I Feel You

Chapter 20

Happy Love Holiday! I hadn't planned on posting in February, but then figured I could get a chapter out around this time. Physics very much does not love me so there may not be a chapter in March. I will still try though. Please enjoy this chapter.

Ikran. Gene was practically vibrating in anticipation for bonding with the flying creatures, falling in love with them each time she found her legs taking her up to the roost to watch the majestic creatures. Ralu had even taken her for a ride on his own, and although she hadn't dared release him from a death grip the whole time, the experience was something she was eager to experience for herself. The only problem she had was the fact they'd be in the halleluiah mountains. She feared what would happen if her connection was disturbed mid climb, having no doubt it'd be her death this time for sure.

On this Grace fought her, knowing just how the mountains affected her.

"I understand your concern, I have also thought over the possible consequences. Not all Na'vi have bonded with Ikran, only if one wishes to be a warrior."

"So you won't be undergoing the trial." Grace sighed, glad for once that Gene saw sense and wouldn't be attempting something dangerous.

"I will be." She closed her eyes, counted to ten while pinching her nose and then counted again before looking at the cube the AI resided in.

"Gene."

"While I have no distinct desire to be a warrior, my distaste for taking life a poor trait for a warrior to have, I want to experience it for myself." I want. This was an AI talking, but a person. A child. The longer Gene spent inhabiting her body, the less and less machine she was even as she returned to her body of metal and wires. She was as smart as an adult, if not smarter but emotionally she was still just a child. Grace sighed, wondering just how she could dissuade her from a possible suicide mission.

"Grace do you trust me?" Gene asked instead, her light a soft cyan instead of it's usual deep blue as the light zig-zaged around the cube, not unlike someone fidgeting. Like a child who was in trouble wiggled under a parent's gaze.

"This isn't about trust Gene, this is about your life. We don't need you to be halfway up those cliffs or mid jump when suddenly your connection shorts out and your body falls to its death. There will be no new bodies for you to inhabit, you'll be finished, over something you want, not need."

"Grace." And the way she said it, as though Grace was the child between them who didn't understand. She understood perfectly well what Gene was asking her to do, and she hated it.

"I won't turn a blind eye to this Gene. Per my right I'm revoking your access rights to the cradles. I'm sorry Gene but I'm not about to let you kill yourself over something unnecessary. I'm not happy about you undergoing the trial to become one of the tribe, but I've given up on dissuading you of this. But on this, on climbing the halleluiah mountains for an Ikran? Gene I won't let you kill yourself over something only warriors need to complete." She was quiet.

"I'm sorry you feel that way." In a flash of purple her light winked out, as well as all the lights in the lab. Norm yelped, head ducking as though the lights had been shattered instead of turned off. Grace sighed, pinching her nose as he poked his head in. Flicking the light switch did not fix anything either, Gene having taken the lights as she shut herself down.

"Gene? Gene?" No response. Of course it'd be her luck that Gene would throw a tantrum over this. 

"Everything okay?"

"Just fine Norm. Is it only the lights that are out?" She sighed, choosing to address Gene's behavior later when it didn't bother her as much.

"Seems so. Along with coms, but I think I can get those back up with a reboot." He reassured, sensing Grace's stress and hoping to alleviate it. It didn't help that the two people who were regularly interacting with the tribe, where most of the stress came from, weren't scientists. Gene was okay to an extent, she was brilliant but she was also a machine.