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Raptor-chick: shrugs I consider that a detail that's not really important to the storyline itself. Besides…if I start speculating, I'll end up with 'another' critter species I have no real 'home' for. Gods know I have enough already….

Onward to the chapter: things are getting heated up!

Chapter 8

They continued to have daily discussions from that point on, many of them not really 'helpful' in the way of science at all. They joked, laughed, told each other stories, and over all Arthur was starting to view No-Tongue as a friend, not a research subject. He even took a big risk and took down the force field one day. No-Tongue had immediately noticed the absence of the field and took the opportunity to 'inspect' Arthur fully. Arthur could only stand stock still as the Xeno circled around him, sniffing and poking him, until the Xeno finally quipped: -You're the most awful smelling creature I have never smelled.-

Arthur blinked in surprise, then angrily retorted. "I do not stink! I showered this morning!"

No-Tongue flashed one of his grins. -You can't tell if you stink or not cause you humans have a shit poor sense of smell obviously.-

"Why you..." Arthur lunged for the Xeno, but No-Tongue easily leapt out of his reach. A chase ensued, Arthur trying to catch No-Tongue, but the Xeno was too fast and agile for him to even get close and was laughing at him the whole time. Finally No-Tongue 'allowed' Arthur to catch him and he playfully rolled onto his back in a submissive pose.

-Ok ok, I give up. You win. Humans don't stink.- No-Tongue said. It would have been convincing if he wasn't still laughing.

"You..." Arthur huffed, breathing heavily from the chase. "Are silly."

-But that's what you 'love' about me isn't it?­- No-Tongue asked as he got back on his feet.

"Don't push your luck." Arthur replied with a smile, pushing the Xeno over.

To be fair, No-Tongue allowed Arthur to inspect him in turn. While Arthur had gotten familiar with No-Tongue's body when he first arrived, it was far more fascinating to see how everything moved and flexed when the Alien was actually awake. It was safe to say that he was the first scientist to get such an up close look on how Xeno's moved without getting mauled and killed in the process. He admired the strength in those limbs, how they were a lot stronger then they appeared and the flexibility of that tail.

When he was satisfied they struck up a real conversation then, talking about, ironically, games. As they talked, they were unknowingly being watched and that individual wasn't pleased with now things were going.

Arthur was in his office when Captain Halus came into the room a day or so later, his expression stern and cold: Arthur immediately knew something was wrong.

"What is it?" Arthur asked, rising from his desk.

The Captain sighed and motioned for Arthur to sit down, taking a seat himself. There was a tense silence before the Captain spoke. "I must say Professor, your reports have been interesting, but..."

"Not what you are looking for." Arthur finished for him. "I cannot control what results will come out of research Captain."

"I am aware of that, but your research as brought up...concerns...among the higher ups and among my troops. Many were content to keep them as 'animals' Professor, but your research is starting to prove otherwise. In other words you are starting to put a human face on these monsters...and many of my superiors don't like that. The last thing we want is for certain parties to start lobbying to protect these things, gods know we already have insane fanatics worshiping these creatures and I'll be damned if we give them more reason to."

Arthur felt his heart sink, already knowing what is coming. "What you're say is to..."

"Terminate this project Professor. Not only for your well being, but for the sake of mankind as a whole."

"For my well being Captain?"

"I've been watching you interact with your subject Professor and I worry about your mental state."

"You think I am going insane..."

"No sane person gets 'buddy buddy' with one of those monsters!" The Captain growled. "Within the next week you will be transferred to a medical frigate for evaluation and your two 'subjects' will be destroyed."

"You can't!" Arthur screamed, the thought of losing such a unique Alien like No-Tongue was too much to bear.

"This is my ship and I can do what I damn well please Professor." Captain Halus sneered. "You will stay in the brig until it's time for your transfer."

On cue two soldiers entered the room, both armed. Realizing he had no choice, Arthur sighed and went willingly, wishing he had some way to warn No-Tongue of the threat to his life.

No-Tongue paced in the room, starting to get worried. Arthur hadn't come down to talk to him for a couple of days, which was not like him. Something had to be wrong. Was he sick? No he still would have made an effort to at least visit No-Tongue believed.

Food still came regularly at least, so perhaps Arthur got caught up in something, preventing him from seeing him? Even so, it seemed unlike the human to not at least tell him he wouldn't be able to visit for a while: without the daily visits No-Tongue was starting to get stir crazy. Learning how to communicate with humans had been in a way a curse, as now the objects in his 'room', things he would have experimented and played with before, were no longer remotely interesting to him. He sat down in the middle of the room, wishing he had someone to talk to.

The sound of the door opening caught his attention and excitedly he turned around, thinking his friend had come at last. Only it wasn't Arthur at all….