There were faceless robots that looked like they were made of liquid silver. There were robots welding themselves into holes in the walls, there were capsule robots zooming around devouring anything on the floor, walls and ceiling that shouldn't be there.
She thought of the raptor. The raptor didn't attack her maliciously, it was just her nature. The robot with her glanced at her and said, " You need not fear, they have been programmed to only clean certain biological discharges."
"What is this place?" Charmaine asked.
"It is like a terminal on your earth. Many little flying objects all land at one spot and then something directs them further and they leave again."
"An airport?"
"A little, yes."
"Why do you record everything we say? We can't even talk to one another!"
"Do not distress yourself Vogt Charmaine. The Stygiopians are a military species. Once we reach the Stygiopian galaxy, we will all disembark this ship and you will go to your new home."
"That was in the welcome pack. Still doesn't explain why they record everything."
"Welcome pack?"
"Knowledge implant."
"Ah. They have orders not to kill. They lose credit, if they do, so they record."
"They? You are not a Stygiopian robot?"
"No, I am not."
They were at the head of the queue now.
"And what is your code and who are you bringing?" The bored Stygiopian behind a wide desk asked, suddenly they hit another planet sized asteroid and were all flung to the floor in a heap.
"Stay down, magnetize!"
The alarms went off again and the robot held Charmaine in its arms like a doll. As the ship jolted around she could see they were all there, bear lady was behind her with her three robots, and there were a few women she didn't recognize. She saw wolf woman just behind them and raised her hand in greeting. She was more than a bit astonished when wolf woman waved back and gave her a crooked smile.
At long last the ship was settled and leveled again and blue lights indicated business could resume as normal.
The robot stood with Charmaine still held in his arms.
"Let's try again," the Stygiopian behind the desk said.
"What is your code and who are you bringing?"
"My name is Fingerling."
The man's head snapped up and he narrowed his eyes, scrutinizing the robot.
"You are a hybrid?"
"Yes."
"Belonging to?"
"The Musso."
"Oh, yes, them. They do make good hybrids."
"I shall forward your compliment Stygiopian CSO"
"And this is?" The man pointed at Charmaine.
"She is of the last harvest in the Vogt galaxy."
He looked up something on a screen on his desk.
"Let me scan the implant."
Fingerling turned so that Charmaine's left shoulder faced the man and a red beam ran over her implant.
"We are still missing another fourteen females, this one is called Charmaine for now and the seeker from Nasterium captured her. She goes with the other Nasterium females. Go straight down to H5, then left to the green block, we've assigned thirty pods for them, just put her in the nearest one."
"Excuse me sir-" Charmaine began, but he cut her off.
"Not now, I'm busy, go with him." He pointed at the robot.
Fingerling turned and walked past the man and the desk into a large airlock with a mistifier.
"I have questions! Lots!" Charmaine complained to Fingerling.
"You may ask me any question you want Vogt Charmaine. I will not respond to questions that could be perceived as a security threat. Otherwise I will do my best to answer."
They stepped out of the airlock on the other side and Charmaine demanded to be put down. A short argument with Fingerling ensued, with Charmaine winning, having convinced Fingerling that she could walk.
"What did you mean when you said you were a hybrid?"
"I was once a being like you, there was an accident. I should have died but the Musso are advanced in life skills and managed to meld me into a hybrid."
"Do you know where the other females from Earth, err, Vogt are?"
"We are going there now, all the females caught by the Nasterian will be held in one place."
Thinking of her new acquaintances she looked up at Fingerling and opened her mouth to ask. He beat her to it.
"Yes, that is how you were kept here too, they put you in the outer pods, but then they flew into driftrock. The pods are already rebuilt, that's the Stygiopians for you, but you will now be kept in secure pods for the rest of the trip."
"Secure pods?"
"Secure pods."
"Prison cells."
"Yes, prison cells. That's one other way the Stygiopians earn their place and their credits, they transport prisoners to the Iron Planet, metals back from it and they can be retained to fight small inter-planetary wars."
