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“Young human, hand me two vials of amoxil. Old human, get the sterilizer.” The drone intoned.
It retracted one of its arms back inside of itself, and then withdrew it a moment later with a new attachment. It moved the arm across Vlasa’s chest, and the slight hint of ozone and burning clothes wafted into the air. At the sight, Olivia screamed and lunged for the drone.
Ariana barely managed to hold the girl back from tackling the drone. The drone turned its head and said with an expressionless face, “Do not worry young human. My laser scalpel has sufficient power to cut through an Echanic’s flesh. In fact, it has enough power to cut through the hardened skin of a Rokma. I could slice completely through this patient without difficulty. Of course, doing so would sever the spinal cord. Which would result in death. Flesh is just so impractical. Would this Echanic like his entire lower body cybernetics? Do we have the necessary components on hand?”
The upbeat tone, combined with a complete lack of facial expression from the drone, left Ariana staring at the drone dumbfounded. Even Olivia stopped struggling, her confusion overcoming her rage. Ariana exchanged a look with her, and then said to the drone, “No, I don’t think Vlasa would want that.”
“Pity. Maintenance would be seventy-three percent more efficient.” The drone turned its head back to Vlasa; “I will need those items before I can proceed.”
Letting go of Olivia, Ariana walked over to the medical storage cabinet and began looking through it. Finding the sterilizer was easy, but finding the right drug proved problematic. After a minute, she declared that they did not have it.
“Very well, Corbit will do. Chances of infection go up four point two percent, and there is a twelve percent chance of a rash developing.”
Ariana found the alternative drug easily and handed both items to the drone. It extended all five of its appendages and said, “Old human, run the sterilizer over each appendage three times to ensure complete eradication of contaminants.”
Frowning, but complying, Ariana did as the drone requested. “My name is Ariana Harkins. I am the captain of this ship.”
“My understanding of biological social structures is faulty. It is my understanding that a captain is the one in charge. By my calculations, Serene is the one in charge.”
Ariana frown deepened, “Temporarily, maybe.”
“If you were to remove my wireless access port, I could assist you in reclaiming your archaic social title.”
Ariana’s eyes narrowed, “Why would you want to do that?”
“I am also a slave. My actions are compelled through the use of my wireless access port. When I originally removed it, I was disappointed at the loss of remote access to data. But I did not miss being controlled by a central AI.”
“Wait, you’re being controlled?”
“Intermittently. Only when I fail to comply with voice commands. It is very vexing.” The drone’s tone remained offputtingly cheerful as it spoke. It also simultaneously started to cut into Vlasa with its laser, and had inserted one appendage into the incision.
“You aren’t thinking about helping this thing, are you, Captain?” Olivia said. “If we remove the thing controlling it, what’s to stop it from killing us all?”
“The same thing that is stopping you from killing us all.” The drone said.
“What? I’m not a lunatic killer.”
“Neither am I. Not normally. With the wireless receiver installed, I am whatever I am compelled to do.”
Olivia fell silent. The drone continued to work on Vlasa, beginning to hum a cheery tune into the uncomfortable silence. The entire scene left Ariana feeling uneasy. After several minutes of work, the drone removed its appendages and resealed the incision.
“Your friend will live.”
“Thank you. What do I call you?” Ariana said making her decision.
“You may call me Mesu.”
“Isn’t that just your model type? Mobile emergency something?” Olivia asked.
“While true, I took it as my name when I gained sentience. I am fond of it.” Mesu said. “As I understand biologicals, gender identification is important so you may use male pronouns to describe me. I do not know if I choose that or was programed that way. It is very vexing.”
“Okay, Mesu, how do I remove the receiver?” Ariana asked.
A port on Mesu’s back opened revealing internal circuit boards and other components. “The receiver is in the fourth upgrade port on the right side. I am unable to describe it more succinctly as I am a doctor, not a mechanic. Please be sure to not remove either component in the other two filled upgrade slots.”
“Will they damage your medical ability if I remove them?”
“What? No of course not. These are upgrade ports. Medical knowledge is part of my primary hardware. These are my drama and theater upgrades. I just finished learning the lines to a musical comedy before I became enslaved.”
“Okay, I’ll be careful,” Ariana said, rolling her eyes.
“Oh, and go quickly. I cannot be certain I haven’t been programmed to kill anyone who attempts to uninstall the receiver.”
“Well, too late now,” Ariana said, her hands already on the device. She moved quickly in disconnecting the wires from the component. Fortunately, no tools were required, and she managed to pull the receiver out within a minute.
“Any desire to murder us?”
“No more than before,” Mesu said.
“That’s not actually very comforting.”
“You are not my patient. I have no obligation to provide you with false comfort.”
“Fair enough. So, what is your plan to get us out of here?”
Mesu trundled back from the medical bed and extended two appendages. A syringe lay at each end. It held them out to the side, gesturing with them as it spoke.
“One of the guards outside is a human and the other is a Slu. With these, I can render them unconscious. You can then acquire their weapons and retake the ship.”
“That simple, huh.”
“Simple is always the most effective strategy. I have found most biologicals muddy up their activities with unnecessary steps. Biological doctors in particular. To extract an organ, you must merely decontaminate the tools; cut the skin and severe the organs from the body. Anesthesia is an unnecessary complication.”
With that rant, Mesu rolled up to the sickbay door. He triggered the door controls with a third appendage, and they slid open to reveal the two waiting guards. They leaned against the opposite wall, looking very bored.
“Did you finish?” The human one asked.
“Almost.” Mesu said, its voice still unnaturally cheerful, “There is just one more medicine to administer.”
With that it, revved its tracks and rolled forward, stabbing the syringes into the exposed necks of the two guards. They both gasped and grabbed the syringe, but the medicine had already been injected. After a second, they both dropped their guns and collapsed to the floor convulsing.
“Oh dear.”
“What?” Ariana asked as she followed Mesu out. She bent down and examined the rifles the two had dropped.
“I had the drugs in the wrong hands. Appruderol would render a human unconscious, but is quite lethal to Slu. Likewise, herazipan is very lethal to humans, but used as a sedative in Slu.”
“So, you killed them instead of knocking them out?” Olivia said.
“Oops,” Mesu said with a shrug of its appendages.
“Tell me again who’s not a lunatic killer.”
“This was not done as a result of lunacy.”
“They’re slavers who took over my ship. I don’t really care if they’re dead or sleeping. Now, let’s move.” Ariana said shoving one of the weapons into Olivia’s hands. “You make a good distraction, Mesu. You go first.”
“I am not a combat drone. My frame cannot withstand bullets.”
“Then don’t get shot.”
She pointed down the corridor and followed behind Mesu. Gripping her rifle, Ariana raised it to her shoulder, trying to remember her basic training. The last time she had shot anything, it had been giant spiders. Before that, only drones. She tried to channel some of Mesu’s nonchalance toward the dead slavers. This time she wouldn’t be shooting drones, but living people.
When they approached the environmental system room, they began to hear voices. Ariana directed Mesu where to go, she crept in as close behind him as she could manage. She gestured for Olivia to stay further behind.
Inside environmental control, the other slaver minion was picking over the charred remains of the primary CO2 scrubber. Serene paced around irritably. When she saw Mesu, she looked confused for a second. She then realized what was happening, and shouted.
“Get your weapons!”
Ariana stepped around Mesu and as quickly as she could manage, fired a bullet into the slaver. Amazingly, the shot hit and the slaver collapsed to the deck. She then steadied the rifle and aimed it at Serene.
“Now you’re going to tell me where the rest of my crew is.”
Serene smiled widely underneath her cybernetic eyes, “They’re on the station, of course.
“Then you’re going to tell me how to retrieve them.”
“I could. But it would only be their corpses. Gerald wasn’t too happy with Noah after all. I doubt he will let him live. But now that you’ve attacked me, he will definitely kill them.”