alive.
“She’s fine.” Titan pointed to the screen. “Shall we get them?”
“Yes, let’s.” Gee hopped from his chair—a clean, dry one. He nodded toward the screens on the walls. “I’m surprised these are on.”
“Really? Why is that?”
“In the twelve years I have been on the ship, I never saw the Minith use them.” Gee cocked his head sideways, lifted his thumb to his mouth, and gnawed at the nail. His lips pursed and the space between his eyebrows shrank. The engineer’s mental gears were obviously turning. Titan also noticed that the man’s fingernails were, without exception, chewed to the quick.
“Well, they came on by themselves when the ship lifted from Earth.”
“Hmmm. Probably an automated function of the ship,” Gee replied absently as his teeth gnawed the abused appendage. “Amazing.”
“If you say so. Shall we go find our shipmates now?”
Gee spat out a small piece of nail.
“Certainly,” he agreed. Without preamble, he set off to find the two interpreters.
* * *
Derk and Ceeray were ecstatic when Titan and Gee let them know there were no Minith on board. They were less than enthused when they learned that the ship was headed toward the aliens’ home for the sole purpose of destroying the planet. Although the idea of delivering the explosive device to the Minith was distasteful, the fact that they were in the presence of the Violent known as Titan seemed to upset Derk more than anything.
Upon hearing Titan’s name, he gasped, stumbled backward, and began chanting a Peace verse. Without appearing to know what caused his reaction, Gee and Ceeray reacted immediately to help placate the distressed man. Gee whispered his own Peace mantra, intertwining his verses expertly with the ones whispered by Derk. Ceeray held her partner’s left hand, stroked his back affectionately, and made soft, cooing noises in his ear.
Titan surmised that Ceeray, like Gee, had already been a captive on the ship when Titan had become worldwide news. Apparently Derk, on the other hand, knew exactly who he was.
Disgust, exasperation, and anger fought for dominance over Titan’s emotions as the dramatic show continued. Fortunately, a lifetime of practice made him an expert at masking those feelings. It wasn’t the first time his name had caused such a reaction, and he knew the best thing he could do was to appear patient and calm, but after a few minutes, he’d had enough.
“Are you finished now?”
The question set off a new round of whimpering. Titan merely shook his head, turned on his heel, and headed back to the command center. The other three could work out their issues and come find him when they were ready. Or not.
Twenty minutes later, he saw them approaching on the video screen. He turned to face the door as they entered.
Gee did not look at Titan when the trio entered the room. Instead, he looked at the floor. Titan understood that Derk had filled the other two in on his history and knew that the dynamic between him and the engineer had changed. It was unfortunate, but it was what it was, he supposed. Unless they could figure out a way to destroy Minith without killing themselves, it wouldn’t matter anyway.
“Not that it matters,” Titan addressed the three former captives, “but I didn’t do what everyone thinks I did.”
“What…what did you do?” Gee looked at Titan for the first time since entering the room.
Titan sighed and pointed to several of the newly cleaned chairs. He waited as Gee led Ceeray and Derk to two seats, then took one himself. He gathered his thoughts and began.
“Okay, this is the only time I am going to talk about this. Ever.” Gee nodded in understanding.
“I know what they say. ‘Titan killed dozens of people.’ ‘Titan is a crazy Violent who cannot contain his anger and aggression.’ ‘Titan murdered his family and friends.’ Am I right?”
Gee looked toward Derk, who was nodding slowly. Both Derk and Ceeray appeared ill,
“She’s fine.” Titan pointed to the screen. “Shall we get them?”
“Yes, let’s.” Gee hopped from his chair—a clean, dry one. He nodded toward the screens on the walls. “I’m surprised these are on.”
“Really? Why is that?”
“In the twelve years I have been on the ship, I never saw the Minith use them.” Gee cocked his head sideways, lifted his thumb to his mouth, and gnawed at the nail. His lips pursed and the space between his eyebrows shrank. The engineer’s mental gears were obviously turning. Titan also noticed that the man’s fingernails were, without exception, chewed to the quick.
“Well, they came on by themselves when the ship lifted from Earth.”
“Hmmm. Probably an automated function of the ship,” Gee replied absently as his teeth gnawed the abused appendage. “Amazing.”
“If you say so. Shall we go find our shipmates now?”
Gee spat out a small piece of nail.
“Certainly,” he agreed. Without preamble, he set off to find the two interpreters.
* * *
Derk and Ceeray were ecstatic when Titan and Gee let them know there were no Minith on board. They were less than enthused when they learned that the ship was headed toward the aliens’ home for the sole purpose of destroying the planet. Although the idea of delivering the explosive device to the Minith was distasteful, the fact that they were in the presence of the Violent known as Titan seemed to upset Derk more than anything.
Upon hearing Titan’s name, he gasped, stumbled backward, and began chanting a Peace verse. Without appearing to know what caused his reaction, Gee and Ceeray reacted immediately to help placate the distressed man. Gee whispered his own Peace mantra, intertwining his verses expertly with the ones whispered by Derk. Ceeray held her partner’s left hand, stroked his back affectionately, and made soft, cooing noises in his ear.
Titan surmised that Ceeray, like Gee, had already been a captive on the ship when Titan had become worldwide news. Apparently Derk, on the other hand, knew exactly who he was.
Disgust, exasperation, and anger fought for dominance over Titan’s emotions as the dramatic show continued. Fortunately, a lifetime of practice made him an expert at masking those feelings. It wasn’t the first time his name had caused such a reaction, and he knew the best thing he could do was to appear patient and calm, but after a few minutes, he’d had enough.
“Are you finished now?”
The question set off a new round of whimpering. Titan merely shook his head, turned on his heel, and headed back to the command center. The other three could work out their issues and come find him when they were ready. Or not.
Twenty minutes later, he saw them approaching on the video screen. He turned to face the door as they entered.
Gee did not look at Titan when the trio entered the room. Instead, he looked at the floor. Titan understood that Derk had filled the other two in on his history and knew that the dynamic between him and the engineer had changed. It was unfortunate, but it was what it was, he supposed. Unless they could figure out a way to destroy Minith without killing themselves, it wouldn’t matter anyway.
“Not that it matters,” Titan addressed the three former captives, “but I didn’t do what everyone thinks I did.”
“What…what did you do?” Gee looked at Titan for the first time since entering the room.
Titan sighed and pointed to several of the newly cleaned chairs. He waited as Gee led Ceeray and Derk to two seats, then took one himself. He gathered his thoughts and began.
“Okay, this is the only time I am going to talk about this. Ever.” Gee nodded in understanding.
“I know what they say. ‘Titan killed dozens of people.’ ‘Titan is a crazy Violent who cannot contain his anger and aggression.’ ‘Titan murdered his family and friends.’ Am I right?”
Gee looked toward Derk, who was nodding slowly. Both Derk and Ceeray appeared ill,
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