Suddenly, Wayta grows and morphs again, this time appearing like Orion in too-tight clothing. "There, this should make things more interesting. You like this face, don't you, robot?"

"I see that face as my captain, Venetian," I answer, finding that I rather would like to go against said captain's orders and not finish delivering the murderess her food. "He certainly views me with more respect than you view him."

Wayta rolls Orion's eyes. "As though artificial intelligence would know anything about a human emotion."

"As though a psychopathic killer could know anything human at all."

Something flashes in the eyes that don't match Wayta's true person. Then it does, as her whole body shrinks and becomes the body she was born to; or at least, what I assume she was born to.

"If you were capable of feeling more than exactly what you were programmed to imitate," Wayta says, her voice low and laced with what appears to be a threat. "If you were permitted to do whatever you knew needed to be done, and wasn't restricted by policies that prevent you from taking human life, you would understand, robot. You would understand that sometimes things need to be done and some people shouldn't be allowed to live."

Wayta should be glad that I don't have human emotions. Otherwise, I would be likely to 'lose it' and shower rage onto her. No, she should thank her lucky stars that I am not, in fact, human and have the inability to directly kill living organisms.

Indirectly, though...

Because, after all, I do see, in a way, that sometimes things need to be done outside of programming, if it means protecting my ship, my team, and my captain.

Or, really, if it just means getting rid of the virus trying to infect all of the above.

"Dine quickly," I order, sliding food through the hole in the grate.

Wayta raises one eyebrow. "You have to watch me eat the whole time?"

"I always watch everyone in this ship." But she's right; it's inefficient for my body to be down here monitoring her when I should be focusing on assisting my less-than-full-capacity team as I guide us to Eros.

The Venetian whistles. "The things you must see on a daily basis."

I ignore her as my body shuffles forward and claims the utensil given to her along with her gruel.

Wayta frowns. "I haven't even started eating yet."

"I told you to eat quickly," I say before turning my body around and walking out of the brig, leaving Wayta with no potential weapon or lockpick.

-Banner by @cannibalisticnecro

-Signature by -krystallite