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He finds it ironic that those in his first encounter are responsible for the way he’s lived without a clock ticking down. Whatever they meant to do to him, he ended up with an immortal body to continue with his timeless mission.
Or so he thought.
For decades, he protected Earth from the extraterrestrials with his new strength. He never grew old or weary, he never tired in his quest. And yet, the aliens hadn’t done as good of a job as he assumed and he had to transfer his being into a clone of his body when it began to decay.
He was familiar with losing the physicalities that people claimed made them human, and maybe that’s why he started to indulge Stockman after his failed attempt at creating a new body.
The ship of Theseus was something pondered in the lulls of his work. If you replace all the original parts of yourself, are you truly you anymore? Can they be human after everything? When their bodies came apart and had to be made entirely new?
Bishop considered himself human. His original DNA still structures the body he resides in, his mind contains all the memories and knowledge of what it was to live as a contemporary man. He is simply a more powerful version, one meant to protect the people of Earth. He has always been a soldier, a knife. Cold and sharp and steely.
And if he was human, Stockman was human, too. He still had his original brain after all.
His cruelty served a purpose greater than himself and all others, but Stockman’s brain contributed to the cause in ways he himself was unable to. Stockman had surpassed average humans just as Bishop had and now the two of them were standing in opposition to the greater evils together.
Neither was mortal anymore but they were not immortal either. Both of them were stuck in a cycle of recreating themselves to continue their purpose.
Perhaps that is why Bishop made late nights later by indulging Stockman in conversation. He understood enough about Stockman’s work to make sense of his chatter but listening to him ramble and mutter was not the most productive use of his time. There was no reason for Bishop to lurk in his lab, yet he constantly found himself loitering.
Stockman did not comment on his presence beyond a simple greeting before proceeding back to his work. For that, he was tempted to be thankful.
Bishop considered himself above forming trivial bonds with humans. There was no point when they would all live out their lives, as short and simple as they were, and he would remain.
But now, so would Stockman.
After so many years apart, after believing him dead after so long, Bishop could not leave him to die. Not again.
The kindness that was shown to him so many years ago changed him. Being saved by a being he had done so many wrong to had opened his eyes, but he left his partner in the past and moved forward alone.
Bishop’s new mission was still an immortal endeavor and it was only fitting that Stockman had the same opportunity to work alongside him as they had before.
Stockman was more similar to him now, a true ship of Theseus with alien DNA running through his veins. Neither of them were quite human anymore, nor were they who they once were.
Everything changed, yet he remained.
“I’m starting to feel like you miss the robot body,” he accused over dinner.
“Please,” Bishop chuckled. “We both know I only love you for your brain.”
“It’s not like there’s much else of me to love, John,” Baxter deadpanned, rolling his eye.
But there was enough.
He was enough.