Some days passed by without any issues. At least any external issues. Most of the crew kept their distance from Theo. It had more to do with him being from the Black family than anything else. This only upset him. He wanted adventure in space, fun people he could hang out with, people he could share stories with.
Someone forgot to tell him, that's not how real life worked.
Sizzy always stayed by him, but she was just a R.I, albeit an intelligent one. John and Voli occasionally dropped by. Voli specifically came whenever John came. One didn't need too many guesses, to wonder why and how she almost always ended up near John.
This was one of those times.
"I heard we'll be at Delta Monga by 2100 tonight." Voli was excited. She almost jumped around. "I heard there's a place in Monga said to be the perfect dating spot." She looked at Theo, then John, and continued. "They say its guaranteed success." She gave them a big wide grin.
'Obviously, that's just a bait.' And obviously, Theo didn't say it out loud.
John sighed. "Why did you have to be friends with her?" He mumbled.
Theo tried his best not to laugh and keep his voice level. Even now John thought Voli was after Theo. He couldn't be more wrong. And though Theo knew that, he never made an effort to educate John, rather he enjoyed the whole thing.
This was his sole form of recreation on this boring ship.
Theo cleared his throat. "Anyway what are you two doing in my room? I don't remember-"
"The ship is too boring. I thought I'd come on a trip, travel to dangerous planets and punch some over grown aliens: like in the movies. But I'm stuck with a wuss crew and a tomboy captain. These guys are complete wusses." John clicked his tongue. He wasn't satisfied to the least.
'You do realize you just insulted me in the process too, right?' Theo didn't know what to say. A nervous smile was all he could manage.
"Besides, there's nothing to do. All the crew are confined within their dorms and no one comes out to play. Even the captain won't see me," Voli sniffed. She smiled again. She wasn't upset in the least. "Though lately, I've been wringing some cash out of the engineers. Those guys love to spend all their hard earned money on me." She winked.
"You do realize that sounds awfully misleading right?" Theo again formed a weak smile. He actually hadn't been to the engine rooms yet. But he focused more on the topic. "Speaking of the captain, you two seemed to have met her in person."
"Yeah. She's one hot cookie. Only on the outside though. Once you get in bed with her, she'll dominate you like you're cotton candy. I couldn't feel my downstairs for two friggin days after just one night." John grimaced and his face went pale. "We did it thirteen times that night…." Just the thought made him go into despair. He came near Theo, placed a hand on his shoulder. "Even if she begs, don't ever, get in bed with her. She'll eat you alive."
"Unfortunately I didn't ask that." Theo frowned. 'And I have no such plans.' He looked at Voli and signaled her to speak.
"Well, I haven't gotten in bed with her so I wouldn't know." She looked away, bright red in embarrassment.
'Morons everywhere.' Theo couldn't catch a break. He was hoping that Voli would make the situation a bit less awkward, but he, himself was a moron to think that.
Granted Sharon Barslain was a Qmale and could mate with both males and females but that didn't mean Voli could just say it out loud. It only made things more awkward- according to Theo of course.
"I believe the captain is quite manly too. Her male side is predominant. The last partner that went to bed with her ended up in three months coma. You must really be something else, master John," Sizzy said, finally breaking the awkward silence.
"Master?" Theo was more surprised by SIzzy's way of addressing John than John's health.
"Oh, I taught her some things. So she calls me master now." John grinned, giving Sizzy a wink.
"What kind of things?" Theo managed under a similar grin. The veins above his forehead were on full display.
"All sorts of things." John chuckled.
Theo chuckled as well. "Get out of my room." His smile didn't waver but both John and Voli's faces went pale as they hurried out of the room. Both of their conscience aligned as they saw themselves out. 'I didn't know he could be that mad!' They laughed it off just outside the room.
Theo didn't talk to Sizzy either.
Sizzy on the other hand didn't understand what happened. Everything went over her head.
***
"Whoa, this place is big!" The first one to give a cry was Voli.
Delta Monga was a massive interstellar space station hovering around a small black hole, the size of a microvan. It was the third largest station built in the history of mankind.
This particular space station was almost the size of a typical planet if not bigger. It wasn't completely man made: half of it was built with AI powered nanobots before they'd gone crazy. It was a rather hassle to restart the construction of this place after the gruesome war….
It was a beautiful station with supposedly beautiful places. The buildings and streets only seemed washed out and dark to Theo though.
There was a reason this place was called the eternal night's abode.
"I have to say, I agree." John glanced at the planet-sized monstrosity from the monitors along with Theo and Voli. The monitors displayed life-like pictures, so they didn't feel like they were watching monitors.
Cities covered with lights, flying cars, large tube trains, R.I and humans side by side, so on. But there was no sun, so the planet-sized monstrosity only had nights.