CHOSEN

Jasper found himself staring at something he could hardly call food, let alone a dinner. Eating a beetle wouldn't concern him at all, but slime, glop, and... what he hoped was dried fruit or raisins was not making for an appetizing presentation.

Saniya entering with the newest 'acquired' body was an ample distraction. Resting his arm on his leg as he leaned forward, listening without interrupting. Thea called him Gunner Guy, having chose the man's new occupation without consulting her Captain. Typical for a woman. Even if she was a ship.

Saniya finally decided to acknowledge his presence. Jasper's response being nothing more than a soft snort of his disapproval. "You and I still need to talk." Jasper reached for his plate, picking up one of those slime covered raisins to pop in his mouth. Two seconds was all it took for a choke to follow. Yet, he didn't spit it out. Choosing instead to force himself a to swallow than insult the Rasitan.

Palor now looking a bit green, Jasper rose to his feet with a most grim expression. "A... creative use of supplies, Nuldris. Why don't you ask the crew what their favorite meals might be for the next time while I speak with Karamchand."
 
It was a strange accusation from the Captain, to imply that Nuldris deliberately did not ask the crew. He had not known them long enough to begin such avoidance. And anyway, why would Nuldris ask the crew what their favourite meals might be? Surely they would know what their favourite meals are and their choices would not change before 'next time'. If they did, then that would defy the concept of a favourite meal.

So lost was he in this conundrum that Nuldris had no chance to answer before Jasper and Saniya moved away. He was left with the new human, who was apparently being chased by fatherless jackals with opposable thumbs who he had no interest in. He was clearly not a man of science, for surely the discovery of such creatures would be of interest to even the most ignorant of men. Perhaps D'Artagnan Guy was a madman, for his repeated use of phrases such as 'there I was' and 'here I am' suggested a severe existential self-doubt.

A madman, a painted woman, a treacherous navigator, a hypocrital captain and a man whom it was illegal to follow. Surely Nuldris was amongst the bowels of humanity here.

The Rasitan pushed two plates towards Heather - one for herself and another to 'pass on' to whoever it was she intended to pass it on to. Then he turned and headed back to the cave-like alcove of the kitchen. He found a plastic beaker that Saniya had salvaged and then held it under one of the ship's sweat-glands, massaging the flesh until it moistened and discharged the water through several layers of dermal filter. The end-product was warm, but purified. He carried it back to the common room and handed it to Guy.

"I am Eles'Wain Nuldris of the Tang'Ouhi Fourth-Born. I will cook and launder for you."

He smiled and waited for the new human to recipocrate. Meanwhile, seeing that the captain had declined his meal, the Rasitan reached across the table and picked up one of the space weavels. He bit into it and the crunch of soggy carapace echoed around the chamber.
 
Saniya looked at Jasper and rolled her eyes, but she followed the ships captain out of the mess hall and back up to the control room. Her balance at least had returned, but she was still very relaxed. "What did you wanna talk about Jasp?" Saniya asked the question, smiling a bit, though not swaying nor otherwise seeming to be somewhere other then there. If Jasper wanted to talk, she'd listen and remember everything said, even if he didn't realize it.

Meanwhile in the mess Guy smiled at the tall woman that entered. "Medic, eh? I suppose we are damn lucky to have such a pretty thing to tend to our wounds, though I hope you won't be too offend if I try to avoid that particular service." he grinned at Heather, a charming smile, or so he had been told.

He then turned to the alien. "Laundry service? I haven't had anyone do my laundry since my mom did it as a kid. Thank you," Guy thought this was a surprising turn of events. He did not of course have any other cloths, which was a bit of a problem, but he would deal with that later. "But yes, a pleasure to meet both of you. I suppose I will have to hunt down the mechanic later." Guy tried not to wince at the overly loud crunching sound of the beetle being eaten.
 
Heather watched as the plates were served to both the Captain and two were laid to rest in front of her and she gulped. The reaction of the Captain didn't comfort her as she looked down at her own...slop. She managed a grimace towards Nuldris, "I'm sorry darling...I meant to say that I've already eaten and I'm no longer hungry, if you could possibly...er...store this...food for a later date?" She smiled, pushing the plates away from her as she turned her gaze back to the other man.

As Guy spoke Heather couldn't help but blush, "Oh you, no, I suppose you won't want my services but I'm still here should you need my services...although I don't know how good I am at it, I suppose Thea will help me if I need any." She smiled, trying to block out the sounds of the beetle being eaten. "Maybe you and I should go find the mechanic now, after all this beautiful ship couldn't be too large? Maybe I can show you the main control room?" Heather smiled, pushing back from the table and standing up, wishing to get far away from the "meal" Nuldris had prepared.
 
Nuldris narrowed his eyes at Guy and pulled a weavel leg from between his teeth. "How could your mother have laundered for you as a child? She would not have been fertile yet, and if you had not yet been born why would your clothes be soiled? And why would she have purchased them at all?"

He reached up, placing a large hand on the newcomer's shoulder as he tried to follow Heather. "And I ask you, please - do not hunt down the mechanic. I will provide all your necessary sustenance on this journey. There is no need for cannibalism."

First they attack the Navigator for scanning ships... and now they want to eat the mechanic? The crew would not last long if these humans carried out their intentions. Nuldris had to trust that they were fickle enough to forget what they doing as they had done before. Scooping up the plates left by Heather, the Rasitan carried the food back into the kitchen chamber and placed them inside the cooling orifice. He would store it there for 8 hours before transferring it to the freezing chamber. Immersion in a saline solution might be necessary if the female delayed her feeding any longer.

It was no wonder she looked so frail. She would never bear healthy children if she did not eat.

Although... if Guy's assertion was anything to go by... humans were a lot more fertile than the biology books stated.

Nuldris shook his head and returned to the common room for the rest of the plates.
 
It was clear that Jasper was struggling to keep his temper reigned in, with the way his posture was so stiff. The wringing and rubbing of his wrists, or the flexing of his fingers. It may have looked like he was ready to strangle someone. Yet he remained a nice safe distance from Saniya. Just a step away from reaching distance.

He leaned forward, his trademark scowl glaring down at her. "Bringing new crew members on board without my supervision... I could forgive that. A little ingenuity, teamwork. That is good. ....getting drunk and bringing back a showgirl, Karamchand?" By the end of his sentence he went from even toned to an elevated snarl.

"This is not a party. My crew will not get hammered in bars, pick up women, men or otherwise and bring them on my ship. What was she here for? Sex? A lapdance? No... it was a tour? Best friends sleep over?" He pointed a finger at her as his eyes narrowed. The way her entire face turned red at the accusations of sex or a lapdance. Karamchand was an innocent. A naive, clueless twit that had no idea the sort of people she could accidentally entwine herself with. She got herself silly drunk and found a new friend.

"...and you...!" Jasper turned to shout in to the air, at the ship itself. "What is she supposed to do? Entertain us?! We need a crew, not a dinner show."
 
Guy looked at the alien in much confusion. Was he a comedian or was serious? Not sure the best way to respond he just nodded and said, "Well no eating another sentient is likely a bad idea."

Turning back to the tall woman he smiled. "I'll take you up on that tour offer." He watched Nuldris walk back with the plates. Was going to have to get use to that one. "If you'll lead the way Heather?"

Saniya was silent during Jasper's accusation. Really, how could he just say stuff like that! She frowned though when he sent his accusations at the ship. "Now you're being belligerent," she took a step closer, her voice sounding no louder than normal, but there was a ever slight touch of steel behind it.

"You don't have the crew you want and want to blame everyone else. You brought that mechanic and cook, and honestly the only reason I'm willing to look beyond what is on the surface is because Thea trust them. This ship has a lot more sense then her pilot!" Then Saniya smirked. "Unless you actually enjoyed your dinner tonight, Captain!"
 
She was calling him belligerent when he was asking a legitimate question of the ship that kidnapped more crew members than ones that've willingly signed up. Abusing a woman was starting to sound like a good idea. Picking her up and shoving her head first down the garbage shaft. Technically it wasn't hitting a woman, and it might tone down the sense of entitlement the little chit hadn't earned.

"At least he takes orders and knows his place on this ship." he finally growled back. Thea was not giving him the satisfaction of answering his question, which meant the ship either wasn't entirely sure what she wanted her new 'crew' to do, or this was all just a twisted mind game by an A.I. system that was too smart for it's own good.

"You'd do well to remember who is in command on this ship. Follow the rules and regulations or I will glady drop you off on Xefortas and let the dogs have you."
 
Something about Nuldris was a bit unsettling. She assumed he was just very clueless about human language nuances. "Oh no darling, we don't literally intend to hunt him. It's a...um, what's the word? Colloquialism? Humans use it when we mean to find someone...non-violently..." She hoped that would help Nuldris understand as she stood to escort Guy out.

As she stood she realized just how tall she was with her heels on and she felt a bit awkward. At least she wasn't quite as tall as their alien and that was a comfort of a sort. "This way Mister Guy!" she said in sing-song voice and waved for him to follow as she stepped out the door, heading towards the control room...that is if she could find the way...making sure that he was following her she made her way through various corridors and stopped occasionally to open a door and peek inside just in case she missed it. "I'm sure it's around here somewhere..." She muttered occasionally before she remembered that she was with someone else, "Oh, so what brought you on Thea? Are you another friend of Miss Saniya?" She asked as she opened yet another door, "AH HA! Here we are!" She crooned as she stepped into the control room, relieved she didn't get them too lost.
 
Colloquialism... a ritual in which humans pretend to hunt one another. Nuldris thought about this as he tidied up the common room, straightening the chairs and table and clearing the remaining plates.

This ritual sounded similar to the Tang-Relesha on Vondris, in which adolescent Rasitans battle the Prian Beasts. The Prians were bred directly by the introduction of Rasitan parasites to wild cattle stock and through genetic manipulation each beast developed five prime nerve clusters which, when struck, caused temporary paralysis. Hunting a Prian was thus a great test of marksmanship and cunning, and after five hours the beasts were ready to be hunted again.

At least, Nuldris hoped that the Colloquialism was a ritual. Otherwise it would mean the painted woman had the same defect as the captain and said things that deliberately contradicted her actions. Like the gunner man, who claimed that his mother had washed his clothes before he had even been born. Nuldris had hoped it was only the male of the species who were paradoxical, while the women were simply dangerous (like the Navigator)... but now he would have to revise that finding.

Perhaps, in the end, this was the key to understanding the human condition - to hold two contradictary and simultaneous beliefs that operate upon different principles of logic.

Having tidied the room, Nuldris took a moment to indulge himself. Stopping by the window of the common room, he looked out into the sea of stars beyond the asteroid belt. They were a kaleidoscope of colours, from deep red to nebulous blue, the markers of distant and unknown galaxies. Even from here he could feel the light and as he basked his hand reached up and prized beneath the cacarapce of his skull, massaging the crystal slightly. It made every part of him tingle and his eyes half-closed in pleasure.

On the Kurn Trading Route, the bodyguards had not been allowed a window. They were kept inside, away from the Ambassador's family, and given artificial lights to placate them. But nothing compared to the real thing and Nuldris wondered if this was what the Higher Creatures back on Vondris felt like... the sense of empowerment at getting something more than the others.

He had a window. And he was no longer a bodyguard. He was a cook and a cleaner. He was moving up in the world.

Letting his carapace resettle, the Rasitan picked up a basket and began 'hunting' for clothes to wash.
 
Saniya rolled her eyes. "Rules and regulations, you really are hidebound military, aren't you? Maybe you should write a book! I think however before you do you make up your mind on where the dogs are, last time you said Kalsiiet, where that is!" Saniya knew that arguing with Jasper wasn't likely going to end well, but she was fed up with his attitude. A day or so after that ugly incident on Belpir Jasper had given vent of his frustration. Saniya, still in shock at what had happened had taken it without a word. She honestly didn't understand everything he said, but she remembered evey word.

"So tell me Captain, what do you really want?"

"Thank you," Guy grinned as they walked in. "No, I'm afraid I never met Miss Saniya before today. She seems very nice. A contrast from the captain though. What is he, a drill Sargent in the previous life?"

Guy was eyeing the room, it was not like anything he'd ever seen before, but as he walked to one side he got the feeling he'd actually be able to figure out how to use it easily. That was a bit bizarre, there was no way a new system wouldn't have a learning curve.
 
"Woman, half of the shit you say doesn't even make sense-! ...." Just as quick as he shot the words out, Jasper fell silent. He wagged a finger in her direction, but it was no longer in some anger fueled jabbing. Rather something had occurred to him.

"Kalsiiet, Kalsiiet. Chim Yuu's Fly Dogs... that sly son of a..." The woman wouldn't have a clue what he meant. After all, she had no idea he meant a bunch of old army coots when he threatened to throw her to the dogs. Yet, thanks to her frustrating ability to remember obscure things he shouts at her, Jasper now realized exactly what Haylen meant by the numbers Twenty twenty, six four two.

Jasper turned away from her in a rush towards the door. "Find Kalsiiet on the maps and key them in to Thea. Afterwards make sure the crew is doing something useful. I'll be in Control."
 
But she had more she could say to him! However it seemed he was on to something. "Kalsiiet? Got it Jasper," she replied with only the pause to readjust from arguing to cooperating. This wasn't to say she didn't have her doubts, she didn't trust the Terradyne military, but if Jasper had friends that were actually friends maybe he could get his life back. Her own life, well she had no intention of going back. Not with how dysfunctional the government was.

For someone that hated politics, Saniya had chosen an odd path.

The navigator went to slip into her chair for another trip into the mapping system she enjoyed so much. Soon Thea would be able to give Jasper the assistance h needed to fly to their new destination.
 
PLANET KALSIIET

Kalsiiet was not much better off than the rest of the planets they had visited while under Thea's "care". Though, at least it boasted being a 'legal' addition to the planetary systems. The majority of Kalsiiet's population were either just barely skirting the lines of the law, bending the rules where they knew they could get away with it in the forms of gambling and questionable ware sources. And the others... they were the ones Jasper felt kindred too. Old military dogs, once the pride of Terradyne, now retired and living out their days keeping order on a planet that liked to taunt their authority.

He strode across the air field towards a large plane and ship hanger. Max, his only accompaniment, was struggling to keep up pace a few steps behind him. The man hadn't been his first choice to join him... Truthfully, Jasper would have taken the Alien, or even the bar tender who still hadn't found a purpose on the ship. Either of them would of been a more solid backup should something go awry, compared to the young man that Jasper suspected wasn't much more experienced than Saniya when it came to being out in the real world. Yet... he couldn't leave the two women unattended and without protection. Not even protection for themselves, but for the rest of the world should they see something shiny and run off to do something stupid HE would come to regret. They were all waiting with Thea outside of the air strips.

Jasper snorted at his musings. Max casting him a curious stare, but not making comment. They already arrived to the hanger doors, Jasper laying a hand at his gun as he slid one to the side for them to cross the entrance. Most of the lights were off inside. Only streams of daylight from opened glass windows in the ceiling lit the floor and few ships that were docked inside. Both men were hesitant as they looked around. But finally a familiar voice called out from one of the corners.

"Kelran. Here I thought you would have figure that out sooner." chuckled the man. Hayden, the very same voice from the recorder.

Jasper gave a grim smile. "Got mixed up in something interesting. I see I'm not the only one, old man..."

Gesturing to a desk and some chairs near a makeshift office space in the corner of the room, Hayden took himself a seat behind the desk. Bother Jasper and Max doing the same. Jasper himself, leaning forward in his seat to rest his elbows on his knees to cast a concerned frown. "Gantoon shafted me. I've got every Terradyne on my tail because that bitch can't keep her feelings to herself. Then you up and vanish before I see you. What's goin' on, Hayden."

"A lot more than you realize..." Hayden confessed. His features were tired and weary, making him appear so much older than he actually was. He drummed his fingers on the desk, seeming to an inner debate on just how he was going to explain. "I've been doubling some time now... Working underground, finding out about Genesis for Terradyne. And the things I've learned... they'd set your hairs on end. And I ain't talkin' about what those activists are doing. I'm talking Terradyne's actions..."

"You're shitting me." came Jasper's response. He was dubious, to be sure. But Hayden had been his friend and comrade for a long time. Still, he's been a Commander for the Federation even longer. A conspiracy seemed to be farfetched... "They've been a protecting force of the galaxy for well over a hundred years..."

"A force unchecked often loses sight of what it was create for, Kelran. I can't deny what I've seen..." Hayden's attention was drawn to a little device in his hand when it buzzed. He gave a heavy sigh as he shook his head. "You're not going to be able to deny it either."

"What the hell is that supposed to me-"

Captain. Unmarked ships have landed within the air strip. They are unloading armed men. Sounded the little voice of Thea in Jasper's ear piece. His eyes narrowed and his heart skipped a beat, but he was trying to not jump to conclusions. Not about the man who he considered a good friend and has trusted for years.

"Ships are landing outside, Hayden. Who are they."

Hayden was silent for a moment. He finally shook his head. "I'm sorry Kelran. I can't help you. I-"

"You sonofabitch!" Jasper was on his feet, pulling his gun as Max followed suit beside him.

"You don't know what they do..! I have a family to think about! If I turn you and the Titan Ship in, they'll forget all of the things I had to do with Genesis!"

There wasn't time left to argue or demand explanations. A loud blast send part of the wall near them collapsing. Armored men in Terradyne uniform came stomping through with their guns raised. Both Jasper and Max took for cover under a hail of gun fire. Hayden was not so lucky... Having raised his hands assuming he was not a target, he was shot down without a second thought.

Jasper and Max ducked behind a large stack of crates. The Captain tapping in to the communication link.

"We're under fire! Find us a way out of here!"
 
Max was beginning to wonder just what Jasper was attempting to do by bringing him to this awful little planet. He had barely had time to get accustomed to his new quarters on the ship before Jasper called for him over the ship-wide comm. The morning (or whatever time it was in this godforsaken place) had been going downhill ever since. He had to endure several minutes of walking through the run-down spaceport wondering if he was going to be stabbed from behind any second by one of the shady-looking figures they kept passing. Max had made the mistake of looking one of them dead in the eye. All he had gotten in return was a murderous glare that made him consider cowering behind Jasper, rather then placing his hand on the blaster Jasper had given him "for his protection", not that he would have known the first thing to do with it. The captain probably would've gotten a real kick out Max showing cowardice. He didn't seem to respect or even particularly care for Max. This treatment once again made him wonder why he had to be the one to accompany Jasper on whatever insane and no doubt dangerous mission they were now undertaking. If the captain didn't think he deserved his place on the ship, what extent would Max have to go to to prove to him otherwise.

Jasper finally stopped in his relentless tromp through the spaceport outside what looked like a dimly lit hangar. Wonderful, Max thought. Now he's taking me into what amounts to a deep, dark cave. Who even knows what horrors are waiting in there. Max would much rather be back on the ship, examining its features and trying to determine just how much of Thea was living biological tissue and what parts were more machine-like. Instead, Jasper lead him to a table where they both sat down with another ruff looking spaceport denizen. Max decided before they even started talking that it would be best to keep his mouth shut and head down for the duration of their conversation. Nothing piqued his interest until Hayden mentioned Terradyne and the Genesis. Somebody who knew secret information about either of those parties had to be some kind of criminal, the way Max figured it, and from the way it seemed things were heading, Jasper really had dragged him into a bad situation afterall.

The next thing he knew, he and Jasper were ducking for cover as laser blasts whizzed overhead. They really had walked straight into a trap, after all. Fumbling with his own gun and barely managing to remove it from its holster, Max glowered at Jasper behind his back and loudly called out to be heard over the gunfire "Do you think now would be a good time to show me how to use this gun?!"
 
It was an auxiliary digestive system on the starboard haunch, completely separate from the main tract that regulated Thea's vital systems. The clothes were fed directly into a sphincter in the rear chamber and then moved by peristalsis through a number of oesophagi that removed foreign matter. Then the garments dropped into an alimentary canal where weak acids stripped out the stains. Then a second sphincter pulled the cargo through to a cavity between the fatty tissues of the haunch which superheated the clothes to drying point. The laundry came out a little faded, and with a certain irrevocable smell, but hopefully none of the crew would mind... except maybe the painted lady.

Nuldris had found what clothes he could by rummaging through the rooms. The humans didn't seem to have a filing system for their soiled garments, so he played it safe and washed everything that was on the floor. Now he was returning through the corridors of the ship with his basket, placing the neatly folded clothes by the doorway of each quarter. As he placed a bundle of towels in the shower chamber he paused to look out the window.

Kalsiiet was a dull kind of planet, a little more temperate than Helspar but doubly humid. He could already feel the closeness of the air that filtered through Thea's systems. He could tell there was less oxygen in it, due to the heaviness of his breathing, but the gravity was a little less, which was a nice balance. As usual, the Captain had remained contradictory and irrational about his motives in coming here. And he had taken the man who Nuldris wasn't allowed to talk to into a hanger at the far edge of the landing field.

The Rasitan leant against the window and stared at the tall trees beyond the port which were swayed lightly in the humid fog.

Then a roar cut through the sky and shadows descended all at once upon the landing strip, their engines punctuated by the boom of an explosion from the hangar and the stacatto of gunshots. Nuldris tensed up, standing upright and clenching his fists. Every instinct of his genetically-engineered physiology screamed at him to act, but he held his bodyguard training at bay. The captain and the little man were in trouble, but Nuldris... couldn't... he mustn't....

...he had to resist...

Looking nervously between the window and the laundry basket, the Rasitan hesistated for painful seconds, then broke into motion. Returning to the common room, he picked up his Tang'Ouhi Spear from the counter and proceeded to the control room, wincing as the shadows of the descending ships cut off light from the windows.

He arrived and stood to one side on bridge, clutching his spear.

"Why is Captain Killian being attacked?" he asked aloud, trying to make sense of current events.
 
The trip to Kalsiiet gave Heather enough time to get a bit more acquainted with Thea to the point that she didn't get as lost as often, though she occasionally forgot where she was heading and ended up forgetting how to get anywhere, wandering the halls for a few minutes before finding her way to a familiar room. She greatly enjoyed spending her time in what she assumed was the hydroponics room with large windows that looked out to the stars, or as far as Heather could tell just a see-through part of Thea's hull.

The flowers that grew in the hydroponics area were beautiful and reminded her of the flowers back on her home planet. And it let her get away from the others and be alone in the quiet, which was nice. She had become more accustomed to Nuldris' strange ways but he always seemed to insist on her eating and his food wasn't...quite what she wanted to eat.

When they landed on Kalsiiet the thickness of the air made Heather uncomfortable, but at least she'd had her afro wig which made the frizziness of her normal hair seem rather normal, but her makeup wasn't very comfortable to wear. Well I can't go back to being Jake now, I'd probably get...oh I don't know, pushed out an airlock or something of the sort and that would be dreadful! She thought as she paced up and down the bridge, waiting for word from the captain and that other man, Oh shoot, what was his name? Matt? Mark? She furrowed her brow as she tried to remember and continued pacing, ignoring the slight odor her clothing was exhibiting.
 
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