Chapter 2 : The Immortal

A well dressed man sat as a passenger next to another gentleman to his left and a window to the right. Outside of the vessel was the blackness of space, stars, and the faint reflection that had been his face since he was 22 years old. He wasn't a large man. He wasn't a small man either. His eyes were more alert than most. His face seemed friendly yet hard to remember.

"May I take that from you sir?" The attendant for the flight to the space station had been very kind. Something he always noticed.

"Thank you madam." he replied as he handed her garbage that he created only for the sake of blending in. "I do appreciate your service."

"Thank you for flying with us Sir." replied the attendant.

"Please, feel free to call me Isaac." As he replied glimpses of her thoughts entered his mind. She disliked the man sitting next to him. He had been rude for the majority of the trip.

The attendant blushed. She was taken off guard by him and smiled. The sound of crunching and grinding resonated throughout the ship as it docked into the space station Aegis. The trip from earth to the station had been only a half hour yet their was still another 20 minute wait as the station went through viral protocol and lined the passengers up for decontamination two at a time. Isaac looked out of the window at the station and watched the spaceships leaving and entering. He began to day dream.

The sound of waves gently entered his mind. The sound of his old boat bumping into the docks identical to the sounds of the spaceship docking. He missed the seagulls, the ocean, and  the wind. There was nothing like a dock filled with fisherman, merchants and sailors either. It had been a great era.

"You didn't have to use any formalities with the attendant she is an android ya know." said the man sitting to the left of Isaac.

Isaac turned slowly towards the man. The traveler looked uncomfortable as Isaac's gaze directed towards his soul.

"I mean if you are a supporter of artificial intelligence rights I understand completely." the traveler broke into a light swett. Isaac's eyes lingered on the traveler much to long before a reply.

"Old habits die hard I suppose." Isaac considered the man's words, as far as he was concerned androids were the first real people he had encountered in 400 years that he could talk to without wanting to devour them.

When Isaac finally left the vessel and finished going through the parells of interstellar space travel he was happy to be free. The station was busy. People poured through the walkways like a flood in every direction. Everyone around him knew exactly where they were going. He drank in the art on the walls. The decorations were still up from the last easter. He stopped to listen to a local pianist playing for tips. Once again his mind drifted off. This time to the streets of new york city. The station felt just like NYC did before world war 3. Something he could have lived without. His ears found a unmistakable sound. Somewhere nearby a child was crying.

After looking around a few moments he found her sitting down on a bench by herself. Her lunchbox had a cartoon figure on it dressed for the cold. Something few people experienced in the current era. Her hair was golden and shimmered as he walked toward her. What a beautiful child he thought to himself.

"What troubles you child? May I be of service?" He made eye contact before walking up to her slowly. He smiled as he spoke.

"I'm not suppose to talk to strangers and I don't know where my mom is." she whimpered trying her best to be brave.

"My goodness I thought something much worse was afoot. How long have you been alone?" He spoke deliberately lighter to see if he could get her to smile. "My name is Isaac Pedigree. What's your name?" Isaac said as he held out his hand.

"Isabelle." she said as she stood up and shook his hand.

"We can find her but I will need your help. Can you imagine your mother for me? Try and think about where you last saw her." Isaac crouched down to Isabelle's height and looked into her eyes. As she imagined her mother the imagines of her mother formed in Isaac's mind. The images passed by like a movie he saw a beautiful woman put Isabelle down on the bench they currently were standing at. In isabelle's memory there was no sound but he could see her mother's mouth form words. His best guess was she said to her. I'll be right back.

Isaac smiled at the girl. "How long has she been gone? Isabelle?" Isaac could see her mother walking up to them from 50 feet away. Her expression changed from tired to worry as she noticed him talking to her daughter.

"I don't know." Isabelle said as she looked at Isaac.

"Even the shortest moment can seem an eternity when you're frightened. I am certain that if we wait right here she will return very soon." Isabelle's mother walked into site listening slightly to what Isaac said.

"Mommy!" Isabelle lit up and immediately ran to her mother.

" What's wrong izzy? Who are you?" Isabelle's mother asked sternly as she looked at Isaac.. Isaac smiled and imagined a campfire as he made eye contact with isabelle's mom. He beamed the feeling to the mother. This was a common tactic he used to stay on people's positive side.

"I found this young lady crying. I only inquired to see what the problem was. She seemed to have been frightened in your absence." Isaac answered Isabelle's mother as he stood Isabelle's mother seemed to be surprised she was taller than him.

Isabelle's mother turned towards her daughter. She immediately was disarmed and more annoyed as she spoke "I said I would be right back. I didn't mean to frighten you but I was over their talking to the lady at the counter." She looked at Isaac and made a funny face as she rolled her eyes. "I'm sorry if I came across as rude. Thank you Mr.." she trailed off realizing no introduction had been made.

"Mr. Pedigree but my name is Isaac. May I ask your name?" he bowed as he spoke to her but his gaze never broke eye contact.

"Josephine." she replied. "Thanks again" she said after pausing a moment.

"It was nice to meet you Isaac." Isabelle's smile surprised her mother. She didn't take to strangers' especially men, but little did they know Isaac only looked like a man.

"You too Isabelle. Be safe and take good care of your mother." Isaac turned and walked off slowly. Josephine noticed that out of all the people running around in circles. Isaac was the only person in sight not in a hurry.