It didn’t matter.
She stared at the barren landscape for a moment. The immediate area was a blur, thanks to the speed of their passage, but the more distant portions she could see readily enough. So many small rocks and stones out there, littering the terrain. An infinite number of them, forming a landscape when taken in their entirety. Just like the multitude of humans, cyborgs and robots spread across the solar system, who formed civilization when considered as a whole. Civilization. Sometimes she felt more at ease in the Outlands, surrounded by bioweapons, than in the small bastions of glass and steel—or cargo containers and lean-tos—the humans called civilization. By driving out here, she felt almost like she was going home.
She looked at Will once more. “Thank you.”
“For what?” he asked.
“For everything,” she replied. “For saving me from the trash heap. Introducing me to the Outlands, and the salvaging life. But most importantly, for doing this.” Her gaze took in Horatio. “The two of you risked your lives to return to Rust Town when the bioweapons attacked. After, you stayed on, helping to rebuild the settlement with me. You gave up salvaging for me. And you’re still here, joining me on a mission to restore the city’s water supply.”
“And we could leave at any time,” he grumbled.
“I know,” she said. “Which is why I thank you. Especially considering this is a mission we might not return from.”
Will smiled faintly.
“All of which begs the question, why do you stay?” she pressed. “Not that I don’t appreciate it, but… well, you don’t owe me anything. In fact, if anyone is the debtor here, it’s me.”
“We couldn’t abandon you now,” Will said. “Not when you needed us most. Brothers… sisters… they’ve got each other’s backs. If we needed you, you’d be right there for us. Just like you were in the Outlands, when we were battling bioweapons, and it seemed like there was no hope. When it seemed like we’d never get out of those dark caves, never see the light of day again. But we did it. Because we stuck together. Because we were there for each other. And I’ll be damned if I leave you now. Besides, I’m sure I speak for Horatio when I say this, but someone had to protect you from all those lusty Wardenites!”
Horatio turned his polycarbonate head toward her, and those antennae twitched. “He does not speak for me. I wanted the Wardenites to take you and be done with it so we wouldn’t have to worry about you anymore. Just kidding.”
Rhea grinned at the robot, but before Will could comment on the robot’s bad jokes, she gave the human salvager a serious look and said: “Are you certain you’re not staying because of something more?”
“No,” Will said hastily, looking away. “Well, I guess, to be frank, you’re like the little sister I never had. I feel… a bit protective about you. Maybe overprotective at times.”
Horatio studied her. “You asked the original question almost as if you were hoping he would admit to wanting something more.”
Rhea considered that for a moment. “Maybe I do hope for such things, sometimes. But other times, most times, I can’t imagine such a thing: being with someone. At least not at this point in my life.”
“Yeah, that’s kind of hard anyway, without the extensions,” Will said.
“Don’t forget, you promised to give her fifty creds if she didn’t install genital extensions six months after her debt was paid,” Horatio said.
“Yup, and we have another five months to go,” Will said.
“I bet she’s going to hold off until the fifth month,” Horatio said. “Just to get fifty credits out of you. And then as soon as you pay, the next day she’ll make an appointment to have the extensions installed.”
“Probably,” Will agreed.
“I doubt it,” Rhea said. “I like the freedom of not being beholden to anyone, let alone some genital extension. If I install such a thing, I’m worried I won’t be able to control the urges. I remember all the women you had coming up to your room when we first visited Rust Town…”
“Hey, when you travel in the Outlands for months on end, with nothing but a robot companion, a little sexual release is deserved,” Will said.
“How do you know he hasn’t been inviting women to visit him again since we’ve returned?” Horatio asked. “Multiple times. Sometimes in the same night.”
“Hey!” Will said, slapping the robot on the side of the head. “Don’t tell her that!”
“Don’t hit me like that again,” Horatio warned. “Unless you want me to hit back. You wouldn’t like it.”
“I don’t care if he’s been seeing other women, or renting fembots,” Rhea said. “But that’s my point… you’re a slave to your desires. I don’t want to be like that.”
Will stared at the horizon outside. His expression seemed almost yearning. “You’re probably on to something…” He was quiet a moment. “I sometimes wonder what it would be like to transfer my mind into a full body cyborg. That’s my endgame, you know. It’s always been my endgame. It’s everyone’s, whether we like it or not: when we get old enough that death from natural causes becomes a serious issue, it’s the only way to ensure we keep on living. I’m hoping to have enough creds saved up to afford the procedure by then.
“Problem is, I don’t know if I can stay ahead of inflation. Sure, parts go down in price over the years, but no matter how much I’ve made, the cost has always been out of reach. So I guess we’ll see. Still, I’m not sure what’s more troubling to me: the possibility that I can’t afford it, or the off chance that I can. Thinking about losing my body… just ripping my brain out and throwing the rest away, it’s a disturbing thought. You grow attached to your body. Get used to all its scars, and its quirks. Consider it yours, when in truth it’s only a rental.
“When the time finally comes, I’m not
