33 Eden: Captured

Nothing like a bio scanner shrilling, screaming what I truly was.

"Warning: Maximum Security Military Personnel Alert. Kamuy species detected on scan," the same automated female's voice announced once the bio scanner ran through the lasers, where the soldiers screamed at me to stop.

Between the soldiers and me, I couldn't be sure who was panicking more. I never expected them to station a big gate-like bio scanner at the entry of my ship.

Nothing like staring down the shaking gun barrels directed at my face. I raised my hands, resigned to fate, and waited to be escorted by a group of Velesian elite soldiers to the brig.

Those Velesian elite soldiers were armed to the teeth, with the Great Swirl Council's logo emblazoned on the full armour worn.

The ordinary Haolean soldiers in their ordinary jumpsuits wouldn't dare to escort me with that maximum military alert. Even the way they gripped their rifles unsteadily hinted at their ordinary level of incompetence.

The Haolean soldiers only performed one competent action - pointing their guns at me while waiting for the small group of Velesian elite soldiers to come marching in.

The inspection ship bay became a full shit show of a circus with a gawking audience of civilians and military. All eyes stuck on me like I was a freak show worthy of attention.

Sure, why not? I am a Kamuy who never showed up for a very long time on their scanners. Maybe over six hundred galactic cycles.

They can't blame me for hiding my identity, given the over reaction.

Based on my observation, a vast gap existed between ordinary troops and elite soldiers in their professionalism. The lead elite Velesian soldiers remained calm and courteous as they moved the Haolean soldiers away from me.

"We need to escort you to the brig because you used a different identity to enter the Eden system," the leader of the elite soldiers mentioned.

Yeah, nice diplomatic way of stating my use of a false identity.

Outnumbered and outgunned, there's nowhere for me to run.

I nodded as he led the way to a long gloomy windowless passage away from the inspection ship bay within the Battle Fortress. The rest trudged beside us with the guns held firmly in their arms.

The Great Swirl Council personnel on the Battle Fortress passing us, kept staring at us. Whispers and hushed gossip of a Kamuy on board spread faster than me, making my way into the area where the brig was.

At least, Arabaki received my instructions to ensure the survival of the droid swarm.

I laid on top of the top bunk bed attached at the end of the wall within the cell and stared at the plain white coloured ceiling which spanned across the highly secured Battle Fortress's brig.

They will monitor every move I made in the cell.

I laid lost in my thoughts of how those associated with me may react when the Eden authorities questioned them.

My use of false identity may give the Nuwans a headache, since Mahara will deny any incriminating statement and move the blame to Rong.

Friend or no friend, Rong will probably divert it elsewhere to protect his family's position on the political pedestal in the Nuwan Imperium.

Better that way.

My eyes turn to the side where I could see five other prisoners mulling and pacing like trapped animals, around the three other occupied cells out of seven large cells in the brig.

Our captors sorted out similar species into the same cell - two Velesians in one cell, a Thorian in other and two Satesians in another.

One Satesian flashed his tattooed middle finger at me from his cell while using the sonic washing toilet. He mistook me for staring at his personal business, when actually my eyes were on the closed sliding entrance door next to theirs, right opposite my holding cell.

I turned back and stared at the white ceiling again.

We could see each other because of the circular design of the brig with the six layers of transparent force-fields sealing us in. Five armed guards sat at the center of the brig, watching us or gossiping.

A sound barrier layer of the force-fields blocked all noise outside from my cell.

I closed my eyes momentarily to nap.

Nothing further I could do, other than to wait for interrogation and then figure out the charges laid against me.

***

"Stand away from force-field," an automated voice echoed loudly in my cell, awakening me from my nap.

I kept my eyes closed, refusing to get off from the top bunk bed, a distance away from the forcefield.

Someone dropped the force-fields, introducing the sudden influx of background noises to my cell. I continued to pretend I was asleep, but peeked in time to see a small group of Haolean soldiers accompanying the new entrant.

"GET IN!"

A soldier shoved the bedraggled individual with the butt of his rifle into my cell so hard, he fell on his face with a thud.

Funny, the elite soldiers who took me to this cell treated me with more courtesy than the rabble of ordinary Haolean ones.

"When are we going to get those cybernetic scientists in for these two freaks?"

The mention of cybernetic scientists piqued my curiosity. If I got up to ask suddenly, the jittery Haolean soldiers may react by firing their guns. The newcomer has cybernetic implants to qualify for entry into my cell.

Sure, group the freaks together.

"Just raise the forcefield," the other soldier replied.

*WHONK*

With the forcefield raised, I couldn't hear the ruckus of the group but the heavy breathing and a cough from my new cell mate.

With a yawn, I stretched my arm and jumped off the bed, hopeful that it may be another Kamuy.

I took a glance at the trembling body and the disheveled short brown hair of the newcomer. Even with the black leather clothes of his, he looked pathetic if he was a mercenary.

He tried to get up, but flopped down with a whine. His bloodied face reminding me of some animal newborn who struggled to use their legs once they pop out into the world.

I don't think he is Kamuy.

My optical implants whirled into action with my stare.

[Cybernetic neural link detected in individual]

[Attempting to connect… Failed]

My neural link's failure to connect to the newcomer's cybernetic link, a sign of incompatibility, confirmed my suspicions.

All Kamuy can link up via the cybernetic neural link and speak via telepathy.

He is definitely not Kamuy.

I stretched my hand out to offer help. His head raised up and his good brown left eye looked at me in a mix of bewilderment, fear, and hesitation. I looked at his red, swollen right shut eyelid.

"Fine, just lay on the ground," I said, only for him to grab my hand.

I pulled him up, only to have him staggering onto the bed with a limp. Too light and too short to be Kamuy.

Someone did a number on his face enough to leave reddish marks on his cheeks and jaw. He resembled a punching bag with the swollen eye and a steady stream of blood flowing from his nose.

"Did you resist?"

The newcomer nodded his head awkwardly. Big mistake to resist the soldiers.

"I didn't expect the game to be so realistic," he muttered as he glanced at his injuries.