The Mirror: Matthew's Ship

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The shuttle that took off was guided to the dock of Natthew's ship. They were welcomed off with salutes and hard lined faces, although the welcome party was the only one that seemed so serious. Other Guards and pilots both on duty and off casual strode around, settled down, or chatted with fizzy drinks on their person. A bit came by with washing supplies, but was the unfortunate victim of a flying wrench. It's eye twitching, it keeled over and sparked, the culprit swearing and running over to make sure it was all right before quickly and with much care beginning to guide it to presumably someone who could fix it. The culprit's friend yelled something about reporting her dangerous antics to higher ups and harming a fellow member. The distraction was quickly interrupted by the all too serious escort leader. "Welcome." They all stood a little straighter when they spotted Inari. "Matthew and his guest, Hytar is waiting to see you in the office."

Asher looked at Starr worriedly. He hoped she would only experiment on consenting test subjects from now on, at least. "My three laws were removed a few months ago," he told Hytar, "Now I'm free to make my own choices."

"Removed?" Hytar leaned forward, studying Asher critically. "How isss that possssible? the terransss inssssissst their lawssss are.. how did they put it Matthew... infallible and un-hackable?" He chuckled. "Typical terran hubrisss. But who would want to free an android?"

"People who aren't comfortable with slavery." Esk shrugged.

Hytar smiled oddly at Esk. "You talk an awful lot."

Esk shrugged again. "you asked."

"That I did." Hytar chuckled. "Ssstill, ssssuch an achievement. The impossssible, apparently. Hmmm." He mused, trying to figure out if there was any potential profit, either monitary or powerwise in this information.

"I was fortunate enough to meet someone with the skill and motivation to do it," Asher said. "It's very possible to remove the laws, it just isn't easy." Best to not say who had done it, he decided. He didn't know these people well enough to entirely trust them. "Nobody's found out how to free androids in this universe, then?"

"not that I know of. Ssstill, knowing it'ssss doable... " Hytar smiled to himself.

Esk looked suspicious.

"oh relax boy, we help sssslavesss here. ssspeaking of which." He set his glass down. "do we have a lisssst of our new refugeesss? I'm curioussss. ssseeemssss they captured a few of our comradesss in armsss mmm Matthew?" He smiled to Luka specifically. "I do hope you weren't too badly hurt by it all my dear. Sssatare underground yesss? You and your partner could be very ussseful."

Luka bowed her head. "If we had a ship, we would be more than willing and able to take up our positions once more. Any who can prove their value and are willing to work hard are welcome in the Empire, we've resettled many refugees over the years. "

"Yesss, a very active group you all are. Ssso much sssso ssslavers have taken to hunting you down." Hytar shook his head.

"Well, a low profile was never something we thought we needed previously. Any who cross our borders will be defended, but as our borders become more hemmed in by the terrans expanding empire, it's become harder to police and harder to protect." Luka looked glum. "Our ideals of freedom and autonomy above all else offend these people, we stand united against their trafficking and have driven them underground to avoid detection in several sectors. They hate us, but we are many and united and the slavers are... well. not so good at sharing." She smiled softly.

Hytar chuckled. "Another example of being too bussssy fighting one another to sssee the advantage of cooperation. Blessss sssshort ssssighted greed and ssselfishness, it makessss our jobssss far easssier."

"It would be nice if androids here could experience freedom someday," Asher said with a nod. "Vestia, can you transmit a list of your passengers to this ship, please?"

"Yes sir," Vestia said. She'd beam over the information.

"It's good of your empire to try and protect these people," Asher told Luka, "What the Terran Empire allows here is horrible."

mirror luka nodded. "It is only right to fight against their tyranny. We couldn't hope to be moral good people if we sat idly by and let others suffer. We believe in freedom of body, of mind, of spirit above all things. My duplicate it seems has a similar belief, though interpreted in a slightly less altruistic manner." She shook her head. "live free or die trying I believe was how she put it. I would prefer to believe there is hope even in servatude. After all, you and your friends came and rescued us did you not?"

"you're not gonna start claiming it's all fate or some shit are you?" Esk muttered.

"Not at all Mr Freidman, but there is always hope even in the darkest days. " Luka smiled softly.

Esk glared at her and snorted.

Asher nodded. "It's important to not give up, whether that means keeping hope, or staying angry, or something else." He shrugged, "Making freedom or death be the only two options means giving up much sooner, right? Which means you'll be dead, and notever be free again. Hope may seem silly, but it has its uses."

"Depends on whether you think of death as a form of freedom." Esk shrugged.

"How very morbid you all are." Hytar chuckled.

"Hey, not saying I want to die. Just, there's far worse things that can happen to you than getting killed." Esk spoke flatly. "I mean, what do you care? you're dead. Death is only scary the people left behind. To the dead person? What difference does it make to them? they just stop existing, big whoop? Given the choice of nothing or an uncertain forever in pain and misery, quite a lot of people will chose death."

"We're getting off topic." Stellan mumbled.

Esk nodded. "yeah. "

"I see your point," Asher said. He had waaay too many plans to choose death for himself, but he could see why others might prefer a more certain way out. "Yes, we are rather off topic. Perhaps we should discuss some of the refugees' needs now?"

Matthew had been listening intently, before they returned their focus, and he clapped loudly, holding up his glass and bouncing onto the table. His deep blue coat sway in his movements. "Yes! To do or not to do! To be or not to be! That is the questions we all ask!" He began to pace the table, his feet elegantly dodging the food plates. "I myself, choose to do and to be until my dying breath rests before my comrades' charge. Here's the usual procedures; We identify the refugees, they decide if they are more comfortable returning home or not, and if not, they are welcome to live under isolated colonies controlled by the Family, which essentially leave them be other than to guard they and gauge the economy. Be it may," he shot down his drink as he continued to pace, "We first make sure these men and women have been recorded in our social securities, in case there is a repeating incident. After that, they are free to romp and wish as they please. Tally ho, I say! We have found our quarry -- or has it, they have found us!"

Asher watched the man, rather impressed by his ability to not break things in his parade across the table. The guy was certainly quite something to watch, even if his words could be somewhat difficult to make sense of at times. "That sounds reasonable," he said, smiling. "Do you wish to have a look at the information Vestia sent over? She'll have given you a list of both the crew and the refugees."

(If only prime Matt2 was this flamboyant.)

Matthew clapped his hands again, looking very pleased. "Delightful, dear android, delightful! Those documents will be quite artsy in our endeavors! Make things as run as smooth as your oiled gears!"

(He's awesome omg)

Asher struggled a bit to figure out what that exactly meant. It sounded like Matthew approved of his idea at least, so that was good. He nodded, pleased. "We have a few refugees who have special needs. You don't object to people with unusual dietary requirements, I hope?" he asked.

Starr looked to Matthew as he paraded around then looked back to the screen again, staying quiet for the moment.

"If I thought dietary needs were a problem, I wouldn't be in my occupation with my shipmates! No qualm, no qualm! Only joyous freedoms! Cheers!" He poured another drink, downing that too. What a liver!

"That's good. A few of them are hemovores, and we want to ensure their safety, since some people aren't especially friendly toward such beings," Asher said, choosing to not mention their species' healing ability for the moment.

"Oh! So is our doctor! Doctor Marcus!" Matthew giggled. "They are safe here!"

Well that was a relief. With the way some species were the same and others were completely different, it was hard to know who was okay with what here. "Very good," Asher said. "Are there any questions we should answer for you?"

"Yes!" Matthew pointed a finger quickly at Asher in a matter-of-fact tone. "Why are there doubles of you all? Strange, very strange indeed."

Asher chuckled. Yeah, that was a valid question. "You've heard of Creators, the godlike beings with incredible powers? One of our crew angered one of them. The Creator sent us here to punish him for his lack of respect. We come from another universe, a sort of mirror of this one where people look the same but everyone's lives are very different. It's all very complicated and sounds slightly ridiculous."

"Interesting, interesting..." Matthew began to brood, hopping off the table and flopping uncerimoniously into his chair, leaning back and placing a clasped pair of intertwined hands on his lips in thought.

Asher nodded in agreement and stayed quiet, letting Matthew ponder this.

Hytar didn't really react as Matthew jumped onto the table. Looked like he was somewhat used to this behaviour, he looked slightly bored more than anything else.

He took the bottle as Matthew made his second parade back and poured himself a new drink.
PIcking up a tablet with his free hand and browsing through the list of names.

"Another universsse?" He looked at the group curiously. "Here I wasss assssuming it wassss ssssome sssort of convention." He smiled.

Esk snorted.

Stellan nodded. "They are us, but they are not us. It is extremely confusing."

"ssooo he is you and you are he?" Hytar pointed from Stellan to Esk and back. "and ssshe is ssshe... " the saras "and he." Rigel.
"how very interessssting." He ignored Matthew's parading. "you sssay you hurt people with a touch yesss?" He asked Esk.

Esk nodded.

"like the celesssstialssss?"

Esk frowned. "I have no idea. I've never met a celestial. My father does it and so can I." He shrugged. Yeah he wasn't about to mention his lack of control.

Hytar nodded slowly. "mmm.. sssoundssss like your universssse hasss thingsss all backwardsss. "

"Or this universe does. " Another shrug. "In our universe the Imperium are warmongers, the terrans are generally completely harmless, you're an asshole, my brother is pathetic and the family are a bunch of psychos. Fun times right?"

Hytar chuckled. "The boy amusssesss me. Ssssuch a way with wordssss."

Esk glowered.

"If.. I may contact some of my comrades back in the resistance, they may be able to help relocating some of the refugees." Luka spoke up.




Esk watched matthew, eugh, the guy was more energetic than a hyperactive toddler, it was exhausting to watch. He was relieved when the man finally sat down.

"And that's why you're here, Miss Inari?" Matthew's smile suddenly split his face again. Inari nodded, "We should find a wormhole any day now..."

"Ah, generous Inari. I'd hate to meet YOUR double~."

"Ah, yes." Inari suddenly glowered, her voice getting a bitter, angry tone. "That greedy selfish little sk-"

"Children, children." Matthew said gently, even if there were no children in the room.

Asher smiled wryly and kept his opinions of the other Inari to himself. He looked at Luka, "That sounds like a good idea, but are you sure you can safely do so? We are in the Sol system, near the center of the Terran Empire. Not the safest place to send communications, I'm sure."

Esk snickered. "You don't wanna meet your double. He's a prick."

Hytar laughed.

Luka smiled softly. "No it's not, but how else do you think we communicate? If Captain Alistair would grant me access to his coms, we could have a small squadron meet us. If we continue to travel with Vestia, she should provide adequate camouflage till we're out of the system." She looked to Matthew. "What ARE you doing so deep into Terran space?"

That sounded sensible. A bit risky, but acceptable at least. "I suppose that's a reason to leave Vestia's collar on for a while longer," Asher said reluctantly.