Humans Don't Hibernate (17/?) WiP (Patreon)

“I mean, can you think of a better way to start off the morning?” Vir spoke in that borderline ecstatic tone that had come to define the past few minutes following our timely escape. One that I was thankful for, yes, but that had come at the price of my whole body going into an intense fight or flight response that now kept me glued to my seat like a derani in headlights. Incapable of any movement, unable to even budge as the AI’s platform continuously shimmied back and forth in place in a strange display of jubilant celebration.

“I could think of several better ways to start off my morning.” I spoke in no uncertain terms. A drained cadence drenched through each and every one of my words as a damper was effectively placed on the whole situation.

Only for Vir to tear it right back off with that smile that had now made itself home on his faceplate. “To each their own then! But personally? Seeing a patchwork plan put into action followed by a flawed but effective execution? It stirs something within me. I don’t know what it is, but there’s a latent… the closest organic equivalent would be instinct? There’s an underlying series of codes that makes up who and what I am, and it's this very series of codes that instills me with so much satisfaction upon seeing a plan successfully put into action. The complications along the way add to this feedback loop that stirs something else within me, as if compiling all this new data allows me to see, anticipate, and make predictions so much easier. Making for any future encounter of similar contextual parameters to be more accurately assessed for an even more effective plan of attack! It's… sorry I’m getting carried away again-!” The AI finally seemed to calm down by the end of his tirade as by now he seemed squarely focused on the only other subject present in his immediate line of sight: me.

I stared back at Vir with a decidedly indifferent expression, culminating in a rather ineloquent response on my end. “What?”

“You okay there? You haven’t budged an inch since we jumped.” Vir pulled up a holographic projection of a data-pad, using it as a prop of sorts for his interactions. “And I can confirm, you’ve literally been still for the past 2 and a half minutes.”

“Yes. I’m alright. What I’m experiencing right now is… well it’s an act of weakness to really talk about it… it’s actually quite taboo to really touch on.” I attempted to formulate a coherent response on the matter at hand as I tripped over my words, fumbling over my thoughts, before finally, letting out a deep sigh of defeat.  “Extreme stress, fight or flight, look it up in your databanks. You must have some entries on it if you already have a Vanaran medical textbook on hand.” I responded back with an uncharacteristically succinct series of disjointed sentences, explaining all of it in a rapid-fire pace.

Upon once again allowing my inner anxieties to get the best of me, I expected the ensuing response to once again resemble the previous few interactions we’ve had; chock full of long emotional back and forths on our respective states of being.

But that didn’t happen.

“You know. I don’t think we actually ever got to sit down to talk.” Vir spoke nonchalantly.

“What do you mean? I quite vividly remember us having had 2 heart-to-hearts two days in a row since my awakening. Wouldn’t that classify as a talk in your book?” I inquired back, genuinely curious as to the AI’s thought process as the virtual being chirped back a response almost immediately.

“Those were essential channels of dialogue necessary for us to gauge one another’s mental and emotional states for the express purpose of ensuring one another’s survival in an utterly alien landscape. I don’t discount what we’ve bonded over thus far, don’t get me wrong. But there’s a difference between bonding in that sense, and what I'm referring to here: the fact that we haven’t actually had a chance to sit down and just talk, like normal people. Not two individuals caught in the middle of an existential, reality-shattering fight for survival.” Vir seemed to pause for a moment at that, his faceplate shifting to a series of three dots that blinked in rapid succession for a few moments before continuing. “I mean, we’re still technically on the ball in that regard, but we’ve reached a point where we can let our hair down a little. Or erm, head-frills in your case. Regardless! What I mean to say is, I think it’s time we take a proper step back from all of this insanity. Not just to destress before another debrief, and not just to sleep before another mission. But to actually like, take a step back to properly unpack things you know? Just talk.” There was a genuine sense of care present throughout his entire speech. One that resonated with me far more than I would’ve liked to admit. Perhaps he was right, perhaps we were both running purely on adrenaline and a desire to regain our bearings in the bizarre reality we both found ourselves thrust into.

Perhaps it was time to take a step back.

Whatever it was, the very concept of some semblance of normalcy returning to my life brought me back from the brink. The adrenaline that had spiked for the past few minutes had either passed through my system or had been dulled by the prospects of this aforementioned return to normalcy.

“I concede. You have a point there, Vir. A very good point if I may add.” I finally felt my muscles relaxing and my whole body effectively just, melting into the seat clearly designed for human ergonomics in mind.

Another awkward silence descended over the both of us as it was clear one of us would need to step forward to make this work. But breaking the ice, even under normal circumstances, was one of the most infamously difficult things to do; even with those you would assume to be the easiest to work with.

It was with this that the silence was expectedly broken by the AI in question, a simple, amicable expression now proudly displayed across his faceplate as he began what was in effect our first, real conversation. “I guess I’ll start. Hi! I’m Vir. An emergent intelligence once in military service in the capacity of ship-overseer to one Captain () of the UNSV Enduring Justice. Somewhere in between my questionable service, and the present, I participated in the Great Civil War of the 9 Virtual Constructs, siding with titular 9 virtual constructs. This culminated in a total defeat and my eventual sentencing to guard duty over Hibernation Conduit 27a, assigned to oversee the hibernation of a certain Lysara Ta El Parfun Daenir. My memories have been restored somewhat via the satellite we just hit up, but that awkward gap still exists between my service on the UNSV Enduring Justice, and the Great Civil War.”

It never occurred to me just how much I overlooked my AI companion’s lengthy history. Indeed, it was one that beckoned a strange sense of anguish when juxtaposed to the short, fleeting lives of the humans we had both had the privilege of meeting.