Eagle X, Mission 20: Quantum Bonds(Editing)

Part 2: Taylor-06

SHUTTLE DOCKING IN T-5 MINUTES. ALL PERSONNEL CLEAR LANDING BAY 2.

Taylor-06 stood at attention as maintenance staff filed into the staging room. The men and women smiled and nodded, greeting her with 'good mornings' and promises to meet up later. It was nothing like her time spent as a steward for Asian Seas Transports. There she was an outcast, shunned by both the construct staff as well as the organic patrons. With AST she was an obsolete construct model, purchased on surplus, and kept for the novelty. Aboard the old deep space micro-station she was welcomed and accepted.

Jason Headley, a human youth affectionately called Runt slid over to Taylor-06. He gestured for her to lean forward, and she complied though her audio sensors could have heard him from across the room if she wished.

"I just heard in the comm that their coming back with wounded," he whispered.

"Did Ivory or Hitman get hurt?"

"I don't think it was Cyrus or Ivory." He lowered his voice even further. "I only caught a piece of the message, but I think it was Mr. Marcus."

Taylor-06 felt a twinge of fear or the construct equivalent.

"Liam? That can't be right. The R.Nano keeps him safe."

"I know what I heard," he said with a shrug. He slid over to one of the maintenance workers to retell the story.

Taylor-06's systems registered a heightened sense of concern. She ran through her data on S.Nano, the nano administered to human soldiers, and the experimental nano flowing through Liam and Scott's blood. She'd assisted in many of the test run on the men to determine the limits of their healing, and combat capabilities. Their resilience was exceptional. Taylor-06 concluded Runt must have been mistaken.

More personnel poured into the staging room. Six members of the infirmary staff. That was everyone except for Dr. Ho who was recovering with her newborn in her personal quarters. Patricia was with them, and her expression was grim. Taylor-06 reassessed her conclusion. Again that jolt of electrical and mechanical fluttering. Fear. The feeling perplexed her. She was no stranger to fear, but she'd never felt the sensation in regards to someone else. In her role as ship surgeon and part-time therapist, Dr. Ho would've said to pursue the feeling.

Patricia moved to the front of the crowd to peer through the glass doors which provided full view of landing bay 2. The micro-station doors were opening, atmospheric shields kept the equipment inside from being snatched by the vacuum of space. Patricia ran her hand along the door as she consulted her datapad. For Patricia, a woman who's cool level-headed thinking kept their station functioning, the display was a reflection of her unease.

Patricia glanced over her shoulder, and caught Taylor-06 staring. She smiled and walked over.

"You don't have to stand at attention whenever we muster. This isn't the military and you aren't a steward anymore. Relax a little."

Taylor-06 blushed, a reddening of her honey colored synthetic skin, and assumed a more comfortable stance. Patricia chuckled.

"That's much better... though now I see why Liam says you stand like a couture model."

"Liam said that?" Taylor-06 asked before she could stop herself. It was a habit she'd developed during her time with Patricia. "Is he okay? Jason Headley said he overheard a conv-"

"No, Liam's fine. It's Scott. They came up against a new weapon which killed his nano."

"Killed it?" Taylor-06 knew of many substances which were toxic to most nano-strains, but nothing weaponized. The FGG had interstellar conventions against their use.