Companionship - beyond flesh

Name that tune

The alien tree towered over the grove below the hill, its sprawling branches casting shadows out of the warm light glowing from the orb above. It was humid and the air almost tangible; tiny spots of changing colour floated about like iridescent dust sprites. Peter Grimes walked with a nervous trepidation down the hill towards Max Jones, who was rushing up enthusiastically to greet one of the only people in his life that he could call a friend -- a friend lost to twelve years of silent solitude in space. The two friends met, but as Max opened his arms wide, Peter recoiled hard at the half-naked and scruffy bearded Max's attempt to initiate an embrace.

Embarrassed Max dropped his arms to his side and said, slightly downcast, "So how have you been?"

"Honestly Max, these have been the most stressful two months of my life. But, I'm glad that you are alive and well." Peter emphasised the word 'alive'. "Do you know what is causing this music we hear from our auditory implants?"

"No, what music?" Max shook his head in the negative, a little shocked at his friend's lack of emotion at their reunion. "So, tell me how's is Mr Jones?"

Peter replied agitated, "Oh, the cat. It's fine, believe it, or not. You have no idea what I've been through since I entered this system."

Max recalled Peter's tendency for self-centeredness; at flight school he had been happy to overlook the flawed personality trait, but now, with the disappointment of Peter's reaction fresh, a deep-seeded of resentment surfaced. It was a hurt that Max had been harboring since he left Earth Port all those years before. "You know Pete, I wish I had a cat, dog or even a synth to keep me company -- you know, a little bit of companionship for all of those years I was stuck in a box, in space, alone. I bet you liked the present I gave you when I left for space. Huh? Didn't you?"

Taken back by the unexpected outburst from his old friend, Peter replied, "Yes, you gave me a kitten and I named the kitten Mr Jones in your honour. But really--"

Max became upset and cut in before Peter could finish, "You know Pete, I would have loved a present when I left for space. A kitten to talk to, to watch grow, to keep me company while the days and the months and the years passed us by. Instead, you know what Pete? I had nothing, no one. I had to make a friend out of footein from the spencer unit. You ever tried making a friend out of food slop Pete?"

Peter looked at Max wide-eyed, lost for words. Max expected an answer, so he finally replied, "Ah, no Max, can't say I have."

"No, of course not because you had a CAT to keep YOU company. I thought we had made a pact to give each a cat before we went into space? There I was, I can remember that afternoon clearly when I handed you the kitten, and you said excitedly, thank you, Max, so very kind of you! But what did you give to me? After all, I was the one leaving on that day. What present did you give me Pete?"

"Come now Max," Peter tried to calm his upset friend, "It was so long ago. I'm sure it doesn't even matter."

"Yes, it matters for fucks sake! You forgot, and I went crazy alone in a ship for twelve years. Twelve freak'n years! Do you have any idea how lonely I was? I would have died for a friend like Mr Jones."

"I'm sorry Max. Truly I am."

"Yeah, you're sorry. Well, I'm sorry too. I thought you we were friends. Friends look out for each other."

Peter Grimes stepped back in fear as Emma moved up to Max and placed a large shimmering hand on his naked shoulder. "Are you alright Max? I can see that this man has caused you hurt. Would you like me to vaporise him?"

Max looked up to his Emma. "No, it's okay. He just forgot." He turned and placed his arms around her torso and dropped his head into her chest. She was warm and soft, the kind of comfort that he needed.

Captain Ven Verde and the others were watching silently from the hill at the scene beneath the giant tree. C-Buck crossed his eyes and made the 'crazy' sign, circling a finger about an ear. Ven ignored the Skyean and looked to Denver, "So what now?"

Riggs answered instead, "We get out of this mess and find our way home."

With that, the tall auger, with her spear as a walking stick carried herself down the hill with an air of purpose and authority. Churchman too walked forward from the other side of the grove, making a line to intercept Riggs just before Riggs she would reach Peter, Max and Emma. The two modified humans met; Churchman, with his mostly remade body, was now taller than Riggs. But as fierce as the aspect of the devil man was, he could not dispel Rigg's aura of superiority and command, her great curled horns solidifying an archetypal measure of power.

"So we meet again, Administrator." Churchman greeted Riggs as he touched the small and sharp horns on his forehead, I see now we are alike in more ways than one. You know, I had it all wrong when I considered her to be Satan and your her King. Do you remember, when I was hanging from the cross, I would look down at you and chant, Moloch, horrid King besmeared with blood of human sacrifice and parent's tears, and then I would name each of the people you slaughtered, all of the hundreds? Do you remember?"

Riggs replied stoically, "I remember."

"Yes, that was a dark time. But, I now know, I had it wrong. All along, since that first moment your people in the labs transformed elements into orr; from that point forward my mind had been influenced by the true beast hidden here in our dreams. It was the beast that was responsible for the murderous mischief that would follow."

Riggs lifted her spear, "Stand aside you blabbering fool before I use this to sever that crazy head from your robot shoulders."

But Churchman did not move and chose not to notice Riggs' warning. He continued, "No, I was wrong. But now we can make it right. Yes, as you can see I have been remade into a warrior, a general of God's army -- ready to face the battle of the eternal return. Know me auger as Uriel and you, my brother shall be Gabriel. Stand with me and together as archangels we will face Satan's army!"

Riggs shook her head and walked around the deluded Churchman. But Churchman would not accept the auger's, summary dismissal. He took Riggs' shoulder with a bronze claw. But, Riggs in one fluid motion slid out of the hold, twisted and thrust the spear into Churchman's forehead. The spear's tip should have cracked skull and penetrated deep into brain, but it was caught by a micron thin layer of tempered orr that had been welded to Churchman's cranium. But the spear did break flesh, and a stream of blood flowed down Churchman's forehead and into his left eye.

Churchman grabbed the spear with an inhuman strength and wrenched it from Riggs's hands. He said calmly, his toothy grin, more a snarl in warning. "I do not yet expect you to understand. But time, I fear, is running out."

Churchman tossed the spear back to Riggs, who caught it with ease. All eyes were now on the two. Denver had moved forward to take a defensive stance beside his former lover and fellow auger elite.

Ven too had moved down from the hill and appealed directly to Emma, who had been studying the exchange between Riggs and Churchman with delight. "Please, Emma. We have seen your incredible achievements in this place, the tree, your offspring, it is all beyond beauty. The things we have beheld today will forever surpass, all future experience. We are truly honoured. But I have to ask, how can we leave this place?"

Max had regained his composure and so stood beside his Emma, who cleared the distance between her and the Ophiuchian Captain in a single step. C-Buck and Evenjevy had followed Ven and were once again standing beside their captain in support. In her usual style, Emma disregarded the Ven's question and instead ordered, "Tell me about this music you are hearing."

Denver answered instead in his raspy, nasal voice, "The music seems to be a shadow on our autex implants, not a direct interface, but more like noise caused by a physical interaction with associated nerve endings. Its source remains a mystery; we had assumed that you were the cause. I can reproduce the melody out loud." The auger initialised a sonic node in the air before him and played a synthesised version of the tune that had been plaguing the newcomers since they left their ships.

Emma listened to the tune, "Interesting, I have found a match in the outpost's wiki; it seems to be an ancient melody by the artist Antonio Carlos Jobim, a song, once known as the 'The Girl from Ipanema'. According to the records, the tune had been lost to living memory until the period of history known as the Robot Wars when the Sentient faction would project the music to signal an attack.