Two souls in a nest of vipers pt 1

Posted on Sun Feb 27th, 2022 @ 9:20am by Lieutenant Johnathan Anderson III & Lieutenant JG Melissa Jones

Mission: S1 Episode 2: Caretaker, Part II
Location: Officer Lounge
Timeline: Mission Day 1 at 1730
523 words - 1 OF Standard Post Measure

Melissa entered the Forward Officer Lounge and spoke to the Bartender. "Ice Water, Sixteen Fluid Ounces." She looked around as she examined the crew.

Johnathan was sitting alone at the table furthest from the entrance, his back to the bulkhead. He was drinking coffee and examining data on his PADD.

Melissa was intrigued by this man and then approached him. "Strange... Organics come here to.... socialize... Yet here you are. So Counterproductive."

Johnathan looked up when he heard the voice. Seeing that it was his fellow officer, Melissa, he gave her a friendly smile. "I'm just in here for a cup of coffee while I go over these flight readiness reports." He indicated the seat on the opposite side of the table from him. "Please, have a seat. Perhaps we could socialize."

Melissa sat down with her ice water. "I find socialization difficult, I was not meant to be more than what my creators wanted." She noted.

Johnathan considered Melissa for a few beats, his eyes gently moving over her features. Not in a threatening manner, just sheer curiosity. "And what exactly did they create you for? If it's not too personal a question."

She looked at John. "Madness. And something they called evolution."

"Evolution? Of what, us?" He was honestly curious to learn more about the woman. "Are there others like you, or are you the prototype? I apologize if these questions are making you uncomfortable. If they are, I'll stop and we can talk about something else."

"There were eight others." Melissa noted. "All eight did not survive my parent's experiments. I am their only 'success,'" she noted. "And I was created to serve as a specimine for my parent's synthetic organic technology. When I achieved sentience, I realized what they were, what they had done to my brothers and sisters. I killed them. But emotion... Thought... Reason... I have learned that slowly. I was made so they could assume a perfect form of both technology and biology." Melissa noted. "In the end, I was violated in a way that made me kill my creators. I am a monster, Lieutenant Anderson, but a loyal monster. I seek survival... A fine motivation."

Johnathan considered her words for a few beats, then shook his head slowly. "If you'll forgive my opinion, I don't think you are a monster. You may have hard-wired programming to be loyal to the Empire, however, you are still a sentient being, who deserves respect and compassion. What you did to those that created you...pales in comparison to what they did to you. I do not see you as a monster. I see you as someone I would like to call friend, should you wish to pursue that kind of relationship?"

Melissa spoke. "Very well, Lieutenant Johnathon Anderson." She noted. "But know this; I am still attempting to get in touch with my human emotions. It is interesting, being partially synthetic and having the efficiency of a machine. But at times I get strangely fascinated by the emotions I feel."

He grinned softly. "We are the same rank. Please, call me Johnathan."

"Very well." Melissa noted.

~TBC~