Chapter Seven Corrina
“I hope you know what the fuck you’re doing,” Curran says as we both watch the creature tip its head back and make a strange low-pitched, rhythmic sound. I’m hoping that’s a good sign.
“Commander,” Curran calls cautiously as I slowly drop to one knee in front of the creature.
The third is obviously reluctant. I haven’t heard it speak, but its hands move quickly and I wonder if it uses those hand motions to communicate.
Finally, it steps forward. This one is only slightly taller than the second, but even in its current and presumably malnourished state, it is significantly broader than the other two.
It bares its teeth at me as I carefully cut through the chains at its wrists, and I try not to let the sight of those sharp fangs unnerve me.
I drop to one knee as before and cut through its ankle chains.
Before I can stand up, I feel one of its large hands come down on my head and I freeze.
Its claws extend slowly until I can feel them just beginning to prick my skin.
“Commander!” Curran hisses.
“Stay back!” I command.
The other creatures make a noise that I do not know the meaning of, but the creature gripping my head does not let go.
It tips my head back slowly but with surprising gentleness and peers down at me.
We stare at one another for a moment and then it releases me suddenly and steps back.
The other two chatter at it in low voices, and the tallest one grips it by the arm and hisses at it.
But it continues to stare at me unblinkingly.
I slowly stand and back up to the table, where I drop the las-cutter on the table and sit down heavily.
“You okay, Commander?” Curran asks, grabbing my head and turning it from side to side to check for injuries.
“I’m fine,” I reply with more composure than I feel. I bat his hands away and glance at our new friends gathered across the room. “I think that was a staring contest or something,” I say softly.
“Did you win or lose?” Curran asks.
“I’m not sure,” I respond. “But since I’m uninjured, I’m calling it a win.”
Curran stares at me for a minute, his weathered face etched with concern. He runs a hand over the dark skin of his bald head and lets out a bark of a laugh. “I say this with the utmost respect and admiration for you, Commander, but you’re either dumb as shit or the bravest person I know.”
“I accept your heartfelt compliment, Sargent,” I reply with a small shake of my head. “Your confidence gives me strength.”
“It’s why I’m here,” he replies.
I take a few deep breaths before standing again.
I glance at the medical team standing in the hallway.
“Any volunteers to scan our friends there or do I pick someone?” A tentative hand goes up.
It’s Ryder, one of the newest members of the team.
He’s a recent academy grad and a new addition to my command, which means he’s young and probably eager to impress.
He’s also tall, which might make the whole process a little easier.
“All right, come on over,” I tell him. I move back to the middle of the room and stand with my arms extended straight out from my shoulders.
“I want you to run a scan on me,” I tell him, “So we can show them what’s going to happen. You got that?”
Ryder nods vigorously, his bright red hair bouncing as he does. His hands are shaking as he runs the scanner up and down my body slowly. “Adult human female, aged 51,” he starts to say.
“Ryder,” I interrupt. “I don’t need a report on me. I will need reports on them. Just the basics.”
“Right,” he says, nodding again. He takes a deep breath and lets it out. “Okay. Ready,” he takes a step forward and then two steps back as one of them growls softly.
“It’s okay,” I say in what I hope is a soothing voice.
I beckon towards the trio. This time, it is the smallest one that steps forward first. It faces me, mimicking my posture as Ryder begins to slowly scan the creature.
His hands are trembling so much that I’m worried he’s going to drop the scanner, but a moment later Ryder comes to stand next to me and holds up the scanner.
“Unknown species, so the results are pretty limited. Similar physiology to humans with the exception of two hearts. It’s got something implanted at the base of its skull – the scanner is calling it a neurological disruption device, but I don’t know what that is.”
“A fucking motivator?” Curran barks. “No wonder they were so pissed.”
“No shit,” I mutter. “Okay, let’s see if we can get contestants number two and three to participate.
” The tallest one comes forward and submits to the same process.
This one has an older model translation chip which appears to be functioning at about half capacity.
The third one refuses to submit to the process at all, baring its teeth at me and then at its companions, but the fact that I got two out of three scanned is still valuable.
“That’s good enough,” I say to Ryder, when it’s clear the third is not going to participate. “You can stand down.” I turn to Curran. “What’s the status on the rest of the crew and cargo?”
“All other flora and fauna contained and isolated. Crew is in holding cells. It’s just these three left,” he replies. I nod thoughtfully. “Let’s see if we can coax them onto our ship.”
“And put them where? I have a feeling they aren’t going to like the idea of a holding cell, but I don’t think we want them roaming around either.” Curran asks. “Commander,” he adds belatedly.
“No, that’s a good point,” I say thoughtfully. I bite my lip as I think for a moment. “We’re set up for towing, right? Got the airlock stabilized and cables secured?”
“Correct.”
“What if we just leave them on board this vessel until we get back to the station? Hopefully by then that old translation chip will catch up at least a little and we’ll be able to communicate.”
“That guy, Alek, can communicate with them.”
I shake my head. “I’m leaving that as a last resort. He’s an unknown entity, and I’d feel much more comfortable if I could communicate directly.
“So you’re just going to let them loose on a luxury vessel where they were prisoners for who knows how long?”
I shrug. “Honestly, it feels like they probably deserve a little freedom and to let off a little steam.”
“I’ll be sure to remind you of this sentimentality about letting off steam when I request my next leave,” Curran says with a chuckle.
“You’ve got a point. Get an engineer onboard to disable any potentially dangerous onboard equipment first.”
“It was one fucking time,” Curran mutters under his breath at me as he stalks away.