Empyrean Iris

Chapter 31

Krill had finally figured it out! Or at least he had figured a part of it out. Since boarding the ship he had been trying to learn more about humans, trying to understand what made them tick. And while he was still a ways from answering that particular question he had at least answered part of it.

And what was better, or perhaps worse – he wasn't entirely sure yet—but he didn't just understand in a theoretical way, he understood in a personal way, in the way that you understand through feelings and emotions.

He found the sensation rather startling at the same time it was fascinating.

It was difficult to quantify, and even harder to put into writing. He doubted that he would be able to write it into a paper, but still this feeling gave him more understanding than the whole of books that might have bothered to describe the sensation.

Protectiveness.

Yeah sure he had felt protective over things before, mostly his job title and his job description, and his reputation, but this was much stronger. This was the kind of protectiveness that made you do stupid things, like encourage humans to make explosives out of tree seeds, or drop pods on other creature's heads when they were messing with something he considered to be his property.

Krill understood why humans had pets, especially dangerous ones, because he, too, felt this same way.

There was something greatly satisfying about having some measure of control over a creature that was arguably more dangerous than yourself. Something glorious about knowing that this deadly creature relied on you for something and trusted you beyond the reason with which they should bother to trust.

Of course, a part of him wondered whether he had gone mad, but he rationalized that a mad creature probably didn't contemplate his own madness, and even if he was mad, what a glorious feeling it was.

Powerful even.

However, there were a few downsides to his new discovery and line of thinking. With responsibility and possessiveness came great and abiding worry, an almost paralyzing fear that something was going to happen to his humans, something that he couldn't control.

What would he do if one of them died?

He shuddered to think on that idea.

And that was when he decided he was no longer interested in field work. He had had enough for one lifetime, enough of marathons on death planets and enough of fighting strange creatures in red jungles against human weapons. If he was going to protect these humans he was going to do it his way: in the safety and comfort of academia and medicine.

And that meant figuring out what had really happened to the deceased human.

Dr. Kedd had been out when his call finally went through, so he resigned himself to figuring this out on his own terms.

Eye sockets, that was the key.

Ah the safety and security of academia and medicine he thought wryly as he examined the hollow socket one more time.

That should be enough, he thought to himself, stepping back and removing the sterile drape from his upper appendages.

He motioned one of the human medical assistants over and had them push the door to the freezer closed concealing the body inside. From there he moved over into the next room, and then into the back office.

Of course, had his own office up on the administrative deck, but he wanted to keep close to the body just in case he learned anything of use or wished to contrast the visual aid with his notes.