I want to make a memorial to be placed at the entrance to the tunnels. In memory of all those we have lost over the years, who died trying to make this place work recognising their sacrifice and telling others that may come, that this world belongs to us and welcome them to try and do better. And should they wish to say hi, a map on how to find us. Is that possible? She asked suddenly unsure.
That is very possible. He told her. I will have someone look for an appropriate piece of rock and have a laser cutter do the work. We can lift it in place with the off-worlder before we go.
Tears came to her eyes. She hadn’t realised how important it was, until that moment. Thank you. I’ll write what I’d like it to say when we get back to the ship.
Your very welcome. Not long now. I estimate without any wind to delay us, we should reach the ship in a couple of hours. Coco knew him to be right. She walked over to one of her markers and built it back up. Several of the Cyborgs including Abel helped her.
We need to make sure they remain visible. It might help someone. Or save someone’s life, thought Coco.
Agreed. Abel told her as she put the last one down, finally satisfied. She turned and continued to walk towards the sun and the ship waiting for her.
***
They didn’t stop at the caves this time. The weather was good, so they’d kept going. As they entered the ship her things were stacked in the loading bay and she got back to work. Coco walked onto the Bridge, “Bridget can I have an update on the progress of work?”
“Welcome back Captain Coco. Work is progressing well. If you wish an up link, I can upload to your memory cortex.” Coco wasn’t sure what that meant. She hesitated.
“What would that entail?” She asked.
“I would have to plug into the node in the back of your neck. Then pass the data through it to your brain.”
Coco sat stunned. Bridget could do that to her? Before she had a chance to process that, she heard Abel. That will not be necessary. Then she heard him come onto the Bridge and she looked up at him.
“It would damage you further. I need to look at Bridget’s protocols. She should not be suggesting that to a human.”
Coco frowned, “I don’t think she see’s me as human.”
“Then clearly somethings wrong, but right now, I don’t have time to have someone look into it. So for now, no more uploads, no more jacking in. Bridget, you are no longer to suggest Captain Coco jacks into your systems. Comply.”
“Does Captain Coco agree?” Bridget asked.
“I agree Bridget.” Coco told her.
“Affirmative.” Bridget confirmed.
The list of work completed against that to still be carried out flashed across the vid screen in front of them. Coco realised a lot had been accomplished while they’d been gone, but there was still plenty to go.
“I’m bringing down more men.” Abel told her. “We need to make sure Hodges plays nice and we need more hands, to get this ship ready to leave and start packing the colonies things. The sooner the better, I don’t want any delays.”
Coco agreed. Delaying things wasn’t going to make it any easier to leave.
“Did you check all the cargo holds?” Abel asked her.
“No. I’m not even sure if Hodges went anywhere but the damaged one.” She told him distractedly.
Abel glazed over for a second. “My men have done a complete search of the ship. All the cargo holds are still full. Looks like supplies, no live goods. Bridget, what was the mission of this ship?”
“The mission of this ship was to support and ensure the colonists on the new world, were able to comply to the contract.” Bridget told them over the audio system.
“The parameters?” He asked.
“All means necessary.” Abel looked over at her. “This was a subjugation. The colonists towed the line or would be made to. No matter the cost. That’s why Cyborgs were on this ship. To make sure that happened.” Coco looked on shocked.
“They were coming here?”
“It looks like it. Bridget, how did this ship crash?” He asked.
“This was an unmanned mission. All live components were to remain in stasis until arrival in orbit. The journey to the planetary system being uneventful. My programming gave permission to wake the leading officer if an emergency event occurred. The ship navigated around the two moons on its planned trajectory. As the ship came around the dark side of the moon nearest the planet, a meteor struck. The ship was compromised. I woke the leading officer, uploaded the information to him and he took control of the ship to land on the planet. My systems were also compromised by the crash. Unable to detect life signs, Cyborg C484 went in search of the colonists. His orders were not to bring the others out of stasis until he could ascertain the condition of the colonists. My systems remained on line until my batteries became too low to stay active. I was unable to repair the damage. Shortly after my systems crashed, until Captain Coco re-established the damaged links. I have no record of C484 returning.”
Coco turned to him, “one of your men could be out there.” Abel shook his head. “If he is, he’s not alive. This close we would be able to sense him. Besides, nothing grows on this surface and he had no contact with your colony. In the conditions this planet shows, surviving for this long would be very doubtful, but I will send out some search missions, see if we can find his remains.”
Coco shook her head. “He died trying to help us.”
Abel stood straight. “No. He’s mission was to make sure the colony complied with their contract. If they didn’t he and his men, would have made them, until none of them were left.”
Coco frowned. “They would have made them build on the surface, knowing it wouldn’t work and people would die? That makes no sense.”
Abel shrugged. “Sense has nothing to do with it. In those days, Cyborgs were ordered to do a lot of nasty things Coco. There was no choice in it. We were ordered and programmed to carry out those orders, no matter what.”
“Had that been you, you would have done the same?” She asked him. Abel gave a nod. Coco shook her head. “Why would they be ordered to do that? The colony would have been wiped out and we would never have met.”
“You are forgetting Earth Corp owned everything. Owned them. They wanted their contract adhered to and your people wanted off this planet. Cyborgs were sent in to make sure they did what they were signed up for and we, were never meant to meet Coco. Cyborgs were not meant to have futures. My ability to recognise you as a mate, was never meant to be triggered. None of this, was meant to happen.”
“So why didn’t Chas start to do as they’d been programmed to do once I woke them up?” She asked worried.
“They didn’t have the mission parameters in their data banks. It would have been given to them on arrival. It’s a safety measure, in case of something going wrong. They wouldn’t be stuck on a mission directive that no longer existed.”
“Are my people safe with you General?” Abel knelt down in front of her and took her hand.
“We do not lie Coco. We are not the same indentured Cyborgs we once were. We will never go back to that. We are free.” She nodded.
“What if someone programmes you again?” She asked, he could taste her fear, it permeated the air. It felt like a huge step back. He squeezed her hand.
“We feared for that too. That our mates would be at risk and those humans who lived and worked with us would be too. Our base code has been altered since being free. Only we, have that information. No one is ever, re-programming us again without our permission.”
Coco nodded. “That’s a lot to take on faith.” She told him shaking her head. “I understand why you would want to do that. Hodges only controlled me a little and I hated that. To have someone control everything you do? I’d go mad.” She looked up at him, “how are you all still sane?” Abel laughed. “We worked with what we had, knowing, we had no choice. Some Cyborgs managed this better than others. Self-preservation required many, to shut off their emotions. It’
s how we survived the worst of it.”
Coco struggled to understand how human being could do that to another. She blew out a breath. “We …. should get on. People are depending on us.”
Abel leaned forward and kissed her on the forehead, then stood. “I’ll work on this circuitry section here and here.” She pointed to the sections on the vid screen.
“I will be back for you for dinner.” He told her. Coco watched him leave the Bridge keeping a firm hold on the lid on her box. She understood it was a different time and the Cyborgs were under orders they could not refuse, but still, it was a reminder of how dangerous a species they were. She couldn’t image Chas harming her or Abel for that matter. It was like they were different people back then, to what he talked about now. And then she realised that all the Cyborgs had to live with that knowledge.
Live with knowing, that they had harmed people because they had been programmed to do so and couldn’t refuse. That they had killed people. Subjected them to all manner of things in Earth Corps name. She couldn’t imagine how they did that. How they lived with it and didn’t go crazy. Living with that knowledge year after year for the rest of your life.
Coco breathed out slowly. She’d guessed they had killed people during their lifetimes. Probably, a lot of people. They were sent in to make war or to stop one. Then she realised just what that meant for them all, now they were free. They could have been sent in unknowingly, to kill their mates. They wouldn’t have known at the time. Wouldn’t have recognised them and in that moment, any chance for their own futures, would have been lost. It was a heavy burden to carry.
She looked in the direction Abel had gone. How many possible mates had he lost over the years? she wondered. Her heart ached for him. The thought that she might not have been the first, might not have had the chance at all, assaulted her. From nowhere, jealousy struck, followed by intense embarrassment. How could see feel like that for women who may be long dead? She felt horrible. Disgusted with herself. It was so wrong to feel like that. She’d never been one for such intense emotions before and yet, Abel brought that out in her. What was wrong with her? She bit her lip and looked at the work she still had to do. Worrying about it wasn’t going to help fix the damage, she realised. Coco took several deep breaths. Ok, time to get her act together, she would worry about the rest later.
***
Abel cut his link to his ship. He’d given the order for more men. They would be arriving soon and would need bunks. He relayed the information to Chas, Jebb and Bridget, requesting rooms be made ready for them. If they were going to be here for a few days, they needed rooms. He also told him to open the mess and get it up and running.
He wiped a hand across his face. He could sense his mates distress. It took everything in him not to go to her. He knew she needed time to process what he’d told her. He knew their history wasn’t pleasant to hear. He wasn’t sure exactly what bit of it or if all of it, was upsetting her, but he knew, their last conversation about Cyborg behaviour and the mission on this ship, had shocked her.
Humans didn’t understand. Didn’t get how Cyborgs worked. What they were programmed to do and how little choice they had. Saying ‘no’ to humans was as easy as saying ‘yes’. To Cyborgs, that wasn’t an option. He knew she might never forgive them or him, but he had to believe in that good heart of hers.
Had that ship landed as expected, the Cyborgs would have worked every angle to ensure that contract was completed. No matter the cost. He had needed to be honest with her, he knew that and now, she did too. He wasn’t programmed to lie. None of them were. There was no logic in it and sooner or later, she would have found out and it would have put a wedge between them he didn’t need.
It was better to have it out in the open now, he told himself. Where he can control the flow of information, protect her as much as possible, but once it got out, that Cyborgs had been sent to the original colonists to make it work at any cost, he knew, some like Hodges, were going to use that to their advantage and twist it.
In his experience, Abel thought, it was unavoidable. He hoped it wasn’t before they’d got all the colonists on his ship. The thought that people would choose to stay on this planet out of fear for them, didn’t sit well with him. It was a death sentence. He could appreciate just how amazing it was, that people had survived so long in such conditions. He realised, he would have to talk to Coco at dinner. Make sure she realised how important it was, that people didn’t get things wrong in their decision making. That they didn’t let their fears, stop them having a life.
***
Coco kept moving back and forth through the ship working out the problems in the systems. Her mind would wander to the conversation she’d had with Abel earlier from time to time. She couldn’t dismiss how much it worried her. There was so much at stake. She soldered the last fibre optic in place, replacing the damaged one she’d stripped out and ran a system flow check. It was working. Coco put her tools down and checked her work. Finding nothing to raise a red flag, she closed the conduit.
“That’s good work.” The voice said behind her. Abel.
Coco packed her tools away. “Thanks, this section is working now.”
“So I see. It’s time to eat. Get a couple of hours rest, then we can work for bit longer before crashing for the night.” He told her.
He held out his hand to help her stand. Coco took it and hauled herself up. Abel bent to pick up her tool bag. “This way,” he told her indicating the way forward. They walked the length of the ship then up several floors silently. By the time they got to the floor he wanted, she was hot and sweaty. “I’ve had the cabins brought on line. The water in the tanks had been sealed so are still useable.” He showed her into one of the rooms. “This would have been the Captain’s rooms.”
Coco noticed the table laid. “If you want to take a shower, it all works, including the replicator if you want to change clothes. Bridget can talk you through it all, it’s in there.” He pointed to a doorway off the room. Coco walked over and peeked in. It was nothing like the bathrooms she was used to. She turned back to look at him. “Go on, take a shower, you’ll feel better, I’ll sort out dinner.” He told her. It was so at odds with earlier, that she stood there stunned for a moment then walked into the bathroom not sure of anything.
She realised that the bathroom wasn’t that much different from her own. The fittings were familiar, but she couldn’t see a way to turn it on. “Bridget, run through how to use the shower and replicator please.”
Abel heard her ask for instruction from Bridget, then turned his attention to the small kitchen area. The rooms had been thoroughly cleaned. Cleaning bots had been brought on line before they’d left for the colony to clean all areas of the ship. They pulled dust particles from the air and objects as they worked. It would take several more days before the whole ship was done but the cabins had been given priority. Abel used a mixture of fresh ingredients from the colony as well as those brought down from his ship and the replicator to produce a meal. The equipment on this ship was old but serviceable. He laid the table and pulled the chilled juice from the small cooler, adding it to the other things already on it. This level of domesticity was new to all of them.
Abel put the salad in a bowl and waited for the jacket potatoes to cook.
He’d had several meals brought down for him and his men. He was using one tonight. The replicator pinged telling him it was finished. Abel took the potatoes out and put the lasagne in. It was one of his favourite meals. Lots of runny hot beef and melting cheese sauce, with just the right amount of pasta in it.
“That smells amazing.” Abel smiled and looked over to her coming back in to the room. She’d changed her clothes, he approved. “I didn’t realise you could cook,” she told him with some surprise in her voice. “I’ve been living on rations while working here. Had I known all this worked, I’d have worked harder at it.” She told him grinning back.
“Take a seat, its nearly ready.” He turned back to the machinery h
e was using. Coco looked on curiously as she walked to the table and picked up the juice, she took her seat and poured two glasses. She brought it to her nose and breathed it in. It smelt good.
“What is this?”
Abel turned back with two full plates, one much bigger than the other and came towards the table. “Wine. It’s a speciality of one of our worlds.” Coco took a taste.
“Wow, that’s good. We have our own grapes here, but Hodges hoards it. We rarely get to see any of it and you have you have something he wants to barter for it. We use potatoes and fruit to make it and that’s ok. Not as good as this though.”
Abel put a plate down in front of her. She was glad to see it was the smaller of the two. “That’s beef lasagne, jacket potato and salad in the bowl.” He told her. Coco stared at the plate. Beef? She knew of it but hadn’t ever had it. Only small live stock had ever made it in stasis. Abel took the seat opposite her. “You look worried.” He told her picking up his knife and fork.
She shook her head, “no, its just we’ve never had beef here. My parents and grand parents would talk of huge steaks but, we’ve never had it.”
Abel cut into the lasagne and loaded his fork, “it’s good try it and once we get to the Station, you will try some of the best steak there is.”
She watched him eat for a while, then picked up her own knife and fork and tucked in. He was right, it was amazing. They had pasta. Made from corn and wheat flour but it didn’t taste like this. She realised Abel loved his food. You could see the pleasure he took in it. It was such a simple thing and yet he clearly loved it.
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