With the scanner that Cassandra ‘borrowed’ from the lab, she and Aelia set about collecting spore samples for the filter. Even now, a couple days later, the ominous cloud and purple skies loomed over the desert as a constant reminder.
After they collected enough spores, Aelia and Cassandra visited Pascal’s house so Aelia could fashion a spore filter.
Pascal and Lazlo chatted happily with the two up until Vidcund stalked in with a scowl on his face. “Are you still messing with this llamashit? If you want to get arrested, do it somewhere else.”
"Uhm?" Lazlo looked baffled as Vidcund suddenly showed up next to him.
Pascal anxiously replied, “I invited them here.”
Cassandra rolled her eyes with a scowl of her own, but Aelia ignored him completely, she had more important things to do than to argue with a naysayer.
Before Vidcund could continue his tirade, the door opened and Jenny bustled in, “If you’re not being helpful get out of the way.” She snapped at a now startled Vidcund who immediately faltered back at his big sister’s entrance.
Lalzo, however, drew a big grin over his face at Vidcund’s immediate loss for words.
“Here, hon, the hazmat suit you needed.” Jenny smiled at Aelia, “I have to head out to work, but you be careful, okay?”
“Thank you, Jenny, I will.” Aelia replied gratefully, “I won’t go alone this time.”
Aelia, Pascal and Cassandra ventured to the lab once more and after equipping the hazmat suit, Aelia opened the door into the bowels below.
“If you aren’t back within ten minutes we’re coming in after you, okay?” Pascal fretted.
“I will be back, please do not worry.” Aelia assured him, looking past and onto Cassandra who gave her a nervous smile, “Be careful.”
“I will.” Aelia added before turning towards the stairs.
“Do you think she’ll be okay?” Pascal questioned quietly.
“She hasn’t even fully left, yet.” Cassandra mentioned, gesturing towards the still quite visible yellow suit as Aelia descended the stairs.
“I will be fine!” Aelia called out before fully disappearing from sight.
Another door blocked her path that the keycard thankfully worked for, more of the dark hazy mist rolled out as the doors slid open and Aelia was met with a horrible sight.
The room before her was filled with various equipment, but the most upsetting was the large containment pods, each filled with one of the Mother’s plants. With the connection severed from their Mother, however, the plants were all withering away, sickly coloured or already blackened with death.
It made Aelia’s heart hurt to see a fellow alien being treated this way.
Tables stood with unfinished experiments, still twitching plant matter writhed and numerous display screens showed a dizzying amount of invasive information.
She couldn’t delay any longer, the Mother had been oddly quiet, perhaps knowing of her arrival and simply waiting. Aelia walked down the long, plant filled corridor to the last door and opened it, a pit of anxiety swirling in her stomach.
“Ŵ€ŁĆǾM€.”
All at once, the mother’s voice flooded Aelia’s mind and made her reel back with a sudden dizziness. Even still, she pushed forward, climbing the steps towards the Mother’s cage.
“I want to help you.” Aelia assured the vast creature as the Mother’s petals opened and turned down upon the much smaller alien.
“H€ŁP.”
The resounding hum of the Mother’s words drilled into Aelia’s head, like standing much too close to a full orchestra. Aelia nearly stumbled back off the platform as the Mother’s petals vibrated with the resonance of her words, even through telepathy. Once Aelia steadied herself she stood face to… appendage.
“H€ŁP. ŞɅF€.”
Aelia looked up with some manner of confusion before turning her attention to the small orb nestled on the Mother’s appendage. It was similar to the other fruit from the plants outside but something about it felt important.
“ŞɅF€.“
The mother insisted, causing Aelia’s head to swim once more but a certain clarity filled her mind as the Mother’s telepathic feelings filled in the puzzle pieces her words could not.
This was why she was The Mother, this was her child. She had spread her plants far and wide in a desperate attempt to confuse her captors so that they would never find the true treasure.
“I will keep your child safe until we can free you, reunite you.” Aelia promised, cradling the seed close.
The Mother reeled back to her full height with a sorrowful noise and Aelia left the lab with her precious cargo.
CRRRRACK!!
Outside, the Mother’s fury grew and the storm became more violent.
“Ughh! That sounded close...” Cassandra groaned, rubbing at her temples at the sudden dizzying feeling.
“Oh, Watcher-! Do you think Aelia is okay?” Pascal fretted beside her.
“It’s not quite ten minutes yet... we have to trust her, okay?” Cassandra assured, although the look on her face suggested her own underlying anxiousness.
They didn’t have to wonder much longer, however, as Aelia’s bright yellow visage crested the stairs.
“Ally!” Both Pascal and Cassandra exclaimed in unison as Pascal surged forward to give the woman a hug.
“Hello! I am unharmed.” Aelia assured, her voice strained, “But we must talk.”
“Maybe somewhere not in the eye of the storm.” Cassandra suggested.
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