by Laura Boeff
a tag to New Acquaintances prt. 2
There was an eerie silence in the camp in the
late hour. Only the snap/crackle of the
fire, and Willy's soft snoring, pervaded the stillness. Tomorrow they
would be on the
move, in search of the pass-key, but for tonight they rested. A rest
sorely needed. Sorely
earned.
Xyber 9 resided in it's typical place, stuck
in the sand beside Jack, who was
dozing, sitting up against the C.L.O.D., claiming he found it comfortable.
He refused to
admit it to the others, but Xyber was well aware of the discomfort
his injured shoulder
was causing. There was little Xyber wasn't aware of, including the
new concept that had
blossomed within it's metal casing today.
Self-sacrifice.
Xyber was made to serve. It had no difficulty
in that fact, even though it had free
will, but there was a distinct difference between service and sacrifice.
A difference Xyber
became aware of this very day.
It knew Jack's chances of survival were extremely
slim if indeed Machestro had
gotten hold of it, but still... The computer could simply not stand
seeing Jack, wounded,
and trying so desperately to keep it safe. The chance had been slim
but even the meager
possibility that Machestro might let Jack live seemed worthy of it
insisting the young man
give it up.
The computer understood it's worth, and yet,
could not place itself before Jack's
own welfare. Why?, was still an uncertain parable. Xyber felt a certain
loyalty to Jack,
that was true. Jack also tended to be the most able to treat it as
a free thinking individual,
not simply a machine. Perhaps this was friendship. Yes, it had all
the basic necessities of
a friendship. Loyalty, equality, concern.
"What's wrong?"
Xyber rotated about, quite startled that Jack
had managed to waken without it
sensing so. The young man looked at him through heavy lids, a frown
creasing his brow.
"You look...upset," Jack ventured, as if uncertain
the emotional tag was
appropriate.
Xyber canted his dome briefly, then lifted
it. "I was considering today events,"
Xyber admitted honestly.
Jack raised an eyebrow and tried to shift
his stiff shoulder to a more comfortable
position.
"Anything particular?" he asked.
Xyber canted his dome toward the bandaged
shoulder. "You need to rest, Jack.
You might hide it from the others, but you can't hide from me that
it's hurting you," the
computer pointed out gently.
Jack sighed and rolled his eyes, annoyed.
"That wasn't the question," he
grumbled. It was now Xyber's turn to sigh.
"Very well, if you must know, I was considering
the concept of self-sacrifice."
Jack blinked, somewhat surprised as well as
puzzled.
"Yeah, what about it?"
"It's a concept I have never felt personally
inclined to do... till today," Xyber 9
explained uncertainly.
Jack frowned thoughtfully.
"Does it bother you?" he asked finally. Xyber
shook it's dome.
"No, no, on the contrary, I found the experience
most... enlightening," it went on.
"So, what's the problem?"
"Not so much a problem, as a realization,"
Xyber said as he rotated animatedly. "I
realized today that I had formed my first friendship; with you, Jack.
It is, shall I say, a
heartwarming feeling," it explained, very pleasantly.
Jack looked startled and raised his hand hesitantly,
pointing at his own chest.
"You think of me as.. a friend?" he asked
uncertainly.
Xyber's dome dropped hesitantly with an unhappy
cant to it.
"Unless that displeases you," the computer
said slowly.
"No, no," Jack said in a rush, then smiled.
"I'm glad to be your friend, Xyber.
Thank you."
Xyber's dome lifted, pleased.
"Thank you, Jack. Now go back to sleep before
I inform Lord Ikira that you are
up and disobeying his orders to rest," it said crisply.
Jack rolled his eyes dramatically, but pulled
the blanket a little snugger.
"Snitch," he complained and Xyber simply bobbed,
amused.
"Goodnight, Jack."
"Goodnight, Xyber."