The three robbers are escorted into a police vehicle.

Particularly short part.

“Why do I have a gun. Have I become that depraved?” 

“Trevor, you know you grabbed that for self defense. You’re not any worse for wanting to keep yourself safe.”

“Yeah but it kills people!”

“And so do many other weapons.” 

“Not really, electrolasers can stun, hell, I can buy bullets that can K.O. too! So why did I grab this?”

“Because you needed something to protect yourself, and that was the easiest thing to get. Also, those stun rounds cost a much more than traditional rounds to.” 

“Yeah, but I still should’ve tried to find something else. So why didn’t I?”

A silence brews, the sounds of emergency vehicle shrinking whilst the sounds of the parking lot got more prominent. 

His sights rest on the blaring, but fading lights of the emergency vehicle. 

“Trevor, you never failed them.”

“What do you mean? I’m a total f*****g c**t that just… let him die. I could’ve gotten eariler at any point, I could have gone, but no, I was just too much of a f*****g jackass to even bother on deciding to go for it or not. I was too much of a f*****g p***y, and now he’s gone. I deserve this really. What kind of son just leaves their father to die.”
“Trevor, you know that’s not what happened.” 

“And I just let them have my stuff. I could’ve, I could’ve done something, but no. My future. My family, gone, everything gone. And all because I was just a complete waste who decided to go gambling on that dingy old gas station.” 

The emergency lights were now only small dots in the distance. Trevor’s eyes and body were now distant; they could feel their body rubbing against the ground that they were sitting on, but also feel nothing close to it. Like they were both present and not present at the same time, their consciousness only floating seemingly. 

“I know I should've been more careful. I wouldn’t, I would be somewhere else. Maybe. And now look where I am. Had to lie, and cheat just so I could get paid anything remotely more than what I am now… and I still do. I failed them. My parents, my friends, my professor.  I could’ve been there earlier to help them, I should’ve.”

He stares at the scuffed and scummy asphalt. 

“Trevor, you don’t deserve anything that has happened as of late. In fact, I think you’re doing extremely well for what has happened.”

 “I… thank you. Look, I understand you care, and I really do appreciate it, I just, I don’t know, really.”

Trevor continues to sit, watching the road in front of him. Suddenly, the Skyhawk catches up and drifts, like a piece of plywood drifts on water, up next to his side. He looks and sees, as it nearly catches him off guard. He facepalms. 

“I programmed it to do that. Why do I still get the jumps?” he mutters as he stands up. 

“What now from here?” Alphas mics in while Trevor enters the vehicle.

“I dunno? Find another job? I don’t know what else could be out there.” 

-- --

Trevor hears an ensuing conversation in the background. There were two people hunched over on a bench table. One large woman and another, an androgynous person. However, the girl had a very masculine tone. 

She sighs, “Do we have any idea what we’re doing? With our current data of the Omniscient?” 

“Nope, not really.”

He pauses his gait while dislodging his train of thought right off its rails, and looks at them, 

Omniscient? Like all knowing?

“Seemingly a plant species according to Hodgepodge.” 

His eyelids furl together. 

“Hang on.” 

 Trevor walks to the two aliens speaking, 

“Sorry to butt in, but.”

The height of his action spiked way too high, way too fast.

Something in Trevor jumps a little, noticing the height of the woman in front of him. He snatches a thought from thin air. 

The woman states, “Huh?” 

“Sorry, umm, may I ask about this all knowing plant species?”

The two of them look at him with a small shock painted on their face.

“Uh. Why?” they ask

“I overheard your conversation. Uh, My sylph says that it was some sort of plant. I'm just a l-little curious. That’s it.”

“A syl- you have a Sylph? I don’t believe that for a bit.” the large woman replies

“Trevor acquired me from the scrapyard. Literally, I have the log.” Alphas interjects

The two of them mouths gape a little, before the woman says, 

“Okay, well even with your Sylph, that doesn’t necessarily qualify you for any position in our fields right now, and besides, do even you have know any sort of basic knowledge on plant biology, or-``

The genderless person grabs and shakes the rest of the sentence right out of her, “What are you doing!” She urges out, before recollecting

“Okay, if you really want to help, then consider this your interview. What can you do without your Sylph.”

He says, “Um. I made my own ship, and suit. I also have installed entity scanners to tell me what species I’m looking at. I don’t know. I just heard all knowing plant and I got really excited.” 

“Great.” They say, “Do you have any experience in finding plants, or dealing with plants, anything … Wait, you made your own ship and suit?”

“Well, I technically learned most of the chemistry and physics for that from my Sylph, and textbooks and online resources.  Um. I only designed and engineered it. Most of the work that went into finalizing the creation was Alphas, my Sylph’s help.” 

Alphas cut through, “What? That’s a lie, the only thing I contributed was in teaching and assisting him over testing--”

They mock “meh meh meh, you looked at some books that some pretentious shut in made in his basement that somehow taught you how to make an entire pod and ship from it! Bixvah, are you hearing this?” 

Bixvah says, “What? Oh no. He could be lying to cover up the fact he knows nothing about the Omniscient other than its name, and you can’t expect me to believe that he really made his own ship on the fly like that, you gotta give me proof. Also, why are you so quick to”

They grab her again. “Girl. We are low on staff. May I remind you how many people are currently employed in our department. That’s right. Us. And you already know how bloody, excruciatingly difficult it is to just get a simple, basic leaf sample.”

Bixvah sighs, 

“Okay, I get your point. This is a little desperate, though, just saying. But okay, if you say so, they’re in.” 

“Wait what, it was that easy?” Trevor says in reply,

Bixvah says, “Yep.” 

“This would be a major red flag in any other professional circumstance, but in this case, we really are desperate… even more so than others, whatever.” Livo says

“Okay, so to get you started, here’s what you need to know: This species that we’re tracking is one of the most intelligent lifeforms in this galaxy, and that’s no small feat. Through long years of careful evolution and learning, it has avoided contact with any other ‘intelligent’ or sapienic species. That was, until people started looking, throwing it into several galactic skirmishes that eventually led to its severe decline in its existence. So when you commit to this, you’re actually committing to it. Otherwise, tsk, you’re out.” 

“Wait I thought you didn’t have any records or information?”

Bix replies “This is stuff we know already. Previous documents from employees date way yonder than when we got moved to this department.” 

Trevor thinks, am I really sure about this? What if I fail? I mean, to know and have a purpose again? This plant. Maybe it could give me that I need. Maybe I can get advice from it? I mean, only one way to know.

“I’m in.” 

“Alright, you sure?” 

“I am certain. You said it’s going to take time to find this plant?” Trevor asks. 

“Yea.”  

“It will be easier now that we have you on our team. So, we should probably properly introduce ourselves.” The androgynous being says, as they both reveal their forms. 

“My name is Livo Vinci,” said the genderless, tender figure, “and this is Bixvah,” the sorta chubby, sorta stocky, all huge woman shaking Trevor’s hand, “As you may have heard from earlier.”

Bixvah replies, “And I am sorry for my rudeness.”

“That’s no problem. So, are you two botanists or-”

Livo responds, “We are biologists, but we both got transferred to this department, studying for a much wider range of work.”

“Like what?” 

Livo sighs, “Ready for a lecture?” 

“Oh.”

“Yep. Long and short is that we like plants and animals, but the Omniscient right now, is our real goal currently.”

“Oh. Wait, so there is no one else in your field?”

Livo and Bixvah say simultaneously:

 “Yep.”
“Pretty much.” 

“Solaris apparently thinks we’re just trailblazing a ‘dead end.’” Bixvah scoffs, “Anyway,  why don’t we get you settled first, and we’ll sprinkle more details on the way.”

Trevor nods. End of Chapter