Tyler: Human

Jirabi's laugh boomed across the room as he slapped his hand against his knee. Bai had just told a joke at the end of the team meeting, but apparently only Jirabi got it.

All five of them sat in their ship's comfortable lounge room as they traveled to Gnumus, where the Circuit's Mothership orbited. They had left the planet of Junit the day before and it would only take them a couple of days before they reached the ship to talk with the Queen Circuit.

"EkirBai," laughed Jirabi once he caught his breath, "you are undeniably the funniest Quibeek I have ever met." He wiped the tears from his eyes as he chuckled.

"Its not that hard to do, it turns out lizards don't have much of a sense of humor." Said Bai, her face beaming from the compliment. She grinned at Tyler who was the only one of the group who actually knew what a lizard was.

Jirabi wiped the tears from his eyes again. "Don't get me wrong; I enjoyed working with team nine. But I've only been here in team seven for two days and I feel like I've known you guys for years!"

"You're part of the team now, Malba. I'm glad that you feel comfortable here." Said Byralnus with a warm smile.

"Yes welcome to the family!" Smiled Tyler welcomingly.

"Again, I thank you." Jirabi replied. "I look forward to serving with each of you in the many missions to come."

Jirabi had definitely warmed up to the team quickly. Tyler liked the purple Kelpar, he was going to be very beneficial to the team.

"Alas," Said Byralnus, standing up, "it is time for me to turn in. And I would encourage each of you to do the same. Though we have a couple more days until we reach the Circuit ship, we need to keep a decent schedule and stay well rested for us to perform at our highest on this mission. Goodnight everyone."

Everyone wished him goodnight and he left the room.

"Anybody up for a game?" asked Bai, looking around at each of them.

"Actually, I'm going to sleep now as well." Said the large Jirabi with a yawn. "It's been a fairly eventful couple of days for me and I am exhausted. But thank you for inviting me. Bai, Tyler, Heva." He nodded at each of them and stood up to leave.

"That's fine dear, have a nice sleep." Said Bai with a smile as she watched him leave.

Then she turned towards Tyler and frowned. "Well I don't see a point in staying up if muscles isn't going to be here." She whispered. "No offense to you two."

Tyler rolled her eyes.

Bai laughed and got up. "Night Tyler, night Heva." She smiled as she headed for her bedroom.

"Goodnight, Bai." Said Tyler.

It was just her and Heva in the room now. The small blue ball with the tall feather protruding from her head sat in a chair near the corner of the room. She seemed to be staring off into space.

Tyler had never really been able to get much of a conversation out of the Terilli, and no matter how hard she tried to include the girl in with the group activities, Heva just never got into it. It seemed like she preferred to be with the group, but not a part of it.

Tyler picked up her hairbrush that was on a stand next to her and moved over to Heva.

The little blue ball looked almost tense as Tyler sat down in the chair next to hers.

"So what do you think about this mission?" Asked Tyler as she commenced brushing her hair.

She liked to brush her golden hair. The locks were one of the few things Tyler really treasured.

The two sat in silence for a few moments.

"Just another mission." Said the blue ball with a shrug.

"Hm." Tyler continued to slowly brush her hair, making sure not to stare directly at Heva for too long. She had noticed before that that tended to make the girl uncomfortable.

"What do you know about the Circuits, Heva?"

Heva was the team's species specialist, so it was more than likely that Heva was more familiar with the Circuits than Tyler.

Heva sat for a moment, then shrugged her little shoulders. "You know the three gifts of the Holy Ruolten?" She looked up at Tyler.

Tyler nodded. "The Circuits were the first gift, given to us: the Humans."

Heva turned back to looking at the other side of the room. "Yes." She sat in silence again, and Tyler wondered if she should say something or wait and see if Heva had more to say.

Finally Heva spoke, her voice quiet and hesitant. "Historians speculate that the Circuits were an experiment of the Holy Ruolten. Or at least the less religious historians believe that."

"An experiment?" Asked Tyler. She wasn't too religious herself, at least not with Ruoltism, the religion based on the ancient species that disappeared soon after organizing the Pentaverse.

Heva nodded slowly, her long feather bobbing up and down. "The first successful attempt at creating living artificial intelligence. After that they created the other two gifts; the Allonps, for the Otacke universe, and the Aiters for the Gallidon Universe.

"The stories say that when the Ruolten created the Circuits, they realized that they had created life without any emotion, and that life without emotion is not life at all. That's when thy created the Allonp."

Tyler had heard this before somewhere. The Allonps had such strong emotions that their species adopted the more powerful emotions of hate, anger, and fear in order to become a stronger race.

Eventually the Allonps became a hated species geared towards domination and destruction. They were forced by the other beings to the forsaken areas of the Otacke universe where they live now on planet-sized prisons, monitored constantly by the PPF.

"The Allonp ended up being a mistake, and the Holy Ruolten realized this." Continued Heva. "So they then created an artificial intelligence that would keep it's emotions in check and pursue peace instead of hate."

"That's the Aiters." Nodded Tyler.

"Yes, the Aiters. But did you know there was a fourth gift?"

Tyler frowned and shook her head. She had never heard of a fourth gift, it was always just three: the three gifts of the Holy Ruolten.

"The Ruolten wanted to give each of the five universes a gift, so they didn't stop at three. The stories say that they came to the conclusion that creating intelligent life was risky business, and so they created an artificial intelligence that would live more like an animal than an intelligent being. They then created the Zara Mast and planted them on a remote planet in the Retriplis universe."

Tyler had never heard of the Zara Mast. "Heva, there are five universes in the Pentaverse, what did they give to the last universe, Unnon?"

"Nothing. The myth is that various heathen species from the five universes rose up and revolted against the Ruolten before they could create a fifth species. It was after that that the Holy Ruolten disappeared, never to be heard from again."

Tyler sat back in her chair. She wondered how much of the stories were true. The artificial intelligence species existed, and nobody truly knows where they came from, so maybe it was all truth.

Heva eyed Tyler for a moment. "Your hair is pretty." She said quietly.

Tyler looked down at Heva in surprise. She had never heard the quiet Terilli compliment anyone before. It was really sweet.

She quickly recovered and smiled at the girl.

"Oh thank you, Heva!" she put down her hairbrush and sighed. "My sister's hair was even prettier than mine is. It would shine in the light even when she didn't brush it."

Heva sat silently. Her species didn't have any hair. Not that Tyler knew of anyway. Hair probably wasn't associated with any concept of beauty in the Terilli culture.

"Did you ever meet my sister Maty, Heva?" Asked Tyler, breaking the silence.

The blue ball shook her head.

"I wish I could introduce her to you. She was not only my sister but my best friend."

Heva looked up at Tyler. She could tell something was off. "What happened to her?"

"She's missing." Tyler said quietly. "Nobody can find her."

Heva frowned and sat quietly. "I'm very sorry to hear that." She sounded sincere.

"Thanks, Heva."

"...But I think you'll find her."

Tyler looked at Heva and smiled. "I hope somebody finds her."

"No," said Heva slowly, "I think you will find her."

Tyler looked at her quizzically.

Heva paused a moment, turning again to stare at the opposite side of the room. "On my planet, we have a belief that if you don't find whatever you love the most, it will find you." Explained Heva. "I think you'll find her. Or she will find you."

The small Terilli then promptly hoped off of her chair and turned towards Tyler. "Have a good night, Tyler Jacobs. Thank you for talking with me." Tyler watched her as she pattered out of the room.

Tyler sat in silence, now alone in the room. Her head was swimming with thoughts of Maty because of what Heva had said.

I will find her? She thought to herself.

Maty had been missing for two years; no one has found out anything about where she went.

Suddenly, a feeling of determination rushed over her. I will find her thought Tyler, repeating Heva's words in her mind. What if Heva was right?

...I WILL find her. She thought.