Choices
"No one is going to shoot Valere."
Ai's cold words silenced everyone in the locker room and all turned to look at where she sat, working on her armor. She did not look up from her work but several of the others looked a bit sheepish as she continued. Most of the team had gathered after Valere had woken and then been put into a special psionic sleep at Godmother's orders while they waited for commands form their HQ. The team had come to the locker room to work on their gear and wonder what was going to happen.
"This is not the twenty first century in the United States." Ai's tone was flat, but held condemnation anyway. "We will not harm or kill someone simply because she was abused. I for one won't stand for it."
"No." Godmother's calm word had everyone looked at the dark skinned older woman who nodded to Ai. "We won't." But then Godmother shook her head. "I never did understand why it was so often the victim's fault in such cases. Was it just politics?" She asked Ai.
"According to what I studied, many times yes. Cultural or political, in the end, it all came down to power. Justice was nowhere to be seen." Ai shrugged. "In the US anyway. Twentieth and twenty first century United States society was my focus on history study. I cannot speak for everywhere. Get any group of sentient beings together and you will have politics but there have to be limits or we see what happened in the US." Now AI's face was sick. "I mean, I get that people had strong opinions. I do too. All of us do." Everyone nodded at that. "But demanding that a ten year old girl be held accountable for being abused? Demanding that she carry the child of her rapist to term when there was no way for her to physically do so was nothing more than torture. Any respectable doctor would balk at that, but everyone in politics seemed to think it was okay to censure the doctor and the kid. To fabricate whatever evidence they wanted to make their claims seem valid."
"It made little sense to me, either. Less that some people actually seemed to believe the claims." Godmother said softly. "Politicians have to please their constituents to get re-elected, but that?" She too made a face. "My instructors spoke of that mess often when discussing human politics and the problems therein. The religious nutcases came out of the woodwork for that."
"And then the liberals and conservatives got into shouting matches and it just became a free for all." Ai shrugged. "I was honestly surprised that no one got shot by any of their peers while 'discussing' that case even in the middle of their government sessions. Americans did love their guns."
"I think I heard about that. Someone threatened to kidnap the daughter of the doctor who helped that girl, didn't they?" Terminal asked quietly and a growl of discontent swept the room. Chimera might not be cops, but they did not like people who did such things any more than cops did, hence why Torque had been where she had been when Ai had met her.
"Yeah." Ai heaved a sigh. "Well, why wouldn't they? United States citizens had been shown, over and over for several years, that laws, rules and basic common decency had no place in their country. Small wonder they reacted as they did. Hate and fear sold things and that was all of what much of the US was about, making money. To them, a little girl's pain and fear were far less important than making money or political capital of some kind off her pain and fear." Ai gave herself a shake. "I got so mad, I had to stop reading some of those histories. Everyone had their opinion and said opinion mattered more than any law or ethic."
"What happened to the girl?" Axiom asked. Ai looked at him and he was intent. According to many, he had a small soft spot for human kids.
"I don't know, Axiom." Ai admitted. "I don't think anyone does. The Elders' invasion kicked off in open conflict shortly after that and I don't think anyone knows what happened to her. I doubt she survived, truth be told. There was no way for the girl to carry it, so the doctor helped her. After that? We lost all records except for the political crap that kept being thrown back and forth even as the Elders came. The politics was newsworthy. A little girl who wasn't in pain any more apparently wasn't."
"They might have respected her privacy as a minor." Blueblood said from where he was tinkering with his pistol again. Everyone else glared at him and he winced. "They might have." He insisted, but his heart wasn't in it.
"Stranger things could and did happen, but probably not, Blueblood. The US at the time cared for nothing more than money and power. Whatever side you were on, it was all about money and power." Ai replied without heat. "Privacy meant nothing. Laws meant nothing. Then the Elders came. Now, to make it clear: I do not like that the Elders came. What they did when they came, I like less. But the US was heading for a very bad fall and a period of anarchy at best. The Elders coming and conquering them was very bad, let no one say otherwise." She met Axiom's gaze firmly and the Muton nodded. He had fought for the Elders, but he hadn't had a choice. "But what was there before the Elders came was just as bad in its own way."
"Yeah." Axiom agreed. "I read as much I could too. I mean, to the Elders, everyone was lesser. Some got treated okay. Others, less than okay." He looked at Torque who was ignoring all of this as she worked on her own gear. "But to rationalize disregarding entire segments of the population because they disagreed with your political or religious opinions? To institutionalize such? To to make it part of their laws to screw over large populations of their own citizens?" He shook his huge head. "That is nuts even to me and I served the Elders."
"Axiom, we were slaves, but the Elders never came out and said it." Zephyr spoke up for where she too was working on her fighting gloves. "Those of us in the psionic network never even questioned. It just wasn't important to us until we got out of it and realized exactly how bad it had been."
"Survival is important." Ai smiled at Zephyr who smiled back. The hybrid was an uncomplicated soul. Now, anyway. Ai had heard bit. She shook herself. "Anyway, enough bad history. Valere is not a threat. Not with Syndrome, Arisha, Shelter and Verge all watching her."
"They cannot stay like that." Godmother said, worried. "We will need Shelter and Verge. I am sure Reclamation needs Syndrome and Arisha."
"I know." Ai reassured the older woman. "I can and will handle the threat, but I need to make some preparations first. What I need is on the way. It won't take more than a few hours." Everyone looked at her and she made a face. "This is bad, no question, but I have seen it before, so I know what to do."
"I do not understand." Torque spoke up and everyone went still. "Is she possessed?"
"Nothing so benign." Ai said flatly and the Viper jerked, her head coming up to stare at Ai whose face was remote but then she frowned. "I guess an argument can be made that another mind is inside the girl, trying to control her, but it is nothing supernatural. It is not psionic, either. This is not a demon from anyone's idea of hell taking over her body or someone mind controlling her. This is a human mind that was made into a form that could be injected into another being. I am not sure if it is energy or some kind of fluid, but that is what happened."
"So, when she walked into their trap…" Torque looked horrified as Ai nodded.
"The drugs they gave her were laced with the mind of one of the Cult of Sirius, yes." Ai said but then scowled. "You could not have known. Valere could not have known. To you and her, they were just traffickers. Nasty to be sure, but no one had any inkling about the Cult or their machinations until I got here. They ducked for cover as soon as they recognized me because they know what I will do to them."
"Will it hurt?" Torque demanded.
"It won't hurt Valere." Ai promised but Torque was eyeing her oddly. "What?"
"What will it do to you?" Torque demanded an instant before Terminal begged the same thing.
"It won't be fun." Ai admitted. "But Valere has a life in front of her. I don't." Everyone hissed at that, but Ai wasn't done. "Where I came from, what I did… It was bad. As bad as what Chimera often has to do in many ways. I was made to be a weapon. My Creator was desperate and she made no excuses for what she did. None of us blamed her once we knew the facts. She never obscured the fact that she made us for a purpose and when that purpose was done, we would end." There utter silence in the bay and Ai continued. "It is not slavery. She does not own us. No one owns us. We chose to do as she wished when she offered us other choices. It was what we were for. We had purpose. We had a cause we could believe in."
"But you were not free!" Patchwork piped up from where she had been working on her laptop.
"Is anyone really free when you think about it, Patchwork? 'I' don't think so. There are always obligations of some kind." Ai asked, no condemnation in her tone, simply question. Patchwork stilled and looked thoughtful. "She gave us the choice of what we wanted to do, Patchwork." Ai replied. "Not all of us went for the soldier's path I did. Some of us became technicians, builders, doctors… You name it. She worked hard to give us choices. She didn't have to. We knew from the moment we woke that she could have simply commanded us and we would have obeyed. We didn't know any better and then… Well..." Ai's smile was small, sad, but proud. "Then she had to leave and we all mourned her. We fight for her, not because she made us, but because she asked us to after she made us and gave us good educations. There is a big difference."
"Yes." Axiom's voice was quiet for him, reflective. "Yes, there is. I understand, Ai. Not everyone will." He warned.
"Eh, not everyone understands the fact that the world is not a safe place." Ai retorted and everyone shared a dark chuckle at that. "So many in my own experience think that because they prefer to act in a way they consider 'civilized' that everyone should act the exact same way they do. That is madness, pure and simple. The Cult thinks that way. I don't."
"They think life will be better as slaves to alien masters." Terminal demanded and then blanched. "No offense." She said to the aliens in the room who scoffed at her.
"Comfortable." Axiom said softly.
"Clean." Torque piped up.
"Safe." Zephyr agreed.
"Yeah." Ai nodded to each of the speakers in turn and got nods back. "Most sentient beings want something like that, but then again, most of us know we have to work at it. Under the Elders, the world they controlled was comfortable for some, clean for many, but it wasn't safe for anyone. Not even them as XCom showed."
"Your Creator seems wise." Terminal said softly. "And you cannot tell us any more about her, can you?" Ai shook her head. "Too bad. I think I might like to meet her."
"You would like her or she would drive you nuts." Ai replied with a smile that turned into a grin as Terminal stared at her. "She could be downright annoying at times with her mothering. She-" Ai paused and then made a face. "I shouldn't say. I have made enough of a mess here as it is."
"You did not answer the question." Torque prodded, her face intent. "What will it do to you?".
"It will hurt me." Ai admitted and everyone went still again. "It may or may not kill me. It was 50/50 whether or not that happened when we did it before. But as I said, Torque. Valere has a life ahead of her. I am not going to let my enemies take that life from her in the name of their 'gods'. If I do? I am no better than any twenty first century American nationalist goon demanding that everyone believe my god is better than theirs because his god shouts louder and demands more money than theirs do." Now, her face was set and more than one person shuddered at what they saw. "I won't do that."
"And if she chooses not to let you?" Godmother asked and Ai spun to stare at the older human. "Many of us heard her when she woke. She is distraught."
"If she chooses not to let me, then it is her choice." Ai said softly. "I disagree and do not like it, but it is not my choice. To be sure, it would be dangerous for her and for me, but I would stay at her side and try to keep her from hurting her loved ones. Because the Cult will do that. They will drive her, try and get her isolated, alone to warp her properly to their masters' service. It is what they do." Ai shook her head. "I want to help Valere, but I have no right to make the choice for her. If I were to do that? I would be no better than those politicians, judges and con-artists in the US who demanded that the poor girl be in pain for nine months simply because they could wring political capital out of it." Ai shook her head. "I am not them. I have a heart and a soul."
No one seemed to know what to say to that, so everyone bent back to their tasks, only to pause as the intercom chimed and Whisper's voice came over it.
"Eyes, there is a package for you." Whisper sounded odd, but then again, he was likely the one to take such and if who Ai thought would be had been tasked to deliver the package, then yeah. He would be a bit upset. "My desk. Now."
"On my way." Ai rose and shook her head when Godmother inclined hers. "Better I do this alone. She won't hurt anyone, but from what I understand? She is bit miffed me. I uh... I can't talk about why."
"Okay. So, we go with the one who is cleared." Godmother spun to eye the Viper who had also stilled. "Torque."
"On it." Torque slid to Ai's side and looked at her. Torque shrugged as Ai stared at her. "Gonna argue?" The Viper asked snidely.
"No, I guess not." Ai smiled a bit forlornly and started for the door. "I am not going die right now and I am hardier than I look."
"You are member of Chimera." Godmother snapped. "We do not leave our team hanging." A chorus of 'No' and 'Of course not' went around the room as Ai and the Viper left it.
"Good team." Ai said quietly as she walked. Torque grunted and Ai shrugged. "Let me handle this." Torque ignored her and Ai sighed. "Torque, please! She is angry with me. With cause from what I understand. She may punish me, but she won't hurt me or it will make even more of a mess."
Again, the Viper did not react as Ai led the way past the garage with its APC ready to go as always. The six wheeled vehicle was Chimera's preferred method of transport. It was fast, had no need for fuel with an X-Com fusion reactor running it and very well well armored. It served as mobile base of operations and/or a fallback spot during breaches. The passed the empty med bay and the bunkroom where Valere slept. Verge, the current door guard, gave Ai a nod as she passed, but his focus was on the door and what lay inside. Professional through and through.
Then they entered the operations room, which usually bustled with activity as the holographic city map was updated with crisis points. Most of that was automated, but this was Whisper's domain and his desk lay to one side o the bay, fronted by huge monitor and a large, modern coffee machine. Right now everything was silent, all the monitors dark,. A quick look showed all the cameras that covered every inch of this room sitting still in their housings as well.
"You." Yep, it was the voice Ai had thought it would be and Ai turned to where Whisper sat at his desk, his face ashen as he stared at the small form who stood beside him. Torque stopped short, but Ai did not pause, moving right up to the desk and giving Whisper a nod as was his due as the ops commander of Chimera. Then she focused on the 'messenger'. The girl looked fairly normal at first glance. She was human shaped and everything was in the proper proportions. Well, except that her skin was blue! Even her hair held a bluish tinge in the blonde locks that fell in a stylish haircut over her angry eyes. "Do you have any idea the mess you have made Nigh- Um, Ai?" She corrected herself grimly.
"They know my title, Ma'am." Ai said as she took a stance of attention in front of Lizbeth, the Matron's daughter. Her Chosen! Lizbeth growled at her and Ai continued, keeping her eyes focused over Lizbeth's head. Better than trying to out stare her. That did not work. "Better me here than Jian, Ma'am."
"You. Made. Mom. Cry!" Lizbeth's tone was barely a whisper now and the ops director swallowed form where he sat, but Lizbeth seemed to relax. "You damn honor bound idiotic little clone brat!" Lizbeth heaved a sigh. Was she facepalming? Ai didn't dare look! "Whisper? Can I get a cup of coffee? Please? I really need a powerful jolt of pure bean right now." She complained.
"Coming right up." Whisper slid his chair to the coffee maker and focused on it exclusively. As if he didn't dare look at Lizbeth. If so, smart man. The less she was in any one place, the fewer problems that resulted. It wasn't her fault anymore, but they did happen. She had made a hell of a mess that involved several realities form what Ai understood and no, the Nightstalker would never talk about them. "I need one too. Torque? Eyes?"
"I am good, sir." Ai maintained her stance even as Torque moved to flank her. The Viper shook her head.
"No, you are not." Whisper snorted, but with little amusement. "Not if the matron's Chosen is here to spank you. Here, Ma'am. Cream and sugar on the end of the desk."
"I find unadulterated coffee is best for this kind of situation. As for spanking? I want to. I so what to." Lizbeth said with a grunt then she made a noise of satisfaction and her tone moderated. "You make good coffee, Whisper."
"I live on the stuff these days." Whisper was bemused, clearly not sure how to take the compliment from a Chosen! "So…" He slid his chair back firmly into Ai's sight and sipped his own coffee. "Eyes, care to explain?"
He nodded to the package on his desk. The silver briefcase with the huge red cobra on the front.
"I… Um... I shouldn't." Ai said weakly but paused as Lizbeth made a growling noise. "Ma'am, I made my choice."
"And if Valere chooses otherwise? What then?" Lizbeth demanded.
"Then I stay with her and try to limit the damage the Cult does." Ai said flatly. "For as long as I can."
"Damn, she was right." Lizbeth sipped her coffee and then sighed. "You step right up. Every time. She said you would this time too and I... I want to fix this and I can't! Oh, Ai! So silly, crazy, brave..." Was she crying?
"Don't cry, Lizbeth." Ai said softly as she eased herself to parade rest and Lizbeth was crying softly as she sipped her coffee. "I made my choice."
"Yeah." Lizbeth finished her coffee, crushed the disposable cup and tossed it into trash receptacle at the other end of the room. It went in and Ai smiled at Lizbeth who smiled back, forlornly. "Yeah, you do. I am still angry with you, but I do understand. So, this is from me and my mom! Kick their butts, Nightstalker."
Then she was gone and Ai reached out to take the case. It was lighter than it looked, plastic, not metal.
"What are you going to do, Ai?" Whisper asked very quietly as stared at where the Chosen had been. "Do I need medics on standby?"
"Might not be a bad idea." Ai said as she cradled the case to her chest. "Valere will need help."
"Eyes…" Torque said as Ai started for the door, but the Viper slid to block it., "What are you going to do?"
"I am going to offer the Cult scum a better host than an untrained girl on the cusp of her power." Ai said and Torque still. "Then, it is a fifty/fifty chance I will die as I try to beat him or her off, keep them from taking control of my mind. If I don't die and lose my fight? This activates."
"And does what?" Whisper demanded. "Do I call the bomb squad?"
"No." Ai retorted moving around Torque who kept up with her as the Nightstalker started for the bunkroom. "Nothing in here will go boom or affect anything beyond my own body, but if it does go? There will be nothing left to save. Nothing for the Cult to use and they will perish."
"Hazmat?" Torque inquired.
"Not after about five minutes." Ai smiled at the case. "My Creator made sure her gifts only went as far as we wished and then degraded quickly into non toxic residue."
The Matron's Gift that Ai had deployed against the Joes had been extreme, but this one was far more contained. Only her body would die. And if so? She would likely be begging for it.