Gen

"Shuttle Persephone on approach."

"Come in, Persephone, this is the Starship Timbal."

"This is the Persephone. We hear you, Timbal."

"Shuttle Persephone, please hold your position."

"Acknowledged."

"Scanning."

"Computer indicates one unidentified life form: possible stowaway."

"Message from Captain Binder: one passenger mistakenly listed under cargo. Revised passenger list checks out."

"Computer offers ninety-two percent probability Persephone represents no threat."

"Percentage is within acceptable limits, but Level B precautions are required."

"Persephone, please transmit clearance codes now."

"Transmitting."

"Computer indicates codes correct."

"Persephone is clear to dock."

"Persephone, prepare to begin your approach."

"Acknowledged."

"Persephone beginning approach."

"Computer has initialized docking procedures."

"Well, let's go greet our guests."

"Commander Catherine Inari and company reporting. Permission to come aboard?"

"Permission granted."

The white metal door whistled clouds, and the red indicator light blinked to green. Standing with stiff, squared shoulders behind Captain Barell, Dasko flashed a smile at Io, but her eyes were locked on the white airlock door.

"Airlock secure."

The door whizzed open with a foggy chemical puff, slipping obligingly into the wall. An electric blue shiver made Io blink. In full dress uniform, complete with the white beret of the Research Division, a young woman stepped across the juncture and offered a crisp salute. Captain Barell slowly returned it, gnawing loosely at the side of his tongue. Io frowned at the strange woman. Shocking metallic blue hair hung down to her chin, straight and flat like tinsel. Her eyebrows and eyelashes were also blue, and large, blaring sapphire eyes stared hard out of her white, refined face. Io blinked distrustfully the mischievous bent of her thin lips as her blue marble eyes glinted at Barell, waiting.

"As you were, Inari," Barell said, and Inari fell at ease. "Speak."

"With your permission, Sir," the thin lady began, whipping a card key out of her zippered lockpocket, "our orders." Barell took them from her long, slender fingers and snapped it into the reader on his ear. The i-com's monitor snipped out in front of his eye, which twitched furiously to follow the readout. Frowning, he hummed to himself, plucking the card back out and clenching his fist around it. It collapsed into a cloud of suicidal dust. As he turned his eyes back up to Inari, he dusted the powder off of his hands like so many cracker crumbs.

"Well?" Barell inquired.

"Gen," Inari called, smiling proudly. A child stepped up beside her, standing at ease by her leg, in his own little white uniform, though he was no more than ten. A white patch covered his right eye, and a glove hid his presumably prosthetic left hand from view. His good eye was trained intently on Barell's face. "Captain Barell, this is my child, Gen Inari. Gen, this is Captain Barell. He is going to escort us to Starbase AF-7." The phantom-pale child blinked. His nose and mouth were small, and his jet black hair was short and wavy. Large and black as empty space, his eye watched, waiting.

"Okay," the boy answered. Io's lip twitched. Dasko was smiling.

"What happened to him?" Barell inquired.

"He was injured in a battle when he was a little, little thing," Inari explained. "He barely escaped a fleet of Joab robots. Isn't that right, dear?"

"Yes," the boy echoed.

"Lieutenant Commander Yorin," Barell called over his thick shoulder.

"Yes, Sir!" Io said.

"At ease," he instructed. "Commander, this is Chief Security Officer Io Yorin. She will be in charge of your safety." Io saluted, and Inari returned it. "Yorin, temporary mission reassignment Priority 2 protection of Commander Inari and her son."

"Yes, Sir," Io responded, clicking her heels. "Captain, Priority 2 requires full sensor sweep at initialization. With your permission?"

"Do it."

Io summoned her i-com and sent the command.

"One moment, Commander," Io said, and Inari nodded. "Sweep complete. Computer indicates all conditions normal. Commander Inari, please follow me to your quarters."

"Will this be satisfactory?" Io asked, and Inari looked at the boy, whose wide eye was sweeping inquisitively over the room. The waiting white room watched as he took a step forward, bending to peer under a table.

"He's very curious," she said to Io, smiling, her arms crossed over her breasts, and the boy paused. "Gen?"

"It's a pretty room," he answered.

"This will be satisfactory," Inari answered. "There is just one thing that I require. I need an EMG unit brought to my quarters."

"It is my duty to inquire as to the requisitioning of potentially hazardous equipment by personnel under Priority 2 protection," Io said, and Inari grinned, her eyes narrow. She walked to her and took another card key out of her lockpocket. Io snapped it in and read it. "I see."

"In the case of Level 2 secrecy, you must personally deliver me everything I requisition without asking questions," Inari said.

"Understood," Io said, returning the card key. "I will deliver your EMG unit as soon as possible. Is there anything else that you require?"

"No, that is all for now," Inari replied. "Dismissed." Io saluted and silently stepped back out of the room.

EMG? Io thought, frowning. I'll need an antigrav unit just to get it up here. Well, at least Level 2 still leaves me a little leeway.

* * *

"What are you looking at, Gen?" Inari asked, peering into the cool white bedroom. Gen's eye blinked at the black, star-speckled porthole. Slowly, he reached out to press his hand to the window. The metal prosthesis under the glove clunked on the glass as his palm pressed against it. Inari stood behind him, her hands on her hips. "You'd think I'd be able to predict you by now. Looking at the stars?" He frowned, drawing his hand away from the glass.

"No," he answered quietly, "my reflection."

"Oh, I see."

"Me, too," he muttered, staring down at the unnatural fingertips with an empty eye.

"What?" Inari chuckled. "Why don't you go play in the living room for a while? There's a new coloring book for you in my satchel."

"Does it have animals in it?"

"Of course, dear," Inari sighed, stretching out on top of the clean white sheets. "That's all you ever want to color."

* * *

"On these newer models, you can't even feel the engines," Dasko observed. Io hummed in reply, her eyes following the scrolling regulations. Grinning, Dasko threw his arms over her shoulders.

"Nn...trying to read, Dasko," she protested, smiling as he pressed his lips to her cheek.

"What's that? Regulations?"

"Making sure I remember everything about Level 2 secrecy."

"Wow, she must be important," Dasko observed, going to plop down on the couch. It gave noisily, squealing plaintively beneath him.

"You mean you've never heard of Catherine Inari?" Io said. "She's the best bionic engineer we've got."

"I'm surprised she's bringing her kid with her," Dasko said. "Deep space isn't exactly safe."

"Mothers don't like to leave their children behind, especially at his age," Io told him, then grinned, sighing, "but I guess you wouldn't understand. After all, you're only a man."

"What, you, too?" Dasko cried, sitting up with a pout on his thick lips. "You know, up until recently, men were respected, but-"

"I'm kidding," Io laughed.

"Why do you like getting a rise out of me?" he sighed, leaning back again.

"It's just so easy," she chuckled, going to sit down beside him. Sighing, she rested her head on his shoulder.

"You okay?"

"Yeah, it's just that seeing that kid, it kind of made me homesick, you know?"

"Yeah," he replied. "We don't see kids very often out here, do we?" He draped his arm over her shoulders with a smile. Grinning, she leaned forward and kissed him.

Beedeeboop! the computer laughed.

Io and Dasko sighed in disappointment as she stood and tapped her i-com.

"Yorin here," she said.

"Please report to the bridge immediately. We have a distress call."

"I'm on my way."

* * *

"Has the vehicle been identified?" Io inquired, taking her station and scrolling over the readout. Biting at her lip, she brushed her blond bangs out of her eyes. The bridge crew were turned to their stations, orbitting the circular white metal wheel of the bridge. Captain Barell sat at the hub, his head resting on his hand, propped up on his elbow.

"Not by name. They're having problems with their communications array, but sensors indicate it's a single-unit freighter," Communications Officer Macaulay said. "Under Priority 2 standards, we are not required to respond to distress calls, but..."

"What's the problem?"

"It's a Class 2 call, and we're the only ones in range."

"From a small freighter?"

"They have the proper codes."

"Very well," Barell said. "Let's make an inquiry, but take Level B precautions."

"Yes, Sir," Io replied, performing checks on the shields and powering up the weapons.

"Scanning," Tactical Officer Ganges called out. "Laser damage to engines and communications array. Vehicle is unarmed, and engines are inoperative. Computer estimates three hours left of life support and indicates eighty-five percent probability that vehicle presents no threat due to unknown cargo and anonymity of pilot."

"Unidentified freighter, please acknowledge."

"Ha...me....b-lar...fff.f..."

"Verbal message coming in via secure channel," Macaulay said. "Pilot indicates oral communication impossible. Requests private channel to the Captain."

"Well?" Barell asked.

"Receiving... He has the proper codes."

"Very well, I'll take it on my i-com," Barell said. Macaulay patched it in, and after a moment, Barell hummed low to himself. "Lower shield and prepare for docking. Yorin, please meet him at the airlock. Treat any card keys which you may find on his person with Level 1 secrecy. After he is onboard, scuttle his craft."

"Yes, Sir."

Hurrying to the lift, Io summoned her i-com.

"Dasko, Moran, meet me at Airlock One, Priority 2."

* * *

The airlock opened, and the pilot was standing there, his greasy, callused hands already in the air and empty. He was disheveled and injured, and Io's heart throbbed, but she stiffened her back and narrowed her eyes.

"Please do not move," Io said, summoning her i-com. "Scan indicates pilot unarmed. Unknown pilot, please be aware that should you attempt to take any one of us hostage, the other two will immediately shoot both you and the hostage. Moran, commence hand search."

"You guys sure are being careful," the pilot observed in a gruff voice, smiling curiously as Moran patted him down. "You got someone important on board? Whoa, easy on the merchandise, fella. Lady might want to give me a more thorough inspection later." He winked, grinning, and Io scowled.

"Please do not speak," she said. Moran found a card key in the man's pocket and handed it to Io. The man's self-important grin melted away, and his face twisted for a moment in anxiety.

"This card key will be treated with Level 1 secrecy," she assured him, slipping it into her lockpocket. "It will be returned to you when it has been determined that you present no threat."

"He's clean, Sir," Moran said.

"Very well," Io said. "Pilot, be aware that we are going to scuttle your craft."

"That's fine," he replied. "Then I take it that I have permission to come aboard?"

"Permission granted, provisionally," Io said. "Are you well enough to walk, or do you require assistance?"

"Oh, I definitely need help," he purred, pursing his lips in a smile and offering Io his arm.

"Moran," she instructed, pointing, but the pilot stiffened and chuckled to himself.

"Nevermind. I can walk."

"Very well," she replied. "We will escort you to the infirmary. Please come this way."

Surrounded by security with laser guns, it was clear to Abner as he hobbled down the corridor that something big was going on. He only hoped it wasn't bigger than he.

* * *

Sighing, Abner relaxed into the cot. He'd been patched up, bathed, shaven, and had a haircut, all under the watchful eye of one of the iron-lady's minions, armed, of course. Well, he didn't really mind. He could just as easily have been beaten up, sprayed with a water hose, and had all his hair removed by radiation in front of a couple Joab battleborgs. He'd done that before. He much preferred an uninterested human with a little laser gun. At least, human needle-pokers had good intentions, usually, and this one was kind of cute. Smiling, Abner closed his eyes.

"Pilot."

Abner sighed, opening his eyes. It was the iron-lady.

"My name is Abner. Abner Wyatt."

"The probability that you are telling the truth is within the acceptable limits," she said. "I am Chief Security Officer Io Yorin. Please consider yourself to be under my protective custody, Priority 2. Shall I return the card key to you or store it in a secure location?"

"Please return it," Abner sighed, closing his eyes again as she slipped it into his hand. Frowning, he pressed it into his lockpocket.

"Is there anything that you require?"

"Just sleep."

"Very well."

* * *

"Creep," Io sighed, dumping a carton of cream into her coffee.

"Who, me?" Dasko chuckled, sitting beside her.

"The guy we picked up," she explained. "He's Priority 2 as well."

"Really? How odd," he hummed indifferently. "You've never had to take care of more than one, before."

"To think I actually felt sorry for him," she grumbled. "Now, I've got to take time to check up on the little weasel."

"Well, if he's Priority 2, he must be important."

"This is a military vessel. We have to be careful."

"Yeah, but a hand search?"

"It wouldn't be the first time a Joab had gotten hold of some codes. If he were a Joab kamiborg-"

"Yes, I know," Dasko sighed. "You know, you're gonna get an ulcer if you keep this up."

"I hope not," she murmured, sighing and frowning into her spitefully bitter coffee.

"You need to relax," he insisted, reaching up to rub her shoulders, but they stiffened, and she slid away.

"Not here, Dasko," she sighed, smiling. "Oh, I've got to go do my hourly check on that woman." Frowning, she dumped the coffee down her throat. "Ewck. Hey, toss my tray, will you?"

"Sure," Dasko sighed, resting his head on his hand.

"Oh, I'm sorry I'm so busy," she apologized, "but war isn't the place for romance, you know."

"Yeah, but..."

"Oh, come here," she chuckled, leaning down to kiss him, pressing her hand to his face. Sighing, he kissed her back until she pulled away.

"See you later, honey," Dasko said as she walked away.

"Yeah, later."

* * *

"Good evening, Commander Inari," Io said, stepping inside and commencing to inspect the room. "Reporting for hourly check. If there is anything I don't need to see, I suggest you cover it."

"Don't worry," Inari said, stretching out on the sofa. Io paused beside the coffee table. Gen was sitting there, coloring a picture of a Centaurian Haurg Beast.

"Have you ever seen a Centaurian Haurg Beast?" Io asked, kneeling beside him. He looked up at her with a curious expression and shook his head. Io smiled.

"No."

"They make a sound like this," she said, then pressed her hands to the sides of her nose and made a loud wailing groan. The boy's eye was open wide.

"That was ladylike," Inari bit, grinning mockingly.

"How do you know what it sounds like?" the boy asked her.

"We transported a whole herd of them to a zoo, back when I just a tiny little ensign," Io replied, pressing her scanner up under the coffee table. "Commander, I feel that I should inform you that we have picked up another passenger of Priority 2 status. He was rescued from a damaged vessel. His appearance was rather suspicious, and although he is being protected, he is also being watched very carefully. He has not been told about your presence here."

"Thank you for telling me," Inari said, frowning. "What is his name?"

"Abner Wyatt."

"Thank you. Gen, go into the bedroom and play for a while."

"Okay."

The child stood up and picked up his toys, carrying them into the bedroom. Io watched him walking and frowned. His hips swung with a lithe, almost effeminate character.

"I see the resemblance between you and your son," Io said, smiling convivially.

"Is that so?" Inari echoed, pressing a blue fingernail to her lip. "I just wanted to get something straight with you, Lieutenant Commander."

"Yes, what is it?" Io asked, pursing her lips.

"Officially, Gen and I may have the same Priority, but as far as I'm concerned, Gen's safety comes first."

"Oh," Io sighed, smiling. "Of course. Is that...an official request?" Inari curled her lips up in a grin and narrowed her eyes, stretched out over the white sofa like a cat.

"Call it that if you must. I just want to make sure that, if you have to choose between my son and myself, you save him."

Io's brow furrowed.

"Permission to speak freely?"

"Please, do," Inari chuckled.

"With all due respect, although you outrank me, I must tell you that when it comes to my mission and your safety, as Chief Security Officer, my decision overrides yours. Technically, you are of more value to the Empire than your son is. You may have used your leverage to get your son put on Priority 2 status, but as far as my mission is concerned, I'm going to have to take it as it comes."

Inari's lips twisted wryly.

"Do what you feel you must, of course," Inari said, flickering her metallic blue eyelashes at the tense air.

"Let's hope it doesn't come to that," Io said, smiling.

"Yes," Inari agreed. Laughing nervously, Io stood and saluted. When she turned to go, she sighed in relief.

Straightening her uniform, Io stepped out into the hallway and turned to secure the door.

"And stay in there," she muttered. "Well, I guess I don't blame her. After all, she's his mother." Sighing, Io turned and looked down the waiting white hallway. "Wonder what the creep is doing."

* * *

"But surely, you don't intend to keep me here," Abner protested, stomping his foot down into his boot, but it spurned him, the back bending defiantly under his heel. Growling, he pulled it back and shoved his foot inside. Creaking, the material started to split, and Abner bent his brow, curling his toes.

"Oh, yes, I do," insisted Io. "At least until we reach out destination."

"I can't stay in the infirmary!" he cried, bending down to tie down the insistently protruding tongue of his shoe. "I'll go crazy."

"It won't be long before we reach our destination," Doctor Hyga spoke up, resting her head in her hand. "Besides, you're still not well."

"I'm fine," Abner asserted, waving his prosthetic hand at her. She frowned indignantly, backing away from the metal appendage.

"Look, Mister Wyatt," Io began, exasperated, "you have no official military ranking, and this is a military vessel. If you weren't under Priority 2 Protection, I could jettison you into space. As it is, you are, so I'll protect you. But as of now, you're also under Class 2 Lockdown. That means you stay where I tell you and attempt no external communications."

"I know what it means," Abner sneered, plopping back down on the cot, which gave easily, groaning beneath the sudden weight.

"Very well," Io replied. "We will reach our destination in less than four days. You are to remain here unless I tell you otherwise. Now, are you going to give me any more trouble? Because you could just as easily spend the four days in the brig."

"No," he muttered, watching his foot kick at the tile. The sole of his shoe curled laughingly away from his foot.

"What's that?"

"No, I'm not going to give you any trouble," he snapped.

"All right, then. Thank you for your cooperation."

With that, she turned and, unhurried, stepped slowly, purposefully out the door.

"Fink you fer your coopablabla," Abner mocked, resting his chin on his clenched metal fist.

"Aren't you going to take off your shoes, Mister Wyatt?" Hyga asked calmly as she fixed a steel bobby pin in her smooth red hair. "You're not going anywhere."

"Are you kidding? I'll never get 'em back on."

* * *

"Commander Inari?" Io called, stepping cautiously into the room.

"Hello, Lieutenant Commander Yorin," Gen said from the corner, where he was playing with a set of building blocks. She smiled, a wave of nostalgia pricking her heart.

"Hi, Gen," she answered. "Please, call me Io."

"Okay, Io," he replied.

"Where's your mother?"

"She's in the shower. Do you want to play blocks with me?" he asked, blinking up at her. Smiling, Io sat down on the floor beside him.

"Sure," she answered. "What are we building?"

"A castle," he replied, dumping a handful of blocks in her lap. "I'm making the tower. Do you want to make the wall?"

"Okay."

Silent, Gen put the last blocks on top of the tower. Blinking, he lifted up the little flag and planted it on the top. Io straightened out her south wall, leaving a little space for a door. He looked down at her handiwork and blinked.

"I like your wall," he said.

"That's a strong tower," Io returned.

"Now we have to knock it down," he said quietly. Calmly, he swatted at the base of the tower, and it collapsed. Io smiled playfully and punched down her wall. "Let's build another castle." Frowning, Io asked, "Don't you want to build something different?"

"Mommy told me to build a castle," Gen said.

"Oh," Io laughed. "I see."

"This time, you can build the tower, if you want to."

"All right, then."

"Time to clean up, Gen," Inari sighed from the door as she walked briskly in from the bedroom. "It's almost dinnertime." Io picked up a handful of blocks and dumped it back into the box. "Oh, what is it, Yorin?"

"I was going to show you the route to the shuttle bay in case I am unable to get to you in an emergency."

"Very well," she answered. "Finished, Gen? Then come here and look at this with me."

* * *

"Isn't it lonely here in the infirmary all alone?" Abner purred, taking Hyga's hand. Grinning, she drew it away.

"No," she answered, scrolling through her medical journal. "I read my journals."

"But medical journals can't have a conversation with you," he protested. Her lips twisting into a grin, she tapped a button with her stylus.

"Yes, Doctor Hyga," the panel said. "Do you have a question?"

"So it talks," Abner sighed, leaning down next to her face. "Can it do this?" Smiling, he took hold of her chin and kissed her. When he drew away, she grinned derisively.

"Please don't do that, Mister Wyatt," Hyga said calmly. "It's unsanitary."

"I must be losing my touch."

"Intruder alert," the speaker rang. "Intruder alert. Intruder ale-"

The power flipped off. Red emergency lights blinked on. Wyatt sprang to his feet.

"Looks like they found me. Sorry, honey, but I've got to go," he said with a smile, running out into the hallway. "Let's see, shuttle bay would be, this way? Umph!" He landed hard on the ground, behind a stationary service robot.

"Get down, you idiot!" Io snarled in his ear.

"Hey," he chuckled, grinning flirtatiously. "I knew you-"

"Shut up!" she whispered, clapping her hand over his mouth. Faintly, from the end of the hall, he heard metallic footsteps shuffling across the floor. The roar of sudden laser fire made him jump.

"This unit demands surrender!" a Joab voice insisted. "Surrender! Surrender! Surrender! This unit demands..." Abner shivered as the Joab's voice echoed further and further away.

"Aren't you supposed to be security?" Abner demanded as Io rolled off of him, peering carefully down the hallway. "Why aren't you helping these people?"

"Don't be an idiot!" she bit. "It's because of you and that woman! I've got to get you off this ship. They came out of nowhere. We're overrun!" She grabbed his arm and glared into his eyes. "Here's a weapon. Now, stick close because if you fall behind I'm not coming back for you! Come on!"

Clutching to his sleeve, she dragged him up to his feet and ran, leading him down twisting corridors, dodging laser fire, until she found the door she was looking for and ducked inside.

"Who is this?" Inari demanded from her communications panel, rigged to the EMG unit for power.

"Abner Wyatt," he answered. "You're Catherine Inari, aren't you?"

"What, are you trying to send a message?" Io cried. "Where's Gen?"

"I'm informing headquarters of-"

"No, it's too late, we've already been boarded!" Io insisted, grabbing Inari's hand and dragging her away from the communications panel. "I've got to get you two to the shuttle bay now!"

"Io?" Gen called from the corner. "What's going on?"

"Come on, Gen," Inari ordered. "The Joab have boarded the vessel. We're in danger."

"Oh, no!" he gasped.

"Come on, Gen," Io said. "We're leaving."

"Is he coming with us?" Gen inquired, following them out the door. Scarred with laser fire and littered with debris, the corridors were bathed in crimson. Bloody, the walls were stained with the color of the weeping scarlet emergency lights. Some flickered in a panic, as if to urge them along.

"Yes, Wyatt is coming with us," Io answered quickly, looking over her shoulder at him. She frowned, turning. He was falling behind. Kneeling, she stretched out her arms towards him. "Gen, get on, I'll carry you." Gen ran to her and pressed himself to her chest, wrapping his arms around her neck and his legs around her back. His boots dug into her spine, but she just lifted his nearly weightless body and ran to catch up to Inari and Wyatt. On edge, she stepped in front of them. "Come on, it's this way to the shuttle bay."

"It's sure to be guarded," Abner observed.

"We're all armed," Inari said. "It'll just have to be enough."

"Hold on tight, Gen, we're going to run," Io said, picking up speed. Suddenly, she skidded to a halt. "Oh, no!"

"What is it?" Inari demanded.

"We're cornered!" Io observed. "These doors won't open. And a Joab patrol is sure to come down this hallway any minute."

"I guess we have no choice," Inari muttered, turning to Gen with a frown. He blinked at Inari's face, clutching closer to Io.

"Mommy?"

"What are you talking about?" Abner asked, drawing his weapon and squinting down the hallway.

"Mister Wyatt, it is imperative that you tell me now why you are under Priority 2 Protection," Inari insisted. Frowning, Wyatt sighed.

"I'm a spy. I'm carrying in my head the plans to a Joab superweapon," he answered. "In my lockpocket, I have the locations of all of their plants capable of manufacturing the weapon. I don't know why you're at the same level as I am, but I'm sure that my mission is more important than yours."

"I hate to admit it," Inari sighed, "but I think you're right. I didn't want to... If it weren't for you, Mister Wyatt, I'd-"

"We don't have time for this!" Io insisted, looking around for cover. "We've got to find a way out of here."

"Gen!" Inari called, her eyes narrow. "Implement emergency battle program, defensive mode." Gen's back straightened, and he clutched rigidly to Io's throat. Inari summoned her i-com. "Transmitting codes now."

"Codes accepted," Gen's voice rang empty in Io's ear. His face twitched. "Program start successful."

"What..." Io muttered, drawing back to look into his face.

Gen pushed off of her and dropped to his hands and knees to crouch behind a toppled antigrav cart, sniffing the air and peering down the hallway. His fingers clasped around his eye patch and tore it away from his face. Behind it, a black slug twitched, undulating in his eye socket as it came to life. Io gasped out, covering her mouth with her hand. She recognized it immediately; one did not forget the look of a bionic eye. She heard the thing whirring, and a red light glimmered faintly from the inside as it finally activated, shedding its protective film. It melted jelly-like down his face as the eye, slithering in his head, focused on the door.

"Report, Gen!" Catherine whispered. "Does the eye work?"

"Imterface with ocular unit successful," Gen said coldly, and Io shivered.

"Are all your systems functioning?" Inari demanded, setting her weapon to charge.

"Affirmative. Admin reports cortical incompatibility min-min-minimal," he stuttered, his face twitching. "Correctiom: cortical incompatibility factor substamtial but within emergency op-operatiomal limits."

"Percentage?"

"Current rate: thirty percent."

"Thirty?" she echoed, peering down the corridor through narrowed eyes.

"What is this?" Io demanded, charging her own laser and setting up a sheet of scrap metal for cover. Crouching behind it, she noted a trail of blood trickling cold from Gen's nostril.

"This boy died in the battle at Haggrin IV," Inari said, grabbing the glob of jelly on his face with her fingers and flinging it aside. With her other hand, she wiped at the blood dribbling from his nose, but the stream instantly resurged. "No one claimed his body, so we salvaged the corpse for use as a prototype cyborg designed for battle and espionage. It's been running off a provisional human imitation program so it wouldn't attract attention. As you can see, its battle program is not complete. There's a...hardware compatibility issue in its neural net. But it should be good enough to get us out of here, if we're lucky."

"He's dead?" Io gasped.

"You mean, he's like them?!" Abner whispered in horror. He had taken cover behind the projecting doorframe. "What have we done?"

"We have to use what's available to us," Inari muttered, squinting down the hallway. "Gen, what do you see?"

"Amalyzing..." Gen said quietly. "One heat sigmature and three xenon trail emitters. Spectral signatures comfirm one human and three Joab battleborgs. ETA: two minutes, forty-three seconds."

"You've made this child into a weapon?" Io whispered, her face burning.

"Now isn't the time for a moral debate!" Inari bit, clutching her weapon to her chest and shrinking against the wall. "Gen says Joab are coming." Io pressed her back to the shivering metal wall and focused on the end of the hallway. "Gen, try the hand." Without hesitation, Gen peeled the glove off of his hand. He held it up in front of his face, scanning it with his eye.

"Opening connection to manual unit," he reported, and his face gave a tic. He flexed the fingers. Clicking, they snapped into place. "Imterface successful. Incompatibility factor negligible. Current rate: six p-p-percent." He bent his digits again, and the snapping ceased. It moved quickly, fluidly, like any human hand. "Correction: four percent." He straightened his fingers quickly, and metal claws grew from his fingertips. Io gasped. "Weaponry appears fully functional."

"Good," Inari sighed in relief. "At least there's that."

"Joab arrival in one minute," Gen observed.

"Gen, enemy designation: all Joab encountered. Mission designation: escort human party to escape shuttle. At all costs, Abner Wyatt must reach the shuttle."

"Mission accepted," Gen said frigidly.

"Confirm priorities."

"Priority One: survival and escape of Wyatt unit. Priority Two: units Inari and Yorin. Priority Three: Gen unit."

"You can't make me a higher priority than Gen!" Io insisted.

"Contact," Gen said, standing and running toward the end of the corridor. Black on red, silhouettes danced in the blood-crimson emergency lights. Sparks and twisting metal flashed, and Gen was left with the human hostage.

"What are you?!" the woman cried. Muffled, Gen's reply echoed incoherently down the corridor, and the woman cringed against the wall, reluctantly following him back to where the party crouched, listening.

"Doctor Hyga," Io called, standing and reaching her hand out to her.

"Io?" Hyga cried. Her face lit up, and she flung herself at Io's chest, sobbing. Sighing, Io drew her under her arm protectively as Inari and Abner stood.

"Gen, revision to Priorities," Catherine said. "Priority Two: survival and escape of units Hyga, Yorin, and Inari. Confirm acceptance of amendment."

"Priority amendment confirmed," Gen said.

"Now wait just a minute," Io protested. "My job is to protect you and Gen. I can't be a higher priority than he is. Besides, he is much more valuable than I am. And you definitely are."

"My activation of Gen's battlenet was necessary, but premature," Inari said. "H-Its neural network wasn't ready, and now it's irrevocably damaged. Even now, the network is degenerating. In a few hours, it'll be useless for combat. No, its return is no longer a priority. The data I collect from watching it in action will be more valuable than the remains."

"When it comes to your protection, my authority supercedes yours," Io said. "You're both still officially under my Priority 2 Protection."

"Gen, revision to Priorities," Inari sighed. "Priority Two: survival and escape of Inari unit. Priority Three: survival and escape of units Yorin and Hyga. Priority Four: Gen unit. Confirm."

"Priority amendment comfirmed."

"There, is that good enough for you?"

"What about Gen?" Io demanded.

"The real Gen died years ago," Inari insisted. "We don't have time for this. This isn't a real human!" She grabbed Gen's arm, shaking him, but he didn't even blink. "This is a corpse, a robot, a zombie! Gen, confirm truth of statement."

"Truth f-f-factor of statement: ninety-three percent."

"There, you see?" Inari cried, letting him go. "You can go to court with that."

"But it's not a hundred percent, is it?"

"Nothing's one hundred-"

"I won't let him sacrifice himself for me," Io insisted.

"It's too late. The damage is irreversible. Its net's going to be fried in a few hours whether we escape or not."

"This unit detects approach of two xenon trail emitters," Gen said, turning toward the end of the corridor. "Comfirmed two Joab battleborgs approaching. Recommend rapid exit through door to left."

"Very well. Clear us a path."

Gen stepped up to the doors and stabbed his bionic hand through the crack between them. The metal gave as easily around his hand as flesh parts to admit a blade. Silent, his face disguising all signs of effort, he slipped his other hand into the crack and heaved the doors apart.

"What is he?" Hyga whispered in Io's ear, trembling. Io held her closer.

"A cyborg," Io answered.

"Lead the way, Gen," instructed Inari.

"I'll bring up the rear," quietly Io volunteered, grabbing Abner's sleeve. "Hey."

"What?"

"Here, take this," she said, pressing Hyga's shuddering form against his chest. Without a word, he slipped his arm around her and moved her into the darkened corridor. All of a sudden, Gen tripped, falling on his face.

"Error," he observed quietly. "Attitude stabilization e-e-error." Io grimaced. "Error resolved." Immediately, he rose back up to his feet and began moving again. Inari bit her lip in anxiety. The flow of blood from his nose had increased, if only slightly.

"Let's hope that doesn't happen again," Abner muttered. "Hey, it's all right, Doc. Geez, she's shaking like a leaf."

"He doesn't look good," Hyga murmured dazedly. "What's the matter with him?"

"Don't worry, he'll make it," Abner sighed. "We all will. It's not much farther, I'm sure."

"Really?"

"It's not that far to the shuttle bay from here," Io reassured her quietly, peering behind her. There was nothing following them that she could see, but the emergency lights in the hallway were out. Only shadows stared back at her, unmoving. She looked ahead; she could see the red-pulsing glow of the next intersection rapidly approaching. Gen paused.

"Senfors imdicate no Joab units in the immed-mediate area," he observed. "Cortical imcompatibilify tactor imcreasing. Recommend proceed more quickly."

"All right, let's move, then," Inari agreed, and Gen started walking again, faster, leading them through dim corridors where the corpses of men and of cyborgs and service robots lay piled together in the throbbing scarlet light. Io cringed, stepping over a severed arm.

"See, Doc? He knows just where to go," Abner observed. "He must have the ship's plan in his head." Io frowned, her heart pounding. She swallowed hard, blinking her gaze away from Gen as he walked, now haltingly, his little shoulders stiffening in recurrent tremors.

"He really is going to die," Io sighed, "isn't he?"

"I told you," Inari snapped. "It isn't alive!"

Gen's body paused just before the final door. It gave up a shudder.

"Gen?" Inari called.

"Thissss unit detects f-f-f-four Joab b-b-battleborgs on the ofter sine of thisssss bulkhead," Gen observed, its face twitching, blood running from its nose and ears. "Correction: five units detected. Recommend...Rec-Rec-Recommend...Error. Error in speech circuits. Error resolved. At current rate of neural incompat-patibility, this unit will not be able to deactivate all Joab units. Recommend this unit provide distraction while human party boards shuttle."

"What is the rate of incompatibility?" Inari asked.

"Current rate: sixty three percent and r-r-rising," Gen said. "Oral communic-c-c-c-cation circuitsss breakink dooooown. Regoment imme-mme-mmediate action."

"Very well. We'll hide behind this scrap, and you lead as many away as you can," Inari agreed, her icicle eyes flashing like steel at the party. "Come on. Get behind something."

In a panic, Io's eyes flashed to Gen's face. It turned to face the bulkhead, staring into the laser-scarred metal face of the door.

"Speed imp-p-perative," Gen said quietly, turning its eyes to her. Io choked. Was that... She blinked. He was looking at the bulkhead.

"It's waiting on you!" Inari snarled from behind the overturned wreckage, her electric eyes burning. "Move!"

"Come on, iron-lady," Abner sighed, and he grabbed Io's collar and sat her down behind the sprawled carcass of a transport cart. She heard Gen's fingers penetrate the metal skin of the door, and the cleaving halves split away, the bent metal shrieking in its grooves.

"This unit demands surrender!" the battleborgs belted. "Surrender! Surren-"

Screaming metal and popping sparks made Io jump, covering her mouth with her hands. She blinked. I smell smoke, she thought, and oil. And oh these tears I can't see. I hear the footsteps running shuffling scuffling echo down the hallway and now only silence oh my gun it's cold on my chest what's that I hear them coming no they're turning their backs now's our chance so die! Now we go oh idiot doctor come on come on oh just get on my back I'll carry you where's Inari inside I'm coming what's that oh I shot a cargo android who'd have thought so many sparks oh, another corpse moving a Joab come on shoot it oil and blood the shuttle's open where's Inari onboard already powering up the engines ugh Hyga stop choking me we're on the ramp now see we're going to get away so stop screaming in my ear!

Where's the creep here he comes holding his leg must have gotten shot come on can you make it good what you're closing the lift and Inari's taking off already why am I looking for it he's not coming I can't believe we're already out in the white hyperspace she must have blown half the Timbal off with that stunt. Oh, I've got to sit down and take account am I injured anywhere? Nothing hurts I must be okay. I'm okay. Hyga's okay. Wyatt's hurt, but he's got it in hand. Inari, she's not injured. Oh, good. But oh now what am I going to do I've got to explain all this to headquarters and they'll never understand and poor poor Dasko he was a sweet kid. I'll kind of miss the rascal. All the humans onboard are dead by now... oh, they were dead long before we escaped. A party of fifteen Joab can take over a ship that size in ten minutes, take no prisoners. Hyga was probably the last one left and she's the lucky one, isn't she? Probably won't remember any of what happened. Oh, my ears are ringing and my back does hurt a little... must have strained it lugging her on it. Got to put some heat on it when I get a chance, and drink some water, you're bound to be dehydrated and make sure you get plenty of rest and whatever you do don't think about...

--Rachel Jones, freelance writer