This was hard to get to you guys! My laptop finally decided to start screwing up after five years of literally no faults! Internet it doesn't like sometimes! Battery won't charge so it's constatnly plugged in! and I have to wait til the end of Summer to get a new one.
But that's okay, as long as the basics work. (they work four times out of five, but just decided to mess up when I wanted to post a chapter!)
I also said no more writing until exams were over ... and that's true but this was so nearly finished I decided to have a break and finish it. It's overdue anyway. Plus there's a riot going on about an update, so they'll finally give me some peace.
Now just a few things then you can read.
1) Aibou 224, the number was chosen for a reason, can you guess the reason?
2) I'm so grateful to my beta the winged sapphire wolf, so I'm shouting out to her because she makes sure I'm not making stupid spelling mistakes or non sensical sentences. Thanks sis!
3) Thank you all for your support, and please don't harass me for updates until ... about mid June, that's when Exams are over. And with a faulty lap top it's likely updates will be slower anyway.
4) Aibou/Yugi's character will go through a few conflicts because he has a reputaton to uphold, so he'll seem different in the ship than alone with Atem, at least until a certain point in the story. It makes sense to me because them priorities change as well as perspectives.
Thanks everyone! See you in about three weeks I think!
Atem could only watch through narrowed eyes as the storm swallowed Yugi whole.
Yugi had reacted badly to his warnings, the gun to his face practically reduced his words to babble - even for his vocabulary knowledge it made no sense.
Yugi had just looked angry, and the storm was approaching fast.
Eventually Atem's survival instincts took over and his shield activated to form a purple sphere of webbed light around his head. It sparked with electricity and stopped solids from entering his protective bubble. This was his key survival item when he was out in storms – he rarely went out in them anyway, but there was always that odd time when you were caught off guard, as he was now.
It was only a few seconds later that the storm hit him.
Hit is the correct word, even with his stance and heavy boots and part metal skeleton he was knocked backwards. He was shoved back against the building behind him and was hard pressed to keep himself from being pressed flat against it. He heard a scream from Yugi but then it was lost over the howling, screaming, wailing wind. Atem wished he had earplugs too on these occasions, he had never seen any, but thought that blocking out the sound would be great. It deafened him and made his head ring, the wind caused sand and small stones to hit his exposed skin. Some sand got under his clothes and hurt and irritated him. He hoped none would get into his metallic parts it was a pain to clean the sand back out afterwards. Rubbish, sometimes even entire blocks of his compressed rubbish would fly around and hit him or land near him, he punched away those he saw coming with his gloved hand and began to track a way to shelter.
The air outside his bubble was as thick with dust and sand, he couldn't see much, even the tips of his fingers when his hand extended out into the unknown. Thanks to his contact lenses his eyes weren't dried out by the winds, and they zoomed in on shapes in the gloom so he could navigate. He saw the road and the edge of the building, and so his home would be about a five minute jog through this mess.
Atem crouched and dug his free hand into the ground for things to hold onto, he dragged and staggered forwards towards his home.
Suddenly something fell on his left.
Atem looked over to the dark shape and blinked when he made out the shape of a person.
Yugi!
Atem reached over and put a hand on Yugi's shoulder to let him know he was there.
A moment later he felt colder than the wind could have ever made him. Yugi was coughing, really badly. He felt the shoulders move in a hacking motion, and could tell that he was breathing too fast to be normal. He knelt even closer and heard Yugi's horrible wet coughing.
The same sound his Mother made before she died.
Atem wasn't strong enough at only seventeen to drag her to safety. He didn't have the muscles he had now, or the developed metal skeleton.
An explosion had happened nearby and his Mother had been buried. He remembered it was just him and his Mother, his Father and any other friends or family were gone, each had lost their lives to one of Earth's hazards. Atem hadn't been with any of them, he just knew that they hadn't come home one night, then another … then another.
His Mother was trapped and her nose had been broken, her teeth had been knocked out, and the explosion had only left her shoulders and head and one arm exposed to the air. Fate should have killed her on the spot and been merciful. But she would die slowly; the broken nose meant that the nose filters she wore didn't fit anymore, and the toxic gas that the explosion had released could get into her lungs.
Atem had escaped with only a slightly fractured skull, it had left him with a horrible headache for a week, but otherwise he got out of the accident scot free. But he had tried to dig her out, he remembered how she started to cough, how she began to cry dryly, how blood left her mouth rather than air.
Atem stayed with her until she was dead, stroking her red hair and crying with her until her horrible coughing stopped.
The silence was worse.
He had lived with that silence for five hundred years.
It was so unfair, she died to the gas that couldn't touch him. He didn't have the strength to get her out in time, and the lifesaving nanos at home were too far away to get, she said so herself.
And then he was alone …
Until he met Yugi.
Atem growled and pulled Yugi up off the ground, he slung one of Yugi's arms over his shoulders and put his shield arm under Yugi's other so that they were both protected. The shield only just kept his head in, but that was enough, he had to keep Yugi safe.
Yugi's eyes weren't opening, and his coughing kept its awful rhythm through his panting. He had inhaled a lot.
Atem marched forwards, all his weight thrown forwards against the forever direction changing wind, and dragged Yugi onwards. He finally had someone again! He didn't want Yugi to die and be alone again!
Step after gruelling step, wind whipping their faces, they managed to get to the Bunker that served as Atem's home. Cowering by the door was Scraps, holding a tin of something. Atem recognised its glowing blue eyes and happily scratched its metal head before pulling the leaver that opened his bunker.
The trio quickly made their way inside and Atem put Yugi down to close to doors and turn on the lights. When the doors closed the bunker was plunged into blackness and into near silence. The wind could still be heard through the thick metal walls, and Yugi's wet wheezing filled up the rest of the silence. After the deafening noise the silence seemed to ring in their ears.
Atem fumbled for the cable that had the switches which turned on the lights, he tripped over Scraps twice, but managed to get the various Christmas lights flickering and on. Atem pushed Scraps over to his bed and motioned for it to stay, he didn't need his pet getting in the way.
Yugi had inhaled a lot of gas. Proof of this was the blood that was tricking from his lips onto the floor. His face was an eternal wince, his eyes were closed, his body was curled up as he hacked and wheezed, he lay on his side and held both hands to his throat as if that would help him breathe. His breathing was rapid and shallow. His nose and mouth were shiny and raw, like they had been burned, and his mouth was redder than normal with the blood he kept coughing out.
Atem flipped Yugi onto his back and darted to his shelves for the right medical equipment. After two rotations of the shelves he found what he was looking for. It looked like an oxygen tank that old-time scuba divers used to breathe under water, connected to the tank was a clear tube with a hospital oxygen mask on the end.
Atem shook the tank and heard a soft splash. He sighed in relief, this was a full one.
He hurried back to Yugi and turned him back onto his back, he had curled up again. Yugi's face was starting to turn blue due to lack of air, and tears flowed down his cheeks in pain.
Atem stared at the tears for a moment, he had never seen them before. Atems didn't have the surplus moisture to have the ability to cry.
But then Atem realised that these leaks were signs of distress. If Atem knew what to say he would have comforted him with words, but he couldn't call the words to him in a rushed and anxious situation, so instead ran a hand over Yugi's hair. Just like he had done to try and sooth his dying Mother. With his free hand he pressed the oxygen mask over his face and turned a valve that would slowly release the nanos.
Atem kept stroking Yugi's hair gently and felt an enormous relief wash over him when Yugi finally opened his eyes again.
Aibou felt himself being set down after an eternity walking, and used the opportunity to curl around the pain. His lungs had blistered and the blisters had burst! And it was agony! He was drowning on dry land, the raw flesh of his throat, lungs and every tiny air sack in his lungs hurt with every movement. But he couldn't breathe! There wasn't enough air!
Aibou heard the sound of the screaming wind cut off, and stillness surrounded him. There was no more flying sand or whipping dust, it was shelter at last.
If only he could breathe to appreciate it.
He gasped helplessly and felt his eyes tear up with the pain of simply gasping for breath. At least the tears were helping his dry and sandy eyes. But inside his blood had mixed with some awful mucus and whenever he coughed it went up his throat and into his mouth. He tasted his own blood and spat it out to try and clear his throat. But that didn't help, for every drop he expelled there was another.
This hurt worse than when he got into a fight with a rogue Unit! Stupid security was taking too long in reaching them, so he had taken them down himself. He had broken three bones and had bruised internal organs.
He felt hands turned him onto his back and tried to scream when the jolt went through his torso and felt like the movement was tearing at his lungs. It hurt, a lot. And it was so sore!
He curled up again and willed whoever – he vaguely recalled someone helping him in his agony – was moving him to leave him alone. Or better yet stop this before it got too much. He couldn't breathe at all now, he panted but no air went into his lungs, his coughing was wet and was reduced to gurgling when his air ran out.
The hands returned and moved him back onto his back. Aibou couldn't respond this time, he needed air!
Suddenly something cold and familiar was pressed on his face. And a hand was stroking his hair. That feels nice, Aibou thought absently, clearly showing how little oxygen was getting to his higher functioning's if he allowed himself to think something so emotional and soft.
But then something amazing happened: He managed to draw breath!
His eyes opened in shock and relief, they rolled around in his head like someone possessed as he tried to take in all he could while recovering from being oxygen starved.
When he finally focused he looked down to see an oxygen mask over his face, inside was blue mist, very thin mist but he knew from the colour that the mist was actually nanos. He relaxed and inhaled more and more, as deep as he could, all the while a strong but gentle hand smoothed back his hair in a soothing manner. Aibou like most high ranking humanoids wasn't fond of opening up to people, so didn't show affection or receive it very often. But now it was welcomed, after such a scare he very much liked this hand stroking his hair.
Aibou then realised that there was a hand holding the mask to his face. He followed the limb to the shoulder and then found Atem's face.
"A-" he tried to speak but cringed in pain as his throat protested, he tasted more blood when he burst blisters on his vocal cords. He snapped his teeth shut to deal.
Atem looked concerned before glancing around as if looking for something. He smiled and put one of Aibou's hands on the mask. Aibou understood and pressed the mask to his face, whatever these nanos were doing took time. He guessed they were old, an old model but with a unique function.
Atem nodded in approval before wandering out of sight for a moment.
Leaving Aibou to lay there and breathe. He felt a little anxious at being left alone in a strange unknown place, but Atem's loud and slightly clumsy footsteps assured him that he was nearby.
He felt the tissue and lining of his lungs slowly repair, and all excess mucus and blood was chewed down to molecules and either was breathed out or sent to Aibou's stomach to dispose of. The way they worked was soothing, they were easing the pain and making it easy to breathe, it felt like mist in his body and that felt so nice after the burning sensation of toxic gas.
It wasn't like the nanos on his ship. They were pretty much instantaneous. You were writhing in pain one second then you got up and walked away the next. It was rather confusing, but mostly it was a relief – one he took for granted. However these slow working nanos made Aibou appreciate the feeling of healing. He felt like he could sink into the floor in his bliss as the pain ebbed.
The soothing sensation had reached his throat by the time Atem returned. He held a tin box that was rusted, scratched and heavily dented like it had been well used – and well dropped. Atem pulled out a tiny foil square and pealed the foil away to reveal a small wet disinfecting wipe. Atem checked the breathing equipment and then started to clean the cut on Aibou's shoulder, the disinfectant gave its familiar sting on contact. As soon as the sand and dust was out of the wound Aibou's body healed itself, it could handle cuts on its own with his own blood transported nanos. But the exotic toxins he had inhaled in the gas were something his body had no defence against, and they were too fast working for the nanos in his blood to eventually breakdown into harmless gasses.
If Atem hadn't gotten him these breathing nanos Aibou would be meeting his end.
Atem looked impressed at how fast Aibou had healed, he touched the skin unsurely, as if his eyes had fooled him. Aibou knew by the time he got back to the ship the new scar would be long gone.
The cooling sensation spread to his sore mouth and the skin around it, his nose too as he inhaled with each one alternatively. It felt like a cream, but was far more fast acting.
Atem pressed something on the tank supplying the nanos and used the disinfecting pad on his own cuts and bruises, hissing and making faces as the disinfectant worked. He didn't get another one out, Aibou realised that they must be a rare find, he felt a little more grateful that Atem was bothering to use one on him. Aibou watched in confusion when the cuts stayed, they didn't heal instantly. Didn't he have nanos? All humanoids had them from when they were first invented in 2090, he didn't look that old. Maybe they were outdated, or defective?
Atem didn't find his lack of healing odd and went to pull off his shoes and socks and hung them on a rail. The domestic sight distracted Aibou and the final sensation of pain vanished.
Aibou heard the tank beep and the nano mist suddenly retracted back into the tank. They were reusable! How old fashioned but genius! Nanos on his ship were normally disassembled and used for other purposes, or even absorbed into the patient's body. When the mist was gone he cautiously pulled the mask away and sat up.
Atem turned and smiled at him, he knelt down and offered a hand to Aibou "All better?" he asked, tapping his throat to indicate exactly what he was trying to say.
Aibou touched his throat before nodding "Yeah. I'm okay, thanks to you," he added, aware he owed this forgotten person his life.
Atem blushed a little and rubbed the back of his neck as Aibou accepted his hand. "Y-you're we-welcome," he stuttered.
Aibou tried not to smile at his cute displays of naïve social interaction. He stood up and then blinked "Hey! Why weren't you affected by the gas? And how could you see?" he asked, remembering how they had breathed the same air, but only he needed the nano-mist.
Atem blinked and slowly processed the question before reaching for his face. With a nervous expression he pulled out his nose filters and turned to put them in the cleaning gel, he did the same with his contact lenses before showing Aibou them. He held them out to him like presenting something.
Aibou tilted his head and held the box full of gel and examined the filters and the enhancing contact lenses. He hadn't notice that Atem wore these, they were well fitted.
Atem cleared his throat "They keep me … alive," he explained. He touched his throat, "It's not safe without," he looked very sad, "Atems die without," he whispered.
Aibou watched his sad expression and realised that this had happened before. "Have you breathed the gas before?" he asked. Atem nodded. Aibou reached for Atem's face and gently used a hand to pry open his mouth. With his scanner he illuminated the back of his throat.
He swallowed dryly when he saw what he expected.
Scare tissue. Lots of it.
He let him go and touched his own throat. Clearly the outdated nanos didn't have the finesse to remove scars, he hadn't noticed a change in his voice though, so they were good for their model or Aibou was very lucky. The medics on his ship could repair him.
He remembered how Atem reacted to the gas and another thought hit him "Has someone else inhaled the gas?" he pressed.
Atem nodded again and sighed deeply, he suddenly looked very down. "Mother." he summed up his loss in one word.
Aibou didn't have a Mother exactly - he had a biological donna but it was likely she didn't know she had a son or perhaps she was dead and they salvaged her DNA because she had rare physical advantages - nor did he have any family or anyone close enough to be considered surrogate so he had never lost anyone important, but he understood to an extent the feeling of lost. He remembered hearing about fellow Aibous who never made it home, and he felt the shock and the sombre sadness for a few days. Then there were the humans on his ship who passed away from old age; that caused the most universal feeling of loss, it was another human whom he had failed to return home.
Aibou couldn't imagine losing someone very close to you, like a Mother, so put a hand on Atem's shoulder "I'm sorry," he said respectfully.
Atem nodded and sighed "Long years ago," he roughly said. He hesitantly reached out for Aibou's shoulder "I … you … were dying like Mother," he explained. His expression was pained and sad, but his eyes didn't water. "Like you … but Mother never …" he inhaled deeply twice to show what he meant when words failed him.
Aibou paled. What a horrible way to die!
He glance down at the filters that kept Atem from suffering the same fate and made a mental note to suggest such items to the inventors on his ship to increase Aibou safety on Earth missions. The filters were small and metal coated with rubber that fit Atem's inner nose exactly, their purpose simple and efficient. The contacts however were slightly more mysterious; they had odd shines in them which Aibou had never seen before. A quick scan revealed them to be tiny enhancers, to keep the eyes clear of sand and able to pinpoint landmarks in the storms.
Aibou reflected on how unprepared he was, and how he had never stood a chance in that storm if it hadn't been for Atem – the toxic gas not included. He had nothing to save him from storms, no warnings or training, and the added dangers just spelled how lucky all Aibous were to come home.
Aibou handed back the cleaning gel box and watched as Atem placed them in a specific area. It was only then that Aibou took in his surroundings properly.
He was in a metal bunker of sorts. It was illuminated by lots of little lights above his head. The lights were connected onto cables and strapped to the ceiling out of the way, there were many different colours. Reds, pinks, green and blue, there were larger lamps that glowed an old fashioned orange and their light revealed the cave of junk and wonders. There were four large revolving shelves in the middle of the room, with immobile ones against the walls.
The shelves were packed.
There were hundreds of items in this place. There didn't seem to be a rhyme or reason in how they were categorised and placed. But the overall feel of the place took Aibou's breath away.
He watched as Atem put away the breathing equipment and finally found his voice again "What is this place?"
Atem turned and smiled at him before spreading his arms "Home, Yugi!" he declared.
Aibou let the false name slide as he looked around again "Home? You live here …"
This room was about the same size as Aibou's room back on the Axiom, but his had a large comfortable bed and a bathroom to himself, a small training corner with weights and a mat, a view of space through his portal window, and a wardrobe containing only his one outfit. The rest of the ship provided his other needs like food and medical care.
This one room had to hold all of Atem's needs. He had already seen the medical equipment, and a glance around revealed the 'bed' that was more several layers of cardboard wrapped in cloth, the blanket patch-rag he had been given the day before, a water container, a box of food, his pet, his shoes and socks and spares of all kinds of things! Aibou's empty room showed what little concern he had in his own survival or active interests, but Aibou had luxury compared to this! This was nothing, a dump in the middle of a scrapheap.
Aibou realised that Atem had probably grown up here. This place, however run down and dark and old, was his sanctuary.
Atem smiled and beckoned Aibou further in. Aibou lightly hovered over to Atem, mostly out of habit, and admired the collection of items in this room. Aibou felt an amused smile tug at his lips, Atem was like a young humanoid who couldn't stop taking pretty or interesting things, a little hoarder.
He remembered some of the young B.A.K.U.R.A Units getting their tools for the first time, after that they treasured them like Atem treasured Earth's artifacts. Even when they got replacements they could never throw away their very first set. Many who died were cremated or disintegrated with those very first tools clutched in their cold fingers like a token to the so called 'afterlife'.
Scraps sat up when its cameras spotted Aibou and it panted in welcome.
Aibou smiled at the pet and moved over to pat it. But as he moved he set of a motion sensor.
"Here's a little song I wrote!" a mechanical voice said. Aibou jumped and pulled both guns out at the unexpected voice – was there another person here?
But all he saw was an extinct trout on laminated wood, flapping its tail to a rhythm and speaking! Fish weren't meant to speak! Nothing in their file did it mention a voice!
Atem gasped and moved over quickly to lower Aibou's guns "N-no!" he protested, sounding panicked.
Aibou looked at him before lowing the guns. He was confused. "It's a talking fish!" he protested before putting one back up, this was unnatural! Did things mutate as well as go extinct?
Atem covered the barrel with his hand and shook his head "Er … toy!" he corrected and set the motion sensor off again with a wave of his hand.
"Don't worry, be happy." The Fish 'sang' to an easy going rhythm, tapping its fin to create a song.
Aibou saw Atem subtly swaying to the song, some kind of response to keep it singing? Or was it something else? He calmed down once he knew what it was, and that it was harmless, and felt a little embarrassed that he had jumped the gun, as usual.
Luckily Atem wasn't looking at his face, he had reached for another relic to show. "Yugi look," he called as he held out a strange tool. Aibou tilted his head as Atem took a small red handle and turned it. The metal wires in the shape of a stretched hoops began to turn on the spot in sync with each other and Atem's turning of the handle.
Aibou's face lit up "What's this for?" he asked, he didn't want to scan it, this was something he got to try! To experience and draw his own conclusions from, like Atem's strange decomposing machine, like a puzzle he had to sort out.
Atem shrugged "Fun?" he suggested as he let Aibou take it.
Aibou turned the handle a little and smiled in delight as the simple mechanics worked to turn the wire frames. Atem beamed and went to pick up something else. Aibou gripped the handle harder and turned the handle faster, how fast could it go? Unfortunately he unconsciously tapped into his super-speed fuelled by his suit, and the result was the wire-hoop frame flew off the end.
Aibou stiffened in shock. That wasn't meant to happen! The little spring looked bent and broken. He picked up the wire frames and quickly let a few nanos from his body repair the break before Atem got back. Then he put it down and stepped away so he couldn't damage it anymore. He was a guest and he didn't want to be kicked out back into the storm, plus he didn't want to upset or anger the person who had saved his life.
Atem appeared from behind a shelf with another of his trinkets. He held up a see through plastic and hummed happily. Aibou reached out to touch it. It was light and thin and fragile, see through but the air bubble shapes blurred the sight on the opposite side, so Atem's face looked a little distorted. He pulled away from the plastic and tilted his head; what does this do?
Atem took his hand and pressed his thumb and forefinger over the bubbles. He then popped one of his own.
The small, sharp sound of 'pop' made Aibou jump.
This was an item you were meant to break?
He squeezed his own bubble and felt the odd, unique but equally delightful feeling of the thin plastic bursting. He took the sheet and did it again, he smiled at the unusual feeling; it was unexpectedly pleasant. He thought he felt a long forgotten instinct of … fun as burst another one. For some reason this was making him feel giddy, he smiled without realising and squeezed the sheet between his hands and felt the small pops all over his palms, his shoulders let out a small wriggle with the pleasant sensation.
Atem grinned too and picked up something else.
Aibou wondered if he was getting a kind of tour, or if Atem really wanted to share. He did seem very lonely, so sharing things and showing and telling was probably something he'd wanted to do for a while. And it wasn't like Aibou was bored of anything that Atem was showing him, every item was so forgotten about it fascinated him.
Aibou put the plastic down as Atem handed him a larger version of the coloured lights above his head.
"A light bulb," Aibou said, taking it from Atem's hands.
"Li-t b-lb?" Atem asked.
Aibou smirked; he didn't even know what he was collecting, did he? "It lights up when electricity goes through it," he explained slowly "Like those ones, see?" he pointed at the lights all around them and used his suit to power this one. It lit up rather dimly because it was old and the glass was dirty, but it proved his point.
Atem blinked and took it back. The moment it left Aibou's suit it went out. Atem looked disappointed and held it like Aibou did to try and get the same results. Aibou found this very cute. He reached up and touched it too, and Atem's eyes lit up.
Aibou smiled and glanced around, feeling more confident in his surroundings now he knew that Atem wanted him to explore things and share things, he picked up another treasure. It was a cube with several colours. He scanned it quickly and found that it was a puzzle box, a game. He grinned and began twisting the box this way and that to line up the colours. Aibou heard Atem step off somewhere while he finished, he held up the complete cube with a smirk; this puzzle was no match for his intelligence.
He smiled at Atem when he came stumbling back. "I finished your puzzle," he said, showing him the cube.
Atem's eyes bulged for a moment before he took the cube, trading it for another item, and turned it around in his hands to examine the new cube.
Aibou chuckled a little before looking at the object Atem had given him. It was rectangular, with two white circles on the back and two window frames of plastic on the front. There were two roles of thin plastic inside, only accessible along one edge of the rectangle that had the thin plastic pulled taunt. Aibou held it up to the light and saw tiny images in the thin plastic. He caught the thin plastic between his fingers and pulled it out, finding more of them. "Wow," he said.
His only response from his host was a gasp of horror. Aibou glanced at Atem and saw fear in his eyes.
The wild humanoid nearly snatched it back and held the thin plastic in one palm like it was a dying animal. Aibou suddenly realised that he had broken it. "I-I'm sorry!" he gasped as Atem turned away from him and began to search his shelves again.
Aibou watched, biting his bottom lip, as Atem searched and made a few anxious noises. He found what he was looking for, a screwdriver of sorts that he placed into the white circles and used to wind the thin plastic back up. Aibou approached worriedly.
Atem then turned to a small box with a large magnifier over the top of it, and placed the triangle into the slot. He then shuffled back a little, tense and worried for some reason.
Then the screen and magnifying glass lit up with colour and energy, while the room was filled with noise. "In your Sunday clothes!" sang the people on the screen.
Aibou stared with his jaw open. What was this? The images on the plastic were put onto a screen and made this? How was it possible?
Atem leaned back with a relieved smile. He stood back and watched the dancing for a moment before smiling at Aibou "Yugi," he gestured for Aibou to take a step forwards and watch.
Aibou rolled his eyes "Yugi isn't my name," he said.
Atem looked sad "Aiee-you?" he tried.
Aibou shook his head again "Never mind," he took a step before him and examined the screen. It was nothing more than glass blown in such a way that it bent the light slightly to make the image appear bigger than it was. The actual image was no more than an inch by an inch big. Aibou scanned everything curiously and then refocused on what the … old fashioned recording was actually about. He found himself mesmerised by the way the people moved, he had never seen such movements before, why would you need to spin and jump and … hold hands while doing it? The humans on his ship never did that, then again they never did much of anything …
Atem suddenly moved next to him.
Aibou jumped, he'd completely forgotten about his company. Atem was copying the movements of the people on the screen … he was very good. Aibou only saw a few mistakes to the moves he'd just witnessed. Spin, duck, wave, clap, foot over foot, a strange sideways jump then he spun to face Aibou with a wide smile and offered a hand to him.
Aibou looked confused.
Atem hesitated then rubbed his head a little before saying "Dance?"
Aibou looked at the people then back at Atem "Dance? They're dancing?" he asked. He had researched dancing in his spare time, he had only skimmed it since it wasn't necessary for his survival, but he had never imagined it looked like this! It was amazing!
Atem nodded and gestured for Aibou to watch him, he repeated a movement and waited for Aibou to copy. Aibou copied a little slower.
Atem grinned, white perfect teeth Aibou noted. He clearly looked after himself, or was that the nanos in his blood doing the hard work? Humanoids rarely got tooth rot or had adult teeth knocked out, not to say it never happened. If in the unlikely occasion it happened the nanos would regrow a tooth from excess calcium over the course of a few days. Atem's model seemed environment specific yet prehistoric, so there was a good chance that the humanoid was simply very careful and lucky besides well engineered.
Atem returned his attention when he repeated the movement and kicked one foot out.
Aibou copied, and copied all the movements before repeating them. When Atem clapped Aibou realised that it was a signal for the end of this dance- then he realised that he was dancing! The simple function of moving, staying in a routine for pleasure was … pleasant. No, what was the word Atem had used? Fun!
Aibou felt a smile break out over his face and started moving faster, he had picked up the small routine very quickly, and the background music made it that much more fun for him. Spin, hop left, jump, foot over foot, faster and faster until all that existed was movement.
Atem watched slightly spellbound as Aibou moved, he felt a blush appear on his cheeks and as so distracted he failed to move out of the way of Aibou's increasingly wild dance movements.
Aibou, who was having too much fun to realise that he was tapping into his suit powered abilities again, ended up shaking the entire metal building with a stomp, and hit something warm and very solid with his other hand.
"Ah!"
Atem's alarmed cry and a loud crash snapped Aibou out of his trance of movements. He looked up and gasped when he saw Atem sprawled on his back with sparks coming out from under his tank top.
Aibou had never seen a humanoid spark before! That could not be a good thing.
He approached quickly, heart in his mouth, as Atem sat up, looking very dazed. "Are you alright?" Aibou demanded, giving Atem a quick glance over as his training kicked in. If there was a human or fellow humanoid in trouble or injured he had medical training to hold out until the specially trained medics got there.
Atem looked at him blankly before a new set of sparks drew his attention. He looked alarmed then winced as if he was just realising he was injured. He pulled his shirt over his head and Aibou saw for the first time the embedded self-monitoring system. His eyes were wide in shock and a tad bit of horror, he was part machine!
Aibou swallowed a few times before managing to get past the fact that this humanoid had a machine stuck in his chest!
"What is that?" he gasped out as Atem began to gently probe at the cracked screen in his life support.
Atem looked up at Aibou before going back to work, his forehead creased as he pried a broken screen off a monitor, then pulled out wires that had been sliced by the broken reinforced glass, they were the spark causers.
Aibou fought the urge to throw up when he glimpsed raw flesh beneath and in-between the wires and monitors of his hosts' mechanical part. It was an Ethic to never combine man with machine, it was too delicate, dangerous and untested to be done! Most of the engineering on the Axiom was physical genes, enhancements and mental conditioning form birth, never mechanical devices that were so deeply rooted and complex. He knew that some designs had to have mechanical attachments and others who were born with specific purposes sometimes had limited wiring and mechanical control. But what was before him was the most extensive machinery he had ever seen.
How did it get in his chest to being with?
Atem stood up and walked to a shelf, he pulled a leaver to make it rotate and Aibou watched with a hand on his gun as Atem found the correct shelf compartment. He pulled out some wires, making his mechanical part shriek and Atem wince before inserting a new wire, a new piece of hardware, and began to fix or replace what was broken.
Subconsciously Aibou took in the many, many scars upon Atem's torso and shoulders, there was a large burn, several cuts that looked like they had been stitched up, a tear along his wrist, a stab wound on his rib cage, an entirely metal elbow! Then along his back there were bruises, purple ones, more burn scars, some fresh looking scratches, and a friction burn. This humanoid had been through a war and a half. Aibou was amazed that he was still alive with the amount of scars he had on him.
Aibou pushed back his repulsion and urge to vomit when he saw Atem sticking his fingers into his own flesh wounds, to watch as Atem fixed himself with practiced hands, seemly uncaring about the fact he was digging into his own flesh. With tweezers and fingernails and teeth he replaced every broken wire with a new one, every damaged hardware square with another identical one, until Aibou couldn't tell that it had been broken in the first place.
When Atem finally put a new screen back onto the exposed wires and hardware the beeping stopped and he relaxed again when the lights turned back on, and no doubt he felt internally that everything was back where it should be. He rolled his shoulders a few times before putting his tools down.
He turned to Aibou and smiled at him as he tidied up "All better," he said clearly, slightly tunefully too. Aibou wondered if someone else had sung that to him to reassure Atem. He was reusing this towards Aibou.
Aibou nodded weakly and reached up to scan the machine, the scanner took longer than normal, showing how deeply complex the machine was. Finally he looked at the results.
Results: Unknown hybrid biological-mechanical-body-monitor-and-life-support machine or mechanical-biological extension.
Components: Traces of Iron, Steel, Copper and Aluminium. Mainly Iron-Steel alloy. One heart monitor. One exertion monitor. One blood pressure monitor. One nutrition monitor. One weather monitor. One nano programing station.
Error: Evidence of past damage and repair. Status of repairs, self-repaired, professional. Design function (calculating physical, environmental elements) superior.
Aibou gulped again. By the examination of the repairs and undamaged parts this mechanical extension grew with Atem himself, like another arm or leg would. Aibou was willing to bet that the machine developed in the womb or test tube, every sinew and wire seemed perfectly placed inside the body of this humanoid, flesh and machine interacting in a harmony unrealised by anyone. All the metals could be consumed naturally in food sources, the Aluminium was most likely from a make shift soldering iron, the only non-consumable product.
Atem tilted his head at Aibou and waved a hand at him awkwardly, clearly uncertain on how to respond to Aibou's reactions to his little self-repair. There wasn't even anger in his face for hurting him!
How naïve was this creature?
And what exactly was he?
Atem reached out to Aibou, Aibou recoiled a little, but Atem didn't look fazed. He patted his chest and smiled "All better," he repeated.
Aibou hesitantly raised a hand and took the invitation to see how 'better' Atem was for himself. The metal was warm. Like skin. Under Aibou's timid fingertips he felt the metal move with Atem's breathing, like metallic skin and muscle expanding as his lungs and ribcage did. Aibou swallowed again, unsure if he was scared or comforted by the discovery of living metal. Did blood run through the metal too? He had seen wires wrapped around flesh, it wasn't that far out of possibility.
That was probably the reason why he had a metallic elbow and a metal shin, blood still had to get to his fingers …
He retreated and absently wiped his hand on his clothes to get rid of the unnatural feeling of living metal. "Sorry," he muttered at last.
Atem just nodded and picked up his shirt again, he pulled it on without a hitch and Aibou felt a little more comfortable now that the machine part was hidden, Atem seemed more normal without it.
To distract himself Aibou glanced at the nearest shelf and picked up another artifact, anything to forget about the twisted blessing and curse of Atem's extra 'limb'. The item was a round cornered square, there was a slit running across the top third with a screw hinge on one side and it was metallic silver. There was a BnL logo on the front … something familiar at least.
Aibou absently pulled the hinge open and found a small black device with a wheel that was designed to create friction. He pressed his hand to the wheel and pushed it forwards … nothing happened, and it was uncomfortable to push it. Then he flicked it down and a light was born in his hand.
Aibou jumped slightly and stared as the flame lit up his face and hands and warmth washed over his hand. How pretty …
Atem flinched back at the sight of the small flame, but then as he watched the safe, small, orange light he became more fascinated with it, as Yugi was.
He knew fire hurt, the burn marks all over his shoulder and faded ones elsewhere where all permanent reminders that fire was dangerous. But this small flame wasn't hurting him, and the light made Yugi's face light up even more beautifully than the stringed lights above him.
Atem stared at Yugi instead as he held up the flame. His eyes reflected the light, the Christmas lights of his home made a halo around his head, the closeness the bunker created for them – like they were cut off and in their own little world – all made Atem feel … warm.
In the background Irene and Cornelius were starting to sing, and the romantic mood – not that Atem knew anything about romance other than it made people smile a lot and look very happy, and the air around them went blurry – made Atem very much want to share and feel that.
He didn't understand, with his Mother and his family he felt warm, but this was different … a different …
'And that is all … that Love's about'
Love! That's it!
Atem knew, of course, how two people showed their love. He had watched that scene many times, but he still felt very nervous as he reached for Yugi's hand.
Aibou became aware of movement to his side when the flame moved slightly due to someone else's breathing. Aibou snapped out of his trance – well after never being exposed to flames before, except in images or explosions, who could blame him for losing a few awareness senses? He looked to his left and saw Atem with a hand reaching for his.
Aibou raised an eyebrow at him "What are you doing?" he asked blankly, honestly this humanoid's behaviour confused him.
Atem jumped and pulled back, both hands fiddling with each other as he stuttered a few syllables and blushed.
Aibou raised that eyebrow higher. "You're very strange." He told his host when the humanoid finally was quiet.
Atem sagged a little then glanced behind him at the screen.
Aibou leaned around him, shutting the lid on the flame, and stared when he saw a man and woman walking off together. "It's different," he said and moved to listen to the song, scanning it just encase his scanner could pick up the images and tell him what was happening. "How many of these do you have?" he asked, he turned around, only to find Atem was walking somewhere else. "Hey!" he called after him.
Atem glanced over his shoulder and opened his mouth as if to explain, only to pause as he thought of the words. Eventually he just rubbed his stomach and moved on.
Aibou's eyes widened "You have food?" he hovered over to where Atem was rummaging and felt his own stomach growl. Why did they never send supplies with Aibous when they went to Earth? Sure a few days without food wouldn't hurt their health but it didn't feel very nice.
Atem looked over his shoulder and nodded before taking out a pair of potato chips. He held one out to Aibou and smiled "Fooowd," he declared.
Aibou chuckled "Close enough," he said before hungrily opening the bag as Atem was. There was no liquid food inside the bag, which was a surprise but a very nice one as Aibou didn't care for liquid meals, and solid ones took a lot of energy to create so they weren't very common. The chips didn't taste fresh, they weren't making a crunching sound when you chewed them like his reports told him they should, then he glanced at the date and coughed slightly when he saw that they were hundreds of years old … damn good preservatives.
Atem sat beside scraps and patted the other half of his bed for Aibou to sit on.
Aibou did after a moment's hesitation. Just as he thought, the 'bedding area' this humanoid slept in was nothing more than cardboard. It was extremely uncomfortable. Aibou shifted every few seconds, trying to find a comfier spot, while Atem stayed still and ate almost lethargically.
Aibou's food was gone before Atem was halfway done. Aibou eagerly reached for the next packet in the box, his next chance at a full stomach, only for Atem to catch his wrist and stop him.
Aibou looked at Atem in shock. "I'm still hungry," he protested as he pulled his hand free.
Atem shook his head. "One. Not more, Scraps only find fooowd few time. Not enough for me sometime." He messed up his words but Aibou understood.
Aibou looked at the crate of food "How long will that last you?" it looked about three meals.
Atem rattled the box and sighed, he tried to think in days and counted on his fingers badly, but Aibou got the idea – a while … he mustn't eat very much. "What do you eat!" he asked, worried.
Atem blinked then pointed at the box "That," he explained.
Aibou looked even more concerned "And if there isn't enough?" he asked, almost worrying over the answer. Did he eat corpses or metal or … would he turn on him? That seemed unlikely as he was sharing food, which would have kept him going another few days if it hadn't been for Aibou.
Atem just pointed up then patted his arm wing and shoulder bands "These," he slid the wing off his shoulder to show Aibou, since he didn't have the words to explain something so basic to him. "Keep me alive," he said.
Aibou took the wing band and scanned it. A solar panel? He glanced at Atem "Do you get energy from the sun?" he asked.
Atem just looked confused.
Aibou tried to reign in the technical language and tried again "Do you feel better when you are outside in daytime?" he asked slowly.
Atem's eyes lit up and he nodded "Yes. That's why," he tapped the panel before sliding it back into place.
Aibou saw a paler strip of skin and realised that he must never take it off and he must also have skin that can absorb energy when wearing the right devices. A clever advantage, so he would starve of an empty stomach but the nutrition capsules and sunlight kept him alive and full of energy so he didn't need to eat. Aibou felt relieved at that fact, sustaining the monitoring system must take extra energy, so it was good that Atem had this advantage. But also it was a little cruel, how long had he been starving to death but hadn't died?
Just as he was questioning the point of having the monitoring system it beeped loudly. Atem looked at it before getting some capsules out of a pocket. Aibou watched, mentally recording everything he was witnessing. Atem took out a few red and one blue capsules before reaching for his gloved hand. He flipped open a compartment and placed
the capsules into their perfectly shaped slots. There were two compartments and each compartment had three slots. Atem closed them with a sigh and looked patiently at the beeping screen.
Aibou watched in astonishment as the bars on the screen began to rise, showing an increase in something, and the beeping stopped.
This device was his way of keeping healthy … Aibou sat back in awe and looked down at the empty packet of potato chips and the flame-creating-silver-rectangle. There was a name for it he was sure, but he didn't want to distract himself. Atem was lost, starving, emotionally confused, battered by Earth's hazards, uneducated and could have turned into a savage. But he was so perfect for his environment … he didn't want to leave him here, he could die. Aibou decided then that he would ask the captain for a rescue mission. Atem would be better at home, without all this death and despair around him.
He was all alone too. In Aibou's two searches and in the search logs of many Aibous before him there was never any mention of lost humanoids, and Aibou had seen a lot of corpses and remains of clothes which once held people.
Aibou turned back to Atem and saw that the humanoid was watching him, the intensity in his eyes made Aibou uncomfortable, but then again after no human contact he probably wouldn't know he to interact. Aibou decided against asking him to look away and turned back to the … lighter and flicked it on to give himself something to do other than be stared at.
After a moment Atem stood up, suddenly and with an excited cry of Aibou's false name, he looked excited like he had just thought of a good idea. He reached for a shelf just above them and carefully picked something up.
Aibou watched curiously, something else to show him? He seemed more excited with this one.
Atem pulled down something unusual and held it out for Aibou to look at, he appeared to be a little more protective of this one. It wasn't thrust in Aibou's face for a start, and secondly it was tucked within Atem's frame a little more protectively. It was a golden pyramid shape with a hollow middle. There was a long chain handing off it, and a piece of gold missing with a green accessory standing in its place, curling out from the hollow centre.
Aibou tilted his head "What's that?" he reached out to brush the corner of the gold curiously, but his eyes kept being drawn back to the green. He didn't miss the way Atem's hands tightened on it, he thought Aibou would hurt it? Or perhaps break it?
Atem was holding it like it was made of spindled glass. He brushed one of the green blobs of the green accessory and smiled at it with awe in his eyes, he met Aibou's eyes and said "Treasure … Alive," and held it out further for Aibou to look at.
Aibou blinked "It's alive?" he whispered, and then pressed his scanner to see if that was true. What could possibly live here?
*boop* *boop* *boop* *Shriek!*
Aibou stared as the results spilled across his screen. It was alive! It wasn't an animal! He had found a plant!
Results: Organic Bio matter. Approximately three months since germination. Species Malus domestica 'orchard apple' or 'common apple' tree.
Directive Achieved!
Preparing for Comatose stage.
Booting Self Defence electric web.
Nanos initiate protocol A112.
Loading data and sphere conditions.
Executing now …
Aibou began to hyperventilate as his body's innate Directive protocols began to overpower him. His brain and body would now shut down to conserve his energy, while a majority of his energy would go towards keeping the plant healthy in a nano sphere. The nanos in his blood would escape through his skin and form a sphere around the plant that would be impenetrable unless Aibou gave the counter command to defuse them. They would also provide nutrients and energy to the plant to keep it alive while in space and suspended animation.
Aibou's vision was full of results and he didn't take in anything else due to the overwhelming excitement and shock of achieving his Directive and powering down to comatose state. He trembled and his suit instantly drew energy from all non-living things around him to prepare for the days in coma and then he finally let the nanos escape.
They surrounded the plant in Atem's hands, the humanoid panicking slightly as Aibou practically had a fit beside him, then the sphere was drawn into Aibou's hands and his eyes rolled back into his head.
His last thoughts were of satisfaction. He had achieved his Directive, humans would return to Earth, he would be remembered. Not just another Aibou Unit. Aibou 224 returned the Axiom to Earth!
Power down complete.
Atem presented the plant to Yugi with a smile. It felt so good to share things with him. The way he had shared his fascination had brought them closer, Aibou didn't jump at his contact anymore. They had made good memories, they were vivid and warm like rare rays of sunlight from the consistent polluted sky. He had never had company like this. And he always wanted Yugi here to share things with.
Maybe he would stay?
Should he ask? Which words would convey that question?
Atem took down his most precious treasure and held it like out apprehensively. For some reason his instincts were telling him to keep it hidden and safe, but he wanted so much to share that he overruled it.
Yugi looked at it and carefully reached out, Atem's hands shifting on the golden edges of the pyramid plant pot protectively. Yugi only touched the gold "What's that?" he asked, his voice was so smooth and the words were so perfect … why couldn't Atem speak like that? How did he know all those words? How did he know the correct sounds?
Atem thought hard for a second, he brushed a fingertip over the green leaves and felt the words rise out of him without trying. "Treasure … Alive," he whispered. The only living thing on Earth beside himself, it was the most amazing thing ever, his treasure. But he would let Yugi have it, because he wanted Yugi to know how much he liked him. He hoped Yugi would understand.
"It's alive?" Yugi said, reaching up so that the blue lines would cover it. Atem wondered what the blue lights did, he liked to use them a lot. He was about to ask when the device started shrieking!
Atem cringed at the sound and shied away slightly, one hand covering the plant slightly to protect its ears from the noise – nothing could like that sound!
But then his concerns for the plant changed to concerns for Yugi.
He was heaving in breaths with wide eyes, his limbs shook, and all the Christmas lights near him flashed and dimmed with the screeching sound. Atem worriedly bit his lip, was a different kind of gas in the room?
Then Yugi's suit started glowing. The blue stripes and ring just above a lightning bolt 'z' in the stripe lit up neon blue, like his hover boots or blue explosions. A second after the glow a silver mist escaped from all over Yugi's skin and swarmed towards Atem.
Atem yelped and tried to lean away from it, only to trip over Scraps again.
The silver mist made a round shape around the plant, plucked it out of his hands, and sealed it inside a ball. Yugi then clapped his hands on it, securely, then gave one last shudder- then collapsed.
When he collapsed all the lights in the bunker went out.
Atem sat up unsteadily, even Scrap's seemed to have lost power! He glanced around "Whoa …" he muttered in shock, and confusion. What had just happened?
Because of the storm outside the wind turbines soon resorted power to the bunker and revealed Yugi slumped against the wall with the silver sphere pressed on his chest, a hand resting on either side of it. His suit occasionally glowed, but otherwise he was still. Too still.
Atem untangled his feet from Scraps's feet and knelt by Yugi. Was he sleeping? That position didn't look very comfortable. Then again he knew his bed wasn't very comfortable, he had just gotten so used to it. Atem hesitantly reached out to touch Yugi's shoulder "Yugi?"
Yugi didn't move. He just slumped to the side when gravity found too much body mass leaning one way.
Atem gasped "Yugi?" he asked again, shaking his shoulder, was he hurt? He was lying on his side on the bed, not responding to anything that he was doing. He didn't seem to be awake. He checked for bleeding and listened for coughing, but heard and found nothing wrong with him. Atem got more distressed when he found nothing clearly wrong, and he wasn't responding, was he dead?
The dead didn't respond either.
Atem tried to pry Yugi's shirt from his chest to see his life support – only to find that he didn't have one. He was so confused, how could you tell if you were okay inside? What told you if you were working too hard or that you were low on vitamin C? But this did explain why Yugi was so shocked over seeing his own. But how was he to tell that Yugi was alive or not without one?
Atem just rested his hand on Yugi's shoulder while he thought, albeit frantically, on how he would check if Yugi was dead or not. He didn't want Yugi to be dead, or to be hurt. This was all his fault! Then he felt his chest rising and falling. Atem put a hand to his own chest and realised that he was breathing! Breathing meant alive!
Atem laughed slightly in relief and then faced the problem of waking Yugi up.
Well he normally woke up because the night was over and he could get some sun … maybe he would wake up in the morning? He would have to wait and see.
He glared at the sphere that held the plant. It was when Yugi saw the plant that he stared acting strangely. Why did he show it to him? That was a bad idea.
Atem growled and sat staring at Yugi intently as if he would suddenly open his eyes and everything would be alright again. Eventually he moved Yugi into his bed properly and covered him with his blanket, maybe he was just sleeping? Atem sometimes got urges to sleep too. He woke up every morning, Yugi must do the same.
Satisfied with that explanation, at least until proven wrong, Atem began to pack up ready for bed.
Atem hooked Scraps to a wind turbine cable so he could charge overnight, put him into sleep mode and then lay down beside Yugi to try and sleep himself. That was going to be a feat because he wasn't used to sleeping with company and because there were so many things that happened today that he couldn't help but relive in his mind.
Atem brushed a lock of hair form Yugi's face and sighed "Good night," he murmured and tried his best to sleep – though he often found himself anxiously opening an eye to watch his company. He silently wished that he had never shown him the plant.
So ... Yugi made sparks fly, caused a short circuit and has successfully made Atem develop an affectionate attitude towards him. Aww! Atem following Yugi around like a little lost puppy.
Sorry for making Atem so adorably innocent, but I'm incorprating Walle's character into this as well so he needs to be clueless about a lot of things. A lot of things. Like that plants can't hear things and holding hands isn't just for lovers. Still sweet though.
how will he try and wake Yugi up tomorrow morning? You may have to wait a month to find out - sorry! Exams.
Love Amme-chan.