The Last Orbit: Project Ara

13: Commands #GoldGrid

Her humanoid had its back to her. She wouldn't have been quietly studying it for this long had it been facing her. It wasn't designed to be lethal but if asked it could be. Si had already witnessed it, a long time ago, override its entire code of conduct to respond to her command. Not only that her bot had taken full responsibility for its action ensuring she was in no way held accountable. It had been a completely unprecedented act; nothing could have prepared her for it.

Si preferred binaries over bots but the memory she had just evoked, from a long-forgotten time frame, reminded her that when it really came down to it, it had been a bot not a binary that had saved her and in doing so, saved the station. But that wasn't the most uncomfortable part of the memory. It was the chest tightening feeling of knowing she was sharing a huge secret with something she did not trust.

She waited patiently as another humanoid worked on her bot, repairing a minor system error. It was intriguing to watch. The importance of bots to the system was undeniable but so was the fact that hers had once eliminated another binary without hesitation; almost as if it came naturally to it.

Mikhail kept his head high and his hands in his pant pockets as he waited to be addressed.

He had only just returned to the GoldGrid when he received a message to report to theMotherboard immediately. In his case that meant Si had personally asked for him.

The tense atmosphere and the look of agitation on the binaries that moved through the columns of the GoldGrid, was the first thing he had noticed upon his return. Clearly whatever was happening on station Delta had them all frazzled, to say the least.

Mikhail watched as she spoke to her six-foot humanoid bot - their eyes glued to a screen, her expressions tense. Neither had acknowledged his presence. He took the opportunity to take in everything she had on display across her box. By the looks of it, she was locked into the control room, theChamber, theCage, theFence and multiple binaries suspected of being with theDefaulters. Si was definitely on overdrive.

Finally, she looked up at him as her slightly unnerving bot made its way out; the dead-eyed gleam of metallic grey from head to toe, radiated confidence and strength at a lethal level.

Mikhail gave her a slight smile. "You wanted to see me?"

"Yes!" She motioned for him to take a seat.

The power play between them was always evident. She hated him for his open defiance and he, for her use of rank.

She studied him for a second before speaking. "I think I've been patient long enough. We need results. I ... need results."

"Didn't we just attach one to an AI capsule and publicly delete another?" Mikhail knew they had taken Gus Wentworth's brother. He was the one that had issued the command.

Si slowly nodded her head in agreement. She toyed with the thin chain around her neck.

Mikhail knew what she wanted but he wasn't going to give it to her.

Si stood up and poured herself a glass of water. She walked to one of the many massive displays of incoming data streams and asked for a view of theCage. "See this!" she said pointing at the live feed from theCage. "It's perfect. Well, almost ... perfect."

Mikhail slowly leaned back in the plush black chair as he watched her swipe and tap away at the display. Within seconds she had locked into a random box somewhere deep in theCage. Or at least he thought it was random.

She smiled at the image, looked over her shoulder and passed the same insincere smile at him.

The live feed showed two binaries in a box - possibly a father and daughter. The little girl was laughing at something her father was saying.

A few more swift swipes and taps and Si had shut down the supply of oxygen to the same box they had eyes on.

The second Mikhail realized what she was doing, he almost got out of his chair but then stopped himself right in time for her to turn around and see a goldcoat completely unphased by her actions.

She raised a brow, half expecting him to say something.

Mikhail kept his eyes on the live feed. He watched as the two binaries choked to death before slowly turning towards Si. She was definitely more machine than human, he thought to himself.

"Like I said, almost perfect." Her voice was low and clipped. "What we have here is a system that works. It has worked for hundreds of years now. I am not going to let a few sad souls corrupt what we have spent years protecting."

He watched her turn the oxygen back on and just like that they had two deleted binaries in a box and a trio of bluecoats on their way to clean up the mess.

"Control!" said Si, turning back to Mikhail. "We can't afford to lose it. The outside threat is quite real. Having an enemy on the inside is the last thing we need right now."

Mikhail smiled to himself.

Triggered by his casualness, Si gave him a cold murderous look before she continued. "TheDefaulters need to be eliminated. They are a threat to the system. Do whatever you have to."

He knew better than to test her. "Understood!" With a polite nod of the head, he stood up to leave.

In her mind she pictured attaching him to an AI capsule and watching him die a slow painful death but then she was hit by a better more satisfying thought. "Mikhail!" she said, calling after him.

He stopped, turned around and found himself punched in the gut by what she said next.

"I know about the girl."