AI Era: [REDUX] The Captain's Commander

He narrowed his eyes as it registered that I just indicated belonging to an entity with resources that could violently object to his holding me. Which was true, but the way I said it used skimm lingo. "You have no idea who I am or what I am," he commented darkly.

I couldn't look him in the eye as that response registered. I looked over his shoulder at the android instead as my inner fanclub giggled. "That's my line," I quipped.

A smile hit his face in a flash then was gone. I'd gotten to him. "You're not my prisoner...yet, but that could change," he began.

I reflected that that designation depended on if he figured out my identity or not.

His eyes glinted in thought as he tried to read what few cues I was giving away. The one that I couldn't control was my Wero-fanclub. "As my detainee, you get more privileges, which we'll have to work out," his facial expression shifted from thoughtful to anticipatory. "Android here will be your guard."

Well, that explained the backwards door lock for this situation. I wasn't comfortable with that arrangement, though. "It's AI is out-of-parameters, and we just saw where that can go," I objected. Nodding my head at it, I ordered, "Android. Tell me what you know about The Fortuna."

"The Fortuna is a dropped code spaceship unworthy of detainee," it replied.

What is 'dropped code'? Beats me. I smirked at Wero, "I stand corrected."

His smile flashed in and out again. "So you think humans are safer than AI?" he prompted.

Tilting my head, I snarked, "We usually manage to get the murderous psycho's out of controlling essential life systems." His non-plussed facial expression was hilarious; Vox had a nasty history.

The sour look told me a lot about this man. He was entirely loyal to Vox, yet well aware of its weaknesses. Frankly, I wasn't so fanatical about my own government, but that was just how different we were. As quickly as I read all this from his reaction, his facial expression switched to one of territorial intent, "You can't help tempting fate, can you?"

The hint of danger brought a taste of adrenaline. I looked down at the bunk as I contemplated what he meant by 'fate'. And that's when I spotted handcuffs attached to one end. I couldn't help my fanclub's mental gasp, but I controlled my expression to slowly draw my gaze to my hands on the bunk as if I hadn't noticed.

Wero inhaled, slowly, working to regain control, "I'll be back and we'll continue."

I shook my head as he turned, mentally finishing his sentence, '...after the crew has scoured the Fortuna for anything useful.' Gazing at his back, it suddenly occurred to me that the whole purpose of his terrifying me in the cargo hold was to study my reactions. My fanclub added 'Brilliant' to the 'Sexy Dangerous' label I had on his photo in my mind, as I filled with irritation at him. When the door opened, I stuck my tongue out and pictured what he'd look like naked. Yummy. He'd look all kinds of yummy.

He stopped and spun as if I had poked him. He had been keeping an eye on me in the reflection off the android's body. Straightening my face before he could focus on me, I folded my arms and raised an eyebrow. Dare you to comment.

He paused a second, a dark promise came across his face. Then a thought crossed his mind. He stepped out, letting the android close the door. As he walked away, I heard him talking into his comm, "My detainee is not..."

What? I wondered. 'Not who she claims to be', probably. Ug. I had to get off this spaceship. Laying down on the bunk, placing my head on the end opposite the handcuffs, I tapped my fingers against the frame. "Android, you there?" I ordered.

It replied, "Check." I could use it as a comm device to reach a human. At least that feature wasn't broken.

The one thing that sucked about chasing the next adrenaline high was the crash when it all went to shit. I couldn't win every time or else situational threats wouldn't be a viable source for the next high. Groaning, I rolled over on the bunk to face the wall, picturing the dolts on the Fortuna going through my letters, manifests, and all the other little bits of data that existed on my spacecraft. All of it should say 'Dirt Merchant', but who knew what information could be gleaned by processing it in a way I didn't foresee. I sighed and asked the android, "What happened to Wero's last prisoner?"

"I have no idea," the android replied, "I have a theory, though."

Unexpected. "An android with a theory, hit me up, Wires. What's the theory?"

"Your alternate name for me is registered. I think that the Captain is processing to court a ship."

I pinched my nose as I tried to work out what the thing might actually be saying. Courtship? I shivered picturing Wero's heat against my back, his hands on my shoulders, his unusual manner each time I surprised him. Oh, he knew I found him sexy. And he wouldn't be Brilliant-Sexy-Dangerous if he didn't use it against me to get the information he wanted. I was so screwed. Laugh it off. "With jokes like these, no wonder Wero wants me around." I closed my eyes.

The Vox Prisoner's Challenge Mulligan

I was back on Salem Station. Standing at a kiosk, I was talking to a potential buyer of power charges in my satchel and waiting for my contact to notice me. An explosion erupted with screams. I spun to face the threat, snapping up my satchel and pulling out the plasmagun I'd hidden in it.

I woke up throwing up my arms. Or rather trying to. The hyperacceleration netting had me secured down. I opened my eyes to dim lighting. I wasn't in Salem. I wasn't on the Fortuna either. The past few hours came rushing back as I roughly asked, "Wires, why are the lights dim?"

The lights brightened, and I cringed as my eyes adjusted. "Status check. Captain Wero ordered it." My inner Wero-fanclub softened as I tugged off the netting. And that status check wasn't for me; Wires must have just alerted Captain Wero that I was awake.

Rubbing my face, I sat up. When I shot the first pirate I saw, it had no effect whatsoever on him. He in turn raised his plasmagun and killed the poor man at the kiosk thinking he'd been the one who fired the shot. Learning that my plasmagun was ineffective against their armor was a horribly costly lesson. Sighing, I stood up and went to the bathroom to clean. My knee was not looking worse at least, but it wasn't looking better either. Neon yellow-green prisoner coveralls were already there for me to change into. I didn't bother looking at myself in the mirror, as was my habit.

Stepping out, I was met with a knock on the door. It was cursory. The door slid open just a moment afterward. I turned and sat on my bunk. No threat here. I was actually happy to have company; my thoughts were going to turn dark and depressed if I remained alone much longer. Wires lit up as Wero entered, mechanically stating, "Status check." Ah, there was another person listening in somewhere on the spaceship.

Wero was holding a small rectangular food tray, "Got your meal." And he placed it on the bunk next to me.

As I reached for it, I noticed he wasn't going anywhere. "I'm surprised you're the one delivering this. Don't you have a spaceship to run?"

"I can get help running a spaceship, but with the Fortuna being repopulated, there's less delegating here. Not that I would for this." His eyes studied me with more than cool, professional interest.

"There's got to be a better way," I commented half-heartedly. I couldn't help but enjoy having his undivided attention. Picking up the tray, I clicked the button on its side. A slot opened revealing a fork and a flavor packet.

I poked at the food. "It's not poisoned," Wero rolled his eyes. That was such a Vox facial expression. Eliminating those kinds of cultural gestures for my job had been a miserable pain. Helpfully, it was also one of the reasons why Wero couldn't identify me. "So what's your destination in the Devil's Backbone? Looks like a base of operations."

It was like getting approval to launch. And the interrogation was off. My happy fight-or-flight sensation reacted to him of all people doing this. Making him wait as I thought through my answer and its consequences, I sprinkled on the savory flavor and took a bite of the food. I didn't visit Ranger HQ often, except for repairs. He just got uncomfortably close in however long I'd been asleep. "I'm headed for the station at Salem," I finally replied.

"The one that just put out the emergency alert?" he asked. "Why that one?"

I dodged the question, "Where are you people from?" Gesturing at the android, I added, "How is it that you fly so much military hardware?"

He didn't answer. Possibly as a tit-for-tat. "The Fortuna's AI told us you were working several days ago at Space Station Salem and pirates attacked. It also says you nearly shut down the station to prevent the pirates' escape."

Four fucking seconds. I shrugged like that was a normal thing. Step one down. He knows I'm not going to deal with pirates.

"So...were you attacked?" His tone was calm, factual. His eyes expressed concern. Drinking some water, I concealed my surprise in his reaction. He wasn't concerned about the FastFreight being attacked; he was concerned about me. Why wasn't he worried about pirates? I then remembered the debris fields around Waystop Station. Was one of them recent? A FastFreight casualty? I sensed the timing was right to divert him from contacting Salem Station police. It was going to be his next step.

I made eye contact with Wero; that was important to convey the truth in a lie, "The Salem AI thought everything was fine. Humans pretty universally agreed the armed space suits shooting at them were pirates attacking. I wasn't on station. Heard the comm chatter as I flew away from the action as ordered so that the militia could take my docking port."

He looked off to the side thinking, "So then you were victimized by the pirates sometime before Salem." Just great. In nudging him away from talking to Salem Station's police, he swung like a pendulum into investigating everywhere else I'd been. Which was absolutely not a good place for HIM to look. Son of a bitch!

I thought over my previous statements and sighed internally at how scary-sexy he was. He's doing it to you already. Good interrogators worked to convince subjects that they're sympathetic good guys. I gave him too much to dwell on. I had to push back, "I'm being held against my will by you. Do you think I was planning to help those pirates?"

A flash of pique appeared in his eyes, and I internally smiled at flipping the conversation on him. "As far as I can tell, I'm protecting you from getting yourself killed or imprisoned forever as an accessory to a mass murder," he snapped.

His response made me pause. It was off-script. He should have said I needed to prove I wasn't helping. I quickly scanned his body language. He had stepped away from the door and towards me for emphasis. He's either the best actor I've ever come across or...my internal Wero-fanclub stared at him in excitement. Somehow he's really interested in me? My attraction to him jumped perceptively. I don't know what my facial expression looked like as I yelled at myself, Wake up! Get the fuck away before he puts you in fucking Vox prison! Can't I just sample him a little? NO! Chase him off. Now. Fine. What would a Vox woman do? Irritate him? No idea. Works at home. Try it, but he's not like the others. His gaze grew very serious during my internal meltdown. Finally, I smirked sarcastically. "Yeah, right," I needled him, "You think I'm dumb?" My fanclub was sure dumb.

Then I took a bite of food. Then another and another. He studied me calculatingly. And of course, I warmed under his gaze. On some level, getting this reaction from him was fun. "If I thought you were dumb, you'd let me know I was wrong when the stun lands across my back," Wero finally retorted.

I had to bite my lip to hold in the smile in response to his unexpected clap-back. His eyes darkened as he focused on my mouth, then his gaze slowly dropped lower to my neck. Why does he keep doing that? Inhaling deeply, he lifted his eyes to mine, his hunger unmistakable. A tense pause filled the moment as we stared at each other. I desperately ordered my internal fanclub not to swoon. But it was his facial expression that dropped me down the gravity well. He was hunting me with a purpose. Me specifically. I didn't reply. I couldn't. Every time I said anything, it gave him an excuse to penetrate my hull deeper.

He blinked in a significant manner, slowly, predatory. Breaking eye contact, he pulled a box out of his pocket, "Here's my Mulligan, 'Smit'. As long as you don't look in this box, I will consider dropping you off at Salem."

It was a Vox Prisoner's Challenge, a second chance, sort of. Releasing me to police/military with evidence of crimes was at his discretion...unless he had proof I was hostile to Vox. I didn't reach out for it. I recognized the emotion in his eyes; it was possessiveness. Somewhere in all the Vox crazy courtship practices, Wero decided I could be his. While my inner fanclub screamed excitedly, it occurred to me that a normal Vox woman would probably be running away right now. He just switched strategies on me. "If you want to give me a fucking Mulligan, I want my spaceship back with getting off of this bucket of bolts, Captain Wero," I snapped breathlessly.

"Thadeus," he told me, insisting I use his first name.

The reply was again so unexpected, I couldn't cover my lack of surprise in what it was fast enough. The moment in which I was supposed to respond, 'What?', was gone in less than a second. A flash of victory crossed his face. He just figured out that I knew who he was already: Vox military Captain Thadeus Wero. I heated up as his eyes glinted. We both knew I let slip a big detail.

"You should know I won't just let you go now," he finally said. His posture was relaxed.

I, on the other hand, was anything but relaxed. He broke all the interrogation guidelines, and I was in trouble. "You know I know what you're hauling," I said mockingly, implying he was detaining me to prevent a report on his cargo getting out. I internally sighed at carrying on with the farce of Wero-the-merchant. He hadn't actually said he was Vox, so maybe I could cover up my slip-up.

Wero chuckled. He sat next to me on the bunk, "You're a difficult girl," he said, "It would be easier to just hand you over to law enforcement if I didn't care."

"Woman," I snapped. I considered challenging him to turn me over to Salem police; he'd probably respond with not doing it. Or maybe I could beg not to be turned over, to which he'd probably demand something crazy. My fanclub was over the satellite and pumping me full of completely unhelpful hormones.

"Woman." He tapped my wrist and warned, "You don't seem to think you're worth much out there, you know that? Here's where you're at: If I let you get away from me on Salem, it'll be to use you as bait. One way or another, I'm going to find out what entity you belong to."

Bait. Nice. Meant that the cover was still intact. But 'get away from him'? "What do you want?" I asked. What kind of interrogation is this?

"I just want to take care of you." He wrapped his hand around my wrist. Again I sensed his grasp was significant but had no idea why.

Which means what exactly? I worried. Don't ask. I pulled my hand away from his grasp. He let me go. I assumed he meant fixing whatever brought me to Waystop in the first place. "You can't," I softly replied while meeting his eyes, letting him see my soul in it. Fighting to bring justice made life worth living.

Wero shook his head, a very bad sign. "What is your real name?" he asked while putting the Mulligan down on the bunk next to my tray.

I ignored the action and glanced at Wires, desperate to change the subject. "Give me access to the galley, if you want to interrogate me over meals."

Wero smiled, "Android, my female detainee has access to these quarters and the galley only."

The android replied, "Check."

I muttered, "Just until I get off this stupidly named spaceship."

"That much is certain," Wero replied mysteriously. Then he took my hand and kissed it, "Relax. This poorly-named spaceship will get to Salem in a couple of days where we'll handle your situation. I'll be back, and we can enjoy some card games to pass the time."

I blushed and heated up from the kiss; my defenses were crumbling. Try irritating him again. I snarked, "You're checking if I cheat and how good my facial control is, you devious jerk." My idiot inner fanclub was actively swooning, which had to show in my facial expression. Wero, grinning happily, left. Jittery, desperate for a distraction, I looked at the Mulligan. "Scan the Mulligan, Wires," I ordered while resuming eating.

Wires replied, "Scans forbidden."

I stared at the Mulligan and asked an imaginary-Wero in my head, "What are you up to?" Wires answered something completely unintelligible. The Mulligan, naturally, sat silently. I picked it up and tossed it under the bunk so that I couldn't look at it. It was very light, practically the weight of the box containing whateveritwas.

When I finished eating, I got up to pace.

"So, what do you want to do?" Wires asked responding to my movement.

I snorted, "Don't try to distract me. I'm on a tight schedule."

"We could go for a stroll through the cargo bay, searching for some loose wires." It spun its head.

It got my sarcasm! "Android makes a funny." I glanced at Wires surprised by its attempt at humor. I was so wound up, an idea for diffusing my building tension occurred. "Are you capable of gentle massage?" I asked softly.

"I can mimic most human traits, even that one."

"Good, good," I replied putting the food tray on the floor.

Turning to Wires, I gave the android brief instructions. Then I relaxed on the bunk as it used its vibrating digit to press between my legs. Wero wasn't married according to his bio. And he wasn't wearing the traditional Vox marriage bracelet. Thinking of him right now was no violation. Remembering his body pressed against me, I grew in arousal. "More pressure and increase rate by 10%," I told Wires. I remembered how Wero's pants hung on his hips as I strode to him on the ramp and licked my lips. My breaths became shallow. I tried not to pant or gulp air, but my heart fluttered. "Wires, just a little more pressure," I murmured, closing my eyes and picturing Wero leaning over me, naked. My heart beat fast and my panties dampened with the lubrication. "I need the pulse probe right now," I panted. Then I spasmed as the delicious heat of orgasm engulfed me. "Stop," I told Wires.

The android withdrew, "Check."

I stared at the ceiling breathing deep and stretching. A small shiver cascaded down my back. If Wires was the real Wero, he wouldn't have stopped there. "Better than the real thing," I whispered unconvincingly. Sitting up, I tried to forget the Mulligan under the bunk. So, I decided to test my newfound freedom and picked up my meal tray. "Lets go explore the galley, Wires," I announced to the android.

The Nanobot Game Threat

Wires let me walk at my own pace this time, but it kept an appendage wrapped around my wrist. A crew member appeared on my path, and a look of concern crossed his face. Quickly, he headed in another direction, presumably to report I was out.

As I entered the galley, the scent of blended flavor packets made me relax. Wires released me when a cook spotted me and approached cautiously. I held out my empty tray. "Thank you, Captain," he said, taking it. "Do you need anything more?"