Chapter Text
Good morning, Dr. Carmine. It is time to wake up.
The room flooded with soft white light, the buzz of electronics powering up filled the room for the briefest moment before it melted to an almost imperceptible hum. The room was a standard rank 3 dorm; recycled plastic furniture and chrome fixtures in what had once been white, now faded with time and dulled with use.
The Enderon space station was a joint research station orbiting a small planet called Astalon Five, currently undergoing terraforming for colonization. The station was officially owned by a private corporation, but the scientists housed there were primarily funded by the military to conduct various terraforming-related research.
Two figures lay on the bed, shifting slightly when the light switched and woke them. Thae turned over and leaned against Anthony’s side, a soft smile crossing his face. “Good morning.”
“Morning,” Anthony didn’t return the smile as he sat up, rubbing his hand down the back of his neck with a yawn. “Mother, what time is it?”
It is approximately six AM, just as you requested. Sunrise will be visible in seventeen minutes over Astalon Five from the starboard side of the station.
Anthony and Thae had been stationed on the Enderon for three years now so Anthony could conduct his research. His specialty was genetics, splicing together DNA to create hybrid creatures that could withstand the harsher climates and limited resources of newly terraformed planets. His early work had earned him some notoriety in the scientific community, but it had been some years now since he’d done anything of any real note. The current work he was funded to do, attempting to create a breed of rabbits that could survive on Astalon Five’s inhospitable environment, was not the sort of thing that was going to earn him any praise and did nothing to satisfy his ambition.
“Do you want me to get you something for breakfast? Or some coffee?” Thae sat up, pushing back white curls to tuck behind his ears. He was exceptionally pale, white hair and bright blue eyes, a pleasant dusting of freckles across the bridge of his face. Thae’s face was a curious mixture of strong features - a well defined brow and prominent chin - and soft, full lips with a small rounded nose. He slipped off the bed, tugging his shirt down over his small frame, slightly toned but more petite than anything. Anthony’s ideal.
“I don’t have time, I’ll get some coffee on my way into the lab. I have important tests to complete this morning.” Thae watched as Anthony stood and made his way into the bathroom with a small nod, going to the closet to get his own clothes ready. Anthony was taller than Thae by over a foot, his hair beginning to bald at the crown and severely graying despite only being in his forties. Thae thought it gave him a distinguished look more than anything. He wasn’t altogether an attractive sort of man, a round, bulging stomach, saggy face, and sharp eyes - his sedentary lifestyle beginning to take its toll on his body but his mind was as sharp as ever. When Thae looked at him he only saw the love of his life, the brilliant man he’d fallen in love with all those years ago. Anthony’s solitary tendencies and lackluster personality might have had him spend his life alone if not for the miracle of cybernetics.
“I can come with you to the lab and help you with your tests?” Thae called from the closet, pulling down a shirt he wanted to wear to lay across his arm.
“I highly doubt you’ll be of any use to me in this task, it’s quite complex. I’ll be in D Lab most of the morning.” Anthony looked over his shoulder at Thae when he joined him in the bathroom, a slight frown forming on his face. “Clean yourself up and then you can check the rabbits in A Lab instead.”
Thae nodded, looking down at himself with his own deepening frown. “Of course.” He knew D Lab was for top-secret, highly classified, projects and while he had conditional clearance Anthony liked to work on those projects alone most of the time. He hated to be excluded but he understood, it was important work and if he made a mistake it could be disastrous.
Anthony let himself out while Thae was still in the shower, spending several minutes in front of the mirror after styling his hair and making sure his clothes were neat and wrinkle free. When he reached up to make a small adjustment his hand jerked abruptly, twisting at an odd angle. “Mother, I’m having some trouble with my left hand, can you run a diagnostic?”
Running diagnostic now…
Processing…
It seems there is a slight kink in one of your artificial vessels. I am running a repair module now. Please standby…
Is the issue resolved?
Flexing his fingers, turning over his hand and examining it carefully, he nodded. “Yes, it seems fine now, thank you Mother.” Thae wasn’t human, at least, not entirely. Half human - half machine, he was somewhere in between the two. Human enough to pass, capable of a full range of emotions but all the important parts were mechanical. Highly customizable, docile, and exceedingly obedient - they were sold as Companions. Build your perfect partner, whatever features you wanted, adjustable personalities, and best of all - the ability to bond with their owner in a way no android could ever dream of doing. The love Thae felt for Anthony was as real as if he’d been born human.
It was that ability to feel that had become a problem. Just human enough to feel real emotions and bolstered by artificial components, many of them had been driven over the edge and killed their owners. They were quickly recalled, pulled off the market citing user error but the damage was done. The line had never been reproduced, and Thae was only of a small handful that were still in operation. Anthony had pulled some strings to be allowed to keep him, even more to be allowed to bring him aboard the station. They’d been together ten years now, it would have hurt for them to be apart. Thae was exceedingly grateful not to have been taken away from him, and not to have been decommissioned.
Once he’d finished dressing Thae made his way out of their room and down to the mess hall to get some breakfast for Anthony. He knew he’d said he didn’t have time, but he wanted to make sure he was taking care of himself. Most of the food served on the station was a synthetic protein mash, artificially flavored and shaped, shelf stable for years with minimal storage difficulties. Ideal for places like the Enderon, where getting fresh supplies was expensive and rare. Thae scanned his badge as he reached the carousel, requesting a coffee as he eyed the fresh items. Muffins, Anthony loved muffins. He selected two of them, and the coffee he’d grabbed for him, before heading out of the cafeteria with a friendly smile and a nod to the crewmen he passed.
Thae didn’t need to eat to function, they’d been made to run on artificial power. He could eat if he wished, but there was no real reason to. It was a waste of resources, and even though he had an allotment of meal credits, he preferred to spend them making sure Anthony could have the nicer, fresher food instead.
Taking the lift down to the third level where the labs were housed, he paused when he stepped into the decontamination chamber and held his arms out as he was bathed in purple light. It always made his teeth tingle for a moment afterward, but he’d grown used to it after a while.
Anthony’s office door was closed when he approached, pausing to shift the coffee to his other arm so he could knock before he went in. “I brought you some breakfast,” he smiled, holding the items out to him when he looked up at him from behind his desk.
Looking up with a frown, Anthony leaned back in his chair and shook his head. “I thought I told you I was too busy for breakfast this morning?”
The note of annoyance in his voice had Thae shrink back a touch, his eyes drifting downward and his voice timid when he spoke. “I know I just… I wanted to make sure you had something. You’ve been working so hard you forget to take care of yourself sometimes.” He sat the muffins down carefully, the coffee just beside, motioning to them, “They had muffins, I know they’re your favorite,” he said hopefully.
Anthony softened, standing to lean across the desk and take Thae’s face in his hand. He pulled him into a kiss, wet and sloppy, like a schoolboy who didn’t know what to do with his tongue. When he broke away he rumbled, a satisfied sound in his throat, settling back into his chair. “Very well, I suppose it won’t hurt. A hungry mind is a foolish mind.”
The agreement, the affection - Thae was beaming as he wiped his face and his smile returned. “Is there anything I can do to help you today?”
“I’ve got some work in D lab today, you’ll need to run the new labs on the rabbits over in A. I need those reports submitted by the end of the day for me to review before I transmit them in the morning.” Anthony was already halfway through one of the muffins, reaching for the fresh cup of coffee to wash it down.
“I see,” his tone shifted slightly to disappointment, “Alright. I’ll get them done right away for you. If there’s anything else I can do, just let me know.” He turned to go and then paused, looking across his shoulder at him, “Will I see you at lunchtime?”
“Unclear, I’ll let you know.” Anthony waved his hand dismissively at him, nose already buried in his report again.
“Have a good morning… I love you.” Thae stood there, patiently waiting, until Anthony returned the sentiment.