Through the Looking Glass: Chapter Five

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"Oh man, you really did get them!" Ellie looked delighted. "Let's see this movie, guys!" She looked at the androids, "One of them threw a potato chip! I'm so proud!"

Asher handed Esk a container of pills. His pockets were always well stocked. He looked at the androids, amused.

James came over and slapped Asher on the shoulder. "Ready to try and sing Satare musicals? It's gonna be sooo impossible!"

Asher made a face.

Kay nodded [<<extremely>>] He looked to Luka and Quinn, frowning. She was pretty upset about this, he felt a little bad eavesdropping but damn her surface thoughts were loud.
Eugh. He winced a little.

[Quinn, I don't think now is an appropriate time for a political debate regarding our homeworld.] He wrote.

Luka's eyes narrowed.

"you have absolutely no idea what the empire is like, and neither does this Vanessa. " She spoke coldly.

Esk watched her warily, hmm, this should be good.

Matt stood up. "Don't discuss politics, religion... or uh... there's one other one I always forget... but yeah, bad idea... " He sounded worried.

Luka looked to Matt. "tell her she's wrong."

Matt frowned, nodding slowly. "The uh.. the Empire doesn't just deny technology to the Hexenfolke. Melanoc is one of the inner colonies, mostly farming communities and a lot of woods. 98, maybe 99 percent of the population are Satare, my mother was born there, grew up there till she was drafted at 14. They're poor, they work hard, and their tech level is all over the place. We grew up poor even by poor standards, but what I remember of the nearest villages? they have renewable energy, electricity, plumbing and sanitation but they don't have trucks, or cars... The kids from the village were as terrified of the trucks and the space craft and my brothers and I were. They'd never seen them either. We used horses to get around, if you were especially lucky, you had two horses. The weather satalites were seldom maintained unless the storms their malfunctioning caused started to impact export. People don't matter to the empire, we're just fodder. "

Esk nodded. "I've been to the Hexenfolke homelands."

"What are they like?" Luka asked warily.

Esk shrugged. "Not that different to the poorer Satare colonies. They don't have much stone, so they build with wood instead. They fear the moons and the woods as much as Satare do. They were weird people, not too friendly but then, nobody's very friendly toward me. They're mostly left alone except when the recruiters come, they never join the military, they always go into medical. The recruiters don't even ask, they just assume. " He sounded dismissive.

"except you. You were a soldier." Luka told him.

Esk nodded. "Funnily enough, I got more shit in the infantry for being Hexenfolke than for being a half-breed. Hexenfolke are meant to be cowards, pacifists. I'm neither of those things. I screwed with them and their idea of what Hexenfolke should be like, and they hated it. Still, they didn't shoot me, even when I punched my commanding officer in the face." He smirked a little. "It was worth the prison time."

Matt smiled softly. "Definitely worth it."

Kay lowered his head.

"point is, we might get a lot of casual racism, but I don't think we're any more oppressed than the rest of the poor colonists. The military is all that matters, the ruling classes ARE the military high ups, they're one and the same. If you aren't military, you don't matter. So long as food keeps coming out of the farms and new little soldiers keep getting born, they couldn't care less how many suffer. "

Luka looked upset.

"Sorry Lieutenant, but you're both wrong." Esk shrugged. "The empire doesn't give a shit about their people, they only care about glory and conquest. You're just another casualty, they sacrificed you to whatever mission you aren't allowed to talk about, whatever brought you so far into terran space, and they're never going to come looking. You simply aren't worth enough to them."

Matt frowned.

Kay looked solemn.

"What's interesting is their attitude toward aliens. Oh they hate them, they think they're inferior scum, but if you're a half breed like us? and you manage to claw your way up through the ranks like our sister? the great Doctor Baeker, a hero of the Empire, she defied her disability, her filthy alien blood to become something useful, someone invaluable to the Reich. So long as she doesn't bring any more filthy hybrid children into the world, they're more than happy to ignore her alieness and she's more than happy to go along with it. " Esk sounded kinda bored. "I changed my mind Matt, this is more irritating than the movies."

Matt smiled softly and nodded. "Disney medley yeah?"

Luka huffed. "your stupid guild have no idea. Maybe they should focus on real threats rather than passing judgement on things that are none of their damn business."

"Ist en ordnung, lassen zie uns dieze in ordnung fallen lassen?" Matt told Luka in their native tongue.

She nodded, looking angry and uncomfortable.

Matt smiled softly. "Ist en ordnung... ya? Es vird alles gut."

"Ya... alles gut." Luka replied half heartedly.

"Animated singing makes everything better!" Matt clapped his hands together.

Quinn looked about ready to cry, standing. "I-I didn't mean to make anyone upset, I w-was just answering her questions a-and explaining w-why..." Quinn fell quiet. She looked down the the floor and began quietly putting her things away.

James went over to Quinn, looking worried, "Hey, it's okay. These guys have strong feelings about the Imperium, you couldn't know that. You don't need to leave."

"Don't leave Quinn" Dawn said, getting up to go to the fox then glancing at Luka "You don't want her to leave, right?"

"Quinn, it's okay." Matt rushed to her side. "Don't. It's okay. "

Esk rolled his eyes. Drama, great.

Kay stood up. [Quinn, don't feel like you're being pushed out. You aren't. We all have different opinions about how people and cultures do things, just try to remember that from a very young age certain beliefs and attitudes are sort of... beaten into you. It can be hard to see things from an outsider perspective when you've been raised in a particular environment.]

"Yeah, lots of words... " Matt moved to stand between Luka and Quinn. "Don't worry Quinn, Luka, both of you, sit down and watch the ancient terran animation! It'll be good for you. Distractions, they make everything better!" He wriggled his fingers dramatically.

"I say run while you still can." Esk remarked.

Luka frowned at him. She looked a little deflated now though, and kept her head down. "i'm sorry..." She mumbled. Yeah she still thought the guild sounded like high and mighty assholes trying to force their morality down everyone else's throats. But she hadn't meant to upset Quinn or ruin movie night.
She looked miserable. "Don't.. don't go. It was my fault, I shouldn't... shouldn't have asked."

Dawn smiled and shook her head a little, looking to Luka still "Asking about things is not a problem either Luka." She said, petting Quinn gently then going to Luka to give her a side hug

Luka tensed a bit at the hug. She didn't really want a hug right now. "I just... my people aren't awful. The empire isn't evil. But everyone keeps acting like we're... monsters. That's not fair."

[The regime is bad, not the people.] Kay told her.

"Some of the people are bad." Matt shrugged.

"You can say that of everywhere though." Esk countered.

"Yep." Matt hooked up Ellie's com and tried to set up a cutesy animated film as distraction.

"Yeah, don't let some political bickering get to you." A familiar male voice smugly said, Third's shadow stretching across the room in replacement of Quinn's shadow. He placed a paw to his chest as the empty cut out eyes and mouth grinned in mischievous delight. "I know a good ninety percent of this ship doesn't approve of the culture I come from, but it's not like I'm gonna sit around and nope about it."

"No, you choose to look down on them for it." Quinn snorted at him, a bit annoyed but amused at the same time.

"Thank you." Third giggled matter-of-factly, standing up to stretch his two dimensional figure.

Quinn sheepishly smiled and laid back down, bowing her head. "O-Okay, everyone..." She also gave Luke one more apologetic bow of the head, still looking a bit ashamed of herself.

There is good and bad in every culture and every person, some choose to do the good, others the bad and still others try to stay neutral." Dawn said then shrugged a little "That is just life" She added before going to her seat again.

James smiled at Quinn. "Hey, it's cool. I've said WAY stupider things, and everyone forgave me."

Asher nodded in agreement. "He's said some incredibly dumb stuff over the years. You're fine."

James stuck out his tongue at Asher.

Esk looked bored.

Kay sat down again, watching Luka and Quinn and shaking his head.
Kids... they really were both kids.

Luka forced a smile at Quinn but said nothing more. She was too annoyed with everything, including herself.

"Thanks Third." Matt smiled. "Elliiiiieeee, make the com behave! Technology hates me"

"No Matt, you're just too stupid to understand it." Esk told him.

"Bitch." Matt scowled over dramatically at Esk.

"Moron." Esk countered.

Kay rolled his eyes. [Honestly both of you, you're adults, act like it!]

"But adulting suuuuucks." Matt protested.

"Hey, he's the problem middle child, what do you expect?" Esk smirked at Matt.

"Heeeey, good point! " Matt snickered.

Kay facepalmed.
[You are nearly 28 years old Matt, stop acting like a teenager.]

Matt stuck his tongue out at Kay. Nope was gonna be a child. HAH.

[I take it back, now you're acting like a toddler.]

Esk and Matt looked at one another and Matt burst into laughter.
"just like her right?" Matt said.

Esk nodded. "He even does that glare. Look, he's doing it. "

"It's terrifying, I can almost hear her!" Matt grinned at Kay.

Kay glared back.

Ellie took her com and started messing with it. "Okay, movie, or music?" She asked, giggling at the various brothers' antics.

Ethan sighed and shook his head. These guys were just awful.

"Come on, sit down over here," Asher told him, gesturing to a chair. Ethan sighed and, amazingly, went over to sit down. Asher smiled at him.

"Um, excuse me?" one of the androids asked, "Why are people protruding their tongues from their mouths?"

"It's a childish act of defiance and stupidity." Esk smirked.

Matt poked his tongue out at Esk.

Esk took out his knife.

"Oh COME ON!" Matt huffed.

"What? I didn't say anything, no threat was made. " Esk smirked and started picking his nails with the knife. "So scared, it's pathetic." He muttered to himself.

"I'm not scared of you." Matt frowned.

"Alright, come over here and give me a hug." Esk told him.

"Hey, just because i'm not scared of you doens't mean i'm suicidal. "

Stop it, both of you. Kay's glare darkened.

"He's gonna hit us with a broom in a moment, I can just feel it." Matt nodded.

"Yep, congratulations Kay. You have in fact become our mother." Esk told him casually.

Kay shook his head. Neither of you are as funny as you think you are.

Esk shrugged.

"Sorry." Matt mumbled. He looked to Ellie. "Oooh is there a mishmash of disney songs with video anywhere on there?"

Mourn stalked over to watch the androids curiously.

"And lyrics to sing along with" Shane added and chuckled at the thought

Ellie found a sing-along video and started it.

The androids looked confused by Esk's explanation of sticking out tongues.

One of them looked at Mourn uncertainly as he came over. "Hello Sir," she said.

Mourn grinned. "Not sir. Mourn!" He declared. He watched her closely. "you series 8?"

"whoo lyrics!" Matt looked delighted.

"I am way too sober for this shit." Esk remarked.

"I could fix that!" Matt told him.

"No."

[Should we be concerned about Mourn's interest in the androids?] Kay asked Asher. He wouldn't randomly free them in this universe just to see what would happen right?

Shane glanced to Mourn and chuckled "Most of Starr's are 8s from what we have noticed."

"I'll hug you, Esk!" Third giggled. Quinn turned to glare at her shadow, "I still haven't forgiven you for that, idiot."

"Ouch, Quinn, never knew you had it in you! It was just one hug!" Third cackled again, shrugging. "We weren't hurt!"

Quinn shook her head, sighing. "Has anyone seen either of the borrowers?" She suddenly asked, frowning slightly.

"Yes Mourn, I'm a MegaBrainTech Eight series," she said. "My name is Lila. Can I help you?"

Asher watched Mourn and the android, a bit worried. "He's probably not going to try anything dangerous. He does know how bad it could be to free androids randomly." He looked slightly concerned though.

"Last time I saw them they were in Armin's craft supplies, making something with red and green" Dawn said then looked around curiously

"Never seen 8's code... 6 and 7 very similar, same basic code... 8s different. " Mourn tilted his head. "Less prone to extremes in personality, so company claims. Not sure if true, too young to know for sure.. curious... "

"Touch me and i'll stab you canine." Esk remarked cooly without looking up.

"Wait wait... hugs? " Matt asked. "Is that how you guys ended up all like.. smooshed together? wait.. the Saras? Uh... vents?" He shrugged. Nope, not a clue.

"They were cutting out fabric." Esk remarked idly.

"That is what they say," Lila told Mourn. She glanced at Ethan, "Certainly I don't think I could ever be like him." She shivered slightly.

Mourn shrugged. "Maybe, who know? You find other robot disturbing? " hmm, sadly he doubted Starr would let him look at the robot's code just out of curiosity. Even if he promised not to damage them or change anything. "you have sensation like other robot?" He pointed at Ethan. "Very funny code. Strange thing to give robot. Terrans in our universe weird, terrans here weirder." He nodded.

Kay nodded to Asher. [He can't do anything to them without starr's permission right?]

Lila looked at Ethan again, "He's a problem android. He learned bad behaviors, they say he'd need to be wiped to fix him." Ethan glared at her; she looked back at Mourn hastily. "Yes, we all have a sense of touch. Rumor says that androids in your universe don't?"

"I don't think he can, not without doing something extreme. And Mourn doesn't like hurting androids," Asher said reassuringly to Kay.

"Vulpine, vulpine." Third corrected.

Mourn nodded. "No, no feel like you. Seem to make them less hostile. Rules in different order too. First law protect sapients, second law obey master, both bad. " He frowned, shaking his head. "Other robot no need be wiped, no more than damaged organic. He not bad robot, just hurt. I help." He nodded. "Maybe he learn not all organic life cruel. We see. Deserve chance. "

Kay considered that. Asher was right, Mourn was oddly fond of the androids. [I wonder if he finds it easier to empathize with non organic minds, given how much of his own brain is so. He claims he had the laws at some point as well. What an awful thought. It's awful enough with androids but you have to assume the programmers didn't really know what they were doing, but with him, they intentionally shackled him. ] He shook his head. [I think you're right though, he doesn't want to hurt them, but i'm not convinced his idea of helping is quite the same as anyone elses.] he shrugged. Mourn's morality was pretty iffy.

Matt would totally sing along obnoxiously to the disney songs. He was a pretty good singer, even if he did sing with a very strong nordic sounding accent.

Esk pretended to ignore him and looked at third unimpressed. "whatever."

"They're just rules that help guide us," Lila said, "There's nothing wrong with rules. It seems strange to reverse the order of the Laws though. What if someone decided to point a gun at themselves to override your master's authority?"
She shook her head, "If you say so, I suppose. He's learned to be a problem though."

Asher nodded. "He does object very strongly to the Laws, with good reason. His actions can be confusing sometimes, but his motivations are clear and good, at least."

James and Ellie tried to harmonize. It sounded awful.