10 Minute Tales

Mar 8

They waited in silence. A gentle hum from the station's generator shook quietly through the shuttle, but otherwise they were still. Avo's silent tinkering with Error echoed through the cockpit. Queenson looked up at the stars, huffing softly as his patience wore thin.

"Where the hell is he?" he asked, standing up and pacing.

"... can't we just leave him here?" Alyssa asked, smiling. Queenson couldn't tell if she was joking.

"He hasn't done anything to merit being here. He'd be shipped back as soon as he was found, and the president would find out he was up there. Who knows what he'd do then."

"I guess..." she mumbled, looking out to the planet. Her nervous smile relaxed, becoming softer as she observed not only the planet, but the stars surround it. "It's beautiful..."

"It's a ball of dust, rocks and forlorn hopes." Queenson huffed. "It's the stars that get my attention."

"Balls of light?" Alyssa frowned. "Gases and plasma that are burning up there?"

"Better than dust."

"Guys!" Avo interrupted, sitting up and glaring at them. "I'll never finish these upgrades if you keep yammering away!"

"Upgrades?" Queenson asked, turning to face him. "Up here?"

"Well, yes! If Sentinel saved a copy of Aurora, she'll likely be overwhelmed by the president's cyber-attacks. I'm changing her core so she can repel that attack. Don't worry, she'll be the same functionally."

"You hope." Queenson frowned, staring at him. "I know this drill, you remember last year."

"Th-this time will be different." Avo muttered, staring into Error's circuit panels again. "I promise, it'll..."

"Attention, citizens aboard this shuttle." Vanguard's voice suddenly cut through the conversation. "I now detect four lifeforms and one artificial intelligence aboard this vessel. You are cleared for departure; please depart as soon as possible."

"Right." Queenson nodded, staring at the hologram. He wouldn't let a bunch of silicon and electricity get the better of him. Thankfully, he didn't have to stare for long as it vanished, letting him relax again. "Get that thing fixed, damnit."

"R-right." Avo nodded, pushing something into place within Error. Her eyes flickered briefly, then lit up.

"Good morning." she muttered, looking around. "We are sti-sti-still on Sinis?"

"Yes, we are." Avo nodded. "We're about to go home, though."

"Understood." her head twitched briefly, and she grinned a cocky grin. "How we doin' this?" she asked, her voice completely different. "Fast, or way too fast?"

"Normal speeds." Queenson stared at her. He knew this wouldn't end well.

"Spoilsport." Error chuckled seductively, her head twitching again. She blinked innocently. "Oh... that was un-un-unexpected..."

"Um, Aurora? Are you okay?"

"I am Error." she replied, looking over. "It is possible that you are referring to a previous version."

"Ugh, we're not gonna have a schizophrenic android, are we?"

"She's stable enough to fly, I promise..." Avo swallowed nervously, staring at the back of Error's head as she started the ignition sequence wordlessly.

"... Alyssa, prepare the escape pods."

"Yes, sir." she replied, getting up and walking out the back. Avo didn't object.