“Get him alert and oriented and help him figure out what he wants to do. Cyborgs have been free beings since the end of the Procyon War,” Calan said.
Parei scanned the chamber and got the operating instructions from the archives on how to disconnect the cybernetically enhanced human from the chamber. “It’s a miracle this guy didn’t die in here before he was ever found,” Parei murmured.
“He’s lucky we sensed his brain function, or he might not have been found in time,” Calan said.
Parei went to work unhooking the latches and opening the chamber. She shut down the life support system, and Calan started unhooking the tubes from his connections.
RXV-0851 began breathing on his own spontaneously. After several breaths, he opened his eyes, and they flicked back and forth, while the cybernetic implant on his temple began to flicker. His onboard computer was booting up and feeding the system checks directly to his brain through his optic nerve.
“How the heck did they miss this guy when they pulled out?” Jamerin mused, shaking his head.
“Calan, you got anything for this guy to wear? He’s stark naked.”
He shined his light around the room to see what if anything else was in the room. There was a shelf unit to the right with two stacks of clothing. “Here’s some stuff that might work.”
Calan went to the shelf and peeled off the dusty garment from the top of each pile then took the second, a t-shirt from one and a pair of cargo pants from the other.
“Unit RXV-0851 reporting for duty,” the cyborg stated in a rich baritone voice.
“Welcome to your life,” Parei read and ad-libbed from her tablet. “Your supervisor will be Physician Healer Calan Narcaza. Since cyborgs are currently free entities, Calan will help you determine your future. You are granted refuge here as long as you require it.”
She also introduced herself and Jamerin. The cyborg inclined his head to each of them in acknowledgment.
“I guess I’ll call you 851 for now until you decide on a name,” Calan said. “Here are some clothes that should fit you. If you put them on, we’ll get you out of here and find you some food.”
“Food is not necessary at this time. I will dress as you wish,” the cyborg said and took the clothing from Calan.
Jamerin checked the shelf where the clothing was stacked and found a pair of flex-size boots for the cyborg. It was a good thing because 851 was taller and more powerfully built than either Calan or Jamerin.
851 quickly dressed then stood at attention waiting for his next orders.
“What are you going to do with him?”Jamerin asked his brother silently.
“Just what Parei said. Get him oriented and updated and help him figure out what he wants,”Calan responded.“He’s human and self-aware. Right now, he’s still assessing his situation.”
“851, please come with us, and I will give you access to my AI so you may update your system,” Calan said. “While he is doing that, we can have the bots move the solar arrays up to the roof, and we can get some lights on in this place.”
They started walking out of the small room, and the cyborg followed silently. When they got to the runabout, he waited while the others took their seats then took the back right seat beside Jamerin. Calan set the vehicle in motion and brought them back to the main building.
While Parei got 851 set up with the hovercraft’s AI for updates, Jamerin and Calan levitated the solar array up to the rooftop telekinetically. It was what Jamerin called parlor tricks. Their ability made quick work of unloading the hover tram.
They went inside the building and climbed up to the roof and connected the banks of solar panels together. Running wire between them, then down through the roof to connect to the storage batteries that the bots were setting up in the utility room.
Calan would get the bots up on the roof eventually to remove the remnants of the old solar panels that were no longer working. As far as he could see, the roof was otherwise in decent condition. By the time they finished connecting the buildings electric panels to the source, the cyborg was finished updating his onboard computer components.
With those updates, he had also learned about Calan’s plan to continue the work his cyborg brothers had started centuries before. When he was finished, he went to Calan.
“Sir, I believe I was left behind when my brothers left because there is no record of my creation in the cyborg database,” he said. “I do not know why my chamber was in that building. By activating me before my chamber life support failed, you saved my life. Since I am free to live as I choose, I will help with your refuge.”
“That’s great 851, I’m glad to have your assistance. Have you thought of a name for yourself?”
“Rax Ven,” he said. “I used the letters in my series designation.
“Rax Ven it is,” Calan said and offered his hand, “Welcome aboard.”
Rax looked at the hand extended to him then took it as he accessed his data bank for the proper response. “Thank you. Do you have any instructions?”
“Well, we’ve got five million square feet of building to be inspected and cleaned. Why don’t we put four of the cleaning bots on cleaning the main reception area? Will you do the inspection and assess the condition of the building?”
