At least there was no blood this time, Taiga decided.

No blood, but a lot of dead bodies.

Actually, it wasn't that bad. He had been in situations where he had had to wade through dead; this was only three civilians, and they were probably criminal civilians, anyway. So the fact that they had been killed was probably not such a big deal.

At least, that was what he kept telling himself. He was pretty sure that he wasn't fooling himself at all, but he could always keep trying.

Taiga C1128513, the ICI chimed in predictably. Analysis: Unthreated. Directive: None. Status: Incomplete. Directive: Recover helmet and shotel. Energy: High. Directive: None. Location: Southwest Kashkabald Wasteland. Directive: Return to outpost at Hawk's Pass.

"You realize that you just killed three people, don't you?"

There was no answer.

"They could have made an AI," Taiga grumbled. "They could have given you a morality program. They could have given you a damn conscience. But no, they didn't. Damn you to the Nine Grandidan Hells."

Again, there was no answer.

"Well," he said, moving to the one other person in the tent who wasn't dead, "shall we see what her story is? Directive."

Directive accepted.

"Analyze subject."

His eyes skipped over the woman, hands automatically moving to check her pulse and breath rate. The ICI connected with some faraway Estharan database, pulling information into his skull.

Hali Lu, FO; 87% probability. Biomechanics, Fifth Level. Respiration 23.7 bpm. Pulse 76.4 ppm. Temperature 36.8 degrees celsius.

"Well, that's good." Glancing around the tent, he located a pocketknife and set to work removing the woman's bonds. She had obviously been tied to last--when the last of the cord fell to the ground, he could see deep white impressions in her wrists and ankles. But--he hoped--the cords hadn't completely cut off her circulation. He really didn't want to have to deal with amputations.

Locating a canteen, he raised the woman's head and began to dribble water slowly across her lips and face. After a few moments she began to stir slightly, and he put the canteen aside.

And had he not been a cyborg, he would never have been able to catch her as she twisted and struck.

As it was, he had latched onto both of her wrists before the human part of his brain had time to react.

Taiga C1128513. Analysis: Threatened. Directive: Negotiate, the ICI chipped in unhelpfully.

"A little violent for a scientist, aren't you?"

The woman stared at him as if he was a Galbadian. "What in hell are you doing out here?" she demanded.

Taiga's mood began to sour immediately upon hearing her tone. "Well, from what I can tell, I'm saving you."

She tugged on her wrists, achieving nothing. "Unhand me, cyborg."

"As long as you don't try to attack me again," Taiga answered.

The woman's gaze shifted to the three corpses on the ground. "I'm not quite that stupid."

Taiga let her go.

The woman stood, and made a show of brushing off her rags. Looking down at her wrists, she growled a little. "Pins and needles all over," she muttered.

"Hali Lu, right?" Taiga asked, standing. She nodded.

"Field Officer Lu, Biomechanics," she said. "Where am I?"

"Southwest Kashkabald Wasteland," Taiga said. "My name would be Taiga C1128513, by the way."

Lu snorted. "How cute. The machine has a name."

Taiga's mood soured a bit more. "Don't tell me, you're one of those anti-cybernetics creeps and somehow offended by my existence."

She turned, crossing her arms. "You're a biotechnological abomination whose sole purpose is to wage war. What is there not to be offended by?"

"Well, lady, I am what I am." He snarled a bit. "It isn't like I had too much choice in the matter."

"You could always deactivate yourself."

"Oh, sure, the age-old 'kill yourself for the sake of bettering humanity' gig. Easy for you to say, your life not being under debate."

She kneeled, rifling through the tent packs. "If I was a cyborg, I'd sure as hell kill myself."

Taiga snarled a bit more. "I could always do that for you."

"Oh, the war machine wants to kill. Big surprise." Lu located a light shirt, and began changing into it. Taiga decided to return a bit of the civility she hadn't shown him and turned away.

"You know, you're stuck out here in the wilderness with me. You could try being nice."

"Huh." Lu ignored the suggestion.

"Lu, eh?"

"That would be my name."

"You remind me of someone." Taiga gave a dark chuckle. "Except she was a lot nicer." He paused a second for emphasis. "She's dead now."

"How charming."

Taiga turned, seeing her just in the process of buttoning up the shirt. "You know," he said, "she was smart enough to see that we weren't all killing machines."

Lu looked up at him. "Then what are you?"

"Human, mostly."

There was a second of silence, and then she laughed in his face. Once she had stopped, she stood up. Taiga was glaring at her, but she ignored it. "You're on range patrol, right? You can escort me to the nearest outpost."

"I don't think so," Taiga said. "I'm not going back."

"What?"

"This machine decided to malfunction. I'm a renegade. Not heading back there. And," he fixed her with a smoldering glower, "for the near future, neither are you."