Meet the crew.

After that embarrassment, you're thankful to be shocked by the majesty of space. You might only be seeing it through screens, but they're so wide and realistic that you can't help but feel that you're staring through a thin sheet of glass into the vast black yonder. Stars fill the sky, albeit so far in the distance. Syonn slowly disappears beneath you, to where there no longer is such thing as below or above. The artificial gravity makes everything feel the same, but you made it--outer space, where you're finally free.

Amazing. Even with everything programmed into my database, nothing compared to experiencing things for real.

The man in the cowboy hat politely tips the brim of his cap as he clears his throat. "Anyway, let's have some formal introductions, shall we? I don't know how long we'll be travelling together, but my actual name's Carlax Shin-Doora. I do whatever jobs I can do get by, though don't call me a thug. I have standards, you know?"

Dr. Freling gestures a hand towards him but looks at you. "He's a Draev."

I see. Draevs have red-tinted skin and horns that vary in size, though are rarely longer than a couple inches. They otherwise don't look too different compared to a human. "Thank you for taking us aboard." And is this really the whole crew? It's only two people... I guess that's all right, considering the size of the ship.

"So polite." The woman brushes a hand through her hair. "I'm Taiya, as I said before. That's my only name. It seems your friend there is trying to educate you on species beyond your own. Would you like to know about Mantaj?"

I can look that up too, but... maybe I'll just do that do fact-check. "All right. Yes please."

She tugs down on the lid of her right eye. "You've probably seen that our eyeballs do look different, though besides my skin being a lovely shade of green, you humans don't have antennae either, right? Well, not like we do. I'm not sure what that is on your head."

"They can sense things we can't without the help of machines," the doctor butts in. "All sorts of energies. But namely, they have a natural empathy. It seems to vary between them, but I know that some know exactly how you're feeling even just by standing nearby."

"Like a mind-reader?" you ask.

"Not quite," Taiya replies. She steps closer, and brings her face so close that your lips could touch. "But if I can close like this, I can tell that you're... quite happy about it."

You pull back and try to respond, but you're cut off by the captain.

"Don't tease her too much, Taiya," he says. "The poor girl's going to faint."

Dr. Freling places an affirming hand on your shoulder. "Well, you're taking us anywhere we want, and for pretty damn cheap, so I'm going to shoot straight with you both. Julie here isn't just a cute girl and my best friend. My brilliant mind created her in a lab! She's a robotic girl."

Carl raises his eyebrows. He glances down at his own metallic hand, tapping the metal of his fingers closed before looking back to you. "That... explains the arm."

"Oh wow. But you aren't cold, or made of metal," Taiya says.

"Are you sure that's all right to say?" you ask.

The doctor nods. "It's only going to hurt us to keep that a secret, especially when it's pretty obvious. You know, given your pale skin, your crazy strength and durability, the laser-arm, oh and the bobble on your head," she says as she taps the little bulb protruding up from an antenna of your own.

Taiya places a hand on her cheek. "Oh, that's so adorable. I love you even more now, Julie."

Carl lets out a chuckle. "I think you were expecting a more horrified look on our faces or something, girlie. But don't worry. I've seen some weird people in my day, and you're not one of them." He offers a hand.

You grab hold. It's cold, and hard. This is what others likely expect from shaking the hands of a robot, yet you're the one experiencing it now. "Thank you."

"So is this everyone here?" the doctor asks.

Carl takes off his hat and rubs his real hand back through a head of messy hair. There's a hook on a wall nearby, and he hangs it off before leaning beside it. "That's right."

Dr. Freling points forwards. "Good to hear. Then lets go, Captain. I hope I never have to see Syonn again."