At first, they saw nothing but offices filled with well-groomed people. They were working at desks and conversing in corners, overall seeming very mundane.
“Well, this isn’t very exciting.” Jade commented. “Why is it even down here?”
Blackfriar chuckled and exchanged a glance with Svend. “This may not look like much, but it is where some of the most important work in our colony takes place. You are looking at the headquarters for all of our technology research and development.”
Loco lifted a meaty palm. “Hold up there, cue ball. I’ve seen R&D offices before. They’re never this boring. Where’s all the fun stuff that goes boom?”
The android captain raised an eyebrow. “We have a few off-continent offices at various blasting sites around the planet, although arranging a visit to one of them would certainly take time.” Loco’s face fell, but Blackfriar continued. “However, there is also a testing facility some sixty stories beneath where we currently stand. I could arrange for you to have a tour of all the exciting things happening down there.”
Loco beamed. “That might be interesting,” he said coolly, suddenly trying to hide his smile.
For a moment they saw nothing but the building’s innards as the elevator continued passing each floor.
“This next area should be more to your liking,” Blackfriar added as a soft green light spilled into the elevator.
“Oh… my… goodness.” Jade clasped her face between her hands. “This is beautiful!”
The room they looked down on was large enough to house three Chesed, and was filled with vibrant plant life. It looked like a slice of the outside world from a particularly fertile planet. Flowers and saplings and other forms of vegetation arched and curled towards the shaded lights hung from the rafters perhaps three stories above. Some of the gardens grew from planters set in tiered shelves, while others seemed to sprout directly from the ground beneath.
Blackfriar steepled his fingers, seeming pleased by the awestruck nature of the Chesed’s crew. “We brought complementary species from seven different planets and grew them together in this greenhouse before planting the soil above with their seeds and cuttings. The results have been tremendous. Who would have thought?” He chuckled in amusement for a moment before letting them all in on the joke. “It seems we androids have green thumbs.”
The elevator stopped on that level, and they got off and followed Blackfriar down a long hallway which overlooked the gardens. He was still talking about the different types of plants and the benefits of having access to them. Shango strode at his side, asking intelligent questions. Loco and Olofi flanked Jade just behind, followed by Svend and finally Bentley.
She lagged the group, pressing a hand against the glass separating her from the greenhouse and watching her breath make a mist on the otherwise spotless surface.
“You’re making a mess,” Svend’s voice rocked her from her trance.
“Huh?” she asked, hastily wiping the window clean with her sleeve.
“Nothing,” Svend smiled and stepped closer. “Would you like to go inside? I can arrange for us to take a walk through the gardens. It smells beautiful in there. My olfactory sensors are quite like yours, you know. I think you’d enjoy it.” He reached out to take her hand.
“No, I-” Bentley pulled away. “I just wanted a moment to myself.” She shrugged and shook her head. “I’m sorry.”
“You’ve got nothing to apologize for.” Svend paused awkwardly with his hand outstretched, and then retracted it in a painfully mechanical motion. “Did you dream about it?” he probed.
“Dream about what?” Bentley asked, hugging herself and shivering.
“Whatever you saw when you were hooked up to the retinal scanner.” Svend said softly. “I know something happened. I was there with you. I didn’t experience what you experienced but I was still there.”
Bentley gazed at him for a long moment. “I know. I’m glad you were.” She stretched her hand out cautiously and touched his. They shared a slow smile, but then the android shook his head.
“We’d better catch up with the others. Captain Blackfriar won’t want us to become separated from the group without authorization.”
“Oh… right.” She followed him down the hall and around the corner to a three-way intersection where the group had paused.
Blackfriar beckoned in a welcoming way. “Ah, there you two are. I was about to send security after you. Now let me show you all to your accommodations. My people are preparing quarters for each of you, where you may-”
“That sounds nice and all,” Loco cut in, “but it’s high time we blow this cyborg puppy mill. The deal was to bring you home, well, you’re home. So now we get out of here, right Shango?”
“It’d be a shame to decline their generous hospitality,” the captain pointed out. “Besides, I think it’d be best for us to stay a while and recuperate. Let the trail run cold for Amroth. He can work himself into a lather chasing his tail out there in the dark. Personally, I like it here.”
“Easy to say when you’ve never been hoodwinked by a robot,” Loco countered.
Shango slapped him on the back. “Come on, Loco. It won’t hurt to at least look at the quarters they went through the trouble of preparing for us. Plus, if you don’t stay you’ll never get to look at that weapons testing facility.”
“I suppose.” Loco glanced around suspiciously, as though there might be a great conspiracy at work.
“Actually,” Bentley cut in, “I think Loco is right. We need to refuel and get a move on as quickly as possible.
“Huh?” Loco raised an eyebrow in confusion as he glanced at her, then the other lwa. “Miss Crazy agrees with me, huh, maybe we should stay after all.”
“It’s decided then.” Blackfriar strode off down the side hall. This section of the building had opaque walls covered in a neutral gray color, and doors without knobs.
“What is this place?” Jade wondered aloud. “It’s kind of spooky.”
Blackfriar shook his shiny dome. “Nothing so spectacular as you must be imagining. These are our seed storage vaults. That may not sound like much, but they are among the most important possessions we maintain. That’s why we keep them on the same level as our guest quarters.” The hallway wound through several twists and turns before the doors started having handles. Blackfriar paused and pulled one open and ushered them all through.
“Oh, wow!” Jade exclaimed. She rushed over to a shared living area and plopped down in a plush beanbag chair. “I’ve never seen one of these in real life!” she laughed, rocking back and forth in the seat.
They’d come into an open space which appeared to serve a triple purpose as a living area, dining area, and a kitchen area. There was a communal space attached to a number of private rooms which extended down a hall on the far side.
Twin high-backed sofas lined the living area, and a thick rug covered the hardwood floor. There were paintings on the walls and freshly cut flowers in the vases on the little tables.
A bowl of fruit stood at the center of large table in the dining area. The bananas and apples were familiar to Bentley, the strangely shaped green fruit with brown ridges were not. There were shelves stocked with plates, cups, cutlery, and a yellow refrigeration device which hummed in the corner. Somehow, the place smelled like fresh forest air.
“Ah, wonderful,” Blackfriar remarked as he came in last. “The preparations have been made.” He inhaled deeply through his nose. “Ahh, isn’t enhanced air filtration a remarkable thing?”
“It certainly is,” Shango agreed. He strolled into the living area in Jade’s wake and plopped down on a sofa. “This is quite nice. You know your creature comforts well.”
“I’m glad it’s to your liking.” Blackfriar indicated the hallway across the space. “There is a private room prepared for each of you. I took the liberty of assuming that there are no couplings amongst you?” He glanced from one human to the next in open curiosity.
“No,” Loco grimace
d at him, “no couplings.”
Bentley and Svend exchanged a glance. Suddenly, she couldn’t help but think about taking Svend up on that offer to walk through the gardens. Would it be too late to ask for that? She could use some time away from everyone, but time away with Svend would be equally as good.
The door they came through opened, and Barnabas stepped inside.
The second in command spotted his captain and smiled. “Oh good, you’re here. All of you.” He waved his arms in a small circle. “The feast is prepared!”
“Feast?”
The word echoed from the lips of every member of the Chesed almost simultaneously. They seldom had the time or resources required to put together much more than a basic meal of protein, carbohydrate, and fat supplements. Most nights, they ate warm glop for dinner, which meant cold glop for breakfast and lunch the next day.
“Tell us more of this feast, please.” Jade climbed to her feet and licked her lips.
Barnabas blinked. “It was prepared to celebrate our victory at the Thralldom Station.”
“Wait, seriously?” Loco said. “Do androids even eat?”
CHAPTER FIVE
Android Home Base, Orion Sector
It turned out that this later generation of androids could not only eat, but they could also be culinary specialists. Blackfriar ushered them back to the elevator and up to the main floor. They repeated the decontamination procedure on the way out and piled into a pair of land vehicles which were idling at the side of the road, waiting for them. Bentley sat with Jade, Shango, and Blackfriar in the first car. Bentley noticed Jade covering a smile.
“What’s so funny?” she asked the surveying Jade.
“Oh, nothing,” Jade said, managing to assume a straight face. “I was just imagining what the other three will be talking about together. Poor Barnabas, trapped with that pair!”
“Well, at least he can talk to Svend,” Bentley mused. Part of her wondered when she’d have another chance to speak to him alone, but the rest of her was glad for some time to herself. She needed to think and to figure out a way to convince Shango that they should go after Legba.
Maybe after he fills his stomach he’ll see reason.
Bentley’s own stomach growled. She couldn’t remember the last time she had stopped to eat. Everything had been a blur since the fight in the med bay during her procedure. Besides, she was curious what the android people might prepare as a feast.
Long cars were parked outside a dome-roofed building, which was packed inside and out with androids. They climbed out and rejoined the rest of their party as Blackfriar once again took the lead. Svend stepped closer to Bentley, as if to take her arm but he did not. Why wouldn’t he? There were plenty of androids showing affection for one another all over the place. Why did they have to be different?
“This banquet center was one of the first buildings established in our colony.” Blackfriar explained as he led them up a wide winding ramp. At the top of it, an artist was speed-drawing a person’s portrait with a felt pen in each hand. A crowd had gathered around to watch. “It has been a center for community arts and events ever since the first foundation was laid.”
Shango paused to admire the android’s work. “This is very impressive.”
“Just a taste of the entertainment to come, let me assure you. Some of the finest performers in the colony are on the bill for this evening’s festivities.”
“What, really?’ Loco guffawed. “Android performers? What are they going to do, recite Pi from memory?”
Blackfriar only beamed. “I’ll allow that to remain a surprise.”
They joined the thick line of people filing inside and soon found themselves seated in places of honor at the head of the table. Just as they were getting comfortable Blackfriar stood up from his place at the center of the table, and silence fell over the murmuring crowd.
“My friends,” Blackfriar pleasantly began, somehow electronically projecting his voice so it reached all ears. “It does my heart well to return here to you. I did not come alone, either. I am in the company of our warriors, our scientists, and our new friends: both the good people rescued from the confines of the Thralldom Station, and those who helped us save them, the crew of the Chesed!”
He waited for the applause to die down. “I know that you will welcome all of them into our community as each of you has welcomed me amongst you. There is much time for words, whereas good food only stays warm for so long. So now my friends, let us feast, and enjoy!”
He sat down to a wave of applause which seemed to usher the servers out of the connected kitchens. They carried trays to the tables smoothly placing steaming platters within easy reach of the hungry humans.
“So what do androids eat?” Bentley whispered to Svend as the rest of her crew dug in. She noticed that only some of the androids were being served food. Others received small boxes which they opened and inhaled the scent from the package, while others received nothing at all.
“I can eat all the same things as you,” Svend grinned, plucking a grape from a fruit platter and popping it in his mouth. “Though only a few other androids are as lucky as me. Some of the others can enjoy smells. The rest have to make do with synthesized flavors.”
“Synthesized flavors? You mean, they imagine eating?”
“Yeah, sort of. Here, try this.” He dished a portion of something that looked like Shepherd's Pie made with purple potatoes onto a plate and passed it to her. “It’s my favorite.”
“Oh, thanks.” Bentley grabbed a fork and picked at it. She was hungry, but something was suppressing her appetite like cold hard metal pressed against her guts. She was about to excuse herself when suddenly the entertainers filled the aisles.
They wore brightly colored uniforms that formed intricate jigsaw patterns that shimmered and shifted when they moved. They started in a simple circular formation, then a female android with long blonde hair threw back her head and began to sing.
It was unlike any sound Bentley had heard before; it was electronic, mathematical, and melancholy and yet it issued from her lips as surely as the lyrics to the latest corteX pop melody. As the woman sang the other androids danced, the colors of their clothing blending and morphing to form shapes and symbols. They stacked themselves into pyramids, carrying each other on their shoulders and leaping into each other's arms.
As amazing as the show was, Bentley wanted to leave. Not just the dining hall, but she still had the inexplicable pull to leave the planet and get the crew back on the Chesed to find Legba, no matter what. She couldn’t push her chair back at first for the fear of hitting the dancers. She waited until the dancing settled down, but as the performers formed into still-framed tableaux the light show began.
At first everything went dark. She grasped Svend’s arm and heard Jade gasp nearby, but she felt Svend’s comforting hand on her back.
“It’s alright,” he assured. “Just wait.”
A single bulb flickered on at the far end of the hall, and then changed color as a second joined it. The pattern continued like that, one bulb flickering on in yellow and then changing to pink, while the next illuminated. By the time the chain ended, the entire length of the great room was bathed in a fluorescent glow. The line morphed into a pattern of interlocking circles that expanded and rotated around the ceiling, spilling down the walls in places. Sounds of admiration echoed from the audience as the brilliant light show began in earnest.
+++
Android Home Base, Orion Sector
Bentley was in no mood for entertainment. While the others “oohed” and “ahhed,” and even Loco seemed moved by the special effects, she discreetly pushed back her chair and stood up. Loco noticed she had left food on her plate. He picked it up and piled the contents onto his own as she made her way over to Shango and spoke into his ear.
“We’re in the wrong place-”
“Pardon?” he hollered over the music, which had become louder as it emanated from multiple harmonizing androids.
“We shouldn’t be here!” she shouted next to his bearded face. “You know where we should be. I already told you: Legba.”
He tilted his head and gave her a stern look from beneath shaggy, graying hair. “Legba is no longer with us. Worrying over him won’t bring him back. Enjoy yourself, Bentley. What you went through on the ship-”
“I didn’t go through anything, Shango, I’m not crazy. I know what I saw.”
He raised his bushy eyebrows. “How can you be sure? The nature of the retinal scanner is to retrieve images, but yours may have been scrambled with that blast-”
Bentley pressed her lips together and sniffed. She turned on her heel and stormed away, threading around the performers and disappearing through the exit. She noticed Jelly Bean had made friends and was sitting half way down the long table away from the rest of the crew. She was laughing, chatting and having fun, while enjoying the spectacle. Part of her was pleased. Jelly deserved to have some happiness.
Back at the head of the table Shango sighed and wiped his mouth with a plant fiber napkin and braced his hands on the tabletop to stand up.
Olofi came over from his seat next to Loco. “You should be here to represent the Chesed. You stay. I’ll go after her,” he muttered to him as unobtrusively as he could.
“Both of you should stay!” Loco instructed pointedly across the table, his mouth full as he leaned over his heaping plate. “She just needs some damn space is all. Let her have a good cry, or scream, or whatever it is she needs and things can get back to normal. Whatever normal is since she came on board, that is.” He shook his head and went back to stuffing bread in his mouth.
“He may actually be right,” Olofi admitted quietly, taking the seat next to Shango’s. He sipped from a foamy mug. “Have you tried the beer? It’s actually damned good.”
“No,” Shango said flatly, clearly distracted.
Resistance Page 4