None of that was filling him with confidence about what Elyssa had in mind for these scientists. But before he jumped to conclusions and did something stupid, he should probably try to get the full picture.
Aiden turned towards the door across the room that led down to the lab/prison, motioning curtly for the others to follow. “Let's go talk to them.” But after only a few steps he paused, glancing back at Ali. “I'm sure I don't have to tell you to lay low in there?”
She nodded, looking resigned. “I'll do nothing to hint that I'm a companion.” After a brief hesitation, she added. “I have to point out, though, that even with my disguise, as intimately familiar as they are with my programming they may recognize me even so.”
He'd kind of been afraid of that. He was tempted to tell her to head back to the ship, or at least stay out of sight of the scientists down there. But she was his best fighter, hands down better than even Fix or the gunner, and if they ran into trouble down there he wanted her close by.
“Well, you can't be the only prototype they've released early,” he said. “I guess it doesn't matter as long as they don't know which specific model you are, or that you're stolen, and you don't reveal our identities.”
“Never, my love,” she said fervently, seeming relieved to be allowed to remain where she could keep him safe.
Nodding, he continued briskly down to talk to the HAE eggheads.
The scientists in sight screamed and hid when Aiden stepped through the door, especially once Fix joined him. He'd say that confirmed they were prisoners, although there hadn't been much doubt. “Calm down, people,” he called. “I'm not with ERI or the Movement, I'm a free agent.”
After a few seconds an older man cautiously emerged, nervously running a hand through his thinning gray hair as he looked them over. He was soon followed by a tall, willowy woman in her late 20s or early 30s, who wore glasses of all things; combined with her sterile white uniform, they somehow made her seem more like a bookish cerebral type than any of the others. Almost enough to hide that she was reasonably attractive.
“What, um, exactly is going on?” the older man said, voice trembling slightly.
“That's what I'm trying to figure out,” Aiden replied. “Quick question . . . would your company hire a dangerous criminal organization to free you from slavery?”
The two scientists glanced at each other. “That's an odd question,” the woman said hesitantly. “Although no, they'd almost certainly send companions from our private security force.” She glanced past him at Ali and Lana, then back to him. “Can you tell us what's going on, now?”
“What's going on is that I was apparently sent to fetch you,” Aiden said. “On that note, who are you?”
The man gave him a confused, somewhat concerned look. “You were sent to rescue us, but you don't know who we are?”
Rescue was probably not the correct word, considering what he knew so far. Which didn't please Aiden at all. But that was a conversation he was going to have with Elyssa as soon as he could. “I'm afraid not. To whom do I have the pleasure of speaking?”
After exchanging glances with the woman with him, the scientists' apparent spokesman straightened. “I'm Deren Linus, Head of Quantum-Level Neural Signal Deliv-” he caught Aiden's blank look and paused, coughing. “That is to say, I was a middling executive at HumanAssist Enterprises before the Deconstructionist Movement raided our facility and, ah, involuntarily enlisted me and my colleagues in projects for their own corporation.”
Well, that confirmed the Deeks had declared war on HAE. Aiden knew there was no love lost between that mega-corporation and ERI, the Movement controlled competitor. But to try to take them over or destroy them? That sort of action would disrupt most of the explored universe.
Of course, when had Deeks ever cared about disrupting things? “The Deeks are attacking your corporation?” he asked, just to be clear.
Linus looked a bit surprised. “You didn't know? The Movement has been maneuvering to move against us for years now, but they finally did. They've been raiding facilities, intercepting shipments and deliveries, robbing or destroying warehouses and infrastructure. They seem determined to completely wipe HAE out.”
The woman, apparently deciding she'd been kept out of the introductions for long enough, stepped forward and offered her hand. “I'm Terra Sarr. I guess my old position at HAE doesn't really matter at the moment, does it?”
Hard not to be impressed by someone bold enough to offer a handshake to armed strangers under these circumstances. Aiden took her hand, finding her grip cool and firm. “A pleasure, Miss Sarr.”
The bookish woman nodded at his crew members standing behind him. “Sorry if I'm a bit confused, but who exactly do you represent and what do you want with us? It's clear you're not with HAE, even if you have an adult companion with you. Our stolen one, since all others are accounted for.”
Aiden winced and bit back a curse. Well, so much for keeping Ali a secret. “I think you're mistaken.”
Sarr shrugged. “If you say so. Believe me, a stolen adult companion is the least of our worries at the moment.”
Reassuring, assuming they were telling the truth. “So you're not going to try to hijack her?”
Linus looked a bit worried, as if fearing this might get in the way of his people being freed from their current circumstances. “We couldn't even if we wished to, ah, Mister . . .”
Right, he hadn't introduced himself. Nor did he intend to. “Captain's fine.”
The man nodded dubiously. “It's simply not how companions work. They aren't programmed with the capability to betray their human at the behest of any outside source, even HAE itself. In fact, any attempts to subvert a companion that is judged potentially successful will result in the model shutting down until the threat has passed, or even destroying itself if necessary.”
