"Exactly! That's why Father selected me to be your Ego. He thought I was the most compatible." She sniffled. "If I mess this up, he'll put me into custodial duty for another thousand years."
"That's definitely unfair," I said, nodding as if I had understood what she was saying.
"I know!" Vikki whined. "As if this stupid airbase needs a mind to run it."
Running the airbase? The airbase was a Mekanic? I really wished Zoe could hear what was going on. "You mentioned an ego. What's that?"
Vikki shook her head. "E-go. Capital E." She pointed at Zoe. "She's your Avatar. I'll be your Ego."
"Garvek mentioned something about bonding. Is that like if a Mekanic bonds with a human?"
"Yes! So come over here. If I can manage to bond with you, Father will be impressed."
Bonding with a Mekanic didn't seem like the thing you just jumped into. I mean, I had with Zoe, but that hadn't really been my choice, either. I knew better, now.
"Hold on. So Mekanics have bonded with humans before?" I asked.
Vikki frowned. "Are you coming here or not?"
"No, tell me. Who, when? How do you know this even works?"
She raised her hand, fingers spread wide. "Look. I'm capable of delivering heat, cold, or electrostimulation." Her fingers started vibrating. "I can vibrate." Her fingers closed into a half-cupped shape, as if she was holding something. They jiggled back and forth. "Along any axis and in any configuration." She closed her fist completely and stuck out one finger, then two, then three. The fingers grew over a foot in length, then returned to their normal size. "That's just with this hand. I can do that with any body part."
Deep down inside, I had to admit, I was a little intrigued at the idea of an alien sex bot. But only a little. "Are you listening to me? What does that even have to do with bonding?"
"I can achieve poses that no human woman can replicate." Vikki started bending into an impossible shape with her body and limbs. I caught myself tilting my head for a better look and stopped.
"Vikki? Hello?"
She huffed and untwisted herself out of an inviting pose while I tried not to stare.
"You don't like me?" she asked in a hurt voice.
"Vikki, please. What do you know about Mekanics bonding with humans?"
"I think you might need to be emotionally charged for it to work. Stressed. Or aroused. It opens your mind."
"You think? Do you know for sure? Has anyone done this before?"
Vikki tapped a finger against her lips. "Father did run some experiments. There was the one from a while ago. He broke, but he's doing alright now. The younger one wasn't a suitable host."
Broke, as in broke his mind?
"The first one was Staccato? And the second one Cody?"
Vikki nodded. "Friends of yours, I know."
I frowned. "I wouldn't quite say that. When did Garvek work with Staccato? Was that two years ago?"
"Sounds right. Can we start now? If Father finds out I already bonded with you, he'll be impressed."
Something about Vikki's urgent tone threw me off. "Does Garvek know that you're here?"
Vikki giggled and replied by spreading her legs wider and beckoning to me. I looked away.
"Garvek said I need to go through an evaluation," I said. "Raise my evolution level or something."
Vikki still didn't reply.
"Okay, I'm going to get Garvek, then." I turned and walked towards the exit, even though I had no idea how to find Garvek.
"Wait!" Vikki shrieked. I stopped and looked back at her. Vikki slammed her hands onto the bed's mattress like a kid. "I had everything planned out. Fine! Don't tell Father I was here." She got up and walked towards the door.
I pointed at Zoe. "What about Zoe?"
Vikki pouted. She waved her hand, and the collar clicked open, falling off Zoe. Zoe's eyes immediately opened.
Dustin! What happened? Who's that?
I'll tell you after she leaves. I watched Vikki as she approached me by the door.
Even my Predator Reflexes weren't fast enough to avoid her. As she walked by, she grabbed my butt with one hand and squeezed. She laughed and sauntered out of the room, her own naked butt swaying from side to side like a pair of giant steel marbles. The door shut again.
I started bringing up the memories for Zoe. She made a meowing sound as she sifted through them.
Disgusting! Who could possibly get turned on by that hunk of metal?
I headed back to the bed, perfectly aware that Zoe could read my mind, and perfectly aware that Zoe knew that I knew that she could read my mind.
Zoe had never been jealous of other girls before. If anything, she encouraged me to go after them. I supposed it was different with Mekanics.
I returned to my bed, settling into the thick sheets and soft pillow.
Zoe?
Hmm?
Do you hate the Mekanics?
Hate? Zoe paused. When I was younger, I did. We were taught that they were a cruel, evil race. That they killed our people.
What about now?
No, not anymore. I'm not a mewling kitten. I know how complicated war can be. Even humans like Staccato, or our own people, the Second Strain, are fighting us.
Do you think it will ever be possible to trust them? Any of them?
For a long time, Zoe didn't answer. It's possible. We evolve. They adapt.
If Zoe could imagine even the faintest possibility of getting along with a Mekanic, her people's longtime nemesis, there was hope. At least a little bit.
Right now, that was all we had, but it told me what I had to do. Play ball. See if they were full of shit or not. See what Garvek had in mind.
My mind wandered to the memory of that naked, metal body. Was she a program or a person? How did her body work? What would it feel like, inside—
Zoe hissed. But not that one. I don't trust her at all.
CHAPTER 17
Dustin! He's here!
I woke to find Garvek standing over me, Zoe crouched on my bed between us.
"Good morning!" Garvek boomed. "Please, follow me."
I rubbed my eyes. "Can I wash up a bit, first?"
Garvek nodded. "Of course, how could I forget? Humans are a filthy species. Please." He gestured to the bathroom.
These robots were fucking weird. I headed to the bathroom, washed up, and grabbed a quick breakfast for me and Zoe from the kitchen area. Garvek waited silently by the door.
"Alright, what now?" I asked once done.
"This way." Garvek stepped into the round corridor and started jogging. He quickly outpaced us but stopped and backtracked. "You may want to use your Beastform."
"Right," I said. I melded, then followed along easily as Garvek jogged ahead.
I lost track of our path along the giant, maze-like tunnels. I assumed Zoe was keeping track, though.
Yes. We'll need to know the layout if we have to escape.
We finally arrived at another room. I stepped through the large doors, still in my Beastform.
I stared in stunned silence.
The room looked exactly like the training rooms in the Academy. The ceiling was transparent, and I could spot an observation deck above us. There was even a command console against the wall.
"You copied us?" I asked.
Garvek slapped his thighs while roaring in laughter. I recoiled at the sudden movement and noise.
"Copied you? No, no, my dear human. I gave you these designs."
The full implication of Garvek's words took a moment to trickle through my brain. Zoe was faster.
That would mean…no! The Mekanics have been behind everything? From the very beginning?
I shook my head in disbelief. The Mekanics weren't hacking our military network. They didn't compromise the Academy. If what Garvek was saying was true, they had engineered everything. The invasion. The War. We had never had a chance.