"What the hell?" Chelsey asked, as Tyler searched for any accompanying attackers. Not that it looked worthy of attack. It didn't even move, save to swivel its arms about.

"Doesn't look like there's anyone with it," the synthetic muttered to the marine, his gun trained on the little thing. "You ever seen a--" but he was interrupted.

"Al salaam a'alaykum!" a tinny voice rang out.

Now Chelsey was very confused. What had it just said? But it was on to something else. "Ni hao!" it went on after a moment, and again after another pause: "Bonjour!"

"I think it's trying to... greet us." Chelsey guessed, coming to a similar conclusion as his companion.

The robot continued reciting, with a pause between each utterance. "Shalom! Konichiwa! Hello!"

Both of them relaxed for a moment as the 'bot finally reached something understandable. Still, this could be a trap of some kind... a very eccentric trap. Chelsey picked up on Tyler's "cover me" gesture, though with what, he couldn't be sure. He could already picture his single knife bouncing off of the metal side, doing little if not nothing. Still, he was ready to run to the synthetic's aid.

He watched silently as Tyler re-uttered a greeting. There was nothing but silence for a few long moments, and Chelsey began to wonder if maybe the thing was broken, but presently it began to slowly, haltingly, spew out words in something near to understandable.

"Hello humans," the tinny voice rang, artificial and halting.

"Medicine attention seeking.

"?

"Do Not Attack. Do Not Afraid Be.

"You are company in being of Gainai', Ssschahnchghiee Sss'chan ta.

"Medicine. Being this way.

"Come this way." And here the little robot paused.

"Schan-gy-what?" Chelsey asked, despite himself. That was no language--no sound he had ever heard before. He blinked and looked to Tyler, for once completely unsure of what to do.

The synthetic shrugged, just as clueless. He grinned, "bad radio frequency?"

The little robot was turning around now, heading back through the airlock. After another moment of silence, Chelsey heard the man muttering to himself, too quietly to hear properly. Something about humans. The robot had said something about humans... The synthetic finally holstered his pistol, still wary, and now faced his companion. With a face gone somber, he asked, ÒWouldja call me crazy if I said I thought weÕd been picked up by E.T.?Ó

Chelsey shook his head, dumbfounded by the thought but unable to rule it out. "Where from? The company has had control over this sector of space for... generations. They would have said something if they'd come into contact with an E.T. like this." Or they wouldn't. In fact, the more he thought of it, the less likely it seemed that such a discovery would be made public. Did that mean that whatever this was, was dangerous? He was certain that whatever it was that was picking them up couldn't just be a good samaritan... could it?

So should they follow this robot and chance aliens of questionable intent? Or should they wait and hope for the very likely emergency response from real humans... and chance whatever wrath might follow from the equally questionable company? All of these thoughts were weighed in his mind, though at the moment he was beginning to feel a little woozy.

He shook his head again, slowly, not quite done pondering. "Is the risk worth it?" He asked, more to himself then to Tyler.

After a long pause, the synthetic finally responded, "Technically, it isn't. Neither one of us are gonna die from our injuries, so we don't need the medical aid," he poked idly at a bit of the mercurial bandaging covering one hand, "and can hang tight on our own until our own people get to us. But I'd be lying if I said I wasn't curious. If it's honestly friendly, we lose nothing. If it's faking-" Chelsey watched Tyler working up another grin, "-me and the First Law drag your ass outta the fire again."

Tyler shook his head. He didn't like having to rely on others to keep him from harm, he didn't like the feeling of dependance. He was, however, just as curious as the other marine, and so he gave the air-lock another look, this time more seriously. "Right," he said, his voice flat. "We'll go, then." His expression grew grimmer as he continued, "We'd probably be better off to go."

Should he tell the synthetic what was going on? In the end it would most likely be a good idea--that First Law might come in handy. Hoisting himself up from his crouch, he turned from Tyler and opened the crate he'd been leaning against such a short time ago. It would be better to bring some things with them... just in case Mr. E.T. expected to feed them squidge pudding, or worse, nothing at all. "Look," he said, his back still turned, "Lemme set you straight on what's been going on before we got into this mess..." and then he explained.

So he got if off of his chest. It wasn't as much of a relief as Chelsey'd thought it would be, but at least the two of them were set straight. When he turned around again, Tyler was standing, a rifle on his shoulder and some of his own supplies in a makeshift carrying sack. With a carefully neutral tone he said, "ready when you are, Chelsey."

The marine nodded, trying to ignore the bout of dizziness that accompanied his movement. "Right..." leaning against the crate as inconspicuously as he could, he gathered up what supplies were available, and began towards the door.

He didn't have a good feeling about this.

There didn't seem to be any other choice.

He hated having such limiting options--he didn't even have a gun! Unless they now equipped escape-pods with such (and now he was just giving in to frivolous imagination) but he had his knife, and he knew how to use it... and that would have to be enough. "Let's go."

He paused at the edge of the hatch, staring down the long, semi flexible tubing that ended with a dark, swampy smelling portal. The walkway itself was glowing slightly, a pink-violet-black colour that caused his eyes to itch. He definitely did not like the looks of this. He felt lighter here, and remembered the 'thunking' noise of the robot, just after it managed to open their air-lock's outer hatch. So there would be no gravity. He looked at Tyler, who was standing beside him. Well, he'd lived without gravity before: the caf floor on the Carina was infamous for its gravity generators shutting down right in the middle of meals. It would just make things a little harder. A thought came to him. What if the did get into a fight, and Tyler had to use his rifle? They didn't know enough about the structure of the alien ship... they could easily rip a hole through something, and then how well off would they be?

But the synthetic would already know to be careful, right? Of course he would have thought of something like this already...

Taking a breath of the relatively clear air, Chelsey took the step from their pod--and any chance of backing out, into the tube. Tyler followed behind him by a step, well, as much as a step could be in the non-gravity of the tube. Chelsey floated upwards, his first step enough to propel him a long enough distance to reach the nearest hand-rail. He brought himself to a stop as the synthetic drifted by, allowed Tyler to pass before continuing on, himself. It wasn't that he was a coward, just that he knew the dark-skinned marine would be better able to handle any sudden situations that could pop up.

As they neared the end of the extended tube, Chelsey watched Tyler stick his head cautiously through the outer doorway. The human paused behind his synthetic companion, waiting for his eyes adjust to the dim, semi-violet light.

He barely heard Tyler mutter something, but as the words escaped his mouth, slightly brighter lights appeared just in front of them, revealing nothing to greet them, then they faded. Chelsey frowned as they dimmed again. Were they going off in response to noise?

"Say something again," he suggested, and even as the human spoke, the lights lit up again, a little brighter this time, and this time travelling a short distance along the ceiling, before disappearing. Chelsey pulled himself closer to Tyler, and to the entranceway beyond. "I think," he said, forcing himself not to hush his voice, "that... the lights are a guide." He spoke slowly, pronouncing each word and watching as they effected the brightness of the airlock. But where were they leading to?

As the final light from his last words faded away, he heard Tyler speaking into the gloom, a smirk in his voice, "right then." The lights flickered again, as he continued, "follow the purple-lit road." Chelsey cast him a look that was somewhere between confusion and disgust. How the synthetic could make light of this situation was beyond him. Before the human could do much of anything, however, his fellow marine had pushed off down the hallway and was, of all things, humming to himself. Or rather, to the lights. A shiver ran down Chelsey's spine as he was forced to follow after his companion. It went against everything that he'd learned to make such a racket when in enemy territory... because to him, this was enemy territory. But he couldn't well tell Tyler to keep it down--where would they be, then? In the middle of a violet, hardly lit hallways, on a vessel that was far from anything he'd ever seen before, with no where else to go. So he let the synthetic sing.

They hadn't gone far--past a couple of darkened halls, closed-off hatches of the same, dark metalloid structure like the rest of the ship, when Tyler started up again from his drill-tune humming, "Whadaya think Chelse? Little grey me, or little green men?"

"Little?" The passage they were working their way through--still gravity-free--was larger then he'd ever admit that little aliens would build. He was spared from having to make any further reply as they approached a brightened portion of the passageway. Light spilled from a side-passage--a room, once the two of them were close enough to look in, and a quick investigation of the pathway ahead revealed only another sealed door. "Looks like we've reached the end," he remarked dryly, peering suspiciously into the rather barren room. Aside from the intricate patterns that ran the violet walls, ceiling and floor, there was nothing to look at. No furniture, no keypads... the whole thing reaked of 'cage' to him.

But what else was there to do? Chelsey grimaced at his companion before pulling himself in through the doorway.