LF Friends, Will Travel

What's a crash landing between friends?

The other strange thing was... well in the history of weapons there is one universal constant: there are only so many ways you can make a gun. If you need the ability to fling something deadly at someone, the basic concepts remain the same no matter how many fingers or tentacles or eyes you have.

Ivan was staring at a wall of guns, hundreds of them pointing in his direction as he stared out with a shocked look, each weapon held by a swirling mass of grey sand. Even by Terran standards that was a lot of weaponry for just a single crashed spacecraft. Ivan slowly lifted his one working hand above his head in a sign of surrender. Even he wasn't reckless enough to do anything else.

"I come in peace?"

There is a moment's pause, then, lifting upwards from the floor more and more of the grey particles coalesced together into a single swirling form: bipedal, clearly copying the general shape and outline of the Terran, eventually forming a single faceless human.

"This is the Territory of the Woolian Insurgency. Leave at once or we will be forced to act."

The voice that emanated from this new form was electronic in nature, a strange vibrating quality as if the sound was being made by thousands of tiny metallic wings vibrating through the air.

"Okie Dokie, I'm going to calmly and non-threateningly leave..."

Ivan very slowly reached down with his left arm and with a single button press the door began to close, leaving the Woolians back in their preferred isolation. Satisfied the armed clusters of nanobots started to dissipate once more, this intruding ship would soon be gone and all would be well again. Until the sound of hissing and moving metal sounded out again, the airlock to the Terran vessel opening up once more, the gun wielding Woolians reforming in an instant as anger started to surge through them. They had given this intruder a warning!

Ivan spoke softly and carefully, making sure that the angry sand clouds with guns didn't take any of his movements to mean harm or aggression. "So about that leaving request: my ship isn't quite... ship worthy at the moment..."

"Can you rectify this then leave?"

The faceless figure spoke again, each area seeming to move around, as if the person was made of a hive of bees pretending to be a man. It also seemed to be judging Ivan as it spoke.

"I mean with some time maybe, I know how the ship works... mostly. I'm not useless and could probably fix the... thingy..." Ivan slowly trailed off, before giving up any semblance of pride. "No"

The being in front of him didn't breathe, but somehow it seemed to silently sigh in annoyance without doing anything at all.

"We will aid your repairs of your space faring vehicle, then you will leave, immediately."

Ivan couldn't help but give a large smile and a big thumbs up with his one working arm in return, sparking every gun to immediately focus on his position in response to the sudden move.

"That would be an absolute lifesaver, thanks!"

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The ship looked, for the lack of a better term, alive. The grey particles seemed to flow and swim through the ship, seeking out broken areas and swarming over them, fixing wires and, where needed, the individual nanobots using themselves as material to weld pieces together. Slowly more and more lights stopped blinking warnings and instead held themselves into normal working colours.

It was all very impressive in a way that once again made Ivan feel a little self conscious that he had no idea how his ship actually worked.

"So what is a Woolian exactly? Some form of hive mind or something? What should I call you?"