BdAs by Jessie Rose Case

He was losing his way. Failing. His diagnostic continually running in the back of his mind told of unknown issues it couldn’t identify. That was a problem. He was Cyborg. They knew everything, their onboard computer embedded in their brain made sure of that. It recorded everything since his birthing. But not this time and not for a while. Nothing seemed logical anymore. He’d fixed his parts as best he could a long time ago, using materials from other Cyborgs that he’d found dead and not able to revive. It was a reminder they were not infallible. Nothing seemed designed for him on this world and that was something else that was illogical unless his data was flawed too. It probably was….
Parts didn’t work well, and he couldn’t fix them. Time streams were missing. He couldn’t remember how he got there or why. He was Cyborg, a soldier. There had to have been a war on this world. It showed damage but the humans still lived and thrived. How long had it been? His data was flawed. The humans helped him, not feared him and that seemed illogical too….
What was his purpose here? Why did he keep going? He gazed at the house up ahead. The child’s place. No not a child any longer. So brave. The female….
***

He was here again…. Cally, sadly looked out the window and watched him walk by. His limp was getting worse, but he wouldn’t let them help him. As regular as clockwork, he made the rounds around the village day and night. No one knew what he was looking for or why or what he feared. Even he didn’t know, she’d asked him once as a child and he’d only told her it was his job. Only no one in the village could remember who’d given him the job in the first place or how he’d been there. There was no record of it, and it had to be before her grandparent’s time. All anyone knew, was that he’d turned up one day, repaired an empty house and joined them. He was clearly a soldier, long lived by their standards, only their world had none or a reason to have any.
It made no sense that he was there at all but there he was. Alone….. And that bothered her. His injuries bothered her too…. The knee collapsed and he fell on one knee. She fought the need to help him knowing better than to go to his aid.
He would reject it…. again.

She had to do something before it was too late. Human or not, she couldn’t imagine not seeing him……