“My goals?” I asked with a confused expression. “So, you’ve really no aspirations to be free of the oppression that your people suffer under?”
“Very good, Captain. We do not seek to put our lives in danger.”
“Righto. Well, good luck with that when you're extinct, or completely living in servitude. Does every Veiletian feel that way, or just the old ones?”
That prompted another scolding look from Elyek, which I waved an apology for.
Even Ember gave me a look of, ‘why the fuck would you say that?’
Another Veiletian elder spoke, but they had a wry smile on their face, “As we have talked, I have watched the interaction of you and your crew members. It is interesting to say the least. I would go so far as to say you have been advised by Elyek on how you ought to behave, judging by the berating looks they give when you are rude. I see you acknowledge this and try to be better. This leads me to two questions. Why would Elyek care so much to help you in this way? And why would you hold Elyek in such high regard to acknowledge the advice and signals given?”
“Elyek is a crucial, senior member of our crew. Four of us originally formed the Uprising, and we are all equal partners. I’m basically a figurehead for the four of us. We’re a solid team. If it wasn’t for Elyek, we would never have achieved all we have.”
The elder nodded and turned to Elyek. “Do you feel this is a true reflection? Are you valued as an equal?”
“Absolutely, Prefector Kalika. We work as one team.”
Prefector Kalika turned back to me. “Will you treat other members of our race as you treat Elyek?”
“Probably not,” I said, and before I could continue, the gasps interrupted me. I received a myriad of different expressions. “Come on! I hadn’t finished what I was saying. I’ll treat them all with respect and look after them as best I can while they are with us. Even so, Elyek is like my best friend; we have a bond, and I care for them like a close family member. That’s all I meant.”
Prefector Kalika had a smile on their face, while the other five still looked like they were processing what I had said. “I, for one, give my blessing for you to recruit further Veiletian crew members. No more than ten for now, until we see how it works out. If you return here in the future, we can discuss at that point whether others would like to join you,” Kalika turned to the rest of the council. “What say you all?”
There was a chorus of agreement, although some voices still sounded unconvinced.
The Prefector turned to face us. “All agreed, Uprising. We will have a group of our willing people ready for you to talk with tomorrow at the earliest. It will provide an opportunity to discover if they would prove a good fit for you, and you for them.”
“That’s great news. I promise they’ll be looked after to the best of our capabilities.”
“That is all we ask. Now, will you be returning back to your ship for the evening, or can we offer accommodation here?”
There were sounds of further grumbling by the other elders, but fuck them!
“Oh, yeah. That’d be great, thanks. It's rough as toast out there on Arus, and we don’t want to run into any trouble while we’re here, if we can help it.”
“Very well. I will have you escorted to the guest rooms.”
C9
Best of both Worlds
We were shown to some pretty nice rooms, each with a table and chairs, a dresser and a very comfy-looking bed. Ember and I shared one room. Calparr had his own next door.
“Is your room acceptable?” The Veiletian who escorted us asked.
“Yes, it looks very comfortable,” Ember replied.
“Excellent!” they said, seeming genuinely happy. “Now I must inform you that while you stay with us, visitors are expected to remain in their rooms. Travel around the house or grounds unattended for any reason is prohibited, for our own safety more than your own. I am sure you will understand.”
“Well that’s not great news, but we do understand,” Ember said for the both of us.
“Superb. Meals will be brought to your rooms three times a day. The next meal will be in around four hours. If you require anything else, don’t hesitate to contact the house staff, using the communicator located on the wall just inside your door.”
“We will, thank you.” Ember replied.
“Very well, I shall leave you to relax now, the Veiletian said, and with a quick bow, turned and left.
“Well, this is going to be boring as shit,” I said, throwing myself on the bed. “We’ve signed ourselves up as prisoners for the night and… Oh, god!” I cried, my blood running cold. “Oh, what have I done!”
“What’s the matter, Shaun? Spit it out!” Ember said, looking concerned.
“You’ve seen what Elyek eats, right! Are they going to feed us that shit?”
Ember let out a laugh of relief, “Yeah. That’s not good, but seriously, Shaun. So what if it's rank and we have to go a few extra hours without food. We’ll be back on the Uprising by tomorrow afternoon. I thought you’d beaten your obsession with food?”
“I’ve beaten my obsession with bad food. But I need to eat a lot, and I don’t want to be eating whatever the fuck was in Elyek’s bowl, and that’s just how I roll.”
She laughed at me, “Well, don’t worry about boredom. I’ve got just the thing for you to pass the time.”
“Yeah?” I said, suddenly eager. I had the feeling I knew where this was going, and I was happy about it.
“Let’s declutter my mind. We did a lot on yours, and I'm feeling a bit left behind.”
“Nope! That isn’t
