"What? What is…that? Who are…you?"
It did not respond.
"You're…me."
"What? I-I'm speaking. With a mouth. I'm…WHAT THE-"
"You look exactly like me."
"I look-I can see you. With an-just one eye? And I can see in all-" It rotated on its limbs, surveying the small room. "I'm a Kelbrid!"
"So you are."
"Should I be disturbed by this?"
"Yes…so should I, for that matter…but I'm not."
"Well, unpredictable is right." It raised a limb. "I can…this is just a miracle!"
Rruyshah analyzed the door. Impulsively she grabbed the board and slammed it against the wall. Nothing happened. She scratched at the thin space between wall and door. Maybe..."Well, as long as we're both Kelbrid, do you want to help me?"
"No."
"Do you want to get out of here?"
"Yes."
"So…do you want to help me get out of here?"
"No."
It had been worth the attempt. She continued prying at it. After some time passed she spoke: "I think I almost have it."
"Great! Let's go!"
"I'll let myself go, but not you."
"Why not?"
"Because you didn't help me."
"Should have expected that. Stand aside." It manipulated the door, straining considerably, before narrowing his eye. "Were you really almost done, or were you just getting me to go?"
"You're beginning to think like a Kelbrid," she conceded grudgingly.
"Beginning? If this is Kelbrid…uh…y, then I've been doing it forever."
"Well, welcome to our existence." She began assisting it with the door.
"Uh…thanks."
"I suppose…you don't have a Kelbrid name, do you?"
"Of course not. Are you that idiotic?"
"Just making sure you were listening to me. You might want one…Matrex sounds good." She pronounced the first syllable as "maught".
"Mat-you mean like the Matrix? That name sucks!"
"All the better reason for you to have it."
"Some things never change…" it muttered as the door fell, making an opening.
"And some do." Rruyshah clambered over it into (relative) freedom. She bent a limb to let it follow, then retracted it. It strained to reach for the exit, but couldn't. "You're as weak in this body as you were in your old one!"
"It's your body."
"And you're a disgrace to it." Rruyshah paced around the area she was now in.
"You can't get out of here, either, can you?" it taunted.
"Not alone."
"So help me up, and I'll help you out."
"No you won't. Not unless…" Rruyshah navigated. "Here. You help me out of here, I give you your…"
"iPod!" it exclaimed. "Okay! But you'll need to help me up."
"Fine." Rruyshah extended two of her limbs, which it seized. "Uncoordinated sub…being…that I just cut a deal with…" As it vaulted into the cargo bay, she shifted her limbs back and forth against the walls, as if trying to rid them of her clone's taint. Collaborating, they were able to open the door after strenuous effort and the reaching of the end of their food supply. "Here you go." Rruyshah begrudged the white object.
"Thanks…er, didn't mean that. So where are your ears?"
"Ears?"
"How do you hear the words I say?"
"…through my nodules."
"Nodules?"
Rruyshah indicated the metallic protrusions that marked the "hinges" of her limbs. Uneasily, it took the white object and placed it on its nodules. The blaring that ensued caused Rruyshah to flee from its presence and access the nearest computer terminal. There was one message displayed in Galard.
If any of my companions encounter this ship, you won't care to know that I am now a part of the sentience known as The One. Be sure to liberate the captive beings here. They are not amiable-particularly the Andalite known as Mie'podd.
"Mie'podd? Is that you?"
"No, I'm the-" There was that word again. She internally vowed to find out what it meant. "Matrex."
"How easily I forget." She tried translating the message from Na. Be sure to keep them captive? Figured. They…are amiable? Particularly…me? "Matrex?"
It took a while for it to remember its name. "What?"
"We owe it to Na to rescue him from this One."
"Are you joking? He's our kidnapper. Can you fly this thing?"
"Yeah."
"Then let's go home."
"Home?"
"Yours. Mine, now."
It was a Kelbrid. It was her.
Rruyshah input coordinates into the computer.