Stella, My Star

18

"Welcome to my work station, Gabriel. You have no idea how good it is to see you again." My smile is a mile wide as I walk in to the workshop. I look into his brilliant amber eyes. His tall frame sits on my desk, still proud and erect.

"Okay, what's happened to you?" I ask, as I start my initial examination.

He is mouthing some of his words, but no sound emerges.

I place my hands on his broad shoulders.

"I am going to fix you, my friend, don't worry." I bend around him and lift his shirt. There is a massive stain of sap down his back, leading to an area that has been eaten away by the acidic nature of the vine's defence system. I am angry with Brock for not seeing to this sooner. There are exposed wires obvious, and some form of short circuit has occured, as there are burn marks also evident. He is the particular android model I trained specifically in, so I am highly confident in my ability to have him repaired in no time.

I ask him to remove his clothes and lie on his stomach. As he does, I admire his aesthetic form. He is an adonis of creation, an artistic masterpiece, engineered with the ability to think logically and without the hindrance of most emotions, most importantly, love. A droid's loyalty can never be questioned when they are assigned a companion, or affiliate with another, unless they come under foreign control, like Roger. Gabriel, even though he is a previous model, is the ultimate in android manufacturing.

"You need to advance into shut down mode please, my friend. I don't feel like being zapped this morning. I had enough of that last night."

He turns and looks at me with those piercing eyes, then I hear the whir of his system as it processes the request. He then goes deathly silent, and his body fully relaxes. His eyes remain thoughtfully staring at me, despite his sleeping state.

As I scrutinise the area carefully, and figure out the best non-corrosive chemical to remove the sap, I talk to him.

"So, you came to me in my dream last night? Intercepted my subconscious? That was pretty clever. You must have accessed a great deal of information about me, read me like a book, to be able to do that. No-one would have required you to know me like that. Why did you do that, Gabriel? Why are you trying to affiliate with me?  It's true I have done a lot for your kind in the past, and have the upmost respect for you all, but I don't know if you should be connecting with me like that. You're a dedicated friend. You may be able to help me in my dreams, but fixing me emotionally, in reality, is another thing altogether." I am wiping his body down with a detergent and degreaser. "I came here for a special reason, and I've blown it. Made a fool of myself. Failed."

A few of the younger workers enter the workshop. There is mix of greetings, and they settle in quickly to continue on with their own projects. I continue in silence, skipping lunch when the time arrives, and munching on some bland, genetically modified fruit that we store in the room. I fight my tiredness.

I finish the electrical component of the job, plug him in for a computerised fault detector scan, and his system is rebooted and refreshed. He is automatically restarted by the machine, and I watch, satisfied, as the life comes back to his eyes, which again follow me as I work on creating a patch of artificial skin to cover his wound.

It is late afternoon when I complete the work, and he sits up, hands on his knees.

"Thankyou, Lieutenant Wood."

"You know it's no problem, Gabriel. My pleasure," I inform him, as I help him with his uniform shirt.

I start tidying up the workstation, as he steps into his trousers and waits patiently by the door.

"What now? Who are you assigned to for the duration of your time onboard the Destructor?"

"I am unsure of that. May I remain your companion?"

"I am sure we can arrange that. It makes sense that I be able to check my handiwork, hey?"

With all the other workers gone, I switch the lights out, as we leave. I now walk the corridor again with renewed vigour; proud of my work, happy to have someone walk alongside me that enjoys my company, no matter my mood.

We arrive at my quarters, but Gabriel hesitates at the door.

"You aren't required to go to the droid bay tonight, Gabriel. You can stay here. I'll even let you sit on a chair for the evening. I need the company. Just think of me as Rex, sorry, Captain Brock. Come on, let's go! " I escort him in and point to an area where he can retire for the night.

I shower and change. When I climb into bed, his amber eyes look to me, solemnly.

"May I speak, Lieutenant Wood?"

"Of course, Gabriel. Please don't even bother asking if it's alright."

"The Redpunk 12 that you seek, that belongs to Captain Rafferty, is on this ship. That is logical. It was not found by cleanup crews, and the respect for the Captain is such that, despite its value, no staff member would steal such an object. Someone has been more dishonest than you believe the Captain to be, and is withholding it for an alternate reason."

I nod. Everything he says makes sense. There is only one other person from our ship that came back alive from Blood Diamond, besides me.

"I would give anything to find it again."

"Yes, I know. I can work on this for you. You need to maintain your staff relationships at present. I hope then, you might reconsider your choice to leave the Destructor."

There is a moment of silence, before he adds, "You would not be the first human to fall in love with a crew member or captain on a spaceship. It is a strong emotion, but one that is built from a range of memories and experiences. It is justified in your case. You only feel it is not."

"I've made mistakes, Gabriel. I have been impulsive, I have spoken without thinking."

"You have shown Captain Rafferty who you are and how you feel. He loves you no less."

He remains so still, sitting there like a therapist. A therapist who does not judge. The best kind.

"The human race is highly flawed. They tend to only speak the truth out of anger, not love. They are fearful of expressing true emotion, in case one feels an emotion less than the other. It is a shame when two humans feel the same, they cannot share what they feel. They evade their destiny."

A tear or two stream down my face but I start laughing. I look at Gabriel stoically seated to the side, and I realise the hilarity of the situation. Life advice from an android. The concept is absurd. Yet, he is saving me again. He is straightening out the creases in my mind, and making me see the situation more clearly.

"Lights out. Goodnight Gabriel." I snuggle down into my bed, ready to have the best night's sleep I have had in a long time. Those amber eyes watch over me protectively, and with a warmth that is almost human.

"Goodnight, Lieutenant Wood."