TG 'verse. Perceptor and Kia's lab in Iacon. Small hope.
"And that, Shiloh, is only the quickest way to stimulate mitosis in planaria. As you can see, they have three tissue layers: ectoderm, mesoderm and endoderm. And a body plan that is acoelomate and sac-like with a single opening." Perceptor watched the tiny creatures in the petri dish, then transformed and looked over to one side, where large golden eyes were fixed on him intently.
"But don't tire yourself," Kia finished his thought as she lowered the holo-camera that she'd been using to record the lecture and walked forward to touch the tiny being's head with one finger. "We can tell you this another time."
The infant Meredronian cheeped and bobbed his head as he tried to hold it up, but then let it rest against the clean dry sand that he was nestled into in a large mug that had previously held Perceptor's stylus collection.
Kia made a soft sound of comfort as she watched the baby fade back to sleep, then turned her head to look at the data that was scrolling across the main monitor as Perceptor made a small fussy sound and tested the temperature of the sand again.
The silver femme sighed. "So they more or less left him to die, though nourished and in comfort."
"Even knowing the honor intended in the trappings of his tomb one's spark aches with pity." Perceptor clicked softly as the tiny denizen of the stylus mug startled and peeped. "How many failed zygotes were in the batch from whence he sprang? And he the strongest, though another week could see the end of his cycle."
"Yet his race is meant to last for hundreds of years. Such a tragedy. And to shut themselves away from and make enemies of those who would help them." Kia shook her head. "I wish we knew how long it's been since the last Meredronian female perished, and if it was caused by the same calamity that has so unsettled the genome."
"And how they came to use Cybertonum, which causes further damage even as it allows a precious few more new lives." Pereceptor left the sleeping baby to lean both hands on the desk and frown at the screen. "What must their cloning technology be like?"
He sighed, his expression troubled. "We cannot fail, Kia. It is no longer just a problem to solve. It has a face now, and a place in our sparks."
Kia glanced down at their charge, her pale optics showing the same trouble and urgency. But then she nodded.
"You are right." Perceptor increased the rate of the data's scroll, his jaw set resolutely. "Many things can happen in a week."
"But don't tire yourself," Kia finished his thought as she lowered the holo-camera that she'd been using to record the lecture and walked forward to touch the tiny being's head with one finger. "We can tell you this another time."
The infant Meredronian cheeped and bobbed his head as he tried to hold it up, but then let it rest against the clean dry sand that he was nestled into in a large mug that had previously held Perceptor's stylus collection.
Kia made a soft sound of comfort as she watched the baby fade back to sleep, then turned her head to look at the data that was scrolling across the main monitor as Perceptor made a small fussy sound and tested the temperature of the sand again.
The silver femme sighed. "So they more or less left him to die, though nourished and in comfort."
"Even knowing the honor intended in the trappings of his tomb one's spark aches with pity." Perceptor clicked softly as the tiny denizen of the stylus mug startled and peeped. "How many failed zygotes were in the batch from whence he sprang? And he the strongest, though another week could see the end of his cycle."
"Yet his race is meant to last for hundreds of years. Such a tragedy. And to shut themselves away from and make enemies of those who would help them." Kia shook her head. "I wish we knew how long it's been since the last Meredronian female perished, and if it was caused by the same calamity that has so unsettled the genome."
"And how they came to use Cybertonum, which causes further damage even as it allows a precious few more new lives." Pereceptor left the sleeping baby to lean both hands on the desk and frown at the screen. "What must their cloning technology be like?"
He sighed, his expression troubled. "We cannot fail, Kia. It is no longer just a problem to solve. It has a face now, and a place in our sparks."
Kia glanced down at their charge, her pale optics showing the same trouble and urgency. But then she nodded.
"You are right." Perceptor increased the rate of the data's scroll, his jaw set resolutely. "Many things can happen in a week."