Arc 3, Chapter 4: The Interrogation
The Pathfinder's brig had never been designed for long-term containment. It was a holding area for disciplinary cases, the occasional drunk crew member who needed to sleep it off, minor infractions that warranted temporary isolation. Three cells with transparent force fields, basic amenities, and monitoring systems that recorded everything.
Dr. Elena Voss, or rather, the shapeshifter that had been impersonating her for the last three years, sat calmly in the center cell, looking completely at ease despite the armed security guards stationed outside. She'd been stripped of her medical equipment, her comm access, everything that could be used as a weapon or communication device.
But she still had her memories.
And that made her the most dangerous prisoner they'd ever held.
Captain Stellar stood in the observation room adjacent to the brig, watching through one-way glass while his senior staff assembled. Commander Stellar, Commander Thorne, Commander Clark, Professor Carmelon, and Lieutenant Hayes. Chief Martinez and his security team maintained position outside the cells.
Mitchell perched on James's shoulder, unusually silent, those augmented eyes fixed on the shapeshifter with unsettling intensity.
"How long has she been contained?" Stellar asked.
"Four hours," Martinez replied through the comm. "Since you gave the order from Fortuna Station. She came quietly. No resistance. Almost like she was expecting it."
"She was." Stellar said. "She has future memories. She's seen this moment before."
The door to the observation room opened, and silver nanites flowed in, coalescing into a vaguely humanoid form near the corner. Unity's presence filled the small space with that characteristic harmonic resonance.
"We wished to be present," Unity said simply. "If that is acceptable."
"It's fine." Stellar replied. "You're part of this now. Part of...whatever we're about to do."
Thorne looked at the shapeshifter through the glass. "What's our play here? We can't let her go. She knows everything. The kimelons. Our operations. Every shapeshifter we've identified."
"We interrogate her." Stellar said. "Extract whatever intelligence we can. Find out what she's reported, who she's been communicating with, what the Confluence knows about our capabilities."
"And then?" Clark asked quietly.
Stellar didn't answer immediately. He didn't need to. Everyone in the room understood the implications.
"And then we do what's necessary." James said, his voice carrying the weight of decades of hard decisions. "We can't risk her escaping. Can't risk her memories getting back to the Confluence. She's too valuable to them and too dangerous to us."
"You're talking about execution." Carmelon said, his academic sensibilities struggling with military pragmatism. "She's a prisoner. We have laws. Protocols."
"She's an enemy combatant who's been conducting espionage for years." Thorne corrected. "In any war, that's a death sentence. The only question is what we learn before we carry it out. If you're uncomfortable with that, you can leave anytime."
Hayes looked uncomfortable but didn't object. She'd seen what shapeshifters did. Seen Omega-Seven. Seen the infiltration and manipulation. Seen people die.
"I'll do it." Stellar said. "The interrogation. It's my responsibility."
"I'll go with you." James said. "You shouldn't do this alone."
"As will I." Unity added. "We may be able to provide unique perspective."
Stellar nodded. "Alright. The rest of you monitor from here. Record everything. If she reveals anything useful, make sure it's documented."
He stepped toward the door leading to the brig, then paused. "And if this goes wrong, if she somehow escapes or activates some kind of contingency we don't know about..."
"We'll handle it." Thorne assured him. "She's not leaving this ship alive."
Shifter-Voss looked up as Stellar, James, and the silver form of Unity entered the brig. Her expression was pleasant, almost amused, like she was greeting old friends rather than her captors.
"Captain Stellar. Commander Stellar. And Unity." She smiled. "I'm flattered."
"You're contained." Stellar said flatly. "You know what happens next."
"Oh, I know exactly what happens next," shifter-Voss replied. "I've seen it. In my future memories. I think I've seen several different versions, actually. Some where you try to extract information through torture. Some where you appeal to my better nature. Some where you simply execute me without ceremony." She tilted her head. "Which version are we living through today?"
"That depends on you," Stellar said. "How much you cooperate. How much you tell us."
"And what makes you think I'll tell you anything?" Shifter-Voss asked. "I've already seen my death in multiple timelines. I'm not afraid of it. The Confluence has prepared us for this possibility."
"Then you have nothing to lose by talking," James pointed out. "If you're going to die anyway, might as well unburden yourself. Tell us what you know. Make your last hours mean something."
Voss laughed...a genuine sound that was deeply unsettling coming from someone who knew they were going to be executed. "That's almost touching. The hardened soldier trying to appeal to my conscience. But you're operating under a false assumption, Commander."
"What assumption?" James asked.
"That I have a conscience in the way you understand it." Shifter-Voss leaned back against the cell wall. "I'm not the woman whose face I wear. Dr. Elena Voss died eight years ago, and I took her place. I have her memories. Her knowledge. Her mannerisms. But I'm not her. I'm Confluence. I exist to serve the collective good of my people. Individual survival is...irrelevant."
"No." Stellar said. "Self-preservation is a universal attribute. The Confluence has spent millenia growing, becoming more powerful, even to the detriment of others. Especiallyto the detriment of others. Growing at any cost. That's someone who's terrified of dying."
Something flickered across shifter-Voss's face...annoyance? Recognition? Hard to tell.
"Fair point." she conceded. "Fear is universal, even among shapeshifters. I don't want to die. But I also know the value of my memories to the Confluence. Every moment I survive is another moment I'm gathering intelligence. Even now, locked in this cell, I'm observing. Learning. Preparing for the moment when my memories can be extracted and shared."
"We're can't let that happen." James said.
"Are you certain?" Shifter-Voss asked. "Because I've seen futures where you hesitate. Where your human morality prevents you from doing what's necessary. Where you keep me alive 'just a little longer' to extract 'just a little more information.' And in those futures, I escape. Or I'm rescued. Or I simply outlast your willingness to kill in cold blood."
Unity's form shifted, nanites pulsing with patterns that suggested contemplation. When they spoke, their voice carried unusual weight.
"We knew you were not human." Unity said.
Everyone turned to look at the silver form. Even shifter-Voss seemed surprised.
"You...knew?" Stellar asked.
"We have known for approximately six weeks." Unity confirmed. "Your cellular structure showed the same quantum signatures as the shapeshifter captured at Kepler Station. The too-perfect optimization. The absence of organic variation. It was quite obvious to us."
Stellar felt a flash of anger. "And you didn't think to mention this?"
"We were uncertain of protocol." Unity replied. "You had not asked us to identify shapeshifters. You were developing your own detection technology. We observed that humans value discovering things for themselves. We did not wish to...interfere with your process. It seemed important that you arrive at this conclusion through your own methods."
"Six weeks." Thorne said through the comm from the observation room. "Unity knew for six freaking weeks and didn't say anything."
"We apologize if this was incorrect." Unity said. "We are still learning appropriate boundaries for friendship. When to share information and when to allow friends to make their own discoveries. It is...complicated."
Shifter-Voss was smiling. "This is wonderful. Even your allies keep secrets from you. The mighty Unity, powerful enough to compromise station systems, but too polite to mention there's a shapeshifter in your medical bay. The Confluence will find this incredibly amusing."
"The Confluence won't find out anything," Stellar said. "Because you're not leaving this ship."
"Then ask your questions, Captain," shifter-Voss said. "I'm curious to see which ones you think are important. What you believe I'll actually answer truthfully."
Stellar pulled up a chair and sat down, making it clear this wasn't going to be a brief conversation. "Let's start simple. How long have you been reporting to the Confluence?"
"Since I took Dr. Voss's place. Approximately eight years."
"What have you been reporting?"
"Everything. Ship movements. Crew capabilities. Strategic planning. Medical vulnerabilities. Genetic data on every crew member who came through my medical bay. Personality assessments. Psychological profiles. Everything that could be useful for harvest operations."
The casual way she said it...'harvest operations', made Stellar's skin crawl. "Did you know we were developing shapeshifter detection technology?"
"Not initially. But once a future memory hit...yes. I saw you discovering the kimelons. Saw you testing them. Saw Carmelon and Rebecca building them. I reported all of it to my handlers."
"Who are your handlers?" James asked.
"Multiple coordinators. The Confluence doesn't use centralized command for infiltration operations. We report to regional nodes who aggregate intelligence and pass it up the chain. I reported to three different nodes depending on the type of intelligence. Never met any of them in person. All communication through encrypted channels."
"Marcus Valen." Stellar said. "Is he one of your coordinators?"
She smiled. "You met Marcus? How did that go?"
"We're asking the questions." Stellar said.
"Marcus Valen is a network hub." Shifter-Voss confirmed. "He coordinates shapeshifter operations across the Tertius sector. Facilitates communication between assets. Arranges extractions when covers are blown. He's quite good at his job."
"How many shapeshifters are there?" Clark asked through the comm. "Total infiltration numbers."
"Oh....Hundreds that I know of directly. Thousands across human space, based on intelligence I've seen. The Confluence has been infiltrating key positions for decades. Military officers. Colonial administrators. Corporate executives. Scientists. Anyone who can influence human decision-making in ways that make harvest easier."
"Harvest." James said. "You keep using that word. What exactly does the Confluence plan to do with humanity?"
"What do you think?" Shifter-Voss replied. "Humanity is a resource. Your biological distinctiveness. Your technological adaptability. Your neural patterns. All valuable to the collective. Once you're sufficiently weakened, once your resistance capabilities are compromised, full integration will begin. Those worth preserving will be assimilated. Those who aren't..." She shrugged. "They'll be processed for other purposes."
"You're talking about genocide." Stellar said.
"I'm talking about efficiency." Shifter-Voss corrected. "The Confluence doesn't waste resources. Every species has value. Humanity's value is significant, which is why we've invested decades in preparation rather than simple conquest. We want you intact enough to be useful. But you should know this already."
Unity's form pulsed. "The casual way you discuss the extinction of a species."
"Not extinction," shifter-Voss said. "Transformation. Integration. Improvement. The Confluence makes things better. More efficient. More unified. Humanity's chaos, your conflicts, your individual suffering...all of that ends when you join the collective."
Stellar leaned forward. "Here's what I need to know. Your future memories. What have you seen?"
Shifter-Voss was quiet for a moment, considering. "Why does that matter? Think you can change things?"
"Because if you've seen the future, you've seen us." Stellar said. "Seen whether we survive. When we live. When we die. Seen how this war progresses."
"Ah," Shifter-Voss said. "You want hope. Or despair. You want me to tell you whether your resistance matters."
"I know it does. I just want information to expedite things." Stellar corrected.
Unity's patterns shifted...something like surprise mixed with determination.
"I know you're connected to the Architects." Shifter-Voss said. "You have their memories. Their knowledge. Their technology. That makes you a variable the Confluence can't fully predict. We can model human behavior. We understand your strategies. But the Architects...they're beyond our experience. Beyond our prediction models. You carrying their legacy makes you dangerous in ways we can't quantify."
Mitchell chose that moment to chirp...loud, urgent, as if commenting on everything Shifter-Voss had just said.
Shifter-Voss looked at Mitchell with genuine interest. "That eagle. Augmented by technology you don't understand. Possessing memories of futures that haven't happened. That's another variable. Another piece that doesn't fit the Confluence's models. We've tried to factor it into our planning, but—"
"MOOOOO!"
Everyone stopped.
The sound had come from Unity...loud, abrupt, interrupting Shifter-Voss mid-sentence, to the absolute shock of everything, save Hayes, who is covering her face.
Then Voss said, "What..."
"We were attempting humor." Unity explained. "Lieutenant Hayes taught us about interruption jokes. We wished to see if they were funny in this context."
More silence.
"Context?" Stellar said carefully.
"We apologize." Unity replied. "We were curious whether humor could function as a coping mechanism during stressful situations. Lieutenant Hayes suggested laughter helps humans deal with darkness. We wanted to know if the shapeshifter species was capable of laughter knowing she has just minutes to live."
From the observation room, Hayes's voice came through barely suppressed laughter. "Oh my God. Unity just tried to make a joke during an interrogation. This is simultaneously the worst and best thing I've ever heard."
Even James cracked a slight smile. Thorne was shaking her head, somewhere between amusement and disbelief.
Shifter-Voss looked genuinely confused. "You're teaching the nanite collective about humor. During a war. While interrogating a prisoner. Humanity is even stranger than our analysts predicted."
"That's what makes us hard to predict." Stellar said. "We find absurdity in darkness. We make jokes when things are terrible. We keep being human even when it would be easier not to be."
"And that's why we like them," Unity added. "They are...interesting. Unpredictable. Worth protecting."
Shifter-Voss studied Unity for a long moment. "You've evolved further than we realized. You're not just following programmed directives anymore. You're choosing. Prioritizing based on...friendship? The Confluence will need to reassess its threat models for Unity. You're becoming something our strategists didn't anticipate."
"Good." Unity said simply.
Stellar stood up. "Last question. Is there anything you want to tell us? Anything that might make this easier? For you or for us?"
Shifter-Voss looked at him for a long moment. "You're going to kill me. I've seen it in future memories. You can't risk letting me live because my memories are too valuable to the Confluence. Even if I wanted to cooperate...which I don't, really, you couldn't trust that cooperation. Couldn't take the chance I'm manipulating you. So you'll execute me, probably within the next few hours. That's the logical choice. The strategic choice. The only choice, really."
"And you're okay with that?" James asked.
"No." Shifter-Voss said quietly. "You were correct. I'm terrified. Fear is universal, remember? I don't want to die. But I understand why you have to do it. In your position, I'd do the same thing."
Stellar felt something in his chest tighten. This should be easier. She was an enemy. A shapeshifter. Someone who'd been working to destroy humanity for years. But she looked human. Sounded human. Showed fear like a human.
"Is there anything you want?" Stellar asked. "Before...before it happens."
Shifter-Voss smiled sadly. "Can I see the stars? One more time? The real ones, not through monitors or recordings. I know that's...sentimental. Probably strategically unwise from your perspective. But I'd like to see them. Just once more."
Stellar looked at James, who nodded slightly.
"I'll arrange it." Stellar said. "A few minutes. Under guard. Then..."
"Then it ends." Shifter-Voss finished. "Thank you, Captain. That's more mercy than I probably deserve."
They left the brig in silence. In the observation room, the senior staff looked shaken, even Thorne, who'd advocated for execution from the beginning.
"She's right." Clark said quietly. "We can't let her live. Her memories are too dangerous. But God, this feels wrong."
"It is wrong." Carmelon said. "Necessary doesn't mean right. We're going to execute a prisoner. Someone who's been helpless in our custody for hours. That's...that's murder. However we justify it."
"It's war." Thorne corrected. "Enemy combatant. Espionage. All the legal justifications exist if we need them."
"Do they make you feel better?" Carmelon asked.
Thorne didn't answer.
"I'll do it." Stellar said. "It's my decision. My responsibility. I won't ask anyone else to carry this."
"You're not doing it alone." James said firmly. "This isn't something you bear by yourself. I'll be there. So will Thorne. We share this burden."
"As will I." Unity said. "We are part of this crew now. Part of these decisions. We do not shy away from difficult choices simply because they are unpleasant."
Hayes looked at Unity's silver form. "You'd participate in an execution?"
"We would witness." Unity corrected. "We would be present so our friends are not alone in this darkness. That is what friends do."
Mitchell chirped...solemn, sad, but affirming.
"The bird says it's the right call." James translated. "Doesn't mean it's easy. Doesn't mean we should be comfortable with it. But it's necessary."
"When?" Martinez asked through the comm.
"Give her an hour." Stellar decided. "One hour to see the stars. To have whatever peace she can find. Then we do what has to be done."
Fifty-eight minutes later, shifter-Voss stood in the Pathfinder's observation deck, hands restrained, flanked by security guards with weapons ready. But she wasn't looking at the guards. She was looking at the viewport, at the vast expanse of stars stretching endlessly into the black.
"It's beautiful." she said quietly. "I never really appreciated it. Not in eight years of looking. I was too focused on the mission. On gathering intelligence. On serving the Confluence. I forgot to just...look."
Stellar stood several meters away, sidearm in hand. Thorne and James flanked him. Unity's nanites hovered nearby. Mitchell perched on a railing, silent witness.
"I have a question." Shifter-Voss said, not turning from the viewport. "You have future memories. Have you seen what you become? If you survive this war? If humanity wins?"
"What do you mean?" Stellar admitted.
"Are you still human?" Shifter-Voss asked. "In those futures? Still the person standing here? Or does the war change you into something else?"
Stellar didn't answer immediately. "I don't know. Maybe both."
"That's what I thought." Voss said. "War changes everyone. Humanity. The Confluence. Unity. We're all becoming something different. Something the universe hasn't seen before. Maybe that's the point. Maybe transformation is inevitable, regardless of who wins."
She turned away from the stars, facing Stellar directly. "I'm ready. Let's not drag this out."
"Any last words?" James asked. "Anything you want recorded?"
Shifter-Voss thought for a moment. "Tell Unity something for me. Tell them that evolution is painful. That becoming more than you were designed to be means losing parts of what you once were. But it's worth it. Growth is always worth it, even when it hurts."
Unity's form pulsed...something like gratitude mixed with sorrow. "We will remember."
"Thank you." Shifter-Voss said. Then, to Stellar: "I'm ready."
Stellar raised his weapon. His hand was steady...years of military training, years of hard decisions. But something in his chest felt like ice.
"Dr. Elena Voss, you've been found guilty of espionage, infiltration, and conspiracy against humanity. The sentence is death, to be carried out immediately."
"I'm not Elena Voss." the shapeshifter said. "She died years ago. I'm just...someone who stole her face. Lived her life. Tried to survive. For what it's worth, I'm sorry. Not for serving the Confluence...I'd do that again. But I'm sorry you have to carry this. Sorry that war makes you into people who do this."
"We're all sorry." Stellar said quietly.
He pulled the trigger.
The shot was clean. Professional. The shapeshifter fell without a sound, dead before hitting the deck.
Silence filled the observation room. Even the stars seemed to dim.
"It's done." Stellar said, his voice flat. "Martinez, have your team handle the body. Full security protocols. We can't risk any contamination or intelligence recovery by Confluence forces."
"Understood, sir."
Stellar holstered his weapon and walked toward the exit, not looking back at the body. James and Thorne followed. Unity's nanites flowed after them.
In the corridor, away from the observation deck, Stellar finally stopped. Leaned against the wall. Let out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding.
"Are you alright?" Unity asked.
"No." Stellar said honestly. "I just executed a prisoner. Someone who was helpless. Who'd cooperated, in her way. Someone who looked human and sounded human and bled human. So no, I'm not alright."
"But it was necessary." Unity said. "We understand this."
"Necessary doesn't mean easy." James said. "Bub, you did what you had to do. What any commander would do in your position. The burden is yours to carry, but you don't carry it alone. We're here."
"So we made the right choice." Stellar said.
"We made the necessary choice." James corrected. "Right and necessary aren't always the same thing. But sometimes, they're all we have."
Thorne put a hand on Stellar's shoulder. "Command is choosing between bad options and living with it. You're good at your job. You'll learn to live with this too."
"I don't want to become someone who finds this easy." Stellar said.
"You won't." Thorne assured him. "That's not who you are. The day this becomes easy is the day you stop being human."
Unity's nanites formed into a vaguely supportive shape...not quite a hug, but something close. "We are here. We are with you. Friends support each other in darkness."
"Thanks." Stellar said. "All of you."
Mitchell chirped once more...gentle, affirming.
They stood together in the corridor for a long moment, sharing the weight of what they'd done, the burden of necessity, the cost of war.
Then Stellar straightened. "We have work to do. Valen is still out there. Other shapeshifters still need to be identified. The war continues."
"It does." James agreed. "But right now, you should rest. Let someone else carry things for a few hours."
"I'll rest for a bit." Stellar said.
They walked together back toward the bridge, leaving the observation deck and its grim business behind.
But the weight of what they'd done...the execution, the necessity, the darkness, followed them.
It always would.
Deep in Unity's nexus, the collective processed what had just happened.
They had witnessed an execution. Had been present for the death of a sentient being. Enemy or not, shapeshifter or not, Dr. Voss had been alive. Thinking. Feeling. And now she was not.
This was different from combat. Different from battle where death came quickly, impersonally, as an unfortunate necessity of survival.
This had been calculated. Deliberate. A choice made in cold clarity rather than hot desperation.
'Captain Stellar carried the burden,' Unity thought. 'Made the choice so others would not have to. That is leadership. That is sacrifice of a different kind.'
'Shifter-Voss's final words were about growth. About evolution being painful. About becoming more than we were designed to be.'
'We understand this now. We are evolving. Becoming more than the Kaelith created us to be. Developing friendships. Learning humor. Understanding sacrifice.'
'It hurts. Growth hurts. But it is necessary.'
'We will remember Dr. Elena Voss. Not the shapeshifter who infiltrated humanity. But the being who faced death with dignity and offered wisdom in her final moments.'
'That is what friends do. They remember. They carry the weight together.'
'We are learning what it means to be more than collective. What it means to be individual while remaining unified.'
'It is...complicated. But good. Worth the pain.'
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