Alita 4
A specimen is making her uncomfortable
So far, according to a transcription of Alita’s voice log, she has made a 10,000-year journey back to our time for research, including studying live specimens. But one of them is causing her trouble.
If you’ve missed any of the story, you’ll find everything to this point at this link.
He's still looking at me. It can't be comfortable for him. He has to angle his head half sideways to keep his eyes directed my way. Ha. I can't help laughing at him. He's funny. Hard to imagine he lives in a totally different world. He seems so normal, so friendly. He does look a little scared and a little angry just now.
Outer suit removal is complete. It is a relief to move about the pod with my own limbs.
The girl is still sleeping. The man is looking around but mostly at me. He seems to be attempting to communicate, which is a little ridiculous. What can we communicate through a shell? Opening a shell is so much against protocol that only maintenance people have the training to do it. I have no idea how, nor do I have any inclination to take that risk.
The DNA spectrometers are reaping unbelievable quantities of data from every living being their beams can reach. Estimates of each species are being honed every hour. The estimate for humans on the whole planet is now levelling at about 7 billion. That is far greater than we were led to believe for this time period. We will have to investigate what brought the numbers down to 2 billion about 3,000 years from now. It has been presumed that there was a steady growth prior to that.
Maintenance manuals for emergency repairs state there is at least one backup for every piece of equipment. Including shells! Including shells. Now scrolling the database. Password required. I see. I would have to report an emergency to get a password.
What is he doing? He's actually making a sound. The human male in Shell #2 is rocking himself such that his elbow knocks against the shell with each rocking motion, causing sound vibrations.
What about an imminent emergency? I should be prepared to act if necessary. There is no need to open this shell, in fact it is presumed very dangerous to contaminate my environment with ancient humans, and probably the other way around as well. I won't open it but he's knocking. I should tighten his web and increase the Enkios dosage.
I just want to be prepared. I'm going to order an emergency password. It might come in handy if something else comes up as well. Double request required. Okay. Got it.
Scans are finished with the girl, but the psychic scan has stalled on the man. The other ones are complete. The health of both specimens is excellent. The girl has been dreaming, about what? I can analyze that more completely at home. Neither will have any problem with the return transport. I shouldn't have let the man move. He keeps making noise and I think his motion has triggered a crash of the psychic scan.
It is a shame I will not get data on his thought patterns, habits, attitudes, logical and emotional approaches to problem solving, religious tendencies, the relationship of his dreams and conscious tasks, and the convergences or conflicts of his energy points.
I wish I could just talk to him. That would yield some of the data the scan won’t get. That would actually give me data I would not otherwise have at all. It might shed some totally new light on everything, in fact. But at such a risk. We don't know the possible impact, but we are pretty sure it would be negative and uncontrollable.
The clear but slightly off-colored round spots in the corners of the shell's outer film are actually fastening devices, it says here. I never noticed them before. They are engaged by the force tool inside cabinet 14. A full head mask must be worn. A mask underlies the floor of cabinet 14.
He has stopped rocking. His eyes are closed. Good. Maybe he'll get back to sleep and I can stay on schedule. I'll try to re-engage the psychic scanner.
OH. A shock to my system. I am barely five centimeters from the shell, setting the scanner, when I see his eyes wide open staring at me. Those eyes, so insistent. They are saying something, heartfelt, like pleading. I cannot help but stare back into his eyes. We are engaged eye to eye and continue so. Neither of us is moving. I can hardly breathe. I feel so strange. Who is this man?
He is jutting his chin at me. He is moving his mouth. I think he is trying to talk to me. Maybe he sees me talking into my flight log and is talking to me. Maybe he thinks I am talking to him. Or maybe he is just talking to himself like I am. I am loosening his web to see what other actions he engages in. This is probably stupid. Why do I take this risk?
He is very agitated now. I shouldn't be encouraging him. But I am an anthropology student gathering data for my thesis. Why should I not watch him closely? Because I feel odd doing this.
Why does it matter what I feel? I suppose it matters because I shouldn't be feeling anything at all.
I don't understand myself. He is a specimen. I am studying him. He is just data. But I am staring into his eyes as if he were a colleague, or friend, or, since I'm in total control and he's totally helpless, a victim. My victim. I do not want to have a victim. I am just a researcher.
I must have total control, for the sake of my data, my mission, the Institute, and for safety. But my feelings betray me. I don't really want total control.
I am beginning to think that some part of me actually likes risk. To what end? Why take any risks? The risk with Ranlen, was it something I'd gamble again? No. Why am I leaning again toward risk, or even considering it? Because my mind likes to play games. I am a curious woman. He finds me curious. I wonder if he sees me as a woman? Does he see me as an alien? An enemy? Does he think I have imprisoned or kidnapped him forever? Or that I'm going to use him or harm him? He will soon find himself back where he was, and his questions will be answered. Or should I reassure him?
I have 5.8 hours left with him. I will think about increasing the Enkios. I should. He is distracting me. I will stop thinking about the specimen.
I have neglected inspections. Now initiating a check of pod maintenance equipment. Will be inspecting air scrubbers, compression, content humidity controls, navigational strometer. I will report anything unusual. Tuning out for now until completed. The man is not moving but his eyes are still open. Now he's closed them.
To be continued in 2 weeks.