ASAAPS #2: Planet Adelphi 655

Chapter 5: Docking procedures

Summary:

With a few sparse hours until touch down, apprehension is running high, Robin and Al-an try to pass the time with a movie.

Chapter:

Hours drifted by as Robin's mind slowly digested the recent truth that her architect had passively entrusted with her, it brought to light that while she was one hundred percent certain why she was fighting the Kaahra bacterium, for humanity and the predecessors, for Sam, for Al-an.

She had never actually asked the architect what his reasons were, she never stopped to consider that perhaps her companion's reasoning might have been just as personal as her own or at least to some degree similar and not simply a hive mind collective directive he was simply enforcing..

Was she unfairly humanizing him again? She didn't know but she equally didn't think she was, aliens or not the architects had experienced devastating loss as a result of the virus, and loss was something that could be easily translated throughout worlds, she just wished she knew this sooner. resolutely she promised herself to be more perceptive in the future.

In reality she hardly knew much of Al-an's life outside of his efforts and ultimate failure to combat the bacterium, frankly Al-an seldom spoke of his life outside his duties and scientific exploits at all, he never seemed particularly like the social type either, yet he never once seemed opposed or even vaguely bothered by her presence or contact.

He definitely exuded the air of reclusive scientist, but in truth it would be something that the two would have to learn overtime, they had years to learn about each other so long as they kept each other safe, a feat Robin was more then prepared to undertake.

Robin let her mind wonder to their possible future, what would they do when they finally culled the bacterium out? And if they did discover the architects were still alive and in hiding? Would Al-an want to go rejoin with his hivemind? Perhaps pick a mate or be forced to have more offspring?

While the first thought had Robin feeling decidedly odd for what reason she was unsure, She outright hated the likelihood of the latter, and despite Al-an's indifference to the subject in truth it made Robin's stomach twist, but these were human philosophies, as as a researcher she knew that they likely did not apply to his species.

But what if he had a mate already? Would he still be forced into reproducing with another he did not want? She wanted to ask more but thought better of it, Al-an was anxious enough there was always later.

Instead she focused on the task at hand, and moved to help Al-an fill vials of the antivirus, they would deploy a precautionary self detonating mine containing the augmented Enzyme 42 cure into the planet's dominate water sources, that way even if they don't encounter any visually infected fauna the antivirus would still be introduced into the ecosystem and eventually spread through water consumption and aquatic life.

It would be a slow progression but a method Al-an had proved to be prosperous as the Enzyme 42 within the anti virus was revealed to be equally as radial as the bacterium itself, it's proteins living on years after it's dispersal.

There was no doubt about it, the anti-virus would work where administered, both she and Al-an were confident of this.

...