His expression was relaxed, even kind, but she still felt a surge of fear at his unfamiliar features. “Do I know you?” she asked tentatively.
“No. You just look like someone who might be named Lana, and I like the name.” He stepped forward, holding out his hand, but paused when she shrank back. “My name is Aiden Thorne. I'm captain of the Last Stand, the starship you're currently on.”
Captain, meaning he was in charge, although of what she wasn't sure. Starship, meaning a vessel designed for space travel, although what space looked like or why traveling through it was important, she didn't know.
She also wasn't sure why he'd stuck his hand towards her, although the move didn't seem threatening.
Lana. Did she like the name? Actually, she had absolutely no preference one way or another. But at the same time, it was a relief to not have to pick one for herself, since she didn't even know any other names, aside from Ali and now Aiden Thorne.
In any case, at least the name the captain had suggested for her was short and easy to remember. “I suppose I'm Lana then, Aiden.”
He smiled, which for some reason made her cheeks feel warm. “Then it's a pleasure to meet you, Lana.” He pointed to his hand. “This is a common gesture of greeting called a “handshake”. You take my hand with your opposite one, and we hold on for a few seconds, usually move our hands up and down slightly a few times, then let go.”
She couldn't think of any reason for that. “Why?”
“Void if I know.” He took her hand in his, making her cheeks felt warm again at the solid, somehow reassuring grip, then let go and stepped back. “Has Ali told you about your situation?”
“Just that my mind has been wiped, my memories taken, and now I'm something called a Blank Slate,” Lana said hesitantly. “She didn't tell me who did it to me, though, or why.”
Aiden shook his head grimly. “Why is a bit difficult to answer, aside from the simple fact that some people are greedy and evil and willing to do unspeakable things to innocents. As for the who, that would be the Deeks.”
He stopped, as if that explained everything. “You say that like I should know who you're talking about,” she said, not sure whether to be amused or morose.
The captain looked slightly chagrined. “Right. You're probably the only person in the universe who doesn't. Aside from other Blank Slates, I guess . . . an infinitesimally small silver lining to that life-destroying cloud.”
He straightened, clasping his hands behind his back. “Deek is slang for members of the Deconstructionist Movement, who currently rule humanity in a downward spiral of oppression and chaos and think it's for our own good. They act with such conviction that even being constantly bombarded by the reality of the terrible consequences of their actions won't change their minds.”
Aiden's voice had grown more and more heated as he spoke, teeth gritted and green eyes flashing. And he probably would've kept going had Ali not gently cleared her throat.
That made him blink, and he relaxed with another chagrined look. “Ahem. Well, I could rant endlessly about Deeks and their depredations, but Ali doesn't like to see me get upset. Simply put, they're in charge in the universe and the Last Stand is at war with them.”
The companion spoke up calmly. “The ship's databanks have extensive information about all this, Lana. I believe you would benefit from studying it, to help fill in the gaps in your memories.”
Gaps? More like the complete absence of them.
But a more pressing question filled her thoughts. “You mentioned that the people you rescued me from intended to take me somewhere,” she told Ali. “Where, and why?”
Ali and Aiden glanced at each other, the companion looking sympathetic and the captain almost uncomfortable. He was the one who answered. “They intended to sell you to a brothel. Do you know what that is?”
Lana did, at least technically. A place where people paid to have sex with other people. She didn't know what specifically that entailed, though, or why it was something people would do. Or what payment was, other than a means of getting something. But she also recognized something else. “Sell?”
The captain grimaced. “You were a slave.” He must've seen in her reaction that she knew what that was as well, at least in definition, because his expression became sympathetic. “Emphasis on were. There are no slaves aboard my ship, and here you're free to make your own choices.”
Well, that answered at least part of her next question. Lana hesitated, not sure if she wanted to know the answer, then took a deep breath. “What happens to me now?”
Ali patted her hand comfortingly, and Aiden gave her a sympathetic look. “I suppose that's up to you,” he said. “If you're willing to work hard and accept the risk of serving on this ship, I could invite you on as a member of the crew. You'd have to prove yourself as excellent as the rest of the crew, however.”
She felt a surge of panic. “How can I do that when I don't know anything?”
“I'd be willing to give you some time, but I hope you're a fast learner.” The captain nodded to the companion. “It's not a decision you have to make right away. For now, you're welcome to access the ship's databanks on an account Ali will provide for you, study whatever you like that's not restricted. We have a more complete database than most, since we've taken great pains to preserve as much of the history and knowledge of humanity that the Deeks have tried to destroy as we can.
“I'll also authorize Ali to tutor you whenever she's free of other responsibilities,” he continued. “Help you learn what you need to get by in this crazy universe you've found yourself
