Humanity on trial (Closed for SinfuIDreams)

[such_a_bad_man]

The Terran ship Pathfinder drifted through deep space. It was traveling at speeds equal to fractions of the speed of light, but without any references to appreciate that speed, it may as well have been standing still. The ship was quiet as well. It had long since burned out its rocket assist propulsion to reach its traveling velocity. The only thing left on board was the deceleration rockets for its arrival in the Alpha Centauri system: the Sun’s nearest neighbor star. All it took was a scant 4.3 light year jaunt to get there. It sounds so simple in those terms.

In reality, it meant nearly 2 decades of suspended animation travel for the crew on board. The ship was naught more than an icy coffin for the exploration and colonization crew as it passed through this segment of the trip. It was eerily quiet on board as the crew lay in their pods, waiting to arrive.

No one on the ship realized they were being watched. On the bridge of the Trost Imperial Armada’s flagship, the troubled Emperor watched the display as his fleet tracked the first ship to leave the Sol system to be manned by humans. He sighed heavily and stood from his command seat. He knew this day was coming. The previous ship they tracked only had probes and surveying equipment, bound for a planet that matched the atmospheric and surface conditions that matched the human home world.

This was more troubling. The people of Earth, as they called it, were advancing too quickly. They were looking to leave their sphere before they had solved the problems of their home world. They would carry these same undesirable behaviors to other worlds. The Emperor had to know if they were leaving their home to conquer or these colonists were looking for a way to start over on a new world with the wisdom of their species sins guiding their future plans.

“General, send a boarding party over to that ship. Bring me the leader. You will find the data for that determination on their computer systems. We will bring them back to Trost and see what the humans have sent us. Once we have them secured, tow that ship back with us to Trost and imprison the rest,” the Emperor said over his shoulder. The larger, older Trostan saluted and dipped his head.

“It shall be as the Emperor commands,” he says in response. Turning slightly from the Emperor, the general is on his communicator, speaking to the Interdictor Squads and sending them on a boarding action. Two squads of 16 Trostans each should be more than enough to steal away the Human leader as well as secure the ship for towing to Trost.

With the order given, The Emperor retired to his chambers, slipping his war helmet off and setting it on the stand by the door. The pointed ears were red by the rubbing against the helmet. Rubbing his bone ridge that ran down his forehead and nose, the Emperor tried to relax for a moment. That moment didn’t last as he saw that his personal data device still had a scrolling list of the various images his technical teams had received and unscrambled in the decades since Earth started broadcasting radio signals out into space. The constant warfare, the decadent lifestyles, the cruelty of their social policies, it was a damning indictment of the species. He would find out their nature when he looked into the leader’s eyes before the whole of the Trost Imperial Council. Then, he would see the truth.

 

[SinfuIDreams]

The room spins in a hideous burning whirl as Fiona Jackson is yanked free of her two-decade slumber and dumped unceremoniously on the floor, every single muscle aches, every organ twitching trying to adjust back to functioning after so long without.

What's happening? Where am I? Fiona's thoughts come crashing down on her like a wave. Where is my crew?

As her eyes start to adjust to the light one thing is extremely clear she wasn't aboard the Pathfinder any longer. Instead, her knees were pressed to a dark, dirt-streaked tiled floor, the air heavier than what she used to breathe, dense and thick making her lungs work harder in her slightly panicked state.

The crew, that's what she panicked about, not her own safety but the safety of some of Earths finest scientist. Her career is over the second one of them even breaks a nail.

Grunting Fiona hauls herself to her feet, stumbling around her sleep pod and towards the opaque glowing panel on the wall.

Pressing a button on the bottom of a screen Fiona jumps when a automated sounding voice barks out some words in a foreign language. Obviously nothing she could

Unsure what to do Fiona sinks to the floor curling in a fetal position to try and relieve some of the on going muscle cramps she's still suffering from. Slowly she drifts off to a fitful sleep.

 

[such_a_bad_man]

What little sleep Fiona was getting was interrupted a few hours later. Those same strange creatures she saw before enter her cell unannounced, grabbing her up from the floor. Now that she is a bit more conscious, the strange humanoids have these strange, chitinous shells that cover them from head to toe. Their hands either grip long barrel weapons of similar material or grab Fiona without much grace or tenderness.

They haul her to a hovering glass-looking cylinder that's slid open to expose the interior. Placing Fiona inside, the interior is lined with something that resembles sound dampening foam, but feels much more comfortable. As the cylinder slides closed, the air inside seems to rush as though a breeze is blowing over her body. When it stills, it feels like the cylinder is full of air from Earth. It's much easier to breathe, feels like the right temperature and humidity and even smells like a forest somehow.

As soon as she gets used to this welcome change, the cylinder seems to move without any motor or wheels, hovering between the humanoids that came to get her. Her trip through the halls of the prison deck don't afford much, and everywhere the pod floats seems abandoned and empty, save the entities that walk with her.

Eventually, the pod and the humanoids lead Fiona into a chamber that looks very opulent. Laying back and looking at the ceiling, this room has a massive chandelier made of octohedral crystals. The ceiling is made of a strangely reddish purple wood. The lights around the ceiling seem to glow rather than reflect a single source of light.

One of the humanoids outside the pod taps on the glass of the exterior shell and a control display pops up. It's revealed as such as a few taps cause the pod to stand on it's end and the back opens up, allowing Fiona to walk out.

The other humanoids stand at attention like soldiers of Earth, waiting for her to step out. The chamber outside is full of the same Earth air and looking around, this chamber is adjacent to another. They appear open to one another; a glowing blue line wraps around the walls, ceiling and floor, however, splitting the circular chamber in half.

The only furniture in this half of the chamber is a plush looking couch that looks like it's from the Regency period of England back on Earth. The wood looks different, however. One of the humanoids makes noises in that language they tried to use earlier whiles gesturing to the couch.

 

[SinfuIDreams]

Fiona sat when the humanoid pointed at the old fashioned chair, crossing her legs thankful that in all the time she was blacked out nobody removed her clothes. Her eyes can't help but glance towards the alien specimens on full display before her. It's another reason she had worked so hard to Captain this research ship. The thought of intelligent alien lifeforms out in the universe had both excited and frightened her. Now she has the chance to look her fill. The research team is going to be so jealous when I tell them. I wish I had a camera. These guys are both scary bulky with their shells and awe inspiring.

At least she can breathe much easier now with the Earth air, but the longer she sits still the more anxious Fiona gets, what's happening? Why am I here alone? Where are the rest of the crew? What are they going to do to me? Who am I waiting for? The questions keep circling around her mind over and over.

Her heart starts to pound in her chest, her breathing coming shorter and sorter. Fiona had been susceptible to panic attacks in her younger life and her chest feels the old familiar feeling.

"Please, umm please help me. I can't breathe, please?" Fiona managed to squeak out past her closing throat.

The guards both turn to look at her, casually talking in their unfamiliar almost mechanical voices. One steps closer to her and holds a flat-screen up to her face, with a flash of bright light in her eyes only making her anxiety worse.

Suddenly a movement from the other side of the room catches her wayward attention, a man stands on the other side of the blue light, the light glowing so bright it's hard to determine anything more than just a rough idea of his frame.

This must be who I was waiting for Fiona thinks to herself. I'm here because of this man. She tries to push herself up from the chair, to meet him on even ground. As soon as she steps away from the sofa black spots dance behind her eyes.

She stumbles forward towards the blue barrier, hands in front of her to keep her balance, just as she reaches the barrier the man on the other side shouts out a warning as her knees crumple, falling face first into the blue glow..

 

[such_a_bad_man]

The Cohort of the Ambassador Corps stood and waited to be acknowledged by the decidedly nervous and disoriented human through the force field. It was thought that piping in a gaseous mix that matched its home atmosphere would go a long way to calming the technologically inferior species, but it seemed that the proximity of the guards in their encounter suits was upsetting to it.

Wanting this initial contact to proceed well, the Cohort tapped the controls on the side of his helmet, causing the chitinous segments to unseal and sweep back and expose his face. While not human, his face had similar features with the obvious differences being the pointed ears and the bone ridge that ran down the center of the forehead and nose. It would seem that Trostans and humans had some amount of convergent evolution. The large gap in their advancement came from the age of their systems. Having several million years head start on sentient life was no small advantage.

The human seemed to notice him finally in the midst of her physiological response to her emotional stress and over-stimulation. He was about to warn her against getting up when she toppled forward and slammed against the barrier that divided the chamber. He gestured to the guards and they calmly approached and helped the human back to the seat on its side.

"Apologies, human, but I should have warned you about the energy barrier. While it is transparent to visible light, it is quite solid to matter." The Cohort began. While he spoke in the language of Imperial Commerce, his voice reached Fiona as English. It was a bit digitized, but the translation systems had learned the language thanks to centuries of radio broadcasts beyond the Sol system.

"I do apologize if you have been treated discourteously, but our Emperor wishes to speak with you regarding the ship upon which you were found. It is unwise to keep our Emperor waiting, but I must ensure that you are prepared to stand in his illustrious company before I bring you to him." The Cohort began. Normally, this sort of thing would be handled by the Emperor's Chief of Staff, but they are not brought along on missions such as these.

"To that end, I am here to provide you with the tools you need to feel more like yourself and help you ease your transition from your people's version of stasis to a more conscious state. Would you speak with me now or would you rather refresh yourself and enjoy some comforts first?" The Cohort asked. He wasn't large and imposing like the guards. He seemed gracious and equitable with a well-meaning expression.

 

[SinfuIDreams]

Fiona sits back on the chair and rubs her forehead where a small lump is forming from her impact with the invisible wall.

The Elf looking humanoid is speaking to her, amazingly she can understand every single word that elegantly flows from his mouth. His voice is still digital sounding but smooth and soft.

Emperor? Surely I can't have heard that right, why would a Emperor want to speak to me? my brain must still be foggy from being in statis for so long Fiona thinks to herself.

Glancing at the man again Fiona takes a good look at him, he's very well dressed the fabric of his clothes look expensive and the jewels pressed into the leather looking shoes of his would be enough to keep someone like her living the high life to the end of her days. The small amount of technology she's see so far hints at them being light years ahead of humans.
Obviously their culture is well off and here she is sitting in her statis suit, covered in blobs of clinging dried goo her hair is probably a frightening mess. It doesn't take long for her to come to a conclusion.

"Can you please show me to a bathroom first?" Fiona quietly asks. If she has to meet a Emperor she needs to put her best foot forward, after all she's now a representative for her Planet.

Her earlier panic attack slowly fading, leaving her feeling exhausted and cooperative.

It's not like one small Earth woman could do much in this situation besides think about her own survival and that of her crew.

Sighing she gets to her feet to follow the man in front of her..

 

[such_a_bad_man]

As the human representative stood up, the Cohort could tell that her body's automatic responses to physical trauma were already kicking in. The area around the impact seemed to be undergoing hemostasis in response to the physical trauma. He would have to get the medical drones to attend to her if it got any worse; no one should appear before the Emperor with signs of trauma on their person.

As he took the time to observe the sample of the species on the ship in tow, it seemed that she had not be sufficiently cleaned from her species' stasis pod either. She seemed to acknowledge that in her request.

Standing back to his full height and letting the robe drape to the floor around him, he nodded in response. "Of course, we have take steps to provide you with something resembling a water closet from your home planet through there," he informed the human, gesturing to the other door on her side of the barrier.

"If you wish to cleanse your body as well, clothing will be made available to you upon request. We do not have fashions that match your culture, but it will be modest enough for your parley with our Emperor," the Cohort informed her.

"The cleansing products are reasonable approximations of the chemical content of your home world with sterols and other organics mixed in to provide a scent reminiscent of your home, as well." He went on to explain so that nothing was a shock if the human chose to partake in them.

 

[SinfuIDreams]

Fiona listens to his explanations nodding her head where appropriate not really listening, her body feeling fatigued her mind racing with horror as it finally really set in that she was now a prisoner of a alien race and she had really no idea how or why.

Sluggishly Fiona turns towards the door that holds the bathroom and nods to the Elf humanoid. Her body so tired even the thought of forming words makes her feel like crying.
Stumbling in the room Fiona starts the cleaning unit shuddering as she peals the layers of clothing off her body, sections clinging to her skin, pulling on it with every tug. Statis fluid drying to stick everything to her with a sticky flexible crust.

Even the effort of washing has taxed even more of her energy. The need to sleep so forceful her head is nodding on her neck while she rubs fitfully at the goo.

A sudden metallic crash has her jumping, wide awake now.
"Hello? Is anyone there?" Fiona softly calls out crossing her arms over her breast and angling her body away from the cubicle door. Extremely aware of her nakedness and her trusting nature. For gods sake I never even locked the door she thinks to herself.

Of all the things to do under alien imprisonment, the statis chamber must have done a real job on her mind for her to think this is ok even for a fraction of a second.

Trying again Fiona yells out "Hello, is someone in here?"

 

[such_a_bad_man]

Orzatz, the head of security, stares as the human walks into the chamber he had built for it. He wasn't sure what the humans were doing to survive the long distance between the stars. Based on their own knowledge of human physiology, Orzatz reasoned that so much time letting natural processes continue would lead to the human desiring to restore its cleanliness. It appeared he had guessed correctly; it was an educated guess really. He'd particularly enjoyed advertisements that humans broadcast regarding a line of body soaps that performed best in high mineral content water. Based on that film, it appeared that some humans enjoyed refreshing in the mornings.

Once the human was fully inside the refresher, he turned to his second in command. "Seal the door. We have to make a thorough visual examination. Do not let it out until that is complete."

"Yes sir," the second replied. He deployed the locking shutter on the door outside the chamber; the flanged piece of metal clanged against itself as it locked into place.

Orzatz looked at his second, disappointment and frustration on his face.

"Apologies, sir. I did not realize how loud it was when it deploys," the second bowed it's head.

Growling a sigh, Orzatz turned back to watch the human. Predictably, it had stopped cleansing itself and was staring at the door, calling out to someone that was not there. He took a slow breath, watching the human. He let it relax again and resume it's cleaning. As he did, he stepped closer to the partition, staring at the human's naked body.

"I know you have something. Something to protect yourself or assault your captors... where is it?" he whispered, his eyes scanning all over Fiona's body from behind the projected wall. He could study her and the human would be none the wiser.

 

[SinfuIDreams]

Hmm, I guess it was nothing Fiona thinks to herself, must be the fatigue and stress playing on her mind. Why then do I still feel like I'm being watch.

Fiona shudders, her body shaking under the hot water. Her limbs feeling so heavy, she went from being fearful over being watched to not really caring. Having to spread her hands against the back wall to keep herself upright, still swaying sluggishly in place. It felt different on her palms, more flexible then the other sides of the cleaning cube. Kind of soft and it felt like it was humming under her palms pleasantly in a soft massaging way.

The walls vibrations had Fiona leaning forward and resting her forehead against the surface. It's cool, calming feel working its way over the stress wrinkles that had sprung up on her face with worry. Relaxing every muscle in her face, to the point where her body starts to follow her breasts pressing against the soft surface a moan escaping her throat in relaxation.

 

[such_a_bad_man]

Orzatz couldn't figure what the human was doing. First, she was fearful of the noise the shutters had made. That much made sense; the human was in a new ship with a previously unknown species to humanity. Next, she visibly relaxed under the cleansing spray of water. Again, that was not unexpected. The combination of heat and warm water must be pleasing to humans as he'd seen a number of situations in their video media that involved humans relaxing in roiling cauldrons of water. While not boiling, pumps ensured the water circulated. It must be that combination that humans found so relaxing and comforting.

That was not the issue. Making contact with the wall, Orzatz worried that the projected wall would feel different. If it did, the human may recoil into a flight or flight mindset. That didn't happen, however. If anything, the human seemed pleased by the tactile feedback she was receiving from the wall. So much so that he presented her secondary sex characteristics against the wall. He couldn't tell if she could see through the wall; the confined plasma should prevent that. Still, she seemed to be enjoying resting against the wall as the water showered around her.

"What are you playing at, human?" Orzatz muttered to himself as he watched this representative, this Fiona, relaxed against his wall. When a soft moan rumbled up from her throat, his eyebrows raised in surprise. He waited to see if it happened again or if it was a bad audio pick up from beyond the wall.