11
Ianto found Toshiko in one of the storage rooms, slipping in to lock the door behind himself "Well?"
"Three. I found three that I can fire up without having to wait for a reboot and charge… they were ready in case of emergencies" she replied.
"Well, I don't know about you but I concur… this makes that grade" he hissed and she grinned, then looked around as she fingered the controls. Ianto considered, then opened the door, reaching out and seized the shirt of the one standing outside trying to listen, dragging him in and relocking the door as John Hart stood there with surprise.
"Right… here is the play. We have three working bots that are currently in the outer service hold. We want to creep them along the hull, hoping they don't lose traction and fly off, find the breach and sneak into the room, check the pods and find traces of life. IF and John, this is a big IF we do find proof those pods are still working we show everyone what we have done and relieve their minds. If we find what we all morbidly think we will… we NEVER let on that we did this and we continue the illusion of hope." Ianto said slowly, calmly and all with one breath.
"Clever" John nodded "You needed me for the third controller."
"And because you will keep your mouth shut if need be" Ianto added moving back by Toshiko, "Come on, fast and nasty."
"Oh sweetie… singing my song" John chuckled as he settled and soon the darkened room was silent as they sat with their VR goggles over their faces in the world of bots.
.
.
Ianto Bot was sliding along maintaining three of the four connectors on the hull, Toshiko Bot trying the same but one kept disengaging. "Fuck it all to the seventh rell."
"Potty mouth" John Bot said as he stopped his own movement to wave the raised leg like a stupid idiot and felt slippage, yelling as he slammed it back down.
"Cut it out" Ianto Bot scolded, raising his camera lens to look out over the black to the distant stars "Look. That's where we came from… back there is all we left behind. We almost slept through this."
The Bots stood on their four spindly legs for a moment or two, the grandeur of the place sinking in then Toshiko Bot said softly "I see fuselage floating ahead, still partially attached."
"Go around it, seek a clean edge. If it's too hard to step over we might lose footing and slip." Ianto Bot advised, turning his lens to John Bot "also… I have a ponderance if you can assist me John."
"Is that a sexual thing?"
"No. Sorry… much more vexing than an itch… I want to try to get visuals of the damage… I want confirmation this was a meteor hit… it still feels so weird that the alarm system did not pick up incoming." Ianto Bot said as they gingerly moved aroid the slashed damage "And the other question I have is… why so much burst out? Do we not implode in space?"
"Only in the movies" Toshiko Bot replied "If it was a small tear, a hole the size of a fist, the sudden depressurization would have torn anything and everything through the hole, enlarging it and causing the fold back of the edges."
"Right." Ianto Bot nodded "Thanks. Things like that… shit. Good work Toshi, yes. John? Can you reach that?"
The John Bot teetered as Ianto Bot reached out one foot to shove and John Bot unceremoniously found himself floating into the darkened interior of the hull work, squealing as he shifted in his seat, deploying the little mini thrusters in an attempt to move further into the interior while hitting his light button to illuminate around the mid body of the small bot the size of a shoe box.
They all watched intently as he turned in a slow arc.
"OK… so… no damage to the interior wall" Ianto muttered to himself "One more turn please John before you approach a pod."
John complied then Toshiko Bot was sailing in thanks to Ianto Bots' kick, him following less politely by hooking onto her back leg.
"You are pretty good at this, dexterity is great" Toshiko Bot said conversationally.
"I did basic training on one of these… a larger model for the Militarial Tanks. I love toys" Ianto Bot replied sagely and she grunted.
"What did you do your physical service as?" John Bot asked.
Ianto did not answer, just turned his Bot to face John Bot. John found it unnerving that even in VR he felt the glare and he grinned, wondering if Ianto could feel that as well. After the two Bots spent a moment floating in front of one another, Ianto Bot finally said "Grunt."
John did not believe him, not fully but knew a warning when he felt one wafting off the man in the chair next to him, the weaves of anger almost making him remove his goggles to glance over.
"Life!" Toshiko Bot said suddenly, the glee as her legs waved about making the other two Bots move to pods to check as well.
"Green…..greeen… greeeeeeeeeeen" John Bot sang as he floated past each Pod.
"Same" Ianto Bot confirmed as he checked a few as well "Stop while we are ahead. If one of us finds a Red we will have to…."
"Agreed" a new voice cut in that was instantly recognizable. Jack demanded in a low tone "Get those things back to their containment cupboards and get your arses to the Flight Deck!"
The three Bots all floated to stare at one another than to Toshiko Bot's amusement Ianto Bot shrugged. Legs moving up and down as John Bot started to snigger softly.
Ianto Bot then said "Find a pod leg and attach then power down, I am NOT risking them for a space walk back after that trouble to get them there. Nope… I am all out of fucks there people."
With mutinous giggling the other two agreed.
Then they went to face the wrath of the Captain.