Waiting Shapeless

Chapter 20. Pareyline

Officer Lliui always thought the Aiters were of a simple design. Their bodies were squat, with a thick glass dome of a head and two large eyes running on a track on the inside of the glass. The lower half of the robots were metal, two large conveyer treads ran from the sides which normally allowed them to move around, and two smaller wheels jutted out from the back to help them maintain balance.

Officer Lliui walked over to the Aiter laying on the table. The robotic being continued to thrash against the thick straps that held it down. It was almost uncomfortable to watch.

"This Aiter," continued the professor, gesturing to the constrained being, "this Aiter is dead. It's been dead for three days now. And no, it did not die strapped to this table."

Officer Lliui looked up at the Professor. "Sure doesn't look like it's dead to me." He snorted. The Aiter thrashed violently on the table again, causing Officer Lliui to take a small step back wearily.

"Exactly!" Exclaimed the Kaptoy, his eyes widening. "This is part of why this virus is so amazing. The death of the Aiter should have completely stopped all motor functions, like removing the power from a machine. According to the engineering laws to which this and other robotic artificial intelligence is bound, it is not possible for this Aiter to be moving right now. And yet, as you can see, it fights to break the bonds."

"So why is it moving then, Professor." Said Officer Lliui, looking at the tall Kaptoy skeptically.

The Professor raised his hands. "We don't know. Something is making it move."

Officer Lliui exhaled loudly. "...So you haven't figured out much of anything huh."

"We still know just about as much as you do unfortunately." Frowned the Kaptoy. "Finding a virus inside of an artificial intelligence is not very easy."

"Well what have you been doing all this time Professor, picking your noses?"

Lieutenant Hoff made a pitiful sounding whimper from behind him.

"Officer," continued the professor, looking slightly more flustered, "we have examined the differences between an infected and a non-infected Aiter, even examined Aiters immediately before and after they get infected, and we have found no difference. Nothing. All systems are the exact same. Programming, external and internal hardware: all the same. We call this phenomenon a 'virus' but really, we have absolutely no clue what it is." The Kaptoy turned around and sat back at his desk.

"The only evidence we have that this 'virus' even exists is the dramatic change of behavior the Aiters exhibit when they become infected. That, and we can see it somehow transferring between the Aiters as if it were contagious. That's it." The professor said with a sigh. "We can't even detect the virus itself."

"Hm." Grunted Officer Lliui.

"Now if you would please leave so that we could go back to picking our noses, we would very much appreciate it." The Professor said with a sharp smile.

"Professor," sighed the Stram, looking back at the restrained robot on the table next to him. His voice became slightly less hostile. "The Pentaverse is waiting for us to figure this out and end it. A lot of beings out there are starting to call this 'the curse of the gifts', saying that the Aiters are going to end up being just like the Alomps. They say the same thing will then happen to the Circuits. Some beings even say that we should lock up all of the gifts, before they all get out of hand."

The officer turned to walk out. "A lot of innocent AI beings are being discriminated against right now. They are counting on us. Just think about that, Professor. And get back to work."

The Kaptoy sat silently, and then nodded his head. "Yes, Sir." He said thoughtfully.

Officer Lliui nodded in return and walked out, Lieutenant Hoff following silently behind.

The day was still early and the sun was coming close to its peak over Pareyline, the current home planet of the Aiters. Officer Lliui stretched his shark like head in the sun and looked out across the camp of Police Force tents that lay out over the grey field.

He had set up the entire operation there on Pareyline. It was good to see his work become operational, but not good to see a lack of progress.

"Lieutenant," he said, quickly inhaling through his nose staunchly. Lieutenant Hoff turned towards him nervously. "Go to headquarters and see if you can call a Alomp expert out here to look at these infected Aiters. There might be a link that we are overlooking between the—"

He paused mid sentence as he noticed a group of beings approaching him. It was that busty female Pardos reporter again, back to ask him more annoying questions in front of the camera.

Officer Lliui hated reporters.

"Oh for Ruolt's sake..." He swore, turning towards Lieutenant Hoff. "New orders, Lieutenant: You entertain these nosey camera-infatuated fools and I'll go call for an expert."

The Lieutenant looked speechless as Officer Lliui quickly turned and hurried off in the opposite direction of the incoming group. He smiled as he heard the crowd reach the little Lieutenant and bombard him with questions.

That was easy. Good one Lliui. He thought to himself as he moved through the tents, heading towards the communication headquarters.

"Major Lliui Iuill Lliui!" Called a voice from behind.

Ah Ruolt he thought, they still caught me!

"I direct all questions to my assistant, Lieutenant Hoff!" He said over his shoulder as he quickened his pace.

"Major Lliui Iuill Lliui, we've found something!" Said the voice.

That didn't sound like a reporter. Officer Lliui stopped and turned around.

Up rushed a young Dohaydo wearing a Police Force uniform. It wasn't a reporter.

"Oh... yes? What is it, officer?" Said Officer Lliui.

The being paused a moment to catch his breath. "The district over area investigation sent me to find you, they want you to come see this thing!"

Officer Lliui frowned. "What did they find? What are you talking about?"

"They don't know, nobody has ever seen anything like it." Said the uniformed novice, standing up straighter. "...But it's not from this planet and they want you to come see it. They are also calling in foreign object specialists to figure out what it is and where it came from. The district thinks it might lead to some answers concerning this epidemic."

The Stram smiled. That's more like it he thought.

"Sounds good kid. Take me to your district, I want to see this thing."