Waiting Shapeless

Chpater 33. Orbiting Gnumus

Jirabi: Kelpar

"So you think the Queen really is framing him??" Sputtered Bai in astonishment.

"Yes and as crazy as it sounds, there might be some truth to what Short says." Jirabi stated, folding his arms in front of him.

"I feel like it would be more appropriate to talk about these matters when Jacobs has returned to us." Said Byralnus with a frown, walking over to him. "I would prefer to go over this as a team."

The group was sitting in the ship's break room again. Bai was sitting in her favorite plush seat and Heva was sitting silently beside her in a little chair.

"Captain, we won't see Tyler for another half a cycle, we need to discuss this while we still have time... Every second is precious here." Debated Jirabi.

The Ferionus shook his head and sighed. "Continue with your findings, Malba."

"Thank you Captain." Nodded Jirabi respectfully. "Now the key to all of it is the suit."

"Oh and Malba," interrupted Byralnus, "let's keep in mind that we still can't completely trust everything that Short says."

"Oh I don't think we should trust Short completely." Jirabi said, turning back towards Byralnus. "But hear me out, and try to follow my train of logic here."

Jirabi paused to organize his thoughts. "According to the legal agreements concerning the Rhaa suit that we found Short in—which I looked up by the way, the contract that he bought the suit under is all public—according to those legal agreements, the suit was purchased by Short from the Rhaa at least a whole cycle before the ship crash landed. Does that not sound fishy to any of you?"

"Yes..." Byralnus nodded contemplatively. "If he bought the suit before the ship crashed... That would imply that Short was planning on being stranded on Gnumus."

"Exactly!" Exclaimed Jirabi. "So let's pretend that the bugger is telling the truth and that the Queen is framing him. This is how it would look: she first takes her highest in command and messes with his wiring, makes him seem insane. Then she buys the suit from the Rhaa under Short's name with a periodic payment agreement—that's a fact, also public information—then she crashes Short's ship and strands him there on Gnumus in the suit.

"Then, after a while, she stops making the agreed payments and the Rhaa send the Pardos to take back their technology (the suit of course). The Pardos kills Short, takes the suit, and that ties up all the loose ends!"

"Yeah!" Grinned Bai from her plush armchair. "That would have worked if Tyler's sexy hips didn't stop that Pardos right in his tracks!"

"Alright Malba, answer me this." Questioned Bryalnus . "Why would the Queen go through all that trouble with the Rhaa if she could have just killed Short herself? Or even then," continued the captain, "Why would she even need Short? Why would she need someone to frame?"

"Well..." Thought the purple Kelpar. "I would suppose she did that because we, the CMC, came sniffing around. She knew we were coming so she created Short to take the blame off of herself, then set up the hitman so that Short could be killed before we got to question him. The whole Pardos thing would have looked like an accident to us."

The room sat and digested that for a moment.

"So..." Spoke up Bai shyly. "You think that if the Queen's plan went the way she wanted, the Pardos would have killed Short before we got to him, right dear?"

"And the Pardos probably should have killed us too!" Exclaimed Jirabi excitedly. "One big unavoidable accident that would have covered the whole thing up!"

"So... Tyler's sexy hips saved the mission AND our lives?" Bai thought out loud.

Bryalnus shook his crystal encrusted head. "There's still a big hole in your theory, Malba." He tapped his head lightly with a crystal protruding from his hand. "Motive. Why would the ruler of a species kill off all of her citizens and create an undead army if she already had complete control from the start?"

Jirabi stood in silence, his arms extended against the head of a chair. "Maybe she's gone mad."

Byralnus looked at him skeptically.

"I don't know," defended Jirabi, "yes, that part doesn't make any sense."

"Well Malba, I like your intensive thinking, and I think you bring up some sound points." Complimented the thin crystal being. "But we still don't have enough evidence to convict the Queen. Or Short for that matter. I think our next course of action should be to question Short some more. We only have him for a little while longer before we trade him back for Tyler. You are right in saying 'our time is precious' Malba. Let's utilize the time we have."

Jirabi circled to the front of the chair he was leaning against and sat down. "I agree; we should question him some more. Time for EkirBai and Heva to have a turn."

Heva ducked in her seat slightly at the mention of her name.

"Oh brilliant idea, dear." Bai mocked sarcastically, crossing her four eyes at Jirabi. "What's your favorite color, Short? Yes or no?"