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

Chapter 104

The fluid leaking from the dissected space tuna was collected.

A small creature plopped into it. This must be the creature that was inside the space tuna.

"...A fetus?"

Emotion, who had been watching beside Kait, muttered those words softly.

A pure white mass of flesh, devoid of any pigment. On closer inspection, it did resemble a fetus.

If something of that size had caused the earlier devastation, then surely it had cost its life in the process.

However, that emotional outburst had been erratic. Probably not something it used knowingly. Kait's intuition whispered that it might have been imprinted to act that way.

"Then, we'll begin the analysis and dissection. What will you do, Captain?"

"I'll return to my room. Everything should be fine now, so just let me know the results."

"Understood."

Someone inside the space tuna, driven by fear and anxiety in an unfamiliar place, had scattered a small life. Yet, there were still things they didn't understand.

The emotions he expressed were extremely immature. The scale of damage caused was large, but it felt more like a child's tantrum. His immaturity didn't match the level of technology aboard the ship.

Perhaps the one Kait had captured was an especially young specimen. Feeling a bit gloomy, he decided to wait in his room until the analysis results came out.

***

"To get straight to the point, it wasn't a fetus."

"Not a fetus? Then what about that appearance?"

Kait and Emotion, summoned again to the research block, headed there on foot this time. It didn't seem to be an urgent matter. Besides Nezasuriwe, several other staff members were also present. It was a relief to see they had recovered safely.

Now then. In response to Nezasuriwe's answer, Emotion voiced her doubt. Even Kait, who had seen the fetus-like form, couldn't accept that explanation.

Nezasuriwe exhaled slowly. Perhaps they thought it was natural for Emotion to have doubts. While showing detailed data on a nearby monitor, they began to explain.

"It wasn't a fetus. Based on the time progression of his cells, the results show he has lived for about the same duration as the Captain."

"...What?"

Even Kait was surprised by that. Since he had left Earth, he couldn't say for certain, but he was probably over twenty. Due to modifications, he no longer aged naturally, so he had become vague about his age.

If he asked Emotion, she might be able to provide his exact age, but that wasn't the real issue.

"So, that appearance is their normal form?"

"That's right. The insides of all those space tuna are likely shaped like him."

"Hmm."

"What was the liquid that filled the inside?"

"We believe it was a nutrient source. The patterns on the surface of the space tuna's hull seemed to circulate it throughout the ship. Since bacteria that generate energy when exposed to light were found to be proliferating, it's thought that the internal organisms produced energy by cycling it through the hull inside and out."

"I see..."

As a system, it was remarkably well thought out.

From its appearance, it seemed like a bizarre creature that had only developed telepathy, but it must have had the technology to build such a ship.

Protected by the durable shell of the space tuna, it traveled through the universe. A spark of realization flashed through Kait's mind.

"It's kind of like a marsupial."

"I think it's a little different... but not entirely dissimilar, maybe."

"What's a marsupial?"

"A type of animal that existed on Earth, Emotion."

"Yes. Here's the available information."

Prompted by Kait, Emotion sent the data to Nezasuriwe and the others.

One of the staff members, after reading the data thoroughly, let out a thoughtful hum.

"So they raise immature offspring in something called a pouch. If we consider the space tuna's hull a pouch, then yes, it might be similar."

"But that also depends on whether that fetus-like creature has room to grow further."

Nezasuriwe brought up the fundamental issue.

"Of course, we haven't fully analyzed their biology, so it might just be that their lifespan is a hundred times that of an unmodified Earthling."

"But wouldn't that mean the fetus-like creature is simply a fetus or an immature child?"

"True. Now that we've introduced the idea of marsupials, we can't rule out that possibility either."

Kait wondered if he had stirred up unnecessary confusion and reflected on it a little.

However, it seemed Nezasuriwe and the others weren't in a rush to draw conclusions on that matter. They set aside the fetus debate and moved on to the next topic.

"Now, this is the most important point."

"Yes."

"It's become clear that they likely don't possess a biology that can withstand environmental changes."

"What do you mean?"

"They live entirely within the space tuna."

Nezasuriwe's tone was extremely heavy. Perhaps it was regret for having so readily decided to dissect the space tuna.

"First, their limbs for movement have completely degenerated. They do have reproductive organs, so it's certain they engage in reproduction with multiple individuals."

"But without limbs for movement..."

"The method is unknown. But at the very least, he was born around the same time as Captain Kait. It's certain he was born through reproductive activity around that time."

A discussion began between the research staff and Nezasuriwe. It was likely that such debates had already been ongoing before Kait and the others arrived.

Confirming that no valid conclusion could be reached, Nezasuriwe continued the discussion.

"Also, they seem to lack anything resembling an immune system. Whether they were always like that or gradually lost it due to their lifestyle is unclear, but they don't have one."

"Meaning..."

"If they leave that liquid, they'll probably die from infection almost immediately."

Things were becoming more and more incomprehensible.

Compared to how the space tuna moved about, the creature inside was far too biologically fragile.

Suddenly, a question Kait couldn't ignore surfaced in his mind. A question that couldn't be overlooked when discussing the space tuna's biology.

"Um..."

"What is it, Captain?"

"The space tuna were flying through space even before the Federation existed, right?"

"There are records of that, yes. Why?"

"The space tuna are ships, right?"

"Correct."

"So... who built the ships?"

"...Ah."

At the very least, it's clear that the ones inside the space tuna now couldn't possibly build such ships.

Are their numbers increasing or decreasing? Meteor showers have been observed many times, and there are even fossils that resemble them. Yet after landing as meteor showers, the biological data extracted from those fossils show no signs of having mingled with or influenced the planet's native lifeforms.

"Captain, are you suggesting that someone on some planet is still producing those ships?"

"No, I don't think so. At the very least, the Federation and the Corporation were established after they began circulating. They've been spotted many times, and yet no one knows their origin? That seems unlikely."

"Couldn't they be coming from outside our sphere of influence, like the space eels?"

Many opinions were offered, but none were truly convincing.

No, each opinion had its merits. It's just that none could provide a complete answer.

Even if the space tuna could travel through the universe at high speed, there's a limit to how far they could go in a hundred or a thousand years. Within that range, it's hard to believe the Federation or the Corporation couldn't find their point of origin.

That being the case, their point of origin must be farther away—or perhaps it no longer exists. That seemed the most natural conclusion to Kait.

"What if they were just ordinary creatures that ventured into space?"

Just like discarding the preconceived notion of "tuna," they needed to discard all assumptions and think anew. What if they were intelligent beings, and they themselves had built the ships?

"...No way."

Kait turned his gaze to the dismantled ship.

There was no doubt it was a ship. Over many generations, it must have been modified again and again. If any of its original functions or remnants remained...

"Branch Director. Was there any trace of a communication device in the space tuna to contact other 'ships'?"

Even if they had gained telepathic abilities and no longer needed communication devices...

The fact that they gathered suggested they must have had a culture of communication.