I stand behind my captain as he uses his tele-binoculars to peer out of a glass-less window, wrapped in a dusty, dark curtain.
"Do you see the hospital?" I ask.
Orion gestures at me. "Could you dim yourself down a bit?"
"I'm sorry if I'm too brilliant for you."
"You'll make us an easy target for snipers."
"I know." I don't point out that I dimmed down the moment he opened his mouth. "I'm just trying to lighten the mood."
He sighs heavily and adjusts the tele-binoculars. "I'm fine, Alicia Ivy."
"You're not, but I know you can compartmentalize, so I'll save it for once we're in the ship again."
"Thank you." He adjusts the tele-binoculars again. "Now tell me what readings you have?"
"I'm reading a high level of anxiety, a low level of self-esteem, an increasing tenor of dread, but also a general permeation of determination and willpower."
Orion groans this time and holds out the tele-binoculars to me. "Not. What. I. Meant."
"I know." I peer through the tele-binoculars as I sync with them, going into the electronic controls of the device and pushing them to the maximum capacity to peer through them. Unfortunately, this isn't an x-ray model, so I have to make do with making out the floor plan by peering through the glass-less windows. Then I turn on my own heat vision abilities, channeling them through the tele-binoculars.
The hospital has several life forms on each of its apparently three floors. Many of them are lying down, patients I assume, and others are standing upright. But which one is our Reverend?
"How many individuals are we looking at?" Orion asks.
"It looks like somewhere around fifty-nine patients and thirty-one orderlies and/or visitors."
"Well, that's just wonderful."
"It is a good thing you upgraded me to be capable of noticing and interpreting sarcasm."
"I'm pretty sure that was some sarcasm you just employed yourself, Alicia Ivy."
If I were mortal, I would smile at the warmth spreading my body. But some things can't be learned, like warmth at a funny comment. For me, I can only sense that such things can be so and manipulate reactions based on my observations of others.
"I don't suppose you can make out any kind of weapons they may be waiting to use against us," Orion adds.
"No, just the number of people present in the hospital, which I already gave you."
"Right, so our best strategy would be the Ninja Cowboy."
I turn the tele-binoculars to Orion and do my best to mimic Killa's Look so I can give it to him properly. "Orion, how many times do we have to go through this, the Ninja Cowboy is not a cover-all strategy. It's not even a good for one time strategy."
Orion frowns. "Don't slander the Ninja Cowboy strategy. Remember the mission with the Europan princess mission?"
"You mean the debacle where you almost got executed because everyone thought you were trying to assassinate the very person you were protecting?"
His frown twists upward. "But I did protect her."
"And almost died for it! I had to perform the reverse Ninja Cowboy."
"Lies," he mutters jokingly. "Lies and calumny."
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