Binary: Rough Draft Edition (Sword Dancers, Book 1)

Chapter 14: Ashley

"Well, I wish we met under different circumstances." Flair said. She was a little taller than the other Sparks. Standing above knee level and stockier than Haze. Her flame emblem eyes were a mixture of reds, oranges, and yellows. Unlike Haze, however, she had curves to go with the broad triangular shape of her torso. Defining her purely as female. Ashley was almost jealous until she realized she was talking about a robot.

"Not a robot, cybernetic organism." Flair said. Her voice was clear, precise, and a hint of arrogance. Standing tall and proud she waved her hand to dismiss the slur. "So, what do you want?"

Ashley was put off by the attitude. Is this how people felt when they talked to her? She had few friends, but the few she had always told her that she can come off as arrogant. She felt like she wasn't, just confident and competitive. She wanted to be the best at whatever she was doing. math, cross country, yoga.  If you didn't believe in yourself, who would? There were times where she would be cold to those who couldn't keep up. Even laughed, but she didn't mean any harm. In fact, that's how she treated both Colin and Tyree in high school. They helped her though and that changed her perceptions of them. 

She didn't change her mind just because of that. Both of them went into the Army. Some people felt that meant they weren't smart enough to get into college, but she knew better. Most people who joined to get education benefits. She remembered Tyree saying that his education would be tuition free. Being in the Army or military was a brave decision. one she wasn't sure she could have made. That's why the study and worked so hard, to get scholarships and obtain her dreams.  No matter her success, she tried her best to not be snotty, but she can't control how people viewed her. 

Flair, on the other hand, was not like her, Flair didn't want anything to with her. She crossed her arms and looked Ashley up and down. Shaking her head with disappointment. Turning she walked away.

"Where are you going? Ashley called out.

"Away from you. You can't help me. You didn't even want to be part of this mission." Flair went down the corridor of the cave. Her flame like pauldrons lighting the path from her shoulders. She looked back and smiled. "but I assumed you're going to follow me."

"I'm not," Ashley said and she meant it. "Did you see me running? Did you know the ground was going to break apart?"

"How could I know that?" She walked back towards Ashley. "Just because you are in my mainframe, doesn't mean I control it. The Trojans are like your white blood cells. The environment is reflected in my culture, but I have no control over the environment itself. I didn't even see you materialized until you were running and there isn't anything I could do, but watch and hope you were gifted or lucky enough to make it.  I guess you are more lucky than gifted."

"What is your problem? I'm the one that should be mad." Ashley pointed to herself. She was trying to stay calm. She didn't like getting upset in front of others. There was a certain pride that went with maintaining her cool. Right now though she was losing her cool and the rush of anger started to rise. 

"My problem is that you humans think you're superior. Here we are trying to save your crummy little planet. You and your friend Tyree don't even care, why should we? Our planet is under siege and we're doing what we can to stop Megatron. You? All you and your people do is care about yourselves. As far I'm concerned I might as well be dead."

"What do you know about me?" Ashley said still taming her anger. Balling her fist into balls of fury that were shaking.  She gritted her teeth and looked at Flair. Flair responded with her own glare.

"I know everything. We're linked and even though it's weak, it's enough for me to see into you. I know everything you were thinking, even when I was comatose."

"Look, I was caught off guard and didn't know about your civil war until just an hour ago."

"That's my point," Flair turned again. "You didn't' even realized that I was dying when the others were telling you about their experiences. You should have been smarter than that. If you would have acted as soon as they told you, I could have been saved faster. Now, I'm not sure I can return to my mainframe.  I might be stuck in this level of Krowten forever. Wasting away like a bucket of bolts rusting in the rain."

"Well, what do you want me to do? Apologize? I have the right to feel the way I do!" Ashley exploded. She had enough of being defensive.  "If we had done the same to you, what would you and your people have done? Just accept us?"

Fair stopped and pondered. She scratched her left cheek. "Of course not, you humans are like a disease."

"Well then, you know what, I'll just go back and tell your teammates that you were suicidal."

"They won't' believe you. They'll know that I would sacrifice myself for the mission. Besides, who said I wanted your help?"

"You did," Ashley said lowering her voice. "I heard you in my head. I knew it was you. That's why I asked if I could travel into your mainframe. I can feel your anger and pain at what Megatron has done to your world. What he did to you. I'm sorry I didn't' accept you and your kind, but I'm not an evil person and not all humans are unkind. I came to rescue you, but I'm not going to force you to come with me. If you decide to die here than you die here."

Flair adjusted the flames frames on her face. "That's why I hate the binary process. I didn't want anyone to know that about me."

"Does your team know?"

"You know the answer to that." Flair sat on the ground. 

"I do. You want to die here, but..." Ashley paused trying to find the right words. She thought of Tyree and Colin and what they both told her. "You need to find the strength to move on. You join this team to find and defeat Megatron. To save your world. He took something from you and I know it hurts, but if you give up now. He wins."

Flair looked up. "I was just a young spark back then."

Ashley held out her hand. "I know. How about we make sure he doesn't do that to anyone ever again. Spark or human."

Flair looked up and wiped her eye. "Sounds like a plan to me."

Ashley pulled Flair up and they hugged. "You need to feed, once I take us out of your Krowten, and get everyone out of mine. 

"I know. It's going to be painful. My reserves are low. You're going to be bombarded with tons of information about me and I'm going to know everything about you too. Are you sure you want to do this? You could just let me die and you won't have to be part of this war."

"After what we shared. I'm not going to let you down. We need to work together. I'm not saying I trust you fully, and I don't expect for you to trust me fully yet. I'm not going to let you die trapped in your own mind, mainframe, whatever this is. I play to win and if you are my partner than I expect the same from you."

"You humans." Flair sniffed in repeated bleeps. "Sometimes you guys are surprising."

"I know." Ashley said and she made sure to sound arrogant, but she smiled, and in return so did Flair."

"Let's get on with it." Then as the Trojans started to appear, Flair and Ashley vanish in a column of fire.