Zâargk was one of the first beings to meet Earthings, humans as they preferred to call themselves.
His first encounter was not pleasant, being alongside Captain Anâaki had made the experience bearable but it was still not pleasant. He still had nightmares that highlighted when Gorg had been sent into a comatose state of shock from the electrical currents of âOfficer Stevensâ.
This was why when his new crew insisted on hiring an Earthling Zâargk was sceptical at best. Fearful.
But upon meeting Human-Steph he soon felt his fears null and void. Human-Steph was quiet, so quiet. The crew was rather disappointed with their appointed human as they had read the Human Manuel front to back and Human-Steph didnât seem to fit with the understanding of humans the other crew members had made.
However, being a fellow technician, Human-Steph has had to be paired with Zâargk and he had been ok with thatâŚ
Until the captain had insisted he read the Human Manual and suddenly Zâargkâs fear was very real.
âHumanâs pack bond with things, often giving names to innanimate objects (see section 36 section c, âstabby the Roomba) and small creatures. Humans also pack bond to other beings.â
He had seen this first hand with Human-Stephâs âChelseaâ âgoing strongâ (the top left engine which had blown up once and they had wanted to replace only for it to miraculously become fixed). He had also seen it when a Chronotex had squeezed into the ship through a vent and was now kept in Human-Stephâs sleeping quarters.
How many times had he tried to force her to get rid of the damn thing, or to replace âchelseaâ? How many times had he asked her why she thought keeping such dangerous things so close was ever a good idea? His stomachs knitted together uncomfortably as he read the next line: âdo not try to remove things a human has packbonded to. They can become violent and territorial at worst, or very angry and petty at best. Sometimes becoming uselessly emotional until the object of their affection is returned.â
They had replaced Chelsea a week ago.
Zâargk was panicking, pacing through his room in a very Steph-like fashion as he tried to think how to fix this. How had he not known? He should have known. She had even leaked when he told her the news. He had to make this up to her.
Determined, Zâargk began frantically racing out of his chambers to try and appease to Human-Stephâs mercy when a large rod hit him across the abdomen. He scaled across the ground from the hit, his ectosceleton cracking painfully as he slammed into a wall.
He looked up weakly to find a foreign Human aboard the vessel, smirking down at him. The expression was not one Zâargk own species had and he had only seen it used by Human-Steph when he had said fixing the cooking unit would be impossible and then she had done it. It still perplexed him what the expression meant but he was more dwelling on the fear coursing through his blood.
âYou have been boarded,â a voice informed over the speakers, âstay in your quarters and do not fight. We are a group of HUMAN pirates and I suggest you stay inside because you know what we can do.â
Zâargk curled in on himself.
Suddenly a door to the right of them opened, and Human-Steph stepped out. Wrench held out with both hands, shaking.
The other human smiles brightly, âyou guys have a girl??? No one said you guys had a girl!â
âStay away from her,â Zâargk wheezed, his voice wavering under the high-stress situation.
The Human turned back, and with a cold steely look slammed the metal rod into Zâargkâs side, sending the Crusean sliding across the hall and into the wall behind Steph.
Steph screeched in alarm, a noise that Zâargk had made himself once, as she watched go. The crunch of his body against the wall had drilled her completely with horror.
She stared at him, his broken form, and then her mouth closed, her eyes narrowed and she turned to Zâargkâs assaillant. Zâargk watched as her back straightened and stilled and then she pounced, for lack of better term.
She tackled the man to the ground, hiring him repeatedly across the head, with her legs holding his arms in place as she straddled his chest. Soon enough the man laid bloodied, and Zâargk suspected dead.
She turned, dropping the bloodied wrench and racing over to Zâargk, her eyes leaking streams of âtearsâ.
âWhy would you do that?â Zâargk wheezed, âthat was very dangerous.â
Through her watery expression, a steel determination and anger crossed her face, âhe hurt you. And stole my ship.â
