The Legion and the Lioness

by Robert D. Armstrong

  “Victoria—”

  “I’m not alone, though. You’re going to die, too. You realize that, right? Those androids are coming to finish what they started on Earth. The best thing you people ever did was convince me Luther might still be alive. That gives everyone on this moon a chance. Now, please get the fuck out. It’s in your best interest that I receive adequate rest for my selfish motives. Out!” I yelled.

  Arania dropped her tablet as she pushed her chair back. Her hand trembled as she leaned forward to pick it up. I paced back and forth on the opposite side of the room, attempting not to look at her. I heard her step toward the door and exit.

  “Fuck!” I spun around, kicking my metal trashcan toward the door like a football. It rattled around the room violently, slinging trash about. I was so upset I didn’t feel the impact on my bare foot.

  I sat down on my bed panting. I began to control my breathing. During tough times on Earth, I had a support system to lean on. Here, I felt like everyone was against me, knowingly or not.

  It seemed like there was an underlying degree of oversight throughout my experience with these Titans. They were offspring of great minds: the explorers, survivors, and engineers who built this installation, a technical marvel unlike anything I’d seen. Yet, they couldn’t forecast simple problems like my reaction to Xena’s presence? That was a potentially detrimental botch to the mission.

  Maybe it’s the scenery affecting their brains after all these years? Or they just didn’t give a fuck? Or they were testing my ability to handle stressors? Arania’s line of questioning seemed inflammatory, so maybe that was their angle.

  Either way, I was the wrong pilot to fuck with.

  Chapter 7

  I WOKE UP TO A BLINKING red light in my room. I could hear voices outside, some of them shouting orders. I stood up, scurrying to the door so I could peek outside. I opened it, and all the voices silenced, except one.

  “Victoria,” the voice whispered. I was curious. The sound was magnetic, pulling me from my room. I glided across the floor light as a feather. I glanced down, and at this point, I knew I was dreaming.

  “You know, don’t you?” he said. I recognized it as Luther this time. I reached out toward the voice as I floated down the hall, I entered the long tube Drake and Corvin ushered me down the day before. I glanced up at the glass panels as a red drizzle began to fall, spotting up the glass with what appeared to be blood.

  The building began to lift from the ground slowly as if gravity had lost its effect. I glanced out to my right as silos and cranes were sucked into the atmosphere. I saw honeybee workers hurling toward space, their arms and legs flailing about. I fell to my knees.

  “Just a bit further,” he said. I tried to stand, but I felt powerless as the tube rocked back and forth in flight. The glass shattered above me, crashing down all around me. I put up my hands expecting to be sliced, but I wasn’t. The interior of the terminal dimmed as we climbed into space, rocketing to the dark side of the moon.

  All at once, a sound erupted down the hall. It was like a chorus singing, headed toward me. I pulled myself up, shambling toward the voices.

  I peered forward, observing an outline of what reminded me of a large centipede or snake, slithering down the corridor. As it came into full view, I noticed it wasn’t a snake at all, but thousands of toddlers marching in formation, zigzagging back and forth.

  They were androids. Children. Like a swarm of smiling dolls. All of them white as snow, their faces stitched together with awful craftsmanship with flaps of plastic dangling from their faces. Their synthetic blue eyes glowed as their heads swiveled 360 degrees like strobing sirens.

  As they grew closer, I could decipher their chant. “We’re here to see the unfrozen whore, we came to see she’s nevermore.” I covered my eyes as the sound seemed to pierce my soul. The tighter I cupped my ears, the louder the chanting became.

  “Stop!” I shouted. They began snickering with an eerie electronic whistle in their voices.

  “We’re here to see the unfrozen whore, we came to see her nevermore! We come to see this unfrozen whore, we came to see you, wake up.”

  “It’s time to wake up. Let’s go.” One of the android babies stepped out, putting his hand on my shoulder. He disappeared in front of my face as my body shook. My ears began to ring. I opened my eyes.

  “Captain Belic, you’ve overslept,” Xena said casually touching my shoulder. I sprung out of the bed, scampering onto the floor on all fours away from her like a frightened cat, skidding with my back against the wall. “Holy fuck! Stay back!” I yelled, breathing heavily.

  “Is this what they refer to as a nightmare, Captain?” she asked, tilting her head to one side.

  “Yeah. That’s exactly what this is. Whose fucking idea was it to send you for a wakeup call? Huh?” I demanded.

  “Ma’am, Drake was supposed to wake you, but he fell ill. He’s in medical.” She dipped her head slightly.

  “Great. Just great. Listen robot, if anyone ever tells you to come wake me up, don’t do it. Got that?” I ordered.

  “Of course. My apologies, Captain Belic.”

  “Out.” I pointed at the door. Xena dropped her head slightly. It almost seemed she felt guilty for upsetting me. I saw it in her cold blue eyes as they danced around the room briefly. Her actions reminded me of the 1.13 androids on Earth as they would attempt to simulate human emotions. She’d recently argued she had little in common with the old androids from Earth, but this showcased the opposite. Xena stepped toward the exit, then stopped on a dime just before leaving. She stared at me confused.

  “What the fuck do you want?” I asked, standing up.

  “But doesn’t it feel better knowing whatever you were dreaming isn’t real?” she asked.

  I cocked an eyebrow. “Waking up to you in my face isn’t much better.” She spun around and stepped toward the door without a response. She walked out of my room as I listened to her metallic combat boots clank against the floor, slowly fading away. I held my chest.

  “I gotta wake up next to that on my ship? For weeks?” I mumbled. I never liked androids to begin with. Luther and I thought the concept was counterproductive. Machines, while useful, had a limit. How fucking lazy are you that you need something to take out your trash and clean piss droplets off the toilet seat?

  I got the point of an assistant android if you were older or handicapped. That made sense. The problem was many Kelton owners were healthy, young people.

  In the early 2030s, the Keltons started off as sex dolls for old pervs. At first, they weren’t very dynamic, but over the years, they evolved. As their dexterity improved, they were converted to over to the masses, even chore slaves for homeowners.

  It got even weirder from there, many customers wanted their Keltons to be a part of the family. They wanted more emotional ranges, for them to think freely and form opinions. Well, they did, and their opinion of humanity wasn’t favorable, at all.

  But the customer was always right.

  “Captain Belic,” Corvin paged me over the speaker.

  “Yeah!” I yelled.

  “Sorry about that.”

  “About what?” I tested.

  “Using Xena to wake you.”

  “How’d you know that happened? Do you have a hidden camera in here?” I panned around. I wouldn’t put it past them.

  “No, no. Xena informed us you were unhappy—”

  “We’ll talk about it when I see you,” I interrupted.

  “Um, sure. Can you muster back in the hangar in fifteen?” he asked.

  “In twenty, yeah,” I replied.

  He hesitated for a moment before responding. “I’ll see you then.” Truthfully, I wanted to treat him like a general, he just didn’t fit the bill.

  I threw on my maroon military jumpsuit, zipping it slowly. I sat down, zoning off as I laced up my pristine black combat boots.

  I thought about Arania’s bewildered gaze as I shouted at her earlier. She must have made the corr
elation. I was the warmongering Earthling she’d likely read so much about in history, full of irrationality and rage on full display. I hated to fulfill the stereotype, but then again, how could anyone expect me to take this well?

  I made my way to the hangar as Corvin ordered. As I stepped through the connecting terminal, I heard what sounded like commotion in the adjacent tube.

  “This again.” An older woman mumbled beside me. She stared at the fake projection window. I stopped. She shifted her eyes toward me and shook her head. Her hair was mostly gray, with streaks of brown evenly throughout. She looked Native American possibly, with big beautiful dark eyes and light brown skin.

  “What’s the problem?” I asked.

  “Conspiracy activists. Third time in a month they’ve rallied like this.” She rolled her eyes.

  “Conspiracy?”

  “You know, those massive ships around Earth’s moon everyone’s talking about. Some are afraid, but the government keeps assuring there is no fleet, nothing to worry about, they say. Some demand the truth.” She peered at them.

  “What do you think?” I asked. She sighed, shrugging her shoulders.

  “Well, for one, the organizer of this protest is an astrologist. He claims to have seen comet-like objects breaking away from Earth toward Titan recently,” she said.

  “Really? Comets,” I said suspiciously.

  “Android ships. That’s what they’re assuming. But even if it’s true, what could I do?” she asked. I glanced down at the ground.

  “Protest.” I shrugged.

  She chuckled, crossing her arms. “At my age?” At that point, I noticed her outfit. It was a cozy set of gray working overalls. The material reminded me of a layered, interwoven yarn. It was puffy and appeared extremely warm, but it wasn’t easy on the eyes. I got the feeling she was retired.

  “You’re still young,” I said.

  “You think? I’m Earthborn, came over on the original voyage when I was nine,” she said.

  “You’re eighty years old?” I asked. She didn’t look a day over sixty.

  “Just turned eighty-one, yep,” she replied. I glanced down at my watch, I needed to get to the hangar for training, but it felt good to see another Earthling. I wondered if I’d passed by her in the corridors on the Orion.

  “Well, you probably remember some of Earth and the trip over?” I asked.

  “Some things. Yeah, sure do. I remembered my parents were terrified the android conflict would reignite,” she said. I wanted to reveal who I was, but that would only cause more problems for myself.

  “Long time ago. Well, ma’am, it was good talking to you, but I have to get going,” I explained. She grinned, holding her stare at the screen. It seemed her eyes began to drift a thousand miles away.

  I stepped away several paces and her voice erupted again. “Good luck, Captain Belic, we’re counting on you,” she said.

  Her tone was powerful even at her age. I stopped in my tracks for a moment, but I didn’t turn around. She either remembered me or someone told her who I was. I had no rank indicators on my uniform. I stepped forward, gaining distance from her. I noticed Corvin and Drake watching me from afar.

  Drake waved me over with his hand as Corvin stood there with his arms crossed. I picked up the pace toward them. Something wasn’t right. Their body language had changed.

  “Belic.” Corvin nodded.

  “Sleep well?” Drake sneered.

  “You know what, fuck you.” I stabbed my finger at him. “You sent Xena, didn’t you, Drake? You got butt hurt because I called you out yesterday about your role on the mission?” Several people turned around, alerted by my frustration. Drake shook his head and backed away like he was above my antics. He might have been honestly, but I was pissed.

  “Hey! Cut it out!” Corvin knifed his arm between us.

  “Corvin told me to send her.” Drake showed me his palms. They both knew I was uncomfortable with their bot and they send her to wake me up anyway?”

  “He’s right, it was my decision because—”

  “Well, in that case, fuck you, General.” I lifted my eyebrows. Corvin’s nostrils flared out as he attempted to calm himself. He cleared his throat and smiled.

  “Ahem. Look—”

  “No, you look. What’s the deal? Spit it out. What is this about the comets coming from Earth?” I interrupted. I thought maybe it had something to do with that or my outburst with Arania. Maybe they were going to punish me.

  Corvin dipped his head slightly, shifting his eyes at Drake. “Tell her,” he said.

  “Well, first, let me ask. You don’t speak Russian, do you?” Drake asked, dipping close to me.

  “What? No. I might know a few words, why?” I asked. Drake smacked his lips.

  “We didn’t think you did. It was a long shot. Oh well, we have a translator anyway,” he said.

  “For what?”

  “From what we’ve deciphered, a captain of a small Russian freighter. It just broke through earth’s atmosphere and sent a transmission. He said he needed help.” Drake explained. I guessed that had to be the ‘comet’ the astrologist saw breaking away from Earth.

  “Okay. That’s vague. Doesn’t really pertain to our mission, does it?” I asked.

  “Actually, it does. This is an unprecedented opportunity.” Corvin dipped his head, placing his hand under his chin.

  “If we can link up with that vessel, it’s possible we can gather a wealth of intelligence about the androids,” Drake insisted. I gazed off into the distance for a moment.

  “Wait, are you suggesting we scrap our mission to Earth? Is that what this is about?” I asked.

  “We haven’t made any decisions in regard to that, Captain. We don’t even know if we’ll hear from the Russian again or if he’ll have anything valuable,” Corvin said.

  “Basically, what you’re saying is the mission to Earth weighs on how much this random guy knows. What if it’s a setup or misinformation from the androids?” I said. I could hear the protesters getting closer. They were chanting something, but I couldn’t make it out yet.

  “We’ll put Xena on the job. She’ll be able to tell us if it’s a fake,” Corvin replied. I knew where I stood in that moment. Seemed obvious that if this Russian had valuable information, the mission to Earth was fucked. My chance of finding Luther, gone.

  Corvin turned, peering down the hall. I could faintly make out the chanting now. “No more lies or Titan will rise!” The group repeated over and over. I stared a hole through Corvin as he glanced at the floor.

  “Corvin,” I said. I slowly stepped within a dozen centimeters of his face. He leaned on his back foot, off put by my position. Drake scratched his head awkwardly.

  “Uh, yes?” Corvin replied.

  “Let me be frank. From the moment I woke up here, my first breath, I wanted my husband back,” I said.

  “Belic, I don’t pretend to understand how traumatic this situation has been for you.” He lifted his eyebrows. I locked my eyes on him before he shifted away briefly, pretending to be distracted by the protesters.

  “Do you have a wife?” I asked.

  “What?”

  “Are you married? I see you have ring on,” I observed.

  “Yes-yes. Twenty-one years.”

  “See. Your world is here. Even if the androids come, you die together, at least. I don’t even get that luxury. I’m left spinning in the void of the unknown. How would you feel?” I posed. We were suddenly surrounded by the crowd of protesters as they chanted. They walked right beside us, bumping into me and Corvin slightly as I locked my eyes into his.

  “My point is, you aided in this, my misery. Somehow or another you’re connected to them waking me up, refitting my ship, my AI. All this was planned a long time ago. You, at the very least, knew about it.”

  “That’s completely ridiculous and you know it, Captain. They woke you because the doctors felt good about the chances of saving you,” he said.

  “Right. Just like they te
ll these people there’s no android threat? Meanwhile, there are four hundred heavy destroyers practicing bombing runs on Earth’s moon. I’m sure that’s going on for the hell of it, right?” I asked.

  “Keep your voice down. These are civilians, Captain. Hearing a military official talk like that could be detrimental to our way of life.” He leaned in.

  I leaned in closer. “They can’t hear me. I’m telling you, sailor to soldier. I’m not onboard with you using my skill sets unless I have a chance to retrieve my husband. Understand that.” I raised an eyebrow.

  “That’s a threat,” Corvin said.

  “When you hint we might not be going to Earth, I consider that a threat,” I said, stabbing my finger at his chest. At that point, a protester walked between us, nudging me away from Corvin.

  Drake tugged me at my shoulder, “Captain, please, let’s go to the briefing room, the Russian translator should be done by now,” he said.

  “Uh-huh.” I glanced at Drake. Corvin turned his back on me, stepping away with his hands on his hips. He glanced up at the ceiling. I followed Drake toward the hangar bay and stopped, allowing him to step ahead of me as I cooled off.

  Corvin’s reaction was further proof he was involved with my situation somehow. I wasn’t sure how this revelation was beneficial to me, but at least I knew. If I continued down this path to unravel the truth, how would it help my chances to find Luther?

  I peered inside the meeting room to the left of the hangar. It reminded me of an attorney’s office; twelve, huge comfy chairs surrounded a dark gray table. Xena stood in the corner with her arms crossed, gazing ahead at nothing.

  Two middle aged men I didn’t recognize were already seated inside. One of them wore a three-piece business suit with a blood red tie. He reminded me of a Wall Street type, with an overpriced slicked back haircut with thinning white hairs curled up at the back.

  He wore rectangle shaped reading glasses. He had a wide face with high cheekbones, and his eyebrows seemed fixed downward as he scanned across a tablet in front of him.