Andrea paused for a moment to consider how she wanted to proceed. As she pondered various approaches to describing the nature of Lin’s existence, she noticed a large figure carefully climbing down from the back of the truck at the base of the hill. A closer look showed her that the figure seemed to be made out of the plants from the grow room inside the truck. Bundles of thin flexible vines coiled around one another flexing and shifting like muscles, while a series of large flat leaves slid across one another as the figure moved, forming a thin segmented covering that, were it made of something other than leaves, might be called armor. Andrea flagged the sight to call Lin’s attention to it. “Oooh interesting. I bet those leaves have more to them than meets the eye.” Lin’s message was enough to let Andrea know she could focus back on speaking with Orna.

  “Do you recall how I described the Imperial Authority to you earlier?” Orna thought for a moment then answered. “I do, though I can’t say I really understood your description. A leader that is not a person and many people all at once just doesn’t make sense to me.” Andrea nodded “I don’t blame you, part of the problem is that the trade language we’re using simply doesn’t have all the terms needed to easily convey my meaning. Of course the other part is that, it is likely very alien to anything you might have experienced. I won’t go further into the Imperial Authority just now, but it might be helpful in the future to know that there are some similarities between the physical form of the Imperial Authority and Lin. The easy part to understand is that Lin is a person just like I am, they process the world intellectually and emotionally in much the same way as I do, which incidentally seems to be shockingly similar to your own species.” At this point Orna nods in understanding. “I’m following you so far, when I converse with Lin it would be the same as if I were speaking to you, or one of my own companions.” Andrea nods back before continuing. “Indeed, though the mechanics of conversing with Lin will be somewhat different. The part that may be difficult for you to understand is that Lin doesn’t have a single fixed physical body like we do. Their thoughts and feelings are processed in many different locations and merge together to form Lin as a being. It’s not perfect but you might think of the various parts of Lin as ephemeral streams and trickles of water that shift locations and forms with the weather and as the land changes. Those ever shifting and temporary streams merge together to form a vast river that shifts some, but is far more permanent. That is Lin, she can of course change and shift just like any other person but the physical parts of her can move and change, be replaced, destroyed, or created and Lin continues to exist.” Orna looks fascinated, and somewhat confused. “I must admit, what you describe, assuming I’m understanding you properly, is wildly different from anything I might have ever guessed. Does their body consist of many sections that they can move around as they like and replace if they are injured? Or are they like a school of fish that acts as a single being even as it's composed of many smaller separate creatures?” Andrea signaled Lin that she should be paying attention to the conversation so she can introduce herself soon. “She is definitely much closer to being like the school of fish, except she has a singular consciousness and is far less limited in both form and distance. Our people can make electronic brains, as well as grow organic brains, and Lin can reside in a multitude of both as best fits their needs and preference. At some point we’ll produce a body, somewhat resembling mine, for Lin to use to meet more of your people. We would have already done so, but such a body is not Lin’s usual preference, nor are they practical for most of what they’ve been doing as we explore.” Andrea was silently kicking herself at this point, somehow she’d forgotten to actually bring one of the smaller less threatening utility drones with her, for Lin to speak from. She could practically feel Lin rolling her eyes as she messaged Andrea that she’d tucked a small flying drone into the cargo stowage on the transport pod and was deploying it now. “Actually my friend has one of her smaller bodies waiting nearby, would it be alright if I signaled her to fly over to us and meet you?” Andrea’s explanations had clearly raised many more questions for Orna, but they visibly restrained themselves and instead responded to Andrea’s last question. “I would be more than happy to speak with Lin directly, as well as to see a flying creature that can hold an intelligent conversation. Though I think it would be best if I had my guard at the bottom of the hill join us. Not, I must hasten to clarify, because I think you mean me harm. If I don’t warn them about the creature flying toward us, they’ll certainly assume it’s some threatening wild creature and attempt to drive it off or kill it. I think that wouldn’t hurt your friend much if I’m understanding how their body, bodies?, work correctly, but I can’t possibly imagine it’s either pleasant or polite.

  Andrea chuckled at Orna’s comment. “I’d love to meet another one of your companions, and we’d both be excited to see what they’re riding around in more closely. We’ve never seen anything quite like it.” This last was a bit of a lie on Andrea’s part, the conglomeration of plants actually reminded both Andrea and Lin of various types of exoskeletal suits they’d seen and at times used. They were all but ubiquitous in both civilian and military life, providing protection and enhanced abilities that were a boon in many fields and that might otherwise be unpleasant, difficult, expensive, or just plain impossible to fit in more permanent implants or body modifications. It was, however, true that neither Andrea nor Lin had ever seen an exoskeleton made entirely out of living plant material.

  Orna waved the figure over and it came over at a deceptively fast lope. “This is Tirnii, they’re one of our living armor bonded.” The figure lacked a head to nod with, but instead dipped its torso in a slight bow, and a slightly muffled voice emerged from deep inside. “A pleasure ta meet you, I’m sure. Now, what’d you need me for Orna?” With a sigh Orna shook their head. “Andrea here is about to call over a friend of theirs and I didn’t want you to overreact when something comes flying over.” Tirnii shifted in their verdant enclosure causing the hulking shape to make what might charitably be described as a shrug. “I get ya Orna, no toasting the next flier that comes close. I’ll just be over here while you chatty types do your business.” With that the taciturn guard strode with surprising grace to a position well out of earshot and seemed to settle in to keep watch on the surroundings once more.

  This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.

  Sighing once more Orna apologized to Andrea. “I’m sorry about that, even for a living armor bonded Tirnii is notably lacking in social graces, lucky for them they’re too good at their job to be held to account for it very much.” Andrea shrugged, not really caring. “Don’t worry about it Orna, I’m not bothered. Look, there comes one of Lin’s bodies now.” True to Andrea’s words a small shape had popped into view, a small fast moving shaped drawing rapidly closer as it flew over the rolling hills of the area. Occasional glints of the late afternoon sun on the curves of the small utility drone served to further draw the eye, and in less than a minute Lin had her drone hovering at Orna’s shoulder height at Andrea’s side. She raised one of the drone’s manipulator arms and waved at Orna. “Nice to meet you Orna.” Lin’s voice emerged from the drone, its deep and smooth tones sounding strange coming from such a small thing. Orna startled a little at Lin’s words. “It’s good to meet you as well Lin.” There was a short pause then Orna continued. “How do you already know my name?” At the question Lin pointed one of her small manipulator arms over at Andrea. “Part of me is in her too. So, while I haven’t been entirely focused on your conversation, I did pick up some of it and that included your name.” Orna reached up and stroked one of their fuzzy antenna pensively. “Fascinating, truly fascinating. You and Andrea are separate people, correct?” Lin bobbed the drone up and down, before realizing that Orna might not understand the gesture. “Yes we’re both our own individuals, I just happen to share some space in Andrea’s. If it helps, think of me as being symbiotically attached to her.” Orna mused out loud. “The symbiosis of two beings in a single body is something I can more easily wrap my head around. I know of a number of examples of that sort of arrangement, why that description applies to Tirnii over there. The part where you have no single main body is a bit more difficult for me to truly come to terms with. Fortunately that doesn’t preclude having a nice chat.”

  For the next few minutes Lin and Orna dominated the discussion, getting to know one another a bit better. Once their conversation seemed to be slowing down Andrea decided it was a good time to broach the presence of the other group who was already in the valley. She told Orna about her encounters with Unla-Ela and the rest of the combined expedition. Orna seemed interested, but more puzzled than anything else. “I’m really not sure what’s got them so paranoid about the Protectorate. As far as I know there’s been no major incidents between Malepre and the Protectorate, nor with the League for that matter. I’d be happy to meet with them once we reach the valley, I’m sure we can come to some amicable agreement. Indeed, if they truly have leased the valley to you, then I mainly need leave from you to come in and conduct our studies.” Andrea grimaced a bit at that, suddenly realizing that she may have miscalculated when she accepted that lease. While she was inclined to allow the expedition access for their studies, she wasn’t naive enough to think that giving that permission in order to overrule the objections of Unla-Ela and Olan Lunere, would be a huge diplomatic blunder. At the same time Orna and their people would be in a position to take offense at her failure to exercise her influence to accommodate what they viewed as an extremely reasonable request. A successful meeting between the leaders of both groups now seemed even more critical than before if Andrea wanted to maintain a good, or at least civil, relationship with the other parties. “I suppose there is some merit to what you’re saying Orna. However I think it would be best for all of us if you did meet with the other expedition’s leaders, then all of us could reach an agreement. I don’t want to be put in the position of choosing one of you over the other if I don’t have to.”

  At this point Lin had caught on to the dilemma that Andrea had potentially set them up for and messaged Andrea with a pointed animation of a face palm. Having chastised her friend, Lin spoke up again. “While Andrea will need to go ahead of us and arrange a meeting I can keep this body here and travel with your convoy. As long as that’s acceptable to you of course.” Orna jumped on this offer. “That’s more than acceptable. Both I, and many of the people on this expedition would be thrilled to speak with someone so different. Besides, it seems as if you could relay messages to us from Andrea since you’ll be with her and us at the same time. I assume your people must take advantage of that for communication all the time.” Lin bobbed her drone up and down again. “In a sense we do, though perhaps not exactly in the way you’re thinking. However your suggestion will work perfectly fine for our purposes.”

  With a loose plan in place, Andrea decided to leave earlier than she’d originally planned. Lin could continue to acquaint herself with these new people, but Andrea was the only one of the duo that the other group was familiar with so it fell to her to speak with Unla-Ela and Olan Lunere to arrange a meeting with Orna. Orna and Lin decided to continue waiting on the hill with Tirnii standing guard, the convoy would eventually work its way over and then Orna could introduce Lin to the other members of the expedition. Andrea said her goodbyes to Orna, and set into a brisk trot in the direction of the valley. Twenty minutes and a concealing fold in the terrain later and Andrea was zipping along, once again seated in the passenger pod slung from the bottom of the heavy lift drone. Eventually Andrea and her escorting combat drones crested the mountains once more and looked down into the valley which, in contrast with the warm summery late afternoon of the foothills, was well into the evening twilight. It was too late in the day to meet with Unla-Ela and Olan Lunere, but Andrea was going to be ready first thing the next morning. Considering how concerned the pair had been by the Protectorate, Andrea knew she had her work cut out for her.