Last Chapter Recap: "Chand should be just about around the corner... ah, here," Selana said, her eyes scanning the area before settling on the person she was looking for.
NOW
The room reeked of oil, filled with spare parts and garbage. 'There's no mistake.' Adam thought, recognizing the unmistakable signs of an engineering bay in disarray.
"Ensign, this is Lieutenant Chand, our chief engineer. Lt. Chand, meet..." Selana began, but before she could finish, the lieutenant spoke up.
"New intelligence guy, eh? Nice to meet you. Hope you'll do a better job than the last guy," Chand said, his voice gruff as he looked Adam up and down.
'After all those pretty ladies, sweaty, ordinary-looking guy does not give a good impression. I don't like how he looks at me. Disdain. I think he despises me for some reason.'
"I am Adam Black. Nice to meet you too," Adam said, offering a nod as he returned the lieutenant's gaze.
"Cooperation between you two is crucial to keep this ship in good condition, so I expect good teamwork from both of you," Selana said, her gaze shifting between Adam and Lieutenant Chand.
"I don't think it'll be easy, Captain. Mechanics and electro guys rarely go along," Chand said with a grunt.
"I expect you to try, Lieutenant," Selana said, her tone unwavering as she stared at Chand.
"I don't think I'm that difficult to work with, so there should be no problems," Adam said, meeting Chand's gaze with a calm, confident expression.
Sigh... "You don't get it, right, new guy?" Chand muttered.
"Huh?" Adam
"Captain, he's a former Neo-Terran, right?" Chand asked, turning to Selana.
"Chand." Selana
"Is there something wrong with it?" Adam asked.
"Yes, you don't have 'slave bar' tattooed on your body, which means you're one of those lords in Neo-Terran," Chand said, his voice laced with a hint of disdain as he sized Adam up.
"Lieutenant, that's enough," Selana raised her voice.
"How do you—?" Adam started, shocked.
"I'm a defector too. Fifteen years as a child, I slaved for your kind," Chand said with disdain, his eyes hardening as he looked at Adam. "I refuse to believe any of you, pampered with luxuries, can truly defect to the Alliance."
"Lieutenant, I said enough!" Selana raised her voice again, her tone sharp and commanding.
"If you say so, Captain, but if you ask me, this guy's trouble. And intelligence? If he's a spy—" Before Chand could finish speaking Adam cut him off.
"If I was a spy, counterintelligence would've found out long ago," Adam said, his voice calm but firm. "And besides, you think any spy would endure two years of the academy just to sabotage one ship?"
"Goliath, aye," Chand muttered.
"Keep those opinions to yourself, Lt. Chand," Selana ordered, her tone stern. "If you dislike his appointment, take it to the Alliance police on the ship. However, I expect you two to cooperate flawlessly."
"Sure, Captain. Though forgive me if I keep an additional pair of eyes on the new guy—at least until he proves himself," Chand said, his tone still cautious.
Adam sighed, rubbing the back of his neck in frustration.
"We'll talk about this later, Lt. Chand. By the way, I don't see your deputy..." Selana said, raising an eyebrow as she scanned the room, looking for the missing officer.
"Aarav? He's checking the main engine if you need him for something..." Chand said, giving a slight shrug as he gestured toward the engineering area.
"No, I just want to introduce him to Ensign. Petty Officer Aarav is a junior engineer and Lt. Chand's deputy. He handles most of the electronic work, so make sure to greet him," Selana said, looking at Adam with a pointed glance.
"He sports those fancy goggles, it's hard to miss him," Chand said with a smirk, clearly hinting at Aarav's distinctive appearance.
"Goggles, huh?" Adam thought, raising an eyebrow in doubt.
"Eye defect," Lt. Chand muttered.
"Before we make the jump, I expect you to report to the deck," Selana said firmly to Chand, her voice leaving no room for argument.
"Yes, right after I stop working on our machines, Captain," Chand replied.
"I didn't expect Lt. Chand to have such a reaction to you. Please excuse him," Selana said, walking ahead with a slight shake of her head.
"No, I can somehow understand him. In Neo-Terran, slaves are truly third-class citizens. It's amazing he was able to escape it," Adam said, his tone thoughtfully.
"Yes, what I've heard about Neo-Terran makes my blood boil with anger… those people are monsters," Selana said, her expression darkening as she spoke.
"Not all of them, but the majority, unfortunately, yes," Adam said, his tone somber as he reflected on the harsh reality of his home.
"Fortunately, the rest of the crew should not be as wary of you as Lt. Chand..." Selana said, before her tone shifted as they reached their destination. "Meanwhile, we've arrived at our destination. This is the main battery room."