It seemed like it would be an ordinary day at Blue Base. MON Squad had gone back to their HQ to relax, since Blue Base didn't have room for them all to lay back and relax (yet). Polt was out working on her exercise center, and it seemed to be bearing fruit. Caboose was enjoying the day with Miia, Cerea, Mero, and Suu as they relaxed, teaching Suu new things as best they could. While Suu plainly could learn all sorts of things, she seemed to be focusing more on playing with them than actually learning what they were trying to teach her. This made teaching problematic, as Caboose was just as easily distracted.
As such, it came as no surprise to Cerea that Papi's arrival distracted everyone from the teaching session...though the reason for the approach would be an even bigger surprise. "Husband…" she whimpered softly, looking flustered and awkward...a very unusual expression for her.
"Hello Papi!" Caboose greeted warmly. "Is something wrong?"
"Papi's going to lay an egg!" Papi spoke up with nervous intensity.
Cerea, Miia, and Mero all had stunned, shocked looks on their faces. Caboose gasped in excitement. "You mean we're having another baby?" he asked eagerly.
"Fertilize?" Suu asked curiously, having picked up a few words here and there due to the eclectic household.
"It's not a fertile egg, silly!" Papi's Freckle unit piped up. "Harpy's just lay eggs every so often, fertile or not!"
"So...not another baby?" Caboose asked sadly as the others let out sighs of relief.
"If this is something you've done before…?" Miia began curiously.
"This is the first time since I entered human territory," Papi explained softly. "So I'm nervous-"
[Alert!] Freckles announced intensely. [Unauthorized personnel have entered the vicinity of Blue Base with unauthorized equipment. Detaining. Attention Captain Caboose!]
"Oh, we have visitors!" Caboose declared happily. "I'll be right back!" Hopping to his feet, he made his way to the door and opened it. Just outside, Freckles had his weaponry trained on a group of humans who'd come out of a white van, carrying various filming equipment. "Hello!" Caboose greeted warmly. "Who are you?"
The short, stout man holding the video camera stepped forward. His black hair, black glasses, and black clothes did not make him look trustworthy, and the wide grin and goatee didn't help. "Excuse me!" he spoke up insistently. "Is there a harpy here about to lay eggs?"
"What's a harpy?" Caboose asked curiously, causing two of the other people to fall flat on their faces.
[Do not move,] Freckles ordered firmly. They stayed as still as they could manage.
The man cleared his throat awkwardly. "Let me try this again," he began carefully. "I'm a movie director by the name of Kasegi!" He handed over what looked like a business card. "Right now we're filming a documentary about the Interspecies Exchange Program! I've heard you live with several Extraspecies women, and that one of them is about to lay an egg! We'd like your permission to film you!"
Caboose stared at Kasegi for a time, trying to find something in his head to respond. All he understood from what had been said was 'documentary' and 'egg'. "Are you making a cooking show?" he asked curiously.
"Uh...no," Kasegi corrected, looking distinctly non-plussed as his grin slowly fell.
"Hrrmmm…" Caboose responded, struggling to think. "Freckle? What's he talking about?"
[The human wishes to film Papi laying an egg,] Caboose's Freckle explained. [Possibly among other things. Mention of the Interspecies Exchange Program suggests possible official connection.]
"Oh!" Caboose declared happily. He turned back to Kasegi. "Do you have an appointment?"
"Uh...yes?" Kasegi offered hopefully.
"That's odd," Caboose murmured thoughtfully. "Scary Smith Lady hasn't told me about any appointments today…" Reaching forward, he grabbed Kasegi companionably on the shoulder. "You stay right here, and I'll call Scary Smith Lady to find out why she didn't tell me about this. Scary Smith Lady?"
"Actually-" Kasegi began.
"I'm on the phone!" Caboose interrupted firmly. "I just told you that. You are very rude."
"Who's very rude?" Agent Smith asked from the other end of the line.
"Oh, hi Scary Smith Lady!" Caboose greeted happily. "This guy named Kasegi says he has an appointment. He says he's a door-actor and wants to film a duck-laboratory."
"...Freckle, can you connect to the other Freckle to translate?" Smith asked hopefully.
[Confirmed. Connecting...beginning conversation playback.]
After a time, Smith spoke to Caboose again, her voice very firm. "Caboose, don't let that man leave. He's a known con artist who has taken advantage of several demi-human girls for profit. If you can hold him there, we'll finally be able to bring him to justice."
"Taken...advantage?" Caboose asked, his voice starting to become dark. His grip on Kasegi's shoulder tightened.
Kasegi began to sweat nervously. "L-look, I'm a busy man," he spoke up, trying to be insistent. "If you don't want to participate in this project, I'm just going to have to find someone else-"
"Some other poor girl you can take advantage of?" Caboose demanded angrily. "You aren't going anywhere. You are staying right here. Behave, and you'll stay here in one piece."
Kasegi's sweating became far more profuse, and his eyes widened in panic. "T-t-this is police brutality!" he called out desperately.
[Negative,] Caboose's Freckle unit corrected. [You are trespassing on Sovereign Soil of an embassy. You are being detained until officials of your government can retrieve you. As an official embassy, the security patrol is within its rights to shoot unauthorized intruders on sight.]
"So sit tight…" Caboose ordered darkly.
A figure in shadows watched the news report curiously as her human handler was led away in cuffs. "Hmm...a warrior with eyes who see everything truly?" she murmured thoughtfully. "I wonder how those true seeing eyes handle the lies of this cruel world, and the cruelty of this lying world?" She chuckled darkly as she raced up the wall with her eight legs, using her clawed hands to gather some extra webbing just in case she needed it. "This could be...interesting."