Some Interesting Gadgets and Gizmos

Sorry I haven't posted in a while. The little crystal thing wasn't working well, and they had to work it in. The yela'kaja said something about the electrical connection between the crystal and the computer threatening to overload the crystal. Of course, he was only translating for the technician, so he had no idea how it worked, either. The whole thing is just hacked or jury-rigged or whatever you call it. In Yeltax they say "korex la' kadâg goxes", "made from the bones of fish". Well, if there're fish-bones in my computer then this won't be the last time it malfunctions.

Anyway, they've been giving me my other equipment for the trip. The little ear thing had to be tweaked a bit, as it was giving me a headache. It was really odd to watch the tech work with it. He would just take out a little stylus type thing and start etching patterns on the faces of the crystal (which looks a bit like a gemstone from the way it's cut), then he'd put it back in the earpiece and hand it to me to see how that worked. I never knew what the etching did--it always dissapeared once the crystal was activated and then re-solidified, but it doesn't give me a headache anymore.

I got a little pack full of this really bland artificial food. The Xala won't eat it themselves, but they don't have time to gather up the amount of food I eat. The whole time I've been here the yela'kaja has been talking about how "inefficient" the human metabolism is. Of course, they can talk. They're flying lizards, and they eat like it, too. The packs go for days between hunts, and scarf down most of what they catch immediately. Anyway, they can't hunt for all that food, and they have no clue what's safe for me to eat on Jed, so they researched a lot of food on Earth and came up with this stuff, which tastes like those disgusting protein bars you get on camping trips. Nasty stuff. The Xala call it tyexatê, "dead food", but this stuff ain't dead -- It's never been alive. Wish me luck on surviving on this stuff.

Anyway, so I'm carrying my own food, as the Xala don't want to deal with hauling a supply along everywhere. And I'm also packing. I just got my little blaster today. They tested me with it. These blasters are funny in how they work. Here's how my training went: The yela'kaja pointed at the window. "Aim at the window." So, I aimed at the window. "Fire when ready."

Of course, me holding this silver thing in my hand that's been made to look like Boba Fett's blaster from Star Wars, I have no idea how to fire it. There's no trigger, no button. I yelled at it to shoot, but that didn't work. Finally I asked, "How?"

The yela'kaja smiled a really wierd smile and said, "Did you think we would give you a real weapon?" Then he drew his own pistol. "We were just fooling you. Playing a joke on the poor human." I was scared so bad my eyes were popping out. Then he raised his pistol to my head, aiming right between my eyes. "Goodby, human. You won't be seeing your family again."

In a flash I pointed my pistol at him. I remember hearing a sound like some sort of power station humming while it powered up just before the blast of energy burst out of it. Just in time, the yela'kaja raised an arm and a little shield formed from the blue crystal on this metal bracer he was wearing. After the blast was over and the air cleared (I must have been firing continuously for two minutes) the guy smiled again and dropped his weapon. "Congratulations! You can now operate Xala weaponry. Do understand that this is only a precaution. We do not expect any harm to come to you." He pulled another one of those bracers out of his pocket and threw it to me. "The bracer acts on the same principle. We won't test it now, as I'm sure your nerves need a rest before you'll be safe to try it."

They tell me that my transport is on its way here. They have special transport vehicles for "kaja" like me that can't fly on their own. Hopefully it'll be a bit comfortable and safe and it won't involve something I need a gun pointed at my head to operate.