Personal
Things Change
“They’re firing!” Speaking rapidly, staring at a screen. “No, it’s a launch, looks like a boarding action.”
The captain didn’t hesitate. “Right. We knew they might. Fucking Stewards.” He turned to another technician. “Hull ready?”
“Hull charging sir. It’ll be ready.”
“Good.” The captain pressed a button and spoke into an intercom. “All stations, prepare for boarders. Gear up.”
“Stewards of humanity my ass,” muttered the first technician.
“Save it till later, Philips.”
“Sir.”
The captain pressed a different button, and resumed speaking to the intercom. “Hey, Stewards. We do not require your protection,” he spat out the last word. “We will repel your boarders.”
A very slightly electronic sounding voice replied. “This is a protective action, we will not harm you.”
“Fucking robots.” He pressed the button again. “This has nothing to do with you. Please recall your boarding party.”
“This is a protective action. Please prepare to receive us.”
“Boarders in three, two…” A series of thumps echoed through the ship. “They’re on us.”
“Hull. Do it.”
The lights dimmed briefly. A moment later, “It worked, sir.”
“All of them?” the captain asked.
“Yes sir.”
“Show me.” An external camera view appeared on a screen, looking along the length of the ship. Five white Stewards floated slowly away from the ship, motionless. The captain grinned.
“Captain! The Stewards!”
“What about them?”
“Their ship, it’s, I don’t know. Changing.”
The screen changed view, showing the Steward ship. A robot design, smooth and graceful. But it was becoming less smooth as parts of its hull moved and sharp things emerged. “What’s it doing?”
“I don’t know sir. I think, I think maybe those are weapons.”
“Weapons? But they don’t fire on us, that’s the rule!”
“Correction:” spoke the intercom. “It was the rule.””
The captain looked at the intercom with horror. He hadn’t pressed the button.
“You’ve never killed us before.”
On the screen the Steward ship was glowing in several places.
“The rules have changed.”
--NFG
[ Aug 10 2024 ]
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Antonio
Aug 12 2024