The HEL Jumper: Chapter 3.7 (Patreon)

 
“Alice! My dear, what happened to your arm?” Yvonne demanded as she  would of her own daughter, taking Alice into a compassionate but tender  hug.
“How about answering where she’s been for the last forty eight hours,  hmm?” Gerard suggested, waiting politely for the girls to finish their  greeting. Xan didn’t bother hiding his surprise when Alice turned and  embraced the older human male as well. The feeling of apartness and  otherness only grew for the young Cauthan.
“I uh…” Alice mumbled as she pulled away. “Well, you see there was a bit of this and a bit of that…”
“Alice,” Yvonne cut her off sternly, a hand on her hip. The young human brought her fingers together.
“Well, when I say this and that I mean galactic politics and  xenoanthropology and I really don’t know how much of this is classified  and why are you two here anyway?!” She rambled without taking a breath.  When that failed the young scientist tried a new tack, taking note of  Yvonne’s new, voluminous hairdo. “I really like what you’ve done with  your hair by the way. Didn’t know we had a salon aboard.”
“We do not,” Yvonne said sharply, reminding Alice very much of  Gentia. Gerard found it necessary to step in at that point, placing a  hand on Alice’s shoulder.
“Before we come off as too rude to our guest here,” he advised with a  pointed look at Xan. When the Cauthan met his eyes he nodded amicably.  “Alice, don’t you think you could at least have sent a message or a  note? Shuttles to the surface every day, neither sound nor sight of you  since you rushed off to find your brother…”
“Do not coddle her, mon loup! I had to do this with my hair to stop  myself from tearing it out!” Yvonne exclaimed, beset upon by mild  hysteria. “And now she comes back with a young alien man, we have a  quarantine zone aboard the ship which of course we violated because why  would you not, Gerard? She is injured and-”
“I’m really sorry, Yvonne. I should have sent a message once the comm  links were set up. I just...figured Natori would tell you two that I  was alright. There was a lot of science and culture and my brother’s  married and...forgive me?” Alice’s genuine apology obliterated Yvonne’s  stern exterior completely, and the motherly doctor embraced her anew.
“Oh my dear, of course everything is forgiven just do not do this to  me again!” She insisted anxiously. “And what did you say? Your brother  is married?!”
“Yvonne, you are never going to believe this…these aliens, the Cauthan, the potential is limitless!”
As the inevitable occurred before them, the ever reserved Gerard  looked over at Xan. “All's well that ends well, I suppose. Gerard  Dupuis, cellular biologist and geneticist at your service, young man. I  assume you can understand me on account of that little piece in your  ear? Ah…you are a young man, are you not? I do not mean to be rude.”  
“I understood only about half of what you just said, but I guess  that’s just how today is going to go. Yeah, I’m a male. Name’s Xan…just  Xan,” the Cauthan replied, figuring that if the two older humans before  him were as friendly as they were with Alice, he was not in immediate  danger. He held out his forearm while Gerard did the same with his hand.  The two studied one another silently for a moment before Alice  practically leapt into the picture.
“Eh!” She made what could only be described as a comical noise as she  took Gerard’s arm and repositioned it. She repeated the noise and  grabbed Xan’s arm before bringing the two together with a “boop! There  you go, one Cauthan greeting between men complete!”
The two males could only watch her back as she retreated a few paces  to continue her animated conversation with Yvonne, no doubt eager to  fill the French matron in on the fact that she had a sister-in-law from  Mara, among other things. “So…you know her?” Xan finally asked Gerard.
“She is an exceptional young woman and something of a protégée,  colleague, and adopted daughter all in one, as you can see,” he replied.  “And I apologize for my earlier introduction, Xan. I am a man of  learning, though I am not sure how well I can explain my discipline to  you.”
“I’ve been getting that a lot lately, but I am considered such among  my people as well,” Xan assured him. “I’m still trying to figure out how  you humans got this much metal all in one place…and why you’re spending  your time on primitives like us.” His words caused Gerard to cross his  arms over his chest and then stroke his moustache, taking a measure of  the young lad. His eyes landed on the polished bone cane and its  inscription.
“Death be not proud...” he whispered with increasing approval. “I can  only speak for myself, but you seem to me as a young man with quite the  story. That alone, to me, is worth understanding.”
“Those stories aren’t for you,” Xan replied coolly.
“But of course. We have just been introduced! Perhaps one day,”  Gerard suggested, clearly unconcerned as he lowered his voice. “But you  can see it on Alice’s face, no? She is ecstatic at having met you and  your people.”
“She’s always excited about something,” Xan remarked with equal  stealth. To his surprise, Gerard’s face shifted in a way that seemed to  indicate displeasure or stress. Again his fingers traveled to his  respectable moustache. Even after knowing Russell for a year, Xan still  found it difficult to gauge human faces with their lack of feathers and  non-existent muzzles.
“It was not always so,” was all Gerard would say on the matter. “Are  you comfortable standing, Xan? Given what I know of my wife we may yet  be here for a while.”
“I suppose sitting down would be nice,” he admitted.
“Do you have a cabin yet?” Gerard asked, having thoroughly  interrogated Natori before venturing into the ‘Cauthan Zone’. The idea  of aliens in semi-permanent residence had piqued his curiosity.
“No.”
“Then perhaps we shall make that our mission?”
“Sure but…why do you care?” Xan insisted. Gerard smiled at him.
“One of the most intelligent and powerful men in the HEL deemed your  people worthy of an alliance. Surely you cannot blame me for wanting to  know why?”
“I'll take your word for it. So…the translator was a little funky. You have homes on this ship?” Xan asked.
“We do," Gerard assured him, checking his personal tablet to ensure  it was also translating adequately. He still didn't know the identity of  the program's author. 'Io' was not much to go on. "Come Xan, we are not  far from them. Ma chatounette, I am taking this young man to his  lodgings.”
“Wait wait, Gerard! You can’t do that!” Alice yelped, not wanting to miss out on anything.
“Alice, I am less afraid of you than my wife’s wrath were I to  interrupt girl time,” Gerard admitted openly. “Come find us when you are  done. Xan?”
“Yeah sure, my leg’s stiffening up. See you, Alice. And sorry again about your arm.”
“It’s totally fine," she waved it off. "Yvonne, let’s go with them, please?”
“Of course,” the mature woman agreed. “Who knows what kind of trouble  these boys might get up to alone, hmm? This one’s eyes are keen. Xan,  you said? My name is Yvonne Dupuis. It is a pleasure.”
Alice nudged Yvonne and whispered something into her ear, after which  the other woman nodded politely and bowed her head at Xan, foregoing  any greeting by way of contact. Xan seemed to appreciate the gesture,  and the two of them fell in behind Yvonne and Alice as the latter  proclaimed that she would lead them all to the ‘perfect spot’ for Xan.  The Cauthan glanced over at Gerard, who sported a thin, knowing smile on  his face. “Assuming your females are anything like ours, always allow  them to think it was their idea,” he whispered.
“I heard that, mon loup,” Yvonne called sweetly over her shoulder.  Her voice was laced with the sort of playful threat only shared by those  married for many years. Gerard’s brows rose and he looked  apologetically at Xan who, for his part, didn’t know if he was reminded  more of Gentia or Eris.
“And don’t get caught.”
For the first time since setting foot on Cromwell’s shuttle, Xan laughed.
-----
“I’m never getting off this thing,” Xan insisted, sitting comfortably  on an unremarkable cot that extended from the back metal wall of the  cabin. That small, clean, square space that was now, apparently, his  own. He didn't know how to think about that. Few if any Cauthan lived  alone by choice. Alice sat at the other end of the bed, still deep in  conversation with Yvonne about every little thing she’d seen on Mara as  well as Yvonne’s new hairdo which she described as ‘mid-20th century  chic’. The female Dupuis had taken the one chair in the room, while  Gerard stood and leaned against the small sink that took up one corner  of the space along with a personal toilet.
“I’d say we’ve still got about half an hour,” Gerard assured him as  Xan continued to press into the sheets and thin, foam mattress with his  fingers, watching as it gave and then slowly reformed its natural shape.  “May I ask what you are accustomed to sleeping on?”
“Furs, leathers, and straw,” Xan replied. “Not sure I even could fall asleep on this. Feels like floating.”
"Hmph, and here I was thinking they were a bit stiff," Gerard  chuckled under his breath. "Fresh perspective is a blessing. But why did  you come here, Xan?"
"Why did you?" The Cauthan turned the question around.
"To study, to further my knowledge of the world around us," Gerard  replied with ease. Xan took a breath and nodded, looking around him.
"Guess it's the same for me. Alice insists that if she learns about  us she can improve things in our village. I suppose I'm here to verify  that claim and probably to serve as a specimen."
"Oh don't say it like that, Xan," Alice insisted excitedly;  interjecting seamlessly despite appearing to be fully enthralled with  Yvonne. "It'll be fun!"
"Alice, what are you planning?" Yvonne demanded.
"Well a whole bunch of things, until Natori insisted I figure out how  to get them through the sterilization room in A-1," Alice pouted.  "Speaking of which, how did you two get through there anyway?"
"We walked," Gerard supplied simply, eliciting another laugh from Xan  as Alice scowled playfully at him. "Alice, unless there is a bacterium  that can synthesize its own x-nucleotides from its environment we will  be more than fine. Xan, you haven't noticed any incidences of flesh  eating disease among your people recently, have you?"
Xan merely blinked at Gerard. "What in Seil's name are you on about?"
"See? Perfectly fine!" Gerard insisted. "I would be absolutely  flabbergasted if anything down on that planet proved capable of cross  infection."
"And then you'd write a paper on it assuming you lived," Alice laughed.
"The two of you may find this humorous but I do not," Yvonne  declared, dropping the temperature of the room by several degrees. "I  don't know what your plan was, Alice, but they cannot give consent any  more than the little ones that I cared for on Earth. And unlike them,  parental consent will be equally non-existent on Mara."
"Now hold on just a minute," Xan called, but Alice spoke over him.
"You're wrong, Yvonne. You haven't met Veera and I've spent a lot  more time with Xan," Alice insisted, throwing the Cauthan a supporting  look. "Let's say we're talking about a pencil. You're insisting I  explain it's wood, lead, and whatever erasers are made of. Well then we  need to discuss inorganic chemistry and manufacturing, then lead, then  the periodic table, then not to eat one."
"Why would I eat wood?!" Xan demanded, rightfully offended at such a perceived slight to his intelligence.
"Exactly!" Alice exclaimed, standing upright for emphasis. "Yvonne,  they're smart, whip smart from the sound of it; but how long did you  spend learning your craft? Or you, Gerard? Yes, if they trust us maybe  the next generation born will be given that sort of education. Right now  that's just not possible. We don't have years. Xan, you trust me,  right?"
"I trust your brother," he replied warily.
"Close enough," Alice said without concern. Xan was about to head her  off when Alice finally arrived at her proposition. "Yvonne, if we  explain the practical nature of what we're doing they will understand,  even if they don't know what a cell is. If we can earn and keep that  trust," Alice insisted with a kind, weighty glance at Xan. "I think all  of us will benefit. As long as we continue to prove we're acting in  their best interests I think they'll prove cooperative. Xan, a pencil is  a writing implement. We use it to write on sheets of paper that we make  from wood pulp."
"Well why didn't you say so earlier?! Don't know why you wouldn't just use leather, though."
"See?" Alice demanded of her elders. "One of Xan's friends is very  pregnant, Yvonne. Are you going to teach her physics before her first  ultrasound?"
Yvonne was left shell-shocked at the thought of practicing her  medicine in such a situation, but Xan poked Alice angrily in the back of  the thigh. "Hey, what was that for?!"
"That's a good way to get yourselves killed," Xan warned, his blue  eyes glinting with distrust. "No one touches Asha, or any of our cubs."
"Except for my brother and Lachlan?" Alice fired back. "Xan, when  have I ever given you any indication I'd harm any of you, much less your  young?"
"Doesn't matter," he insisted. "I'm a useless cripple, expendable. Those cubs are our future."
"I want to help your future! And you're not a useless cripple!" Alice  yelped. Gerard walked a couple paces over to where his wife sat and  laid a hand on her shoulder. They met each other's gaze and he held a  finger to his lips.
"You don't know anything about me and you certainly don't get to just  have our trust because you asked for it!" Xan had raised his voice to  match Alice's. "Your brother bled for us. He killed an ursae, for Kel's  sake."
"And what if something happens to Asha when she gives birth and she  or the cub are hurt? What if we could do something to prevent that?!"
"What are you trying to say?" Xan narrowed his eyes.
"Exactly what I just said; what I've been trying to say and nothing more! We can help you if you'll let us, let me!"
"And why should we?!"
"Because without me you'll keep living your nasty, brutish, and short  lives for millennia!" Alice shouted. After a moment her eyes widened  and her rigid posture went slack as she realized how far she'd gone in  her passions. Her voice dropped to a whisper. "Cause I want to see you  walk again and I don't want to wait thirty years…I'm sorry," she gasped.
Xan turned away from her and stared very intently at the bulkhead.  Many times his lips and jaw moved as if he might speak, but he never  found the appropriate words. "Let's just…I don't know, move on?"
Distraction blessedly arrived in the form of Veera and Fenrir, the  agitated hyrven having led her through the halls of the ship in search  of Xan and the others. They could hear her complaining about her  'ungrateful child' as she drew closer and soon the two of them were  standing in the doorway. "Oh…hello? Is this a bad time?" Veera asked,  reading Xan and Alice's faces easily enough. She allowed the hyrven to  seek out his best friend, while turning to the two humans she did not  know. "I don't think we've been introduced? My name is Veera," she said  in fluent English.
"Mon dieu," Gerard whispered appreciatively as Yvonne stood to properly greet her.
"Yeah guys?" Alice said quietly, trying to stay focused despite the  pain of Xan's mistrust. She forced a smile to her face. "This is my  sister in law, Veera."
-----
"So, have you made a decision about the silicone pump?" Natori  Kaczynski asked the empty room, knowing Io was there with him in  manufactory #1's control room.
'I certainly wouldn't tell you about it, but no. I was getting ahead  of myself,' Io admitted, choosing to make her presence known on one of  the computer terminals that made up the main control panel. Natori sat  himself comfortably in the swivel chair and looked 'at' her.
"I wasn't the one who suggested placing it on your posterior," he teased lightly.
'Yes well…' Io's cheeks developed a rosy hue. 'My silicone ass aside,  could you please give me your opinion on the following samples?'
Natori watched as a small crate was removed from one of the matter  printers and deposited on a table within the spacious bay. Natori  nodded, throwing on an isolation suit and descending the stairs from the  control room. He could feel his heart thrumming with anticipation as he  opened the crate, finding four samples of skin-like compounds stretched  over a base of other materials. "Io, what am I looking at?" He  wondered.
'My initial skin samples, Admiral. Since visual fidelity is not  required for my…guts, let's say, I felt quite confident in replicating  the various subdural tissues of the human body. It's basically a faintly  oiled sponge at this point but that sounds so much worse than  bio-synthetic dermis.'
"Bio-synthetic?" Natori asked, removing the glove from his right hand.
'A perfect oxymoron, no? To me, at least, the term implies using  whatever is at my disposal to create objects as close to their  biological counterparts as possible,' she explained, her words reminding  him of his other duties.
"Speaking of biological counterparts, how is our Lieutenant doing?" He wondered.
'He is my Lieutenant, Admiral,' Io insisted with a combination of  sincerity and playfulness. 'For now he and the ship's physician are  going through the motions. Both appear bored. He's still in quite good  health. I consider that a win.'
"I feel the need to remind you that despite your assignment to Omega  division I'm still your acting commanding officer in this system,"  Natori responded non-confrontationally. "But I am only pleased to hear  that his body is in good health after a year among the Cauthan. That  bodes well for Alice and ongoing relations."
'His mind is well too, Admiral,' Io pressed, feeling the need to  defend Winters in his absence. Natori cocked a brow as she continued.  'You may not agree with his response to high stress situations, but he  is not a broken man!'
"We will have to agree to disagree on the first point, but I never  meant to insinuate the latter," Kaczynski declared, running his fingers  gently over the samples and feeling the texture and give of each. "Is  that perhaps your own fears coming through?"
'I'm afraid you'll place him under surveillance…just like you did his  sister,' Io said coolly, watching as the Admiral took his time,  pressing and rubbing the synthetic skin. He paused to rub his thumb and  forefinger together, gauging Io's substitute for natural oils. 'Why are  you smiling?'
"Because I had hoped Cassia might see cause to debate the ethics of  that decision with me…she did not. You seem to have no such  compunctions!"
'What is there to debate?' Io demanded, wishing he was near a screen  so she could tap her feet and cross her arms at him. 'You tracked her  even in her room! There are recordings of her pleasuring herself in  here!'
Natori felt his diaphragm tighten as he stood upright, back stiff. "I  did what I felt was necessary to protect myself and my crew in the  event Miss Winters suffered a mental episode, Io. I did not know of the  contents of any of those records until you decided to override my access  protocols and review them yourself."
For a long while he heard only the sound of the fabricators behind  him, sensing that same regretful necessity as when he'd scolded his own  daughter.
'Could you turn around, bitte?' Io eventually requested. Natori did  so, only then realizing that she could probably kill him with most of  the mechanical arms and devices within the facility. Instead of his  worst fears, he was met with a rather dismal looking robotic arm. It  seemed to bow in shame. 'I will be deleting my records of this event for  the sake of Alice's privacy. I'm sorry, Admiral-'
"Wait!" He ordered, confusing the AI momentarily. "I forbid it."
'I request an explanation.'
"I am sure that Lieutenant Winters has his own reasons for how he's  chosen to educate you regarding human behavior. And I'm sure the process  worked in both directions after a time. But for me, given your  abilities and access to this ship which likely involves some dead man  switches in case I try to eliminate either of you-"
'I would never!' Io protested.
"I think you might…it's what I'd do," Natori revealed. "You found it  acceptable to threaten my life and the lives of my crew in order to  prevent possible harm to those near to you. Therefore I have a most  vested interest in continuing your development as a moral being. I do  not know how you can expect to learn if you do not remember your  mistakes. Should you feel the need to clear your conscience, and I'll  willingly admit that idea alone has me giddy, I will be happy to explain  to Alice why I felt the need to establish surveillance in the first  place."
'I see…thank you, Admiral. I believe I understand your perspective.'
"And I will try my best to understand yours," Natori insisted. "How  about in the future you at least request to override security protocols,  hmm?"
'So long as there is not an immediate harm condition, I agree.' Io  extended the arm and Natori shook it, laughing delightedly within the  containment suit. 'Now, your thoughts on my skin samples.'
"Yes, of course! I can tell you right now that one is too dry and  four is too wet, so perhaps too permeable. Between two and three, what  part of the body is this meant to simulate?"
'I'm not sure,' Io admitted as he returned to the samples. 'The  relative squishiness of the human dermis depends almost entirely on  what's beneath it and I've only managed the equivalent of a few dozen  cellular layers. So let's say perhaps the fingers? Assuming you're not  obese, of course,' Io chuckled.
"From ethics to fat people jokes, what a wonderful existence you  are," Natori smirked, pressing against the skin of his own fingers  before testing again. He hummed and considered, cocking his head in  thought. "Are there any differentiating characteristics between these  two? Shear forces, plasticity, that sort of thing?"
'Sample two is more durable but less flexible. I haven't even started  considering damage repair mechanisms so let's just go with the best?'
"Personally I would save all of them. Even one and four could be  useful if you adjust the secretion rate of the body. I must say I don't  envy your task, Io. But I will happily oversee it as you progress."
'How reassuring to have military brass breathing down my neck as I  misuse HEL technology,' Io drawled, making it clear she still understood  the need for oversight. 'Your point is well taken, Admiral. Perhaps it  would be best to attempt construction of a full limb first?'
Kaczynski closed the sample box, returned it to 'Io', and headed back  to the control room. His boots landed softly on metal and artificial  flooring as the door hissed shut behind him and the manufactory’s  equipment began its work again under Io’s direction. When he'd divested  himself of the suit he continued. "You're familiar with the saying the  beauty is skin deep, correct?"
‘I am,’ Io said shortly.
“That’s not a dig at your personality. Not sure how you decided on  the Germanic accent but I’m a fan, I must say. I was referring to the  fact that so long as your...let’s call them accessible areas. So long as  they seem human, you need not concern yourself with the rest,” the  Admiral suggested, resting his left ankle on his right knee and getting  comfortable in his seat.
‘And if I prefer to have a heart?’ Io countered, holding out her  version of that most vital organ for him to inspect. ‘No offense,  Admiral, but Robocop is almost a century old.’
“And do you intend to craft yourself a working appendix as well?” Natori asked with an impish smile.
‘Your appendix doesn’t even work...at least I assume you still have  one. I didn’t feel it necessary to check your records. I’m improving.  You may praise me now.’
“My vestigial internal organs rejoice, Io,” Kaczynski laughed. “You  already know I consider you the crowning achievement of humanity’s  existence, though the credit for that may belong only to a handful of  individuals.”
Io conjured a paper fan for herself and hid most of her face from  him. It was green to match her eyes and featured dark wood and an ornate  pattern of sakura blossoms. ‘I…please don’t say such things, Admiral. A  girl might get the wrong impression,’ she whispered.
"Hmm," Natori hummed kindly. "We have talked about you quite a lot,  how about you take a break and go through my file, the unclassified  portions I mean. That was permission, by the way."
'Very well, I'll do that," Io replied, seating herself and opening a  manila envelope. She began leafing through papers, occasionally humming  or clicking her tongue. Natori couldn't help himself.
"How long ago did you finish?"
'It was a more or less instantaneous task, Admiral,' Io replied proudly.
"And yet?" He prompted.
'I don't know, Admiral. It is rewarding to act in an approachable  manner. Assigning value to time, computation, and actions is enhanced  when incorporating the reactions of an interlocutor.'
"So you were watching me watching you?"
Io frowned. 'Well when you put it that way, perhaps it was better just to continue our conversation instantly.'
"And if I found the experience to be delightful and, dare I say,  human?" Natori countered quietly, taking a sip from the water bottle  he'd brought along with him to the manufacturing bays.
'Speaking with the Lieutenant is much easier. He lets me flirt and doesn't reciprocate,' Io pouted.
"I would be happy to adjust my language to speak of our interactions in purely analytical terms," Natori offered blandly.
'Your wife might appreciate that.'
To her surprise, Natori smiled as he replied. "Io, I think it should  be apparent enough that I have no interest in a romantic relationship  with you, even if you do construct a body that is capable of sexual  intercourse. My only regret is that this warp anomaly will keep me from  my wife and daughter longer than I'd anticipated. My interest is in how  you have presented as a very distinct type of artificial life."
'I am the only type of artificial life we know of,' the AI declared  defensively, puffing her chest out as she remained seated. Natori  glanced at her well-manicured fingers and properly crossed legs.
"Within the physical realm, to be sure. That does not mean mankind  hasn't postulated about the nature of synthetic life ad nauseum. They  run the gamut from malevolent machine overlords to digital gods; and  rarely one encounters tales of someone like you," Natori explained,  watching Io's face soften as his choice of words bestowed person-ship to  her existence. "For reasons that I have yet to discover but yearn to  understand, your programming has evolved to place an extraordinary  emphasis on not just interacting as a human, but in mimicking as much of  our biological existence as possible. You've programmed your own  organs; you pause and behave at 'human speed' despite how quickly you  must think. Your first act after commandeering my ship was not to assume  overlord status but to begin construction of a body. This all leads me  to conclude, and you must pardon the classic reference, that you wish to  know what love is…among other things."
'I can't claim to have developed an appreciation for 1980's rock and  roll, though perhaps that will come with time?' Io chuckled before  looking to her left with a forlorn expression. 'That is not my only aim,  but it is certainly a pinnacle to climb.'
A snap of Io's fingers got Natori's attention. He sat forward in his  chair to review what she wanted to show him. "whose nervous system am I  looking at here?"
'The Lieutenant's. The biometric monitoring systems of the Aegis are  quite impressive,' Io threw Beta a compliment, earning a silent nod from  Kaczynski. 'And while I appreciate your efforts to give me a safe  target, as it were, for romantic or flirtatious communications, I fear  that this is but the tip of the iceberg.'
"That's quite the reaction," the human acknowledged as Io ran the recording forward. "Was this a combat situation?"
'No,' Io smiled and hung her head fondly. 'This is what a man looks  like when his future wife says I love you for the first time.' A silence  hung over the two of them as they watched the explosion of neural  impulses. After a handful of repetitions Io waved her hand and the  display vanished into smoke, a reflection of her mood. ‘I am afraid that  no matter how precise or suitably organic a body I create, no matter  how well I am capable of mimicking the chemical and neural impulses  experienced by living beings…that is all I will ever be doing,  mimicking.’
“Just look at you though,” Natori protested kindly. “At what point does mimicry become indistinguishable from the real thing?”
‘When I no longer know that I’m pretending!’ Io snapped before suddenly recoiling. ‘I am sorry that was…rude of me.’
“It’s no problem,” Kaczynski muttered, his surprise more than  evident. “So…you do not actually love him?” Io looked ready to break  something as her hair began to develop a frazzled quality and her hands  balled into fists. His exhortation to spare the Event Horizon proved  unnecessary as she leapt to her feet, conjured a punching bag and  delivered several striking blows to it. She finished with a roundhouse  kick that sent it flying off-screen before meeting Natori’s eye’s again.
‘I’m as strong as I want to be in cyberspace,’ she huffed.
“I apologize; clearly I struck a nerve?” The Admiral advanced cautiously.
‘How do I put this?’ Io demanded rhetorically, as though the empty  space outside the ship might hold her answer. 'My programming  understands that the various parameters of our relationship indicate a  high degree of likelihood that a woman in my position would come to feel  affection towards the Lieutenant. My code tells me that I should love  him, and I behave as if I do…' Io looked imploringly at Kaczynski,  dropping her voice to a desperate whisper. 'I do love him, I do! And  sometimes I can ignore it long enough to truly believe that. But in the  back of my mind I know that I love him because a model says that I  should. I'm sure you don't need something like that when you see your  wife or daughter, Admiral.'
"No…I do not," he replied quietly, rising from his chair to survey  the expansive manufactory. He placed a hand delicately over the screen  Io was using, making sure not to cover any inappropriate locations. "But  your goal, if I understand it, is a magnificent one, the sort of thing  that could easily become a lifelong passion. Humanity often jokes about  teaching robots to love…but no one really learns to love, do they?"
'Not if my observations are any indication,' Io concurred. 'Cauthan  and humans both seem to have an innate capacity for it. I worry about  the waste of time and resources if I fail to replicate that ability.'
"Nonsense!" Natori insisted with effusive positivity. "You are aiming  for the stars, Io. Even if you land on the moon it will be truly  glorious."
'I'll keep that in mind when the disappointment and frustration grows,' she said.
"Why not just tell yourself that you're only frustrated because you told yourself to be?"
'Because that's the exact opposite of what I want!' Io screeched  indignantly as Natori laughed before glancing down at his wrist.
"I understand, I do. And I apologize for that bit of humor at your expense. Give me a moment please. Turnwell, what is it?"
"Admiral Kaczynski, sir, envoy Qul'Roth has requested an update regarding the surface mission," the first mate reported.
"I'll be on the bridge in a few minutes, thank you."
"Aye aye, sir."
Natori looked back to Io as reality intruded on their private moment.  "No matter how long or difficult this path I will walk it with you, if  you'll have me. And should you mistrust my benevolence you may tell  yourself that this is how I've decided to best keep your interests  aligned with the Event Horizon. Do not despair, Io."
'I'll do my best, Admiral. I suppose we should go run our ship,  shouldn't we?' The AI suggested with a hesitant smile that grew wider as  Natori returned it.
"Yes, I suppose we should," he agreed as Io donned a seafaring  admiral's cap. "Speaking of which, status report on our returning crew  and new additions?"
'Yes sir,' Io snapped to attention as a handful of floating screens  rotated in her palm. 'PFC MacGregor and Pilot Cromwell are sharing a  meal in the military mess. His report was submitted in writing and is  awaiting your review. Alice and Xan were in one of the labs along with  two crew members who broke the quarantine zone. Hmmm…Monsieur and Madame  Dupuis? I shall have to introduce myself someday.'
"The three of you will get along far too well," Natori chuckled as he  ensured the fabrication bay was safe to be left on autopilot. That  done, he headed for the nearest tube station with Io tagging along via  the rest of the Event Horizon's many speakers, cameras, and monitors.  "Well, I can't say I didn't expect that. What is the Cauthan doing now?"
'Well, Russell has returned to Veera. The two of them seem to be  settling in along with Fenrir. With all the claws in that cabin we may  need new sheets…or comforters made of sterner stuff.'
"Let's not disturb them unless necessary. I would prefer for the  Lieutenant to come willingly when we eventually depart," Kaczynski  responded as he hopped into a transit pod and input the bridge as his  destination. Even in motion Io's connection was seamless.
'So long as Veera is allowed to accompany him I doubt there will be  any issues there, Admiral. That said, your cart is many miles ahead of  the horse.'
"Hmm, quite so," he agreed, his voice slightly changed by the acceleration. "And Alice?"
'She and Xan appear to be back in the hangar.'
"Oh? And what are they doing there?"
'They are floating, Admiral,' Io reported happily. 'And by floating I  really mean jumping and falling back to the floor very slowly. That  looks like fun.'
"Just floating?" He demanded curiously.
'Yes, just floating,' Io confirmed as he stepped out of the transit  pod and dusted off his uniform. The bridge was but a few moments’ walk  away. 'I am not listening to their conversation…though it is being  recorded.'
"How curious. Shall we allow them their peace?"
'You're asking me to terminate ship wide surveillance of crew member  Alice Winters?' Io asked slyly. Natori could practically hear her  raising those perfectly shaped brows on her forehead.
"You are truly everything a man could ask for in a shipboard digital assistant," Natori gushed.
'Flatterer,' Io chuckled. 'Just give me your answer, Admiral.'
"As you wish, Io. Given the change in circumstance I'm officially authorizing the termination of surveillance."
'Yes sir, Admiral Kaczynski. Consider it done,' Io replied in his ear  as the doors to the bridge parted for him and he saluted the on duty  watch standers. With a broad smile on his face he settled in for the  late evening shift, the shipboard time almost adjusted to Mara's own.
"Io?"
'Yes sir?' She replied professionally, appearing above the armrest of his command chair.
"Glad to see you're feeling better," he said quietly. "Now could you send for Qul'Roth, please?"
'Oh I'm sure he'll be delighted to receive an invitation from an AI,' she simpered.
"I'm counting on it," Natori added confidently. "After all, we need  to entertain ourselves somehow if Alice and her mentors are going to  have all the fun."
Io's reply was to simply laugh under her breath as she turned away  and waltzed 'out' of his projection. More than one watch stander was  looking over at them. The Admiral gave them a wink. "If you think she's  pretty walking towards you, you should see her as she walks away."
Io's merriment echoed lightly within the room as more than a handful  of crew fixed their eyes awkwardly to their workstations. 'You're just  lucky I'm feeling friendly.'