[hr][center][h1][color=f49ac2]Owen Childs[/color] & [color=009496]Tahlia Spade[/color][/h1][/center][center]Collab between [@beyond visions] (Pseudo), [@Atrophy], and [@TheMadAsshatter] [hr][/center]
[indent]Tahlia finished her partition of the bread and water; a little less than 1/4 of each.  She was confident the others would forgive a slight transgression, but she wanted to ensure the others had their fair share.  When Owen made his remark, Tahlia simply looked at him and shrugged.  Her body hadn't rejected the food yet, and hopefully that would remain the case.  She swallowed the last of her portion of bread and water, using the latter to moisten the former somewhat.  It sort of helped to make the bread feel more like bread, but it didn't help the taste much.


The others took their time eating their portions when the ship shook a little, then settled.  It seemed they had made a stop somewhere.  Hopefully they would finally get some answers.  A couple of the aliens reappeared, accompanied by another robot.  This one, however, looked like it was modeled to very closely resemble humans.  It seemed to glance between everyone before going up to Yaz and bringing her to her feet.  On impulse, Tahlia stood up on her own immediately following.  The robot introduced itself -if you could call it an introduction- once everyone was standing.


Owen pushed himself up to his feet to avoid having to deal with the second robot touching him. He rubbed his sore wrists and watched with suspicion as the robot gave its spiel. Principality, Britheians, Species Simulation, the words seemed stripped straight out of a last century sci-fi film, but it was the idea that humanity had a single monarch at all that struck him as the most farfetched thought. Even if the world had gone down the utopian route instead of the dystopic, destructive one it had followed, Owen doubted people would ever be okay with following just one girl or guy, especially one pretentious enough to go back to the whole royalty system.


Then again, maybe it was just a translation error.


A heavy silence permeated around their cell as nobody stepped up to claim the crown; he certainly didn’t want to assume a role that required him to defend humanity for a crime he didn’t even know existed. Owen refused to look over at Echo, because he knew that she would be staring a hole into him right now, and instead found his eyes lingering on his shoes. There was no way Yaz could handle such a role; she didn’t need to be scared even more by having responsibility forced upon her. If it hadn’t been for the incident with Rend, he would’ve slapped Tahlia on the back and pushed her forward. Now, he was just thankful that she was smart enough to not try and take out the aliens with the remainder of that bizarre loaf of bread. Benji was gone; Rend too. The robots unnerving eyes bored into him. He shook his head and stepped forward.


Tahlia, herself, looked back between the other crew-members.  If Benji were there she would have put the responsibility on him.  He had been out of the cryo pods the longest and may very well have known something the others didn't.  She wished that Benji hadn't gone full retard on that other robot and gotten himself in trouble.  Now, even by her own opinion, it was pretty much between her and Owen, and Owen wasn't having the easiest time keeping his wits about him before; Tahlia could tell that much.  Of course, there was one more thing worth asking before committing to being humanity's representative, as it were.


[color=f49ac2]“I guess that’d--”[/color] he started.


[color=009496]"We would like--”[/color] she started.


It seemed that Owen had the same idea.  The simultaneous interjection prompted another moment of silence as Tahlia looked over at him.  Perhaps he would be better suited for the situation, being a psychologist.  [color=009496]“Go ahead,”[/color] she said, taking a proverbial step back.


Owen visibly grimaced when Tahlia deferred to him; there had been a second when she had spoken that he hoped she’d just take command and that would be that, even if he did have some reservations about her being their representative. Now, the pressure was back on him. Originally, he had been playing to say ‘I guess that’d be me’. However, something about Tahlia’s phrasing made him feel like that, now, would be the wrong thing to say. ‘We would like’ didn’t sound like a claim to the make-believe throne that was being offered to them; it sounded like an attempt to barter some information out of the robot. Casting a sideways glance at Tahlia, he cleared his throat and reset himself.


[color=f49ac2]“I guess that’d depend. We would like to know why we’ve been charged with treason,”[/color] he said, standing upright with his shoulders squared. [color=f49ac2]“And we need to know if our fellow crew-mate is still alive.”[/color]


Though not the direction Tahlia was planning to go exactly, it wasn’t the worst start.  And despite how he seemed before, he seemed more in control at this point.  Still, she wasn’t about to let her own question go unanswered.


[color=009496]“Once we know that, we would like to ask for legal counsel before we say anything else.”[/color]  She folded her arms as she said this, hoping that they were actually in a position to bargain.  Realistically, they really weren’t, nor were they even remotely in their league.  Did this civilization even have lawyers?


[color=B0E0E6]“Such information has not been distributed to me..."[/color] It was an aid to them, [i]he[/i] was an aid to them. Pseudo's structure is one partly modeled and referenced after male anatomy without seeming far too graphic and detail. As an attempt to be human he was still treated like such. He was well aware of the galaxy they have never been home to. But as for the state of the crew and of Benji, he knew only as much as they. [color=B0E0E6]"My programming and behavior is one built upon the research of human beings abducted. All information stored about your species has been discovered through experimentation and interrogation."[/color] He stopped, he mustn't continue with a subject that could be noted later, because for now the highest concern was that who would reign as mankind's monarch.


[color=B0E0E6]"However, further detail could be stated at another time. As for legal counsel... Put all faith in whoever holds the lordship. They will make the defense.


I do know of the Principality's current stance made with humanity thus far. A meeting was held in the meantime that the Britheians were making your arrest... The Principality has not made a unanimous decision. It is advised to be represented through a monarch. Although the decision of not having one still remains. Being without a monarch could do both good and bad for you. Good in a sense that the Principality will see how ill prepared you were for first contact, and that you are mere pawns for who sent you. There they will have mercy for you. But bad in that they will see humanity as savages and barbarians, anarchist even."[/color]


[color=f49ac2]“Well, Sue, they wouldn’t be completely wrong,”[/color] muttered Owen underneath his breath, failing to hide his frustration as he heavily sighed. [color=f49ac2]“You know, they did a real good job when they made you. Like most middlemen, you’ve been incredibly helpful.” [/color]


He wrinkled his brow. Was it better to be pitied than considered a threat? Although, judging by this whole treason nonsense, he figured it’d be more threatening to be considered uncivilized rubes than to be a dying race with some traitorous agenda that could, ideally, be explained as some great misunderstanding. Since it had to be a misunderstanding, unless that Voyager thing they launched into space actually made contact with some alien race and they got really offended by Chuck Berry’s guitar. He doubted it would actually work, but maybe there was a chance that he could possibly clear the air. 


Or maybe he could get all of them shot out into space by running his big mouth.


First, he had to clear the air with somebody else, because regardless of what happened earlier he still respected Tahlia, or at least her opinions. He leaned over to the woman, lowering his head so that he could discreetly whisper into her ear: [color=f49ac2]“Think you can bear with calling me Your Highness for a spell?”[/color]


It figured that the robot would only provide vague details that were hardly helpful, and unfortunately, pressing on the issue would likely do them no good at this juncture.  Tahlia lowered her head and pinched the bridge of her nose at this, and was then addressed by Owen.  She had forgotten how irreverent he can be, but she hadn’t honestly expected it at a time like this.


[color=009496]“This is neither the time nor place for flippancy, Owen.  I’d appreciate you not getting us all killed, or doomed to slavery or something.”[/color]  She sighed and considered the thought of them both acting in such a capacity simultaneously.  Then again, were that possible, the robot would have probably mentioned it.  Still, better to ask than never know.  [color=009496]“Do you think we could both do it?”[/color] she first whispered back to Owen.


[color=f49ac2]“Guess we’ll find out,[/color]” he whispered back, raising his voice as he turned towards Pseudo. [color=f49ac2]“Fine, I suppose there’s no point in hiding it any longer. Tahlia is my queen, and I am her king,”[/color] he said as he put his arm around her shoulder in a piss poor attempt to sell the lie, hoping with every ounce of his body that it didn’t end up broken. [color=f49ac2]“We’ll speak to your Principality. Together.”[/color]


Tahlia figured Owen would take it in that direction, but hadn’t expected him to go so far as to throw his arm around her.  She tried to stifle her instinctual urge to throw his arm back off of her, and instead opted to tactfully pull away.  [color=009496]“Please, keep it professional...  my king.”[/color]  Ughhh, those words tasted sour coming out of her mouth, but she hoped her lack of acting talent didn’t show.


Pseudo was unresponsive, frozen. After an awkward pause, the bot retain communication. [color=B0E0E6]"I have just been summoned... Received information classified."[/color] The message transmitted was one he was bounded to keep from them. Pseudo allied with Humanity, the race is the reason why he functions but he was created by other creatures-- they are [i]how[/i] he functions. Thus limitations are maintained, along with the mystery that is kept. The imagination can only wonder what the secret was about.
 
[color=B0E0E6]"King and Queen however you say? Very well, it is not a patriarchy nor a matriarchy, but perhaps egalitarian. Such is... controversial with the male monarch weak to lean on a queen. A queen tied to do the same with her king. However, such power can be established before the Principality, and thus will. As for the time now, I must depart from you.


As a wanted species who could be potentially harmed by forces outside of the Principality for crime of treason. You will be escorted to and housed in an isolated location. I will soon reunite with you there when free from further duties." [/color]


The door behind Pseudo slid open as he began to make his leave, [color=B0E0E6]"Humanity, welcome... If I be the first to say."[/color] And with that he exited to leave the crew alone with themselves yet again.


Tahlia half-sighed-half-groaned at the turn of events and brought her hand to her face.  [color=009496]“All things considered, I’m glad I’m not taking the stand alone, but the melodrama was hardly necessary.”[/color][/indent]