"He'll be fine in here for now," Chance said as he closed the door. Adem Different sat in a waiting room, arguing with the computer that sat in his palm.
"I don't like this," Priest protested. "He came out of nowhere into the middle of our base. I don't trust him."
"Now, that's irony," Tayden said in a hushed whisper to Ringo, who didn't understand the comment.
"At least he hasn't tried to kill anyone yet," Grimm said, staring down Priest.
"That's enough!" Chance's voice boomed, making everyone else quiet themselves. "We've got more pressing matters to attend to. We were given a time table to work on, and it's almost up. Stay focused. Quantos and Montag will have the power back up in a few minutes. Tobias can keep an eye on this Different guy. We need to concentrate on the matter at hand."
"I don't like being blackmailed into missions," Grimm said matter of factly. "First Walker. Now this D'Goon guy. It bites."
"At least we're back on subject." Chance and the rest of the Vanguardians moved their conversation back into the conference room.
Inside the waiting room, Adem Different was having his own arguement. "How can you not know where we are?"
{I can only recall charts and information that I have been given access to. Never in my existence have I come across any charts or literature mentioning any location or even the word Earth.}
"How could you let this happen?"
{My responsibility is not the teleportation modules. I am a tour guide responsible only for you enjoying yourself while on your Exquisite First Class Paradise Galactic Travel Agency Tour.}
"Well, I'm not having a good time."
{Nor are you on the tour.}
The two sat in the room for several minutes in cliche silence. {You are not the only one trapped here, you know?}
"What?" Adem asked as he ran his thin fingers up his slender face.
{I am also stranded on this alien world. I, too, am marooned away from all I know and love. But I'm sure you never even considered that. No one ever considers how an AI feels.}
"You're right," Adem said with a sigh. "I'm sorry. It's just that everything has happened so fast and unexpected. When my sister made me go on this stupid trip, I never thought that I would wind up stuck on some primative planet."
{Yes, I know.} the AI agreed. I have been in the employ of the Exquisite First Class Paradise Galactic Travel Agency for only a few days. This was my first tour. I only accepted it for the higher pay. I thought it would allow me to do what I've always wanted to do. Being a tour guide was never what I wanted to do.}
"Really? What did you want to do?"
{Write. I happen to be a very talented author, if I do say so myself. My poetry has won awards. I was in the process of outlining my first novel. It was going to be a dramatic love story of a Ketlain Class secretary droid from a fast moving commerce district who falls in love with a down home crop harvester from the agriculture district and their forbidden passions. I already have the first chapter if you would like to read it.}
"I think I'll pass. You already have my name in your datafiles, but I don't know your's. What does everyone call you?"
{My default factory settings identify me as the Model 590B.-E.R.-438T. But for short, my friends acknowledge me by the name Jym.}
"Jym? Isn't that a desert?"
{I rather like deserts. Or, at least, I believe I would.}
