"you, said you were taking us to your ship. But, that circle thing, it was flying. Are we on the ocean now?" Louise asked as she followed behind the lizard creature while supporting Montmorency with an arm and shoulder. Having seen what she did, Montmorency was barely able to walk, and Louise did not blame her.
"An Ocean? Why would . . .right, a ship," the lizard seemed to sigh in realization. As the trio turned down a corner to see a number of metal blades piercing through the ceiling, with a strange bluish light shining down through a hole between the blades. " I'm, not sure how to explain this to you, so it will probably be easier to simply show you. We just need to wait for-"
"No need to wait, for I am here."
Montmorency and Louise turned to the sudden female sounding voice and found themselves taken a step back involuntarily. There, having come up the hall behind them was nothing less than a full sized bear walking on its hind legs, and carrying some kind of object in its hands. And not only that, it was wearing what looked like armored pants and a vest as well!
"Ah good, Did Emden head back already?" The lizard asked in a oddly friendly manner.
"Yes the bucket of bolts already went back to the ship. Took all the important computer data and gear it could carry," The bear spoke up, making it clear that the bear had a very feminine sounding voice. Despite being a bear.
"Then we are done here, yes?" The lizard asked casually.
"Yep, the others are just checking for anything else. Ill stay here to watch them while you head over first, then I'll send the over to you," the bear replied.
"Good, Alright little ones, what I am about to do is perfectly safe. Marila will stay here with you, and then you will follow behind me. Okay?" The lizard said toward the two girls.
"What exactly are you doing?" Louise asked instantly. "What are you wanting us to do?"
"Returning to our ship," The lizard said a he walked over and into the beam of light. He then hopped up, but instead of coming down he floated in the air for a second, then floated upwards out of sight.
"Don't worry, it is perfectly safe, the female bear, apparently called Marila, said in a warm tone that was made distinctly less safe sounding by the way her maw smiled and showed off her teeth. "Simply walk into the beam and jump up, and you will be brought over to our ship."
"I, I'm not stepping into that alone," Montmorency said meekly, still tryign to hide behins Louise to middling effect.
"That is fine, you can go through it together," The bear said with a nod.
"Can, can we trust you?" Louise asked carefully.
"you can. I know you have been through a lot. But I promise we will do our best to make things make sense to you and explain everything to the best of our abilities."
Louise stared at the bear for long minute before sighing. "Alright, I'll trust you both. C'mon Montorency," Louise said as she gently held Montmorency's hand and led her into the beam of light. Stepping into it, it felt like nothing, not even sunlight hitting them, and it was made even weirder when she looked straight up and all she could see was a light far above her.
"Oh, before you jump. Don't keep your eyes closed as you go up. The view is amazing and you would regret not seeing it," the bear suddenly spoke up.
"Uhm, okay?"
"Good. Well, jump whenever you are ready."
Louise paused and looked to Montmorency, her grip on her hand tightening. "Ready?"
Montmorency very slowly nodded her head.
Louise, figuring that would the best she'd get, nodded and then hopped into the air, finding herself to be held up by some unseen force. It felt very similar to being levitated by magic but felt, different somehow. A second later Montmorency followed suit, an the two of them began to lift up into the air, into the hole in the ceiling. They were surrounded by layers and layers of dark metal for a few seconds, and then they broke free of it, and both girls could only stare wide dyes and mouths agape at what they saw around them.
For surrounding them was the night sky without a moon. Everywhere they looked was the darkness of the night with hundreds upon hundreds of beautiful pinpricks of lights. So many stars they could even begin to count them all, and among the stars great distant clouds of vibrant colors so bright and impressive that even the greatest magic would be hard pressed to emulate it. They were so in awe they almost did not look anywhere else, but after a few seconds Louise glanced downward, seeing the form of the great disc that had kidnapped them, and then she looked up and saw an even larges mass. It was shape similarly to a squashed fish, but it was so big she could not even gauge its real size.
Especially as they approached the glowing light on it.
She tightened her grip on Montmorency's hand as they approached the light, it becoming so bright they had difficulty seeing. Then with a flash of light, they both found themselves floating up into a room. It was as large as the academies main hall and made of dark metal walls and floors. Numerous creator, some more horrific looking than others, were wandering around carrying boxes, and nearby, standing beside a silver colored circular platform was the lizard from before.
And beside him a human wit dark hair tied into a ponytail who was standing causally in an outfit that looked reminiscent of a uniform of some kind.
"A real person, thank the Founder," Montmorency said with a relieved sigh as the two girls seemed to float out of the beam of light and onto the silver circular pad before the lizard and human. Montmorency's legs almost failing her as they landed.
"Careful now, we cannot have the two of you girls falling asleep just yet," The man said with a smile, making both girls realize that something was off about him. His skin was very pale, and he had odd lines across his face and arms.
"What?" ?Louise asked, worried about what he meant.
"Well, there are introduction, and making sure you are both healthy after all," the man said with a friendly smile. "I am Musashi, Captain of the Tellicherry, the ship you have now boarded. Now, I know you have many questions, but your health is just as important. So I would like you to follow me so we can speak to the ship doctor and get you looked at. Would that be alright?"
"You're giving us a choice?" Louise asked as se glanced to the side. She could tell that all the creature in the room were watching what was going on, and judging from their sizes, neither her or Montmorency stood a chance if they chose to do something to them.
"Yes. You have both clearly been through a lot at the hands of the greys, and while I do wish for your health's to be confirmed, you may, understandably believe that answers to whatever questions you may have to be more important," Musashi explained in a quite reasonable manner.
"I . . Louise, what do we do?" Montmorency asked as he eyes darted side to side at the various creature nearby watching, clearly finding them to be unnerving at best.
"I . . . I thank you for saving us and, I want to believe you do want to help us," Louise began to say before swallowing. " is there, a way that both our questions, and this doctor, could look at us at once?"
"There is, yes," Musashi said with a smile. "Come, I shall lead you to the infirmary myself and we can speak while he good doctor looks you over."
Louise simply nodded as she, and Montmorency beside her, followed Musashi out of the large room and into hallways of metal. Unlike the gray ship, the walls and floors were not all the same color, nor as smooth. The floor was an odd metal plate filled with holes all over it that was slightly raised off the floor itself, and the walls looked rough in many places. The lighting in the halls ere also not inset globes of light, but narrow tube-like lamps of some kind that lined the wall at regular intervals.
They went down the halls, much further than they had in the other ship, taking turns that seemed to go around closed rooms and doors at no sensible distance, but eventually they came upon a door that was different than all the others. Instead of being simple a unassuming, it looked like it was made of a white metal frame, and the rest made of a glass that looked like it was containing fog and was unable to be seen through.
"Here we are, the infirmary," Musashi said as he tapped a strange glasslike square on the wall, causing the door to very suddenly and silently slide into the wall revealing a room of clean white tile floor and walls. Stepping inside they found that along the left wall were a number of bed and strange metal and glass tubes, while along the opposite right wall were a number of strange metal boxes and various apparatus which they could not even begin to fathom.
Ultimately though what truly caught the girls attentions was the creature standing in the infirmary room. It was a creature whose limbs and head looked like some oversized insects, and despite wearing a long white coat its strange head horrified both girls and made them take steps back toward the doorway
Only for Montmorency to step back into Musashi.
"hmm, something wrong?"
"Th-that, what is that!" Montmorency asked as she pointed at the bipedal bug thing.
"Hmm, oh, right, your culture wouldn't-" Musashi said before sighing. "You both don't need to be afraid. This is Jarskat, our resident doctor. Jar, these are the primitive abductee's we have saved that you wanted to gibe them a look over," Musashi continued to only stop and sigh again. "Blast, I am sorry girls, I have forgotten to ask your names. Very rude f me, I apologize."
"No, it, its fine, this is, just a lot for us," Louise said carefully, eyes, never leaving the bug thing that just stood there. "it's, able to talk right?"
"Yes, I am little humans, " The bug thing said, its tone having a number of clicks and scraping noises within its words, but still somehow sounding quit smooth and calm. I am doctor Jarskal, and with your permissions I would like to make sur your bodies are healthy and you are not harmed any more than you seem to have been. I will also be able to tell what the grey's did to yourselves as well. If you allow it."
"You can find out, what those things did to us?" Louise asked warily.
"I can, yes," Jarskat replied with a nod of its horrifying head.
Louise was silent as she stared at the creature for a moment and then took a single step forward. "Alright, what do I have to do?"
"What!? Louie, have you lost your mind?" Montmorency asked in shock. " We, we have no idea if we can trust these things!"
"They saved us, and have been more than forthcoming about what they want from us in return for helping us so far," Louise said as she took another step forward. "Trust is earned, and we have to start somewhere."
"But, but their not human!"
"And neither are a good number of the nobility," Louise said sourly.
Montmorency looked conflicted for a moment before grumbling under her breath, though she was not quiet about it. "If they kill or enslave us, I'll haunt you into the afterlife."
"That's fine, if we die I could use the company," Louise said grimly.
Something the insect doctor noticed. "Now now, there's no need to be grim, I shall not do anything untoward your bodies, this I promise," he said as he walked over to two glass and metal tubes in the wall and touched some panels, causing the glass to slide into them and disappear. "All I need you both to do is strip and step into these pods, and I will be able to ascertain your health, and what was done to you."
"You want us to get naked?!" Montmorency nearly screamed.
"Yes. That is what the Biopod requires. Why would you-"
"You must remember that humans normally have a stigma against being seen in the nude,"Musashi spoke up, answering Jarskat's question before it was even said. He then looked at the girls. "You do not need to worry, most races do not have any form of feelings towards others, and I myself have no interest in women. Jarskat will be perfectly professional, as will I."
"I, I-"
"Alright, fine," Louise said as she reached up and simply pulled off the cloak like covering she had been wearing. And to her and Montmorency's surprise the reaction from Musashi was not to stare with lust or anything like that. But instead his expression turned to one of pity. "Lets get this over with."