Season 04 - Episode 24

‘now the machine’

It has taken her a little while but Ga has adjusted to her new reality.

After the initial shock of the machine's message she had found herself, for the first time ever, feeling trapped within her room. Instead of being safely insulated from the world outside, she was now confined with some alien creature she couldn't understand.

Then, after what had seemed like hours of paralysis, she had turned to check on the monitors, only to find that the kid had been caught and was in danger. Not only that, but she had also missed some kind of enormous battle on one of The Scapes.

Feeling out of the loop and out of control, panic had overwhelmed her. Ga had dragged her mighty form up and out of her chair, tottering on swollen legs and ankles. The catheter in her penis had tugged painfully but she was powerless to adjust it as the room began to spin around her.

When she awoke on the floor some time later, her lips were wet and something soft was stroking her face. Ga had opened her eyes to find three, strange crawler drones on the floor immediately in front of her face.

All three had long, articulated arms sprouting from their backs. The arm of one terminated in a soft, heated pad which had been tenderly caressing her grey stubbled cheek. Another bore a small sponge with water pumped through it which had been pressed against her lips.

The third crawler drone bore a simple pincer and at first she didn't know what it was for. Then, reaching up in painful stages, her fingertips discovered a neat little dressing applied to a cut on her temple. She had managed to sit and then stand and then sit again, finally back in her chair.

That was several days ago.

She feels much better now.

The machine is on the desk beside her and as she watches the monitors she caresses it idly with her left hand, stroking it along the top. While she was unconscious, the machine was taking steps to get all her plans back on track.

“Ah, Mako,” she says to the machine, still watching the monitors. “You are good. I'm sorry I was going dismantle you, buddy. I really glad I didn't.”

Mako appears to like both its new name and Ga's words as its little red light flashes happily. It hasn't communicated with her directly since making the plea for its life. Since then it has seemed content to simply act and occasionally flash its light.

“So, let's see,” says Ga. “This plan of yours to save the kid looks like it's going to work and should move the plan along up there.”

She drags her eye from the image of a skinny little boy in what looks like dungeon and finds instead an image of a full grown man, hurrying down a dark, narrow passage.

“And you even managed to find the idiot again!” she says happily. “Who as ever, seems to be doing exactly the right thing completely by accident.”

The carrier drone on her desk scuttles into position just before Ga reaches out to take her cup. She drinks deeply then smacks her lips satisfied.

“Right then,” she says, replacing the cup and taking her hand from Mako in order to crack her knuckles and wiggle her fingers. “Time to move things along around here as well. Let's show The Resistance how they're going to win.”

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