The seemingly-ancient machine creaked one knee forward and then the next and then the first again. Emerged from the closet, it scanned the room (figuratively speaking, sparks leaked from its temple when it tried to use an actual scanner) and rested its eyes back on Aaron and Tulia again.
DESDINE: You appear confused. I can only assume
that you do not know my master. Disappointing.
I had hoped you would. I cannot seem to remember
his face. I will have to check the vessel's log.
The rusted assembly takes a couple of steps more and draws a cable from beneath its chin and plugs into the central holographic table. The projector illuminates a moment into a film of static and then the next shows Desdine being thrown back into the closet he was just found and his owner bleeding on the holographic table itself. After a blink of static there are medics withdrawing the fat human from the common area on a stretcher. Another blink, Kanon and Ellan are running through the room to steal the ship.
DESDEINE: What a shame. It appears my former master
is deceased. Then I was absconded. No wonder you
have no recollection of him. I can only assume that
you must have procured this craft by legitimate means.
Successive thefts without being reactivated would
be very strange indeed.
Aaron and Tulia exchange glances.
AARON: Do you remember anything else?
DESDINE: I have the vague notion that this has happened before.
That I have been exchanged on numerous occasions. But all my
various owners bleeeed together. I suppose it is too much to hope
that anyone knows what has befallen them. I am programed with
search and destroy capability and not personal defense, after all.
I'm afraid the fate of many of those who have come before you
entail a long line of misapplication of my abilities.
AARON: Would you please excuse us?
DESDINE: Certainly. I must run analysis
on the current state of things.
TULIA: Just... stand there.
DESDINE: I shall entertain all reasonable instructions
until proof of sale is presented as to who has
proper authority over my programming.
(Aside)
TULIA: He cannot stay with us.
DESDINE: Why not?
They go a little further into the hall
and out of sight around the corner.
TULIA: That thing just might be
the mother of all assassin drones.
DESDINE: I am no one's mother.
AARON: We need to think of something other
than engaging in a firefight onboard ship.
Desdine steps into view.
DESDINE: Warning. Self-preservation protocols engaged.
I recommend inclusion in the discussion.
TULIA: Include this. What do you know about
the army of assassin robots running around?
DESDINE: Insufficient data.
AARON: They all look like you.
DESDINE: Look like me?
Impossible. I am unique.
TULIA: Aren't we all?
DESDINE: Can you offer proof
of these replicas?
Safe rolls forward and lights a small
movie projection on the wall that shows
them fleeing the black vault station.
DESDINE: Incredible.
AARON: So you really know nothing
about these machines?
DESDINE: I am... embarrassed. Ashamed. Naked.
My blueprints must be over half the solar cluster!
Oh, woe is me! Who could have done this to me?
How long must I have been asleep? How many owners
did I miss out on their contracts? My value will
be completely deflated because of this.
Aaron studies Desdine a moment while the machine
studies the movie projection and makes as if to
speak into his ear.
AARON: And they don't appear
to answer to anyone.
DESDINE: Impossible. Blasphemous. That would be
robbing our creator. We were made to serve.
Whether the creator or whomever the creator
derives profit from selling us to.
TULIA: Who was your creator?
DESDINE: I... do not remember.
I suspect... that I have not remembered
for some time now. Tell me, you look
like an unassuming human.
What shall become of me?
I am worse than alone.
I have become ad nauseam.
AARON: I couldn't say, uh...
DESDINE: Desdine.
AARON: Hello, Desdine.
DESDINE: Salutations, master.
TULIA: What? Why him?
DESDINE: You as well, mistress.
TULIA: Hold on. I don't
give up as easy as you.
DESDINE: I am unsuited to being a
free agent. I demand new protocols!
VALORY: What's going on?
Erupting a brief shower of sparks, Desdine casts
a red scanning beam over Esben and Valory together.
His vision glitches and his scanner mistakes them for a single entity.
DESDINE: Unknown lifeforms detected!
I will protect you masters. I will prove
myself to you.
Desdine proceeds to steal one of Aaron's pistols and
Aaron wrestles the metal arm in vain, which easily
ignores his pulls.
Tulia draws her own weapon and fires pointblank into Desdine's midsection, which releases
a new shower of sparks. The machine glances down at its side and backhands Tulia with his right free hand, which sends her reeling and she lands unconscious. In the same instant Safe reaches a probe into Desdine's back, which begins to download something and Desdine's eyes shutoff.
Esben roars and raises his sword in a charge. He does not realize or quite possibly doesn't care that Desdine has been shutdown and rendered about as much of a threat as a manikin. He tackles Desdine to the ground, sliding back into the common room, and slices across the face and body to no avail.
The next moment, Desdine's lifeless body is being placed on the loading ramp by Esben and Aaron. Two walls rise up on the side of the loading ramp and a door seals between them to make a temporary airlock. The ramp opens and Desdine is unceremoniously jettisoned into space.
PREVIOUS NEXT
No comments:
Post a Comment