Maiyan could feel the gentle thrum of the Gizotso's reactor die down beneath her feet and the ship’s kinetic stabilizers barely prevented her from flying face first into the wall, and did even less to prevent her stomach from churning wildly. The low, dull, crimson light of the ready room gleamed off of the dark and rustic walls, and the relative silence of the moment was sliced in half by the sharp ringing of the overhead comm.

“Go ahead,” Captain Rorik said as he exhaustedly studied the many holo-pads strewn about the immense command desk at the back of the room. His blonde hair was tousled sloppily and by the droopiness of his eyes, and the way he was slouched in his chair, it appeared as if he hadn’t gotten much sleep the previous night. “How’s the planet looking Jakobs?”

“It ain't the jewel of the universe, but they have yet to tell us to fuck off, so that’s nice. It’s also got an uplink to something called The Link, apparently the Stellarnet isn’t accessible here?”

“I’ve heard of it. Newer and newer proprietary systems sprouting up all over in the Core. As long as it works, I don’t care what they call it.”

“Yes, sir. Tying in connectivity to the ready room now.”

“Thanks, pull up the next one, Doc.”

Maiyan was caught off guard, but complied gleefully, deftly manipulating the bright hologram emitting from the center of the room. A reflexive smile started on her lips as she shifted the next interactive star-map into position as ordered.

Of the four of them strewn about the relatively small space, she appeared to be only one actually elated to be there. Lieutenant Kara and Cassandra especially seemed to be the most displeased with the notion or at least having to be there with each other. Choosing to remain on opposite sides of the room at all times, they appeared as invested in occasionally glaring at each other, as they were the mapping data itself.

“That system is still devoid of any man-made settlements when cross-referenced with the information from the uplink,” Cassandra said as she walked through the hologram, dotting a finger through the system’s celestial bodies with one hand while cycling through her holo-pad with the other. “Nothing but some gas giants and the cold void, next please.”

“Ohhh, this is mind numbing,” Lieutenant Kara rubbed her eyes and sighed. “Without the ability to gauge the distance he traveled, we could literally follow this path to the other side of the frackin galaxy, and still end up with jack-shit.”

The Captain stood to pace around the perimeter of the room. “I know, but it’s better than nothing. But to my knowledge, we’re the only ship searching for him that even has this information. No way in hell the others got to that beacon after Cass and them tore out of there. We’ve got it easy comparatively.”

“True, and I guess that means we’re in the lead like you wanted. But what the stars were the others doing the whole time we were running around scrapper ships and roasting in the desert then?”

“Your guess is as good as mine, but their command dossiers could have been completely different from ours. And remember, this mission wasn’t exactly the most carefully planned for discretion's sake.”

Cassandra stopped in front of Maiyan, and gently fixed her uniform's collar with a tired smile on her beautiful, soft face. “What do you think?”

Maiyan had to fight the influx of butterflies rising in her stomach at her touch. “Um, well those are all excellent points. And in the same vein, without the rest of the fleet or even a structured coordination effort with the other searching vessels…it’ll be like trying to find a specific fish in a vast ocean no matter what we do.”

“Thanks for that, now I’m even hungrier,” Kara groaned and kicked her feet up on a table without looking over at her. “But you’re right and to keep with the theme of the metaphor, we’re just going to have to cast a wider net.”

The Captain smacked her feet down casually and kept pacing. “That’s a thought.”

To her knowledge, the only other vessels they had access to were a handful of landing craft and the ship that was still docked on their starboard side. But they would need a whole host of ceespace capable ships to truly ease the burden.

“Well, that’s actually a good idea Kara, about time you had one,” Cassandra said, her tone slightly snarky. “Now that we’re in the Core, splitting up is much more viable, since there aren’t pirates and scrappers around every corner. The question is—.”

“How?” Lieutenant Kara snapped.

“I would appreciate it if you didn’t interrupt me, but yes, precisely.”

“Maybe some of the crew can pluck the hair from your arms and knit a magic carpet to fly away on.”

“Or maybe they can borrow your broom?!” Cassandra barked back. “Funny how you’re the oldest and yet the most immature person in this room!”

“Immature? No. Catastrophically carefree? Sure. Not all of us can stomach living life as bland as you do. I’ve seen paper towel dispensers with more personality.”

“You fucking—!”

“Oh please, for the love of the stars, spare me!” Captain Rorik shouted, peering back and forth between them. “You guys don’t even have a good reason to hate each other, you barely know each other!”

“I don’t hate her James, I just don’t like her.” Cassandra offered sweetly.

“Likewise.”

“No, fuck that too! We’re going to be out here for a long time. From a logistical standpoint alone, we’re going to have problems at every turn. And the last thing I need is for my officers to be at each other's throats! And for what, because you can’t sit here and have a civil and mature conversation!?”

Maiyan took a few steps back, just in case it turned violent. But as they continued their harried and rather loud back and forth disagreement, she realized that they’d inadvertently brought up a good point.

Over the years, she’d noticed seeming immaturity and high emotionality to be a common theme with wolves over a certain age range. Among her different theories spanning a plethora of deeply rooted psychological traumas and conditions, one stood out to her as the main contributing factor.

Masks.

Maiyan theorized that every older wolf wore a mask that was subconsciously crafted to be the center point of their mental functionality. How they behaved moment to moment wasn’t the real them, it was who they needed to be to continue to live a relatively sane life. Despite their years of experience and the many gifts that lycanthropy had bestowed them, their minds were still human and the human mind simply wasn’t designed to live this long. Maiyan had deduced that the masks were a natural defense mechanism against the woes of Father Time himself and that one day, she too would develop one.

She just hoped that she wouldn't become as combative.

“Enough!” The Captain shouted and the two verbal combatants reluctantly complied. He rubbed at his nose and slumped back behind the command desk. “I want you guys…I need you guys to get along. Fine, you don’t have to like each other, whatever, but…shake hands. Shake hands and bury the fucking hatchet. Right now it’s just some angry words, but if shit gets hot again and I have no doubt that it will, you might need to depend on one another.”

Cassandra started towards Lieutenant Kara with her hand extended, but stopped and balled it into a fist when she realized that it wasn’t being reciprocated.

“Fine. Maiyan?”

“Uh, yes sir?”

“Go tell the quartermaster to withhold pay for both of them, for the next three months.”

The Lieutenant shot to her feet, the metal chair loudly thudding against the wall. “Whoa, whoa! Let’s not be hasty here kid. I’ve got a bidding war for a GTX hoverbike coming up, shit’s expensive, I need my money. Especially if I get fucking exiled!”

“Thought that might get your attention,” He smirked. “Shake and neither of you will have to worry about it.”

With fake and crooked smiles they both slowly sauntered to meet near the center of the ready room, the hologram shimmering with their every move. Arms extended in a rigid and unnatural fashion until they shook hands slowly.

“Aw, now that’s sweet,” The Captain laughed. “Now say one nice thing about each other. Maybe keeping a positive aspect of each other in mind can help prevent future arguments?”

They glared at him before returning to each other.

“Well…Cassandra, now that I’m closer to you, I can say that your arms are only half as hairy as they looked from over there.”

“How nice of you Kara. And may I add, that your god awful coffee breath is only half as milk curdling as I had originally thought.”

“Maiyan?”

“Sir?”

“Four months.”

The comm pinged again and he grimaced as he held up a hand to stop her from walking towards the door as he answered. “Go ahead.”

“Got an incoming message through one of the beacons in orbit, it's from one of our sister ships believe it or not, the Seraphim.” Lieutenant Jakobs said with a hint of surprise.

“About time we got some good news, give me a second,” He closed the call and studied everyone in the room. “Just, go figure things out amongst yourselves. I’ll relay any pertinent information and we’ll continue combing through the data later.”

They all started towards the door, Cassandra stopping to place a hand on Captain Rorik’s shoulder and whisper something personal into his ear, before they all exited out into the hall.

“I’ll be on the bridge,” Cassandra snapped curtly. “See you Priya.” She said, a bit nicer.

“Bye.” Maiyan replied softly.

Lieutenant Kara took off in the other direction, her shoulders stiff with agitation and unexpectedly the gears in Maiyan’s head started to turn.

This could be an opportunity to further her casual interest in wolf psychology. Like Cassandra had said, Kara was the oldest wolf, but not only in that room, on the entire ship. Perhaps trying to find out more about her, would give her greater insights.

Or get her punched in the stomach.

“Um, Lieutenant!” Maiyan shouted as she jogged to catch up with her.

She slowed slightly, but didn’t turn around. “What is it?”

“I was wondering where it was you were headed?” She asked as she matched her pace.

“Excuse me?” Her teeth flashed in annoyance.

“I only meant out of curiosity of course, not that it’s actually any of my business.”

“I’m going to the chow hall, if that’s alright with you?”

“Of course it is…oh you were being sarcastic weren’t you?”

She snorted lightly, before stopping abruptly. “Can I help you with something?”

“Well, no, not exactly. I was wondering if you wouldn’t mind the pleasure of my company?”

And for the first time since she’d gotten more acquainted with her these past few hours, Lieutenant Kara appeared surprised. “Look…no offense Doc, but I’d rather be alone…good work on that telemetry though.”

Maiyan frowned in defeat as she continued on without her, but barely a second passed before it was replaced with a curious smirk, when she remembered the food that the Lieutenant had mentioned earlier. “Would a plate of free pork chops change your mind?”

The Lieutenant stopped dead in her tracks, before slowly turning back with a wide smile. “Well, what are you standing back there for? The chow hall ain’t going to come to us.”

 

Maiyan had never seen anyone devour food quite like this, unless they were changed and shredding through a human corpse. Her offer of a single plate of pork chops had quickly become three, and was fast approaching the fourth.

And she hadn’t even gotten in a single question yet.

“Um, ma’am may I remind you that I’m on the enlisted pay scale? The longer you eat, the closer to debt I become.”

She finished stuffing her face and belched, drawing the ired glances of the few other crewmen seated throughout the slender and otherwise quiet room. A waft of air from the room's air controller unit sent the scent of a variety of different meals into Maiyan's eager nostrils. And the pale glow of the overhead lamps and the nearby red sun bleeding through the small viewports along the far wall, provided the only illumination.

“Damn those are good. Alright, alright, what was it you wanted to ask me again?” She picked at her teeth with a claw.

“I’m…conducting a sort of impromptu, unofficial study, and I wanted to talk to wolves with more years under their belts, and perhaps find out how they feel about their experiences? I think it might help me better paint the picture of how ours mind develop and change over time.”

Lieutenant Kara glanced around casually. “What’s your angle?”

“Angle?”

“Yeah, you seem real buddy-buddy with Cassandra. What, are you trying to get dirt on me for her or something?”

Maiyan was genuinely shocked by the accusation and brought her arms onto the table hastily. “No…I wouldn’t do that to anyone, for anyone. Has someone done that to you before?”

For the second time she saw a hint of surprise, but it was quickly hidden under a blank expression. “What do you want to know?”

“Well, I guess we should start at the beginning, Lieutenant?”

“My early life? Nah, I’ve gone over that recently enough, ask me another time. But look Doc, I’ve got shit to do, so for three plates? I’ll give you five more questions, because I’m nice like that.”

“Oh, okay…then perhaps after you were changed and first had to navigate the world as a wolf?”

“Ain’t much to it. Got bit at twenty-four, spent most of my days alone. My family's fortune went to an uncle I never met, so I was poorer than dirt. I hunted more than I needed, and made sure to have a reserve of salted human flesh in my travel pack at all times...being changed in the years without the serum was every bit the curse history has claimed it to be. But yeah, I walked the world, rarely staying in one place before I joined up with Hirada in the 1970s.”

It was Maiyan’s turn to be surprised, and she leaned in a bit as she inquired more. “You were with the Hirada Clan?”

She held up a finger as she finished her drink, wiping the frothy foam of the root beer from her mouth as she sat the cup back down. “Yup, for a long time, until the last civil war. It…fucking sucked leaving, I had a lot of friends among them…was even forced to kill a few on my way out.”

A distant grief fell over her brow and she stared at the table emptily. Maiyan had seen a great range of emotions from the Lieutenant, predominantly anger, but sadness looked completely alien on her. She almost reached over to comfortingly hold her hand before her eyes refocused on hers.

“But if they were stupid enough to keep following Hirada on his murderous tirades about succession every time he got bored, fuck em. If I’m going to kill my own kind, it better be for a damn good reason.”

“Of course. I wasn’t yet alive, but from what I’ve read and heard, it sounded like a very bloody and difficult time for all involved…I’m so sorry.”

“Are you telling me you started the war as an unborn fetus?”

“Well, of course not, Lieutenant.” She chuckled dryly.

“Then don’t be sorry for shit you didn’t do, kid.”

Maiyan cleared her throat nervously, and even though she knew the Lieutenant wasn’t upset or angry at her, the cold intensity of her gaze was starting to make her own water slightly. “Well, I guess to steer back to Earth, before you joined Hirada, what would you say defined you the most? Like what occupied your attention day to day, like music, or reading, or— .”

“Slugging through the shit.”

“The shit?”

“Yeah the shit. You know, war? I tried to live a semi-normal life most days, which wasn’t easy as a woman for a while there mind you. But I failed each time, it seemed wherever I went, war wasn’t far behind. The first world war, the second…the third and fourth. I knew very few wolves early on, and what few human friendships I managed to cultivate often fell victim to the shadow of death following in my wake.”

This was starting to depress her.

“Do you have any happy memories from that time…Kara?”

“Oh, no Lieutenant this time huh? We must be the best of friends now, is that it, Journeyman?”

“If you want to be, I…oh, you’re being sarcastic again.”

Kara smirked. “Not many honestly…before I met my husband. But I suppose I enjoyed how simple those times were and sometimes…I would…draw. When I arrived somewhere new, I’d pick a local, close my eyes and commit their face to memory. Then draw them, and return when I was finished to see how well I did. Got good enough to sell them too. Drawing always seemed to calm me, never failing to make me happy even in the worst and loneliest of times...I haven’t drawn in centuries.”

Maiyan released a breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding, more than happy to have heard something sort of positive. “You should pick it up again. It sounds…healthy. Now, do you think your late husband—?”

“He’s off limits, and that’s five already, kid. Would you have me go back on my word?”

“I would, if you would grant me one more? And technically, “the shit?” was a clarification more than an actual question.

“Hey, I don’t make the rules. Six questions would mean four plates.”

“Can’t you make an exception just this once?”

“Sounds awfully a lot like a question to me.” Kara smiled as she started as if to leave.

“Fine, fine, you’re going to send me to the poor house,” Maiyan said, frowning as she waved over at the nearest server for another round. “Is that what you want?”

“No, but maybe I’ll send you a blanket and a cot when you get there.”

“Bring me a bottle of whiskey and a vibrator instead and we can really be the best of friends.”

Kara laughed heartily as the woman brought another plate of steaming hot pork chops to the table, the scent of their apple-glazed coating burned at Maiyan’s nostrils. “You’re a strange bird, Doc, but I like how you do business.”

“You confuse the shit out of me as well, Lieutenant.”

“So what’s the next question?”

Maiyan leaned back in her chair and ran a hand through her umber hair. “I’m thinking.”

“Well don’t take too long, you got until I finish this plate.”

So not long at all then.

 

They split ways shortly after Kara’s feast had ended, and Maiyan found herself walking back towards the ready room. She’d inadvertently delved more into the personal nature of her life than the direct effect it had on her mentally. Although, a blind and deaf woman could see that however it had exactly affected her, it hadn’t been for the best. And Maiyan had to admit that she'd become somewhat enamored with going over the particulates of her unique story that she didn’t really mind too much.

Plus, she wasn’t the only wolf over five hundred on board, there was still the Captain, Cass, although she knew more about her already, and she believed a few other bridge personnel were either that old, or just shy of her self-implemented age requirement.

Deep into her thoughts, she keyed open the door to the ready room and walked in without thinking or paying much attention to her surroundings. So her eyes opened wide in surprise when she saw Cassandra and Captain Rorik engaging in some very excited coitus on top of his command desk.

“Fuck, I thought you locked the door!” Cassandra shouted, as she stood from being bent over the desk and tried her best to collect herself. Upon realizing who had accidentally intruded, she smiled faintly and put a little less emphasis on covering herself.

“I’m sorry!” Maiyan finally blurted out nervously. “Uh, I should’ve knocked or did—anything else, besides just barging in.” She covered her eyes and rushed back towards the door with the heat of a blush forming on her face.

“Wait a second Doc,” Rorik chuckled, as he finished zipping up his uniform, the shape of his erection making the fabric of its crotch look like a strange tent. A few, long seconds passed before Maiyan realized she was staring right at it and turned to stare at the wall instead. “It’s my bad, that lock is pretty fifty-fifty sometimes, I shouldn't have trusted it.”

Cassandra beamed at her slyly as she sat casually on the desk and rubbed at her hair, her cheeks also slightly red from embarrassment. “Wish you would’ve told me that. But what’s up Priya?”

Maiyan closed the gap and grabbed her friend’s hand apologetically while laughing nervously. “I’m so sorry. I should’ve been paying more attention.”

“Nothing you haven’t seen before.” She said smoothly and returned the gesture.

“I suppose so,” Maiyan chuckled. “Um, but what I wanted isn’t even all that important, I can just come back—.”

“Nonsense, you’re already here and my erection is already halfway gone anyway so, go ahead.”

“Oh please, I could breathe on your neck and have it rendering a full salute in a heartbeat.”

“True. James Jr. is a little quick on the draw,” The Captain formed finger guns and made sound effects as he plopped into his chair. He grabbed onto the back of Cassandra’s uniform and used her as mock cover as he returned fire at an invisible enemy.

She shook her head disapprovingly without looking back at him. “But thankfully slow to actually fire. So what was it, Priya?”

“It feels a bit silly to ask now, but I wanted to ask you both some questions, pertaining to your feelings on your longevity and how you think it’s affected your mentality over time? It’s sort of an impromptu and completely personal study.”

“That's all? And here I thought it would be something more complex, like what our favorite colors are?”

“It’s blue and green if you were curious,” Cassandra squinted with playful and knowing suspicion. “This wouldn’t have anything to do with earlier would it? I’m sorry you had to see that, can’t instill much faith in the mission when two officers are battling it out like children, she just gets under my skin.”

“Things happen. I’m just glad it didn’t turn physical and that I didn’t get caught in the middle of it,” Maiyan giggled. “And yes, it did get the ball rolling, but this study is not necessarily because of that specific exchange. This is something I’ve thought about from time to time. And since I haven’t even lived half of your life times, I figured I defer to your experiences. I already had a pretty nice chat with Lieutenant Kara.”

Cassandra frowned slightly at the mention of her name. “Really? A nice chat, that’s new.”

“I’m just surprised she sat still long enough for you to even ask them.” The Captain added as he rearranged the items on his desk.

“I had to bribe her with pork chops.”

“Ah, there it is,” He continued. “Well, fire away, if I wasn’t too busy for a quickie, I’m not too busy for this. Pull up a chair.”

She did so happily, and sat her chair at the desk's frontend. It was a bit lower than the Captain’s, so she felt like a little kid again, in the principal’s office after getting in trouble. “Okay, first question, how was your very early life, like before you were bitten. I assume that Lieutenant Kara’s was a bit on the sad side, and I hope it isn’t the same for either of you?”

“Oh it was Doc,” The Captain looked down solemnly at the floor, and it looked like his eyes were tearing slightly. “It was pretty difficult for me, when I was a kid.”

Maiyan leaned in closer, wishing that she’d brought a holo-pad of her own, or a pen and paper at least.

The Captain took a deep breath and started seriously. “Sometimes, when I was on the family computer playing online video games? My mom would pick up the phone…and I’d hear this terrible sound. A series of buzzing and screeching, followed by the sound of an incessantly beeping tone.” He gestured as if he was dialing regretfully on an old communication device…a phone if she recalled?

Cassandra shook her head and gave her a knowing glance while she crossed her arms. The Captain’s lip quivered, and Maiyan could just barely see through his efforts to mask his budding smile.

Maybe he should’ve been an actor instead.

“And then my game would cut out, and…I’d have to go read a book or something, while she talked on the phone with my aunt for hours at a time!” He covered his mouth and held up a hand. “I’m sorry, it’s difficult for me to talk about this.”

Maiyan scoffed humorously as she rubbed at her eyes. “Sir, is this your way of telling me that you didn’t have a difficult childhood?”

“Gold star,” He said evenly, before laughing. “The most difficult part of my early life was dealing with girls and deciding which topping I wanted on my pizza, or what flavor of fizzy carbonated sugar water to go along with it.”

Cassandra walked around to sit upon his lap and kicked her feet up onto the desk. “You could’ve just said that. Don’t worry Priya, I won’t waste your time.”

“Oh okay, just downplay my hardships, that’s cool. You didn’t have to deal with the horrors of dial-up internet.”

“Hush you. Priya you should remember a few details of mine, I feel like it’s come up before?”

“Uh, yeah. I remember you were born in New Pennsylvania, I think your…dad was a mechanic? And your mother was a police woman of some sorts?”

“Oh, another gold star for you. But yeah, I came from a family typical to any other family in 2064. World War 3 had just ended a decade prior and while certain parts of America were still in the shitter, what was left of the East Coast had miraculously started to thrive amid the aftermath. It wasn’t a hard life, but it wasn’t easy growing up with as many siblings as I had and sometimes money was tight, but I always had a full belly, so I can’t complain.”

“Interesting, I—.” Maiyan started, but the door to the ready room opened with a swoosh, and Lieutenant Jakobs strode in with a holo-pad, his beard seemed even longer than last she saw it earlier that day.

“New rule folks. Knock before you enter the ready room.”

Jakobs smiled and took decisive steps back to knock on the door frame. “Better, sir?”

“You have pleased me, yes,” The Captain chuckled. “What can I do for you?”

“The Seraphim just entered orbit and its captain and her away team wanted to come aboard for a face to face meeting?”

He puffed out his cheeks. “They really were right around the corner. Well, maybe we can work out something actionable together,” He looked around and his eyes finally settled on Maiyan. “We’ll have to finish this some other time Doc, Jakobs get a hold of Lieutenant Kara and tell her to meet us at the docking ring.”

“Yes, sir.” He replied snappily and walked back out the room.

“How long do you think it will take them to dock and the airlock to cycle?” The Captain looked over at the side of Cassandra’s face warmly.

“Five to ten minutes, give or take.” She smiled faintly as his hands tightened around her waist.

They both looked over at her expectantly and for a moment she was confused on what they wanted, but it quickly registered.

“Oh, of course,” Maiyan jumped to her feet and replaced her chair on the other side of the room. “I’ll be in my lab if anyone needs me…do you want me to barricade the door or something?”

The Captain smiled. “Nah, the next person who walks in is just going to get a free show, I guess.”