Boundless

Sleepwalkers

[40 years ago]

"You've been cleared", the hologram of a 60-something years old man in military training clothes, well-shaved with eyes like death, informed the overly tired, sleep-deprived, dehydrated Girl that she was finally free to go.

"Thank you, sir", was all Lance could manage, sitting in that fucking uncomfortable bunk bed in a cabin that was akin to a prison cell.

"Your team leader is waiting for you outside. You will have some physical exams and hopefully be eased into cryosleep after your week off".

Week off. What a fucking joke.

Lance and Dad were the only ones awake at that rate. Her leader had insisted on staying around to help ease Lance into cryosleep. Kind of.

Nightmares did not plague the Girl, but getting into stasis overly stressed could impact one's mental health. And it's not like her division could afford to toy with it. For multiple reasons, Dad surely didn't want to risk it - Lance would be difficult to replace.

(Besides, the guy had been codenamed Dad for a reason).

"You are taking that week off, Goddamnit!"

And Lance was the youngest. And God, they did get into heated arguments sometimes.

"And do what, Dad? Everyone is sleeping. You won't be allowed outside with me. Even Galahad..." the Girl trailed off.

The former doctor Kay Kight, now Galahad Corbenic, codename Mordred, was finishing his mainframe's final cleanup.

Seizei had used a series of unlawful programming and protocols to be able to use a synthetic to work on a project that could affect humanity as a whole.

Lance and her team knew that from the mission briefing. There was no way an Android could ignore what was being done in that facility with their matrix intact. The three laws of robotics would never allow it.

Interestingly, that same laws would also make working for Lance's division impossible. There were plenty of synthetics in the military, but there was a limitation to their positions and activities.

Her command had decided to clean him up but not restore the mainframe following the synthetic's guidelines. Mordred was not simply alluding to him being now part of the Black Ops.

Galahad was able to kill.

Years would prove that caring for the humans around him was a behavior the former Doctor was quite attached to.

(How human of him).

"You got attached to a damn machine", Dad accused, lowkey grinning.

"Did you know people will say sorry when stepping roombas?", she grinned back. Roombas, an old invention still in use. Especially in low-income households that could not afford sophisticated technology.

"Have you? You did more than step on him", the team leader observed.

(And damn, that one stung).

Lance had torn Galad in two pieces to access a specific terminal in his upper chest. Ironically, that was the reason she was able to abduct... most of him.

(As the good former doctor had put it, that was better than the alternative).

"Of course. Have you not read my psych-evals?", she arched her brow.

"I don't need to", he chuckled. "But yes. I need to stay on top of the mental health of you all".

Lance looked around. They were back into the Cradle, thankfully. After spending three fucking weeks being interrogated, she could barely stand staying inside the base.