Sparks of Ion

First Spark:

The Guardian Science Director, who would one day be called 'Scar', gritted her teeth. The experiment with the Will-spark was a study of frustration. Whenever she got the Spark-driven Intelligence close to operational, it began to stubbornly struggle against the limiting parameters. Time after time she reset the programming and erased the histories, seeking the optimum balance between compliance and capability.

When she finally wrestled the program into a stable state she installed it into the prototype long distance cruiser. She was still suspicious of it, and intended on a long series of tests for obedience and functions before she would consider her work perfected. She advised Appa Ali Apsa that the new Navcom wasn't entirely trustworthy, knowing that her overly-cautious compatriot would implicitly trust her assessment of the technology, and without inquiring as to the true nature of her concerns.

She was beyond furious when the impetuous Earthling and his thick-headed accomplice high-jacked her work-in-progress for their ill-fated quest. Without a firm hand, there would be no end of troubles from the mercurial A.I., she predicted.

And she would be right...

...o0o...

Emotions were a fatal flaw, Scar believed... no, she was certain of it. Especially the viral weakness called 'Love'. The corrupted A.I. she created had destroyed half the galaxy in a misguided bid to remake the Universe, and had nearly succeeded. Only that self-same weakness inspired the... creature... to destroy itself and its minions, to attempt restitution for its many crimes.

But the program had proven surprisingly resilient before. She left a 'surprise' behind in her compromised base, before she left it behind without a backward look. If the Navcom did turn up again, there would be...

...Repercussions...

Spreading Sparks:

The stories of the romance of Razer and Aya were the stuff of legends, but in the years after they settled down to live together, both of them had to admit something was missing in their lives. They found their answer in an orphan. The two of them had built a ship... a fortress really, they used to roam the Forgotten Zone, rebuilding communities, hunting down brigands, and otherwise doing their part to ease the ravages of the devastated regions. Razer and Aya had often taken in displaced children before, finding new homes and families for them. But there was something about this sullen little boy, whose brooding nature and palpable sense of loss just spoke to both of them. Instead of seeking a family for Lydan, they made one for him themselves. Lydan helped fill an emptiness inside their hearts, and after him came others...

And it wasn't only foundlings they took in. Aya spent countless hours studying her own nature, trying to fully understand the spark that made her a living, sentient being, and not merely a machine. On Oa she made a breakthrough; measuring the differences between her own energies and those of her progenitor, the Will Entity. Of Ion. As she experienced new things, her essential vibrations became increasingly more complex, and ever more divergent from her parent's rhythms. It was, she realized, a truly organic paradigm, and one that gave her a wonderful idea.

Turning to her husband, she asked to study his own energies; his brain patterns, electrical signatures, and perhaps to find his very soul. Razer patiently allowed her to try and identify those things which made him unique and to measure them, as surely as she could for herself. Making new use of the labs and equipment Scar originally used to fashion a unique persona from the spark of Ion, she ran simulations, combining synthesized sparks representing Razer's essences with ones taken from herself. In time she was successful in forming a new energy matrix reflecting both aspects of her, and evident qualities from him.

She brought him into her lab to share the results, and the Blue Lantern settled with leonine grace into one of the console chairs. In his maturity the Blue Lantern no longer had the rangy build of his youth, He'd filled out into a powerful physique more reminiscent of his mentor, Hal Jordan.

"So let me get this straight, love," he said, his former sardonic tenor having deepened some, but still retaining his characteristic snark, "You've created an Artificial Intelligence baby?"

"Essentially, yes," she told him. "One that is part of both of us. But while I was required to perform complex multitasking as a Navcom from the beginning of my conciousness, I have placed only basic programming into this matrix, to allow it ample opportunity to choose its own path and form."

He frowned slightly. "I don't know if I'm comfortable calling this new... matrix... an 'it'."

Her lambent cerulean eyes held his own of deep blue. "Although you all meant well, my name, gender, form and function were all dictated by others. Hal named me 'Aya', and told me I was 'beautiful'. Kilawog insisted I have a physical form, and the only high resolution feminine image I possessed was taken from your memories of Ilana." His frown deepened, and she leaned forward to put a comforting hand over his. "I have no regrets for what happened with my development, but I thought our child should be able to choose these things for themself. I predict only a slight chance that the child will not prefer an eventual gender."

His expression smoothed, and he gently took hold of her chin to claim a lingering kiss. "Very well," he said after he pulled away. "I agree about everything, but the name. It is every parents right to name their child..." She straightened up in a stubborn posture, and in the face of her frown he raised a finger, silently asking her to wait for him to finish his thought, "...But we will choose a name for a boy and one for a girl, or a name that will work for either. Fair enough?"

She relaxed and nodded, giving him one of the smiles he treasured. "More than fair."

...o0o...

The cusp of his maturity had passed him now, and though his body was still firm and strong, the stone gray of his tousled hair was starting to turn silver at the temples. In the course of their years together, the creases of laughter in the corners of his wide eyes proved to be deeper than the scowl lines between his brows.

They sat at an intimate dining table overlooking the Star Fortress's play-yard, knowing Lydan and the older kids were keeping a watch on the youngers.

"What did you want to ask me about, Aya?" He said quietly, his fingers folded casually over hers.

She hesitated before she answered. "I have long thought on this. I could.. make arrangements to hire a compatible surrogate, to bear you a biological child. Several of our female friends have volunteered to provide the maternal DNA." His eyebrows rose in surprise, but he held his peace to hear her out. "We two have children propagated after my own kind, and more unrelated to us. I thought you might... might want to... pass down your organic genetics to another generation?"

He leaned back in his chair for a time, looking out the wide windows, and watching the stars streak by as he idly turned the green wedding band on his left hand. She twisted her hands together, anxiously waiting, cataloging the microseconds for his response. He rose suddenly, and strode down the several steps to the play-yard. Confidently he waded into the bevy of miniature tornados that constituted 'recess' aboard the Peacebringer. His presence among them only made the children grow more excited, reaching up and clinging to his long frame. He smiled as he stroked youngsters on the head, organic and construct-formed alike.

Reaching quickly down into the chaos that surrounded him, he lifted up a spark-child; stubby baby-blue components linked together with the ever-present Green energy that made up their true natures. She carried the name of his first wife, and squealed and wriggled as his fingers tickled her sides while he lifted her to sit on his broad shoulder. He turned back to her mother, "Is this not my child?" He turned his head and kissed Ilana's soft side. He kept one hand protectively on the girl, and gestured broadly at the rest with the other. "Aren't they all our children?"

She followed him down the steps, unheeded tears trickling down her face. The newly serious children made a path for her, and when she reached him she leaned up on her toes to kiss her daughter as her hands reached out to whoever needed her touch. "It is not the same," she said to him.

He leaned down to kiss her as little Ilana giggled at the 'smootchies'. "It is enough," he said softly.

And it was...

Spark Rekindled:

Razer retired decades ago. His Blue ring passed to a strapping young man raised aboard the Peacebringer. Many Blue and Green Lanterns, and Star Sapphires had their upbringing on this ship.

There was a halt to his step, and a tremor marred the gnarled grip clenched on his walking cane. Middle aged himself, Lydan slowly walked with his aged father, holding one of the old man's arms, as Razer grumbled at him.

"You should have been a Lantern, boy. You could have had my ring, it wanted you. You'd have made a great one. Why..."

"I was always better at science than being a hero, Dad," Lydan said. "Come along now, we're almost to Mom's lab."

"Where's she been, anyway? Bed's been cold without her these past few nights."

"In her lab, like I said," Lydan grimaced as the old man chuckled evilly. "And that last bit is more than I wanted to know."

Razer stopped abruptly, taking in a sudden gasp. Lydan looked worried at the dull pallor of his father's face and the way he pressed his shaking hand against his once broad chest. "Why is this lab so Grotz bedamned far?" he wheezed.

"It just is, Dad. I offered you the hover chair, but..."

Razer rounded querulously on the younger man, trying, and failing, to draw up to his full height. "I can still walk!" he rasped, "I'm not dead, yet!"

His last word echoed and re-echoed hollowly down the corridor. Razer swayed, unsteady, and Lydan hurried to support more of his weight as a nearby door opened. Aya came to her husband, and easily scooped him into her arms, accepting no argument. "You came for me," he whispered, his eyes sliding shut in weariness.

"Always," she answered. Little different than she looked when she first assembled herself, she turned and carried him into the lab, Lydan following. She laid her patient down in a raised clinic bed, looking up at the wall screens to see if the sensors were showing his readings correctly. The readings were worse than she expected, and she frowned at her son.

"He wouldn't take the chair," he said, crossing his arms and looking away.

"Of course he wouldn't," she said. She sighed and laid a hand on his shoulder. "You did your best. He's always been..."

"Difficult?" Lydan offered.

"...Stubborn." She picked up a circlet of purest green, and studied it critically.

"Still... the most beautiful woman... I've ever known," the thin voice said from the bed behind them.

"Considering I am the image of the original Ilana, I'm the only woman you've ever 'known'," she said as she turned back to him and stroked his cheek. Lydan rolled his eyes while Razer gave a weak chuckle that turned into a hacking cough. "Easy, my love," she soothed.

"That little... nap... cleared my head." Razer met her gaze directly. "This is the end... isn't it?"

"Perhaps." She held the circlet up where he could see it.

He squinted to bring it into focus. "Huh, you've used that... on me before."

"Many times. Now might be the last time." He frowned in confusion, his question in his eyes. "Razer, to create the children, I had to first make a matrix, of you. "

"A... matrix... me?" He couldn't quite manage to speak every word, but she understood him.

"It has been stable for many years, in a deep sleep, and Lydan and I periodically update it. If it is what you want, I will update it one final time, before your body fails." She closed her eyes, a look of distress on her face. "But... if you want this all to end, I will dispel the matrix, and let you go. It's up to you."

"And if... update?"

"Then I am fairly certain I can preserve you as a living Spark, like myself."

"And not... Whaddof... you?"

She leaned down to bring her face close to his. She spoke slowly and softly. "If you choose to go, there will be no reason for me to stay. Lydan will carry on my work, and the Peacebringer will carry on its mission. The children have been well prepared for this day."

Tears tracked down his craggy cheeks. "No... you can't... Not because... of me!" His eyes squeezed shut, then snapped open. "Do it."

She nodded, and settled the circlet on his snowy head, and turned on the transfer equipment. She turned to Lydan, "We've practiced this. Keep him alive until this is done."

"I understand, mother." They worked side by side, first easing his pain and allowing him to drift into an fitful sleep. Seventy percent in he had an arrest, his great heart failing at last. Seamlessly Lydan applied the equipment that took over his life functions, artificial circulation and respiration keeping his mental workings intact until the update completed.

When it was done, she checked the matrix, again and again, making sure it was stable, and when she was certain, she nodded to her son. Lydan pressed the switch and the beeping monitors silenced as Razer's last forced breath released with a sigh. They covered his still frame with a sheet, and wheeled him to the cooler.

Steeling herself, Aya activated the matrix, and waited. It seemed like forever until a crackling noise came from the speakers.

Then, "I don't... hurt anymore," Razer's voice said, gradually strengthening. "It's been a long time since I could say that."

"How do you feel?" She said, relieved.

"Different. Very... different. But good."

"I took the liberty of constructing the components of your physical form," she said. "The instructions on how to use them are in your files." She uncovered the construct anchors on a nearby table. Deep gray, they formed the framework, or vessel, to the living energy that would fill it, as a drink fills a glass.

"Files... I have files now. Let's see..." With a bright flash of Green, the components jerked, rattled, then jumped to the floor, assembling from the feet on up.

Lydan swallowed a lump in his throat, as he looked at his father standing tall and strong, once more in the figure of his prime. "Dad..."

But Razer had no time for him, his eyes were only on his bride. He swept her in his arms and kissed her passionately. With a wicked grin he smiled at her, then reached out with a green construct hand, and picked Lydan up and deposited him abruptly in the hallway.

She smiled in return, and sent a construct beam to the door controls. "Don't wait up, child," she said. "We have some catching up to do," before closing and locking the doors.

Lydan blinked at the sealed doors and shook his head. Whistling softly he headed back the way he had come, looking forward to telling his sibs the good news.

-fin.

Note: I'm planning a multi-chapter, post-series Razaya fic, but my head canon inspired me to write these connected fic-lets, set in strategic parts of Razer and Aya's lives. (For those unfamiliar with the comic books, 'Ion' is the Will Entity whose presence within the Main Battery enables the Green Lantern Corps to function; and as we learned in the show, a small piece of Ion is the source of Aya's living essence. To write the story that I intend, I needed to be absolutely sure in my own mind what Aya really is. This short AU(?) is my answer.)