"I cannot allow you to leave"

I looked at Professor Xavier. “You didn’t by any chance say that did you?”

“That was Sargon, through and through,” the leader of the X-Men replied.

“So she can talk now?”

“I would imagine that it is easier to her to speak at our level than for us to speak at hers,” Professor X said. “I have yet to decode how she would communicate with others of her kind. It is likely not possible for us given the biological differences between our two species.”

“OK. So she can talk to us now. We can talk to her then, right?”

“It would seem that we can,” the telepath answered. “Sargon? Can you understand me?”

There was a pause.

“Yes, I can,” came the reply.

“Me too?” I looked around. It is very unusual to hear someone talking and not have a point of reference like a face or a speaker. Being on a living ship like this is a lot to wrap my little Earthman mind around, having a conversation with a living and sentient ship is even more so.

“Of course I can,” the living ship’s voice reverberated through its control center. “I am happy to have you on board.”

I leaned closer to the Professor. “If she can hear us, my guess is that we won’t be able to have a private conversation.”

“I would surmise that as well,” he agreed. “Our mission was to make first contact with Sargon, at which we were more successful than I could imagine. I am sure she understands that our mission here is of science and discovery.”

“I do,” the entity’s voice rumbled. “As I said, I am honored to have you as my guests.”

I looked up at the ceiling. “Then why are we not allowed to leave?”

There was a moment of silence, as if the leviathan paused in attempt to articulate her thoughts.

“I… am very far from my home,” she said. “I have lost everything that I have known, my pilot; my crew. I cannot survive without them.”

“The desire for survival is strong in every living creature,” the Professor commented to me. “I can tell that she is telling the truth and there is a certain amount of anxiety in her as well.”

I nodded to my companion. “It doesn’t take a telepath to sense that. I can almost taste it in the air itself.”

“You cannot leave,” Sargon insisted. “Or I will surely die. Please.”

“But we cannot stay; our friends and family are under attack even as we speak. We need to go to them! Do you realize that by holding us here you are preventing us from living our own lives? No matter how nice you paint your walls, it would still be a prison. Humans… by nature… need to be free! I cannot allow you to hold the Professor and me like this.”

“I think you overdid it just a little,” Xavier said dryly.

“Sorry, I just had a Captain Kirk moment there.”

“Sargon, perhaps we could find an alternative,” he called out from his chair. “If you will take us back to the Queen’s Throneworld, there would be scientists there willing to live on board to study you.”

The leviathan replied with a horrifying shriek. Xavier and I clutched our ears as it felt like our brains were going to blow out of our heads at any moment. After several excruciating minutes, the reverberations finally quieted.

“Did you just put the image of an alien sliced open and on an operating table into her mind?” Professor X had a scolding look on his face.

“Aw jeez I couldn’t help it. I just saw Alien Autopsy Bloopers on TV the other night.”

“I will not be dissected like that!” shouted the ship. “I will not [---] let them [----] take my life!”

“You will not be sliced open like that!” the telepath tried to assuage her fears. “The Queen is a benevolent ruler and her scientists would never harm you in their studies.”

“I [-------------] will not allow myself [--------------] like that! [------------------]!” The creature was more frantic and understanding her became even more difficult. We were losing our ability to communicate with her while she was in this state. “[--------]!”

“Suggestions?” Professor Xavier looked at me.

“I don’t know. She can’t keep us here forever.”

“I don’t see how she couldn’t. Or in the very least, keep us here until we die.”

“Which will be a long time for me, I plan on living forever.”

“Really.” Professor Xavier looked at me incredulously.

“I’m going to learn how to fly -- high! Remember… remember… remember…”

“Although I appreciate your attempts at levity,” the Professor said. “You are not helping our situation by any means.”

“We’ll think of something, just give it some time.”

“Hey boss!” came a shout from the entrance to the command center. “I’ve gots a question for you-de-lou-hee-hoo!”

Mojo the Monkeyboy sprinted across the catwalk towards us. Halfway across the expanse, he stumbled, tripped, flew into the air, bounced off his head and skidded to the command console on his bottom. The Professor tried to bury his face in his hand and I shook my head.

“Oh brother,” we said in unison.