Moving For The First Map Fragment (Book 2) (Page 186)

~~~(POV: Durado)~~~

~~~(Location: Immortalitas, The Keynote)~~~

Scott and Aurora are talking to each other. I'm not interested in the super intellect conversation they're having. My mind is focused on what Alorna told me. My daughter is alive. She's somewhere out there.

She made it off that station and survived. Scott was right when he said she was my daughter and would find a way out of that.

I wonder what she's up to... There are so many possibilities...

"Durado, we're leaving for the first map fragment. I suggest you strap in."

The voice of Scott breaks me free from the thoughts I was having, and I look at him. Seeing he's already sat down and Aurora standing in the terminal next to him. As my eyes lock with Aurora, she smiles with devious intent.

"Oh, you fucking bit-!!"

She snaps her fingers before I can finish talking. Immortalitas launches forward, and I'm thrown back and into some metal seats.

I lean up and rub my back. I'm not as young as I used to be. I don't know what else I expected. Aurora and I do this to each other. Neither of us hesitates when a chance to make the other miserable or in pain occurs.

"Why couldn't you be as nice and sexy as Alorna?! You're personality and attitude make me want to delete you!!"

My reaction is justified. Try getting thrown across a room and into metal objects that don't move when you hit them, and not get mad at the person who caused it.

She rolls her eyes, and I stand up. Making my way over to them. Scott unbuckles and stands up, making his way over to one of the consoles, and starts inputting commands.

"We'll arrive at our destination in about a day. We'd get there faster, but The Keynote restricts our speed in Hyperspace since we're traveling along its surface."

That sounds like an excellent excuse to take a break. All that walking and traveling today has wiped me out.

"I'll be getting off until an hour is left on this timer. I trust that both of you won't be causing any problems while I'm gone, right?"

His question is genuinely directed at both of us.

I nod my head in agreement, but Aurora takes longer than I feel is necessary to answer that. In the next second, Scott is gone in a flash of light to his world. The players are pretty cool. I wonder what Earth looks like in his time.

Aurora goes back to working on something in a string of codes in front of her. I take a seat a few chairs away from her. Looking at the color of Hyperspace.

"You know, he'll never come to the decision to make you a body on his own. Hearing you ask him for one could be the trick to getting him motivated."

It's unwise for me to talk to Aurora about this. But I'd like for her to have a body too. There are so many painful pranks I can pull on her. Since she can't feel pain in her current form, I have no way to get back at her in terms of physical harm.

The best I can do is mess with her emotions and mind.

I've had the desired effect. She stops what she's doing and turns to me with an angry look on her features.

"You heard what he said, Durado. Even though he'd like for me to have a real body, it's not possible. It'd take too long, and I risk dying."

She makes it seem like that's the end of the conversation, but I'm nowhere near done. Pushing her buttons is a great way to get her to listen.

"Man, if I knew you were so afraid of being with Scott, you'd use a dumb excuse like that. I'd have never asked him about it. I figured you'd be willing to do anything to get a real body. Guess you don't have the willpower to do it."

If there is any way to motivate Aurora, it's to insult her. It's the best way I've found to get her to talk, do something, or change her mind. She's a complex holographic girl. She's got love, compassion, understanding, and patience.

She's also got wrath, jealousy, attitude, and a holy-than-thou perspective on everything regarding life except for Scott.

"Don't push me with this. I'm not in the mood. Not when the pain is still fresh."

Yeah right.

"How about you quit being a little bitch."

She slowly turns her head, and I see the look in her holographic eyes.

I may have pushed a little too hard. But she's thinking about it now.