(Y/N)
A few months later:-
I finish signing in my log for the day and head to the cafeteria for dinner.
It's been a few months since we boarded the defence warship, The Galaxy.
Everyone's been settling in and adjusting for their impromptu travel to a planet we thought had nothing left. It's confusing and chaotic, but I love it.
What's more confusing is that the supervisors, despite not having been called upon at all by my crew for assistance, have refused to grant us our genetic modifications.
They keep telling us we are not ready for the modification. Even Dorothy.
She's probably the only supervisor who actually has a proper job to assist in, and not for the right reasons.
She proclaimed herself Captain of The Galaxy. I was demoted to Vice-Captain.
Initially, I thought I understood why she did this. Everyone's lives depend on their Captain and their decisions. I thought she believed I was too inexperienced to have such a role.
I guess I underestimated her belief.
I reach the cafeteria of our ship. It's a huge room with bright lighting. On the right side, there are robots preparing food for the crew and supervisors. The remaining area has various seating places with little board games to play spread out on each table.
Another thing the Correction told us was this: When it is time to rest, we must rest. No matter where we are, whether at the Facility or the Working Sector, skipping your break was absolutely not an option. Socially and legally, it is unacceptable. Skipping time for your brain to relax eventually sends you into overdrive, which more often than not leads to a depletion in your productivity.
Our predecessors thus chose to create new boardgames similar to some they had played on Earth. Of course, gambling was and still is prohibited, but the games are much appreciated. Our PP's have been created in such a way that transactions can only occur twice; once between the community and the individual (For example, students receive PP's from the Facility) and once between the individual and the robots (To purchase some good indulgence). They are closely monitored to ensure that the PPs are not sent anywhere else.
I look around and spot Amit. Our gazes connect and he beams a wide smile at me. I approach him and notice our other friends as well.
Over these past few months, I've become part of a friend group of five people: Oliver, Eunwoo and Amit from the Facility, and Zuri. Zuri got to be a doctor on board, since her suit is white.
I grab my dish from one of the robots and join them.
Unlike the Facility and Working Sector, the ship has been provided with pills by scientists that keep our stomachs full and nutrition sated. These pills, however, need to be consumed on a 6-hour basis. We are made to eat regular food for dinner because of this.
We choose to just chat for dinner rather then play games.
I listen to them as they chat about their day.
Zuri rocks forwards and groans, "When are we going to get our modifications? I've been dying to get it done!" she whines, "(Y/N), did Captain tell you anything?"
I shake my head.
"Dorothy hasn't told me anything. You know how she is."
My friends understand my sentiments toward the Captain, especially since they've seen her humiliating me firsthand. While using the Captain's first name without their permission is considered disrespectful and worthy of punishment, my friends never correct my deliberate use of her name.
That doesn't mean they like it though.
Amit, who's sitting next to Zuri, sighs. "Our supervisor is useless. All he ever does is drone on about how young we are. How we have yet to experience the world. He says we're not 'worthy' of the modifications yet."
Eunwoo scoffs. "That's bullshit and everyone knows it. They're stalling. I don't know why they are, but my guess is we don't even have the modifications on board."
"That's not true." I say curtly. "I saw some 'bots load the modifications' syringes and serums onto the ship."
Oliver speaks, "Why are they stalling then? Could it be that someone on board didn't choose a modification?"
"That can't be the case, either. I reviewed everyone's files for Dorothy and not a single one of them hasn't chosen a modification." I say.
Zuri pipes up. "Well, we need to get our modifications before we get to Earth. Otherwise, we'll be at a disadvantage. We've only a week left before we land."
That is true. We have no idea what happened to the Ship on Earth ever since we lost contact with them. For all we know, they're as good as dead. Without our modifications, the people on Earth have an upper hand. After five months of journey, without our modifications...
We may face the same alleged fate as the Exploration Ship.
As we continue speculating, the intercom sounds with Dorothy's voice.
"(Y/N). Come to the Captain's War Room. ASAP."
So much for 'relaxation'.
I rush to the War Room and press the buzzer placed on the right side of the massive, steel door.
Hearing the permission given to enter, I walk into the room.
It's a conference room made with artificial wood instead of the natural kind. It has lighting dimmed down and a hologram placed in front of every seat. Dorothy sits at the head of the table.
I take my place next to her. She acknowledges my presence with a single nod.
"Captain." I greet.
After I settle in, the Head of Defence of my crew, Jones, stands up to speak.
Dorothy interrupts her. "Sit down, dear. The adults need to speak." Jones gawks at her. Dorothy continues, "Supervisor, will you stand up and explain whatever it is the youngling failed to convey?"
See what I mean when I say she's condescending? She knows full well how the supervisors are never in the room during discussions, yet she insists on the Supervisors being the ones to inform her of their plans.
The Defence Supervisor stands up with an arrogant smirk.
Did I mention I've caught him harassing my crew for details he thinks he's supposed to be privy to?
I guess even The Correction can't fix bugs like him.
"Good evening, Captain. Vice Captain," He begins, "As you know, we're about to reach Earth in a week. For a planet that was completely eradicated by our race, the Exploration Ship deemed it a 'Goldilocks' planet, fit for human survival without the use of space instruments. Thus, one part of my team will head out onto the terrestrial part of Earth to perhaps try and form some sort of agreement with the leader of the planet-"
I scoff.
Dorothy looks at me and tilts the cyborg part of her head to the right curiously. "Have anything to say, (Y/N)?"
I stand up. "The Defence Department are made of soldiers, not politicians. Sending soldiers to the leader of the Planet Earth could very well be interpreted as a sign of war for them. The soldiers' job is to find the Exploration Ship and the Exploration Ship only. I will not tolerate this kind of disrespect towards my crew. They deserve at least some kind of dignity from their Captain. Leave the negotiation part to me." I finish.
Dorothy looks up at me. Although she cannot move her face, her real eye twinkles. With amusement perhaps? Or surprise?
She begins to speak. "What do you propose we do then, Vice Captain?" She emphasises.
I ignore her attempt to put me in her place and look at Jones, who's been sitting quietly till now. "Stand up, Jones. Explain to the Supervisor what you will do with your team." I order.
She looks at her Supervisor and then at the Captain. Receiving no response from either, she stands and begins explaining her plan.
"Well then, Captain," She starts, "As landing on ground may not even be an option on Earth, the engineers will take over the steering wheel of The Galaxy. As the Vice Captain will go down to Earth to speak to the leader, we'll send a delegation of soldiers along with her just in case. As for the remaining soldiers," She clicks on something in her PDD and a picture of Earth appears before us. "I will deploy them in various areas in and around regions where the scientists identified the highest possibility for where the Exploration Ship could have landed." She finishes.
Dorothy nods. "Send the details to my and the Vice Captain's PDD by 2100 hours." She says and gets up.
"It's already done." Jones piped up, seemingly very excited to be acknowledged.
Just shows how neglected we feel around Dorothy and her Supervisors.
Dorothy nods. "Jones, (Y/N), give me a moment alone with the Supervisor, will you?"
We turn to leave. As we head out, Jones looks at me appreciatively.
"Thanks for standing up for me in there." She says sheepishly, a bashful look overtaking her features.
I smile and place an arm on her shoulder. "You're the Defence Head. You should know better than to sit around quietly in times of these. Your decisions often seal the fate of my crew members. I need you to be steady and level-headed. You hear me?"
She nods.
Just then, the intercom sounds again. "Comms to Captain and Vice Captain. Please make your way to the Cockpit immediately."
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