Reverend Shipping's gaze falls on his son. "Is the procedure all right? Is he going to be all right?"

I turn back to Silas Shipping and finish my analysis. "The surgery didn't need to be as intensive as we previously determined. We only needed to remove one arm, and we can repair it easily when we get to earth."

Breathing a sigh of relief, Reverend Shipping leans more heavily onto Rose.

"Alicia Ivy!" Orion's alarmed voice breaks through the comms.

Oh, no. He's upset over the Venetian's demise. Well, he will heal. Just like he has healed from all the deep wounds Wayta has inflicted on him in the past. Or, as much as he has healed, anyway.

"We have an emergency," Orion adds. "I need your assistance right away."

"Oh, no," Reverend Shipping moans. "What have I done, leaving my post?"

"Saved two lives," Rose counters, helping him to sit down at the edge of a third cot.

"You did exactly what was expected of you," I answer, turning on my outside monitor to see Orion better and get an analysis on how much grief I will have to help him through.

The camera trains on where Orion is gripping his cord with one hand despite the fact that it is still securely tied around his waist.

And in his other hand, he is holding Wayta by her waist, her arms around his neck.

My neurons buzz. I should have known that Orion would not let Wayta go bounding into space, even though she belongs in the void that is so symmetrical to her soul. It is against Orion's personality type to not do anything within his power, and a few things that are without it, to prevent such a fate for the Venetian. My analysis should have computed that.

But I suppose I was too focused on the analysis for Silas Shipping to have brought those calculations to my direct focus.

"I'll be there shortly to assist you, captain," I say before beginning to move my physical body toward the medic bay doorway.

"What can I do?" Reverend Shipping asks, looking so strong despite being weak behind his oxygen mask.

"Stay here," I answer just as Rose tells him, "Watch the others."

Then Rose turns to me. "What can I do?"

"Help him watch the others," I answer. "And make sure the door gets sealed behind me."

With that, I open the medic bay and step through to clamber my way down the hallways to the space exit.

When I reach it, I magnetize my boots to the floor and open the shaft.

Space tries to tug my body out to meet Orion, where he is still clinging to the lamprey Venetian.

It's times like this that I wish I was human, and not just a manifestation. Then I would be able to properly title the buzzing in my circuits as some kind of emotion, like anger, distrust, or frustration. I would also be able to properly express it on my face, or clench my fists, or even stomp away. Granted, this android body probably can do all those functions, but as an obedient AI, I must submit to the commands of my programmer and obey the orders of my captain. Unlike a real woman who can get away with insubordination by being dubbed a fickle woman.

SinceI can't resist my captain's orders, I resist the pull of space instead, andactivate the cord to draw Orion and Wayta back in and out of its void.

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