Wooo, nother chap. Yeah…. I'll try to get more chapters up before I head back to school. But not sure. Lol, we'll have to see. This is a huge chapter though so I'll have to see how fast I can get this one done. It was about maybe five fully written pages so I don't know how much it will be typed and when I add more it will be very long.
Words- Regular speech
Words- Thoughts
Words- Chapters and changes
(Words)- Bez speech
Chapter 32—Yes, time shifts forward, duh…—
Narrator's P.O.V….
Wren started to sip at a cup of hot chocolate as she sat down at her desk in her room. She picked up a view screen and sat down her drink with a click. Sighing she tapped the screen to reveal work orders and statistics. Another tap revealed a map of what area they had already been through and what space had already been explored by the Irken Empire.
"Can this get any harder?" she muttered with another heavy sigh.
A ting of someone at the door proved that it could get harder and get worse.
"Come in!" Wren said wishing she could beat her head off her desk.
The door slid open to show one very tired looking Rachel. The look on her face showed something was up and it wasn't pleasant. Wren motioned for her to sit at a seat that was on the other side of the desk. She took the offer with a sigh.
"Ok Rachel. Spill it," Wren said bringing her cup to her lips with a small frown on her face.
"I'm just tired is all," Rachel replied, "I haven't been getting a lot of sleep lately."
Wren rubbed the bridge of her nose. Her bangs fell into her face with a light swish as her ears flipped back. "Life, gods do I hate it," she muttered.
They sat in silence for a while just enjoying the quiet. They hadn't really had this sort of peace for a while worrying about how they were going to run the ship and the crew.
It had been about three months since they left the Irken Armada behind along with Rachel's near death experience. Bez had grown almost overnight as there were at least three and a half new decks added. The green house part of the ship grew as well as the mess hall. The cargo holds that had almost been nonexistent had grown immensely. Being located in the feet and a little on the tail meant that the ship had expanded a lot. There were also small ships within the bays which was a step up from what they had before which was nothing.
The crew loved the space and ease that everything flowed in. Already two smeets, baby Irkens, were being thought of. Amazingly to the Irkens the young were going to be born the very natural way. It had been centuries since that had ever happened. It was going to be a completely new experience seeing as the only experience the Irkens had with natural birth were just text and computer simulations.
Nothing had really gone wrong with Bez or the crew as of yet. There was the exception of James and Rachel though. They seemed to be communicating less and less these days. Zim also seemed a little more distant than usual.
Rachel smiled at Wren. "Thinking about the past few weeks?"
Wren smiled back, "Of course I am, when do I not? We've been through a helluva lot. It's changed us all."
"It has, hasn't it?" Rachel said with a small frown. "I don't know if the change has been for the best though."
"Anything from James? He hasn't even looked at me for the past month." Wren said shifting things around on her desk. "I'm not sure what his problem is with me."
Rachel sighed, "I think it's finally gotten to him about you being Captain. I believe he thinks he can take charge of the ship better than you could."
Wren frowned sharply. "I barely take charge. Bez does it more than I do. I just keep the crew straight and I have to have everyone help me constantly. You help a lot and so does Zim when I can talk to him, or when he'll talk to me at least. Oddly I don't do a lot. Just give a few orders."
"He wants to be the one to give the orders," Rachel said softly. "He never wanted to take orders."
Wren leaned back in her chair propping her pawed feet up on the desk. She steepled her fingers under her chin, "I know he never wanted to. But he has to deal with it. I'm not going to give him more command just because he's unhappy with how I run things. I consult him often; I've consulted you and Zim often too. I take everyone's opinion highly and I thought I was doing a good job at what I do."
"I think you are, I wouldn't want all the responsibility that you have," Rachel said herself leaning back in her chair and throwing her arm over the back, she threw one leg over the arm and rested that way. "James just thinks differently."
"He'll have to suck it up," Wren growled. "He's just being childish in his thinking."
Rachel sat silent for a moment before standing. "I should get to the bridge. I'm due for my turn as look out. I'll talk to you soon, kay?"
Wren nodded with a frown still on her face. It got less strained when she looked at her friend before her, "Okay. Don't take James' crap long. You don't deserve how you're being treated Rachel. Stick up for yourself. Throw him out of your room if you have to."
She didn't answer but nodded absently before leaving Wren's personal office which was part of the new addition as well. Wren sighed heavily after a few moments of thinking to herself about the predicament with James and Rachel. The thoughts trailed off to about Zim, which made her frown even more. Only becoming more annoyed with the trail of thoughts that were trailing through her head Wren stood up. She almost stormed out of her quarters.
She walked aimlessly around Bez until she came to the private mess hall for the officers. The room was empty by the looks of it. All the lights were at their lowest to conserve the energy for the rest of the ship. The stars from outside the windows though reflected beautifully into the room. Walking over to the windows she glanced out at the vastness of space.
Wren wrapped her arms around herself and sighed. Old fears were coming back a little stronger than they had been in a while.
"Anything wrong Grashe?" a voice asked she knew quite well.
Wren turned with a small smile thinking that it was amazing that she didn't sense his coming into the room or up behind her.
Wren's P.O.V….
"Is Grashe my pet name now?" I asked smiling at Zim.
"It might be," Zim replied with a smile of his own, hand in his pocket. He came to stand by me, "You look depressed, and is anything wrong?"
"I'm just tired is all Zim," I sighed hating using the same excuse Rachel gave me when I had asked her the same question. My tail flicked back and forth several times before finally settling still.
"You sure you're just tired?" he asked looking at me out of the corner of his eye.
I only gave a nod in return not wanting to give much away. We were silent for a few moments before it started to eat away at me. My conscience gnawed away at my resistance until I finally broke.
"Maybe it's not just that I'm tired Zim. I'm actually very worried," I murmured not trusting my voice and not removing my gaze from the window afraid that I would lose my nerve if I turned my gaze to him. I sighed again and closed by eyes turning my face away from him. "I'm worried about Rachel, she seems so distant from me. She will not talk about what is bothering her at all and she used to tell me everything. James seems to always be in a bad mood all the time and hasn't spoken to me in about a month. I know he wanted command of the ship but I am instead of him. I think he resents me for the decision that was made. We can't do anything about that now though. Bez seems to like me as Captain and in charge. I don't think that he'd let anyone else be Captain unless I wasn't worthy of this position. I really don't know about all of this anymore. I don't know if I can handle so much stress."
A pair of arms wrapped around my waist and a chin rested on my shoulder. I felt Zim nuzzle my neck once before speaking. "Wren, it's ok. Everything will work out alright. We've come this far, too far in fact, to give up now."
I felt myself tense for only a split second before I melted into him just as quickly. I didn't realize just how much I missed him being so near. For some odd reason he was the only other person besides Rachel on this ship that I could relax this much around.
Zim's P.O.V….
Wren started to relax in my grip and I let out a silent sigh of relief.
"I just don't know though," she spoke softly.
"We'll work everything out. Trust me. James will just have to get over everything. You know Bez more than he does and he has no right to try and take that away from you," I said as I pulled her closer to me. I closed my eyes as I buried my face into her hair as she entwined her fingers with my claws as they rested on her stomach.
It all grew quiet again as I stood there holding her my face buried in her hair and her head lightly resting on mine. I didn't know how long we stood there but I knew I enjoyed having her so close and I missed having her this close. I had been trying to keep my distance because I knew what I was feeling for her just wasn't right. That it wouldn't work out between us because we were too different, too alien to each other.
The silence was broken though as Wren started to giggle. I looked up and caught her reflection in the glass. For a split second I saw how different we were but my attention drew to her face.
"Eh?" I asked puzzled and raised a brow in question.
"I'm sorry, but it's GIR. He's making faces behind us and he's making me giggle," she said doing just that, the light that had gone dim these last few flins coming back like fire.
I smiled and caught a glimpse of my SIR in the window behind us. He was making faces and sticking his tongue out at our backs. He started to giggled and ran out the door when he caught me looking at him.
I shook my head and gave a dramatic sigh. "Why is it that I can't get away from that little pest?" I rested my head onto her shoulder with another sigh. "I shall forever be cursed to be followed by him!"
Wren started to giggle again and rested her cheek against the top of my head. "What would you do without it though?" she asked.
"Good question," I replied without looking up. "I'd probably be sane."
I could feel her smile as it grew wider. I could feel her warm breath brush against my antenna and I smiled as well.
"What's the point of sanity?" she asked in a whisper. "If we were completely sane would we be here now, like this, on a ship in the middle of space?"
I lifted my head slowly. I nuzzled her cheek lightly. "I really don't know," I whispered back.
She detangled our fingers to turn in my grip to look at me. My breath caught in my chest and throat as I looked into her eyes which were a beautiful green that rivaled many skin tones of the Irkens on board. And even though her back was to the windows, I swore I could see the stars in her eyes. My mind went blank as I lost myself in those changing eyes.
Narrator's P.O.V….
Zim and Wren stood there only for a moment more. That moment seemed stretched into an eternity. He brought a hand up to brush a thumb across Wren's cheek. Almost as if in slow motion Zim started to lean down as if to kiss Wren. Wren's eyes began to close, anticipating her first kiss.
That is until red lights and an emergency siren went off.
Zim growled startled out of the moment and rested his head on Wren's shoulder once again. Wren started laughing and pulled a muttering, cursing Zim to the Emergency chutes. She hit the button for the bridge and grabbed the bar above the chute entrance. With her other hand she rested it on Zim's right cheek as she kissed the other before jumping into the chute. The Irken's frown turned into a small smile as he leapt in after her.
Rachel's P.O.V….
I was on the bridge of the ship when one of the crew who were on the scanners reported a ship near by. Being an unidentified ship I called for a red alert and more scans of the ship. Only a few moments later Wren and a slightly annoyed Zim came through the emergency chute.
"What the hell is it this time?" Zim growled out taking his seat. "Because I'll kill them if I can."
I looked at Zim and blinked then looked at Wren.
She smiled and giggled a little, "Don't ask."
She plopped down with a grin in her chair and started to bark out orders. Zim was at the scanners doing his job. But I noticed that James hadn't shown up on the bridge yet. I frowned as I took my seat. This had gone on too long. I wasn't going to stand for his crap. This was going to change but right now I had a job to do.
"Any life forms reading on the scanners?" Wren asked.
"No ma'am, no life forms."
"Mechanical?"
"Yes, one. A SIR unit."
"A SIR unit? Is it dangerous or not? Can we even tell that?" Wren asked with a frown. "And why is it on that ship? That doesn't even look remotely Irken in nature but I haven't seen many Irken ships."
"It isn't one I've seen," Zim said. "And I have no clue if it's dangerous or not. It's not really moving though."
Wren sat there and tapped her chin for a moment while lightly biting her bottom lip. Her eyes flashed from me to Zim and back. "My curiosity is getting the best of me," she said. "Does anyone know what build that ship is?"
"Well, it could be an Irken vessel. Maybe…" another Irken on the bridge said uncertainly. "I'm not sure because it looks a little like a really, really old model of one of our ships. But it must have been changed a good bit. Modified to the point where no one can recognize it."
Wren nodded as if agreeing with them. She ran a hand through her hair as if thinking about something. "Ok, so we don't know if that robot on the ship is dangerous. We don't even know who that ship belongs to. I'll take an away…no… more like boarding team to see what's on that ship."
"But ma'am! You can't do that!" someone started to say.
Wren shot him a look and stood up. "I can't? Like hell I can't. I'm not some little prissy Captain that can't do anything. I'm going to face the same danger my crew does. We're going over there but I'm going too."
"Don't even try to fight her," I said with a shake of my head. "I'll go with her and take two others with us or more. Zim should come so we'll need someone to stay here because James is going to be completely worthless right now. That should work, shouldn't it?"
The crew nodded a little dejectedly.
"Ok then. You two," Wren said pointing to two weapons people at the helm. "Get to the ship bay and get the ship ready. Prepare for the unexpected too."
They saluted and nodded before dashing out to the lift.
"I'll go get ready," I said and walked toward the lift. "I'll meet you guys in the bays soon."
Moments later….
I had just finished sealing my suit in the room when James came in. He went to the kitchen right away without looking at me. He finally spoke when I placed the Irken made pac securely onto my suit, allowing it to attach itself securely and adjust.
"Where are you going?" he asked looking up at me while pouring some tea into a cup.
"You'd know if you would have came to the bridge," I calmly answering him. "But since you didn't I guess I will have to tell you."
I started on a last check of my suit before answering. "We came across a ship with one mechanical life form on it. Wren, Zim, two other crew members and I are going to check it out."
"Oh, ok," he said and went back to doing what had had started in the kitchen.
My head shot up from checking the security of a belt, "Thanks for the concern dripping from your words. You could have at least cared and told me 'good luck and don't get hurt.' But you stand there like I'm just going for a walk in the greenhouse!"
James looked up at me again. "You're point?"
I snarled and stalked over to the kitchen. "My point is that we are dating James. You just don't seem to care anymore!"
"Maybe I don't, I have a few things on my mind," he said calmly and coldly.
"So you have too much on your mind to worry about me?" I snapped.
"Yes, I have a lot on my mind," he snapped back.
"I'm not worth noticing now? Too much on your mind to care about me?"
"I never said that!"
"Like hell you didn't! That is basically what you said. If you have been too busy, fine! I'll help you concentrate," I growled, "Bez, can you do me a favor?"
(As long as doesn't involve killing anyone, I can help,) Bez replied quietly.
"It doesn't involve killing anyone, actually Bez. Can you move all of my things to another room? I don't wish to bother or distract James anymore," I said sickly sweet before turning to leave.
(Are you sure,) Bez asked quietly.
"Yes, I'm completely sure," I replied and started to walk out the door.
"Bez, cancel that order," James barked. "What do you think you are doing?" he asked me sharply.
I turned to him and glared, "I'm letting you concentrate! Apparently I'm distracting you."
"You are not!"
"As Wren would say, screw you. I'm through with this," I snarled and turned to go again.
James grabbed my arm roughly and started to spin me around. I surprised him when, despite my height, I slapped him hard enough to surprise him. "James, it is over. Never touch me again. Since I seem to distract you, this is most likely the best that that could ever happen between us."
With that I walked out and never looked back. I wouldn't let myself cry over him.
Wren's P.O.V….
I stood there on the holding bay for the ships as Zim helped me with my pac. He was checking and rechecking the connections. Rachel came into the room in a huff. Anger was almost radiating off of her in waves and tears were in the corners of her eyes.
"Uh oh," I murmured.
Zim looked up with at me then to Rachel with a frown. "Is everything ok with her?" he asked quietly as he tightened a strap on my suit.
"By the looks of it, no," I replied. "Are you done yet?"
"Yes," he replied a little undignified at the whine in my voice and standing. "Go help Rachel with her's now and see if you can find out what's wrong."
"Yes sir," I said with a cocky grin and headed toward Rachel after giving his chin a nudge with my nose. I jogged over to Rachel and she looked up at me with tears threatening to fall. "Oh Rachel, what's wrong?" I murmured resting a hand on her arm.
"Nothing," she muttered and wiped her eyes furiously.
"Don't lie to me Rachel, what's wrong?"
"I had a fight with James."
I raised a brow and frowned. "That's not all huh?" I asked and started to check her suit over.
"Why do you want to know?" she snapped.
"Because I'm your damned friend and since I've got cat in me now, I'm curious as all hell. But the friend in me is worried about you," I said tightening a strap.
"Fine, if you have to know. I broke up with James." She hissed, almost sobbing.
I stopped tightening a strap midway to give her a look, "You've got to be shitting me," I asked.
"I'm not, ok?" Rachel said wiping her face trying not to let the tears show. "Are you done questioning me now?"
I only nodded silently and finished tightening the straps on her suit. I got up and my com beeped from my wrist. I tapped it lightly, "Wren here, what do you have for me?"
"Ma'am, we found a life sign. It is very, very faint but it's there. That's why we didn't find it before in our initial scan," the voice of one of the crew said.
"Then we need to get there fast," I said. "Never know if they're one of ours or not. Good job Verg."
I tapped a few buttons on my com badge while heading over to the ship. "Med bay, be on the ready. There is a life form on the ship that's pretty weak. We have no clue what's wrong with them but be ready for anything," I said as I stepped onto the ship.
"Ma'am, yes ma'am," came the reply.
I tapped the collar of my suit. The suit's collar reacted and adapted into a helmet that would allow me to breath in any situation. "Let's get this show on the road guys," I ordered.
Moments Later….
We had just docked with the other ship and were going over precautions about how to act and what to do on the ship. We slowly made our way onto the almost empty ship our weapons at the ready. One of the officers stated that the air was quiet low and it was pointless to take our helmets off. And there was too much bad air to even trust the air if there were enough for us to breath.
While heading down a hallway we came to a door. I motioned for everyone to halt. Opening the door manually with force I had to have Zim help me. I glanced in and paused confused.
"One million nine hundred ninety-nine thousand, nine hundred and ninety-five, one million nine hundred ninety-nine thousand, nine hundred and ninety-six," something counted from inside the room.
I raised a brow as I spotted a maroon colored SIR unit with ribbons around its antennas. It had pink eyes and a brown yellow headband with a peace sign on it. The SIR was playing with a paddle ball toy in zero gravity.
"Alrighty then…." I muttered.
"I have never seen a SIR like that," Zim said taking a look at it himself.
Suddenly the SIR grew quite and threw the paddle ball. She started to pout. "I lost count!" it whined. Then it looked up at us and squealed, "Hey! I know you!" She squealed happily and tackled me.
I fell into Zim and blinked at the thing clutching my chest. "Do I know you?"
"Yes!" it squealed again. "Where have you been? I missed you!"
I raised a brow again, "And who are you again?"
"Katie silly! Well CADIE now. C-A-D-I-E," she spelled out.
"Katie? How the hell did you get into a SIR's body?" Rachel asked.
"I dunno. But I like it. It's so cool!" she squealed.
"Ok..." Rachel said.
"What exactly does CADIE stand for?" I asked.
"Corruption and destruction intimidation entity," she replied matter-o-factly.
"Ok, that makes a little sense," I muttered. I pried her off my chest and looked her in the eye, "CADIE, is there anyone else on here too?"
She paused and blinked at me for a moment before nodding. She leapt out of my hands and scampered away to point at a door. "Yep, he is an awesome person to talk to, though he kicked me out about two days ago. I'm really worried about him," she replied, then frowned. "I think we ran out of supplies yesterday."
We went into action quickly. I sent Rachel back to the ship to be ready to take off. I brushed my hand across the screen of the room and blinked at the form in the other room. A force field was in the way of us getting to the person inside the other room. At least he was smart enough make sure the unit couldn't get into the room. I shrugged and started to see if I could get into the roof.
Narrator's P.O.V….
He was grumbling, yes grumbling, as he walked down one of the corridors that made up Bez's inner structure. He still couldn't believe Rachel picked her over him. Even after weeks of thinking about it, it still bugged the hell out of him. By now though it was more than a slight irritation. He was, more pissed off than anything now. And for that little bitch to slap him and move out of their room. How dare she?
She didn't believe in him enough to take on the responsibility of the ship. Well fine by him
But it should be him the crew solely looked to for answers. Him to lead them into battle, to celebrate victory with.
Maybe, he could still be Captain of Bez… He could make it look like an accident or something. Or he could…
(I would not finish that thought if I were you,) Bez growled within his mind. (And I'm giving you the option since Rachel still has such strong feeling for you to both leave the ship and never come back. Or I can kill you right now. Because I will not have you harm Wren.)
"And what would you do if I did try something?" James asked silently clenching his fist at his side and a scowl running across his face.
(You James, do not want to find that out,) Bez growled deeply enough that James could feel it through the soles of his feet.
He sneered as he turned on his heel. Who needed this when he was perfectly fine on his own. He didn't even need that traitor who chose someone else over him.
Later….
The med team was waiting when they got back and took the very limp form of the human from the others. The person was still in the suit for safety reasons. The gender was male from the info of the maroon SIR CADIE.
Zim and Wren headed toward the bridge while Rachel when to the crew showers not trusting her own at the moment. She was unwilling to go back to the room that she had once shared with James.
(Rachel, I have something to tell you,) Bez said.
"What is it?" she asked letting the shower water wash over her. "Did GIR steal my cloths again?"
(No, it's not that,) he said quietly. (You didn't have your com on a few minutes ago so you didn't get the message.)
"What was the message?" she asked while turning in the shower letting the spray hit her back.
Bez seemed to hesitate. Rachel frowned at that. "What was the message Bez?" she asked aloud.
(James is gone. He left on one of the ships that was in the docking bay not too long after your team left for the other ship,) he said quietly.
OMG, that was bloody long. Eleven pages bloody long and over four thousand words. I hope that you enjoyed it though. This was a chapter that had a lot happen and I'm sorry for the cliffy. Please though, review. I enjoy reviews greatly and I do try to get chapters out faster if I have reviews.