“Thank you,” Lana said, relieved. The idea of trying to use technology she'd never used before on an unfamiliar starship was intimidating, but she couldn't think of anything she wanted more than to have a chance to relearn at least some of what she'd lost.
Aiden abruptly stood, giving her a last reassuring look. “I can tell hearing this all at once is overwhelming you. I've assigned you a cabin, and if you want Ali can take you there now, give you a chance to rest and process this.” He started for the door, then paused. “Was there anything else you wanted to know first, though?”
Lana hesitated. “Why?” At his blank look, she clarified. “Why did the people who took me wipe my mind? Did I do something they don't want me remembering, something wrong?”
His piercing green eyes softened, and he returned to take her hand. To her surprise, she found the gesture comforting. “You didn't do anything, Lana. Mind wipes are a common slaver practice, to make new acquisitions easier to control.” He grimaced. “Take away a person's personality, their memory of why what's happening to them is wrong, and you can shape them however you want. Blank Slate is a sickeningly accurate term.”
She tried not to stiffen as a horrifying thought struck her. What if that's what he was doing right now? Building her trust by claiming to have rescued her, inviting her to stay on the ship as part of his crew. Maybe even going so far as to wipe her mind each time he couldn't convince her, then trying again.
Aiden must've recognized her sudden suspicion, because he laughed ruefully and withdrew his hand. “Sharp. No memories, and you still immediately arrived at that possibility.”
Ali looked between them blankly. “Lana? Are you, ah, suspecting us of wiping your mind for our own nefarious purposes? I can show you the ship's logs and video recordings of the battle and boarding operation. As well as a cargo bay full of loot from the ship we rescued you from, and even the stasis pod I took you out of to revive you.”
Lana didn't know if those would be good proof, because she didn't know if any of that could be faked. So without bothering to respond, she continued to stare at the captain, searching for signs of deception.
After an uncomfortable silence, he sighed. “I'm not sure how I could prove I'm not doing what I just accused the slavers of, but I can give you this . . . we're going to be stopping soon at a spaceport called Midpoint, to sell the loot we took from the ship we rescued you from. If you want, we can drop you off there.”
“Drop a Blank Slate off at Midpoint?” Ali demanded, aghast.
Neither of them was doing much to reassure Lana at the moment. She shrank back on the bed, starting to panic again.
The captain glanced at her and sighed. “No slaves on this ship. She's her own person, she can make her own choices. Even bad ones if she wants.” He turned away, speaking over his shoulder. “Get her settled in her cabin so she can have a chance to sleep. Guess we'll have to build trust the old-fashioned way . . . by being our usual trustworthy selves.”
Chapter Three
Routine
Once the captain left, Ali helped Lana stand and held her upright while she fought through a wave of disorientation.
“Stasis shock is usually mild, with a swift recovery period,” the companion said. “But let me know if symptoms persist for more than a few days.”
Lana nodded in mute assent, staring at the inky waterfall of Ali's hair flowing down her back as the dizziness passed. It shimmered with hints of blue in the light. “You have beautiful hair,” she murmured, not sure why she'd said it but confident it was true.
“Thank you,” the companion replied, looking amused. “The Captain is fond of it.” Lana frowned, wondering what that had to do with anything, and Ali explained as she gently led her towards the door. “Aiden is my human. Or I suppose you could say I'm his companion. Although I serve as a member of his crew, and my core priorities dictate that I do my best to ensure the wellbeing of all humans I come in contact with, my primary concern is his health and happiness.”
“Lucky him,” Lana murmured.
“Yes, he has expressed gratitude at his good fortune in acquiring me on many occasions. We turn right, here.”
The corridor outside was narrow, but clean and well maintained. They made their way a short distance down it, past a few other doors; Ali didn't tell her what was behind any of them, instead briskly changing the subject to Lana's health, including things like hygiene and personal care. She barely paused speaking to finally stop at a door and press Lana's hand against a plate beside it, explaining it would key the lock to her biometrics.
The door hissed open, revealing a tiny space that was just big enough for a bed that could apparently fold up into the wall, a few shelves that could fold down, including one that could serve as a desk and terminal as she sat on the bed, and a rolled-up mat that was apparently for stretching and exercising, if she wanted to use her room for what few exercises were possible in the confined space, rather than the Last Stand's exercise room.
“The facilities are farther down the corridor and left at the junction, then three doors down, if you need to get up in the night to relieve yourself,” Ali said as Lana looked around her new room. “They're also where you
