Nine
“Hello miss, I don’t think I’ve seen you around before,” CQ Cumber said as Tartar stepped onto the train. “I am CQ Cumber. You are?”
“Um...” Tartar said, unsure of what to say. They doubted he would believe them if they told him the truth.
“No memories? Would you perhaps be a new subject, 10009?”
“No! No, but you may call me Nine. And don’t call me miss.” Nine would do for a cover name, a bit odd, but surely nothing too strange. Similar to the Japanese word for pain too, and the chinese one for “long lasting” both of which described them very well.
“Very well, Nine. If you wish to speak to me, I will be in the next car.”
Tartar sat down as the train began to move, and began thinking of the professor again.
“You know there is only one thing I am certain of in life Tartar,” Professor Alfred said to his creation.
“What is that professor?”
“Good will always win in the end. Every being has the potential for good, and it is good that wins. It always has, and I am certain it always will.”
“Yes professor,” Tartar said, unsure why their creator was telling them these things.
“And that’s why I made you Tartar. Humans won’t last forever, I doubt we’ll even last much longer, but I believe in my heart that another sentient species will come after us. And you can share the knowledge you’ve gained, and push them towards good. I believe in you Tartar.”
Tartar shook their head, as tears began to well at their eyes again. But that hadn’t done good. They had seen first hand the monstrosities that had occurred in that dreadful war. There had been no good there.
But they lost? And the professor said good always won. If they lost, did that mean they weren’t good?
“Are you alright there?” A calm voice spoke up.
Tartar looked up. Iso Padre they believed he called himself. A failed test subject stuck here forever.
“You seem to have been crying.”
“Oh, I’m fine. Just... just painful memories.”
“Memories can be. But it much better to have painful memories than no memories I think, wouldn’t you agree, Nine I believe you said?”
“Yes I suppose so. And yes, nine will do. Why are you here?”
“Me? Well I’ve got no where else to go? I failed, and I never got to reach the promise land.”
“I see. Thank you for your concern sir, but I believe I’d like to be left alone.
Nodding, Iso Padre walked back to his seat, and Tartar began thinking about the test subjects. Iso Padre had failed, but had his mem cakes been destroyed? Maybe they could?
Tartar shook their head again. The traits that had come with the agent and 10008′s genetics were messing with them again. Was that really a bad thing? Tartar wished they could say yes, but now, it wasn’t so easy.