As he lay down, Carter wondered just how long it had been since he last slept, not counting however long he'd been knocked out for the surgical implementation of his new augments. Between the pirates, the surgery, and "getting to know" his new...huh... Were they his subordinates, his bosses, or just the ship? He shook his head. It didn't matter. He'd gotten to know them a little better, and they didn't feel quite so psychotic anymore. They were still plenty psychotic! But at least he could relate a little.

He thought back to the girl, the original one. How long had she been alone out in space, with nothing but the void, stars, and an emotionless, unthinking ship that only followed orders and offered nothing in return for company? It's a wonder she didn't just up and kill herself! Then again, maybe some people would feel the same about his situation...

Not that he had any intention of taking that easy way out any time soon! Carter had fought too hard and too long to just give up now! He'd find a way to turn this all to his advantage somehow! Though how exactly he'd do that with those three breathing down his neck remained to be seen.

Then, a thought occurred to him. Carter spoke into the darkness. "Hey, Sybil, are you there?"

Even before he turned to look her way as she answered, the glowing light in his room told Carter she was. "Yes, Captain?"

Carter laughed. "You don't know how long I've dreamed of someone calling me 'captain.' Now I've done it, and somehow...it feels empty."

The girl looked confused. "Oh? Why does it feel empty?"

Carter looked up at the ceiling, now illuminated by the girl's presence. "I don't know. Maybe it's because of how many 'captains' have already run this ship and how few of them seemed to have meant anything to you. Maybe it's because I just stumbled into the position rather than earning it by virture of my wit and skill. Or maybe it's because everything I do seems to lead me one step forward and two steps back..."

The girl pushed her glasses up, a motion Carter remembered the original girl doing in the memories he'd been shown earlier before answering. "Well, I suppose you'll have to earn the position. After all, it's not like any of our captains came into the role after being carefully selected from a pool of capable candidates. Although, you are mistaken in one aspect."

Carter looked over at the girl with a raised eyebrow. "Oh yeah, what's that?"

The girl looked off into the distance and smiled. "I remember all of my captains. Even the ones who didn't do a good job or were around for very long, and I learned something from all of them. You've already earned a place in my memories. Long after the rest of the galaxy has forgotten almost every human who lives today, your name and accomplishments will live on through me." She paused and smirked a little. "Although, how big the chapter of your tenure as captain will be largely depends on you."

Carter chuckled. "Fair enough, I suppose."

The girl tilted her head. "Was that all you wanted? To vent to me about your worries?"

Carter barked out a laugh of his own. "It sounds a little sad when you say it like that! But no, that just occurred to me when you called me captain. I called for you because I realized I forgot to tell you just what my first order as captain was going to be."

The girl smiled. "Yes, I suppose you did negotiate for the right to issue the first command. So tell me, what would you like to do, oh captain, my captain?"

Carter considered throwing his pillow through the image of the girl but knew it would cause no more harm than some slight digitization. Then he'd have to go get the pillow himself, taking any sting out of the point he wanted to make. Instead, he just grinned and answered, "Simple. I want to get my old ship back!"

-

They were almost to the escape pods when they were sandwiched between two groups of pirates. As Vanessa fired down one corridor to keep the first group at bay, Erik looked around the corner to try to get a count of the second.

The alien ducked back just as a hail of gunfire erupted around the corner. Despite the near miss, Erik grinned. "Well, the group ahead looks smaller but better armed! I don't think blindly charging at them will work this time!"

Vanessa spared her friend a glance as she reloaded the rifle. "Showing restraint in the face of danger, my lady? I suppose there's a first time for everything."

Erik laughed. "Danger is one thing, but I'm not exactly suicidal! What I need is a distraction of some kind!"

As Vanessa poured more gunfire back the way they'd come, keeping the pirates from doing more than blindly firing around the corner while Alen kept his head down, she offered a slightly unladylike grunt. "I would love to be of assistance, but I'm afraid I'm busy keeping the second group at bay."

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Realizing this could very well be the end, Alen decided it was on him to do something for once. He could see a room with an open door across the hall. There was almost no chance he could make it without getting shot, however... "I'll do it!"

Erik looked at Alen and laughed. "No offense, kid, but I don't think you can take out the pirates any better than I can!"

Alen shook his head. "No, but I can give you a distraction. It won't be much, a second or two at most, but I can make them aim their guns at the opposite side of the hallway. Would that be enough?"

Erik's grin grew wider, and Alen could swear his eyes dilated just a little. "You buy me a full second of distraction, and I'll make it work, kid! Whenever you're ready!"

With a sigh, Alen shook his head to clear his thoughts, then took a deep breath. "Alright..." Then, without giving himself more time to think about it, Alen stood up and started running.

Alen was used to running. He knew he was in reasonably good shape, doubly so for someone who planned on spending his life aboard a ship as an officer, but he'd never run this fast before and likely never would again. As he passed the corner at a dead sprint, time seemed to slow to a crawl. Each step felt like he was pushing his legs past the breaking point as he willed himself to rocket forward faster with each step. He ignored the blurs at the corner of his vision, even as they opened fire, tracing his movements with their gun barrels as they roared to life, spewing deadly projectiles at his heels. He knew they could turn faster than he could run, but he just had to make it through the doorway ahead, and he'd be home free!

As his foot lifted off the ground, Alen felt a tug at his pant leg but refused to think about it. He slammed his other foot down, propelling him forward again. The sheer volume of gunfire chasing his every step felt like a pack of wolves chasing him through a forest, and all he could do was keep running...but when he slammed his other foot down again, everything went to hell. Pain shot up through his leg. It wasn't the kind of pain that can be described as burning or stabbing. It was the kind of pain that exists only as an abstract concept for most until it is experienced, the kind that sends a shock through your body and stops all conscious functioning.

Alen fell, but he didn't care. His mind was blank except in a pure reactionary way as he curled up around the leg that screamed in agony. He was only dimly aware of Erik's roar as the alien rounded the corner and threw his first two axes. There were screams and more gunfire, but Alen didn't care. He just wanted the pain in his leg to stop, but when he reached down to see what was wrong, his hand encountered only the bloody mess that had once been his foot. Alen's scream joined the rest.

Eventually, Alen became aware he wasn't alone anymore. He was being carried, and the pain was still excruciating, but somehow, it felt more distant. He felt cold, and the world was spinning around him. A part of him wanted to go to sleep, but then something slapped him in the face. "Nuh-uh, kid! No closing your eyes yet! Here. This ought to help!"

Alen felt something jabbed into his side. It hurt, but the pain was so much less than what he was going through it barely registered. Meanwhile, he was being manhandled as someone gripped his foot tightly, sending fresh waves of agony through him. It seemed like they were wrapping something around or above it. Alen tried to fend them off, but his hands were batted aside like a child's. After a moment, the voice returned. "There we go. That ought to stop the bleeding. Hey, that pack got any blood in it? I'm pretty sure he lost more than he ought to..."

Another voice that Alen recognised as Vanessa's answered: "There is a stable chemical similar to human plasma. It's insufficient as a total blood replacement, but it should help stabilize low levels due to traumatic blood loss. Allow me to administer it, as this requires a more delicate approach than I believe you are capable of, my lady."

As the pain started to fade, Alen recognized Erik pulling back from his position. However, the alien was strangely hunched over, as if he'd grown to gigantic proportions and was now too large for the room.

Suddenly, Alen remembered they were in the middle of a firefight. He started to sit up while shouting, "The pirates!" but was restrained by a surprisingly strong carapaced arm.

Erik laughed. It was strangely comforting to hear him back to his usual jovial self as Vanessa continued to treat him. "No worries there, lad! The captain must have done whatever he was gonna do because just as things were looking bad, all the pirates' suits all went dead, as did my axes and Vanessa's gun. However, with a little extra muscle, the axes still did their job just fine!"

Vanessa calrified as she stuck a needle into Alen's arm. "It was a powerful electromagnetic wave. Thankfully, the escape pods seem to have been shielded from the effects. Probably a necessity if you have such a system on board your vessel."

They were on board one of the pods, which explained a few things, including why Erik seemed so large in the relatively small confines of the room they were now in. Alen looked down at his foot. It was wrapped in bandages and looked like a bloody mess. "So then...this was all a waste? I could have just waited a few more moments, and we would have been fine?"

Seeing where Alen's gaze was resting, Erik's smile faded just a bit as the larger man answered. "Maybe. Or maybe we would have been overwhelmed and killed seconds away from salvation. We'll never know. What we do know is that when things were looking bad, you stepped up and did something brave, kid. That's not something Vanessa or I will be forgetting any time soon!"

That spin made Alen smile just a bit, even through the remaining pain. "Well, I just didn't want to die not having tried something."

Erik's smile widened again. "You'd be surprised how rare that is when things get real, kid! You did good back there! Take a little pride in that! You earned it!"

Just then, Vanessa jabbed Alen with something else. Shortly after, the world started getting hazy as she offered her two cents. "What he's earned is a rest. We'll deal with the rest when he wakes up."

Alen wanted to offer a counterpoint but found his mind slipping as the world got hazy while the rest of the pain seemed to fade into oblivion. Not long after, he found the effort of keeping his eyes open too much to deal with, and he quietly slipped into unconsciousness.