Vas was standing next to General Jordan with his arms crossed. “They’ve been at it for over six hours. She’s exhausted.”
Jordan grunted.
The outer room they occupied was as bleak and boring as the interrogation room in front of them, only much darker. A thin strip of lights along the floor was all they had for illumination. The two men were watching the proceedings through a large one-way mirror.
“Sir, he’s treating her like an enemy.”
“Lieutenant Marcus is a trained interrogator. He’s good at his job.”
“Would General Ito approve of this?”
“General Ito doesn’t like it, Captain Vas, but she approved it,” Jordan said. “As did Miss Reyer. She volunteered for this.”
“For this? He’s badgering her!” A moment later, Adan added, “Sir.”
“She knew what she was getting into. You think she doesn’t know what happens in an interrogation? You think she doesn’t know what real torture is? Put a band-aid on that bleeding heart of yours, Captain. It’s dribbling all over the floor.”
“She doesn’t deserve it.”
“I’ve known her longer than you have, Captain Vas.”
“With all due respect, General, what does that have to do with anything?”
“Do you think I would be allowing this if I didn’t believe it was important? I know what she’s been through. I know she doesn’t deserve this. And I know she can handle it.”
Both men turned their attention back to the interrogation.
“However,” Jordan said, “I do think they’ll need a break soon.”
The door behind them opened and shut again. The general looked back long enough to identify the figure that had stumbled into the room.
“Mr. Vas,” General Jordan said, “don’t you ever knock?”
“Not usually, sir.” The young man made his way over to his brother. “You wanted me to tell you when Lynx was back online? He’s ready for you.”
“Thank you, Ciro.” Adan’s eyes hadn’t left Reyer.
“Still at it, huh?” Ciro asked, putting himself between the two men.
The general turned. “What do you know about it, Mr. Vas? This interrogation isn’t supposed to be general knowledge.”
“I know that someone needed to set up video for it, sir.”
Adan Vas was momentarily distracted by his petty pleasure at watching Jordan’s face as the man worked to accept such a necessary evil, but his attention was drawn back to the conversation in the other room when he heard a familiar name.
“Let’s talk about Ivan Rurik,” Lieutenant Marcus said.
The lieutenant looked like a twit. He looked like the kind of person Vas would punch first thing in a bar fight. If Marcus ever used that tone of voice on him, it might be what started the fight.
“I’ve told you everything I know about his involvement in Geonon One.” Reyer rubbed the back of her neck with both hands. “I’ve given you a list of all his friends, acquaintances, and enemies. What more do you want?”
“I want to know about your relationship with him.”
Vas was glad it was dark, so neither Ciro nor the general were likely to have seen him start.
“I don’t see how that’s relevant,” Reyer said.
“This is an interrogation, Sergeant Reyer. Your opinions on what is and isn’t relevant doesn’t have much sway. Tell me about your relationship with Ivan Rurik.”
“Everything you need to know is on record. I don’t have anything more to say.” She leaned forward. “And it’s just Reyer, Lieutenant. I’m no longer a sergeant.”
“You’ll answer my questions.”
“Or what?” she snapped. “You’ll demote me?”
“I thought you’d be a little more understanding considering the trouble you’ve given the Rising, Sergeant.”
“Excuse me?”
In the outer room, Vas, Ciro, and Jordan all winced when they heard the venom in her voice.
“It’s getting tense in there, General,” the captain grumbled.
Jordan didn’t answer.
The lieutenant was saying, “If you hadn’t been so close to Rurik, you might have been able to stop what happened. It was almost fifty people.”
“That wasn’t my fault,” she hissed. “There were lots of people who weren’t close to Rurik, and they didn’t notice anything either.”
“And now you’re embroiled in something else with the Supremacy. They’ll track you down. You’ve put this whole base in danger.”
Captain Vas squeezed his fists closed hard enough his fingernails bit his palms.
In the room, Reyer said sharply, “I didn’t ask to be here.”
“But you are here, and now you’re refusing to help us figure out why they’re looking for you.”
“I’m doing everything I can, Lieutenant. I told you I have no idea why they’re hunting me. I told you—I told you—I told you!” Alix pushed her chair back. Her legs were shaky, but she forced them to lift her.
“Why are you standing up, Sergeant Reyer?”
“Because my back hurts, you jackass! Or did you miss the reason why I’m not actually a sergeant anymore?” She put her hands on her low back and moaned quietly as she stretched. Her face was pained, and her eyes were closed.
“Please sit down, Miss Reyer. We’re not done.”
“I never said we were, Lieutenant.”
“Sit down, Miss Reyer.”
“No.”
“Sit down, Miss Reyer.”
“What do you want from me?”
“I want answers, that’s all. Just answer my questions.”
“I have answered your questions.” She raised her voice. “I’ve done nothing but answer your questions for hours! I haven’t done anything, but you sit there attacking me—manipulating me! Leave me alone!”
The lieutenant stood up and put his hands on the table between them. “Sit down, Miss Reyer.” By now his own voice was raised.
Alix Reyer picked up her chair with one arm and threw it against the wall, letting out a scream of pain and anger. Ciro Vas jumped.
“She’s been in there long enough,” Adan said. He was already opening the door.
“I agree,” General Jordan growled, following.
“What do you want from me?” Reyer was screaming. Her luckless interrogator had backed up several steps. “I told you everything!” Her voice was raw from the sheer energy and volume. “I gave this rebellion everything! My whole life! I have nothing left! What more do you want from me?! What more could I possibly give you?!”
A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.
She leaned against the wall behind her, resting her flushed face against the cool surface. She let out a low moan.
Vas walked over and put his hand on her shoulder.
“Don’t touch me!” she yelled.
He stood back.
“That will be all, Lieutenant,” General Jordan said.
“But—sir—” Marcus stammered.
“I said you were done, Lieutenant.”
“Yes, sir.” The lieutenant left the room with nothing more than a glance at Reyer as he passed.
The general walked over and picked up the chair from where it lay by the wall. When he was done replacing it at the table, he left as well.
Vas and Reyer stood there for a long time, saying nothing.
The silence was broken when she whispered, “I need my pills.”
Vas reached out again, this time gingerly putting his hand on her arm. “I’ll take you back to your quarters.”
She nodded and let him lead her away from the interrogation room. He was relieved to see that Ciro had enough sense to make himself scarce. As he escorted her, he would occasionally touch her arm or back, motioning for her to change direction, so he wouldn’t have to tell her which way to go. Their slow walk eventually got them back to her rooms.
Once she had her medicine and he’d made certain she was comfortable on the couch, she whispered in a hoarse voice, “Please wait out in the hall, Vas. I want to be alone for a while.”
“Of course.”
“If you see Jordan, tell him I’ll be ready to resume the interrogation in about an hour.”
“Alix, you don’t have to—”
“The pills will be working by then, and I’ll have had some time to rest.” She raised her eyes to him. “Please tell him I’ll be ready then, Captain.”
“Yes, Miss Reyer. If you need anything, I’m right outside.”
After Vas left, he closed the door behind him, then leaned back against it. He took a deep breath and let it out slowly.
“Hey.”
It was Ciro. He was standing right by his brother, leaning against the wall. He’d been waiting there, unnoticed.
“Is she going back in?”
Adan’s face clouded. “It seems so.”
“She’s tough.”
Vas grunted.
“You know, I might have an idea how we can make it less unpleasant for her.”
Adan looked at his little brother. He had a bright spark in his eyes—the spark of madness, as Adan thought of it—and a quirky smile that showed off the dimple that Ciro hated.
“Tell me,” Adan said.
[https://i.imgur.com/6iM8gcI.png]
An hour and a half later, Captain Vas led Reyer back to the interrogation room. Its cold walls were bare and blindingly white. The table and chairs were a dull gray. Her heart sank at the horribly familiar sight. She knew Vas was watching her, but she was too weary to hold herself any taller.
“Where’s the interrogator?” she asked.
“Uh…I think they’re coming. We decided to trying something different with you.”
“Who’s ‘we,’ Vas?”
“The general, mostly, but Ciro gave him the suggestion. Before I tell you any more, I’m going to have to ask for your knife.”
She pulled it out from its sheath and flipped it over, holding the blade loosely in her fingers. “Even if I promise not to stab the poor guy?”
Vas reached out and took the hilt. “I wouldn’t want to tempt you more than necessary.”
She pulled out her e-pistol and handed that to him as well. “Aren’t you going to take my gun?”
“No.” He smiled at her. “No, I’m going to leave it right here.” He put it down on the table in front of her chair. “You may want it later.”
“So you’ll let me shoot him?”
Vas smiled at her again.
Realization dawned. “It’s a robot?” Incredulity was evident in every syllable.
“Brave interrogators are hard to find, so we had to program someone who couldn’t say no.”
The sound of servos and the click of metal on the floor announced Lynx’s arrival.
“Good afternoon, Miss Reyer,” he said.
Beside the bot stood Ciro, bobbing up and down on the balls of his feet. “Hello, Miss Reyer.”
“You suggested this, Mr. Vas?”
“Yes, ma’am. I thought working with a bot might be easier than working with a human. He’s only going to ask you questions. Now, it will be a very comprehensive questioning, since he’s not liable to miss any track, but he won’t try any mind games on you.”
“Fine.” Her tone was flat.
“Um, Miss Reyer?”
“Yes, Ciro?”
“Do you mind if I stay and watch?” He pointed to the mirror. “I’ll be outside the room, but being able to watch how he performs will be really helpful for adjusting his programming.”
“Is General Jordan all right with this?”
“He says it’s up to you.”
“You have the clearance?”
Ciro smirked. “I’m the techie around here. When you fix the computers, there’s not a lot you don’t know.”
Alix’s shoulders barely moved when she shrugged. She dropped down into her chair. “Let’s get this over with.”
Lynx moved to sit in the opposite chair. “I will endeavor to do my best.”
A smile twitched at the edge of Reyer’s lips. “Could you ever do otherwise?”
There was a pause while Lynx considered that. “Why, no, Miss Reyer. I am compelled to do my best by my programming.”
“What if you were ordered not to do your best?”
“Then I would do my best to not do my best.”
“All right, ask your questions.”
After a while, Lynx’s even droning wore away at Reyer’s attention. She gave in to the numbness and only answered each question in turn. She simply wanted it all to end, but the robot’s exploration of each topic was logically exhaustive. Once again, they covered the events of Geonon One and reviewed the more obvious areas of information which might be valuable to the Supremacy, but he also covered what had happened to her after her retirement and the names and facts of almost everyone and everything related to her work as a sergeant. Lynx even covered the creation and implementation of various weapons and battle strategies she had come up with, analyzing them to find out if they might be what the Supremacy was after. She didn’t know if there would be any knowledge left in her head once the bot was done pulling it out, fact by fact.
But he didn’t badger her or raise his voice. She thought at least her heart would be safe, until, without warning, he once again switched his area of interrogation.
“Are you loyal to the Uprising?”
Reyer was drawn out of her stupor. “What?”
“Are you loyal to the Uprising, Miss Reyer?”
“What kind of a question is that? Do you think I’m a traitor?”
“It’s a logical question, Miss Reyer, which is why I asked it. Given the nature of your relationship with Corporal Ivan Rurik, it’s important to establish whether you would be sympathetic to his mindset. Why did you choose to join the Uprising, Miss Reyer?”
“I didn’t…I didn’t choose to. It wasn’t like that with me.”
“Explain.”
“I was raised as a fighter, Lynx. I grew up with the Rising. I was taught how to shoot by the time I was six. I started acting as a spy and spotter when I was eight. It wasn’t like one day I up and decided to join.”
“Does that mean you don’t agree with the philosophies and priorities that created the Uprising?”
“No! I don’t like the Supremacy, but…” She took a breath. “You asked if I had chosen.”
“Technically, I asked why you had chosen to join,” Lynx corrected. “Seligman, among other psychological and philosophical experts, advanced the theory that the perception of choice is vital to the mental well-being of humans. If you felt forced to participate, it could generate resentment. Were you frustrated by your helplessness?”
Reyer’s back throbbed. “I’m frustrated by my helplessness now.”
“My question was referencing the perception you had of your fate.”
“No, bot. I asked to help. I wanted to be out there.”
“Would you ever betray the Uprising?”
Reyer started trembling. The e-pistol in front of her didn’t seem like a joke anymore. “Never.”
“You sound certain.”
“I am certain.”
“Why not?”
“You wouldn’t ask that if you were a human.”
“I’m not a human, Miss Reyer. I’m a robot. That is possibly why I was asked to conduct this interview.”
“I would never betray them.”
“Why not?”
“Those soldiers—they were my boys, they were my girls. I trained most of them. My whole life, I did everything I could to get better and better at what I did so I could keep as many of them safe as possible. They meant everything to me.”
“I see.” There was a veet-voo noise as Lynx looked down. He was processing. Reyer used the time to get control of herself.
Lynx raised himself in one swift, perfect motion. He turned to face the one-way mirror. “I believe I am ready to give my report now, sirs.”
General Jordan and Adan Vas were both unnerved by how the bot seemed to be able to tell exactly where they were. Ciro looked up at the general.
Jordan gave a curt nod.
“I’ll take Miss Reyer back to her rooms,” Adan said, opening the door between them.
Once they were gone, Ciro went in and summoned Lynx.
“Well, bot,” General Jordan demanded.
“There was no significant new information gained concerning any of the categories I questioned her on. Her factual answers and the portrayal of her internal dialog were consistent across her other interviews and tally with her records. She’s not lying, General Jordan.”
“I didn’t think she would lie, bot.”
“Her personal motivation for helping you is more than adequate. She feels a profound social-emotional connection to the members of the Uprising. She would not willingly keep any information from you.”
“So you’re saying she doesn’t know anything?”
“If she knows, she does not know she knows, General.”
Jordan grumbled to himself, “So all of this was for nothing?”
Lynx was not good at recognizing rhetorical questions. “The outcome may not have been what you desired, but it was a necessary and logical action, sir. The interrogation helped provide data which backs up previous assumptions and increases our level of certainty.”
“Oh, an expert, are we? You know everything about it? When did you even become an interrogator, bot?”
“The program was installed approximately thirty-five minutes before the interview began, General, but the process was thorough and, within the limits of my parameters, my computation and comparisons aren’t subject to error.”
“Yes, it was thorough, wasn’t it, Mr. Vas?”
Ciro tried to look innocent. It never hurt to be prepared.
“The bot said something about comparing interviews and having her records?”
“Yes, sir.”
“I’ll bet more than a few of those were classified.”
“Well, sir, they were important for making the program’s results more valid—”
“How did you get them?” Jordan barked.
“When you allowed me to make him an interrogator, I assumed that meant I could have access to the information I needed to make him one—”
“And you gave yourself access. Dammit, Ciro! That’s something your brother would have done.”
Ciro shook his head. “No, sir. Adan’s not very good with computers.”
General Jordan rolled his eyes and left.
Ciro looked through the open door and down the hall, toward where his brother had taken Reyer. Without turning to see, he knocked once on Lynx’s chest plate.
“You did a good job in there today.”
“Thank you, sir.”
“Did you watch like I asked you to?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Well?”
“Your request is not specific enough for me—”
“What does he think of her?”
There was a pause.
“Captain Adan Vas displays a tendency to feel protective of Miss Reyer.”
Ciro turned to Lynx. “That’s all you got? He feels protective?” He shook his head. “Remind me to do some work on your emotional perception program.”
“Reminder set, sir. What day would you like the notification?”
Ciro looked down the hall again. “But I guess there’s nothing wrong with a bodyguard feeling a little protective.”