Primum non nocere

"I thought being able to leave the bridge was supposed to help him." Vindex huffed, gazing down at the offline face of their autopilot.  It was strangely serene, for Ethos - not something he saw often, and admittedly it unnerved him. Still, it took him a solid few seconds to pry his eyes away, finally leveling his stern gaze on Atom instead.

"I didn't say it would right away..." The Atom sighed as he worked, bent over the worktable between them where the android lay; this would be a very long repair, considering all the tiny connections and components the autopilot had managed to ruin. Most androids were fairly waterproof, but being completely submerged was seldom beneficial. How the autopilot had ended up in one of the lido deck pools was another matter, be it accidental or purposeful... but Atom knew which he suspected and which he would report to the Captain nonetheless.

"How many incidents like this will it take?" Go-4 said harshly, neither one of them in the best of moods after discovering their autopilot literally drowned. "Allowing him to roam freely only provides him further opportunity to harm himself. He is safer on the bridge."

"I don't believe that's best for him." Atom contested back, his tone remaining level as he focused primarily on his work. The lack of attention only served to agitate Vindex further, and the Go-4 paced around the table to face him properly.

"Being confined to the bridge was never a problem before." The red haired android said tersely.

"Yes it was. Always has been, Vindex, you just didn't pay enough attention." Atom was adamant that the autopilots did not receive enough socialization, especially after the ship had returned to earth and he'd had the opportunity to study the others. It heavily depended on the Captain, as well - Ethos's relationship with their late Captain Brooks had done so much for him in such a short time... and then all that work had been abruptly halted.

The Go-4 however practically bristled. "It has not. Autopilots are meant to remain on the bridge - they do not require company, and during Captain Avery's -"

"We're not talking about the autopilot then, we're talking about him now."

"I was providing an example that it has not ALWAYS been an issue. You are attempting to correct for a problem that never existed."

Atom looked up from his work then, gesturing to the body on the table. "This is not a problem?"

"His neurosis will not be solved by letting him roam about the ship."

Atom shook his head; he wasn't going to get through to Vindex and he was just about done trying.  "You don't understand." He muttered bitterly, leaning down to continue working.

Vindex scoffed, crossing his arms again. "He was easier to work with before Brooks came along."

"Stop comparing him to our first autopilot." Atom snapped, his usually expansive patience thinning.

Vindex frowned, confused by his wording. "He is our only autopilot, Atom, stop trying to-"

"No." Atom cut the Go-4 off again, his agitation coming to a head. "He wasn't." The android abruptly dropped his tools on the table with a loud clatter, stepping back to take a deep breath and finally meet the Go-4's eyes. "That wasn't him, Vindex." His tone was grave, weight of what he was saying seeming to drag his posture down. "There was one before him, at the beginning of our cruise."

"What?" Vindex hissed after a beat of silence, pure disbelief painted on his face. "What are you- the incident with the passenger did not change-"

"I am not talking about that, Vindex, listen. Our third Captain, just before Brooks, Captain Vaughn; he wiped the AI of the original. He may be the same unit, but... Ethos is not the autopilot we began our voyage with."

The Go-4 stared at him blankly, slowly shaking his head. "That did not happen."

Atom glanced away, unable to directly meet the Go-4's gaze as he continued. The whispered words flowed quickly, almost urgently, the secret pinned up for so long. "You objected. You were more... awakened, than I was, back then. I stayed in line, I did what I was told." He struggled momentarily, rolling the fabric of his pants between his fingers. "I performed the procedure. You were distraught and angry - so the Captain had you forget too."

Silence hung in the air for a solid minute, the tension so thick even the network seemed to go quiet.

"No - that's not possible." Go-4 took a step back, plainly shocked by the Atom's confession. "I remember, I remember our first years, every hour of every day-"

"One's missing. One day - you ... weren't like the autopilot, it was just that, that was taken away... just that day." He paused, looking at the floor. "It changed you though. So much." He mumbled the last two words and trailed off, leaving Vindex gawking.

"Me?!" Vin snapped, anger rising over his disbelief. "What about the autopilot? How could you- that did not happen - what could have even warranted-"

Atom didn't say another word, and it took the Go-4 a few seconds to steel himself.
"I am going to the Captain with this." And with one last disbelieving look the red-haired android turned on his heels and disappeared abruptly out the door, leaving the Atom to stand there alone, heavy with his own guilt.