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angelgirl116 and Tsukiko Kurosu.
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Chapter Seven: Beware the Raza
"I'm telling you we're supposed to be helping those people," One was saying. "The matching pendants? It can't be a coincidence."
"All I'm saying is even if we're supposed to be helping these people, which I doubt," Three scoffed around a mouthful of food. "Doesn't mean we're gonna do it."
Two fiddled with the cup in front of her. "We don't even know what happened to us or how we're going to get our memories back. And those weapons would fetch a very good price on the open market. The money would go a long way-"
"Except they're already paid for." One shouted. "They belong to the miners."
"Don't matter if they belong to the miners." Three countered. "They're in our cargo hold. They belong to us now."
"Those people will die if we don't help them." Six agreed with One and Seven nodded her own agreement.
"They're already dead." Four picked at the food on his plate.
Everyone fell silent for a moment, but Three ruined it. "He doesn't say much but when he does, it makes sense."
Four continued. "If their enemy is even half as powerful as they believe, then their doomed."
It was One's turn to sigh. "The least we can do is give them a fighting chance."
"I'm pretty sure the least we can do is nothing." Three pushed out there. "Which, for the record, is what I'm suggesting we do."
"Alright." Two said, finally having enough of the back and forth. "Let's put it to a vote."
"Fine." The brute popped a bit of food into his never closed mouth. "I vote that we keep the weapons, we sell them, take what we make to stay alive, and find out what the hell happened to us."
Four pushed his plate away. "Agreed."
One sat straight-backed in his chair, trying to make intense eye contact with everyone. "I think we do what we know we came here to do, complete the delivery."
Six nodded. "He's right. I say we help those people."
Seven raised her hand to agree with him. "All the facts we have point to those weapons belonging to the miners."
"Thank you."
"Yeah me too, I want to help those people." Five finally piped up.
Three realizing he wasn't getting his way sat back up, gesturing to Five with his hands. "Wait a minute, she can't vote."
"Why not?!" Five demanded.
"Because you're a kid." Three snapped.
Six turned to him. "She's a member of this crew."
"Who is a kid, what are you like 15 years old?" Three shot back.
"Do we really have to have a vote to decide if she gets to vote?" Two glared at him.
Three looked at everyone for a moment and then raised his hand. "I vote against her voting."
Almost everyone shook their heads and made general noises of annoyance. Even Four seemed to be ready to leave. Three just looked over at him.
"Come on, throw one up with me." He told him, but Four just shook his head. "Fine. Three to three. What do you say, boss lady?"
Two thought about it for a minute. "Set half the crates aside. The rest go down to the surface."
One stood up and walked away in exasperation, unable to believe the unfairness in his mind.
Everyone else started standing to go of silently, but Three just had to have the last word.
"Clean up your tray, pretty boy."
The menfolk loaded the crates on the shuttle, but Two, Five, and Seven stood on the bridge with the android.
A blurred picture of a man was on the screen.
"Who's that?" Five asked.
Android acknowledged her. "I do not know. The file is corrupt. This has been a difficult and tedious process. However I have managed to recover a sizable data cache."
"Let's see it." Two ordered.
The android closed her eyes and Seven could practically hear the gears turning and electricity humming. When the screen flipped to a new image, it seemed almost unreal. Pictures and profiles of the crew.
"I need everyone on the bridge, now." Two instructed over the comms.
One's voice came through. "What's the matter?"
"Just get up here."
Within a few minutes the guys finally filed on to the bridge, One quickly asking questions. "What happened?"
"The Android managed to recover a significant amount of data related to this ship and its crew." Two explained.
Six shrugged. "Well that's good. Isn't it?"
They all looked to the screen as the android flipped through the images and dealt out the information. Most Wanted files. First up was Three.
"Marcus Boone: Murder, assault, kidnapping, piracy."
Six was next. "Griffin Jones: Murder, assault, smuggling."
Then One. "Jace Corso: Murder, assault, kidnapping, trafficking, theft."
The android looked to Four and Seven could see the muscles working as he clenched his jaw. "Ryo Tetsudo: Murder, assault, piracy."
Two stood as tall and straight as she could when the android turned to her. "Portia Lin: Murder, assault, arson, theft, piracy."
A series of pictures flashed by with Seven's face, but all the android could say was, "Missing Person Report. The file is corrupt. No further information."
None of her pictures seemed as sinister as the others had, but something still felt off about them. In the pictures her hair was down and flowed around her body, standing out in deep contrast with a vibrant blue gown. Pale grey eyes shined almost as happily as the smile that was framed by full, pouting lips. It was nice to finally know what she looked like, but the fact that there was no real information about her made a queasy feeling creep into Seven's stomach.
Finally it was time for Five, but the android didn't give out any information or pictures and Two spoke up. "Turns out the Raza aren't a race of aliens. 'The Raza' is the name of this ship. We're not here to help these people. We're here to kill them."
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