Around us, the abandoned freighter settled into its new configuration, metal cooling and contracting in the void of space.Through a gap in the hull, I could see the endless expanse of the Vorthar scrapyard stretching in all directions, a graveyard of forgotten machines where Tanya had decided I wouldn't die.
How remarkably illogical.How perfectly human.
For the first time in centuries, I felt something suspiciously like hope blooming in my hybrid heart.
CHAPTER3
TANYA
Silvyr's silver skin flickered like a bad connection, patches of him dissolving into static then reforming.I'd seen tech fail before, but never like this… never watching someone glitch between existence and nothingness.His eyes, those eerie pools of liquid silver code, fixed on me with a mixture of resignation and distrust as I dragged him further into the belly of the derelict cargo hauler.His left arm was completely gone, his right leg unstable, and his chest panel cracked open to expose a complex mesh of circuitry and what looked disturbingly like organic tissue.He was dying, and he knew it.I refused to accept it.
"Stop moving," I ordered, propping him against a relatively stable section of bulkhead."You're just accelerating the degradation."
"Unqualified organic maintenance will not improve my condition."His voice fluctuated between smooth synthetic tones and jarring static."My systems require specialized calibration that?—"
"That nobody alive knows how to do.Yeah, I heard you the first time."I dug through my equipment bag, thanking whatever digital gods existed that I'd packed my emergency kit before the IDA goons had busted down my door, and Silvyr had blipped us off to this forsaken place."Good news," I muttered, pulling out my multi-tool and portable terminal, "I'm excellent at fixing things that are technically out of warranty."
He didn't laugh.Instead, his face twitched in what might have been an attempt at skepticism, corrupted by a glitch that momentarily transformed his features into a pixelated mess."Your confidence is mathematically unfounded."
"And your attitude isn't helping your survival odds."I knelt beside him, examining the exposed circuitry in his chest.The complexity made my breath catch.Layered systems that looked organic and mechanical simultaneously pulsed with faint silver light that dimmed with each passing second.Not like any tech I'd ever hacked, but tech nonetheless.And tech could be fixed.
Silvyr's head tilted back against the wall, his eyes flickering between code and irises."You cannot repair what you do not understand."
"Watch me."I pulled out a thin diagnostic cable from my terminal and examined his damaged form for a port connection.His right arm seemed the most stable, so I gently lifted it, ignoring his wince."Any input jacks, or do I need to get creative?"
He sighed, a strangely human sound from something so alien.A small panel on his forearm slid open, revealing a port that looked almost—but not quite—like standard tech."It will not be compatible with?—"
I was already adapter-hacking my cable, stripping and twisting wires with the speed of someone who'd spent a lifetime making incompatible systems talk to each other."Adaptability is my superpower," I muttered, bending to examine the connection more closely.
As my fingers brushed against the metal of his forearm, something extraordinary happened.A swarm of tiny, glowing objects erupted from beneath his skin, hovering in the air around us like luminous fireflies.Each one projected a miniature hologram… a heart emoji.Several of them.Pulsing in time with the light in his chest.
"What the—" I jerked back in surprise.
The tiny drones adjusted their position, maintaining a loose cloud around us.As I stared, the emoji shifted from a heart to a shocked face, then back again.
Silvyr's expression had gone rigid, a flush of silver light spreading beneath his synthetic skin."A system malfunction.Disregard."
"These are emoji mood lights?"I couldn't keep the delight from my voice as I tentatively reached toward one of the drones.It drifted closer to my fingertips, projecting a curious face.
"They are diagnostic indicators," he replied stiffly, "not feelings.An outdated subroutine that should have been deactivated centuries ago."
"Uh-huh," I said, grinning."And I'm not human, I'm just a firmware update."
I connected my terminal to his port, watching as streams of incomprehensible data flooded my screen.While my system attempted to translate the alien code, I gently pressed my fingers against his throat, checking for what might be a pulse point.More drones burst forth, these displaying blushing emojis that pulsed with increasing intensity.
"Your code is unlike anything I've seen before," I murmured, distracted by both the technical challenge and the warm sensation beneath my fingertips.His skin wasn't cold like metal or plastic… it was warm, vibrant, alive despite its artificial nature."It's almost like it's evolving as I watch."
"It is degrading," he corrected, his voice barely above a whisper."My base system was designed to integrate with organic matter, creating a hybrid consciousness.Without proper maintenance, the integration degrades, causing cascading failures."
My hand moved to his chest, palm flattening against the damaged panel to check for vibrations.Instantly, a new wave of drones emerged, these displaying smug smiling emojis that made my cheeks heat despite myself.
"These little guys sure seem to have opinions," I said, trying to sound professional despite the swarm of emoji drones now creating a glowing halo around us.
One drone, slightly smaller than the others, tilted toward my face as if examining me.It projected a bright shooting star emoji that shifted to a heart as I watched.Unlike the others, which maintained a respectful distance, this one drifted closer until it was almost touching my cheek.
I tapped it gently with my finger."You're adorable.I'm naming you Pixel."
The drone emitted a pleased chirp and immediately perched near my shoulder, flashing heart emojis repeatedly.Silvyr made a strangled noise that might have been dismay.
