After going over the supplies we'd need over the course of six months dirt-side, it took a little wrangling as the Quadrozzi wanted to gift all the materials to me without charge, but I refused. I insisted I pay for it all. When they asked how I could do this, I handed over a casino chip worth two million credits and asked them to keep the change. I had no intention on haggling over prices with any of them as I was certain I'd be haggled under the table.
When Gianni found out the casino chip carried a balance over four times what their goods were worth, they wanted to give it back. When I pointed out that they had given me another million credits on the Clan pin that I didn't need, I then said that I was reciprocating the filial gifts and that shut them up quickly.
One to Cia. Quadrozzi Zero.
A few days later, after the evening meal, and we'd all gone off to bed, I was lying on my bunk, going over the manifest of goods I'd purchased. I realised the room was a little more quiet than normal. Mocha almost always talked the night away, or he'd read out loud to Latte, or they'd watch a vidcomm on the holo-project I brought along with me. When I sat up on my bunk and looked at them, I realised they were both lying on their respective beds asleep.
Anything I should know about? I asked Nova. He has his digital fingertips in every area of the ship. If a problem pops up anywhere on board, he sets off alarms well before the normal computing systems does, and I heard staff and crew say that The Chaser has never run so smoothly before.
[Both Latte and Mocha opted for BrainComp implants and had them surgically inserted early today. They spent twelve hours asleep while their new hardware assimilate into their brains. This procedure usually takes place in children at the age of five and can be inserted in teens as old as twenty without any problems. But the later a human body has a BrainComp implanted, the larger the risk of non-assimilation and storage capacity is vastly restricted.]
Did their procedures go well? Are they going to be OK? How is their pain levels? I asked rapid-fire questions.
[Anyone would think you care for them, Cia.] Nova's voice came off rather sarcastic and I realised we had a problem.
Explain the reason for your derision, please Nova. What has you upset? I straight up asked him.
[You haven't made any accommodations to take Latte and Mocha with you. You keep setting up little metaphorical pot-holes for them to fall into, like showing them the sapphire expecting it to be stolen, then you dump them onto other members of The Chaser's crew to baby sit every day, and refuse to have them join you in any planning for the future. You are the last member on board the ship to know that they had their implants inserted today. You didn't even notice that they weren't at dinner tonight!] Right about now, if Nova had a body, he'd be crossing his arms, turned away and pouting. His words were loud and angry and laced with accusation.
"Hang on, Nova. What do you think is going on here? What makes you think I am responsible for these two in any way? How come you are so angry at me when you haven't even talked to me about what you want?" I am whisper yelling at this point, my emotions leaking over into the bunk room and I stand up and pace towards the door and back.
[Am I not allowed to get angry? And what do you mean, what do I think is going on here. Are you not responsible for them?]
"No, I'm not responsible for them." Before I can explain further, Nova interrupts me.
[Why not?]
"Because I'm not a SLAVER, Nova. I'm not a slaver that tells them what to do, where to go, how to eat, when to sleep. I DON'T OWN THEM!" I yelled.
"Who is Nova?" A weak sounding voice asks from the bunk above me.
"Sorry, Mocha. Go back to sleep." I turn and pat his shoulder.
[I don't understand. You rescued them. Are you not responsible for them now?] All the angst has gone our of his voice, and Nova sounds like he is genuinely interested in my answer to his questions.
"So you would have them go from one diabolical slaving owner to another owner who is on the run, has no fixed abode, can't offer them anything at all and doesn't know if she can keep them safe? Not only does that negate their human rights and right to choose for themselves, that takes away their freedom, their self-automony, and it devalues what we did for them when we stole them in the first place. What does freedom mean to you, Nova? Does freedom mean we lock them up again and throw away the key to keep them safe?" I decided to keep the conversation audio out loud so that Mocha and Latte – who I could also see was awake – could listen in on my conversation and understand what my expectations of them are.
[...Freedom? I think I need to study the psychology of human behaviour and the development of cognitive thinking of the ex-slave human mind. I believe my database appears to be lacking, somewhat....]
I really wanted to snort at my AI friend for finally admitting that he didn't know everything. I decided to focus instead on the Twins and their situation. Latte was leaning up on one arm at this stage and Mocha got himself off his bunk and moved into the head.
"You take Latte here, for example." I patted the lovely girl on her white blond head. "Latte has been subject to obedience conditioning her whole life. She is conditioned to obey her masters and only her masters. Her behaviours are in favour of pleasing those in ownership before her own personal needs. If she deviates, she is punished. If she performs well, she is rewarded. She is given everything she needs, food, drink, clothing. Nothing was earned, nothing was gained that she decided to get for herself.
"She has developed coping mechanism and behaviours that she believed would give her the greatest chance for survival. Now that she is free, what does this mean? How does she develop relationships with people outside of her owners, the guards, or Mocha when there is no owner, no guard and Mocha is now free and trying to figure out his own massive changes in life circumstances.
"What does freedom mean to these two now? Who is their new owner? How do they adapt to this new situation? How do they please the new person in authority above them? What rewards will they be given? These and so many more questions are beings asked in their minds every day. A month is not enough time for these two to learn to understand what living free means to them." Nova stayed silent as I spoke and Mocha came back from the head with painkillers and a glass of water for his sister. When she was finished, he sat on the bunk next to them.
I turned and looked at them both.
"I don't want to be your new owner. I refuse. I will NOT take responsibility for you just because. I had hoped that the time you've had aboard The Chaser and with the Quadrozzi Clan you would have learned about interpersonal relationships outside of an owner/slave contract. I don't want to own you. I want you to be free, in every sense of the word." I watch as Mocha looks at Latte and they do that non-verbal thing that they have going on. I smile at this. When they turn back towards me, still silent, I continue.
"If you want to stay aboard The Chaser, you will need to ask Cade and Gianni if you can stay with them and work under them. You will have to learn their rules and expectations for living with them and becoming apart of their crew. You will also be expected to grow and develop your personalities and character to fit in with their lifestyle and culture. This is a skill usually developed in children from birth, no matter where they grow up.
"You would be expected to get an education, to work for the fulfilment of the company's mandate, and submit to their rules, laws, codes of conduct, ethics, and regulations, both on The Chaser and when on station or planet side. This is normal standard operating procedure for anyone who joins a new company, ethnic people group, or sub-culture. Usually this is something you'd have to figure out all on your own. This is normal for any human who lives and dies free."
I watch as their eyes darken, a trace of passion for something more lighting their eyes.
"If Mocha and Latte decide you don't want to stay with The Chaser, that's OK. You can go anywhere you want to, within reason. I don't advise you breaking into places you are not authorised to go as this is a fast track into jail. If you break the law, be prepared to be caught and prosecuted by the enforcers of the law."
[But what about bringing them with us, Cia?] Nova asked.
"Nova, if they want to come with me, they should have asked me if they could come with me. I am under no obligation to bring them along, especially when I didn't know if they want to come with me." I watched as emotions flickered across Latte's eyes, and Mocha looked down at his lap. He was a little harder to read than Latte's innocent face.
[Am I under the assumption that you are introducing them to me, your AI companion?] Nova's voice sounded a little more upbeat than before. I ignored his question and continued to talk to the Twins.
"Mocha, Latte, do you even know what I am doing on that moon at the back end of nowhere? Apart from hiding out until the storm blows over, what is my purpose for being there. How about after that? Have you even asked what my plans are? How do you even know that my path is the direction you want to go? Do your dreams and goals for your life match up with my own? What is important to you? How do you want to live? What does freedom look like for you? How does it all add up? At the end of the day, you are accountable to your ancestors, gods or goddess' for the life you live. I CANNOT live that life for you." I stopped talking and watched them some more. Mocha fidgeted and Latte watched me.
[My apologies, Cia. I think I understand now. Forgive me for my assumptions. I believe the experimental learning that these two young one are being subjected to under your guidance will greatly impact their lives for the better. Thank you for teaching me and for your grace.]
That's OK, Nova. I appreciate your apology, and I forgive you. But next time you make stupid assumptions like that, you're sleeping on the couch.
[... Ah, yes. I understand. Like the dog house or snapple cage. The metaphorical time out. *Chuckle*] Nova's laugh in my mine was lovely and warm, sending warmth down my spine.
I looked at Latte and Mocha again, and waited. Mocha rubbed his head, like the many questions and decisions he had to think about were competing with the pain his new BrainComp implant was giving him. Latte looked conflicted until she didn't and a peaceful expression graced her lovely small face. She opened her mouth and smiled, then spoke for the first time in years.
"I. Want to. Follow. You Cia." Her voice was so sweet but scratchy for years of disuse. Mocha looked shocked.
"Yes! She speaks!" I clapped my hands and smiled at her. "Congratulations on overcoming your largest hurdle. Being locked up in your mind only keeps you in a cage. This is a huge step. Keep going, keep practising, eventually it will come as naturally to you as breathing. And you have a really lovely voice, Latte." I clapped my hands and stood up.
"OK, time for lights out. I need time to sleep, you two need time to think. I will accept anything you request of me as long as it is in my powers to do. But I will NOT be your owner, nor your mother. I am happy to lead and direct you and help you get to where you want to go, but you two have to decide what you want for yourselves."
I climbed onto my bunk and lay down. Nova controlled the lights out as Mocha climbed onto his own bed again.
"Can I ask, what are you going to be doing on the dust moon for six months, Cia?" Mocha's timid voice came in the dark of the bunk room. He doesn't ask me a lot of questions, so I knew this was another big breakthrough for the two.
"Yes, you can. You can ask me anything, but I may not always tell you what you want to hear." Mocha chuckled. "I am going to be giving myself a six month course of high intensity military type basic training. Exercise, fitness, strengthening, cardio. I will also be studying tactics, defence and warfare, outdoor survival skills, martial arts, weapons handling and maintenance, first aid and medical training, communications, astro navigation, xenobiology and physiology, radar and lidar training, enemy conflict resolution and anti-smuggling and anti-pirate operations." I took a deep breath and spoke again.
"I'm going to go after the bastards who stole me from my home and enslaved you both all your lives."
[You shouldn't have said that if you didn't want to influence their decision making. Now they will want to follow you even until the stars fall silent. *Huff*] I smiled at Nova's words.
I know. Was my simple reply. Then I asked him, What about you, Nova? What do you want to do with your new life? What does freedom look like for you while living in this MeatPuppet?
[Well. Someone's gotta keep you out of trouble, don't you think, Ms Briller?]