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| Heather then said, "I sure wish I could board that ship." Connell replied, "Yes, I wish we could too. Unfortunately, the shields would stop us." James answered, "Maybe you can. I may be able to drop the shields. My Newtonian and Marean heritages allow me to sense technology. If you teleport me to the shield, I should be able to sense it." Connell asked, "And then what? You will tell us that there is a shield there. We already know that. What we need, is to be able to take it down." James replied, "After I touch the shield, I should be able to deactivate it." This new piece of information intrigued me. It made me so curious, that I forgot the fear and danger that I was facing. James appeared to have a psychic ability with machines that was not only sensory, but telepathic as well. I have studied psychic abilities, but never heard of an ability such as this. Curiously, I grabbed my medscanner. James said, "Don't use that now. We don't have time." I replied, "It will only take a second. It will simply gather your information, and I will study it later." James then said, "We may be about to die, and you are worried about my medical information. There are more important things right now." I replied, "It won't interfere with your task. Besides that, we are wasting more time arguing than if I had analyzed you." James then confessed, "I owe you an explanation. I am not Newtonian or Marean. I am an android." This made perfect sense. As an android, he might have a telepathic ability with computers. It would also explain his high intelligence. He would want to keep this a secret, because many people are prejudiced against androids. Quickly, we went to the transporter room. James stood on the transporter pad, as I teleported him to the other ship's shield. Shortly after that, the ship's sensors reported that their shield was down. Connell and Heather then stood on the transporter pad, as I teleported them inside the ship. Shortly after James teleported back aboard my ship, Connell and Heather did the same, bringing three subdued ratlings. Amanda asked, "What are those? They look like giant rats that walk on two legs." Connell then explained, "Those are ratlings. An intelligent race, known for being some of the best thieves in the galaxy." Amanda then asked, "What will happen to them?" Connell replied, "They will be put on trial, and will probably be sentenced to a lifetime of hard labor." Amanda then said, "That is unfair. Two of them look fairly old and probably set in their ways, but the other looks pretty young. Probably a teenager. He can change, if surrounded by a different environment." Connell responded, "He is a ratling, and stealing is what ratlings do. That won't change. They have stolen a ship that was a gift from the Emperor, and that is a very serious offense. Besides that, the sentence will be the court's decision, and there is nothing we can do to change it." |
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