New Elysium: Breakout

Echoes Part 36

Not again.

Ember pried her eyes open, even without them she could feel Red's presence around her. He was cupping her face, although she couldn't make out what he was saying at first. 

"--can't do this without you." 

His voice permeated her mind, and she realized she was hanging from the cables in her back. It was painful for once, her arms felt wrenched, she must have swung around at some point.

"Ember, come on!" His hands were cupping her face, trying to bring her back. The last time they'd been in this position she'd reacted with shock grabbing his wrist so hard, she'd left her handprint there. 

Who are you?

Her eyes flew open. That was new.  

This is my ship. You are not welcome. Who are you?

"Ember!" At the sight of her open eyes, Red kissed her in relief, but she was too shocked to react. 

"There's someone in here," she gasped. Hello?

What are you doing on my ship? It's mine? Mine!

"What do you mean?" Red held her at arm's length, sitting on his knees in front of her. The ceiling wasn't that high, it wasn't meant for anyone else to stand in here. She felt a little apologetic about asking him to stay in here with her, but he'd already said yes. She wasn't taking it back now. 

"There's another voice, an echo..." She cringed. An echo. Of course, it had to be.

"An echo?" Red's mouth grew still. 

An echo was a person downloaded into the machine. No one truly believed they were alive, at least that was the going theory. There had never been a successful contact and restore. The original idea had been to download a person into an android body, but it had never worked.

"I don't understand," Ember looked at him, sinking down to the floor as she released herself from the restraints. "It's demanding to know why I'm here...on it's ship."

"It?" 

"Well, I can't tell, who it used to be."

"Did you ask?"

Ember closed her eyes for a moment trying to get a sense of the echo she'd heard. The moment she had another voice break in.

"Ember, report!"

Commander Larsson was back and more demanding than ever. "Did you tell her we were all right?"

"No," Red sheepishly admitted. "I barely got everything turned on. And then raced to see if you were ok."

"Red! We have a shipload of passengers, they're probably worried sick." 

Ember opened the channel. "Commander, we're ok, just charging. I lost power and had to turn the ship over to manual. We need to recharge."

"Copy, Ember," Commander Larsson.  "Requesting permission to come aboard. I have medical and food supplies. We thought you might be running low. Wasn't sure what condition we'd find you in."

"She wants to come aboard," Ember turned to Red. "She has supplies."

"Granted," Red sat back and locked his hands on his knees. "She can comfort our unruly passengers."

"Red..."

"Fine," he looked at her. "Ember, I'm not much of a leader... And honestly the New Caledonians. I don't care if I never see them again."

"We'll dock in twenty minutes," the Commander's voice rang out in her head. Ember looked over to Red.

"Twenty minutes and she'll be here."