As Taji walked out of the conference room, her head reeled with the information presented. The Captain's words rang in her head and hung over her slim form like a death sentence. "Petrova, you were selected for this because of your knowledge of that system." So... the CMC had picked her up on the run, given her a job... Just to bring her right back to square one? There was no way that it was as simple as that. Even those two-faced government vipers wouldn't go out of their way just to get someone who knew the system? Surely...?
The woman looked ceiling-ward and sighed heavily as she leaned against the wall for a moment to steady herself. First the incident in the marketplace, and now this. "Isn't life grand?" she asked herself, a frustrated, wry smirk crossing her features. It was just like fate to pull some shit like this. By this time, she should have been used to it, but no. Every time it seemed like she knew what to expect... "That bitch upstairs just keeps yanking my strings," she muttered bitterly. Chances were just never in her favor, it seemed. But then, who would want to take a chance on a former criminal anyway? Certainly none of these others. They were too wrapped up in their own jobs, their own lives to really take stock of her role on this ship. No, if she was going to make anything of this job, it would take HER work, and no one else's.
Taji opened her eyes and breathed deep. The act served to calm her down a little bit, and she straightened her lanky form, though her bony arms remained crossed as she made her way down the hall. At the moment, she didn't even know where she was heading, just that she had a couple of days to prepare herself for her station as this ship's Navigations officer and to clear her head to face the system again.
She passed a lit display, showing where she was in relation to the bridge, the top deck, and the like and finally found what she was looking for. She had a hard time reading it, but she finally was able to sound out the strange name. "Um, hey Ir... Ir...i...dal... I don't know if I said that right, I know your name's not just 'AI'. I need a hand."
The woman materialized before her, wearing a bemused expression. Before she had a chance to speak, Taji blushed and said simply, Sorry, I have a little of a hard time still, reading that common shit. Iridal nodded and smiled kindly. What was it that you 'need a hand' with, Taji?
Taji didn't even question how the computer-woman knew her name, she just told her that she needed to get to the bridge. Any chance you could help a girl out? she ventured. Iridal simply nodded and instructed her to follow her. As they walked, the two went in silence at first, until Taji tentatively broke the silence. You really shouldn't let him talk to you like that she said suddenly. She couldn't help but chuckle at Iridal's surprised expression. There was no need to broach who "he" was, it was understood between the two women. Pardon me, Taji, but I don't exactly have an option. The AI then explained that as the AI, and Armstrong as the Captain, she had little room to argue or to correct. And anyway, he won't listen.
Taji shrugged as she walked, her arms uncrossed now as they made their way along. So MAKE him listen. Just because he's the Captain doesn't mean that that makes YOU any less of a... well, I guess a person.... not sure what you count as, no offense. Either way, don't take that shit. Think about it this way: you're pretty much a super-computer, if I understood that display right, which means that you're smarter than ten of us put together- and definitely smarter than me. In my mind, that means that without you, this ship wouldn't run half as effectively as it probably does. Make that point. But whatever you do, don't just let him get away with it. Let him- or anyone- start with that now, and they're gonna do it the rest of the trip, I guarantee it. It's not worth being on the verge of tears for the entire mission.
It was a strange conversation, to say the least, but it was nonetheless fruitful. Taji noted the slightly bewildered, but heightened spirits of the AI as they arrived at the science wing and the doors slid open. As she passed through them and headed to the table where Marcus stood, Iridal disappeared, and the Shifter couldn't tell if she had really done any good, but had a positive feeling. That was, at least, a start. Perhaps she should go talk to the others on board, get acquainted with them as well. The woman made it a point to make a mental note to do so once she was done here and with James.
And despite her stress, she smiled as she entered the bridge and saw that many of the others had the same idea as she.
|