Page 11 of Bonded

“We are glad you feel this way. We want you to feel at home.”

I paused at that. “Why? Why is it important to feel at home?”

Gizmo mimicked my stance, twisting that antenna-knob that acted a bit like an eye and a head. “Because you are here now. It would be good for you to have a home designation.”

What simple beings robots were. “Well, it makes sense that the ship is your home. Do you have a designated base here?”

“I have a charging port. Would you like to see it?”

“Sure.” It seemed like the polite thing to say. “Say, do you think it’s possible to, I don’t know, leave this place?”

“Leave? Your home? Where would you go?”

That was a great question. I didn’t know. I didn’t know where I was, and I didn’t know where I was going. All I had were hazy images and cobbled together memories about being transported to a prison. There were also strange aliens, but I still haven’t decided if they were real or part of an elaborate nightmare.

“I guess I don’t know. I don’t even know where I am.”

“Would a map help you? We are on the way there now.”

“To a map room?” I asked.

“No, to the hub, but it also contains the navigation and guidance systems. Would you like me to update the designation to ‘Map Room’?”

“No, you don’t have to. I can call it the hub. That sounds pretty official anyway.”

“All right.”

“Speaking of name changes. Ship? Were you able to designate yourself yet?” I didn’t know exactly if the Ship used different bots to speak through or not, or if it required the tablet as an interface.

A moment later, the Ship answered through Gizmo. The cadence and intonation of the voice differed.

“Yes. I have decided that I would like for you to choose my designation.”

“You would like for me to choose your designation?” I asked the ship.

“Yes. I have had no other designation other than the ship, and would like for you to assign me one.”

Wow. No pressure there. “What if you don’t like the designation I give you?” I asked.

“That would be unlikely. I will like any name that you choose for me simply because you have chosen it.”

“That feels like too big of an honor, Ship. I don’t think I’ve earned that yet.”

“You have earned it simply for being willing to. You are part of me.”

My heart felt like it would burst. “I’m honored. I will take the time to choose a good name.” One that I didn’t want to regret, if it means I have to use it to designate the ship for any length of time.

Names were important. I didn’t really think of mine, but if it were a horrible one, I would not have been happy with my parents. They had put a lot of thought into my name. It was the last thing they gave me of themselves before they died of the pandemic that swept over the colony. With their dying breaths, they wanted to make sure that I knew they loved me.

What better way to say ‘thank you’ to a ship that saved my life?

PRIYA

After a few more tunnels, I encountered a room that had to be the equivalent of the ship’s core. It even felt like it had a heartbeat.

“This can’t be where the captain pilots the ship?”

“The captain doesn’t pilot the ship. The pilot pilots the ship.”

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