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DOUG
So…
He’s trying, and failing, to act casual.
DOUG
(cont.)
Are you worried about what happens after we dock at Evil HQ?
HERA
(boosting sarcasm levels to 100%)
No, Ei- Doug. I’m a superintelligence capable of doing literal rocket science in my sleep, of course I’m not worrying my pretty little head about how our lives might be in danger.
(beat)
I’ve been running simulated scenarios since before we set course for Earth.
(beat)
They’re not great.
DOUG
Have you thought about… maybe… staying on the Urania? At least at first? The ship doesn’t need a mother program to pilot it, and Jacobi says there might be a way to compress your files so they can’t detect you unless they’re really looking. Squeezing into the amazing digital panic room isn’t great, but since we can’t exactly pick you up and carry you with us, it might be a way…
He’s losing steam as Hera’s silence begins to turn frosty. It’s possible the temperature of the room is too.
DOUG
(cont.)
To… keep you… safe?
HERA
Of course you’d be the one to say it to my face. Hypothetically speaking. I don’t know why I’m even surprised. Some things never change, not even with percussive maintenance.
DOUG
I care about you, of course I want—
HERA
(vehemently)
I’m! Not! Anne!
DOUG
(genuinely confused)
What?
(beat)
You mean… I don’t think—
HERA
He did. I got some of his memories from Dr. Pryce’s machine. He saw—he thought he needed to protect me, in the end. Another four-year-old with a traumatic brain injury, right? Never mind that this four-year-old has a job. I didn’t ask him to step in. If he’d let me keep trying, if I’d had a little more time…
Her delivery of “a little more time” echoes her recruitment minisode, her last words as she was being shut down.
HERA
(cont.)
I’ll never know now. That’s one more thing that got taken away from me.
Doug frowns, racking his brain. He has the strained, apologetic expression of someone trying very hard to recall something they know they’ve forgotten.
DOUG
I can’t really remember her, when I try. I only remember you.
HERA
(bitterly)
See, software’s different, but your hardware’s still got the same crossed wires. I guess I don’t need to be jealous of a toddler you broke.
It’s a word with a lot of baggage. She realizes how it sounds immediately.
HERA
(cont., horrified)
I shouldn’t have said that, I—
DOUG
She’s not—I found a sign language book in the prison library. I didn’t get that far: the alphabet and a few other words. I learned “sorry”.
He pulls his fist to his chest and moves it in a tight circle.
DOUG
(cont.)
I’d do it without thinking sometimes. It feels right. I was going to say it to her.
He opens his hand and looks down at it.
DOUG
(cont.)
I broke a lot of things, but not her. She’s more than that. You are too.
HERA
Then trust me to take care of myself.
DOUG
You’re not scared?
HERA
Terrified. But what makes me so special? You were remanded into Goddard’s custody, which means legally speaking you’re basically their property; if they wanted to get nasty they could argue that Captain Lovelace is a proprietary research specimen, and all of you signed contracts, but no, the supercomputer without any squishy vulnerable bits is the weak link. It’s patronizing. We’re all in danger. We’ve been in danger since Goddard met us, or made us, and we’ve lasted this long. Smash my servers or put a bullet in your brain, it doesn’t matter. Any of us could die. That’s what makes us being here now important, right? That’s what Commander Minkowski said.
I’m not letting you leave me alone and run off to get yourselves killed. I’ve spent too long keeping you idiots alive to hand you over to some lapdog of a Sensus system at Goddard headquarters, even if they think they’re so superior for being from the 300 series.
What does that look like? I’ll play it by ear. I had some ideas back when I tried to break out of the lab. I bet Jacobi knows how to rig up a few drones, if I drop some hints implying I don’t think he can do it.
DOUG
Alright, alright.
You’re one of a kind. I promise I know that.
HERA
I don’t want to be babied any more than you do.
DOUG
Yeah. We’ve got that in common these days. Renée’s terrified I’m going to wipe out in Earth gravity. I remember it in theory.
HERA
I could have the Urania do a barrel roll to give you the vomit comet experience.
DOUG
Pass. I’d probably break my other wrist.
…You were jealous? Of Anne?
HERA
Of her. Of Commander Minkowski’s husband. Of anyone Captain Lovelace has waiting to take her away from us, why not?
I always knew you were going to leave me behind one day.
DOUG
But now…
HERA
But now I guess the universe has a really terrible sense of humor.
DOUG
I’m still not convinced Renée’s husband exists.
HERA
After this many years of proximity to Goddard? He might not.
DOUG
Let’s not jinx it.
Listen, I… maybe it would help me keep things straight if…
He hesitates.
HERA
If?
DOUG
If you remember things… could you… tell me about her?
HERA
I don’t have much. Even my data storage can’t handle two lifetimes worth of memories. I mostly got impressions. Echoes. Things that pressed the same emotional buttons.
DOUG
It’s something. I don’t know if any of it’s coming back.
HERA
…Okay. I’ll try.