The nameless glowing Slugcat was not quite sure what ‘Coming Sky’ meant the other cycle with his attempt to explain a certain plan. She did get that some kind of Spear Fighter would visit their home and teach her. And that this unknown gentleman was of the same species as she, but made by someone else. That got her thinking. Was that species, Sky signed with the words for slug and cat, she was based on born by these robotic entities in their huge structure-like bodies?

Many advanced thoughts plagued that young mind of hers, thoughts that might get answered by that mysterious spear fighter Sky announced for the very next cycle.

Subject 001 was blessed with a dream-ridden sleep, the mysterious older Slugcat appearing in it in many forms and variants. She was undeniably excited. That winded up, that she was an even bigger nuisance to Sky from the moment she woke up, having caused him to state that interesting-sounding beeping multiple times over the day.

That particular chittering beep he always uses after I annoy him. Must be the way he refers to me. I like the tone. Irr-beeep. I do wonder what that means. Probably something as awesome as me. That grumpy puppet likes me, he only doesn’t show it.

…

The cycle is nearly over. I already got fed the third time. When will that spear fighter arrive?

“Wa! Skwaaa? Wawa wa. Wa, wrrrrawa?” - ‘Heyy! Sky? Stop playing busy. Where is my playmate?’

But Sky didn’t react, only staring at his many glowing screens. Drastic measures were in order to get his attention. 001 opened her maw, her tongue feeling over her still growing slightly pointy front teeth. Only touching these hollow teeth caused them to leak out a very sour-tasting substance with amazing effects. A bite with these teeth left deep and steaming holes in the walls of the facility whenever she got annoyed on her travels.

But she didn’t want to hurt him, only get his attention. She moved over to the long cord, that was connected to the green puppet, and gently dug her pre-drained teeth in the rubber-like hull. The effect was immediate, as Sky stopped everything and looked over to her in an instant, cursing in his beeping voice.

She answered with a series of hand signs, directing him with a pointing gesture to the humming idle screen in the background, she assumed with his closest friend. It started flickering a quarter cycle ago and Sky successfully ignored it.

That action caused the robot to finally accept the screen and, for a change, the greenish display was not filled with symbols, but the head of yet another puppet, which partially formed itself, stretching the malleable screen to a ball-like form with long metal ears. That puppet had seven pale orange dots on its head, much unlike Sky’s three intertwined red dots. Was that the friend, who gifted them that sign language? Sky used the sign for the sun when referring to them. So … Seven Suns?

Her attention was further diverted by flashing lights and a truly miraculous happening. 001 followed the beeping banters of the two puppets a bit as a sudden spark of light appeared and formed a Slugcat out of pure golden light in the middle of the room. That spear warrior was appearing out of thin air? No … the process felt similar to the talking bust of Seven Suns up there … yet another projection?

The golden figure, a remarkably sized example of her species, got built up layer by layer. It first hardened and turned from transparent to translucent, then the colour of the figure shifted to a soothing dark purple. White and friendly-appearing eyes were looking in the distance, an equally white snout taking in the scents of the new location with slight jerking movements.

But that figure missed something grave. It had no maw, no mouth to speak or eat, let alone bite distracted masters. Was that a mistake in the projection?

Large white spears were sticking out of various equally white concave spots, the pincushion tail looked especially painful. Especially as the figure was holding one of these white spears, which was still connected to the tail with a disgusting-looking red tendril.

The appearance of the large figure was completed by the shimmering darker purple of a cross-shaped scar hidden below their chest fluff. Spear Fighter was a veteran survivor, 001 realized. They were no playmate, but a possible teacher! Someone with experience, much unlike her goofy and distracted puppet father.

Spear Fighter was now looking at her and lowered their head a bit to inspect the small glowing rat. Before she was able to say or sign anything, they, however, jerked back and up, looking at the two discussing puppets. She heard the beeping Irr-beeep once again. She perked up.

Then a pause.

Irr-bee-ant

They all looked at her. She knew that this variant of the prior beeping word was chosen. Was that her name? She looked at Spear Fighter with her giant glowing eyes and signed ecstatically.

‘What are they saying? This sounds nice.’

Spear fighter appeared surprised by how fluent her sign language was. Taken aback by the unusual display of skill, they answered faster than one would sign with a novice of the speechless language. Speechless sign language … maybe the missing maw was no mistake of the projection after all?

‘My master, Seven Red Suns, convinced your creator, Approaching Sky, to give you a name. I do not have a sign for that particular word, but it means The Glowing. I will fall back to letter signing … I-r-r-a-d-i-a-n-t. That’s your name. Congratulations.’

A name for myself to have. Irradiant. It has a nice ring to it. I like it! And it sounds funny in the puppets’ language. So, Approaching Sky? The gesture was slightly different from what Sky taught me. A subtle movement of the hand, slower than the coming sign. What an interesting way of speaking.

“Wawa! Wa! Irrwa!” – ‘I love it! So much! Irradiant!’

The helpless response of Spear Fighter caused her, however, to drop her wawa-ing and continue in sign language. The mouthless warrior apparently was quite conscious about their inability to wa.

‘Apologies. I like the name. Tell them I accept it! And you are? Sky introduced you to me with the signs of spear and fighter. But I doubt that that’s your name. Also, what do you think of that to sign my name?’

Irradiant spread her two small arms to the sides and puffed up her chest, gleaming in the figurative glow from above. Looking back at the purple Slugcat, they appeared amused and reduced the sign to a neat and little sparkling gesture that didn’t interrupt the whole signing talk. Much less disruptive, she liked it!

‘Fighter? After my latest mission, Suns named me Spearmaster, but you are free to just refer to me with the simpler sign of Spears, young Irradiant.’ 

Irradiant felt content talking that way to the bigger Slugcat. Spearmaster, so these are the reasons for the bony appendage in their hand. A spear forged out of their own tail. She was not the only one with unusual abilities given to them by these puppets, it would seem. Speaking of, with Spears around, she finally had someone to explain to her what they even were supposed to be. 

‘Question, Spears. Do you know what exactly Suns and Sky are? I understand that Sky created me, that much I got from my strolls through this living building. But what is his deal in it?’

‘Are all pups that sharp? … Oh, I understand, Suns. … Seems like you are blessed with quite the awareness of your surroundings. And can understand complex scenarios. Which means I can explain some aspects of those random gods to you.’

‘Gods? That sign suggests something great! What is the meaning of that sign, ‘Gods’?’

A word she didn’t understand, given that Sky never taught her the meaning of that gesture. It felt odd to Irradiant, that the first word Spears used to describe them was something her creator never bothered to teach her. She tilted her head as she observed Spears suddenly growing absent and losing their focus on her. It was as if they were … thinking to someone else?

When clarity returned to Spears' eyes, the tall Slugcat nodded to the small glowball.

‘I asked my creator if they would like to give me a clear definition. Suns' view of their kind.

We were purposed by them to aid in times of peril. Or to undergo actions they can’t do. They, however, were created themselves a long time ago to act as gods. Great beings with even greater power. Researchers of the binding cycle that keeps us all on this planet. Trapped in their task to solve the big problem. And bound to a specific location.

They are Iterators. … You recognize that word? Good. The living building you explored is as much Approaching Sky as his puppet is. They are both a single entity. An entity that warps the world around them. A great being. A god.’

Many complicated gestures and signs. But Irradiant understood most of them. Could she comprehend them, however? Not as much. The Iterators, Sky’s people, were, according to what she understood from Spears’ exposition … a sad existence. She was able to read Spears’ admiration for their creators, but the words that were Suns’ felt … worn out.

Unable to move. Made for a specific task. An enormous existence, but actively suffering, given the less than stellar looking locations in Sky’s … body? And she was created to help him?

‘What is my purpose? You say there is a reason you and I exist. What can I help with?’

Spearmaster looked back up to the location Irradiant suspected Suns to reside in the place his physical body lived in. Sky began to beep and screech silently as he explained her purpose to those who could understand that strange language. He lowered his puppet down to her and laid a hand on her head, showing the Slugcat a small floating screen. A face appeared on it, very much unlike the faces of Sky and Suns. A sleek obsidian black screen with friendly-looking blue-glowing eyes.

Spearmaster stepped forth and pointed at the screen.

‘Your purpose is of a noble deed. That here is Shifting Gales. You were made to deliver a crucial package to her. … She requires that package to survive.

And I am here to allow you to survive your dangerous mission, train you, prepare you.

…

And save you, Irradiant.’

‘Save … me? Why do I need saving?’

Irradiant did not like the direction in which this first interaction with one of her kin went. What did Spears mean by that she required saving? She apparently got created to save a friend. There was nothing wrong with that. If Sky had just said that, she would have complied way earlier. But saving her? What … exactly did the Iterator, who was as of now idly petting her head, do to her? She looked up, a spark of cautious anger inflaming in her bright-white eyes. 

The projection of Suns joined them and beeped unintelligible words to her creator, who promptly removed his hand and ascended out of her reach. Was he afraid of her reaction? The small Slugcat was confused by the situation and focused on the only person who could understand her. 

‘Why is he afraid? What happened?’

It was clear that this was not the direction Spearmaster wanted this conversation to go, but, regardless, they complied and spilt the beans, further fuelling Irradiant’s irritation with the situation.

‘To assure your safety in the location you will be travelling to, small Irradiant, Approaching Sky bolstered your abilities to a degree, that will actively hinder your future life. That glowing aura of yours? No living being can stay in close contact with you for an extended period of time. You are radiating with the power of a Rarefaction Cell, the power core of an Iterator.’

‘That means … I won’t be able to hug you?’

‘I … yes. But there-‘

Irradiant had seen enough of Spears’ signs. She felt anger bellowing up in her gut, her hollow teeth secreting harmful acid, which mixed together with her slimy saliva to a solid ball. With her cheeks expanded with the air she inhaled in preparation, she fiercely turned around her head and locked on to her oh-so-gracious creator. Her wild stare was met with the always calculating and observing gaze of the puppet, now twisted in surprise and bewilderment. He knew what she was about to do … and it scared him.

The facade is dropping. Cursed with loneliness!? I dislike the sound of that. No, I hate it. I hate you!

Irradiant launched the acid spitball with enough force to hit her target in less than a second. Any other victim of her wrath would not possess the reaction time to deflect, let alone dodge such a dangerous attack. But her eyes widened as Sky proved to her the impossible, teaching her the true distance between Iterator and Slugcat.

The Iterator didn’t dodge. He didn’t require to. The projectile hit him straight across the face, coaxing his head in acid sludge. But the only thing that did something was the initial impact, which put him slightly out of balance. The acid, however … It didn’t even shave off the green paint job. Irradiant quickly realized that he anticipated her disliking her fate and kept her abilities out of reach of harming him in any way.

She was his creation. His canvas, manipulated to fit his requirements. And master over her fate.

A hot sensation of shame, frustration, and anger washed over her body. Irradiant felt small, insignificant. Powerless. 

As a golden shimmering two-clawed hand got placed on her shoulder, the sensation of the projection’s touch being quite irritating to her fur, Irradiant looked up to her taller relative, sadness now having overtaken her cocktail of whirling emotions. One singular gesture, as simple as it was enlightening, further deepened the shame she felt.

‘Hope.’

As the gooey mass hit Sky directly in his face, he let out a silent yet shameful sigh of relief. The project of turning the spitball projectile strong enough to dissolve the metal, the crucial aspects of iterators were built with, had been delayed by the communication training. If that had not been the case, he would now approach the endless sky in quite a different way.

Still … He felt a weak sensation of guilt. In the sudden turn of events, he only recalled the original roadmap of project Acid Rodent and reacted accordingly with existential fear. But that feeling of guilt was originating from a different source.

…

Did he go too far?

“Yes … yes, I admit it, Suns.-”

Sky was looking for something, which was not his precious robe, to clean his face. But he didn’t find anything. Suns instead ordered his factory arms to fetch some laboratory-grade towels to clean up the unsanitary mess. They would arrive later in the cycle

“I deserved that …”

This will prove to be a significant setback.