Sigma/Star

Chapter 66: Rourke

Sigma sat atop the shuttle that cruised through the air. Blasting winds flowed around him but he felt almost nothing on his metallic skin. Alpha was next to him, looking at him with cold curiosity, her mechanical brain trying to process Sigma. It saddened Leif to think about what had happened to Allyson, how her memories were gone and every trace of her human side extinguished. But he saw in her face the old girl he loved and so he would try until his life was spent to rebuild her emotions.

Doctor Roth was transporting all of the computers and machinations from his cave in the mountains to wherever it was they were going. That was partially Sigma's responsibility. A small portion of the android's super-powered brain was scanning the ground below, looking for an area where they could be outside the range of any nation.

They were traversing one of the oceans at the moment, just off the coast of the Artisan Confederate. An island seemed like a good hiding place, and so that was what they were searching for. Many of the ones they passed over were a bit too large and had small habitations on them, or offshore naval bases nearby. And so the search continued.

"Why are we not flying?" Alpha asked the calculated question blankly, her expression unwavering.

"We're too fast for the ship. And we would attract attention."

"Understood. Our function is to perform stealth operations for the time being?"

"Yes," Sigma sighed. He didn't like the default mode Alpha was in, which had her constantly waiting for orders and trying to think about military strategies. "You don't have to worry about things Alpha. I will protect us from any danger. Besides, where we are going, we won't have to think anymore."

Alpha merely cocked her head to the side quizzically, though her face did not reveal any change in emotion. She eventually accepted the answer and stared straight ahead, her gaze seeming to pierce through the clouds that flew by.

"Roth I think we have one coming up on the right." Sigma's computer mind easily linked in with the shuttle's systems, letting him speak with the doctor easily. "I have no signs of human life, nor any electronic devices. Nothing within fifty miles of it. I'm redirecting the ship now." The wings titled in response as the shuttle began its curling descent towards the island the cyborg spoke of.

Sigma was correct in his analysis. This tiny bastion had not yet been touched by human hands, and was instead host to just a couple of different birds, as well as the usual fish swimming nearby. Then again, why would people ever want to occupy such a small place? The island was the only portion of an undersea mountain range that poked up on the surface, meaning there was no chain to turn into a development. No, this place was empty, and alone, and secluded. It was perfect.

The ship touched down on the edge of the forest, where the palm trees ended and the beach began. The foliage shook with their arrival before returning to a gentle swaying propelled by the ocean breeze. Sigma could feel the cool, salty air on his face. His robotic brain registered the salinity in the air, the temperature, the wind speeds and directions, and the climate of the area but that wasn't what he wanted. He wanted to really understand what it was like to have this particular air touching against his skin.

Alpha's mind did similar calculations as she hopped off the top of the shuttle, dropping onto the ground and examining it closer. She was not expressing human thoughts in her mind; she had none left. Instead she was analyzing the soil content and topography of the surrounding area, as well as preparing defensive strategies in case of attack.

Roth was already hauling out the machinery from the interior of the ship, exposing the fragile devices to a mixture of sand and sea air. He had yet to ask Allyson for help or for anything really, seeming rather timid around her, fearful that she would remember what he had done to her and would suddenly lash out. Or perhaps he was just ashamed of his actions, and couldn't stand to see himself in her eyes.