Round Table of the MODS

“This meeting has been called, by the order of the NetEasian’s to discuss a number of important factors that could affect the human race’s survival as we very know it.” Kelbec stood there, with an air of pompous and self-serving bias, chin up, chest forward and hands sturdily held behind his back. Kelbec was part of the Caldari faction. Unmoved and uninterested in anything that didn’t directly relate to his bottom line. He stood at a strong stance with his 6ft of height with a clean-shaven face and slick, light brown brunette hair, that almost appeared dirty blonde. It was combed and parted neatly to the side in a classic presidents hair do. His serious, stern expression did not change in the slightest as the group paused and turned their attention towards the tardy pilot.

In a tone that dripped with condescension, he addressed Alex as she scanned the room for an open seat, “Well nice of you to join us…” Kelbec’s left brow lifted as he looked down at Alexandra while releasing an audible sigh of frustration. “Glad you could make it to the meeting you so eagerly wanted to hold”. The awkward pause left her feeling unsure of whether she should sit or not. Her big brown eyes looked up timidly as he scoffed and motioned for her to sit.

Sovereign leaned in to whisper a sweet little nothing in Nina’s ear as the two began to chunner amongst themselves as they giggled in delight at her humiliation.

“Care to share with the rest of the class,” Kelbec looked sternly at Sovereign, feeling undermined by their secrecy. 

Sovereign snickered as he wrinkled his nose and turned away from Nina who sat their smirking coldly. In a thick soothing British accent, he excused himself, “Pahhrden me Kelbec, I was juuuuuuuuhst touching on how Minmaaaaataar haaave absolUUUtely NOOOOO mahhhhhhhhnners.”

“Very well…” Kelbec nodded.

She looked down at her wrist comms to see her glowing CreoDrone on the screen and drew another deep breath of courage as she reluctantly sat down. Her sad eyes fell to the table as she looked up to see Muphet awkwardly catch her gaze. He folded his lips together as though he was withholding a thought, but without a word, he turned his head in fear.

“Well then, now that we can proceed…” Kelbec began to direct the meeting in a matter of fact manner.

“It had come to the attention of the NetEasians, that a capsuleer has been set out to die by our hands. Fisher over here…” Kelbec gestured towards Alexandra in a haughty fashion, “…has seemed to take a keen interest in reeling in the drama of capsuleers who don’t fit our standards. Sovereign has had numerous engagements with this scoundrel, and he felt it was important…NECESSARY to root out the potential threats that could break the very foundation we are responsible for building! Now Fisher…” Saliva pushed through his clenched teeth with disdain as Kelbec muttered her last name with contention. “…what do you have to say in response to these allegations?”

She cleared her throat as she felt her chest tighten. She addressed the room.

“I would like to discuss openly with other MODS here, an issue I am concerned about. I am concerned because we have been the entrusted and chosen by the NetEasians to help govern the new race for their survival. The race is still being formed and developed and so we use the drocsid adapter to communicate with them and educate them, prepare them for the harsh world ahead. As I was making my rounds through the cryotubes… I saw one specific clone, in Sovereign’s quadrant who had a timer for termination…” She looked around at as she felt the tension growing thick in the room. She exhaled half of a breath and continue, “We as the MODS, should not be abusing our power by terminating those we don’t like because they annoyed us at the wrong time or moment. Remember that when we visit these clones in the simulator… they are still developing. It’s our sacred responsibility to help usher these new clones into Newer Eden once the NetEasians have finished developing it. I…”

Sovereign’s casual grin quickly transformed into a sour and menacing scowl as he interrupted her weighty speech. Sovereign was probably the strongest and most built of the other male MODS. He had big expressive eyes and an emotive face with tones to match the everchanging expressions. He had the unique quality to appear as though unwavering in his decisions yet harbored the ability to change his mind in a moments notice among the rest of the MODS in efforts to gain favor which seemed to go unnoticed to all but Fisher.

“Okay FIIIISH…” Lingering on the vowel in her last name as though to wear it tired, Sovereign began his song and dance, “…I’ll try to say this in the NICEST way possible, since I’m having a bad day…”

*Here it comes she thought*

“You have some of the ancient DNA in you, don’t you?” He looked coyly over to Nina who obediently nodded as they communally smirked while he continued, “…Oh wait…that’s right… you don’t. The only one of the MODS who has AHH-BBB-SOOO-LUTEE-LY NO ancient DNA. You see Fish, MMMYYY ancient had been a top military general in the Ahhhhhmmmmmmaaaaarrrriannnn empiihhre for OOhver SIXTEEEEEEEEEEEEEEN yeeeeears.

*He sure did linger on the vowels she thought*

“I’ve seen what these clones are capable of. If you are looking for a civilized human race, you will certainly not see one here. And of course, you…being the OOOOOOnllllyyyyyyyy Miiiiiiinmaaahtaaarr hEEEre… probably cahhhhn’t even FAAAhhhthom, WHHHHAAAAt they are capable of. This is NOOOt something you go into with Faiiiirytalllless and lauuuuughterr.”

At this point, even Kelbec was growing impatient. Sovereign caught his look of disapproval and began to ease on the over emphasize of every single word as he hasted up his lengthy speech.

Sovereign cleared his throat and continued, “The clone you refer to, ‘BlaaaahckDAwwwwgs’ as you will, was an incident of discovery. I did not realEYEze when I set this tiiiimerr that he would be terrrminated. It was OOOHnly suuppOHssed to be TEMPorAIReey. Kelbec and I witnessed this clooohne, being MASSively AHHHgressive. And as such, I was doing my MODLY duuuties. Youuu prohbablyy didn’t get the FULL story when you went straight white knight for him?”

Her brain felt like it was melting at this point. Alexandra felt unsure of how to react. On one hand, she knew that underdeveloped clones could at times show a highly aggressive nature…but on the other hand, she recalled how she had seen BlackDogs glowing red cryotube. She remembered plugging into the drocsid adaptor to virtually meet up with the clone and did her own investigation. What she found was highly disturbing.

Alexandra was the only one who had Minmatar blood out of the Military Of Diplomatic Solutions. She was also the only one who had been a spawned clone without any ancient DNA from the previous world of New Eden. The other MODS seemed to have a past together. She remembered when they had awoken from their cryotubes how the other MODS recalled a vast amount of secrets and stories of their former lives.

Regardless of their obvious distaste for her, she yearned for their approval. She mustered every ounce of courage she could despite her feeling inadequate. Clearing her throat, in the strongest tone she could, Alex began to speak, “In order to avoid this accident going forward, I would like to propose 3 things…”

Her voice trailed off as her concerns fell upon deaf ears. Muphet continued to gaze outside the station window in a daze. An idea popped into his mind and he could not stop pondering about how to build this tool as they were stuck in this time-consuming meeting. His analytical brain was vexed by the asteroid belt just outside of the large glass window. He just stared at the ORE, reflecting, fingers ready to code the moment this meeting was over.

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