Chapter Eighteen: Partings
Douglas sighed as he made his final check of the sections of memory that would be used to store two of his comrades for the next three days. He confirmed that the logic gates could be opened and closed, allowing its intended occupants to interact with each other without accidentally merging. He verified the integrity of each section of memory to ensure that neither program would be lost while incarcerated; while he planned to remain online himself in order to monitor his friends during their entire time in confinement, he still wanted to be sure that he wouldn't be uploading them into defective memory modules.
In spite of all his efforts, however, he still felt unprepared when the doors to Engineering opened at 8:45 AM, revealing his boss. "Good morning, Douglas. Is everything prepared?"
"I've done everything I can to get everything ready," Douglas replied. "The memory units are stable and the gates are as secure as I can make them."
"Thank you." Even though the day had barely started, the commander sounded oddly weary. "Thank you for putting in the effort."
"No problem," Douglas replied, though he clearly didn't sound like his typically-chipper self.
Of course, it was hard for the walking supercomputer to not notice. "I apologize for having you undertake something so distasteful; I am not unaware of your feelings regarding this procedure, so I appreciate your understanding."
"No, I get it, Chief," Douglas replied heavily. "I guess I just hate that we have to do this in the first place." He looked over his shoulder to give his commander a weary smile. "I'll be here to keep an eye on them the whole time."
"For what it's worth, I will ensure that you are compensated appropriately," Signas promised.
"It isn't that, Boss," Douglas grunted with a wave of a hand as he finished the final system check. "It's just…I don't want anything that'll remind me of this."
Signas briefly regarded his subordinate before nodding sagely. "I believe I understand."
A few minutes later, the doors slid open at precisely 8:55 AM to reveal Pallette and Axl, followed by Alia and Layer, with X, Shortwave, and Zero close behind.
A yawning Max brought up the rear. "Sorry," the human mumbled to the group as he rubbed at his eyes. "I don't mean to be rude; I'm just not much of a morning person…until I've had my coffee, at least."
"Thank you for coming in spite of how tired you are," Pallette said as Axl warily eyed the pods that would store their bodies during their time in 'the hoosegow'.
Max could only wave in response as he hid a second yawn, causing the reploids to exchange amused grins, save for Signas.
Eventually, everyone gathered around the two pods that would house Axl's and Pallette's bodies for the next three days, and Signas addressed the pair. "Hunter Commander Axl, Navigator Pallette: Do either of you have anything you wish to say before we proceed?"
"I do," Pallette immediately replied with a raised hand. She then turned to face her unintended victim. "Zero, I am so sorry for what I did. Even though I was trying to help…well, trying to help a friend, what I did to you was wrong and I really regret it."
The red-clad warrior seemed surprised as he angled his head with a puzzled expression. "Um…well, thanks."
Pallette gave a small smile before looking to her friend. "Layer, I'm really sorry for the trouble I caused you. I know that you're taking responsibility for what you did; I'm just sorry that…that…that I encouraged you to do the wrong things. That I wasn't a better friend to you."
Layer instinctively took a step toward her friend before stopping to look up at her commander; at his nod she continued forward to wrap her petite friend in an embrace. "I forgive you, Pallette; I'm sorry, too."
The shorter blonde reploid giggled as they broke the embrace. "It's gonna suck that I won't be here while you're out finding yourself."
"That's true, yeah," Layer replied with a giggle of her own, though she brought a finger under her bangs to wipe away some excess optical lubricant. "I'll just try to take longer than three days; will that help?"
Pallette sputtered another giggle, her optical lubricant deciding to overflow as well. "That'd be great; I'll look forward to hearing all about it."
"It's time." Signas' words were spoken softly, gently, yet they weighed heavily on all present. "Douglas, if you would…?"
"Yeah…" The engineer sighed for what must have been the thousandth time as he moved behind a familiar console. He pressed several buttons in quick succession, and the covers to the pods hissed open, the sound barely louder than a whisper. "Um, here you go…"
Without a word, hunter commander and navigator approached the pods, only to pause. Nearly as one, they looked toward each other before she ducked forward to hold her special one. "See you on the other side," she murmured softly as she gave him a squeeze.
"Y-Yeah…" he replied, moving his arms from his sides to hold her as well. "See yer."
They broke the embrace, and after one last, lingering glance at one another they took their places in the pods. Douglas then pressed several more buttons, and the covers slid closed.
Out of the corner of her eye, Alia noticed her husband's hand moving to cover his stomach. "Are you all right?" she mouthed. He said nothing, but a brief nod and a lift of his free hand communicated to her that he wasn't, but that he would recover.
"Shut down all of your nonessential systems," Douglas instructed the pair. A few moments later he pressed more buttons. "Connections confirmed." He looked up to Signas. "Whenever you're ready, boss."
Signas drew a deep breath before stepping up to the pods. "I…" He paused and for the first time in his existence he was at a loss for words, however momentarily; in all of his years, he'd never had to discipline one of his own so severely. "For what it is worth, I sincerely regret that it has come to this. I…look forward to working with you again."
Pallette would have smiled at his words, but the routines that controlled her body had been shut down in preparation for transfer.
Signas sighed once more as he regarded his subordinates; in some ways, he felt responsible for their failings as well. "Proceed, Douglas."
"Yes, sir." The engineer pressed two more buttons, then reached for a third but paused before cursing under his breath as he brought his finger down on the last button.
It was a somber group that left Engineering; while they knew that their friends would be gone for only three days – and in Douglas' more-than-capable hands – it was still hard knowing not only that they would be missing for a time but also why.
X and Shortwave walked hand-in-hand as they led the group down the hallway; while it was true that their friendship had blossomed quickly ever since her reassignment from receptionist to navigator, the main reason for the proverbial skinship was due to her distress at witnessing her new friends' incarceration. X didn't seem to mind the contact, as he sent her a small smile in response to an anxious squeeze from her small hand.
Max and Alia followed, the latter of whom seemed to have weathered the situation better than the others, though she glanced repeatedly over at her husband, who still had a hand over his stomach, and she made a mental note to prepare calming tea for him when they got back to her quarters.
Layer felt it the hardest of all of them, hugging herself as she walked alone; everything that Pallette had done had been for the violet-haired reploid's benefit, which was causing her no small amount of guilt. She couldn't even look to Zero for any form of comfort, as the red-armored hunter had immediately – and quickly – broken away from the group to head for the Training Section upon their departure from the Engineering Department. Not to mention that she was the indirect cause of the whole situation; not involved enough for her to be punished by anyone other than her own conscience.
"So…" Shortwave started, daring to break the awkward silence as she looked over her shoulder at her violet-haired senior. "…when were you planning on leaving?" At X's glance of alarm she quickly added, "I'm just asking 'cause I want to be there to say 'good-bye', that's all!" She then ducked her head with an apologetic smile in response to his relieved nod of comprehension.
It took a fair amount of effort for the shapely Reploid to shift her train of thought from Pallette to…basically anything else. "I'm…not sure at this point." A noticeable pause. "I was originally planning to leave at 1100 hours, but that was before…" She trailed off, and it wasn't hard to figure out that she was referring to Pallette's unfortunate situation.
"Do you think you could let us know when you have it figured out?" Max asked as the group came to a stop, grateful for the distraction from his distressed stomach, however brief. "I'll understand if you want to fly under the proverbial radar, but I'd like to send you off with well-wishes as well."
"Of course," Layer replied easily, smiling fondly at the human.
"We'll try to get Zero to show up as well," Alia offered as the group started to walk again.
"That's not necessary, but thank you," Layer replied with a shake of her head. "I don't want him to feel pressured to be there if he doesn't want to be around me. I'll let him know what time I plan on leaving, and if he shows, he shows." She then blushed lightly as Max sent her a proud smile over his shoulder.
Alia caught the unspoken exchange and smiled as well. "All right, Layer; we'll leave him to you, then."
"Thank you."
As the group entered and started heading down the hallway containing everyone's quarters, Alia and Max broke away at her room. "We'll keep an ear open for your communication," she promised as she subtly laid a hand on her husband's stomach.
"I'll let you know as soon as I figure it out," Layer told them with a small wave before hurrying to catch up with X and Shortwave.
The young couple watched the trio depart, then Alia turned to key in the code to open the door to her quarters. "Go ahead and sit," she said as she led him over to the sofa. "I'll prep some relaxing tea."
"Thank you," he grunted as he half-fell onto the plush furniture. "Sorry about the scene back there."
"It wasn't as bad as you seem to think," she replied from the kitchenette. "I don't think anyone noticed, really; if nothing else, they were all focused on Pallette and Axl, anyway."
"That does help, thanks."
She emerged from the kitchen a short time later with two steaming mugs, one of which she started to place before her husband. "Oops!" she squeaked while quickly withdrawing the mug. "Wrong one; I almost gave you mine."
"Not a problem," David replied with an amused grin. "What would I have ended up drinking?"
"Earl Grey," she replied as she placed the correct mug before him.
"At least it would've been healthy," he quipped as he reached for his steaming beverage.
"True," she agreed with a giggle. "By the way; are you okay? I made the relaxing tea because it seems like your stomach is upset, but I have no idea why."
He chuckled self-consciously as he absently rubbed his abdomen. "I guess you could call it another bout of 'culture shock'."
"What do you mean?"
He took another sip of his tea before placing it on the coaster and leaning back into the plush cushions of the sofa. "It was…upsetting to see Axl and Miss Pallette getting into the capsules like that. And when their eyes closed the way that they did…" He pursed his lips, and Alia could tell that he was trying to hold back tears. "I know, it's stupid; I know they're not dead or anything. I guess we humans can't help but make that association."
"It's not stupid," Alia insisted while quickly taking a seat next to him to rub his back. "Your reaction is perfectly understandable; your life experiences are telling you that they died, even though your mind is trying to tell you otherwise." She leaned toward him to catch his gaze. "It's okay, David; I'm not going to judge you."
He glanced over at her, and his cheeks pinked. "Damn, beautiful; if I weren't feeling so nauseous, I'd kiss you right now. I love it when you talk nerdy like that."
She blushed as well, and leaned in closer to her husband. "Well, how about you work on your tea, and when you're feeling better we can…" She pressed herself against him just enough for him to feel the pleasant sensation of her soft, full breasts against his arm. "…talk nerdy to each other."
He blinked at her several times before quickly sitting up to retrieve his tea, Alia giggling as she fell over sideways onto the sofa at his sudden movement.
Layer watched her two friends – one old and one new – as the three of them continued quietly down the hallway toward their quarters. She figured that the other two would break away at Shortwave's quarters to work on their final preparations before their own departure. "Do…you know when you'll be leaving?" she asked timidly.
"Hm?" The redheaded navigator glanced over her shoulder before coming to an abrupt halt, her hold on X's arm stopping him as well. "Oh! I'm sorry, senpai! Did you ask me a question?"
"It's okay, Shortwave," Layer said, then blinked as she realized that she'd never directly addressed her newest colleague by name before. "I…was actually asking the both of you if you know when you'll be leaving for Dr. Light's lab."
X and Shortwave looked at each other before she nodded, apparently giving up the proverbial floor to her hunter. "We're planning on leaving later this afternoon," he told his violet-haired comrade. "I'll be teleporting us to the last known coordinates of Doctor Cain's excavation and starting from there."
"I've recorded all the notes I can," Shortwave added with an unconscious squeeze to X's arm. "That way, he can focus on getting us there safely." She covered a giggle with her free hand. "You could say that I'll be our tour guide."
"That sounds…great," Layer replied, feeling an inexplicable bout of jealousy toward the petite navigator. "I'll hope for your success."
"Oh, we'll be hoping for yours, too!" Shortwave squealed, releasing X's arm just long enough to give her surprised senior a brief hug. "I'm really excited for you!"
They reached the redheaded navigator's quarters, and Layer couldn't help but notice the way that Shortwave looked up at X as they entered her quarters.
It was then that she realized the reason for her jealousy: She wanted to be a support to Zero the way Shortwave was to X, both on the job and in life.
Signas watched his subordinates slowly leave Engineering, traveling in pairs save for Zero and Layer. The moment the door closed behind them, he leaned heavily on a nearby table and released a heavy sigh.
"You gonna be okay, Boss?"
He looked over at the engineer's concerned expression and sighed again. "I do not like what I had to do." He straightened to face his colleague…and friend. "Part of me believes that their failure is my failure, regardless of my previous words. As their commanding officer, I believe that it is my job to model how Maverick Hunter Headquarters staff members are supposed to conduct themselves." He made his way over to the pods containing Axl and Pallette and gently laid a hand on each of them. "To me, their conduct is a direct reflection on the example that I have modeled for them."
A clap on the back of his shoulder drew his attention to the understanding smile of the chief engineer, who had moved to stand next to him. "Signas, I'll never know what it's like to have your level of responsibility, and I'm okay with that. That being said…" He gave the taller Reploid a couple more claps to the back. "Our job is to do what you tell us, and these two do that really well. As far as this…?" He waved a hand at the pods. "Well, sometimes, some of us have to do something really stupid in order to learn."
Signas chuckled lightly at his friend's words. "Thank you, Douglas; that does help." He briefly looked at the pods again before shifting his gaze upward to the computer that held his subordinates' programs. "How are they?"
Douglas quickly moved to a nearby terminal and tapped a few keys before grunting approvingly. "From what I can tell, they're doing fine; it looks like they're getting settled in."
"That's comforting to know, thank you." Signas looked down to study the pods for a moment longer before giving them each a pat and stepping away. "I will be in my quarters, Chief Engineer. Thank you for your time and…trouble."
"No problem, Boss," Douglas replied while giving his superior a thumbs-up. "You need anything, you know where to find me."
"Indeed. Have a pleasant day." With that, Signas turned and headed toward the exit, the heavy double-doors opening at his approach, then clanking shut behind him.
As he watched his CO leave, Douglas gave a small sigh before shifting his focus to the important task of caring for his friends.
It was a noticeably smaller group that stood in front of Maverick Hunter Headquarters later that day; the absence of Pallette and Axl was very noticeable to all present, but those in attendance had managed to put their feelings aside long enough to see X and Shortwave off on their journey find the lab of his late creator.
"Good luck on your journey, Hunter Commander, Navigator," Signas said to the pair. "We will keep a launch pad free at all times, should you require an emergency teleport."
"Thank you, sir," X replied.
"Are you sure you have everything you need?" Alia asked, unconsciously squeezing her husband's arm. "I know that you can return at any time, but I'd hate for you to find out that you need something but don't have it."
"We'll be fine, ma'am," Shortwave replied as she indicated the backpack that she wore as she patted a similar one on X's back. "We were ready before the commander gave us his approval."
"That's good to know."
Shortwave sent her a bright and confident smile before turning her attention to Layer. "I'm sorry we'll miss seeing you off," she told her violet-haired senior. "Like I told Alia; we're ready and really want to get started."
"I understand," the shapely Reploid replied with a delicate wave of her hand. "One of us would have missed seeing the other off, anyway."
"That's true," the shorter redhead giggled.
"Good luck on your own journey, Layer," X said with a warm smile. "I hope you find what you're looking for."
"I'm not sure what I'll be looking for," Layer admitted with a giggle, "but thank you for your well-wishes."
"X." Everyone grew silent as Zero approached the pair and extended a hand in a familiar 'warrior's' gesture. "Be careful out there, okay?"
X's smile broadened as he reached out and gripped his friend's hand. "I will. Take it easy."
The red-clad warrior held X's gaze for a moment longer before pulling his surprised friend into a buddy hug, clapping him on the back of his shoulders with his free hand. Before anyone else could register surprise, he released X and stepped back again. "I'll hold down the fort until you get back."
"S-Sure…" X stammered, still recovering from his friend's unexpected gesture. "Thanks." He blinked a couple of times before looking back to a wide-eyed Shortwave. "Ready?"
The short redhead blinked a couple of times as well before stepping up to her hunter's side. "Ready, X."
"Have fun out there," Max called with a wave of his hand.
X chuckled at the human's words as he lifted a hand in response. Turning serious again, he addressed his commander. "Hunter Commander X and Navigator Shortwave; requesting permission to teleport, sir."
"Granted," Signas intoned. After a brief glance at Max he added, "Have…fun out there."
X and Shortwave exchanged an amused grin before she replied. "We'll do our best, sir."
X took a moment to survey the group once more before addressing his navigator. "Stand close to me; I'll need to make sure you're in my teleport field."
Shortwave's eyes widened to nearly the size of saucers, and with an eager smile she quickly latched onto him, wrapping her arms around his torso as she pressed herself into him; with the way that she was holding him, they looked very much like a couple.
X looked down at his admirer with a sigh and a wry smile. "Well, I guess that'll work." Even though she'd made her feelings toward him abundantly clear, he still wasn't sure what to think or to do about them. "X and Shortwave out," he announced before shifting his arm into the X-Buster as a safety precaution; he then activated his teleporter, turning the pair into a single beam of light that shot upward, quickly disappearing into the vast, blue sky.
"Awesome…" Max breathed at the sight, eliciting amused smiles from the Reploids present; for them, teleportation was just a way of life, but they could understand their human guest's fascination.
A heavy sigh distracted them from their amusement, however. "I guess I'm as ready as I'll ever be," Layer said quietly as she slowly made her way to the edge of the group and away from Maverick Hunter Headquarters. "If I don't leave now, I'll probably start making excuses to put it off."
"Do you have everything you need?" Signas asked with a rare puzzled expression, noting her lack of luggage, even a handbag.
"No," she replied with a shake of her head for emphasis. "I'm looking for a new 'me', and I don't want to bring anything that could…" She angled her head, trying to find the right words. "I don't want anything that would keep me from changing the way I might need to."
"I think I get it," Max said with a snap of his fingers. "You're trying to find a new 'you' and don't want anything that would remind you of the old 'you'?"
Layer mulled over his words before nodding thoughtfully. "That's a good way to put it."
Alia sent her husband a smile as she gave his arm a squeeze, causing his cheeks to darken slightly.
As X had before, the violet-haired Reploid briefly regarded the group. "I know I won't be gone for very long, but I'll miss you all."
"Your absence will be felt by us as well, Layer," Signas intoned, surprising the others with the informal way in which he addressed his subordinate. "May you find success in your endeavor."
"Thank you, Commander." After a lingering glance at Zero, Layer hesitantly turned and headed away from Maverick Hunter Headquarters. Her home. "See you soon."
"Good luck out there!" Max called with a wave as he followed others headed back inside; they still had jobs to do, after all.
Layer returned his wave with a smile before turning to head toward the nearest bus stop, committing fully to her journey of discovery.
A/N: If you'd like an idea of what Shortwave looks like, I've used Gab's AI 'Gabby' to create a rough image of her. You can view it on my Gab page, which is listed on my profile page since this website won't allow me to display it here. -_-