Respin

Respin arrives at the cabin the same moment as the others. He smiles upon seeing Serfin and the small chitinous creature. But once he makes out Nethra's partner his smile flatters. Panic surfaces and makes his heart and stomach clench up. But he hasn't to fight it for long. What he has eavesdropped in the bowls of the ship has rendered everything else into something inconsequential. Something not worth worrying too much about. So he greets them reluctantly and opens the door to their room. Serfin marches in like he always does, followed by the small creature and Topasa.

"You two have very small Tanks." Topasa observes gleeful as she enters the cabin.

"Rationalization," Respin answers with a sigh.

"Would like to help you to get bigger ones, but you know…" she replies and steps aside.

The rather small room gets even smaller as everyone looks for a place to be out of the way. After a few chaotic moments, everybody has settled more or less down. In the end, Respin sit next to the small creature on the slap of his tank while Topasa sits with Serfin on the slap of his. After a second of silence everyone except the creature starts to speak at the same time. The creature titles its head and twitches with its yellow feathers antennas.

"Stop!" Respin says, raising his voice over the others, something he usually doesn't like to do. "We can't get anything done if we continue like this."

"Then tell us your story first," proposes Topasa and leans back. "You look as if you've seen a ghost."

"Well I kind of wish I haven't heard, what I heard," he begins and feels how he grows even paler.

"This must be something terrible… " Serfin muses while he moves his foot forward and places it on Respin's to reassure him.

"It kind of is, I guess," he replies with a short-lived smile. "I've heard Captain Slicer speak with one of the science-unit. A certain guy named Lappor. Anyway… They spoke about the weapon. They want to use her against us Terrestrials as well as the Empress if given enough motivation."

"Topasa has the same idea," remarks Serfin casual.

"During our report, I've lied to Slicer about what had happened to Nethra," Topasa explains with a serious expression. "He has bought what I told him almost on the spot without wanting me or Serfin to elaborate on the matter. This makes me suspect that there's more to him then he lets on. Somethings fishy and it aren't his gills or fins that stink."

"That's not all," Respin say distressed. "This guy, Lappor, has made tests on the weapon."

"What kind of tests?" Topasa asks, curiosity dripping from her voice.

"Blood and genetic tests," he answers. "As far as I was able to hear, he's found out that she isn't a Menkar but something that sharing a few things with us. On the other hand… She… He thinks this pale creature could be the Pale God this Cult on Cetus talks about."

"It could be she's a member of a strange alien-species," Topasa interposes and shurgs. "Maybe it's normal for them to be pale. She doesn't need to have something to do with those cultists. There's plenty of strange life in space."

"I guess you're right," Respin replies thoughtfully. "But I also think there has to be some sort of connection. I mean… Isn't it a bit too much coincidence?"

"A sixth-sense thing, right?", asks Serfin and nudges him with his foot.

"But I once read about a demon who fell from the sky and curbstomped a whole elite Bladedancer-Squat into the ground," Topasa continues. "And there're rumors about a bloodbath in one of the colonies that happened some Circles ago. I remember that the creature involved was described like I would describe this alien. Also, after this all went down the Cult was allegedly formed. The Empress had even sent out a few of her best Eradicators but to no avail. They neither found the demon nor the center of the Cult."

"Perhaps the weapon is the demon, perhaps she's not," argues Respin skeptical. "How can we tell how long she has been on the tree? Maybe she was already there during the bloodbath, you speak about. What then? And even if she is the demon… Why hasn't the Empress done anything about it earlier? And who tells us if it hadn't been the Empress or one of her Eradicators per proxy to put her there in the first place?"

"Then why would she order us to retrieve her?" Topasa questions. "Or anyone for that reason. Besides, if the Empress has put this so-called weapon on this remote asteroid, why not send those who have put it there to retrieve it? Also, why should she've done so in the first place? It makes no sense. Sending a downgraded ship with a crew of weirdos for regular troops isn't that bright of an idea either."

"Maybe she wants to get rid of us," suggests Serfin chuckling but is silenced a moment later by Topasa's elbow.

"This is nothing to laugh about!" she scolds him.

"Sorry," he mumbles.

"I think Fin has a point," Respin says and earns himself a smile from his Bondmate. "If I would want to secure a weapon, no matter the kind, I would send out people who know what they're going to do."

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"This is actually kind of troublesome," concludes Topasa worried. "Imagine if the weapon wakes up and destroys the cruiser in the middle of interstellar space. The Empress would've killed two birds with one stone. She would get rid of us, the ship and this creature, which might otherwise turn on her out of its own volition or because someone like Slicer takes it."

"Which means that this pale creature could be the demon that killed the Eradicators in the colony…" muses Serfin.

"I wouldn't bet on it, but it feels like there's something to it," Topasa contemplates. "Albeit I now wonder who has pinned her against the tree. They must know how dangerous she is, which also opens the questions as to why not kill her on the spot if she's such a large threat. If she can be killed that is. And what about the one attacking her? If this so-called weapon counts as dangerous, then what about its captor? The being able to subdue her?"

"To be honest, I don't want to know," Respin responses while running a hand through his shoulder-length hair. "Besides, we've more important things to do than to wonder about her captor. How do we deal with this situation? On one side we have the Empress who has sent us on a suicide mission, which hasn't come to pass how she seems to have planed. Then we have our cargo… A creature with an unknown potential for all kinds of dangerous abilities. And to top everything we have Captain Slicer who wants to kill all Terrestrials with the help of this being."

"Maybe we could free her?" suggests Serfin promptly, which takes Respin by surprise.

"And how?" asks Topasa doubtful. "We don't know where she is."

"She's in the Recuperation-Section," Respin tells them. "I've eavesdropped Slicer and Lappor there during my search for the small guy here next to me."

"Okay, but this still leaves the questions as to how we free her," she continues. "And when… I've got the feeling that it might be better to wait a few days — after all, we have two weeks until we arrive at Cetus."

"I doubt that three people are enough," he admits discouraged.

"We're five, maybe," responds Topasa. "I'll try to get Nethra into it once she's awake again. And I doubt that the Insectoid wants to be left out either."

"Insectoid?"

"That's what the little buddy's called," answers Serfin and points at the creature.

"Okay, thanks. I guess…" Respin says before he returns to the topic at hand. "But we're still only five. And I don't trust anyone else on this ship."

"Five's better than nothing," replies Serfin as confident as ever. "The two of us always found a way, Res. Why shouldn't we now?"

"It's rather late, and I need to check on Nethra," Topasa announces and stands up. "And I'm tired as hell."

"We should meet again as soon as possible to make a plan," suggests Serfin.

"This is a bit too dangerous." Respin says. "We never hang out with each other. Slicer could notice something. Not to forget the mind-readers."

"Right! I haven't thought about this!" she replies shocked. "No matter what we do the mind-reads might already know, so we shouldn't care about them until they apprehended us. And for the communication… Let us communicate over those text-communicators."

With that, she pulled three old looking square communicators out of her hyperspace-bracelets. She hands Respin and Serfin each one. They are large, clunky and look like they might break if held a bit too tight. Curious Respin turns his on and is greeted with an old logo of a company long since bankrupt.

"Those are ancient!" Serfin remarks and looks at it as if it’s a brick rather than a viable technological device.

"They're maybe ancient, but they work!" Topasa explains with a board grin. "I got them from a flea market back on Cetus when I was about four Circles old. But they're reliable and most importantly they can't be hacked with the modern stuff. I used them with some of my old Bondmates before we parted ways."

"And how do they work?" asks Respin with a frown.

"That's simple," she replies. "You need to touch the screen right here and the communication app pops up. By the way, my handle is agogCollector. You two can choose one of the preexisting names. My old friends won't mind. After all, those neat little things are middle range only."

"I chose cheerfulAgitator." announces Serfin almost immediately.

"Then I'm troubledContributor." says Respin, feeling the onset of paranoia settle in.

"Until we meet again, I'm going to spy a bit on Slicer and Lappor," Topasa announces happy-go-lucky. "You two can try to look for weaknesses in the Recuperation-Section."

"What about this Insectoid creature?" Respins asks nervous. "We can't keep him here until we reach Cetus."

"That's right…" muses Topasa and presses her right index finger against her lips. "How about we look after him in shifts. Only if neither of you two has a better idea."

Respin and Serfin both shake their heads in unison.

"Then everything's settled," she says and stands up while clapping her hands once.

Afterward, they say goodbye to each other. Before Topasa leaves, she flashes them a toothy grin and closes the door a moment later. For a few moments tired silence fills the air between Respin and Serfin. Respin yawns and rubs his dry eyes. This whole day has been torture and the next days don't seem to turn out different. His skin and gills also feel too dry for his taste. It is time to dip into the tank and get a few good hours of sleep.

As Respin stands up, so does Serfin and both of them start with their usual routine. At the same time, the Insectoid walks to one of the corners of the room on the opposite side of the door. It stretches its six limbs and pulls them close while rolling into a tight ball.

"It's almost like havin' a pet," Serfin muses with a fond expression on his dark face.

"I don't think he's a pet, Fin. Just because we can't communicate with him doesn't mean he's on par with an animal."

"You're right, Res."

Again few moments of silence, while Respin folds his clothes together, while Serfin throws his around the room.

"I kinda feel like an Eradicator on a secret mission, like in the movies, y'know," jokes Serfin after a moment. "A very tired Eradicator at that."

Respin cannot help but smile at this statement. "I just hope that our story has an happy end."

He hums his agreement and climbs up the ladder to the top of the tank. Head first he slips into the warm clear water. Somehow he turns around in the narrow tank and pokes his head out — only up to his eyes. A few moments later his breath has become shallow and as his gray gills unfurl to filter the water. A sign that he has fallen asleep.

Respin takes his time and collects his Bondmates clothes. He folds them as usual and place them next to the base of Serfin's tank. Once everything is done he climbs up his Watertank and dips in feet first. Before he closes his eyes to sleep, he pulls out a soft collar and the breathing mask. Since his gills are got damaged a few Circles earlier they can't sustain him for more than fifteen minutes. So dips them in to get them moist before he slips the collar around his neck. This is one of the few things making him grateful for having no horns. Once the collar is secured he pulls the breathing mask over his nose and mouth.

Respin closes his eyes and slides underwater. All he wants is to sleep after the turmoils of this day. But sleep eludes him for some time. His thoughts move back to the pale creatures face. Half asleep he wonders if she is able to dream and what she dreams about. Yet before he can come to a conclusion the soothing warm water around him lulls him finally to sleep.