They both look at me with surprised eyes. I guessed they would expect something akin to this as they were explaining their worth with enthusiasm.

Gralke looks at his father, and after a couple of seconds turns back to look at me.

“Contractors you say?” He asks with doubt written all over his blue face.

“Yeah, why? Is it not satisfactory?”

“No no!” He waves his hands nervously “It’s great… we just were not expecting that sort of treatment”

“...What sort of treatment? I mean, you work, you get paid, that’s it”

“Well, that’s already pretty strange for a couple of refugees you know…” He scratches the back of his head, somewhat embarrassed, and Agdol does the exact same.

“I see… well, don’t worry, you can get a contractor status within this ship… just not official within the Stellar Union, you understand that right?”

They both nod their heads.

“Good, so, Gralke, you’ll be my technomancy instructor for an undefined time period, and be obliged to put up with my exasperant attitude, and Agdol, you said you were from the scientist caste, you can help the crew with their anything that needs brainpower, sounds good?”

They stay silent for a while, then look at each other. Gralke shrugs, and Agdol sighs.

“Is that it?” Gralke asks.

This is beginning to look like a comedy skit.

“Yeah, what else would i put in there?”

“I-i don’t know… i mean, technomancers like us are usually forced to join the assault teams… Am I just supposed to teach you ma’am?”

“Why the fuck would i put a kid on the frontlines?” I ask, slightly offended by that. I know I'm not reasonable a lot of the time but there are limits. I already feel bad having to ask a kid to teach me; and the father is mute, and by his skinny build I wouldn't trust him to be a competent soldier anytime soon, and he has previous experience as a scientist, so why wouldn't I take advantage of that. As far as i know the only thing close to that are Luca, our tech master, and Yvonne, our medic.

“There are plenty—”

“Not in my ship, so, those are the terms, what do you say?”

He looks at Agdol as usual, and then at me and nods.

“We agree ma’am… thanks!” He says with a smile at the end. Even with his blue skin and lack of hair, he reminds me of a normal human kid. How can I put this boy on a battlefield?

I pat his head a couple of times “My pleasure… actually, we’ll be going to the training room in a bit, i’ve been waiting for someone to ask about a lot of things that my AI doesn’t explain that well”

Nothing personal Hallie, really. I love you.

“And also” I add “How do you understand your father with a look? It’s pretty amazing”

“I just create a mindlink and we talk that way” He says as if it’s the most normal thing in the world.

I look at Agdol and he just smiles “Alright, we’re learning that first… so, why don’t you wait for me in the training room? Ask one of the guys outside to guide you, we are done here”

Completely silent conversations without any corporate ears listening? Yes please.

They agree and leave the meeting room, and I see one of the soldiers outside taking the father-son duo to the direction of the training room. While I can look forward to that, I'm not looking forward to what I have to do next.

I pull out a comms device and, after pressing some buttons, a holographic display comes up, showing a table with several faces all looking at me.

“Hello Miss Lilith, how was your assignment?” Says the old bitch, van der Mann.