In a world where you get a secret filled count down to you identifying your soulmate Mensah isn't shocked by the words on her wrist. She is shocked by the owner.
//day 20, 20 Truths
[I like to watch media.]
Mensah smiled down at the newest secret, the first truth that will lead her to the next member of their little soul family. It was a silly secret, to be sure. But most of the first ones were small and silly. Things you have no real reason to hide
[I don't like supervisor Lee.]
She was pouring her morning beverage when that one appeared, she couldn't help relating to it. Who hasn't had a bad supervisor you have to play nice with?
[I would rather be watching media right now.]
It was Sophie who noticed it change. Mensah had been playing with her, lifting her in the air. “Do you think they would wanna watch Honor Princess Detective with me?” she asked
“Maybe.” Mensah said, Honor Princess Detective was most certainly A show, one that Sophie liked. It was dramatic and complicated with some sort of love square? Mensah didn't understand.
[Every time he talks I back burner him, he has never said anything of worth.]
Mensah saw it when she was trying on clothes to recycle, she did a little twirl and her sleeve had ridden up. Backburner? That's an odd way to say ‘ignore’ she liked it.
[My favorite media is sanctuary moon]
Without thinking she searched for the series, a drama with more then twenty seasons (which was entirely too many, in Mensah's opinion) she opened the first one and… wow.. yeah, they would love Honor Princess Detective.
[I don't want to be here, but where would I go?]
She was brushing her teeth and paused for a moment. Hopefully they just had a dead end job instead of being indentured. If they were at least Mensah knew that if her soul family pooled their resources they could afford to buy almost any contract.
[I couldn't save her, I think she wanted to die.]
She stared at this one for a long time. Were they a doctor of some sort? A passerby to an accident? Either way her heart went out to them.
[I'm glad this is over, I needed a break.]
It's good that they get breaks, she thought as she toyed with a pen. She was supposed to be doing paperwork but the pen was more amusing. There was a survey happening soon, she put her own name into the applicant pool. It wouldn't be a surprise if she was chosen.
[I think they are going to rent me out soon, I don't want to go.]
They were rented out? Maybe they really were indentured. Mensah would have to start saving.
[I hid my media files in the repair cubicle. I hope they don't find them.]
Weren't repair cubicles a construct thing? Maybe they worked with constructs. Mensah couldn't help wondering if the “she” they had mentioned had been a comfort unit. The companies insist that the units love their jobs but the companies also say that their indentured employees love their jobs.
[I hope she doesn't choose me, she seems annoying.]
I was packing when it showed up, mostly long sleeves as the planet would be cold. “Choose you?” she muttered, staring at it.
“Choose me?” Farai asked, hugging her from behind. Mensah shifted so she could read the words. It was odd that nither Farai nor Tano had gotten new words.
Ratthi and Pin-Lee did though, so maybe they just wouldn't be close with Mensah's spouses. “Some planets have marital traditions once you reach a certain age. Maybe they are from one of them.”
“Maybe.” Mensah agreed, leaning further into the touch. The words ‘rent me’ lingered in the back of her mind.
[I'm glad she didn't choose me.]
She was walking through the lobby of a rental company. She didn't want a SecUnit, but her (outrageously expensive) bond wasn't granted without it. But at least her soul family was having a better day.
[I have downloaded so much media I barely have room for anything else.]
Everything was ready and they were finally shipping off to the survey. The words decorated almost everyone's wrist in neat blue text, they were steady, unhesitating and bold. Even if they're secrets were either silly media based ones or admittance of deaths.
[I don't want to go. But they rented me.]
Everyone was doing their best to ignore the word. That was a lie. Pin-Lee was researching contract companies that ‘rented’ out contracts and keeping an updated list in the common feed. Gruathen was deep in his interface, narrowing the search and sending personnel files rented out within three days of the words appearing to the shared feed.
Mensah and Bharadwaj searched through any tagged as ‘medical officer,’ ‘medic,’ or ‘doctor,’ while Ratthi, Overse, and Arada searched through the ‘tech,’ ‘technician,’ or ‘repairer’ tagged ones. And Volescu piloted the transport, offering encouragement where he could.
Beneath them, in a cargo box covered in bright warning stickers, was a SecUnit watching media. Episode 206 of Sanctuary moon. Its favorite.
[Humans are stupid. And gross.]
Mensah was too busy patting Ratthi's back to really notice the words. He had tried to fit one too many marshmallows into his mouth, then he said something to get her attention. Her reaction made him laugh which made him choke.
Behind her the door opened, the SecUnit entered. “Are you in need of assistance?” it asked.
“No,” she laughed as Ratthi stopped with his dramatics. Now he was quietly choking with a side of turning red from embarrassment “he's fine, aren't you, Ratthi?”
He nodded shakily with a thumbs up. The SecUnit nodded once and stepped out of the room.
When she finally did notice the words Pin-Lee and Gurathin were also on break. “That was an odd phrase.” she said, looking at her wrist
“Maybe they're augmented.” Gurathin said, pouring water into his freeze dried food pack.
“Maybe.” Pin-Lee said, leaning on the counter to reach a snack pack. “But do you really consider yourself no longer human?”
He shrugged, “some do.”
[I like that they all like each other]
The security ready room was between the bedrooms and the mess hall. Ratthi would wake up early to make breakfast then poke at his friends until they would accept their fate. Mensah knew this because she was often the first poked, she could hear him walking through the hall knocking on every door.
She stretched, yawning. She had new words, the most affectionate she'd seen from them. Ratthi knocked again, “oh, I'm coming.”
Her place was set, tea already made with just enough cream and sugar.
[I hacked my governor module.]
“Gurathin.” She said, He was pale. “Gurathin, once it restarts.”
He nodded shakily. “It's Watching.” He whispered. “But I'll check.”
[They are planning something. I hope it's not murder; I kinda like them.]
The words appeared a few hours ago, right after Gurathin had volunteered to destroy all the surveillance equipment in his room. They met there to talk about the situation. “Yeah, it's governor module is hacked.”
“Did you find the media?” Ratthi asked, sitting on Gruathen's bed and kicking his feet.
Gruathen nodded, “mostly sanctuary moon with some others mixed in”
“So it is our new soulmate.” Pin-Lee said, already drafting a purchasing agreement along with cross referencing preservation forms for both citizenship with refugee forms to draft a SecUnit specific citizenship form.
“Not necessarily.” Gruathen said, “it could be a trick.”
“Thats a very elaborate trick.” Mensah said by the door.
“Are you alright in there?” SecUnit asked outside the door.
“Yes, thank you.” Mensah said. “We're just trying to fix Gruathen's camera.”
[they think I'm dumb. I'm not, I just don't care enough.]
Mensah laughed as the words changed, this was the first time she watched it happen, the letters appeared instantly, like they were typed. “no we don't, sorry.”
“What?” It said.
“Can you please help us?” She amended, “we clearly don't know what we're doing.”
It entered, scanning the room, gaze lingering on Gurathin. He looked away, stepping beside Pin-Lee.
[I don't know why they are being so weird. It's freaking me out.]
Mensah saw the words as she was inserting her samples for analysis. She stood, walking quickly to the security ready room. Ratthi was leaning against the wall scrolling through types of flora he'd identified on the planet, you know… for fun… Pin-Lee was there too. Because the security room was cool, I guess. And the SecUnit in the corner, staring at them.
“Out.” Mensah said, pointing out the door.
Ratthi gestured towards the SecUnit “But,” he started
“Out.” She said again.
[I hate eye contact.]
“Ratthi!” She shouted, she had just convinced it to stop wearing it's helmet. “stop bothering it!”
“I wasn't!” He called back, pouting.
“Sorry.” Overse said quietly.
[I'm going to leave once they are all asleep.]
She stared for a long time. She thought about it as she brushed her teeth, she almost said something when she bid it goodnight. They never got around to telling it. Maybe they would later, she wasn't sure it ever got any words for them.
