“You are interested in our symbols, oui?” Yvonne asked softly as she stood in front of the civilian shipboard hospital along with three Cauthan, Zolta, Veera, and Asha. The seamstress had been looking every which way almost non-stop since leaving the hydroponics bay, paying special attention to the directional markings on the floor and walls intended to guide the occupants on the Event Horizon to their various destinations. The red cross had featured prominently as they drew closer, the last one glowing brightly above a wide hospital doorway, large enough for two medical gurneys to pass through easily. When Asha replied in the affirmative, the French doctor provided them with a short history lesson.
“That one actually has a bloody history, ironically enough. A little less than two hundred years ago, an international convention was called to discuss the rules of warfare between nations. You could say that many tribes of humans sent representatives to arrange for more orderly conduct on the battlefield.”
“I’m sorry, you did what?” Zolta interjected as he listened to the translation. “You devised rules of battle and people actually followed them?”
“There are always those who cheat, but to an extent, yes,” Yvonne allowed. “Those who violated them were punished heavily if they survived and were caught. That cross there was meant to represent medical personnel, people who would travel the battlefields and aid the wounded and dying, sometimes even as shells and bullets were still flying. Those are like arrows, but much more deadly. It afforded those kind-hearted individuals some amount of protection from the enemy. Many still died, but more were likely saved on its account. Today it serves as a worldwide symbol of medicine, healing, and emergency services, a sign that help is on the way. Today we will ensure that no emergencies arise, today or in the future, as best we can. Asha, would you follow me please?” Yvonne beckoned, escorting them into the facility where a single nurse sat behind the counter.
“Oh, Dr. Dupuis! Welcome. Room number two has been converted for your appointment per your instructions. Let me know if you need anything.”
“Merci, Claire. These are Veera, Zolta, and Asha. They are friends of ours from the surface. Should anyone come looking for us please page me,” the doctor requested, leading the awestruck Cauthan through the sterile, white atrium.
“Of course, ma’am. Welcome!” the nurse called to the aliens, having been made aware by Yvonne well prior of her unusual guests. Number two was one of several standard multipurpose rooms in the facility, able to be retooled depending on the needs of a general practitioner or non-emergency specialist. At that moment it was set up for a standard obstetrical or gynecological examination. When the automated door closed behind the group Io ‘revealed’ herself, utilizing the rather expansive system of speakers within the Event Horizon and briefly waving hello from a monitor on the left wall that would otherwise be used for the review of patient charts or other information.
‘Since Veera and Zolta are here I oriented the examination chair towards that corner on the far wall for the sake of modesty. Do you need anything else at this time, Ms. Dupuis?’
“No thank you, little Prussian. And I certainly prefer being referred to that way instead of ma’am! Just because I am old doesn’t mean I need to feel like it, right my dears? Actually, would you mind turning the chair back for now, Io? I believe we should demonstrate first for our guests,” Yvonne suggested, heading to a sink and washing her hands before any of the Cauthan could inquire about her actual age. They certainly didn’t have much frame of reference for human senescence.
After a brief moment at the unremarkable metal basin, lathering up and making sure to effectively cleanse her hands, Yvonne turned around to find all three of them standing just where she’d left them, glancing around the room with curiosity and apprehension. Nothing was moving, thankfully, which took the edge off despite the sheer amount of metal and unfamiliar plastic compounds. “Please, be seated dears,” Yvonne offered, shepherding Zolta and Veera to a couple of chairs against an unused wall. She then took Asha’s hand and guided her to another that she pulled close to the examination chair. For the time being, the human was the one sitting comfortably between the padded stirrups. “Those will be for your legs when the time comes, as you might guess,” she explained.
“I see,” Asha replied quietly, suddenly rather bashful as she considered the full act of childbirth.
“I know it is probably rather intimidating, but here is what we will be using today,” Yvonne said, picking up the ultrasound wand and handing it over to Asha. “Fret not, Asha. It is quite inert while not turned on.”
The young mother’s feathers waved as she turned the piece of plastic and electronics over and over in her paws. “So what does this do, exactly?”
“Can you hum, my dears?” Yvonne wondered, demonstrating for them with a standard octave of notes. Though none in the room were musically minded, providing Io with a wholesome chuckle, the Cauthan proved capable. “Yes exactly, now feel your throat as you do so. You feel the vibrations? The ultrasound vibrates just like that, but far faster than we or the little one in your belly can perceive. All sound bounces off of objects, an echo, and so we are able to use the reflected sound to see what’s inside your belly. Io?”
‘You rang, madame?’
“Yes, madame is quite nice too I believe,” Yvonne tittered. “You have lived around these Cauthan for a time, yes? Do you believe the frequency of a standard ultrasound would be harmful to them? I would not want anyone’s ears to be ringing.”
‘Their hearing is superior to that of a human,’ Io replied, eliciting a proud fluff of Veera’s plumage. ‘However there has been no attempt to quantify this difference. Perhaps a simple test is in order?’
Yvonne nodded and offered her hand to Asha, who returned the ultrasound wand. “Would you all cover your ears, please?” she requested, turning on the machine once they’d all done so. All looked at one another, curious as to what had happened. Lights on the machine next to the examination chair had sprung to life, but nothing else could be seen or heard. Slowly, Zolta removed his finger from his right ear.
“Are we supposed to be hearing something?” he asked.
“Non, you are not. Fabulous! We may proceed,” Yvonne informed them, turning her attention to Asha again. “If it does not annoy you, your child will be just fine. But here, let me show you what to expect first.”
Zolta averted his eyes immediately as Yvonne unbuttoned the middle section of her white doctor’s cloak, but his fears proved mostly unfounded. Veera stood and walked closer to watch as the human took an oddly shaped container and squeezed something that looked like water onto her stomach just below her navel. “Wha… how is it doing that?” Veera gasped, getting Zolta’s attention as his own curiosity and duty to his wife won out.
“It is not water, but a gel. I am not sure how to explain it well,” Yvonne admitted. “But I will tell you its purpose, namely to more effectively transmit the sound from the device into my body. Here, you see?” the doctor handed off the gel to Veera, who promptly squirted a small amount onto her finger while the ultrasound was turned on. Suddenly there was far too much for her to pay attention to all at once. Each finger she touched to the substance quickly became slick and slippery as it spread, seemingly harmlessly, over her pads and fur. At the same time, a grainy black and white image could be seen on the screen that sat next to the examination chair. After a couple of adjustments, Yvonne turned it slightly so that Asha could get a good look. Veera’s gelled fur remained forgotten for a moment.
“What is that? It looks like… well it doesn’t look like much,” Asha admitted.
“Perhaps not, Asha, but give me just a moment. Veera, the gel if you would? Io, please show her how to wash her hands.”
‘Of course, Doctor Dupuis. Veera, please head to the corner of the room where my voice is loudest and don’t touch anything with your right hand. Now press that blue button there with one of your fingers. Excellent.’
Veera took a moment to poke the blue and red temperature buttons on and off several times before actually placing her hand underneath the flow to rinse away the water-based gel. In the meantime, Yvonne had spread a thin line of gel up her midriff and was drawing a thin line parallel to her diaphragm with a washable marker. “The sound leaves the wand and travels in this direction,” she tried to explain, moving Asha’s attention from her belly to the screen. “So let’s see here, I believe that formation at the back here is my spine. Let’s examine something else, shall we?”
Yvonne drew another line as Veera rejoined them. Io hummed from the ceiling as she observed the trace, a vertical line on Yvonne’s trunk. “Oh, I see something! What’s that?!” Asha exclaimed.
“What in the name of the gods… is that normal?” Zolta demanded.
“It is quite normal, I assure you,” Yvonne giggled, momentarily disrupting the image. “That is one of my kidneys. All humans have two of them when we’re born, though we can survive with only one. They filter toxins and waste products from our blood so that we can discharge them from the body in the form of urine.”
“That didn’t really translate well. As what?” Asha requested. Yvonne paused momentarily, wondering how the Cauthan wouldn’t have a word for urine.
“Io?”
‘Mmm? Did you figure it out yet madame?’ the AI teased.
“How did you figure it out, little Prussian?” Yvonne shot right back. Io laughed loudly, as though recalling a fond memory.
‘That is a confidential medical moment between myself and Veera, Doctor Dupuis. I used some of the sensors and tools in my partner’s armor as a crude ultrasound, as it were. I am so curious though, do tell me your guess!’
“Uric acid, or an analog.”
‘We have a winner!’ Io exclaimed as Zolta, Asha, and Veera looked around at one another with confusion on their faces. ‘For our fluffy companions, please do not be alarmed. I was simply confirming for the good doctor here that your bodies behave in a different manner from a human’s, at least when it comes to disposing of nitrogenous waste.’
“You are not helping, Io. And we do not have the time to explain the nitrogen cycle,” Yvonne scolded lightly. “Ah well, my dears please do not fret. We are not here today to ask any probing questions about your bodies, only to ensure that Asha’s little one is healthy. Let me show you one more thing.” With a smile, Yvonne moved the ultrasound wand to her diaphragm, sucked her belly in as best she could, and angled it up into her ribcage. All the assembled aliens gasped.
“That’s her heart!” Zolta whispered, taking Asha by the hand. Even across species the function of the organ was apparent.
“Mmm, and the father is smart as well,” Yvonne complimented him. “Yes, that is my heart. As you can see I’m still quite alive and there are no negative effects of this process.” To further demonstrate, Yvonne turned the machine off, wiped her body down with a paper towel to get rid of the majority of the gel, and allowed the aliens to observe the places the wand had been. Her skin was, of course, unblemished by the examination.
“I want you to test that on me first,” Zolta insisted once Yvonne had buttoned up her outer garment, washed her hands, and sterilized the wand. “Obviously I don’t have a cub in me, but I have a heart.”
‘Oh I’m so tempted to co-opt one of the manufactories to make a Mara’s Best Dad mug,’ Io gushed at Zolta’s bravery.
“Not the worst idea, little light. But for now I require your assistance here,” Yvonne insisted in a no-nonsense tone. “Zolta, I would be happy to examine you first. With your permission, I would like to make a record of what I see.”
“For what reason?” he wondered.
“Several, scientific curiosity and proper documentation foremost among them. But most importantly would be knowing what one of your hearts looks like in case something happens to one of you.”
“What… what would happen?” Veera asked hesitantly, tapping her talons on the floor. Yvonne smiled sadly.
“Have you known anyone in your village who one day simply… expired? Someone young or otherwise healthy?”
“I suppose it might happen every so often?” Zolta acknowledged. “What does that have to do with our hearts? When they stop, they stop. It’s the way of things.”
“Not anymore, at least not among humanity,” Yvonne explained proudly. “My own father suffered what we call a heart attack when he was in his late fifties. We were able to restart his heartbeat. With basic medical treatment, a good diet, and exercise, he was able to live another fifteen years or so. I make no promises, but with enough time and information I am sure we could do such a thing for you as well, assuming your species suffers from the sorts of diseases that might make a heart stop beating before its time. You may not.”
Silence pervaded the examination room as the Cauthan digested Yvonne’s story and the implications of possibly forestalling the hand of Kel. “Disrupting the balance sounds rather dangerous,” Veera eventually stated.
‘And if it gave you another decade with Russell?’ Io asked pointedly. Veera opened her mouth but conflicting emotions and faith stopped her.
“I… don’t know, Io.” Veera hung her head, but Yvonne encouraged her with a friendly hand on her shoulder.
“These questions and struggles are inevitable, young ones. We discussed them endlessly throughout our own history as well. It is a natural part of moving forward as a species. For today, let us take a small first step and leave it at that, hmm?”
“Agreed. What do you need from me?” Zolta wondered.
“Very little, Zolta! Simply seat yourself here,” Yvonne helped him into the examination chair. “Excellent. Now remove your tunic if you please and then lean back and take a deep breath. Oh la la, Asha you married well!”
Veera snickered as Asha flared her feathers proudly. “Isn’t he handsome?” the seamstress agreed, relaxing in her chair and rubbing her belly.
“Well I prefer my men with a bit less fur, but he does have excellent facial symmetry. You said he worked the forge in your village?” Yvonne made small talk as she pulled on some disposable gloves and rested a hand below Zolta’s ribcage. “I am sorry, my dear. I appreciate the male form wherever I find it. You must have a demanding job.”
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“You could say that,” Zolta said awkwardly as Yvonne experimented with parting his fur to rest the wand of the ultrasound against the light gray skin underneath that rarely, if ever, saw the light of day.
“We will try a small amount here, yes?” she offered, holding the bottle of gel above his fur. He shivered involuntarily when it came into contact with his skin.
“That’s rather uncomfortable,” he commented as she ensured the wand was coated and resting well enough on skin instead of fur.
“I apologize. May I?” the doctor requested. He nodded as Asha scooched closer and took his hand. All assembled looked at the screen that was currently black with occasional bursts of white static and odd shapes. “No discomfort from the wand itself?”
“No.”
“Very good. Now I would ask you to suck in your stomach as best you can. Yes, just like that. This may hurt a bit but I will not be pressing so hard on your wife. You are simply well built and I need to get under the ribs to… there we are! Voila, my friends,” Yvonne proudly presented Zolta’s heart, gushing over the anatomy. “And four chambers as well. Look at you! Very good, Zolta. Very good indeed.”
The moment ended as Zolta exhaled the deep breath he’d been holding, allowing his abdomen to decompress into a more natural shape. He shook his head as Yvonne handed him another paper towel. “That was really what’s inside me? This is crazy,” the smith commented, wiping against the grain of his fur and getting most of the gel off.
“It comes off with water if you feel the need, Zolta. Asha, we will have to use more on your belly but I am certain that we can provide you with a private shower or bath of some sort afterwards if necessary.”
‘That will not be a problem, Doctor Dupuis. Asha, are you comfortable with moving on?’ Io asked, feeling the need to assure her in Russell’s absence.
“I have already listened to my cub. I should very much like to see them now,” Asha agreed almost reverentially as her mate vacated the examination chair.
“Veera, if I could ask you to make a bit more room for us?” Yvonne requested. The tall, striped Cauthan nodded and stood back immediately, making way for both Zolta and Yvonne to help Asha onto the examination chair. The pregnant female relaxed as the back of the chair was lowered, allowing her to recline.
“What are those things for?” Veera asked, pointing to the stirrups that Yvonne was lowering to the sides of the chair so as not to obstruct the procedure.
‘They are for a patient’s legs, Veera. This would be in the event that an examination of your… hmm, that’s odd.’ Io cut herself off, her tone changing from clinical to confused in the blink of an eye.
“Is something wrong, Io?” Veera asked worriedly, wishing she could see Io. Communicating with a voice that had no apparent source did not sit well.
‘No no, there’s no reason to be alarmed. Doctor Dupuis please proceed with Asha here. I just… how very strange. What could this be?’
“Perhaps if you stopped musing over it yourself and explained what’s going on to us we could help you, little Prussian. Otherwise, let us table this until we have finished with Asha.”
‘Vagina.’
“I beg your pardon?!” Yvonne snapped her gaze to the ceiling as Zolta and Veera spluttered with laughter. Asha seemed confused, taking her turn to tentatively poke at the ultrasound gel that Yvonne had placed on the swell of her belly.
‘Oh verdammt!’ Io cursed. ‘That’s awful! Is this why humans wake up in the middle of the night regretting things from years before?’
“Io, if you continue to insist on interrupting my examination of an alien fetus you had better take a few paces back and explain yourself before I locate a stale baguette,” Yvonne ordered, the overbearingly French nature of her threat eliciting not a single chuckle on account of her serious tone. Io took a deep breath.
‘My apologies, Doctor. I was simply trying to explain the nature of stirrups to Veera in the context of a gynecological examination. However, when it came time to say the word, to make reference to the maidenhood of my good friend, something in my code seized up. Oh dear, I may have to replace a capacitor.’
“Mmm, welcome to being alive Io,” Yvonne chuckled, rubbing slow circles over Asha’s belly with a caring smile on her face. “We may talk about your discovery of embarrassment at another time.”
“You’re my good friend too, Io,” Veera assured the ceiling. Those words compelled Io to finally comandeer another of the screens in the room so as to wave at the Cauthan who had been with her for most of her maturation. The AI’s face was flushed a healthy pink, and she was dressed similarly to Yvonne, opting for light green nurse’s scrubs.
‘Thank you Veera. For now though, might I suggest you direct your attention elsewhere?’
“Oh my goodness. There you are, little one,” Yvonne cooed. Having finally gotten the orientation correct, the image on the ultrasound screen changed swiftly from difficult to discern cross sections of Asha’s womb, internal organs, and cub, to the typical profile shot that had defined the process of human motherhood since the implementation of the device for the examination of pregnant women almost a century prior. The doctor’s smile shone bright like the star of the system, with Asha clasping both hands over her mouth, quite unable to speak. “Oh look at her…”
“By the Mother,” Zolta whispered, drawing as close as he could to the screen without planting his nose on it. “What do you mean her?!”
“Is your penis outside your abdomen, Zolta?” Yvonne inquired.
‘How the hell does she do that with a straight face?!’ Io demanded. ‘Oh nevermind! Asha, I am rather uninitiated on the developmental process of Cauthan infants, but at least to the untrained eye that looks like a healthy baby girl.’
Yvonne nodded as Zolta confirmed, hesitantly, that male Cauthan genitalia were external. She directed their attention to the area between the cub’s stubby little legs, moving the wand around to provide different cross sections of the image “See there, my parents to be? I will never claim to be certain as this is a momentous first occasion between our species, but I have seen hundreds of baby boys and girls in utero over the course of my life. I believe you will be having a daughter.”
Veera crossed one arm over her chest and cradled her chin in her other hand, silently presiding over the proceedings along with Io. Asha was weeping openly by that point, and even Zolta could be seen with a existential look in his eyes as Yvonne slowly moved the ultrasound wand across Asha’s belly horizontally and then vertically, compiling a rough three-dimensional image of their child that Io was more than happy to process with all possible haste. When the little one kicked, visible to her parents via the ultrasound, the magic of the moment seemed complete. Silently, Veera made a note to speak with Antoth about the experience at another time. For the last year, humanity in her life had been the form of Russell Winters. Even as just one individual, surrounded by her world and culture, he’d been a dominant and influential force. But it was still her world that he’d been consumed by.
Now Veera found herself in his position, surrounded by the wonders of modern medicine, engineering, science, and perhaps most interestingly, human kindness. It had been in Veera’s best interest to study and learn as well as she could the nuances of human facial expression. Her relationship with Russell demanded it. With no feathers to speak of and ears that didn’t seem to move at all, she was impressed by the amount of meaning conveyed by the slightest tug of the lips or widening of the eyes. With the appearance of Alice and other humans for her husband to interact with, those trends had become only more apparent. She could not be absolutely sure, but Veera would have bet a substantial fraction of her possessions back on Mara that Yvonne Dupuis was just as enraptured and enamored with Asha’s cub as the mother and father were themselves.
So much remained to be learned and understood, so many magics explained and teased apart. Her evening conversations with her husband and Io had convinced her well enough that humans were not gods or even related to them; that everything they did, all the power they wielded, they innately understood. That was something she needed to constantly remind herself within the wonderland that was the Event Horizon, and she considered the future of her people in the event that that bastion of humanity were to depart their home and never return. Her pledge to leave the planet along with her husband, a promise borne from love alone, suddenly seemed almost selfish. Why shouldn’t this be a future for all of us? she questioned.
-----
When Pilot Cromwell entered the civilian hangar that had been housing Brick for the last couple of weeks, having taken a short tube trip from her bunk, she found her services in high demand. Four humans, including the Indian woman in charge of maintaining the tech in the hydroponics bays, were milling around along with just as many Cauthan.
“Seems I might have to be brushing off my Hydra operator’s license soon,” she commented, gliding gracefully from the door to land just short of the gathering of passengers. In the low gravity it took but a single decent kick off the floor. “The window’s open everyone and the weather looks clear. Bit muggy on the surface but it’s summer. What can you do?”
“Missing the endless rain and the bleating of sheep, my dear?” Yvonne asked sweetly.
“If you insist on lumping me in with the Welsh I’ll have you know that Bordeaux is massively overrated. The sheep can sod themselves but do I so miss having a cold pint served to me on a wooden bar that’s older than I am,” Cromwell indulged in a moment of nostalgia with a side of jabs against the French, a pastime older than her surname.
“Yes, I suppose subsisting on liquid bread is preferable to that island’s attempts at cuisine,” Yvonne mused, as though taking the subject into consideration quite seriously. Cromwell cocked a smile at her.
“You’re sure it’s wise to be going after your pilot’s fish and chips? Please everyone, feel free to hop aboard. We should be on our way.”
“It’s all in good fun, pilot. Thank you,” the Frenchwoman replied. “Do consider keeping me around in the event you and that attractive young Scotsman down on the planet decide to become more than friends, hmm?”
Alice coughed in surprise behind them as Veera looked briefly at Russell before explaining to Asha what she’d just heard in rapid Cauthan. Zolta and Xan could have cared less, of course, and followed the Jumper into the shuttle. “Well, I guess that’s our topic of conversation for the afternoon,” he sighed in English before switching to Cauthan. “Zolta, can you give Xan a hand with the restraints? I need to check something.”
With the young Cauthan men more than capable of handling themselves, Russell took a few steps to the back of the shuttle where the cargo was kept. He found two large boxes which, upon opening, proved to be full of all weather lanterns for Antoth’s force as well as a pair of solar charging stations. To his utter disbelief, Natori had left a handwritten note on top of one asking him to explain their use to the guard force. All he could say for sure was that he’d never had a commanding officer quite like the Admiral. Tucked away between them was a weapons case, which he checked quickly and methodically. He found his firearms just as he’d left them with Darius, minus a particularly fine sheen and polish. Three fully loaded magazines for each had been shipped as well. “All set here,” he concluded. “Everyone else ready?”
“Just waiting on you, Rusty,” Alice informed him, patting a seat next to her. He strapped in and they were off shortly after. As they ‘taxied’ slowly out of the hangar and past the forcefield that separated the hangar from the void, Io spoke to him via his earpiece.
‘Have a good trip, sir. I will meet you back on the ground,’ she reported with little further explanation. He frowned curiously.
“Forget something, Io?”
‘No sir, just need to deal with a particularly nosy mouse.’
-----
As Natori descended onto the manufacturing floor of bay number one, all of the lights suddenly went out, forcing him to take the final three steps by feel alone. Looking out into the black, glowing red eyes stared at him, followed him as he approached a human-sized scaffolding that had been constructed in the midst of the various mechanical arms and devices that hung from the ceiling and generally had free reign about the space depending on the needs of their master. “I was never a fan of the Terminator franchise, Io.”
‘I don’t appreciate trespassers,’ a garbled, mechanical voice issued from the skeletal construct suspended from the scaffold. ‘What if you’d seen me naked?’
Natori stood by quietly as the lights slowly powered up again and the darkness dissipated. Before him, the mechanical eyes set into the metallic skull looked down at him with sapient precision, now a pleasant green color and quite lifelike in their movement. “I’d be happy to knock next time,” he offered before gesturing to the distant edges of the room. “There are plenty of dividing walls and containers as you can see. This may be one of the smallest projects ever carried out in this particular manufactory.”
‘Precision and access to blended materials was a priority, Admiral. I apologize for monopolizing the facility,’ the skeleton spoke. Only the mouth and eyes seemed operational, otherwise missing one arm and both of its legs. ‘How is the diction on this frame?
“Fascinating,” Natori whispered, watching as mechanical lungs contracted and forced air through a trachea made of cartilaginous plastics. For the time being the entire setup seemed powered, linked by sturdy, insulated cables to the nearest industrial outlet. “But without your nose it is a tad lacking.”
‘I was afraid of that, though I don’t know what I should have expected,’ Io admitted, her voice now all around him. ‘I will keep the speaker inside the upper throat for now. In time I may get good enough at this to remove it fully.’
“Only God has ever created life perfectly on his first try, assuming you believe the stories,” the Admiral attempted to reassure her, reaching out tentatively to explore Io’s left hip joint with his finger. It slid right off. “How durable is this material?”
‘We can conduct stress testing at another time, Admiral. For now I am operating under the assumption that this platform will be in and out of maintenance several times over the course of its lifespan before I construct a second. I have prioritized biological similarity over durability given this plan.’
“And your stores of materials?” he asked.
‘More than sufficient, sir. I have added a small request to the ship’s shopping list, so to speak, but I can assure you it will not be traceable in the midst of all the other mining needs,’ Io explained, raising her hand-less arm and considering it with her eyes. ‘Bone proved surprisingly flexible. It was an enjoyable challenge. It’s curious, don’t you think, Admiral?’ Io proposed, twisting her radius and ulna to peer at him through the gap. ‘The advent of this technological leap has led the human field of prosthetics down one path full of metal and silicon, sleek and powerful shapes and lines. It is almost as though something in the human mind yearns to ascend from its fleshy prison to the relative durability that wired metal, ceramic, and plastic compounds can offer. Yet here I am, trying to achieve the opposite. We want what we cannot have,’ the AI concluded.
“Yes, and when we finally make it reality we are left wondering what's next,” Natori mused, walking casually around the partial skeleton to get a look at her pelvis from the rear. The electronics embedded in her spine glowed softly. “Any reason for the aesthetics, Io?”
‘Stop staring at my bony ass, Natori,’ she chuckled. ‘But yes actually, there is a reason.’
“Oh? Care to share?” he requested, continuing his trip around the room. He could see what appeared to be a femur being constructed on a nearby chassis, as well as a couple of the most precise printers in the facility hard at work on more tissue samples, hair, skin, nails and the like.
‘It’s not particularly special,’ Io demurred. ‘But I considered your feedback when last we spoke and found myself agreeing. So long as I appear as Io on the outside, it makes no sense not to take some liberties with the inside. Who knows, I may decide I hate having to breathe on my own and simply revert to a set of very precise speakers somewhere in the back of my throat. Regardless, being able to point to my spine and direct Russell or someone else delivering aid to my body with light seemed prudent. Certainly easier than instructing him about the gap between the second and third lumbar vertebrae, for instance.’
“I think even non-Jumpers would be thankful for the aid if they were to render you assistance,” Natori agreed. “You seem a bit more comfortable with the idea of your compatriots knowing you are not quite human.”
‘Even with my stated goal it’s difficult to deny the potential benefit of designing a body from scratch. After all, it’s not like I gave myself a digital menstrual cycle. I can’t see any reason to do so in the material world.’
“On behalf of all of humanity I thank you for that,” Natori laughed loudly, a hand on his belly. “Oh my. Could you imagine, entire ships, cities, or even nations destroyed because the all-powerful, unshackled AI had a particularly bad period? That’s actually quite terrifying now that I consider it," he murmured.
‘If only Asimov’s little failsafes were so simply executed,’ Io concurred, noting silently the difference in her own reaction to the discussion of Veera’s anatomy at the hospital versus her casual conversation with Kaczynski about hypothetical menses. ‘I do wonder at this point how capable I would be of overwriting my only failsafe. Given how little I stand to gain from any attempt, you’ll have to forgive me if I don’t go down that route.’
“I suppose I can’t fault you for considering the same questions I do when sleep seems elusive,” Natori offered. “On that count there is nothing to forgive, I assure you. Do you require anything else from me, Io? This operation seems to be coming along quite smoothly on its own.”
‘I will not be shy about asking for what I need,’ she assured him, following him with her eyes now that he was back in front of her body. ‘Just please don’t tell Russell about my body yet. I would not want him or Veera to see me like this.’
Natori’s face softened as he placed a hand casually over his heart. “I gave you my word, Io. A trust exercise, you called it? I intend to keep it.”
‘You have my thanks then. Your overall impressions?’ she inquired as Natori seemed satisfied with his survey of her workshop, heading back to the control room.
“I cannot wait to see you take your first steps, even if it’s just that skeleton and a few internals,” he stated with a passion bordering on the unhealthy.
‘How about Robocop?’ she wondered suddenly. Natori smiled broadly, thumbing his chin before looking back at her body, which now lay dull and inert.
“Better than Terminator as it avoids all of that time travel stickiness, I will admit. But Io, I think someone like you might have your own spot waiting for you in human popular culture. Should you wish it, of course. I hear privacy and solitude are uniquely satisfying as well.”
‘Oh stop acting as though you have no idea,’ she insisted playfully.
“It’s simply been a long while since my greatest concern was my own life. It’s rather agreeable, nevertheless. Do make sure your operator instructs the Cauthan in proper use of those solar panels, would you? Technology can only be made so safe,” the Admiral posited.
‘Responsible for a whole vessel and you’re still flying by the seat of your pants,’ Io critiqued him. ‘If that is your wish, Admiral, then I am needed on the surface. Thank you for stopping by. See you again soon,’ she offered. Though they both knew a simple call would be enough to connect them at any time, Natori nodded knowingly and placed his hand in his pocket, pausing at the doors to the manufactory.
“I shall visit again. Farewell, Io.”