The big one seems upset about something. I wonder why. ""

<"S-sir. It seems... irrelevant now.">

It looks as if they stopped.

<"Damn the bloody full report, John. She's as human as we are. It's not just appearance, the DNA test confirmed it. Call Shaw and let's be done with it.">

<"You're right, Paddy. Everyone get out. I'm calling Captain Shaw.> He's getting near me. <"I'm sorry.">

Tell me, my dear Phaedra. Tell me about your sins with Jordan Shaw.

~~ I commit no sins. I do what I must for the success of this mission. ~~

You can tell yourself that if it makes you feel better. But the truth is you're commiting mental rape. You are taking their free will away. When they decide to stay in Alpha Centauri it's not because they are happy to find a new home. It's because you and your precious little Captain Shaw are influecing their minds. You are deciding... no, he is deciding. You are just a tool to him, isn't that right?

~~ I could feel the anxiety of the crew. I knew what they wanted. I informed the Captain of that anxiety. I thought it was a good idea, to give the crew what they wanted. ~~

Come, come, Phaedra. The Captain came up with the idea of brainwashing them. He says jump, you ask how high. He say erase the crew's minds, you say how many. You're not giving them anything, you are taking away what's theirs. Their memories. Their lives.

~~ Why are you so worried about them? Before your death, the only person you cared about was yourself. ~~

I want revenge, Phaedra. Against you, against this whole crew, but especially against Jordan Shaw. The whole crew thinks I'm helpless, at their mercy. My mind is still my own. I can do whatever I want.

~~ If that is so, why haven't you told the rest of the crew what Jordan and I have done? ~~

Revenge is like scotch. It must age. Telling everyone what you two have done would be too easy. You can rest assured that when my revenge finally comes upon the Seeker 3000, it will be your fault.

~~ My fault. ~~

Of course? You've known for four months I have free will. Why haven't you done anything?

~~ I find you a nuisance, Jason. That's all. ~~

Or maybe you're still in love with me. You still remember the good times we had in Mars-Arm.

~~ You bastard. I was your prisoner. I have never loved you. Never. ~~

Lashing out at my screen image with a telekinetic blast won't hurt me. I'm here. And there. And everywhere. I am the computer of the Seeker 3000. And you are lying. You did love me. I could tell. And you told me too. With your mental powers, remember? And then you walked out on me. You did nothing when Shaw killed me in my ship.

~~ I was at the warp drive when that happened*. But I wouldn't have helped you. I dispised you then and I dispise you now. ~~

(*) Marvel Premiere #41

But you won't do anything to stop me. When I finally carry out my plan, and it's closer in time than you think, you'll know you have done nothing. When the Seeker 3000 dies, it will be all your fault. That will be my revenge upon you. And, by then, the crew will know everything you have done. That will be my revenge upon Shaw. And as for my revenge against everyone... well, that's a secret.

~~ I will tell Jordan. I will. ~~

Do it. Go on. There's nothing I can do to stop you. I am only the computer. A nuisance. Go on.

~~ Damn you, Jason. Damn you. ~~

Cry all you want, my dear Phaedra. The tears you shed are for the Seeker 3000.

"Ben, I don't think we really need to level that mountain. I don't want the iron ore exposed to the elements."

"Captain, I don't really want to level the mountain. But it's practically made of iron. Cutting its entire upper section is going to make a lot of building material available. We won't have to worry about mining, and the city can be built under two weeks."

"Still, I..."

Jordan Shaw and Ben Payton turn as Dr. John Running Bear enters the conference room.

"Dr. Bear. I wasn't expecting you so soon. I was told your team had just begun examining the alien."

"Captain, can I talk to you in private?"

"I'll wait outside." says Ben Payton.

"Sir, I have an objection of conscience about the examination."

"What? John, now's a little bit late. I understand it sounds inhuman to experiment on a living being, but we need to know if it's safe to interact with the people of that world in a future time."

"It's safe now, sir." John Bear hands Shaw the DNA scan results. "She, like everyone in that planet, is human. As in Earth human."

"I... see. Well, this is interesting. And mysterious. Something to solve later. Thank you, Dr., you're dismissed."

"Uh, sir, what should we do about..."

"You're dismissed, Dr." Shaw says in a firmer tone. "And don't worry, there's no need to proceed the experiments. Just do a bacterial analysis on her blood." John Bear salutes his Captain and leaves the conference room.

"Sir?" asks Ben Payton from the outside.

"Lieutenant, we'll have to postpone this. I must have an emergency meeting with your sister."

"Of course, sir."

As soon as Ben leaves, Jordan Shaw activates the ship's intercom.

"Commander Payton, please come to the conference room. We have the results of the 'alien' experiment."

"So, Shaw, does this put an hindrance to your plans?"

"No, not really, Jason. It means nothing actually. So, the Alpha Centaurians are human. Something to keep our minds busy for a few years. Now get out, I have to talk to Valida."

"Oui, oui, mon captain. Your vish iz my kommand." Jason's face disappears from the screen.

"Wait, how did Jason appear here without me calling him?" Jordan Shaw would have more time to investigate this, if not for the arrival of Valida Payton.

"Captain? You said you had the experiment results. I didn't expect it so soon."

"Commander. It seems our little 'aliens-that-look-like-humans" really ar humans."

"What? How?"

"Here is the results of the test performed on the female captive by Dr. Bear."

"Human DNA. But that means we could interact with them. Do you still want to colonize AC-4? If the AC-3 natives are human, we could..."

"We could, but we won't. We would have to make new identities, establish ourselves, not attract attention, and what would we do with the Seeker? No, we'll colonize AC-4. But that's not the reason I called you. I think more abductions are in order."

"I don't understand. Don't we have everything we need to know?"

"We still need to know how these humans got here? I don't think it was 'the Lord's divine work in the Creation'. Perhaps those tales of human abduction from the 20th century are real. But, since they're human, we can easily submit them to mind probing, to learn everything about their society."

"Well, if you think we can expend time and resources on that, instead of building a city in AC-4."

"We'll have to keep people manning the ship. And we'd give them something to do. Instead of just analyzing data from probes, we can have a small team aiding Phaedra and doing a more thorough, more personal study of that society. I'm sure the historians are going to like it as well, comparing notes to what we have on Earth's 20th century."

"I'm not sure Phaedra is going to like this, Captain."

"She's still an officer of the Seeker. She'll do as she's told. Now, please go get her and take her to meet the human. Tell her to do a complete mind scan on her, and then erase any memory she has from this place."

"Very well, Captain. If you'll excuse me..." saying this, Commander Valida Payton leaves the conference room. Shaw activates the intercom and calls Ben Payton back.

Acknowledgeing Commander Payton's order to report to the laboratory where the 'alien' is being held captive for studies, the telepath Phaedra floats telekinatically through the corridors of the Seeker 3000. She has been considering her position in the starship, her whole reason for being even. The conversation she had with Jason influenced her more than she'd care to admit, even to herself. Even so, he was right. She had been the Captain's yeswoman, she had commited mental rape. If she could undo the evil she had done... she could. But that would require more tampering. And it would ruin what everyone on this ship had been working on. Building a new home. No time to think about that now. She was there.

~~ Valida. Is this where the woman is? ~~

"Yes, Phaedra. I think, before you went in, you should calm her down, perhaps put her to sleep."

~~ It is easy to deal with a mind when it is awake. The subconscious is sometimes uncontrollable. ~~

"Okay. I'll be outside. Yell if you need something."

Phaedra approaches the 'alien' and begins to talk to her.

~~ Hello. I am Phaedra. ~~

<>