A/N: Thank you for those that read the first chapter! Sorry I'm not the fastest of writers (procrastination is a hobby, I swear) but I hope this is somewhat worth the wait. This isn't beta'd, and if I read my own work too often I just delete it so sorry for any mistakes!
"You bought a bot, Korsak? Really?"
If facial expressions came with captions then in that moment the pepper haired man's would have read 'oh boy', chest tightening as a short, sharp breath pinched his lips together and locked the muscles of his back, Korsak taking a moment to prepare himself before spinning in his chair to face his newly arrived interrogator. Though her senior by more than twenty years and fully respected by Jane there was always something about the clip of the female Rizzoli's tongue that could reduce him to the feeling of being a scallywag prepubescent, causing him to reminisce of the ways when fathers twice his height and rank wanted to know of his intentions with their darling daughters. Even though he was now an old man - twice the robust size of those awkward days and at equal status with the patriarchs of former smooches – it never stopped him from momentarily feeling as if his stomach had left him, dropping away like lost cargo out in space, fleetingly regretting his decision to look into the dark eyes of the woman who always got her answers from the most resilient of alien enemies.
"Android, Commander. A robot is a mechanical or virtual intelligent agent that can perform tasks automatically or with guidance, typically by remote control. An android such as myself, on the other hand, is a synthetic organism designed to look and act like a human, and with a body that has a flesh-like resemblance. Though android is used almost universally to refer to both sexes, and those of no particular sex, android technically refers to the male form, while gynoid is the feminine form. I personally don't like how gynoid sounds when it rolls from the tongue, although I do prefer it to the word fembot."
Finger up, quite literally pointing out her correction, Korsak's insides felt secure once more as he allowed his eyes a daring second to look at the faux-woman that followed behind his protégé. Maura – the name she'd used to introduced herself with, with a bright smile that shone like a soul was behind it rather than a power outlet, and a handshake as gentle and as graceful as a real lady's - was exactly what they needed onboard; she had poise, she had elegance, and naturally her system protocols meant she was a brainbot, too. A real class act and perhaps someone they could all learn a thing or two from. Living in and trying to survive in the wreckage of the Great War naturally left you in a kind of slump, and although life was never boring Korsak hoped that Maura could maybe... Shake things up a little when it came to their human interactions, so to speak. The proof was in the rationed pudding, Jane's eyes having lightened only as the orbs widened to allow more light to reflect on them, the dumbfounded look apparently now her default setting when around Maura and her encyclopaedic spurts of knowledge.
"Android, bot, iHuman, whatever," flabberghasted beyond the point of being able to give a logical answer the on edge Italian kept her eyes forward, though her thoughts struggled to point in one direction. An exasperated sigh left her lips, the robotic being behind her noting that it was tinged with a more than just a hint of hostility as an accusation followed "You know how I feel about them, Korsak."
Watching with great intrigue Maura could not help but wonder the emotions her sensory input would have been registering should she have been as human as the rest of the crew. Whilst she understood the logistics of feelings they were not something she experienced, although there were a few she had learnt to mimic. It was in her nature to be curious, to continuously want to learn, and being programmed to help those in need called for compassion to show in a great degree, even if witnessing wounded children did not literally make her cyberkinetic heart swell. If there could be any android in the world capable of learning to feel with more than the fibre optic nerves of her fingertips it would be Maura, although not knowing of her past it seemed Jane would only take her at face value until she - or Korsak, taking his own breath of hesitance – convinced her otherwise.
"I know Jane, but we needed a replacement and fast. I've had her certified, everything checks out. Maura's a legit medical android; bought her from a beyond borders guy in exchange for some rations. English, a decent guy. Figured he wouldn't have corrupted her unit for anything-"
"A bot can be corrupted in more ways than one, Korsak." Listening although not interfering, and knowing better than to get involved with disputes between his sister and well... Just about anyone, the comment was not one that pilot Frankie Jr could let slide past, head crooked over his shoulder as his fingers stopped their task of readying the launch, one arched eyebrow and a quirk to his lips saying more than any crude description could, clearly grossing out his sibling as Jane's brow pinched as if she were ready to be sick.
"Ew, Frankie. Why would you say that?" Attention averted from Korsak - whose wide eyes were also on the male Rizzoli thanks to his quip and where it prompted his brain to wander to– Jane's voice hit notes higher than Maura had previously heard, noting both disapproval and disgust. Since the moment they had walked up the gangway into the ship all small talk had ceased, her truthful reveal having left her momentarily alone as the woman she now answered to had gone to challenge just why she was there, and since that moment Maura had been nothing but ignored. Surely if she were human this would be the time to be angered, or at the least dissatisfied with being spoken about, and not to, not to mention being regarded as something to perform sex acts. Taking into consideration Jane's clear friction around her the medic concluded that yes, this would most definitely be a time to be annoyed – a display of emotion she very rarely had to put into practice in the past.
"Doctor Falkner used me for nothing but professional work in the Outlands," what had fallen to face pulling between siblings was interrupted by a soft and polite tone curbed with an air of bossiness as the smallest being in the room sought to fight her case "Refugees required help and we gave it. Nothing more and nothing less, Frankie." Finally receiving the attention she considered herself worthy of Maura chose to continue "Commander, your earlier comment makes me want to question whether you corrugator supercilii is contorting in distaste because of the idea of Ian having had sex with me – which did not happen – or my kind in general. Or, perhaps both?" If Maura had known better she would have not thought to ask such a question for the mere fact she would not get an answer, at least not one of a verbal form. Each pair of eyes lost focus; Frankie's returning to his original task, Korsak's finding interest in the scuffs of his boots, Jane's... Well, the look in her Commander's eyes left the curious unit finding flaws in her previous thesis of what emotion to display. Built to fix those who were torn, bruised, cut and harmed in the worst of ways Maura was yet to know that Jane Rizzoli would be one of her worst cases, the haunted look which wavered in her ordinarily crisp and determined eyes only a glimpse at what kept her awake at night, left with a similar silence to that which now thickened throughout the flight deck.
It was ironically Frost who chose to break the chill of silence, listening into the conversation whilst checking flight paths on the screen just beside a tense-shouldered Frankie. "I ran every diagnostic and background check I could, Jane. The guy is as clean as we are, and I don't see any problem with that," having known her for years as both a friend and colleague the technical genius knew that the softly softly approach wouldn't work with Jane, her brain needing something to focus on in order to yank her from the rut her brain liked to stick her in. "He uses a few false names to get by, sideswipes some Alliance medical ships now and then to get drugs to those that aren't usually reached..." Talking business seemed to do the trick, lashes sweeping away and distant horrors as the taller woman's eyes closed for a brief second, opening again in rhythm with a short exhale that Maura noted to be similar to a war victim determined to fight through a painful injury – something she had seen plenty of times during her work with the man Frost was reassuring Jane of. The Beyond Borders project was not strictly speaking legal in its practice but had participants within its core who had their hearts in the right place – including Ian Falkner.
Previously a doctor for the Alliance the liberal Englishman had resigned from his position upon learning that the people he had aligned himself with did nothing to help the war torn victims beyond the reach of the Citadels, and had Maura built to help with his cause. He had, with the help of the team that had created her, taught the medical android everything she knew, and most importantly (so Korsak thought) had factored her mechanisms with a programme that meant Maura could not lie, even if she were coerced to try to. In the rebellions of the Outlands it lead to a sense of security, knowing that a woman who shined as brightly as those within the Citadels could tell them nothing but the truth – although Ian sometimes regretted the addition when Maura would take sarcastic questions of 'I want to kill myself, what's the best way?' and answer with 'Atlanto-occipital disarticulation is very fast'. Besides that he couldn't fault her, though had found himself having to sell his companion through the need of money for had understood with ease, and soon found herself in the care of Korsak, the man who had risen from his seat in a hope of finally convincing his younger colleague that his purchase was well thought through.
"Jane, you know that if I thought for a second that she could end up like his robots then she wouldn't be here." "Yeah, yeah. I know," posture finally slacking the taller female on the deck patted her senior's arm in confirmation of her comfort, although all the human beings on board knew that her next words only came from necessity and not thanks to actual approval – all proven by the strain of a smile offered to the newest flight member as Jane turned her attention back to the caramel blonde that seemed set to make her brain implode and dribble from her ears "Fine, as long as you don't drain half the ships power then welcome aboard, doc."
Wondering who he might be Maura poised her lips to ask, then remembered just how well her previous questioning had worked out, and did not want to upset her new cohort given the fact that she had only just agreed to have her onboard. Instead Maura put into work what she did best and focused on the facts "My power source is internal, Commander. Thermonuclear fusion inputs are a necessary for my maintenance, though," Jane's brain was definitely pooling within her eat canal "My system requires that I be in starlight in order to function. I will be fine until we reach our destination."
"And if not we'll just crack open a window!" Smirking at her own joke the twinge of satisfaction soon left her as her words fell flat, Jane knowing instantly that this was one of her infamous moments of speaking before her brain kicked into gear. Maura on the other hand classified the comment as the use of a defence mechanism, sarcasm something she would surely get used to with time should the Commander give her the chance. Well, at least she hoped it to be sarcasm, as surely Jane would never imply her to be like a dog – robotic or otherwise? Unless she meant to imply that Maura was a bitch, of which she had no evidence. Though, perhaps her time with Ian did make her somewhat of a companion, and therefore man's best friend which—
"Jane, don't be rude. Maura, if you ever need any help with your maintenance y'know I could-"
"I'm gunna pretend you didn't say that, Tommy."
"What? I was only offering to help out. Why has everything got to sound wrong to you?"
"Perhaps 'cos what I'm hearin' is words from your mouth?"
An onslaught of accented words broke the android's process of thought, yet another Rizzoli having joined them – this time the youngest sibling wading in on the current interest of Maura. Closer in frame to his sister rather than his older brother the similarities between the siblings could not go unnoticed, which Maura deemed were probably the reasons as to why the bickering between them happened so naturally. It was clear that Frankie knew how to annoy his sister, the type to poke fun at any situation that he could. Tommy and Jane on the other hand seemed to be at odds no matter what, and if she were to converse with Frost or Korsak on the matter she could learn that the two rubbed each other up the wrong way for the most petty of reasons. Jane wanted to keep Tommy on the straight and narrow, and he in return wished to prove himself to his big sister – both of them after the same goal yet never managing to see it.
"Thank you for the concern, but I am quite capable of maintaining my own circuitry." From the moment the rather scuffed up young Rizzoli entered the deck he and Jane had inched closer together as their words escalated, Maura smack-bang in the middle. It was only when they were both near enough toe to toe with the android that she chose to acknowledge his original offer and soon found that pulling gormless faces around her seemed to be a hereditary factor.
"Wow. Now you can't just say it's the stuff I say."
Taking on the middle-child role of mediator it was once more Frankie's turn to chip in, pushing in his words quickly as his sister's lips parted to rifle off another few shots at their brother "Alright, alright. Now we're all maintained, how about we get goin'? Someone else is going to cash in on those fuel cells if we don't get a move on."
It was enough to cease the arguments for a while, the pilot speaking a truth that they all knew and adhered to. The Great War had left the word scarce of the energy sources it once knew; electricity at first rationed and then prohibited after the first invasion left buildings and bodies charred, now only to be used with a specific permit (which only those such as the Garrets owned) and under specific regulations. Conversion to thermonuclear power was common, although difficult and only seemed to work for smaller based units that ran internally – Maura, for example. What kept her alive could however not work for the thousands of homes that were regularly left in the dark, tens of thousands of humans living in cold and bleak conditions when shortages were high – the time when Commander Rizzoli and her crew stepped in to help.
Just as the Alliance ignored the Outlands they also did very little for those within the Citadel. Naturally and much to Jane's chagrin the high and mighty brass-kissers got their share of power first, the bright and shining lights always working for those with old money families, leaving homes such as the neighbourhood where Jane resided left in the shadows. It was not something she or her crew could stand for, and much like Ian Falkner they were the voices for the underdogs, Sox quite literally a red flag streaking through the sky to prove that the 'little people' counted. Travelling into the far points of the sector they hoped to recover a source of helium -3, currently harboured by a rebel crew. Well, that was what each Rizzoli and told their mother. They had omitted the fact that the 'rebel crew' were not exactly like them or the type to share – quite the opposite in fact. Classed as a more vicious force of 'raiders' they were the kinds to hold scientists hostage at laser point to do the work for them, and word in the Citadel was that they had stolen the helium -3 from an excavation team after the fallout of the Moon Massacre.
Frost, Korsak and Jane with years of Alliance training under their collective belts, a skilled getaway pilot Jane was proud to call her brother, and a mechanic willing to risk his life for a family both of blood and water the crew of the scarlet ship took it upon themselves to return the energy sources to the Alliance so long as the authority figures turned a blind eye to their ways and means of doing so and paid them a decent price for each delivery. Each time they could have earnt more if they gave the full amount but it had always been a team rule that half of whatever they regained went to Rondo (a man with a taste for candy who regularly stated that since the sugar rationing Jane - aka Vanilla - was the sweetest thing in his life) an 'associate' who although a great aggravation for the Commander constantly meant well, helping to supply helium -3 to those in the darkness and regain a small glimmer of hope for the families that meant so little to their Government.
Readying themselves to find the flickers of faith that were rumoured to be kept deep in the borders of the sector sixteen space the crew took their positions; Frankie joined at the flight panel by Frost checking co-ordinates and airspace traffic, Korsak returning to his original seat and reading himself for something that always made him feel queasy (though he would never admit to it) and Tommy taking up his usual, renegade pose of standing firm, one hand grasped around the rafters in what Jane always called his 'hard-man pose'. The woman herself was all about ready to take her own seat, eyeing for the second female aboard to do the same until Frankie's untimely launch prevented her doing so – the engines roaring into life, the bow of the ship leaving its station with a jolt that left Jane's ass on a much harsher surface, followed by her back, shoulders, a slight crack of her head, and then finally... Maura.
Perhaps the crew had forgotten how new she was to the ship, Maura unsettled by just how quickly everything happened. Yes, she had been aboard vessels such as this before but the preparation had been more logical, practical and well... Less reckless! Having lost her balance from the moment the craft departed from the Citadel docks, not heavy and weighted as most humans presumed her metal made her naturally Maura had grasped onto the first thing available to steady herself, and unfortunately that 'thing' was Jane. Expecting a scream or a scowl instead the android found herself looking into mystified eyes – not as baffled or as gobsmacked as per her usual reaction to Maura, instead full of genuine confusion that made the android sure guts she did not possess were stirring uncomfortably. It was disconcerting – she was sure that was the word – and in that moment the android was oddly sure she would rather that her Commander be angry with her that to look at her in such a way.
"Are you okay, Commander?" natural automation kicked in, though the hesitance after looking into Jane's eyes would be something that perhaps Ian would have questioned, Maura's medical programming meaning she should have asked instantaneously. Not happy with the mere nod she received, Jane's raven black waves bouncing in their curtain beneath them at the meek confirmation, the android offered a hand, only to find a woman many feared to flinch away from it and near enough cower beneath her. It was becoming all the more apparent to Maura that the lack of fondness that Jane showed towards her was not without reason, the human woman clearly unnerved by the smaller woman being on top of her. Moving away as promptly as she could the change in weight – however slight – relieved Jane instantly, and should she had been made of clockwork Maura would have heard the clogs stop turning for the time being. It would only be later that night that they would spin once more, the tanned woman thrown once more by just how different this android felt against her torso compared to the horrific memories of the last.
He said I would enjoy you, Commander.
"Sorry about that, clearly Tommy didn't clear out the ducts properly."
"Sure I did! It's your dodgy flying that landed Jane down on her ass. You alright?"
Sitting up the eldest in the Rizzoli clan waved her hand, shrugging off the event "Yeah," before turning to her previous occupant with a look that seemed to be tinged with an apology, confirming Maura's previous question with a quieter voice "Yeah, I'm fine. Just uh, call me Jane, alright?"
Settled neatly on the floor, the turbulence having all but stopped the doctor was acutely aware of just how many questions she would have to leave unanswered but chose to express a small, close lipped smile of agreement to keep anything else from going wrong. Human beings were the most complicated of entities, yet the woman beside her was one she definitely wanted to figure out "Yes, Jane."