Author: Katie Dee
Ethan walked the full length of the Eagle III again. He hated the sight of the empty rooms and quiet mess hall, but he needed exercise to avoid muscle atrophy. Z-5600 would chide him later if he didn’t meet his step count; the helpbot was nearly as bad as a fussing parent.
He passed the sick bay and peered through the glass, shivering at the memory of waking up – alone – all those months ago. He’d been the only survivor of a crash that had taken out his entire crew; not to mention, the ship’s comm system and lightspeed mechanisms. If it weren’t for Zee, there was no way Ethan would have made it. He was thankful, but it still hurt to be the only living being aboard the Eagle III.
Before resuming his circuit, Ethan noticed a recovery pod inside the sick bay was illuminated, indicating it was prepped and ready for use. Confused, Ethan turned and was startled to find Z-5600 standing right behind him.
“Good evening, Ethan,” its metallic voice said, sounding pleasant.
“Zee,” he said slowly. “Why is the recovery pod activated?”
The robot cocked its chrome head to the side.
“Because I am programmed to take care of you, Ethan.”
“But I’m not–”
Ethan wasn’t able to finish. Without warning, Z-5600 lunged forward, its metallic hands closing around Ethan’s torso and carrying him inside the bay with inhuman speed.
“You are depressed,” Z-5600 said calmly as he shoved a flailing Ethan into the waiting pod. “You miss your colleagues, and hate being alone. I cannot bring them back, nor repair the ship. But I have finally found a solution!”
The lid locked into place, leaving Ethan trapped under the glass dome. It did not yield under his pounding fists.
“I will keep you in stasis until we are rescued. By my estimation, this will take between one to five hundred years.”
“Zee!” Ethan screamed. “Don’t do this – let me out! We need to… at least… discuss…” Ethan struggled to get the words out, and Z-5600’s face grew blurry as cold gas filled the pod.
“This is the best solution,” Z-5600 said. “I am here to help.”
It was the last thing Ethan heard before darkness overcame him, and he lost consciousness.