Genre(s): Science Fiction/Romance
Rating: T (as according to fictionpress)
Characters In Chapter: Samara Crichton, Nazilla, Kered, Iraca
Relationship(s): Samara Crichton/Nazilla, Nazilla/Glau
I had been trying to figure out Glau for countless days before we had gone to Iraca. I had poured over everything that I knew and used my advanced senses to examine Glau. I thought that I’d be the only one to figure her out, but Iraca was doing a good job.
I had been watching her for hours as she tried to pretend to
be calm. I knew Kered had probably told her his very biased opinion of me.
Every now and again she would speak up, as if having an M-4 behind her wasn’t
anything to worry about.
“So you resisted your own programming to rejoin Karma?”
Iraca asked in one of her many attempts to sound calm.
“Yes.” I replied simply.
“And you resisted for your girlfriend?”
“Yes, she was the one thing that I could hold onto. The only
thought that, well, kept me human. If it wasn’t for her I’d probably still be
helping The Net.”
“Wouldn’t you prefer that as you’d be around more of your
kind?”
“Machines are not my kind. My kind is Karma and the humans
that live on Earth. I feel no special bond between fellow Machines. No matter
what you, Kered, and the others think: it was my humanity that saved me. I have
more humanity than you think.”
“So you’re completely human?”
“There have been…changes, but I’ll always have my humanity.”
As I looked at the M-3’s body I felt a shiver go through my
systems. It wasn’t like I was looking at just another Machine, it was like I
was looking at the body of my own kin. I tried to clear my mind of that
thought. I was human no matter what.
“Are you sure you want to keep your humanity?” Iraca finally
said.
“Yes.” I replied with more certainty than I felt.
I couldn’t let her see my weakness. She couldn’t think that
I’d turn into a complete Machine. But what if I could fully embrace that side
without abandoning Karma? Could I stay a good person if I let my humanity go?
Looking at Glau I knew that if I abandoned humanity I would
go to her for comfort. She had a human side and Machine side. If both were able
to co-exist, she’d be in the same situation as I was. Maybe she could be my
rock while I was in utter confusion.
But what about Samara?
I watched her for a few more hours and then started to
prepare dinner. Maybe if I treated Iraca special then that initial kindness
would be back. It wouldn’t be a special dinner, but it would be something. As I
started getting the ingredients for a sandwich out I heard familiar footsteps.
“Samara.” I said.
“You don’t eat.” Samara said as she walked over to me.
“Kered or Iraca?”
“Iraca. I’m certain that Kered would disable me if I
attempted to give him anything. Probably blame me for trying to assassinating
him.”
Samara gave me a small grin.
“That’s probably true. He doesn’t trust you at all, thinks
that you’ll turn on us one day. That you are incapable of experiencing love.”
She replied.
“What do you think?” I asked as I started to make the
sandwich.
“I think you can love but…you’ve changed a lot. I’ve tried
to ignore how you’ve changed but…I can’t now. Things have just become worse.”
“What do you mean? I still love you, Samara.”
“You call me Samara. You say The Net. You’ve changed. Hell,
you even rescued a Machine.”
“I was doing that be-“
“Don’t, Naz, just don’t. I know it’s because you have
feelings for it. It has the skin of my dead ex-girlfriend and you treat it like
a person. It almost feels like-“
“I love her more than you? Samara, I would never kill you
even if you betrayed all of Karma. I feel nothing like that towards Glau. I
feel no deep connection like that to her.”
“But you want to.”
I couldn’t argue with Samara’s assessment and I was confused
about that. I should be able to argue this point logically. It was a logical
thing to argue about. Why couldn’t I?
“I know you want to or else you wouldn’t have rescued her.
You like to say that you’re logical now, but you do have emotions. Maybe you’re
just so removed from your emotions that you can’t recognize new ones.” Samara
said.
“I can recognize new emotions.” I said, but I didn’t know if
I was being honest or not. “I could tell if I felt something like love for her.
Maybe you’re just trying to twist things into your version of what things
should be. Maybe you’ve talked to Kered for too long.”
After I said those things I wished that I hadn’t. Samara’s
expression looked more shocked than when I had come to her after I had been
made a Machine. I wanted to take what I had said back, but I knew I couldn’t.
Both because I couldn’t change time and my words were exactly what I had meant.
“You think that I let what Kered says get to me?” Samara
finally managed to ask. “I love you, Naz, truly and deeply. I would never let
what that bastard says affect my feelings for you. He doesn’t think you’re
human anymore, but I think you still are. It’s just that I worry how human you
are nowadays.”
I heard Kered’s cough and our conversation was over.
“I received some new intel, Samara, I need you to catalog
it.” He said and Samara nodded.
With a final angry glance at me, she walked away. I was left
with Kered watching me as I made the sandwich. Each movement I made was
scrutinized by the Elemental. I guess he was making sure I wouldn’t poison
Iraca.
There were no words exchanged by us, but we didn’t need
words to communicate now. I could clearly tell that he would like any excuse to
deactivate me.
I felt free when I finished the sandwich and walked over to
Iraca to give it to her.
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