Radu stared at the android for a long time. A very, very long time… So much so, that Christa began to grow somewhat uncomfortable under his scrutinizing blue gaze, and shifted her position a bit to show this.
Finally, the Andromedan's wide eyes blinked, snapping back into what most would call a normal expression. Still, he watched her, and she could tell that there was both elation and doubt in his mind. He was unsure, though that was to be expected. Hell, it was even unexpected for her, and she was the one living it… Or, rather, living it as best she could in a mostly unliving body. It had occurred to the Christa, however, that it was much better than living and communicating from within the ship's computer as she'd meant to do. And with a little work, she could probably figure out how to get her mind out of the computer so the crew didn't have to constantly see her thoughts appearing on the viewscreen. They were probably confused enough at present, as no one had yet told them what was going on.
"Well," she said to Radu. "Aren't you… going to say anything?"
He was quite taken aback at the android's non-mechanical tone. It sounded almost as if she was real… Alive. That he was talking to an actual person instead of an extension of the ship's onboard computer. He had never reasoned that the fact that Christa was partially alive also meant she was sentient. How long had she been waiting to talk to the crew? How long had she been living in the ship, unable to communicate?
Living in the ship? No, thought Radu. More like trapped. Enslaved. Which reminded him…
"Where's Thelma?"
Again, the android shifted uncomfortably. "It's hard to explain," she said, looking toward the Protomix. Suddenly, she felt very protective of the exposed grey cable, and as she spoke, leaned down to cover it with its casing. "Thelma and I have… well, I suppose the easiest way to put it is that we've merged, at least for now. She's currently allowing me to speak through her, though I have access to her memories and databases."
Christa didn't like the way the Andromedan's eyes narrowed suspiciously. Or was it confusion? She had to retreat. Had to show them that Thelma was okay. As suddenly as she'd invaded the android's memory, she withdrew, leaving Thelma alone.
The intercom buzzed, and Radu's attention turned toward it. "…Radu." Rosie's voice again. "It looks like the code on the screen has stopped. I think everything's back to normal… Are you and the commander going to come back up here? And Thelma? Because Suzee's got some theories about…"
Before he even knew what he was doing, he allowed a gloved hand to reach over and shut off the com. It fizzled a little before going dead, and the only sound once more became the steady nuclear hum of the protomix core. Looking toward Thelma again, he started to speak, but was interrupted as soon as he opened his mouth.
"…It appears that the Christa…" Thelma paused, unable to locate the right words. As always, the Christa was still there… All except for the fact that she wasn't there. The ship and the android were relaying commands between themselves. Thelma was taking cues from the hull and recording outputs, while Christa was looking through artificial eyes at the Andromedan navigator. Yes, they were both there, but only one was currently there… Interestingly enough, not even Thelma could cause that to make any sense.
"The Christa is what…?" Radu asked, and Thelma noticed that he'd relaxed slightly.
Thelma answered the question to the best of her ability, which was probably the best thing she could do. The answer reassured Radu that he really was speaking to Thelma, as only Thelma would answer, "The Christa is a Starship, created by the Lumanians some years ago. Would you like a detailed analysis of the workings of this Protomix engine?"
Still, the answer frustrated him, just as most of what happened frustrated him to some extent. Back when they'd first sneaked aboard the alien vessel, he'd felt the tension and frustration between himself and Harlan. He'd been upset that he'd been assigned to navigation, though it was the most logical position for an Andromedan. His limited psychic abilities allowed him to subconsciously determine his position in relation to known points in the galaxy. For example, without being at his console, Radu knew definitively that they were pointing toward the Sol System – home, for most of them. Even, he thought with a slight mental smile, home for himself. There wasn't really any other place he felt welcome. Not that Starcademy would be throwing any sort of welcome-back party specifically in his honor, but the school had something that nothing else in the Galaxy had… His crew. They'd all come from there, and they'd all be returning there one day. Rosie, Bova, and even Harlan. Commander Goddard and Miss Davenport. With any luck, Catalina would be back one day, too, though he would surely miss Suzee. Despite her huge ego and obsessive flirting, they'd become friends.
More frustration. What would they do when they returned? He was almost afraid to think about that, so he put it out of his mind. "No, thank you, Thelma," Radu finally answered, looking away and toward the jumptubes. He'd be due back in the Command Post pretty soon.
Thelma nodded. "The Christa is also feeling frightened. Apologetic, and withdrawn! Though I do not know how I know this. I have been… unable to communicate with the Christa on an emotional basis since before the Lumanians abandoned this vessel."
"Wait," Radu muttered. "…You used to talk to her? Like, back and forth? Conversationally?" He decided then that he would take the corridors back up to the command post with Thelma, instead of taking the jumptubes. It would take longer in the end, but he'd just made perhaps the greatest discovery since their fated voyage began… The Christa could talk.
Again, the android nodded, stepping into the range of the engine room door's sensor. It opened, and both she and Radu stepped out into the dimly lit hallway. The walls, lined with living veins of constantly shifting color, glowed slightly. This was both from natural means, and from the rows of violet lights that lined both the walls and the floors. It had always given Radu the sensation of being in a cave, though without the damp, claustrophobic feeling. This place, with its natural warmth and the gentle hum of engines in the background, felt much more familiar than that, and it was a feeling that not only himself, but the rest of the crew treasured as well.
"What is she saying?" Radu questioned. He was a little disappointed that Thelma's eyes were once again fixed, and almost cold.
"…Nothing, at the moment, Radu," she responded, and continued walking. Radu rolled his eyes. Damn. She had to take every question so literally!
"Can you tell me more?" He considered, then added, "More, about the Christa."
The Christa smiled inwardly. So, the look he'd given her before was one of confusion, and not distrust! She almost wanted to push Thelma aside and speak to him now about everything she knew! About herself, and her former crew… About what she'd seen and heard, and about the wonders of the Galaxy that even the greatest of explorers could not even begin to dream about!
But she was afraid. The elation of finding herself able to speak had worn off, and now she had to face the fact that even though she was the ship, she was also the newest member of the crew. She was her own personality, and she shared a body with Thelma. That marked her as being radically different.
Would they accept her, when she told them what she was? Who she was?
Thelma continued walking – shuffling, really - up the slight incline in the hallway that would lead them to the command post. Radu followed, still awaiting an answer. He wondered if maybe Thelma's recent delay in answering his questions was because of the ship's assimilation into her mind, though it was also highly possible that she was simply malfunctioning today. The usually patient Radu found himself growing more frustrated with her silence, until he finally prompted again, "Thelma?"
She seemed to consider for a moment, and then said, "The Christa will tell you herself, once we've reached the Command Post. She wishes to address the entire crew at once. That way, she will not have to repeat herself."
The whole crew? As Commander Goddard entered the jumptube again, this time ready to crawl to the Command Post if he had to, he found that the ship decided to finally listen to him and take him to his destination. Christa had nearly forgotten she'd left him down there.
Radu hurried ahead of Thelma, especially now that the ComPost door was in sight. He stopped in front of it, waiting for the motion and noise detectors to pick up his presence and open the portal for him. Rushing tended to be a bad idea, as he'd once found out the hard way. Attempting to get through one of the doors too quickly usually meant you ran into it… Which resulted in a headache and a decided hindrance of your progress. After what seemed like an eternity, but was likely only three or four seconds, the doors zipped open, and Radu's hair was gently tossed about by the air rushing out from the ComPost.
He turned, reaching his hand toward Thelma, and she, smiling, took it. If the Christa had a belly, it would be doing flip-flops right about now… Though there was a slight increase in the energy output from the Protomix core. A Starship's equivalent to nervousness. They were all standing there, and none of them knew yet. Bova, Suzee, and Rosie… Harlan, and Miss Davenport. Before Christa could wonder where Commander Goddard was, she heard a whoosh in the jump-tubes, and he appeared – somewhat confused, though no worse for wear.
"Hey, Radu…" Harlan began. The pilot was about to ask why his navigator had taken off so fast, but he noticed an interesting expression on the Radu's face. A mix somewhere between excitement and disbelief, he thought. Radu waved a gloved hand at him, taking Thelma's other hand and leading her forward, to stand in front of the Helm. By now, the others were very curious. Suzee left her post to stand next to Harlan, and it wasn't long before Bova and Rosie followed. Miss Davenport was already near the Helm, so she didn't have far to go… the Commander hung back a little ways, crossing his arms over his chest.
All eyes were on her.
Radu looked up into Thelma's eyes, and saw a scared, tired gaze looking back down at him. It was Christa, alright, he thought, as he gently squeezed the Android's hand. She smiled, and it wasn't just the normal Thelma-type vacant smile that everyone normally saw. The others surely noticed… Radu looked up at them, but they still seemed to be waiting. Hadn't they seen it? Couldn't they tell?
"Christa," Radu whispered. She nodded.
"I… was doing a little work with the cables…" she began. Now they noticed. They saw now, that Thelma wasn't quite who she seemed to be. Plus, Radu had called her Christa. "So I could talk to you all… You know? I've been watching you for a long time, but I never got the chance to tell you…"
Tell them what?
Again, Radu squeezed her hand. Thelma's strength was nearly equal to his, so she barely felt the exertion of pressure at all. Christa was grateful for his continued presence, however, and closed her hand more tightly around his. She couldn't do this alone, as much as she didn't want to admit it. Bova stepped forward after a long silence. His black eyes looked into the android's blue, and for a moment, Christa thought she could see him smile. It would have been a rare smile.
"You're not Thelma, are you?" he asked.
Hello, Bova…"Hello, Bova," she said outloud. She added her own smile. A very, very real smile. She still felt that nervousness as all those eyes stared at her… But at least she'd broken the proverbial ice. Students, all of them. Once upon a time, these students might have even been in her class… Even if they weren't from earth.
"Well," Rosie wondered outloud. "…If you're not Thelma, then you must be…"
Finally finding her voice, the android said, "My name is Christa. Sharon Christa McAuliffe."