One could almost see the drool pooling out of the soldier’s open mouth as he eyed steak. He wasn’t the only one. Out of the corned of her eye she could see both the doctor and the technician openly eying the meal. The mechanic however wrinkled her nose at the red liquid pooling onto the plate. Her father had for, whatever reason, cooked dishes including meats thoroughly. And even though she knew that the red juice running of the captain’s steak knife wasn’t “technically” blood, she wasn’t tempted by his meal. Which was honestly a good thing, since he didn’t look like the type of person who liked sharing.

[b]”Any of you ever heard of a replicator…?”[/b]

Ryen didn’t have to look at him to feel that he was judging them and finding them wanting. Red spots bloomed across the technician’s cheeks as she fumbled for the device in her bag and began feverishly typing on it. The doctor shook his head while the solider replied with a quick, [b]”Nah, but that’s pretty neat.”[/b]

Ryen herself shrugged. She [i]should[/i] have recognized the machine but she hadn’t. The ship she’d worked on that one summer had had a replicator. But the thing was either too old or poorly made or second-hand. She’d used the thing once or twice and the food had tasted god-awful. Fortunately, the ship didn’t travel great distances and she’d been able to stock up on fresh supplies. From the smell wafting off of Lazlo’s plate, the ship’s replicator was at least ten times better. Even so, she didn’t want to admit her mistake to their captain.

[b]”The crackers were already open when I came in,”[/b] she replied aloofly, [b]”I didn’t see a point just allowing them to go stale.”[/b]

[b]”Well,”[/b] said the solider, trying to break up the tension heavy in the air around the small table, [b]”Since we’re all here, why don’t we introduce ourselves.”[/b] He paused briefly before saluting [b]”Gunther Karlstock, at your service.”[/b]

[b]”Ellie, I mean, Eleanor Falder”[/b] the technician pronounced, her words hardly above whisper. She continued to look down at her device while she spoke. [b]”You can all me Ellie.”[/b]

[b]”I’m Quincy Stertjan”[/b] the doctor pronounced.

A single red eyebrow shot up as Ryen let out a snicker. [b]”Quincy?”[/b] What back water planet had that name crawled out of?

[b]”Quincy is a traditional name in my family but it’s Dr. Stertjan to you, young lady.”[/b] He tone was patronizing but his eyes still sparkled with humor. 

[b]”You all know who I am,”[/b] Ryen stated. She had introduced herself earlier although it was possible they’d been too distracted by the raging crowd at her back. [b]”Ryen Arleth.”[/b]

[b]”Arleth?”[/b] Karlstock echoed. [b]”Sounds familiar,”[/b]

[b]”Yes.”[/b] Ryen nodded a smirk forming across her face, [b]”It’s a traditional name in my family. My father is the famous inventor Dr. James Arleth. I mentioned that before.”[/b]

[b]”As in [i]the[/i] Dr. Arleth who was found murdered this morning.”[/b] This came from Quincy. It was a statement more than a question.

Ryen felt her blood run cold as panicked thoughts ran through her brain. How had the doctor found out? Most likely the same way she had- he must have heard it on the news flash. A quick survey of the other faces in the room revealed that her companions greeted the news with suspicion or indifference (feigned or otherwise). What should she say to them? Her father had just died and she’d taken the first ship she could find off planet. Guilty was too mild a word for her actions. What if she told them the truth? That someone had broken into her father’s workshop and were most likely the same people who had tried to come after her in her apartment. Ryen thought about her crewmates. Some might try to protect her, true, but others might use the situation to their advantage. The technician and the soldier seemed nice enough but she doubted they’d take her side if push came to shove. She didn’t know about the doctor and as for their captain..? Heck, he might even be tempted to sell her back to the people who broken into her apartment for a tidy profit. In her head, she could still hear the wailing sounds of the injured aliens and the shots fired into the angry crowd. No. It was better if they didn’t know.

Ryen opened her mouth, as her brain tried to come up with a passible lie. If she’d been quicker, she might have been able to feign surprise at the news of her father’s death.

[b]”Yes. I was…”[/b] but her confession was thankfully interrupted by an announcement by the ship’s AI.

[b]”Captain. A Syrae patrol ship is pulling up beside us. They are requesting to board.”[/b]