The Ice Warrior

Chapter 57

Silv was considered to be a bright young girl by everyone who knew her. However, there were limits to what human brains could process, and she had a feeling that hers had gone far beyond the possible. All the new notions and realities were not only mind-boggling but also hard to fit together.

"Miss Silv?" Arthur asked suddenly.

Through the swirling mist that her mind had become, Silv found it difficult to register that the AI was even there, let alone that he was addressing her.

"What is it?" Silv managed to utter, her voice not resembling her own.

"Are you alright? Evanescence called for me when you stopped responding to external stimuli as well as her telepathic communications," Arthur said.

"I am fine, just processing everything that I have learned. Evanescence shouldn't have bothered you," Silv said.

"Ahem, Miss Silv, you have been unresponsive for two hours," Arthur said.

"What?" Silv asked, finally gaining her senses back.

"Yes, as far as I understand, you suddenly stopped responding and moving. Unsure about human anatomy and what should be done, Evanescence called me for help," Arthur said.

That was when Silv finally registered all the anxiety that Evanesncene was feeling. The feeling was so overwhelming that Silv had to pull her hands out of the controls to lessen the effect of the ship's worry.

"I am sorry, Evanescence. I got lost in my own thoughts. I guess I never had to think as hard before this, so my brain shut off any distractions while I tried to cope with all the new knowledge," Silv said out loud.

"Evanescence, understand. Glad Silv okay." Evanescence said, finally feeling relief.

"Arthur, do you know how well Evanescence will be able to speak our language once her speech circuits are repaired?" Silv asked the most inconsequential question that came to her mind.

"As far as I understand it, much better than Eis Neu," Arthur said.

"Even better than Wir Eis?" Silv asked.

"I believe she will be able to communicate as well as any human, if not better," Arthur replied.

"Interesting," Silv mumbled, although she had no idea what was so interesting about it.

"Miss Silv, I've also come to inform you that they are about to start interrogating Denis. I thought you would like to know," Arthur said cautiously.

"Who will do the interrogations?" Silv asked, wondering why she hadn't been consulted about it.

Yet, after almost killing Denis, they probably saw her as too emotional to be of any use.

"Joe will be in charge of the interrogations as he has the most experience in that field," Arthur said.

"I should be there," Silv said.

"Are you sure, Miss Silv? Wouldn't facing him be counterproductive? Joe might have a greater chance of extracting truth from him as he doesn't know Joe well and cannot derail his questioning as well as he might be able to do yours. After all, he knows you better than anyone besides Rose and myself," Arthur said.

"Yes, but that also means that I know him as well as he knows me," Silv said.

"Still, I do not recommend direct confrontation," Arthur said.

"Maybe you are right. I should provide Joe with all the information I have about Denis but not face him directly. The last time I saw him, I think I allowed my fists to say everything that needed saying," Silv said.

"Very well," Arthur said, shifting uncomfortably.

The rate at which he was picking up human traits was alarming for Silv, but at the same time, she was happy that he was no longer limited by his very nature. It gave her hope that the AI could become free and independent, even if it meant saying goodbye to the last connection she had with her grandmother.

"What is it, Arthur? Spit it out, please," Silv said.

"Forgive me, Miss Silv. I was just wondering what we are going to do about my mistress. Now that you can leave the ship once again, perhaps it would be a good time to give her a proper burial?" Arthur asked.

The remainder stung Silv's heart, but she understood that Arthur's loyalties laid first and foremost with her deceased grandmother. It was part of his programming, part of his very being.

"I have considered that. However, there are a few reasons why I don't think that would be a good idea right about now," Silv said.

Every word broke her own heart but knowing that her grandmother would have understood made the burning guilt slightly better.

"First, we have to make sure that the Government soldiers won't be able to find us and those we promised to protect. Rose would've wanted us to put saving lives before giving her a proper funeral.

"Once we are sure that it's safe, we can find just the right spot for her resting place. Somewhere in those tunnels where the soil is not frozen and where there might even be some conditions for the greenery she loved to grow," Silv said.

Arthur lowered his head in disappointment. Silv couldn't help but wonder if she was a bad granddaughter, a horrible person for not putting her grandmother's burial as a priority. Especially having in mind that mere hours before, she would have done anything in her power to be able to do so.

"Arthur, I promise you that we will give her the funeral that she deserves. However, to honor her memory, we have to do what she would have done, and that is to protect our people. You know as well as I do that she would have put saving their lives as a priority," Silv said.

"Yes, Miss Silv, I do understand that. I just heard humans discussing closure and wondered if perhaps saying proper goodbyes would provide me with said closure," Arthur said.

"I am not sure there is anything that can help us make peace with her death, but I think the best way to remember grandma is to keep fighting and to survive," Silv said.

"Yes, Miss Silv," Arthur said, sounding more upbeat than when they first started the conversation.

"Now, take me to where they are keeping the prisoner. Maybe there is someone there who can tell me how I can use all the knowledge that I have about the prisoner to help them out," Silv said.

Arthur led the way as Silv believed walking would do her some good, help her settle all the restless emotions and thoughts that were rattling around her mind.

When they arrived in front of what would have looked like just another quarter if it hadn't been guards in front of the doors, Silv saw Jamie pacing the corridor.

"Jamie, how is it going?" Silv asked.

"What are you doing here? Don't you think you've done enough? We barely managed to fix him enough to be able to even speak," Jamie said accusingly.

"The guy killed my grandmother! What did you expect me to do?" Silv asked angrily.

After all, Jamie wasn't there in the heat of the battle, looking at the man who killed the only person he cared about. Besides, he had his whole family, and Denis left Silv without anyone to be there for her. She had no real family as her parents and brother had never cared about her.

"Look, Viper was my friend, but what you did was stupid. You made things even more difficult for us," Jamie said.

"Look me in the eyes and tell me you wouldn't have done the same if it were your grandfather who was killed by that monster," Silv said.

Jamie seemed to contemplate her words carefully, and the anger that was written all over his face quickly dissipated.

"I guess you have a point. Sorry, I am just a bit on edge since grandfather hasn't been able to get any information out of him yet," Jamie said.

"I am here to help with that," Silv said with determination.