The woman raised an eyebrow, studying him with a mixture of surprise and suspicion.
"The United Earth Fleet?" she repeated. "I've never heard of it."
Asher felt a sinking feeling in his stomach. Had he stumbled into some sort of alternate reality? Or had he been captured by some sort of advanced alien race?
He took a deep breath, trying to stay calm.
"I don't know how I got here," he said. "But I need to get back to my ship. It's important."
The woman studied him for a moment longer, then nodded.
"Very well," she said. "Follow me."
She led him through the maze of consoles and monitors, her steps quick and sure. Asher tried to memorize the twists and turns, but it was all he could do to keep up with her.
They passed through several airlocks and corridors, and Asher began to get a sense of the scale of the ship. It was massive, easily the size of a small city, and it seemed to go on forever.
Finally, they reached a small shuttlecraft, tucked away in a corner of the hangar bay. The woman gestured for Asher to get in, and he climbed aboard, taking a seat in the co-pilot's chair.
The woman settled into the pilot's seat, and the craft lifted off the hangar bay floor, rising swiftly into the air.
As they flew, Asher tried to make sense of what was happening. He had been on a mission to destroy an enemy installation, and now he was in some sort of advanced spaceship, with a woman he didn't know, flying who knew where.
He looked out the window, trying to get a sense of their destination. They were heading towards a distant planet, surrounded by a swarm of smaller ships.
As they drew closer, Asher could see that the ships were all different shapes and sizes, but they all bore the same emblem on their hulls: a stylized globe, surrounded by a wreath of stars.
He recognized the emblem instantly. It was the symbol of the United Earth Fleet.
The woman piloted the shuttlecraft down towards a landing pad, and Asher could see that they were in the midst of a massive military base. There were soldiers everywhere, dressed in sleek black uniforms, carrying weapons that Asher had never seen before.
The woman led him through the base, down long, twisting corridors, until they finally reached a small room, with a single chair in the center.
"Sit down," she said, gesturing to the chair.
Asher hesitated for a moment, then complied. He had come this far, he might as well see where this was leading.
The woman began to circle the chair, her eyes locked on his.
"Who are you really?" she asked, her voice low and intense.
Asher felt a surge of fear. He didn't know what was going on, but he had a feeling that it wasn't going to end well.
"I told you," he said, his voice shaking slightly. "My name is Asher. I'm a soldier in the United Earth Fleet. I don't know how I got here."
The woman stopped in front of him, her eyes boring into his.
"You're lying," she said, her voice cold and hard. "No one has ever heard of the United Earth Fleet. And yet, here you are, claiming to be one of their soldiers. Who are you really?"
Asher felt a surge of anger. He had been telling the truth, and yet this woman was treating him like some sort of criminal.
"I don't know what you want from me," he said, his voice rising. "All I want is to get back to my ship, and complete my mission."
The woman's expression softened slightly, and she sat down in a chair opposite Asher.
"Look," she said, "I'm sorry if I seem suspicious. It's just that we've had some...unexpected visitors lately, and we can't be too careful."
"Unexpected visitors?" Asher repeated. "What do you mean?"
The woman hesitated, then sighed.
"I'm not at liberty to say," she said. "But let's just say that things are...complicated, right now."
Asher frowned, unsure of what to make of the woman's cryptic words. But before he could say anything, the door to the room slid open, and a man in a black uniform entered.
"Captain," he said, saluting the woman. "We've received a transmission from Admiral West. He wants to speak with you immediately."
The woman stood up, her face grim.
"Understood," she said. "I'll be there in a moment."
She turned to Asher, her expression serious.
"I'm sorry, but I have to go," she said. "I'll have someone show you to your quarters. We'll talk more later."
With that, she left the room, leaving Asher alone with a woman.
The woman gestured for Asher to follow her, and they left the room, heading down a long, dimly lit corridor.
As they walked, Asher couldn't help but feel a sense of unease. He was in the middle of a military base, surrounded by people he didn't know, and he had no idea how he had gotten there.
But despite his fear, he couldn't shake the feeling that he was exactly where he was supposed to be.