He held up a hand, coughing as he pulled himself to a knee. "Zehy are...hnnnggh...folloink orders" Kaite groaned before adding, "My orders." In truth, he was brimming with directed rage towards the woman whom he had handed his authority off to with the hope that they would respect his wishes. Being stonewalled and treated like a child tested his resolve to resist hunting her down to exact the inflicted damage in complementary...gratitude.
"N..no...please don't. I had zeis comink..." he sighed, lifting himself with the aid of her tank-tank before grimly hissing, "I hired zehm..." hoping that the inflection was enough to dissuade her from putting more paperwork on his desk that otherwise accented the moment's events. It sat about as well as his writhing guts to swallow his emotions and not seek retribution on those that had simply been following orders and briefings of...
...Some small child came onto the ship and was given a badge and two squads to maintain security, to use their better judgment and hold orders to the letter. The men were told not to trust their commander, by the kid, and to appoint squad leaders; diverting the chance of internal corruptions by being paid in two terms. They would have to do their task and maintain it in order to receive full pay, although they were welcome to walk away with half of it, at their leisure......as long as they responded to the order code...that was contained in the patch.
"...I am zeh fool" I cough, my knuckles clicking as I grip them to a tight fist, yearning to punch something. Instead I occupy myself with shedding the hazmat suit and leaving it on the floor as I stumble a few steps away. Something about Achieng made me hyper-reluctant to show weakness around her, although I was certain bruises would set in and I was going to need to rest.
It's a mission! You can't just rest.
I feel like I'm going to be sick.
Maybe Katherine didn't call for it? Maybe they're just jerks.
Question your authority and your judgement?
Please be quiet, I really-
She circumvented your orders to sabotage you!
The captain left you like this...who knows who else feels the same?
Leave me alone...
YOU GAVE HER POWER!
SHE HAS USED YOU FROM THE START!
"You don't understand! She-" Kaite barked at nothing, coughing up a bite of their lunch onto the floor as they stumbled towards the nothing, drawing their combat knife to address nobody. He turned his head, wiping his mouth and blushing with embarrassment as they glanced to Achieng before turning back to the otherwise empty hallway.
"I am..." I groaned.
Some kid in an escape pod.
A super soldier with an advanced mind.
What's so super about your bruised ribs? Is it 'groovy' as well?
They were following orders!
THEY WERE HIS MEN!
THEY WERE HIS MEN!
"They were just following orders...!" I repeated, holding my ribs with one arm as I slashed at the air to dispel the voices, rolling my wrist to combo into two more elegantly leveled stabs before falling back to my knees from the motion, feeling too sick from the blow to compose myself.
This was it. The whispers got to the point where I didn't even know if they were myself or people. NO...they weren't there. They are me and I am here!
"And who are you?" A coy voice perks up, accompanied by the sound of a sloshing mop-bucket as I look to Scott as he tried in vain to clean up the mess on the floor. I look up at Achieng with a horrified expression. She was partially pulling herself out of her tank to look at me...watching me...watching this...
I didn't answer, though he looked at me expectantly. The voices cut off as I drove the knife into the floor, working and bending the metal as I shook with frustration. "Kaite..." I whisper before Scott almost immediately responded, "Sounds like a girl's name"
Scenarios of barking at the apparition or throwing a knife at it and maybe hurting Achieng in the process washed through my mind as I looked down at the otherwise tiny hand gripping the knife so big in comparison that it had no business holding it...before I set it down. I unbuckled the webbing and let that rest, as well, to the floor. Taking a step, my setting bruise caught up to me and I crumpled in an instant, catching myself on a single arm and knees, clutching my ribs with curiosity of how bad it would be; the men were trained not to pull punches and waves of sickness and agony rolled back in waves as I curled up on the floor, accepting my state
Kaite unconsciously gnashed his teeth, trying to brace themselves on the floor before gradually and inelegantly sinking back down, shaking with barely suppressed sobs of self pity, accentuated by the audience he knew he had. "P-please...don't...don't look at me, Ma'am..." his voice came from behind clicking teeth from light grinding. It took a moment before he spoke, "I should...uuhn...get back to my room. Zeh Alto iz in good hands..." giving up trying to stay composed in favor of just doing their best not to cry too outwardly.
His own words were so wrought with disbelief that he could barely finish the sentence, "Zehr iz...nohszink to be...afraid...ouf..."
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