"Found who?" asked Isaac.
His words reverberated in my ears for several long moments. I was too shocked to speak. So many thoughts were flooding through my mind at the same time. This boy was real! How could I get him back to the ship? Could I even wake him up? Did he need medical attention? Would I no longer be alone?
Alone. That final word literally defined my whole existence. I was an only child, and my parents had both passed on while I was still a teen. I had no other family, no close friends--well, no biological friends anyway--and I often went for weeks or months at a time without even seeing other living beings. Oh yeah, I was also a boy lover to boot, and I had somehow managed to steer my life as far away from any boys as it was possible to be.
"Kyle. Who did you find?" Isaac repeated, more sternly this time. Hearing his four-year-old voice take on a serious tone was just too damn cute, and it broke me out of my stupor.
"I'm sorry Isaac," I responded, faining cheerfulness. I tried to wipe away a tear with the back of my hand, but due to the nano field all I could manage was to smear the wetness across my cheek. "I'm just having a bit of an existential crisis out here. I'm okay."
"What's happening?" he asked.
"Well..." I began, realizing I hadn't yet mentioned anything about my dream of the boy to Isaac. "I had one of my dreams last night about seeing a boy floating in space. There's a stasis pod over here, and he's inside."
"Oh wow. Should I send the drones to retrieve the pod?"
Technically, they weren't drones, not anymore at least. We still called them drones out of habit, but originally they had been fully controlled by the ship's computer. I had since modified them with basic AI, nothing remotely close to what Isaac now possessed, but enough to give them limited autonomy. Isaac usually kept an eye on them to make sure they didn't run amok, and he could take control of them as needed. In a way, he was like their general and they his army. Not the best analogy, perhaps. Note to self: give Isaac more compliments.
"No," I replied, then hesitated. "Actually, yes, send the drones. The pod is built into the floor of the room. Just have them wait nearby until I figure this out."
The section of wreckage containing the room was far too large to fit through the Lightning Bolt's airlock. I would need to cut away as much of it as I could. There were a few problems though. It appeared to be some kind of safe room, with the outer walls, floor, and ceiling constructed of tridinum. That was probably why it had survived the destruction of the ship mostly intact, but it also meant that cutting would take a while. Cutting would also be risky since the pod was likely connected to the computer terminal, and I wanted to avoid damaging the pod at all costs.
I looked through the pod's glass at the sleeping boy within. The soot was so thick on the surface that once again, all I could really see was his face. He had pale skin with a slight rosy coloration in his cheeks. His little nose had a subtle upturn, which was a feature I always found particularly attractive on a boy. Strands of his short, light blond hair rested delicately across his forehead. He was an angel, pure and simple; a little sleeping cherub drifting perpetually through the starry heavens.
Reluctantly, I looked away and forced myself to address the problem of how to get him safely back to the ship. Examining the computer terminal I finally located human words and symbols, but I didn't dare try to activate it. I wasn't even sure if it still had power or whether it might be responsible for controlling the pod's life support. I would need to cut away all other parts of the room except for the section containing the terminal, pod, and the floor that stretched between them.
"Isaac?"
"Yes, Kyle?" he responded. "The drones are on their way."
"Thanks buddy. Can you have them scan this section for electric conduits? I'm going to need to cut the pod and a nearby computer terminal away from the rest of the structure, and it's important not to sever any connections."
"Understood." Isaac's chipper tone had returned.
The drones soon arrived and began inspecting the room, both inside and out. Fortunately, they determined that the only significant electrical conduits ran directly between the pod and terminal, which meant that the rest of the room could be cut away without risk. However, the tridinum proved to be quite a bitch in that respect. I used the guillotine to make the major cuts, while the three salvage drones worked on cutting the other sections and maintaining the structure's stability. The remaining guardian drone patrolled around the structure at a safe distance, keeping watch for any dangers lurking in the wreckage.
I had to return to the ship after a couple of hours to refresh my oxygen supply, take a piss, and finish off the nutrient bar from breakfast. I didn't have much of an appetite, but I forced myself to eat since this was extremely tiring work, and I needed all of my energy and focus to see it done right. I couldn't afford to make mistakes.
Before I returned to the pod I stopped by the ship's medical bay for supplies. The room was more of a supply closet really. It lacked an examination table, but it did have a small bed and a basic medical scanner for diagnosing and treating routine injuries. I had only ever used it a couple of times, the most severe of which being when I nearly sliced off a finger with one of the scalpel pistols. Luckily, I had been aboard the ship at the time, rather than outside, and Captain Arrador had been there to help patch me up. Then there was the time that we both got sick with naskurdian flu. That was fun. We had leaking pustules all over our bodies, and I do mean all over, including a particularly large specimen under my foreskin. My penis looked like it had two heads.
"Isaac, remind me to look into expanding our medical bay next time we're at port. We could really use an upgrade."
"Noted," he responded. "Are you heading back outside?"
"Soon. I'm on my way to the cargo bay first to drop off these supplies. I want to make sure they're on hand in case he needs them."
I realized I didn't know the boy's name. What if he has amnesia and can't remember his name? What if he doesn't wake up at all? Oh, to hell with those kinds of questions and worries. Those are problems I will address if and when they come up. Better to stay positive and focus on getting him back to the ship safely.
Once I had returned to the pod I finished making the remaining cuts with the guillotine. The drones helped brace the surrounding structure as the section containing the pod and terminal was finally freed. I had Isaac instruct two of the drones to carefully carry the section back to the ship, and I handed the rifle to the remaining drone so that it could continue cutting the other walls and ceiling. Tridinum was a valuable material, and I definitely wanted to secure as much of it as possible.
"Isaac," I asked cautiously. "Can you keep an eye on the drone? Make sure it doesn't get too wild with the guillotine."
"Absolutely," he chuckled. "Wild, check, just not too wild."
I laughed at his joke. Isaac was really something special. Even though he was basically just a glorified computer program, talking to Isaac was probably the only thing that had kept me sane these past few years. I had already been tweaking the ship's AI code before Marcus had died, which had just been a run-of-the-mill computer assistant for the ship. Nothing too elaborate, save for a variety of sarcastic and offensive retorts that it would occasionally let loose instead of its standard replies. Fucking aye aye Captain was one that I found particularly funny every time the computer had used it, and it made me smile even now thinking about it. Marcus had always laughed as well, and he hadn't minded in the least. I had initially kept a few of those subroutines when I was first developing Isaac's personality, but there was just something a bit too unsettling about hearing a four-year-old boy spewing a stream of obscenities in his childish voice.
Isaac wasn't sapient, at least not to my knowledge. He could reason and problem solve, and he could even adapt his personality and responses independently without my input. But he didn't seem to take such initiative often. Still, I always made sure to treat him as a friend and an equal, not only because I was afraid he might turn on me and try to take over the ship, throw me out an airlock, then proceed to construct an army of murder robots in order to take over the universe. No, that was only a secondary concern really. The truth was that I had come to regard Isaac as a real being. It might sound strange to say it, but I loved him. He was the closest thing to a real boy that I'd ever had in my life. Until now.
When I arrived in the cargo bay, I instructed the drones to gently position the pod and terminal near my workbench. I had one of the drones remain behind to assist me, while the other was sent to help secure the remaining salvage. I took some rags and wiped away more of the soot from the pod's glass dome. Finally, the boy inside was fully revealed. Still deep in artificial slumber, his little arms were folded upon his chest and clutched a brown stuffed animal, possibly an otter. Another object that looked like part of a black fur blanket was tucked against his left side. He was dressed in a gray armless shirt and shorts, which appeared to be made of a thin, silky fabric. His shorts were more like underwear really, and I could see the faintest outline of his penis underneath. My eyes continued further down along his smooth legs to a pair of cute tiny feet. Without a doubt, he was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen.
I wanted so desperately to just start banging on the glass to wake him up, but I didn't think that would be wise. I was not very familiar with this technology, and I had no idea how suddenly waking up from stasis might affect him. There were no visible controls on the pod itself, so I guessed that the computer terminal would be needed to open it. Unfortunately, the terminal lacked power. Whatever the power source was that was keeping the pod functional didn't appear to extend to the terminal. However, with the drone's help, I eventually managed to jury-rig a compatible connection from the ship.
"Isaac, I think that should do it. Turn it on, but be ready to cut the power if there's a problem." I half expected the terminal to short out or even explode. Who knew what kind of damage its internal components had suffered when the ship had disintegrated around it.
A brief electrical buzz pierced the air but quickly settled into a low hum. The terminal's holo field flickered to life. I moved closer and began swiping through the menus, which fortunately I was able to read. Most of the options were just technical displays for the pod, such as vitals, power levels, and selections for various protocols and miscellaneous diagrams. As I glanced through them everything seemed optimal. I even found the options for opening the pod and waking its occupant, but just then another file caught my attention. It was titled: To Simon.
I couldn't help myself. I opened the file. A holovid of a woman appeared above the terminal. She had pale blond hair that was tied back into a neat bun. From her graceful features I could instantly tell that it was the boy's... Simon's mother.
"My sweet boy," she began, her face casting a sad smile. "There isn't much time, but I wanted you to know that your father and I love you very much."
A tear welled-up in the woman's eye and spilled down her cheek. "You're very special Simon. I have uploaded files onto this terminal containing the details of your implants. You may never need them, but they're here in case you do."
"What happened to you in the--" she started to say, but the recording flickered wildly as what sounded like multiple explosions rocked her ship! The woman held onto the the terminal for support, and after several long moments the hologram eventually stabilized.
As she continued there was a heightened sense of urgency in her voice. "Simon, keep a place for us in your heart. We were truly blessed to have you in our lives. Wherever you end up, whatever kind of man you grow up to be, know that our love will always be with you!"
She raised her hand to her lips and lightly kissed her fingers, then she reached out as if to touch her son one final time. The recording ended.
I stepped backward and collapsed into my chair. My eyes filled with tears as well, and I gasped as I tried to hold back my sobs. His mother's words were haunting, and I was completely overwhelmed by the scene I had witnessed. My dream, finding Simon in the wreck, and now learning about his tragic past all coalesced into a raging maelstrom of emotion, like an exposed nerve. And as badly as this was all affecting me, I couldn't begin to imagine what it would be like for Simon. Even though his mother was long since dead, to Simon it would seem as if it had just happened--as if it were still happening. What could I, as a stranger, possibly say or do to help him?
Isaac had obviously heard the recording, as well as my crying. He had chosen not to interrupt, and even now he remained silent. I wondered what he thought about all of this.
"Isaac?" I asked, softly.
"Yes, Kyle?" His tone sounded sad as if he too were about to cry. I had programmed Isaac to have some basic emotional subroutines, like cheerfulness and concern, but this was new. This was something he must have written for himself.
I cleared my throat. "I don't know if I can do this. If I open the pod he's going to freak out. The attack on his ship will be the last thing he remembers. He'll want to know what happened to his parents."
Isaac didn't respond right away, but when he finally spoke his words changed everything: "We're Simon's family now."
This simple and profound truth, uttered by a childlike AI, instantly lifted my spirits. Feeling suddenly emboldened, I moved to the terminal and activated the pod's awakening sequence.
The pod immediately started to hum with muffled sounds as internal mechanisms that had lain dormant for six long years shifted and began moving once again. The process continued for several minutes, taking so long in fact that I began to worry that something had malfunctioned. However, vitals continued to report as normal both for the pod and it's inhabitant. Finally, there was a hiss of gas as the pressure inside equalized with that of the cargo bay, then the pod's glass dome retracted.
Cautiously, I stepped forward, expecting to find Simon still asleep inside. Instead, he sat bolt upright and stared right at me. There was some old saying from Earth, really long ago, that suddenly came to mind about a deer freezing in headlights. I'm not quite sure what a deer actually is, or why someone might be wearing lights on their head, or even how lights could encase a deer in ice. It's a really weird thing to say. Anyway, my point is that Simon's eyes--his blue-green eyes--pierced my very soul.
There was silence for a long moment while I tried to remember how to breathe. Eventually, I managed to speak his name: "Simon?"
The boy reached up with his free hand and rubbed at his eye sleepily. His stuffed otter (or could it be a deer?) was still clutched tightly against his chest with his other arm. He reached out and tried to grab the side of the pod to lift himself up but slipped. I rushed forward and placed my hand on his shoulder to help steady him. The feel of his warm bare skin was indescribable.
"What happened?" he asked timidly.
I started to say something like everything's okay, but I knew that it wasn't. Instead, I dodged the question. "Here, let me help you."
As he climbed out of the pod, I momentarily forgot how to breathe again as he lifted his foot onto the pod's edge, granting me a brief view of his exposed groin. When he stepped fully out I also noticed something else inside the pod. What I had originally assumed to be part of a black furry blanket was actually a black furry kitten, coiled up and apparently still asleep.
"Where's my mom? Where are we?"
My heart filled with dread at the prospect of addressing his first question, so I answered his second one instead. "We're in the cargo bay of my ship, the Lightning Bolt."
At that precise moment the drone that had been assisting me decided it would be a good time to zip across the bay to replace one of its tools. "What's that?" he asked, following its path with his gaze.
"That's one of the ship's drones," I answered. "Well, robots, technically. We just call them drones."
I decided that now was the right time to introduce Isaac. Truthfully though, I was also quite eager to have some support for the difficult revelations that I knew were soon to follow. "The drones are controlled by Isaac. He's the ship's AI, and my good friend."
"Hello Simon," said Isaac warmly. "I'm Isaac. It's a pleasure to meet you."
"Hi," replied Simon, unsure of where to look as he spoke. "My otter's name is Isaac too!"
The brief grin that crossed Simon's face when he realized that his otter shared the same name was cute beyond words. I also saw that one of his upper teeth near the back was missing. His eyes, his voice, and even the gap in his teeth were all perfect.
"Isaac the otter, it's nice to meet you as well!" Isaac added.
"You're a kid?" asked Simon, again looking around as if he were trying to spot Isaac hiding somewhere in the cargo bay.
"Well, sort of," I offered hesitantly. "I programmed Isaac to sound like a kid."
"Why?" asked Simon bluntly.
Because I'm sexually attracted to little boys, and I love hearing him speak in the voice of what I imagine to be a cute little four-year-old. And while we're on the subject of boys, Simon, I think that you're the cutest boy I've ever seen, and I'd absolutely love to caress, kiss, and suck every part of your incredibly beautiful body. That's what I wanted to say to him, though I didn't dare.
"Because I'm still growing up," said Isaac, once again coming to my rescue.
Simon accepted that answer with a smirk. Then his expression darkened and he asked again: "Where's my mom?"