April 10th

I stayed locked within the vaults since my last entry. It took that long to pull the engine apart and then back together. It looks exactly as I bought it. Minus the gemstones inside. Speaking of... I did this with a lot of times in vault. All the gemstones weren't in the settings . This area has nothing but scrap value left here. Mad scratches of a mind translating instructions from the internal codes. All stations with this alien technology as a instruction manual that is downloadable but not translated into English.

When I did leave, I changed the password to something mediocre. Difficult to guess, not exactly hackable but at the pace the enemy is trying... they could eventually. I returned to my desk as receptionist yesterday. My absence was assumed a period of sleep. I did get some sleep but not a whole lot. Nothing seems out of ordinary, still my spies checking in and out the clock or predicted machines coming in or leave for work. No messages from my brother. Nothing from Freya. I did send something to them both, they did receive them. So I can be sure they are OK.

I did run a bunch of substance checks on the new medical bits I obtained from lower alien market. It brought about some interesting publishing reports from me. Which were peer reviewed by several other stations in signal. Repeated testing is rolling out next week. I didn't detail where I obtained strange new material as all space stations don't always have answer for how they came in contact with it. This show of being a lab worker at the side of receptionist as put a lot of disinterest to bother me so often. Most would rather leave to it then ask me for anything as a receptionist for machine work.

Well until Lavander was mad at me. She was mad for the ai mother whom wanted to know the dirt I learned. So I reported my spy craft - in as detailed as I could by dreams. This was more then enough. It seems my back hand has helped the machine gain in a wider conversation somewhere else. There was a confirmation of partners with the Mantis empire.

I was at testing for lipids in some the unresponsive chemicals. Finding my office next door slammed through again. I ducked a look down the building corridor for who was that rude. The military commander's right hand, shouting demands for my room to be searched clean. The machine came out in full force to back them out of my office. I sigh and had to finish my experiment quicker. I noted results and promptly cleaned it all. Everyone was fencing each other by then. I was washing my hands as they had the Commander himself come on out, that of Lucas having to be the middle man.

Today I was wearing a face veil, hung about my shoulders and was just easier for lab work. It however highlights my snout plenty, even when I leaned at my door drying my hands. I was spotted by some lower command that has others lifting weapons. I tossed my bit of tissue to a bin in the room behind. I smoothly walked over.

"It seems when I step out the office, I get called back in for something urgently." I lightly tut with moving them out of my way just fine. I stand not at all so serious about the Commander and Lucas. They two at pause of staring to me, "Oh. A very important guest. How rude of me." I took my lab coat off and put it to the rack here. I put on a cardigan I would for desk work and putting my privacy mask back on. This was replacing the full face veil.

"And what seems more important then your brothers wedding?" Lucas huffed.

"You think that my recent experiments aren't for the wedding? You try to cure some stranger from allergic reactions to unknown and uncategorized substances." Lucas laughs a little in how it would be to think of these things, "Besides, someone got to make sure that the fleshy guests are left starved." I bump my elbow on him as I stand to his side, "You have the stag to worry about. Mr man of the groom." Lucas is perplexed, "Honestly... For hard wired brains connected to centuries of internet. How can you forget the stag party? I have the hen party to sort you know." It sort of dawns in Lucas I wasn't sitting around for nothing.

"You haven't." He exclaims at me.

"I didn't book anything. Her timetable been blocked access for about a month now. How am I meant plan one if I don't know when she's free?" He sighed glad of that at least and the look to the very annoyed Commander.

"Can't leave you out of the party." I pat the Commander gently, "You are on the vip list. You are bound to be invited on the welcome party the week before the final date. That's when both stag and hen parties are meant to be concluded and the big final touches to the final wedding happens." My hand was knocked away, "You are a lonely man. Clearly." I leaned at my own desk, "What can the association of machines do for you? Got a reason for breaking my office door and rummaging my neat filing?" The man as quiet a snarl, "What a testy fella. I should be the angry one. You broke my glass." I directed to a glass sculpture by the door, "My poor glass swan didn't do anything to you."

"You have something of mine." I shrug with not being sure.

"If I do, we'll you best tell me when you sold it to me." I fished my trade book out, "Not that I have hardly traded with you lot much before. Maybe my brother did." I skimmed through a ton of pages, "Does a broken ship from... never mind. Nope." I picked a pen and pretend to make notes, "Was it a land deed?" I hum with skimming again.

"That mantis gave you a broken engine." I closed my book a moment and listened, "She lied about it being empty."

"Did she now? You know... what it is? It would have to be. That's our agreement." I peer about with checking my notes, "It has to be empty." I hummed, "Oh. I know. You can buy it off me." Lucas nearly punched me. I caught him from doing so, "Besides... I like empty boxes. You have a empty box?" The deep confused frown with how Lucas was really annoying me.

"She is her own independent trade. Her trade has nothing to do with us." A reminder from the mother network, her own puppet stopping Lucas. They clearly had a look to each other with a short exchange.

"Fine... a empty box for another."

"At matched market pricing." I demanded, "Broken engine compartment that should be empty. The scrap value must be matched." He waved that his lower folks do the values. He peers darkly at them with the estimated cost, "Don't you know why it's a dark market sale?" I purred.

"So it has to be a worthless empty box." He thinks about it. I smile with a tilt, "The size doesn't matter." I purr in agreeing, "its previous use doesn't matter." I was less purry but nod again, "It has to be a empty worthless box. It doesn't matter if it opens or not." I nod and cross my arms in annoyance his taking this. He mutters at his folks to return with something fitting that, "You give me that engine and exchange. I give you a equivalent empty box." He signals and they leave. I peer in eyeing the last to stare at me, glaring back at them. They seemed spooked and run off.

"Sure is going to be a empty box." I purred.

"And it be you to know where the content went." The mother network smacked my arm.

"Yes. ouch..." I pouted, "Like I be that stupid." I sighed, "I purchased the empty engine." I lingered a ear with listening around. Importantly that I was leery of having just been overheard. I step to the hallways, lowing to duck with listening out of eye view. I hear that there was someone suddenly stopping to cover their face from breathing to loudly. I poked the floor with marking it, in the mantis language it meant 'friends'. I moved back into the office, watching mother and Lucas disappearing in the capsule. I seated at my desk... a little arm at my door tracing the letters of my scratch. Peers around the corner, I give my nod and offer. They lower back in hiding. I got onto cleaning my office back. Paperwork being organized back long files. I had to read them again through to be sure what belonged where.

The heavy steps of something entering the corridor. I was lowered at the floor with picking up more papers. The mantis ducked fast into my lab area. It hide in fear of this next person. Trembling. I see the illusion of blood. I took it easy with standing up, acting as if the was another episode to ignore. I shuffled with writing in about their descriptions in the visitors log - 'a likely kidnapper' tagged with.

"You don't seem to squirm in fear of me." The tall illusion spoke for once with the air around me. This isn't in my head. I will still take it indifferent as if it is.

"The illusions have voices. Finally a conversation." I organized more papers into files, "Whats the joke and headache today? More corpses? You are quiet a glutton for disturbing imaging." I was purposely doing the filing wrong now. Stacking it wrong. I was using it to watch other things about thier figure. What weapons it has.

"What happened to Poison?" I stopped with giving a direct stare to it, even with ignoring the illusion.

"She is gone." I posed as if in offering the seat.

"Gone?" They did take that seat... the chair indented just it did for the last person. Maybe heavier.

"Gone." I repeated. It leaned with thinking about it. Maybe the translation was off, "What does remain isn't lost. Her memory is still accessible. So... you can assume I knew." The lowered away from thinking and back to staring at me, "I never got your real names. Your not top brass for sure but your not a stranger." They have a few twitches, "Why meddle in the wars of little planets when you don't need them?" I folded, "Besides... its more meat on the table that way."

"Posion was never this good at word games." I held my waiting pose in loose hands at my chin, "Names are for individuals. We aren't stupid for them."

"A hive mind exists... I guess it would prevent anyone from being insane in the long spaces of nearly nothing." I have my tail check that this is all being recorded. I did so from the moment the mantis hide. It snarls a moment and then stopped. So it's having a conversation with others.

"Then you are incomplete." The being went to snatch a arm but I was faster to shuffle the chair backwards.

"Your not wrong... some idiot somewhere else is for blame for that." He froze up and slowly returned, "If I am to explain me and my story. I want to know why a group of you had came to meddle on the planet in the frist place. The mistake you made." The pose of it considering, "More importantly is the one talking to me the parasite or the Outsider?" I added.

"That too is a misunderstanding. The higher wavelengths what you call the Outsiders. We little ones are thier solders or hands. We is I. There are cases of minor mind's becoming their own." I nod in getting it, "Posion was looking for a broken one. You blame the broken one for take over of a cattle planet."

So they see humans as food as other races that isn't itself. Posion was sent to stop the disaster, that really was the turth after all. But the pandemic had cause her to loose with the hive and develop individual. In the end she as an individual choose her scarifce. I was better equipped as a mind to deal with the disaster. The second brain isn't a mind control collar, it's communication to the hive. But there is a 'broken one' and his the one causing misery. But for now I will reserve that this could all be a lie still. I can't trust one mouth alone. Posion lied to us. This fella isn't any different.

"So other then finding a second broken one and a entire planet of little spawns. You lost you orginal broken freak among them." The sorrow it held and then shivered in staring at me, "Yes... I suspected that you didn't know. Worse is that many of them are individual by made self adapted to the world. Some hate. Some are allies. Others want to left alone. Then you have the broken ones... like me. I am not a complete alter. My brain isn't even one if yours." I posed with shurg, "All these little cattle as you called them... Well. Now they are in space just like the other snacks. But those snacks are hunting you down for the kill. Your broken one has been causing quiet a disaster of several lost planets. Lost races. Worlds verse worlds. All for a sick game." I am playing along to see thier reaction. As of this moment, there is nothing but fear, "Posion said I was the better mind to cope with this. A witness too to many world wipped out."

"And you think we care?"

"You are about to... because they out to revenge. They are going to blame every single one of you. Not the one that caused it. You are going to be hunted down and slaughtered." They think about this, "I haven't even explained you my story. But that would be some other time. I have a other business to care for." I stand and I moved away to the door.

"A incomplete like you can't run around freely." The door is blocked with a sort of spider web but I wouldn't know what it is really, "Especially that you are still Poison by body." I pulled a panel instead with jumping into the ventilation, "Mmm..." I squish along with exiting at the lower half of this part.

"I don't even want to ask how you manage..." Greg turned silent with notice I was actually being chased. Many came to arms and I am helped over to safety. Lucas took the elevator up to meet face on. I am directed to a hiding spot, tucked away while they sorted the fighting.

This was along the rows of docking chargers, several of these have covers for privacy. I was left in here several other machines whom aren't equipped for the fighting. I knew that we aren't going to well equipped to handle this situation. I moved from the last spot that I was last seen. I crawled about with picking up spare skin machine covers and then dressed myself to best blend with the docked machines as possible. I also left any spare clothes to hang in red herring spots, so my smell can't be used against me. Now I just have to act the part, in my gestures - I closed empty docks too.

"Well that didn't take long." Tossing a machine head with one hand. Peering about the room. Seeing all the exit points were all busted open. The peering about each section, punching sections. Peering about for intimidation, seeking fear pulses.

"So I want a answer." Mind games with making him hear my voice from several places at once, "Do you mean to destroy the planet floating bellow this space station? Do you mean to leave another planet without a atmosphere? Another galaxy of life torn by your meddling?"

"Why should I tell a little thing like you? You are alone. The only one like you is only you." The head they been tossing about is thrown into a area to break a privacy glass. It was right past my head and into a row behind me. I act indifferent as a machine does, "Poison was made to destroy the broken one. Now that even poison is flawed, we will have to burn all traces back to primordial lava. To erase DNA of weakness. All snacks are all flawed weakness."

"See, I don't really understand the context of this one sided arguement." Lucas with a arm missing but at least we'll aimed for putting a sharp object through its back. The injury was most certainly plenty to loose tracking of me and make sense of the room. The two have a struggle for a while but Lucas is on the losing side. On my quick acting, I managed to lower and pick up a loose bit of machine parts... enough to be a pole weapon at least. The being goes to make a hard crash over Lucas on to be slammed into a wall by me. I do often forget my own strengths, snapping something underneath my footing. I was also clawed into the wall pinning it.

"What advanced bit of machine you are..." I snapped its hand from touching me, brought about a hissing.

"You think that a machine can handle knowing what organs would kill you faster when removed?" I hissed, "You said enough. You have given me every bit of evidence I needed forwards. Now the ants will eat you alive, a segment at a time."

"You seriously think you would win over me like this." It pulled out of grasp and I knew that stance. I personally hunted that way before. I knew those steps and I knew what it was aiming for. I out the pole in the way while moving away. I grasped Lucas too, pulled to safety away from from carnage. The scream of allowing a pole run through itself. Snarled in getting ready for a new jump to try again. I pulled a live wire and through it over it. The energy fed it strength... but I had a plan. I peer as the colouring of its skin turns - changing the direction of magnetic charge about itself. It prepared to jump once more and I dodged with intent of going into a docking charger. I put my hand on the live socket. My other hand sacrificed with aim at the area of the parasites main nerve system. The work of electrical charge did the rest, frying it inside out. Landing heavy in front of me. My hand was dislocated for sure... maybe a wrist bone shattered.

"That is the frist time I have ever seen electric current kill a parasite before." I lightly growled at the voice for forgetting. I peer next to me, it's the fancy guy that needed protection detail. The part machine and has a hidden pet parasite. I stopped snarling and picked myself up at the best I could. Removed a few pieces to breath easier. Several machines picking through the area for parts of thier family or themselves. I took important to consider where lavander was, passing a searching feeling of worry. I am gladly returned with a warm hug feeling, she's safe. I used the elevator up to my recording equipment... I checked if it was still on and how much memory was left.

"I suppose I am due to give a context of the conversation you heard. But this recording hasn't got long enough. But in the most simple of terms and short answer. My research into parasitic life that had been invading other worlds. It were the cause of a broken segment of a hive mind. This hive mind sees us as fodder... food source. There is no Outsiders, only the parasites in total isolation from any solar system. They just declared death on all planets whom been infected by thier broken segments. In other words, this common enemy is going to eat us all. I am glad my research wasn't wasted. That's for damn sure. This is Doctor Elizabeth Kate, ending this recording. Space stations in orbit of earth. Likely centuries since I least woke up." I click the recording off. I made copies and sent them with my computer. Importantly I wanted it to the mother network and my brother. I added 'its but a scratch'. A terrible joke.

I picked up some tools and helped put some machine into working order. Helping among the clean up. My useless hand tied to me - given it was in the way. I checked in with the spy mantis, nodded to them in saying all was fine. They too helped with the clean up. Left to report the things that happened.

"You are dismissed for today." I just stood up from helping another. I gave a hug to her and do as I am told. A little wobbly getting home. No spies today. Not even the Commander crew. I checked my notifications... my vault was opened. It's fine... they will be empty handed.

"Lady K." My torn ear twitched that direction, "Is my items safe?" The maiden in disguise.

"I paid for a empty box. They stole a empty box. It was fun to open." I purr and she sighed, "Gemstones... I don't think such stones are worth anything. Plenty of it at home." I posed, "But whatever. You will have your costume gems returned at somepoint. Just give me some time to prepare for it."

"I will let you know when I want them." Away she scuttled away to the machines office. I held my gut with looking at the blood. I sigh in holding it all and back to my room. The slick elevator guy was to scared out of his kind to talk quips with me. Even quicker to be left on the floor in his own puddle. I must have forgotten my privacy mask again.