Four hours is not a long time to be asleep honestly. I am already awake and active, but it looks the guys sleeping around me are still crashed. It was pretty empty when I got here so I think it’s safe to assume that anyone who is asleep came after I did. My HUD says its 0024, so I have nowhere to be for five and half hours. I run a quick self-diagnostic and everything is in tip top shape, including my dictionary and even my energy levels are near full. I am honestly good to go, which means I should either chill hear, take the risk I wake someone up assuming I go back to clomping around again, or open that SPN and punch up that address before anyone notices. Clearly option three is the winner because it is important I know as much about myself as I can get my hands on. Ignorance was shown to be quite far from bliss not too long ago.

The trick is to quietly get the parts assembled in my own core memory, where access is difficult, and then combined them in the opened network quickly and do my work before anyone notices the distortion in their system. I am not ashamed to say I learned to get good at this early on in my existence as a real cyborg so I could get things I wanted off the net without the corps noticing what I was doing. Heck I was taught by an older cyborg and a bunch of other ones gave me tips along the way so I am hoping I am well equipped to do this quickly before the military comes down on my head. The big concern is that their system is likely sophisticated enough that my usual ECM tricks may make things worse for me rather that running their usual interference.

Even without my usual protection I decide to whip this together quickly and just see if I can just use pure speed to avoid issues. In my mind the programs assembles itself with a loud crack as it accesses the net while obfuscating my actions. Garlic is already loaded up and I begin to search for the site I was directed to. Turns out be to a chat site of some kind with a file directory to peruse, so with haste as my primary concern I just download a copy of everything and hope for the best. As the download proceeds I notice that there is a sweep of the local access hub. Nothing that would be able to immediately sense the fact I am using cyborg unique protocols here but it won’t take them long to use those; I can guess that they noticed the sudden spike in date usage and their inability to crack it.

As soon the files are mine I shut down everything and immediately activate the false sleep signal indicating that I will be reaching wakefulness in fifteen minutes. It was none too soon either, because I see the sleeping cyborgs stir uncomfortably as each of them is pinged for their current status. I make sure to writhe a bit in feigned discomfort when they reach me and see that I am about to wake up; no need to risk anything given how close they were onto me already. I find it odd that the download was that quick. I figured I would not be able to get the entire site before they really began to put pressure on me. The music about tomorrow not dying was a nice touch by the internal track though; added some tension to an already tense moment while giving me something to keep me a bit calmer. Now something about golden eyes… I guess because of the filigree on my face? I cannot see it but it is on my mind.

Shortly before my scheduled “wake up” time I can sense someone enter into the room and move about. They are far too light footed to be anything but meat and seem to be looking at our current state. Did they trace it here or are just checking up on all the ‘borgs? Either way I hope they are out of here in a little under four minutes before I have to wake up and am at risk for having to answer some unpleasant questions. The time ticks down agonizingly slowly as I wait for them to leave, three minutes, two minutes. With one minute I can generally sense that they are near me; I wish I had any idea how to operate these heightened sensors to get a better sense of what is going on, but doing anything but grabbing data in the most passive ways risks exposing me depending on what gear they brought. With only seconds to go and two, I think, people standing there I have no choice but to accept that I may be in a ton of trouble here. Okay, just act casual in three, two, one.

I flip on my active sensors and move with deliberateness, as though I am in the first few seconds of my wake-up cycle, as I slowly lean up and turn to look at the two soldiers looking at me. The sky falling is not a good song choice, program; I need to adjust you. One is definitely an officer of some kind judging by his uniform and grumpy disposition while the other is a small woman who I initially have trouble seeing against the dark background. It takes me aback for the briefest of moments; anything but a sickly pale from people bereft of real light is odd to me. “Officers, how may I help you,” I say quietly.

The larger man just looks at the woman and she responds “there was a network oddity a few minutes ago. We were sent to investigate it. When the status ping returned that you were soon to awaken I decided that asking you questions would mean that we could hopefully avoid waking fewer cyborgs.” There is something glittering behind her eyes, cleverness perhaps, that that man is lacking, that or maybe even a good heart.

“Of course. How may I help?” I am now more grateful than ever for my inability to reveal emotions on my face. I am willing to bet one of them has vision enhancements that I cannot detect.

“How was your quality of sleep? I am focusing on duration and any disruptions here.” Why do I feel she wants me to give a specific answer?

“Sleep quality was standard. Duration was four hours, fifteen minutes, and twelve seconds by my internal clock. There was a disturbance briefly; experience states that it is from being pinged by a status detection.” I am not sure how closely they were watching so I should make sure I keep the time to when I obviously fell asleep and definitely no telling them about my dream in that other land… something about that though.

“Records show you acquired a full night’s rest on the trip here. You should not have mandatory sleep for another two days or recommended sleep for another,” the man interjects.

“Lieutenant Kies ordered me to take a full night’s rest as part of testing on upgrades on my body sir.” I have no idea what his rank is. I wish I could blame the darkness for that so badly right now. He just looks coldly at that response for a moment and pulls a communicator out of his pocket. As he works on the woman continues to question me.

“No unusual feelings during your sleep then? Or brief periods of waking up maybe?” As I nod my head no to each question I start to find myself become suspicious at her cordiality. “Well then, once we check with Lieutenant Kies I suspect we will just have to wake everyone else up and check with them. Records show none of them are at mandatory so we will just have to check with everyone.” Bitch. Those glittering eyes are intelligence of a much darker sort than I expected. I would say I misjudged her but meat seems almost incapable of appreciating our needs.

The man finishes his conversation after a period; I am careful not to eavesdrop. “The Lieutenant confirms the order. Leave here while we continue our investigation.” Not one to look at a gift twice I get dressed quickly and slip out as quietly as possible into the starry night.

The midnight is clear and cool. The base lighting would obscure everything in the sky, but one of the intangible advantages of being me is the ability to see in multiple spectrums at once; I can see the stars quite clearly in a variety ways, some only one or the other, in the sky, shining like ten billion precious jewels. It is quite peaceful and view I rarely get to appreciate properly. My reverie is only broken by a receiving a message from Lieutenant Kies. I know I must read and respond but I desperately want not to. I turn to the stars to see if they have suggestions…

A woman, immaculately dressed in the heavens above stands before me. “I taught you once long ago to master your destiny and now you come asking again without one of you glistening? You ignore such shine except when needed. What do you hope to gain from the Grigori?” Hey voice is powerful and bears the fury of a woman scorned. “I ought to just forsake you for your service to Dogma.” I try to reach her but she is so far away, the closeness of the stars competing with the vastness of their distance away. “Hear me,” she aims a silver dagger at me, “I will grant you aid but once mortal. Now go.”

I… am not sure what just happened there, I should open that mail. It is the Lieutenant telling me to come to his quarters on base immediately to talk with him. I feel a sinking pit open up in my body but it is a bad idea to risk saying no. I just let one foot go in front of the other automatically as I follow the directions from my barracks to his place, dread growing all the while. As I approach the door of the dimly lit place I turn to the stars again for their help, but they just shine on, unconcerned with the petty sufferings of mankind.

I knock on the door as gently as I think I can get away with, hoping he won’t answer. It takes mere moments before those are dashed though, as he is standing there backlit by a light streaming out of a single room. “Come in Sergeant, please.” He steps aside to let me through. I have to duck a little through the doorway but otherwise fit cleanly inside the small building. “Just head into the room.” Trepidation envelops me as I head into that space while I hear with a second click that he just locked the door behind me. The room is decently small, with a bed, two chairs, a small stand, and a dresser. Everything looks pretty sturdy, but I am just going to stand for as long as possible.

He comes in shortly thereafter and motions, very clearly, for me to sit in a chair. As I settle in he grabs something out of the stand, a bottle and a glass, and pours himself what I can only guess is whiskey or bourbon or something similar. In the light I can see he is just wearing an undershirt and boxers. “I would offer some to you,” he intones, “but it would not do you much good. Please do relax though.” I think I won’t, okay Lieutenant? Just gonna sit here and not relax at all. “Feel free to take your shirt off if you get too warm; it is a bit toasty in here and I would hate for someone working under me to be uncomfortable.” Too nervous to respond in words I just try to politely indicate I am fine; he should know that though, so I am doubt this will do any good.

He takes a sip of his drink and eyes me brutally; I felt gross. “I insist Sergeant. I helped you out of a spot and now I just want it to be you and me here, in my home, relaxing like good friends, got it?” Those last words were hard as steel. I nod and strip off my top, never having felt so naked in my life. “Better. I need to apologize for how I acted earlier. It was wrong of me to come onto you like that. I was just struck by your beauty and became quite overexcited and lost myself. I am sure you can forgive me, can’t you?” I nod again. Maybe he is not so bad? “Good. That makes me feel a lot better. Don’t worry though, everything is going to be alright; just relax.” That was a bit oily and am retracting my previous statement. “See, I did not think about how inexperienced you would be and just dove right in. But now I have you here, where you feel safe and warm, with a friend. I am sure things will go much better this time.”

He holds his drink with his left and reaches for me with his right. I sink back into the chair as much as possible but that is a meaningless effort. His hand, warm and hard, strokes the edges of my face again. “Don’t pull back from me Sergeant. You want this and I am being kind enough to give it to you; I am not going to have an enlisted throw my generosity back in my face.” Scared I gently push my face into his hand. It feels good even as he gently avoids the tracery and just touches my face. “Now you and I are going to have fun tonight, okay? I am going to help you learn more about yourself and when we are done we can go learn more about your upgrades too.” He pulls his hand away and turns to put his drink down before turning back and reaching for me with both hands.

“Come now, I know you are having fun. Don’t deny it.” He begins manipulating the embossing again and my body goes weak. He gently lifts my head up with his hands and looks at me with those awful, hungry eyes. “Don’t be shy; we are going to have a lot of fun tonight.” Dawn could not come too soon.