"You cannot name a diagnostic subroutine," he protested.
"Already did."I returned my attention to the terminal, scrolling through the alien code while Pixel nuzzled against my ear like a mechanical kitten."Your base code is incredible.There are algorithms here I've never seen before, but I recognize patterns...like they're speaking a dialect of a language I know."
More drones emerged as I worked, reacting to each touch, each shift in position.When I accidentally brushed against his thigh while adjusting my terminal, a swarm of fire emojis briefly filled the air before he forcibly dismissed them with a wave of his functioning hand.
"Your presence is affecting my calibration," he said, voice tight.
"Good."I glanced up from the terminal with a smirk."Your calibration was clearly shit if you were planning to just power down and give up."
The air between us thickened with warmth and static.My terminal beeped, drawing my attention to a section of code that had begun to stabilize."There," I pointed."That subroutine is self-repairing.If I can isolate it and amplify the pattern..."
I leaned closer, my face inches from his as I worked.Each new touch drew more drones from Silvyr's body until we were surrounded by a halo of glowing, expressive lights.They created an intimate atmosphere in the hollow belly of the derelict ship, like stars contained in our own private universe.
"There's organic components in your system," I murmured, fascinated by what I was discovering."Not just mechanical.It's like...symbiosis.But there's still a double helix structure."
"Yes."His voice had glitched into a low purr, his eyes fixed on my face with an intensity that made my skin tingle."In a way, genius."The light beneath his skin dimmed slightly."But also sadistic."
Something in his tone made my chest ache.I returned to the code, working faster, driven by a determination I couldn't fully explain.This wasn't just about surviving anymore.This was about refusing to let the last of something beautiful disappear from the universe.
"You are rewriting my calibration tables," he said softly, leaning closer until I could feel the strange energy field that surrounded him brushing against my skin.
My pulse stuttered.The drones around us pulsed in sync, their emojis shifting to hearts and stars.I tilted toward him, suddenly desperate to know if kissing an alien made of starlight felt as good as it looked?—
An alarm blared through the hauler, shrill and unmistakable.A proximity alert.
"Shit!"I jerked back, my terminal still connected to Silvyr's arm."What is that?"
"Scavengers."He pushed himself to his feet despite the instability in his legs, systems visibly struggling to maintain cohesion."This region of the scrapyard is claimed territory.They will have detected our crash."
The drones scattered in alarm, their emojis shifting to exclamation marks and terrified faces.Only Pixel remained steadfast at my shoulder, projecting a determined angry faced emoji.
"How many?"I yanked my terminal free, shoving it into my bag.
"Scanning..."Silvyr's eyes went blank for a moment, scrolling with code."Multiple life signs.Armed.Moving quickly."
"Can you fight?"I glanced at his missing arm and unstable leg.
"I can kill," he corrected, his voice suddenly cold and mechanical."The question is whether I can stop."
That probably should have terrified me, but instead, I found myself grinning."Perfect."
I grabbed a length of metal pipe that had broken off during our crash, testing its weight.Heavy enough to crack skulls, light enough to swing fast.Silvyr moved in front of me protectively as the sound of boot steps approached from the corridor.
"You take left," I shouted, "I'll insult the rest."
The hatch burst open and chaos erupted.Five scavengers poured through, equipped with mining tools repurposed as weapons and patched-together environment suits.Silvyr moved with lethal precision despite his damaged state, silver light extending from his remaining arm to form a blade-like projection.He cut through the first attacker's suit before the man could even raise his weapon.
I swung my pipe at the closest scavenger, catching him across the midsection and sending him staggering back."Is that environment suit vintage or just garbage?"I taunted, ducking under a wild swing from another."Because it smells like both!"
Pixel darted through the air, surprisingly aggressive for something so small.It zipped toward a scavenger aiming a laser cutter at my back, projecting an angry face emoji before discharging a small electrical shock directly into the exposed wiring of the man's helmet.The scavenger yelped, his weapon discharging harmlessly into the ceiling.
"Good Pixel!"I shouted, swinging my pipe again to connect with a satisfying crunch against another attacker's arm.
Silvyr moved like liquid lightning, his damaged form somehow more terrifying for its instability.One moment solid, the next dissolving into deadly streams of code that flowed around weapons and solidified to strike.Despite missing limbs and system failures, he was magnificent… horrifying and beautiful in equal measure.
"Your ally is not human," one of the scavengers snarled through his helmet speaker, backing away from Silvyr.
"No shit," I laughed, the adrenaline making me reckless."And neither is his temper, so maybe fuck off while your atoms are still where you left them?"
