Free Sequence by Adam Moon Page B

take me home, I’ll ask them to drop you off on Earth too.”
    Samda looked at the floor. “Thank you.”
    “Don’t thank me yet. There are a lot of intangibles to get past before we can even consider what happens after the experiment.”
    Samda nodded and said, “Thank you anyway.”
    She walked away before Chris could speak on it further. He followed her to the end of the corridor where she was standing at another glass door. Inside were more stasis pods ranging in size from very small, like a shoebox, to very large, bigger than a truck. Liquid filled each one in that room too. Samda sniffed the air again and said, “They must be marine creatures.”
    Chris tried the handle on that door but it wouldn’t open either. “If I didn’t know any better I’d say these things are prisoners with no chance at escape.”
    “I have to agree.”
    “The captain told me that many of the captives of heightened intelligence actually agreed that their experiment was important. I think they’d reconsider if they could see themselves locked inside a pod that’s locked inside a room.”
    A booming voice came over the loudspeakers. It was the captain. “Get back here this instant. You’ve deviated enough.”
    Chris whispered, “I’m getting sick of that bastard ordering me around.”
    Samda whispered back, “You’re big enough to do something about that now.”
    The thought frightened him, but it thrilled him too. He was no longer defenseless. But there was also a more rational part of him that knew Samda was trying to manipulate him.

Captain’s Rules
     
    They walked into the command station together.
    The captain glared after them and said, “You are a couple of suspicious, sneaky bastards. There’s nothing more I can do to alleviate your concerns. I told you what I can, and I even allowed you to snoop around my ship, and yet you’re still suspicious.”
    Chris shrugged his mammoth shoulders and said, “It’s in my nature.”
    “I know that , but it doesn’t mean I have to put up with it. Toe the line or suffer the consequences.”
    Samda took a step towards the captain and barked, “What the hell is that supposed to mean?”
    “It means that you will be put off of my ship, young lady. I can’t allow you to jeopardize this mission.”
    “You said you need us alive.”
    “I prefer you live but if it comes right down to it, a skin scraping and a vial of blood will suffice.”
    Samda said angrily, “ Just because we’re curious about your motives, you might kill us?”
    “Not at all. I would only put you off my ship if I thought you were hindering the mission. Your constant snooping is an annoyance now , but if you keep it up and it gets in the way of what we’re doing, it will not be tolerated.”
    “This mission sure is important to you. Why is that?”
    “It’s important to you too. This mission could mean the difference between life having no meaning at all and it being a precious, meaningful experience. The death of the universe is the death of hope. It’s the death of a future. It renders life pointless and futile. This mission could nullify all of that and give meaning to the meaningless.”
    “Why do you care? That won’t happen for a long time.”
    “But the inevitability of it is an ever-present danger. There is no point to my people advancing themselves if they’re destined for certain doom. The same goes for all living creatures.”
    Samda opened her mouth to continue the argument but the captain said, “That’s enough. We have work to do. Try and make yourself scarce until we’re done.”
    For the first time Chris noticed a greenish blue planet on the monitor.
    The first m ate said to the captain, “Time’s up. I’m gonna just grab one of them.”
    “Is the holding cell prepped?”
    “As much as is necessary.”
    “Ok ay then, go ahead.”

Mission Accomplished
     
    A crab-like creature appeared in the holding cell. The holding cell was full of water now, and the purple crab swam