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Srettia walked into the medical facility and silently took a seat. Having made an appointment in secret after a comment the young Viscia made, she was currently trying her best to keep her tail still and her hood against her neck as she waited for the nurse.

"This is dumb, really dumb. Why am I here? What would a Terran doctor know about this? But then, what would my own people's physicians know about it. This is definitely a bad idea." Having been lost within her thoughts, Srettia failed to notice the gentle approach of a nurse who seemed almost shocked at the waiting guest.

The nurse shifted for a moment in a failed attempt to gather Srettia's attention before loudly clearing her throat. "Miss Esithn, The doctor is ready to see you know." The nurse announced with a smile.

Srettia stiffly rose from her chair and took a step forward in response to the nurse. Nervously, she followed the medical assistant down a few halls in silence, trying her best to keep a brave face. The nurse, having picked up on her apparent anxiety, politely ushered her into a private room, waved, and closed the door.

Squeamishly looking around and marvelling at all the tools and machines strewed about, Srettia's anxiety only grew. "This is really dumb. What am I doing here." She continued to think as she took a seat. Taking in a deep breath as a calming hum spread through the room, Srettia waited for the doctor to arrive.

It was a wait that felt like an eternity but one that lasted only a few seconds. However, it was when the humming resonated so loud within her head that Srettia's stress got the better of her. "I need to go before the doctor gets here." Quickly leaving her seat and moving towards the door, Srettias escape was suddenly cut off as a female Terran walked through the door.

"Ahh, Miss Esithn. It's a delight to finally meet you. Please! Take a seat, and we can begin the process of finding the answer to your question." The doctor announced.

Taking a step back and sitting down in the chair, Srettia spoke softly without looking up from the floor. "Umm, I would appreciate it if you would keep what we talk about a secret between us. Do I call you Dr.Baker or Catherine? I'm not sure how Terran doctors work."

"Seeing as your my first Aasteran patient, you can call me either, and I assure you, anything said in this room will be between us." Taking out a datapad and reviewing some information, Dr.Baker fought to keep her curiosity and excitement in check. "So, if I understand correctly. You're interested in learning if you're sexually compatible with male Terrans?"

Srettia just taped her tail a few times before remembering to nod her head as Michael did when he agreed with her.

"No need to be shy. I'll take a blood sample and run a few tests, and we'll be done in no time. Make yourself comfortable and feel free to ask me any questions that may concern or bother you." Dr.Baker took out a small scanner and rolled her chair towards Srettia.

"Umm, if we are compatible... Could you give me some..." Srettia wanted to pull her lengthening hair out in frustration before blurting out what was on her mind. "I need advice on how Terrans enjoy copulation!"

If Dr. Baker was surprised, she didn't let it show. Instead, she realized just how important and different this checkup truly was and put on her most professional and calming face. "Of course, I'm at your disposal." Clearing her entire day of appointments, Dr.Baker turned on her medical display and loaded some sexual education videos.

Catherine smiled and started her scans. "Please relax and ask me anything that comes to mind. We have all day to figure this out."

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Admiral Miles disembarked the ship in a state of rage as he entered Leda's hangar. Walking up to commander Brown he threw her a sloppy salute and continued on his way. "Those idiots are in the lab?"

"Yes, sir!" Commander Brown replied with a crisp salute. She knew when it was a good idea to keep her mouth shut and when to speak up. This. It was a time for quick, concise answers.

Walking into the lift, the Admiral hit the emergency override and sped towards the lab location at an unsafe speed. "What possessed them to power the ship without taking proper precautions?"

Kendra held onto the rail as the lift moved in precise directions at an astounding speed, jerking her around at a rate typically reserved for wartime. "It was a mistake from what I gathered. They found a device that absorbed light and decided to test how much it could absorb before moving the pod to a secure facility."

"Idiots! What kind of... idiots!" As the lift reached the floor the lab was on. The Admiral stormed off towards his targets.

On the other hand, Kendra was trying her best to stay out of his way while keeping up.

Bursting through the lab doors, the Admiral looked around the research facility for his targets. "Dammit." He whispered, watching as Viscia, Tanda, and Dr.Leviy, worked together to tear apart the pod in earnest. His anger was still there underneath everything, but now it seemed to be a distant memory as he watched the trio work. "A human, an AI, and an alien, all working together."

"Hello, Admiral."

"Make that two AI's..." The Admiral snorted. "Hello, Jack. Can you inform your cohorts I need to speak with them immediately?"

"I will do so."

The Admiral patiently waited for the group to assemble. Though his anger was now gone, he still needed to speak with them about the work. He watched carefully as they lined up in front of him and just stared them down for a moment. "I assume you know what you did wrong?"

Tanda stepped forward. "Sir, I take responsibility. I started working on the pod before it was moved to a secure location. It was my negligence that caused this problem."

Looking Tanda in the eyes and the serious expression he wore, the Admiral relented. "Of course, I bet you just ran into the pod and started tinkering with buttons and ripping panels off." Stepping past the group and examining the torn apart pod, the Admiral paused and looked around. "Tell me everything you know so far."

Dr.Leviye walked up beside the Admiral and spoke in a regulated tone. "We have not had the pleasure of meeting yet, Admiral. I assume you have been briefed on my existence?"

Continuing his inspection, the Admiral spoke in a hushed tone. "Yes. Though, nothing other than the fact that you're not just an ordinary AI. Who else knows your still alive?"

"Tanda, Srettia, and Captain Michael. I have been successful in keeping the secret from Viscia. She currently sees me as Jack's Creator and nothing more. Now about the pod, which, it is a pod. There is nothing of note about it. It is seventeen hundred years out of date compared to our technology and was created appropriately two hundred years ago. The overall technology involved is useless to us. The only thing of note is the light absorption system. It does not belong to the race that built this pod. Not only is it far too advanced for them, but It also uses a different style of engineering, right down to how the wiring is run."

Viscia charged up to the Admiral with a wide smile. "I think they stole the tech from the lightships. I bet they enslaved the beings who created them. Just watch the video. It could be the lightships aren't even ships but the aliens themselves! Maybe we're dealing with beings made of hard light that met other aliens and got tricked somehow. This whole war could be a fight for freedom." Vicia seemed to lose focus and ran back to tearing through the pod, leaving the Admiral and Dr.Leyvie to wonder what kind of epiphany she just had.

"Your take on this doctor?" The Admiral asked with a hint of humour in his voice as Tanda walked over and started listening to Dr.Leviye.

"I think she is right. From what we have gathered from the enemy data banks, the alien weapons are low-powered rail guns, weak lasers and slow chemical warheads. The engines on this pod are extremely inefficient as well. The beings obviously have no idea how they are supposed to work. Not to mention they require more power than the pod supplies, discounting the light absorption alcove. A lot of the technology on this pod is cobbled together with no knowledge of how things are supposed to work together."

"I agree with the thought that we may be dealing with a race of slavers."

Tanda nodded his head. "My thoughts exactly. We can't trust the people who built this pod. The other aliens, however, might be friendly. If we run into whoever built this garbage pod, I would ask for an inspection and take a large bodyguard retinue. If they refuse, we destroy their ship, and if one of those lightships pop out. I would say we protect it, they could be friendly, or at worst a refugee needing help and medical aid."

"It is written within Terran Star Navy Military Code that any and all slavers are to be destroyed. This seems like a good opportunity to use that part of the charter."

Admiral Miles looked around and sighed. "Alright, we'll be on guard around these guys if they show up because of the beacon. Just don't make any more mistakes. Having to deal with Chrarada after this fuck up is going to be rough."

Turning to walk out of the facility, Admiral Miles notice Viscia rummaging through her bag. Throwing some things off to the side, but carefully placing packages in orderly piles to another. His curiosity got the better of him. "Viscia, what are you doing?"

"Sorting my gear." Smiling while pointing around, she explained what the different piles were. "That's my research equipment, these are my emergency clothes, and these packages are my food rations. I also have lights, a spare heating stone and some... Is something wrong?"

"Those are MRE's?" The Admiral asked. "I thought I told you we'd handle your nutritional needs. Did I forget to tell you?"

"No, you did." Viscia returned. "But what if the door gets jammed and we're stuck in here for a few days? Or the power goes out. Or the heat. Lighting is a problem, too, right? You need to be prepared for these things, ya know."

The Admiral felt his heart sink and looked over to Tanda. "Take her to the damn mess, and get her some real food. And explain how our systems work again."

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Michael stretched on the couch and rolled over. Having the day all to himself suddenly, he decided that a day of drinking and laying about with Jack was in order. " So the admiral was furious but calmed down suddenly?"

"Correct. I was thinking of ways to defuse the situation, but it seemed that it was unnecessary."

Michael ordered up another beer from the small fabricator he had rolled into the ship's common room and managed a long stretch to grab it. "Well, that's good. I'm sure he'll be getting an earful from Chrarada when she gets word of the cock-up. I bet he's stressing over it."

"I would assume so. She is quite frightening."

Michael thought back on the pink leader with the cute bun on her head and tried to understand how she could be frightening. "Wanna play something?"

"You're asking for punishment, partner. You have never beaten me in any type of game."

Downing his beer, Michael snickered and threw the can at the nearby camera. "I'll find something I can beat you at, pal. You just wait. How about a spa-"

"No."

"Awe, common! You never want to play flight games."

"Because it is an exercise in self-harm. As long as it has nothing to do with flying, you can't match my superior gaming skills."

Ordering another beer, Michael laughed while once again stretching to snatch his prize. "You're just afraid you'll lose."

"No, I know I will lose. It is a big difference."

"You're afraid!"

"I see no point in engaging in known defeat."

Sitting up and sifting through some games, Michael took a long draw from his beer. "How about you, as the ancients say it. Get good scrub."

"How long have you been waiting to use that against me?"

Michael narrowed the search to exclude flight games and took a swig of his beer. "Since you used it on me. How about a Co-op game?"

"Could we play one based on Uihiri?"

Michael thought hard for a moment. The name Uihiri rang many danger bells in his head. "Isn't that the planet with the ten-meter tall carnivorous birds?"

"Yes, I think their little feet are cute."

Michael fought hard to hold in his laughter as he browsed the selection for a game based on Uihiri. "Ahh, an exploration game with building aspect. It looks like they kept the birds, you in?"

"We will need big guns."

Michael could no longer hold his laughter in and finished off his beer. "Guns and birds it is!"

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