Rolling up from the soft, circular alien bed, Pulse finally woke up from her sleep with a large yawn. She stretched a bit and leaped off the bed, rubbing her eyes to rid herself of any remaining sleepiness.
It has been several hours based on Pulse's own world clock, since she went to sleep, and has gotten her much needed rest. She was well rested, and able to tackle the day much better than before. After changing to her more casual wear she headed straight to the ship's computer. She wanted to check that all her samples and data are all accounted for.
She also planned to run some experiments from the many samples she collected, identify their components, cell structure, DNA, and everything she can find out of them. She will also send her first report of her finds back to her planet, this will be a big thing, both for them and for her.
Pulse reached her ship's cockpit and activated its advanced central computer. Her face then turned into a wide eyed shocked stare, the first thing she saw was a notification waiting for her to open it. It was a message that remained unread for a few hours.
Pulse paused, silently looking at the unopened message, she wondered to herself. Just who sent this? Perhaps her overseer sent a message? They always send a periodical letter for a report every half a quarter year and report regardless of whether she found something of interest or not. However there was no periodical message scheduled today, perhaps it was a different matter altogether. Pulse knew she wouldn't find out just sitting and pondering about it.
Pulse decided to open it at last with slight reluctance, wondering about it being malware of some sort. When it opened, she was met with something that wasn't even close to that. In fact it wasn't even in her language, or a language that she knew. Pulse took a double take, leaning closer as if it would help her decipher it. She never saw this language before, nor understood even a single thing in it. However, something about it looked familiar. It was like she had seen it before, and it wasn't not too long ago.
Pulse decided to try and trace the source of the message. Perhaps finding it will help her understand what it could be.
Pulse traced the general direction of the message from which it came from. It didn't take long for her to find it. It actually came from the same place she was just at not too long ago.
The place she actually explored on this planet, the one and only one she made landfall as her first destination to explore. The one where she was attacked by those bipeds and quadrupeds. Pulse reared in both shock and horror, sitting far on her chair, eyes dilated into little yellow slits. Did... did the natives find out about her already? This wasn't good at all!
Pulse sat back in her seat, her body shivered and her face sweating with silent panic, both her hearts started beating rapidly with barely controlled quivering. Not even a full day here and she may have just accidentally revealed her existence, and far worse her origins to them unintentionally.
Pulse couldn't afford to go back to her overseers and tell them that information of her existence is known to a pre-FTL, possibly even pre-space flight race that may not comprehend her or the universe at large. Her body shape looked similar to some of their kind when she went there, but perhaps they figured she wasn't one of them after all? Did they perhaps guess she was actually from beyond their world in some way? She could only hope that she would be taken as some weird hoax one of their kind made or for them to forget about her, but she had a feeling that wasn't going to happen.
Why was she thinking of these guys being primitive to the point they would be compared to cave dwelling savages? They were fram from that. Pulse clearly saw homes and buildings comparable to her own people's type of suburban dwellings as well as the purple metallic building akin to being a base of some kind. They don't seem to have the same quality as what her people use but still, this was advanced engineering and planning. She shouldn't be surprised if they perhaps already made trips in space and she failed to notice such achievements. But the fact she might have failed to figure this out before will probably bite her harshly later on.
Pulse took several deep breaths. She needed to calm down and think of something. What should she do? Pulse took another look at the message. She should try to understand this language first, but she needs to check the samples she has collected. Pulse didn't have time to learn a completely new language, at least the traditional way of learning the meaning of the symbols, so who knows how long that will take.
Pulse shakily stored the message for later, she didn't have time for that, and she needed to think about what she should do now. She still needs to study samples she has brought aboard, perhaps that will give her enough time to think of a decision. The only thing that Pulse was sure she understood were the coordinates implemented into this message. Obviously whoever sent this wanted her to come to the location, but for what? She ultimately decided to save it for later.
Pulse left her seat to go down to her sophisticated miniature laboratory. She looked back to her computer for a moment, before resuming her walk.
She stopped for a second. "Whatever that location was, I will not be going there." Pulse firmly told herself. It could be anything, it could be some trap to capture her, or maybe they were friendly and they just want to talk to her. Regardless of what their intentions were, she can't break her secrecy, at least not now despite said secrecy likely having been fractured. Pulse continued straight to her lab with determination. She couldn't dwell on it right now.
The alien looking lab was dark, and somewhat dusty. She barely used it in her journey except for rocks, minerals, gems, ice and water from asteroids and barren planets she has encountered, but now she will get the opportunity to fully use its facilities with actual organic samples to look upon. Pulse was truly happy for this.
Pulse wasn't sure where to start. All the samples she collected were already stored in the lab. When she stored her suit, her ship automatically collected everything she had on it since it was programmed to do so. Everything she collected and needed was all in this place.
Pulse set her sights towards a table with various scientific devices and machinery. When Pulse walked close to the table and the machine, a holographic computer materialized in front of her. Pulse typed some commands to analyze the organic samples she has collected. The machine soon whirled to life. Next to the computer the machine opened a window, showing off all the collected specimens, neatly stacked next to each other with their own capsules. Pulse began with the bottom most one.
The machine whirled again, and the specimen was isolated from the rest. The holographic computer changed and it showed the sample, at cellular level. Pulse smiled and stared intently at the tiny organisms contained inside the air tight tiny glass plates. The organisms within the glass container were green, rectangular and nearly see through tiny cells. It was a very clear indication of floral life, or plant cells.
For the next long while she has been studying its organelles, molecular structure, simple behavior, anything about it. She made sure to note everything, because everything is useful in some way no matter how small. Pulse worked tirelessly to make her notes clear and detailed, despite her mind still going back to that message. Pulse just continued on, making comparison to the cells of her species and others, comparing and contrasting the two, noting the percentages of similarities and differences. Her world will want to know everything.
After nearly two solid hours, Pulse decided to get the next set of cells. These next cells were round, but were more amorphous in shape, and didn't have a green coloration. Pulse practically tapped danced on her spot excitedly, ready to do more scientific studying.
She did the same progress as the previous cells. During her studying, Pulse noticed something… strange about these ones.
These cells, or at least some of them were missing some important components, some were shriveled up and missing cytoplasm, and some were outright torn apart. Basically dead cells. Yet most of them were still moving somehow.
This was very, very intriguing indeed, Pulse has never seen anything like it. Pulse studied the cells for a few more minutes. There wasn't anything else she could get out of them except their strangeness of being mobile despite being dead, or at least, they should be. Perhaps her people did encounter something like this somewhere, but she never found information regarding this strange phenomenon.
Pulse went to check on the samples that were related to this one. Pulse replaced the current one and took a look. The samples were of an organic liquid, and the said liquid was displaying the same behavior. Pulse continued to replace and study the strange little organisms until there were none left to look at. Pulse's legs had begun to hurt from how long she stood so she paused and took a seat, giving her time to reflect on this.
Pulse really never seen anything like this. These little things couldn't really be viruses, as viruses were much smaller and only contained DNA, and can be proclaimed to not be living. These were cells, but they lack the necessities to have functional bodies, so to speak. If these cells were dead, then how could they still be alive?
There wasn't much more Pulse could do with this, but she knew she should store this information, and get them to scientists with better equipment and better skills. Pulse stood up, firstly staring at the table filled with the samples and the equipment. She has been in the lab for a while, and has managed to view every single sample she had, with the strange ones with the not truly dead cells taking up most of her time. Pulse has written all of her observations with the holographic computer, but she wanted to view it in the mother computer and organize it in its entirety with the rest of her documentation of this new planet.
Pulse swiftly returns to the mother computer and reviews everything she has written, making sure her words are grammatically correct and professional as much as she can..
Pulse eventually encountered the message with the coordinates. She couldn't help but pause and stare at it, contemplating. In the end, Pulse remained firm with her decision to not go there. The message also had two things she didn't notice the first time, there were two rectangles, in which the words were different. Pulse didn't know what they meant, but she was sure to not click on them. She couldn't get this message as she didn't fully understand anything except the coordinates. Once again, she ignored it and stored it. She couldn't stress about that now until she finds a way to understand it and if it was something she could trust.
Pulse doesn't understand how she was sent this, but she was sure her existence has been completely compromised, perhaps before she even touched this planet's surface.
…
Agent Citron stood, in front of his far future computer, waiting. He tapped one of his legs against the ground impatiently.
"Hmm…" Agent Citron has been waiting for a response for a while, and he was yet to receive anything. Anything would be good, but he was left on read. He just sighed, leaning a bit back on his chair. His two buddies have also trusted him to get something through soon, yet there was nothing. How long can someone go without answering a message? It's been yesterday since he, Rose, and Kernel talked with the ocean plants, and they believed many of the clues they had had to be connected. They could probably get their answer if only this guy, species, or whatever they were could message him at least in some way, no matter what the response was.
He was seriously debating whether he should message them again, or perhaps try to confront them, since the three have a vague idea as to where they are, if what he found is actually their place, the dot in the middle of the ocean waters. He was seriously trying to not go ahead and do that option.
He knew where they were, the general area that is, he just needed to go there. However he feared he may come too threatening or may cause this guy to retaliate and attack, or leave. If the guy was indeed an actual, real, one hundred percent alien, and not an alien flower or plasma pea then he or she may bring in his or her, or its alien pals, their whole planet perhaps, to Earth. He had no idea how advanced they were, their rules or their culture so he needed to be cautious. A smile could mean war on their planet or something weird.
He also felt he was wasting time just waiting. He had newbies to give missions to, gum to chew, and his patience wearing thin.
Yet Agent Citron absolutely refused to try and confront them personally. He didn't have many choices or a sure enough on how to meet with them on friendly and completely non-hostile terms. If he had some knowledge on what they are like he would have done something since yesterday.
Citron's train of thought was interrupted when he heard noises downstairs, the noises coming from his portal, of someone passing through it. He turned around from the screen to see who had come in. He soon saw that it was Kernel walking up the stairs. His seemingly permanent scowl was present, and his arms crossed in front of him. Citron was hoping that it wasn't him that came but oh well. At least his presence killed the boredom he was trudging through.
Kernel soon reached the future orange. "How have things gone with the message?"
Citron sighed, leaning back in his chair. "I have been left on read, I haven't received any form of response. It could be that either they don't care about the message or that they don't understand it. It's possible they didn't even receive it properly, even when my computer told me it was successfully sent. Perhaps there is something else, but I don't know what else to do for now. Waiting for them to say something, or anything for that matter.
Kernel turned his head to Citron's computer. "Another thing, are you sure it's actually a spaceship, one from an unknown race? I do know we have the alien flowers and the plasma peas. There is a chance it could be a ship from one of their people."
Citron looked at the stalk for a moment. "The shard, the strange metal alloy, I had it reviewed by the plants who made a home from that old observatory. There is a strange combination of elements in the metal, including ones they don't recognize, and they use all kinds of things for their ships. I have a strong reassurance that this could be a new alien species we are dealing with. I don't know what they are up to but I hope it's nothing malicious."
Citron then switched to another screen. The screen displayed the schematics of some sort of mechanism. It was a giant satellite, made of plant material and some citron technology that Agent Citron provided from the Far Future. It was shaped like a flower, with orange solar panel petals, and the base made of plant matter, wires, and a few crazy touch ups by Crazy Dave.
"The Solar Operated Lotus, or the S.O.L station can identify cities, bases, large enough settlements, and landscape ranges, and make an overall report about the land's composition. If a piece of land it scanned has an unnatural amount of alloy and metallic components, then we assume it's a zombie base. It was pure, thumb luck that it managed to pass by and detected the spot with the unfamiliar material." Citron smiled smugly and told Kernel, "if it can detect zombie bases then it can detect hidden aliens. Also it was such an honor to take part in its construction," and Citron just continued to ramble on with a wide smirk.
Kernel simply rolled his eyes, looking at the screen instead at the talking egotistical fruit. "Yeah, sure, just keep doing what you're doing. If something new develops, make sure to inform Agent Rose and I." With that, Kernel strutted to the stairs. The sound of the portal was heard, indicating he left Citron's ship.
Citron rolled his eyes, returning all his attention to the screens once again.
…
Pulse was still sitting in her chair still organizing her discoveries and her first samples. She was having a genuine good time. Pulse has spent a good majority of her time back at the lab fawning over the strangeness of the living dead cells once again, but she's gotten over it by now. She was now fawning over the pictures of the creatures she had taken photos off. Pulse found many of the creatures adorable, and she was sure many of her people would like to have some of these creatures as pets if she were to show them these.
Pulse was also very eager to contact them and have them see what she had found. The scheduled transmission was approaching, and she didn't know whether she should wait for the date to arrive or call them soon. If she decides to wait, she'll have more time to explore and gather more data along with organizing everything.
BEEP BEEP BEEP
"Ah!" Pulse jumped in surprise, then realized it was an alarm. Pulse saw, based on what her screen showed, was her ship's proximity detector blaring.
Based on this, something must have come close to her ship to trigger it. Pulse was sure where she was in this ocean was barren, but she should see what came close, hopefully it's something insignificant. Pulse looked through the cameras outside. Indeed there was nothing but water and sunlight permeating through the surface above. Pulse silently checked every camera till she found something out of the ordinary. Sonn, she did.
A little blue thing was sitting atop her ship, against the force field separating the surface of her ship and the water, doing nothing.
Pulse was perplexed. What was this thing, and what was it doing here? The fact it was sitting on top of the shield meant it understood and knew her ship was there, or at least something it couldn't see was there. This was definitely not good at all. She needed to get rid of this thing before someone or something noticed it.
Pulse decided to use non lethal methods, she didn't want to harm anything, even though she possibly may have harmed something when she was back at that place on land. Pulse made her ship vibrate and rumble rather noticeably, to see if the little creature will leave.
The creature tensed. It definitely sensed the vibrations, but it didn't leave, it laid its face back down seconds after it stopped. The foreigner just frowned, and increased its vibrations, hoping it would urge it to get off.
This time, it seemed to have worked. The little creature flailed its legs upwards and got some distance from the invisible ship, but slowly began to sink back down.
It was then that Pulse suddenly noticed something. The little creature had something on its body, and it looked very out of place. Pulse scrunched her face to focus. She zoomed in and analyzed it for a few seconds, and discovered it was some kind of metal based on the sheen. Pulse then zoomed into the object; Shesaw it was tied around its tail, and looked like it was quite uncomfortably tight on it too. One of its legs was tied back with it and the other three limbs were not, allowing it to use them to move at least.
"With that thing stuck to it, I am surprised that it can still swim…"
The little creature, perhaps no longer feeling the weird vibrations, resettled on her ship again, reluctantly.
Pulse's face saddened and contemplated what she should do. Pulse knew she shouldn't willingly mess with what her people consider as less technological beings, mostly to avoid conflict and not get involved in their affairs, a sort of rule her superiors, and most of her people pressed, however they also placed the rule to provide aid when necessary and protect lesser entities without being noticed if available. They are rather loose rules, with some loopholes.
Protect and aid lesser beings when needed or leave them to fend for themselves, while not showing your existence to them at the same time. It was confusing especially when occasionally it wasn't specific enough, there were a plethora of other points that could have been made in place, and it had many plot holes that can be poked through, or even abused.
Pulse really wanted to help it, she was just contemplating how this would violate these rules… She was very sure she already broke some of them when she went to the landmass. Even if the situation was out of her control to what happened back there, policies are policies.
The primary reason as to why the rule of not showing yourself to lesser beings was made in the first place was actually so they won't decide to become hostile if they find her existence as a threat and want to try and fight her along with her kind one way or another at a possibly galactic scale even if she didn't do anything to them, if the said species is able to evolve towards that scale. New things are oftentimes unwanted and met with protest or more, at first. Along with this is that sometimes it can be hard to determine what beings are considered sentient and what is not. There are so many weird things in the universe. For all she knew a rock could have a mind of its own.
She will have to figure out a way to run some kind of sapience test, one that doesn't violate… or further violate any laws. Particularly some tests that doesnt involve, say, abducting a native for it.
Pulse sighed. Hours ago she panicked about trying to keep secret from the natives and the policy being broken, but she was sure they had been broken with what happened back there anyway. She might as well do what she wanted to do, she might also receive punishment back home regardless. Thinking about the possibilities is making her feel cold and nervous.
Pulse took a deep breath, and left her seat. She entered the dressing room, and picked out her EX suit from the large storage space.
'Maybe I can get the creature to leave somehow without needing to do anything physical or violent.' She thought.
…
Pulse was sure, to the little blue thing, there was nothing around it. Even to Pulse, her ship was invisible unless she used one of her suit's features such as sonar detection or her tracker in her visor. Even still, it was faint.
Pulse didn't have an idea as to how this small creature discovered her ship was there, and decided to just lay on top of the shield especially since her ship was in the middle of nowhere with not a sight of another living being or anywhere near land, or even corals. Surely it was by pure chance.
Regardless, Pulse wanted to do something, but she didn't want to harm it. She saw larger versions of this creature and she concluded this one may be a baby of that species. The animal being similar to the large, orange shelled creatures with pincers and a flat tail to swim; this one however, its main difference was its size, and the fact that instead of being orange, it was blue.
Pulse, despite trying to be professional in this encounter, couldn't help but think of how cute it was. It had such large expressive eyes…
She was outside, invisible, and maintained a nice distance of several meters from it. The little blue creature didn't move at all, still curled up with its tail close to its face. Pulse remained silent, unmoving, still watching it. She soon decided to move towards it, slowly, so as to not alert it. It still didn't move, so perhaps it didn't detect things through movement and relied on vision.
Pulse frowned. That thing around its body and tail looked painful now that she was closer. Some Kind of strings, or maybe a net. Whatever happened, this little one must have escaped where it got it from. Pulse really wanted to help it, she was now hoping this won't further compromise her existence, but it's probably already too late anyway. Pulse was very, very sure that it was intelligent enough that she could probably have a conversation with her if they could understand each other, there wasn't any proof of that yet, but, it's a gut feeling. She has encountered animals that display expressions such as the little creature in other worlds, but being expressive doesn't necessarily make something be considered as having sapience..
Pulse also has to rely on the possibility that even if this creature knew of her existence, others won't believe the little one regardless if they had complex communication. Like those alien abductions stories by the victims.
Pulse made her suit produce an audible buzzing sound enough for it to hear, to see how the creature will react. Immediately it perked up, and looked around. Pulse waited and watched it calm down and settle. Its eyes were wider than they were, and its pupils seemed to have shrunken and quickly scanned around for whatever caused it. It was clearly alert of its surroundings, yet it didn't seem to want to move. Perhaps it couldn't move, the thing it's entangled in must make it painful to move with.
It continued to look around for a minute, but soon settled its head back down, looking around a little fearfully, Pulse was sure of it from its eyes. She looked at her invisible full suited body, and decided to uncloak herself.
The little creature wasn't staring at her direction at the moment, looking the opposite way. Then it turned its head around, and saw Pulse. Its eyes widened, its tail and pincers seemed to move upward in realization, and likely fear. It slowly stood up, or trying to, looking at her with unblinking, fear filled eyes.
Pulse needed to move forward and take the netting tangled on its body so that it could leave.
Pulse took a step forward. This, on the other hand, made the little blue guy move more. It stood up from its seated position and moved backwards from the strange being, but not swimming. Pulse stopped for a few seconds, silently watching it and contemplating what to do next. The little thing moved some more, its large eyes staring in fear at Pulse. The silent stare down continued for at least a minute, both sides not knowing what the other would do.
Pulse suddenly lunged, and managed to get a grip on the creature. She held it down, one limb on its head to keep it there, another was reaching towards its tangled tail. Pulse felt the little creature struggle under her, not in pain, but to escape. It made high pitched cries through the water as it struggled, moving its legs and tail a lot. Pulse began to fear she could worsen its state by accidentally tightening the net or hitting it, or that it would hurt itself.
Pulse grit her teeth and tried to get a hold on its tail. Pulse moved so that she was on top of it, her weight keeping it down, but not enough to cause any extreme pressure or pain. Pulse was facing its tail, and since it couldn't move much with her on top of it, it was easier to get a grip on it.
She used some mechanical arms to carefully untangle the material. Pulse could now see the damage. She was sure this little thing was a baby of the large shelled creatures back at those underwater capture vehicles, and because of that its shell and skin was a little more tender than it should be. The ropes easily scraped its tail to the point that a bluish substance, most likely blood, was leaking out in some parts of the scraped skin and shell; it's likely it was infected too.
Pulse no longer felt the little creature struggling under her, finally staying still. Perhaps it knew she was helping it, or perhaps it decided to give up? Pulse wasn't sure. She managed to remove it with some effort, around its tail and then made it easy to free its tangled sleg, but at last the little blue thing was now freed from the tormenting object. Pulse rounded the rope into a ball and kept it to study, and swam off the blue creature. She stood a little distance from it to watch.
The little thing stood up, looked at Pulse, then tried its best to look at its tail. She watched it move it around a few times, probably testing it. The injuries were still pronounced, but at least the net wasn't attached to it anymore. Pulse was hoping, despite the injuries, that it will be able to somehow swim now.
It didn't take long however, using logic after seeing the extent of its injuries to its poor tail, she became very doubtful it would be able to. Indeed, she was right as the creature then sat down once again, keeping a wary eye at the alien citron.
Pulse merely stared. The small creature was not willing to leave, but she shouldn't have been surprised. The creature was now sitting down, its large adorable eyes looking at her, still looking scared.
She didn't know what to do now. She wanted it to leave once it had its tail free. Its tail must be far too damaged to be of use then. The short period of time it managed to swim was by sheer fear, and it's likely it will not survive for long in the wild. Its presence on top of her ship compromised her existence on this planet however, so she needs it to leave somehow. If any advanced or intelligent enough creature were to see it sitting on top of nothing, then they would certainly know something was very off.
If she killed it, nobody would bat an eye. It's just an 'animal' in the middle of nowhere. If it dies and somehow found, many may probably think it was the natural elements that were responsible or a predator. With its injuries it could die of infection. If it was an intelligent entity, part of a society or of the like, it could go and tell them about her if it lived. She can simply move her ship somewhere else if that happens, but it could be a matter of time before she is found again. The world is large, but not infinite. Pulse couldn't help but grimace at the rather macabre thoughts.
Regardless, she didn't want to hurt it, even if those thoughts about telling others of its kind about her exist. She just couldn't hurt such a thing. Pulse just had to figure out just what to do about it, without doing something to hurt it anymore than it already was.
Pulse felt if she just stood there or waited for it to leave on its own it would be a waste of time. Perhaps, Pulse had no choice but to take it with her, and see what she can do with it to help it. At the very least, it's a method to remove the creature off her ship.
The little blue guy stared at her, and it was then when Pulse decided to get a tiny bit closer. It flinched, its body tensed and looked ready to sprint from the looks of it, even if it will be a painful process for it. It would benefit Pulse more if it did. If it truly couldn't go, and she didn't want it to die, or have to put it down, she will have to take it with her, and see if she can help it.
She has made her decision.
With the set thought in motion, Pulse lunged at it with her mechanical appendages out. It didn't move in time so it was easily caught under her body and slegs. The creature struggled while it made panicked sounds. This little one really had a lot of fight in it, but at last it became immobile and stopped trying to fight her, too tired to continue. It looked at her with its exhausted large eyes on its big face. Pulse bit her lip, it was very cute. She didn't know how to tell it she wasn't here to hurt it.
Now that it was tired, Pulse fished out a small object in her suit and attached it to the forehead of the little blue creature. The little one flinched and attempted to touch it, but with its stumpy looking claws it couldn't reach it completely. It then tried to shake its head instead. Since that didn't work, it then tried to rub its face against Pulse's armors to get the device off. Pulse had a firm grip as it tried to get the object on its face off.
The two just stared at each other for a few moments once it gave up. Having had enough, Pulse later turned around and swam with it in her mechanical grasps. The blue crustacean looked confused, and a little worried but still didn't fight her as much anymore. It merely accepted its fate, whatever it might be.
'Perhaps it gave up trying to live and was waiting for her to eat him. Or perhaps, since I helped it by removing the binds on its tail, it actually trusted me or liked me, despite its attempt to get away.' Pulse pondered. It's possible, helping an animal, especially several times will make it feel safe to someone, or even rely on that person that helped it. This little blue creature may be doing the same.
Pulse swam down towards the bottom of her invisible spaceship. Before she entered, she activated the device via signal.
The little blue guy was enveloped in a spherical blue shield, separating it from the rest of the environment. The creature flinched upon seeing the shield ripple against the water. It attempted to touch the edge of the shield but it couldn't fully reach it with any of its limbs, the device containing it was keeping it in the center of the water filled sphere. Pulse was essentially no longer touching the blue creature, instead carrying the spherical shield with the creature in it.
Once inside, Pulse could see the little blue animal look around in what she was sure was mesmerized at the mechanical walls and lights. Pulse disinfected herself and the surface of the shield sphere. She soon walked out of it, taking the small animal with her into her ship.
Pulse was essentially giving the very nervous creature a tour as she walked through the metallic hallways. It's eyes circled in every direction trying to take everything in, for the moment no longer struggling but still had its everlasting fearful eyes.
Pulse soon got through a door, which led to her miniature laboratory. Pulse went around counters and other small obstacles to her destination for her new guest. At the far end of the wall, there was an air tight door and a little rectangular window next to it. It was an isolation chamber, which was where the small blue creature will stay for the time being in a moment.
There were two doors which made a space in between the lab and the chamber for decontamination. Pulse carried it through so the two were in the chamber. She took the little one into the isolated chamber once decontamination was over. Pulse wirelessly commanded the chamber to extend a space from the wall, which looked a lot like a cabinet, but it was a space to act as a tank for the little creature. There was a pane of glass at the front to allow the creature to see outside. The tank also had a sophisticated type of shield on top. This will allow her to pass any part of her body or tool through it but the creature couldn't.
Once it was placed inside the shield around it disappeared, and the tank was filled with the salt water it was in. The tank wasn't too big, but there was a half a foot of space between the crustacean and the wall so at least it wasn't very claustrophobic. The salt water in the tank reached just above its eyebrows, but it should be enough for the time being. Pulse doesn't intend to keep it here for long.
The little blue creature watched her, looking up almost on the verge of panicking. Pulse came back to it and looked at it closely. This was the first living being from the planet she has brought within her ship.
This caused the creature to back up fearfully, shaking in its place. She then used a command to scan the little blue creature's for basic biological data. The creature made a small noise as the blue scan washed over its body, waddling backwards against a wall. When the scan finished she received not only information about its biological makeup, but also a report of the extent of the damage.
Its tail was a little bent along with various lacerations, one of its legs also had lacerations. The report also indicated there was still some of the net stuck to it on its tail between its plates, along with injuries from blunt force trauma of some kind on its shell. There were micro fractures on the affected areas, too small to see with her eyes, thus Pulse couldn't have realized this was present. The only physical thing that she saw was the netting and the tail injury, but it must have encountered something else to induce such blunt force damage.
Pulse quickly went out the chamber to come back just a minute later to pick up a few select things in the lab. The creature spotted her return from under the shield and quickly scuttled backwards to the corner. It was breathing heavily.
When she approached it's tank again, it tried to move back some more but there was nothing but a metal wall behind it. It tried to squeeze itself even more in an attempt to hide further. Pulse continued to stare for a few seconds, then she went to use one of her limbs and managed to gently pin it down while holding her needed tools with metal appendages.
First was to remove any remaining netting that was still hung on its tail. Pulse gently turned its body to the side, and there she saw there was hair thin material of the net that was still wrapped painfully tight on its tail. Pulse used the equivalent of scissors and managed to gently lift it a little and snip it off without causing further injury.
Next was to apply some healing foam paste to stop any bleeding and relieve its pain. Pulse already checked the biological data, and the substance should have no negative impact on the small alien being.
Pulse moved a limb under the animal so that its tail was above the water, and sprayed from the long and thin tube some of the white green substance on the injuries.
The little crustacean was startled by the coldness of the substance, however it's pain was disappearing and it began to feel good. The itchiness and stings of the injuries were virtually gone in just half a minute. Pulse could see very clearly that it was calmer, yet from the way it was looking at her it was still on the alert.
Pulse put down her tool and picked up something else. They were two small syringes, one was filled with a special medical fluid and the other was empty. Pulse turned to the creature, finding it staring at her fearfully again. Pulse then used the empty syringe to slowly draw some of its blood for study. The creature whimpered at the stinging and feeling of the object in its flesh. As quickly as it happened, it was drawn from its body, which the creature looked up at.
Pulse gently placed the blood filled syringe down and picked up the other filled with the strange liquid. She gently injected it into its skin. The medical substance it injected into its body should take care of its internal injuries for the most part. Pulse swabbed some of its cells, lightly cut some tissue and loose dead skin for more study.
Pulse then left the chamber, leaving it alone for the moment. The creature looked at itself, trying to feel the two spots she punctured.
Pulse leaving the chamber gave it alone time for its thoughts. The creature looked at itself and its healing body, it could definitely feel a change, it was definitely feeling better than before. It was hard to describe, but it knew that whatever was happening, it was being healed. The pain it once felt on the inside of its body and out was disappearing. The weight and constriction of the net was also gone, which was a relief.
Pulse looked at it for a moment, but turned around and left. Pulse wanted it to relax so that it can heal in time, besides, she couldn't really keep it inside that container for a long time as she didn't have a filter in that tank to bring water from the outside. Keeping it for a while would eventually lead to the creature swimming in its own fluids. It was better to let it rest, and then release it once it has healed enough.
…
He cowered in the corner of the metal tank as the armored citron turned away from him. He didn't know where he was, or what their end goal was, but at least he was glad that they helped him.
Douglas felt he had some weird luck, however he finds that it's closer to bad, barely to neutral. He just had to have been caught in a zombie fishing vessel. Zombies don't give a flying damn that he's a baby lobster citron, he is a plant, an aquatic one. That's all they need to take him, and most likely eat him in a stew or something. There's also the fact that he was a rare blue lobster citron and not an orange or red one, which many zombies would love to catch and sell amongst themselves, giving those particular zombies which like rare things a goal to catch rare beings like himself.
Despite managing to escape he was injured since the zombies tried to get him, very ferociously at that for obvious reasons. The remains of the net he was in really did a number on his tail, rendering him a near disabled swimmer, which is a worse case scenario for an aquatic plant like him. Later getting swept away in a strong current unable to swim properly and hitting the invisible… submarine?... he presumed, was really the epitome of his day.
And then he was being taken in by this… pink and black fully armored citron with a yellow orange visor. He thought they were a shark with the fin looking appendage on atop their armor, at least he was glad it wasn't one. However, he was left with a lot of questions, who was this plant? Why are they here under the ocean inside an invisible submarine? Something new the plants on land are trying out? A secret operation he accidentally stumbled upon?
However, once he realized they were helping him, healing his tail and all, getting what was left of the net and such, he began to calm down considerably. At least he knew they weren't wanting to kill him or anything. Douglas wondered who they were at least. Douglas carefully turned his face to look at his healing tail. It didn't look as mangled as before, and he no longer felt much itchiness or pain.
He looked back to where he could see them, he's just going to call them a pink iron citron, where they were fiddling with some tools. He wasn't sure what the being was going to do with him now that he was healed, but while they did help him he was still scared and maybe a little paranoid. Since he was in a strange tank, and seemingly having a force field above his head to stop any possible escape, he probably won't get out for a while.
He wanted to sleep and rest off some of his fears but his mind refused, still thinking there might be some underlying motive behind his strange doctor. Douglas decided to simply curl up a little, but still refused to sleep and preferred to watch the being that took him in.
He couldn't tell what they were doing, they were walking around, and seemingly looking into things. They appeared to be some kind of science tool that he had heard about before. They just kept looking using the tool, going back and forth in the space outside the room his tank and chamber was in.
Douglas decided to turn his attention to the space above the tank. He could see the shimmering blue force field. He has seen the citron reach him through it with the pointy tools along with any of their appendages. Douglas moved his body up, getting a closer look. If the being can get through maybe he can as well, he has not tried it yet. He probably can't but it was worth a try.
He reached a claw up towards it slowly, and very reluctantly. He wasn't sure what it was going to do to him, it could shock him. Douglas stopped about three inches from the force field, having second thoughts about this action. Considering it was most likely to contain him, he decided to just poke it, in quick suggestion.
Douglas felt it with his claw and quickly retracted it, the action done in a half second. He watched the forcefield ripple, then looked down to his claw. He didn't feel pain, no burning or electrocution, looks like the forcefield is to simply contain him without any secondary effect in place. This gave some relief to him, but he still had a lot of questions.
Douglas decided to curl up and rest a little. He managed to take a look at his tail, which was in a better state than it was before. He gently moved it up and down, and from side to side. He felt a few stronger stings, but it was significantly better than when he was trying to swim in agonizing pain, and at least it isn't bleeding anymore. Considering he couldn't get out, he had no choice but to wait and see what would happen, and he was very anxious. He spent his time just looking around, where the minutes felt like hours, watching the entity move outside, doing things he didn't know or even understand.
He made sure to avoid falling asleep despite his eyes trying to close on him. He felt just the tiniest bit claustrophobic in his tank, but managed to involuntarily get a small nap. He doesn't remember when he ended up sleeping, it wasn't what he wanted to do, he wanted to stay awake and watch his surroundings and the citron for anything. However, swimming for hours trying to stay safe without rest and then getting into a likely safe place would that to creatures, guess his body decided now was a good sleep.
Douglas suddenly jumped, wide awake, at the hissing sound of a door opening, any sleep left was vaporized and he was wide awake. He looked through the glass and saw the pink armored citron approach his tank. How did he fall asleep, how long was he out? He couldn't see if it was still day or night, there weren't any windows in the walls.
Douglas looked up in fear, waiting for what they were going to do to him. Douglas yelped when he was suddenly picked by some force, and he realized that he was back in the bubble when he was brought inside in the first place. Douglas was scared, what was this strange citron going to do now? He was trying to stay calm, but being paranoid in a giant ocean where there are many predators who want to eat you and zombies who want to catch you for who knows what has helped him avoid death many times.
Douglas suddenly felt metal ground under his feet, and no water. He was still inside the container, but it didn't have any water anymore, it was drained. The iron citron turned away to do something. Douglas couldn't see since the plant's back was facing him, any form of looking around them was futile. The absence of water terrified him.
Before he could think or say anything else, he was doused with some kind of light greenish fluid. Some of it got into his mouth, he quickly spat and spit feverishly, trying anything to get it out of his mouth. It tasted awful and bitter, and some got into his eyes, which strangely didn't sting him but he didn't want to take any chances and tried to wipe his eyes. He also wiped his tongue, really disliking the taste of the liquid, he hoped it wasn't going to do anything to his insides. The sprays inside the container stopped showering him with the substance.
Douglas squinted his eyes to avoid taking anymore into them. He was surprised to find greenish bubbles all around him, along with the feeling of what was a bit of itchiness all along his body, they were not painful yet they itched. He couldn't help but to start to scratch a little at his more exposed areas. His tail was especially itchy. The bubbles became so numerous that he could no longer see through the glass.
Douglas began to whimper in paranoia, not knowing why he was kept in here and why he was being showered by this strange liquid. He moved forward and he tried to claw at the glass. "P-please! I want to get out!" He clawed more, not making a dent through the see-through material. He just kept clawing and clawing and even if it didn't make a dent he still continued.
The sprays then activated once again. However, instead of more green liquid that Douglas expected, he was showered by water. Sea water in fact. Douglas looked around, only a little bit of his mind was in relief with having something familiar. It didn't take long for him to snap back to reality and resume clawing the glass. The sea water was cleaning away the bubbles and emptying the tank of the liquids, now Douglas could see the inside of his tank again.
Douglas then felt himself being picked up by an invisible force, his feet flailing in the air. He saw the iron citron from the corner of his eyes, and just continued to wail in the bubble. His surroundings moved, he was moving, being moved, but where exactly? He wasn't sure.
Douglas didn't stop his flailing, not one bit. The poor little crustacean had all kinds of scenarios playing in his head as to what his fate was going to be. He couldn't stop fearing for his life.
Douglas' vision was suddenly enveloped in water. Lots of water actually.
Douglas looked confused. He was in water, yet he didn't feel it. One look around and he saw that he was still in the strange anti-gravity grip of the iron citron's orb device. He soon realized the two of them were actually outside in the ocean again. He was outside.
Suddenly Douglas was freed from the device. The citron held him for a moment and removed the metal object from his forehead. They then let him go.
As soon as he realized he was freed, he immediately fled. His tail, previously near unusable, was now useful, and hardly felt any pain when he swam far away from the area. He didn't look back, instinct telling him to swim from the unknown, but in his heart, he was thankful for what this strange plant did for him.
Happy July fellow readers.
It's been quite a wild time, 2020 and 2021. I hope everyone is doing well and healthy from the virus.
I finally uploaded this chapter, and apologies for not updating anything since March 2020, but this is nothing to my other story which I haven't updated since 2018. I will get to that story in time. I never said I abandoned my stories, I will get to updating them with new chapters, and I hope I can do that more frequently than a chapter once every year or something.
I really appreciate anyone that is still around to read my story, not sure whether you're reading and staying out of curiosity, the story itself, characters, or being avid fans of some sort or maybe something else I can't name. Thank you everyone for sticking around!
Chapter Word count: 8.9k
Chapter published on: July 11, 2021