Metal Crab Rising

Chatty Crab The Negotiator

"Imposters? Us?"

"What are you talking about?"

"Did he just talk?!"

Three out of the six living Commanders stepped forward, careful of the rapture that had suddenly spoken.

"And yes, I talked," you bluntly replied. "Surprised? You should be."

Your gaze focused on the three.

"As for my intentions here, I'll make it clear: I want to engage in a short conversation and negotiate with you for your survival."

The commanders gulped, wondering what sort of questions you would ask them.

A senior commander stepped forward with some hesitance and doubt.

"What are your goals?" he asked, and you contemplated the answer.

Putting on a small act similar to that of a machine and recalling some theories you found on the internet in your past life, you replied,

"One of my goals is to create and grow a great society of raptures. In this layman's terms: replacing you as a whole." You answered nonchalantly, causing some commanders to recoil in disgust and fear. "Next question, please."

"Why do you call us imposters?"

"Because you clearly pretend to be like the Legendary Commander when in fact you're just the same as mass-produced Nikke: replaceable." Another question was answered.

More emotions arose from those commanders.

"Oh, there's some better commanders with potential to reclaim this surface, but you guys just suck at it. When a special commander rises, you pull him or her down. How pitiful and pathetic."

How pitiful and pathetic indeed. You wondered how the Ark's humanity could keep failing, but you thought it's all because of a downward spiral of bad decisions.

"Shut up! You shut up, monster!" One of the commanders yelled, unable to accept your answer as a whole. "You've done nothing but kill billions and take away out rightful surface!"

"And you've done nothing but treat each other, including these girls doing their best to fight for humanity, like how an average Heretic treats her underlings: many inferior pawns." You shot back, this time trying to convey emotions of both pity and disappointment.

"That's why you couldn't recapture your surface, because you see yourselves as inferior."

Some of them would whisper that you were lying as they couldn't accept it.

It led to you wondering that if events were different, Ark's humanity would have been less miserable.

"Next question."

The senior commander was deep in thought, and you can tell he wants to get this over with. Their mood and morale has dropped considerably.

Soon, they asked some questions like "what will you do with the Ark?", "that you thought were for stalling their time for reinforcements, but at some time passed, you had to end it.

"Our interaction is almost over. Therefore I will engage in a negotiation with you."

And so begins the negotiation, which to you was a quick way of obtaining something you want without much of a trouble.

"I would like to trade something I own for that Harmony Cube or 10 of your Nikke, and I'll let the humans captured on our base to leave alive, and you will not interfere for a month."