Tempest

3 - Reminiscence

Over the course of the next day, KT was quite confused as to why Pilot Four would not come to see her when she requested to meet with him. She had wanted to perform a diagnostic, and ensure that their link was undamaged. She was unaware of what side effects the Inferno (as well as being tortured for two years) would have on his mind and neural link.

Alas, he had denied her request. He explained that he was trying to recover, but that story did not align with his actions the previous night, when he had managed to come visit her. She was beginning to suspect that he was distancing himself from her, though she was unaware as to why.

So, she remained in the Titan barracks for the greater part of the day. It wasn't until mid-afternoon that something of interest actually came up.

"KT?"

The Titan turned to see Captain Gates walking towards her. She adjusted her stance so that she was completely facing the officer. "Hello, Captain. How may I be of assistance?"

Gates looked every which way to make certain that they weren't in earshot of any other Titans or personnel. "It's about Four."

KT nodded, glad that someone else had noticed. "His actions have been unusual as of late. They contradict previous behavior that was recorded as being standard before. I have been trying to meet with him today, however he has denied my requests to do so. It is unlike him."

Gates shook her head disappointedly. "You have no idea why, do you?"

She fell silent for a moment. Was the Captain aware of something she was not?

Admitting ignorance, she shook her head. "I cannot determine exactly why Pilot Four would act in this manner."

The Captain looked back into her optics, obviously in a state of both regret and resignation to an unfortunate situation. "He has requested for your link with him to be terminated."

The Titan had no reaction at first. Gates looked into that cracked blue eye of hers, and saw what she could only assume to be a surge of processing power as the Titan struggled to make sense of the information she'd just been told. These were the only moments where she could see a hint of the old KT in this chassis.

"I do not understand. What motivated this decision?"

Gates sighed. "You wouldn't understand, at least I don't think you would anymore. Maybe once you would have."

KT tilted her head. "Have I done something wrong? Did I prompt him to-"

The Captain waved her question aside. "No, you haven't. At least not directly. In fact, he's actually requesting it because he blames himself."

This just furthered KT's confusion. "What does he blame himself for?"

She gestured at the Titan. "For you. He blames himself for what happened to you."

"... Please elaborate."

Gates seemed tired, or maybe just drained. "Half a year after Four was captured, you suppressed your emotional processors because you were hurting too much to properly function."

KT nodded. "Correct."

Gates sat down on the edge of one of the lower storage shelves. "Well, he blames himself for that. You can see why he'd think that way, right?"

KT paused for a moment. "It was my decision to limit my emotional processors, not his. I don't see-"

Gates interrupted, "You're seeing it the way a Titan would assess the situation. Humans don't think the same way you do. In fact," she muttered, "it was you who actually made me realize that. But essentially, he sees himself as an indirect cause in the best case scenario. Worst case scenario, it's all his fault. If he hadn't gone missing, you wouldn't have been so depressed. Doesn't take a scientist to see the connection he's drawn. And I think that the best person to tell him that his assessment is wrong ... is you."