Ghosting

  The air was thick and held a sense of unease. Verox padded through the pristine halls of ARC, glancing at images of successes prior hung up on the walls. The blue xero swished his tail as he walked, the fur on his neck raised. Something was off, though he wasn't sure what. 

  Kellworth had called him into ARC that day to introduce young Xeros to the Expeditionary Services and talk to them about the many travels he had been on. When he arrived, however, the laboratory was still. Verox took a left turn and glanced over a large digital map of ARC. He wasn't very far from the Xero Wing, and yet… No one could be heard. Had he missed something really important? 

  Verox continued down the winding halls of the facility and huffed. 

  "Where do these end!" He grumbled to himself. Just as he was about to turn around, he was met with a tall alien, a Korso Verox recognized immediately, dawned in a ghostly white lab coat. 

  "Ah, Verox!" Winester looked the Xero over. Despite his cheery tone, Verox could detect the concern in his eyes. 

  "Winester, good to see you. It's been a while, hasn't it?" 

  "Ah, yes, it has. I'm afraid we're meeting during some... Unfortunate circumstances. No need to worry, though, as they do not affect you." 

  "Oh..?" Verox's ears fell. Despite Winester's reassurance, he was worried. 

  "The Xero Wing, and by extension ARC, is currently on lockdown. INGE's crew, the ship that had been carrying quite the precious cargo for us–I'm sure you've already heard about it,"

   Verox nodded as Winester rambled about the INGE and its crew, remembering how Kiyo had read him the report about the attack that morning. 

  "Did you see this?" Kiyo had asked, quickly scanning over the report. "Carrying samples from another planet… No substantial damage to the ship… Piloted by Finjin and Ecci… Chief Nyara… Biopirates…” Verox hadn't paid too much attention to what Kiyo was reading. He was far too busy dealing with preparation for his day at ARC. 

  "You think I might bore them? We're talking.. Really, really young Xeros, Kiyo." Verox said, sipping on a Sky Melon energy drink. 

  "You worry too much, I'm sure if you tell them about the time you nearly crashed that–" 

  "Okay! Okay! ARC does not need to know about that one." Verox stammered, rubbing the back of his neck. Kiyo laughed a little, and Verox could see the admiration in his eyes. 

  "You'll do just fine, Verox." He comforted the tundra Xero and hugged him before he left.

  Winester told Verox about the breach and the mysterious spores INGE's crew was covered in. 

  "So.. Why is ARC on lockdown if INGE's crew is in the Medical Bay? Aren't they contained?" Verox asked. 

  "Ah… That's what we had hoped, however…" Winester trailed off, looking in the direction of the Xero Wing. "Dr. Ero M'Taw had found a young Xero covered in these spores. Kellworth had taken the Xero to a skilled biologist, and that's the latest report we've received. We can't have this spreading so–" 

  "So everything was locked down. I see." Verox placed a contemplative paw to his head, lost in thought for a brief moment. This was quite the information to take in. 

  "Precisely. We've classified the spores as a Class 1A risk. It doesn't affect the general population, from what we've found. The spores only find a host in the immuno-compromised. So the sick, elderly, and, of course, young Xeros. We're not even entirely sure if the young Xero Dr. M'Taw had found was the only one affected." 

  "Oh… Oh no, I–" Before Verox could finish his sentence, an alarm interrupted him. Verox froze, fearing what the announcement might be. Winester dug into his coat pockets, pulled out a small pad, and fumbled with it. 

  "Aha, sorry about that, give me one moment." Winester held the pad up to his ear. Verox relaxed a little, realizing the alarm was, in fact, Winester's ringtone.

  "Vas? Hello, what's up? Kellworth's return? Oh, yes, alright. Yes. Uh.. No, I don't think so. Yes, that would be correct. I'll talk to you soon." Winester returned his pad to his pocket and pat it twice. "Sorry about that. I'll be back in just a few moments, you can sit and wait in my office if you'd like. I'll explain more once I return." Winester gave Verox a small smile and sped off. 

  Must be something urgent. Verox thought to himself. He was not looking forward to trekking through the lab's halls once more in search of the Korso's office. He hated not knowing what was happening, but he understood the gravity of the situation. 

  However... Now that Verox was just so close to the Xero Wing... He decided that he might as well wait there instead. It wouldn't do any harm. 

  A giant, arching sign glimmered in the bright overhead lights. 

  "X-ERO WING." Verox read the bold letters aloud. He smiled a little, remembering his time here. Though really, the only thing he remembered from his time in the Xero Wing was how he'd never pay attention to anything the teachers said and how he threw a fit when he was assigned a mentor. 

  Verox continued down a colorful, tiled pathway. The pathway broke off into four sections, each a different color. Blue for the dormitories, red for the classrooms, yellow for the computer labs, and green for.... Verox couldn't quite remember what green was for. 

  Must be new. Verox thought to himself and shrugged a little. 

  Before Verox could pick a path, something poked at his side. The blue Xero whipped around and faced a small Xero staring back at him with wide, blinking eyes, tugging his fur. 

  "Oh! Hello!" Verox smiled. Something about the small creature's eyes mesmerized Verox. In a quick motion, the small Xero had reached into Verox's pouch, pulled out his pad, and taken off. A long tail swept off into the yellow pathway just as Verox spun around, realizing what had happened. 

  Oh. No.

  Verox dashed down the pathway to the computer labs. 

  "I… I really.. AUGH.. I really need that!" Verox called out, panting. He bumped into a little cart full of wires and electronics. A few toppled to the ground with a light thud, and Verox quickly exclaimed an apology. An alien peaked out from a corner and flailed its arms at the cart, saying something he couldn't quite hear. 

  The yellow path twisted and turned until it veered off into several rooms. Verox caught a quick glimpse of a tail, similar to the one he had seen before, disappearing into a dimly lit room and sped after it. 

  Verox's eyes adjusted to the darkness, pawing his way around the room illuminated only by the soft glow of the many computers it housed. He finally felt something fluffy and picked it up by the scruff. 

  "AHA!" He exclaimed, relieved to finally have his pad back in his posse–

  "AHHH!" The tiny creature wailed, kicking Verox until he released them. "LET ME GO!" 

  "OH, I'M SO SORRY!" Verox stammered, reeling back from the hard kick to his side, realizing that this was not the Xero he was after. He stumbled into a computer, feeling the cold metal against his back, and leaped forward towards the small Xero, frightening them. The Xero ran out of the room on all fours, screaming. 

  Verox let out a sigh and rubbed his forehead. He exited the vacant computer labs area and steered onto the blue path. If there was one place to find a thieving Xero, it would be the dormitories. Or at least that's what Verox kept telling himself. 

  Verox walked along the path, taking in the homely scents of the dormitories as he grew closer. He remembered the countless nights he spent awake, accompanied only by his thoughts and the comforting blue glow that lined the floors of the sleeping quarters. A round alien stood at the entrance to the dormitories. It stood proud and waved at him but quickly gained a grim expression as Verox grew closer. 

  "Hi. We're on lockdown now, so no visitors unless you have authorization." 

  "Um.. Well, I was asked to– Nevermind that, one of the Xeros here has stolen my pad, short with a long tail," Verox held his hand near his hip to give the alien an approximate height. "And I'd like for it to be returned." 

  "Hmph. I see. Stay here, I shall return briefly." Its voice sounded vaguely like a computer's. 

  After a few moments, the round alien hadn't returned. With every passing minute, Verox's concern grew. He hoped he wasn't mistaken in his accusation and hoped the thief wasn't being reprimanded too harshly. Finally, the alien had returned, carrying something shiny, followed by a small, hooded figure. 

  "This little one had your pad." Verox thanked the alien for retrieving it and opened the screen to reveal that they had been researching fungi colonies. 

  "Huh. You're into mycology?" Verox crouched down, asking the figure's hood. 

  "They don't talk much." The alien sighed. Before Verox could say another word, a shrill alarm pierced his ears. 

  WARNING! CONTAINMENT BREACH. D-13-0001 LOSE. REPORT TO KELLWORTH IF SEEN IMMEDIATELY. 

  Verox and the alien exchanged a look after realizing the small Xero had, once again, taken off. 

  "I'm going to have to lock down the dormitories now completely, everyone should be inside. If you run into Vas'an, tell them we'll have to test all the Xeros here in case the spores have spread." 

  Verox nodded and sighed a little, realizing he was the one that would have to chase after the Xero. 

  His limbs ached, and his legs burned every time his paws hit the cold, tiled floor. However, he knew that.. What had the alarm said?  D-13?  He knew that D-13 needed to be found and that the matter was urgent. His pouch buzzed with the vibration from his pad, and Verox stopped briefly to check what it might be. 

  U running late??? hows it going?

  Verox smiled a little at the text from Kiyo. 

  Yes. I'll explain when I get home. 

  Verox took off again, this time a little faster. He left the Xero Wing, assuming D-13 wouldn't have hidden there again. He dashed through the winding halls, twisting left and right, and nearly toppled Winester over, who was making his way to the Xero Wing.

  "Verox!" He called, but the Xero ran past. 

  After a few moments, Verox stopped. He was lost. He peered down the nearest hall, seeing a room that opened up on the left.
Might as well.  He thought to himself. Verox padded into the room and was immediately enveloped in darkness. Even if D-13 was in here, Verox definitely wouldn't see them. Still, Verox felt a sense of hopefulness, so he continued. Even with the glow from the blue Xero's antennae, it was still impossible to see. However, Verox could make out a few shapes within the darkness: A long table, an arm-like figure that hung above the table, carts here and there, and a vial rack with seemingly no vials. Verox decided that it was some testing room that hadn't been used in quite some time. He began shuffling through the shapes, feeling the cold, hard melt brush against his fur. The room smelled oddly… earthy?  A strange contrast from the sterile, hospital-like scent of ARC. Verox made his way toward the back of the room and, as his eyes adjusted, noticed a new shape. It stood out against the perfectly formed lab equipment, it was organic. 

  “D-13?” Verox called out. 

  "Ghost." A whisper sent shivers down Verox's spine. The voice came at him from all directions.

  "I'm… I'm here to bring you back to, um… The Xero Wing." Verox stammered, not sure if he was even speaking to a Xero. 

  "No. I don't want to go." The voice was more localized now, huddled in a corner by a metal cart. 

  "Oh. Why not? It's quite nice if you'd just–" 

  "No." The figure, covered in fabric, cut off Verox. 

  "I'm sorry, but you must. Everyone is looking for you." Verox tried to reason with the figure, but it was quite the challenge to reason with a bundle of cloth. 

  "Sorry." They responded in a whisper.

  The figure shuffled a little, and a snout peeked out from underneath their hood. 

  "I'm Verox. I believe you stole my pad earlier." He laughed a little but noticed that the comment wasn't received well. 

  "Sorry." They whispered again, and their snout disappeared. 

  "No, no. I didn't mean like that. I'm sorry. You can use it if you'd like. I don't mind. I saw what you were researching. Do you like that sort of stuff? If so, I have a friend who–" 

  "Yeah." 

  "Oh, okay! Cool! Um.. Well, I can tell your mentor to get in contact with–" 

  "I don't have a mentor." 

  "Oh…" Verox chose his following words carefully. "I see. You don't have to return if you don't want to."

  The small Xero paused for a moment, thinking. 

  "Wait," They shuffled a little more, removing their hood from their face. Two wide eyes met Verox. "Can I take these?" They squeaked, holding up a tray of dirt. 

  "Hmm, dirt? Sure, you can take it." 

  "It's not dirt," They yanked the tray back and huddled it in their arms. "It's mushrooms, you just can't see them yet. They're still growing." 

  "Sorry! Sure, as long as they aren't, you know, harmful or anything." Verox's almost over-cheery tone relaxed the Xero a little, and Verox noticed as their shoulders sank slightly. 

  "So…. What's your name?" Verox reached out a paw and helped them up. They pulled their hood back entirely, revealing a little cluster of glowing mushrooms above their antennae. Verox, slightly stunned, looked away. 

  "Sorry." The Xero put their hood back on and lowered their head. "It's Ghost." 

  "You can take that off, it's okay! Just something I haven't seen, that's all! It's kinda cool, honestly. It's nice to meet you, Ghost." Verox gave Ghost a goofy, toothy grin, and they laughed a little. 

  "Do you think Kellworth is mad at me?" 

  "No, but I do think we should start heading back now. Everyone is worried about you."

  "Really?" 

   "Yes." 

  They paused for a few moments, contemplating. 

  "Okay, I… I think I will go." 

  Ghost held their mushroom tray in one paw and Verox's paw in the other, and together they exited the old testing room and made their way to the Xero Wing.  As they walked, Verox talked about his time at ARC, and the Expeditionary Services. Ghost listened happily with fascination in their eyes.
Verox got to talk about the Expeditionary Services, after all. 

  A group of aliens stood at the entrance when Verox and Ghost reached the Xero Wing. A search party, Verox had assumed, that was just about to be sent out before the two arrived. Among the aliens were Winester, Kellworth, and the round alien that had originally been guarding the Xero Wing. Kellworth poked Winester and pointed towards Verox, waving with a grin. 

  "Verox!" Kellworth called. 

  Verox noticed another alien standing next to Kellworth, and they didn't look happy. Verox could see their tail swishing back and forth, an aggravated and impatient motion that Verox knew immediately. They stepped forward from the group, alongside Kellworth and Winester, their eyes downcast. 

  "What," They sighed and put their paw to their brows. "What on Owai-6 made YOU think that RUNNING AWAY WAS A GOOD IDEA!?" 

  "Vas…" Kellworth placed a hand on Vas'an's shoulder. "They're back, safe now. That's all that matters."

  "You could've gotten hurt, you could've spread the spores, you could've–" Vas'an turned and met Kellworth. They lowered their head and nodded. "But you are safe now. Please never do that again." 

  "I'm sorry." Ghost held out their tray, wanting Vas'an to take it as an apology. 

  "Oh.. I.. I don't need that." Vas'an's tail calmed, now swishing slightly. 

  "Well then, if all is settled–" 

  "Not all, we still have the spore problem." Vas'an retorted. 

  "Ah, actually, about that," Kellworth began, gesturing towards his pad. "I sent out a survey earlier. The spores may have spread to the Harbor, but I got responses from many Xeros willing to help! They're going out and foraging for these mushrooms, and I've put together a list of all the known non-native fungi that need to be removed. With samples sent back to us, and the samples from INGE, we can ensure that this doesn't happen again."

  Kellworth turned to Ghost and smiled. "And! With these samples, hopefully, your spores can be treated." 

  Ghost looked at Verox, unsure of how to respond. Verox felt the Xero's grip increase and winced slightly at their unsheathed claws digging into Verox's paws.

  "That's great to hear!" Verox responded for them, and Ghost nodded at his answer. 

  "Now, Verox–" Winester spoke in a disappointed tone. 

  "I know, I'm sorry. I should've gone to your office, my pad was sto– Never mind that, I did find Ghost." He smiled a little, hoping Winester wasn't too  mad. 

  "I guess that's true." Winester sighed. "You should go enjoy the Twilight Carnival now. We can take care of everything from here." 

  Ghost held tightly onto Verox, not wanting to leave the tall Xero. Their eyes were glossy, and Verox could tell there'd be tears if Verox left. 

  "Could Ghost come? I won't let anything happen to them, and their spores can't spread, at least not more than they already have." 

  Winester and Vas'an exchanged a look, but before they could respond, Kellworth chimed in. 

  "I don't see why not! Go have fun. But be sure to have Ghost back before curfew, we've got a speaker coming to talk about the Expeditionary Services tomorrow, and I'm sure they wouldn't want to miss it." Kellworth winked. 

Verox and Ghost grinned at eachother and took off.