Page 76 of Holiday with the Aliens

It was his only way out. The only problem was, he didn’t know if there was a way to survive.

He wasn’t a man. Or, well, aperson. Gender assignment could get tricky when talking about alien races, but Stella wasn’t dealing with an alien at all. The thing in front of her was an android, a man-shaped robot. He looked almost human, except for that impossible skin which looked a little green under the harsh lights overhead. But he moved with mechanical grace, flowing rather than walking, and his speech was too stilted, as if he was busy translating code into words.

But she doubted that he’d been made on Earth. Or by humans. Her own people’s androids were much more effective than this, the only thing giving them away the embedded collars they were legally required to wear.

She didn’t know whether to be mad or glad that she wasn’t interfacing with a person. She could punch a person for locking her here and separating her and Arest. But if the android didn’t have protocols that forbid it, he might just give her the information that she needed to get her man back and get out of here.

“Where are we?” she asked. “What planet is this and what is this place?” You had to be specific with machines or you wouldn’t get the answers you really wanted. Their logic worked differently.

“This is a control room,” the android explained. “I am the Keeper, left to watch over this facility after the evacuation. We are on the planet of Prellys in the territory of Cyrmariun. Now please have a seat. I am instructed to see to your comfort.”

She studied him for several moments. But he was an android, and they didn’t have emotions, not like people did. Androids didn’t normally hurt people, so Stella decided to go along withhim. For now. “What is this facility?” The control room around them had two computer stations, but only one was active, the lights blinking and the screen showing some sort of feed that Stella was too far away from to make out.

The Keeper’s eyes flicked, a silver sheen rolling over them momentarily. “This facility dealt in research for a planetary corporation.”

“And it was abandoned? When?” Stella didn’t try to push for more on the company, as she didn’t want to run into roadblocks in his programming. Androids could get… difficult if you pushed.

But the Keeper had no trouble answering this question. “Seven months ago. Our scientists are safe at a secondary location in Marad, the city over the next hill. Once this location is safe, they will return and continue their research.”

“Why isn’t it safe now?” Questions about Arest’s wellbeing got caught in her throat, but Stella kept them in. She needed to know as much as she could about this place, and if the android was talking, she needed to pursue the questions.

“The inner perimeter has yet to be breached, but as a precaution, all living personnel have been moved to safety.” That wasn’t an answer.

Stella pivoted again. “How will it be made safe again?” Though she already dreaded the answer.

“A beast to fight the beast.” The Keeper’s head snapped up and he glided to the other chair, sliding it into the functioning workstation and punching at the keyboard with swift fingers. Stella tried to figure out what he was doing, but he moved too fast for her eyes to follow.

Arest. He’d told her a little about his past, about his function. And he’d been brought here for the same reason, to destroy. “Did you cause the ship crash?” She would never ask a human like that, but androids didn’t know how to be offended.

The Keeper didn’t look up from his work when he spoke. “Of course not. It has brought far too much attention to the area. If it weren’t for the storm outside, Marad authorities would have insisted on entering the caves. Once the beast entered, the outer gates were sealed for added security. You have the deepest apologies from my operators for the trouble this has caused.”

“Where is Arest?” She couldn’t hold it in any longer. “Why did you separate us?”

The Keeper looked up, something like puzzlement on his too smooth face. “For your protection, of course. Only the beast is authorized to access the inner perimeter.”

“So I can leave?” She wouldn’t, not without Arest, but she had to ask.

The Keeper shook his head. “You must stay with me. My programming does not permit me to open the outer doors while security officers are so close, back at the crash site. I cannot request a countermanding order until the storm blows over and communications are clearer.” So until the snow cleared, she was as good as his prisoner. Great.

“Can you tell me your orders?”

“Yes.”

Damn androids. It was like being in school all over again. “Willyou tell me your orders?”

He hit a few more buttons on the keyboard and turned completely back to her. “I am to monitor the beast’s progress and see to it that he finds his target. If necessary, I am to render all assistance in seeing that he terminates the target. Once completed, I must contact his operator and my own and await further instruction. If necessary, I am permitted to subdue the beast so long as I do not cause lasting harm.”

“And you’ve been leading him,”and me, “to this… target?”

“Yes. Would you like to see him?”

Stella surged forward out of her chair and next to the android. “Where is he? Is he okay?” Her gaze snagged on the view screen and she saw Arest caught behind bars, crouching low and staring into a patch of darkness. “Why is he locked up? Let him out!”

The Keeper didn’t do anything. “I have no control over the viewing chamber bars. As a precaution, they can only be activated by the person standing in the chamber. Once the beast is ready, he will lower them and do his job.”

“The… whatever you want him to kill is in there with him?” Punching an android was sounding more and more satisfying by the moment.

“Not at the moment, no. But once the beast is ready, he will act. If not—” he cut himself off.

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