Title: Demarcation: Subspecies, Warrior Class

Author: Scorpio

Archive: Yes, please.

Fandom: The Sentinel

Pairing: Jim/Blair

Rating: R

Catagory: AU, future, drama, Sci-Fi/techno

Status: New, complete

Disclaimer: Pet Fly owns all things Sentinel. (See notes) No money is being made from this work, no infringment of ideas or characters intended.

Notes: I used the idea for Cyber-organic Warriors from the movie The Terminator. I changed it slightly, but the basic model came from there. I also used the idea of humans being implanted with computer chips and "jacks" from the Burning Sun Universe.

Notes 2: This is a vignette. A small scene in the middle of the action as apposed to a long involved plot.

Warnings: violence, angst, techno

Demarcation: Subspecies, Warrior Class
by Scorpio

"Okay James, activate Zone-Mode 42-K."

Blair Sandburg, Warrior-Guide, Engineered-human # 331-4 watched as his partner, James, Warrior-Sentinel, Cyber-organism model Ellison:684-D uploaded and executed the correct program. James went completely still and all expression vanished instantly from his handsome face. A low hum sounded from deep inside the deceptively human looking flesh covered titanium exo-skeleton.

"Running self-diagnostic. Power supply... Check. Navigation... Check. Mobilization... Check. Ammunition... Check. Senses... Confirmed error to visual acuity. Organic shell... Confirmed injury to left side of neck, shoulder and biceps."

"Fuckfuckfuck, damn-double fuck!"

Blair rolled his eyes. It was never easy. Here in the middle of some half blasted forest with enemy troops closing in on their hiding spot was *not* the ideal place for repair work to be done. Still, if he didn't heal the organic wounds James had suffered then they would fester and smell. That would upset and interfere with James olfactory sensors, not to mention that any exposed metal from James exo-skeleton would lead their enemy to them even faster when it showed up on a scanner sweep.

Further more, even though Sentinel's *were* Cyber-organic weapons of war and not *really* *technically* alive, their extremely heightened sense of touch allowed them to suffer excruciating pain. Blair would never allow that if it could be avoided. Just as importantly, they would *need* James heightened vision to evade capture and find their way out of this mess.

For just a quick second, Blair allowed himself to indulge in a bout of self-pity. He had never asked for this life. No one had *asked* him if he *wanted* to be genetically engineered to be able to survive with computer circuits hardwired into his brain so that he could have 100% perfect recall of up to 3000MB of data per chip. No one had *asked* his permission to implant 10 data chips and 4 technology adapter-jacks into his skull. No one had *asked* him if he wanted to be a living, breathing computer. No one asked him if he *wanted* to be a Guide.

Biting back a sigh and blinking away a stray tear, Blair set in to repair his Sentinel before the enemy could close in on their position. Pulling his pack over to where he could reach it, Blair removed a three foot long thick rubber coated cable with specially designed plugs on each end. He uncoiled it and plugged the smaller end into the adapter-jack located behind his right ear. Blair then unbuttoned James forest green I.P. War Corps uniform shirt and plugged the other end into an adapter-jack located above his left pectoral.

Streams of data flowed along the thick cord uniting them as one at the speed of 138bpm's. Slow by state of the art standards *today*, but Blair was already 29 years old and the technology used to engineer his brain and adapt it to integrating with technology *had* been top of the line at one time. It may seem crude to the younglings still in their protective incubators and implant cryo-tubes, but it was still highly effective.

Without even looking, Blair reached into his pack and pulled out a plastic-alloy case and popped open the intricate DNA-coded lock. He selected a delicate and *extremely* expensive and at the
moment, irreplaceable tool, and began to regenerate the physical wounds while he literally *thought* the repairs needed to correct the electronic injuries in James's visual sensors.

Total repairs took exactly 12 minutes and 47 seconds. Working quickly, Blair replaced the tool in the case, coded the lock, and stowed it in his pack. Then he disconnected the link to his Sentinel
by removing the jack-cord. Gently, Blair rebuttoned James shirt.

"James. Deactivate Zone-Mode 42-K. Activate Sentinel-Mode 25-L."

James blinked his eyes and shook his head slightly. He turned to face Blair with a slight look of confusion on his face. He blinked again and then offered a weak smile.

"Chief?"

"Yeah Big Guy. I'm here and I'm fine. Feel better?"

James nodded slightly and Blair reached out and ran a hand along the side of his head, gently petting the soft hair that grew there. James blushed and smiled shyly as he leaned into Blair's touch like a big sleek cat.

That tender exchange reminded Blair once again *why* he never rebelled against his enforced service in the Inter Planetary War Corps and his enslavement to the Techno-Lords. His Sentinel was a man-made creation, a weapon of war encased in living flesh grown in specially designed derma-tanks. He was programmed to be the deadliest of Warriors, a forensics expert, and an ace pilot of every type of vehicle, ground, air or space. He was *also* programmed to be a loving and gentle protector for his Guide. A true and loyal friend who would willing sacrifice himself without a moments thought for his Guide. Against all logic and reason, Blair had fallen in love.

Suddenly James pulled back and tilted his head slightly, listening. Then he turned his face to piggy-back his sight onto his hearing and get a visual lock on the noise source. A slight tensing of James muscles told Blair that it was the enemy.

Blair ran the palm of his left hand over his pants leg to clear it of dirt and sweat. He had a small adapter-jack imbedded in the flesh there. Reaching up, he placed his palm over the back of James
neck to cover the small puckered ring of flesh that appeared to be little more than an oddly placed piercing with the ring missing. Once his hand was in place, a small adapter-plug pushed through the tiny flesh aperture and slid into place in Blair's jack.

Information and data flowed over the connection. The enemy locations that James sensors could pick up were instantly overlaid on top of a highly detailed planet wide schematic that Blair carried in one of his implanted data-chips. Situation programming perimeters flashed from James central CPU.

However, Blair was the Guide. He was an "organic" and thus did not need to follow programming. He could think independently and easily override *any* of James pre-set programming in a millisecond. Running through their options, Blair made a decision. No words were necessary, the link carried his thoughts faster than his lips ever could.

Gathering their things as silently as possible, Sentinel and Guide crept out of their fox-hole and slipped deeper behind enemy lines. Step by stealthy step, they drew closer to their goal. Victory.


End: Demarcation: Subspecies, Warrior Class