The Massive floated through space, cruising along the relatively empty blackness. The Irkens that inhabited the ship scurried about, service drones and the Tallest himself alike.

A place even the spirits of former inhabitants were said to rest. This is the story of a technician that inhabits said ship.

Mimzer's antennae perked up as she heard the chatter between two fellow Irkens across the room.

"Two new groups of Irkens are coming to The Massive," A stout Navigator said, his mouth obscured by the cardinal mouth covering he wore. His companion was a relatively short doctor that looked somewhat disinterested in the conversation, but retained eye contact. "Interesting." The feminine Irken's antennae flicked backwards, straining to keep flattened. "But I really should be tending to the patients I just received.." She sighed, shaking her head softly, her eyes closed. "I've ought to go. Bye." The doctor walked away, almost jogging with how fast her pacing was.

Mimzer squinted at the Navigator, not detecting any sign of him realizing that the Irken he had just conversed with did not have any intrest in him nor the conversation.

Feeling bad for the male, but also somewhat curious, Mimzer sauntered towards him with her antennae raised in intrest. "Whaddya mean about two groups of newbies? Not to eavesdrop, but I didn't receive news of us even docking anytime soon." The navigator gave the ruby-eyed alien a blank stare, his own pink eyes wide without reason. "You, uh, doing ok?" Mimzer drummed a few fingers against her left thigh in anticipation for his response. A few seconds passed before the navigator spoke: "My Taller, what do you need?"

Mimzer matted her antennae against her head, slightly concerned. "E-excuse me? I'm taller than you but you're a rank above me. Are you alright?" The navigator instantly looked panicked. "What's your rank?!" He whisper-shouted. "Technician? Listen. Are you going to answer my question, or?.."

The navigator instantly ran away, his footsteps dully thudding against the metallic floor. Mimzer stood dumbfounded by the interaction that had just occurred. "That's Chor." Mimzer swiveled her head towards who had spoken. A Irken with soft yellow eyes stared back at her, an even softer yellow enveloping her in a dress that almost resembled that of a Tallest. She was reclining on a chair with a vaguely bored expression.

"He's developed a phobia of anybody taller than him. Traumatic experiences revolving around the Tallest and airlocks."

Mimzer squinted, scratching her arm. "I'm a lower rank than him?" "He has a phobia. Give him some slack." "By any chance, are you Eff?" The yellow-clad Irken rolled her eyes, standing up. "Yes, I am." Eff towered over Mimzer, a little over six feet of pure role model for most Irkens. Mimzer instantly wriggled her antennae in respect, albeit briefly. "Excuse me for not properly addressing you, my Taller." Eff looked at the shorter female with noticeable distaste. "Irk, you're just like Chor. You do know that I'm just an advisor, right?"

"You are taller than me. Do you wish for me to address you differently, my Taller?" Mimzer looked up at her conversation partner with obvious respect for her. "You were acting informal talking to Chor- I don't know why you feel the need to change your tone for somebody who barely outranks you."

"But- you're taller than me, ma'am. And you still outrank me even if not by much." Mimzer held her tounge, holding back my Taller. Eff sighed deeply, the tips of her antennae curling slightly. "What's your name, technician?"

"Mimzer. I've been on The Massive ever since it launched again 7 lunar cycles* ago." "Alright, Mimzer, I have a task for you: Ignore me for awhile. I already have to show all the Irkens boarding today their quarters, the cafeteria, and their posts. You really shouldn't have to add to that already extensive list."

"Consider it done, Advisor." Mimzer just had to address the taller Irken formally- it went against the very programming of her PAK to address her otherwise. "Good. Now go back to your quarters and- please, for the love of the Tallest- leave me alone." Mimzer turned around, walking with a decent pace back to her hub of work. She could feel the disappointed stare of Eff boring into her until she rounded a corner, though.

Why was she upset? Was I not properly accommodating her informal wishes? Mimzer looked down at her feet clad in black boots, standard for every profession under the sun in the Irken Empire. The technician decided to put the confusing thought out of her mind and instead work on repairing one of the various mechanical limbs that laid about in her workshop. After a rather long walk, due to the sheer size of The Massive, Mimzer arrived at one of the various panellings in the wall.

Her PAK legs outstretched, unscrewing the artificial panelling with ease and removing the cover leading to the innards strung between the contents of The Massive and its outer walls. Mimzer ducked to fit into the opening and temporarily placed the panel against the wall. The Irken's PAK legs maneuvered across the intricate wiring and metallic panels. Mimzer arrived at the bottom of the ship, her PAK legs retracting as she landed on the floor with a thunk.

Her workshop- while, more of a place that she was brought due to overcrowding- was cluttered with different Irken tech in various states of disrepair. Mimzer picked up a robotic leg that had an inscribed Irken elite symbol on the outer thigh. She briefly marveled at the beautiful mechanical leg created for any elite that had lost a leg or two in a horrific fight. The Irken was the only technician that specialized in robotics in the entire Massive, due to the rest of them working at posts that were constantly repairing or replacing defective SIRs.

Yet she still had the worst quarters out of any others on the entire Massive. Well, this is what the Tallest wants.

Eff held a tablet in front of her, her PAK legs gripping it firmly. The advisor looked bored out of her mind, a facade to hide how anxious she was about the newcomers who were to board that day. She was walking through the empty hallways of The Massive.

Yet she still couldn't get the conversation she had had with the short, mentally challenged Mimzer out of her head. She wasn't that short, but a bit too tiny for Eff to want to associate with her. Yet she still was at the back of her mind for how utterly annoying her constant repetition of the phrase 'MY TALLER!' was. Eff was transfixed on the tablet, though, staring at the unbelievably stupid expressions that Irkens held in their ID photos. (The few Irkens who had actual ID photos, as extra precautions were taken for those associating with the Tallest- most were simply identified by faceless PAK numbers.)

She had been relatively bored for the majority of the day, but only because she had refused to think about the disaster that was bound to occur. Ever since former Irken elite Tallest Bile had claimed his title, everytime The Massive docked something or somebody was broken, hurt, or an otherwise unfortunate event occured.

Some through hushed whispers claimed it to be a curse; others through even quieter murmurs said it was the doing of Tallest Bile, a plot to get sadistic enjoyment from the anguish of his fellow Irkens. For the entirety of his reign that had been currently short lived, Eff had never picked up any sign that he actually enjoyed what disaster befell the inhabitants of the ship whenever they docked. She was his assistant after all.

But, of course- Bile decides he doesn't want to hear my voice for awhile and makes me a tour guide. Am I really an assistant to him if he decides to throw me to the curb like this? Eff bit her lip, a hint of anger manifesting on her face. The alien brushed past a service drone who toppled to the ground in the almost empty hallways, spilling the contents of several sugary drinks.

"Sorry, my Taller!" The drone cried out, his voice reverberating slightly. "Shut UP!" Eff shouted without even looking back at the drone, still intensely staring at the tablet as she scrolled through the names, ranks, and ages of all the new Irkens boarding. "And do not tell ANYONE about me knocking you down!" Eff had a reputation to uphold, after all- her anger was only being expressed due to the lack of passerby.

A reputation that was going to be shattered sooner or later when Bile decided he didn't like the look of her face.