Star Singer

Seven

     I am just realizing I made a mistake with timing. Hopefully no one notices.

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     Their conversation was cut short when there was a hiss and a loud, fleshy thud. Anna whipped around as Captain Heeler struggled to her feet, her eyes flying from face to face to face.

     "Maiser," the older woman rasped, her eyes narrowed with fury and unease, "what is going on here?"

     A new form of fear flashed through Anna's mind and Boy reacted, stiffening and glancing down at her with what might have been concern.

     "They are friendlies, Captain. We don't need to be cautious!" Anna reported stiffly, snapping to attention.

     Captain Heeler looked at her in disbelief, but as none of the alien creatures were moving toward her or acting aggressively toward Anna, she did not question Anna in that regard further. 

     "They speak?"

     "Greetings, Captain Kelly Heeler of the Human Ship Star Singer. I am what you can call a Salam visitor from a nearby inhabited planet. We are a scouting team to assess who and what you are." Boy called out, moving to block Anna from the other woman.

     "They speak English?" Kelly snapped at Anna.

     "Uh, they learned it from me. Boy, please. I need to make a report," Anna said.

     Anna placed a slightly trembling hand on Boy's side. She needed to appear confident or Kelly would be on her throat in moments. As it was, the woman was already furious with her, but the fear Anna knew they both felt toward these alien beings was keeping it a shimmer rather than a boil.

     Boy shifted to allow Anna out from behind him, his eyes glues to Kelly Heeler, slowly, very slowly, turning black.

     "How long have you been awake, Maiser?" Kelly asked.

     Anna glanced over at Singer's terminal. She asked the captain for a moment and moved to the terminal. She repeated the actions of awakening Singer, much to the aliens' interest. Child leaped back in surprise when the A.I. appeared, his tentacles flaring out in aggression until Unwanted grumbled at him.

    "Singer, when did you wake me?"

"It has been approximately 3 hours and 47 minutes since Anna Maiser was awoken to deal with the intruder alarms." Singer reported.

     "How did they learn?" The Captain asked, refusing to address their guests.

     Anna, knowing her captain well at this point, sighed heavily. The aliens looked at each other and to Anna in mild confusion except for Child ,who watched Singer with keen interest, and Boy. Anna, embarrassed, glanced over to Boy, but became nervous and looked away when she realized he was acting different toward Captain Heeler than he did toward her. He gave off an air of hostility, but Anna had a feeling she knew why.

     "They are able to read my memories, Captain."

     Captain Heeler's lips twitched down even further than they already were. She looks up at Boy, then to the other and scoffed.

     "So they are friendly toward you, "she snorted, crossing her arms.

     Anna could see the other woman was trembling. Whether from effort of acting tough after having just woken up or from fear, she was not sure.

     "We will do no harm to you or your people as long as the same... courtesy is given to us," Unwanted chimed in.

    "Captain, I was about to take them around the ship and then discuss further actions with you and them after." Anna said.

     "Don't you dare. These things will not be learning about this ship at all. The only actions I see happening is them getting off my Singer and you getting back in your pod." Captain Heeler growled.

     There was a collective rumble from all five aliens and Anna looked about in a panic. They moved to surround her - minus Child, who simply glowered at the captain from his post by Singer - and loomed over the two human women.

     "You will not make it to your destination in your ship's current state, Captain." Boy spat with a hiss.

     Finally, Kelly Heeler looked up at him, though she did not meet his dark eyes for long. 

     "Are you threatening me? Us? What do you mean by that? Singer! Protocol Songbird!" 

     "No, Captain!" Anna protested.

     "Electric charge error. Please be advised that many electric utilities are currently down. Electric charge error. Cannot comply with protocol Songbird." Singer responded.

     Anna heaved a heavy sigh of relief, but it seemed like she relaxed too soon. The yellow Child opened his mouth, revealing his rows upon rows of teeth and charged at the Captain.

     "Maiser!" Heeler screamed, as if Anna could control the aliens.

     The older woman ducked down as Child slammed all four of his hands down on the pods and wall around the woman. A small dribble of blue-green saliva dripped from the side of his mouth and he spoke to Captain Kelly Heeler in the Salam's rumbling and barking language. There were obvious threats. Anna found she could even make out a few words, likely thanks to her Connection.

     "Enough!" Boy barked before Child could do any more damage.

     "We all know what Songbird means, thanks to our Connection, Boy! She was going to kill us!" Child snarled as the Captain cowered below him, her feet pressed up against his body as she tried to shove him away.

     "I said enough! Anna, please confirm with Singer that there is no threat to us. Child, back down now!"

     Before any of them could move however, there was a hiss and then a loud pop! as another one of the Cyber pods was roughly pushed open. A bulky man rolled out and dropped to the ground and Anna's knees gave out from surprise.

    "Oscar! Help me!" Captain Heeler shouted, kicking hard at Child, who did not budge.

     "No, Oscar, everything's fine! Seriously!" Anna cried out in response.

     The man surveyed the situation, his eyes staying on the surrounded Anna the longest. He looked up at the towering aliens and then over at Singer. Anna could see the gears in his mind working in his eyes as he tried to decide who to listen to. His Captain or his sibling. 

     After a few tense seconds had passed, he slowly raised his fists to his chest and made a move toward Child and Kelly.