Book 10: Chapter Three: Gith’s Vera

“Pssh…” Just as everyone was pondering carefully, a soft hiss of steam came from the door hinge of the recovery room. The two-inch-thick door slid silently open, revealing several female Gith soldiers holding uniforms standing outside.

The Gith people also had gender differences, though their bodies had evolved to such a high level that the physical gap between men and women was minimal. While women generally had weaker willpower and courage than men, they shared the same strength as Earth humans in being detail-oriented. In fact, they were even better suited for starship operations like radar monitoring and intelligence analysis.

Qin Lun and the others had seen these female Gith soldiers before. Right after they emerged from the biochemical medical pods, these same officers had cared for them and helped them change into white thermal undergarments. However, back then, the Apostles hadn’t yet adjusted to their new bodies, nor were their minds fully clear, so they hadn’t paid the women much attention.

“Ladies and gentlemen… sirs,” one of the female Gith soldiers began, her cheeks slightly flushed under the Apostles’ open stares as she and the others lowered their heads to hide their flustered expressions. “If you’ve gotten used to your new bodies, please change into your flight suits now!”

Even by Earth standards of beauty, these female Gith officers were strikingly attractive. Their features closely resembled humans, though their eyes were proportionally larger, and their ears ended in delicate, elf-like points. They bore a strong resemblance to the Apostles’ clone bodies, but they lacked those odd little wings.

Compared to Earth humans, their bodies were a full size larger. They generally stood over two and a half meters tall, with long, slender limbs and well-proportioned, athletic figures. Perhaps due to living in space for so long, Gith women tended to have fair, smooth skin, and their hair was often shades of bright gold or silver.

“Ahem…” The leading female officer seemed to realize they’d become flustered. She cleared her throat twice, steadied herself, and then stepped into the recovery room with her companions. With a nod, she signaled the others to distribute the flight suits according to size to the Apostles.

“Set it down. I’ll take care of it myself,” Qin Lun said, noticing the nervousness of the Gith girl before him. He flashed her a bright, reassuring smile and pointed to a nearby bench.

“O-okay, Si… sir!” The young girl flushed lightly, setting the uniform down hastily and then standing stiffly beside him, her hands clasped tightly in front of her, nervously wringing.

“Was there something else?” Qin Lun asked, shaking out the flight suit draped over the bench as he prepared to change. But he noticed the girl hadn’t moved. She was still standing there waiting. Puzzled, he turned to her.

“Well… Sir, I… I’ve been assigned as your personal guide by the Captain!” she stammered, her voice so soft Qin Lun could barely catch the words.

“Hah, no need to be nervous!” Watching the girl’s near-tearful anxiety, Qin Lun couldn’t help but chuckle in amusement. He initially thought her nerves were just from meeting an Apostle for the first time. However, casting an observant glance at her companions as they assisted the other Apostles, a thought struck him. His expression turned thoughtful. “Is it because of my Negative Gene Sequence?”

“Um… I… I’m sorry!” Hearing Qin Lun pinpoint the source of her fear, the Gith girl’s face instantly went pale. She gave a small, dejected bow.

“It’s fine. Since you’re my guide, I’ll be counting on your support from now on!” Qin Lun smiled warmly, extending his hand. “Feel free to address me as you would one of your own people, or use my Apostle name — Qin Lun.”

“Oh, th-thank you!” The young Gith girl seemed taken aback. Seeing Qin Lun’s kind, sunny smile, a wave of relief washed over her. Without thinking, she clasped his hand.

“Ah!” But she instantly snapped back to her senses, pulling her hand away as if burned by an electric shock. This time, even her ears flushed red. She mumbled softly, “My name… My name is ￥%￥…”

The girl uttered her name in a complex, melodious set of syllables. This time, Qin Lun could hear each sound distinctly, but the name itself felt impossibly long and convoluted, making it impossible for him to remember.

Seeing the blank look on Qin Lun’s face, the girl instantly realized her mistake. Flustered, she fumbled in the breast pocket of her own uniform and pulled out a small card. After a quick glance at it, she said hesitantly, “In language units you can understand… you may call me Vera!”

“Vera? What is that little card you have?” Qin Lun asked curiously, pointing at the small card clutched in the Gith girl’s fingers.

“This? Oh, this is the ‘information card’ storage device for your Apostle Lords,” Vera replied. After exchanging a few words, her nervousness had eased considerably. She was beginning to show a genuinely open smile. She handed him the small card readily.

Qin Lun took it, surprised to find it wasn’t made of paper, but a thin, plastic-like substance—a micro optical computer. It seemed to be made of shape-memory material; even if crumpled, it would gradually smooth itself out. Simple operations could be performed using fingers or an optical stylus. While its features weren’t extensive, it was perfectly functional as a portable information lookup tool and writing pad.

Displayed on the thin optical card now was a section detailing Qin Lun’s data. It didn’t cover his combat skills or equipment, but focused instead on his “background”— recording the civilizations and languages he was familiar with, clearly intended to aid communication between the Gith and the Apostles.

As Qin Lun put on his uniform, he chatted casually with Vera, taking the chance to familiarize himself with the Gith optical computer operating system through the card.

The Gith uniform was simple and dignified. Primarily white, it featured dark gold piping on the collar and cuffs. The front closed with a double row of buttons, lending it a stately formality. The matching cap had a wide brim, incorporating a built-in single-ear communicator.

This flight suit exuded a mature, imposing air on the male Apostles. On a lovely girl like Vera, it looked striking — an alluring mix of charm and martial readiness, truly pleasing to the eye.

“Vera, was this optical computer data transmitted to you by the Star Projection?” Qin Lun asked, once he was fully dressed. He handed the small card back to the girl, phrasing the question carefully.

“Yes!” Vera admitted readily, her rosy cheeks lifting into an innocent smile. “The Star Projection is quite common in our world, though it rarely responds to our pleas for aid. Getting the assistance of Descendant Apostles at such a critical time… it must be fate! We’ll surely drive back the Jannamer creatures, reclaim our home, and force those vile creatures back into the dark depths of space!” Vera clenched a small fist, pretending to look fierce.

“Hah, I believe we will achieve victory too!” Qin Lun replied, his eyes glinting thoughtfully as he offered a friendly smile. Inside, however, the young man knew better. If the other two Apostle Alliances from Devil’s Horn managed to follow them into this world, then it was certainly not a certainty that only the Gith had received the Star Projection’s assistance.

“Was this uniform specially prepared for us Apostles?” Qin Lun’s fingers brushed the gold-bordered rank insignia on his collar. “And do I actually hold a formal rank in your Gith military?”

“Yes, Sir Qin Lun!” Vera confirmed. She gestured towards Robin nearby. “Among all the Descendant Apostles this time, that female leader possesses the highest rank — Twelfth Tier. You hold Eleventh Tier, and the others all carry Tenth Tier ranks.”

After conversing a bit with Qin Lun, this young Gith girl had gradually calmed down. Her speech was no longer as hesitant; a livelier, more naturally innocent personality was shining through.

The Gith possessed a fully structured cosmic navy. Compared to Earth militaries, their rank system was considerably more complex. The Twelfth Tier roughly corresponded to a Colonel, the Eleventh Tier to a Lieutenant Colonel, and the Tenth Tier to a Major in Earth Federation terms.

Clearly, via the Star Projection, the Gith had determined that Robin was the Leader of their Apostle team, with Qin Lun as the sub-Leader. They’d given Robin the highest commissioned rank possible, short of appointing her a fleet Admiral or something similarly senior.

Of course, these ranks were primarily to grant Qin Lun and the others a fitting status and position within the military structure, not to give them actual command authority over Gith forces. Similarly, fleet generals with ranks above Robin couldn’t arbitrarily order the Apostles around by compulsion. Their relationship was established as one of cooperation.

To Qin Lun’s surprise, Vera herself held a Sixth Tier rank, which translated roughly to a Warrant Officer in Earth Federation terms.

“Vera,” Qin Lun began lightly, tilting his head, “might I ask… how old are you?” He phrased it carefully. “I meant, in terms suitable for my kind?”

He wasn’t asking out of personal curiosity. He needed to gauge the difference between the Gith’s outward appearance and their actual age/mental maturity by her answer. This understanding would prove crucial for his future psychological assessments of plot characters.

“Judged by the standards of your kind, Sir, my physiological traits suggest I’m around fifteen stellar years old!” Vera blushed deeply again, but she understood this wasn’t an idle question; it was necessary for mutual understanding.

“Fifteen… so you’re officially a minor then?” Qin Lun’s gaze held a measure of surprise. While her overall behavior had hinted she was young, he hadn’t expected she was still technically a juvenile. His voice dropped thoughtfully. “Just how desperate have things become for the Gith? That even an adolescent girl gets sent into battle?”

“No, no, no, it’s not like that at all!” Vera caught the drift of his thoughts from his expression and hurriedly clarified, “My… my situation is somewhat unique! My… aptitudes are rather special. Even though I am young, my compatibility with the Bingren is extremely high. With just a few years of training, I was certified as a qualified pilot!”

“Bingren?” Qin Lun immediately zeroed in on the critical term in her explanation. His eyes narrowed intently, and he lowered his voice. “Is this Bingren the specialized weapon you use against the Jannamer? Could you take me to see one?”

“Now don’t get ahead of yourself, Sir!” Vera’s eyes sparkled mischievously. She covered her lips with one hand, beaming like a cheerful little fox for the first time—she’d finally managed to seize the initiative in the conversation. “And besides… you must also be very curious about this clone body you inhabit now, right? And where the Star Projection resides?”

Qin Lun paused briefly, then burst into an easy laugh. “Alright, fair enough! Got a bit impatient there, didn’t I? Since you are my guide, I’ll follow your lead completely from here on out!”