Blank Slate – Server Room – Outpost 45

Astra stepped back as the pod doors pulled open slowly, the dark inner chamber lighting electric blue as the black skeletal mesh in front of it laid with its back against the metal, its arms thin and crossed over its chest cavity as its core turned on, slowly alighting purple as it came to life.

The mech stepped forward, its metal foot turning slowly to a boot as its exomesh took a new form, uniformed in Merrimech’s black-blue with a helmet obscuring its facial features and bright blue eyes with power lights on the sides of its head where its ears were absent.

Wanting suddenly for her sidearm, her fingers twitching towards it as the mech–much taller than she–tilted its head, the lights within its helmet blinked in expectation.

The mech continued to evaluate her before standing straight in salute. “Nomad Commander Alisha Astra, I am Merrimech Prototype Theta, how can I be of service to you?”

Astra flipped through the accompanying datapad as she fought for words. “Theta… Directive?”

She watched as its hand fell from its helmet, its face panels flexing at the sides to give the impression of thinking. 

“No active directive. Would you like to give me one, Commander?”

“Ummm…” Astra looked back down at the data pad, what little information it possessed seeming useless in the face of the tech before her. “It says your primary form is Hunter Mark III. Do you have a rest mode? Something a little less…” she looked him up and down, the elongated black rifle on its back daunting. “...official?”

At her words the helmet sunk back into the exomesh, replaced with grey synthetic skin that matched the short cut of frayed hair on top of its head, the blue eyes glowing now without the helmet obscuring, pupil-less and angular.

Now only covered by tight grey-black underwear, Theta copied her own leisure clothes, shifting its exo-mesh to grey blue pants and an accompanying sweater jacket, its black skeletal fingers bound in what seemed to be black gloves. 

“More to your liking, Commander?”

Astra nodded with a subtle blush as she pretended to continue looking through the datapad. Its voice, its appearance–she could see the appeal of the new companion.

“Merrimech didn’t give you a directive before shipment?”

Theta relaxed and crossed his arms, standing less rigid for her comfort. “Their instructions were only to do as instructed by you.”

“Right…” Astra closed the pad. “So you know where I’m from, and how our branches work together? Under Starion?”

“I am aware of their working relationship in service to Starion. Metahuman Space Command and Merrimech share very similar primary directives. Protect humanity–ensure galactic success.”

She moved closer to the opposite corner as they circled each other, not yet sure if it was friend or foe in front of them. “Their…personal relationship I understand to be more complicated.”

Astra gave an affirming snort in response. “Complicated is a start. Most metahumans believe you’re our replacements.”

“And is that what you believe?”

Astra noted his dual-toned voice, how it vibrated through her,  human and yet otherworldly all at once. “It would explain Merrimech’s push to make you all more human. Once you have the look, more humans will trust you, then what’s stopping you from taking over the Nomad program too?” Though Metahumans did have three times the life-span of human beings, Artificial Life was the first perfection of immortality.

“I can assure you that Merrimech has no interest in overseeing the Metahuman program, Commander. And in  turn–” Theta stopped walking, sensing her bias as she backed away. “You have nothing to fear from me. While I am in your presence I have been instructed that your word is law. I will abide by it.”

Astra reluctantly rested her fears. The past models did work in tandem with Metahuman police and detectives on colonies like Mars where they were produced. That meant to some extent–he could be trusted.

“Okay.” she touched her wristwatch screen as she altered the outpost security system. “I’m giving you access to the facility. It’s limited–but you’ll be free to roam and do…whatever it is you do, until I need you. But no calls, no reports, nothing leaves this facility without you running it by me first. Are we clear?”

“Clear, Commander.”

Click interrupted from the speakers overhead. “Admiral Arkham did make note of your need to sleep, Commander. Perhaps Theta can perform watch tonight?”

“Thank you, Click.” Astra said warily as the VI stuck her nose where it didn’t belong. 

She saw the dark grey panel across Theta’s lips pull into what seemed to be a smile. “I am happy to obey, Commander. It would give me an opportunity to familiarise myself with the Outpost and Thenos.”

She threw up a hand. “Fine. Go wild. But any activity and you wake me. We’ve had trouble with Raiders these last few months and supplies are running low. We can’t withstand another hit.”

At her order he shifted back to his Merrimech Hunter uniform, his blue eyes turning red as his internal power switched into combat mode.

She held her head before turning to leave. “If this ends badly, I’m deleting you first, Click.”

Vector ⋯ 10

A Dream – Astra’s Bedroom – Outpost 45

Astra woke in a cold sweat, her body groggy and sore as the Thenos sun peered through the sheer blind awakening to the world outside of them, red sand turning on the wind outside of the glass and over the orange mountains to the south.

She lifted the white sheets, her t-shirt and shorts askew as she ran her fingers through the twisted strands of her brown hair.

“Good morning, Commander.” Click welcomed as she opened up the blinds remotely and began to run Astra a shower.

“Morning, Click.” Astra said as she rubbed her head, images from her dream still imprinted behind her eyes. Seeing it clearly, she tried to make sense of it, feeling out of place within her skin. 

“Your sleep record indicates that you had a dream. Would you like to report it?”

Astra quickly shook her head. 

If the Admiral heard this next, his evaluation of her healing since losing her colony would be negative once again. “No, thank you. Just my brain waking up before my body. It’s likely the medication.”

She rose from the bed and peered out the window. Nothing looked to be on fire just yet. “Status report?”

“All systems clear, Commander. Except…for Eon.”

“Astra looked behind herself in fear. “Oh, no. What’s happened to Eon? I just fixed him last week.” She looked underneath her desk and bed for the orbital roving companion, its primary function weather prediction more of a hope than a designated task. 

It hardly ever worked.

“That’s just it, Commander. Eon is reading…green. He reports clear skies today with a chance of rain this afternoon.”

Astra sat up, blinking in confusion. Could she have heard that right?

At their beckoning Astra’s bedroom door slid open, the grey steel sliding against the wall panelling as Eon rolled in, his Earth design shiny and blue green as he excitedly spun around around her ankles. 

“I guess it’s true. Welcome back.” she said with a pleased pat as he zoomed. “How did Theta do last night, Click?”
“Prototype Theta kept sufficient watch yesterday and the day before.”

Astra checked her watch. “You’re joking. You let me sleep for two days?” she didn’t wait for Click’s response as she went out into the panelled hallway. 

She stopped her warpath as she immediately came face to face with Theta pushing around a dusting mop in his casual clothes as his blue eyes blinked and whirred. 

He looked down at her, standing straight as she looked on silently.

“Under Admiral Arkham orders, Commander.” Click said, startling Astra through the silence. 

Astra regained her thoughts. “You fixed Eon?”

Theta eyed the little blue orb that whirred down by their feet, bending down to pet its head as it accepted and rolled down the passageway. “A clever bot. He told me how fond he is of you.”

She lifted a brow. “How did you do it? I’ve rewired him a million times, changed his source–everything.”

Theta stood straight, setting the mop to the side. “It was not the source. Your initial file with his programming was corrupted. Now he will report accurately instead of hailstorms each day.”

She felt her cheeks warm. Shouldn’t she have caught such a simple mistake?

Theta noticed her discomfort. “Do not be embarrassed, Commander. You have many more worries on your hands–”

“Noted, thanks.” she looked around at the clean–starkly clean–environment, the sand corrosion and dusted fixtures she had thought permanently marred, sparkling as is if all was new. “You cleaned the entire facility?”

He nodded with a smile. “I was not dismissed after my trial watch,  so I thought it best to continue to keep busy.”

Astra caught herself. “Oh, I’m sorry. Eon? Can you show Theta to the study please?” the small bot came back in a hurry, floating around Theta as if he had made a new friend. “You can rest and recharge there if you need to. Unless you need…a bed? Do you sleep?”

“I am powered with a black matter core, no need for recharge, but I thank you for the space.”

Astra watched as Theta and Eon crossed the bungalow hallway, the door to the study sliding open far in the distance, unsure if she should trust his act of goodwill. 

“Remind me to fix your sleep settings, Click.” she commented, her curiosity leading her as she looked after him.

“Reminder set, Commander.”

‘Are you not a he?’ – Server Room – Outpost 45

After a shower, Astra returned to working on the data net, squatting on the floor of the server room as she recoupled. 

Her blood orange jumpsuit with MSC plastered in bold black letters on her back was revealed by her lifted ponytail above her goggles.

She gave a brief touch of the ear before rising and wiping her lenses. “Click, try to run the sync for me please?”

Astra listened patiently as the board in front of her clicked twice, sparking blue before falling silent once more. 

“Testing–failed.”

Astra hung her head as Eon entered in, nudging her foot as he turned in circles. As he spun, words displayed against his blue glass: -Ask Theta-

Astra rolled her eyes, shaking her wrench at him. “Oh no, not you too. I told Click twice today that I don’t need his help. And plus, do we really think it’s the best idea to give the potentially rogue AI access to my top secret security prototype?”

As Eon and Click fell into silence, Astra turned to the server room window facing the closed side study door.

She thought further. 

With his restricted permissions, it wasn’t likely he could do anything nefarious without her notice. And it would help her complete it faster–wouldn’t it?

She searched between the blinds before finding the courage to go across the hall to the study. 

Welcomed with bright orange and yellow light, the red and tan room was strewn with deep blue furniture and vases, tall shelves with medical files and encyclopaedias. Deep brown wood floors with burgundy carpets lay in the sun.

On the Loveseat by the desert glass Theta sat up straight, his lights turned off and his still black hands and grey arms fixed in a thinking position underneath his chin.

She hesitated to reach for him, wanting–if for a moment–to feel the top of his grey hair to see if it was as soft as it looked. Instead she tapped his navy sweater twice. “Theta?”

As Blue light filled his eyes, the side panels of his face fluctuating; she felt strangely comforted. 

He was still friendly.

“Commander. What can I do for you?”

Astra rocked gently on her heels before pointing to the server room. “Could you…take a look at something? I’ve been stuck and I thought maybe…you could help me?”

Pleased to, he rose, following her to the mess of entangled wires stemming from roots placed in a sterile bath in charged water.

She handed him a light board running through the code with him as she double checked the wiring, switching spots back and forth as glances turned into hours, attempting to bring her design to life.

“Do you dream, Commander?”

Astra looked up in shock as Theta’s black metal fingers sparked against the board in front of him. 

She didn’t like where this was going.

“Metahumans don’t dream. It was considered impractical so they rewrote it out of our genetic code.”

He sensed her hesitation, factual but distant. “But you have been dreaming, correct?”

Briefly disquieted, she narrowed her eyes. “Did you read my file?”

Theta’s look of curiosity didn’t shed as his panels fluctuated. “Yes. I…apologise If I overreached, Commander. It was not classified so I thought it being available was purposeful.” She seemed to accept his answer, turning back to the keys in front of her.

“You should not be afraid–of dreaming.” he continued. “To dream is to be human.”

“I’m not human.” she quickly snapped.

Theta reorganised his thoughts at the sound of her hostility. “Perhaps that simply means that even those who are not human still have brief imaginings of humanity within them.”

Astra looked to him as he continued working, touched by his words. Was she so different from the humans she was created from? 

How much of what the Metahuman program ingrained within her was simply an imitation of what had come before? 

Did that make her less physical? Less…real?

She turned back to the light board, slowly typing as she pondered her own humanity. 

“I can sense your discomfort, Commander. Would you like me to assist you with it?”

Astra looked at him in shock, unclear if his offer sounded as bad as she believed. “Excuse me?”

“I possess a companionship function for pleasurable comfort, physical touch, words of affirmation–all languages of love as told to be valued by organics. It will assist you with your rising discomfort. Is there a preferred way you’d like affection?”

It wasn't that bad. 

It was worse.

Astra felt her heart stop as her cheeks burned. “Theta…” she spoke slowly as she continued typing. “If you ever offer me that again…I will shoot you.”

He paused for a moment before returning to the subject, unclear on the reason for her refusal. “If it is this form that displeases you Commander, it can be changed.”

She shook a finger at him with a nervous laugh. “No! It’s not your form, you’re perfectly…acceptable. Attractive–even… Theta. You’re…you report to me so it wouldn’t be right–you can’t entirely…” she took a deep breath, feeling light headed. 

With a calming breath she continued. “You can’t consent. And…I'm pretty sure Eon has a crush on you.” The little robot was never far from his feet.

He held the ladder for her as she climbed back up to continue working. “I…noticed you call both Click and Eon by pronouns. ‘He’ and ‘she’. Is this how you refer to me as well?”

She pursed her lip. “I guess so. Why–are you not a ‘he’?”

Unaware of the open nature of her words, Theta’s eyes glowed in a ring. “I suppose I am, Commander. Thank you…I’ll think more on that.”

 

To be continued...