Chapter 12: A means to an End
Nadre raised the knife high into the air. It gleamed with a sinister light as it was brought down, blood spurting.
Nadre calmly began chopping the large slab of raw beef into smaller bite-sized fragments. She scooped it all into a bowl and brought it over to a high-chair, where a small grey child sat, clapping its hands.
"Open up, Ash." Nadre said, smiling. The child's abdomen suddenly split nearly in half, displaying an empty set of gums and a small red tongue, which latched onto the first chunk of meat and drew it in to the baby Crewposter's stomach. Coal walked in, back from his walk through the new forests of Polus. Alyra held a flower in her hand.
"Look, mommy!" Alyra said, holding up the flower. "Look what I found!"
Nadre smiled, as Coal took over, holding the bowl up for Ash to eat from. Nadre walked over, and picked the flower from Alyra's hand.
"Well, I'll be! A Zorthigan Primrose! This calls for some celebratory dessert!" Nadre said, placing the flower in a pot of water, with about a million others. "What would madam Alyra like tonight?"
Alyra giggled at her mother's antics as she cartwheeled across the room. "Bananas!"
Nadre chuckled as she plucked a banana from the synthesizer. She placed the banana in Alyra's hands. "You're a banana-brain, you know that?"
Alyra giggled as she happily munched on her banana. She put the peel on her head as she chomped away, and Nadre resumed her task of feeding Ash. Coal stood behind her and kissed her on the forehead. Nadre sighed in contentment. This was the life.
There was a knock on the door, and Alyra rushed over to open it.
"Hiya, Fruit-face!" Lime said, tapping Alyra on the nose. "Say, that's some hairdo you got going there!"
"Silly Unc'e Lime, that's just my banana peel!" Alyra giggled, chewing on the last few bites of her banana.
"It is? Then where may I ask is the banana that goes with it?" Lime asked, smiling in jest. Alyra opened her mouth in reply. "Ooh, those teeth are looking pretty sharp, huh? How's that going for you?"
Alyra shrugged. "It's okay. They're not as sharp as mommy's, but maybe som'day."
"Maybe." Lime said, drawing Alyra away from the door. "Hey, I got you a present."
"Lime, is this like the last present you gave her?" Nadre asked from the kitchen. "You do realize that that poor brain-slug still hasn't come out from under the couch, right? Goodness knows how it's managed to survive this long."
Alyra squealed from the corner and ran up to Nadre.
"Look what Unc'e Lime brought me! Just like yours!" Alyra said, pulling out a rubber knife. The end wobbled when she moved too fast, but Nadre smiled anyway.
"Gotta promise to be careful though, okay? We wouldn't want you to accidentally hurt yourself or Daddy."
Alyra giggled. "It's not a real knife, mommy!"
Nadre chuckled. Suddenly, she went tense. She put the bowl down in front of Ash, who kept munching happily at the bits of raw meat.
"Hey, Coal. Watch the kids for a sec, will you? I've just gotta attend to this quick."
Coal didn't question it, and went right to feeding Ash. Nadre walked outside, into the dense forests surrounding their home. Her knife was still clutched in her hand.
"Come out, come out, wherever you are!" Nadre said through the trees. They were here. She knew it.
There was the thud of a figure dropping down behind her. Her muscled prepared themselves.
Her face transformed, creating a hole, as a long sharp tongue flew straight through it. The figure behind her was obviously more than surprised as Nadre spun around, brandishing her knife. The figure, seemingly Crewmate at first glance, backed up, its tongue flicking about wildly as the Imposter tried to comprehend why this other Imposter was attacking it.
Nadre's hand flew to her belt, and unclipped a small device. She aimed and fired in one motion, and the electrical charge flew out, striking the Imposter directly in the chest. The Imposter's body slumped over, smoking. It wasn't dead, for sure, but unconscious? Absolutely.
Nadre hoisted the body up on her shoulder and walked back towards her house. Another one for containment. Hopefully the rest of these Imposters would start reforming soon. The cells were filling up pretty quick. Nadre placed the Imposter's body into a long, slick slide, and let it slide down into the processing bay for containing rogue Imposters. Reformation of the Imposter-kind was her number one priority, and thanks to having help in high places in Crewmanity (favor of the four High-Admirals of the Skeld), her wish had been able to be granted. Nadre walked back inside the house, just in time to meet up with Admirals Green and Violet. Their son, Brown Jr., walked slowly behind them, taking in the view. They didn't come to Polus often, only once a year. Alyra began racing out the front door, but on seeing Brown Jr., wiped off her spacesuit and threw the banana peel on her head away. She raced down the steps and performed a flip, landing on her feet. Green and Violet clapped, while Brown Jr. hid behind his mother. He was a very shy lad. Especially around Alyra.
"Ta-da!" Alyra said, arms spread. "Mommy's been teaching me how to do that for 'bout a month now!"
Nadre nodded. "She's learning fast, too. Welcome, strangers!" she said, opening her door. "The party hasn't begun yet. You're still early."
"All the more time to catch up." Admiral Red said, appearing out of nowhere from behind Green. He stopped in front of Alyra, and knelt down to her level, smiling. "Hey, kid."
Alyra giggled. "Hey, Unc'e Red."
Red brought out a small box. "Happy birthday."
Alyra tore open the package, and pulled out a smallish book. Her expression grew confused.
"What is it?" she asked. Nadre came over to take a look.
There, on the front cover of the book, was a picture of Nadre, holding Alyra as a baby, aboard the Skeld. This was from… from her first mission as an Imposter. How could she ever forget it?
"This book is a story about your mom." Red said, opening it. Inside, were various pictures. Some hand-drawn, depicting scenes that cameras could not have captured, and some taken from security footage. Words were scrawled across all pages. "Her first mission aboard the Skeld, and her heroics concerning the threat of Imposters."
Alyra's eyes widened. "Woooow…" she breathed. She fell upon the book, but Red wasn't quite finished. He drew her gaze up from the pages.
"Now, you too can know what a hero your mother is, how she saved all of Crewmanity, and how much she loves you." Red said, smiling. Nadre blushed.
"I don't know if I'd say all that—" she began, but she felt Coal's hand on her shoulder.
"I would." He said. "Now come on. Let's start this party."
Nadre nodded and smiled, following her daughter back into the house for her birthday.