Swamped

Seventeen years ago. You were well into your involuntary career with the Guild back then.

And if there's one thing you know, it's that any trade route with the other continent would have gotten their attention sooner or later. There'd surely be something they could sell that couldn't be found elsewhere. If this ship made it across, and returned, the Guild would have stopped at nothing to control its cargo.

And you never heard even the slightest whiff of rumor about something like this. Considering the Guild didn't have a lot of members who could keep their traps shut, that tells you one of two things.

Option one, this voyage is an extremely well-kept secret, so important that even the Guild either couldn't get in on it or thought it would be bad for business to get out.

Option two, they're not going to make it back.

It's kind of funny, now that you think about it. Whichever way it plays out, nobody's going to know you were here. So maybe you don't have to worry about being exposed.

You're still going to play it carefully, though. You sit tight and wait.

But you also listen.

"I thought Mr. Resk was going to do the questioning," says a voice you recognize as the medic's.

"He's got a lot going on right now. He asked me to take care of the basics."

"I see," says the medic's voice. "Well, I ask that you be gentle. We don't know anything about who he is, but remember he's been injured."

"Don't worry. Won't lay a finger on him."

Your questioner comes in. She's a rather thin lady, but gives off a distinct impression of someone you don't want to cross. Reminds you a little of Doc, actually.

"They call me Swallow," she says. "As in the bird, nothin' to do with how I eat. I've got a few questions for you. Don't worry, not gonna really grill you, we pretty much just want to know who in the hells you are."

"Sure," you say. It comes out a bit weak.

"So. What's your name, just what uniform is that, and how in blazes did you get on our ship?"

Well, you know the answers to two of those questions, but you only have a vague guess as to the third. And you're not entirely sure how open you should be about the answers you do know.

How do you respond?