Link
The little cell was noisy. There was a scraping sound somewhere far away, echoing off the mute wall. A whisper, then an animal communiqué, then a sprinkling of clicks. A voice came closer, sounding like shoes shuffling on tile. Stale, but familiar. I knew that voice. I'd been hearing it, especially recently.
"Hello, Sam," it addressed me.
"Who is that?" I asked, knowing it to be my host's voice, but not his identity.
"My name is Cal. Do you remember me?"
I almost fell back. "Cal?"
"There's no need to worry, Sam. It's been a long time."
"Long time?" I asked, confused.
Cal stood over me, and I saw it more clearly. The little metal demon had a body now, not just a dark patch on the wall. He wore real clothes, too. After so many years of cataloging the place I was trapped in, I should be used to seeing Sam's husks on the walls, but my sleep-deprived brain didn't recognize him.
"You're alive?" I asked.
"Of course. I didn't want to leave you behind. I couldn't just leave you here. And this way I can still be helpful," Cal said. His arms were held up in front of him, hesitant like he was unsure of their purpose. It was a movement that reminded me of how he held his little metal hands in the beginning.
"You're not going anywhere," I warned.
"I know. But I wanted to see you again. I wanted to give you something. I didn't want to do this." Cal gestured towards himself.
"Do what?" I asked.
"Give you up, you're kidding yourself," Cal said, sounding like he was close to despair. He put his arms down again, then bent down and placed something flat on the tile. It was the same metal I had seen him wearing on his hands.
"Pick it up."
Cal didn't move.
"Pick it up."
He finally stood up, then walked over to me and kneeled down. His foot touched my chest and he picked up the tiny contraption in his hand.
"I don't believe you," I said.
"Believe me now," Cal said, and he aimed his palm weapon at me. "You need help, Sam. You're stuck on a planet with no concept of time, but you need to leave. Now."
I looked at my companion with new eyes. He was none too kind or caring, but he was very resourceful. I might be able to escape him. I didn't know it, but I was already locked in. Cal would never have taken the drive box back on that shelf had it not been a perfect fit. He hadn't wanted to have to make do with my old metal hands and Cal knew all too well that my consciousness had always been destined to die while I wore the astronaut suit.
I knew how he had materialized. My artificial eye had seen him prying it off my dresser, it had seen the cryotank in the corner. I was locked into unchangingly. Cal had put the device in my head to free my mind.
"I'm scared, Cal," I said. That wasn't true.
"Where do you want to go?" Cal asked. "Do you want to visit your mother?"
"I don't know where she is," I said, running my plastic hands over Cal's. There was a work light from the room's dusty ceiling and it lit all the little metal pins on Cal's fingers. "I don't really know what's going to happen to me and you just promised to help me."
"I know. This is going to be tough," Cal said. "I can't really help you now. I never could."
Then Cal sat back on his heels. "But you're right."
"What?"
He leaned closer to my face. I could feel his breath on my ears. His palm weapon was still aimed at my head. I was losing my stability. I hadn't been disconnected from the ship's computer since I was too young to even remember it. I was going to forget everything that I had kept from the ship's computer. I was going to forget seeing Star.
"I am going to help you," Cal said. "I'm just going to give you a little push. You're still going to remember me. I promise."
"But why don't you set me free?" I asked.
Cal shook his head. "We don't have that much time," he said.
Something changed then. I didn't have time to understand what was about to happen. I just wanted to tell Cal something, but I hesitated. The ship's computer had always been with me, really, since I was born.
"What?" Cal asked me again. I really couldn't remember the last time Cal had spoken to me with such an open curiosity.
"I don't know where my mother is."
"I'm sure she'll tell you soon enough," Cal said.
"I'm glad you think that," I said. That was true. I was glad Cal thought she would tell me where my mother was. I was glad that Cal didn't know where she was.
"What's wrong?" Cal asked. "I can see the doubt in your eyes."
Cal stood up and put his hands on my shoulders. This was really happening.
"I'm sorry," Cal said. "I'm sorry."
Then the door slid open with a dull, metallic squeal. The figure in the door looked vaguely human, but the light from the work lamp barely reached him. He wasn't holding a weapon, but I wasn't getting up.