The basement smelled like musk and swamp water, but was adequately ventilated from the humidity that overtook the rest of the house. Pepsi had to be mindful to keep moisture and pests out of her precious documents. She kept it simple with organized shelves that could move either way on a track and conserve space. The larger documents were kept on the indents in the walls. The odd shape of the stones there showed how she had dug it out and re-done the masonry herself to make room for an expanding collection.

Esther felt like a bull in a china shop being in the archive. Pepsi didn’t exactly decorate with guests in mind, and she was much smaller. Every turn Esther made sent something else on the ground. She nearly broke the same glass jar twice.

“Just let me handle it. Sit here.” Pepsi ordered, pulling a fancy plush chair out from under a table and rotating it with a squeak. Esther sat and spread her legs, cheek resting on her fist as she weighed down the table beside her.

Pepsi pulled out one of her favorites. It was a large book filled with different texts on history and hand-written interviews her people had once collected through the nations. She laid it on the table beside Esther and flipped until she found the section she needed.

“The war between Sestero and Oktero. It began over one hundred years ago, just a few decades after the exile of the humans.”

“The what?” Esther looked curiously at the grainy picture. “What the hell are those?”

“Humans! They’re a species of ancient alien that lived on our soil. They came from a far off world and built many of the structures the Unuteros use today. Pretty nifty right?”

“Ancient aliens?” Esther rolled her eyes. “You expect me to believe that?”

“It’s true!” Pepsi argued. “Some people think it’s mythology, started by the Unuteros based on their religion. Really it’s the other way around. The humans are what inspired belief in the gods. If you don’t believe me, go to Unutero yourself and ask them. They manage factories they don’t even know how to build anymore, thanks to ancient technology.”

Esther’s eyes met the poor quality photo of the human. Something about it was eerie. It felt soulless. No antennas, such a cold demeanor… “Does it have five fingers?” She pointed in disgust. “Gross, these things really lived in Unutero? I’d hate to see what they look like now if they- you know- multiplied.”

“Oh, oh no,” Pepsi laughed. “They had strict laws against all that. The humans, and the Unuteros. It’s Septero you need to worry about. If you want to find freaks, well, that’s the place.”

Esther shuddered at the idea. Half-breed Antenoj with aliens, could that even exist? She turned a page curiously. “So, if these things were so advanced, where did they go?”

“You’re getting to that,” Pepsi said. She flipped a few pages slowly so Esther could watch the progression. “Here it is. It was the period before our generation, before the world wars, when people from everywhere still spoke to each other. The West was badly oppressed by the humans, and of course, the warring tribes of Oktero had enough. They killed most of the aliens and sent the rest flying off in their ships. Don’t believe me? Well, take a look.” She pointed to the photos of UFOs and nodded seriously. “No way you can fake something like that.”

“I don’t know about all this.” Esther was puzzled. 

“What’s not to know? It’s all important to what you’re doing now. After the humans left, nobody knew how to trust each other anymore. There was so much misunderstanding about exiling them that the alliances formed and cut each other off. That’s the whole reason Oktero is fighting Sestero now, because Sestero thought they were coming for them too. And the more reasons Sestero has to be afraid of you guys, the worse it gets. So if you return the stolen sword, that could convince them you’re safe! Or, that your tribe is safe at least.”

“You really think they’d believe it? After that many years of mindless fighting?” Esther kept turning pages absent-mindedly. It sounded too good of a deal.

Pepsi flipped a few pages into a section headed by The Nau. “Take a look at this. The Nau are the oldest living tribe of nomads left in the world. They’re bound by their oath to avoid all conflicts and maintain peace. When the humans came, the Nau were sent to Sestero to oversee things. Some say the Nau advisors have the real power while the Sestero monarchs were just figureheads. And look at the inscription on your sword- for peace. If Sestero won’t listen to that, you can bet your ass the Nau will.”

Esther ran her fingers over the jewel and looked at the picture of the Nau in the book. “It does make sense, but if the treaty was forged for the Nau, why would we have given it to them in the form of a weapon? They don’t look like they have any weapons. They’re not even wearing any shoes.”

“It’s definitely strange, but if you want a better idea of the history, you’re going to have to ask around. I can only tell you what I’ve heard in Kvintero, but good research comes from multiple perspectives.” Pepsi pointed her finger like a wise philosopher. “I’ve always wanted to travel around and interview people, like my ancestors used to do, but after the attacks I couldn’t bring myself to do it alone. It’s far too dangerous, and somebody has to keep an eye on the artifacts!”

Esther’s expression shifted. Travel the world, if only. She still remembered the excitement she felt when Demeter suggested such a wild idea. Now it was a far off dream, crushed for the same reasons it had been for Pepsi. She turned to the anthropologist in thought. “What if…” No, she couldn’t. “Nevermind.”

Pepsi tilted her head, watching as Esther continued reading through the collection. After a bit she headed for the stairs. “Well, I’ll fix us some grits and aged cola. I haven’t had company in forever, and you could use something good to eat after all that walkin’.” She paused by the first step and caught Esther’s glance just in time to offer her a smile. It was nice to have somebody around, even if she decided to leave before the sun came back up over the horizon.

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