Glitch

"Their physical appearance is highly contrasting to us, it is next to impossible to disguise yourself as human". ZIA announced.

Captain Kazaliur thought for a moment. "There is no way"? He whispered to no one in particular.

"Unfortunately no. You will have to risk your life even if there is one" ZIA replied to him regardless.

"Risk my life"? That part caught his attention. "Can you elaborate"? He asked her.

"Well, there is a device in IAEA that allows them to disguise their appearance into that of a human. It can even manipulate molecular interactions to a certain degree so that any tactile contact will mimic that of a human skin. It is so far one of the greatest technological achievements on this planet".

"So the only problem is that it is guarded with maximum security available on the planet"? He said.

"Yes sir, it prevents any unregistered transformation of the appearance. Many aliens here prefer to disguise themselves as one of the earthlings. While their identity is kept secret from the general public, they have to register at IAEA".

"How far is this IAEA from here"? He asked.

"Almost 7GIT ( 14 kilometers)". ZIA announced.

Without any vehicle it was impossible to cover that distance in a day. And even if he did start traveling, he can easily get caught given his appearance. It would be a risky mission, but it was an important one as well.

Was blending in really that hard? Why can't all the humans resemble them so that he could get lost in the crowd. This was the first time he was stranded on a planet alone. He needed to find a way to make it out of here alive or else his whole life would be a waste.

"Sir, the human has died". ZIA announced suddenly out of nowhere.

"So"? He asked her. It was pretty evident that he never cared about that human from the very beginning. Even if his intention was not to kill him, he was not at all sorry at the turn of events.

"A dead human body might cause unwanted attention". She told him.

"You just said that no one is nearby". Captain said.

"Yes, but someone might come. The dead body will start desiccation and will release odour that can even attract a passerby". She informed him. "The best way to get rid of it is either burning or burial. But burning too can attract unwanted attention, due to smoke".

"Thanks. I am so glad I brought you along. You indeed are the best AI" He smirked.

"You're welcome captain".

As told by ZIA he buried the body deep under the ground of the garage. He was so efficient that no one would ever find its trace unless they dig just at the right spot. Once he was done, he decided to explore the whole building. If someone does come here he will need to find a better place to hide. He found numerous things that he had never heard or seen of. For example there was this huge glass on the wall that was somehow connected with wires. It appeared similar to the screens on the ships, but what could be its purpose in this mundane house? He also found a few electronic devices of various sizes.

He picked up a tiny blue earpiece and a sudden idea clicked him. "ZIA, Can you connect with this device"?

"Let me try" that was the last thing she said.

It went quiet after that. He wondered why she didn't say anything when he saw the device in his hand beep. Did it already get connected? He put it in his ear and listened to it. Luckily the ear structures of the Humans and the Zimerians were similar.

"I have successfully logged into this earpiece. It will need charging every 36hours, but otherwise it's useful". ZIA, who apparently searched everything about the earpiece as well, answered him.

"Great". He smirked. It would be quieter and easier to communicate with ZIA now.

He searched around a bit for any clue. He found a machine with a temperature lower than normal. He checked inside and saw a lot of stuff there.

They looked like they would be edible, but he could never be too sure. Should he eat them? What if they turn out to be way more dangerous. He contemplated for a moment but then he decided to ask ZIA.

"Tell me if anything present in there is harmful to us"?

"No sir, in fact the content is far more nutritious than any products in ZMR-47". She informed him.

He was delighted at that news and decided to eat the first thing he saw. It had a big soft texture. A brown thing from both sides and something in between the two with a much darker shade. (Basically a sandwich )

He was in awe the moment he put it inside his mouth. He has never tasted something so delicious. He never knew something could be this delicious. He felt a tinge of euphoria for the first time since he arrived here. He was almost done when he heard "Sir, I am receiving a call from Syverzius. Shall I pick up"? She asked.

"Go ahead". He said

"Sir, you did not respond to my last call. Is everything alright"? It was Chief Makaizul who asked him.

"I am on earth". Captain Kazaliur replied to him.

"Sir, is your S-capsule functioning properly"? Chief asked him. "Stay inside or the oxygen can kill you". He expressed his concern.

"I am already exposed". Captain told him nonchalantly

"Sir, please get inside the Capsule, you are aware of health risks" His tone had worry loaded in it. "Shall we send another S-capsule on earth? " he asked their Captain.

"No" the Captain ordered.

"But sir-" the chief started to protest but the Captain cut him off.

"Stay where you are. This planet is way more dangerous for any intergalactic affairs. I have found out that I am immune to the dangerous effects of oxygen, I would like to continue exploring this planet". He told the chief

"Are you sure, sir"? He asked.

"Positive. Things are tricky here for now, so try to stay alert. Do not try to contact me unless it's an emergency. I will contact you when I find the perfect opportunity". He ordered.

"Yes, sir". He obeyed the Captain.

"Sir .###...but the crew###..." Chief Makaizul said something, but it was sort of lost in translation.

"Sir, I am experiencing some sort of glitch in the connection". ZIA informed him.

"Is there a specific reason or just poor connection"? Captain asked her.

"There seems to be some kind of block in my network. It is an external block and not lack of reception" ZIA informed him.

His face paled a bit as he realised the situation he was in. If someone was actively blocking them then that means someone figured out his location. His theory was soon confirmed when he heard a loud high pitch voice outside the door "#####"

"We are from the DUET of IAEA. Open up!" ZIA translated for him. He stood there wondering what should be his next step, when he heard another sound which sounded like a warning. "#####"

ZIA translated it into "We will count to three, or else we are barging in".