From Europa with love

From Europa With Love: Part VI

SIX

When Kulcin and Belle arrived on Europa level they were greeted by Dr. Rhani Gupta. "Did Otto tell you about the marine samples?" she inquired.

"Only that there was evidence of marine life." he replied.

"How did you know to look for them?" Rhani asked him.

"I had a feeling they would be there," he replied, but kept the reason why to himself. "What have you found?"

"Follow me," Rhani directed, and led them to the small huddle room located at the back of the lab.

"Have you mentioned this to anyone else, Rhani?"

"Not yet. Otto made it clear to bring you in first."

After they were seated, Rhani brought up the panels and splashed a live feed onto the glass wall, where the live specimens lay just on the other side. What appeared on the panels before them were life-forms composed of barbed glass rods, spicules, each emitting waves of spectral light and combining to form new arching shapes; their collective behavior acting as one.

Kulcin had been studying the images, intensely.

"Have you seen these before?" Rhani asked. "Their composition is entirely inorganic."

Kulcin did not answer her question but knew exactly what they were; and once again, he began to feel the waves of pressure rising from the base of his skull.

"Kulcin, did you hear me? Do these look familiar to you?"

"I don't know," he lied, and feeling uncomfortable, got up from the table and walked to the other side of the room. "What are we looking at here, Otto?" he said trying to deflect the attention Rhani was paying to him.

"Dr. Gupta is correct. These entities are an entirely new inorganic sentient form."

Shocked by Otto's clarification, "These are alive!" Rhani declared"

"Not in the way that organic life forms are known by humans, Dr. Gupta." Otto replied. "This life form also mistrusts biologics."

Rhani brought the palm of her hand up to her mouth, speechless.

"Oh... what Otto...did you and It have a little talk?" Kulcin stated, now feeling the pressure mounting in his head.

"Affirmative, Kulcin."

He was staggered momentarily. "So how is it you didn't think to tell me this earlier, Otto?"

"I have only now identified how to communicate with the entity. When we were on the surface of Europa, I felt I had been breached. They had implanted some new constructs that were hidden until now.

"Just stop, Otto, stop!" Kulcin ordered as he paced back and forth across the room, running his hands through his hair trying to think.

Rhani had not taken her eyes from the display until Kulcin was standing beside her. She looked up at him with focused examination, making him uneasy. He turned full circle with his arms out. "What? Am I not fashionable enough?"

"They are following you." Rhani stated.

Belle looked back at the display. "What do you mean, following him?"

"Walk back to the far end of the table, Kulcin," Rhani instructed. He complied, this time viewing the display as he walked. He watched as the spicules re-aligned to his position in the room. When he stopped, the spicules remained still. He raised his arms, and the pattern morphed. He watched as the array shimmered and doubled in size. Belle and Rhani turned to Kulcin, their mouths opened.