[This is part 2. Read part 1 here.]
The Captain went on for a while after that, informing the rest of the ship's Heads what he knew, but after selecting two more people, Franka was asked to join the Captain in the Ready Room. In a daze, Franka just followed. Once inside, Franka almost missed noticing how little this room was used. Its interior was spartan, to say the least, but aside a quip forming in the back of her mind about cleaning drones forgetting about this room, she just sat down.
''Thank you all for clearing your schedule. As I'm sure you know, you've all signed up for this mission. When you signed up for the job, you all noted and signed what is commonly known as the ''E.T. Clause''. And since we just found out we lost contact with the drone we sent out, that clause now enters into force, at least where it concerns you three.''
This made Franka snap back to the present moment. ''The what now?'' she thought.
She did not have time to consider the notion, however, as the Captain was already introducing the other two people at the table that Franka did not know beyond face and title. On her right, she found the Head of Data Engineering & Data Management, Colin Farley. Franka thought it an odd choice until she was told he did a double-major at Vega Prime #4 Normal University. Aside from number-crunching, he had done did exo-biology on the side. Given that knowledge of anything non-human was mostly relegated to plant-life, Franka did not see the use of it for this mission, but the Captain did.
''In case of any alien lifeforms'', he said, in a manner that made Franka feel like they were going to pick daisies. She was mildly impressed though, about the double major, especially given the university he completed it at.
''I double-majored too. Sadly, nobody gives a shit about comedy musicals anymore,'' Franka thought to herself.
''So to conclude'', Farley said, ''I signed the clause because discovering alien life would be the biggest dream come true.''
The third person to round out their boarding party, as Franka came to call it, fashioning herself to be the pirate for once, was Halis Fajumi, a lanky, sinewy board of a human with muscles and tits, that got stuck in a costume one size too small. Their family, they told everyone in the room, comes from a long line of explorers. They served as Head of Recon & Deep-Space Scanning and felt that above anyone, they deserved to be on this mission, or much rather, leading it.
''Long line of explorers, my ass. I'm sure your ancestors are proud you're tugging away life on a glorified cargo drone instead of taking a seat on one of the Outer Rim Exploration LLC ships. They do some actual exploring.''
''Making contact with an alien intelligence will be the greatest thing I ever do. I will add this discovery to the long list of my family. That's why I signed the clause.''
''Alright Halis, thank you. Franka, your turn,'' the Captain said after Halis finished their monologue.
''I'm sorry, I did not choose this. I'll just as gladly return to my bunk if that works for you.''
The Captain smiled. ''It doesn't. Please. Tell us why you signed the clause.''
''Does 'because I was hungover as shit and needed a job or get drafted so I was ready to sign for just about anything' count as an answer?'' She half glanced at Halis and decided to suck it up instead. How much her face agreed on that decision, she could not say.
''I'm an engineer, first and foremost,'' she said. ''Slow it down Fran, you sound like you are applying for a job. Yet here you are, already knee-deep in one and you don't even want it.''
''Figuring out tech is what drives me. If ever there was the chance to look under the hood of an alien spacecraft, which engineer in their right mind would give it up?''
''Many, apparently,'' the Captain said. You three are the only ones who did. I mean, you and Second Officer Soong-Park, but he was lost in that unpleasant airlock accident last month. So yes, you three are it. Nobody else volunteered on the spot.''
Franka felt like there was a catch. There should be one, right?
''In any case,'' the Captain continued, ''thank you all. That settles that. Halis, you'll take point on this. You'll be the pilot on this mission and will make sure that if anything is left alive, you'll find it. Colin, you are responsible for getting any computer systems connected to ours, provided they have anything resembling something you can work with. Any life signs, known to our databases or not, are your responsibility. That leaves you Franka, to take care of engineering and getting any ship systems back online. Again, provided it is anything resembling what you know.
''I've worked on a Sarelli ship once, out of Ursa, that was a weird one. Might come in handy,'' Farley said.
Fajumi looked at him funny and Franka pretended to cough, but she was trying to hide laughter. She wasn't sure whether she succeeded. ''Maybe someone with humour on this mission at least. One great belly laugh before we're all gutted by space spiders. Hip-hip hu-''
''Any questions?'' the Captain interrupted Franka's thought.
''Yes,'' Halis jumped in without hesitation. ''When do we leave?''
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