There was a knock on the metal sliding door, now locked, and a curse as the VI interface presumably popped up on the other side, startling the captain behind it.

[color=c45d3b]“Hey! Open up!”[/color]

The tiny purple butler popped up on the door panel as the captain banged his fist on the metal.

[color=ed1c24]“I’m afraid I can’t do that, Sir. Not until my creator’s safety is guaranteed.”[/color]

Amir sighed wearily. [color=c45d3b]“Well, I’m not going to shoot him. It’s bad luck to do that on a new ship,”[/color] he informed the VI in a matter-of-fact tone, knocking again – this time through the holographic butler’s shimmering form, just out of spite.

The VI looked at the captain and looked as though he were actually annoyed, but the door hissed open nonetheless, permitting the captain to pass through to where the pilot stood outside the room Harper had himself secured in. He watched the two through his bionic eyes still linked into the security cams. The captain was an imposing man with a dangerous-looking bionic arm.

[color=92278f]“Hey cap’n.”[/color] The pilot waved at Amir. [color=92278f]“He’s tech savvy.”[/color] She gave a shrug that was part “you’re in charge” and “god I just don’t want to die”.

Amir raised an eyebrow and stepped forward, peering at the [i]next[/i] locked door curiously. [color=c45d3b]“Yeah, I gathered. He holding us – well, [i]you[/i] – hostage?”[/color]

[color=39b54a]“I’m not holding anyone hostage really. Just the cargo,”[/color] a new voice broke over the door panel in front of the pilot and captain.

[color=c45d3b]“Yeah, well, it’s not your cargo now, pal.”[/color] Amir stuffed his hands in his pockets rather than trying to knock again, but he did look towards the pilot as if asking her what he should do about the situation – tilting his head towards the door. 

[color=92278f]”Technically it never was his cargo. He’s a stowaway for even the old crew.”[/color]

[color=c45d3b]“So he’s no different from any of us. Care to open the door?”[/color] Amir took a few steps back in case of any shenanigans, and he could think of a few – a door exploding in his face, a gun aimed at his head and so on. [color=c45d3b]“I wasn’t going to kill you anyway. I tend not to do that to stowaways.”[/color]

[color=39b54a]”Sure. If you do kill me, you’ll never know what’s in the cargo,”[/color] the voice came back as the door clicked, indicating it had been unlocked. Harper disconnected his eyes from the security cams and readjusted them to his surroundings. Staring at the door, he finally stood from his resting position on the bed and walked toward the captain and pilot, holding his handheld datapad tightly. The door hissed open as he approached, revealing the youth with wild hair and bright green eyes in his leather jacket.

Amir cocked his head to the side in interest. Before he asked the stowaway’s name, or what he was doing there, or why he’d decided to barricade himself in a room, he wanted to know: [color=c45d3b]“What even [i]is[/i] the cargo?”[/color]

[color=39b54a]”If I told you that now, my safety wouldn’t be guaranteed.”[/color]

[color=c45d3b]“We’re on a ship hurtling through the ‘Verse. I’m not going to throw you out the airlock or anything – I don’t do that sort of thing,”[/color] Amir said, rolling his eyes. His [i]crew[/i], however, on the last ship he had been a captain of, was more than happy to do something like that for him. Still, holding on to his authority by fear wasn’t an effective way of doing things, not on a fledgeling vessel with new ‘friends’. 

Besides, he did have a soft spot for stowaways.

[color=c45d3b]“In fact, I’d be even less likely to do something like that if you proved your worth and just told me.”[/color]

Harper eyed the man for a long moment, weighing his options. The man could easily be lying; he wouldn’t be surprised if he was. Lots of people lied to get ahead anymore. What was really keeping the man from shooting him as soon as he said what was in the cargo? His word? That meant almost nothing.

[color=39b54a]”I’ll you what, captain. I’ll let you know what some of the cargo is, but I’ll keep the hold under lock and key for now,”[/color] he said, indicating his data pad.

Amir sighed again. He was doing that a lot in the last few hours. [color=c45d3b]“I’ll take what I can get,”[/color] he said, offering his real hand out for a handshake after a moment’s hesitation. [color=c45d3b]“I give my word I won’t try and kill you, by the way. Or do any grievous bodily harm, or find a way to break your VI there. And my word’s the only thing I’ve got. It’s Amir.”[/color]

Harper looked at the captain’s hand a moment before extending his own, [color=39b54a]”I hope you keep to it. Very few do anymore. You couldn’t break Higgins if you tried. I designed and coded him myself. And, you can call me Occulus for now. Also… I was promised a pin?”[/color]

[color=c45d3b]“A pin?”[/color] He looked towards the pilot.

[color=92278f]“I’ll get those made then I guess.”[/color] The pilot said grinning.

After a moment of complete confusion on Amir’s part, he simply shook his head, a small smile crossing his face. [color=c45d3b]“S’pose it would look dashing. I’d be disappointed if you don’t.”[/color]

[color=92278f]“Well it’s on the top of my to-do list then.”[/color]

Amir clapped his hands, rapidly changing the subject. [color=c45d3b]“Occulus! Let’s head to the hold – I’m getting a bit claustrophobic standing in hallways.”[/color]

Harper raised his eyebrow at the captain, [color=39b54a]”I said I’d tell you. Never said I’d open it up right away. There’s pretty basic stuff in the hold. Some supplies like rations and a few spare parts I think. A couple weapons too.”[/color]

The captain nodded. [color=c45d3b]“Rations can be sold on Oberon to pay for better stuff – eh, I’ll get Jinxy to take a look at the spare parts when we land and… Weapons. Hm, weapons.”[/color] Amir chewed on his lip for a moment before releasing it. [color=c45d3b]“Yeah. Tempted to keep those too.”[/color]

Deciding that if he didn’t ask, he probably wouldn’t get, he continued, [color=c45d3b]“You’re not going to tell me what’s in the rest, I get that. But how illegal is it on a scale of one to blowing up a space station?”[/color]

[color=39b54a]”Well, you won’t be blowing any stations up with this stuff, but it’s definitely up there.”[/color]

[color=c45d3b]“I was hoping it [i]wasn’t[/i] something like that, but I shouldn’t have expected anything less.”[/color] Amir rubbed at his forehead. As if his crew wasn’t endangered enough by their own criminal records, they had be hauling this mysterious, illegal cargo along with them. [color=c45d3b]“Feel free to move around the ship, just – don’t spook the others, if you see them. And I need the cargo bay doors open in the morning, so we can disembark; don’t rightly care about what the goods are so much as what they’re worth, so you can keep it secret for leverage.”[/color]

He was giving orders like Occulus was a part of the crew, though Amir supposed he was as good as.

[color=39b54a]”I’ll open the hold when we reach… Did you say Oberon?”[/color]

[color=c45d3b]“[i]’Biggest Scrapyard in the ‘Verse[/i], yes,”[/color] Amir confirmed.

[color=39b54a]”Sounds good to me, cap. I’ll be in the lounge if anyone needs me ‘til then,”[/color] Harper replied, beginning to walk off. He pulled his datapad up and tapped a few commands in, and the door to his new room sealed itself back with a hiss.