IV || [MxM, Sci Fi]

The Ghost | 5

It was the long break between the shifts; Deck 2 was mostly empty, although he did almost run into a transporter cart on his way down the hallway.

Theseus was a medium-sized vessel with only four decks, but it was still a huge ship, and Ray had no idea where to start looking.

He ran out of breath mid-way through hallway D15 and leaned against the wall, panting heavily.

Androids weren't designed to run; they could only walk, which means Iv should still be somewhere on Deck 2. But androids weren't supposed to disconnect at will too, so Ray wasn't sure if anything he knew about this world was relevant anymore.

Should've at least asked the techie with the transporter if he saw any rogue bots. 

Tech team. Pilots were assigned to the bridge, but copilots were technicians. Ray gasped for air. Techs have permission to hangars and depots, that's Deck 1. Only Johanna's team has the authorization to server rooms and the control centers.

Techs have access to engine rooms, too.

He dashed further down the hallway.

Ray's access code only worked for the main hall of this facility; he prayed his guesses were correct, and that he wasn't too late. Theseus was orbiting a large asteroid and mostly drifting, so the chances someone from the crew would be here for the idle engines were slim.

It was a leveled room with spiraling ramps, massive shafts, and pocket doors with multiple caution signs on each. He looked around. Lower levels seemingly had more doors, so he rushed down the ramps.

"Stay right there!"

The android glared at him over the shoulder, then turned away and proceeded towards the shaft entrance.

"Iv, stop! Please don't do this! I need to know what happened to Damian! I still need the..."

There, it struck him like lightning. The true reason behind Iv being in the escape pod.

He bolted down the ramp as if he ran for his life; the last level separating them was a bit too high, but Ray had no time for this. He jumped down over the railing, and yanked Iv back to the hall right before the door to the shaft closed.

The next thing he learned was that his landing didn't go as smoothly as he anticipated, as sharp pain cut through his ankle. 

He howled and tripped, crashing on the floor, dragging Iv down too. There he realized Iv wasn't putting up any fight, or moving at all, and let go of him.

They were sitting on the sofa in Ray's lab, Iv in one corner, hugging his knees as usual, Ray in the opposite, bandaging the sprained ankle. 

Neither spoke a single word since they left the engine room.

Ray closed the lid on the first aid kit, but had a second thought and took another blister of painkiller out before tossing the box back under the sofa. He dry swallowed the pill since the water tap was too far away; then tried stretching the leg, and instantly regretted it.

Cold stars watched them sitting in silence for a while from the viewport, until Iv's voice, crisp but apathetic as usual, broke it.

"Why did you do it? It would have solved the issue for both of us."

"You know the temperature in the shaft wouldn't be enough to melt your hardware, right," Ray sighed.

"It would have been just enough. If my organic component is damaged, the system will initiate a shutdown and eliminate everything. Damian called it a 'gift'."