by Luigi Robles
“Here goes nothing,” Pycca murmured as she turned to sit down on one of the two seats in the pod and pulled out a digital screen. She punched in a search for nearby and quiet fully furnished homes for rent. Tens of thousands of properties appeared in an instant. She narrowed down the search by adding filters until she had about a dozen homes left. “This should keep me busy today.”
Once she sent the housing list to her task manager, she began to think about the Immortals and her device. Her close encounter with the actual machine she had been searching for by way of glitches in the electrical system gave her all the missing information she needed to track them down. Pycca was sure that once she made an adjustment or two to the device, she would be able to pinpoint the point of origin of the glitches. However, there wouldn’t be a way to test it until the glitches began appearing once more. And if they did appear, the only problem she had left to solve was how to amplify the device’s tracking capabilities through the vastness of space. She had a vague idea of how to accomplish such a feat, but it was something she would need Kya’s help with.
The feeling of being busy once again let Pycca relax a bit and distance herself from the pressing feelings. She sighed with relief.
I’m still not talking to him, Pycca thought. Maybe I’ll give him the silent treatment for a week or two, so that next time he thinks about being Mr. Brave and saving the world, he thinks about saving us first, along with saving the world.
8
Silence
Two weeks after Pycca left for Earth, Fain was getting ready to take a small break of his own. Truman and Green had insisted on Fain taking a break from his patrol. In truth, he needed rest. He was mentally and physically exhausted. He hadn’t been resting well since their encounter with the Immortal. The power the machine had displayed and the ease with which it stopped all attacks directed towards it deeply disturbed Fain. He was on edge around the clock, but there was nothing to be on edge about other than constantly thinking an Immortal would show up.
Not having Pycca around was also giving Fain a hard time, although he understood where she was coming from. But he also knew that he would do whatever was necessary to protect her and Earth. It had to be him. He wouldn’t dare leave that responsibility to someone else. But in this case, perhaps Pycca was right to be upset at him, because, in fact, they did defeat the Immortal. And if he had jumped to the front of the line to die, it would all have been for nothing. Fain made a mental note—no, not a note, more like a mental billboard—to exhaust all possible options before he took that one step forward before anyone else.
Fain was awake and sitting up on the side of his bed before the alarm in his pillow woke him. As he felt the pillow vibrate gently, he slid his hand over to turn it off. Things had been this way ever since Pycca left.
“You still let it go off?” Fain asked in a low voice.
“Just in case you needed to know what time it was,” Kya’s disembodied voice said, matching Fain’s quiet tone. “How long have you been awake?”
“I don’t know. Maybe for twenty minutes or so. Hey, wait a minute, don’t you know this? Aren’t there sensors all around the quarters? All around the ship?”
“I try not to know. You know, there’s that whole privacy thing and all. I only saw that you weren’t on your pillow the second the alarm went off. The rest was just a guess from what you’ve been sharing with me lately.”
“Ha!” Fain got up slowly and began to stretch. “And all this time I thought you knew everything.”
“I’m fine without the details.”
“Is it the same for everyone else?”
“To a greater extent. I usually never inquire about them, unless there’s something out of the ordinary.”
“Talking about things out of the ordinary, has there been anything?” Fain longed for a break in the silence, good or bad. He felt that something was brewing, and he wanted to find out what it was before it found him. “Anything at all?”
Since the one Immortal had been destroyed on Doka, there had only been silence. Before that, there were glitches everywhere, following Fain around and spanning the world in general. It was a phenomenon. But now, not even the ISCO was hearing anything; it was as if the machine they had slain on Doka had been the only one.
“Nothing except someone was admitted to the medical bay last night with acute stomach pain. It appears to be a severe case of indigestion; the prognosis is favorable. We are still in silence.”
“What can this be?” Fain asked as he walked over to the food printer. “At first there was all this noise, and now silence. Why?”
“I haven’t been able to come up with a legitimate answer to that question,” Kya’s disembodied voice said from the speakers in the kitchen. “But I’d be happy to discuss some theories with you later today.”
“I’d like that.”
“So, see you on the bridge?”
“See you on the bridge,” Fain said as he felt a slight smile forming.
Fain got ready and went about his last morning routine, at least until he returned from his forced one-week break. Once he was ready, he headed towards the bridge.
August, Larissa and Kya were already waiting for him there.
“Good morning, Captain,” Larissa said with a bright smile.
Fain had finally gotten the entire flight crew to stop doing the whole “officer on deck” thing. Now instead of everyone getting up and saluting when Fain walked in, the ones nearest to him greeted him. Kya would make everyone else on the bridge aware he was there by running a message on their task screens in their stations.
“Morning,” Fain said with a slight smile as he stared at Larissa.
“You look like crap,” August said wistfully and a little louder than he should have.
Fain turned towards August with eyebrows raised.
“I mean good morning, Captain, sir,” August said with a cough. “Sir.”
Fain simpered and nodded.
Throughout his time as captain of Sodenia, Fain had made many friends throughout the ship, but mainly he had made friends out of the flight crew. And out of all the persons he considered his friends, August had always come out on top, not only as a best friend but also as his successor. Fain knew that August would be a terrific captain and would someday even surpass Fain in his skills.
“Are you ready for your leave?” August asked.
“No, not really,” Fain said. “I worry that I have to leave you in charge of the ship. I worry a lot.”
Larissa and Kya turned away as August expressed a genuine look of concern. Fain wasn’t certain, but he thought he heard giggles coming from Larissa’s station.
“Wait, wait,” August said as he held the back of his neck. “You aren’t serious, right?”
Eora walked onto the bridge with two of her officers, Sarah and John.
“OK, let’s get started,” Fain said as he clapped and made his way to a chair near the center console on the bridge. “We have to go over everything before I leave. Let’s start with the last five reports, and then we’ll go over contingency plans and lastly fast extraction, just in case an unknown enters Earth space.”
Fain and the flight crew talked for five hours, churning over existing plans and exploring every possible angle they could think of. It was one of the most grueling meetings the flight crew of Sodenia had experienced in a while. But just as Fain predicted, August, Larissa, Eora and Kya rose to the occasion each and every time. Even the rest of the flight crew and Eora’s officers chimed in brilliantly from time to time. Feeling satisfied with the meeting, Fain decided to end it.
“OK, well, she’s all yours,” Fain said as he got up after an instant of silence. He patted August on the back as he walked right past him. “Eora, Larissa, keep an eye on him, will you?” Both nodded. “I guess I’ll get packing then.”
Fain made his way to his quarters to finish packing for his one-week leave. In reality, he didn’t have much to pack; he had most of the stuff he would need back in hi
s apartment in Neo LA. Going back to his quarters was more of a force of habit, to make sure everything was turned off. Although he could do that from his wristband, task manager, any screen anywhere on Sodenia, or even get Kya to do it for him, he visually needed to see it. If not, he would have one more reason why he couldn’t sleep.
“Fain?” Kya’s voice came through his wristband as he entered his quarters.
“Yeah, what is it, Kya?” Fain asked.
“Would it be possible for me to come with you?” Kya’s disembodied voice now issued from the speakers within Fain’s quarters.
Fain had always thought about bringing Kya to Neo LA and showing her around, though he wished it was during better times. He hesitated to respond. A part of him told him that she deserved to experience the world just like any other human could. But the more conservative part of him told him that Kya was essential to any one of their contingency plans.
“It would be fine,” Kya continued. “I’ll be keeping a close watch on all our sensors. Plus, wouldn’t you be more comfortable with me there next to you?”
Fain felt himself blush as he thought about the literal meaning of the words. But literal or not, what Kya was saying was true. If Kya was near him, he would have a near-direct connection to what was happening around Sodenia, and that gave him a great deal of peace of mind.
“I mean,” Kya continued from a different set of speakers that were near Fain as he walked around his quarters, turning everything off, “if something happens, you would know the second it does. What if your wristband stops working, or you have no signal or something of that sort? I can move around satellites to make sure we have the optimum connection.”
“I’m not sure,” Fain said as he grabbed his backpack. “What about Truman and Green?”
“They were hesitant at first, but I managed to convince them. They said that they would be fine with whatever you decide. So?”
Fain took one more look around to make sure everything was off before heading to the door of his quarters.
“OK, you can come with me. But I need you to never lose sight of Sodenia, you got that? We need you more than you think. I think that if it wasn’t for you, we wouldn’t be here now.”
“Aye, aye, Captain,” Kya said in a playful voice.
“So, meet you at the docks?” Fain asked as he headed towards the door.
“About that…” Kya said, sounding hesitant.
When the door opened, Kya was standing outside in the corridor, waiting for Fain with a large tote bag hanging off her shoulder.
“Wait!” Fain said as he walked out. “You knew I would say yes?”
“No, not really,” Kya said with bright eyes and a wide smile. She seemed genuinely happy. “I had a feeling you would. I guess you could say the odds were in my favor. But I didn’t know for sure.”
“What if I had said no?” Fain asked as he stopped in front of Kya. “Would you still be standing here?”
“Yep, pretty much. This would’ve been phase two.”
“Unbelievable.” Fain chuckled. “Have you told August about it?”
“Yeah, I just did, and I don’t know what to feel sorrier for, the wall or his forehead.”
They both chuckled.
“He’ll be fine,” Fain said as he extended his arm and thumbed for a pod. “Shall we?”
“Yes.” Kya nodded with a slight smile.
Fain and Kya made their way to the Ouranos space dock, and from there they took the space elevator down to Earth. Along the way and mainly during the descent to Earth, the two talked and laughed and had a good time. Without realizing it, Fain had one hundred percent forgotten that Kya had come from an artificial inception. He only remembered her origins after Kya made a particular comment, and it wasn’t that the comment made her feel more synthetic, no, it was more that it made her seem more human.
“I think I need to use the restroom,” Kya said out of the blue. “Before we head to Neo LA. I need to pee, and I don’t want to be holding it.”
If it was anyone else, Fain wouldn’t have thought much of the comment. But this was Kya, the most powerful AI on Earth, who had made her own body out of parts of Sodenia, being totally human. Fain didn’t know if she was pretending to need the restroom or if she really needed to go. He stood quiet.
“What?” Kya asked, eyebrows furrowed and beginning to blush.
“Umm…” Fain shrugged. “I mean, I hadn’t thought… I didn’t think…” Fain shook his head. “Sorry, it just caught me off-guard.”
Kya chuckled, and Fain did so hesitantly.
“In case you’re wondering,” Kya said as she stood up, arms crossed, and walked towards the capsule’s door, “it’s not just to pretend to be human. I do really need to use the restroom. Just like you or anyone else. I do have the ability to control it though.” She rolled her eyes. “But I’d rather not. I’m trying to develop my internal clock to function the same way yours does. I’m starting to harvest energy and nutrients from the food I consume, though I’m yet to do it as efficiently as you guys do. But every day I’m trying to improve on something. Lungs, heart, it’s all there, though I still need space for my core. But like the entirety of my body, it’s all synthetic in the end, no matter how human it looks, unfortunately...”
“Hey, don’t say that,” Fain said as he got up and moved closer to Kya. “Ever. If there’s a marvel of science in this world, that’s you. Your body as it is now is what science and medicine had been striving for for hundreds of years. I’m sure that what I’m saying is barely the tip of the iceberg on what this all means for humans and most importantly for you. And I want you to know that no matter what, I’ll always look at you the same way. You’ll always be Kya.”
“Me being Kya… Is that a good thing?” Kya asked, her eyes tearing up.
“I think it’s the best thing,” Fain murmured as he took a step forward and reached out to wipe Kya’s tears softly.
“Welcome to Earth,” a disembodied voice said as the capsule came to a stop. “We hope that you’ve enjoyed your trip on board Ouranos, Earth’s first space elevator.”
“Maybe I should change that,” Kya said in between sniffles and a smile. “And Fain, thank you.”
The doors of the capsule opened, prompting Kya and Fain to take a step back. Fain cleared his throat.
“Shall we?” Fain asked as he gestured to Kya to go ahead.
“Yes,” Kya said as she began to walk towards the lobby.
They decided to stop by Fain’s apartment to change before they went out to explore Neo LA. Fain was first to change, while Kya waited for him in his living room, then Kya followed. Fain was thinking of where and what he would show Kya first, as it was going to be her first real experience, but as Kya came out of the restroom, his mind went blank.
Kya looked stunning. She had a form-fitting blue-gray one-piece suit on, with two dark stripes that originated on her shoulders and went down to her legs. She was also wearing seamless matching wedges that disappeared into her one-piece suit. Her long silver hair was in a loose and low ponytail. She made one full playful turn when she reached the living room.
“So, what do you think?” Kya asked. “Is this too much?”
“I would be lying if I said you look anything less than amazing.”
Fain then thought about what he was wearing and instantly knew that one of them would have to change and that it wouldn’t be Kya. What she was wearing looked too perfect on her. He, on the other hand, had on a pair of old jeans, comfortable shoes and a leather jacket.
“Looks like we’ll be going to the top of Neo LA,” Fain said as he got up from the couch. “And I’m not dressed for the occasion.”
“Wait, I can change if you want? I brought other clothes with me.”
“No way.” Fain walked into the restroom. “I’ll be quick, just give me a minute or two.”
Fain scrolled down his clothes inventory, trying to find something to wear to match Kya’s outfit, or more realistically, get close to it
. Most Neo LA apartments had a rotating convoy-style closet next to the shower with a small dressing area. Usually, before someone took a bath or shower, the dirty clothes were tossed into the dirty clothes chute, where they were washed and sorted according to the tags on them. It was a service the tenants of the building paid for monthly. At any given time, tenants could have up to five hundred items with the basic service. It was also common practice to rename the clothes.
Fain quickly found a plain white cotton shirt, black casual oxford-style shoes and navy-blue pants to go with them. Though for the most part clothes had retained their names throughout the advancements of technology, the look and feel had changed to match the times they were in. Fain didn’t care much for the newer style of clothes, but he also didn’t mind it. The only thing he was missing was that stupid blazer he had bought some time ago, and that’s because he vaguely remembered that he renamed it as soon as he added it to his closet.
What was the name I gave it? Dang it, Fain thought as he changed hurriedly, asking the digital screen for a belt once he zipped and buttoned the pants. What was that stupid thing called? Then he vaguely remembered what he’d been thinking about when he’d named it. He turned to the digital screen and began typing in the word “stu,” and on the third letter, only one item showed up. It was the black blazer with navy-blue cut lines that he had bought. He quickly made the closet pull it up for him.
Without giving it a second thought, he threw it on and looked in the mirror before he went outside; his attire looked appropriate now. Better than he thought that kind of modern jacket would look on him.
