Is This All That I Am?

Posted on Thu Feb 10th, 2022 @ 11:54pm by
Edited on on Fri Feb 11th, 2022 @ 10:00pm

Mission: S1 Episode 1: Caretaker, Part I
Location: SS Alexandria II
Timeline: MD 03 / 0045 hours
1787 words - 3.6 OF Standard Post Measure

Kaleigh had woken, not 100% sure why but she lay on the bunk and listened. Someone was having a bad dream. She rolled and checked on the child sleeping in the bottom bunk but Daphne was sound asleep.

Kaleigh slid down from the bunk,not caring that she was barely dressed in a tank top and boxer shorts and left the cabin, following the sounds of distress. She paused outside the main cabin. "Rebecca" she called softly.

The AI's face appeared on a nearby interface. "Yes, Kaleigh? What can I do for you?"

"Is Micheal ok?" Kae asked softly.

Rebecca's features turned more somber. "Yes. He is...he is having a very bad nightmare. He has been having them from months now. I...I cannot touch him to give him comfort." The look of pain in her expression was very believable, for a program.

Kae nodded "Open the door Rebecca" She said softly.

"You..you should be ready for what you are about to see. He is not exactly as you saw him earlier." Rebecca warned her.

"He mentioned something about being rebuilt Rebecca, I... will be ok. You know for an AI, Rebecca, you are pretty nice, and I get the feeling he trusts you, I won't hurt him Rebecca."

Rebecca's image softened at the compliment. 'Thank you, Kaleigh. I may have originally been programmed to care for and protect him...my..my programming has evolved beyond those mandates. He is important to me." She paused, then closed her eyes. The door then unlocked and slid open.

Inside, in the large aft cabin, Micheal's form could be almost seen in the starlight, shining in through the aft viewports. He was in the bed, the sheets twisted around him, as he tossed and turned. He cried out several times, in languages that were foreign to Kaleigh’s ears.

Kaleigh moved to the bedside, and focused on his face and touched his cheek. "Rebecca sweetie" she called out."Can you get some water please?"

In reply, a glass of water appeared in the cabin's replicator alcove.

Micheal continued to toss his head back and forth, he was soaked in sweat. While his right eye was clenched shut, his artificial left eye was flashing bright red.

"Thank you Rebecca" Kae gently stroked his cheek. "Micheal" She said. "Wake up, you are safe, Micheal." she said to him as she stroked his face.

It took a few seconds, but he finally snapped awake. Both of his eyes locked on Kaleigh, yet, without seeing her there, he started to reach up to strike her, when Rebecca shouted, "Master!!"

He stopped and realization crossed his face, then shock. "Kaleigh! I...I'm sorry!! Did...did I hurt you?!"

Kaleigh had not even flinched. "No, You didn't." She said and reached out and picked up the glass of water and handed it to him. "Drink this" she said as she did so.

Slowly, he drank the cool water as Kaleigh gently tipped the glass for him. He couldn't hold it himself, as he was currently holding himself up with his right arm.

Gently she helped him lay back down. "Sorry but you were crying out in your sleep."

"I...I'm sorry...I didn't scare you or Daphne, did I?!" He started to get worried.

"Daphne is asleep. You didn't scare me." She said. "I am sorry I came in, I asked Rebecca to let me in."

His eye looked away from her face. "I'm a monster. I'm sorry you had to see me like this. It was clear from his tone that he was afraid that she would be disgusted by his appearance.

"I have seen Monsters before. You are not one" She replied as she recycled the glass. "Rebecca?" She called out. "Please check on Daphne for me"

After a brief pause, Rebecca's voice was heard. "She has shifted a few times, but is still in deep sleep."

"Thank you Rebecca" Kaleigh replied

He looked back into Kaleigh’s beautiful face. "What you see, is all that is left of me, more or less." He took a deep breath, then told her the story.

"Two years ago, I was in the Beta Quadrant, hunting down a man who was threatening Admiral Petrov's family. I was getting close to finding his location when, I stumbled upon an unknown wormhole. It's power was higher than anything the computer records had seen before. Before I could react, it sucked me inside. My systems started to overload one by one, until...the last thing I remember is getting thrown back from the helm. That, and intense pain all over my body."

"The next thing I know, I'm waking up in a strange room, surrounded by bizarre looking aliens. They were chattering all around me....." he drifted off as the memories started to replay in his head.

"And they did this? To heal you?" She asked softly.

He looked down at what was left of himself. Carefully, he pulled the sweat-soaked sheet back, so Kaleigh could see him. He was barechested, his torso and right arm, powerfully built. He was wearing a pair of dark boxer briefs. Where his left arm, and both his legs were supposed to be, were synthetic caps, which had several groves and connection points. His abdomen and the left side of his rib cage seemed smoother than the rest of his skin and there were very faint lines just barely visible, almost like hull plating.

"They had never encountered a Terran before " He said softly. They didn't know how to put me back together correctly. Some of my organs, my liver and kidneys, that had no idea what they were, so they replaced them with synthetic organs like they have." He took a breath, then continued. It felt like I wax either them for years, but, it was only a few weeks. Once I was back on my feet...well, artificial feet.. they repaired and modified my ship. The increased the main computer five times over, using less space than the original. Then, they created Rebecca. She was to be my caretaker, watch over my, ensure my systems remained functioning. Then, whe I told them where I was from, they said there was rumor of a moving artificial wormhole in their galaxy, a few parsecs from their homeworld. While they didn't know where it land me exactly, it should at least bring me back to our galaxy."

"I searched for six months. Finally, when I was starting to give up hope, the damn thing opened up right in front of me. I got pulled in and, after a slightly less rough ride, deposited me here."

Kaleigh didn't touch him but her hand moved like she wanted to. "Maybe,.. there are races here that will help?" she suggested.

Seeing her reach for him, Micheal reached out and, after gently taking hold of her wrist, brought her hand to his chest, right over his strong, beating heart. "I don't want you or Daphne to ever fear me, Kaleigh. I will never do anything to endanger either of you."

Kae nodded "I believe you. Rebecca wouldn't have let me in if that was so."

His features softened. "Rebecca?"

Her image appeared, net to the bed. "Yes, Master?"

"Grant Kaleigh full command access, please."

"Yes, Master." She closed her eyes for a second, then reopened them. "Done. Mistress now has full command access."

Kaleigh stared at him. "Micheal, you didn't have to do that." She said softly shocked.

He looked at her and said, "I said that we are a team. We may be the only Terrans that we will ever see again. I don't want any secrets or barriers between us, ever."

Kaleigh nodded "ok, that works" She said softly. She straightened. "I should leave you to sleep again." She said with a smile

"Wait..." he asked softly. He sat up and reached for his left arm. After placing itat the joint, the mechanism reacted and locked in. He then reattached both of his legs in the same manner.

Once done, he stood and moved over to her. "I know that this will sound like an odd request," he admitted. "But, it's been so very long. May I ...hug you?"

Kaleigh nodded. "Human contact" she said. "Guess we both need it."

He smiled softly at her. Then, slowly, he reached out and gently wrapped his strong arms around her, pulling her against his broad chest.

Kaleigh hugged him back, allowing the contact they both needed.

After several moments of relaxed silence, he softly whispered into her ear, "Thank you." He hugged her a little tighter, then slowly relaxed his hold slightly, letting Kaleigh move out some, if she wanted to move away from him. He would never hold her against her will.

After a moment she stepped back. "Get some sleep Micheal" she said touching his face. "I will see you in the morning."

Nodding,he released his hold on her. "I will. Thank you for your concern," he replied softly. "I hope you and Daphne sleep well." There was an honest sincerity to his voice and words.

"She is sleeping well for the first time in years" Kae replied as she turned for the door. "Children are very resilient."

"At least there's that. I hope to keep her from any danger, for as long as I continue to draw breath. And you as well." He gave her a soft smile.

Kaleigh nodded and smiled back before slipping from the room. She needed time to think.

When he was alone again, he moved to sit in the large, plush chair in his cabin. He sat there for several minutes, thinking seriously. Finally, he sighed and spoke aloud. "Rebecca."

The AI flashed into the room, looking somewhat less saucy than she usually was. "Yes, Master?" She was almost demure.

"Voice command, Robertson, Delta Delta Eight Fiver Niner, Authenticate."

Her avatar blinked and she stood straighter. "Authenticated, Master, state your command."

"Regarding your programing for ensuring the survival of myself, amend said programming to state that, should said lifesaving efforts force a choice between saving me or saving Kaleigh Roberts and Daphne Hastings, you are to save them first. Comply."

Her avatar blinked again. "Programming amended as ordered, Master. Any further orders?"

"No thank you. Resume normal operations. Revert to standby setting and keep the ship in shadow mode. Good night, Rebecca."

Her avatar gave him a sad smile and nodded her head. "Good night, Master." She then vanished and the lights dropped back down to their previous settings. He turned the chair towards the viewports and gazed out at the nebula they were hiding in. His life had forever changed again.

This time, he was happy for it.