Raytracer gently slid open the door to the bunks, looking in at AndrAIa. He was mildly surprised to see Matrix seated by her bedside, slowly stroking the Game Sprite’s hand, and nearly turned right around and left – nobody knew better than the Surfr about Matrix’s vile temper. But something made him stop. Ray paused in the doorway, looking at the tall, bulky Sprite, seated next to the bed like a child, gently playing AndrAIa’s hand between his.

“Hey, mate, are you okay?” the Surfr asked quietly, preparing to bolt if Matrix took offense.

Matrix raised his head, the eye glinting red for a moment. “Why do you want to know?”

Raytracer stepped completely into the room. “We’re gonna find that little bugger, you know, and…”

“Stop it,” Matrix snapped, the eye glowing. “You just keep your happy little epithets to yourself.”

“I mean it, mate.”

“Sure you do,” Matrix growled, turning back to AndrAIa. “And once she’s better, you’ll keep right on pursuing her.”

“Is that what you think I’ve been doing?”

Matrix’s hand closed around his gun and the Surfr stepped back. “I haven’t, you know. She’s a lovely, lovely girl, of course, but…”

“And you fancy her,” Matrix snarled, before deflating, his voice growing softer. “And I can’t compete with you…”

“Compete with me?” Raytracer was lost, for once. He had not expected this from the proud and mighty Matrix – a few shots at his head, yes, but not depression!

“You’re smooth, debonair… nice, gentle, kind, easygoing. Everything I’m not.” Matrix shook his head, the eye glinting in the dim light. “And the harder I try to hang on, the more she slips away from me.”

“She loves you, mate. Not me. We tease around, but, y’know, a girl – even one like AndrAIa, likes to be told she’s pretty on occasion. But I’m not the one she loves, anyone who’s not binary can tell that.” Ray tentatively lay a hand on Matrix’s shoulder. “I’m not trying to compete with you. I owe you; you saved my life! Now, don’t you worry, because we’re going to find this friend of yours, and we’re going to get AndrAIa better, and then you’ll be able to tell her how much she means to you.”

Matrix smiled slightly. “I hope…”

The Surfr grinned back and turned towards the door. “I need to go.”

Matrix looked up at him curiously and he amended. “I just came down to see how things were going, they need me above deck. Anyway…” He grinned a bit wider. “AndrAIa told me once that if you ever smiled I should run – very fast.”