COLONY SHIP 02, UR: RAUTH ROBOTICS
- 1100 HOURS -
Ivan’s world was a single room. In this case, the guest room on the second floor of Rauth Robotics. Aside from the meeting with Dr. Mallory that morning, Ivan had been in that room since arriving at the lab a day earlier. He kept a vigilant watch over Akasha, who was sleeping soundly in the room’s only bed.
Ivan himself hadn’t slept much. His mind was still trying to process the dizzying series of events from the past couple days. He felt simultaneously heartbroken over losing Kira and hopeful at the thought of getting Akasha back. Mostly, though, he just felt numb.
To his left, there was a soft hiss as the automatic door slid open. The dull thump of metal feet over carpeted floor. Ivan looked up. Standing next to his chair was Aki02, an inquisitive look on her face.
“You’ve been in here a while,” said the short-haired CAST. “I wanted to make sure you were alright. Is there anything I can get you?”
Ivan shook his head wearily. “I’m fine. Just a little tired.”
“You should rest. I can watch her in the meantime if you’d like.”
He looked over at Akasha’s peacefully sleeping form. Aki was right, but Ivan still couldn’t bring himself to leave his friend’s side. Not yet. “I think I’ll stay here a bit longer if you don’t mind. But thanks anyway. If I need anything, I’ll let you know.”
Zero Two followed Ivan’s gaze. “When you first found her, I had my suspicions. There have been reports of Darker clones attacking ARKS members, Falz possessions, and a number of other strange phenomena. The truth is, we still don’t know everything the Darkers are capable of yet, what tricks they may possess. What I said to you aboard
Rico’s Folly… I only wished to be cautious, you understand. My intention was not to upset you.”
“I know.” Ivan didn’t blame Aki for being skeptical. Akasha coming back from the dead was nothing short of a miracle. And yet there she was, lying before them, unaware of her own improbable existence.
Ivan stood up and stepped over to her bedside. He studied the Newearl’s face as he talked to Aki. “Dr. Mallory said her DNA was an exact match. No trace of Darker cells. I don’t know how, but this girl
is Akasha. I know she is.”
“We’ll see,” Zero Two replied. “But I hope you are right.”
“I’ve been wondering something.” Ivan brushed Akasha’s bangs aside with his hand, revealing the intricate tattoo that stretched from the left side of her forehead down to her cheek. “If she was… regrown, why does she still have this tattoo on her face? How is that possible?”
Zero Two studied the unconscious girl’s facial markings. “Shankar valued her, the person she was. I think, perhaps, he saw her as the only one capable of understanding him. It’s possible he tried to recreate her just as she was before, down to the smallest detail, including the tattoo on her face. It’s something they both share, a visible bond connecting them.”
Ivan frowned, thinking. “That makes sense, I guess. But I meant how did he get the tattoo on her in the first place?”
“Technically speaking I don’t think you can call it a tattoo anymore. Given that she was born with it, I believe you should consider it a birthmark instead.” The Caseal ran two fingers over Akasha’s cheek, tracing the dark lines that represented the KAI-OS symbol for “slave.” She added cryptically, “But perhaps the bigger question is, what will Shankar do now that we have her?”
Ivan had no answer to that. Instead he simply took Akasha’s hand in his own and squeezed it tight. He had no intention of giving her up to Shankar. That would never happen—he would make sure of it.
Aki quietly slipped out of the room. The door hissed shut behind her, leaving Ivan alone with his thoughts once more. He was about to return to his chair when he felt a weak tug on his hand. He looked down… and his heart nearly leapt from his throat. After squeezing her hand before, Akasha was squeezing it back!
The girl’s eyelids twitched, then gradually fluttered open. As her dark eyes came into focus, they settled upon Ivan’s stunned face. A long moment of silence passed between them.
“Who… are you?” she asked finally, her expression blank.
Ivan looked stricken. His mouth fumbled for words, any words, but none would come out. All he could think was:
It’s not her. He knew it was a possibility—had known all along, in fact—but had refused to acknowledge it until now. The Akasha he knew was gone forever, consumed aboard
Orpheus along with Kira, and now he was alone, all alone—
“Just… kidding, you big… dummy.” Akasha choked out a weak laugh that sounded more like a cough. Before Ivan could reply, she was fast asleep again.
“Hey, who’re you calling ‘big’?” he chuckled. His face was streaked with tears of joy. She couldn’t hear him, but that didn’t matter. For the first time since finding her, he knew, without a doubt, that she was going to be all right.
Ivan bent down and lightly kissed her forehead. “Sweet dreams, Akasha,” he whispered.
He returned to his chair. Nearly collapsed into it, actually. Three seconds later he was out like a light.
* * * * * * * * *
After leaving Ivan and Akasha behind, Aki02 made her way down the hall towards the rec room. She nearly ran into Dr. Rauth, who burst through the open doorway faster than she was used to seeing him move.
“Whoops, sorry about that!” he exclaimed. Even though he wasn’t going anywhere, his feet kept pumping up and down like he was jogging in place.
“Are you alright, Doctor?” she asked, not sure what he was doing.
“What? Oh yes, yes. Fine and dandy, Aki!” Rauth’s legs kept moving as he talked. “This is my latest invention, self-running shoes! A perfect aid for the person who wants to exercise more but isn’t motivated enough to do so. All you have to do is program your route and speed into the control device here…” He tapped a few buttons on a small, wrist-mounted box. “…And the shoes do all the running for you! Great, don’t you think?”
Zero Two smiled and nodded politely. For the most part, Ken Rauth was about as unassuming as you could get. Never broke the law, always paid his bills on time. A CAST designer from the old school who believed each creation should be a unique expression of love and care.
“Nature isn’t mass produced,” he liked to say.
“And the same should be true of CASTs.”
His sole eccentricity was his fondness for inventing fantastical, often impractical household devices and personal effects. Previous examples included the all-in-one breakfast cooker and gloves that cleaned your hands while wearing them. His latest entry, apparently, was a pair of self-running shoes.
As Zero Two watched, the doctor’s legs began moving faster and faster. “Well, this is rather peculiar,” he said. “I set it to the medium speed, not the fast one. I suppose there are still a few bugs left to—
whoa!”
Rauth took off down the corridor at a rapid clip, evidently against his will.
“Do you require assistance?” she called after him.
“No, no! Just need to play around with the settings a bit! Don’t worry about me, I’ll be fine…” His voice trailed off as he rounded the corner. If he said anything after that, Zero Two didn’t hear it.
She shrugged. The doctor would be alright… probably. Somehow, none of his inventions had managed to kill him yet. She doubted that would change anytime soon.
Her attention was pulled in the opposite direction by the sound of booted feet padding up the stairs. Zero Two turned around as her sister, Aki01, stepped into view.
“You’re back,” said Zero Two, stating the obvious. “The meeting went well, I hope?”
“Ah… yes. As well as could be expected, I suppose.”
The colonel didn’t elaborate any more on the meeting, but added that she had dropped off a housewarming gift for Selena and Delfoy, a prism maranta plant, on the way back to Rauth’s lab. “The florist called it an ‘appropriate gift’ for the occasion,” she said.
Zero Two raised her eyebrows slightly. It was a thoughtful gesture, one she hadn’t considered before. “Perhaps I should get them something as well...”
“Did you learn anything from Dr. Mallory?” her sister asked, changing the subject.
Zero Two recounted the doctor’s report from earlier that morning, including the DNA test results and her speculation about the mysterious Darker egg.
The colonel nodded in understanding. “Interesting. Though it doesn’t seem possible, perhaps the girl is Akasha after all. Which reminds me,” she added, “you still owe me a session in the alcoves. I need to know everything that happened during your mission to
Orpheus.”
Before Zero Two could reply, she heard more footsteps on the stairs. Judging by their sound and speed, she knew exactly who it was. Sure enough, her support partner Luna arrived seconds later.
Zero Two crossed her arms. “Luna! Where have you been?”
The little robot glanced nervously from her creator to Zero One and back again. “Out shopping, like I told you earlier. I had to, um, get ready for a surprise party. Yeah!”
“A surprise party?” the Caseal asked skeptically. “I didn’t realize someone we know has a birthday coming up. Who is this party for?”
“It’s… well, kind of a surprise to everyone right now, actually,” Luna mumbled. “But trust me, it’s gonna knock your socks off!”
“I don’t wear socks. You know that.”
“Course I do, duh! It’s just a saying, like ‘piece of cake’ or ‘meseta for your thoughts.’”
“Sorry to interrupt,” Zero One cut in, “but you still haven’t answered my question, sister.”
“The alcoves? Ah, yes, of course. We can use them tonight.”
“I was actually thinking a bit sooner than that, if you don’t mind.”
Zero Two blinked twice. “You mean now? I suppose that would be alright. But don’t you have important work to do? Running a colony ship is no small task.”
“My schedule is free for the next two hours. Plenty of time to complete the memory exchange.”
For some reason her sister seemed intent on using the alcoves. Zero Two couldn’t figure out what the big hurry was. After all, she’d already submitted a written report detailing the events aboard
Orpheus. But if that’s what Zero One wanted, she saw no reason to refuse. And since the memory transfer worked both ways, maybe she would get some insight into her sister’s state of mind as well.
“We’ll do it now, then.”
Off to one side, Luna was practically jumping up and down to get her attention. “You can’t! You can’t use the alcoves!” she blurted out suddenly.
Zero Two frowned down at her support partner. She hadn’t really believed Luna’s story about the “surprise party,” and now this? It was strange behavior, even for her. “Why not?” she asked, one eyebrow raised.
“Because… Because you promised to take me to the zoo today!”
It was true, Luna had been clamoring for the zoo ever since she found out about its special Nab Rappy exhibit. It was also true that Zero Two had agreed to take her there. However, a specific date was never discussed or agreed upon. Luna should have known that. Given the robot’s perfect memory, there’s no way she could have forgotten. So why tell such an obvious lie? Did she have another motive she couldn’t mention? Possibly, thought Zero Two. Even so, it couldn’t be more important than the promise she made to her sister. Luna’s problem would have to wait.
“I’m sorry, Luna. I already agreed to use the alcoves with Zero One. We can visit the Nab Rappies some other time.”
“No, no, no!” The support partner stomped her boot down repeatedly. “The Nab Rappy exhibit is a limited-time event. This might be our
last chance. We have to go
today!”
From Luna’s urgent tone and the way she emphasized the words “last chance” and “today,” Zero Two knew there was definitely something going on, something she wasn’t being told. She decided to confront the little robot about it directly. “You’re sure that’s the only reason? There’s nothing else you want to tell me? Nothing at all?”
Again, Luna’s eyes darted to Zero One and back again. “I… No, nothing,” she sighed.
“I’ll be available in two hours, maybe less. If you cannot wait until then, you are free to visit the zoo without me.”
The two Caseals headed for the nearby staircase until Luna suddenly blocked their path. Her arms were raised to her sides. “Stop! I won’t let you! We have to go,
right now!”
The colonel, who had kept quiet up until that point, finally spoke up. She did not sound amused. “Enough of your games, Luna. This is more important than some silly trip to the zoo. The safety of the entire ship may be at stake. Now run along and find something else to do.”
For the briefest of moments, Zero Two thought her sister gave Luna the coldest look she’d ever seen. Then it was gone.
Zero Two lowered herself on her haunches until she was eye level with the support partner. In a calm, soothing voice she said, “I’m sorry, Luna, but Zero One is right. If you don’t have a better reason, we need to be going now.”
“No, don’t! Please!” Luna protested desperately. “Actually, there
is another reason. The truth is, um… I broke your charging alcoves!”
“You
what?” Both Akis spoke simultaneously. Zero Two’s voice was tinged with surprise, her sister’s with anger.
“Yeah… whoops, silly me! Typical Luna, right? Anyway, I broke the alcoves on accident so you can’t use them now. I, uh, didn’t want to tell you ‘cause I thought you’d be mad.”
“I’m not angry,” Zero Two replied, “assuming what you just said is true. However, you should have told us sooner. You know better than that.”
Zero One took a single step towards Luna. There was an intimidating, almost predatory gleam in her eyes. “Sounds like a trick to me. You wouldn’t be
lying to us, would you, Luna…?”
“O-Of course not!”
“Then perhaps I’ll take a look for myself.” The colonel started forward again, despite the fact that Luna hadn’t moved out of the way.
“Okay, okay!” the support partner cried. “I admit it! I made it all up. The alcoves are fine…”
“Luna,” Zero Two said in a chiding manner, “why would you say such a thing? Why is this so important to you? Tell me.”
The little robot was practically on the verge of tears. Her bicolored eyes carried a silent plea. “Because… the thing is…”
Luna didn’t get a chance to finish. At that moment, Irene poked her head out into the hallway, a troubled expression on her face. “You need to get in here,” she said to all three of them.
The two Akis and Luna silently shuffled into the rec room. Inside, a wall-mounted television screen was showing scenes of a large crowd gathered somewhere in the city. Many people in the crowd looked upset. Some were holding handmade signs and shouting. Then the perspective shifted to a line of military police officers wearing riot gear. The officers advanced towards the crowd, firing tear gas canisters and swinging stun batons. The area erupted in chaos, people fleeing in every direction. A few decided to fight back. They were quickly subdued and handcuffed by the black-clad MPs.
As the scene played out, local news anchor Sylva Greene narrated the events: “…These are live images from the ARKS Command tower in downtown
Ur, where a public protest is being suppressed by military police. It was a peaceful demonstration until a few moments ago when the officers arrived. You can see them using tear gas to try and break up the crowd. According to our reporter in the field, To’mas Ravela, these people were gathered here to protest the arrest of Chief Judge Garik Tolefsson. Tolefsson was taken from his home earlier this morning by a squad of ARKS soldiers. Unconfirmed reports claim that his arrest was related to remarks he made yesterday, when he spoke out against the unchecked use of martial law.”
The screen cut to previously-aired footage of Tolefsson’s speech. The hawk-nosed old judge, who presided over
Ur’s High Court, spoke eloquently and passionately in defense of civil rights. He warned of the potential dangers inherent in a military takeover. Martial law, he argued, was an overreach of the ARKS’ authority. Ceding power back to civilian leaders and electing a new Executive Council ought to be their highest priority. To do any less would be irresponsible… and perilous.
Irene turned to face Zero One directly. “Before you came in here, they reported that several other celebrities and officials were arrested as well, all on the same charge—speaking out against the ARKS takeover. Did you know about any of this?”
“Of course I did,” the colonel replied matter-of-factly. “I’m the one who signed the order.”
Irene’s mouth hung open in disbelief. “It’s true, then? You’re silencing anyone who disagrees with the ARKS leadership?”
“The only thing I’m doing is maintaining order during a crisis. If that requires taking certain precautionary measures, so be it.” Zero One gave each person in the room an accusing stare. “Whose responsibility is it to keep the people of this ship safe? Do any of you understand what it takes?
Do you? Sometimes certain sacrifices need to be made for the sake of peace.”
“At what cost?” Irene retorted. “What about those people’s right to free speech? Their right to peaceably assemble?”
Little by little, Zero One’s composed demeanor began to chip away. Her eyes grew dark with anger and her voice rose in volume. “They
have no rights! This ship is currently operating under martial law. That means the military decides what they can and can’t do, and it will remain that way until I say otherwise!”
The two women glared at each other in silence. A heavy cloud of tension filled the room. “If you say so… Colonel,” Irene muttered.
“Choose your words more carefully in the future,” Zero One replied coldly. “You’re starting to sound like Judge Tolefsson, and you know what happened to him.” She turned to her sister, Zero Two. “I’ll be back this evening to use the alcoves. I expect you to be ready.”
The colonel stormed out of the room without another word. Everyone was left speechless in her wake. In the background, the television screen displayed scenes of handcuffed protestors being shoved into police vans.
“Did she just threaten to have me arrested?” Irene finally asked, to no one in particular.
Luna tugged urgently on her creator’s hand. Shaken from her stupor, Zero Two looked down at her.
“I have to tell you something, and it can’t wait,” said the support partner. “It… it’s about Auntie Oh One. The truth is, she’s…”
TO BE CONTINUED
Originally Posted by stukasa
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