"I am not at liberty to disclose any plans, but I can say what I said earlier: as long as you don't cause trouble, you'll not be harmed." The feed paused, and suddenly there was a bed on screen, similar to a gurney. It was in a sterile, white room, with a few people in what looked like scrubs bustling around. Ronnie was on the bed, unconscious, hooked up to a couple of monitors. He had a black eye, his arm was in a regen-cast, and a medic was carefully working on his shoulder. He seemed ok otherwise. "Your security officer sustained several injuries during the boarding, but he is in stable condition, and we are working to repair the damage. He has not been harmed since your surrender, and will not be harmed as long as he doesn't cause trouble." The feed flickered again, and there was another room, this one not medical, but similar to the room Conner was in. Valiel was on a bed, strapped down, with what was clearly some kind of forcefield shimmering around the bed. She seemed to be sleeping peacefully. "Your Charad-ti crewmate requires special measures due to her Skin-changing powers, but she is unharmed. She will wake up from the sedative inhalant within an hour or two."
…………………..
The Captain was thinking, and thinking hard, which was a good sign. He may win her over yet.
"In some ways, we're not different. But what is your war about? From what we can tell, it's about economic gains. Factions fighting each other over who can colonize what, who can monopolize and exploit which resources, who can make the most money off of space expansion. Not entirely wrong, but… soulless, in many ways." He stood, pacing again. "Captain, our end goal is freedom from the lumbering, bungling governmental system that is Singularity. You would need a galactic history lesson to understand all of it, but think of it this way: I am a rebel. A freedom fighter, if you will.
You may also wonder why I've targeted human ships. You all are only probationary members of Singularity so far, you're not part of the problem, so why come after you?" He faced her again. "I can explain those reasons to you at another time, but suffice to say, humanity is our best shot at shaking up galactic order."
She still seemed unconcerned with her own gain. "I must say, Captain, I admire your altruism. You don't seem the least bit concerned what I can offer you. Would you like to know? Even if payment isn't the issue here?"
Security guard? Conner couldn’t help but snort at the thought. He may have been their engineer, but he definitely acted like a guard dog for their small ship. Conner had assumed it came from his years in the military as he would always put his life on the line to protect the ship. Despite the injuries, Conner was glad to see that he was alright.
However, he didn’t have the same reaction to Valiel’s condition. They had her strapped to a bed, and Conner grew queasy just imagining what it would feel like to wake up there.
“Do you know when I’ll get to see them again? In person, I mean.”
Gain? For some reason, that hadn’t been the first thing that popped into Arriss’s mind. She had grown up with the bare minimum, and despite being fairly well off now, she was still satisfied with what she had. She was more concerned with getting away from a life full of constant crime in the name of her government.
“I suppose. What kind of payment will you offer me?” Arriss raised an eyebrow. “I don’t think an alien race knows much about human money.”
(I'm so glad you said that, cuz thats where he's going with it)
There was a pause as Moro-12 checked his authorizations. "I am not at liberty to disclose plans at this time, but… I can say that you will have a chance to talk to our leadership soon, and you may be able to negotiate to see them in person at that time." The view of Valiel was replaced by Conner's face again, this time with a sympathetic expression. "You seem distressed. Anything I can help you with?"
………………..
The Boss smiled at her. It seemed a genuine smile, but it was still hard to look at with all those pointy, blade-like teeth. "Indeed, I'm not too sure of the finer points of humanity's currency, but I do understand wealth. We can offer you resources, goods, land- the very things your people are at war over. We can give you all of that. But more importantly."
He leaned forward and rested his palms on the tabletop.
"We can offer you your freedom, Captain. Not from us, but from your war. We can offer you methods of being able to go home and not be re-drafted. You can see your family. We can offer you a life where you won't be some military privateer, being asked to kill innocents." He tilted his head forward, fixing her with a knowing gaze. "You're not the first we've picked up who had 'total war' orders, and you wouldn't be the first Captain to be so sick over having to carry them out that you'd choose us instead."
He leaned back, letting that all sink in. "We can offer you noble purpose. We are trying to improve the lives and liberty of literal trillions of beings across the galaxy. Singularity's reach is vast, and so is their failing. Within that purpose, we can offer you a better life. Wealth, retirement, your family, and a lack of human governments breathing down your neck to come back to stealing and killing for them."
Distressed? That was putting it lightly. That day he had expected to prepare for another ship invasion and stock on supplies, not get captured by an alien ship. He still didn’t know whether to trust them or not. What if they did choose to kill them? They had no escape, and they could easily wipe them out.
“I’m just… confused, that’s all,” he said, folding his arms over himself. “I’m also surprised that we weren’t killed in the attack.”
Arriss hated how naive she felt. She shouldn’t be trusting these people; they were aliens, and she knew little to nothing about them. And yet, she found herself wanting to accept the offer. It would get her away from her mundane life of killing and stealing. Maybe she could do some good for people. But at the same time, there could be things that the alien commander wasn’t telling her. Their intention could be darker than she realized.
“Just… let me think about it,” she said softly. “I need to talk things over with my crew. Can I go see them…?”
Moro-12 hadn't been asked a question, but he could tell Conner was mulling things through.
"You all might have been, but you surrendered quickly and cooperated. In essence, your lives were in your own hands, and you handled them carefully." The blue face disappeared, and a scrolling menu appeared. "Are you hungry? Thirsty? I can have food brought to you, if you'd like. Just select what you want."
The menu was, well, a menu menu. The options seemed endless, with foods of all kinds, including a lot of very obviously human dishes. Like the double bacon cheeseburger. Or the chocolate milkshake. Things that aliens wouldn't have, or wouldn't have phrased that way.
…………………………….
The Boss nodded slowly, after a moment. "I can give you time and space to think. I do recognize that this is a lot." He headed towards the door. "At this point, we can't let you go see your crew in person, though I'm sure the ship's AI will let you see them from their cameras. Though you seem very nice, and certainly honorable, we've got no guarantee you wouldn't try to break them out or rally them for some kind of fight." He tapped the door panel, which opened. 2 guards came in, not armed to the teeth, but certainly capable of squashing resistance.
"Anything else I can answer for you before you go rest?" He looked at her, and his expression had changed over the course of the conversation. Maybe it was knowing a little more about him, maybe it was having seen him get passionate about a cause he obviously cared about, maybe it was her imagination; but whatever the case, the Boss seemed much less predatory than before. Less threatening.
Surrendered quickly? Conner didn’t know if that was the cowardly or heroic thing to do. In fact, if their captain hadn’t asked them to put down their weapons, him and Valiel would’ve kept fighting until both of them were dead. So far, it seemed like the Captain had made a good decision, but one could never be certain.
“Well, a cheeseburger sounds nice.” He almost laughed at the thought. “You aren’t gonna poison it, right?”
How interesting. As Arriss stood up to leave with the guards, she studied the commander for a few moments, seeing him in a new light. Sure, she still had a hard time trusting the man for know; he had attacked her ship. But there was still much she didn’t know about him, and the mystery intrigued her.
“I don’t think so,” she said, averting her eyes once he looked over at her. “I’m going to some sort of holding cell, right? I won’t be in there for too long, will I?”
Moro-12's face appeared, a wry expression on it, which was still a little odd since it was Conner's face. "Not unless you cause trouble." Punchline delivered, the AI disappeared again, and the menu came back up. "Just customize it and let me know when you're done. You should be able to interact with the menu."
The blue light was a hard light surface, feeling like glass, acting like a touchscreen. It was fairly advanced, and seemed to be coming from nowhere. It had to be projected from the floor, since it was down at Connor's level, but there wasn't an obvious source anywhere. The reminder of the advancement of alien tech was obvious.
………………………………………..
The Boss nodded. "A holding cell, but it's just a spare room. Crew's quarters we aren't using. The door will be locked, but there won't be any bars or anything, and you'll have access to the ship's AI, with a few restrictions." He thought for a moment.
"You'll only be in there as long as it takes you to make a decision. You can ask to talk to me at anytime, the AI will alert me. Think it over, make a decision, and we'll go from there, Captain. I'll be waiting." He stepped out, and the room seemed so much bigger without his massive form in it.
One of the guards stepped in Arriss's direction. "Right this way, Captain." They were careful to address her with her title, and with the respect that someone affords a higher ranked adversary. The Boss had been clear on that.
This one of the strangest experiences Conner had ever had, and he almost broke into laughter as he walked up to order from the menu. When he got back home— we’ll, if he ever got back home— he couldn’t wait to tell all of his friends that he ordered a burger from an alien spaceship.
After finishing up with the order, he stepped back and returned to his spot near the wall. “Any updates on my crew mates?”
She nodded at the guards and, unlike the last time, didn’t put up a fight when the guards led her out the door. Somehow, despite the fact that they’d captured her ship, she had more respect for these aliens. They had treated her kindly, after all, and she had no need to continue fighting against them.
When they led her to the containment room, she sat there for hours, going through the proposition over and over again in her head. It wasn’t an easy decision to make. What the commander said had been true; if she returned to earth, she would just be recruited again. No questions asked. She would probably be put on more high stakes missions and forced to kill and brutalize whoever she came across. This opportunity was much different, but she would be considered a traitor to her country.
Eventually, she looked up at the AI. “I’ve come to a decision.”
Moro-12 made a little chiming sound when Conner laughed, as if filing away the happy reaction. He also did a ding, like an order bell in a diner back home. Some human minds had definitely gone into his programming, in certain places at least.
The screen switched, to a view of a room very similar to Conner's. "Your Captain has concluded her conversation with our leadership, and is in her room. She is unharmed still."
Much quicker than he would've guessed, Conner's food was delivered, steaming on a plate delivered through a slot in the door the closed quickly.
"Your order should be correct, but please let me know if it isn't and I can fix it. Would you like some dinner music? A movie maybe?"
Absolutely some humans had got ahold of his programming.
…………………………….
The room was comfortable, though the storage furniture and closets were empty. Moro-12 had popped up almost immediately and introduced herself, but Arriss had been so deep in thought, she hadn't tried to pry her into conversation.
As an AI, Moro-12 was programmed to take on whatever form would be most comforting to the person, which often meant taking the gender of the individual, unless requested otherwise. As the hours passed, she'd stayed in stand-by mode, a little blue icon rotating in the middle of her floor. She was less intrusive this way, though she was immediately ready to help with anything Arriss might need.
When she finally spoke, Moro-12 popped up, her face mirroring Arriss's. "Would you like me to inform leadership you'd like to meet?"
“I would stay on this ship just for the food,” Conner said, snorting softly. “And yeah, sure. A movie. Just pick something random.”
He walked over to get his food before once against sitting down by the wall. It was weird how kindly they were treating him. Conner decided that if this is what getting captured by an alien spaceship was normally like, he would want to get captured a lot more often.
“How about Valiel and Ronnie?” he asked. “Are they still in the same condition?”
Arriss took in a shaky breath, twisting the rings on her fingers. She could stay here a little longer, think it over more. But she was just holding off on a decision she would ultimately have to make. Besides, she hadn’t seen her crew mates in hours, and she was desperate to finally be able to speak with them.
“Yes, I would like to meet with leadership.”
The burger was perfect, and Moro-12 apparently had perfect taste in movies as well. He flashed a few titles, before settling on one that had made Conner smile.
"Both of your crewmates are still out cold, though Valiel is showing signs of waking up soon. I'll update you after you've eaten."
The time passed quickly, and soon the movie was done, and a couple hours had passed.
"I feel I should inform you that your Captain is once again in conversation with leadership, Ronnie's shoulder has been repaired, and Valiel is awake and stable. She asked about you, and I showed her you eating, to ensure her you're safe."
……………………………
Moro-12 nodded and paused, and within a few seconds, the door hissed open. The same guards as before beckoned her. "Heading back to the same room, Captain."
Once they got there and she was seated, the Boss came back in. He sat down and checked the clock on the wall. "I must say, that was remarkably quick. I assumed you'd deliberate a lot longer." He motioned the guards out, and once they'd left he turned back to her, his face… well, gentle would be the wrong word, but certainly no hostility.
"Have you made a decision, Captain?"
Conner was half asleep near the wall by then, the AI’s voice startling him awake. He snorted softly when he heard that Valiel had asked about him. It was sweet, but he hoped that he hadn’t had ketchup all over his face when she saw him.
“Do you know how long it’ll be until we get to speak with the captain?” He let out a sigh. “I’m sure she has a lot to talk with us about…”
Arriss hesitated for a few moments, her eyes focused on her hands. She knew what the correct decision was, but making that decision was difficult. It could change her whole life, for better or for worse.
“I’ll join you,” she said. “I’ll tell my crew about the opportunity, but I’m not going to force them to make the same decision. They will have to make that choice for themselves.”
Moro-12 paused, for a long moment, as Arriss made a decision elsewhere.
"I don't have orders on talking to your Captain yet, but. You're wanted in conversation with leadership now. Are you awake enough for that?"
……………………
The Boss smiled, still an unsettling expression with his ashen skin and serrated teeth, but definitely a happy one. "Good choice! Welcome!" He tapped his communicator twice, and across the ship, things went into motion. A guard brought in a tablet with a contract for Arriss to sign. Moro-12 readied Conner. Arriss's quarters were updated, and she gained new permissions with the AI.
"And I fully agree. I will be asking each of your crew members individually for their choice. They'll see the contract you've signed, and our handshake, as proof that you weren't coerced, but other than that, it will be their choice alone.
"If you would, just sign here. You can read the whole thing if you like, but it details what I said earlier, and you'll also notice there's a clause there at the bottom that essentially says the terms of your payment can change at any time, with your consent, and to fit your specific needs. We'll take care of our own, Captain." He stuck out a massive hand, claws and all, for her to shake. "My name is Commander Verrik. You can call me that or 'The Boss', which is what the guards call me when they think I'm not listening."
Conner stretched, his limbs aching from dozing off on the floor. His mind felt foggy, but wanted to hear what the commander had to say. He wanted to know why they had been brought aboard the ship and not killed.
“Yeah, I’m ready,” he said. “I’ll go whenever he’s ready for me.”
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Commander Verrik.” She smiled. It was faint, but genuine. “I’m Arriss. I look forward to working with you.”
Arriss stood, trying her best to make herself look presentable before she went out. She had been in quite a few fights that day, so her clothes were covered in sweat and some blood.
“I do hope to see my crew today.” She then added with a small laugh, “I promise not to try to take down your ship. It would be a stupid thing to do, anyways.”
The door hissed open, and two guards beckoned to Conner. "That would be now." Moro-12 flashed a smile and blinked out. The guards led him to the same meeting room where Arriss had been. There was a massive person already sitting there. Grey skin, red eyes, massive muscles and just… generally terrifying. It was the 'leadership' Arriss had been talking to when he'd seen her earlier.
"Hello. Do you have a name or title you'd prefer to be referred to by?" The man's voice was deep, resonant.
………………………….
Commander Verrik had smiled at her. "Arriss. Good to have you aboard." His face had gone serious, if not apologetic for a moment. "I believe that you have no ill intent, but I'm afraid we must hold you back from your crew for just a bit longer. One of them is on his way here to negotiate this same deal, your security officer is still unconscious after the surgery to repair his shoulder, and your Charad-ti crewmate is in a particular holding cell, due to her being so dangerous. I can suggest you go to your new quarters, clean up, get some food, and perhaps familiarize yourself with our history. Moro will let you know as soon as your crew is available to speak to." He gave her a sympathetic smile, before having the guards show her to her room. "We'll talk soon."
The guards attitude had changed. They were escorting her. Showing her someplace new. Not 'guarding' her anymore, like they were worried she'd fight. The immediate attitude change spoke volumes of the switch she'd just made.
Her new room was much better furnished, bigger, and comfortable. Moro-12's icon was in a similar place, waiting for anything she might need.
Conner winced when he saw the man. Sure, he had seen Valiel in her alien forms multiple times, but the commander looked… different. He knew Valiel would never hurt him, but the commander looked more threatening. Normally, he would make some sort of joke to make things less tense, but her figured that probably wasn’t the best idea.
“Uh… Conner.” He walked in and sat down in the chair, stiff. “You wanted to speak to me?”
Arriss hadn’t fought with the man when he told her she couldn’t see her crew mates. She understood the reasoning behind it, but that didn’t help her anxiety. Especially when it came to Ronnie. He had been in a lot of pain when she’d left him, and she just had to hope that he was still doing well.
Arriss sat down in her room, silent as she tried to get used to the place. She wanted to do plenty of research on these alien creatures when she had the time.
"Yes, Conner, I did." The Boss leaned forward. "I want to offer you a spot on my crew. A chance to join us. Now." He slid a tablet towards Conner. "I can spend a lot of time trying to convince you, or I can tell you that your Captain, Arriss, has joined us already. There's the contract she's signed, and I can have the AI show you the footage. She wasn't harmed, she wasn't coerced. I don't know how much weight her opinion carries with you, but there it is. Do you have other questions, things I can explain? I am asking you for a decision on this. Not this instant, but eventually. We don't want to hold you as a prisoner forever."
…………………………………
Moro-12 popped up from her spot on the floor, a concerned look on her face. "Arriss, have you eaten recently? We certainly have not served you food since you've been brought on, and humans need several thousand calories per 24 hour period. Can I get you something?" She blinked away, and a menu was opened. Her voice continued to narrate.
"Also, would you like to know anything about your new home? Your crewmates? Commander Verrik? I've been given authorization to give you full access to relevant information."
Conner, unlike Arriss, didn’t need as much convincing. His job was bad enough already, after all, and these aliens had treated him well so far. Besides, his Captain had joined already, and he trusted her judgment.
“What’s the payment?” he pressed. “You guys have to pay me something.”
Conner was mainly here for the money, and he didn’t try to hide it. As long as he got through the day with clothes on his back and a warm bed to sleep in, he didn’t care what job he had to get him his money.
Arriss could feel her stomach rumble, but she felt like she would throw up if she ate anything. The AI did have a point, however; she should probably try to eat something small.
“A salad will do,” she replied. “And I would also like to know more about the commander. He’s a very mysterious man, isn’t he?”
The Boss smiled. "Ah, the pragmatist, I see." He chuckled, before sitting back and spreading his hands. "I can offer you land, resources, currency if that's really what makes you happy. Perhaps even a spot as a commander at some point in the future." He thought for a moment.
"I should clarify, you're joining a guerilla group seeking justice for the wider galaxy through piracy and radical diplomatic change. We're essentially a rebellion. But we can offer you a home and a purpose."
………………….
Moro-12 nodded and highlighted a salad. "Earth vegetables only, I presume?"
She flickered up a picture of Commander Verrick. "The Commander is not incredibly mysterious to the galaxy, though we expect he would be unknown to you. What questions would you like answered? I assume telling you his entire life story would be a bit much."
Ronnie would probably whine about him being too careless about this situation, but if Arriss signed up for it, he would to. He just hoped that his other two crew mates would come to the same decision.
“A rebellion. Lit.” Conner leaned his cheek against his knuckles. “My current job sucks anyways. I won’t have to kill, right? That’s my only boundary. One that my other job crossed.”
“Mm… I dunno, I’m simply curious.” Arriss walked over to the bookshelf, looking through some of the books. “Just whatever you know about him. It’s not often I see a creature like him anywhere in the galaxy. And yes, earth vegetables will be fine.”
She pulled out a book to do more research on the ship before returning to her bed. She didn’t know how long it would be until she could finally go see her crew mates, but she needed something to pass the time until then.
The Boss smiled, a warm expression, except for the teeth. "Glad to see you're onboard so quickly. And no, you wouldn't have to kill if you didn't want to. There are other jobs available to you." He pulled the tablet pack, swiped a few things, and slid across a contract to Conner. "Just sign there, and you're with us."
……………….
"Commander Delter Verrick is a Muwellorian, from the planet Muwello. He was formerly a Prince in the royal family on Muwello, before the monarchy was dissolved several centuries ago. He joined Singularity's military and became aware of how corrupt the system is. And that brings him here. Would you like to know more about Muwellorians, since they are unfamiliar to you?"
There was a ding, and the salad order disappeared. "Your salad should be on its way, unless you'd like to eat it in the dining commons."
(I assume you'll write what she finds in the book, cuz Im not sure about their ship)
“Good. Killing… well, it isn’t my thing.” He shrugged. “I guess it’s nobody’s thing, but still.”
He hesitated for a moment before signing it. This would be a big change in his life; he understood that much. Many of his friends would probably look at him as if he were crazy for signing onto the mission so fast, but nothing could be worse than his current job.
“Will I still be on a crew with Arriss?”
(( I have no clue what’s in it, but I’ll try to come up with something xD ))
Arriss didn’t read much of the book, but instead leafed through a few of the pages, learning new information about the ship as she went. It originally belonged to her country, but just the year before, it had been taken in a raid. Many of the people aboard had been captured, and the ones that were defiant had been killed.
Arriss placed the book back down on the counter as she spoke to the AI. While she was curious, part of her didn’t want to think about the history of the ship right now when her own ship had just been captured.
“Mm, sure. Tell me about them,” she replied. “And I might eat in the dinning commons. Are there other people in there?”
The Boss nodded. "It's some people's thing, but it doesn't have to be yours. We have diplomatic or charity ships that aren't fighting centric." He watched Conner hesitate, which was a good sign. He'd have been a bit worried if the guy just switched loyalty with no thought at all.
"If you wanted to be, yes. Arriss is likely going to wind up either captaining or in some other way leading, and we can make sure you work with her."
………………………..
"There are always people in the dining commons. Different species have different sleep needs, which means the shifts are different. At the moment there are roughly 30 people in the commons, including 3 other humans. I'll have your salad sent to the window there." Moro-12 blinked from the middle of the room, over to a small earpiece sitting on the table. "I can be accessed through your earpiece, if you'd like to know more about Muwellorians. I'll also help you find the commons."
“Good, and I’m sure that Ronnie and Valiel would want to join her too. If they sign, that is.” He snorted. “Not to brag, but I’m sure Arriss is the best captain you have on this ship.”
He wasn’t quite sure about the last claim he’d made; after all, he’d never met any of the captains on the commanders ship, but he did know Arriss was the best captain that he’d been under. Not only did she have good leadership skills, but she also understood that their missions were a team effort.
“Have you spoken to Valiel or Ronnie yet?”
“Thanks.”
Arriss slid her earpiece over her ear before she headed out into the halls of the ship. Even thought her country used to own the ship, it was a bit hard to navigate; however, with the AI’s help, she soon found the dining table. Arriss waited in line to retrieve her salad, and once she did, she headed to an empty table to eat alone. She wanted to eventually get to know some of the other people on the ship, sure, but she was still hesitant about trusting anyone.
