As the creatures approached closer it was clear that they had weird plant-like features. Moss grew on parts of their body, fungi in all the nooks and crannies, odd bits of green and brown slime oozing from orifices. What were they?
Looking around, Aphrodite noticed that there were about ten or so of the creatures in the area, some actually hadn't noticed the group and were just foraging around. Only a handful were approaching.
Could it be that they were only curious? While Aphrodite had detailed knowledge on a lot of common Earth mammals, she'd never heard of anything like this creature, so she couldn't imagine what it's behavioral patterns would be like.
The Major stood up and walked next to Aphrodite.
"Are you scared?" she asked, "You shouldn't be. These creatures wouldn't be able to touch a Serv soldier if they attacked. Especially if they attacked me. Our reactions and spatial awareness are far beyond the capabilities of any mammal.
"We're safe with the Major around," said Ava, he was sitting down next to Sylvie, who had just fallen into hibernation for the night.
"Yes. For example, Ava and I already know that the creature to the right is about to attack." said the Major. "Even though it hasn't moved yet."
And she was right, not a moment later the creature, ten foot tall, hulking and muscular, bounded towards Aphrodite and the Major on all fours. It was terrifying and caused Aphrodite to fall back onto the ground in surprise.
The Major didn't move at all. The moment the creature pounced towards her, a huge gaping red hole punched through its chest. The hole expanded instantly and liquidated the creature. It dissolved into the air and was erased from existence.
Aphrodite blinked.
What had happened there?
One moment it was mid-air about to land on the Major, the next it had disappeared into nothingness.
"Major, I didn't think you'd be the type to show off," said Ava, with his eyebrow raised,
"I'm not in the mood for any nonsense right now. Besides," the Major looked at Aphrodite and held out her hand, "I'm just showing Aphrodite she has nothing to fear."
Aphrodite grabbed the Major's hand and was pulled back up on to her feet.
"Wait. Did you do that? I didn't see you move!" Aphrodite exclaimed.
"Don't underestimate me." said the Major. She motioned her head to where the other creatures were, "and look, they're all scared now." it was true, they were retreating. Stepping back in fear. They'd witnessed one of their own being turned into nothingness by a new fearsome race of creatures.
Servs were monsters.
Aphrodite blinked and tried to register what she had seen. So, during that fight, when the Major was trying to kill Ava. She really was holding back, wasn't she? If she was able to punch something faster than the human eye, with a force strong enough to liquidate whatever it touched, she must have been fighting Ava at barely a fraction of her power.
"Listen," said the Major. "I'm going to hibernate for the night. Might as well not waste all this energy, we'll recharge under the solar rays tomorrow." she walked up to Ava and lay on the floor, despite her grace and regal look, she wasn't against roughing it when she had to. "The creatures won't hurt you anymore."
"I-I.." While Aphrodite was now convinced that the Servs could take these creatures on. She couldn't help but still be a little shaken. She wasn't sure why, she'd been in hairy situations before. But something about those creatures was unsettling, she couldn't get them off her mind.
"That look on your face." said Ava, "You're still scared aren't you?"
"Humans are driven by emotion, so logic sometimes takes a back seat," said the Major, "Ava, I'm ordering you to stay awake for as long as it takes for Aphrodite takes to fall asleep. Ok?"
"Sure. I was gonna offer anyway."
"You don't have to," said Aphrodite, although she didn't mean it.
"Don't worry, just sit over here next to me. I'll make a fire for you. Some natural warmth will do you good right? You can take that stupid skintight suit off."
Aphrodite nodded.
"Thanks, Ava."
***
The group was sitting around the fire, the Major and Sylvie were still hibernating. Aphrodite was gorging herself on food supplements she'd taken with her from the ship. Pastes and vitamin-rich energy drinks to keep her going for the next day. It wasn't tasty, but it didn't take up much space and filled up her quickly. Ava was...
He was staring at Sylvie.
Aphrodite noticed.
"Are you scared Ava?" asked Aphrodite, "we're going to find Mother eventually. Can you feel that emotion?"
"...Yeah." said Ava, "I recognise that emotion, I feel it all the time."
"Why?"
"Us Block-2s, we were given the ability to use emotion to make us more effective on missions. Emotions are a pretty alien concept to us, all we know is that mammals have the capacity for them and that it plays into their survival mechanism in a big way. I think when the Block-1s found out it was possible for their soldiers to use emotions in battle, they decided to give it a go. To be honest, I don't know how fear makes me more effective..."
"Is fear the only emotion you've felt?"
"I don't know. It's not like I've got any litmus test. I don't know what it's like to not have emotion."
"You heard what the Major said, emotions are illogical facets of the mind that drive your ambitions. You do things without thinking, another side of yourself that you can't control kicks in."
Ava shrugged, "I used to think about it a lot. But I never really got anywhere with it. I mean. I don't even know what the names of other emotions are, so how could I identify them?"
"So you call every emotion you feel fear?"
"It's the only one I can identify, seeing as I feel it so damn often."
Aphrodite pondered for a moment.
Fear? That was the most common emotion he felt?
And that was the emotion that he brought into battle apparently.
That didn't sound right. But maybe...
"Ava. What would you call that emotion you felt when Sylvie was dying? Back on Europa."
"Yeah. That was fear. I was scared she was going to die."
"Because?"
"I dunno. With Sylvie I kinda feel like I don't really ever want to see her hurt, or unhappy. Ever. Knowing that something might cause that to happen makes a sort of heat flare inside of me something. I get that trembling feeling I get whenever I'm scared, you know?"
Aphrodite sighed,
"Ava. No. That's not fear. There's another word for that emotion. It's-"
Before Aphrodite could finish her sentence, Ava stood up, he looked into the distance down the main road with a frown on his face,
"Who's there!? Show yourself!"
Aphrodite stood up and put her goggles on, sadly the thermal imaging was useless because of the fire in front of her.
Never mind. The being Ava was addressing started to glow, it became much easier to see.
A humanoid figure, difficult to make out at first but easier to distinguish as it walked closer and closer. Tall, pale skin, a chiseled face, and well-formed body. It looked like a human but it had clear robotic features because of the preciseness of how it moved.
Ava pulled out his baton,
"Don't come any closer!" he yelled, "Or I'll kill you."
The being stopped in its tracks.
"My name is Locke." it said calmly, but loudly, his voice was deep enough to carry smoothly across the long distance. It sounded comforting and warm. It was a voice Aphrodite recognised. "I'm here to help you."