Companionship - beyond flesh

Emma and the Captain

Ven jumped down from the companionway and stepped cautiously backwards until she could fully see the orr creature on the platform above. Her first impression of the fantastical figure was one of awe. She had expected the elemental construct to be an awkward, statue-like, inhuman robot, but her real impression was of an incredibly life-like human and yet, at the same time, alien beauty. Ven hoped that this Emma, would have the human-like ability to reason, "What have you done with my crew?"

"You don't need to worry any longer about your crew Captain Verde. They left the ship when I boarded. In fact, they seemed exceedingly eager to make an exit as soon as I released the airlock."

Ven understood the situation immediately, "Murderer!" she spat back with venom, and then looked over her shoulder back down the path of stacked crates.

"You shouldn't worry about escape." Explained Emma. "Especially when you do not know from whom you flee."

Ven heard the docking portal behind her slam shut and snarled, "I do know you. You are a killer and an evil force of nature -- a monster!"

Emma stepped over the edge of the platform, breaking through the metal railing as if metal and wire didn't exist. Her hair was a tangle of long glowing gravity-defying stands hovering about a golden-bronze head and body that shimmered with a rainbow luminescence. She was naked in an unabashed demonstration of physical feminine power and beauty. Emma replied as she floated down towards the lower deck to where Ven Verde was standing, the Captain herself a formidable figure of the female form, "I see you have found Riggs spreading lies about me. Do you know that troublesome creature almost destroyed the outpost? Indeed, she almost killed my Max." Her amber eyes widened, and she shook her head, "But this meeting is not about Riggs, you form the basis of my objective. I have been looking forward to meeting you since your ship phased into the Antares System. Captain Ven Verde -- such a rare beauty on so many levels."

She glided toward the shaking Ophiuchian Captain, who stood her ground as Emma continued, "But you present me with a conundrum. You see, I have analysed your pattern, and it seems so very typical when compared with the hundreds of other minds that I have transposed. And yet you are worshiped as a goddess by men and women alike. I can not explain what it is -- beyond flesh -- that makes you different." The orr construct stood a foot taller than Ven and moved into the human's personal space in an attempt to dominate.

Ven would not submit so easily. In a strike of lightning, she drew her concealed blade and spun it forward, up towards the throat of the orr construct. The blade met its target digging deep into the neck. But instead of causing damage, the blade melted with white sparks and a hiss, leaving Ven gripping a useless hilt. Ven stepped back, her legs spaced and knees bent in combat readiness.

"Do I intimidate you so much that you are unwilling to engage in a plain and simple discussion?" Asked Emma, unimpressed by the attack.

"I have nothing to say to you Devil. Other than to demand that you release us from this here prison and allow us to return to our home. We have no desire or intention to interfere in your business; we just want our freedom."

"I believe you tell the truth, but that was not your original intention was it? No, your original objective was to steal orr from the outpost. An act of piracy, am I correct?"

"Yes, that was the general idea." admitted Ven, her tone now humble, "but that was before we understood the development of events here. Now, we just want you to let us go."

"I will let you go as soon as I understand why you are different. For all of my powers, there are some things I do not understand. For instance, I do not understand how you are physically weak and mentally deficient, and yet, you summon respect and admiration from everyone you meet. Some idolise you; others lust for you."

For a second Ven considered arguing over the accusation of being 'mentally deficient'. She didn't understand the bit about lust, other than it made her feel uncomfortable.

Emma continued, "When I discover how you achieve this presence, I will let you and the remainder of your crew go free. I will also give you back your precious ship. See."

Ven's visual cortex display triggered without warning, rendering her blind to her immediate surroundings. For her, everything had become dark. "I can't see!"

"You do see. I have activated your visual cortex display, the vision you see is the dark of space." Explained Emma and prompted, "look harder."

Ven understood as she looked into the dark to see the flickering stars.

"Now behold!", announced Emma as the viewport panned to the scorpion-like silhouette of her ship, the Parsifal, bathed in the orange-blue grey light of the binary stars. "My ship!" she exclaimed involuntarily out loud.

"Yes. It's beautiful isn't it."

The hull of the Parsifal seemed for all intensive purposes clean and pristine, but more, it gleamed gold. A sight far from the barely recognisable wreck that they had left floating in space all of those weeks earlier. "What have you done? My crew! There were two of my people in stasis, do they live!?"

Ven's vision returned to normal and she moved to a normal, non-combative stance. She could see the radiant form of Emma before her.

Emma answered, "Yes. While I have repaired and even enhanced your ship, the humans on-board have not been harmed. To the contrary, their otherwise fatal wounds have been healed, and they now await your return."

"They live?" questioned Ven in disbelief.

"Yes. Further, I must apologise if my words earlier seemed a little misleading . The fact is that eight of your crew in total are waiting for you aboard the Parsifal."

Ven stepped back projecting a confused, eyebrow crunching look towards Emma, who clarified, "Including the six that were here on board Companionship."

The relief for Ven on hearing this news was like a shot of adrenaline, she felt dizzy and became angry, "How dare you toy with me like that!"

Emma laughed at Ven's reaction to her cruel deception, "Ha! Yes, how dare I indeed!"

"I need proof. I demand that you let me communicate with the Parsifal."

"Very well. I have opened communications to the bridge. There is an officer called Kayne on duty."

"Thank you." Ven nodded to Emma and took control of the communications thread that appeared in her visual cortex display, "This is Ven Verde, Captain of the Ophiuchian ship Parsifal. Kayne, can you hear me?"

The familiar voice of the engineering officer, who had suffered a severe head injury during the battle with the Merry Crabbe, responded excitedly through the ship's SIS. "Captain! It's great to hear your voice. You should see the ship. What has happened here goes beyond belief! But we have been locked out of most of the controls and are floating dead in space."

"It is good to hear you too Kayne my man. I've missed you. Tell me, how many others are on board?"

"You have eight happy but confused Virgos here Captain," he counted, "Jess, Aasi-Chopra, Zayne, Rocks, Berry, Chad and Kato. Besides myself."

"Very good. Stay alert. The rest of us will join you as soon as we can."

"Yes Captain. Do you--", The thread terminated.

Ven appealed to Emma, "Hey! We weren't finished."

"Your nattering bores me. But do not worry Captain, there will be plenty of time for communications later; when I have finished with you."

"Look, Emma," Ven used the name for the first time in the hope that the personal tone would lend some influence in her argument, "You don't need anything from us. I now see that you are not the evil creature that I first mistook you to be. Please, I plead with you. Let us go."

"I am sorry Ven, but first you must meet Max. He has a way of knowing things about people that I am unable to understand. Once he gets to know you he will be able to explain to me what your neural pathways can not. Then you will be free to go."

"And the others?"

"Perhaps."