Lust in Space (Skeith x OneNightNinja)

Even the furthest traveled probe could not have hoped to reach as far from the milky way as the survivor had traveled by mere luck. The vessel that she had been found in was primitive to say the least, that anyone had survived was a miracle, much less to have also made it out this far. The ship that had found her was a bizarre amalgamation of organic and mechanical components, seemingly slithering through space, it's halls seeming to breath as they would expand and contract slightly. Though this concept was not bizarre for the ship's inhabitants. In fact, the cold dead halls of the humans vessel seemed alien by their standards. Though the wreckage was abandoned, the sole survivor had been taken aboard, and transported to the sickbay. There she was left in the care of the ship's medic, Kerrigan. Kerrigan's species closely resembled the cephalopods of Earth. No hard skeleton, and inhumanly strong and flexible. They wore no clothing as their body's constant tendency to produce moisture, and when arroused, an ink like substance, made wearing clothing a foolish endeavor. Not to mention the aquatic nature of their home.

"Is it conscious yet?" A feminine voice rang out over the intercom.

"Not yet, Captain." Kerrigan spoke softly as she observed the alien creature that laid out on her examination table, having been stripped of her jumpsuit and shackled down, in case she was violent upon waking. The scanners could not identify her species, but it was able to display her anatomy. "I'm not certain what it is. But I'm reasonably certain that it is female. I have done all I can for her. I expect her to make a full recovery." She entered in a few commands in a holographic keyboard before the scanner shutdown. "I was also able to scan its surface thoughts. It possesses a language, which implies intelligence. I've decoded most of it. Communication will not be completely impossible."

"Very good, doctor. Update me when you have more information." The voice spoke again.

"Aye, Ma'am." She replied before moving to take a seat near the table, so that she could observe the human. Her wide florescent eyes staring at the bizarre creature before her. "What are you?" She whispered curiously as her eyes moved down her frame. She could hardly contain her excitement at meeting the creature, but also the fear of it possibly being hostile or feral.

Perhaps some day in the future, Kerrigan would come to fear humanity, a race that could be both brilliant and brutal at the same time, while preaching compassion and understanding to disguise their darker natures. But as it was, the alien vessel had picked up an astronaut, a person of science and logic mixed with loving passion. The pressure-fitted spacesuit she'd worn had a few tags, bearing the writing of her people. JASRI was written on the shoulder in sleek, red, lettering, stretching across the starry reaches of space beyond Earth's horizon. Below that, two more patches, both rectangular. A simple white one with a red spot in the middle, then one that was alternating red and white stripes, with a blue corner decorated with stars. More importantly was the black lettering over her right breast; Oliver. It was her name, or at least her surname.

Her eyes would slowly flutter open, consciousness returning to her. A soft groan escaped her, as the bright lights made seeing clearly impossible. It felt so cold. And that was when the memories started flooding back to her. Explosions, one, then many. Triggering an emergency lock, with someone trapped on the other side. An oxygen malfunction, temperature failure. Watching another choke to death, slowly freezing, while she fumbled around, desperately trying to fix things. Not even being able to get one last glimpse of home, as the remains of the shuttle careened off course, spinning so fast moving was a struggle. Passing out slowly, with temperature dropping, and the last of the oxygen emptying. She hadn't had food or drink for so long by that point, but it was impossible to tell time.

So of course she screamed, loud and screeching to the ears. Immediately she tried to move, shackled to the bed she was on. She hadn't even comprehended that she wasn't still on that wreck, screaming again as she struggled to escape and save her own life.

Kerrigan recoiled swiftly when the human screamed and began struggling on the table. She raised her hands to her head, trying desperately to muffle the sound. Having adapted to be able to hear underwater, her hearing was extremely sensitive. She feared, in that moment, that this being truly was feral. She raised her hands in front of her, trying to calm her. Nearly panicking herself, she struggled to string together words in the creature's tongue. "Be calm, now!" She said loudly at first before trying to settle herself. "Be calm. No need for fear. You are safe. Unharmed." She moved forward, placing her hands on her shoulders, applying light pressure to get her to lay still. "I am Kerrigan. A friend. This place is safe." She breathed out a quiet sigh, muttering a foreign curse under her breath. She thought about calling for the captain, but decided against it. The last thing she needed to do was overwhelm this individual with more than one alien face, and add another alien tongue to the sounds in the room.

Her hands slowly moved away from her shoulders, and moving towards the shackles. Her eyes never left the human as she worked to unbuckle her. "We found you, and brought you here to save you." She said calmly. "If you are calm. I will unstrap you." She said softly. Her hands slowly loosening the restraints. As soon as the last one was removed she stepped back away from the table to give her room. Primarily because she wasn't sure what she was capable of just yet. "You must be scared. Hungry? Thirsty?" She slowly lowered her defensive posture as she carefully observed her.

Sadly, Kerrigan was not as soothing as she hoped she would be. The voice made her lock onto the person providing those words. Even as they snapped her into reality some, they made her realize some of what was going on. Her eyes, wide with shock already, were able to somewhat focus on the fact that there was a squid woman, thing, monster... And it was holding her down. Hands and tentacles. She could feel the suction on her body. Which drew her attention to the fact she was quite undressed. She'd certainly shut up, but now she was just in a state of awkward, horrified shock. It didn't even hit her that she was being monitored by medical equipment. While it was alien, it at least had certain readouts that were vaguely familiar. It was such a shock that her eyes rolled back, and her head hit the bed with a dull thwump against the pillow as she passed out. Culture shock was a helluva drug.

She came to again in just a few moments, as her brain simply needed to recollect itself before the panic took over entirely. Waking for the second time, she was scared, but not struggling as she looked at the creature before her. Who was also nude as far as she could see. Was she still hallucinating? Maybe. That voice called out again, they'd saved her. Stay calm, and she'd be freed. They were friendly. Not they, her. Definitely her, from what she was able to glimpse. Taking deep breaths, her chest heaved some as she tried to calm down. Eyes clenched shut, clearing her head. Calm down. Her eyes opened. Nope, that was still an alien creature before her. Speaking English. Shouldn't she be speaking in glurgles and squishy noises?

Free from the table restraints, she backed up a little, bringing her knees up as she sat, finding her head still a little woozy and off balance. Holding her legs to her chest for modesty's sake, she simply gawked at the alien being. Had she really encountered life beyond Earth? Was the alien performing experiments on her? Probing? Wait, she had tentacles. Bridget had lived in Japan, she knew what tentacles could do. No, no, she shook her head. It was just a rescue. Clearly it was just an advanced species that had been watching humanity. That's why the being knew English. They'd been studying from afar. Maybe they'd gotten old transmissions the US had put into space. "Wh-Where am I?" She asked, her voice trembling, but calm enough. When she wasn't screaming, it was soft and filled with curiosity. "What are you?" Probably a more pertinent question.

In the brief time that the human had been unconscious, Kerrigan had quickly locked down the lab. The last thing that she needed was other crew members breaking in with weapons and shouting bizarre languages at the already terrified creature. When she came to, she seemed to still be scared, but was behaving with more sense. She maintained her distance as it spoke, it's voice was soft, a stark contrast to what it had sounded like before. She moved a little closer to the table, assuming a more docile stance. "You are aboard the Mallakor. A Maruvian vessel. You're in the medbay. I have been charged with your care. Though, I must admit to being quite confused by your physiology." Her eyes flicked over to the woman's read out, monitoring her heart rate and brain activity, before returning to her. "What am I? I am Kerrigan. A..." She paused for a moment, searching for the english word in her mind for a minute. "A scientist, and a doctor. I am one of the Subari. An aquatic species from a world without landmasses." One of her tentacles dragged her chair over, before she sat down.

Her eyes explored the human's body, but possessed only a curious gleam. It had seemed that she had discovered a new species. As a scientist, that was a big deal. She was eager to learn as much as she could about and from the creature, but she was also terrified of overwhelming her, especially to the point of screaming again. Her head still throbbed from the last time. "If you don't mind, may I return the question? What are you? Where are you from?" She asked quietly. "I have seen many creatures in my travels, but nothing that looked like you." Her hands curled around one another in her lap, as her eyes continued to stare unblinking. "You are a truly unique specimen." She added softly. It was intended as a compliment, but she wasn't certain it would be received as such.

Bridget was calming a little, her heart rate slowing as the creature spoke and it slowly became apparent that things would stay as a more civil conversation than some adult cartoon material or sci-fi B-movie. Her brain activity was still spiking though, with her thoughts shifting more to curiosity and critical thinking as opposed to fear and survival instinct. Both were quickly becoming interested in one another because it turned out they were of similar professions. While Bridget wasn't trained for medical duties beyond first aid, she was a biologist, tasked with studying the reactions of various single-cell organisms when they'd gotten to Mars. So the questions were thrown back at her, and Bridget found herself replying.

"I'm a human. From the planet Earth. My name is Bridget Oliver, an astronaut. Our people have only scratched the surface of space travel. We've sent people to our planet's moon, but never to another planet. The crew I was with... We were supposed to be the first to set foot on Mars. Earth is about two-thirds land mass, of diverse biospheres. Mars is mostly basalt and iron. No living organisms as far as we've been able to tell. In fact, there are plenty of people on Earth that believe that we are alone in the universe. We're an odd species, I'd suppose. we're not terribly strong, or fast, or um... Flexible." She mentioned, giving a nod to the wriggly appendages Kerrigan had. She found herself rambling, but it was putting her more and more at ease. Though she was still not anywhere near happy. "I guess this makes me the first to contact life outside of Earth... Bright side to everything, I guess."

Kerrigan listened intently to the human's words, her curiosity being matched only by the heartbreak she felt for her. "Bridget Oliver." She repeated the name after her introduction, speaking it slowly so as to pronounce it properly. Her mind was filled with questions and curiosities, enough that she was almost giddy with excitement. Though, when the woman's words concluded on a sadder note, she softened her gaze with sympathy. How awful must it have been to lose her home? Her crew? She might have had family or friends. "I am sorry. You were the only one we found on the wreckage." She lowered her gaze to her lap for several moments, trying to think of how she could possibly comfort the human. "While the possibility is slim, it is still possible that we may one day discover this 'Earth'. Perhaps in the mean time, you should maintain some part of your original mission. Learn what you can of other organisms to one day bring home." She said with a small nod, as a scientist herself, she knew that remaining busy was therapeutic in its own right.

One of Kerrigan's tentacles snaked over to the counter where Bridget's undergarments were located. "You were wearing these when we found you. I needed to remove them to properly examine you for surface injuries, as well as satisfy some personal curiosities about your physiology." She said quietly as she set them down beside her. "I would not make you remain undressed, it seems that covering yourself is important to your kind." She waved her hand to one of the lockers in the room. "The additional clothing is located in there." Her lips formed a small smile. "If you are feeling well enough, we should see to it that you are fed, and given something to quench your thirst." She said with a small nod. "I can bring something in for you."

"Wait... Why would it be slim? How far away did I travel?" She asked when told that Earth was not exactly within relative travel distance. Couldn't they do some sort of back-tracking using the trajectory of the ship and the movement of the solar system? Was she no longer in the solar system? How could she have gone beyond the orbit of the sun? "Is there a way to backtrack my trajectory?" She asked, looking rather worried. But she sighed, hanging her head some. The alien knew better than she did about what was going on after all. Technically she was the alien. There was some hope though. She did have a lot of knowledge to obtain as part of this new ship. Kerrigan herself was a historic find, as was the ship itself. And there were undoubtedly others on the ship. In her wildest dreams, they'd all be different species, and she'd be able to record knowledge on several other species of sentient life.

"You're right... Maybe if I can get my hands on a radio transmitter, I can even make contact with Earth... With a severe delay of course. But humans monitor space quite a bit. If I could transmit what I learn, it'd be absolutely ground-breaking for the rest of mankind."

She was snapped out of it a bit by the mentioning of her clothing. And having them removed for personal curiosities. The blush on her cheeks was accompanied by a bit of indignation, but she knew that if she'd been in the same position, she'd have probably done a through physical examination out of curiosity too. Though Kerrigan had medical reasons on her side too. "Yes, clothing is rather important. We don't have fur, and we're a warm-blooded species. It serves as decoration and enhancement to beauty. Or as an expression of modesty. Not everyone wants to see us naked." She explained, reaching out to pick up her undergarments. Just a sports bra and athletic shorts. Nothing terribly enticing.

"Thank you, Kerrigan... That'd be nice. Um, we're omnivores... If that matters. And water would be our drink of choice." Well, in a survival sense at least. most humans preferred to drink anything but water.

Kerrigan was uncertain how to answer Bridget's questions, but was pleased when she came to the realization on her own. Though when Bridget seemed to agree with her suggestion she smiled lightly. She hoped that both the ship and it's crew would be enough to perpetuate the human's curiosity and keep her moving forward. Now that she was aware of her sentience, she felt an attachment to her and wanted to ensure her continued existence. She lowered her gaze momentarily at the mention of clothing also being used for modesty. Suddenly her previous expression made sense. "I'm terribly sorry. At the time, I wasn't certain if you were intelligent or feral. Documenting you was my primary concern." She rose from her seat, looking to the door before turning to face Bridget. "The Captain has asked that I keep you here until she has had an opportunity to meet you. There are rules and expectations for those on board, and I'm certain she wants you to be made aware of them." She looked about the sizable lab for a moment before turning her gaze back to Bridget. "I will see to it that a suitable meal and drink are prepared for you. Obviously your native food will not be available, but hopefully you will find our food to your liking." She approached the door, momentarily disabling the locks. "I will return shortly. Perhaps this will allow you time to process everything." With that, she exited the lab.

On her way to the mess hall she attempted to process everything that she had learned thus far about the human. Her culture seemed to be a most bizarre one. She was pleased that the human she met was a scientist. She would be able to interact with her on an intellectual level that she would not be able to enjoy with others of her kind. Still, even with her intellectual mind, Kerrigan was concerned that Bridget would have a hard time acclimating to life aboard the ship. Her time in the mess hall was brief, having assembled a very simple meal. Some manner of cooked meet, and vegetation. Fortunately, water was also vital to kerrigan's kind, so the vessel had a stock of it. When she returned to the lab, having learned of Bridget's modesty, she gave a knock to warn that she was there before entering. "I make no promises that you will enjoy this. But I hope that you will all the same." She said warmly before setting the tray down on the counter.

When Kerrigan left, Bridget let out a soft sigh and got off the table. Wriggling herself into the tight underwear, she immediately felt a good deal more comfortable. While it didn't leave much to the imagination, it was still doing its job, and providing her with some support in the chest. It was all she could do to get really comfortable, since it seemed she'd be around for a while yet. She also went to her locker and opened it up, getting her one-piece space suit out. The suit was made to fit tightly to support the body in a zero-g environment, and alleviate some of the negative effects of being weightless for extended times. Plus it was really warm.

The knock at the door caused Bridget to whip around to face it, surprised at the familiar gesture. Before she could say anything though, Kerrigan was coming in with a tray. That was good though, as it meant there was food, and Bridget was not picky, considering how little she'd had over however long she'd been passed out on the wrecked ship. Sitting back up on the table, she let her long legs dangle off the edge. "Can't be any worse than an MRE." She half-joked. Though to be fair, MREs were not at all tasty. So to start, she simply grabbed the glass of water. At least that would taste like water. And a thirsty girl she was, gulping down half the glass in one go, having to mentally chide herself to stop and conserve some for the rest of the meal. "Thank you so much... Really. I should have said it earlier. If you and the crew hadn't rescued me..."

Kerrigan returned to her seat after Bridget also took her seat. When she joked, Kerrigan simply tilted her head. She was unfamiliar with the term MRE. Though she assumed it was a meal that many humans despised. When Bridget offered her words of gratitude her lips spread in a small smile. "It was most fortunate that we even found you. The galaxy is quite large after all. Even still that we found you alive." She shook her head lightly. "You were frightened earlier, and rightly so." She said with a a wave of her hand. She watched her for a few moments before speaking again. "You won't be confined to this lab. I feel I should add. Once you meet the captain, than we'll be able to arrange for you to have a room of your own. I'm sure she'll want to arrange for you to be able to help aboard the ship somehow. Given your skills, likely with me, here in the lab."


She shook her head quickly afterwards. "I apologize, we can talk about all of that later. For now, I'm sure you want to eat." She was certain that the captain will have spent this time learning some of the human's language. She was equally certain that she would have to work on teaching the human the common tongue on the ship. Considering she had turned off the intercom to avoid a startling interruption, she was also certain that the Captain would be coming by to check up on Kerrigan and the human. For now though, she wasn't going to pester Bridget with any extra concerns. For now, she would let her focus on eating.

She nodded quietly as Kerrigan talked. While she was still a little awkward about the appearance of the woman, she had a lovely voice, and it did wonders for keeping the human calm. And she was so kindly and understanding. Hopefully the captain was similar. Come to think of it, she knew nothing of the rest of the crew. Were they the same species? It sounded like Kerrigan wasn't the only species that existed in her known universe. "It'll be tough to find a way to help out. There technology here is so... Odd." She pondered it a bit. It seemed to move of it's own accord, quite unlike the rigid, static technology of humanity. "It'll take a while for me to learn. The gap in our technological levels must be pretty wide."

When Kerrigan apologized for interrupting, she smiled in return. "It's fine. I'd love it if you kept talking. I'm in for a lot more surprises, I'm sure. So even silly little facts will probably keep me in rapt attention." She took a bit of the meat that had been served to her, mulling it around a bit. She hadn't quite expected that. "Huh... Tastes like chicken..." Not a bad thing, honestly, but then again, chicken wasn't really known for it's robust flavor. Then she ate some of the greens. They tasted of dirt, minerals, and bitterness, in the same way that a lot of greens on earth tasted. It certainly could have been worse. Definitely not MREs.

She shook her head slightly. "I wouldn't worry. You'll learn everything in time." She observed the human while she examined the ship walls for a moment. "The ship is an combination of organic and mechanical components. The Maruvian people create cybernetic vessels from large sea faring creatures. The captain helped build this one." A smile came to Kerrigan's lips when Bridget appeared to be tolerating the food. She'd never heard of this 'chicken' before, but considering the way in which she said it, she assumed that it wasn't a bad thing. "Seeing as I'm the first non-human you've ever met, I should warn you that the crew are of a wide arrange of species. Obviously all of them are intelligent, so there is no reason to fear them outright. Save, perhaps for the Captain."

She rose from her seat, and set about putting her equipment away. She was expecting a visit from the captain any minute now and wanted to make sure that everything was in order. "The captain, I should warn, is a former soldier. She has a low tolerance for nonsense. I may have to translate between you, as I'm not sure how much time she's had to study your language. Just be sure to answer her questions honestly and concisely. If you respect her, she'll respect you." Kerrigan explained softly.

She was instantly wowed by the fact that the ship was part biological. She wondered if it was sentient too, something that seemed unlikely. Especially since Kerrigan went on to say that the crew were all different sapient species. But she'd definitely have to learn more about the ship. It seemed like such a marvel of biomechanical engineering. Stuff like that would doubtless be revolutionary for Earth. The implications of cybernetics were already well-documented, so having something to reverse engineer would speed up development to an incredible degree. Her mind already was sparking with the possibilities. Plus everyone would be different species. Which meant different habitable planets, and a possible unified organization of alien species. She may have been depressed, but it was hard for her to remember that she was sad when so much was being revealed to her.

But serious time was happening, as she tried to finish up her food. A military-esque captain. She had dealt with those before. Intimidating, domineering, judgmental. Possible translation would be needed too, which wasn't so great. She'd have to try to speak as straight as possible to avoid misinterpretations. It was odd, however, how fast Kerrigan had picked up English. Even with the alien's current understanding, she was more than competent enough to talk to a human. But she'd still want to keep her speech basic so Kerrigan didn't have to translate idioms or other troublesome things. "JASRI has a fair amount of military personnel, I'm familiar with the type. What rank would she be? Enlisted soldiers tend to be a bit more easy going than career officers. Officers are... Quite strict."

Kerrigan wasn't surprised to hear that she had encountered military personnel before. Though she was curious about what kind of military so soft a species as humans could possess. "The ship is a science vessel, technically. It's the first multi-racial cooperative project. An attempt at peaceful relations between worlds. We're meant to explore, and expand the known universe. The crew are mostly civilian contractors, that being said, the Captain runs the vessel much like a military one. She used to serve the Maruvian Empire before a severe injury left her unable to perform her duties. She's not a bad person, but she sets a high level of expectation, and has a low tolerance for coming up short." As she finished packing away her equipment, she turned to face the human again. "Long story short, as long as you can carry your weight, you two shouldn't have a problem."

Almost on queue, there was a harsh knock at the door. Kerrigan breathed out a sigh before approaching the door. The door slid open and the two shared a brief conversation in the common language before Kerrigan welcomed the captain into the room. "Bridget, this is Captain Nivani." She introduced her momentarily. When she introduced Bridget, the only recognizable words being 'Bridget Oliver'.

Captain Nivani stepped forward, examining the human for a moment. The limbs clinging to her back clearly formed the shape of wings, implying perhaps that wings once existed there, likely the injury mentioned before. Kerrigan approached from behind but Nivani raised her hand to halt her. She watched the human for a long moment before speaking a tentative sentence in English. "Bridget Oliver. Welcome to my ship." Her words were slow and deliberate, obvious that she had chosen and learned those specific English words.

From the description, the captain seemed a bit like a marine or seal, or some member of one of those really renowned military groups. Or rather a movie version. Pull your weight, and all is good. They may even be buddy-buddy after Bridget showed she was willing to go the extra distance. The knock kept her from saying anything though, as the captain made her entrance. Almost immediately, she was on her feet. Civilians didn't salute military, so she sure didn't go that far, but she wanted to show respect, despite the fact that she should probably be sating down for rest and all that. Still, Bridget was keeping her feet well enough, though she had to wonder if she was feeling the floor expand and contract ever so slightly under her, or if it was just a little instability from just waking up.

But the sight of the captain took the woman by surprise, and there was a visible jolting motion that went through her body. Humans may not have known aliens existed, but they'd certainly made up their own depictions. And the Captain looked like the Predator and a Xenomoprh double-teamed a succubus, and nobody could figure out who the father was. Considering the two aliens in that mix were some of the most terrifying and awe-inspiring aliens ever made, it went without saying that the captain's appearance alone was quite intimidating. On the bright side; Kerrigan was now so much less intimidating. In fact, the doctor was quite cuddly-looking in comparison.

The voice that came from the intimidating form was dragged out and careful, as apparently English was hard. And no doubt, it seriously was. "Thank you for rescuing me, Captain. I owe you my life, and I'll do my best to repay you, whatever it takes." She stammered a little at first, but she did mean every word. She even dipped her head a bit in a shallow bow, a habit she'd picked up from Japan.

((OOC: So far Bridget has met Kerrigan and Kerrigan... Our Terran needs to start building defenses before it's too late! XD Also Kerrigan.))

The captain could recognize that the human was nervous. It seemed a sensible reaction if she hadn't seen anything outside of her own kind, let alone making an impression in front of authority. She could recognize what the human was trying to express, but turned to Kerrigan for a translation. She returned her gaze to the human afterward, sizing her up momentarily. She spoke momentarily to Kerrigan, who in turn translated for her. "The captain believes you and is pleased to welcome a human to her crew. She asks only that once a position is found for you, that you perform it to the best of your ability." The captain spoke once more, but rather than it being translated, Kerrigan answered her. She looked back to Bridget for a moment, before replicating the slight bow that she had performed, assuming it to be a customary greeting between humans. Following the action she turned to leave the lab, offering only a friendly pat on Kerrigan's shoulder before exiting the room.

Kerrigan turned to Bridget soon after. "I told her that you and I would work on a detailed report regarding humans and your home world, and that I would teach you the common language aboard the ship. The captain expressed interest in speaking with you at length once language no longer separates you." She ran a hand through the shorter tentacles on her head before sighing softly. "And, she congratulated me on discovering a new species..." She said sheepishly. "At any rate, you are a welcome addition to the crew, it would seem. We'll be able to arrange for proper accommodations, and some level of security clearance." Kerrigan continued with a smile. "And, I'm sure it goes without saying, but we will keep an eye out for a world and solar system resembling your Earth once we have a detailed report."

((OOC: It's really funny actually. I used the name Kerrigan because I swore up and down that I wouldn't actually use Kerrigan, but then I was determined to give the captain an insect like appearance and I couldn't find anything even remotely appealing. So, I caved. Also, that cosplay makes me extremely happy.))

When the captain left, Bridget couldn't help but let out a sigh of relief. The captain didn't hate her, at least, and that was half the battle. The other half would be not fucking it up. Admittedly, the harder half. Humans were great at screwing things up. But hey, at least they learned from it most of the time. Kerrigan seemed happy enough with it, and that was good enough for her, at least while she couldn't understand the ship dialect. "I didn't expect her to quite look like that. She had characteristics of my planet's arthropods. Small, chitin-covered creatures who primarily survive through uncontrollable breeding and deterrent features like poisons or camouflage. Some humans are quite afraid of some the size of a finger. Ones the size of her are solely in the realm of science fiction, or horror. I'm glad she seems at least a little friendly." It was much harder to get a sense for what the captain had been saying, since she didn't know jack about the language, or even how expressions worked. At least smiles were the same.

"Well, I guess we ought to get cracking, right? I don't know if I'm fit to run around, but I can keep talking without problems." She hopped back up on the bed, legs dangling off the edge. "Where should we start?"

Kerrigan was awestruck at first by Bridget's comparison of the captain's species to smaller creatures on her home world. Though that surprise didn't come from thinking it was insulting, more by how amazingly accurate her analysis had been. "The captain will warm up to you in time. It will take time for her to learn to trust you." She activated several holographic monitors as she walked back over to the bed. One was an audio recording function, another was set up to create a detailed map of Bridget's world, and another of her solar system. "I suppose the wisest place to start would be with our report." She said with a hint of excitement. As a scientist she was quite excited to learn more about Bridget's species and her world.

"This monitor here will record everything you say regarding the nature of your species and your world. I can later work to translate it for the Captain and for our archives." She paused to show the monitor she was speaking of. "These ones here will help us map your world and your solar system." She explained. "To be fair, you're the first new intelligent species I've ever encountered. So, I'm not terribly sure where to begin. I suppose you can just start sharing what seems relevant and we can work from there."

((If you like we can skip ahead past writing the report.))

They set up for the report, and Bridget was surprisingly eager to let loose with all sorts of information. She started with her solar system, the nine planets (or eight, depending on how someone felt about Pluto), and especially about Earth, which made her feel a little homesick. Understandable, of course. But she was part of a historic mission, and the sole survivor of another historic mission. So she'd tough it out. For science. And her own curiosity. Then she went on to focus on earth itself. The various biospheres, the types of flora and fauna, and especially humanity. It was a vary chaotic species, after all, and there was a lot to explain. Their people were mostly divided by various circumstances. Religion, language, politics, friggin' sports teams. They were certainly emotional. And quite adept in technological pursuits, specifically in communications and weaponry, which grew more overwhelming by the year. Though most of it probably sounded terribly primitive by Kerrigan's standards.

"So yeah... That's the basics." She'd gabbed on for an exhausting amount of time, and yes, she'd just said it was the mere basics of humanity. Surely intelligent species were all so complicated.

The amount of information Bridget provided was overwhelming, especially for only covering the basics. Though fortunately, Kerrigan's mind worked at an alarming speed, allowing her to keep up. The same gift that had allowed her to process and understand Bridget's language so quickly. When Bridget finished, Kerrigan smiled. Simply by learning more about Bridget's homeworld and culture, she felt like she understood the human that much more. She would even go so far as to say that it was like making a friend. She set a program to begin translating Bridget's dialogue into the common language, and converting it to a text document for the Captain to read over. She then also updated the map of both Earth and the Milky Way, or at least their closest approximation, so that they could keep an eye open for it on the star map. "Your world seems like a fascinating place. I hope I get the chance to see it one day."

She closed down the various holographic screens before sitting back in her chair with a soft exhale. How long had they been discussing these things? It hardly felt like any time had passed, but she was certain it had been an exceptionally lengthy conversation. She looked back to Bridget after a moment of thought. "It seems that we should see about getting you settled, since it looks like you'll be with us for the long haul. We'll set you up near me. That way, I'll be able to help you around until you learn the language and get more comfortable."

"Fascinating, but so very confusing." She shook her head a little with a small laugh. It'd been a while since she gabbed someone's head off about anything, so bridget understandably felt like she'd probably quite confused the outsider. When she saw updates made to an approximation of the solar system and milky way though, Bridget couldn't help but feel a little extra devastated. They needed to map her galaxy? How far had she gone, and how could it have even been remotely possible? The trip to Mars alone was supposed to take a couple of months at least, and that was with the cutting edge in propulsion, and a high-speed orbital transfer.

Kerrigan's voice snapped Bridget out of her thoughts though, as mention of getting her a room was brought up. Something close to Kerrigan. That'd be nice, since the doc was the closest thing she had to a friend right now. Hopefully in time she'd be friends with everyone on board of course, but shadowing the medic for now was wise. "Sure, that sounds lovely." She confirmed, her smile weak after thinking about the sheer magnitude of circumstances that seemed to align to get her to this point.

Kerrigan rose from her seat when they were agreed. "Alright then, I'll show you to the crew quarters." She said with a small wave of her hand towards the door. She took her time on the way to the crew quarters, to make sure that she could answer any questions the human may have had. "We do our best to modify the rooms to accommodate each of the different species we house. Nothing luxurious mind you, but if there is anything that you as a human require, we can do our best to obtain it or simulate it." She came to a halt by one of the doors, with a subtle push it slid open. "You'll be able to set a pass key on your door, so it won't always be so easy for others to enter." The room beyond was simple, carrying only the necessities. The walls behaved similarly to the rest of the ship, as though they were breathing softly. "This one will be yours. Mine is across the hall."

It was easy for Kerrigan to recognize Bridget's heartbreak. She certainly couldn't blame her for feeling that way. Having lost her home, her family, friends, and despite every promise she could make that they would try to find her Earth, her chances were slim. She had no doubt that the human could rebound with the proper support, she would just have to be the person to provide it. "I know this is a lot to take in, and that it'll be a while before the pain dulls, but I'm willing to help make the transition easier, however I can." She said softly. "My room is always unlocked, as my kind has little need of privacy. You can visit for anything. If you need to talk, or just don't want to be alone." Her voice was heavy with sympathy, but she wore a faint smile regardless.

As Kerrigan took them towards the crew quarters, Bridget took her time trying to memorize what she came across, at least as far as a floor plan went. Not that she knew anything about what lay beyond the doors. But getting familiar with the ship would be a good idea by anyone's reckoning. It wasn't a terribly long walk to her room, which opened up with surprising quietness, considering the ship was a living thing. Looking in revealed only a few platforms jutting out from the wall, one large enough to be a bed, the others generally shaped to serve as a desk, chair, and shelving. At least with artificial gravity, she wouldn't have to strap herself to a wall to go to sleep like she did on the shuttle.

"Thanks, Kerrigan." She took a small look around at the spartan accommodations. One thing was pretty clear; without some entertainment, she'd slowly drive herself nuts with a combination of guilt and sorrow. "So, what do you do for fun here? I don't want to sound callous, but I think a little distraction here or there could work wonders for me right now."

Seeing her examining the sparse living environment she was being provided. "Next time we dock for repairs or supplies, we might be able to get some things to liven up your room a bit." Kerrigan figured that she could invest some of her own income into helping Bridget settle in.

When asked about what there was for entertainment, Kerrigan paused to think about it. "I understand. Let's see..." There was plenty to do on the ship but it was hard for her to think about anything that the human might enjoy, not that she would even know what to recommend. "There's an officer's club for off duty crew members. There's music, dancing, and drinks to be had. There's a gym for both exercise and sparring. I enjoy visiting the archives and studying, but that's sort of a moot point until you learn the language." She could think of a few other things on the ship but some were species specific and the human might have a hard time with them. "Since it's a civilian vessel, there's plenty to do with your off time." She paused with thought for a moment. "If you want to go to the club, I'll have to go get a shot from the lab. My kind have sensitive hearing, so if I don't nullify my hearing a bit, the loud noises can be painful."