Imposter System

"Early? I wanted to catch up with an old classmate…" She took a step forward and stood in front of the door. Matt realized what she was trying to do and blocked her advancement.

"Your appointment is in an hour." Matt's intention wasn't to send her away. He didn't really care when people showed up as long as it wasn't late. His purpose in saying that was to see how she would respond.

"Ah, in that case why don't you join me for a walk? I have always admired you, Doctor O'Connely, even when we were still students…" She reached out and touched his arm. It wasn't an overly intimate action, but something at the level of friendliness the two didn't share. Her expression was soft and amiable, but her eyes reflected a blank personality. Most wouldn't be able to detect this, but the mind was Matt's expertise.

"I'm afraid I'll have to disappoint you. I don't recall ever meeting or interacting with you in university. Besides we aren't that close." He continued the act.

"In that case, let's take this opportunity to become close. I won't take no for an answer." She said while smiling. At her assertive behavior, Matt inadvertently took a step back, allowing her to step forward. At this point, she had managed to get a foot in the door, both figuratively and literally.

"Doing this won't improve your chances of me accepting your proposal." Matt's face was still expressionless while retorting her.

"Forget the proposal, how about we skip the meeting altogether and go to the stargazing platform." Roxana waved her hand and leaned against the door frame. Her stature was half-relaxed. It was as if she was showing off the ground she had gained.

"Never mind that, let's begin the interview so you can be on your way sooner." Matt could have forced her out, but he had no reason to. She played her strengths well, and she only gave him two choices in the end. Either kick her out, which would be counter intuitive since he was the one to invite her for an interview to begin with or invite her in to get it done with and end their interaction.

Of course, there were many more options for Matt to choose from, but he was roleplaying at the moment and wouldn't resort to his powers. There was also the option of agreeing to go on a date with her, but that would also work in her favor.

"Didn't it already start?" Roxana's eyes glimmered with emotion for the first time since she arrived. It seemed that she was already aware of what Matt was doing. He didn't confirm her words and simply led her to his study.

After being seated, the duo remained quiet for a long time. Matt stared directly into her eyes; his piercing gaze seemed to see everything. Despite being a good talker, Roxana was actually quite nervous. She knew Matt's reputation and took a risk in her act today. Seeing how he wasn't as frightening as the other researchers made him out to be, she had calmed down. But now, she understood where they were coming from.

"Ah—I apologize for my behavior." Roxana couldn't handle it anymore and broke her cool and arrogant persona. Anyone that knew her would be shocked at how quickly she crumbled. Since entering the study, Matt had been applying pressure on her with his mental energy.

"Why do you believe your project is necessary?" Matt didn't reply and just began asking questions. He knew that the best way to deal with her was to ignore her flow. She would try to lead a conversation her way, so he just needed to lead it away.

"We have already entered uncharted territory. The few asteroids we encounter in this empty space could contain endless opportunities for research in rare elements! The samples we have collected from probes in the past showed a high quantity of rare isotopes that formed naturally in these asteroids!"

Matt began to realize why she entered this field and this program. Perhaps she lived an unfulfilled life as an adolescent and could never find anything that interested her. However, he could easily tell that her passion for this project was overwhelming. It seemed she had already forgotten about the oppressive atmosphere and began her speech.

Not only was she very articulate, but her tone could easily influence others into becoming space rock fans as well. Her research was very meticulous, and her reasoning was sound. There was no excuse to block her project due to a mistake in her scientific method. However, the matter of using the military was still a concern.

Matt raised his hand to cut off her ravings and she went quiet. "What about the issue of the military?"

"Ideally we could utilize those resources and I am very confident in convincing the higher-ups."

"What if they refuse in the end?" Matt was curious what her plans were.

"Although it would be more expensive, there are plenty of robots that could do the job. But they won't say no." Roxana was extremely confident with that point. The issue of mobilizing a part of the military to collect asteroids was never a concern for her.

[Hypnosis activated.]

"Very well, this concludes the interview. From here on you will forget what I am saying and what I will say."

Matt stared into her eyes while his influence took over. Roxana's expression became dazed, and she nodded her head. Matt had already turned on the jamming device for good measure.

"Have you been in contact with any alien creatures or the supernatural?"

"Not that I know of."

"Do you have any relationship to Doctor John Nilsson?"

"No."

"Do you have any relationship with the bartender Scorch?"

"No."

"Do you have any relationship with Captain Stark?"

"…Yes."

Matt narrowed his eyes and continued, "Elaborate."

"I am a member of the secret society in which Captain Stark is the leader."

"Who else is in this secret society? How many are there?" His curiosity had peaked.

"I don't know, everyone is anonymous except the captain. There is always a different number of members at each meeting."

"What exactly does this secret society do?" Matt was surprised. Ever since his wedding, the captain had disappeared. It had been over six months since anyone has seen him. The ship ran smoothly despite his missing status. This was mainly due to Scorch and the counsel.

"We feast on various delicacies…" Her voice trembled as she said that. Matt could feel a resistance deep within her mind. Rather than being a lie, it seemed that she herself believe this to be the truth. However, subconsciously there was something else.

"What kind of delicacies?" Matt pressed on, determined to figure it out.

"M-meat dishes a-and wines…" Her breathing increased and her mind started to become chaotic. If he continued, she would likely break down. It seemed that the captain was doing something very suspicious behind closed doors.

"Forget." He decided to stop here and used his command ability to erase everything back to when he began the interrogation. Her body relaxed and she stared off into space for a few moments before blinking. She realized she had spaced out and became embarrassed.

"And that ends the interview, you can go." Hearing his words, Roxana didn't hesitate and left on her own. Once he was alone in the room, he leaned on his elbows and laced his fingers together. Matt contemplated the new information.

The captain was always quite suspicious in his own way. The way the ship ran, and the mystery meat always sat at the back of Matt's mind. He didn't think it was necessary to pursue him after gaining his new title since he began to lay low. However, his thinking was different now. When it was just the captain by himself it was fine. But now there was a whole group of people?

Matt always intended to pursue the biggest influencers and take over their positions. What better target than a secret society? He smiled wide and started to laugh. His laugh became louder and more sinister over time. He took out his tablet and canceled the appointments with the rest of the researchers.

Then, he messaged Roxana directly that her project would be approved. He scheduled another time for them to get together and discuss the details. She would become a very important asset. Thinking about the special meat served by the captain, and the way he carefully watched people's reaction to the meat, Matt began to understand.

This is a secret society of cannibals. However, it seems they themselves are unaware of it. Or perhaps, Roxana was unable to justify the truth and the captain brainwashed her to protect their secrets. Whatever the case may be, he had a new objective for the near future. He hadn't planned to take the captain out this early, but when opportunity comes knocking…

'Here I come, Captain.' Matt's laugh echoed through the room.