KETTY'S SUBDIVISION Wattys2017

Chapter 14-Part IV

Once on board, Ketty and Boondock were there to meet them, but it was more like a reunion than a formal introduction.

"Boondock!"

"Purline!" The two weirdest bots in the Subdivision met for the first time, slamming together in the most violent hug Ketty had ever seen.

"It's so good to see you," said Purline.

"I knew you were coming for me," squeaked Boondock.

"Have my visions of the future ever been wrong?" They walked off down the corridor, oblivious of those around them.

"You must be Ketty," Georgiana went to shake Ketty's hand until she realized she was radiated far above acceptable levels. "John-mark talked highly about you."

"You know my brother?"

"We met a couple times. Seems like Purline used me and the military so he could have a play date with Boondock. He often rambled about the strange friend he had never met."

"Come on, we have to get you decontaminated. You have quite the sunburn." Ketty felt a little strange around Georgiana, as if the young soldier knew something even Ketty didn't. Was it her penetrating gaze, or compassionate smile? She had a thousand questions, but they would have to wait for now.

"Give me a status report, Belletine." Ketty used her neural network to speak to the bridge.

"We are free of Karabellum and on course for deep space and Argon 23," Belletine replied happily.

"Are they following us?".

"No sign of the smelly birds and were about to make the jump to Sub-light One. Then it will be impossible for anyone to trail us."

"Good job, thanks."

"Well, Bromide did most of the work, though I learned a few maneuvers. Still he refuses to relinquish control of the ship." Belletine was obviously annoyed.

"I'll deal with him later, out." Ketty was glad she had gone back to help Bakes' parents, but the delay could have cost Scott his life. They had tentatively agreed to remain and protect the planet once the fault-line was destroyed, but she still felt responsible if anything were to happen to them.

When they arrived at the med-bay, Scott's burnt body was inside the auto-doc, with Rayjack at his side.

"Is he going to make it?" Ketty asked guiltily. She could have stopped him, though he went to prove himself to Rayleen more than anything. Still, she doubted Rayleen's feelings would change.

"It's touch and go, only time will tell."

"What happened down there?" Ketty signaled a nano-repair bot to attend Rayjack. The tiny creatures swarmed up from the floor and began stripping the damaged material, even as he told his story.

"My master truly is a hero, not a martyr," he stared directly in her eyes, making her knees buckle.

"How did you..."

"We've been together a year now Miss Ketty, but some things remain a mystery in regards to stress and robot development. I know your thoughts, and those of others, when it suits me, but it's my relationship with Scott that helped it developed."

She was stunned, but then it hit her. "Rayjack, let's keep this between us for now, ok?"

"As you wish," then he continued. "We set the timers on the micro-bombs and planted them far inside enemy territory, but we were discovered. The aliens tried to load the bombs on a small shuttle but Scott went back and stopped them. By then it was too late to make a full retreat, so we suffered a serious Gamma-ray blast even at a mile distance. The rest is history, I brought him back and contacted Purline at a predetermined point of his choosing."

"How does Purline communicate?"

"Sub-micron Dark Matter. Instantaneous over any distance."

"Is that military technology?" Ketty looked over to where Georgiana emerged from the radiation shower, looking very pretty despite almost getting killed. It was the way she carried herself, confident without an air of pride.

"No, he seems to have invented it himself, him and Boondock, that is." Every answer brought more questions, but for now they were safe. Yet it got her to thinking, if she could communicate with Argon 23, she might be able to warn people and get some help. Georgiana took her hand.

"I know what you're thinking, but let's go somewhere private to talk." When they were alone in Ketty's stateroom, Georgiana stretched out on the bed like a cat at nap time and yawned, "I feel so tired."

"What were you going to tell me," Asked Ketty impatiently, not realizing she was suffering from time dilation sickness.

"When I was with your brother, he kept mentioning detailed tests he had done on a schizophrenic robot who had attention deficit disorder back home and how Purline mimicked many of the characteristics. But he never found a clear answer. He said it was like our limited knowledge of human DNA, there is still so much we don't understand. The robot brain architecture and programming algorithms didn't give a clear answer to why a few bots behaved strangely."

"He was talking about Boondock. We ran so many tests the data storage computer crashed from overload. Add to those systems the nano-biotic fluid, all its programming variables, and manufacturing tolerances, and we never came up with an answer."

"Right," Georgiana said, looking at Ketty through one half opened eye. "But now that I've seen the two together, it's like they are twins separated at birth."

"Except they have different manufacturers."

"From a layman's point of view, that may be exactly the information you need to solve the puzzle. Is there anything they have in common?"

"Not that I know of, but maybe the Firm has military contracts which are top secret." Ketty thought about it, realizing it couldn't be done now. "We would need access to classified documents. I don't see it happening any time soon."

"We have more pressing matters to attend anyway," She was talking in her sleep now. "Those two bots know something which is key to our survival. Doesn't really matter how, we just need to find out what it is." With that Ketty let her sleep. She had much to think about besides two bots who were probably getting in trouble at this very moment.

By the time she found them down in the lower hold, an entire panel had been torn from the wall and they were cutting into a communication bus which ran the entire length of the ship. She knew one wrong move could render the ship inoperative. When she saw them in a pile of wires and circuit boards, she made up her mind.

"You two are grounded to your quarters, get going." Boondock tried to protest but she gave him the look and he tucked tail and followed the frightened Purline. At least she still had control of one thing in her life.

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