As her fellow crewmates continued to run around making sure the basics of the ship were functional, Natalia was still trying to process what had happened. She had been making her way to the jump drive room on the orders of the new-old captain who was now dead. Then one of the affini had ambushed her and…the rest was a blur. 

 

Somehow, Luis, the old-new captain had brokered a ceasefire with the plant people…without that, she would probably be eaten or fertilizer by now…at least that is what the propaganda had told her. But there was something off about the whole thing…the affini had not seemed malicious. Or was that just a way to lure her into the mines? 

 

A pair of shoes appeared on the ground she was staring at “are you okay private? How are you feeling?” Natalia looked up to find the concerned frown of lieutenant Duran. He was not that intimidating when she had gotten to know him better, not that his grizzled voice didn’t send a shiver down her spine. 

 

She got to her feet “I feel fine, a bit dazed is all.” The lieutenant commander stroked a hand through his disheveled beard, looking into her eyes like he was expecting to find something. 

 

The stern expression remained suspicious “Go get some rest in your cabin before reporting to Selma. We have a briefing in 2 hours, be ready by then.” The man turned on his heels and made his way out of the mess hall. 

 

Natalia found her way to her cabin, for some reason her mind would not let go of the affini that had ambushed her. Had it been of fright or shock that would be normal, but it was neither of those things. Something about the delicate white bark of its form, the long flowing hair, the eyes that she could still somewhat see in her mind….no! This was ridiculous! 

 

She closed the door to the cabin and moved over to the mirror, inspecting herself. Her eyes were slightly bloodshot, the bags underneath large…but nothing that the stress of the last couple of days could not explain. Had the affini done something to her? Was she simply too tired to have her brain work properly….or did she really think that the affini that had ambushed and captured her was…kind of…pretty? Maybe even very pretty….Fuck! This was not the time! She began to pace the room back and forth.

 

Several splashes of water on her face later, the blush had still not disappeared. Natalia had always considered herself to have somewhat good taste, not that it had amounted to much. How could she be thinking about an affini, a xeno that had invaded and wanted to enslave humanity, an enemy….as hot? 

 

The affini had drugged her with something to knock her out, who was to say that it didn’t just put her to sleep? That somehow it had not also done other stuff….This was insane. Natalia sat down on the hard bed and breathed slowly. It would not last, this would all soon be over…hopefully. 

 

There was something else at the edge of her mind, something she had told herself to remember when they had been woken from bed 14 hours earlier to enter combat…Hormones! She had forgotten to take her hormones! Sighing in relief from remembering, Natalia took out the spray for her estradiol and applied it, the counter on the back showed it was half empty. It was the last of the three in the box as well. 

 

No problem, she could pick up more from Selma later. Getting a checkup might also prove that there was something or nothing wrong with her…what kind of result did she want? Thinking about this was obviously not the solution….neither was thinking about how soft the affini’s vines were, how beautiful the voice, or….Stop! 

 

Resting was not going to help, making her hands busy would. Natalia walked out of the cabin and towards the infirmary, the commotion around it had died down. A few crewmates passed her and gave a nod in greetings, they looked slightly unsettled for some reason. Since she got on board almost a year ago she had sort of gotten to know the rest of the crew…sort of. They weren’t unfriendly and surprisingly accepting.

 

Honestly, it was almost easier being trans on board the ship than it had been at home. Healthcare was easier to access, and even affordable through her navy medical insurance. The captain had somehow gotten her documents changed, an effort she had tried and failed yearly with the planetary administration without success. And on top of that she did have her own room with a personal shower, hell it was almost bigger than her old apartment. 

 

Natalia had a sneaking suspicion that some of the crew resented her, the rest lived in rooms with four to six people in them. So far no one had even talked poorly to her with the exception of one time during her first week. It hadn’t been anything more than some uncomfortable questions, but the offender had come and apologized profusely afterward. Had it not been for the cramped space and oh yes, imminent threat of death, things would be quite good.

 

Upon entering the infirmary, she spotted Selma looking at a data pad. The doctor looked stressed, maybe even more than usual. For a moment Natalia just stood there until she managed to press forth a “excuse me?” The green, grey eyes of the doctor sprang up from the data pad and immediately softened. Selma was one of the few people that seemed to really care for her, sometimes to embarrassing degrees. 

 

Selma gave her a smile, probably forced but a nice gesture nonetheless “Natalia! finally.” She moved in and began poking Natalia’s arms and chest with a pen “are you injured? Hit yourself as the ship jumped?” Natalia took an apprehensive step back. Her eyes moved to the sickbeds, two people were lying there. One looked to have broken his leg, the other had a set of bandages around her head. 

 

There was no pain to indicate that the jump had harmed her…because the affini had held her, right…Natalia attempted a wry smile “nope, no damage…but one of the affini did drug me. Do you think there might be any side effects?” Selma had already taken up another datapad and begun writing.

 

The doctor answered without looking up “from our records I would guess no, but I honestly have no idea. Do you feel strange?” Yes, but there was no way she was answering that question…it would only lead to Selma uncovering whatever strange thoughts she was harboring. 

 

Natalia shook her head and lied “no, just wondering. Don’t the affini have weird mind control powers?....I don’t seem different to you, right?” The doctor pushed her dark hair back and lifted her glasses up on her nose. 

 

A long awkward moment of Selma staring at her followed “nope, everything seems normal except for a lack of sleep. Go early to bed tonight, doctor’s orders.” It was not the first time she had received those orders. 

 

There was a knock on the doorframe, metal lightly hitting against metal “I hope I am not interrupting but I need that report now.” Luis, now once again with that old fashion captain hat and uniform walked in. His brow was furrowed into a permeant frown, like always “how much did we lose?” lose?...

 

Natalia looked confused over at Selma who handed Luis a data pad “I won’t sugarcoat it, we lost over half our medical supplies. Morphine, disinfecting alcohol, the estradiol, anti-androgen, most our painkillers; all ruined.” A gesture from Selma’s eyes drew her sight to one of the medical storage compartments. It must have broken off the wall during the jump, shards of glass and paper packaging were all that remained. 

 

Hold on! had she heard correctly “is all the estradiol gone?” a light touch of panic in her voice. 

 

The doctor and the captain looked at her, then Luis turned to Selma “we had over five years’ worth, are you telling me we lost it all?” The frustration was palpable in the seldom emotional voice. 

 

Selma did not look particularly pleased “not my fault this ship is falling apart….we saved as much as we could of the other stuff. Sadly, the hormones and anti-androgen were at the bottom of the compartment, it got crushed and doused in alcohol before I had woken up.” That was not good but did not make entirely sense either. 

 

Natalia interrupted before the captain spoke again “why did you store anti-androgen? I don’t need that.” She hadn’t needed that for over 4 years, and why had they stooked so much for her alone? 

 

The doctor smiled in a half sadistic fashion “they weren’t for you, but him.” a single extended index finger pointed to Luis whose face had started to shift color. Why on Terra would the captain need anti-androgen? 

 

Luis facepalmed, his voice growing in irritation “Selma, do not start spouting that nonsense again.” Wait, was he?.....

 

Selma saw that she had caught on, and ignored Luis's plea entirely “nonsense? Do you really expect me to believe that you specifically requested me from the pool without considering my endocrinological specialization?” So that was why the doctor actually knew what she was talking about. Even if this revelation explained far too much, Natalia was still caught in the whiplash. 

 

The captain clicked the fingers on the metallic arm in rapid succession “This is not the time to be feeding your delusions! Give me the staff health report so you can stop wasting my time.” Selma moved to the desk and picked up another data pad, irritated defiance in her eyes. 

 

The datapad was slammed into Luis’s organic left arm “Is it also delusional to throw all the mirrors in your cabin out of the airlock? hm?!” Natalia heard a whisper from the door, a crewmember in the doorway  mouthed silently something about ‘mother and father are fighting again’ before dragging another away. 

 

Luis rolled his eyes so hard that for a moment they looked like they would pop out before truing around. Just before he left the captain seemed to remember that she was in the room “first of all, don’t listen to her about anything that is not medical. Second, you might need to ration the stuff you have left. Tell me if it becomes severe and I will try to figure something out.” With a surprisingly gentle smile, Luis left with rapid steps. 

 

Selma sighed, dramatically shaking her head “what a hard-boiled egg bastard. He fills all the three Ss of a frustrating patient: stoic, stupid, and stubborn.” Natalia was not sure if the doctor was speaking to her or simply into the air. The newly established eye contact proved that she was at least aware of her presence. A deeply concerned frown formed on Selma’s face “how much do you have left?” 

 

The implications of the shortage that for a moment had been overshadowed came back in full force “around seven day…how long is it till we get a resupply?” Before her surgery, there had been days where she could not afford the hormones, and those had been bad…and without anything at all…

 

The concerned frown deepened, not a good sign “I don’t like to say this, but the captain might be right. To keep it lasting for as long as possible you should cut down to half doses, one spray per day. It will not be pleasant but the longer you have the better. I hope he has a plan for getting us out of here, or…never mind.” The curiosity flared but Natalia managed to hold back from asking. 

 

The doctor walked over to the still attached to the wall compartments and retrieved a few items “I have a feeling you, Philp, and Alister are going to get whipped hard in the coming days. These are for some extra energy, and these are for any eventual pains. The half doses will cause side effects and there is nothing I can do to stop it completely, but I still want to know.” Two different packs of pills were deposited in her outstretched hands. 

 

A new sense of dread dawned, Selma was usually much more optimistic. Hopefully, the mysterious ‘or’ scenario would not need to be explored…The captain had to have a way out of this mess. 

>>>>>>

 

Luis pushed the frustration down, along with the regular unpleasantry from dwelling on the subject that Selma just would not let go of. The simple truth that a high-ranking officer, even if it was of a small patrol boat, could not do whatever they pleased with social expectations had no effect on the doctor’s pestering. 

 

With the risk of future injuries low, the medical supplies they had left would have to do. Most critical was the vitamin-C supplements, the last thing he needed was scurvy among the crew. The destruction of the hormones was bad, even if it just affected one person…if things got bad enough maybe the affini had some way to help, from their propaganda they seemed to be pretty socially progressive compared to the accord. A queer and straight human probably worked equally good as fertilizer or as slaves in their mines. 

 

Next on the agenda was to figure out how fucked they were on the other side of the supply divide. The door to the storage room was closed and locked. Two raps from his right hand on the door echoed through the corridor. A sly and charismatic voice came from within “ah, it is you…captain. Hold on a second if you please, I’ll be right with you.” He waited a few long seconds before several clicks came from the door as the locks were undone. 

 

Inside was a large room divided by a metal barrier with another reinforced door. On his side was a shop-like area, a counter displaying the other side. The area behind the counter was filled to the brim with compartments, storage lockers, and large metal boxes.

 

Manning the counter was a smiling man with his black hair pulled backward. Two observant eyes that did not quite seem to match the smile followed him as Luis walked inside. The quartermaster looked unharmed “I have been looking all over for you Verek, where have you been?” 

 

 The accusation did not prompt Verek’s expression to change in the slightest “sorry dear captain, but I was busy making sure that your successor’s and predecessor’s strategic genius had not damaged the stock that is my responsibility.  There was also the minor complication of hitting my head against the bulkhead and my ensuing lack of consciousness to impede giving my report.” Verek was human, at least Luis was pretty certain of that fact despite the evidence to the contrary.

 

And he was a star damned good quartermaster “did we lose anything?” Asking the question felt like inviting tragedy, but to Luis’s immense relief Verak merely shook his head in a self-satisfied manner. Good, at least disaster was not upon them yet “I want a report about or stock as soon as possible, don’t rest until it is finished.” Getting an overview was not only critical for strategic management but to relieve his fraught nerves. 

 

The quartermaster pulled up a data pad from beneath the counter “I am very pleased to say, dear captain, that such a report is already available for your distinguished review.” Luis grabbed the data pad out of the man’s hand without hesitation, his heart began to race. While outwardly calm, Luis’s eyes rapidly scanned the report and quickly found what they were searching for. A small line of text divided into two columns: Synthcube, and the number 525…..525 synthcubes, 3 per person per day, with 25 crew remaining….

 

Luis managed to control his voice, holding it as flat as possible “are you telling me we only have food for 7 days?” The subsequent silence was not reassuring “this can’t be all that is left. Why did we not resupply?!” Fear shook through his voice, this could not be happening! 

 

Verek's smile tarnished slightly, and he looked momentarily thoughtful “I did, four times I asked us to resupply food, ammunition, extra parts for the guns, and exotic matter for the jump drive. Four times I was ignored by our late captain as we dutifully head towards the front lines.” The question and answer did not matter, it would not make more food appear. The fact that the one who had brought them into this situation would also create the recipe for their doom was a cold-hearted joke. 

 

Now they had to deal with the joke “Verek, you are not to tell anyone how much food we possess. Any such questions are to be denied to protect vital information against the alien threat. This is a direct order, I will not accept any discussion or questions around it. Understood?” Verek nodded, the smile back to its usual curve “All future rations are to be retrieved here by each individual crew member, second servings for payment are discontinued. You will get further orders about rationing, any development will be reported to me immediately and treated as the highest priority.” Again, the quartermaster nodded while smiling knowingly. 

 

Verek had transferred onto the ship only a few months ago, at the same time as Alexander, the late captain. Luis didn’t trust the man, but something told him that Verek would stay quiet. With the most immediate concern dealt with Luis exited the room and headed for his own quarters. 

 

He made sure to lower the brim of the hat, covering his eyes from the crew that passed him. A nod was all they needed to move on. His legs and arm had begun shaking, breaths becoming more and more rapid. The door closed and he swallowed, trying to breathe normally. How could he have let this happen? 7 days, 14 with strict rationing, it was not enough time. He could already imagine the hunger, the gnawing hollowness that would soon take hold.  

 

Luis shambled over to one of the drawers, the shivering hand shuffling through seven years of discarded garbage. Unopened letters stamped with a family seal, forgotten medals, sunglasses, there! His hand closed around something smooth and rectangular, at the very bottom of the drawer. He pulled it out, placed it in his right hand, and with his left removed the tip. 

 

The needled of the emotional suppressant dose glinted dimly from the light of the cabin…one motion and his heart would stop racing, the fear would dissipate, the pain removed for a brief moment. Memories long in slumber were reemerging, the hold on them slipping moment by moment, the syringe would quiet it for some time…

 

What else was he to do? Without the affini’s help, there would be no chance of survival. And with their help, he would either be heading to their mines or an accord execution. If hopelessness did not turn the crew then the hunger would. He was trapped, why even struggle against the inevitable? The metal arm was the only part of him not shaking, cold sweat dripped off his forehead.

 

No…there was always a way out, always another destination to escape to. If the affini could be handled, if the accord’s justice escaped…there had to be some solution. And what about the crew? They were loyal and looked to him to set this right….He could not fail them. Was he going to cower inside and let everything fall apart? No! He was the captain stars damn it! His hand crushed the syringe, and the grey liquid splattered over his glove. He could do this, all he needed was to carry on and push through….he could do this.

 

Luis cleaned it off with a handkerchief and forced his mind into order, pushing down all thoughts not relevant to his duty.  The affini would have to be able to provide the technical expertise to get them out, there was no other solution. Cooperating with them would no doubt brand him and likely the rest of the crew as traitors. That left only two options, either strike a deal with the affini that was acceptable or betray them and somehow escape. Both options held the same singular path, there was no need to choose just yet. 

 

The second problem was the crew. They might be loyal, but once they understood the situation the lack of hope, desperation from hunger, and suspicion towards the affini could lead to actions that would scupper any chances of survival. 

 

Walking over to his desk Luis eventually found the map of the sector they were in….as suspected everything in several hundred lightyears was simply classified as empty space. That did not mean that there couldn’t be anything there. 15 days was the maximum, it was the literal deadline…an appropriate set of coordinates was selected and circled. 

 

Luis looked over his desk and began preparing all the data pads that would be required. The Viator was usually a calm vessel, that was about to change. Rationing, repair work, salvaging, things he needed from the affini and plans to deal with them; all needed to be ready yesterday. 

 

There was a knock on the door “captain, everyone has gathered in the mess hall for the announcement.” Lieutenant Duran’s voice was almost inaudible…the data pad he had been writing on proved it to be true….fuck, guess he would have to improvise somewhat. Luis removed the blanket from the last remaining mirror in the room.

 

It was not a comfortable sight, wrong in ways that were difficult to describe. But he did look presentable, as long as he stopped shivering. The crew relied on him, and they deserved much better than to die stranded in the void. Even the affini probably had loved ones or something to care about. He had to do this, there was no alternative but failure, an unacceptable outcome. 

 

Serval slow breaths later he left the cabin with a straight unwavering posture and meet Duran’s gaze with what he hoped was a steely-eyed look “what about the affini, where are they?” It was not a large ship, especially with the lower deck being redundant and closed off. 

 

Duran straightened “in the mess hall captain, should I remove them?” He had known Duran for long enough to see when the man was afraid underneath the grizzled exterior. Removing the affini was not going to work, asking them might but would only sow suspicion where trust, no matter how tenuous, was needed. 

 

Luis began to walk towards the mess hall “no, I want to talk to them later and there is no danger in them hearing the announcement. We need to exploit the affini’s technological prowess if we are to fix the ship and survive, best case we might even be able to deliver them to an accord research team later. Understanding their biology and technology is imperative to turn the tide of the war, so let us pretend to be friends.” The first of many lies, the war was lost, any person with a full understanding of the situation and able to accept it knew that. Duran was not such a person. 

 

Not that the man had any overt fanaticism towards the accord, but he was proud and trusted propaganda a bit too much. There was still uncertainty in his second in command’s voice “what do we do if they try to take the ship?” The actual answer was somewhere between nothing and surrender, an answer Duran would not accept. 

 

They were almost at their location so Luis stopped “if that happens, threaten them with destroying vital ship systems like life support. It is the only leverage we have, I doubt the affini can fix air filtration that has had contact with a plasma blast…but this is only a threat.” Better to be slaves in the mines than dead.  

 

The mess hall was full of muttering as they entered, then it was quiet as the grave. In one corner of the room stood the three affini, the crew on the other side. The terrans themselves were loosely divided into three categories. The old guard who had served on the ship for several years before the war broke out, they would be the most loyal and cohesive. The fresher blood had only served for a year or two, mostly conscripts from when the war started. Not as reliable, and more cut off within their rooms, but still loyal. The last-minute transfers that had consisted of Verek, Alexander, and the junior engineer…only one person remained of that group. There were a few odd ones out, the chief medical officer Selma, Natalia who remained a loner, and himself. 

 

Luis moved to the middle of the room, feeling the 27 pair of eyes following him closely. There was already desperation in many of the terran eyes, those who had understood the full extent of situation.  The affini eyes were harder to read, their constant shifting hues of blue, green, and amber probably betrayed some type of alien emotions. The crew needed hope, but first they needed solace “three people died today, sacrificing their very lives so that ours may continue.” A few nodded solely, silent tears from those who had known them “they were treasured parts of this crew and this ship, it will not be the same without them.” A few unwelcome emotions began to bubble forth. He had not known her well, but the chief engineer had greeted him almost every day for the last five years…

 

Those emotions were not a luxury he possessed at the moment “we cannot let their sacrifice be in vain, let us honor and remember their lives by persevering. I promise that every single one of you will disembark this ship alive.” As soon as the words were spoken he knew they had to become the truth, whatever the cost “but I cannot do this alone, survival will require hard work and iron discipline. Can I count on you for that?” More nods, but the desperation was still there…they needed hope. 

 

There was no real hope to be found, but it could be manufactured “our situation is not as hopeless as it appears” A few eyebrows were raised “Before the war several secret stations were built in this space, one of them is not too far away. It will take us at least 12 days to get there with thruster power but once we arrive our survival will be guaranteed.” There was a tense silence as the crew processed what they had heard. Luis felt nauseous, the lie had to be believed…..

 

The desperation in the crew turned to relief, Duran almost began laughing “I guess Alexander had a plan after all….and here I thought we were goners.” The cherry mood soon spread….Luis breathed silently out in relief, it had worked. 

 

Luis cleared his throat, and the room went silent once more “we are short on supplies so, from tomorrow off, each meal will consist of half a synthcube. It was not an easy decision to make, but a necessary one. Enjoy your full meal today and rest well, the coming days will be difficult. I know that if there is any crew in the whole navy that can make it through then it is the one in front of me now. You are all dismissed.” The tension dissipated as the crew began to exit the mess hall, no doubt to get the last full meal in quite some time…or ever. 

 

He intercepted Selma with a glance, and she came over “secret base huh? They will probably send us back into battle, but it beats starving to death.” Her voice became quiet “I understand the rationing is necessary, but I really, really don’t like it. You are malnourished enough already, sure the captain can’t have a little privilege?” The suggestion came from a good place, but that did not hinder the flare of rage. 

 

It was far from an unusual practice, it did not make it any less disgusting “no. Everyone will have equal rations, end of discussion.” He shot a glance towards where the affini were still standing, they seemed preoccupied talking to each other. Good, Luis moved so they could not read his lips “I watched the recording of the affini boarding, and what they did to Natalia. I don’t know fully how their powers work but they are certainly effective. If you notice anyone, even me, starting to act strangely I want you to tell me about it.” The thought of the affini slowly corrupting the entire crew over time was terrifying enough, the fact that he might be the first one turned was even more so. Having two people to watch would increase their chances. 

 

Selma seemed uncertain, apprehensive of her own words “I can’t say I trust them, but I don’t trust Terra central command either….are you sure we can just, you know…come to an agreement? Those people at the secret station will probably not give us what we need, and….I am tired of this war.” Those words were under every definition treason…he could not fault her.

 

Luis sighed and looked towards the affini once more “no one has built an empire on following promises and not exploiting the resources available…with how much stronger the affini are than the accord, I am afraid they might be even better at exploitation than us terrans ever have been. I will see what I can do, but unless we get some airtight agreement we can’t trust them. No matter what, we won’t return to the war, I promise…” Another promise…another truth he would have to force into the world.  

 

Selma was not fully reassured, a determined frown dawned on her face “all right, but whatever happens, you are staying planetside once this is all over…and take your damn iron supplements.” They had a brief stare down before he relented. 

 

Why this had suddenly become so pressing was baffling “fine, now I need to speak with our esteemed guests.” Selma responded with a roll of her eyes but walked away…Which left only him and the affini.

 

They fell silent as he approached, Ageratu moved forward “I am not pleased that you choose to hide the existence of this secret base, but it has simplified matters greatly.  We have decided that it would be for the best to-“ 

 

Luis held up a hand “let me stop your right there, the secret base does not exist.” Telling them the truth was risky, changing the stakes of the situation that held the peace was far more so. 

 

The affini looked at each other, Ageratu frowned “so you lied, why? Do you not trust your packmates?” The strange alien voice and choice of words could not hide the judgment. 

 

 “I trust them more than I trust myself, but they need tangible hope of safety. Uncertainty is as much poison as hunger will ever be. Fear is not good either, which is why I did not tell them that we run out of food in 14 days.” A dangerous thought struck him “…you don’t need our food to survive, right?” The affini were huge, if they were to feed them as well….

 

Alyssum, as the white-flowered one was called shook his head “no, we do not consume food as you do. We need water and minerals to sustain ourselves.” The water they had plenty of…but minerals “I have been inspecting your vessel. Its age had caused oxidization and deterioration on plenty of material, while not optimal we can harvest that for the bare necessities.” The white-barked one shivered uncomfortably. 

 

Luis stood there for a moment, baffled “you can eat rust?” Was there anything the affini could not do? “go ahead, as long as you don’t damage or destroy anything we need.” He found the two data pads he had brought from his cabin and handed them to the affini “these are the supplies we have left, including technical parts for repairs, the rest will have to be scavenged. The other data pad contains the blueprint for the vessel and the relevant systems we need to repair.” No need for them to have knowledge about everything “I would like to inspect them with your right away, we can start with the generator.” It was the most pressing of concerns.

 

The white-barked affini, Betula, looked at him curiously “I am sorry, but did the rest of your pack not go to eat? Aren’t you hungry?” The mention of food caused his stomach to ruble. 

 

But this was not the time “I can eat later, there is-“ 

 

Ageratu moved further forward “and you look exhausted, when did you sleep last?” Sleep? The data pad displayed 2034 and he had woken at 0200 from the alarm….Pure instinct told him it was best to not tell the affini that information. 

 

He waved the concern away “I will sleep much better once we have done what is needed before tomorrow, can we please focus on the issue at hand?” Ageratu exchanged a few alien words with her compatriots before turning to him. 

 

There was something different in her voice “I think you should go to sleep right after you have gotten something to eat. We can inspect the relay and generator ourselves.” Sleep and food sounded tempting but leaving the affini alone with the systems?

 

Luis cursed his body for choosing this moment to remind him of its exhaustion “sorry, I can’t trust you with that. Plus, you need access codes to enter those rooms.” Who knows what the affini could do unsupervised? 

 

Ageratu was not deterred, she moved closer still, the height and size difference becoming more and more apparent “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?” The affini spoke slowly, Luis could feel his mind slow down as he listened. He tried to push the exhaustion away and think about the words. It made some sense…and he could check if they had tampered with the devices later. 

 

Perhaps…no, he had to make sure that- She spoke again with even more force than before “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 were they so instant? Ageratu almost sounded like Selma with her constant concern. 

 

He looked up, making sure to not make eye contact with her “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.” Staring at the ceiling while trying to sleep would only fuel frustration. 

 

Alyssum also moved forward, his flowers brisling and expelling some pollen “you are very tired, and sound quite sleepy…I don’t think it will take long for you to fall asleep little one.” Sleepy? Tired, maybe but not…the affini was right, each breath brought another dose of drowsy fog into his mind. 

 

Betula joined the two others, he was surrounded. Had it not been for his hat the affini would probably have used their eyes to mind control him by now. Even with its protection, he felt very small, though surprisingly not afraid in the slightest “you have done so well already, you deserve to rest. We can handle this.” The white-barked affini’s voice was so warm and made him even more sleepy. 

 

Luis yawned “okay…you can have the access codes.” Ageratu extended one of the data pads and he wrote down the two codes while it was still in her hand “let’s meet tomorrow at 0700 and-“

 

Alyssum shook his head “you need more sleep, 0830 will do just fine.” Arguing with about something some minute was fruitless…the affini needed sleep as well.

 

He yawned again “sure…see you at the bridge then. Good night.” It was staggering how fast he had become sleepy, every limb felt incredibly heavy. 

 

Ageratu stepped aside allowing him to pass “thank you for trusting us with this, please remember to eat before you go to bed.” Right…food and then sleep. 

 

He nodded lazily in reply, exited the mess hall, and walked to get some food. The storage room was empty except for Verek who was inspecting a data pad while sitting behind the counter. The quartermaster looked up, a slightly surprised look on his face “it seems this eventful day has drained you thoroughly. Here for the last full synthcube you are going to see in a while?” He really did not have the energy for an extended conversation. 

 

Luis received the three-by-three cm grey cube, and without another word walked to his cabin. There it was quickly consumed, stilling the hunger that had begun to grow. As soon as it was eaten he collapsed upon the bed. The fear of sleeplessness was proven unfounded as his body relaxed within seconds. It had been a hard day, and the coming ones would not be any easier…he yawned again…sleep would be good.