"Are you the genius that came up with the idea to erase all records of Earth from every ship?" I asked as I tapped my right index finger on the armrest of the captain's chair.
"Well, yeah," came the hesitant reply and I watch as the cheerful look on Pippa Flynn's face was quickly replaced with a look of confusion. "I mean, I didn't want anyone from Earth going through what I went through. It's better that I never see home again than have someone locked away like that."
"And what exactly did you go through?" I asked. She raised her thumb up to her lips and nervously gnawed on the nail.
"You don't have to tell her anything," said Stargazer, his voice coming through the speakers loud and clear.
"No, it's okay," sighed the other woman. I watched as she took a deep breath and pulled herself together. "I was…. I was locked in a cage for three months," she said quickly as if admitting to that was a punishment in and of itself.
"And?" I asked, waiting for her to continue. She shot me a look of confusion.
"What do you mean, 'and'? Wasn't that enough? I was locked in a cage like an animal!" she partially yelled, partially whimpered. I mean, if I was a better person, I might have let the matter drop, understanding that what I was putting her through by asking questions was paramount to torture.
Unfortunately for her, I was not a better person.
"So you were locked in a cage," I started. "Could you stand up?" I asked, tilting my head to the side and studying her. "Were you fed?"
"Well, yeah, I could stand up," Pippa said hesitantly.
"And they fed you?" I pressed on.
"Well, yeah, of course, they fed me," she replied as if it was a given that she had been fed. "But, like, it didn't taste good."
I couldn't stop myself from rolling my eyes. "So, based on your three-month stay, you felt that no one else deserved to go home? Why?"
"Because I didn't want anyone else to be abducted of course," she said and I could almost see her trying to hold back stomping her foot at my question.
"But if they found Earth without coordinates the first time, what makes you think that they couldn't find Earth a second time?"
She just looked at me as if I was the one not making sense. "Instead of having history repeat itself, why didn't you record those coordinates into a Galaxy-wide database and have them believe that Earth was nothing more than a toxic waste dump, incapable of life, and without breathable air? That way, if someone did come across it, they would know to lock the doors and keep going."
I mean, didn't that make more sense than just pretending that it never existed? "That way, people like me that want to go home, could." I was lying through my teeth with that statement, but she didn't need to know that.
"Well, the other nine girls agreed that this was for the best."
"Fucking Lemmings," I grumbled under my breath before replying; "If everyone jumped off the same bridge would that mean it was for the best too?"
She stared at me like she didn't understand. "It is easy to say that it was for the best when it happened before they were told. I am sure that they would have had an opinion otherwise that might contradict your own. But I digress, there are many other options to making sure that humans wouldn't be abducted other than erasing all the coordinates,' I said with a sigh as I started to rub my forehead.
Stupidity wasn't contagious… right?
"Well, I didn't see you around when I was making these decisions," Pippa snapped as she glared at me.
"More than likely because I was strapped to a table for two years before you were even taken, not fed, and otherwise experimented on. But by all means, tell me how much worse you had it."
Luckily for her, she remained silent. "Now, this is how things are going to happen. Please pay attention, I will only be saying this once." I looked at her to make sure she was taking notes. "Jun Li will be leaving here in the next 5 minutes. You will not stop him. He doesn't want to speak to Stargazer or anyone from his line at this moment. If he changes his mind, I will let you know."
I took a breath, waiting for all of that to sink in. "We want nothing to do with you," I said as slowly and precisely as possible. I didn't want there to be any misunderstandings. "Once we part ways here, we will be nothing more than strangers. You prevent us from leaving… well, that is your decision."
I heard a masculine scoff through the comms and raised an eyebrow. "You have something to say?" I asked.
"What do you really think you can do to us?" snarled the artificial intelligence that controlled the other Battle Ship.
"I have no problems in ordering Jun Li to try and destroy you," I said as I stared at the human woman on the video screen. "Whether he can or not is another matter, but I will tell him to do his best. And something tells me that you don't have the balls to do the same."
"I do not understand what you are saying, I don't have balls," muttered Stargazer, the confusion apparent in his voice.
"Don't worry, I know you don't. And I don't think Pippa Flynn has any either."
"You would make them fight?" gasped Pippa bringing her hand up to her throat in shock. I swear, if she had pearls she would be clutching them right about now.
"I won't be making them do anything. I told you what was going to happen. If you choose violence, well, that is on you," I explained with a big grin on my face.
The other woman let out a high-pitched shriek in anger, but I only looked up at the top left-hand corner of the command room and made a slashing motion across my neck. "Do you want me to cut the communications?" asked Jun Lie in my ear. At the nod of my head, he quickly cut off the audio and video.