"Dear Audrey,"
A middle aged woman with blonde hair turned in the direction of the older man. She smiled, widely, at her old friend.
"Zachary, how good to see you early this morning!"
"Likewise," Smith nodded. "Cousin Jeremiah, how is he doing with the cold?"
"He is doing well given the circumstance." Audrey said. "He wishes that you could come over."
"To get infected by the new virus?" Smith's eyes flipped open in response. "Bah hum bug!"
"It's not the plague." Audrey said.
"I have been keeping my health in excellent shape and have no plans to venture into sneezing, coughing, and aching." Smith shook his hand. "My back aches as it already does!"
"How is your back doing this month?"
"Same as usual." Smith replied. "Woe is me. Wooe is me."
"Rumors say they are making a exosuit to deal with that kind of problem." Audrey said. "Something that goes underneath your clothes and adjusts to when you have to take it off."
"Just what kind of suit is it?" Smith squinted, skeptically, at Audrey.
"It's a suit." Audrey said.
"A body suit." Smith sighed, exasperated, dropping his head into his hand.
Audrey shook her head with a smile.
"Of metal."
Smith raised his brows as he lifted his head up.
"What does it cover?" Smith asked.
"It outlines your joints and back." Audrey answered.
"Like a skeleton." Smith said.
Audrey nodded, grinning, delighted.
"My source says they are thinking of tapping into what is left of the nerves and connect the material into it with a series of trials that wakes them up." Audrey explained. "It's more comfortable than the ones they use in the trial you are part of once a week and when they add it. . . ." Smith waited for her to finish. "It can't be removed. It is called Oesteoalloy. A living bone metal."
"Have you seen it?" Smith asked.
"No." Audrey shook her head.
"How much does it cost?" Smith asked.
"It is not on the market at the moment, Zachary. So, my source doesn't know." Audrey shrugged and grimaced with little intel. "It is in trial phase."
Smith frowned, his brow hunched forward, skeptically.
"Being secretive about it. . ." His features relaxed. "How many are part of it?"
"They won't say."
"Has to be five because I haven't seen five people at the rehabilitation at the center in the last two weeks."
"Why aren't you excited?"
"This suit they put out last year hasn't worked a bit."
"But, it has-"
"It has glitches."
"Bugs that were fixed-"
"That persist to this day!"
"What did you do to your suit?"
"I chucked it into storage."
"Zachary! That is expensive!"
"They released it without doing a proper trial or simulations. It deserves to be put away until they have it all figured out." He held his finger up, defiantly. "And I rather not wear that for one week more until they have their priorities in order!"
"They fixed those errors-"
"Name me one person like me who has been walking without giving out and crashing their faces to the mud." Smith glared Audrey down, cold, and sharply.
Audery became silent, wincing, at the memory in the silence between them.
"I can't." Audrey said.
"I am sorry, dear Audrey." Smith apologized as he shook his head, briefly closing his eyes, in pain of what it was turning him to. "With all these failures and bitter disappointments, it is easy to become cynical."
"It is okay to be cynical." Audrey said. "But, not too cynical."
"This is the 21st century," Smith said. "We should be more advanced. We shouldn't be having these problems."
"We had to make all these advancements because Earth was dying," Audrey reminded. "We are playing catch up."
Smith nodded, quickly, to her comment as he grew serious.
"In the mean time, I will hold my breath until I see someone I know that has my affliction walking with the Osteoalloy in public." Smith brightened in his reply then grinned as he wiggled his index finger from side to side as he lifted himself forward. "And only then will I be excited!"
Smith sighed, dreamily, at the thought.
"Then, I can walk, then, no more pain! No more agony! My delicate fine be fine and whole again!" He leaned back into the chair then rubbed his hands together as Audrey smiled, fondly, at the thought. "Being pain free for the first time in two years is a wonderful matter, my dear." He cupped his hands together then tapped them as he proceeded to continue on. "I just don't want to lose the excitement I have for the day they have a solution to my delicate back."
"Neither do I." Audrey said.
"On another matter, I heard Alpha Control sent three new plants to you for quarantine." Smith said.
Audrey lit up.
"Very gorgeous and growing." Audrey twirled the circular machine then water sprouted over the plants and she smiled looking on toward the sea of various green and colorful vibrant shades echoed through the first chamber of the hydroponic tent. "The plants don't look alien to me but Alpha Control says they are."
"What if I told you they are humanoid hybrids that are regenerating?" Smith asked.
Audrey turned her attention off the hydroponics on toward
"I will say bull shit but you are not the kind who pulls my leg." Audrey said.
"That is exactly what they are." Smith nodded.
"How is booby doing?" Audrey asked.
"I am doing fine," B-9 replied as he came between them. "I cannot say the same for my forth companion." He twirled toward the exit of the hydroponic tent then back toward the duo. "The sooner that we get two of our companions out and find the mechanical biological uniform and Don West the sooner that we can leave."
Audrey looked at B-9 wide eyed.
"It can ramble." Audrey said in awe.
"Has always been that way." Smith said, dismissively. "Alpha Control has authorized the transfer of the lifeforms into my pod and safe keeping."
Audrey shifted her attention to the wheelchair bound man.
"Paper work?"
Smith took out the padd then handed it to her.
"Alright, looks good. Over here." Audrey went to the back then the men followed her in.
They went into the back of the hydroponic tent then the door closed behind them smoothly. She came over to the sole role of recently added hydroponic tables. Smith looked up toward B-9.
"These are the ones." B-9 confirmed as Audrey stared at B-9 in awe watching his helm twirl including his upper chassis. "I detect their life signs to be steady."
"Alright," Smith said. "My dear Audrey, could you perhaps do me a favor and prepare them for transport?"
"Yes, Doctor." Audrey said.
"Thank you." Smith thanked. "My transport is waiting at the pick up area."
"Do you do this part often, Doctor Smith?" B-9 asked twirling toward Smith as Audrey came over to two employees and discussed.
"Grapes are my primary likes of vegetation." Smith replied.
B-9 chuckled to himself, fondly, then Smith looked toward the machine raising a brow.
"What is so funny about this, Gunter?" Smith asked while the two tables were being moved.
"Fondness in my liking of humans." B-9 replied.
"Nutritious, delicious, and delightful food." He eyed at the table of grapes then shifted his hazel eyes toward Audrey. "Let's close this deal before leaving without paying . . " he slid his fingers together in a prayer form then lifted a brow and smiled. "Shall we?"
"Course, Doctor Smith." Audrey smiled then looked toward the tall machine. "I wish Clarissa was here to see this creature."
"Me too. . ." Smith agreed. "Me too. . ."
His mind flashed back to the dark woman, holding her hand, as they were approaching the source of the commotion. The creature appearing on all four legs and firing at them. And she was gone with his scream as back up started to surround. A blast that struck along the side of his ear as the creature's aim was shaken off him.
Smith remembered running away as the creature fired at the attacking security leaving behind his wife's corpse and the creature following not to far behind. He remembered falling then crashing and being injured by the claws that dug into his back. Claws that sharply damaged and twisted and played with his spinal cord and his scream. He remembered seeing the second foot alongside -and of course, he had been stepped on by the monstrosity - then the creature lifting it's foot off him. He remembered dragging himself away as the creature fired on the other colonists. He remembered hiding behind a wall then meeting the woman that took his jacket.
"That would be five digital pennies." Audrey said.
Smith took out his pad then jotted down on it.
"Sent." Smith said.
"Booby, can you lift heavy objects?" Audrey asked.
"Affirmative." B-9 said.
Her voice was so familiar, aged, grown-Judy. It was her. Her counterpart and B-9's internal circuits ached. He missed her. B-9 detected her smile.
"Your table of grapes will be delivered shortly, Zachary." Audrey said.
"The Chariot and I will be waiting patiently." Smith said then wheeled away.
"Booby, are you okay?" Audrey turned her attention toward B-9. "You sound like you are sniffling."
"I am fine." B-9 said. "I am not sniffling."
"This way." Audrey said as B-9 followed her along sniffling away. "I got a extra heavy batch for Doctor Smith since flu season is rolling around to keep him from going out less than often."