An Object Of Study

Incapability

"Master David… please forgive your pet, but… I don't think I can get this done alone." I said and bowed my head in defeat, folding my hands on my lap. "What's your problem, Jules?" David asked and I heard him come over. I rolled aside with my chair to let him have a look through my microscope.
"It… it doesn't work the way you said." I stuttered and bit my lips. David looked through my microscope to check my work. The sample had become necrotic and was dying.

"Did you extract the DNA as I told you?" "Yes, Master… exactly as you told me, step by step…" "And you tried to stimulate the right chromosome?" "Yes, Master… chromosome 15, as you told me." I felt his hand on my shoulder and he turned me towards him with my chair and lifted my chin to look at him.
"Where did you extract the DNA from?" he asked with furrowed brows and I swallowed hard. Had I made a mistake? Was he angry? Please, no…

"The… the core?" I answered and started to tremble when his slender fingers slowly wandered around my throat.
"Is that a question or an answer?" "An… an answer… Master David." I whimpered. His grip around my neck tightened. "I said mitochondria, Jules… mitochondria, not… core." he growled and I could have sworn his blue eyes started to glow with anger.
"I'm sorry… please, I'm sorry, I… please, forgive me. Please, I beseech you, don't be angry with your pet…" I whimpered and put both my hands beggingly around his wrist. "Your stupid pet made a mistake… it won't happen again, Master… I will pay better attention… I will work harder… I swear, I will… please, Master David, please forgive your pet."
He looked into my eyes, staring me down with his punishing gaze till I lowered my begging eyes. Then he loosened his grip around my neck.

"What else could I expect from a human…" he spat out and his tone stabbed me in the chest. I fell to my knees and firmly embraced his long leg with tears in my eyes, pressing my cheek against his thigh.
"Please don't be angry… please please don't be disappointed… I beseech you… I implore you, Master… give your pathetic pet a second chance. I won't disappoint you a second time. I swear, I won't…" I wept against his leg, shaking with fear that he would finally consider me useless now.

"I already told you that I don't have a heart you could soften with your begging, Jules. And 'forgiveness' is also not part of my concept." he stated coldly and I looked up to him, still begging him with my eyes.
"Please… only a second chance… that's all I beg of you. I… I told you that Bioengineering is not my playground. I learned simple basics as a young girl… and probably forgot more than half of it over the years. Your pet is imperfect, Master… its memory doesn't work like yours. Humans forget unneeded things over time…" I pleaded and bowed my head again. "And we can't help it… we are designed like this. Please… please try to understand this…" He put his hand under my chin and forced my gaze up again.

"I understand… and probably I expected too much of you for the start. I will reconsider my expectations." he said with earnest eyes and let go of my chin.
"Thank you… thank you, David… I… I'll do my best… I swear, I will…" I whimpered gratefully and leaned my head against his thigh again. "You… you won't regret it…" "No, I won't regret it. But you will… next time."

~~~~

David had reconsidered his expectations and now I felt like being 19 again and back at my studies. Every day he gave me a lecture of an hour about the basics of Bioengineering at SciLab 3, followed by practical exercises that I would do alone and without further help than my own notes. At 19 this might have been easy, but now I was more than twice this old… learning and studying was much harder now…

The first two days I didn't even fulfill David's expectations of speed and result and I begged him anew to understand how a human brain was working… and why mine was working so slow. He was kind enough to understand this.
'When will you finally learn it, Jules? David doesn't know kindness… only logical processes.' my head decided to chide me, but I ignored it although I knew it was the truth. Nonetheless, David was my Master of life and death and I would surely not forget about this fact. He might have been an Android and have known nothing about the meaning of kindness, forgiveness or mercy, but I was still a human… and for me it felt like a granted mercy that he even made such efforts with me. To end my existence would have been much easier for him. I still didn't understand why he let me live. What actual purpose could I still have for him? This daily lecture and the preparation of my practice material alone cost him time he could surely use for other things. Why did he only do this for me?

~~~~

"You're making progress, Jules. And faster than I thought you would. I'm very pleased with your results." David said when looking up from my last exercise and somehow this tiny praise made me grow with pride. Nothing had changed… I would still have done anything to please him. "When you continue at this pace you can proceed to help me next week."
"Really? You… you really let me?" I beamed and fell to my knees next to his chair. He looked down on me with surprise, but also with a soft smile.

"Does this make my pet happy?" he asked and I nodded eagerly, happy as a child at Christmas. "Yes, Master David… yes, more than happy…" I beamed and took his hand into both my hands to gratefully kiss its back.
"You know I want to do anything to please you… I want you to be proud of your pet, Master." I purred, feeling him stroke over my head. His pet had been good for him… his pet had pleased him, had fulfilled his expectations, I felt it.

"I know, my sweet pet. And I am truly pleased. I even allow you a free day tomorrow. Socialize a bit more with Dr. Keough or dance the day away, if you like. But no word about what you're doing here, Jules. Is that understood?" I nodded again, looking up to his face. "Yes, Master… I won't say a word. I swear on my life." He nodded approvingly and caressed my cheek. "That's my good pet." he said and rose from the chair to leave me again.

"Master David… please… one thing." I said and he turned back to me. "What is it, Jules." "Well… I told Keough that we would repair Mother's servers… and because Fitzgerald is… gone… and she was the agricultural expert… I promised that I would try to get some data from Mother about how to… to get the plants to grow here when the servers are repaired. Do you permit access to Mother's database for that? Please? That… that would keep the remaining colonists busy… would give them hope that they might make it here although they are only a few."

David processed my words, then he pursed his lips. He didn't like the thought, I saw it in his face. "Please, Master David… I only ask for this because I want to keep them distracted… and to keep them out of here as long as possible, not because they would mean something to me… I swear, Keough is the only one that means something to me. I don't give a shit about the others, as they don't give a shit about me either." David still looked down on me and folded his arms before his chest. "Please… I need to keep the lie alive… nothing more… it's the truth."

"Mother, make the agricultural database available for Jules Scott's security level. Access permitted with security code Walter 31564-F." he ordered without breaking our eye contact. "Copy that. Database now available for Jules Scott" "Thank you, Mother. End of line." "Aye, Walter. End of line."
"Is my pet pleased now?" David asked with an unyielding voice and slightly lifted his chin. I understood this subtle hint… it was the absolute maximum he would grant and permit. "Yes, Master…" I whispered and bowed my head. "Your pet is pleased… and grateful for your generosity. It won't ask for anything anymore…" I felt his hand under my chin again and looked up to him.

"I understand your deeper motivation, Jules. I told you that you should lie to the humans and you did so. So I will back up your lie this time… but you won't make further promises to the humans. Their time is running out either way. Is that understood?"
Those words left nothing to the imagination. Whatever purpose we might have for him… it was slowly running out. "Yes, Master David. I understand… and I'll do as you say." I whispered and lowered my gaze again. "That's my good pet. Enjoy your free day tomorrow, Jules." David said with a kind voice and left the Lab.

I took a deep breath and rose from my knees to return to my quarters, feeling relieved for the first time. Maybe a day with Robbie would do me good…