Incipience

Chapter 11 pt 2

I make it down to the brig in record time. As expected, the entrance to it is heavily guarded with soldiers.

"Provide your name and identification number."

"I am Charlotte-Amalie Joseph, Identification Number 340-00803."

"You may enter Cadet Joseph. Commander Rombag is waiting for you in the room at the end of the hall," the soldier responds robotically. "Only soldiers are allowed to carry weapons inside the brig. You may leave your blaster with me and retrieve it on your way out."

I silently hand over my gun before passing through the brig's doors. The missing weight of my blaster in combination with the shouts of the caged Quinzentenians is unnerving, to say the least. I'm more than relieved when I reach the soldiers standing guard in front of a large metal door.

"Identify yourself," one of the guards commands.

"Charlotte-Amalie Joseph, Cadet Number 340-00803," I respond in an equally forceful tone.

The soldiers give me a wordless nod. The one on the right punches in a lengthy keycode into the padlock before heaving open the door. The room behind it is small with a one-way mirror peering in on a questioning room.  Rombag stands in front of the door leading into the questioning room.

"Good morning, Cadet," Rombag greets. "I originally meant for you to rest this morning, but our prisoner apparently has other plans."

My brows furrow in confusion, "what do you mean by that?"

"Our prisoner refuses to speak to anyone beside you. We have been questioning her for hours and she seems impervious to most of our...tactics. She seems to have taken a shining to you during our altercation."

I open my mouth to refuse, but Rombag holds up a hand to silence me.

 "Your mission is to learn what they need our data for and how they got past our defenses. We have approximately a week until we reach Inova, so do not feel obligated to rush this interaction. Lull her into a sense of security and extract what you can, but do not let your guard down. She is a manipulative individual that cannot be trusted. This is all a game; play into her but do not be played by her."

I nod, "Yes, commander."

With that, Rombag opens the final door.

The Quinzentenian's violet eyes immediately lock onto my brown ones. She gives me an eerie smile.

"Ah, there you are: the Earth-born Quinzentenian! How delightful!"

My facial expression remains neutral despite her statement causing my hair to stand on end.

"I am not a Quinzentenian."

"How can you say that with such confidence?" She laughs, "you move like us, you think like us, you adapt as we do and you even look like us! Your eyes and hair are darker than ours—things that are easily changed, mind you—and your ears are not pointed as ours are, but you are otherwise a Quinzentenian. I know my kind when I see them."

Rombag takes a half step forward, "We are not here to discuss her lineage. You requested the cadet's presence during our questioning so here she is. Now, tell us this: what did you want with the information you gathered?"

The woman tuts her tongue, "no, I asked to speak to just her. I never once agreed to discuss anything in your presence."

"As my subordinate, she reports directly to me and everything said in this room is being monitored, so it should make no difference to you as to where I am. I will be receiving the information all the same."