"Uh-huh. He sent his favorite little AI to tell me that? Wouldn't it be more effective to just... never see me again?"

"But that's only the first part of the message."

Now Wayta isn't even trying to hide her frustration as she crosses her arms and blows a strand of hair out of her eyes. "And the second part, bot?"

I relish the fact that she is now in the position that will reduce her ability to get to her weapon the most enough to pardon the slur. "That, and these are his exact words-" At least, the words of the dream he had last night. "Wayta, I hate that these words even need to be said, but they do, if only for my closure." I look Wayta in the eyes, like I imagine Orion would do when delivering such important words- from a human standard. "Wayta, I love you."

At this, a small crack in the Venetian murderess' facade appears, and she steps back ever so slightly.

"Nicholas, now!"

The closet door bursts open and my crew mate comes bounding through my hologram, all but diving down the stairs.

Wayta's eyes snap, like a Venetian lightning storm is taking place in her sockets right now. "Oh, you think you're clever, don't you, robot?"

"Not clever," I counter, still stalling her. "Just aware of certain facts that you aren't. I know my limitations, unlike others. I know that you are a murderer, whether you're in denial about it or not. And I know that my captain will never, ever love you again after what you did to him."

Before I quite know what is happening, Wayta has a gun out from nowhere, and it's aimed at me, shooting and shooting again.

I smile as her blasts ricochet harmlessly off the wall behind me.

Even though I know I'm an AI, and shouldn't actually feel emotions, right now I can't even deny to myself that what the humans call happiness, thrill, and even glee is coursing through my wires to see how much I've unglued this murderess.

Which is something I would dissuade my captain from doing. Thankfully, I'm not carnate right now.

Wayta seems to realize this, because all of a sudden, she holsters her gun, and all her fire is cooled into something much more lethal in her eyes.

Cool determination.

Without another word, Wayta walks past me.

I watch her go. "Nicholas, please tell me you're out."

"Um, I'm out?"

"Okay, now please tell me the truth."

A chuckle rattles through his mind. "I'm out, Alicia Ivy, honest to goodness."

"Okay, I'll be right out."

-Banner by CannibalisticNecroCannibalisticNecro

-Signature by -krystallite