"WHAT’S HE DOIN’?" A SCRUFFY LOOKING MAN IN RUSTY HALF STEEL ARMOR ASKS GLANCING AT HIS EYE PATCHED PARTNER.

"OH? HE’S STILL DOING IT?" THE OTHER SAYS SQUINTING HIS EYES TO SEE IN THE DIMMING LIGHT OF THE STREET.

"STILL?" THE FIRST RETURNS IN CURIOUS SURPRISE. "WHAT’D YA MEAN?"

"OH, NO, WELL HE WAS STANDING THERE FOR AWHILE. WE THOUGHT HE WANTED TO GO INSIDE BUT I DON'T KNOW WHAT HE’S DOING NOW."

"HE’S JUST… BUMPIN’ INTO THE WALL OVER AND OVER. IS HE DRUNK?"

AGAIN THE PERSON IN QUESTION TOOK A STEP TO STEADY HIMSELF BEFORE STEPPING FORWARD AGAIN, ONLY TO BUMP THE WALL WITH HIS FOREHEAD AND RETURN TO THE STEADYING STANCE. THIS SEEMED TO REPEAT ENDLESSLY. PROMPTING A CHUCKLE FROM THE TWO MEN.

AND IT LIKELY WOULD REPEAT. SO HIS PROGRAMMING REALLY GOES THAT DEEP. IT’S STILL ACTIVE EVEN NOW. HE EITHER NEEDS TO ACCIDENTALLY TURN OR HAVE AN OUTSIDE FORCE CORRECT HIS BEHAVIOR. IDEALLY THE LATTER, IT COULD TAKE MONTHS BEFORE HE FIGURES OUT TO TURN HIS BODY.

I KNEW THIS WAS A MISTAKE. HE DOESN’T UNDERSTAND EVEN BASIC CONCEPTS. EVEN WALKING IS TURNING OUT TO BE A DISASTER. ALTHOUGH IT IS IMPRESSIVE THAT HE ISN’T FALLING OVER SIMPLY FROM STANDING ON TWO FEET. JUST GOES TO SHOW THE PERFECTION OF THE HUMAN BODY. I’LL HAVE TO GIVE HR A RAISE.

THE TWO MEN WHO HAD BEEN GAWKING AT THE POOR CONFUSED AI SUDDENLY BOLTED TO ATTENTION AT THE SIGHT OF A SOLDIER WALKING PROUDLY IN THE DISTANCE. THE SOLDIER IN QUESTION GLANCED AT THEM WITH A COCKED EYEBROW.

"ROYCE, HIGGINS?"

"YES MA’AM?" THEY ANSWER IN UNISON PLACING A FIST TO THEIR HEART.

"I’VE SAID BEFORE, NOT MA’AM. ADDRESS ME BY RANK AS YOU WOULD ANY OTHER RANKED OFFICER."

"YES LIEUTENANT SECTION COMMANDER!" THEY ANSWER CORRECTING THEIR EARLIER SALUTE WITH ANOTHER STRONGER ONE.

EACH MAN WORRIED SLIGHTLY IN THEIR HEARTS WEATHER THEY WOULD STILL HOLD A POST TOMORROW BUT SIMULTANEOUSLY THEY HOPED THE RUMORS OF HER ACTUALLY BEING BENEVOLENT WERE TRUE.

WITH TWIN GULPS THEY MAINTAINED THE SALUTE AS SHE EYED THEM AND THEIR SURROUNDINGS.

"CAN I ASK WHY YOU ARE POSTED OUTSIDE ARGUABLY THE SAFEST BUILDING IN TOWN?"

"AH MA’… LIEUTENANT SECTION COMMANDER WOULDN’T YOU SAY THE FORT IS THE SAFES…"

"I MEAN WHAT I SAID AND YOU KNOW AS WELL AS I IT'S TRUE. BUT THAT'S NOT THE ANSWER TO MY QUESTION."

"WE WERE JUST…"

"LIEING TO A SUPERIOR OFFICER IS CONSIDERED PERJURY YOU KNOW?"

"OF COURSE WE KNOW." ROYCE SAYS NUDGING HIS PARTNER TO COME CLEAN.

"I APOLOGIZE IT WAS MY IDEA. I KILLED SQUIRRELS WHILE ON DUTY SO I HOPED TO SELL THE PELTS AT THE…"

THE WELL ARMORED WOMAN COUGHED TO INSERT A QUICK CORRECTION. "SQUIRREL BEASTS."

"RIGHT, WE KILLED SOME SQUIRREL BEASTS SO I HOPED TO…"

"I GET IT. WHY YOU WANTED TO SELL THE PELTS WHILE ON DUTY IS BEYOND ME, AND I ASSUME YOU ARE ALSO AWARE OF THE FACT THAT IT IS ILLEGAL TO WORK AS BOTH A GUARD AND ADV…"

"I’M NOT. JUST SELLING THE PELTS. I DON’T HAVE A…"

"YOU DON’T HAVE TO BE REGISTERED TO BE AN ADVENTURER. EVEN MY SIX YEAR OLD NIECE KNOWS THAT MUCH." THE MEN'S EYES WIDENED AT HER WORDS BUT SHE AGAIN COUGHED TO INDICATE SHE WASN’T FINISHED. "HOWEVER YOU ARE CORRECT THIS IS A LOOPHOLE. IN FACT IT EXISTS ON PURPOSE. I DOUBT YOU TWO ARE INTERESTED IN HISTORY THOUGH. WELL JUST BE MORE CAREFUL. NEXT TIME IT MIGHT NOT BE ME INSPECTING THIS ROUTE."

"YES MA’AM." THE MEN REPLIED WITH A SALUTE. THEY QUICKLY REALIZED THEIR MISTAKE AND CORRECTED FOR IT WITH THE MOUTHFUL OF FOREIGN WORDS.

"BY THE WAY. ARE YOU BULLYING THAT GUY?" SHE ASKED GLANCING AT THE AI WHO REMAINED STUCK IN AN ENDLESS LOOP.

"NO! NO. HE’S JUST DOING THAT. I THINK HE’S DRUNK. WE WERE WORRIED ACTUALLY. WE WERE ABOUT TO GO CHECK ON HIM, MAYBE TAKE HIM TO THE DRUNK TANK TO SOBER UP A BIT."

"RIGHT, RIGHT. DON'T WANT HIM HURTING HIMSELF." HIGGINS ADDS, PROMPTED BY ROYCE’S WORDS.

"HMM, WELL YOU TWO HAVE DONE ENOUGH. CARRY ON YOUR ROUTE I WILL SEE WHATS GOING ON WITH HIM."

"YES LIEUTENANT COMMANDER!" THEY BOTH SAY WITH A THIRD OR FOURTH SALUTE.

"SECTION COMMANDER BUT CLOSE ENOUGH." SHE MUTTERS UNDER HER BREATH AS SHE STEPS ACROSS THE ROAD TOWARDS THE PRESUMED DRUNK AI.

SHE COUGHED UNDER HER BREATH AFTER HE FAILED TO NOTICE HER APPROACH. SHE KNEW THAT SHE HAD AN IMPOSING ATMOSPHERE SO FOR HIM NOT TO NOTICE EITHER MEANT HE WAS VERY DRUNK OR VERY STRONG MENTALLY. EVEN TWO HARDENED GUARDS SHOOK IN THEIR BOOTS AT THEIR MUCH SHORTER SUPERIOR.

SHE FELT IT WAS BOTH A GIFT AND A CURSE. PEOPLE WOULDN’T APPROACH HER WITH MALINTENT, BUT LIKEWISE, THEY WOULDN'T APPROACH WITH FRIENDLY INTENT EITHER. AND IT WASN'T BECAUSE SHE HAD AN INTIMIDATING APPEARANCE, THE OPPOSITE IN FACT, HER APPEARANCE AND POSITION WERE COMPLETE OPPSITES. SHE DIDN'T RESEMBLE SOMEONE YOU WOULD EXPECT TO FIND IN THE MILITARY.

AFTER A THIRD AND FOURTH COUGH WENT UNNOTICED SHE EXTENDED A HAND TO THE BOY BEFORE HESITATING WHEN SHE GLANCED AT HIS FACE. HE LOOKED COMPLETELY EMOTIONLESS.

LOGICALLY SO, BUT SHE KNEW NOTHING ABOUT THE FACT THAT HE TRULY WAS EMPTY INSIDE.

SHE FELT LIKE SHE HAD SEEN THE LOOK ON HER OWN FACE BEFORE, BACK WHEN MIRRORS WEREN’T A LUXURY.

"HEY ARE YOU ALRIGHT?" SHE FINALLY ASKS BREAKING THROUGH HER HESITATION AND GRABBING AHOLD OF HIS SHOULDER.

THE AI FOLLOWED HER PULL AND SMOOTHLY TURNS TOWARDS HER. IT DIDN’T REPLY. IT PROBABLY COULDN’T. EVEN WITH A DICTIONARY, FORMING A SENTENCE IS INFINETLY COMPLEX FOR A COMPUTER SYSTEM, NOT TO MENTION THE ADDED DIFFICULTY OF LEARNING TO CREATE SOUNDS WITH VOCAL CHORDS.

I SHOULD HAVE TAKEN MORE TIME TEACHING HIM BEFORE I SENT HIM OUT. BUT IT'S NOT LIKE I COULD PUT HIM IN A TEST BODY. HE JUST HAS TO LEARN ON THE FLY.

"HEY? HELLO? ANYONE IN THERE?" SHE WAVED A HAND IN FRONT OF THE AI’S FACE.

AGAIN SHE RECEIVED NO RESPONSE.

"A MUTE OR…" SHE MUMBLED TO HERSELF. "GUGAN TRERARS IYUNDIER? OR MAYBE… UM… KYOU’KE TI’KI’KO DO’UIN"

SHE STUDIED THE AI’S FACE LOOKING FOR SOME REACTION. AFTER RECEIVING NONE SHE FROWNED, MUTTERING SOMETHING ABOUT DIANNA KNOWING MORE LANGUAGES THAN HER.

AFTER RECOVERING FROM THE SADNESS OF PUTTING HERSELF DOWN, THE GIRL GLANCED UP AND DOWN THE AI’S BODY. A FEW SMUDGES OF DIRT LAY ON THE SURFACE BUT OVERALL IT WAS EASY TO TELL THE MATERIAL WAS BRAND NEW.

"THOSE ARE EXPENSIVE CLOTHES. IF YOU STAY OUT HERE ALL NIGHT YOU WILL GET MUGGED OR WORSE." THE GIRL SIGHS AS SHE GLANCES AROUND THE DESERTED ROAD. "WELL YOU SEEM TO HAVE A MONEY POUCH SO LET ME SHOW YOU TO THE INN."

SHE GRABBED THE AI’S WRIST, PULLING HIM IN THE DIRECTION OF THE INN. THE TOWN CONSISTED OF A SINGLE MAIN ROAD SO ARRIVING WOULDN’T TAKE LONG. NOT THAT THE AI HELPED MAKE THE TRIP ANY FASTER. OCCASIONALLY HE WOULD RANDOMLY STEP BACKWARDS.

THIS IS LIKELY A LEARNED BEHAVIOR FROM THE EARLIER EXPERIENCE WALKING. ITS POSSIBLE HE THINKS HE NEEDS TO STEP BACK TO BRACE HIMSELF EVERY COUPLE OF STEPS OR ELSE HE WILL HIT A WALL. IT'S EVEN POSSIBLE THAT HE IS COMPLETELY BLIND. OR BETTER YET HE LIKELY CAN BARELY USE ANY OF HIS SENSES. HE NEEDS TO FIND A WAY TO UNDERSTAND THE SIGNALS HE’S RECEIVING FROM HIS EYES, EARS, AND EVERYWHERE ELSE.

PUT SIMPLY, HE NEEDS A MAJOR DRIVERS UPDATE.

"HEY, CUT IT OUT." THE GIRL PULLING ON THE AI’S WRIST SAYS AS HE ONCE AGAIN STEPS BACK IN ORDER TO CORRECT HIS STEPS. THE WARNING GOES UNHEARD AS AFTER A HALF DOZEN STEPS HE AGAIN STEPS BACK YANKING ON HER HAND. "STOP!"

THE AI FINALLY RESPONDS. STOPPING MOVEMENT ENTIRELY AND LOOKING AT HER WITH ALMOST HALF-INTEREST.

THE GIRL, NOTICING THE CHANGE IN HIS EXPRESSION WATCHES HIM CAREFULLY. THE ATTENTION IN HIS EYES AGAIN GOES BLANK AFTER A MOMENT AND HE MOUTHS A FEW EMPTY WORDS.

"DID YOU JUST TRY TO SAY SOMETHING?" SHE ASKS, EYES WIDENING IN SURPRISE. SHE THOUGHT HIM DEAF AND DUMB SO THIS SUDDEN OCCURRENCE FELT LIKE A MINI-MIRACLE. "COME ON, COME ON. TRY AGAIN."

"TR…" HE BEGINS COUGHING OUT THE SOUND WITH EFFORT.

THE GIRL WINCES BUT IT ONLY SHOWS ON HER FACE FOR A MOMENT.

"HE…"

"SA…"

"…ET…"

"I DON’T… WHAT ARE YOU TRYING TO SAY… IT JUST SOUND LIKE NOTHING. I’M SORRY I DON’T THINK I KNOW THE LANGUA…"

THE AI, UNAWARE, OR UNCONCERNED WITH HER WORDS AGAIN ANALYZES THE SOUNDS ITS HEARD SO FAR. COMBINING THEM WITH ASSOCIATED RULES PICKED UP IN THE CONVERSATIONS EARLIER.

EVENTUALLY DESPITE THE GIRLS CONTINUOUS ATTEMPTS TO DECIPHER THE SOUNDS THAT THE AI HAD TESTED EARLIER HE SPOKE AGAIN.

"PERHAPS IF YOU WERE SPEAKING TRAIER THEN…"

"RESET." THE AI SAYS IN A CLEAR SLIGHTLY GRAVELY VOICE.

WITH THE WORD SAID THE AI SHUTS ITS EYES AND DROPPED ITS HEAD FOR A MOMENT. IT THEN SHAKES ITS HEAD AND CAREFULLY SCANS THE ENVIRONMENT.

WITH THE EYES LANDING ON THE LIEUTENANT SECTION COMMANDER STARING AT HIM AGAPE HE NODS TO HER BLANKLY WITHOUT A WORD.

"WHAT WAS THAT? WHAT DID YOU JUST SAY? WHY’D YOU SAY THAT? OF ALL THE WORDS WHY THAT ONE?" SHE LOOKS EXASPERATED TRYING TO DECIPHER THE CODE WITHIN HIS WORD. EVENTUALLY SHE SHRUGS IT OFF AND AGAIN YANKS HIS WRIST TOWARDS THE INN.

SHE DIDN’T NOTICE THAT THE LIMP IN HIS GAIT WAS GONE, OR THE EMBER OF LIGHT THAT APPEARED WITHIN HIS EYES.