Human Weaponry

Chapter 18: The Question

"So... it was a meteor shower that put the station into lockdown?"

"Yes."

"...and that knocked out the human ship's... 'superluminal communications system'"

"Correct."

"It just... doesn't make a lot of sense, Ozis. Mediary stations have point defense for debris. They have long-range sensors to track items for weeks until they get in range."

Every exchange of this awful conversation made me wish that the humans had given me more details to make the deception believable. I'd have to try and make something up on the spot.

"...Well, they told me that whatever method they use for FTL malfunctioned and brought debris near the ship from earlier targeting practice with it, which then crashed into the station as they came out of FTL."

"What about all the station crew that described it as an attack? That the humans aboard the station all retreated into their ship quickly and that alarms were blaring?"

"...The debris was behind the human ship, detected moments before they struck, they made an emergency detach to get out of the way. Unfortunately, some of them still connected, resulting in the communications system being down. The station crew would have immediately moved to bulkhead panic rooms."

The Rink bureaucrat sitting across from me silently looked at me after that statement. Or, well, focused on me, they didn't have eyes. It was slightly unnerving, as small sensory tendrils on his "face" moved in my direction like they were trying to escape his body and attack me.

"So these humans have radius-based FTL that is inaccurate enough that it brought debris along with it... behind the craft?"

I had subconsciously been making myself smaller in my seat. "...Yes, they're newly space-faring."

"Then why did you describe it as a meteor shower?"

"I thought it got the point across and was easier to say than 'malfunctioning FTL drive brought debris along with the ship which then hit the craft and station causing damage'"

"Look, Ozis, I know we'll never meet again but next time you get debriefed can you just tell them exactly what happened first so they don't have to interrogate you?"

I sat up, he had finally relaxed. "Yes, of course. I apologize, I was only trying to make this easier."

"Thank you, I'll waive your missing status, and write in your reason for absence from contact."

I stood up and made my way to duck under the door.

"Oh, and you might want to get your uniform cleaned, that ship left you with a weird, acrid metallic smell."

That was a funny thought. He was describing the smell from the weapons the humans were using. The chemical propellant released a harsh odor. Slightly annoying to me, but I'm sure it was near unbearable to his senses. Impressive composure. I walked out of the room to the landing bay to get back on the transport ship the humans had provided. It was clearly a military ship, likely for troop deployment, as the interior was lined with seats with little luxuries. "U.S. Marines" was blazoned on the side of it.

"So how'd that go?"

"You know, Gerrick, I read that there are billions of humans on Earth alone, and I'm guessing about a thousand crew on your ship. I didn't know I was so charming as to get you following me around personally."

He chuckled and lowered his sun visor. "Don't flatter yourself, I was assigned to guard you personally, so if anyone has a hard-on for you it's the U.S. government."