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

Chapter 238

Chapter 238

"I see. If it's pulverized, then even if the conditions are met, reconstruction becomes impossible, huh."

'Apparently, it wasn't quite the kind of creature that can overcome absolutely anything.'

While tracking responsive small asteroids, Kait and Emotion went around verifying the conditions under which Lufate Gainun could reconstruct. First, the amount and rate of change in temperature and pressure, followed by the damage threshold that limited its reconstruction ability.

In its mimicking state, it was impossible to determine where exactly on the small asteroid it was hiding. For large responsive small asteroids, they decided not to intervene directly and instead teleport them near Uvols. Through repeated experiments with small asteroids that could be enclosed by Worker Bees, they discovered several things.

"For now, it seems that as long as a certain threshold of temperature and pressure is exceeded, it reconstructs regardless of time."

'Yes. There's probably individual variation in how space eels digest the small asteroids they ingest. However...'

"Perhaps it's hoping the small asteroid will fall onto a planet. Entering the atmosphere directly in its raw form is a tough challenge."

Lufate Gainun, mimicking rock inside the small asteroid, apparently had a slightly different internal structure compared to previous specimens. Jackpot.

Kait believed that Lufate Gainun's true objective was to land on rocky planets, especially those without life. Compared to small asteroids, space eels clearly targeted planets. While they might consume small asteroids that happened to be in their path, they wouldn't go out of their way to change course for them.

Then why implant so many into small asteroids? Kait hypothesized that small asteroids were being used to enter planets. Drawn by planetary gravity, small asteroids fall to the surface. Back when Kait lived on Earth, countless small asteroids fell there. The same thing must be happening all over the universe.

"Lufate Gainun is highly resistant to heat. That said, surviving atmospheric entry in its raw form would be harsh. So maybe it uses the small asteroid as its ship, aiming for impact."

'I see. But most small asteroids burn up along the way, don't they?'

"What if it reverts to its original form due to the heat at that time? Then it detaches from the burning asteroid and heads for the surface. Once it reaches the surface, it would be nearly impossible for us to find them."

The surprisingly loose reconstruction conditions likely increased survival rates compared to stricter ones. Whether that looseness was a strategy or a vulnerability—Kait thought opinions would be divided on that.

Using the star chart, Terapolapaneshio arrived at the locations where each trace was lost. None had planets, only asteroid-filled space. If the signal cut off there, it wasn't strange for the Federation to assume Lufate Gainun had long-distance teleportation abilities.

However, Kait and Emotion didn't think it was teleportation. The small asteroids still existed. In that case—

"...Over time, Lufate Gainun parasitizing the small asteroid might grow into a comet-mimicking mobile mother body."

'I hadn't considered that perspective. Do you have any evidence, Captain?'

"There's no structured evidence. They're not being pulled by planets, nor are space eels approaching. I just figured that those deemed unsuitable as feeding grounds might absorb the parasitized small asteroid and grow larger, becoming comet-mimicking mobile mother bodies. In short, they're 'failed primaries.'"

Kait and Emotion assumed Lufate Gainun's primary objective was either to parasitize a planet or be directly consumed by a space eel.

What happens if neither objective is fulfilled? Would those individuals just drift endlessly, waiting for a space eel? Even if each one is disposable, that seems excessively redundant.

'Interesting hypothesis, and it doesn't contradict the reason for the signal cutoff. But without evidence, it's hard to accept at this stage.'

"It's not completely baseless. Both have the 'ability to produce larvae,' right?"

'!'

If the primary Lufate Gainun's main goal is 'parasitizing a space eel,' then what it does after is 'lay larvae.' Currently, only the comet-mimicking mobile mother body and the organisms parasitizing within space eels like Tuna possess the ability to produce larvae.

If the difference between the specimen being studied in Uvols and the others is the presence or absence of the ability to produce larvae, Kait's hypothesis gains some credibility.

'Different growth patterns over time, huh. If only we could replicate it like in the earlier case...'

"Hmm, I'd rather not use psychic power that manipulates time. Even if the strain on natural law is low."

Emotion didn't argue with Kait's words.

Problems involving natural law tend to spiral into something overly grand. Besides, it's taboo under Federation law. Using it just to test a hypothesis was out of the question.

'The time it takes for Lufate Gainun to become a comet-type mobile mother body... Back-calculating that would require an overwhelming amount of computation.'

"Exactly. Investigating the time progression is a dead end. ...Wait a minute."

Kait suddenly recalled Tuna's earlier form.

When they met, Tuna was already parasitized by a parasite. The large number of parasites emerging from her comatose body made that clear.

Even when Kait first met her, Tuna was consuming a planet. But considering how their numbers exploded afterward, the reproduction speed seemed far too fast. They met Tuna within the planetary system of the star Namibif. So she must've been parasitized by Lufate Gainun before arriving there.

And if Tuna, under its influence, was heading for the Namibif system, then it's likely that Lufate Gainun had also parasitized the planets in Namibif.

Tuna consumed the planet as the parasite wished. That made Kait consider whether Lufate Gainun might have conditional triggers beyond just time progression.

"Emotion."

'Yes?'

"Let's go to Radia."

'Huh?'

The artificial celestial body Radia. It observes Namibif 6, a 'life-bearing planet' within the Namibif planetary system.

Tuna either aimed for or passed through Namibif.

If Lufate Gainun had once parasitized the planets in Namibif, then Namibif 6 is in danger.

And so—

"If there's a chance that Lufate Gainun's primary form transforms into a comet-mimicking mobile mother body due to conditions other than time, then Namibif is the most likely place."

After all, it was there that Kait stopped Tuna's advance.

And Tuna left that region. What would Lufate Gainun do after deciding their wish couldn't be fulfilled?

They should also investigate planetary systems where space eels had previously encountered enemies—but first, Namibif.

'Will there be any impact on Namibif 6's ecosystem?'

"Hard to say. Considering there was no chaos within Namibif 6 at the time, it's possible the parasitization happened before life emerged on Namibif 6."

It's unlikely that an individual that successfully parasitized a planet would abandon that state just because life appeared on the surface. Once space eels begin feeding, surface life would be wiped out anyway. If a civilization capable of defeating space eels had emerged, then perhaps they'd abandon the parasitic state. When they visited Radia during the Tuna incident, they were told that intelligent life hadn't yet developed on Namibif 6.

It's probably fine. But only if a comet-mimicking mobile mother body hasn't formed near the star.

'Let's hurry. If there's no reaction, we can relax.'

"Yeah."

However, Kait and Emotion's faint hope was cruelly betrayed.

What Queen Bee captured upon arriving in the Namibif system was an astonishing number of Lufate Gainun parasitic signals.