Byte had lived a life of adventure. Even though it had been pinned underneath the rock by itself, at least it had seen so many incredible things.

At some point in its storytelling, Mira had laid out on the cold stone floor. With one knee hooked over the other, she pillowed her head on her arms as she stared up at the three meager bulbs.

“Was it lonely?” she asked. “Being down there in the cold by yourself?”

“I cannot feel loneliness.”

“Oh, come on now. My father used to work on all sorts of droids. I’ve met at least twenty of your kind, and I know for a fact you were programmed with personalities. So tell me, was it lonely?”

Byte took a long time to reply. Perhaps it was firing up the parts of its hard drive that gave it a bit more emotion than other droids. But eventually, it quietly replied, “The first few months were peaceful. My functions would not work, and there was nowhere for me to go. I was afraid, and then I was at peace. Because the ocean continued on around me, and there was so much to watch.”

“But?” Mira asked.

“But eventually it was very lonely. I felt like I was the last thing alive in the entire world, and nothing could understand me.” The robot’s voice was much quieter as it responded. “I am glad to have met you, my new friend.”

“Mira,” she said quietly. “I forgot to tell you my name. But it’s Mira.”

“Mira,” Byte repeated. “It means admirable, or ocean. Depending on who you ask.”

“I didn’t know that.” But it fit. Her mother had loved the ocean, and her father had been so pleased for them to move to Beta because it was deeper than some of the other cities. They’d both loved the sea.

“I know most everything.” Byte seemed very pleased with itself. “I have spent a hundred years learning, and I have the capabilities to learn almost anything new. It is difficult, sometimes, but not impossible.”

“You can really learn anything? How?”

“Downloads are my main function, as I can hack into any other robotic system. However, I can also observe and learn.”

Observe and learn... anything?

Rolling over, she sat straight up. Perhaps she looked a little fearsome, as the little robot scooted itself away from her. “Anything?”

“Repeat the question, please.”

“You can observe and learn anything?”

Byte’s eyes zoomed in closer to her face, perhaps to read her expression better. “I can.”

“Could you learn... another language?”

“Yes.” One of its arms raised in the air like a child in a classroom waiting to be called upon. At her nod, it added, “What language do you wish me to learn? I already speak exactly thirty-seven different human dialects, including languages that are no longer spoken.”

“The undine. The one that kidnapped me and brought me here. There is no way for me to speak with it. If you could learn its language, can you then make a dialect chip for me?”

The implants weren’t hard to make, especially since they were so widely spread out. She’d seen a lot of robots that could make them on the go. It was easier for them to be made by almost every android, considering all the people who traveled between the cities. All one had to do was stop any droid they came across, ask for a chip, and then the conversation could continue as usual.

If she could get a chip implanted, then she could understand what the undine was saying. They could speak! She could tell him that this was ridiculous, and he could tell her what he wanted with her.

It was a start.

It was hope.

Byte zoomed out from her face and nodded its binocular head. “I can create a chip, yes. But I will need to listen to the language for a considerable amount of time before I can create it.”

“It’s a start,” she breathed. And it was the first time she’d felt like this could all be fixed. “I just have to figure out how to get him to talk, then. He sounds like a whale.”

“Whales have a language,” Byte replied. “I have translated that language before, and though it is quite minimal, it is very beautiful in comparison to many languages.”

“Do you think they’re comparable?”

“I would have to hear the undine speak.”

“Then I will get him to speak,” she muttered, her brows drawing down in concentration. “How? I have no idea. But you and me, Byte? We’re a team in this. And together, we’ll get back to a city. I’ll clean you up, make your metal shine the moment we get back. You hear me?”

The little robot wiggled with excitement, and it took everything in Mira to not do the same.

OceanofPDF.com

Twelve

Arges

This woman seemed to always be surrounded by metal creations that did what they weren’t supposed to do. When he finally got his heart rates down, Arges pressed his hands against his twin hearts and tried to will himself back to the cavern.

And somehow, he just... couldn’t.

No People of Water would ever forget the sight of a box opening up in front of her and then speaking. Was she a witch? Perhaps. That would make sense, considering that her own people wanted nothing to do with her. They hadn’t searched for her after her disappearance and that was maybe because they knew what magic she had cast upon them.

But he had seen her many times. The logical part of his mind reminded him that she hadn’t been in comfortable living quarters. She never even spoke when the achromos were all gathered together, as they had been multiple times. And that her people knew how dangerous it was for her to be in the water, alone, with multiple undines having been sighted nearby.

So she was not a witch. She could not cast spells upon inanimate objects and bring them to life in front of him.

Which meant there was so much more about the humans that he did not understand. Perhaps he could learn from them, but every fiber of his being rebelled at the mere thought. There was nothing that her people could teach him other than death and destruction.

He had no idea how long he floated outside that cave entrance. Even some of the sea creatures came to investigate his still form. A sea turtle, slightly deeper than most of them went, coasted by him on its side. Those ancient, wise eyes looked him up and down. It knew he wasn’t here for a reason he wanted to be. It could see the guilt in his eyes as it looked away.

From below, a squid wrapped its tentacles around a rock to peer up at him. Those overly large eyes saw far too much, but Arges flicked his tail at it. He’d tangled with a few of their kind before, and thankfully, this one was small. Their sharp beaks cut through even his tough scales, and he was in no mood to entertain a creature with such a sharp bite.

Eventually, he knew he had to go back and see what the achromo was doing. She had made it almost impossible to return to that now-cursed place, but he couldn’t stay out here forever.

With his luck, Mitéra would send his pod to come find him. And then he would be in a world of trouble for an entirely different reason.

Sighing, he turned toward the entrance and steeled himself. He was brave. He was one of the most dangerous creatures in this ocean. He could, and would, get answers out of her and that strange... box.

Still, he wasn’t proud of how he slunk into the cavern with his tail a little too close to his body. Even his gills were flattened more than usual, trying to make himself look smaller and easier to hide.

As if it would ever be easy for a creature of his size to hide. He was massive compared to the achromo who could have lifted but one of these glowing leaves and ducked herself under it.

Surfacing stealthily, he peered around the cave before he even dared to let the water out of his nostrils.

His achromo sat on a box in the corner. Could she make that one come to life as well? Were all objects that the achromos had secretly hiding life?