WIP Wednesday - Bucktommy in Space
Red rescues May
"I fail to comprehend the logic behind murdering you, May Grant. My directive is to retrieve you and Evan Buckley, commonly referred to as Buck. Primarily Buck, as indirectly requested by Sergeant Major Tommy Kinard. You, however, are within acceptable parameters as a supplemental retrieval."
“Acceptable? Acceptable, what does that mean?”
“I believe the answer is clear, rescuing you falls within acceptable parameters,” Red replied simply.
“Well, what about Carlos then?”
“I do not understand your question in this context, May Grant.” Red turned slightly, arm still lowered. “We should go.”
“We’re not going without Carlos,” she snapped, stepping in front of Carlos as best she could.
Red turned its sensors on Carlos, scanning him from head to toe. “Identification: Reyes, Carlos. Rank: Space Ranger, Third Class. Mission status: unknown. Fate: presumed terminated. No extraction directive issued.”
Carlos lifted his head, despite the blood dried along his cheek. “Looks like it’s just you after all May, go, get out of here while you can.”
Red nodded once. “Correct. You are outside the scope of my mission parameters.”
May’s hands balled into fists. “So that's it? He's not on the list, so he’s just left here to die?”
Red paused. “Affirmative. My current extraction protocol supports only two occupants. Expanding the mission to include a third, particularly one in compromised physical condition exceeds lift capacity and compromises stealth evasion. Success probability drops to 22.7%. Survival probability: unacceptable.”
May’s heart thudded against her ribs, loud and frantic, like it was trying to break free from her chest. Her breath caught as she turned toward Red, this cold, clinical machine with polite manners and glowing eyes and then back to Carlos, who was slumped against the wall, bruised and bloodied but still trying to sit tall.
“We don’t leave people behind,” she said firmly, her voice trembling beneath the weight of her fear.
Carlos shook his head, pain flickering in his eyes with every breath. “May… you have to go,” he rasped. “Even if I wasn’t chained, I wouldn’t make it far like this. You know that.”
“No,” she whispered. “No, I don’t accept that.”
“This chain’s not budging,” he said, nodding toward the metal cuff cutting into his ankle. “And I’m not going to be the reason you get caught. I can take a beating, but I can’t live with your blood on my hands. Please, May. Don’t die for me.”
Tears blurred her vision. “But… Carlos,” she choked out, “he’ll kill you.” May turned to Red, and hit his chest, an action Red recognised even if he didn’t feel it. “Red, listen to me, just listen to me, we can’t leave him here.”
Red whirred softly, optics narrowing as it regarded May. “My assigned targets are Buck and May Grant. That directive is non-negotiable.”
“So you just leave someone to die?” May shot back, fury in her voice. “Are you really that cold? Do you even feel anything?”
“No,” Red replied calmly. “But I would like to. I believe petting a puppy would be... enlightening.”
