Evening of 26th March

The way of many whom are allies and puppets for the mantis empire. Each had trendy medals of war honours. Weapons here were not of guns but today was words. Everyone around the lounge had something behind - a reason to beg for help from the empire as large as the crisis cleaners of the mantis empire. Truly here too for word play of fighting any humans in claim to be like me. There was standard to seeing where eyes watched and expectations of who bows with whom. My little purple velvet guide bows and steps to the side for me. Expecting a sort of announcement from me.

Yet at wars like this, the most insulting way to figure out things is often the best way to read emotions. To plan accordingly with how they take breaking their normal line of things.

The now leader of her world sits along being pampered by her own other lady's. She may have tilted in inspecting me and then turns aways as she waited for me to do as others did. I simply gave my light huff and step around from them all right to the window facing the earth and moon. Importantly it was the space networks puppet with this version of the ai mother enacted through it. Already Lavander was perched here, hops onto my shoulder on approach. My hug of welcoming the ai once more.

"Oh how dire must it be for things to be so cold in here." I really leaned into the machine with my whispers, "Weirder still is not having any nanotechnology like before. I ponder so confused on why I can't find my clock in the interface." I leaned back with letting the system do full scanning, but still I held her hand and purr lightly, "Thank you for the dress repairs. The chain is exactly how it would be for me." That chain hung around my neck thrice and the tail end hangs around my arms. The latest chain loop was space metal, a charm marking the day I woke up in space.

"To see you happy in spite of all, it makes me less worried. I am happy that you are." The tilt of how the room is frozen up confused by the lack of introduction. That whispers about this dress stirs folks knowing precisely whom I am. The maiden at pose of listening to those around her talking about the human that is also a machine ambassador. I made mother take focus with me again, importantly that my tail has managed to steal from the pockets of the few around here. Handing her the weapons. I tilt with giving the impression of a nervous smile.

"Lady K." A gentleman among the ranting trades of slick greasy hands. He stands and was quickly nearly fall into a sort of ranting. I sat him down instantly with moving around, I pushed a few folks out of my way and I sat at the arm of the chair beside the Maiden. I openly peer about each of the folks here and back to her. Her armed guards realized they aren't armed. The machines around here instead doing it for them.

"A wade of cash was all it took to stop a bunch of wars. It fed starved humans. It made a city. It saved some space stations of humans. Maybe a few wars among some other folks. A sun wasn't erased. 7 planets still exist." I rolled my hand several times in listing such things, "All for a empty worthless box trade. Slick doesn't cut it for humans like me. The most dangerous thing is always what the machines aim the most for. Didn't you know?" My tail slaps a random fella in a fine suit because he said something stupid, "I did pity you. I knew what I did. I didn't know how far of a implications of impact it would have made." I slapped another idiot too, "This isn't the sort of place to be talking chatter for the fun of it. Your all seriousness isn't my style. I may have been a desperate human with a rust bucket van. But I knew when you approached me, you wanted to play me for a fool. I taught you a lesson. Now you see... humans can't be trusted. But you can rely on that, rely on the certainty of distrust. Backstabbing they are would make perfect tools to stab back others with. Underhanded is their nature. Yet there again, don't lump all humans the same."

"For a dead human, you are quiet a talker." She clicked in a angered way, "You tricked me. The only one to have ever done so." I posed a finger in stopped her talking.

"This room means business. We can't talk about the past here." I sighed in how that much was the point and there is a long reflection of how my conversation was business at all. Now... she gets it. Looking to the machines of how they aimed at me. She gets it in seeing I silenced everyone. She posed in saying to lower weapons, and has someone do the running to fetch stuff.

"So the old rules still apply. Words are trade and there has to be scrap to counter balance currency transfers." I purr in how she understood. I got up, sweeping over the ai mother, "Trade it is. You have convinced me, Mrs Nick."

"Trade is a two way street. We took what we needed from previous trade and you want a sort of refund. Now... you can sort that out." I pose in watching them doing the administration of this trade. The deeds being signed back over, the flee of folks loosing out being replaced by those whom will gain. The flow of money was fast happening and at amount that I couldn't put a price on.

"My gift to make this trade official with the human dark market." She had three of her strong folks sweating it to carry over this cube of ore. It was no electric current and engraved circuits, "A broken empty hunk of metal." The slam of it landing on the floor. I lowered onto all fours walked right to the item. Tap about it, I purr so happy with this trade. I was back to standing on two, picked it up with little effort and continued inspection it. With a little certainty I put it back down and nod to her.

"A worthless broken engine compartment core. Its as close to a space box as it gets." I sit on it, "On the house. I will answer that question. My brother and I were rewarded for our contact between mutated creatures and the vault humans. Our years and study into research because a valuable resource. I was sent to fetch that box. The scrap was useless to the machines at the time, humans seen as as a relic and creatures seen it as it was - scrap. That box had a core from machine designed many suns before humanity existed. A lost advanced race whom came before us, whom had the ability to travel space. That core wasn't for me, I am of flesh. I took out that core, recycled it and all that remained was a lock box. A fancy space metal lock box. Empty because I took the contain." I posed with how unimpressed the mantis was for this answer, "If given the chance, I can no longer open another one. I can no longer show you or repeat how I did it." The pout, that was what she wanted to know.

"As of for now, business is done between us for today. We may have return business in future." The mantis maiden announced, "And with that, I am not bothering in business hours." She was mostly directed about me. I picked up my scrap once more but now I shuffled with sitting around among the group. I have Lavander in my hands.

"Ruler of a whole association of planets or like a queen of your entire race?" A I asked in a chatty way and she sighs in a relief.

"You changed so much in looks but you are still the least aware human." She makes folks share some photos, "These places are of my word. My protection." I purr so impressed by it all. The map at the end of galaxies in her care.

"I am now my brother's pet, not that it changes much." I pose in shurg, "Oh, I read your culture as ceremony for unity. My brother is doing one of those. You like to be a part of the wedding?"

She smiles and suddenly it was between us that a girl talk seems to happened. Talking about locations and traditions of cultures beyond just humans. It was great insight I needed for how big they wanted it. We were posing over a notebook I have with such notes as the room shuffled noise with the shock in the matter between us. We shook on the helping each other with the wedding and planned some food trials and a reorder of the invites. The book closed and away. Snickering at old wife tales. Having to become serious again with next being whom was announced at the door. She puts on a good poker face. I could not, lightly in a constant humming.

"Was I interrupting something more important?" The maiden flustered a hand in notion to reply. I scanned about the newest fella. Military like, brown uniforms and a race of being from star wars. I couldn't tell if it was a mask it was wearing or if that was its face. I simply was confused on how it expresses itself at all, "I would like to know how exactly does the empire have the law over us to take what we made."

She shows me a image of an engine like the one I am sitting on but at a much bigger scale. This was among the land deeds I stole from her. I look back on these Military men and how buff they seem. In a way, I can tell it was their language I had to translate back in the plastic days. The signs of things in the image of the engine was how I could tell. I pat her shoulder in thanking her for that. She puts the image away.

"If I recall correctly it wasn't yours either. It belonged to the machines of earth. Whom I just happily had a wonderful trade return with." She acts as if I am being the sacrifice here.

"Is it the lay out of a qwerty key board layout a standard?" I also asked, "And seriously you have some poor programming skills. Build cool stuff at least." I play on with how he wasn't giving me much thought. I side shuffled the deal that the Maiden was playing at and in my own way, I was trading with boring questions.

"A lower level like..." I stand up to my hieght on two legs and I lifted my cube to place it by Lucas for now. I stand at eye level on my return.

"Sir Commander, take no offence in how I play my games. I asked things that may seem pointless for a better idea of who you are really. The pompous honour of war means little. You reek of enough death. I have no reason to lead more to such petty massacres." I poke my tail at his medals, "The enemy is laughing at us all. You're just playing in their hands. I should cut those puppet strings maybe. You might just listen to me."

The black pupils that I assumed were decorated blinked and stare into me with such anger. They dotted about the many logos, beads and more importantly it was my chain... the stare of the guns and the linger back to my eyes.

"Who know that machines from a back water planet would have someone like you among them." He posed a hand out.

"I was a human. Insult my family and there will be a war with no end." I don't take that hand shake, "No Commander. You're race would not survive the nature of a human like me. I am the co-owner of the Dark Market. That alone in the value should tell you what sort of war I am in." I turned in ignoring him and with moving back to the window, "You are a lonely little man, Commander. All that war paid its price and you feel trapped."

He crumbled up what he hide in that hand. He looks to the empire of the mantis queen, she whom nods on the occasional points I made. She too was a little taken with the last part of my words, how direct that hit him personally. She didn't understand how I knew. But the grief was there, the hurt of being forced to be a solider in wars that didn't need to matter to small planets. It the very little research I did have, that race has been a list of lost colonies and planets. Those lucky to be alive are all that remain of the core battle ship. This Commander is all whom is the last highest speaking on his race's behalf.

I stare to the window look down on earth, I feel the life there. Its just enough to calm my nerves again. I am for the most part ignored and the roll of this room becomes stirred of conversations. Deals. Trades. Promises. I noticed that Lucas could not pick up my engine cube of ore. I purr as I softly came to pick it up. I gave my bow of leave and left with Lucas at my side.

"You have an iron stomach." He commented outside of the lounge.

"What stomach? I lost it a long time ago." I take the elevators to the vaults. This cube was going to be placed in my old sleeping box within the van. As this was just another thing to be recycled and eventually feed us with more metals. Any nanotechnology left in there will have something to work on.

"I have a lot of questions." Lucas looking about the air locked vaults. The items that were covered or boxed away - wedding gifts. I picked a jar of sauces, adding it to space patê and settling with looking at all this cool stuff with him, "You have been officially titled as the machines treasurer. It's in your job description to protect assets..." He peers at the floor of scratchings, "ugh..." He looked at the nearest screen, "qwerty?" He peers about, "Are you joking?" He looks at me, "What the hell are you bothering deciphering other languages for? The setting is already English." I see... So he doesn't know. I stop him wondering around and now it were wise of me to change all the passwords here. A good thing I did so already before, but I didn't wish to be so careless in making it simple. At this point it was wise of me to choose a password based on me and me only. Not even something my brother could know off hand. He would eventually.

"Well come on then. Let us leave. I have put my things away. It's now time we go back upstairs." I made sure to listen to the doors final lock. The password changes were set now, a date that wasn't on my chain. I doubt that I told my brother of it. The full dress in the spider box is walking with me, it is going back to the shared apartment. I have other small bits that I wish not have in the vault. Lucas peers about why I was quick to kick him out of there and in peer of why I held my wedding planner like I did. I had my thoughts swimming of to many things at once, but mostly that I am well aware that hardly anything seems private anymore.

"Come to think about it, I don't think your brother knew you were actually alive until mother sent us to the lounge." He seems to waver in concern, "Just how long have you been awake really?" I tilted in listening, ear posed and everything.

"You would ruin the surprise then. The vault is full of surprises. I can't have it ruined for them." Lucas nods with that, "Yet I know what your getting at. She will tell me in her own time." The crossed arms as we entered the elevator. I peer about just before clicking the button. I listened deeply... posed with watching reflections. Indeed someone has now started walking back to the vault, "We should..." They were quickly running away from the vaults. They evaded the turret fire of the anti theif system. Tumbled themselves back right into this elevator. Sat at the floor panting.

"What floor are you going to?" Lucas asking the stranger. Helping off the floor. I sneaked away with my spider box, back to reset the system. I see that the one fella wasn't the only one. Plenty of them plastered to the floors. I walked on all fours, as this was how the machine should detect me. Plenty of the human team is quick on cue to help around moving the injured put into cuffs.

"Missed one." Lucas pin locking the arms of the rat from the elevator. I peer with checking the tattoos. Maybe any clue with the mix of races here for why they are all involved. This sort of attention doesn't just happen with no reasons. I pick pocket some as I med check them. The same bounty poster, reward and all from the same race. The Commander is a sly man then, whom seems interested in my stock share. Either way he was hoping I was a fool.

"Mop!" Meaning the clean crew was next to sort any left mess. I denied them access in a long time ago. It's only now they realize it. They sent the tech guy whom I helped his wife. He knew not to try anything with me. The whole lot here were surprised to hear that the ambassador of machines owned the vault and that I was soul keeper of the content. I did hang about hearing it all. I needed to know whom was trying to ruin my life here.

"These lot are to be detained up on middle class." Chains up until the service elevator and released among the guest of the space station. I followed along this game. Peer in how the whole mixed groups went to the same place for drinks. I mixed in among the crowds, ordered a abnormal cocktail and ease drop with the folks. Lucas has long lost me and the spider box as been on my back this entire time, like a back pack.

"The creature that locked the vault is with one them machine ambassadors. You can't hack ai based passwords or else you trip the security. This thing knew to change the passwords. The length of character limit was changed. Most of my crew aren't equipped to handle human made thief traps." Money is slipped, "Nah man. I am out this." money left there. The whole ship crew leaving. The hooded stranger at alone. So I sent mind games if my own to watch their reactions. I may physically be at the bar but I let my mind give the loner a sudden stranger to sit with them. They took the bait of staring at air like there was someone there.

"Is there a reason you need a vault opened? I am quiet the lock Smith." Thet peer about the false figure, "boop." poke the nose which was believable enough to back them off, "Very amusing." The false shape plays, "I get the door opened. I leave you to your hearts content. You pay me. Deal?" offered hand out. They chopped it off. So now. I had to play it off as a machine reaction, "Rude." Picking up the lobbed hand, "Whatever man." The phantom started walking away.

"I want only a single item from a vault. It was just placed into it today. A busted engine was just the false shape." The image waved the spare hand of turning down the offer. They huffed in looking back their drink. I had down mine and leave. Back to my work office as a doctor. My mind made a note. The core engine was maybe broken and empty. Yet it must be a sort of idiot has actually used it. I gained more then I bargained. The patient clients I treated happen to be the crew that was trying to steal from me. They were unaware with how I acted indifferent about their conversations.

"Boss has gave up on the deal. The current owner of the earth capsule is to advanced then any regular." I finished sewing the grazes off this one. The others nod understanding and some chattered about maybe cutting a deal to sell the deal maker out. Make some money with that at least. The crew paid for the expenses and leave together.

At closing hours, watching for security cameras around the office - there was the hooded stranger passing by. A device held around tracking something, would often take stop to sweep the floor then stand straight again. They made it to my front shop, peer in and then typed about it on their device. Left for the evening out of sight for now. I have nothing in my current messages from my brother or Freya. The network too.

For something to be measurable with a sort of energy residues, I have to worry if I just obtained a illegal radiation conversion engine or whatever within it being a cause of conesider. I will have to figure that out later.

For the time being, watching those spying on me was better. Since the opening the vault was going to require me. Just how many fish will come for this net? I might need a bigger net.