There isn’t much else to do now except stare out the window.

The stars in the distance and the blue dwarf just a few throw stones away. Rock, asteroids and space dust of all colours drift in my view; a veritable rainbow of our efforts below.

Attempting to have a peek through the window fails like it has all the other times I’ve tried; I just can’t help but try taking a look at the workers and droids toiling below.

There’s a better, more efficient way of doing this, of course.

I can either pull up the security cameras view of them- but then I’d feel like a creep- or go down there myself and stare at them chipping at the asteroids, gingerly excavating the precious gems hidden beneath and gathering the spicy rich dust the process pops out.

But no, then I’d feel like I was mocking them, looking down on them in my luxury of freedom and, in that scenario, I get to be watched as well and these penal workers especially have no respect for my pending marital status.

Yes, that’s right, I’m engaged. Oscar finally asked the question. He even got down on one knee and popped the hood of a small box, revealing a rather worthless ring with an equally worthless large diamond embedded in its crown.

It’s an old, archaic tradition from millennia ago, but it just shows how much he listens, how much he hears me gushing off about the ‘modern’ men of thousands of years ago and their peculiar traditions.

As it looks, my future with him is bright as star without a dyson sphere.

He’s already drawn up the papers and informed our regional town council and even gone ahead to book a trip to some exotic, far-off planet he refuses to tell me the name of.

We’d be off living in the best moments of our lives, officially and happily married with kids on the way even. But alas, I just had to get the big break of my career.

It’s every engineer’s dream to have their project, their theoretical machine and theorems be taken seriously and given the funds to bring it all to life. It was my dream too, but I have other dreams coming true and believe it or not, good fortune can be a pain in the ass at times.

Still, having your dreams come true is a great and severely surreal feeling.

My being here, on this little mining facility specially fitted with my technology, my engineering-is a huge deal.

It basically screams aloud ‘The Government loves your work and thinks it’s worth all the merits they can give!’

From the mere achievement I’ve received enough merits to run for some of the highest political posts and be seriously considered!

I’m practically famous among my peer engineers and through the galaxy by now, though my masterpiece does threaten to rob some people of their jobs and I had to get some extra security on my band- there’s always controversy when science and technology is discussed.

But that isn’t too much of a downer, the real downer is the fact that I’ve got to be up here for quite a while, managing the facility and testing my tech live before any risky mass production can take place.

As beautiful as this scene is, I’d much rather be down on Rim with Oscar, planning our sweet getaway.

The door slides open, drawing my attention back to the silhouette of a figure standing in the doorway.

“Four-Seven.” I breath out. It’s just Four-Seven.

“Yes, Madam Black, it’s just me.” The high-tech android speaks in a monotone voice lacking all emotion and interest as it bows respectfully before me.

“I’ve told you to stop bowing so many times, Four-Seven, and call me Xerai!” I half-heartedly scold the metal head.

For all its logic circuits it couldn’t seem to stick to a direct order from me.

Four-Seven is just one of the many perks, privileges and gifts my association with the Government, fame and million merits afford me.

He, she…I’m still not sure how to refer to it but as mild and polite looking it is, it’s a military grade weapon, a Saeon.

Protection of their investments, of their technology a Government must have for important projects like mine, and as it turns out, one I couldn’t refuse.

Four-Seven isn’t actually its name either, it doesn’t have one, only a long ass batch number it used to refer to itself when we first met.

I felt weird naming it so I just went with the first two digits of its batch number and called it a day. Four-Seven also came along with several other top of the line military drones, blasters and literally everything else you’d need to take on a platoon of enemies.

Except a sense of humour, irony or heck, conversation.

Still, it did a good job of getting my lazy ass in order and reminding me when it’s time for tests.

“The prisoners are ready, Xerai.” Four-Seven says, still in its monotone voice.

The Android doesn’t need to wear clothes but I had it in a suit anyway. It has no genitals and is completely androgenous in looks. Neither male nor female.

Just like the Government likes it; friendly looking, genderless protectors and more often than not, assassins.

I feel exasperated every time I think about the whole humanization of Androids, there’s always got to be someone who disagrees, in this case, that’s me.

It’s just that I don’t see the point of slapping on a human face on your killing machines. Why? What’s the point?

Rubbing my temples as I feel an ache coming on, I gather the necessaries from my desk and walk over to the Four-Seven.

Coming closer its lips stretch into a terribly out of place smile I can’t bare to look at. “Don’t call them prisoners, call them workers.”

Another thing I’ve said to the hard-wired Android. The organic workers that laboured on the current asteroid we’re attached to are very much prisoners working their time off.

A lot of the time, criminals with a choice choose to work off their time like this rather than be frozen. I guess waking up half a century later with your loved ones all older than you isn’t very appealing.

And I suppose there’s also the off chance of the facility getting hit by raiders, pirates and buccaneers. But with Four-Seven here that chance is NIL.

“Right this way, Xerai.”

Trailing behind Four-Seven, I walk the halls, catwalk and courtyard of the facility until we get down to the specially installed lift that takes us down into a transparent glass box that hangs off of one beam.

I always get nervous in here.

There’s nothing much keeping the vacuum of space away from the occupants, although Four-Seven keeps reassuring me that if the glass box were to be compromised, he’d immediately fold himself around me and keep me alive and safe from the cruel effects of space.

Thing is…that’s not reassuring either!

I’m severely claustrophobic.

Sighing, I can only hope they send someone up here to set up a better testing box for this soon. I can understand clearly that the job was rushed and the installation of my beautiful Neutrino Drill and the observation box was more of a side thought but still!

“Xerai, the prisoners have moved out of the way.” Four-Seven informs me.

“Workers.” I grumble. Looking below, through the transparent glass floor, it’s difficult to see the workers milling about on the asteroid.

Like ants. Insects really, compared to the insanity of science hanging above their heads. My science.

I call it a drill but it’s more of a beam really. With the right frequency input and the right power input, it shoots out a tuned ray of particles that destroys everything around their target.

It’s the perfect tool for loosening asteroids of their plentiful minerals, but can only be used once every few…weeks. Still working on that, and many other things too.

Theoretically, the workers don’t need to move out of the way because I made it with organic presence in mind but…just in case.

In the corner of the observation box, there’s yet another box attached to it. This one requiring my DNA, fingerprint and retina scan to open up.

Plucking a piece of my hair as always, I place it on the space provided and go through the other security protocols. Before long I’m granted access to the big red shiny button that activates my baby.

“Ready when you are, Madam.” Four-Seven drones the line I’ve insisted he say whenever it’s time for one of these tests.

Giggling to myself as for a moment the emotionless Android seems to be awash with exhaustion from my antics.

With cheer, I slam the button and the drill hums to life.

Powered by the light fusion and splitting of atoms it glows a bright blue, then green, then finally purple before bursting with all of its power, shooting a clear white beam of rather harmless neutrinos onto the surface of the asteroid.

It hums and screeches for a solid minute as always before coming to a halt, deactivating after exhausting all its energy.

Below, all that’s left is a large chunk of bright, glistening silver, gently floating in the void.

“Congratulations Madam, another success.” Four-Seven stiffly gives me a round of applause. It’s awful, but I give in and throw a bow at him.

“Thank you, Four-Seven. A few more of these and I can send in my report…Four-Seven?”

It’s easy to tell when there is something wrong; a disturbance, a problem you can’t fix, when the usual dead Android has its best mimicry of human facial expression on.

Worry.

Four-Seven’s face twists into that of concern, of distress as he stares off far into the distance of space, looking at something I can’t see or hope to see right now at least.

“Four-Seven?”

“My Drones have detected something Madam, something that isn’t supposed to be here or anywhere near here…”