"That be damned Aeon!" Herta screamed as she smashed a summoned hammer into the be dammed glowing gemstone that J̶a̶k̸e̵ ̷B̸a̶r̴i̶s̵s̷ had given them.
And wasn't that a lovely surprise for Herta after THEY had left the space station. After it had left, its seeming protection had left them, meaning to call upon their true names was to gain their power upon their forms and cause mental damage by trying to stare into the eldritch Aeon.
"Madame Herta, I think Creation wasn't trying to fool you, he was testing your acceptance of things you cannot perceive. Is this a metaphor for our Simulated Universe however, it is the question we should ponder." The mechanical voice of Screwllum noted as even his advanced sensors was trying to pick at the anomalous gem.
To which Madame Herta snorted before grunting and saying with annoyance. "Asta put this... Thing in the un-studied Curious department."
The lead scientist behind Herta nodded but had to speak. "Herta, my contacts in the IPC have already heard about 'Creations' landing upon your vessel and are wanting this gem to study the energy of the Aeon."
Herta waved a wand and snapped with some minor annoyance. "Fine, fine quote them for... Five billion IPC credits. It's the first sample of a new Aeon, if they want to take it from my collection they will bleed for it."
Asta's face twitched but in the face of several Genius society members holograms standing in the room studying the gem, she could only nod.
Though another voice, a very distinctly female voice spoke up with curiosity. "The Aeon of Creation... And what are his powers over life with how the gem will forcibly turn all organic life into its peak state in but moments for a fairly decent range."
Madame Herta turned her doll body to the side to inspect her compatriot Ruan Mei and knowing the Genius Society's Member whose main scope of research was in fact the study of life. She said with some expectation.
"The fact that he was able to make this gem in fact is a good sign of his powers covering some amount of the control of life."
To which Ruan Mei tilted her head to the side and looked between the other genius society members and spoke calmly. "I have an experiment in mind. Herta as you know, we have the cloned Starcrusher Swarm King, Skaracabaz tied up in the basement. What if we bind the gem into the false Propagation Emanator to see if the gem can forcibly keep the Emanator alive?"
Screllum then interjected rather firmly. "The Imaginary chains binding the Emanator should it reach half its natural power has a ninety-eighty percent failure rate. We have no way to keep it bound within the space station."
Herta held a finger to her lips as she considered the thoughts, considering all possible factors, variables and the forces at her command. And of course the cost of this experiment and what she could possibly gain from it.
After a long moment, Herta shook her head firmly with her doll's hair flowing about as she said bluntly. "The cost-to-knowledge ratio is too heavily skewed. As of now, we have no way to bind the Propagation Emanator should it reach half its purported true strength. To say nothing of the possibility of it being able to split itself into sub-bodies and begin a Propagation incursion upon the Station."
And that was the biggest kicker, although Screwllum being an Intellitron was capable of some amount of exposure to the void of space should the Emanator break free. The rest of the researchers and the other Genius Society members were incapable of such.
While on the other hand, the endless bugs of Propagation T̵a̶y̷z̸z̵y̷r̶o̴n̶t̴h̴s̷ ̸ lesser selves laughed at things like the void of space. No, THEY were famous for seeding the literal stars themselves with the eggs to form greater clones that would become the Propagation Emanators.
Ruan Mei's face tightened before she hummed lightly and spoke. "Asta, did Himeko or any of the members of the Astral Express indicate where they were headed next?"
There was a pause as Asta blinked at being adressed so suddenly before she coughed and spoke unsurely. "No I do not believe so, they were after all in rather a quick rush to leave the station with how rabid the researchers were acting at seeing THEM recreating the Astral Express of old."
Herta brushed a hand across her porcelain face with a groan of annoyance. "Ugh... I expected Himeko to keep the Express here for at least a couple of system days allowing me to study and deal with the local Fragmentum corruption that has filled the Space Station. I literally let an Aeon be within a mile of me and not even speak with it!"
Ruan Mei's face twitched before she stated bluntly. "Imagine how annoyed I feel. Knowing I missed an Aeon's presence leaving but minutes before I arrived."
Though Ruan Mei's eyes remained locked onto the gently glowing ruby gem before she exhaled and spoke calmly. "Then if embedding the gem within the Emanator is a bad experiment, may I borrow it for a few hours to test it with some of my other biological creations?"
Herta shrugged and said uncaringly. "Yeah go ahead. It's a dead end of research for me and Stephen as its healing light properties are completely anomalous in nature. Due to being a creation of that Aeon's will."
Ruan Mei then turned off the stasis fields around the glowing gem and then the dark-haired beauty put the gem into a carefully embroidered small bag that she then hid within her cleavage.
"Then please excuse me, and should any news come of the new Aeon. Forward it to me, as I will be within my labs here on the station Herta." Ruan Mei stated before she strode out of the room.
Several of the silent Genius Society member's holograms that were likewise studying the energy signature of the new Aeon then flickered before disappearing as they went back to doing their own things.
"Hmm. I do have to wonder though, how would the Simulated Universe react should the Creation Aeon enter it?"