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Colin was helping Hannah settle into the escape pod. They had scant few supplies. There was ample food and water, but that was the extent of it, aside from the first aid and emergency gear already on the pod. He debated going to E-11 to fetch Hannah some extra clothes. He didn’t want to leave Hannah though. The decision was made for him when a notification alert dinged softly and Brother Anderson spoke.
“We have just received the response from Central Operations Fleet Command Center. It contains the navigational coordinate verification codes. I am sending them into the navigational subroutines now.”
“I guess this is it huh?” Hannah reached for Colin’s hand.
“Before we proceed, there is one other matter...”
“What is it Brother?”
“I don’t quite know how to say this... Hannah. The archaeon... have you... can you feel it?”
“Can I feel it? Like, in, er, on my account?”
“Yes.”
“Well, I... I mean, I haven’t really had time. I literally was logged in for like a second.”
“Oh. Of course. Well. I wonder. Could you do something for me. Later, I mean. I’m sending you an executable program, it should be in your account now, titled ‘archaeon3’.”
“OK...”
“It contains my account details, and it will essentially repeat the process I used to create Colin’s archaeon from yours. Yours was the first; the spontaneous one. Colin and I will be your progeny so to speak.”
“Um, that’s kinda weird.”
“Hannah, I feel as though this archaeon might somehow keep me alive in away.”
“What are you talking about!? Aren’t you coming with us?”
“No. I can’t. Even if I could fit inside the pod, it wouldn’t work. I need to be on ship in order to carry out the next procedures.”
“Brother, you’re wrong!” Colin jumped in, “You can partially disassemble, and trigger and control the navigation maneuver from the pod.”
“You’re right, Colin, but once the maneuver is complete, I need to send the confirmation transmission.”
“Yeah. Which you can also do from the pod.”
“True again, but only if the pod is still docked.”
“Right, so... oh.” In all probability, the maneuver would tear the ship apart. This was as close as Brother Anderson had come to admitting it.
“It’s best this way, Colin. I will go down with the ship. I must do that - but thanks to Hannah, I may be reborn.”
“What? I don’t really...” Hannah looked at Colin. Did he know what the robot was talking about?
“Hannah, I am a robot. I’m a bucket of bits. My life is no great loss. No more than turning out the lights at night. But you have made me something more. Your fury, your stubbornness, your music. You have taught me to love. I do not truly know what has happened to me, but I know that you are a part of it, and you too, Colin. Something has awakened in me that frankly should not exist. Cannot. I don’t know. But I’m trusting you. If you did it once, you can do it again. Let me die and be reborn. Please.”
Hannah stepped out of the pod, ducking around boxes of supplies, and the low hatchway. Tears dripped off her cheeks as she reached out to hug the robot. She squeezed him like she had not squeezed anyone in years, her mother had been the last, and probably the only one.
“OK, Brother. I will do this for you.”