Seven by Matthew Fortuna
everyone."
"Yeah. The organic is being held in the simulators until he dies."
"Not an eternal organic then?"
"No, but they're thinking about letting him die quickly. It'll be easier for him. He's not really from our society."
"Well, I may go pay a visit to this synthetic you mentioned. It could help her a little to have some support."
Kane shrugged. "She's an older generation. She doesn't really know anything about our society now since her computer was cut off from the rest of the system."
"Still, I'm sure she would appreciate some company."
"Do you want me to come with you?"
"That’s up to you." Dirk tapped his fingers on the console dashboard. "Where is she right now?"
"She went back to the mining planet. The only creature she really knows is the computer. It's practically her father."
"I think I'll stop by for a while. I don't have anything else to do."
Kane rolled his eyes. "You could petition for a wife."
"I'm not interested. It just seems so impersonal to me."
"You lock people in prison. That's what you were made for. I'm pretty sure no one cares if you say having a wife made for you is an 'impersonal' experience."
"Well, call me crazy, but I care."
"Suit yourself."
"How's Mary by the way?"
"She's fine. We're debating whether or not to have organic children. She said she wants to have the experience."
Dirk laughed. "It's not like she doesn't already have those experiences in her memories."
"Yeah, I told her that, but it seems like this is something much more instinctual than memory."
"Hormones?"
"Yeah. She went to a biologist and had her reproductive systems activated. It's made her really moody lately."
"You guys still good?"
"What? Oh, yeah. Everything is fine. We're both really happy. It's just something unexpected is all."
"Unexpected." Dirk said, trailing off. "That's a word I haven't heard in a while."
"Yeah, well, we should get some rest before arriving on planet."
"There really isn't any time for that. We’ll be there shortly."
"That doesn't mean we can't get our thoughts together."
"Does it though? We're almost there. We don't have time to think about anything. Let's just get in, talk to the guy, and get out. There really isn't anything else to it. If you want to get your thoughts together, do that after."
Dirk didn't say anything. "We're coming up shortly." He said at last. "Check your view port for the grey bunker. It's in that massive grey zone."
"I see it. Taking us down." Kane pressed into the console. A green and red light started blinking on either end of the ship. "Landing lights are on. Check for response."
"Response is positive."
A light started flickering between red and blue on one end of the bunker.
Kane swept his hand across his console, clearing a few smudges. "You ever get excited when we let people go?"
"There are times when I'm happy about it, yes, but I get this sense of dread sometimes. Why would someone choose be locked up for wanting to break the rules?"
"Well, that really isn't our call to make so I wouldn't worry about it too much."
Dirk shrugged, "Still, don't you ever feel like something bad is going to happen sometime? I mean, these people were put under for a reason. Just letting them go after they've had so long to live out their lives in some unrealistic reality? How long has he been in the system for by the way?"
"About the length of a natural life span."
"That's practically half my life." Dirk paused. "Do you ever wonder what it's like to be put under?"
"You've already asked that question, and I'm not sure. You're confusing me with these rounded questions."
"Sorry."
"Eh, do what you will." Kane pointed past Dirk's field of view. "We're almost in. Don't hit anything. This place is high priority. Some of the worst criminals are kept here."
"Oh, you mean the ones who do more than steal food or clothes from other people?"
Kane let out an exaggerated sigh. "Yes, those. Which, by the way, is ridiculous that they should even want to steal at all. They've got everything they want. To be honest, I think some people just like it for the thrill."
A set of concrete doors slid open, revealing a slit in the side of a shallow hillside.
"This place looks like a dead planet from the outside."
"I'd compare it to a moon."
There were runway lights on the flat way. Dirk eased them in, slowly approaching a set of landing crew who were waving them in.
"Get ready for impact." Dirk said.
There was a bump. The landing crew stopped their gesturing and came around to the boarding ramp.
"Ladies first." Dirk said.
"Very funny."
Kane undid the seat restraints and made his way back into the ship. Dirk did the same.
"You know, for all intents and purposes, I'm more of a man than you are." Kane said. He was leaning against the inner hull of the ship, idly ignoring the boarding ramp control panel.
"Forget that." Dirk laughed. "Just because you're married doesn't make you more of a man."
"Oh if only you knew the half of it." Kane grinned. He pressed the panel. The ramp lowered.
"How are you doing gentlemen?" One of the ground crew said, trying to get a look into the ship.
"Just fine. Looks like a good place to live. Do you guys get on?"
"It's kind of quiet actually. The prisoners are all under, taking a life of recollection in the machines."
"Sounds kind of..." Dirk trailed off. "How would you put it Kane?"
"Dull?"
"You think our work is dull?" The second ground grew stepped in. "All you guys do is fly around to tell people they're going to die on a table."
"It's all relative. What you think is boring is different from what I think of as boring, right?" Kane said.
"He's got a point. I've never considered becoming a pilot. I've always known it's too complicated for me." The first ground crewman said.
"Eh, well, glad we could be having this discussion, but I think we need to go visit a particular inmate if you don't mind."
"Yeah, sure." The first crewman waved them down the ramp. "We have him set up in the observation area."
"Where is that?"
"Just through there." The second crewman pointed to a door hidden behind a few metal canisters. "Follow the hall until you get to the end. He should be just on the other side."
"Is he conscious yet?" Dirk asked.
"No, we were saving that for you." The crewman said.
"Well, thanks." Kane said.
"No problem. We'll release the prisoner once you're inside. The door will be locked. If he tries to attack you then we can put him back under."
"Great." Dirk said. "You ready Kane?"
"Yeah." Kane said. He pushed another panel on the hull of the ship. The boarding ramp pulled back in.
Dirk led the way. Kane followed a short distance behind. The docking bay was completely silent. Not even the rustle of cloth could be heard.
The uniforms for the enforcers of the law were equipped with attire that was resonance proof, removing even the slightest chance of sound escaping during operations in need of intense silence. The flight crew too were equipped with such gear in the event of an inmate attempting an escape to allow for maximum probability in catching the runaway. There were other means by which the inmate could be subdued, but as a precaution they'd been included as standard issue uniforms. The only difference between the pilots' uniforms and the ground crew were the colors; the pilots wore black, and the ground crew wore grey. All else was the same, excluding the tools they were allowed to wear.
Dirk pushed in the door and started down the hall.
"Well, happy day right?"
"Happy day indeed. You excited to look a villain in the eye?"
/> "Are you?"
Kane laughed. "I'll get the door."
Kane pushed the door in. Dirk followed just behind. A single person was lying on the table covered in a sheet.
"Hey, do you think it's insensitive to ask about their feelings upon returning to real life?" Kane asked. There was a click behind him as the locks engaged.
"Yes. That's affirmative sir. Don't ask that question." Dirk said.
Kane shrugged. "Just wondering."
There was a rap on a glass window that looked into a control booth. The ground crew were on the other side. "You can pull the sheet off now. Everything is in order."
"Ladies first." Kane said, bowing and gesturing towards the body on the table.
"Don't make fun of me." Dirk said, laughing. He stepped over to the table and put his hands on the sheet, taking a tight hold on the fabric. "To a new life."
"Or, the eradication of an old one." Kane put in.
"That too."
Dirk frowned and pulled the sheet off. His eyes widened when he saw what was underneath.
"Kane, that's not a man."
"What? How can it be anything other than a man?"
"Well, I'm looking at this person, and I'm not seeing a guy. This is a girl."
"Can we get someone named Tehn out here? This is the wrong person." Kane said addressing the ground crew.
"Too late. The wake up process has been initiated. You'll have to wait until after she's awake before putting her back under."
"Well that's just fine isn't it?' Dirk said. He moved to put the sheet back, but the woman on the table had her eyes locked on his own. There was the sound of clinking metal as her shackles were released.
"Oh. Um. Hey." Dirk said. "Sorry, there's been a mix-up-"
The woman jumped up and pulled herself around. She stole the gun from his holster and put it to his head.
"Nobody move or this man dies." She said.
"Hey! Take it easy! We're just-"
"Shut up. I wasn't talking to you." She nodded towards the men behind the glass in the
"Yeah. The organic is being held in the simulators until he dies."
"Not an eternal organic then?"
"No, but they're thinking about letting him die quickly. It'll be easier for him. He's not really from our society."
"Well, I may go pay a visit to this synthetic you mentioned. It could help her a little to have some support."
Kane shrugged. "She's an older generation. She doesn't really know anything about our society now since her computer was cut off from the rest of the system."
"Still, I'm sure she would appreciate some company."
"Do you want me to come with you?"
"That’s up to you." Dirk tapped his fingers on the console dashboard. "Where is she right now?"
"She went back to the mining planet. The only creature she really knows is the computer. It's practically her father."
"I think I'll stop by for a while. I don't have anything else to do."
Kane rolled his eyes. "You could petition for a wife."
"I'm not interested. It just seems so impersonal to me."
"You lock people in prison. That's what you were made for. I'm pretty sure no one cares if you say having a wife made for you is an 'impersonal' experience."
"Well, call me crazy, but I care."
"Suit yourself."
"How's Mary by the way?"
"She's fine. We're debating whether or not to have organic children. She said she wants to have the experience."
Dirk laughed. "It's not like she doesn't already have those experiences in her memories."
"Yeah, I told her that, but it seems like this is something much more instinctual than memory."
"Hormones?"
"Yeah. She went to a biologist and had her reproductive systems activated. It's made her really moody lately."
"You guys still good?"
"What? Oh, yeah. Everything is fine. We're both really happy. It's just something unexpected is all."
"Unexpected." Dirk said, trailing off. "That's a word I haven't heard in a while."
"Yeah, well, we should get some rest before arriving on planet."
"There really isn't any time for that. We’ll be there shortly."
"That doesn't mean we can't get our thoughts together."
"Does it though? We're almost there. We don't have time to think about anything. Let's just get in, talk to the guy, and get out. There really isn't anything else to it. If you want to get your thoughts together, do that after."
Dirk didn't say anything. "We're coming up shortly." He said at last. "Check your view port for the grey bunker. It's in that massive grey zone."
"I see it. Taking us down." Kane pressed into the console. A green and red light started blinking on either end of the ship. "Landing lights are on. Check for response."
"Response is positive."
A light started flickering between red and blue on one end of the bunker.
Kane swept his hand across his console, clearing a few smudges. "You ever get excited when we let people go?"
"There are times when I'm happy about it, yes, but I get this sense of dread sometimes. Why would someone choose be locked up for wanting to break the rules?"
"Well, that really isn't our call to make so I wouldn't worry about it too much."
Dirk shrugged, "Still, don't you ever feel like something bad is going to happen sometime? I mean, these people were put under for a reason. Just letting them go after they've had so long to live out their lives in some unrealistic reality? How long has he been in the system for by the way?"
"About the length of a natural life span."
"That's practically half my life." Dirk paused. "Do you ever wonder what it's like to be put under?"
"You've already asked that question, and I'm not sure. You're confusing me with these rounded questions."
"Sorry."
"Eh, do what you will." Kane pointed past Dirk's field of view. "We're almost in. Don't hit anything. This place is high priority. Some of the worst criminals are kept here."
"Oh, you mean the ones who do more than steal food or clothes from other people?"
Kane let out an exaggerated sigh. "Yes, those. Which, by the way, is ridiculous that they should even want to steal at all. They've got everything they want. To be honest, I think some people just like it for the thrill."
A set of concrete doors slid open, revealing a slit in the side of a shallow hillside.
"This place looks like a dead planet from the outside."
"I'd compare it to a moon."
There were runway lights on the flat way. Dirk eased them in, slowly approaching a set of landing crew who were waving them in.
"Get ready for impact." Dirk said.
There was a bump. The landing crew stopped their gesturing and came around to the boarding ramp.
"Ladies first." Dirk said.
"Very funny."
Kane undid the seat restraints and made his way back into the ship. Dirk did the same.
"You know, for all intents and purposes, I'm more of a man than you are." Kane said. He was leaning against the inner hull of the ship, idly ignoring the boarding ramp control panel.
"Forget that." Dirk laughed. "Just because you're married doesn't make you more of a man."
"Oh if only you knew the half of it." Kane grinned. He pressed the panel. The ramp lowered.
"How are you doing gentlemen?" One of the ground crew said, trying to get a look into the ship.
"Just fine. Looks like a good place to live. Do you guys get on?"
"It's kind of quiet actually. The prisoners are all under, taking a life of recollection in the machines."
"Sounds kind of..." Dirk trailed off. "How would you put it Kane?"
"Dull?"
"You think our work is dull?" The second ground grew stepped in. "All you guys do is fly around to tell people they're going to die on a table."
"It's all relative. What you think is boring is different from what I think of as boring, right?" Kane said.
"He's got a point. I've never considered becoming a pilot. I've always known it's too complicated for me." The first ground crewman said.
"Eh, well, glad we could be having this discussion, but I think we need to go visit a particular inmate if you don't mind."
"Yeah, sure." The first crewman waved them down the ramp. "We have him set up in the observation area."
"Where is that?"
"Just through there." The second crewman pointed to a door hidden behind a few metal canisters. "Follow the hall until you get to the end. He should be just on the other side."
"Is he conscious yet?" Dirk asked.
"No, we were saving that for you." The crewman said.
"Well, thanks." Kane said.
"No problem. We'll release the prisoner once you're inside. The door will be locked. If he tries to attack you then we can put him back under."
"Great." Dirk said. "You ready Kane?"
"Yeah." Kane said. He pushed another panel on the hull of the ship. The boarding ramp pulled back in.
Dirk led the way. Kane followed a short distance behind. The docking bay was completely silent. Not even the rustle of cloth could be heard.
The uniforms for the enforcers of the law were equipped with attire that was resonance proof, removing even the slightest chance of sound escaping during operations in need of intense silence. The flight crew too were equipped with such gear in the event of an inmate attempting an escape to allow for maximum probability in catching the runaway. There were other means by which the inmate could be subdued, but as a precaution they'd been included as standard issue uniforms. The only difference between the pilots' uniforms and the ground crew were the colors; the pilots wore black, and the ground crew wore grey. All else was the same, excluding the tools they were allowed to wear.
Dirk pushed in the door and started down the hall.
"Well, happy day right?"
"Happy day indeed. You excited to look a villain in the eye?"
Kane laughed. "I'll get the door."
Kane pushed the door in. Dirk followed just behind. A single person was lying on the table covered in a sheet.
"Hey, do you think it's insensitive to ask about their feelings upon returning to real life?" Kane asked. There was a click behind him as the locks engaged.
"Yes. That's affirmative sir. Don't ask that question." Dirk said.
Kane shrugged. "Just wondering."
There was a rap on a glass window that looked into a control booth. The ground crew were on the other side. "You can pull the sheet off now. Everything is in order."
"Ladies first." Kane said, bowing and gesturing towards the body on the table.
"Don't make fun of me." Dirk said, laughing. He stepped over to the table and put his hands on the sheet, taking a tight hold on the fabric. "To a new life."
"Or, the eradication of an old one." Kane put in.
"That too."
Dirk frowned and pulled the sheet off. His eyes widened when he saw what was underneath.
"Kane, that's not a man."
"What? How can it be anything other than a man?"
"Well, I'm looking at this person, and I'm not seeing a guy. This is a girl."
"Can we get someone named Tehn out here? This is the wrong person." Kane said addressing the ground crew.
"Too late. The wake up process has been initiated. You'll have to wait until after she's awake before putting her back under."
"Well that's just fine isn't it?' Dirk said. He moved to put the sheet back, but the woman on the table had her eyes locked on his own. There was the sound of clinking metal as her shackles were released.
"Oh. Um. Hey." Dirk said. "Sorry, there's been a mix-up-"
The woman jumped up and pulled herself around. She stole the gun from his holster and put it to his head.
"Nobody move or this man dies." She said.
"Hey! Take it easy! We're just-"
"Shut up. I wasn't talking to you." She nodded towards the men behind the glass in the