver - if she is your friend then you are my Friend!)’

Xant gave a small sigh of relief; the creature was not afraid of him, and was willing to converse. His heart skipped a beat as it all began to sink in. Duuarn’s specimens were telepathically capable, no wonder he was keeping all of his notes as secretive as possible! They would have been transferred into Xant’s supervision immediately had he informed anyone. Duuarn was jeopardizing the User for his own personal gains; deplorable.

‘(You are a friend of the Namegiver?)’ Xant asked the puppy.

‘(Yes! She protected me from the Takers. They were not kind. They put me in a dark room and took me from the other dogs.)’ The specimen lowered her head sadly on the bed. ‘(I miss Kimiko and Spades.)’

The problem with Users and most Modifiers was they often spoke as though you understood everything without context, getting aggravated when you needed to ask clarifying questions. You had to ask the same question in many different ways to get the information you desired. Xant decided to start slowly, just as he had done with others he had interviewed over the years - slightly disappointed he did not have the right Frequency recorder with him.

He took his dataslate and began taking notes under a personal log entry.  He was out of practice with the written word, but he would make do.

Research Transcripts of Dr. Xant: User Specimen Sieglinde

[These transcripts are for office use only. Unauthorised distribution will result in immediate termination and a fine in accordance with the Conglomerate Espionage Act 26.051. Transcripts are official property of the Esaander Corporation.]

[Note: The specimen speaks on the natural Zenthi Frequency; translator not required. Specimen and I are able to converse as though we were both Native Zenthi.)

Dr Xant: ‘(Subject Jasmine called you a puppy, but you said you missed the other dogs, are you a dog or a puppy?)’

Specimen: ‘(<Displeased>)(NO! I’m too big for a puppy! Only the Namegiver can call me puppy, I am a grown Dog!)’

Dr Xant: ‘(The Namegiver, is the one next to you?)’

Specimen: ‘(<Happy>)(Yes! She is not my Namegiver, but she is a very good Namegiver.)’

[Note: For clarification the ‘Namegiver’ is the Subject Creator Level Jasmine Howe in the context of the singular, or the Human species as a whole in context of the multiple.]

Dr Xant: ‘(Is she a good Namegiver because she protected you from the Takers?)’

[Note: For Clarification, the Takers would be the Uleesia station research staff]

Specimen: ‘(<Happy>)(Yes! She protected me from the Takers and made me a Pack Friend. Now I have to take her to the other dogs so we can Pack together!)’

Dr Xant: ‘(The other dogs, you said their names were Kimiko and Spades, are they apart of your pack?)’

Specimen: ‘(<Happy>)(Yes! They lost their Namegivers too, we will band together to find our lost Namegivers! And the Namegiver’s lost dog!)’

Dr Xant: ‘(Was it the Namegivers who gave you the name dog?)’

Specimen: ‘(<Happy>)(Yes! They have many names for us, they call us dog, and dog and dog and dog and dog!)’

[Note: The Frequency understanding has automatically translated the many different phrases into the one for my own comprehension, I will clarify the different names with the proper recording apparatus as soon as possible.]

Specimen: ‘(<Happy>)(My Namegiver gave me two names because I am special to him, my Names are Sieglinde and Sigi. You may call me Friend Sieglinde, what is your Name Friend?)

Dr Xant: ‘(My name is Xant)’

Specimen: ‘(<Happy>)(Xant! Friend Xant, I am Friend Sieglinde, are you are friend of this Namegiver? You have her smell on you.)’

Dr Xant: ‘(Yes, She is my Friend, she is Namegiver Jasmine.)’

Specimen:’(<Sad>)(Namegiver’s name is Jasmine? But she didn’t say the naming sounds to tell me her name, she knew my name but didn’t say hers, am I not her Friend?)’

[Note: Specimen User level Sieglinde was very upset that Subject Jasmine had not conveyed her name to the creature, obviously names are important to the specimen’s culture and understanding.]

Dr Xant: ‘(What is your Namegiver’s name Sieglinde?)’

Specimen: ‘(<Excited>)(My Namegiver is Oskar! He is a very good Namegiver, we have been together since I was a puppy, he chose me and gave me my name! He feeds me and walks me and gives me lots of toys! I protect him and his home from birds and Takers who come to the door! My special job is to fetch the beer!)

[Note: For clarification, ‘Taker’ seems to be the description for those who are not designated Friend, Pack or Namegiver.]

Dr Xant: ‘(So you protect him and he looks after you; that is a wonderful thing.)’

Specimen: ‘(<Happy>)(Yes! Yes it is...) (<Sad>)(I miss Oskar.)’

Dr Xant: ‘(Do all Namegivers belong to a pack?)’

Specimen: ‘(<Happy>)(Yes! All good Namegivers have a dog, if you are lost and you find a Namegiver with another dog's scent they will help you, that is what my Lifegiver told me, and that is what I will tell my pups when they are given!)’

[Note: Specimen is pregnant, she became pregnant whilst in a temperate enclosure with two other specimens, previously mentioned Kimiko and Spades, ‘Lifegiver’ is the colloquial name for progenitor.]

Dr Xant: ‘(Are you excited about your pups?)’

Specimen: ‘(<Excited>)(OH YES!! I cannot wait! I will be the best Lifegiver! Then my Namegiver will name my pups and we will be a big pack!)’

Dr Xant: ‘(You do not name your own pups?)’

Specimen: ‘(<Displeased>)(No! That’s what the Namegivers do! They give us our names!)’

Dr Xant: ‘(How long have the Namegivers been given this honour?)’

Specimen: ‘(<Happy>)(Since always and always! Since before they built cities of stone and metal and glass, that is what my Lifegiver told me. We are special, we are the ones who were given our names first! They name us like they name their own pups! We will Pack together for always and always!)’ Bark Bark!

[Session Ended]