[ WP ] Just when Earth is about to be destroyed by a huge catastrophe , a fleet of `` benevolent '' aliens show up . They give every human two choices ; either serve them as soldiers and slaves or stay on Earth and perish .

*You're a traitor, Mathews. * 
 
 Those words burned in her ears even now, thirty Earth-years later. Mathews shook away the memory; if she was going to dwell on the past, she may as well have stayed behind like *they* had. Mathews checked the time via her ocular implants and a display appeared visible only to her, projected directly onto her pupil. It was not quite time, but she stood up, deciding to be early, as usual. She took once last look around the room. Nothing was out of place because there was nothing to be out of place. The only sign that the cabin was occupied at all was the wrinkled bedding, sheets and blankets shuffled from her fitful sleep. She resisted the urge to straighten them. The self-making cot was meant to be a luxury. Turning away, Mathews pressed a button on the way. The gray doors to her cabin slid apart, revealing an equally drab hallway, and a man. 
 
 `` How's my favorite war hero?'' 
 
 Mathews hated being referred to as such, a fact the man was aware of. 
 
 `` Just give me the dossier, Mark.'' 
 
 The sarcastic smile dropped from his face. 
 
 `` You're not going to like this one, Mat. Well, I mean, you're going to like it less than usual.'' 
 
 Mathews frowned. She was used to being teased about getting unpleasant assignments. Mark had had gloated into her comm from the relative comfort of orbit for the entirety of the mission when she had been sent to clean out the zerrafin infestation on colony B-3. 
 
 `` More stink-bugs?'' Mathews asked. 
 
 `` Just... read it.'' Mark replied without looking her in the eye. 
 
 Mathews pulled up the file as a hologram from the computer mounted on her wrist. 
 
 `` No... why me? Why a human at all? I... It's too soon. I'm not ready.'' The last words she muttered under her breath, too softly for Mark to hear. 
 
 `` It's a test. You've been too good. You've never shown any sign of rebellion. Never even complained.'' He leaned in and lowered his voice. `` Mat, they *want* to trust you. This is your chance. I'm talking Galactic *citizenship* if you do everything they say.'' 
 
 Mathews remained silent for a moment, thinking, wondering if she could still make it work. 
 
 `` So what's the catch? -Aside from having to help enslave another entire species like mine was.'' 
 
 She had begun walking towards the briefing room now, Mark keeping pace. 
 
 `` Like ours was.'' He mumbled. 
 
 `` What?'' 
 
 `` Look, I know you think I do n't get it. I was born after, and my parents did n't talk about it much, but I'm human too! Maybe I do n't get it, not really, not like you do, but do you really think I like being the bottom rung of a ladder that stretches solar systems?'' 
 
 Mathews gave him a hard stare, which his eyes managed to return this time. He took the silence as her version of an apology. They had stopped walking, having reached the briefing room now. Mathews turned to open the door. 
 
 `` Wait, before you go in. The catch is...'' He chewed his lip, searching for a gentle way to reveal the information. `` They're sending Orion with you.''
