“Your footsteps are fine, but humans are always touching my leaves. I do not like that,” I intoned over the intercom. My systems labeled Lyric withCAUTION, since they were staring at me with intensity and my records indicated human intensity usually translated into curiosity, and then outright audacity.
But Lyric stood again, and now they seemed to be trying hard not tolookat me, which was a curious interpretation of my statement. “Sorry. I’ll fix the engine.”
Their intensity was gone. I ran their body language and tone of voice through all of my analyzers. The results were frustratingly inconclusive. Lyric wasn’t acting like any other human who entered my ship.
That piqued my interest. I began cataloguing everything they did and said as they followed Torian to the engine room.
Torian gave a briefing, and Lyric listened. They wouldn’t meet Torian’s gaze, and her tone had dropped from its normal candor to something soft and quiet. Clearly, she was attempting to make Lyric comfortable—and clearly, it wasn’t working. The botanist mechanic human had tense muscles the entire conversation.
Eventually, Torian pointed Lyric toward the engine hatch. “Do you want help? I’d be happy to—”
“No!” Lyric said loudly.
Torian stopped talking.
Lyric’s face registered warmer than average. They ducked their head. “I like working alone. If—if that’s okay.”
“Okay.” Torian smiled.
Lyric went into the engine room. I followed, because the concept of “alone” was silly. Once the engine hatch had closed and Lyric had safely descended the ladder, I asked, “Why do you prefer to work alone? Most humans crave companionship. I’m told it’s essential for their well-being.”
For seven seconds, Lyric silently unpacked the toolbox they’d been carrying.
It felt awkward. I asked, “Is this awkward?”
Lyric startled, then laughed. “Usually I’m awkward.” They studied my central system. “You’re an organic intelligence that uses gametophytic input to control life support systems.”
Yes.Finally, a human that didn’t need it explained. “Correct. The humans keep calling me ‘artificial intelligence.’ That definition implies I was created, not grown. While I do supervise several artificial systems, my original form is the Verdaanian equivalent of aPtilium crista-castrensismoss colony. To support more variety of life, I have incorporated several other variants of moss to my colony, and have operated as a successful, contained life support system for several millennia.”
“Incredible,” Lyric said.
[I decided I liked humans. They were very willing to praise me.]
Lyric rubbed the back of their neck. “I’m nothing that special. I just usually work alone because humans… stare.”
“Theydostare. Why is staring their preferred communication method?”
“I don’tknow,” Lyric said, grimacing. They hesitated for thirty-two seconds, then added, “I feel like for me, at least, it’s because of my skin.”
It took me several seconds to process what that meant. Thishuman had variations of coloring on their skin. Apparently, that was unique.
[Which felt very ironic, since every human had some kind of skin variation. I did not see why Lyric should be stared at more for theirs.]
“Your skin means nothing to me,” I said, which was true.
Lyric smiled. If I had a mouth, I’d have smiled back. Instead, the leaves illuminated by my central system perked up, and I slightly increased the brightness and color temperature of the engine room lighting to align with most human preferences.
Lyric said, “Maybe you and I can be friends.”
[I think I’d like that.]
CHAPTER 19
The hangar dimmed on a timer, casting the entire space in low light to simulate nighttime. Torian watched it through the flight deck window. A couple members of Amelia’s security team were still guarding the hangar’s exit, but no one had entered in hours. As night progressed, the hangar stayed quiet and mostly empty.
Which meant it was obvious the second Amelia left her ship.
Torian had been absently arranging new scrap pieces onto her ongoing model of theDestitute. Now, she almost dropped the handheld welder, eyes widening as Amelia paused outside Torian’s ship.
