Creation Rings

Part 15 - Infraglotic space

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After the most recent revelations, I was starting to have my doubts about our visitor. The scientific team, when confronted with Harar's testimony had agreed with Head Director Ell's suspicion that there was more to the meeting than what Harar was telling us, and that what he was telling us was probably not entirely true. 

We were all sitting at the same table, the General, the Head Director, and the entire scientific team. Liuro had reverted to his spy theories, and now the medical team had reservations about it too. The word "invasion" was being thrown around.

"People, focus." the Head Director interrupted the useless discussion. "Everything we have so far is conjecture, and it serves no purpose to give in to fear. If the alien ill-intentioned, than all the more reason for us to find everything about it that we can."

"What do you suggest we do then?" Liuro asked.

"Our only progress has come through its interactions with Doctor Vatu. Re-think what we have done through that prism so we may cultivate whatever that relationship is and use it to our advantage."

That was a rather cold approach, I couldn't help but think, but it was the logical approach.

"So what? We have Vatu spend more time with it? Wine and dine him, perhaps?" Liuro chuckled sarcastically. "Let's just get it over with and dissect the thing."

"Actually, that might be a good idea. Might foster some trust." Ell replied, "From what we can tell, his civilization is probably more advanced than ours, so it's probably best we avoid killing our only source of information for a potential upcoming hostile force. The same reasoning applies if he is friendly, might be rather upsetting if we kill a representative of a technologically superior civilization. So, killing it might be an altogether bad idea. Wouldn't you agree, Professor Liuro?"

The General smiled at the Head Directors remarks, sarcasm striking right back at Liuro, who simply nodded.

We finished a few details of what we would try in the coming days and wrapped up the meeting. I was going to be the "designated liaison" from now on. All attempts at communicating would come through me, and I would accompany it during its meals from now on.

I started my new strategy by trying to engage him about the books, but again he seemed uninterested. However, it appeared he wanted to make swimming a routine. He found the book and pointed to the swimming children yet again. I didn't mind it much, and Ell found it a good sign, "if he enjoys it, he is sharing it with you, and that is a step forward." The second time Ell joined in as well.

I was starting to find Ell more and more intriguing. He as single-minded as you would expect a man of his stature, and he was quite observant. The second time he joined us, he made a rather unique observation: the tips of the alien's fingers would wrinkle if he spent more time in the water. I couldn't explain it. I could see no logical reason why they would do that.

For a week now, we would repeat this cycle. I would try to communicate. He would look at me when  I did but would, invariably, lose interest. Sometime before lunchtime, it would ask to swim, and that was about as much as it ever got accomplished.

A few days in I lost my patience and broke protocol during dinner.

"We have run all the tests we can think of, tried everything to get you to communicate with us; I have been eating with you and taking you swimming every day for a week now. Yet you still won't even so much as make a sound. Even the High Priest got more out of you. I'm so frustrated I have even started to think about praying. I mean, the best scientific minds of this entire world can't make head or toe of this..."