“How many islands are in the immediate area?” She stepped closer to the scanners. “What kind of warning will we get for incoming?”
“There are four islands in the immediate sector. Due to the blocking of the scans, I cannot get a read on their status. Merely where they are. I have no data on what is happening on them.”
“Can you widen the scans?”
He adjusted a few controls. “I have stretched it as far as I can.”
“You’re cyborg, are you not? Why don’t you just call your fellow bots and ask them?” She tapped her temple.
He blinked.
“Don’t you all communicate through the same programming net?”
“We do.”
“So call them. Find out—”
“I cannot.”
“Why not?”
“The eclipse. It blocks our systems for the duration of the eclipse.”
“So, what, Mister Cyborg, you’re—”
“Kian,” he said.
She blinked. “Mister Kian.”
“Just Kian.”
“I see. Kian.” She was so used to needing formal addresses, it seemed odd to have a single name. “Do you not have full titles?”
“My name is a title, by your definition. Ki is my designation.-Anis my batch. Like your family names. Kian.”
“Ki-an,” she said. It was a nice name. Simple to remember, for certain. “Do the designation mean anything?”
He shook his head. “They are random creations by Master System.”
“Well, Kian, I am Lady in Waiting Freya. Under the circumstances, I am pleased to meet you.”
“Would you not be otherwise?”
She ran her gaze over Kian. He was well over a head taller than she was, and his torso was long and lean and powerful looking.
“If I met you under any other circumstances, I would likely be terrified since our people currently are at war, and you cut an intimidating figure.”
He continued to look at her for another moment. Blinked. “I appreciate your trust in me now, Lady in Waiting Freya.”
“Freya is fine.”
“As you like.” He swiped his hand over a few of the displays and then glanced back at her. "It seems you are almost well; your systems are almost at full capacity."
"I do feel decent, though I am tired. It has been a most trying day."
"If you wish to rest, I will watch over you and fortify this location so that we are ready for the next attack."
Her gaze darted over the landscape before her.
