Harbinger's Child (A Literary Space Sci-fi) #Wattys2016

Where there is light (2)

And if we find nothing there?

Humanity will keep looking.

What do you desire to find, Iris?

I have no more desires.

She waved her hand and the bay grew dark. Only an emergency light stayed. There were shadows where the pilot's eyes were but the AI was alive with red. Then she stood up and came out of the terminal and was life-sized and no longer needed the interface. The pilot could see meridians of photons swirling through her body. She was about as tall as the pilot's shoulder. Of all the ship AIs she had seen, she had never seen one walking free but strangely she wasn't unnerved. Somehow the girl felt very close and familiar.

Two Marines are on their way to escort you, Lieutenant, she said, the Captain requests to see you.

Neither of us were here for a conversation of course.

My apologies, Lieutenant. I didn't want to stop you from what's necessary. Everyone needs some time for themselves.

I can use more time.

I'm sure you could, the girl smiled but did not comply.

The pilot wiped the residue of machine oil from her brow.

Time is a valuable resource, said the girl. One that warps and distorts. We learn to live with fluctuations and changes.

I'd prefer to change into uniform first.

The Captain is not so concerned about appearances.

How long have you been commissioned?

A few years, enough to know. The girl laughed, a dissonant tune, but the pilot didn't. A few years ago, she would've been flying on sorties and it would be all she knew, her and the hard vacuum and a piece of metal in between. She returned the tool she used to the lockers and went over to the terminal and brought up the Harbinger's status. It came in blues and greens and her eyes lit up bright. She expanded the layout and swept over to Lower Decks Three and Four but didn't have the clearance to look into the cryo bays. She wondered if her wingmate was dreaming. I'm no longer assigned now, she said.

You haven't entered cryostasis either.

I didn't know there were only two options.

You aren't the only one. There are no written policies. There are some who have nothing to do now, and some who have nothing at all. Some who have had nothing for a long time, nothing to eat, nothing to wear, nothing to live or die for. We need all the help we can get.

Including cryostasis.

Yes, you're right; we can't afford to have any complications during the process, we took in many undocumented refugees and there was no time to run background checks. As of yet, we don't know who's on board with us. I've done a facial and DNA match but not all of them come up on the records we scavenged. I no longer have access to the Tellurian networks out here.

So we put the chaos to sleep and the remaining are monitored.

Or they can cooperate and contribute. The AI looked her in the eye. The pilot was quiet for a moment.

I expect I will be briefed on our flight course.

And what we should be doing when we arrive, the girl said.

The ETA?

Approximately two weeks, four days and sixteen hours.

There's still time.