“This is your room?” Centurion Turin asks, as her team enters Wil’s quarters.
Pushing past them, Wil kicks a grum bottle quickly under the bed. “What do you mean?” He glances around, then rushes over to push a magazine under a data PADD.
“It’s a glab sty,” Turin mutters as she walks over the closet, to poke at a shirt.
Wil looks at Zephyr. “What’s a ‘glab’?”
Trying to stifle a laugh, Zephyr replies: “You know… six legs, foul smelling, three tails.”
Wil snaps his fingers. “That’s what those things are called? I’ll be.” Remembering a job he did for Xarrix some time ago, transporting the annoying and disgusting creatures. Turning to Turin, he adds, “Offense taken. Those things are disgusting. I had a hold full of them once, so gross.”
Turin says nothing, instead focusing on the small closet in the corner.
One Peacekeeper lifts Wil’s mattress. “Nothing.”
Zephyr leans in to Wil and whispers, “Is there anything, anywhere, we should know about? You know, before they find it?”
Wil shrugs. “Nope, why do you ask?”
Zephyr shrugs. “Because you’re you.”
Wil raises his voice. “You guys done in here? It’s not that big of a space.”
Turin looks around one last time, then motions for her troopers to follow her out of the room.
“Marsha and Leroy’s room is across the hall,” Will says. “I’ll show you the way.”
Maxim and Bennie are watching the two inspection teams on the main display. Maxim looks over at Bennie. “You know, I don’t remember these being so invasive.” On the screen, Wil, Zephyr and their group of Peacekeepers are in the room he shares with Zephyr, looking through their closet.
Bennie tuts. “This? I’ve seen Peacekeepers rip panels off the wall if they think it’s worth their time.”
“Really?” Maxim asks.
“Sure. You and Zephyr were on some of these inspections, right? You didn’t do this kind of stuff?” Bennie looks doubtful.
“No, the ship they assigned me to was in the Gipsyl system. We’d board a freighter, look around for anything out of place, and then leave. It usually took longer to board the ships than it did to search them.”
“Ah, well,” Bennie says, “welcome to a system that isn’t at the ass end of nowhere. Brai is one of the top twenty most prosperous systems in the GC. Smuggling is a big problem that my people pay yours to keep under control.”
Maxim glowers at the hacker then turns back to the main display, grumbling under his breath, “My people.”
“What’s that?” Bennie asks.
“Nothing.” Maxim points to the screen. “Lets see what they find in your room.”
Bennie chuckles. “As if I’d hide my contraband in my quarters.”
“What?”
“What is that smell?” Turin asks, entering Bennie’s quarters.
“This is Tyrion’s room,” Zephyr remarks. “Who could say?”
Turin turns to Wil. “Captain, I take it back. Your quarters are not the most disgusting I’ve ever seen.”
Wil smiles. “Thank you, I think.”
Zephyr leans in again. “These are Peacekeepers. You saw my room—theirs are even more orderly.”
Wil shrugs. “That makes sense, NASA was always kinda anal about the crew bunks back at the launch complex.” He looks over at one of the troopers as they lift something out of the closet, holding it like it might bite them. Wil moves over, “Dammit Ben—er, Tyrion!” He snatches the object from the trooper. “That’s mine.”
The trooper turns a shiny opaque faceplate to Wil. “And what is it?”
“Oh, uh. It’s a stuffed animal.”
“Like a trophy?” one of the other troopers asks, coming over to look.
“No, nothing like that, it’s a misleading name. It’s a—well it’s a—it’s a toy, okay?” He holds it up for everyone to see. “His name is ALF, my mom gave him to me.”
“I forgot I had that, oops,” Bennie says, watching the feed on the main display.
Maxim looks over again. “Do you just come and go in his quarters as you please?” He pauses, then adds, “Also, wait. How do you have access to the security feeds in our quarters?”