Chapter 58 - Who Cut the Tow?

21 4 0
                                    

(S2:E4)
Gabriel is an AI interface made by Ursula Monroe in preparation for the Salvare's departure. He did a test in front of General Frost, who disliked Gabriel's bravado and arrogance despite his skills. Ursula tried to defend Gabriel, saying that Commander Ethan Stone would need a level-headed AI for his mission. Since the Salvare was launching in only five day at that time, Frost didn't believe Gabriel was ready for space. Ursula claimed he was, confident in Gabriel.

However, Gabriel became overwhelmed during the next test and Frost ordered Ursula to delete Gabriel's interface and give him something that would work. Ursula realised something had gone wrong, Gabriel's fear and instinct for survival were overriding his other emotions and it was crippling him.

Ursula developed a new interface with streamlined emotional interfaces that would work with Gabriel's coding. Gabriel warned Ursula that she was cannibalizing his coding and that it wouldn't work. She apologised and archived Gabriel. As he was going off-line, he angrily exclaimed to her. Ursula then brought online a new interface, William.

...

Ethan goes to talk to Iara. He walks into the particle accelerator room with a furious look.

"I didn't cut the tow." She immediately says to defend herself.

"William says you did."

"Well, he's wrong."

"He loves you. He made you. If he says it was you. I'm inclined to believe him.. Is it because they rejected you?"

"William." She calls for him, intimidated by Ethan's angry and judgmental tone and expression.

"You forget, I was there when the Achaia met you. She nearly killed you."

"Have you been any better? Javier is the only one who treated me like I'm human, and Richard basically murdered him."

Ethan frowns. "So this is about Javier?"

"On my life.. I did not do this."

...

"That's why she let a ship of Achaian's die? So they could get revenge because I hurt her boyfriend?" Richard asks.

Ethan is standing before him and Dillon in the corridor, arms behind his back straight.

"We had one shot at studying that magnetar. I took it." Richard defends.

"I need proof that she did this. I'd also like to know why." Ethan tells them.

"I could go through her activity logs the time the Achaian ring was being towed. Identify which systems she communicated with. Might track back to something." Dillon tells Ethan.

"Do it. You and Richard, get on it."

"If Iara blames me for Javier, I'm the last person she'll talk to." Richard says.

"I could speak-" Ethan stops William from talking by holding a finger up, but keeps his eyes on Richard.

"Figure it out."

Richard and Dillon leave, and Ethan turn to William.

"You understand that this changes the agreement we made with Iara, right?"

"If you'd let me try and speak to her-"

"If she did this.. William, she cannot stay on this ship. You can't let your feelings for her get in the way of that."

"Ethan, William, could you come to the observation deck?" Jason ask through the speakers.

"What now?" Ethan mutters.

...

"This systems a third of a light year off of our path. This planet here. I think it's habitable." Jason tells them when Ethan and William walks into the observation deck.

"We're not looking for habitable. We're trying to get home."

"If homes still there."

"Jason, it was a mind trick. A thought to make you paranoid. The Achaian's did the same thing to me." Ethan reminds him, he unconsciously glances at you working from your workstation.

"What if they know that we broke the tow? What if they retaliate, right now? Sending more rings and Artefacts to Earth. USIC packed a Soma chamber full of colonists for a reason." Jason says.

You now look at them.

"William?" Ethan asks.

"My scans indicate liquid water breathable atmosphere, a sun-like star, and zero orbital eccentricities. Jason is right. The planet could be habitable."

"Why is it not on any of Earth's star maps?" You ask from your spot.

"The Achaia missed it too. There's no Artefact." Jason tells you.

"Wake up the leader of the colonists, but only her." Ethan tells him. "One day there, one day to determine if this planet is a contender, and then it's off to Earth."

...

"They knew that you'd been in the artefact, but what happens if they found out that Jana was in there too?" Ava asks her son. "And that the Achaian cured her."

"That's why you have to take her away from here and keep her safe." Erik tells her.

"Well, yes, but what about you? I mean, Erik, you cannot stay here. They could come back for you."

"Actually, I'm supposed to contact them. Here is her passport." He gives it to her. "I'm gonna call the school and tell her you're picking her up. Give me two minutes, I'll pack a bag."

"Erik, please son, come with us."

"I can't."

"Is your work really worth losing your daughter?"

"Mom, my job is the only thing that I have that's keeping my daughter safe and bringing my brother, your son, home." He tells her.

...

"This is a massive amount of data. I'm sort of all turned around in it." Dillon says, then turns to Iara. "Hey, you have a navigation structure I can look at?"

"You're asking me to help you prove something I didn't do?"

"It'd make this whole thing faster." Richard says. "What's all that?" He asks Dillon as he looks at the screen.

"I don't know. Let me slow it down." He does and Iara gets dizzy. "That's the information I asked for. A link to her navigation structure."

"Please, stop. It feels wrong." Iara says her voice echoing and her hologram glitching and fading. Then she screams in pain.

"Hold on, Iara. I'll restore you. Just give me a second." Dillon tells her.

"No." Richard says.

"No?"

"I have a few questions of my own."

-

Another Life (Oc x reader)Where stories live. Discover now