Ethics. Of all the flaws for a crew member to have, why did it have to be ethics?
Do’jii had to wonder why he was carting this human around. Sure, his actions were often in a confounding chain of cause and effect that came out with profit at the other end, but at other times…
Like this time…
It was hard to see the profit at the other end.
“Let me understand the chain of events,” began Do’jii.
The adolescent male cringed in his place and bared his teeth. A nervous reaction that made Do’jii bare his more ominously.
“You went into the cargo hold, despite numerous warnings not to…”
“…’esbut,” squeaked the human. “It was Ar’jii. ‘E said ‘e’d bite me head off if I didn’t check th’ locks.”
Ar’jii was going to be reprimanded for that. Later. Much, much later. “And, once in the cargo hold, you opened the door that you were expressly forbidden to open.”
“…itwasunlocked…”
“Well…”
“Hwell, sir.”
“Why do you keep doing the things you were told not to do?”
“Um. You see. This time…“
O Gods. Not a ‘this time’er.
“This time? Sir? I couldn’t figure out why the lock wasn’t locking? So I turned on the light inside? To see if there was anything in the mechanism? You know how grit gets about? Um. And then I saw what was in there? I mean - who was in there?“
Ethics. Of all the flaws for a crew member to have, why did it have to be ethics? Do’jii scraped his talons down his spine crest in an effort to calm himself down. Must not kill and eat the profitable mammal… “So of course you felt sorry for them and called ahead to the Committee for Cogniscent Rights…”
“Yessir. I knew it wasn’t you as put them there, sir. It had to be Ba’jii. He’s a real bad sort.”
Evidently, the meaning of smuggler vessel had escaped the humans’ notice. “Well Barra…”
“It’s Hwell Barrow, sir.”
“You are fired. Gather your belongings and your cargo and leave this ship forever.”
“Yeahbut–”
“UNDER PENALTY OF DEATH!”
The human fled.
When the CCR came around asking about the notice, Do’jii disavowed all knowledge and informed them that the human had the sole responsibility of freeing that particular batch of live cargo.
He didn’t know that there was a Four Year’s reward for their release and repatriation. And, to add insult to injury, the humans’ last, insane purchase also went for a small fortune. Of which, the human frittered most of it on charity.
The next time he got a human? It had to be one with less moral fibre.
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