I Feel You

Chapter 7

Her arm was noticeable sore the next day, bruise large and stinging but she didn't let that stop her as she climbed down the hometree and grabbed a few fruits from Amhul for breakfast. Ikeyni was waiting for her already along with a handful of other Na'vi. Some held baskets, others nets, and a few were hunters.

"Good you listened to my words. You will be joining me and Arvok in gathering food for the stores."

"I see you Arvok."

"I see you Gene." Ikeyni nodded with finality before lifting her basket onto her shoulder. Gene followed suit, picking up one of the empty baskets before following her and Arvok out into the trees around the Hometree. It was still in sight for the most part but it was the farthest she'd been since she'd arrived, not that she'd been there long. Jake had already left the tree with Neytiri the day after they arrived for training. She was far more open it seemed.

"How well do you know our language?"

"I have the words down for the most part but some of my gestures are still stiff and I am still trying to understand some of your sayings."

"Did you learn from the sky people?" Ikeyni murmured, bending down and carefully picking a few mushrooms from a colony.

"I did. Another sky person taught me all he knew and more as he shared the teachings from the older sky people. I absorbed it to the best of my abilities and have only adapted the more I interact with you."

"You are very honest."

"I have no reason to lie, nor any desire to. I am not fond of lies, even ones that are meant to mean well."

"How could you mean well in lieing?" Arvok finally added, pointing out a colony of mushrooms and showing her how to harvest them.

"Some sky people lie about death, to ease the pain for those still alive. I understand why, as death hurts for them, but it doesn't mean I enjoy it."

"Are you saying you'll never lie?"

"No. I know lying is needed at times and will lie should the need arise. Only that I do not see a need to lie to you. The Na'vi are very open. You are very honest with your feelings and your thoughts. It is . . . refreshing. The sky people are not often like that."

"So they lie often then?" He spat the question, tail lashing about angrily.

"Sometimes. It is less lying though and more hiding. They are not open and I find them hard to read at times so I am not as open either. Defensive I think would be a good word to describe it." She mused, following him to a nearby tree where melons tree fruits were growing.

"You talk as though you are not a sky person." Ikeyni noted. She hadn't been there when they had arrived, still helping in preparing the meal and hadn't bothered to investigate. She would hear about it by the end of the night.

"They do not consider me one of them. Instead they think I am their property. Something that they own and can do what they want with."

"I did not realize they enslaved their own people."

"Only on earth still. No this is the only organic body I have. I am not like the other dreamwalkers who must return to their other bodies and care for them. My original 'body' is a machine. I have no heart or limbs or anything that looks like them."

"Are you like the machines they use to destroy our home?" Arvok spat, advancing on her slightly before backing off at Ikeyni's look.

"No. My machine body is no bigger than this fruit and my purpose is not to destroy."

"What is your purpose then?" 

"My creator programed me to value life. I am not a machine that is to be used to destroy. Instead I only wish to learn in order to try and prevent the loss of more life. Admittedly I find that job hard, sky people are very stubborn and greedy. Not at all like your people who take only what they need and never more than what you can. You live in harmony with life. It is a wonderful life you live."

"Flattery will not make you one of us."

"I do not expect it to. I told you before; I have no desire to lie." He looked at her finally, eyes taking in her appearance.

"If you have no body, why do you have an extra finger?"

"This body was created using my creators blood. She was a sky person so I have the extra finger. I do not know if the human was needed, but I like having it."

"You miss her." It wasn't a question, but an observation Gene had almost missed Ikeyni museing. Did she miss Grace? She hadn't thought she would, emotions just out of her grasp. Perhaps the body was having the feeling based upon her knowledge? She'd need to run a diagnostic when she returned and check for any viruses. She hadn't thought the flux had messed with her once she'd gotten out of its range but she may have been wrong.

"I think I do. I hadn't thought of it much, still adjusting it seems to having a body."

"A body alone does not define how you feel." She paused in grabbing a grub, turning Ikeyni's words around in her head. Didn't it? Any living creature had feelings, had the capacity to produce the chemicals needed to feel unlike machines. That was why sentient A.I's hadn't ever really been made. If they could grow and learn but not feel then they were a danger to humanity. Was she a danger though?

"Do not mind my words. That grub is poisonous though, it looks very similar to a edible one but the blue dot on its head defines it as inedible."

"Ah thank you. I am still learning about the diverse life on pandora."

"So the Sky people do not know everything." She laughed. So many of them thought they knew everything and that they could teach them nothing.

"Of course not. No one knows a home better than those who call it so. I learned all they knew about Pandora, dug for the information but they are bias. Everything is a threat or should be considered a threat. Everything is out to kill and so many believe their falsities and superstitions. I am glad you are taking the time to teach me."

"Will you tell them about what you've learned?" 

"Only if it will save life. I fear they mean to push out life here, extinguish what cannot be brought under their heel as they have done to the earth. If the information can save life or undermine their efforts in using fear to get their way then I think I will."

"Do you think it will work?" Arvok whispered, tail drooping. This would be a time to lie but she could taste the distaste for it on her tongue. 

"No."