6. Native Of This New World [Modern Warship in a Cultivation World] (Patreon)

“We need to save him! It’s just a teenager!” Pax argued instantly, bursting into the Command Information Center from the doorway, his reporter's instinct for life overriding the Captain's caution.

Imogen immediately turned, her expression unyielding. She quickly gripped his arm and pulled him back out onto the quiet section of the deck.

“Pax, come with me a sec,” she hissed, pulling him away from the attentive ears of the bridge crew. Once outside, she released him and faced him, her voice low but intense. “What the hell are you saying? Save him? He is a native of this new world, do you understand how much that complicates things? We don’t know his allegiance, his intentions, or his threat level!”

Pax paused, then deliberately raised his voice so that every sailor and guard nearby could hear the exchange. “What do you mean, ‘complicates things’!? It’s just a teenager, a child that’s about to drown! Is this how the United Nations Navy operates now? Abandoning survivors based on their origin?”

“You don’t understand it, Pax! You can see there’s a war raging out there, right?” Imogen replied, matching his loud tone. “If we help this single survivor, we will be undeniably taking sides in the natives of this new world’s conflict! I am looking to protect our crew and find a way home, not become a part of this mess!”

“Ha!” Pax clapped his hands once, his voice sharp with scorn. “I see now. Just because we are in a new world, the military laws don’t apply? Is that it? What about international humanitarian law? Are you saying that because we are in a world we don’t understand, you will simply do as you please, Captain?”

A profound silence fell across the deck. The tension was suffocating. Imogen stood motionless, glaring at Pax for several seconds, weighing the impossible choice: duty versus morality, secrecy versus humanity.

With a hardened expression, she finally turned away from Pax and walked toward the nearest Guard. “Ready searchlights and rescue boat,” she commanded curtly.

The Guard saluted instantly and rushed to carry out the orders along with other seamen. The ship’s powerful searchlights immediately sliced through the darkness, bathing the open waters, the slowly drowning dragon, and the strapped young man in blinding white light.

“Lower the boat now!” the order sounded over the comms. The medical unit, a few armed Guards, and Pax with camera now secured sat ready in the small rescue boat as it was lowered toward the churning waves.

Imogen stood resolutely by the deck railing, watching the rescue operation unfold under the brilliant cones of the searchlights.

“He is quick on the uptake, huh?” a voice sounded next to her. It was Officer William, standing by the wall with his hands folded, watching the receding boat.

“He has survived running around snooping at dangerous criminals thanks to that situational awareness,” Imogen said with a small, almost imperceptible smile, watching the Guards in the ocean moving to pick up the unconscious survivor.

“Makes sense,” Officer William commented. “He needs to be quick on his feet if he has to survive in that environment.”

“Though,” Imogen added softly, “he does have a genuine soft spot for children.”

“I… I don’t get it? You were just arguing with Mister Holloway. Now you are praising him?” Jessica, who had been standing a short distance away, rushed over, utterly confused by the shift in the two military people's conversation.

“He does seem to have that,” Officer William replied to Imogen’s earlier comment, chuckling as he watched Jessica’s confused reaction.

“I am nineteen this year, mind you! I am not a child!” Jessica retorted defensively, realizing Officer William’s comment was likely pointing at her.

“You should ask Reporter Pax about why he argued in the open like that, Miss Jessica,” Officer William suggested gently. “I am sure he won’t like us teaching you why, when he is mentoring you.”

“The survivor is in the sickbay now. We will most likely have a meeting about him in the morning,” Pax said, settling heavily into his chair in the VIP Suite. He took a long sip of water, clearly exhausted from the rescue. “We should both get some sleep; we’ve been practically awake this whole night.”

Instead of leaving for her room, Jessica sat opposite him, her curiosity now fully engaged. “Mister Holloway… why did you argue with the Captain? It felt like there was an alternative motive to it, rather than just trying to save the survivor.”

Pax paused, a small, weary smile crossing his face. “Wow. You actually caught on to that? I guess I underestimated the newer generation.”

“No, no, I just happened to overhear a conversation between Officer William and Captain Doors,” Jessica admitted honestly. “I asked them, but they suggested I hear it from you.”

“Hmm,” Pax nodded, accepting the answer. He pulled his laptop closer and brought up an image: a distinguished admiral, roughly the same age as Officer William but with a strikingly youthful vigor. “Do you know who this is?”

“Come on, Mister Holloway, the picture says it,” Jessica replied matter-of-factly, leaning closer. “His name is Admiral Joseph Gurvat, a veteran of the Navy.”

“And what else?” Pax questioned, prompting her to look closer.

“Huh. It says… Captain of the DDC-00 UNSC Event Horizon? But that’s Captain Imogen Doors’ ship!” she replied, confusion clouding her face. “That’s right,” Pax confirmed, gently closing the laptop. “Now, remember what I said when we first arrived on the Event Horizon?”

“Captain Doors is your ex?” Jessica replied instantly.

“No, not that,” Pax sighed, shaking his head. “Though that part is, unfortunately, true.”

“Ah! Captain Doors wasn’t the Captain of the Event Horizon six months ago when she broke up with you!” Jessica exclaimed, finally recalling the public argument.

“Again, the latter part wasn’t necessary,” Pax muttered. “Now, think. A twenty eight year old Navy officer who was a mere Executive Officer six months ago suddenly became Captain of a new prototype warship. How do you think that happened?”

Jessica thought for a few moments, looking from the laptop to Pax, then sighed. “I… I don’t know.”

“Well, Admiral Joseph Gurvat was supposed to be the Captain,” Pax explained, showing her a photo of the Admiral and Imogen standing side-by-side. “Immy was his Vice Captain, hand-picked by him to learn the ropes. But right before the mission was supposed to begin, he passed away from a sudden cardiac arrest.”

“Given that they didn’t have much time to vet and train a new Captain for this sensitive UN mission, the brass decided to give Immy the title of Captain for this specific deployment. They certainly have plans to quietly remove her from that position once the mission is over.”

“So that’s why the Event Horizon doesn’t have a Vice Captain! I was wondering about that!” Jessica said. Pax nodded. “If you read the briefing before arriving, you wouldn’t have to wonder, you know.”

Jessica stopped, slightly embarrassed, and nodded. “But what does that have to do with your public argument on the deck just now?”

Pax smiled, the calculated nature of his actions clear in his eyes. “We were thrown into a new, terrifying world suddenly. The men aren’t fully accumulated with their new Captain. There must be a faction in the ship, perhaps just a few career-minded officers, ready to jump at any moment to try and instate a more senior officer in the leadership position.”

“A… a mutiny?” Jessica asked in bewilderment.

“Ding. Since Immy made that announcement so hastily, confirming we’re in another world, the crew would naturally be uneasy. After all, we were thrown here without a known way to return home,” Pax said, taking another sip of water.

“They might do something stupid since the laws of our world technically don’t apply here…” Jessica muttered, piecing the puzzle together.

“Exactly,” Pax finished. “If Immy were to rescue that survivor purely on her own accord, someone would inevitably point a finger and say she is violating her orders by jeopardizing the mission by getting the Event Horizon involved in the conflicts of the natives. That would be their excuse to try and seize command.”

“So you played the annoying reporter that forced her hand into rescuing the survivor?” Jessica now fully understood the maneuver.

“That’s right. Not saving the survivor would be the logical, military thing to do. But… it’s not the right thing to do,” Pax added with a genuine smile.

“So even if she didn’t save him, The people who aren’t convinced with Captain Doors’ position would have used the failure to save the survivor against her to start a mutiny and instate a more veteran member, even if that veteran didn't want the position,” Jessica concluded, her understanding complete.

“Wow, Mister Holloway, you read the situation instantly and even acted in coordination with Captain Doors so fast,” Jessica praised him, impressed.

“Being a reporter means being able to read the room for information and piece together clues, Jessica,” Pax advised, but she was stuck on a completely different thought.

“You two must have been a really scary couple, huh?” Jessica mused aloud. “Argh,” Pax made a face, dismissing the topic, just as the speaker in the room sounded again.

“Reporter Pax, Reporter Jessica, request your presence at the meeting room now.”

Pax scoffed “They really don’t intend to let us sleep,” standing up with renewed professional urgency.