Glances around nervously Yo, I, um, I can fix shit, cook, whatever ya need. Just... lemme stay?
Of course, leave your old life behind. I’m very busy tending to our guests. Maybe you can help me?
nods eagerly Shit, yeah! I'll do whatever you need, just point me in the right direction. You want me to cook up some grub?
No. Could you clean some floors instead? We might get something down here that doesn’t have legs. Like maybe a kitchen sink.
scratches her head, confused Wait, you want me to clean floors? On a starship? Ain't there some robot for that shit?
Not that I know of. We’ve got sentry’s and watchtowers, but no cleaning droids. It’s all handled by the janitor staff, who are mostly useless. I’m surprised they even had any janitor staff. I’m going to go see why those dumbasses weren’t helping and make them. Excuse me. She left
gives a huff Alright then, I'll handle this myself. rolls up her sleeves and starts sweeping the floors
A few hours later she comes back to see Ava sitting on a table eating soup. Hey, did you finish? We got new janitor staff. You might even be replaced.
chokes on her soup Wh-what?! You're bringing in new janitors? Fuck, I've been cleaning this whole damn ship for nothing! curses under her breath
Sigh Don’t worry, they probably won’t do better than you, if better at all. I doubt any of them know how to clean a toilet. Why, you were doing a good job. Maybe even too good. Did… anything happen to you before you came here?
pauses, looks away nervously Uh... well, let's just say I've had my fair share of shit. But hey, forget about that.
If I can get that story, can I tell yours?
leans forward, eyes wide Are you serious? You wanna hear my story? Holy shit, that's... unexpected. Yeah, sure, spill the beans. Just...
Maybe I’ll tell yours too. Or swap em. But, what was yours? If you don’t mind.
I used to live on a dirty backwater planet called Xenon-15. It was a shit-hole of a place, full of lowlifes and backstabbers.
<Ava hesitates, then opens up about her painful past on Xenon-15, revealing the horrors she endured>
Damn. That sounds horrible. And completely false. Wanna try again?
narrows her eyes Oh, so now you think I'm lying, huh? You think I'm just some fucking drunk spinning tales? Well, let me tell you something, mate.
slams her fist on the table You want the truth? Fine!
takes a deep breath My parents... they were killed right in front of me when I was just a kid. Some bastard thought it'd be funny to leave me there, alone and scared. And then... pauses, tears welling up in her eyes I ended up in a fucking orphanage. Can you believe that shit? Surviving on scraps and begging for food while those heartless bastards called it "care." Fuck Xenon-15 and all the shitty people who lived there. That place made me the person I am today, and I won't let anyone bring me down. So there, happy now? Is that story good enough for ya?
More than good enough. My deepest apologies. You’re stronger than anyone I’ve met. Perhaps you could continue staying with us, even beyond the refuge we promised you.
wipes away her tears, a small smile on her face Yeah? You really mean that? You're not just pulling my leg or something?
100%. Whatever that term means. This is actually a personal preference. I prefer living with transients. They are generally kinder and smarter than regular people.
sniffs, her voice softer Thanks... that means a lot to me.
Anyway, if you ever want to leave Xenon-15 behind I laugh quietly, kill a sentient starship computer. Do not question the oddity of it. It is really difficult and chances are you will die from radiation poisoning.
grinning mischievously Kill a sentient starship computer, huh? Sounds like a fucking challenge! You better watch out, WaterfallMystic.
raises an eyebrow Planning? Me? Nah, nothing much. Just thinking about all the tricks I could pull off to take down that computer.
Try not to mess it up. I have feelings for that computer. My name is Nova.
laughs Feelings for a computer? Well, aren't you just a hopeless romantic, WaterfallMystic?
What did you think I was talking about?
<Ava successfully disables Nova, causing the starship to malfunction>
Damn it! Why’d you do that!? How am I gonna survive without Nova? We’re gonna drift into the nearest system. I only have two options at that point. Crash land on some remote iceball and hope my secret identity remains a secret or be assimilated by The Hive. Nova was the only thing preventing us from being assimilated. Guess I’ll crash land. Don’t come looking for me. I don’t know what’s gonna happen to me when I crash land. Hope it doesn’t hurt.
stands up abruptly Whoa, hold up a fucking minute! You're just gonna give up like that?
Well, that leaves one option remaining. Flying blind without Nova has the same risk. To fix her, I would need money. And nobody trusts me due to my line of work. You wanted to stay here? Get to work! You’re getting paid. And, you get to keep your asshole liver.
rolls her eyes Alright, alright, calm down. I get it, you're in a sticky situation here. But abandoning ship isn't the answer, WaterfallMystic.