Two-Person Galactic Journey: Earth Was Destroyed While Imprisoned in Space Prison

Chapter 103

Continuing to decelerate, Queen Bee was finally retrieved into the arriving Eanipol. While flying through the ship with the space tuna in its grasp, it was guided to a different area from the usual port section.

'Captain, well done. Place the space tuna in that position. It would help if you could hold it down until it's secured so it doesn't start moving suddenly.'

"Understood. ...But since we captured it, it hasn't reacted at all."

'Really? Even now, it's a mysterious being. Alright, secure it.'

When the space tuna was placed on the pedestal, ring-like parts from the front and back clamped down to secure it. I see—this would definitely keep it from moving.

Since they said it was okay to release it, Queen Bee's hands were disassembled into Worker Bees and withdrawn. Kait stepped back slightly and carefully observed the secured space tuna.

In its restrained state, it was impossible to tell which end was the front or back. With the patterns on its surface, it looked like nothing more than a capsule-shaped ship.

"Yeah, it's a ship after all."

'It seems so, Captain. The next step is to investigate the biological reactions and source of its technology.'

"Leave the rest to the specialists, huh? Okay, let's return Queen Bee."

Kait, not being a researcher like Emotion, had nothing else to do here. First, he would return Queen Bee to the port section and wait for the next instructions.

When they landed at the port section, Derenidene came to greet them.

"Good work, Captain. That was impressive."

"Thanks, Derenidene. So, we're on standby for a while?"

"Yes. I'll show you and Emotion to your rooms."

"Appreciate it."

If possible, he wanted to take a nap. It seemed the high-speed operation without barriers had been more stressful than he realized.

***

Kait didn't wake up because someone called him. Well, maybe he was awakened as a result, but it wasn't intentional.

"Emotion. How long was I asleep?"

"Let's see, around five hours, I think. You haven't had any proper rest in a bed lately, so perhaps your body demanded it."

"Yeah... I see."

Responding a bit heavily to Emotion's light remark, he turned his eyes to the monitor.

He didn't answer the question of "What's wrong?" and remained silent for a few seconds.

'Sorry, Emotion. I was going to wake the Captain... oh, you're already awake.'

"Yeah. Did something happen?"

'Something did... or didn't, maybe. I'll send directions—could you come here?'

Nezasuriwe appeared on the monitor, looking quite troubled. Since they seemed surprised Kait was awake, they must have been monitoring the situation to some extent.

When Kait nodded in agreement, Nezasuriwe disappeared from the monitor looking slightly relieved. Whether good or bad, it seemed there had been some development regarding the space tuna.

As Kait stood and stretched, Emotion called out in clearly confused tones.

"Captain?"

"I just... felt something."

"Felt something?"

"Yeah. Something primitive, how should I put it... unrefined emotions."

Like a crying baby. Like facing a danger you don't know how to solve. Like that moment of unspeakable fear.

Within the massive ship called Eanipol, he felt those emotions burst forth. Rather than the emotions interacting with Kait's psychic power, it was more like someone exploded with those feelings and he received them.

This ship was huge. If emotions could reach even Kait, who was relatively far away, then it wouldn't be surprising if people near the research site were affected too. That would mean the being inside the space tuna possessed powers similar to their psychic power.

"Excuse me, Captain. The Branch Director has requested you be escorted to the research section."

"Understood. Let's go, Emotion."

"Y-Yes."

Leaving the comfortable room, they boarded a small transport craft. The fact that such a thing was dispatched indicated a serious emergency.

Things had taken a strange turn. Kait had a feeling this job would still have a few upheavals left.

***

The research section was a disaster, with several staff members running back and forth.

It didn't look like there were any fatalities, but many staff had collapsed, and others were struggling to carry them out.

Even those who entered the room to help carry people out were collapsing after a few trips.

"Captain, what is happening here?"

"Emotion, are you okay?"

"Y-Yes. The sensors aren't detecting anything either. Why are they in such a state...?"

"Emotion, help the staff with the evacuations. Derenidene, stay here."

"Eh, but I could—"

"If you go in like this, the same thing will probably happen to you."

There was no time to explain. Kait went deeper into the room and sent a telepathic message toward the source of the chaos—the being inside the space tuna.

What he sent was a message to calm down. The emotions of confusion, fear, and rage that had been spreading indiscriminately now sensed his presence and began to focus their emotional waves on him.

It was a strong telepathy, but Kait had endured the overwhelming gratitude from the space jellyfish before. He withstood the emotional storm and guided it toward calm.

Gradually, the emotional turbulence began to subside. At the same time, the telepathic vortex surrounding the area started to dissipate. Some staff began standing up, holding their heads.

Nezasuriwe, who had been watching from outside the room, sent a transmission.

'C-Captain. Are you alright?'

"Yeah. I've calmed it down for now. Prioritize rescuing the staff first."

'G-Got it. Explain it to me later, okay!'

As Nezasuriwe issued orders, the surrounding area became busier. Kait looked up at the space tuna's hull. He now understood part of why they could move in schools.

***

"Mental waves?"

"That's probably the most accurate way to describe it. Basically, it's a psychic power that directly slams a will of rejection into the opponent's mind."

"A will of rejection... so that's why the staff collapsed."

"Yes. Emotion was likely unharmed because she's an artificial intelligence. There aren't many AIs in the Corporation, right?"

"Makes sense. The Corporation mostly consists of protected rare species."

The large number of organic staff was a trait unique to the Corporation, unlike the Federation. That trait had backfired this time.

Nezasuriwe looked bitterly at the space tuna below. Most of the research staff were now receiving treatment in the medical bay. While there was no threat to life or sanity, if the cause remained unknown, some might suffer aftereffects or even die.

"What were you trying to do?"

"Dissection. We tried to dissect it, and that's when everything happened."

"That's pretty reckless."

"It didn't respond to any form of communication. We couldn't judge whether the being inside was intelligent. But... is it safe to say it uses psychic power like you two?"

It seemed that based on Kait and Emotion's report, the conclusion had been reached that the space tuna was a ship. After scanning and confirming the exterior material, the next step was to examine the creature inside. There didn't seem to be any particular problem with that.

Kait, like Nezasuriwe, looked at the space tuna. If telepathy was considered a psychic power, then yes—but it didn't feel like the creature understood Kait's abilities. In that case, perhaps something different.

"I think perhaps it developed only the ability of telepathy, to communicate without language. Since they travel in large schools toward a destination, that would make sense."

"So it's not a psychic?"

"That mental wave might be both an attack against surrounding threats and a distress signal to its companions. Have any space tuna approached?"

"Wait, I'll check. ...So far, no ships are heading this way. But considering their speed, we should stay on alert."

While Nezasuriwe gave instructions to the bridge, Kait fell into deeper thought.

The creature inside the space tuna emitted telepathy comparable to Kait or the space jellyfish. Conversely, Kait and the space jellyfish could do the same. If they abandoned all other psychic powers and focused only on telepathy, it might be possible. But—

"...It's too small."

The creature Kait sensed with his psychic power was small enough to fit in the palm of his hand. And yet it emitted such strong telepathy?

He sent a very weak psychic power into the space tuna. It passed through the outer shell and into the interior. It seemed filled with some warm liquid. And then—the body. It was small. And—

"So it pushed itself too far, after all."

Its pulse was gradually weakening. From its already tiny body, the last remnants of life were slipping away.

"Captain, what's wrong?"

"...It's alright now."

"Huh?"

"The creature inside, now—"

Was that action conscious, or instinctual?

Probably its only, and final, method of attack against external threats. Once used, all that remained was to die.

"I see."

Nezasuriwe seemed to understand as well. Solemnly, yet firmly, they declared:

"Resume the dissection. Treat the remains with respect."