That evening, Kaz met with his usual group of important figures in the briefing room to discuss the situation. The specimens, and all but a select few, remained unaware of the summoning. In an atypical move for the otherwise by-the-books Captain, Kaz violated protocol and chose not to record the meeting.

Agozi and Kaz stood side-by-side in front of the circular halo-projector, though the device itself remained turned off. Facing them from the opposite side was Honorary-Lieutenant Snikers. On the left, Xeno-psychiatrist Zelana and Xeno-biologist Okens employed small step stools to achieve equal eye contact.

“So where do we go from here?” Agozi asked, her hands gesturing for an answer.

“This scenario is challenging,” Kaz said, his posture and tone stern. “Returning the specimens risks prematurely exposing ourselves yet detaining them violates the Union's charter on the rights of sentients.”

“Presuming they even have a desire to depart.” A smug, opportunistic tone laced Snikers's voice. “You view this as a problem, but I see a golden chance. Even though these beings may not be the official envoys we presumed, they represent a first contact. First impressions are crucial, Captain, and I emphatically advise that we seize this moment.”

“Be specific,” Kaz said, his whiskers jerking slightly with passive-aggressive suspicion.

Snikers's smirk widened, and his lips and nose twitched pretentiously as his smug tone intensified.

“Recall, if you will, our entry into this system, when your scanners revealed their world as barely hospitable to any form of civilized existence, quite mediocre indeed.” Snikers paused.

“…and your point is?” Kaz asked, impatient with Snikers's meandering speech. Agozi mirrored his impatience, her skeptical gaze fixed on Snikers.

“Therefore, it serves us to dazzle them with a substantial showcase of our prosperity,” Snikers replied. “Aside from encouraging their stay until we decide to release them, they’re certain to narrate their favorable experiences upon return, painting the Union in a positive light.” His tone grew even more self-satisfied. “This strategy rectifies our dilemmas, does it not, Captain?”

Kaz mulled over Snikers's words, scratching his chin thoughtfully.

Though Snikers's plan reeked of self-interest, its logical framework couldn't be denied, though Agozi seemed decidedly unimpressed.

“This is a scouting vessel, not some grand luxury ship,” she said condescendingly. “Besides not knowing what they think luxury is, we aren’t stocked for it either.”

“Ah, but you are quite wrong, my dear Lieutenant.”

“Look at that, using my real title. Did I move up a notch on your respect scale?” Agozi asked, her tone and expression laced with sarcasm.

The sarcastic comment made Snikers pause for a moment, but he soon continued.

“You must understand, child...”

Though non-Meviks like Snikers might miss her anger cues, Agozi's rage was obvious to Kaz. Doubtlessly, the choice to address her as 'child' rather than 'Lieutenant' was a calculated act aimed at chastising her for previous conduct, though she wisely held her tongue this time. This restraint was perhaps for the best, as Kaz lacked any patience for further disputes.

“We, the Pretenti, insist on a certain standard of accommodation for conducting our business, regardless of the circumstances,” Snikers said. “In addition to retrofitting your ship, we enhanced your recreational areas and stockpiles with far superior, more opulent alternatives.”

Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

Agozi's whiskers twitched wildly as she stared at him, dumbfounded and disbelieving.

“You upgraded the ship just for yourself?!” Her tone conveyed equal parts shock and disgust.

“No need to blow this out of proportion,” Snikers replied dismissively. “Just the new prototype warper tags this as a trillion-credit vessel. It was only sensible to invest a bit more for decent living conditions.”

“And what does 'decent' look like to you?” Agozi asked, her voice dripping with accusation.

“I recommend you save us all some time and simply look over the new additions on your own,” Snikers replied. “Just consult the ship’s logs for the details, it’s not that challenging.”

Agozi's whiskers and snout twitched, her frown deepening. Kaz stepped in before she could launch into an argument.

“There's no need for that, I have reviewed the upgrades.” A subtle jerking of his whiskers hinted at his lukewarm feelings about them. “A few of these changes seem rather excessive.”

Kaz and Agozi's duties left little time for the recreational sector, yet he'd nonetheless reviewed the upgrades mentioned by Snikers. Extremely high-end restaurants, various massage parlors, holo theaters, and even an entire sports stadium comprised the new recreational facilities. The stadium was presumably for the crew's enjoyment, since the Pretenti themselves held sporting pursuits in low regard. Whether Snikers' motives were those of genuine concern for the crew's welfare or a simple display of his wealth remained unclear to him, but the stadium was nonetheless appreciated by the personnel. Since Snikers funded the expensive additions himself, Kaz saw little point in raising objections.

Kaz looked at Zelana, prompting a slight flinch from her.

“Honorary-Lieutenant Snikers believes leisure will motivate them to stay,” Kaz said. “Does this approach to securing their cooperation hold merit?”

“That's uncertain,” Zelana replied. “As indicated by Lieutenant Agozi, our grasp of their cultural framework is insufficient to predict their reaction accurately. Their leisure practices may differ from ours, or they might simply choose not to linger amongst us.”

“What if they just outright reject us?” Agozi asked.

Kaz contemplated the possibilities, scratching his chin again.

“Ideally, cooperation is attained,” he replied eventually. “However, we'll take necessary measures, even restrictive ones, to ensure it.”

Zelana's shock was evident; her snout jerked, and her ears rose and fell slightly.

“Captain, forgive my interjection, but I find the ethics of limiting their freedom in such a manner deeply problematic.”

“Oh, and it's illegal, by the way,” Agozi added.

“Strict adherence to the Union's charter may hinder the mission,” Kaz said. “Standard operating procedures were built for routine situations. Here, we're in uncharted territory.” His lip curled subtly, whiskers jerking as he bared some of his sharp teeth. “Both figuratively and literally.”

“None of that matters,” Agozi said. “I'm with Zelana on this one; it doesn’t fly legally or ethically, circumstances aside.”

They debated the matter for several minutes.

“This whole debate is irrelevant, given they'll undoubtedly opt to stay,” Snikers said eventually, sounding self-assured. “They're from worker backgrounds, so it’s safe to say their prospects back home don’t hold a candle to what we've got here.”

The room fell silent for a moment, the different parties exchanging glances, silently attempting to read each other's thoughts.

“Assuming this plan is approved, how would we best approach presenting them with this proposition?” Kaz asked Zelana.

“The specimen Ross exhibits compromised mental clarity, potentially stemming from his head injury,” Zelana replied. “More trials for him are warranted, and perhaps a complete psychological evaluation in the simulator. You might consider observing how the other responds in the recreational sector.”

“How about showing them around the ship?” Agozi said.

“Parallel execution of both is feasible.” Kaz's gaze shifted back to Zelana. “Considering the computational cost and impact on ship functions, how long would a full simulator test take?”

“It’s difficult to say definitively considering the specimen’s compromised state.”

“Provide an informed estimate.”

“Multiple hours,” Zelana replied after a moment's thought.

Kaz took a moment to consider.

“Agozi and I will accompany the specimen Andreas on a ship tour, including a visit to the recreational sector,” he said eventually. “You can delegate the simulator test to the specimen Ross while we’re occupied.”

“That settles it, then!” Snikers said smugly, like he'd won a great debate. “Tomorrow, our esteemed Captain will escort the functioning specimen on its most opulent journey to date, while Doctor Zelana meticulously tends to the other.” A self-satisfied smirk settled on his snout. “An ideal scheme indeed.”