Bestial Planet

Chapter 18: What's the Plan

The congregation nearly gasped at the same time and whispers surrounded Panzer like a tornado of intrigue. Mei-lin quieted them all down. "Alright, alright calm down." The whispers died down and before Mei-lin could ask another question Panzer had one ready. "Have you guys seen the footage?" A few people in the congregation shuffled uncomfortably at it's mention. "Did you tell them about the command rooms you've turned into crypts?"

Lancieta's face fell as did Yora's at the mention of the impromptu crypts. Catty noticed a few people seemed confused at their mention, she was just as confused but Mei-lin spoke before anyone else to bring up something new.
"Well to be honest the general theme in the conversations we were having before you three arrived was how we were going to deal with the living Androids."

Panzer looked like he'd just smelled some horrible aroma. "Deal with them? What the hell is that supposed to mean, deal with them?"

"Well, let me be straight forward. Some people believe that the footage was made to lull us into a false sense of security before their friends come and pick them up and enslave us all. This is the least favoured belief amoung us. Another, more popular sentiment was..." Mei-lin hesitated as she realized what she was about to say, remembering Panzer called Lancieta mom. "Well, I say more popular but only relative to the abduction scenario; execution."

Panzer felt the fur on his back raise and Lancieta knelt down next to him and placed a hand on his back.

"Honey, relax."

"Relax? These people want to kill you! Even though this is NOT your fault! You're all going to have to go through me first!" Panzer roared loudly in defiance as the red continued to spread across his back like a brush fire. Catty spoke without moving into Panzer's eyeline.

"Yo calm down. I know what they're saying but this don't gotta become a battle royale... Everyone's mad and confused right now."

Panzer turned to Catty and the concern in her eyes seemed to disarm his anger. He looked back to the crowd and they seemed to be recoiling from him. Panzer spoke without looking away from the congregation. "Mom, can I show them? I promise I'll be respectful."

Lancieta was silent for a few seconds. Everyone's feelings might as well have been neons signs; anger, curiosity, fear, depression, each face served as an extended "Mask of Tragedy".

"I assumed this was going to have to happen sooner or later." Lancieta stood up and waited for Panzer to look at her and reaffirm her answer with a nod.

"Yall think she's lying about her crew? Fine, let me prove to you otherwise."

The most skeptical in the congregation look to each other, wondering if following this man into the fairly dilapidated alien warship was a good idea. After a few seconds of hushed agreements, a group of about 12 or so broke away from the congregation and met Panzer by the air-lock to what had become a make-shift lobby.

*****

When they passed by the medical bay Roisin shrieked at the sight. She ran over to a comms console but when she noticed Panzer was with the group she exhaled in relief. They walked for about 20 minutes, which was fairly deep into Section 6, until they came to one of the many Cyber-Assault rooms, which now served as a crypt.

Panzer snarled as the door opened. "If any one of you touches a single body, I'll tear that limb off yours. These Androids died trying to prevent this from happening to us. Even though they failed, they gave their lives - show them the respect they deserve. Their current state shows the respect they held for you even though they never stepped foot on this planet, alive."