Waiting Shapeless

Chapter 44. Pareyline

Officer Lliui frowned. "There were two intelligent species living on Gnumus at the same time? Before the Pentaverse?" The Stram asked skeptically.

The Capozeeri pushed on.

"This capsule was designed by the Oidians to contain the second species; to jettison them off of the planet to another one. I believe it was used as a way to send the second species to a different world, so that the Oidians could have Gnumus to themselves."

The Capozeeri stopped his talking, waiting for another question.

"So, is it possible that this capsule had the invisible species in it when it landed here on Pareyline?"

The Droni repeated the question to the Capozeeri.

The Capozeeri bobbed its head and started chattering quickly again.

"...The capsule must have had something in it, otherwise it would not have gotten here. The capsule's original mechanics do not allow the creatures on the inside to navigate the object, but this particular capsule has been modified. Whatever was in this capsule wanted to come here to this planet."

The crowd of aliens surrounding the Capozeeri began to murmur quietly amongst themselves.

Officer Lliui contemplated the new information. So there was a creature native to Gnumus that intentionally traveled to Pareyline and is linked to the behavior of the Aiters. Was it possible that it was some kind of disease that the creature carried?

No, AI's are not affected by biological illnesses.

Damn it, think! Thought Officer Lliui in frustration. How are those two related?

"I need to know everything that he knows about the second species that was living with the Oidians." Said the Stram sternly to the translator.

The Droni turned and explained the question to the Capozeeri and the blue being began to answer, less enthusiastically this time.

"Not much is known about the invisible species. For some unknown reason, there is little to no record of there even being a second species. Some experts believe that the second species is a hoax or a mistranslation of the records. But I believe that they were real, and that the Oidians despised them so much that they attempted to erase them from existence—which included removing them from their history."

Officer Lliui went back to thinking, evaluating all the pieces of the puzzle he had gathered.

The capsule had an invisible being in it that escaped, now the Aiters were sick.

No, the Aiters weren't sick. Some of them lived on after dying, like some horror story. How could one creature affect so many Aiters across the Pentaverse?

He was still missing something.

The surrounding group of aliens continued on without Officer Lliui, asking questions to the translator which was then relayed to the Capozeeri.

"Yes, the invisible beings from the capsule are possibly still alive and roaming around somewhere."

Beings. Plural. There wasn't just one that was in the capsule?

"—And, how many creatures could have been in this particular capsule?" Officer Lliui intruded again, receiving more harsh glares.

The translator repeated the question to the Capozeeri.

"This is all only a theory, but I believe that these Oidian capsules were used to fit many as of the second species as possible in order to increase efficiency. Something like an ark. I speculate that to be more efficient, it would make sense for a capsule to carry a large about of occupants, that way the Oidians could transport more beings all at once. The Oidian capsules I have studied in the past have been much smaller. A capsule of this size might possibly have fit hundreds of beings, maybe thousands."

Officer Lliui jolted alert. That was the missing piece: there wasn't just one or two beings that escaped the capsule, but thousands.

And there were thousands of infected Aiters.

Beings around him chattered among themselves, discussing various thoughts.

Suddenly it was all clicking together.

"Excuse me, professors, scientists, reporters... everyone. I'm going to have to cut this experience short." Officer Lliui said abruptly, waving his arms.

There were some groans that floated through the crowd.

"There will be time to ask more questions later. But right now, Capozeeri?" He said, raising his hand and grabbing the being's attention. "And you, Translator. Come with me please." He waved at the two of them to stand up. "We need to talk somewhere privately."