WHO INVITED that thing? Amelia scowled at the EEG as it hitched over the rough flooring, momentarily hovering before dropping back onto its wheels.
"It can talk?" Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Lale's expression match her own, and his fists tighten. She was sure that he shared in her sudden frustration. You're almost a year too late, Amelia glared at the robot, as if hoping it would read her mind and feel in its failure. The injustice of Bradley's situation made her want to lash out herself, but what would that achieve?
You came here to make a difference, she reminded herself, exhaling heavily through her nose. The scent of resin and damp was heavy on her dry tongue, and she resolved to forgo her hunger and thirst to find answers. And who better to ask than a robot designed to help them?
"If you would prefer me to change my vocal value," the EEG's voice rose in pitch, from the warm, deep hum of a male, to a higher-pitched female's soprano, "then please do not hesitate in instructing me to do so."
Amelia almost hid her shiver, before she realized she was trying to cloak her emotions from an AI machine and not a fellow human. Only another person would understand how creepy the EEG's change in voice was, and she shook her head quickly. "No, it's alright."
"Thank you for the directive." The EEG's initial tone returned, and it sharpened and lengthened the camera resting in its domed skull. Amelia took that as another person narrowing their eyes at her. Creepy.
"I see you have an egg," it said. She shifted the object of its attention from arm to arm, wondering if it would pull out hidden weapons and open fire on the pockmarked shell. "It will offer much information on the dinosaurs."
"Or bring trouble," Bradley muttered, and Amelia turned with a further frown at him.
"It'll help us," Amelia muttered, feeling twinges of irritation pricking at her gut. "This's my job. Let me do it, please?" As a paleontologist, she reasoned, didn't she have a right to study a living specimen of the fossils of 2039?
"But you're a marine," she added, too annoyed to shut up, even though that was the better option. "I can't expect you to understand."
Amelia didn't look back to see Bradley's reaction, trying to ignore the slight pang of regret in her stomach. This isn't fair for him. This isn't fair for any of us.
She hardened her resolve, however. It was too late to mope, and too many lives were at risk to do so. Daryl and her friends' lives were on the line, and she put aside her pity for the no doubt sulking Bradley at that moment.
"We need to get a message to the others," Lale suggested. Amelia glanced at him gratefully, glad for the subject change. "Make sure they don't get out of their TimePods and get eaten."
"Thank you for the directive." Amelia jerked in surprise; she had almost forgotten the EEG was there. "I have initiated TimePod internal lockdown. Overriding system ... fifty-three percent complete ... one hundred percent complete. Red light protocol initiated. The fellow ERAA initiates' Pods will not open until further directives are given."
She blinked rapidly, taking a moment to translate what it had said. "Well." She shot another look at Lale, who raised his eyebrows. "That's sorted. But what if they have to stay in their Pods for a while? How long will it take to drive away a group of nesting Tanycolagreuses?"
As Amelia had guessed, the EEG had an answer. "Rations are stowed beneath the seats of the TimePod. Consumed with care, the water and food supply will last any person up to three weeks."
Bradley snorted. Amelia wondered how long the rations had lasted him.
"As for your second question, I will need more abject stimuli in order to calculate an approximate answer." The EEG tilted its head in a robot's shrug.
Okay. So even AI has its limits. Amelia could work with what the EEG had told them, however. Their friends wouldn't starve, and their friends also wouldn't be eaten by nesting predators, which was a relief. "But that still doesn't solve how we're going to get the others out of their Pods safely."
There was a silence that stretched on for several heartbeats; Amelia could feel hers thudding against her rib cage, and she dug her fingers into the shell of the egg — which had grown heavy in her arms — to beat back the scream of growing frustration building in her throat.
This wasn't the way it was supposed to go! Amelia thought, blinking furiously as the stark reality of their future hit. They had to save the other recruits and risk death themselves, or die anyway.
"Maybe we'll think of ideas after we've eaten." It was Bradley that broke through her thunderstorm of thoughts, his voice softer than before.
Amelia almost sank to her knees as she realized how hungry she was at that moment; how much her legs and body ached after literally running for her life — twice! — and how dry her mouth was. "Sounds great," she responded, turning to look towards Lale and Bradley.
"I'll get something going." Bradley didn't meet her gaze, which sent another tweak of regret through her, before he began rummaging around the hut, unfolding leaves that she guessed acted as packets. While Amelia watched him, she noticed Lale himself was watching her, his grey eyes gentle, which she hadn't expected.
"How are you?" He asked her as Amelia put the egg down, giving her tired and locked joints a chance to stretch, and giving her own mind a moment to try and think of an answer.
"Okay, I guess," she said numbly, shrugging. Her hair was loose and tangled over her shoulders, and she had the sudden erratic thought that she probably looked terrible; sweat-stained and hunched over with the effort of staying alive. "As good as anyone can be, given the circumstances."
"Excessive cortisol increases glucose in the bloodstream," the EEG spoke up, for seemingly no reason at all. "This is aided with adrenaline. It is natural to feel drained after the hormones are released. You are reacting naturally and accordingly, Amelia Doveare, and it would be a concern if you did not."
Despite herself, Amelia giggled. Maybe the EEG will prove move helpful than it looks — it least it'll be entertaining us! Lale joined her in chuckling as the EEG released a puff of condensed air. "As it seems I am not needed for the moment, should I power down?"
"Sure," Lale replied, folding his arms across his chest. It was his turn to shoot Amelia a side glance, and she bit back a smile. Still entertaining.
"Thank you for the directive." The EEG's domed head dropped onto its rectangular body, and the blue light of its camera winked out.
Amelia waved her hand in front of the robot's camera, surprised at how cool it was. All pieces of machinery she had ever known had grown hot during usage — something that continued to short-circuit her PortScreen.
The thought back into her old life hit surprisingly hard, and she was relieved when Bradley released a triumphant "A-ha!" to distract her from the accompanying emotions.
Amelia turned back to Bradley as he put a lump of brown jerky-looking meat on the notched wooden table a little further into the room. She scrutinized the meat with equal amounts disdain and longing, realizing that it was probably from a dinosaur.
"Caught a large scamp the other day," Bradley said conversationally, unsheathing a knife from his waistband. The wicked-looking blade, too, looked like it was made of dinosaur bone. He began cutting into the jerky. "Hope you don't mind this cold. I don't usually light fires during the day."
The crude seat was uncomfortable beneath Amelia as she sat, reaching for a piece of the jerky. They were all silent as they ate, the cold dried meat tough and coarse against her dry throat. Better get used to the taste, she thought drily, wiping her hands against her suit once she was done with her piece.
After their meal, Amelia gratefully accepted a bowl of lukewarm water, and sighed in contentment as new energy rushed through her system. "So, what now?" She had tried to keep her friends off her mind during their meal — mostly to avoid the guilt — but now they weighed heavier than ever on her heart.
"The only way you're gonna get a group of predators to move from those nests is to relocate the eggs themselves," Bradley replied matter-of-factly. He seemed better tempered than before, which was a relief. "Practically a suicide mission, anyway."
"But we have to try," Lale pointed out, taking another piece of jerky. He seemed to like it more than she did. "Although I don't really wanna admit it, we'll need them."
Amelia agreed, but her previous satisfaction was steadily growing outweighed by ever-increasing hopelessness. "There has to be some way to do this." Without losing a limb ...
The marines' shared silence wasn't reassuring, but Bradley seemed to relent from his devil's advocate role. "We can scout it out later. For now, we sleep."
Amelia jolted in surprise, screwing her eyes up. Indignation made her tighten her fists involuntarily. "Sleep? Are you hearing yourself right now?"
"Noon is the time the big ones roam," Bradley replied firmly. "Late evening and early morning are the best times to move around 'round here — trust me on this."
Though the thought of sleeping while her friends were potentially starving was horrifying, Amelia relented, seeing the logic in his words.
Besides, she didn't want to meet any carnivores bigger than the ones they had already faced.
"Fine. But we go as soon as it's time." Amelia glared hard at Bradley, who offered no argument, and Lale, who nodded to her.
"We're with you, Amelia."
"Good."
They settled to sleep soon thereafter, and little light made it through the woven leaves and framework of the structure, despite it having been noon and the sun being at its brightest. Amelia and Lale got leaves to lay on near the door — Great, we'll get eaten first and give Bradley a chance to escape. Truly a five-star establishment — and the marine was out as out as soon as he rested his head on the floor, judging by his snores.
Amelia started up at the ceiling, her fingers interlaced over her stomach, which roiled with anxiety and uncertainty. We need to give this all we've got. We have to.
Despite her worries and tremulous thoughts, she found her eyelids growing heavier and heavier. They were safe, fed, and going to initiate a plan of action.
Just as Amelia reluctantly gave in to her exhaustion, there was a rumble on the horizon — the echo of a roar.
━━━━