biding time 24

March 14th the moon in a special made observation hub moments before Sebastion's third round of tests…

Quirrel was beside doctor Gloglan who was busy with setting up the next round of tests and terminating the stasis field holding Sebastion at the moment, Quirrel ran it's hands along the top of it's head and smoothed out it's immaculate tentacles for the third time in as many minutes.

Quirrel couldn't stop thinking of all of the horrible possible punishments it could potentially be subjected too should everything go wrong for it, Quirrel couldn't even bring itself to think about actually coming out ahead after this as it knew hope was a terrible poison that would make the fall even worse.

Shaking it's head Quirrel felt a poke in its side and glanced over to see doctor Gloglan reaching out a tendril stalk to get Quirrel's attention.

"Is everything ready doctor?", Quirrel wanted this to be over and at the same time didn't want to continue so was glad it was the doctor who had control of everything now that Quirrel had convinced everyone not to write them up, but to continue alongside them.

"It is, as soon as you give the word I'll remove the stasis and inform our contestant about the impending tests.", the words were mechanical but had a hint of pity to them as Quirrel realized one of Glogland's eye stalks had been studying Quirrel this whole time and was more than likely under no illusion as to how Quirrel was feeling at this given moment.

With a groan Quirrel took it's face in it's hands, of course it needed Quirrel's approval to begin, how stupid could it be. Looking back to the doctor Quirrel had one thing it needed to ask before all of this started as the question was eating at it, "Doctor before we begin I have one question I have to ask, if you'll permit me to put this off for a moment as if this goes bad I doubt I'll have another chance to ask you?", it was childish but Quirrel just wanted a few more moments.

"Ask then.", the voice was cold as usual without any fear to colour it now that Quirrel had said it would take all responsibility if this turned out to be a dud.

"Why did that insufferable Roang seem to have such a hostility towards you?", Quirrel leaned back against the hard-light-holo representation of the doctor's actual control lectern, making sure not to touch any of the controls or levers or buttons, "He seemed to have something against both of us, and while I can understand his irritation towards me using his rhetoric as a clue, his views towards you seemed to be more in line with your species rather than anything else?", this had been nagging at Quirrel, or more accurately Quirrel had been using this detail to distract itself over the past minutes trying to figure it out as a proxy.

The doctor didn't react as such but just turned all three of his eye stalks towards Quirrel before answering, "I believe that the Roang in question has some notion that I don't deserve the status my current position affords me.", with that statement Quirrel could only furrow its eyebrows in the manner the humans did when confused, but before Quirrel could say anything the doctor clarified, "My species isn't regarded that well in the overall empire for our lack of speed leading to rather boring content as regarded by most of those that view it, we don't make great slaves to cater to those of higher rank either and as such most of my kind are regulated to janitorial duties were we can absorb filth and break it down or collect it into compact detritus pearls."

All of this Quirrel as well as most of those across the empire knew, but this only deepened its confusion, "Not many of my species try to branch out perfectly fine with their lot in the grand scheme of things, but a few of us, I included, do try to reach for higher things such as becoming a doctor. To say that I have received more than my fair share of speciesism would be an understatement even though I have been fully capable and for all intents and purposes am actually a prodigy amongst my kind and a genius in regards to xenobiology and implantation or modification.".

"Hey clown and slime is this going to start anytime soon or are you actually just wasting our time as I suspect?", the Same familiar and arrogant Roang yelled out towards the pair interrupting their conversation.

By THE SHOW Quirrel hoped the complaint filing would cause this Roang some form of discomfort in the future…

Doctor Glonlan swiveled it's eyestalks to the nuisance and continued, "As you can see there are a lot of those who believe I shouldn't be where I am even with my qualifications, and to have my name and species name added to those who could possibly be a part of one of the biggest discoveries in the history of THE SHOW rankles those of lesser minds.", scorn that was all that Quirrel could detect from the mechanical voice, but also from the slightly reddening of the doctors avatar.

"Quite hmmf.", Quirrel hadn't considered how big this could be for the doctor's species and it didn't much matter in the least either in Quirrel's view as it wasn't a specieist and only cared if someone was capable, it was why Quirrel had been elated at being given someone with such qualifications as the doctor had, "Well I guess we've wasted enough time doctor,", Quirrel turned and activated it's personal monitor before it gave the order, "begin the tests doctor.".

Doctor Glonlan deactivated the stasis field and immediately addressed Sebastion, "THE SHOW candidate Sebastion Donning there has been some form of irregularities in regards to the tests you have undertaken, due to this we will have to replicate some of them and this may be…uncomfortable my apologies.", cutting the link doctor Glonlan protruded an appendage towards the activation switch.

Quirrel could see that Sebastion was starting to panic as he exclaimed, "NO PLEASE DON'T D-", nothing he could say could have stopped what would come next and he was cut off when the doctor activated the switch to begin the tests.

In front of everyone in the room was a personal hollo that displayed a vid capture as well as all of the data that was being recorded in real time, but only one statistic was being watched in that moment and it read FATE DIVERGENCE –NUETRAL--, Quirrel started to shake as Sebastion began to scream out even though he couldn't hear him so fixed was it on the data that refused to change as Quirrel desperately needed it too.

Quirrel broke away to look at all of the observers and couldn't help but find that smug Roang in the front with it's big grin as it watched the data scroll by, but just as Quirrel had accepted the terrible fate it thought awaited it, it saw confusion flicker across and replace that smug expression on the Roang.

Quickly Quirrel whirled back to it's own screen in giddy anticipation with a huge smile only to see exactly what it had hoped for, a change, FATE DIVERGENCE –NEGETIVE+++-- Quirrel froze as it interpreted the information in front of it, FATE DIVERGENCE –NEGETIVE+++-- was the maximum readable limit in the negative that these highly specialized instruments could read as far as Quirrel knew…

Quirrel looked at the vid capture and could see Sebastion was no longer screaming out, but was looking around in confusion only to finally focus his attention on the elemental sensory box which was now glowing with barely contained energy and straining against its chained bonds. Quirrel could see lights crawling across its surface forecasting incoming structural breaches.

"Oh by THE SHOW please, please don't…", Quirrel knew what that box represented and what resided inside it, and the fact it looked like it was about to explode left Quirrel in shock and fear at the ramifications of what that might mean.

A second later a klaxon started to peel and red light bathed all those present indicating that no one in the hub was allowed to exit until containment was reestablished, or the released elemental was killed, everyone was dead in the hub connecting to the examination area, or the elemental was absorbed or dissipated.

In the examination room unseen to Sebastion runes flared to life along the walls, floor and ceiling as the box finally cracked and the containment was breached.

"No…NOOOO!", Quirrel could only watch in horror as an elemental being unseen to Sebastion but rendered visible if a bit indistinct on the hollo due to the scanners, crawled its way out of the crack in the box, "Please no…".

Sebastion was trapped in there with it…and soon it would get find its way to them after it had devoured him…