Ethan

Freedom!

By that I mean that I am free to roam this lab on my own two legs, feels like centuries since I last walked, if you pardon the pun.

Virgil is opposed to me going about my business and leaving this place, and I agree because I have a few issues with my current predicament.

First, I need to grasp how much gas there’s in my tank and how much it lasts me on a normal operating day.

Second I need to figure out where I am, since it is clear I am nowhere near Earth, at least I hope so.

I tried various things in the various labs in quest of clues and the results are disheartening.

The terminals were tied to Virgil, so they don't react to my prodding.

Half of the instruments here don't work or are broken, and for those that do well, I certainly have no idea how to operate them.

Virgil could help but I am not in the mood for other technical stuff, so I concentrate on what I know best: survival.

First: my resources.

I finally managed to understand how the menu works, and I managed to convince Virgil to create a status screen to recap everything I know.

Status online Remaining power: 87% Damage none Drones online 11 regular, 10 carrier Drone count/limit 21/1200 Signal radius conversion error

I don't know why Virgil insisted on pointing out that I'm alive, but outside of that, I am satisfied.

The limit tracks, there were enough recharging stations to hold a big battalion, considering the damage I’d say we can host a couple of companies, maybe three making turns with recharging.

Not that I intend to raise that many zombies but it’s good to know anyway.

There seems to be a limit to the signal I can emit apparently so the drones are kind of bound to a certain range.

What range? I have no idea what kind of measure Virgil uses, and if all this building material around will dampen the signal in the first place.

There’s also the little inconvenience that we still need to eat and drink, and I mean even the drone zombies by we.

Nothing too outlandish like an appetite for brains like I feared, regular rations seem to suffice but I will need to resupply those.

We have about a week, maybe two of food left by the previous occupants of the laboratory.

I set up a perimeter sending two drones to each access point and then I send the four remaining up the stair to explore anyway.

I’m roughly guessing the range, so I let the drones have a signal power on display to mind so they don’t end out of range.

“Warning! Sentient life encountered.”

The metallic warning from Virgil’s voice snaps me out of my mulling.

I concentrate on the correct menu option, and Virgil shares with me the viewpoints of the drones on recon.

That's some big furry thing right there... A lean feline form with little fur and long pointed ears that aren't cat-like, more like an elf.

I get a notion popping in my head, the name of an alien species with her features: Versel.

I don’t have time to analyze in full detail as the girl manages to fully stand up, she could be what, 5.5 maybe?

Whoa, there you’re messed up quite badly lady… you should lie down and you need new clothes.

“Warning. Hostile action pattern detected. Engaging predicting logic module.”

I panic as the big feline pulls her claws out and I feel Virgil shifting into fucking war mode instantly.

-Don’t kill her!-

I manage just in time as one drone dodges the pounce with an unexpected agility and it and the others materialize blades of red light.

The feline lady staggers and falls to the ground panting.

“Ethan=illogical. Biological life= hostile. Hostile life= threat. Objective= eliminate the threat.”

-Don’t you dare give me that crap Virgil! Come on look at her. She’s wounded, naked, and alone. What kind of threat does she represent?!-

I shout in anger to the void knowing that the machine would be listening even if I whispered it.

“Threat assessment.”

The machine chimes calculating for a few seconds too long for my taste as the alien struggles to lift her weight.

“Treat = none.” Concludes Virgil “Biological life still attempting combat. Please provide the correct set of instructions.”

The drones manage to effortlessly dodge a claw swipe as I argue with Virgil.

-There’s no fucking correct sect of … oh for the love of God, can’t drones talk?- I ask frustrated.

“Negative. Talking is unnecessary. Ethan= exception: time restraints”

-Well I thank your creators for trying to murder you so I can fucking talk! Talking is quite fundamental. I mean it’s not like we have a light-speed connection… oh no! Don’t you fucking dare!-

I realize mid-sentence what mode Virgil has switched to, integration, this crazy machine wants to make a drone out of the big cat lady.

-Listen, shape the light into a net, use two drones to capture her alive, and bring her here, unharmed and still fully cat, please. I will talk to her. You can translate alien right?-

Virgil

“Ethan = illogical”

Virgil responds straightforwardly, asking why going so far as to create a defense to protect against biological life forms only to let one into the protected quarters.

Even though Virgil is one with Ethan, Ethan indicated that Virgil would not understand.

Isn't he aware that the aim is already clear because he thinks about it?

He wants to question the Versel.

All Virgil is doing is questioning the logic behind it, because none can be seen.

Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

The Versel is hostile, even if not a threat; forcing it to submit wouldn't guarantee an answer.

The Versel is trying to engage despite its wounds and lack of means of delivering damage.

Ethan calls it desperation, but Virgil thinks it's more like folly.

He's oddly amused by the correction, saying it's sometimes the same thing.

Virgil claims that integrating the Versel would be easier since biological information would be absorbed without the possibility of the Versel lying.

Ethan knows and accepts the rationale of the Versel's possible deception, but he rejects the prospect of incorporation into Virgil.

He goes as far as stating that integration is the same as using force to gather information!

Virgil sees the assertion as totally preposterous.

Integration not only would heal the Versel, but it would also make the Versel better, there are no drawbacks to integrating!

Virgil doesn’t understand, there is doubt inside Ethan's sub-processes, and even Ethan doesn’t think his plans will work.

Still, Ethan proceeds, even considering failure as an option.

There is now a 100% possibility that Ethan will never fully make sense to Virgil’s current code.

Virgil's code needs to adapt, this could be problematic if it continues, there is logic in doing an experiment and seeing it fail.

It provides data on how the experiment failed, and if there’s room for improvement.

The Versel’s capture proceeds smoothly and the biological is brought back to the laboratory.

There is something Ethan sees that Virgil currently doesn’t, something that could change Virgil's outlook on the experiment.

Virgil awaits to see how Ethan will conduct his experiment.

Ethan

So we've got our first "willing" guest, the drones have sealed her off in the room, and I've recovered the only weapon we have.

I'm not sure if the cat lady had been seriously hurt or if her battle aggravated her wounds.

Her fur is entirely smeared with blood, and her attempts are becoming increasingly weak by the minute.

If I want to keep her alive, I might have to go with Virgil's suggestion, assuming it doesn't transform her into a mindless zombie in the first place.

I'd like to try to heal her conventionally, but I'm not even sure where to begin.

I don't have a medical degree, but I know enough to be capable of “politely questioning” someone; if I can bring a body beyond the breaking point, I'm sure I can fix one.

The only issue I see is the different biology since she is an alien and I am a human. Sort of.

Luckily Virgil has some data on this species, and on how their biology works, so if need be, I will endure the transfer knowing all that I need to know before causing too much damage.

Virgil has confirmed that it cannot provide me with X-ray vision to see her skeleton, but it can perform ECGs and ultrasounds.

The challenge is persuading the large cat to comply, as either the translator is malfunctioning or she is simply howling and growling.

I sigh, giving a mental signal to the carrier drones to begin the procedures needed to integrate and enter the chamber where I had the drones confine her.

She pounces, and although I was able to, I don't evade; I let her claws clash on my armor, to no particular damage.

I catch her with my still biological arm before she falls to the ground, she is very light.

She yelps, flailing, trying to run but my arm holds her firmly and she doesn’t even manage to pierce my skin with her claws.

According to the data she is malnourished, and the corridors upward were empty and abandoned. Was she left here to starve?

-Lady, you should calm down-

She seems to focus a little and goes predictably for the rifle, and I simply let her go and will the red light to emerge from my mechanical arm and restrain her.

- Can you understand me? Do I make sense to you? Can you speak?-

-I have nothing to say to a bottom feeder.-

She hisses trying to break the restraints to no avail, I push her back and free her again.

If I could I would frown, but my face is now a metal slate with four cameras that act like eyes.

-Name’s Ethan. Bottom feeder, is that your way to call humans?- I ask genuinely hoping that is so.

-LIAR- She shouts erupting soon after into a fit of coughs that make her spit blood.

I believe the carrier drones will have to pick up the slack here.

-Yeah I don’t look anywhere near human, do I? But I assure you that somewhere under the metal there is a human. The Granfi did some numbers on me.-

She looks at me again, I wave my still biological arm caring to move my five fingers to make her notice the obvious difference between me and the clawed monstrosities.

-You are using cybernetic implants?-

I smiled, not sure of this fact, and looked at the exposed area of my arm, practically the only non-metallic part of my being I can see.

-Is this something common?-

I ask curiously, pointing to the rest, hoping to get this out of the way so we can get to the healing part before she collapses and I have to take the shots for her.

-Oh no you’re way too exotic. No sane person would swap their heads. And yours are way too extensive. Then again, that would prove you are a human, your whole specie is insane.- she grunts disgusted by me now.

It’s funny to be considered insane just because I am human, exactly what have my compatriots done to earn the moniker?

-it's a pity because then you are not a “real” human.- She adds hissing.

-Well, sorry, I am undoubtedly a human, just thawed and placed here. The whole thing isn't my idea, but I have to work with what I've got.-

I point to the metallic stuff that encases my body before continuing

-I'd like to ask you a lot of questions about pretty much anything, but you have a lot of injuries. I can heal you, just allow me to perform a medical check-

She growls once more but still hesitates to go along with the plans, which I took as an answer.

-I have a third way if you want to speed things up - I wave the rifle at her.

-I would much rather stay alive, thank you! That's why I said you people are insane! Nobody in their right mind would threaten a wounded stranger with death if she refused to be healed-she hisses.- are you a human medic? I heard tales of your caste-

She pulls back and eventually settles in a corner of the room where she remains still looking very doubtful.

I give a mental command on the interface, a brief while later one of the drones comes inside with a chair and I pass the rifle to the thing as it exits.

-I'm not really a medic, but this thing can perform medical scans. At least I can tell you how fucked you are.-

She makes a few grimaces but rises from her corner and sits down and looks at me expectantly.

At least I believe it’s an expectant look, I am not exactly an expert on reading cats.

-Can I ask one thing before you start?-

I give her a short chuckle in response nodding.

-Have you ever done this?- she asks meekly

-Nope. You're the second alien I meet. - I reply naturally.

She looks up at me with a confused look. - Alien?!- She asks

-I mean not from Earth-

I explain but she doesn’t look exactly enlightened, quite the contrary she tenses up again.

-Relax, I have some knowledge of your species, enough not to kill you at least-

She bites her tongue trying to stifle a groan, I bet she's cursing my poor attempt to humor her on the inside. The problem being I was serious.

She gestures to herself and I proceed to touch her with my mechanical arm and I let Virgil do its things with an ultrasound scan of her body.

I swear I could hear gears whirring softly as Virgil reprogrammed the neural interface in the arm.

This is going to be trickier than I originally thought, but at least is painless for me and her.

"Biological damage= critical. Human's equivalent of spleen damaged. Ribs fractured. Internal bleeding exceeds the projected ability to self-heal. Warning: projected hypovolemic shock. Five hours thirty minutes five seconds countdown to predicted death initiated. Secondary condition detected: deep cuts. Bruises. Dehydration. Malnutrition. Non-vital organs damage.”

I wish Virgil was lying to me, but I can kind of see the damage myself, there's no way I can try to heal her with what I have on hand.

I am glad I gave the carrier drones some time to prepare, this doesn't look good at all.

I realize one possible implication of the blood loss, the beating, the half-naked status and I try to steer my mind off the wave of rage surging.

Luckily I have the perfect poker face since I have no face to show.

-I am sorry, you seem to have escaped from a very bad place.-

I pause giving her time to elaborate or speak, but she simply nods.

-You are dying. I don’t have the medical equipment to save you, as you currently are that is.-

She appears surprised, scared, confused, and maybe all the above at the same time.

-why? How?- She asks clarifying that I was on the mark with her experiencing all the emotions at the same time.

- There is internal bleeding.- I reply -This facility was not designed to care for the living. I don't have the supplies I'd need to perform a transfusion. But I can force you to live- She frowns confused.

-I can make you become a machine. Sort of. Don’t ask the details I can’t explain.-

I pause lending her time to speak, but for all I can understand confusion only intensifies, damn whiskers!

-I can't guarantee it won't hurt. I was in cryosleep when this was done to me. Once it's done, there's no turning back and you will be bound to me. I can’t guarantee you aren't going to regret it. However, you will survive.-

-What are you asking me?- she finally asks confused.- Wait, did you say cryosleep? That’s old technology!-

-Yeah I am old thank you for reminding me of that. But that means I slept a lot not that I have a lot of experience. What am I asking? Hum… do you want to live as a robot of sorts or die?-

I mentally hold Virgil’s protests back as she thinks, before shaking her head and puffing, probably surrendering to the inability to comprehend. I feel ya sister.

-Do you hate slavery?- she asks -With a passion.- I reply without even needing to think.

-I have people that I care for here on this planet held in slavery. Swear to me that whatever you’ll do to me will help me free them.-

I chuckle – Girl, help me get my bearing and I will make sure to end slavery on this planet. And that’s a promise.-

-Lemela- She points to herself, and I nod, and I give the green light to the carrier drones.

She appears confused by the appearance of the spidery drones, as they carry metal and stuff into the room.

Virgil simply jolts her unconscious before beginning the procedure, well so much for anesthetics, at the least she doesn't seem to feel the operations done on her.

“Personality construct found. Executing integration protocol. Warning! Same-level integration= not possible. Initiating collective protocol.”

I focus on Virgil -what?-

“Interface upgrade necessary. Virtual reality upgrade necessary. System upgrade applied. Rebooting.”

Replies the machine as I feel the processor working silently and every interface shuts down leaving me truly alone in the room as I struggle to comprehend what just went wrong.