Tisis

Thaxlamsho'm's reasons (N)

After hammering against the door for multiple minutes, I slump down against it with my back.

What am I even thinking?
These doors are made to withstand a hull breach.
There's no way I can force it open with my bare hands and with the communication systems down, I cannot even call for help.

I look over to the manual control panel, only to find it smashed.
Of course. He didn't leave anything to chance.
He managed to turn this storage room into an excellent prison.

Tears are trickling down from my eyes and I curse myself for being so stupid.
Why haven't I been more careful?
Why did I trust him of all people?
I should have seen it coming.
I should have seen the signs.
But I'm useless. Use- and helpless.

While I try to stop the sniffling, Thaxlamsho'm asks, "Have you calmed down, Jom Lushomagans?"
"You...you're still there?" I ask, genuinely surprised.
"Yes...yes, I am. I understand that you must be confused."

'Confusion'.
I guess that is among the many things I feel.
The urge to yell at him again rises like bile in my throat, but I fight it back down.
This is not the time to give in to my emotions.
I must remain calm and collected in order to find a way out of here.

Okay...what did father teach me? In order to defeat your foe, you must know as much about them as you can learn. Once you know why they are doing what they are doing, you can find their weaknesses easier.

Thaxlamsho'm is the not the kind of person, who does things without a reason.
What did he say?
He wanted to 'protect me from the storm that is to come'?
What does that even mean?

I lean back, some clarity finally returning to my thoughts and ask through the door, "You said you wanted to protect me...is that true?"
"That is true, Jom. I promised your late mother to take care of you if anything ever befell her."
"But...what are you trying to protect me from by locking me up here?"
"From the storm that is to come. At the midnight hour, the humans will rise...and the storm of their wrath will cleanse away the foulness, that has corrupted our people."

"Wh-...that's impossible! The vermin are safely locked up in their cells! The ship is on lock down! You cannot..."
"All has long since been prepared. Your father has been warned multiple times, but he did not heed our warnings. He did not change his ways...the ways of this ship. We even gave him an example of what will happen if he does not mend his ways, but instead of acting in the interest of our people, he decided to not act at all!"

"What...are you even talking about? Wait...the incident at block X!"
"Yes, Jom. My deepest apologies that you ended up getting caught up in it."
"But...all those...those people died!"
"Jom...these people had been dead for a long time now, even though they did not know it. This ship...our very people...have fallen prey to decadence. The values that have made our race strong have long since been forgotten. Do not those of the administration block look down on us workers? Keeping humans as consorts to satisfy their rotten desires. This cannot be the will of Garkla! You of all people should know what I am talking about."

I remember the incident where I was offered a consort and I shudder.
"I...think I understand. But still, what...what will 'unleashing the humans' do?"
"In their blind rage, they will destroy the decadence of our people. They will lay waste to the rotten structures that plague our good people...and from the ashes of their wake, we will rise once again...free from the shackles of the old ways. At long last, this will be an Asmodean ship again."

Again, the urge to just yell at him that he talks mad rises.
But thanks to Garkla's grace alone, I manage to retain my calm.

"There is a problem, Thaxlamsho'm."
"Oh? And what would that be?"
"You cannot possibly control the weapon you are unleashing. What makes you think that the humans will obey you after they 'lay waste to the old ways'?"

"They will not. Naturally we will need to dispose of them as well once they have served their purpose."
"...how? They will not exactly go down...you wouldn't! O-only the captain can authorize that!" I shout as I realize what the madman in front of my door was hinting at.

"Once your father has been laid to rest, the ship systems will automatically seek the next commander in chief, eventually finding it in our leader, who will then trigger the purge protocol. But fear not, our filters will see to it that we will remain unharmed. You will live to see the new world we are creating."

"You are talking mad, Thaxlamsho'm! How can killing our brethren be the will of Garkla?! Did he not create all of us equally?! What gives you the impudence to question his will?!"
"I do not expect you to understand my reasons, Jom Lushomagans. However I still hope that, in time, you will find it in your heart to forgive me."
"So you do know that what you are doing is wrong then?! Release me and we can still avert this!"
"That, I cannot do, Jom. Things have already been set into motion. Seeking to stop it now would only lead to me breaking my promise to protect you."

I jump back to my feet and hammer against the door until my knuckles bleed.
But the door doesn't budge even one bit.

Eventually, I break down crying as the gravity of the situation catches up with me.
Everything I've known, everything I ever held dear will go down in flames.

And I cannot do a thing about it.