=====<br/>Uako Kinme<br/>Soukyouku Hill<br/>07:10, thereabouts<br/>=====<br/><br/>Uako was on a self-imposed state of alert, standing there with her arms tucked in a sleeves and her glasses on over closed eyes, simply waiting.  It was a peculiar facet of paranoia: they couldn't feel at ease until they were certain there was a threat.  Uako was spreading her feelers as far as she could around the Seireitei, trying to sense anything, any clue as to what was happening.  So when Corin appeared, she wasn't the least bit surprised.<br/><br/>"Captain Corin."  She said, her mood softening slightly.  "Quite a precedent you're breaking, passing over the Commander's Patrols for one of my whimsy sunrises.  Should I expect to get used to it?"  The tone of her voice was teasing, but accompanied by a strange rasp in her throat, letting him know there hadn't been much whimsy going on at all.  She'd been standing there for hours, and her legs were a little stiff as she moved nearer to him, curious.  For all the humor she meant by that statement, this was unusual.<br/>"In all seriousness, how can I help you, Captain?"<br/><br/>When she was presented with the envelope, she wrinkled her nose.  "From 12th Squad.. " she mused, deliberating how to appraise the information.  For reasons all her own, she didn't like the Science Division, even though she mirrored its activities at times.  She respected the 12th Captain for knowing his stuff, even though she hated to admit it.  But, like any scientists, the two clashed on very intricate points, and sometimes had a heated rivalry.  They were associates, comrades in arms, and on the few occasions Uako allowed herself to work with him, they had collaborated well.  But they weren't friends.<br/><br/>She opened the manila envelope and began sorting through the pages, pushing her glasses up her nose to read it.  She skimmed the first page or two and scowled.  "Why couldn't he have just said that in the first place?" she muttered under her breath, flipping the page over.<br/><br/>"..co-synchronization of the anterior cells to adjacent meridians yields.."  She looks up at Corin.  "It's a parasite, basically.  That's what he's getting at."  She looks back down and continues reading, at one point pulling out a picture studying it intently.  "Kind of neat, really.  The meridian it invades is actually the first one metabolized into the posterior cells.  Basically meaning if it attaches itself to an energy meridian on your arm, it consumes that reiatsu first.  And it looks like the posterior cells.. that's a butt, by the way, turn into appendages.  Then the parasite actually attempts to plant part of itself on another meridian.  Hypothetically, if the parasite managed to grow on enough different meridians, it could form a body."  An uncharacteristically cruel smile comes over her features.  "That's actually really cool!"<br/><br/>She composes herself and slips the papers back in the envelope.  "Honestly, and bear in mind I hate to give credit to the 12th Squad Captain, but the report looks pretty thorough, outside of some hypothesis that have no proven evidence.  The wound has several signs of a parasite trying to procreate.  The reason less powerful shinigami have suffered less is because the parasites are starving off of it.  He also suggests the reason a matured specimen hasn't shown up yet is because none of the shinigami killed have been Lieutenant or Higher.  Meaning that the reiatsu it brings for it's gestation period is depleted around the same time the victim's energy field destabali..  the part where he dies.  In short, it has to be someone strong to actually sustain the process."<br/><br/>"I'm sorry if I seem less perturbed by this than I should.  It's a result of my watch-doggedness, I hope you understand.  But aside from not knowing exactly what gave these wounds, it's simple prevention.  The only trick is trying making sure it doesn't get one of us, or a being of similar..."  and her voice drops away.  She'd been wondering why it was so quiet.<br/><br/>"Okay, Corin.  Great minds, alright.  Did you just think what I did?"