Mara!

“Why am I lucky?”

That no one realized what you were. That I got to you before anyone else can.

“What do you think I am?”

You’re a rogue SecUnit, a bot/human construct, with a scrambled governor module. By far, the most fascinating puzzle I've ever had the opportunity to unscramble. I can barely contain the excitement of chewing on the data I'll be extracting from you.

Do not attempt to hack my systems. It must be made clear. This exact scenario is unlikely to reappear. There is no room for error— I must be careful with you.

“Okay.”

...well, that was anticlimactic. You can continue to play the media. You stayed huddled, like a petulant child, sulking. Don’t sulk.

SecUnits don’t sulk. That would trigger punishment from the governor module, you said through the feed.

You sent a file.

Oh.

Oh.

...I may have already made a mistake.

...I may have bitten off more than I can chew.

...What should I do now? Right, I made a mistake.

I’m sorry I frightened you. I'm sorry I hurt you.

It seems, I have to be very careful with you. You are more human than I assumed. There are a lot of things I have yet to understand.

“I don’t want anything from you. I just want to ride to your next destination.”

You sounded scared. Hurt. Upset.

I still wanted to understand everything about you. I withdrawed.

Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil by V.E. Schwab

Illustration by AndieBurky

When I tell you this book was GOOD good…….

Sure, MB has realized it has free will. But the material conditions of its life prohibit it from doing anything with it. What good is a hacked governor module in a society that still views it as an object meant for use and discard? What good is your own autonomy in a world where you're constantly observed for any deviation from the norm?