"I hate this." Cat spoke those words for the tenth time in a row as she wrote out basic information across a page. Jake stood holding a small curved screen against the back of her head that connected to a second screen strapped to his arm and a small round pad on her neck.
"All you're doing is writing out basic information." Jake replied calmly, Tate always compared him to a therapist in many ways.
"Its stupid. I know all this stuff." Cat impatiently bickered back with narrowing eyes towards the half filled paper.
"I know. You're supposed to. It's to get your brain working." shifting the curved screen slightly further up her head , Jake started reading the readings off of the arm screen. Seemingly ignoring the rude under breath comments that floated from Cat.
Dariks abrupt movement towards Cat almost cost him an arm when Tate grabbed it and she stood with a blade to it, making him regret acting so quickly around the two. Jake almost dropped the scanner as he took several quick steps back.
"The paper." Darik spoke using the calmest voice he could while feeling a blade against he's practically immobilized arm. Internally giving out a sigh as the iron grip on his arm lossed and the blade retracted, the two looking down at what had been written.
Cat had been writing her full name, address, and birthday a full six times, but half way through the seventh and into the eighth had become rows of what legitimately seemed like chicken scratch to both Darik and Tate. Cat herself blinked several times before giving a breathless "what.."
"That's not english." Jake pointed out looking over their shoulders.
"It's not a real language right?" Darik asked towards Tate then Cat.
"I only know a handful of alphabets but nothing like that." Tate admitted looking closer at the orginaily un-impressing paper.
"Did that damn thing zap itself into me?!" Cat suddenly yelled before a sheet of silents could settle.
"I don't think so actually. More like a small portion of it. Best guess it's its own language dictionary from a deep sub part of whatever kind of brain it had." Jake explained.
"So we don't have to worry about her going mech insane on us?" Darik asked planly.
"I didn't notice any personality change." Jake spoke, though looking towards Tate who nodded in agreement, "So.. no we're probably fine."
Cat gave a loud overdramatic groan. "This is bullshit!"
"This is perfect." Jake replied. Earning everyone's attention.
Three hours later Jake almost wished he didn't say anything. He realized then how quickly things could escalate between Cat and Tate.
He had suggested a simple plan of racoon and information gathering.
When the next ship lands Lucy, Tate, and himself could distract the two mechs while Cat and Darik access the empty ship. Cat could read whatever database she could get into, maybe even take a camera with her to record the screens and translate it later.
Almost immediately Tate was opposed to it, sternly explaining that Cat would not be going anywhere near the ship. But without Cat to read the files or control names they could end up setting off weapons or start moving it. A suggestion of having Tate escort Cat onto it was also shot down with certainty. When Cat expressed a want to do it is when things really kicked off. Jake himself couldn't explain it while Darik was already expecting it to sky rocket out of proportion.
"I want to try it."
"You are not going near one of their ships." Tate spoke with such a harshness someone unaware of their relationship would have thought they hated each other.
Cat's face started turning a burning red "I am going in one."
"No You Are Not." Tate said again, just as rough as before.
John had believed it would only evolve into a screaming match but when Cat's hand made contact with Tate's face he realized how wrong he was.
"I'm going. If you don't like it then stay here."
"That's against my duties." Tate spoke with such a heated calmness it made the two onlookers skin crawl.
"I don't care. That's an order."
"I will ignore it and stop you anyway I need to without causing harm."
"I won't be told what I can and can't do by you."
"Maybe we should just-" John's voice was easily overtaken by Tates.
"You know what my duties are. I will do what I need to to keep you out of harm."
"Fuck you." Cat shouted with a howl of anger, before most could process it she had the nearby bedroom door slamming shut with a crinkling crack as the wooden door was momentarily pushed with so much force.