The bed had changed, becoming the softest Natalia could imagine. It moved and formed perfectly to where she needed it to. And it wasn’t just the bed, she felt warm again and the hunger was…maybe not gone but at least numb, a huge improvement. Was she home? No, the bed at home had never been this good…So where…was she dreaming? Natalia had resisted opening her eyes and after a quick decision decided to keep them closed. Maybe whatever was happening could continue to happen so long as she pretended to sleep.

 

This decision did not stop her senses from slowly becoming more alert as Natalia herself woke further. There was a melody? Vibration? Rhythm? It was hard to tell. What she did know was that she could feel it from the bed and hear it in the air…there was something familiar about it, something nice. Lastly, there was a smell, fresh, pleasant, somewhere between mint and cinnamon.

 

Betula! That was how Betaula- Oh stars! Curiosity tore her eyes open, revealing that her face was pressed up against something light green. The texture was smooth, with streaks of white running through the tube-like shape. There were several of them, some large as her waist, others as thin as her pinkie finger; all of the tubes winding over and beneath each other forming a wonderous pattern her mind was sure existed but too complex to understand. So beautiful….

 

O stars they were Betula’s vines, she was lying in a bed of Betula’s vines! Dawcwaawcacacwcc!! What did she do now?! How had she gotten here?! Fuck, had the affini taken over the ship?  Had Betula claimed her as her floret? That would be so good – no, bad – but so hot – Focus! What about the rest of the crew?

 

The melody in the air became more intense “~Natalia~, are you awake my little flower?~” Vines shifted her upwards, letting her look straight up into Betula’s beautiful, wonderous, alien in the best kind of way, smiling face “~you are~ How do you feel?” Her eyes glittered green, her smile full of care and love.

 

Natalia stared into the huge emeralds that were gazing down at her, time standing wonderfully still. “I…” Wait, fuck, Betula had asked her a question “I mean- aaaa- good, I feel good. Wh-what about you?” ‘What about you?’??? what kind of question was that? Nkcwacwca Please brain, Work for once!

 

A hand was placed on top of her head, fingers dragging through her hair before they began to massage her scalp “~that is so wonderful to hear little one~” mmmmmmm so…so nice. All the gay panic evaporated as quickly as it had come, the calming sensation of the fingers gently scratching her scalp dispelling any kind of tension her body could muster. “We can wait with talking, I did promise you this after all.” Yes… “And I can’t complain when I have the cutest little xeno in the universe right here in my arms, now can I?” How was Betula this kind? The affini made it sound like she was the lucky one when Natalia could not imagine how it was not the other way around.

 

She stretched slightly, the vines beginning to massage her all across the body. She had never been to a spa but was pretty sure nothing those rich people had could compare to this. Part of her was still wondering what she had done to deserve this…that was a thought for later, nothing was supposed to ruin this moment. Mmmmmmmm, maybe the affini were psychic after all, how else could the vines know exactly where to massage? The hands know where to scratch and pet? To prove her point two fingers began to scratch the back of her neck, she instantly reacted by leaning her head back, so…so nice.

 

Natalia drifted into a gentle sort of bliss, like falling asleep after work just a million times better. That had to be what had happened, after the shift she had led Betula to her quarters and they had cuddled until she fell asleep. That made sense….no, no it did not. There was no way she would be brave enough to bring Betula to her own quarters, the thought alone was terrifying.  

 

“~flower~ I would like to show you something, do you want to see it now or stay like this for a little while longer?” The affini sounded different, with a slight hesitation in her melodic voice. The choice was almost impossible, pure curiosity winning out in the end.

 

Natalia fluttered her eyes open “I want to see it now…please.” Once again vines shifted underneath her, pulling her body effortlessly into a sitting position on Betula’s lap…She looked up, right into the eyes…so pretty…so pretty….so….

 

A harmonic chuckle broke her out of the trance “~you can look into my eyes later petal~” an affini data pad was put in front of her “what do you think? Do you like it?”

 

It was a picture. Sticking up at an angle from the bottom was a relay spire, a black void surrounding it. Floating next to the spire, about in the middle of the frame, a terran figure in a grey spacesuit. The detail on the suit and spire was incredible, her eyes convinced she would be able to feel the cold smooth texture of the metal if she reached out. What had caught her attention from the first moment was what surrounded the terran. A nebula, the dust in a beautiful mesh of purple, yellow, and red. Through subtle linework the nebula had been shaped into two wings, emerging from the back of the spacesuit.

 

“It… it's beautiful, did you make this?” The composition, the colors, and every part of the piece drew one’s attention toward the figure in the spacesuit. Like the universe itself had gathered to showcase their beauty.

 

Several flowers in Betula’s hair bloomed at the same time “Yesterday when we were outside I could not resist taking a picture of you as we worked.” She continued, a slight stutter in the melody “while I waited for you to wake I made this,” She was the terran in the picture??? “I’m glad you like it.” 

 

Was this how Betula saw her? “It…its very pretty…” A hand returned to her head and began petting once more.

 

More of Betula’s flowers bloomed “~thank you little flower~ but you should know I have only done art like this for a couple of decades. There are many affini out there that could do the picture more justice.” 

 

Natalia leaned back into the vines and pressed her head up into the hand “I don’t care about what other affini can do. I think it looks great…also, no one has ever done that for me before so thank you.” Her enthusiasm for pets was rewarded with a delightful chuckle from Betula. 

 

The affini ruffled her hair lovingly “~awwww, aren’t you just the sweetest little thing~” The cuddles and pets continued during a wonderfully comfortable silence. During which the memories of what had actually happened during the last shift resurfaced. The lack of pain finally made sense, though she could feel it beginning to resurface. More importantly than that, the relay. There was no way the spire had been completed as planned. “I can sense that you are worried petal, is there anything you want to talk about?” Couldn’t they just stay like this forever?

 

Maybe in another timeline where the warp drive had never gone off “you should have let me continue to work…I know had a small panic attack and I’m sorry but-“ another gentle pet and a soft squeeze silenced her before she could spiral completely.  

 

“shhhh, it's okay, there is nothing to apologize for. I repaired the spire myself, we can soon send a message and get you cuties to safety.” Oh…Betula had done it all on her own? 

 

“So we only need to do the last work in the comms room then?” That would be way easier, with no need for a huge suit or the dangerous vacuum of space…only downside was slightly less privacy.

 

Betula shifted, her vines curling up on themselves “you have done more than enough Natalia. The others and I can do the last work ourselves.” The vines tightened themselves around her like Betula was afraid of her falling out. 

 

Natali tried to sit further up, finding herself stuck “I still want to work. Has the captain pulled me off duty?” Her question made the vines around her tighten even harder. 

 

“No…They said that you can work if you feel like you can do so safely. In my opinion, you should rest,” a vine stroke along her cheek “and let me take care of you as I promised I would.” The temptation to let Betula decide was strong…

 

But no “There is no way I can sit back when everyone else is working. It’s just one or two shifts, and you will be with me the entire time. I can handle it.” Natalia looked up at Betula with pleading eyes “please…” 

 

“mmmmmmmm” The discordant tone rumbled through Betula’s body and into her own “fine. So long as you promise to not push yourself too hard and tell me immediately if there is anything wrong. Understood petal?” oooooooo she could stand seeing the affini’s firm side more often.

 

“I understand miss, could you pet me more until then?” she said with a hint of mischief, part of her wanting to pry out some more firm commands. 

 

Betula let out a long sigh, shaking her head performatively “you will never need to ask for that my little flower. Now lift your head, I need to take some measurements.” A vine wrapped itself around her neck, a tantalizingly domineering look in Betula’s eyes that now shone a wonderful gold.   

 

>>>>>> 

 

*click* The mess hall was empty. *click* The squad assigned to stopping the thrusters from breaking down were at their positions in the engine room. *click* Betula and Natalia must have just entered the comms room to begin their work. Luis pressed down the shame *click* two crew members were guarding the life support system. They were talking, serious frowns on their faces. Were they plotting something? Reading their lips was next to impossible at this angle...it was probably nothing, it had to be nothing.

 

He could not allow the hunger to make him paranoid, using the cameras was just a precaution, nothing more. Stars he was hungry, the plan to boil leather equipment was a drastic one but darn if it was not tempting to enact it immediately. Just something to fill the clawing, hollow void inside. Somehow he felt better than yesterday, the decision to get some rest had somehow not ended with him turning and twisting for several hours. It had still been a stupid and self-centered decision, anything could have happened during those two hours.

 

A terran fist knocked on the door in rapid succession, that sounded like Duran “come in.” The lieutenant walked in, shoulders squared…he only did that when there was really bad news, or he was nervous. “Anything to report?” He had the meeting with the affini in less than 30 minutes, hopefully, it was nothing too bad.

 

Duran sat down, pulling on the collar of his uniform “I have some points of concern, three to be exact.” Only three? “The last thing I want to do is question your judgment captain…” Duran then proceeded to do exactly that “but we need to let up on the rationing. Two people collapsed due to hunger yesterday, today we are up to four. We are burning through the last of our painkillers and I am seriously beginning to worry for morale. One or two days with full rations is all I am asking for, that should give people the energy to last till we reach the station.” It was not a bad idea, a reasonable one even.

 

The rescue could come as soon as two to three days from now, they might be a day without food, but people could survive that. If rescue took longer….it would get worse than fainting, hunger was better than starvation. A prolonging of the rationing was required “let us implement full dinners from now on, I cannot stretch it any more than that.” Obviously not what Duran had hoped to hear, the unease in the air became thicker.

 

“I…understand captain. Next, is this about the affini. Is it really a good idea to let them waltz around without guards? The generator is fixed, we don’t need their help anymore, we haven’t for a long time. And letting them take care of our sick? People are beginning to talk a-“ Luis did not tell or motion for the Lieutenant to stop, the stare did that for him.

 

“If people are talking then it is your duty to crush any kind of mutinous or discontent sentiment.” Duran opened his mouth to protest, “we are at war with the affini, I know. That does not change the fact that they can capture this ship in an instant should they wish to. We have no recourse against them that would not cause mass casualties and the destruction of this vessel. I will not do anything that upsets the ceasefire, and neither will you or anyone else that does not want to end up in the brig. Do I make myself clear?” The words were dragged across grinding teeth, the sailor stiffening in the seat.  

 

“Abundantly sir.” Sir? Duran never used that, and the bastard was usually far more stubborn. There was something wrong, he did not think that the affini had…

 

A stabbing pain had begun to throb in the right arm “and the third issue?” 

 

Duran stood up, his right eye twitching only for a moment “nothing sir, though I do have a personal request. I…many of us are worried about you. Just…know that we have your back, come hell or high water.” With a final courteous “see you at dinner.” He walked out, leaving Luis to slump back into the chair and massage his shoulder.

 

The way Duran had spoken those last words…it was like they were directed at someone else. How long had he been his second in command? 6 years? More? This was not right, this was not how Duran would show concern. All that had to happen was the thought to exist, the specter of betrayal and mutiny. Ari and her squad had only had a speck more information than the rest of the crew before they came to their conclusion. His defense of the affini could have been the speck Duran needed for the specter to become reality. 

 

It had been naïve to think that no more mutinies would happen, countermeasures were needed. There was no time for that now, the meeting with the affini was about to start. With some luck, no mutiny would have the time to start. Making sure to lock the office Luis walked to the bridge, Alyssum and Ageratu were there waiting. 

 

The affini were faded from when they had first boarded the ship, flowers closed, colors subdued, vines still and motionless. Ageratu smiled as soon as she saw him “hello brood mother~ I hope you have rested well, please sit down.” From within her form, a vine retrieved a cup of tea “careful, it is still warm.” Her voice was as warm and considerate as ever.

 

”You did not need to but thank you.” Luis sat down in the captain’s chair, Ageratu making herself comfortable quite close and Alyssum standing at a comfortable distance, a tiny smile on his face. The familiar smell filled his lungs with a rested calm…the smell from the tea of course, not that sweet scent that Ageartu- No need to think about that now. “I apologize that we have not discussed this issue before now” Because he had been actively ignoring the question “what are your thoughts about the emergency broadcast?” This matter would determine the fate of everything, hunger and exhaustion could distract him later. 

 

Alyssum continued to smile, though he could see the concern beneath “the relay we have repaired will be able to send a message using our methods of interstellar communication. It will be a bit sloppy…actually more than ‘a bit sloppy’.” The affini rolled their eyes and continued “The point is that assuming interstellar safety protocols are being followed in this space, which they should, our message will be picked up and help will arrive very soon.” That was it, that was the goal they had been working towards this entire time.

 

Yet he could not help but feel less sure than ever before “who will arrive?“ It was a purely rhetorical question “one of your ships I assume?” Of course it would be one of their star damned huge behemoths. Terran codebreakers had worked tirelessly to crack the affini signals for years to no avail, no terran ship would understand their message. Affini ‘help’ meant Compact seizure of the ship and of the crew. Followed by domestication, the fate for most, if not all prisoners of war.

 

He felt her coming closer before he saw that she had moved, Ageratu towering over him with a collected presence “yes, with our more advanced warp drives it should not take long. As soon as a ship arrives we will help your brood recover from malnourishment and these suboptimal living conditions.”

 

Every action in the last two weeks would have landed him in an indentured labor camp or simply shot. Treason against the Accord was one thing…this was beyond that “what if we defect to the compact?” The two affini exchanged confused glances so he continued “The Viator has little combat capabilities but once repaired,” and the crew somehow convinced into fighting for the enemy “she can provide tactical and intelligence support.”  

 

The proposal hung in the air for several long seconds…were they considering it? Finally, Alyssum answered while looking away awkwardly “no, that…that won’t work. This vessel is a serious safety hazard and frankly not fit for any sort of use. Additionally, while it is cute that you want to help, keeping you safe is a far higher priority.” The sensation of the affini stinging his pride was not something that was becoming easier to bear. 

 

So, defection was out the airlock “I could give you all the intel I have on the operations, plans, and workings of Navy Border Command as well. But I bet you already have that.” There was always another option “can we use the relay to send a standard, terran message?” 

 

Alyssum shrugged, a wave of vines going up and down from his ‘shoulders’ “in theory, yes. The problem is that it will take longer for the message to be detected, tracing would take far longer and therefore slow the speed of rescue. I would recommend in the strongest possible terms to use our method.” The use of the word ‘rescue’ meant that the affini assumed that an affini ship would find them first, no matter what method was used. 

 

It did leave open a small chance for a terran ship to find the signal first …and how would they react? Chances were good that they would shoot instead of help, or simply never arrive at the coordinates. Distress signals were often used as traps by pirates before the war. With the number of patrol ships captured an NBC verification code would probably make them appear more like affini-laid bait than anything else. 

 

There was one more card to play, the least tempting one. The crew came first, he could accept his fate “I am the commanding officer of this vessel. All responsibility for the actions of this vessel and the crew of this vessel is mine. Subsequently, all punishments for said actions are to be directed at me alone.” It was a blatant lie, the accord judicial system had never possessed so noble qualities. Again, the affini looked confused “what I am saying is that I am willing to surrender the ship so long as you give the rest of the crew amnesty.” Desperation had crept into his voice “None of them wanted war with your people, they only followed my orders. You can do whatever you want with me but please let them go.” Mines, fertilizer, infected, brainwashed; whatever crazy rumor turned out to be true he could bare it. 

 

Ageratu crouched down, a vine draping itself over his left shoulder “I believe there has been a misunderstanding. We affini are here not because of resources or want for power. We are here because there is no way we can stand by and watch xenos be hurt. Domestication is not a punishment, it is how we prevent suffering. We love our florets, more than even ourselves, we would travel to the ends of the universe to make them happy. In places where we brought peace millennia ago the overwhelming majority of florets volunteer. We want to help everyone, that includes you and your brood.” She spoke with a wonderous, undeniable passion — her eyes filled with an adoring sort of love.

 

Luis realized he had been staring up at Ageratu and quickly looked down. The cup in his hand was still full of tea, the steam vapors were gone. Help, the word continued to bounce within the walls of his mind. The affini claimed that they used domestication to help, and they did sound genuine. But what did help mean to them? Was declaring war and removing people’s freedom necessary for that? Plenty of people thought that the Navy’s job was to help people, some of them were even half decent.

 

The tea was beginning to grow cold “Should any of my crew volunteer then that is one thing. But you must understand I cannot send that message if it means even a single person loses their freedom. There has to be some sort of deal we can make, any deal that makes it better than trying my luck with the accord.” He pleaded, gripping the cup tight. 

 

The vine traced down his left arm like the night a few days ago in the storage bay “any deal that could possibly lead to the harm or suffering of any sophont is one we can’t accept. I’m sorry,” She genuinely did sound sorry “I wish there was some way to prove that this is the best outcome. All I can ask is that you trust me when I say we would never intentionally harm you or your brood.” 

 

Trust, it all came down to trust. Did he trust the affini, the people who had boarded his ship, threatened the freedom of the crew, and beyond rumors and their own claims were almost a total unknown…or did he trust the devil he knew, the accord that would waste no time exploiting the ship and the crew for whatever purpose it found necessary, with no consideration of their lives. It was bitter to admit, but there were no good options.  

 

His body knew exactly what it wanted: to lean into Ageratu, tell her yes and sleep until the nightmare was over. They had had many disagreements and arguments over the last two weeks, but somewhere along the way, the fact that she cared was becoming harder and harder to deny…how were her eyes so beautiful? The golden glowing orbs shone so perfectly, the rays revealing the dust in the air. Like an ancient lighthouse guiding him in. Ageratu realized that he was looking, and her smile spread wider. There was something wrong with his chest, somehow in a good way. With terrible self-control, Luis looked away once more. 

 

A long breath out signaled the passing of time, the affini patiently waiting for him to make a decision. He could not let emotions be the deciding factor here, the crew’s future was on the line. If there were no good options then the least bad would have to do. Starving on board the ship was the worst among them, so inaction was off the table. Going with the accord could go wrong…and was it not just denying the inevitable? 

 

He had seen how easily the affini had crushed the forces at Alpha Centauri firsthand. By now they could be invading Sol. Should a terran ship find them the likelihood of ending up in the affini’s clutches within a month was high, very high. The accord was being ground into dust, what would they gain by siding with them? 

 

The answer was rather simple, get the affini crew members killed. When Ageratu had first burst into the bridge and subdued him like it was nothing the notion that the affini could be fought was dispelled beyond any reasonable doubt. Seeing the affini now…maybe they could not be beaten but they could be contained with enough effort and sacrifice, starved to death over the course of weeks. That made the decision rather simple. 

 

He finally spoke, the back of his throat feeling very dry “you have to promise me one thing. You will not let anyone die.” It was a pathetic request, a failure of leadership to be brought to this point. He should have done something, anything. Found a derelict mining station to settle or hide on a terraforming mistake. Being a captain had normalized making hard, painful decisions, it was something that had to be done. This was worse, so much worse. If there was any consolation the affini courts would likely hand down some long overdue justice, there the Barcelon name would mean nothing. 

 

The vine around his left arm tightened its grip momentarily. “There exist no words in this language or in any of the million dialects of the affini language powerful enough to describe to what lengths I will go to make sure that never happens.” Ageratu moved closer, her vines spilling over the chair and over his chest and legs. “I will do anything to ensure that the promise you made to everyone on the day we met is upheld.” Was he really doing this? 

 

He was…“Then…” say it “I accept. You can send the distress signal according to your design.” 

 

Instead of a calm moment of silence, Ageratu burst into motion. Somehow he could feel that she was happy, like the air itself vibrated in accordance with her emotions. “Thank you so much, brood mother!” There was something frightening with her as well, the possibility of her pouncing on him suddenly was not so farfetched. Her vines were wiggling, flowers blooming and returning to their vibrant blue color. “Our last agreement was made formally with a handshake as per your cultural norms. Could I suggest that this agreement is made according to mine?” Oh, stars…

 

Had he not known exactly what she wanted, the eagerly grasping vines made it abundantly clear “a hug?” The predatory, needle-toothed smile was all the answer he needed. Why not?…it couldn’t hurt…and, yes, diplomacy was still needed. “I can…affirm our agreement…” stop stuttering “with a hug, yes.”  

 

Before Luis had time to stand up or subdue the furious blush, vines picked him up, making sure to be extra careful with the right arm. The next second was a blur of green and blue as he was safely wrapped in a smothering hug. Blue flowers pressed in from all sides, vines wrapped around limbs, the sweet gentle smell filling his senses. The urge to curl up and let the blue, ever so soft petals embrace him completely was strong…very strong…too strong.

 

It was weakness…but stars did he feel weak right now. Just a bit of rest would be okay, only for a minute or two…The flower-covered vines were soft but firm enough to feel the pressure of something — no, someone being there, close. It was an unfamiliar sensation and…good, it felt good. Again, there was something wrong with his chest, a wet choking sensation that craved release. On instinct Luis began to suppress it, pushing the pressure down. 

 

There was a shift in the vines and some of them parted, revealing Ageratu staring down at him from above. “shhhh, it’s okay little petal.” A vine entwined around the hat and lifted it away. The pressure grew, traveling up his throat. “I am here for you, you can let it out.” The valve that kept the pressure in began to turn, first as a trickle, then in ever-increasing sobs. 

 

He was not quite sure why he was crying, somewhere between relief and exhaustion. It felt right…was it supposed to? A massive hand was placed on the back of his head and then gently stroke through his hair, causing him to shiver. “I am so proud of you little brood mother, your trust in me means more than I think you can understand.” Why was she so nice? What could he have possibly done to deserve her support and care? 

 

He did not have the capacity to answer any of those questions, and she never asked them. Ageratu, for some reason beyond his comprehension, was fine with him crying into her vines and clutching one of them for support. She continued to care for him as the pressure slowly ebbed, little by little, vines stroking along his back and cheek in long calm motions. When the valve was finally screwed back there was still pressure left, a reservoir built up over decades, but relieving only some was a strangely comforting experience.  

 

Rubbing the tears away with his left arm Luis motioned for the affini to let him go. She did, if a bit hesitantly, some of her vines still loosely clinging to his body “you know…I would have nothing against spending more time with you. With all the work you have done, a break would do you wonders. Rescue is coming soon, there is nothing more you need to do, and I would love to have some company before my next shift.” Ageratu made the offer in the most enticing voice he had yet to hear use. 

 

Was he blushing again? “A-and what do you propose we would do?” One of the vines that had hung onto him slithered beath his chin, guiding him to look up at the affini. Stars, it was impossible to forget the size difference between them regularly, but now...Ageratu towered over him, her mere presence dominating the room. Luis felt small…very small, yet it caused more anticipation than fright. 

 

Ageratu looked like she enjoyed it, moving elegantly forward, vines pushing him towards her “~oh, whatever you want brood mother~ We can talk, ~relax~, or do nothing at all. It’s all up to you.” The temptation to give in to the vines, to embrace the bed of blue flowers and let her take charge was strong…very strong…

 

An especially powerful hunger pang broke through the spell. As he instinctively hunkered over Ageratu was there in an instant, a vine stroking over his back “are you okay?...” bursts of turbulence disrupted her usually harmonic voice.  

 

The stabbing pain slowly ebbed and settled into its numb agony, leaving Luis more clearheaded than before. He had already indulged in too much, it would not do to have him relax and talk while the crew sweated and worked. “I am okay…thank you.” He said while straightening his far too relaxed back “as for your offer I am sorry to say that I will have to refuse. There is work that remains and I have a duty to tend to it…” Was she disappointed? Better question, why was he disappointed? A glance up revealed a notable caring concern on the affini’s face. The next words stumbled out “I could...I could end my work earlier — join you an hour or so after dinner…if that is acceptable for you?” 

 

A warm smile once again reclaimed Ageratu’s face “my, my. How could I refuse? Why don’t we say my chambers, 2000.” The captain's hat suddenly appeared in one of her vines and was placed on his head “you can go and do what you feel like you need to do, but please don’t push yourself too hard. Okay?” 

 

Luis swallowed and nodded, pushing the hat down “I understand…see you then.” Free from the possessive vines Luis made a hasty retreat out of the room, feeling the affini’s stare follow him the entire way. The air in the corridor outside smelt different, stale and dry. It was the same air that he had grown accustomed to over almost a decade, recycled over and over again across a thousand cycles. And only now did he notice how unnatural it was? There was something seriously wrong with him today. 

 

The ever-increasing hunger should have been a perfect explanation for it. But besides the hunger, he felt better than he had in a long time. The world was lighter, brighter, and more colorful, hell even the rust traces on the plating had more natural beauty to them than before. Was it the relief of knowing that the relay would soon be fixed perhaps? That would explain why he felt more relaxed. 

 

Accommodating the affini’s, and especially Agertu’s, strange xeno cultural inclinations was something he was becoming rather skilled at. And this meeting with her after dinner, how was he to classify that? As far as he understood it was a mere social event…with only the two of them present. There was a word for that…nah, he was overthinking this. Some work would help clear the mind.

 

Luis entered the code and opened the door to his office. “What the…” sitting in the chair opposite to his was Verek “what are you doing here?” Saying that his mood soured would be an understatement. How had that slippery bastard gotten into his office?

 

The quartermaster turned, that same smile on his face “ahh, captain. I had some rather urgent business to discuss with you, and a question to have answered should you feel so generous.” 

 

There was only one thing Luis felt like, and that was throwing the man out of the office and possibly out of the airlock while he was at it. “You have exactly two minutes, then you get the hell out of my office.” he halfway snarled while walking to his chair, keeping a careful eye on Verek all the while. 

 

“Dear captain, I apologize if this is an unfortunate timing.” He spoke with a slightly wider smile than usual “so I will not tarry my words. The relay is reaching operational capacity, what agreement have you struck with the affini regarding its contents?” There was something uneasy in how relaxed the man was, like the hunger, exhaustion or pure darn boredom did not touch him. 

 

Was there any use in lying to him? probably not “I have no interest or need in telling you that. Everyone will survive, and I have chosen the best and as far as I can see only option available.” 

 

The smile grew “so my prediction was correct, it will be the affini who reach this craft first. Peculiar that a person who has been so willing to use their family name to wield influence before rejects deploying it now.” Verek revealed the knowledge with a playful flicker behind his eyes. 

 

Safe to assume the man had done a comprehensive background check, and so what? For once Luis did not feel off balance “negotiating the end of labor contracts, granting some amnesties, a bailout or two, all for people that the system considers worthless is one thing. Getting a ship to rescue us in these times requires a considerably different amount of influence.” Had he hoped that a distress signal with the Barcelon name would have worked? Surely not. 

 

“A correct analysis. The root of said peculiarity is that in your goal to acquire and protect your human resources, you have developed quite the rebellious streak. Indeed, BPN considers you a minor nuisance with how often you protest and complain about orders.” Verek leaned back in the chair “however you obey the affini effortlessly, is it not intriguing?” 

 

Luis gestured to the door “you can leave now.” There was no way he was wasting more time talking to this façade of a person. 

 

Verek remained seated “my dear captain, one last question, and I shall leave you to your labor.” He should have taken Ageratu’s offer…Luis gave a reluctant but consenting nod. “Thank you, my inquiry is rather straightforward. Are you aware of how the affini have altered you?” The sound of the ventilation occupied the silence. 

 

Verek could not seriously believe in that “what are you talking about? The affini have had several chances to make their move and instead, they have trusted and cooperated with me.” As he said the words he could feel the doubt begin to creep in. 

 

“So, you are not aware, fascinating…their work is spectacular.” Why did he sound so sure of himself? Did he know something? 

 

Of course, he did not. The bastard was trying to get inside his head, turn him on the affini. In one rapid motion, Luis opened the drawer, pulled out the gun, and aimed it directly at the quartermaster’s chest “I have had enough of this. I may not know who you are or who you work for but frankly, I could not care less. You’re a risk, an unacceptable one.” Hesitating to tell the affini about Verek had been a mistake, one to be rectified immediately. “I am sure you know how the affini have subdued Ari and her squad. Now it is time for you to get some personal experience.” 

 

“A consistent choice dear captain. Might I give you a gift before you send me to this gruesome fate?” Somehow a small black object had appeared in Verek’s hand, and with utmost care and elegance, it was placed on the desk. 

 

Did nothing affect this man? Was there even flesh and blood beneath that mask “what is this?” 

 

Even with the gun pointed directly at him, it still felt like Verek held all the cards “you can call it the truth if you so desire. I would recommend you give it a listen.” Another recording? What on it could possibly allow Verek to be so calm? It was probably some trick, a feint or misdirection. But what if it was important? He had to know…he had to — the crew needed to be protected. 

 

*click* 

 

Ageratu’s voice could be heard, the sound of swooshing in the background “I am sorry, but did the rest of your pack not go to eat? Aren’t you hungry?”

 

His own voice responded, exhausted and irritated “I can eat later, there is-“ 

 

The affini did not let him finish “and you look exhausted, when did you sleep last?” When was this from? It sounded familiar, like a half-forgotten déjà vu.

 

 “I will sleep much better once we have done what is needed before tomorrow, can we please focus on the issue at hand?” 

 

 “I think you should go to sleep right after you have gotten something to eat. We can inspect the relay and generator ourselves.” Generator? Wait…

 

 “Sorry, I can’t trust you with that. Plus, you need access codes to enter those rooms.” This was during the first day, only hours after the jump.

 

“There needs to be some trust between us if we are to cooperate. I know you are tired but try to think, if there was any immediate danger to giving us access then why wouldn’t we just have forced our way in? You don’t seem to be in the condition of holding an eye on us either. A poorly rested captain can’t handle their duties properly, now can they?” Why could he not remember where this conversation had ended? 

 

The him in the recording was still denying the affini “A captain fulfills their duty no matter their condition…also I don’t think I can fall asleep without making sure that this is done.” 

 

 Alyssum’s voice joined in the recording “you are very tired, and sound quite sleepy…I don’t think it will take long for you to fall asleep little one.” Why were they insisting that he was tired when…wait…

 

Betula was also there, her voice sounded… “you have done so well already, you deserve to rest. We can handle this.” Why…did he suddenly feel so…tired?

 

The Luis in the recording yawned audibly “okay…you can have the access codes. let’s meet tomorrow at 0700 and-“ He gave…them the…access codes?

 

 Alyssum interrupted, that strange vibration filling his voice “you need more sleep, 0830 will do just fine.” That…sounded like a…good idea?

 

 He yawned again “sure…see you at the bridge then. Good night.” 

 

*click* 

 

The recording was over…what had…had he overlooked something? — maybe…maybe listening to it after sleep would make it more clea-

 

Suddenly and without warning the foggy thoughts were interrupted by a painful sting to his left shoulder “stay awake dear captain.” The office came back into focus, his hand reached for his shoulder where a small hole in the uniform had begun to bleed “as suspected, pain is particularly effective at clearing the mind.” Verek said while drying a tiny needle of blood.    

 

The sense of dread joined the hunger at his core…there was no way — no. no. no, there was no way this was true. The gun that had tilted downwards was brought up to point forward once more “you…you made this.” The affini hadn’t — they wouldn’t have…dear stars, please say that they hadn’t.

 

“Oh, my dear captain, coming with accusations you scarcely believe yourself? Had I only possessed the skills to make something of their potency.” The quartermaster sighed wistfully “No, their work is without compare, their manipulations masterful. A scant few hours after their boarding attempt has gone awry and already they convince the commanding officer of the ship to give them access to all vital systems without supervision. Marvelous, do you not agree?” The uniform was suddenly too tight, the collar making every breath a painful and stressed one. 

 

Verek stood up and from the inside of his uniform brought out three more recorders “You have been most generous with answering my questions so in turn, I will provide you with some more gifts. Listen carefully and remember to clear your mind often, the wound in your right side should provide this when pressed.” Each black box was no larger than a finger, vibrating with the dread of live grenades. “Now I will cease imposing and let you work. There is a lot to be done but be assured I have full confidence in your judgment dear captain.”  

 

Luis heard the words as if they were far away. Eyes locked on the ominous black boxes. They had fucked with his mind — changed it, manipulated It — from day one. How much had they changed? Was he even the same person? would he have recognized his own mind from only 12 days ago? 

 

There was a desperation, a plea to justify it. The affini cared…Ageratu cared…about him, about the crew. Or was that just another insidious lie inserted into his mind? They had shown him trust, was that not proof that they were not malicious? Trust?! He had offered them honesty! stretched out a hand in cooperation and then they did this?! Why was he justifying their manipulations?! 

 

“I…” When he looked up Verek was gone...what was his angle? Luis grabbed the second recording, he needed to know more. 

 

*click* 

 

It was Ageratu again “you are making a mistake little one. Please reconsider and let me help.” He remembered this more clearly, this was from barely a week ago. 

 

There was indignation in his own voice “no, now leave. Unless you want to break the ceasefire and doom us all, that is also an option.” This was about the punishment for thievery, when the affini had almost broken his desk into pieces.  

 

This made no sense, she had not done anything then “While the ceasefire shall remain, I will remember this.” Exactly, she backed down. “All I ask for is that the next time you need help, you will come to me.” The second she started speaking his hand reached for the bound wound and pressed, hard. Even through the pain, her words were powerful, something he wanted to follow.

 

“I….will consider it.” The him in the past sounded confused, off balance. 

 

*click* 

 

The implication hit him a second after silence filled the room. This was why he had gone to the affini for help when Ari planned her mutiny. This was the reason he had thrown her and the squad to the horses. A whole squad, six of his own crew….And he had sided with the affini over them. The fact that Ari had been closer to the truth than he ever realized was a bitter irony. The third recorder was picked up, what more decisions had in truth been the affini’s design? 

 

*click* 

 

“Fair, that was one of my suggestions…what about I help to clean the office while you sleep for a bit?” Alyssum said,  “All this mess must make it difficult to do anything productive and it’s so easy to make mistakes when exhausted. You spent all night working; you should sleep now.” Luis looked around at the clean office.

 

“That would be-…no. You have a shift soon and I can keep going…” There was hardly and resistance left in his voice. How had he not noticed this earlier?

 

“~I would love to help, and you can continue later. It's just a tiny little nap~” 

 

*click*

 

Luis turned off the recording, he knew how it ended. The recording was from yesterday and with how he had acted today, the corruption had only gotten worse. Listening to the tapes had only provided one solitary positive revelation: he was still himself, at least for the most part. Had he been completely corrupted by the affini then he doubted he would have cared about their betrayal. The facts were slowly settling, the shock receding. 

 

Over the course of the next hours, Luis paced back and forth. Cycling between anger, desperation, and confusion. His right arm began to hurt, and it was followed shortly by a piercing headache. Among the million questions vying for attention, one stood out: What to do now? 

 

The affini still possessed the capabilities to take over the ship without much effort. And the second they sent their signal, which could be any moment tomorrow, it would be over. Options, there had to be options! Hell, if they ever figured out he did not trust them anymore they would probably take his mind for good. 

 

Breathe…breathe…be calm, what has actually changed? Besides his trust in the affini and from that their presumed benevolence? Nothing at all. He still needed their help, affini capture was nigh inevitable and they needed relief now. 

 

There was also a slimmer of doubt, a doubt that desperately wanted to think that the affini had done it to help. All the manipulations of the tapes revealed could be read from that angle. How fucking Naïve was that? That what the affini truly wanted was not access to the ship, control over his action, or knowledge of the plans in his office. But instead to get him to sleep…ridiculous… 

 

He needed time, his only true option for that was a confrontation with the affini tomorrow morning. The comms room could provide him with the leverage that he needed. The first course of action was changing the door access codes, she at least would not betray him. One by one the code opening the doors to every vital system were changed. The affini could break open the doors but this would buy a few seconds. There was also the option to remove the medical override that Selma had…with all the hunger faints it was too great a risk to remove. 

 

Until then all he could do was watch…it was going to be a long night.*click* The ship was calm, eerily calm.*click* Ageratu was in the cargo bay taking care of the drugged-up crew members,*click* Alyssum was packing up the work in the comms room,*click* Betula was together with Natalia in the engineer’s quarters.*click* Dinner was progressing as normal, the mess hall unusually subdued. Duran was talking to two other crewmembers in one corner, it had all the signs of a secretive conversation. 

 

It was likely not the first and certainly not the last, during the evening Duran proceeded to talk quietly with over a dozen of the crew. Each conversation filled his veins with a new dose of cold ice, the lieutenant was planning a mutiny no doubt. He had expected it to take longer to form and be planned, should have expected it, Duran was a man of action first. Why was it all coming apart now, right at the finish line? A data pad made an annoyingly loud notification noise.  

 

[Fidaul, Ageratu, N/A, #27]: hello brood mother, will you arrive soon? 

 

Right the da-, meeting with Ageratu…

 

[Barcelon, Luis, Captain, #1]: sorry, there is more work than anticipated

 

[Barcelon, Luis, Captain, #1]: I believe I will go to bed early today, good night. 

 

[Fidaul, Ageratu, N/A, #27]: That is okay petal, make sure to sleep well <3 

 

Petal?...Luis swallowed the revulsion and went back to work.

 

*click* *click* *click* *click* *click*….*click*….*click*……..*click*…….

 

“WARNING - SECURITY BREACH: SURVEILLANCE CAMERA IN SECTOR 3-C4, 3-RC HAS BEEN DISCONTENTED FROM THE POWER GRID.” The loud automated warning shook Luis awake with its mechanical voice. What in the blazes? Camera 3-C4…that was the one in the corridor outside the comms room! And 3-RC was the one inside it. Fuck, fuck, fuck! 

 

The realization hit like an avalanche, the affini were going to send the message! They were not waiting, they were going to finish the repairs while everyone else slept. And That meeting with Ageratu had most certainly been a ploy to take him out of commission. Xeno Bastards! Dastardly Fey! Nothing more than Nøkken trying to lure him to his end. 

 

Grabbing the loaded gun still on the desk Luis rushed out of the office and down the corridor. There was still time to stop them and rectify the situation. The corridors were dark, luckily having walked them for over eight years proved to be more than enough to maneuver with only the dim blue light of the charged plasma round. He arrived — the sight of wires cut and on display above the door confirmed the sabotage…the door was closed and very much intact. Either they had extracted the medical override codes from Selma or more likely just hacked the damn thing. Why did he have to fall asleep when he was most needed? 

 

Luis typed in the access code and pushed the door inwards, preparing to aim the gun at the communication system itself………..the room was empty.

 

“Thank you most kindly, dear captain.” 

 

An arm came from behind and locked itself around his throat, a hand covering his mouth. Luis tried to resist but the person behind him was frightfully strong. He managed a full second of attempted shouting and struggling before intense fatigue invaded his body.  There was no use fighting it, unawares was dragging him down, senses growing dark and distant as his body went limp. There was the faint sensation of being dragged into the room and the sound of a door closing, then sleep engulfed him completely.