The Morgan

Chapter 12

"You've gotta be shittin me!" Kennedy says as she turns to George. Anger plagues her face.

Dallas and George continue to stare at the paused image with slack jaw.

"Those assholes." George finally says in an oddly calm tone.

"Those assholes? that all you have to say, George?" He turns to face her. "They want to bloody murder us! What the hell are we gonna do?" she continues.

Dallas picks up her jaw, turns to her sister, and frowns deeply as she asks, "you think Jesse would go through with it?"

Kennedy takes a breath, then says, "I don't believe she would kill us, no." she turns and looks at the image, "Of course she wouldn't. But those dicks would in a heartbeat. We'll never get to go home now."

George turns the image off.

Dallas looks at George, "What do we do George?"

He takes a few moments to think, then turns and faces her. "I don't know. Speak to Jesse. What else can we do?" He turns and walks towards the door.

Kennedy steps in his way, "nope."

He stops, "What do you mean, nope?"

"We just watched something we weren't meant to see. Jesse would throw us in the brig."

"She wouldn't... would she, sis?"

Kennedy looks at Dallas, "She loves us, but she'd be angry, and" she pauses and faces George, "And most of all she would feel betrayed. So yeah, I think she would."

"So what?" he asks.

"We cannot let her find out that we've betrayed her trust like this, not when she needs us. And she does. More than she's ever needed us."

George sighs heavy, then asks, "Okay. So, what do you want us to do?"

"Nothing. We do our jobs. She'll say something by the time we reach the Morgan."

"And if she doesn't?" Dallas asks.

"We'll deal with that problem when we come to it."

"What about Maddy, Garrett and Ava. Shouldn't we tell them too?" George asks.

She hardens her stare, "we keep it to ourselves. Agreed?"

George nods.

"Of course," Dallas says, "you can count on me."

Ava storms into the docking bay.

"Hello, miss Ava," Carl say's in his cold metallic, voice.

"Carl."

She walks towards him.

"You seem-

"What Carl? How do I seem?" she stops a couple of inches from him.

"Agitated."

"No Carl. I'm pissed off. Angry. Sad. Feeling guilty and righteous, all at the same time."

"How odd and complicated."

"Yep! That's humans for ya."

"As Garrett would say," she gave him a hard stare, "women."

"Carl my friend," she said almost grinding her teeth to dust."

"Yes Ava."

She put her hand on his steel cheek, "you're lucky you're a robot."

"What are you doing?"

She removes her hand and turns away, "nothin," she walks towards a dark corner of the bay, "turn the light on would ya."

"Yes, miss Ava," he says, turns and walks towards the wall.

She turns and looks at him with a frown, "you really need to work on your voice."

"Why?"

"You sound too much like a robot."

"But that is what I am."

"I know, but it would be nice if you didn't... ya know, sound like that."

"If that is what you want, I will study some voices."

"You do that," she turns away and approaches several steel boxes of various sizes, while saying over her shoulder, "don't you need to recharge or something?"

"Miss Ava, you know I don't need to recharge," his voice has changed slightly, "if you wish to be alone, simply say you wish to be alone."

She sighs heavily, then says quietly, "smarter than a man, but still dumb as hell."

"I heard that, miss Ava," he replies, "I appreciate the compliment."

She pulls out a small key and unlocks a large box, "that's fine," she replies. She opens the lid. Inside is a small blue metal box. She glances over her shoulder. Her eyes are softer now. "I wish to be alone."

Carl gives her a nod, then turns, and walks away.

She turns back to the box and picks it up. The box is old, scratched and a little rusted in places. She sits cross legged on the cold floor and opens the lid. Inside are pictures of her and Jesse with their parents. She pics them out. Underneath are some of them with other relatives, aunties, uncles, cousins, grandparents. She pics out one of her in her early teens standing next to an old woman. They look happy. Tears start to form in her eyes. She wipes them and says, "I miss you. You would've sorted my problems out. Stopped father from arranging that stupid marriage like some religious nut."

"That's the problem my little sweetness and light," an old human voice says from behind, "you always did rely on me too much."

Ava rushes to her feet and turns with a start.

Her grandmother walks into the light.

"Gran? Is that you??"

"No, of course not dear, I'm dead."

Ava frowns deeply.

Granny smiles, and then darts forwards.