Saving the Doctor

Chapter 30

-Edrik-

I sit at the control panel, my face in it's naturally blank expression, as it should be.

I'm about to activate the hyperdrive when I hear a small voice at the door.

"Edrik?"

I turn and see the girl from earlier standing there, just looking at me.

I pull my face into a bright expression, as if I'm glad to see her, when really my feelings about her return are quite the opposite. Why can she not be gone and let me do my work in peace? "Ah, there you are, my dear. I thought surely your father had taken you away from me for good."

Father. Ha. If he's her father, then I'm the Cobbleen court jester. And 'hoped' is more like it.

She gives me a small, hesitant grin. "Yeah, he...kind of freaked out a little...but...he let me come back...because I wanted to ask you something..."

I walk over to her and take her hands in mine, hating the feel of her lowly skin on my lofty fingers, but smiling anyway. "Ask away, my darling."

I internally cringe at calling her such an endearing word. As if she were 'darling' in any sense. Instead she's clingy, improper, and much too curious. I am beginning to wonder if I'm going to have to get rid of this nuisance myself.

"Well...I was wondering...about your ship. Does it have any companion ships?"

Again with that annoying curiosity of hers. What does she care anyway? My charm and properness should be enough to quell her meaningless nerves. Not to mention the beautifully useful quality my species possesses: hypnotic waves of projected emotion. So why is she still trying to make trouble? I've been projecting the deepest of love at her. Is she catching on?

"In fact, it does. As it turns out, quite a few of the Cobbleen wished to come along. The maids you spoke to before loved the way you described Earth and word spread quickly about it."

"Oh...well, how many?" She seems a bit relieved at my answer, and I hope that means she's soon to be out of my hair.

I kind of chuckle confusedly, "Why does that matter, dearest?"

"I...it..." She stammers, searching her mind for the right words. By now she should be barely able to think of anything but doing what I want her to do. "I guess I'm worried that...Earth will get scared if they see too many alien ships...humans can panic pretty easy, and...Earth hasn't really had a very good first impression with extraterrestrials."

Oh, wonderful. Some idiots have already ruined my chances at making a good first impression. I can project emotions on only so many at once. I'll just have to improvise. Until then, I need to find a way to make her go away and leave me alone. "Well, there aren't too many. Surely not enough to worry your people."

Her brow furrows. Not a good sign if I want her to go away.

"But...how many?"

I inwardly sigh. "Only a few. Some to protect the ship and others with passengers. It can be dangerous out here." I will her to believe me, projecting trust onto her

"Yeah...I know..."

She seems satisfied with my answers and she looks to the control panel. "So, what are you doing now?"

So gullible. I barely even need to coax the feelings in her heart.

"I was about to send us into hyperdrive. Would you care to do the honours?" I indicate the control in question.

She studies it thoughtfully.

I do despise her presence, but this will be perfect. Most girls are so intoxicated by my projections, it isn't really their choice. But this one seems to be both simultaneously resistant and responsive to it. She seems like she's onto me.

She will doom her own planet by pressing that button.

I will take much pleasure in the idea that she may know that fact and will still do it.