“911 what is your emergency?”

“Yes thank you! I need a medical transport at The Charles Lindbergh Academy of Flight and Astronomical Sciences immediately!”

“Ok, may I ask the nature of your request?”

“The football team!”

“Yes but what about the football team?”

“I’d like to report fractured skulls, stabbings, shattered ankles, broken legs, a crushed ribcage, broken arms, shattered pelvis, broken backs, and a Directed Energy Weapon wound.”

“…”

“Hello?!”

“Sorry, what exactly happened?”

“A fight! What do you think happened?!”

“Between the players?”

“No, between half the team and one kid.”

“And who is the kid?”

“Why do you need to know?!”

“Sir, if one person did just assault your team, as a dispatcher it is my job to know who did it.”

“His name is Jett Halsey. Now get that transport up here now!”

“How many people should be expected?”

“Sixteen.”

***

Two years earlier. The Academy.

Jett was alone. He walked through the hallways of the school. This wasn’t gonna be a good semester. None of his friends were in any of his classes this time. The only time he got to see anyone was either in the dorms or at flight practice.

He sighed inwardly and outwardly and walked out of the back of the school. He looked toward his shoulder. Though it was covered by a shirt the mechanical appendage still hurt. Only a few months ago did he finish fully recovering from his injuries. Though most of them had been sustained a year ago he’d only just come to terms with the fact he wasn’t human and never had been so to begin with. And he wasn’t quite sure of that.

The point where the arm connected to what remained of his original shoulder still ached terribly. He often couldn’t raise it when he awoke in the morning. The doctors said that the pain was imaginary but it was real all the same. He sighed and stared down at the gun metal surface.

It had not been easy to get used to the new piece. He had to relearn how to use his left arm all over again. His parents had been supportive when they were around but no one was more comforting than Cat. The nights he would wake up crying in pain she was there to sooth him.

At that point she had almost fit into the niche that had been occupied by his mother if however briefly. Cat was now his mother.

He sighed. He missed her terribly. Though Dane helped a little he still missed her soothing voice at night.

Hopefully I won’t run into Ryan today.

Ryan and his goons. ‘Star’ football player. Arrogant, pompous, insolent; the lynch pin of the team. He and his friends were supposedly the best of the best. And they made sure everyone knew it. He wasn’t afraid to brag and boast about how superior he was to everyone else.

And sadly most people ate that shit up like it was a five course meal.

Jett sighed and walked towards one of the rear elevators behind the school. Hopefully he would avoid the football players who all hung around the front of the building. Ever since he showed up at the academy they had done nothing but bully and berate him for looking like a cyborg. He’d done his best to take it but sometimes…

He pulled his bag further up onto his shoulders and continued walking, staring at the ground.

He was almost to the elevator before he smacked into something about six inches taller than him. He slowly looked up and sighed. This wasn’t going to end well.

“Watch where you’re going Robo Shit!”

He sighed and backed up… into two more players.

“Ryan can we not do this today?” He asked, “Please? I’m really not in the mood today.”

“DO I LOOK LIKE I GIVE A SHIT WHAT YOU’RE IN THE MOOD FOR?”

“No.”

“You know boys, I’m not sure that workout was enough today. Still got a few loose muscles,” He flexed his arms for emphasis.

“Yeah Cap, I don’t think weights are enough anymore,” One jock replied.

“I think we need something that requires a little more… activity,” The other said cracking his knuckles.

The android backed up, “Y-you can’t do this. T-The school doesn’t allow bullying!”

“On other students maybe, but not for your kind cyborg freak!”

The android dropped his bag and took off running. He didn’t get very far as he was pull back by the collar of his shirt back behind the school.

“Why can’t you just leave me alone?!” he cried out.

“Because we’re going to teach you a lesson,” Ryan said cracking his knuckles before punching the machine in the face.

***

Present Day. School Gymnasium Number 1.

The lights were off. I sat in a metal chair before an uninteresting desk. I was handcuffed to the chair but at this point it would make little difference if I decided to do anything.

I sighed. This waiting was getting boring. Finally a man approached the desk; Director Dowl.

He sat down on the other side with a pad in his hands. He looked down at it, tapping a few unseen icons and buttons.

“Let the record show that the Seven cooperated completely during the arrest and interrogation,” he said before setting the device down on the desk.

“How long am I gonna be here?” I asked, “I’m getting bored.”

“All you have to do is answer a few questions and we’ll let you go. All you need to know is by the end of this there will be no record of this conversation ever taking place. We were never here and you did not nearly murder half of a football team.”

“Okay,” I said, “I’d like to plead guilty on the last one though.”

Dowl laughed, “As much as that thought amuses me I’m afraid the Navy cannot allow that. You are our most valuable project right now.”

“Glad to see I’m needed.”

“If you must know, that fight did give us valuable into how A.I. Systems react in those situations.”

“I’m glad someone other than those assholes learned something.”

“Oh? And what did they learn?”

“That if they fuck with me again I’ll rip them a new one.”

He laughed, “I’m sure you will.”

Humph.

“Okay, let’s start with some preliminary questions. Sorry, but this is standard procedure.”

“Yeah yeah, you ONI spooks and your protocols,” I sighed.

“Okay. Your name.”

“Jett Halsey.”

“What are you?”

“I am an Android.”

“Name any close family members.”

“Admiral Halsey and the late Caitlyn Halsey.”

“Opinion on football.”

“It can die in fire for all I care.”

“Opinion on food.”

“Not necessary for my survival but I do like to indulge a bit.”

“Favorite foods.”

“I do not have favorites. But I do enjoy pomegranates sometimes.”

“Friends.”

“Dane, Jared, Cody, Josh, Dave, Tim, Zach, Adam, Spitfire.”

“Spitfire?”

“Roommate.”

“Okay.”

“Opinion on friends.”

“Fun to have around. Good because friends have boundaries.”

“Opinion on intimate relationships.”

“Obsolete. Evil.”

“Why?”

“Vulnerability. Let a person burrow deep enough before they rip out your internal organs like a Europan Blood Leach.”

“Okay… Glad we got that sorted out,” The director said as he tapped some buttons on his pad. He looked up at me.

“Can you describe to me the events that led up to the incident that occurred September 21st?”

“Oh sure.”

***

Two Days Ago.

Spitfire sighed, it was gym class today and Jett wasn’t gonna be participating. Instead he sat on the bleachers with is nose in his pad typing away on icons and buttons working on Celestia knows what.

Today they wouldn’t be doing anything. Only the Five Kilometer Run. Easy for Spitfire.

Everyone stood near the edge of the Dome. The circumference was about Five Kilometers so it would suffice for the run.

Everyone stood at a line. A rubber track covered the edge of the dome. Various students stood around waiting for the teacher to say ‘go.’

Spitfire stretched her legs before getting into a starting position.

A boy moved into the lane next to hers. One of the football players all the girls seemed to fawn over.

“Hi,” he said, “I’m Ryan.”

“Spitfire,” she said without looking at him.

A silence followed.

“So…” Ryan began, “You hear Prom is coming up?”

“Nope,” Spitfire said. It was a lie and she knew it. It was all her friends could talk about. Who they were gonna take and who they were hoping would ask them out. A lot of them were drooling over the football team. But considering how much time this guy had spent creeping on her…

“Well it’s midway through October. And there’s another during Spring.”

“Interesting.”

“So are you going with anyone yet?”

“Nope.”

“Cool… Well if you’re not, why not go with me?”

Spitfire sighed, “Why would I want to do that?”

“Because I’m the most popular guy in school and I’m also captain of the football team,” he declared proudly, “You should be honored that I’m asking you.”

“Yeah well no offense Ryan but you kinda come off as a tool.”

The gun went off and everyone started running. Spitfire took an early lead and pulled ahead of the pack, including the cross country runners.

“Ouch dude,” Danny said running up to Ryan, “She shut you down.”

“Shut up Danny.”

“She wasn’t interested?” Chris asked.

“Nah, I think she’s just playing hard to get,” Ryan said, “I need to find out what she likes. What her interests are.”

“Well you better do it fast. Prom shows up faster than you think.”

“I know. There’s got to be someone who knows what she likes, what she does, what her habits are.”

They continued to run.

“Hey look,” Chris pointed. Jett was walking along the track in the opposite direction, his nose still buried in the pad.

“Cyborg boy is rooming with her. Maybe he knows,” Danny said.

“Hmm. Yeah you’re right. Let’s find out just how much he knows.”

***

I sat in the cafeteria looking over the plans. Everything was complete. I closed the window on my pad. The hard copies of the plans were hidden safely in the vents. Now all I had to do was hand this to the Admiral and watch Venus turn back into the fiery hell it once was before humans showed up.

I pulled up another aspect of the plan. The invasion, only to be initiated if anyone survived the initial bombardment with enough resources to stay alive indefinitely. Everything else was set and done; getting past the defenses along the border to the Gauss Batteries in orbit.

Everything was almost finished. I prepped the final file. I removed a small flash drive from my pocket. The device looked like it was nothing more than a light blue, semitransparent piece of glass but it had more than enough space to hold this blueprint on it.

I plugged it in and transferred the file and removed the drive. Everything was on this one piece of glass. With this one plan someone could get past the Venetian defenses and turn the planet to a smoldering ball of glass.

If I am gonna hand this over to the Admiral I should double check it. I plugged the drive back in and pulled up the plan again and began going through it one stage at a time.

I was vaguely aware of a three people sitting down at the table with me. Funny, not expecting Spitfire or Dane.

Whatever. Whoever they are can stay as long as they don’t bother me.

“Hey Robot Boy!”

Oh Fucking Hell.

“What do you want Ryan?” I asked without looking up.

“So you’re rooming with hot stuff?”

“Who exactly is ‘Hot Stuff’?”

“You know! The girl with the flame hair,” Chris said.

“Yes I’m rooming with her, what about it?”

“Well prom is coming up and I want to take her.”

“So ask her,” I said continuing on with my work.

“I did and she’s playing hard to get. I need to know what she likes, what her interests are, you know, the usual shit.”

“Why don’t you find that stuff out the old fashion way?”

“What’s the old fashion way?”

“Why don’t you just get to know her like a normal person?”

“You’re gonna tell me what’s normal?!” he scoffed, “Yeah right. That’s coming from a cyborg freak! Why don’t you just tell me and make this easier?”

“No. If you want her so badly why don’t you talk to her? Or is simple person to person conversation beyond your IQ?”

“No! I- argh! Why can’t you just tell me what she likes?!”

“No. Go find out for yourself. Now go away, I have a planet to destroy.”

He grabbed the pad and pulled it down, “Would you quit it with the high and mighty routine today?! I’m trying to get a prom date and you are not helping!”

“I don’t know why you thought I would help you to begin with.”

“Oh please. It’s the least you could do. After all you owe me big time,” he said smugly.

I slammed the pad down on the table, “EXCUSE ME?! I OWE YOU?!”

“For all the times Danny or Chris wanted to pound your faggot cyborg face in. But I was kind enough to stop them.”

“You know what, I don’t need your shit. You want her so badly?! Go ahead! She’s all yours! Now fuck off.”

I stood up and walked away from the table. STUPID FUCKING ASSHOLE. I OWE HIM?! MAYBE A BULLET TO THE HEAD!

***

“Well that didn’t go well,” Chris said.

“Really? What gave you that idea?” Ryan retorted.

“He’s obviously not gonna say anything.”

“Well we can get the information other ways,” Ryan grinned, “We just have to be more persuasive.”

“You do know it’s been a while since we wailed on him right?”

“What do you think he’s done? Gone out and learned Martial arts or something? He’s too much of a faggoty wimp. Come on, this’ll be easy. You know what? Get as many of the guys as you can, I’m sure they’ll all want in on this. I’ll trail him and when you’ve assembled everyone I’ll tell you where he is.”

“Cool.”

“This is gonna be good.”

***

The mall part of the station was always crowded after school. Spitfire sat down at the table in front of the small café. All around her at the round table were various girls she’d come to meet during her time at the school so far.

There was Annabel, Cleo, Dixie, and Veronica. All of them were talking about one thing; the upcoming prom.

“Oh my gosh! You said yes?” Dixie asked Cleo.

“Yeah. I mean, Hugo is kinda shy. I was beginning to wonder if he was ever gonna ask,” Cleo responded cheerfully.

“So who are you taking Veronica?” Annabel asked.

“I’m going with Calvin,” Veronica said, her elegant voice flowing over the table, “You have a date yet Anna?”

“Not yet, but I’m hoping to go with Caspian.”

Everyone turned to Spitfire who looked preoccupied.

“Hey Spitty you alright?” Dixie asked.

“Yeah you haven’t said a word since we got here,” Cleo added.

“Sorry,” Spitfire said, “Guess I’ve just got some things on my mind is all.”

“Oh?” Annabel grinned, “Like what? Did Mr. Special someone finally ask you out?”

Spitfire blushed, “Stop it. No it’s not that. But someone else did.”

“WHO?” they all asked at once.

Spitfire took a deep breath, “Ryan Kingly.”

“WHAT?!”

“Well what did you say?” Veronica asked.

“You have to tell us!” Dixie practically yelled.

“Was he nice?” Annabel asked.

“I bet he was hot,” Cleo grinned.

“Jeez girls calm down,” Spitfire recovered, “And I said no.”

“What? No?”

“Yes. No. N.O. I just… I don’t want to go with him. He comes off as your typical braggart jock. Full of himself, obnoxious, just plain unpleasant to be around, I mean he has an ego larger than the planet this station orbits.”

“Girl, you just turned down the most popular guy in the school. Nearly every girl in the school wants to be in your position right now,” Dixie said.

“Well most of the other girls come off as stupid,” Spitfire laughed.

“We hear you girl,” Cleo smiled.

“Yeah but the problem is,” Spitfire frowned, “I don’t think he’ll take No for an answer. And I REALLY don’t want to go with him.”

“Well then just go with the guy you want to go with then. I mean who ever says ‘No’ to you is just plain stupid,” Annabel added, “I mean look at you girl. You’ve got the looks, the personality, the body, everything. There are guys in this school who would kill to take you to the prom. Only problem is a lot of them are already taken or just too scared to approach you.”

***

I walked down from the hololab. After testing nearly every possible scenario I could come up with I completed the plan. It was full proof unless Mars decided to randomly declare war on Earth. At that point everyone would be screwed.

I tucked the flash drive safely in my pocket as I walked down the stair case to the lower level of the building.

Suddenly there was a noise. Not loud but a squeak. Like shoes on a tile floor. I turned. No one was there.

Hmm. Probably just the janitor. I turned and started walking again until I came down to a hallway. All along one side were various cases for art projects and things of that nature. At the end of the hallway was the school bulletin board. And farther down was Mr. Ackerson’s office.

***

Spitfire looked up. There was a TV displaying a semi orange semi tan planet. Various mountains and canyons dotted the surface but something about them seemed familiar.

“Now where have I seen that before?” Spitfire asked.

Annabel turned and looked herself, “Well that’s because it’s Venus silly! They think that Venus is the IPA capital.”

“No not that. I’ve seen it somewhere else.”

“Where else then?” Veronica asked.

“My roommate. He had these charts of a planet that looked exactly like… Wait! You said they think the IPA is there?”

“Yeah, it’s their most populated area. The only place they have after Venus is Mercury but that place is barely habitable so not many people live there.”

Oh NO.

Spitfire stood up quickly, “Sorry to cut this short girls but I’ve gotta go!”

She jumped away from the table and took off running towards one of the elevators. She reached it and began frantically pressing the button. Nothing was coming.

“Gah!” She turned and ran for the stair cases. She reached door and forced it open before bounding up the stairs. As she ran she pulled out her phone and made a call.

“Come on Dane pick up!”

“Spitfire! What up?!” Dane’s voice finally came through the speakers.

“Dane no time! I think Jett is going to do something crazy!”

“Define crazy. The guy hasn’t been completely sane for like two weeks. Did you get anything new on him?”

“Yes! I think he’s planning on blowing up Venus!”

“… oh. Well can you explain to me how you came to that conclusion?”

“In our room, he had these plans. These charts. Maps of the surface and the surrounding space,” Spitfire yelled as she climbed the steps, “He marked ways to get passed these stations, and he marked locations on the map before crossing them out with these X’s! That and he was counting weapons from like four hundred years ago!”

“What could be from four hundred years ago and still be via- Shit! He was counting Nukes!”

“Nukes?”

“They were these weapons. One of them has the potential to level a city and cover the surrounding area in radiation. Manufacture of them is banned but there are still massive stockpiles on Earth dating back to the 20th century!”

“What would he do with them?”

“In his state of mind? Probably find a way to get rid of them in a way that would turn Venus into a ball of glass! If he has a plan for that, I’d venture to bet he’d give it to the navy as revenge for Cat’s death! If he gives them those plans, Venus won’t stand a chance in hell! Go find him! Stop him! Talk him out of it! He’ll listen to you! Do something! I’ll be there as soon as I can!”

“Okay.”

Spitfire pocketed the device before continuing up the steps. She’d try the school first. Hopefully she wouldn’t be too late.

***

I walked along hallway. I was almost in front of coach Ackerson’s office when three people came out of a side hallway; great, football players.

I went to move around them only to have three more come out of the locker rooms and stop in front of me. Okay, I’ll just go around them.

I went to walk around them only to be shouldered back. Oh okay. I see how this is gonna go down. I turned around to go out one of the school’s side doors. Only to be met by more football players. I sighed. Great. I was surrounded; in the middle of a circle of 15 football players.

“Ryan!” I yelled, “You really sure you want to do this?”

The crowd in front parted slightly, “That depends, do you? Why don’t you just tell me what I want to know and we only paste you against the wall instead of covering all of the hallway with your guts?”

“How about this? There is a hedgehog cactus in the green house. Why don’t you go impale yourself on it and let me out of here?”

“What’s a wimpy cyborg like you gonna do?” one of the jocks said.

“You really sure you want the answer to that?”

“Listen,” Ryan said, “Just tell me what Spitfire likes so I can bag her for prom night and we won’t have to beat you senseless.”

“And you can go shoot yourself out an airlock ‘cause I’m not talking!”

Ryan sighed, “Grab him.”

Two players instantly were grabbing my arms and pulling me up. Ryan came over and punched in the stomach. Wow, you punched an android.

“Just tell me and with one word this can all be over,” he said.

I sighed, “You’re really gonna make me do this?”

“Just tell me what she likes.”

“I’m not talking about that. There’s not a fucking chance in hell I’ll tell you anything,” I said and spit into his face.

He stood there fuming before wiping his face and punching again, this time harder, “Have fun boys, let me know if he decides to talk.”

“Let me ask you something Ryan!” I yelled as he walked away, “Do you like where your ribs are? Because in the next minute they’re gonna be inside your lungs.”

One player stepped forward cracking his knuckles. Okay. 1 vs. 16, that’s an even fight I’d say.

***

Spitfire ran out of the staircase into the openness of the dome. The light was beginning to dim as night was approaching. She ran towards the back door of the school, nearly tearing it off the hinges as she entered.

Shit. She had absolutely no idea where to go. She started walking down the long empty hallways.

She began to hear voices.

“… tell me what Spitfire likes so I can bag her for prom night and we won’t have to beat you senseless,” one voice said. Ryan.

“And you can go shoot yourself out an airlock ‘cause I’m not talking!” another said. Jett. She gasped and followed the sounds of the voices. Soon she was in the athletic department of the school. She crept around a corner and put her hand to her mouth.

Jett was being held by two football players, surrounded in a circle by many more.

“Just tell me what she likes,” Ryan’s pompous voice echoed down the hallway.

“I’m not talking about that. There’s not a fucking chance in hell I’ll tell you anything,” Jett said. There was the sound of someone spitting followed by a silence. Spitfire jumped at the sound of a fist hitting the soft area of the androids gut.

“Have fun boys, let me know if he decides to talk.”

“Let me ask you something Ryan! Do you like where your ribs are? Because in the next minute they’re gonna be inside your lungs.”

A player stepped forward, cracking his knuckles. Spitfire gasped and nearly jumped out to say something before Jett raised his legs and shot them out ward like a spring, hitting the player in the stomach and sending him flying into his friends.

The android and the two players holding him fell back onto the floor. Jett flipped and landed on his feet behind them before bringing his elbows down on their heads.

A linebacker moved to punch him only to have his arm swiftly broken by the android. He then reached forward and struck the jock in his chest, sending him sprawling across the floor.

One of the players knocked over by the guy Jett drop kicked stood up and swung his fist. Jett ducked and swiped out with his leg, striking his ankles. A sickening sound of bones snapping was heard as Jett hit the player with an uppercut to the chin, knocking him out cold.

Another player came up and grabbed the android in a headlock. Jett immediately flipped the player over his head, knocking him off and grabbing him by his shoulders before throwing him into one of the columns in the hallway beyond, smashing down other players like a bowling ball to the pins. The sound of bone breaking was heard as the player fell back to the floor with a thud.

Another came up from his side. Jett turned, grabbing his head and smashing it into the glass of the bulletin board before striking him in the side, breaking his ribs.

Two players knocked to the ground stood up and ran towards him. Jett grabbed two shards of glass from the board and threw them at the targets before him. The shards stabbed into the two of them. Jett bolted and slammed his fists into their heads, knocking them into la la land.

Suddenly Jett jerked forward as the sound of aluminum striking metal was heard. Jett turned around. One player had a metal bat and had decided to hit him over the head with it. The player looked from the dented bat to the android and back again. Jett raised his arm as a personal defense weapon emerged and fired. A blast hit the player sending him flying. A scorch mark was on his chest where the weapon had hit him.

Jett turned to the remaining five of Ryan’s coons. Jett grabbed the dented bat and hurled it. The object spun through the air and smacked three of them as they attempted to run.

The remaining two stood nearby looking at the carnage. Chris and Danny.

“Get him!” Ryan yelled shoving them. With renewed courage the two remaining player charged. Jett sighed before quickly raising his arms and grabbing their heads and smashing them together. He watched as their limp forms hit the ground.

Jett turned to Ryan, “Look at you. Had to get the whole team up on me.”

Ryan turned to run but Jett was faster. He grabbed the fleeing football captain by his shirt collar and pulled him to the ground. He raised his prosthetic arm and brought it down on his chest with a sickening crunch.

Ryan coughed up blood.

“This is what most people call payback,” Jett said raising his foot above the football player’s pelvis.

“You… Can’t… Do… This…” he wheezed.

“Why is that?”

“Because… I’m… Foot… ball… Captain…”

“No Ryan I can. Thanks for nothing mother fucker!” with that he brought his foot down. The player screamed before blacking out as his pelvis shattered.

Jett sighed and looked at the scene around him. 16 battered and broken bodies littered the floor. A few of them had pools of blood around them.

Jett looked down at his hands, blood covered both of them.

A man ran down from a staircase, “What’s going on here?!”

He turned and saw the 16 bodies on the floor.

“Clean this up if you don’t mind,” Jett said before turning and walking away.

***

Spitfire removed her hand from her mouth. She’d never see her friend behave so savagely before. He’d practically slaughtered the football team singlehandedly. Not that they didn’t deserve it.

They’d threatened to beat him to a pulp if he didn’t tell them everything they knew about her. Only that plan didn’t work out so well for them.

She emerged from behind her cover and started running. She ran out of the school towards the elevators. She bolted around the building towards the front of the school. Truthfully she was scared. Not just for what Jett had done but for what he was going to do.

She reached the front of the school just as the elevator with Jett inside it closed. She silently cursed and ran for the stairs.

***

Jett stepped into the dorm. Exactly how he left it. He walked over to the bathroom and began washing the blood off his hands. He finished and rinsed the red liquid that remained out of the sink. He stepped out and headed for his room

He removed the drive from his pocket as he entered. He was almost to the computer when the door to the dorm burst open and Spitfire bolted in with both an exhausted and terrified expression on her face.

“STOP!” she yelled as she entered the room.

The android turned, the drive still in his hands, “What?”

“You know what!” she said, “Don’t do it!”

“What was I going to do?”

“That flash drive! Dane and I know what’s on it! You’re planning on giving those plans of yours to the Navy.”

Silence. He was probably attempting to ascertain how she learned what they were before speaking.

“Spitfire, the Navy needs something like this. With this Venus will be smoldering rock like it always was and should be.”

“What about the people there?!”

“Either you win completely or the enemy will continue to come back. You have to win once as to win all future battles.”

“Jett,” Spitfire said softly, “I know they killed your sister, I know how much she meant to you.”

“You’re mistaken if you think this about revenge. They’re dangerous; they’re a war waiting to happen. They need to be put down before they hurt someone else.”

“You don’t even know these people! There are families there! Children!”

“There are also military targets. We need to disable their military capability permanently.”

Spitfire looked close to tears, “Jett if you do this it will make you just as inhuman as the ones who murdered Cat. And… I don’t want to see that happen to you.”

Jett stopped. What did she say?

“What do you mean?”

“Jett,” Spitfire sighed, “The whole time I’ve been trapped in this insane world you call home you’ve always been there. You saved me when I first appeared here when I was still a total stranger to you. You took care of me, welcomed me into your home, and comforted me when I was sad and encouraged me when I doubted myself. You’re the most human person I’ve met here and you’re my friend. I don’t want to see you lose that.”

“But I am only a machine. All that can be programed.”

“Let me ask you something. If you were always a real person, from the moment you were created until now, what would you have done differently?”

“I… I…” He looked confused.

“That’s right. We would be here in this exact same place having this same conversation. Jett, I know you cared for her deeply, probably more than anyone in the world, but doing this won’t bring her back. Do you honestly think she would want to see you do this?” Spitfire cried.

“I… I don’t…”

“If you do this, you’ll lose who you are. Everything you worked so hard to find will be gone. And…” Spitfire couldn’t hold back the tears anymore, “And I’ll lose the only true friend I have in this crazy world.”

Jett stared at her. This wasn’t right. He was feeling something. Something else he shouldn’t be able to feel. What is it? There are others along with it. Some familiar some are not. Sadness for seeing her cry. Anger at those who killed Cat. Regret for making this plan in the first place.

But there’s something else. What is it?

Shame.

Shame. Shame for making this blueprint of death in the first place. Shame for dishonoring Cat’s memory by doing it anyway. Shame for hurting Spitfire who was now crying her eyes out, out of fear she would lose someone she cared about. Shame. He didn’t like it. Not one bit.

He looked towards the piece of glass in his hands and walked over to the ventilation shaft and began removing the cover. He pulled the rolls of paper out of the shaft and began to tear them one by one.

Spitfire looked up, tears still streaming down her face.

“Wha?”

Jett turned as he finished shredding the last piece of paper, “You know, if you hadn’t come along I probably would’ve gone through with it.”

Spitfire gasped. His eyes were no longer grey and lifeless but had their normal sapphire blue back.

He raised the flash drive in his hand and crushed it into fine powder, “Spitfire, I’m sorry. I know I shouldn’t have done th-”

He was swiftly silenced by a bear hug from Spitfire who buried her face in his chest. She cried into his chest.

“Spitfire, I’m so sorry. Can you ever find it in yourself to forgive a bitter machine like me? If you don’t I underst-”

She looked up with a smile on her face; she was still crying but no longer out of sadness or fear.

“I’ve already forgiven you.”

Jett smiled. For the first time in weeks the sadness was gone, replaced by acceptance and joy. All in all, he was happy he found her in the woods that day. He returned her warm embrace.

“Jett I swear if you’re planning on turning a world to glass you’ll have to go throu-” Dane yelled as he burst into the room. He stopped his rant as he saw the scene before him.

“Few, Girl if you couldn’t get through to him I don’t know who could.”

“Shut up Dane,” Spitfire laughed.

“I’ll be in the living room if you need me.”

He exited the room. Spitfire released her friend and smiled.

“Do you really think I’m human?” Jett asked.

“You’re the most human person I know,” She said.

Jett began picking up the ripped pieces of paper and throwing it in the garbage.

“Thank you,” he said, “Thanks for setting me straight.”

***

Present day.

“So the football captain, Ryan was his name?” Dowl asked.

“Yeah, fucking asshole,” I said.

“And he was going to beat you up for information on a girl?”

“Like I said, he wasn’t the brightest or most personable guy.”

“Can I ask you something? Why didn’t you just give him what he wanted?”

“Why? To be honest I don’t know. I guess it’s just because he’s a scumbag. If he wanted to date my friend so badly he should take the time to get to know her like I did. He didn’t need my fucking blessing to date her. He could have her for all I care. If she’s happy then good for them. But if he wants to know her he’ll have to do that himself.”

“Any other reason?”

“Other than the fact he’s an asshole? No.”

“Alright.”

“Anything else?” I asked.

“No. I think we’re all done here,” Dowl said grabbing his pad. He tapped a button and the cuffs fell away. I raised my arms rubbing my wrists.

“You are free to return to your dorm. We’ll come up a cover story later. For now you are free to go”

“Thank you.”

I stood up and left the gym.

***

In other news today, a local football team will have to try a little bit harder this season after the several of the school football players were involved in an accident in the school’s hanger bay. While the nature of the accident is not being disclosed they believe the players themselves were responsible.

They are currently recovering at the Red Spot Hospital station from their injuries and are expected to be released in several weeks.

In other news…