Return to Atlantis

No matter what happened, Ava, don't you dare come back to Sybil.

She could almost hear her father again as she walked down the hallway away from the men from Sybil.

But she need not be told. She knew better than to go back.

She could not allow the enemy to get hold of her. Ever.

**

"And she called herself a civilian-" Alec muttered as he took a gulp of beer. "Heck, she's been acting General on us. We can even act more civil than her. She's no longer in the military premises yet she is more cold-blooded than any hardened soldier. What is up with her?"

He recalled her stiffness, her inanimate way of speaking which is a steady lifeless tone... and yet there was no impatience in it. How can she spoke forcefully yet managed a calm voice, he had wondered.

They were in a classy bar on the second floor of the ship, seated beside each other on a bar stool still talking about Ava Kinski.

"Well, all I can say is, she really is the daughter of the professor. I have told you about the Professor, didn't I?" Phil was saying. "But I find her mysterious," Phil added.

Alec turned a baleful eye on his friend.

"You mean 'oddball'. I'm telling you, Phil, she's a robot!"

"Enough, Archer."

"The Professor invented her! 'What-is-the-system's-business-here?'" Alec said in his best impersonation of a robot.

Phil jeered at him. "She didn't sound like that."

Alec smirked, "A very advanced robot!"

"C'mon, stop mocking her. Technology is very advanced nowadays but nobody's ever created that fine a robot."

"A cyborg!"

Phil shook his head derisively. "She really got to your nerves, didn't she?"

Alec stopped short of himself at that, frowning. "Her? Of course not! I just think she's weird."

Phil decided to pursue serious matters. "Well, she is Professor Kinski's daughter nonetheless. She is the imitation of the old man,"

"So what is the professor really like?"

"Well, he is...quite...detached...and cold...and...well, he is not one to trifle with. They say he has a temper. "

"Sounds very much like that girl," said Alec in between gulps of beer.

"You couldn't really blame the girl. Growing up within the perimeters of Sybil and with a father like Kinski it is not really surprising her turning out that way,"

Alec nodded abrasively with an upturned mouth in retrospect.

"She didn't really sound thrilled that we are here," Alec noted.

"Like I said, this pursuit of ours for her is like a breach of contract,"

"Yeah, but a very important pursuit! We are talking about her father! Yet did you notice how she could not care less? She is a robot!" Alec exclaimed. "I mean, why can't she be a little thrilled to see her father? After all, it's been so many years since she had possibly last seen him right? Why is she so allergic to pay Sybil a visit?"

"Alec, we don't really know what's going on in her mind. For all we know, she wants to go to Sybil and see her father. She might just be a little pissed..."

"Pissed about what?"

"Again, the breach of contract...but we don't really know. But we are not here to come up with theories. We are here to retrieve her, that's all we should care about,"

"Yeah, I forgot. That's what being a soldier is all about...no questions asked," Alec sighed grudgingly.

"They say she didn't have a good relationship with her father," Phil offered. "She must be carrying a grudge against her father like you do. That may be the reason why she is not exactly thrilled to see him,"

Alec threw him a protesting look. "I don't hate my father it's just that...oh, never mind. I thought we will stop with the mind theories,"

Phil smiled at him. "We'll always have observations, Alec,"

Alec sighed. "I forgot, you are Mr Ironic,"

They fell silent for a while, pondering, when Phil spoke. "The military base is never a nice place to grow up in. We know that ourselves. My heart goes out to the 'cyborg' girl,"

Alec smirked suddenly. "You didn't think it would be a problem to bring her back to Sybil, didn't you? We never thought she'd refuse the invitation. This is going to be lot tougher then..."

The two boys have now left the bar and on their way back to their quarters.

"Thanks for the one bottle of beer by the way. You are not so uptight after all!" Alec said to Phil for obliging his request, with a quick slam of appreciation on Phil's back.

Of course Phil did not appreciate the casual gesture. He stopped short and faced Alec. "Archer, I'm your friend but more so I am your superior so don't you ever do that aga --"

Alec ignored him and went ahead. "So what's the plan, lieutenant? Looks like we've hit a dead end."

At that statement Phil begrudgingly had to move on to address the topic raised.

"We will report to HQ and seek out their guidance on the next step," Phil was saying but Alec was tuned out again. He was staring from afar. Through the WAC Exhibitions gate he could see Lindsey's booth and he could see her talking to some people, probably giving a lecture to curious folks.

"Archer!" he could hear Phil pulling him back into senses.

"Phil!" he stammered.

"What are you doing?" Phil's stern face came unto him.

"I..I...um..."

"We have to get back to our quarters now. Whatever you are thinking of doing is out of the question," chastised Phil who also could see Lindsey from afar.

"Phil, c'mon, relax I haven't done anything yet," Alec chided.

"Not yet. But what are you thinking?"

Alec laughed, scratching the back of his head. "Well, um...I kinda promised Lindsey I will help her out at her booth,"

Phil about-faced on him at that. "Out of the question. Let's go."

Of course Alec knew there is no convincing Phil. "Fine! But can you at least give me five minutes. I just need to talk to Lindsey."

Alec didn't see Phil sighed over his shoulder.

"Fine. Just 5 minutes. Make sure you get your ass back in the quarters or I'll have you court-martialed."

"Thanks, lieutenant. You can count on it!" Alec said as he scurried away, Phil rolling away his eyes in disdain.

He could at least talk to her - that's good enough, Alec thought. But as he approached the open gates of the exhibit, he could see Edward approaching the scene of Lindsey's booth.

Lindsey looked up to see her boyfriend and a big smile lit up her face.

And Alec turned about and silently walked away.

From the author:

Thanks for reading! If you like this story, please comment and/or vote. I would really appreciate the encouragement!

Cheers,
Charley