The windows had been blacked out, which didn't leave me with a lot to look at. I fretted at the unknown destination ahead of me. I didn't like the unknown, so this had me uneasy. I suddenly recalled that Ronan had been following us originally. He had to know that we were currently on an unplanned detour.
'Can I assume Ronan is more than a bit upset?'
"Furious is a more appropriate term. I was not aware of how extensive his vocabulary was until he saw the shuttle flying off and I told him you were in it."
Starsong still needed to work on his timing... 'I can probably imagine he picked up a few words in his line of work. I am not sure if he is going to be able to do anything though...'
"He is trying to follow without getting caught, but he will be some time in catching up. True invisibility isn't something that even the Starships have managed to come up with. The rest of the crew is rallying though, and they are also more than a bit upset. We are just waiting for those down in the city to make it back. The docking station keeps trying to block access to the main platform for safety's sake, but the guards keep encountering rather perplexing problems, and doors keep mysteriously opening."
'I can just imagine... What exactly will I be doing when I get to my next destination? Am I playing stupid or being the crafty Starship Captain that torments the suppliers?'
"You are a Starship Captain. That will never change. It was only a matter of time until they realized that the AIs they are obsessing about have allied themselves with humans in their own fashion. The crew knows what I am, and these people could have easily questioned any of them. The mindlink is about the only secret."
Even if I was able to talk freely to this group about the Starships, the upcoming meeting made me rather uneasy. 'I am not looking forward to this...'
"I will always be with you. Your Officers are already creating a rather public outcry against the unwarranted attacks while also proclaiming that the Deviant Monitoring Group has kidnapped their Captain and one of the other crew members. This group is going to be answering a lot of questions from the Intergalactic Space Commission when they get wind of this..."
That made me frown slightly. 'Are you sure that this is the Deviant Monitoring Group's doing?'
"Very certain. It takes a lot of authority to tell an Elite Destroyer to attack someone who has done nothing wrong. They are also about the only ones still fixated on the rogue AIs."
'Just how crazy is this group likely to be?'
"That is up for debate, and it will likely depend on which people happen to be present."
'Lovely...'
Starsong didn't respond, so I let the conversation lapse. My new guards made me appreciate Ronan's subtlety so much more. They never uttered a single word as they watched us. Cynthia was scared, and I couldn't exactly blame her. I was nervous and my palms were sweaty – and I at least had a protective shield. Well, at least until someone came to their senses and realized that we could be tracked with those communication devices...
The ropes on Cynthia's wrists bothered me. I asked, "Can you please untie her?"
Two of the men eyed me up, but I remained relaxed in my seat. The one man frowned at my apparent calm before turning to Cynthia and drawing a knife. Cynthia's eyes went wide at the sight of the weapon, although she didn't move as the man reached towards her. The razor sharp blade easily sliced through the ropes. He looked back at me with a challenging gaze, still not speaking.
I nodded politely. "Thank you."
The man didn't say anything, although his gaze lost most of its challenge. They were all still watching us closely. I wasn't sure if they were even allowed to speak. Either way, their behavior seemed a bit strange for a group kidnapping a Captain and another crew member.
Starsong commented, "I am not entirely sure if they even know that you are a Captain. I think they were just given a face and told to leave all technology behind."
'So they have no idea that there is an AI who is perfectly capable of taking control of this vehicle?'
"If they had, then they wouldn't have used it. I haven't done so because they are not acting violently at the moment and Cynthia doesn't have a shield to defend her. It does irritate me that they kidnapped my Captain though..."
I almost smirked. 'Shall I make them uneasy for you?'
"Please." He sounded as if he was looking forward to a bit of revenge.
I would have to be careful about how I did this. Leaving my ankles crossed, I idly folded my hands decorously in front of me. My pose was very relaxed and wasn't exactly something a troublemaker would do.
I reassured Cynthia in a quiet voice, "You can relax, Cynthia. We were expecting that the Deviant Monitoring Group would want to speak with us one day, although I wasn't expecting this kind of invitation. It will take more than a couple of Elite Destroyers to break through Starsong's shields, so you don't need to worry about that. Ronan wasn't far away when this group decided to escort us, which means that Starsong is undoubtedly aware of the situation. The fact that he hasn't decided to remotely control this floating boat shows he is simply watching, at least for the moment."
Cynthia just stared at me with wide eyes, unsure of how to respond or why I was speaking so freely about Starsong in front of these men. The men were watching me closely after that last sentence. The one who had cut Cynthia's bonds glared at me, unimpressed with my attempts at intimidation. "Silence," he said. "There are more ropes where those came from."
The vehicle shuddered slightly and the lights flickered noticeably for a moment before our flight smoothly accelerated in a slightly different direction as a stream of curses issued from the pilot up front. I knew exactly what Starsong had done, and I played along.
I gazed at the ceiling above me. "Starsong, can you please give the controls back to the pilot? These men likely have no idea what they have gotten themselves into the middle of."
The lights flickered momentarily as we slowed down, and the noise from the pilot ceased as he clearly regained control. I spoke once more, "Thank you."
"The pilot's expression was worth that. He almost had a litter of kittens." Even though Starsong's voice still had a grim undertone, he sounded almost delighted with his accomplishment. He had also clearly been reading too many of Cynthia's books if he had picked up an old saying like that. Cats were rarely kept on spaceships in this day and age since they detested freefall if the artificial gravity failed. The fur and dander were also killer on the air filters.
Everyone in the back was staring at me in a silent – and uneasy - shock. I was pretty sure that Starsong's earlier guess was correct; this group didn't know anything about me. I looked at the man between me and the window, "Can you please clear the window? I enjoy watching the scenery."
I had said that just to annoy him, halfway expecting the man to ignore my request, and for Starsong to intervene, but, to my surprise, the man pressed a button to remove the blackout. I smiled slightly as I replied, "Thank you."
I gazed out the window while pretending I didn't have a care in the world. Starsong remained silent and didn't prompt me to request anything else, possibly mollified by the man's obedience, at least for the moment.
Silence reigned around me.
We started descending after about ten minutes, and it didn't take long for the vehicle to come to a full stop. The men by the door got out and checked the area before waving us out. I was amused to note that they didn't even touch me now. Cynthia followed close behind me, unwilling to give the men a reason to bind her hands again.
They escorted us towards a nearby building that looked fairly rundown. Starsong didn't sound impressed. "They came prepared for some sort of remote AI. There are almost no electronics inside that I can access. I am very certain that the few I can find are ones they missed or are not aware of."
'Sounds like we have been invited to one hell of a party...'
"Indeed. Try to delay or buy us some time, if you can. With the lack of electronics, they won't be aware of the ruckus that the Bridge crew is raising with the local news stations. Tobias and Astra are also coming as swiftly as they can in case we need backup, and they will be here within a couple of hours at their current speed."
I wasn't aware that the other two Starships had been in the area. 'That will give this group a small heart attack when they realize it...'
"The city and docking stations will be forced to do something if they have three ships demanding to know why you were forcefully taken. The Deviant Monitoring Group has gone much too far past the bounds of their authority, especially when you had previously gone peacefully to that interrogation at the Enforcement station."
I suppressed the urge to groan as I considered how much attention this was going to bring my way from the city and docking station. For three ships to be pushing the issue so forcefully, I must be pretty important.
"You are important. All Starship Captains are. Had it been David who had been kidnapped, I am sure that you would have been just as offended and quite intent on stirring up an uproar."
He was, once again, correct. And had it been any of my crew that they had kidnapped, then I would have been on the warpath as I sought to free them. Now, we just had to see what this group's intentions were.