Through Glass Darkly: Episode Two by Peter Knyte

began writing each point down as he went.
    ‘We think this creature is building or gathering this debris into piles for some reason.
    ‘We know it started before it was injured, so it’s nothing to do with that.
    ‘It doesn’t need it for protection, shelter from the elements or to hide.
    ‘Okay, so let’s see . . .’ he continued, clearly thinking as he went.
    ‘Could it be . . . an attempt to communicate?’ he conjectured. ‘. . . No didn’t think so, or if it is it’s so alien it’s of no help to us.’
    ‘Could it be . . . some kind of hunting hide or trap?’ he continued. ‘No, it can turn itself invisible, so why would it need a hide, and it clearly didn’t need one for all the rats.’
    ‘I appreciate the thought James, but maybe I’m better off just finding a darkened room and thinking about it.’ I interjected, thinking we were wasting our time.
    ‘No, no, we’ve barely got started,’ he hushed me, waving me back down into my chair.
    ‘How about a kind of cocoon?’ he suggested with a slightly helpless smile on his face. ‘Perhaps it’s trying to turn into a giant butterfly and . . .’
    He stopped after he looked up and saw the expression on my face.
    ‘Now that might explain a few things,’ I replied. We don’t know, but one academic back on my own world did speculate that these creatures might either shed their hard carapace armour in order to grow, like some snakes or lizards do. He also suggested they might transform over time, when some of the limbs which they don’t seem to have much use for could develop into something else. . . maybe even wings.’
    ‘Seriously?’ Fraser asked looking at me. ‘You think it might be trying to turn into a butterfly?’
    ‘No, but some kind of growth or metamorphosis might well be closer to the truth than I’ve got.’ I replied. ‘But don’t let the success go to your head it’s only a maybe, what other ideas have you got?’
    ‘More you say! Alright then. What . . . about . . . an actual nest?’ He finally suggested. ‘Maybe it likes the big apple and wants to settle down and have a couple of kids, or eggs or whatever?’
    He was grinning again at the idea, but again when he saw me seriously thinking about it, it was his turn to look surprised.
    ‘No seriously Ashton!’ he began to protest. ‘Even I can count, surely in the Expanse you still need two to tango?’
    ‘It was your idea James,’ I replied, earnestly. ‘We know nothing about how these creatures breed, so you never know. In any event that’s two things that would explain why the creature might want a bit of cover, because it might not be able to maintain its invisibility while it either sheds its skin or gives birth.’
    I couldn’t believe he’d just come up with two perfectly credible options by just having a bit of joke. We left the refectory and went our separate ways. I stopped off at one of the science labs on the way back to my quarters to put the metal and glass samples that I’d found in the creatures nest into some proper sample containers, making a mental note to mention them to the Captain a bit later on.
    I then headed back to my cabin to get washed and changed into some fresh clothes. The sewer might’ve been mild by comparison with how it was in the winter or spring, but I still wanted a wash and a fresh change of clothes before I did anything else.
    As soon as my mind had found a reasonable explanation for the creatures odd behaviour, courtesy of Agent Fraser, I found my thoughts turning to all the other things I needed or wanted to follow up on, I was so distracted in the end I almost didn’t notice a parcel waiting for me when I entered my cabin, propped up on the small desk I had in the corner for writing up reports and servicing my gun and lensing rig.
    It wasn’t addressed, but there was a card leaning against it from Hughes, that simply read ‘I hope this helps – HH’
    I couldn’t imagine what he could be referring to for a moment,