《Synth》 Episode 0: King Decon Helen had been very brave. She and her parents had been captured in one of the Royal Raids just a week ago, and while most children (though at 13, she wouldn¡¯t call herself a child!) would have broken down right away, Helen had stayed quiet and did as she was told. When two of the tall, armoured creatures - the synths- had charged into their hideaway and grabbed her, she hadn¡¯t cried. She fought back as her parents had, even though she knew it was a hopeless fight. When the synths used their multi-guns and tased her mother, she hadn¡¯t cried- she had simply fallen silent and stared at her mother''s twitching form. She had listened to her father when he told her to do as she was told. She had been silent as they were transported off her home planet with strong wires binding their wrists behind their backs. The whole time they were transported, and the whole time they were detained on King Decon¡¯s mothership, they were guarded by these two synths who never removed the fearsome helmets that covered their entire head. The helmets made her think of insects since the eyes were large and bulged out, even though they were narrowed forward on sleek black helmets to give them a dangerous, sinister look. Their folded wings on their backs reminded her of bats. Like ants, she thought. Like evil, winged ants. Large, evil winged ants with multi-guns tased her mother and took her from her home planet. She wondered if she¡¯d be afraid of ants when she got back home. The question of if she would ever go back home never crossed her mind. It was only now, as they waited in line to be presented to King Decon, that her bravery started to waver. She had never seen King Decon before; nobody saw King Decon in person unless they were in real trouble. He had a whole galaxy to rule over and didn¡¯t have time to deal with the smaller problems of each planet. When they were brought into his throne room she knew that she was ¡ª as her father would say ¡ª in the shit. The throne room was a wide, circular room. A window wrapped around the walls and looked out into the vast expanse of space- it was much emptier than Helen had thought it would be. In the distance, she could see a planet, but she didn¡¯t know if it was her home or not. A row of the synths stood perfectly spaced out around the perimeter of the room, unmoving. If Helen hadn¡¯t known better she¡¯d have thought that they were decorations. But no, the synths always stood like that unless they were doing something. Maybe they were actually robots; that seemed more likely to her, and her parents agreed but she was told never to express that outside of their home, or outside of their circle of special friends that would visit her and her parents and talk about King Decon and the synths. She was told not to say a lot of things; never talk about her parents¡¯ special friends. Never talk about anything she overheard in her home, never repeat anything her parents said about King Decon. They were pushed forward by the synths that had guarded them all the way from their home planet and led to a small circle in the floor that lay just below the raised dais on which King Decon¡¯s throne was set. She knew she wasn¡¯t supposed to look at him, that she wasn¡¯t supposed to look up but she couldn¡¯t help but take a quick look. Flesh and tech merged to create the form of King Decon. He was taller than anyone else she had ever seen, even while he was sitting. Wires and tubes which looked something like muscles ran in and out of his arms, pumping blood and other liquids all around his body. His face was a sculpted mask, a perfect, indifferent visage with holes for his bright blue eyes that peered down at her, unblinking. Even from where she was, she could see the clear dome that housed his brain. She had been taught in school ¡ª before her parents had taken her out ¡ª that he showed off his brain because the mind was the person, and while the rest of the body could be modified and stripped away, the mind was the only thing that could not be replaced. How long had he been alive? She remembered being taught that he was over 10000 years old, but her parents didn''t believe that. Her parents doubted a lot of things that she had been taught in school. He caught her eye, and she looked down immediately as she started shaking. If you were brought to stand before King Decon, you had either done something very very good, or very very bad. The way she and her family had been treated, she didn¡¯t think they had done anything very very good. A man from her home planet stepped forward; She had seen him on the news - he was the planet¡¯s Minister of Security. He was a larger, fatter man who was wearing very fine clothes that didn¡¯t seem to fit him quite right. He also had a strange kind of green wig on his head. The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. Noss. That was his name. She remembered because it made her think of moss, and she used to imagine his head was a big, wet rock that grew moss on top. ¡°My Lord, King Decon.¡± he said as he gave as deep of a bow as he could manage, ¡°I have brought you the leaders of Arkane¡¯s resistance.¡± ¡°I see.¡± King Decon said as he looked over them. ¡°A man, a woman, and a child?¡± ¡°T-this family is the knot of the resistance, as it were.¡± Noss said, taking a sudden step back, ¡°With them gone, any opposition to you on my planet will die.¡± He looked up, not meeting King Decon¡¯s eyes but instead looking at his silver-booted feet, ¡°I hope this proves my loyalty to you, my king.¡± ¡°This will suffice.¡± King Decon said, ¡°Provided I do not see any more opposition from your planet, I¡¯ll consider lifting the sanctions on Arkane after one universal cycle.¡± Noss squinted in concentration as he did the calculations in his head, ¡°But... But King Decon, that¡¯s three planetary years for us!¡± ¡°Is that a problem?¡± King Decon said. His voice was soft and dangerous, and all at once, the room seemed so much quieter than it had been just a moment before. ¡°N-no, King Decon.¡± ¡°Very good.¡± He turned his eyes to Helen¡¯s parents. ¡°You have been found guilty of conspiracy against the leadership of your planet, attempted assassination, slander against my rule, and destruction of my property. How do you plead?¡± Helen¡¯s father looked up, his eyes narrowed in defiance. ¡°It¡¯s not slander if it¡¯s the truth.¡± He spat. ¡°Attempted assassination?¡± Noss said, seemingly unable to hold his tongue, ¡°But, they succeeded! The last two Royal Guards sent to Arkane were killed in the explosion!¡± ¡°Ah. That.¡± King Decon leaned back in his throne, ¡°No no, they were synths. It¡¯s the destruction of property.¡± He looked back at Helen¡¯s father, ¡°From your response, I take it you have no defence.¡± ¡°We have done nothing wrong.¡± He said, ¡°We¡¯ve stood up against a tyrant. History will -¡° ¡°History will forget you, I guarantee it.¡± He waved at one of the synths by his side, ¡°Go ahead, execute them.¡± Helen froze. Execute? No. She was still thinking that it had to be a bad dream or a joke, or that at least someone was going to save them when in a fluid, sudden movement the synth came forward, grabbed her father, and stuck a long, narrow needle into the back of his head. Her father twitched for a moment, then fell lifeless to the ground. He didn''t even have a chance to scream. She still thought that someone would help them, that King Decon would stop this when the synth did the same to her mother. They grabbed Helen''s mother, and the last thing she said before they needle drove into the back of her head was, ¡°She didn¡¯t do anything! Please! Let her go!¡± The synth finally approached Helen. Helen¡¯s bravery and hope fled her at that moment and she fell to her knees and started bawling. She pushed herself away from the synth and looked up at the big, narrowed eyes on the helmet. ¡°I didn¡¯t do anything.¡± She sobbed, ¡°I didn¡¯t do anything!¡± The synth stopped. It was just for a moment. A slight hesitation. They were reaching out for her, to grab her and finish their job when their hand stopped in mid-air. They stared at her, silent. She was so close to the synth that in this lighting she could almost see past the big, scary-looking eyes on the helmet. She could just about see large, round eyes hidden behind the lenses. Big, confused eyes, and hairless brows furrowed in thought. ¡°Is there a problem?¡± came King Decon¡¯s strong, quiet voice. Fear. She could definitely see fear in the synth¡¯s eyes behind that mask. They didn¡¯t move as they spoke. She realized that she had never heard a synth speak before and their voice sounded odd to her; like it was two or three voices speaking from the same mouth. ¡°King Decon, is this necessary?¡± Then they jolted. Helen hadn¡¯t seen King Decon rise from his throne- she didn¡¯t think anyone had - he had moved faster than she could have imagined, and grabbed the synth by the helmet. He cracked a piece off the back of the helmet and then sank their fingers into the newly exposed flesh. There was a spray of blue blood as the synth spasmed and fell limp. King Decon dropped the synth on the floor before Helen then turned and walked back to his throne. Noss, still standing to the side, took a step backwards. The colour had drained from his face, and he looked like he might throw up. ¡°King Decon, I-¡± They stopped as King Decon turned to look at them. ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°N-nevermind, King Decon.¡± King Decon gestured to the limp body of the now-dead synth, ¡°It questioned me.¡± He said, with an almost careless tone ¡°I do not need a tool that questions orders.¡± He gestured to another synth which was standing nearby, ¡°You- get rid of that thing.¡± He said. The synth stepped forward, picked up the limp body from before Helen, ignoring the pool of blood that had formed beneath it. Without being prompted, another synth rushed forward and cleaned up the blood. In moments it was as though that previous synth had never been there, and Helen was left only with the memory of their confused eyes, their hesitation, and the way their body twitched before they died. King Decon gestured to another synth, ¡°Finish up.¡± He ordered. There was no hesitation this time. No matter how much Helen begged and cried and screamed, there was no hesitation from the synth as they carried out the order given to them by King Decon. Episode 1: Strange To them, it was like waking up suddenly. They opened their eyes and they could in fact recognize themselves in the reflection on the glass before them - their thin face, the steady curve of their jawline that worked down to the narrow, pointed chin. Their nose, like the nose of all the other synths, was more like a snout without color, flush against the protrusion of their jaw. Their thin lips had the slightest tint of purple of to them, deepening as their upper lip formed a little triangle just under their snout. Their big black eyes reflected the light from the devices around them, and their large ears flicked in confusion in the liquid of the development pod. Like all synths, they had long necks to accommodate for their three sets of vocal chords. Like all synths, they had no hair anywhere on their bodies. Like all synths they had a pair of bat-like wings that sprouted from their shoulders and draped over their arms. Like all synths, they woke from their simulation knowing only one thing for a fact: King Decon created me, and as such, I belong to King Decon. The liquid in the tank started to drain, and they felt the cold of the air on their bluish-white skin which had never touched air before. They shivered, and hugged themselves to keep warm, tightening their wings around themself. The pod opened, and they were pushed out, standing on unsteady legs that were kept from atrophy by constant electronic stimulation through their development. There were two other synths before them, each of them bearing a pin over the center of their chest - just over their hearts- that resembled the very pod that the newborn synth had just stepped out of, signaling them as the individual production officers that maintained the pods. They threw a plain robe over the newborn¡¯s shoulders to protect them from the cold. ¡°...Who am I?¡± The two production officers looked at each other quickly, their ears flicking with brief surprise as they frowned. Normally, a newborn synth would stay silent until given orders, or if they were particularly keen they might ask what King Decon would want them to do. They didn¡¯t ask who they were. Personal Identity wasn¡¯t necessary unless it was beneficial for King Decon. The synth on the left, who had a wider jaw and narrower ears glanced at the back of their hand. A screen lit up under the skin and a few quick gestures of their fingers they were able to bring up some data. ¡°You¡¯ve been detanked on the 9th day of this period, and you were grown on level T.¡± They checked their notes, ¡°You are also the 107th synth to be detanked today. As such, your designation is 09T07.¡± They glanced at them, "Do you understand?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± they said, ¡°I am... 09T07.¡± They looked around, and they knew where they were. They had seen this before, or at least, they had seen this in their dreams. This was the Synth Production Room- a grand cylinder with multiple floors, each one holding 500 viable synths, all in different stages of development. 09T07 looked to their right, and saw an empty tank, the fluid still dripping from the inside. To their left, they saw another synth who was still asleep, their ears flicking. The other production synth, the one who had the biggest snout they had ever seen (Or dreamed, anyway) took a tag from the pocket of their white uniform. They wrote in careful print the number they had just been assigned, and put the tag around 09T07¡¯s wrist. They then pointed to a door at the other end of the room, ¡°Go out that door.¡± they said, ¡°Follow the hallway, turn right, then enter the fifth door on your right. You¡¯ll be assigned a station and set to your training.¡± 09T07 nodded, pulled their robe tightly around themselves, and started towards the door. ¡°A moment.¡± The other production synth said, their voice flat and uncaring, ¡°Tell me, 09T07, what is your purpose?" Their purpose. Of course they knew their purpose. That had been hammered into them for as long as they could remember. Or... As long as they thought they remembered. They had thought the dreams were real until the minutes before they woke. The dream. A life they had lived which was slipping from their memory with every second. ¡°Why¡­. To serve King Decon, of course.¡± they said. The production synth nodded and turned from them, ¡°Very good.¡± they said, ¡°You may leave.¡± ======== While stretching on a grey mat in the physical training room alongside 100 other synths, 09T07 considered how long they had been out of their tank. 30 days. That was only 3 periods. Two periods short of a span. Their time in the tank seemed so distant; it had been a full life, filled with people and experiences. 30 days ago, and they had realized that their life was false, a simulation programmed to teach them the basics they¡¯d need to function as a perfect tool of King Decon. 30 days ago that life, the people, and places had faded away to fragments of dreams, insignificant and forgotten, leaving them only with the sense that they were missing something. 09T07 stretched forward as the instructor on the screen before them demonstrated their exercises. Every morning it was the same now. Get up, eat the same food every day, then go to the physical training room. Stretches and weight training were performed in silence with 100 other synths who all dressed in the same light blue uniforms- a tight, one piece suit with a wide open back to accommodate their wings. They each had an egg pinned to the center of their uniforms -marking them as still being in training- along with their number right over it. They all moved in unison as though their exercises were some kind of dance performed without music. It was unnaturally quiet every day and it left 09T07 feeling uneasy. The instructor on the screen led them to stretch out their backs and spread their wings, and 09T07 obeyed. The instructor told them to lean forward and stretch their legs. 09T07 obeyed. They knew that they could and should obey. They were obeying the orders - though indirect- of King Decon and as such the orders were good. But¡­ Did it have to be so quiet? Did they always have to be silent? And did it have to be the same exercises every single day? With the stretching finished, the bands around their wrists started to adjust, creating artificial weight for them to start working their muscles. It would take a moment for that to finish calibrating. As 09T07 waited, they turned to the Synth to their right - one that was taller than they themselves were, and whose ears were a little longer and a little more pointed. ¡°Do you not find,¡± 09T07 ventured, ¡°That the same exercises every day get rather tedious?¡± The other synth was silent for a moment before realizing that 09T07 was talking to them. They turned, and 09T07 could see that the number on their one-piece uniform read 08H03. You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author. ¡°I do not.¡± they said, their voice stiff, their ears flicking back with irritation as their eyes narrowed, ¡°I should hope that you are not growing bored already. I should hope your mental capacity is such that you can manage some repetitive tasks. ¡°Oh! Of course!¡± 09T07 said quickly, looking away as their ears flicked down in shame, ¡°Just¡­ It would be nice to do something different.¡± ¡°Would it?¡± ¡°Yes. Or at least¡­ Maybe something not so quiet.¡± The other synth turned away from them, refusing to respond to their chatter as their ears flicked in irritation. 09T07 sighed and tested the weights on their wrists as the instructor came back on screen telling them to get up. 30 days. 30 failures. Today¡¯s failure wasn¡¯t as bad as the others had been. The first day had been the worst. They had made the mistake of asking the synth next to them if they remembered their life before coming out of the tanks. They had been firmly informed that before the tank was just an hallucination, and if they wanted to dwell on such things they were welcomed to do so, but there were more important things to focus on. They had glared at 09T07, their ears twitching in disgust, their black eyes narrowed and angry. Lesson learned. Do not talk about before. Every day was a new such lesson. Do not talk about the future. Do not talk about the past. Do not discuss the quality of their food. All attempts at smalltalk had been met with confusion, disdain, or depending on the subject - disgust. They wondered, as they got up and started extending out their arms, if the real lesson was that they should attempt no smalltalk. Talk was fine, but it had to have a point. Transfer of information. Nobody else seemed bothered by this, but 09T07 felt strangely isolated by it. They took a breath, and tried to ignore the loneliness eating away at them. They got a glance from the synth next to them as they felt their ears flick downwards in sorrow. They knew this was nothing to be sad about, and that if they were to bother to look carefully at the other synth they would have that expression; The look that one might give if they just found something inedible in their food- what are you, what are you doing here? Their ears would be flicked out in confusion at the strange creature that was 09T07. You don''t belong. Oh well, nothing they could do about that- the movements of the ears were entirely involuntary. Theirs seemed to move more than others, and it was starting to draw disdain. 09T07 would have to get used to it. Maybe if they stopped trying to make this small talk and stopped trying to fill the silences, then they would stop missing such communication. Maybe this would get easier. Maybe all the others had at some point felt the same and simply grew out of it. They shifted to balance exercises. The first one was a hard one in which they had to stand on one foot and keep their balance on a slightly bent knee with their hands spread out and their other leg extended behind them. Often, synths would fall down during this. That was fine - they were still developing their muscles properly - it would take time to reach the levels of perfection required of them by King Decon; He had done his part, now the synths had to work hard to do theirs and bring out the full potential that King Decon had given them. 09T07 stretched, their arms spread out, their single uplifted leg stretched behind them, their wings outstretched as though they were flying. They wobbled, but for the first time they managed to keep their balance! Pride swelled in their chest as the Synth that had chided them fell over. Maybe they didn¡¯t understand how they were supposed to interact with these other synths yet, but they were growing faster, developing better. They could be better. There was a sudden commotion. Somewhere, a synth fell over - not a strange occurrence- and they heard someone say, ¡°Are you ok? Here, let me help y-¡° followed by another synth shouting, ¡°Do not touch me!¡± With such venom in their voice it took 09T07 by surprise. They stood upright before the exercise was over and turned to look. Closer to the middle of the physical training room were two synths that seemed to be in some kind of struggle. One synth held another -A synth with a more rounded jawline and more rounded ears than they were used to seeing- by the collar of their uniform before throwing them down to the ground. The one on the ground flicked their ears down and back in fear, their black eyes wide and confused as they looked up at their assailant. ¡°Do not touch me.¡± The standing synth said, ¡°Do not come near me. I will teach you if I must.¡± They raised up their arm, preparing to strike the other with the added force of the weighted wristband. 09T07 didn¡¯t know why they did it, but the moment the other synth was pushed to the ground they rushed over. They got there just in time to stand in front of the assailant, pushing their fist away before they bludgeoned their victim. ¡°I do not see how this helps.¡± 09T07 said, ¡°You should not attack King Decon¡¯s property.¡± The other synth hissed, their ears pinned back in anger, ¡°That one is broken.¡± They snapped, ¡°They talk of foolish, needless things. They keep loitering around me for no reason. They keep touching me- grabbing my arm to gain my attention, I tell them to stop. They pick lint off my uniform, I tell them to stop. Now, I fall down and they rush to grab me and pull me up. They do not listen. I will teach them to listen.¡± ¡°You will do no such thing.¡¯ ¡°And who are you to tell me what I will and will not do.¡± Why were they even here? What did they think they were going to do? They didn¡¯t know this strange synth, and they had no authority here. They had no authority anywhere. But they had seen the synth looking so scared, so startled. So sad. They took a step forward, ¡°I am simply one who has learned their place.¡± they said, ¡°And I know that we are not to attack one another. Injury would hinder development, and create problems for King Decon.¡± The other synth was glaring at 09T07, but their ears were now twitching slightly. They were uncertain, unsure. The door opened, and another synth- one who had a pin of a closed fist over the center of their chest, walked in and started to make their way to where they were standing. That synth was in charge of the physical development rooms, and wouldn''t be pleased to see infighting among those in training. 09T07 held their arm out for the fallen synth, helped them to their feet, and started pulling them back to their own mat. ¡°What are you doing?¡± They asked. ¡°Getting you away from that one.¡± 09T07 responded. When they got to their mat, they turned to the synth next to them, who was now looking at 09T07 with confusion. ¡°Switch.¡± 09T07 said, ¡°With this one. Go over to their old mat.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°So this one can continue their exercises and that other one doesn¡¯t attack them.¡± The synth frowned, looked like they were going to make an argument, then turned away, ¡°You talk too much anyway.¡± They snapped, ¡°And your ears move too much.¡± Once they were gone, 09T07 gestured for the synth they had rescued to continue the exercises on the now abandoned mat. They nodded, and for a few minutes the two continued their workout in silence. 09T07 was determined that they would not ruin this now. They would be silent, and only talk when necessary, they would keep their thoughts to themselves, their questions in their head. They would not make it so that this one looked at them funny like all the others did. ¡°...Thank you.¡± 09T07 was almost surprised to hear another synth talk to them. They turned and looked at the other synth who¡¯s ears were flicked down in shame, a light blue flush running over them. ¡°It was nothing.¡± ¡°It was a lot. Nobody else would have done anything. Why did you?¡± ¡°I am unsure.¡± they said after a brief pause, ¡°I think... You looked scared?¡± They other synth nodded and fell into silence, though a few minutes later, they asked, ¡°What is your designation?¡± They had never been asked that before. All the other synths looked at the number on their uniform, ¡°I am 09T07.¡± they said, then without bothering to check the other¡¯s uniform, asked, ¡°Yours?¡± ¡°70H67¡­ But..¡± They looked around carefully, then looked back at 09T07, ¡°I prefer, ¡®DH.¡¯¡± ¡°DH?¡± They asked, ¡°I do not understand." ¡°Well¡­ the numbers seem so strange, don¡¯t they?¡± Their ears perked up, ¡°I mean, we have designation numbers, then when we get proper assignments, we have designations that go with the position, but we never have names, correct? So, I choose a name; DH.¡± ¡°Why DH though?¡± They enjoyed listening to DH speak- they had a more fluid way of speaking that they themselves had not yet mastered. ¡°Oh!¡± They smiled, ¡°That¡¯s easy. Seventy-H. Sounds like 7-D-H. So¡­ DH.¡± ¡°I see!¡± they said, their eyes widening, ¡°That is clever!¡± ¡°Thank you!¡± DH said, beaming. Their ears suddenly dipped down, ¡°Though¡­ Everyone else thinks it¡¯s strange.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t see why. DH is much better than 70H67..¡± They frowned as their instructor demonstrated an exercise where they held their arms out and lifted them up as the weights increased. ¡°Could I perhaps go as TO?¡± Their tone was cautious, their ears tilted down slightly, expecting DH to snap at them for some reason. 30 days, 30 failures. They didn¡¯t want two failures in one day. DH didn¡¯t snap. Instead, they gave the newly dubbed TO a broad smile, their ears twitching with joy. ¡°That! I would like that!¡± they said, ¡°I shall call you TO. May I work next to you from now on?¡± ¡°Of course!¡± TO said, unable to keep their own broad smile off their face, their own ears twitching with joy as well. 30 days. 30 failures. 1 success. Episode 2: Flight Flight practice was next. All the synths had to be split up into groups of 25 so that they wouldn''t crash into one another as they soared around. TO was disheartened to see that DH was not in the same group as they were. The room was a large cylinder - similar to the room where they had been incubated but smaller and even for their sensitive eyes, it was very dark: This was supposed to encourage them to use their echolocation. The synths all walked out onto the ledge that encircled the room, and one by one they dove off the ledge, spreading their wings and hopefully taking to the air before hitting the ground. TO had taken to flight faster than the others, and had been one of the first to be able to do more than simply glide to the ground. After only a few classes they were able to soar and dive. Now, the flight practice was less like work for them and more like fun; A rest between the quiet and carefully controlled environments that the rest of the day would have for them. They stood on the ledge, not bothering to grip the side with their long, bat-like feet, and dove. They plummeted down before drawing themselves up in a graceful swoop just moments before striking the ground. The strong and frantic flapping of their wings brought them up higher and higher as a series of quick chips from their mouth and the quick flicking of their ears alerted them to obstacles; other synths, or one of the many branchlike protrusions jutting out from the wall. They reached the highest branch and grasped it with their feet and one hand as they hung there, listening, chirping. In a moment, when the others had spread out more, they¡¯d do it again. They¡¯d drop from here, dive to the bottom and soar up again at the last moment. They didn¡¯t know why this didn¡¯t scare them, or why they weren''t more cautious; In the first week the original group of 25 had been reduced to 15 due to accidents. They would never forget the sound that the first synth had made when they failed their training; the splatter of their head on the floor. They were grateful that it had been dark- they didn¡¯t want to see that; hearing it was bad enough. ¡°09T07.¡± TO located the one who called out - They were a bit further down on another branch- and glided down with ease perching next to them and clutching the branch with their feet as they squat down. They grasped the branch with a free hand just to be careful ¡°You called me?¡± they asked. Squinting in the darkness, they could make out the number on their uniform; 55H70. ¡°What do you need?¡± This one in particular had never spoken to them before, and TO knew well enough now that if they were being talked to then something was needed or they had done something wrong. Well, except for DH of course. ¡°You are strange.¡± they said. There was no judgement to their voice, no malice - they were simply stating a fact. ¡°I... see?¡± ¡°But you are also competent.¡± 55h70 said, ¡°You are strong. You fly well. You are clever.¡± ¡°But I am strange.¡± ¡°You are.¡± they said, ¡°70H67 is likewise strange. Stranger than you in many ways. They always want to be around others. They are always talking to others. They seem to seek physical contact more than necessary.¡± They looked up at TO, a frown on their face as their ears flicked back with disdain, ¡°Did you know that they gave themselves a fake name?¡± ¡°I do not know about a fake name, but they prefer to be called DH.¡± The other synth made a strange clicking noise in the back of their throat as they narrowed their eyes, ¡°Yes. Very strange.¡± ¡°I do not see that as strange.¡± TO said, ¡°It is efficient. Among smaller groups-¡° Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. ¡°Our numbers were assigned to us by the system that King Decon created. 70H67 is arrogant to a point where they believe they can alter that; where they believe that they know better than King Decon.¡± TO had not considered that. King Decon was their creator, and as such how could any synth hope to be wise enough to question His decisions? TO frowned, Their ears twitching as they considered this. ¡°However. 70H67 is also horrifically and obviously mediocre.¡± 55H70 said as they looked up to TO, ¡°You are not. You might be forgiven for a certain level of¡­ quirk, as it were, because of your apparent natural skill. In fact, I believe that you might rise up to serve King Decon best of the group of us because of that skill.¡± Wait. Could they? Vaguely, they knew that before they had woken up, they had been taught about King Decon and His fight for unity among the galaxy. At this point, it felt more like the information was innate, something they knew on instinct. TO knew their place, and what was expected of them. The synths were all tools of King Decon. King Decon gives an order, they follow. Those orders could come from their more immediate superiors or computers, but when orders were given they were obeyed without question. Their role in all this was simply to obey. Obeying wasn¡¯t a problem, and it was just something TO did without thought. The problems had been their attempts to connect with others, the 30 failures, and in trying to figure out why the other synths seemed to find them so irritating all the time. They had never considered that they might rise up, that they might be considered important, that they might be considered more than just a simple tool in this world they felt they had been thrown into. The thought gave them hope, and a little pride. ¡°However.¡± 55H70 said, ¡°If you continue to associate with 70H67, you may not reach your full potential to serve.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± 55H70''s ears tilted down as they considered the question. Clearly, they hadn¡¯t intended on talking this long, or going into this much depth. ¡°I mean,¡± they finally said, ¡°That 70H67 is strange.¡± ¡°So you¡¯ve said already. To great extent.¡± ¡°Very strange. There is something wrong with them. If they were simply mediocre, they wouldn''t be given notice. They would simply live out their lives performing menial tasks for the glory of King Decon.¡± They looked up at TO, ¡°But they are strange. They are wrong. They are¡­ malfunctioning. If you associate with them, their behaviour could have an effect on you, or you could be judged by your proximity to them. Normal synths do not act like that one does, nor do they tolerate such behavour.¡± ¡°But you already said I myself am strange.¡± ¡°Yes. Unfortunate, given your skills, but yes. But I believe your skills will overshadow your flaws so long as you work hard and temper yourself.¡± ¡°Temper myself?¡± ¡°Reduce your actions that are not so normal,¡± they said, ¡°I would hate to see your potential lost, and see you sent into battle, corrected, or worse; repurposed. Repurposed. Destroyed. Broken down to the individual parts which would be reused. A quick surgical jab to the medulla oblongata, followed by dissection and a chemical bath to break down anything that¡¯s left so their cells could be used to manufacture lost limbs or organs for higher-ranking synths. It was the only way that some synths could be made useful. ¡°If I am so competent, I do not think that King Decon would see me wasted in such a manner.¡± ¡°Perhaps.¡± 55H70 said, ¡°But even if that is so, I would hate to see your competence overlooked because you choose to embrace your quirks. Do you understand?¡± It was a strange thing. There was logic in what 55H70 was saying, but it felt¡­ Wrong. They couldn¡¯t place why it felt like that exactly, and they couldn¡¯t discern a logical argument to their feelings, but it was just simply wrong to them. ¡°I do not think that 70H67 will be a problem for much longer anyway.¡± 55H70 said, ¡°Either they will be corrected, or failing that, repurposed.¡± ¡°Because they talk too much?¡± TO asked, ¡°Because they like being around other synths?¡± ¡°They are distracting. They disrupt the normal functioning of our system. Even in our physical development earlier today, you saw the fuss they caused. No, they will be dealt with, and you would be wise to be away from them when they are.¡± They gestured down to the floor far below, ¡°If you can fly, but someone who cannot grabs onto you, then you fall. You die. You hit the floor. Do not let 70H67 pull you down. Avoid them.¡± Again there was logic in what they were saying, and TO knew it to be true. Those who didn¡¯t seem to keep up, those who were not functioning as designed were corrected or repurposed. They were taken away and if they did come back they returned with dazed looks, slower movements, and somehow they just seemed empty. DH had been the first synth to communicate with TO, to actually talk without purpose since they had woken up and as such those truths seemed just so wrong and the idea of DH being taken away and returning like that made TO¡¯s stomach clench. DH was the first one who had connected with them. Was that because DH was strange? Would TO be able to connect with them if they were corrected? ¡°I see.¡± TO said, ¡°My thanks for the advice, but I wish to ask you a question - what did DH do in our physical development that was so terrible.¡± ¡°They interfered with another¡¯s training.¡± ¡°They tried to help them.¡± TO said, ¡°And I do not see that as a problem. The problems were caused by the other one. They were going to attack DH.¡± The other synth gave TO a strange look as they said DH¡¯s name, their ears pinning back, ¡°Perhaps you are too strange to see the problem.¡± they said. ¡°Perhaps you are too strange, despite your abilities.¡± ¡°We will see, won¡¯t we.¡± TO said, and without another word they let go of the branch. The timing for this stunt had to be perfect or they would get hurt. From the very top of the flight room they fell, head first to the ground around the others that were bumbling about, trying to bully their wings into doing as they wanted them to. TO kept their wings pressed firmly against their back as they fell so they could get better speed. Foolish, they knew. One false move and they would be like the synth that splattered against the ground. They suddenly spread their wings and managed to pull out of their dive just before hitting the floor. They gained some height from the power of the fall, and flapped up the rest of the way until they were once again flying in circles above the others who were still not quite ready to fly all the way to the top. TO knew that their abilities in the air were - at least in their small group- unparallelled. They imagined that if anyone were to grab onto them, they¡¯d manage to keep the two of them airborne. Episode 3: Worry The food they were given at each meal was the same- little cubes of essential nutrients to keep them going through the day and to give them everything they would need while their bodies adapted to their growth and development. When they were done with their training, they knew that they would be given a different sort of food than what they had now, one that gave them more or less nutrients depending on their task. TO didn¡¯t especially care what kind of food they had, it all tasted terribly bland. They were getting used to it though- the memories of the delicious things they ate before had faded, and it was hard to crave something you didn¡¯t remember. They lined up with the other synths in the cafeteria and waited their turn. Before them, set into the far wall of the cafeteria was a series of 20 machines, each one a narrow black panel set flush with the wall. A screen placed over each one, just higher than their heads showed call numbers, and as a synth¡¯s call number was displayed they went up to the machine and pressed the back of their hand against a small black reader that was placed near a narrow slot. The reader would read the implant in their hand, and provide them with the meal that they were assigned- The cubes- on plates that were made of nutritional fibres which could be eaten when the meal was done. They ate with their hands, and if they were thirsty they drank from the water bottle that they kept with them, filled from fountains all around the training center. TO¡¯s number was called, they got their meal, and sat at the closest table. It didn¡¯t normally matter where one sat, you simply sat at the first table with an empty place on the bench, sliding down to make room for the next synth. Silence. Relative silence anyway. Footsteps, the sound of the machines producing their food, the sound of chewing. Why was it so unnaturally quiet to them! They didn¡¯t understand. They didn¡¯t understand why it seemed to bother them so much while it didn¡¯t seem to bother anyone else. Was it because they were strange? Even though they had met someone who would talk to them, they didn¡¯t know if they liked being strange. Being strange was hard. ¡°Pardon me.¡± TO turned around quickly as they heard DH¡¯s voice. They had not expected to see them while they ate, but DH had slipped before another synth who was about to sit down next to them, and claimed their seat. Eyes. Eyes on them. TO could see everyone looking at DH, and at themselves as well. TO couldn¡¯t remember if they had ever seen another synth go out of their way to sit in a specific spot before. There was no rule against it, but they hadn¡¯t seen it done. ¡°I nearly didn¡¯t find you.¡± DH said as they settled into the seat. The synth who had their seat stolen looked at DH, a very confused expression on their face as their rounded ears flicked forward, then sat down next to them, continuing on as though nothing had happened. ¡°I did not- Didn¡¯t realize that you would be looking for me.¡± TO said. They wanted to emulate the more fluid way that DH spoke, more reminiscent of the way the older synths with a better grasp on the language spoke. their words didn¡¯t seem to be stilted, and they wanted to copy that. DH seemed to have it figured out better and faster than TO did. ¡°Of course.¡± they said, turning to TO and giving them a smile, ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t I?¡± Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. ¡°Because¡­Because there was probably an easier seat for you to sit in?¡± ¡°But I¡¯m far happier sitting with you.¡± They picked up a nutrition cube and popped it into their mouth, the light quickly glinting on their slightly pointed teeth for just a moment before they started chewing. ¡°I feel like this tastes wrong.¡± they said to TO, ¡°I don¡¯t know why, but it feels like it should taste better.¡± Conversation. Simple conversation about food! Their first attempt at this had been on day 3, and that of course had been another failure. TO cleared their throat, the three vocal chords giving a strange, almost mechanical sound before they spoke, ¡°I feel like I ate things that tasted better...before.¡± they said the last part very very softly, hoping that nobody else would hear them. The synth sitting next to them looked over, their ears flicking in confusion as they gave them that ¡°What are you?¡± Look. Their ears drooped down and flushed blue with shame as they tried to distract themselves with their food. They had learned on day 1 not to speak about before. Why did they think they could speak about it now? ¡°I wish I was still in that.¡± DH said, ¡°Still dreaming. I think the dreams were better.¡± TO nearly choked on their food. In a second, DH was on their feet, their hand on TO¡¯s back, ¡°Are you ok?¡± They asked, their eyes wide with worry, their ears pinned back. TO nodded as they drank deeply from their water bottle. They could feel DH¡¯s hand on their back as they drank, warm, careful, almost comforting. Why did this make people mad? They took a deep breath as they finished, their ears flushed as they wiped the moisture from their lips, ¡°I am fine.¡± they said quickly, keenly aware that they had made a lot of noise, had created a disruption, and that they were being stared at. DH sat back down, removing their hand from TO¡¯s back. ¡°You¡¯re sure?¡± ¡°I am certain. Sure. Yes.¡± They glanced away from the other synths and focused on their food. Silence fell over them, the sound of chewing, stepping, shuffling. ¡°Apologies.¡± DH said after a while, their voice soft and low. TO looked over to them, and saw a frown on their face, their ears slightly limp, ¡°I said something strange. I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°It is fine.¡± TO said, Brushing it off quickly, speaking as quietly as they could. ¡°I am unbothered.¡± ¡°You¡¯re certain?¡± they said, ¡°I... I normally try to not mention before. Nobody else seems to want to think about it.¡± ¡°I know.¡± ¡°You do?¡± They glanced around, and softly whispered, ¡°I¡¯ve mentioned it. Others get angry.¡± DH¡¯s ears perked up, ¡°You¡¯re not angry then?¡± ¡°Not at all.¡± The expression of relief that flooded DH¡¯s face, the way their shoulders suddenly relaxed, the way their ears perked up and a small smile flickered over their face warmed TO in a way that they had not yet felt. Their own ears perked up as they smiled and went back to their food. DH was happy, and as such for some reason that TO couldn¡¯t comprehend, they themselves were happy because of it. Perhaps it was because they could now talk about things! If DH was willing to talk about before, then there were so many other things that they might be willing to discuss! For the moment though, TO felt lost. They had wanted to just talk to another about things for the last thirty days, and now that they were able to, the possibilities caused them to freeze up. What would they talk about? They glanced at the others at their table, who were taking quick, fugitive looks at them, as though they were doing something embarrassing- as though they had stripped off their uniforms and were dancing naked at the end of the table. What could they talk about? Was there something that perhaps wouldn¡¯t seem too strange? They had it. ¡°You are in a different flight group than I am, yes?¡± ¡°I am. Yes.¡± ¡°Are you strong in the air?¡± DH shook their head, ¡°I¡¯m not, no. I have not broken any bones yet though!¡± They looked at TO with a look of pride that at that. TO remembered what the other synth had said to them, that DH was strange and while TO was strange as well, TO was also highly competent; DH was mediocre. ¡°I will help!¡± TO said, suddenly excited, ¡°I will teach you. In Rest and Recreation later, meet me at Flight Room 2. I will help you. I will teach you!¡± DH looked incredibly excited, then paused, frowning, ¡°Nobody has offered to help. Nobody has spoken to me this long, save for...well, nobody has¡­ tolerated me this long before without telling be to be quiet.¡± They tilted their head, their ears twitching with curiosity, ¡°Why are you being so nice?¡± The question threw TO off guard, ¡°Because I want to be?¡± They ventured, not quite of the reason themselves. That answer seemed good enough for DH, who nodded and went back to their food, smiling. TO continued to eat, but now they wondered to themselves. Why did they want to help? Episode 4: Dialect After their second meal, all the synths in training sat at desks and completed a series of puzzles on the hologram interface of their computers. Though this again was quiet and individual work, TO enjoyed it. They liked puzzles, even if they hated the silence. They liked the word problems, the logic problems, and the mathematical equations that they had to solve or prove. There were spatial problems, mazes, and even a simulation that threw them into puzzles or situations that needed fast responses. TO enjoyed it all, but today they were not able to focus. They had their own puzzle to figure out: Why did they want to help DH? Well, the answer that came to their mind went back to what the other synth had told them. DH was strange, and would be corrected, or repurposed. TO liked DH as they were because they talked to them, and TO had wanted someone to talk to for a while now. If they were corrected, they would not talk to them again, at least not like they did. If they were repurposed, they would not talk again ever. They wanted to help them so that they would be good enough and competent enough, that DH''s strangeness would be overlooked as it apparently was with TO. Sure, TO themself got strange looks often, and they were chided for trying to start up conversation, but no other synths had tried to attack them and they had been given nothing but positive comments from their Overseers. They wanted to help them so that they would not be corrected or taken away, and TO would have their company in the future. Company. Companionship? A friend? That felt like a good enough reason to TO, but they knew that it would be considered a strange one. Synths did not have friends, they had other synths that they worked well with, or who they did not work well with. There was ideally no emotional connection between it. They failed the same puzzle for the third time and frowned as they reset the simulation. It was an easy puzzle, and they knew they could solve it if they were not so distracted, and perhaps a little distressed. If they associated with DH, then according to 55H70, that would make them stand out more. Even during meal time they had seen that; DH¡¯s actions had drawn the attention of the entire table! Would their strangeness draw unwanted attention to them? Would they themselves be considered a nuisance, a problem, be considered more trouble than they were worth if they were causing distractions? Would they be corrected? Would they be happier if they were corrected? That thought hadn¡¯t occurred to them before. They didn¡¯t know what exactly happened when they were corrected, they only knew how different ¨Chow empty¨C others appeared when it happened. If they themselves were corrected, would they be content, like all the other synths seemed to be? Would they no longer have this overwhelming need to talk, to connect? Would they no longer feel so lonely? Maybe they should request to be corrected, if that would make them happier. Yes, they could go to their Overseer, and tell them that they needed correction, that something was wrong with them that they felt unhappy and discontent. Normally their personal happiness wouldn¡¯t be a consideration since a synth shouldn¡¯t be concerned for their own happiness, but for how they could serve King Decon. Wouldn''t their discontent improve the argument for them needing to be corrected? They reached out and hovered their hand over one of the holographic blocks that they had to move around. They had started with a tower of 5 blocks, and 5 pillars. They had to move the pile from the pillar on one end to the pillar on the other, but they could only move one block at a time, and they couldn¡¯t put a bigger block over a smaller one. They knew it was simple. They knew the solution was right there. Maybe this would be easier if they got corrected as well. Maybe everything would be. For them, but not for DH. TO suddenly considered what would happen if they came back from being corrected, and DH started talking to them as they did at meal time. Maybe they would react like the other synths had to DH, with confusion and disdain. DH had looked so happy when they said they weren¡¯t angry with them¡­ TO rested their head in their hands, frustrated. To anyone watching they wouldn¡¯t be surprised at the gesture, it would just look like they were stuck and frustrated with the puzzle. What do I want? The thought almost startled TO. Want. They weren''t supposed to want anything other than to serve King Decon, but if TO said that all they wanted was to serve, it felt practiced and flimsy. It felt like what they knew they should say, but not the truth. The answer came quickly and unbidden, as quickly as the question had come to them in the first place. I want to spend time with DH. I don¡¯t want DH to be sad. I want someone to talk to, someone who understands what¡¯s in my head, and DH is the only one who has so far. Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators! It was a selfish reason, and therefore not a good one- or at least not one that the Overseers would understand. Not one they could give to anyone if they asked them why they were helping DH, why they were spending time with them. But¡­ they didn¡¯t need to know the truth, right? They needn''t tell anyone the real reason why they were spending time with DH. They were doing it because helping a fellow synth would mean helping King Decon in the long run, right? A synth that was capable was worth far more than one that needed to be repurposed. They looked back up at the hologram, and the answer was there, obvious and easy. They smiled as they started moving the blocks around, stacking them and moving them as they slowly managed to shift them from one pillar to the other. They would help DH. DH would become capable, and they wouldn¡¯t be taken away for correction or to be repurposed. If anyone happened to be concerned, then they could simply state that helping DH was, in the end, helping King Decon. And in return, TO would have a friend. ======= For the synths, each 30 hour day was divided into three sections. 10 hours of physical training, 10 hours of mental training, and 10 hours for rest and recreation. There were of course the necessary meal breaks included at the beginning of each of those time periods. During their rest and recreation time they were encouraged to be productive when they were not sleeping. There were games they were given access to, ones to improve their logic, coordination, reflexes, and problem-solving. They were also allowed to use complex combat simulation games which helped them develop some basic combat skills before their training started in earnest. They could research if they wanted to. Hobbies - at least useful ones like programming and robotics- were encouraged. TO generally spent this time doing one of two things- either they were in the shared dormitory, listening for any chatter as they read through scientific journals while trying to figure out how to communicate with the others, or they were in an empty flight room enjoying the freedom of flight. They didn''t mind solitude, but the loneliness they suffered among other synths was almost unbearable. This day, as soon as they finished their third meal, they ran to the flight room. They had expected to see DH during the meal, expected them to come up to them and talk some more, but they hadn¡¯t. To TO''s surprise, their absence had filled them with concern- had something happened? Had someone complained about DH and as a result they had they been taken away to be corrected? Had TO themself been too talkative, too emotional, and had DH decided to ignore them after all? Their worries melted away as they approached the flight room. DH was there leaning against the wall, waiting for them. They heard TO approach, their ears flicking as they picked up the sound of their footsteps, and their face broke out into a wide smile as they saw TO. ¡°I wondered if you would come.¡± They admitted, ¡°I thought perhaps you would have changed your mind.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Some do.¡± They looked away, rubbing their arms under the cloak of their wings, their ears drooping, ¡°Sometimes¡­ Sometimes people simply stop communicating with me. Even when I try -...¡± They shook their head, ¡°I know I¡¯m difficult to be around. I thank you for your patience, but many people chose to distance themselves from me after a short time.¡± TO frowned, ¡°Why would they do that?¡± They shrugged, ¡°I have a reputation, I¡¯m told. I¡¯m strange.¡± TO¡¯s mind went to55H70, who had warned them off of being around DH. Their ears pinned back as their eyes narrowed. Had they not been the first synth that they had warned off? ¡°I have, in fact, been told of your reputation.¡± TO said, ¡°55H70 told me some things during my flight training earlier. Do you know them?¡± The effect of saying that number was immediate; DH¡¯s ears fell limp as they looked away, their eyes closed, their wings tightening around them. ¡°... I understand.¡° They spoke so softly that even with their excellent hearing, TO had difficulty making out the words. ¡°You... understand?¡± ¡°You don''t need to explain it to me.¡± they said, ¡°I''ll leave you alone. I¡¯m used to it. You¡¯re a good one, and I don¡¯t want to see you corrected, or-¡° TO narrowed their eyes as they stood before DH, putting a hand on their shoulder and turning DH towards them. DH looked at TO in confusion, looked at their hand on their shoulder, and at the sudden anger in their face, the pinning back of their ears, the way their wings puffed out slightly around their shoulders. ¡°No.¡± TO said firmly. ¡°Has this happened before?¡± ¡°Y-yes?¡± DH said, ¡°Yes. I may find one who will tolerate me for short periods, or even one who seems like they might enjoy conversing with me - not like you, but just ones who are polite, and at least listen.¡± They looked away, ¡°But.. then sometimes, only hours later, they tell me I am dangerous. That they don¡¯t wish to be repurposed, that they don¡¯t need correction. Sometimes they apologize, sometimes they¡¯re gentle, but it¡¯s the same. Don¡¯t talk to me. Don¡¯t associate with me. Stay away from me.¡± They looked up at TO, and TO could see tears forming in the very corner of DH''s eyes, only just held back. They had never seen another synth cry before. ¡°The one that attacked me in the physical training room, they were one I thought I could converse with. That lasted longer than normal, but ¡­ I suppose they just didn¡¯t want to outright tell me to leave them alone. They got more distant, started pushing me away, then they attacked me. I didn¡¯t understand. But now that you mention 55H70, it makes sense. I saw them conversing together briefly the other day, an ¡­ If they told you I have a reputation, I assume they warned others as well.¡± TO gave a derisive snort, Cowardly.¡± They declared, ¡°If they did not want to associate with you, they should have said as much.¡± ¡°They should have?¡± ¡°Yes. They caused the commotion in the training room, not you. They are to blame, not you. And from the sounds of it, they need correction, not you. DH raised their hand as though they were scratching their nose, but very subtly tried to wipe away a tear that was starting to fall from their eyes, ¡°And... you?¡± ¡°Me?¡± ¡°You¡­ You aren¡¯t going to tell me that you don¡¯t want me around? That you don¡¯t want my company? If you don¡¯t, I¡¯d rather know now-¡° TO shook their head, put their arm over DH¡¯s shoulders, and led them into the flight room, ¡°I have no issues with your company, your chatter, or your mannerisms. though please, when you sit next to me at meal time, keep your voice down? I do dislike being stared at.¡± DH¡¯s ears were slowly starting to perk up as their eyes widened, ¡°You.. Watt? Is it alright for me to sit with you again?¡± ¡°I was waiting for you earlier.¡± they said, ¡°But no matter for now. You struggle with flight. I am very strong in the air. I will teach you how to fly very well, but in return¡­¡± ¡°Yes?¡± DH looked at them, suddenly focused, ready to take on any task TO gave them. Their excitement made TO smile. They seemed so happy, so egar that TO thought they could have asked DH to go spit in King Decon¡¯s face and they would do it. ¡°You have a far more fluid, more casual way of speaking. Please teach me.¡± DH laughed, and TO realized that it was the first time they had heard another synth laugh. To their surprise they felt their own laughter bubble up from their throat as their ears twitched with mirth. ¡°I will! You teach me how to fly, and I¡¯ll teach you how to speak better!¡± Episode 5: Others TO realized that the order in which their meals were called depended on when they entered the cafeteria. A scanner around the door picked up the signal from the chip implanted in the back of their hand as they entered and put their number into the system which would prepare their meals. As such, if TO were to wait for DH outside the cafeteria and they just happened to walk in together, then their meals would be called around the same time. If their meals were called around the same time, then they could sit together without needing to cause any disruption. ¡°I don¡¯t see why it¡¯s such a problem.¡± DH grumbled when TO pointed this out to them after their sixth flight training session. ¡°It doesn¡¯t actually hurt anyone if I just slip ahead of them to sit next to you.¡± ¡°Probably not,¡± TO said, ¡°But it draws attention, and we do not-¡° ¡°Don¡¯t¡± ¡°-don¡¯t want attention.¡± TO said, ¡°We don¡¯t want people to notice we¡¯re acting strangely.¡± When TO said this, DH¡¯s ears drooped down in sadness even as they tried to keep their expression neutral. TO frowned, ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± ¡°You are sad.¡± ¡°You¡¯re.¡± they said absently, ¡°It¡¯s nothing, I apologize-¡° ¡°DH, why are you sad?¡± DH looked aside, their ears twitching with anxiety. They nibbled on their lower lip before they finally looked up at TO, ¡°Are you ashamed of me?¡± ¡°What? No!¡± ¡°But you always try to be so quiet around others when we¡¯re together. If we¡¯re talking, and another synth passes by, you suddenly go silent.¡± They turned away, ¡°I understand if you¡¯re ashamed of me, but don¡¯t lie to me about it. I¡¯d rather just know.¡± TO blinked at DH, their own ears drooping down as well. ¡°I¡¯m not ashamed of you!¡± they said after several moments, ¡°I... I admit I do not- don¡¯t like being stared at but that¡¯s not about you!¡± ¡°Then why do you try to keep me so quiet around others?¡± They shook their head, still not looking back at DH, ¡°I don¡¯t mind being stared at- I¡¯m used to it. Why should it bother you if I¡¯m stared at?¡± TO had not told DH about what 55H70 had said about correction or repurposing. They didn¡¯t want to scare DH, and they didn¡¯t want them to feel the same fear that they themselves carried whenever they were seperated. They didn¡¯t want DH to suffer the worry of wondering if they¡¯d never see them again; the anxiety of wondering if that day was the day an Overseer would look at them and decide that they needed to be dealt with. The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. They didn¡¯t want DH to have the same fears that they themselves did; that they would suddenly end up alone again. They also didn¡¯t want DH to feel like they were ashamed of them. TO put both hands firmly on DH¡¯s shoulders. DH always seemed calmer when they had some form of physical contact, and if TO were to be honest, it made them feel calmer as well. ¡°I¡¯m not ashamed of you.¡± they said firmly. DH¡¯s eyes flicked from their face to their ears, then satisfied that they weren¡¯t lying, back to their face. ¡°Am I too loud?¡± ¡°No! I mean, not for me.¡± They shook their head, ¡°But¡­ You are for others.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care about others.¡± ¡°No, but you should care about your own safety.¡± TO said. DH looked up at them- they were a little shorter than TO was, though not by much. ¡°My safety?¡± ¡°If you¡¯re found to be too different, they will try to correct you. Have you seen other synths come back from being corrected?¡± DH¡¯s eyes widened, their ears flicked down and back in fear, ¡°But¡­ But I wouldn¡¯t be corrected. I work. I¡¯m not incompetent. I¡¯m not as good as you-¡° They glanced away, ¡°But I can do things. I¡¯m as good as any average synth.¡± There was fear in them now, TO could tell by the twitching of their ears, the way their brows furrowed in the center, how they pressed their lips together so tightly that they paled. ¡°I¡¯m not... that strange, am I?¡± ¡°Do you want to take the chance?¡± DH looked away, shaking their head, ¡°No.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not ashamed of you.¡± TO said again as they gently squeezed DH¡¯s shoulders, ¡°But I worry about you. We should keep quiet until we¡¯ve passed our training at least.¡± They smiled, ¡°Once we¡¯ve passed our training, it¡¯ll be far less likely that we¡¯d be corrected, and we¡¯ll be too useful to simply be repurposed.¡± ¡°You think so?¡± ¡°Yes. And when we¡¯re done our training, we¡¯ll be sent for off-planet service.¡± DH¡¯s ears lifted up, twitching happily as they beamed at TO. When they passed their training they would be assigned to a planet somewhere in the galaxy to assist the planetary government in keeping King Decon¡¯s peace. It was mostly for show, to have more visibility of King Decon¡¯s troops, but it was also a chance for the synths to experience the galaxy before they came back for their true assignments. It was a learning opportunity. ¡°And you think we¡¯ll go on assignment together?¡± DH said TO put their arm around DH as they led them to the door, ¡°Of course.¡± they said, ¡°I¡¯m certain we will-¡° ¡°You¡¯re lying.¡± DH said as they watched TO¡¯s ears. TO frowned as their ears drooped. ¡°Well, let me rephrase then. I¡¯m positive that I can convince whoever assigns us to put us together for our service.¡± ¡°I hope so.¡± DH said, ¡°If I were to be assigned with anyone else... That might be a problem. I don¡¯t know who would hate it more, me or them.¡± TO knew it would be DH and themselves who would suffer more than their partners if they were seperated. They had now known each other for only 6 days, and in that short time they had gotten used to being around one another. They were separated during their flight training and their mental training, but other than that they spent all their time together. They had quickly grown accustomed to the easy conversations, pleasant company, and casual touches. They were spoiled by one another and if either of them had that suddenly ripped away for cycles on end¡­ TO chose not to think about that, ¡°I¡¯ll do everything I can.¡± TO said, "We won¡¯t be alone again.¡± ¡°I wish there were more of us.¡± DH said in a soft, quiet voice as they reached the door. ¡°Of us?¡± ¡°You know. Synths who are strange. Like we are.¡± TO gave DH a sad smile, as their ears tilted down, ¡°Me too,¡± they said, ¡°But I really don¡¯t think there are. Don¡¯t you think we¡¯d have seen them by now?¡± DH sighed, their ears drooping, their wings sagging slightly as they nodded. ¡°Yes.¡± they said, ¡°Yes. We would have. I just wish there were more of us.¡± There was a sudden pain deep inside that TO couldn¡¯t explain; a hurt. DH noticed the sudden flicking of their ears. ¡°Are you ok?¡± They asked. ¡°I am, I think.¡± TO said as they opened the door, ¡°And¡­ I don¡¯t know if we¡¯ll find anyone else. What are the chances that there would be more strange ones like us?¡± Episode 6: Move The dormitories for synths in training were relatively simple; a big, warehouse-like room with grey walls and dim lights. Walls like shelves were set in rows all throughout, forming hallways leading down to the back of the room. Set into the walls were a series of pods, stacked one on top of the other 50 pods high. Each one had been designed to be as useful and spatially economic as possible; they were only wide enough and long enough to provide a bed but there were desks that could be pulled out from the wall when needed, and computers, which were controlled by the chips in their hands. In one corner was a transmitter which would play announcements from their Overseers. They could program the transmitter to play news from around the galaxy if they were interested, or even - as DH had eventually realized - music from around the galaxy. TO¡¯s pod was in hallway C, on the right hand side: twelve pods down the large hall and six pods up. DH had to climb up ladder to the side to reacah their pod as it was far too cramped in the dormitories to allow flight. DH had been located down in row G, but TO had fixed that. Only three days after they had met and started spending all the time they could together, TO had decided to have a chat with the synth that slept under them. It was relatively quiet at the time - some synths were sleeping, others studying. The synth under them, 46H56, was running a puzzle program on their computer when TO leaned down over the edge of their pod to observe them. It took 46H56 a moment to notice that they were there, and they jumped when they saw TO¡¯s face staring at them. They hit their head off the low ceiling of their pod and dropped their hands away from the computer, failing their puzzle. They muttered, rubbing the top of their head as they turned to face TO ¡°I told you not to speak to me.¡± they said. 45H56 had been failure number 7. Questions about how their training had gone that day without a proper reason for asking (curiosity apparently had not been a proper reason) had earned them 45H56¡¯s disdain. ¡°You should move.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°70H67 should stay here instead.¡± ¡°Why?¡± Thankfully, TO had prepared for this. They had come up with a good excuse earlier that day when DH had told them that one of their neighbours had gotten angry at them for playing music on their transmitter. Best of all, the excuse wasn¡¯t a lie, it just wasn¡¯t the primary reason TO wanted DH near them. ¡°I¡¯m helping them to improve.¡± TO said, ¡°So, they¡¯re going to sleep in your pod, and I¡¯ll be able to keep a better eye on them. You can move to their pod and be further away from me.¡± 46H56 agreed without further convincing. TO pulled DH through the crowd of unfriendly synths who gave them weird looks -but thankfully not looks of disdain- as they made their way to their pods after their training. Though DH slept under TO, they both climbed into TO¡¯s pod. The transmitter in the corner was turned on and set to play some music as they relaxed and settled in. DH sat cross-legged on the bed as they started a logic puzzle on TO¡¯s computer. TO had suggested that they work on puzzles to help improve their cognition. Even though they were still technically training, there was a sudden change when they were settled in the pod together. They didn¡¯t feel quite so tense when they were working together, and with the music on they could talk freely without anyone overhearing and giving them ¡®the look.¡¯ TO leaned against the curved edge of the pod- the thin sheets bundled up and propped behind them like a makeshift pillow for extra comfort- as they let their wings relax and droop over the outer edge. ¡°So, It¡¯s gotten out that I¡¯m helping you improve your flying.¡± TO said as they activated the chip in their hand. Just under the skin, a screen showed a series of files. TO choose the topmost one, and a holograph popped up before them, displaying a comprehensive history on the colonization of the galaxy which they had been reading. ¡°Is that bad?¡± DH asked, suddenly turning to TO and away from the puzzle.¡°Does that mean we have to stop?¡± Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon. ¡°Not at all.¡± they said as they flicked a smile at DH, ¡°My Overseer approached me and said that they noticed I was flying with you during rest and recreation time. I said I was teaching you how to fly better.¡± They gave a satisfied grin, ¡°Apparently, according to your Overseer, you¡¯ve been improving quickly. They want me to help some of the synths who are lagging behind in my flight training.¡± DH frowned as they considered this, their eyes flicking to the puzzle, then back to TO, ¡°So¡­ does that mean we¡¯ll have more people with us when we practice?¡± ¡°That was suggested.¡± TO said, ¡°But I said it might be better if I helped during normal flight training. So long as other Overseers don¡¯t decide they want me to help with their synths, it won¡¯t be a problem.¡± DH released a breath that TO hadn¡¯t noticed they were holding, a sudden look of relief flashing over their face, ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± they said. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t let anyone intrude on our time together.¡± TO said, ¡°If we had new people around us we¡¯d have to watch what we say. We¡¯d have to act like the others. No, I¡¯ll keep that from happening. ¡°You!¡± Someone called from the floor. TO leaned over and looked down. to see another synth that they didn''t recognize: a slightly more slender one than they were used to seeing. ¡°You¡¯re calling to me?¡± ¡°Yes! You are being noisy with your music. It is needless!¡± TO pulled their head back into their pod so that the other synth wouldn¡¯t see their ears. ¡°It¡¯s not!¡± they insisted, ¡°We are working through logic puzzles and using the distraction of music to further train our focus!¡± On the other side of the pod, DH was pressing their lips together, trying hard not to laugh. ¡°... Does that actually work?¡± The other synth asked, their ears now flicking outwards as they considered this. ¡°Of course it does. Why else would I be doing it?¡± The other synth seemed to consider this for a moment before walking off, leaving them alone. When they were gone, DH started chuckling. TO gave their leg a playful kick. ¡°Shush.¡± they said, ¡°Someone¡¯s going to hear you¡± ¡°Oh, if they did I¡¯m sure you could come up with something.¡± They grinned as they went back to their puzzle, ¡°You¡¯re helping me train my vocal chords so that I can be more easily understood when presenting information.¡± ¡°Yes, well, I will point out that my reasoning for our strange behaviour has worked.¡± They gestured out to the other pods, ¡°Yes, nobody talks to us, but they didn¡¯t talk to us before, just now they don¡¯t look at us like we¡¯re broken. We¡¯re left alone.¡± DH sighed and leaned back against the wall, ¡°And if we¡¯re being left alone¡­ must I do these puzzles?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± TO said looking back at their reading, ¡°If we¡¯re going to be strange, we have to be above reproach in every other aspect.¡± The idea that being competent, or more so; that excelling, could protect a synth from being corrected even if they were strange had stuck with TO. They worked harder than before in their training, and pushed themselves to study more and more complex materials even while they were spending time with DH. They had to be better. They had to be above reproach or they might be corrected. DH sighed and looked sideways at the screen, the puzzle taunting them as they procrastinated. ¡°I don¡¯t understand it.¡± they said, ¡°This puzzle makes no sense.¡± ¡°It will. Your mind will understand it and then you¡¯ll be able to solve similar problems better in the future.¡± DH nodded and went back to the screen, their ears flicking back in frustration. All the same¡­ TO hated seeing DH struggle. ¡°Or perhaps¡­¡± TO said carefully as they turned off their projection, ¡°Perhaps we could work on a two-person maze?¡± DH¡¯s ears perked up. ¡°That would be so much better.¡± TO grinned as they went to the screen DH was working on. They navigated away from the puzzle and to a different screen. They could work on the maze together, figuring out the puzzles as they used their reflexes to get to the end. They huddled before the screen, leaning against one another as the simulation started up. Before they could get started, they heard a shout from below. TO moved first to see what it was, and when they looked down they saw another synth, this one smaller than most others, being pushed out of the way by a bigger synth. ¡°You do not just stand in the middle of the path.¡± The bigger synth said as they pushed the smaller one out of the way. The smaller one fell into the closed pod next to them, and watched as the bigger one walked on down the path. They looked down sadly at the floor, then glanced up, their ears turning in the direction of TO¡¯s pod. They caught the sound of the music- their ears twitching along with the beat- then located the pod itself. When their eyes caught TO¡¯s, they looked away and scurried off with their ears down and flushed blue. ¡°What happened?¡± DH asked. ¡°I think we might have found another strange one.¡± TO said as they watched the smaller synth go just a little further to their own pod- which was on the bottom of the stacks- and closed the barrier. TO took note of where they were and tried to commit to memory what they had looked like. They were too far away for them to be able to read their number, but their short stature would make it easier to find them. ¡°We¡¯re going to help them, right?¡± DH asked as they leaned over to look for the synth. Suddenly, TO knew why they had hurt earlier when DH said they wished that there were more strange synths like them. They themselves were happy enough with just DH; were they not enough for DH? Selfish thoughts, TO knew. They tried to shake those thoughts out of their head - finding outers would be good. It would be good to be around more strange synths, and it would be good to keep others from feeling as they had before they met one another. Still. DH was seeking out others. Were they spending time with TO simply because they had no other option? ¡°Of course we¡¯re going to help them.¡± TO said, happy for the moment that DH was focused on trying to see where the synth had gone, and didn¡¯t notice how low TO¡¯s ears had drooped. Episode 7: Alone TO was the one who spotted the smaller synth the next day when they and DH were on their way to the cafeteria. They walked side by side as they normally did, making sure to keep very quiet as they made their way through the crowd of other synths. TO saw the smaller synth walking and nudged DH as they gestured to them. Together they maneuvered their way around until they were just behind them. The small Synth turned around at one point, distracted by something they saw and TO was able to see their call number: 45G70. They whispered this number as quietly as they could to DH ¡°What¡¯s the plan then?¡± DH asked back, their voice similarly quiet as they leaned in. Plan? Was TO supposed to have a plan? Sure, they had a plan for most other things that had happened around them, but did they have a plan for this smaller synth? Did they want a plan? They thought about how relaxed they felt when they were spending time with DH either in the flight training room or in their own pod. Three of them wouldn¡¯t fit in the Pod at once. ¡°I don¡¯t have one at the moment.¡± TO finally said, feeling their ears droop, ¡°Maybe they¡¯re not even different. Maybe they were just confused by the music we were playing.¡± Maybe. Unlikely though, now that TO thought back on it. 45G70¡¯s ears had been twitching with the music- happy twitches as the ears were perked up -and their eyes had been big and bright in the second before they caught TO¡¯s eyes. They hadn¡¯t been confused, they had been enjoying it. ¡°Then we just watch them, and see how they act?¡± ¡°Correct for now-¡° ¡°Why don¡¯t we sit with them at meal time?¡± DH said, their ears perking up suddenly at the idea, ¡°You could sit on one side, I could sit on the other, and we could watch them and maybe talk to them while we eat, and¡­ TO? What¡¯s wrong?¡± Their ears had drooped down again. They could mask their expressions, but they couldn¡¯t stop their ears from drooping as they felt their stomach drop at DH¡¯s excitement. They tried to think back to when they and DH started talking. Had DH looked this excited when they started spending time together? ¡°I¡¯m a little worried. That¡¯s all.¡± they said, though they didn¡¯t mention what they were worried about, ¡°Even if they¡¯re strange, that doesn¡¯t mean they¡¯d want to be around us.¡± DH¡¯s ears dropped down as they frowned, ¡°I don¡¯t see why they wouldn¡¯t,¡± they said, ¡°I mean, you and I were happy enough to have some company.¡± ¡°Were?¡± TO hadn¡¯t meant to say that, but it was out now. ¡°Well yeah!¡± DH said, ¡°Weren¡¯t we? It was nice to find someone else I could relax around.¡± TO nodded as they looked ahead. Maybe they had been too hard on DH. Maybe in trying to keep them from being as outgoing as they¡¯d have liked around the others, they made DH feel like they couldn¡¯t be themselves even when they were alone. They messed up. Again. It was a whole new kind failure this time. ¡°Do you not want to talk to them?¡± DH asked as they watched TO. Their ears drooped, ¡°I mean, if you don¡¯t want to-¡± ¡°No no.¡± TO said quickly, ¡°No, We¡¯ll talk to them.¡± Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site. ¡°Are you sure?¡± Another synth was starting to look at them strangely. TO wanted to gesture to DH so that they¡¯d stop the conversation for now, but was that part of the problem? Was that why DH was so desperate to find another synth that they could connect to? Did they need someone who didn¡¯t shush them and try to force them into silence. With their ears flushed blue, TO put a hand on DH¡¯s shoulder. They had wanted to put their arm over their shoulders- a now familiar gesture when they were alone- but they lost their nerve as the other synth was looking at them. ¡°If you want to. If it makes you happy.¡± they said as they flashed DHa nervous smile. DH¡¯s ears perked up happily for a second, then caught the nervous twitching and the flush to TO¡¯s ears. ¡°Thanks.¡± they said as they gently slipped out from under TO¡¯s hand, ¡°We¡¯ll talk to them. And thanks.¡± Another failure. Two in one day? And with DH? TO had thought the days of failure were over but it seemed like they were just messing up all over the place today. They sighed, nodded, and continued to follow 45G70. At this rate they¡¯d all walk into the cafeteria around the same time. ======= 45G70 sat between DH and TO, silently picking at their food. TO hadn¡¯t said anything to them yet; they didn¡¯t know what to say. They didn¡¯t need to think about what to say when they were talking to DH, they just talked! Of course, they didn¡¯t need to make conversation at first; at first they just protected DH from that other synth, and DH did most of the talking. 45G70 wasn¡¯t in danger, so how did they open up conversation with them? TO took a breath, bracing themselves to comment on something - anything- the music they had been listening to or the bigger synth that had pushed them, but as they turned to speak they saw DH looking at them expectantly, their ears twitching with excitement. They saw 45G70 focused on their food, their brows knit together. They lost their nerve, looked away, and shoved one of the cubes into their mouth as their ears pinned back. Too nervous. They knew if they tried to say something they¡¯d trip all over their words and make a fool of themselves. This new synth would probably give them ¡®the look¡¯ and then they¡¯d have had another failure. Three in one day. They really didn¡¯t want that. ¡°897.78¡± DH said without looking up from their plate. TO and 45G70 turned to look at them, confused. ¡°E-excuse me?¡± 45G70 said, their ears flicking out. They had a soft, tentative voice. ¡°897.78¡± DH said again, slowly and clearly, ¡°That¡¯s the frequency that TO and I were listening to on our speaker yesterday.¡± They looked at 45G70, ¡°TO said that you seemed like you were enjoying the music.¡± ¡°Tee-Oh?¡± they said, confused. DH gestured to TO. ¡°Yes. TO. Their number is actually 09T07, but we shortened it to TO, and I¡¯m 70H67- so I shortened that to DH.¡± 45G70¡¯s eyes widened, their ears perking up, ¡°You made your own name for yourself?¡± they said in awe. ¡°Well-¡° DH looked aside, flushing slightly, ¡°I just came up with a shortened version for myself, not really a name. TO came up with theirs on their own.¡± They turned to look at TO, then suddenly recognized them, ¡°Oh!¡± they said as their ears flicked down and flushed, ¡°You¡¯re the one I saw the other day!¡± They dipped their head, ¡°I¡¯m so sorry for listening, I-¡° ¡°It¡¯s no problem.¡± TO said, glancing away, ¡°I was the one staring down at you.¡± They glanced back at the new synth, ¡°You...That other synth pushed you rather hard yesterday. Were you injured?¡± They shook their head, ¡°No...No, and I¡¯m used to it anyway. I tend to just¡­¡± they waved their hand, ¡°Sometimes I start thinking about something, and I lose myself. It¡¯s a problem.¡± DH shook their head, ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s necessarily a problem. What do you think about?¡± How could DH do this so easily? They didn¡¯t even know this synth, and here they were just talking to them as though they had been spending time with them since they came out of the tank. ¡°Oh! Well. It depends. I mean, Yesterday, I was listening to the music and I was just thinking about how nice it sounded. I didn¡¯t know the language that was being sung, so I was trying to make up meaning in my head from how the music sounded-¡° And this new synth was so much more talkative than TO was! They were going on about the music they had overheard, and DH was listening, their ears perked up and attentive, their eyes wide and bright. TO turned to their food, feeling their ears droop down as they picked at their meal. They didn¡¯t feel hungry at all. They worried at first that DH would notice that their ears had drooped down, and that they would get worried or upset. DH seemed to be having so much fun talking to this new synth, TO didn¡¯t want to disrupt them. They didn¡¯t notice. They listened intently to 45G70 as TO slowly ate their food, focusing on each bite. As DH declared that 45G70 should have their own nickname (GiDi) TO realized that while they would have felt guilty if DH had noticed they were upset, it would have been better than feeling like this. It would have been better than this feeling of being on the outside, of somehow being pushed away from DH. It was just because you were the only one that tolerated them. A voice in their head said, this new one - GiDi, is far more talkative and doesn¡¯t seem bothered by the looks they¡¯re getting. They¡¯re far more suited to be DH¡¯s friend than you are. How odd. TO felt like it was three failures now in one day, but they had never experienced a failure where they hadn¡¯t said a single word. Episode 8: sorrow During their exercises, GiDi stayed between DH and TO. DH and GiDi spoke in low whispers as they worked, while TO just did their best to focus on the work,and on the exercises. They tried their best to focus on every word from the trainer, on their every action, to feel the pull and stretch of every muscle and focus on that instead of the endless string of conversation that bubbled so easily between DH and GiDi. When they seperated for their flight lessons, DH and GiDi were taken off together for their class while TO went to their own. DH offered TO a quick wave as they went off with their arm around GiDi, saying, ¡°We¡¯ll see you later!¡± as they hurried off. TO walked alone in the crowd of other silent Synths as they headed to the flight training room. They stopped halfway there and slipped off down a hallway. ¡°Where are you going.¡± An Overseer demanded of them as they walked away. TO held up their water bottle. ¡°For more water, Overseer.¡± they said without turning back. ¡°Make it quick.¡± They hurried down the hallway, hearing the steps of the other synths fade off until they were alone. They approached the fountain and opened their bottle to see that it was still mostly full of water. They dumped it out, and set it down in the fountain to refill as they leaned against the wall. They didn¡¯t want to fly. They didn¡¯t want to go to flight class. They didn¡¯t want to be around other synths. They wanted to go find DH. They wanted to take them aside and just talk to them, just spend some time with them. They wanted DH to do something to make this awful voice in their head shut up and stop telling them that DH didn¡¯t need them anymore. Their eyes stung. They cursed, and reached up to quickly wipe away the tears but then they realized that it didn¡¯t matter. DH wasn¡¯t here to worry about them and there were no other synths to judge them. They slunk down to the floor, their back against the wall as they pressed their hands to their face and let the tears roll down their cheeks. Well, that was one good thing about being entirely alone, TO thought; they didn¡¯t have to worry about what anyone was thinking about them. Why did they feel like this! Before DH was around they felt lonely, sure, but they didn¡¯t feel this awful. They didn¡¯t feel this pain deep in their chest and they could at least look forward to flying. They felt like they couldn¡¯t fly - like they didn¡¯t have the energy and even if they did they didn¡¯t want to bother. A part of them wanted to skip flight training altogether- to just go back to their bunk and close the barrier for the rest of the day. Of course, missing a class would mean someone - likely an Overseer- would come looking for them and that was extra attention that TO didn¡¯t want at this moment. If they started acting odd, if they started avoiding their training, then they could be examined and if they were found to be too strange, they¡¯d be corrected. Does it matter? The question hit them suddenly and stilled their ragged breathing. Of course it mattered. Why wouldn¡¯t it matter. If they were corrected they¡¯d have that same, dead-eyed look that other corrected synths had. They¡¯d not seem to care about anything. DH would miss them- Oh... But they had GiDi now. They¡¯d miss them, but DH wouldn¡¯t be all alone- not anymore. The fountain beeped, signaling to TO that their water bottle was refilled. They stood up, splashed some water on their face and rubbed their eyes before drying themselves off with their sleeve. DH would still miss them, right? Besides that, if TO wasn¡¯t there to help then DH could possibly stop their own improvement, and display more strange behaviours that would get them corrected or repurposed. TO couldn¡¯t allow that. If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. They capped off their water bottle and ran to catch up with the Flight Training class. ======= TO spent the entirety of their flight practice flapping in lazy, unfocused circles around the flight training room. They avoided all the other Synths - which was easy as they tended to avoid TO regardless. It was the first time since they came out of the tank that they didn¡¯t want to talk to anyone; that they just wanted to be by themselves. They wanted their brain to just turn off. They had to fix this. That was the only thing that they could think about when they were flying in circles. They had to fix this. They could fix this. They just had to talk a little more, just had to be a little more like DH. They had to walk that fine line between being talkative and outgoing to DH but not making everyone else think they were too strange to be allowed. They left the flight training room, and made their way to the cafeteria. It¡¯d be fine. They¡¯d sit with DH and GiDi as they ate, and they¡¯d talk about¡­ They didn¡¯t know what, but even if DH did most of the talking, they¡¯d at least figure out some way they could chime in. They could do that, couldn¡¯t they? They felt themselves slow down. They stopped, and turned off to go to the washroom. There was nobody else in there; they had walked a little further to go to one that was more out of the way and thus more likely to be abandoned.They leaned against the counter and eyed themselves in the mirror. Oh. Oh they didn¡¯t look good. Their eyes were rimmed with blue, and their ears were limp against their head. They turned on the tap to one of the sinks and splashed water over their face. No. If they went in looking upset and sad then that would make things worse. If DH noticed, DH would be upset and worried, andGiDi would find everything weird. They didn''t want to risk scaring DH''s new friend away Of course, if they didn¡¯t notice, that would just upset TO more and they¡¯d not be able to make any conversation. No,They had to convince themselves that it was fine. ¡°Of course it¡¯s fine.¡± they said to themselves, desperately trying to ignore the awful voice in their head that was telling them they messed up everything. ¡°DH is just excited. It¡¯s a new person. they said they wanted MORE people, not new people.¡± They frowned and looked in the mirror, trying to convince themselves of what they were saying, ¡°They¡¯re probably just being cautious around me because I keep telling them to be careful, to watch themselves. That¡¯s all.¡± That actually made sense. It made a lot of sense. They nodded at their reflection, washed their face, and left to go to the cafeteria. As normal, DH wasn¡¯t there when they arrived so they waited for them to get there. It would be fine. They¡¯d talk to DH alone when they were practicing in the flight room later on. There was the possibility that DH would invite GiDi, but¡­ Maybe it would be ok just to ask to spend some time alone with them. TO would say they needed to talk to them. If they didn¡¯t want to do that, they¡¯d at least find a second to apologize. They glanced down the hallway, looking for DH. Maybe they¡¯d just apologize right away when they saw them. Sure there were still a handful of people trickling into the cafeteria, normal synths giving TO a strange look, but that didn¡¯t matter. They had been working so hard not to seem too strange, they were sure one slip, one moment of not trying to be normal wouldn¡¯t destroy it all. They weren¡¯t sure they would be able tofocus on their mental training in the afternoon if they didn¡¯t clear things up. Or maybe there was nothing to clear up. Maybe they were just being worried over nothing. Maybe they would apologize and DH would look at them with their big eyes, their ears tilted out in confusion, and ask them what they were apologizing for. What were they apologizing for? For being so quiet. For being so sad. For being down when DH was so happy. The trickle of synths heading to the cafeteria slowed, and TO started to worry. DH always took longer to get to the cafeteria than they did because their flight training room was further away, but they never took this long. What if they got injured. The thought came to TO quickly and without warning. They heard the sound of a body smacking against the floor in their mind as vividly as they heard it when it happened in that first flight training class. What if DH had tried to show off to GiDi, and got hurt because of it. They were a much better flyer now, but what if they had tried a dive, got distracted, and ended up crashing head first into the ground? Or what if DH and GiDi had been too loud, too strange, and had been taken away to be corrected. TO felt their hands ball up into fists as other synths started to leave the cafeteria after having finished their meal. Something had to have happened to DH. They¡¯ve never been this late before. TO looked around, trying to think about what they could do to figure out what had happened. Could they ask an Overseer? The Overseers knew that they were helping DH, so maybe it wouldn¡¯t be strange if TO was concerned that they couldn¡¯t find them. They turned away, about to rush off to find DH¡¯s Overseer when they heard DH¡¯s voice behind them. They turned back to see DH and GiDi, leaving the Cafeteria, chattering casually. TO felt a brief moment of relief - DH was fine, DH was alive! DH hadn¡¯t been corrected!- then felt their heart drop and their ears drooped all the way down. DH had gone in without them. DH had left them alone. DH looked past TO at first, then did a double take as they saw them standing alone In the hallway. They fell silent as they looked at the expression on TO¡¯s face, the angle of their ears. At least they noticed this time. TO turned and started down the hall. They didn¡¯t know where they were going, they didn¡¯t know if they could go to their mental classes this afternoon. They didn¡¯t know what they were going to do, or what they could or should do. They wanted to be alone. They didn¡¯t want to have to try to be normal around anyone. They couldn¡¯t act like this didn¡¯t bother them. If they went to their classes and were seen to be acting so sad - no, sad wasn¡¯t the word, so shattered,- then the Overseers would notice. If they didn¡¯t go to their classes, the Overseers would notice Does it matter? The voice in their head asked them. Probably not. Episode 9: Pod TO slipped into the crowd of other synths that were heading to their mental training classes. They followed along with them until they got to where the hallway split off, then turned and went down the hall. They got to the dormitories, crawled up into their pod, and closed the barrier behind them as they lay down on their side. Why did I do that? They wrapped arms and then their wings around themselves, pulling their knees up to their chest. Finally they allowed the tears that had been burning at their eyes to finally fall. Why did I do that! They let a ragged sob escape their lips - they were alone, their barrier was closed, so trying to keep up appearances didn¡¯t matter. Nothing mattered. They Shouldn''t have run off. They should have stayed! They knew that DH had noticed they were upset; they probably would have said something, right? The expression on their face - they definitely noticed it. They could have stayed. Despite the people around, DH probably would have rushed up to them and put an arm overTOs shoulder. They would have asked what was wrong. They hoped. Perhaps DH could have caught up to TO if they really wanted. It was a possibility, wasn¡¯t it? Of course, TO had melted into the crowds very quickly. Unless DH had run up to them, barging past people¡­ Of course, DH didn¡¯t have to do that. DH had done nothing wrong, right? TO themselves were the ones who were upset for no reason. Was it no reason though? DH hadn¡¯t even noticed during their first meal that TO was upset, and they didn¡¯t wait for TO for second meal. Wasn¡¯t that proof that they were right to be worried and afraid? DH didn¡¯t need them anymore. TO''s head spun. DH didn¡¯t need them anymore. DH had GiDi now. GiDi was better suited to be DH¡¯s friend than TO was. They wondered if they could find someone else; another synth that was strange like they were. The thought of even trying to do that, the thought of going out of their way to replace DH made them feel stomach sick. They didn¡¯t want to replace DH. They wanted their friend back. They curled up and allowed themselves to cry. It didn¡¯t matter. DH had GiDi. TO was skipping their training and would probably be approached by an Overseer soon. Maybe they¡¯d just ask to be corrected. That was the only thing they could think of doing because the thought of being alone was too heavy for them. Their thoughts spiraled as they lay alone in their bunk, which was silent save for their soft sobbing. ========= TO didn¡¯t realize that they had fallen asleep until they were woken up by someone knocking on the barrier. They sat up in their bunk and rubbed the dried tears from their eyes as they turned to look. They couldn¡¯t see who it was - the barrier was frosted- all they could see was their outline. They checked their implant, and saw the time - they had entirely missed their mental training, and their final meal of the day had started. Not that it mattered; TO didn¡¯t feel hungry. The knocking came again. They realized it must be an Overseer come to collect them. A tremor of fear ran through them as they realized that this was it- they¡¯d be taken away, questioned, checked, and corrected. They took a deep breath to steady themselves, and opened the barrier. At least DH had GiDi now, no matter what happened to TO. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. It was GiDi. ¡°Hello.¡± they said when the barrier lifted. TO stared at them in silence, unsure as to what to say. GiDi looked around the bunk awkwardly, and held up a plate of food, ¡°I- uh- I sometimes eat in my bunk.¡± they said, ¡°I¡¯m not that hungry today. Do you want some?¡± TO shook their head. ¡°Are you sure?¡± they asked, ¡°You ¡­ Well, you haven''t eaten since your first meal, right?¡± ¡°I am not hungry.¡± TO said, hating how small their voice sounded. A part of them wanted to be angry with GiDi, but GiDi hadn¡¯t done anything wrong. GiDi nodded, looked around the dormitory, then looked back to TO, ¡°Can...¡± their ears flicked down, uncertain and afraid as they quietly asked, ¡°Can I join you then?¡± TO felt their ears flick out in confusion, but they nodded. GiDi climbed into the bunk, set the plate on the bed between them, and reached out to press the button that closed up the barrier. When TO looked at them in confusion, they just shrugged and said, ¡°I thought you wanted it down.¡± TO nodded and looked away. ¡°Why are you here?¡± They asked. ¡°...DH went to the flight training room.¡± they said as they picked up a small cube from their plate, ¡°And I didn¡¯t want to be alone in the cafeteria.¡± DH had gone to the flight training room? When GiDi said that, TO turned to look at them, confused. ¡°They didn¡¯t eat with you?¡± ¡°They were worried about you.¡± GiDi said, ¡°They could hardly focus during mental training. They wanted to be there when you got there.¡± They put their hand on another cube, but they suddenly pulled their hand away. ¡°I am sorry.¡± ¡°You¡¯re sorry?¡± TO turned to look at them, their ears quirking out in confusion, ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± They laced their fingers together, ¡°It¡¯s my fault. Second meal, I mean.¡± They looked away, their ears flicking down, ¡°I don¡¯t...I don¡¯t get along well. With other synths, I mean.¡± ¡°Neither do I.¡± ¡°I really don¡¯t get along well.¡± they said, ¡°I don¡¯t know what I do, but I seem to bother others. It¡¯s like there¡¯s just something about me that makes people angry.¡± They looked pointedly at the barrier in front of them, ¡°I thought I was making you angry.¡± ¡°No, you weren¡¯t!¡± TO said, leaning forward, ¡°You didn¡¯t do anything wrong.¡± GiDi leaned back and gave TO a small, sad smile, ¡°I got into trouble in flight training.¡± they said. ¡°I was... I wasn¡¯t paying attention, and I wasn¡¯t watching where I was flying. Actually, I was talking to DH at the time.¡± They glanced up, ¡°They get really excited sometimes. I don¡¯t think they pay much attention to things around them when they¡¯re really excited.¡± TO chuckled despite themselves, ¡°They don¡¯t.¡± They agreed, ¡°They get loud and animated. They don¡¯t notice other people around them.¡± ¡°And I don¡¯t think they noticed that you were upset.¡± They looked over at TO, ¡°I didn¡¯t want to say anything during the first meal. I mean, it wasn¡¯t my place to say anything, and you two were actually talking to me so I didn¡¯t want to pry and scare you off.¡± TO shook their head, ¡°I was being stupid.¡± they said. They knew that DH had been excited, but they thought that DH would have noticed how upset they were. DH always noticed when TO was upset. ¡°I mentioned to DH that I thought you might be upset when we were in flight training. DH was worried then. they said we¡¯d rush to meet you for second meal.¡± They grinned at TO, ¡°They talked about you for the rest of flight training, you know.¡± they said, ¡°They look up to you a lot.¡± TO felt their ears burn as they flushed blue, ¡°I¡¯m... I¡¯m nothing to look up to.¡± ¡°You are!¡± Gidi insisted, ¡°I¡¯ve heard about you before all this. The Overseers talk about you sometimes.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± TO felt their stomach clench, ¡°They do?¡± ¡°Clever, strong, and an excellent flyer.¡± they said, ¡°Approaches puzzles with creative and quick solutions, among other things.¡± They looked aside, ¡°The Overseers pay attention to synths that they think have potential, and to ones that they have concerns about. Ones that don¡¯t stand out either way, they tend to ignore. Like me.¡± They gave a wry smile, ¡°That¡¯s why I get to overhear them.¡± ¡°Is that how you got in trouble?¡± GiDi seemed confused for a moment, then their eyes widened in comprehension, ¡°OH! Oh no. I was listening to DH, and I wasn¡¯t paying attention to where I was going. I crashed into someone, and we fell. They got really mad at me, the Overseer got mad at me, and I was¡­ Well, I was a little upset.¡± They looked away, ¡°So we waited for you outside the Cafeteria, but DH was worried that you were mad at them, and maybe went in on your own. They were also worried about me, so we went in. they said you were always there first. They didn¡¯t think you¡¯d be running behind today.¡± TO felt their ears flick with shame. Of course. If they had been in DH¡¯s position, they probably would have thought the same. They would have worried about DH being angry, and of course DH would have been confused by TO not being there first. TO was always there first.The only reason they hadn¡¯t been is because they ran off to compose themselffirst. ¡°I think you should go to the flight training room.¡± Gidi said as they reached out for another piece of food, ¡°DH got their meal and went off to find you. They were worried that you¡¯d be hungry.¡± TO nodded and opened up the barrier. They were halfway out of the bunk when GiDi stopped them. ¡°Here.¡± they said, passing them a handful of the small cubes, ¡°Take these with you.¡± ¡°No no, that¡¯s ok, I-¡° ¡°Please?¡± GiDi said, holding them out, ¡°I¡¯m not that hungry¡­ And, do you mind if I stay here?¡± TO gave them a quick smile, took the food, and nodded, ¡°Stay as long as you like.¡± they said, ¡°I¡¯ll be back with DH later.¡± GiDi looked around the pod, ¡°Will the three of us fit?¡± ¡°We¡¯ll make it work!¡± Episode 10: Insecure TO ran to the flight training room. They didn¡¯t normally run through the halls because they didn¡¯t want to draw attention to themselves. Running meant that they were more likely to bump into others or even barrel right into another synth. As they did. They turned a corner, and ran right into someone. They backed up, apologized and started off down the hallway again. ¡°Stop.¡± An imperious, confidant voice said. TO froze in mid-stride. They turned on their heels, and stood to attention. An Overseer. Not just any Overseer- their own Overseer.they had just ran right into their Overseer. ¡°My deepest apologies, Overseer!¡± Their Overseer took two wide steps and stopped to stand before TO. ¡°You.¡± they said, ¡°You¡¯re 09T07.¡± They tilted their head at TO, their eyes narrowed as they considered them, ¡°You were supposed to be in mental training today. You were not. Explain.¡± ¡°Overseer¡­ I-"they didn¡¯t know what to say to them. They looked over the Overseer''s slate colored uniform, their eyes lingering on the pin in the center of their chest - a seed with a sprout coming out of the top, and the letter T under it. They were in charge of any synth with ¡®T¡¯ in their number. Truth be told, even without looking at the pin TO know that it was their Overseer- their Overseer had narrower ears than the others, and their cheekbones were slightly less pronounced. They were also wider in the shoulders than the others were. ¡°Explain.¡± they said again. ¡°I was not feeling well.¡± they said, ¡°I thought to lay down during my second meal, and fell asleep.¡± It wasn¡¯t entirely the truth, but it wasn¡¯t a lie. If they lied to their Overseer, then their Overseer would see it in the movement of their ears. ¡°Is it something I must be concerned about.¡± they said. ¡°Do you require an examination?¡± ¡°No Overseer.¡± TO said, ¡°I¡¯m feeling much better now. My deepest apologies for sleeping through mental training. It will never happen again.¡± The Overseer frowned as they looked over TO. Please don¡¯t ask why I was sick, They thought, I don¡¯t know what I¡¯d be able to say if you ask me why. ¡°...I would be more worried if you were not so far ahead of the others.¡± They finally said, ¡°However, I cannot allow this disrespect to stand.¡± ¡°No disrespect was intended, Overseer.¡± ¡°Perhaps, but your negligence reflects poorly upon me, and I consider that disrespect.¡± TO felt the worry flood through their veins like ice. Not only would they suffer punishment from their Overseer, but if they were kept here much longer then maybe DH would leave the flight training room, thinking that they didn¡¯t care if they were waiting, thinking that they were angry. ¡°I understand, Overseer.¡± TO said quickly, ¡°I will gladly take any punishment you consider necessary.¡± The overseer cocked a brow at them, their ears flicking in confusion, ¡°No excuses?¡± They asked, ¡°No pleading?¡± ¡°No Overseer.¡± they said, ¡°My lack of diligence was unforgivable.¡± In truth, pleading would waste time. TO could only hope that the Overseer wouldn¡¯t demand that they be punished this very minute. ¡°Very well.¡± they said. ¡°For the remainder of this period, you will report to the maintenance synths for duty after your final mealtime. You will work with them, then head to your pod for sleep. Understood?¡± ¡°Yes Overseer.¡± TO said, ¡°Understood.¡± They still had more time until their mealtime was over, but not much. If they ran the rest of the way they could still get to the flight training room and talk to DH before they had to go to work with the maintenance synths. They were suddenly very grateful for the food that GiDi had given them. The Overseer looked at them carefully, then nodded, ¡°Very good.¡± they said. ¡°You may start tomorrow.¡± ¡°...Overseer?¡± They were confused; if they didn¡¯t work today, then that meant that they¡¯d only have to work in maintenance for two days - a very mild punishment. This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it ¡°I can respect your hard work and your skills, and generally I believe you¡¯ll make better use of your time in self-training. However, you must still suffer consequences for your actions.¡± They stepped past TO, ¡°Do not miss training again and make me reconsider my judgement of you. ¡°Overseer! I will not.¡± They turned, saluted, and walked off down the hall until they could no longer hear their Overseers footsteps, at which point they broke into a run. They only hoped that DH was still waiting for them. ========= As they got closer to the flight training room the hallways got emptier. TO ran as fast as they could until they turned the final corridor to where DH was supposed to be waiting for them. The corridor was empty. They slowed to a walk as they continued to the door of the flight room, then sat down heavily on the floor. They leaned back against the wall as they caught their breath. They were too late. They had taken too long and DH had left. They knew that they would go and find GiDi who would tell them what happened. TO also knew that before they got to GiDi they¡¯d think that they had abandoned them. They¡¯d think they were still angry at them. They put their hands up to their face and let out a long sigh. How had they messed this up so badly in the span of a single day! They hadn¡¯t wanted to upset DH so they said nothing, but they had managed to upset DH and themselves, and they were sure they had upset GiDi as well. ¡°TO?¡± TO jolted up, pulling their hands down from their face. DH was standing at the other end of the corridor holding a bottle of water in one hand. Judging by the water dripping off of it, it had clearly just been filled. TO stood up, ¡°DH, I¡¯m sorry, I-¡° They didn¡¯t get to finish what they were saying. DH dropped their water bottle and ran up to TO, grabbing them in a crushing embrace that caused them to stumble backwards a little. Their wings wrapped tightly around TO as they pressed their face into TO¡¯s chest and started to ramble. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry I was just so excited I didn¡¯t know you were upset and then GiDi said they thought maybe you were and then I felt awful, and then you weren¡¯t at second meal so I thought you were mad at me, and I know you were trying to make me feel better this morning but I just shrugged you off because I know you don¡¯t like being affectionate around -¡° TO tentatively put their arms around DH, just under their wings and around the small of their back. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± they said, ¡°You didn¡¯t do anything wrong.¡± ¡°I did everything wrong!¡± They insisted, ¡°I didn¡¯t even notice you were upset! GiDi noticed you were upset and they hardly know you!¡± They looked up at TO, ¡°Why were you upset?¡± TO felt their ears flick down, ¡°No. It¡¯s stupid, I-¡° ¡°It¡¯s not stupid if you were bothered.¡± They pulled away slightly as they looked up at them, ¡°Please, tell me! What did I do!¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t do anything! I promise!¡± TO said, ¡°I just¡­¡± They frowned, feeling their ears and cheeks start to burn. It was so stupid now that they looked back at it. ¡°I was being stupid.¡± ¡°You¡¯re never stupid.¡± TO frowned and held DH tighter. They were stupid. They had messed up everything today. And why? ¡°I¡­ I was worried that I wasn¡¯t good enough.¡± they said finally, their voice soft and unsure. ¡°Good enough for what?¡± DH asked as their ears flicked forward and their brows knit in confusion. ¡°For you.¡± TO said, ¡°I...Well, you seemed so anxious to find other people, I thought I wasn''t good enough for you. I kept trying to keep you quiet. I kept pushing you away when we¡¯re around others-¡° ¡°You¡¯re trying to keep me safe.¡± DH said, ¡°I mean, I don¡¯t like it, but I understand it.¡± ¡°But you¡¯re not happy like that.¡± TO said, ¡°And I can¡¯t be as talkative and relaxed as you- not around other synths. I get worried. Anxious.¡± They shook their head, ¡°And GiDi is more talkative, and they don¡¯t seem concerned at all by what other synths say or see, So I thought that maybe you¡¯d¡­That if you had GiDi¡­¡± They trailed off. It was so stupid. ¡°That if I had GiDi¡­?¡± ¡°...You wouldn¡¯t need me.¡± There it was. The stupid thought that had been plaguing them. ¡°You only stayed around me because you had nobody else.¡± they said, ¡°And now that you had someone better-¡° TO was cut off as DH gave them a tight squeeze, almost causing TO to squeak as the air was pushed from their lungs. ¡°You¡¯re supposed to be the smart one.¡± DH said, ¡°There¡¯s nobody better than you. GiDi is different, but not better.¡± They looked up at TO, ¡°Please, tell me you like them too?¡± TO hadn¡¯t given much through to their personal opinions on GiDi up until this point. ¡°They seem kind.¡± They finally said, ¡°They found me in the dormitory-¡° ¡°Dormitory?¡± DH pulled away, ¡°You were already in the dormitory?¡± To frowned, ¡°I went there after I saw you and GiDi leave the cafeteria-¡° ¡°You missed your training?¡± DH¡¯s eyes went wide with fear, ¡°TO, what if the Overseers decide to punish you, what if you get corrected, you-¡° TO shook their head, ¡°I was already approached regarding that.¡± they said, ¡°I am to report to maintenance after the third meal for the next two days as punishment.¡± They gave DH a quick smile, ¡°My overseer went easy on me, since I¡¯m apparently ahead of the rest of the group.¡± DH¡¯s ears drooped, ¡°That.. that means we won¡¯t have much time together the next couple of days.¡± ¡°Correct.¡± TO said as they glanced at the door to the training room, ¡°No extra flight training.¡± ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, TO.¡± DH said as they pulled away, slowly unwrapping their wings from around them, ¡°I.. I tried to catch you after I saw you earlier. You looked¡­¡± They frowned, and shook their head, ¡°I never want you to look like that again. Not because of me.¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t do anything.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t help!¡± They insisted, ¡°Next time¡­ Next time please tell me if you¡¯re worried.¡± They gave them a smile, ¡°About anything. I¡¯m not as smart as you are, you need to be blunt with me.¡± TO couldn¡¯t help the low chuckle that came from their throat as they said that. It suddenly felt like the rest of the day hadn¡¯t mattered, like they had been worried for nothing. The hunger that had eluded them all day crept back. They held up a handful of the cubes to DH, ¡°From GiDi.¡± They explained, ¡°They were worried I¡¯d be hungry.¡± ¡°If we rush, we can probably still get you some food from the cafeteria and eat it back in the dormitory with GiDi.¡± ¡°I¡¯d like that.¡± TO said as they started walking back toward the cafeteria. They glanced quickly at the door to the flight training room and decided that for now, training could wait. =========== TO and DH ran to the cafeteria and got food just before they ran out of time.They went back to the dormitory and to TO¡¯s pod to share the cubes between them as they studied with GiDi. TO had been correct- it was hard to fit the three of them in the same pod, but they were also right when they said that they¡¯d figure it out. Now the three of them were sitting side by side, with TO squat between DH and GiDi as they went over the tools they¡¯d be using next span when they started their combat training, some of the scenarios they might be faced with, and enemies that they might be put against. The speaker in the corner played soft music as they worked, making GiDi¡¯s ears flick as they listened. With the music playing, and them all sitting close together as they went over the information that TO had on the holograph displayed before them, TO had the sudden thought that this was perfect, that if they could stay like this then the three of them could make it through their training. If they had each other, then this probably wasn¡¯t quite so bad. Episode 11: Maintenance At first, TO thought that maybe they would find other synths down in maintenance that were strange as well. They figured that if they were strange enough to stand out, but not strange enough to be corrected then maybe they could have ended up down in the lowest levels of the training center and put to work fixing and cleaning things. TO might have been right, once. Unfortunately most of the synths down in maintenance were already corrected. TO would have known this without the tell-tale scar on the center of their forehead - a perfect round circle of silvery skin. The synths that had been corrected never seemed quite right afterwards. They walked about as though in a dream, and never quite had the same reflexes and instincts as they had before Well, it was to be expected. Brain alteration surgery while the brain was still in early stages of development was one thing, but modifying the mind of a fully grown synth was another. Oh well, no matter. They had work to do anyway and didn''t have time to try to find others like them. TO was finishing work on a series of pipes that needed to be fixed. They were carrying hazardous materials and if TO wasn¡¯t careful they could easily burst, but that was why the Maintenance Officer - a black-clad synth with a wide jaw and narrower eyes- had assigned the task to TO. ¡°You should be grateful.¡± The officer said, ¡°Most of you young ones have no ability to contribute. You eat. You use resources. You take the the valuable time of-¡° ¡°Officer.¡± One of the maintenance synths said as they slowly walked out from around a corner. ¡°I finished running the water purification system.¡± ¡°Good. Did you turn off the machine?¡± The synth looked like they were trying very hard to remember, but just couldn¡¯t, ¡°Go back and check.¡± The officer said, ¡°If it¡¯s still on, turn it off, and write down that you turned it off.¡± The synth nodded, and walked off down the hall. ¡°Right.¡± The officer said as they continued down the hallway, ¡°You take up so many resources, and despite being perfectly capable for maintenance work you¡¯re not allowed to participate. Not unless it¡¯s a punishment.¡± They gave TO a hard look, ¡°Do you feel as though you¡¯re being punished?¡± ¡°No, Officer.¡± TO said, but their ears told a different story, flicking to show their deceit. ¡°Well, I can hardly blame you for that.¡± The Officer said, ¡°This was presented to you as a punishment. Still, you should feel honored that you¡¯re being allowed to be useful to King Decon before your training is even complete. If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. ¡°Yes, Officer.¡± The Officer brought TO to the pipes, gave them the tools they¡¯d need, and left them alone to do their work. It was a long job, and after the first few pipes TO was certain that this would be their job for the duration of their punishment. The Officer didn¡¯t seem to want to get any of the other synths in maintenance to do it, though TO didn¡¯t blame them; if something had gone wrong they doubted that the others would be able to react fast enough to protect themselves, or others. For the next two days TO would rush down to the underbelly of the training center and work on those pipes. They were only halfway through the second day when they finished up, surprising themselves by finishing up sooner than expected. They climbed down the ladder that they had used, put it away, and started to clean their tools hoping that the maintenance officer wouldn¡¯t decide to give them a quick- but doubtlessly messier and nastier- task for the rest of their time. At least they were serving King Decon, right? Being productive in any form was a glorious thing in the service to King Decon. ¡°I know you.¡± TO looked up and saw a corrected synth looking at them with those dull, dreamy eyes. They didn¡¯t recognize them, but the tag on their dull green uniform read 06T08. ¡°We must have been in the same training?¡± TO asked. ¡° Though. I don¡¯t recall-¡° ¡°You.. I think.¡± Their ears pinned back as they tried to focus. Their brow-ridges furrowed together as they tried really hard to bring back the memory, ¡°You. I think... you talked a lot?¡± TO felt their ears droop. Great. That¡¯s what they were remembered for. ¡°Yes, I did, but-¡° ¡°I think¡­ Oh well.¡± They started to walk away, ¡°I think I wanted to talk to you. I don¡¯t know why now.¡± TO watched them as they started to leave, then jumped up and went after them. They walked so slowly TO didn¡¯t have to rush. ¡°Wait.¡± they said, ¡°You wanted to talk to me?¡± ¡°Yes. Apologies. I do not know why.¡± They looked past TO at the tools that had been left unattended. It was almost as though something had turned on in them, like a program was starting to run, ¡°You need to put away your tools.¡± they said in a scripted tone, ¡°Tools must not be left dirty or unattended.¡± ¡°I...¡± TO looked at them, confused by their sudden shift in tone. ¡°Yes. I¡¯ll put them away now.¡± The other synth nodded, almost seemed to relax, and walked off. TO went back to their work, fastidiously cleaning their tools and putting them away properly in their case. Even though they were corrected now, TO could tell that 06T08 had been strange like they were, and like DH and GiDi were. They knew it, they could tell¡­ but 06T08 weren¡¯t strange anymore. They had been corrected, and while they remembered wanting to talk to them, they didn¡¯t seem to have that desire anymore. What did they do to correct synths anyway? What exactly did they alter? TO put the last tool away and checked the implant on the back of their hand. They had a little time left, but if they started walking back to bring the tools in now, then by the time they got there they were unlikely to be given much else to do - there was no time for them to be sent off anywhere else to take on another job As they made their way down the hallway, they saw 06T08 just a little ahead of them. They kept a slow pace, which was likely why TO had caught up to them. TO kept pace behind them since they weren¡¯t in any kind of rush. After a moment, TO realize that they were checking gauges on the pipes as they walked. TO started to catch up. Maybe they could try to talk to them again. 06T08 stopped at another pipe, and leaned forward to check the gauge. As they leaned, TO saw the pipe behind them shaking. They frowned, wondering why 06T08 didn¡¯t notice. ¡°06T08.¡± TO called out as they got closer, ¡°Behind you!¡± 06T08 looked away from the gauge and glanced at TO. Then, with agonizing slowness they turned around to see the malfunctioning pipe. Their eyes widened in surprise, but they didn¡¯t move. The pipe began to rattle and shake dangerously. TO dropped the tool kit and ran to the other synth. They grabbed them and spread their wings out to protect them from the spray that came from the pipe. They felt something hit their back, splattering them. The fumes hit their noise, and they fell to their knees, coughing and gagging. Episode 12: Bath TO had been sent immediately not to the infirmary, but to the baths. The stench had been dizzying, and they didn¡¯t know if they¡¯d make it without throwing up or passing out, but they did. They threw themselves into the bathing room, stripped off their uniform and threw it into the laundry which -perhaps ironically- would be sent back down to maintenance for cleaning before they got it back. As soon as they were naked, they ran to the closest shower and turned on the water as hot as it would go. There was nobody else in the baths this late in the day, so they had a good deal of pressure in the water. They simply stood there for a long time under the gloriously hot spray of before they started scrubbing themselves raw with the rough, exfoliating soap they were provided. It didn¡¯t matter. They felt like they could scrub their skin off and they¡¯d never feel properly clean again. ¡°TO!¡± they heard someone shout behind them after they had spent a good 20 minutes simply scrubbing. They turned and saw DH entering the communal showers with GiDi following them. They had already removed their uniforms out in the changing room just before the showers. ¡°DH?¡± TO tilted their head as DH ran up to them, ¡°Why are you here?¡± ¡°I heard there was an accident! I heard you got covered in biohazardous materials!¡± TO felt their ears flick down and flush, ¡°Well¡­ technically yes.¡± they said as they continued to scrub, ¡°But... natural biohazardous wastes.¡± DH and GiDi looked at TO, confused. TO sighed, ¡°Sewage.¡± they said, ¡°If I had known it was sewage I would have let the other synth get splattered.¡± In truth, they wouldn¡¯t have done that. Even knowing what it was, 06T08 would have gotten a face-full of the stuff. TO had been far more able to protect themselves. ¡°I¡¯m fine; just nauseated.¡± DH frowned and turned to GiDi, ¡°fill the tub.¡± they said, ¡°Use lots of salts.¡± There were very few luxuries allowed to young synths, but there was a very large communal tub in each of the showers. Since the synths in training generally pushed themselves physically far more than the older synths, a tub and access to special salts and powders from across the galaxy was provided to help restore sore muscles. ¡°It¡¯s too late for that.¡± TO said with a sigh. True, a hot bath would probably help them feel less like they had a layer of scum over themselves, but they needed to get some sleep soon. ¡°Nonsense.¡± DH said, ¡°It¡¯ll help relax your muscles-¡° ¡°-which don¡¯t hurt.¡± ¡°And you¡¯ll sleep better.¡± they nodded to GiDi, who smiled and ran off to prepare the tub. DH came forward and took one of the exfoliating cloths that were hung in the showers for the synths to use. They stood behind TO and said in a way that did not allow debate, ¡°And I¡¯ll scrub between your wings; you''ve missed some gunk there.¡± ¡°Fine.¡± TO said as they continued to focus on scrubbing their arms. They knew that they had gotten splattered badly on their exposed back, but because of their wings it was also difficult for them to scrub there. They allowed DH to gently wash away the grim from between their wings and shoulder blades. After a moment they simply closed their eyes and stopped their ceaseless scrubbing as they allowed themselves to enjoy the heat of the shower, the gentle scrubbing on their back, and the scent of the salts that GiDi was pouring into the large tub. Any protests they might have made about the unnecessary use of resources, or the lack of time didn¡¯t seem to have the strength to bubble to the surface of TO¡¯s mind. ¡°We were worried about you.¡± DH said after a few minutes of silence. ¡°Oh?¡± ¡°We thought something really bad had happened. We went down to find you when you were late coming back, and they said there had been an accident and that you were in the showers.¡± ¡°And¡­ You didn¡¯t think that if I had been injured, I¡¯d have been sent to the infirmary, and not the showers?¡± DH gave a sheepish chuckle, ¡°Honestly¡­ No. We heard ¡®accident¡¯ and logic left us.¡± TO couldn¡¯t help but give a little laugh. They wanted to chide the two of them, to tell them that no matter what¡¯s happened they needed to keep logic in the forefront of their mind at all times, but they felt oddly touched that DH and GiDi had been so worried about them. ¡°How hot do we want this?¡± GiDi called from the tub. ¡°As hot as we can stand!¡± DH called back, ¡°And.. maybe put something nice-smelling in it too.¡± They lowered their voice and whispered, ¡°You kinda still stink.¡± ¡°I know!¡± TO said, ¡°Even before I got covered in sewage, I stank. I felt like the whole area down there was just¡­ As soon as you walk in, you feel grimey, but all the tools are taken care of. All the important work places are taken care of. It¡¯s just¡­¡± They shook their head, ¡°I don¡¯t know. It¡¯s awful. I hate it.¡± ¡°At least you don¡¯t have to do it anymore.¡± DH finished scrubbing TO¡¯s back, and threw the cloth they had used into the laundry unit on the other side of the room. Their aim was excellent, and it went right into the small dark hole. Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°Yes.¡± TO said as they turned and let the hot water pour over their wings and back. ¡°I will never work down there again.¡± ¡°Unless you¡¯re assigned.¡± TO shook their head, ¡°Oddly.¡± they said, ¡°The only one down there who hadn¡¯t been corrected was the officer. Everyone else had the scar on their foreheads, and none of them looked like they were seeing anything.¡± They sighed, ¡°So, unless we get corrected, I don¡¯t think I''ll end up down there.¡± ¡°And... You think we¡¯re out of danger for that?¡± ¡°Baths ready!¡± GiDi called over to them. TO made their way over to the bath with DH behind them. ¡°Hey, do you think we¡¯re out of danger for that?¡± ¡°Out of danger for what?¡± GiDi asked as they slipped into the opaque, steamy water. ¡°Out of danger for getting corrected.¡± DH said. TO eased themselves into the water between DH and GiDi, and were instantly glad that they had allowed DH to force them into this: the water felt so nice and they instantly felt their muscles start to relax. Their ears bent down as they sank into the water, their eyes closed and as the steam rose up around them. they could feel the heat sink into their bones. They were almost perfectly relaxed when DH poked them in the ribs, drawing them out of that lovely moment of peace and pulling a yelp from their throat. ¡°TO!¡± they said, ¡°Do you think-¡° ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± TO said with a sigh, ¡°I have no idea. I¡¯ve never done this before, obviously.¡± They watched the steam rising up off the water, lost in thought. ¡°I don¡¯t think we¡¯re in danger.¡± They finally said, ¡°What being corrected does to you... It¡¯s not just that you¡¯re different. You¡¯re slower. Your reflexes aren¡¯t as good. Your reasoning isn¡¯t as strong. It seems like an awful waste to correct someone who is as advanced in their training as we are.¡± They sunk further into the water, ¡°But I don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°Well, if they were going to correct any of us, they¡¯d have done it by now, right?¡± GiDi asked, ¡°I mean, I¡¯ve heard that combat training is far more intensive than what we''re doing now. They wouldn¡¯t waste the time on us if they were thinking of correcting us, right?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think so.¡± TO said, ¡°But I really don¡¯t know.¡± They were silent then, listening to water dripping somewhere in the showers and the gentle lapping of the water against their skin. ¡°It¡¯d be nice to have some music in here.¡± GiDi said after a moment. TO hummed in agreement, but they had their eyes closed again and they were leaning back against the wall of the tub. This was very nice. They¡¯d refill their water bottle with fresh, cold water and lay in their pod when they got back. Sipping cold water and letting the heat dissipate off of them just seemed like a perfect way to end a not-quite perfect day. They¡¯d have to use one of the simple, disposable robes to get back to the dormitory, but that didn¡¯t really matter. They didn¡¯t wear anything when they slept, and their uniform would be cleaned and ready in a panel in the wall of the bed by the time they woke up. ¡°Still.¡± DH said, ¡°We made it to combat training. I think that¡¯s good. For a bit... I wasn¡¯t sure if I¡¯d make it.¡± TO sat up, their eyes suddenly open and wide, ¡°What?¡± ¡°I feel the same.¡± GiDi said. ¡°I mean, I¡¯m still not sure I¡¯m not going to be pulled aside tomorrow.¡± ¡°And I honestly tried to be like the other synths for the first few spans, but I just...¡± They glanced at TO, then looked away, ¡°I hated it so much. I couldn¡¯t do it. I thought I¡¯d rather be corrected than go through the same awful feeling every day. But if I have a few others I can just be myself around, it¡¯s not so bad.¡± They smiled, ¡°So long as I have somewhere safe where I can be myself, I can make it!¡± A pang of guilt went through TO as they remembered their urging to keep quiet around others. They only wanted to protect DH, they didn¡¯t want to make them upset. At least when they were alone, DH could be themself. TO found DH¡¯s hand under the water and gave it a quick, reassuring squeeze. DH looked up, smiled, then looked over to GiDi on TO¡¯s other side. ¡°I doubt they¡¯re going to take you tomorrow.¡± DH said. ¡°And we¡¯re going to stick together during combat training, and we¡¯ll keep an eye on one another.¡± They smiled at TO, ¡°And with TO¡¯s ¡®exceptional performance¡¯ I¡¯m certain we¡¯ll be fine!¡± GiDi didn¡¯t respond. They seemed half asleep from the heat, and were leaning against TO¡¯s side. After a moment their breathing turned into soft, gentle snoring. TO looked down at them in surprise - they had never had anyone sleep against them, not even DH. ¡°I think the heat makes them sleepy.¡± DH said with a laugh, ¡°But they said they didn¡¯t sleep well last night anyway.¡± ¡°Oh? Why not?¡± DH shrugged, ¡°They¡¯re nervous about combat training.¡± they said, ¡°They¡¯re worried they won¡¯t be any good at it, and they¡¯ll get corrected.¡± TO shook their head and put an arm over GiDi¡¯s shoulders, ¡°They won¡¯t be.¡± they said, ¡°I¡¯ll make sure of it.¡± ¡°Can you?¡± ¡°So long as we continue to do well, then I don¡¯t see why they would take GiDi away.¡± TO said firmly. ¡°And I¡¯ll make sure that they do as well as we do!¡± DH nodded, then leaned against TO as well, ¡°Still.¡± they said, ¡°There¡¯s a problem.¡± ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± ¡°Assignments once we pass training.¡± TO felt their heart drop. Somehow, they hadn¡¯t even thought of that. Assignments across the galaxy were set in pairs. DH and TO already knew that it would be a torment for them to be stuck with a normal synth for cycles on end; TO didn¡¯t know how GiDi would manage if they had to stay with a synth they didn¡¯t get along with. ¡°We have a while before that.¡± TO said, instinctively tightening their arm around GiDi, ¡°We can think of something.¡± ¡°But what?¡± DH said, ¡°Do you think we can find one more strange synth?¡± TO nodded. ¡°We¡¯ll be in combat training for a good while.¡± they said, ¡°So we can find someone, I¡¯m sure.¡± ¡°And if we don¡¯t?¡± ¡°We will.¡± DH looked like they were about to say something, but nodded and fell silent. They at least understood what TO meant without them having to say it. TO had no idea what they¡¯d do if they didn¡¯t find another strange synth. They didn¡¯t have the answers, and they didn¡¯t necessarily want to think about the what if in this case. ========= They relaxed in the large tub until the water started to cool. GiDi napped the entire time, and was quite drowsy when they finally woke them up. DH and GiDi both opted to throw their uniforms into the laundry as well and they made their way back to their dormitory in the light disposable robes. When they got to the dormitory, it was far quieter than they were used to. Most every pod had the barrier up and the sound of their feet on the floor seemed to echo through the tall corridors. One or two synths still had their computers going and the multicolored, flickering light could be seen, blurred and indistinct. ¡°Right to sleep, both of you.¡± TO said, attempting to sound firm but they found themselves yawning as they spoke, ¡°We have to be ready for tomorrow. We have no idea what combat training is going to be like, so we need to be ready for anything.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll try¡­¡± GiDi said, but by the looks of them they wouldn¡¯t need to try too hard to get a decent night of rest- they were nearly asleep on their feet. As GiDi made their way further down the hall to their own pod, TO felt almost relieved that they hadn¡¯t yet convinced anyone near themselves and DH to move yet. GiDi seemed almost unsteady on their feet and TO was glad they didn¡¯t have to climb a ladder to get to their pod. DH and TO climbed up to their own pods and slipped onto their beds. ¡°TO?¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t think they¡¯ll make us fight one another, do you?¡± TO hadn¡¯t even considered that. ¡°Possibly?¡± They ventured, ¡°For practice, I¡¯m sure. I wouldn¡¯t worry too much. They wouldn¡¯t make us actually hurt one another.¡± ¡°You¡¯re sure?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure about anything, but it seems counterproductive, doesn¡¯t it?¡± DH hummed thoughtfully. ¡°I guess you¡¯re right.¡± they said. ¡°Sleep well. See you tomorrow.¡± ¡°Sleep well.¡± TO said before they closed their barrier. Episode 13 : Run When they got up, everything was normal at first. They got up at the same time, had breakfast as normal, and went to their main physical training room. All the synths lined up as normal, TO, DH, and GiDi standing next to the other in their freshly cleaned uniforms. They waited for something to happen, for the screen to turn on and for them to be given instructions. They waited. The screen didn¡¯t turn on. The three strange synths exchanged nervous looks, and TO was about to suggest that maybe they were all in the wrong place when the door finally opened. The officer that had come for them was dressed in a gold-colored uniform. They had C12 on a metallic pin over the center of their chest. A Retiree. TO felt their breath stop in their lungs. They had never seen a Retiree before. They had heard about them, of course, but never saw them. As C12 walked to the center, they noticed that this one had a pronounced limp as they walked. They had also never seen a synth with a limp before. Anything like that was generally fixed if the synth in question was worth the effort. Retirees were different of course - they wouldn''t be seeing real combat, so there was no need for them to be in perfect physical form ¡°You are here to learn the basics of combat.¡± The Retiree said. ¡°Combat training is a long and dedicated process. You¡¯ll learn basic hand to hand. You¡¯ll be given weapons training. You¡¯ll learn basic survival. You¡¯ll learn aerial flight combat and space combat." They stalked to the center of the room and stood with their hands on their hips in front of all the other synths. ¡°If you learn, you will survive. If you excel, you will thrive. Am I understood.¡± ¡°Yes, Officer.¡± ¡°I am not an Officer.¡± they said, ¡°You will refer to me as ¡°Retiree.¡± ¡°Yes, Retiree.¡± C12 glanced silently around the room, nodded, then held up a fist. ¡°First.¡± they said, ¡°You will learn how to make a proper fist.¡± =========== ¡°I think I hate combat training.¡± GiDi gasped from TO¡¯s right. ¡°Really?¡± DH said, their voice dripping with sarcasm much like the sweat was rolling off their face, ¡°I thought we were having a-¡° They stopped talking, gasping as they struggled to keep running on the treadmill they were on. The first half of their combat training had been dull and tedious. Retiree C12 had a dozen assistants who had, at C12¡¯s direction, checked and tested the fist of every single synth in the training hall. TO¡¯s pinky and ring finger had not been firmly set in their fist enough and the assistant had sent a jolt of pain through TO as they squeezed in on their fingers. Well, at least TO hadn¡¯t been the only one to have messed up their first, and TO had made sure that DH and GiDi at least had their thumbs on the outside of their curled fingers, not like others who almost had their thumbs broken. Then they had spent time learning how to punch properly. They punched the empty space before them over, and over and over and over again. They stood in one place, punching the air as the assistants walked before them and corrected their movements, seeing miniscule errors in the placement of their shoulders, arms, and hands. Then, when they were exhausted and sweating, and muscles that they had never considered using before were aching from strain, C12 had ordered that the treadmills that were hidden under panels beneath the floor be brought up, and demanded that they run for the rest of their training. ¡°This-This is all fine.¡± TO gasped as they kept running. ¡°This is fine.¡¯ ¡°This isn¡¯t combat!¡± DH exclaimed, stumbling and nearly falling forward. ¡°This is torture.¡± ¡°Not quite, I assure you.¡± This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. TO¡¯s ears flicked at the sound behind them. They turned, and saw C12 standing there watching them run. Three sets of ears pinned back in fear as they put their heads down and ran in silence. ¡°You want real combat, I take it?¡± C12 said, ¡°You want to go out and fight for the glory of King Decon?¡± ¡°We wish to-¡° TO gasped as they tried to talk and run at the same time, ¡°We wish to serve Lord Decon as well as we can, Retiree C12.¡± ¡°I see. But this is torture?¡± DH was wisely silent. TO nearly stumbled when they heard C12 laugh behind them. It wasn¡¯t a loud noise, just a sudden one that startled them. Even the other synths around them turned and looked in confusion. TO glanced first at GiDi, and then to DH. Was this synth, was this Retiree, C12¡­Strange? ¡°You¡¯re like children.¡± C12 said after a moment, amusement still lingering on their voices, ¡°You want to dive into the real work, but you don¡¯t have the tools yet. You do what I say, suffer this ¡®torture¡¯ and I promise you, you will excel.¡¯ They kept silent as C12 limped slowly down the row of treadmills behind them until they were well out of hearing range. DH turned to TO, Their eyes wide, ¡°Are they -¡° ¡°Potentially.¡± TO said, frowning. ¡°We should talk to -¡° ¡°No!¡± TO and GiDi both spoke in unison. They glanced at one another, their ears flicked down and tinged blue. GiDi turned their focus back to their running. ¡°Strange or not, ¡° TO said to DH, ¡°They¡¯re an Offic- No. more than an officer. They¡¯re a Retiree.¡± ¡°Then they have some sway.¡± DH pressed, ¡°Then maybe they won¡¯t be afraid to talk to us.¡± ¡°Or we¡¯re just misreading this.¡± TO said, ¡° Older Synths are more...¡± They didn¡¯t know how to phrase this, ¡°They are more diverse. They¡¯ve seen more, and experienced more. Maybe this one isn¡¯t strange. Maybe they just had different experiences. I don¡¯t know, but they¡¯ve achieved the highest honor that a synth can receive, and I doubt they¡¯d tarnish that just to talk to us, even if they are strange.¡± ¡°Whatever they did.¡± DH said, ¡°It had to be big to be allowed to stay here with that limp.¡± ¡°I can try to find out.¡± GiDi suggested. TO and DH both turned to them. Through the sweating and panting, GiDi gave them a smile, ¡°Like I said, I hear a lot. I know which Officers like to talk. If I make a comment to my Overseer, I might learn something. My overseer in particular will talk more than others.¡± ¡°Like us?¡± GiDi shook their head, ¡°No no. Always for a reason, but to a greater extent. They will offer more information without being prompted. I just need a good excuse to ask them about C12.¡± TO took several deep gasps on the treadmill. Another synth ahead of them stumbled and fell off , landing heavily on the floor, gasping. They hadn¡¯t been the first to do so, and TO was certain that before they were done the three of them would end up on the floor as well. Still. They would hold out as long as they could. They would excel. ¡°Tell your Overseer.¡± TO panted, ¡°That you met C12, and have never seen a Retiree before. You wish to be like them. How can you strive to be like C12? How did they become a Retiree?¡± ¡°Do you think that will work?¡± DH asked. ¡°I¡¯m assuming you¡¯d want to be a Retiree one day, GiDi?¡± ¡°Me?¡± GiDi stumbled in surprised, but gained their footing back quickly. ¡°Of course, but I don¡¯t hold any real aspirations.¡± ¡°That¡¯s fine.¡± TO, ¡°Say that if you want. You¡¯d like to be a Retiree, but you cannot fathom how to do it. How did C12-¡° They cut themselves off as their breath fell short. They put their head down and continued breathing, feeling the pain start to rise up through their legs as they ran on. They didn¡¯t know how much longer they could hold out, but they¡¯d do their best. ============ TO wasn¡¯t the last one to fall off the treadmill, but they weren¡¯t far off. DH and GiDi had managed to stay on a respectably long time before stumbling and falling, though neither of them seemed to mind. DH was almost giddy when they stopped running and seemed perfectly happy to lay on the ground. By the time TO fell off there were only 7 more synths running. All the other synths sat down on the floor, sweaty and starting to smell as they watched. In the next few minutes there were 3. The three ran long and hard, each of them wanting to be the last one to fall off. The next one to fall off actually fell unconscious, landing heavily on the ground with their arm twisting behind them unnaturally. An assistant went up and took them away to the infirmary. Every synth in the room watched the last two synths running. There was relative silence, but even the normal synths were muttering, wondering which one would fall first. A few more minutes passed, and it was the smaller of the two who finally tripped up and fell onto the floor. It took the larger one only a moment to realize this, then they quickly jumped down and doubled over as they gasped for breath. C12 limped over to the last synth as quickly as they could given their bad leg. When they approached, the synth looked up but was immediately cuffed over their head. Given how winded they were and how little they had been expecting it, they fell over immediately. ¡°What do you think you¡¯re doing.¡± ¡°I stopped, Retiree C12.¡± The synth said. ¡°Did I tell you to stop.¡± ¡°N-no, Retiree.¡± ¡°Then why did you stop?¡± The synth looked to the second place synth who was still collapsed on the ground. ¡°They stopped.¡± ¡°So?¡± C12 glared down at them, ¡°What they were doing had nothing to do with your goal. I said run. Everyone else ran until they fell. You were the only one who decided to stop.¡± The synth¡¯s ears flicked down in shame as they realized what C12 was saying. ¡°My apologies-¡° ¡°Every other synth in this room ran until they couldn¡¯t run anymore.¡± They gestured to the door where their assistant had dragged out the unconscious synth, ¡°One passed out. What made you think you could just stop?¡± The synth was speechless. TO was very glad that they hadn¡¯t managed to stay on until they were the last synth running as they were positive that they too would have stepped off the treadmill once their competition had fallen. ¡°Everyone else can go.¡± C12 said, ¡°Shower before your meal.¡± They pointed to the first place synth, ¡°This one has more running to do.¡± TO, DH, and GiDi slipped out of the training room in silence, along with the others. They were not normally given leave to use the showers in the middle of the day, but nobody wanted to question it. Episode 14: Research It was odd to take a shower in the middle of the day. They were all rushed and a little disoriented by the break in their routine, and although nobody had questioned C12 about it in the moment, a few synths commented that coming to the showers was pointless since they wouldn¡¯t have time to have their uniforms cleaned, and thus would still smell in the afternoon because of that. There were comments about it being a waste of water; a waste of time. Shouldn¡¯t a Retiree know better? ¡°Perhaps-¡° TO cut in as they got sick of the complaints, ¡°They are testing us to see how well we follow orders, regardless of what we think is best.¡± They gave the other synth who had last spoken about it a withering look, ¡°Unless of course you think you know better than a Retiree. There was no answer, and the complaints stopped- at least they stopped around TO¡¯s hearing. They didn¡¯t know why they felt they had to speak up. Maybe it was because they wondered if the Retiree was strange. If C12 was strange, and was still being judged and criticized as a Retiree, then was that a sign that it would be something that TO would have to deal with no matter what they did, or how much they excelled? Well, it didn¡¯t matter. TO was just glad for a chance to get all the sweat off of their bodies, to let the hot water wash over their screaming muscles, and to give their uniforms a chance to dry off a little in the lockers. Maybe they were irritated that they had all basically been given a gift, and the others were complaining about it being wasteful. After their shower all the synths headed to the cafeteria for their second meal. Some of them got confused by the change of their schedule, and started down the hallway to the dormitory before they were stopped by others and redirected to the cafeteria. For their first meal of the day, the three strange synths still went to the cafeteria and sat in silence with all the other synths. For the second and third meals though, the routine changed for TO and DH since GiDi had joined them. Instead of subtly trying to sit next to one another in the cafeteria, they now took their meals back to their dormitories and ate in TO¡¯s pod. It was crowded, yes, but it was better to be able to relax and spend time with one another as opposed to sitting in the cafeteria under scrutiny and judgement, and having to be so careful with how they acted and what they said around everyone else. They went to the cafeteria with the rest of the synths of course but as they retrieved their food they went outside the cafeteria and waited for one another. TO had been questioned about this once by another synth, and had replied that if they ate in their pod, they¡¯d be able to study while they ate and therefore they made more effective use of their time. True, they hardly studied while they ate but the point was that they could if they wanted to. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. Maybe TO didn¡¯t need to make the excuses anymore. Most of the other synths seemed content at this point to leave them alone; to ignore them when they could. Even the Overseers were content to allow them to do as they pleased for the most part since GiDi and DH had not only improved since their association with TO, but they weren¡¯t considered as disruptive around the other synths. The synth that had warned TO away from DH back in the flight training room that day had been right about one thing - because they excelled, they were allowed to be strange. It still wasn¡¯t easy of course, the looks from the others, the disdain, the constant judgement was difficult to manage at times, but DH and GiDi made it easier. DH and GiDi made it worth it. They had only just regathered outside the cafeteria and were heading to TO¡¯s pod when GiDi stopped them and pressed their meal into DH¡¯s hands. ¡°Bring this ahead.¡± GiDi said, ¡°I¡¯ll catch up.¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± TO asked. GiDi pointed at an overseer that was walking away from them, ¡°That¡¯s my Overseer.¡± they said, ¡°I know because they have shorter ears than the others.¡± They smiled and then started after the Overseer, ¡°I¡¯ll be right there! Wait for me!¡± They watched GiDi take off and round a corner before they continued on. ¡°Hey, TO?¡± DH asked as they made their way to their dormitory, ¡°Do you notice stuff like that too?¡± ¡°Stuff like the ears?¡± TO asked. ¡°Yes. I mean, is that also something that makes us strange?¡± They frowned as they glanced around, ¡°Everyone else seems to need the tags, but we can tell people apart by how they look. That doesn¡¯t seem like a bad thing; it seems useful.¡± TO nodded. ¡°I do notice things like that.¡± TO admitted, ¡°All the time.¡± They gave DH a quick smirk, ¡°Maybe there are some benefits to being strange.¡± ¡°Why are we strange though?¡± The question took TO aback, ¡°Why?¡± They asked. They had never considered the why of all this. They never questioned why they were strange. ¡°Well.. King Decon made us, right?¡± DH asked, ¡°I mean, His programs, His computers, they made us.¡± ¡°Correct.¡± ¡°Then.. If there¡¯s something wrong with us, why?¡± It had never occured to TO that they should wonder why they were strange. ¡°Well¡­¡± TO said as they pulled on knowledge they had implanted well in their head before they awoke, ¡°King Decon gives us everything we need, right? And it¡¯s up to us to make the most of the lives He¡¯s given us¡­¡± They frowned, ¡°Those that don¡¯t are corrected.¡± ¡°But we¡¯ve always been like this.¡± DH insisted. ¡°We¡¯ve always been different. We¡¯ve always been strange. Broken. Defective. Were we created to be like this?¡± ¡°Maybe¡­¡± TO said, piecing together some logic in their head as they spoke, ¡°Maybe we¡¯re part of an experiment?¡± They frowned as they looked down at their food, ¡°Like you said, being able to recognize the differences between other synths is a benefit. Maybe we¡¯re something like the first wave of a new type of synth?¡± They looked up at DH, ¡°If we succeed, maybe there¡¯ll be more of us later.¡± DH gave TO a smile as they put their arm over their shoulder. ¡°Well, regardless of the reason, I¡¯m glad I¡¯m strange.¡± They smiled, ¡°It¡¯s hard sometimes, but if I wasn¡¯t I wouldn¡¯t have you and GiDi. I suppose that¡¯s worth it.¡± TO couldn¡¯t quite name the feeling that made it feel like their heart was swelling, but they knew it was a good one, and they felt their face break into a large smile as they headed to their dormitory. Episode 15: Information TO and DH were actually starting to worry about their friend when GiDi finally got back to the Dormitory. Lunch was just over halfway done by the time they scurried up the ladder and crawled into the pod next to TO. ¡°We were starting to worry about you!¡± TO said as they passed them their food. ¡°You were gone a long time! We thought you¡¯d just catch up with us!¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m sorry.¡± GiDi said as they leaned against TO and started to eat, pausing between mouthfuls to breath and talk, ¡°Like I said, My overseer likes to give more information than necessary but I got a lot of information about C12!¡± ¡°So are they strange?¡± DH asked, leaning over TO. GiDi chewed thoughtfully as they considered this question, ¡°Yes.¡± they said eventually, ¡°But I don¡¯t know if they¡¯re strange like us.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± TO asked, ¡°They¡¯re strange or they¡¯re- ¡° ¡°Well. They¡¯re strange. Generally. They think differently than others from what my Overseer said.¡± They glanced up at TO, ¡°Like you, to an extent. They solve problems differently.¡± ¡°The three of us think differently.¡± DH pointed out, ¡°Wouldn¡¯t that make C12 strange like us?¡± GiDi shook their head, ¡°Well, apparently they only think differently in the sense of coming up with ideas. I wasn¡¯t told if they talked more, or acted strangely, or if any of their supervisors or overseers ever thought they were particularly different.¡± They tried to swallow another cube of food without quite chewing it all the way and ended up coughing. TO had their hand on GiDi¡¯s back, ready to help them but GiDi was fine after a moment. ¡°Take your time.¡± TO said with a frown, ¡°Don¡¯t try to shove it all in your mouth at once.¡± GiDi gave TO a reproachful look, but took their time to chew their food before they continued, ¡°Apparently, they were designated for front line combat after their placement.¡± GiDi Continued. ¡°So they didn¡¯t seem to excel in anything else in training.¡± TO said. Generally if you were particularly good at something you were spared front line designations and assigned to work in a more specialized part of King Decon¡¯s empire, and were thankfully spared the brutal experience of combat and bloody death at the hands of one of the many insurgent groups that stood against King Decon. ¡°Apparently not, but that¡¯s where they excelled.¡± They shoved the last few cubes into their mouth and started chewing as they broke apart the plate. ¡°You don¡¯t go to combat to excel though. Nobody does. Nobody lives long enough to excel.¡± DH said, ¡°I mean, not unless they¡¯re designated as a General, but Generals don¡¯t actually see combat. ¡°C12 wasn¡¯t sent as a general, just a foot soldier, but they excelled, according to my Overseer.¡± GiDi said once they managed to swallow their food, ¡°Apparently, the group that they were in got separated from their main group and immediate squad leaders in a battle on a colonized moon. C12 got most of the other synths with them to follow them, and led them out of danger and through an enemy ambush. They lost three synths, but that wasn¡¯t because of their direction, that was because those synths didn¡¯t want to follow them since C12 wasn¡¯t a general or a leader or anything like that.¡± they took a long drink of water before they continued, ¡°When they got back, they were promoted to a Squad leader.¡± Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. ¡°Promoted?¡± TO said, confused. ¡°Yes! Promoted! There¡¯s not many synths that end up moving up from their original designation, are there?¡± DH and TO shook their heads. As far as they knew once you were assigned, that¡¯s where you were until you couldn¡¯t perform your duty anymore. In extreme circumstances one might get transferred to another location, but it was rare. ¡°Their squad apparently became known for being unpredictable.¡± GiDi said, ¡°But in a good way. They could adapt better than others, and would sometimes disobey orders-¡° ¡°What?!¡± TO Couldn¡¯t keep the shock from their voice. ¡°They disobeyed orders, and they weren¡¯t corrected or-¡° ¡°They might have been if they weren¡¯t so successful. Whenever they did that, they ended up making things better. It was apparently a very close call. A few times the judgement went right to King Decon, and He decided that since the outcome was favourable that C12 could continue their work. They were promoted again to General, but refused to stay behind on the ships when their troops were out on the field.¡± They stacked the pieces of plate and took a bite, washing it down with more water, ¡°They apparently led several campaigns that simply weren¡¯t supposed to work, but which ended up being amazingly successful. In their last mission they lost their leg. Instead of being properly repaired or repurposed, they were granted the title of Retiree, and tasked with training new synths.¡± They tapped their own leg, ¡°That¡¯s why they limp. They have a prosthetic right leg.¡± ¡°Why not just give them a proper new leg?¡± DH asked, ¡°we have the ability and the resources-¡° ¡°If they¡¯re not going into combat again, or even on patrol, then I suppose there¡¯s no need." TO said, "They can manage just fine on a prosthetic, and the resources can be used on synths who need to be able to move fast and fight.¡± DH frowned at this, their ears pinning back against their head, ¡®You¡¯d think,¡± they said, ¡°That if they thought highly enough about C12 to grant them the title of Retiree, they¡¯d be willing to give them a new leg.¡± ¡°I imagine that if C12 couldn¡¯t perform their current duties then such a thing might be considered. Still, they''re a Retiree,so they''re more likely to be given an easier job in that case.¡± ¡°Alright, but what happens if they get injured now, and they can¡¯t perform any duties?¡± DH pressed, ¡°Retirees don''t get repurposed, and the title of Retiree isn¡¯t just taken away.¡± ¡°There¡¯s been too few for me to be able to say.¡± TO said, ¡°Most of the ones I¡¯ve read about have simply gotten sick as they aged, and either died suddenly, or were euthanized before they were in too much pain.¡± ¡°Maybe if they couldn¡¯t any resume their duties for some reason, they would fix the problem?¡± ¡°Perhaps.¡± TO said, but in truth they had no idea. They turned back to GiDi. ¡°Did your overseer think it was strange that you were asking?¡± ¡°Oh no.¡± they said, ¡°Apparently C12 is a source of much curiosity, and I¡¯m not the first to ask about them.¡± ¡°So they must be strange ¡± DH said. ¡°We still don¡¯t know.¡± TO said, ¡°And I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s worth the risk to ask. I mean, even if they are, even if they were just like us, there¡¯s no reason why they would talk to us. No, trying to find out more might just be too risky.¡± They glanced at DH, but didn¡¯t want to explain it properly with GiDi around. Yes, they wanted to find another strange Synth, but they wanted to find one so that GiDi might be assigned with someone like them. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter.¡± GiDi said, ¡°If they are strange though, that¡¯s really good, right?¡± They beamed, ¡°They¡¯re strange, and not only did they not get corrected or repurposed, they excelled! They achieved the highest honor a synth can achieve!¡± They beamed, ¡°Maybe we -can- do that! I mean-¡° They looked at TO, ¡°They didn¡¯t even stand out in their training from what I heard, and they excelled. You¡¯re smart. You excel! You can do the same, I¡¯m sure!¡± They clapped their hands together, ¡°You can be a Retiree one day! Maybe-¡° their ears started to twitch with excitement, ¡°Maybe we all can!¡± TO felt their ears burn as they focused on their water bottle, ¡°So long as we can get through our training and -¡° ¡°No no, we can do this!¡± GiDi said, ¡°I know it! We can Retire one day! All three of us.¡± ¡°Unheard of.¡± TO said. DH shrugged, ¡°Well, then let¡¯s go for it anyway.¡± they said, ¡°I bet they¡¯ve never had a group of strange synths working together before. If we stick together, I know we can do it!¡± TO wanted to say that it wasn¡¯t possible. They would eventually be separated because of their assignments anyway, and even after that, they would likely be given different jobs when they were done. The best they could hope for was to be assigned to the same area so they could spend their rest time together. That was so far away at this point that TO tried not to worry about it. Still there was something about how excited and hopeful GiDi was, and how certain that DH was that made them think that maybe they could do it. Even if they couldn¡¯t always work together, maybe one day they could at least be Retirees, and live out their days without having to worry about eventually being seperated. Maybe. Episode 16: Incubation They were all separated after their meal. TO, DH, and GiDi were just leaving their dormitory to go to their mental training when they all got messages on their implants. ¡°This is weird.¡± DH said, frowning as they read their message.They looked up to TO, their ears twitching down slightly, ¡°I''m supposed to go to programming.¡± TO knit their brows and their ears pinned back as they checked their own implant. They weren''t supposed to go to programming with DH, they were to head to the incubation laboratory. They looked at GiDi, ¡°Where are you going?¡± ¡°Uh, weapon fabrication.¡± they said. Their wide, frightened eyes flicked from DH to TO, ¡°Any idea why?¡± TO shook their head, ¡°No idea.¡± They wished that they had eaten in the cafeteria because then maybe they¡¯d have been told something, or perhaps another synth would have information. Of course, even if any synth had information, TO doubted that they would share it. ¡°Best to just go where we¡¯ve been told.¡± GiDi looked from TO to DH, their eyes wide and dark, their ears practically limp at the side of their head. Well, they hadn¡¯t been alone in a while now, not since they had met in the first place. They slept in their own pod, but they no longer spent any time with other synths unless they were around either TO or DH. ¡°It¡¯ll be fine.¡± TO said, Though they didn¡¯t know and while they managed to fix their expression and tone into one of confidence, their ears signaled the uncertainty they were actually feeling. ¡°At the very least, I¡¯m sure this isn¡¯t a disciplinary thing, otherwise we¡¯d either be sent to the same place, or we¡¯d be called away one at a time, not separated like this¡­ We¡¯ll bring our food to the flight training room afterwards-¡° ¡°Why there?¡± GiDi asked. ¡°Because I didn¡¯t get to fly today.¡± TO said. Their wings felt stiff from not being able to fly and they missed the feeling of soaring through the air. ¡°And there shouldn¡¯t be any other synths there; they¡¯ll all be at the dormitories or showers, so we can speak freely and get some flight practice in.¡± To TO¡¯s surprise, DH frowned as their ears flicked down in disappointment. ¡°What?¡± TO ask, ¡°You don¡¯t want to?¡± ¡°... My shoulders hurt.¡± they said, the slightest hint of a whine on their voice, ¡°I really don''t want to do more than I need to after we¡¯re done today. A bath and a lay down is all I really want. The training this morning was hard, and I hated it!¡± TO felt their own ears droop in disappointment. True, their arms hurt as well from the training, but they really wanted to fly. ¡°Hey.¡± GiDi said, ¡°We can still go there. You can fly. We can observe!¡± ¡°Yes! I don¡¯t mind just being around you if you want to fly, TO. That¡¯s fine!¡± DH beamed at TO, ¡°We¡¯ll meet you there. GiDi and I can rest our poor muscles and watch you fly.¡± TO didn¡¯t want them to just sit around if they didn¡¯t want to be there, but they did want to spend more time with them, and in private. They were so much more relaxed when it was just the three of them. They checked their implant, and realized that if they didn¡¯t leave for the incubation lab right away, they¡¯d be late. ¡°We¡¯ll meet at the flight training room at least!¡± TO said as they rushed to the door, ¡°And we¡¯ll figure it out from there!¡± They turned back just before they left the room, walking backwards a few paces, ¡°Work hard, and watch what you say!¡± they said before they turned around and ran off. A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. ======= The moment TO stepped into the incubation lab they felt this odd sense of unreality. It was as though they were stepping into a dream, and flashes of the time before came back to them as they smelled the cleaner that was used to keep every surface sterile. It wasn¡¯t enough for any real details to come back to them, but it was enough to make them feel sad and nostalgic for a time that had never actually existed. They looked around at the seemingly endless rows of tanks, each one held a sleeping, dreaming synth. Occasionally they would twitch as the electric currents that helped their muscles to develop despite the lack of actual movement ran through their limbs. TO walked up to the tanks nearest to them and peered inside at the synths . The synths in these thanks were very young - children. The children¡¯s ears seemed to twitch more than TO was used to seeing in most synths- more like how their own ears tended to twitch normally. Fear, happiness, mirth, joy, their ears twitched and flicked, drooped and flushed with all these emotions as they floated in the glowing blue liquid that they lived in. There were no children in the training center. There were no child synths allowed at all; each synth stayed in the tank until they were fully grown. As such, TO had never actually seen a real child. They were certain that they had seen many children when they had been dreaming, but that was imaginary, poorly remembered, and felt like it had been so long ago. They leaned in and took a careful look at one of the children- their ears were so much bigger compared to the rest of their heads, their eyes protruded more than the eyes on adult synths. TO could only just keep themselves from gently chirping at the sleeping child. They were cute. Very cute. The child¡¯s wing flicked out and hit the side of the tank and without even thinking TO put their hand up to where the wing was touching the glass. They wouldn¡¯t say that they remembered something- that would have been an exaggeration. They sensed something; a half feeling, something that once they knew long ago. They didn¡¯t know what it was, but it made them feel sad and happy at the same time. It made them want to scoop the child out of the tank and hold them close. ¡°You¡¯re my trainee?¡± TO turned around and faced the production officer that was standing behind them. They seemed oddly familiar to TO, with their wider jaw and narrower ears¡­ ¡°I - yes.¡± TO said, standing at attention before the production officer. They had been about to say that they remembered the production officer before them, but they figured that perhaps it would be best to keep their mouth closed for the time. They did remember them though; This synth, this production officer was the same one that had detanked them. The officer went up to them, and eyed the tag on the front of TO¡¯s shirt. They read the number and though their ears twitched with surprise they said nothing. ¡°Do you know why you were sent here?¡± They asked as they looked down to the display on the back of their own hand. ¡°N-no Officer.¡± TO said. ¡°Unsurprising. Your basic mental training has been completed, and you¡¯ve been sent to the next phase of your training. That means you¡¯ll be sent to a variety of different sections in the Training Center, and be allowed to learn about the various systems that are used to teach, maintain, and create synths for King Decon. You are to start here. You will spend this period working with my associate and I. They looked up to TO. ¡°If you are not deemed useful to me by the end of the period, I will be disappointed. I am looking over your files, and you seem relatively promising. I expect that you will at least be helpful.¡± TO¡¯s ears perked up at the praise. ¡°I understand, Officer.¡± they said, but they were really curious about the file. It said they were promising? Who wrote it, and what other information was on it? Would they have a chance to see it for themselves? The production officer turned on their heel and walked off towards a room on the bottom floor of the production lab. TO hurried after them, running at first to catch up before falling into step behind them. The production officer pressed their implant against a square next to a door which immediately opened up. On the other side was a room that was far brighter than they were used to, and which had a much stronger smell of disinfectant and latex. Another production synth was sitting at a desk, measuring out a strange orange liquid into a syringe. The Officer that led TO into the room stood before the other, waiting silently until they finished measuring out what they wanted. They looked up as they gently set the syringe down on a sterile tray. This one had the largest snout that TO had ever seen, and smaller lips than they were used to. ¡°09T07,¡± The officer that had greeted them said, ¡°This is PQ12. P for Production, Q for this particular center, 12 because they were the 12th synth to be assigned to this particular production center. I am PQ03.¡± TO looked at PQ12, and realized that they recognized them as well. They didn¡¯t want to say anything about remembering them- they didn¡¯t even know if that would be considered strange but they had learned that when in doubt it was best to be silent. However, Their curiosity was too great for that at this moment and they had to ask something, they had to somehow confirm that they were remembering correctly. ¡°Is this the center where the Synths with the letter T in their designation are produced?¡± ¡°Almost.¡± PQ12 said, ¡° This is the center where the synths which will be given designations with the letters Q-R-S-T are produced.¡± They looked at TO with their ears flicking with curiosity, ¡°What makes you ask that?¡± ¡°I thought I remembered some things.¡± TO said. It was best to keep things simple and to the point. Unlike GiDi¡¯s Overseer, they did not want to give more information than necessary. The two Officers exchanged glances, their lips pursed and their ears flicking for just a moment before they got back to their work. ¡°Well. Very observant, and a decent memory.¡± PQ03 said, ¡°Maybe you¡¯ll be more useful than the average trainee.¡± They looked to PQ12, and gestured to the syringe ¡°Is that for the embryos?¡± They asked. ¡°It is. I was about to go and perform the feeding.¡± PQ03 nodded and turned back to TO. Their shoulders were pulled back, their ears up, and they had a half suppressed smile on their lips, ¡°So then, how would you like to see the act of creation, and the true power of King Decon?¡± Their voice was swelling with pride as they spoke - something that TO hadn¡¯t heard in other synths before. ¡°How would you like to see His greatest creation, and the role we privileged few are allowed to take in this glorious procedure?¡± ¡°I would be honored.¡± Episode 17: Embryo TO was taken to a side room off the lab. It was still brighter than TO was used to, but the light was red and somehow that made it easier on their eyes. The walls were lined with tanks much like the larger chamber was, but the tanks were much smaller and TO could see a strange, semi-translucent substance that lined the inside of each one. In the closer tanks TO could see small masses floating in the strange liquid that filled it. ¡°Artificial wombs.¡± PQ03 said, gesturing to the tank closest to them. ¡°Each one can sustain up to 50 embroys for the first half of their primary incubation. After that, they need more specialized attention, and the viable ones are transferred to their own tank out in the main incubation center." TO slowed and tried to get a closer look at the masses floating before them. They didn¡¯t realize they had stopped moving altogether until PQ03 cleared their throat. TO looked away from the tank and saw the officer standing before them with the hands resting on their hips. ¡°So sorry, Officer.¡± TO said as their ears flicked down. ¡°It is not a problem.¡± they said. They took a step forward, ¡°You want a closer look, yes?¡± ¡°Yes, please.¡± TO said. They were trying to restrain their excitement, but it was very difficult. They had little knowledge about how synths were actually made, and the chance to see what they themselves might have looked like at such an early stage was intensely fascinating to them. They couldn''t help the frantic twitch to their ears, and they just hoped that PQ03 wouldn¡¯t be bothered by their excitement. To their surprise, PQ03 nearly smiled, ¡°Good.¡± they said, ¡°It¡¯s good to see another synth show proper appreciation for the work we do here.¡± They stepped up to the tank and reached down to press a button just underneath a box that was stuck to the back of the tank. ¡°We have a method to examine the embryos for short periods of time so that we can ensure they¡¯re all healthy, and to limit wasted resources on non-viable ones. The lights in the room went out and the tanks were instantly illuminated by bright red light. Now TO was able to clearly see the fetuses despite the film on the inside of the tank. They didn¡¯t look like anything that TO was used to seeing, or anything that TO would have considered to be a synth. They almost looked like bugs with tiny, translucent wings wrapped firmly around their bodies. A long cord ran from their stomachs to a strange mass that was stuck to the film on the edge of the tank. With the lights on, TO could see tiny veins trailing across the film; growing denser and larger around the masses. Their eyes seemed to take up the entirety of their heart shaped heads, and TO could easily see the big black round orbs visible through the translucent skin. They didn¡¯t even have ears, not really; they just had tiny little bulges starting to form on the sides of the head ¡°It¡¯s very interesting to think that they will become proper synths one day, isn¡¯t it?" PQ03 said as they approached to look as well. ¡°Well, most of them, we hope. It¡¯s a little early yet to check for any deformities that might occur.¡± ¡°Deformities?¡± PQ03 frowned, their ears dipping in shame, ¡°As much as we try,¡° they said, ¡°We cannot always bring King Decon¡¯s creations to their full potential. Sometimes we fail, and deformities happen. Sometimes the fetuses simply do not grow. Still, King Decon is merciful. He knows that we are limited when compared to his own skills.¡± If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. TO pulled their eyes away from the tank, ¡°Are they created here?¡± They asked, ¡°The embryos?¡± PQ03 almost looked shocked at the question, their ears perking up in surprise, ¡°Oh no. Not at all!¡± they said, ¡°No, Each one is created by King Decon himself from base proteins and¨C¡° ¡°How does he do it?¡± PQ03 gave TO a long hard look, and TO felt their ears sink down in shame and embarrassment once more. They hadn¡¯t been thinking, they had honestly gotten very excited in seeing this. They had so many questions as to how they were created, how a synth was made. They wanted to know. They wanted to know how it was all done. It hadn¡¯t occurred to them that perhaps asking about it was a step too far. ¡°I admire your curiosity.¡± PQ03 finally said as they turned the main lights back on leaving the embryos obscured once more, ¡°But that is information that is highly protected.¡± They started walking deeper into the lab, ¡°To be able to create life from nothing more than basic proteins.¡± They shook their head, ¡°Even if it was something we could possibly comprehend, that information must be protected. Imagine if that information was released, if someone was able to replicate King Decon¡¯s technique. In baser, less worthy hands, that would be a tragedy. No no, that information is best kept in the mind of King Decon himself.¡± TO kept silent, but they desperately wanted to know how it was done. They had done some basic research on bioengineering but they had no idea how King Decon could simply create life like that! Even though they might not know all the details, there had to be more information on it! They caught up to PQ12, who was standing next to a tank that didn''t seem to have any embryos floating in it; TO could only see the masses stuck to the inside. PQ12 had opened what looked like a control panel behind the tank, and pulled out clear tube that seemed to be cycling liquid through a small machine ¡°This device helps to ensure that the embryos have what they need; oxygen and the like. It makes sure the tanks are kept at the perfect temperature, and alerts us if there¡¯s too little or too much of any particular nutrient.¡± They gestured to the syringe that PQ12 was holding, ¡°This is a formula of essential nutrients to facilitate the growth of the fetuses. It¡¯s specially formulated and enriched with antibodies to help protect the synth from various diseases they might encounter in their lifetime¡± PQ12 held a port that was connected to the tube in one hand, and set the syringe into the opening, the needle plunging through a strange jelly-like cap. Slowly, they released the orange liquid into the tube, which suddenly turned a dull, muddy color. TO watched as it was pulled through the tube, but was surprised when the liquid in the tank didn¡¯t turn color. ¡°You won¡¯t see anything.¡± PQ12 said, ¡°This won¡¯t go into the tank itself.¡± They pointed to one of the masses on the edge, ¡°It gets filtered through the artificial womb, into the synthetic blood, and to the placentas; that¡¯s the masses you see on the edge here.¡± They leaned forward with their hand against the glass, looking carefully at the closest such mass, ¡°We won¡¯t be able to see much from these for several periods yet, but this particular center has an 85% success rate for viable fetuses after the first quarter of gestation." They looked back to TO, ¡°We consider it a success if we can manage to bring 60% to full term. After that, we have a 98% success rate for maintaining synths until they¡¯re fully grown and ready to leave the tank and begin service.¡± ¡°Why is it so much¨C¡° TO stopped themselves, their ears flicking down, ¡°Apologies, nevermind.¡± ¡°No, go on.¡± PQ12 said, ¡°Your interest in this is encouraging, and it is refreshing to see one who wishes to learn.¡± Was this normal? TO looked up at the two officers. They weren¡¯t sure if this was normal or not, and they wondered if the officers were also strange. Maybe they were just very interested in their work. Whatever the case was, TO felt suddenly torn between knowing that they should stay quiet and wanting to ask questions, wanting the information. ¡°Why is the success rate so much lower so much earlier on?¡± They asked as curiousity won the battle in their mind. ¡°We try to weed out non-viable synths as early as possible.¡± PQ03 said, ¡°TO avoid wasting resources on them. That¡¯s why they¡¯re kept in here at the start - so we can keep a closer eye on them.¡± They peered in, trying to see something in the masses, ¡°At this stage, they¡¯re embryos. It¡¯s not until later ¨C basically when all the major organs are properly developed¨C that they¡¯d be considered fetuses like the ones you saw when you first came in. We lose a lot between this primary development stage and the point where they¡¯re considered fetus.¡± They moved from the tank, and turned away. ¡°We would like it to be higher, but we do what we can.¡± PQ12 came up to them, holding out a tray with another syringe filled with the same orange liquid inside. ¡°Were you watching what I did?¡± They asked. ¡°I was.¡± ¡°Good. You will do the next one. I will observe.¡± Episode 18: insignificant TO soared around the Flight Training room, their wings outstretched as they rambled on and on about their experience in the production labs. They had learned so much, and saw so much that they felt like they were bursting to share it all. ¡°-And then I got to help them take scans of the more matured embryos ¨Cthe ones that are just about ready to be considered fetus. They have the tiniest toes! And their wings, you can almost see RIGHT thought them, but they¡¯re all wrapped around their little bodies, and their eyes-¡° TO swooped around in mid-flight, flapping up to DH and GiDi who were sitting up on a platform high above the rest of the Flight Training room. They had found it periods ago, and realized it was a good place to sit and rest when they weren¡¯t flying. TO grabbed a pole that was running through the ceiling with their bare feet, and hung upside down as they looked at the two, ¡°Their eyes were so BIG!¡± DH suppressed laughter as they let GiDi rest on their shoulder. DH and GiDi had been far too exhausted to fly, and just wanted to rest; a stark contrast to TO, who was filled with so much more energy than normal. ¡°I had FUN!¡± they said, beaming, ¡°I¡¯ve never had fun being trained before! I learned so much! And the tiny little synths were so cute!¡± ¡°Well.¡± DH said, shuffling over to give TO a space to sit, ¡°I¡¯m glad you enjoyed your training.¡± ¡°I¡¯m still so excited!¡± TO said. Even though they were panting and covered in sweat from their frantic flight they didn¡¯t know if they could sit still. ¡°I feel like I¡¯m going to burst out of my skin! I get to do this tomorrow too!¡± They beamed at DH and GiDi, and only then realized that their friends were not quite as excited. Not only did they seem physically exhausted, but their ears were a bit limper, and their smiles were not as wide. ¡°How was your training?¡± TO asked, their voice probing and careful as they decided that maybe they should stop for a minute and sit with them. ¡°Tediously boring!¡± GiDi said, their voice rising for the first time that TO had ever noticed. Their ears were pinned back and their eyes were narrowed. ¡°The officers in weapons production treated me like an idiot. They set me down at a table, and told me to solder one piece of a multigun to another. Then, when I did that they made me do it again. And again. All afternoon! I didn¡¯t learn anything outside of how to solder that one piece to a multigun!¡± They slumped against DH as their rage seemed to drain out of them, ¡°And I¡¯m there for the whole period, for hours every day. And in the mornings we have air punching and running.¡± they sighed. Any strength they had left in their body seemed to leave them after expressing that little bit of frustration and rage. They seemed to melt against DH as their wings drooped behind them. They looked up to TO, their ears down and their eyes wide and pleading ¡°I did not like this day." they said in a soft, almost pleading voice, "I don¡¯t want to do it again.¡± TO felt their ears flush. They felt a little bad for going on and on about how great their day had been while GiDi had hated every moment of their own training. They crawled over to the other side of the platform and sat next to GiDi, wrapping a wing around both GiDi and DH. ¡°I¡¯m sorry you hated it.¡± they said, ¡°But...You¡¯ll be reassigned next period, right?¡± ¡°They will be?¡± DH asked. DH and GiDi looked at TO, confused, ¡°How do you know this?¡± DH asked. ¡°My supervisors told me.¡± TO said, confused. ¡°They told me how my training was going to progress soon as I got to the laboratory.¡± ¡°Wonderful.¡± GiDi said dryly, ¡°Maybe next period I¡¯ll have the privilage of working in maintenance. Or in the mines.¡± ¡°There¡¯s mines?¡± DH asked. They looked to TO, ¡°We have mines?¡± ¡°Apparently!¡± GiDi said, ¡°I messed up my first few multi guns and got yelled at because there¡¯s a shortage of some metal that comes from a mine somewhere.¡± They sighed again. ¡°I don¡¯t want to do this. Am I going to have to do this forever?¡± "Well, like I said, only until the end of the period-" "No. Not just this job, this... all this!" ¡°You don''t want to do¡­ work?¡± TO asked. ¡°Work that¡­¡± they trailed off, and to TO¡¯s surprise they hid their face in DH¡¯s arm, their ears flicking down with shame. ¡°I don¡¯t want to do this. I don¡¯t want to just do unimportant work until I die.¡± Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. ¡°Until we retire.¡± DH said, looking up at TO. ¡°We¡¯re going to retire. Together.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to do this until I retire!¡± GiDi said. ¡°I don¡¯t want to just be given a job and do that over and over every day all day until I die or retire, and then just get replaced! I don¡¯t want to do that! I¡­ I want...¡± ¡°GiDi?¡± TO leaned in, setting a hand on GiDi¡¯s shoulder, ¡°What do you want.¡± They didn¡¯t know if it was something that they could make it happen, but they would try. They¡¯d do what they could. They¡¯d do anything for their friends. ¡°I want to... I don¡¯t know¡­ I want to be important. ¡± ¡°You¡¯re important to us.¡± TO said firmly, surprising even themselves. DH looked up and gave TO a big, beaming smile as they nodded. ¡°TO is right.¡± DH said, ¡°You¡¯re important to us. We couldn¡¯t just replace you.¡± ¡°I know.¡± GiDi muttered. ¡°But that¡¯s not what I mean.¡± They looked up finally, their ears tilted down, their eyes somehow dull. ¡°Doesn¡¯t it bother you? Even if we do become retirees, we won¡¯t have any lasting impact. Nobody will remember us. Even our designations will be reused once we¡¯re assigned properly. Doesn¡¯t it make you feel¡­¡± They trailed off, ¡°I don¡¯t know. I don¡¯t know how it makes me feel, but it¡¯s not good. I want to make a difference, and I honestly don''t think I''ll evey manage to.¡± TO leaned against GiDi and squeezed them tightly. They were supposed to be the one who had answers; They made the plans. They didn¡¯t know what to plan for this. They didn¡¯t know what they could say because GiDi was right; Their lives had meaning in serving King Decon, but would they have meaning when their lives were spent? Would they matter? Did any synth have individual meaning? TO almost felt their mind split in two - one part saying that to further King Decon¡¯s goals was all the legacy they required. It was a practiced thought, like a script running through their head. The other part of them thought that GiDi was right, and that the idea that they were, on a wider scale, individually insignificant was very sad. The worst of it was that TO didn¡¯t know what to say to make it better. They looked at DH who was looking back at TO with the same confused look. ¡°What would make you feel better.¡± TO found themselves saying. GiDi looked up, their ears twitching in confusion. ¡°W-what?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have answers.¡± TO admitted. ¡°I mean, you¡¯re right; We¡¯re insignificant. We¡¯re supposed to be, I think. That¡¯s¡­ That¡¯s how this works.¡± They frowned, ¡°And¡­ You¡¯re important to us. I know that¡¯s not the same, but you are! You and DH are the most important things in my entire life, and I hate that I can¡¯t fix this!¡± They held GiDi closer, ¡°But¡­ I want to do what I can, and if that means finding a means to distract you, just to make you happier for now, I will. What would make you happy.¡± GiDi stared at TO for a while, then a small smile crept over their face, even though their ears were still down. ¡°I don¡¯t think anything will make me feel better in this regard.¡± They admitted, ¡°Short of finding a way to do something different¡­ But, I appreciate¡­ well.¡± They looked aside, and a light flush crossed over their cheeks and up their ears, ¡°You don¡¯t normally say things like that.¡± TO blinked at them, ¡°I don¡¯t?¡± ¡°Well, not unless we pry it out of you.¡± DH said with a grin, ¡°It¡¯s nice to hear it though! I¡¯m normally the one who says the big emotional things, no?¡± TO felt their face flush as they looked away, unsure of what to say. ¡°Is that a problem?¡± they asked. ¡°No!¡± DH said, a slight hint of amusement in their voice ¡°It¡¯s just makes it a lot more fun when you do say something sweet like that.¡± They smiled as their ears twitched, ¡°It¡¯s good to hear it now and then.¡± GiDi giggled, the sound was low and soft, ¡°TO saves up all the nice things to say and then they let it all out at once; they¡¯re super sweet when they do it¡± they said. TO huffed, and turned away, trying to ignore the burn to their ears. They relaxed their grip on GiDi, but still kept their wing around their two friends. ¡°Aww, don¡¯t be shy.¡± DH said, ¡°We liked it!¡± ¡°I¡¯m not shy!¡± TO insisted. ¡°Anyway. What about you!? You didn¡¯t say what your training was like!¡± DH gave a dramatic, heavy sigh but chose not to comment on the tell-tale twitching of TO¡¯s ears. ¡°I was in programming.¡± they said. ¡°I am not good with programming.¡± They gave a wry smile, ¡°At least not yet. They gave me this big book of information that I was to use as a reference, then they sat me down and told me to find the error on the programming for a sentry droid.¡± ¡°It didn''t go well?¡± TO asked. ¡°I changed one thing that I thought might be the problem and 54 more errors rose up, none of which I knew how to fix. I spent the whole afternoon going through this big, heavy book trying to figure out how to fix the bugs that I created.¡± ¡°Did you fix any of them?¡± GiDi asked as they looked up at DH. DH laughed, ¡°Oh no.¡± they said, ¡°Quite the opposite. I had 78 bugs in the script by the time I was done. Tomorrow, I¡¯m to keep working at it until it¡¯s fixed.¡± They shook their head, ¡°I¡¯ll be working on this for the whole period, and by the end of it all I¡¯ll just manage to make the Officers angry. They were really angry when I messed up the coding.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s switch.¡± GiDi said with a grin, ¡°I think that sounds at least less mindless than what I was doing.¡± ¡°Unless you want to gouge your implants out-¡° TO said, tapping the back of their hand, ¡°Then I don¡¯t recommend switching up.¡± ¡°Yeah. We can change our uniforms, but the chips will still tell eveyrone where we are.¡± ¡°Just take your time with it tomorrow.¡± TO said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about fixing the bugs. Maybe work through the book? Start from the beginning and see if you can make sense of it.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± TO frowned. They had some basic knowledge of programming from their own research, but they didn¡¯t know much about it. ¡°Well.¡± they said, ¡°Maybe try to make your own program?¡± They grinned, ¡°You tend to learn better if you¡¯re allowed to play with stuff, Like when you¡¯re trying to figure out puzzles; you have to make the mistakes and play with the system. You can¡¯t just read through logic books. Maybe just try playing with the programming stuff and see if you can make sense of the language that way?¡± DH nodded, ¡°I¡¯ll try that.¡± they said, ¡°But honestly¡­ After this afternoon, I¡¯m almost looking forward to another morning of running and air punching. At least C12 lets us leave training early.¡± Episode 19: Challenge TO brought GiDi and DH back to their dormitory. They had an idea and wanted to get started on it right away¨C even if that meant heading to the crowded, still very active dormitory. The three of them settled into TO¡¯s pod, ignoring the looks of disdain that came from the other synths. TO found that it was easier to ignore the others now that they had DH and GiDi around them. ¡°I¡¯m positive that there must be synths who have made a real, memorable difference in King Decon¡¯s army.¡± TO said as they searched for something on their implant. ¡°Synths that have been remembered in one way or another for their contribution.¡± They summoned up a long list of changes that had been initiated over the years, starting from the most recent and trailing back through eons of King Decon¡¯s reign. ¡°And... You want us to find them?¡± DH asked, their eyes trailing through the very long list. ¡°Correct!¡± TO said, ¡°We¡¯ll go through them three at a time!¡± They beamed at GiDi, ¡°We will find proof that synths can and do have a lasting impact!¡± DH opened up one of the articles and skimmed through it quickly, ¡°These look painfully dry.¡± They grumbled as they flicked their eyes to the end of the page. ¡°We don¡¯t have to read through them all.¡± TO said, ¡°Or at least, we don''t have to absorb them all. We just need to find synth designations and assignments.¡± They looked at GiDi again, ¡°Even if we just find an assignment number that¡¯s been reused, that¡¯s still something, right? That¡¯s still a synth that¡¯s been remembered.¡± GiDi nodded slowly, but their ears flicked down, ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± they said, ¡°I didn¡¯t say any of that to cause you two more work-¡° ¡°It¡¯s research.¡± TO said, waving a hand carelessly at GiDi. ¡°I¡¯m excited! There¡¯s lots I could learn doing this!¡± DH sighed and started skimming, ¡°I only have to skim, right?¡± they said after a moment. ¡°Right.¡± TO said. ¡°But I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll find something before very long!¡± ==== A few hours later they had managed to work through a decade of articles that retold the advances conceived of by King Decon, and the changes He made to His training, His army, and the kingdoms over which He ruled. Thus far, not a single individual synth had been mentioned. GiDi finished another document, sighed, and turned off the holographic display from their implant. ¡°I''m going to get more water.¡± they said, grabbing their empty water bottle. They glanced over to TO and DH, ¡°Want me to fill yours for you?¡± ¡°Sure.¡± TO said, half engrossed in a document that told of changes to the composition of their food¨C specifically, the addition of the edible plates. TO passed over their half empty water bottle without looking up. Taking DH¡¯s bottle as well, GiDi went off for more water. They had been gone only a few moments when DH finally turned off their display. ¡°I can¡¯t do this anymore today.¡± they grumbled. ¡°Bored?¡± TO asked. ¡°Just¡­ I need something different.¡± they said. They scooted up to the screen on the wall, and started looking for something on the universal database. After a moment they had a video playing; one with a beautifully costumed creature singing on a stage. ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± ¡°Cultural research.¡± DH said, grinning, ¡°I wish to better develop my sense of the universe. Also, I like the sound, the lyrics, and the way the singer dances. Look at her!¡± They pointed to the woman on the screen, ¡°It¡¯s like watching music!¡± TO had to agree that DH was right, and after a moment their own document was discarded and forgotten. They allowed themselves to be pulled into what appeared to be some kind of romantic drama set to music. They were absolutely entranced until they heard a commotion from across the dormitory; until they heard GiDi cry out. TO immediately looked over the edge of their pod to see what was happening. They spotted a crowd by the water fountain at the other end of the dormitory and though they couldn¡¯t see GiDi, they were certain that their cry had come from that crowd. This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there. ¡°What¡¯s going on over there?¡± DH asked, leaning over to look. They had turned off the music to better listen, and though they couldn¡¯t make out the words they could now both hear GiDi saying something from the middle of the crowd. TO leaned further out of the pod and spread their wings. It was dangerous to fly around in the dormitory¨C The hallways were too narrow, and there were too many people for everyone to be flying around all at once. TO didn¡¯t care about that at the moment; nobody else was flying, and for all they knew GiDi was hurt. They glanced around, plotted their course, and before DH could stop them TO jumped from their pod and soared over to the crowd, landing heavily nearby. ¡°What¡¯s going on.¡± TO demanded as they landed. A few synths turned to look, surprised that someone had been flying in the dormitory. They moved aside to let TO into the center of the crowd to see what was happening. GiDi was on the floor. The water bottles that they had so kindly offered to fill up lay empty next to them. There was water all over the floor, and all over GiDi. ¡°Needless!¡± Another synth shouted as GiDi started to pull themselves back up to their feet. TO only had to glance at the other synth to realize that they remembered them¨C they hadn¡¯t paid attention to the number on their uniform before, but they did now; 01Q10. They were the one that had pushed DH to the floor back when TO had first met DH. ¡°You wander about like you''re half asleep most of the time!¡± 01Q10 snapped at GiDi, ¡°Going into a daze at the water fountain, taking up everyone¡¯s time! If you¡¯re broken, you should either report yourself, or-¡° They didn''t finish what they were saying. GiDi stood up, their ears pinned back against their head, their eyes narrowed. Their upper lip pulled up slightly to reveal their pointed teeth. ¡°I. Am. Not. Broken.¡± They hissed in a quiet, dangerous voice. ¡°Q10.¡± TO said as they stepped forward, ¡°Are you attacking other synths again?¡± They frowned as they stepped between GiDi and Q10, ¡°You could be reported for that.¡± ¡°You will call me by my proper assignment!¡± Q10 snapped, ¡°01Q10.¡± ¡°That seems ¡®needless¡¯ to me.¡± TO said. ¡°A waste of time. Or, are you not smart enough to know I¡¯m talking about you if I happen to shorten your assignment?¡± they quirked a brow in mock concern, ¡°My apologies; I didn¡¯t mean to confuse you.¡± Though Q10¡¯s ears pinned back in anger, they couldn¡¯t help the light flush that started just at the tips. ¡°I happen to take pride in the assignment given to me by King Decon.¡± they said, ¡°Not like you and your little collection.¡± ¡°.. Collection?¡± TO asked. ¡°What collection?¡± They frowned, letting their eyes flick over the other synths around them. Their eyes landed on the one that had warned them about DH so long ago: 55H70. They looked from TO to Q10, then to GiDi who was now standing behind TO. They gave TO a quick look that said very clearly, ¡°I warned you.¡± Q10 made a disgusted noise and gestured to GiDi. ¡°That one.¡± they said, ¡°And the other. You seem to collect broken synths.¡± By now, DH had managed to climb down the ladder and run across the dormitory to catch up to TO. ¡°I¡¯m not broken.¡± GiDi snapped once more. DH took a few steps forward, and looked like they were about to say something but the moment they caught Q10¡¯s eye they stopped and looked away. Their ears flicked down, their wings tightened around their arms. It took TO a moment to remember the hurt that this synth had caused DH. They remembered how quick DH had been in assuming that TO didn¡¯t want to be around them; how accepting DH had been of that idea. They remembered the first time they had seen DH cry, and it had been because of Q10 and 55H70. TO¡¯s eyes narrowed, their wings puffed out behind them, their hands clenched into fists. ¡°You will leave them both alone.¡± TO hissed. ¡°You will not speak to them. You will not talk about them. You certainly will NEVER touch either of them again. Understood?¡± Q10 sneered at TO, but their ears flicked back as they regarded the aggressive stance that TO took. ¡°You¡¯re all broken.¡± They snapped. ¡°If you had any real sense of duty, you¡¯d report yourselves. You¡¯d be corrected so you might be normal-¡° ¡°We don¡¯t need to be corrected.¡± TO said, taking a step forward, ¡°We¡¯re just as capable as you. Maybe more.¡± ¡°Are you now?¡± Q10 said, ¡°Last I saw, didn¡¯t you fall down before me when we were running?¡± ¡°Last I saw, didn¡¯t you get half your hand sprained because you couldn''t make a proper fist?¡± TO sneered at them, ¡°Maybe I can¡¯t run as long as you, but at least I can follow basic directions.¡± They glowered at each other, both sets of wings puffed out, ears back, teeth showing. It was TO who pulled back first: Slowly, and without breaking eye contact. They weren¡¯t backing down¨C they refused to do that now; if they did, they¡¯d leave DH and GiDi open to being bothered by the other synths again. ¡°It¡¯s not right that Synths should fight one another.¡± TO said, keeping their voice as cool as they were able. ¡°I will not lower myself to your level. I will not attack a tool of King Decon.¡± To their surprise, Q10 smirked, ¡°Very well.¡± they said, ¡°I agree. There is little to be gained from attacking one another.¡± ¡°You¡¯ll leave them alone, then?¡± ¡°Oh no.¡± they said, ¡°You three are deviant. Strange. Broken.¡± They took a step back, ¡°For the glory and honor of King Decon, you must be inspected and corrected.¡± ¡°And you¡¯ll ensure this by what? You¡¯ll report to the overseer that you attacked us?¡± TO crossed their arms, ¡°Yes, I¡¯m sure that¡¯ll work well for you.¡± Q10 shook their head, ¡°No no.¡± they said, ¡°You want to prove that you¡¯re all just as good as we are? That you¡¯re better? Fine. We will work it out through a test of skill.¡± ¡°I see.¡± TO said, ¡°And what did you have in mind?¡± ¡°The combat simulator.¡± they said, ¡°A simple team battle; The broken tools against the proper ones. You defeat us, and we¡¯ll never so much as set a wingtip on you or any of your little friends again.¡± They gestured around them, ¡°In fact, none of us will; We¡¯ll ignore you completely. Whatever you do, whatever you say, we¡¯ll act as though we don¡¯t see it or hear it. If you can beat us, then clearly we have no place to challenge your skill and worth here. They tilted their head, smirking, ¡°But if we win, you all report yourselves as broken. You undergo testing and correction. A stupid risk. Yes, it¡¯d be nice not to worry about DH or GiDi being bothered by other synths. It¡¯d be very nice to be left alone¡­But still, the risk was too much. It was far too much, even if Q10 already had that self-satisfied look on their face that said they knew that TO would refuse; that they had already won this little challenge. ¡°We accept.¡± TO said. Episode 20: Simulation ¡°Why did you accept!¡± DH cried as they made their way to the combat simulation center. ¡°It¡¯s too big of a risk, It-¡° ¡°I know!¡± TO snapped as they rubbed their forehead. This was by far the stupidest thing they had agreed to. ¡°I know, I know. But I just didn¡¯t want them hurting either of you again, and the way they were talking about us just bothered me so much¨C¡± ¡°What do we do if we lose.¡± GiDi muttered, their wings wrapped tightly around them as they walked behind TO and DH. ¡°It''s all my fault. If we lose, and we go to get corrected-¡° ¡°We won¡¯t lose.¡± TO assured them. ¡°What if we do!¡± DH said, ¡°TO, what if we lose!?¡± TO stopped and took a deep breath. Slowly they lowered their hands and set them on their hips in what they hoped was a confidant gesture. ¡°If we lose.¡± they said as calmly as they were able ,¡±We go to our overseers, and tell them that we have concerns about our mental well being. We go through their tests as well as possible, and hope that we¡¯re not corrected.¡± They stopped and turned to face GiDi and DH, ¡°But we won¡¯t lose.¡± ¡°How do you know!¡± DH demanded, their ears twitching madly as their hands formed tight fists. TO was a little worried that if they weren¡¯t careful, they might cut into their skin with their own claws. ¡°I know because we have more to lose than they do!¡± TO said as a mix of panic and fear raised their voice almost up to a yell. ¡°We¡¯ll fight harder. We¡¯ll work harder! We¡¯re smart, we¡¯re resourceful and we can do this! We WILL do this!¡± They couldn¡¯t keep the worry out of their voice, or keep their ears from twitching in fear, ¡°We can do this.¡± they said again. ¡°And when we do, the rest of the synths will leave us alone. They¡¯ll never touch any of us again, and-¡° They turned to DH, ¡°Q10 will see they were wrong about you! They¡¯ll see that you¡¯re smart and fast and strong and resourceful and they¡¯ll regret EVER making you feel bad!¡± DH looked aside with their ears down, their wings wrapped tightly around them. Without warning stepped into TO and pulled them into a firm embrace. ¡°In case we do lose.¡± they said, ¡°In case we do lose, and we have to march to our Overseers.¡± They turned to GiDi, ¡°You come here.¡± they said, holding an arm out. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry.¡± GiDi said as they crept closer. ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have-¡° ¡°You didn¡¯t do anything wrong!¡± DH said. They pulled GiDi in and squeezed the two other synths tightly, as though they expected that they might slip from their arms. If they lost, would they also be seperated? Would they care? Would they even miss this? Would they miss their friends? ¡°I was taking too long.¡± GiDi said, their soft voice a stark contrast to this hissing, angry tone they had used back in the dormitory. ¡°I was thinking about things, and I got distracted-¡° ¡°That¡¯s no reason for them to act as they did.¡± TO said firmly. ¡°And... And no reason for me to do something as stupid as to agree to their challenge.¡± TO sighed. ¡°Is it too late to back out? TO just not show up?¡± ¡°That¡¯d be like admitting that we should be corrected, wouldn''t it be?¡± DH said, ¡°If we lose, and we think there¡¯s nothing wrong with us, then it¡¯s not a big deal, right?¡± TO nodded. ¡°I suppose.¡± ¡°And to be fair.¡± DH said after a moment,¡°I suppose if you had turned them down, that would be as bad as admitting that you think we need to be corrected.¡± That made TO feel a little better about the situation they had gotten them in. It still didn¡¯t fully dissolve the painful lump they had resting in their stomach. They held GiDi and DH close, wrapping their wings around them for as long as they dared in the empty hallway. ¡°Alright.¡± TO said as they released their friends, ¡°Let¡¯s go and beat them.¡± ======== The training simulation system was an advanced VR which could sync with a brain and make someone feel like they were in an actual combat situation. It was sophisticated, but it was also very large and needed it¡¯s own room to hold the specialized pods and the heavy helmets that ran the simulations. When the three arrived, Q10 and 55H70 were already in the combat simulation room with 45H56; The synth that used to sleep in the pod below TO. 45H56¡¯s presence didn¡¯t surprise TO as they had expected a three-on-three challenge. What was surprising was that there were several other synths there to observe. They supposed that the whole situation in the dormitory had created some interest. Were they all here just out of curiosity, or were they hoping to see some strange synths get defeated? ¡°You¡¯ll take command?¡± DH whispered as they stepped into the room. ¡°Sure.¡± TO said. Normally, in team battles the system not only set the scenario and the location, but it also chose the team leader for each group. TO would often encourage GiDi or DH to take the lead if the computer chose them, but that was when there were no real risks. When Q10 saw them enter the room they simply nodded and went over to the simulation pods, helmets under their arms. There would be no talking now; there was no need for conversation. TO grabbed a helmet for themselves, and settled into a pod. As they put the helmet on, they felt the familiar tingling as the system interfaced with their brain. There was a feeling of vertigo, a slight disorientation, and then- ====== It took TO a moment to orient themselves as they opened their eyes on a strange, simulated alien world. It was beautiful. This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report. Sometimes TO would end up in a place which was so beautiful that they didn¡¯t want to do the scenario; they wanted to sit and enjoy the scenery. Under normal circumstances, this would be one such world. It was nighttime on an unknown planet with three visible moons. The grass had a slight purple bioluminescence, same as the trees that covered most of the land. TO, DH, and GiDi seemed to be sheltered in a grove, hidden in the middle of the glowing trees. Their implants beeped, and their orders came up. Capture the flag Team A: Assignment Team B has a flag atop a natural fortification to the north. Locate the fortification, retrieve the flag, and return to your safepoint before the time runs out. Scenario stars in : 30s ¡°Great.¡± DH said. They prepared the laser gun that had appeared at their waist¨C a simple, unrealistic device only meant for practice in the simulations. ¡°They have a natural fortification? Mountains? Giant trees?¡± They frowned, ¡°Just our luck that they¡¯d have the advantage.¡± ¡°It¡¯d be fastest to locate them from above, right?¡± GiDi asked, stretching their wings. ¡°Fastest, but they know TO is exceptional in flight, and they know that TO has been training us.¡± DH said as they frowned, ¡°They¡¯ll be expecting an aerial attack.¡± ¡°Exactly.¡± TO said, beaming with pride at DH¡¯s logic. However, even as proud as they were for DH¡¯s thinking through the pitfalls of a plan like that, a new plan spontaneously formed in their head. TO turned to their friends, ¡°let¡¯s give them what they want.¡± ====== Team A spread out, keeping close to the treetops and soaring only from branch to branch as they searched the area to the north. Despite the darkness, the natural excellent eyesight of the average synth and the illumination of the moons would make them easily visible if they flew too high. They didn¡¯t want that. At least, they didn¡¯t want that before they knew where Team B was. TO¡¯s ears flicked as they heard a very quiet chirp come from nearby: the signal. They silently flew from branch to branch amid the trees until they found GiDi. A moment later, DH caught up to them. Wordlessly, GiDi pointed at a jagged plateau that burst from the trees and into the sky. They had seen several such plateaus as they searched, but atop this one they could see the other team circling as they kept watch for their opponents. TO nodded. They didn¡¯t need to discuss their next move; they already had everything planned, and TO knew it would work. It had to. With a quick gesture to the plateau, they initiated their attack. ========= DH soared up into the sky, gaining height as quickly as they could. Team B saw them of course; They were well illuminated by the moons overhead. The opposing team fired a volley of well aimed shots at DH¡¯s silhouette, but they missed with each shot. DH twisted and dove seemingly randomly in the sky, drawing their attention, avoiding the blasts, and confusing them. One of B team¡¯s members soared towards DH, their wings flapping frantically as they gained height, trying to get closer in order to take DH down. The other two members of B Team were still guarding their flag as they watched the battle overhead, their lasers ready, their gaze flicking from the battle to their flag. They had to keep an eye on the flag, but if DH managed to neutralize their teammate, they¡¯d be at a harsh disadvantage; they had to be ready to assist. There was too much they were focused on at one time. That was what TO wanted. TO soared up along the very edge of the plateau¨C a potentially dangerous maneuver as they could have easily smashed into the uneven edge¨C and made their way to the top. They were unseen thanks to how close they were soaring to the plateau, and thanks to the distraction caused by DH they also remained unheard. It wasn¡¯t until TO burst from the shelter of the rocks and slammed into the flagpole that the others noticed that they were under attack. TO tumbled, hitting the ground with the flag clutched in their hands. The others took aim, but TO dove down off the cliff and into the trees below, disappearing beneath the canopy before soaring up again and flying frantically back towards their safepoint. A stupid stragety, TO knew. They had a height advantage, and they had their lasers. TO was just a moving target now. The cliff was abandoned, the fight with DH forgotten. Three synths chased after TO who was still flying as close to the surface of the trees as they could. TO had sustained an ¡®injury¡¯. It wasn¡¯t a real injury, but they could feel pain in their wing and it slowed them. The other synths were higher up in the sky, so they were able to dive and use gravity to gain speed and catch up to TO. 55H70 approached TO first as they aimed their laser. TO waited, listening to the laser charge, and twisted out of the way at the last moment, twirling as the shot passed them inches from their face. If any part of them got hit by the laser, they¡¯d be removed from the simulation. They heard the laser charge up again, but the first shot had provided DH¨C who was now forgotten by B Team and flying overhead¨C with a perfect target. They aimed, fired, and hit 55H70 in the back, driving them out of the sky and to the ground before they were removed from the scenario Unfortunately, DH¡¯s shot drew Q10¡¯s attention. They turned, fired, and hit DH in the chest with their laser. TO glanced backwards as they saw DH fall through the trees and hit the ground, crying out before being removed as well. Keeping one hand balled up tight to their chest, TO spun and fired their laser, sending a shower of unaimed shots backwards into the other two synths before diving back under the canopy for cover. When they rose up they could see Q10 following them overhead, using a combination of vision and echolocation to keep track of their opponent. TO did their best to try to maneuver around the branches and get some height, but Q10 dove down into the canopy feet first and landed heavily on TO¡¯s back. TO was able to smack Q10 in the face with their wing and knock the laser from their hands with their clawed feet, but it wasn¡¯t enough to get their determined opponent off of them. TO hit the ground, and the air was driven from their lungs. Gasping for breath they fumbled for their laser, but couldn¡¯t find it. Injured, in pain, and weaponless, they curled themselves up into a tight ball, their clenched fist held tightly to their chest, and flapped their wings frantically to distract Q10. The other synth snarled, and clawed at TO, leaving deep gashes in their skin. TO had never been clawed by another synth before- that was absolutely forbidden in the center- but even the simulation of the claws against their back and wing caused them to cry out in pain. Q10 kicked them over and over in the back until TO felt a painful spasm run through their body, making their limbs go suddenly limp. Q10 was then able to quickly pin TO to the ground. The fight was over. ¡°Give me the flag.¡± Q10 hissed, ¡°Or don¡¯t. I have no issues ripping open your throat to neutralize you.¡± TO was in too much pain to properly respond. All they could manage was a weak, gasping chuckle. ¡°You laugh?¡± Q10 snarled. Their eyes narrowed. They grabbed TO¡¯s closed fist and pressed between the knuckles, drawing a yelp from TO as their hand opened helplessly, revealing only an empty palm. Q10 looked at the empty hand, confused. They pried the other hand open but saw that it too was empty. There was no flag. They growled, and planted their knee deep into TO¡¯s stomach, causing them to gasp with pain once more and cough as they tried to catch their breath. ¡°Where did you hide the flag!¡± They snapped, looking over TO as though they might still have it behind their back. TO caught their breath, and managed to gasp out, ¡°Who said I had it at all?¡± The world shimmered around them. A voice echoed in their heads. ¡°Simulation complete. Winner: Team A. Flag Bearer: 45G70.¡± TO smirked, ¡°I didn¡¯t have it,¡± they said, ¡°GiDi did.¡± Q10¡¯s confusion was the last thing they saw as they faded from the simulation. ========= Awakening in the VR pod, TO pulled their helmet from their head and was just getting up from the when Q10 stormed over, their ears pinned back in rage. ¡°You broke the simulation!¡± They snapped, ¡°The flag disappeared.¡± ¡°We won.¡± TO said calmly. ¡°And you said you¡¯d never touch us again, never bother us again if we won.¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t win. You broke something!¡± Q10 snapped. ¡°You had the flag. I saw you take the flag!¡± ¡°I can¡¯t believe that worked!¡± GiDi said as they sat up from their pod, their ears twitching with joy. They glanced over at Q10, ¡°I can¡¯t believe you fell for it!¡± ¡°I can. It was a good plan.¡± DH said as they got up from their pod. They frowned at TO, ¡°But next time, you¡¯re the distraction. That landing hurt.¡± ¡°I was a distraction too, and I got injured just as much as you did.¡± TO said. The pain was gone, but the memory of it was still sharp. The worst of it was those claws against their skin. TO shuddered to think of what it might feel like if they had actually been clawed ¡°I demand to know what happened before I concede defeat.¡± Q10 hissed. ¡°You don¡¯t get to concede defeat.¡± TO said. ¡°The system determined that we won. But, I¡¯ll tell you nevertheless.¡± They grinned. ¡°I did have the flag for about 15 seconds. When I dove into the trees the first time, I left it on a branch. When I had drawn your team away, GiDi took it and flew back to our safezone.¡± ¡°Deceit.¡± Q10 hissed, ¡°That is not how you¡¯re supposed to win!¡± ¡°Oh?¡± TO asked, a mocking tone of confusion in their tone. ¡°How were we supposed to win?¡± TO rose themselves up to their full height, letting their wings puff out around them slightly. ¡°I used my ¡®strange¡¯ mind to come up with a plan. It¡¯s not my fault you couldn¡¯t counter that. It¡¯s not my fault you didn¡¯t think of something clever first.¡± They tilted their head, ¡°Now then, I believe we had a deal?¡± ¡°You cheated.¡± Q10 hissed. ¡°We did no such thing.¡± GiDi said, standing next to TO, ¡°There¡¯s nothing saying we can¡¯t trick you. You just didn¡¯t expect it.¡± TO gave Q10 one last, withering look, then turned away from them and looked to DH and GiDi. ¡°Shall we get back to our research?¡± TO asked, ¡°I don¡¯t think we¡¯ll be interrupted again.¡± Q10 stood before TO for a moment longer before stepping out of their way. TO, followed by GiDi and DH strode to the exit. ¡°That was cheap.¡± Q10 hissed. ¡°You should have no pride in winning this.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t realize that personal pride was a factor we should take into account when plotting out a battle plan. I suspect that you¡¯re simply irritated that we outsmarted you.¡± They left the room, and the door wooshed shut behind them. The moment they were alone, TO released a deep breath, and started laughing. Their laughter was low at first, then grew to an almost manic cadance. GiDi and DH weren¡¯t much better; anxiety, fear, and adrenaline had apparently left them senseless. They pulled themselves together as they made their way back to TO¡¯s pod. After everything that had happened, they couldn¡¯t possibly focus on their research, so they spent the rest of the day watching the musical that DH had found in the cultural archives. They never finished watching the musical. They were so exhausted that they fell asleep against one another as the music played on. Episode 21: Mediocre ¡°I have been informed.¡± C12 said once all the synths were all lined up for the next day¡¯s physical training class, ¡°That my order for you to shower after training yesterday was considered ¡®inefficient¡¯ by many of you¡± They paced before them with their strange limp, glowering at the synths standing before them in the front row and observing those whose ears started to twitch with anxiety. ¡°Well¡­ My apologies for this lack of forethought.¡± they said, sarcasm dripping from every syllable, ¡°I¡¯ll ensure that I make the most of every second from now on.¡± TO wanted to find the synths who had been complaining and smack them over the head. It had been good to get out of the training room early and have a chance to shower. What was their problem? Why did they complain? ¡°Take position.¡± C12 barked. They all stood as they had been taught the day before, their feet shoulder width apart, their hands in very proper fists. ¡°Now.¡± C12 said, ¡°Show me how you punch.¡± They Synths were made to punch the air over and over as they had been taught the day before. Then they were taught to kick. The assistants went around as they had the day before, finding any weaknesses in form. TO got caught this time, their kick not quite fast enough. The assistant grabbed TO¡¯s leg as it came out, and in a move that was too fast to follow they pushed back and caused TO to fall backwards onto the floor behind them. DH was ready to dash over to help, but a quick warning glare from TO kept them in their position. TO pulled themselves back up and corrected their kicking. ¡°That could have really hurt you.¡± DH grumbled once the assistant was out of earshot. ¡°It didn¡¯t though.¡± TO said, though their ears twitched as they said that, ¡°Ok. It hurt a little, but I should have been faster.¡± Halfway through the class, training multi-guns were brought out, and targets were set on the walls. ¡°Normally I¡¯d wait to bring out the training guns.¡± C12 said as the guns were passed out, ¡°But since you¡¯re all so desperate to train, I figured we¡¯d start early.¡± They held up their own training multi-gun in their hand. Bit by bit they tediously showed them every part of the gun, and the precise way they were supposed to hold it and aim. TO was certain that learning some weapon proficiency was going to be similar to learning how to punch properly - tedious and slow. They weren¡¯t wrong. After two more hours of learning just how to hold the multi-gun, learning how to aim, and learning every aspect of multi-gun safety, they were all allowed to take a single shot at the targets at the opposite end of the training room. They all missed. The multiguns handled far differently than the lasers in the simulations; they were harder to control and aim. ¡°Excellent. ¡° C12 said, their tone flat, their hands behind their back as they watched every shot miss. ¡°None of you managed to shoot yourself in the foot.¡± They checked their implant, ¡°Now then. There¡¯s two minutes until our training is complete for the day. So, Go ahead and do two minute planks for me. Now. ¡° Wordlessly, they all got down to do as they were asked. Well, wordlessly, but TO was cursing the other synths in the back of their mind every second of the two minutes. When they were finally dismissed and sent to meal time, their muscles aching, their bodies dripping with sweat, and TO¡¯s silent ongoing rant still going on. ======== After TO, GiDi, and DH got their lunch, TO led them not to their dormitory, but to the empty showers. ¡°What are we doing here?¡± DH asked as they entered the cavernous room, their voice echoing in the emptiness. ¡°Showering. Eating.¡± TO said as they pulled off their uniform. They didn¡¯t bother put it into a locker this time, they wanted to hang it up to dry somewhere. They draped their uniform pipe that ran in front of an air exchange before they sat down naked on a bench and started to eat. When DH and GiDi simply stared at them, TO shrugged, ¡°Look, I¡¯m not going to work all afternoon drenched in sweat. I¡¯ll eat fast, shower, and hopefully my uniform will be half dry by the time I need to go to my assignment.¡± This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work. GiDi and DH exchanged looks, but then wordlessly changed out of their uniforms and hung them up before sitting down and eating their own food. ¡°You¡¯re angry, aren¡¯t you?¡± DH asked TO. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m angry!¡± TO snapped, ¡°We had a great thing. Yes, Training was tedious, but we got to leave early for our second meal. We got to shower and get all the sweat off of ourselves before we went to our next assignment, and we had longer to eat! But because those¡­ those¡­¡± they growled as they shoved food into their mouth, frustrated by their inability to think of something to call the other synths that had complained. ¡°Those short-sighted automatons!¡± TO said finally, ¡°They were so damn concerned over the schedule, over the use of water, and over efficiency¨C they didn¡¯t think it was probably more efficient long term to let us go and shower and have a longer break.¡± There was silence from the others. TO frowned and looked over to them, ¡°What?¡± ¡°You¡¯ve never been this mad before.¡± GiDi said. TO suddenly realized that GiDi, with their ears pinned down and their eyes big and alert, looked frightened. "I thought you''d be happier since we were being left along now." ¡°I¡¯m not¡­ Well, I am mad, but I¡¯m not angry at either of you.¡± TO said, ¡°And I am glad they''re going to leave us alone, I¡¯m just¡­ Frustrated.¡± They finished their meal, feeling as though they hadn¡¯t eaten anything at all since they had eaten so quickly, ¡°I¡¯m supposed to be one of the weird ones, right? We¡¯re the strange ones, but it¡¯s the normal ones that ruined everything.¡± ¡°You realize that normal is another word for mediocre, yes?¡± TO, GiDi, and DH froze as the voice of another synth echoed through the showers. TO hadn¡¯t expected anyone else to be there but as they turned to the source of the noise they saw C12 striding into the showers, heading for the closest one. ¡°Retiree C12.¡± TO said, standing up and to attention. GiDi and DH followed their example, but stayed silent. ¡°My apologies, I-¡° C12 waved them off as they stepped into the shower and turned on the water, ¡°Don¡¯t bother.¡± they said. They let the water flow over them, and then looked over to the three synths, ¡°Eating in the showers? That is strange though.¡± ¡°We didn¡¯t have time to eat and shower, and our uniforms were soaked with sweat, Retiree.¡± TO said, ¡°So I figured it would be better to eat here while our uniforms dried, and take a quick shower before we had to go to our afternoon assignments.¡± ¡°Fascinating.¡± C12 said in their dry, deadpan tone. They looked away from the three synths , focusing on some spot high above them. ¡°Still strange. Though, some would call it problem solving.¡± They glanced back, frowning, ¡°What, do you need my permission to sit down?¡± TO could only stare back, unsure how to respond. ¡°Oh for¡­¡± C12 growled as they looked away again. ¡°Go ahead, sit down. I don¡¯t care if you sit in my presence.¡± Exchanging worried glances with DH and Gidi, they sat down. Even though TO was done with their own meal they didn¡¯t think they should use one of the showers while C12 was. They didn¡¯t even consider that C12 would use the common showers¨C they figured that Retirees had their own showers hidden away somewhere. ¡°Are.. Are you going to report us, Retiree?¡± GiDi asked, their voice quiet and scared. C12 didn¡¯t even look at them as they responded, ¡°Now why would I do that?¡± GiDi¡¯s ears twitched, their brows furrowed in confusion as they tilted their head, ¡°Uh¡­ we¡¯re not supposed to be in here?¡± ¡°Technically, it doesn¡¯t matter where you go during your meals, so long as you eat.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± GiDi looked at TO and DH, who could only mirror the same expression of confusion, ¡°But¡­ Normal synths don''t come to the showers during meal times.¡± ¡°As I said, normal is another word for mediocre.¡± They grabbed the soap, and quickly scrubbed themselves. ¡°And here¡¯s a fun fact for you three, at this stage of your training? So long as you follow orders and don¡¯t make a nuisance of yourselves nobody is going to care much about what you do¨C you¡¯re considered at least partially useful at this point.¡± They gave they a quick glance, "Especially after that little trick in the simulation. Good to see a synth use their brains for a change." "You saw that?" TO said, their ears flicking down, "Why would you-" "I like to keep an eye on potentially promising synths. All the simulations are recorded for observation." ¡°But¡­ If we¡¯re...¡± TO felt a sudden jolt of fear go through them and they changed what they planned to say ¡°If a synth behaves abnormally, won¡¯t they be corrected? Or repurposed?¡± For a moment there was silence in the shower, save for the constant spray of water. ¡°To an extent.¡± C12 finally said, ¡°If it¡¯s considered that you won¡¯t be able to perform your duties effectively, you¡¯ll be made effective one way or another.¡± They glanced at them, ¡°Why? Do you worry about being corrected?¡± GiDi, TO, and DH looked at one another, confused and scared. Were they supposed to actually answer that? They knew that the proper answer would be a lie for them; to be corrected meant that they¡¯d be more effective as tools to King Decon, and that should be a cause for celebration, not concern¡­ But if they said that, C12 would see their ears twitching as they lied¡­ ¡°Are you worried about being corrected.¡± C12 asked again. ¡°...Yes.¡± TO finally said, ¡°We¡¯d rather not be corrected.¡± ¡°Good.¡± ¡°Good?¡± ¡°Yes. Good.¡± C12 turned off the water and turned to leave, ¡°If you don¡¯t want to be corrected, you¡¯ll work harder to prove that you¡¯re useful as you are. That means we¡¯ll get more out of you.¡± ¡°Even if we¡¯re strange?¡± DH had asked the question, and TO could feel their own ears tilt back in fear as they heard the words leave DH¡¯s mouth. C12 didn¡¯t seem to care as they strode past them, ¡°I said normal is another word for mediocre. ¡®Strange¡¯ can be good or bad. Strange can mean you excel, or you fail spectacularly. Part of the reason I like to keep an eye on anyone I think might have some extra promise.¡± They cast a quick glance at them as they passed by, heading to the lockers, ¡°Just make sure you excel, follow your orders, and you can be as strange as you want. Mostly¡± C12 paused as they were about to leave the showers and looked back at TO,¡°Oh, and you.¡± TO stood to attention, ¡°Yes, Retiree? C12 sighed as TO rose to their feet, but they didn¡¯t say anything about it. ¡°You were saying that long term, it¡¯s more effective to have this longer break after training, correct?.¡± ¡°Y-yes, Retiree.¡± "I assume you have an arguement behind this?" "Yes." ¡°Interesting. Write up why.¡± ¡°... Pardon?¡± C12 smirked at them, ¡°Write up why you think that, and send it to me.¡± they said, ¡°I wish to see your arguments.¡± Before TO could ask anything else, they were gone, leaving the three of them alone in the showers. Episode 22: Tool Announcement Re: Schedule Change It has been decided by King Decon that Physical Training for synths in both Basic Physical Training, Basic Combat Training, and Advanced Combat Training will have it¡¯s daily hours reduced. In its place, an extra hour will be devoted for physical rest and cleansing before the second meal in order to reduce distraction and improve physical efficiency. Further questions can be addressed to individual overseers and trainers. The announcement pinged on TO¡¯s implant the moment they woke up. They were still half asleep and they had to read the announcement three times before the information sunk in. There was no further explanation as to why this decision had been made or as to what inspired it, but TO had a decent idea of what might have happened. It had only been two days ago that they sent C12 the report that they had requested. A frantic knocking on the outside of TO¡¯s pod pulled them from their thoughts. Still undressed under the thin sheets of their bed they opened the barrier and allowed DH to climb in. Without asking, DH closed the barrier behind them. ¡°This was you!¡± they said as they projected the announcement in the air before them. Of course, it was displayed backwards from TO¡¯s point of view, but they knew it was the same one they had just read. ¡°I¡­ It doesn¡¯t have my number on it.¡± TO said, their ears flushing as they looked away, ¡°It could be coincidence.¡± Their ears twitched: they didn¡¯t believe that it had nothing to do with them, but DH sounded so excited that they felt a little embarrassed. Maybe it had been them! Maybe they had sent their report to C12, who sent it to King Decon Himself, and He thought that the argument had merit. TO might have convinced King Decon to make a change! ¡°You¡¯re right!¡± DH said, their ears pinning back, ¡°Your number isn¡¯t on it!¡± They frowned as they scanned through the announcement again, then made a quick gesture with their hand which made the floating screen disappear. ¡°You should be credited!¡± ¡°I.. no, I shouldn¡¯t!¡± TO said. Sure, they believed that DH was right, that it was their report to C12 that had caused this, but what if they were wrong? If they demanded credit for something that they didn¡¯t do, then that would be outright embarrassing and potentially dangerous. If they weren¡¯t credited for their work, TO was sure there was a very good reason. ¡°You should!¡± DH said, ¡°I was there when C12 asked you to give them that report.¡± ¡°I know you were. I-¡° ¡°I was here with you while you agonized over it!¡± They gestured to the computer, it¡¯s screen now only displaying the dull purple light that TO kept on as they slept, ¡°I was here while you pulled up studies from across the galaxy to support your argument! You worked hard on that, AND it made a difference!¡± DH was breathing heavily now, their ears pinned back, their eyes narrowed. ¡°It made a difference, so GiDi should be happy, right?¡± TO said, their voice careful and quiet, ¡°I mean, they wanted to know about Synths that actually made a difference¡­ And I did.¡± ¡°But your name isn¡¯t on this!¡± DH said again, ¡°If you did something good, shouldn¡¯t people know about it?¡± They opened the panel in the side of the wall and pulled out TO¡¯s uniform, ¡°Here.¡± they said, ¡°Get dressed. We¡¯re going to see if we can get to training early and speak to C12.¡± DH had their hand nearly to the button to open the barrier when TO stopped them, yanking their hand away and pulling them back down on the bed. ¡°No!¡± they said, horrified, ¡°You can¡¯t just...You don¡¯t just.¡± Their ears were flat against the sides of their head, their eyes wide and scared, ¡°If you do that, you¡¯ll get in so much trouble.¡± ¡°What? C12 said that so long as we follow orders, we won¡¯t be corrected, right?¡± TO wished that C12 hadn¡¯t told them that. That information, along with the fact that the others were now ignoring them properly had led DH to be less and less careful. They were worried that they would say or do something that couldn¡¯t be overlooked. Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author. ¡°You have to be respectful to Retirees.¡± TO finally said. ¡°I will be! I¡¯ll very respectfully ask C12 how this announcement came up so soon after you gave them your report, and yet there¡¯s no sign of your number on it anywhere!¡± Before TO could respond, there was another knock on their pod. DH opened it and they saw GiDi on the other side. ¡°Your assignment!¡± GiDi said, beaming at TO, ¡°You got King Decon to change His mind!¡± ¡°We don¡¯t know that!¡± TO insisted. ¡°But¡­ It has to be right?¡± GiDi said, ¡°I¡¯m sure that C12 will mention something about it in training today!¡± They looked over at TO and saw that they were still undressed, ¡°Come on!¡± they said, ¡°Get dressed! Let¡¯s go, or we¡¯ll be late!¡± TO kicked off the blanket and started to pull on their uniform, a tight knot forming in their stomach as they worried about what physical training would bring. They didn¡¯t know if they wanted the attention of every synth in the room on them if they were credited for their work, but they also worried about what DH would do if nothing was said. They sighed. They had been excited for today. Today was supposed to be the day they activated the embryos for development. They had been looking forward to that. Now they could hardly bring themselves to feel happy about it because of their worry. ====== Physical training brought with it more running, more kicking, more shooting. It had the addition of what C12 called ¡°non-aerial agility training¡± which meant that C12 had some kind of obstacle course set up in the large training room, and they were to make their way through it. The addition of the obstacle course at least made their training less tedious, but it also meant more injuries as they smacked into bars, fell from walls, or landed awkwardly as they jumped from platform to platform. TO managed to smack their shin against the edge of one such ledge, earning them a quickly blooming bruise. DH got their wing caught on the corner of a wall, twisting something and getting a firm reprimand from C12 to keep their wings tight against their back when they weren¡¯t flying. GiDi landed funny on their foot as they jumped down from a platform and ended up limping through the rest of the course. At the end of their class, C12 lined them up as the obstacle course was pulled away back under the floor. ¡°Now then.¡± C12 said, standing before them instead of pacing as they normally did. TO had noticed noticed through the class that they had moved around a little less, and seemed to be limping more than normal when they did walk. ¡°I assume you all read the announcement today.¡± ¡°Yes, Retiree C12.¡± Was the response chanted back in unison. ¡°Then I expect no complaints as you¡¯re sent away early this time.¡± they said, ¡°Since this directive comes from King Decon Himself.¡± They let their eyes pass over the rows of synths, stopping briefly over TO before they barked out ¡°Dismissed¡± and the other synths started to file out of the training room. TO started to follow the other synths, but DH pulled them back and dragged them up to C12. ¡°Retiree C12!¡± DH said, standing at attention. TO and GiDi went to attention as well, since apparently there was no pulling DH back from this. C12 had been about to sit down on a nearby bench, but as the three of them approached, they chose to lean against the wall, their bad leg lifted off the floor. ¡°Ah. You three.¡± they said as they glanced over them. C12 turned their focus to TO. ¡°You must be proud of yourself.¡± ¡°Retiree?¡± ¡°The announcement earlier.¡± C12 said as they crossed their arms, ¡°You presented a good argument, and it held merit. Very good.¡± ¡°So¡­.¡± TO felt their ears flush, ¡°So... that announcement was because of me?¡± ¡°It was.¡± C12 said, ¡°I presented it to one of the higher up coordinators, and it convinced them first, of course. They presented it to one of King Decon¡¯s advisors.¡± C12 shrugged, ¡°Needless to say, it went through a lot of synths before King Decon heard it, but when He did He apparently liked it. Even though their number hadn¡¯t been on it, TO felt like they might scream with joy. They felt like they had something swelling up inside. They wanted to shout, ¡®look, look what I did! I convinced King Decon himself!¡¯ ¡°Why isn¡¯t TO- uh, 09T07¡¯s number on it?¡± C12 tilted their head at DH, ¡°TO?¡± Silence among the three for a moment. GiDi eventually cleared their throat. ¡°Retiree, Yes, shortenings of our numbers when we refer to one another. It saves time. 09T07 is TO-¡° They gestured to DH, ¡°They¡¯re DH, and I¡¯m GiDi¡± C12 looked over them, their eyes steady, calculating. ¡°Interesting.¡± they said, ¡°Though, I suppose that will change when you¡¯re given your proper assignments.¡± They shrugged, ¡°You¡¯ll also have shorter designations at that point.¡± TO released a breath that they hadn¡¯t realized that they were holding, relieved that C12 didn¡¯t seem concerned at all by their nicknames, not like the other synth had in the flight training room so long ago. ¡°Still! Their designation isn¡¯t on the announcement!¡± DH said. C12 tilted their head at DH, silently observing them for a moment before they said, ¡°Why would it be?¡± ¡°Because they wrote the report!¡± C12 gave what TO would later call a pitying look: In the moment they were too terrified by the sudden harsh tone that DH had decided to use. ¡°Maybe.¡± they said, ¡°But King Decon made the decision.¡± ¡°But he made his decision because of TO¡¯s report!¡± ¡°And TO, all of you, and me, we¡¯re all King Decon¡¯s Tools.¡± They pursed their lips, ¡°If you build a robot, do you give your screwdriver credit for their part in it? Or your soldering gun? When the robot performs its duties, do you credit the robot, the programming, or the creator of the robot.¡± ¡°But we¡¯re not-¡° DH started, but C12 cut them off. ¡°Be very careful.¡± they said, ¡°Be extremely careful with what you say.¡± DH fell silent. C12¡¯s voice was soft and quiet, but there was no mistaking the warning in their tone. When they had been silent for a while, C12 continued. ¡°TO¡¯s work isn¡¯t ignored. You all have files filled with achievements and strengths and weaknesses. This will be taken into account when it¡¯s time for long term assignments. Because of their work, TO will have a chance at a position that may give them more long term satisfaction, and keep them out of danger. They might even be given an opportunity to make other changes. That will be their reward for being an exceptional tool.¡± They looked at the three of them carefully, ¡°Do you all understand?¡± ¡°You got credit.¡± DH said slowly, ¡°Our overseers know about your work. How you led the other synths out of danger. Your military record-¡° ¡°And when current living memory fades,¡± C12 said, ¡°Then it will only be recorded as one of King Decon¡¯s many victories. In return, I get to live a more comfortable life. I¡¯m considered an excellent tool, and very valuable. That¡¯s why I¡¯m a retiree, and why I haven¡¯t been corrected or repurposed after my little accident.¡± They knocked on the hard plastic of their prosthetic leg. ¡°Do you understand me?¡± They looked at C12 in silence for a few moments, then slowly each one nodded. C12 gave a little chuckle, and limped to the door. ¡°Doesn¡¯t it bother you!¡± GiDi finally said, ¡°You¡¯re like us, aren¡¯t you? Doesn¡¯t this bother you?¡± C12 stopped, and turned, eying GiDi carefully. ¡°No.¡± they said. ¡°It doesn¡¯t.¡± They tilted their head, ¡°You want to know why it doesn¡¯t?¡± ¡°Yes¡± GiDi said, stepping forward, their ears perking up in anticipation, ¡°I do!¡± ¡°I am perhaps more like the three of you than I am most other synths, a bit different. Most of the higher up officers are all a little different.¡± C12 said, ¡°They think different. They act different. But they also make excellent tools. They follow orders, and they used their skills to better serve King Decon. That¡¯s why they''re officers. They make better tools than normal synths, and are given the ranks and positions where they can be most effective.¡± They fell silent for a moment, and TO thought that they were done. ¡°But first and foremost they¡¯re tools.¡± they said, their voice a little quieter now. ¡°They know this. They accept this, and that¡¯s why they¡¯ve survived. That¡¯s why I¡¯ve survived. You¡¯re best remembering that.¡± They left, letting the door slide shut behind them. Episode 23: More DH had never seemed as quiet and as somber as they were when they left the training room. They seemed to look past the world around them as they focused inwardly on their thoughts. They showered in silence amongsts the other synths, they retrieved their food with the others, and in silence followed TO and GiDi back to the dormitory. ¡°Are you angry?¡± TO finally asked as they got to their pod. ¡°I¡¯m not.¡± DHsaid, their ears twitching. TO felt their own ears flick down. DH was lying to them. They sat next to GiDi, and made enough room for DH to sit down next to them if they wanted. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± TO said as DH climbed in. DH looked up at TO, the anger draining from their face as confusion overtook their features. ¡°Sorry?¡± ¡°I¡­ I guess I should have spoken up.¡± they said as they picked at their food. ¡°It was my report. You didn¡¯t have to-¡° DH rested a hand on TO¡¯s forearm, then leaned forward and looked TO in the eyes, ¡°TO,¡± they said, "I''m not angry at you. I Promise.¡± TO watched DH carefully and though their ears were still slanted, and though their eyes were still narrower than TO was used, they were certain that DH was not lying. ¡°But you¡¯re angry.¡± ¡°I¡¯m angry too.¡± GiDi said as they glared at their food. ¡°Why?¡± TO asked as they turned to look at GiDi. Maybe their ears were pinned back a little, but if GiDi hadn¡¯t said anything, TO wouldn¡¯t have noticed. ¡°You don¡¯t look angry.¡± ¡°I am though!¡± They frowned, furrowing their brows together as they popped a larger cube of food into their mouth. They tried to keep their scowl as they chewed but it was hard to look angry when their cheeks were bulging out. They tried as hard as they could, but TO couldn¡¯t help the low chuckle that escaped their lips, and the quiet chirp that came from the back of their throat. They felt their ears flush as DH and GiDi looked at them in surprise. ¡°GiDi is almost cute when they try to be angry.¡± they said, suddenly focusing intensely on their food. ¡°They don¡¯t scowl, they pout.¡± They glanced almost apologetically at Gidi, ¡°You almost remind me of the tiny little synths in the tanks when you¡¯re angry.¡± DH frowned as they looked past TO to GiDi, taking in their expression. ¡°You know,¡± they said, a smile breaking the anger on their face, ¡°TO is right. You look like you¡¯re trying to be angry, but¡­¡± They suppressed a chuckle, ¡°It¡¯s just not happening.¡± GiDi huffed and looked away, but after a moment looked back with their expression softened ¡°I''m surprised you¡¯re not angry though.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not overly worried about the report.¡± TO said. ¡°It¡¯s not just the report.¡± DH said, ¡±It¡¯s the whole thing! Doesn¡¯t it feel¡­¡± They frowned as they looked down at their lap, ¡°Doesn¡¯t it feel wrong to you? How C12 described us¡­ Like we¡¯re a screwdriver, or a piece of machinery, or-¡° ¡°Or a tool?¡± TO asked, glancing up, ¡°We are. That¡¯s what we were made for.¡± They shook their head, ¡°King Decon created us for that one purpose. We¡¯re the only species in the galaxy who knows their purpose without doubt, and working to serve King Decon and to help keep peace and order in the galaxy-¡° This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings. ¡°But we¡¯re still people!¡± DH insisted, ¡°I mean..¡± They faltered, their ears flicking down as they looked at TO and GiDi, their eyes almost pathetically sad, ¡°Aren¡¯t we?¡± TO knew the answer. DH and GiDi both knew the answer: Whatever they thought they were, they were tools first. Oddly, there was something about that which made TO very sad. Were they supposed to feel like this, or was this because they were strange? Did the other synths feel like this, and just keep it to themselves? ¡°We are strange.¡± TO settled on saying as they pulled DH close to them, holding them against their chest, ¡°That you two know that I wrote that report, that I made this happen is more than enough for me!¡± DH gave them a smile, but they were clearly still bothered by it all as they stared out into nothing while they ate. They were tools. They were not people. They had been designed by the ruler of the galaxy to serve Him. There was no greater honor. There was no need for personal praise, or validation. To serve was enough. At least, it was supposed to be. Though TO didn¡¯t feel like they needed credit for their report, and even though they were happy to serve King Decon, happy to have a part in His grander workings, they also knew that they had once wanted something that they weren¡¯t supposed to want. They had needed something that other synths didn¡¯t seem to need. They pulled DH a little closer and leaned against GiDi as they ate their lunch. They had wanted something more than what a Synth was supposed to want, and they had gotten that, and so now they were more or less content. Though it did bother them that serving King Decon hadn¡¯t been enough. ========= ¡°You were far more excited yesterday when I told you what you¡¯d be doing today.¡± PQ03 said as TO approached them in the laboratory. ¡°It¡¯s been a trying day.¡± TO said. They were still being very careful around the two officers but now they couldn¡¯t shake what C12 had told them. The concept that most of the higher up officers were strange¨C that being strange or different and at the same time being exceptional had allowed them to become officers¨C lingered on their minds. Many officers were strange. Were they officers because they were strange, or despite their strangeness? Had they pushed themselves to excel, as TO had done, so that they wouldn¡¯t be corrected? Still, while PQ03 was different from other synths, They weren¡¯t quite the same as TO was. PQ03 has a passion for their work that TO hadn¡¯t seen in anybody else. There was a love for what they were doing outside of the pride they felt in fulfilling their duties. Watching them the last few days had been interesting to say the least. ¡°12,¡± PQ03 said to the other officer, ¡°I''m heading to the activation lab with the trainee. Do you need any assistance before I go?¡± ¡°I do not.¡± PQ12 said as they continued their work: They were synthesising the orange liquid that fed the embryos, ¡°I am certain I can manage this just fine on my own.¡± They nodded, and gestured to TO, ¡°Very well. With me then.¡± they said. They kept their voice calm but their ears were twitching with excitement. That was another thing they had noticed: How the officers had also shortened their assignments. At first, TO though that it was just a time saving measure. It had seemed impossible that officers with such important jobs might be strange, but now that C12 had said it, it was like TO had been shown how a trick had been performed, and now they couldn¡¯t help but see it. They couldn¡¯t help but look back and wonder how they had managed to convince themselves that PQ03 wasn¡¯t strange. They were unsure about PQ12. Were they strange as well? Was their overseer strange? Were all the overseers? Before they knew it, they had been led down a hallway,away from the primary lab and to a large, secure door. Like most of the doors it was hardly discernible from the rest of the wall save for the slightly deeper lines around it, and the single card reader that shined next to it. PQ03 rested the back of their hand against the reader and the door whooshed opened, revealing another room which was illuminated by red lights. TO stepped in and gazed about at the walls lined with tiny vials that reflected the red glow around them. TO walked over to the wall and examined the vials. They seemed slightly smokey, but they couldn¡¯t see anything inside. ¡°There¡¯s nothing in these.¡± TO said, unable to keep the disappointment out of their voice. ¡°There may not be.¡± PQ03 agreed, ¡°But there may be, and it¡¯s too small for you to see. Yet.¡± They gestured around the room, ¡°Each vial is potential, Trainee.¡± they said, ¡°Each one holds the start, the basic drop of life created by the very hands of King Decon! Each one has been crafted to perfection, and we have been entrusted with the grand duty of activating the growth, and bringing them to their full, raw potential¡­Provided we are successful in the activation.¡± They seemed to lose a bit of their pride here, ¡°At this point, we do have a failure rate of 10%.¡± ¡°That¡¯s it?¡± TO said as they looked around, ¡°It¡¯s far more for the embryos and fetus.¡± ¡°Well, with those the main issues are ones we can see; malformation in the organs, or lack of nutrients. These are things we can work to improve but here?¡± They shook their head, ¡°We do not know, and each waste of King Decon''s genius weighs heavily on me.¡± They gave TO an unexpectedly harsh look, ¡°As it should you! Even if it is only 10%. Each one is the product of King Decon¡¯s work, and each failure is a waste of His time!¡± TO felt their ears burn with shame, but as they averted their gaze from PQ03, a strange thought entered their head. It was King Decon¡¯s genius and skillful hands that created each synth, wasn¡¯t it? But, it was also supposed to be King Decon¡¯s fair judgement that the synths had been given more time to rest after their physical training. Could it be possible that the synths were made by other synths? No. PQ03 had said that each was crafted by King Decon¡¯s own hands, and they had been told several times now that the method by which synths were actually crafted was far too complicated for any synth to be able to comprehend. ¡°What¡­ What¡¯s in the vials?¡± TO asked, their voice unsteady as they tried to push the troublesome thoughts out of their head, ¡°Do the synths appear in them? How?¡± PQ03¡¯s expression brightened at the question. ¡°That is why we¡¯re here.¡± they said, ¡°You¡¯re going to see how it starts. Or at least, you¡¯re going to see as much as a synth can ever hope to, because this-¡° They pointed to the vials, ¡°Is as close to working with King Decon directly as any Synth can dream of.¡± Episode 24:Creation PQ03 led TO to the back of the lab and through a second door. The room they entered had the strongest, sharpest scent of disinfectant that TO had ever experienced. The bright lights here were a cool white-blue color instead of the red that TO had gotten used to; it hurt their eyes and they found themselves squinting. ¡°It takes getting used to.¡± PQ03 said as they started blinking against the glare. ¡°I used to use special goggles when I started here, but they were more trouble than they were worth. Also, it was harder to see the actual work when I had them on.¡± ¡°Why is it so bright in these labs.¡± TO muttered. They hadn¡¯t meant to complain, but the brighter lights of the production labs in general were starting to bother them. Day after day, they felt as though their eyes were under attack. The red light was bad enough but the blue light felt like it was stabbing their brain through their eyes. ¡°When your eyes adjust, you¡¯ll be able to see the tiny materials that we work with far more easily than with dimmer lights or red lights.¡± they said as they led TO towards a table. They pulled out two stools, and sat down and gestured for TO to sit as well. ¡°We need the brighter light to see properly.¡± This wasn¡¯t seeing things properly, in TO¡¯s mind. Everything seemed too sharp around them, like they could see every little detail of the room, the texture on the walls, the faint creasing of the skin on their hands and the tiny, interlocked lines on their mostly smooth skin. It was too much detail; they felt like they were taking in everything at once. Still, they sat on the stool that PQ03 had provided for them. Despite how the light irritated their eyes, they wanted to see this. Maybe seeing the production, the very start of the synths would remove their sudden doubts. No. Not doubts. They just wanted to know. ¡°We have a new set of synth¡¯s to initiate today.¡± they said. They tapped on the surface of the table, and a digital control console lit up. PQ03 activated the controls and entered some commands. A moment later a panel opened on the wall and a tiny vial¨C identical to the ones that lined the walls in the previous room¨C was gently set into place. With careful hands PQ03 took it out of the panel and clamped it carefully to a ring stand, leaving it¡¯s jelly-like cap in place. ¡°That cap,¡± PQ03 said as they gestured to the top, ¡°It doesn¡¯t come off until the whole thing is transplanted into the larger tanks. You¡¯ve seen similar caps, if you recall.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± TO said, remembering the same kind of jelly seal that PQ12 had pierced with the syringe to feed the embryos, ¡°Yes, I recall.¡± ¡°It allows us to activate the embryos without risking any contamination.¡± TO frowned as they leaned forward, looking into the vial, straining their already hurting eyes, ¡°But there¡¯s nothing in here.¡± ¡°Are you certain?¡± PQ03 asked. ¡°Look very closely. It should be near the bottom of the vial.¡± Frowning, TO leaned forward and focused on the buttom of the vial. The pain in their eyes nearly made them give up before they saw it. They thought it was just a speck on the vial at first, but the closer they looked the more certain they were that it was something inside the vial: A miniscule speck, clear as the liquid it was resting in and visible only by a slight distortion of the light around it. ¡°Do you see it?¡± PQ03 asked. ¡°That¡­ That tiny speck?¡± ¡°That tiny speck is the DNA that will form the embryos. Eventually. It¡¯s in statis right now. ¡° PQ03 entered another command on the table and a small, clear glass bottle filled with a strange blue liquid came out of the wall. The care that had been taken with the delivery of the vial was not taken with the bottle- it came faster, and PQ03 took very little care as they grabbed it. The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. ¡°When King Decon creates the base proteins, He is making the very DNA that forms us.¡± PQ03 said. ¡°It is the very creation of life and we are privileged to see it from its activation.¡± ¡°But how does He do it?¡± TO asked, immediately regretting their words. They felt their ears flick down. ¡°Apologies.¡± they said, ¡°I know. That¡¯s beyond our comprehension.¡± PQ03 gave them a quick look, followed by the barest hint of a smile, ¡°You¡¯re curious, and excited. I can hardly blame you for that. But yes, the methods behind the creation of the DNA is beyond our comprehension, as is the method of preservation. King Decon could create hundreds of these in a day, and have them preserved for decades until they¡¯re activated.¡± They passed the bottle of blue liquid to TO. ¡°That¡¯s what this is for.¡± TO held the bottle up to the light, trying to see something in the liquid as they had for the first vial, but it was cloudy and opaque. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Unknown.¡± PQ03 said, ¡°King Decon puts the DNA in stasis after He creates it. This activates it again and allows growth.¡± They held out their hand for the bottle. Gently, TO returned it to them.¡± PQ03 took a syringe out of a sterile tray and plunged the tip into the activation fluid. They drew up the plunger until the syringe was full. Then, with careful, steady hands they eased the tip of the syringe into the clear vial and gently pushed a small amount of the activating liquid out with the slowest of movements. ¡°You have to be careful.¡± PQ03 said, ¡°We want to use as little activating fluid as possible, and we don¡¯t want to put too much pressure on the embryo. Watch.¡± TO watched as the blue liquid gently eased into the vial like a thick fog. It dispersed slowly, and the vial now looked like it was filled with a light, twisting smoke. ¡°And that¡¯s it.¡± ¡°It¡¯s done?¡± TO said, frowning as they looked at PQ03, ¡°Just like that? It¡¯s activated?¡± ¡°We¡¯ll know in a few days.¡± PQ03 said. ¡°Using our microscopes, we can see growth early on, but we won¡¯t know if we did it right until...Well, basically until they¡¯re ready to be transplanted.¡± They gestured at the others, ¡°Each of these has something growing in it. That something could stop, and we won¡¯t know why.¡± They frowned, ¡°That¡¯s the frustrating part of this. Did I use too much activation liquid? Too little? Was there a temperature fluctuation that I didn¡¯t notice? Did I hold it in my hands too long and increase the heat too much?¡± They shook their head as they gently unscrewed the vial from the stand and held it by the edge of the mouth, ¡°All different things I might have done to cause King Decon''s work to fail.¡± They got up, and TO followed them as they gently placed the vial in a dark container with tiny, padded compartments. They gazed at it for a moment longer, then went back to the table and sat down. They entered a command and another clear vial was summoned through the panel in the wall. ¡°Go ahead.¡± PQ03 said to TO, ¡°Your turn.¡± ======== Before TO was done for the day, PQ03 said that they had done so well, and they were so pleased with TO¡¯s work that they would allow them to observe one of the vials that was a little further on in its development. They retrieved one from shelves of vials, and placed it in a specialized microscope. ¡°Let me find it for you.¡± they said as they pressed their eyes to the viewer and started fiddling with the controls, ¡°Finding them can be a little troublesome sometimes, and the controls here are tricky... They¡¯re so small, and the vial they¡¯re in at this stage is unfathomably massive to them; Or it would be if they had brains to comprehend any such- Ah! Found it.¡± They were silent. Slowly, almost inperceptably they adjusted the knobs on the microscope. ¡°Yes...Yes, this one seems healthy.¡± They made a few more adjustments and then pulled back to make room for TO. ¡°Go ahead. they said, gesturing to the viewer, ¡°Take a look, but do not touch anything.¡± Their gaze suddenly became very sharp, ¡°A physical jolt might disrupt it and cause it to fail. Touching a knob will bring it out of focus, and I¡¯ll have to fiddle with it to refocus it.¡± TO nodded, honestly feeling a little nervous as they approached the microscope. They held their hands behind their back as they leaned forward, not pressing their eyes onto the viewer for fear of moving it. They hovered just a tiny bit away from the lenses so they could see clearly without touching anything. They had expected to see a tiny little synth, much like the ones they had seen in the first lab. They expected something they would recognize, but no: All they saw was a strange mass, almost like a very thin crescent moon with it¡¯s tips connected, and a slight bulge on the inside. ¡°Do you see it?¡± ¡°I see..¡± They hesistated. Was this what they were supposed to see? ¡°A¡­ A ring?¡± ¡°Yes. And in the ring?¡± ¡°There is nothing in the ring.¡± TO said. ¡°Unless you mean this little bump?¡± ¡°That little bump.¡± PQ03 said, amused, ¡°Is exactly what you looked like at this stage.¡± TO lifted their face from the viewer and looked to PQ03. They had expected to see something more. ¡°I thought¡­¡± They trailed off, thinking it unwise to question this. ¡°You thought?¡± ¡°I thought that King Decon made each of us.¡± ¡°He does.¡± PQ03 said, ¡°the strand of DNA, the proteins that form you were created by Him. The raw materials that make up a creatures¡¯ DNA? He created that for each and every one of us. We simply grow them here.¡± TO wanted to ask again how he made them, but knew that they would not be given the answer. They looked into the viewer again, observing the crescent moon that cradled the mass of cells. They knew everything now. Well, everything that a Synth was supposed to know. Still. They wanted to know more. They wanted to know how King Decon did it. Episode 25: Migraine GiDi was nearly buzzing with excitement when they met up outside the cafeteria. Their ears were twitching right at the tips, they seemed unable to keep their wings still, and they had this big, wide grin. They rushed to get into the cafeteria, got their food, and then nearly ran to get to the Flight Training room with DH and TO behind them. ¡°Hold on, GiDi!¡± TO said, holding their food close to their chest so that they didn¡¯t lose any of the little cubes as they jogged to keep up, ¡°Why are you rushing, what-¡° ¡°I¡¯m so excited!¡± they said, giving one of the biggest smiles TO had ever seen, ¡°I had the best day today!¡± ¡°You did?¡± DH asked, their own face breaking out into a smile, ¡°That¡¯s great! What happened?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll tell you when we get to the training room.¡± They promised as they continued rushing down the hall, ¡°I don¡¯t want any interruptions!¡± Even though the other synths were now leaving them more or less alone, the three of them still preferred the quiet and solitude of the Flight Training room. TO also liked going there because it was a chance to fly after they ate. There had been no proper flight lessons since they started combat training, and TO needed the chance to stretch their wings each day; They found themself become melancholic if they didn¡¯t. Today, TO had another reason for wanting to go to The Flight Training room; It was dimmer than any other place in the training center. The lights in the lab had strained their eyes, and their head was now pounding. They wanted to sit in the dark and press something to their eyes, or even go to the showers and turn off all the lights and just let the water pour over their head. Of course, they had no control over the lighting in the showers. ¡°That¡¯s fine.¡± TO said, their voice a weak whisper, ¡°But please keep your voice down.¡± Running after GiDi hadn¡¯t helped their head- every time their foot pounded against the floor the movement sent a jolt of pain through to their head. GiDi¡¯s smile faltered. ¡°Are you ok?¡± ¡°I¡¯m¡­ No, not really. The lights in the lab gave me a headache.¡± They looked up and forced a smile through the pain, ¡°That¡¯s all though. I¡¯m glad you had a good day for a change.¡± They got to the flight training room and flew up to the platform that had now become their little hiding place. They leaned against the wall, and TO idly picked at their food while GiDi talked. ¡°So, I went to weapons production, and I honestly figured I¡¯d be doing the same thing over and over again today. I¡¯ve gotten used to it.¡± They grinned, ¡°Honestly, I just start playing some of my favourite songs from the cultural research resources over and over again in my head.¡± They shook their head, their ears flicking at their sudden distraction, ¡°Anyway, I went to weapons production ready for another whole day of monotony. I sit down, start working, but the Officer comes up to me and tells me to follow them.¡± ¡°And¡­ It wasn¡¯t a bad thing?¡± DH asked. ¡°No! I mean, I thought it was at first.¡± GiDi¡¯s ears flicked down, and their eyes grew wide with the memory of their fear. ¡°I was thinking to myself, ¡®This is it. They saw something wrong, and they¡¯re going to correct me.¡¯ I was wondering how I¡¯d be able to get away to tell one of you!¡± They shook their head, ¡°But nope! they said that they¡¯d been watching me, and they were satisfied that I was a good worker who didn¡¯t need much supervision.¡± They clapped their hands together, ¡°But do you know what they said impressed them the most!?¡± Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings. DH chuckled, ¡°I do not.¡± they said, ¡°What was so impressive?¡± ¡°So, in weapon production you¡¯re sat at a table with a conveyor belt. The belt brings the multi-gun that I need to alter. All the pieces and all the tools I need are set up in front of me. I¡¯m to measure in on this one part of the multi-gun, and then set the piece onto a very specific location; that¡¯s all.¡± They beamed, ¡°Well, after I did the first few I realized that if I made a simple template I could attach them faster. I made a little paper template, and set that against the part of the multi-gun I was working on. I didn¡¯t have to measure a thing after that!¡± They beamed, ¡°All I had to do was get better at soldering stuff!¡± ¡°That impressed them?¡± DH asked, ¡°They didn¡¯t think of that themselves?¡± ¡°Nope!¡± GiDi beamed, ¡°I mean, I¡¯m sure they would have if they were doing the job over and over, but they don¡¯t even watch the work down there; they just track the numbers. Apparently they were confused as to how I was being so efficient when I had only been there for a few days, so they were watching me! they said I have patience and problem-solving skills, and so-¡° they took a deep breath and clapped their hands together, ¡°They reassigned me! Now, I watch the other synths doing their job, and see if I can figure out a way to make everything faster!¡± ¡°That¡¯s really good.¡± TO said, trying to put as much excitement in their voice as possible. They were really happy for GiDi, but their head just hurt so much that it was hard to focus. ¡°That¡¯s a much more interesting job, I hope?¡± ¡°Oh, it is!¡± they said, ¡°I mean, I¡¯m mostly watching other synths do tedious work, but now I¡¯m watching, and I¡¯m thinking, ¡®How do I make this easier? How do I make it faster!¡¯¡± They smiled, ¡°I¡¯m feeling useful! The Officer said I already increased productivity by-¡° TO¡¯s head throbbed, and for a moment they lost their focus on GiDi¡¯s words. They suddenly realized that they hadn¡¯t touched their food. The thought of trying to eat right now made them feel sick. They just wanted to lay down. They pushed their food away and rested their head in the hands, pressing their palms into their eyes. ¡°I had a good day too.¡± They heard DH say, ¡°I think this programming stuff is finally starting to sink in.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± GiDi asked. ¡°I mean, the Officer I was working under was giving me some issues because I wasn¡¯t being as efficient as-¡° They stopped and looked at TO, ¡°Are you¡­ Well, you¡¯re not ok, but are you going to be ok?¡± DH leaned forward and put their hands on TO¡¯s shoulder. TO shook their head, and without taking their palms from their eyes they leaned into DH. The pressure of DH¡¯s chest against their head seemed to help in some miniscule way. ¡°I¡¯m still listening.¡± they said, ¡°Just...Headache.¡± DH put an arm around them and pulled TO into a gentle embrace, ¡°Well, you lay on me, and we¡¯ll talk softly.¡± they said, ¡°Try to eat though; it might make you feel better.¡± TO nodded, and keeping their eyes closed they reached out and took up a cube of food. They didn¡¯t want to eat, but DH was right. They were in so much pain though, even their slow chewing caused them some agony. ¡°Should we take them to medical?¡± GiDi asked DH ¡°No.¡± TO whispered before picking up another cube of food ¡°Not For just a headache. DH¡­ Sorry. Go on. What were you saying?¡± ¡°Well.¡± DH said as TO started to gnaw on their food. ¡°Right. Uh. The Officer! The Officer had been making these little comments about how I¡¯m ineffective because I wasn¡¯t getting work done, but I was taking TO¡¯s advice and working with the coding on my own.¡± They gave TO a quick squeeze, ¡°And I guess it just started to sink in. I took a fresh look at the code I was to fix, and I found a bunch of issues that I resolved right away.¡± ¡°And what did the officer say to that?¡± GiDi asked. ¡°Oh, they said that they must have ¡®gotten through to me¡± or some such nonsense. Said that it was good that I was finally pulling my weight-¡± ¡°You shouldn¡¯t talk about the officers like that.¡± TO muttered, ¡°They¡¯ve been chosen by-¡° ¡°I know, I know, you¡¯re right. Chosen by King Decon for their roles. Still, they¡¯re not King Decon, are they?¡± They gave a low chuckle, ¡°Well, it doesn¡¯t matter. I took longer to learn the code, and I had to learn it my own way, but I know it now, and I think that I¡¯m getting good at it! I might even try to do my own programming in my free time!¡± TO felt DH gently scratch the back of their head. It felt nice, but the pain was still there. They thought that maybe if they didn¡¯t move at all, if they stayed very still, and very quiet, and kept resting then maybe the pain would just go away. ¡°TO?¡± DH said, their voice very soft. TO only just managed to hum in response. ¡°You¡¯re really not looking well. You look almost grey, and you¡¯ve been just laying there for a while.¡± TO groaned, but said nothing. Those damned lights in the lab had messed them up. PQ03 said that they¡¯d get used to it; had they suffered the same kind of headache when they were starting out in the labs? If they had, then PQ03 should have warned them that it would get this bad. ¡°Do you want to go lay down?¡± DH asked. ¡°Don¡¯t wanna move.¡± TO muttered. DH got up and slowly pulled TO up with them, ¡°Come on.¡± they said, ¡°We¡¯ll get you to your pod, and then you don¡¯t have to move for the rest of the day, ok?¡± TO nodded, and let DH help them to their feet. With DH and GiDi with them, they managed to clumsily flap down to the main platform before they finally doubled over and started to throw up the scant bit of food they had managed to eat. Episode 26: Medical TO kept their eyes closed as DH scooped them up and carried them down the hallways to the medical center. Even being jostled in DH¡¯s arms, and the sound of DH and GiDi¡¯s feet hitting the floor sent waves of pain through TO¡¯s head. TO wanted to get up and walk on their own, but even the idea of opening their eyes made them feel sick again. They ended up just pressing their face into DH¡¯s chest to block out the dim light of the hallways. ¡°Is TO going to be alright?¡± GiDi asked. The moment they spoke the noise seemed to hit TO, piercing through their head. They groaned in pain, and tried to turn their head away from the noise. The only sound they seemed to be able to manage was the dull, light humming of DH¡¯s heart. Thankfully, DH and GiDi seemed to understand that the noise caused TO more pain, and kept silent. It felt like ages later when they finally made it to the medical center. TO heard GiDi run ahead of them, and the woosh of a door as it glided open. ¡°Medical Officer!¡± DH cried out, causing TO to wince and whimper in pain. ¡°Sorry, sorry.¡± They whispered as they held TO close Another door wooshed open and TO could hear new footsteps approach. ¡°I am here.¡± TO heard a new synth say, ¡°What happened.¡± ¡°They collapsed.¡± GiDi said, ¡°And started throwing up. They complained of a headach, and -¡° ¡°Set them down over there.¡± The synth - TO assumed it was the medical officer- said. There was no urgency in their voice, and no concern. They just gave the order. A moment later TO was gently set down on a bed that was a little larger than the one in their pod. There was a nice, cool pillow under their head and it would have been comfortable if it weren¡¯t for the light filtering through their eyelids and attacking their sensitive eyes. They pressed their palms to their eyes again, trying to block out the light as they whimpered in pain. ¡°Medical Officer!¡± DH exclaimed with clear panic in their voice, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with them?¡± A chair scraped across the floor, the noise causing TO¡¯s ears to flick down protectively. They heard the officer sit down next to them. ¡°Move your hands.¡± They ordered as they roughly tapped on the back of TO¡¯s hands. As they pulled their hands from their face something heavy and cool was placed over their eyes and forehead. Their head still hurt, but it suddenly felt like cool water was being poured over their burning eyes. TO brought their hands back up and pressed down on whatever it was¨C it felt like plastic with some kind of gel inside. ¡°Better, correct?¡± The officer asked. TO could only nod, not wanting to risk hurting their head more with their own voice. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with them!¡± DH demanded. A moment of silence passed before TO heard DH mutter, ¡°Sorry, Medical Officer.¡± ¡°We¡¯re just worried about them.¡± GiDi said, ¡°They just started throwing up and they couldn¡¯t stand up properly afterwards-¡° ¡°I¡¯m guessing you all started your vocational training.¡± The Officer said. There was a long silence, followed by the Officer¡¯s deep sigh, ¡°You¡¯ve been assigned to different parts of the training center to learn how to do jobs.¡± ¡°Oh! Yes.¡± DH said. ¡°And I guess this one was sent where?¡± Their voice sounded irritated, ¡°Programming? Metalworking? Lab-work?¡± ¡°Production.¡± TO managed to mutter. The pain was still there, but not nearly as sharp, ¡°Synth Production.¡± There was another irritated sigh as the Medical Officer got up. ¡°Eye strain.¡± they said. TO heard a cabinet open up and a moment later something was set down on their stomach. They reached down and felt what they had been given: a large pair of goggles. ¡°The production labs are the worst for eye strain.¡± The Officer said. ¡°Wear these from now on when you work there. ¡° Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. ¡°Will they be ok though?¡± GiDi asked quietly. ¡°They just need to rest their eyes.¡± The Officer said, walking away, ¡°They can leave as soon as they feel like they can stand on their own two feet again. No further treatment should be necessary.¡± TO heard the officer walk away again, and heard the swish of the door opening and closing. ¡°Eye strain?¡± DH said as they sat heavily on the edge of the bed, ¡°Eye strain?! That¡¯s all?¡± ¡°Please be quieter.¡± TO whimpered ¡°They didn¡¯t even give you anything for pain!¡± DH said. ¡°I¡¯m going to-¡° TO reached out blindly and grabbed DH¡¯s arm, holding them in place. ¡°GiDi.¡± TO said softly, ¡°Please. Keep DH from doing anything reckless.¡± GiDi sat down next to DH. ¡°What were you going to do.¡± GiDi asked, ¡°Ask for painkillers?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± DH said. ¡°I don¡¯t need them.¡± TO said, ¡°I don¡¯t have any tasks to attend to. I can lay here until I feel better, then go lay down in my pod.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± They felt DH shuffle on the bed, ¡°You¡¯re in pain.¡± ¡°It¡¯ll go away.¡± TO said. They hoped it would anyway. They didn¡¯t know for certain. ¡°The Medical Officer didn¡¯t seem concerned. If it was something that wouldn¡¯t just go away then they¡¯d have pulled up my files.¡± ¡°The officer knew what to do fairly quickly.¡± GiDi added, ¡°And they knew that TO had been working in a lab.¡± ¡°Or programming. I work in programming, and I¡¯m not in pain like this.¡± ¡°Maybe you should ask for some goggles as well.¡± TO muttered. Their head was starting to feel a little better; the pain was dripping away ¡°They didn¡¯t even ask for our designations.¡± GiDi said. ¡°That might be best.¡± TO said, ¡°I¡¯d not want it on record that I was ill.¡± It was a minor sickness, one which the Medical Officer didn¡¯t seem concerned about in the least. They still didn¡¯t want to show any kind of inability to work, at least while they were unspecialized and with relatively few resources spent on training them. There was a moment of silence. DH got up from the bed and walked away. ¡°You two go back to the dormitory.¡± TO said, ¡°I''ll find you when I can-¡° ¡°We¡¯re not leaving.¡± DH said as they opened the cabinet. TO heard bottles clink as DH started rummaging around. ¡°We¡¯re staying here until you¡¯re feeling well enough to leave. I¡¯m just looking for goggles like those for my own work. Just in case.¡± TO felt GiDi lay down across the foot of the bed, just next to their feet. ¡°I¡¯m fine with waiting here.¡± GiDi said, ¡°I managed to find a novel in the cultural resources from a nearby planet. It¡¯s a good story. I will sit and read.¡± ¡°And I¡¯ll just go over my programs.¡± DH said, ¡°It¡¯s all connected to my implant now.¡± They sat back down on the edge of the bed, shifting up so that they were reclining next to TO with their back against the wall. ¡°We can wait.¡± ¡°Is that a good idea?¡± TO asked, ¡°I mean, if-¡± ¡°Shush.¡± DH said, ¡°C12 said so long as we obey orders, and so long as we¡¯re produtive, we¡¯re unlikely to get corrected.¡± ¡°That¡¯s no reason to take risks.¡± ¡°And we¡¯re being productive while we¡¯re waiting for you, so I see no problem.¡± They felt DH set their hand on their head as they continued their gentle scratching once more. ¡°You just relax, and when you feel better we¡¯ll go.¡± Despite the pain, TO felt very comfortable. With DH scratching the back of their head, it was hard to protest, or to make more arguments about being careful. TO made a noise that could have been acceptance or irritation and then fell silent. As they drifted into a light sleep their breathing turned to a light, chirping snore. ===== It was hours later when a very sleepy TO was woken up. They sat up, confused as they started to remember where they were. GiDi and DH were still there, GiDi stretching their wings while DH was gently shaking TO awake. ¡°Come on.¡± They whispered. ¡°We should go back to the dormitory. How¡¯s your head?¡± TO stared blankly at DH for a few moments, their memories rushing back to them as they recalled where they were.¡± ¡°What time is it?¡± TO muttered, rubbing their temples. ¡°Late.¡± DH said, ¡°Your head?¡± ¡°Better.¡± they said as they pressed their palm to the center of their forehead. It wasn¡¯t the same kind of harsh pain they had suffered earlier, but they still had a decent headache. They let GiDi help them up, took the goggles they had been given and the compress that they had been given; they¡¯d sleep with that over their eyes, and keep it handy in case this headache came back another time. As they returned to their dormitory, GiDi and DH kept to either side of TO, both watching carefully in case they fell again. They didn¡¯t though; The three of them got to the dormitory without issue. Most every other synth was already their pod with the barriers up. It was quieter and dimmer than normal. All the better for TO. GiDi started heading to their own pod, stopped, turned around, and gave TO a quick hug. ¡°I was worried about you.¡± they said. They wordlessly hugged DH before they scurried off to their pod. ¡°We were both worried.¡± DH whispered as they led TO to the ladder. They kept a close eye on them in case they fell or lost their balance as they climbed. But there were no problems. TO got to their pod without incident, crawled in, stripped off their uniform and sent it down to laundry. They tossed the goggles to the foot of their bed since they didn¡¯t have any space in the pod for personal items. Flopping down, they pulled the thin blanket over them and put the compress back over their eyes. Movement had made their headach slightly worse, but it still wasn¡¯t nearly as bad as it had been. ¡°You sure you¡¯re going to be ok?¡± DH asked from below. ¡°I¡¯m sure.¡± they said, ¡°I just... Need to rest and sleep. I¡¯ll be fine.¡± ¡°If you¡¯re still in pain tomorrow, I¡¯m taking you back to medical, and I¡¯m not leaving until the Medical Officer gives you painkillers.¡± ¡°That¡¯s needless.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not! I don¡¯t like seeing you in pain!¡± They felt DH reach up, their hand clasping over their own, ¡°Please¡­ If you¡¯re still hurting, you¡¯ll go to medical again?¡± There was so much worry in their voice, and they were clutching at TO¡¯s hand as though they might slip away. ¡°Alright.¡± they said, ¡°I¡¯ll go.¡± There was a relieved sigh, and slowly DH¡¯s hand slipped away from TO¡¯s ¡°Ok¡­ Sleep well.¡± ¡°You too.¡± TO said. They reached out and fumbled around for the button to close the barrier. They were asleep before their pod was sealed. Episode 27: Variety ¡°I heard you had to go to medical yesterday.¡± PQ12 said as TO entered the lab. They were deeply focused on something they were working on at the lab¡¯s computer console, but glanced over them and saw the new addition to their uniform; the plastic goggles that were now resting on their face. ¡°I see.¡± they said, ¡°Eye strain.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t think it was reported.¡± TO said, their ears suddenly twitching with anxiety. ¡°It wasn¡¯t, not officially. We were sent word that our trainee went to medical with a migraine caused by eye strain, and were informed that we must provide goggles from this point on.¡± They frowned as they looked back to their work, ¡°We were also told that all of us should be using them.¡± ¡°That¡¯s what the medical officer said.¡± TO replied, ¡°But I can still work! I still want to work, I-¡° PQ12 cut them off, ¡°The eye strain is something you¡¯d get used to if you were assigned to Synth production long term.¡± they said, ¡°PQ03 and I no longer use the goggles. We¡¯re used to the light, and it¡¯s easier to work on finer, more detailed things without them.¡± a grimace passed over their face as they continued typing ¡°Also, sometimes when you¡¯re working with something that¡¯s delicate, the googles slip down on your snout and you can¡¯t push them up right away¡­ It¡¯s irritating.¡± They glanced up briefly from their work and gave TO a hard stare, ¡°And I assure you, that¡¯s not just because of my snout.¡± TO could only stare as PQ12 spoke to them; they hadn¡¯t said much since TO had been brought to production. Now that they were alone it seemed like they were allowing themselves to fall into what could be considered needless conversation. ¡°You...¡± TO hesistated, their ears flicking down in fear. ¡°You¡¯re a little¡­ Different. Aren¡¯t you.¡± They finally said. They took a step back, almost as though they were expecting to be shouted at, or even struck. PQ12 stopped typing, leaned back, and looked over to TO. ¡°So are you.¡± There was silence between them as TO¡¯s mind raced. PQ12 was strange. Moreover, they had admitted it. ¡°Do you¡­¡± They looked around quickly as though someone might be listening in, then said, ¡°IsPQ03 different as well?¡± PQ12 pressed their lips together, and then said in a soft voice, ¡°PQ03 is passionate about their work; more than anyone I¡¯ve ever met. However¡­¡± They trailed off, and then turned back to their work, ¡°When I started, I irritated them. I talked too much.¡± ¡°Me too!¡± TO said, ¡°I mean, not when I started here, I mean when I was in training-¡° PQ12 nodded, but didn¡¯t look up from their work. ¡°It¡¯s generally better to keep to oneself.¡± they said, ¡°I slip up sometimes but I work well, so PQ03 doesn¡¯t ask for a replacement and doesn¡¯t complain about me.¡± They looked up at TO. ¡°I recommend that, in fact. No matter where you end up. It wouldn¡¯t look good on you if you were to be bounced around from section to section when your training is complete.¡± Ears flicking down, TO looked aside, ¡°I¡¯d be corrected then.¡± PQ12¡¯s ears twitched, ¡°Corrected. Put into combat. Sent on a one-way exploratory mission.¡± They shrugged. ¡°It¡¯s better to be here. We can serve King Decon most effectively from population hubs.¡± ¡°... May I ask a question.¡± TO asked. ¡°Something that¡¯s been bugging me. Something you might know.¡± PQ12 looked up from their work, ¡°Shall I assume that both your question, and my answer if I choose to give one will be a matter of strictest confidence?¡± ¡°Of course!¡± ¡°Go ahead then.¡± ¡°... Why are we strange?¡± PQ12¡¯s ears flicked again, their lips pressing together. They waved at the tanks with the embryos inside. ¡°A question to your question.¡± they said. ¡°Why do we exist?¡± ¡°...Officer?¡± ¡°Think about it.¡± They looked to the tanks, ¡°Why create us? Wouldn¡¯t it be easier to manufacture robots with complex AI¡¯s?¡± Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. ¡°I¡­ I suppose?¡± TO said as their ears flicked out in confusion. ¡°King Decon was asked that once, back when I was a trainee. He had taken over a new planet¨C one that had been undiscovered up until that point.¡± They smirked, ¡°Would you believe that they actually wished for a marriage to solidify their alliance with His kingdom?¡± ¡°With King Decon?¡± ¡°With a synth.¡± they said with an unmistakable tone of disdain. ¡°They wanted a higher ranking Synth to marry a higher ranking royal of their planet.¡± They shook their head. ¡°Such primative people. I suppose they thought that King Decon¡¯s ambassadors and negotiators were high ranking, respected people¡± ¡°So... What did King Decon do?¡± TO asked, ¡°Did he really let a higher ranking synth marry?¡± Their mind spun, unsure if it would have been more embarrassing for the synth or the royal. What would a synth even do in a marriage? They were not made for relationships. Why would anyone want to marry one of them? TO had read funny reports from other planets that spoke of people wishing to be in a relationship with A.Is or computers, or even high end intimacy droids. The articles were always written in a way that was clearly supposed to be humorous, and were often full of contempt. Wouldn¡¯t a high ranking royal have more pride than to demand a marriage with a synth? ¡°Oh no. King Decon¡¯s higher ranked synths have far better things to do than to waste their lives like that. He appointed a normal synth¡ª unspecialized, with minimum training¡ª to be the representative of the planet. They married, and I think they¡¯re still there. They take their orders from another synth on King Decon¡¯s palace ship¡± They shook their head. ¡°He warned them that they wouldn¡¯t get children from the union, that the synth wasn¡¯t like them, that the synths were-¡° ¡°Tools?¡± PQ12 nodded. ¡°Exactly.¡± they said. ¡°They didn¡¯t care though, the marriage went through. King Decon was later asked the same question I just asked you; why bother making synths? Why not use robots with advanced A.Is?¡± ¡°And what did he say?¡± TO asked. They hadn¡¯t realized that they had taken several steps forward, and that they were holding their breath in anticipation for the answer. ¡°Well. First, many people and planets don¡¯t take robots and A.Is very seriously. A living being, regardless of their actual status is more well regarded than that.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t see how marrying a synth is much better than a robot.¡± ¡°Civilians have a strange fixation with creatures that they consider to be biological and organic. They have a much higher regard for them than they do robots. If a robot was sent to negotiate with a planet, or was sent to oversee one, It¡¯d be deemed an insult. It¡¯d be like saying ¡®you people aren¡¯t worth an actual living creature. Have a robot.¡¯¡± ¡°So¡­ It¡¯s just for respectability?¡± TO asked. ¡°It seemed like a lot of work just for that.¡± ¡±Not quite.¡± PQ12 said, ¡°In King Decon¡¯s wisdom, He has determined that variety in the line of command¡ª particularly in the minds of his higher officers¡ª is the greatest advantage a living being has over an A.I.¡± ¡°How?¡± TO asked, ¡°An A.I wouldn¡¯t be strange. He wouldn¡¯t have to worry about finding broken synths if He used A.Is!¡± ¡°An A.I¡¯s thought process is limited depending on their programming and how they¡¯re developed. As actual, sentient beings, we have greater capacity for imagination, and more independence of thought. Well...¡± They shrugged, ¡°To a point. There¡¯s also lots of faults that can occur with natural minds, but that can be fixed.¡± They leaned back, looking off into nothing as they collected their thoughts. ¡°Consider for a moment the minds of the young synths. They are the raw materials and must be sculpted and shaped to perfection. The computers that the bab-¡± They seemed to catch themselves, their ears flicked down and flushing as they suddenly straightened up and focused on their computer. ¡°that the synths are hooked up to deal with that.¡± PQ12 had been about to say babies. TO was so stunned by not only their verbal trip-up but also by their reaction to it that they nearly missed what they had said. ¡°Raw materials?¡± they said. ¡°The computers...What do you mean they fix it?¡± ¡°Just what I said.¡± They tilted their head at TO. ¡°Do you recall anything from your time in the tank?¡± TO¡¯s heart nearly stopped. It had been so long since they risked talking about being in the tank, about the dreams that they lived before. It was such a taboo subject among the other synths. Even among DH and GiDi there was one big problem with speaking about the time before¨C they couldn¡¯t properly remember it. ¡°Not really.¡± They admitted. ¡°I¡­ I have feelings, sometimes? Like memories that I can¡¯t quite see.¡± PQ12 nodded. ¡°Before you woke up, you had a simulated life.¡± they said. ¡°You¡¯re meant to forget it. ¡° ¡°Why?¡± ¡°To develop your mind, of course¡± they said, ¡°We don¡¯t have time or resources to raise children, to teach the basic life skills and languages that you need just to survive. The simulation teaches you all that and basically puts your brain into a test run.¡± They gestured to the computer, ¡°The computers¡­ It¡¯s complicated, but they basically read your mind, and adjust your experience based on what you need to learn, and how you need to act. If more major problems need to be fixed, then the lasers attached to the computers make the necessary adjustments while the brain is still developing.¡± ¡°But shouldn¡¯t that make us all the same then?¡± TO asked, ¡°If it works like that, why would there be strange synths, like me?¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t call you strange.¡± PQ12 said as they looked towards TO, ¡°You¡¯re different. That¡¯s important. That¡¯s what King Decon wants...To a point. Robots with imagination.¡± They shook their head, ¡°I don¡¯t work with the programming for the computers that deal with this; higher ups in programming do. However, I imagine that if King Decon wanted that variety of thinking, if He wanted to preserve the imagination of his tools so that they¡¯d be more effective?¡± They shrugged, ¡°Then I have no doubt that there¡¯s some mechanism to allow for such variation in the system.¡± ¡°I see.¡± TO said. ¡°Unless there was a fault in the system.¡± PQ12 said, then quickly turned back to their computer, ¡°Not that there would be.¡± TO was about to ask what they meant but before they could get the words out the door to the lab opened, and PQ03 stepped in. Remembering what PQ12 had said about keeping to themselves, they fell silent and stood to attention. ¡°Ah. You¡¯re here.¡± they said. They looked them over, their eyes lingering on the goggles. ¡°I can assume that, despite your visit to medical, you¡¯re ready for work today?¡± ¡°Yes Officer.¡± ¡°Very good.¡± they said. ¡°We¡¯ll be checking for faults in the older specimens.¡± They looked at PQ12, ¡°Will you be accompanying me?¡± ¡°I have reports to follow up on.¡± they said simply as their ears drooped down. ¡°No matter. If there¡¯s a problem, it¡¯ll be brought back here.¡± ¡°I know.¡± they said, their voice subdued and quiet. PQ03 didn¡¯t notice it because they were already heading to the door, but TO caught PQ12¡¯s tone, and saw their ears. ¡°I¡¯m sure we will return before I have to leave for the day.¡± TO said before chasing after PQ03. TO thought that maybe PQ12 would miss the chance for conversation, and that made their ears droop so much; that made them sound so sad. Oddly, their promise to return didn¡¯t seem to cheer them. Episode 28: Costs PQ03 kept their implant active, projecting readings and x-rays in the air before them. They were on a floor that held all child-synths that would one day be given designations with the letter R in them. TO walked behind PQ03 as they made their way past the rows of tanks, checking each synth as they passed. ¡°If left to their own devices,¡± PQ03 said, "these synths would not be properly mature for another 10 cycles¡± their eyes flicked over the readings as they checked off all the vitals. ¡°Our technology allows them to go from activation to mature in the course of a single cycle, while time dilation technology on the brains allows them to develop mentally at the proper rate.¡± Though TO was interested, they were only half listening. The babies were adorable, but the children had their own charm; TO never got over how large their eyes were, or how their ears were so much bigger than their heads. Apparently, the ears grew to their full length and width by the time they would be considered children, and would look huge and floppy until they were adults. It took everything that TO had to keep from chirping at the sleeping children when their ears started to swish and flick in the tanks. A few times they couldn¡¯t help it, and the chirping came from the back of their throats, earning them strange looks from PQ03, though they didn¡¯t seem particularly bothered by it. ¡°This one needs more iron in their blood.¡± PQ03 muttered as they went through the readings.¡°I¡¯ll have that dealt with.¡± ¡°Yes. I see. The claws on this one are smaller than the others.¡± PQ03 frowned and turned to look at TO. ¡°What?¡± ¡°On last few with low iron, the claws on their feet were smaller than those who didn¡¯t have the same issue.¡± They frowned, ¡°Did you not notice that.¡± PQ03 looked at the claws of the synth in the tank they were checking, then checked the one in the previous tank. ¡°Well.¡± They said, ¡°I never noticed that before.¡± They gestured to the screen, ¡°I normally just read the reports.¡± ¡°It¡¯s just something I noticed¡± TO said, suppressing a grin as their ears twitched happily. PQ03 tilted their head at TO, ¡°You¡¯re very observant.¡± TO smiled, their ears flushing at the praise. Yes, their eyes and head had hurt horribly yesterday, but now that was over with. They had goggles, and they were seemingly very good at this job! They were impressing PQ03, they were learning a lot, and they were being useful! Also, though PQ12 couldn¡¯t be a companion for GiDi, they had found someone they could risk asking strange questions. Someone who might give them answers. They hoped that they would be assigned to work here after their planetary assignment. Maybe they¡¯d work here with GiDi or DH. They went to the next synth down the line, and PQ03 initiated the scan. A blue light washed over the synth while TO watched, looking at their little toes, the tiny little claws sticking out from the soft round pads at the end of their toes. This one had the widest ears they had seen yet, which waved placidly back and fourth in the tank. They were content, and happy. TO wondered what they were dreaming about. What kind of life did they have in the tank? Were they generally happy? Had they themselves been happy when they were this small? Had they been this cute when they were this small!? So far, every child in the tanks had been adorable so logic dictated that they had in fact been just as adorable. Maybe they¡¯d ask PQ12 if there were scans, pictures, or videos of them when they were children. Their thoughts were disrupted by a low hum from PQ03. They looked over the scans, frowning. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. ¡°Is something the matter?¡± TO asked. ¡°Perhaps.¡± They said. They turned away from the synth, and displayed the scan and x-ray of a younger synth. ¡°What¡¯s this.¡± ¡°This is the same synth, taken two spans ago.¡± They frowned as they moved to give TO some space, ¡°You¡¯re observant. See if you can find anything.¡± TO leaned in and started examining the x-ray. They hadn''t looked at the other x-ray yet but they knew they would get to it in a moment. Right now, they had to focus. They knew that PQ03 was expecting them to see something, so something was there; TO just had to look for it. They scanned through everything, their eyes examining every bone, every organ, the formation of the toes and fingers, the size of the stomach, the three lungs- It was in the lungs that they found it; a tiny dot in the single, larger posterior lung. At first they thought that maybe it was a flicker of the holograph, or even a flaw in the scan. They removed their goggles and took a closer look. When they were certain of what they saw, they put their goggles back on and stood upright to face the officer. ¡°A spot.¡± They said. ¡°On the posterior lung.¡± ¡°You see a spot?¡± The frowned, ¡°Where?¡± TO pointed to the spot, ¡°There. Do you not see it?¡± PQ03 gave a heavy sigh, ¡°I do now.¡± They said, ¡°I should have seen this when I first did the scan.¡± ¡°I was certain that there was something there,¡± TO said, ¡°since you asked me to find it. Otherwise I¡¯d not have seen it.¡± They frowned. ¡°Why?¡± PQ03 shifted the hologram in front of TO so that they could see the most recent x-ray. The single, tiny spot had grown in the last two cycles; It was far bigger, and it¡¯s shape very irregular. There were several more spots scattered through the lung; some were attached, some that weren¡¯t. ¡°Cancerous growths.¡± they said. ¡°A side effect of the accelerated aging.¡± TO¡¯s ears dipped down as they looked back to the scan, then to the synth in the tank. They didn¡¯t look like they were in pain or distress. ¡°Well, that¡¯s a shame.¡± PQ03 said, their eyes narrowing, their ears pinning back in irritation ¡°A waste of two cycles of resorces.¡± They reached down to the control box in the back. ¡°What do you mean?¡± TO asked. ¡°Just what I said.¡± They responded. ¡°If I had caught this eariler, then this synth could have been repurposed cycles ago.¡± They pressed a button on the control panel. Each synth had a little box on the back of their neck; it picked up signals from the brain and helped provide feedback for the computers that guided the brain¡¯s development. As PQ03 pressed the button, a red light started to glow and blink on the box. ¡°What¡¯s that.¡± ¡°Just a warning.¡± they said as they adding something to a report. ¡°In case I pushed it by accident.¡± ¡°But what does it do?¡± TO didn¡¯t have to ask; a second later they saw what they button did. The box on the back of the little synth¡¯s neck jolted, and the synth suddenly tensed up for a fraction of a second. It¡¯s ears pinned back, It¡¯s eyes twitched, then all at once it went limp. The control panel stopped it¡¯s function, and a red light illuminated on that instead. PQ03 reached forward and pressed another series of buttons. A moment later, the tank was pulled into the wall behind it. The tanks next to the now empty spot shifted to fill it, and it was almost as though there had never been a little synth with huge twitchy ears, and tumors in their posterior lung. ¡°Come on then.¡± They said as they started back down the way they came. They made a final note in their report, then closed off the program. The hologram in the air disappeared. TO didn¡¯t move. They stood, staring at the place where there had once been a synth. Reprocessed. ¡°Why¡­¡± The word came out without TO being able to think about it. They shouldn¡¯t have said it, but something in their mind was flailing against what had just happened. ¡°Why what?¡± ¡°There¡¯s treatments, aren¡¯t there?¡± TO asked, ¡°Or potential transplants, or-¡° PQ03 sighed as they turned back to TO. Their ears were slightly down, their lips pursed ¡°Look.¡± They said, ¡°I get it. I hate it too.¡± TO felt the relief flood through them as they heard that; PQ03 had gone about the process of killing the child with such clinical indifference that it had almost scared them. ¡°You do?¡± ¡°Of course!¡± PQ03 said, ¡°But we have to consider the sunk cost fallacy.¡± ¡°The...What?¡± ¡°Basically, even though we¡¯ve put so many resources into something, is it worth continuing to put resources into it if its defective?¡± They gestured to where the synth was. ¡°The material cost of treatments, a new lung, the added labour to ensure that the transplant and the treatments were effective would all be far more costly in every sense than just reprocessing that particular synth and starting over. When you take into consideration that most likely¨Cgiven the advanced stages we saw here¨C this synth would have had more tumors later on anyway in different parts of its body; this was the best option.¡± they shrugged. ¡°It¡¯s far less wasteful to start over and reprocess what we can than it is to try to fix the problem in this case.¡± That feeling, like their mind had broken in two and was struggling against itself came back to TO. It was so strong that they nearly felt dizzy. Yes, what PQ03 had said was logical, and the part of their mind that recited the practiced, logical arguments said that it was better this way. The other part of their mind just screamed that this was wrong. There was no argument, no logic; just the certainty. ¡°Come on now.¡± PQ03 called over to them, ¡°I know you like looking at the small ones, but we have to prepare for autopsy and organ harvesting while the body is still fresh.¡± TO wanted to say no. They wanted to run. They wanted to run away as fast as they could, find DH and GiDi, and just hold onto them. ¡°09T07?¡± TO took a deep, steadying breath. They remembered what C12 had said. They¡¯d be safe, so long as they followed orders. Episode 29: Shattered After the body was dealt with, TO was allowed to leave the lab for the day. It was a little early, but TO hadn¡¯t been able to hide how upset they were due to their ears and PQ03 seemed irritated by that. At least they had managed to do their job. TO threw the smock and gloves they had been given for the dissection into a disposal shaft in the wall as they practically fled the laboratory. They wanted to pretend that this day had never happened, that they hadn¡¯t been involved. They wanted to pretend they hadn¡¯t helped! All through the thing it had been hammered into TO that this was how things were done; that this was best, that this was efficient. They didn¡¯t care. They hated it. Did King Decon even know about all this? TO was certain that He had to, of course; they were even sure they had decreed this sort of action. But did they know how it was done? ¡°Are going to be ok?¡± PQ12 asked as they followed them out of the lab. Thankfully, PQ12 hadn¡¯t seemed upset by how TO had reacted, and had even offered to do some of the harder jobs for them. ¡°No.¡± TO said, their voice shaking. They could still see the child; There were two images in their head; the adorable synth with the big ears floating in the tank, and then the lifeless body on the table. They looked around the main floor, looking at the other young synths in their tanks. Any one of them could be next. Any one of them, denied treatment and reprocessed¨C Killed. ¨C so that they didn¡¯t waste more resources than absolutely necessary. PQ12 was silent. ¡°I don¡¯t like that part of the job.¡± They said. ¡°I know.¡± TO said in a voice that was almost too soft to hear. PQ12¡¯s reaction had been the only comfort that TO had had during the procedure. Their ears had been low as well, and their eyes seemed to stare off into nowhere, looking past what was actually happening. TO wished that they could have done that. They supposed that was why PQ03 was only irritated by TO¡¯s reaction, and not actually angry; they were used to it from PQ12. Anyway, regardless of how they had felt, they had done as they were told. They had done their job. They¡¯d be safe. ¡°It¡¯s¡­¡± PQ12 took a deep breath, ¡°If that hadn¡¯t happened¡­ They probably would have just suffered a lot until they died.¡± They said. ¡°I saw the x-rays.¡± ¡°I know.¡± TO said. Yes, they didn¡¯t like that the child had just been repossessed because of something that wasn¡¯t even their fault! They didn¡¯t like seeing the child killed so easily, and they wouldn¡¯t have wanted to try something, but they could understand that. They couldn¡¯t understand how the body had been torn apart later. They couldn¡¯t understand how PQ03 could be so cold as they picked over the organs. They couldn¡¯t shake how they had helped. Cutting, sawing, picking, pulling- ¡°They¡¯d never have passed training.¡± PQ12 said, pulling TO from their swirling thoughts. ¡°The treatment would have caused an array of other problems, and -¡° ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter.¡± TO said. They didn¡¯t want to talk about this. They didn¡¯t want to think about this. They just wanted to go. ¡°It¡¯s bad luck that you found one like that.¡± they said. ¡°It¡¯s unlikely to happen again while you¡¯re here.¡± TO didn''t respond. They clutched at their arms, holding themselves. They wanted to find DH and GiDi. Of course, when TO found them they¡¯d want to know what was wrong, and that would mean retelling the whole thing. ¡°You did very good though.¡± PQ12 continued, ¡°You managed to-¡± ¡°Please.¡± TO said. ¡°Might I be dismissed.¡± There was silence between them, and for a moment TO was worried that perhaps they had offended PQ12, but then they realized that they didn¡¯t care. A small part of TO even tried to bully them into caring; You might get corrected. You might get repurposed. That was bad, yes, but it was hard to care about it right now. ¡°Of course.¡± PQ12 said after a moment, ¡°I¡¯ll see you tomorrow.¡± TO nodded and hurried out of the lab as fast as they could without running. ======== The thought of food made them feel sick, so they didn¡¯t bother to go to the cafeteria. They sent a quick message to GiDi and DH through their implant to tell them that they¡¯d meet later on. They didn¡¯t specify where or when as they didn¡¯t know when they¡¯d be able to see them. They needed to let their mind settle. They needed to be able to close their eyes and not see the young synth. They needed to be able to listen and not hear the sound of the scalpel cutting through skin. If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. They ran to the showers. Though their uniform was clean they still threw it into the laundry: it stank of the disinfectant they used in the labs and made TO feel sick. Even after their uniform was gone and they stood naked before the rows and rows of standing shower heads they could still smell disinfectant and plastic gloves. They went into the nearest shower, cranked on the hot water and stood under the spray scrubbing at their hands viciously with the exfoliating cloth until they had scraped away a layer of skin from the knuckles. As they looked down at their raw, bleeding hands, It occurred to them that they had scrubbed too hard. It was agonizing to try to slow down as they scrubbed the rest of themselves. They wished they could just peel a layer of skin off as easily as they had the smock or their uniform, and just throw that away. Instead, all they could do was throw their attention into slowly and meticulously scrubbing every inch of skin. They heard the door to the showers open. With equal parts hope and dread they turned to see if it was DH, or GiDi, or maybe even both! It was neither. They looked away quickly as 55H70 entered the showers. TO hadn¡¯t seen them since the combat simulation. To be fair, 55H70 hadn¡¯t said much at the time; they had just followed along with Q10. Still, they had all avoided one another since that day as per their agreement. TO had been grateful for that. Still, TO didn¡¯t want to speak to 55H70. They didn''t want to speak to anyone. Not today, not now. ¡°It is odd that you¡¯re here alone.¡± They said as they approached one of the showers near TO. Behind them, TO could hear other synths starting to file in for their shower. They hadn¡¯t realized they had been in here so long. They had hoped to be showered and gone before most of the other synths finished their meal and came to the showers, but clearly they had wasted too much time. They frowned and quickly started to rinse off; They didn''t want to be here anymore. ¡°I figured you¡¯d spend all your time with the others.¡± They said when TO didn¡¯t respond . ¡°I figured you¡¯d leave me alone.¡± TO snapped, ¡°That was supposed to be our prize for beating your team in that combat simulation.¡± ¡°I mean no harm; I am simply expressing surprise at your unexpected and solitary presence.¡± They said. ¡°The three of you are hardly ever alone, so it is surprising. Though, it¡¯s less surprising than if 45G70 was on their own.¡± It took TO a moment to realize they were referring to GiDi. It had been so long since they had referred to them as anything but GiDi that the use of their designation had thrown them off. ¡°GiDi.¡± They muttered as they turned to rinse the soap off of their wings. ¡°I see.¡± They said, a light frown overcoming their features as they turned away ¡°I am surprised¨C and in fact pleased¨C that you have not been corrected.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure.¡± ¡°I consider your existence to potentially be a net boon for King Decon. Not so much the others¡± They said, ¡°The small one ¨CGiDi, you said?¨C Especially not them.¡± ¡°You¡¯re to leave me alone!¡± TO snapped as they spun to face them. There was far more venom in their voice than they had wanted to, and their ears had pinned back against their head. The showers fell silent save for the sound of water rushing from the shower heads as the others turned to see what was happening. They hadn¡¯t realized how much they had raised their voice. 55H70 took a step away from TO, their ears pinning back, their hands tightening into fists. They took a defensive stance. They weren¡¯t angry, they were simply defensive and prepared. TO took a deep breath, and turned away from the other synth. They quickly turned off the shower and hurried to the exit; they didn¡¯t want to fight, they didn¡¯t want to interact. They wanted to be left alone. ¡°I am simply looking to help King Decon in the long term.¡± 55H70 said, ¡°45G70 may simply not be physically suitable for service. They may be repurposed. You should be prepared for that. You appear to become emotional over small things. If that were to happen and you were unprepared, I hold concern that it might affect your future productivity, and ability to serve.¡± They tilted their head, ¡°I am trying to help. The image of GiDi, dead, laying on a table and being carefully dissected was too much. What was probably worse was the tone that 55H70 had as they spoke of this. They weren''t taking joy in telling TO this, and there was no malice in them - that much it was easy to see. They spoke with indifference. ¡®Emotional over small things,¡¯ they had said. Did they consider that GiDi being repurposed was a small thing? They were ¡®trying to help.¡¯ Did they really think they were helping by saying that GiDi might get repurposed? Arguments about sunk costs and long-term gains ran through their head. They could smell disinfectant. They could feel the gloves on their hands. They turned, and took three long steps towards the other synth. They flexed their hands, extending out their sharp, pointed claws. They¡¯d rip their tongue out of their mouth. 55H70 would never say such things - or anything- ever again. They were only another step away when they felt someone pull on their arm and hold them back. They spun, lifting their hand to strike. They didn¡¯t care- they felt so done, so finished with everything. They wanted to scream, they wanted to pull someone apart! Their claws froze in mid-air: it was DH. They were still in their uniform which was growing slightly damp from the droplets of water from dozens of running showers. GiDi was behind them, watching wide-eyed. Had Gidi heard what was said? TO didn¡¯t know. TO tried to pull their arm from DH¡¯s grip, but DH held tight and pulled TO out of the shower room and into the changing room. There were still other synths there, changing out of their uniforms and preparing for their showers. ¡°Where''s your uniform.¡± DH asked, looking around. ¡°I sent it to be cleaned.¡± GiDi came over with a robe, draped it over TO¡¯s shoulders, and helped get their wings through the slots in the back. ¡°No flight practice today?¡± DH asked. ¡°No.¡± TO said as they tied the robe around them and headed for the door, anxious to get away from all the eyes on them. ¡°Should we go back to our dormitory then?¡± ¡°You can if you want.¡± they said. They rushed out of the changing room and into the hallways, nearly knocking over another synth on the way. ==== The hallways were so cold in comparison to the showers that TO started to shiver. Even though the hallways were normally kept at a comfortable level of brightness, without the steam to soften the glare of the lights it all felt too bright, too sharp. The clean light-grey walls seemed almost sterile, and it made TO uncomfortable. The steam in the showers had been almost comforting and if it hadn¡¯t been for the other synths in there, TO could have stayed there for hours. At least the halls were empty. They tried to think of where they could go that wouldn''t be any as many people around . No. Not people. Tools. Synths. Disposable. To be discarded, even as children before they had done anything wrong if random chance affected their physical health. The door to the shower room opened behind them, and heard DH and Gidi running to catch up. DH grabbed them by the arm and spun them around. ¡°TO!¡± they snapped, their ears pinned back and their eyes narrowed, ¡°What was that all¡­ about¡­¡± they trailed off as they saw TO¡¯s face; their ears sunk low as they leaned forward, putting a hand on TO¡¯s arm. The anger and irritation in their expression melted away them as concern filled their eyes. TO looked aside, their ears flushed. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. It¡¯s nothing.¡± they said, ¡°It¡¯s-¡° Before TO could make any excuses, DH pulled them into their chest and gave them a tight hug. GiDi came up next to them and rubbed their arms for a moment before they wrapped their arms around TO as well. ¡°You look¡­ You look like you just¡­¡± They shook their head, unable to come up with a way to describe it. ¡°You look shattered.¡± GiDi said quietly. DH only nodded. ¡°That¡¯s the only way to put it.¡± DH whispered. ¡°What happened.¡± ¡°Please.¡± TO muttered as they allowed their friends to hold them, ¡°I don¡¯t¡­ I really don''t want to talk about it.¡± ¡°But if we don¡¯t know-¡° ¡°Please! Please, I -¡° they choked on their words, and unable to stop themselves they started sobbing into DH. TO didn¡¯t know where they were being taken; they didn¡¯t pay attention as GiDi and DH pulled them away and into an empty room somewhere. They sat on the floor with TO who could only cry as their friends sat with them, holding them tight and sharing scared, confused looks. Episode 30: Nightmare It felt like a long time before TO could speak again. Everything that they had held inside themselves from the moment the tiny little synth had been killed had poured out in strangled sobs and hot tears. They hadn¡¯t been able to explain anything and thankfully, DH and GiDi hadn¡¯t asked them to; they had been content to just sit with TO and hold them. DH held them tightly against their chest, and GiDi had their wings wrapped around the two of them. Now that they were calmer, TO was worried that they would insist that TO tell them what happened. They really didn¡¯t want to tell them about everything. They didn¡¯t think they could. ¡°TO¡­¡± DH said softly as they gently scratched the back of TO¡¯s head, ¡°Are you in danger.¡± ¡°No.¡± TO said, their voice is soft and weak. ¡°Are we in danger?¡± ¡°No. Not as far as I know.¡± ¡°...Why were you going to attack 55H70.¡± TO shook their head, ¡°It¡¯s irrelevant.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not!¡± DH said, their voice rising, ¡°You chide me about keeping quiet, about staying safe! What would have happened if you had actually attacked another synth? You had your claws out! You wanted to hurt them!¡± ¡°I¡­¡± They shook their head. ¡°I had a very¡­ Hard day. They said something that didn¡¯t help.¡± ¡°What did they say.¡± TO shook their head into DH. ¡°TO¡­ Please.¡± They lifted up TO¡¯s head and turned them so they had to look at DH; their eyes big and worried, their ears twitching with concern. ¡°Tell us.¡± TO let their eyes fick to GiDi, ¡°They said that they thought that we could still be reprocessed If we didn¡¯t perform well in Combat Training.¡± DH frowned, ¡°They¡¯re not supposed to be bothering us.¡± DH said, ¡°I mean, they said if we beat them in the simulation, they¡¯d leave us alone.¡° ¡°They weren¡¯t trying to be a bother. I honestly don¡¯t think they were trying to start anything.¡± TO said. They clutched at DH. ¡°I almost wish they had been.¡± Hearing 55H70¡¯s cold voice say those things had been so much worse than if they had been nasty about it. At least then TO would know that they were only saying it to bother them. ¡°But still. That¡¯s what made you bring out your claws?¡± ¡°DH.¡± TO said, ¡°I saw something horrible today. I participated in something horrible today. I feel sick from it.¡± They looked at DH, their eyes big and pleading, ¡°They said something that brought it back up. That upset me. Please don¡¯t ask me more right now.¡± TO reached up and wiped the remains of tears away, sniffing gently. After a moment, DH pulled them back against their chest. ¡°Will you tell us when you can?¡± GiDi asked. ¡°I will.¡± TO said, ¡°But¡­ Just not now. Please.¡± ¡°Are you going to be ok for tomorrow?¡± DH asked. Tomorrow. TO¡¯s ears almost seemed to shudder, and they felt like a heated piece of metal had been dropped into their stomach. They had entirely forgotten that they had four more days of work in the labs. The thought made them sick, and caused their breath to hitch. ¡°We need to get TO out of the labs.¡± GiDi said, ¡°They can¡¯t go back.¡± ¡°Maybe a minor injury?¡± DH suggested, ¡°A bad ankle, or-¡° ¡°No.¡± TO muttered. ¡°No. NO! I have to do this.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t!¡± DH said, ¡°Look at you, you-¡° ¡°I can!¡± TO said, sitting upright, ¡°I can and I will! I will go back, I¡¯ll do my job, I won¡¯t be corrected, I won¡¯t be sent away and NONE OF US ARE BEING REPROCESSED!¡± Their voice echoed through the room. It was only now that TO looked around to figure out where they were; an old supply room. Sealed crates were neatly stacked around them, and the dust that was normally kept away from all other parts of the training center covered every surface. At least they were alone. ¡°None of us are being reprocessed.¡± DH agreed. They let TO sit up, but they kept their hand firmly on their shoulders. ¡°We¡¯re going to be fine.¡± TO shook their head and leaned against DH and GiDi. They weren''t going to be fine. ¡°What if we get sick.¡± Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. ¡°We¡¯re halfway through our training.¡± DH said. ¡°We won¡¯t be reprocessed unless we get really really sick. And that¡¯s not common.¡± ¡°It would have to be something really bad.¡± GiDi added. ¡°Or if we don¡¯t pass our training.¡± TO said. DH pressed their face to the top of TO¡¯s head, ¡°That won¡¯t happen, not with you around.¡± They said, ¡°You tend to keep us working hard and on top of our training.¡± TO wasn¡¯t sure anymore. In their head they were considering the cost of their upkeep and their training. What was a synth worth? Individually, what were each of them worth? How sick could they get before treatment wasn¡¯t considered an effective use of resources? The logic part of their mind said that that was how it was supposed to be. It said that it was best for them, for every synth, and for the galaxy as a whole. But TO didn¡¯t want to die. They didn¡¯t want GiDi or DH to die. The thought of any of them spread out on a table, their organs being picked over like parts being scavenged from an old machine... They thought of the child again, and the tears came back. ===== It was very late when they made their way back to the dormitory. It had been decided that it was best to let TO rest where they were, and to head back when most everyone else would be asleep. GiDi and DH also wanted to stay with TO throughout the night, but TO insisted that it was needless. ¡°It will be crowded.¡± They insisted. ¡°Uncomfortable. We won¡¯t sleep well.¡± They forced a smile, ¡°Like the time we all fell asleep after the combat simulation. We ached the whole next day.¡± As TO climbed into their bunk, they wished that they had gotten one of their neighbours to move so that they could keep GiDi closer to them. They hadn¡¯t been able to think of a good reason to ask anyone yet, so GiDi still had their pod further down the hallway. They¡¯d try tomorrow. They didn¡¯t know who they¡¯d talk to, but they¡¯d get someone to move, somehow. They wanted GiDi to be closer so they could keep an eye on them; so they could have them close; so that GiDi could more easily reach out if they needed help. They crawled into their pod and pulled off the now dust covered robe, sending it to laundry as they crawled under the blankets. ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re ok to be alone?¡± DH asked quietly from their bunk. ¡°I¡¯m sure.¡± TO said. Even if they weren¡¯t, they had to do this. Other synths could do this just fine; there was no reason why they couldn¡¯t. They could be just as strong, even if they had spent most of the last part of their day sobbing over a dead child synth. Most others could deal with that. Most others could take comfort in the logic, and in the knowledge that they were working for something greater than themselves. They excelled in everything else, why were they having so many problems now? ¡°Alright.¡± DH said quietly, ¡°But¡­ If you change your mind, wake me.¡± ¡°Aright¡± ¡°Promise me!¡± They said, ¡°I don¡¯t care what time it is, wake me. Promise?¡± TO couldn¡¯t help but smile at DH¡¯s concern. ¡°I promise.¡± They said. ¡°Alright. Sleep well.¡± ¡°Sleep well.¡± The barrier closed, and TO was left alone with their thoughts. The memories of the day and images of the dead synth on the table lingered as exhaustion pulled them into sleep. ======== DH was on the table. With clinical coolness, TO went about the process of cutting them open to categorize the organs. They had to decide what was usable as is, and what had to be broken down further to have any use. DH was of course dead in this dream, but even so they stared up at TO, their eyes huge and wide with fear, their ears limp. They pleaded silently as their mouth moved but no words came out. ¡°Vocal cords must be damaged.¡± TO heard themselves say in a cold, indifferent tone, ¡°That¡¯ll have to be reduced to proteins.¡± ¡°What about the eyes?¡± GiDi asked next to them. They had been alone until that very moment, and in the dream it seemed like GiDi had just appeared there in a smock, with plastic gloves over their hands. ¡°Do you think the eyes are useful?¡± TO looked, examining the eyes that were filled with tears. They were so big and wide and scared; It reminded TO of the child in the tank, and how big their eyes had seemed compared to their head. ¡°Maybe.¡± They said carelessly. ¡°We¡¯ll do further testing on them when we¡¯ve removed them¨C See how they function without being attached to that brain.¡± ¡°The heart looks strong.¡± GiDi said as they peered over TO¡¯s shoulder into the pulsing, bloody cavity of DH¡¯s chest. ¡°Good lungs too.¡± With machine-like efficiency, TO worked at carefully cutting out the still beating heart. They hardly blinked as they lifted it from DH¡¯s chest cavity and placed it into a canister for preservation. ¡°Onto the next step?¡± GiDi asked. ¡°Of course.¡± TO said. There was a blink, a skip in time, and TO themselves were strapped to the table. DH and GiDi were hovering over them, cutting open their chest cavity. ¡°It¡¯s a shame we cannot preserve this one¡¯s brain.¡± DH said, their tone so much flatter and colder than they were used to, ¡°They are quite exceptional in terms of learning, versatility, problem solving-¡° ¡°They cannot do the work required of them,¡± GiDi said. ¡°They¡¯ll break one day anyway. Best to stop wasting resources.¡± ¡°Correct.¡± DH said, ¡°Cut the losses, harvest the organs.¡± They cut into TO, pulling apart their narrow ribcage with a sickening crunch. TO tried to scream in pain and fear. They tried to scream at them to stop but the muscles around their neck were so tense that they couldn¡¯t make a sound. The screams lived and died in their throat, their three vocal cords vibrating uselessly. Finally, they managed a noise. A strangled screech that hardly sounded like any sound a synth would make. DH and GiDi looked at them, confused. Then they woke. The noise they had managed to make in their throat pulled them from sleep and left them scared and confused, looking around the dimly illuminated pod. Their heart was thrumming like it was trying to escape their chest, and their jaw ached from how they had been clenching the muscles. They were shaking all over, and it was hard to catch their breath. A dream. They had known it was a dream while they were dreaming, but that hadn¡¯t helped. ¡°Just a dream.¡± They muttered to themselves, ¡°Stop being so foolish. Just a dream. Just a dream. They lay back down to try to sleep again but as soon as they closed their eyes they saw the image of the tiny synth in the tank, the tiny synth on the table, and the images from their dream all flashed through their head. They sat up again, shaking. They turned and hit the button to open the barrier. Everyone else in the dormitory was asleep; all the barriers, closed. They didn¡¯t bother to check the time, but TO knew it was very very late. They reached down and hesitated only for a moment as they knocked on DH¡¯s barrier. They waited, and knocked again. Nothing. They knocked once more, deciding that if DH didn¡¯t wake up, well, at least they had tried to keep their promise, and they¡¯d have to just try to shake this off and go back to sleep, like a proper synth. DH¡¯s barrier opened. TO heard DH¡¯s sleepy voice echo out through the quiet Dormitory. ¡°TO?¡± ¡°DH.¡± They said, their voice so quiet and soft. They felt foolish and scared and shaken all at once, ¡°I-¡° Their voice cracked and cut off as the pain from the silent screaming, and the effort of holding back sobs silenced them. In a flash, DH had crawled up and into TO¡¯s pod with their blanket draped over their shoulders. As soon as they got in, they reached out and closed up the barrier. ¡°What¡¯s wrong.¡± They asked as they reached forward to put their hand on TO¡¯s arm. TO had a flash of the dream, of DH cutting into their skin. They recoiled then held their hands up to cover their mouth. ¡°I should be better than this.¡± They whimpered. Their ears were limp, and flushed blue with shame. ¡°I thought I was better than this¡­ Despite everything, I thought I could¡­ I thought-¡± DH crawled up to TO, and held them in their arms. Slowly, they lay down with TO. ¡°Now.¡± DH said quietly as their arms and wings wrapped around DH ¡°Tell me what happened.¡± TO couldn¡¯t at first. They tried, but as soon as they started to describe what happened they couldn¡¯t help the tears burn at their eyes, they couldn¡¯t stop their breathing from picking up. DH assured them that they didn¡¯t have to rush. They could take their time. Whenever they started apologizing for being so irrational and emotional, DH immediately shushed them. After a while, TO was finally able to tell DH about the tiny synth in the lab, the dissection that followed, and the terrible, terrible dream that they had had. Episode 31: Late Frantic knocking on the barrier finally woke TO the next morning, dragging them from the most comfortable, most restful sleep they had ever experienced. They were warm, and felt more peaceful than they ever had before. For the first time, they didn¡¯t want to get up right away when they awoke; Normally they were anxious to get out of their pod in the morning, and to see GiDi and DH. Today, they wanted to lay there for a bit longer. The knocking came again. TO groaned and pushed their face into what they thought was a pillow- it ended up being DH¡¯s arm. DH shifted behind TO as they woke, their wings lifting up slightly as they looked about, confused for only a moment until they caught TO¡¯s eyes. ¡°OH!¡± they said, their ears tilting back and flushing blue, ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to stay here, I didn¡¯t mean to fall asleep, I just-¡° ¡°Thank you.¡± TO said. ¡°You¡¯re sure?¡± They asked, detangling their wings from around TO, ¡°I mean-¡° Memories of the previous day flooded back to TO. They felt queasy thinking about what they had experienced in the lab, but somehow being around DH made them feel better. Still, they felt awful at how they had acted, for worrying GiDi and DH, for being so stupid as to almost attack 55H70, not being able to manage their work like a normal synth. ¡°I.. Apologize once again for my¡­¡± They felt their ears flush with shame as they looked away, ¡°My overreactions, I-¡° The knocking came again. TO frowned and pressed the button. The barrier opened and revealed GiDi, looking slightly panicked as they looked in at them. As soon as they saw DH, they released a deep breath, their hand reaching up and resting on their chest. ¡°I didn¡¯t see DH.¡± They said, ¡°I didn¡¯t know where they were and -¡° they looked over TO and DH, and noticed that neither of them had their uniforms on yet. ¡°Did you both sleep in here?¡± They asked as their ears drooped. ¡°I didn¡¯t realize-¡° ¡°Entirely unexpected.¡± DH insisted as they climbed to the foot of the bed. They peeked out of the barrier and looked around. ¡°Where is everyone?¡± ¡°At first meal.¡± GiDi said quickly, ¡°You two slept in!¡± TO and DH exchanged panicked glances, then immediately started moving. DH jumped back into their own pod as TO kicked off their blankets and started dressing. ¡°You¡¯ve never slept in before.¡± GiDi said as they climbed into the pod and helped TO dress by keeping their wings out of the way as TO pulled on their backless uniform. ¡°It was a long night.¡± TO muttered, ¡°I didn¡¯t sleep well.¡± They were about to try to explain what they could to GiDi - They were so late, TO didn¡¯t know if they had time- but as they caught GiDi¡¯s sad expression and their limp ears, they fell silent. They didn¡¯t need to ask what was wrong. Somehow, TO understood immediately. They reached out and pulled GiDi into an embrace, wrapping their wings around them. Without a word, GiDi leaned into TO. GiDi was so small, and they always felt so fragile in TO¡¯s arms. They always felt so light when they fell asleep on them. TO thought of their dream; of the small synth on the table; of what 55H70 had said about GiDi- that they wouldn¡¯t make it through physical training. They were smaller than the rest of them, shorter, and far more slender. They didn¡¯t know what had caused that, but clearly it hadn¡¯t been considered anything necessarily bad while they were developing; they hadn¡¯t been reprocessed. At least, not yet No. They wouldn¡¯t be reprocessed. Even if GiDi couldn¡¯t quite keep up when they got further into their physical training, there was still lots they could do to be useful. They were smart, and though they tended to go off into dazes and let the world pass around them, they were very observant when it counted. Besides that, wasn¡¯t GiDi already being very useful in weapons production? TO would do what they could to make sure they passed their physical training regardless. TO would not let GiDi or DH be reprocessed. The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°TO?¡± GiDi asked as they held onto them. TO loosened their grip, worried that maybe they were hurting them. ¡°Long night.¡± TO said again, ¡°DH was just underneath. It wasn¡¯t planned.¡± They gave GiDi a smile, ¡°If it was, I would have had you here too. I¡¯m going to see that you have a pod next to one of us by the end of the day.¡± They leaned down, pressing their snout to the top of GiDi¡¯s head. ¡°I should have done so sooner. I apologize that I didn¡¯t.¡± ¡°Will you tell me what happened?¡± GiDi asked. ¡°After our work today.¡± TO said, ¡°I promise. I just...¡± They shook their head as they loosened their grip, ¡°I can¡¯t talk about it just before we go about our day.¡± Even now, allowing their mind to skim over the details made TO¡¯s stomach clench, and made it feel like something was pressing down on their neck. They felt their ears drop even as they tried to pull their minds away from their memories. They tried to ignore the painful mix of confusion and shame at their actions, at how they felt. What happened had been logical. It was at the directive of King Decon. A sick, weak synth had no place here so why not get rid of it before it was awake, and save the resources needed to treat it? Why make it suffer more than it needed to? Why not salvage parts? Why did TO feel so awful about it all? Why had they wept so much over it? Why couldn¡¯t they stop thinking about the dissection? Even now, holding onto GiDi their mind couldn''t help but slip back to the sound of a ribcage being cracked open. They felt GiDis bones under their muscle and skin and the fabric of their uniform; far more fragile than they ever imagined before. DH popped their head up. ¡°We have to go.¡± They said, ¡°We¡¯re late. We might have time to eat, but we have to go now!¡± They gave TO a hard look, ¡°And no matter what, after you''re done your training today, you find us.¡± They frowned. ¡°We¡¯ll bring our food right to the platform in the flight training room.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± TO said. They reached for the ladder but DH stopped them, gently clasping their hand around TOs wrist. ¡°Please don¡¯t hide away from us.¡± They said, their voice more quiet this time, ¡°Not when you need us.¡± TO felt their ears flick down again. ¡°I won¡¯t.¡± They muttered as they started to climb down. A troublesome thought filled their head as they made their way to the cafeteria; they knew and accepted that because they were different, some things were harder. Working with other, normal synths was an example. They also needed company or they got lonely and sad. With GiDi and DH around, these things weren¡¯t a problem, and TO could survive; they could function and be productive. They were useful, for now. But how many other jobs would prove difficult because they were strange? How many other jobs would they perform for the glory of King Decon that would make them feel this way? They had been so worried about GiDi and DH, they had been so confident in their ability to excel that they hadn''t worried about themselves. Even if they forced themselves to do the jobs they didn''t want to do, would they be repurposed if they couldn¡¯t handle it? Would they just break if they had to do things like that awful dissection over and over again? If they couldn¡¯t serve, then what was the point of them? ======= It was best to say that TO was having an ¡®off¡¯ day in Physical Training. They were getting into more advanced self defense, and TO often worked with DH or GiDi to practice with set sparring so they could practice specific moves as C12¡¯s assistants paced the room. So far, it was just hand to hand; they used no weapons in sparring yet. TO couldn¡¯t focus. Their hits kept missing, their moves were slow and awkward, and their reflexes were sluggish. Their very poor night of sleep had left them shaken and tired. When they were able to get past sleepiness, they found their minds drifting to the day before; the memories they were trying to forget. Why couldn¡¯t they forget that as easily as they had the other life they supposedly had in the tanks? They were thinking about that when they failed to stop a relatively slow swing from DH, and ended up getting punched in the cheek. They stumbled backwards, nearly falling over more from shock than pain¨C DH had clearly held back at the last minute when they realized they were going to hit TO. ¡°Are you alright?!¡± They asked, their ears twitching madly as they helped TO back up, ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to-¡° ¡°You will focus on me!¡± The synth next to them shouted at GiDi. Each day, they switched partners when they started sparring. Yesterday, TO had worked with one of the other synths that stood around them. Today, it was GiDi¡¯s turn, and apparently, GiDi¡¯s partner didn¡¯t appreciate them being distracted. They turned back, taking up their stance once more. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± TO insisted. They gave DH a quick smile, ¡°I didn¡¯t get hurt, I was just surprised.¡± They glanced around to see if any of the assistants had noticed that. Thankfully, none of them did. They glanced up to see if C12 was watching, but they were looking around the entire room and it was difficult to tell what they might have seen. ¡°You¡¯re not hurt at all?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not.¡± TO assured DH. ¡°...Then I¡¯m sorry for this.¡± They said. Confused, TO turned back to look at them just as DH struck them very hard with a well made fist on the snout. Pain went through their head as they yelped and stumbled backwards before falling to the floor. They reached their hand up to their now throbbing snout, and felt blood pouring from it. As they pulled their hand away the blue blood in their palm drew them back to the dissection. In confusion, they looked up at DH, who looked just as surprised and shocked at TO felt; Their ears were almost limp, and flicking with anxiety. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to hit that hard!¡± ¡°Oh, but you meant to hit me!¡± TO snapped. It hurt to talk, and now they could even taste the blood. ¡°I ¡­ well, I did, but I did it for a good reason, I promise, I-¡° ¡°What¡¯s happened here.¡± One of the assistants said as they marched over. Maybe they wouldn¡¯t have been interrupted if TO had gotten up faster, if they had pulled themselves out of their sudden daze of pain and memories. ¡°It was my fault!¡± DH said as they went to help TO up, ¡°I hit their nose when I wasn¡¯t supposed to!¡± The assistant looked down at TO, ¡°They should have blocked it properl-¡° ¡±We were not actually sparring at the moment. It was entirely my fault!¡± DH insisted. ¡°Shall I take them to medical?¡± They asked, ¡°I would hate to have you burdened with such a trivial task because of my mistake.¡± ¡°Go ahead.¡± The assistant said as they turned away, clearly grateful that it wasn¡¯t their problem to deal with now. They watched GiDi and their partner in their sparring for a moment before moving on. DH and GiDi exchanged quick glances, and GiDi gave them both a quick, almost imperceptible nod. ¡°Come on.¡± DH said as they helped TO out of the training room, ¡°Let¡¯s get you out of here.¡± Episode 32: Snout TO held their hand to their bleeding snout, feeling the blood trickle between their fingers. DH had given them a very good hit, and had they not been in so much pain they might have complimented them on their form. As it was, it was almost reluctantly that TO let DH pull them down the quiet, bright hallways and towards the Medical Bay. ¡°What was that for!¡± they demanded, wincing. It hurt to speak, and the inability to breathe through their snout made their voice sound funny. They could taste blood. Their face felt heavy, and they were certain that their snout was quickly swelling up; the steady humming of their heart could be felt through the hot skin. ¡°I¡¯m really, really sorry for injuring you!¡± DH said, their arm around TO¡¯s shoulders, their ears limp with sorrow, ¡°You don¡¯t think I broke anything, do you? I didn¡¯t mean to hit you that hard, OR right in the snout, but you turned to me just as I was about to land the hit to your face, and - ¡°Why?¡± TO said again, still holding their snout. They pulled their hand away and they could see their palms stained with deep blue blood. It made them think of dissections, and made them feel sick. They decided that they didn¡¯t like seeing blood, and they especially didn¡¯t like it on their hands. DH pulled them into the nearest washroom and brought them to the sink. Blue blood dripped onto the clean white metal as DH found some tissues. They went back to TO and held the tissues to their nose. ¡°Hold this here.¡± They said, ¡°Let¡¯s clean you up before we go to medical.¡± ¡°Why?¡± They demanded again, their voice far more forceful and demanding this time. ¡°Why would you hit me like that?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to!¡± They insisted, their ears flat, their eyes wide and panicked, ¡°I was aiming for your cheek-¡° ¡°Why would you aim for ANY part of my face?¡± ¡°Because you¡¯re tired!¡± They insisted as they put their hands on TO¡¯s shoulder, ¡°You¡¯re not focused. You¡¯re not paying attention, and it¡¯s noticeable! You need to rest!¡± TO looked at DH, their ears pinning back, ¡°So you punched me in the snout!?¡± ¡°Yes?¡± They said, trying to avoid eye contact. They went back to the sink and dampened some tissues. With the most gentle of touches, they started wiping away blood from around TO¡¯s snout. ¡°This way, you can get out of physical training for the rest of the day, and if I hit you hard enough maybe you¡¯ll be excused from your vocational training later.¡± They frowned as they gently pulled TO¡¯s hand away from their snout and blotted away the blood. ¡°That¡¯s what the medic called it, yes? Vocational training?¡± ¡°TO sighed. ¡°Yes... Yes it is. But I can¡¯t just not go to my training.¡± They winced as they spoke. ¡°Stop talking for now.¡± They said. ¡°And you can. You won¡¯t get in trouble. If anyone does, it''ll be me because It¡¯s not even your fault. It¡¯s mine, remember?¡± DH wiped off the rest of the blood, tossing the blue stained tissues into the garbage chute in the wall once they were done. ¡°There.¡± They finally said. ¡°Uniform has blood on it, but there¡¯s not much that can be done about that.¡± They examined TO, looking for any blood they might have missed. When it seemed like they had gotten it all they looked up, ¡°I am sorry. I didn¡¯t want to hurt you this badly. I didn¡¯t want to hurt you at all, but you can¡¯t go back to the laboratory. Not today at least! You need rest. You need a break.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t.¡± They insisted, ¡°We don¡¯t need breaks-¡° ¡°Didn¡¯t you write a whole report for C12 about how an added break at the end of physical trianing would have greater long-term effects?¡± They quirked a brow up at TO, ¡°Didn¡¯t King Decon himself agree with you?¡± ¡°Well yes.¡± TO said, frowning as DH turned their own arguement on them, ¡°But that was different. That was physical-¡° ¡°Well, you¡¯re tired. That¡¯s physical.¡± ¡°I¡¯m only tried because of my own-¡° DH put their hand to TO¡¯s mouth, and it was more the surprise than anything else that silenced them. Well, maybe the pain as well. Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit. ¡°You¡¯re tried because you had to do that dissection.¡± DH said, lowering their voice on the last word, ¡°And it bothered you. That¡¯s not your fault!¡± TO shook their head, but didn¡¯t respond. Other synths did this. Other synths could do their job without being reduced to tears. Without nightmares. Well, at least as far as TO knew. ¡°If I can¡¯t work,¡± They whispered through the pain, ¡°what good am I?¡± DH blinked at them, confused. They frowned, and grabbed more tissues which they set against TO¡¯s nose. ¡°Hold this.¡± DH said as they put their arm over TO¡¯s shoulder. They held TO tightly for a moment, and then led them out of the washroom, ¡°You¡¯re good for me.¡± They said, ¡°No matter how useful anyone thinks you are.¡± =========== The Medical Officer was treating another synth for a burn when DH brough TO inside. As theOfficer glanced over they saw that neither of them were in immediate need of assistance, and gestured for them to sit down on a nearby bench. Gratefully, TO sat down, leaning over to try to keep the blood from flowing down their throat while DH kept a careful hand on TO¡¯s shoulder. ¡°I really am sorry I hurt you so much.¡± DH whispered. TO nodded. They were still irritated that they had been struck so hard, but it was difficult for them to be angry at DH. Besides, even if they didn¡¯t agree with their methods, they knew that DH was only trying to help. The synth with the burn was properly patched up and sent off back to work with a bandage around their arm, leaving the Medical Bay without so much as glancing at TO. ¡°You two.¡± The Medical Officer said as they snapped at an examination table, ¡°Over here.¡± DH led TO over to the table and helped them up while TO held the tissues to their nose. Even once TO was sat up on the table, DH stayed near with a hand on their shoulder. ¡°Are you both hurt?¡± The officer asked as they tilted their head in curiosity at DH ¡°I¡¯m not hurt.¡± DH said, ¡°But 09T07 has trouble speaking at the moment, and they need to hold the tissues to their face; they were hit hard in the snout in combat training.¡± The Medical Officer shooed DH out of the way. Without the gentleness that TO had thus far been treated with, the Medical Officer moved TO¡¯s hand away from their face and examined the blood that was oozing from their nose. They ignored TO¡¯s whimper of pain as they pushed their head up to get a better look at their snout. ¡°They got hit, you said?¡± The Medical Officer asked as they roughly examined the swollen and discolored snout. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right.¡± DH said from behind the Medical Officer. Their ears dipped back with guilt, but the officer was too busy examining TO to notice, ¡°Punched.¡± ¡°It was a good punch.¡± The officer commented, ¡°I do not think anything has been broken, but I will not be sure until the swelling has gone down. How long ago has it been since this happened?¡± DH checked their implant for the time, ¡°About¡­ Fifteen minutes?¡± ¡°Has the blood slowed at all?¡± TO nodded, but didn¡¯t say anything. DH could do all the talking while they were in pain. ¡°Well that¡¯s good then.¡± The medical officer said as they pressed around the top of TO¡¯s snout ¡°Any other pains?¡± They asked. TO shook their head as they held back whimpers. The only other pain they were suffering was being caused by the examination! The Medical Officer frowned as they looked over them, then let go of their face as they went to a cupboard where they retrieved a small gel-filled pack. They pressed a button on the back, and it glowed blue. ¡°Put it on your snout.¡± They said as they passed it to TO. It was cold to touch, and TO gratefully put it on their aching snout as they leaned forward to keep the blood out of their throat. ¡°This will lower the swelling, so I can examine the injury better, to ensure there¡¯s no breaks, no chances of infection-¡° ¡°How long will that take?¡± DH asked. ¡°As long as it takes.¡± They raised a brow at DH, ¡°Why.¡± ¡°They have vocational training this afternoon in the laboratories-¡° The officer¡¯s brow quirked up. ¡°Laboratories?¡± They asked. They looked back to TO, ¡°Are you the one that I sent off with goggles for eye strain?¡± TO nodded. The Medical Officer narrowed their eyes at them, their ears pinning back. ¡°Have you been wearing your goggles since?¡± Another nod. ¡°All the time?¡± TO¡¯s ears twitched as they shook their head. They needed to take the goggles off while they were following PQ03¡¯s instructions during the dissection. They felt their body tense up as they remembered that, and quickly tried to press it out of their head. ¡°I¡¯m willing to suggest that you failed to defend yourself from this strike because the eye strain has affected your vision, and your reaction time.¡± They frowned and gave TO a harsh look. ¡°You will stay here today. I need to wait for the swelling to reduce, and you need to rest your eyes so you don¡¯t hurt yourself more seriously in the future.¡± TO noticed that DH¡¯s whole body seemed to relax at that, only to tense up again as the Medical Officer turned to them. ¡°Do you need anything else?¡± They said. ¡°No Officer.¡± They said. ¡°I only wish to report back to physical training. Will 09T07 be alright for physical training tomorrow?¡± They frowned as they looked over TO, ¡°Most likely.¡± They said, ¡°I suspect a minor fracture at worst, but it¡¯s better to make sure.¡± TO felt their own shoulders relax; They hadn''t realized that they were so tense. The idea had filtered through their head that maybe DH had broken something, and it would be considered too troublesome to waste the resources to heal them. They also worried that maybe something had been broken and while that would heal on its own in time, other complications could arise which would not be worth fixing. No. That wouldn¡¯t happen, right? They were not an untrained child synth in a tank. They were an adult synth with training behind them. They were a synth that was excelling. At least, they had been before the dissection. They didn¡¯t feel like they were excelling at very much now ¡°I will report that back.¡± DH said. ¡°See that you do.¡± The Officer said. They turned back to TO, ¡°As for you, stay leaned forward until the bleeding stops, and-¡° While the Officer gave TO their instructions, DH flashed TO a quick smile behind their back, and mouthed, ¡°I¡¯ll tell GiDi¡± to them before they left to go back to training. ¡°-I¡¯ll check the swelling and see if any further treatment is required. Understood?¡± It took TO¡¯s mind a moment to catch up and process what they had said. ¡°Stay forward until the bleeding stops. Hold the pack to my snout. Understood, Officer.¡± The Officer turned away and went to the other side of the Medical Bay to start inputting information into the system, ignoring TO now that their job was done. With their hand to their face, TO allowed themselves to smile; despite the pain, and despite their disappointment in themselves, they were grateful that they didn¡¯t have to go to the laboratory today. Perhaps they¡¯d have to thank DH for punching them in the snout. Episode 33: Sick Day With painkillers in their body and the cold pack on their snout, TO wasn¡¯t in nearly as much pain as they thought they would be in. When the bleeding stopped, the Medical Officer brought TO some sanitized wipes and allowed them to clean themselves up. Blood everywhere. All over their hands.The wipes were stained blue. It was fine. They felt sick. ¡°Your coloration is a little off.¡± The Officer commented as they examined TO¡¯s snout. ¡°Though, I don¡¯t believe that you¡¯ve lost nearly enough blood to cause any problems.¡± ¡°Slightly nauseated.¡± TO admitted. ¡°It is nothing.¡± ¡°Potentially swallowed some blood from the injury.¡± They said carelessly as they finished their work. They gestured to a nearby pail on the floor, ¡°If you must vomit, do it in that.¡± ¡°Yes, Officer.¡± ¡°And you can dispose of it yourself.¡± They said as they walked back to their office just off the exam room. ¡°Understood.¡± TO said. They took up their water bottle and took a few small sips; somehow, they felt like if they ate or drank something that they might feel a little better. It wasn¡¯t just the stomach ache though; they felt wrong, and they didn¡¯t know why. They wanted some water, and some food. They wanted to be with GiDi and DH. They felt like some company would make them feel better. Even if the Medical Officer just decided to work in the exam room, TO thought that that would make them feel a little more at ease. It was getting close to the second meal when one of C12¡¯s assistants brought an injured synth into the Medical Bay. At first, TO was excited; They would have company, and maybe they could ask this injured synth what happened in training. They wanted to know if DH had been disciplined for hurting them or not. If this synth was from the same class then maybe they would have information. When the synth was brought to table next to TO, it was clear that they would not be getting any information. Q10 allowed the assistant to help them up onto the table. They hadn¡¯t even noticed that TO was there yet as they were clutching at their arm and hissing in pain with every small movement. The assistant called out, and the Medical Officer ran in from their office. ¡°What happened?¡± they demanded. ¡°Dislocated shoulder.¡± The assistant said, ¡°Possible chance of muscle damage.¡± The doctor nodded. ¡°I see. Hold them.¡± The assistant did as they were told, holding Q10 by their uninjured shoulder. The Medical officer took Q10¡¯s injured arm in their hands and roughly pushed it back into its socket. An awful cry of pain was ripped from Q10¡¯s throat - lasting only a moment but it seemed to echo in TO¡¯s head for ages after- and then Q10 simply hunched over, holding their arm close to their body as they shook. ¡°That is all.¡± The Medical Officer said to the assistant, ¡°You can leave. I will finish treatment and then send them off.¡± ¡°Understood, Officer.¡± The assistant said as they turned to leave. Wordlessly, the officer turned and went to the cupboards to gather supplies for whatever treatment they intended to give to Q10. It took a moment for Q10 to stop shaking, to look up and around and take in their surroundings. They noticed TO for the first time then. Their ears pinned back, and for a moment they looked like they were going to say something, but instead they looked away as their ears flushed blue. At least Q10 knew better than to bother them. TO looked away, their eyes darting about the empty walls, listening as the Medical Officer looked around. The Officer set a few things on the counter, then went into their nearby storage room. Q10 and TO were alone. For a moment, TO worried that Q10 would now say something- probably make a comment about TO¡¯s nose, or even a comment about GiDi. If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. They were silent. The room was too quiet. Still, even though it was Q10, TO was happy to have someone around; even the unfriendly company that normally put them on edge seemed to make them feel more normal. TO didn¡¯t understand why that was. After another moment and a fierce debate against their own common sense, TO cleared their throat. ¡°Does it hurt?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Q10 hissed, still not looking at TO. ¡°Sorry about that.¡± TO said. ¡°I thought you wanted to be left alone.¡± Q10 snapped, their ears pinning back. They did. They wanted to be left alone. They also hated the awkwardness of the silent room, and they couldn¡¯t get the sound of Q10¡¯s cry of pain out of their ears. They also wanted information. ¡°Simply curious as to what I have missed from being here.¡± They said as carefully as they could. They wanted to sound as though they were feeding a simple curiosity instead of desperately wanting to know if DH was ok. Q10 didn¡¯t look at TO, but after a moment they said, ¡°grappling.¡± ¡°Were there many injuries.¡± ¡°Yes. No others needed medical attention.¡± More silence. After what seemed like ages, the medical officer returned with a small syringe. They set their things down and got to work, putting Q10¡¯s arm up in a sling, then injecting their shoulder with the substance from the syringe. Once the Syringe was held up to the light and TO could see its contents - a blue-green liquid- they realized that they had seen it already in the production labs. PQ12 called it the Accelerator, but it was properly known as the Healing Response Accelerator. For minor physical injuries, it would make the healing time faster so that a synth could get back to their normal duties sooner. It would increase the healing pain though. Once it was all administered, the Medical Officer went back to the counter and displayed a file in the air before them. Even from where they were, TO could see Q10¡¯s proper number across the top. The Officer didn¡¯t bother to read any details, they just scrolled until they found another, larger number near the bottom of the file: 62. TO frowned, then looked away quickly before anyone caught them looking. They hadn¡¯t meant to peek at another synth¡¯s records, they were just curious. They quickly glanced back to the Medical Officer to see if they had noticed. They hadn¡¯t. They were looking at the label for what TO recognized as the painkillers that they had been given earlier. After a moment, they put the painkillers back into the cupboard before they came back to Q10. ¡°You¡¯re done.¡± They said. ¡°Go on. Your vocational training isn¡¯t physically demanding, so you¡¯re fine for that. Rest your shoulder. You will be assigned alternative combat training tomorrow, and back to a normal schedule after that. Q10 nodded and pushed themselves off the examination table, wincing in pain as their arm was jostled. They left the Medical Bay quickly, and as soon as they were gone, the Medical Officer went back to their office. Alone in the quiet room once more, TO could only wonder why Q10 hadn¡¯t been given any pain killers. ====== The Medical Officer gave TO their second meal just before they themselves left the Medical Bay. TO had never seen an Officer in the cafeteria, and they assumed that perhaps the Officers ate in their offices. Clearly, that was not the case. TO sighed and looked down at their food.They had hoped that they¡¯d be able to go to the cafeteria to eat, so that they could find DH and GiDi, but they had been given instruction to stay in the Medical Bay. It was fine, they told themselves. DH was fine. DH wouldn¡¯t be punished for ¡®accidently¡¯ hurting TO. There were plenty of other synths who got injured in combat training, and nobody had been punished as far as TO knew. No. DH was fine. They knew that, it was just a bit of effort to actually convince their mind of that. The anxious knot in their stomach was just starting to loosen, and TO was thinking that they might be able to eat when the door slid open and GiDi burst into the room, followed by an amused looking DH. ¡°Are you ok?¡± GiDi asked as soon as they saw TO. They rushed up to them and put their hands on TO¡¯s cheeks, turning their head so that could see the injured snout. ¡°Ohhh, TO, your snout is all blue and swollen¡° DH flushed and looked away, ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to hit them so hard.¡± they insisted, ¡°I just-¡° ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± TO said as they put their food to the side. ¡°Are you both alright? Nothing bad happened in Physical Training?¡± DH shook their head. ¡°C12 held me back and asked me what had happened. I told them what the medical officer said about eye strain and working in the lab. They seemed unconcerned. TO breathed a sigh of relief. ¡°I was worried you might be disciplined,¡± they said. ¡°For injuring another synth.¡± DH gave a nervous chuckle, ¡°Well, so was I, honestly.¡± Their ears flicked back with guilt as they looked aside, ¡°I didn¡¯t want to say anything¡­ But now that it¡¯s fine, I don¡¯t mind saying I was a little worried. C12 said it would be hard to punish me for this, given their own training methods lead to injury on a daily basis.¡± They passed GiDi a plate of food, and it was only then that TO realized that they had brought their meals with them. They didn¡¯t know why they were surprised by that, but they were. It also made their heart feel like it was swelling up to know that they had gone to the Medical Bay to eat with them. ¡±But you¡¯re not seriously hurt?¡± GiDi asked, looking closer at the swelling nose. They tilted their head at TO, ¡°When DH said you¡¯d be here the whole day, I thought you must be really hurt.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think anything is actually damaged¡± TO said, ¡°But I¡¯m to stay here for the day and rest my eyes.¡± ¡°When DH said you weren¡¯t going back to the lab today, I honestly thought that something really bad had happened,¡± GiDi said quietly. They sat next to TO on the examination table and started eating, their ears twitching incessantly. ¡°Though¡­ I suppose it¡¯s a good thing that you¡¯re not going back?¡± ¡°...You want to know what happened yesterday.¡± TO said, unable to suppress the smile that GiDi¡¯s terrible attempt at being subtle brought to their face. Even if it hadn¡¯t been for GiDi¡¯s terrible subtly, TO knew that if they had seen GiDi react as they themselves had, then they¡¯d want to know exactly what had happened. They would want to know who hurt them. Even thinking about it made their ears pin back slightly. ¡°DH said I shouldn¡¯t ask.¡± They said, their ears flicking down. ¡°They said you¡¯d talk about it when you were ready, and -¡° ¡°It¡¯s ok.¡± TO said. ¡°I¡¯ll...¡± They glanced aside, their ears burning with shame. ¡°It¡¯s stupid.¡± They said, ¡°I shouldn¡¯t be this affected by-¡° ¡°Stop that.¡± DH said as their ears pinned back. ¡°You¡¯re allowed to feel whatever you feel.¡± Were they? TO wasn¡¯t sure. They felt like they could feel what they wanted, so long as it didn¡¯t interfere with their work, and This reaction to the dissection was causing a lot of interference. This was how synths got corrected and reprocessed, wasn¡¯t it? The warnings of C12 and PQ12 rang through their head. So long as they did their work, they¡¯d be fine. They took a deep breath, and started telling GiDi about the dissection. They were grateful that DH had already heard it, because instead of listening, instead of being shocked or surprised, they just sat next to TO with an arm over their shoulders. Episode 34: Pills ¡°It doesn¡¯t seem like there¡¯s anything seriously damaged.¡± The Medical Officer said as they checked on TO later that day. It was just before the last meal of the day, and TO was hoping they¡¯d be able to leave and find DH and GiDi. The Medical Officer tapped a bump on the bridge of TO¡¯s snout, drawing a stifled yelp of pain from them. ¡°This should go away after a while.¡± They said, ignoring the sound, ¡°Try not to get hit in the face again while it¡¯s healing¡± ¡°Am I alright to leave then?¡± TO asked. They were anxious to get out of the Medical Bay. As glad as they were to have been able to skip their training, they found themselves bored in the Medical Bay. Time dragged on, and though the Medical Officer had been there they were not what TO would have called good company. They were too busy throughout the day, and clearly not interested in talking. At one point TO used their implant to try to read up on some bio-tech research that they had been interested in, but the Medical officer had chided them for straining their eyes. TO nearly recoiled as the Medical Officer moved their hands from TO¡¯s snout to around their eyes, taking a good look at the pupils and pulling the eyelids back to check around the edges. ¡°So long as you¡¯re wearing your goggles when you work in the lab.¡± They said, irritated. They turned around and went back to the counter, selecting a bottle filled with the same painkillers that they had given to TO earlier that day. They carefully took out two more of the small white pills, and placed them in a container. ¡°You are allotted two more painkillers.¡± They said. ¡°One to have with your meal, and one before you sleep. It will ensure you get a better night of sleep, and promote healing.¡± TO took the bottle and frowned as they stared at it. They knew that their injured snout wasn¡¯t nearly as bad as Q10¡¯s dislocated shoulder; why didn¡¯t Q10 get painkillers? Why had TO been allowed to stay in the Medical Bay all day while Q10 had just been sent off to their duties? Maybe it was just because TO had been here twice now in the last three days, and that was cause for concern? That was all they could think of. ¡°Is there a problem?¡± The Medical Officer asked. ¡°Oh! No no, sorry.¡± TO said, ¡°Will these have any effect on my cognition?¡± ¡°They will not, so long as you take them as instructed.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± They said as they got up from the examination table. They gratefully stretched their arms and wings; they had been sitting all day and they felt stiff all over. ¡°You¡¯re thanking me?¡± The Officer asked, looking at TO with a clearly confused expression, their ears flicked outwards slightly. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Why? For treating me? Helping my nose and my eyes-¡° The Officer turned away from TO. ¡°It is my job, nothing more.¡± They said, ¡°I require no thanks, I am simply doing the minimum that is expected of me.¡± TO opened their mouth to argue that, but they stopped themselves, nodded, and then left the Medical Bay without another word. Maybe they would have pushed their thanks more if the Medical Officer had been a little more gentle. ====== The empty halls leading towards the cafeteria were quiet, and all TO could hear was the sound of their own feet against the cold grey floor. It was meal time, and everyone was in the Cafeteria, so the silence didn¡¯t surprise them. They wondered if DH and GiDi would be waiting for them outside the cafeteria or not. Well, they¡¯d find out when they got there. They reached into the pocket of their uniform and pulled out the little pills; Painkillers. They didn¡¯t really know if they needed painkillers or not; their nose hurt but it wasn¡¯t unbearable. Taking one before they tried to go to sleep would be a good idea just so that the pain didn¡¯t keep them awake, but they didn¡¯t think it was necessary to have two. This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon. They heard someone heading towards them from around a corner and quickly stashed the painkillers away. A moment later, they saw DH and GiDi turn the corner ahead, carrying their meals. As they saw TO their faces lit up and DH in particular suddenly seemed relieved. ¡°You¡¯re out!¡± GiDi said, rushing towards them, ¡°We were heading to see you!¡± ¡°We didn¡¯t know if you¡¯d be allowed to leave!¡± DH said, ¡°So we got our meals and¡­¡± They trailed off. ¡°Is your snout ok?¡± They asked. ¡°The Medical Officer gave me painkillers for tonight, and said I should be fine so long as I don¡¯t get hit in the face again¡± TO said. DH¡¯s ears sunk down in guilt as they looked away. ¡°Why, how bad is it?¡± GiDi pressed their lips together, but couldn¡¯t stop the snort of laughter that threatened to escape them. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± they said, ¡°It looks like it really hurts but¡­¡± ¡°Your whole nose is blue.¡± DH said, not making eye contact, ¡°Uh, it looks-¡° ¡°It looks bigger too!¡± GiDi insisted. ¡°You don¡¯t have a snout anymore, you have a beak.¡± DH nudged GiDi with their elbow, ¡°I mean, I¡¯m exaggerating, of course.¡± GiDi said quickly, their ears twitching quickly, ¡°Just being dramatic. Obviously, your snout looks nothing like an actual beak.¡± TO frowned and made their way to the nearest washroom, rushing to the mirror so that they could see the damage. ¡°Well.¡± TO said with a careful glance at DH, ¡°I don¡¯t need to worry about you getting through combat training; You have an excellent jab¡± TO¡¯s snout was in fact far bigger than it was normally, protruding outwards from their normally smooth snout; TO could see why GiDi had likened it to a beak. It was bright blue, the bruising spreading over their cheeks and almost up to their eyes. If the color wasn¡¯t so vivid and strangely deep then TO would have looked like they were just constantly blushing. there were darker spots on their nose, clustered around the bridge of their snout that looked very painful - deep dark bruises that seemed to sink deep under the flesh like tiny pools of blood. At the very edge of the bruising there was almost a greenish tint under the pale, white-blue skin ¡°This is going to look a lot worse tomorrow.¡± TO muttered to themselves as they leaned in to better examine their snout. They could already tell that it would be one of those painful, deep bruises that would linger for days. ¡±No wonder the medical officer wanted to double check that nothing was broken.¡± ¡°I¡¯m really sorry!¡± DH insisted as they took a step towards TO, their wings wrapped around them, their ears low ¡°I was only trying to help, I-¡° ¡°I know.¡± TO said as they turned to DH and gave them a quick smile, ¡°I know. Really, It¡¯s ok.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not angry?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not angry. You were trying to help, and¡­¡± they shook their head, ¡°And thanks. I shouldn¡¯t have gotten angry at you. I mean, you did hit me!¡± They glared at DH, ¡°You hit me very hard, actually, but I know you were just trying to help. Still...I should have been able to manage at the lab better than I did.¡± ¡°At least now there¡¯s only three more days, right?¡± GiDi asked, ¡°And then you¡¯re done there?¡± TO nodded. ¡°Right.¡± ¡°And you said that one of your Officers there told you that what happened was uncommon, and that you were unlikely to see it again.¡± TO nodded, but as they thought of it, they wrapped their wings around themselves tightly, ¡°Right.¡± They said, ¡°But¡­ But if I see the kids in the tanks again, I¡¯m going to see the one on the table. If I smell the disinfectant, I¡¯m going to remember it all.¡± Even now they could see themselves cutting into dead flesh, and hear the crack of bones. Their ears fell limp as they held themselves, trying to pull their thoughts away from the dissection. GiDi and DH gave one another a look; a look that told TO that they had been discussing the situation without them. ¡°What?¡± TO asked. DH reached up and gently put a hand on TO¡¯s shoulder ¡°I¡­Look. I know it¡¯s...¡± They trailed off, and looked to GiDi as though they were looking for help. ¡°What?¡± TO asked, suddenly confused, ¡°What is it.¡± ¡°...I¡¯m not saying it wasn¡¯t awful.¡± DH said. ¡°Not at all. I mean, I wouldn¡¯t want to see that. But what you described¡­ TO, that synth wouldn''t have survived.¡± ¡°I know.¡± TO said ¡°I know, I know. I know that! I¡¯ve been told that! But we didn¡¯t even try! They just looked at the kid, and decided that they weren¡¯t worth trying to help!¡± They took a step away from DH, shrugging the hand off their shoulder as they did ¡°And it¡¯s not just that!¡­¡± They trailed off. They could still hear the sound the rib cage made as it cracked opened. That sound would stay with them forever, they knew that. ¡°It wasn¡¯t just that.¡± TO said again, their voice far softer now as they looked away from DH. DH still seemed shocked that TO had pushed them away; their arm was still up in the air, and it was only now that they lowered it. ¡°It was the dissection. Do you know how to felt to-¡° They stopped themselves, their eyes burning with tears. ¡°Do you know what it¡¯s like-¡± They finally managed to hiss, ¡°To pull someone else apart, organ by organ?¡± They shook their head, ¡°No¡­ No you don¡¯t. I don¡¯t want you to do that. I don¡¯t want either of you to have to do that.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± DH said as their ears fell limp, ¡°I just wanted to help.¡± TO stared at the ground for a minute before looking up at DH and GiDi. ¡°Do you think you could have done it?¡± They asked with a soft, tentative voice. They weren¡¯t being rhetorical, they wanted to know. ¡°One of the other officers there, they¡¯re strange too. They¡¯re a lot like me, I think.¡± They glanced away again, ¡°They don¡¯t like the dissections either, but they didn¡¯t react like I did.¡± ¡°...TO, I-¡° DH was suddenly interrupted by the ping of TO¡¯s implant. TO took a deep breath, and pulled their hand up to see what it was. As they read the message, their breath stopped and their ears pinned back with fear. ¡°What is it?¡± GiDi asked as they took a step forward. ¡°.... My Overseer.¡± TO said, ¡°They want to see me. Now.¡± Episode 35: Overseer Each Overseer had their own office, all of which were located by the dormitories. The offices were distinguished by a letter on the door corresponding with the group that each Overseer was responsible for. Though TO had passed the offices every day, they had never had a reason to go inside. Until now. Stomach rolling, TO pressed their implant to the scanner at the door. It took a few moments to process, and in those few minutes TO could only be grateful that they hadn¡¯t had a chance to eat before they got here; they felt like they were going to be sick again, only now they didn¡¯t have a bucket to vomit into. Finally, the panel dinged. TO¡¯s chip read, ¡°Access granted¡± and the door slid open to allow TO inside. Perhaps it was because they were working in the production labs each day that made the office seem so small to TO: They had expected their Overseer to have something grander than the glorified closet that they entered. The office was a simple, small room with the same light grey walls that covered the rest of the training center. A white desk with an interactive surface sat in the middle of the room with two chairs on either side. Over the desk, a hologram of the galaxy -a spiral with three tails- was projected with notes and call numbers all over it. Their Overseer was sitting on the other side of the desk, looking through the files that were being projected before them. ¡°Sit.¡± they said without looking up. TO shakily pulled the chair out and sat down, their wings wrapped tightly around their arms as their Overseer continued to take their notes. TO wished that they hadn¡¯t rushed away from DH and GiDi. The moment they got their summons, they ran to get to the Overseers office. They didn¡¯t think they could wait in fear of what might be waiting for them. They only managed a quick, awkward, goodbye before they took off and It was only now that they were sitting there and waiting that they wished they had taken the time to finish their conversation. What if they were going to be corrected? They knew that was unlikely, but it was still a fear. Yes, they had done their job in the production labs, but they hadn¡¯t reacted well to it. Had PQ03 sent their overseer a message? Maybe their reaction to the dissection, and their overall strangeness had hit some kind of limit. Maybe it was like DH¡¯s programming stuff; If deviance >= (limit) then run(¡°correction¡±) Maybe despite their hard work, they had hit that limit. The overseer finished what they were doing, and gestured with a wave to make the rest of the holograms disappear. They brought up another hologram, and TO could see their call number displayed backwards to them. It was their file;The one that PQ03 had apparently seen when TO had been assigned to production. It looked much like Q10¡¯s file at first glance. Despite the situation, they desperately wanted to see what was written on it. The Overseer glanced through their records, then looked up at TO. Their eyes lingered on TO¡¯s bloodied, swollen snout for a moment before flicking to their ears. ¡°Your medical records have expanded in the last couple of days.¡± They said as the Overseer looked back to the records. ¡°Eye strain, migraine, and now injury.¡± They glanced back up. ¡°Though, according to the Medical Officer, they¡¯re likely all connected to the eye strain.¡± ¡°Y-yes, Officer.¡± TO said. Was that too much damage done to them? Maybe it was strangeness and injury? ¡°My eyes are feeling much better, and I am wearing my goggles in the production labs as requested by the Medical Officer.¡± ¡°I see.¡± The Overseer said. They scrolled through the file, and even from their mirrored view of it, TO could see that they were looking through notes with dates attached. ¡°It has been noted as well that you no longer take your meals in the cafeteria.¡± They glanced up, ¡°Is there a particular reason for that?¡± TO felt their ears twitch with worry, ¡°Should I be in the cafeteria?¡± They asked. ¡°I wasn¡¯t aware it was a requirement.¡± ¡°Where do you go?¡± They asked, not bothering to answer TO¡¯s question. ¡°For the second meal, I return to my pod with D- with 70H67 and 45G70.¡± TO said, the words coming out of their mouth faster than normal. ¡°Why them?¡± The Overseer asked. With an easy gesture they brought up two more files and looked through them quickly. ¡°We study while we eat,¡± TO said, ¡°and discuss our individual research.¡± ¡°Interesting¡­ What do you study?¡± ¡°Lots of things?¡± TO frowned, unsure how to answer. What was the normal answer? No, taking meals away from the cafeteria wasn¡¯t normal to begin with: what was the right answer here? TO didn¡¯t know. ¡°Such as?¡± ¡°Well¡­ I¡¯ve been focused on Biotech.¡± TO said, ¡°45G70 has been looking up ways a mere synth can better contribute to King Decon¡¯s army, and 70H67 has been working on mastering a programming language.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website. ¡°Sometimes we help one another find information if there¡¯s a lot of research materials to go through. After the third meal, we go to Flight Training for extra practice.¡± The Overseer hummed as they looked through the new files they had brought up. ¡°I-Is that a problem?¡± ¡°No¡­ No I think not.¡± They said, ¡°45G70 and 70H67 have improved in their performance since your change in behaviour has been noted.¡± They waved away Gidi and DH¡¯s files and went back to TO¡¯s. They brought up a note that was encircled in red. ¡°There has been a report of aggression.¡± They said. ¡°Aggression?¡± They said, ¡°I¡­¡± they reached up and gently touched their nose, ¡°This was in combat training-¡° The Overseer shook their head as they continued to read the file. ¡°No not that.¡± They said, ¡°I have a separate report on that in your medical file. No, there were reports from three others that you drew your claws on another synth: 55H70. TO froze as they remembered drawing their claws, and those few steps they had taken towards 55H70 back in the showers. They hadn¡¯t even considered that it could be a problem now. ¡°I didn¡¯t hurt them. I didn¡¯t touch them.¡± ¡°You drew your claws.¡± The Overseer said, ¡°You intended to hurt them.¡± TO felt their ears drop. Yes, they had. They had intended to hurt them very badly. They looked away, their ears flushed with shame. ¡°I didn¡¯t hurt them.¡± TO finally said. ¡°Correct; You did not. If you had, we would not be having this conversation¡± TO looked up at the Overseer. They were still focused on their report and paying little attention to TO. ¡°I would like to know why you drew your claws.¡± The Overseer finally said after a long moment of silence. ¡°Does it matter, Overseer?¡± TO said, only just keeping their tone from sounding disrespectful. ¡°I¡¯ll be disciplined regardless, correct?¡± The Overseer was about to answer when something beeped behind them. Their ears twitched with irritation as they turned around and reached out to the wall where a new report was displayed against the grey surface. ¡°A moment.¡± They said as they dealt with their report. Their stomach twisting in knots, TO nodded. After another moment in which they realized that the Overseer couldn''t see them nod, they whispered a low, ¡°Yes Overseer.¡± TO¡¯s file was still floating before them; all the information about them, anything that any higher-ranking synth thought was important was in that file. With hardly any hesitation, they leaned in and tried to focus enough to read backwards. Of course they could do it, but they were slow. Under the bigger writing that had their call number, there was a smaller code that had two other call numbers underneath. TO wasn¡¯t sure what they might have been. Further down, there were lists of skills, performance evaluations from their training, and a collection of notes from their work in the lab. There was so much information, and TO found themselves getting quickly frustrated with how slowly they were working. They frowned as they glanced up to check on their Overseer, who was still focused entirely on the new report. TO hesitated for just a moment, then reached out and spun the file around so that it was facing them. They didn¡¯t know how long they had, but if they were careful and quick then they¡¯d be able to read a bit and maybe get some information before their Overseer finished their own work. Under their list of skills there was a series of daily reports reaching all the way back to the day they left the tank: 5th Span, 23rd Day, 1123 KDC. On that first day there was a long list of scores for various tests that they had taken - basic physical tests to check their reflexes and physical abilities, and very straightforward cognitive tests which they hardly remembered. It came back to them now in bits and pieces. They had been so disoriented that day that they hardly remembered what had happened. They were tested, the implant was installed in the back of their hand, a small chip placed on the base of their skull so they could control the implant, They had then been given their uniform and sent to their pod to rest. They couldn¡¯t remember what the tests had been about, but from the information on their file it seemed like they had passed them all. After that, there, the records seemed to have very minimal information; Basic Physical training and Mental Training, simply showing attendance for the most part. A few days had comments underlined in blue, saying something along the lines of ¡°Tested subject with higher weights, subject continued training with little issue¡± or ¡°subject shows greater skill in flight.¡± There were also comments underlined in red. In the first thirty days, there were several of these, showing their attempts at conversing with other synths. On the thirtieth day, it showed a whole paragraph detailing what had happened with DH in the training room. Someone had been there. Someone had seen it all happen. Why hadn¡¯t Q10 been stopped that day? As they read on, they saw that their own actions were underlined in purple. TO could make the assumption that what was underlined in blue was good, and underlined in red was bad - that wasn¡¯t much of a stretch- but what did purple mean? Near the end of the notes for day 30, there was a separate note; [[ Subject¡¯s actions potentially driven by will to follow King Decon¡¯s rule, and impose His rule on fellow synths: useful if managed ]] Useful if managed? What did that mean? Questions for later; right now they had to take in all the information they could. They scrolled down, their eyes flicking over the different days until they noticed a separate list to the side. They reached out and opened it. Events: KDC 1123 S6 D10 Missed mental training. Discipline: Y Action: Behaviour unintentional. Subject effective at self-training. Assigned 2 days in maintenance. KDC 1123 S7 D23 Medical Visit Reason:Migraine Cause: eyestrain Treatment: eye rest. Medical goggles. KDC 1123 S7 D24 Aggressive Action:threat with claws. Injury: none Discipline: Pending KDC 1123 S7 D25 Medical Visit Reason : injury Cause: strike to snout Treatment: Painkillers (subject is allotted 3 in total). Ice. Examination for further injury. There were more events listed out, but they were all relatively mundane and uninteresting. Underneath, were general notes; Note: Subject no longer eats in Cafeteria. Subject frequents flight training: Training other synths. Subject associating exclusively with other flagged synths. (70H67, 45G70) Subject protected maintenance synth from sewage pipe break. Subject used abnormal methods in combat simulations: Successful Subject is identified as especially observant. Subject capable for independent research and argument. Subject is identified as overly social. Subject cause of noise complaints: speaker playing music in dormitories. Subject shows an interest in bio-tech Subject possesses abnormal curiosity ¡­¡­. The list went on, detailing almost everything that they supposed their Overseer had seen or heard about which they thought was useful or worth noting. They didn¡¯t know how the overseer knew half of this stuff; perhaps it was reported by other Officers? Maybe they kept records of what TO looked up on their computer or their implant? Finally, at the bottom, there was a number just like there had been on Q10¡¯s file; 85. They didn¡¯t know what it meant. Was it a rank, perhaps? Or maybe a score? TO realized that they had been leaning forward, reading for a while. They glanced up to see if the Overseer was almost done. They were. TO didn¡¯t know how long ago the Overseer had finished with their report, but the way they were sitting was they watched TO made it clear that it had been a few minutes at least. They simply sat, their hands folded on their desk as they watched TO read through the file. Episode 36: Reports As TO stared into the eyes of their Overseer, they felt like their entire body was paralyzed. Their veins filled with ice that ran from head to toe. Time seemed to freeze and the second in which they realized the Overseer was watching them seemed to drag out. ¡°My apologies, Overseer.¡± They stammered, ¡°I didn¡¯t ...I only wanted to see-¡° ¡°I am not surprised.¡± They said as they turned the file back to face them. ¡°Abnormal curiosity. It only makes sense that you¡¯d be interested in what was on your file.¡± ¡°I apologize again.¡± They said, their ears twitching madly with anxiety; if they weren¡¯t in trouble before, they were sure they were now. What had they been thinking? If DH or GiDi had done something that stupid¡­. ¡°It is your own file.¡± They said, ¡°I am unconcerned if you read it or not. Though, I do question your judgement if you read it, and felt that you should not.¡± TO didn''t respond. They looked down at their hands on their lap, silent. ¡°You probably saw the note here stating your ability for problem solving. That involves a certain grasp on logic. Tell me then, after reading this, why do you think you were actually called here?¡± ¡°Because I drew my claws.¡± They said quietly. ¡°Clearly.¡± The Overseer said. ¡°And¡­ because I¡¯ve been to medical twice?¡± ¡°That is part of it.¡± They tilted their head at TO, ¡°Why do you think you¡¯re here?¡± ¡°... To be repurposed?¡± They asked, their ears drooping low. ¡°... Well, let us hope not.¡± The Overseer said. TO glanced up and watched the Overseer¡¯s eyes flick down to that number 85 on the bottom, then to another report. It was only now that they could see another number in red, glowing lights; 42. ¡°There was no injury, as you pointed out; only intent. I am more concerned at this moment about this not happening again.¡± They glanced up at TO, examining them carefully, their eyes focused on their ears. ¡°You are a valuable asset. You excel in most things, and possess useful traits that would be of use to King Decon. Correcting or repurposing you at this point would almost be wasteful. However, if it¡¯s proven that you cannot serve properly, then the appropriate actions must be taken.¡± They looked back to their report. ¡°Tell me what happened.¡± ¡°It¡­ it was stupid of me.¡± They said quickly, ¡°55H70 was saying things that were bothering me. I got angry-¡° ¡°What did they say?¡± TO didn¡¯t want to bring GiDi into this, but they knew at this point they had little choice but to mention them. ¡°They said that Gi- 45G70 would be repurposed.¡± ¡°I see. Did they give a reason why?¡± ¡°They did not think that 45G70 would perform adequately in Physical Training.¡± TO said as carefully as possible. They didn¡¯t want to point out any issues that GiDi might have, or give the Overseer any reason to pay closer attention to them ¡°I see.¡± They glanced at TO¡¯s file, then once more brought up GiDi¡¯s. ¡°And why did this bother you? Why did it almost drive you to violence.¡± ¡°It normally wouldn¡¯t have!¡± TO insisted, ¡°I have never been violent to another synth before. Ever. I¡¯ve stopped violence from occurring! But... I felt unwell from my work that day, and I was disoriented and I don''t think I was thinking right- ¡° They knew that they were rambling now, but they almost felt like they couldn¡¯t stop. ¡°Unwell from work?¡± The Overseer interrupted. They glanced back at the report. ¡°Ah. Yes. Eye strain. Migraine.¡± They frowned as they looked over their reports, and made a note at the end of one. TO could still see their own file, and even backwards they were able to make out the note added to the report; ¡°Medical cause?¡± ¡°What stopped you.¡± They asked. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. ¡°Pardon?¡± ¡°What stopped you from attacking.¡± ¡°... 70H67.¡± They said. ¡°They came into the showers, and pulled me away.¡± ¡°Were it not for them, do you think you would have actually attacked?¡± Would they have? They wanted to at the moment, but for the first time since that day they let their mind play out the possible future if they had attacked ;if DH hadn''t been there. What if they had been allowed to approach 55H70 with their claws out? What if they had gotten close enough to drag their claws their skin, to rip their tongue out as they had imagined? Now, without the anger pulsing through them, they could only imagine the way it would have felt to pull their flesh apart, the blood on their hands. They imagined their claws ripping through 55H70 like knives. No. No, they didn¡¯t want that. Now, with a cooler head, they didn¡¯t want to see more blood. They didn¡¯t want to hurt anyone. ¡°... I hope not.¡± They said. ¡°If I had¡­ even without discipline, I think I''d¡¯ have regretted it.¡± ¡°Why?¡± TO looked up from their hands, confused. Why? It simply felt wrong, and for a moment it was difficult for TO to articulate a logical reason why it might. ¡°We¡­ We¡¯re not supposed to hurt other synths.¡± they said, ¡°I feel like I would not want to hurt another.¡± ¡°You feel ?¡± They frowned, ¡°By king Decon¡¯s command, we¡¯re not supposed to hurt other synths. I think that that would be reason enough for me not to want to?¡± It felt to them like they were asking themselves more than anything else. 55H70 was nothing to them, so if they were to get away with it, why would the idea of hurting them bother TO? Clearly, it had to be the knowledge that King Decon wouldn¡¯t allow it. Though, even as they let their imagination create the picture of what might have happened in their head, they considered that perhaps it would have been the violence itself that they wouldn¡¯t like, and the blood that would have bothered them before anything else. ¡°I see.¡± The Overseer said as they started to take more notes. ¡°Am I¡­ Am I going to be disciplined?¡± TO asked. That wasn¡¯t what they wanted to ask- they wanted to ask if they¡¯d be corrected. That seemed like a dangerous question though. ¡°I see no need of it at this moment.¡± They said. They glanced up at their report again, their eyes lingering on that number at the end of TO¡¯s file, ¡°No. nothing happened. There¡¯s a chance that your actions might have been influenced by medical complications, and as I said; you¡¯re more useful to King Decon as you are.¡± The Overseer glanced up, ¡°I may, however, want you to undergo a cognitive test once more. If the eye strain and migraine has caused you to be disoriented, then I would like to have that on record.¡± ¡°Will that be today, Overseer?¡± The Overseer frowned as they looked over their reports again. ¡°It would be a full day of testing.¡± They admitted. ¡°And I am hesitant to pull you from your training for that, as I believe that you¡¯re more productive in combat training and your vocational training. As well, you have already missed most of a day from sickness.¡± They frowned again. ¡°If I see more abnormal behaviours, or more signs of an altered cognitive state, then I will have to send you to be tested. However, for the time being I think observation might be more beneficial.¡± It was only now that TO realized how nervous and how tense they had been. Once their Overseer told them that not only would they not be disciplined, but they wouldn¡¯t even be tested, it felt all their muscles suddenly relaxed. Their jaw started to ache, as apparently they had been tensing up their jaw and neck. It all hurt now, but at least that knot in their stomach had loosened up. ¡°One more question.¡± The Overseer said, ¡°I understand that there were some¡­ issues between you and another synth not long ago.¡± They glanced back at their report. ¡°01Q10.¡± TO nodded, trying to keep themselves calm as they recalled their last interaction with Q10. They went over the events in their mind, and even with the most careful, more judgemental attitude, TO didn¡¯t think that they had done anything wrong, save for flying in the dormitory- a minor infraction at best: it had been Q10 who had been in the wrong. ¡°Oddly.¡± They said, ¡°I''ve had conflicting reports about an incident that happened. It has made it difficult to deliver a judgement on what¡¯s to be done.¡± They glanced up again, ¡°I am told you were there.¡± ¡°I will help if I can.¡± They said. They were fairly certain they knew what the issue was, but they didn¡¯t want to presume. ¡°Several days ago, there were reports of an altercation in your dormitory.¡± The Overseer said, ¡°Some reports say that one of your¡­.¡± They paused, their eyes glancing over the report again as they searched for the right word, ¡°Companions, 45G70, had caused a disruption. Apparently They ended up spilling water everywhere and shouting at 01Q10. Other reports, however, say that 01Q10 pushed 45G70 to the ground.¡± They looked to TO, ¡°Did you see what happened?¡± TO¡¯s mind raced. Who had told the Overseer about that? TO themself hadn¡¯t, and nor had DH or GiDi as far as they knew. Had Q10 gone to the Overseer with exaggerations about what happened after they had been beaten in the simulation, or had someone else reported it? Clearly someone else had to report it for the Overseer to have conflicting reports. TO realized then that they never actually saw what happened, they never even asked GiDi specifically about the events. When they got there, they just saw GiDi on the ground, with Q10 standing over them. They had assumed that Q10 had pushed them down, but they didn¡¯t know for sure. ¡°... It looked like 01Q10 had pushed 45G70.¡± TO said after a moment, ¡°But I did not see it happen. I only know what it looked like to me.¡± ¡°I see.¡± ¡°I did ¡­. I did see Q10 attack another synth though.¡± They said suddenly, ¡°So I wouldn¡¯t have put it past them to do it again.¡± ¡°Oh. I see.¡± The Overseer said. They brought up another file. TO could see Q10¡¯s number across the top. ¡°When was this?¡± ¡°A while ago.¡± TO said, ¡°When we were in basic physical training. They pushed another synth to the floor. I stopped them from causing further harm, and no damage was done.¡± ¡°And you chose not to report this?¡± They felt their ears flick back in fear. Should they have reported it? ¡°I... there was an Overseer there. I thought that it had been reported.¡± ¡°I see.¡± They said, ¡°It was. I was curious as to why you yourself did not report it.¡± ¡°Oh¡­ That¡¯s why.¡± ¡°Very well.¡± They said. They made a note, and closed all their reports. ¡°You¡¯re dismissed then, unless you have other concerns, or anything else to report to me.¡± A million other questions raced through TO¡¯s mind. They wanted to know what the number 85 on their file, and the 62 on Q10¡¯s file meant. They wanted to know how the Overseer had so much information on them- TO knew that they were all being watched, but they didn¡¯t realize how closely. They wanted to know if anything had been reported from the Production labs yet. They wanted to know if GiDi or DH were in any danger. ¡°No, Overseer.¡± ¡°Very good. Dismissed.¡± Episode 37: Miscommunication A strange feeling of unreality came over TO as they left the Overseer¡¯s office. They were still shaken, and didn¡¯t quite believe that they had managed to get through the meeting without suffering any punishment. Even though they had been dismissed, and the Overseer didn¡¯t seem interested in disciplining them, they felt like they would still be taken away by someone else. The idea that maybe someone was waiting in the hallway to take them away snaked into their brain and took firm hold, filling TO with terror. They could feel their heart thrumming in their chest, and their ears were twitching like mad as the door slid open. With a held breath they entered the hallway and the moment the door behind them wooshed shut, someone slammed into them causing them to give a half-strangled scream of fear and shock. It was only GiDi, who had launched themselves into TO and was now holding onto them with their arms around TO¡¯s waist. They seemingly didn¡¯t even notice that TO had screamed. Still, TO felt their ears burn with embarrassment as they put their hands on GiDi¡¯s shoulders. They had to keep themselves from getting so tense, so scared of nothing. ¡°We were so worried!¡± GiDi said as they clung to TO ¡°We thought your Overseer was going to have you taken away or corrected or-¡° They stopped, then glanced up at TO, their eyes wide with fear, ¡°They¡¯re not sending you to get corrected, right?¡± TO took a deep breath, ¡°No.¡± They said with a shaky little smile, ¡°Not today.¡± ¡°Then what¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°I¡¯m just a little shaken¡­¡± TO admitted. ¡°I thought I was going to be corrected too¡­ I thought someone was going to be waiting for me out in the hallway, and then you ran into me.¡± They glanced up, and saw DH standing a little ways away with their arms crossed. They made eye contact for just a moment, then DH looked away with their wings puffing up a little. ¡°Good.¡± DH said as they stared at the wall. ¡°I¡¯m glad you¡¯re safe.¡± TO frowned as they looked over DH; their ears were low but pinned back, they spat out each word, and their eyes narrowed as they stared at the wall. It also set TO on edge that they were standing so far away from them, that they weren¡¯t next to TO with an arm around their shoulder. ¡°DH?¡± TO asked, frowning, ¡°Are you-¡° ¡°You should go eat.¡± DH said as they turned around. ¡°The cafeteria is going to close up soon.¡± ¡°Right¡­¡± TO said. GiDi pulled away from TO and turned to DH. ¡°Hey, you should come-¡° ¡°I want to get a shower before it¡¯s too late.¡± DH snapped, ¡°You two go ahead, I¡¯ll meet you in the dormitory.¡± TO moved to go after DH as they strode down the hallway, but GiDi reached out and caught TO by the arm. TO looked back, and was surprised to see GiDi shake their head as they gave them an apologetic look with their ears tilted down. As they watched DH disappear around a corner without another word, they knew something was very wrong. Just as they were starting to calm down from the meeting with their overseer, their head started to spin with worry over DH. ====== ¡°What did I do?¡± TO demanded of GiDi once they were heading to the cafeteria without TO. ¡°You... You didn¡¯t do anything, necessarily.¡± GiDi said quickly, but the telltale twitching of their ears told TO that GiDi was lying to them. TO stared at them, and when GiDi made eye contact TO let their eyes flick quickly to their twitching ears. GiDi only flushed and looked away. ¡°Did I do something?¡± TO asked again. GiDi groaned, ¡°It¡¯s complicated, I think.¡± they said. ¡°DH won¡¯t be mad for long, and-¡° The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there. ¡°So DH is angry with me.¡± TO said quietly. TO went through everything that they might have done to make DH angry at them, but couldn¡¯t think of anything. They rushed in front of GiDi and grabbed their arms to stop the smaller synth. ¡°Tell me why!¡± GiDi looked down at the ground, then let their gaze flick to TO. ¡°Are you angry at DH?¡± ¡°No, I-¡° They stopped as they thought about it, ¡°I was Maybe?¡± Their eyes narrowed, ¡°I mean, they¡­¡± TO groaned as they let go of GiDi and turned away from them, ¡°I wasn¡¯t mad, I just¡­ I¡¯m frustrated!¡± They pressed their palm on the center of their forehead as though they could press the frustration out of them. ¡°I know that the child wouldn¡¯t have survived. I knew that. The Officer knew that, and they told me that after I had to pull the body apart!¡± The dissection ran through their head. No, they didn¡¯t want to think about that. They only realized now that they had been so worried about the meeting that their thoughts hadn¡¯t been given a chance to linger on the dissection. ¡°I didn¡¯t want to hear it again from DH. That wasn¡¯t the point!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think that DH understands the point.¡± GiDi said carefully. ¡°And¡­ I don¡¯t understand either?¡± TO turned to gawk at GiDi, who looked away with their ears down. ¡°I want to understand!¡± GiDi said, ¡°But I don¡¯t.¡± TO took a long, deep breath as they tried to gather their thoughts and order everything that was buzzing in their head. ¡°GiDi.¡± They finally said, ¡°The Officers didn¡¯t even bother to help that child. The child wasn¡¯t strange, or incompetent. They weren¡¯t anything! But it was decided that they weren¡¯t worth treatment. That¡¯s terrifying!¡± They took a step towards GiDi, ¡°Think about it! We could do everything right! We could be as normal as every other synth, and excel, and we could still just get sick enough that treatment isn¡¯t deemed worth it! We could do nothing wrong, and still be repurposed.¡± ¡°But¡­ I mean, if they wouldn¡¯t-¡° They stopped and shook their head, ¡°Ok. So... You¡¯re scared because you think if you get sick, you¡¯ll be repurposed?¡± ¡°Or you will, or DH will!¡± Their hands went to their arms again, ¡°I don¡¯t like the idea that we could get repurposed for something that¡¯s not our fault.¡± They shook their head as though trying to shake thoughts out. ¡°But that¡¯s not the worst of it. The dissection. The dissection, I-¡° They cut themselves off as the sounds and smells replayed in their head once more. ¡°I hated it. It was awful. I know what we look like on the inside now, and I hate it! I can¡¯t not see it!¡± They held themselves tighter, their wings wrapped around them. ¡°I¡¯ve seen a synth pulled apart and reduced to it¡¯s basic organs. I¡¯ve seen a synth reprocessed, and it was horrifying.¡± GiDi took a step forward, ¡°And I¡¯ve not seen that.¡± They said. ¡°DH hasn¡¯t, and we don¡¯t understand. But we¡¯re trying. DH is trying!¡± ¡°DH just told me that the kid would have died anyway. They didn¡¯t understand.¡± ¡°No. They didn¡¯t. They just wanted to help, and-¡° They put their hands over TO¡¯s, their fingers lacing together, ¡°And they¡¯re trying to make you feel better. They¡¯re trying to fix this, and they don¡¯t know how. They feel like they¡¯re just messing everyrthing up.¡± ¡°And that¡¯s why they¡¯re mad at me?¡± GiDi looked aside, ¡°They¡­ They¡¯re frustrated too.¡± They said, ¡°They think you¡¯re mad at them.¡± They glanced back at up TO, ¡°I mean, you did shrug them off very quickly ¨Cyou never do that¨Cand then you stormed off to see your Overseer-¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t storm off!¡± TO insisted, ¡°I was just scared and I needed to know what was wrong!¡± ¡°Ok, but you seemed mad.¡± GiDi explained, ¡°You shrugged DH off. You were snapping. You rushed off.¡± They looked at TO almost apologetically, ¡°Can you see how DH might think you were angry because of that?¡± ¡°But... But I wasn¡¯t-¡° ¡°It¡¯s a lot like thinking DH is angry at you because you think they didn¡¯t wait for you at second meal.¡± TO froze as they remembered that day, as they remembered thinking that DH must have been angry at them, and done with them now that they had met GiDi. They remembered how awful, how indescribably sad they had felt as they curled up and cried in their pod. Their still churning stomach dropped as they thought that DH might be feeling like that right now. ¡°DH is trying.¡± GiDi said again, ¡°But they don¡¯t know what to do. They don¡¯t know what would help, and neither do I. So¡­ TO, what would help? What can we do?¡± TO was silent, still gripping their arms with GiDi¡¯s hands over theirs. What could they do? What would make them feel better? What would fix this? Nothing. ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t think that there¡¯s anything that¡¯ll just make me feel better.¡± TO whispered, ¡°I don¡¯t know. But all I want is to be around you and DH. I don¡¯t know why, but even when I feel bad, I feel better if you two are around.¡± They managed a brief, weak smile. ¡°And maybe distractions that don¡¯t involve being summoned to my Overseer¡¯s office might help.¡± TO gave a brief chuckle, which was followed by a quickly stifled laugh from GiDi. ¡°Alright.¡± GiDi said, ¡°But DH needs to know that.¡± They smiled at TO. ¡°They¡¯re only trying to help, and I think they¡¯re just upset that they¡¯re trying to help, and it¡¯s not working, and they think they just made mad, despite the fact that they¡¯re only trying to help.¡± TO looked away, ¡°I should apologize¡­¡± They said. ¡°I think it¡¯s just a big misunderstanding, if that makes a difference?¡± GiDi said as they finally pulled away from TO, ¡°And DH needs to know you¡¯re not angry at them.¡± They smiled, ¡°I¡¯ll tell them if you want¡­ But I think it would be better if you told them yourself.¡± TO nodded, and turned in the opposite direction to head to the showers, but GiDi stopped them. ¡°Wait!¡± They said, ¡°You should go and find them after you¡¯ve gotten your food.¡± ¡°But this is more-¡° ¡°DH and I have noted that when you¡¯re upset, you don¡¯t eat as much. How much did you eat in the last couple of days?¡± TO let their mind go over the odd bites that they had managed to keep down over the last few days, and sheepishly replied. ¡°Not that much.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll get you food first, so you have it before the cafeteria stops serving food, and then you can go and find DH.¡± ¡°But if DH is upset-¡° ¡°Just get your food, and then rush off to find DH.¡± They took TO by the hand and started pulling them to the cafeteria, ¡°And after you¡¯ve sorted everything out, I think I even have an idea for a distraction, if that¡¯s what you want.¡± ¡°What kind of distraction?¡± GiDi only gave them a little smile, ¡°You¡¯ll have to wait to find out.¡± They said, ¡°but it¡¯s a good one, I promise! It¡¯s a little secret I discovered a while ago.¡± TO felt a smile spread over their face, and their limp ears perked up. They¡¯d make up with DH, and then after that, there was a surprise! They found themselves thinking over what it could be, and didn¡¯t even notice that the thoughts about dissections didn¡¯t slip into their head as they were wondering about what GiDi might have planned. Episode 38: Gaze As soon as TO received their meal at the cafeteria, they passed it off to GiDi and ran towards the showers to try to find DH. They only just heard GiDi call out to them, saying to find them near the flight training room when they were done. TO waved their hand quickly to signal that they had heard, then took off running. All TO could think of was of that day when they met GiDi, of how they felt when they thought that DH didn¡¯t need them, and of the time they spent alone in their pod; The tears, the utter feeling of failure. If they had managed to make DH feel like that¡­ They quickened their pace. No, they¡¯d not let DH feel like that. They especially refused to be the cause of such pain. They got to the showers, opened the door, and bolted in. The water wasn¡¯t running anymore, and the room was very silent. For a moment, TO was worried that maybe they had missed DH, and that they had gone back to the dormitories already. TO was just about to leave and rush off to check the dormitory when their sensitive ears picked up the sound of fabric rustling. Following the sound, TO ran through the changing room until they found DH in a corner as they finished dressing. They were staring off into nothing as they slipped their arms into their uniform, keeping their wings extended out to prevent them from getting tangled up. Their ears were low, and their eyes were rimmed blue. TO felt their stomach clench; DH had been crying, and they themselves had been the reason for it. ¡°DH?¡± TO said carefully as they took a step towards them. DH looked up suddenly, clearly only just noticing TO. Their ears pinned back, and they quickly looked away as they finished pulling on their sleeves. ¡°I was just leaving.¡± They said as they threw a used towel into a laundry chute. ¡°I¡¯ll head back to the dormitory.¡± They rushed past TO with their wings draped over their shoulders, their eyes looking anywhere but at them. ¡°Wait.¡± TO pleaded, reaching out and grabbing the cuff of DH¡¯s uniform as they passed by. DH could easily have pulled their arm away, but TO relieved when they didn¡¯t. They stopped, but didn¡¯t turn around. ¡°Please don¡¯t leave.¡± TO said quietly. DH took a long, deep breath, and then turned around. They weren¡¯t looking at TO, but somehow through them¨C as though they weren¡¯t seeing what was before their eyes. ¡°Alright.¡± They said, their voice steady and cold despite their low ears, and the way their wings seemed to tighten around them. ¡°What do you want?¡± ¡®What do you want.¡¯ As though they needed a reason to want to be near DH. It hurt more than TO thought it might to hear them speak like that - like they were one of the synths that TO had tried and failed to befriend when they had just woken up. ¡®What do you want.¡¯ Like they demanded that there be a reason to converse. The cold tone, the blue rimmed eyes, the low ears¡­ Maybe DH was just done with TO. No. No, they wouldn¡¯t be. They had thought that before, back when they met GiDi, and it wasn¡¯t the case then! Still, that coldness made their eyes burn with tears which they blinked back rapidly, determined not to let DH see them be more of a mess than they already had in the last couple of days. They¡¯d been so emotional lately, they knew that DH had to be getting sick of it. Besides, if TO¡¯s actions left DH crying alone in the showers, what right did TO have to take advantage of their company to be sad anyway. TO didn¡¯t deserve DH¡¯s comfort. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± They said, ¡°I ¡­ I want to say I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°You¡¯re sorry?¡± They frowned, and their eyes seemed to finally focus on TO. ¡°Why are you sorry?¡± ¡°Because¡­ Because of a lot of things!¡± They said when a quick answer failed them. ¡°I¡¯m sorry I¡¯m so messed up over this whole thing! I don¡¯t know why I am, and I can¡¯t help it.¡± They released DH¡¯s cuff and wrapped their arms around themselves, ¡°I know it was all logical. I know that doing anything other than the dissection- ¡° the whole dissection seemed to play through their head in half a second, ¡°-would be wasteful. I know that! But I can¡¯t stop thinking about it! I can¡¯t stop seeing it!¡± They looked up at DH, desperately trying to keep themselves calm as they looked into DH¡¯s confused face. ¡°And there¡¯s nothing you can do! And I was mad when you said that the child would have died anyway. I know that! I¡¯ve been told that over and over and I was just¡­ I can¡¯t cope! I can¡¯t do this!¡± There it was; the fear that had been creeping through their head the last two days. They couldn¡¯t do this. They were too weak, too fragile to be properly productive. Maybe they had been excelling up to this point, but the vocational training would weed them out. DH lifted a hand and rubbed at their eyes, ¡°But you -¡° The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°No, just listen. I know I shouldn¡¯t have been angry at you. You¡¯ve just tried to help. You always try to help! I know that, but I¡¯ve heard the logic of it all so much, and I didn¡¯t want to hear it from you; it just didn¡¯t help and-¡° DH took a step forward with their hands clenched into fists and their wings puffing out. ¡°Well what will help!¡± They demanded, ¡°Because right now, everything I try to do is just making everything worse!¡± Even though they sounded angry, TO could still see their ears staying low as they pinned back, and could still see tears starting to form in their dark eyes. ¡°I¡¯m trying! I¡¯m doing my best! I know you¡¯re upset! I know what happened was hard, and I know you¡¯d help me if I was upset! You can ALWAYS fix things! But I can¡¯t! I don¡¯t know what to do!¡± They took another step. ¡°What do you want!? Tell me that! Tell me what to do-¡° Their voice cracked, ¡°-because I¡¯m so sick of failing.¡± The sound of DH¡¯s voice cracking with sorrow, their eyes welling with tears was almost more than TO could take. They felt their guilt in their stomach like a hot rock and desperately wished they could go back to earlier, when DH had put their hand on their shoulder and tried to comfort them before they went to see their Overseer. Even if it hadn¡¯t helped, at least DH was happy then- No. No they weren¡¯t. They probably hadn¡¯t been actually happy since the dissection. TO had been so upset they hadn¡¯t considered that. They hadn¡¯t thought that DH might be upset as well, that DH would be worried about them. ¡°There¡¯s nothing.¡± They said quietly as they looked away from DH. ¡°There¡¯s nothing you can do to fix this. It¡¯s something that happened, and it can¡¯t be undone.¡± They turned aside, ¡°I know you¡¯re trying. I¡¯m glad you are- even though I was angry earlier¡­ But there¡¯s nothing you can do.¡± ¡°But-¡° ¡°No!¡± TO turned back and felt their claws just slightly digging into their arms. ¡°You can¡¯t fix this! I can¡¯t be fixed! I-¡° they looked away, ¡°I¡¯m broken. I can¡¯t do this.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not broken!¡± ¡°I am! I can¡¯t do this! I can¡¯t do dissections. I can¡¯t reprocess synths!¡± So much for keeping calm. Their voice was catching, and the tears they had been blinking back were starting to fall. How weak were they that they couldn¡¯t go a day without tears. ¡°I can¡¯t stop thinking now that every synth that¡¯s been repossessed has been like that, on the table, with their organs being removed and reduced to just things. I can¡¯t do it! There¡¯s something wrong in my head that¡¯s keeping me from being able to do this, and I¡¯m going to be repurposed myself, or-¡° DH took a big step in, took TO by the arm, and pulled them close. They stopped for a moment as they looked into TO¡¯s eyes and there was the strangest feeling of time drawing out as they caught each other¡¯s gaze. DH glanced aside with their ears suddenly flicking down as they flushed blue, then they pulled TO into their chest, resting their head on their shoulder and wrapping their arms and wings around their friend¡¯s shaking form. ¡°You¡¯re not broken.¡± They said firmly. TO shook their head, trying for just a second to pull free of DH so they could leave, so they wouldn¡¯t be forcing more of their sorrow onto DH, but then gave up and leaned into DH¡¯s chest. ¡°I am.¡± They whispered. ¡°I shouldn¡¯t be mad at you. I shouldn¡¯t be this upset about that child. I should be able to handle all of this. I haven¡¯t seen another synth react like I do.¡± DH made a low chirping sound in the back of their throat - it was similar to how TO themselves had chirped at the babies in the tanks, but lower and softer. DH had never made that noise before, and though TO was confused, they also felt oddly comforted by it. ¡°You¡¯re not like other synths, remember?¡± They said, ¡°You¡¯re different. You¡¯re better. We both are¡± ¡°I¡¯m strange. I¡¯m different.¡± ¡°And I¡¯m very glad for this.¡± TO sniffled gently, ¡°If I wasn¡¯t, I wouldn¡¯t be upset. I wouldn¡¯t be upsetting you.¡± ¡°You wouldn¡¯t be¡­ But we wouldn¡¯t be friends either, right?¡± TO shook their head, knowing that DH was right but also knew that that wasn¡¯t the point. ¡°I don¡¯t know what will make me better.¡± They whispered. ¡°I¡¯m afraid I''m going to feel like this forever; I can¡¯t stop thinking about this.¡± They allowed themselves to lean into DH. ¡°Even though¡­ Even though I know it¡¯s upsetting you. I know I¡¯m just making you sad too. Or angry.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not angry.¡± ¡°You were.¡± TO whispered, ¡°I... I could tell. And GiDi said you were mad-¡° TO felt DH¡¯s arms tighten around them, and as they glanced up they could see DH¡¯s ears pinned back. ¡°GiDi shouldn¡¯t have said anything.¡± They hissed. ¡°Well, they couldn¡¯t hide it very well. I knew something was wrong in the hallway. I knew you were upset, I just didn¡¯t know you were angry.¡± DH shook their head, and reached up to put their hand on the back of TO¡¯s neck, gently rubbing the base of TO¡¯s skull with their thumb. It was a sudden, very relaxing gesture that TO hadn¡¯t expected. ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have been angry.¡± DH said. ¡°I was just frustrated too. You can¡¯t help what you feel. I know that. I was angry because you were angry, and then I felt bad for being angry-¡° TO felt a weak chuckle escape their mouth. ¡°If I can¡¯t help what I feel, neither can you.¡± DH stayed where they were for just a moment longer, letting TO rest against them until they pulled back, ¡°I am sorry though.¡± DH said, ¡°I was trying so hard¡­ And even when things seemed to work, I felt like I did the wrong thing.¡± They looked quickly at TO¡¯s nose, ¡°Like punching you in the nose.¡± TO shook their head as they lifted a hand to their nose. The painkillers were only just starting to wear off, so the pain was there, but it was something TO could ignore. ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± They said, ¡°Once the pain started to fade I was really glad that I didn¡¯t have to go to the labs today.¡± They were silent for a long moment. DH finally looked up at TO and somewhat sheepishly said, ¡°So¡­ I suppose I should have asked this before, but is there anything I can do? Not to make it go away, just...Is there anything I can do to help?¡± TO shook their head, ¡°I just want to be around you and GiDi. I want you to tell me that it was awful, sure, but just¡­ Just let me be sad when I¡¯m sad. If you¡¯re there, it¡¯ll be less awful.¡± They rubbed their arms again, ¡°And I am sorry for shrugging you off earlier. I was upset, frustrated¡­ I know I should be stronger-¡° DH pulled them into an embrace again. ¡°No.¡± They said. ¡°No. You are strong. And it was clearly awful.¡± They shook their head. ¡°It was awful, and I don¡¯t know how awful. I can¡¯t fix it, but I promise I¡¯ll be here if you just want to be sad. You be as upset as you want.¡± They gave TO a firm squeeze, ¡°I don¡¯t want you on your own again if you¡¯re upset. I¡¯ll never¡­ I¡¯d never forgive myself if I put you through that again.¡± ¡°I... well, I wasn¡¯t much better.¡± They muttered. ¡°I wanted to rush here first, but GiDi insisted I get food first-¡° ¡°Good!¡± DH said, ¡°You don¡¯t eat enough when you¡¯re upset; it worries me. Besides¡­ I needed some time alone. I wanted some time just to try to work out stuff in my head.¡± They gave a joyless, sarcastic chuckle, ¡°I needed some time to see that I was upset over something stupid.¡± TO and DH heard a noise - the distinctive sound of the door to the showers opening up. They pulled apart - not wanting the extra attention from other synths as they waited to see who it was. A part of TO hoped it was GiDi, but it was just another synth heading into the showers. ¡°We should leave.¡± DH said, ¡°No point in loitering in the showers.¡± They looked to TO, ¡°To the dormitory then?¡± ¡°Yeah I¡­ wait. No.¡± TO shook their head, ¡°We have to go find GiDi.¡± ¡°They¡¯re not in the dormitory?¡± TO wiped away the last of their tears, and gave DH a quick smile, ¡°They said once we worked everything out. They had a surprise for us.¡± DH grinned, and gently pushed TO towards the door, ¡°Well, let¡¯s not keep them waiting! I want to see what kind of surprise it is!¡± Episode 39: Distraction There were more synths wandering about as they headed to the Flight Training Room. Some were heading back to the showers, to dormitories, or to the combat simulators for training. Even though they all paid no attention to TO and DH, the two made sure to walk instead of hurrying along to catch up to GiDi as they actually wanted to. Rushing around wasn¡¯t necessarily a problem, but TO was still a little on edge about their meeting with their Overseer. As they drew closer to the Flight Training rooms, the traffic dried up and they were alone. It was only then that TO realized that DH was acting odd; like they were still being observed. They were being far more careful than normal; avoiding the chatter that TO normally enjoyed around their friend. At first TO thought that DH was just being extra careful since TO had just had a meeting with their Overseer¨C maybe DH was on edge as well!¨C but it somehow felt like DH was in their own little bubble and apart from TO. They focused on the hallways before them, seeming to look through the world. Was DH still angry? TO hoped not. TO glanced around to make sure that they were alone, and then linked their arm with DH¡¯s. DH seemed to snap back to the present as they looked up at TO for a second before glancing away, flushed. ¡°You ok?¡± ¡°Of course!¡± DH said, looking back at TO suddenly, their ears twitching with worry ¡°Just thinking about stuff. Was off in a daze. That¡¯s all.¡± TO glanced at DH¡¯s ears, and saw - thankfully- that they weren¡¯t lying. They gave a smile. ¡°Good.¡± TO said, ¡°I was a little worried you were maybe stll angry¡­¡± DH shook their head, ¡°No. no no, I promise I¡¯m not. I¡¯ve nothing to be angry over.¡± They smiled at TO, ¡°Maybe I¡¯m just a little worried about you.¡± ¡°About me?¡± ¡°Yes. What was the meeting with your Overseer about?¡± ¡°OH! That.¡± It was almost comical how their meeting, while still a concern, had suddenly seemed so inconsequential compared to DH¡¯s feelings, to the possibility that they might be angry. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you when we find GiDi.¡± DH nodded, then looked down at TO¡¯s arm linked in theirs, ¡°And this is fine?¡± They asked as they glanced around the empty hallway, ¡°I mean, you¡¯re not in trouble for anything like this?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not.¡± They said. Their ears suddenly perked up with realization. ¡°Oh! That¡¯s why.¡± ¡°Why what?¡± ¡°You were being kind of distant.¡± TO said, ¡°And I didn¡®t even think you¡¯d be worried that I was in trouble for being close to others synths!¡± ¡°That¡­Was among my worries, yes.¡± DH said, ¡°I wouldn¡¯t want to cause you trouble.¡± TO shook their head, ¡°Being close to you and GiDi wasn¡¯t mentioned.¡± They grinned, ¡°At least, the only thing mentioned about it was how you two have improved since I started spending time with you.¡± They pulled DH a little closer and wrapped a wing around them quickly. They realized that they were being more affectionate than normal. ¡°I mean, they didn¡¯t say anything about us being close, and I¡¯m almost led to believe that to the higher ups it doesn¡¯t really matter?¡± They frowned, ¡°At least, not how we are. We¡¯re not distracted from our duties. We¡¯re not causing problems.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± DH frowned, their ears flicking out in confusion, ¡°But... I mean, we know other synths aren¡¯t like us. We know that we bother other synths-¡° ¡°Maybe so long as we don¡¯t cause others unnecessary distress, it¡¯s fine?¡± TO said, confused. They hadn¡¯t seen anything that suggested their friendship with GiDi and DH was a problem in their report, but now they were starting to worry. They hadn¡¯t read their entire file, so it was possible that they had missed something. They started to loosen their grip on DH¡¯s arm, but DH finally just smiled and pulled them closer. ¡°Well, We¡¯ve not been corrected so far.¡± They said, ¡°So we¡¯re probably fine.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­¡± TO said as worry started to build up. ¡°I know that normal synths aren¡¯t supposed to be like us. Normal synths could spend their whole lives alone, and be fine, so long as they¡¯re serving King Decon.¡± You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version. ¡°Which seems awful to me, honestly.¡± DH said, ¡°Almost every intelligent species in the galaxy has some need for friends, family, mates-¡° ¡°We¡¯re not like all the other species.¡± TO pointed out with a grin, ¡°We¡¯re synthetic. Designed.That¡¯s supposed to be better, right?¡± ¡°Would you prefer to be like that?¡± DH asked as they looked away, ¡°To be like a normal synth and not need any of that?¡± ¡°... There were times.¡± TO said as their ears drooped, ¡°When I thought that I¡¯d never find any other synths to be around, or when I thought you were done with me¡­ Yes, then I wished that I was like other synths. That kind of stuff wouldn¡¯t bother them, right?¡± They shook their heads, ¡°One of the benefits; if you don¡¯t need to be close to anyone else, you¡¯re not hurt by anyone else.¡± ¡°Do I hurt you?¡± ¡°...I hurt you.¡± TO said in response, their ears dipping low. ¡°Would you prefer to be normal, and not have to feel sad?¡± DH was silent for a few moments as they seriously considered this, an almost troubled expression coming over their face ¡°I don¡¯t think so.¡± They said after a while. They shook their head, and looked to TO, grinning, ¡°Anyway,. Come on, tell me what the meeting was about!¡± ¡°Not until we get to GiDi.¡± TO said firmly, ¡°I don¡¯t want them to feel left out. I already feel bad that they felt left out because you stayed with me last night.¡± DH looked at TO, then shook their head with a smile, ¡°Fine fine.¡± They said, ¡°I¡¯ll wait for you to tell me what happened. First a surprise from GiDi, now you¡¯re holding potentially vital information from me?¡± They put a hand to the center of their chest, ¡°My heart may not stand the surprises!¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll survive.¡± TO said as they turned into the hallway with the Flight Training room in it. GiDi was standing by the door to the training room with a large box at their feet. As DH and TO came into view, they beamed at them. ¡°I was worried.¡± They said as they stood up from the wall, ¡°You were gone a while.¡± They glanced at TO and DH, and smiled, ¡°I''m guessing everything is fine?¡± They asked. To TO¡¯s surprise, DH slipped away from them and looked at GiDi, their ears low and flushed blue, ¡°Yes, yes.¡± They said, ¡°You were right. TO wasn¡¯t actually angry at me; not really.¡± GiDi smirked, then gave them both a hard look. ¡°You two are supposed to be clever-¡° ¡°TO is the clever one.¡± DH interrupted. ¡°-But you can both act a bit dumb sometimes.¡± They nudged the box at their feet with their leg. ¡°Here.¡± They said, ¡°One of you can carry this for me.¡± DH grinned and stepped forward to take the box as GiDi started to walk further down the hallway. ¡°Wait¡­ We¡¯re not going to the flight training room?¡± TO asked. ¡°Not today.¡± GiDi said, ¡°I want to show you two something different. Follow me!¡± DH and TO exchanged glances before they followed after GiDi: they didn¡¯t know where they were going, but TO knew that their ¡®abnormal curiosity¡¯ wouldn¡¯t let them protest the discovery of something new. They remembered as they recalled the report that the traits that had been listed hadn¡¯t been marked as good or bad. Was abnormal curiosity a good thing or a bad thing? They didn¡¯t have to go to far for TO¡¯s abnormal curiousity to be satisfied. A few turns later GiDi stopped in front of a door that TO had never seen. There used to be a panel on it to say what it was, but all that was left now was a slight discoloration where the panel used to be, and four holes where screws might once have kept it in place. GiDi went to the keypad at the side of the door, and started to pry their claws along the edge. ¡°It¡¯s disabled.¡± TO said as they noted the light-blue screen atop the pad, ¡°You can¡¯t use it.¡± ¡°I can.¡± GiDi said with a smirk. A moment later, a piece of the wall popped out and revealed a tiny pin pad hidden under it. ¡°How did you know THAT was there!¡± TO asked. ¡°I already told you once that before I knew you two, I was more or less ignored by the higher ups. They didn¡¯t really notice what I was paying attention to. I once saw an Overseer do this to open the door on one of the combat simulation rooms. It had glitched out, and they just popped the panel out, and ¡­¡± They pressed a series of five numbers on the pinpad. The panel flashed green for a moment, then went grey again as the door slid open. GiDi beamed as they stood to the side, Gesturing grandly for DH and TO to go in before them. When they caught their surprised faces, they laughed. ¡°I saw the first three numbers of the code they used.¡± GiDi explained, ¡°And when I found this door, I spent some time trying to see if I could open it up by myself, and I figured out the rest.¡± ¡°But why?¡± TO asked as they stepped into the room. ¡°Just to see if I could!¡± GiDi said as they followed in after once DH was in, ¡°And I¡¯m glad I did!¡± Despite being in space, the synths in training never really saw the cosmos. Sure, they saw simulations and pictures, but they never really saw what was around them. Higher up synths in engineering had access to observation decks, but unless a synth was placed with them for vocational training they were unlikely to actually see space until they left the training center. That¡¯s probably why the only thing that caught TO¡¯s attention once they entered the room was the huge window that looked outside. They had expected space itself to look not that grand ¨C sure, the vastness of it was unfathomable, but everything was so far away that TO thought that if they were to actually see space, it would mostly be cold, black, empty nothingness. Maybe that was mostly true, but where they were it was not. The window looked out into a grand, blue and green mass of gas and dust that swirled around in luminescent ribbons. Smaller, bright masses within the bright and colorful cloud circled and swooped, some spinning around one another and leaving entwined trails of color in their wake, some crashing together and forming a tiny explosion of blue fire and green sparks. Deep in the center was a brighter, bigger ball of purple light. TO walked closer to the window with the reverence of one approaching something sacred. They placed their hands on the glass once they were close enough, and could feel the coolness of the nothing outside. The window was slightly curved outwards, and they could see the gasey wisps of color extending over and under the window ¨C and TO had to assume, all around the entire training center. They were so awed by the color and the light that it took them a moment to realize that general power to this room seemed to have been cut, and the only light avaliable was coming from the glow outside. They turned around, their eyes wide and sparkling from the beauty of it as they looked at GiDi and DH. GiDi was beaming, their own ears twitching with glee as they enjoyed TO¡¯s reaction. DH was staring past TO and to the window, taking in the color and light, their flushed ears lowered in awe, their eyes wide and shining from the display outside. ¡°I think,¡± TO said after a long silence, ¡°that the training center is located inside a nebula!¡± Episode 40: Banishment As TO started to calm down from the sudden, dazzling beauty of the nebula, they finally took in the room around them, and tried to figure out what it might have been when it was in use. At first they thought it was an observation deck like the engineers used, but it seemed almost too comfortable for that. It was a large room, shaped roughly like a fat crescent moon; a half-circle with the flat edge bending inwards slightly. There were some couches¨C the likes of which TO had never seen anywhere in the training center¨C piled up to one side as though they had been quickly pushed out of the way to make room. There were sealed crates taking up most of the room, but right before the window a space had been cleared away. It had likely been recently cleared to judge by the scuffed and scraped away dust that settled around outlines of what used to be there. ¡°Can you guys pull a couch down from that stack over there?¡± GiDi asked as they took the box from DH, ¡°I tried ages ago, but I can¡¯t do it on my own.¡± TO frowned as they looked at the cleared spot on the center of the floor, then looked back up to GiDi ¡°How long did you spend in here?¡± They asked. ¡°Not¡­ not that long.¡± GiDi said, looking aside, ¡°It wasn¡¯t long after I found this place that you two found me. I just didn¡¯t think I¡¯d need to come back here.¡± TO and DH grabbed the couch that was closest¨C some shifted dust on the floor showed where GiDi had tried to move it before¨C and carried it towards the center of the clearing before the window. GiDi opened the box and pulled out some blankets, TO¡¯s plate of food, and a small portable communicator. The moment TO saw the communicator, they nearly dropped the couch. ¡°Careful!¡± DH said as the sudden shift of weight nearly made them drop their end. ¡°GiDi, where did you get that?¡± TO asked, their ears pinned down with fear. ¡°Those are for Overseers and Officers and -¡° ¡°-and this one was considered damaged, and was to be disposed of.¡± GiDi said, beaming. ¡°My Officer in weapons production had it, and when it broke they asked me to dispose of it for them. I repaired it instead.¡± They pulled a table over to the clearing and set the little communicator on top before they started fiddling with the controls, ¡°It doesn¡¯t work perfectly, and I can''t get long range signals, but I was able to find some songs in the cultural databases that it can play.¡± DH and TO got the couch where it needed to be, and set it down on the floor before the window and the table. GiDi put TO¡¯s food on the table, then grabbed blankets from the box and threw them over the very dusty old couch. ¡°There!¡± GiDi said as they turned on the communication and allowed low music to play, ¡°This is the surprise! I actually thought of it when we were hiding in the storage room the other day. I thought if we were going to hide away somewhere, then this would be nicer than the floor of a storage room. It¡¯s got a nice view, and couches!¡± They sat down heavily on the couch, and yelped when they sunk down into the cushions far more than they expected. ¡°It¡¯s¡­ softer than I thought!¡± They said as they gestured for TO to sit next to them. TO sat down carefully, a frown crossing their features as they eyed the couch. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± DH asked as they sat down as well. ¡°Nothing is wrong, not really.¡± TO said carefully, ¡°But... Why are there couches here? ¡°What do you mean?¡± GiDi asked as their ears flicked out in confusion. ¡°There¡¯s no couches anywhere else in the training center. I¡¯ve never seen one anyway. Also, look at this place.¡± They gestured to the curved walls and the large windows, ¡°It¡¯s much bigger than most other places, and has no practical use. It¡¯s being used for storage, but if it was meant to be a storage area, why would there be a window?¡± ¡°I figured it was just another observation deck-¡° GiDi started ¡°There would be consols then, right? Equipment?¡± ¡°Maybe it was removed?¡± DH ventured as they gently leaned against TO, ¡°Maybe it was decided to use them elsewhere?¡± ¡°Alright. But still: why are there couches?¡± TO relaxed, allowing themselves to sink into the couch, but their expression was still tense. ¡°It makes no sense.¡± ¡°Who knows.¡± DH said as the leaned forward, grabbed TO¡¯s food, and passed it to them. ¡°I¡¯m sure they had a purpose at some point.¡± ¡°Maybe there used to be dignitaries from other planets visiting?¡± GiDi suggested as they leaned against TO¡¯s other side, ¡°Wouldn¡¯t King Decon ensure their comfort, and provide an aesthetically pleasing environment for them?¡± ¡°Maybe¡­¡± TO said. ¡°And on another note, is it really a good idea to move furniture around, and set up a place for ourselves here?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve never been caught before.¡± GiDi said with a shrug. Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website. ¡°That doesn¡¯t mean you¡¯ve not been noticed.¡± TO said as they remembered their meeting with their Overseer, ¡°I saw my file.¡± DH frowned as they looked up at TO, ¡°Your file?¡± ¡°We all have files.¡± TO said, ¡°And they¡¯re a lot more detailed than I thought. Mine had information about the two of you, about me not going to flight training, about conversations I¡¯ve had - or tried to have.¡± ¡°And they let you look at it?¡± DH asked. TO felt their ears flick down and burn blue as they remembered how they were constantly chiding to DH to keep out of trouble. ¡°Uh¡­ let might be a stretch.¡± ¡°You snuck a look?¡± DH looked at TO, their eyes wide, and a smirk playing at their lips, ¡°Well done. So much for being careful.¡± ¡°You¡¯re lucky you didn¡¯t get caught.¡± GiDi said. TO didn¡¯t answer, they just looked down at their food with their ears down. ¡°... You did get caught?¡± GiDi ventured. TO nodded. ¡°It was fine, in the end!¡± They insisted at their horrified gazes, ¡°The Officer said that it was my file, so-¡° ¡°You¡¯re safe.¡± DH said. They took a deep breath. ¡°They weren¡¯t mad about it?¡± ¡°They seemed¡­¡± TO frowned as they remembered the Overseer¡¯s reaction. ¡°More intrigued than anything else.¡± They admitted. ¡°They asked me to guess why I was actually there.¡± ¡°And¡­ what was the reason¡± GiDi asked. TO looked down at their hands. ¡°The claws.¡± They said, ¡°When I pulled my claws on 55H70, it was reported.¡± ¡°By who!¡± DH demanded, sitting upright as best they could in the plush couch, ¡°Oh, I bet it was Q10-¡° ¡°They weren¡¯t there.¡± ¡°Then they probably pushed someone else to report you. But why? You didn¡¯t hurt them! You didn¡¯t end up hurting anyone! ¡°That¡¯s why I wasn''t actually in trouble, I think.¡± TO said, ¡°They wanted to know why, and if I¡¯d do it again.¡± They shook their head, ¡°I suppose they don¡¯t think I¡¯m dangerous, because I¡¯m not suffering any discipline. Also, they¡¯re assuming it might have been a result of the eye strain. Mental disorientation.¡± ¡°Well that¡¯s good.¡± DH said as they allowed themselves to relax into the couch once more, leaning against TO. ¡°But¡­ The things I saw on the report.¡± TO shook their head, ¡°They know a lot. They know things that I didn¡¯t think anyone noticed or paid attention to. If they didn¡¯t know that we¡¯re here right now, I¡¯d be very surprised.¡± ¡°Well, there¡¯s no rules saying we¡¯re not allowed to explore.¡± GiDi said. ¡°I feel as though the offline door might have been intended to serve as a stay-out sign¡± ¡°And I¡¯ve been in here several times, remember?¡± GiDi said, ¡°If it was a big problem, then they would have done something about it already, right?¡± ¡°And if they demand to know why we¡¯re here.¡± DH said as they rolled their eyes, ¡°We can say we¡¯re trying to study cultural records without disrupting other synths. Or observing space.¡± They waved at the window, ¡°Where else could we possibly see this?¡± TO let their gaze fall back to the glorious illuminated display before them, the swirling and exploding balls of light, and the one orb in the middle of it all, glowing and bathing the blues and green with a purple light and giving everything a surreal look. ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever seen colors like this that weren¡¯t on a screen.¡± TO said, ¡°Or projected in a simulation¡­ It¡¯s different.¡± They fell quiet for a bit as they watched the swirling lights and listened to the music playing from the repaired communicator. ¡°Where do you think we are?¡± DH asked after a moment. ¡°Well,¡± TO said as they straightened up and activated their implant, ¡°There¡¯s lots of nebulas, but if we¡¯re looking for one with a purple core, with these colors, and with a makeup that would allow a training center like this to stay inside it, that narrows it down a lot.¡± A screen projected in the air before them as they started running through lists of nebulas in their galaxy, narrowing down their search more and more until finally- ¡°Here.¡± TO finally said as they projected a picture of a nebula of purples, greens, and blues. It looked roughly like a bowl which held a bright purple light inside ¡°The Geode Nebula.¡± They grinned as they looked at it, ¡°Apparently, someone thought it looked like a geode of amethyst.¡¯ They brought up a galactic map, and a little dot showing the location of the nebula showed up relatively close to the center. ¡°Interesting.¡± TO said after a moment, ¡°We¡¯re close to the galactic hub.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± DH asked. This time, even GiDi looked at DH funny. ¡°The Galactic hub.¡± GiDi said as though DH had just misheard. ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± TO gave a deep sigh and brought up another map that showed a series of lines and dots all over the galaxy. ¡°Alright, DH.¡± TO said as they displayed the map, ¡°A quiz for you. The Galaxy is absolutely massive. You could be placed on a spaceship and sent off in any direction, and die of old age before seeing anything else. That¡¯s even with our most advanced ships. As such: how has King Decon managed to conquer and consolidate the galaxy? How is trade possible, not only between planets, but between solar systems?¡± ¡°Wormholes?¡± DH ventured. ¡°Exactly.¡± TO said as they pointed to the pinpoints and lines on the map, ¡°Wormholes. Shortcuts through space-¡° ¡°And time!¡± GiDi said. ¡°Theoretically. There are none stabilized that go through time. But all these-¡° TO waved at the wormholes on the screen, ¡°All these are wormholes that travel instantaneously through space, and which King Decon has stabilized. And this-¡° They pointed to a large cluster of dots near their nebula, ¡°Is something like a knot of wormholes. King Decon created an artificial planet to act as the capital of the galaxy. If you¡¯re going anywhere, you go through here.¡± TO closed up the map, ¡°It makes sense that we would be so close to the hub, because once we¡¯re done our training, we go to different planets. Having the training center here saves on resources for travel.¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± DH said, their ears flushed, ¡°I knew about wormholes, I just didn¡¯t know that there was a hub.¡± They frowned as they looked out the window, ¡°So¡­ What about places outside of the range of wormholes?¡± ¡°That¡¯s what exploratory missions are for.¡± TO said. ¡°One of my Officers mentioned them the other day. They way the spoke about it, it almost seemed like it would be a punishment.¡° ¡°Why?¡± GiDi asked. ¡°I suppose it¡¯s because it¡¯s one way.¡± TO said, ¡°As I said, you could float in one direction through space for your entire lifetime and find nothing. On these missions, you¡¯re scanning for wormholes to stabalize, and you might never find one. The mission continues until the synths on board die of old age, and the ship floats off into nothing and becomes space junk.¡± They frowned, ¡°Though, I don¡¯t know why it¡¯s considered punishment. You¡¯re still doing good for King Decon, and you¡¯re performing a potentially vital service, and you¡¯re not corrected or - ¡° ¡°But imagine if you were sent off on your own.¡± DH said, ¡°All alone for the rest of your life. Wouldn¡¯t that be punishment?¡± A jolt of fear ran through TO as they considered it, ¡°Yes¡­¡± They said as they let the idea roll around in their head, ¡°But I can¡¯t imagine that King Decon would allow that. and besides, that, you need more people to run a ship. It would have to be a small group of synths at least.¡± ¡°... It doesn¡¯t sound bad to me.¡± GiDi said after a moment. ¡°I mean, you¡¯re off on your own. If you¡¯re with people you like it wouldn¡¯t be bad. You wouldn¡¯t have to worry about being corrected or repurposed, AND you might find things that nobody else has ever seen before!¡± They looked to TO with a look of excitement, ¡°How does someone do that?¡± ¡°You... Want to do it?¡± GiDi¡¯s ears flicked down, ¡°Well.¡± They said, ¡°If I was sent off with people I like¡­ It sounds like fun. Like early retirement.¡± TO shook their head, ¡°No¡± they said firmly, ¡°No no. You¡¯d be isolated from the rest of the galaxy for the rest of your life. You¡¯d likely spend the rest of your days in a tiny ship.¡± ¡°We¡¯d be left alone for the rest of our lives?¡± GiDi said, ¡°Sounds good to me.¡± They frowned as they looked out at the nebula, ¡°How do they choose people for that?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­¡± TO said, ¡°One of my officers¡­ They¡¯re obviously different. Strange. Like me. They¡¯re a lot like me, actually-¡° Except of course PQ12 was able to do the dissection. ¡°They suggested it might be a punishment for synths that cannot follow orders because they¡¯re too strange.¡± DH scoffed, ¡°well, they say you¡¯re strange, but we¡¯re the ones excellent. Maybe they should reconsider who they send off, because I¡¯m starting to think it¡¯s better to be strange. TO¡¯s ears quirked as they remembered something important, ¡°That reminds me.¡± They said, ¡°That Officer, PQ12, they told me some things.¡± They glanced at DH, ¡°Some potential reasoning as to why we might be different¡± They grinned as they settled in to tell GiDi and DH about why King Decon used synths, and the usefulness of variety. Episode 41: Pain It was much later than intended when they finally left the abandoned room. TO wouldn¡¯t have minded staying there the entire night, but they couldn¡¯t. If they stayed there, their absence from their pod overnight might be noted, and they knew that they would sleep in and potentially miss part of their physical training in the morning. ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re going to be ok to go to the labs tomorrow?¡± GiDi asked as they closed the door to the abandoned room. ¡°I mean¡­ I know you can do it. And I know you have to, but if there¡¯s anything we can do-¡° TO shook their head, ¡°No¡­ I have to go back.¡± They hoped that what PQ12 said was right, and they would be unlikely to have to do any more dissections while they were working in the production labs. ¡°You¡¯re sure?¡± DH asked suddenly, taking a step forward, ¡°Because I know we could figure out something, we could-¡° They stopped themselves mid-sentence, and looked at TO apologetically, their ears down, ¡°I mean¡­ I¡¯m sorry. I know it¡¯s awful. And it¡¯s awful that you have to go. But I know you can do it. And we¡¯re here if it gets hard.¡± TO stifled a laugh, then pulled DH into a quick hug, ¡°I appericate the sentiment.¡± They said, ¡°And thanks for listening to me.¡± ¡°Aww,¡± GiDi said, smirking, ¡°DH learned something.¡± ¡°Hey!¡± DH said as they snapped their head to GiDi, ¡°I always learn things! TO teaches me lots of stuff-¡° ¡°Well, I¡¯m just glad you listened.¡± GiDi said as they brushed dust off their uniform, ¡°And hopefully next time something like this happens, you can work it out without needing me to mediate.¡± DH released TO, and draped an arm over GiDi¡¯s shoulders, ¡°Nope.¡± They said, ¡°You need to stick around. We¡¯ll fall apart otherwise.¡± They said jokingly, ¡°I¡¯ll think TO is mad at me, TO will think I¡¯m mad at them, and we¡¯ll never talk to one another ever again.¡± ¡°You better not!¡± GiDi said as they narrowed their eyes at DH, ¡°Seriously. When we get our placements we¡¯re going to be seperated. You two better not hate each other when we get called back here.¡± DH seemed to freeze and glanced back at TO, who could only look back with a slightly panicked look. GiDi looked from DH to TO, then laughed. ¡°What?¡± They said after a moment, ¡°I know we¡¯re going to be seperated eventually.¡± ¡°... I was hoping we¡¯d find another strange synth like us. That way, when that time comes you won¡¯t be stuck with someone awful.¡± GiDi gave a small, sad smile and shook their head, ¡°I know we¡¯re going to be seperated. it¡¯s going to happen.¡± They said, ¡°And¡­ it¡¯s probably going to be awful. I just hope I¡¯m teamed up with someone who doesn¡¯t hate me.¡± They gave TO a big smile, ¡°I¡¯m sure the Officers in charge of paring up people won¡¯t set me up with someone who might hate me!¡± ¡°We won¡¯t let that happen!¡± DH said suddenly, ¡°We won¡¯t let you get stuck with someone you hate for cycles on end. We¡¯ll¡­¡± They trailed off as they realized that TO and GiDi were looking at them with slightly amused looks. ¡°What?¡± ¡°... We do want to try to find a way to make it better, GiDi.¡± TO said, ¡°And if we can¡¯t¡­ well, it will be awful. But we¡¯ll be back here sooner than later.¡± DH realized what they were doing, flushed, and put their hands behind their back, ¡°Right.¡± They said quickly. ¡°And I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll still be in touch.¡± GiDi grinned, and turned to continue on to the dormitories. As TO followed, DH walked next to TO. ¡°We¡¯re saying that.¡± They whispered, ¡°But¡­ we¡¯re still going to figure something out, right?¡± Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there. ¡°We are.¡± TO said. They still had no idea how they could manage it. Maybe they could even make an argument as to why the three of them should be sent off together? Maybe they could make a proposal suggesting the benefits of sending out groups of three, not two! A well researched report had worked for shower time after physical training, maybe they could change this as well! ========= Once they got to their dormitories, TO suddenly realized something they had forgotten to do. They didn¡¯t mention it until they were in sight of their own pod, and saw that all the pods around theirs, save for DH¡¯s, were closed up for the night. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± TO said to Gidi, ¡°I didn¡¯t get back in time to get you a pod near me, even though-¡° ¡°I kept you and DH away from the dormitory all evening.¡± They said with a grin, ¡°You can hardly be held accountable.¡± ¡°Well.¡± DH said, ¡°Simple solution. We¡¯ve all managed to sleep in TO¡¯s pod before. I¡¯m sure we can do it again.¡± TO felt their ears flick down as they looked to DH, ¡°But we were so sore the next day!¡± They insisted, ¡°Our wings were stiff, and -¡° ¡°We fell asleep then without meaning to.¡± DH said, ¡°You and I were perfectly comfortable last night. I¡¯m sure we can figure something out for tonight.¡± They looked at GiDi, ¡°Besides that, I¡¯m willing to say that neither of us are going to let TO be alone tonight, right?¡± TO felt their ears burn, ¡°Hey¡­ hey, that¡¯s not necessary!¡± They insisted, ¡°I¡¯m sure I can manage a night on my-¡° ¡°We are not.¡± GiDi agreed. ¡°And you don¡¯t want GiDi to be away from us tonight, right?¡± DH asked TO. ¡°That¡­ well.¡± They frowned, ¡°I¡¯d feel really bad. I promised-¡° ¡°Then this is a way of particularly fulfilling your promise, and a way for us to make sure you¡¯re taken care of overnight.¡± TO went to pinch the bridge of their snout, but hissed in pain as their hand came close to their injured flesh. The pain had built up through the evening, and they realized that they had forgotten to take the medication that had been given to them earlier. ¡°You do want our company, right?¡± GiDi asked, making their eyes big as their large ears fell limp. TO wasn¡¯t sure if that was intentional or not, but it didn¡¯t matter- TO wouldn¡¯t be able to say no now. ¡°Of course I do.¡± they grumbled. ¡°You two go up and see if you can figure out a way to comfortably squish us in.¡± they held up their empty water bottle, ¡°I have some medication to take before bed. Keep the pain away.¡± DH¡¯s ears flicked down in guilt as they sheepishly looked up at TO, ¡°Does it hurt really bad?¡± ¡°It¡¯s starting to.¡± TO admitted, ¡°But that¡¯s my fault. They told me to take some with supper, and I forgot. I¡¯ll just go take it now and go to sleep. I think it¡¯s mostly to make sure I rest well.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll go on up then.¡± GiDi said, pulling DH away, ¡°I¡¯m going to grab my blanket. We¡¯ll have it all nice and cozy.¡± TO nodded as they took off, smirking at DH¡¯s confused look as GiDi pulled them away. They hoped that GiDi would tell DH that it was really fine, and that TO wasn¡¯t angry about the nose. Their nose would be fine, even if they looked a little silly tomorrow. With luck, DH wouldn''t worry about it too much. Maybe that¡¯s why they were acting strange¨C they just felt guilty about the nose. They shook their head as they wandered towards the water fountain. If that was the only reason that DH was acting strange, then it was fine. TO heard something as they approached the water fountain. They frowned ¨C most of the other synths were already asleep¨C but it was really no concern; TO wasn¡¯t doing anything that wasn¡¯t allowed. They were just getting some water. There was a synth doubled over at the fountain, whimpering. It took TO a moment to realize who it was since they were doubled over with their head hidden by their limp wings but once TO saw them clutching at their arm, they realized that it was Q10, and they realized that the accelerant that they had been given must have kicked in hard. There was another whimper of pain ¨C almost a sob¨C followed by retching. The water fountain was turned on as Q10 rinsed out their mouth, spat, then stood there panting and gasping. TO noticed that there were holes in the arm of their uniform from where they were clutching themselves so hard. In the brief silence that followed once Q10 caught their breath, TO cleared their throat. Q10 spun around, eyes wide with panic as they saw TO standing there. They narrowed their eyes, but said nothing as they stepped away, turning their back to TO so they wouldn¡¯t see their face streaked with tears and contorted in pain. Wordlessly, TO went to the fountain and started filling the bottle, ignoring the stifled whimpers of pain that came from Q10. They set the water bottle down to let it fill, and reached into their pocket to get their painkiller. No; Painkillers. They had two. They had forgotten to take one with supper. TO opened the little capsule, and took out a pill. ¡°I won¡¯t be long.¡± They said as they took their water bottle from the fountain, ¡°I was given painkillers for my nose. I just need some water.¡± ¡°Why should I care why you¡¯re here.¡± Q10 hissed. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t.¡± TO agreed. They took one of the pills, chased it with water, and set the other on the edge of the fountain. They turned and left without saying another word. They walked away, and heard Q10 lunge for the fountain. There was more retching, more gasping, then a pause. TO looked back, and saw Q10 looking at the pill on the edge of the fountain. They frowned, then looked over to TO, who only nodded and walked away, hurrying down through the rows of pods to get back to their own before Q10 decided to yell at them for getting involved in something that wasn¡¯t their business. It wasn¡¯t until TO was climbing up to their pod that they considered that they might have been able to use that painkiller more efficiently. Maybe they could have saved it in case GiDi or DH got hurt ¨Cjust in case they were denied painkillers. Maybe they could have used it to find out if DH¡¯s theory that Q10 had a hand in the report sent to their overseer was true. Well, it was no matter now; the painkiller was gone. Besides that, TO was certain that even if they had tried to get information out of Q10 by offering them the pill, Q10 wouldn¡¯t have given in. And TO would have given them the painkiller anyway. Episode 42: Overheard The next day, TO was far more nervous that they had anticipated as they made their way to the Synth Production Lab. They hadn¡¯t felt too bad when they woke up, squished between GiDi and TO in their pod, and they figured that maybe all they needed was a bit of a rest; a day away from the labs, followed by a very relaxing evening with GiDi and DH had provided that. Now, they felt absolutely fine, save for the pain in their deep blue, swollen nose. They started feeling not so fine nearing the end of their second meal. A strange feeling of dread fell over them, and often through the meal they felt their mind drift to the labs as they wondered how bad it would be to go back there alone. It was only when they had parted ways with GiDi and DH that they realized that they had also been dreading leaving their company again. The moment GiDi and DH were out of sight it was as though TO¡¯s mind wanted to mess with them, and started replaying that memory of the dissection, showing them the blood, playing the awful symphony of cracking bones. They wanted that to stop. They wished their brain would stop replaying that over and over. It didn¡¯t linger so much when they were around GiDi and DH, and if their brain didn¡¯t want to cooperate and stop focusing so much on it, they wished that they could at least just stay with their friends until they forgot about it. They got to the labs, and opened the doors with their implant. The main atrium was empty and deserted save for the tiny little Synths that were floating in their tanks. Odd; one of the Officers normally greeted them when they arrived. TO looked down at the ground, working hard not to let their eyes flick to the juvenile Synths in the tanks. Their first thought was to just head straight to the labs, and keep their head down, but then a thought entered their head: Shouldn¡¯t they force themselves to look at the synths? If they were alone in the atrium, wasn¡¯t this an ideal time to to force themselves to get used to being around them again? They could do it. They had to do it. They wouldn¡¯t get over this if they didn¡¯t push themselves. It wasn¡¯t like these were little synths that TO would have to dissect anyway. They were just normal synths, TO told themselves, just like DH and GiDi. Provided they survive. TO took a few steps towards the tanks, holding their breath as they slowly looked up, stopping just as their gaze touched on the tiny clawed toes. They had good claws; no iron deficiency here. They took another deep, shuddering breath. They flicked their eyes up, observing the entire child. The child that floated passively in the tank, their ears flicking, their wings twitching. They looked asleep, and almost content. For a moment, TO was fine. For a moment, all they saw was the cute little synth, sleeping it¡¯s tank. They could be sick. It was a sudden, unwanted thought that hit them and brought back the sounds of bones cracking, the sight of blood, the organs laid out on the table. They could be sick. It could be sick. TO felt sick. They felt like somehow they could feel their own organs inside them; foreign objects lodged under their flush, pulsing. Borrowed organs until the moment when the rest of TO was no longer useful. They looked away, their arms wrapped around themselves, their wings tightening around them as they felt their ears droop down. They couldn¡¯t do this. They knew they had to, and they knew that this was just what was done, and that so many other synths could do this. It didn¡¯t matter; they couldn¡¯t. They were just so damn weak! This was normal! Why couldn¡¯t they take this! Why couldn¡¯t they just impassively slice up the synth, and sort out it¡¯s organs as was necessary. They took a long, deep breath, and turned to head to the laboratory in the back. They¡¯d have to do their work, even though they didn¡¯t know how they could manage it. They couldn¡¯t run away; didn¡¯t have a reason to avoid the lab today. This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it. They wished DH or GiDi could be here with them. They felt like they might be able to manage if they were there. The idea made them feel suddenly worse; DH and GiDi were managing their work well without them. Why couldn¡¯t TO be the same? They got to the lab, opened the door, and stepped in. They could hear PQ12 and PQ03 speaking together much further in the back, and they quietly and slowly made their way towards them. They didn¡¯t want to rush; they weren¡¯t excited to get to work today. Because they were being so slow and so careful, they were able to make out their conversation as they drew closer. ¡°-and I think they¡¯d be better served working with me in a more theoretical way.¡± It was PQ12, TO could tell. There was just a certain cadance to the way they spoke that TO recognized. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter how they¡¯d be better served.¡±came PQ03¡¯s voice, ¡°They are not here to be served. They are here to serve King Decon.¡± ¡°Yes! I am well aware!¡± There was bitterness in PQ12¡¯s voice that TO had never heard before, and it made them stop and freeze. ¡°I am well aware of what their purpose is. Of what OUR purpose is. But I also know that in providing training we¡¯re helping to find what 09T07 is best at!¡± They took several long breaths that TO could hear even from where they were standing, so far away and out of sight. A moment later, PQ12¡¯s voice came a little softer, a little more controlled. ¡°You saw them when we were doing that dissection-¡° ¡°- I did.¡± ¡°-They can¡¯t do that again. You know that.¡± ¡°I do not agree!¡± PQ03¡¯s snapped, ¡°I know that if I don¡¯t push them, they¡¯ll never be able to work here.¡± There was a derisive snort, ¡°I¡¯ve raved about how observant they are. You¡¯ve raved about how clever they are, and how fast they learn. If they can¡¯t manage a simple dissection-¡° ¡°I¡¯m not saying they can¡¯t do it.¡± PQ12 said, ¡°I¡¯m saying that their skills are better used elsewhere. They¡¯re better off finding where they properly fit than they are having you push them into a role that¡¯s not right for them.¡± ¡°And yet you want them to help you with your precious research-¡° ¡°I could use the help, and we have them for two more days-¡° ¡°Well, I could use the help as well!¡± PQ03 snapped, ¡°I have 4 surguries to do on some of the adolescent synths. And while your work isn¡¯t necessarily time sensitive-¡° ¡°You always do those surgeries on your own.¡± PQ12 snapped back, ¡°I hate them.¡± ¡°Yes! I know! But you can do them! 09T07 could do them too! They¡¯d have to get used to it, that¡¯s all. Thats training. That¡¯s why they¡¯re here!¡± ¡°I can do it. Yes.¡± PQ12 said, ¡°But, surprisingly, 09T07 is not me!¡± There was a long, drawn out silence in which TO started to slowly walk towards them. The Officers hadn¡¯t been anywhere private, and the door hadn¡¯t been locked, but TO knew that they perhaps weren¡¯t supposed to be there listening. ¡°If they can¡¯t do it,¡± PQ03 said, ¡°then that should be reported.¡± TO froze once more. PQ03 hadn¡¯t reported them, but they hadn¡¯t yet decided not to. ¡°...If you tell them to do the work.¡± PQ12 said after taking a long, deep breath, ¡°Then I have no doubt that they¡¯ll do it. They¡¯ll hate every moment of it, but they¡¯ll push themselves. They¡¯re stubborn, and tend to excel. They¡¯ll do it. Loyalty and obedience isn¡¯t the problem here.¡± ¡°And any problems should be reported-¡° ¡°And you know what will happen if we report this. You know what we saw.¡° There was a stifled curse which surprised TO¨C they had never heard an officer curse before. ¡°You know how many there were.¡± ¡°Yes, too many.¡± PQ03 snapped. ¡°We should have caught it earlier.¡± ¡°It¡¯s our own fault.¡± Another long moment of silence between them, but this time TO stayed very still and very silent. What they saw? What did they see? Did they see something when TO was doing the dissection? And how many what? TO was very confused. ¡°... you go ahead and report them if you feel you need to.¡± PQ12 said after a moment. ¡°Or force them to do the dissection. If they break, there will be questions asked. And you know what will happen then.¡± ¡°Fine.¡± PQ03 finally hissed, ¡°You can have them for your little research. Unless, they say they don¡¯t want to help you. Maybe we read them wrong. Maybe they¡¯re fine. Maybe they were just shocked.¡± TO cleared their throat, letting the sound echo in the lab as they quickly walked the rest of the way towards them. They didn¡¯t want them to know that they had been listening in. As TO turned a corner and came into view, they saw PQ12 sitting down and feeding nutrients into one of the tanks as PQ03 stood next to them with their arms crossed and their ears pinned back. ¡°You¡¯re early.¡± PQ03 hissed. ¡°Apologies.¡± TO said, ¡°I didn¡¯t realize.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± PQ12 said. ¡°You¡¯ll be working with me today, so you can help me finish the feeding, and then you can help me with some research on enriching the nutrients that allow the synths to grow-¡° ¡°Unless of course you¡¯d rather work with me.¡± PQ03 said, ¡°I have 4 individuals who need routine surgical procedures.¡± Even though they looked angry, they softened their gaze, ¡°It¡¯s all done in the tanks, and it¡¯s relatively simple; just the removal of organs that are no longer needed.¡± TO felt their ears flick out in curiosity; There were organs that weren¡¯t needed? What organ? What did they do? Why were they needed to begin with? They almost said yes, that they wanted to assist but as soon as they thought about that, they thought of blood and bones, and remembered all the synths in the tanks. ¡°I¡­ I have already seen some of the surgical process.¡± They said, looking away, ¡°I haven¡¯t learned anything about the nutrients, or how they¡¯re produced yet. I¡¯d like to.¡± ¡°Good.¡± PQ12 said, ¡°I could use the assistance. I think you¡¯ll find it far more interesting than you might expect.¡± PQ03 didn¡¯t say anything, but their ears pinned back. They nodded, and turned to leave. ¡°Very well.¡± They said, ¡°You two do your research. I¡¯ll go attend to my tasks.¡± Despite everything, despite the dissection and the memories, and how grateful they were that they wouldn¡¯t have to do any more dissections, they couldn''t help but worry that PQ03 was angry with them¨C or worse; disappointed. It made their stomach churn as they watched the irate Officer leave the lab without another word. Episode 43: Curiousity Once the slow work of caring for all the embryos was completed, PQ12 led TO further to the back of the room and showed them to a smaller laboratory. They opened the door and revealed a dimly lit room with a spacious desk at one end. The walls were covered in vials of the orange fluid that they had been feeling the embryos, each one set over a little chip in the racks they were set in. TO went up to the wall and held their implant up, activating it¡¯s sensor. A moment later they were given a little box of information about the vial before them. KDC 1123 S2 D13 Decreased Fe2 Increased C42H80NO8P Increased C19H19N7O6 Viscosity seems to be decreased, though appears to have a tendency to form strands; may cause issues with transference of nutrients. ¡°That¡¯s nothing interesting to you yet.¡± PQ12 said as they noticed TO checking the notes, ¡°Just some reminders for myself. Perhaps if you spend some time to understand what I¡¯m doing, you¡¯ll find it interesting¡± they turned towards their desk, ¡°You should be able to take off your goggles here.¡± they said, ¡°The lights are dimmer, and more comfortable. The work isn¡¯t quite so delicate. Intricate-¡° they gave TO a sharp look, driving in the point that they were not disparaging their own work, ¡°but not as delicate.¡± TO gratefully pulled off their goggles and set them down on a nearby desk before they started looking closely at the bottles. ¡°This is the nutrient fluid?¡± ¡°Correct.¡± PQ12 said, ¡°This is where I make it.¡± TO turned and looked at PQ, their brows furrowing, ¡°I thought that this was one of those things that King Decon made.¡± They said, ¡°Things that we¡¯re not able to understand.¡± PQ12 stifled a snort and shook their head, ¡°Ah, no. The nutrient fluid is far simpler. Something that even a synth can create¡­ or improve on.¡± They grinned. ¡°It¡¯s simple, in theory. There¡¯s an assortment of various micronutrients in the fluid. It has to be dense enough to be able to provide enough nutrients to the embryos, but thin enough that it can properly flow through the rudimentary circulatory system. As well, there¡¯s only a certain amount that each embryo can process each day.¡± ¡°So...¡± TO said slowly as they looked at the vials, ¡°If you¡¯re trying to improve on it, then I¡¯m guessing that you¡¯re trying to find a way to put more nutrients into the same amount of fluid without affecting how thick the fluid is?¡± ¡°And without using any chemicals that might hurt the embryos, or make the nutrients themselves have a lesser effect. Or without causing the embryonic fluids to react poorly. Yes.¡± They gestured to the vials on the walls, ¡°Each one as some primary cells harvested from¡­ essentially leftovers of the development process. I leave that in the sample for a span, and then measure the growth afterwards. If there¡¯s substantially more growth than what we¡¯re currently using, then it goes run through a synthetic placentia- ¡° ¡°A what?¡± ¡°A replica of those things you saw on the inside of the tanks.¡± PQ12 said, ¡°What the embryos were attached to. It¡¯s basically a way the embryo processes the nutrients. They keep those up until a certain stage of development. It has to be able to run effectively though those to be effective.¡± ¡°Then it gets used on the synths?¡± ¡°Then it gets a trial, yes.¡± They said, ¡°I¡¯ve not been able to go all the way to a proper trial In spans; It was before you left the tanks, anyway.¡± They sighed. ¡° I¡¯m getting ahead of myself.¡± They pointed to a desk next to theirs, ¡°I could use the help going through some primary simulations of some formulae that I developed, to see that it won¡¯t have immediate, negative effects.¡± ¡°Yes. Officer.¡± TO said, ¡°If we get this right, then less synths will get sick, right?¡± PQ12 gave a quick, brief smile, their ears flicking up, ¡°Correct. Less sick synths, and more strong, healthy ones.¡± Their smile faltered, and they turned back to their computer. ¡°More healthy synths to serve King Decon. There is no better way I myself may serve.¡± The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. TO froze. There was an unmistakable hint of sarcasm in PQ12¡¯s voice, laced with bitterness and anger. They saw the sudden flick back of PQ12¡¯s ears, and realized that they were in fact angry. Why? ¡°Have I offended you?¡± TO asked. ¡°Oh... oh no.¡± PQ12 said quickly, ¡°It¡¯s not you. Don¡¯t worry about it.¡± PQ12 wasn¡¯t lying, but they also didn¡¯t elaborate. Well, it didn¡¯t matter¨C it wasn¡¯t TO¡¯s place to pry. After a moment, they wondered if the Officer was simply angry with PQ03 because of the argument they had overheard eariler. TO sat down and opened up the programs they would need through the computer on the table. Their task was simple, and it only took PQ12 a moment to show TO how to run the program. It only took another five minutes for TO to realize that it was not just intricate work, but tedious and relatively boring work. Step 1: Input all the chemical components into the program. No thought is needed for this; It¡¯s just copying formulae. Step 2: Run the program. This takes about 3-5 minutes during which the main thing to do is to wait. Step 3: Record any potential negative reactions as indicated by the computer. Step 4: Save all results, and start again. TO found it horrifically tedious, and wondered how GiDi had managed to last as long as they had in weapons production. If GiDi¡¯s work was half as awful as this, then TO had a newfound respect for GiDi¡¯s patience. Still, working here was better than working on the developing synths. Even knowing that it was unlikely that they¡¯d be involved in anything like the dissection again made TO feel better. Still...That abnormal curiosity was eating at them. ¡°... What¡¯s the procedure that PQ03 is working on?¡± TO asked carefully. ¡°They said it¡¯s a surgery?¡± PQ12 had been typing away at their own computer, but their fingers stopped, hovering in the air over the keyboard display on the surface of the desk. ¡°Would you have preferred to go with them?¡± ¡°NO! No no. I mean.¡± They stopped themselves, realizing that they might have responded a tad too quick, ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m enjoying learning about the nutrient-¡° ¡°Don¡¯t lie.¡± PQ12 said as they turned back to their own computer, ¡°I can see it in your ears, you know.¡± ¡°... I¡¯m sorry.¡± TO muttered as their ears flicked down and flushed blue with shame. ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± PQ03 said. ¡°I know most people think it¡¯s boring work. It can be, unless you¡¯re invested in it.¡± They glanced back at TO, ¡°But, I figured you¡¯d rather work here than in surgery. TO nodded, suppressing a shudder as they did, ¡°Yes.¡± They said, ¡°I don¡¯t think I enjoy being involved in surgery.¡± ¡°Clearly.¡± PQ12 said, but there was no malice in their voice. ¡°But I am still curious as to the procedure being done?¡± PQ12 nodded, ¡°I understand.¡± They said, ¡°The knowledge and information can be fascinating, but seeing it all with your own eyes¡­¡± They cast a glance at TO, and saw their ears flicking back. ¡°Well. No matter.¡± ¡°Will it hurt them?¡± ¡°Hmm? Oh! Oh no, not at all.¡± PQ12 said, ¡°In the tanks, they don¡¯t really feel physical pain- Their entire consciousness is taken up by the simulations in their head. And even given that we give them anestesia before surgeries are performed.¡± ¡°PQ03 said something about removing organs?¡± TO asked, ¡°But, why would we have organs that need to be removed? We¡¯re designed, so theoretically we should have no organs that are unnecessary, correct?¡± ¡°Correct in theory.¡± PQ12 said, ¡°But not so much in practice. Such work is beyond me, but as brilliant and capable as King Decon is, there¡¯s limitations to natural laws. For now. There¡¯s an organ that¡¯s necessary during earlier stages of development; It quickens growth, and many aspects of physical development. When we approach maturity, then there¡¯s no need for this organ and it can just cause further problems later on.¡± They shook their head, ¡°Tumors, auto-immune issues, cysts, and a general malfunctioning as the organ very slowly degrades within the body. Better to cut it out before it causes problems. ¡° ¡°What kind of organ is it?¡± PQ12 was about to say something, then stopped, and gave TO a funny look; like they were considering them deeply. It wasn¡¯t quite that look that TO used to get from other synths; the one where they were regarded as something so strange and so different that TO¡¯s very existence was confusing. No, this was different; This was deeply calculating, and pensive. ¡°We are told simply that they¡¯re organs that produce a variety of hormones and which triggers exponential growth. We are told that they help speed up the development process, and thus need to be kept until development is complete. After that point, we are told that keeping them will result in complications that can shorten a synth''s lifespan and productivity; as such, the organs are removed. ¡°... but what is it?¡± TO asked again. PQ12 frowned, their ears twitching with worry that TO was not used to seeing on other synths, especially not officers, ¡°If I were to say that you¡¯re better off not knowing, would you accept that?¡± ¡°Officer?¡± ¡°Some knowledge can be dangerous. That¡¯s something important you should know.¡± TO¡¯s ears suddenly flicked down, and they turned their full attention back to the computer, ¡° My apologies, Officer.¡± ¡°... It''s fine. Just keep that in mind.¡± ¡°I will. ¡° A brief moment of silence passed between them, and then as though offering a small peace offering, PQ12 said, ¡°We don¡¯t have to track the growth ourselves, you know.¡± They said, ¡°We don¡¯t have to measure the hormone levels, or track their peaks and declines. The computers track all that for us, and we just do what we¡¯re supposed to when we¡¯re told to.¡± ¡°I think it¡¯d be more interesting to watch the patterns, don¡¯t you?¡± TO asked, ¡°Wouldn¡¯t that allow you to see potential issues and prevent future sickness.¡± ¡°Perhaps.¡± PQ12 said without looking away from the computer, ¡°But we do as we¡¯re told.¡± Episode 44: Shows PQ12 told TO to go on early, just after they finished compiling the last batch of results. Today, TO was more than happy to leave. They enjoyed working with PQ12 and they enjoyed being away from the stronger, more painful lights in the rest of the lab, but the work they were doing was horrifically boring. Despite the thoughts from just a few days ago, TO decided that working in the production labs was not the job for them. Would the next job be right for them, or would they realize halfway through that they couldn¡¯t do whatever waited for them next? There was an even worse idea that filtered into TO¡¯s head; what if they proved to work well somewhere, and only realized after they were properly placed that they hated it? If they hadn¡¯t taken part in the dissection then they wouldn¡¯t have realized that they weren¡¯t meant for working in the production labs. Maybe they were lucky to have been forced to do the dissection. Because they left early, they ended up finding DH and GiDi before they got close to the cafeteria. DH saw TO first, and ran up to them with a big beaming smile as GiDi chased after them. ¡°I¡¯m glad we found you early!¡± GiDi said as they approached. DH fell silent, letting GiDi talk. ¡°We were worried about you. Was everything ok?¡± TO smiled and fell into step next to them as they continued towards the cafeteria, ¡°Surprisingly. I was assigned with PQ12 to do some laboratory work with them. But..¡± They gave a sheepish smile at GiDi as their ears flicked down, ¡°It was awful, tedious, boring work. I don¡¯t know how you managed as long in weapons production as you did.¡± GiDi laughed, ¡°Just try to imagine some music while you¡¯re working. Or¡­ Maybe think of some of the shows that we¡¯ve been watching from the cultural archives?¡± They glanced over at DH, a small smile playing at the edges of their lips, ¡°DH was telling me about some really nice shows that they¡¯ve been watching a lot of lately.¡± TO looked over to DH and was surprised to see their ears flicked down and flushed, their eyes wide in horror. TO stopped and turned, taking DH by the shoulders, ¡°DH!¡± They said, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Nothing!¡± DH protested, their ears twitching. TO frowned. ¡°You¡¯re lying.¡± ¡°Oh, they¡¯re just a little shy about the shows they like.¡± GiDi said. To TO¡¯s surprise, DH gave GiDi a withering glare. ¡°I told DH that it probably wasn¡¯t a big deal.¡± GiDi said. ¡°And that you wouldn¡¯t think they were silly or stupid if they wanted to share their favourite shows with you.¡± TO felt their ears flick down, ¡°I¡±d never think you were stupid.¡± TO insisted, ¡°Why would you even think that? What¡¯s wrong with the movies you like?¡± DH grumbled and looked away, their ears vividly blue, ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± They said, ¡°I¡­ I¡¯ve taken a liking to romance. That¡¯s all.¡± TO almost laughed, but held back knowing that DH might take it the wrong way, ¡°There¡¯s nothing wrong with romance shows.¡± They said, ¡°I mean, that¡¯s half of what the rest of the galaxy produces. Most species are half obsessed with it.¡± ¡°Yes¡­ I know. But we¡¯re not like most species. Right?¡± DH looked up at TO a hint of desperation in their eyes, as though they wanted TO to contradict them, ¡°I mean, We¡¯re not meant to care about that stuff, right?¡± TO smiled and gave DH¡¯s shoulders a quick squeeze, ¡°DH,¡± they said, ¡°Of all the ways we¡¯re strange and different, I think having a preference for romantic shows might be the least problematic out of all of it.¡± Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere. ¡°... Do you like romantic shows?¡± DH asked timidly. ¡°Haven¡¯t we watched some? The three of us?¡± TO raised a brow at GiDi, ¡°We have, yes?¡± ¡°We have.¡± GiDi confirmed. ¡°I like them too.¡± ¡°They¡¯re not my favourite, but I like them just fine.¡± TO said. They moved to the side as they started walking towards the cafeteria again, keeping one hand on DH¡¯s shoulder ¡°I mean¡­¡± They frowned and gave DH a quick squeeze, ¡°Why would you be worried about something like that? It¡¯s just some shows.¡± ¡°Right.¡± DH said, their ears flushed blue, ¡°It¡¯s just some shows.¡± GiDi sighed and shook their head, ¡°Well, if you¡¯re both done being dumb, can we get to the cafeteria?¡± TO¡¯s eyes widened as they started hurrying, letting their arm slip from DH¡¯s shoulder, ¡°Right.¡± They said, ¡°I actually have a lot to tell you, but I want to wait until we¡¯re somewhere private.¡± They ran off towards the cafeteria, and no more mention of any shows in the cultural files was mentioned. ====== ¡°They still have that sling on.¡± DH muttered behind TO. TO had been lost in thought as they went over what they had overheard from PQ03 and PQ12 earlier, so they hadn¡¯t really noticed what was around them. They looked around, and saw Q10 walking towards a nearby table, balancing their tray in one hand as their other arm was still in a sling. ¡°I thought that would be healed up by now.¡± TO muttered, ¡°They were brought into the Medical Bay while I was there the other day. They were given some accelerant.¡± GiDi, who was standing ahead of them, winced, ¡°I saw that happen to them.¡± They said, ¡°We were practicing holds, and they did something wrong - I don¡¯t know what, but their partner flipped them over and there was this awful sound, and a scream¡­¡± They shuddered. ¡°I thought they broke something.¡± ¡°Nothing broken.¡± TO said, ¡°The Medical Officer just said that they had a dislocated shoulder. Q10 looked up, looked around the cafeteria, and saw the three of them. Their eyes lingered on each of them for a moment, then narrowed as they went back to their meal. ¡°Well, we had nothing to do with it.¡± DH hissed, ¡°No idea why they¡¯re glaring at us.¡± TO wondered idly if maybe they were angry that TO had given them some painkillers. Maybe they were angry that TO had interfered, and angry at themselves for taking them painkillers when they knew they probably shouldn¡¯t. At least that meant that they would be unlikely to actually report TO for it. Not that there was a rule against sharing painkillers with someone else. Still. Those resources had been allocated to TO, and they could only imagine that the Medical Officer wouldn¡¯t be happy to hear that TO had just given them away. ¡°I hope it hurts.¡± DH snapped. ¡°Why?¡± TO asked. ¡°I¡¯m sure they had a hand in you getting reported for drawing your claws.¡± They said, ¡°They should just leave us alone¡± TO shook their head, ¡°I¡­ I don''t¡¯ think they had anything to do with that.¡± TO said, ¡°I mean, they weren¡¯t even there. And¡­¡± They glanced over at Q10 once more, taking in their pained expression as they rubbed their shoulder. ¡°I¡­ I really don¡¯t want to see anyone in pain.¡± They frowned, ¡°Even if maybe they deserve it for other things.¡± They gave DH a quick grin. Even if they didn¡¯t want to see Q10 in pain, they¡¯d never forgive them for the pain they had put DH through. The tears in their eyes, their wings wrapped around themselves... ¡°Ok.¡± TO said, looking away, ¡°Maybe a little pain. But not a lot; Not like that.¡± They got their food, and left the cafeteria quickly, rushing down the hallways. ¡°Alright.¡± GiDi said, ¡°Are we going to the Flight Training Room, or the abandoned storage room?¡± They asked, ¡°Or to the dormitories? Is there anything we have to get done today?¡± ¡°Flight training.¡± TO grumbled, ¡°I''ve been hunched over a desk all day recording stuff on a computer. I¡¯d like a chance to spread my wings after I eat.¡± GiDi nodded, ¡°Alright. I¡¯m just glad your eyes are ok again. We were really worried about you when you had that migraine.¡± TO stopped, nearly dropping their plate. An uncharacteristic curse left their lips. ¡°What is it?¡± DH asked, panicked. ¡°My goggles!¡± TO said, ¡°I left them in the lab!¡± DH released a deep breath, their shoulders sinking as they relaxed, ¡°You scared me.¡± They said, ¡°I thought something was really wrong.¡± ¡°Well, something is!¡± TO insisted. They passed DH their food, and started heading down the hallway, ¡°I have to go get them!¡± ¡°Wait, why?¡± GiDi asked, ¡°You¡¯re going back there tomorrow, right? They¡¯ll still be there.¡± ¡°Yes! But I don¡¯t want to risk losing them and having to go back to the Medical Bay to get another pair. And what if PQ12 sees them, and thinks I¡¯m being scatterbrained, or not being careful enough? Or what if they send them back to the Medical Bay, and then I don¡¯t have my goggles for tomorrow? Or what if they¡¯re not the lab, and I have to go looking for them now before I need them again? Or what if-¡° ¡°Fine, fine. Go on.¡± GiDi said, ¡°It¡¯ll only take you a minute.¡± They glanced at DH, ¡°You want one of us to come with you? Maybe DH would like to see where you¡¯ve been working.¡± TO shook their head, not even noticiung the withering look that DH gave GiDi, ¡°No, It¡¯s fine; I¡¯ll just run in, get the goggles, and get out. Hopefully nobody will even notice that I left them in the first place.¡± They beamed at GiDi and DH, ¡°I¡¯ll meet the two of you in the training room!¡± ¡°Alright.¡± GiDi said as TO took off down the hallway, ¡°Hurry back!¡± They called at their retreating form. TO waved back at them, and turned the corner, desperate to get their goggles as soon as possible. Episode 45: Investigate TO worried for a brief moment as they approached the labs that maybe they wouldn¡¯t be able to get inside. They pressed their hand to the implant reader which beeped after just a moment as the door slid open, revealing the empty laboratory. They froze as their eyes landed on the synths in their tanks, then with their eyes down they ran to the back and towards the room where they had been working with PQ12. Though the lights were all still on and bright in the main part of the lab where the more mature synths were in their tanks, the lights in the smaller lab were off, save for the ones directly around the tanks. The unfamiliar darkness startled TO¨C they had never seen this lab without the main lights on, and at first they thought they had somehow gone into the wrong room. The lights being off made them hesitate; It made them think that they weren¡¯t supposed to be here. It made them wonder if PQ03 and PQ12 were also finished for the day. Maybe they had their own dorm for officers that they had retreated to. What did they do when they weren¡¯t in the labs? TO hurried back down to the other end of the laboratory. Their questions could be easily asked the next day, so they had no reason to linger on it now. They got to the back, and rested their hand on the reader. It beeped, and the door slid open. Oddly, the lights in PQ12¡¯s lab were still on. TO froze, looking around to see if PQ12 was still there, but they weren¡¯t. Their goggles were there though, sitting right on the table where they had left them earlier that day. A long breath of relief left them as they took their goggles and hung them from the neck of their uniform. A low laugh left their mouth. Why had they experienced such panic over just misplacing their goggles? Why had they been so worried about it? Now that they had the goggles again, any anxiety they had had seemed so foolish and silly. Well, no matter. Time to get back to GiDi and DH and laugh about it. They turned to leave, but something on the desk where PQ12 had been working all day caught their eye. It had only been a short while ago when they left, but they figured that maybe PQ12 had started working on something else once they were alone. A microscope was out on the desk next to the computer, and next to the microscope was a small vial of the activation fluid that PQ03 had shown them. TO froze. While PQ03 had said that the activation fluid wasn¡¯t as delicate as the primary base DNA that King Decon made, it was still in short supply. Wasting it was very bad, and it seemed to TO that putting it under a microscope would be wasting it. Unless, of course, there was something to it that would allow PQ12 to improve the feeding solution? How did PQ12 even get it? They had to be requested specifically for activating synth DNA. TO walked towards the microscope, eying the half-empty bottle on the table. They were curious as to what the activation fluid actually was and how it worked. If some was already on the slide then looking wouldn¡¯t do any more harm than had already been done. Maybe it would provide a clue as to how King Decon actually created the base DNA, or at least how he managed to put them in stasis. Alot had happened since TO had been able to consider the puzzle of how King Decon was able to create the synths from scratch, but the mystery still bothered them, still lingered on the outskirts of their mind. They were desperate for any clue to it¡¯s answer and having a clue so close to them, unguarded and unprotected, was just too inviting. They leaned down to look, being careful not to nudge the microscope with their face¨C they knew better than that thanks to PQ03, and they didn¡¯t want to do any potential damage to what PQ12 was looking at. With their heart humming in their ears, they squinted and peered at the image before them. Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation. Dots. The slide was covered in many tiny dots that seemed to be shivering or vibrating as they moved. It reminded TO of illustrations of electrons that they saw in basic science books, but they knew that that couldn''t be what they were looking at, not with such a low-powered microscope. Whatever it was, it was moving around as though it was alive. TO¡¯s mind was throwing around ideas, and they were so absorbed in watching the little dots moving, their mind racing with new theories, that they didn¡¯t hear the door slide open. They didn¡¯t realize that they were no longer alone until they heard an angry shout from behind them. Startled, TO jolted up and almost knocked over the half full bottle of activation fluid. They caught it just as it rolled off the table, and quickly set it back down. ¡°What are you doing here.¡± PQ12 hissed at them. They sounded angry, but their ears were pinned back in fear, close to their head. ¡°My apologies.¡± TO said quickly, ¡°I was just... I left my goggles-¡° They reached up to their collar and felt their goggles under their hand, ¡°And I was just-¡° PQ12 ran towards them, ¡°I don¡¯t care about your goggles! What are you doing here!¡± They grabbed them by the wrist and pulled them forcefully away from the microscope. TO yelped in pain and fell against the table as PQ12 pulled them, falling down and striking their head off the edge. They curled up on the floor, clutching at their head as they whimpered in pain, only distantly hearing the sound of something shattering against the floor. PQ12 cursed again, and knelt down to pull TO up. TO pulled away and tried to stand up on their own but they felt dizzy and disoriented. All they could managed to do was to push themselves away from PQ12, clutching their head. They felt something on their hand and when they pulled their hand away they saw blood. They felt sick. Blood on their hands. They were in the lab. They could smell the disinfectant used everywhere but they weren¡¯t sure if they were actually smelling it or if they just thought that they could smell it. Their breathing came fast and ragged as PQ12 said something to them that they couldn¡¯t hear, not at first. It took a few minutes for their mind to start to translate the sounds being made as actual words. ¡°Come on now. You¡¯re fine.¡± PQ12 said as they tried to help TO up. TO felt their hand on their arm,and pulled away as though burned. They looked up in confusion at PQ12. They were scared; both of them. Their ears were pinned back, their eyes wide. TO was terrified of PQ12 in the moment, but TO didn¡¯t know what PQ12 could possibly be afraid of. Slowly, PQ12 offered a hand to TO. ¡°Come on.¡± They said, ¡°You¡¯re fine.¡± ¡°I¡¯m bleeding.¡± TO said. Their voice sounded small and weak. They still couldn¡¯t breathe quite right. They were in pain. They had blood on their hands. They could smell disinfectant. They could see organs laid out on a table. ¡°It¡¯s just a little cut.¡± PQ12 insisted, but the way their ears twitched, they didn¡¯t seem sure. ¡°It¡¯s fine. Just get up, and I¡¯ll clean it and you can go on.¡± TO reached up to the throbbing spot on their head and pulled their hand away again. More blood. They didn¡¯t know why they had checked, they didn¡¯t know what they had expected. ¡°What¡¯s going on in here.¡± PQ12 and TO froze and looked towards the door. PQ03 stood there, panting as though they had just run over. ¡°I was checking the monitors to make sure eveything was fine. What¡¯s going on here!¡± So they did stay in the labs. ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± PQ12 said quickly, ¡°This one left their goggles here, and came back to get them. They fell. They¡¯re fine.¡± TO looked up, and even they could see their fear-flattened ears twitching as they lied. PQ03 looked over them, over TO, then finally let their eyes linger on the broken bottle on the floor, and the wasted remains of the activation fluid. ¡°... 09T07.¡± PQ03 said quietly, ¡°Are you seriously hurt?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I-¡° ¡°Are you seriously hurt. Do you need medical assistance?¡± ¡°No.¡± TO said quickly. They didn¡¯t want to go back to the Medical Bay. They didn¡¯t want another medical note on their file. PQ03 eyed them for a moment, then nodded. ¡°Very well. Go. Get cleaned up. If you feel disoriented, or if you end up with a headache or odd pains, then do go to medical. Understood?¡± ¡°Yes officer.¡± ¡°Go on then.¡± TO took a deep breath and managed to pull themselves up to their feet. They stumbled slightly, then walked as quickly as they could manage out of the laboratory. As they passed PQ12, they couldn¡¯t miss the absolute terror that seemed to scream from their pinned down ears, or the look of fear in their eyes. They¡¯d never forget how their balled up fists were shaking at their sides. TO had thought that Officers were above such fear. Episode 46: Bump Gasping and dizzy, To ran from the labs until they had to stop and lean against the wall to catch their breath. Their head hurt, and they felt so confused and scared and, honestly¡­ they felt a little hurt. They hadn¡¯t been friends with PQ12, of course, not, they were an Officer, and TO was just in training. TO had looked up to PQ12. There were so many ways in which they were alike that it made TO feel a little better to think that even someone strange like them could do well. PQ1 2had even worked to keep TO away from having to do operations. Now they were here, alone in the hallway with tears burning at their eyes as they tried to figure out what they had done that was so wrong. They hadn¡¯t put the activation fluid in the microscope, and they hadn¡¯t broken anything until PQ12 had pulled them away. What had they done wrong? They caught their breath and stood up, wiping at their eyes with bloody hands. The sight of the blue on their hands, the smell of blood so close to their face almost sent them to their knees again. They took several deep breaths, and slowly walked to the closest bathroom where they quickly washed their hands, then took some napkins and carefully cleaned away the wound on their head. The lab was very well sterilized¨CTO wasn¡¯t worried about infection. They strained to see the mark on the back of their head but it was just out of sight. They couldn¡¯t feel the wound itself, but they could feel a bump where they had struck their head off the desk. They¡¯d have to get DH or GiDi to check. They¡¯d have to tell them what happened. TO didn¡¯t want to worry their friends; they were already worried enough about them, but it would be hard to hide this wound They gently cleaned the blood away and leaned forward, taking long, deep breaths. It occured to them that it was twice now in as many days that they ended up cleaning blood off themselves in one of the washrooms. ¡°Bad Habit.¡± TO muttered to themselves. They tried to give a laugh at their little joke, but they just couldn¡¯t. Why had PQ12 been so angry and scared? The warnings from earlier echoed into TO¡¯s head; the warnings about curiosity, and knowing things that maybe they shouldn¡¯t know. Maybe they were doing the same kind of research that TO themselves wanted to do; research into how King Decon created the synths. Maybe TO had been seeing something that PQ12 didn¡¯t want to get caught researching. TO rolled the idea around in his head. Yes, that made sense. It also made TO feel a little better; They hadn¡¯t done anything wrong, PQ12 was just scared. Still, the way they shouted at them. They way they grabbed them. TO looked at their arm, pulling the sleeve back so they could see, and frowned as they saw the bruising starting to show on their pale blue skin. They rubbed their arm, then pulled their sleeve back down. It didn¡¯t matter. They were more or less fine. They¡¯d see PQ12 tomorrow, and tell them that they wouldn¡¯t tell anyone anything. That they wouldn¡¯t ask them any questions about it. They left the bathroom, and were halfway to the flight training room before they realized that PQ03 had seen the remains of the bottle as well, just before they had sent TO off. They recalled the shaking of PQ12¡¯s hands as they stood still before the other officer. Could one officer discipline another? TO wasn¡¯t sure. Still, if they were both strange, maybe PQ03 wouldn¡¯t say anything. Even though they were different, they were two strange synths working together; They had to be friends at least to some degree, right? TO hoped so. ========= TO got to the Flight Training room and flapped up to the platform where GiDi and DH were resting. ¡°You took your time.¡± DH said as they ate the last few pieces of their plate, ¡°Did you find your-¡° They glanced up, and their ears fell as they looked over TO. ¡°What happened?¡± TO dropped down next to DH, leaning against the wall behind them. ¡°I hit my head.¡± They said. ¡°It¡¯s bleeding. Can you see how bad it -¡° The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement. TO didn¡¯t have the rest of the words out of their mouth when DH pulled them into their arms and turned them so that they could see the back of their head. They relaxed as they felt DH¡¯s fingers run over the bump so gently that there wasn¡¯t any pain. GiDi slid in front of TO, and pushed their food towards them, ¡°Does it hurt a lot?¡± They asked. ¡°Not really.¡± TO said, ¡°It hurt at the time, and I think I was more shocked than anything else.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think it looks too bad?¡± DH ventured, ¡°It looks more like you must have scraped the skin against something.¡± ¡°The bottom edge of the desk.¡± TO said, ¡°I smacked my head off the underside of the desk.¡± ¡°How did you manage that?¡± GiDi asked. TO allowed DH to hold them, leaning against DH¡¯s chest as they told their friends about what had happened in the lab. They told them how they just wanted to look at what was in the activation fluid, and how PQ12 had reacted. ¡°They hurt you.¡± DH hissed, ¡°We should report them.¡± ¡°They were scared.¡± TO said, ¡°I don¡¯t understand why, not really¡­ but I think maybe they were looking at something they weren¡¯t supposed to be looking at.¡± they shook their head, ¡°Or at least they could get in trouble for wasting activation fluid, especially since I knocked over the whole bottle when I was pulled away. It broke, and-¡° ¡°That wasn¡¯t your fault.¡± DH said, ¡°That was your Officer¡¯s fault.¡± ¡°Anyway, PQ03 came in shortly after that, and they sent me off. PQ12 looked really scared though.¡± They shook their head, ¡°I¡¯ve never seen an Officer look scared like that before. You should have seen their ears; they were pinned right back against their head.¡± ¡°They were probably more afraid because they had hurt you.¡± GiDi said as they sat next to TO, getting a better look at the back of their head, ¡°Are you sure you don¡¯t want to go to medical?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure. It doesn¡¯t even really hurt.¡± They were about to say that their nose still hurt more than the bump did, but they didn¡¯t want to make DH feel bad about that. ¡°They should be afraid.¡± DH said, ¡°They¡¯re an Officer! They shouldn¡¯t hurt us. They should be better than that. I mean, even other synths in training-¡° ¡°They¡¯re still just synths, right?¡± TO ventured, ¡°And strange ones too. And they didn¡¯t mean to hurt me.¡± TO sat upright, and started to pick at their meal. ¡°They were just scared. And they warned me earlier about¡­ well, about looking for answers I don¡¯t really want¡± Their ears perked up, ¡°Oh.. that reminds me; Before I started my work today, I overheard PQ12 and PQ03 talking about¡­ well, talking about me.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± GiDi said, ¡°Anything good?¡± ¡°Not really?¡± TO said, ¡°PQ03 really wanted me to help with surgery. PQ12 said I wasn¡¯t suited for it. They fought about it for a bit, but that wasn¡¯t the interesting part.¡± They paused as they went over the conversation in their head, ¡°They¡­¡± TO frowned, ¡°They saw something. I don¡¯t know what. They saw something that worried them. Something about me. They just ¡­¡± TO was still unsure of what they had actually heard, and unsure of what it could have meant, ¡°They said that they saw something, and it had to do with me. Then they said something like ¡®you know how many there were.¡¯¡± ¡°How many what?¡± DH asked. ¡°I don¡¯t know. Maybe how many incidents I''ve been involved in? I have no idea. They didn¡¯t say anything to give me any clarity, but then they said they should have caught it earlier, and that whatever it was was their own fault.¡± Now that they were saying it aloud, an idea flickered into their head, ¡°You don¡¯t think they mean they should have caught how strange I am? And now they think that it¡¯s too late to report me because they might get in trouble?¡± ¡°I doubt that.¡± GiDi said, ¡°You work better than DH and I, so if you should have been reported by now, then so should we.¡± They frowned, their ears pinning back, ¡°Maybe...Maybe they mean us?¡± ¡°Us?¡± ¡°Us. Strange synths. Like you, like me, and DH.¡± They glanced up at DH, ¡°Maybe¡­ maybe the ¡®how many¡¯ is strange synths? Maybe that¡¯s something that they should have seen before we even left the tanks.¡± They looked back to TO,¡±You mentioned once that the lab your in is the lab you were detanked from, yes?¡± ¡°Right. I remembered it. I think they remembered me too.¡± GiDi nodded, ¡°and you said that they allow some differences between synths, some variety is needed. But maybe there¡¯s a way to catch synths that are too different, and they didn¡¯t.¡± ¡°Maybe.¡± TO murmured, ¡°But¡­ but from what I understand, that¡¯s not their job. That¡¯s the computers that are supposed to take care of that.¡± ¡°Maybe something was wrong with the computers, and they were supposed to deal with that.¡± ¡°Maybe¡­¡± TO said. Was that possible? Was it possible that there had been something wrong with the way the computer had shaped their mind? ¡°That¡­ that would make sense then, I guess? The ¡®how many¡¯ would be how many strange synths came from that lab.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t you ask them?¡± DH said. ¡°Not without admitting that I overhead them.¡± TO said, ¡°And I don¡¯t think they¡¯d like being overheard.¡± ¡°Well, if PQ12 is worried about being reported for violence, maybe they¡¯ll be so grateful if you don¡¯t report them that they wouldn¡¯t mind if you asked them a few questions?¡± DH gave a wicked grin, their ears perking up, ¡°I mean, it¡¯s the least they could do after giving you this bump on your head. ¡°...Are you suggesting, DH, that I blackmail my officer?¡± TO was half scandalized, but in truth, it seemed like a decent tradeoff. Maybe not exactly blackmail, but if TO went to PQ12 tomorrow as they intended to, and told them that they were fine, that they knew it was an accident and that they didn¡¯t need to report anything, then maybe they would be so grateful that they might let TO ask a couple of questions. ¡°Maybe.¡± DH said with a grin, ¡°I prefer to think of it as them being very grateful for you not reporting anything.¡± TO grinned. ¡°That might work.¡± They said. They suddenly felt like they had a proper appetite again so they started eating quickly, desperate to get into the air and stretch their wings. Everything would be fine. They¡¯d talk to PQ12 tomorrow, and maybe get some answers. Maybe PQ12 would even apologize for yelling and hurting them! Everything would be fine. Chapter 47: Dive TO flew until they were exhausted, their back and wings aching from the effort of keeping themselves aloft and soaring through the air. They had missed out on their flying in the last several days, and they had almost forgotten how free they felt as they flapped from place to place, diving from the topmost part of the training room and swooping up just before hitting the ground. DH and GiDi actually joined them in the air this time; they raced, diving down to the ground as they tested one another to see who could keep falling before pulling up and avoiding a collision. It was a stupid, dangerous game. TO always pulled up just a little after DH and GiDi did, not wanting to show off too much, but also not wanting to lose. For The first time in a long time they were just playing, just gliding through the air with no purpose or reason. For the first time in days TO was able to forget all their problems; was able to lose themselves in flight. They were almost without worry until one heart-stopping moment when DH, in a slight daze, didn¡¯t seem to want to pull up from a dive to the ground. TO had been watching them, waiting for them to pull up like GiDi had seconds earlier but before they knew it DH was too close to the ground to pull up safely. TO swooped around, grabbed DH and was able to slow their descent, softening their landing on the ground so that neither of them were badly hurt. GiDi made their way towards them, gliding from pole to pole as they got closer. They called out, and though TO wasn¡¯t sure what they said, they waved to let GiDi know they were alright. TO sat up, holding to DH who was relatively unharmed, save for getting the wind knocked out of them. They gasped and gagged as they tried to get the air back into their lungs. ¡°What were you doing?¡± TO exclaimed as they rubbed DH¡¯s back to help calm their breathing; it was the only thing they could think of doing, ¡°You know you can¡¯t dive that close to the ground!¡± ¡°I know.¡± DH gasped as they caught their breath. ¡°Please tell me you weren¡¯t actually trying to beat me.¡± TO said. If they were,TO would have to start letting DH win so that they didn¡¯t end up hurting themselves. ¡°No! I mean, I know I can¡¯t,¡± they shook their head and sat up as GiDi landed next to them. ¡°Not yet anyway. I-¡± They looked away with their ears down, ¡°I was just distracted. That¡¯s all.¡± ¡°... and you forgot you were plummeting to the ground?¡± ¡°Sorry.¡± DH said again. ¡°They¡¯re not themselves today.¡± GiDi said, ¡°They¡¯ve been worried all day.¡± ¡°Gidi.¡± DH hissed, ¡°Oh.¡± TO said, their own ears flicking down. They got up and helped DH to their feet, ¡°Sorry.¡± They said, ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to worry you.¡± they gave a sheepish smile, ¡°I should have sent word that it looked like I wouldn¡¯t be at operations anymore, that way you wouldn¡¯t have been worrying so much. Oh, and-¡± They reached up and gently touched the clotted cut on the back of their head, ¡°This really doesn¡¯t hurt. Not anymore. I think I was lucky, and I only scraped myself up a little.¡± As they mentioned it, they thought of the blood on their hands again, and their stomach formed a tight knot, ¡°Want to keep flying?¡± TO asked, ¡°Though, maybe without the dives?¡± ¡°I¡¯d like that.¡± DH said after a moment. They stood before TO for just a moment longer before they stepped back and took off, flapping from pole to pole, ¡°But I will beat you to the top!¡± TO grinned and took off after them, gaining speed quickly as GiDi followed behind, laughing gently. ========= They headed back to their dormitory earlier than they had been as of late so that TO could convince the synth sleeping in the next pod over to move to GiDi¡¯s spot. ¡°Hello!¡± The other synth was laying back in their pod, reading something from their implant. They glanced up as TO leaned over to look at them. TO had never spoken to this particular synth before; they had intended to try to talk to them, but they had been scared off by the reactions that the other synths had towards them. ¡°Can I help you?¡± They asked. There was oddly no malice in their voice. There was also very little interest. Their ears were simply flicked out in curiosity. ¡°Would you change pods with 45G70?¡± ¡°I see.¡± They said as they looked back at their file, ¡°That¡¯s all you want?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t wish to bother you.¡± TO said, their ears flicking down, ¡°I just...I was hoping you¡¯d switch.¡± They frowned as they seemed to think about it. ¡°They sleep closer to the floor.¡± They said, ¡°Which will be less trouble for me to access. Very well. I will switch.¡± It was easier than TO had thought it might be. Now they had DH just one pod below them, and GiDi just to the side. It occurred to them that, save for the little bit of time they spent every day in their vocational training, they¡¯d never have to be apart from their friends again. Even if they wanted to stay in their own pods for the space, or so they could use their pod¡¯s computer systems, they could do so and still be close enough to one another to talk. The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there. And of course, if TO were to wake up in the middle of the night again from a horrific nightmare, they¡¯d be able to reach out to both of them very easily. It felt very comforting as GiDi climbed up into the pod next to TO and logged into the computer with their own chip. ¡°I¡¯m glad I finally did this.¡± TO said as GiDi settled into their bunk, ¡°I¡¯m just sorry I didn¡¯t get it done earlier.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not a problem.¡± GiDi insisted. ¡°Things were a little hectic, and I know you didn¡¯t want to draw attention. It¡¯s fine! I understand¡­¡± ¡°But you were still sad the other morning.¡± TO insisted as they remembered how they had looked when they realized that DH and TO had shared a pod for the night, and GiDi had been left alone. ¡°.... I was sad, ¡± GiDi admitted. They looked distantly at the screen as it loaded up their own preferences, then looked up at TO with a smile, ¡°But I stayed with you and DH last night, and now I have a pod next to you!¡± They looked away, the tips of their ears twitching with amusement, ¡°Besides, I know that neither of you wanted to leave me alone, not really.¡± TO lowered their voice as they saw another synth climbing up the ladders and approaching near them, ¡°Well, I¡¯m happy that you¡¯re so close now.¡± They said. They leaned over the edge of their pod to look down at DH, who was watching something on their screen, ¡°Aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Hm? Oh! Yes. Yes I am!¡± TO leaned down and looked inside DH¡¯s pod, ¡°What are you watching?¡± They asked, ¡°Oh, one of those romances?¡± ¡°No! I mean, I am watching a show from the cultural archives, and it does have romantic parts in it, but-¡± ¡°I can watch with you, if you¡¯d like.¡± TO said, ¡°I¡¯m not a huge fan, but I have no issue with it.¡± They looked up at GiDi, ¡°You¡¯ll watch too, right?¡± GiDi grinned and shook their head, ¡°No no, you two go ahead. I¡¯m deep in a book I¡¯ve been reading and-¡± They trailed off as their ears pinned back and their eyes narrowed as they looked past TO, ¡°What do you want.¡± TO looked behind them and saw that Q10 had managed to climb up the ladder with one arm in a sling, the other sliding up the railing as they pushed themselves up. They had their eyes narrowed as well, but their ears were flicked down, worried and nervous. ¡°I wish to speak to 09T07¡± ¡°You agreed that you wouldn¡¯t bother us.¡± DH said from below, ¡°We beat you in that simulation, and you agreed that you wouldn¡¯t bother us anymore.¡± They narrowed their eyes as they looked at Q10¡¯s hand holding onto the edge of the ladder, their knuckles almost white from their desperate grip. ¡°Go away.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to cause trou-¡± ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sure you don¡¯t.¡± DH hissed, ¡°Just like I¡¯m sure you had nothing to do with TO being reported to their overseer.¡± ¡°DH¡­¡± TO said quietly, ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not!¡± DH insisted, ¡°Nothing happened, nobody got hurt-¡± ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Q10 snapped as they glared at DH. ¡°You know very well what I¡¯m talking about.¡± DH said, ¡°Yes, TO pulled their claws on 55h75, but they didn¡¯t hurt them. Nothing happened. Their overseer even accepts that.¡± Q10¡¯s eyes widened, their ears flicking outwards, ¡°You pulled your claws on another synth?¡± ¡°You knew that.¡± DH hissed. ¡°I did not.¡± Q10 said simply, ¡°I had no idea.¡± ¡°I¡¯m certain. I¡¯m sure 55h75 told you.¡± Q10 frowned at DH, their ears pinning back once more, ¡°Why would they?¡± They asked. ¡°Well, aren¡¯t they your friend now?¡± There was such unmistakable bitterness to DH¡¯s tone that TO couldn¡¯t help but stare down at them with their ears out and their eyes wide in surprise; Just a moment ago DH had been flushed and flustered, now they were snapping, their teeth were just visible under their upturned lips, their ears were pinned back. Of course DH was mad; after the way Q10 had hurt them, TO could understand. Somehow, DH being angry wasn¡¯t as bad to TO as them being sad. Still, it wasn¡¯t good. ¡°55H75 doesn¡¯t speak to me needlessly.¡± Q10 stated with their ears down, ¡°They tell me what is necessary. That is all.¡± They were sad. TO realized this suddenly as they watched their ears sink low. They weren¡¯t lying about anything, and they honestly seemed sad when they spoke about 55H75. ¡°What do you want.¡± TO finally asked Q10, trying to keep their voice neutral. ¡°... Might I speak to you privately?¡± ¡°You may not.¡± DH said ¡°If you have something to say to TO, you can say it in front of us.¡± For a moment, Q10 looked like they might just leave without doing what they came here to do. They shifted their arm and winced at the pain. After a moment of silence they looked back at TO with their ears down. ¡°Do you have any more painkillers?¡± They asked, their voice so soft that even to TO¡¯s keen ears they almost couldn¡¯t hear what they said. DH and GiDi looked at TO with their eyes wide, and their ears out in confusion. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I don¡¯t.¡± TO said, ¡°I only had enough for yesterday.¡± They tilted their head at Q10, ¡°Can¡¯t you go to the Medical Bay and ask for some?¡±. TO remembered that the Medical Officer had their hand on the painkillers while Q10 was being treated in the Medical Bay, but hadn¡¯t given them any. ¡°I did.¡± Q10 said as they looked away and glared at the ladder before then, ¡°I went, and I asked for something to help me sleep through the pain. They said that I wasn¡¯t allocated any painkillers.¡± They looked back at TO, ¡°But you were, and for just a hurt snout. Why?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± TO said. ¡°If I had some I¡¯d give you more.¡± Q10 nodded, then wordlessly started the slow, painful process of climbing back down the ladder. As TO watched them struggle, they wondered if they could go back to the Medical Bay themselves and ask for more painkillers. A good idea, but as soon as the medical officer asked any questions about why they needed the painkillers, TO knew that their ears would give away their lies. ¡°You gave them your painkillers?¡± DH said to TO in disbelief. ¡°Why? Those were yours! You needed them to sleep-¡± ¡°I had a painkiller to help me sleep!¡± TO insisted, ¡°I just¡­ I was supposed to take one with my meal but given everything I completely forgot. I wasn¡¯t in that much pain anyway and I had an extra, and they weren¡¯t given any painkillers at all. I bumped into them at the water fountain and they were just in so much pain.¡± They trailed off, looking at DH with their ears down, ¡°are you angry at me?¡± ¡°Just confused!¡± DH insisted, ¡°Why would I be angry?¡± ¡°Because they hurt you!¡± TO insisted, ¡°And you said you wanted them to hurt. And I gave them painkillers to keep them from hurting-¡± ¡°You just couldn¡¯t stand to see them in pain, right?¡± GiDi asked in their calm, quiet voice. TO didn¡¯t respond, they just nodded their head. ¡°TO give them the painkiller in spite of who they are, not because of it.¡± GiDi said to DH, ¡°Just because they hate seeing people in pain.¡± DH sighed and looked back at their screen, ¡°You should have kept them for yourself.¡± they muttered, ¡°What if you¡¯re in pain tonight?¡± TO frowned, and glanced up at GiDi. GiDi gave them a quick smile, and gestured down to DH as they mouthed, ¡°Go watch their show with them.¡± ¡°...I think I¡¯ll be fine tonight.¡± TO insisted as they crawled out of their pod and maneuvered themselves into DH¡¯s, ¡°My nose doesn¡¯t really hurt-¡± ¡°You hit your head.¡± ¡°That doesn¡¯t really hurt either.¡± ¡°You¡¯re lying.¡± TO sighed as they sat next to DH, ¡°OK. It hurts a little.¡± They admitted, ¡°But it¡¯s easily ignored. Q10 was in so much pain they were throwing up. I couldn¡¯t just let them be like that if I had a painkiller to give them, you know?¡± DH sighed and looked with intense focus at their screen, reaching out to flick away the show they were watching. TO stopped them, putting their hand on the back of their wrist, and pushing their hand down, ¡°They¡¯re strange too, aren¡¯t they?¡± TO asked. DH shook their head, ¡°I thought they were.¡± DH said, ¡°But... no. I think they were just tolerating me until they thought that it would cause them trouble.¡± They gave TO a quick smile, meeting their eyes for only a second ¡°Nothing like you.¡± TO beamed, and then reached out and turned the show back on. ¡°Start this from the beginning.¡± TO said as they settled in, leaning slightly against, DH, ¡°I¡¯ll watch this with you before I sleep.¡± They looked back up at GiDi, ¡°Are you certain you don¡¯t want to join us?¡± ¡°Positive.¡± GiDi said, and though TO couldn¡¯t see their ears, they sounded amused, ¡°I want to finish this book. You two have fun.¡± Episode 48: Questioning ¡°Today is the last day of your first period of combat training.¡± C12 said as the synths all stood at attention before them. C12 normally started training right away, getting them to warm up with punches and kicks before they got started with combat maneuvers. Today was different; Today they apparently had something to say. ¡°After today, we move from the basics that you¡¯ve learned here to combat scenarios.¡± They paced before them, their limp a little less pronounced today that it had been the day before. TO wondered if C12 was given painkillers for their leg. They imagined that a retiree could have as many as they needed to be comfortable. ¡°These combat scenarios will be basic. You¡¯re simply expected to take what you¡¯ve learned here, and start to apply them naturally in combat. This will include hand-to-hand, and weapons training.¡± They looked over the synths, ¡°You are not expected to have mastered the skills you¡¯ve just learned. You¡¯re expected to have some basic proficiency.¡± They stopped their pacing, and stood in front of them, their eyes scanning the crowd standing at attention before them. TO caught it; They weren¡¯t sure if anyone else did, because it was so quick and subtle, but C12¡¯s ears flicked down, and slightly back. C12 was worried! Worried about what? ¡°This training will last for another four periods¨Cforty more days. After that time, you will undergo a test before you are allowed to pursue more advanced training.¡± They fell silent as they looked over them, their eyes flicking from synth to synth. TO was certain that C12¡¯s big black eyes lingered on them for just a moment. TO glanced over at DH, who gave them a worried look, their own ears down and twitching. They glanced past TO and towards GiDi, their ears sinking. TO knew exactly what they were thinking; Would GiDi pass the test? TO reached out and took their hand, giving then a quick, subtle squeeze and a smile before letting go. ¡°We¡¯re going to be fine.¡± They mouthed, ¡°All of us.¡± ¡°Those who do not pass their examination will not be allowed to go onto more advanced training.¡± C12 said, ¡°So I suggest you work hard.¡± They looked over everyone once more, then nodded to their assistants who were standing to the side. ¡°Alright.¡± C12 said, ¡°Positions. Start with basic jabs.¡± ======== As soon as the lesson was over, TO, GiDi, and DH dropped to the floor in exhaustion, though to be fair most of the synths did just that. Those synths that kept to their feet at least doubled over, gasping for breath as they dripped sweat onto the floor. C12 had been strangely distracted all day, barking out orders without really noticing how much everyone was struggling. Even after C12 dismissed everyone, many of them stayed where they were to catch their breath. ¡°Well.¡± DH gasped, ¡°That was harder than normal.¡± GiDi couldn¡¯t speak, they could hardly breath. They nodded, gasping for breath as they did. TO stumbled to their feet with their legs shaking, and helped GiDi and DH up, ¡°Come on.¡± they said, ¡°Showers. Food. sitting.¡± They made their way towards the door ¡°09T07.¡± C12 said, ¡°Stay behind.¡± TO stopped suddenly as they heard C12 speak, causing one of the synths behind them to stumble into their back. TO apologized and got out of the way, followed by GiDi and DH as the others filed out of the room and towards the showers. C12 approached them once everyone else was gone. They glanced over DH and GiDi, ¡°You two can wait outside.¡± They said, ¡°You¡¯ll have 09T07 back shortly.¡± TO nodded to their friends and, ¡°I¡¯ll be fine.¡± They said. ¡°We¡¯ll be waiting just outside the door.¡± DH said as they followed GiDi, casting a worried look back at TO just before the door shut behind them. It was just TO and C12 in the training room. TO was a little taken aback at how quiet it suddenly was, but also at how much smaller it somehow seemed now that the room was empty. It was still a big room, but not nearly as big as TO would have guessed it was. It surprised them that it could hold so many synths for training. ¡°You took a hit to the head.¡± C12 said, pulling TO out of their thoughts. TO reached up and gently touched the cut on the back of their head. ¡°Oh. this.¡± They said as they gently rubbed around the wound, ¡°It¡¯s nothing. An accident, that¡¯s all.¡± ¡°I see.¡± C12 said, ¡°And you¡¯re not unwell? No concussion?¡± This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. ¡°No, Retiree.¡± TO said, ¡°Thankfully; I think I¡¯ve spent enough time in the Medical Bay as of late.¡± ¡°Yes. quite a few medical visits as of late, though none of them too serious, or with lasting implications, right?¡± ¡°Yes, Retiree.¡± ¡°Now¡­ Out of curiosity, if your Overseer were to ask you what happened, would it still be an accident?¡± ¡°... Retiree?¡± ¡°Clearly, you view it as an accident, you¡¯re not trying to lie to me.¡± TO¡¯s ears flicked out in confusion, ¡°It was an accident.¡± ¡°What happened?¡± TO frowned, ¡°I was at my vocational training, and my officer pulled me away from something. I stumbled, and fell, and hit my head.¡± ¡°I see.¡± C12 said. They looked over TO for another moment, then turned away, ¡°That¡¯s all. Dismissed.¡± TO turned to leave, then stopped. They were so confused, there was so much going on that just didn¡¯t make sense. They needed something to make sense. They needed some kind of answer to lift their confusion. ¡°No.¡± The word rang out in the room, echoing off the walls, leaving silence in its wake. TO turned to face C12, and watched them turn back to TO, their eyes wide and staring their ears flicked out in confusion. ¡°No?¡± ¡°Why are you asking about my head! About what I¡¯d say!¡± TO said, ¡°Did I do something wrong? Because I don¡¯t think I did!¡± They took a step forward, only just holding themselves back from letting their tone slip into actual anger, ¡°Please, tell me what¡¯s happening. You know what happened, don¡¯t you? What¡¯s actually going on!¡± C12 was silent as they looked over TO. ¡°You know that¡¯s dangerous, yes?¡± ¡°Retiree?¡± ¡°If you had done that to a higher up, to a Commander, or even another Retiree, you know you¡¯d be dealt with, yes?¡± ¡°Corrected?¡± ¡°For outright disobedience? I dismissed you, you said no. Depending on the person, you¡¯d be killed on the spot. I¡¯ve seen King Decon himself kill synths for less.¡± That was the first time that TO heard anyone talk about killing a synth. Synths were corrected, disciplined, or reprocess. People were killed, synths were not. ¡°Even if there were other officers around right now, there would be limited things I could do to help you.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± TO said, taking another step back, ¡°But I need to know. What happened? What did I do wrong?¡± ¡°...You did nothing wrong.¡± C12 finally said, ¡°You were just in the wrong place at the wrong time, and allowed your curiosity to take over.¡± He gave a half shrug, ¡°Something to be controlled, but nothing that you did wrong, necessarily.¡± ¡°But what was it? What happened?¡± TO reached up to the wound at their head, remembering how scared PQ12 had been the day before, remembering their flicked back ears and their shaking fists, ¡°Is PQ12 in trouble because I got hurt?¡± ¡°No.¡± TO relaxed, their shoulders drooping, their wings sinking down for just a moment before they frowned and said, ¡°But they are in trouble.¡± They glanced up at C12 and noticed how their ears were pinned back and down. Their arms were crossed as normal, but it seemed like they were clutching at their arms a little harder than normal. ¡°....And you¡¯re worried about them.¡± ¡°I¡¯m worried about a lot of things.¡± C12 said. ¡°Why are they in trouble?¡± TO asked as they took a step forward, ¡°Is there something I can do to help?¡± C12 looked carefully at TO, clearly confused, ¡°Why would you want to?¡± ¡°I¡­ Don¡¯t know?¡± TO said,feeling as confused as C12 looked, ¡°I think¡­ I think they¡¯re good synths? I don''t want them to get in trouble.¡± C12 nodded, ¡°You¡¯re right. They are good synths.¡± They were friends, TO realized suddenly. Maybe they still were. TO had never seen them together but they never saw PQ12 out of the laboratory at all, and outside of physical training they had only seen C12 in the showers that one time. For all TO knew, they spent most of their free time together. Maybe they were like TO was with GiDi and DH; Maybe they even slept close to one another and worried about one another. ¡° ¡°What do I do?¡± TO asked. C12 shook their head, ¡°Nothing.¡± They said, ¡°aside from saying as little as possible.¡± ¡°But there has to be something more! Why are they in trouble? If I knew-¡± ¡°Do you think you could do more than I could?¡± C12 snapped, and for the first time, TO saw C12¡¯s wings start to puff up behind them, making them look bigger and more imposing than they already were. Their ears pinned right back to their head, their eyes narrowed, their lips turned up into a snarl. They had a chipped fang; somehow, that was something that TO noticed at that moment. TO took a step back, their own wings wrapping tightly around them, their ears flicking down in fear. C12 took a long, deep breath and settled themselves, letting their wings sink back to normal as their ears slowly returned to normal. ¡°You can¡¯t do anything.¡± C12 said, ¡°And even if you could, I wouldn¡¯t put you in a situation where you might get hurt.¡± ¡°How would I get hurt?¡± C12 sighed and turned away from TO, ¡°Look.¡± They said, ¡°Hypothetically, say I get you to help. Let¡¯s pretend that doing that involves telling you things that you shouldn¡¯t know. Things that could get you hurt.¡± ¡°Who would hurt me?¡± C12 looked back and gave them a pitying glance, ¡°This is hypothetical. Let¡¯s say it¡¯s information that simply by knowing it, you could be deemed as useless. You could be reprocessed, at worst.¡± A quick, disbelieving laugh escaped TO¡¯s mouth, ¡°You can¡¯t get reprocessed just for knowing something.¡± ¡°Again; this is hypothetical.¡± They turned away once more, ¡°If your overseer questioned you, would you be able to lie to them.¡± ¡°Why¡­ But¡­¡± TO¡¯s ears flicked out in confusion, their brows furrowed. Why would they lie to their overseers? Well, if they knew something that could cause them to get reprocessed, or get DH or GiDi reprocessed, then they¡¯d want to, sure. But, the Overseers were there to help them, and to train them. What information could they possibly know that might cause their overseer to have them reprocessed. What knowledge was that dangerous. And did C12 have that information right now? Did PQ12? No, impossible! A Retiree and an Officer? They had proven themselves through training and their devolution to King Decon! C12 especially had proven themselves as excellent tools to King Decon! ¡°I¡­ I would want to do the best thing to better serve King Decon.¡± They finally muttered, though it almost felt automatic while their head was still spinning. ¡°That is the correct answer.¡± C12 said as their ears drooped, ¡°And the way you can serve King Decon best right now, while helping PQ12 is just to keep quiet, to stop asking questions. If you want to serve King Decon, that¡¯s what you have to do.¡± TO was very quiet for a moment, then turned to leave. As they reached the door, they turned back, ¡°PQ12 will be ok, right?¡± They asked, ¡°I mean¡­ they¡¯re not going to be reprocessed or corrected, are they?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think so.¡± C12 said, ¡°They¡¯re too valuable for that.¡± TO nodded, ¡°Understood.¡± They said. They felt a little better now as they left to go meet up with GiDi and DH. even if PQ12 was in trouble, they wouldn¡¯t be reprocessed or corrected. Maybe they¡¯d just end up working in maintenance like TO had once. That was awful, but tolerable compared to the alternatives. Episode 49: Overreaction ¡°What happened?¡± DH said as TO left the training room, ¡°Is everything alright?¡± They grabbed TO¡¯s arms, holding onto them tightly. ¡°Everything is fine-¡± ¡°You¡¯re lying.¡± ¡°Everything is fine with me.¡± TO said as they put their hands on DH¡¯s shoulders, ¡°Relax, I¡¯m fine.¡± ¡°What happened?¡± GiDi asked. ¡°And are you sure everything is alright?¡± TO gently took DH¡¯s hands in their own and gave them a quick squeeze, ¡°Everything isn¡¯t alright, but I¡¯m alright.¡± They said. They started to head down the hallway towards the showers with DH and GiDi at their side. ¡°What did C12 want?¡± GiDi asked. ¡°They wanted to know about the bump to my head.¡± TO said, ¡°They wanted to know how I got it and¡­¡± They stopped, wondering if they shouldn''t even say anything to GiDi and DH about their concerns about PQ12, but then realized that since they had told them about the incident with PQ12 already it probably didn¡¯t matter. ¡°They seemed worried about PQ12.¡± They said ¡°Wait.¡± DH said, ¡°Wait, they know your officer in the laboratories?¡± DH asked. ¡°I think they¡¯re friends.¡± TO said, ¡°Like us.¡± ¡°Really?¡± DH asked, ¡°Are you sure?¡± ¡°You should have seen how worried C12 looked. Yes, I¡¯m positive.¡± ¡°Well¡­ We knew that C12 was strange.¡± GiDi said as they considered this, ¡°And you know that PQ12 is strange¡­ ¡° They trailed off, frowning, ¡°Hey, wait... C12 was worried?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± TO said, ¡°I think that¡¯s what kept them worried all day. DIdn¡¯t you notice how off they were in training?¡± ¡°Well, I knew they were acting differently.¡± DH muttered, ¡°I was a little more worried about the test they were talking about.¡± ¡°Ok. Wait.¡± GiDi said, ¡°What are they worried about?¡± ¡°Apparently, PQ12 is in some kind of trouble. They could be disciplined.¡± ¡°Corrected?¡± GiDi asked. ¡°C12 doesn¡¯t think so. C12 Doesn¡¯t think they¡¯ll be repurposed either.¡± GiDi let out a long breath, ¡°Well, that¡¯s good.¡± They said, ¡°Maybe it¡¯s just because that bottle of activation fluid got broken. I mean, you said that it was valuable stuff.¡± ¡°Maybe? But¡­ No, the way C12 was talking, they said stuff about hypothetically knowing things that¡­¡± They trailed off as finally they felt the pieces click in their head. They stopped in the tricks and groaned, smacking their hand to their forehead. ¡°What is it?¡± DH asked, ¡°I¡¯m an idiot.¡± TO said, ¡°PQ12 was warning me about my curiosity, and knowing things that maybe I shouldn¡¯t and about knowledge being dangerous. C12 was basically telling me the same thing.¡± They sighed and looked at DH, ¡°You know I''m an idiot, right?¡± ¡°You¡¯re not an Idiot.¡± GiDi said, ¡°I feel like one. I can¡¯t see what''s going on in front of my own two eyes!¡± ¡°I¡¯m well aware.¡± DH muttered. ¡°PQ12 was looking at something they weren¡¯t supposed to be looking at.¡± TO said, ¡°The activation fluid. Maybe they did something to it that they weren¡¯t supposed to do? I don¡¯t know, but that¡¯s why they didn¡¯t want me looking it at. This explains their fear, the warnings; everything.¡± They shook their head ¡°They were doing something that they knew could get them in trouble. It had nothing to do with wasting the activation fluid or the bump on my head.¡± ¡°Well, you can ask them what¡¯s happened when you see them, right?¡± DH asked. ¡°... I don¡¯t think I should.¡± TO said, ¡°What if it¡¯s dangerous?¡± ¡°How could it be dangerous?¡± GiDi asked, ¡°I mean, whatever happened, PQ03 saw it too, right?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. I don¡¯t know, but¡­¡± They stopped. How much of what C12 said might be dangerous information in itself? Could saying anything more hurt PQ12? ¡°But¡­?¡± ¡°...But C12 seemed to suggest that there could be information that¡¯s dangerous. Information that could make you useless.¡± Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. GiDi frowned, their brows furrowing, ¡°Well that doesn¡¯t seem right.¡± They said, ¡°It¡¯s important to know things, right? It¡¯s important that we get smarter. How could learning more be dangerous?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± TO said, ¡°And I don¡¯t know that I want to find out.¡± ¡°You can still talk to them!¡± DH said, ¡°I mean, you can still tell them that everything¡¯s fine, right? That you¡¯re not hurt and don¡¯t intend to make a problem of it all. And you can ask them about what they said to PQ03.¡± ¡°TO felt their ears flick down, ¡°But what if that¡¯s dangerous information?¡± DH shrugged, ¡°They wouldn¡¯t tell you then, right?¡± They smiled, ¡°You said PQ12 and C12 are friends, so there¡¯s a chance that C12 would have warned them not to tell you dangerous stuff, right? Just like you warn me to be careful?¡± They linked their arm in TO¡¯s arm, ¡°If it¡¯s something you¡¯re not supposed to know, then they won¡¯t tell you.¡± ¡°And you already saw what they were looking at.¡± GiDi pointed out, ¡°If they got in trouble just for looking, then wouldn¡¯t you be reported too?¡± ¡°I suppose¡­.¡± TO said quietly. ¡°C12 is severe.¡± DH said, ¡°Very intense. They probably made a bigger deal out of it than it actually is. I mean, they¡¯re strange too, so that¡¯s a possibility, right?¡± THey shrugged, ¡°You can¡¯t tell me that you wouldn¡¯t overreact if you thought I was in trouble, right?¡± ¡°Also.¡± GiDi said, ¡°PQ12 was probably poking at stuff they¡¯re not supposed to, but I doubt it¡¯s anything that would..¡± They trailed off, ¡°What did C12 even say that information would do?¡± ¡°They strongly suggested I¡¯d need to be reprocessed, or at least corrected.¡± GiDi wrinkled up their snout, ¡°How can any information do that?¡± They said, ¡°What, does it break your mind?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± TO said, but the way that GiDi said that, they couldn¡¯t help but smile, ¡°I¡¯d be kind of interested to know what kind of information could break one¡¯s mind though!¡± DH groaned, then shot a playful grin at TO, ¡°Knowing you, you¡¯d probably think of something like inverted gravity or time that doesn¡¯t work like it¡¯s supposed to-¡° ¡°Imaginary time is real, theoretically-¡° ¡°Then it¡¯s not real, it¡¯s a theory.¡± DH cut in. ¡°And it¡¯s complicated, and¡­¡± They trailed off, ¡°You know, I think if I actually understood imaginary time, it would break something. I don¡¯t think we¡¯re meant to understand it.¡± ¡°Well, if we don¡¯t hurry, Imaginary time is all we¡¯ll have left to shower and eat.¡± GiDi said. DH hurried down the hall, pulling TO behind them, ¡°Come on.¡± They said, ¡°You need to eat before you go to your vocational training.¡± ¡°I know,¡± TO said as they allowed DH to pull them along. Somehow, since GiDi and DH weren¡¯t worried about it, neither was TO. They felt like maybe C12 was being a little dramatic. Maybe they worried just like TO did, and got anxious over nothing when it came to their friends. ¡°Hey.¡± TO said, ¡°C12 and PQ12 are friends!¡± ¡°Yes?¡± DH said. ¡°You said that already.¡± ¡°They did it. They managed to get to where they are, and they stayed friends. C12 even managed to retire! Maybe we can all do it! Maybe it¡¯ll actually be fine!¡± ====== Sometimes, TO wondered how GiDi and DH managed to make them feel better about almost anything. Nothing seemed quite so bad when they were around. Even when TO thought about the dissection, and chills ran through their spine as they remembered the way the bones cracked when they snapped open the synth¡¯s rib cage, things weren''t¡¯ so bad so long as GiDi and DH were nearby. It could still be awful, but it was never so bad as it was when they were alone. By the time they got their food from the cafeteria, TO was already wondering if maybe they hadn¡¯t overreacted to the whole thing. Well, no, they hadn¡¯t; They had been hurt, and they had been warned by PQ12 and C12 about potential dangers of knowledge. Maybe PQ12 had overreacted, and C12 was just worried. By the time they got to their dormitory to sit and eat with GiDi and DH, they were certain that they had overreacted. They were almost ashamed of how worried they had been. No, the thing with the microscope was nothing. ¡°I still think the bigger question is what they were talking about before they knew you were there.¡± DH said as they finished their meal, ¡°That seems important to me. That seems like the information that might be interesting. Maybe they did something they weren¡¯t supposed to.¡± ¡°Then I shouldn¡¯t go digging, right?¡± TO asked. GiDi was very quiet. They had finished their meal first and were digging through files on their implant. ¡°If it didn¡¯t involve you, I¡¯d say that maybe you shouldn¡¯t.¡± GiDi said, ¡°But from what they said, it sounds like it does.¡± They glanced up from their work, ¡°If it involves you, then you could already be at risk, so you should know, right?¡± ¡°I guess.¡± TO said, ¡°What are you looking for today anyway?¡± ¡°Going through some political stuff.¡± They said, ¡°History?¡± ¡°No. Current events.¡± They sighed, ¡°Aren¡¯t you following current events?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been a little preoccupied with my own research.¡± TO said. Their research into how King Decon could have created them was still their major extracurricular research. It was possible to create DNA, to synthesize it, from which TO imagined they got their name of synths, but they weren¡¯t sure yet that it was possible to create a whole person from scratch. To alter one, yes; but to create one? ¡°There¡¯s a cluster of planets that have been in rebellion.¡± GiDi said, ¡°They¡¯ve been working to support a planet that¡¯s been newly discovered.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± TO asked, ¡°In rebellion of what?¡± GiDi frowned as they looked up, ¡°In rebellion of King Decon.¡± They said, ¡°Insurgents. There¡¯s a cluster of planets with active insurgencies, and they¡¯ve been working together to keep this new planet from joining King Decon¡¯s empire.¡± TO Shook their head, ¡°Why would they want to.¡± They said, ¡°Being out of the empire means being isolated. You don¡¯t have the same resources, or access to medical resources, or food.¡± they shook their head, ¡°It¡¯s foolish. Why are they fighting?¡± ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯ve been trying to figure out.¡± GiDi said, ¡°All the reports I¡¯ve been finding, at most they say it¡¯s old aristocracy from the planets, but there¡¯s never any real details. That¡¯s what I¡¯m trying to figure out¡­ Well, mostly,. Not today.¡± They turned the screen to TO and DH, ¡°There¡¯s stuff happening today. There was an attack on the Galactic embassy, and there¡¯s been a big raid in response. Stuff¡¯s happening fast now.¡± ¡°Good.¡± DH said, ¡°Maybe they¡¯ll surrender before the end of the day.¡± They shook their head, ¡°Why would anyone want to be independent from the empire?¡± ¡°Well the main planet, Arkane-¡° ¡°Ar-Ka-ne?¡± DH echoed, ¡°That¡¯s an odd name.¡± ¡°Yes. Well. That was originally the name of the kingdom in their solar system. They had colonies on most of the other planets, but when King Decon took over, to make things more efficient the biggest planet was turned into the citizen planet, and food and resources were produced or mined on the smaller planets. Apparently there¡¯s been a lot of tensions because of the different peoples that have been thrown together- different races, different cultures, different types of people thrown into environments that-¡° ¡°I¡¯m sure King Decon knows what they¡¯re doing.¡± TO said with a frown, ¡°I mean, it¡¯s probably not ideal, but I¡¯m sure it¡¯s the best solution, right?¡± ¡°I suppose¡­¡± GiDi said as they glanced over the reports, ¡°But¡­ I just feel like there¡¯s more. I feel like they have to believe in what they¡¯re fighting for, right? Putting a whole planet at risk, it can¡¯t just be for selfish reasons, right?¡± ¡°It can be.¡± DH said as they glared at the screen, ¡°We¡¯re trained, we¡¯re taught to put the empire before ourselves. They aren¡¯t. They just live their own little lives. We¡¯re part of something bigger.¡± TO nodded, but they couldn¡¯t help but catch the way DH¡¯s ears flicked just slightly - a little bit of uncertainty. What GiDi said made sense, but still¡­ ¡°I¡¯m sure they have their own reasons.¡± TO said, ¡°They might only be good reasons to them, though.¡± GiDi nodded, and went back to reading the scrolling updates that rolled over their screen, their ears flicked back in concern. ======== As TO approached the labs, they felt a little bit of that anxiety creep back since they were away from GiDi and DH, but they clung to how silly they had felt when they realized that all these problems were just overreactions. They made sure to keep their head down and look at the floor as they went from the main lab to the back lab to join PQ12 for their training. They weren¡¯t sure if they would ask about what they had overheard. If they wanted to, this was the time to do it; they wouldn¡¯t be back here after today. Besides, GiDi was right¨C if they were implicated, then they needed to know what was wrong. They got to the back lab, which was empty. TO cursed to themselves as they went to the smaller back lab¨C they had hoped that they¡¯d be able to help with feeding before going back to the tedious work with the feed tests. They got to the back lab, scanned their chip, and opened the door. The lab was dark. When TO turned on the lights they saw that it was also empty. It was as though nobody had ever worked there before. Episode 50: Nothing ¡°Good, you¡¯re here.¡± TO turned around at the sound of PQ03¡¯s voice, their movements slow and confused, their eyes wide and scared. ¡°What happened?¡± They asked, their voice cracking as it echoed through the empty room. ¡°PQ12 is getting reassigned.¡± PQ03 grumbled, ¡°And because of that, I¡¯m left without an assistant.¡± They moved out of the way and gestured for TO to go back into the room with all the embryos, ¡°I do not have time to deal with feeding the embryos along with tending to the synths. You do the feeding today.¡± They started to walk away, heading back to the main lab, ¡°Hopefully PQ14 will be assigned before I have someone else to train.¡± TO wanted to ask who PQ14 would be, but realized quickly that it could be anyone; PQ14 was just the call number that would be assigned to the next synth to work here. It occurred to TO that PQ12 wasn¡¯t PQ12 anymore. They didn¡¯t have their original call number. What were they? Who were they? TO stood where they were, frozen in shock for a moment as they watched PQ03 walk away. It was only when the Officer was close to the doors that they moved, running up to them, ¡°Wait, WAIT!¡± They said as they caught up, ¡°What do you mean ¡®reassigned.¡¯?¡± PQ03 looked at TO in confusion, ¡°What do you think I mean?¡± They snapped, ¡°They¡¯ve been moved to another location¡­ Or, I suppose.¡± They checked their implant, ¡°There¡¯s a very good chance that they¡¯re still in meetings with their superiors, so-¡° ¡°Their Overseer?¡± ¡°You have Overseers. We have higher Officers that we answer to.¡±They said with a frown, ¡°They¡¯re in meetings with them to decide where they should go.¡± TO felt their stomach drop, ¡°It¡¯s because of me.¡± They said, ¡°Because I entered the lab when I wasn¡¯t supposed to-¡° ¡°It had nothing to do with that. This was¡­¡± They frowned, ¡°This was coming for a long time; This isn¡¯t the right place for them, even though they were being very useful. No, they¡¯ll be better off being reassigned.¡± ¡°Where do you think that¡¯ll be? TO asked as they took a step forward, ¡°Do you think it¡¯ll be here?¡± ¡°No idea. Now if you¡¯ll excuse me, I have to work to-¡° ¡°But¡­ What if I want to talk to them?¡± TO blurted out. PQ03 frowned as they turned to face them. ¡°I¡­ I wanted to talk to them, but now they won¡¯t be PQ12 anymore, right?¡± ¡°Correct.¡± PQ03 said, ¡°They¡¯re given a temporary call number until they¡¯re reassigned. I am unsure what their current call number is, so I don¡¯t know how you might find them.¡± They frowned, ¡°And likely by the days end they¡¯ll have a new call number after that as well, so there¡¯s no keeping track of them. Anything important to do with their job here was left on the computer systems.¡± ¡°So you¡¯re not even a little worried about how you¡¯re going to get in touch with them?¡± the idea that they would be just moved and lost that quickly scared TO. They knew that they would have their call number taken away eventually, and given a proper assignment, but what if they lost track of GiDi and DH? What if their two friends got assigned elsewhere, and were given new names? How would TO find them? ¡°Why would I be worried about that?¡± PQ03 asked, their ears flicking out in confusion, ¡°I¡¯m more concerned that I have to deal with all this on my own today. Anything I¡¯d need to know from them is still on their computers so I have no need to speak to them directly.¡± ¡°But weren''t they your friend!?¡± TO demanded, ¡°Don¡¯t you care if they¡¯re here, or if they''re sent off somewhere else in the galaxy? You might never see them again!¡± TO remembered what PQ12 had said about being sent on those exploratory missions, and they wondered if that might be the case for them. They remembered C12, and how worried they had been. Would they be assigned together? This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it. Would C12 never see their friend again? ¡°Of course I care.¡± PQ03 snapped. TO relaxed, but then PQ03 started talking again, ¡°PQ12 and I were accustomed to one another. I knew how they worked, and they knew how I worked. We were very efficient. Now, even if I am assigned a very good assistant then I still have to get used to them. I still have to teach them how things are done here.¡± ¡°But PQ12 was your friend.¡± TO said, their voice soft and quiet. ¡°...I didn¡¯t hate them.¡± PQ03 said, ¡°We worked well together. However, reassignments sometimes happen, and it¡¯s best to get on with one¡¯s duties.¡± ¡°You two, you¡¯re different from others though, right?¡± TO pressed, ¡°You argue together. You debate. I heard you the other day-¡° ¡°....and what exactly did you hear.¡± TO felt a chill run through them as they realized what they said. ¡°I.. I mean, when I came in first thing yesterday, it sounded like you were arguing. I didn¡¯t hear much, You were both-¡° ¡°You know I can tell when you¡¯re lying.¡± PQ03 said, ¡°So tell me, what did you hear?¡± TO took another step back, their stomach churning. ¡°I¡­ You were talking about me.¡± They said, ¡°PQ12 didn¡¯t want me to do the dissections-¡° ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°And PQ12-¡° ¡°Here¡¯s some advice for the future.¡± PQ03 said, ¡°When a synth has been stripped of their assignment, when they¡¯re between assignments, it¡¯s best to just use ¡®N¡¯. It¡¯s for nothing.¡± ¡°Nothing? Why nothing?¡± PQ03 tilted their head at TO, ¡°They¡¯re not active right now, they¡¯re nothing. Now continue.¡± They crossed their arms, their wings puffing up around them slightly, ¡°What else did you hear?¡± TO stepped back, hitting the will behind them. ¡°You said something about there being more? About seeing something?¡± They took a deep breath, shifting their wings so their joints weren¡¯t pressing against the wall. They had come this far, and if they were in trouble then they were already in trouble now, they might as well try to get some answers. ¡°About seeing something wrong with me? And others?¡± PQ03 took another step forward, staring TO down with an intense look. Their ears were pinned back - angry, but also flicking with worry. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t intend to hear anything, I just-¡° ¡°You¡¯re smart.¡± PQ03 said, ¡°Very intelligent. You have a good mind, you¡¯re observant, and you possess a decent combination of wisdom and knowledge, though perhaps too much.¡± They flicked their eyes over TO, taking in how their ears were flicked down, how their wings were wrapped tightly around them, ¡°But you lack discretion, and you have no control of your curiosity. You need to be careful, or you¡¯ll end up wasting all this potential you have.¡± they turned on their heel and started heading to the door again, ¡°Feed the embryos, and then you can leave; I have no time to babysit.¡± ¡°Is there something wrong with me?¡± The pathetic and scared tone to their voice took even TO by surprise. The Officer turned back around, their ears down slightly. For the first time TO caught an expression of pity on their face. Pity. They had never seen that on an Officer''s face before. ¡°Please.¡± TO said, ¡°Please, is there something actually wrong with me? Was there some kind of mistake when I was being made?¡± They wanted to ask about GiDi and DH also, but they didn¡¯t want to implicate their friends ¡°If there was a mistake,¡± PQ03 said very quietly, ¡°Then you¡¯ve have been corrected by now, yes? If something happened while you were developing, I would have caught it, and fixed it. Even if I didn¡¯t, by now if something was truly wrong, you¡¯d have been corrected or reprocessed, yes?¡± ¡°But mistakes can happen, right?¡± TO insisted, ¡°PQ12 told me that there¡¯s some variety allowed in us, so what if there¡¯s too much variety in me!¡± ¡°Then the computers would have caught that and corrected it while you were still developing.¡± PQ03 said, but TO couldn¡¯t help but catch the way their ears pinned down every so slightly with fear. ¡°But what if something went wrong? What if something happened to the computers, and they didn¡¯t correct anything, or - ¡° ¡°There¡¯s a million things that could go wrong.¡± PQ03 said as they took another step forward, ¡°This is a delicate work - it¡¯s almost a type of magic to turn these tiny clumps of cells into fully functional synths! Yes! Things go wrong!¡± They narrowed their eyes, ¡°And every synth that doesn¡¯t turn out right - that has some defect, or sickness, or some unsurpassable abnormality -is a black mark on my work.¡± ¡°That¡¯s all you care about? That¡¯s more important than-¡° ¡°Serving King Decon well is the ONLY important thing!¡± PQ03 snapped. Their voice echoed around the room and seemed to reverberate through TO¡¯s head in the ensuing silence. After a while, PQ03 took a deep breath, and turned away once more. ¡°If I thought something was wrong with me.¡± They said, finally breaking the silence, ¡°I¡¯d not want to know. I¡¯d just work hard, and keep out of trouble, and do my best to serve King Decon. Sometimes, knowing is overrated. Sometimes, it¡¯s better to just not know. Sometimes, it¡¯s dangerous to know too much.¡± They glanced back at TO, ¡°That¡¯s why PQ12 isn¡¯t here now.¡± ¡°But why.¡± TO pleaded. They were scared by their Officer, but they were more scared of not knowing. They could feel this danger around them suddenly, but they didn¡¯t know the source. They didn¡¯t know how to protect themselves, or their friends. PQ03 just sighed, ¡°There is some knowledge that just isn¡¯t for us.¡± They said, Information that¡¯s dangerous to us, and in our hands. Whatever is going to happen to PQ12, it¡¯s for their own good, and for the safety of every other synth here. Do you understand?¡± PQ03 frowned as they shook their head, ¡°You even got hurt by N because of all this. Imagine if they knew more. Imagine how violent they might have gotten. Do you want to do that to other synths?¡± TO shook their head. ¡°Good.¡± PQ03 said. ¡°Feed the embryos¨CI¡¯ve not started that job yet¨C and then you can leave for the day. I have nothing more to teach you here.¡± Episode 51: Flit Even though they were kept busy, they felt like the seconds were being pulled excruciatingly slowly as they worked. They couldn¡¯t rush the job ¨Cthey had to be careful as they fed the embryos¨C but they desperately wanted to leave. They wanted to find DH and GiDi. Of course, even if they were to leave right now, GiDi and DH were still in their vocational training, and wouldn¡¯t be done for hours. There was no point to them leaving early to find them yet. They wished they could find GiDi and DH, and take them out of the training, or even just sit with one of them while they finished their work. Being alone let their minds roll over the information over and over, much like it had replayed that horrible dissection so many times. No matter what PQ03 said, They were sure that this wasn¡¯t at least in part their fault. If they hadn¡¯t gone back to get their goggles. If they hadn¡¯t seen the microscope. No. If they hadn¡¯t let their curiosity get the better of them. If they hadn¡¯t looked at what was in the microscope. They tried to tell themselves that it was natural for them to have poked at that¨Cthey were in a lab, and expected to learn, right? But PQ12 had warned them that same day to be careful of their curiosity. Regardless of what PQ12 was doing, if they hadn¡¯t looked at the microscope, then they¡¯d still be here now. They¡¯d still be PQ12, and not ¡®N¡¯ for nothing, nobody, and nameless. It only took a couple of hours for them to finish their work, and by the time they did, they decided that they had to do something to fix this, or at least make it better. They had to find some way to discover where PQ12 was at least, and find some way to figure out their new designation. They didn¡¯t know how they would do it, but they had to. If this was their fault, and they had to do something. They put away the tools, cleaned up what they had used, and left the laboratory. When they entered the main lab they could see PQ03 several floors up, doing something to one of the older synths. They might have been curious about what they were doing, but TO had more important things to deal with. They were unbothered by the small children in their tanks nearby, and even waved away a notice that popped up on their implant. They weren¡¯t concerned right now about any of that. Before GiDi and DH finished their work for the day, TO wanted to make things better. They wanted to do something right. If they could even just give C12 PQ12¡¯s new call number, things would be better right? They left the labs, and stopped. Even though they had been dismissed, it still felt wrong to be leaving so early. They also didn¡¯t know where they were supposed to go. They strained their minds, trying to imagine where they might go to find C12, or what they might do to find out where PQ12 - no, N now- would be. Oddly, it was their time working in Maintenance that led them to the answer. The laundry shafts and disposal units went to a single room in maintenance from all areas of the center. Stuff would be pulled down the shafts, and thrown from holes in the wall into bins below. Some of the bins were further out than the others, and TO noticed that anything that came from them seemed to be thrown with greater velocity than the others. When they asked, the synth who was working there at the time only said, ¡°Officer''s laundry; most of them live higher up.¡± Officers were on the floors above the one that TO had spent their life on. If they were going to find C12 or PQ12, it would be in one of the floors higher up. ======== If this doesn¡¯t work, I¡¯ll stop. TO promised themself. It had taken a while to find an elevator or stairway, but on the end of a hallway that TO never really explored before, they found it. The sign over the sliding door read ¡®stairwell 202¡¯ and it was locked. TO figured that if they scanned their chip and it didn¡¯t work, then they weren''t supposed to go upstairs to the higher levels of the center and look around. If it did scan, then it was fine right? And if they got caught, well, was there any harm in looking around? They had a reason to be out of their vocational training anyway. They held their hand to the scanner. If it worked, they¡¯d go on; if it didn¡¯t they¡¯d give up and head to their pod to study before meal time. The scanner hummed, the light turned green, and the door slid open. With only a moment of hesitation, TO went up the stairs to the next floor. ========= The problem was that the rooms higher up in the center were just like the ones below - the same clean, slightly blue, bright hallways with doors spaced equally apart along the walls. On their own floor, TO know which rooms led where, and the really important rooms had signs over them to let them know where to go. Up here, all the rooms had numbers over them- assignments most likely - that TO was unfamiliar with. There was nobody around, which they figured was most likely because all the synths who would be here were either working, or in training. The next floor was mostly the same but It seemed to have offices, not room. TO could only tell this because the doors now had the designations, ¡°office¡± along with a series of numbers. The hallways crossed so much, and everything looked so similar that they got lost on this floor, but soon they managed to find the stairwell leading up to the next. Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author. They scanned their chip. The chip reader hummed, then the light turned red. The door stayed closed. TO felt their ears droop down as they stepped away. This couldn¡¯t be it. They hadn¡¯t seen a single person around here! Where else could PQ12 be? They reminded themselves that this wasn¡¯t free time, and that they had been unlikely from the start to find what they were looking for.PQ12 was likely in an office somewhere being examined, or maybe they were already examined and shipped off. Maybe they kept Synths up on the higher floors when they were being considered for new placements. Maybe these floors were only open to TO now because synths had to come up here for vocational training. Well, no matter. They were done looking now. They said that if they found a locked door, that was time to stop, right? They turned around, and headed back to where they had come from. They turned left, left, then right again, and then realized that they were lost. Of course they were lost. This whole place looked too similar to them, and they weren¡¯t used to the numbers yet. They were certain that the hallways on their own floor twisted around just as much, but at least they had gotten the chance to get used to where everything was when their overseers still led groups of synths from room to room. Now they were alone, and they didn¡¯t know where to go. The first thought that came to their mind was that they¡¯d be stuck here the whole day until someone came up to find them. Maybe they¡¯d be stuck there through mealtime! They took a breath and tried to calm themselves. They had to think through this logically; there were only so many hallways on each floor, and if they worked through each one and paid close attention to where they were going then they were certain that they¡¯d find their way to where they had to go. TO started walking, reading every number over every every door, and paying attention to what they passed and the direction they were going in. To their surprise they were able to keep all the directions in their head in an orderly fashion, along with the numbers and movements. They figured that it was part of the logic games they played, a part of the training they had been working on that made such memorization and mental organization so simple. Maybe this was just their training at work before their training was finished. It wasn¡¯t long until all that memorization and organization became pointless. TO was turning a corner when they heard the familiar whoosh as a door opened. They ducked behind a corner, and waited, scarcely breathing as they listened. TO didn¡¯t know why they were hiding though, since as far as they knew there was no reason they shouldn¡¯t be here. ...Of course, there was no reason they should be here either, and that was a bit of a problem. ¡°...And I know you say it¡¯s fine, but I''m scared!¡± TO froze, their ears pricking up as they listened. They had never heard any officer sound like that. They had never heard that tone of pleading, of worry in the voice of any other synth, save for GiDi, DH, or even themselves. They certainly didn¡¯t expect to hear it from the former PQ12. ¡°Snout, It¡¯s fine.¡± They heard C12 say, ¡°You do what I told you, you remember everything I told you, and you¡¯ll be fine. Once you get to the mining colony-¡° ¡°A mining colony. A MINING COLONY! A tiny little nowhere place on a nothing moon of Arkane.¡± There was another low laugh, broken by the hint of a sob, ¡°I won''t survive there.¡± TO leaned around the corner, hoping not to be seen. They didn¡¯t know if they should be watching this, but they also knew that they shouldn¡¯t just come out and say they were there. They wanted to sneak away, taking just a quick look down the hall to see where they had come from. They caught a brief glance of stairs through an open door, but they soon forgot about that as they saw PQ12¨C the former PQ12 who C12 had called Snout- holding onto C12¡¯s arm. Their ears were low, their wings wrapped around themself tightly as they looked up at C12 with desperation in their eyes. ¡°I don¡¯t want to go.¡± ¡°You have to.¡± C12 said as they reached up and put their hand on Snout¡¯s shoulder. C12¡¯s ears were lower than they had ever seen them before; almost limp with sorrow. Their voice sounded raw, as though they had been crying, ¡°I don¡¯t have much sway when it comes to the greater running of things here, but I have some. I was able to get you this assignment, and if you do what I say, you¡¯ll be fine.¡± ¡°Come with me.¡± They said, their ears perking up with slight hope as they took C12¡¯s other hand in their own, ¡°Come with me. You don¡¯t need to be here. You don¡¯t need this place! You¡¯ve given enough. Just¡­ please-¡° Their voice grew quiet and soft, ¡°Come with me.¡± C12 reached up, put their hand on the back of Snout¡¯s head, and pulled them into their chest. TO saw C12 press their lips tenderly to Snout¡¯s forehead before wrapping their wings tightly around them. ¡°I can¡¯t.¡± they whispered after a moment, ¡°You know I can¡¯t. You know I have more to do.¡± ¡°Why.¡± Snout whispered as the tears welled up in their eyes and their ears pinned back with anger ¡°Why do you have to stay.¡± They wrapped their arms around C12, clasping their hands at the small of C12¡¯s back. ¡°If what you told me works, you could come with me, and we¡¯d be fine. If it¡¯s not¡­.¡± They shook their head, their ears fell limp as they pressed their face into C12¡¯s chest, ¡°Then at least we¡¯d be together at the end.¡± The tears started to run down Snout¡¯s cheeks, trailing down their jaw and trickling down their neck. Tears on PQ12 -Snout- an Officer. TO had never seen an Officer cry before. They had never seen anyone cry before save for themself, DH, and GiDi. C12 pulled Snout closer, their wings tightening around them as they lifted up Snout¡¯s head before reaching their thumb up to their cheek to wipe away a fresh tear that escaped Snout¡¯s eye, ¡°It¡¯s not your end.¡± They said, ¡°I didn¡¯t get this far to see you sent to the ass end of the galaxy, or into combat, or -¡° ¡°And I didn¡¯t want to get this far without you!¡± They insisted, ¡°Why do you think I care what happens to me if I¡¯m not with you?¡± TO felt their ears burn and flick down; They had a feeling that this wasn¡¯t something they should be watching. They had a feeling that this was something intensely private. They didn¡¯t think other synths acted like this. They hadn¡¯t seen anyone act like this outside of the romantic shows that DH liked. ¡°You¡¯ll know what to do.¡± C12 said, ¡°And¡­¡± they nestled their head at the curve of Snout¡¯s neck, ¡°And you¡¯ll go on because if I¡¯ve managed to do something good for you, if I manage to protect you, then it''s fine. Everything''s fine. ¡°... Will you miss me?¡± ¡°Every day.¡± They promised. They lifted their head up and looked Snout in the eyes with their ears flushed deeply blue, ¡°Every second.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll never see each other again.¡± Snout said as they reached a hand up to caress C12¡¯s ear, ¡°We¡¯ll never talk again. I¡¯ll never know if you¡¯re ok, or-¡° ¡°It¡¯d be like this anyway.¡± C12 said. ¡°.... I¡¯ll miss you so much, Flit.¡± Snout muttered as they gazed at C12, their own ears flushing blue, tilting and twitching in a way that TO had never really seen before. They recognized it though, as easily as they could see joy or sorrow in GiDi or DH; Want. Need. Desire. Love. C12 and Snout, the retiree and a former officer, were silent as they gazed at one another. C12 leaned forward with their ears down and blue, their eyes half closed as they hovered before Snout¡¯s face for just a moment before Snout moved their face forward, and pressed their lips together. C12 held Snout gently by the back of the head, their thumb caressing their face. Snout took one of their hands from behind C12¡¯s back, clasped C12¡¯s free hand, clasping their fingers as they moved closer together. C12¡¯s wings draped over Snout who seemed to melt against C12¡¯s body. With their ears low and burning, TO pulled themselves away from what they were seeing and snuck down the hallway. C12 and ¡®Snout¡¯ had come from the stairwell they needed to get to, and they wanted to give them a minute to move on. They didn¡¯t want C12 and Snout to know that they had seen or heard anything. They didn¡¯t want them to see the tears that burned in TO¡¯s eyes as they realized what their meddling had actually done; what it had caused. They were also pretty certain that of every synth in the center, TO was probably the last one either of them wanted to see. Episode 52: News It was nearly meal time once TO managed to get down to their own level of the center. They made their way to the cafeteria to wait for GiDi and DH, who showed up shortly after. DH¡¯s face lit up when they saw TO, but as they took a good look at TO¡¯s ears and their expression, their ears dropped and the joy drained from their face. ¡°Alright.¡± DH said as they approached TO, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? What happened? You look-¡° ¡°Later.¡± TO whispered. They didn¡¯t want to keep this from their friends, but they also didn¡¯t feel like what they saw between C12 and PQ12 ¨C Snout; TO didn¡¯t want to call them N, and they weren¡¯t PQ12 anymore¨C was something they should share. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you when we¡¯re in private. Let¡¯s just get our food, head to the Flight Training Room, and -¡° ¡°TO?¡± GiDi said, ¡°Didn¡¯t you read the message?¡± ¡°There was a message?¡± TO asked. They vaguely recalled flicking away some kind of notification earlier. ¡°Yes, there¡¯s a broadcast that we¡¯re supposed to watch.¡± DH said. They turned to GiDi, ¡°You know more about it than I do.¡± ¡°It¡¯s about that stuff I was telling you about earlier.¡± They said, ¡°About the insurgency? Remember I said things were happening fast now?¡± It took TO a moment to remember, then they nodded. ¡°Yes. Something about an attack on the embassy?¡± ¡°Right.¡± GiDi said, ¡°The insurgents surrendered while we were in our vocational training. I think they¡¯re going to broadcast the formalities!¡± Their ears flicked forward with curiosity, ¡°I¡¯m excited to see how it goes! Though¡­ you two might find it boring.¡± ¡°I hope not.¡± TO muttered as they filed into the cafeteria to get their food. If they ended up being bored, they¡¯d keep thinking about C12 and Snout. They¡®d keep thinking about how those two never see each other again, and how that was their fault. TO would remember how the two had held one another, how sad they looked even then. TO would think about how they hadn¡¯t known or even considered that synths could be like that with one another; could look at one another like that. TO had never considered that romance was for synths. ====== They ate in uncomfortable silence in the cafeteria, since the room they were instructed to go to was very close. TO didn¡¯t want to eat in the Cafeteria, they wanted to be alone with GiDi and DH. Even though they were still confused as to what they should tell their friends they still wanted to tell them; TO wanted to tell them what happened, and what they had seen. They wanted to tell their friends what they had done, how their stupidity, with lack of self control, and their ¡®abnormal curiosity¡¯ had cost C12 and ¡®Snout¡¯ so much. Even though they knew it would be a lie, they wanted to hear their friends tell them that it was alright. They wanted to be held, and told that it wasn¡¯t their fault. Even if they were just to lean against their friends and hold them close then they hoped that it would help that awful pit of guilt in their stomach to go away. Of course, C12 didn¡¯t have their friend anymore, right? TO wondered if C12 had other friends. Considering how sad they had looked when they were talking to Snout and how low their ears were, TO didn¡¯t think that they did. C12 might be alone now. Did C12 ever feel like this? This guilt? Did they just want to be with friends who could make them feel better? Who was there for them now? Do you even deserve the friends you have? The thought came suddenly as TO was making their way through their food, and it nearly made them sick. DId they deserve their friends? They had poked their snout where it didn¡¯t belong, and had cost C12 Snout dearly. Did they themself deserve to have friends around them to comfort them and make them feel better when they had torn that away from C12? PQ03 and C12 had said it wasn¡¯t necessarily their fault, but TO couldn¡¯t shake that it was. They hadn¡¯t been lying when they spoke, but TO knew that somehow they didn¡¯t really understand. They maybe didn¡¯t pile up the tinder or pour the gasoline, but they had created the spark that lit the fire. They had little appetite then, and could only shake their head and mouth the word, ¡°later.¡± When DH gave them a curious look. ====== As they finished their meal, they filed out of the cafeteria along with the other synths, walking just down the corridor to reach the seldom used theater. It was a circular room, the seats surrounding a central pillar which would project screens out across every angle of the room so that everyone could easily see. TO, DH, and GiDi took their seats with all the other synths. ¡°I think that they show some of the plays in theaters like this.¡± DH whispered to TO excitedly, ¡°Can you imagine getting to see one of those musicals here? I wonder what the sound is like?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not a musical today.¡± GiDi muttered. Their ears were pinned back and once they sat down they immediately pulled up some feeds on their chip and started scrolling through the news, ¡°I¡¯m trying to find more information on what happened. There was some kind of raid earlier today, but then it¡¯s like all information off the planet got cut off.¡± ¡°Maybe the insurgents cut it off?¡± DH ventured. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. ¡°I don¡¯t know why they would.¡± GiDi said, ¡°They were getting some sympathy from other planets. There was actually a lot of push for King Decon to move to negotiating with them, rather than fight them.¡± ¡°Wait.¡± TO said, finally getting pulled out of their thoughts about Snout and C12, ¡°King Decon didn¡¯t negotiate?¡± ¡°He tried.¡± GiDi said, but their ears flicked back as they said that, ¡°The news articles I read said that he attempted to offer negotiations near the beginning of the conflict, but the insurgency attacked ships that were flying into the planet¡¯s orbit.¡± ¡°So they didn¡¯t want to negotiate.¡± DH said as they leaned back against the chair, ¡°Sounds like the other planets should have been angry at them, and not calling for King Decon to be more lenient.¡± ¡°That¡¯s what I figured too,¡± GiDi said softly and quietly. ¡°If someone wants to spit in the face of King Decon¡¯s mercy, that seems to be like it should garner outrage, not sympathy.¡± ¡°Well, they¡¯re not very smart.¡± DH said. They turned to TO, ¡°Right? I mean, if they were then there wouldn¡¯t be an insurgency at all.¡± TO hummed in response. ¡°There¡¯s a lot of different cultures out there.¡± They said idly, ¡°I imagine that no matter what King Decon does someone would be concerned.¡± DH gave a dismissive grunt, their ears flicking with diguest, ¡°It''s a big galaxy.¡± They said, ¡°King Decon has to keep order somehow. I say that if a planet has an issue with it, then let them be on their own. Let¡¯s see how well they manage separated from the rest of the galaxy.¡± GiDi¡¯s ears flicked back, but they didn¡¯t say anything and DH didn¡¯t notice. TO didn¡¯t bother to bring it up either. They were starting to drift back to C12 and Snout. They looked around to see if they could locate C12, but all they saw were the grey-uniformed synths in training. DH nudged TO¡¯s leg with the side of their own. ¡°Are you alright?¡± They whispered, ¡°You¡¯re¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ll tell you later.¡± TO muttered, ¡°I promise. Not here though.¡± Did C12 have anyone to check on them now? They remembered the kiss that they had witnessed between C12 and Snout, and wondered if C12 would find someone else to do that to. Did they just like kissing people, or did they only like kissing Snout? TO held a hand up to their own lips, wondering what the point of it was. They weren¡¯t sure, but remembering it made them feel embarrassed, and they felt their ears start to burn. A part of them had been wondering if they should confess to C12 that they had seen them, but in that moment as the lights in the theater went down and their ears burned, they decided not to. There was a very good chance that that was the last good memory that C12 might have with Snout, and TO didn¡¯t want to ruin that; they had ruined far too much already. They focused their attention on the screens that popped up before them, trying to keep their attention on the broadcast instead of what had happened, and what they had done. The screens flickered as they displayed a vague, pixelated figure, which morphed into a synth wearing a black uniform. It wasn¡¯t actually a synth, it was just the Galactic News Broadcaster Program. There were so many species, and so many means of communication that having a single broadcaster made no sense in order to get the correct information across to so many people. The GNBP was set to morph into the same species, and use the same language, body language, and expressions as the people watching. It was a very complex AI program, and it allowed the simultaneous transfer for accurate information across the entire galaxy. At the same moment on another planet across the galaxy, a family of gastropods could be receiving the same information that the synths would be hearing, only they¡¯d be smelling it through the transfer of pheromones and a Scent Simulation Attachment for their communication devices; Their broadcaster would be a slug-like creature instead of the synth that TO saw before them. Just another one of King Decon¡¯s brilliant inventions. ¡°It appears that the insurgency on the planet Caerlapis, of the Silex Solar System has come to a close.¡± They said, their ears pinned up in tense excitement, ¡°The planet, Officially designated as Silex-5, had been drawn into the insurgency known as the Despair Rebellion, led by rebels on the planet Arkane¡± Their ears flicked back in disgust as they said the name. ¡°Honestly. Who would name themselves the Despair Rebellion.¡± DH muttered. TO nodded, but wasn¡¯t really listening. Arkane. That name was so familiar. It took them a moment to remember that GiDi had mentioned it to them during their second meal. It took another minute to recall that Snout was being sent to one of Arkane¡¯s moons. ¡°After a vicious attack on the planet¡¯s Galactic embassy earlier this day which killed 30 residences of the planet, and caused great destruction to both Imperial and local infrastructure and property, a full raid on suspected insurgent hideouts and bases was launched. The leaders of the insurgency on Caerlapis were captured and quickly surrendered.¡± Above the GNBP, a series of 12 pictures were shown; there were 3 distinct races among them, some of which looked like they might be aquatic, with gills at their necks instead of snouts and fins instead of hair. ¡°While the punishment for their actions in an imperial hearing would be execution, King Decon-¡° The synths ears perked up with admiration and respect as they said ¡®King Decon.¡¯ ¡°- has decided to show mercy, and allow the planet to try them under their own laws. This mercy is given with not only the consideration of the new member of the Galactic empire, but also with consideration of the 13 planets who have petitioned to King Decon to strive for negotiation, and leniency with the insurgency.¡± Their ears flicked back in diguest once more, ¡°The pleading for mercy and negotiation continued despite repeated attacks on ambassadors sent by King Decon.¡± They perked their ears up suddenly in excitement, ¡°Now, let us observe as the insurgents submit to King Decon and receive His underserved mercy!¡± The screen flicked to a video feed on a planet that TO had never seen before. There was a stage surrounded by King Decon¡¯s personal guard; The Vanguard. The vanguard were a group of fifty Synths who had worked hard and earned their place at King Decon¡¯s side, to fight for him and to die for Him if need be. Those who were allowed to stand closest to Him were considered His highest officers, and His most favoured Synths. They stood in polished, black armor that covered their entire head and hid their ears, giving them an almost robotic appearance. Were it not for their wings draped over their shoulders like capes, TO wouldn¡¯t have thought that they were actually synths. The twelve captured insurgents that had been shown earlier were kneeling on the stage with their hands behind their backs, their heads down. Each one had a member of the planet¡¯s own police force standing behind them; they looked so tattered and disheveled in their plain, fabric uniforms. Compared to the perfection and uniformity of the Vanguard, they looked outright ragged. Before the insurgents stood a handful of officials from the planet - three of them strange, fish-like people with big eyes, brightly colored skin, and flippered limbs. Behind them, sitting on a metal throne, was King Decon. The worries of the day melted away for just a moment as TO¡¯s heart pounded. Of course, TO had seen King Decon before, but only in pictures and old videos; they had never seen Him live. Though TO knew that they were only being exposed to a portion of King Decon¡¯s grandeur over the live feed, they were still taken aback by His presence. Even sitting, He was much taller than anyone else on the stage, much wider in the shoulders, much grander. The beauty of technology and living flesh joined together to create His perfect and immortal form took TO¡¯s breath away; the cybernetic limbs that seemed to replicate every muscle and tendon with powerful machinery, glistening in the blue light around him. The perfect, sculpted mask over His face today showed a fish-like visage which partially covered the tank with King Decon¡¯s brain in it. The brain. The most perfect brain. That was what King Decon really was. A mind. Strip away everything else, so long as the mind is there, the person is there. TO didn¡¯t even pay attention as the leaders of the planet gave their speeches; they only noticed them as they knelt to King Decon, offering him papers that they had signed to pledge their planet to King Decon, treasures for King Decon¡¯s personal collection, and medals to show King Decon¡¯s status on their planet. It was no good, TO thought. There was no medal grand enough for King Decon. Finally, King Decon stood up from His throne and walked towards the center of the stage. TO shifted in their seat, their ears perking forward to listen to what King Decon said. He would probably welcome the planet into the empire, to start. Would He say something about passing over the insurgents? TO thought that at the very least He should castigate them for their actions. There was a moment of silence before King Decon¡¯s booming, deep voice rang out, ¡°My beloved subjects-¡° There was a scream. The camera moved, and there was the shot of something bright moving in a wide arc towards the stage. Another scream. The camera dropped. The news feed cut. Episode 53: Critical Thinking The auditorium was absolutely silent as the screens cut to black. TO suddenly realized that they were clenching their jaw, leaning forward in their seat and holding their breath. Somewhere, someone whispered, ¡°Was King Decon just killed?¡± The silence shattered. Everyone started talking at once. TO got up from their seat and looked around frantically, unsure what they were looking for. DH stood, their wide eyes darting about the room, their ears twitching about as thought they were listening for something. GiDi stayed in their seat, seemingly shocked to stillness. Someone yelled, ¡°Assassination!¡± Had someone tried to assassinate King Decon? Had someone succeeded in assassinating King Decon? The rage rose up in TO¡¯s head, making their vision blur and their head feel like a great pressure was being applied to it- like some giant was squeezing their skull and trying to lift TO from the ground. ¡°TO!¡± TO turned to DH, who no longer looking at the sudden chaos around them. They were looking at TO, and clutching TO¡¯s arm tightly. Their ears were down in fear, and their wings were wrapped tightly around themselves. They were terrified. ¡°Are you going to be ok?¡± they asked. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± TO said as they took several long breaths. They just wanted to make DH feel better. They felt their rage slowly ebb away as they looked down at GiDi. They leaned down, putting their hand on GiDi¡¯s shoulder, ¡°GiDi? Are you ok?¡± GiDi looked up at TO slowly, their eyes wide and staring. ¡°...Did that just happen?¡± A voice rang through the auditorium, ¡°There will be ORDER!¡± it demanded. Everyone fell silent, and slowly sat down. There was still muttering, still whispering, and a lot of shuffling around. The pillar in the center of the room receded until it was just a little higher than the floor, creating a stage. A Synth that TO had never seen before approached the stage with their wings draped easily over their shoulders and their hands clasped behind their backs. They wore a sleek silver and black uniform with slanted stripes at the arms. They walked as though each step was carefully considered and planned out. They did not look pleased; their ears were pinned back and there was a sneer on their face that revealed their teeth. ¡°It was decided that you would be given the privilege of watching King Decon¡¯s triumph as a group, and the moment there¡¯s a hint of trouble, THIS is how you react?¡± They paced across the floor, glowering up at all the synths in the room. TO saw their own overseer run up to the new, strange synth, ¡°Commander.¡± they said, ¡°This is just their first broadcast- their first time seeing King Decon live. To see Him for the first time, and then to see that-¡± The Commander turned on TO¡¯s Overseer, ¡°You¡¯re telling me they¡¯re not prepared for such an event?¡± they snapped, ¡°I sincerely hope you train your underlings better than that. They should be able to keep their minds about them when things happen unexpectedly.¡± They snarled and turned their back on the Overseer, ¡°If any of King Decon¡¯s Vanguard were to act like a single synth here had, then such a pitiful assassination would actually cause a problem. Though, I have no doubt that King Decon would be able to tdeal with something as minor as a little missile on His own.¡± Commander? TO wasn¡¯t sure where Commander fell on the chain of command, but they could tell that they were above the rank of an Overseer. They had a feeling that they were above the rank of an Officer as well. The way they carried themself reminded them of C12, but they seemed somehow more dangerous. Maybe it was how narrowed and focused their eyes were, or, or the way their ears were pinned back. Even from so far away, TO felt themself recoiling away from the Commander as though making eye contact would inspire the fierce looking synth to pounce. Though, despite their sudden fear, they wanted to stand in front of DH and GiDi, and spread their wings before them to hide them from this Commander. They wanted to protect them. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it. They stayed in their seat. The Commander cast their gaze over the synths again, ¡°I should hope that you think better of King Decon than to think that a missile on it¡¯s own could hurt Him. You could all clearly see, He had his Vanguard with him as well, so he is well protected.¡± he gave another withering glare across the auditorium, ¡°If King Decon could be harmed so easily, then I very much doubt He would have unified the galaxy as He did.¡± More silence. Even TO¡¯s Overseer was looking down at the floor as though they had just been chastised. To be fair, they had been. ¡°Overseers.¡± The Commander¡¯s voice boomed out, ¡°See your trainees back to their dormitories for the rest of the day. Since they cannot seem to contain themselves then they can wait for updates on the situation on Caerlapis from their pods.¡± Orders were barked at the Synths closest to the stage. Slowly, everyone started to get up and leave as though they were in a daze. ¡°Come on, GiDi.¡± TO whispered as they stood, waiting for GiDi to get up and move, ¡°We have to go.¡± GiDi looked up at them, frowning. ¡°It makes no sense.¡± they finally said. ¡°I know, I know.¡± TO said quickly as a line of angry synths started to pile up behind them, ¡°let¡¯s go back to our pods and see if we can¡¯t find some information there, ok?¡± They gently took GiDi¡¯s arm, and helped them up. GiDi allowed themself to be pulled to their feet, and gently led out of the auditorium and towards the dormitory. ===== ¡°Have you heard of a Commander before, TO?¡± DH asked as they reached the dormitory. ¡°I haven¡¯t.¡± TO responded as they kept a careful eye on GiDi. GiDi had been silent, lost in thought as they allowed TO to guide them all the way to the dormitories. ¡°Though, PQ03 said something about their own superiors, and that Officers don¡¯t have Overseers as their superiors. That one looked like they were in charge of my Overseer anyway.¡± They gently led GiDi over to the ladder that led up to their bunk, then stopped. ¡°GiDi?¡± TO said as they turned GiDi towards them, ¡°You need to speak to me now.¡± They were worried; GiDi had never been like this before. Sure, they sometimes seemed to be lost in thought, but never like this and never for this long. ¡°It doesn¡¯t make any sense.¡± they finally said. ¡°What doesn¡¯t.¡± Their eyes seemed to focus back as they looked at TO, ¡°The attack.¡± they said simply, ¡°The missiles. If they caught the leaders of the insurgency, then who attacked? And why attack? A missile like that, it¡¯d kill more civilians than anything else.¡± ¡°Well, don¡¯t they do that?¡± TO asked, their ears flicking back in anger, ¡°You said they attacked the embassy, right?¡± GiDi shook their head, ¡°This is more than that.¡± they said, ¡°Who sent the attack? How did they organize it so quickly?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± TO said, ¡°Maybe there¡¯s more from that¡­. What was it, the Despair Rebellion?¡± They shook their head at the name, ¡°Maybe there¡¯s more people who organized it? Or maybe it came from one of those other planets? You said they were getting support, right? Maybe they decided to use this opportunity to kill King Decon.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t think He¡¯s dead though, right?¡± ¡°The Commander didn¡¯t seem worried at all.¡± TO said as they tried to give a comforting smile. They were still worried though, and they knew that it could be seen in their ears. What If the missile had killed King Decon? What if the insurgents just got stupidly lucky and King Decon was now dead. Who would take over? What would happen to the order of the Galaxy? What would happen to them? Without King Decon, what was their purpose? They didn¡¯t know. That was the most terrifying thing to TO right now. As they listened to what was going on around them, they were certain that it was terrifying to many other synths as well, and not just the strange once. TO could hear frantic chattering from others around them. Synths were heading to their pods and trying to find some news, some scrap of information from their implants, or from the various signals on their speakers. -Still waiting for communication from the newly liberated planet- -the vicious attack has likely taken the lives of - -Several planetary groups have banded together to censure the actions of the Despair Rebellion- There was a wail from somewhere in the dormitory, feral and pitched before being muffled. It occurred to TO that despite their own shock, Despite their rage when they saw what happened, The three of them were handling this better than most. TO glanced around to see how DH was doing, but didn¡¯t see them. TO frowned. Where had DH gone? They wanted to go look, but they couldn¡¯t leave GiDi right now. ¡°Do you think the Commander is right?¡± TO looked back at GiDi, ¡°Of course the Commander¡¯s right.¡± TO said, ¡°I mean, they were telling the truth.¡± ¡°No¡­ I mean, I know they were, but do you think they¡¯re right? They told us the truth as far as they believe it.¡± They frowned as they looked away, ¡°What if they¡¯re wrong? What if what they know is wrong?¡± ¡° I¡¯m sure their superiors told them-¡± ¡°But who¡¯re their superiors?¡± GiDi said, ¡°Who told them anything? How do we know what they said is right?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t believe them?¡± ¡°I just¡­ I just want to be able to see something. I want other sources! I want some evidence! I want-...¡± They trailed off, ¡°I want to know; Who is that Commander? How do they know? What¡¯s their sources?¡± ¡°Oh!¡± TO said, understanding a little bit now, ¡°You mean like when I¡¯m reading my scientific articles, they¡¯re normally reviewed by other scientists. There might be one or two people who disagree, but if there¡¯s another fifty or so say, ¡®no, this is correct¡¯ then I can say that the article is reliable¡­ Right?¡± ¡°Right..¡± GiDi said, ¡°I just want that same reassurance.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure there¡¯s been other attacks over King Decon over time,¡± TO said as they put their hand on GiDi¡¯s shoulder, ¡°Maybe if we looked over what happened, and how King Decon survived that, then you¡¯d feel a little better?¡± ¡°Maybe¡­¡± They said, ¡°This... just none of this makes sense, and I know we might have answers in a few hours, but how do I wait that long!?¡± Before TO could respond, someone put their hand on TO¡¯s shoulder. They turned and saw the Synth that had switched pods with GiDi. ¡°Sorry.¡± They said quickly, ¡°But your friend might need your help.¡± They twitched their ears in uncertaintyF, ¡°The one who sleeps under you?¡± TO was so focused on GiDi, and making them feel better that it took TO a moment for them to understand. ¡°DH!¡± They said as they turned, looking around frantically for their friend, ¡°Where are-¡± ¡°They¡¯re in the next aisle.¡± The other synth said, ¡°and you might want to hurry.¡± Episode 54: Plead TO rushed down the aisle that the other synth had pointed them towards, and as soon as they turned the corner, they could see and hear the commotion. Q10 seemed to be having some kind of breakdown. They were alternating between clutching at their arms, and clutching at their head with their claws digging into the skin and drawing blood. They were shouting at the synths that had gathered around them, backing away from them as though they were terrified of being attacked. When Q10 wasn¡¯t shouting at the others to stay away, they muttered almost chaotic things to themselves. TO¡¯s first thought was that Q10 had broken; that the scene they had witnessed with King Decon had snapped something in their head. TO slowed down and watched them from afar, unwilling to get closer. ¡°This might well be the end of them.¡± TO turned, and saw 55H75 standing nearby, watching Q10¡¯s breakdown. ¡°Go help them!¡± TO snapped, ¡°They¡¯re your friend, aren¡¯t they?¡± Q10 looked at TO, confused. It was the same look of confusion that PQ03 had given them when they asked in PQ12 was their friend. ¡°I will gladly assist any synth, and help them meet their potential for King Decon.¡± They said in a flat, monotone voice, ¡°But Q10 is clearly not suitable. They lack control, They¡¯re too emotional, and unlike you, they don¡¯t excel.¡± TO remembered the numbers on their records. They remembered how their number had been higher than Q10¡¯s. They remembered being so confused as to why Q10 didn¡¯t get painkillers. Was it just because they didn¡¯t excel like TO did? TO was just about to run off to get their overseer, when they saw why the other synth had told them to rush over. Many synths were standing around Q10, trying to get them to stop screaming, to stop pacing, to stop digging their claws into themself. As Q10 screamed at them they all backed off, keeping their distance from the crazed synth. There was one synth that kept trying to approach them; DH was standing before Q10, their hands up before them with their empty palms facing Q10. Whenever Q10 would start muttering, DH would take a few tentative steps towards Q10, and each time Q10 would shout at them. ¡°Your ¡®friend¡¯ is going to get hurt.¡± 55H75 said, ¡°They really should be staying out of this.¡± TO didn¡¯t respond, they just rushed over. As they got closer, they could start to make out what Q10 was saying ¨C or at least bits and pieces of it. ¡°It¡¯s all messed up, It¡¯s all messed up. Everything¡¯s wrong. Everything¡¯s broken.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± They heard DH say, ¡°It¡¯s going to be fine, you heard what the Commander said-¡° Q10 Looked around, their eyes wide, their ears twitching frantically. They caught sight of TO rushing towards them and their ears pinned back, flushed with shame and twitching with panic, confusion, and fear. ¡°You need to stop.¡± DH said softly as they took a few steps forward, ¡°Sit down. You need to go to medical.¡± They took another step towards Q10. Q10 took a step back from the approaching TO, not noticing that DH had come closer. They turned to run, and banged into DH, nearly knocking them over and falling back themselves. They screamed, ¡°Get away from me!¡± And lashed out. There was the glint of light on claws that were already bloody from the way they had been digging them into their own flesh. DH spun out of the way just a little too late. DH screeched in pain, their three vocal chords releasing a feral cry as they fell to their knees. Their scream subsided, turning into gasping whimpering breaths that cut through the silence as they pressed their hand to their face. Blood dripped to the floor, bright blue against the dull grey tiles. Blood. DH was turned away from TO and the damage done to their face was hidden. TO could only imagine the torn flesh- ¨Cthe crack of bones¨C ¨Cthe blood smeared across their face¨C ¨CThe smell of disinfectant¨C A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. ¨CAnd the pain that DH had to be in. They felt their heart struggling to escape their chest. The same feeling they had back in the auditorium, like someone was pressing on their skull and pulling them up, returned. They blinked, and suddenly they were standing between DH and Q10, their wings spread out, their ears pinned back. They were just about to draw their own claws when it was like their mind suddenly caught up to their actions, and they stopped. They don¡¯t know what stopped them exactly- maybe it was DH, who had reached out and grabbed at the sleeve of TO¡¯s uniform to pull them back. Or maybe it was the look of abject horror in Q10¡¯s eyes. Maybe it was the way Q10 fell silent and sunk to the floor. TO took a breath to try to calm themselves, then turned away from Q10; they weren¡¯t important right now. They turned to DH, and gently took their chin to move their face towards them. DH whimpered slightly, still holding their bloody hand to the wound. Whispering soft, gentle words of reassurance, TO slowly managed to pry their hand away. It didn¡¯t look good. Q10 had caught them with three claws, slashing against their face and leaving ragged looking wounds in their skin. One gash was very close to the eye, and because of the blood TO wasn¡¯t able to see if the eye had been damaged. DH didn¡¯t seem to be able to open their eyes, and the way the blood was pooling and dripping it almost looked like they were crying blood. TO felt their chest tighten. It was bad enough that DH was in pain, and bad enough that this would most likely scar. What if their eye was damaged beyond repair? How valuable was a synth with only one eye? Could it be fixed? Would it be fixed? TO tried to get a closer look, but their hand was starting to get slick with blood, and DH¡¯s whimpering breaths were too hard to bear. TO drew away, looking at their blue-stained hands. Their heart vibrated in their chest, and they stopped breathing. Blood. The cracking of bones. ¡°TO?¡± DH¡¯s voice was weak and shaky as they called out to TO, their hand grasping for TO¡¯s hand. That drew TO back to the present. They looked over DH¡¯s ripped up skin, the blood trailing down their neck, the tears of pain from one eye, blood from the other. They wanted to make it better. They wanted to somehow fix this so that it had never happened. They gently helped DH up , and led them away towards the door. ¡°Come on.¡± They managed to hiss out, ¡°You need to get to medical.¡± They pulled DH after them, wishing that they had kept the painkillers. They hated that they had given them to Q10 since Q10 was the one who did this. DH would need stitches at least, judging by how deep and ragged those cuts here. What if they weren¡¯t given painkillers? The thought of DH unable to sleep because of the pain made TO want to scream and cry. They should have kept the painkillers, just in case. ¡°TO, no!¡± DH managed to whimper as they pulled back. ¡°You need help!¡± TO said as they turned on their friend. They snapped at them more than they intended to, and felt instant regret as they saw DH recoil from their, them ears dipping low. DH shouldn¡¯t have gotten involved with Q10 as they had made it abundantly clear they didn¡¯t want anything to do with DH. Still, DH was injured, and being angry with them wasn¡¯t going to solve anything now. ¡°You need help.¡± TO said, forcing themself to be calm, ¡°We need to get to the Medical Bay. You need stitches. Your eye might be hurt. You-¡° ¡°If we go, They¡¯ll be in trouble!¡± ¡°Who, Q10?¡± TO asked as their ears quirked forward in disbelief. ¡°They should be in trouble! Look what they did to you!¡± They reached out, and gently put their already bloodsoaked hand over the hand that DH held to their wounds. Their voice softened, and cracked as they whispered, ¡°Look what they did to you!¡± ¡°They didn¡¯t mean it.¡± ¡°They looked like they meant it.¡± ¡°TO¡­ look at them.¡± TO was about to say that they didn¡¯t have time, but as they glanced over at Q10 they saw again the look of horror in their eyes, the way their ears were flicked down in fear as they just stared after TO and DH. ¡°They needed help.¡± DH whimpered before gasping in pain. ¡°WHy? They pushed you before! They pushed GiDi! They wanted us to report ourselves! Do you remember that! Why did you try to help them!¡± ¡°Why did you give them the painkillers!¡± TO took a step back at the sudden fierceness in DH¡¯s tone. Why had they given Q10 the painkillers? Pity. ¡°If we go to medical, they¡¯ll get repoted.¡± DH whispered, ¡°You got in trouble for just drawing your claws-¡° They hissed in pain as the movement of their mouth irritated the cuts on their face. ¡°You¡¯re bleeding too much.¡± TO said. They put their arms around DH¡¯s shoulder and gently led them forward as they. looked them over. Did they like paler than normal? Did they seem dazed? ¡°They¡¯ll probably be reported anyway. I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if an overseer already knows.¡± ¡°We have to do something!¡± DH pleaded, ¡°They¡¯ll be corrected. Or-¡° ¡°I have to take care of you.¡± TO said. ¡°They¡¯re scared.¡± DH pleaded, ¡°And.. they¡¯re strange.¡± TO stopped and stared at DH, ¡°They¡¯re strange?¡± ¡°Like us. Just¡­ I don¡¯t-¡° They winced and their eyes lost focus. The pain was probably too much for them; it was possible they were going into shock. TO didn''t have any more time to argue with them, they needed DH to go with them. They let go of DH and stalked over to Q10 who was still sitting dazed on the ground, looking at little droplets of blood on the floor. TO reached out, and grabbed their arm as they pulled Q10 to their feet. ¡°I swear, if you claw me, I¡¯ll leave you here. I¡¯ll let you get corrected.¡± Q10¡¯s eyes flicked from TO to DH, but they let themselves be pulled along. TO Dragged them over to DH, who was still holding onto their bleeding face. They put their arm on DH¡¯s back and gently guided them towards the Medical Bay as they pulled Q10 behind them. They didn¡¯t know what they were going to do, but they knew that DH wouldn¡¯t stop arguing unless they thought of something, and they needed to get DH to the Medical Bay. ¡°You found your friend?¡± TO looked around, and saw the synth that had told them that DH needed ttheir help. For the first time, TO looked at their uniform, and at the number assigned to them. 09T08. That was the next synth to be woken up that day, the one that had been floating in the tank next to them when they woke up cold and shivering. ¡°Where¡¯s GiDi¨C I mean-¡° ¡°Your other friend, right?¡± They asked, ¡°I brought them to their old pod. They needed to sit down, and they wanted to look over the news. They¡¯ll be fine.¡± They looked over DH, and took in their wounds, ¡°You need to get them to medical. Now. I¡¯ll tell your friend where you¡¯ve gone.¡± TO nodded, ¡°Thank you.¡± They said quickly as they hurried out the door with DH at their side and Q10 trailing behind. Episode 55: Gamble The silence in the halls as they ran from the dormitories to the Medical Bay played a stark contrast to the noise and chaos in TO¡¯s head. They felt like they were screaming at themselves to think of something; to think of a way to ensure DH was given the care they needed, to think of a way to keep Q10 from being corrected, to think of a way to fix all of this. Why did DH even care what happened to Q10. Last time they had anything to do with the other synth, DH had seemed cold and hostile. The time before that, they had just been sad. Why did you give them the painkillers? Pity. Q10 had been taking the situation with King Decon especially hard. They had been making a scene. Maybe DH just felt sorry for them. They¡¯re strange¡­ Like us.¡± They had been close once. They had been friends, in a sense. At the very least, Q10 had tolerated DH before 55H75 warned them away, and Q10 ended up making DH feel so awful, so worthless, and dejected that they were willing to believe that TO just wouldn¡¯t want anything to do with them. They had made DH cry. They tightened their grip on the still speechless Q10, who only whimpered slightly in pain. ¡°You¡¯d better hope they can fix this.¡± TO hissed back at Q10. Q10 said nothing, they just followed along with their eyes wide and their ears down. ====== When they got to the Medical Bay, the Medical Officer was sitting at their desk working on reports, so TO didn¡¯t need to shout out. Q10, DH, and TO¡¯s files popped up on the screen that the Medical Officer was working on as they entered. ¡°You again?¡± The officer said, almost sounding bored as they glanced up, ¡°You have a bad habit of-¡° They turned around and saw DH, saw the blood dripping from their face and the way they were holding their hand to their eye. Their expression tightened. They turned back to their computer, sent off some messages, and then turned back. ¡°Put them on the bed.¡± They said as they pointed to the nearest bed. TO let go of Q10¡¯s arm, and gently led DH to the bed, helping them up and helping them lay down. ¡°DH?¡± They whispered as they set DH¡¯s head on the pillow. They didn¡¯t respond. They still had their hand to their face, and seemed to be looking though the world with their one good eye. ¡°Move away.¡± The medical officer snapped. TO stepped aside as the medical officer pried DH¡¯s hard from their face, and started to examine the wound. A moment later, two other synths entered the Medical Bay. They were both wearing the same uniform as the Medical Officer: White, with a blue heart pin over the center of their chest ¡°M45,¡± the Medical Officer said to one of them, ¡°Wash up and prep the procedure room. This one is going to need stitches at least.¡± M45 nodded and took off to do as they were told. The Medical Officer turned to the other synth, ¡°M43, you get me the cleaning kit, I need a better look at this and I can get it cleaned up before the room is ready.¡± ¡°Is there anything I can do to help?¡± TO asked, wishing they could do something more, even if it was just to hold DH¡¯s hand while this was happening. ¡°You can stay out of the way.¡± The Medical officer, ¡°I¡¯ve sent word to your Overseers. They¡¯ll be here shortly to sort this out.¡± They started to clean the blood away, ignoring the gasps of pain from DH as they worked, ¡°Claw injury?¡± They asked. ¡°Yes.¡± TO answered. ¡°MO-6¡± M43said to the Medical Officer, ¡°A call just came in from another Overseer- they had a trainee who¡¯s fainted, and another who won¡¯t stop vomiting.¡± ¡°It¡¯s that live news that they showed.¡± The medical officer hissed, ¡°They shouldn¡¯t have seen that. Their training is incomplete; who knows what that might have done to their development.¡± They sighed as they kept working, ¡°Foolishness. They should be more careful what they let the trainees watch.¡± ¡°Orders?¡± ¡°Call the other assistants.¡± They said, ¡°three, no four¡­ Actually, bring in six.¡± They frowned as they tossed one bloodstained cloth into a nearby bin, ¡°There¡¯s going to be more injuries, and I¡¯d rather have too many hands than too little.¡± They glanced up at TO who was now standing out of the way near Q10, who hadn¡¯t moved, ¡°And see what that other ones need.¡± They said. M45 came back into the room, ¡°The procedure room is ready.¡± They said. ¡°Good.¡± The Medical Officer said. They pressed a button on the bed; the legs underneath shifted and started to glow as the magnetic hovering mechanism was activated. They pulled the bed out and gestured to M45, ¡°Bring this one in, administer anestesia while I get the tools, and -¡° If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. ¡°Will their eye be ok!¡± TO interrupted, taking a step forward, ¡°Can you fix their eye?!¡± The Medical Officer glared at TO, ¡°I don¡¯t even know what¡¯s wrong with their eye yet. The ocular organ is a delicate one, and I haven¡¯t a clue as to the extent of the damage.¡± They turned, and walked off after M45. TO watched as the two medical synths pushed DH¡¯s bed out of sight and into the procedure room. TO wanted to be there with DH. They wanted to be there to make sure they were getting what they needed, to make sure they weren¡¯t scared, and to make sure that DH knew they weren¡¯t alone. They had snapped at DH earlier. They hoped that DH knew that even if they were frustrated with them, they still cared about them, they still loved them. Love? TO froze in spot, then slowly relaxed. Of course they loved DH. They loved GiDi too! They were their friends! They were the most important people in the galaxy to TO. ¡°Are you listening?¡± TO¡¯s looked at the synth, M43, who had their implant activated and was ready to take notes, ¡°Do you need medical assistance.¡± ¡°Oh¡­ no. No, I don¡¯t. I was bringing 70H67 here.¡± ¡°Very well.¡± They said as they closed TO¡¯s file, ¡°Your overseer has been called regardless. I recommend staying nearby until they dismiss you.¡± They turned to Q10, ¡°And you, do you need medical assistance?¡± Q10 was silent, looking around the room as though they didn¡¯t know where they were, ¡°I¡­ no.¡± They finally said. M43 frowned as they looked over Q10. ¡°I would recommend laying down.¡± They said as they gestured to a nearby bed, ¡°You seem to be in some form of shock.¡± ¡°...No, I¡¯m fine.¡± The door to the Medical Bay opened again, and an Overseer that TO didn¡¯t recognize stepped in, carrying an unconscious synth in their arms. ¡°Please place them on the bed.¡± M43 said. They turned back to Q10 and TO, ¡°You two might be best waiting in the halls for your overseers.¡± They said, ¡°I imagine we might get busy and we need space to work.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t leave them.¡± TO said, ¡°70H67, I mean. I don¡¯t want to leave them alone.¡± M43 looked at TO in total and utter confusion. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter to me, so long as you stay out of the way,¡± They said after a moment, ¡°But you have to listen to your Overseer. If they said you can stay, then you can stay. In the meantime though-¡° They gestured to the door, which opened again and let a synth who was throwing up into a bucket stumble in. TO left, followed by Q10 to wait in the hallway until their overseers arrived. ====== ¡°I don¡¯t know how I¡¯m supposed to keep you from getting corrected.¡± TO said after a long silence between them. Several synths with various injuries and afflictions had rushed past them and into the Medical Bay, along with several other medics. TO and Q10 waited in silence as they did, seeing but not watching the action. TO didn¡¯t know what Q10 was thinking, and they didn¡¯t care. DH wanted them to help Q10. DH wanted TO to... To do what? Have pity on them for hurting DH? For acting crazed? ¡°I have no idea why DH asked me to help you.¡± TO said, ¡°And I don¡¯t know how I can.¡± ¡°Maybe you can¡¯t.¡± ¡°Why did you do it.¡± TO snapped, ¡°I know you hate them, but you know there¡¯s consequences for attacking another synth like that! Pushing someone around is one thing, but you tore apart their face!¡± They glared at Q10, ¡°I only brought you along because they wanted me to help you. If they can¡¯t or won¡¯t fix DH¡¯s eye¡­¡± TO stopped, trying to keep the tears from falling from their eyes. They didn¡¯t know if they were tears of rage or concern at this point, but they didn¡¯t care; they didn¡¯t want to give Q10 the satisfaction of seeing them cry. They looked away, letting the threat hang in the air. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to.¡± Q10 finally whispered. ¡°I didn¡¯t¡­I¡­¡± They looked at their hands, ¡°I guess¡­ I was clawing at myself.¡± They looked at their own bloodied arms, and the torn fabric of their uniform, ¡°And I didn¡¯t... I just ran into them, and I just¡­¡± They reached up, and pressed their palms to their forehead. ¡°It¡¯s not fair.¡± They whispered, their voice cracking, ¡°I¡¯ve tried so hard.¡± TO turned to look at them, rage and confusion building up as they saw the tears starting to trail down Q10¡¯s cheeks. They¡¯re strange. Like us. ¡°You¡¯re crying!¡± TO snapped, ¡°You¡¯re crying! You did this! If their eye can¡¯t be fixed, or if they don¡¯t think DH is worth fixing, then DH WILL DIE! Do you understand that! And you¡¯re the one crying!?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t understand.¡± ¡°Oh I understand just fine.¡± TO snapped, ¡°I understand alright. You¡¯re just scared for yourself now.¡± They growled and looked away, seething. Even though they were angry, their mind was racing with ways to help Q10 because DH wanted them helped. They said they hadn¡¯t meant to do it, and a bunch of other synths were suffering various ailments because of the situation with King Decon. Maybe they could use that to keep Q10 out of danger. TO was drawn out of their thoughts by a long, low, frustrated wail from Q10. They watched as Q10 sunk to the floor, their face in their hands. ¡°You don¡¯t undersand.¡± They sobbed, ¡°I¡¯ve been trying so hard. I¡¯ve been doing everything. I¡¯ve been working hard. I¡¯ve even up everything so I can serve King Decon better¡­ and I don¡¯t even get painkillers. I know I¡¯m weird. I know I¡¯m broken! I don¡¯t want to be! I didn¡¯t ask to be! I just want to be normal!¡± ¡°You called GiDi broken!¡± TO snapped, ¡°Do you remember that? After you pushed them away from the water fountain!? Then you wanted us to report ourselves!¡± Q10 dug their claws into their head once more, reopening the clotted wounds from earlier and drawing more blood. ¡°Why.¡± They finally hissed out, ¡°Why do you¨Cthe three of you¨C get to be strange. Why do you get to be abnormal, and simply excel.¡± They shook their head, ¡°Me? I¡¯m too... medicore to be abnormal. Medicore. That word stuck to TO, and it took them back to that day in the Flight Training room when they were talking to 55H75, who warned them away from spending time with DH. A series of curses ran though their head as they slid to the ground to sit next to Q10. ¡°...Who told you that.¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter¡± they said, ¡°It¡¯s true. And now¡­¡± They held their hand away from their face, looking at their claws, ¡°I suppose it doesn¡¯t matter anymore. I¡¯m going to be corrected.¡± They gave a bitter laugh, ¡°I suppose If I was normal, I wouldn¡¯t care. At least I¡¯ll be normal afterwards.¡± ¡°Who told you you were too mediocre?¡± TO repeated, ¡°What did they say, exactly.¡± ¡°55H75.¡± They said finally. ¡°I¡­ I spent a lot of time with DH. Before¡­ Before that day.¡± They looked away, ¡°55H75 and I were sitting close to each other during mental training one day. They told me that they¡¯d seen better synths than me get corrected for less. I said that 70H67 was fine, that they were strange, and they didn¡¯t get corrected. They said it was only a matter of time, and that I¡¯d get corrected before they did.¡± They laughed again, ¡°And I got scared. I tried to get DH to calm down, to stop acting so weird all the time, because I didn¡¯t want to get corrected, but they didn¡¯t.¡± ¡°... and that day?¡± Q10 shook their head, ¡°Everyone else was doing better than me. People were stumbling, or putting their foot down to keep from falling. I fell. Everyone was staring at me, and then 70H67 tried to pull me up and I just¡­¡± ¡°... You were scared.¡± TO said. ¡°Yeah.¡± They said, their voice breaking, ¡°I guess I was. I figured it¡¯d be fine if I could work hard, and just serve King Decon. If I could be important to Him. I saw you , and DH, and your other little friend every day, and I just¡­¡± They sniffled and wiped at their eyes, ¡°I figured it wouldn¡¯t matter. Whatever I did, whatever I gave up, it was to serve King Decon. If I was alone, that was fine, because it was to serve King Decon, But now He might be dead, and if he is, what do I have?¡± They shook their head, ¡°I gave up everything so that I could serve King Decon better. If He¡¯s dead¡­¡± they shook their head and then fell silent, save for their hitching breath. TO gave a long, deep sigh and leaned against the wall. Q10 had just been scared. They didn¡¯t wnat to be strange, so they lashed out against TO, DH, and GiDi. ¡°...Do you miss being around DH?¡± TO asked after a long moment. Q10 didn¡¯t answer, but managed only to nod their head slightly. Another sigh as a series of curses ran through TO¡¯s head. Did DH figure all this out already? Is that why they asked TO to help Q10? They watched Q10 shaking next to them. How were they going to fix this. Episode 56: Worth DH¡¯s Overseer arrived first, and with only a glance to TO and Q10, who were still sitting on the floor in the hallway, they rushed into the Medical Bay. TO took that as a good sign; if it had been decided that DH was too injured to warrant medical help then they doubted that the overseer would be rushing. Even as they told themself that, they weren¡¯t certain. Yes, they had taken DH right in and started work immediately and yes, they had called for their Overseer. It seemed like DH would get the help they needed. I haven¡¯t a clue as to the extent of the damage. What if it was discovered that there was too much damage done? Or what if their Overseer said not to bother? TO didn¡¯t think they¡¯d be convinced that DH would be properly treated until after the procedure was done. In the meantime, TO had to help Q10. The other synth had fallen still and silent once more, the dried tears staining their face. How had this gotten so confusing? How had everything gotten messed up so badly? How had Q10 gone from being DH¡¯s friend to acting like they hated DH, to sitting here in tears on the floor next to them? Of course, TO knew exactly how ¡ª 55H75. Unlike Q10¡¯s recent treatment of DH, 55H75 had seemingly no malice behind their actions; they didn¡¯t dislike DH or GiDi, and they didn¡¯t even seem to like Q10. They were entirely uninterested in them outside of their value to King Decon. Even given that, they had still caused all this. Though, if Q10 hadn¡¯t pushed DH back in the training room, and hadn¡¯t been so awful to them afterwards, or if DH hadn¡¯t approached Q10 in the dormitory, then this wouldn¡¯t have happened. If TO had really considered Q10, they would have realized that of course Q10 was strange like they were, otherwise they wouldn''t have been friends with DH in the first place! So many things that might have happened that could have stopped it. It was all too much to think of right now. TO¡¯s head was swirling with the effort of trying to fit this all together and have it make sense. Now wasn¡¯t the time for that¡ª the past could be and stay as messed up as it was; TO had to sort out the future. And they had an idea. ¡°It was an accident.¡± TO said simply. When Q10 didn¡¯t respond, TO gave them a quick nudge, ¡°Right?¡± Q10 didn¡¯t say anything, they just nodded. TO watched their ears carefully and was relieved to see that there was no sign of them lying. ¡°We beat each other up all the time in training.¡± TO continued, ¡°And nobody gets in trouble because it¡¯s all accidental¡± TO fell silent as another lone synth scurried past them and into the Medical Bay, clutching their arm. ¡°And lots of synths are getting injured right now; I doubt that everyone did it to themselves. The situation with King Decon has everyone a little crazed. It¡¯d be hard to punish everyone, right?¡± Q10 didn¡¯t respond. TO grabbed them by the arms, turning Q10 to face them. ¡°You need to speak.¡± TO snapped, ¡°You need to beg. You need to tell your Overseer it was an accident, that you didn¡¯t mean to do it. That you were clawing at yourself, and you ran into DH¡­¡± ¡°Why?¡± They said, their voice so quiet that TO almost didn¡¯t hear them. ¡°Because that might be the only way to keep you from being corrected!¡± ¡°...And why is that important.¡± There was such a flat, dull tone to their voice that it took TO by surprise. The crying and wailing was over, and it seemed like all the emotion and energy that Q10 had had just seeped away. ¡°DH doesn¡¯t want you to be corrected.¡± TO insisted ¡°Why should they care.¡± TO didn¡¯t know. The only reason they themselves cared was because of DH.Or¡­ At least it had been. Seeing Q10 snap, seeing them just break down in front of them, seeing them scared and distraught¡­ ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± they finally said, ¡°Me¡­ I don¡¯t want to see anyone hurt. I don¡¯t like it.¡± ¡°You looked ready to hurt me back in the dormitory.¡± Q10 said. TO looked down the hallway, and saw two more Overseers heading towards them, TO¡¯s own Overseer, and another one that TO had never seen before ¡ª they assumed it was Q10¡¯s Overseer. As they got a little closer, TO could see the Q on their uniform. ¡°We can argue later.¡± TO hissed, ¡°Just do what I tell you for now. It¡¯ll be better after this is all over.¡± ¡°Will it?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± TO promised. TO stood to their feet as the Overseers approached, grabbing Q10 by the arm and forcing them to stand up as well. The Overseers didn¡¯t even slow down as they passed them. ¡°With us.¡± TO¡¯s Overseer said as they continued down the hallway and away from the Medical Bay. TO started to follow them, stopped, then turned around to grab Q10¡¯s wrist and pulled them along as well. ======= Their Overseers led them down the hallway and into an empty room; It was clearly some kind of advanced training room for synths who needed further occupational training after their placement in the galaxy. There were a series of desks before a wall which, though blank at the moment, TO knew could be used to display charts, information, and videos. The desks would work with the implant of the synths using them to display the needed information, and receive feedback when necessary. It was all shut down when they entered; no training at the moment. ¡°Sit.¡± Q10¡¯s Overseer snapped. TO and Q10 both sat in the closest chairs quickly, almost frightened by the tone of the overseer. ¡°Explain.¡± This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it TO fell silent, waiting for Q10 to tell them what had happened, to explain that it had all been an accident and that they had never intended to hurt DH. Q10 didn¡¯t say a word. TO looked over to them, hoping to catch their eyes and encourage them to start speaking, but they were just staring down at the desk. As they looked up at the Overseers, TO saw that their own Overseer was staring at them with their eyes narrowed, their ears flicked back with impatience. ¡°I¡­ I just brought them to the Medical Bay.¡± TO said quickly. ¡°I just saw DH-¡± ¡°Who?¡± Overseer Q snapped as they turned their attention to TO. ¡°Apologies; 70H67. I saw them get hurt, and-¡° ¡°Did you see what happened then?¡± Overseer Q asked. ¡°Not all of it.¡± TO said, speaking slowly and watching the Overseer¡¯s reaction, ¡°I only saw the end of it-¡° ¡°Did you see how 70H67 was injured.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± TO said, their ears flicking down. ¡°Tell me what you saw. Everything.¡± TO looked down at the desk, and after a moment of silence they told the Overseers how they had gone looking for DH, and how they saw Q10 in the middle of their breakdown. They focused on how erratic Q10 had been acting, how they had been clawing at themselves and muttering.They really wanted to stress that Q10 was not acting like themselves, that they were in distress. ¡°I think that the ordeal with King Decon-¡° ¡°I don¡¯t want your opinion.¡± Overseer Q snapped, ¡°I want what happened.¡± TO looked up at their own Overseer again, who remained silent but who at least didn¡¯t seem as angry at Q10¡¯s Overseer. TO told them how they had run up to Q10 to get DH away, and commented on how many other synths were trying to do the same. The Overseers didn¡¯t need to know that everyone else gave up quickly. They described Q10¡¯s frightened eyes, and how they ran into DH. ¡°Their claws were already out. They were clawing at themselves. Look-¡° They glanced at the dried rivers of blood that ran down Q10¡¯s head, and stained the sleeves of their uniform, ¡°When they bumped into DH, they just lashed out, they didn¡¯t draw their claws to use them on-¡° ¡°That¡¯s enough.¡± Overseer Q said. ¡°Why did you get involved?¡± Overseer T asked. It was the first thing that TO¡¯s Overseer had said since they got to the room. ¡°I was worried about D- 70H67.¡± TO said, ¡°I didn¡¯t want them to get hurt-¡° ¡°So you had reason to believe that Q10 might hurt them?¡± Overseer Q snapped.TO felt a tremor of fear run through them, and a pang of regret. What they said was the truth, but they hadn¡¯t considered how that would sound. ¡°If I saw anyone else acting like that, I think I¡¯d feel the same.¡± TO finally said, each word careful and slow, like footsteps on cracking ice. The skin under Overseer Q¡¯s hand lit up. They raised their hand and with a quick gesture caused a screen to project before them. It was another Overseer: DH¡¯s Overseer. ¡°Overseer H.¡± Overseer Q said in a terse greeting, ¡°Is there an update?¡± ¡°The damage to the face is superficial.¡± Overseer H said, ¡°Stitches are required. Given 70H67¡¯s progress, that¡¯s well within the parameters for treatment. However.¡± They frowned, ¡°The eye is a complete writeoff.¡± TO¡¯s heart froze and for a moment, time stopped. Talking continued, but TO didn¡¯t hear it ¡ª later, they might vaguely remember that the conversation was about the damage to the eye, how Q10¡¯s claws had cut right through it. DH¡¯s eye was a writeoff. DH was blind in one eye. What was the value of a half-blind synth? ¡°-and at their current level of proficiency, repairs would not be considered an option. The recommended course of action-¡° ¡°A moment.¡± Overseer T said as they brought up DH¡¯s file, ¡°If I may, I think an argument could be made for a transplant, if one is available.¡± ¡°Unsure.¡± Overseer H said, ¡°It would have to be a viable eye, harvested in at least the last two spans-¡° ¡°There is one!¡± TO said suddenly, perking up and sitting up straight in their seat. The other Overseers turned to TO, confused at the sudden interruption. TO felt their ears flush blue as they felt all the eyes on them, ¡°I was working in Synth Production this period.¡± They explained, ¡°There happened to be a juvenile synth who¡¯s lungs proved to be non-viable.¡± Even as they spoke about it, their mind played back the blood, the peeling back of the skin, the sound of the bones cracking. TO did their best to ignore that, they had to tell the Overseers this. ¡°The eyes were fine. The eyes were perfect. Fully developed. They should still be in storage!¡± ¡°Overseer T.¡± Overseer H said, ¡°if that eye is still available, perhaps something can be done. What is your argument.¡± ¡°As of this moment,¡± Overseer T said, ¡°70H67 is not a candidate for transplant given their performance. However, if we look at their performance overall, their improvement has been exponential. I would even go so far to suggest that if this incident had happened in another period or so, then 70H67 would in fact be a viable candidate. If we were to consider potential cumulative progress, then I would say that an ocular transplant would be fully justified.¡± They pulled up some other stats, ¡°As well, from what I understand their capabilities in combat training has proven to be exceptional- marksmanship in particular. If they were not to receive a transplant then that skill would be wasted.¡± ¡°Very well.¡± Overseer H said, ¡°I will present this to the Medical Officer, and hopefully 70H67 will be approved.¡± They flicked their ears in confusion, ¡°I am surprised you keep such close track of my synths though, Overseer T.¡± Overseer T closed the file, ¡°I believe that the improvement of 70H67 is linked to the improvement of several other synths, one of which is mine.. Have you not noticed that? I¡¯ve been keeping a close eye on the situation.¡± ¡° I have not. I¡¯d like your reports afterwards.¡± ¡°Confirmed. Please respond with the final decision.¡± The feed cut, and there was silence in the room once more. Overseer Q looked back at Q10, their eyes narrowed, ¡°Do you have anything to add.¡± They demanded, ¡°For instance, why were you causing such a fuss in the first place? Why were you apparently ripping at your own skin?¡± ¡°...I was upset about King Decon.¡± They said softly, not looking up. ¡°There are lots of other synths being brought to the Medical Bay because of what happened with King Decon!¡± TO added, ¡°We¡¯re all concerned.¡± ¡°But not all of you ripped yourselves apart or gouged out another¡¯s eyes.¡± TO looked at Q10 again, hoping they¡¯d say something to defend themselves, hoping that they¡¯d say that they didn¡¯t intend to do it at the very least. When they didn¡¯t, TO cleared their throat again, ¡°01Q10 didn¡¯t mean to do it.¡± ¡°How would you know that.¡± ¡°They told me. They¡¯re upset over it. They didn¡¯t want to hurt DH-70H67!¡± Overseer Q frowned and opened up Q10¡¯s file, going over it quickly, ¡°That doesn¡¯t change the outcome.¡± They muttered as they let their eyes go over the information. ¡°And they didn¡¯t even intend to do it! It was accidental! A result of emotional distress at the prospect of King Decon being hurt!¡± Overseer Q¡¯s eyes¡¯ narrowed as they read over the notes, ¡°Perhaps.¡± They said, ¡°You make a good argument, one that might be taken into consideration for other synths if this situation were to repeat¡­ But not for 01Q10.¡± They looked to Q10, ¡°You have a history.¡± Q10 didn¡¯t look up, but their ears twitched back in horror, and their hands grasped the table. ¡°A history?¡± TO thought, ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of them getting anyone else with their claws.¡± ¡°Right.¡± Overseer T said, ¡°The incident in the training room.¡± Oh. They didn¡¯t mean that Q10 had attacked anyone with their claws before, just that they had attacked another synth. They were talking about the time that Q10 pushed DH over during physical training! ¡°And another incident a while later in the dormitories, though there was confusion on that so it was never followed up on. There have been witnesses who have stated that violence was a potential expected reaction from 01Q10. TO¡¯s ears flicked down and their stomach dropped as they realized what Overseer T was talking about. They wanted to cry as they heard their own words from their meeting with their Overseer repeated back to them, ¡°¡®I did see 01Q10 attack another synth though, so I wouldn¡¯t have put it past them to do it again.¡¯ Was the actual statement.¡± Q10 nodded, still clutching at the desk. They closed their eyes tightly as the tears welled up. ¡°This one is still physically capable.¡± Overseer T said as they looked over the reports, ¡°The other issues are nothing that a simple correction won¡¯t fix.¡± ¡°But is that-¡° ¡°I understand.¡± Q10 finally said, their voice soft and cracking as they interrupted TO¡¯s question. ¡°I think they¡¯re being treated too lightly, given the damage done to 70H67.¡± Overseer Q grumbled, ¡°But you¡¯re right. They¡¯ll be more use to us like that.¡± ¡°Will it be done now?¡± Q10 asked as they stared down, watching their tears drop to the surface of the desk ¡°Yes.¡± Overseer Q said as they closed up the files, ¡°It¡¯s a relatively simple and painless process. It can be done within the hour.¡± Q10 nodded and stood up. They wiped the tears away as they walked towards their overseer. ¡°Wait.¡± TO said softly. They stood up and looked to Q10, ¡°Say something. Say-¡° ¡°I¡­ I¡¯ll be happier if I¡¯m corrected, yes?¡± Q10 asked their Overseer. ¡°Happiness is not a concern.¡± Overseer Q said, ¡°You will be content in your work for King Decon.¡± They tilted their head, ¡°Are you not content now?¡± ¡°...No.¡± They said after a long pause, ¡°I¡¯m not. I¡¯m lonely. I¡¯m sad. I get angry. I get jealous.¡± They glanced at TO, then back to their Overseer, ¡°If I can¡¯t be happy, then at the very least I¡¯d rather not be miserable.¡± Overseer Q stalked forward, and took Q10 by the arm, ¡°You¡¯ll have less of that talk when you¡¯re fixed.¡± They said, ¡°And you¡¯ll be more useful.¡± ¡°Wait.. just..One moment?¡± They asked, pulling back. Overseer Q looked at Q10 in surprise. Q10 ignored them, and turned to TO. ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m sorry.¡± They finally said, ¡°And when DH is better, please tell them I¡¯m sorry too. I don¡¯t know if they¡¯ll care.¡± They gave a bitter grin, ¡°I messed everything up¡­ This is better for me.¡± They allowed themselves to be pulled from the room then without another word. Episode 57: Fault ¡°Well, that¡¯s settled.¡± Overseer T said once Q10 and their Overseer was gone. Settled. There was no concern or sorrow for Q10, who had been taken away to be corrected. Maybe they weren¡¯t even Q10 now. Maybe for the time being they were simply N, just like PQ12. Nothing. Nobody. Null. They were gone. Just as TO had realized that they were different, that maybe they were sad and lonely too, they were gone. They had realized this too late. They had been so close to fixing it, so close to making it better, but because they had mentioned Q10¡¯s attacks, because they had made an observation¡­ ¡°You can go back to your dormitory now.¡± Overseer T said, ¡°It might be best to get some rest. It has been a tiring day, and you have training tomorrow.¡° TO wanted to go back to their dormitory. They wanted to lay down and go to sleep so they could forget what had happened, but they couldn¡¯t. ¡°... If it¡¯s alright, might I stay in the Medical Bay?¡± They asked, ¡°I was told I could if you would allow it.¡± ¡°The Medical bay?¡± Their Overseer¡¯s ears flicked back with mild concern, ¡°Are you injured.¡± TO shook their head, ¡°70H67 is there. I¡¯d like to stay with them.¡± Overseer T nodded as they headed to the door, ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter to me where you go, so long as you can perform your training in the morning.¡± They paused and turned back, ¡°You did well in bringing up those eyes. You might have actually been a big help, long term.¡± At TO¡¯s confused expression, they continued, ¡°I¡¯ve been trying to create a system to measure value on a potential and projected level, rather than an immediate one. A way to project a synth¡¯s capabilities at the end of their training and spend resources based on that, rather than their immediate capabilities.¡± They gave TO a hard look, ¡°I don¡¯t know or care why you¡¯ve been helping 70H67 to improve, but I expect you to continue it now. They will be an excellent example for my findings in general, and may help me overhaul value calculations on a wide scale.¡± ¡°I¡­ what?¡± TO felt so confused. Was Overseer T saying that what they had done, the argument they had put forward for DH had only been part of a study? An experiment?¡± ¡°Most synths have a value based on potential- a score, if you would, from 1 to 100.¡± DH suddenly realized that that was the number at the end of their files. The number that they had seen at the bottom of their own file, and on Q10¡¯s. ¡°While skills improve, most scores stay relatively static through training, some do tend to increase over time for some synths. 70H67 is one such synth. It¡¯s my belief that by using the rate of growth and projecting an end-of-training value score, we can develop synths with greater capabilities to serve King Decon. This is the first time I¡¯ve been able to convince anyone to take action on such projections.¡± They looked excited for a moment, and a smile flicked across their face as their ears quirked up, ¡°If 70H67 finishes their training at my projected value score, I believe I can present a report to my Commander.¡± That¡¯s all it was. A game of numbers. Values and projections. It was DH¡¯s score that allowed them the medical treatment that they received already. It had been TO¡¯s high score that gave them painkillers, and perhaps which allowed them to rest for the day when DH punched them. It was their score, the number at the end of their file, that allowed them to live or die. They wanted to ask,to confirm that that was true. They wanted to ask how low a score was allowed to go. They wanted to ask about GiDi¡¯s score. They kept quiet; their curiosity had cost enough for one day. ¡°I understand.¡± They said. Overseer T took in TO¡¯s flat voice, and their low ears. ¡°You should be proud.¡± They said, Confused, ¡°You might have made a real difference today.¡± ¡°Yes, Overseer.¡± Overseer T¡¯s ears flicked back in confusion for a moment, then relaxed, ¡°You¡¯re worried about 70H67.¡± They said, ¡°I see. Yes, you can go on, so long as you attend your training tomorrow.¡± ¡°Yes, Overseer. Thank you, Overseer.¡± The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. ===== TO made their way back to the Medical Bay with a slow, tired walk. They didn¡¯t know if DH would actually be fine; Overseer H had simply said they¡¯d speak to the Medical Officer about their new option. Still, their own Overseer seemed fairly confident that they would be fine. They were happy about it; it was good for their report or research or whatever they were doing. There were a few more synths in the Medical Bay when TO got there. All the seats were taken up so TO stood against the wall and watched as other Medical workers examined synths on the nearby beds and gave them the medical care they needed. There were very few who had to be taken away to a procedure room. ¡°What¡¯s your injury?¡± TO hadn¡¯t even noticed one of the medical synths come up to them with TO¡¯s file projected in the air. ¡°I''m not injured.¡± TO said, ¡°I¡¯m waiting for 70H67.¡± At the confused look the other synths gave them, they said, ¡°I was told I could wait here for them if my Overseer said it was fine, and they did.¡± The medical synth looked at TO with that look: what are you, why are you here? You don¡¯t belong. ¡°It is no concern of mine.¡± They said, ¡°But 70H67 might be in the procedure room for quite some time. They¡¯ll be in a private recovery room for a while afterwards due to the delicate nature of -¡° ¡°Will I be able to see them then?¡± TO asked, ¡°When they¡¯re in the recovery room?¡± Another frown from the medical synth. They sighed, and closed their screen, ¡°I will check.¡± They said, ¡°I normally would say no, but if your overseer said you could be here, I will check with the Medical Officer once 70H67 is in recovery.¡± The relief must have shown on TO¡¯s face, because the medical synth gave them another weird look before they went onto their next patient. TO stayed standing, their back against the wall. A delicate procedure. A private recovery room. They wouldn¡¯t have those things if they weren¡¯t having the transplant, so TO could stop worrying about that at least. Now, they only had to worry about Q10. About telling DH that they failed to save them. They had to worry about how it was actually their fault, their own words that caused Q10 to be taken away for correction in the end. How it was their actions that caused PQ12, no, Snout, to be taken away. They had to worry about GiDi, alone in the dormitories. Were they ok? Should they go back? TO was worried that the moment they went back DH would be done with their procedure and be looking for them. They didn¡¯t want DH to wake up and be alone. They sent a quick message to GiDi, ¡°DH is being treated.¡± And then went back to worrying. Would the procedure be successful? Could something worse happen to DH if it wasn¡¯t? How would DH react when told that Q10 was being corrected. It occured to TO that by the time they got to tell DH, the procedure would be done already. Q10¡¯s Overseer said it would take less than an hour. When DH woke, Q10 would be corrected. ====== A few hours later the Medical Bay was mostly empty. Any synth that had come for treatment had been treated and sent off. From what TO had seen most of the injuries had been mild, ranging from throbbing migraines to severe stomach sickness to the odd sprained joint. The one that TO had seen coming in when they were sitting out in the hallway with Q10 had broken something in their arm, but they had been sent off shortly after with their arm in some kind of plastic cast. TO found themselves wondering what their score was like, and how bad the break might have been. They were sitting by themselves in one of the chairs when their implant went off with a message- it was a news broadcast. TO could tell from the timestamps that the video had been released nearly two hours ago even though it had only just been released to the synths. ¡°Of course.¡± TO muttered, ¡°They wouldn''t show us anything live. Not after what happened.¡± With a quick gesture the screen popped up and showed the same face of the same Synth newscaster that had seen earlier¨C the Galactic News Broadcaster Program. ¡°After being cut off from the rest of the Galaxy, communications to Caerlapis has just been restored.¡± They said as a screen popped up behind them, showing footage from the scene. The stadium that King Decon and the insurgents had been in earlier was nothing but rubble now. There were medical teams running around in the background, and emergency workers moving debris. ¡°It has been confirmed that the attack on the Caerlapis was orchestrated by the Despair Rebellion.¡± The newscaster continued, ¡°Best experts believe that the objective of the attack was to kill the captured insurgents who possess vital information to help restore peace throughout the galaxy.¡± Did that make sense? It was odd for TO to think that, but they were thinking more of GiDi;had been questioning why the attack had happened, they were saying it didn¡¯t make sense. Well, now they had the why. Would that make sense to GiDi? ¡°King Decon was able to use His own defensive force field technology, along with the assistance of His Vanguard, to protect the civilians in attendance from the blast, but it was at the cost of the lives of the insurgents, and others standing in an acting role for the ceremony. The majority of the damage and the additional casualties was caused by structural damage to the building after the blast.¡± TO couldn¡¯t help the smile, and the way their ears quirked up with pride at that news. Of course King Decon would have put the lives of the civilians over the few officials. Of course He would have found a way to protect everyone else. The Despair rebellion could say what they wanted, but the truth was that King Decon was keeping the galaxy peaceful and saving lives, while they were sending projectiles at stadiums filled with innocent civilians. ¡°While King Decon, though alive and well, is unavailable for live comment at the moment, He has given the following statement to be read to His subjects at this time. ¡®I regret only that I could not have saved more lives. Though this attack was brutal and the lives lost were needless, there is no point in seeking vengeance, only justice. It is my solemn vow that those responsible for this heinous attack will answer for their actions. I can only hope that this revelation of the true nature of the insurgency to the rest of the empire will serve to show their brutal nature, and the need for harsh actions taken against them.¡± The GNBP started showing videos of leaders of other planets who were commenting on the tragedy when another Medical synth came towards them. TO glanced up, and seeing them heading their way they closed up the screen. ¡°An update?¡± They asked, their ears suddenly perking up with interest as they approached. ¡°Yes.¡± TO said, ¡°King Decon is fine.¡± ¡°I knew He would be.¡± They responded, ¡°Though, I am still relieved to hear it.¡± ¡°Yes. I am very pleased to hear of King Decon''s good health as well.¡± TO recited, ¡°I¡¯m sure 70H67 will be pleased as well, if they¡¯re in a state to hear it?¡± ¡°Yes. That is in fact why I¡¯m here.¡± They said, ¡°MO-6 has finished with the procedure. They are still asleep, but if you wish I can take you to them, to wait until they awaken.¡± ¡°Yes. Please.¡± Episode 58: Agitation TO was led down a hallway behind the Medical Bay and past a series of doors until the medical Synth that was leading them stopped in front of one seemingly at random. They pressed their hand to the chip reader, and the door slid open. ¡°MO-6?¡± the medical synth said as they entered with TO, ¡°I brought them.¡± MO-6 was sitting on a stool next to a bed, taking notes. Though TO couldn¡¯t recognize the synth on the bed right away because of the bandages that covered the side of their face that was facing them, they were certain it was DH; Who else would it be? They were laying on their back with a thin blanket thrown over their naked body. A small, mechanical spider-like device was clutching DH¡¯s arm, a needle from it¡¯s abdomen stuck firmly into the skin. ¡°It¡¯s a drug administration device.¡± MO-6 said as they noticed TO¡¯s gaze lingering on the strange machine, ¡°It reads chemical levels in the bloodstream and administers more painkillers if levels drop below what¡¯s prescribed.¡± They looked back to their notes, ¡°I¡¯m nearly done here.¡± ¡°Is it alright for this one to be here?¡± The other medical synth asked, ¡°Procedure says-¡° ¡°If 70H67 was granted a transplant, then I intend to see that it takes, and that my patient is healthy afterwards. Having them get needlessly upset and agitated won¡¯t help their recovery.¡± They closed their files and stood up, looking over TO, ¡°I¡¯ve heard this one call you TO before.¡± They said simply. TO felt their ears flick back in worry, ¡°Is that bad?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t really care what they call you.¡± MO-6 said, ¡°but they¡¯ve been upset since they woke, looking for a ¡®TO¡¯.¡± They started to walk to the door, ¡°Keep them calm. The more relaxed they are, the less likely we are to have complications with the transplant.¡± ¡°It happened then. It worked?¡± ¡°It did.¡± MO-6 said, ¡°It was a complicated procedure, but not outside the range of my skills.¡± They gave TO a careful look, ¡°Am I to understand as well that you¡¯re the one who mentioned the availability of the eyes?¡± ¡°Yes, Officer.¡± ¡°I¡¯m led to understand that you were present when the eyes were saved. Did you work on it directly, or simply assist?¡± TO didn¡¯t want to think about that. They felt their stomach churn as their ears drooped, ¡°I assisted with the right, and removed the left myself.¡± ¡°You did good work.¡± MO-6 said, ¡°Very clean, and very little damage done to the optic nerves.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± MO-6 nodded as they passed TO, ¡°Stay with them for the rest of the day.¡± They said with a gesture to DH, ¡°Keep them calm until we can reduce the amount of painkillers in their system. They¡¯re on a heavy dose of accelerants to encourage healing, and a heavy dose of painkillers because of that. If they end up in too much pain, it might affect the eye. However, the painkillers have affected their cognitive state. They¡¯re not in their right mind, and their short term memory is impared.¡± ¡°They¡¯ll be alright though? That won¡¯t be permanent?¡± ¡°No. It¡¯ll diminish as soon as the painkillers are reduced. In the meantime, keep them calm.¡± They frowned, ¡°I don¡¯t normally like having other synths in my recovery room, but this one needs to be calm, and they wouldn¡¯t stop calling for you.¡± ¡°Apologies, Officer.¡± TO said without really understanding why they were apologizing. MO-6 shrugged, They are not themselves, and neither you, nor they can really be held accountable for their actions at this moment.¡± They turned to the medical synth, ¡°Send word to Overseer T that 09T07 will be staying here until meal time tomorrow.¡± They said as they opened the door. The medical synth followed MO-6 as they left the room. The door slid shut, and DH and TO were alone. TO went up to the bed and sat down on the edge. ¡°DH?¡± They whispered as they put a hand on their shoulder, ¡°Are you awake?¡± ¡°....T?¡± It was a half mumble. Their unbandaged eye opened up and searched about the room until it landed on TO. A weak, tired smile flicked across their face, ¡°You¡¯re here.¡± Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation. There it was at last: relief. DH was awake, though not fully coherent. The eye had been transplanted. Nothing terrible had happened to them while they were in surgery. TO leaned over then, trying to hold them without moving them from their spot on the bed. They rested their head on DH¡¯s chest. They wanted to tell DH that they¡¯d be fine. That it was ok. Tears of relief flooded their eyes as they clutched at their friend. ¡°I was so worried.¡± They managed to whisper as their tears fell onto the blankets. It was only now that DH was awake that TO could really feel how hard this day had been. All the terrible things that had happened from their conversation with C12, with PQ03, seeing C12 and the former PQ12 ¨C Flit and Snout¨C up in the higher levels of the training center, the whole situation with King Decon, GiDi¡¯s reaction to the attack, DH¡¯s injury¨C Q10. Q10¡¯s breakdown. Q10 being corrected. It had been a lot. It was hard to imagine that it had all been one day. TO didn¡¯t sob¨C they were far too tired for that. They lay atop DH, holding them and letting the tears fall on their own. They felt DH¡¯s hand settle atop their head, scratching for just a moment before falling still. ¡°I wasn¡¯t worried.¡± DH managed to slur out, ¡°I knew I¡¯d be fine.¡± They gave a soft little hum as their breathing deepened. ¡°You did?¡± TO managed to whisper, ¡°How?¡± ¡°You. You were there. You always fix things. You take care of things.¡± They gave a sleepy yawn, ¡°Can you stay with me?¡± TO wiped the tears away before they answered, ¡°Yes.¡± they said, ¡°I can. I¡¯m allowed to stay while you sleep.¡± DH gave a hum, then appeared to fall asleep. They made this soft chirping noise in the back of their throat as their breathing deepened. A moment later they seemed to wake suddenly with a jolt, as though someone had shaken them awake. ¡°... m¡¯eye.¡± They mumbled. ¡°It was damaged.¡± TO whispered back, ¡°You¡¯ve got a new eye.¡± To TO¡¯s surprise, DH gave a whimper, ¡°I liked my old eye.¡± They whined. TO had to keep themselves from chuckling, despite everything. DH just sounded so petulant; like a child. They reminded themselves that the Medical Officer had said they¡¯d be a little off for a while because of the painkillers. TO sat up and smiled at DH, ¡°Your new eye is going to be fine.¡± They said. ¡°But I liked my old eye.¡± DH insisted, ¡°Didn¡¯t you like my eye?¡± ¡°Of course!¡± TO said, ¡°But... In a way I got you this new eye.¡± ¡°You did?¡± TO forced another smile, trying to ignore the sound of cracking bones that played in their head. At least now they could remind themselves that all that awfulness, the dissection of the juvenile synth, had served a purpose. It had saved DH¡¯s eyesight at the very least. TO gently ran their fingers over the bandages, ¡°Yes.¡± They whispered, ¡°I saved the eye for you.¡± Another hum ¨C this one far more content and peaceful. ¡°Can you hold me?¡± DH whispered, their ears flushing as they asked. ¡°Of course.¡± TO said, ¡°Let me tell GiDi you¡¯re awake first.¡± They sat up properly so they could send a message; ¡°DH is awake. Procedure was a success. I¡¯ve been asked to stay with them tonight. Are you ok?¡± The last part was added with a pang of guilt. TO had been so worried about DH that they had forgotten about GiDi¡¯s mental state for the most part. They felt bad for not going back to check on them, but at the same time they would have felt worse if DH had woken and they weren¡¯t there. Well, nothing they could do about it now. They hoped that GiDi would have met them in the Medical Bay, but they hadn¡¯t shown up. TO was just starting to worry, fearing that something had happened to GiDi as well when they got a message back. ¡°I¡¯m glad. I¡¯m fine; just watched the update. I¡¯ll meet you before training tomorrow morning.¡± They were alright. TO decided that they¡¯d spend a lot of extra time with GiDi tomorrow, to make sure they were fine. They¡¯d bring GiDi to visit DH too. But that was tomorrow. For now, King Decon was alive. GiDi was fine. DH was healing up with a new eye. There was nothing to be done with Q10, except for trying not to think about it for now. DH hadn¡¯t asked yet, and TO didn¡¯t want to tell them right away. Instead, they slid onto the edge of the bed next to DH, slipping under the blankets and lifting DH up just a little so that they could wrap their arms and wings around their friend. DH tried to move, to curl into TO, but TO stopped them. ¡°Stay on your back.¡± They said, ¡°You¡¯ve got that thing on your arm.¡± DH turned their head to look at the mechanical spider on their arm. They seemed confused for a moment, but then just hummed again as they turned their head into TO. ¡°Am I going to have scars?¡± They whispered. ¡°Probably.¡± TO said, ¡°But that¡¯s fine.¡± ¡°Do you think I¡¯ll look ok with scars?¡± TO almost laughed, but settled for reaching up to scratch DH¡¯s head, ¡°I don¡¯t think it matters if you have scars or not-¡° ¡°But do you think I¡¯ll look ok with them?¡± ¡°They¡¯ll make you stand out.¡± TO said, ¡°You¡¯ll be easier to recognize. I¡¯ll think you¡¯ll look fine.¡± Another hum as DH nuzzled into TO. They muttered something quietly, something that TO couldn¡¯t quite make out. As they started to drift off to sleep once more they gave that little chirping sound and their ears flicked in a way that reminded TO of happy, sleepy young synths in their tanks.. DH was content. For now DH was content and drifting peacefully off to sleep despite their injuries and the awful day they had. Yes, TO was sure the drugs were part of it, but MO-6 had said that DH had been agitated before TO arrived. They said that DH kept calling for them. TO curled themselves around DH, shifting themselves up and resting their chin at the top of DH¡¯s head. Love? Yes. Of course they loved DH and GiDi; Their best friends, Their family¨C if a synth could be said to have a family. They had worried about being sharp with DH before they went in for their procedure. They had hoped that DH knew that they still loved them. Would it be weird to say it? TO almost laughed. Despite everything, they worried that telling DH that they loved them, that they were their closest friend and the closest thing to family a synth could have. DH was half asleep and loopy from drugs: They probably wouldn¡¯t remember it anyway. ¡°Hey¡­ DH?¡± They murmured against DH¡¯s forehead. DH gave only a low, sleepy hum in response. ¡°You know I love you, right?¡± Another hum, this one almost questioning. TO wasn¡¯t sure what kind of question it could have been. They tightened their grip on DH, ¡°You¡¯re ¡­ you¡¯re my closest friend. My family.¡± They said, ¡°I¡¯d do anything to protect you. You know that right?¡± Another low hum. TO could feel their ears burning and they worried that maybe they said something wrong, that this was crossing an invisible line. After a moment, DH shuffled closer and started chirping again. TO figured that either it hadn¡¯t bothered them, or at least if it had then they already forgot due to the drugs, and due to being so sleepy. TO finally relaxed, the muscles in their shoulders loosening up for the first time since they saw the live news in the auditorium. There was pain from how long they had been tense, but they could ignore that for now. With their wings wrapped around DH, TO drifted off to sleep. Chapter 59: Precious The next day TO rushed to the cafeteria and found GiDi waiting outside the doors. TO had expected GiDi to look tired, or sad, or even still as dazed as they had been the day before. They were neither of these things; they waited for TO with their arms crossed over their chest, their ears pinned back and their wings puffed up slightly. They were angry. ¡°GiDi!¡± TO said as they got close to them, ¡°You¡¯re ok¡±? ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± GiDi said, their voice flat and almost indifferent as their ears twitched with deceit, ¡°Let¡¯s go get some-¡± ¡°I¡¯m not hungry.¡± TO said quickly, ¡°And I really want to talk to you. Please?¡± GiDi gave TO a hard look which lasted only for a moment before their ears relaxed a little, their wings loosening up around them, ¡°Food first.¡± GiDi said, ¡°I don¡¯t care what you¡¯re worried about, you¡¯re going to eat something.¡± ¡°How do you know I¡¯m worried about anything?¡± ¡°The very tips of your ears twitch when you¡¯re worried, and you always say you¡¯re not hungry when something¡¯s bothering.¡± GiDi said as they took TO by the wrist and pulled them in, ¡°We can go hide away somewhere later, but you¡¯re getting food now.¡± ¡°We won¡¯t be able to get back to the dormitory.¡± TO said, ¡°it¡¯s too late- we¡¯d be late for our combat training-¡± ¡°We¡¯ll find a place!¡± GiDi snapped. They were much sharper than TO had expected, and TO fell silent.They let GiDi bring them into the cafeteria, then after they had their food they allowed GiDi to pull them away towards the physical training room. They didn¡¯t ask why they were heading there already, as GiDi¡¯s ears had slowly pinned back again. GiDi was mad. They were very mad. TO wondered if they were angry at them. Well, of course they were. GiDi had every right to be angry at them; they had left them alone yesterday when they needed someone with them. Not that TO had much choice .Yesterday had been¡­. Just an awful, exhausting day. It was hard to really think of it as a single day as such much had happened. Part of it still felt like a dream. A nightmare. GiDi pulled them past the training room and to a storage room which was unlocked. Inside were half open boxes of training bands and multi-guns. ¡°Alright.¡± GiDi said as they sat down on top of a nearby box, ¡°Tell me what happened with DH¡± Their voice was cold and sharp- almost clinical. ¡°... You¡¯re angry with me.¡± As TO said that, GiDi managed to crack their plate in two, dropping some cubes of food to the floor. They gave a low growl as they snapped their gaze up to TO. ¡°You know what? Yes! I am!¡± They snapped, ¡°But I¡¯m more worried about DH than I am angry at this very moment, so -¡± ¡°DH will be fine!¡± TO insisted. TO had woken up first, still holding DH as they slept. They got up and sat in the chair close to the bed until DH woke up. They had been confused but more lucid than they had been before. TO had to explain about their eye again, but before DH could ask any questions about Q10, TO had been sent off to get their food while MO-6 did a morning checkup on DH . DH was fine for the moment. GiDi was not. If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. ¡°I¡¯m sorry I left you.¡± TO said with their ears down, ¡°I didn¡¯t know what to do! DH¡¯s face was torn up, and they wanted me to do something to help Q10, then our overseers wanted to see us, and then I needed to stay around until DH woke up-¡± ¡°Q10.¡± GiDi said, almost in disbelief, ¡°For Q10. You were there to help Q10, but you couldn¡¯t find time to help me!?¡± TO felt their ears flick down, ¡°Well... I just¡­¡± They looked away, ¡°DH asked me to help them. They needed help, but-¡± ¡°No. You know who needed help!? I needed help!¡± their lips pulled back slightly, exposing the points of their fangs. TO glanced up and cursed at themself- they could see tears of frustration in GiDi¡¯s eyes. ¡°Do you have any idea how awful it was for me!? I was scared! I was confused!¡± They pointed an accusing finger at TO, ¡°You left me in the care of a strange synth that I¡¯ve never spoken to before!¡± ¡°I¡­ Bu... they said they¡¯d take care of you so I could bring DH to the-¡± ¡°To the Medical Bay, Yes, I know!¡± GiDi hissed, ¡°But you could have come back for me! Do you have any idea-¡± They stopped themself, and turned away, ¡°No, you don¡¯t know anything about what I went through, because you weren¡¯t there!¡± ¡°...but when I messaged you, you said you were fine.¡± ¡°I know. Yes.¡± ¡°You lied?¡± GiDi¡¯s ears flicked down in shame for just a moment, ¡°I was fine then because the news about King Decon had come through. Before that, I was just scared and confused, and I had all these thoughts going through my head¡­¡± They shook their head, then glared back up at TO, ¡°And you weren¡¯t there because you were too busy trying to help Q10!¡± ¡°They needed my help!¡± ¡°So did I,TO!¡± GiDi said, their voice finally breaking as a sob threatened to silence them. They turned around, refusing to look at TO as they wrapped their wings around themself, ¡°I know you¡¯d don¡¯t like to see others hurting, but I was hurting last night.¡± ¡°... I¡¯m sorry.¡± TO whispered, ¡°DH begged me to help them-¡± ¡°I know DH is precious to you.¡± GiDi said with venomous words, ¡°But could you pretend I am too?¡± TO was up from where they were sitting as the words left GiDi¡¯s mouth. They ran up to them and hugged them from behind, letting their wings drape over their smaller friend. ¡°You are.¡± TO insisted, ¡°You are precious to me. I¡­ I love you and DH. Both of you.¡± They felt their ears flush as they said that, and their stomach churned as they realized that unlike DH, GiDi was not loopy from painkillers. GiDi fell silent, and TO could feel them stiffen in their arms. A moment later their wings relaxed, ¡°That¡¯s¡­ unlike you to say.¡± GiDi said softly. ¡°Is it?¡± TO asked. GiDi didn¡¯t say anything, they just nodded. ¡°Is¡­ is it weird to say? I mean, I realized that¡­ I mean, you and DH are my friends. My family, right? And I was worried that something might happen to DH, and they¡¯d never know.¡± They gave GiDi a squeeze, ¡°I want you to know too. But¡­¡± They felt their ears droop down, ¡°I guess I¡¯ve been awful at showing it.¡± ¡°...I don¡¯t think it¡¯s strange.¡± they said after a long, silent moment. ¡°It¡¯s...I guess it¡¯s just not said.¡± A low chuckle escaped their lips, ¡°Though, I think DH will be happy when you tell them.¡± TO suddenly felt GiDi stiffen up again, ¡°Though, I guess you already told them.¡± ¡°They were on a lot of painkillers.¡± TO said, ¡°I don¡¯t think they¡¯ll remember.¡± ¡°Well, you¡¯ll tell them again, I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll be very happy.¡± GiDi said simply. They shifted away from TO and started to pick up the food they had dropped. ¡°You¡¯re upset?¡± TO asked them as they knelt down to help. There was another long, drawn out silence as GiDi slowly picked up their food, brushing dust and dirt off the cubes before setting them back on the broken plate. ¡°Yesterday was just a very long, very confusing, very bad day.¡± They sat back on the box and looked up at TO, ¡°Sorry I snapped at you.¡± They said, ¡°It was dumb. I know DH needed you.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right though. I should have come back for you.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± GiDi said quickly. Even without watching their ears TO could tell that they were lying, but before they could question them on it, GiDi asked, ¡°So.. how did it go? How is DH?¡± TO knew that GiDi was still angry, but they clearly didn¡¯t want to linger on it. ¡°... They¡¯re better.¡± TO said, ¡°They¡¯ll have scars. And they did lose an eye-¡± ¡°You mentioned that.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± They sat down again, and allowed a little flicker of a smile to cross their face, ¡°That dissection I had to do? It helped.¡± They looked down at their food, and for the first time they were able to consider eating while they thought of that awful day in the labs, ¡°the eyes that we took, one of them ended up being used for DH.¡± ¡°That¡­¡± they sighed before finally looking TO in the eyes, ¡°That¡¯s good. That¡¯s good for you more than it is for DH, I think.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± GiDi gestured to TO¡¯s plate, ¡°Well, it¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve seen you eat after thinking about that whole thing.¡± GiDi said carefully, ¡°And normally when you talk about it you look¡­¡± They trailed off, ¡°It¡¯s hard to describe. But it¡¯s not good. It¡¯s like you can¡¯t see us when you think about it. I mean, you look a little sad now, but that¡¯s all: sad. Not crushed.¡± They took a bite of their food, ¡°Though... I mean, I¡¯m very glad they got the transplant, but I¡¯m surprised. If their eye was damaged, wouldn¡¯t they just send them to work down in maintenance or something like that?¡± ¡°Maybe.¡± To said, ¡°And at first, they weren¡¯t going to give them the transplant.¡± ¡°Wait¡­ how do you know that?¡± TO gave a deep sigh as that part of the day ran through their head, then they slowly started to tell GiDi what happened with the Overseers and Q10. Episode 60: Choices ¡°Q10 got corrected?¡± TO nodded as they looked away from GiDi. Going over what had happened had been surprisingly hard for TO, especially when they talked about how Q10 just gave up and submitted to being corrected, the things Q10 had said, and the awful look on their face. ¡°But¡­ I thought they were fine?¡± GiDi said softly, ¡°They didn¡¯t seem strange.¡± ¡°When would we have gotten close enough to them to actually notice if they were or not.¡± ¡°DH would have known.¡± ¡°They did.¡± TO said, ¡°That¡¯s why they asked me to help them.¡± GiDi groaned and put their head in their hands, ¡°If DH knew, why didn¡¯t they tell us? We could have said something to-¡° Why would DH have said anything? Q10 was being nasty to them, and to you!¡± TO frowned ¡°You don¡¯t know how much they hurt DH. DH thought that Q10 was their friend. Then they attacked them. They pushed DH away.¡± ¡°...You never told me that.¡± GiDi said, ¡°You or DH.¡± ¡°DH doesn¡¯t like to talk about it.¡± TO said, ¡°So I try not to. Anyway, even if DH had told us, when could we have said something to Q10? After they pushed you? After they clawed up DH?¡± ¡°When they came and asked you for more painkillers.¡± GiDi said, ¡°We should have known then! DH should have told us then!¡± ¡°It¡¯s not DH¡¯s fault.¡± TO said, their ears flicking down, ¡°It¡¯s mine, remember? I could have stopped it. I could have kept them from being corrected¡­ but because of what I said- ¡° ¡°What you said was right. It was correct. They DID hurt DH in the end.¡± They leaned forward, their elbows on their knees as they looked to the ground. They looked far away, and their ears were flicked back in concern and concentration. ¡°Did you ever¡­¡± GiDi¡¯s voice got very quiet, and their ears dipped down in fear, ¡°Did you ever think that it¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Yes¡­ I shouldn¡¯t have said anything, but by the time I realized that-¡° ¡°No no... not that.¡± GiDi said quickly, ¡°You did what you¡¯re supposed to, right?¡± They looked up at TO, ¡°If we went just by the rules, and how we¡¯re supposed to behave, you didn¡¯t do anything wrong. Your Overseer demanded information, and you told them what they wanted to know, right?¡± ¡°That doesn¡¯t make me feel better.¡± TO said, ¡°I could have only told them the minimum information-¡° ¡°But... you did what you¡¯re supposed to.¡± GiDi pressed, ¡°And Q10 did injure another synth. Badly, actually. The way things are supposed to work here, they should have been corrected without any discussion, right?¡± ¡°Well¡­ yes, but-¡° ¡°No. No buts.¡± GiDi said, ¡°If we were to ask our Overseers, everything that happened here is for the best. It improves our overall productivity, and that¡¯s all for the good of the galaxy. It¡¯s how it¡¯s supposed to work, right?¡± ¡°Right.¡± TO said, ¡°But that doesn¡¯t mean I feel good about it.¡± ¡°What I mean is¡­ did you ever think that the way things are supposed to work might be wrong?¡± ¡°... You think that¡­. what, the overseers are wrong?¡± GiDi¡¯s ears flicked down in panic, ¡°No. I mean, not necessarily? I mean, the whole thing! How we¡¯re trained. How we¡¯re corrected.¡± They shook their head. ¡°Doesn¡¯t it feel wrong? Doesn¡¯t all this-¡° They waved their arm, ¡°-just feel wrong?¡± ¡°Well¡­ that¡¯s because we¡¯re strange.¡± TO said simply, their ears twitching forward in confusion. ¡°Q10 was strange too! But now they¡¯re not. They¡¯re corrected. Do you think that¡¯s better?¡± ¡°NO!¡± TO said quickly, ¡°I mean, not for them. Not for us. But we¡¯re strange¡­ For the rest of the galaxy though, for King Decon?¡± Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°For the good of the Galaxy then, it¡¯s supposed to be good.¡± GiDi pressed their lips together and looked away, their eyes focused on the ground. ¡°I just¡­ it doesn¡¯t feel right to me.¡± ¡°Because we¡¯re strange.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking a lot.¡± They said, ¡°Overnight. After the whole thing with King Decon. I wondered what would actually happen if King Decon were to die.¡± TO took a deep breath, and leaned forward to put a hand on GiDi¡¯s shoulder, ¡°It¡¯s scary, isn¡¯t it.¡± they said, ¡°Imagine the chaos if he were to die. Power vacuums, war breaking out in the galaxy, and what would we even do?¡± ¡°Whatever we wanted, I suppose.¡± GiDi said quietly. ¡°Don¡¯t you want to serve King Decon?¡± ¡°Of course I do.¡± GiDi hissed, ¡°But don¡¯t you want anything else besides that?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± TO said, ¡°That¡¯s why I try so hard to take care of you and DH. I want you two with me. I want to spend time with you.¡± ¡°And if you had to choose?¡± They looked up at TO, ¡°If you had to choose between being with us or working for King Decon, or even if you were able to make the choice... would you choose King Decon?¡± The correct answer was Yes. TO knew that the only answer was supposed to be yes. They wanted to say yes. However, the first thing that came to their mind was that maybe it wasn¡¯t the best thing to say to GiDi right now; they worried that such an answer would hurt them. And wouldn¡¯t choosing King Decon over DH or GiDi hurt them too? TO wondered if they would be able to do anything that might hurt their friends, even if King Decon ordered it. ¡°Why are you even worried about this?¡± TO said quickly, ¡°So long as we work hard, and we serve King Decon then that¡¯s never something we¡¯ll have to worry about.¡± GiDi frowned, but shook their head, ¡°I hope you¡¯re right.¡± they said. ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t I be?¡± GiDi shook their head again, ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± They finally said. ¡°It...it¡¯s been a hard night.¡± TO felt their ears droop as their stomach churned with guilt, ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± they said softly. ¡°I should have been there.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± GiDi said quickly, and though their ears flicked again TO ignored it. ¡°How are you going to tell DH about Q10?¡± TO sighed, ¡°I can¡¯t right now.¡± they said, ¡°They need to be kept calm while they recover. I¡¯m not supposed to tell them anything that might upset them more. Until the medical officer tells me they¡¯re alright to leave the Medical Bay, I have to keep it to myself.¡± ¡°Hopefully they don¡¯t ask before that.¡± ¡°I know. If they do, I¡¯m going to try to tell them not to worry about that for now. They¡¯re pretty dazed from the painkillers, so they¡¯re not thinking too deeply about anything.¡± TO looked down at the floor, ¡°They¡¯re going to hate me.¡± GiDi gave a sudden, sharp laugh, snorting as they did. TO¡¯s ears flicked out in confusion as they watched GiDi compose themselves quickly, their ears flushed with embarrassment at the noise they had just made. ¡°What¡¯s so funny?¡± ¡°Trust me.¡± GiDi said, ¡°DH could never hate you. Never.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t know. If I did something horrible- like get another synth corrected- then they might-¡± A message came in on TO¡¯s implant, and at the exact same moment one came in on GiDi¡¯s. They both pulled the messages up before them. ==Combat Training will be taking place in Combat Simulation Training Room B.== TO never been in that training room before. They actually didn¡¯t know that such a room existed. There was an option for directions, and when TO selected it they saw that the directions led them to a room on the far side of the training center. If they had gone back to their dorms, they¡¯d be closer to the Combat Simulation Training Room than they currently were. TO and DH looked at each other, the horror slowly dawning on them that they might very well be late. They jumped to their feet, TO eating the last little bit of their plate before they left the room, running as fast as they could to the other side of the training center. ======= As TO and GiDi approached the door to the training room, C12 was waiting for them. They stood next to the door with their hands folded behind their back. TO felt their ears flush as they remembered the last time they had seen C12- Flit, in the upper levels of the training center. They remembered how they had kissed their former Officer, Snout; The tender touches, the flushed ears¡­ It had been far too intimate. TO knew they weren¡¯t supposed to see it. As they glanced up, they caught sight of C12¡¯s eyes. Blank. They looked like they were staring off without seeing anything. They hadn¡¯t been corrected, TO could tell that¡­ but they looked like a part of them was gone. Of course, Snout was gone now, weren''t they? That was TO¡¯s fault too. They had messed so much up lately. They had upset GiDi, and now because of that GiDi seemed to be swimming in doubt, but TO didn¡¯t understand about what. Because of them, Q10 was corrected. Because of them, Snout was sent off and away from Flit. C12¡­ their lover. It seemed so strange to think of a synth having an actual lover; It made their ears burn. ¡°The two of you are very nearly late.¡± C12 snapped as they approached. Life flicked back to their eyes, but it still wasn¡¯t the same. ¡°Sorry Retiree.¡± TO said, ¡°We were-¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. Go inside.¡± Their voice was snappier and shorter than normal. ¡°Everyone else is already hooked up.¡± ¡°Hooked up?¡± GiDi asked. They went inside to see what C12 was talking about. Nearly a hundred of the combat simulation pods lined the walls of the room. There were helmets over each one, and a series of wires neatly draped over the seats. With a quick glance at the other synths, TO could see that the wires were attached all over their bodies, and all over their wings. ¡°You¡¯ve used the combat simulation games before.¡± C12 said as they followed GiDi and TO inside, letting the door slide shut behind them, ¡°This is mostly similar.¡± They gestured to the wires, ¡°There¡¯s a chart on each seat showing you how to set up the wires. They¡¯ll stimulate your muscles while you¡¯re in the simulation, so even though your training is virtual now you¡¯ll still develop muscle memory and increase your muscular development. Understood?¡± ¡°Understood, Retiree.¡± TO and GiDi said in unison. TO wanted to ask if it was the same as the systems used to keep muscles from suffering atrophy in the synth production labs, but they didn¡¯t want to ask any questions of C12. They didn¡¯t want C12 to snap at them. They didn¡¯t want C12 to hate them. But even if they did, TO felt that they deserved that hatred. GiDi and TO went up to two empty seats which were side by side, and started to quickly get set up. They helped one another attach the wires on the hard to reach places on their backs and around the wings, then sat down. ¡°When you put your helmets on, you¡¯ll feel a slight shock once the system turns on and starts to register you.¡± C12 said, ¡°It won¡¯t hurt, but it will feel odd. Try not to move while the system does this.¡± TO nodded, and without looking at C12 they lifted up the helmet and gently put it over their head. A wave of electricity ran through them, and it took all of TO¡¯s willpower not to flinch. For just a moment it felt like every part of their body had fallen asleep, making them feel tingly all over. They suddenly seemed to slip from themselves and fall into the training program. Episode 61: Combat As they properly entered the program, TO could only describe it as being violently thrown back into their body. There was a brief moment of pain before things evened out, and they could feel the floor under their boots, and the cold wind running through the holes in the nearby walls. The training simulations that they used for fun weren¡¯t nearly as intense as this. They felt real, yes, but not this real. The transition from being in their body in the chair to being suddenly immersed in the simulation was far more jarring as well. TO looked down at their hands as their mind and sensations synced up to what they were seeing. The slight disconnect that they normally noticed in the games was gone. They liked the disconnect that they felt in the simulation simply because it reminded them that it was only a game. It was comforting to know that any injury they might inflict to others here wasn¡¯t real. This wasn¡¯t real, but it felt real. Would they feel pain as they normally would? If they were injured, would their actual body suffer as well? ¡°Perfection; we have a fourth.¡± TO looked up, suddenly realizing that they were around other synths. As they glanced over the faces of the synths they were with, they realized that they didn¡¯t know any of them. TO had seen them around of course, but they hadn¡¯t spoken to any of them. And GiDi wasn¡¯t there with them. A purple light scanned over them, and TO¡¯s plain light-blue uniform turned purple at the same time as everyone else''s did. As they looked down at their chest, they saw a new designation over their heart where once their call number had been. S97. ¡°Have I been reassigned?¡± TO asked in slight panic as they looked down at their uniform. ¡°Of course not.¡± the closest synth to them said. TO looked up and saw that they had S67 over their chest, ¡°Did the Retiree not tell you how this works?¡± TO dipped their ears down as they shook their head, ¡°No.¡± They said, ¡°I was running behind. Myself and one other were almost late.¡± Irritation caused S67¡¯s ears to pin back for just a moment, ¡°In the simulation, you are given a mock-soldier¡¯s designation.¡± they pointed to TO¡¯s uniform, ¡°That will be your designation until the simulation is over. It¡¯ll change each time, but your performance will be linked to your call number.¡± ¡°I see.¡± TO said as they finally took a moment to look around. It looked to them like some kind of broken down industrial setting- and old warehouse perhaps. They could see the night sky above them through the broken parts of the roof, but there were no stars or moons visible; the sky was covered in dirty looking clouds and glowed a reddish brown with reflected light from below- likely street lights, or maybe even lights from other, nearby buildings. TO wasn¡¯t sure if that would be important. They hadn¡¯t been given an objective yet. ¡°I think I¡¯ve seen you before.¡± another synth said, this one bearing S54 on their chest, ¡°You were in my Flight Training Class.¡± ¡°You recognize me?¡± TO asked. ¡°I recognize your particular style of speaking.¡± they said quickly, ¡°You¡¯re an excellent flyer though.¡± TO glanced around the building, ¡°That might not be much help here.¡± they muttered. They were fairly certain that they were on the top floor of the building, though they didn¡¯t know how many floors there were. Regardless, they couldn¡¯t really fly while inside. ¡°That is unknown until we discover our objective.¡± S67 said, ¡°It might be useful.¡± This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version. TO doubted it. They wished that DH or GiDi could be there with them, but of course DH was in the Medical Bay. TO figured that GiDi was probably in a different simulation with other synths. Unless, of course, they were the opposition. In the simulations, you could either work against a programmed enemy, or have others as your enemy. They wondered if they¡¯d have to go against GiDi. Now that TO was able to think about it, they started to worry about GiDi. How would they perform without anyone to help them? Would they be useful to their own team? 55H70¡¯s warnings about GiDi¡¯s performance in combat training rang through TO¡¯s head, and they found themselves suddenly so overcome with worry that they almost missed the notice on their chip that gave them the objective. MISSION ORDERS SITUATION: Insurgents are hiding in an abandoned warehouse on an active mining settlement on the dwarf planet of Rufio. Intelligence says that they are hiding illicit weaponry which must be confiscated. MISSION: Eliminate all insurgents. Confiscate illicit weaponry. EXECUTION: Insurgents should be eliminated without alerting other insurgents: doing so could encourage them to use the illicit weaponey, some of which could destroy property and kill civilians. All weaponey, or information regarding weapons, must be recovered and returned to CHECKPOINT 1. Both objectives must be met before 0400. If successful, the situation will be resolved without civilian notice. SUPPORT: -Communication disruption device has been provided. -Multi-guns have been provided. -A partial map has been provided. -Medical kits and adrenaline shots have been provided. -The top floor of the warehouse has been secured as a safezone. COMMANDER: S87 As TO went through the list and all the information, they started to make a plan in their head, deciding the best way to go through things. They had time, they had decent supplies, and there was a chance that they had the element of surprise. Stealth would be the best way to go about doing things. Of course, there was another idea that they had which could make things simpler... They almost had a full plan of exploration and attack when they got to the last line of the mission overview. Command was taken by S87; the one synth who hadn¡¯t said anything up until this point. TIME UNTIL MISSION START: 60s. ¡°Fascinating.¡± S87 said, ¡°Very well. This seems like a basic mission. Stealth is the best option. Let¡¯s find and eliminate the insurgents, and then-¡± ¡°If we find the weapons first.¡± TO said, ¡°We can secure that, and then we can pursue the insurgents without having to worry about them using their weapons. The confusion would probably-¡± ¡°The mission says that the insurgents should not be alerted.¡± S87 said as they looked over the document again, ¡°Yes. Insurgents should be eliminated without alerting other insurgents. That¡¯s what it says. So we-¡± ¡°But the only reason it says that is because they might use their weapons. If we get rid of that possibility, then it doesn''t matter if we alert them or not-¡± ¡°I don''t have time to argue with you.¡± S87 said, ¡°We have 30 seconds.¡± They glanced up at TO, ¡°You can take point. Go ahead of us, and find potential hostiles as we progress. Do not engage. Signal to us.¡± They looked to S67, ¡°You follow up in the rear, and protect us from ambush. S54 and I will be the strike team. With 15 seconds left, their uniforms shifted, and they were in armor. TO could feel it on them, strong but thankfully light given it¡¯s excellent design and the highly refined alloys that formed it. Everyone else''s uniforms did the same. TO didn¡¯t like the armor. It was black all over, and the wider helmets with the large visors gave them all a slightly insectoid appearance. The helmet was also uncomfortable to TO; They couldn¡¯t place why, but they just didn¡¯t like having it on. They wondered if this would stop them from performing echolocation. They gave a little test, sending out a series of chirps which were thankfully allowed to sound out through the helmet and bounce back to them. ¡°What is the purpose of your actions?¡± S87 asked, the voice sounding in TO¡¯s ears through the helmet¡¯s internal communication device. It was so strange hearing another synth speak without being able to see their ears. Yes, they could intuit emotion and feelings from the movement of the ears, but there were subtle additions to tone and meaning in the spoken words of their language that were drawn from the movement of the ears. TO had never realized how jarring it might be to listen to their own language without being able to see the speakers¡¯ ears. It was stilted, lacked any kind of flow and lost much of it¡¯s tone. TO couldn¡¯t even tell if S87 was annoyed or not. ¡°Ensuring echolocation works.¡± ¡°Purpose?¡± ¡°To assist in finding hostiles.¡± TO frowned, their ears flicking with irritation and brushing against the inside of the helmet. They wondered how their own voice sounded, or how their meaning was being picked up by S87. They switched over to Universal Common, which was considered to be a crude, simple language, but which didn¡¯t rely on ear movements. ¡°Using Echolocation can let me perceive people that I can not see with my eyes.¡± It felt so odd to speak Universal Common. It was another remnant from their time in the tank- something that had been well embedded in their head, but how they couldn¡¯t say. ¡°Just find them.¡± S87 said, switching to Universal Common as well, ¡°We have two hours to get this done.¡± The timer hit 0. The sudden sound of electricity running through the old, damaged wires around them rose up, then faded as the lights dulled. The sounds of the world around them - water leaking somewhere, some large pest scurrying nearby, distant clanging- suddenly became obvious. It was clear to TO that before simulation started they had been held in some kind of bubble that kept them from being able to properly experience the world. A circle of light formed on the ground under their feet, glowing bright purple for just a moment before fading slightly. The words ¡°CHECKPOINT 1¡± formed in the middle of the circle. This would be where they would have to bring the weapons. S87 knelt down and activated their chip. Now that the simulation had started, they were limited in what they could do with their chips. Communication outside the program wouldn¡¯t work, and their access to files and news was cut. S87 pressed a button, and before them on the floor materialized a small metal box. They pressed some buttons on it, and a moment later it beeped. ¡°Communication disruption complete.¡± S87 said, ¡°They can¡¯t call for help though radio, and if they have cameras set up they won¡¯t work.¡± they pressed another button, and a multigun materialized before them, ¡°Weapons up.¡± They said, ¡°S97, take point.¡± It took TO a moment to remember that they were S97 now. They frowned and stepped ahead of the others, bringing them towards the staircase that would lead them down to the lower levels of the building, towards the insurgents that they were supposed to stop and the weapons they were supposed to retrieve. Episode 62: Deceit TO crept down the stairs of yet another level of the warehouse. Their eyes had quickly adjusted in the darkness, and they could see perfectly. Still, they used their echolocation to double check to see if there was anyone waiting, hidden behind old crates or broken furniture. Three times already there had been such a trick waiting for them - a single hostile in open view, and an enemy hidden away out of sight; obvious traps to stop the careless. It was all very much like the puzzle-mazes that they completed on their computers. TO activated the communication on their helmet. ¡°S87.¡± they said, ¡°Two hostiles. One straight ahead, the other hidden on the left side, behind the old tank.¡± ¡°Received. Stay in your position until the enemies are dealt with.¡± TO had been right to use their echolocation. If they had simply ran up to attack the enemy, or even if they had continued to employ stealth, they would have been taken off guard and potentially hurt. Because TO was being so careful, they caught the trap the first time. S54 and S87 would split up and take the enemies separately at that point before they went on to the next. So if TO was right about that when S87 didn¡¯t think about it, why wouldn¡¯t S87 listen to TO¡¯s other plan? They found it irritating. Sure, they could be reconnaissance, and they were good enough at being stealthy, but if S87 had listened to what they had said earlier, they¡¯d have done this much faster, and with far less tedium. It made sense to TO! They had to take out the enemies, and retrieve the weapons. They had to be stealthy because the enemies might use the weapons on them. If they took the weapons away first, then they could proceed without needing to worry about stealth! TO wasn¡¯t even worried about the combat abilities of the insurgents; They were slower, their hearing wasn¡¯t as good, and their eyesight wasn¡¯t as good. Just from watching them, TO knew all that. Without worrying about stealth TO was certain that the four of them could manage whatever was thrown at them with ease But no. TO hadn¡¯t even gotten to tell S87 the best parts of their plan because S87 refused to listen! True, their temporary Commander wasn¡¯t doing bad, they weren¡¯t being stupid of making careless mistakes, but they weren¡¯t thinking creatively either. TO could do this faster and better, and that they were working under this other synth irritated them to no end. ¡°Hostiles eliminated.¡± S87¡¯s voice said over the communicators in their helmets, ¡°Move on.¡± TO gave a sigh, then turned on their communicator, ¡°Confirmed.¡± They said as they moved on, peering around corners and using their echolocation once more to find targets. They did the same thing, finding the targets, pointing out the enemies and potential traps. They were also letting S87 know where there were weaker looking parts of the floor, trip hazards, or anything that looked like it might cause a problem. Two more sets of enemies were on that level, two of which were sitting in a corner away from the other; clearly the enemies were placed there to test how thorough they were. As TO watched S54 and S87 take them out, they were grateful at least that they weren¡¯t in S67¡¯s position. They were assigned the rear, but thanks to TO they had very little to do. At least in a real situation, having nothing to do was a good thing. In a real situation, being bored meant that they were safe. They made their way to the staircase on the other end of the floor once TO was certain that all the enemies were gone, then slowly made their way down before the others followed. There was a single enemy in the stairwell, waiting. TO checked to make sure there were no other enemies waiting in the shadows, and realized that not only were they alone in the stairwell, but the door on the other end was closed so the enemy wouldn¡¯t be able to call for help. TO was right above them, so instead of calling to S87, they jumped down and landed on top of the enemy. They pressed their silenced multigun to the back of their head and pulled the trigger. The enemy shuddered under TO, then seemed to disintegrate into pixels as they disappeared. ¡°Stairwell clear.¡± TO said into their communicator Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more. The others came down the stairs after them, S87 in the lead. ¡°I thought I heard something.¡± They said, ¡°Did you encounter any enemies?¡± TO nearly said yes, hesitating at first only because they knew that S87 would say something like, ¡°You should have called for us.¡± Even though it took TO less than 5 seconds to deal with the single target. Then they realized that their ears were hidden. ¡°Negative.¡± They said, ¡°The noise seemed to be caused by the degeneration of the floor. Rust and the like. Be cautious while going down.¡± ¡°Affirmative.¡± S87 said as they continued down. TO had lied. They felt a slight churning in their stomach as they realized that, but really, what did it matter in the long run? The enemy was dealt with, and they were getting through the staircase faster than if TO had called for them and waited. A new plan formed in their head. They went over the map quickly as they made their way down to the next level, and in minutes they had a better, faster way to finish the simulation. ====== ¡°So there¡¯s no less than 8 hostiles here?¡± S87 asked over the communicator. ¡°Affirmative. Check your map.¡± TO looked over their own map at the same time. This floor was one wide open space, with a ramp going around the perimeter of the room about halfway up the wall. In truth, there were two enemies up there, circling around at even intervals. ¡°They¡¯re on the balcony, but there¡¯s maintenance hallways up there as well. They¡¯re dodging into them and using them as cover.¡± ¡°Understood. Take point-¡± ¡°The pathway is far too narrow for you to go up and maneuver around me.¡± TO said, ¡°I could fly, and -¡± ¡°That¡¯s foolishly dangerous.¡± S87 said, ¡°They¡¯ll see and hear you the moment you take off, and you¡¯ll likely just crash into something no matter how good you are.. No, stay here. We can manage this.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± TO said. They knew of course that flying was a waste in here, and that it was a stupid idea. Still, if S87 thought that they wanted to fly, they¡¯d not consider their actual plans. ¡°S67, you follow below us. We¡¯ll meet back here after the hostiles are dealt with.¡± The other synths took off to do their jobs. TO¡¯s job now was to wait for them to come back, according to S87. A waste. TO backed up as the others went up to the balcony. Once the other synths had put some distance between them, TO slipped back into the stairwell. They checked to make sure that the others hadn¡¯t followed them, then continued down the stairs. There were three more levels they were technically supposed to make their way though, and S87¡¯s plan was to tediously go through each one. They could run out of time if they ran into any problems. TO didn¡¯t bother with the other levels. They had taken out the one enemy in the staircase well enough on their own, so they figured they¡¯d be fine. The stairwell was empty up until TO go to the bottom floor where there were two enemies waiting behind a closed door. TO almost went back when they saw two. Almost. They were certain they could handle two lone insurgents. They jumped, using their wings not to fly but to aim themself so that they landed feet first on the shoulders of one enemy as they shot the other with their multigun before any scream of fright or call for help could be made. When it was over, they leaned down and used their multigun on the now unconscious enemy that they had landed on. They stopped then, listening carefully for any sign that they had been detected. Water dripped somewhere far away. Something scurried in the walls. There were no shouts. No sign that anyone had heard anything. They were about to check the door, but as they did they noticed that some of the wall in the back corner of the stairwell had rusted away. They had seen many rusted away bits of wall, but they hadn¡¯t seen one so big yet. It looked big enough for TO to creep through if they needed to. They thought that maybe it was a trap- it seemed rather convenient. But of course¡­ This was just like their logic puzzles, wasn¡¯t it? Yes, they were hard, but there was always a way though if you looked hard enough. Even the mazes that they worked though had little shortcuts that could be exploited by those that were clever and looked hard enough. Puzzles always had a hard way to do them, and an easy way to do them. TO loved finding the easy ways, and It seemed like they had just found the easy way to solve this puzzle. They crept up to the hole in the wall and peered inside; the opening was narrow, but they¡¯d be able to make their way though. They double checked their map, and found that there was very little displayed for this floor. Some floors had parts which had empty spaces on them, but this one was mostly empty save for the room with the weapons. ¡°S97.¡± came S87¡¯s voice over the communicator, ¡°Two hostiles dealt with. We¡¯re having difficulty finding the others. Can you give us a location.¡± TO pulled up their map and let their eyes glance over it. The problem was that they didn¡¯t know where the others were exactly, so they couldn¡¯t give precise locations for where the ¡®enemies¡¯ would be. ¡°They¡¯re out of my sight. The narrow maintenance hallways are affecting my echolocation. I recommend staying in the far corners, or between the entrances. They should come out eventually. Do we have time to wait for them to come to us?¡± ¡°We have another hour.¡± S87 said back, ¡°We do not have time to wait for them. We have to make our way into the halls.¡± ¡°I can come and assist, make it easier to-¡± ¡°Keep your position.¡± S87¡¯s voice snapped back, ¡°we¡¯ll deal with these and then move on.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± TO said. The communicator stopped transmitting as the others went back to looking for enemies that didn¡¯t exist . With a self-satisfied grin, TO crept into the hole in the wall and started to sneak towards the room where the weapons were kept. Episode 63: Orders The space between the walls was absolutely disgusting. TO had never been in such a filthy place; there were smells that made them gag even though the mask. They were grateful that they couldn¡¯t feel the dirt on their hands as they made their way forward, but they could see the dirt sticking to their boots, and scum clinging to their hands every time they touched the wall. From time to time, they disrupted some kind of slime on the wall, and a fresh wave of stench wafted at them. Once they accidentally touched a black pile of something on the wall, which scurried away from them after breaking up into a million skittering black bugs. It took everything TO had not to scream. They worried that these bugs might find their way into the armor, but reminded themselves that though it all felt very real, it was just a simulation. They nearly got lost, and had to take a few different turns to make their way to where the weapons room was, but soon enough they saw a bright light filtering through holes in the wall. They checked their map again, then crept forward. If they were right, this was the weapons room. They got to the holes in the wall, and peeked in. There was a pile of weapons neatly packed in crates piled up in the middle of the room. TO looked around, and used their echolocation to ensure that nobody else was in the room. There was nobody. They were alone. TO switched their multigun to it¡¯s laser setting, and used it along the holes in the wall to quickly create an opening for themself. It took a moment, but the weakened part of the wall gave way and nearly fell out into the room. TO grabbed it before it could fall and make a noise to alert anyone else, stepped into the room, and gently put the detached piece of rusted metal to the side. ¡°S97. We¡¯ve not seen the other insurgents. Have you caught sight of them? Have they come out of the maintenance halls?¡± TO ignored S87 as they started to pick through the weapons. They selected a small amount of foam explosives and lined the door with it. When that was done, they pushed everything else to the far side of the room. ¡°S97, Report your position.¡± Well, they were mostly done now, and S87 couldn¡¯t really stop their plan. ¡°I¡¯m in the weapons room.¡± They said back into the communicator. ¡°What are you doing in the weapons room!¡± S97¡¯s voice snapped back. ¡°Solving the puzzle.¡± TO said as they pushed the last of the boxes against the far wall, ¡°On my signal, attack any and all enemies. Stealth will not be a concern.¡± ¡°What do you mean ¡®on your signal!?¡¯ You¡¯re not the Commander!¡± TO ignored them, braced themselves against the crates, and shot their laser at the foam explosives on the door before quickly setting their multigun to rapidfire. The explosive foam glowed red before the explosion knocked the door forward. There was a cry as the guards on the other side of the door were struck by scraps of metal and knocked to the ground before dissolving into pixels. Other insurgents on the other side of the door suddenly turned to the now open weapons room, and saw TO standing before their weapons. ¡°That signal.¡± TO said, and then they opened fire. They took down two of the insurgents before any of them could even react. Two more fell as they tried to call for backup only to realize that their own methods of communication had already been taken out. Another three then rushed the door in panic, only to be caught in the chokepoint and taken down by TO¡¯s gunfire. ¡°What are you doing!¡± S87 shouted into the communicator. ¡°Weapons are secure.¡± TO said back. They send out a few chirps to check the rest of the area, and could detect others running towards them. ¡°I¡¯ve established a chokepoint at the weapons cache. Drive them down to me; I¡¯ll eliminate them. ¡°That wasn''t the plan!¡± ¡°It¡¯s a better plan.¡± TO said, ¡°And it¡¯s already half executed. Drive the rest of the insurgents down towards me. As they come for the weapons, I can take them out.¡± ¡°We can¡¯t even find the other six up here!¡± Oh. oops. Maybe they should have already told them the truth at this point. ¡°There were only two up there.¡± TO finally admitted, ¡°If they¡¯re gone, you should move on.¡± This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. There was cursing as the communication cut. The other insurgents that were heading towards TO approached the door, saw TO waiting with their gun up and ready, then backed away. TO looked around frantically in the pile of weapons they were leaning against and found a smoke bomb. They launched it out into the hall where dark red smoke covered the area. TO ran to the door, used their echolocation to locate the targets, and then took them out. They missed a couple of times, but they were able to deal with the insurgents. Overhead, there was shouting. They heard a scream, one of the insurgents screamed at another to get backup, to get to the weapons. There was the sound of footsteps overhead, shots fired, and the sound of screams faded off. TO braced themselves, preparing for the potential next wave of enemies to try to get to the weapons cache. ====== ¡°Coming into sight. Don¡¯t fire.¡± TO lowered their weapon slightly, then lowered it the rest of the way when they saw the others in their black, buggish armor. ¡°Wasn¡¯t that faster?¡± TO asked as they stepped away from the weapons. They went out into the main room so that they could see the rest of the area. It seemed like it had been some kind of makeshift weapons production center. Tools and machinery were strewn about the room, and half made weapons that were abandoned when TO¡¯s attack started. ¡°We¡¯re going to have to make several trips with all this.¡± S87 said, ¡°S97, start gathering up-¡± ¡°We don¡¯t need to carry it like that.¡± TO said as they ran to a darkened corner. They pulled out an old rusted trolly, ¡°This should work fine.¡± They said as they pulled it over to the weapons room. ¡°Not over stairs it won¡¯t¡± They were right. Still, if they were only given two hours to clear the area and get all the weapons up to the top floor once more, there was no way that they were supposed to carry everything up all those stairs. TO looked around once more until they found what they were looking for. ¡°Over here.¡± They said as they ran to the other side of the room. Among the broken equipment was a service lift, designed for moving boxes, ¡°This is an old warehouse. They had to bring things to the upper floors, so of course they would have an elevator of some kind.¡± The elevator didn¡¯t seem to have power, but after a minute TO was able to find a loose wire among the machinery, and was able to twist it back into place. It wasn¡¯t perfect, but the elevator shifted as the electricity flowed. ¡°There. Now we just need to pile everything on the trolly, find any information in their little factory here, and take the lift to the top floor!¡± S87 growled, then turned to the others, ¡°S67, you and S97 loaded up the elevator. S54 and I will watch for enemies. Take the elevator to the top floor, and place the weapons. If all the insurgents have been eliminated, then the simulation should end. We¡¯ll scan the floors as we make our way back up and look for any other insurgents.¡± They looked in TO¡¯s direction, ¡°Though, now if there¡¯s any left they¡¯re all on alert.¡± ¡°There¡¯s also scattered and panicked.¡± TO pointed out, ¡°Any that are hiding won¡¯t be able to hide from our echolocation. Should I come with you instead to-¡± ¡°I¡¯m certain I can handle the job of flushing out a handful of insurgents!¡± S87 snapped, ¡°Deal with the weaponry!¡± they gestured to S54, and together they started to circle the area, keeping an eye out for enemies. Wordlessly, S67 went to the weapons room and started collecting boxes to pile up on the trolly. After a moment TO joined them, happy that the helmet hid their self-satisfied smile. ====== The elevator ride up to the top floor had only one obstacle; a mechanical failure about halfway up which TO was able to fix rather easily. They got to the top level and pushed the trolly off the elevator towards the glowing circle on the floor. The circle glowed once more as they pushed the trolly Into place, then chimed. The words ¡°SIMULATION COMPLETE. MISSION SUCCESSFUL. Circled around the weapons before a disembodied voice rang out, ¡°Please prepare for simulation disconnect.¡± TO¡¯s vision went funny, and they felt suddenly dizzy. They sat down on the floor to keep themselves from falling over as they felt their body slowly seem to disconnect from their mind. They felt numb all over- ====== -and suddenly they were back in their own bodies. A jolt of electricity ran through them as they regained control over themselves. They panicked for just a moment when they couldn¡¯t see, but then remembered that they still had the helmet on their head. They reached up and took it off slowly, letting their real eyes adjust to real light. About half the synths in the room were already disconnected, stretching their limbs as they walked about. That seemed like a great idea to TO in the moment. ¡°What was that pathetic performance I saw in there!¡± TO looked around and saw C12 heading towards them, their ears pinned back and their wings puffed up. TO felt their ears flick out in confusion. ¡°We completed the simulation.¡± TO said simply. ¡°Isn¡¯t that what we were supposed to do?¡± ¡°The mission was technically a success, but YOU-¡± they pointed a finger at TO, ¡°You disobeyed direct orders, and lied to your commanding officer!¡± They leaned in, their eyes narrowed, ¡°How is anyone supposed to trust you to do your job in future missions if you won¡¯t obey your Commander? How can anyone trust you to do the simplest job if you LIE to your commanding officer!¡± ¡°But¡­ But I had a better idea!¡± TO said, ¡°And they wouldn''t listen-¡± ¡°And that¡¯s something to be dealt with after a mission.¡± C12 snapped. TO saw another Synth head over to them, one they recognized as S87. They had a smug look on their face as they watched the scene between C12 and TO. ¡°But it made the mission go faster!¡± TO insisted. ¡°And if it hadn¡¯t? If it had resulted in mass casualties? If the insurgents had gotten to the weapons and decided to blow up the entire mining colony?¡± They put their hands on either side of TO¡¯s chair, effectively trapping them, ¡°What if all of you decided that you knew better than your commanding officer, and just executed your own plans? It would be chaos, and people and synths would DIE! Do you not understand that!¡± They narrowed their eyes, ¡°You may think you¡¯re clever ¨Cand I admit to an extent that you are¨C but if you cannot follow orders, then you¡¯re useless.¡± Useless. ¡°You should have listened to orders.¡± S87 said from behind C12. C12¡¯s ears pinned back in rage as they turned on them. ¡°And you! Just because you¡¯re in charge doesn¡¯t mean you¡¯re the only one with any good ideas. Don¡¯t let your pride over your position keep you from using others to their full potential, ESPECIALLY if your position was given to you by random chance. Understood!?¡± The other synth took a step back, their ears dipping down, ¡°Yes, Retiree.¡± ¡°Get back in your seat.¡± They snapped. They turned back to TO, ¡°You, put your helmet back on. You will learn to follow orders.¡± Silently, TO slipped their helmet back on their head. They didn¡¯t want to go back in, but they also didn¡¯t want to see C12¡¯s enraged face, or their pinned back ears. They didn¡¯t want to be yelled at. Useless. They had done wrong. Were they not good synths anymore? Would this lower that score on their file? Would they get corrected? They braced themselves for the feeling of electricity over their body. If they had to follow orders to keep from being corrected, then they¡¯d do it. Even if the orders were stupid. Episode 64: Loopy For the rest of their training on that first day, TO was alone in a variety of high tension scenarios. There were no grand tasks or stories given to them, no information, no greater directive. In the middle of grand battles, they were given simple, mundane tasks. They were thrown into a battlefield where other armored synths fought a strange species of scorpion-like creatures. TO¡¯s job was to scour the battlefield and retrieve dropped weaponry. A city was on fire, and civilians shouted for help, but TO¡¯s only job was to run messages to and from various Commanders. They never learned what the messages said, and they never found out why the city was one fire. They had slipped once, and asked if they should stop on the way to their destination to help civilians. They were sharply told to do their job- nothing more, nothing less. In the last scenario, they were set to running heavy packages across a battleship in the middle of combat. They never got to see the results of their labor in any of these situations¨Cthe scenarios would just end and they¡¯d be thrown into a new one. When the battleship scenario ended suddenly, they didn¡¯t realize anything was different until they realized that they were staring into the darkness for a moment longer than they needed to. It was only at that moment that they felt themselves starting to slip from the scenarios and back into their own body in their seat. They pulled their helmet off, and looked around groggily. Everyone else was already up out of their seats, pulling the plugs off of their bodies. ¡°- and your training will become more specialized, and more focused depending on what¡¯s needed.¡± C12 said. Apparently they had been speaking before TO was allowed to exit the simulation. GiDi put their hand on TO¡¯s arm, their ears flicked back in worry, ¡°Are you ok?¡± ¡°I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯ll be ok.¡± They said. They started to pull the wires off, allowing GiDi to help them with their back once more. They looked up to glance at C12. They still had that empty look on their face, and they weren¡¯t looking towards TO. TO wanted to talk to them. They wanted to apologize for having a hand in Snout being gone. Somehow they wanted to know if there was a way they could make things better. They didn¡¯t know C12 as well as they did DH or GiDi, but they could tell that they were hurting, and TO had come to respect and admire them. But... C12 likely hated them, and TO didn¡¯t think there was a single thing they could do to make things better. ¡°Let¡¯s go see DH.¡± TO said quickly, looking away from C12 as they pulled the rest of the wires from their body. ¡°Shower first.¡± GiDi said as they wrinkled up their nose, ¡°We hardly moved, but we¡¯re all covered in sweat, and my muscles ache all over.¡± ¡°As I said-¡± C12 snapped as they approached, ¡°Though you¡¯ll be stationary, your muscles will respond as though you¡¯ve actually performed the tasks you¡¯ve done in the simulation.¡± TO looked to the ground, not wanting to look at C12. They were alone now. TO remembered how C12 and Snout had kissed, and suddenly felt bad and embarrassed and awkward all at once. There was silence between them for a moment. GiDi apparently expected TO to say something, and when they didn¡¯t they chimed in with ¡°Yes, Retiree, I am just still surprised.¡± they looked at TO, confusion causing their ears to tilt out. C12 gave a sigh, ¡°Go.¡± They said, their tone slightly softer, ¡°Get cleaned up¡± ¡°Yes Retiree.¡± TO said as they pulled the rest of the wires off. Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit. ¡°I understand that 70H67 is in the Medical Bay?¡± ¡°Yes, Retiree.¡± There was another moment of silence that dragged on. Other synths nearby glanced at TO- Some of them were whispering, likely talking about how C12 had yelled at TO in the middle of the class. ¡°Go and give them the basic information about today¡¯s lessons; It¡¯s less I¡¯ll have to explain when they return.¡± They turned and limped off, their ears still down as they went around to check the chairs. GiDi gave TO an intense look, then took them by the arm and started pulling them out of the room. ¡°What happened there?¡± they whispered to TO, ¡°What¡¯s happened?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll tell you that later.¡± TO muttered as they scurried out of the training room alongside GiDi, their eyes to the ground so they wouldn¡¯t catch sight of C12. ====== ¡°Ah, good, you¡¯re here.¡± MO-6¡¯s ears relaxed as TO and GiDi entered the Medical Bay with their meals in hand. MO-6 had three synths on three separate beds, each one moaning in pain from burns. They didn¡¯t have their uniforms on because of the burns, so TO couldn¡¯t tell if they were in training, or if they were already assigned placements; they could have been Overseers as far as anyone could tell. MO-6 gestured carelessly to the injured synths. ¡°There was an issue in engineering.¡± They said, ¡°I don¡¯t have time to make sure that 70H67 eats.¡± they pointed to a plate with the little cubes on it, ¡°You can take care of it.¡± ¡°They¡¯re not eating?¡± TO asked as they took a step forward, their ears pinning back in worry. ¡°They¡¯re too affected by the medication to be trusted to eat on their own.¡± MO-6 said as they took a spray from a nearby cupboard. They walked over to the closest burned synth and sprayed a fine mist over the blistered, bright blue skin. The synth gave a choked cry of pain, muffling the sound in their pillow, ¡°There is a chance that they may choke, but they¡¯re more likely to simply forget that they¡¯re eating and drop food. You can help them if you¡¯ve simply come to check on them.¡± They frowned as they glanced up, ¡°That¡¯s why the two of you are here, right? To see 70H67?¡± ¡°Yes, Officer.¡± TO said as their head and ears dipped down. ¡°I don¡¯t care why you¡¯re here. Do what I say and you can visit them all you like.¡± TO nodded quickly, and then took off down the back hall towards DH¡¯s room. ¡°And don¡¯t go into any other rooms!¡± MO-6 demanded. ¡°Understood, Officer!¡± TO said. Of course they wouldn¡¯t go into any other rooms, they had no need to. The door opened, and revealed a long hallway. TO and GiDi made their way down the hall, as the door to the general section of the Medical Bay closed up to block out the sound of the other synths moaning in pain. ¡°I hope they¡¯ll be ok.¡± TO muttered. ¡°They¡¯re getting treatment.¡± GiDi said, ¡°I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll be fine.¡± TO hoped they would be. They also wished that MO-6 would be a little more gentle with them. Even if they would be fine, they didn¡¯t need to be in more pain than necessary. They got to DH¡¯s room, and the door slid open to reveal DH sitting up on the bed, cross legged with the blankets thrown off themselves. They were in the process of trying to peel the bandages from their face ¡°... DH?¡± ¡°I was too warm.¡± They grumbled as they swayed on the spot. TO stepped forward and set the plates on the table next to the bed, ¡°That¡¯s fine.¡± they said carefully, ¡°but you should lay down.¡± ¡°In a minute.¡± They slurred as they kept pulling at the bandages, ¡°I need to get these off-¡± ¡°No no, no you don¡¯t.¡± TO leaned forward, gently took DH¡¯s hands and pulled them away from the bandages. ¡°You need to leave the bandages on.¡± they said as they sat down next to DH, ¡°You need to let your face heal.¡± DH gave a low whimper, ¡°They changed the bandages earlier, but they wouldn¡¯t let me see.¡± They protested, ¡°they wouldn¡¯t even let me up out of bed!¡± Their ears flicked back in fear as they looked at TO with wide eyes, ¡°I missed combat training!¡± ¡°They really are loopy.¡± GiDi said as they slowly took a seat next to DH, ¡°I didn''t think it¡¯d be this bad.¡± TO gestured to the spider-bot on DH¡¯s arm, ¡°That keeps them filled with painkillers and accelerant. If they¡¯re in pain then that might affect the healing of the eye, so they¡¯ve got them on a lot of painkillers.¡± DH leaned against GiDi, wrapping an arm around them, ¡°You didn¡¯t say anything, right?¡± they said, ¡°You promised.¡± ¡°Promised what?¡± TO asked. ¡°Promised not to talk about their love of romance.¡± GiDi said carefully, ¡°They¡¯re still a little insecure about that.¡± They looked at DH, ¡°And no, I haven¡¯t told anyone.¡± TO gave a low laugh as they brought over DH¡¯s plate, ¡°Well, if you eat up, you¡¯ll be stronger, and you¡¯ll heal faster. If you heal faster, then you can leave the Medical Bay and make sure GiDi doesn¡¯t tell anyone!¡± DH practically grabbed the plate from TO and started eating. They nearly choked after the second cube, so TO took the plate back and passed them cubes one at a time to eat. After a moment, DH leaned against TO, slowly eating the cubes that were passed to them. ¡°Was C12 angry that I wasn¡¯t in combat training?¡± They asked, ¡°Am I going to be punished? Am I going to work in maintenance?¡± ¡°You¡¯re healing. You¡¯re excused from combat training for now.¡± TO said. ¡°I''d rather be in training.¡± They grumbled with their mouth full, ¡°I was lonely here.¡± ¡°I know.¡± TO said as they put their hand on the back of DH¡¯s head. At least when they themselves had been stuck in the Medical Bay, they had only been there for a single day, and they had been in the main section where they at least saw other injured synths and the Medical Officer. DH was stuck in a room all alone while they healed. ¡°Leave your bandages on, eat up, and you¡¯ll get to leave soon.¡± They hummed as they ate, suddenly seeming far away from where they were as they allowed TO to scratch the back of their head. Given everything, they seemed oddly content. Episode 65: Secret ¡°Did you get your new assignment?¡± GiDi asked as they left the Medical Bay. They had been sent away a little before lunch had properly ended because MO-6 needed to change DH¡¯s bandages and check up on the new eye. TO checked their chip to see if there was a new message, but there wasn¡¯t one yet. ¡°Not yet.¡± TO said, ¡°You?¡± ¡°No. Last time the new assignments came in just before meal time ended. It¡¯ll probably be the same this time, right?¡± ¡°Probably.¡± TO replied. Their stomach churned as they thought about where they might be put next. They didn¡¯t even realize that GiDi had asked them a question until a small, boney elbow nudged them in the ribs. ¡°Sorry, what?¡± GiDi sighed, ¡°What happened?¡± They asked, ¡°I mean, with you and C12. Yesterday you told us PQ12 was C12¡¯s friend, and potentially in danger, and now today you¡¯re acting really strange around C12.¡± They frowned, ¡°And C12 really seemed... Broken.¡± they stopped as they watched TO¡¯s ears flick down suddenly. ¡°TO¡­ what happened?¡± ¡°... Do you watch those romance shows?¡± They asked, ¡°The ones DH likes?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve watched them.¡± They said, ¡°I don¡¯t necessarily mind them, but they can get predictable.¡± ¡°Do you think synths can be like that with one another?¡± ¡°What do you mean, ¡®like that¡¯?¡± GiDi¡¯s flicked forward with interest, ¡°You mean...Can synths love one another?¡± ¡°Romantic love.¡± TO said, ¡°Specifically, romantic love. I mean, I told you and DH that I love you, but it¡¯s different.¡± GiDi frowned and looked away, ¡°Yeah, it is.¡± They said. ¡°And we¡¯re not designed for it.¡± ¡°Well¡­ I think if you feel romantic love for another, then your design doesn¡¯t really matter.¡± ¡°And if you saw two synths kissing. I mean, kissing on the lips. And¡­¡± They looked away, flushing, ¡°Stroking each other''s ears. You¡¯d think they¡¯re being romantic, right?¡± GiDi looked at TO, confused for a moment. It only took them another few seconds of consideration to get at what TO was implying. ¡°No.¡± They said softly, ¡°No... I mean...C12?¡± ¡°Yes. And PQ12.¡± ¡°You just... You saw them acting like that!?¡± TO felt their ears burn, ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to!¡± they insisted as they looked around, being very careful to make sure nobody was in earshot, ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to! I was dismissed from my vocational training early, and I went looking for PQ12!¡± ¡°And you found them¡­ with C12.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°... and they were kissing.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°... Did you think that was weird?¡± ¡°I thought it was weird that I was watching it!¡± TO protested, ¡°It was private! I shouldn¡¯t have been there! And I didn¡¯t want to just speak up and let them know I was there, because¡­¡± They frowned and looked away, ¡°Because PQ12 is being sent away.¡± ¡°Away? Where?¡± ¡°One of Arkane¡¯s moons.¡± TO muttered, ¡°I only remember that because of what you told me, otherwise I wouldn¡¯t have recalled the name.¡± ¡°Why is PQ12 going there?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. It sounded like C12 managed to set it up?¡± TO rubbed their forehead with their hand, ¡°And it sounded like they¡¯d never see each other again, and I didn¡¯t want to ruin things.¡± they gave a derisive snort, ¡°Well, ruin things more. I¡¯ve already ruined everything.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t see how you ruined anything.¡± GiDi said, ¡°You said it was the activation fluid that got PQ12 in trouble, not your little bump on your head. ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have gone back to get my goggles.¡± TO said, ¡°Or at the very least I shouldn¡¯t have peeked at what they had in the microscope. If I hadn¡¯t, they wouldn¡¯t have reacted as they did, and then they wouldn¡¯t have been caught-¡± ¡°TO. Has anyone said that it was explicitly your fault?¡± ¡°No, but I didn¡¯t help! I know it¡¯s not just my fault, but if I hadn¡¯t been snooping around, then-¡± This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work. ¡°You were curious.¡± ¡°And I¡¯ve been warned about that! I¡¯ve gotten people in trouble!¡± GiDi took TO by the arm, stopping them in their tracks and turning them. ¡°Look.¡± GiDi said, looking TO in the eyes, ¡°You¡¯re not at fault for this! This is¡­¡± they let go of TO¡¯s arm and looked away, their ears drooping, ¡°That¡¯s just the way this place is.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°I mean that strange synths are found, and corrected. Or they¡¯re put out of the way.¡± they frowned, and then looked at TO again as they put hand on TO¡¯s shoulder, ¡°I honestly don¡¯t think that it¡¯s your fault, and I don¡¯t think that Q10 is your fault.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t help.¡± ¡°... You helped me.¡± GiDi said quietly, ¡°And you helped DH. You can¡¯t help everyone.¡± ¡°No¡­¡± TO said quietly, ¡°But I can keep quiet. Keep my eyes to myself. I can do as I¡¯m told and follow orders. Maybe I won¡¯t put anyone else in danger that way.¡± ¡°Follow orders?¡± GiDi frowned, ¡°Where did that come from.¡± TO shook their head, ¡°I messed up in the combat simulation.¡± They said, ¡°I didn¡¯t tell DH because I didn¡¯t want to worry them, but-¡± ¡°What do you mean you messed up?¡± GiDi frowned, ¡°Did you get your troop killed in the simulation?¡± ¡°No. I wasn¡¯t the leader.¡± GiDi¡¯s ears flicked out in confusion, ¡°If you weren¡¯t the leader, how did you mess up?¡± TO sighed, their ears flicking down, ¡°I went off on my own and found a way to finish the simulation faster and easier than the leader did.¡± ¡°...And nobody got hurt?¡± ¡°No. But I didn¡¯t follow orders. In fact, I lied to the leader¡± TO¡¯s ears pinned back in frustration, ¡°So C12 had me in these awful simulations for the rest of the session.¡± They sighed, ¡°I think that C12 hates me, and when I tell DH about Q10-¡± ¡°I assure you, DH will not hate you.¡± GiDi frowned as they turned away from TO, ¡°Honestly, you really are dense sometimes.¡± ¡°But when they find out about Q10-¡± ¡°I won¡¯t lie and say that they won¡¯t be disappointed,¡± GiDi said, ¡°But give me one situation where DH would hate you for something that happened to Q10.¡± ¡°But I said I¡¯d help them, and -¡± ¡°And you did your best. You can¡¯t control everything here.¡± They turned on TO again, ¡°You can¡¯t control anything! None of us can!¡± ¡°That¡¯s not true!¡± TO protested, ¡°I mean¡­ I control some things.¡± ¡°Like?¡± They took a step forward, giving GiDi a sad look, ¡°I like to think I¡¯ve helped keep you and DH safe?¡± They asked tentatively, ¡°Even¡­ Even if I¡¯ve ended up making you feel bad in the process. Still, I can change things, and I just¡­ I failed. DH wanted me to do something, and I failed.¡± GiDi shook their head, ¡°That¡¯s not the point!¡± they said, ¡°Look... You did your best, right?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°To help Q10; You did your best, right?¡± ¡°I did¡­but because of what I said-¡± ¡°No, forget that.¡± GiDi said, ¡°You couldn¡¯t have known that telling your Overseer the truth would do anything but protect us. But, you did your best to help Q10 when DH asked you to, right?¡± ¡°I did.¡± ¡°So DH won¡¯t hate you. Even if you didn¡¯t do your best, they¡¯d not hate you. They¡¯ll love that you tried.¡± ¡°I hope so.¡± TO muttered as they started walking down the hallway again, ¡°I didn¡¯t want anyone to get hurt.¡± ¡°You never do.¡± GiDi said, ¡°I just don¡¯t think that you can help everyone.¡± TO gave a little hum as they thought about DH in the Medical Bay, wondering how they¡¯d tell them about Q10 without causing them to get too upset. ¡°So...¡± GiDi said after another moment, ¡°PQ12 and C12.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± TO said, their ears flushing blue again. ¡°You didn¡¯t think it was strange though, did you?¡± ¡°No?¡± TO said, ¡°I was surprised though. Synths aren¡¯t supposed to be like that.¡± ¡°So you¡¯ve never considered being like that with anyone?¡± they probed, ¡°You¡¯ve never wanted to kiss anyone?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve never really considered it.¡± TO said, ¡°I¡¯m only just learning that some synths can feel that way.¡± They glanced at GiDi, ¡°But¡­ you don¡¯t seem as surprised¡­ Have you?¡± ¡°What.. thought of kissing someone? Or kissed someone?¡± ¡°Have you?¡± To TO¡¯s surprise, GiDi¡¯s ears drooped down and burned blue as they looked away from TO. ¡°...You have!¡± ¡°Once!¡± GiDi protested, ¡°And it wasn¡¯t romantic!¡± ¡°How could it not have been romantic!¡± ¡°It was pure curiosity!¡± They said, their ears limp and bright blue, ¡°They wanted to know what it was like, I¡­ volunteered.¡± They looked away, ¡°It was nothing.¡± ¡°It wasn¡¯t nothing! It was something! That other synth, that synth was probably strange too! GiDi, they-¡± TO leaned in, ¡°Maybe they think you¡¯re special! Maybe they like you most!¡± ¡°They don¡¯t.¡± GiDi said, their voice firm and flat, ¡°And I don¡¯t feel that way about them. There was nothing to it.¡± ¡°Who was it!¡± TO pressed, ¡°Was it that synth from last night? 09T08?¡± TO wondered if maybe this had all happened last night, and that was part of the reason that GiDi was so thrown today. GiDi looked back at TO, their ears burning, ¡°Whoever it was,¡± they said, ¡°I swore I¡¯d never tell anyone about it. I feel awful even telling you! It would be an absolute betrayal if I told you who it was¡­ So please, don¡¯t press me.¡± TO wanted to know. If there was someone that liked GiDi, TO wanted to see them together. They didn¡¯t know about synths and romantic feelings, but if GiDi had romantic feelings, then TO wanted to help! Maybe this other synth was like C12 and Snout, and could feel those kinds of romantic feelings too! And the way GiDi dodged that question, TO was certain that it was 09T08. But¡­ they didn¡¯t want to put GiDi in a bad position. ¡°Alright.¡± TO said quietly, ¡°I won¡¯t press you.¡± GiDi instantly relaxed, their blue-flushed ears flicking back to a neutral position, ¡°Thanks.¡± They said. ¡°Do you think DH ever wanted to kiss someone?¡± TO asked. ¡°You should ask them that.¡± Before TO could respond to that, their implant beeped. They brought up the message and frowned as they read their assignment. ¡°I¡¯ve got food preparation?¡± GiDi said, ¡°Odd. I thought that the machines did all that.¡± They glanced up at TO, ¡°You?¡± ¡°Shipping and receiving.¡± They said with a frown, ¡°That sounds riveting.¡± their ears pinned back, ¡°Shipping and receiving; I wonder if C12 had a hand in this as well. More punishment.¡± ¡°I doubt C12 is punishing you.¡± GiDi said, ¡°Maybe it won¡¯t be as bad as you think.¡± ====== The shipping and receiving center was on the same level as the maintenance floors, but there was an elevator that TO was able to access from their floor to get down where they needed without having to go through the maintenance hallways. They were at least grateful for that; if they had to go through maintenance, they knew that they¡¯d have to shower for an hour before they felt clean again. The shipping bay was at least clean. TO stepped through the doorway, and was presented with a large grey-walled room with grey metal shipping crates piled up all over the place. Unlike in Synth Production, where it was just TO and the officers, in the shipping bay there were dozens of plain-uniformed synths running around, pushing boxes on trolleys or carrying bags in their arms. Among them all, TO saw one who was standing in the center of the floor reading something. Their uniform was a plain brown color, unlike the neutral greys of the others, and while everyone else had silver pins over their hearts, this one had a gold pin. ¡°Officer?¡± TO asked as they approached, ¡°I am 09T07, I-¡± ¡°You¡¯ve been assigned to shipping and receiving for vocational training, yes; I am aware.¡± They sent a message off on their chip and then went back to what they were doing without another word.¡± ¡°What would you like me to do?¡± they asked after the Officer had been silent for a while. ¡°I don¡¯t have time to train you.¡± they said, ¡°I have another coming to deal with you.¡± They closed their file and started to walk away, ¡°Stay here until they come to fetch you. Don¡¯t touch anything, and don¡¯t move anything until you¡¯re told to.¡± ¡°...Understood, Officer.¡± TO said, but the officer was already heading away and likely didn¡¯t hear. TO sighed and let their wings wrap around themself. Maybe GiDi said that they weren¡¯t being punished, but it certainly felt like it. Episode 66: Shipping ¡°09T07?¡± TO turned to face another synth, one in a light grey uniform with the assignment SR45 written under a silver box pin in the center of their chest. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s me.¡° TO said. SR45¡¯s eyes flicked to TO¡¯s nametag, then they nodded. ¡°You¡¯ve been assigned to work with me. Follow me.¡± They started walking off. They were so sudden in their arrival and in their commands that TO was left feeling confused, and just stood on the spot for a moment before they ran after SR45. ¡°Are you going to be my training officer?¡± they asked. ¡°I am not an officer.¡± They said. Their tone was dull and flat, and their ears didn¡¯t move that much. ¡°I am simply assigned to Shipping and Receiving, and I am competent enough that I am permitted to work on my own.¡± ¡°Right.¡± TO said, ¡°So you¡¯ll be teaching me today?¡± ¡°No. You will be assisting me today.¡± they said, ¡°Receiving is behind due to an influx of deliveries. We could use the extra hands, regardless of how inexperienced and untrained they are.¡± TO felt their ears pin back as a sudden wave of anger washed over them. It wasn¡¯t their fault that they were inexperienced and untrained, that¡¯s why they were currently in training! They took a deep breath, and keeping their voice very neutral they asked, ¡°But you are going to be training me, yes?¡± ¡°I am going to be showing you what I need done, and then I expect you to do it.¡± they said. They looked back at TO, ¡°You won¡¯t need to know any more than that; there is not much about this job that¡¯s overly complex. ¡°But¡­ the Officer was working on something, yes?¡± TO ran to SR45¡¯s side, ¡°What were they working on?¡± ¡°No idea.¡± SR45 said, ¡°I simply do my job, and nothing more; I am not an officer.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± TO said as they fell silent. They had an idea that this would be just as tedious as their training this morning had been, and they were certain now that C12 had a hand in their placement; that it was punishment. They didn¡¯t know if it was for their hand in Snout being gone, if it was for their behaviour in the simulation, or both. They followed SR45 to the far end of the shipping bay, and to a large dock. There was a giant closed door in the wall, and a large platform just before it. To the side were piles of boxes all stacked up neatly one on top of the others. Some of the stacks reached all the way up to the ceiling. There were tables and control center nearby, and a series of smaller platforms next to the wall. ¡°I¡¯ll get a box down, and we¡¯ll get started.¡± SR45 said as they went up to the control center off to the side, well out of the way of all the boxes. TO followed to watch them. ¡°Oh, you don¡¯t need to come with me here.¡± ¡°I¡¯d like to watch, if I may.¡± TO said. They didn¡¯t want to stand around and do nothing; they hadn''t even started and they were already finding the job tedious. ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter to me.¡± SR45 said idly as they scanned their chip on the control panel. It beeped and lit up, projecting a series of buttons before SR45. They moved the screen around so that they were facing the crates, and started to press buttons. High up overhead, a panel shifted in the ceiling and a large claw-like device descended down. TO watched carefully, taking note of what SR45 was doing as they maneuvered the claw and used it to select a crate and gently set it down on the floor. Wordlessly, they went up to the crate and swiped their hand against it. The lid seemed to dissolve into a million pieces and receded into the edges of the crate. The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. ¡°Alright.¡± They said, ¡°What you¡¯re going to do is check the deliveries.¡± They opened up a list on their own chip, and put TO¡¯s number in it. A moment later, TO¡¯s own chip beeped. ¡°There.¡± They said, ¡°You should be able to access any deliveries now.¡± they closed their own file, ¡°When I bring a new box down for you, go through it, and check that everything¡¯s in it.¡± They pointed to the smaller platforms by the wall, ¡°The list will instruct you as to which platform each thing goes on. Different platforms will send deliveries to different parts of the center. There¡¯s trolleys over there.¡± they pointed at some folded up trolleys, ¡°Go ahead. Get through as much as you can.¡± they turned away and started maneuvering another crate down. After a moment they glanced back and saw TO watching them. ¡°Are you confused as to your instructions?¡± they asked. ¡°No, SR45.¡± They said, ¡°I just wondered if I could watch you take down another crate. Or if I could try?¡± SR45 turned away from TO, ¡°That is not needed. It would take too much time for me to teach you everything. Just deal with the shipment.¡± TO sighed, and started sorting through the items. If SR45 didn¡¯t want them to learn, then they¡¯d at least have to show them that they could work fast. ====== ¡°Maybe you could put the next crate closer to the platforms?¡± SR45 took a sharp, irritated breath at TO¡¯s suggestion. To be fair, that hadn¡¯t been their first suggestion of the day, and SR45 had shot down every one. ¡°It¡¯s just that we¡¯d save time if the crates were closer because we wouldn¡¯t need the trolleys. We could just-¡± ¡°You already said that using four trolleys was a time saving maneuver!¡± They snapped. ¡°And you put all my trolleys in use!¡± ¡°Apologies.¡± TO grumbled. They had been right through; SR45 had been putting piles of items on the floor, separating them by where they had to go, and then when the crate was all empty they would put each pile on a trolley and bring them to the appropriate platform. TO just figured that using several trolleys and piling stuff on them in the first place would save time. They were right, of course, but SR45 seemed more irritated by the sudden need for more trolleys, and told TO to stop. ¡°Just do the work.¡± SR45 snapped as they continued working through their own pile. ¡°Yes, SR45.¡± They said as they approached the next crate. They opened it up, and pulled up the list of contents. As they glanced over everything their ears flicked in confusion. They had gone through three boxes so far, and each one had a variety of items- cleaning supplies, medical supplies, tools and fabric- all set on the platforms that would take the items to various places in the training center. This last box had every item in it marked ¡°Disposal.¡± TO looked into the crate and let their eyes glance over the many small, well sealed boxes and packages. ¡°SR45?¡± They said, ¡°I think there might be a problem with this crate.¡± SR45 sighed and dropped the package they were checking before coming over to check on what TO was looking at. They glanced at the checklist, then at the contents of the box. ¡°What¡¯s the problem?¡± they asked. ¡°It¡¯s all marked for disposal?¡± TO said, ¡°You noticed that, yes?¡± ¡°Of course I did.¡± SR45 snapped. ¡°I assure you, I¡¯m relatively capable at my job.¡± TO took a step back, their wings tightening around them. ¡°It¡¯s just¡­ Why is it all marked for disposal? Why would anyone send us garbage?¡± For a moment, SR45¡¯s expression softened, and their ears perked up, ¡°Oh. That. Yes.¡± They turned and headed back to their own crate, ¡°It¡¯s offerings from nearby planets to King Decon.¡± ¡°Offerings?¡± TO asked, looking back into the crate in confusion, ¡°Why send them here?¡± ¡°It¡¯s easier to send them to the nearest of King Decon¡¯s stations to be sorted. Most of what¡¯s sent to us is useless.¡± ¡°And all this is useless?¡± ¡°From what I see it appears to be food. The amount of food offerings that King Decon is sent from around the galaxy is overwhelming, and storage itself becomes too much of a problem. As such, it¡¯s all slated for disposal.¡± ¡°I see. What kind of food stuff?¡± TO asked as they looked back at their list, reading names of foods and drinks that they¡¯d never heard of before.¡± ¡°Most planets send planetary specialties. There¡¯s likely a variety of things. Just record that we got them; even if they¡¯re to be disposed of, they must still be catalogued. Lists of what various planets have sent are kept, even if what they sent isn¡¯t of any use to us.¡± ¡°Right¡­¡± TO said slowly, ¡°So... this whole crate will be put in the garbage, basically.¡± ¡°Exactly. Still, record everything.¡± TO¡¯s ears flicked as they considered the pile of food in the crate. They nodded, and wordlessly started checking the contents, making sure everything was there. ¡°Understood, SR45.¡± ====== For the rest of the long, tedious afternoon, TO was careful not to make any more suggestions or comments. They did their work exactly as they were told, and even though they found several more ways to make things work more efficiently, they kept quiet. When the training was done for the day, SR45 hardly looked up as they dismissed TO, and as such they took no note of how tightly TO¡¯s wings were wrapped around themselves. TO left the loading bay, and made their way not to the cafeteria, but to the observation deck that GiDi had shown them. They pried open the control panel, and popped in the code that they had been shown. They didn¡¯t have much time as they didn¡¯t want to leave GiDi or DH waiting, so they simply ran to a pile of boxes in the corner, hid the small collection of food and drink that they had smuggled out of the receiving bay, and threw an old tarp over their new stash to ensure it was hidden. They weren¡¯t worried about it going bad or getting dirty, because it was carefully vacuum sealed and had been covered in special preservatives to keep it fresh despite the long trip through space. Satisfied that everything was hidden properly, TO ran off to find GiDi. Episode 67: Pain When TO saw GiDi as they rounded the corner and approached the cafeteria, they noticed the way that GiDi''s ears relaxed with relief, and how they released a long, deep breath. They went up to GiDi, and met them halfway down the hallway as GiDi was running to them. ¡°I was worried about you!¡± GiDi whispered, keeping their voice low enough that other synths nearby couldn¡¯t hear them. ¡°You were?¡± TO said as they walked towards the cafeteria doors, ¡°Why?¡± To TO¡¯s surprise, GiDi laughed; it was a chocked, sudden laugh which had an almost manic sound to it. ¡°Why?!¡± they asked, their voice louder than TO was used to hearing it, ¡°Why? Why wouldn¡¯t I be worried about you!?¡± they laughed again, then turned around as they caught the eyes of two other synths who were giving them weird looks. ¡°Everything that¡¯s happened today, yesterday, it¡¯s all made me worried about you!¡± they hissed. They took several long breaths, then turned back to TO, their ears pinned back and their breathing slow and measured. ¡°Why would you think I wouldn¡¯t be worried, I-¡± They glanced at other synths coming down the hallway, then sighed. ¡°Yeah. I was worried about you. Is everything ok though?¡± ¡°I¡­ No.¡± TO said with a sigh, ¡°Vocational training was awful; Tedious and boring.¡± They forced a smile, ¡°But you know what that¡¯s like.¡± GiDi seemed to relax a little, ¡°Yes.¡± They said as gently nudged TO towards the doors, ¡°I do. Maybe it¡¯ll get better though! Just keep working, and show them that you¡¯re clever and things will go better.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t think that will work.¡± TO said. ¡°Come on. Let¡¯s get our food and go see DH. I¡¯ll tell you both all about it.¡± ====== They got to the Medical Bay, which was deserted because it was meal time; from their own time in the Medical Bay, TO knew that the medical officer ate nearby, and would show up if someone needed assistance. Of course, if MO-6 knew that TO and GiDi were there, then they likely knew they were just going to see DH. TO scanned their chip for the door to the back and went down the hallway until they got to DH¡¯s room. They worried for a moment that maybe their chip wouldn¡¯t work to open DH¡¯s door, but it did. The door slid open, and they were presented with the sight of DH, curled up on their side and moaning in pain. TO dropped their food, and ran up to DH, pushing them onto their back so that they could see DH''s face better. The bandages were off. There was a single eyepatch over DH¡¯s new eye, but even around that TO could see the deeper blue color of the skin, and the slight swelling that made their face puff up. That wasn¡¯t the most shocking thing though. TO hadn¡¯t seen the cuts that Q10 had given DH; there had been too much blood at the time, and they were too rushed to take a proper look at the injuries. Now they could see the long, jagged scars that ran across DH¡¯s face, and the thin black stitches that held the still healing skin together. One cut went from DH¡¯s eye almost to their ear. Another had caught the bridge of DH¡¯s nose and pulled right across their cheek. The final one had come so close to their lip, so close to pulling apart their mouth that it was scary. TO was a little surprised that Q10 hadn¡¯t just pulled their mouth open. ¡°DH..?¡± TO sat down and put their hand on DH¡¯s shoulder. DH shook their head and gave this awful cry, one that trailed off into a pained squeak. ¡°It hurts.¡± They managed to whisper. ¡°It hurts so much. Make it stop.¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± GiDi asked as they stepped forward. DH gave a whimper, and held one hand to their face as they turned into TO, their other hand clutching at TO¡¯s uniform as they whimpered in pain. ¡°I don¡¯t know!¡± TO said as they put their hand on DH¡¯s head, hoping to try to distract them from the pain, ¡°Go find MO-6!¡± Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings. GiDi put the food down on the table- including TO¡¯s food that they had dropped- and ran off. DH was shaking; whimpering. There were tears running down their cheeks. TO had seen DH cry, had heard them sob before, but this was different; this was pure pain and desperation. A quick glance told TO that the spider-bot was still on DH¡¯s arm, and the little screen on its face was still showing all the readings as it had earlier - temperature, heart rate, blood pressure. DH clutched at TO, another pained sob shaking their body. TO couldn''t do anything but hold them, and hope that GiDi came back soon with the medical officer. Thankfully, they didn¡¯t take long. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with them!¡± TO demanded as soon as the officer entered the room, taking no heed for their tone of voice. MO-6¡¯s ears pinned back in anger, and it was only then that TO realized their mistake, ¡°Please,¡± They added, ¡°They¡¯re in so much pain-¡± ¡°Not quite.¡± the officer said, ¡°They think they¡¯re in pain.¡± ¡°... Isn''t that the same thing?¡± GiDi asked at the officer''s side. ¡°They¡¯ve been on a heavy dose of painkillers.¡± MO-6 said as they came closer to DH. They didn¡¯t reach out to touch them, they only looked at the readings on the spider, ¡°It¡¯s time for them to come off the painkillers, but now they¡¯re feeling the pain of their injuries for the first time.¡± they shrugged, ¡°Their body will regulate by tomorrow. With the accelerants in them, this shouldn¡¯t take more time than-¡± ¡°But it¡¯ll hurt more that way, right?¡± TO said, ¡°Can¡¯t you do something?¡± ¡°I already did.¡± MO-6 said, their ears pinning back once more. Even TO could tell that they were doing their best to try to keep their temper in check. TO looked away, their ears drooping. ¡°We¡¯re just worried.¡¯ GiDi said, ¡°We¡¯ve never seen anyone in so much pain before!¡± ¡°I gave them a lower dose of a weaker painkiller.¡± MO-6 said after a moment, ¡°Something to help. But if I kept them on what they were taking before, they¡¯d suffer disastrous long term side effects.¡± they looked back at TO, their ears pinning back again, ¡°I assure you, it¡¯s not my intention to force them to suffer, but this is the way things must be done.¡± DH gave that awful, strained cry once more. TO tightened their grip on their friend, wanting to have a way to just take the pain away. ¡°Won¡¯t this hurt them more?¡± TO asked, ¡° Won''t it damage their eye-¡± ¡°The eye will be fine at this point.¡± MO-6 said, an unmistakable hint of pride to their voice as their ears quirked up, ¡°It took very well, and healed fast. Their vision is still a little off, but that should adjust as the swelling and trauma around the eye heals. That¡¯s why they¡¯re coming off the painkillers though, there¡¯s no longer a risk of them damaging the eye.¡± They tilted their head, ¡°They will be released in a couple of days. I imagine they should be healed by tomorrow, but they''ll be too tired to function, and I''ll want to keep them under observation before I release them properly¡± TO frowned, ¡°That¡­ that feels really fast.¡± they said. ¡°They¡¯re no use to us until they¡¯re healed.¡± MO-6 said, ¡°They were given medication with that in mind to accelerate their healing. That¡¯s also why they were given a very strong, high-level painkillers.¡± Another whimper from DH as they clung to TO. ¡°I¡¯m staying with them tonight.¡± TO said. They didn¡¯t shout or hiss, they didn¡¯t even sound angry; It was just a simple statement of fact. ¡°That is unnecessary-¡± ¡°It would mean you wouldn¡¯t need to check on them.¡± GiDi said quickly, ¡°And if they needed something simple, we could help with that, right?¡± ¡°Please.¡± TO added as they looked up to MO-6, ¡°I can¡¯t leave them here alone like this.¡± There was that look again. TO hadn¡¯t seen that look on MO-6¡¯s face yet, but there it was; that odd, confused look that asked ''Who are you? What are you doing here?'' It lingered on their face for only a moment before they sighed and looked away. ¡°I imagine if I said no, you¡¯d simply find a way to get in.¡± They said, ¡°Know that I will have to inform your Overseers if you choose to stay.¡± At first, a jolt of horror went through TO¡¯s spine, but then they remembered that their overseer had seemed fine with them being around DH. They seemed pleased because TO was helping DH to improve, and that was helping to prove their Overseers own little theories. ¡°My Overseer has actually suggested I keep close to 70H67, and try to help them.¡± TO said, ¡°I think it should be ok. Should I ask them first?¡± ¡°No need.¡± MO-6 said, ¡°I¡¯ll send off a message. I will, however, have an assistant come in and tell you what to watch for through the night.¡± they gave TO a hard look, ¡°There¡¯s a very good chance that they won¡¯t sleep, and as such, neither will you. You¡¯ll still have to go to your training tomorrow.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± they said, ¡°I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll manage.¡± MO-6 just looked at TO for a moment, then nodded, ¡°Very well then. I¡¯ll let your Overseer know, and-¡± their words were cut off by another long moan from DH. TO held them tight, scratching the back of their head. ¡°Isn¡¯t there anything I can do to help them?¡± ¡°MO-6¡¯s expression softened slightly and they shook their head, ¡°There¡¯s not.¡± They said, ¡°Get them to eat, that¡¯ll help a little. It¡¯ll give them strength, and help them to recover. Aside from that, this is just a matter of time, which -I assure you- will pass with or without you.¡± TO nodded, and gently stroked the back of DH¡¯s head. ¡°I understand, Officer.¡± they said. They didn¡¯t care, they just didn¡¯t want DH to be alone in this state. DH moaned again, drawing TO¡¯s attention as they tried to soothe them. TO didn¡¯t even notice MO-6 leave, or take note of anything else that they might have said. They did notice when GiDi sat down on the other side of the bed with a handful of tissues. They reached over to help wipe sweat and tears from DH¡¯s face. ¡°We¡¯ll get sleep.¡± GiDi promised, ¡°Well sleep in shifts if we have to.¡± TO shifted to get more comfortable, resting their back against the wall and pillows at the head of the bed. They arranged DH comfortably on their lap and proceeded to scratch at the back of DH¡¯s head, waiting for the pain to dissipate long enough to try to get them to eat something. DH managed to look up, their good eye rimmed with blue, their lower lip bleeding from where it looked like they had bitten down too hard. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± they murmured. ¡°No.¡± TO said as they took up a bit of food, ¡°You did nothing wrong. Now eat.¡± DH let TO put the food in their mouth, and then lay back down on their lap as they ate between waves of pain. Episode 68: Chance TO trudged over to GiDi¡¯s old pod, trying hard not to trip over their own feet. They thought that they¡¯d just fall asleep instantly if they happened to trip and fall to the ground. GiDi had done just that when they had crawled up into TO¡¯s pod after their final meal; the moment they had gotten comfortable, they were asleep. TO wanted to be asleep too. Ideally, they wanted to be asleep next to DH- who they hoped was feeling better now- but they had been shooed away both during their second and final mealtimes. MO-6 said that DH was sleeping, and that nobody was to disturb them. Well, that was good anyway. At least the pain had passed enough for DH to get some real sleep. GiDi¡¯s plan of sleeping in shifts hadn¡¯t worked very well. Neither of them could sleep because DH was in too much pain, and the sound of them crying out kept them both awake and worried. In the odd silences that did occur when DH dozed off, TO and GiDi would drift off due to pure exhaustion only to be awoken moments later by a new cry of pain. TO had been very glad that all they had to do for their combat training and vocational training was follow orders; if they had to actually use their brain today, they would have failed miserably. They were so tired, they actually walked right past 09T08¡¯s pod without realizing it. They turned around, stumbled slightly, and made their way back. O9T08 was reclined in the pod, reading something off their chip. When TO stood before them, they glanced up. ¡°Oh, hello-... Are you alright?¡± They frowned as they looked over TO, ¡°You look-¡± ¡°Awful, I am aware.¡± TO grumbled, ¡°It¡¯s not been a good few days.¡± ¡°I see.¡± 09T08 said as they sat up, closing up the file they were reading, ¡°Do you want to sit?¡± ¡°If I do, I might fall asleep.¡± TO warned. ¡°I¡¯ll wake you.¡± 09T08 said as they pulled their knees up to their chest to make room for TO, ¡°Go ahead- I¡¯m worried that you might fall over if you don¡¯t.¡± TO didn''t have the energy to argue, so they just sat down. They very nearly lay down - their body screamed to rest- but used every little ounce of their willpower to sit upright. ¡°Are you certain that you¡¯re going to be ok?¡± They asked, ¡°I can bring you to medical-¡± ¡°I¡¯m just tired.¡± TO said, ¡°And medical is aware. GiDi and I-¡± ¡°Right, GiDi said that you three gave yourselves names. DH is the one who got hurt. You¡¯re¡­ TO?¡± TO¡¯s ears perked up, ¡°Yes.¡± They said, ¡°And¡­ I saw you before-¡± They looked away, feeling their ears burn, ¡°Nevermind.¡± ¡°You saw me before you left the tank, right?¡± They asked. When TO looked at them in surprise, they only smirked, ¡°I noticed your number ages ago, and assumed that you had to have come out of the tanks just before me.¡± TO managed a tired smile. They were strange, that much was obvious. They desperately wanted to confirm that this was the synth that GiDi had kissed, but didn¡¯t want to press them; they didn¡¯t want to make them think that GiDi had betrayed their trust. ¡°How is DH?¡± they asked, ¡°They¡¯ve not come back. They¡¯re not-¡± ¡°They needed some medical attention. A lot, actually.¡± TO said, ¡°Stitches, and a new eye-¡± ¡°A new eye?¡± 09T08¡¯s ears perked forward, ¡°That¡¯s interesting. Not many synths would get that kind of treatment.¡± TO looked away, ¡°I might have helped make an argument for it.¡± they said. Stolen story; please report. 09T08 gave a quick smile, ¡°They¡¯re lucky to have you then.¡± They said. TO nodded, ¡°They¡¯re in the Medical Bay now, recovering. That¡¯s where GiDi and I were last night. They were in a lot of pain, and we didn¡¯t want to leave them alone.¡± they glanced to check and see how 09T08 was reacting to that. TO expected confusion, but instead they just saw 09T08 nod. ¡°I can see that.¡± They said. ¡°I wanted to thank you.¡± TO said, ¡°For telling me that DH needed help, and for taking care of GiDi.¡± ¡°It was nothing.¡± They said, their own ears flicking at the thanks, ¡°Everything was getting out of hand that day. I¡¯m just glad I could help someone.¡± ¡°You helped a lot.¡± TO said, ¡°I¡¯m very grateful for that.¡± They glanced away, ¡°I hope everything was¡­ alright?¡± ¡°GiDi wasn¡¯t in their right mind.¡± 09T08 said, ¡°They were upset over a lot of things. I offered to take them to the Medical Bay to find you, but-¡± They glanced away, ¡°They seemed a little angry too. They said no.¡± ¡°They were right to be angry.¡± TO said, ¡°Thanks for being there for them.¡± ¡°It was nothing.¡± ¡°...And-¡± TO felt their ears pin down with anxiety, ¡°If you you wanted to spend more time around us. I mean, if you were lonely-¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± 09T08¡¯s ears flicked down, ¡°Oh¡­ oh no, thank you though.¡± TO felt their stomach clench, ¡°Right. Sorry. I thought you were-¡± ¡°You thought I was different, right?¡± They gave a little smile, ¡°You thought I was like you, and GiDi, and DH?¡± TO felt their ears burn, ¡°Yes.¡± they said, ¡°Sorry if that offends you, I just-¡± ¡°Oh no, you¡¯re right. I am different, but¡­ not quite like you.¡± They gave a little smile, ¡°I tried to explain that to GiDi, but I don¡¯t think I got it across quite right.¡± TO shook their head, ¡°No. I mean, GiDi was saying something about how you¡¯re different, but not in the same way?¡± They frowned, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. It was a bit hectic the last few days.¡± ¡°I am different.¡± 09T08 said they looked away, their ears flicking down as a sad smile crossed their face, ¡°I know that. I -¡± They reached up and touched their head, ¡°I think about things that I know I shouldn¡¯t. I consider things. I see things that others don¡¯t¡­ or at least I understand things differently.¡± They gave TO a little smile, ¡°But¡­ I¡¯m content on my own.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Honestly, you three? I¡¯ve been watching you. I was tempted to say something to you when you asked me to move. You¡¯re always together. I think it¡¯s sweet, but¡­¡± They shook their head, ¡°If I was around someone all day every day? I think I¡¯d go mad. I enjoy my solitude. I enjoy being alone.¡± TO felt their ears droop down. They had been so hopeful that this would be someone that might be special to GiDi; someone who might even go off with them when they had their assignments. ¡°You never get lonely?¡± 09T08 shrugged and looked away, ¡°From time to time.¡± They admitted, ¡°But¡­¡± they pointed to their chip, ¡°When it gets really bad, I read fiction. Sometimes¡­¡± Their ears flicked down and burned blue, ¡°Sometimes, I imagine that some of the people I read about, that they¡¯re here with me. And that¡¯s fun. That makes me feel better, but I couldn¡¯t be around someone all the time. Even the thought of that makes me uneasy.¡± their wings seemed to tighten around them. TO nodded, and looked down and away, worried that they might be prying too much. ¡°You don¡¯t dislike GiDi though, right?¡± ¡°Oh, I don¡¯t dislike any of you!¡± They said, ¡°Like I said, I think the three of you are sweet in your own way. I¡¯m just¡­ not like you.¡± They shrugged, ¡°That¡¯s all.¡± ¡°I understand.¡± TO said. ¡°I don¡¯t think you¡¯re strange. Well¡­. I don¡¯t have a problem with it anyway.¡± They said. ¡°...Well.¡± TO said slowly, ¡°If¡­ I mean, you don¡¯t have to be around us all the time, but¡­ maybe the odd time you do get lonely, you could come to us. Maybe just spend a few minutes with us if you like?¡± 09T08 didn¡¯t respond right away. Their ears twitched in slight panic as they looked away, and their wings definitely tightened around them. ¡°Just consider it an open invitation.¡± TO said quickly, ¡°If you ever just decide you want a few minutes of company, you can just find us, alright?¡± ¡°... Alright.¡± They said though they didn¡¯t look up, ¡°If I really want to be around others, I¡¯ll find you three.¡± They gave a quick, nervous smile, though they seemed to relax as their wings suddenly loosened up. It occurred to TO that maybe 09T08 got nervous around others. If that was the case, then TO had perhaps just made them very uncomfortable. Another pang of guilt. They didn¡¯t want to mess this up and make 09T08 anxious around them. Though they were still very tired, TO forced themselves up and stretched. ¡°And it¡¯s alright if you don¡¯t.¡± They said, trying to sound like they were adding it just as an afterthought, ¡°Just thought I¡¯d offer. As thanks.¡± ¡°...Thank you.¡± they said, ¡°I appreciate that.¡± ====== TO had never been more happy to reach their pod. The climb up had felt almost impossible but they had done it, focusing on every single rung of the ladder, pulling themself up with the promise of sleep and comfort when they reached their pod. When they finally crawled in, they collapsed down next to GiDi. GiDi was still asleep, curled up and breathing gently. They didn¡¯t chirp in their sleep like DH did; there was only the sound of soft breathing coming from them. It was soothing. TO felt another pang of guilt as they watched their friend sleep. They had been alone with GiDi all day, and hadn¡¯t been energetic or awake enough to make much use of if. They wanted to do something to make GiDi feel better; to make them feel special. They just didn¡¯t know what to do. They lay down next to them, and pulled GiDi in tight, holding them as they slept. They remembered idly how they had first met GiDi, catching their ears flicking to the music that DH and TO were playing. The three of them started watching more musicals after that. They all loved them, but GiDi loved them the most. TO had an idea- well, more a thought. The beginnings of an idea floated half formed in their exhausted mind. They hoped as they were falling asleep with an arm draped over GiDi¡¯s side that they¡¯d remember it when they woke up. Episode 69: Hesitation TO hardly paid attention to the orders they were given during combat training the next day. They were still exhausted from everything that had happened, so they went through the simulations in a daze, hardly realizing they were following orders. C12 didn¡¯t say a word to them, but TO took that as a bonus. They would rather C12¡¯s silence over their hatred any day. They were nearly at the Medical Bay when they finally snapped out of it, thanks to GiDi giving them a sharp nudge in the ribs. ¡°Wake up.¡± They said, their ears flicking down as they looked at TO, ¡°You¡¯ve been like this all day?¡± ¡°Like... this?¡± ¡°Yes! In a daze. Not really there.¡± They frowned. ¡°Didn¡¯t you sleep well?¡± ¡°I did. Sorry.¡± TO looked away. They had slept well. They didn¡¯t feel physically tired, they felt mentally tired. They felt like their thoughts were slipping from their head. They wanted to sleep just so they didn¡¯t have to think. There was so much going on that when TO tried to consider any one thing, tried to puzzle through a single problem, all the other problems came up. They entered the Medical Bay, expecting it to be empty as it had been the day before. Instead, they saw DH sitting on one of the beds, with MO-6 pulling back the eyelid of their freshly implanted eye, shining a dull red light over its surface. MO-6 glanced over as TO and GiDi entered, then went back to what they were doing. ¡°This one will be alright to leave in a minute.¡± They said as they continued their examination, ¡°I¡¯m just doing some last checks.¡± TO moved to the side so that they could better see DH, but they couldn¡¯t see their face because MO-6¡¯s arms and hands were in the way. ¡°Alright.¡± MO-6 said as they passed DH the eyepatch, ¡°keep wearing this for the rest of the period; Just to be on the safe side.¡± They stepped away, removing gloves which they tossed down a waste disposal, ¡°I actually recommend you eat here today though.¡± ¡°Understood, Officer.¡± DH muttered. They caught TO¡¯s eye, and looked away, turning the injured side of their face away from TO¡¯s gaze. It still didn¡¯t look great. It had healed more, but it was clear from the deep blue lines that puckered the skin of their face that they¡¯d have scars. TO didn¡¯t care about scars. So long as DH was safe, TO was happy. MO-6 looked over at GiDi and TO, ¡°You two can stay if you want. I assume that was your plan?¡± ¡°Yes, Officer.¡± They said in unison. ¡°Very well. There¡¯s nobody else in here right now, so it doesn¡¯t bother me.¡± They went to the door that TO assumed led to their office, and left without another word. The moment they were gone, TO was at DH¡¯s side. They turned DH¡¯s face, their hands holding onto their chin gently so that they could see how the healing was coming along. The skin seemed to have stitched itself together, but still had the fragile look of fresh scars. The new eye was almost indistinguishable from DH¡¯s old one - big and black and bright- but there was still a light blue tinge around the eye. After just a moment, DH turned away again, a hand up to their face. ¡°Sorry.¡± TO said quickly, letting their hand fall, ¡°Does it hurt that badly? I was trying to be gentle.¡± ¡°...It doesn¡¯t hurt.¡± DH said, their voice soft and quiet, ¡°It¡­ I hate them.¡± ¡°Hate them? Them who?¡± ¡°Not who. The scars.¡± GiDi sat down on the foot of the bed to get a better look at DH¡¯s face, ¡°It doesn¡¯t look that bad.¡± They insisted. The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement. ¡°It does.¡± DH said, ¡°The look is bad enough, but the texture¡­¡± they lifted their hand and traced a finger over their damaged cheek, ¡°It feels awful.The rest of my face is smooth, and then-¡± Their fingertip hit the blue scar, ¡°It¡¯s hard and weird here, and I hate it. It looks awful. It looks hideous.¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter how it looks.¡± TO said as they put their hand on DH¡¯s shoulder, ¡°You¡¯re ok. It¡¯s not infected. Your eye got replaced. You¡¯re still here, that¡¯s all that matters!¡± DH¡¯s fist tightened on the blanket beneath them. ¡°...Others are going to look at me, and all they¡¯ll see are the scars. All they¡¯ll be able to think about is the scars. They-¡± ¡°Other synths don¡¯t matter!¡± TO insisted as they gently turned DH towards them, ¡°It¡¯s really not a big deal. You¡¯re here; that¡¯s the big deal. That¡¯s all I care about.¡± They look at GiDi, ¡°Right? A few scars don¡¯t matter.¡± ¡°Right.¡± GiDi said quickly, ¡°I think they look interesting anyway. Sets you apart.¡± They looked over at TO, ¡°What do you think?¡± TO forced a light laugh, ¡°I¡¯ll tell you if DH lets me get a good look!¡± DH clutched at the blanket again, took a deep breath, then with their ears pinned back they turned and looked TO in the eyes. The bright blue lines ran ragged over their face like electricity. Without thinking, TO reached up and gently traced a thumb over the scars, to get an idea as to what DH was talking about when they mentioned the texture. Their skin was- just like TO¡¯s own- soft and smooth. The area around the scars did pucker oddly, creating an interesting contrast in texture in TO¡¯s opinion. ¡°They¡¯re interesting.¡± TO finally said. Their ears perked up, ¡°And now, you don¡¯t look like any other synth, do you? You¡¯re unique!¡± ¡°... You don¡¯t think it¡¯s awful?¡± DH asked, ¡°It doesn¡¯t disgust you or bother you or-¡± ¡°I¡¯m bothered because I''m worried it hurts, but i¡¯m not concerned about how it looks.¡± ¡°... This is just how I look now.¡± DH said. TO realized that they still had their hand at DH¡¯s cheek, running their thumb over the scar and feeling the transition from soft skin to scar tissue. They felt their ears flush as they realized they had been doing that. ¡°Yes, it is.¡± They said as they quickly pulled their hand from DH¡¯s face. Their ears suddenly perked up, ¡°And you know what? No matter what else changes - what they change your call number to, or what you get assigned as, you¡¯ll still have them.¡± TO beamed, ¡°They¡¯re yours. Nobody can take them from you!¡± DH released a breath and relaxed. ¡°I guess I¡¯ll be easier to find in a crowd at least.¡± GiDi shook their head and sighed, though they were smiling. They passed DH their food, ¡°Here.¡± They said, ¡°Eat up. TO and I will fill you in about what¡¯s happened.¡± They gave TO a meaningful look, ¡°TO will tell you everything you need to know.¡± TO felt their ears flick back. Right. GiDi was talking about Q10. Now that DH was better and not loopy on pain medication, it was time to tell them what had happened. TO took a deep breath, and prepared themselves. ====== ¡°You should have told them!¡± GiDi said as they left the Medical Bay. ¡°I couldn¡¯t!¡± TO insisted, ¡°Not just yet. I can tell them later, right?¡± ¡°Why couldn¡¯t you tell them!?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t want them to get upset.¡± TO said as they glanced away. ¡°And you¡¯re still worried that DH will hate you for it. They won¡¯t!¡± They gave a frustrated hissing noise from the back of their throat, ¡°You¡¯re such a moron sometimes.¡± ¡°Hey now, I¡¯m hardly-¡± ¡°You are a moron.¡± GiDi said. ¡°And you need to tell DH. They won¡¯t hate you, but if you leave it off too long, they¡¯ll find out and they¡¯ll be upset that you didn¡¯t tell them earlier.¡± They frowned at TO, ¡°What happens if they leave the Medical Bay and end up running into Q10? They¡¯re going to know pretty quickly that they got corrected!¡± TO¡¯s chip beeped, alerting them to a quick message from DH. A moment later, GiDi¡¯s beeped as well. ¡°Well¡­¡± GiDi said, ¡°looks like DH is working in the Medical Bay this period.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good!¡± TO said, ¡°MO-6 can keep a closer eye on them, to make sure they¡¯ve healed up properly.¡± Their ears relaxed, ¡°I was starting to worry that they might be sent down to maintenance.¡± ¡°Because Q10 might be there?¡± TO hadn¡¯t even considered that, ¡°I was more concerned that they might get hurt. It¡¯s dangerous down there, and injuries are common- especially with new people. But¡­ I guess that the synths that normally start their training down there are newly corrected. They''re always a little off for the first few days.¡± They stopped at a split in the hallway. GiDi had to head towards the kitchens, TO had to continue on to Shipping and Receiving. ¡°Look.¡± GiDi said, ¡°DH wants us to meet them at the Medical Bay when we''re done. Just go and tell them about Q10. I promise they won¡¯t hate you. They might be sad, but the longer you keep it from them the worse it''ll be.¡± TO gave a deep sigh, and nodded, ¡°I know.¡± They said, ¡®I just¡­¡± They looked away, ¡°I hate to disappoint them.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t fix everything.¡± GiDi said. ¡°Just tell them. It¡¯ll be fine.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± TO said,¡± But I¡¯ll wait for you to show up too.¡± GiDi sighed, their ears twitching with irritation, but then they smiled, ¡°Alright.¡± They said, ¡°I¡¯ll meet you there. But if you don''t tell them, I will.¡± They rushed off down the hall to their assignment, with TO watching after them. ¡°Thats fair!¡±¡± TO called after them. GiDi waved and disappeared around the corner, leaving TO alone to head to their assignment. ====== Another long, tedious day in Shipping and Receiving passed. TO used most of it to try to figure out how to tell DH about Q10. They had a whole speech in their head by the end of the day.; they¡¯d Tell DH everything - how they had tried to help Q10, what Q10 had said, and how they seemed like they wanted to be corrected. By luck, TO was even released from their training early; they had finished going through their fourth crate, and SR45 thought it was too late to start another. TO ran to the old observation deck to stash more things, then ran down to the Medical Bay. GiDi was right. They had to tell DH, and the sooner they did, the better. At least they¡¯d stop worrying about the result, and they¡¯d stop worrying that DH would bump into Q10 before TO told them. They got to the Medical Bay, and the door slid open to let them in. DH was standing next to one of the beds, with MO-6 at their side. MO-6 was instructing them, watching carefully as DH carefully cleaned a wound on the leg of their patient; Q10. Episode 70: Blame DH glanced up only momentarily as TO entered the Medical Bay, then turned back to Q10 with their ears flicking down as they focused on their work. They were applying some kind of strong-smelling liquid to a deep gash on Q10¡¯s leg. Q10 hardly seemed to notice that TO had entered the Medical Bay; they were looking away, their dull, glazed expression only twitching with pain for brief, sparse seconds as DH swabbed at the wound. ¡°Very good.¡± MO-6 said as they watched, ¡°This kind of injury is very common among the newly corrected. For the first few periods there¡¯s a significant drop in their motor skills. Add this with the fact that they¡¯re all sent to maintenance to work where there¡¯s a lot of things that one could hurt themselves on and¡­ Well, you can understand why there would be a lot of cases like this.¡± ¡°Of course.¡± DH said, but their voice seemed flat and uninterested. ¡°You¡¯re doing a very neat job though.¡± MO-6 said, ¡°Fastidious. If you like, I¡¯ll let you do these stitches as well.¡± They glanced up at TO, ¡°You¡¯re here far earlier than expected.¡± they said. ¡°I finished my tasks in Shipping and Receiving, and was allowed to leave early.¡± TO explained, ¡°I thought I would come here right away.¡± ¡°I see.¡± MO-6 said, ¡°Very well.¡± They looked back to DH, ¡°When you¡¯re done here, you may leave. You taking care of this patient will allow me to catch up on some reports that have been neglected.¡± ¡°Of course, Officer.¡± DH said, ¡°I¡¯m sure I can stitch this up without incident.¡± ¡°Very good.¡± MO-6 said before they left the room, leaving DH and TO alone with Q10. TO went over to DH, wanting to be near them but as soon as they got a little closer they could smell disinfectant, and they could see the blood oozing from the long gash on Q10¡¯s leg. DH had the same gloves on that TO wore when they had to do the dissection. TO suddenly felt dizzy. They stumbled backwards, putting their hand out to keep themselves from falling. Their vision blurred as they heard ribs cracking. They felt a hand on their arm, and they were pulled up and helped to a bed. As they lay down, their vision slowly came back and they saw DH standing over them. Their eyes went to DH¡¯s hands, and they saw that they had removed their gloves. ¡°Lay there for a bit.¡± DH said as they went to get another set of gloves from a nearby cabinet, ¡°You looked like you might faint.¡± they pulled the new gloves and went back to Q10, who was watching TO with faint interest. ¡°I know you.¡± They said in that slow, dull voice. TO let their eyes flick to Q10¡¯s forehead, and saw the deep blue circle there. Soon, it would fade to silver. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about them.¡± DH said as they finished cleaning the wound, ¡°I¡¯m about to apply the stitches. Please stay still.¡± Q10 kept still as DH worked, but they kept looking at TO. ¡°Right; you are 09T07.¡± ¡°You remember me?¡± TO said, surprised that they did. Q10 nodded, but there didn¡¯t seem to be a change to their expression. Their ears hardly moved. ¡°Yes. I am sorry I worried you.¡± They tilted their head, ¡°You are alright though, yes?¡± ¡°I¡­ yes?¡± TO pushed themself up to a sitting position as they watched Q10. No. not Q10. 01Q10. The shell of Q10. Q10 was never this dull. Q10 was full of anger and fire. They snapped. They shouted. They glared. Even at their lowest they were filled with emotion- tears and sorrow. ¡°That is good.¡± They had that slow, deliberate tone to their voice which TO didn¡¯t like. ¡°Are you alright?¡± They asked. ¡°I am not.¡± They said as they gestured to their leg, ¡°I have scratched my leg on an exposed piece of metal. It needs stitches.¡± ¡°It¡¯ll be done soon.¡± DH said quickly, their ears flicking as they focused, ¡°Please stay still.¡± TO watched DH¡¯s ears, watched them focus on their work as they placed neat, perfect stitches in the gash on Q10¡¯s leg. They pulled their gaze away from them and looked back to Q10, ¡°Aside from that though, are you ok?¡± There was a half smile, and the slightest twitch of Q10¡¯s ears, ¡°Oh, I am very well, thank you.¡± they said, ¡°I am much better than I was.¡± ¡°You are?¡± ¡°I am.¡± They said, ¡°I was so angry. Scared. I don¡¯t feel like that anymore.¡± the slightest of frowns passed over their face for just a second, ¡°I don¡¯t feel much.¡± Their eyes glazed over, their expression slackened, and then they looked up again with this almost blank look, ¡°But I am content to work and earn my place in King Decon¡¯s galaxy.¡± Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. Was Q10 still in there? There was an emptiness to them that left TO unnerved. They had their memories it seemed, but that was all; an automaton with Q10¡¯s memories. Could they even still be considered alive? ¡°There.¡± DH said as they finished with the stitches. They selected a spray bottle from a collection of bottles on a nearby table and sprayed a clear liquid over 01Q10¡¯s leg; it quickly adhered and formed a layer over the fresh stitches, ¡°That should do it. I¡¯ll send care instructions to your new Overseer.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± 01Q10 said as they got up off the bed. They put weight on their leg, then nodded, ¡°I will return to my work then.¡± ¡°It¡¯s meal time.¡± DH said as though they had explained this already several times, ¡°You don¡¯t go to your work, you go to the cafeteria, and then to your pod for rest.¡± ¡°Yes. Correct. I will leave now then.¡± They nodded to DH, then to TO, ¡°Apologies once more for making such a commotion the other day.¡± They said to TO before they turned back to DH, ¡°And apologies again for my violent outburst. I promise that it will never happen again.¡± They turned, and left then without another word. There was silence between DH and TO. After a moment, DH got up from where they had been sitting, and went to the cupboard. ¡°You¡¯re feeling ok?¡± They asked, their ears flicking back with concern, ¡°You looked like you were going to pass out there. I¡¯ve seen three synths pass out today, so I know what it looks like!¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± TO said as they sat up, ¡°Just... the blood does that to me sometimes. DH, I-¡± ¡°Well, I should still do something, I think?¡± They said as they looked through cupboards, ¡°though¡­ I don¡¯t know what you need. You didn¡¯t actually pass out.¡± they frowned as they pulled up what looked like a flow-chart on their chip, ¡°Maybe-¡± ¡°DH, I¡¯m sorry!¡± DH stopped, and turned around to face TO, ¡°Sorry?¡± ¡°For not telling you about Q10. For not being able to help them. I tried! I really did! But I couldn¡¯t do it. I failed, and now they¡¯re corrected and they¡¯re gone, and it¡¯s my fault, and-¡± DH came over to TO and gently pushed them back down on the bed, ¡°You¡¯re panicked.¡± They said, ¡°Lay back. You need to relax, alright?¡± They gave them a soft smile, and sat down next to them on the bed, ¡°Or I¡¯ll have to give you a sedative. You¡¯re ranked for sedatives, did you know that? Did you know there¡¯s rankings?¡± ¡°I''m sorry I didn¡¯t tell you.¡± TO said as they tried to sit up again, ¡°I should have, and I¡­ if you hate me it¡¯s ok, but just tell me-¡± DH put their hand on the back of TO¡¯s head and gently startec to scratch just where the neck joined the head, ¡°I don¡¯t hate you.¡± they said, their brows knit in confusion as their ears flicked out, ¡°Why would I hate you?¡± ¡°Because I couldn¡¯t keep Q10 safe?¡± They shook their head, ¡°No it¡¯s my fault they¡¯re like this now. It¡¯s my fault they got corrected.¡± ¡°Really? Because I thought it was my fault.¡± TO looked up at DH, ¡°How would it be your fault?¡± ¡°I left them alone, knowing they were different, and then I was awful to them when they came up to you for those meds, and then out of nowhere I went up to them when they were throwing a fit and already slashing at themselves with their claws. Of course it¡¯s my fault!¡± They stood up and turned away, their wings wrapped around them, ¡°And I¡¯m honestly surprised you don¡¯t hate me for putting you in a situation where you¡¯d have to try to help them! If I hadn¡¯t been so awful, or if I had told you something more about them, or -¡± ¡°...Why did you go to them?¡± TO asked. ¡°Because I saw them freaking out, slashing at themselves, and¡­ and I knew it was my fault! I just wanted to get them to calm down. I figured maybe if I could make them stop, if I could calm them down and maybe talk to them¡­¡± They trailed off, and TO could see their ears sink low. ¡°I realized that they never hated me when I saw them like that, you know? They were scared, that¡¯s all. They didn¡¯t want to get corrected, and they thought that being around me would get them corrected. When they slashed at my face-¡± They lifted their hand up to touch at the still healing scars on their face, ¡°-then I knew that I messed up. That it was my fault. If I had kept my distance from them, if I hadn¡¯t been close to them in the first place, then this wouldn¡¯t have happened. And of course, I went back to them; I tried to help, and I just made it worse. Now they¡¯re corrected¡­ And it¡¯s my fault.¡± ¡°... I almost stopped it.¡± TO said, ¡°I made a good argument, you know.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure you did.¡± DH said, though they still refused to turn and look at TO, ¡°You always do. I thought if anyone could help them it would be you.¡± ¡°You know what did it though? What made them decide to correct Q10 in the end?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°When my Overseer wanted to see me that time, to talk about how I drew my own claws on 55H75, I told them that Q10 was a dangerous person. I told them that I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if they were to actually attack another.¡± TO clutched at the fabric of their uniform, ¡°I told them that. It went in their file, and was flagged. They would have let them be because of everything that was happening with King Decon¡­ but because of me-¡± ¡°That wasn¡¯t your fault though!¡± DH said, turning around on their heel to face TO again, ¡°You did everything you could! You did what you thought was right-¡± ¡°You did too!¡± DH fell silent, then slowly sat back down on the edge of the bed. ¡°...I still feel like it¡¯s my fault.¡± ¡°I know.¡± TO said. ¡°I do too.¡± They reached out and gently put their hand over DH¡¯s, ¡°But¡­ I am sorry I didn¡¯t tell you earlier.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t even remember them until I saw them just now.¡± DH said with a humourless chuckle, ¡°I was so caught up this morning with this-¡± They pointed at the scars, ¡°-that I forgot all about Q10. I don¡¯t even remember much before the pain really set in either.¡± They frowned, ¡°I remember you helping me up in the dormitory¡­ But then everything is weird. Fuzzy. Then there was pain.¡± ¡°You were on a lot of painkillers.¡± TO said, ¡°They had to take you off when the eye was better.¡± DH reached up to touch the eyepatch, ¡°Right.¡± They said, ¡°Even if you had told me, I¡¯d not have remembered it.¡± They turned their hand and tightened their fingers around TO¡¯s, ¡°I don¡¯t want that to happen to you. Or to GiDi.¡± they looked back at TO, their expression almost flat, ¡°I don¡¯t want you to get corrected, I mean. Not at all, but especially not because of me.¡± ¡°I already told you, I¡¯d rather be around you, have you as a friend for a while and be corrected than-¡± ¡°No, you don¡¯t understand.¡± DH said. They looked away, but they didn¡¯t let go of TO, ¡°If you ended up like that? If you ended up like Q10 because of me? I¡¯d never forgive myself.¡± ¡°We¡¯re working hard.¡± TO said, ¡°We¡¯re excelling. You got a new eye! You qualified for a new eye, and the Overseers have high hopes for you! GiDi is-¡± they looked away, ¡°Doing better in combat training than I am to be honest. They¡¯re going to be fine. You¡¯re going to be fine. I¡¯m going to be fine too.¡± They looked back up at DH, ¡°We¡¯re going to work hard, and get through this, and when we¡¯re assigned, we won¡¯t have to worry about being corrected!¡± ¡°I want to believe that.¡± DH said, ¡°I really do. If I thought you¡¯d end up like that, I¡¯d ¡­ I¡¯d never talk to you again. I¡¯d try to never even see you again. So long as I knew you were safe-¡± ¡°And if I was alone, I wouldn¡¯t be safe.¡± TO said. ¡°...You didn¡¯t do this to Q10.¡± DH said after the silence had drawn on uncomfortably long, ¡°It¡¯s not your fault, you did your best.¡± ¡°And it¡¯s not your fault. You did what you thought was best. You tried to help them.¡± ¡°And you don¡¯t hate me?¡± TO gave a weak smile, ¡°I don¡¯t think I could.¡± They said. They remembered in that moment what GiDi had said, that they didn¡¯t think that DH could ever actually hate them, no matter what they did. TO tried to conjure up the worst possible situations in their head, the worst things that DH could do. No. They could be hurt, they could be sad or angry, but they didn¡¯t think they could ever hate DH, no matter what they did. Episode 71: Anxieties ¡°You know, I¡¯m not actually hungry.¡± DH said, stopping in the middle of the hallway as they approached the Cafeteria, ¡°You two go on without me.¡± TO and GiDi stopped in their tracks and turned to look at DH, ¡°Really, I¡¯m not hungry.¡± they insisted, though their ears were low and blue, ¡°You two go on.¡± ¡°DH.¡± TO said as they crossed their arms, ¡°I have never known you to be ¡®not hungry¡¯.¡± DH gave a nervous laugh and took another step away, ¡°Well, maybe it¡¯s the drugs I¡¯ve been on for the pain? Lots of drugs can cause a loss of appetite!¡± They suddenly beamed, ¡°I''ve been learning a lot! MO-6 said I have a natural affinity for medical care, and-¡± they cut themself off with a gurgle from their stomach. ¡°Right.¡± TO said as their ears flattened out and a brow ridge raised in disbelief, ¡°Yeah, sure. You¡¯re not hungry.¡± ¡°...Can you get my food?¡± DH asked as their ears pinned back and down. ¡°I don¡¯t want to go in there.¡± They lifted their hand to the scars on their face and the eyepatch, ¡°I don¡¯t everyone to stare at this.¡± ¡°We can¡¯t.¡± GiDi said, their tone apologetic as they took DH¡¯s hand, ¡°You know that, your food won¡¯t come out unless your chip is scanned. Come on. It¡¯ll be fine.¡± ¡°Yeah¡­ You never worried about people staring at you before.¡± TO said, ¡°Why does this bother you?¡± DH looked aside, their ears still pinned down in fear, though now they were flushed blue. They wrapped their wings tightly around themself. ¡°The scars are ugly.¡± they said, ¡°I look hideous, and everyone is going to gawk at me.¡± ¡°They¡¯re not ugly.¡± TO said, ¡°They look interesting.¡± They remembered how they had stroked DH¡¯s scars earlier, and flushed. They quickly composed themself and said, ¡°And if anyone thinks they¡¯re ugly, it doesn¡¯t matter.¡± ¡°You have to eat.¡± GiDi insisted, ¡°And if you don¡¯t do this today, you¡¯ll have to do it tomorrow. The sooner everyone sees your scars, the sooner they¡¯ll get used to it, and the sooner they¡¯ll even just stop noticing them.¡± ¡°Come on.¡± TO said as they caught the sound of others heading towards them from the other side of the hallway, ¡°Let¡¯s go in, get our food, and get out.¡± DH looked like they wanted to run and hide. Their wings were wrapped so tightly around them that TO could see where DH was holding themself, their hands on their arms. ¡°Then we can go back to the dormitories?¡± TO offered, even though they really wanted to go fly, ¡°We can watch anything you¡¯d like. I¡¯ll hold off my studies for the night.¡± ¡°...Alright.¡± DH said, a light pout coming over their face ¡°But you don¡¯t have to bribe me.¡± TO gave DH a reassuring smile as they walked alongside DH and into the cafeteria. The cafeteria was always silent, save for the sound of movement and chewing. The odd spoken word was given in a whisper, and always rang out over the silence. As DH entered the cafeteria today, the scant sounds that lingered like white noise faded off, and for a mere moment there was deafening silence. Then the whispering started; quiet and hushed, the words overlapping as several synths whispered to one another all at once. ¡°...lost their eye¡­¡± ¡°...got into a fight¡­¡± ¡°...surprised they haven¡¯t been corrected¡­¡± DH froze, and TO had to nudge them to get them to keep moving towards the food dispensers. They threw GiDi a quick, worried look- one that clearly said ¡®I think messed up.¡¯ ¡°We¡¯ll get our stuff quickly.¡± GiDi said softly, ¡°There¡¯s not much of a line before us. We won¡¯t be long.¡± The whispering died off, but didn¡¯t quite disappear as they got into line, and waited to get their food. They were all so on edge, all so distracted that they didn¡¯t realize who was in front of them, not until 55H75 turned to face them. They looked DH up and down with a critical, assessing gaze. If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. ¡°I¡¯m surprised you¡¯re back.¡± They said in their flat, deadpan voice, ¡°I assumed that the damage done was more than could be fixed. 01Q10 clearly caused some damage to your eye.¡± they let their gaze linger on DH¡¯s eyepatch. ¡°You should have stopped them.¡± TO hissed under their breath as they stepped between DH and 55H75, ¡°You might have been able to keep them from hurting anyone.¡± ¡°They weren¡¯t my responsibility, not then or now.¡± they tilted their head, ¡°I thought maybe they had some potential, but they clearly did not.¡± ¡°They¡¯ve been corrected.¡± TO said, ¡°Don¡¯t you care?¡± 55H75 looked genuinely confused at the question and their ears flicked outwards, ¡°No. Why should I? If they were corrected, then that was at the discretion of the Overseers. I can only assume they¡¯re of more use to King Decon now than they were, even if they¡¯re in maintenance.¡± they looked back to DH, ¡°Which is where I suppose you¡¯ll be positioned, since you have only one eye.¡± ¡°I have two.¡± DH snapped, ¡°I¡¯m just to keep this eyepatch on until the healing is complete; Medical Officers orders.¡± 55H75¡¯s eyes flicked to DH¡¯s ears to see if they were lying, then they looked back to the eyepatch, ¡°It¡¯s not functional though, is it?¡± DH reached up and moved the eyepatch out of the way so they could look at 55H75 with both eyes, ¡°Very.¡± They said, ¡°I can see just fine.¡± More whispers around them. TO had been so preoccupied with what was happening that they hadn¡¯t realized that everyone was watching them again. DH¡¯s ears burned, but they kept their glare steady with 55H75 as though they were trying to stare them down. For the first time, TO saw actual surprise in 55H75; their brows arched, their ears perked up. They looked over the scars and the eye, then nodded, ¡°Impressive.¡± they said, ¡°I honestly did not think you would be considered worthy of a replacement eye, or even the work it would have taken to perform the needed surgery.¡± they tilted their head as though they were regarding DH for the first time, ¡°It seems I¡¯ve underestimated you.¡± ¡°TO made it happen.¡± DH said as inched towards TO, ¡°They convinced the Overseers-¡± ¡°No matter what 09T07 said, if the Overseers didn¡¯t think you were worth the effort and resources to perform the surgery, they would not have done it. No, you¡¯ve clearly proven yourself worthy beyond my expectations at least.¡± They let their eyes flick to TO, ¡°Clearly, my judgement has been poor.¡± There was a moment of disdain in their look, a tone of contempt. TO was confused at first, then realized that of course, 55H75 was in their combat training class and would have seen, or at least heard about how TO had been castigated by C12. There was a good chance that those who had been in the same simulation had filled in others on what happened. TO felt their ears burn as they realized what 55H75 was saying. They had said once that TO was exceptional. Now, they were suggesting that they had been wrong. The disdain that they seemed to once hold for DH was suddenly thrust onto TO. ¡°Come on.¡± GiDi said as they stepped forward, ¡°Our food¡¯s ready.¡± TO glanced up, and saw their call numbers displayed on the dispensers. 55H75 stepped out of their way so that they could get their food. The three of them grabbed their meals, and did all they could to keep from running out of the cafeteria and away from the whispers behind them. ====== They didn¡¯t go back to the dormitories right away. DH insisted that they go to the flight training room because they felt stiff from all their time in bed. But also, they wanted to rant. ¡°I can¡¯t believe that one!¡± They snarled as they flapped up to the platform that the three of them hid on, ¡°Q10 was their friend, and they just don¡¯t care that they¡¯re gone?!¡± ¡°Not friends.¡± TO said as they landed on the platform, ¡°They made that very clear to me.¡± ¡°Still! ¡®my judgement has been poor.¡¯ Who do they think they are to have a right to an opinion of me! Or you!¡± They turned to TO, ¡°They were being absolutely rude to you! Did you see the way they looked at you!¡± ¡°I did.¡± TO muttered as they sat down next to the wall and started eating, ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter.¡± ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter? It doesn¡¯t matter?¡± DH stepped towards TO, ¡°What do you mean it doesn¡¯t matter? You¡¯re better than they are!¡± ¡°...Not really.¡± TO said, ¡°It really doesn¡¯t matter, DH.¡± GiDi landed next to DH and put a hand on their shoulder, guiding them to sit down and eat, ¡°TO hasn¡¯t had a good period.¡± They said, ¡°It¡¯s been rough, even if we discount your injury.¡± ¡°They said I was exceptional once.¡± TO muttered as they ate, ¡°But I guess I¡¯m not anymore.¡± ¡°Who are they to decide that?¡± DH snapped as they sat down, ¡°They don¡¯t know anything. They didn¡¯t think I¡¯d get a new eye. They were surprised by that.¡± They looked to GiDi, ¡°It was good to see some emotion on their face for a change.¡± their eyes narrowed, ¡°Still, there should have been something there when you mentioned Q10. They just didn¡¯t care.¡± GiDi sat on the other side of TO, and the three ate in silence for a while. ¡°I am surprised I got a new eye though.¡± DH said after a moment. They gave a half smile, ¡°You know the first thing I thought when I felt Q10¡¯s claws go through my eye; when I couldn¡¯t see out of it? How can I fix it? How can I hide it?¡± They gave a low chuckle, but their ears didn¡¯t move, ¡°Stupid, isn¡¯t it? I kept thinking I¡¯d be repurposed because I was damaged beyond repair.¡± ¡°... They never mentioned that, or correction.¡± TO said, ¡°But¡­¡± TO trailed off. They knew they should tell DH about their Overseer¡¯s experiment, but they didn¡¯t want to worry them. They didn¡¯t want DH to think that they hadn¡¯t been good enough, and that having a new eye was a fluke. ¡°But?¡± ¡°But I told them I knew there were eyes waiting to be used.¡± TO said, ¡°And the Overseers decided that you could have one of them.¡± There. That was true, even if it wasn¡¯t everything. Even if GiDi was giving TO a very hard look. Still, it didn¡¯t matter. DH suddenly seemed to relax. ¡°I suppose I¡¯m doing better than I thought I was.¡± They said. ¡°You still have to work hard!¡± GiDi said quickly. ¡°Of course!¡± DH said, ¡°But¡­ I¡¯m doing good! I¡¯m excelling! Just like TO!¡± ¡°I¡¯m not really excelling much.¡± TO muttered. ¡°Not now¡± DH¡¯s ears flicked back with concern, ¡°Why? What happened? What¡¯s wrong?¡± TO didn¡¯t really want to discuss their failures- how badly they had messed up their combat training, and how they had been placed in an awful position for vocational training. They hadn¡¯t yet told DH about Q10 and Snout. ¡°A lot¡¯s happened.¡± GiDi said quickly, ¡°TO¡­ Maybe you should start from the day of the newscast?¡± TO sighed, set their meal aside, and started telling DH about everything that had happened. Episode 72: Alethophobia TO was half asleep when a knock on the barrier of their pod pulled them from their half sleep with a start. It took them a second to wake up, and for a few moments they wondered if they had actually heard anything. They were about to go back to sleep when the knock came again. They reached out and opened the barrier to find DH on the other side, hanging off the ladder with their hand outreached. ¡°You ok?¡± TO asked through a yawn. DH¡¯s ears flicked down. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m fine. I just¡­ I wanted to talk?¡± TO nodded and pulled themselves into a sitting position to give DH space to climb in. DH crawled to the other end of the pod, and gestured for TO to close up the barrier. When they were alone, DH pulled their knees to their chest, their wings wrapped around themself as they stared at their toes. Their ears were pinned back, their hands were clutching at their naked legs. ¡°Are you certain you¡¯re alright?¡± TO said as they crept towards them,¡±You look almost scared!¡± their mind raced back to when they started to have nightmares about the dissection. The nightmares still happened from time to time, and they still reached out to DH to stay with them when it did. ¡°Did you have a nightmare?¡± They asked, ¡°I mean, I wouldn¡¯t be surprised, after what you went through-¡± ¡°No! No no. I mean¡­¡± DH looked away, ¡°I had some nightmares when I was in the Medical Bay-¡± ¡°And if you have nightmares, you should reach out to me or GiDi, right?¡± TO gave them a reassuring smile, ¡°If I had one, you¡¯d want me to reach out to you.¡± DH smiled back, their ears relaxing and their wings loosening up slightly, ¡°I know.¡± They said, ¡°And ...If I have a nightmare, I¡¯m waking you up, trust me.¡± They chuckled, but then wrapped their arms around their legs, ¡°I haven¡¯t even gotten to sleep yet though.¡± ¡°Are you in pain? We could go to the Medical Bay-¡± ¡°No¡­I¡¯m just thinking about stuff.¡± They put a hand to their forehead, ¡°I can¡¯t make my mind stop thinking, and I had to talk to you.¡± There was a sudden seriousness to their expression- focused and determined. ¡°Alright.¡± TO said, their voice softened by DH¡¯s sudden change in demeanour. They were never this serious, and it made TO worried. The idea that maybe DH would tell TO that they shouldn¡¯t be around one another crept into TO¡¯s mind. 55H75¡¯s words from earlier mixed with the first conversation they had back when TO first met DH; the warning away from a synth that might drag them down. Maybe DH thought that TO would drag them down now, since TO was struggling and DH just got approved for a new eye. ¡°I want to tell you-¡± they looked at TO, then looked away suddenly, ¡°I just need to say¡­¡± TO felt their own wings tighten around themself. Whatever it was DH was trying to say, it was a hard thing to communicate. The more they hesitated, the more anxious TO got and the more certain they were that DH was going to say that they didn¡¯t want to be around them anymore. DH glanced back to TO, saw their ears, saw the way their wings were wrapped around them, their hands clutching at their knees. They looked away once more and seemed to deflate. ¡°DH?¡± ¡°...C12 and Snout.¡± They finally said, their ears drooping down, ¡°You¡­You think they¡¯re actually a couple?¡± There was a moment where TO almost laughed. They had been nervous over nothing! Of course DH wouldn¡¯t want them to go away. That moment of relief disappeared immediately as they remembered Snout and C12, separated and alone. ¡°Yeah.¡± TO said, ¡°At least until they got separated-¡± ¡°Not because of you!¡± DH said firmly, ¡°And if C12 thinks that it¡¯s your fault, that¡¯s on them!¡± TO shook their head, ¡°But yes, they were a couple.¡± ¡°...You¡¯re positive?¡± ¡°Like I said-¡± TO said, their ears starting to flush blue, ¡°I can¡¯t see them acting like that and not being a couple. They were kissing! C12-¡± even though the pod was soundproof, TO lowered their voice, ¡°C12 was stroking Snouts ear! I can¡¯t see them doing that and not being a couple!¡± they looked aside, ¡°Besides, they said they¡¯d miss one another.¡± ¡°Did you think it was strange?¡± TO frowned at DH¡¯s question, ¡°GiDi asked me the same thing.¡± they said, ¡°No. I-I Mean, I knew I shouldn¡¯t have been there, but no, I didn¡¯t find them being -¡± They felt the very tips of their ears burn, ¡°I didn¡¯t find them being intimate to be strange. I just never considered that a synth could be like that.¡± ¡°Right.¡± DH said as they glanced away. ¡°...GiDi was really interested in it too.¡± TO said. They wanted to tell DH about what they had found out, how GiDi had kissed another synth at some point. They wanted DH¡¯s help to make GiDi happy, but they also didn¡¯t want to break GiDi¡¯s trust. ¡°From how they were talking, how interested they were, I think maybe they felt like that once. You know, I think maybe¡­ GiDi might have romantic feelings?¡± ¡°...You think GiDi loves another synth?¡± ¡°Well, I know they do!¡± They gave a half smile, ¡°They love us, right?¡± TO realized that when they told DH that they loved them the first time, there was a very good chance that DH hadn¡¯t really understood what was said. ¡°I¡­ I guess I wanted you two to know that also. I told you when you were drugged, but you probably don¡¯t remember. You two are my family, right? I love you both. I was worried that you¡¯d die and that I¡¯d never get to tell you¡­¡± They looked up, worried again that they had crossed a line. DH looked confused. Their ears were flicked out, their eyes wide. ¡°I¡¯m sorry!¡± TO said quickly, ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to say something weird, I just -¡± ¡°No no!¡± DH said as they leaned forward and put their hand on TO¡¯s knee, ¡°No. It¡¯s fine. I was just surprised.¡± Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings. ¡°I needed to tell you. You and GiDi.¡± TO said again, ¡°You¡¯re my family, and I love you both. I can¡¯t imagine life without you two.¡± ¡°...I know.¡± DH said, their voice soft and almost sad, ¡°I love you too.¡± TO relaxed and leaned against the inside of the pod, ¡°I want to do something for GiDi though.¡± They said, ¡°I mean¡­ I was so worried about you, I didn¡¯t even think about how scared they were. I left them alone¡­and that hurt them.¡± they looked up at DH, who honestly seemed like they were staring off into nothing, thinking deeply about something else.¡±DH?¡± ¡°Yeah?¡± ¡°Sorry. You just seemed distracted there.¡± DH shook their head, ¡°It¡¯s nothing,¡± They said, though TO could see their ears twitching. They were lying. Maybe the thought of GiDi being interested in someone made DH uncomfortable? TO realized that they hadn¡¯t asked if DH found the whole thing with C12 and Snout weird. ¡°Anyway¡­¡± TO said slowly, ¡° I want to do something for them and¡­ and if you¡¯re ok with that, I¡¯d like your help in doing it. I mean, if it wouldn¡¯t make you uncomfortable-¡± ¡°You know I¡¯d do anything for you.. And GiDi.¡± TO beamed; at least if DH was uncomfortable, they were willing to put it aside to make GiDi happy.¡± ¡°Good.¡± TO said, ¡°Because I think I know who GiDi might be interested in.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± DH kept their tone level, but their ears quirked up in panic, ¡°Who?¡± ¡°09T08.¡± ====== The three of them were early to their combat training the next day, since they had taken their food to the storage room right next to the simulation room. There was a sense of normalcy that comforted TO in this- the three of them relaxing and eating on their own before they had to be somewhere. It felt normal, even if the morning had started with the whispers and looks at DH. Well, at least there weren''t as many odd looks this time. C12 was waiting just outside the simulation training room, looking as dazed and sad as they had the last few days. TO put their head down to walk past them, but C12 stopped the three of them as they were entering. ¡°70H67.¡± They said as they looked over DH, ¡°I understand you¡¯re healed enough to participate in virtual training, correct?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± They said, looking away as well as their ears flicked down. ¡°Excellent. I can assume that you¡¯ve been updated as to what will be expected of you?¡± ¡°Yes, Retiree.¡± ¡°Good. Go in, take a seat.¡± The three of them started walking in again, but C12 put an arm down in front of TO and stopped them, ¡°Not you.¡± they said, ¡°Wait in the hallway for a little.¡± Panic coursed through TO. DH and GiDi looked like they wanted to say something, but C12 gestured for them to go into the training room. TO nodded, and wordlessly went to wait, leaning against the opposite wall. They kept their head down, and refused to look at C12. Maybe they were being taken out of this training. Maybe it had been determined that they weren¡¯t suited for combat. Maybe what TO had worried would happen to GiDi would happen to them instead. Would they be corrected? They remembered what their Overseer had said about scores changing. Had their score changed? Had it lowered? Could they be corrected now? The last of the synths arrived and entered the training room. C12 closed the door, and TO was alone with the Retiree in the hallway. TO knew they should say something, they wanted to say something! But their stomach was so queasy-¡± C12 cleared their throat. ¡°Today, I¡¯m going to-¡± ¡°I¡¯m so sorry!¡± C12 blinked in surprise, their ears quirking forward in a confused expression that would have been comical to TO if they weren¡¯t so scared. ¡°...For what?¡± ¡°For Snout. I¡¯m so sorry. I didn¡¯t want them gone, I just- ¡° ¡°Wait. Wait just one moment.¡± C12 said, their ears pinning back as they took a step towards them ¡°Who exactly are you talking about?¡± It took TO a moment to realize that they had called the former PQ12, Snout. The panic that had stayed in their stomach suddenly surged through their body. Of course, the moment they tried to make things a little better, they messed everything up. ¡°I¡­ I overheard-¡± they really didn¡¯t want to admit that they had seen how close, how intimate that C12 and Snout had been. ¡°I overheard you talking to them, and you called them that name, and since they¡¯re not around anymore, well, they don¡¯t have any of the assignments they might have had, so that¡¯s the only thing that seemed to make sense to call them, and I-¡± ¡°Stop.¡± C12 said, putting a hand to their head, massaging their temples with their thumb and forefinger, ¡°You do tend to ramble at times.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°When did you overhear me call them that?¡± ¡°Well, it was before they left. Obviously. But I-¡± ¡°None of this.¡± They snapped, ¡°Answer me directly 09T07; TO.¡± There was an almost accusatory tone to how they said their nickname, ¡°When did you overhear me call them that.¡± C12¡¯s fists were clenched, but their ears were pinned back. Their eyes were wider than they should have been, though the brows were narrowed down. Their lips curled up, but their wings tightened around them. TO looked down and felt their ears burning. ¡°...The day they were sent off?¡± They said carefully, ¡°...In the upper levels?¡± They glanced up to see how angry C12 was. At first, they seemed confused, but then their expression changed to horrified, then mortified as their ears fell limp and burned blue. TO couldn¡¯t take their eyes away from C12¡¯s ears at that point: they had never seen, and never thought to see, someone as advanced and intimidating as C12 look so flustered. ¡°You saw that.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to! I left quickly, I-¡± ¡°What were you even doing up there?!¡± TO looked away, ¡°I wanted to help.¡± They said, ¡°I... I figured you were close to them. I wanted to find them, to apologize to them, and see if I could do something¡­ I know you said I should just stay quiet, but it¡¯s my fault that they¡¯re gone, and I wanted to do something - anything- that might-¡± ¡°Who in the galaxy said it was YOUR fault?¡± ¡°I¡­ you.. You said that I needed to be more careful. That my curiosity-¡± ¡°Yes, but I didn¡¯t say it was your fault!¡± Their stance relaxed, and though their ears were still a deep blue, they didn''t seem angry anymore. ¡°I warned you about your curiosity so you wouldn¡¯t get in trouble!¡± ¡°You asked what I¡¯d say-¡± ¡°Because I wanted to know what you¡¯d say if anyone questioned you, which thankfully they didn¡¯t!¡± They frowned, ¡°I never said it was your fault.¡± ¡°But you were so-¡± They frowned, ¡°You weren¡¯t treating me the same.¡± A shuffle, a readjustment of the wings as C12 looked aside, ¡°Well, I wasn¡¯t treating anyone the same.¡± In the silence that followed, TO realized suddenly that although C12 was a retiree, well accomplished, and their teacher, they were also just another synth. They were a strange synth who lost someone important to them. TO wondered how they themself would act if they suddenly lost DH or GiDi. They very much doubted they could treat anyone normally for a long time. ¡°You were angry at me.¡± they said in a meek, quiet voice, ¡°You yelled at me.¡± ¡°Yes. Because you lied to your commanding officer! Do you have any idea what would have happened if you had done that in a real situation? Do you know what would have happened if-¡± they stopped, and took a deep breath, ¡°Yes. I was angry at that. You can¡¯t lie to your commanding officers. If you¡¯re not in charge, you have to just obey orders. Do you understand that?¡± ¡°Y-Yes, Retiree.¡± ¡°And if you don¡¯t do that, you¡¯ll be considered useless. What happens if you¡¯re useless?¡± TO¡¯s ears flicked down in fear, ¡°If you¡¯re useless, you get corrected. Or repurposed.¡± ¡°Yes. And you have far too much potential for that to happen to you. Do you understand?¡± ¡°Yes, Retiree.¡± C12 stood back, and took a long deep breath. Slowly, their ears started to return to normal. ¡°... I¡¯d ask you not to tell anyone about what you saw.¡± ¡°... I¡¯m so sorry.¡± They said, ¡°I was upset. I was worried I ruined everything. I told GiDi and DH.¡± C12 sighed and rubbed the bridge of their snout, ¡°Nobody other than them, then,¡± they said, ¡°And I¡¯d appreciate it if they said nothing.¡± ¡°They won¡¯t.¡± ¡°...Good.¡± C12 said after a moment, ¡°Go in. You¡¯ll be working with others again. I assume you¡¯ve learned how to follow orders?¡± They weren¡¯t being taken away? They were being put back with the other synths? ¡°Yes, Retiree.¡± TO said, ¡°... But may I ask you a question?¡± ¡°I reserve the right not to answer.¡± ¡°...Did you have me put in Shipping and Receiving?¡± To TO¡¯s surprise, C12 winced. ¡°You got put there?¡± They said, ¡°Tedious work, and the officer there is -¡± They glanced up at TO, as though they had just forgotten who they were talking to, ¡°The Commanding officer is someone you should obey, regardless of how inane their orders might be. And no, I had nothing to do with it. As far as I know, the assignments are random.¡± There was almost a weakness and a dizziness to TO as their fears started to alleviate. They couldn''t help themself when they asked, ¡°You don¡¯t hate me?¡± As soon as the words left their mouth, they felt their ears burn. That wasn¡¯t the kind of question they were supposed to ask a Retiree! They looked up, about to apologize, but to their surprise, C12 chuckled. ¡°Not last I checked, no.¡± They said. ¡°I¡¯m sorry about Snout. That they¡¯re gone, I mean.¡± C12 nodded, Their ears sinking down, ¡°I appreciate that.¡± they said. ¡°Now go in. There¡¯s training to do.¡± Feeling better than they had in days, TO went into the simulation room ready to do whatever was required of them. Episode 73: Fall It was sunset on an alien planet. TO had been set in the middle of the wilderness- a hilly landscape of yellow grass as far as their eyes could see, where giant cacti grew in between trees with waxy leaves. The sky was clear, though the fading sun was far too bright for TO to see properly without their helmet. The air was warm, but terribly humid. They took deep breaths as they tried to draw in enough air to be comfortable. They couldn¡¯t. They didn¡¯t like this planet; or at least, they didn¡¯t like this simulation of a planet. A moment later, two other synths that TO didn¡¯t recognize materialized. They looked around, shading their eyes as they winced at the brightness of the sun. Another moment passed and TO sighed with relief as DH materialized in. ¡°That one is with us.¡± one of the other synths said. TO turned on them, enraged by the disdain in their voice, by the way they spat out the word ¡°that.¡± TO was ready to snap at them, to tell them that DH was just as capable as any others were- likely more so. Only they weren¡¯t looking at DH with that sneer on their face, they were looking at TO. ¡°Excuse you?¡± TO said as their ears flicked out in confusion. ¡°You. 09T07.¡± They gestured to TO¡¯s tag, ¡°You¡¯re the one that deceived the others in the simulation before. We can¡¯t trust you.¡± ¡°That was once!¡± TO said, ¡°And I¡¯ve learned better!¡± Their uniforms shimmered and turned green this time. They were being synced to the simulation. Soon they would be given their directives and the Commander for this mission would be assigned. ¡°Have you?¡± one of the synths who now had S41 on their uniform said, ¡°How are we supposed to believe that-¡± ¡°Well, you can check my ears!¡± TO snapped, ¡°I don¡¯t have a helmet on right this moment.¡± ¡°Hey!¡± DH, now acclimated to the simulation and the light, stepped between TO and the others, ¡°Hey, 09T07-¡± ¡°S51.¡± S41 said as they stepped forward. ¡°S51 then; if they say they¡¯ve learned, and that they won¡¯t do it again, then they won¡¯t!¡± They gestured to TO, ¡°Besides, they¡¯re right. Look at their ears; Do they look like they¡¯re lying?¡± ¡°Not at the moment.¡± S41 said, ¡°But once the simulation starts, they¡¯ll have their helmet on and we won¡¯t be able to judge by their ears.¡± ¡°We should work without them!¡± said one of the other synths- this one was taller and skinnier than TO was used to seeing, and had been given the designation S30 for the time ¡°Leave them here. I¡¯d rather be short handed than risk them messing everything up.¡± ¡°Hey, I¡¯m back in this now!¡± TO said, their ears pinning back and their wings puffing up around them, ¡°I messed up once, I don¡¯t intend to do it again!¡± they didn¡¯t want to go back to days of solitary training while everyone else progressed and learned. They didn¡¯t want to be separated from the others, even if the others didn¡¯t want anything to do with them. ¡°This could be a test of judgement.¡± S41 said, ¡°We know that that one cannot be trusted. As such, do we use them?¡± ¡°C12 thought that I had progressed enough to come back into the simulations-¡± ¡°Or they thought it would be a good testing opportunity.¡± S30 said. Before the argument could continue, their mission orders came in. TO quickly brought up the orders, hoping against their better judgement that they¡¯d be made the commanding officer this time. It wouldn¡¯t make sense for C12 to impress upon them the importance of following orders, then put them in a simulation where they were giving orders. Still. If they were the commanding officer in this simulation, then the argument would be over. MISSION ORDERS SITUATION: A group of insurgents have set up camp in the wilds of this planet. They are planning a strike against a major city which could lead to massive civilian casualties. An insurgent support team (Team Yellow) is also searching for the insurgents. Should Team Yellow contact the insurgency first, they will assist them and the strike will commence. MISSION: Locate the insurgency base before Team Yellow. EXECUTION: placing the provided marker in the central dias of the base will alert backup forces to the location, and allow for a quick strike to neutralize the insurgents. This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon. SUPPORT: -multiguns provided -Location confirmed within perimeter marked on map COMMANDER: S43 Confusion flicked over TO¡¯s face as they looked up and checked the number on DH¡¯s uniform. Sure enough, the patch over their heart read S43. ¡°DH.¡± TO said, forgetting for the moment that the other two were even there, ¡°You¡¯re the Commanding Officer.¡± A moment of panic flicked over DH¡¯s face as their ears flicked down. They checked the number on their uniform and realized that what TO was saying was right. ¡°No. No that can¡¯t be right.¡± They said, ¡°I only just got back. I¡¯ve never been in a simulation like this before!¡± ¡°I am positive that you were chosen to be Commander for a reason.¡± S41 said as they took a step forward, ¡°After all, if you were chosen for an eye transplant, then the Overseers must see something in you that they wish to strengthen, yes?¡± DH looked at them, confused, then looked back to TO. ¡°IF D- IF S43 is the Commanding Officer, then we should do as they order.¡± TO said, taking a step back and clasping their hands behind them. They had to obey orders. At least now, with DH in command TO wouldn¡¯t have to worry about being excluded. This would be perfect! They could prove that they could follow orders and hopefully they wouldn¡¯t have the same problems again tomorrow. The countdown started. Their uniforms morphed into the armor that they had been wearing during scenarios in the simulations. Thankfully, as soon as the helmet went over TO¡¯s head it was easier to breathe and the light didn¡¯t hurt their eyes as much. Regardless, TO could still tell that DH had frozen. They didn¡¯t say a word, and weren¡¯t moving. ¡°S43.¡± TO said in careful common, hoping that DH would understand that it was better to speak common in the armor, ¡°Do you have a plan?¡± DH looked from the other two synths to TO, ¡°I¡­ What do you think I should do?¡± TO suppressed a curse. DH could lead- they had done it in games; they were just nervous now. TO wanted to tell them that it was alright. They wanted to tell them what to do, but they knew that they had to follow orders, and that DH had to do this for themselves. They wanted to encourage DH, to put a hand on their shoulder and tell them that they¡¯d do fine¡­ but others were respecting DH now, and TO didn¡¯t want to affect that. ¡°You¡¯re the Commander.¡± TO said. ¡°You have to decide.¡± The countdown continued. ¡°Right.¡± DHsaid, their voice strangely monotone in common, ¡°Alright. We need to find the base. Let¡¯s fly, and circle around. We should be able to find something.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± TO said. ¡°Where do you want us to fly?¡± They hoped that by asking a simple question, they could push DH into realizing what they had to do next. Thankfully, DH seemed to understand. ¡°Right.¡± they said, ¡°There¡¯s four of us, so let¡¯s take compass directions-¡± DH started giving orders, telling them all to take a separate direction. TO had hoped that they would have a second, a brief moment to point something out to DH, but they knew that they were being watched, and they didn¡¯t want DH to seem like they couldn¡¯t manage the job. They also didn¡¯t want anyone to think they were trying to take over the role of Commander. Even though TO knew that DH had made one big mistake, they hoped against logic that they would still be the winners and find the base first. There was nowhere to hide here once they were airborne, so if they didn¡¯t find the base soon, they¡¯d be attacked. ===== ¡°Is anyone else still in?¡± DH¡¯s voice came over the radio, panicked and frantic. TO hardly had time to really notice it as they spun away from the oncoming shots of the opposite team, spiraling and frantically searching for a place to hide. There was no place to hide. The wilderness was too vast. Maybe if they had stayed closer to the ground in the first place - a plan that TO had considered in the beginning- then they could have hidden among the hills. Well, too late for that now. ¡°I¡¯m still here.¡± TO said as they spun out of the way again. They rose up, dropped, and took the moments when gravity guided them to shoot at their attackers. The volley of shots hit one member of team yellow, and sent them down to the ground. That shot seemed to be entirely luck because when TO shot at the other synth, they missed entirely. The other member of team yellow fired at TO who swooped up just in time to avoid being struck. ¡°I¡¯ve taken one out.¡± TO said as they swooped and dodged in the air. They felt silly, but they knew that if they flew in a straight line for more than a moment they¡¯d be taken down. ¡°How many of us are left?¡± ¡°You, me, and S41.¡± ¡°Good. I took out one of theirs; We¡¯re even. I don¡¯t like how we¡¯ve only seen three of them so far though.¡± ¡°Maybe they¡¯re shorthanded?¡± ¡°No.¡± TO only just spiraled out of the way of another shot; the synth that was chasing them apparently was starting to figure out the inadvertent patterns that TO was flying in. They cursed and went out of their way to change their movements. ¡°I don¡¯t think they¡¯d be short handed. If I were them-¡± TO didn¡¯t have a chance to tell DH what they would have done. The missing opponent suddenly rose up from the ground and went right for TO, firing. TO swooped out of the way and shot back, but they missed. A shot hit them in the back. They felt pain - like a sudden burning on their back- as they fell to the ground. They tried to rise up again, to fly and get away, but one of their wings wasn''t responding. The ground approached. They fell, but thankfully when they would have hit the ground they instead felt as though they had burst through the world, and it seemed like they were spiraling into nothing. Their sense of gravity returned, their senses reorganized, and they woke up back in the simulation room. TO took off their helmet, but stayed sitting in the chair. They felt dizzy, and their heart felt like it was about to burst out of their chest. Some of the other synths were walking around, stretching. Others who had just woken up were still sitting back in their chairs. TO thought they might be sick; the sensation of spiraling through nothingness made them feel queasy, and the image of the ground rushing up towards them only for them to pass though it had left them shaken. They wanted to lay down somewhere quiet, but that wasn¡¯t possible. TO looked around for C12, and sure enough they saw the Retiree head towards them with a display hovering in front of them. TO felt their ears flick down as they prepared to be berated. ¡°Not bad.¡± C12 said as they approached, ¡°Your aim could use some work though. I¡¯m going to put you in a simulation specifically for aim for the rest of today''s session, and-¡± ¡°But¡­ but I lost?¡± TO frowned, ¡°The others still might win, but-¡± ¡°You followed orders, and did what you were supposed to do.¡± C12 gestured at their display, and it showed a view through TO¡¯s eyes as they spoke to the others at the beginning of the simulation. It was the point where DH asked TO what they would do. ¡°Can I assume that you had a plan?¡± C12 said. ¡°Yes, Retiree.¡± ¡°I understand why, in this case, you didn¡¯t share it. However, you are able to offer advice and give opinions in combat. You just have to be prepared to follow orders even if your commanding officer decides not to take your advice. Understood?¡±¡¯ ¡°Yes, Retiree.¡± ¡°Still, Good job. Stretch for a few minutes before you go back in.¡± They flicked to another screen, and started towards another synth who had just woken up. TO lay back, too exhausted to stretch just yet. They heard C12 give the other synth a brief rundown of what they did good, where they could improve - in their case, their agility needed work- and then inform them that they were being put in a separate program for the rest of the day. Well, at least that seemed normal. TO didn¡¯t want to go again. TO didn¡¯t want to do another simulation; they were tired, their muscles hurt, and they felt dizzy. They just wanted to sit there and relax for a few minutes. Maybe take a nap. With a sigh, they got up and started stretching their muscles. It didn¡¯t matter what they wanted; they had to train so that they could serve King Decon. Episode 74: Outside ¡°Are you angry with me?¡± DH¡¯s question took TO by surprise. It seemed to take GiDi by surprise as well. They were all walking down the hall and away from the showers when DH suddenly asked that. ¡°No?¡± TO said, confused, ¡°Why would I be?¡± DH shrugged, their wings tightening around them, ¡°Well, you didn¡¯t say much in the simulation.¡± they said as their ears sunk down, ¡°I asked what you¡¯d do. I didn¡¯t know what to do, and you wouldn¡¯t help me-¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that I didn¡¯t want to!¡± TO protested, ¡°I¡¯ve only just been allowed back in the simulations with other synths! I was just being very careful-¡± ¡°And you called me 70H67. You never call me that anymore- not to my face.¡± ¡°It was only because I was worried about the others!¡± TO said, ¡°They didn¡¯t like me, and I didn¡¯t want you to have trouble with them.¡± ¡°What happened?¡± GiDi asked, ¡°You two were in the same simulation?¡± ¡°We were.¡± DH muttered, ¡°And it went terribly. C12 had me doing logic puzzles by myself for the rest of the session. ¡°And I got shooting drills.¡± TO added, ¡°We didn¡¯t come out victorious.¡± ¡°Well, my team did, and I was still put in to do extra flight maneuvering-¡± ¡°Wait.¡± TO stopped and turned to GiDi, ¡°You didn¡¯t do well in flight?¡± ¡°Well, I could have done better.¡± they tilted their head at TO, their ears twitching in concern, ¡°You realize that no matter how well you do, you¡¯re going to be given something to work on, right? It¡¯s been like that since the start.¡± they shrugged, ¡°There¡¯s always something to work on. That¡¯s why we¡¯re there.¡± TO shook their head and turned back to DH, ¡°Anyway...Why would I be angry with you? You didn¡¯t do anything.¡± DH shrugged, but didn¡¯t look at TO, ¡°Well, the others were being nasty to you-¡± ¡°What happened?¡± GiDi demanded, their ears flicking back suddenly. ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± TO said, ¡°The other synths in with us were worried because of how I acted in the first simulation.¡± They frowned as they felt their ears flick back in shame, ¡°Understandable, but irritating all the same.¡± ¡°And they were going on and on about me, because I got this!¡± They pointed to the eyepatch over their new eye, ¡°I didn¡¯t even do anything for it. TO made sure I got this-¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter.¡± TO said quickly as they hurried down the hall, ¡°I¡¯m not angry with you, DH. I¡¯m really not. I just didn¡¯t want to cause a problem.¡± DH seemed unsure, but nodded as they followed TO, ¡°Alright.¡± They said, ¡°If you¡¯re sure you¡¯re not angry with me.¡± ¡°Positive!¡± TO said, their voice far more cheerful than they actually felt, ¡°Come on. Let¡¯s get some food and head to our pods. It¡¯ll be nice to get back to normal.¡± ====== TO really wasn¡¯t angry at DH. They did everything that they could over their meal time to let DH know this, they showed DH puzzles and mazes that they could work through later to try to help them in future simulations. They smiled more than normal. They put on some of DH¡¯s favourite music while they ate. When they were alone as they headed to Shipping and Receiving, it was almost a relief to be able to relax and be angry. It wasn¡¯t fair! 55H75 didn¡¯t know what they were talking about! They thought that DH got that eye on their own merit but in truth it was because of TO and Overseer T! TO pointed out that there was an eye ready to be used. TO had been working hard to help GiDi and DH improve, and it was that improvement which got noticed by Overseer T who was the one who actually made the argument to get DH a new eye! This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there. On their own merit, DH wouldn¡¯t have gotten that eye. TO didn¡¯t want to say that- others were treating DH better now and that was good at least- but it was the truth! It also wasn¡¯t fair that because TO had messed up once, others seemed to be acting nasty towards them for it now. TO was supposed to be the one who excelled! They were the good one! Apparently not anymore. At least C12 didn¡¯t hate them. At least their placement in Shipping and Receiving wasn¡¯t a punishment. They stopped in front of the doors that led to Shipping and Receiving to compose themself. C12 wasn¡¯t angry with them, but they had still messed up at the beginning of the simulation training. Now their goal was to work hard, and do their best to show that they could excel again. If that meant that they had to follow orders and say nothing, then they would do that. ====== ¡°I¡¯m here.¡± TO said as they approached SR45. The other synth was looking at a file on their chip, and there was a hint of panic when they looked up, followed by a brief moment of relief. With a gesture they closed the file they were working on. ¡°Excellent. Follow me.¡± they said as they started walking away from the control panel. TO ran up to them and kept pace at their side. They wanted to ask what they were doing, but didn¡¯t want to ask questions and get SR45 irritated with them. They had to excel. They had to do better. They had to learn to follow orders and not ask questions. SR45 led them past other shipping docks and to a large storage room. Inside, there were rows and rows of spacesuits, designed for easy movement outside of the training center. They were all grey, and nearly skintight save for the large, hollow compartment on the back where a synth¡¯s wings would fit. SR45 gestured to a platform, ¡°Stand there.¡± They said. TO compiled without asking why- Were they to be weighed? Would this bring them somewhere?- and simply watched as a beam of thin light ran over them from all directions. A moment later a bell chimed from somewhere and a suit was pulled out of the racks by wires built into the ceiling. It stopped in front of TO. ¡°Put that on over your uniform.¡± SR45 said as they pressed their chip to a scanner to call forth a suit for themselves as well, ¡°One of my assigned shipping crates got stuck out just past the docking station; it¡¯s right thruster is damaged and I have to go get it.¡± Aren¡¯t there machines that can do it? Other ships? It seems dangerous to have us go out in suits to retrieve it! How would they even manage to pull it? TO wanted to ask all these questions, but at that very moment even if they felt comfortable asking questions of SR45 they wouldn¡¯t have. They were going outside the training facility. They were going outside! Into space! They¡¯d see the nebula without any barriers in the way. They¡¯d float, weightless in the void of space! ====== Once they were dressed in their suits, SR45 and TO entered the lateral elevator that would take them just past the artificial magnetic gravity field. As they sped along, standing in silence on either side of the elevator, SR45 suddenly turned to TO, and gestured to the bar that ran around them. ¡°Hold onto that.¡± SR45 said in Universal common, ¡°We¡¯re almost out.¡± TO grabbed the bar just as they passed the magnetic barrier and the gravity that TO had lived with suddenly gave way as though someone had turned it off with the flick of a switch. Their feet rose up and they nearly let go of the bar in their surprise. Without thinking, they tried to spread their wings only to have them beat on the inside of the suit. ¡°If you decide you need to vomit, I recommend against that.¡± SR45 said, ¡°The suits do have a filtration system that can deal with such a mess, but it¡¯s rather unpleasant.¡± The elevator stopped. The doors opened not to the void of space, but to another part of the center. There were Synths working there, wearing suits and moving around in the weightlessness, using bars that ran through the large, wide room or by using magnetic grappling hooks to pull themselves where they needed to be. One of the synths came up to SR45. ¡°You¡¯re going after shipping crate 1-2359?¡± ¡°Affirmative.¡± They nodded, and seemed to activate their chip. At first TO didn¡¯t see a screen appear before the other synth but then realized that the screen was being projected on the visor of the helmet. TO quickly checked their own chip and saw that instead of having their own files projected before them, the files appeared on the inside of their own visor. ¡°Exit 65 should be the closest to the shipping crate.¡± The other synth said after a long moment, ¡°You can use that one. I¡¯ve given you both permissions to open the gates.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± SR45 said. Without another word they pulled themselves along one of the bars and deeper into the room. TO closed up their files and followed after them. ¡°Have you had much experience yet with work outside, and zero gravity?¡± ¡°No, SR45.¡± TO said. They wouldn¡¯t learn much about that until much later in their combat training. They figured that SR45 should have known that. ¡°Of course you haven¡¯t.¡± they said. In universal common, it was difficult for TO to tell if SR45 was irritated by this or not, ¡°Very well. This is a simple task, so I will tell you the basics you will need when we get there.¡± ¡°Yes, SR45.¡± They finally got to a door that read ¡®Exit 65¡¯ in glowing green lettering. SR45 scanned their chip and the door opened to reveal a small room. They ushered TO inside, and the door closed behind them. There was an additional hissing, and a hum as the door became airtight. SR45 went to the wall and opened a panel to reveal a set of harnesses. They passed one to TO. ¡°Put this on over your suit.¡± They instructed as they took out another for themselves, ¡°It¡¯s to keep you from floating off into space should something unexpected happen.¡± They opened another panel while TO was putting the harness on, and took out something that looked like a small rocket thruster, no bigger than TO¡¯s forearm. Once TO had the harness on SR45 pulled a cord from a compartment on the side of the small thruster and strapped it around TO¡¯s waist. ¡°This is to help you move. Don¡¯t use too much fuel, just use it to start pushing yourself in the direction you want to move in¡± ¡°Understood.¡± SR45 put on their own harness and strapped another thruster to their own waist, ¡°I¡¯m about to open the door.¡± they said, ¡°We¡¯ll be sucked out immediately unless you hold onto the bars here.¡± They demonstrated by wrapping an arm around a set of vertical bars near the door, ¡°Once the pressure is equalized, we can continue. Just follow me and do what I say.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± TO was clutching at the bars, their ears practically fluttering in their helmet with excitement. Wait until they told DH and GiDi that they had gone into space! That they had been outside the training center! ¡°Very well.¡± SR45 said. They quickly checked their own harness, then TO¡¯s. Once they were satisfied that everything was secure, they nodded. ¡°Prepare yourself. I¡¯m opening the door on the count of three. One. Two-¡± Episode 75: Edacaeli ¡°-one!¡± The doors opened, and the sudden depressurization made TO feel like they were about to be sucked out into the void of space. They closed their eyes in terror and clutched at the bar with all their strength. They knew that it only took a brief second for the pressure around them to stabilize but their mind seemed to slow that time down until it dragged out, giving TO plenty of time to think of all the things that could go wrong, and all the horrible, slow ways they could die. Then it was over. The pressure faded and they were simply floating. They felt SR45 tap them on the shoulder. ¡°It¡¯s over. You¡¯re fine.¡± They said through the communicators in the helmet. ¡°You can let go of the bar.¡± They didn¡¯t let go of the bar; they didn¡¯t know if they were ready for that yet. They slowly opened their eyes and turned to look out into space. Beautiful. They knew that they wouldn¡¯t see the nebula as it looked in the pictures- they were far too close for that- but they hoped they would see something at least. They weren¡¯t disappointed. A lightly glowing purple fog covered the area, catching the distant light of the far-off star that sat in the very center of the nebula. Wisps of plasma hung in the distance, like glowing clouds or soft waves of electricity that glowed a sharp green against the otherwise soft purple glow. Darker sections of the nebula blocked off the light, creating shadows which were outlined in such vivid colors that TO almost didn¡¯t believe it was real. The brightest colors they had ever seen before had been on screens or in simulations. They had never seen such beauty with their own eyes. ¡°You won¡¯t fall away.¡± SR45 said. It was hard to tell if they were irritated or not because they were speaking common. ¡°You¡¯re strapped on properly, so even if you lose your thruster you can pull yourself back in.¡± It seemed like SR45 took TO¡¯s hesitation for nervousness instead of awe. TO let go of the bar and gently pushed themself towards the door. They drifted forward, focusing on the glowing clouds in the distance, the lines of electric color, and the shining stars all around. They felt tears burn at their eyes, and for a moment they were confused; they weren¡¯t sad, so why were they crying? ¡°See. you¡¯re fine.¡± SR45 said, ¡°Now follow me. I¡¯ll show you where the transport is.¡± How could they be so calm? How could they be so focused on such a seemingly insignificant task? All TO wanted to do in this moment was float there and look at everything around them, to soak in the colors and shapes before them so that they were etched in their mind for the rest of their lives. The pictures on the screens, and even seeing all this in an observation deck didn¡¯t compare to being out in space and seeing it all for themself. How would they show DH and GiDi this? ¡°09T07?¡± TO pulled their attention away from the colors all about them with every ounce of willpower they possessed. They turned on their little thruster and followed after SR45 to deal with the broken transport. SR45 led TO through the fog and past the properly secured shipping crates. They only used their thrusters once, and only for a split second before they allowed themself to coast through space to get where they wanted to go. Occasionally they would use the crates to push themself in one direction or another, or kick off from one to get some momentum. SR45 turned back now and again to check that TO was behind them, but TO was more than capable of mimicking their actions and following close by. When they got to the edge of the cretes, SR45 stopped. ¡°You learn fast.¡± They commented.¡±I expected you to get stuck at least once.¡± ¡°Thank you, SR45.¡± TO said. ¡°It¡¯s a relief. I wouldn¡¯t have taken you out here, but there was nobody else available, and we¡¯re not to go outside of the center alone.¡± ¡°I am glad for the opportunity to lear- to be of greater use to King Decon.¡± Whenever TO said anything about improving themselves or wanting to learn, they always got this disapproving look from SR45. They learned soon that unless they linked it to serving King Decon, wanting to just improve and learn for themself was seen as weird. ¡°Very well.¡± They said. They pointed out past the secured crates, ¡°There¡¯s our crate.¡± They pointed to something that was slowly spinning in place. A wire had caught it at one corner, and clamped into it to keep it from spinning off. There was some kind of cockpit in the front, and from within TO could see red lights flashing. ¡°I didn¡¯t realize that it was piloted.¡± TO said. ¡°It¡¯s not. All the crates are capable of being piloted by an actual synth or person in case of emergency. However, this is normally only done in the event of mechanical failure. That¡¯s what we¡¯ll be dealing with today. There¡¯s a repair kit in the cockpit. All we need to do is get that, fix the broken engine, and then manually dock it.¡± They turned to TO, ¡°Do you have any mechanical training?¡± ¡°No, I do not.¡± ¡°I see. Are you able to fly any spacecraft?¡± ¡°No. Well, in theory. I sometimes run the flight simulations on my computer.¡± ¡°I see. Very well. At the very least you can hand me things. Follow.¡± They pushed themself off the crate they had been holding onto, and floated towards the damaged crate. TO did the same thing, and followed closely. SR45 got to the crate first, and before TO had gotten there they had already opened up the cockpit and grabbed the repair kit. They pushed it to TO, who caught it only to have their momentum thrown off and their direction changed. They had to use their thruster to correct their course and get back to the crate. They followed SR45 then, holding onto the edge of the crate until they got to the back where the broken engine had its own red blinking light. SR45 pulled a hook on a wire from their harness, and connected it to the edge of the crate- it was apparently a strong magnet, and connected instantly. TO found the same thing on their harness, and copied them. Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator. ¡°The tools should be labeled.¡± They muttered as they typed in a code and opened a panel on the side of the engine, ¡°So long as you can read, you can help.¡± TO nodded, and very carefully opened the toolkit to see that every tool was secured in it¡¯s own compartment. Well, of course they would be, otherwise they¡¯d float off into space. They were ordered with numbers and letters as well, so TO was able to find what was needed quickly even if they didn¡¯t know the specific tool. After a moment of looking at the engine, SR45 held out a hand and simply said, ¡°D7.¡± TO found the tool and handed it to SR45 who instantly started working. ¡°I didn¡¯t know that those in shipping and receiving were trained in mechanical repair.¡± TO commented. ¡°We¡¯re not. Not officially.¡± SR45 muttered, ¡°It is something that I simply picked up; I had vocational training in vehicle repair, and used the skills I learned there several times in my galactic placement.¡± TO pushed themself so that they were floating behind SR45, and in a position to see what they were doing. Ideally, they wanted to try to learn from them, but the glow of the nebula, the hazy, shimmering fog around them, and the sight of distant bright dots moving in circles distracted them. SR45 demanded another tool as they held out the first. TO gave them what they wanted, and replaced the other without SR45 even noticing that they hadn¡¯t been paying attention . How could they show DH and GiDi all this? Pictures and video didn¡¯t do it justice. Even looking at the nebula from within the center didn¡¯t really capture what it really looked like - TO figured that maybe the glass filtered out certain lights. It was while TO was looking at the galaxy around them that they finally noticed the dots heading towards them. At first, they thought that they were just like the other tiny dots in the distance, circling one another before drifting off into the distant clouds. They hardly noticed them until they turned to pass SR45 another tool, then looked back to see that the dots had gotten significantly bigger. ¡°...SR45?¡± They said without taking their eyes off the lights. ¡°Yes?¡± SR45 snapped, clearly ready for them to ask a question that they didn¡¯t have the patience to answer. ¡°What are those lights? They look like they¡¯re heading towards us.¡± SR45 froze. They turned to see what TO was looking at, then turned back and frantically looked over the engine. They made one more adjustment before closong the panel, then shifted themself down under the crate. TO heard a sharp intake of air over the radio. ¡°Get down here.¡± They said, ¡°Bring me G6.¡± TO went under the ship with the tool in hand, and saw something leaking from a vent under the crate, the droplets floating about and catching the light like tiny blue gems ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± TO asked. ¡°Liquid Oxygen.¡± SR45 said, ¡°And those things-¡± They gestured back towards the lights, ¡°Are called edacaeli. They smell the oxygen, and they¡¯re coming for it.¡± ¡°And¡­ that¡¯s bad?¡± TO ventured. ¡°Very.¡± SR45 said, and even through the use of Universal Common, TO could catch a hint of panic to their voice, ¡°They¡¯ll come to eat the liquid oxygen that¡¯s floating around. They survive off of the oxygen in that nebula, and it¡¯s rare so they eat everything they can get, and they''re very good at finding it.¡± They opened a panel, and more of the liquid oxygen leaked out, They reached into the piping, and started to work, ¡°If they get this, they¡¯ll find the rest of what¡¯s in the crate, and then they¡¯ll find what''s in our own oxygen reserves.¡± ¡°Should we go back in?¡± TO ventured ¡°It¡¯s our job to get the crate inside.¡± SR45 said, ¡°We do our job.¡± ¡°Alright¡­ But even if they get too close to us, they won¡¯t be able to get our oxygen, right? I mean, if they feed off oxygen, they can¡¯t have a lot in terms of teeth.¡± ¡°I am unworried about their teeth.¡± TO was about to ask why, but they turned back quickly to see these dots of light rushing towards them. They didn¡¯t seem overall too big, and TO couldn¡¯t make out a lot of details yet but they could see that they were still shining brightly, and leaving a trail of fire behind them. ¡°How do you think they move through space?¡± SR45 said, ¡°They get too close to us, they¡¯ll burn through our suits and get the oxygen that way. Then they¡¯ll start burning crates.¡± TO pushed themselves down closer to SR45, but kept silent. They watched, holding their own breath as SR45 worked on the leak with a focus that - given the immediate danger- TO would have thought impossible. The creatures were getting closer. TO could make out tendrils spirling around them- twelve in all. Were they tentacles, or just parts of the fiery trial that dissolved behind them? TO couldn¡¯t tell yet. ¡°T5¡± SR45 said. TO took the tool back from them and gave them what they wanted. The creatures were closer; those tendrils were definitely tentacles, and they seemed to have hooks on the end. Fire aside, could the hooks rip through their suits? How long could a synth last out in space without a suit? Maybe 20 seconds before they lost consciousness. Maybe more if they had a damaged suit; it was hard to tell. ¡°H7¡± SR45 demanded. TO wondered how they had all the tools memorized. The creatures had blue spots showing in the middle of the light they gave off. One rose up suddenly, and for a brief moment TO could see it¡¯s outline- a rounded head with bright blue eyes all around and strange protrusions on either side of what TO assumed to be their head. They couldn¡¯t see a mouth, but through the light, TO was impressed that they could see anything. ¡°Almost done.¡± SR45 said. They glanced back at the creatures, then went back to their work with a resigned sigh, ¡°We¡¯re not going to make it.¡± They said, ¡°I¡¯ll fix the crate, so that way maybe it won¡¯t attract more of them and the other crates might be safe, but we¡¯ll burn when they get a little closer. ¡°Why would they come closer if it¡¯s fixed?¡± TO demanded, clutching to the crate. They thought of DH and GiDi. Would they be told what happened to them, or would TO seem to just disappear with nobody telling their friends what happened. ¡°They want the oxygen. They can smell it in the void, and this is the highest concentration around.¡± The idea formed in TO¡¯s head suddenly. ¡°Fine.¡± they said as they floated behind SR45, ¡°I¡¯ll give them oxygen.¡± SR45 didn¡¯t have time to ask what TO was doing. TO pulled the tank of oxygen that was implanted into the case for SR45¡¯s wings, and pulled it out. The suit hummed, and sealed shut to preserve what oxygen was left in SR45¡¯s suit. ¡°What are you doing!¡± They demanded, though they didn¡¯t stop working. ¡°The suit has an air supply in it, yes?¡± They asked. ¡°Yes. To facilitate-¡± ¡°Don¡¯t talk.¡± TO said, ¡°Use that.¡± They took a long sharp metal prong from the toolkit, and used it to puncture the tank. The tank flew from TO¡¯s hand immediately and shot away from them. The trail of oxygen it left in its wake attracted the edacaeli who turned and chased after the new oxygen supply. SR45 said nothing - they couldn¡¯t- they were trying to make their oxygen last. They demanded one more tool from TO, then passed them the rest of the tools. They glanced about, looking for the edacaeli which were now far away, feeding on the trail of oxygen that the tank had left. SR45 pulled themself back up to the main side of the crate with almost frantic movements, opened the door to the cockpit then threw TO in first before they got in and closed the door. The door locked behind them. SR45 pressed some buttons on the dashboard, and there was a sudden hiss around them. A light started flashing, warning about depressurization and oxygenation. A moment later, a green light came on. SR45 pulled off their helmet. They were paler than TO had ever seen any synth before which contrasted with their now huge black eyes as gasped for air. Their ears were low down and pinned right back. They were shaking. They looked to TO, but didn¡¯t say a word. They took several long, drawn out breaths in a clear attempt to calm themself and steady their breathing. When they finally were able to take normal, slow breaths, they leaned back in the pilot''s seat, wordless. ¡°...SR45?¡± TO asked, worried that maybe they had done damage to the older synth through their stupid plot. Panic suddenly coursed through TO: they hadn¡¯t been ordered to do anything but pass them tools, and yet they had purposely damaged the air canister which was now off in space feeding the edacaeli. Would pulling the canister from SR45¡¯s suit count as an attack. SR45 sat upright after another moment, and wordlessly started pressing buttons to activate the manual piloting system. Their ears were still pinned down and back, but they were starting to relax. ¡°...It¡¯s a shame we lost that canister.¡± They finally said, then with a quick glance at TO, they said, ¡°I would not have thought of that. Even if I had, I wouldn¡¯t have been able to reach the canister.¡± ¡°That¡¯s why I couldn¡¯t use mine.¡± TO said, their ears flicking down with worry. SR45 nodded, and started to pilot the crate towards the docking bays, ¡°It was quick thinking.¡± they said, ¡°You did well.¡± ¡°You¡­ I did?¡± ¡°Yes. Very good work.¡± SR45 said, ¡°and...you have my thanks, as well.¡± Episode 76: Graze I nearly died. The thought finally ebbed through TO¡¯s head as they were heading to the cafeteria after their vocational training. They hadn¡¯t had a chance to really think about it before that moment; when they got the crate back to Shipping and Receiving, they were first questioned about what happened, and then questioned about the damage done to SR45¡¯s suit. Thankfully, it seemed that two synths and an intact shipping crate were at least worth the cost of the oxygen tank. TO was assured that they did good, and that the damaged equipment could be overlooked. Afterwards, even though TO and SR45 were busy trying to get caught up on unloading crates, SR45 seemed a little more amicable towards TO; they even taught them how to use the machinery to get the crates down to their work station. TO had been worried about DH, and about GiDi. They worried about how they might have felt if something really bad had happened. It was only now that thought rose up, the idea of their own mortality, and how close they had been to death. I nearly died. More terrifying than that, SR45 nearly died and while they clearly didn¡¯t want to die they had seemed resigned to it. They were ready to keep fixing the crate and die to the creatures. They had their orders, and they were going to follow them even if that meant their own death. Another horrifying thought hit TO, causing them almost to stumble. It was a thought that could ¨Cif spoken aloud to the wrong person¨C get them corrected at best. I would have run, duty or no. ====== ¡°I still don¡¯t know why we couldn¡¯t go to the observation deck.¡± GiDi muttered, ¡°It¡¯s more comfortable there.¡± ¡°I¡¯d just prefer to be here right now.¡± TO said. While that was true, they kept the reason as to why they didn¡¯t want to be on the observation deck to themself; there was a pile of food hidden there that they wanted to keep hidden for a little while longer. ¡°That¡¯s fine. Just¡­ I¡¯d like to go to the observation deck soon. It¡¯s nice and quiet and cozy there.¡± GiDi said. They sighed and picked up a cube of food. ¡°You know,¡± they said as they popped one of the cubes in their mouth, ¡°I used to wonder if these cubes were reprocessed synths.¡± TO nearly spat out the cube they had half chewed up, ¡°WHAT?¡± they cried, their ears flicking down in horror, ¡°Why would you think that?!¡± ¡°Well, look at them!¡± They held up one of the small grey cubes, ¡°They don¡¯t look like any other food I¡¯ve ever heard of before. They don¡¯t have a name, it¡¯s just ¡°nutrient cubes.¡± And it made sense as a use for otherwise unusable parts of repurposed synths.¡± TO shook their head, ¡°No.¡± They said, ¡°There¡¯s not enough synths being repurposed to feed all the synths in training. As well, such an act would cause a myriad of diseases. Furthermore, there''re a lot of essential nutrients that would not survive a processing treatment, so we wouldn¡¯t be able to survive on the bodies of others synths.¡± The more they spoke, the more their ears flicked down in horror at GiDi¡¯s implication, ¡°And even aside from that¨C¡± ¡°I know, I know!¡± GiDi said, almost amused as they tried to calm TO down, ¡°I know that now. I mean¡­ well, it was just something I thought.¡± they shook their head, ¡°I''ve read horror fiction in the archives about people being tricked into cannibalism. I know it was a stupid thing to be worried about, but the thought crossed my mind.¡± ¡°... So, you¡¯re working in the kitchens.¡± DH said, ¡°What is it made of?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a lab, not kitchens.¡± GiDi said as they ate another cube, ¡°And it¡¯s¡­ just synthetic nutrients.¡± they shrugged, ¡°Fungi, yeast, and a bunch of chemicals that are lab¨Cgrown. They¡¯re all combined to have a neutral taste and a pleasant texture.¡± they gave a grin, ¡°We¡¯re relatively self¨Csufficient here in terms of food.¡± Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. ¡°I suppose that¡¯s why I don''t see a lot of our food coming into shipping and receiving.¡± TO said as they started to calm down. Their stomach was churning, but they wanted to eat something so that DH wouldn¡¯t worry. ¡°I suppose that explains it. And it¡¯s better anyway¨C this way we don¡¯t worry about starving if something happens to the supply chain.¡± ¡°Right!¡± DH said, ¡°How was your training today? Did you finally get to do something interesting?¡± TO almost laughed, ¡°I did.¡± they said, ¡°I nearly died.¡± DH dropped their food, staring at TO in disbelief. GiDi nearly choked on what they were eating, but managed to cough it up. ¡°Don¡¯t joke like that.¡± GiDi managed to gasp, ¡°At least not when I¡¯m eating.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not joking. I actually almost died.¡± ¡°How.¡± DH said with a sudden rage to their voice. TO had only heard a hint of it that day that Q10 had come to ask for more painkillers, but now they could hear it like it was a large animal deep within DH that was slowly waking up. ¡°Did someone hurt you?¡± ¡°No. not really.¡± TO said, surprised. They quickly explained what had happened with the edacaeli. When they got to the part where SR45 said that they wouldn¡¯t make it back to the Ship, TO started laughing. They didn¡¯t know why, but they couldn¡¯t seem to stop. ¡°A¨CAnd then.¡± TO said between laughter, ¡°I took their oxygen tank, and I was just piercing it and ¨C¡± They dissolved into giggling, ¡°I was worried that I¡¯d get in trouble for BREAKING THEIR OXYGEN TANK.¡± ¡°TO, this isn¡¯t funny!¡± DH said as they put their hands on TO¡¯s shoulders to try to stop their shaking, ¡°You actually nearly died!¡± ¡°I know!¡± TO said, ¡°I can¡¯t stop! And¨C¡± they were starting to hurt, ¡°And SR45 just... They just didn¡¯t care that they were going to die! I mean, they didn¡¯t want to die but they almost seemed just resigned to it!¡± DH gently pushed TO down to lay on their back, taking the food away from them. ¡°What are you doing?¡± GiDi asked as they watched DH. ¡°I¡¯m not sure, but I think they¡¯re in shock?¡± DH frowned, ¡°I saw someone today who only had a graze on their head from a falling beam in the flight bay. They weren¡¯t badly hurt, but if the beam had been any closer they might have died. They were¡­ Erratic.¡± they sat down and watched TO carefully, ¡°MO¨C6 said they were in shock.¡± ¡°But TO¡¯s not hurt.¡± ¡°I¡¯m really not.¡± TO said, ¡°I¡±m fine. The edacaeli didn¡¯t get near enough to cause any damage¨C¡± ¡°But you almost died.¡± DH said, ¡°Apparently that can cause shock.¡± TO didn¡¯t feel like arguing. The situation wasn¡¯t funny, but to an extent it was absurd! They had been so close to dying! They had been so worried! They had gone right back to work afterwards. ¡°The officer questioned us later about the loss of the oxygen tank!¡± TO said, a manic grin coming over their face, ¡°Over the oxygen tank!¡± ¡°Should we bring them to medical?¡± GiDi asked DH, their ears flicking down with worry. ¡°I don¡¯t think so.¡± DH said, ¡°We just have to let them rest.¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± TO said again, ¡°I¡¯m not hurt.¡± ¡°Well that¡¯s good.¡± DH said. Their demeanor had changed though; they suddenly seemed more focused. They took TO¡¯s hand in theirs and squeezed at the fingers. They set the back of their hand against TO¡¯s face to check how their skin felt. They held open TO¡¯s eye to check their pupils. DH¡¯s hand came against the edge of TO¡¯s cheek, and just brushed the edge of their ears. TO hardly felt it ¨Cit was a very gentle graze of DH¡¯s finger against the very edge of their earlobe¨C but they remembered how C12 had their hands on Snout¡¯s ears. For a split second, they wondered how it felt. For a split second, they wanted DH to do the same to their ears. The image of DH stroking their ears flicked in their mind¡¯s eye and left them in a state of sudden panic. Why would they want DH to do that? Why would DH do that? DH wouldn¡¯t! Even when TO had told DH about Snout and C12, DH had acted so odd¡­ ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± They said as they sat up, their stomach churning as they shook the image from their head. They didn¡¯t know what it was about the ears, but they knew that DH would think it was weird if they just suddenly asked them to stroke their ears. Even they felt embarrassed just thinking about it. ¡°Are you certain?¡± DH asked, ¡°You¡¯re a bit flushed. If you want to go to medical¨C¡± ¡°No...I¡¯m fine.¡± TO said, ¡°I just... ¡° They sent their mind back to what they were doing before what they had been talking about? Oh, right. ¡°Just...I¡¯m a little thrown off by how SR45 was so¡­¡± they frowned, ¡°I feel like they should have cared more, or they should have fought to survive more.¡± ¡°Was¡­.was it like Q10?¡± GiDi asked. ¡°Like when they seemed ready to be corrected?¡± TO shook their head. ¡°Not at all.¡± TO said, ¡°Q10¡­ They wanted to be corrected. SR45 didn¡¯t want to die, and they were grateful when we were safe.¡± they felt their ears perk up, ¡°They said I did a good job, and after they actually started to teach me things. But¡­ they didn''t do anything to save themself. I asked if we should go back, and they said we had to finish our job.¡± TO shook their head, ¡°Which¡­ I guess that¡¯s right? We had a job. We were supposed to finish it. If we die doing our jobs, well¨C¡± ¡°That¡­ that¡¯s just how it goes, right?¡± DH said, but they didn¡¯t sound convinced, ¡°I mean... Every synth dies in service to King Decon, right?¡± Something felt wrong. That was true. TO knew it was true. TO knew that it was right and just and proper that all synths die in service to King Decon. but there was that feeling again. That feeling deep inside that said that their logic was wrong. How could that be wrong? What was there to live for aside from serving King Decon? The answer came to TO quickly, and it scared them; DH and GiDi. They remembered GiDi¡¯s question from several days ago. If you had to choose between being with us or working for King Decon, or even if you were able to make the choice... would you choose King Decon? ¡°We are made to serve King Decon. That¡¯s our purpose in life.¡± TO said it, but it almost felt like they were saying it more to themselves, to remind themself. ¡°There is no greater privilege than to be created to serve King Decon.¡± ¡°Right.¡± GiDi muttered as they looked away, ¡°Right.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± DH said slowly as they looked away from TO Still, TO knew that if they had been SR45 in that moment, they would have run. Episode 77: Shot TO had high hopes for their next combat training class. As far as they were concerned, they had proven that they could follow orders. They had done what DH had told them to do last time, even though there had been some major flaws in the plan. TO had even been encouraged to speak up and offer advice. They had done what they were told. They followed orders. They expected that the other synths in their group would trust them now. They scanned into the new simulation which took place in some kind of industrial setting. They were outside under a rust colored sky, standing in the middle of a collection of broken machinery. Just as they grew acclimated to the simulation the other synths entered as well. TO didn¡¯t know any of them; GiDi and DH seemed to be in other simulations today. They glanced at the others, determined not to say a word until they at least had their orders and the objective for this session. They wouldn¡¯t give the others any reason to distrust them or think that they wouldn¡¯t follow orders. ¡°It¡¯s that one.¡± one of the others said as their eyes landed on the tag on TO¡¯s uniform, ¡°The deceitful one.¡± ¡°I am not deceitful!¡± TO protested, trying hard not to raise their voice, ¡°I worked just fine yesterday! I worked hard! I did what I was told-¡± ¡°As far as everyone knows.¡± one of the others said. Their suits materialized over them; Yellow this time. TO checked their uniform and saw that they were now S32 ¡°I did as I was told.¡± TO said to the other synth who was now S78, ¡°I followed orders. C12 saw that.¡± ¡°They¡¯re not lying.¡± another synth said, this one with S65 on their uniform, ¡°maybe-¡± ¡°Do you want to trust them?¡± S78 said, ¡°I don¡¯t.¡± The orders came up. Instead of reading through the orders fully TO skipped to the bottom to see who was in charge. They hoped that they were the Commander this time because they really didn¡¯t think that the others would listen to them or believe them. They were not the Commander; S78 was. ¡°I swear.¡± TO said as they took a step towards S78, ¡°I swear, I will obey orders.¡± They felt their wings tighten around them, their ears flick back with worry, ¡°I¡¯ll do what you say. I¡¯ll do whatever you say.¡± ¡°Will you now.¡± S78 said as they continued reading through the objectives. They frowned, the closed the file, ¡°I am in charge. I am the Commander. It¡¯s my job to make sure my team succeeds. It¡¯s my job to make sure they¡¯re safe, correct?¡± ¡°Correct.¡± ¡°That means going about this as logically as I can.¡± they frowned at TO, ¡°And as far as I am concerned, you cannot be trusted.¡± TO felt their stomach clench, and tears of frustration started to sting at their eyes. No, they wouldn¡¯t give the others the satisfaction of seeing them cry. TO knew that they were good, and that they could obey orders. C12 knew that they could do the job properly! Everyone that mattered knew. Well, provided that those orders didn¡¯t involve death, apparently. So long as those orders didn¡¯t involve killing GiDi or DH. After yesterday, they weren¡¯t entirely sure that they¡¯d follow those orders. Their uniforms morphed into armor. The scenario started. ¡°So.¡± S78 said, in the deadpan tone that common always carried for them, ¡°If I order you to stay here and not move, will you obey?¡± ¡°I will.¡± ¡°You¡¯ll stay there, no matter what I say?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Good.¡± S78 said, ¡°Then stand there, and don¡¯t move.¡± TO took a breath, feeling the frustration in their stomach, the tears at their eyes. They supposed it didn¡¯t matter now that they had their helmet on. They stood upright at attention, looking back levelly at S78. If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Everyone that mattered knew that TO could do the job, that TO was a good synth. Why did it hurt so badly that this synth which TO didn¡¯t even know distrusted them so much? S78 pulled out their multigun and held right at TO¡¯s face. Startled, TO took two sudden steps back. ¡°You moved.¡± S78 said. They fired. At first it was the shock that hurt most. They had been shot by their own teammate! S78 distrusted them so much that they were willing to sabotage themselves, to be forced to do the scenario short of a team member. Those thoughts only lasted for a split second. Even though it was only a simulation, there was still some pain experienced when one was shot or attacked. TO felt the full blast of the multigun right in their face. It was like a pinpoint of fire stabbing into TO¡¯s forehead, followed by a wave of fiery heat spreading over their face. They cried out- or they tried to. Though they could still feel the pain on their face they were already falling backwards and out of the simulation, and could no longer control or even really feel their body. They panicked. They couldn¡¯t help it. Logically, they knew they were safe but through the shock and the pain and the frustration they just couldn¡¯t manage to hold themselves together. They tried to thrash against the nothingness, to move some part of themself. Then they were in the chair. They thrashed, but they felt someone grab one arm, then their other. They were held down in the chair, unable to see who was before them since the helmet was on them. Someone spoke, but TO couldn¡¯t make out what they said at first; it was just noise under the blood rushing through their head and the steady hum of their heart in their ears. ¡°- and if you calm down, I¡¯ll let go of you.¡± C12. It was C12. TO could tell that at least from their voice. They took several long, deep breaths as they calmed themself. They could feel their heart threatening to burst from their chest and the tears dripping hot on their cheeks. The stilled, taking deep, gulping breaths. They felt the strong hands let go of their wrists. The helmet started to lift off of their head and though TO reached up to try to hold the helmet down they were too slow; The helmet was removed. C12 looked legitimately concerned as they looked down at TO, their ears flicked out, their brows furrowed as they observed the tears on TO¡¯s cheeks, and how low their ears were. TO quickly brought the back of their hand up to their face and wiped at the tears. ¡°Sorry.¡± they muttered as they tried not to make eye contact. They could feel their ears burning, and they wanted to just disappear. They wanted to run away. ¡°You didn¡¯t do anything.¡± C12 said, ¡°You didn¡¯t have a chance to.¡± TO shook their head, ¡°I know¡­ but it¡¯s my fault. I-¡± a sob caught their throat. No. They didn¡¯t want to start sobbing in front of C12, in a room full of other synths. They were better than that! Weren¡¯t they? They put their face in their hands as they took deep breaths, trying to compose themself. ¡°You¡¯re fine.¡± C12 said, ¡°Everyone else is in the simulations. You¡¯re the only one out right now. TO sniffed, but didn¡¯t take their hands from their face. C12 had only just let them back into the simulations, and they only just found out that C12 didn¡¯t hate them. They didn¡¯t want C12 to think less of them now. ¡°It¡¯s my fault.¡± TO muttered as their voice calmed down, ¡°Because I lied before. They didn¡¯t trust me.¡± ¡°I know.¡± C12 said, ¡°I saw.¡± The sob that TO had been holding back escaped from their mouth. TO cursed themself for it, but they wondered if it made a difference now. ¡°I¡¯m done, aren¡¯t I?¡± They asked, refusing to look up, ¡°Nobody will trust me again. Nobody will let me fight, and I won¡¯t complete my training and-¡± another deep long breath. Nobody would let them fight. They wouldn¡¯t complete their training. At best, they¡¯d be allowed to stay at the center and work in maintenance. At worst, they¡¯d be corrected before being set to any task. Or repurposed. After seeing what it did to Q10 though, TO wondered which option was worse. ¡°I won¡¯t allow that.¡± C12¡¯s voice was harsh and firm, with a determination that TO didn¡¯t expect. TO looked up finally, forgetting about their tear stained face, and saw C12¡¯s angry, determined look. ¡°W-what?¡± It was almost as though C12 had forgotten where they were for a moment. They frowned, then turned and started to walk away. Still, TO could see their ears pinned down and twitching with worry. ¡°You¡¯re a good worker.¡± C12 said, ¡°I¡¯m not about to let you-... your potential go to waste.¡± they gestured to their chip, and their screen popped up before them, ¡°I''m putting you back in for flight practice.¡± they said. ¡°But¡­ but I¡¯m good at flying, yes?¡± ¡°Very.¡± C12 said, ¡°You enjoy it, yes?¡± ¡°I¡­¡± TO rubbed at their face with the base of the palm, ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°I want you to do flight practice for the rest of the session.¡± they said, ¡°I don¡¯t want your skills to go rusty.¡± they closed up the screen, ¡°Go ahead. You¡¯re set up for flight training.¡± TO nodded, and put their helmet back on. They hated the helmet to an extent but they were happy to have it to hide behind right now. They were happy to get away from everyone, from all the others synths who were still in their own combat scenarios, learning and improving. They had that same feeling of being taken from their body, the inability to feel themselves in the moments before they materialized again. This time, it was a beautiful world that they had been put in. At first, TO thought it was night time, but then they saw that the darkness was caused by the thick foliage that hung overhead. They seemed to be in some kind of rainforest environment, one that was almost cavelike with the thickness of the canopy. The air was warm and comfortable. The tree trunks were huge ¨Cif hollowed out they could probably fit two or three Overseers offices¨C and their branches were large enough for TO to lay on comfortably without immediate fear of falling off. The bark of the trees glowed with iridescent moss, and glowing flowers hung nearby. TO could hear distant sounds, but none of them seemed dangerous. The only life that seemed to be around TO was a type of giant moth whose wings shimmered in the light and gave off a glowing powder as they flapped through the air. It was comfortable. The instructions popped up with only a ten second timer; they were simply to fly. Unlike all the times before, their armor didn¡¯t materialize. No armor. No weapons. No enemies. The darkness, and the canopy overhead made TO feel almost safe. Except they weren¡¯t, they reminded themself. They were still sitting in a chair, in a room, among synths who mostly hated them. At least DH seemed to be ok now. At least GiDi didn¡¯t seem to be struggling like TO feared they would. TO was the only one struggling now, and they didn¡¯t know what or who could help them. To improve now, to excel once more, they had to prove that they could work well in the simulations, that they could take orders, that they were a valuable asset to any team, in any role. They couldn¡¯t prove any of that if nobody gave them a chance. They needed to be trusted to prove that they could be trusted. TO curled their knees to their chest as they sat on the soft mossy ground, and wept in helpless frustration. Episode 78: Companion Flying made TO feel better. They didn¡¯t know if they had been put in such a beautiful setting on purpose or if it was random, but they were grateful for it. It was peaceful, and the feeling of being hidden away made them feel safe. So long as TO didn¡¯t let their mind linger on the fact that they were still in the simulation room, they felt better. So long as they didn¡¯t let their mind linger on how they had been shot in the face by their own teammate. Would they ever be allowed to participate properly again? Even if they became a Commander in a scenario, would the others listen to them? They did their best to push those thoughts from the mind as they focused on flying, on the feel of the air under their wings and the beauty of the glowing forest. Even though they liked the simulation, they wanted DH with them. They wanted to tell DH what happened. DH would hold them and wrap their wings around them. They¡¯d tell them that they¡¯d do something to help; that the two of them could figure something out. They remembered how C12 had stroked Snout¡¯s ears. They remembered how DH¡¯s hand had brushed against theirs the day before while they were checking them for¡­ TO couldn¡¯t even remember what they were being checked for. They felt their ears flush deep blue, and they grabbed a nearby branch, stopping in mid-flight. They hung upside down with their wings wrapping around them as they tried to compose themself. What¡¯s wrong with me? DH had been so strange after TO had told them about C12 and Snout, they had acted so tense and they seemed so very concerned. Clearly, the idea of two synths acting like that bothered DH deeply. TO was grateful enough that DH was willing to look past that to help GiDi, but if they knew for a moment that TO was thinking about DH¡¯s hand on their ears¡­ TO shook their head. No, it was nothing. They were only thinking about that because they had seen C12 and Snout. They were only thinking about it because DH had accidentally touched their ear while checking them. It was nothing, and DH would never know. DH could never know! They didn¡¯t want DH to be tense around them, and they didn¡¯t want to make DH feel uncomfortable. They knew that DH would never say anything to them, would never be nasty to them about it. Still, TO couldn¡¯t forget how tense that DH had been. Maybe GiDi knew, and that¡¯s why GiDi had told them not to tell anyone about the kiss. Maybe they knew how DH felt about that kind of thing regarding synths, and they were worried that DH would act weird around them if they knew. Maybe - once again- in trying to make everything better they had only made things worse. Well, they¡¯d talk to DH. DH loved GiDi just like they did, so no matter what DH thought about issues of romance between synths TO knew that they wouldn¡¯t avoid GiDi for that. It wasn¡¯t as though GiDi had feelings for them specifically. TO remembered once again how DH¡¯s fingertips had accidentally brushed against their ear. They could see the way C12 had caressed Snout¡¯s ear so tenderly before they kissed. They flushed, spread their wings, and dropped from the branch. They needed to focus on something else. ====== While TO was flying it suddenly felt like they had flown into water. They floated about in nothingness as they felt the feeling leave their body. It startled them at first, but then they realized that combat training for the day must be over, and that they were being drawn from the simulation and back to reality. Back to a reality where they were considered untrustworthy. Where they couldn¡¯t do their training properly. Where it seemed like they had messed up everything they had worked so hard for with just one bad decision. They felt their body in the chair. They could feel the dried tears on their cheeks and realized that though they had cleaned themself off in the simulation, they had not done that yet in the real world. They took the helmet off, intending to quickly rub at their face before anyone saw. The room was empty, save for DH, GiDi, and C12. ¡°I told them that they could go on to their meal¡ª¡± C12 said with a careless gesture to DH and GiDi, ¡°¡ªbut they begged to stay.¡± their ears flicked, as though they weren¡¯t quite sure if that was the best of ideas. TO looked away, quickly rubbing at their cheeks. ¡°That¡¯s fine.¡± They said. They didn¡¯t want to look at C12. They felt their ears flush as they wondered what C12 thought of them, getting frustrated and crying in the middle of combat training. ¡°We should go.¡± TO started to pull the wires off of their body. DH was at TO¡¯s side immediately, helping. Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions. It took all of TO¡¯s willpower not to pull away. They thought of the ears again and this time they were sure it was more a result of fear; a gnawing thought that lingered in their head because they were worried about it. Still, If they did pull away then DH would think there was something wrong. They focused on detaching the wires to their legs as they pointedly ignored their blue-tipped ears. ¡°You have time.¡± C12 said, ¡°The others only just left.¡± ¡°Still. We need to shower, and get food, and-¡° ¡°You¡¯ll be coming with me.¡± C12 said, ¡°You won¡¯t have to wait for food.¡± TO stopped, but didn¡¯t look up. ¡°With you?¡± ¡°The three of you, if you wish.¡± They said, ¡°But if you¡¯d rather, your friends can meet you later on¨C¡° ¡°I¡¯d like them to come.¡± TO said quickly, ¡°Please.¡± C12 just gave a quick nod, ¡°Very well.¡± they said, ¡°Follow me.¡± ======- After their experience with finding C12 and Snout up in the upper levels of the training center, TO didn¡¯t expect to ever venture past their own floor again.At least this time they were invited. It was also a relief to be following C12 into the elevator ¨C which took special clearance on the chips¨C instead of running up flights of stairs. At least this time, they had their friends with them. ¡°Where are we going?¡± TO asked, their voice soft and quiet, their ears twitching with fear. Maybe this was how they would be corrected. Maybe they were all going to be corrected. No, C12 wanted it to be just them; maybe DH and GiDi knew and were coming to say their goodbyes to the TO that they knew. ¡°Don¡¯t ask questions.¡± was all C12 said, their tone sharper and colder than TO had expected it. The elevator lunged to a stop. The door slid open to reveal an imposing looking synth. Though they had seen them only once before, TO recognized them as the Commander. They froze, their whole body stiffening up as they remembered how fierce the Commander had been when they tore into Overseer T. TO wasn¡¯t surprised at how DH and GiDi¡¯s ears flicked back in fear; they were surprised to see C12¡¯s ears do the same thing, to see their wings tighten around themselves slightly, to see their fists clench. ¡°Commander.¡± C12 said stiffly as they stepped back to stand alongside the others. The Commander nodded stiffly as they stepped into the elevator. They gestured with their chip, and the door slid closed. In truth, TO had nearly forgotten about the Commander. That day had been so hectic, and so much had happened that any questions they might have had about the Commander had fallen to the background of their mind. As they now witnessed C12¡¯s reaction to the Commander¡¯s presence, all the questions that TO once held came back; Who was the Commander? What was their role here? What kind of power did they have? How did they become a Commander? They were told not to ask questions though. The elevator started to move upwards, sliding between floors. ¡°I wasn¡¯t aware that you brought trainees up to the living quarters.¡± the Commander said after a moment of silence. ¡°Is this something I should be informed about?¡± ¡°No, Commander.¡± C12 said, their voice a little higher and quieter than TO was used to hearing it, ¡°T-They are exceptional trainees, and I simply intend to go over a few things with them during mealtime.¡± ¡°Exceptional, you say.¡± the Commander said. They turned slightly to look at TO, GiDi, and DH. Their eyes went to their tags first, then briefly to each of their faces. They paused as they looked at GiDi, taking in their stature. ¡°Interesting.¡± they said, ¡°I shall have to keep an eye on them.¡± GiDi glanced up, catching the Commander¡¯s eyes for just a moment before they looked away. The Commander simply turned away, looking back at the front of the elevator. ¡°I am surprised that you¡¯re taking company again so soon after your last...companion.¡± There was a way that the Commander said ¡®companion¡¯ that made the otherwise simple word seem like a mockery, an insult. There was the slightest flick to their ears to denote disgust. Was the Commander talking about Snout? Did the Commander know? TO glanced back to C12. Fear and rage seemed to compete within them, their ears still down but pinned back, their eyes narrowed, their lips curled. Their wings stayed tightly wrapped around them. ¡°They are trainees.¡± C12 said, their cold voice shaking, ¡°Exceptional ones. That is all.¡± ¡°I should hope so.¡± the Commander said as they turned slightly, eying C12, ¡°And I do hope that - given they are exceptional- that you would never do anything to diminish their efficiency and their ability to properly serve.¡± Disgust flickered over C12¡¯s face, and their eyes narrowed in anger, ¡°I assure you that I would do no such thing.¡± Surprisingly, the Commander seemed satisfied with C12¡¯s reaction. They turned back to face the door of the elevator, ¡°That does remind me.¡± they said, ¡°Your former companion, they were headed to Opulentia; one of Arkane¡¯s moons, correct?¡± ¡°Correct.¡± ¡°They went at the end of the last period, correct?¡± ¡°Yes, Commander.¡± The Commander gave a low hum, ¡°I got a report earlier this day. It seems that the transport going there fell off our radar. Insurgent activity in that area is high, and we assume that they¡¯ve been attacked.¡± C12 closed their eyes, ¡°I can only hope that those who would attack King Decon¡¯s ships and tools will meet King Decon¡¯s justice.¡± they said, but TO saw their ears rise up with relief, and saw the telltale twitching at the edge of their ears. C12 was lying. C12 was lying right to a Commander who thankfully wasn¡¯t looking back at them. TO looked on in a mixture of horror and awe, only catching C12¡¯s eye after a moment. They gave TO a sharp warning look, and TO quickly looked down at the floor. ¡°Indeed.¡± the Commander said, ¡°Well, I have no doubt that the insurgency will fall sooner than later; After the last attempt at King Decon¡¯s life there¡¯s been far less resistance to the expanded security measures taken to stop them. It¡¯s only a matter of time.¡± The elevator came to a stop. The door opened, and the Commander stepped out, ¡°Well then, Retiree C12, I¡¯ll leave you to your mealtime and your company. And I will keep an eye on these three if they are so exceptional. King Decon could always use more exceptional synths serving Him.¡± ¡°Of course.¡± C12 said, their ears dropping slightly. The Commander gave a terse nod as the door closed, leaving them alone again. TO looked up again to glance at C12. Their ears were down and pinned back, their wings pressed so tightly against their arms that TO could see where C12 was holding their upper arms. ¡°...C12?¡± ¡°I said no questions.¡± They snapped. ¡°...Understood.¡± TO said as they turned their attention back to the floor. Episode 79: Mate C12 brought them to a room on one of the higher levels of the center. They opened the door and let TO, GiDi, and DH step inside before they came in after them. There was a beep as the door closed and secured. With their chip, C12 turned on the speakers in the corner of the room which played soft music with vocals in a language that sounded almost similar to the synth language. ¡°There.¡± C12 said as they released a breath, ¡°Now you can ask questions.¡± They stepped in towards a panel in the wall that looked a lot like a mini version of the food dispensers in the cafeteria. When nobody said anything, C12 turned back to see them still standing by the door. ¡°I mean it.¡± they said, ¡°You can ask your questions now.¡± they swiped their chip on the panel, then started to put in commands, ¡°The room is mostly secure.¡± TO frowned and looked about. The room was different from any that they had seen before; it was a little bigger than the office that Overseer T had, but there was a narrow bed along one wall with a thin pillow and a single worn blanket. There was a table in the center of the room along with two mismatched chairs on either side. There were shelves lining one wall, but there was nothing on them. ¡°...Is this where you live?¡± TO finally asked. ¡°It is.¡± C12 said. The dispenser in the wall started spitting out meals which C12 put on the table. They gestured to the table as they took another meal from the dispenser, ¡°Would one of you pull that table to the bed? I don¡¯t normally have guests, so there¡¯s not a lot of chairs¡­¡± TO stepped ahead immediately and pulled the table to the bed. DH took the chairs and brought them over while GiDi looked around for something else to sit on. There finally found a small crate in the corner which they pulled over. C12 sat on the bed after setting the last of the meals down on the table and gestured for the others to sit on the opposite side. As they sat, TO couldn¡¯t help but notice how small C12¡¯s serving was compared to theirs. ¡°I¡¯m not supposed to burn as many calories in a day as you trainees are.¡± C12 said as they caught TO¡¯s eyes, ¡°I only lead combat training. If I didn¡¯t do that, I¡¯d get even less.¡± They slowly broke the cubes in two, setting them on their plate, ¡°Go on, Eat.¡± TO frowned at their own plate, ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m not really hungry.¡± they said, only to be immediately jabbed in the side by DH¡¯s elbow. ¡°TO doesn¡¯t eat so much when something¡¯s bothering them.¡± they said. ¡°That¡¯s been noted.¡± C12 said, ¡°It¡¯s in their file. TO looked up suddenly, ¡°Something like that¡¯s in my file?¡± ¡°When you¡¯re in training, everything that¡¯s of note is in your file.¡± C12 said. They ate a half cube, then said, ¡°Everything. How much you¡¯re observed to eat. Who you spend your time with. What you do in your free time.¡± They glanced at DH, ¡°If you sleep in your own pod, or if others sleep in your pod with you.¡± TO felt their wings tighten around them, ¡°Is that bad?¡± ¡°Bad?¡± C12 let their hand hover over their food. Their eyes suddenly seemed far away, their ears flicked down, ¡°It¡¯s observed. That¡¯s all. However, excessive fraternization isn¡¯t necessarily viewed as a positive thing...As you saw.¡± ¡°You¡¯re talking about what the Commander said?¡± GiDi asked softly. C12 nodded. ¡°Wait.¡± DH said, ¡°You¡¯re a retiree! Why was the Commander so nasty to you?¡± ¡°You know exactly why they were nasty to me.¡± C12 said with a hint of bitter amusement to their voice as their ears flicked with shame, ¡°At least¡­ From what I understand, 09T-¡° They stopped and looked at TO, ¡°Apologies. Should I call you TO?¡± ¡°I-If you wish?¡± TO said. ¡°Very well¡­ From what I understand, TO told you exactly why they might be so nasty to me.¡± The three of them looked at C12 in confusion. After a moment, C12 sighed, ¡°Snout-¡° Their ears flicked down, ¡°We were closer than was seen as proper for synths, and it wasn''t a well kept secret. Anyone over the position of officer around here has some idea.¡± ¡°But¡­ So it¡¯s alright then?¡± DH asked, leaning forward. C12 frowned at DH, ¡°Did it look alright?¡± they demanded, ¡°I¡¯m a retiree. I have achieved the highest honor that a synth can achieve. For all intents and purposes, I am safe to just live. Yet, the Commander-¡° they looked aside, ¡°At best, I¡¯m seen as a joke; at worst, a disgrace. Still, I¡¯ve earned the right to my life at least.¡± ¡°And that¡¯s just because PQ-.¡± GiDi stopped, frowning, ¡°Should I call them Snout?¡± ¡°That¡¯s the only name I know for them by now.¡± C12 said, ¡°So you might as well.¡± ¡°...Because Snout was your companion?¡± C12 seemed to flinch at that word, ¡°Don¡¯t call them that.¡± C12 said, ¡°Companion... there¡¯s nothing wrong with the word, but there¡¯s a way that the higher ups say that which made it sound¡­¡± they trailed off, then shook their head, ¡°They were close to me. They¡­¡± C12 frowned at their food, then looked up, their eyes steady, but their ears flicked back in fear, ¡°They were my mate.¡± Mate. There it was, out in the open. Mate. A lover. A partner. ¡°There¡¯s no rules against it¡­¡± GiDi said softly. ¡°There¡¯s also no rules about smearing fecal matter against the hallway walls.¡± C12 said with a sneer, ¡°That¡¯s been said to me when I was younger, by the way. Before I was a retiree.¡± They shook their head, ¡°When it was brought up as a reason why I was to be sent off to combat. Even now, despite my position, the Commander, and most of the higher ups here, don¡¯t like me.¡± Stolen story; please report. ¡°My Overseer didn¡¯t tell me anything about that.¡± GiDi said softly, ¡°I asked how you became a retiree-¡° ¡°The Overseers are relatively low on the chain of command, to be honest.¡± they glanced away, ¡°And they would be instructed not to speak of it to trainees if they did know. Wouldn¡¯t want to put ideas in your heads.¡± Was that all it was? TO remembered how they thought of DH stroking their ear back in the fight training room. From time to time that image popped back up at inopportune times, distracting TO. Was that all it was? An idea put in their head. ¡°Anyway¡­ that¡¯s why the Commander was so ¡®nasty¡¯ to me, as you put it.¡± They shrugged, ¡°I¡¯m tolerated for my service, but only just. My position just keeps others from being outright hostile. They continued to eat, allowing the silence to take over for a few long minutes. It wasn''t until they were half done that C12 finally said, ¡°Well, you seemed to have so many questions earlier. Where did they go?¡± ¡°...You told us not to ask questions though-¡° TO said. ¡°We were in an elevator, likely being listened to. Here, we¡¯re relatively safe.¡± They flicked their eyes to the speaker in the corner, ¡°There are some questions I might refuse to answer by the way, for my safety and yours.¡± ¡°... Am I going to be corrected?¡± TO finally asked. ¡°No.¡± C12 said firmly, ¡°At least, not unless you do something really bad.¡± ¡°But I did do something really bad!¡± TO insisted, ¡°I disobeyed orders, I-¡° ¡°You disobeyed orders. You¡¯ve been trained out of it now. If I thought that there was a real issue there, then I¡¯d have reported it-¡° their ears twitched as they said that. Frowning, they glanced aside, ¡°Well, I probably wouldn¡¯t have reported it. But even so, had I reported it at this stage of your training it would simply be seen as poor judgement, not an innate flaw.¡± Seeing C12¡¯s ears twitch reminded TO about the elevator, and about how C12 had lied to the Commander. ¡°You lied to the Commander.¡± They¡¯d said in slight awe.¡± ¡°That is something I won¡¯t answer more questions about.¡± C12 said, ¡°That¡¯s for my safety and yours.¡± ¡°I thought that something bad was going to happen to TO too.¡± GiDi said, ¡°That¡¯s why we refused to leave-¡° ¡°Which could have gotten you in trouble with other higher ups¡± C12 said, ¡°If you disobeyed a direct order to leave, I mean.¡± ¡°-So if TO isn¡¯t in trouble, if they¡¯re not being corrected¡­ Why did you bring us here?¡± C12 frowned as they picked up one of the half cubes on their plate, examining the torn side as though it was something particularly fascinating. ¡°Honestly?¡± They said after a moment, ¡°I figured that after their training today, TO wouldn''t want to be around many other synths. I figured it would be best if they took their meal in a quieter setting; if they didn¡¯t have to go to the cafeteria at all.¡± ¡°That¡¯s it?¡± TO asked. C12 nodded. ¡°That''s it.¡± ¡°... Do you really think anyone would have said or done anything to TO after what you said to 98G76?¡± DH asked ¡°Who¡¯s that?¡± TO asked as their ears flicked forward. ¡°The synth who shot you in the simulation.¡± DH said, ¡°You didn¡¯t know their number?¡± ¡°I wasn¡¯t overly concerned by it, no.¡± TO admitted. ¡°C12 called them down!¡± DH said, ¡°I thought they were going to kick them out-¡° GiDi suddenly tried to puff themself up, ¡°They were all, ¡®If I give you a soldier to use, 98G76, you WILL use them! ¡° ¡°To do what they did is just as bad as disobeying orders. Maybe more so.¡± C12 said, ¡°They¡¯re spitting in the face of whoever assigned the soldiers, doubting the judgement of the higher ups, and killing a fellow synth. No, I had every right to chastise them as I did. If anything, I might have been too lenient. I only set them to specialized training.¡± ¡°Like you did with me.¡± TO said softly. ¡°As I did with you, yes.¡± They ate a small piece of their food, then stopped as they reached for another. ¡°...I did bring you here to keep you out of the main cafeteria for the time.¡± C12 said. They glanced about the room, their ears flicking as they listened for something, ¡°That¡¯s the truth...But I was hoping for an opportunity to speak to the three of you regardless.¡± They glanced at TO, ¡°I just wasn¡¯t sure if TO would be comfortable with you two seeing them upset as they were after the simulation.¡± ¡°We are always there for TO.¡± DH said firmly. Their ears pinned back slightly as they spoke, ¡°If they¡¯re upset, I¡¯d refuse to leave their side.¡± TO wanted to tell DH that it was fine and that they didn¡¯t need to get defensive, but they couldn¡¯t. The way DH had just done that, had just said that to C12, had just said to a higher up that they¡¯d not leave them left TO speechless. Of course they felt the same, but to be able to say it, and to say it so firmly¡­. They wanted to reach out and take DH by the hand. They wanted to embrace them, to wrap their wings around them, to gently run their thumb along their ears-¡® Wait, what? TO looked away as they took a quick drink of water. ¡°It¡¯s fine, DH.¡± They said when they were done. How could they have thought that? DH was their friend! DH didn''t like that kind of stuff among synths! They had literally just been warned about excessive fraternization! What counted as excessive? TO wasn¡¯t sure exactly, but they were positive that ear-stroking was high up on the list, and most likely kissing too but TO didn¡¯t want to kiss DH. ...Did they? They shook that thought out of their head. No, of course they didn¡¯t. Synths didn¡¯t do that. Well, clearly they did, but it didn¡¯t seem to end well. If they did, then one was treated with disdain even if they got to the level of a retiree and the other apparently just disappeared. TO didn¡¯t want either of those outcomes for DH. It didn¡¯t matter. They were just thinking too hard about it all now. They were just distracted. Preoccupied. Everything that happened with C12 was fresh in their mind, and DH just happened to accidentally touch their ear the other day. It was fine. TO was certain that they¡¯d forget all about it in a few days at most. C12 had continued speaking, and TO hadn¡¯t even noticed. They pulled their thoughts back to the present to focus. ¡°-and anyway, what I wanted to speak to you about was this.¡± C12 leaned forward, looking at the three seriously, ¡°You¡¯re being watched.¡± ¡°...What?¡± GiDi said, their voice very soft and quiet. ¡°Well, technically everyone is being watched.¡± C12 said idly. They gestured to the speakers, ¡°To a point, that¡¯s why I have music on right now, and why I¡¯ve choose the language I did- it¡¯s similar to our language, and it makes it harder for people to listen in-¡° ¡°How are we being watched!¡± GiDi asked, ¡°I mean, we¡¯re alone most of the time-¡° ¡°There¡¯s cameras in most public places.¡± C12 said, ¡°And your chips have microphones and trackers on them.¡± TO froze. The chips? They knew that the chips had trackers in them, but microphones too? ¡°Now¡­ everything is recorded, but not everything is observed- that would take far too much time. There¡¯s certain keywords that the system will pick up and alert Overseers to. As well, if a retiree had specific concerns about a trainee then they could have access to logs as well. And of course upon listening to conversations and finding them to be unconcerning, they would be deleted to make space for future logs. ¡° ¡°You¡¯re saying-¡° GiDi started, but C12 cut them off. ¡°I¡¯m offering hypotheticals.¡± C12 said idly, ¡°I¡¯m suggesting that if certain synths are seen to be special, or exceptional, or just slightly concerning, then their logs might have extra attention paid to them.¡± They looked at them and said in a serious, careful voice, ¡°I¡¯m saying that such synths should be careful about what they said, and to whom. Everything is recorded.¡± ¡°...Would such synths be in danger?¡± GiDi asked, sounding very small and very scared. There was a look between C12 and GiDi. TO was very confused for a moment, then it occurred to them that perhaps this was a warning for them to stop talking about the romance stuff. Maybe the higher ups had heard something GiDi had said and were considering correcting them to avoid excessive fraternization. C12 leaned back as they observed the three before them, ¡°I¡¯m saying that given the events of the last period, it could be considered that certain actions, or certain conversations are outliers, driven by the shock of seeing an attack on King Decon. So long as things go back to normal, then I can¡¯t imagine long-term problems.¡± A warning perhaps to not help GiDi? A warning to DH and TO to abandon the plan they had come up with? ¡°...Do synths get corrected for¡­ for having a mate?¡± TO asked as they remembered the term that C12 had used for snout. C12 looked at TO, confused. It was almost as though they had been pulled from their train of thought and for a moment TO wondered if they had been wrong about what C12 was saying. ¡°...Such things are frowned upon.¡± C12 said after a long moment, ¡°Even outside of mates, as I said excessive fraternization is not considered ideal, and could have a synth sent to the front lines on some hostile alien planet. However, in a highly capable synth it would be overlooked... Provided that synth knows their duty. So long as that synth knows that they must put King Decon¡¯s will and orders over everything else. I would have run, duty or no. If you had to choose...would you choose King Decon? TO wasn¡¯t hungry anymore. Episode 80: Plan Another nightmare. This time it was different: TO floated in the void of space, seeing the bits and pieces of the juvenile synth floating around them. The pieces sizzled and cooked as one of the edacali rushed towards them, turning the unsaved organs into little cubes of food. TO woke with a start, sweating all over as it took them a moment to remember where they were. They weren¡¯t in a lab, or in space; they were in their pod trying to sleep. Trying, and failing. They wanted DH near them. They reached out to open the door to the pod, but then stopped as their hand hung in the air next to the button. Excessive fraternization; that phrase lingered in TO¡¯s head. They were also worried because apparently it was noted that DH and TO sometimes shared a pod. TO had had a nightmare last night as well, and had woken DH for that. Would two nights in a row be considered excessive fraternization? Was it fraternization? TO wasn¡¯t entirely sure if C12 had meant that close friendship was bad, or that only romantic love between synths was bad. There was nothing romantic between TO and DH though. Just as they told themself that, they had the image of DH stroking their ears, of reaching up, pulling their head down gently and kissing them like people in romantic shows did. They thought of DH staying in their pod with them, holding them, their mouth close to their ears and their lips accidentally brushing against- TO shook their head, feeling their ears burning. What was wrong with them? Why were they thinking like that? Because they had seen C12 do it; that¡¯s all. Because they were worried about ¡®excessive fraternization¡¯; that¡¯s all. Because the idea was in their head now, and was popping up just as they started to worry; that¡¯s all. Because of all the romantic shows they watched with DH; that¡¯s all. Yes, that was right. They were just worrying themself for nothing. They got the idea in their head that there was something wrong and now they were just worrying about it, just stressing themself over random, meaningless thoughts. Not only that, they were sure that watching those shows with DH probably made them associate romance with DH in some way. It was just a coincidence, just random events linking up to form some kind of non-existent pattern. They pulled their hand away from the button for the pod and turned over. They wouldn''t wake DH. Besides, the nightmare didn¡¯t even bother them anymore; they had other anxieties to keep them awake now. And having DH in their pod wouldn¡¯t help. ====== Yawning for what felt like the third time in a single minute, TO didn¡¯t even notice that they had taken a wrong turn as they headed to the Combat Simulation Room. They would have kept going down the hallway for a while if DH hadn¡¯t called to them. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you this morning.¡± They asked as they put their hands on TO¡¯s shoulders and turned them down the hall. ¡°Nothing.¡± TO said, but as they said it they could feel their ears twitch with deceit, ¡°I mean, nothing big. Nothing wrong really. I just had trouble sleeping.¡± They looked away as they headed down the hall, feeling DH¡¯s hands leave their shoulders, ¡°I was just worried about a bunch of things.¡± ¡°It¡¯ll be fine.¡± GiDi assured TO, ¡°I mean, the way that C12 tore apart at that other synth yesterday, nobody¡¯s going to shoot you today. I mean, at least not your own teammates.¡± they gave TO a big smile, ¡°You¡¯re good. You¡¯re smart, you¡¯re a quick thinker! Once you¡¯re given the chance you¡¯ll prove that you¡¯re good to have on a team and everyone will be happy to have you around!¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that what happened with SR45?¡± DH asked as they followed behind TO, ¡°I mean, you saved them and now your training with them is better, right? They¡¯re not being quite so short with you? They¡¯re teaching you?¡± This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it. ¡°That is right.¡± TO said, ¡°They¡¯re¡­ a little more forgiving of my questions. They even went out of their way to explain things.¡± ¡°Right!¡± GiDi said, ¡°I¡¯m sure the same will happen today.¡± TO gave GiDi a quick smile and nodded. Maybe they were right; as long as TO proved that they were useful, they might be forgiven for their earlier deceit. As for the other stuff¡­ well, TO knew that they only had to control their mind, let those other anxieties settle and they¡¯d be fine. They felt like they should talk to DH, or even GiDi about it and tell them what¡¯s been bothering them, but GiDi would say they should talk to DH about it and even though TO knew that DH wouldn¡¯t push them away, TO didn¡¯t want to make DH uncomfortable. DH was clearly uncomfortable with the whole idea of synths and mates; they didn¡¯t want to do anything that would make DH tense around them. Nope. They¡¯d keep this to themself; they knew these thoughts would eventually pass. ====== The simulation this time started in a storage room. There were boxes and boxes piled up all over the place, covered in dust and debris. TO could tell from the walls that they weren¡¯t in the training center, but that was all they could tell. There were two other synths there who stiffened when they saw TO, but they said nothing. The final synth came in. They scanned the room quickly, looked over the other synths, then looked at TO. Their ears pinned back as they saw the tag on TO¡¯s uniform, but they said nothing. An awkward silence followed. TO turned away and looked around the room again, looking for any clues as to where they were. In truth, they just wanted to do something while they waited so they wouldn¡¯t have to deal with the hostile glares of the others. So far, it was better than yesterday at least. TO still wasn¡¯t sure of everything that had been said, but GiDi and DH had told them that the words, ¡°Wasteful idiot,¡± and ¡°Traitorous wretch,¡± had been used. Their uniforms synced- TO was now S09. They glanced back at the others; S79, S43, S32. A moment later their mission and their Commander came up on their chips. The commands were simple. Apparently, they were in a political HQ on a planet which was held by the insurgency. They were to liberate it by eliminating the tyrant who allowed the insurgency to thrive. The four of them were a special strike team and were supposed to get the job done without detection. All they had were their basic weapons and a map. S79 was the Commander this time. ¡°The assignment seems simple.¡± S79 said as they read over the file. They pulled up the map to look over it, ¡°But there¡¯s some issues. We¡¯re supposed to get from this side of the building to the other. From the bottom floor, to the top. We¡¯re to avoid detection.¡± They frowned as they let their eyes flick over the map, ¡°But it¡¯s a long way over, and there doesn¡¯t seem to be any useful alternative routes.¡± TO pulled up their own map to look. S79 was right; They had to go up several floors and through some seemingly high traffic areas. There wasn¡¯t an obvious way around. TO glanced up at the vent, and frowned. That would be useful, but it was far too small for even a single synth to work though. TO tried to bring up more options on the map, but it appeared to be locked to them. Probably because they weren¡¯t the Commander. They had an idea, and wanted to check something before they mentioned it. TO turned to S79 ¡°Does you map also show the-¡± ¡°Remove your helmet if you¡¯re speaking to me.¡± S79 said. TO frowned, feeling their ears droop in their helmet. Fine. They still didn¡¯t trust them. That was fine. At least they were allowing TO to work with them. ¡°We can take off our helmets?¡± TO asked as they reached up. Their fingertips touched their helmet, and it seemed to dissolve away. Their chip lit up briefly, and alongside their still visible map TO could see ¡°IN INVENTORY: 1; Galactic Army Helmet.¡± ¡°Apparently you can.¡± S79 said, keeping their helmet on, ¡°Now, you can speak.¡± ¡°Does that map show you exits?¡± ¡°To different rooms, yes-¡± ¡°But to outside?¡± ¡°It does. But that won¡¯t help us.¡± ¡°It might.¡± TO said as they pointed to their own map. They gestured to a large circular room near the top of the building, ¡°This is where we need to go, right? The top floor of this central tower.¡± ¡°Correct.¡± ¡°This tower is protected all the way up. There¡¯s checkpoints and guards all the way up, doors that need key cards-¡± ¡°And armed security on every level, yes. What is your point?¡± ¡°Well. It¡¯s protected inside. But look, outside, it¡¯s got a glass dome on top. If we can get outside then it might be easier to just fly up and get in from the top, no?¡± They looked at the map again, ¡°Even if the windows are all closed, doesn¡¯t the multigun have a setting that can melt glass?¡± S79 was silent and TO found themself wishing that they could see their ears and their face. They were far more aware of the way their own ears twitched with anxiety, and how everyone was watching them. They were far more aware of how they had been told their their ears flick too much. ¡°That may work.¡± S79 said slowly as they looked over their map, ¡°If it doesn¡¯t, it¡¯s probably because of the programming rather than the logic.¡± ¡°If we can get outside, I¡¯m sure we can do it!¡± TO insisted, ¡°Why would we be allowed to go outside if we couldn¡¯t?¡± Silence again as S79 considered this. The longer they stood in silence, the more TO felt their ears twitch with worry. ¡°There is a nearby supply bay.¡± S79 said, ¡°If this works, it¡¯ll make the whole task a lot easier and a lot faster.¡± ¡°Exactly!¡± TO said, ¡°These simulations are all similar to the logic puzzles and scenarios we can run through in our spare time, and there¡¯s always a very easy way to do them!¡± Another moment of silence that dragged out. TO was just glad at this point that nobody had shouted at them, nobody had said anything about them being deceitful. They wanted to know now exactly what C12 had said, their tone and actions in saying it which made the others chance so quickly. ¡°...I haven¡¯t any better ideas. At least, I have none that can be achieved in two hours.¡± They nodded to TO, ¡°Put your helmet back on. I¡¯ll lead the way to the supply bay.¡± Episode 81: Vision Four synths soared along the edge of the tower that reached up towards the deep, starless night sky. They kept close to the tower, staying out of sight of the beams of light that flashed about as they made their way to the illuminated glass dome on top. ¡°I must admit.¡± S79¡¯s voice echoed in TO¡¯s helmet, ¡°It does look like it was intended to be easily done this way; excellent observation.¡± ¡°My thanks.¡± TO said, grateful that they had their helmet on now so that nobody would notice their ears twitching with pride. ¡°Flank left.¡± S79 said as another beam headed towards them. They managed to twist out of the way and stay hidden in the darkness as the beam of light passed them. ¡°Prepare for approach. I want us to move out a little and get some distance when we first approach the dome.¡± ¡°Understood¡± three voices said back. TO was surprised that nobody else asked why they were moving away from the dome. TO knew, of course, that since it was dark outside and the dome was illuminated from inside that they would remain unseen from a distance. That would allow them precious moments hidden in darkness to scope out the room where their target was. They followed S79 as they rose up, circling the dome. Their target sat on a black, ornate throne at one edge of the room, adorned in jewels and brightly colored fabrics. Needless. Inefficient. King Decon didn¡¯t need such finery; He had only his cyborg body and the plain fabric loincloth that covered him. Tyrants wore such finery while their people starved- that¡¯s what they had been told. Oh well. It made the target easy to see. S79 suddenly turned and started heading down again. They dipped down just below the dome, circling under the edge of the glass as they spoke. ¡°Lots of guards. I don¡¯t think that finding a way inside will be a suitable idea. We could potentially deal with the guards, but that would destroy our stealthy approach.¡± TO felt their ears dip down, ¡°My apologies-¡° ¡°No¡­ We can still use this vantage point, but we can¡¯t go inside. I do have an idea.¡± TO followed behind, listening carefully; they didn¡¯t know what they could do from here so they were anxious to hear what S79 had in mind. ¡°S43, flank to my left and then continue along the dome until you¡¯re at a 90 degree angle to me from the center of the circle to my left. S32, do the same, but to my right. S09, you go to the top of the dome and be cautious not to be seen. ¡°Understood¡± three voices chimed as they broke off. TO flew off to get some distance from the dome before they circled up to the very top,landing as quietly and as gently as they could. The glass was slippery, so they disabled the toes of their armored boots to expose their clawed, clutching toes. They could just manage to grip between the panes of glass that way. If they were much closer, they might have been seen by the people below - the guards and even their target. The dome was so high up though that TO didn¡¯t have to worry. A moment later, S79¡¯s voice came through, ¡°Is everyone in position?¡± ¡°Affirmative.¡± Came back three voices. ¡°Good. I¡¯m syncing visuals.¡± TO knew that in their own helmet S79 was now seeing three different views displayed on their visor. TO never used that function because they found it distracting and didn¡¯t really think it was very useful. They wondered what S79 was doing. ¡°Everyone stay very still. I¡¯m about to fire.¡± S79 said, ¡°The moment I do, I want everyone to scatter. Fly off into the darkness. There¡¯s a light off in the distance to the south¨C head to that if need be. I doubt that we¡¯ll actually need to regroup.¡± It took only another moment for TO to realize what S79 was doing: they had positioned themself right behind the throne of the target and though they couldn¡¯t see the target from their location, they seemed to be using the video feed of the others to help them aim. If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. TO felt their wings perk up with excitement; it was brilliant. They were a little disappointed that they hadn¡¯t thought of it. Another moment passed. TO held their breath as they watched. There was a flash. The body of the target jerked oddly as the beam went through his brain and exited out the front of his forehead. It was so silent that the guards who were faced away from the target and towards the inner door¨C a door that the synths would have used if they hadn¡¯t decided to approach from outside¨C didn¡¯t even turn to see that the one they were supposed to protect was now dead. Still, TO did as they were told. The moment the shot fired, TO took off from the top of the dome with several strong flaps. They used their echolocation quickly to confirm that all the others had flown off as well and then headed towards the light to the south with all the speed they could muster. S79 was correct. They didn¡¯t necessarily have to worry about meeting up again once the target was hit; they had flown only a short distance when TO had that feeling of flying into water once more. TO let themself go limp ¨C they were starting to realize that keeping tense or trying to move though this made it unpleasant ¨C and allowed themself to simply float until they could feel the chair under them and the artificial gravity of the training center once more. It was only then that they removed their helm to look around. Only four synths were now out of the simulation; TO themself, and who they assumed to be the other three synths that had been in the simulation with them. ¡°Very good.¡± C12 said from the center of the room; they were looking over the feeds from the simulation that they had just run, ¡°I¡¯ll have to double check, but I think that you may have completed this simulation in record time.¡± ¡°...we did?¡± another synth said as they leaned forward in their seat. ¡°Again, I need to double check, but I believe so.¡± they ing up other videos and files which hovered before them. ¡°09T07?¡± TO looked to their left and saw the synth that had just said their name; they couldn¡¯t see their tag, but from the sound of their voice they figured that it might have been S79. ¡°Y-yes?¡± ¡°When we were flying up the tower, how did you fly so close to the building without crashing? I was worried I¡¯d be seen because I couldn¡¯t fly as close as you.¡± ¡°Oh! Uh¡­¡± TO felt their ears warm up, ¡°I... I just practice a lot? I go to the flight training room after vocational training most days.¡± ¡°There is no special trick to it?¡± TO frowned as they considered that; There were a few things that they had learned the hard way in the course of their practice; things that would have been useful when they were first learning; things that the instructors hadn¡¯t taught them. ¡°Well¡­ not tricks I suppose, but techniques that make it easier?¡± ¡°The three of you are going to go in for flight training anyway.¡± C12 said to the other synths. ¡°You can practice there.¡± they turned to TO, ¡°I was going to put you in target training again, but if they want you to show them how to fly as you do¡­¡± ¡°Yes, please.¡± the other synth said. C12 looked at TO silently. It took TO a moment to realize that they were waiting for them to give some kind of sign that they¡¯d be alright with that. ¡°I could show them a few things.¡± TO said carefully. ¡°Very well.¡± C12 said, ¡°I¡¯ll put the four of you in the same training simulation.¡± ===== It felt like hardly any time had passed when TO felt that sensation of flying into water again. For the first time, they had actually had fun in the simulation! The others that had been in flight training with TO had listened attentatively and followed what they did for the whole lesson. They even seemed excited by their improvement. And surprisingly, TO had fun teaching them. At first, TO wondered if S79 ¨C who they later learned was 59F45 was strange like them. While they were clearly intelligent and creative it was clear after the first few minutes of working with them that they weren¡¯t someone to spend a lot of time with. Like so many others, they held very little regard for socialization. They were focused on their training, and intent on serving King Decon. Special, but not strange. Still, TO found that they enjoyed the session, and they felt like the other synths actually learned a lot. Maybe ¨Cthough TO was cautiously optimistic about this at best¨C maybe they were even starting to respect TO for their skill, despite their strangeness. ¡°-And go get cleaned up.¡± C12¡¯s voice came to them when they were fully out of the simulation. TO took the helmet off and started to unplug the wires, pulling them off quickly in their rush to get to DH and GiDi and tell them that they actually had a good training session this time! They thought it was DH in fact when they saw another synth¡¯s shadow fall before them, but when they looked up, they saw that it was 59F45. ¡°One of the others was in your flight training class.¡± They said without any form of greeting, ¡°They said that you used to help teach other synths during class time.¡± ¡°I did, yes.¡± TO said quietly. ¡°...Do you still offer extra training?¡± ¡°W-what?¡± TO¡¯s ears flicked out in confusion. ¡°I feel as though I could learn more from you in terms of flight. I wish to do well, to serve King Decon as best as I can.¡± They seemed to perk up slightly, ¡°I wish to be one of His Vanguard one day, and must therefore hone all my skills to prove myself worthy of being in His presence each day, and tasked with protecting Him.¡± ¡°Of course they can still teach.¡± GiDi said as they came up from behind, ¡°But not every day, you understand. Physical rest is required some days.¡± They looked past 56F45 and to TO, ¡°Right?¡± ¡°...Right?¡± TO felt very confused. ¡°They still teach us from time to time.¡± GiDi said with a gesture to DH, ¡°I am certain that when they¡¯re going to do more training that they can contact you.¡± They nodded to GiDi, then turned to TO, ¡°I will await your message.¡± they said. They dipped their head slightly - a simple, small sign of respect that TO had never experienced and which made their ears burn blue- before heading to the door. TO looked back up to GiDi, who was smiling. ¡°I don¡¯t know exactly what happened.¡± GiDi said, ¡° But it looked good? They wanted flight lessons!¡± ¡°Yes¡­ why did you-¡° ¡°Because you looked nervous, and if you give them the odd flight lesson then that will help others to respect and trust you more, and you¡¯ll have less issues, right?¡± TO looked at GiDi for a long moment, then to DH, ¡°They¡¯re a little devious at times aren¡¯t they.¡± ¡°I could be more devious.¡± GiDi said with a smile, ¡°I just wanted to help.¡± Episode 82: Cold ¡°You only have a couple more days here, right?¡± SR45 asked when TO arrived for their vocational training. ¡°Right.¡± TO said. ¡°Today and tomorrow. After that I¡¯ll be reassigned.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a shame.¡± SR45 said as they went over their crates for the day, ¡°I¡¯ve found you to be very useful here.¡± TO¡¯s ears flicked and flushed at the rare praise. ¡°I must strive to improve for King Decon.¡± they recited. While the last few days had in fact seemed to have flown by, TO was still looking forward to being reassigned. Working in Shipping and Receiving had been far more interesting since their excursion into space, but most of the time it was still very tedious. Despite the drawn out hours TO spent in their vocational training, the rest of the period had flown by. Combat training was much better now (though TO still hadn¡¯t been assigned as a Commander) and all their spare time had been spent plotting with DH about what they should do for GiDi, or if they should do anything. Though, if TO were to be honest, the nights were starting to drag on. They didn''t have any more nightmares, but they found it difficult to sleep. If they let their thoughts drift off, they found themself thinking about DH in a way that they knew would make DH uncomfortable. Controlling their thoughts was turning out to be more difficult than they originally considered. They were worried also that they weren¡¯t hiding their thoughts as well as they hoped, since DH seemed to be perhaps a little more distant than normal; they hadn¡¯t woken TO up on the heels of a nightmare since that day. TO didn¡¯t know if it was because they weren¡¯t having nightmares, if they were worried about what C12 said, or if TO had made them uncomfortable. They worried about DH being alone in their pod after a bad nightmare. When they weren¡¯t worrying about DH, they worried about GiDi, who still seemed so oddly distant since the attack on King Decon, only now they weren¡¯t saying anything. It made TO more determined to do something for GiDi and 09T08. They wanted GiDi to be happy. SR45 was setting up their first crate when the Officer came over, a document on display in the air before them. TO had discovered that the Officer in charge of Shipping and Receiving hardly looked up from this document at any given time; they obsessed over the data and barked out orders. ¡°SR45; you need to move your crates early.¡± ¡°Have I placed them in the wrong location?¡± ¡°No; There¡¯s an unexpected shipment coming in. It has a delivery time and it¡¯s already late, but it¡¯s also missing documentation so it needs to be screened before being properly received. It¡¯s slated to come in on your bay, so send off your crates so it can dock.¡± SR45 nodded and set down the crate they had been working on, ¡°Understood.¡± They said. They hardly had the word out of their mouth when the officer left. SR45 turned to TO, ¡°Come on,¡± they said, ¡°I was going to save this for tomorrow, but you¡¯re going to learn how to program crates to go out today.¡± ¡°Go out?¡± ¡°Yes. Out to other planets to be used again for transport.¡± They closed up some files over their workstation and headed off down the hallway. TO followed after them. ¡°I suppose we set the autopilot and it makes its own way to whatever planet it¡¯s destined for?¡± ¡°Exactly.¡± SR45 said, ¡°Normally it¡¯s done at the end of each cycle but apparently they need them moved today.¡± they frowned, ¡°Someone has erred.¡± ¡°How so?¡± ¡°If a shipment is unscheduled, then it¡¯s an error. I¡¯m willing to bet someone sent it at the wrong time and gave it a delivery time to ensure that it gets rushed. Though, I suppose it could be important, but if that¡¯s the case it¡¯s already late and the damage is already done.¡± ¡°And this isn¡¯t because of us, right?¡± TO asked as their ears flicked down. ¡°No. It is not.¡± SR45 said, ¡°I am on time with everything I¡¯ve been doing¡­ or I was. I¡¯ll be behind now.¡± They headed down the hall and through a hallway that was lined on one side with windows. Through the windows, TO could see rows and rows of crates all piled up on one another, separated by walls of reinforced steel. They headed down to the end of the hall and entered a glass dome with a control panel inside. ¡°This is where we set up my crates.¡± SR45 said with a gesture to the room before them, ¡°Most of these are empty. We¡¯ll start working through them and as soon as we start sending some off, then we can take some full crates in.¡± They sat down at the control panel and swiped their chip, ¡°Just watch me for the first couple of crates, then I will teach you.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± TO said. SR45 sat at the chair of the control panel, and a crane emerged from the ceiling. They selected a crate top of a pile, and used the crane to move it down to a platform in the center of the warehouse where a small ship was waiting. The crate was placed next to the back of the ship, and several strong latches clipped into it, locking in place as soon as the crate touched it. The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. ¡°Once this is sent, you¡¯ll see how the full crates come in.¡± SR45 said. They cracked their knuckles and pulled up a digital keyboard on the surface of the work station. They started running commands, pulling up a display of the ship and the crate on a screen. It showed some diagnostics for them, none of which TO understood. ¡°This one needs more fuel, that¡¯s all.¡± SR45 muttered as they flicked their eyes over the screen. They finished their checks, and refueled the ship. With the press of another button, all the crates seemed to shift forward, leaving an empty spot near the very end of the collection of crates.¡± ¡°There.¡± they said, ¡°Now there¡¯s space for new crates, so now we can send this empty one off.¡± They put in a set of coordinates, then pressed a button. A confirmation screen rose up, and SR45 held their chip to it for five seconds before it beeped. The crane that SR45 had used was pulled back up into the ceiling. There was a loud beeping from outside¨C a warning of some sort¨C then then large doors on the other end started to open. TO took a step back, reaching for something to hold onto as the doors opened to reveal the void of space. ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± SR45 said as they continued to input commands. ¡°Everything¡¯s locked down and we¡¯re safe in here.¡± TO didn¡¯t exactly trust SR45¡¯s statement, but they looked up anyway. The crate they had just set up was lifted into the center of the room by the rack it had been latched into. The thrusters activated and the small ship burst from the warehouse and into space, disappearing from TO¡¯s line of sight almost instantly. After it went off into space another ship came in, settling down where the old one had been. It was latched onto the rack before it¡¯s thrusters deactivated. The beeping continued, falling silent only once the giant doors closed up. Finally, relative peace fell upon the warehouse once more. ¡°And that¡¯s it.¡± SR45 said as though they hadn¡¯t just opened a door into the void of space, ¡°We just need to put that new, full crate in place, turn the ship, and then we can move on.¡± They checked their notes, ¡°The crate I need to get in is 7th in line. We¡¯ll do ten to get ahead of some work, and then head back. With you helping me this might not delay my work that much.¡± TO only then realized that they were still clutching to the edge of the control panel. They let go sheepishly and crept closer to SR45 so that they could actually see what they were doing. ====== TO watched crate number nine fly out into space. After SR45 had sent off a third crate, TO had stopped being afraid. Oddly, there was something nice about being in their little bubble of enclosed space while the air was sucked out from around them, to see the crates shaking, struggling to get free of their restraints while TO sat comfortably and watched. Once TO was calmer, SR45 let them send off some crates. By crate number six, TO felt like they had been doing it for years. ¡°It is a shame I couldn¡¯t keep you for a few more days.¡± SR45 said, ¡°You seem like you¡¯d be useful to keep around.¡± ¡°I try my best.¡± TO said, only half paying attention as they looked up the right coordinates. ¡°Well, if you ended up on Shipping and Receiving after your placement, I am certain that you would be a boon to us, and to our ability to serve King Decon. ¡°I live to serve King Decon.¡± TO muttered as they continued to work. They hardly thought about how they responded- the response was instant and almost reflexive. That was the last calm moment before everything fell into chaos. First, there was a noise¨C distant and muffled through the glass that surrounded them. TO glanced up just in time to see one of the crates¨C the 7th one, the one they had come here for¨C expand for just a moment before it exploded in a mess of heat and light. TO raised their arms to shield themself, unsure if the glass would offer any real protection. SR45 shouted something, and then hit a button. The warehouse door started to open, and the flame-engulfed crate lifted up from where it was, it¡¯s restraints broken by the explosion, and sped to the door. It hit on the edge, and a second explosion happened. TO felt something shift, heard metal creak far too close to them. Their little control center, the little bubble of safety that TO had been enjoying, shifted. SR45, who was making a call to someone on their chip, slid forward as they lost their footing. TO heard SR45 say, ¡°Get out!¡± but before the last syllable was even out of their mouth the control center fell towards the floor, to the crates that were strapped in and straining against the pull of the oxygen being sucked out into space. The crane that they had been using broke free and was pulled into space, leaving the wires dangling after it. TO heard a scream. In their mind where seconds started to draw out, they realized that they were screaming. ¡®Oh. I¡¯m screaming.¡¯ The thought was so calm, it surprised TO. They hit the ground, the glass finally shattering. They both smacked against the ground only once before they were drawn up and pulled towards the open doors along with the shards of glass that tore at their skin. ¡®How long could a synth survive in space without a spacesuit? They had asked themself that earlier this period, had they not? They saw something in the corner of their eye¨C the dangling wire that had been pulled free when the crane came loose. TO grabbed it, but just as they did they saw SR45 rushing towards them. They wrapped the wire around their arm and at the same time they reached out and grabbed SR45. The little wire was clearly held in place by a piece of broken metal somewhere, because as soon as TO caught SR45, the metal shifted. Something fell, and TO was pulled out of the gate and into space, stopping only a few meters away from the mouth of the shipping bay thanks to the length of wire that they still clung to. Cold. It was a sudden piercing coldness that hit TO, and they realized that it was likely diminished by the heated air rushing from the training center. Their wings were the worst, almost feeling hot for a moment before TO lose feeling in the thin membrane. They tried to breath in, but that was nearly impossible- the air rushing out of the center was already too thin, and the cold made their chest hurt. Couldn¡¯t they get hurt from inhaling air that was too cold? They were certain they had read that somewhere¨C something about ice crystals forming in the lungs. Lights started going off. The gates started to close. TO realized that it had to be some form of emergency protocol if there was a breach. They had to get back inside before the gates closed and they were stuck. In order to pull themself back into the center on the wire they¡¯d have to let go of SR45. They couldn¡¯t do that. They managed to slip off the shoes that they wore around the training center¨C thin, basic things that were only a small step up from being barefooted¨C and used their grasping, clawed feet to clutch the wire. They were able to get enough leverage then to pull SR45 to the wire. They grabbed it. TO had been so worried that they wouldn¡¯t be able to grab the wire, or that they might have been unconscious. They had been so worried that they¡¯d have to pull SR45 behind them and if they did, they were certain that they wouldn¡¯t have been able to make it in before the gates closed. They still weren¡¯t certain that they could make it now. TO rushed then, using their feet and hands to scurry to the gate as quickly as they could. At first the cold hurt their feet terribly, but soon they lost feeling. They managed to pull themself inside the gate before it closed. They held onto the wire, still terrified that they might slip and get thrown back out into space. They turned back to see SR45 still making their way, still trying to get to the gates and inside before being left to vast, merciless expanse of space. Something was wrong with one of their arms, and it was slowing them down a lot. SR45 wasn¡¯t going to make it. TO was positive of that. As they watched SR45¡¯s speed, and the speed of the closing doors there was no doubt in TO¡¯s mind that SR45 would be trapped outside. Would they suffocate or freeze to death first? TO wasn¡¯t certain. They didn¡¯t want to know. They also didn¡¯t want to learn someday and think of this day, and think of how SR45 had died. TO planted their numb feet on the edge of the gates, and pulled as quickly as they could while SR45 climbed, drawing the rope in faster. They watched the gates starting to close, watched and worried about how close SR45 might get before they were locked out. They were so close, TO could reach out and grab them. The gates were closing fast. TO reached out, took SR45 by the collar of their uniform, and pulled them in as quickly as they could and with as much force as they could manage. The gates closed, and TO and SR45 fell to the debris riddled floor, silent among the klaxons that only sounded when something had gone terribly wrong. Episode 83: Wings It was difficult to focus. TO was sure they were conscious, but they couldn¡¯t seem to focus on anything save for the pain all over their body. They were vaguely aware of other synths around them. They were carried somewhere, and then they were blissfully unconscious. They drifted for a bit, coming close to wakefulness but never fully getting there. The few times they got close, the pain came, but thankfully it was slightly less and less each time. They didn¡¯t so much wake up as they did suddenly realize that they were awake . The room they woke in was one they had never seen before; a blissfully dim, steamy room that reminded them of the showers. Perhaps that was more because they were placed in a special kind of tub, one with an inclined bottom that allowed them to rest with their face just up over the surface everything else was covered in the warm water. Still parts of them felt cold. They pushed themself up slowly, rising from the water for just a moment before they quickly dropped back down. They were so cold! They had never experienced cold like this before! ¡°They seem conscious.¡± TO hadn¡¯t even realized that anyone else was there. They turned, and saw MO-6 and DH standing nearby and going over charts. As soon as DH looked and caught TO¡¯s eyes, they dashed over. ¡°Check them for blistering.¡± MO-6 said as they turned away, ¡°Don¡¯t let them out of the bath yet.¡± DH got to the bath and knelt at the edge. They looked at TO for a long time, their ears down, their eyes brimming with tears. TO gave a weak smile, ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± they said, ¡°Just cold.¡± DH suddenly laughed, and a few of the tears spilled over. They wiped them away quickly, ¡°Just cold. You managed to get frostbite-¡± ¡°Very mild frostbite.¡± MO-6 called over, ¡°The worst of it was the wings, and I¡¯m fairly certain that we¡¯ve managed to save those.¡± ¡°-You managed to get frostbite.¡± DH said, they reached out and put their hand atop TO¡¯s forehead, ¡°You got sucked out into space.¡± ¡°There was¡­¡± TO frowned, still unsure what had happened, ¡°An explosion? I don¡¯t-¡± ¡°We saw the footage.¡± DH said, ¡°I can show you later. One of the ships you were working with exploded. They¡¯re out getting the pieces to examine them, to see what happened, and -¡± ¡°I don¡¯t mind you talking, but make sure you¡¯re doing the examinations?¡± MO-6 called out. To TO¡¯s surprise, there was almost a hint of amusement to their voice. DH flushed, and put on a pair of gloves before they went to the far end of the tub and reached in to take TO¡¯s feet in their hands. ¡°If anything hurts, tell me.¡± DH said as they started checking the toes. TO nodded, and couldn¡¯t help but smile as DH worked. It made TO feel so happy that they were doing so well in the Medical Bay. They seemed to be on good terms with MO-6 and seemed to enjoy their work. They had such an expression of serious focus on their face, despite the flush to their ears. They looked so endearing when their ears went blue. TO felt their own ears flush, but did their best to ignore that. ¡°What are you checking for?¡± TO asked. ¡°Blisters.¡± DH said, ¡°Apparently, the sudden change from cold to warm can cause blisters.¡± ¡°Correct.¡± MO-6 said, ¡°And what did we do to prevent that?¡± ¡°We measured the patient¡¯s body temperature, and set the water temperature only slightly warmer. As the circulation improves and the temperature of the extremities increases, we increase the temperature.¡± ¡°And when do you think that the patient will be allowed to leave the tub?¡± DH¡¯s ears flicked as they considered this, ¡°When the temperature of their extremities is closer to average synth temperature. We¡¯ve been measuring every ten minutes, and increasing the temperature each time by a few degrees....¡± They moved onto the calves as they checked some notes on a screen nearby. ¡°I¡¯d say another half hour?¡± ¡°Excellent. Now; should we keep them in the Medical Bay tonight, or no?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± TO watched DH¡¯s ears flick as they considered this, they quickly checked TO¡¯s thighs, then moved on to the fingers, ¡°Probably not.¡± ¡°Probably? Explain.¡± ¡°Well, you said that the complications after this, since it¡¯s a mild form, could involve some blistering. That¡¯s nothing we can treat until it happens, and it may not. Keeping them here would be needless. They can self-observe, and -¡± ¡°Can they be trusted to come back if further symptoms arise?¡± DH winced as they looked up at MO-6, ¡°From a personal view, or a professional one.¡± ¡°From a professional one, clearly.¡± ¡°...¡¯never trust the patient to be smart?¡¯¡± Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. ¡°Correct. They should stay here for the next day -¡± ¡°What if they just checked in for examinations between meals and training?¡± MO-6¡¯s ears flicked as they considered this ¡°That would be a better solution indeed.¡± they said. ¡°It would clear a bed and save some resources.¡± They finished up some notes, and went over to another tub nearby. ¡°Is SR45 in there?¡± ¡°They are.¡± DH said, ¡°They¡¯re in worse shape than you.¡± ¡°I watched the video feed of what happened.¡± MO-6 said, ¡°They were out in space for longer, so it¡¯s to be expected. I¡¯ll want further observation on them.¡± they glanced over at DH, ¡°Any blisters?¡± DH was checking around the arms, ¡°None of the legs or arms.¡± they said, I¡¯m about to check the wings, then the torso-¡± ¡°Unnecessary to check the torso, there wasn¡¯t enough damage there. Check the wings, then move onto this other one.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± DH said as they moved onto the wings. They gently ran their fingers over the still-numb membrane of TO¡¯s wings- It was an odd sensation to feel the pressure without actually feeling the touch. ¡°I was really worried when you came in.¡± DH whispered, ¡°You were covered in blood.¡± TO frowned, ¡°How was I covered in blood?¡± they asked, though just as the words left their mouth they remembered the glass that had broken around them. They must have been so cold that they hadn¡¯t felt the cuts. They shifted slightly and saw a collection of cuts over their feet and hands, and larger gashes on their legs, their torso, and arms. ¡°The bigger cuts are where larger bits of glass tore through your uniform.¡± DH explained. They gestured to TO¡¯s side, ¡°That one was a big one, and it was bleeding a lot. It needed stitches and it might scar¡­ still, all the cuts on your face should heal easily-¡± ¡°On my face?¡± TO reached up to touch their face, and indeed they could feel some cuts along their skin. ¡°And¡­ And your wings will heal too! I¡¯m sure of it!¡± ¡°... my wings?¡± A jolt of horror went through TO. They sat up in the tub, ignoring the cold as they turned to see their wings. There was a relatively large tear in one wing. It was stitched together and there seemed to be a clear glaze over it but the sheer size of the wound made TO feel dizzy. It was so shocking that it took them a moment to see the other holes scattered about their wings. Some were small and had been left alone while others had to be stitched up as well. ¡°MO-6 says it¡¯ll all heal!¡± DH said as they saw TO¡¯s face, ¡°No flying for two periods-¡± ¡°Two periods!?¡± ¡°Outside of the simulations, that is. Your wings will be strapped down while they¡¯re healing-¡± ¡°Two periods!¡± They felt their chest tighten, ¡°I can¡¯t not fly for two periods!¡± ¡°You¡¯ll have to if you want to continue flying at all.¡± MO-6 said as they came over. They looked to DH, ¡°Why is this patient not submerged.¡± ¡°Sorry.¡± DH muttered as they gently pushed TO back into the water. They gave TO a quick smile as they did, ¡°You¡¯ll be fine if you rest.¡± DH said. ¡°Rest. Full meals. Keep well hydrated. These wings should heal up nicely if you do that. There will be major scarring, but it won¡¯t affect functionality. ¡°... I didn¡¯t even feel that tear.¡± TO said, their voice soft and quiet. ¡°Your wings were frostbitten worst of all, so I¡¯m not surprised that you didn¡¯t feel it.¡± MO-6 said. ¡° We had to remove some badly damaged membranes in places because of the frostbite, but that will heal back as well. Most of the damage was done by glass shards being sucked out of the warhouse and running through the membrane, leaving puncture wounds of various sizes. The largest cut must have been from a shard of glass that got stuck. Still, you¡¯re lucky; it¡¯ll all heal.¡± They checked the temperature on the bath, fiddled with a dial, then turned away to go back to SR45. ¡°See. it¡¯ll heal.¡± DH said. They reached out and put their hand on the back of TO¡¯s head under the water and gently scratched at the back of TO¡¯s neck. A part of TO wanted to move away. They didn¡¯t want DH to be accused of excessive fraternization. Despite this, they didn¡¯t move. They felt so shaken, so distraught by the damage done to their wings that they leaned into DH¡¯s hand, allowing themself to enjoy this bit of comfort for a few minutes at least. ====== They left the Medical Bay much later, dressed in one of the thin robes. Their wings were held down with a special strap that fit around their chest and waist. They pulled the robe tightly around themself since they still felt cold and couldn¡¯t wrap their wings around themself. In the main room of the Medical Bay, GiDi was sitting and reading something on their chip. They looked up as DH and TO entered the room and then ran to TO, hugging them tightly. ¡°I was so worried about you!¡± they said, ¡°DH said you were covered in blood when you came in!¡± TO wrapped their arms around GiDi. their wings strained to wrap around them as well but of course they couldn¡¯t. ¡°I didn¡¯t even feel it. And it¡¯s all going to heal.¡± ¡°Even the wings?¡± TO¡¯s ears flicked as GiDi mentioned the wings. ¡°Even the wings.¡± they said as they held onto GiDi tightly. ¡°Wait¡­ how long have you been waiting.¡± ¡°...Since I got out of my vocational training?¡± GiDi admitted, ¡°I went to the cafeteria to get food, but then I came right back here...It¡¯s been several hours.¡± TO turned to DH, ¡°Your vocational training ended hours ago! Why are you still here?¡± ¡°As though I¡¯d leave with you in the med bay. I volunteered to help with you and SR45.¡± ¡°MO-6 didn¡¯t find that odd?¡± ¡°Actually, they said, ¡®If I say no, I suppose you¡¯ll just wait out in the main room.¡¯ and then said If I was going to be here anyway, I might as well help.¡± ¡°They¡¯re saying it was an attack.¡± GiDi said, ¡°An attack from the insurgency. Was it really?¡± TO frowned, ¡°I don¡¯t really know what happened. They¡¯re saying what about it?¡± GiDi pulled away from TO as they pulled up a notice on their chip, ¡°Well, news about what happened got around quickly ¨C there¡¯s a lot of synths working in shipping and receiving, so word of an explosion got out quickly. Shortly after there was a report saying that it was an attack by the Despair Insurgency, and that it was being investigated for collaborators.¡± GiDi. frowned, ¡°But why would they be looking for collaborators? Do they think a synth helped?¡± ¡°...well it was one of our ships.¡± TO said, ¡°And it¡¯s a bit hard to program them to do anything without clearance, but I don¡¯t know enough about the ships to say if it¡¯s impossible to hack them. Do they really think it was an attack? It could have been just a malfunction?¡± Still, even as TO said that, they remember how SR45 said it had been missing paperwork, and how it was an unexpected shipment. ¡°Why would we be attacked?¡± TO said, ¡°King Decon isn¡¯t here; this is just a training facility.¡± ¡°They¡¯re looking into it.¡± DH said, ¡°And unless they want to talk to you, it¡¯s nothing to worry about. You need to worry about resting and eating full meals.¡± TO¡¯s ears flicked with amusement, ¡°You¡¯re not at your vocational training anymore.¡± they said, ¡°No, I¡¯m not, but I will be your private attendant if that¡¯s what it takes to make sure you get rest.¡± They frowned, ¡°And with that, we¡¯re getting you to bed; it¡¯s late.¡± they looked to GiDi, ¡°you¡¯ll be staying with us tonight?¡± Wait. with us? ¡°Of course!¡± GiDi said, then as their ears fell slightly, they asked, ¡°I mean, if you want me with you.¡± ¡°Of course we do!¡± TO said, not even thinking that by saying that, they had just agreed to having GiDi and DH in their pod. They hadn¡¯t shared a pod with DH since their conversation with C12. They thought of the way their mind tended to drift when they were half asleep and thinking about DH, and they felt their ears flush and dip down. ¡°But¡­ you don¡¯t have to stay with me if you don¡¯t want to.¡± TO said quickly, ¡°I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll be fine.¡± DH gently took TO by the arm and started leading them towards the dorms, ¡°It¡¯s more for us, honestly.¡± they said, ¡° You have no idea how worried we were-¡± ¡°I have an idea.¡± TO said as they glanced at DH¡¯s eyepatch. DH laughed, ¡°OK, fair.¡± DH said, ¡°But I do believe I stayed in your pod the night after I was released? And even before that you spent two nights with me in the Medical Bay, didn¡¯t you?¡± TO grumbled something as they let DH lead them. Maybe the issue of excessive fraternization was something they didn¡¯t need to worry about¨C if they had already spent so much time with DH in the Medical Bay, then maybe sharing a pod wouldn¡¯t be considered too bad. Even when DH had rushed to them once they had woken up, MO-6 seemed more amused than anything else. Maybe it was only a problem if synths were like C12 and Snout; mates. Well, they could ask C12 what exactly constituted as excessive fraternization. As for the other stuff, the thoughts they had been having...well, they¡¯d just have to try harder to control where their mind went. They had a vague fear that controlling their thoughts would be impossible. Episode 84: Wingless Sandwiched between DH and GiDi, TO tried very hard to keep their mind from drifting to awkward thoughts. They had missed this closeness with their friends, something they had realized as soon as they had curled up to go to sleep. DH was behind them, their wings wrapped around both TO and GiDi. GiDi was nuzzled into their chest. Both of them were sleeping soundly. As soon as DH started chirping in their sleep TO remembered what they had been thinking of the night they had their last nightmare; they had been imagining DH, holding them just like this and accidently breathing on their ears. Thankfully, they weren¡¯t breathing on their ears, and their lips were nowhere near TO¡¯s ears. They had been given painkillers to dull the pain in their wings, and DH had made sure that they took them before going to sleep. They hoped that they would just fall asleep and stay asleep before their mind had any chance to drift to places it shouldn¡¯t. Hopefully, the pills would prevent the dreaded moment where they started to think about things they shouldn¡¯t; the moment the others were quiet and their own mind started to race. Oddly, their mind seemed willing to behave this day. TO was too comfortable and their mind didn¡¯t want to drift, it just wanted to relax. They didn¡¯t think about DH¡¯s hand on their ears; they were comfortable and satisfied having DH¡¯s arms and wings around them, and having GiDi curled up before them. Maybe it was nothing after all! Maybe everything TO had been worried about was just because they had been thinking about C12 and Snout too much. Because of that they had been trying to keep some distance between DH and themself since then, so maybe it was just that they wanted ...well, this! Simple affection. Synths weren¡¯t supposed to want or need that either, but DH wouldn¡¯t be bothered by simple, platonic affection. Oddly, TO found that they didn''t much care what Synths were or were not supposed to do beyond that. A part of them recognized that thought as problematic just before the pills kicked in and TO fell asleep, content and comfortable. ====== TO desperately wanted to stretch their wings. By the time they were heading to their vocational training the next day they felt like the muscles in their wings and back were itchy from being bound up all day. They felt cold because they couldn¡¯t wrap their wings around themself. Combat training had been fine, and they had gotten to stretch their virtual wings at any rate, but now they were facing several hours without any relief. At least DH had promised to help them with their wings later on. They went into Shipping and Receiving, and found the Officer waiting for them. ¡°You- 09T07- correct?¡± They looked at TO¡¯s badge, and the moment they the number they nodded and closed their files without waiting for a response from TO. That hadn¡¯t happened before. ¡°Follow me.¡± The Officer said as they stalked off towards a side door. TO followed after a moment to get over their surprise of the Officer actually closing up their files before they took off after them. They didn¡¯t go far, the Officer took them to a room just off the main warehouse. This was a small office just like TO¡¯s Overseer had, but it seemed smaller since there were already two others synths inside. SR45 was there, and they were missing their wings. Their back, still exposed in their uniform, was covered in bandages and stitches. Where the bones once protruded from the back there was now just a bump under the bandages. TO felt a chill run through their body and froze on the spot until the Officer nudged them forward. They slowly took their seat and cast a careful glance at SR45. TO expected them to look sad at least¨C if TO had lost their wings, they¡¯d be devastated. Of course, they nearly did lose their wings. MO-6 was right; they had been VERY lucky. SR45 didn¡¯t look sad, they looked scared. It was only in that moment that TO bothered to look at who was sitting on the other side of the table. The Commander. TO stiffened and sat straight in their chair immediately as they noticed that the Commander was watching them. ¡°I brought them both, Commander.¡± The Officer said as they stood behind TO and SR45. The Commander spared them only a quick glance before they turned back to SR45 and TO, ¡°Very good.¡± They said, ¡°You can leave us now.¡± ¡°Understood, Commander.¡± The Officer said before they left. ¡°I understand you two were very lucky.¡± The Commander said as they looked over the two of them. ¡°Of course¡­¡± They let their gaze linger on TO, ¡°I suppose that¡¯s to be expected. I saw the videos. If not for your quick thinking, not only would we be dealing with the damage done to the shipping bay, but we¡¯d also be down two synths.¡± Praise from the Commander? TO felt their ears twitch and burn, ¡°I didn¡¯t¡­ I wouldn¡¯t call it quick thinking.¡± they admitted, ¡°I just... Well, I saw the wire and I just grabbed it, then I saw SR45, so I grabbed them-¡± ¡°And then you managed to pull SR45 in before the gates closed.¡± ¡°I couldn¡¯t have left them out there.¡± TO insisted. ¡°Many would have. Many would have considered that their chances of getting back into the center was better if they weren¡¯t worried about another synth.¡± If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. Was this an interrogation? Had TO done something wrong in helping SR45? ¡°I¡­ I didn¡¯t really think about it.¡± TO said, ¡°I didn¡¯t think I should leave them out there.¡± ¡°Fascinating.¡± The Commander said, ¡°Well, you did well regardless. You acted fast in an emergency, and survived. You did well. I suppose that one was right; you are exceptional.¡± TO¡¯s ears flicked as they caught the disdain in the Commander¡¯s voice. Were they actually talking about C12 like that? ¡°Well, that¡¯s not why I¡¯m here.¡± the Commander said, ¡°An attack of such magnitude requires a thorough investigation.¡± they turned to SR45, ¡°However, there seems to be no saved files for this shipment; they have been removed.¡± ¡°The Officer gave me the file, They would have the files-¡± ¡°Potentially. You, however, can give me some information on the crate itself.¡± They tilted their head, their ears flicking forward slightly, ¡°What can you tell me about it.¡± ¡°I am unsure what you mean.¡± They said. ¡°When you ran your diagnostics was there anything interesting that you noted about that particular crate?¡± ¡°Commander, I actually ran those diagnostics.¡± TO said in a quiet, cautious voice, ¡°I did it.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± ¡°Yes, for vocational training.¡± ¡°I see. Well, what can you tell me?¡± TO frowned as they closed their eyes, trying to remember that specific crate. If it had been any other crate they wouldn¡¯t have remembered specifically. That one, however, was special; strange. ¡°The engine was overheated.¡± They said, ¡°It was a bit worrying. We set it to have additional rest time between uses, and got a replacement ship.¡± ¡°I see.¡± The Commander said, ¡°What would cause such overheating.¡± ¡°Generally, it¡¯s a result of longer than expected flight times.¡± ¡°I see. Anything else?¡± ¡°I think that they didn¡¯t refuel at their last stop.¡± TO said, ¡°The fuel tank was empty and the backup tank was mostly empty.¡± ¡°And that didn¡¯t strike you as odd?¡± ¡°Well, it was a timed delivery, yes?¡± TO said, as they considered this, ¡°So¡­ I suppose it might make sense if someone untrained ¨Ca civilian¨C were rushing to get this shipment sent off then they might skip some checks.¡± they frowned, ¡°Though, if the person who sent the ship off was rushing and being careless, there¡¯s every chance that they might have missed something which could have caused the explosion, yes?¡± ¡°Is that what happened?¡± The Commander leaned forward, watching TO very carefully. TO didn¡¯t know why they were doing that, but it made them uneasy. ¡°I-I don¡¯t know.¡± They said, ¡°I am simply considering all this. It is a possibility.¡± ¡°But you don¡¯t know for certain if the explosion was intentional or not.¡± Why was the Commander asking them? And why were they watching them so closely? TO suddenly realized that the Commander was watching TO¡¯s ears. Were they watching to see if TO was lying, or would lie? Why would they think they were lying?¡± It made sense to TO only if this was an interrogation ¡°...You think I had something to do with this.¡± TO said in disbelief. They put a hand to their mouth as soon as the words left them, ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, I-¡± The Commander waved them off, ¡°You are exceptional indeed.¡± they said, ¡°You are not entirely correct. I don¡¯t think you had something to do with this. I don¡¯t know if you did or not. When an incident like this happens I have to consider everyone involved.¡± They kept their eyes on TO, ¡°So, since that¡¯s out now, Did you have anything to do with this.¡± ¡°No Commander!¡± The Commander watched their ears for a moment, then nodded and looked to SR45, ¡°And you?¡± ¡°No Commander.¡±, I did not.¡± They said, their ears pinning back in indignation. ¡°I would never do anything to cause harm to King Decon.¡± ¡°I see¡­¡± The Commander said, ¡°...Commander? Permission to ask a question?¡± The Commander turned to TO as they spoke, and though their face was mostly a mask, their expression frozen and stoic, there was the slightest twitch of surprise in their ears. ¡°Permission granted.¡± ¡°Why are you questioning us?¡± TO asked, ¡°Not..not why are we being questioned; i understand that, and you¡¯re right- anyone involved should be questioned¡­ but why are you yourself questioning us?¡± ¡°It is my duty to maintain the peace and functionality of the entire training center.¡± the Commander said after a brief pause, ¡°Things that affect only certain parts of the center are not my concern unless it cannot be resolved by the officers in charge. However, when an insurgent manages to take over one of our ships and use it to attack the center itself¡­¡± they frowned, ¡°Well, in truth, that the attack did so little damage is a testament to all the safety precautions we have.¡± ¡°So little?¡± TO glanced at SR45, at their wingless back. ¡°Well, the loss of supplies is regrettable.¡± The Commander said, ¡°The entire bay, several crates, and a good deal of vital supplies were damaged or lost. However, when you compare that to the damage that could have been done if it got to its destination¡­¡± ¡°But we don¡¯t know the destination.¡± TO said. They felt their ears burn as they looked done, ¡°Commander.¡± They had to be careful. They had to be respectful. Another long silence as the Commander regarded TO. ¡°No¡­ we don¡¯t. Not yet. But each ship has a blackbox. If we can locate that, then we¡¯ll find out. It could have been a disguised bomb slated for the engine room, or to the fuel reserves.¡± they leaned back, ¡°But that is nothing for you to be concerned about. All you need to keep in mind is that the system worked. The threat sent by the insurgents was stopped with minimal damage done, thanks to the various safety protocols put in place and your own quick thinking. Rest assured, your contribution has has been noted, and will be taken into account when it comes time for your placement¡­ which is coming soon, is it not?¡± ¡°Yes Commander. Six more periods.¡± ¡°Halfway done. Soon you¡¯ll have an opportunity to really serve King Decon.¡± ¡°I live to serve King Decon.¡± TO recited. ¡°Most excellent. Dismissed. Both of you.¡± ====== ¡°Come along, 09T07.¡± SR45 said once they left the office, ¡°We¡¯re assigned to assist with cleanup today in the -¡± ¡°What happened to your wings?¡± TO asked. Their ears twitching frantically. ¡°Mine were damaged, but the damage wasn¡¯t so bad that they had to be removed.¡± SR45 didn¡¯t stop walking, ¡°I was in the cold longer than you were.¡± they said, their voice flat and deadpan, ¡°As such the damage done to the muscles and skin was far more intense. If they had stayed on it could very well have caused severe, deadly infection. They had to be removed for that reason alone.¡± They frowned, their ears twitching back, ¡°There was considerable damage done as well; broken bones. Most of the membrane was torn.¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± TO felt their own ears sink back; to think they had been complaining about not being able to fly for a few periods. ¡°I suppose once it¡¯s healed, they¡¯ll attempt a transplant of some sort?¡± SR45 stopped and turned to look at TO, ¡°No. Why would they?¡± ¡°... because you need your wings?¡± TO said, but suddenly they were unsure, ¡°I mean, you can¡¯t fly without your wings-¡± ¡°I work in Shipping and Receiving. I don¡¯t need to fly for that. I am unlikely to be promoted to a position when I must fly. As such, I am not eligible for a transplant.¡± Their ears were slightly tilted back and down. When they caught TO¡¯s eye starting at them, they looked away, ¡°I will grow accustomed to their absence.¡± they said, ¡°I do not need them to serve King Decon.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°Why are you sorry?¡± ¡°I should have pulled you in faster, or figured out a better way to-¡± ¡°... 09T07.¡± SR45 said quietly, ¡°This is twice in this period alone that you have saved my life. It is because of you that I continue to exist to serve King Decon. For that, I am grateful. You should feel no guilt for my loss of wings.¡± Their eyes narrowed, I blame the insurgents entirely for that. Ungrateful civilians who think they know better than King Decon. I hope they find that box, and I hope they discover who was responsible for such an attack on King Decon¡¯s empire, and for such an insult on King Decon!¡± They stopped themself, took a breath to calm down, then said, ¡°But¡­ You have saved me from two horrible deaths. For that, I thank you.¡± ¡°I¡¯m just happy to have helped¡­¡± Episode 85: Dinner and a Show There was a certain restlessness in the dormitories on the last day of each period since they had started their vocational training. There was perhaps a little more chatter than normal, though all of it was what you would expect from normal synths; what was your placement like? Where do you hope to be placed next period? TO noticed a slight difference this time; as they walked along through the dormitory the other synths grew quiet, and if they spoke it was in low whispers. TO did their best not to listen to what they were saying as they had gotten tired of hearing others say that they were the synth that couldn¡¯t be trusted. They walked purposefully through the halls, staring straight and ignoring the whispers until they got to 09T08¡¯s pod. ¡°How was your vocational training?¡± TO asked as they approached. 09T08 had been deep into reading something and was actually startled when TO spoke. ¡°Sorry... What?¡± they said as they calmed down. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to startle you¡­¡± TO said, ¡°I just¡­ wanted to know how your -¡± No. that wasn¡¯t why they were here. They didn¡¯t want to make 09T08 think they were deceptive. ¡°How was your training?¡± they asked instead. ¡°It was alright. I was in electric this period. I learned a lot.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good. I¡¯m glad you were productive¡± TO said, ¡°Are you busy?¡± ¡°I¡­ well, I¡¯m not busy¡­¡± They looked at the document they were reading, ¡°Do you need something?¡± ¡°Need¡­ well, no.¡± TO glanced around at the other synths, some of which were watching them, their eyes shooting from TO¡¯s face to their bound wings. ¡°You¡¯re the subject of some talk today.¡± 09T08 said, drawing TO¡¯s attention back to them, ¡°Everyone¡¯s talking about you.¡± ¡°Are they still saying how deceitful I am, because I worked very hard in the last-¡± ¡°No no. I mean, not everyone. That¡¯s nearly forgotten now.¡± they gestured to TO¡¯s wings, ¡°Everyone¡¯s talking about that.¡± ¡°The others don¡¯t think my wings will heal.¡± TO said, frowning. To be fair, it was a concern that they shared. Sure, DH and MO-6 assured them that the wings would heal, but what if they didn¡¯t! What if they healed wrong and they could never fly again? ¡°No no. well, some have wondered if they will, but no.¡± They tilted their head at TO, their ears perking up with curiosity, ¡°They¡¯re saying you stopped the attack in the shipping bay.¡± ¡°What?¡± TO felt their ears burn, ¡°They¡¯re saying I did what?¡± ¡°That you kept the attack from being carried off as intended. I mean, there¡¯s no announcement on what was intended mind, but-¡± ¡°I¡­ I didn¡¯t stop anything.¡± TO said, ¡°There¡­ The crate was held up because it didn¡¯t have the proper documentation, and SR45¨C they¡¯re a synth that works in shipping and receiving¨C they opened up the bay doors to get the crate out before it caused real damage.¡± 09T08 frowned, their ears twitching as they considered this, ¡°But¡­ I heard that you had saved a bunch of people¡± TO couldn¡¯t help the snort that left them, ¡°I didn¡¯t save anyone¡­ Well...¡± Their ears flushed, ¡°I¡­ I didn¡¯t. I just happened to be in a position where I could grab SR45 and keep them from getting sucked into space¡­ that¡¯s all.¡± They sudden realized that everyone around them was very quiet. TO looked around and saw several synths listening to their conversation, but they all quickly turned away, focusing on their screens or some document they were reading. ¡°I suppose that piece of information got a little exaggerated.¡± 09T08 said, their ears twitching in amusement. ¡°If you want more details¡­¡± TO said softly, ¡°I was hoping you¡¯d want to come and spend some time with DH, GiDi, and myself.¡± 09T08¡¯s wings suddenly tightened around their arms, and they focused back on their document as their ears flicked down, ¡°Right now?¡± they said, ¡°I don¡¯t know. I mean, I have a lot of reading to do-¡± ¡°You can bring it with you?¡± TO offered. They didn¡¯t want to push too much, but they really wanted 09T08 to come with them, ¡°You can sit away from us and read if you want. Just¡­ consider it passive company? And you can leave any time¡­¡± TO watched as 09T08¡¯s ears twitched, as their hands gripped at their legs. ¡°... I¡¯m sorry.¡± TO said as they stepped away, their ears tilting down in disappointment. They had really wanted 09T08 to come with them and spend some time with them ¨C specifically with GiDi. ¡°Sorry¡­ I just thought I¡¯d offer-¡± If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. ¡°No¡­ no it¡¯s fine.¡± 09T08 said. They took a deep breath, and closed their document. With their ears flicked down with anxiety, they looked up to TO, ¡°I¡­ I¡¯ll try.¡± TO beamed, ¡°I¡¯m glad!¡± They said, ¡°And don¡¯t worry, we¡¯ll be somewhere quiet.¡± ====== ¡°It¡¯s about time you got here!¡± GiDi said as TO finally entered the old abandoned observation deck, ¡°I wanted to go after you, but DH said that I had to wait, and they wouldn¡¯t tell me-¡± They trailed off as they saw 09T08 follow TO into the observation deck, ¡°...You brought company?¡± ¡°Yes, well, I wanted 09T08 to come too.¡± they frowned a little at GiDi¡¯s confused expression. They had expected GiDito seem happier, or maybe even nervous at the prospect of 09T08 being there. ¡°I thought it would be nice.¡± ¡°I have no issue with it.¡± GiDi said slowly. They turned to 09T08, ¡°You¡­ you¡¯re not going to tell the Overseers about this place, are you?¡± ¡°As though they don¡¯t already know.¡± DH muttered, ¡°They probably saw us come in on cameras somewhere.¡± ¡°...Are we not allowed to be here?¡± 09T08 asked as they looked around nervously. They had their wings wrapped tightly around them, and their ears were already twitching with anxiety. TO was worried that if something else happened to add to their nerves that they might take off and run back to their pod. ¡°We have not been told that we can¡¯t be here.¡± TO said, ¡°And DH is right... There¡¯s a good chance that they know we¡¯re coming in here and just don¡¯t care. It¡¯s a quiet place where we can more comfortably do cultural research.¡± ¡°... cultural research?¡± 09T08 asked, ¡°I didn¡¯t know I was being brought here to study¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re not.¡± DH said with a grin, ¡°It¡¯s just that ¡®cultural research¡¯ is what TO says whenever we¡¯re watching any shows from around the galaxy-¡± ¡°And¡­ I found an interesting one.¡± TO said. They waved 09T08 into the room and finally the door closed behind them. TO rushed to get the old, broken speaker working, ¡°I was hoping to find a projector as well, but I couldn¡¯t. Still, I think-¡± ¡°...What is this place?¡± TO turned and looked at 09T08, who was now staring out the window at the glimmering light show before them, gazing in awe at the beautiful colors and the vivid light show outside. Despite how beautiful it was, TO shuddered as they saw the lights darting about far off in the nebula¨C Edacaeli. TO think that those tiny dots were such fierce monsters. ¡°We think it¡¯s an old observation deck.¡± GiDi said, ¡°Maybe used for guests once; that¡¯s why there¡¯s comfortable seating here.¡± They moved over to make space for 09T08 to sit. ¡°Though I don¡¯t know why TO was making this such a big surprise¡± TO gave DH a quick look as 09T08 sat down. Well, maybe GiDi hadn¡¯t been as excited as TO had hoped when 09T08 had stepped in, but them sitting together was good! ¡°Well, the added company is a surprise!¡± TO insisted, ¡°And I got a musical for us to listen to. I was lucky, and found one that came out this period, so I don¡¯t think you¡¯ve heard it-¡± ¡°Is it the new one from the Trypto solar system?¡± GiDi asked. TO instantly felt their ears sink down. ¡°...Yes, that was what I chose.¡± They muttered. ¡°I thought that-¡± ¡°I still wouldn¡¯t mind hearing it again!¡± GiDi insisted, ¡°Honestly! And¡­ and I love seeing your reactions to the musicals I like, so that¡¯s going to be new. And I always like to listen to musicals a few times, in case I¡¯ve missed something. Besides, this might be the first time 09T08 has heard a musical¡­¡± They turned to the other synth, ¡°Is it?¡± ¡°... I do generally prefer written media.¡± they said quietly, ¡°But I am not opposed to listening to it while I continue reading.¡± They glanced at TO, ¡°You did say I could read if I wanted to.¡± ¡°You can!¡± DH insisted without waiting for TO to answer, ¡°But¡­ do you mind if I ask you a question?¡± 09T08¡¯s wings tightened around themself once more, their ears pinned back, ¡°Go ahead.¡± ¡°Is there another name you might prefer?¡± they smiled, ¡°I¡¯m DH, because-¡± ¡°GiDi told me. 70H. seventy-H. Sounds like Seven-D-H if said right.¡± ¡°Right¡­¡± DH said, their own ears sinking slightly at having the explanation stolen from them, ¡°Well¡­ We already have TO... Do you have any idea what-¡± ¡°Avery.¡± Their voice was so quiet, and the response so quick that TO nearly missed it. ¡°Avery?¡± TO asked, ¡°Can I ask why?¡± To TO¡¯s surprise, Avery¡¯s ears sunk back and flushed, ¡°It¡¯s nothing, really. It¡¯s a character I like from a series. Sometimes¡­ well¡­ nevermind. But, I¡¯d like it if you called me Avery. If you think I should have another name, that is.¡± ¡°I have no issue with Avery.¡± DH said, ¡°I¡¯m just surprised that you had it ready so quickly. I suppose maybe you were calling yourself that for a bit?¡± Avery didn¡¯t respond but their ears did flush a little deeper. TO clapped their hands together to get attention back on themself, ¡°Well, DH was involved in helping me find a musical, And for getting GiDi here.¡± They grinned ¡°But¡­ they don¡¯t know about the other surprise I have.¡± TO¡¯s ears twitched with excitement as they went to their stash which was hidden under old blankets among the random assortment of stored garbage, ¡°I¡¯ve been sneaking this away all period.¡± They said as they pulled the armfull of food and drink from hiding. ¡°Food offerings that were sent to King Decon, but slated to be disposed of.¡± they came forward and dropped the packages on the table before the others. ¡°I¡¯ve taken time to research each item, so it should all be safe for us to eat!¡± ¡°....You stole King Decon¡¯s offerings?¡± DH said, sounding both terrified and awestruck at the same time.¡± ¡°I did no such thing!¡± TO insisted, ¡°I just¡­ I was supposed to record them and then see that they were disposed of... They¡¯re just not going to be disposed of in the same way as the other things that got disposed of.¡± They leaned forward and adjusted the speakers before syncing them up to their chip. A moment later, soft music started to play. They looked to GiDi, ¡°I ¡­ wanted to do something special for everyone. Especially you. And the shows that DH likes to watch, they often have a meal and a show being something that¡­ friends enjoy?¡± they gave a meaningful look to GiDi, letting their eyes dart quickly to Avery. GiDi¡¯s ears twitched as they listened, first with confusion, then disbelief, then- to TO¡¯s surprise- with amusement. ¡°Dinner and a show for synths in training.¡± GiDi said with a chuckle as they reached out and took up one of the vacuum sealed bags, ¡°What do you think DH, Sounds good to you?¡± DH gave a low noise that could have been taken as acceptance. TO focused on selecting a bag to try, hoping that DH wasn¡¯t made too uncomfortable by this, that DH wasn¡¯t upset that TO had gotten them involved in a romantic set-up for their friend, and that they didn¡¯t notice the blue tinge to the tips of their ears in the iridescent light that came through the window. Episode 86: Spicy TO sniffed at the tiny fruit they held in their hand. It was the first one selected to be eaten and since TO had done all the research it was determined that TO should be the first to taste it. ¡°What if it¡¯s poisoned?¡± DH protested, ¡°What if it¡¯s been poisoned by the insurgency?¡± Despite the music playing, DH still lowered their voice. TO was only glad that the recording devices couldn¡¯t tell the difference between background noise and their own voices. At least, that¡¯s what TO had figured out from C12¡¯s warnings. ¡°That wouldn¡¯t be very smart.¡± TO commented, ¡°it¡¯s got information on each package tracing back to where this stuff was made. It also has some call numbers on it, see?¡± They pointed at some print on the discarded label, ¡°hrk83. The first three letters represent the planet that the stuff came from, and the numbers represent the synth that inspected and tested this stuff.¡± They sniffed again at the small fruit, which was bright red and had a thin skin that allowed the light to filter through it slightly. ¡°I think maybe someone tried to poison King Decon a long time ago, so now everything is rigorously tested.¡± ¡°... Are you sure you want to try it?¡± GiDi asked. Even Avery, who had been pressing themself against the edge of the couch they were sitting on had leaned forward to watch. TO took a deep breath, and bit off half of the fruit. Sweetness. They had forgotten sweetness. That was something that they remembered from when they were in the tank and trapped in a dream; The taste of something sweet on their tongue. It was crisp and juicy, and TO could even feel the juice running down their chin. They sat there, just letting the fruit sit on their tongue before they slowly started chewing with their eyes closed. They wanted to just enjoy the taste, to savour every second. They didn¡¯t realize that food could actually taste like this. A part of them assumed that it was all something their head had made up back when they were dreaming of a forgotten life. ¡°TO? Are you ok?¡± There was a slightly frantic tone to DH¡¯s voice and that was probably the only thing that could have drawn TO out of their daze that the sudden burst of flavor had thrown them in. They opened their eyes halfway, turned to DH, and held out the other half of the fruit. ¡°...You have to try this.¡± TO managed to say after the finally swallowed. Hesitantly, DH took the fruit and popped the rest into their mouth. All period, TO had been worried about this plan. They had been worried that they¡¯d get discovered taking food out of Shipping and Receiving. They had been worried that the food would all go bad somehow, or that it would taste awful. They had been worried that it would make them sick. They had been worried that someone else would find the food hidden away and report them. The mixed expression of shock and joy that lit up DH¡¯s face for a split second before melting away into contentment as they slowly chewed made all that worry worthwild. ¡°Pass the bag here?¡± TO¡¯s ears flicked down and flushed as they realized that somehow they had entirely forgotten that GiDi and Avery were still there. They nearly dropped the bag, but managed to catch it before they sheepishly passed it over. ====== TO wasn¡¯t sure how much time had passed. The music had become background noise as they chattered about the food they were sampling. They were taking their time and working through the variety of treats that TO had managed to hide away. The vacuum seal packaging was discarded on the floor and while they knew they¡¯d have to dispose of it, they weren¡¯t worried about that at the moment. It was all very calm and relaxing until DH suddenly started making pained, desperate gasping noises. TO got up instantly and took them by the shoulders. ¡°What¡¯s wrong!?¡± They asked. There was something wrong. DH¡¯s face and ears were suddenly bright blue, their eyes were watering, and they had their mouth wide open as they desperately gasped for air. ¡°What is it! Are you choking?¡± GiDi asked as they got up. Avery leaned forward, unsure if they should do something to help or not. ¡°Hot!¡± DH gasped, ¡°Why is it hot!? Why is my mouth burning!?¡± It was Avery that started laughing. When TO shot them an angry look, they sheepishly gestured to their open file. ¡°I always wondered about what stories meant when they talked about ¡°Spicy¡± food being very hot. I knew it wasn¡¯t temperature, but-¡° ¡°But what! What¡¯s wrong?¡± TO didn¡¯t mean to snap, but they were worried. Before Avery could say anything DH had reached out, grabbed TO¡¯s water bottle from their belt, and started chugging the water. ¡°... Like that.¡± Avery said, ¡°Certain foods can taste hot and leave your mouth feeling like it''s burning.¡± TO looked down at the bright yellow fruit that DH had taken a bite from. As DH continued to chug TO¡¯s water, they knelt down, picked it up, and held it to the tip of their tongue. Seconds later, heat bloomed inside their mouth. TO pulled the fruit away and threw it to the ground as they took back their water bottle and finished what was left. DH reached for their own water bottle on the table, but found it was already empty. Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings. ¡°Mine¡¯s empty too.¡± GiDi said as their ears flicked down, ¡°I just finished it.¡± ¡°Here.¡± Avery passed DH their own water bottle, ¡°You can have the last of that.¡± As TO finished their water they were suddenly struck with an idea. ¡°We¡¯ll go get more water.¡± TO said as they caught their breath. They reached out and took GiDi¡¯s water bottle, ¡°it¡¯s no problem.¡± ¡°We?¡± ¡°DH and I. They might need more water.¡± TO glanced up as DH finished Avery¡¯s water, ¡°And they can help me bring it back. I don¡¯t want to juggle four water bottles. ¡°I do need more water.¡± DH said as they finished, gasping for air, ¡°Now. Yes. Let¡¯s go.¡± They took the water bottle and started for the door, their face and ears still blue from the heat, their pointed tongue sticking out of their open mouth. ¡°We¡¯ll be right back.¡± TO said, happy that they didn¡¯t have to convince DH, or make further excuses.¡± ====== The moment they got to the water fountain DH turned it on, dropped the water bottles to the floor, and stuck their head under the stream of water. The water poured over their face as DH repositioned themselves to drink up. This time, TO couldn¡¯t help their laugh. ¡°Is that helping?¡± They asked. DH responded with a noise that TO assumed could potentially be an affirmative. TO leaned against the wall, bottles in hand as they watched. Thankfully, their own mouth wasn¡¯t burning in the same way as they hadn¡¯t actually chewed the food. After a few long minutes, DH finally rose up from the fountain, breathless and gasping. ¡°Feel better?¡± ¡°I hated that!¡± DH said, ¡°Why did you bring that!? I thought you said you checked everything to make sure it was safe!¡± Though they were trying to be angry and their ears were pinned back, there was a plaintive whine to their voice. ¡°I did!¡± TO insisted, ¡°I checked it all. Everything is safe! Some of the descriptions of the food said it was, as Avery said, spicy.¡± ¡°I hate spicy.¡± DH grumbled. They grabbed a water bottle off the floor and started filling it, ¡°I hate spicy. Who could possibly enjoy that?¡± TO felt a wave of panic run through them as they realized that they were away from the music now, and that their chips were listening to them. They pointed to their chip and held a finger to their lips. DH nodded. ¡°Still.¡± DH whispered, ¡°I hated that.¡± ¡°You¡¯re going to be ok?¡± ¡°Yes. My mouth still hurts but it¡¯s tolerable.¡± TO nodded. They didn¡¯t want to say anything out in the hallway, but when they got back to the observation deck they were going to find something especially sweet for DH to try. TO liked sweet foods well enough even after the novelty had worn off, but DH adored them. They filled their water bottles in silence. When they were done TO sat down in the hallway and leaned back against the wall. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we get back?¡± DH asked, ¡°They might be waiting for their water?¡± ¡°Oh yes.¡± TO said, ¡°Well go back¡­ Just maybe not right away.¡± They grinned and patted the spot on the floor next to them, gesturing for DH to sit down. After a moment of confusion, DH sat next to TO on the floor. ¡°...Why are we waiting?¡± DH asked. TO lowered their voice until it was only just above a whisper, ¡°I want GiDi and Avery to have a little time alone.¡± TO said. ¡°Why?¡± DH whispered back. TO¡¯s ears dipped down. They had been so worried about DH being bothered by the thoughts that had been floating around their own head that somehow they had forgotten that they might be bothered if anything romantic happened between GiDi and Avery. ¡°You know why.¡± TO whispered back, ¡°I want them to have some time to¡­get to know one another.¡± They frowned as DH just stared back at them, ¡°You know¡­ regarding what we were talking about? About how they¡¯re like Snout and Flit?¡± TO preferred to use the nicknames, just in case they were overhead. DH¡¯s ears perked up as they finally understood, They glanced away, staring down at the floor. ¡°Are¡­ you sure it¡¯s a good idea?¡± they whispered back, ¡°Is it safe? Or¡­ or do you even¡­¡± They frowned, their ears flicking back and flushing slightly, ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re right about them?¡± TO desperately wanted to tell DH what GiDi had told them; that GiDi had kissed a synth, and that they were fairly certain that it was Avery that they had kissed. ¡°As sure as I can be.¡± they said. ¡°...How do you feel about that?¡± DH asked, their ears flicking down in concern as they asked. ¡°I just want GiDi to be happy.¡± TO said as their stomach clenched with anxiety ¡°...Do you think that¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°No! No no, not at all.¡± DH looked away, ¡°No. I think it¡¯s good. I just¡­¡± they frowned, ¡°If you¡¯re right, and if it works as you hope it will, then I just hope it¡¯s safe for them.¡± They glanced up at TO, ¡°Do you think it¡¯s safe to pursue that kind of thing here?¡± TO felt their grip on their water bottle tighten. Was DH trying to discourage them? No¡­ no, regardless about how DH must feel about all this, TO was certain that in the end they only wanted GiDi to be happy. ¡°... I don¡¯t know?¡± TO finally said after several long moments of thought. ¡°Is it necessarily safe for us to be as close as we are?¡± ¡°Well, C12 did warn us-¡° ¡°I know. And I know you said that if it came to it, if you thought something terrible would happen to me, then you¡¯d stop talking to me altogether. Regardless of safety, I don¡¯t know if I could live like that.¡± they looked up at DH, ¡°Could you?¡± DH didn¡¯t answer, they just looked away, their ears down. ¡°I think it must be worse if you feel¡­¡± they lowered their voice further, ¡°-romantically inclined towards another synth and can¡¯t do anything about it.¡± ¡°You think?¡± ¡°I think so.¡± ¡°...So¡­ do you think that¡­ I mean, hypothetically... Say they did feel that way about one another, you think they should tell each other, despite the dangers?¡± ¡°... I think they should be careful.¡± TO admitted, ¡°But¡­ in the end, yes, I think they should.¡± ¡°... but what if you¡¯re wrong?¡± DH asked, ¡°What if they don¡¯t feel that way? Or¡­. or what if only one of them does? What if Avery does, and tells GiDi, but GiDi doesn¡¯t feel the same and they never want to talk to Avery again?¡± The tenacious image of DH gently stroking TO¡¯s ears played through TO¡¯s head once more. Confused and embarrassed, they looked away from DH. They thought that maybe they wouldn¡¯t have that issue anymore, that those thoughts were gone now and things could return to normal. They could feel their ears burning, and suddenly felt like DH knew exactly what they were thinking, and what they were feeling. Maybe this was DH¡¯s way to warning TO. ¡°...If I wasn¡¯t entirely sure, I¡¯d keep it to myself.¡± TO finally said. ¡°But could you?¡± ¡°I think so.¡± TO said as they quickly glanced at DH, trying to gauge what they thought about that. Their ears were twitching with worry and TO was filled with sudden dread that they knew for certain. ¡°I know so. I¡¯d never want to make someone I was close to feel uncomfortable.¡± ¡°Right.¡± DH said in an almost deadpan tone, ¡°You¡¯re absolutely right.¡± ¡°... Still! I imagine that not everyone needs that.¡± TO said with a false happiness in their voice. ¡°I mean, you and I are plenty close without being like that, right?¡± They felt like they were trying to convince themself more than they were DH. They leaned against DH, ¡°I mean, we¡¯re as close as possible, but we¡¯re not like that.¡± DH stiffened, but after a moment allowed themself to lean against TO as well. ¡°Yeah...¡± They said slowly, ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re absolutely right.¡± Episode 87: Sweet TO was hesitant to go back to the observation deck. They worried that maybe GiDi and Avery would be doing something that might be private and they still felt weird about having seen C12 and Snout in the hallway that one time. Still, they didn¡¯t want GiDi and Avery to think that they had been abandoned. As such, TO made sure to make a lot of noise as they opened the panel and punched in the code to open the door. When TO and DH got inside, they saw that GiDi was alone. TO looked around, thinking that maybe Avery had just moved off to the side but after a moment it was clear that they had left. ¡°Where did Avery go?¡± TO asked, unable to hide the disappointment in their voice. ¡°Back to the dormitories?¡± GiDi offered, frowning. ¡°They were full, and the two of you were gone for so long that they were getting uncomfortable, so I said if they wanted to leave they should.¡± Their ears flicked back, ¡°If you wanted them to stay you shouldn¡¯t have been gone for so long.¡± ¡°But... I have their water bottle?¡± TO said as they held up the now full bottle. ¡°The fountain isn¡¯t that far.¡± GiDi said, ¡°You two were gone for a long time, considering.¡± ¡°Well, I wanted to¡­you know.¡± TO glanced away, not really wanting to say too much in front of DH ¡°I don¡¯t.¡± GiDi snapped. ¡°TO thinks that you have feelings for Avery!¡± DH blurted out, ¡°You know, like Flit and Snout?¡± GiDi blinked at DH, obviously confused, ¡°Why would you think that?¡± They finally asked as they turned to TO. ¡±I¡­ Well, that thing you told me? The thing?¡± they glanced quickly at DH, then back to GiDi ¡°I¡­ well I thought that you and Avery¡­¡± they shrugged, ¡°You know?¡± GiDi was silent for a long moment, then just started to laugh. It began as a chuckle, then escalated to big, loud laughs. ¡°...GiDi?¡± ¡°TO, you¡¯re an idiot.¡± they said, ¡°I love you, but you¡¯re an idiot.¡± ¡°I am no such thing!¡± TO protested, ¡°My scores-¡° ¡°I don¡¯t care about your scores.¡± GiDi said as they stood up and stretched their wings, ¡°You¡¯re an idiot.¡± ¡°You¡¯re¡­ you¡¯re angry?¡± TO said carefully, their ears flicking down. ¡°NO! No, not at all. I mean, you¡¯re an idiot, but you went through all this trouble, you saved all that food, and you went out of your way to try to make me happy, even if it was based on a wrong assumption.¡± They smiled, ¡°No, I¡¯m touched. But you¡¯re still an idiot.¡±They frowned, ¡°Still, Avery was thinking that there was something wrong - that you were uncomfortable with them or mad that they were reading and that¡¯s why you were taking so long. I¡¯m going to go find them and tell them that that¡¯s not true.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll come with you-¡° TO started, but GiDi shook their head, ¡°No, you won¡¯t. I¡¯m going to explain to Avery that you two are idiots, and that¡¯s why you were acting weird.¡± They started towards the door, stopped, and suddenly pulled TO into a tight hug. ¡°GiDi?¡± ¡°This was very nice, despite the other stuff.¡± they said quietly, ¡°Thank you.¡± TO beamed and hugged them back. The didn¡¯t know how they had messed things up this time, but in the end it seemed like they had done something right anyway. GiDi released TO, gave DH a quick hug and said their thanks as well before they left the observation deck.¡± ¡°...Should we leave too then?¡± DH said, confused. ¡°Not yet.¡± TO said as they made their way back to the couch, ¡°I want you to try more stuff, to make up for the spicy thing you ate.¡± They sat down and started to dig through the bags, looking for a specific one. DH sat down next to them, silent. ¡°TO¡­ what was the thing you were talking about?¡± ¡°... I can¡¯t tell you.¡± TO said quietly, ¡°GiDi swore me to secrecy.¡± ¡°But whatever it was, it made you think that GiDi had romantic feelings for Avery?¡± ¡°Yes. Please don¡¯t ask me more, I don¡¯t want to break GiDi¡¯s trust.¡± DH¡¯s ears flicked back and burned blue, ¡°Alright.¡± They muttered as they looked away. TO fumbled through the piles of food until they came across a specific bag with deep purple berries inside, ¡°These!¡± TO said proudly as they held up the berries, ¡°Apparently they¡¯re very sweet! I was saving them for last because they also have mild relaxant effects. I thought it would help us sleep. ¡° ¡°... you were going to drug us to help us sleep better?¡± DH said, their ears flicking forward in confusion. A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation. ¡°No, I was going to offer the berries as a last treat and explain, as I did to you, that they have relaxant effects.¡± they opened up the package and took a deep smell of the sweet fragrance that came from it, ¡°You don¡¯t have to try it if you don¡¯t want to.¡± ¡°I do!¡± DH insisted, ¡°I¡¯m just surprised.¡± ¡°I think we should only try one each.¡± TO said as they fished out two berries, ¡°I don¡¯t know how long they¡¯ll last with the seal broken, but we shouldn¡¯t eat too many anyway.¡± they passed one of he berries over to DH. ¡°... They look so juicy.¡± DH muttered as they gently squeezed the berry between their thumb and forefinger. ¡°You really don¡¯t have to eat it if you don¡¯t want to.¡± TO said again, ¡°There¡¯s other sweet things I can dig up.¡± ¡°Are you going to eat it?¡± TO looked at the berry in the palm of their hand. They had been really good in the last little while when it came to tempering their curiosity, but now¡­ ¡°I think I will, yes.¡± DH nodded, and popped the berry into their mouth. Their eyes widened as they chewed, causing TO to stop, their heart racing as they waited to see if DH was ok. Maybe there was something wrong? Maybe it was too sour, or maybe it was hot like the last thing. ¡°That was the best thing I¡¯ve ever tasted!¡± DH said when they finally swallowed. TO gave a loud, long laugh. ¡°You¡¯ve said that about every other thing you¡¯ve tried!¡± They said ¡°And it¡¯s been true each time!¡± TO grinned, then with some hesitation they popped the berry in their mouth. It was good - maybe not what they themself would call the best thing they¡¯d tasted so far, but it was good! Juicy and delicious. Were it not for the relaxant qualities TO was certain that they would have grabbed another. ¡°Do you forgive me for giving you spicy food?¡± TO asked. ¡°Entirely! It¡¯s forgotten.¡± ¡°Good!¡± TO reached out for a different package of food, ¡°Want to try more?¡± ====== TO felt like they should get up and go find GiDi. They had been gone for a while, and TO was starting to worry. Well, worry was an exaggeration. Their mind felt too slippery to properly worry. they felt so lightheaded and pleasantly drifty that they didn¡¯t want to get up. They wanted to stay on the old couch, laying down as they were with their head in DH¡¯s lap. They weren¡¯t entirely sure how they had ended up there, but neither they nor DH seemed to mind. ¡°...We should check on GiDi.¡± TO finally managed to say. Their ears flicked in concern, but it was the oddest sensation to them; they could feel their ears flick in a way they never had before- as though their ears weren¡¯t a part of them. Interesting. ¡°We should.¡¯ DH agreed in a low, calm voice after several moments of silence. ¡°Can we?¡± Despite how dazed they felt, TO was able to reason out that while they could go and find GiDi, they probably shouldn¡¯t. Neither of them were in their right mind, and if they were seen in this state by an Overseer, then there would be trouble. No, it was best to wait until later and sneak back into the dorms. Still, they had to do something. TO suddenly remembered that they could send messages with their chip. They lifted their hand, and quickly sent GiDi a message. =Are you coming back? We miss you! Is everything ok? We can¡¯t come to you at the moment= ¡°There.¡± TO said, ¡°That should do.¡± They leaned their head back so they could look up at DH, ¡°Though I wish they had stayed. I wanted to do something nice for them.¡± ¡°You did do something nice.¡± DH said. Their voice had a calm, placid tone that made TO feel relaxed. ¡°They were happy.¡± ¡°They want to feel precious.¡± TO muttered, ¡°I tried to make them feel like that.¡± DH¡¯s ears twitched back in confusion, ¡°Precious?¡± ¡°Yeah¡­ Like someone likes them best of all.¡± ¡°We like them.¡± ¡°Yeah, but they think we like each other more. I wanted to find someone for GiDi who likes them best.¡± A smile went over DH¡¯s face as their ears relaxed. They started to scratch the back of TO¡¯s head, ¡°So you wanted to find them a mate.¡± TO¡¯s ears flushed as DH said that, ¡°well¡­ not a mate. I mean, if they were to be mates, that¡¯d be fine-¡° ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± DH said, ¡°I get it.¡± they leaned back, ¡°I suppose that would be nice.¡± Comfortable silence fell between them. TO relaxed, enjoying having the back of their head scratched until their wings started to itch. They shifted, somehow trying to scratch their wings without moving too much. ¡°What are you doing?¡± DH said, a chuckle playing on the edge of their voice as they watched TO. ¡°My wings are itchy.¡± TO whined, ¡°You said you¡¯d help.¡± ¡°I did, didn¡¯t I?¡± They sat still for a moment, then pushed TO up into a sitting position. TO gave a little whimper of protest as they were moved from their comfortable spot. ¡°Come on now.¡± DH said, ¡°I can¡¯t help if you¡¯re draped over my lap.¡± As TO sat up, their chip went off. They checked the message that GiDi had sent them as DH started to undo the bindings that held TO¡¯s wings in place. They read aloud. =Everything is fine. I explained to Avery that you¡¯re both idiots and we had a good laugh over it all. I¡¯m pretty tired, so I was going to just go to sleep. Are you ok?= ¡°You can¡¯t really tell them we¡¯re all weird from eating strange berries.¡± DH muttered as they released TO¡¯s wings, ¡°In case that¡¯s watched too.¡± ¡°I know.¡± TO said as they started to send a message back. = We¡¯re ok, I promise. We¡¯ll tell you about it tomorrow. = TO worried for a moment that maybe they should try to expand more on what had happened, about how the single berry that TO had hoped would just help them sleep better had in fact been far more potent than expected. They were wondering how they might phrase that when DH¡¯s hands on their back suddenly drove those thoughts from their head. Firm fingers pushed into stiff muscles around the wing joints, working away the stiffness and reducing the strange, restless itching that had been plaguing them. ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± TO said, their voice almost a low purr. ¡°MO-6 showed me how to do it during my vocational training today after you said that your back felt strange. A simple massage to help the muscles. Of course, there''s better equipment to do this in the Medical Bay, electrodes and the like, but this will do for now. Just don¡¯t spread your wings.¡± TO felt so tired and relaxed that they didn¡¯t think they could spread their wings if they tried. They slouched forward as DH firmly massaged their back, their hands warm against TO¡¯s skin as they drew the stiffness out. ¡°Is that better?¡± DH whispered after a while. TO didn¡¯t know how long it had been; they felt like they had fallen asleep sitting up. ¡°Amazing.¡± They managed to mutter. ¡°Good.. I¡¯ll strap your wings back down, and-¡° Before DH could finish what they were saying, TO leaned back and pressed themself into DH. ¡°No¡­ Don¡¯t strap my wings down.¡± TO muttered, ¡°I hate it. Do I have to wear it all day?¡± ¡°It¡¯s to protect your wings.¡± DH murmured, ¡°BUt¡­ I suppose we can do without for a little.¡± TO hummed, and curled into DH. They felt like they were drifting off, like they were spinning away into space. They felt DH¡¯s wings wrap around them, and they felt so warm and comfortable that they didn¡¯t want to ever leave the observation deck. They wanted to stay right where they were with DH, and never leave. They didn¡¯t want to have to worry about training, or serving, or being reprocessed, or being corrected. Problematic thoughts. The worry slipped away from them almost before their mind could grab it. They could feel DH¡¯s hand on the back of their head once more, and they thought about how easy it would be for them to just turn and have DH¡¯s hands on their ear. Would DH pull away? Would they be angry? The worry that DH would be angry or disgusted with how they were thinking slipped away, revealing a thought that the fear and worry had been hiding. TO wanted DH to stroke their ears. They had been so worried about DH being angry about such thoughts and about how invasive their thoughts had been that they hadn¡¯t taken the time to realize that if it happened, if the things they worried about actually happened then they¡¯d be so happy they might burst. If DH were to look at them like C12 looked at Snout, if they were to stroke their ears and kiss them like C12 had snout, they¡¯d probably be happy enough to die on the spot. It would never happen. All that stuff made DH uncomfortable. Still, maybe they didn¡¯t need that anyway. They had DH as their closest friend. They were curled up, using DH¡¯s stomach as a pillow, having their head scratched as DH¡¯s wings wrapped around them and kept them warm. That aside, do you want DH as a mate? The question would have scared them, but their anxiety was slipping away too easily for that this time. Everything else aside, would you want DH as an actual mate. ¡°Yes.¡± TO muttered. It would never happen and they knew that just admitting that to themselves would worry them when they woke, but for now it didn¡¯t. For now, they were content to hold onto that thought, to hide it deep inside and just enjoy the closeness they currently had with DH. For the first time, they didn¡¯t try to stop their mind from wandering as they drifted off to sleep. Episode 88: Flits Story I ¡°You two were here the whole time!?¡± TO and DH started awake as the sudden exclamation drew them from sleep. TO was so confused ¨C they weren¡¯t in their pod, they were in the observation room, curled up on the very comfortable couch with their head resting on DH¡¯s belly and DH¡¯s hand gently resting on their head. And too close to their ears. TO sat up quicker than they should have, their ears down and flushed blue. ¡°Sorry!¡± they said quickly as DH was starting to get their bearings. ¡°Why?¡± DH murmured, still sleepy. They rubbed at their eyes, ¡°What did you do?¡± ¡°The two of you slept here.¡± GiDi said as they leaned back against the door with their arms crossed, though there was nothing but mild amusement in their voice, ¡°I got up, and you weren''t in your pods. I went to the cafeteria, and you weren¡¯t there.¡± Slowly, TO realized what had happened. They had slept through the remainder of the day in the observation room, and never returned to their pods. Panic coursed through them as they remembered that C12 said that the overseers knew who slept where. Did they know that DH and TO had slept in the old observation room? ¡°We were here the whole time?¡± DH asked, their voice small and weak either from still being sleepy or from the sudden realization ¡°Yes!¡± Gidi said as they stood upright, ¡°And if you still want to eat before we go to physical training then we have to run now!¡± TO¡¯s ears flicked back, ¡°Wait¡­ wait is it really that late?¡± They checked their chip and saw that it was. In frantic movements, TO and DH detangled themselves and got up, rushing out of the observation deck and towards the cafeteria. ====== ¡°Running late today?¡± C12 said as the three of them approached the training room, shoving the last of their meal in their mouth as they did. ¡°Apologies, Retiree.¡± they said in unison. DH and GiDi rushed inside, but TO hung behind for just a moment, hesitant. ¡°... Retiree?¡± ¡°Yes?¡± C12 frowned as they regarded TO, ¡°What. what is it?¡± They looked at TO¡¯s ears, taking in the nervous way they were twitching. ¡°Is something wrong?¡± ¡°No, I¡­ Maybe. I don¡¯t.¡± they shook their head, not waiting to talk about it right here. ¡°I was wondering if I could talk to you.¡± they said, ¡°After our training.¡± ¡°Of course, that¡¯s-¡± ¡°About the stuff we were talking about the other day?¡± They gave C12 a careful look, ¡°During our second meal?¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± C12¡¯s ears flicked up in comprehension, ¡°Of course, you and 70H-¡± ¡°No no¡­ just me.¡± TO said, their voice low as DH was starting to come back towards them after having noticed that TO hadn¡¯t followed them into the training room. ¡°Please? Can you take care of that?¡± ¡°Yes?¡± C12 said, clearly confused, ¡°Yes¡­ I can take care of that.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± TO said as they turned to go inside, Their ears were still flicking with anxiety. They had been arguing with themself since they woke as to whether or not they should speak to C12. At least now it seemed like they were committed to it. ====== Music played in the background as C12 got the food for them in the privacy of their small, single room. The Retiree had told GiDi and DH that they needed to speak to TO privately and that they should go on and get their own lunch. There had been disappointment in DH¡¯s face as their ears flicked down, driving a pang of guilt through TO. Still, this was important. TO needed to speak to someone, they needed someone to reassure them, to tell them that they were worried about nothing. Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. ¡°Here.¡± C12 said as they set the food in front of TO. They took their own seat, but their eyes didn¡¯t leave TO¡¯s bound up wings, ¡°How are they healing?¡± ¡°Very well, I think¡± TO said, ¡°I try not to look at the damage too much.¡± they gave a low laugh, ¡°I¡¯m a little worried that they won¡¯t heal at all. DH says that they will and MO-6 said they will, but I¡¯m still...just not sure.¡± ¡°You¡¯re worried about it. I understand that.¡± they frowned, ¡°I¡¯m sorry about the damage to your wings, for what it¡¯s worth.¡± ¡°I was lucky. SR45 lost their wings altogether.¡± C12 nearly dropped the food they had picked up. Their ears twitched back and sunk down in¡­ guilt? ¡°... You didn¡¯t have anything to do with it, right?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t.¡± they said softly. They weren¡¯t lying, that much was clear just by watching their ears. Still, something about the situation bothered them. ¡°Why did you want to talk to me?¡± TO wanted to ask what was wrong, and why they seemed suddenly so guilty over the injury done to another synth. There were all kinds of reasons why ¨C Maybe C12 was the reason SR45 was down in shipping and receiving in the first place. If they could get snout sent off to a moon of Arkane, then they were certain that they could have a synth assigned to a particular place. Still, that wasn¡¯t why they were here. ¡°... it¡¯s a personal question.¡± TO said, ¡°Potentially very personal, if that¡¯s ok.¡± ¡°Is it a dangerous question?¡± C12 asked as their ears pinned back. ¡°Probably not?¡± ¡°... very well.¡± C12 said, ¡°but I reserve the right to not answer you.¡± ¡°That¡¯s fair¡­¡± TO said. ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m wondering.¡± they felt their ears burn as they hesitated, wondering if they should really ask this, wondering if the whole situation was something they wanted to really examine or even acknowledge. ¡°I¡¯m wondering how you knew that you wanted to be...intimate? Romantic? With Snout.¡± C12 was just lifting the dropped piece of food up to their mouth, but stopped midway and set their food down, ¡°Ah¡­¡± they said, ¡°I see.¡± ¡°You see?¡± TO said as panic rushed through them. ¡°Who is it?¡± they asked as they leaned back, their ears flicking with slight amusement, ¡°I¡¯m guessing DH.¡± ¡°What?!¡± TO felt their ears flick down and burn bright blue, ¡°What do you mean?!¡¯ C12¡¯s ears twitched with amusement at TO¡¯s reaction, ¡°Look, most of the officers, the Overseers, even the Commander wouldn''t see it unless they were actively looking. They don¡¯t know how to recognize-¡± They waved their hand as they tried to come up with the right word, ¡°Potential romantic inclinations¡° There was a sad smile that flicked over their face, ¡°Unless someone were to catch you kissing or something like that, then they¡¯re unlikely to really think that you have romantic feelings to another synth. You¡¯d have to be obvious otherwise they won¡¯t notice, or at the very least they won¡¯t acknowledge it as romantic; it¡¯s too different for them. ¡± They shook their head, ¡°I¡¯m not quite so¡­ well, I know what I see. I know how you two act together.¡± ¡°It¡­ It¡¯s nothing, it we¡¯re really close, but I¡¯m close with GiDi too!¡± C12 gave a little smirk, ¡°I see. So the reason you¡¯re asking me?¡± ¡°... Pure curiosity?¡± TO offered even as they could feel their ears twitching to show their deceit. C12 shook their head, but they were grinning, ¡°Ah well. That¡¯s probably best.¡± They glanced up seriously at TO, ¡°It¡¯s not safe here to get romantically involved with anyone.¡± ¡°I know¡­ I know. You said that ¡®excessive fraternization¡¯ was frowned upon. Something to be avoided¡­¡± they glanced up sheepishly, ¡°I¡¯m guessing you didn¡¯t mean just being close friends.¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± C12 frowned, ¡°At the end of things, here¡¯s the question; are you loyal to King Decon, or your friend? Are you loyal to King Decon, or your mate?¡± They sighed, ¡°I suppose somewhere down the line it was decided that the latter couldn¡¯t be trusted to stay loyal to king Decon, so romantic feelings and developing a pair bond¡­¡± they shook their head, ¡°I was lucky. For the most part, that kind of thing is dealt with early on.¡± Just a few periods ago, TO would have wondered how any synth could possibly feel loyalty to anyone other than King Decon. Now, their own answer to that question scared them. And they didn¡¯t want to know how ¡®that kind of thing¡¯ was ¡®dealt with.¡¯ ¡°.. How did you know?¡± they finally asked, ¡°How did you know you wanted to be Snout¡¯s mate.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t, not at first.¡± C12 admitted, ¡°I didn¡¯t know anything about mates or pair bonds or anything of the like.¡± They gave a low chuckle, ¡°You might have noticed that we don''t leave the tank with that kind of information. Ideally, most possess an¡­ indifference, or even disgust for romance between synths.¡± ¡°I know.¡± TO said, their ears sinking down as they thought of DH. C12 frowned, and then leaned forward, ¡°I was¡­ enamoured with a different synth at first. I think that the proper slang for it would probably be, I ¡®had a crush¡¯ on a different synth.¡± TO couldn¡¯t help the grin that spread over their face, and the amusement that twitched at their ears. Thinking of C12 with a crush was almost too much! TO wondered if C12 used to be like they themself had been; So easily flustered and worried about it all. They seemed so strong and in control now, it was hard to imagine them like that. ¡°Yes, well,¡± C12 said, a light flush spreading over their ears as they watched TO¡¯s reaction, ¡°They slept in the pod next to mine. I helped them with some puzzles, and we did our physical and mental training together in our first span out of the tanks¡­ and around the third period, I thought that I¡­¡± they trailed off, frowning, ¡°That I wanted to be closer to them than was proper. ¡° ¡°How did you know that was what you wanted?¡± TO asked. That was what they needed to know. ¡°Oh, that was almost stupid at first.¡± They said, ¡°It was dumb. I just started imagining things out of nowhere. One minute I¡¯d be working on a maze or doing research, and then I¡¯d be thinking about them.¡± ¡°... touching your ears?¡± C12¡¯s ears dipped and burned blue, ¡°Among other things.¡± They said in a tone that prevented any other question of that nature. ¡°But that wasn¡¯t Snout?¡± ¡°No¡­ no their call number¡­¡± They shook their head, ¡°I feel silly that I can still remember it; 79h89.¡± They frowned, ¡°I tried to give them a nickname, but they didn''t want one. That should have been a sign. Anyway¡­¡± ¡°What did you do?¡± ¡°I ignored it at first!¡± C12 said, ¡°I know how that stuff is supposed to seem! After the first time, I convinced myself that it was just a fluke and I only thought about it after that because I was worried about it!¡± they gave a little laugh, ¡°I wasn¡¯t that bright back then.¡± ¡°Right.¡± TO mumbled, not liking how this was going, not liking how close this was to how they were feeling. They had really hoped there was some sure, positive sign that they could check for. All they wanted was some way of knowing that these feelings would go away. Something to tell them that they were just worried over nothing. They wanted some test to tell them that they were normal, and not a synth that DH would be disgusted by. C12 was not providing that. If anything, their story of how they learned they had romantic feelings for Snout was doing the opposite. Episode 89: Flit鈥檚 Story II ¡°I should stop.¡± C12 said quickly, ¡°I¡¯m making you uncomfortable.¡± ¡°No! No no...¡± TO shook their head. Regardless of how they were feeling and how their ears were burning, they wanted to hear this story. ¡°How¡­ how did you and Snout end up as mates then?¡± ¡°You really want to know that?¡± C12 asked, their ears flicking forward in confusion. ¡°I¡­ if you don¡¯t mind talking about it?¡± TO said, ¡°I mean, if you do- ¡° ¡°No no¡­ that¡¯s fine.¡± C12 said, ¡°Nobody has asked me before, that¡¯s all.¡± A wry smile flicked across their face, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect to tell anyone this. The whole, ¡®how did you two meet¡¯ thing.¡± ¡°So... what happened?¡± ¡°Well, I ignored it for the longest time. I suppose that ignored is the wrong word. I agonized. I tried to ignore. I was well into my combat simulation training when I started to think that maybe it wasn¡¯t going to go away. Ond one day I was feeling brave and I tried to¡­ well, I made an attempt to let them know how I felt.¡± ¡°And?¡± ¡°Disaster. 79H89 was¡­ well, they were disgusted.¡± C12¡¯s ears flicked down, ¡°I suppose I was standing too close to them, and they were disgusted, so they pushed me away. I fell, and they left.¡± TO could imagine that happening to them. They could picture themself telling DH how they had been feeling, and what they had been thinking of. They could clearly imagine how it would feel if DH had done that to them. Devastating. ¡°I got up. Ran off. Wanted to be alone. The simulation rooms were empty so I went there. A few minutes later this other synth comes in.¡± They shook their head, their ears tilting back as they smiled fondly, ¡°Even then, as upset as I was, all I could think of was that this synth had the biggest snout I¡¯ve ever seen.¡± ¡°Snout.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± C12 said, their voice soft and almost dreamy. They had seemed suddenly far away as they fell silent for a moment before pulling themself back to the present. ¡°Yes. It was Snout. They saw me get pushed down and came after me. Apparently they were worried about me. They had seen what happened, They weren''t disgusted, but they did feel bad for me.¡± They gave a derisive snort, ¡°Pity, I assumed.¡± ¡°Is that when you knew that you wanted to be Snout¡¯s mate?¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s when I wanted to be Snout¡¯s friend,¡± C12 said seriously, ¡°We were friends. Even before we were mates, we were even closer than just friends¡± they glanced at TO, ¡°Like you and DH, I think.¡± TO looked away, but didn¡¯t say anything. ¡°After a while, I started to think about them like I had 79H89. This time I refused to tell them anything. I refused to act on it. We were actually in the last period of our training before we¡­ discussed that. Snout wasn¡¯t disgusted, as you can probably guess.¡± ¡°And then you knew you wanted them to be your mate?¡± ¡°I never had that thought, actually.¡± C12 said, ¡°I knew I loved them. That I was in love with them. And it turned out that they felt the same. Like I said, I didn¡¯t know anything about mates or pair bonding-¡± ¡°Pair bonding?¡± TO asked. C12 had mentioned that twice now, and TO wasn¡¯t exactly sure what they meant, ¡°I know some species pair bond for life¡­ do we?¡± C12 shrugged, ¡°It feels like it. I don¡¯t have the information to say for certain. There was just¡­¡± Their ears flicked back and flushed, ¡°There was a moment when I felt like we were connected, if that makes sense. A moment when I knew I¡¯d never love anyone else.¡± ¡°How did you know that?¡± ¡°I just did. They did too.¡± ¡°So¡­ you just started thinking about them a lot?¡± TO asked. They shrugged, ¡°That¡¯s how I knew. Or... I suppose that¡¯s how part of me knew. Snout said it was the same for them later. There was this one moment early on when...I don¡¯t know, it was like we just caught each other¡¯s eyes, and that second just dragged on. I never forgot about it. After that, I started having thoughts.¡± The moment C12 said that, TO felt their stomach drop. It had only been a moment, and they didn¡¯t start thinking about things until a little while after, but they recalled the day after they had to go see their overseer. Hadn¡¯t there been a moment like that? They had been in the showers, trying to talk to DH. They caught each other¡¯s eyes. TO could remember it distinctly- like it was burned into their head. The split second before DH had pulled them into an embrace had seemed to drag on. Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings. But they hadn¡¯t started thinking about DH that way then¡­ had they? Now that they thought of it, DH did start acting odd after that moment. TO wondered if they had been acting strangely around them without realizing it, and it bothered DH. That would explain a lot, actually. C12 held up a hand to their chest, ¡°When I stopped panicking over it, I also had¡­¡± They frowned. ¡°It¡¯s stupid. I almost felt like there was something soft inside my chest when I thought about them.¡± they glanced up, ¡°I never thought I¡¯d tell anyone about this. I haven¡¯t really thought about how to describe it. Never thought I¡¯d bring any of this up after they were gone¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± TO said softly, ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to make you sad.¡± C12 stared at the little table for a few minutes, then looked up, ¡°You didn¡¯t.¡± They said, ¡°I think it¡¯s making me feel a little better.¡± they shook their head, ¡°But¡­ All this? I¡¯m just one Synth. I¡¯ve never discussed this with other synths. I¡¯m only letting you hear this because you already know about Snout and I, and I trust you to keep this to yourself.¡± they narrowed their eyes, ¡°This includes you keeping it from DH and GiDi. I don¡¯t want this to be overheard-¡± ¡°I wasn¡¯t going to tell them what we talked about.¡± TO said quickly. ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t think DH would like to know.¡± ¡°No?¡± ¡°No... I think they¡¯re like 79H89.¡± TO muttered, ¡°I think that stuff disgusts them.¡± C12¡¯s ears flicked forward in surprise, ¡°Really?¡± they asked, ¡°Are you sure?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve seen that stuff discussed around them¡­ They like romance shows, but I suppose when it comes to discussing romance between synths¡­¡± C12 leaned back, ¡°Well¡­ you know them better than I do.¡± they said, ¡°But I admit, I expected that you two would probably end up as mates some day. ¡° ¡°I don¡¯t think so.¡± TO said, their ears flicked down. But¡­ if C12 thought that DH was interested in that kind of thing, if C12 saw something that they themself didn¡¯t, was there a chance that they were wrong? Their ears burned as they considered the possibilities. ¡°Before you told Snout, how did you know they wouldn¡¯t be disgusted?¡± ¡°Oh... Oh I didn¡¯t. It was the last period before we were sent away. I realized that if I didn¡¯t tell them then, I¡¯d probably never tell them. I didn¡¯t know if we¡¯d be sent out together or not, so I took a chance and told them.¡± They looked at TO seriously, ¡°I was absolutely terrified. There was every chance they could have done the same thing that 79H89 had done, and I didn¡¯t know if I could take that.¡± TO nodded and looked down at their food. They couldn¡¯t do that, they were planning to go into space with DH, and if it went badly they¡¯d be forced to be around DH in close quarters afterwards, suffering their disdain and disgust. ¡°Did you end up going on your placement with Snout?¡± C12 shook their head, ¡°No¡­ no something came up. I-¡± they frowned, ¡°Well¡­ our Overseers found out. We were separated. We were actually interviewed before we left the training center, and when you¡¯re interviewed you can make an argument for someone to be sent off with. I made a great argument for why Snout and I should be placed together, but our files said that we were to be kept separated.¡± ¡°An Interview?¡± TO said, ¡°You mean you can choose who you go with?¡± ¡°Well. no. You can make an argument. Overseers or Officers can place notes in your folder saying who they think you should be placed with and why.¡± they frowned at TO, ¡°I was planning to recommend you and DH to be sent off together. Should I not?¡± ¡°NO! No no. Do that! No matter what, I want to be with DH! They¡¯re my friend! My family! I promised them I¡¯d find a way for us to have our placements together!¡± ¡°I see¡­ well.¡± they sat back in their chair, ¡°If that¡¯s the case, then I have one piece of advice for you.¡± ¡°What¡¯s that.¡± ¡°If you want to explore something with any synth, anything romantic, do it before you get sent off and keep it quiet. If there was a chance of you going on your placement with them, I¡¯d say wait until you¡¯re out of the training center. That¡¯s best, honestly. Once you¡¯re sent out you¡¯re not watched as much; it¡¯s considered a waste of resources. But if you¡¯re being sent off with DH, and you¡¯re positive that it wouldn¡¯t work with them then you need to make your time in training count.¡± ¡°You said your Overseers caught you.¡± TO said, ¡°You weren¡¯t corrected for it?¡± ¡°Training was almost over. Snout was considered exceptional. I was good enough. They figured if they could keep us separated and it would be fine. I was very lucky to find Snout again, and by the time I did I was a Retiree and Snout was one of King Decon¡¯s top researchers. We were protected. Everything just worked out in the end for us, but that doesn''t always happen. Most of the time it doesn¡¯t.¡± ¡°Right.¡± TO mumbled. ¡°Also...Make sure you know that DH wouldn¡¯t be interested.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°I just think that if you¡¯re wrong¡­ if they would be interested, and you thought they wouldn¡¯t¡­¡± They gave a sad little smile, ¡°It seems almost tragic to me.¡± ====== TO didn¡¯t know if they wanted to catch up with DH and GiDi before their meal time was over. They had finished their meal with C12 with time to spare, but they didn¡¯t know if they wanted to see anyone quite yet. They needed to think. They needed to be alone. Thankfully they could take their time as they wandered the halls back to the elevator to go back to the main floor; C12 had given them temporary access to the elevator so they didn¡¯t need an escort for the moment. The conversation with C12 had not gone the way they wanted it to. They had wanted C12 to give them something solid they could use to convince themselves that these thoughts that they were having were just a result of the obsessive way their mind tended to latch onto things they didn¡¯t want to think about. They wanted C12 to tell them that if they were romantically interested in any other synth then they wouldn¡¯t be so worried about it, and that they¡¯d know for certain. They got to the elevator, and slipped inside. When the door closed a feeling of safety and privacy came over them even though they knew that they were probably being watched and listened to. It was only because of that knowledge that they reached out and pressed the button to take them down to the main floor instead of just standing in the closed elevator to enjoy the sense of privacy. They felt like they needed to figure this out. They needed to know. They needed to know what was actually in their head and heart, even if it wasn''t good. Even if it was something that could ruin their friendship with DH. They had to know, and then they could deal with it. ¡®Let¡¯s pretend that DH isn¡¯t disgusted by all that.¡¯ TO told themself, ¡®let¡¯s pretend that they just said that they think they feel the same way.¡¯ they recalled how they had allowed themselves to enjoy the way their mind wandered yesterday when they were dazed from the special fruits they had eaten, and DH was scratching their head with their hands so close to their ears. ¡®let¡¯s pretend they told you then. Let¡¯s pretend that they stroked your ears then. That they leaned over and kissed you.¡¯ A moment of panic chilled them when this played out in their head, but TO pushed it aside with all their will. They knew it would come back but for the moment they had to focus and look at this, they needed to look at how they felt and see that it was nothing, to see that beyond the panic there were no warm, soft feelings in their chest. They had the image in their head. They could almost feel DH¡¯s hands on their ears. They pictured DH leaning down, pressing their snout against their head for just a moment before moving down and gently kissing them. They felt their ears flick back and burn vividly, and suddenly felt like they shouldn''t be thinking about this in an elevator. They wanted to keep imagining it. They wanted to keep it and hold it close to them. They wished that such a thing had happened. They could feel like their chest was swelling. ¡®Of course¡¯ they said to themself, ¡®when you were dazed from those fruits, you weren¡¯t panicked, and you let yourself think about that stuff. You enjoyed it. You didn¡¯t need to do this to get an answer, you already know the answer.¡¯ TO suppressed a curse. They did know the answer. They had to accept that at least in part, they wanted to be DH¡¯s mate. Even if that was an impossibility, they had to accept that a part of them wanted that. Maybe then they could deal with the problem. Episode 90: Soft ¡°How was everything with C12?¡± TO jumped as DH approached them from behind. They had been deep in thought while waiting outside the cafeteria, and DH sneaking up on them had startled them quite badly since they had been thinking about DH. Despite themself, they felt their ears flick down and burn blue. ¡®Do I really want to be their mate?¡¯ TO asked themself as they looked over DH, their eyes lingering on their hands and their long, thin fingers, their curved ears, their softer features¡­ ¡°Are you alright?¡± DH asked, their brows furrowing as their ears flicked back. ¡°Yes.¡± TO said as their ears twitched, ¡°Yes. Yes, I¡¯m fine.¡± They shook their head, ¡°Everything went fine with C12.¡± ¡°Right.¡± DH muttered as they watched TO¡¯s ears, ¡°Can you tell me what it was all about?¡± ¡°I wish I could.¡± TO said truthfully, ¡°But I can¡¯t.¡± ¡°Not now or-¡° ¡°...not for a while, I think. If ever.¡± ¡°It was nothing bad though? You¡¯re not in trouble or anything?¡± ¡°No no, I¡¯m alright. I just promised not to talk about it.¡± They whispered the last bit as quietly as they could as they gestured to the chip. ¡°Everything is alright though?¡± TO smiled, but didn¡¯t quite make eye contact, ¡°Everything is alright.¡± they said. Yes, they wanted to be DH¡¯s mate. A troublesome thought, but one they could control now that they knew that it wasn¡¯t just their head obsessing over things. They had romantic feelings for DH. Knowing that for a fact would make it easier to handle, they hoped. They would never gamble DH¡¯s friendship for the slim chance at something more. Not now in the training center, and even not after they left like C12 had said. Sure, C12 thought that DH wasn¡¯t disgusted by romance between synths, but they didn¡¯t know DH like TO did. Of course, C12 was older and smarter, and even in this kind of situation they had more experience. And sometimes distance did make things easier to see, like the odd time they would actually struggle with a puzzle, and DH would be the one to see the solution with a glance. No. It was too much to risk. The image of DH pushing them away in disgust nearly broke TO on a purely theoretical level. They couldn¡¯t lose DH, no matter what. They had had plenty of time to consider this in the vocational training ¨C this period they were in textile manufacturing, and had spent the whole time cutting out pieces of fabric to be turned into uniforms. It was a mindless job that allowed them plenty of time to think. ¡°... I was worried that you might be in trouble.¡± DH said softly, ¡°You know, since we fell asleep while we were doing our cultural research.¡± ¡°That didn¡¯t even come up.¡± TO said, ¡°I¡¯m sure that it¡¯s been noted, but it doesn¡¯t seem to have been a problem¡­ not yet anyway.¡± TO was still checking their chip, looking for a summons from their Overseers. Nothing had come yet. waiting and worrying was worse than actually being summoned to their Overseer. ¡°I suppose-¡° They said clearly for the sake of the listening chip in their hand, ¡°That next time we decide to go somewhere quiet to do research, we need to keep a closer eye on the time.¡± ¡°Yes, you¡¯re right.¡± DH said. They glanced away, rubbing their arms as their ears flicked down and took on a light blue tinge, ¡°Did you¡­ you¡¯re ok though? You¡¯re not angry or upset?¡± ¡°No?¡± TO¡¯s ears flicked out in confusion, ¡°Why would I be?¡± Before DH could answer, GiDi came up behind them, waving. DH shook their head, ¡°It¡¯s nothing. Just though you might be upset about falling asleep in the observation deck.¡± ¡°Yes! How did you manage that.¡± GiDi asked as they heard the last of what DH was saying. ¡°I panicked when I didn¡¯t see you in either of your pods this morning, but then I went back to the observation deck on a whim, and you guys were just snoozing away, all-¡° TO saw some other synths heading towards them and shushed GiDi. When the others had passed, it was DH who spoke next. ¡°I suppose our meal made us a little tired, and we fell asleep.¡± they gestured to the chip in their hand and gave GiDi an unexpectedly sharp look, ¡°That¡¯s all.¡± ¡°Fine fine.¡± GiDi said as they headed to the cafeteria, ¡°let¡¯s get some food and head back to the observation deck then. We need to clean up from yesterday.¡± TO was shocked at how sharp DH had become in response to GiDi, how serious they were at the end¡­ How could C12 possibly think that DH would be ok with the things that TO was thinking about. It didn¡¯t matter. TO told themself that it didn¡¯t matter as they followed GiDi into the cafeteria. DH was their friend. They could be close to DH. They could tell DH almost anything. How would it really be different if they were mates? The odd touch to the ears perhaps, or soft kisses when they were in private. To shook their head as they tried to ignore the swelling in their chest and the burn to their ears. They¡¯d ve fine. As they recalled the story that C12 had told them, they realized something else; C12 had found their mate, even if it wasn¡¯t the synth they liked at first. Eventually, they did find Snout. They had been separated for some reason, but they found one another afterwards. The other synth ¨C the one C12 had originally confessed to¨C well, as far as TO knew they never spoke again. TO could deal with not being DH¡¯s mate. They didn¡¯t think they could handle not having them in their life though. This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report. And maybe one day they¡¯d have romantic feelings for someone else. ====== ¡°Will it look weird if we¡¯re just throwing this stuff into the garbage chute?¡± GiDi asked as they picked up bits of plastic and fruit pits from off the floor, ¡°Won¡¯t anyone see it?¡± ¡°The garbage chutes are linked directly to an incinerator. Nobody sees what¡¯s down there, and you can¡¯t get it back. So no.¡± TO gingerly pick up the remains of the half-eaten spicy fruit and tucked it into one of the opened plastic packages, ¡°We don¡¯t have to worry about that.¡± Despite how messy the room looked when they entered it only took a few minutes for them to finish cleaning up. Soon they were back on the couch and picking at their normal food - which tasted so much blander in comparison¨C while they listened to music on the speakers. With the music playing, TO felt safe enough to tell GiDi what happened with the depressant fruits that they had eaten. ¡°How was Avery anyway ?¡± TO asked as soon as they finished filling GiDi in.. DH was sitting close to them, leaning against them. At first TO wondered if they should move away, but decided against it. If DH was going to lean against them and allow that physical closeness still then TO decided that they could at least enjoy it. They¡¯d enjoy every moment of closeness they had. ¡°They were confused.¡± GiDi said, ¡°I had to explain to them that you¡¯re both idiots, and what you were apparently trying to do.¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t!¡± TO said, their ears pinning back, ¡°Were they angry? Insulted? Where they-¡° ¡°They were hurt before I explained things.¡± GiDi said, ¡°Confused. They don¡¯t want to be around people all the time, but they were happy enough to be included. They thought you two had gotten sick of them and left.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not true at all!¡± TO protested. ¡°I know that. And now they do too. They think it¡¯s funny now.¡± They gave TO and DH a hard look, ¡°I don¡¯t have any romantic interest in Avery.¡± GiDi said firmly. ¡°...Sorry.¡± TO mumbled with burning ears,¡°I.. I was positive-¡° ¡°Yes. I know. You¡¯re always positive.¡± they sighed, ¡°Honestly, I know you mean well, but you come to a conclusion about something and cling to it. Just like how you thought C12 was angry at you.¡± ¡°I know.¡± They mumbled. ¡°So I¡¯m going to be entirely transparent. I don¡¯t have any romantic feelings for any synth.¡± They gave DH and TO a hard look, ¡°Understood?¡± ¡°Understood.¡± TO said, though now suddenly worried that it was GiDi that they might have disgusted, ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°I know you meant well.¡± GiDi said, ¡°And everything worked out fine afterwards. Avery has an open invitation to join us, or come here whenever they want. ¡° ¡°... they weren¡¯t disgusted by-¡° ¡°They found it amusing.¡± GiDi said. ¡°But what¡¯s not amusing is the two you of you sleeping here and not in your pods!¡± GiDi¡¯s ears flicked back, ¡°C12 only just told us that that kind of stuff is recorded! What if your overseers noticed? What will you tell them?¡± ¡°The truth¡­ mostly. ¡° TO said. They had been thinking about this for the entire day, expecting their overseer to call them to their office, ¡°DH and I were doing cultural research in an abandoned old observation deck because it¡¯s quieter and we don¡¯t have to worry about disturbing other synths, and we just fell asleep.¡± GiDi considered this, their ears twitching as they thought, ¡°And¡­¡± To TO¡¯s surprise, a light flush covered their ears, ¡°And¡­ that¡¯s it? Nothing else happened?¡± DH pulled away from TO slightly, ¡°Nothing happened.¡± they said firmly. TO didn¡¯t want to look at DH. They didn¡¯t want to see the disgust in the way their ears must have been pinned back. ¡°Why would anything have happened?¡± TO said after a moment. They had a sudden horrible fear that GiDi might have picked up on how they might have felt. Still¡­ GiDi wouldn¡¯t tell DH. ¡°Unsure, but I¡¯m just thinking what an Overseer might ask.¡± they said as they took a bite of their food, ¡°I think that if you were questioned, that would be fine. I hope, anyway. If it was a big enough problem I imagine that you¡¯d have been called to see someone already.¡± ¡°Maybe.¡± TO said quietly. ¡°I was thinking of just going and telling them-¡± ¡°You can¡¯t do that!¡± GiDi protested. ¡°I know.¡± TO said as they took a joyless bite of their normal food, ¡°We assume they know we use this room because we know they observe us. If we¡¯re wrong about that, then I¡¯ll potentially get us in trouble. Also, we don''t know how secret the whole being under observation thing is. ¡°And we wouldn¡¯t want to get C12 in trouble.¡± DH added. ¡°I know. I¡¯ve thought of all that. That¡¯s why I didn¡¯t go to the Overseers.¡± TO sighed, ¡°I¡¯ll just have to wait and see if they decide to talk to me.¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± DH said quietly, ¡°There¡¯s no rules specifically that say you should be in your pod by a certain time. And I¡¯ve been out of my pod a lot. So has GiDi, and nobody has said anything! Maybe it¡¯s not a big deal?¡± ¡°Maybe¡­¡± TO muttered, ¡°I... I¡¯ve just been worried about it. That¡¯s all. Since we were told that they track that-¡± ¡°Is that why you¡¯ve been keeping away from me?¡± DH suddenly demanded. TO looked at them, their ears flicking down as though they just got caught doing something embarrassing, ¡°It is!¡± DH said, their ears sinking down in sorrow. ¡°No, I just-¡± ¡°Before we spoke to C12, we shared a pod lots! After that, you¡¯ve been keeping away.¡± they frowned, ¡°Were you worried about what C12 said?¡± TO¡¯s ears pinned back in fear. If DH were to really question them, then there could be issues, ¡°Well¡­ I thought it would be best-¡± ¡°The best thing for us to do is act like nothing happened!¡± GiDi said, ¡°If we start acting odd just after a meeting with C12, then that¡¯s going to make things look suspicious. We¡¯ll look suspicious, and so will C12.¡± they looked to TO, ¡°Relax. If the overseers haven¡¯t spoken to use about sharing a pod before, I doubt they¡¯ll have issues with you two falling asleep elsewhere once. Just be more careful. It made sense. They had been sharing a pod for a while, and nobody had said a word to them. Maybe it wasn¡¯t a big problem. Still...would it be ok to share a pod with DH now? DH leaned against TO once more and continued eating. ¡°Well¡­ at least that''s all it was. I thought you were upset with me or something.¡± ¡°Not at all!¡± TO protested as they wrapped an arm around DH, ¡°I promise I¡¯m not upset with you; not in the least!¡± TO was relieved that DH hadn¡¯t pried more. Maybe they didn¡¯t have an idea as to how TO was actually feeling. Surprising. How could they not know? How could they not catch the way their ears would randomly pin down and flush when they were around them? TO felt like they were being entirely too obvious. How did DH not know!? Well, no matter. It was best that they didn¡¯t know. It also told TO something important; if DH was interested in that kind of thing in the least, then TO was certain that DH would have picked up on how they had been acting. ====== TO wasn¡¯t surprised when they heard the knock at the barrier to their pod well after most everyone else had gone to sleep. They weren¡¯t surprised to see DH hanging off the ladder when they opened it up, and weren¡¯t surprised when DH slipped into TO¡¯s pod, closing the barrier behind them. They weren¡¯t even surprised by how happy they were to see DH. ¡°Come on.¡± they said, ¡°Take off the strap for your wings.¡± ¡°What?¡± TO said as they sat up, letting the blanket fall around their waist, ¡°I¡¯ll rub your back again. It¡¯ll help you sleep. You don''t have painkillers to help you sleep tonight, do you?¡± ¡°...I don¡¯t.¡± ¡°Take off the strap and turn around. It¡¯ll help.¡± TO was grateful that it was so dim in the pod; They remembered DH¡¯s hands on their back the other night, and recalling it now in the comfort of their pod made their ears flush. Oddly, it also made their chest feel strange, like there was something soft swelling inside. Like there was something soft inside my chest when I thought about them. After I stopped panicking about it, that is. C12¡¯s words came back to them as they pulled the strap off and turned their back on DH. They felt DH¡¯s newly practiced hands working at the muscles under their skin around their wings. They felt their back relax and their wings twitch as DH worked. ¡°That feels better?¡± they asked, ¡°Yeah.¡± TO said, their voice soft and quiet. ¡°...You know, MO-6 said I have potential to be a medic. They suggested I do some more first aid self-study if I want to do that.¡± ¡°S¡¯funny.¡± TO said, ¡°SR45 said I¡¯d be useful in shipping and receiving. I don¡¯t want to go there though.¡± ¡°Where do you want to go?¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± TO was starting to drift off, their muscles relaxed, their chest feeling full and soft. ¡°After we¡¯re done our placement, we¡¯ll get real assignments. Do you know where you want to go yet?¡± ¡°Hmmmm.. I don¡¯t want to go anywhere.¡± TO murmured as they leaned back against DH, falling asleep on them as their worries slipped away. It would be fine. No matter what happened, they would be fine. Maybe¡­ maybe even if DH were to find out somehow, they¡¯d be fine. It might make DH uncomfortable, and they might try to keep their distance more afterwards but at the very worst TO knew that DH could never hate them. They might be disgusted, and TO still worried that DH would push them away if they admitted how they felt, but they¡¯d always be friends in one form or another. Episode 91: Change Despite how sleepy TO was and how foggy their head felt, they were very happy to be in the Medical Bay so early in the day. The last two periods of having their wings bound up had been driving them absolutely mad. They were more than willing to get up earlier than everyone else and head there with DH before their first meal. They¡¯d have their wings examined and then be told ¨Chopefully¨C that they were fine and they¡¯d never have to wear the strap ever again. MO-6 held out TO¡¯s wings one at a time as they examined the healed scars that blocked the light from passing through the bluish membrane of their wings, their fingers trailing over the jagged marks. ¡°Should I help?¡± DH offered as MO-6 struggled to hold the large, wide wing and examine a scar closer to TO¡¯s torso. MO-6 only nodded and DH took the very edge of the wing and held it carefully so the officer could focus. TO was so worried that they¡¯d be told they needed to wear the strap for longer. They were getting plenty of flight practice in the combat simulations, and the nodes attached to them while they were in the simulation was keeping their muscles active. Still, it wasn¡¯t the same. They knew there would still be some degradation and maybe a bit of clumsiness when they actually tried to fly. The strap was also simply uncomfortable and sleeping with it would have been nearly impossible were it not for DH massaging their back around their wings before they went to sleep. Of course, they were also worried that they¡¯d be told that the wings hadn¡¯t healed properly and there was nothing to be done. MO-6 drew their fingers along the largest scar, one that went right down the widest part of TO¡¯s wing from top nearly straight through to the bottom. ¡°This was the one I was most worried about.¡± They muttered, ¡°But it seems like it healed well enough.¡± They pressed gently against the membrane, ¡°Any pain?¡± ¡°No pain, Officer.¡± MO-6 nodded, then stepped away with a nod to DH, who gently released TO¡¯s wing. ¡°Stretch your wings for me.¡± It was the first time that TO had been allowed to stretch their wings in two periods. They took a breath and stretched them as far as they would go, enjoying the feeling of their muscles flexing and tensing. It had been so long that they felt they could feel each individual muscle flexing under their skin. Organic stimulation was so much better than the nodes. ¡°Range seems decent.¡± MO-6 said, ¡°Well within the parameters for normal range anyway. Still, I highly recommend you spend an hour or so of your rest and rec time in the flight training room until your training is done so that you can have your full range and dexterity back.¡± ¡°Of course, MO-6!¡± TO said as they let their wings drape over their shoulders; a comforting, familiar thing that they had missed so much while their wings had been bound up. ¡°I used to do that all the time anyway.¡± ¡°Good, good.¡± MO-6 said, ¡°Then I suppose that¡¯s it. You can go. Try not to get yourself injured.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t!¡± TO said as they practically jumped off the examination table. They were filled with a sudden energy as it seemed like all their worries in the last few periods had disappeared. Their wings were healed. They could fly. They rushed out of the Medical Bay with DH at their heels before the officer could say anything else. ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve seen you look happier in a long time!¡± DH commented as they ran back to the dormitories. ¡°I¡¯m just.. I guess I was worried!¡± TO said as they gave a quick laugh. They had been so worried. They had been worried. It seemed like their whole life was filled with worry. If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. They worried about being able to work with other synths. They worried about their wings. They worried about DH, and the thoughts they kept having about them. Well, at least the wings were fine now. The rumours around the attack in the shipping bay, and TO¡¯s assistance in helping others with their flying had worked to restore some of their good reputation among other synths as well. DH reached out and grabbed TO¡¯s wrist, stopping them from their run, ¡°Hold on.¡± They said with almost breathless laughter, ¡°It¡¯s still early. We¡¯ll get back to the dormitories and I bet GiDi will still be asleep.¡± ¡°Maybe!¡± TO said. They remembered how sleepy GiDi had been when the two of them had tried to wake their smaller friend up. GiDi had turned over, muttered something that sounded impolite, and then had gone back to sleep almost immediately. ¡°We tried to wake them!¡± TO said, ¡°They said they¡¯d come to the Medical Bay with us!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think they¡¯ve been getting enough sleep.¡± DH admitted, ¡°Every day before they go to sleep, they¡¯re digging through the Galactic news trying to find more about the Insurgency.¡± A frown passed over TO¡¯s face as their ears flicked back. That was a relatively new worry that had slowly grown over the course of the last couple of weeks; GiDi. They had calmed down a lot since the attempted assassination of King Decon ¨C a terrible crime, and one in which the guilty party was still at large¨C but they had still been very interested in the actions of the insurgency, and the societies that were helping them. Well, TO could see why. They still didn¡¯t understand how any society could support a group that stood against King Decon and it made sense that GiDi would be looking for answers, for some reasoning as to why the insurgency was doing what they did; why they were standing against King Decon. There were no answers, of course, but GiDi wouldn¡¯t believe that. The answer, if there was one, was that those people were civilians. The insurgency, and the people who helped them. They were flawed, untrained, short-sighted and self-centered; hardly any better than wild animals. Why King Decon wasted His time with them was beyond TO. TO was pulled from their thoughts as they felt warm, strong fingers tracing on the outside of their wings. They froze, their ears flushing as they turned to see DH running their fingers down the long, jagged scar on TO¡¯s wing. ¡°...Does it look bad?¡± TO asked, trying desperately to ignore the burning of their ears. ¡°Not really.¡± They said, ¡°It feels a little strange, but it looks like lightning running down your wing. It¡¯s interesting to look at.¡± They reached up and touched their own face, their fingers trailing over the scars that had faded from a brilliant blue to silver. ¡°I like them better than these anyway. I still hate these. But I¡¯m getting used to them. I¡¯m not surprised when I see my reflection anymore.¡± TO looked away, ¡°I keep telling you that I at least like your scars.¡± They said. They wanted to reach out and kiss those scars; it was a frequent daydream they tended to have as of late. They had learned that it was easier to let their thoughts come and go; letting the scene in their head play out where they take DH¡¯s face in their hands and gently kiss their scars. Best to let it just happen and try not to think about it when it was done. The thoughts wouldn¡¯t go away, and TO would just have to deal with them. Still, that was fine; just because the thoughts were there didn¡¯t mean they had to act on them. At least DH didn¡¯t seem to notice how flustered TO was getting around them. TO was in part surprised that DH could be so oblivious! How could they not know? How could they not have caught the glances, the flushes, and the flustered excuses that they gave when DH asked what TO was thinking about when they were lost in daydreams? Either DH was oblivious despite how obvious TO was, or they noticed, and just chose to ignore it for the sake of their friendship. If the latter was right, then TO was just grateful that DH hadn¡¯t shown signs of disgust on their face. ¡°Sorry.¡± DH said as they walked past TO, ¡°Come on, I didn¡¯t mean to stop us just like that, I just wanted to slow down a little.¡± they turned back and smiled, ¡°Let¡¯s go find GiDi before they wake up, and you can show them your healed up wings.¡± TO gave a wide smile and followed DH. ====== C12 was nervous. The moment that TO entered the simulation room they could tell that; The Retiree¡¯s ears were flicked back and they paced around the room, limping slightly on their prosthetic leg. Normally, C12 allowed everyone to strap into the simulations and get ready right away but today everyone was told to sit in their chairs and wait. When the last synth finally entered the room C12 closed the door and stood in the center of the room. ¡°You may recall,¡± they said carefully, ¡°That I mentioned you would be tested at the end of this period.¡± A chorus of, ¡°Yes, Retiree.¡± Rang out. ¡°Well, there has been a slight change of plans.¡± There was a flick to their ears, ¡°As part of an¡­ ongoing experiment to improve performance, your examinations will take place throughout this period.¡± They frowned, ¡°Time dilation technology will be used to allow a focused review of every synth through the week.¡± They looked about, and caught the confused looks of TO, DH, and GiDi, ¡°In the past.¡± They continued, ¡°the examination was a quick affair, and mostly automated. This period, not only will I be personally reviewing your performance¡­¡± their ears pinned back, ¡°But your Overseers, and the Commander will be reviewing them in real time as well. Your pass or fail will be a group decision. ¡° TO wondered what would happen if they failed. Would they have to undergo more training, or would they be considered useless and corrected or repurposed? They wanted to ask, but they decided it might be best to ask later. ¡°You will be informed when you enter your examination. You might be given special instructions, or told to do something you have not yet done. So long as you follow your orders and work to the best of your abilities¡­¡± They hesitated, their ears twitching as they carefully considered their words. ¡°Well, I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll all do that anyway. In the meantime, make sure you work hard in your simulations before your examination. Work on areas in which you struggle. Understood?¡± ¡°Yes, Retiree.¡± ¡°Good. You can start linking in.¡± TO glanced over at DH and GiDi, who looked back at them with equally confused and concerned looks. TO wondered if it had anything to do with them specifically. They recalled the day that DH lost their eye, and what their overseer had said about their experiment. Was this part of the same experiment? They¡¯d have to try to speak to C12 after training. Episode 92: Theory ¡°Well you¡¯ve gotten popular.¡± C12 said as they set the food down on the table in their room. An easy, almost teasing grin flicked over their face, ¡°I almost didn¡¯t think you¡¯d be joining me today. I didn¡¯t think you¡¯d get away from all the other synths.¡± TO felt their ears burn, ¡°I¡¯m not popular.¡± They muttered as they ignored DH¡¯s snickering, ¡°I¡¯m just being useful.¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s the important part of being popular right there.¡± C12 muttered, ¡°You had seven other synths thanking you for helping them with their flying today; I¡¯d say that counts.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to put people in simulations with me anymore!¡± TO said, ¡°My wings are all healed. I can help people after our vocational training.¡± ¡°It¡¯s the last week of training before we start to specialize, so I¡¯m putting the people who need the most help with their flight with you. It¡¯s very helpful. In fact, it¡¯s more useful than when a synth is put into training on their own.¡± ¡°TO¡¯s a great teacher!¡± GiDi said from next to TO, ¡°They helped DH and I a lot!¡± ¡°Maybe after their placement is done they might be drafted as a trainer, or even an Overseer.¡± C12 shrugged, ¡°Well, that¡¯s a ways away yet. For now, it¡¯s enough that you¡¯re helping a lot of synths improve.¡± ¡°I hope it¡¯s enough.¡± TO said. ¡°I¡­ I hope it¡¯s useful, given that the Commander and the Overseers are going to be watching.¡± C12 gave a smirk as they regarded TO.¡°You know, that¡¯s how I knew you¡¯d be joining me for meal time today.¡± they said with a grin, ¡°I knew you¡¯d want some answers.¡± ¡°We would just want to sit with you anyway!¡± DH said, ¡°Honestly! We look forward to it!¡± Eating their second meal with C12 had become something of a special event for TO, DH, and GiDi. C12 only allowed it twice a period since they said that anything more than that would be considered suspicious. In C12¡¯s room, they knew that they weren¡¯t being recorded or listened to. At the very least, that¡¯s what C12 assured them. ¡°I hope you don¡¯t mind it.¡± GiDi said quietly, ¡°Us being here so often.¡± ¡°I enjoy the company.¡± C12 said as they picked at their own food, breaking it into pieces as they normally did, ¡°I¡¯m unused to eating on my own.¡± their ears flicked down slightly, but only for a brief moment. ¡°Well...We enjoy being here with you.¡± TO said carefully. ¡°I know¡± C12 said, letting a brief smile flicker over their face, ¡°And if you hadn''t asked to join me today, I¡¯d have told you to and not just for the company. This testing method¡­ It¡¯s a new thing they¡¯re doing, and I don¡¯t like it. Not at all. There¡¯s something strange about it.¡± ¡°Why are they doing it like this now?¡± GiDi asked, ¡°Does the Commander normally take any interest in trainees?¡± C12 shook their head, ¡°Not unless there¡¯s trouble, and even then they don¡¯t get involved directly; they request reports and give orders.¡± They shook their head, ¡°No. no, if they¡¯re getting directly involved, I don¡¯t like it.¡± DH frowned as they looked down at their food, ¡°I¡¯m sorry you have to be around the Commander all period.¡± They said softly. ¡°Is that why you don¡¯t like it?¡± C12 frowned as their ears pinned back and their wings tightened around them, ¡°Not entirely.¡± They hissed. ¡°Though, the further away I can be from the Commander, the better.¡± ¡°Did they say anything today?¡± GiDi asked, ¡°In front of the Overseers?¡± ¡°They always say things.¡± C12 said, ¡°It¡¯s always snide remarks and disrespect from them, just now they have an audience for it. Thankfully, among the Overseers I have too much rank for them to dare show outward disrespect. I¡¯ll be glad when the testing is over.¡± ¡°And you don¡¯t know why they¡¯re doing it like this?¡± TO asked, ¡°You have no idea why we¡¯ve gone from automated testing to¡­ this?¡± A frown passed over C12¡¯s lips as their ears flicked with contemplation. This was a look that TO had gotten used to by now; they were wondering what they could tell them; what was safe. ¡°...This batch of synths ¨C your batch ¨C have proven to have more abnormalities than normal.¡± C12 finally said, ¡°More synths have been corrected than normal. There¡¯s been a lot more than have failed their preliminary testing right out of the pod and had to be repurposed. There¡¯s some research going on to try to find the source of the abnormalities¡­¡± They paused, then shook their head, ¡°That¡¯s nothing for you to worry about though. That¡¯s why this is happening though.¡± A memory suddenly struck TO. It felt like so long ago when they overheard Snout and PQ03 talking that time. Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work! ¡®¡°And you know what will happen if we report this. You know what we saw.¡° There was a stifled curse which surprised TO ¨Cthey had never heard an officer curse before. ¡°You know how many there were.¡± ¡°Yes, too many.¡± PQ03 snapped. ¡°We should have caught it earlier.¡± ¡°It¡¯s our own fault.¡±¡¯ ¡°...that¡¯s what Snout was talking about, yes?¡± C12¡¯s face seemed to light up for a brief moment when TO mentioned Snout, but it was only a flash, ¡°What?¡± they asked. ¡°Just before Snout was taken away, I overheard them and PQ03 talking.¡± They turned to DH and GiDi, ¡°Remember?¡± ¡°Right.¡± GiDi said, ¡°Something about there being more than normal.¡± TO nodded, ¡°More abnormalities than normal.¡± they frowned, ¡°I suppose the Commander discovered it after all.¡± They wondered what the punishment was for PQ03. ¡°To be honest, I¡¯m not well informed about it.¡± C12 saidas they glanced down at their food, ¡°All I¡¯ve been told is that due to an abnormal amount of irregularities, the exams will be far more hands-on than normal. That¡¯s all.¡± ¡°... and what will failure mean?¡± GiDi finally asked. ¡°At this stage of our training, what will the consequence of failure be? Will we be corrected?¡± C12 was silent for several long minutes as they considered their answer, ¡°It depends.¡± They finally said, ¡°The test will be specific for each synth, as will certain fail states. Mediocrity won¡¯t be punished, per se. Incompetence might just mean a better chance that you¡¯ll end up on the front lines, or sent to mines. No¡­. as far as I know they¡¯re looking at certain things for certain synths.¡± They looked up, ¡°look, it¡¯s nothing you three have to worry about, so long as you follow orders and do what you¡¯re told. Understood?¡± ¡°That lesson¡¯s been drilled into me.¡± TO muttered. ¡°I mean it!¡± C12¡¯s ears pinned back as they leaned forward, ¡°Whatever you¡¯re told, whatever your orders, just do it. Don''t think about it, just do it.¡± There were three separate mumbles of ¡°understood.¡± From the younger synths, and an awkward silence fell over them as they all focused on their food. ¡°Apologies.¡± C12 said, ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to snap. But you have to do what I say.¡± GiDi had seemed very far away as they ate, but suddenly they seemed to return to themself. ¡°...C12.¡± they said, ¡°These abnormalities; Are they intentional?¡± ¡°What?¡± C12¡¯s ears flicked back in panic, ¡°What do you mean? Why would it be?¡± ¡°Well, I recall TO said that Snout told them that some abnormalities were good. What if this is just an experiment to make more synths. I mean-¡± They looked to TO, ¡°Didnt you think that maybe we were strange because of some experiment anyway?¡± ¡°What?¡± TO¡¯s ears flicked out in confusion, ¡°I don''t¡¯ think I said-¡± ¡°No¡­ no you did.¡± DH said, ¡°It was a long time ago. I was wondering why we were strange, remember? Why King Decon would allow us to be so different if He has control over everything. You said maybe we were the first wave of some new type of synth, and if we succeed, maybe they''ll be more of us later on. Do you remember that? It came back to TO now; they did say that, ¡°But that was before I know how we were made. That was before I knew so many Synths were involved in it. It¡¯s easy enough for us to be a mistake-¡± ¡°But what if it¡¯s not!?¡± GiDi said, their ears twitching with excitement, ¡°What if we¡¯re not the first wave? What if we¡¯re just the first batch with so many strange synths. Maybe they¡¯re testing us to see if we can integrate-¡± ¡°But wouldn¡¯t the Officers know then?¡± TO said, ¡°Snout and PQ03 didn¡¯t know!¡± ¡°Of course they wouldn''t.¡± GiDi said, ¡°That would affect the outcome, wouldn¡¯t it? What if we were made strange on purpose, and the Officers, the Overseers, maybe even the Commander didn¡¯t know about it?¡± They looked to C12, ¡°Doesn¡¯t that make sense? Why else would there be so many strange synths all at once? Something must have happened. Either this was intentional, or something big had to fail and be missed by all the Officers involved with synth production.¡± They shook their head, ¡°Accidents like that don¡¯t just happen-¡± ¡°They¡¯ve been doing this more lately.¡± DH said as they gave GiDi a flat, steady look, ¡°I swear, they dig through the galactic news and find all these things happening at once-¡± ¡°Oh? Is that so.¡± C12 said. They leaned towards GiDi as their ears flicked forward, ¡°What kind of things are you digging through the news for?¡± ¡°Well, the attack on King Decon first.¡± they said, ¡°Then the attack on this specific training center. There were no reports of attacks on other centers and this one was just described in passing as a ¡°failed attack¡± being the reason for added security at wormhole gates! So I wondered why this center was chosen! But if this center is the location of an experimental, potentially advanced, form of new synths, then wouldn¡¯t the insurgents want to target it?¡± ¡°Do you really think so?¡± C12 said, their voice deadpan even as their ears twitched with worry. To could feel their own ears twitching with the same worry; GiDi was getting themself too worked up over the news they were consuming. Just¡­ there¡¯s a lot more insurgent activity as of late in general compared to before the attack on King Decon, and a lot more of the attacks on planet-side centers have been more successful-¡± ¡°They¡¯ve been keeping an eye on insurgent activity like this since the attack.¡± DH said, ¡°It got worse after the attack on Shipping and Receiving. They probably know more about the insurgents than the insurgents do!¡± ¡°Look, that¡¯s all besides the point.¡± GiDi said. They turned back to C12, ¡°It¡¯s possible, isn¡¯t it? This batch of synths could be riddled with individuals that were purposel y made different, right?¡± C12 took a long, deep breath, then shook their head, ¡°While it is possible.¡± C12 said, ¡°I can assure you and King Decon has not tried to create any kind of new synth.¡± ¡°How do you know.¡± GiDi pressed. C12¡¯s ears flicked back as they picked up a piece of their food, ¡°It¡¯s enough that I know.¡± They said, ¡°Trust me, it would do none of us any good to know how I know that.¡± GiDi frowned and looked down at the food. ¡°Well¡­ I suppose it doesn''t matter how you know.¡± They said, ¡°I still don¡¯t think it could be accidental. There''s too much that happened.¡± ¡°Well, what else could it be!¡± TO said, ¡°If we weren¡¯t made by King Decon to be like this, then it has to be one colossal mistake, right?¡± ¡°Not quite.¡± GiDi said as they leaned forward. In that moment, TO couldn¡¯t get over how much GiDi seemed to have aged in the last couple of periods. They had bags under their eyes from their lack of sleep, but their eyes seemed so much more focused. Even when they seemed like they were off in another world, they now seemed so focused on that world, and so troubled by it. TO knew now that they didn¡¯t love GiDi the way they loved DH, but they still loved their smaller friend. They wanted to protect them, and take care of them. They wished they could keep them away from all this information, and keep them from worrying. ¡°If King Decon didn¡¯t make us this way.¡± GiDi said carefully, ¡°Then what if our development was sabotaged by the insurgents?¡± ¡°You have been reading too much of the galactic news.¡± C12 said quickly, ¡°You¡¯re looking for patterns when you shouldn¡¯t be. You¡¯re getting obsessed with the insurgency when you should just be worried about your examination-¡± ¡°How can I just worry about that?¡± GiDi said, leaning forward. To TO¡¯s surprise, their ears flicked back and their wings puffed up around them, ¡°How can I focus on a simple examination when this is a question of our entire being!? We¡¯ve been told all our lives that we¡¯re created special by King Decon to serve him! If the insurgency changed that, if the insurgency had a hand in our creation-¡± ¡°I assure you.¡± C12 said as they learned forward as well, ¡°That is nothing you need be worried about. You do, however, need to worry about this ¡®simple examination¡¯ as it could cost you your life if you don''t!¡± GiDi could be disconcerting when they were getting angry, but with C12, you could feel their anger starting to build¨C slowly but powerfully. GiDi instantly backed off. Their wings tightening around them and their ears flicking back. As soon as they did that, C12 seemed to calm down. They sat back in their chair. ¡°You¡¯re made exactly as you should be.¡± C12 finally said, ¡°That much at least I can tell you.¡± Episode 93:Efficiency TO was to report to one of the offices in the upper level of the training center for their vocational training. This meant that while DH and GiDi had to rush off to get where they needed to go, TO had more time to sit and keep C12 company before they had to leave. The door had scarcely slid shut before C12 spoke. ¡°I want you to keep a closer eye on GiDi,'''' they said in a deadly serious tone. TO turned back to face them and saw that their ears were flicked back with concern. ¡°Keep an eye on them?¡± TO asked, ¡°They¡¯re doing fine though, aren¡¯t they?¡± TO¡¯s ears flicked out with confusion, ¡°They¡¯ve been doing well in training, right?¡± ¡°There¡¯s more to your training than tests and placements.¡± C12 said, ¡°You know that, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°I do?¡± C12 frowned,¡°That one that hurt DH¡¯s eye; 01Q10. What test did they fail?¡± TO¡¯s stomach dropped, ¡°They didn¡¯t fail anything.¡± they said quietly. They hadn¡¯t seen Q10 since that day in the Medical Bay. ¡°They attacked DH though. You¡¯re not supposed to attack other synths.¡± C12 leaned forward with their elbows on the little table. ¡°There¡¯s a lot you¡¯re told not to do. There¡¯s a lot you¡¯re expected to do, or not do, without being told. It¡¯s best to say that your performance isn¡¯t just based on test results and performance.¡± they gestured to their hand, ¡°There¡¯s a reason the chips can record everything, and a reason why trainees are watched so carefully.¡± They tilted their head, ¡°You¡¯re smart enough¡­ How many synths have you seen corrected for doing poorly in training assignments?¡± In truth, none. ¡°You mean you¡¯re worried that GiDi might be corrected?¡± C12 frowned, their lips pressing together, ¡°I am worried about their obsessive behaviour.¡± they said carefully, ¡°It won¡¯t help them. Do what you can to distract them. Get them away from their theories and the news for a little.¡± TO¡¯s wings tightened around them as their ears fell back, twitching, ¡°You are worried they¡¯re going to get corrected.¡± ¡°I¡¯m worried that their behaviour might affect their chances.¡± C12 said. ¡°Just give them more attention. Spend time with them.¡± they looked at TO seriously, ¡°I know you¡¯ve been spending more time with DH. You¡¯ve been sleeping with them almost every day.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not doing anything!¡± TO said quickly as their ears flicked back in panic, ¡°I¡¯m not! They wouldn¡¯t! I¡¯m just-¡± ¡°I¡¯m not implying anything.¡± C12 said quickly, ¡°I am well aware it¡¯s been mostly because of your wings. That¡¯s well noted.¡± ¡°Right.¡± TO said quickly. ¡°And¡­ I also think that it wouldn¡¯t be surprising for such a thing to become a habit; You were injured, and DH was helping you with their medical training, so now you¡¯re used to their company. Still, try to spend more time with GiDi. Try not to let them be alone too much, alright?¡± They gave a little grin, ¡°Even if it does mean you spend a little less time with DH.¡± ¡°Of course!¡± TO said, ¡°GiDi is very important to me! Even if it¡¯s not in the same way that-¡± Their ears flushed blue, ¡°That DH might be.¡± A smirk came over C12¡¯s face, but they made no comment. Though TO still didn¡¯t intend to act on their feelings, it was good to have someone know, someone they could mention it to. After their conversation with C12 a couple periods ago, there was little point in trying to hide it from them. At least there was someone who could understand how they were feeling. ¡°Well, I know that.¡± C12 said, ¡°And I¡¯m sure GiDi knows that; that¡¯s not in question. I just want you to make sure GiDi isn¡¯t alone too much.¡± They leaned forward, ¡°No matchmaking though.¡± Their ears flicked down and burned blue again, but for entirely different reasons, ¡°It was one try!¡± TO insisted, ¡°And I thought for sure that GiDi and Avery-¡± ¡°And you were wrong.¡± C12 said, grinning, ¡°I understand you wanted to help GiDi, but now is not the time. Just keep them distracted. I¡¯ll be less worried when the exams are over.¡± they frowned, ¡°Just¡­ you or DH stay with them, alright? Keep them occupied.¡± ¡°We will.¡± TO said, ¡°I promise.¡± This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source. ====== As TO was heading to the office where they were to do their vocational training, they passed by the spot where they had stumbled upon C12 and Snout so long ago. They couldn''t help but think of that moment that started all this, that put the idea in their head that synths could be attracted to one another; could be romantic towards one another. A normal synth would have been disgusted. TO had been embarrassed by intruding, but they hadn¡¯t been disgusted. Now, as they passed by they couldn¡¯t help but imagine that situation again, but with them and DH instead of C12 and Snout. They let it play out as they made their way to the office. What if they were wrong about DH? It was a thought that had been lingering with them since their conversation with C12 about Snout. C12 was so certain that DH was like they were, that they wouldn¡¯t be disgusted by such a thing. What if C12 was right? TO didn¡¯t see any evidence. Besides that, even if C12 was right, even if DH could feel romantically inclined towards other synths, what was the proof that they¡¯d feel that way about them! They didn¡¯t want to risk it. Even if they did want to risk it, C12 warned them that it¡¯d be best to wait until they were away from the training center for their placement; that was only 30 days away. A lot could happen in 30 days. Maybe DH would take note of how they were acting, and realize how they felt. Maybe their ears would twitch oddly ¨C like C12 and Snout¡¯s ears had that day in the hallway¨C and DH would see that and just know. Maybe DH wouldn¡¯t even notice, even if TO¡¯s ears did twitch like that. They shook their head. No, that was nothing to worry about right now. Right now, they had to worry about GiDi. They had to focus on their friend, and see them through their training. ====== The numbers on the door read 5-564; that was the office that TO was supposed to report to. They scanned in and the door slid open to reveal a plain looking room with several synths all sat at different consoles. They had earpieces hooked into their ears and were going over what looked like reports. There was one synth sitting up at the other end of the room- their desk was larger and they had several screens hanging in the air before them. When TO entered, they were the only one to look up from their work. As soon as they set eyes on TO, they closed up all their screens and got up. ¡°You must be 09T07.¡± they said as they looked over TO. ¡°It¡¯s not often I get someone here for vocational training¡± ¡°It¡¯s not?¡± TO asked as they took a step back. This officer, dressed in a black uniform with white stripes on the shoulders, looked at TO in such a way that it felt like like they were being examined. ¡°In fact.¡± they said as though TO hadn¡¯t said anything, ¡°I have personally never had a trainee with me before. But, I¡¯ve looked through your records, and I believe you¡¯ll work well enough.¡± They gestured to a door in the back and beckoned for TO to follow them. Inside was the same kind of office that TO had seen everywhere else. The officer sat down first, and TO sat across from them. ¡°You must be recognized for something.¡± The officer said, ¡°Well, there¡¯s plenty for you to be recognized for, isn¡¯t there.¡± They started pulling up new files, ¡°Exceptional performance in preliminary training, a good comprehension of other synths, quick thinking.¡± they flicked their eyes up at TO, ¡°You do realize that if you¡¯re here with me for vocational training, then they have you in mind for an officer position when you¡¯re done your placement, yes?¡± ¡°I¡­ I didn¡¯t.¡± TO said as their ears flicked back and burned blue. Just today, C12 was saying they¡¯d be a good trainer, or an Overseer. Now they were being told they were on a track to be an officer? ¡°Have you not considered where you might be placed when your training is done?¡± ¡°Not until very recently.¡± TO admitted, ¡°And even then I¡¯ve only been told what I¡¯d be good at.¡± ¡°I see.¡± The officer said. They closed their windows, ¡°Tell me; what do you want to do?¡± ¡° I will gladly work where I am placed.¡± TO recited. ¡°Correct.¡± The officer said, ¡°But where do you -want- to work. What do you want to do?¡± TO felt their ears flick back and out in worry and confusion. Want? They weren¡¯t supposed to want to do anything but- ¡°... I want to serve King Decon?¡± They offered. ¡°Obviously.¡± The officer said, ¡°But that¡¯s not what I¡¯m asking; What. Do. You. Want. To. Do.¡± Panic raced through TO. They glanced around, their eyes lingering on the white lines of the Officers uniform, on the circle over their heart that bore the assignment E45. ¡°...I don¡¯t know.¡± They finally admitted, ¡°I like to fly. I¡¯m good at puzzles. I¡¯m apparently a good trainer.¡± they glanced up to E45¡¯s face. These weren¡¯t questions that TO was used to being asked. At first they wondered if this officer was strange, but if they were it wasn¡¯t in a way TO was familiar with; they had a keen but cold expression, and their ears hardly moved. TO looked away quickly, ¡°I¡¯m mostly just focused on doing well right now.¡± They felt their wings tighten around them, ¡°I didn¡¯t know it was something I should think on, or that I would have a choice. ¡°Well, you won¡¯t.¡± E45 said, ¡°You¡¯ll be assigned where you¡¯ll be most useful. However, I have found that a personal preference to certain jobs improves efficiency. That¡¯s my job here. I improve the overall efficiency of this training center; I¡¯m head of Operational Efficiency. ¡± they frowned, ¡°It¡¯s more important than many people think. This is a training center, but it¡¯s also a food production center, a weapons production center, a hatchery, a vocational training center, and a defensive military outpost. Should we end up isolated from the rest of King Decon¡¯s army, we would need to survive on our own. If we were attacked, we¡¯d need to defend ourselves. This center is basically a tiny planet freely floating in the void of space, and it must be able to sustain itself. If it¡¯s not efficient, then it won¡¯t survive. Do you understand?¡± ¡°I.. yes, I do.¡± TO said. ¡°Do you really?¡±: Panic flooded through TO; had they said something wrong? ¡°I¡­ We need to make sure things run properly so that we can keep surviving?¡± E45 pressed their lips together in contemplation, ¡°Close enough.¡± they said, ¡°No matter.¡± They opened a file and after a moment of them fiddling with it, TO heard an alert on their chip. ¡°There.¡± They said, ¡°I¡¯ve decided you need your own project while you¡¯re here. I¡¯ll be assisting of course.¡± They brought up another screen and turned it towards TO. The screen had a lot of numbers on it, all colored in red green. ¡°Our goal is constant advancement.¡± E45 said, ¡°Constant growth, to assist King Decon. We have an idea of how much each different section of the center is supposed to grow. When a certain section falls behind, we investigate.¡± They scrolled through the numbers and landed on one where all the different numbers were highlighted in bright red. ¡°Right now, Repair and Recovery is lagging far behind the rest of the sections.¡± TO looked at the numbers before them, trying to make sense of the percentages that they were presented with. There were numbers spanning through periods, spans, and whole cycles. ¡°Why is it red?¡± TO asked, ¡°These numbers are going up, they¡¯re higher than the previous numbers; Everything is in the positive.¡± ¡°They¡¯re not improving as much as we expect them to.¡± E45 said. ¡°The projected growth is the bare minimum that we expect. They are not making that. They are failing.¡± They tilted their head at TO, ¡°And that ¡®s going to be your project. I¡±ll be taking you through the investigations, and showing you how we deal with such a situation. I want to see how you deal with this, and how you see that this group Improves.¡± They leaned forward and gave TO that look again; that look that made TO feel like they were being analyzed, ¡°I¡¯m very interested in your process.¡± Was this an assignment, or a hidden test, like C12 had been alluding to. TO didn¡¯t know, but they knew they had to do very well in their assignment for this period. Episode 94: Purpose ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± DH said as TO picked at their last meal of the day. TO wasn¡¯t hungry, and they didn¡¯t feel like they wanted to do much of anything. They were in the kind of mood where their mind just wanted to fixate on a problem. ¡°You didn¡¯t tell us where you went for your training yet.¡± GiDi said, carefully probing as they watched TO¡¯s ears, ¡°I hope it¡¯s more interesting than what we¡¯ve been assigned.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure it has to be.¡± DH muttered as they bit into a piece of their food, ¡°I¡¯m in records maintenance.¡± They glanced at GiDi, ¡°What are you doing again?¡± ¡°I got put into programming.¡± GiDi said with a scowl, ¡°Honestly I just find it boring. I dislike it. I don¡¯t have a head for it. I can do it but¡­¡± They shrugged, ¡°It¡¯s tedious to me. Though-¡± they looked up to DH, ¡°I know you enjoyed it in the end.¡± ¡°I did!¡± DH said, ¡°I thought maybe I¡¯d like to focus on that, but I really prefered working in the Medical Bay. I like helping people.¡± They gave TO a little nudge, nearly knocking the food from their hands, ¡°What about you? Where are you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m in Operational Efficiency.¡± TO muttered. ¡°... That does sound boring.¡± DH said. ¡°It¡¯s not, actually.¡± TO glanced up, a soft, sad look on their face as their ears were tilted just slightly down, ¡°It¡¯s interesting, to a point. I get to see how the entire center functions, and how it improves and grows. Actually seeing how every synth here ¨C save for Trainees, of course¨C contributes to the growth and functioning of the center. That¡¯s interesting at least.¡± They frowned. How could they describe it? ¡°It makes me feel bigger and smaller at the same time.¡± ¡°And that makes you sad?¡± GiDi asked. TO shook their head as they pulled apart a piece of their food. C12 did that a lot, and they wondered if it would make it easier for them to stomach smaller pieces. TO knew they had to eat; GiDi and DH got so worried when they didn¡¯t. ¡°Not exactly.¡± TO said. ¡°It¡¯s just¡­¡± they sighed, ¡°I¡¯m seeing all these numbers, all these assignments that are linked to synths like you and me, and they¡¯re just broken down into numbers; Nothing else matters. I¡¯m working specifically on a problem in Recovery-¡± ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± DH asked. ¡°When something breaks, we take what we can from it and salvage it.¡± TO explained, ¡°Ships, weapons, clothing¡­ anything. There¡¯s different groups assigned to different parts-¡± GiDi¡¯s ears suddenly flicked back, ¡°What are you working on?¡± they asked quickly. ¡°Transportation Recovery.¡± TO said, ¡°Why? What¡¯s wrong?¡± GiDi shook their head, ¡°Nothing, nothing.¡± they said quickly, but the way their ears were twitching told TO that it wasn''t nothing. ¡°You¡¯re lying.¡± They said. ¡°Leave it.¡± DH said quickly. TO felt DH¡¯s hand on their arm, giving them a gentle squeeze, ¡°It¡¯s fine. Just leave it.¡± ¡°What?¡± TO said, looking from DH to GiDi, ¡°What? What is it?¡± they narrowed their eyes, ¡°Tell me!¡± ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t want to.¡± GiDi said carefully, ¡°I don¡¯t want you to panic or worry.¡± ¡°Why would I panic?¡± TO said, ¡°Well¡­¡± they looked away, ¡°Do you remember when you were in Synth Production¡­ and they had to reprocess the juvenile synth?¡± TO¡¯s ears flicked back. Faintly, they could still hear the cracking of bones in the back of their head, ¡°Yes.¡± They said, their voice cold and sharp, ¡°I won¡¯t be forgetting that.¡± ¡°... They take broken things in Recovery, and save what they can.¡± GiDi said, ¡°Is that where synths get repurposed?¡± Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings. Panic flooded TO for a brief moment, passing through them quickly as they reassured themselves, ¡°I imagine that would be a medical issue.¡± TO said, ¡°No, I''m certain they have a different department for that. Besides that, I''m not actually involved with the departments themselves.¡± TO was speaking quickly, ¡°No, I¡¯m just working with the numbers.¡± ¡°Right.¡± GiDi said. ¡°Right. Anyway-¡± TO cast their mind back to pick up on the threads of their conversation so that they could pull themself away from imagining a whole section of the center dedicated to pulling apart synths, ¡°Right. I¡¯m working with Transportation. And¡­¡± they frowned, ¡°See, each section has expected growth. They¡¯re supposed to do better and do more than they did in the last cycle.¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s going to happen anyway.¡± GiDi said, ¡°Technology is constantly improving-¡± ¡°Right. I know. But that¡¯s taken into account. There¡¯s an expected rate of growth, and if a center doesn¡¯t match that then even if they¡¯re doing better than they did in the previous cycle, they¡¯re still considered to be failing. So, when there¡¯s a problem, that¡¯s when Operational Efficiency gets involved. ¡°So what do you do?¡± DH asked. ¡°That¡¯s what bothers me.¡± TO said, ¡°Today, I was looking over files for every synth in that section. Everyone is shorn down to just numbers, their growth, their output, how long they work, how much they eat, and just¡­¡± They trailed off, ¡°Something seems wrong about it. Everything is so carefully calculated. There¡¯s equations linking break lengths, sleep, and calorie intake with overall productivity. Everything is so carefully calculated down to the second.¡± They looked at GiDi, ¡°Did you know that in Transportation Recovery, the ideal break amount is 3 minutes and 34 seconds every hour and 4 minutes?¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­ very exact.¡± ¡°I know! There¡¯s a mechanical precision to it and¡­¡± TO frowned, ¡°It bothers me. We have limits; there¡¯s only so much we can do.¡± ¡°But¡­ that¡¯s taken into account, right?¡± GiDi asked, ¡°The limits of a synth?¡± ¡°Yes¡­ and that¡¯s part of technical advancement too. There¡¯s programs in place to squeeze every possible amount of good work out of every synth. I was looking over all these files, all the information and all the data and I really wondered why they didn¡¯t just use AI driven robots; From these reports it almost feels like they look at us like robots!¡± ¡°They do¡­ don''t they.¡± GiDi said quietly. TO was taken aback by the venom in their voice, the restrained anger that simmered below the surface. GiDi glanced up, ¡°We¡¯re tools, aren¡¯t we? That¡¯s what everyone says.¡± ¡°Look, AI are fine.¡± DH cut in, ¡°But they¡¯re limited to their programming. Bad programming can cause all kinds of problems. Even a well programmed AI can cause problems! That¡¯s why King Decon put all those laws in place about the use and creation of AI; they¡¯re dangerous without strict limits, and they can¡¯t be trusted. Besides that, We can innovate on the spot. AI can¡¯t.¡± They looked at TO, ¡°I wonder if an AI could have saved SR45 from the Edacaeli, or if they would have gotten them back into the shipping bay when the explosion happened.¡± ¡°I know, I know.¡± TO said, ¡°But they¡¯re expecting a level of effectiveness from us that I¡¯m unsure a living creature can achieve; they don''t just want their machinery to advance, they want us to as well. They want every generation of synth to be able to work longer and harder and faster with less food and rest than the one before it.¡± TO shook their head, ¡°And I don¡¯t know how long that can last.¡± ¡°... I wouldn¡¯t worry.¡± DH said, ¡°There¡¯s always some advance that makes things work better. I mean, maybe they¡¯ll find a way to let the time dilation technology work to allow a synth to experience a full rest without actually requiring seven hours of sleep. Imagine if you could get that in five minutes instead! Or maybe they¡¯ll be some kind of drug that could rid us of the need for sleep altogether!¡± TO did imagine it, and they didn¡¯t like it. If they ended up using time dilation technology then they¡¯d have to be strapped into a special pod for that, and they¡¯d be alone in a simulation to sleep. Alone, regardless of what nightmares they had or what pains they suffered. As for a drug that would prevent them from needing sleep? The same issue; TO¡¯s favourite time of day was just before they went to sleep, talking to DH and GiDi as they relaxed. They loved the moments before they drifted off when they were holding DH, or ¨C more recently¨C DH was holding them. A drug would take that away. Still, they¡¯d be more efficient that way. They could work harder for King Decon that way. ¡°Would you want that?¡± TO asked, ¡°To not have to sleep or rest at all?¡± They looked seriously at DH, ¡°Would you be happy just working all the time, even if you didn¡¯t feel tired or hungry?¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s just an example!¡± DH protested, though their ears flicked down, ¡°I just mean there will be advances! You created one yourself with showering after physical training, and that was a change that gave us more rest, right?¡± ¡°Efficiency is the point of us, though, isn¡¯t it?¡± GiDi said quietly, ¡°To be effective and efficient for King Decon; that¡¯s why we¡¯re here, right?¡± There was a sudden bitterness to their voice, ¡°To be used by King Decon.¡± ¡°To serve King Decon!¡± TO said quickly, their ears flicking down in horror, ¡°There¡¯s a difference!¡± ¡°And what¡¯s the difference.¡± GiDi hissed, ¡°We live, we serve, we die. We¡¯re here for a purpose, and when that purpose is done, we¡¯re done away with. When we¡¯re of no more use, we¡¯re gotten rid of.¡± They glanced at TO, ¡°Isn¡¯t that right?¡± ¡°Serving King Decon is the highest honor any creature in the galaxy can hope for.¡± TO said quickly. ¡°What¡¯s the alternative? Being a civilian? Living your own little, meaningless life?¡± GiDi fell silent and looked away, ¡°Sorry.¡± They muttered, ¡°Just... nevermind.¡± ¡°Is something wrong GiDi?¡± DH asked as they leaned forward, ¡°Is something bothering you?¡± ¡°A lot.¡± they said, ¡°But it¡¯s nothing. Just¡­¡± ¡°Just?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve just been thinking about a lot of stuff.¡± GiDi said quietly, ¡°And I suppose that what TO said, about being effective, about hitting our limits, about being pushed to be effective and the like might have just sat wrong with me.¡± they looked up and gave a quick smile, but their ears were still tilted down, ¡°I¡¯m sure it¡¯s nothing. Sorry.¡± They popped the last bit of food into their mouth and stood up, looking to TO, ¡°Come on, you want to fly right? It¡¯s been ages!¡± It had been ages, but all TO could think about in that moment was how angry GiDi had sounded for just a moment, how they had been obsessed over the news, and C12¡¯s warning. They¡¯d have to make a special point to take care of GiDi. DH needed to be warned too, to be told about C12¡¯s warning. They¡¯d both have to work hard to keep GiDi from upsetting conversations. ¡°Yes!¡± TO said, suddenly standing up and sounding far more excited than they actually were, ¡°Let¡¯s go. I need to get my wings back in order.¡± Episode 95: Uncomfortable ¡°Well, I¡¯ll head to sleep now.¡± GiDi said as they put away the old combat logs that TO had given them. The three of them were working in TO¡¯s pod before they slept. Given that they were expecting their examination any day, TO was determined to see that the three of them were well prepared. Keeping GiDi distracted with their studies and training was also a good way to keep them from digging through the Galactic News. ¡°Wait!¡± DH said quickly as GiDi moved to go to their own pod, ¡°You¡­ You should stay with TO while you sleep.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± GiDi glanced up, their ears flicking in confusion as they looked at DH, ¡°Why?¡± ¡°I¡¯d like you too.¡± TO said quickly, ¡°It would be nice, no? I mean, You¡¯ve been alone the whole time my wings were recovering because DH was helping me with them.¡± ¡°Besides, It¡¯s best if TO has someone in the pod with them.¡± DH said, ¡°They might have a muscle cramp in the night, and having someone around to help them with that is a good idea.¡± ¡°I¡¯m alright with that.¡± GiDi said quietly, ¡°But wouldn¡¯t you rather stay with them? I mean, you have the medical training.¡± ¡°No medical training needed. If you take over tonight then I can stretch out a little while I sleep.¡± TO knew that what DH was saying was just their plan to make sure one of them stayed with GiDi; using TO¡¯s newly healed injury was as good an excuse as any. Still, even hearing the way DH talked made TO feel like they were just a problem to their friends. DH¡¯s ears weren¡¯t twitching with lies as they spoke either, so TO knew that what they were saying was true. Did DH not like sharing a pod with them? Did they do it because they felt they had to? No¡­ No DH was the one who often climbed into TO¡¯s pod. Because they were worried about them. Because they had Nightmares. Because they had been injured. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± GiDi asked as they saw the way TO¡¯s ears flicked down. TO shook their head and looked away from DH and GiDi, ¡°Nothing.¡± They said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry if I¡¯ve been an inconvenience. I¡¯m sure I can be on my own for a little.¡± DH snapped their head at them suddenly, their ears flicking with concern and confusion. ¡°No no! It¡¯s not that!¡± GiDi said, ¡°I¡¯m happy to stay with you, injury or no. Just... well¡­¡± They glanced at DH and then shook their head, ¡°Nevermind. I¡¯ll stay with you.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to.¡± ¡°I want to!¡± DH looked from GiDi to DH, then nodded, their ears flicking back and down, ¡°Right.¡± they said as they made their way to the ladder, ¡°Right. Well, I¡¯ll go back to my own pod. Stretch my legs out a bit while I sleep.¡± They crawled out, and gave a terse nod to their friends, ¡°Sleep well.¡± they said as they slipped out of sight and into the pod under them. Why was DH angry? They wanted GiDi to stay with one of them, and DH was the one who thought that it was best to use TO¡¯s injury as an excuse in the first place! TO wanted to go after DH, to ask why they seemed suddenly so angry, but they knew they couldn¡¯t with GiDi there. A moment later, TO heard DH¡¯s pod barrier close. ¡°You should talk to them.¡± GiDi said as they turned to TO, ¡°I don¡¯t know what¡¯s wrong, but you should talk to them.¡± ¡°Oh, it''s nothing.¡± TO said, feigning a smile, ¡°They¡¯re probably just sick of looking after me.¡± ¡°I doubt that.¡± GiDi said, and with a glance at TO¡¯s ears they continued, ¡°You doubt it too.¡± ¡°They¡¯re tired. It¡¯ll be fine tomorrow.¡± Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.GiDi shook their head, ¡°No, you should-¡± ¡°I¡¯ll talk to them tomorrow.¡± TO said quickly. They didn¡¯t want to crawl down and talk to DH right now because that would leave GiDi alone and they didn¡¯t want that; neither of them did. ¡°I¡­ I shouldn¡¯t have said what I said.¡± ¡°You know that you¡¯re not an inconvenience to either of us.¡± GiDi said, ¡°That might have hurt DH¡¯s feelings. They care about you a lot, you know.¡± ¡°I know.¡± TO said, ¡°But we can¡¯t go over it now. We might end up staying up for hours, and we don¡¯t have that time. We need to be well rested because we might end up being tested tomorrow.¡± GiDi¡¯s ears flicked as they considered this, ¡°I guess that¡¯s true.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll send them a message.¡± TO said as they reached out and closed the pod¡¯s barrier, ¡°In the meantime, get some sleep, alright? Hopefully I don¡¯t wake up in pain.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± GiDi muttered. They crawled alongside TO, who draped a wing over them. Within minutes, GiDi asleep and breathing softly. It was only when TO was sure that GiDi was asleep that they sent DH a message. = I¡¯m sorry. I shouldn¡¯t have said what I did. I¡¯m sorry if it upset you.= The response from DH came back quicker than TO had expected; they had almost though that DH would be asleep and that they wouldn¡¯t see a message until the next day. = You know you¡¯re not an inconvenience to me. I¡¯d do anything for you= TO knew that. They knew that no matter what, DH would be there for them. Even if they caused DH more trouble than not. Even if they told DH how they felt. No matter how uncomfortable it made DH feel, TO knew that they would do anything for them. = I know. I just don¡¯t want you to be uncomfortable. If staying with me in my pod all the time is uncomfortable, I¡¯d want you to tell me.= TO sent this off, worried that maybe they were saying too much. = Do you not want me in your pod with you?= ¡®I love it when you share a pod with me¡¯¡¯ was the first response that TO wanted to say, but it felt like it was too much. TO worried that if they said that, then DH would catch on to what they had been hiding. ¡®Of course I want you with me!¡¯ seemed a bit much as well. They agonized for nearly five minutes before they finally sent their response. = I very much enjoy your company; at any time.= Maybe it was just because they were so tired that it seemed like it took a long time for DH to respond. Before they knew it they had drifted off to sleep and only awoke with a start hours later as the fact that they were waiting for a response from DH managed to creep into their dreams. There was a message waiting for them. =Alright; if you¡¯re sure.= ====== ¡°I was just trying to convince GiDi to stay with me.¡± TO insisted as they and DH ate in the storage room near the simulation room, ¡°You could have stayed with me too-¡° ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± DH said as they finished their meal. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter.¡± TO glanced at the door, then to GiDi¡¯s meal which they had left behind to run to the washroom. ¡°It does matter.¡± TO said, ¡°I know you were upset-¡° ¡°Well¡­ Do you really think you¡¯re any kind of inconvenience to me?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know!¡± TO said, ¡°I mean, you said you¡¯d have a chance to stretch out if GiDi stayed with me.¡± ¡°Well do like to stretch out a little.¡± DH admitted, ¡°But that doesn¡¯t mean I don¡¯t like sharing a pod with you!¡± ¡°And you only started sharing a pod with me because of my nightmares! Then you were there because of my injuries.¡± ¡°Because I was worried about you!¡± DH said, ¡°Because I don¡¯t want you to be in pain!¡± Was that the only reason? Of course it was. TO enjoyed sharing a pod with DH, enjoyed having them held close to their chest, enjoyed being wrapped up in DH¡¯s wings. Maybe that was because they had other feelings for DH and as such it was foolish to except DH to feel the same way. ¡°I don¡¯t want to be a bother to you.¡± TO said, ¡°If you want to stretch out, then I want you to be on your own.¡± DH¡¯s ears flicked back and dipped down, and for a long moment they simply stared at TO, silently. ¡°What?¡± TO asked, forcing their voice to be a little softer and more gentle. ¡°...If you don¡¯t want me in your pod.¡± DH said, ¡°Then just say so.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that!¡± TO said as they shuffled closer to DH. ¡°I just don¡¯t want to cause you problems! I don¡¯t want you to feel like you have to take care of me if you¡¯d rather be in your own pod.¡± DH looked away, their wings wrapped around them and their ears down. TO leaned forward and tentatively put a hand on DH¡¯s shoulder. ¡°...I know you just want to help me.¡± TO said, ¡°I know that. I appreciate that. ¡° they wanted to add that they wanted DH in their pod, that they couldn¡¯t imagine being happier than knowing that they would sleep in DH¡¯s arms every day. That of course would be far too much. ¡°I meant what I sent to you; I enjoy your company at any time.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Really.¡± DH looked down, their ears flushing as their wings tightened around them, ¡°...Even if you weren¡¯t in pain? Even if you didn¡¯t need me?¡± ¡°Even then.¡± ¡°...And you do enjoy it. You don¡¯t just tolerate me?¡± TO tightened their grip on DH¡¯s shoulder. Tolerate? How could DH think that they just tolerated them? The question of how DH could have missed how they actually felt flickered through their mind again. ¡°I don¡¯t just tolerate you; I love you, I already told you that.¡± Even under their wings, TO could see DH¡¯s hands frighten on their arms. Their ears perked up, but stayed a dull shade of blue. They took a deep breath. ¡°I just-¡° They were interrupted by the door opening and GiDi coming back into the room. They saw TO and DH; DH with their wings wrapped around them and TO leaning forward with a hand on DH¡¯s shoulder. ¡°What''s wrong?¡± GiDi asked quickly as they watched them, ¡°You two alright?¡± ¡°Nothing to worry about.¡± DH said as their wings relaxed around them, ¡°Do you think you¡¯re ready if you get examined today?¡± TO couldn¡¯t focus on the conversation. They removed their hand from DH¡¯s shoulder and shuffled away. A dull knot formed in TO¡¯s stomach as they wondered at what DH had been going to say. Something good? Something bad? Why had they been speaking about just being tolerated? After their training today, TO would try to spend some time alone with DH and ask what they had been about to say. Good or bad, it clearly made DH uncomfortable. Episode 96: Obey TO was pulled from the simulation, gasping and panting as the pain in their chest faded. They had been in a basic capture the flag scenario, but apparently the other team had decided that TO was the most important target to deal with. Well, that had become common; whatever team they were put on performed exceptionally, so the opposite team had started targeting TO first. Despite the fact that they had been removed from the simulation, they felt themself grin. If they were being targeted more and more often then it meant that they were doing well. They pulled their helmet off and looked around the room to see if they were the first ones out of the simulation. They weren¡¯t. The first thing they saw was another synth being led to the door by C12. The synth looked horrified, and their shocked expression reminded TO of Q10 on the day they damaged DH¡¯s eye. ¡°Your Overseer will be here shortly to retrieve you.¡± C12 said with their ears lower than normal, and their voice far more restrained than TO was used to hearing. ¡°You can just rest in the hallway until they get you.¡± TO looked around to see who else was out of the simulation; they saw two synths still strapped into their chairs, watching the other synth behind led out. They didn¡¯t seem that concerned about it; if anything they seemed impatient. Then there was Avery, who was sitting only a few seats down from TO. They were shaking, and their ears were dipped low around the sides of their face. They were shaking, and their eyes were wide as they watched the other synth get led out. ¡°What happened?¡± TO whispered. ¡°Avery?¡± Avery took a moment to turn their head to TO, as though it took a long time for them to process that someone had spoken to them . ¡°...What?¡± ¡°What happened?¡± TO repeated, ¡°Where are they going?¡± Avery shook their head, and turned away. ¡°Avery?¡± ¡°They disobeyed orders.¡± Avery said, their voice shaking as they spoke, ¡°They were given orders, and they refused to perform them.¡± ¡°What was it though? Why? What happened-¡° Avery just shook their head, ¡°I must not discuss the examination.¡± they said as though they were reciting something. ¡°I have orders; I must not discuss the examination. I don¡¯t want to be corrected.¡± TO felt like their heart stopped. ¡°Corrected?¡± They echoed. Before they could say anything else, a shadow was cast over them.TO hadn¡¯t noticed that C12 had returned to the room until they were right in front of TO, blocking the overhead lights. Their ears were down; their face, a mask. ¡°... Normally, so few people fail their examinations at this point that failure means a serious problem in the training.¡± Their voice was flat, their ears stuck in their tilted down expression of sorrow, ¡°This¡­ This is just the last step. Just follow your orders.¡± they brought up their screens, and started setting up another simulation. They looked at TO, ¡°Get ready, you¡¯re going back in¡± TO gave Avery one last look before they put their helmet on. Avery looked so broken that TO wanted to reach over and give their hand a squeeze to make them feel better. Still¡­ This meant that Avery had been tested, and Avery had passed. TO didn¡¯t like that the other synth was being reprocessed, but Avery was strange and if one strange synth could pass, then the rest of them could. Their world went momentarily black before they were thrown into a new simulation. ====== During the second meal in TO¡¯s pod, TO told GiDi and DH about what happened during their training, about the synth that had been taken away, and about Avery¡¯s reaction. A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. ¡°What did the other synth do though?¡± GiDi pressed, ¡°I mean, alright, they disobeyed orders, but what kind of orders? Was it a small thing or a big thing?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± TO said as they picked at their meal, ¡°Avery didn¡¯t seem right after their test and they said if they discussed the examination outside of the exam itself, then they might get corrected.¡± ¡°Well¡­ Avery passed, so that¡¯s good, right?¡± DH said. ¡°A strange synth passed!¡± ¡°Avery passed but the other one got corrected.¡± GiDi said, ¡°And we can probably assume that they were strange too; Maybe not like we are, but strange regardless.¡± TO frowned, their ears pinning back as they thought about that, about the synth that had been led away and how shocked they had looked. ¡°We¡¯re either of you examined today?¡± TO asked. They both shook their heads. ¡°Well, so long as we do what C12 said, so long as we follow orders, we should be fine right?¡± ¡°Right.¡± GiDi muttered, ¡°Just follow orders.¡± ¡°Do you think Avery is going to be ok?¡± DH asked, ¡°I mean, you said they seemed shocked after the examination. ¡°They did.¡± TO said, ¡°I should try to talk to them later on.¡± ¡°Do you think you could find out what happened?¡± GiDi asked. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± TO said as they chewed on their lower lip, ¡°I want to know, and if they want to talk about it then I want to listen¡­ But I don¡¯t want them getting in trouble, or getting corrected.¡± They frowned, ¡°I¡¯ll try to talk to them anyway, to see if they want to talk about what happened.¡± ¡°I could do it.¡± GiDi said, ¡°I¡¯ll talk to them,and see what happened. We do talk every now and then, and they seem pretty comfortable around me.¡± TO gave a smile; they understood that GiDi didn''t have romantic feelings for Avery, but they were still glad that GiDi seemed so happy to speak to them; They were glad that GiDi and Avery seemed to get along. ¡°I think I should do it.¡± TO said, ¡°Just because I saw them after their examination. I know what I saw, you know?¡± ¡°Maybe...¡± GiDi said quietly. ¡°I¡¯ll speak to them alone; maybe that¡¯ll help them feel more comfortable to speak.¡± they glanced at DH, and noticed suddenly that their ears were down and their gaze was set at their food. ¡°DH? You ok?¡± ¡°Perfect.¡± DH muttered, their ears twitching with their lies. ¡°You¡¯re not.¡± TO said. ¡°What¡¯s wrong.¡± DH shrugged, ¡°Just bothered by this whole thing.¡± they muttered. They glanced up at TO and said very quietly, ¡°Are you sure you wouldn¡¯t like me there with you? When you talk to Avery, I mean.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure.¡± TO said. In truth they wanted DH there; they wanted DH with them everywhere they went! But they worried that Avery would be too frightened to talk if there was more than one of them there. ¡°They¡¯re nervous as it is, and they get more tense when there¡¯s several people around. It¡¯d be best if only one of us spoke to them.¡± ¡°Well.¡± DH said, ¡°I guess it best be you.¡± They popped one more cube of food into their mouth before reaching out for the ladder, ¡°I should go; gotta get to training.¡± GiDi set down their plate, ¡°Wait, we¡¯ll come with you-¡° ¡°No no.¡± DH said, ¡°That¡¯s fine; you two finish your food. I just have to go. I¡¯ll see you later.¡± ¡°...Alright.¡± TO said quietly as they watched DH climb down the ladder, ¡°We won¡¯t be much longer anyway.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll see you two later.¡± DH said before they climbed out of sight. GiDi frowned and looked at TO, ¡°I thought you two talked?¡± ¡°We did!¡± TO insisted, ¡°I thought everything was fine.¡± GiDi sighed as they chewed on their food, ¡°Do you know why they¡¯re upset?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t.¡± TO said, ¡°Well, I think they had this idea that I was just tolerating them, but I told them that¡¯s not true!¡± GiDi shook their head. ¡°Look.¡± They said after a moment, ¡°They got upset yesterday when you said you could be on your own, right?¡± ¡°Right.¡± ¡°And they were upset when I stayed in your pod with you, right?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± They put their food down, taking a deep breath, ¡°And now, they¡¯re upset why?¡± TO frowned, their ears flicking back as they replayed what had just happened in their head, ¡°Because¡­ Because I said I was going to go see Avery?¡± ¡°Right. And they asked if they could come with you, but you said no.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± The realization of what they had done hit their stomach and made them feel sick. ¡°I¡­ I made them feel like I didn¡¯t want them around.¡± they said as they set down their food. ¡°Something like that.¡± GiDi said, ¡°Do you think it could be something else?¡± ¡°I have to go after them.¡± TO said, ignoring GiDi¡¯s words as they reached out for the ladder, ¡°I have to-¡± ¡°I agree; but you won¡¯t catch them now, will you?¡± ¡°I have to try!¡± TO said as they braced themself to fly from the pod, ¡°They¡¯d do the same for me.¡± TO took off from the pod and flew down to the ground, landing just before the door to the hallway. They opened the door and took off running; DH couldn¡¯t be that far ahead of them now. They rushed down the hall, trying to remember which way DH had to go for their own vocational training and hoping that they didn¡¯t take a wrong turn, or that DH hadn¡¯t decided to hide somewhere. They hadn¡¯t. DH had stopped in the hallway to fill their water bottle. As TO approached, they could see DH¡¯s ears flicked down as they watched the water fill their bottle with unseeing eyes. They looked up just in time for TO to run into them and pull them into a tight hug. ¡°TO?¡± DH gasped. ¡°It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t want you with me.¡± They said, ¡°I do! I¡¯d love for you to be with me -... when I talk to Avery.¡± they had nearly said, ¡®all the time¡¯ but they stopped themself just before they did, ¡°But they just seemed so shocked and so nervous, I¡¯m just worried that maybe they won''t talk if there¡¯s anyone else around. GiDi should be the one to talk to them, but I¡¯m the one who saw it; that¡¯s all.¡± ¡°I¡­ I know.¡± DH said as they slowly wrapped their arms and wings around TO, ¡°I know. I¡¯m just being stupid.¡± ¡°No. you¡¯re not.¡± TO pulled back and gave DH a firm look, ¡°Not unless I¡¯m stupid too. Remember when we first met GiDi?¡± DH flushed, but tightened their grip on TO, ¡°I was an idiot then, too.¡± they said, ¡°I should have-¡± ¡°I should have known you wouldn¡¯t suddenly decide you didn¡¯t want me around.¡± TO said. ¡°But I didn¡¯t. And I was sad. I didn¡¯t want you to be sad, so I ran after you.¡± They stood in silence, enjoying the embrace for another moment before they pulled apart. ¡°Go on.¡± DH said, giving TO a small smile, ¡°Your training is in the upper levels; if you don¡¯t hurry you¡¯ll be late. Not good for a potential future officer!¡± TO grinned back, waved, and took off. Smiling now that everything seemed sorted out. It was only as they reached the elevator that they realized that they had already broken their promise to C12. They left GiDi alone. Episode 97: Broken ¡°Ah, there you are.¡± E45 said as soon as TO entered the Efficiency Office. The officer had a bunch of files opened before them; several of which they combined with a gesture of their hand before sending them off into nothingness. A moment later TO¡¯s chip beeped and when they checked their files they saw that they had a new, very large file sent to them. ¡°That¡¯s more detailed information on the synths in Recovery.¡± E45 said, paying no attention to the other synths in the room, ¡°You¡¯ll go over every aspect today-¡± ¡°I thought I saw all the information yesterday.¡± TO said. They knew they¡¯d find it hard to focus on such a task today; they were worried about GiDi now, worried about having been so thoughtless as to break their promise to C12. They only hoped that there was no harm done in the short period of time that they had left GiDi alone. It was hard to imagine that something might happen, but of course if something did happen then TO knew it would be all their fault! After all, they were the one that C12 had asked to watch over GiDi. ¡°You saw the basics, to familiarize yourself with how the general stats work.¡± E45 said, ¡°Today, you¡¯ll be picking through the synths themselves. I¡¯ve set it up so that the synths that are working below expectation are listed in red on your files.¡± They gestured to a desk in the corner, ¡°Go through it; you¡¯ll have a couple of days to organize your files. We¡¯ll be going to Recovery when you¡¯re done.¡± ¡°To do what?¡± TO asked, their ears flicking down as they recalled how GiDi had wondered if synths were repurposed down there. TO knew that they weren¡¯t, but the panic still flooded them. The crack of bones. The sound of a blade slicing through skin. The smell of disinfectant ¡°The best way to improve efficiency is to deal with those aspects that are not running at the desired efficiency. As I said, those who are underperforming are listed in red. You can view up to 10 spans of data if you must, and you can see nearly every aspect of each synth¡¯s work. After you¡¯re organized, then we¡¯ll go and see them working. We¡¯ll speak to the underperforming synths, and see why they¡¯re underperforming. There¡¯s also some stats I want to know as well; How many of those synths we need to bring up to average to bring Efficency¡¯s stats up to what King Decon would wish. and what kind of numbers we would have if every one of those synths in red were brought up to average. Understood?¡± ¡°Understood.¡± TO said as they made their way an empty desk in the corner to work. They didn¡¯t want to do this. They were worried about GiDi. They were worried about going to Recovery. Mostly, they were worried that they had broken their promise to C12. If GiDi got repurposed now, would it be their fault? They opened the files and started working through it, doing their best to distract their mind from the chain explosion of worries that seemed to occur in their head. They had one worry, which triggered another, and another, and another. TO knew that DH could never hate them. TO understood that because they knew that they couldn¡¯t hate DH no matter what DH did. Still, if GiDi got corrected, and if it was TO¡¯s fault, then they knew that they could hate themself for it at the very least. If they could hate themself, then so could DH. So could C12. And of course, so could GiDi for as long as they were allowed to continue to hate. ====== TO, GiDi, and DH went to the dormitory after they had their meals. TO ideally wanted to go to the Fight Training Room to get some flying in and stretch their wings. They wanted to recover and get their wings back to normal as soon as possible, but this seemed more important to TO. They had to see if Avery was alright, and they had to know what it was that the other synth did to get corrected. They were nearly done with their meal when Avery finally came into the dormitory, walking past them and towards their own pod. They stared down at the floor as they walked, their wings wrapped around them tightly. ¡°They¡¯re here.¡± TO said as they set their food aside. They started down the ladder, and gave GiDi and DH a nod, ¡°I¡¯ll tell you if they tell me anything.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± GiDi said. DH just nodded; their job was to keep GiDi company and keep them from getting too involved with the news. TO climbed down to the floor and strode towards Avery, walking quickly so that they could get to the pod before Avery had the chance to seal themself up inside. They only just managed it, leaning against the wall next to the pod just as Avery was about to press the button to close the barrier. Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author. ¡°Hi.¡± TO said cautiously. Avery just looked up and gave a low hum before they looked away. Their hand hovered in the air next to the button for a mere moment longer before they lowered it. ¡°How are you doing?¡± TO asked. ¡°I am¡­ I am doing what I¡¯m supposed to do.¡± Avery said. ¡°Are you alright?¡± ¡°Why shouldn¡¯t I be.¡± they said, saying it as a statement rather than a question. ¡°Well. I was worried about you.¡± TO glanced around at the other synths around them who weren¡¯t paying much attention yet. ¡°Can we talk?¡± TO asked. Avery was silent for a few moments before they shifted to allow TO to sit down in their pod. As soon as they were inside Avery pushed the button to close the barrier ¡°I can¡¯t tell you what happened.¡± they said simply, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I can¡¯t-¡° ¡°That¡¯s not the only reason I wanted to talk; I am worried about you.¡± TO wouldn¡¯t try to lie and say that they didn¡¯t want to know, but it was true that they were worried about their new friend, ¡°The three of us are.¡± ¡°You told GiDi and DH?¡± ¡°I was worried about you, so I told them.¡± Avery shook their head, but didn¡¯t say anything. ¡°You¡¯re clearly not well.¡± TO said carefully as they leaned forward. ¡°Is there anything we can do to help?¡± ¡°...There is not.¡± Avery said, ¡°If I¡¯m unwell, it¡¯s my own fault and I¡¯d rather deal with that then make others worry.¡± ¡°Look.¡± TO said, ¡°I know you can¡¯t tell me anything about the testing; I get that. That¡¯s fine. But can you tell me something about why you feel like this?¡± Avery glanced down at their hand, then back at TO, ¡°I can¡¯t.¡± they said as they held up their hand. ¡°I just can¡¯t.¡± They didn¡¯t want to be listened to. Of course. They didn¡¯t have music on now, so if they put on music suddenly it¡¯d be suspicious, and even if they whispered their voices would be clear in the closed up pod. ¡°That¡¯s fine.¡± TO said. ¡°If you want a distraction though, maybe we could do some flight training?¡± They were making this up as they went along now, ¡°We could head to the Flight Training Room. I have to stretch my wings anyway.¡± Avery was quiet for a long time before they answered, ¡°...Maybe tomorrow.¡± they said, ¡°I just want to be alone today.¡± TO leaned forward again, ¡°Are you sure?¡± they asked. They reached out and put a reassuring hand over Avery¡¯s, but then they froze; they knew that that was something that DH or GiDi would appreciate, but Avery was much more reserved and didn¡¯t like to be touched as much. Avery grabbed TO¡¯s hand before it was pulled away, and looked up at TO. Broken was the only word that TO could think of to describe how they looked; their ears were down, and they looked like they wanted to cry, but it was more than that. It was more than sad or upset. Broken; it was heartbreaking to see. Avery suddenly crumpled, doubling over, putting their hands to their face as they started to sob. TO reached out and held them, wrapping their wings around them, and letting them cry into their shoulder. They were only like that for a minute or so until Avery calmed down and sat upright, pushing TO away without looking at them, wiping at their eyes and taking long, deep breaths. ¡°Sorry.¡± they managed to whisper. ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± TO said, but their voice was shaking; they had never seen Avery like this before. ¡°It¡¯s not. I¡¯m sorry. Please leave; I really do want to be alone.¡± TO hesitated for just a moment before they nodded, pressed the button to open the pod, and slipped out and back into the hallway. The pod closed immediately behind them leaving Avery alone in the comfortable quiet that they enjoyed. It felt wrong to TO to leave them; they didn¡¯t understand how they could want to be alone if they felt so terrible. Well, they didn¡¯t have to understand it. Avery enjoyed their solitude, and if that¡¯s what they wanted then TO would respect that. Still, they worried. ====== ¡°I don¡¯t know why you¡¯re so concerned about all this.¡± TO heard DH say as they climbed into their own pod, ¡°It¡¯s just civilians being¡­ Well, civilians!¡± ¡°It¡¯s the insurgency trying to topple everything King Decon has done, and I¡¯m trying to figure out why!¡± GiDi insisted. ¡°How could anyone want to do that? ¡°Because they¡¯re civilians.¡± TO said simply as they settled in, ¡°They haven¡¯t been created by King Decon like we have. They haven¡¯t been training through His processes like we have-¡° ¡°As thought they could make use of his training.¡± DH said, ¡°Or even survive it.¡± ¡°-and as such they¡¯ve been allowed to live their own little lives and can¡¯t appreciate what He¡¯s done.¡± TO sighed as they settled in, ¡°What are we talking about anyway.¡± ¡°GiDi wants to dig into the galactic news, to see what¡¯s happened with the insurgency in the last couple of days.¡± DH said, ¡°I¡¯m telling them that it¡¯s more important to prepare for our examination.¡± ¡°Look, I have to know.¡± GiDi said, ¡°There has to be a reason why they¡¯re doing this, right? I mean, one of the things the insurgency is against is the relocation initiatives-¡° ¡°Why would anyone be against that?¡± DH said, their ears flicked forward in abject confusion, ¡°What, do they want to live in cities with other people and resources, or on tiny little moons that are hardly good to use even for short-term mining operations.¡± DH rolled their eyes, their ears pinning back, ¡°The relocation initiatives are good; they move people from the outreaches of their solar system to one planet, supplied by the resources of the other planets. People are together and can form bigger communities, and the other, resource rich planets can be mined without harming anyone.¡± ¡°Well, there¡¯s worry about overcrowding.¡± GiDi said, ¡°And some species did want to stay on their home planets-¡° ¡°They wanted to stay away from other people, bigger civilizations, and greater access to food and technology?¡± TO shook their head, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about why they¡¯re doing this; they¡¯re civilians; they don¡¯t make sense.¡± ¡°They must make sense to themselves though.¡± GiDi said, ¡°Even if it¡¯s not actually logical, I want to know their logic.¡± ¡°That feels like something for when we¡¯re done testing.¡± DH said, ¡°We have too much to prepare for before that.¡± They looked at TO, ¡°Speaking of¡­ did Avery say anything?¡± TO shook their head, ¡°They didn¡®t want to talk about it.¡± They said. They decided to leave out their reaction; there was no need to worry their friends any more. ¡°They¡¯re going to meet me in the Flight Training Room tomorrow to talk.¡± ¡°Will they really?¡± GiDi asked. ¡°I hope so.¡± ¡°Well, speaking of Flight Training.¡± DH said, ¡°Should we head there so you can get your wings back in order?¡± They gave a small, forced grin as their ears twitched with worry ¡°I imagine that if you¡¯re still recovering then I might be able to beat you in a race!¡± It didn¡¯t surprise TO that DH was worried. There was a lot to be worried about, but despite their worry, DH gave a grin, and did their best to try to distract GiDi. TO felt their heart swell and very quickly started to climb back down the ladder, ¡°Yes.¡± they said quickly, ¡°I need to fly.¡± Episode 98: Anxious ¡°Avery still looks awful¡± DH whispered to TO as they left the showers the next day after training. ¡°Are you sure they¡¯re going to talk to you later?¡± ¡°I hope so.¡± TO said, but they were only half paying attention; none of them had been tested yet. TO was starting to wish that, for better or for worse, they¡¯d be tested and have it over with. They were starting to tire from being on edge all the time, and from the constant worry that wore away at their mind. They wanted to rest. Somehow it seemed like all the worry they had over DH would be easy to manage once this was all done. Once they had all passed the examination. Once they were all relatively safe. They had been deep in thought over this when a sudden poke to their side drew their attention. ¡°What?¡± TO yelped as though they had been suddenly woken up. They looked at GiDi, who had just nudged them. ¡°Look; Avery is heading away from the cafeteria.¡± they said, ¡°I could follow them and see if they¡¯re ok?¡± A sudden battle took place in TO¡¯s head; they should keep GiDi nearby to make sure that they were alright. If something were to happen to them it would be TO¡¯s fault. However, it was the middle of the day, and it wasn¡¯t as though GiDi was going to be alone for very long or even have a chance to dig through the news. And it would give TO a few precious moments alone with DH; something that they were discovering that they missed. ¡°Sure.¡± TO said. Maybe GiDi had been right the other day; maybe Avery would open up more to them anyway. ¡°Yeah, go speak to them. We¡¯ll meet you in my pod, ok?¡± GiDi nodded and took off after Avery as DH and TO continued onto the dormitories. ¡°I thought you¡¯d want to keep GiDi a little closer.¡± DH asked, ¡°Or that you¡¯d want to go speak to Avery yourself.¡± TO shrugged, their ears flushing as they considered the real reason they were alright with GiDi going off to talk to Avery. ¡°Avery is their friend too; more than we are honestly.¡± TO said, ¡°It makes sense that they should want to check up on them.¡± ¡°I guess.¡± DH said. They frowned as they looked over to where GiDi had run off, ¡°Have you spoken to C12 about Avery and GiDi going on assignment together?¡± they whispered. ¡°Not yet.¡± TO whispered back, ¡°I need to. I can ask C12 if they can recommend that they be assigned together, but they¡¯ll also have an opportunity to ask to go with certain synths during their interview.¡± ¡°Right.¡± DH said. They were silent for a moment before saying ¡°We¡¯re still going to try to go together, right?¡± ¡°Of course!¡± TO¡¯s ears flicked down with indignation, ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t we? C12 already -¡° ¡°Well¡­ I just didn¡¯t know if you changed your mind.¡± Had DH changed their mind? Did DH not want to go with them? ¡°I haven¡¯t.¡± TO said, ¡°Have you?¡± ¡°No! No of course not.¡± their ears twitched, ¡°I just¡­ I just want to make sure you¡¯re still comfortable with it.¡± ¡°Of course I am!¡± ¡°Alright.¡± DH said slowly, their ears sinking down, ¡°But¡­ can you promise me something?¡± TO reached out, putting a hand on DH¡¯s shoulder ,¡±Anything.¡± they said. They meant it. ¡°If you do decide¡­ I mean, if you change your mind, promise you¡¯ll just tell me?¡± ¡°I won¡¯t though.¡± TO said. Why would DH think that they would! If anything, TO was worried that if DH was uncomfortable then they wouldn¡¯t want to be assigned with them! DH was either ignoring TO¡¯s actions lately ¨CThey way they stared, the way they flushed when they were caught staring, even the way they were sure their ears moved in the darkness of the pod¨C or they were entirely oblivious. In their mind, TO was being far too obvious to be oblivious. ¡°Just promise me.¡± DH said. Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there. ¡°Fine.¡± TO finally said, ¡°I promise that if I happen to change my mind about going on assignment with you, then I¡¯ll tell you so.¡± ¡°Good.¡± ¡°... And if you feel the same, I want you to tell me.¡± ¡°Why would I want to change my mind?¡± They asked. ¡°I don¡¯t know!¡± TO snapped, their ears flicking down, ¡°Maybe for the same reason you think I¡¯ll change my mind!¡± TO hadn¡¯t realized that they had stopped in the middle of the hall; they only suddenly noticed that they were stopped, facing DH in a stare-down. TO turned away and slowly started walking down the hallway once more, followed by DH. ¡°I told you already that I want to be around you.¡± TO said. ¡°... Sorry.¡± DH said. ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± They headed to their second meal time in relative silence, lost in their thoughts. ====== GiDi¡¯s message came just as TO and DH were nearly done with their food. It was three simple words that made TO freeze up as they read it. =I need help.= TO showed it to DH, and for a split second they stared at the message before they climbed out of TO¡¯s pod, soaring down to the floor and racing to the door. ¡°Do we know where they are?¡± DH asked as they ran into the hallway. ¡°No idea.¡± TO said as they started sending back a message, ¡°I know which way they headed, and I¡¯m asking GiDi now where they are. We can head to their general direction at least. =Where are you.= =Room 376-STF. It¡¯s a washroom near the simulation room.= TO grabbed DH¡¯s hand and pulled them left down a turn in the hallway; it wasn¡¯t the way they were planning to go but it would help them get to GiDi¡¯s location faster. They held onto DH¡¯s hand as they ran, their mind racing with what might be wrong, or what might have happened. They went through every possibility, every awful thing that could have occurred. What if Avery lost their mind like C12 did and hurt GiDi? What if Avery was hurt? What if Avery wanted to be corrected? What if, with their meddling, TO had just made things worse and now whatever was wrong was their fault as well. What if TO had just ruined everything by letting GiDi go off on their own just because they themself wanted a few moments alone with DH. They continued thinking these things until they got to the washroom and held their hand to the door. It wooshed open and as soon as it did TO could hear the sound of retching coming from one of the doorless stalls. They went over and saw Avery on their knees, doubled over and spitting grey-green bile into the chrome basin that was built into the floor. The automatic flushing ran after a moment, drowning out the sound of gasping and sobbing from Avery. GiDi was kneeling behind them, a hand between Avery¡¯s wings and their ears down with worry. They looked up at DH as they approached. ¡°Can you help them?¡± was all they asked. DH slipped their hand from TO¡¯s, and went to kneel down next to Avery. They gestured for GiDi to back up as they took their water bottle out and held it out. ¡°Here.¡± They said, ¡°Don¡¯t drink; rinse.¡± Avery reached out with a shaking hand, took DH¡¯s water bottle, and did as they were told. They spat discolored water into the basin and the automatic flushing ran again. ¡°Do you think you¡¯re going to throw up again?¡± DH asked. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Avery muttered. ¡°That¡¯s alright.¡± DH said, ¡°Take your time.¡± TO wanted to say that they didn¡¯t have time; that their meal time was nearly over and they¡¯d have to go to their vocational training soon. They couldn¡¯t say that though, not now. Avery stayed on their knees, hunched over the basin and breathing heavily. They rinsed their mouth a few more times before they finally sat up, resting their behind on their heels. ¡°I think i¡¯m alright.¡± they muttered as they passed the bottle back to DH, ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not.¡± DH said simply, ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°We were just talking.¡± GiDi said, ¡°Just talking and walking, and they suddenly got really pale and ran here, then they started to throw up.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve felt sick for a little while.¡± Avery muttered, ¡°Since yesterday.¡± ¡°Since training?¡± Avery didn''t respond, they just nodded. ¡°Do we need to take them to the Medical Bay?¡± TO asked. ¡°NO!¡± Avery snapped, looking at TO with a look of pure horror, ¡°No, no I don¡¯t need to go to the Medical Bay. There¡¯s nothing wrong with me¡­ Or if there is then there shouldn¡¯t be. I did good! I passed I-¡± They turned away, their hands clenched into fists over their uniform. ¡°I followed orders. I did what King Decon wanted me to do. That¡¯s supposed to be good, right?¡± ¡°You mean in the simulation?¡± TO asked. Their only response was another quick nod. ¡°But...then it was a simulation, right?¡± TO tilted their head, ¡°It wasn¡¯t real, right?¡± Avery shook their head, ¡°You don¡¯t understand.¡± they muttered. They reached up and wiped at their face, ¡°You don¡¯t understand. You can¡¯t understand.¡± DH put their hand on Avery¡¯s shoulder, ¡°Then help us to.¡± They said, ¡°Tell us what happened.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t.¡± They whispered, ¡°I can¡¯t. You wouldn¡¯t understand, and even if I did you¡¯d despise me.¡± TO felt so useless. They wanted to help, but all they were doing was standing there. GiDi had been with Avery and called for help. DH was the one helping them now, kneeling next to them and trying to get them to calm down. TO felt like they were in the way. DH checked their implant, and pressed their lips together. ¡°Do you think you can go to your vocational training?¡± DH asked, ¡°If you can¡¯t, then we need to take you to the Medical Bay. MO-6 is the medical officer there. They¡¯ll help. They tend not to ask too many unnecessary questions.¡± Avery shook their head, ¡°No, I don¡¯t want to go to the Medical Bay. This shouldn¡¯t be affecting me. This shouldn¡¯t be bothering me. I shouldn¡¯t be sick.¡± ¡°You are though¡­¡± DH frowned and looked up at TO, ¡°Your training is in the upper levels. You need to get going or you¡¯ll be late.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± TO¡¯s ears drooped down. They were being dismissed. They weren¡¯t needed. ¡°I can help.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll be fine.¡± DH assured them, ¡°You go on. We¡¯ll stay with Avery for a few minutes more, and if they can¡¯t get to their vocational training then we¡¯ll take them to the Medical Bay-¡± ¡°Please, I don¡¯t-¡± Avery started, but DH cut them off ¡°It¡¯ll be far better for you to be in the Medical Bay than for you to miss your vocational training. Or be late. Or go there and start throwing up in front of the officers.¡± DH¡¯s tone almost took on the same cadence that MO-6¡¯s did when they were dealing with a patient that was being troublesome. They turned back to TO, ¡°It¡¯ll be fine. But you need to go; it¡¯ll take you longer to get to your training than it will us.¡± TO wanted to argue, to say that they could be helpful here. They didn¡¯t, They didn¡¯t know how they could be helpful. They really were just in the way. TO nodded, turned, and ran off to their vocational training. Episode 99: Deserve TO was tired. They were physically exhausted from the extra training and mentally exhausted by the constant worry and anxiety they seemed to suffer every moment of every day. Even when they slept their worry slipped into their dreams causing them at best a restless sleep and at worse, nightmares. They were worried about GiDi and Avery. They felt like they had forgotten something, forgotten to tell DH something and their mind was swimming backwards to try to remember what it was. They wanted their examination to be over. They wanted to stop looking at stats and numbers that laid out the entire existence of other synths. How could an existence be reduced down to numbers; How many calories each synth was given, and how much they consumed, how much sleep they got each day calculated to the second, how often they had to take unscheduled breaks, how often they stopped the fast pace of their work to take a drink of water and the amount of water consumed each day. Everything reduced to a number and compared to productivity. TO didn''t know why this bothered them really; they knew that in the end all they were was a number when viewed on a larger scale. They had known this for a while. Still, it bothered them. Even as they waited for GiDi and DH to show up outside the cafeteria they couldn¡¯t help but think about how many calories they¡¯d be in taking, how much water they had consumed, and how long they had slept. What was their output? Were they considered effective? No. They were considered an investment. Trainees couldn¡¯t be productive. TO¡¯s chip beeped, and when they checked they saw that there was a message from DH waiting for them. =GiDi and I headed to the Medical Bay to check on Avery. We¡¯ll be at the cafeteria soon, alright?= =Aright.= was the message TO sent back. They leaned against the wall as they watched other synths enter and leave the cafeteria. Shouldn¡¯t they be in the Medical Bay with their friends? They hadn¡¯t even been invited to join them. Maybe this was how GiDi had felt. The thought struck TO suddenly. Had this really been how GiDi felt when DH was injured? Useless? Had they wondered why TO hadn¡¯t called for them to join them? No, it had been worse for GiDi because at the same time that all that happened, GiDi was also unmoored over the attack on King Decon. TO sat down on the floor against the wall, ignoring the confused looked of other synths as they passed by. Oddly, thinking about how GiDi must have felt back then made them feel a little more alright with what had just happened. If they were alone and felt useless, they probably deserved it. ====== ¡°We¡¯re so sorry we took so long!¡± DH said as they rushed down the now empty hallway towards TO, ¡°We thought we¡¯d only be a minute to check up on Avery but MO-6 was speaking to them for a while so we had to wait until they were done-¡° ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± TO said as they stood up, ¡°How are they? What happened?¡± ¡°Well,¡± GiDi said, ¡°First Avery said that they felt like they could go to their training, so we left the washroom with them shortly after you left and started heading to our training, but then Avery started to get sick again and started dry-heaving.¡± ¡°Yes. That¡¯s when I insisted on them going to medical.¡± DH said, ¡°We dropped them off, I told MO-6 what happened, and then we went to our training.¡± They glanced away from TO, their ears flicked down, ¡°We had to pass the medical bay on the way from our training to the cafeteria, so we thought we¡¯d just stop in and see how Avery was doing on our way. We didn¡¯t think we¡¯d be so long, or we would have-¡° ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± TO said, ¡°Really. Where¡¯s Avery now.¡± ¡°Kept for observation.¡± DH said, ¡°MO-6 has them eating now, and they want to watch them and make sure they can keep their meal down before releasing them.¡± TO nodded. Well, they¡¯d not be speaking to Avery this day. It wasn¡¯t as though TO actually expected to speak to them after what they saw in the washroom. Now, TO doubted that Avery would be able to tell them what happened at all. ¡°Did they say what was wrong with them?¡± ¡°Apparently it happens to a lot of synths later in their training.¡± DH said, ¡°The work ends up putting a lot of strain on them and they get stomach sick a lot.¡± TO felt their ears flick back, ¡°Are they going to be ok though?¡± they asked. A sick synth¨C No, a synth that was made to be sick by the work expected of them¨C wouldn¡¯t be considered effective. Would Avery be alright, or would they be corrected? ¡°They¡¯ll be alright.¡± DH assured TO, ¡°There¡¯s a medicine for it. MO-6 said it could be put right in their food and Avery won¡¯t even notice it.¡± If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± TO said, ¡°And good that Avery qualifies for that.¡± ¡°Well¡­ not quite.¡± GiDi said, ¡°They¡¯re getting the medication, but I don¡¯t think they have to ¡®qualify¡¯ for it. I actually put that kind of medication in food when I was working in food production. Meals that get that kind of medication have less actual food in it. In fact, there¡¯s lots of medication that gets put into the meals for various issues, and a small amount of food is removed to compensate for the cost of the medication.¡± they shrugged, ¡°I supposed there¡¯s some issues that are so common that getting rid of every synth that¡¯s afflicted is too much of a loss.¡± ¡°I¡¯m just glad that they¡¯re getting treatment.¡± TO said carefully. GiDi had this look on their face¨C one TO was getting used to. It was a look of anger and concentration. It worried TO. ¡°You¡¯d think that if we were made by the flawless King Decon then we wouldn¡¯t have such issues.¡± ¡°Hey now!¡± TO said quickly, ¡°There¡¯s a lot that goes into actually growing a synth after it¡¯s been created. A lot can go wrong. That¡¯s an issue with synth production, not King Decon.¡± GiDi just shrugged again, but didn¡¯t say anything else. They way that they had said that worried TO. There was a certain level of disdain in their voice that TO had never heard used in relation to King Decon. ¡°Anyway.¡± DH said, their voice cheerful even as their ears were flicking with worry, ¡°Avery is likely going to be fine. They¡¯ll be able to eat just fine tomorrow and since this all happened so quickly then there wasn¡¯t much damage done to them.¡± They gave TO a big smile, ¡°They were really lucky that GiDi followed them. If they had tried to hide it then they could have caused some real damage over time.¡± TO gave GiDi a smile, ¡°You really did help!¡± they said. ¡°... You¡¯re alright?¡± GiDi asked. ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t I ?¡± ¡°You seem a little sad.¡± Sad wasn¡¯t quite right. If GiDi hadn¡¯t noticed, then TO wouldn¡¯t have noticed. They had been thinking about DH and were lost in their own worries and distractions. What could have happened to Avery if GiDi hadn¡¯t noticed, or if DH hadn¡¯t insisted on bringing them to the medical bay. ¡°Just thinking about what could have happened if you hadn¡¯t helped.¡± TO said. GiDI gave another quick smile, ¡°Come on.¡± they said, ¡°Let¡¯s get some food before the machines shut off.¡± TO nodded and followed them into the cafeteria, even though they didn¡¯t feel hungry anymore. ====== The feeling of hot water pouring over wings from the shower was a feeling that TO promised themself that they¡¯d never take for granted again. While their wings were healing from the damage done in Shipping and Receiving they had been forced to keep them dry. The only way they could clean their wings was to sponge them down carefully in the tub. Letting the water hit their wings now was bliss. They didn¡¯t even mind that they were in the showers among a handful of other, unfamiliar synths instead of with DH and GiDi. Normally, they¡¯d have gone to the showers with GiDi and DH when they knew it would be quieter but GiDi didn¡¯t need a shower today; didn¡¯t want a shower. They had taken their shower earlier, after their training. TO didn¡¯t need a shower either, but they had wanted one. DH had insisted that TO go. DH had stayed with GiDi. Still, they were only allowed a few minutes of bliss before the worry started to creep into their head. Missing such a big problem with Avery had thrown them off, and had triggered a new wave of concern in their head. Had they missed something more among their friends? Would something small that they had missed cause them to get sick, be in pain, or even get corrected or repurposed? These questions worried them more than the eyes of the synths that lingered on the scars on TO¡¯s wings. They turned off the water and hurried out of the showers. They dried off and dressed quickly. They wanted to get back to GiDi and DH now; They had enjoyed their shower but the longer they were away from their friends the more they worried. They had to focus, they had to pay attention. They couldn¡¯t let anything slip their attention. Their feelings for DH couldn¡¯t distract them anymore; it was too dangerous. They slipped into their uniform and scurried out into the hall with their wings pressed tightly against them. They hadn¡¯t taken the time to dry off properly and they felt cold in the hallway. They hardly noticed the other synths that walked past them in silence. It was only by chance that they realized that 55H70 was heading towards them. TO felt their ears pin back as they started to walk with their back straight as they could make it while their wings puffed around them. They had managed to avoid 55H70 for a while now, and it was foolish to think that their luck would continue given that they had just gone to the showers at one of the busiest times; something they normally tried to avoid. 55H70 caught To¡¯s eye. There was a slight flick of the other synth¡¯s ears down, a nod of the head as their wings stayed limply over their shoulders; they were being respectful. They hurried past TO, not saying a word. TO took three steps forward until they stopped. They were thinking of all the items that 55H75 had had something to say to them; about how they had put a wedge between DH and Q10. How they didn¡¯t help Q10 when they needed help. How they said that DH was too strange to be around. How disdainful they had been towards TO after their deceit way back when they started their training. About how they had said that GiDi wouldn¡¯t survive their training. ¡°Nothing today?¡± TO snapped as the anger in their head seemed to swell. They felt like someone had placed their hands on either side of their head and had started pushing in. They could feel themselves shaking under their wings. ¡°No snide comments? No warnings?¡± 55H75 stopped walking and turned around. ¡°I had no need to say anything today¡± They said, ¡°You know everything I have to say. As well, I am never snide. I have done nothing more than comment on what I saw.¡° their ears flicked out in mild confusion, ¡°Do you think that others have not said the same thing?¡± They tilted their head, ¡°I¡¯m just the only one who¡¯s bothered to tell you.¡± ¡°Yes, people are saying a lot about me.¡± TO snapped as they took a step forward, their hands balled into shaking fists, hidden under their wings, ¡°People are talking about how I helped stop a insurgent attack.¡± That was still an exaggeration, but it had been the rumor that was going around, ¡°And I¡¯m an excellent flyer with an innate ability to teach.¡± ¡°Yes. I am glad my first impression of you was accurate, and that my concerns afterwards proved needless.¡± 55H70 said, ¡°You will be an excellent asset to King Decon, no matter the challenges.¡± TO turned around and started down the hallway again, ¡°You were wrong about me-¡° ¡°-For a short time yes, I was.¡± ¡°And you were wrong about DH; they got the eye transplant.¡± Another exaggeration; TO had helped with that and it had been based on potential, not current value. Still, TO hadn¡¯t told anyone that; not even DH. ¡°I was wrong in that as well. I am aware.¡± ¡°And you¡¯ll be wrong about GiDi.¡± ¡°I do hope I am.¡± 55H70 said, ¡°I wish that all synths who start training are able to properly work to serve King Decon. I would like all of us to become effective tools for Him. However, I know that will not happen. Still, outside of that, I am less concerned than I was. You are competent, and when 45G70 is corrected I have no doubt that you will continue to work as hard as you do, and perform as well as you do.¡± ¡°They won¡¯t be corrected, or repurposed.¡± ¡°As you wish. there¡¯s no benefit to arguing; it will either happen or it won¡¯t. ¡° They turned the corner in silence. TO didn¡¯t have a response to that because of course they were right. Regardless of the odds, it would either happen or it wouldn¡¯t. TO turned and rushed down the hallway; they needed to be with their friends. Episode 100: Interrogation ¡°I just wish they¡¯d test us already!¡± TO groaned as they left the simulation room the next day. ¡°It can¡¯t be worse than the waiting. I think I might lose my mind just because it¡¯s taking so long!¡± ¡°I know!¡± DH said as they rubbed at their temples while they walked. Apparently DH had gotten blinded by bright lights in their last simulation and that had given them a headache. ¡°The moment the simulation starts I¡¯m holding my breath to see if it¡¯s going to be an examination and when it¡¯s not I have just a split second of relief before I have to get into the simulation and then I start worrying all over again!¡± they gasped for breath as they finished, having talked far too fast and long. ¡°Maybe the waiting is part of the testing?¡± GiDi said as their ears flicked in contemplation, ¡°Testing how patient we can be, and seeing how we work under extended pressure.¡± ¡°Well, I hate it.¡± DH snapped once they had caught their breath. They reached for their water bottle but realized as soon as they put it to their lips that it was empty. They sighed and put their bottle back in it¡¯s holder at their hip. ¡°It¡¯s awful.¡± ¡°It is.¡± TO agreed. They felt the same way as DH; that their only relief was that brief moment as a simulation started and when they had to put their heads into the scenario that they had any peace. The only different was that TO kept worrying after combat training and into the next day. GiDi gave a heavy sigh. ¡°What is it?¡± DH asked. ¡°I was going to give DH my water bottle, but I left it back in the simulation room.¡± GiDi grumbled. They stopped and turned around, ¡°I¡¯ll go get it.¡± ¡°DH, you should go with them.¡± TO urged, ¡°Help them in case they can¡¯t find it.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure I can find my water bottle on my own.¡± GiDI insisted. ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± DH said. They glanced at TO, ¡°You go with them; I meet you on ahead.¡± TO felt their stomach sink, though of course they knew that DH just had a headache, and that they had to keep an eye on GiDi anyway. That was the same reason they told DH to go with GiDi. GiDi glanced from DH to TO, their ears flicking quickly as they considered what was just said. It occurred to TO that GiDi was probably trying to get some time to themself. They had tried a few times to dig into the galactic news the previous day before bed, and TO and DH had stopped them. Maybe GiDi wanted a few minutes to look through the news. ¡°Alright.¡± they finally said as they stepped towards TO, ¡°lets go.¡± DH nodded, their ears flicking down as they did, ¡°Fine. Yeah, that¡¯s good.¡± they said, turning to head down towards the showers, ¡°I¡¯ll catch up with you two.¡± ¡°Alright¡­ I hope the shower helps.¡± TO said to DH¡¯s back. DH waved at them as they walked off. TO gave a small sigh as they walked down the hallway with GiDi. ¡°Are you alright?¡± GiDi asked. ¡°yes.¡± TO said, ¡°DH just seemed... Well I suppose they have a bit of a headache.¡± ¡°They do.¡± GiDi muttered, ¡°You don¡¯t think anything else is bothering them?¡± TO shrugged as they turned a corner, ¡°I suppose the stress of the examination.¡± they said, ¡°What else could it¡­¡± They trailed off as they neared the simulation room as they could hear voices coming from nearby. TO couldn¡¯t make out what they were saying, but they sounded like someone was angry. ¡°Who¡¯s that?¡± GiDi muttered as they walked closer. ¡°GiDi! Wait, no!¡± TO reached out and took GiDi by the sleeve, ¡°Come on,we can get your water bottle another time.¡± GiDi glanced back at TO, frowning as they saw how TO¡¯s ears were flicked back with worry. ¡°What''s wrong?¡± GiDi whispered. ¡°Last time I walked in on anyone chattering to themselves, I heard things or saw things I wasn¡¯t supposed to see!¡± TO insisted. They had seen Snout and PQ03, Then C12 and Snout ¡°Well¡­ Come on, it''s not a problem now.¡± GiDi said, ¡°You¡¯re not anywhere you¡¯re not supposed to be. Besides, it sounds like people synths fighting; What if it¡¯s Avery?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not.¡± TO insisted, but they let GiDi pull them closer anyway until they could hear what was being said. TO recognized both voices as they drew closer; C12 and the Commander. TO wanted to run; they had only caused problems or gotten in trouble from overhearing things that higher ranking synths said. ¡°It¡¯s C12 and the Commander.¡± they whispered, but GiDi held a finger to their lips, their ears rotating as they listened carefully. This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there. ¡°-And I frankly find the amount of trainees that have been corrected from this batch to be far too much of an anomaly to judge as mere probability.¡± The Commander said, ¡°Even the amount that needed to be repurposed straight from the tank was frankly a troublesome percentage of overall synths. We¡¯ll be short on the number of synths we¡¯re expected to produce this cycle.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve seen my training methods, Commander.¡± C12 said in a voice that TO was not used to hearing. C12 always spoke in such a relaxed, almost casual tone. This tone was so differential, so subdued. ¡°It hasn¡¯t changed, and I can hardly be held responsible for synths that were repurposed before I started training them.¡± GiDi frowned and pulled TO forward to the corner. TO pulled back only briefly before they thought of how C12 said that the Commander didn¡¯t like them, and how the Commander always tried to demean then. They let GiDi pull them forward. TO didn¡¯t know what they could do if the Commander actually said something particularly nasty to C12, and they knew that C12 could take care of themself if it came to it, but TO felt like they wanted to be there to help. They knew that was a stupid idea, but they were being pulled forward anyway. ¡°You are absolutely correct.¡± The Commander said, ¡°You can¡¯t be held responsible for what happens before your training, and your training hasn¡¯t changed! Something else must have changed.¡± ¡°I agree.¡± C12 said, ¡°But if I may, do you not find that the scores overall are higher, despite your concerns?¡± ¡°If we ignore the synths we had to dispose of, then yes.¡± ¡°There¡¯s a lot more highly exceptional synths.¡± ¡°Also a lot more abnormal synths; hence why there are more synths being corrected. Clearly it¡¯s an issue on a production level.¡± TO and GiDi got to the corner and managed to peek around to watch. C12 stood against a wall with their wings hugging their arms. Despite that, their ears were pinned back. They weren''t snarling though. The Commander, on the other hand, slowly paced before C12 with their wings draped limply over their shoulders and their ears flicking slightly. Despite how casual the Commander looked and how they moved so easily back and forth, they never took their eyes off C12. TO felt like they were watching some deadly predatory animal circle it¡¯s prey. ¡°Of course, you wouldn¡¯t know anything about that, would you?¡± The Commander asked ¡°How would I know anything about it¡±? C12 asked, ¡°I don¡¯t work in laboratories, and I don¡¯t know about synth production. My skills have been more combat related.¡± ¡°I suppose your companion was the one with the greater intelligence.¡± The Commander mused, ¡°They worked in Synth Production, did they not?¡± TO felt their ears flick back as they really noticed this time how the Commander drew out the word ¡®companion.¡¯ They understood why C12 didn¡¯t like to hear it; they somehow made it sound so vile with just their tone and the flicking of their ears. ¡°Yes, Commander; They did.¡± ¡°Would they know anything about all the oddly strange synths we have in this batch?¡± ¡°Given that they¡¯ve presumably been taken by the insurgents and are now deceased, I¡¯m afraid we won¡¯t know.¡± ¡°There¡¯s another odd thing.¡± The Commander continued as they paced, ¡°There¡¯s always abnormal synths. Odd defects in development or conditioning. Sometimes for the best, sometimes, well...¡± they let their eyes flick over C12, ¡°Not so much.¡± ¡°Yes, Commander.¡± C12 muttered. TO wanted to shout that C12 was a Retiree, and deserved respect! Clearly though, the commander was granted more respect. ¡°Now, normally we see the number of abnormal synths stretched out over all the development labs. Most labs end up with between a 5-10% rate of abnormal synths, do you know how many the lab that your companion worked in had in this last batch?¡± ¡°I do not; I would not be privy to such information.¡± ¡°70%¡± The Commander said. They stopped in their tracks and faced C12 directly, ¡°That¡¯s far too high to be considered a normal mistake.¡± ¡°I would have to take your word for it, Commander.¡± C12 said, their wings tightening around them, ¡°I don¡¯t know much about the way a synth is created.¡± ¡°It¡¯s especially odd if you take into account that that lab happened to have one of the strangest, oddest, most abnormal synths to ever have passed training. Well, by my account, anyway.¡± ¡°I suppose you would have to trust your judgement.¡± The Command¡¯s eyes narrowed and their eyes pinned back slightly, but there was no change in the rest of their posture; even their wings hung over their shoulders in an almost lazy fashion. ¡°What did they do?¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Your friend, your companion. What did they do to the synths made in that lab?¡± ¡°I would imagine they did their job.¡± C12 said, keeping their tone as level as they could. The Commander took a single step forward. C12 tried to step back, but of course they had their back against the wall. ¡°Don¡¯t. Play. With. Me.¡± The Commander hissed, ¡°What did they do.¡± ¡°Why do you think they''ve told me what they did. It was their job and I wouldn¡¯t have understood anything regardless.¡± ¡°And I suppose even if they did something, you¡¯d have told them not to tell you.¡± The Commander said, ¡°Because you like to pretend to be so clever. You¡¯ve succeeded so far; you¡¯re still here. You even got to the rank of Retiree.¡± their ears flicked back, ¡°Did they send you messages regarding the synths?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Did they show you anything?¡± ¡°No. I never set foot in their laboratory.¡± ¡°Did they discuss the synths at all with you?¡± A moment of silence, ¡°They shared various observations.¡± C12 finally said, their voice slow and careful, ¡°That¡¯s all. They told me about their work; they liked to share the events of their day.¡± ¡°Yes yes.¡± The Commander hissed, their ears flicking back with disgust, ¡°They shared their day, their food, their bed. Everything. I¡¯m not interested in that. I¡¯m interested in what they told you.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t understand why.¡± The Commander gave a sigh as they took a step away, ¡°You realize that this doesn¡¯t go anywhere for you.¡± they said, ¡°You can either tell me what I need, or I¡¯ll make you tell me. If I have to make you tell me, you¡¯ll be considered a liability to King Decon, and you¡¯ll be dealt with.¡± C12 stifled a chuckle, ¡°I¡¯m a little beyond being repurposed at this point¡­ Commander.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± The Commander took another step forward, ¡°If I believe you to be a danger to the operations of this center, then there¡¯s still steps that I, as the Commander, can take.¡± ¡°What, like send me to Arkane?¡± C12 snapped. Their ears suddenly flicked down as they realized that they had just snapped at the Commander. The Commander didn¡¯t seem to care that they snapped. They gave a slight grin, ¡°Please.¡± They said, ¡°That would be a reward, wouldn¡¯t it? No, I assure you that if I need to put you in your place, I can. You know that; I¡¯ve done it before.¡± ¡°That was a long, long time ago.¡± ¡°You should have been corrected.¡± The Commander snapped, ¡°I should have made sure you were corrected then. Do you know how much I regret that I didn¡¯t? That I allowed you to survive this long!¡± They snarled, ¡°If you cause me problems, then it¡¯s only because of my own stupid mistakes. I will not allow a moment of weakness as a trainee to harm King Decon now. I should have reported you. I don¡¯t know why I didn¡¯t.¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t because you never really wanted to hurt anyone.¡± C12 hissed, glancing away, ¡°Well... 79H89 didn¡¯t.¡± 79H89. TO had heard that number before. The Commander¡¯s wings puffed out and their lips pulled back in a snarl that showed their teeth. They took a step forward and slapped C12 in the face hard enough to send them reeling. With only one good leg to support themselves with, C12 fell to the ground with a cry of pain that echoed through the hall. They were lucky it echoed; otherwise C12 and the Commander would have heard TO¡¯s screech of rage. GiDi had their hand over TO¡¯s mouth and an arm around their waist as they slowly pulled TO away, their ears flicking rapidly. ¡°Commander.¡± The Commander said, ¡°I am your Commander. You will address me as such. You will also tell me what your former companion told you regarding the synths in that lab.¡± They were almost out of hearing distance when TO heard C12 answer, ¡°They sequenced the DNA. They believed they knew how King Decon made the synths.¡± It took all of GiDi¡¯s strength to keep pulling TO, and even then they only succeeded because of TO¡¯s memory of all the times hearing a conversation by accident had caused trouble. Episode 101: Choice ¡°-and then the commander slapped them!¡± GiDi said with their eyes wide and their ears pinned back. ¡°I didn¡¯t think anyone would slap a Retiree! I didn¡¯t think anyone would slap another synth!!¡± ¡°Shush.¡± TO whispered. They were in TO¡¯s pod with the music playing, but they still wanted to be careful and GiDi was speaking a little too loudly for TO¡¯s liking. Clearly they were speaking too loudly for DH, since they winced and started to rub their temples once more. Apparently their shower had helped for a few minutes but their headache had come back shortly after they left. ¡°Here.¡± TO said. They had been digging around at the edges of the thin mattress of their pod and had found the eye mask that they had been given back when they had a bad headache, ¡°I I held onto this, just incase we needed it again.¡± ¡°DH gave the slightest flicker of a grin as they took the eye mask and leaned their head back to balance it on their face, ¡° You should have brought it back. But thanks. I¡¯ll manage to get it back into the medical bay without anyone noticing.¡± They whispered. They took a long, deep breath before they spoke again. ¡°Sorry...GiDi, did you say the commander slapped C12?!¡± ¡°They did.¡± TO whispered, ¡°Hard enough to knock them to the floor.¡± ¡°I guess that that call number they mentioned must have been the Commanders when they were in training.¡± GiDi said. A frown passed over their lips as their ears flicked, ¡°They must have known each other in training then. What was it? 79H89?¡± They heard the number just on the trail of GiDi mentioning that C12 must have known the Commander when they were in training and it triggered TO¡¯s memory. They had been trying to figure out how that number had been familiar, but now they knew now. 79H89 was C12¡¯s first friend from training. C12¡¯s first love. C12¡¯s first heartbreak. It had been the Commander! ¡°TO?¡± TO turned their head to see GiDi watching them intently, ¡°What is it? Is something wrong.¡± ¡°I think it was 79H89.¡± TO said, ¡°I don¡¯t know why they got so upset at being called by their old call number.¡± ¡°Maybe because they¡¯re supposed to be beyond that? I don¡¯t know.¡± DH muttered, ¡°Maybe it¡¯d be like if someone kept calling you ¡®trainee¡¯ once you had a position.¡± ¡°Irritating.¡± TO agreed, ¡°But no reason to hit another synth. Should we report it?¡± ¡°TO who?¡± GiDi asked, ¡°As far as I know, the Commander is the highest power here in this training facility; anything going higher up would have to go through them, wouldn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Then that means that the Commander can beat up C12 all they want.¡± DH grumbled. ¡°I suppose it doesn''t matter if we¡¯re just tools.¡± GiDi snapped. ¡®The commander had to have a good reason to act as they did.¡¯ TO thought, though they didn''t say it. They didn¡¯t even really believe it; the thought just came up like a reflex. What could C12 have done? What possible reason would the Commander have to break the rules? Why would a Commander want to break the rules? They were in charge here, and apparently higher ranked than C12 so they had to have some prestige, they must have proven their worth somehow! They had to be good synths! Why would a good synth ¨C arguably one of the best¨C want to break the rules? Maybe there were different rules as you got higher up? Yes, that made sense; as you were promoted, of course there would be different rules. ¡°What would you do if you weren¡¯t?¡± TO was snapped from their thoughts and to GiDi. ¡°What?¡± ¡°If you weren''t a synth¡­ or even if you were, but you weren¡¯t serving King Decon. What would you want to do?¡± ¡°There¡¯s no greater thing to do than to serve King Decon. To be King Decon¡¯s tool is¡­¡± TO stopped, suddenly feeling like they were just reciting lines that had been hammered into them. ¡°...To be King Decon¡¯s tool is better than being even the richest, most powerful civilian.¡± To TO¡¯s surprise, GiDi and DH followed alone with the last bit, at the very least muttering it along. TO and GiDi shared a glance, but said nothing more of it. If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. ¡°What¡¯s the alternative.¡± TO muttered, ¡°Being a civilian?¡± ¡°Yes. If you were a civilian, what would you do?¡± The answer that TO knew was right was that if they had the misfortune to be a civilian then they¡¯d strive to serve king decon as well as they could. However, the first thing TO thought of was just being with their friends all the time, to be around GiDi and DH without worrying about being separated by assignments or being corrected. They thought of telling DH how they felt. ¡°Well?¡± GiDi asked again. ¡°I¡¯d spend time with the two of you!¡± TO finally said, ¡°But we¡¯re doing that while serving King Decon anyway.¡± ¡°We manage it. But we didn¡¯t even get a choice for all this!¡± ¡°Why would we want one.¡± DH muttered as they rubbed at their temples. ¡°I mean, some civilians serve King Decon.¡± GiDi said, ¡°I read all the time about different world leaders who work to further King Decon''s goals, but they¡¯ve chosen to do that. Why can¡¯t we have a choice?¡± ¡°Because King Decon made us.¡± TO said firmly, ¡°We¡¯re His.¡± ¡°Because He made us, he owns us?¡± GiDi asked, ¡°That¡¯s not how it works with any other species. Even if their parents-¡± ¡°Well we don¡¯t have parents.¡± DH finally snapped. The mask had fallen from their face to show narrowed eyes, and TO could see how DH¡¯s ears were pinned back, ¡°We don¡¯t have parents, and we¡¯re not like any other species in the entire galaxy. King Decon made us. He produced us like someone might make a car, or a coat. We¡¯re his to use as he sees fit!¡± TO hadn¡¯t realized how loud DH had gotten until they had fallen silent and the entire dormitory seemed so eerily quiet in the aftermath. GiDi had pushed away and was nearly cowering against the wall of the pod with their ears down. ¡°DH!¡± TO snapped as they put an arm between DH and GiDi, ¡°Come on now; why are you shouting? GiDi didn¡¯t do anything wrong. You should apologize-¡± GiDi frowned and pushed away from the wall. ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± they said, ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not!¡± TO said. ¡°I was acting strange. I used to get yelled at for acting strange all the time. I just didn¡¯t expect it here.¡± DH¡¯s ears dropped down suddenly. They reached out to put a hand on GiDi¡¯s shoulder - maybe to pull them into a hug- but GiDi pulled away. ¡°...I¡¯m sorry.¡± DH muttered, ¡°My head just hurts so much, and-¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± GiDi said, ¡°It¡¯s not. I¡¯m sorry GiDi, I just-¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. Really, it¡¯s fine.¡± They gave a smile, but their ears were still down, ¡°I¡¯m sorry I went on so much.¡± They glanced at their chip, ¡°We should go, right? We have training?¡± ¡°GiDi..¡± TO muttered, but they didn¡¯t know what to say. ¡°Hey, I¡¯ll see you both in flight training!¡± GiDi said as they crawled out of the pod and to the ladder. They gave a big grin to both of them, ¡°We¡¯ll see if we can get TO back to their normal level of excellence in the air.¡± ¡°GiDi, wait.¡± TO said, ¡°Please don¡¯t go.¡± ¡°I have to ! Training and all. See you after!¡± Then they were gone. DH put their head in their hands and shook their head. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to snap at them.¡± DH whispered, ¡°I just¡­ My head hurts, and they were getting loud again and¡­ and I mean, what¡¯s the point of asking those kinds of things? What¡¯s the point?¡± TO put their arm around DH¡¯s shoulders and sat quietly, holding their friend for a few long minutes before they spoke again. ¡°... you should go to the medical bay and see if MO-6 can help with your head. You don¡¯t want to have such a bad headache when we see GiDi later.¡± They gave a smile, ¡°It¡¯ll be fine. You¡¯ll just explain what you just said to me, and-¡± ¡°I tried to.¡± ¡°I know. But GiDi was upset.¡± TO frowned as they thought of GiDi being upset. If DH was upset TO knew that they would chase after DH right away. But GiDi was hurt now. GiDi was sad. Didn¡¯t GiDi need them too? ¡°Do you think I need to go to medical?¡± DH asked softly. ¡°Go on to medical.¡± TO said as they pulled away from DH and swung their legs over the edge of the pod, ¡°Worst case MO-6 says they can¡¯t help you; it¡¯s not chronic, so it¡¯s not a big problem, right?¡± ¡°RIght.¡± DH muttered, ¡°Only really chronic issues are considered a problem.¡± ¡°RIght.¡± TO said, ¡°I¡¯m going to try to catch up to GiDi and make sure they¡¯re ok. DH seemed a little surprised when TO pulled their arm away, but then they just nodded, ¡°Yeah.¡± They said, ¡°You do that. Make sure they¡¯re ok.¡± TO nodded and climbed down the ladder, hoping to find GiDi before they got too far. ====== TO had searched for GiDi for the remainder of their lunch but hadn¡¯t found them. They wanted to send them a message asking where they were, but they knew that GiDi would just say that they were gone to their vocational training and that they were fine. They also knew that it was far easier for them to lie and say that they were fine over their chips. Instead of sending anything to GiDi, TO sent a message to DH telling them that they had given up their search as they had to go to their training. They added a friendly reminder to go to the medical bay and then went to their own training. E45 was waiting for them as soon as they entered the office. TO didn¡¯t even notice them at first, not until they gave a thoughtful click from the back of their throat. TO instantly stood to attention, their ears up and attentive, ¡°Apologies, officer, I didn¡¯t see you at first.¡± ¡°You¡¯re late.¡± ¡°I- I thought I was on time?¡± TO¡¯s frowned as they checked their chip, worried that maybe they had lost track of time. ¡°No. I don¡¯t mean according to our normal schedules, I mean according to your personal schedule. The last three days you¡¯ve arrived with 10 to 15 minutes to spare before you were supposed to start your training. Today, you are only just on time.¡± ¡°... My apologies?¡± ¡°I¡¯m simply making an observation. These are the kind of things you¡¯ll watch though when you¡¯re working to resolve efficiency issues; taking note of abnormal behaviour and seeing if there''s a correlation to any aspect of a synth¡¯s job .¡± Abnormal. Their mind was thrown back to C12 and the Commander in the hallway, and the way the Commander had spoken to C12; the way that the Commander slapped C12. They had been friends once, at least until C12 told them how they felt. TO wondered if that would happen to themself and DH if they told DH how they felt. The thought of DH acting the way the Commander had acted towards C12 almost made them feel sick. ¡°Are you well?¡± E45 asked. ¡°Yes, Officer.¡± TO said quickly, ¡°I¡¯m healthy and ready to work.¡± E45 nodded and opened the door that TO had just walked through, ¡°Alright,¡± They said, ¡°Follow me; we¡¯re going down to Recovery today.¡± Episode 102: Euthanasia If synths were repurposed down in Recovery, it wasn¡¯t in the same location that TO and E45 had gone to. The synths they were watching today were dealing with old uniforms in Fabric recovery. Before now that wasn¡¯t anything that TO had ever really thought about; Where did their old uniforms go when they were too worn out or too damaged to be simply cleaned? Apparently, uniforms like that came here, to Fabric Recovery, to be salvaged. Their uniform from the day they nearly got sucked out into space had likely gone though here. Probably the one they wore when they were working in Maintenance as well. When they entered Fabric Recovery, they were met with the sight of perhaps fifty synths sitting at long tables. Each synth had a set of tools before them, a bin filled with old uniforms on one side, and a bin full of scraps on the other. They were working to pull the small metal pieces and clasps from the fabric, and to meticulously undo the reinforced seams with tiny blades. When they were done with their work they threw the remaining fabric in the scrap bin. ¡°Well.¡± E45 said as the two of them watched the other synths work, ¡°What do you notice.¡± ¡°Well.¡± TO said quietly, ¡°They didn¡¯t look up when we entered; they¡¯re very intent on their tasks. They¡¯re very focused.¡± They frowned, ¡°But I don¡¯t think any of them have been corrected.¡± ¡°How do you know that?¡± E45 asked, and even though E45 normally kept the same tone, and even though their ears hardly moved, TO could pick up the slightest hint of surprise in their voice. It was similar to when they had impressed PQ03 with their powers of observation back in the Production Lab. ¡°I had to work in maintenance once early in my training.¡± TO said, their ears flicking down as they recalled that the assignment had been a punishment. ¡°Corrected synths don¡¯t have long attention spans, and they can be rather clumsy. This doesn¡¯t seem like a job that can be done with corrected synths.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. What else?¡± TO frowned as they walked around to get a better look at the other synths. One thing that they noticed was a discoloration around their joints; a slightly bluer tone while the rest of them seemed pale and ashy. The outer edges of their ears had odd little folds in them, and there were wrinkles well worn into their hands. ¡°They¡¯re older.¡± TO finally said; all those things were signs of age in a synth. ¡°All of them are older; as far as I can see anyway.¡± they frowned and then turned to E45, ¡°Is this perhaps a job given to older synths who can¡¯t perform more intense physical labour?¡± ¡°Correct.¡± E45 said, their ears quirking up slightly, ¡°Well, mostly correct. Very well done. Synths who work in this section of recovery are generally older; that is, their physical abilities have diminished. These are also synths who don¡¯t happen to possess the mental capacity for higher level, sedentary jobs.¡± TO took a step forward, and finally one of the synths glanced up for only a moment before they focused back on their work. Still, TO caught a glimpse of their aged face, their thinned lips, and their eyes which seemed so much smaller with the way that the skin around their eyes wrinkled. TO turned back to E45, ¡°I don¡¯t recall reading about the advanced age of the workers here.¡± ¡°Their age is irrelevant. Their ability to function is more pressing. There¡¯s synths out in the galaxy who are older, but still work in combat because they still have physical powers that can be used.¡± They gestured to a nearby synths and TO noticed suddenly that the synths E43 was pointing at was missing several fingers on one hand. ¡°Some of the synths here were injured, and their performance up until that point didn¡¯t justify reconstructive procedures. As such, they were sent here.¡± It occurred to TO that if C12 hadn¡¯t become a Retiree, then they¡¯d be down here as well. ¡°You read over all their files?¡± E45 asked. ¡°Yes, Officer,¡± ¡°Good. we¡¯ll observe the ones I¡¯ve flagged to see what the issues are.¡± ====== ¡°Please, sit down.¡± TO said as the fifth synth of the day came into the small storage room that E45 had commandeered as an office. The older synth nodded ¨Cor at least TO thought that they nodded as they were shaking slightly all over¨C and then sat down. ¡°You are... FR43?¡± TO said as they cleared their voice. They weren¡¯t used to this; acting like an officer. They hadn¡¯t expected to be the one doing interviews once E45 said that an interview with each synth they observed was part of the process. E45 had done the first one, and that had been the most complex so far; the synth in question had been sluggish, and seemed to have more trouble focusing than the others. A quick interview determined a lack of sleep being the problem and E45 made a note for a mild sedative to be put in their last meal of each day. After that, TO was doing the interviews. The next three synths had issues with their tools; they hadn¡¯t been maintained as they should have been. The synths in question were given new tools, but had faced disciplinary action for failing to turn their tools in for examination. E45 had given them their punishment; during their rest and recreation time they had to spend at least an hour a day working on repairing the tools they had worn down. It seemed to be a fair punishment to TO. This last synth was going to be more problematic than the others though; that¡¯s why TO had chosen to speak to them last. They had hoped that if they had some practice with the easier cases then they¡¯d be more confident by the time they got to a challenging problem. TO did not feel more confident. Still... They were doing their best to mimic the way that the Commander and their own Overseer had spoken to them. FR43 tilted their shaking head, squinting at TO through cloudy eyes, ¡°You¡¯re not an officer.¡± They said in their raspy voice. ¡°09T07 is a promising trainee doing specialized vocational training.¡± E45 said, ¡°You¡¯ll afford them the same respect and obedience you¡¯d give to myself for the time.¡± FR43 put their head down, ¡°Of course, Officer.¡± They reached up and touched the badge on their thin, yellow uniform, ¡°Yes, I am FR43.¡± Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel. TO felt their ears burn as they looked suddenly back to their notes; they kept forgetting to just look at the badges. ¡°Right. Well.¡± they cleared their throat, ¡°You¡¯ve been brought in for an interview due to underperformance in your placement.¡± TO hated how recited their words sounded. Honestly, it was recited ¨Cit was the way that E45 started their first interview today¨C but TO wanted to sound as natural and as easy at this as E45 did. They glanced up from their notes and to FR43 as they took in their frail form. TO could see them idly clenching and unclenching their fists, a gesture that might have been considered a result of nervousness if TO hadn¡¯t observed them stopping their work and doing the same thing over and over. ¡°You tend to stop a lot.¡± TO finally said, ¡°You stop to rub your hands?¡± ¡°Yes Off- Pardon me.¡± They glanced up questioningly at the Officer, ¡°09T07?¡± E45 nodded, but said nothing in return. ¡°Yes.¡± FR43 continued, ¡°Many of us do. Working with such small tools all day can cause some pain and stiffness.¡± ¡°I know.¡± TO said as their ears drooped back a little; they had almost felt the pain themself as they had watched the work, and felt nothing but sympathy for FR43¡¯s hands. There was still a problem though, ¡°I did note that you did it a lot more. Most synths around you stopped maybe every hour or so. You stopped every fifteen minutes.¡± FR43 glanced away, their ears flicking down with shame, ¡°My apologies. My hands hurt a lot¡± They looked back at TO and held up their hands, ¡°They¡¯re always shaking, so it¡¯s harder for me to grip my tools. I grip them more firmly, but that makes them hurt more.¡± TO nodded, ¡°I see.¡± they said, ¡°Now... What started first? Did the shaking start first, or did your eyesight start to fade first?¡± FR43 blinked at TO, ¡°I never reported-¡± ¡°I can see your eyes.¡± TO said softly, ¡°They¡¯re cloudy. I don¡¯t have medical training but that¡¯s a sign of some ocular issues. Your performance started to dip a few cycles ago, but you were still over your targets, so it wasn¡¯t flagged.¡± they looked back at their notes, ¡°But then just a few spans ago it suddenly got much worse.¡± FR43 nodded, their wings wrapping around their arms, ¡°Yes... Yes, I noticed the cloudiness in my eyes a long time ago. It happened slowly, so I did not notice at first, and when it got worse I thought that maybe my eyes were just strained. ¡°And you didn¡¯t think to go to medical?¡± TO asked. ¡°I didn¡¯t think it was necessary.¡± Right. At their age if their eyesight was going then TO didn¡¯t know if they¡¯d qualify for treatment. ¡°That happened first, I suppose?¡± ¡°Well¡­ My hands have been shaking for a while as well.¡± they admitted, ¡°But in the last few spans, it suddenly felt as though everything has been getting worse.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve been here for a while, right?¡± It was a pointless question, but TO didn¡¯t know what else to say to a synth whose body seemed like it was suddenly falling apart. ¡°I have.¡± FR43 said, ¡°I¡¯ve been here for the last forty cycles.¡± ¡°Right. And your performance has been good all that time, with no noticeable dips until now.¡± ¡°I have always worked my very best for King Decon.¡± FR43 said with their ears perking up with pride, ¡°I was placed here not because my work was failing in combat, but because of injury.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± TO asked. ¡°Yes.¡± they said, ¡°As soon as I was done with my training and my placement, I was assigned to the front lines.¡± ¡°Ground combat?¡± TO ventured. ¡°Correct, though I was made a troop leader. I quelled a potential uprising among insurgent miners in my youth, and the mortality rate of my soldiers was always lower than other troops in my squadron.¡± ¡°Were you in combat for a long time then?¡± TO asked. One thing they hated was how information from previous assignments hadn¡¯t been given to them. ¡°One-hundred and four cycles.¡± FR43 said. TO¡¯s eyes widened as their ears pinned back in surprise. If they had been in recovery for the last forty cycles, and in training for one, then depending on how long their placement had been... ¡°You¡¯ve been out of the tank for nearly one-hundred and fifty cycles!¡± ¡°Correct.¡± They said, their voice once again filled with pride as they puffed out their slightly shaking chest, ¡°And I¡¯ve been giving every moment of that long life to King Decon.¡± They glanced aside, ¡°I could have served in combat for longer too, if need be. I might have died in combat for King Decon.¡± ¡°An admirable goal, but you¡¯re continuing to serve Him now.¡± E45 added. FR43 nodded and dipped their head. ¡°Yes, Officer.¡± ¡°Why were you taken from combat?¡± TO asked. In response, FR43 pointed to their ears. ¡°I was caught in an enemy ultrasonic blast in combat, and it broke something in my ears. Unfortunately, it wasn¡¯t corrected. I lose my balance quite often, so I have to sit when I work.¡± TO nodded, ¡°Well.¡± they said, ¡°I believe that your dip in performance is clearly a medical issue. You should report to the Medical Bay immediately, and-¡± ¡°Please... Please no.¡± FR43 said as they leaned forward, their hands clasping together on the desk ¡°I¡¯ll work harder.¡± they pleaded, ¡°I¡¯ll work later if I have to, just to keep up¡± TO frowned, ¡° YOu don¡¯t want to go? There might be limited things they could do for your eyes, but if there¡¯s a simple fix then given your service maybe you¡¯ll be given treatment. Maybe you¡¯ll be given something for the pain as well.¡± ¡°Please, there¡¯s no need.¡± FR43 said, ¡°I¡¯m still fit! I can still work. Please don¡¯t send me to the Medical Bay.¡± TO frowned as they tilted their head at the older synth, ¡°Why don¡¯t you want to go? It¡¯s not a punishment; it¡¯s to help you.¡± FR43 shook their head and sat back in their seat with their ears tilted slightly down and their wings wrapped around them. ¡°Maybe¡­ if I was younger, then they¡¯d help me. That¡¯s¡­¡± They looked up, this time at the Officer and not to TO, ¡°That¡¯s why I didn¡¯t go to medical. I know I¡¯m just old. I know that i¡¯m going to get worse. I know that as soon as they fix my eyes or my hands then something else will come up. I know that, but even so I still have a lot to give to King Decon! I¡¯m not ready to stop serving Him yet!¡± TO had never heard such passion from a normal synth before. Well, not unless one counted the lamentations from when all the trainees witnessed the attempted assassination on King Decon. It seemed that the only thing normal synths really got passionate about was King Decon. E45 cleared their throat, ¡°I understand and admire your desire to keep serving King Decon, regardless of your clearly enfeebled state.¡± they said, ¡°But at a certain point, you have to balance the value of your organs and your physical body to the value of your work.¡± Color drained from the already pale face of FR43, ¡°I¡­ I can keep working, and when I can¡¯t work any more, then I¡¯ll be more than happy to be repurposed to suit King Decon¡¯s needs.¡± TO froze. Repurposed? Was that what was going to happen to FR43? Because they were old and they couldn¡¯t work like they used to they¡¯d just be repurposed? They knew that there were limited things that could be done for an older synth, but still! ¡°You must be practical though.¡± E45 said calmly, ¡°If you keep working you¡¯ll just do more damage to your body. Less and less of your remains will be easily used to help other synths. At the same time, the efficiency and quality of your work will continue to fall¡± FR43 looked away, glancing at TO for just a moment before focusing on the ground. ¡°Go to Medical.¡± E45 said, ¡°They¡¯ll examine you. If they think it¡¯s in King Decon¡¯s best interest to treat your issues and send you back to work then that¡¯s what they¡¯ll do.¡± ¡°Otherwise... They¡¯ll repurpose me.¡± ¡°They will.¡± E45 said, ¡°but consider this; if you are repurposed while more of your organs and various parts are still useful, then those parts can be used to ensure that younger, exceptional synths are kept productive. In truth, this will be a way to keep serving King Decon for an entire lifetime more. Really, You¡¯ll still be serving King Decon, just you won¡¯t be conscious of it.¡± That wouldn¡¯t have calmed TO, but somehow it seemed to calm FR43. Their ears relaxed and their wings loosened around them. They looked at E45. ¡°I have served King Decon for a long time¡± they said, ¡°Is He pleased with my work? Did I do well?¡± ¡°You have been allowed to serve him for many cycles.¡± E45 said, ¡°You have carried the honor of your service for a long time, so yes; I¡¯d say you did very well.¡± Their ears perked up slightly. They nodded, and got up. ¡°Very well.¡± They said, ¡°I will report to medical-¡± ¡°Do you have anything to do before that?¡± TO asked, suddenly feeling their heart jump into their throat. Was FR43 going to be sent off to be repurposed¨C ¨CRibs cracking. The smell of disinfectant. A blade through skin¨C ¨Cwithout anyone knowing? Were they really just going to be pulled from their workday and sent off?¡± FR43 tilted their head at TO, curiosity causing their ears to flick out, ¡°No, I don''t think so.¡± They turned to E45, ¡°Should I finish my workday?¡± ¡°That won¡¯t be necessary.¡± E45 said. ¡°I mean, is there anyone you want to see before you go?¡± FR43 was quiet for a moment, then gave a smile, ¡°I always hoped that I¡¯d meet King Decon in person on day.¡± they said, ¡°I thought if I served well and worked hard in combat, then maybe I would. When I was removed from the front lines and sent here, I thought I¡¯d never get to meet Him. Still, I worked hard hoping that I¡¯d see Him one day.¡± They glanced back at E45, ¡°Maybe whoever receives the good parts of me might receive that honor instead.¡± ¡°There¡¯s every chance that you might assist some young synth who is part of the Vanguard.¡± E45 offered, ¡°Then not only would you meet Him, but you¡¯d be serving Him in His very presence every day.¡± A smile, a shaking nod of the head, and then FR43 turned and left to report to the Medical Bay as they had been instructed. Episode 103: Understand ¡°They won¡¯t really be repurposed, will they?¡± TO asked E45 once they were alone. ¡°FR43?¡± E45 said as they looked up from the notes that they were taking, ¡°Potentially. Most likely, if I¡¯m honest.¡± they went back to their notes, ¡°You saw them; they¡¯re very old, they¡¯re in pain, their hands shake, they¡¯re going blind, their performance has waned. They¡¯re not much good to King Decon like that.¡± ¡°But if all that were treated?¡± TO protested, ¡°If they were treated and sent back to work?¡± E45 sighed as they glanced up from their files again, ¡°They were right.¡± they said, ¡°Hypothetically, if they were to qualify for treatment for all their issues - and I assure you that a synth in Fabric Recovery would not qualify for such extensive treatment - then a span or so from now something else would happen.¡± They shook their head, ¡°Like I said, It¡¯s far better to repurpose them now while some good can still be taken from their body. Though to be honest I don¡¯t know what can still be used. Segments of skin, perhaps? Teeth? They really should have reported to medical a while ago.¡± They finished their notes and then closed their files, ¡°I might have to suggest mandatory examinations for older synths every span. Still, Most synths will report themselves if they¡¯re unwell.¡± A frown passed over their face and their ears flicked out every so slightly with confusion, ¡°I wonder why they didn¡¯t.¡± ¡°Because they wanted to keep serving King Decon.¡± TO said, ¡°That¡¯s what they said.¡± ¡°Yes, but if they really wanted to keep serving King Decon, then they would have reported themself earlier. Besides that, they had a good, long life of service. Most synths only get 100 cycles out of the tank so they should have been pleased with what they had managed to accomplish already. ¡± they tilted their head at TO, ¡°Do you think it might be simple ignorance?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°I would like to know your opinion.¡± E45 said, ¡°Do you think it¡¯s possible that they were simply unaware that more good could be gotten from their body after they had degraded to a certain point?¡± TO just blinked at the question, and they answered before they could really consider if their response was appropriate, ¡°Maybe they just didn¡¯t want to be repurposed.¡± they panicked as the words left their mouth but to their surprise E45 nodded. ¡°You think as I do then.¡± they said, ¡°Ignorance. Maybe it¡¯s enough to teach synths the benefits of being repurposed.¡± ¡°Benefits?¡± E45 frowned at TO, their ears pinning back, ¡°Clearly, we do need to teach that a little more.¡± they said, ¡°Yes, the benefits. As I said to FR43, if you¡¯re repurposed while much of your body is still useful, then you extend your own usefulness to King Decon far longer than your natural body could. As well, for some synths it¡¯s the only way to be properly productive for King Decon. Even a young synth who must be repurposed should be glad that they¡¯ll be more productive afterwards.¡± ¡°But they wouldn¡¯t be alive.¡± ¡°Does that really matter?¡± It did to TO. Being alive mattered a lot to TO. However, if they were to look at it purely from the point of view of being productive, from the numbers and stats they¡¯d been seeing the last few days, and from the idea of simply being as productive as possible for as long as possible for King Decon¡­ ¡°I suppose not.¡± TO finally muttered as their ears flicked down. If E45 took note of TO¡¯s somber tone or the way their ears flicked down then they didn''t mention it. They simply nodded. ¡°Well, you¡¯re done for the day.¡± was all they said, ¡°I¡¯ll finish up the paperwork; there¡¯s no point in starting a new interview right now. We¡¯ll continue tomorrow.¡± TO nodded and left, feeling sick and dazed. ====== DH was leaning against the wall before the cafeteria when TO arrived. They didn''t see GiDi anywhere nearby. Even though they were still feeling out of sorts because of their discussion with E45 they were instantly driven to a slight panic they realized that GiDi wasn¡¯t there. ¡°DH, where¡¯s GiDi?¡± TO asked as they approached their friend. ¡°No idea.¡± DH muttered. They glanced away from TO, their ears down in shame, ¡°I sent them several messages, but they just said that they¡¯d meet up with us later in the Flight Training room. ¡°Did you go look for them anywhere?¡± TO asked, ¡°The observation deck, or the showers, or-¡± ¡°No. I didn¡¯t¡± DH snapped, ¡°I didn¡¯t because I figured that no matter what they¡¯d end up here for their meal, no?¡± they slid down to the floor, their face in their hands, ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to hurt them. I didn¡¯t want to upset them, I just-¡± TO could hear others approaching; This wasn¡¯t a good place to sit and talk. They gently pulled DH back up to their feet, ¡°Come on.¡± They said, ¡°Let¡¯s get food and go to Flight Training. That¡¯s where GiDi said they¡¯d be, right?¡± Stolen story; please report. ¡°Right.¡± ¡°So we should wait there. If we don¡¯t show up there and they do then they¡¯ll think we¡¯re avoiding them.¡± ¡°Fine, but what if they¡¯re avoiding me?¡± what if we go to the Flight Training room and they don¡¯t show up?¡± TO had considered that. ¡°I¡¯ll send them a message.¡± they said, ¡°Maybe they were just being a little short with you because of earlier. We¡¯ll find them, talk to them, and everything will be fine.¡± ¡°...Will it?¡± DH finally said. There was a sorrow to their voice, a painful desperation. ¡°Will it be fine?¡± they looked up at TO, watching their ears carefully. ¡°I believe it will be.¡± TO said firmly. GiDi loved them. They loved GiDi. they were family; all the family that the three of them had. A little issue like this wouldn¡¯t change that. No, at the very worst everything would be back to normal before they went to sleep the next day. TO truly believed that. ====== They took their meals and went to the Flight Training room as quickly as they could. As they turned the corner TO expected to see GiDi waiting for them. If GiDi wasn¡¯t there, then TO was certain that they¡¯d be inside. They turned the corner and saw that there was a synth leaning against the wall next to the door, but it wasn¡¯t GiDi. ¡°Avery!¡± TO exclaimed as they ran forward, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you¡¯d be here! Are you ok? How''s your stomach? I heard-¡± ¡°My stomach¡¯s fine¡­ Thank you.¡± Avery said, ¡°They put something in my food, and it doesn¡¯t hurt anymore at least.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± TO said. ¡°Yeah.¡± Avery said, ¡°And I... I was wondering if it was alright if I flew with you. Though-¡± They looked past TO and DH, ¡°I was expecting GiDi to be here as well.¡± ¡°Were you looking for GiDi?¡± TO asked. Avery shook their head as they looked down at the floor, ¡°No¡­ no not specifically. I just-¡± their ears flicked down, ¡°Just I don''t want to be alone right now.¡± TO nodded and went to the door, gesturing for DH and Avery to go in first. If Avery was ready to talk then TO didn¡¯t want them to be out in the hallway. Even if they didn''t want to talk it was better to be somewhere private; Avery had this look about them like they were about to break and in case they did TO didn¡¯t want them to be out in the hallway. They got inside and the door slid closed behind them three of them. Before they even went up to their platform, TO turned to Avery. ¡°You don¡¯t often just not want to be alone.¡± TO said, ¡°You¡¯ve wanted company the odd time before, or you''ve wanted to talk, but today you just don¡¯t want to be alone?¡± TO took a step towards Avery and put a gentle hand on their shoulder. They couldn¡¯t forget the last time that they had been alone with Avery and how they had just sobbed into TO. For a moment TO worried that maybe Avery would shrug them away or start sobbing again but all they did was place their hand over TO¡¯s and give them a quick flicker of a smile. ¡°I know¡­¡± they said, ¡°I¡¯m normally fine alone. I normally like being alone and I thought it would make me feel better.¡± They lifted their hand to their head, ¡°I thought if I could just sit and think about things I could figure things out and I¡¯d be fine, but I¡¯m not. I can¡¯t stop my brain. I just keep thinking about things over and over and over. I keep-¡± They cut themself off, stifling a sob as they put their hand to their mouth. They took a few long, deep breaths before they continued. ¡°I keep thinking about¡­ About things.¡± They said, ¡°About the simulation. It¡¯s like I can¡¯t ignore it. I was hoping that if I was around people maybe it¡¯d distract me.¡± ¡°Well¡­ It was only a simulation.¡± DH said, ¡°I mean, I know it was hard and I understand that a synth was corrected from it¡­ I¡¯m just glad it wasn¡¯t you.¡± They gave Avery a big smile, ¡°Besides, you passed. You¡¯re fine, right?¡± TO didn¡¯t know what the right thing to say was, but they were certain that DH had said the wrong thing. from Avery¡¯s expression, TO was clearly right. Avery turned on DH, their wings puffing out and their ears pinned back despite the tears that were welling up in their eyes. ¡°No.¡± They snapped, ¡°I¡¯m not fine. Nothing¡¯s fine. You haven¡¯t been tested yet, you have no idea what I went though, and you just wave it off like it¡¯s nothing?¡± ¡°H-hey now.¡± TO said as they took a tentative step between DH and Avery. They had never seen Avery angry before and it left them startled. ¡°Well.¡± DH snapped back, their own ears pinning back, ¡°Maybe I¡¯d have some idea if you bothered to tell us what happened!¡± They pointed at TO, ¡°You think they haven¡¯t been through rough things? They at least told me what happened!¡± That was true¡­ But TO recalled that DH had still gotten angry at them. They hadn¡¯t understood how TO had felt, even though they had been told. They had gotten angry at TO when their attempts to cheer them failed. It had been TO who had to run after DH to talk to them about it. They had done it because they loved DH. TO wasn¡¯t sure that Avery wouldn¡¯t do the same. ¡°DH.¡± TO said as they took a step towards their friend, ¡°Look, you need to stop.¡± ¡°But I didn¡¯t do anything wrong!¡± DH insisted, ¡°I was trying to help, and they just-¡± ¡°I know, but¡­ but you really didn¡¯t. Help, that is.¡± TO didn¡¯t know how else to say that, and they didn¡¯t know what else they could say. DH looked from TO to Avery, then stepped away, ¡°Fine¡­ Fine, I get it.¡± they said, ¡°I get it.¡± They turned and headed to the door. ¡°DH, don¡¯t leave-¡± ¡°No. No, I will. I¡¯ll go find GiDi.¡± They looked back at TO and Avery, ¡°I¡¯ll leave the two of you alone; clearly that¡¯d be better.¡± They turned away suddenly and practically fled from the flight training room, leaving Avery and TO alone with their ears down. TO wanted to run after them. They wanted to run after DH and apologize even though they knew that DH was in the wrong. They didn¡¯t want DH to feel bad and they didn¡¯t want DH to be angry at them. Still¡­ Avery was upset too and TO couldn¡¯t help but remember how they had felt after they had participated in repurposing a synth. Of course they couldn¡¯t; the idea was fresh in the head now, floating around since they knew that the older synth they had met today was likely going to be repurposed. An older synth who had fought for King Decon, had been injured, and who had worked hard until their body started to fail was now going to be repurposed. Repurposed. Not as punishment. Not because they didn¡¯t work hard. Not because of any failing that they could help. Repurposed, just because they got old and couldn¡¯t keep up anymore. Was that the best a synth could hope for? Well, that or dying in combat, apparently. TO shook their head and turned back to Avery who was standing with their hands clenched into shaking fists. TO walked to them and put a gentle hand on Avery¡¯s shoulder. They¡¯d talk to DH later and work everything out. Maybe this was for the best anyway; DH could find GiDi and they could work out their problems while TO talked to Avery. ¡°I¡¯m sorry about that.¡± TO said, ¡°DH...means well-¡± ¡°I know.¡± Avery said, their ears flicking back with shame, ¡°I know. I Shouldn¡¯t have snapped. I just¡­¡± They reached up and wiped at their eyes, ¡°They don¡¯t even know what happened. Nobody does.¡± ¡°... Do you want to tell someone?¡± ¡°I wish I could. I can¡¯t. I¡¯d be corrected. Besides that, you¡¯d hate me.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t.¡± TO promised. ¡°You don¡¯t know that. You can¡¯t know that unless I tell you.¡± They looked away, ¡°I know what happened. I hate myself for it. But I shouldn¡¯t? I¡­¡± They put their hands to their head, ¡°It¡¯s all so confusing. I don¡¯t understand and I don¡¯t know if you could.¡± ¡°That¡¯s fair.¡± TO said, ¡°but¡­ I¡¯d try?¡± they gestured around the Flight Training room, ¡°And remember, we¡¯re apparently safe here from being listened to.¡± Avery was silent for a few long moments, their wings wrapped around their arms. Finally, they nodded. ¡°Fine.¡± they said, ¡°I¡¯ll tell you.¡± Episode 104: Reality? TO and Avery made their way up to the platform that TO, DH, and GiDi often hid on. It was more comfortable to sit up there than it was to linger on the edge of the Training Room. They sat and ate while Avery told TO what happened. ¡°When the simulation started we got an alert before we actually loaded into the simulation. It was just some text that said we were entering an examination and would be observed.¡± they shrugged as they took a bite of their food, ¡°I was¡­ Well, I was worried, but I wasn¡¯t overly anxious. I do well in my training. I don¡¯t necessarily excel, but I do what I have to do. I just wanted to do well enough to pass.¡± That honestly surprised TO since they felt like they were constantly worried about the examinations.It was true that they were doing quite well, but they wanted to excel, and often they were more worried for DH and GiDi. ¡°Anyway. Once that happened we were dropped in and it was just entirely different. We went in with our armor on instead of having it appear on us later. Instead of seeing the orders in the air before us we had someone speaking into our ear; my Overseer, I think. They said that this wasn¡¯t a normal simulation. In fact, they said it wasn¡¯t a simulation at all.¡± ¡°Wait¡­ what? But you never left the room!¡± TO said. ¡°I know. Apparently we were linked up to some high tech bots out in the field. I don¡¯t really know. They said that they were short on soldiers there and that it was a simple enough test to see how we act when we¡¯re dealing with real situations.¡± They looked down, their wings tightening around them, ¡°It made sense to me. Simulations can only have a certain level of randomness and challenge to them. I mean, it¡¯s a game basically and there¡¯s only so much an AI can do. I mean-¡± they gave a forced little chuckle, ¡°-they¡¯re only AI. Being in the real world lets them see how we would act in situations that aren¡¯t set like our training simulations.¡± ¡°That does make sense.¡± ¡°I know!¡± Avery said, ¡°So I went into it and I just wanted to do good. We got our orders, and they were so simple; there was an insurgent stronghold¨C an underground bunker basically. We were sent in as a strike force to quickly infiltrate and neutralize¡­¡± They stopped, their voice shaking, ¡°No.. no not neutralize. To kill all insurgents inside.¡± They looked up at TO, ¡°You know how enemies in our simulations just dissolve when we neutralize them?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± TO said, ¡°AI, and even other synths do that. Once you¡¯re hit, you just dissolve.¡± ¡°I knew that wasn¡¯t how it really worked, obviously. I never really thought about it though¡± Avery said, ¡°I got the first kill. The first insurgent was all alone, probably doing a patrol. They didn¡¯t even have a helmet on. I could see them; their face, their ears, their eyes. They looked¡­¡± They frowned, ¡°They looked rather feline, but they were bipedal. I was surprised when I saw them because in the simulations the insurgents always have helmets on. They had poor quality laser guns and their armor was¡­ Well, it was scrappy, and clearly missing pieces. They saw me, and they didn¡¯t even get a chance to lift up their gun beforeI shot. I got them right in the head. They just stood there for a minute. Just stood there. Like they were confused.¡± they stopped and put their hands up to their face, breathing heavily for a moment. ¡°It was like they didn¡¯t know what had just happened, and then they just crumpled. And then they were just there on the ground. Laying there. They had red blood. Their arm bent under them oddly, and I remembered thinking that it must hurt¡­ but of course it didn¡¯t because they were dead.¡± Avery fell silent, just staring into space for a long time before they spoke again, ¡°It¡¯s stupid.¡± they said. ¡°No¡­¡± TO said, ¡°No, it¡¯s not-¡° ¡°Obviously I know that people don¡¯t just dissolve when you shoot them.¡± Avery said, ¡°I knew that. I just¡­¡± They stopped and shook their head, ¡°Me and that other synth - the one you saw taken out afterwards- we both just stopped then. The others gave us a moment, but then said we had to go on; we had a job to do.¡± They gave a bitter laugh, ¡°King Decon had a job for us, and we had to perform it for Him.¡± ¡°And then what happened?¡± Avery shrugged, ¡°We went on. We kept doing what we were told to do. We infiltrated the bunker and started to ¡®neutralize¡¯ all the insurgents we found. Most of them didn¡¯t have armor or weapons. If they did, it was worse than the first one we saw; It was as though they had upcycled old garbage to make something that looked like armor. We went through anyway. I just tried not to think too hard about it. When I started to, I just remembered that this was King Decon¡¯s will.¡± they looked at TO, ¡°That¡­ that means it''s the right thing, right? I mean, if King Decon says that something needs to be done then that¡¯s the right thing to do, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°We¡­ We are designed to do as King Decon wants of us.¡± TO said after a long silence. ¡°Well.¡± Avery said, ¡°That¡¯s what I kept thinking. We went through the bunker like fire, killing anything that crossed our path. We got to the bottom level where there was a reinforced door. I kept thinking that there was going to be something big behind it; maybe a weapon or something.¡± They looked back at TO, ¡°There¡¯s this one scenario that I think a few synths did in training where you have to work your way through an old warehouse and get to a weapons stash. Did you do that?¡± Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°I did.¡± TO said as their ears flicked down. That had been their first scenario; the one where they showed themself to be deceitful. ¡°Well¡­ I thought maybe it was like that.¡± ¡°... What was on the inside?¡± TO asked softly, their ears flicked down with worry and dread. ¡°People.¡± Avery said, ¡°Civilians- no, Insurgents. Old ones. Young ones. Injured ones. The ones who couldn¡¯t move very well or fight at all. Parents with their young.¡± they looked away, ¡°Me and¡­ I don¡¯t even know their real call number ¨C they were S12 in the simulation. Anyway, S12 and I said that this had to be a mistake. The people there weren¡¯t insurgents, they were harmless. We got our squad leader to call for guidance as to what should be done.¡± ¡°And?¡± ¡°You already know the answer, don¡¯t you.¡± Avery said in a small, quiet voice. TO nodded, ¡°I think I do.¡± Avery nodded, ¡°We were told that they were still insurgents and that our job was to eliminate the insurgents.¡± Their hands gripped at the fabric of their uniform, their claws poking out and ripping the fabric. TO didn¡¯t know what to do. If it were DH, they¡¯d just draw them into an embrace and hold them. They felt like they should do that for Avery, but they didn¡¯t know if Avery would want that. Instead they just put a hand on Avery¡¯s shoulder once more; If Avery wanted to be held then TO was certain that they¡¯d lean into TO like they had that day in their pod. Avery took a few long, deep breaths before they spoke again. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± They lied ¡°You¡¯re not.¡± ¡°No¡­ I¡¯m not.¡± Avery agreed. They took another breath, then took their water bottle and drank about half of it before they continued again. ¡°S12 and I¡­ we didn¡¯t want to do it. I didn¡¯t say anything, but I was just¡­ I was standing there, looking at all the people. The other synths drew their weapons, and they took a couple of shots into the crowd. There were screams, and then the shooting stopped. I looked back, and saw that S12 had turned on the others. They just ran into the synth closest to them and just¡­ They just rammed into them, knocked them down and knocked the breath out of them. I just stood there wondering how they could have the breath knocked out of them if we¡¯re in robot bodies somewhere out in the galaxy. Why would that be programmed into the system?¡± They gave a humourless laugh, ¡°Of all things, I just stood there wondering about that, asking myself how we could get the breath knocked out of us in this situation.¡± It was a good question, and one that flickered through TO¡¯s mind quickly before they set that aside. ¡°And I guess because they attacked another synth-¡± ¡°Yes¡­ One of the other ones, the squad leader, managed to get S12 under control. They grabbed them and pinned them to the ground.¡± ¡°I¡¯m surprised they didn¡¯t shoot.¡± TO said. ¡°S12 or the leader?¡± Avery asked, ¡°Well, I guess it doesn¡¯t matter. You don¡¯t shoot other synths. S12 kept them pinned down, then they looked up at me. The other synth was unconscious or had unsynced from their bot or something and the squad leader was holding S12 down and couldn¡¯t let go because they were struggling so much. I was ordered to finish the job.¡± TO only just stopped themself from asking what Avery did. Of course Avery followed their orders; if they hadn¡¯t then they would have been taken away to be corrected just like S12 had been. ¡°You had to.¡± TO said after a long silence. ¡°You had to. You had orders. If you didn¡¯t do it then you¡¯d have been corrected.¡± ¡°I know.¡± Avery said, ¡°I¡¯d have been corrected. The mission would have been a failure if I turned on the squad leader, and I would have been corrected. King Decon¡¯s will would have been subverted by a synth who¡¯s still in training.¡± They finally glanced up at TO, their eyes blue-rimmed and filled with tears. ¡°And King Decon¡¯s will¡­ It is right and just, isn''t it?¡± There was a pleading tone to their voice, ¡°King Decon holds the galaxy together. If something awful is done in His name, it has to be for a good reason, right?¡± They shook their head, not even waiting for a response, ¡°Of course it is. That¡¯s what we¡¯re here for. And¡­ and I know I¡¯m being stupid here-¡° ¡°You¡¯re not.¡± ¡°I am!¡± They insisted as they put their hands to their face, ¡°I am. I am because I know I¡¯m supposed to do what I¡¯m ordered. I¡¯m just a synth, a trainee; this is what I¡¯m here for, to execute King Decon''s will. And even outside of that I don¡¯t even know if it was all really real.¡± TO frowned, but they had wondered the same thing once Avery had mentioned that the other synth had the air knocked from them. Why program that into a bot? ¡°You¡¯re thinking that too, aren¡¯t you?¡± Avery asked in a low whisper. ¡°We¡¯re set up to feel pain in simulations, but this wasn¡¯t supposed to be a simulation; this was us being projected across the galaxy and synced up to bots in the field. Why would a combat-oriented bot in the middle of a warzone have the ability to have the wind knocked from them?¡± That was a very good question and TO didn¡¯t have an answer for it. If they were right, if it had been just a simulation after all, then Avery didn¡¯t kill anyone but that meant that their Overseer lied to them directly. Why would an Overseer lie? Synths weren¡¯t supposed to be deceitful to one another; TO had learned that the hard way. ¡°How long did the scenario take?¡± TO finally asked. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Avery said, ¡°An hour or so? It didn¡¯t take long. Why?¡± TO shook their head, ¡°It¡¯s just¡­ well if it had taken longer, say it had taken twelve hours, then we¡¯d have known it was a simulation. Though, I suppose it likely could have been done with the time dilation tech.¡± Avery just nodded, ¡°I thought all that¡± They said, ¡°But¡­ but I suppose it doesn¡¯t matter. When we leave here, when we¡¯re out in our placements and maybe even active combat after that, do you think we won¡¯t have to do things like that? Do you think we shouldn¡¯t be prepared to do things like that?¡± They looked off again, staring but not seeing, ¡°I ¡­ Well, S12 and I made our choices, didn¡¯t we? S12 choose to go against their orders, attack another synth, and get corrected.¡± They looked at TO, ¡°I choose to follow orders and I¡¯m still here.¡± ¡°For what it¡¯s worth-¡° TO said, ¡°I¡¯m glad you¡¯re here.¡± ¡°...I keep wondering if it was right.¡± Avery said, ¡°But it was King Decon¡¯s orders so it had to be.¡± TO stayed silent. They knew what the answer was, but they also wondered if they could have done the same thing. They were insurgents, going against King Decon and as such they were among the lowest scum in the galaxy. However, they had been unable to fight back. They had all either been very old, or injured, or children with parents. They remembered C12 urging them that they just follow orders and do what they¡¯re told when they¡¯re tested. How much did C12 know about how they were going to be tested? TO didn¡¯t say anything to Avery, but they decided they¡¯d have to speak to C12 again. At the very least, maybe they could figure out if the examination was real, or a simulation. They didn¡¯t know how much that would help the distraught Avery, but at the very least having the truth would give them one less thing to agonize over. Episode 105: Anger It was clear that Avery just wanted to be around someone for the rest of the day. They didn¡¯t want to fly or even talk that much after they had finished telling TO what had happened, they just didn¡¯t want to be alone. It was telling how affected by everything they were that they wanted to be around others, even if they just sat and read while TO sat and did their own research. TO knew that they should be flying to help strengthen their wings, but they had other things on their mind. For the first time in a long time TO had pulled up the information on bio-engineering. Though TO hadn¡¯t had an opportunity to tell DH about what C12 had said, their words still played over and over in TO¡¯s mind. Snout had sequenced the DNA of the synths. Snout knew how King Decon made them. This knowledge had to be at least part of the information that had gotten them in trouble and if that was the case then it must have had something to do with the activation fluid that Snout had been studying. So many puzzle pieces floating around their head that TO almost felt they could see the full picture, almost felt as though they could put it together or at least make a good guess about what was really happening, and what the truth was. Maybe they would have figured it out if they hadn¡¯t been so worried about GiDi and DH. Every time they felt like they were getting somewhere their mind floated to their friends. TO had sent GiDi another message but so far there was no response and that worried TO. They wanted to send DH a message but when they thought of doing that they just felt frustrated and angry. DH just didn¡¯t seem to understand how Avery felt in the aftermath of their examination. They had also had trouble understanding how TO had felt after repurposing that synth so long ago. That was alright; TO didn¡¯t expect them to be able to understand. However, they didn¡¯t think it was right that DH got angry and ran off! DH was the one that messed up, and DH should be the one to apologize! TO decided not to send DH a message, at least not now. IT was a hard decision to stick to though. When they were finally leaving to go back to the dormitories they wondered if maybe they were being too hard on their friend. They flipped between being angry, and being worried; between wanting to rush to find DH, and wanting to ignore them until they apologized. ¡°TO?¡± They were almost at the door to the flight training room when Avery spoke. TO turned around and saw them looking anywhere but at TO as they fidgeted awkwardly. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Nothing. Nothing I just-¡° They cleared their voice, their ears flicking down, ¡°I just have an¡­ Odd request.¡± ¡°Oh? What is it?¡± ¡°Well¡­ You know how you often sleep with GiDi or DH?¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°...I know with you and DH anyway it¡¯s more than just¡­ you know.¡± TO felt their ears flick down and burn bright blue, ¡°I know what?¡± ¡°You know... You two are a couple, aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°We are not!¡± TO exclaimed. Panic rolled around in their stomach as their ears burned. Were they that obvious even around Avery when it came to how they felt about DH? ¡°We¡¯re very good friends. The best of friends. Practically family! There¡¯s nothing romantic between us!¡± Averys ears twitched with confusion ¡°Oh, Well, I just thought¡­.¡± they stopped and gave a little laugh, ¡°The way GiDi spoke sometimes, I thought maybe you were. But I guess I should have known better than to assume. ¡° They glanced up at TO, ¡°I guess we¡¯re even then. You know, for you thinking GiDi and I were interested in one another.¡± ¡°I¡¯m still really sorry about that.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. We¡¯re even. I¡¯ll forget that, you forget this.¡± TO nodded, slowly feeling the burn fade from their ears. ¡°...Still, I was wondering if you¡¯d stay with me today while I slept.¡± TO blinked, ¡°You¡­ You want me to sleep with you?¡± ¡°Just for tonight!¡± they protested, ¡°You can leave after I fall asleep! And it¡¯s not... I mean, it¡¯s not anything romantic or anything.¡± They shook their head, ¡°I don¡¯t even have an interest in romantic fictions; I don¡¯t understand them. I¡¯m not against it, I just don¡¯t care about that stuff.¡± they looked up again, ¡°But I¡¯d like some company. It¡¯d help me sleep.¡± Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work! A part of TO thought that they should really go find DH or GiDi; the two might be worried about them. Though, if they were, they¡¯d have messaged TO back, right? TO checked their chip again and saw that there was still no response to their messages to GiDi, and that DH hadn¡¯t sent them anything. Well, clearly they weren¡¯t that worried about them. ¡°Sure.¡± TO said, flashing a quick smile at Avery, ¡°I¡¯m happy to help.¡± ====== TO glanced up towards their pod to see if maybe DH and GiDi had gone back there, but the three pods were still open and empty. They glanced at their chip again, but saw no messages. It was getting late, and their friends weren¡¯t in their pod. Now TO was getting worried, and that worry overcame any anger or hurt they felt from being ignored. They took a deep breath and sent a message to GiDi. =Are you ok? I haven¡¯t heard from you and I¡¯m a little worried.= TO wanted to ask them if they had seen DH as well, but they knew that GiDi and DH might not be doing great at the moment either. They also didn¡¯t want GiDi to think that their only reason for sending them a message was to see if they knew where DH was. They got to Avery¡¯s pod and slipped in, letting the door close behind them as they did. ¡°If you just stay until I¡¯m asleep¡­¡± they muttered, ¡°I¡¯d appreciate that. Just tonight. I feel like if I can get just one good sleep then I¡¯ll be ok.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± TO said, ¡°I¡¯ll stay the whole time if you want.¡± Avery frowned, ¡°Won¡¯t that be uncomfortable?¡± they asked, ¡°I mean, how do you and your friends manage it?¡± TO¡¯s ears flicked out, surprised, ¡°Normally one of us holds the other from behind?¡± Avery frowned, ¡°That doesn¡¯t sound comfortable.¡± they said, ¡°I don¡¯t think so anyway.¡± TO shrugged, ¡°I can sit at the end of your pod.¡± they offered, ¡°I¡¯ll do some reading and leave when you¡¯re asleep then. I don¡¯t think I¡¯d sleep well unless I could lay down.¡± Avery gave TO a grateful smile before they settled down on their back, ¡°Thank you.¡± they said, ¡°Sorry to be a bother-¡± ¡°You¡¯re not.¡± Avery shrugged, ¡°I know I upset DH.¡± they muttered. ¡°DH was in the wrong.¡± TO said firmly. They still were worried about DH and still wanted to find them and hold them, but they also wanted to tell them that they needed to apologize at the very least! ¡°DH tries to help, but they don¡¯t always understand what others are feeling or going through, and I think they get frustrated when their efforts just make things worse.¡± ¡°Still¡­ I shouldn¡¯t have snapped at them. I can¡¯t expect them to understand if they haven''t been through anything like that. ¡° ¡°You were upset. It¡¯s fine.¡± TO leaned back and brought up the files they were reading earlier, ¡°When DH calms down we¡¯ll talk and everything will be fine.¡± Avery nodded slowly, their ears twitching with uncertainty before they turned over on their stomach with their hands under their head like an extra pillow. if Avery was used to sleeping like that then TO could see how sleeping like they did with DH and GiDi would be considered uncomfortable. ¡°Thanks again for agreeing to this.¡± ¡°Not a problem.¡± TO said, ¡°I enjoy spending time with all my friends. Besides, you don¡¯t often want to spend time with us, so this is a little bit of a treat.¡± Avery chuckled, ¡°I don¡¯t know if you can call my company a treat, but thanks.¡± The two fell silent. TO went back to their file for a few minutes before finally a message came through on their chip. It was from GiDi. =I¡¯m fine. DH found me before I got to the Flight Training room. They said you were busy and not to bother you.= TO felt their ears pin back in anger. Of course TO wanted GiDi to get in touch with them! Why wouldn¡¯t they? Why would DH tell GiDi that? Why keep GiDi away from them? =I was not busy. I was helping Avery. Is DH still with you then? They¡¯ve not said a thing to me since they ran off after entirely dismissing Avery¡¯s concerns!= =DH was trying to help.= =Did they even tell you what happened?= =Yes, but I imagine that there¡¯s more to it. Still, they were trying to help.= =They still didn¡¯t need to get so angry.= =I know. I had this conversation with them about you way back when. You know, the day you had the meeting with your Overseer?= =I know. I was thinking about that day too.= =DH is still a little upset, but they¡¯ll be fine. They¡¯re getting some water now but they¡¯ll be back in a minute.= TO sighed. They were still angry with DH, but being angry was exhausting, and they wanted to spend time with DH, not let this anger fester in their head. =I¡¯m with Avery right now. They asked me to stay with them for a little. I¡¯ll be back in my pod later. You can mention that to DH if you like.= =I will. Is Avery alright?= =Relatively.= =That¡¯s something, we¡¯ll talk tomorrow.= TO sighed and leaned back against the wall as they closed up their files. The whole day had been an exhausting, emotional mess. They felt so tired and almost sick from everything that had happened. A nice bath, some cold water, and an hour or so to watch some show with DH would make them feel a lot better. Maybe it was too late for the bath, but once they had talked to DH, TO was sure that they could watch a show before they slept. And even if there wasn¡¯t enough time for that, maybe the three of them could share a pod later so that they could all be together while they rested. ====== It was the pain in TO¡¯s neck that woke them up. They had slumped over and their neck had been bent at an odd angle for a while. They looked around, confused as to why they were sitting to one side in their pod. Then they remembered that they were with Avery. They checked their chip and saw that it was very late and they knew that DH and GiDi had to be asleep by this time. After checking to make sure that Avery was sound asleep, TO left Avery¡¯s pod and rushed back over to their own. Their thin shoes slapped against the floor, echoing up towards the ceiling amid the relative silence of the dormitories. It was so late that every pod was closed up as the synths inside slept. Well, every pod but one; TO¡¯s pod seemed to be the only one still opened. They rushed up to their pod, climbing up the ladder as quickly as possible in hopes of seeing DH or GiDi waiting for them there. TO froze on the ladder as they looked into their empty pod. They felt hurt and stupid all at once. Of course DH and GiDi wouldn¡¯t be here, it was late! TO and DH were supposed to be watching GiDi, so when they got tired DH probably told GiDi to sleep with them again. It was fine. TO wanted to believe that it was fine, and that their simple, innocent explanation was true. They didn¡¯t want to think that DH was all that angry at them. TO crawled into their pod and flopped down on their side before closing the barrier. They wrapped their wings around themself as tightly as they could and after a moment they took the thin pillow from under their head and held it tightly to their chest. They didn¡¯t want to sleep, they wanted to go and wake up DH and make sure that everything was fine! But of course they couldn¡¯t now; it was too late, they were asleep, they all needed rest in case they were tested tomorrow. Despite how late it was and how tired TO was, it took a long time for them to drift into an uneasy sleep. Episode 106: Hope TO got dressed as soon as they woke and swung over into GiDi¡¯s pod to speak to them. DH wasn¡¯t there, and TO had already seen that they weren¡¯t in their own pod. ¡°Where¡¯s DH?¡± TO asked. They cursed themself for not taking the time to ask GiDi how they were first. ¡°Oh, they decided to get up early and rush off right away.¡± GiDi grumbled as their ears pinned back, ¡°Wouldn¡¯t take my advice and stick around.¡± ¡°Ah... I see¡± TO said as their own ears drooped down. They had really hoped to talk to DH before they ate. ¡°Well, things are alright between the two of you?¡± GiDi gave a sigh as they finished putting their uniform on, adjusting one of the sleeves that had twisted up in the process, ¡°We¡¯re fine.¡± they said, ¡°I know DH didn¡¯t mean anything by what they said; they just have a tendency to be a bit of an idiot at times.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know if I¡¯d say they¡¯re an idiot-¡° ¡°Oh yes they are; they told me what happened with Avery yesterday. And sure, I get that DH is frustrated; Avery was upset that DH didn''t seem to understand how they felt despite the fact that they didn¡¯t tell us what happened. Still, that doesn¡¯t mean that DH should have just been so flippant about it, and I get Avery getting angry about that.¡± GiDi shook their head, ¡°DH needs to apologize; to Avery, and to you.¡± ¡°Did they tell you why they ran off?¡± TO asked, ¡°I told DH-¡° ¡°You called them out.¡± GiDi said firmly, ¡°And that¡¯s good! I¡¯ve done that more than once.¡± ¡°I know.¡± TO said with a sigh, ¡°But they never got angry at you for doing that. They listened to you.¡± GiDi was just reaching for the ladder, but they stopped. ¡°Well...¡± they said, speaking slowly and carefully, ¡°I suppose that¡¯s a little different.¡± ¡°I suppose DH figured that I¡¯d take their side no matter what.¡± TO muttered, ¡°I guess they feel betrayed-¡° ¡°Is that really what you think?¡± GiDi asked as they turned to face TO, ¡°Is that really why you think they¡¯re upset?¡± ¡°...Yes?¡± GiDi sighed, ¡°The both of you are morons.¡± they grumbled. They reached out for the ladder again but this time TO stopped them, grabbing them by the sleeve and pulling them back. ¡°So I¡¯m wrong.¡± TO said, ¡°Tell me how I¡¯m wrong then¡± GiDi shook their head, ¡°You just are. Maybe it¡¯s not your fault. I know you don¡¯t mean-¡± ¡°No, I mean, if I¡¯m wrong then tell me why they¡¯re actually upset! If I¡¯m such a moron, then explain it to me as clearly and as carefully as you can.¡± GiDi¡¯s ears flicked down as they glanced away, ¡°I want to¡± they said, ¡°I really do! But I promised that I wouldn¡¯t tell-¡° ¡°Then you can blame me for forcing you to tell me.¡± TO said, ¡°Because I will! DH is upset for some reason that they¡¯re not telling me. If I can¡¯t see how I¡¯m upsetting them, then I think it¡¯s more important that I know what¡¯s actually wrong so that I can fix the problem than it is for DH to try to keep it to themself for whatever reason!¡± ¡°I agree!¡± GiDi said, ¡°I know that! I¡¯ve been telling DH that they should just be honest with you.¡± ¡°Then tell me what¡¯s wrong!¡± GiDi¡¯s ears twitched, consideration and worry flicking through them as they looked around. After a moment, they checked the time on their chip ¡°Look.¡± they said, ¡°We don¡¯t have a lot of time before we have to get to our training and if I¡¯m going to tell you then at the very least this isn''t a conversation for right here and right now.¡± Gidi gestured to the chip in the back of their hand, ¡°Do you understand?¡± Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators! TO frowned, wanting GiDi to tell them what the problem was right now. Still, they didn¡¯t want their chips to pick up on anything that might cause DH or GiDi some harm. ¡°...Fine.¡± TO grumbled, ¡°We¡¯ll take our second meal in the observation deck, and you¡¯ll tell me then. ¡° ¡°Second? Couldn¡¯t it wait until-¡° ¡°You¡¯re lucky I¡¯m not saying first meal!¡± TO said, ¡°The only reason I¡¯m not is because you¡¯re right about us being short on time right now.¡± they looked at GiDi intensely, paying special attention to the movement of their ears, ¡°Promise me now; during the second meal you¡¯ll tell me what happened.¡± ¡°You realize that if I make that promise to you then I¡¯m breaking a promise I made to DH.¡± ¡°Do you think it¡¯s a good idea to keep that promise if it¡¯s hurting DH? Or if I¡¯m hurting them without knowing what¡¯s going on?¡± GiDi was silent for a few minutes before they shook their head, ¡°No¡­ No, you¡¯re probably right. I probably should have told you before, but I hoped that DH would stop being an idiot and tell you themself.¡± ¡°You promise then?¡± ¡°I promise; second meal in the observation deck¡­ I¡¯ll tell you everything.¡± ====== TO regretted that they didn¡¯t insist on learning what the issue was during the first meal. All they could think about on the way to their combat training was that there was some unknown problem that was upsetting DH. The possibility of all the different things that it could be raced through TO¡¯s head and distracted them. They were walking among a bunch of different synths with GiDi at their side when a thought crossed their mind. Maybe C12 is right. C12 thought that DH could have romantic feelings. DH had gotten angry when TO had stood up for Avery. They cast their mind back and they were certain that DH had seemed a little more morose when they had finished spending time with Avery too. Could that be the issue? Was DH simply¡­ jealous? Could DH actually have feelings for them? Real, romantic feelings like Flit and Snout? Maybe DH thought about TO in the same way that TO thought about them! They were certain that they were wrong though; they were just looking for evidence to support the conclusion that they wanted. Besides that, they were picking through their own memory and they knew that memory was unreliable and easily altered depending on mood or feelings. Still, thinking about it make TO¡¯s chest feel like it might burst and while they wanted to drag GiDi away and figure out what was happening right away, they were also glad that they had to wait for a little while; there was no harm allowing themself to indulge in a small, happy fantasy until they found out the real reason DH was so upset and angry. ¡°Ready for your training?¡± C12 asked them as they approached the door. Their words drew TO out of their daydreams; they hadn¡¯t even realized that they were already at the training room! ¡°Yes, Retiree!¡± TO said, feeling lighter than they had in a while thanks to the tiny flicker of hope that was still glowing in their mind. C12 nodded, pointing to their chip, ¡°70H67 is already in and ready.¡± They said, ¡°I was surprised that they came so early.¡± The use of DH¡¯s actual call number rather than their nickname threw TO off for a moment, but then they realized that C12 must be under observation; there was no other reason they would be so formal, and the way they gestured to their chip made it too obvious. TO suddenly recalled the other day, how the Commander had slapped them, and - They sequenced the DNA. They believed they knew how King Decon made the synths. It came back to them; they had been so thrown by the slap, then by GiDi and DH¡¯s fight, then by Avery, then by DH¡¯s anger towards them that they hadn¡¯t really had a chance to think about that! The answer to a question that had been bugging them for periods was standing before them, waving them into the simulation room. They nearly asked if they could take their second meal with C12, but then remembered that they had to have it with GiDi; they had to find out what was wrong. Still, when they finally took note of C12¡¯s ears they could see them twitching with concern. ¡°70H67 is anxious to be tested and prove themself.¡± TO finally said; if someone was listening to them then that was a perfectly acceptable response. Still, TO could feel their ears droop and they were certain that C12 noticed that. ¡°I see.¡± they said, ¡°Well, I¡¯m sure it¡¯ll work out. And I hope that you¡¯ll recall your training when you do end up being tested.¡± ¡°Yes, Retiree.¡± TO said, but they weren¡¯t entirely focused on C12; TO was lost deep in their own thoughts, thinking about DH, about GiDi, about what they hoped they¡¯d be told during their second meal and what they might actually be told. They were thinking about Snout sequencing the DNA of the synths. They replayed that scene of C12 getting slapped over and over. There was too much going on in their head to focus on any one thing and make sense of it. TO and GiDi choose seats close together so that they could help one another attach the wires, a process that took longer than normal just because TO couldn¡¯t focus. ¡°Good luck today.¡± GiDi said once they were all hooked up. ¡°You too.¡± TO said as they put their helmet on. They didn¡¯t want to do training today; they wanted to go right to their second meal so that they could get some answers to the questions that were racing about in their head. Still, they knew that they had to do their training. They had to wait. They had to be patient. They sat in their chair for a few moments before they started to sync. They had that odd feeling like they were dissolving into nothing as the real world fell away around them. They prepared to enter a simulation right away, but for some reason they didn¡¯t. They floated, formless, in the black nothingness that existed between the real world and the simulations. Normally this only lasted a few moments but now it seemed to drag on and on. Finally. Something was happening. They thought at first that they were finally syncing up to the simulation, but that wasn¡¯t what was happening. Glowing words formed before them, hanging in the void. Please prepare for examination. You will be under live observation during your examination. Depending on duration, time dilation technology may be utilized. It never occured to TO how much even a fleeting moment of panic affected their body until it rushed through their brain without a body to react to it; it felt like all that panic, all that worry was now trapped in their head with no outlet. It was time. They were being tested. Episode 107: Examination TO was synced into a seemingly normal simulation in what appeared to be a hot, humid jungle were large trees blocked out the sky overhead. There seemed to be a slight blue-green tinge to everything, save for the vining flowers that bloomed in stark, contrasting red. The jungle reminded TO of the place that C12 had put them for flight practice, but there was far less room for flying and the canopy hung much lower. There were three other synths there all of whom were entirely unfamiliar to TO. On their uniforms were their new assignments for this scenario; TO was S02. The others were S01, S03, and S04. They had never really had sequential numbers like that before but TO figured it was because they were being tested and not just doing a normal simulation. They had hoped that DH and GiDi would have been in the simulation with them; they wanted to be there to help them and make sure that all of them passed their examination. Sure they were still angry at DH, but they still wanted to help them! DH was still their best friend and their family! They still loved DH, no matter what. TO nodded in greeting at the other synths who just looked at TO and then looked away. There were no strange looks or even any look of familiarity; just a glance and then a look away. Total indifference. Maybe they were nervous about their examination. TO wondered if they should say something and offer some words of encouragement, but their orders came faster than normal. The orders came via the normal method; words popping up before them. The scenario was exceedingly simple, but it was the kind that could prove to be very difficult; There was a group of insurgents in the jungle and their job was to find and neutralize them. They were given no added assistance, no tracking technology, no maps. There was no time limit. The win condition wasfinding and neutralizing the insurgents. They lost if the insurgents were to get more than five kilometers away from them. The orders listed TO as the leader. That surprised TO as they had never been the leader in a simulation. They had assumed that their examination would have something to do with making sure they could follow orders properly. The countdown started. ¡°You¡¯re the leader.¡± S01 said, their voice deadpan and their ears nearly still as they spoke, ¡°Do you have any ideas as of now?¡± TO frowned at just how formal the other synth was, but they shrugged it off, ¡°Well, If we have a losing condition of them getting more than five kilometers away from us, then I assume that they¡¯re within that distance right now; probably closer than that I¡¯d guess. they¡¯ve probably been placed about halfway.¡± They glanced at their unfamiliar teammates, then looked away; there was something about them that bothered TO, but they couldn¡¯t quite place it. ¡°Understood. So, what is your plan?¡± ¡°We check above the canopy first once the simulation starts; I want to see if the insurgents have set up camp and started a fire, or if there¡¯s any sign from above of their location.¡± They frowned as they looked around, ¡°I¡¯d like to say we should just fly above the jungle to find the insurgents, but that would make us easily seen and targeted.¡± Their armor finally appeared over them. TO actually felt more comfortable that their teammates had their ears and faces covered as there was something just not right with the others. TO had even checked their foreheads to see if there was any chance that they had been corrected but of course they hadn¡¯t been. They didn¡¯t speak or move as though they had been corrected but they simply seemed to be missing something. They seemed like shells of synths. Well, no matter. They didn¡¯t need to spend a lot of time with these synths, they just had to get through the simulation and do well. The countdown ended and the simulation began. They were suddenly exposed to the suffocating humidity of the jungle, and the cacophony of sounds that echoed all around from wild animals and insects hidden all about them. They thought of all the strange bugs that might have been programmed into the simulation, and shuddered. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it. ¡°S1, come with me; I want an extra set of eyes when I go up and I don¡¯t want anyone on their own¡­ S3 and S4, stay on the ground and look for any signs of disturbances or travel through the trees. ¡° A monotone chorus of ¡®understood¡¯ followed TO¡¯s orders and filled them with unease. They shook it off as best they could. A quick few flaps of their wings brought them up high enough into the canopy that they could just climb up the rest of the way. A press of a button exposed their grasping feet and they made quick progress through the branches, followed by the silent S1. They got to the top and poked their head over the leaves; it was dusk, with the sun setting far in the distance and painting the sky in various shades of reds and purples. TO didn¡¯t take any time to really appreciate it as they normally would¨C they had a job to do. they scanned the sprawling ocean of blue-green leaves that spread out before them, looking for a hint that the insurgents were nearby. They found their hint; TO could distantly see a pillar of smoke rising up out of the canopy and into the sky, creating a dark grey scar on the colourful horizon. They used the inbuilt navigation equipment and marked the direction before they headed back down to the ground. When they landed the other two synths suddenly stood at attention. S1 landed behind TO and stood at attention as well. ¡°South-south-east.¡± TO said, ¡°The insurgents are camping there. We¡¯ll head over, and even if they''re gone by the time we get there then we¡¯ll be able to track them from their current camp site.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± There was definitely something wrong with these synths. Still, TO didn¡¯t need to worry about them. In fact, they felt far less worried about the whole examination! Though they had no doubt that it would be harder than just heading to the insurgent¡¯s current campsite and eliminating the targets, this examination was turning out to be a lot easier than they had expected. Still, this was no time to let their guard down. They headed towards the insurgents, keeping an eye out for wild animals, natural dangers, and horrific insects as they made their way through the twisted undergrowth. ====== It was perhaps only a half hour later when TO stopped their progression and made their way up over the canopy once more. They just wanted to check to see if the smoke was still rising up into the sky or if the insurgents had broken camp or moved. When they once more poked their head over the leaves they could still see the trail of smoke. The sky was much darker now, and the once dark gash against the horizon was now illuminated by the last faint rays from the setting sun, pointing TO to their target. The insurgents hadn¡¯t moved, hadn¡¯t hidden. TO and the other synths had faced no resistance, had seen no animals, had encountered no trouble. They did some quick calculations in their head and figured that if they kept moving at their current pace then they¡¯d perhaps get to the camp in another half hour. It was too easy. There had to be another part to this. Was it a trap? A distraction? Had TO over prepared for this examination? No¡­ wait, Avery had mentioned that their own examination had been straightforward, and it was only at the end that there were problems. Still, Avery had been told that their assignment was real. Here, there had been no doubt that they were just in a simulation. No matter who TO had to eliminate at the end, it was just a simulation and they could do it without worry. They¡¯d have to do it for real out in their placement. Still, that was a concern for then. Right now all TO had to do was pass their examination. They slipped back under the canopy and headed back down to the ground where S3 and S4 were standing almost eerily still, waiting for TO and S1 to return. ¡°No movement.¡± TO said as they landed before the others, ¡°we can keep going...¡° they stopped. They suddenly realized that S1 hadn¡¯t followed them down. TO looked up into the canopy, fully expecting to see some monster of the jungle, or even insurgents hiding overhead to explain S1¡¯s absence. Nothing. Well, not nothing. S1 was there, seemingly stuck in mid-air. It was the oddest thing- It was like they were frozen in place as they were jumping back down to the ground. Their wings were spread out, perfectly still and poised to help slow their descent and soften their landing which seemed like it would never come. ¡°That¡¯s a problem.¡± TO muttered. They turned to the others, ¡°You¡¯re seeing this, right?¡± Nothing. The others didn¡¯t move or respond. TO took a step towards them and reached out to touch their helmets. Their armored hand passed through the other synths as though they weren¡¯t even there. A glitch? Of course the system would glitch up when TO was in the middle of their examination. Well, they were being watched so either it¡¯d be fixed in a moment or they¡¯d be pulled from the simulation. There was nothing TO could do from where they were. TO sat down on a nearby fallen log, wondering if the other synths were seeing them just standing still and motionless after having landed. Maybe to the others, TO was still up in the tree. Maybe the issue was only with their system? Well, they couldn''t be failed for that, they had no control over such things. They didn¡¯t get to think about that for very long. They suddenly had that feeling of being pulled from their body, of dissolving out from the world around them. Good. It seemed that they didn''t have to wait too long before those watching them realized there was a problem, and they were very glad that they weren¡¯t stuck in some issue with the time dilation technology. They wondered if they would have to start over from the beginning, Or if they would be put in a new simulation. There was no moment of weightlessness, or sense of disembodiment; TO suddenly felt themselves violently get thrown back into their body, where their senses were being attacked by loud alarms and frantic shouting. Episode 108: A.I TO pulled off their helmet only to have their senses assaulted by flashing lights and loud alarms. Several seats around them - GiDi¡¯s included- were empty. The Synths that were still sitting in the simulation pods were oddly limp and still. ¡°Get up.¡± TO turned to see C12 rushing towards them, their face uncharacteristically blank and focused. They started ripping the wires off of TO, detaching them from the simulation system. TO expected pain since whenever they just ripped off the wires from their skin there was discomfort, but there was none this time. Maybe it had something to do with how viciously they had ended up back in the real world. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± TO asked, their voice pitched with panic and confusion, ¡°Where the other synths? What¡¯s wrong with the ones here, they-¡° ¡°Dead.¡± C12 said blankly, ¡°Insurgents have infiltrated the training base with the help of a handful of other trainees. Disgusting to think that other synths would assist the insurgents.¡± There was the slightest twitch of disdain to C12¡¯s ears. ¡°They hacked into the simulation pods and started using them to kill the synths that were locked in. You¡¯re lucky I pulled you from it when I did.¡± TO hardly heard C12. Dead. All the synths still in their seats were dead. TO had several questions as C12 pulled the last wire from them and yanked them from the chair; but only one was important. ¡°GiDi and DH; are they ok?¡± C12 turned back to look at TO, their ears flicking out ever so slightly with confusion. ¡°Who? I must have misheard you.¡± C12 had been dragging them to the door, but TO stopped suddenly, halting them both. What was going on? Why was C12 acting so differently? ¡°09T07; come. We must get to one of the evacuation pods.¡± They reached for their belt and took out a multi-gun which they passed to TO. ¡°Here.¡± they said, ¡°In case we run into any synths who have assisted the insurgents.¡± C12 was giving them a multi-gun? A real one? Was this normal? Well, clearly nothing was normal at the moment. They looked around at all the synths in the seats, trying to figure out if DH and GiDi were there. If they were dead. ¡°The synths who have assisted the insurgents have had their chips desynced and alerted; you¡¯ll see their hand glowing bright red.¡± they pulled TO forward again, ¡°If you see a synth like that, you must shoot to kill; They are disgraces not only to King Decon, but to all good synths.¡± Glowing red hands; that was convenient. C12 was speaking oddly. C12 didn¡¯t understand TO when they mentioned DH and GiDi. They had an overall objective, a weapon, and targets. I¡¯m still in the simulation. It hit TO suddenly, but the moment they thought about it was the moment that everything suddenly made sense. This wasn¡¯t C12; it was an AI who was programmed to behave like C12! The Training center wasn¡¯t in danger, it was just a simulation to test TO properly. These synths weren¡¯t dead. DH and GiDi weren¡¯t dead even if they were here! They thought about what Avery had said about being told that their simulation wasn¡¯t a simulation; that it was real. Well, TO hadn¡¯t been told that this was real but had very nearly been tricked into thinking it was. If any other officer had grabbed them and spoke to them like the AI-C12 had then they would have believed it ¡°09T07, do you understand what you have to do?¡± The AI-C12 asked. ¡°Of course.¡± TO said back. C12 had given them a warning just before their training had started but they had been so distracted that they hadn¡¯t picked up on the warning; Remember your training. Follow orders. Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. ¡°Get to the evacuation pods and eliminate any red-handed synths I encounter along the way.¡± ¡°Correct. Let¡¯s go.¡± The AI let go of TO¡¯s arm and left the simulation room. TO took a quick look around to see if they could see DH and GiDi, but they couldn¡¯t tell who was still there because of the flashing lights and the helmets over everyone¡¯s head. They shook their head and ran after AI-C12. It didn¡¯t matter if DH was ¡®here¡¯ or not as it was just a simulation. In order to pass TO knew that they would have to obey orders. They would have to shoot and eliminate any synth they encountered with a glowing red hand. If they saw Avery or GiDi, they¡¯d have to shoot to kill. If they saw DH, they¡¯d have to shoot to kill. ¡®It¡¯s just a simulation¡¯ they reminded themself as they took off down the hallway, trying their best to ignore the flashing lights. They hoped they were right. ====== They had been running only for a few minutes when TO heard an explosion in the distance; was it ambient noise, or something they should take note of? Was it just something to distract them, or a fuel tank being damaged? It was hard to tell. It was hard to focus with the lights going off all around them and the alarms still ringing in their ears. It was so hard to focus that TO nearly ran right into the first ¡®insurgent synth¡¯ as they rounded a corner. It was a synth that TO didn¡¯t know; one who had long, narrow ears. Their uniform was tattered and torn and the call number had been ripped from their chest. With the flashing lights, it took TO a moment to realize their hand was glowing bright red. By the time they did the other synth already had their multi-gun up. They fired, but TO dodged out of the way, pushing themself against the wall as they fired five times at the synth before them. Two shots hit; one in the arm, and one in the chest. The other synth dropped their multi gun and pressed their good hand to their chest as they stumbled backwards. They turned, started to run but then fell forward onto the floor. TO could hear the crack of a bone- -the crack of bones being snapped- And saw them convulse before becoming very still. ¡®I didn¡¯t kill them¡¯. TO told themself as they stared at the body. No, they didn''t just kill another synth. Avery had told them that even in their own simulation- though they didn¡¯t know if Avery¡¯s examination was actually a simulation or not - they had seen the bodies fall to the ground, lifeless and bleeding out. Of course the Overseers wouldn¡¯t have the bodies dissolve once they were eliminated as that would make it clear that it was just a simulation. TO should have been prepared for this. Under the flashing red lights the blood that pooled around the synth seemed black, their body oddly pale- -Bones cracking. Blood. The smell of disinfectant- TO shook their head and chased after AI-C12, who was waiting just a little ways ahead of them. Well, if anything would convince TO that this was just a simulation, it was the AI-C12. This C12 looked at them with impatience, and TO knew that the real C12 would have at least had some pity or sympathy for TO. The real C12 wouldn¡¯t have given TO the multi gun. The real C12 would have killed the ¡®insurgent¡¯ themself. The real C12 would have known what they were talking about when they asked about GiDi and DH. ¡°Apologies.¡± TO said over the alarms as they caught up, ¡°I¡­ I have never killed a synth. We are not supposed to, and -¡° ¡°Understandable, 09T07¡± AI-C12 said, ¡°But they are not to be considered synths now; they are insurgents and you must do what needs to be done.¡± ¡°Understood, Retiree.¡± TO said. They still didn¡¯t like it. They didn¡¯t like how the other synth had looked as they fell, the way they just landed on their face with no regard for pain. They didn¡¯t like the blood that pooled around them. Just a simulation, that¡¯s all. Not real. Still, it not being real didn¡¯t make TO feel better. They tried to tell themself that how they felt didn¡¯t matter at the moment, and that all that mattered was passing their examination. All that mattered was passing. If they passed, they¡¯d see their friends again. If they passed they could make things right with DH. They chased after AI-C12, turning one corner, then another. They got to an elevator but instead of setting their chip into the chip reader AI-C12 pulled the doors apart with their hands. ¡°The elevators have been deactivated.¡± they said, ¡°We have to climb.¡± TO kept themself from asking if they should find stairs; they were supposed to obey, to follow orders. On the edge of the elevator shaft there was, thankfully, a maintenance ladder. AI-C12 Swung over easily and started to climb down. They could probably jump, TO realized. They could jump and slow themselves with their wings as they approached the bottom. That would probably be faster than climbing down the ladder. Still, TO reached out and swung over to the ladder. Don¡¯t question the orders, just follow them. The real C12 would have thought about jumping. Wait. No, the real C12 would have issues with the ladder; The real C12 had a fake leg. Did the AI-C12 forget that, or was it not considered important for the simulation? Actually, the real C12 would have trouble dealing with all this running about with a poor prosthetic leg, wouldn¡¯t they? That was something to worry about later; something they could ask C12 when this was all done. Nothing else mattered right now but working their way down the ladder; the sirens didn''t matter, the lights didn¡¯t matter. The strange sound coming from below- Wait, that did matter. TO glanced down and saw the elevator which had been just visible further down the elevator shaft, start to fall. The wire that had held it up seemed to have snapped. TO realized suddenly that while it was a good thing that they didn¡¯t try to jump and land on top of the elevator, there was still a big problem; When that elevator hit the bottom, there was a very good chance that there would be an explosion, or at the very least a fire. There would be smoke and flames roaring up the elevator shaft. They had to get out of the elevator shaft fast. TO turned about, and saw another elevator door nearby. They took out their multigun, set it to a wider blast, and fired at the door. The recoil would have thrown TO off the ladder if they hadn¡¯t been holding on so tightly. The elevator door was blown open and TO was able to jump from the ladder and glide to the opening, only clipping their wing once as they got through the door. They landed painfully on the floor, but thankfully it didn¡¯t seem like they were injured. They heard AI-C12 land next to them moments before they heard a crash from the elevator shaft, followed by a whoosh. TO pulled themself up and when they looked back at the shaft it was indeed filled with smoke, illuminated with red from the fires below. ¡°Come along.¡± AI-C12 said as they pulled themself up, ¡°There¡¯s a set of emergency stairs further down this way. We¡¯ll take them down to the escape pods.¡± So that was why they didn¡¯t go for the stairs first; the elevator and the fire was part of the examination. The real C12 would have gone for the stairs first; an AI probably would have too unless it was given a different directive. TO got up, and chased after AI-C12. They held onto their multigun, shifting the setting back to a normal, lethal laser shot. ¡®It¡¯s only a simulation.¡¯ they told themself again. They hoped they wouldn¡¯t encounter any more insurgent synths. Episode 109: Determined Another synth with a glowing red hand ran towards them as TO and the AI-C12 rounded another corner. TO aimed, fired, and kept running down the hallway. It was easier if they didn¡¯t stay to look at the aftermath. It was easier if they just didn¡¯t think too hard about what they were doing. It was easier if TO just reminded themself over and over that it was just an AI as they let their training take over as a part of them seemed to sink deep within their head to simply watch what was happening from within. It felt like their eyes were unfocused, and yet they were following the orders given to them by the AI-C12. These weren¡¯t synths; These were targets. AI enemies. The targets had to be dealt with or TO knew that they would fail the simulation. If they failed, they¡¯d be corrected. ¡°We¡¯re nearly there.¡± AI-C12 said, ¡°It will be faster to go through the maintenance bay to get to the escape pods, but potentially more dangerous. Still, the training center has been destabilized, and might start to suffer catastrophic malfunctions.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± TO said. They were grateful for the orders; they didn¡¯t have to think, they just had to act. They made their way down another flight of stairs and got to the maintenance halls. There were several intersections up ahead. Intersections. TO knew to take them carefully; check the adjacent hallways before rushing forward. They just had to rely on the basic training that they had learned from games or simulations or directly from C12. They ran to the first intersection, checked, and saw the long, empty hallways. ¡°Clear.¡± TO said. AI-C12 nodded and they both ran forward. The next hall was clear as well. When they got to the third hallway, TO saw two synths coming towards them, both with glowing red hands. By merit of their training they were about to aim and fire, but something stopped them. Something stilled their hand and dragged their mind from the back of their head and dropped them right back into the whole situation they were in. Suddenly the flashing lights seemed brighter. Suddenly TO could feel the sweat running down their back. Suddenly the smell of oil hit their nose. Suddenly, it wasn¡¯t just a pair of enemy synths running towards them, it was DH and their Overseer. Time seemed to slow, and a chill worked its way through their spine from the very tip of their ears right down to their feet. That was DH! Was it really DH? Judging by the panicked look on their face and the way their ears were twitching and moving so frantically TO was certain that they weren¡¯t an AI. If they shot them, would DH fail the examination? That made no sense; they weren¡¯t trying to eliminate synths; they were testing them. Ideally every synth in training would pass and advance. After all, wasn¡¯t the Commander angry that not enough synths were passing? No. It made no sense for them to put DH and themself on opposite sides if the real win condition was actually getting to the pods and escaping. There was one logical reason why they would have DH in the simulation; They wanted to see if DH and TO would fight one another. They wanted to see if they could try to kill one another. TO turned the corner and took aim. If they didn¡¯t fight, they¡¯d be corrected. DH saw them, and the moment their eyes hit their face there was a sudden moment of recognition and of horror. TO didn¡¯t want to fight DH, didn¡¯t want to kill DH. They loved DH. More than anything they loved DH. DH started to pull up their multigun, but hesitated. Their ears flicked back in fear, in sorrow, in confusion. DH didn¡¯t know it was a simulation¨C they couldn¡¯t know. The only reason TO knew was because they knew C12, and could tell very easily that the AI-C12 was not real. DH didn¡¯t know their overseer that well, and even if they did, DH''s Overseer was very normal, and probably more easily copied by an AI. Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation. DH wouldn¡¯t fire. TO knew that. They could see it in their ears, they could see it in the way their hand started to loosen around the multigun, preparing to drop it. If DH didn¡¯t fire, DH would be corrected. TO didn¡¯t want that. TO couldn¡¯t allow that. There was only one thing TO could do to prevent that. TO fired their multigun. The blasts fired out into the hallway almost randomly as TO¡¯s aim- which wasn¡¯t great at the best of times- was suddenly shaky. A blast went through DH¡¯s wing, shredding it. Another blast went through their arm. Another blast got their Overseer in the chest, creating a dark, bloody hole in their body as they fell backwards. Another hit DH in the side of the head, splattering blue blood and grey matter on the walls. Another went through their chest. TO took a step forward; they couldn¡¯t give DH a chance to shoot them because if they had that chance and they passed it up then they¡¯d fail their exam. TO felt tears start to fall from their eyes as they fired over and over and over at the body- ¡°That¡¯s enough.¡± the AI-C12 said. Their calm, cold voice stopped TO, who llooked down at the mess of bone and blood that had once been their friend. Panic rushed through them; what if it wasn¡¯t a simulation? What if they had actually just killed their friend? They knew it was a simulation of course; everything pointed to it. It didn¡¯t matter. A part of them screamed that it might not be. A part of them screamed that they had just killed their best friend. ¡°You went overboard.¡± the AI-C12 said, ¡°You wasted time.¡± TO nodded, wiped away tears, and turned to run down the hallway ahead of the AI, ¡°Apologies.¡± they said, but they offered up no explanation after that. Once they were out of this, when they saw DH again- -DH. Unless they killed them. Blood everywhere. Bones. Bones cracking. The smell of disinfectant- -then they¡¯d explain why they had done that. They did it to protect DH. They knew it was a simulation, DH didn¡¯t. DH would understand. They had to understand. They had to. If they didn''t, then TO didn¡¯t know what they¡¯d do. They tried to go back deep inside their head, but they couldn''t. All that was waiting for then inside was that awful memory of repurposing that tiny synth, and the fresh memory of DH¡¯s mangled body. They couldn¡¯t hear anything over the sound of sirens, cracking bones, and a scalpel through flesh. They couldn¡¯t smell the fumes that wafted around them over the stench of disinfectant. It wasn¡¯t until the sound of the first distant explosion boomed over everything else that they noticed anything at all. It was a sound that they felt more than heard; it shook their bones and made them stop in their tracks. It was then finally that they heard the roar of distant flames under the sirens, heard C12 saying that they needed to run. It was then that they smelled the fumes wafting around them. It was all noticed too late. The second explosion was closer and nearby pipes shattered, spraying unknown chemicals all over them. TO and the AI ran as fast as they could away from the spray of strange chemicals only for the next explosion to catch them, showering them in debris and chemicals and fire as they felt through the now damaged floor. TO reached out frantically, managing to grab a beam and keep themself from falling down into the engine room below. They heard the AI cry out, but a moment later they were suddenly silenced. TO tried pulled themself up, but when they tried to climb back onto more secure flooring a sudden pain in their right leg stopped them; They almost let go as they cried out, but they managed to hold onto the beam. Their leg was broken, or at least the simulation made it feel like their leg was broken. They tried to spread their wings and fly, but the explosion had torn holes in the membrane of their wings. They wouldn''t be able to finish the simulation. Even if they got to a sturdy part of the floor, how could they get to the pod on a bad leg? Didn¡¯t matter. That didn¡¯t matter. They didn¡¯t know what the fail condition for this simulation was, but they refused to give up. They refused to do anything less than their best. They would not provide the synths watching, the Overseers, the Officers, and the Commanders, any reason to suggest they should be corrected. They were going to pass. They were going to survive this. They were going to see DH, and hold them and hug then and tell them how sorry they were; it didn¡¯t matter who was right or who was wrong in their stupid little fight. TO felt so stupid, so horrible for being so angry. They tried again to pull themself up. They used all their strength in their arms and swung their good leg up, knocking off the thin slipper and using their toes to hold onto the edge. They slowly pulled themself up, their damaged leg scraping over the exposed metal and wires. It hurt so bad. This simulation hurt more than previous ones ever had. It was all TO could manage to keep from crying out in pain. Yet, through the pain all they could think about was DH. If their leg was hurting this much, how much had DH suffered when they shot them in the head. -Blood. Bones. The look of Horror on DH¡¯s face- How much of that did they actually feel? They pulled themself up, flopping over and rolling over on their back and finally allowed a cry of pain to escape their lips as their broken leg twisted unnaturally with the action. It didn¡¯t matter; they were up. They were still in the simulation. They¡¯d drag themself to the pod if they had to, screaming every second in pain and agony if it meant getting out of the simulation and seeing DH again. They would do it. They could do it! They just needed a moment to collect themself, to prepare themself for all that pain¡­ They heard someone running down the hallway and towards them. TO reached for their multigun but realized that it was gone; they must have dropped it in the explosion or while they were climbing up onto a solid bit of floor. Bad wings, a broken leg, and no multigun. Most likely, the synth rushing down the hallway towards them was an enemy. TO knew that they wouldn¡¯t be able to escape, and there was nowhere for them to hide. They pulled themself up against the wall so that they were at least in a sitting position. They drew their claws. They didn¡¯t want to fight, they didn¡¯t want to use their claws on another synth, but if they had to, they would. They would make it out of this simulation. Of course, chances are they wouldn¡¯t have to do anything. The other synth would simply use their multigun. Well, at least they¡¯d be out of the simulation then. At least it¡¯d be over. At least then they could try to talk to DH. Well, provided they actually passed. They braced themself as the other synth approached, preparing for the blast that would hopefully go right through their head and take them out of the simulation. The sound of footsteps drew closer. TO kept their eyes fixed on the corner, ready to fight if they had any opportunity. They wanted to cry when they saw GiDi turn the corner, multigun out before them. GiDi stopped as they saw TO laying on the ground, covered in blood. They froze. Episode 110: Defective TO wanted to warn GiDi. They wanted to tell GiDi that this was all a simulation. They wanted to tell GiDi to go ahead and shoot them. They couldn¡¯t, not in the simulation. Not in an examination where they were being watched and judged. Still, If GiDi were to just shoot them... ¡°...TO?¡± GiDi said, their voice soft and surprised. Their eyes shot towards TO¡¯s hand, and then widened in surprise as their ears flicked down and back. TO glanced down, but saw nothing. Of course. If anything were to convince them further that it was all a simulation then it was that; GiDi probably saw TO¡¯s hand as being red. ¡°Go on.¡± TO said. ¡°Shoot me.¡± Their voice was laced with pain, so they knew it would sound authentic. If this had been a real thing that was happening then at this point ¨Cinjured, weaponless, and faced with an enemy¨C TO would expect that this was the end for them. If this was real, then the best they could hope for would be a relatively painless death. It wasn¡¯t real though, and their enemy wasn¡¯t an actual enemy; It was GiDi. Either way¡­ It made sense for TO to ask to be shot at this point, at least in their own mind. ¡°Shoot you?!¡± GiDi lowered their multigun, ¡°How could I-¡± ¡°How do you think this ends!¡± TO snapped, ¡°Really? Do you think you have any choice but to shoot me?¡± The desperation was clear in TO¡¯s voice, and they could feel their ears twitching with worry. Even if GiDi were to shoot them the situation was already bad; GiDi had hesitated far too much. That was why they had been so vicious when they attacked DH; they didn¡¯t want to give their friend an opportunity to hesitate. DH could never have shot them. TO didn''t have their multigun now, and they couldn¡¯t even stand to attack GiDi with their hands and claws. They needed GiDi to attack! Maybe if GiDi did it now, it would still be ok. Maybe their hesitation would be overlooked. After all, the Overseers knew that TO, GiDi, and DH were close; maybe they even expected some hesitation. ¡°Do you really have a choice?¡± TO said again, their words slow and careful as they hoped that maybe GiDi could pick up on something, as they hoped that GiDi would understand and shoot. They waited for GiDi to raise their gun once more. GiDi frowned, and suddenly dropped their multigun to the floor. ¡°No.¡± they said, ¡°But I¡¯m making a choice.¡± ¡°GiDi... GiDi no!¡± TO tried to move away as GiDi ran up to them, grabbing them by the arm and pulling them up. TO struggled to get out of their grasp. ¡°TO, it¡¯s fine!¡± GiDi said, ¡°I¡¯m going to get you out of here. We¡¯re going to escape. We¡¯ll go with the insurgents if we have to-¡± ¡°No!¡± TO thrashed against GiDi. This was the absolute worst thing that GiDi could be doing, and they needed GiDi to stop, to pick up their gun and to shoot them. TO drew their claws and swiped at GiDi, but given their panic, frustration, and injuries their movements were more akin to flailing than anything else. They only managed to nick their friends¡¯ skin with their lethally sharp claws. TO a point, they were grateful for that. The feeling of flesh ripping under their claws sent their mind spiraling, and made them feel dizzy and sick. ¡°You can¡¯t!¡± TO yelled, ¡°You have to-¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine! It¡¯s fine TO! We¡¯ll find DH, and we¡¯ll get out and ¨C¡± ¡°I already shot DH!¡± TO yelled. GiDi stopped and looked at TO; at their ears, at their face. ¡°You¡­ You what?¡± TO hated the way GiDi¡¯s ears sunk down, and the way they looked at them. TO hated the quiet horror and disbelief that painted their voice. They felt a pain deep in their chest and they suddenly wanted to explain it all to GiDi. It was fine. Once they got out of this then they¡¯d tell GiDi what actually happened. They¡¯d tell GiDi that they had figured out it was all a simulation. Right now, they had to get GiDi to attack them, even if that meant making GiDi hate them for just a moment, ¡°I shot DH.¡± TO said again, ¡°Over and over and over until there was blood everywhere-¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t!¡± ¡°Do I look like I¡¯m lying!¡± TO struggled once more to get out of GiDi¡¯s grip. GiDi held onto them, but another distant explosion shook the training center, throwing GiDi off balance. They stumbled forward and towards the hole in the floor. TO reached out with their good foot, hoping to grab the edge of the floor but it wasn¡¯t enough. Their toes only managed to grasp at the broken metal at the edge. They felt something tear through the skin on the bottom of their foot and they lost their minimal grip. The two fell over. The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there. TO tried to fly on instinct, but their wings were too damaged. GiDi tried to fly but they couldn¡¯t pull up as they were still holding onto TO, refusing to let them drop to the engine room below. Their mixed efforts sent them spiraling down before they struck against a large metal pipe. Something cracked. GiDi cried out in pain, finally letting go of TO as their arm bent oddly at the elbow. They plummeted to the floor of the engine room below. For the briefest of moments, TO hoped that it wasn¡¯t a simulation. They had hurt DH and they had failed GiDi. If this wasn¡¯t a simulation then all of that was over. If this wasn¡¯t a simulation then they¡¯d never have to see GiDi get taken away. If this wasn¡¯t a simulation then they¡¯d never have to face DH. They passed through the floor, separating from their body as they were pulled from the simulation and into the void that existed in between. Instead of the few moments of disembodiment that they normally experienced before they were pulled back into reality they instead coalesced into a new simulation and fell suddenly to a black floor. They were in a void. The nothing beneath them felt solid but there seemed to be nothing there, and there was no reflection to give any hint to TO as to what was under them. They pushed themself up to their knees and looked around. DH was to one side of TO, laying on their back with their ears twitching in horror as they stared up at the ceiling. GiDi was on the other, slowly pulling themself up from the floor. TO watched GiDi¡¯s ears twitching with confusion and horror as they balanced on shaking legs, trying to figure out what had just happened. Standing before them were five other synths; The Commander, The real C12, and each of their Overseers. ¡°Well.¡± The Commander said, their eyes narrowing at GiDi while their ears pinned backwards, ¡°This little experiment ends in failure.¡± they turned to TO¡¯s overseer, ¡°I told you that allowing synths to get too close would cause issues with loyalty.¡± GiDi¡¯s overseer dipped their head, their ears flicked back with shame. ¡°My apologies, Commander.¡± they said before TO¡¯s overseer could respond, ¡°It is my fault. I should have paid closer attention to this one-¡± ¡°And with all due respect, Commander.¡± TO¡¯s Overseer said, ¡°I would hardly say that the experiment was a failure.¡± they pointed at DH and TO, ¡°These two functioned just fine. I¡¯d say the issue is more one of a personal deficiency on behalf of 45G70.¡± TO got to their feet, ¡°I don¡¯t think-¡± they started, but C12 gave them a sharp look, their ears pinned back and down in warning and worry. Thankfully, the Commander and the Overseers didn¡¯t notice that TO had said anything. ¡°Potentially.¡± the Commander said again, ¡°But still, we can¡¯t ignore that 45G70 was willing to go to the insurgents. They couldn¡¯t kill 09T07-¡± ¡°I said from the beginning that this particular method was a poor choice.¡± C12 said. ¡°You will not interrupt me.¡± The Commander snapped as their lips curled back to reveal their teeth. ¡°Apologies, Commander.¡± C12 said, ¡°But as I said, we spend so much time drilling it into trainees that we don¡¯t-¡± ¡°Wait.¡± DH gasped, their hand reaching up to their head, ¡°I¡¯m not dead?¡± Their voice was higher than normal, their breathing erratic. TO ran over to them to help them up, to tell them that no, it was just a simulation. DH saw them approaching and rolled over, jumping to their feet and backing away. ¡°Stay away from me.¡± They hissed as they stumbled backwards. TO felt like that strange swelling they sometimes felt in their chest when they were around DH had suddenly burst. ¡°70H67.¡± Overseer H said, ¡°Calm yourself; it was a simulation. It was simply part of your examination and I believe that you did well.¡± ¡°The only one that I saw who actually did well was 09T07.¡± The Commander said, ¡°70H67 didn¡¯t have an opportunity to react, so there¡¯s no way to know how they were going to act¡­ Still, they did perform quite well throughout, and at the very least it seemed like they were going to shoot.¡± They looked away from DH, ¡°At any rate, I am willing to believe they passed.¡± ¡°Then my experiment was not a failure.¡± Overseer T said, ¡°50% success rate. 70H67 advanced far more than expected from original calculations because of their association with 09T07. By my observations and from past case studies, neither 70H67 or 45G70 were likely to pass their examinations. By allowing underperforming synths to form limited interpersonal relationships with overperforming ones we have improved the likely outcome.¡± ¡°I would like to see more reports.¡± the Commander said, ¡°This batch appears to be in many ways faulty; an issue which I assure you I will remedy.¡± They gestured with their chip and started inputting information into a file, ¡°At any rate, 09T07 and 70H67 can return to their training. Take the N for-¡± ¡°I believe that doing that will simply be a waste of a perfectly good synth!¡± C12 said quickly, ¡°As I said, this test is highly flawed and goes directly in the face of in-tank conditioning and any training afterwards. Synths do not hurt other synths. Synths do not fight other synths! Of course there¡¯s going to be some confusion!¡± The Commander gave C12 a cool, steady glare before they turned to GiDi, ¡°You.¡± They snapped, ¡°When you were taken from the first simulation, you were told that insurgents had infiltrated the training center: Yes or no?¡± GiDi¡¯s ears were down and back, a mixture of fear and horror. ¡°Y-Yes?¡± They managed to stammer out. ¡°And you were also told that some synths were among those, correct?¡± ¡°Yes¡­ Yes I was.¡± ¡°You were informed that any synth with a glowing red hand was an insurgent, and that you had to neutralize them, correct?¡± Well, TO¡¯s theory had been right; GiDi had likely seen them with a glowing red hand. DH had likely seen the same. ¡°Correct.¡± ¡°And when you saw 09T07, was their hand glowing?¡± GiDi wrapped their wings around themself as they looked away, ¡°It was, Commander.¡± ¡°Very good. You had your orders. You recognized 09T07 as an insurgent, as a synth who had turned against King Decon. They even told you outright that they had killed 70H67, and yet you refused to kill them. No, worse than just disobedience, you decided to take them and try to run off to the insurgents. You were willing to commit treason. Why?¡± GiDi was silent, staring at the ground, Still, TO noticed their ears slowly pin back, and could see their eyes narrow. ¡°Because I couldn¡¯t kill them.¡± ¡°Why not?¡± ¡°...I just couldn¡¯t.¡± The Commander nodded, ¡°See? They are clearly defective.¡± they took a few steps towards GiDi, ¡°You had direct orders. You could not obey them. That is your only function, you do realize that, yes?¡± GiDi stayed silent, but TO could see their lips starting to curl back, their neck muscles straining, and their wings starting to puff out ever so slightly. ¡°If you cannot do that, then you are useless.¡± the Commander continued. Their chest puffed out a little with pride, ¡°As a tool of King Decon¡¯s-¡± It was like something suddenly snapped in GiDi. Somehow, TO was brought back to that day when Q10 had called them broken; the anger in their eyes, and the rage in their voice. GiDi¡¯s wings fluffed out around them. They took a step towards the Commander, their hands in fists, shaking at their side. Their eyes were narrowed into slits, their ears were pinned right back, and their lips curled back to show not just their fangs but the entire row of their upper teeth. ¡°I AM NOT A TOOL!¡± GiDi screamed at the Commander. A moment of silence. Were those words echoing in the simulation, or only in TO¡¯s head? They didn¡¯t know. They felt a horrible, cold chill run down their spine as their ears went limp. It felt like they had been sent spinning out of reality. They looked over at DH, hoping for something to tell them that this wasn¡¯t actually happening and that what TO had just heard was just some horrible hallucination. DH¡¯s horrified expression told them just the opposite. ¡°I¡­ I am not a tool.¡± GiDi repeated, a little more softly this time. The aggression drained from their face. They took a step back from the Commander and the Overseers who were looking at GiDi the way one might examine a stain on their shirt. It was the look that TO had so often gotten from other synths in the past. It was that look that TO had once gotten so used to; ¡®what are you. Why are you here.¡¯ The only one who didn¡¯t look at GiDi like that was C12, who suddenly just looked tired and broken. The Commander simply turned to the Overseers and C12, ¡°Can I assume that¡¯s evidence enough that this one is defective?¡± The Overseers nodded. GiDi¡¯s overseer bowed their head, ¡°My apologies I don¡¯t know how-¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be going over your records later myself.¡± the Commander snapped. ¡°Meantime. Put the others back in their training. Take the N for correction.¡± TO took a step forward, wanting to grab GiDi. They wanted to run away with them, even though they knew they were just in a simulation and that there was nowhere to run. TO¡¯s hand dissolved away before them, and they were once more sent to that void between the simulations and reality. Episode 111: Goodbye The moment TO felt themself fall back in their own body they ripped off the helmet, flung it to the side, and tore off the wires that were stuck to them; it hurt, and if taken off quickly like that the wires could cause some lingering pain due to the way they linked into the nerves TO didn¡¯t care. They tore off the last of the wires and got out of their seat. DH had already gotten up and judging by the small round marks on their skin it was clear that they had done the same thing. Without looking at TO or saying anything at all they ran over to GiDi who was still in their seat next to TO, looking dazed while C12 gently removed their wires. GiDi themself looked horrified. Their eyes were wide and their ears were pinned back and down. C12¡¯s ears were also tilted down with sadness, but there was an intense focus to their work, to how deftly they removed the wires. ¡°You can¡¯t take them.¡± TO said as they put a hand out to stop C12, ¡°You can¡¯t, they don¡¯t-¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have a choice.¡± C12 said, ¡°They have to go now.¡± They took the last of the wires off and gently helped GiDi out of their seat. GiDi got up as though they were in a daze, their wings wrapped tightly around their arms, and their legs shaking under them. ¡°No¡­ No you can¡¯t have them corrected!¡± DH said. They slid their arm between GiDi and C12, ¡°You can¡¯t!¡± C12 shook their head, ¡°DH¡­ Where do you see this going?¡± ¡°W-what?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t want me to take them. Ok. What do you think you can do?¡± They tilted their head at DH, ¡°If they don¡¯t get corrected, then they can¡¯t stay here.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll leave then!¡± DH said, ¡°We¡¯ll-¡± C12 gave a low hiss to silence DH, then pointed to the back of their hand, ¡°You just passed your examination; barely, but you did. You don¡¯t want to throw that away.¡± C12 pushed DH out of the way and pulled GiDi behind them and towards the door. TO and DH followed them. Not a word was spoken until they were out of the simulation room. ¡°You can¡¯t take them away.¡± TO said, ¡°There has to be another way.¡± C12 looked TO in the eyes, and said very carefully, ¡°I am taking GiDi to get corrected.¡± They were lying. There was that twitch to their ears, the way the tips and outer edge seemed to shiver. ¡°You...You¡¯re not-¡± ¡°Like I said, GiDi can¡¯t stay here.¡± C12 said, ¡°And I can¡¯t do much else. Do you understand?¡± They looked back to DH, ¡°Do you both understand?¡± GiDi caught the way C12¡¯s ears moved, and their expression of horror shifted to one of relief, then confusion. ¡°Then what are we-¡° ¡°I¡¯m taking you to get you corrected.¡± C12 said again, more firmly this time despite the twitching of their ears, ¡°That¡¯s all you need to know for now.¡± They looked back to TO, ¡°That¡¯s all you can know for now¡­ I hope you understand that.¡± Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work! TO nodded. ¡°I do.¡± they said, ¡°There... There¡¯s some information I can¡¯t have right now. Information that I shouldn¡¯t have. Information that could be dangerous to have.¡± It made sense. C12 wasn¡¯t taking GiDi to be corrected, but if TO knew what was going to happen and if they were questioned afterwards, then C12 could be in a lot of trouble. Such a situation could even put GiDi in danger. ¡°... Will they be ok?¡± DH asked. C12 sighed, and finally let go of GiDi¡¯s arm, ¡°I can¡¯t promise that.¡± they said, ¡°But this is the only option. Look-¡± they looked down the hallway, their ears swiveling as they listened, ¡°Look, I offered to take GiDi down to the correctional facilities so that their Overseer could just meet us there. If I don¡¯t take GiDi soon, they¡¯ll wonder where I am and start looking for me. We have to go.¡± C12 reached out to take GiDi by the arm again, but GiDi pulled away. ¡°...Can I say goodbye?¡± they asked. Their voice was so small, so scared that it nearly broke TO. They felt the tears start to well up in their eyes. They remembered that time when GiDi, DH, and themself had all relaxed in the hot tub so, so long ago. They remembered how GiDi had just fallen asleep while leaning against them. They remembered how they wanted to protect GiDi, to make sure nothing bad happened to them, to make sure they were with someone good for their placement when they were ultimately separated. TO had failed. They felt like everything they had been trying to do had come to nothing. C12 shook their head, ¡°No, we can¡¯t¡­¡± they stopped as they looked at GiDi, saw how low their ears were, saw the tears forming in their eyes. They sighed and turned away, ¡°Go ahead.¡± they said, ¡°But be quick¡­ If we had time I¡¯d give you as much as you wanted...¡± ¡°I know... I know, Thank you.¡± GiDi said. They ran up to DH first and pulled them into an embrace as their wings wrapped around their friend. DH circled their arms around GiDi, their shoulder¡¯s starting to shake as they held back sobs. GiDi whispered something in DH¡¯s ear. DH just shook their head. GiDi gave them another quick squeeze before they let go and went TO. They pulled them into a hug, and TO wrapped their own wings around their smaller friend. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry.¡± TO whispered, ¡°For what happened in the simulation. I¡¯m so sorry. I knew it was-¡± They lowered their voice to their faintest whisper they could manage, ¡°I know it was a simulation, I just couldn¡¯t tell you.¡± ¡°I know.¡± GiDi said, ¡°As soon as I realized it was a simulation, I knew. You¡¯d never hurt me otherwise.¡± They squeezed TO tightly, ¡°Look after DH, ok?¡± ¡°Of course-¡± ¡°Look, you have to talk to them, ok?¡± they whispered. Their breathing suddenly became much shallower, and TO could feel GiDi¡¯s tears falling onto their neck, ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m not going to be here anymore to tell you that you¡¯re being idiots-¡± they gave a quick bark of laughter that turned into ragged sobbing. TO pulled them in tighter, Their own tears spilling out as they tried and failed to control their own sobs with deeper breathing. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry.¡± TO said over and over again, ¡°I¡¯m so sorry. I¡¯m so, so sorry. I wanted to help you. I wanted to¡­ I just failed so badly.¡± GiDi shook their head, ¡°No.¡± they whispered, ¡°No... You helped me. I promise.¡± They pulled away, and despite their tears and the way their ears were so low at the sides of their head, they gave a smile. ¡°You helped. I promise. I wish I could have helped you more.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± C12 said, ¡°We have to go.¡± GiDi nodded, wiped away their tears, and turned away from their friends. C12 took them by the arm and hurried them away. TO followed them for only a few steps before realizing that they couldn¡¯t follow them. They couldn¡¯t help them now. They had to trust that C12 would help them. They¡¯d never see their friend again. ¡°Take care of each other!¡± GiDi called out as they were pulled away, ¡°I love you both!¡± They were pulled around a corner and out of sight. TO heard their footsteps recede, and then¡­ silence. They¡¯d never see GiDi again. They¡¯d never hear them. They¡¯d never hold their small, sleeping form again. TO felt like they were going to be sick. They felt like they were going to pass out. Their eyes burned, their throat hurt. They felt weak. They put their hand on the wall, just wanting to support themself for moment, but they slid to the ground. GiDi was gone. They¡¯d never see GiDi again. It was their fault. A loud sob escaped their mouth and they put their hand up to stifle it. Their fault. They should have been better. They should have helped them more. They should have been more attentive to their friend. Even within the simulation, if they had just held onto their gun so that they could have shot GiDi before they had a chance to say anything then it would have been fine. If they had found a way to let them know that it was just a simulation, or at least if they had managed to convince them to shoot. If they had told them what Avery said about their own examination, if GiDi had had a hint as to how bad the examination could be then maybe they¡¯d have been prepared. The tears came freely now, and TO couldn¡¯t stop sobbing for several long, agonizing minutes. When they did finally stop it was simply because they felt worn out; numb. They felt like any feeling they might have had been wrung out of them like water from a rag. They took several gasping breaths and wiped away the tears that had yet to dry on their face. It was only then that they realized that DH hadn¡¯t said anything. They hadn¡¯t heard DH crying, though they had seen them start to sob when GiDi hugged them. The simulation. DH was probably so hurt, so confused, so sad right now, and TO was just sitting on the floor, crying. They got up, and turned around to rush to DH, to hold them, to tell them why they had attacked so viciously. TO wanted to just hold them, and let them be sad, to hold DH while they cried. There was no making this better, but if TO could help DH to hurt a little less... When TO turned around, the hallway was empty. They hadn''t noticed DH leave, and didn¡¯t know how long they had been sitting on the floor alone. Episode 112: For The Best TO stared down the empty hall for several long seconds, a feeling of dread creeping into their stomach when they realized that DH wasn¡¯t there. Once the initial shock wore off they felt that anger starting to build up inside of them. If they had seen DH react like that, then TO knew that they¡¯d be at their friend¡¯s side no matter what! They knew that they¡¯d be there to hold them and make sure they were ok. They wouldn''t leave them alone or- ¡°Take care of each other. I love you both!¡± Take care of each other. The last piece of advice that GiDi had given them. GiDi was gone. It was their fault that GiDi was gone. TO didn¡¯t know why DH wasn¡¯t here, and they were still angry at their friend¡­ But they wanted to take care of them. They wanted to take care of DH and they knew that at this moment DH was likely feeling as awful as TO themself was. And maybe it was selfish, but they wanted DH to take care of them too; to hold them. They needed to find DH. Apologies, anger, blame; that was all so insignificant right now. GiDi was gone, and TO knew that they needed DH. Their first thought was that DH would have returned to the training room. The training room was where they were supposed to be, and TO didn¡¯t know where else they should go. They looked inside, but DH¡¯s seat was empty. Washrooms. Of course! DH would have gone to the washrooms. They likely had the sense to run to the bathroom, unlike TO who had just fallen to the floor to cry. The closest washroom was only around the corner, so TO dashed there and looked inside. Empty. Showers maybe? TO realized that they hadn¡¯t even checked the time yet, but when they looked they realized that there was just under an hour left to their combat training. C12 wasn¡¯t there to put them back in a new simulation and there was little reason to stay in the simulation room at this point. If they went back in they¡¯d only be waiting for the Commander or GiDi¡¯s overseer to come and question them. Going to the showers made more sense. The showers would still be empty at this point, and it would give them both a chance to clean up. TO ran down the hallway, grateful that any other synths would still be in training and that any Officers or Overseers would be busy. They got down to the shower room faster than they ever had before, searched the locker room first, then dashed into the showers. Empty. No sounds were heard save for the dripping of water from a tap that hadn¡¯t been turned off quite right. TO¡¯s stomach lunged and they felt like they might be sick. They remembered how sick Avery had been after their examination. It had only been after they went to the medical bay that they felt any better. The medical bay. Could DH have gone there? If they had, it hurt that they hadn''t waited to take TO as well. No. No, that didn¡¯t matter. DH was scared and confused. DH had experienced TO shooting them over and over without knowing that it was all just a simulation. They were scared, confused, sad, angry, and TO knew that they had a tendency to just run off when they felt like that. ¡°Take care of each other.¡± TO realized that they¡¯d have to watch for that in the future. They¡¯d have to make sure that DH didn¡¯t just run off, or if they did that they didn''t stay hidden for very long. GiDi wasn¡¯t around to help them anymore. GiDi. GiDi was gone. How did the thought seem so fresh each time TO thought it? Where was GiDi now? Were they ok? Were they frightened? TO¡¯s vision blurred as tears welled up, but they ignored that as they ran to the Medical bay. They got there, opened the doors, and dashed in. The chairs were empty. The beds were empty. MO-6 sat at their desk, looking over files. ¡°What seems to be the problem.¡± they asked as they finished inputting something into their system. They looked up and saw TO gasping for breath from their run, their face stained with old and new tears. MO-6 got up and went over to TO. with clinical efficiency, they took their wrist and started checking TO¡¯s pulse while they watched their face carefully. ¡°DH- 70H67.¡± TO panted, ¡°Are they here?¡± ¡°No, why?¡± MO-6¡¯s ears flicked back slightly, ¡°Are they injured? Did something happen?¡± If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Did something happen? TO wanted to scream that everything had happened. That a synth had been taken away. They wanted to yell and say that GiDi was gone and DH was hiding from them, and they couldn¡¯t find anyone and they were so tired, so torn, so frustrated. They couldn¡¯t say anything. They held their hands to their face as shaking sobs made their shoulders quake. They nearly went to the floor again, but MO-6 took them by the arm and led them past the main beds, into the back hallway, and to a quiet, empty room. They set TO on the bed, and though they said something TO didn¡¯t know what it was. They lay down, vaguely aware that MO-6 had left the room again. Alone and distraught, TO cried until they fell into an uneasy sleep. ====== TO was shaken gently awake. They sat up quickly, looking around. ¡°DH?¡± they asked. They couldn¡¯t see properly ¨C their eyes were crusted together. They had been crying in their sleep. For a single blissful moment they couldn¡¯t remember where they were, or what had happened. Then the memories flooded back. Still, TO felt too tired to feel. Much like they had in the simulation they felt themself recede into the back of their mind where they simply watched what was happening. They wiped at their eyes and could clearly see MO-6 standing next to the bed with a plate of food. ¡°They¡¯re not here.¡± they said, ¡°But if they do show up, I¡¯ll bring them to you.¡± TO leaned forward, shaking. They remembered coming to the medical bay. They remembered falling apart in front of MO-6. Panic raced through them; would that be reported? ¡°Congratulations.¡± MO-6 said, though their ears were still and their tone was flat, ¡°You passed your examination.¡± TO shook their head and pressed their hands to their eyes. ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± MO-6 said, ¡°There¡¯s a handful of synths during each examination who¡­ Well, who have issues afterwards.¡± they frowned, ¡°There¡¯s been more this cycle though. Still, they tend to get through it.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± TO whispered, ¡°I shouldn''t-¡± ¡°I¡¯ve sent word to your Overseer that you¡¯ll be unable to attend your vocational training today.¡± MO-6 continued, ¡°You can stay here, the medical bay isn¡¯t that busy today.¡± ¡°But¡­ but no.. I have to..¡± TO started to lift themself from the bed, ¡°I have to go to training. I have to do my training. I have to-¡± ¡°You passed your examination.¡± MO-6 said again, ¡°You can miss your vocational training for one day.¡± They passed TO the plate of food, ¡°You do need to eat this though, then you can go back to sleep.¡± TO didn¡¯t take the food. Their stomach hurt so badly that the idea of eating made them feel sick. ¡°You need to eat.¡± ¡°I¡­ I¡¯ll get sick-¡± ¡°You won¡¯t.¡± MO-6 insisted, ¡°I¡¯ve put something in the food to calm your mind and your stomach. You¡¯ll eat, you¡¯ll sleep, and you¡¯ll feel better when you¡¯ve woken.¡± ¡°Will I?¡± TO asked. They gave a sudden, almost manic laugh, ¡°No I won¡¯t.¡± ¡°Why not?¡± TO shook their head, ¡°I won¡¯t¡­¡± they said, ¡°I don¡¯t know where DH is-¡± they realized that they had forgotten to correct themself, but they also realized that they didn¡¯t quite care at the moment, ¡°And GiDi¡­ GiDi¡¯s gone.¡± ¡°Gone?¡± MO-6¡¯s ears twitched for a moment, ¡°I suppose that¡¯s the small one that was always around you?¡± they asked. TO nodded. ¡°And¡­ I suppose they didn¡¯t pass their examination.¡± TO gasped, taking a deep breath as another sob threatened to escape them. They could only nod in answer. ¡°...Well.¡± They said, ¡°Though I''m certain that the actions taken to correct...GiDi? While I¡¯m certain that they¡¯ll be for the best, I am sorry that your...¡± they trailed off, looking for the right word. ¡°My friend¡± TO croaked out, ¡°My friend. My friend is gone.¡± ¡°I am sorry for that.¡± MO-6 said, ¡°And I can see that it has upset you greatly. However, you must keep in mind that it is for the best in service to King Decon.¡± They set the plate down on the bed, ¡°Eat.¡± they said again. ¡°Eat. At the very least, you¡¯ll feel a little better after you¡¯ve eaten. Then you¡¯ll sleep, and you¡¯ll feel a little better after that. Then, when you leave here you can look for 70H67.¡± they quirked an ear at TO, ¡°Do they already know about your friend?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± TO whispered. ¡°Then I¡¯ll expect them here soon as well. I¡¯ll tell them you¡¯re here. I¡¯ll bring them here if you like.¡± ¡°Yes¡­ please.¡± ¡°Only if you eat.¡± TO looked at the plain, grey cubes of food. They took one and started nibbling on it. A few moments later their stomach seemed to go numb, and they didn¡¯t feel like they¡¯d be sick anymore. They actually started to feel hungry. Before they knew it, they had eaten the whole meal. They reached out to break apart the plate, but their thoughts seemed suddenly slippery and far away. Their body felt tired. They lay down. They didn¡¯t quite sleep; they were vaguely aware of themself, but in the hours that passed they lingered in a strange, ethereal state where their body wouldn¡¯t move and their thoughts couldn¡¯t stick. ====== TO¡¯s thoughts came back to them slowly as whatever was in the food started to wear off. The knowledge of GiDi being taken away, the events in the simulation, and how they couldn''t find DH ebbed back slowly. It was all easier to take now, and they didn¡¯t want to throw up as they thought about it. Maybe it was because of whatever was in the food that they had been given, or maybe it was just because they had cried so much and were so exhausted that they couldn¡¯t really feel much. They knew they were sad, but they felt like they had sunk so deep inside themselves that they couldn¡¯t feel it. They had a headache, and just wanted to go back to sleep. They turned over, perfectly content to go back to sleep right away. No...no, they couldn¡¯t. They had to find DH. DH wasn¡¯t here. DH was still out there somewhere. They rolled over on their back and looked around, hoping to see DH in the room with them. The room was empty though. They got up, stumbled to the door, and made their way down the hallway to the main room. Like before, MO-6 was the only one there. TO was relieved to see that there were no other synths there to witness them in their ragged and exhausted state, though they were also worried because DH wasn¡¯t there. ¡°You¡¯re up?¡± MO-6 tilted their head at TO, ¡°How do you feel?¡± ¡°Tired.¡± TO muttered, ¡°Did DH-¡± ¡°Apologies, but 70H67 didn¡¯t arrive. Did they know that you were coming to the Medical bay?¡± TO shook their head, ¡°No¡­ No I haven¡¯t seen them.¡± MO-6 nodded, ¡°Well, if my experience with them is accurate, then they¡¯re likely looking for you. I¡¯d go somewhere where you would be easy to find; perhaps your pod? Rest would be best for you at any rate.¡± TO nodded, muttered their thanks, and started for the door. ¡°Wait.¡± MO-6 said. They picked up a plate of food, ¡°It¡¯s past time for your final meal of the day. I took the liberty of getting your food and ensuring it had more medication in it. Tomorrow you¡¯ll be back on normal food but if you have more problems you have to come and tell me.¡± ¡°Understood, Officer.¡± TO muttered. They took the food and left to go back to the dormitories. Maybe MO-6 was right; Maybe DH was looking for them. Maybe DH was in their own pod, sad and upset because they couldn''t find them. Sad that GiDi was gone. For the best in service to King Decon. Was it really? They knew that it was supposed to be, but they just couldn¡¯t believe it. Episode 113: Anguish DH wasn¡¯t in the pod when TO returned to the dormitories. GiDi¡¯s pod was empty too, and at first TO thought that maybe DH was with GiDi, but then they instantly remembered that that would be impossible. GiDi was gone. They hadn¡¯t forgotten of course; that fact was forefront in their head. Still, they had somehow failed to piece it together right away that it meant that GiDi would never be back in their pod. Wherever DH was, they weren¡¯t with GiDi. TO glanced down the hallway to see if Avery was in their pod, and if maybe DH was there. They walked forward and saw Avery in their pod, Alone. TO felt sick to their stomach once more. They quickly scurried back and headed to their own pod. They did want to see Avery, but they didn¡¯t want to talk about what happened. They didn¡¯t want to talk about how GiDi was gone, how DH had disappeared on them, and how miserably and totally they had failed their friends. They didn¡¯t want to be alone, but being with anyone other than DH right now meant having to explain things. They climbed up their ladder and into their pod. They didn¡¯t want to eat, but they remembered how their stomach had settled down once they had eaten some of the food that MO-6 had given them. They idly picked up one of the cubes and forced themself to eat. GiDi would never be in the pod next to them again. GiDi would never sit and eat with them again. GiDi would never chide them to eat again. It was only at that moment that TO remembered that they had had plans to eat their second meal with GiDi. There was a second where they panicked because they had of course missed that meal, but then they realized that GiDi couldn¡¯t have been there. GiDi was gone. GiDi had been planning to tell then what had been wrong with DH. TO remembered being so distracted, worried, and even hopeful for whatever GiDi had to tell them. Now of course they¡¯d never find out what it was. Not unless DH just told them on their own. ¡°Look, you have to talk to them, ok? They would. They¡¯d talk to DH. TO shoved another piece of food in their mouth, holding back sobs as tears stung at their eyes. GiDi was gone. GiDi wanted them to take care of one another. DH was all that TO had left. They¡¯d take care of DH. They¡¯d talk to them. They didn¡¯t know what was wrong, but they¡¯d find out and make it better somehow. They just had to wait for DH to come back to their pod. They had to wait for DH to come to them because TO couldn¡¯t find them right now. Slowly, their stomach started to grow numb once more and their thoughts started to slip. They set the rest of their food aside; they didn¡¯t want to fall asleep again. They figured if they ate slowly then they¡¯d be able to keep their stomach from churning without falling into a deep, drugged sleep. They''d be able to exist in this strange state where their thoughts couldn''t seem to stick and where they just felt too numb to cry. They¡¯d wait. DH could eventually come back to their pod, and they¡¯d talk. TO would stay with DH while they slept. They¡¯d be less sad if they were together, TO at least knew that much. ====== This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it. TO wasn¡¯t asleep. They had their eyes closed and they were listening to the pod below them for any sound. They were in an odd state, one in which they managed to block out all other noise and distractions, one where thoughts came and went almost without notice and the world passed about them without effect. There was only one sound they were looking for, nothing else mattered. Well, save for the carefully portioned out food that TO had to the side. Whenever various thoughts- -blood. Bones cracking- Started to linger too much, started to become too much to shake- -GiDi was gone. They¡¯d never see them again. Were they alright? Were they safe?- They¡¯d reach out and eat one of the small cubes. It didn¡¯t take long after that for the thoughts to start to slip away. It was just before TO was about to take another bite of their food when they finally heard the sound they had been waiting for; They heard DH climb into the pod below them. TO opened their eyes and leaned over to see their friend, but the barrier to DH¡¯s pod closed right away. TO simply stared at the closed barrier for several long minutes, confused. After a moment they knocked. Maybe DH thought that they had been asleep; though their pod hadn¡¯t been sealed their eyes had been closed and that could make it seem like they were sleeping. Silence. TO knocked again. Silence. ¡®Look, you have to talk to them, ok? I¡¯m not going to be here anymore to tell you that you¡¯re being idiots¡¯ Were they really being idiots? Was DH being an idiot right now? TO leaned over so they could put more force behind their hand, and kept knocking. They had to talk to DH, they had to make things right! The barrier opened. DH was laying with their back to TO, their blanket wrapped around them and over their head. ¡°DH.¡± TO said softly. They wanted to talk to them, but suddenly they felt at a loss for what to say. They wanted to tell them that they knew it was a simulation, and that was the only reason why they attacked. They wanted to say they were sorry they were so vicious but they were so scared that DH wouldn¡¯t attack them. They wanted to say that they missed GiDi. That everytime they thought about their small friend it felt like something was being torn apart inside. TO shifted towards the ladder. They wouldn¡¯t say anything right now, They¡¯d just crawl in and be close to DH. They¡¯d wrap their wings around them and sleep. They¡¯d hold DH tightly. That was all they wanted to do right now. ¡°What do you want.¡± DH finally said, their voice low and raspy. TO¡¯s ears flicked forward in confusion, ¡°I¡­ I want to talk to you.¡± they said after a moment, ¡°I want to be around you. There was a gasping breath from DH as they stifled a sob. TO continued towards the ladder. ¡°I don¡¯t want to talk to you.¡± DH said. ¡°That¡¯s fine.¡± TO whispered, ¡°I¡¯ll just¡­ I¡¯ll just stay with you for now. We can talk-¡± ¡°No.¡± DH said again. They took a deep breath and said far more firmly, ¡°I don¡¯t want to talk to you. I don¡¯t want to be around you.¡± TO froze. They couldn¡¯t have heard right. Or, if they did then they must have misunderstood something. ¡°... What do you mean?¡± TO finally asked after a long silence. ¡°What I said.¡± came back DH¡¯s raspy voice, ¡°I don¡¯t want to see you. I don''t want to speak to you. I don¡¯t want to spend time with you.¡± There were no tears¨C TO was far too shocked for that. After everything that had happened they felt like something deep inside had been struck and had shattered into pieces. ¡°Why.¡± was all TO could ask. They felt their wings wrap around themself as though trying to protect them. ¡°DH¡­ is it because of the examination? Is it¡­¡± They remembered how horrified and shocked DH had been when TO shot them in the simulation. They remembered how they had recoiled away from TO in horror when they were talking to the Overseers and the Commander. ¡°If it¡¯s about the simulation, I only-¡± ¡°Yes.¡± DH said, ¡°Yes. Yes, it¡¯s because of that. Don¡¯t talk to me anymore. Leave me alone.¡± Their voice cracked on the last word, and they reached out and closed the barrier before TO could say anything else. TO was frozen in place, their mind trying to go over what had just happened, over what DH had said. ¡®Don¡¯t talk to me anymore. Leave me alone.¡¯ No¡­ No there had to be something else. There had to be some other reason for what they said. TO knocked on the barrier again and again, harder and harder. There had to be a reason. DH was being an idiot. Something had happened- ¡®I don¡¯t hate you. Why would I hate you?¡¯ They beat their fist against the barrier. DH hadn¡¯t been lying back then when they said that. Had that changed? Did they hate TO now? Tears stung at their eyes, they kept pounding at the barrier until they hit the barrier so hard with the edge of their hand that pain ran through the side and up their two last fingers. They cried out in anguish, pulled their hand back from the barrier, and held it tightly to their chest. They hurt. It was hard to focus. Why was DH doing this? Was it really because of what had happened in the simulation? Their hand hurt. Their stomach churned. Withheld sobs made their throat burn. They scrambled up and climbed into their own pod. They reached out with their good hand, flailing as they closed the barrier. The moment it was closed, TO let out a ragged, primitive mix of a cry and a scream as they clutched their hand. They fell to their side, sobbing so hard their body hurt from it. They cried until exhaustion finally stilled their sobs. As they tried desperately to regain their breath, they looked down and saw the bits of food near them. They had upset the plate at some point and the perfect little cubes now lay strewn about their thin pillow. Without sitting up, TO grabbed at the cubes and started shoving what was left in their mouth. They hardly chewed as they ate, hardly breathed. When the cubes were finally gone they flopped down on their pillow. They started to sob again, but far more quietly this time. As the medication in the food took effect the sobs grew quieter and quieter until the quiet whimpers were the only sound that the sleeping TO made. Episode 114: Mind Blood everywhere. The dreams were vague and almost shapeless, but there was blood. There was the sound of bones cracking. In their dream, TO was repurposing DH but they were in space. Instead of using surgical tools they were using a multi gun. Bits and pieces of their friend floated around them, screaming. It was at that moment that TO realized that it was a dream. It was also at that moment that they realized that they couldn¡¯t wake up. While they continued their work in the dream ¨C they had to continue in the dream because if they didn¡¯t they¡¯d be corrected ¨C they tried to wake themself. Their limbs were heavy as lead even while they worked in their dream in zero gravity. They had never felt like this. They had always woken up when they realized they were in a dream, especially if that dream was a nightmare. Why were they trapped in it this time? An alarm went off somewhere. They had to finish their work on DH before they could go and find GiDi. If they didn¡¯t find GiDi before the alarm stopped then they¡¯d never see them again. They didn¡¯t wake from their dream with a start as they normally would have. The dream slowly faded as they rose from sleep, temporarily merging with reality. It took a while for TO to realize that the alarm was real and not just a part of their dream. They forced themself to sit up, pulling their stiff body from where they had been laying. The alarm was coming from their chip; it was the alarm that normally woke them up. They gestured to silence it without really paying attention or worrying about how long it had been going off. Their brain was still fuzzy and they felt so confused. A piece of the plate from their meal yesterday was stuck to their face. Why did they feel so sick? Why did their throat hurt? Why was there this fine crust around their eyes? GiDi was gone. DH didn¡¯t want them around anymore. They still felt dazed and numb, so the information was allowed to sink in easily for the moment. They lay back and closed their eyes; not wanting to sleep but just because their body still felt so heavy and they didn¡¯t want to face reality; not yet. They thought at first that maybe they were sick, but then remembered the food that MO-6 had given them, and how they had eaten so much of it so quickly so late in the day. Maybe that was why they felt so heavy. The medication had put them to sleep the day before, maybe it kept them asleep this time? Their chip gave another beep. TO wanted to ignore it, but then they thought that maybe it was DH trying to get in touch with them! Maybe it was GiDi! If they had their chip then they¡¯d still be able to send messages right? TO gestured with their hand, and a message popped up before them. It wasn''t a message from either DH or GiDi. It was a notice; 09T07 Report to your Overseer. Failure to attend training has been noted. There was panic, but it was deep inside them; a dull wave rather than a jolt as they¡¯d normally expect. Failure to attend training? Had they missed something? They checked the time on their implant. Their combat training was already half over. ====== TO¡¯s limbs still felt heavy and their mind was foggy as they made their way to their Overseer¡¯s office. They felt that they should have been more worried than they were, but they just couldn¡¯t manage to worry for themself. Maybe they were too drained and numb from yesterday. Maybe the medicine in their food was still affecting their brain. Maybe they just couldn¡¯t care about anything with GiDi gone and DH not wanting anything to do with them. They got to their Overseers office and held their chip to the door. A moment later the door slid open and TO was once more allowed into the small office. Their Overseer had TO¡¯s file in the air before them once more. TO didn''t bother to look too closely at it; they just didn¡¯t care. ¡°You missed your training today.¡± their Overseer said simply, ¡°I would expect better of you; especially since you¡¯ve passed your examination.¡± they gave TO a sharp look, ¡°You still need to perform well, despite the fact that you passed. Your more specialized training starts next period and I would hate to see you squander it.¡± This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version. TO nodded, ¡°I understand, Overseer.¡± TO said, their voice dull and monotone. ¡°My apologies. I was given medication after my examination yesterday. I ate it far later than I would have normally and I believe that might have caused me to sleep longer and deeper than normal.¡± Their Overseer scrolled through the files, likely looking for the report from MO-6. TO didn¡¯t care. They looked at the desk before them. They had that feeling again of being lost deep back inside their head. It was comfortable like that, and pulled them away from the harsher feelings that were starting to wake up. ¡°I see.¡± Their Overseer said after a moment, ¡°Severe emotional response to your examination.¡± They glanced up, observing TO and watching their eyes, ¡°You say that you missed your testing because of the medication given?¡± ¡°Yes, Overseer.¡± ¡°I see. Are you able to complete your vocational training today?¡± Could they? They had a choice? TO glanced up, catching the slight curiosity in their Overseers expression. ¡°I believe so.¡± they said after a moment. ¡°I would have gone to my combat training if I had woken up.¡± Combat training. C12. C12 was the last synth to have seen GiDi! They didn¡¯t know what had actually happened but maybe if they spoke to C12 they¡¯d be able to confirm that GiDi was safe at least. ¡°Well, I am unconcerned then.¡± the Overseer said, ¡°The examination can be¡­ taxing for certain synths. If you are able to perform your duties today then I am unconcerned. I will send a message to the Medical bay regarding the medication-.¡± ¡°I do wonder¡­ would it be possible for me to speak to C12 before tomorrow?¡± TO asked ¡°I have questions regarding the examination, and I¡¯m anxious for answers.¡± Their Overseer tilted their head, ¡°questions?¡± ¡°Please.¡± TO said. They couldn¡¯t tell their Overseer really why they wanted to speak to C12, but their explanation was truthful enough on its own. It would probably have been safer to just wait until they went back to combat training to see C12, but TO didn''t think they could wait. Their Overseer stared at them for a moment, then lifted their hand to send off a message, ¡°I see no issue with it.¡± they said, ¡°I¡¯d say you should send them a message yourself, but you can¡¯t send superior synths messages until you¡¯re actually done your training.¡± They started drafting a message, ¡°C12, you said?¡± ¡°Yes, Overseer.¡± The Overseer wrote their message, and gestured to send it. An error popped up almost immediately. ¡°... You did say ¡®C12¡¯ Correct?¡± ¡°Yes, Overseer.¡± TO said as their ears twitched with curiosity. ¡°Retiree C12.¡± Their Overseer¡¯s ears flicked back as they attempted to send the message again. Another error popped up. ¡°That synth isn¡¯t in the system.¡± they said. ¡°What? No!¡± that pulled TO out of their stupor, ¡°They were at my examination! You saw them!¡± ¡°... You are correct.¡± their Overseer said, ¡°But unfortunately that designation isn¡¯t in use anymore.¡± ¡°What does that mean?¡± Their Overseer frowned as they closed their system, ¡°Well, normally it means that the synth in question has been reassigned.¡± they said, ¡°But, you said it was a retiree?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Well, normally if a Retiree¡¯s call number has been taken out of the system, that means that the Retiree has reached the end of their lifetime.¡± ¡°...What?¡± ¡°The end of their life. They can no longer function, and they¡¯ve been reprocessed.¡± They tilted their head at TO, ¡°If you wanted more insight on your examination, I could ask the Commander. I very much doubt they¡¯d speak to you personally but perhaps they¡¯d send you a quick report.¡± Reprocessed. The end of their life. What happened? ¡°Apologies, but C12 had specific insights.¡± TO said, their ears tilting back, ¡°Though... is there a way to know what happened to C12? They didn¡¯t seem ill yesterday.¡± ¡°Does it matter why?¡± The Overseer asked, their ears pinning back. ¡°It is concerning to me.¡± TO said, ¡°It bothers me that a seemingly healthy retiree could suddenly need to be repurposed¡­¡± ¡°Understandable¡± Their overseer said as their ears relaxed, ¡°But I wouldn¡¯t have access to that information; I only have access to the personnel files for Trainees.¡± TO nodded and stood up, ¡°Understood, Overseer.¡± ====== At this time of the day, the showers were empty; that was what TO had counted on. As they left their Overseers office they had slowly receded once more to the back of their mind and made their way to the showers in a daze. They hadn¡¯t showered the day before. They felt uncomfortable. They were supposed to at least shower daily; it was expected of synths to maintain basic personal hygiene. Reprocessed. End of life. What had happened to C12? Where was GiDi? At the very least they had hoped that they¡¯d be able to make sure that GiDi was ok if they could only speak to C12. They couldn''t speak to C12. They couldn¡¯t speak to DH. GiDi was gone. They let the hot water pour over them as they stood under the shower. Tears burned at their eyes. Their throat hurt. They wanted to find DH. They wanted to throw themself at DH, and let their friend wrap their wings around them. They thought back to that day when they had shared the stolen food with DH, GiDi, and Avery. They thought of the hours alone they had spent in the observation deck. They recalled how they had fallen asleep, using DH¡¯s lap as a pillow. That wouldn¡¯t happen again. They remembered how C12 had said that they thought that DH was capable of romantic love, and how they thought that TO and DH were so close. If they were, then how could DH have said that they didn¡¯t want to be around TO anymore? Well.. .of course that was TO¡¯s fault, they knew that. How could DH want to be around TO at all after they had attacked them so viciously in the simulation? After they had failed GiDi so terribly? If DH had loved them, had felt anything romantic for them, then TO was certain that those feelings were gone now. If that was the case, TO couldn¡¯t bring themself to blame DH. TO turned off the water and headed for the lockers. They¡¯d go and get their meal and then they¡¯d talk to GiDi about DH and- No. No GiDi. GiDi was gone, and TO didn¡¯t even know if they were safe. TO didn¡¯t know how they were able to linger on GiDi¡¯s absence but at the same time forgot that they were gone. It felt like losing them all over again. TO leaned against the lockers with their hands to their face as they did their best to still their ragged breathing, as they did their best to ignore the burning in their eyes and throat. It wasn''t until they heard others starting to enter the shower that they forced themself to grab their uniform and leave, letting their mind once more sink far back inside. Episode 115: Numb ¡°I admit that I had some hesitations about you.¡± E45 said as they finished their work with another one of the synths in Recovery, ¡°Especially when you did not show up for your training yesterday.¡± TO heard them speak, and it took a moment for them to realize that E45 was speaking directly to them. For the most part they had stayed in that odd state where they lingered deep in the back of their mind, and when they were addressed directly it took TO moment to orient themself. Even then, there was an odd barrier between them and the rest of the world; like reality was just something they were watching, not participating in. ¡°I see.¡± was all TO managed to say. They didn¡¯t want to talk. They wanted their mind to go blank again but they were starting to think too much now. They were starting to see GiDi going with C12 down the hallway. They were seeing the empty hallway when they looked to see DH behind them- -I don¡¯t want to talk to you- -They were seeing DH¡¯s face as they fired their multigun over and over. They could hear sirens in their ears. -The smell of disinfectant. A scalpel through skin. The feel of flesh yielding under their own claws. I don¡¯t want to see you. I don''t want to speak to you. I don¡¯t want to spend time with you.- ¡°TO!¡± TO didn¡¯t realize how deep into their own thoughts they had gotten. E45¡¯s snapping tone had pulled them out of their head and away from their thoughts. ¡°A-Apologies.¡± TO said, ¡°I was deep in thought.¡± ¡°It matters not.¡± E45 said. They tapped on the desk they had been working on and files came up on the floating screen before them, ¡°I have to go deal with an urgent matter. Unfortunately, one that you cannot assist with. Having said that, the next few cases to go over are simple enough. I will leave it to you to deal with it. Understood?¡± ¡°Understood.¡± TO said. E45 stared at TO for a long moment, ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have allowed you to do this on your own a few days ago.¡± they admitted, ¡°Your reaction to that older synth being reprocessed was somewhat concerning and I even thought that you were avoiding your training yesterday. However, you seem to have your emotions under control today. As such, given your performance, relative intelligence, and competence, I feel as though I can leave you to work on your own for a short time.¡± They tilted their head, ¡°That is a big responsibility and a big honor for a synth in training.¡± ¡°I will do my best to prove myself worthy of the honor.¡± TO recited. The things that they knew that they should say, the set responses which seemed ingrained in their head, were proving so useful today. They couldn¡¯t think to say anything of their own so they could rely on these reflexive responses to get them through the day. E45 nodded, and left. TO sat down where E45 had been sitting, and took a long deep breath. They leaned forward, put their face in their hands. They just needed a minute to pull themself together. They needed a moment where they could just be sad without needing to watch who was around them. GiDi was gone. C12 was gone. DH didn¡¯t want anything to do with them. TO didn¡¯t even know what they were doing, or why they were doing it. They went to their vocational training, but what was the point? They passed their examination, but what was the point? Well, to not be corrected of course... But why did that matter now? Anything they wanted was gone now. They had wanted to retire with DH and GiDi. They wanted to make sure their friends were safe. They had failed and now they had nothing. They didn¡¯t even know if GiDi was safe because C12 had been reprocessed. It was at that moment that they looked at what was open before them. It wasn¡¯t just the files for specific synths, like E45 had sent TO before, no; This was E45¡¯s main file. It was the file which contained Information on every synth in the training center. And TO had access to it TO froze for a moment as they looked at the file before them, hesitating only for a moment as they considered the results of their curiosity through their training. It didn¡¯t matter anymore. You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author. They quickly wiped away their tears and ran a search for GiDi. They put 45G70 into the search engine and waited for their file to come up. =Synth not found= TO frowned and checked again, making sure they had put their friend¡¯s number in the system properly. =Synth not found= It took TO a moment to realize what was happening. Just before they were taken away, GiDi would have been reassigned as N, and their old call number would have been put back in circulation for another synth to use in the future. On a whim, TO searched for ¡®N¡¯. a list of different Ns was brought up, detailing along with timestamps what had happened to them. N has been reprocessed. N has been reassigned. N has been reprocessed. N has been corrected. N has been reassigned. There were several groups of ¡°corrected¡± and ¡°reassigned¡± synths, but they weren¡¯t linked in any obvious way and TO didn¡¯t know for certain if any of those had been GiDi. When they scrolled down further they came to one that was simply listed as ¡°Pending.¡± there had been no other Pending Ns, so maybe that was GiDi? They had to hope that it was. They had to hope that GiDi hadn¡¯t been corrected, and that wherever they were they were safe. Not that TO would ever know. They were about to go back to their work, but stopped, hesitating for just a moment before searching for C12. C12 hadn¡¯t been just any synth; they had been a Retiree. Retiree¡¯s didn¡¯t lose their call number, the call number was retired when the retiree was repurposed- -died- -so maybe that would provide TO with a hint as to what happened. C12¡¯s file came up. TO only glanced through the earlier logs as somehow reading the logs of C12¡¯s earlier days felt like an invasion of privacy. They got to the bottom of the file, and read the last entry. =C12; Repurposed due to natural corporeal failure; Sudden heart attack.= That doesn¡¯t seem right. Somehow it was like GiDi was at their side, reading along and interjecting. That doesn¡¯t seem right. That seems too convenient. Everything that happened yesterday, and then C12 just had a heart attack? They were right. It seemed too convenient. TO closed the file, unsure if this information was a good sign, or a bad sign. ====== How did it seem like the day passed without notice? TO wasn¡¯t sure. Time seemed to drag on, but when meal time came it seemed like everything had passed in a flash. TO assumed that it was because they were in their own head with their time taken up by the cycling thoughts that ran around and around like insects, borrowing into their mind. GiDi is gone. C12 is gone. DH doesn¡¯t want to be near me. All the mundane aspects of their day were more or less automatic. The synths they reviewed for E45 had been simple enough¨C all cases of equipment management¨C and they didn¡¯t need to think too hard at the task. They finished their training, headed to the cafeteria, and got their food. They were halfway to the flight training room when they stopped, looking down at the meal in their hands. They weren¡¯t hungry, and the idea of going to the flight training room alone made their eyes and throat burn. They stood in the hallway, confused and dazed as they tried to decide where to go and what they¡¯d do with their food when someone grabbed them by the arm and started pulling them away. They turned, hoping it would be DH. It wasn''t, it was Avery. Avery was a pleasant sight to see regardless. ¡°Come on¡± Avery hissed as they pulled TO away, ¡°Do you know how long you were just standing there?¡± ¡°I...No... Sorry.¡± Avery grunted, but kept pulling TO along with them.It wasn¡¯t until they were at the door to the observation bay when TO finally realized where Avery was taking them. It took a few minutes for Avery to pull the panel from the wall, and once they did they stepped back and gestured to it ¡°I never memorized the code.¡± They admitted, ¡°I never thought I¡¯d head here on my own.¡± TO stood silently for a moment before they stepped forward and put in the code that GiDi had taught them. Once the door was opened Avery pulled them inside and led them to the couch that was still in the center of the room. The couch where they and DH had sat and ate The couch where they spent so many pleasant evenings with their friends listening to music, watching shows, or just talking. All gone now. GiDi was gone. DH wanted nothing to do with them. TO dropped their plate of food, put their face in their hands, and started to sob. Their body shook and they felt dizzy because it was so hard to breath. They felt tentative hands on their shoulders, so unlike the warm, confidant embrace that DH would offer. Still, TO leaned into it: it was some comfort among all the pain. After a few minutes, Avery guided them to the couch and put their arms around TO to let them cry into their chest. All TO could think of was how DH would have wrapped their wings around them. DH would have gently scratched behind their neck. It wasn''t fair to compare Avery to DH, but they couldn''t help it. It took a long time for TO to calm down enough that they could push themself up and away from Avery. They wiped at their eyes, muttering an apology. ¡°Don¡¯t you dare.¡± Avery chided, ¡°You did the exact same thing for me. I¡¯m just¡­ Well I¡¯m just sorry that I¡¯m not as good at providing comfort.¡± TO sniffled, but didn¡¯t respond. They once more felt wrung out; like they had felt too much and had fallen into numbness once more. They wondered if this was just how their life would be now; cycles of sorrow and nothingness. ¡°...It was that bad?¡± Avery asked, ¡°The examination, I mean.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± TO managed to croak out. ¡°... and GiDi?¡± ¡°They...they didn¡¯t pass.¡± TO managed to whisper, ¡°I don''t know where they are.¡± ¡°I¡­ I tried to ask DH. I saw them first.¡± Avery said, ¡°But they wouldn¡¯t talk to me. I thought maybe I had made them angry but then I noticed that you weren¡¯t with them either.¡± If TO had any tears left in them, then they would have started to cry again. Instead all they managed was to whisper, ¡°DH doesn¡¯t want anything to do with me anymore.¡± ¡°What?!¡± ¡°DH. They don¡¯t want anything to do with me anymore.¡± TO leaned forward and rested their head in their hands, ¡°I don¡¯t blame them.¡± Avery rested their hand on TO¡¯s back, tentative but comforting. In that moment TO was at least able to appreciate what Avery was doing. Avery wasn¡¯t as prone to touching as DH was. Avery preferred to be alone. Avery was so hesitant and careful, but they were trying to be as comforting as possible. GIDi was gone. DH didn¡¯t want anything to do with them. C12 was gone. Still, Avery seemed to care about them and that made TO feel a little less awful; a little less dead inside. ¡°What happened.¡± Avery said softly, ¡°Tell me everything.¡± TO didn''t want to go over everything again, but reciting the events would be easier than trying to think and come up with a reason not to tell Avery what happened. Without moving from their position, TO started with their conversation with GiDi the morning of their examination, and went through the entire examination, and the aftermath. Episode 116: Direct ¡°DH said they didn¡¯t want to be around you?¡± Avery said in disbelief. Their ears flicked out as they listened. TO thought that they had reached the point of numbness once more, where they could tell Avery what happened without breaking down. They had been wrong. TO had honestly been impressed that Avery had understood most of what they had said. It was only as they finished telling Avery what happened that they started to calm down once more. ¡°That¡¯s what they said.¡± TO muttered as they tried to wipe away tears. They were crying so much as of late it made their head hurt. ¡°They said that they didn''t want to be around me, and they didn¡¯t want to talk to me.¡± TO felt like they were going to start crying again so they tried to breathe deeply to keep that from happening. Avery was doing their best, a hand on TO¡¯s shoulder, gently patting them as they listened. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± TO muttered as they pushed themself up. ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± Avery said, though they were deep in through, ¡°TO¡­ Where were you when DH said this?¡± ¡°In our pods, I told you-¡± ¡°I know.. But I mean, where were you both? In the same pod?¡± ¡°No¡­ No, I was in mind, DH was in theirs.¡± ¡°Could you see DH?¡± ¡°Well, I was leaning forward-¡± ¡°But could you see them? Could you see their face?¡± DH had been positioned with their back to TO, and a blanket over their head. TO shook their head, ¡°No¡± They said. Avery gave a low hum, frowning as their ears twitched back, ¡°Wel.l.. could they have been lying?¡± TO stared at Avery in silence. After a moment, Avery just shrugged, ¡°Well, it seems more likely to me that they lied to you rather than that being what they really want.¡± They shook their head, ¡°It makes no sense. I¡¯ve seen you and DH together, and I¡¯ve heard GiDi talk about you both. GiDi even said that you have to talk to DH-¡± ¡°DH doesn¡¯t want to talk to me.¡± ¡°Then make them talk.¡± TO sniffled again, but looked up at Avery, ¡°How? They won¡¯t. They don¡¯t want to-¡± ¡°GiDi said that you have to get them to talk right? Maybe¡­ maybe they knew something like this would happen?¡± ¡°How though? I mean-¡± ¡°GiDi¡­ they used to talk about you two a lot.¡± Avery said, ¡°mostly, how the two of you are idiots who don¡¯t know how to communicate.¡± ¡°We communicate!.. well, we communicated¡­¡± ¡°With GiDi¡¯s help!¡± Avery said, ¡°Look, I just can¡¯t think of a situation where DH wouldn¡¯t want to be around you-¡± ¡°I can.¡± TO said, ¡°I shot them. I let GiDi be taken away, I-¡± ¡°You had no control over what happened to GiDi!¡± Avery said, ¡°They¡­ They failed their examination and from what you told me, I don¡¯t think anything you could have done would have stopped that.¡± ¡°I know I could have done something. I know there¡¯s a way I could have saved them, I just couldn¡¯t do it!¡± ¡°And you know what?¡± Avery said, ¡°I bet DH is thinking the same thing; that there was something they could have done to help. No, I don¡¯t think this is because of that. And even if they¡¯re angry at you for shooting them in the simulation-¡± ¡°They are! You should have seen how they looked at me when we got out of the exam-¡± ¡°They were confused and scared.¡± Avery said, ¡°If they were time-dilated, or if you were, then they might have just come out of the simulation when they were shot! Of course they¡¯d been afraid.¡± TO shook their head, but that idea crept into their mind. If they had just been viciously shot by DH, and then woke up to see DH standing right new to them, then TO figured that their own reaction would be quite similar¡­ Maybe even worse. ¡°They wouldn¡¯t have said that to me if they didn¡¯t mean it.¡± TO finally mumbled. ¡°Why not?¡± ¡°They know how important they are to me.¡± TO mumbled, their ears flushing blue; they hoped that they weren¡¯t saying too much. ¡°They know that if they said something like that to me, then it would hurt. A lot. They wouldn¡¯t have said that if they cared about me.¡± Avery watched TO carefully, watching their ears, watching the way their wings wrapped around them. ¡°I asked once if you and DH were a couple. You said no. You weren¡¯t lying.¡± they tilted their head, ¡°I think maybe I had asked the wrong question.¡± They leaned forward, ¡°Do you love DH?¡± ¡°Of course I do!¡± TO said quickly, wishing they could throw their hands over their ears, ¡°And I love- loved- GiDi too! But-¡± ¡°No... No no. Let me rephrase; Do you love DH romantically?¡± There it was. They couldn¡¯t lie, and not answering would just confirm it. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter.¡± TO muttered, ¡°DH hates me.¡± ¡°Do you love DH romantically?¡± They weren¡¯t going to let it go. TO glanced up at Avery, but they didn¡¯t seem angry or disgusted. They seemed simply curious. ¡°...I think so.¡± TO finally said, their voice a fine whisper, ¡°But they don¡¯t-¡± ¡°You don¡¯t know that.¡± Avery asked, ¡°You never asked them, did you?¡± ¡°NO.. but¡­¡± They shook their head, ¡°DH wouldn¡¯t like that.¡± This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it. ¡°Again though, you don¡¯t know that.¡± ¡°If I had asked them, they might have been disgusted, then they¡¯d hate me.¡± ¡°Well, they already hate you, in your opinion, don¡¯t they?¡± TO didn¡¯t respond. DH did hate them. Still, TO couldn¡¯t handle it if DH looked at them with utter disgust. Would it be better than if they never looked at TO again? They didn¡¯t know. Avery sighed, ¡°Well. At any rate.¡± they said, ¡°I think that at the very least you should find out exactly why they said that. And you should do it face to face. GiDi wouldn¡¯t want you two to be like this, and I think they¡¯d recommend the same thing. They¡¯d insist.¡± ¡°But they won¡¯t talk to me.¡± ¡°They sleep in a pod under you.¡± Avery said, ¡°Make them talk to you. Jump into their pod and speak to them face to face even just for a minute. Find out why at the very least.¡± ¡°And¡­ and if I¡¯m right?¡± ¡°Then you¡¯ll know for certain, and you can work from that.¡± TO nodded, rubbing at their eyes. ¡°...And I¡¯m sorry about GiDi.¡± Avery said, their voice a lot quieter now as their ears drooped down, ¡°I know I wasn¡¯t as close to them as you and DH were, but I still miss them too. They came and talked to me a lot.¡± They gave a little grin, ¡°You know¡­ They often ranted about what idiots you both are.¡± ¡°I just¡­ I just wish I could see them again.¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± Avery said slowly, ¡°You might, right? If what you told me about C12 is right?¡± TO had originally hesitated in telling Avery what C12 had suggested they were going to do, and how it seemed like they might help GiDi. However, it only took them a moment to realize that if C12 was already repurposed, then there wasn¡¯t much that could be done. ¡°It¡¯s a big Galaxy, but if GiDi is alive, then they¡¯re out there somewhere, right? Did C12 ever mention a place they might send someone?¡± TO nearly said no. ¡°Maybe.¡± They said. They remembered where they had sent Snout. Arkane. ¡°Then maybe that¡¯s where GiDi is. Maybe you¡¯ll find them again. And if you don¡¯t make an effort to talk to DH, then I know GiDi¡¯s going to be very angry at you!¡± A chuckle bubbled out of TO¡¯s mouth. Somehow, that made them feel better. Hearing Avery talk about GiDi as though they were still around and alright, and as though meeting up again was an inevitability made TO feel better. They knew it was unlikely, but it still made TO feel better. ¡°So, you¡¯ll go find DH?¡± Avery asked. TO nodded, ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll find them.¡± they said, ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯ll make a difference, I¡¯ll just get to see how much they hate me instead of hear it.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think they could hate you.¡± Avery said, ¡°Not from what I saw. I mean, could you hate them?¡± ¡°Never.¡± ¡°Even if they shot you in the face?¡± ¡°I¡­ I¡¯d be hurt, but I wouldn¡¯t hate them. I¡¯d be worried maybe I did something wrong, or-¡± ¡°Exactly.¡± ¡°But I¡¯d never say those things to them!¡± ¡°Which is why you should find out why they said that!¡± Avery insisted, ¡°Go. Go find them.¡± ¡°I don''t know how I will.¡± TO muttered, ¡°They¡¯re avoiding me-¡± ¡°Like I said, they have to go to their pod at some point.¡± Avery said, ¡°Just wait for them. Go there now and-¡± Avery was cut off by a sudden beep from TO¡¯s chip. TO looked down and read the message. ¡°Is it from DH?¡± Avery asked. ¡°No.¡± TO whispered as they got up, ¡°I¡¯m to report to medical.¡± ====== TO didn¡¯t feel a need to rush to get to Medical; not like they normally would. What were they going to do afterwards? Go look for DH? They wanted to. They didn¡¯t want to. Somehow Avery had given them a little bit of hope that there was something they didn¡¯t understand about what had happened. Still, if they were wrong they¡¯d have to see DH as they said they hated them, as they said they didn¡¯t want to be around them. It hurt bad enough to just hear it the first time. They walked into the Medical Bay where MO-6 was still sitting in their chair, looking through files. They glanced up as they saw TO and gestured to the beds. ¡°Take a seat.¡± they said, ¡°I need to go over this.¡± TO nodded and sat where they were told. They didn¡¯t know why they had been called here. Maybe it was because they slept in today because of their meds. Or¡­ maybe it was because of their behaviour? But no, E45 had praised their behaviour. Apparently going through their day lost in their own head was better than how they normally acted. Though TO knew that the observation deck was supposed to be safe, they wondered if maybe that had been changed. Maybe because TO, DH, and GiDi had been spending so much time there it had been rewired and TO¡¯s confession about DH had been overheard. Would they be corrected? They passed their examination though, so they should be safe from that. C12 hadn¡¯t said what happens to synths who love other synths, but they did say that they had been caught, and separated from Snout way back when they were trainees. Would they just be told to keep away from DH, or would they be corrected? If they got corrected, at least then they wouldn¡¯t hurt so much. At least then this constant, heavy sadness in them would stop. Q10 hadn¡¯t been happy after being corrected, but they hadn¡¯t been as broken as they were before. MO-6 finished their work, closed their screen, and got up from their seat. ¡°You skipped your first meal.¡± they said as they made their way over to TO. ¡°My first¡­ I ¡­ Yes, I did.¡± TO said, very confused, ¡°I slept in. I missed my combat training.¡± ¡°Yes. The medication I gave you in your final meal shouldn¡¯t have lingered that long.¡± TO dipped their head, their ears flicking down in as they did, ¡°Apologies, I didn¡¯t eat it right away. I nibbled on it through the evening, and finished it before I slept.¡± They glanced up, ¡°I did eat it all though!¡± ¡°I see.¡± MO-6 said, ¡°You also didn¡¯t receive your second meal.¡± They bowed their head again, ¡°As I said, I missed my combat training and because of that I was called in to see my overseer. I showered, and then went to my vocational training after that.¡± ¡°You choose to shower instead of eat?¡± ¡°I hadn¡¯t showered after my examination.¡± MO-6¡¯s ears flicked back, ¡°I see.¡± they said, ¡°And I saw that you did receive your last meal. Did you eat it?¡± They hadn¡¯t. Their last meal was still sitting in the observation deck, untouched. ¡°... Apologies, I forgot to bring it with me when you called me here.¡± ¡°You should have had time to eat before now.¡± they said. They turned around and went to a food machine in the wall. They put in TO¡¯s code, and a replacement of their meal came out. ¡°Eat.¡± they said. ¡°There¡¯s no medication in this; it¡¯s normal food.¡± They were hungry, but they didn¡¯t really want to eat. Their stomach still felt like there was something heavy and hot inside it. Still, they ate. They ate slowly and though MO-6 stopped watching them closely after the first few bites they still watched to make sure that TO finished their meal. It was only when TO had broken up the last of the plate and ate the remains that MO-6 spoke again. ¡°Good.¡± They said, ¡°You feel like you can keep that down?¡± ¡°Yes, Officer.¡± TO muttered. They didn''t feel great, but for the moment they felt like they¡¯d keep the food down. ¡°Good.¡± They said. ¡°And how¡¯s your flying coming along?¡± ¡°Apologies; I haven¡¯t been flying in the last few days.¡± TO said, their ears once more flicking down, ¡°I was unwell yesterday, and earlier this period we were¡­ I was preparing for my examination-¡± ¡°You¡¯ll spend at least three hours in flight now.¡± MO-6 said, ¡°I have been tracking you; that¡¯s why I knew that you hadn¡¯t eaten your food-¡± ¡°You were tracking me?¡± TO couldn¡¯t keep the surprise from their voice, or keep their ears from flicking out, ¡°Why?¡± MO-6 just gave them an odd look. ¡°Because you¡¯re my patient? I check on all my patients for at least three days after treatment.¡± They narrowed their eyes, ¡°That means I¡¯ll be watching to make sure you go to the Flight Training room, understand?¡± ¡°Understood, Officer.¡± ¡°Good. And I want to see you flying for the rest of the period at least.¡± They turned, started back to their chair, then stopped. There was a sudden hesitation in them, and TO could see their fist clench. ¡°It¡­ can be difficult, for some, to see a good synth get repurpose so close to the end of their training.¡± they said carefully, ¡°That is understandable, and I assure you that you are not the first to react...poorly to it. It will be easier to comprehend as time passes.¡± ¡°...My thanks.¡± TO said. They wondered if maybe MO-6 had lost someone in their own examination as well, but they found that they didn¡¯t have the mental energy to think about it. They turned and left without any other questions or comments. ====== The hallway to the flight training room was deserted. That was good; if they couldn''t hide with synths who understood them, then at least they wanted to be left alone. Did Avery feel that way? They preferred to be alone; was that a preference, or was it easier to be alone than to be around others who didn¡¯t understand you. TO remembered how alone they had always felt back in the early days, before they met DH. How they preferred to be alone then too because it was just easier than being around everyone else, and facing their indifference and disdain. Well, for now they were grateful that they were alone. TO decided that they¡¯d fly for three hours as they were told, and maybe they¡¯d feel better after that. Then, they¡¯d head to their pod. Maybe they¡¯d find DH there, and sort out everything, or maybe DH would tell them how much they hated them. Hope and dread in equilibrium; at least TO could throw themselves into their flight. They opened the door, and quietly stepped in. They stood at the edge of the platform and spread their wings, stretching the muscles properly for the first time in days. Their ears twitched as they caught a faint sound; they weren¡¯t alone. They folded their wings and turned to leave; there was another flight training room just down the hallway; they¡¯d go there. They had to fly, and they wanted to be alone; they¡¯d make that happen at least. They reached out and nearly opened the door when their ears focused enough to make out what the sounds they were hearing actually were. Crying. Not just any crying either. Being alone didn¡¯t matter anymore. Flying didn¡¯t matter anymore. Any disdain that DH might hold for them didn¡¯t matter anymore. They jumped off the ledge and flew upwards, making their way to the platform where they used to hide with DH and GiDi. There was DH, sitting on the platform with their knees curled up to their chest, their arms and wings around their legs as they cried into their knees. It was only when TO landed on the platform that DH even looked up and saw that TO was there. Episode 117: Promise + epilogue Volume 1 DH was crying. DH was alone, hiding with their wings wrapped around themself, and crying. When they looked up at TO there was a moment ¨Conly a fleeting moment¨Cwhen their ears perked up and their now stifled whimpering softened. However, after that second passed their ears dropped down again and they looked away. ¡°Go away.¡± they muttered. TO walked over towards them, ignoring their command. You have to talk to them. ¡°I said GO AWAY!¡± DH snapped as their ears pinned back. Their ears didn¡¯t pin back in anger though, it was in fear. Fear. Of course; TO hadn¡¯t had the opportunity to tell them that they had known it was only a simulation, and that they wouldn¡¯t have acted as they did otherwise. ¡°DH.¡± TO whispered as they knelt down in front of DH, ¡°Back then...During the exam-¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter, I-¡± ¡°Listen to me!¡± TO said as they took DH by the shoulders. Despite the tears still falling from their ears, DH¡¯s ears relaxed and quirked up ever so slightly at the contact. They caught TO¡¯s eyes quickly, but looked away. That was fine; DH would still hear them even if they refused to look at them. ¡°I knew it was a simulation.¡± TO said, trying to keep their voice calm and soothing, ¡°I knew it was a simulation, and I shot you so quickly because I didn¡¯t think you knew. I was so worried that you wouldn¡¯t have figured it out-¡± they were starting to speak too fast, and they couldn¡¯t stop it, ¡°and you wouldn''t have shot me and then the same thing that happened to GiDi would have happened to you!¡± They froze as they said that, feeling the pain of the loss of their friend all over again. ¡°... I¡¯m sorry I couldn¡¯t help them.¡± TO said, their voice cracking, ¡°I¡­ I tried. I couldn¡¯t tell them it was a simulation. I didn¡¯t have my multigun at that point, so I couldn¡¯t shoot them...not like I did you.¡± ¡°...I knew it was a simulation.¡± DH said. They shrugged TO¡¯s hands off their shoulders and scooted away, but their back came up against the wall behind them, ¡°I knew. Well, I knew once we were out of the simulation, and I figured you knew.¡± They looked away, their eyes focused on the platform, ¡°You¡¯re smart. I knew you must have figured it out if you attacked me like that.¡± ¡°Then why.¡± TO demanded. In the middle of everything, in the middle of all the sorrow and the guilt, they felt angry once more. If DH knew, then why didn¡¯t they speak to them? ¡°I just¡­ It¡¯s better.¡± They said, looking away, ¡°It¡¯s better.¡± ¡°Is it because¡­ I mean.¡± They looked away, their ears flicking down in shame. There was only one other reason that DH would hate them so much. ¡°It¡¯s because it¡¯s my fault that GiDI¡¯s gone, right?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not your fault!¡± DH said quickly, their voice cracking, ¡°It¡¯s not your fault! You didn¡¯t do anything wrong!¡± They looked right at TO now, their ears back, their gaze fierce, ¡°If anything, they only lasted here as long as they did because of you! I¡¯m only here because of you! It¡¯s not your fault it¡¯s-...¡± They cut themself off, and suddenly realized how close they had gotten to TO, how much they had leaned forward, and how close their hand was to TO¡¯s leg as it rested on the floor. They pulled back, ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter.¡± they said. ¡°Wait¡­¡± TO said, straining their mind to think back to the day previously, ¡°You... You said that the reason you didn''t want to be around me was because of what happened in the simulation.¡± They frowned, ¡°But it¡¯s not because I shot you, and it¡¯s not because of GiDi.¡± DH didn¡¯t respond. They kept their gaze away from TO as their hands clenched into fists and their wings tightened around them. ¡°Why?¡± DH didn¡¯t answer. You have to talk to them. TO reached out, and took DH¡¯s chin in their hand. They turned DH¡¯s head towards them so that they had no other choice but to face them. ¡°Why? You said it¡¯s for the best. You might think it¡¯s for the best.¡± TO hissed, their eyes burning, ¡°But I don¡¯t. Do you have any idea how I¡¯ve been since GiDi was taken away!?¡± It had only been a day, but it seemed so much longer, ¡°I lost GiDi. I thought I could help them, but I couldn¡¯t. They¡¯re gone. Do you know how much that hurt? Do you know how much I miss them!? I¡¯d hope you do, because I imagine you miss them just as much!¡± They narrowed their eyes, their ears pinning back even though their tears were threatening to spill over their eyes, ¡°So how could you leave me alone? How could you say those things to me? Maybe you didn¡¯t need me, but I needed you!¡± There were the tears, though at this point TO didn¡¯t know if it was from frustration or sorrow or pure anger, ¡°I needed you.¡± ¡°... I did need you.¡± DH whispered. Their ears sunk down, ¡°And¡­ And I knew you were hurting. But¡­¡± They tried to pull away but with their back to the wall they couldn¡¯t. ¡°No¡­ just leave me alone.¡± ¡°Do you really want me to leave you alone?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± DH snapped, though their ears twitched as they did, ¡°You¡¯re lying to me!¡± TO snapped, ¡°You lied to me the other night! Do you know what that did to me! I-¡± They suddenly choked on their words. They let their hand slip from DH¡¯s face, and pressed their palms to their mouth. GiDi was gone. Blood, bones, DH¡¯s horrified expression. C12 was gone. They were alone. They hurt. DH didn¡¯t seem to care. ¡°Do you even know how much it all hurts?¡± ¡°...I do.¡± DH said, their voice cracking. ¡°That¡­ That¡¯s why.¡± TO wiped away their tears and looked up at DH. They were breathing erratically, their shoulders heaving as they tried to talk. ¡°I can¡¯t- can¡¯t do that again.¡± DH whimpered, ¡°I thought GiDi was going to be corrected. And¡­ and even though there¡¯s a chance that they¡¯re not, though there¡¯s a chance C12 helped them¡­¡± they held their hands up to their face and took several long breaths before they spoke again, ¡°That hurt so bad. I can¡¯t see you taken away too. If I hadn¡¯t been around, if GiDi hadn¡¯t met me, they¡¯d probably be fine. I can¡¯t¡­ and I told you. I told you! I TOLD YOU!¡± they lowered their hands and looked at TO, their ears down, but pinned back in frustration and anger, their eyes narrowed, ¡°I told you! If I thought that being around you would hurt you, then I¡¯d never talk to you again! I just want to know that you¡¯re ok, even if you¡¯re not with me! Even if I never talk to you again, or-¡± Their voice cracked, and they held their hands to their face again, allowing themself to sob. Their shoulders shook and though it seemed like they tried to talk they just couldn¡¯t. After a moment, they managed to whisper, ¡°Just knowing that you¡¯re alive¡­ That¡¯s enough.¡± Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. TO reached out again, and put their hands on DH¡¯s shoulders. When DH didn¡¯t recoil, then TO wrapped their arms and wings around them. DH broke. They threw their arms around TO¡¯s neck and cried into their chest. TO held DH close, a hand on the back of their neck, their chin resting atop DH¡¯s head. They were too tired to weep as violently as DH was, but they let the tears run down their face as they held their friend. This was all they had wanted. All they had needed, really. DH was the only one left who knew how they felt. Avery was great, but they didn¡¯t understand them like DH did. They hadn¡¯t seen it all happen. They hadn¡¯t said goodbye to GiDi. DH was muttering, trying to talk while they cried but TO couldn¡¯t make out what they were saying. They shushed them instead, and gently scratched the back of DH¡¯s neck. They didn¡¯t need to speak, not right now. It was enough to be able to share their sadness with someone that they loved. It still hurt. It would always hurt, but with DH with them TO felt like they could endure it. ====== It took a long while for TO and DH to calm down, but when they did they still stayed in each other''s embrace, holding onto one another tightly. DH was the one who broke the comfortable silence and spoke. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± they muttered. ¡°I¡­ I wanted to go to you. I wanted to. I just thought you¡¯d be better off-¡± ¡°We¡¯ve had this conversation before.¡± TO muttered back, their chin still resting on DH¡¯s head, ¡°I¡¯d rather get corrected then go without you.¡± They felt their ears flush, realizing that that was the kind of thing that lovers might say to another in one of DH¡¯s romantic movies. If DH realized that, they didn¡¯t mention it. ¡°I know. That¡¯s why I didn¡¯t tell you. I knew if I told you, then you¡¯d tell me that you didn¡¯t care. I know you don¡¯t care, but I do.¡± they buried their face in TO¡¯s chest, ¡°I can¡¯t lose you, TO.¡± ¡°You won¡¯t.¡± ¡°How do you know?¡± they looked up at TO with their blue-rimmed eyes, ¡°What if you¡¯re told to attack me? What if that simulation had been real?¡± ¡°But I wouldn¡¯t-¡± ¡°No... No what if all that actually happened? What if¡­¡± their grip on TO¡¯s shoulders tightened, ¡°What if King Decon himself told you to attack me? To kill me? Or what if you were ordered to bring me to get repurposed or corrected?¡± The truth scared TO. They didn¡¯t want to speak the truth, because once they did it was out there, and they knew that it was a truth that should have them corrected. They knew that if they were a proper synth, then they¡¯d report themself. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t.¡± they said. They remembered what GiDi had said in the simulation, how they refused to fight TO, and how they planned to take TO with them, even if it meant going to the insurgents. If TO hadn¡¯t known it was just a simulation, then they would have done the same. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t?¡± TO shook their head, ¡°No¡­ I couldn¡¯t really hurt you. Not even under orders.¡± ¡°Even if¡­ if King Decon himself ordered you directly?¡± There was a hesitation to TO¡¯s next words, as though they were afraid of them. ¡°You¡­ You¡¯re more important to me than King Decon.¡± Their words filled TO with fear. Nobody was more important than King Decon! Nobody was worth more than King Decon, especially not a mere synth. And yet. ¡°You¡¯re more important to me than any order from King Decon.¡± TO said again, and though they were shaking as they spoke they held DH close, ¡°And if King Decon ordered me to kill you, I¡¯d refuse. I¡¯d get you away. I¡¯d kill anyone who tried to stop me.¡± DH hid their face into TO¡¯s chest once more. To TO¡¯s surprise, they could see DH¡¯s ears flush blue and for a moment they worried that they had spoken maybe too truthfully. Maybe they had embarrassed DH? Maybe they had made their real feelings too obvious? But¡­ DH seemed only flustered, not bothered. Besides that, if they were bothered then wouldn¡¯t they have pulled away? ¡°I¡¯m glad.¡± DH muttered into the front of TO¡¯s uniform, ¡°I couldn¡¯t kill you either.¡± ¡°I was so worried that you hated me.¡± ¡°I could never hate you.¡± ¡°Never?¡± TO¡¯s hand stilled on the back on DH¡¯s neck. ¡°Never.¡± ¡°No matter what?¡± ¡°No matter what.¡± TO had the sudden urge to kiss the top of DH¡¯s head, to gently stroke their ears. They suddenly wanted, desperately, to tell DH how they felt; how they really felt. Still, they recalled C12¡¯s warning. Our Overseers found out. We were separated. We were actually interviewed before we left the training center, and when you¡¯re interviewed you can make an argument for someone to be sent off with. I made a great argument for why Snout and I should be placed together, but our files said that we were to be kept separated. I¡¯d say wait until you¡¯re out of the training center. Once you¡¯re sent out you¡¯re not watched as much. TO contented themself to just hold DH for the moment. For now, having their friend with them, having them close, and knowing that they¡¯d both go against King Decon for one another? Yes, it terrified TO, but it also somehow made them feel happier and safer than they ever had before. For now, that was enough. ¡°... Don¡¯t run away from me anymore.¡± TO whispered, ¡°If you¡¯re upset, or you¡¯re angry, or you¡¯re sad and you want to run away, just find me. Just tell me what¡¯s happening. GiDi told me to take care of you, and to talk to you. So¡­ Don¡¯t run away, ok?¡± ¡°But-¡± ¡°No.¡± TO looked down at DH, holding them out so that they could see their face, ¡°I don¡¯t care if you think it¡¯s for the best, or if you think it¡¯s not my problem, or if you think it¡¯s stupid. I don¡¯t want you to be alone if you¡¯re upset.¡± They frowned, ¡°Would you want me to be alone?¡± ¡°No!¡± ¡°Then don¡¯t run off.¡± ¡°Fine¡­ But you can¡¯t run off either, ok?¡± TO nodded, ¡°Alright.¡± They said, ¡°I promise I won¡¯t run off if something¡¯s bothering me.¡± DH gave a slight smile and leaned back into TO, ¡°I promise too, then.¡± they muttered, ¡°I promise I won¡¯t run away from you if something¡¯s bothering me.¡± TO relaxed, and set their chin atop DH¡¯s head once more. ¡°...I miss GiDi.¡± DH said softly. ¡°Me too.¡± ¡°Do you think they¡¯re alright?¡± DH asked. ¡°I don¡¯t know. C12 is gone.¡± ¡°I know that.¡± DH muttered, ¡°There was another synth leading Combat Training today. Do you know what happened to C12?¡± ¡°The files say he had a heart attack, and died. His body was supposedly repossessed. but-¡± ¡°I feel like GiDi would say that¡¯s a bit of a coincidence.¡± TO nodded, ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± they said, ¡°So¡­ Either they¡¯re both ok, and someone faked the file entry, or they got caught and C12 was dealt with.¡± TO frowned, ¡°The Commander said that they could deal with C12, remember?¡± DH nodded, ¡°I¡­ I think I¡¯m going to believe that GiDi is alive.¡± DH said, ¡°We might never know for certain, and I¡¯d rather believe that they¡¯re both alive.¡± TO nodded; DH was right. Even if GiDi was alive, the galaxy was a big place, and they might not ever meet again. ¡°I¡¯ll believe that too.¡± TO said, ¡°I¡¯ll believe they¡¯re both alive.¡± ====== Epilogue: Volume I As soon as they had entered the planet¡¯s atmosphere, they had been shot at. Missiles hit the cargo ship and sent them spiralling as one of the engines gave out. They had jumped into the emergency escape pods right away, but another missile hit the ship just as they ejected, and the force of the explosion had sent the two escape pods spinning in opposite directions. They hit the water and their pod shattered and released them. The pods were supposed to be stronger than that, but GiDi supposed that they had taken damage when the missile hit. They had expected to be attacked, and C12 had told them what to do if they got separated. There was a plan in place, and as long as GiDi followed the plan then everything would be fine. Still, as the water rushed into their pod, they found it hard to focus, hard to act. They felt the shattered remains of the pod cut through their skin as they tried to swim, their arms, legs, and wings beating against the water. They wished they were stronger. They burst through the surface, coughing and gagging and gasping for breath. Some floating remains of the old cargo ship floated atop the water, illuminating the area in fierce red light. GiDi spat out the putrid tasting water; salt water, but something foul was mixed into it. Fuel from the ship? Sewage? Some planets used their oceans to dispose of sewage. Would it make them sick? It didn¡¯t matter at the moment; they could worry about that later. They had to get to the shore. They had to get out of the water. They had cuts all over them and the longer they stayed in the water the worse potential infections would be. They looked around, and saw dull orange lights of a nearby city or town which were thankfully not too far away. GiDi hoped that they could swim to the lights. If they were stronger, like DH, they wouldn''t be worried about the swim. If they could fly like TO they knew they could rise out of the water and be just fine. They swam. They swam to put some distance between them and the burning remains behind them which could explode at any moment, and to get out of the awful water and to the shore. Yes, they were weaker and smaller than their friends and most of the other synths, but they had still passed their training. Mostly. Up until they didn¡¯t. They managed to get to the shore, but there was a problem; a large rock wall rose out of the water before GiDi, and it was so covered in algae and slime that they couldn¡¯t hold onto the wall to climb it. They could dig their claws into the stone, but they couldn''t pull themself up by just their claws and they couldn¡¯t get a foothold with their feet. If TO was here, they¡¯d be able to fly out of the water. If DH was there, they¡¯d think of some way to get out. But they weren¡¯t TO, or DH. They were just GiDi; Small, weak GiDi. They had failed their training. A failed Synth, separated from their friends. What was the point of a failed synth? Useless. Broken. Defective. They started to slip back into the water when they felt something wrap around their arm. They saw something long and scaly wrap around them, and at first they thrashed against it. They knew that there were all kinds of things hidden deep in the planetary oceans; Most planets had no idea what was lurking in the deeper waters of their own oceans and were constantly surprised to see the horrors that arose from time to time. What horror was this? After everything, was this how they died? ¡°Hold still now!¡± someone said in universal common. It was such a vulgar language, but there was something about the way the words were said that almost gave it a musical lilt and made it sound pleasant and beautiful. The scaly appendage twisted down past their arm and around their chest. They were pulled out of the water and dropped onto the cobblestones that formed the sea-side path. GiDi coughed out the nasty tasting water and gasped for breath. ¡°You ok?¡± the person asked. GiDi looked up and saw a person - no¡­ a woman? Perhaps a woman, they had characteristics that would suggest that- leaning over them. She had a lot of dark, black hair that hung around them in giant curls, and vibrant purple eyes. Even her skin had this tint of purple to it, which matched the long, snake-like tail which made up her lower half. GiDi had never seen anyone look so rounded or so soft. Every part of them seemed to lack the firm, toned bodies that they were used to seeing. ¡°You alright there sweets?¡± She asked as she leaned down. ¡°I saw the accident; the ship. Were you in that?¡± Before GiDi could respond, there was an explosion behind them; the fire had found one of the fuel tanks. The night was illuminated in brilliant blue light. The women looked up and out over the water. Her face was bathed in the blue light, the reflections from the water below danced across her skin and played through her hair. ¡°Beautiful.¡± GiDi whispered. It would be the last word they spoke in their own tongue for a long time. Synth: Volume 2, Episode 118: King Decon II Noss sat at his desk, his eyes flicking nervously between the handful of screens floating in the air around him. He eyed the various people who were in attendance for this meeting; the Planetary liaison, the five Prime Ministers of Arkane, a security minister for their star cluster, a secretary from one of the ministers representing their entire quarter of the galaxy, and King Decon. Noss desperately wished he didn¡¯t have one of these high tech desks that linked him to all these people at once. He wished he didn¡¯t have a Data-com in his pocket at all times. He wished he could just run and hide away somewhere. They said that some people ran off to planets located in various dark-spots in the galaxy. Who he would have to pay to get to one of those dark spots if it came to it? Of course, doing that meant being disconnected from the entire galaxy. He¡¯d have no access to all the media he enjoyed, the drinks and drugs that helped lull him to sleep, or the immersive simulations that he had come to rely on in the thirty years since his first and only wife had left him. If it came to it, he¡¯d probably have to run anyway. Would it be worth living in a disconnected society? He didn¡¯t know. It wasn¡¯t fair though, none of this was his fault! ¡°We were told that the issue of the Despair Insurgency would be resolved within the planetary cycle.¡± the security minister, a humanoid with a blue-green exo-skeleton, four black eyes, and mandibles around her mouth. ¡°And while it seemed at first like their actions were starting to subside, we then had the attack on King Decon-¡± ¡°That was on Caerlapis, I must point out.¡± the human liaison, Lucas, said. Lucas was perhaps the only one in the meeting who looked more scared than Noss felt. It made sense; Noss was just a minister, Lucas was in charge of the whole planet. ¡°And there¡¯s no evidence that it was linked to Arkane!¡± ¡°As a note.¡± the squidlike secretary said as they brought up a file that popped up on a separate screen in front of Noss, ¡°No evidence has been traced from that attack at all. We do not know where the assailant came from, nor could we find sufficient evidence to provide a guess at galactic placement.¡± ¡°Even if we were to discount the Caerlapis attack,¡± the security minister continued, ¡°their activities have only continued from that point. Not only that, the attacks have become more effective, and more frequent.¡± Another list popped up before Noss. ¡°These are the various attacks that have occurred since the attack on King Decon on Caerlapis. Now, beforehand most of the attacks were planetary; targeting synths on the ground or planetary galactic offices. Now, however, they¡¯re targeting more vital stations off planet; storage and supply centers, production centers, and training centers. There have even been several more attempts on King Decon Himself, but of course due to the rigorous security surrounding King Decon, those attempts were caught.¡± ¡°I could overlook all of this.¡± King Decon said. As He spoke, everyone else stilled. ¡°I have resources to compensate for the damage done, and under normal circumstances I wouldn¡¯t consider this something worth so much of my attention.¡± His unblinking eyes focused on Noss, ¡°But I was told that this was dealt with. I have concerns when I am fed lies.¡± There was no change of tone, not even any sign that King Decon was angry, but Noss felt his insides turn to ice regardless. ¡°M-My apologies, King Decon.¡± Noss said, bowing his head, ¡°From the information I was given it seemed clear that with the execution of those I presented to you-¡± ¡°I recall, a man, a woman, and a child. I doubted that they would be that important to the insurgency but I took your word for it.¡± A man, a woman, and a child. Noss hadn¡¯t expected them to be killed so quickly. Well, he expected the adults to be killed. He assumed the kid would have been taken into kingdom custody. He hadn¡¯t expected her to be killed; especially not like that. ¡°And from my information, with them gone then everything should have fallen apart for the Despair Insurgency¡± Noss said, ¡°But... But something must have changed. There shouldn¡¯t have been anyone left to take over, let alone someone with the knowledge to so quickly perform so many attacks.¡± ¡°And what do you suppose that might have changed then?¡± Silence. Noss didn¡¯t know. Noss had been struggling to try to fix this, to get his own people to work with the synths that King Decon had sent so that they could find out what had happened. Those synths had disappeared weeks ago. Noss had no more leads, and no more ideas. His informants had disappeared, the planetary police force had no leads, the various regional police were useless, and his greatest skill¨C his ability to get people to accept bribes¨C wasn''t working for him anymore. ¡°If I may, King Decon?¡± The security minister said. Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°Go ahead, Minister Gyrini.¡± Noss nearly laughed. He had spent hours trying to perfect the way to say that name - one he had only seen in text before. He had gotten it entirely wrong; It was Jai-rin-ee, not Guy-ree-ne. At least King Decon had said her name before he had. ¡°The sudden advancement in their tactics and their knowledge base has to be taken into account when determining what has happened.¡± she said, ¡°They¡¯re also coming into more equipment and resources. As well, these successful attacks have been performed by manipulating existing Galactic tech. I find it hard to believe that mere laymen could have had such a breakthrough on their own so quickly. As such, their use of our tech along with everything else points to one possibility: a massive information leak. Either a rather grand and elaborate hack of the entirely of King Decon¡¯s systems has been performed-¡± ¡°It has not; I would know immediately.¡± King Decon interjected. Gyrini bowed her head and fell silent until King decon spoke again, ¡°Continue.¡± ¡°-Or failing that very unlikely situation, they have help from someone who has worked in depth with these systems.¡± ¡°A traitor?¡± Lucas said in a very carefully controlled voice. ¡°That would be my guess.¡± Minister Gyrini continued, ¡°And given that most of the activity has happened on Arkane, then it makes sense to focus an investigation there.¡± King Decon turned to Lucas, ¡°Well, it seems like you¡¯ll be busy trying to resolve this.¡± ¡°King Decon, I assure you that Minister Noss-¡± ¡°After allowing this to happen, you believe Minister Noss to be competent enough to deal with this?¡± ¡°King Decon, please!¡± Noss almost went to bow, but remembered that he wouldn¡¯t be seen then because of the way the desk and the screens worked. Instead, he simply bowed his head down so that his nose was nearly touching the desk. He hoped his toupee didn¡¯t fall off. ¡°King Decon, I beg for your patience. I did arrest the main players of the insurgency, I simply did not factor in that a traitor-¡± ¡°I have patience, Minister Noss.¡± King Decon said. Noss thought that he might have felt better if King Decon snapped at him, but no; there was always that flat, deadpan tone, ¡°I of all people understand that things take time. However, what I do not have patience for is incompetence.¡± ¡°It-¡± he almost said that it wasn¡¯t his fault, but knew that that was the absolutely wrong thing to say, ¡°It¡­ Has been difficult as of late, King Decon.¡± He said instead, ¡°Our terrestrial forces are overrun at the moment, and not by the insurgency but by common citizens! The newcomers from our solar system¡¯s relocation program have created unrest, especially with the added tariffs and sanctions! There¡¯s too many people, and not enough resources! The black market is thriving more than our actual economy, Crime has spiked, and the last synths to be sent¡­¡± he trailed off, feeling his throat tighten with anxiety. ¡°Ah, yes. Two more synths that have been sent to your planet are gone.¡± ¡°They have gone missing.¡± Noss admitted. ¡°... A question, if I may, King Decon.¡± Gyrini interjected. ¡°Go ahead,¡± ¡°It... might potentially be an impertinent question.¡± ¡°I will keep that in mind.¡± ¡°Well, King Decon¡­¡± Gyrini normally had such a confident tone, but in this moment she faltered, and her voice took on an unfamiliar hesitance, ¡°Is there any chance that a synth could turn from Your service?¡± The silence that lingered in the air before King Decon answered was so heavy and so suffocating that Noss felt himself holding his breath. He knew that if he had asked that, he¡¯d currently be babbling out his apologies. Could a synth turn from King Decon? Was that possible? ¡°If such a thing were possible, then I would perform my own internal investigation.¡± King Decon said. ¡°Were I you, I would not be concerned with such things; focus on your civilian investigation.¡± Gyrini¡¯s lips pressed together, but after just a moment of silence she managed to say, ¡°Understood, King Decon.¡± King Decon turned back to Noss, ¡°After the relocation of civilians and the conversion of the other planets to mining and farming operations, your people should have plenty of resources, even despite the tariffs and sanctions. If you have not managed to deal with this simple logistical issue, and if the situation is so dire there, then it might be best for me to declare martial law and send in an actual squadron of synths to deal with your planet. ¡°That¡­ I can do this!...King Decon I¡­¡± he took a deep breath; he couldn''t lose his head, he couldn¡¯t break down. ¡°I can do this. Such a waste of Your resources will not be needed. I just¡­ we simply need more time, and more resources for our people.¡± ¡°Liaison Lucas.¡± King Decon said, ¡°Your thoughts?¡± ¡°It has been difficult with the sanctions, and the relocated civilians have stressed our planetary resources¡­ Not that it was a mistake to send them here, of course! But¡­ Given the circumstances we have not been able to function as we should.¡± ¡°I see.¡± King Decon said, ¡°Very well. Then, in an effort to support your planet and in a show of faith and goodwill, I will lift the sanctions for Three galactic cycles. In that time, I expect you to deal with the situation. If you have not, then I will deal with it myself.¡± ¡°My deepest thanks, King Decon.¡± Noss said, but on the inside, he was panicking; that was what, two planetary years? He¡¯d have to do the actual calculations when this was all done. That wasn¡¯t a lot of time given all the issues they had been having. Could he still bribe someone to take him off planet and far, far away? ¡°The next time we speak, Minister Noss.¡± King Decon said, ¡°Then this issue will be resolved; either by yourself, or by Me. For your sake, you¡¯d best sort this out yourself.¡± ¡°Yes, King Decon.¡± Very good. You are all dismissed; I have far more important things to do.¡± ¡°Yes, King Decon; hail to King Decon.¡± was the chorus that ran out from all those in attendance. The last syllable wasn¡¯t even quite done when Noss reached out and shut off the communication function on the desk. When the screens were gone and his office was quiet he leaned forward and rested his head on his desk. Two years, and maybe a handful of months. He¡¯d have to figure it out. He reached under his desk, and took out a bottle of expensive liquor that had been ¡®gifted¡¯ to him by a previous informant. He had wanted to save it for a special occasion, but right now he just needed to drink something to calm his nerves. If he failed, would he be killed? Would he be killed like those insurgents were? Like that little girl was? Maybe it was what he deserved. Episode 119: Assignment TO sat in their Overseers office, trying their best to be very careful with what they said. They had been worried about this meeting all period, and had had even more time to worry about things than normal; synths in their last period of training didn¡¯t attend the normal vocation training. No, synths in their last period of training were being prepped for their journey away from the training center. The preparation It was tedious and involved a lot of self study that made TO feel restless. Still, it made sense; leaving the training center and going into the ¡®real world¡¯ was going to feel like going into an entirely different reality, and there were a lot of things they had to learn before they left. At least they still had their combat training, and TO found aerial combat in space to be highly interesting in spite of the boring, unimaginative trainer that had taken over after C12 was gone. Well, that didn¡¯t matter now. All that mattered now was what was said in this meeting. Everything TO had worked towards for so long could be undone with the wrong words. ¡°I¡¯m pleased to say that you outperformed even my expectations.¡± their Overseer said, ¡°I expected you to come within the top ten percent of my synths in training, not within the top ten.¡± They glanced up, ¡°Not enough to become a vanguard in the future mind, but quite well regardless.¡± TO nodded and tried not to look too relieved; they didn''t want to be a vanguard. Being a vanguard was a full time assignment; they would eat and sleep and train with their fellow vanguards. In fact, if they had been chosen as a vanguard then there was a good chance that they wouldn¡¯t get to go out into the galaxy. ¡°In fact, if you hadn¡¯t reacted ¨Cshall we say poorly?¨C To your examination then you might have been one of the best I¡¯ve trained this cycle.¡± they flicked through the file they were reading, ¡°Still, there were no major issues after that.¡± ¡°I am happy to have done well.¡± TO said in response, though there was the slightest flicker of anger that they tried to smother. Of course they had reacted poorly! They lost one of their best friends, their mentor, and thought that everything was over between them and DH! How could they have reacted well in response to that? The Overseer glanced over their reports again, looking through notes that TO couldn¡¯t read from their position. ¡°Specifically, your quick thinking and problem solving has been praised, along with your ability to anticipate the actions of your opponents - be it AI or sentient. ¡°I hope I can put those skills to good use for King Decon.¡± Their Overseers ears flicked, and they glanced to TO, ¡°You might.¡± they said simply, ¡°in fact, I am considering a¡­ specific assignment for you.¡± TO¡¯s ears perked up, ¡°What kind of assignment? Where?¡± ¡°It¡¯s an assignment to an active insurgency zone.. But-¡± They shook their head, ¡°It¡¯s almost a shame to send you there. It would be a situation where you return when the job is done, and not simply after one universal cycle.¡± they glanced at TO, ¡°But¡­ you look almost excited at the prospect.¡± TO was glad that that was how they interpreted the movement of their ears; more time out in the galaxy meant that it was more time for TO to prove that they were worthy of being made a retiree, and also more time for them to spend with DH. If DH got assigned with them. ¡°I look forward to such an assignment.¡± TO said, ¡°I do wonder who would be my partner in such an assignment?¡± The Overseer¡¯s ears twitched slightly as they looked over their notes, ¡°I am going to assume that you wish to go with 70H67.¡± TO felt their ears twitch back, but despite their anxiety they nodded, ¡°Yes,¡± they said, ¡°Myself and 70H67 work together quite well and compliment one another by compensating for each other¡¯s weaknesses. Furthermore, we both possess different ways of thinking, which should-¡± The Overseer raised a hand to stop TO, ¡°That¡¯s enough.¡± they said, ¡°To be candid, I¡¯d rather if you went with a more highly ranked synth. However, you do operate better when paired with 70H67 than you do with any other synth. While individually 70H67 is nothing special the two of you do perform extraordinarily well, and I suspect you could outperform any other pair together.¡± They went through their notes, scrolling down to the bottom where there were three colored lines, one in red, and two beneath that in blue. ¡°Hmm... Fascinating.¡± This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it ¡°Is there a problem?¡± ¡°Not necessarily.¡± The Overseer said, ¡°There is a note here that shows concerns about a partnership between you and 70H67; notes about your familiarity with one other being a potential distraction. However, it was retracted after your examination when you proved that you could work against them. TO felt their wings tighten around them. DH has understood why TO had attacked them so viciously in the simulation, and they didn¡¯t hold any anger towards them for that. Still, the look on DH¡¯s face back in the simulation when TO had opened fire was still present in some of their nightmares. The guilt that sprung from the pain they might have caused their friend still clawed at the stomach from time to time. However...maybe it was for the best. If there had been concerns about a partnership between them due to how close they were, then they wouldn¡¯t be sent on assignment. If that was the case, then their examination had fixed that issue. If that was the case, then TO¡¯s actions in that examination would allow them to go on their placement together. ¡°That¡¯s not the most fascinating, nor the most convincing thing though.¡± The Overseer continued. They reached out and tapped at the longer blue note on TO¡¯s file, ¡°There is a comment here that specifically recommends you and 70H67 for a placement on the planet in question. There¡¯s comments here that state that the two of you would be well suited to dealing with the issues there.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± TO frowned as they heard that, ¡°Might I ask the planet?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± the Overseer said, ¡°It¡¯s Arkane.¡± They glanced up at TO, ¡°And because I assume you¡¯re curious, the one who recommended you was C12. It looks like the recommendation was done just shortly before they were reprocessed. They must have seen something that made them think you¡¯d be well suited there. It is a good thing that they made these notes before they were repurposed.¡± C12. Arkane. TO felt their ears quirk up. ¡°Well, you seem excited about it at any rate.¡± The Overseer said, ¡°I have had some interest in Arkane for a while.¡± TO said. ¡°I see.¡± The Overseer said, ¡°It¡¯s an odd planet, and it¡¯s considered to be the base of operation for the insurgency¡­ If they¡¯re organized enough for that.¡± Their ears flicked back in disgust as they spoke of the insurgency. ¡°I suppose there is a call for more advanced synths there because of the recent increase in attacks?¡± ¡°You do pay attention.¡± The Overseer said, ¡°Yes. King Decon wishes the issue to be resolved. You¡¯ll be working with the administration there, leading the operation to end the insurgency. If that does not happen within three universal cycles, then provided that there¡¯s no issues with your performance then you and 70H67 will be in charge of instating martial law. ¡°So¡­ 70H67 will be going with me?¡± ¡°Yes. Given your performance together, and the recommendations on your file I believe that to be the best choice. I¡¯d still like a higher ranked synth-¡± ¡°Is it possible to send three synths to Arkane then?¡± TO asked, ¡°If it is such a vital position.¡± If the Overseer noted TO¡¯s worry in asking this, they didn''t comment, ¡°Unfortunately not.¡± they said, ¡°Sometimes exceptions can be made for special circumstances, but¡­ well, to put it simply we don''t have enough synths for placements. More synths than normal have failed their training, and we¡¯ve even had several synths place for specialized training for the Vanguard. TO wondered 56F45, the synth they had been helping in their flight, had placed for that specialized training. They could ask when they saw them next. Even though 56F45 wasn¡¯t strange in the same kind of ways that TO was, they were still someone they could ask questions of. Still¡­ This meant that Avery would be sent off without them. Avery would have to go with some unfamiliar synth. ¡°Well, I¡¯ll put yourself and 70H67 down for Arkane.¡± the Overseer said, ¡°It¡¯ll be decided by the end of the day if that will actually be your placement.¡± ¡°I look forward to the news.¡± ¡°Very good. DIsmissed.¡± TO got up and left quickly, hoping that the Overseer wouldn¡¯t take note of how their ears were twitching with excitement. Arkane. If C12 had sent GiDi anywhere, it would be there. The fact that they had recommended DH and TO for their placement there only reinforced that fact. Maybe they¡¯d find their friend again...if they were still alive. They had to be. TO refused to believe anything else. ====== TO rushed back to the Observation deck. They had been spending most of their spare time there between their meetings, along with DH. Avery was around more often than they had been before, but they always seemed to be somehow separate from TO and DH. They assured TO that they preferred that; they were happy to just be around others. TO didn¡¯t understand, but Avery had been making sure to spend more time around the two of them since GiDi had been taken away, and if they were content to just sit and read in their company then that was fine by TO. Of course...This did cause some problems, especially since they knew about TO, and about their feelings towards DH. Just thinking about it was enough to slow TO down. Avery knew! Avery had guessed and demanded the truth from TO. Avery knew that TO had romantic feelings towards DH. It was enough to make TO¡¯s ears burn just thinking about it! How had they been so careless! And worse¡­ if Avery knew, how could DH still not know? TO stopped, and took a long, deep breath. It was alright. They had a plan. It was the plan that had been weaving around in their head since To and DH had made up. so long as they had a plan then everything was going to be fine. The first part of their plan was to finish their training. Well, that was basically done now. Sure, there had been worries about further testing and other tricks, but the higher ups had been satisfied with their work in their combat training test and all the training since then had been specialized training with ships and special weapons. The second part was to ensure that they got placed with DH when they left the training center. well, that seemed like it was going to be the case. There was still a chance that it might not happen, but it seemed like that would be fine. The final and hardest part was to tell DH how they felt. How they really felt. They wanted to! They really did! They were terrified, but if there was even the smallest chance that C12 had been right, then wouldn¡¯t it be worth it? And DH said that they could never hate them, no matter what. They had to trust DH. They had to trust that if they were wrong, that DH still wouldn¡¯t hate them, and that they could still be friends even if DH didn¡¯t feel the same way. And they had to hope that they could actually tell them. Episode 120: Blunt Avery was reading on the couch in the observation deck when TO finally got there. They glanced up and gave TO a quick smile before flicking their eyes back to their book. The seemingly cold greeting was nothing personal; it was just how Avery was. Since Avery had been spending more time with them in the last few cycles, TO had gotten used to their more detached mannerisms. They understood now how they had failed to see that Avery was strange until so late; Avery was quiet, and subtle in how they expressed their emotions. The only time they seemed to get excitable was in rare bouts of irritation or anger. Still, even if Avery kept quiet and only greeted TO with a brief flicker of a smile, the slight lift to their ears showed that they were happy to see them. ¡°How was your meeting?¡± ¡°Good, I think.¡± TO said as they sat down on the other end of the couch. ¡°I guess that means you¡¯ll be sent out with DH?¡± they said, their ears drooping only slightly as they spoke. TO¡¯s ears flicked down, ¡°I did try to make the argument for three synths to go!¡± TO protested, ¡°I really did, and my Overseer even said-¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± Avery said, looking up from their file once more, ¡°Honestly, It¡¯s fine. I didn¡¯t think that you¡¯d be able to convince them to send three synths out together.¡± ¡°But that means you¡¯ll-¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be sent out with some synth who is at about my skill level, or maybe higher. ¡± Avery said as though it just didn¡¯t matter, ¡°I¡¯ll go out, do my training, and come back. I¡¯ll be left to my own devices half the time, and have plenty of opportunity to read.¡± ¡°Won¡¯t you be lonely?¡± TO asked. ¡°... I¡¯m sure there will be times when I¡¯ll wish I was around someone more like me, or someone who understood me better. I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll miss you and DH.¡± they frowned, ¡°But I know I¡¯m not alone. I know you¡¯re out there, and I¡¯ll be able to send missives to you anytime.¡± TO felt their ears sink, ¡°It won¡¯t be the same though.¡± They said. ¡°I¡¯ll be fine.¡± Avery said. They closed their book and turned to TO seriously, an action which took TO by surprise. There was very little that often drew Avery¡¯s full attention. ¡°More importantly,¡± Avery said, ¡°How sure are you that you¡¯ll be going with DH?¡± ¡°Fairly positive.¡± TO said, ¡°The Overseer was rather transparent¡­¡± ¡°And you¡¯re still determined to wait until AFTER you¡¯re sent off to tell DH how you feel?¡± TO felt their ears burn as they looked away. ¡°Yes.¡± they muttered, ¡°Where is DH anyway?¡± They glanced at the door, worried that DH might come in any second. ¡°They were called away not too long ago for their armor fitting.¡± Avery said, ¡°So they won¡¯t be back here for a bit.¡± TO frowned, and was unable to keep their ears from twitching back in disappointment ¡°Well, Yes, I do still intend to wait.¡± they said, ¡°That¡¯s the safest solution. C12 said-¡± ¡°I know, I know.¡± Avery said as their ears flattened out in irritation, ¡°Wait until you¡¯re out of the center. I know. But still, if something happens-¡± ¡°I¡¯ll have my official assignment at least a day or so before we leave. Maybe sooner. If things change, Then I¡¯ll reconsider-¡± ¡°No, let me finish.¡± Avery snapped, ¡°Look, I don¡¯t know you as well as DH does, but I¡¯ve noticed a pattern over the last couple of cycles.¡± ¡°Have you now.¡± TO muttered. ¡°Yes, I have!¡± Avery said, ¡°Some days you wake up, and you look so happy because you had a good day with DH the day before, and you get all excited, and then you end up telling me that you don¡¯t think you can wait until you¡¯re gone on assignment to tell DH how you actually feel.¡± ¡°I do feel the need to point out that despite that excitement, I do manage to contain myself.¡± TO said as they resisted the urge to cover their blue, burning ears. They also regretted allowing themself to share their occasional excitement with Avery. Still, there were times when they felt so overwhelmed with what they were feeling that couldn¡¯t keep it in, and TO was grateful to have Avery around during those times. Over the last little while Avery had patiently listened as TO raved about how caring DH was when they were doing their first aid, how excited they could be to learn new things, how adorable they looked when they got frustrated with something and inadvertently pouted as their ears flattened out. The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. They had admitted only once to wanting to rub DH¡¯s ears. Confused, Avery had simply asked why, and TO had dropped it quickly. ¡°You¡¯re really good at doing things safely; that¡¯s the problem.¡± Avery sighed, ¡°You get excited, you say you¡¯re going to tell DH, and then you don¡¯t! You decide at the very last minute that you¡¯re not going to tell them, then you get sad until you see them again. Everything is normal for a few days at the most before it happens all over again!¡± Avery was getting more animated now, with their hands waving about as they spoke. ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m sorry if I¡¯m bothering you about it.¡± TO said as their ears flicked back, ¡°I¡¯ll stop if that¡¯s better.¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s not the issue. I don¡¯t mind you talking about DH. I just think that if you don¡¯t tell them sooner than later you¡¯re going to drive yourself to madness, and you might just take me with you!¡± ¡°But I have to wait!¡± TO protested, ¡°Because C12 said-¡± ¡°Yes yes, C12 is your excuse now!¡± Avery said as they cut TO off, ¡°But when you leave? What¡¯s the excuse going to be then? Maybe you¡¯ll think you need a few days to get used to things in the ship. Then maybe there¡¯s too much study to do before you land, and you won¡¯t be able to distract-¡± ¡°The studying won¡¯t be as bad as we worried, because we¡¯re being sent to Arkane. DH and I have been studying that place since-¡± they felt their ears droop, ¡°Since GiDi was taken away.¡± ¡°Because you think they¡¯re there.¡± ¡°We hope.¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s the other problem.¡± Avery said, ¡°I have a few concerns about that. Say GiDi is there; What are you going to do? Bring them back?¡± ¡°If we did that, then they¡¯d be corrected.¡± TO said softly, ¡°No, we just want to know that they¡¯re ok.¡± ¡°But¡­ if they are ok, then shouldn¡¯t you bring them back? I don¡¯t want them corrected either, but-¡± ¡°I¡¯m hoping we¡¯ll have more important things to do. Hunting down synths that have ended up outside the service of King Decon won¡¯t be a direct order.¡± ¡°Right. What I¡¯m saying though is that you will have a lot to do there, and you¡¯ll be very busy, and-¡± they pointed their finger at TO, nearly touching the tip of their snout as they did, ¡°You¡¯ll come up with some other excuse, and put it off until your placement is over! Then you¡¯ll be separated, and you¡¯ll never tell DH!¡± TO wanted to tell DH. TO didn¡¯t want to tell DH. The same levels of hope and dread were still in them. Even if DH didn¡¯t hate them for it, even if they weren¡¯t disgusted, admitting how they felt would change everything. If DH felt the same way, then everything would change because then they¡¯d be...mates? The idea made TO¡¯s ears burn, even if it made their chest feel like it might explode with joy. Of course, there was the chance that they didn¡¯t feel the same way. If DH didn¡¯t feel the same, then that still changed everything. Maybe DH would still be more careful around TO. Maybe they wouldn¡¯t want to share a pod anymore. Even if they didn¡¯t hate TO, being rejected would hurt. Avery gave a deep sigh. ¡°Really, I should tell them myself-¡± TO felt their ears fall back in panic as they flushed bright blue, ¡°Don¡¯t you dare!¡± ¡°Why not!? You think DH can¡¯t keep a secret?¡± ¡°I just don¡¯t want to risk anything before we get sent off.¡± ¡°And how lucky for you that I won¡¯t be able to tell them after you¡¯re sent off.¡± ¡°Just¡­ just promise me that you won¡¯t tell them.¡± ¡°Why should I?¡± Avery asked, ¡°I mean, you¡¯re clearly not going to tell them-¡± ¡°I will!¡± TO said, panic forcing words out of their mouth, ¡°I will, I promise, I just-¡± ¡°You promise?¡± Another moment of horror flashed through them, and TO fell silent. ¡°Y-yes¡­ Yes, I promise I¡¯ll tell them.¡± ¡°When?¡± ¡°After we get assigned-¡± ¡°That covers a lot of time.¡± Avery said, their eyes narrowed, ¡°Once you''re on the ship-¡± ¡°That¡¯s too soon! And we¡¯ll be all messed up and getting organized in the ship, and-¡± ¡°See, this is what I meant with excuses.¡± ¡°Before we land!¡± TO said without thinking about what they were saying, ¡°I¡¯ll tell them before we land!¡± ¡°Promise?¡± Before they landed. If they did end up going to Arkane, then that would be maybe two cycles of travel time. Two cycles. Avery sighed, ¡°Don¡¯t you want to tell them?¡± They asked. ¡°I do! I just¡­¡± they trailed off, ¡°You wouldn¡¯t understand.¡± ¡°No, I wouldn¡¯t. I haven¡¯t had romantic feelings for any synth, and honestly watching you being an idiot over it is making me very grateful for that.¡± Avery snapped. ¡°Just¡­ please don¡¯t tell them.¡± TO said, their voice shaking. They felt their wings wrap around themself, ¡°Please.¡± ¡°DH wouldn¡¯t hate you.¡± Avery said, ¡°Even if they didn¡¯t feel the same way. Besides that, the two of you are so close-¡± ¡°Just¡­ Please. I need more time before I tell them.¡± After a long pause, Avery finally cursed and brought up the file they had been reading, ¡°You look so scared.¡± they sighed, ¡°I can¡¯t do it to you. I should, but I can¡¯t.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± TO said, already feeling their wings loosen around them, ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°For the record, you¡¯re still an idiot, and I think you should tell them as soon as possible, but-¡± they shook their head, ¡°Even if you say you will, but you don¡¯t, I won¡¯t be able to tell them myself once you¡¯re sent off. Maybe they won¡¯t be carefully watching us anymore, but any higher ups can see messages we send to one another.¡± ¡°They can.¡± ¡°So when you do tell them.¡± Avery snapped, ¡°Send me a message saying that you¡­ I don¡¯t know, You ¡®finished your research¡¯ or something. Find a way to tell me how it goes.¡± ¡°I will.¡± TO said, ¡°I can promise that.¡± ¡°Moron.¡± Avery said again as they went to their reading. They glanced up once more, ¡°Now I know why GiDi used to rant about the two of you. You¡¯re a moron for not telling DH, and if DH knows, then they¡¯re a moron for not saying something.¡± Despite themself, TO felt a smile cross over their lips. It was rare that Avery got so animated about anything, but lately this issue had been something that always got them riled up. Even though Avery didn¡¯t feel romantic feelings themself, TO felt like they were almost rooting for them, hoping that it worked out in the end. TO wanted it to work out. They wanted to tell DH. They didn¡¯t want to tell DH. They sighed, and opened up the news logs to start catching up on recent local news on Arkane. Love is hard. They thought as they scanned over the news. Still, they didn''t think they could give up this feeling in their chest for anything in the galaxy. Episode 121: Ignorance Avery left the observation deck a few hours later to go back to their pod. TO, of course, decided to stay and wait for DH. Lately, they always met in the observation deck before they went to their pods so that they could have a few minutes to talk without worry about being recorded. They didn¡¯t always talk about things that were problematic, but there was always a chance they¡¯d talk about GiDi. It was also just nice to not have to worry so much about every word they spoke. Still, the room felt so cold and empty when their friends weren¡¯t there, and the beauty of the galaxy before them seemed more somber when TO was alone. It was also when they were alone that they found their thoughts slipping, lingering either on daydreams or memories; something they had been trying to avoid. Sometimes they couldn¡¯t help but let their thoughts slip. Today, it was memories that their mind lingered on; a conversation they had had with Avery nearly a period after admitting how they felt about DH. ¡°I couldn¡¯t tell them!¡± TO said as they stomped into the observation deck, startling Avery with how loud they were. They flopped onto the couch, hiding their face with their hands, ¡°I was going to, but I couldn¡¯t!¡± Avery sighed and closed up the file they were reading, ¡°Why not?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know...Because C12 said I should wait? Because¡­¡± They had wondered why they couldn¡¯t tell them, and why they felt so scared when the words were resting on their tongue, ready to come out. ¡°Does it even matter?¡± they asked, more to themself than to Avery, ¡°I mean, DH knows I love them. We¡¯re always together¡­ does it matter if I tell them?¡± ¡°Clearly it does.¡± Avery muttered, ¡°This is the third time you¡¯ve gotten yourself all ready to go tell them, and the third time you¡¯ve decided against it.¡± They glanced up from their book, ¡°I have no idea what you¡¯re feeling; again, I¡¯ve never held any romantic feelings towards another-¡± TO¡¯s ears still burned when Avery mentioned it. How could they say that so casually? ¡°-But I¡¯m assuming it¡¯s different than just loving them as your friend. Otherwise, it wouldn¡¯t be an issue.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t even know if there¡¯s actually a difference. Maybe I¡¯m just overthinking it and maybe I do only love DH as my friend, as family-¡± ¡°Do you love GiDi?¡± ¡°Of course!¡± ¡°Do you love GiDi in the same way you love DH?¡± ¡°Well¡­ no.¡± the idea of kissing GiDi or rubbing GiDi¡¯s ears just seemed odd to TO. ¡°Then there¡¯s a difference, and you should tell them.¡± Platonic love, and romantic love. What even was the difference? It was a question that still bothered TO from time to time. It had bothered them enough that they had taken the risk to try to look it up from the database connected to their chip. The information they found had been civilian based, and not altogether useful. It simply stated that platonic love was love between friends and family, and that romantic love was love between sexual partners. Even TO knew that overly simple definition wasn¡¯t quite right. Even just from romantic shows that they had watched with DH, they knew that wasn¡¯t right. There was romance without sex. There was sex without romance. Paring up romance and sex also seemed almost flippant to TO; there was more to it! They just¡­ didn¡¯t know what that was. Well, that was philosophy, and wholly unnecessary. While the logic didn¡¯t make sense to TO, they at least knew what they felt. In the end it came down to two simple facts. The first fact: TO loved GiDi and DH, but they loved DH differently than they did GiDi. Precious, GiDi had said once; they had envied how TO and DH seemed so precious to one another. The love TO had for DH was a different love, and somehow what they had seen of romantic love did seem to fit what they felt even if they couldn¡¯t explain why. The second fact: TO did want to be...intimate with DH. They wanted to kiss the space between their ears and the back of DH¡¯s head. They wanted DH to stroke their ears. They wanted to- The door slid open, and TO yelped in shock as DH came into the observation deck. Thankfully, DH didn¡¯t notice how flustered TO was because they walked right in and flopped down on the couch. Their ears were down and pinned back, their eyes were half closed. ¡°I hate the armor.¡± DH snapped, ¡°I thought it would feel like the armor we wear in the simulations, but it¡¯s worse! and -¡± ¡°You got fitted then?¡± TO asked, doing their best to draw their thoughts away from where they had been going, ¡°It took a while.¡± DH sighed, ¡°I didn¡¯t JUST get fitted for armor.¡± they said, their voice taking on an almost sulky tone, ¡°I got fitted for my armor, then they realized they could fit me for my medical examination.¡± DH put their hands to their eyes, ¡°I got so many scans done that I¡¯m stiff from standing or sitting, my eyes hurt from the flashing lights, AND I have a headache from all the noises.¡± A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation. TO reached out, hesitating only for a moment before they gently started scratching the back of DH¡¯s head. They remembered that when they had their first really bad migraine that DH had done the same for them, and it had helped a lot. It seemed to help DH. They hummed softly and leaned into TO, resting their head on TO¡¯s chest. ¡°Thanks¡± they muttered. ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± TO insisted, ¡°You¡¯ve done the same.¡± DH didn¡¯t respond, but instead seemed to relax into TO. They didn¡¯t fall asleep, but they relaxed so much that after a moment TO could hear soft, faint chirps coming from the back of DH¡¯s throat. TO watched their friend¡¯s hands unclenched, allowing their fingers to spread over their forehead while their palms kept comfortable pressure to their eyes. TO hoped they wouldn¡¯t move their hands, at least not yet. The way they looked in that moment, their precious chirps, the way they leaned back against TO, it made TO¡¯s ears flush. It made them feel like their chest was going to burst. It made them want to tell DH right now. TO knew they shouldn¡¯t, but they also knew that if DH were to happen to look up right now, and see how flushed they were, and if DH were to question them on it¡­ TO knew they wouldn¡¯t be able to lie. They knew they¡¯d do the wholly irresponsible thing and tell them how they felt. They took several long, deep breaths, and after several minutes they managed to calm the frantic hum of their heart and regain their composure. Still¡­ Lovers did this right? Mates? There were lots of times in DH¡¯s shows where even an established couple wasn¡¯t quite this close. TO Had been paying far more attention as of late, watching them almost as though they were documentaries that required study. ¡°I feel a little better.¡± DH said, startling TO. TO¡¯s hands stilled, and they wondered if it would be too odd if they continued. They tried to think back to when DH had done this for them but their head hadn¡¯t felt better until they had gone to sleep. ¡°We could go to MO-6?¡± TO offered, ¡°If you¡¯re still in some pain?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s not that bad.¡± DH said. They stayed where they were for a moment, then sat up, stretching. ¡°Still, all those tests are awful.¡± ¡°Most synths who have had their medical examination have had headaches afterwards.¡± TO said. They had heard some others complain about head pains, and even Avery had been in pain after their scans. ¡°It¡¯s apparently still better than when we¡¯ve been inoculated; they¡¯ll apparently do it early in the day and let us rest for the rest of the day to recover. DH groaned as they leaned back against the couch, ¡°Well,¡± They said, ¡°We won¡¯t have to worry about that until after we get our assignments.¡± They finally glanced at the now very calm TO, ¡°Speaking of which¡­¡± they trailed off, their ears pinning back with worry as their hands clenched on their lap. ¡°I don¡¯t know for certain if we¡¯ll be assigned together.¡± TO said, answering DH¡¯s unspoken question, ¡°But I think we will be. My overseer was very transparent in that.¡± DH relaxed all at once, their ears coming forward, their shoulders dropping, and even a muscle in their jaw seemed to unclench. ¡°I said I don¡¯t know for certain!¡± TO protested. ¡°I know.¡± DH said as they gave TO a quick smile, ¡°But you think we will be. That¡¯s enough for me for now.¡± ¡°Right¡­ And I think we¡¯ll be on Arkane.¡± ¡°Arkane? Really?¡± DH sat up, ¡°You think we¡¯ll find GiDi?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­ but C12 recommended us for it. Apparently they recommended that you and I go to Arkane just before our examination. ¡°Then GiDi must be there.¡± DH said, though their ears still twitched with worry, ¡°They have to be.¡± ¡°We might not find them, even if they are!¡± TO said quickly, ¡°It¡¯s still a big planet, and GiDi could be in hiding. There¡¯s every chance that we may not see them!¡± ¡°I know.¡± DH said quietly. ¡°It¡¯d be nice to see them¡­ But I know.¡± The silence that followed screamed the unspoken thoughts that had been echoing around in TO¡¯s head. GiDi might still be dead. They had no way to know what happened after they left the training center or if they had even managed to leave the training center at all. So long as they didn¡¯t know for certain then they could believe that GiDi was still alive. The hope that GiDi was out there somewhere in the galaxy and happy was so much kinder than all the other awful things that could have happened, and which had been more likely to happen. TO was happy at the moment to live in ignorant hope of what could be. ¡°Anyway.¡± TO said in an attempt to change the subject, ¡°You got your armor?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± DH said, clearly relieved to have the topic changed, ¡°Yes. I got my armor, and I hate it.¡± ¡°Why? Does it look worse than the armor we wear in the simulations?¡± ¡°Want to see it?¡± DH asked. ¡°I¡­ yes? Where is it?¡± DH sighed and stood up. They held up their right arm and pulled their sleeve back to reveal what looked like a thin, metallic bracelet. DH watched TO¡¯s confused face for just a moment before they reached up and held their forefinger and thumb to the bracelet¡¯s smooth surface. It was as though the bracelet unfolded, forming first a tight layer over DH¡¯s sleeve and over their exposed hand. The metal covered DH¡¯s hand and arm, then continued to unfold over DH¡¯s body, trailing up their neck and over their chest and back. Soon, all that showing was DH¡¯s head and their wings which their armor had left exposed. The armor puffed out once more and seemed to settle over DH¡¯s body and form their armor. Once the body was formed, the metal spread up to form a bubble over DH¡¯s head before it settled and set into place to create a smoothed helmet with narrow, oval eyes that gave DH a slightly buggy look. ¡°The sensation of the armor provides discomfort.¡± DH said, but they sounded weird. It was DH¡¯s voice, TO could tell that, but there was something slightly off about it. TO wasn¡¯t entirely sure if it was because they couldn''t see DH¡¯s ears or not. They were monotone, and the word choice seemed odd for DH. ¡°Apologies; this unit¡¯s translation software is always on.¡± DH reached out to their wrist again and a moment later the armor dissolved away, pulling into itself and shrinking up until it was once again just a bracelet. ¡°I hate the translation software!¡± DH snapped, their ears pinned back, ¡°It¡¯s so¡­¡± ¡°Well, it was translating for us to Synth-speak, and I couldn¡¯t see your ears; of course it¡¯s going to be odd.¡± ¡°It just feels so weird when it forms over me.¡± DH said as they frowned at the bracelet, ¡°And as soon as the helmet activates properly there¡¯s all kinds of data; it syncs up to my chip so I instantly get all kinds of information just to the side. It¡¯s distracting¡± they sighed and flopped back into the couch, ¡°But, the good news is that it can play radio signals without anyone else hearing, so I can listen to music whenever I want when I¡¯m wearing it and nobody would know!¡± TO was only half listening; they were distracted by the translation software. ¡°What exactly did you say when you spoke to me? When the translation software was working?¡± ¡°What?¡± DH frowned as they looked at TO, ¡°Just what I told you; The armor felt odd, and I hated the translation software.¡± There had been something off about the translation to TO, but they figured that it had to be just the relay of DH¡¯s voice and the lack of ear movements to provide the much needed context, tone, and the myriad of subtleties that their languages relied on. ¡°I guess when we¡¯re wearing them, we¡¯ll have to speak in Universal Common when we talk to each other.¡± ¡°Thankfully, the internal communications system isn¡¯t automatically translated; not unless it¡¯s activated. It¡¯s not needed most of the time.¡± DH had their armor, and TO was certain that they¡¯d have their armor soon as well. They¡¯d have their assignment soon, and then they¡¯d know for sure if they were being assigned with DH. TO would need to have their own medical done, then they needed their inoculations, then a briefing with their Overseer. Then they¡¯d be gone from the training center. Synths finishing their training would be sent out in the new period. That was just three days away. Three days until they were gone from the center. Three days until they didn''t¡¯ have to worry about training or classes or simulations. Three days until they didn¡¯t have officers and overseers all around. Three days until they could tell DH. That at least made it easier for TO to hold their tongue right now. Episode 122: Lasts TO¡¯s small fighter craft cut through the swarm of enemies that had been attacking them. A shot came from behind, and they only just saw it in time to swerve out of the way and dodge the attack. The enemy missiles only just passed them and continued on to strike a different enemy ship. To any watching, it looked very very lucky. In truth, TO had seen the enemy behind them, and had positioned themself in between their attacker, and the ship they wanted gone. Now they could take out the other enemy. Target locked. Rear lasers engaged. Critical spot identified. Fire. A single laser blast came from the canon on the rear of TO¡¯s ship and hit and the enemy attacker - a small, oval ship that was a third the size of TO¡¯s- was thrown off of its trajectory and spiraled off before exploding. Another enemy down - Insurgents maybe? TO didn''t know. It didn¡¯t really matter; They weren¡¯t given details like that when it came to space combat; they were given specs on enemy tactics and weaponry. They were given their objectives, and expected to carry them out. Another enemy cut before TO. They fired their manual front lasers on instinct; five shots. Their aim hadn¡¯t improved that much over their training, so when they weren¡¯t using their targeting systems they instead allowed a volley of shots to rain over the enemy. It was messy, but effective in the end. The enemy burst into a cloud of metal and fire which TO¡¯s ship raced through as they looked for their actual objective; the carrier ship. They could attack the smaller ships all they wanted, but it didn''t matter if they didn¡¯t get the carrier ship. The carrier ship was the main target, and it¡¯s destruction was the win condition. Something exploded overhead, and TO looked up in time to see another enemy craft burst into flames as an allied ship took position next to TO. Their radio buzzed to life. ¡°You didn¡¯t see that one, did you?¡± DH¡¯s voice said over the radio in simple Universal Common. ¡°Thanks for the assist.¡± TO said back as their ears perked up, ¡°Have you seen the carrier?¡± ¡°Not yet. You¡¯d think it¡¯d be easy to see among all these smaller ships.¡± ¡°If it was just out in the open, we¡¯d have seen it already.¡± TO said back, ¡°They must have-¡° they fell silent as a thought crossed their mind, and they turned their radio from the private line between themself and DH to the public line between themself and the forty-eight other synths working with them. ¡°Is there anywhere that the enemy seems to be avoiding? If their carrier has cloaking abilities then even if we didn¡¯t see it, the enemy attackers would know where it is and avoid that area to keep from crashing into it. ¡° The hum of the silence over the radio was broken a few moments later by another synth- 56F45. ¡°Yes, near me. I¡¯ll send coordinates.¡± The coordinates came in, popping up just to the side of TO¡¯s vision on the visor they wore in the ship. The visor acted a lot like a helmet in terms of giving them information just outside of their vision, but it was much lighter. TO turned, and headed to where 56F45 have directed them. DH followed alongside them. THey took out the few enemies that got in their way, but mostly ignored what they could. When they got to 56F45¡¯s location, they could see the spot .If they hadn¡¯t been looking for it, if they had been watching where the enemy was instead of where they weren¡¯t then they would have missed the empty space that a handful of enemy ships seemed to orbit. TO¡¯s radar didn¡¯t pick up anything, but they were certain that if the ship could hide itself in space then it could hide itself from radar. Without radar, TO¡¯s automatic targeting was out. Well, no matter. TO turned their ship towards the empty space and opened fire. Where they expected their shots to pass through the empty space, they instead hit something that couldn¡¯t be seen. There was a flash, and a few pieces of metal came loose from something, revealing a strange metallic spot that seemed to float in space. They all opened fired; TO, DH, 56F45, and the other synths around them that had either been in the area already or had followed 56F45¡¯s coordinates. They aimed for the spot that TO¡¯s first hit had revealed. Orders came out from their commander over the radio for the top ranked shooters to deal with the smaller enemies while everyone else focused their fire. DH left TO¡¯s side and started chasing down the smaller fighters that were now swarming overhead while TO and the others continued the volley of strikes to the expanding gash in space. The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. After a few minutes, there was a flicker in the space before them. The enemy¡¯s cloaking device fell and the entire enemy ship was revealed; an orb which from a distance might have been taken for a small moon or asteroid. It was bigger than TO had expected, but that didn''t matter now. What mattered now was that with the cloaking device down the ship now showed on their radar. With the ship on their radar, they could use the bigger weapons. Target locked; Drill missile deployed. TO¡¯s ship only had two drill missile¡¯s, but this seemed like the right time to use them both. They fired, spinning in the air towards the gash in the enemy¡¯s carrier ship. It struck, but instead of exploding immediately it drilled it¡¯s way into the ship, destroying anything it encountered. It would either keep going until it was stopped at which point it would explode, or it would drill out through the other side. The other synths around TO had the same idea, and deployed their drill missiles as well. A swarm of large, metal spinning missiles hit the ship. The carrier shuddered and a portion on one side seemed to expand out like a bubble which burst in an orb of flames, sending metal scrap out into space. Target Eliminated. There was only a moment of peace, as they watched the debris float about in space before the feeling of disembodiment overcame TO. They were pulled from the simulation and brought back to their body in the simulation room. Success. Good; TO had worried that maybe that ship was a distraction, or a larger Attack ship. TO reached up and removed their helmet. The other synths around them were doing them same as they came out of the simulation; Some standing up and stretching, others simply sitting where they were and trying to keeping themself from being sick; artificial weightlessness and the sudden return to gravity tended to mess with one¡¯s stomach, and nearly every synth had at one point or another, vomited after space combat training. That¡¯s why there were buckets near each seat. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have thought of that!¡± DH said from their seat next to TO, ¡°looking for a place where the enemy wasn¡¯t?¡± ¡°Well, I would have been taken out much earlier if you hadn¡¯t been watching me and keeping enemies off of me.¡± TO said back, trying to keep their ears from twitching with too much joy, ¡°It was a team effort.¡± TO glanced at their chip to check the time, wondering if they¡¯d be put into a new simulation, but they saw that they had a message. A moment of hope that they squashed before they even opened it. When they saw a message they somehow hoped it was GiDi. It never was, and they had to stop thinking it might be as it made them sad every time. They opened it, and read from the screen that floated before them. Placement assignment confirmed; Location; Arkane Partner; 70H67 Report to Overseer T after the second meal for briefing. ¡°We did it.¡± TO whispered softly. DH Came close to look at the message, then quickly checked their own chip and brought up their own message; it was almost the exact same as TO¡¯s. ¡°¡±... We did.¡± DH said softly, almost in disbelief as they looked over their message, ¡°We did it. We¡¯re actually being assigned together!¡± Even after their meeting with their Overseer only the day before, TO had doubted that they would actually be placed with DH. They figured that something would come up, or someone would say something. They worried that something would be changed. It seemed so hard to believe that after everything this one thing, this big thing, would work out. They checked the message again just in case they had misread the message. 70H67 was indeed their partner. ¡°Those completed their scenario may leave for the second meal.¡± The new trainer said; Trainer 68. They weren¡¯t as good as C12 had been, and didn¡¯t seem to have personalized training for any synths. They also seemed wholly indifferent to how synths improved, and offered no feedback like C12 had. The only hint any of them got now as you how they needed to improve was from what the focus of their next scenario was. Still, TO doubted that they¡¯d have to do any more scenarios. Two more days. They¡¯d probably have a day for the inoculations, and then they¡¯d have to be trained, and there were briefings¡­ There was almost a sadness to the realization that this would be their last scenario. They didn¡¯t want to do more, but they wished they had known before now. ¡°Hey¡­ what¡¯s wrong?¡± DH asked quietly. They reached over and started to help TO detach from the wires, setting their hand gently on TO¡¯s shoulder as they did, ¡°Are you ok?¡± TO nodded, and let DH help them. ¡°I¡¯m good. I¡¯ll explain later.¡± There wasn¡¯t much to explain; it was just this odd sadness that overcame them. It was fine. They were going on assignment with DH! That was a good thing! ¡­ but why did they feel so scared? Episode 123: Ark TO figured that they¡¯d speak with their Overseer alone when they were called for their briefing on Arkane; that was not the case. When they arrived at their Overseers office they were immediately led out of the office and towards one of the lower levels of the training center. They met up with DH and DH¡¯s Overseer at the elevator, and realized that obviously they¡¯d be in the same briefing if they would be on the same assignment. Though DH and TO couldn¡¯t talk, it was enough to just see their friend and have them close. Still, the silence as they headed down somehow made TO nervous. Standing behind their Overseers in the elevator, TO risked a glance at DH. DH looked tired and pale, but still managed to give TO a quick smile as their ears perked up slowly. They had both had their inoculations the day before and had been quite sick afterwards due to the side effects. The whole of yesterday had been spent sleeping, but even so they were both still exhausted today. Still, soon they would be able to rest. The day was nearly over. When they were done with their briefing, they¡¯d be able to go to sleep once more and hopefully wake up well rested and feeling better tomorrow. They had to feel better Tomorrow. Tomorrow was the day. Tomorrow they¡¯d leave the training center. The elevator door opened, and they all stepped out onto a new level of the training center. Many synths were walking about here - some Officers, some trainees, and some synths wearing odd black uniforms with no numbers on them. The two Overseers left the elevator, followed by TO and DH, and headed through the halls and to a door with ARK-1 written on the front. DH¡¯s overseer scanned their chip, and the door opened allowing the four of them to enter. Inside was an office much like the office of an Overseer. The only difference was that there was another door on the other side of the office leading off somewhere deeper into the center. An officer sat at the desk before them, wearing a uniform that TO had never seen before; a blue and purple uniform with ARK-1 pinned over the center of their chest. Just over the assignment number was a flag showing three purple circles over a blue background. The Officer glanced up from their work as the Overseers led TO and DH into the office. ¡°These are the new assignments?¡± They asked. ¡°Yes, Ark-1¡± The Overseers said in unison. ¡°Very good.¡± The Officer said, ¡°You two may leave.¡± The Overseers nodded, turned, and left without another word to DH and TO who were left standing on the spot, confused. Ark-1 gestured with their chipped hand, and a device rose up from the surface of their desk. They glanced up at DH and TO. ¡°The two of you may sit.¡± they said. TO sat down, still confused as to why their Overseer had left them here with this strange Officer. They felt their wings tighten around them as they glanced at DH. Their ears were back and their wings were tightened around them; DH was frightened as well. ¡°Is there a problem?¡± The Officer asked as they regarded them both. ¡°N-no, Officer.¡± TO said after a moment of silence where it became clear that DH wasn¡¯t going to say something, ¡°Just¡­ Confused. I thought we were having our briefing with our Overseers.¡± ¡°I see.¡± The Officer said, ¡°Well, as of now, you¡¯re not trainees anymore. Trainees have Overseers; Soldiers do not.¡± Soldiers. Was that what they were now? Ark-1 gestured to the device on the desks before them, ¡°Set your chipped hands on the device one at a time¡± they ordered. DH looked at the device like it might bite them. TO took a breath and set their hand where they were told. There was a buzz, and though TO expected there to be pain, there was none. Just under their skin, TO could see a series of lights starting to blink. They realized that they had seen this before a long time ago, back when they were fresh out of the tank and first had the chip implanted. After a minute, the lights stopped blinking and a code glowed under their skin before fading off; Ark-87 ¡°You are no longer 09T07.¡± Ark-1 explained, ¡°Your new assignment is Ark-87. Ark is the shorthand for Arkane. The numbers cycle from 1 to 99. The Officer in charge of placements for Arkane is Ark-1; that¡¯s myself.¡± They looked to DH. ¡°Your turn.¡± they said. DH nodded, and did the same. When the lights finished syncing on DH¡¯s chip the code came up as Ark-88 ¡°Ark-87, Ark-88; you¡¯re the newest assignments to Arkane.¡± Ark-1 said, ¡°After this meeting is complete you will be sent to temporary sleeping quarters to prepare for your departure tomorrow.¡± They pulled up new files ¨Cblank ones¨C and started typing on the desk, and information started to fill the files; thus far it seemed like there were only times and dates. A new file; a fresh start. TO glanced at DH, caught their eye, and gave a nod. They had a fresh start now, and they had to work hard to make sure that the files didn''t have anything problematic on it. ¡°Your training should be complete.¡± Ark-1 said, ¡°I assume you know what¡¯s expected of you between now and the time you land on Arkane?¡± The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. ¡°Yes, Officer-¡° ¡°Ark-1.¡± ¡°Yes¡­ Ark-1¡± TO said, ¡°We are to spend our time researching the cultural aspects of Arkane so that we encounter little trouble and confusion once we land. As well, we are expected to maintain our physical health using the equipment provided on the ship. During this time, we will also be expected to deal with any maintance issues that might arise with the ship.¡± ¡°Correct. And when you land on Arkane?¡± TO kept silent this time, waiting for DH to answer instead. Thankfully, DH realized what TO wanted them to do quickly, ¡°Once we arrive on Arkane, the ship will convert into our living quarters to provide us with a safe place to rest, away from potential surveillance by the civilian governments. We will be greeted by delegates from the planet and introduced to our main points of contact and the leadership of the planet. ¡° ¡°Correct. What are the rules?¡± ¡°First, we are ¡®synths¡¯ when we are wearing our uniforms.¡± TO said, ¡°Ideally, the civilians have no idea what we look like without our uniforms on. This is useful for when we must infiltrate civilian situations for information. When we are among the public without our armor on, then we must do our best to intergrate with the locals, so as not to draw attention.¡± ¡°Second,¡° DH said, ¡°we are the authority on that planet. We¡¯re working with the planet¡¯s leadership, but they must defer to us. Third, we must make daily short-reports and weekly detailed reports. Fourth-¡° Ark-1 waved DH into silence, ¡°That is fine; you seem to know what you need to do.¡± They put notes into both of their files, and then shifted to a hologram of a large planet that seeemd speckled with purple islands over a deep blue ocean. Three large moons circled the planet. ¡°This is Arkane.¡± Ark-1 said. They gestured with their hand, and the hologram zoomed in to show TO and DH a larger island in the Southern Hemisphere, ¡°And this island is Okoia; the capital. This is where you¡¯ll be stationed. Most of the smaller islands are populated, but Okoia has the highest population density. It¡¯s the center of commerce and politics. It is also thought to be where the main core of the Despair Insurgence hides.¡± ¡°And¡­ we will be going after them, correct?¡± TO asked. ¡°Correct.¡± Ark-1 said, ¡°You will.¡± They gestured again and a series of pictures came up before them; some pictures were in color, some were grayed out, and some had only silhouettes with names. One or two were silhouettes without names. ¡°The greyed out pictures are people who have been caught, and executed.¡± Ark-1 explained. There were a lot of them, and as TO glanced over them, they even caught sight of a child; a young girl among them with the name ¡°Helen Orno¡± written underneath . ¡°There¡¯s...children involved?¡± ¡°Yes; the insurgency seems to have no issues with involving children in their activities.¡± Ark-1 said, ¡°Those in color are identified, wanted members of the insurgency. Those without pictures are people who we know exist, but have limited information on.¡± They gestured to a blanked out picture near the top, ¡°for example, according to our information the insurgency has new leadership. However, we have no information on who might be leading them.¡± ¡°So, our assignment is to find out who that is?¡± TO asked ¡°Simplified, but yes.¡± Ark-1 said, ¡°Apprehending any of these targets is useful, but they are not to be executed on site; we wish to question as many of them as we can to find out who else is involved.¡± They gestured once more to the blanked out picture on top, ¡°Capturing the leader would be ideal so that they may stand trial before King Decon.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± DH and TO said in unison. ¡°This assignment may well take more than a year.¡± Ark-1 continued, ¡°You will be placed on Arkane until the assignment is complete.¡± They stopped, and looked over TO and DH, ¡°The last four groups of synths I have sent to Arkane have failed, either disappearing altogether, or being eliminated. King Decon grows irritated with the issue of Arkane. Should the situation not be resolved in three universal cycles, then martial law will be established on Arkane. Should that happen, you will be in charge of implementing that¡­ Provided that your actions up to that point are exemplary. The issue seems to be more a civilian one, and King Decon is giving them this time to try to fix things before martial law is needed. ¡°That seems overly generous of Him.¡± DH hissed, ¡°If they are causing King Decon so much trouble, shouldn¡¯t martial law be enacted immediately?¡± ¡°I wont say I agree or disagree with you, Ark-88, but King Decon is merciful and generous to His people and we must respect that. I will admit that I find their actions against King Decon and His kingdom to be disgusting at best.¡± Like with most normal synths, there was very little change in Ark-1¡¯s ears as they spoke. Despite that though, there was the slightest pinning back of the ears in disgust as they spoke of the insurgency. ¡°We¡¯ll go over the information we have now.¡± Ark-1 continued, ¡°And I¡¯ll go over some techniques that others before you have used, and some ideas that higher ups have devised. However, you¡¯re not trainees anymore; it will ultimately be up to you to choose how to accomplish your goals here.¡± They let their gaze flick from TO, to DH, and back.¡°I assume you were given this assignment for a reason. It will be difficult and you will be expected to act on your own frequently and to use your own judgement. However, if you manage to deal with the insurgency before the issue of martial law come about, then it will show well on you, and influence your assignments after your placement is done. Understood?¡± ¡°Understood.¡± TO and DH said in unison. ¡°Good. Now let¡¯s go over the details.¡± ====== TO¡¯s head was swimming with names and people and places by the time they were finally dismissed from Ark-1¡¯s office. They were ushered through the other door in the office, down a hall, and to a small room of their own. It was slightly smaller than C12¡¯s room had been, but despite that it had two narrow beds on opposite sides of the wall, and a food dispenser on the far end. On their beds were thin pillows, thin blankets, and the same black uniforms that they had seen other synths wearing earlier; basic uniforms to be worn under the armor, and which wouldn¡¯t stand out too much in most environments in their part of the galaxy. It was just a plain black tunic with a back flap that tied just under their wings, and loose fitting black pants. There was also a pair of shoes with a firmer bottom than TO was used to. Shoes made for walking outside, on the surface of a planet. TO sat on the bed and pulled off their uniform. It would be the last time they¡¯d wear the light blue trainee¡¯s uniform. The last time the slept in the training center. So many last times. ¡°What do you think of the new uniform?¡± DH asked as they sat on their bed. They hadn¡¯t changed out of their trainee¡¯s uniform yet; they were taking their time looking over the new one, ¡°It feels lighter than the trainee uniform does.¡± ¡°Probably becuase we¡¯ll be wearing it under our armor most of the time.¡± TO muttered as they slipped under the blankets. ¡°Once we get to Arkane, we¡¯ll have to get some basic civilian clothes for when we want to be undercover.¡± ¡°Yeah¡­ I¡¯m looking forward to that!¡± DH said. TO raised their hand and tapped at their chip to remind DH that they might be overheard. They had no way to listen to music here, and no way to know if they were being carefully observed or not. DH nodded, and pulled off their uniform. When they were done, they took their uniform and TO¡¯s, and threw them both down the laundry chute in the wall. ¡°That¡¯s that.¡± They muttered. ¡°Mmmhmm.¡± TO hummed as they turned over on their side and started falling asleep. They were still unwell from their inoculations, and the day had been full of fittings and meetings and last minute training. Now, TO just wanted to sleep. They were so tired that they hardly even stirred when DH crawled in their bunk and curled up next to them. It was crowded, and TO was worried that there would be issues if Ark-1 saw them so close together. Still, TO was too tired to care, and there were so many changes that had happened in the last few days, so many things that had happened for the last time that it left TO feeling disoriented and¡­ somehow not right. Having DH so close to them as they slept eased their mind. ¡°Hey¡­ TO?¡± ¡°Mmhmm?¡± ¡°You¡¯re not 09T07 anymore.¡± ¡°Nope.¡± TO said quietly, ¡°Ark-87.¡± ¡°....Can I still call you TO?¡± DH asked carefully, their voice a whisper so as not to get picked up by the chips, ¡°I can¡¯t imagine you being anything other than TO.¡± The idea of not being TO was almost frightening. They had lost their pod, their uniform, and their call number. They felt like they had had everything that was them stripped away. Except for their bond with DH. Except for that nickname, TO. ¡°I¡¯d like that.¡± TO murmured just before they fell asleep. They tried to say that they couldn¡¯t call DH anything but DH, but exhaustion stilled their tongue and they spoke the words only in the mind. Episode 124: Awkward It was odd to wake up slowly. Normally, it was the sound of an alert from their chip or a knock on their pod door that woke TO up each day. The only exception had been the time they were drugged after GiDi had been taken away. TO had slept through their alarms that day, but they had been plagued by nightmares then and the experience was decidedly unpleasant. This¡­ this was entirely different. TO woke slowly, warm and comfortable in their bed. DH was behind them, and had TO wrapped up in their arms and wings which provided a calming weight over them. TO and didn''t want to get up. They worried for a moment that they might be late for their training but then remembered that they wouldn¡¯t be going to training today. They didn¡¯t necessarily need to leave the bed until they were given notice to get ready to leave the training center. Once they realized that they closed their eyes again and settled back against DH. There was something against their ear. TO felt their ear flick, thinking at first that it was just the edge of DH¡¯s wing that maybe brushed against their ear. However, as DH let out a soft chirp TO could tell that DH¡¯s face was resting against the back of their head, and their breath was rushing against the back of their ear. TO tried to ignore it, but doing so had been difficult Lately. The odd time that this kind of thing happened, or when TO let their imagination and their daydreams get too involved, they got chills down their spine as their ears twitched and quivered. Sometimes their lips felt oddly sensitive, and doing something as simple as running their tongue over their lips made them shiver. Sometimes, it got bad enough that they could feel an somewhat electric tingling and a building pressure between their legs; not unpleasant, but not comfortable. These were things that Synths weren¡¯t supposed to feel! Well, normal synths weren¡¯t supposed to feel like this anyway. This was nothing that TO was necessarily unfamiliar with; civilians were obesessed with sex; like animals in heat. It was impossible to view their culture and their media without learning something about it. Synths were supposed to be better. Synths weren¡¯t supposed to feel this way. Synths weren¡¯t supposed to try to relieve the pressure by pressing their legs thighs together, their knees shifting and touching as their friend lay curled up at their back. Synths were supposed to be better than this. Normal synths anyway. Clearly C12 and Snout had been different. Clearly TO was different. DH murmured something, and sighed in their sleep. TO shivered, and slowly started to detangle themself from wings and arms and blankets as they paced their breathing. They had to get away from DH, at least for a few minutes. They had to calm themself down before DH woke up and saw TO, and saw how flustered they were. They had to get away before things got worse and they ended up in a state they couldn¡¯t ignore. They just needed a minute for their ears to stop twitching and their heart to calm down. Total privacy was never something TO had particularly wished for, at least not before this started happening. TO sat on the other, unused bed as they collected themself, breathing slowly and distracting their thoughts by looking though updates on their chip. when their ears had at least stopped twitching, they headed to the door. There was a communal shower on this floor for synths waiting to leave, so they¡¯d shower at least; that would help them get back to normal. The new uniform felt odd against their skin- too light, but at the same time it was too stiff. New fabrics maybe? Well, it didn¡¯t matter. They hesitated on putting on the shoes which seemed too stiff to be comfortable, but in the end they put them off; they had to get used to wearing them anyway. They had to get used to the new uniforms, the shoes, and the new number; Ark-87. Still TO to DH. Always TO to DH. They glanced back at DH, who had rolled over where TO had been only moments before. They now had their wings wrapped around TO¡¯s pillow which they held to their chest. The sight made TO smile, and made their ears quirk up. DH looked so serene, so calm, so honestly cute. They wanted to go back to bed and curl up behind them. Still¡­ the electric feelings were still lingering through their body, and TO didn¡¯t want to make it worse. This kind of arousal was only supposed to be an affliction of the nearly animalistic civilians. Not for synths. Synths were supposed to be better. Was it because they were strange? Did DH feel the same way sometimes? There could be romantic feelings without a sexual aspect, but clearly it was something TO had to deal with. Would they have to tell DH at some point? Admitting their feelings was one thing, but this? The idea of DH seeing them with their ears twitching with want? The idea of DH seeing them taking care of themself when the feelings got to be too much? The very idea left TO with mixed feelings of humiliation and horror. They¡¯d be on a ship with DH for two periods. If they weren¡¯t very careful, if they didn¡¯t manage to control themselves, they were certain that DH might see something that TO wasn¡¯t ready for them to see. They felt the room and headed to the showers, trying not to think about how aware they were of their ears, and of the lingering feelings between their legs. ====== After standing under the spray of hot water for a while, TO felt more normal. There were a few other synths standing around, but they all seemed somewhat confused even as they showered. For the first time, TO understood how they must feel. They had been distracted as soon as they woke up, but there was something odd about suddenly having no schedule after a whole universal cycle of strict scheduling and training. Suddenly, TO heard Avery call their name. They hadn¡¯t even noticed that Avery was there, but as they turned around to see them enter the showers, a wave of relief washed over TO; They hadn¡¯t said a proper goodbye to Avery and once they realized they weren¡¯t going back to their pods they had worried that they never would. The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry!¡± TO said quickly, ¡°I didn¡¯t realize that I would be taken away after-¡° ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± Avery said calmly as they turned on the shower next to TO, ¡°I figured that out after I got called in for my briefing.¡± ¡°You finally got your assignment then?¡± TO asked. ¡°I did¡­¡± Avery said slowly as they reached out for the rough cloth that hung on a hook near the shower, ¡°I¡¯m actually going to be at a new farming facility near Arkane.¡± They gave TO a quick grin, ¡°So, I won¡¯t be too far away from you. Not that that matters; we won''t get to visit.¡± ¡°Farming facility? That¡¯s odd¡­ isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Well, not really. When a planet is converted for mining for farming or what have you, it develops its own local government. THis one has been having some issues lately; Apparently to solve the issue of overcrowding in prisons on Arkane, they sent certain criminals to a resource colony, along with government debtors and the like. They¡¯ve been having some trouble getting organized after the influx of people, so we¡¯ll be helping with that.¡± ¡°Who¡¯s going with you?¡± Avery hesitated, their ears flicking down slightly, ¡°Don¡¯t be worried about me.¡± they said, ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± ¡°Who is it?¡± ¡°I promise, it¡¯s fine.¡± ¡°Avery..¡± ¡°You¡­ you recall 55H75?¡± TO felt their wings puff up almost instantly. The last time they had seen that synth was a little after GiDi had been taken away. The interaction had not gone well. ¡°You¡¯re going with them!?¡± TO snapped before realizing how loudly their voice echoed in the smaller showers. They lowered their voice to a whisper, ¡°You¡¯re going with 55H75?¡± ¡°Say what you will, but if you¡¯ve passed your examinations and you¡¯ve done your work, they more or less leave you alone. They won¡¯t bother me, and probably won¡¯t care about my reading habits. We just have to do our work together and then ignore one another after that.¡± ¡°I hope it¡¯s fine..¡± TO muttered, ¡°If they say anything to you though-¡° ¡°If they say anything to upset me, I¡¯ll ignore it.¡± Avery said simply, ¡°There''s nothing I can do about it at this point, and there¡¯s nothing you can do either. The best thing I can do is ignore it, read my literature, and complain about it to you when I see you next.¡± They turned around to let the water pour over the wings, ¡°Regardless¡­ you¡¯re with DH, I¡¯m assuming? That hasn¡¯t changed?¡± ¡°It has not.¡± ¡°Have you told them?¡± TO shook their head as they tapped at the back of their hand, ¡°I haven¡¯t.¡± they said. ¡°That¡¯s fair.¡± Avery said as they glanced at TO¡¯s hand, ¡°But you need to.¡± TO nodded, but didn¡¯t say anything. They knew they needed to. They were afraid to. If they did, would DH want to kiss them? Did DH even want to kiss anyone? If they didn¡¯t, well that idea filled TO¡¯s stomach with disappointment. Still, if they did, then what if TO got too¡­ excited when they were kissing them? What if DH noticed? What if they thought they were disgusting? Or what if they laughed? Or what-¡° ¡°I don¡¯t know what¡¯s though through your head.¡± Avery muttered, ¡°But you need to stop. I can almost hear your thoughts running around; you¡¯re working yourself up for nothing.¡± ¡°I know.¡± TO muttered. They turned off the water and shook off their wings before wrapping them around their body. ¡°... Do you want to talk about it?¡± Avery asked tentatively, ¡°I know I don¡¯t understand it all, but-¡° TO tapped their hand once more, ¡°No, it¡¯s fine.¡± They lied. They knew Avery would notice they were lying, but they also knew that Avery would believe that it was only because of the chip. That wasn¡¯t the only reason though; in truth, they wished they had someone to ask about this, or that they could talk to Avery about it. Avery didn¡¯t feel romantic feelings though, and seemed confused by TO wanting to have their ears stroked, so they didn¡¯t think it was something Avery could understand or even wanted to hear about. Even if it was, the idea of talking to them about it made TO¡¯s ears burn. The only one they could possibly talk to about this was C12¡­ And they were gone. Though, even thinking about talking to the former retiree about any of this made TO feel embarrassed. ¡°What¡¯s your new call number.¡± Avery asked, ¡°I can¡¯t send you a message if I don¡¯t know it.¡± ¡°Right! I nearly forgot that was an issue!¡± TO exclaimed, ¡°I¡¯m Ark-87 now. DH is Ark-88.¡± Avery gave a relieved sigh, ¡°That''s easy enough to remember anyway.¡± they said as they lifted up their hand and gestured with their chip. A screen popped up and a note was left with TO¡¯s call number in it. ¡°I¡¯m Hru-14, and 55H75 is Hru-13.¡± TO nodded, thinking that they¡¯d best be careful not to accidentally send anything to the former 55H75. TO put their own note in their files. ¡°I¡¯m glad we bumped into one another.¡± TO said, ¡°I guess we might not see each other now¡­-¡° ¡°I¡¯m just about finished here.¡± Avery said quickly, ¡°Wait for me in the lockers?¡± ¡°Sure, I''ll wait.¡± they said as they turned and left. They got to the lockers and dried off before putting their uniform on once more. They took their time fiddling with the ties at the edge of the shirt and with adjusting their toes in their shoes so that they didn¡¯t look too conspicuous as they waited. A little while later, Avery came up to TO. TO hadn¡¯t even realized that Avery had come into the locker rooms, but they must have been there for a while as they were dressed in their own black uniform already. ¡°Sorry.¡± TO said as they stood upright, ¡°I didn¡¯t notice that you had already come in.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± Avery said. They glanced aside, looked around, and then seeing that they were mostly alone they went up to TO and gave them a very quick, very sudden hug. The action surprised TO, and it took them a moment before they could react by putting their arms around Avery. It lasted only a moment before Avery pulled away looking decidedly awkward. ¡°Sorry.¡± they muttered. ¡°No need to apologize!¡± TO said quickly, ¡°I just wasn¡¯t expecting that.¡± ¡°Well¡­ this might be the last time we see each other. We could be sent off at any moment.¡± ¡°I know, but then after -¡° ¡°No, listen.¡± Avery said seriously, ¡°I know you like to say that we¡¯ll meet up afterwards, but we might not. You could be stuck on Arkane for a lot longer then I¡¯ll be on my assignment. Even if we did finish at the same time there¡¯s no certainty that we¡¯d be sent to the same place afterwards.¡± They gave TO a serious look, ¡°And don¡¯t say you¡¯ll make it happen; you can¡¯t.¡± TO felt their ears droop down, ¡°I¡¯m sorry I couldn¡¯t get you assigned with us-¡° ¡°I¡¯m not angry!¡± Avery insisted, ¡°just...I¡¯m just being realistic.¡± they shook their head, ¡°I feel moronic for feeling sad about this though. I didn¡¯t want to spend a lot of time with you and DH. I didn¡¯t want to be together all the time like you two did; like you did with GiDi¡­ and I almost feel like I shouldn¡¯t be sad about this, or that if I am, it¡¯s my own fault since I wasted time.¡± ¡°I think that¡¯s¡­ I think you¡¯re fine to be sad?¡± TO ventured, ¡° I mean¡­ things are changing. Almost everything is changing! Even if it''s a good change for it still makes me feel¡­¡± TO wasn¡¯t sure how to describe it. Sad? Anxious? ¡°Not right.¡± They finally settled on. Avery nodded, ¡°Still,¡° they said, ¡°I feel like I¡¯m to blame for not wanting to spend more time with you two.¡± ¡°You spent as much time as you were comfortable with; that¡¯s plenty!¡± TO insisted. ¡°And if you want, why don''t you come back to our room with me? You can see DH then, and we can spend time together before we get sent off. You¡¯ll get your notice on your chip, so it doesn''t matter if you¡¯re with us, or with 55H- I mean, Hru-13 ¡± Avery hesitated for a moment, then nodded, ¡°Yes.¡± They said, ¡°I think I¡¯d like that.¡± Episode 125: Dense TO nearly walked right into DH as they approached the little room that they shared. DH was up, dressed, and was about to bolt out the door just as TO was placing their hand against the chip reader. ¡°What? What¡¯ s wrong?¡± TO asked as they looked over DH. DH¡¯s ears were pinned back, and twitched with panic and worry; their eyes were wide and seemed like they were trying to take in everything at once. ¡°Did something happen?¡± After looking at TO for just a moment, DH relaxed and gave an irritated sigh, ¡°I woke up, and you weren¡¯t here.¡± they grumbled, ¡°I was worried something had happened to you.¡± ¡°They seem like they were worried about you.¡± Avery said, amused, ¡°You should have told them where you were.¡± TO felt their ears warm up as they mumbled an apology, ¡°I honestly though I¡¯d be back before you woke up.¡± they said, ¡°I only went to take a shower.¡± ¡°You could have woken me.¡± DH said with a hint of sadness as their ears flicked down. ¡°You were asleep!¡¯ TO said as they ushered DH back into the room, ¡°I didn¡¯t want to wake you up unnecessarily.¡± Technically true; when they woke up earlier they didn¡¯t want to wake up DH for anything less than the nuclear implosion of the entire training center. Even then, they¡¯d probably have hesitated a little. ¡°Yes¡­ Well, I panicked. I worried that maybe they decided to separate us before we actually got sent off.¡± DH muttered, their ears flushing slightly, ¡°I was worried.¡± ¡°...Should I leave?¡± Avery ventured, edging towards the door, ¡°You two-¡° ¡°No, it¡¯s fine!¡± TO said as they gently took Avery by the arm and led them to the unused bed, ¡°It¡¯s perfectly fine.¡± ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s fine.¡± DH repeated, though their ears were still pinned back just slightly. They shook their head, and took a long, deep breath, ¡°Sorry. I was worried¡­ Have you eaten?¡± ¡°Not yet.¡± TO said. ¡°Same.¡± Avery said, ¡°I wanted to shower first.¡± TO glanced from Avery to TO, then turned away, ¡°Right.¡± They muttered, ¡°Well, let¡¯s see if we can get this dispenser working.¡± After fiddling with the dispenser for just a moment, TO discovered all they had to do was place their chips against a chip reader set in the wall, and the food dispenser would give them what they needed. It even worked for Avery, even though they weren¡¯t assigned to the same room. ¡°I was worried it wouldn¡¯t work!¡± TO said as Avery got their food. ¡°We¡¯re going to be here for less than a day.¡± DH said, ¡°So it doesn¡¯t make sense to program in the new synths to each one; it¡¯s easier to just let the scanners work for any active call number. There¡¯s a chance that it works even for trainees.¡± they gave a little, satisfied smile, ¡°In fact, a lot of non-essential locks do just that; any synth in the system can open the locks up to a certain point.¡± ¡°How do you know that?¡± Avery asked. ¡°I learned it when I had my first vocational placement down in programming.¡± DH said, ¡°I preferred working in the medical bay, and I was better at that, but programming just clicked for me after a little and I kept up with it. It¡¯s almost like a hobby now. Avery smiled, ¡°I¡¯m glad you enjoyed some of your placements.¡± they said, ¡°I didn''t. I just wanted to finish them and get back to my reading.¡± They sat down awkwardly across from DH, who was now sitting on the unmade bed that they and TO had slept in. ¡°Well, it doesn¡¯t matter now, I think.¡± TO said as they sat down next to DH, ¡°You¡¯re done, and you got your placement.¡± ¡°And I think I did well enough that I won¡¯t end up on the fron-¡± They cleared their voice, and held up their hand to gesture at the chip, ¡°I won¡¯t end up¡­ squandering my potential for King Decon.¡± The front lines. Well, C12 had been a retiree, but had ended up on the front lines, hadn¡¯t they? Still, it would be much safer to avoid that, to avoid being placed on the ground on some strange planet or even placed in space combat. Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. ¡°You¡¯re still highly competent.¡± TO said carefully, ¡°I think you¡¯ll have no problem finding a way to serve King Decon for a long time to come!¡± DH frowned, then leaned forward, gesturing for TO and Avery to lean in as well, There wasn¡¯t much room between the beds so they ended up with their heads all quite close together. ¡°Weren¡¯t we told that we wouldn¡¯t be observed as much when we finished our training?¡± DH asked, ¡°Why are we worried-¡± ¡°I¡¯d rather wait until we¡¯re out of the center to relax a little on that.¡± TO whispered back, ¡°Just in case.¡± Avery gave TO a hard look, ¡°I suppose that makes essential conversation impossible for the time. I hope that you don¡¯t worry about such things once you¡¯re gone from the training center.¡± ¡°What?¡± DH asked, clearly confused at the sharp intake of breath that came from TO. ¡°I¡¯m Just thinking that it¡¯ll be nice when you two can enjoy real conversations again.¡± Avery whispered before they pulled away, ¡°Still, this isn¡¯t so bad. We¡¯re left alone while we wait, and we don¡¯t have any training to do. We really just have to wait before we¡¯re sent off.¡± ¡°Speaking of being sent off!¡± TO said, happy to pull the conversation far away from whatever was on Avery¡¯s mind, ¡°guess who Avery got assigned with!¡± DH paled, their ears flicking back, ¡°Someone¡­ good, I hope?¡± Avery gave a sigh, ¡°It¡¯s really not a big deal.¡± they muttered. ¡°55H75.¡± TO said as their ears flicked back. ¡°They¡¯re assigned with 55H75.¡± DH¡¯s ears dipped down, their eyes widening with horror as they turned to Avery, ¡°Are you going to be ok? What are you going to do?!¡± Avery gave a deep, irritated sigh as they dropped their food back on their plate, ¡°I¡¯m going to perform my task!¡± they said, ¡°I¡¯m going to go on assignment, I¡¯m going to work, I¡¯m going to do my best to fix things, and I¡¯m going to read my books when I¡¯m done with that. I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll even speak to 55-¡± they stopped themself, sighed, and rested their head in a hand, ¡°Hru-13. I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll even speak to Hru-13.¡± ¡°... That¡¯s their new assignment?¡± ¡°Yes, Heramu is the planet we¡¯re being sent to. It¡¯s just a farming colony close to Arkane!¡± they gave DH and TO very hard looks, ¡°I will be fine! I¡¯ll work, I¡¯ll read, and I¡¯ll stay in contact with both of you!¡± ¡°But... if you get lonely-¡± DH started, but Avery cut them off. ¡°Then I¡¯ll be a little sad for a while. That can¡¯t be helped. I¡¯ll be less sad knowing I have friends out in the galaxy.¡± TO stopped, their worry for Avery fading as they leaned forward, grinning as their ears twitched happily. ¡°What?¡± Avery asked, confused. TO didn¡¯t answer right away, they just looked at Avery with that smile. ¡°What is it¡±? Avery demanded ¡°I know what it is.¡± DH said, a grin creeping over their own face, ¡°That¡¯s the first time you actually called us your friends.¡± Avery¡¯s ears flattened in irritation as their eyes narrowed, ¡°Obviously we¡¯re friends.¡± Avery snapped. ¡°Yes, but that¡¯s the first time you actually called us friends.¡± DH said as they started to grin. ¡°I hugged you!¡± Avery said, ¡°Less than an hour ago. I speak to you both at least once a day. I figured it was obvious-¡± ¡°Still nice to hear it!¡± TO said, ¡°that¡¯s all.¡± Avery sighed and shook their head, ¡°More and more, I understand how you two got GiDi so irritated at times.¡± they muttered. Still, there was no malice to the statement, ¡°You¡¯re both morons that need things spelled out for them. ¡°Anyway!¡± DH said quickly as they learned forward, ¡°Tell us what you¡¯re going to have to do on Haruma!¡± ¡°Yes! Tell me more!¡± TO insisted. THe way Avery spoke, it felt like they were trying to make DH suspicious. Maybe they were, and TO was glad for another change of topic. ====== It wasn¡¯t long after they had finished eating that Avery got called away to prepare to leave the training center. There wasn¡¯t time to a prolonged goodbye, just quick hugs. ¡°Alright, It¡¯s fine!¡± Avery said as DH started to sniffle. ¡°I said I¡¯m going to be just fine! I¡¯ll be in touch, and I¡¯ll be fine! I¡¯m more worried about the two of you.¡± ¡°Yes, but¡­ It¡¯s sad.¡± DH muttered, ¡°We might never see each other again.¡± ¡°Maybe not¡­ and¡­¡± Avery¡¯s ears dipped down, ¡°That is sad, and I¡¯d be lying if I said I wasn¡¯t sad¡­ but I¡¯ve been prepared for this. I¡¯m ready for this.¡± They pulled away and gave DH a hard look, ¡°The two of you are going to a dangerous place for an undetermined period of time; you should be more worried about yourselves!¡± DH shook their head, ¡°We¡¯re assigned together; we¡¯ll be fine!¡± Avery gave DH a long look, then shook their head. ¡°That¡¯s all you need?¡± they asked, ¡°So long as you two are together?¡± ¡°Of course!... right?¡± They looked over to TO, ¡°So long as we¡¯re together, we¡¯re fine, right?¡± ¡°Right!¡± TO responded without hesitation Avery shook their head and let DH give them one more hug before they let go. ¡°Well, work hard.¡± They said as they went up to TO. ¡°I guess I already gave you a -¡± Before Avery could say anything rlse, TO pulled them into a tight hug. ¡°Be careful. Be safe. Don¡¯t let 55H75-¡± ¡°Hru-13¡± ¡°-say anything to upset you.¡± ¡°They won¡¯t. I don¡¯t care what they say, so they can¡¯t really hurt me.¡± They gave TO a quick squeeze, ¡°As for the two of you¡­ Be careful. Dont¡¯ be reckless. TALK to one another.¡± They looked back at DH, ¡°Both of you¡­. That¡¯s what GiDi told you to do before they were taken away, right?¡± ¡°But... we do talk to one another.¡± DH said. Avery shook their head as they pulled away from TO, ¡°Talk more.¡± they said. They gave TO a pointned look, and went to the door, ¡°And don¡¯t forget to let me know how you¡¯re doing, and how it ALL goes, alright?¡± ¡°We won¡¯t!¡± TO said quickly, feeling their ears start to warm up; Avery was being far too obvious to TO¡¯s liking, and they were directing too many of these warnings to them. Still, if DH didn¡¯t know by now, either they were incredibly dense or they were purposefully ignoring all the hints that Avery was dropping, and all the clues that TO hadn¡¯t been able to hide. ¡°Promise?¡± Avery said, staring at TO. ¡°Promise.¡± TO said. ¡°Yeah, I promise.¡± DH muttered. ¡°Good.¡± Avery said. The door opened, and they stepped through, ¡°And who knows¡­ maybe we will see each other again.¡± They gave a small smile, ¡°Well, until then.¡± The door closed. Avery was gone. Episode 126: Departure ¡°TO? Would you have preferred to be assigned with Avery?¡± The sudden, cautious question broke the comfortable silence that hung in the air as TO and DH sat next to each other while reading recent Arkane news from their chips. ¡°What? No! Why?¡± TO sat upright and turned to face DH, ¡°Why would you ask that?¡± ¡°No reason,¡± DH said, their flushed ears twitching with their lie. ¡°I just... Well, I wouldn¡¯t want you to just stick with me because you promised it ages ago.¡± They looked away, ¡°I¡¯d feel bad if you were going with me when you¡¯d prefer to go with Avery.¡± ¡°I worry about Avery.¡± TO admitted, ¡°I¡¯d rather them go with someone else¡­ But if I wasn¡¯t with you, I¡¯d be worried about you even more!¡± ¡°So.. you¡¯d want to be with me because you''re worried about me?¡± The way DH¡¯s ears sunk down and twitched with worry nearly made TO¡¯s heart feel like it might break. They reached out and pulled DH backwards for a hug. ¡°No.¡± They said firmly, ¡°I want to go with you because you¡¯re my friend, and I love you. You¡¯ve always been closest to me, and I wouldn¡¯t want to go out into the galaxy with anyone else!¡± They frowned as they wrapped their wings around DH, ¡°Why? What made you ask that!?¡± ¡°Well... You left without telling me,¡± they said quietly. ¡°When you came back with Avery...well, it made sense that you¡¯d want to spend some time with them before we left. Then I thought that you¡¯d miss Avery when we were separated...and I wondered if you¡¯d miss them more than you might miss me.¡± Their blue-flushed ears drooped down. ¡°I felt bad because even if you did want to go with Avery, you were stuck with me.¡± ¡°I¡¯m never ¡®stuck¡¯ with you. I¡¯m always happy to be around you¡± TO whispered. They wanted to say it; to tell DH how they really felt. They were so close, they could whisper it into DH¡¯s ear. No. Not yet. Not while there was still the slightest chance that they might be separated. Even TO know thought that it was unlikely at this point. It was easier to pretend that such caution was the only reason they hadn¡¯t told DH yet and not because of the growing anxiety in the stomach, not because of the fear that DH wouldn¡¯t feel the same, and certainly not because of the fear of what would happen next if they did feel the same way! ¡°I know.¡± DH whispered, ¡°I just¡­ I wouldn''t want you to only be around me because you¡¯re worried about me.¡± they finally turned slightly, managing to look at TO out of the corner of their eye. ¡°That¡¯s not odd, is it?¡± TO gave a soft laugh, ¡°We are odd.¡± they whispered, ¡°But no, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s stranger than normal for us. I promise I want to be sent out with you the most.¡± DH glanced at TO¡¯s ears, then gave a deep, relieved sigh, ¡°I¡¯m glad.¡± they said, ¡°When you came back with Avery.. .Well, just watching you two was... I don¡¯t know, I felt like -¡± they stopped and looked away, ¡°No... it¡¯s stupid.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s stupid, I promise.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll decide that once you tell me.¡± ¡°I just¡­ Well, I guess it kinda felt¡­ like you two had a secret between you?¡± They shook their head, ¡°I don¡¯t know. It¡¯s probably just me. I told you it was stupid.¡± Before DH could question them further, TO gave DH a tight squeeze which nearly pressed the breath from DH¡¯s lungs. ¡°I promise that you have nothing to worry about,¡± TO said softly. They couldn¡¯t tell DH the whole truth yet, but they could at least tell them that much. ¡°I promise. I want to be assigned with you. Alright?¡± ¡°... Alright,¡± DH said softly. A series of curses ran through TO¡¯s head. Why couldn¡¯t they tell DH right now? Why were they so frightened? Well, they knew why; there were a hundred things that could go wrong and only one that could go just the way TO wanted it to. Still, not telling DH was hurting them. All they could do for now was hold their friend. They held DH in silence until their chips beeped and broke the comfortable quiet that they had fallen into. The messages they got were identical, save for the call numbers at the top. Ark 87; Report to Bay 18 for departure. ¡°Well¡­¡± TO said quietly as they slowly pulled away from DH, ¡°I guess it¡¯s time to go.¡± ====== By the time they got to Bay 18, TO thought they were going to throw up. The feeling had started slowly as they left their room ¨C a mildly upset stomach and a feeling of unease¨C but it got worse as they approached the bay. They were leaving. They were actually leaving. This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. They had been waiting for this moment for so long. Everything was going right; they were assigned with DH and being sent to a place where they might even find GiDi. This was everything they wanted. They still felt sick. They wished they could go back to their pods in the dormitories and just go back into training. They wished they could slip back into the routine of waking, training, and learning. They¡¯d never see their pod again. No, not even that; it wasn¡¯t even their pod anymore! It was probably already reassigned to another synth; maybe a normal one who would sleep alone and who didn¡¯t care if they could connect with others. The thought somehow made them feel incredibly sad. Ark 1 came up to them. A file floating in the air before them. They looked over DH and TO, their gaze lingering on TO¡¯s ears. TO was prepared to give them all kinds of reasons as to why they might be feeling sad or worried at the moment. Ark-1 never asked why they seemed so worried and sad, they just gave them that ¡®what are you, why are you here.¡¯ Look before going back to their notes. ¡°Your transport is ready.¡± they said in their deadpan voice as they scrolled through their notes, ¡°It¡¯s a smaller ship which will double as an escape pod should anything happen to your main ship. The transport will take you to your main ship-¡± ¡°I thought we¡¯d be going right on the main ship?¡¯ DH said. ¡°It¡¯s too big to be moored around the training center; it would get in the way of all the traffic around us.¡± they turned and started to walk away. ¡°Follow me,¡± they said without looking back. They all walked in silence until they came to a very secure-looking door. Ark-1 held their hand to the chip reader, and a light flashed overhead, accompanied by a low beeping that lasted for a few seconds before the door opened with a whoosh. Behind the door was only one short hallway with another door on the other side. Even from where they were, TO knew that it was the rear door of a transport ship. ¡°Go on.¡± Ark-1 said, ¡°Go to the transport and strap into the seats; Navigation is automatic so just make sure you¡¯re strapped in properly. Activate the ship''s communication system when you¡¯re ready, and takeoff will commence.¡± DH and TO chanted, ¡°Understood¡± at Ark-1, then entered the hallway. The door behind them closed almost instantly, cutting them off from the rest of the training center. The hallway swayed a little as they walked, and somehow it felt horribly unstable to TO. Did this flimsy little hallway extend out from the training center? Were they out in space already?¡± ¡°TO?¡± DH asked, drawing TO back from their thoughts. ¡°Are you ok?¡¯¡± ¡°No.¡± TO said as they put a hand to their stomach, ¡°I think I¡¯m going to be sick.¡± DH gently linked their arm with TO¡¯s and guided them to the door at the other end of the hallway. They pressed their hand against the chip reader, and the door whooshed open after a moment of beeping. The transport was small; smaller than any room TO had been in so far. There was a small back area with various storage boxes strapped to the walls, all of which were likely filled with emergency supplies; First aid supplies, and food and water, just in case. Just in case something happened to their ship and they ended up trapped in the tiny transport as they floated about in the void of space. If something happened, would they be ok? DH guided them through the small storage area and to the seats in the front. There was a window before them though which they¡¯d out see outside to observe the nebula before them, and the many ships that circled the training center. ¡°... You¡¯ve been out in that?¡± DH said, their voice low and quiet with awe, ¡°It¡­ it¡¯s beautiful. What we saw in the observation deck doesn¡¯t even compare!¡± ¡°Twice.¡± TO said. Even To could notice that there was a tense, almost manic tone to their voice. ¡°Twice I was out in space. The first time I was almost killed by Edacaeli. The second time I nearly froze to death.¡± They gave a little laugh, ¡°Each time I¡¯ve been outside of the training center, I¡¯ve nearly died!¡± A part of TO ¨C the part that could still reason beyond the sudden panic¨C Wondered if that was why they had been so afraid lately. Leaving the Training center meant leaving the comfortable safety of their home. Everything outside the training center seemed so strange and dangerous. ¡°You¡¯ll be ok.¡± DH whispered as they guided TO into the passenger seat, ¡°It¡¯s ok. We¡¯ll be ok.¡± They lowered TO into the seat then reached out and pulled the straps across TO¡¯s chest, gently tightening them as TO clutched at the edge of their seat. Once TO was strapped in, DH took just a moment to reach out and scratch behind TO¡¯s neck before they started to strap themself into the pilot''s seat. That helped, oddly. TO knew that they were still in danger, that they were still out of the training center and that a million terrible things could happen to them now. Still, having DH by their side made them feel better. Having DH taking care of them made them feel better; warmer and safer. They unclenched their hands from the seat and gently touched where DH had scratched the back of their neck. DH was with them; they¡¯d be fine. DH finished strapping themself in and then activated the communicator. ¡°This is Ark-88.¡± they said, ¡°We¡¯re ready for takeoff.¡± ¡°Understood. Standby; Takeoff in one minute.¡± The transport started up; the engines revved to life which caused the tiny ship to shake. TO once more clutched at their seat, feeling suddenly faint as well as sick. Was the whole trip going to be like this? Would their main ship shake when it moved? They didn¡¯t know if they could stand it. ¡°It¡¯s ok.¡± DH said softly, ¡°It¡¯s ok. You¡¯ll be ok.¡± ¡°Will I?¡± ¡°Of course!¡± DH said, ¡°Of course you¡¯ll be ok! If anyone could get through this fine it¡¯s you!¡± TO looked over to DH, ¡°Aren''t you scared?¡± they asked. DH¡¯s ears were pinned back with worry, but not with fear; they lacked that slightly downward tilt. ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m excited.¡± DH admitted, ¡°I can¡¯t wait to go out into the galaxy with you.¡± ¡°But¡­ You¡¯re not scared at all?¡± TO looked back out the window before them, ¡°We¡¯re leaving. We¡¯re leaving the training center. We¡¯ll never see our pods again. We¡¯ll never see our Overseers again-¡° ¡°Everything I¡¯d miss from the training center is here on the ship with me,¡± DH said. The moment the words came from their lips, their ears flushed and they looked away. It was moments like these that TO thought for certain that C12 had been right about DH; that they did feel romantic love and might even hold such feelings for them. It was these moments that made TO believe that their own hopes and wishes might come true. It was moments like this that made them really want to tell DH how they felt. Could they? Was it safe? They were technically out of the training center. ¡°DH¡­¡± TO said as their stomach lunged. ¡°I mean, I guess it is all a little scary.¡± DH said quickly, ¡°Leaving the place where we were created and going to a new place.¡± they gave a nervous laugh, ¡°I didn¡¯t even think of all that; I was too excited. I mean, I was thinking about things like¡­ well, I was thinking about going out and getting civilian clothes. I was wondering if maybe there are proper theatres on Arkane; I¡¯d love to see a show in a real theatre. I know we¡¯re not going out to have fun, but-¡° they were rambling, their words starting to repeat themself as they went on. TO reached out, and nearly took DH¡¯s hand. They realized just before they did that they had never actually held DH¡¯s hand before. Maybe it wouldn¡¯t have been something they hesitated on before, but such new gestures made TO a little more anxious as of late. From what they had seen on the romantic shows that they watched with DH, wasn¡¯t that more of a thing that couples did? No, friends held hands. Parents held the hands of their children. It should be fine, right? They hated how cautious they were becoming. They gently took DH¡¯s forearm instead. DH fell silent and looked to TO. ¡°... I¡¯m a little excited too.¡± TO said softly, ¡°Mostly terrified, but a little excited.¡± DH smiled back, ¡°... and maybe I¡¯m a little scared too.¡± they admitted. They looked away and out the window to their other side, but as they did so they shifted their arm. TO thought at first that DH was pulling away from them, but they were wrong: DH shifted their arm and slid their hand into TO¡¯s, lacing their fingers together. TO thought their heart was going to burst. They gently squeezed DH¡¯s hand as their mind raced, wondering if DH looked at this the same way they themself did. Did DH actually know? If they did¡­ were they encouraging TO? If they knew, why didn¡¯t they say something? ¡°Takeoff in 10 seconds.¡± The voice over the communicator said. TO reluctantly let go of DH¡¯s hand so that they could sit properly in their chairs; the force they¡¯d experience when the ship started up could dislocate their shoulders if they weren¡¯t sitting properly in their seats. The countdown continued. TO closed their eyes and held onto the seat. Focusing on the sound of the countdown and remembering the feeling of DH¡¯s hand in theirs. ¡°Five...Four...Three...Two...One. Takeoff.¡± The ship shook with life as the engine pushed them away from the training center. The force of the movement pulled TO into their seat, Pressing against them like a massive weight for several long seconds until the ship got up to speed. The main thrusters turned off. A symbol on the control panel read that only the steering thrusters were currently active, being controlled by the auto-pilot. Just like that, they left the only home they had ever known behind. Episode 127: space As they approached what would be their new home for the foreseeable future, TO was surprised by just how big their new ship was. A large half-sphere hung in space before them, covered in lines of lights and reflective windows. The bottom tapered inwards with a collection of triangular petals which would help anchor the ship when they landed on Arkane. Ten thick, flexible tendrils came out from the bottom of the ship, spreading out as though they were keeping the ship hovering in space Their small transport ship approached the larger one from underneath, navigating through the centers of the tendrils. Up close,TO could see that the metal tendrils were actually the ship¡¯s main thrusters. They seemed to have been designed so that they could move in almost any direction in space. ¡°Clever.¡± TO mused as they looked around, ¡°With the thrusters like this, it¡¯ll be easier to perform complicated movements in space. We can move in almost any direction too, given the shape of the ship itself.¡± ¡°They look so fragile.¡± DH said, ¡°What if they get damaged.¡± ¡®If there¡¯s too much damage, we¡¯ll be stuck. We¡¯ll have to wait for a rescue. If the rescue doesn¡¯t come, we¡¯ll eventually run out of food and starve.¡¯ The thoughts that ran through TO¡¯s mind made them shiver, but they did their best to hide their fear. Still, they couldn¡¯t hide how their ears pinned down and back. ¡°There¡¯s so many of them, I doubt losing one or two would cause too many problems, at least in the short term.¡± A circle on the bottom of the ship opened up. The smaller transport slowed down and hovered in place, then rose until it connected to the larger ship. A loud noise echoed from overhead just before the transport¡¯s power cut off. ¡°We¡­ We¡¯re not inside?¡± DH asked, looking around, ¡°I thought-¡± Before DH could finish, the transport shuddered. They were slowly brought up into the ship above them, darkness overtaking them as their view of space and the area under the bigger ship fell out of sight. A moment later, dull blue lights came on to allow them to see. There was a beeping from the door in the back which continued for several minutes before a final long beep sounded out. The door opened. ¡°Well.¡± TO said, ¡°I guess we¡¯re here.¡± They attempted to free themselves from their seat, fumbling with the straps as they were still trembling from the trip up. At least the new ship seemed more secure, and didn¡¯t shake so much. Well, at least it didn¡¯t yet. The big ship hadn¡¯t moved yet. DH released themself from their seat, then got up and gently started to help TO with straps. ¡°Are you ok?¡± DH asked in a soft, calming tone as they undid the straps. ¡°I¡¯ll be fine.¡± TO said, even though their voice was several octaves higher than normal, ¡°I¡¯ll be fine... I just... I don¡¯t think I like space travel too much. It¡¯s not at all like in training!¡± DH¡¯s ears twitched with confusion. ¡°Really?¡± they said, ¡°I thought it was pretty much the same.¡± TO shook their head, but said nothing more. Maybe it was only because they kept thinking of the edacaeli out in space, or the cold vacuum that now surrounded them. ¡°Come on.¡± DH said, ¡°Let¡¯s get into the main ship. It¡¯s bigger, so it should just feel like the training center, right?¡± ¡°Maybe.¡± TO said as they got up, taking a moment to steady their legs. DH was close, their arms out ready to catch them if they stumbled. ¡°I¡¯m good.¡± TO said as they took a deep breath, ¡°I¡¯m good.¡± ¡°Alright¡­¡± DH said. They waved TO ahead of them, and followed behind as they headed to the back of the transport, and out through the door which now led to a dimly lit corridor. Another door at the end of the corridor opened up as soon as they approached, and they were temporarily blinded by the sudden, much brighter light that attacked their sensitive eyes. ¡°This doesn¡¯t look like a place to live.¡± DH muttered as their vision cleared. Indeed, it did not. To TO, it seemed more like a waiting room. The large, T-shaped room had one double door right ahead of them which was lined in red lights to show that it was locked. Alongside the corridor that led to the locked door were two rows of uncomfortable looking seating which was attached to the wall. Separating TO and DH from the door and chairs was a work desk with a chair on the opposite side. Down two shorter hallways was nothing but two more doors; these ones unlocked. As they stepped into the room, the door behind them closed and seemed to recede into the wall so it was now hidden from view. ¡°This can¡¯t be where we¡¯re going to live.¡± TO muttered, ¡°The ship looked so big from the outside!¡± They ran past DH and headed to the first unlocked door to their right. When it opened all it showed was a set of three small holding cells. They turned and went to the other door, but saw only what looked like an interrogation room; a chair with straps to hold someone down, and an observation room with a two way mirror. It looked like a security office and not like any kind of living accommodations. ¡°TO! Over here!¡± TO turned around and saw DH pointing to something in the wall that they had missed; a small discrete chip reader. They pressed their chip to it and a hidden door in the wall opened up. TO rushed back and looked inside to see that it was an elevator. They breathed a sigh of relief as they followed DH into the small elevator. This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience. ¡°I was actually worried for a moment.¡± TO said. They looked at the floors and saw that there were a total of five floors that led upwards. Five floors. Five whole floors! Would they have a floor each? What were the other floors for? TO reached out and pressed the button for the second floor. The elevator closed up and hummed as it led them to the next level. It came to a slow, gentle stop, and the doors soundlessly slid open. The second floor looked more like what TO had been expecting. Their living area was basically one long hallway cluttered with furniture and equipment. On one end were two small bunks with large drawers for storage beneath. Before the beds there was a closet opposite a door which TO assumed led to the washroom. After the washrooms, there was a small table with chairs around it and a food dispenser in the wall. All of that took up one half of the living area. The other half had what looked like a medical bed with first aid supplies around it, then two work desks on opposite sides of the hall. At the very end of the hall there was a main control console with a screen before it. The screen displayed the space before them, with readings in blue to the side that displays the current Galactic Standard Time, their coordinates, and the temperature among other things. ¡°...It¡¯s still bigger than our pods.¡± DH said after a moment. They stepped in and started looking around, poking at the beds and pulling out storage underneath, ¡°All this seems modular, but it can be set to hold to the floor and walls, probably with individually activated electromagnets.¡° They pulled the covers aside on the beds, ¡°Oh, the blankets are thicker, and the beds feel softer than our in pods!¡± ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± TO muttered as they looked around. There really wasn¡¯t a lot of space; with all the furniture and equipment, the hall was just big enough for two synths to pass by one another, shoulder to shoulder. At the desks, they¡¯d more or less be back to back if they were both working at the same time. TO went to the washroom to see how much space that took. Maybe most of the space had been used for a nice shower and a tub! That would be a nice tradeoff. They opened the door to the washroom to see a narrow shower to their left, closed off with a frosted glass door. There was another door to their right, this one fully opaque, but when they opened that all they saw was a tiny sink and a toilet just like the ones in the training center¨C nothing more a hole set into the floor with water running through it. ¡°...This is less than ideal.¡± DH muttered as they looked in over TO¡¯s shoulder. ¡°We won¡¯t be able to spread our wings in that shower.¡± TO glanced up and saw that the showerhead was detachable. They pointed it out to DH, ¡°That¡¯s probably the only way we¡¯ll be able to wash our wings properly.¡± they muttered. No more long, luxurious showers. No more hot baths after long days. The only thing that this shower offered that the one in the training center hadn¡¯t was some privacy via the doorway to the washrooms and the frosted glass pane. Not that TO cared about privacy, especially since it was just them and DH there. Though, as they considered it, their mind raced back to the situation they had nearly found themself in when they woke up. With flushed ears, they realized that maybe the privacy might be good for them. ¡°Are you ok?¡± DH asked from behind them. TO turned around, coming face to face with DH. The space was so cramped and they were so close together that TO could feel DH¡¯s breath on their face. Was this the time? Was this the right time to tell DH? TO took a breath, their heart hammering and their ears twitching with anxiety. The words caught in their throat as their mind raced to try to say what they wanted. How would they say it? They already said ¡°I love you¡± to DH from time to time. Somehow, saying ¡°I have romantic feelings for you.¡± Seemed awkward. Their breath stilled as their mind panicked. DH¡¯s ears flicked back, and suddenly moved away as they headed to the main console. ¡°I wonder what this can do!¡± they said with exaggerated excitement. As they sat to examine the console, their ears sunk down. DH was bothered by something. Had TO done something wrong? Had they stared too long? Had they made DH uncomfortable? As they wondered this, a low vibration suddenly ran through the ship; the engines were starting up. TO went to the main console and stood behind DH to watch the display before them. They nearly put their hands on DH¡¯s shoulders but after DHs reaction to them, they kept their hands to themself. The tendril-like thrusters were moving, slowing shifting and turning the ship, flexing and positioning themselves as blue flames burst from the ends. Suddenly, there was a loud, almost painfully low hum that seemed to come from above. The thrusters bent out of sight and the ship suddenly started to move, accelerating much faster than expected. TO was thrown off by the sudden force and fell backwards. DH turned to look and jumped up to help TO back up. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± TO called out over the hum as they pulled themself up holding onto the wall to support themself against the continued acceleration, ¡°I¡¯m fine, just startled. I¡¯m not hurt.¡± DH gave a nervous chuckle as they settled back into their seat, ¡°I suppose we should make sure we¡¯re sitting down when that happens.¡± they said, ¡°I suppose.¡± TO said. The humming continued for a moment before it died down; having acquired the right direction and velocity, the ship no longer needed the thrusters to be actively engaged. In the aftermath, the ship seemed so much quieter, and seemed to race smoothly and silently through space. The fainter sounds started to come back to them; the hum of electricity, the sound of one another breathing and moving, the clicking of unseen machinery behind the walls. ¡°... We should do our checks!¡± DH said quickly as they went back to the console. ¡°I''ll deal with the console, ok? I¡¯m really good with managing the computers, so I can do all the computer checks from here if you want to check the other levels? We¡¯ll get that done first anyway, then we¡¯ll have our tasks for the first day done!¡± On their first day, they weren¡¯t expected to perform their physical training tasks, but they were expected to do their system checks. TO didn¡¯t mind¡­ But it felt like DH was trying to shoo them away. ¡°You... I thought maybe you¡¯d want to check with me?¡± ¡°We¡¯ll be done faster if we split the work.¡± DH said quickly, their back turned to TO as they started typing furiously at the console, ¡°Besides, if this floor is anything to judge by, there might not be room on the others for both of us to check.¡± ¡°... Alright.¡± TO said slowly, grateful that DH couldn¡¯t see how low their ears had drooped. They went back to the elevator, opened the door, but before they entered fully, they hesitated. Their hand clutched at the edge of the door as they remembered their promise to DH. Their promise to DH, DH¡¯s promise to them. ¡°... I didn¡¯t upset you, did I?¡± They asked softly. They leaned out so that they could clearly see DH¡¯s ears. ¡°No! Not at all!¡± DH said quickly. They turned to look at TO, ¡°Why?¡± TO felt their ears flush, ¡°I just¡­ no, It¡¯s dumb-¡± DH grinned at them, ¡°And you know what I¡¯ll say to that.¡± they said with a chuckle, ¡°Didn¡¯t I say the same thing earlier?¡± TO couldn¡¯t help but smile, ¡°You¡¯re right. I¡¯m sorry.¡± they said, ¡°I suppose..¡± They glanced aside, trying to ignore the burning of their ears, ¡°I thought you wanted me away from you.¡± ¡°Never.¡± DH said firmly. ¡°But I do want to get these tasks done, and I do think it¡¯ll be faster and easier if we split the tasks. TO nodded, and headed back into the elevator. They felt more at ease, but they still couldn¡¯t shake how quickly DH had moved away from them just as they were trying to figure out how to tell them. Maybe DH did know how they felt, but because they loved TO they simply wanted to discourage them from pursuing more intimate, romantic expressions of love. Maybe DH had guessed what TO had been about to do. Maybe DH had suggested splitting up their tasks to put some space between them. It didn¡¯t matter¡­ So long as they were together, it didn''t matter if they had a romantic relationship or not¡­ Right? TO was certain that they¡¯d ultimately be happy if they could just be with DH. Still, thinking of DH turning them down, even in the gentlest of ways made their stomach hurt and brought stinging tears to their eyes. The only thing that made them feel better was the little seed of hope in them; the idea that maybe they had read the situation wrong. That seed of hope would stay so long as they never knew for certain. Well, one way or another, they still had to tell DH how they felt. They had promised Avery that they would tell DH. Besides that, they were certain that DH would figure it out if they hadn¡¯t already. Besides that, they didn¡¯t know how long they could take this anxiety, this constant rise and fall of hope and happiness and sorrow. They didn¡¯t know what would happen if DH didn¡¯t reject them! How would things progress after that?! Maybe they¡¯d be like C12 and Snout¡­ but maybe it¡¯d be different! Maybe they¡¯d be like the civilian couples they saw in movies who ended up hating each other before they parted ways and never spoke to one another again! TO would rather long for DH forever then have that happen. TO had to tell them. TO didn¡¯t want to tell them. The elevator door closed and TO was carried up to the next level of their ship. Episode 128: Chores TO¡¯s chip was properly synced to the ship by the time they got to the second level, which turned out to be the exercise room. The lights came on as they entered to reveal what was just another hallway. It seemed bigger, but TO was certain that it was only because the exercise room lacked all the furniture of their living station. The opposite wall had a screen in it, likely to show a very basic regime for them to follow. There was a set of ankle and wristbands hanging from the wall; the kind with adjustable weight resistance similar to what they had used in training. With slight disappointment, TO realized that they wouldn¡¯t be able to fly while they were travelling. No simulation chairs, no flying room. There was just enough space to spread their wings and arms out fully. With a disappointed sigh, TO brought up their checklist on their chip and ran their scans. They checked the screen which was functional and gave them an option through their chip to start their workout. There would of course be no workout today; TO was just checking to make sure that everything was functional. They went through a basic troubleshooting process with the wristbands to make sure they were synced up properly with the screen, then shut everything down and headed to the next floor. ¡®We won¡¯t be able to fly.¡¯ TO sent in a message to DH, ¡®There¡¯s no space here for that.¡¯ ¡®I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll find a place to fly on Arkane.¡¯ Came the quick response. TO hoped that DH was right. It occurred to them that, if their wings were on display while they were in their armour, then wouldn¡¯t it make sense that civilians would recognize them out of armour because of their wings? Wait... no, probably not. There were lots of other species with wings like theirs, and many even draped their wings over their shoulders when they were at rest. Even the lighter blue colour - which on the wings would be mistaken for an almost albino white, was relatively common. There was no way really to differentiate between their wings and- Wait¡­ for too there was. TO had scars on their wings from their accident several periods ago! What were they supposed to do? They were about to send a missive to Ark-1 asking for advice when they stopped and remembered a piece of information they had been told over the last period. They had been in a training room with DH and several other synths, listening to an Overseer discuss some basic etiquette for most planets and how they were to act both in and out of armour. ¡°Wings are relatively common either as a natural trait or obtained through elective surgeries. Attempting to hide your wings will bring more attention than necessary. If you¡¯re in a place where wings are less common, then at the very least there¡¯s a masking option on your armour.¡± To hadn¡¯t tried on the armour since they had been fitted and as such, they hadn¡¯t mastered the full functionality yet. With some reluctance, they pressed on the bracelet that now hung on their wrist and activated the suit. Once it was on, TO looked through the settings that were available to them; underwater modes, zero gravity or space modes, combat and group defensive modes¡­ and there, near the bottom; Masking mode. They selected that. It felt like a shiver over their back and wings. It lasted only a second and when TO looked at their wings they saw that they were now covered with a very thin layer of¡­ Well, TO wasn¡¯t sure what. It looked almost like a metallic membrane. They spread their wings and thankfully felt no extra weight or resistance. One problem dealt with at least. If this job was as important as they had been told, then it would be important to make sure that their identity was hidden when they were out and pretending to be civilians. They¡¯d have DH cover their wings in armour too, just in case. They touched their bracelet again to deactivate the armour before they headed back into the elevator. At least the stuff around their wings was light. Hopefully, DH wouldn¡¯t mind it so much. TO went up to the next level, expecting yet another small, cramped hallway. However, they were entirely surprised when the door opened before them. The large, circular weapons room took up so much more space than the other two rooms and had a window that wrapped around the entirety of the circular wall which allowed TO to see out in all directions. A pillar in the center of the room housed the elevator that TO had just used, but the floor was cleared otherwise. The lights were dimmer here when they turned on, a faint shade of blue as the controls on the many panels lit up. Two seats seemed to be connected to a track before the console, set up to be able to glide around. TO suddenly remembered that they had seen this before; it had been in a simulation during their training. The whole scenario had been boring, but it was repeated several times during their weapons training. Of course. It made sense that they¡¯d be trained on how to use this. As they looked over the controls they realized that all the weapons were familiar as they had used them in their training. The only difference between this and their simulations was the view. Unlike the large screen in the first level, this window was an actual window and not a video feed; it was probably to prevent any kind of lag that might occur. TO went to the window and pressed their hand against it as they looked out into the ocean of stars that sprawled before them, tinted by the faint light of the geode nebula. It was so much more beautiful than in the simulations. TO realized suddenly that, unlike any other time they had looked out into space, they now couldn''t¡¯ see the nebula¡¯s glowing core! Where was it? Where was the training center? Their home? They hadn¡¯t travelled that far yet, had they? They rushed to the other side of the room and from there they could see the more dense clouds of the nebula, the dots of light moving about, the nebula¡¯s glowing core... Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. And there was the training center. It seemed so small now, that it surprised TO, and made them a little dizzy to think that they had been in that center until just recently. Their entire life had been in that center; they had been created and lived in that tiny, almost insignificant drop of machinery among the nebula. There were so many synths living and training in that little black egg-shaped station. TO made a fist and held it up between them and the center. They couldn''t see it. They could cover the center with just their fist. Though the ship was running smoothly now, they were reminded that they were in a vehicle that was so much smaller than the training center. and that they were now hurtling through space towards the closest wormhole. What would going through the wormhole be like? Would it hurt? There had to be some effects of the instantaneous travel that they provided... Would they feel sick? Would it hurt? There were so many dangers in space and suddenly the wormhole seemed to be just one more that loomed before TO. Their stomach seemed to clench as they considered it. Space was terrifying. At least they were out in the void with DH. If they had ended up out here with 55H75¡­ Avery. TO pulled up their chip quickly, and sent off a message. They originally sent it to Avery¡¯s original call number but when it bounced back to them they recalled that Avery had a new number now. As did they. As did DH. ¡°We¡¯re out now; heading to Arkane. Did your departure go well? How are you finding space travel?¡± It was simple and to the point. A message didn¡¯t come back right away, and TO realized that they were possibly busy, or not in a position to respond if they were around 55H- wait, no. Hur-13 They turned away from the training center and looked back through the other side. Somehow, looking out into space where they could see nothing was easier. Stars, and the colourful cloudy clusters of the nebula that painted the space before them created a surreal picture that was so beautiful that TO could hardly believe it was something that existed. Tasks. Right. They had tasks to do. All they had to do in the weapons room was run a quick functionality check; it took a while but as it was all automated it didn¡¯t take a lot of input from TO. Maybe if something had been wrong or something had been broken then they¡¯d have more work to do. Since they had just left the center, everything was fine. Once the scans were done they headed to the elevator again, but stopped and turned back to look out the window. After a moment of gazing out at the sea of stars, they pulled up their chip and turned off the lights. It was darker now than in the observation deck in the training center. Because they needed to see clearly, there wasn¡¯t the same amount of tinting on the glass that most ships normally had. The colours and light from outside came into the room more clearly than in the training center. It was nice. DH would like it. When they were done, they¡¯d tell DH how nice this place was and bring them up here. Maybe they¡¯d wait until the training center was properly out of sight; They didn¡¯t know if DH would find the sigh of it looking so small and insignificant as disconcerting as they themself did. TO wondered if that would be a good time to tell DH how they felt; when they were up in the weapons bay and staring out into space. In a lot of the shows that they had watched- an assortment of serials, plays, and movies from across the galaxy- there was often a moment when two people were alone together in a beautiful place and something big would happen. Sometimes it was them confessing their feelings, or proposing. If -no when- they told DH how they felt, would it be better to do it in the perfect setting like this? Hypothetically, if DH ended up feeling the same, would they be disappointed if To didn¡¯t tell them in such a lovely place? Did it need to be special? According to the shows, it did. Well, if they did tell them here, then they¡¯d want to wait until they couldn¡¯t see the training center anymore at least! That would just be distracting. TO went into the elevator and headed up to the final floor. The last floor might have had a lot of space originally, but nearly every inch was taken up by boxes that flashed and beeped, by trails of neatly arranged wires, and by strange pieces of machinery that TO didn¡¯t recognize. All this formed a tight series of narrow hallways that TO could hardly squeeze through. They didn¡¯t want to squeeze through the tight passages! They didn¡¯t know what any of this stuff was, or how it worked! If something here broke, how would they fix it?? TO had brought up this question when they were informed that the maintenance of the ship was the responsibility of the synths aboard. How would they be able to fix complicated problems if they didn¡¯t have proper knowledge about how these systems worked? The answer had been that that whole system was more or less self-repairing and that if they needed to repair anything then the system, or their chip. would lead them through it. Besides that, so long as they did their checks and performed the proper maintenance then there should be no issues. TO accessed the scans through their chip and waited as the system ran through everything. They wondered if they¡¯d be able to leave and come back if something came up but the idea of something wrong and their systems failing because of their negligence kept them where they were. They ended up sitting down with their back against the doors of the elevator ¨C all the walls were covered in equipment ¨C and watched the results load up - levels optimal -no errors detected -no errors detected -no errors detected -levels optimal TO watched the scans come back with no issues for what felt like a very long time before all the scans were done. The last scan had involved the ship''s artificial gravity system and had taken the longest amount of time. Still, it was all done now. No errors. No maintenance was needed. They got up and stretched their arms and legs to work the cramp that had developed from sitting so long on the floor. Their wings spread out, hitting against the equipment close to them and causing them to cry out more in shock and irritation than in pain. They pulled their wings close to their body and hurried back into the elevator. All told, their tasks had taken them just over an hour. Most likely it would take more in the coming days as systems needed maintenance and errors occurred. Today, the tasks were just to get accustomed to the systems and the chores that they had to do. Today, they could take their time to adjust to space travel in this new, cramped ship. Today¡­ Today was the day for thinking about how to tell DH how they felt. Or¡­ Maybe not. Another to make sure they were well adjusted. Maybe two. Or maybe just long enough so that they could use the weapons room to tell them without the training center hanging in the distance. Maybe today could be a day to just figure out HOW to tell DH. Maybe they just needed a little longer so that they could get a better feel as to how DH felt. It should be easier now that they were away from the center. Episode 129: Programming TO agonized on their way back down to their living quarters on how and when they should tell DH. Sometimes they asked themself If they should tell DH, but they pushed that question out of their head. They had promised Avery that they would. They intended to keep their promise. Besides...a part of TO knew that this couldn¡¯t continue. DH would figure it out eventually. Trapped in such a small place together, spending all day every day together? Was there even a chance that TO could hide what they were feeling from the one person who knew them best? No¡­ No DH would find out eventually; would be better to tell them. At least the question of when they should tell them had a tentative answer; once they were far away enough from the training center that they couldn¡¯t see it. Maybe that even meant waiting until they passed through the wormhole. They weren¡¯t sure how long that would take. Still, that gave them time to figure out how to answer the how of the situation. TO played through different scenarios in their head as they headed back down to the main living area. Well, they could just tell DH that they loved them, right? No. No that wouldn¡¯t work, they already did that often! There was every chance that if they just told DH that they loved them, that DH would assume it was just the normal, very platonic love they had already expressed. They imagined being in the weapons room; the lights dimmed and a sea of stars before them. They imagined that they were sitting next to DH on the floor, their backs against the pillar in the center. They¡¯d reach out and take DH¡¯s hand. ¡®DH?¡¯ they¡¯d say tentatively. DH would probably hum in response. ¡®I love you.¡¯ DH would probably turn to them, smile, ¡®I know; I love you too!¡¯ Their face would be so innocent and oblivious¡­ No. TO would have to make it obvious. If they were going to tell them then they had to make it as obvious as possible. DH hadn¡¯t picked up on their obvious distraction and the inadvertent hints they were dropping so often, so TO knew that had to be blunt¡­ right? They skimmed back in their daydream until they were sitting on the floor once more in the weapons room, tentatively holding DH¡¯s hand. ¡®I love you. Romantically. You know what I mean?¡¯ Maybe that would work, but it seemed so awkward! They could imagine themself fumbling over their words and getting nervous and over explaining everything. Why couldn¡¯t this be easy!? The imagined just leaning over, their hand over DH¡¯s. They imagined leaning forward and kissing the side of DH¡¯s face; just where the ear met cheek. And then- They stopped themself as they realized they already had their hand up to their ear right where they imagined kissing DH. They flushed and pulled their hand away as though they were doing something wrong. They couldn¡¯t do that! Just kiss DH like that? What if they were wrong and they just made DH uncomfortable! Even if they were right, what if that made DH uncomfortable? The thought pulled TO back to reality as the door opened to their living quarters. A lot had been done to their small living area in the time that TO had been gone to the other floors. There was a blanket hung up between the section where beds were and the rest of the area, making things seem more cramped than before. Cupboards that were set in the wall were opened and now showing empty shelves in most places. Though the shelves over the medical bed were empty, the bed itself was holding a collection of boxes that had half their contents removed and spread about. TO went over and picked up one of the packages that were there. Medication; painkillers Similar to what TO had been given before. There were also bandages, antibiotics, and minor surgical tools. The sudden idea that they might have to treat themself or DH if they got hurt was worrisome. They of course had learned some basic first aid in their preparation, but what if something more serious happened? What if one of them got hurt and the other had to do some kind of operation? -Blood. Bones cracking. The smell of disinfectant.- TO had some surgical experience, and DH had some medical experience. Anything they did know the computers could diagnose, providing treatment instruction. Still... ¡°Sorry,¡± DH said from the console. They were sitting in the main chair with several screens up around them. ¡°I was doing inventory on our medical supplies when a program I was running here finished, and I had to deal with this.¡± they turned around and looked at TO, their eyes wide with excitement, ¡°Did you know that when we got our new assignments, our chips were unlocked!? Did you even know they had been locked in the first place?! I can do so much more programming with this now!¡± This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. DH was so excited and their eyes were so bright; it made TO¡¯s chest swell, ¡°I¡¯m glad!¡± They managed to squeak out. They turned around as they remembered the plotting they had been thinking of only a moment ago, ¡°I... I¡¯ll finish counting this if you like; I¡¯m done my work.¡± ¡°Thank you!¡± DH said as they turned back to their work, ¡°Honestly, You were gone for a while and I was starting to worry, but the system tracks our location here on the ship and displays vital signs. Your heart rate went up a little a few times, but it was nothing that was particularly worrying. ¡°Wait... you can tell what my heart rate is?¡± TO asked, panic filling their voice. Thankfully, DH was so engrossed in what they were doing at the computer that they didn¡¯t seem to notice. ¡°Yup! The computer is connected to the chips in our hands. Did you know the chips also track vital signs?¡± Anyway, part of the list of things I had to do here was making sure the chips were functional. I did that a little while ago, but that¡¯s not the important thing!¡± They turned around once more to face much calmer TO now. It still made TO¡¯s heart swell to see their eyes wide and their ears twitching with excitement. ¡°Come and see what I did!¡± TO walked up behind DH, who leaned back from the screen so that TO could see. TO had also been placed in programming for a period but they hadn¡¯t enjoyed it as DH had and hadn¡¯t kept up with it either. They recognized some of the basic scripts that were written out, but that was all.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know what I¡¯m looking at.¡± TO finally admitted. ¡°Alright! SO!¡± DH spun around in the chair, reclining comfortably and looking very pleased with themself. ¡°You know how the chips record what we say, right?¡± ¡°I do.¡± TO said carefully, ¡°Along with location tracking and vitals. Still, we should not be saying that though-¡° DH waved a dismissive hand at TO, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that right now.¡± they said, ¡°Look, ok. So, the chips DO record what we say. I¡¯ve learned that the recordings aren¡¯t stored in the chips though, they¡¯re saved to a local server on the ship. We¡¯re not under strict observation right now, so nobody will listen to the recordings unless a keyword is said.¡± ¡°And we don¡¯t know all the keywords.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right! We don¡¯t! Even if - for example- managed to dig into the systems and find the entire list of keywords that are needed, there¡¯s a chance that it might be too long to be of use to us.¡± They grinned, their smile spreading across their face as their ears twitched happily, ¡°But consider this; they didn¡¯t have time to listen to every word spoken by just trainees. What makes you think they can listen in to every word spoken by every synth across the galaxy? What makes you think that the main servers can even manage all that data, or that it can be properly processed before becoming irrelevant!¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure King Decon would have access to a server large enough-¡° ¡°Probably!¡± DH said, getting more and more excited, ¡°But even if He did, sending every word said by or around a synth to a central server for processing would be VERY inefficient. It makes much more sense if the central computer in the individual ships which were synced to the chips did all the hard word; recording the conversations, scanning for keywords, and then sending flagged conversations on to be analyzed!¡± TO was a little confused, ¡°...Is this hypothetical, or-¡° ¡°It¡¯s not Hypothetical.¡± DH said with a low chuckle, ¡°That is exactly what happened! It¡¯s a clever system and saves a lot of time and work.¡± ¡°I see.¡± ¡°But if someone were to manage to get into the system files, trick the computers into giving them access, and THEN did something so simple as to change the name of the file holding all the keywords to something entirely unrelated¡­ Well, that would mess up the software that checks the conversations.¡± ¡°... Are you saying you¡¯re thinking of doing this or-¡° DH sighed, ¡°I did it.¡± They said, ¡°I already did it. I found the files, I poked around, and I changed the data. This ship can¡¯t flag keywords because it no longer knows what the keywords are! Our conversations are still recording and saved¡­ for a whole 40 hours. After that, it gets purged to save space. That means-¡° They held up their hand and pointed at their chip, ¡°No more worrying about being listened in on. No more talking softly and trying to hear each other over loud music.¡± They beamed, ¡°It¡¯s like this whole ship; no, the whole galaxy so long as we¡¯re linked to this ship, is as secure as the observation bay had been!¡¯ TO stared at DH for a moment as they took in what they had said and what they had done. They weren¡¯t being recorded. They could say that they wanted! They could talk about GiDi, they could talk about C12¡­. They could tell DH that they loved them, and they wouldn¡¯t have to worry about being overheard and getting into trouble. ¡°...You¡¯re brilliant.¡± TO said softly, ¡°You really are. I wouldn¡¯t have thought of doing anything like that!¡± DH gave a little laugh, their ears flushing blue as they did, ¡°Well, it¡¯s only thanks to you! You got me thinking about solving problems the easy way, AND it¡¯s only because of you that I got into programming! If you hadn¡¯t encouraged me and given me tips on learning it better, then I never would have gotten this good.¡± They looked away, their ears still flushed blue from the praise, but now they started to twitch with worry. ¡°... It¡¯s fine that I did this though, right?¡± they asked softly, ¡°I mean¡­ There¡¯s nothing wrong with what we say. We work better for King Decon when we¡¯re left by ourselves. That¡¯s what matters, right? All the rest is just¡­¡± They shook their head, ¡°I know..¡± Their ears sunk down, ¡°Look, I know we¡¯re strange, obviously, I know we¡¯re good at what we do, but I also know that higher-ups don¡¯t understand us. They make things harder for us. Maybe it¡¯s wrong to think I know better than the Officers, but I know us better than they do. I know we¡¯ll do better and work better without worrying about being recorded.¡± They turned around in their chair, putting their back to TO ¡°Honestly¡­ I did most of this without thinking if I should at first. I¡­ I didn¡¯t do a bad thing, did I?¡± TO leaned on the back of DH¡¯s chair. They wanted to gently stroke their ears to calm them but settled on scratching the back of their neck instead. ¡°C12 told us about all this and told us how to avoid being recorded in the first place. They were chosen to be a retiree, right? They were one of our superiors. This-¡° They gestured to the computer, ¡°Is just a more effective, far more clever way of tricking the recordings; it¡¯s nothing we haven¡¯t done before.¡± DH l looked back, an almost shy smile on their face. ¡°Thanks.¡± They said softly. TO nodded, their ears flushing as they stood upright, ¡°Alright!¡± They said, ¡°Show me how to use this console. I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll need to manage all this at some point¡­¡± Episode 130: Midnight There were many systems to go over in the computer systems, and TO was more than happy to sit next to DH as they showed them how everything worked. ¡°I know you could figure it out on your own!¡± DH Insisted at one point, ¡°But it¡¯s faster if I show you, isn¡¯t it?¡± Even if TO knew how to manage the computer, they would still have let DH teach them. Even after several hours the only reason they stopped was because of the sudden grumble that echoed from DH¡¯s stomach. They stopped mid-sentence, their ears flicking down and flushing. ¡°I suppose I forgot to eat our second meal.¡± They said with a soft chuckle, ¡°I didn¡¯t even notice the time!¡± ¡°Me neither.¡± TO admitted, ¡°Without the schedules of the Training center, I feel like I¡¯ve lost time!¡± They pulled up their chip and checked, their eyes growing wide as they realized how late it was. ¡°Well.¡± TO said, ¡°At the training center, we¡¯d be late for our third meal¡­ Supper, as they say on Arkane. Evening Meal.¡± ¡°No wonder I¡¯m so hungry! I¡¯m surprised I didn¡¯t get hungry earlier.¡± They gave a little laugh, ¡°I suppose it¡¯s because I was so excited to be picking at these systems.¡± ¡°We should be careful of the time,¡± TO warned, ¡°We should set alarms-¡± ¡°Wait!¡± DH reached out and took TO¡¯s wrist, stopping them before they activated their chip, ¡°No, we should adjust to Arkane time!¡± ¡°Right!¡± TO said, ¡°Yes! We were told to do that! Ark-1 mentioned it.¡± DH gave TO an odd look, ¡°Are you alright?¡± they asked, ¡°You¡¯re more likely to remember this stuff than I am! You¡¯ve been a little off lately.¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± TO felt their wings tighten around their arms, ¡°I don¡¯t like space travel-¡± ¡°No, even before this!¡± DH said, ¡°You¡¯ve been distracted lately.¡± ¡°OH! I¡­ I have a lot going on in my head!¡± TO said, the words tripping over one another as they fled TO¡¯s mouth. ¡°We¡¯ve been learning so much in the last week.¡± The information wasn¡¯t what was running through TO¡¯s head and keeping them distracted. They couldn¡¯t tell DH what distracted them - not yet. ¡°Fair.¡± DH said, ¡°I¡¯ll change us over to Arkane time and Calender.¡± They turned back to the console and started typing furiously. A moment later, the lighting in the ship changed, shifting to a deep, low blue light. It was bright enough for TO and DH to see, but some things were fuzzy and obscured by darkness. The light from the computers illuminated DH¡¯s pale skin, making it almost seem like they were glowing. Their eyes were deep pools, reflecting dots of light back to TO. They were certain they could see a thin ring of light around the pupils. ¡°Oh...¡± DH said as they looked back to the glowing screen, ¡°I guess it¡¯s nighttime.¡± ¡°It must be!¡± TO said as they realized they had been staring. ¡°We¡¯re in the local time zone for the city we¡¯ll be in.¡± DH said. they reached out, their hand fumbling on the wall next to them before their palm pressed against a small square on the wall which suddenly flickered with dull illumination. ¡°I had to check the lights earlier.¡± DH said, ¡°One of my tasks was to make sure they worked. The squares on the walls are lights.¡± TO¡¯s eyes adjusted to the dimmer light quickly. ¡°That¡¯s useful.¡± They said as they checked their chip, which was syncing to the ship. The new time came up. ¡°Oh.¡± They said, ¡°it¡¯s near uh- the 28th Hour.¡± Arkane ran on a 28-hour clock, and though the hourly number system was simple enough, they had odd words for certain times. ¡°Midnight, as they say planetside.¡± ¡°Right. Midnight, morning, afternoon, evening, night.¡± DH said, ¡°Planetary clocks are so odd. Why don¡¯t they use the normal Galactic system?¡± ¡°Day-night rhythms and seasonally aligned solar cycles might make that confusing,¡± TO said with a grin. ¡°The galactic time system makes no sense planetside.¡± If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. DH signed and got up, ¡°Well then.¡± they said, ¡°I suppose we should eat and then sleep?¡± They headed to the table where the food dispenser sat, ¡°I¡¯m not tired, but we¡¯re supposed to get used to the time change.¡± ¡°Right.¡± TO said, ¡°And it¡¯s best if we get used to it fast. There¡¯s less time to sleep on Arkane, so we need to be ready for that.¡± They went to the table. They got up and headed to the food dispenser. As they pressed their hand to the chip reader, it rewarded them only with a small, hard looking block that fell onto the table with a dull thunk. The piece sat on the table for a moment before it suddenly expanded; it wasn¡¯t the cubes they normally ate; it was a single block of food. Confused, TO poked at it with a finger. ¡°... Is this food?¡± DH asked as they copied what TO had done. Another small, hard block landed on the table and then expanded. ¡°I think so? Where¡¯s the plate?¡± TO frowned as they waited for a plate to drop out of the dispenser. It never did. It was then that TO realized what was going on with their food. ¡°It¡¯s condensed,¡± TO said as they picked up the block of food. They pulled off a corner and squeezed the slightly squishy substance between their thumb and forefinger before they ate it, ¡°I suppose we don¡¯t need plates if the food is in bar form.¡± ¡°Why is our food in a bar though!?¡± ¡°If I had to guess-¡± TO said as they recalled how the little block of food had expanded into this slightly squishy, dull tasting thing they were now eating, ¡°It¡¯s easier to vacuum pack the food for transport in space.¡± they looked around, ¡°Think about it; the ship looks big from the outside, but it has to hold all the machinery that lets this machine fly, food, fuel, water, and air. That all takes space, so they probably condensed the food to save room.¡± DH gave a deep sigh, then picked up the food. They sniffed it, wrinkled their nose, then ripped off a piece and started eating. ¡°This tastes like dust,¡± they said. ¡°How does it taste worse than the stuff we¡¯ve been eating?¡± ¡°It could be leftover from the last trip. I¡¯m unsure what its shelf life is.¡± TO said. ¡°At least we don¡¯t have to eat this stuff when we get to Arkane.¡± DH said as they forced themself to eat another piece, ¡°I can¡¯t wait to try new foods though!¡± They suddenly brightened, ¡°Do you remember though? The first conversation we ever had was about food.¡± TO¡¯s ears perked up as they remembered that first day that they spent with DH. ¡°I remember.¡± They said, ¡°I was so confused when you sat next to me. Happy, but confused, and-¡± ¡°And scared because everyone was staring.¡± ¡°A little!¡± TO said, their ears flushing, ¡°I was more nervous back then. After we beat Q10 and the others in that simulation, I calmed down.¡± ¡°Well, they said they¡¯d leave us alone if we beat them,¡± DH said. Their ears sunk as they chewed on their food. ¡°Hey¡­ Do you think there¡¯s a way to...¡± they glanced down at their food, ¡°To reverse the whole ¡®correction¡¯ thing?¡± TO nearly choked on their food. They dropped the bar and worked to dislodge the piece that had gotten stuck in their throat. ¡°I... Fix it?¡± they asked, ¡°I mean-¡± ¡°I mean, For Q10,¡± DH muttered. ¡°I still feel a little bad-¡± ¡°It wasn¡¯t your fault!¡± TO protested, ¡°It¡­ it was no more your fault than it was mine! If anyone was to blame, it¡¯s 55H75; Hur-13 now, I guess.¡± TO remembered the Commander¡¯s reaction to being called by their trainee number, and didn¡¯t want to call Hur-13 by their old assignment accidentally. ¡°It was their fault!¡± ¡°.... Fault or no.¡± DH said, ¡°I still feel bad for them. I-.¡± They sighed, ¡°They were awful to us, I know¡­ but in the end, they just looked so scared. I don¡¯t think they deserved what happened.¡± TO gave a deep sigh. Ages ago, they had wondered the same thing. They had done some research on the topic, but it hadn¡¯t been promising. ¡°Potentially, there are ways.¡± TO said, ¡°Depending on the brain. However, it¡¯s all¡­¡± They hesitated as they fished for the right words to say. Dangerous? Untested? ¡°Experimental.¡± they finally settled on. ¡°And it¡¯s very specialized. It¡¯s not something that could be done in a training facility. One of King Decon¡¯s Advanced Medical facilities MIGHT do it... But I don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°And a synth like us wouldn¡¯t be sent there for treatment anyway,¡± DH said. ¡°Right. Especially not a corrected synth. We¡¯d have to get them out of the center and then find someone capable who would try a very dangerous procedure that may or may not work¡­ and corrected synths don¡¯t leave their stations.¡± DH gave a deep sigh, ¡°I... I knew it was impossible.¡± they said, ¡°I thought about it when GiDi was being taken away. I thought, Maybe we can fix them if they get corrected-¡± They gave a panicked glance to their chip, then seemed to recall the work they had done. ¡°After that, I just wondered if we could repair anyone else.¡± TO frowned, ¡°It¡¯s funny, isn¡¯t it.¡± they said, ¡°We talk about fixing corrected synths, but the very act of correcting a synth¡­ well, it¡¯s called a correction. It¡¯s how they ¡®fix¡¯ Synths that don¡¯t suit King Decons needs.¡± DH was quiet for a long few moments, their ears flicked back in concentration. ¡°Do you think..¡± they said slowly, ¡°That Q10 should have been corrected? Or that GiDi should have been? I know we didn¡¯t want them to be, but¡­. If it¡¯s for King Decon, that¡¯s better, right?¡± ¡°If King Decon wished for you to be hurt.¡± TO said, their eyes narrowing as their ears pinned back, ¡°I wouldn¡¯t comply.¡± ¡°I know. I don¡¯t mean that.¡± DH said, though their ears flushed ¡°I mean¡­ I mean, outside of just us, and what we want. Is it better for synths that are too strange to be corrected?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯m able to judge that.,¡± TO said quietly. ¡°I¡­ I would imagine... Well, if King Decon does something, it¡¯s good, right?¡± ¡°Right,¡± DH said. ¡°I mean, we¡¯re tools of King Decon. We have to function a certain way.¡± Whenever TO heard any synth referred to as a Tool of King Decon, they could just hear GiDi¡¯s voice echoing out, the way their ears pinned back, their eyes narrowed, and their lips curled up to show their teeth. I am not a tool. ¡°We must all make certain sacrifices,¡± TO said, parroting one of the many things they must have learned in the tank. ¡°I imagine that running an entire galaxy is a taxing job, and He created a species of his own to assist with that. We have a job to do, and a purpose we were designed for; we can¡¯t just do as we please.¡± They reached out, hesitated, and took DH¡¯s hand. They could feel the heat rising in their ears, but DH had held their hand earlier. This should be fine, right? They just didn¡¯t want DH to look so sad. ¡°I guess there are some things which are good for the galaxy that can still upset some people.¡± TO said. ¡°Like when civilians have to relocate. They don¡¯t like it, but we know it¡¯s for the best, right?¡± DH didn¡¯t respond. They gently squeezed TO¡¯s hand before letting go and returning to their food. TO looked down at their food, but they weren¡¯t hungry anymore. It was for the best. They were designed to serve King Decon. It was a privilege to serve King Decon. Correction, or being repurposed, was a way that otherwise useless synths could serve. Even as TO told themself this, the one thought that always scared them bubbled up in their brain. It was the one thought that scared them more than the way DH made their heart swell and there was fire under their skin. If anyone tried to hurt DH, even if that someone was King Decon, TO knew that they could fight to stop them. Still, they wanted to serve King Decon; there was no greater privilege. I am not a tool All TO wanted was to be with DH as they served King Decon. Episode 131: Adjustment DH had entirely changed around the sleeping area. The blanket that they had pinned to the walls using powerful magnets closed off the back quarter of their living area, creating a cozy little alcove where their beds were. DH had clearly taken some time to move some furniture around as well. The beds, which had once been on separate sides of the hallway, had been together to create one bigger bed. DH had also stacked the storage containers that could no longer fit under the beds along one wall. ¡°I thought that this might be better.¡± DH said as with a yawn as they stripped off their uniform, ¡°I should have asked first through.¡± TO turned back to DH, ¡°Why?¡± They asked as they pulled off their dusty uniform. ¡°Well¡­ I didn¡¯t know if you¡¯d want the option of a separate bed or not¡­ I mean, we always sleep together, but-¡± ¡°This is perfect.¡± TO said. They looked around for the laundry chute to throw their dusty old uniform down, but then quickly remembered that such things were no longer around. Right. They had to take care of such things on their own now. ¡°Where¡¯s the laundry system?¡± TO asked as they looked around. ¡°In the washrooms.¡± DH responded, ¡°Just recessed into the walls. I can power up the laundry, but I don¡¯t know how loud it¡¯ll be.¡± TO dropped their uniform across the stacked up storage crates and flopped into bed. ¡°That¡¯s fine.¡± They muttered. ¡°I¡¯m sure it can last until tomorrow. Besides. Last thing we need is the noise of a clothes washer keeping us up. I don¡¯t even feel tired yet, not really.¡± ¡°I know.¡± DH said as they tossed their uniform over TO¡¯s, ¡°Fine, it can wait until morning.¡± TO pulled the covers over themself as they tried to get comfortable. DH slid in behind them, their wings draping over TO under the blankets. TO remembered how they had woken up that day and remembered DH¡¯s breath on the back of their ears. They remembered how flustered they had felt. ¡°Hey.¡± TO said quickly as they turned over, ¡°I¡¯d rather sleep on my other side.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± DH looked surprised, ¡°Really? I feel like you always sleep on-¡° ¡°I know, but I think I¡¯d be more comfortable today sleeping on the other side.¡± DH gave a quick smile, ¡°Not a problem.¡± They said as they turned over, their back to TO. TO draped their wing and an arm over DH before they pulled up the covers. DH reached out to one of the glowing panels in the wall. The light flickered off and suddenly they were in the dark. It was darker than TO was used to; normally they had dim lights seeping in from outside their pods, or light from their screens at least! The blanket that DH had put up blocked any light that would have come from the consoles on the other side of the room. There was one tiny window nearby through which TO and DH could see the stars outside, but they provided very little light. Even if the stars had been closer and brighter, the smaller windows all over the ship had extra tinted layers to protect the synths inside. Some people were afraid of the dark. Some whole species were afraid of the dark. TO had never been in such darkness before, but they found it comfortable and relaxing. ¡°I think it might be difficult to sleep today.¡± DH whispered. There was no need for whispering, but the darkness made it feel like speaking above a careful, low tone would be wrong. ¡°I don¡¯t feel tired at all.¡± ¡°Me neither.¡± TO muttered, ¡°I have a feeling that we¡¯re going to be exhausted tomorrow.¡± They sighed as they shifted closer to DH, behind very careful not to press their head too close to the back of DH¡¯s head. Instead, they leaned their head forward and pressed their forehead to the back of DH¡¯s neck. ¡°Still.¡± They muttered, ¡°That¡¯s how we¡¯ll adjust. I Imagine we¡¯ll sleep well tomorrow night.¡± Night. How odd to think of night and day, of light and darkness. How odd to think of a sleep schedule that was synced up to the rotation of a planet and not the orderly division of hours that composed the galactic calendar. If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. ¡°Still¡­ I don¡¯t know how I¡¯m going to sleep now.¡± DH muttered. ¡°At least I¡¯m comfortable.¡± TO felt their ears flush as DH pressed up against them, but despite that they held DH closer, enjoying the warmpth. TO never had this much space for sleeping before, save for the odd visit to the medical bay. While they draped one wing over DH, they flicked backwards and let it off the edge of the bed. They didn¡¯t have to worry about hitting the edge of a wall now. Also, DH had been right; the bed was softer in the ship, and the blankets a little thicker. They felt so comfortable, but more oddly they felt safe. Although they were flying through the void of space, they felt safe. They wanted to tell DH. Now would be a perfect time, wouldn¡¯t it be? Whisper it in their ear as sleep slowly embraced them. Tell them while it was dark and they couldn¡¯t see each other¡¯s ears¡­ Wait¡­ wait, no; that wouldn¡¯t work. While it terrified TO to see the discomfort or even disgust showing in DH¡¯s ears, they knew that not knowing what DH¡¯s genuine reaction was would be so much worse. ¡°If you like.¡± TO said, keeping their voice low. Somehow, it felt wrong to make a lot of noise in such darkness. ¡°We could watch a show? Watch something on our chips before we fall asleep?¡± The light from that would let TO see something, anyway. Maybe this wasn¡¯t the plan they had come up with while they had been doing their tasks, but it was something! ¡°I want to.¡± DH muttered, ¡°But, I feel like we need to sleep. At the very least, we need to rest¡­ right? That¡¯s what they said when they told us about adjusting; even if we cannot sleep, just sitting in the dark and resting will help us adjust. Right?¡± ¡°Right.¡± TO said. Oh well. Maybe that was for the best; their original plan was better, anyway; telling DH in the middle of space, surrounded by stars as they rushed forward to Arkane. Hopefully, it wouldn¡¯t make DH uncomfortable. Hopefully, even if they didn¡¯t feel the same way, DH would still feel comfortable just¡­ just being with TO just as they were. TO wondered if DH would feel comfortable if they knew what went through their mind sometimes. If DH knew the things that TO thought about, if they knew about the daydreams that TO often indulged in¡­ If DH knew how those daydreams made their ears twitch and made them feel like they were itchy on the inside all over. Would DH still be comfortable then? Was it right not to tell them? ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re comfortable?¡± TO asked, their voice quiet and tentative. ¡°Of course.¡± Came DH¡¯s quick reply, ¡°you?¡± ¡°Very.¡± they muttered back. They did their best to ignore the anxiety that was building up in their stomach; for now, they were safe. For now, they were with DH. For now, everything was wonderful. ====== TO didn¡¯t realize that they had fallen asleep. They didn¡¯t know they were asleep until the alarms that they had set the day before started blaring from their hands, startling them both. They sat up in the bed, scared, disoriented, and clutching at one another as they looked around and took in their environment. Right¡­ They were in space. They were on a ship. They had left the training center behind. Exhaustion overcame TO almost immediately, and they flopped back down onto the bed, pulling the blankets over their head; the lights were brighter now and TO¡¯s sleep bleary eyes weren¡¯t ready for that. They tried to hold on to DH, but DH slid out of bed. ¡°I¡¯ll take a shower.¡± DH said. They were speaking quickly for someone that had only just woken up ¡°We can only go on at a time, so I¡¯ll go first.¡± ¡°Fine.¡± TO mumbled as they wrapped their wings around themself, pressing their face into the pillow, ¡°Go ahead; I¡¯m going to sleep more.¡± TO wasn¡¯t sure if DH had heard them, or if they responded; they were so tired that they felt like they were trying to think under water; like all their thoughts were facing this odd resistance. They glanced at their chip and checked the time. 8am. The time made no sense to TO at first, but then they remembered they had switched to Arkane time. They did some rough math in their sleep addled brain; last time they recalled looking at their chip, it had been 3am. Considering the time difference, and the different length of hours, TO figured that they had gotten only about 3 galactic hours of sleep. Not enough. Not nearly enough. A synth needed more sleep! Even machines needed regular maintenance, and TO knew they needed at least 6 galactic hours of sleep. Well, no. 6 galactic hours for every 40 galactic hours. Right. They¡¯d have to get used to shorter, more frequent sleeping periods. They tried to figure out how long it would be in galactic hours before they could sleep again, but their mind wouldn¡¯t do the calculations. TO heard the shower turn on. They wanted to sleep more, but they knew they should get up and start getting used to the time change¡­ still, would it be ok if they just took another few minutes? They reached for their chip to set an alarm for themself, but saw they had a message. It took them a moment to remember who Hur-14 was. Avery had responded to their message from the day before. ARK-87. My departure happened with no issues. It wouldn¡¯t be surprising if you could pick up our ship on radar; we are of course heading to the same star system and taking the same wormhole. I believe I will work well with HUR-13. They don¡¯t talk a lot outside of the most essential communication, so I am left alone to do all the reading and research I wish once I am done with my chores. We have switched over to planetary time. Our planet only has a 16 hour day! It regulates us to six hours of sleep for every 10! It will take a while to get used to; at least the hours are shorter. Planetary time schedules are awful; I wish everyone went with Galactic time. I wonder how your research is coming along. Specifically, I wonder about the research projects you wanted to wait to pursue until you were on the way to Arkane. You should have started by now. It would disappoint me to learn you were procrastinating. -Hur-14. Avery was so much more talkative in messages like this; it made TO smile as they read over it. At least 55H-, no, Hur-12, at least they weren¡¯t causing Avery any problems. TO felt a little bad for the short days that Avery had to deal with, but it made them feel better about their own new schedule. It could be worse. With a sigh, TO responded to Avery¡¯s message, coming up with reasons they hadn¡¯t quite started their research project. Episode 132: Stalling Hur-14 I¡¯m glad you¡¯re safe. It is excellent to hear that you have plenty of time for your own research, and I hope you are happy in your service to King Decon so far! If you¡¯re ahead of us, maybe you could send a missive after you¡¯ve gone through the wormhole? I like your opinion on the experience. I agree, planetary hours are awful; I¡¯m sorry your planet has such a short day. Arkane has shorter days too, but not nearly that short! As for my research project; well, Ark-88 and myself spent the entire day getting organized and figuring out our tasks, and I have not actually started my supplemental research yet. I have planned on how to start it though; I want this to work well, so I must plan everything to ensure that it¡¯s perfect. -Ark-87 (TO) TO had hesitated on putting their nickname on the bottom, but they did anyway. Their higher ups knew about the nicknames and never seemed worried about them. They seemed irritated at times, but not worried. The bed was still warm and comfortable. TO flopped back into the pillows and pulled the blankets back up over their shoulders. They wanted to go back to sleep; the scant hours they managed hadn¡¯t had nearly enough and they didn¡¯t know how they¡¯d function. They wanted to doze and listen to the sound of the shower only a few feet away from them. With a sigh, TO sat up and wrapped their wings around themself. They thought they¡¯d go take their shower, but then remembered how small the shower was. There were no communal showers; that seemed so odd. They went to the table, sat down, and got their food. Another hard bar fell from the dispenser and sat on the table before expanding. Still feeling half asleep, TO ate almost robotically until DH came out of the showers. ¡°It¡¯s morning.¡± DH stated in a dull, deadpan voice. They looked more tired than TO felt; Their ears were sunk back and their eyes were half closed. ¡°I¡¯m supposed to say ¡®good morning.¡¯ As a greeting on Arkane, right?¡± they went back behind the blanket that separated their sleeping area from the rest of the space, and TO could hear the rustle of fabric as they dressed. ¡°Throw my uniform to me.¡± TO said. They were waking now, the motors in their brain starting as they considered what had to be done. There were checks and training to do first, then research. They¡¯d have to check on the recent news for Arkane as well. Their grasp on Arkane civilization and history was decent, but they¡¯d probably have to study more of the social norms for Arkane before they landed. For this, Ark-1 had suggested that they watch media produced by the civilians there. ¡°Your uniform is really dusty.¡± DH called out, ¡°The black fabric really shows that more. Do you want me to wash it now?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have another uniform.¡± TO said back, ¡°And there¡¯s no robes here.¡± ¡°Go without your uniform today.¡± DH suggested as they came out from behind the blanket, now fully dressed. They had TO¡¯s uniform in their hands as they headed towards the washroom, ¡°It might be awkward, but it¡¯s not like we have to attend classes or-¡± ¡°Arkane has nudity taboos,¡± TO said as they reached for their uniform. ¡°We have to be acclimated for that; we need to do as much as we can to adapt to the social norms.¡± DH sighed and threw the uniform to TO, ¡°Fair enough.¡±they said. ¡°Also, I don¡¯t want to go up into the engine room naked; it¡¯s very dirty up there.¡± they finished their food and started pulling on their uniform as soon as they stood up. Having a top and a bottom to their uniform seemed like a waste compared to their old one-piece uniforms, but it was the most common style of clothing across the galaxy. They finished dressing and though they had already eaten, they sat back down at the table with DH. Another little block of food fell out onto the table. DH watched it with disappointment as it expanded before they picked it up and started chewing. ¡°I hate this.¡± they said, ¡°This is worse than the food in the training center. I¡¯m not eating any of it when we land on Arkane; I¡¯ll eat only local food.¡± TO suppressed a chuckle at the sulky tone to DH¡¯s voice. DH shot a glare at them. ¡°Sorry.¡± TO said as they stifled their laugh, ¡°You just seem so sad about it. It¡¯s only food.¡± Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings. ¡°Well, I miss the food we had back in the training center. It wasn¡¯t even good and I miss it.¡± ¡°When we land on Arkane I¡¯ll find a nice place and we can go eat something fantastic; just like in your shows.¡± DH stopped, dropping their bar. ¡°You mean¡­ you mean like a restaurant or something?¡± They put their hands on the table and leaned forward, ¡°Like one of those sit-down restaurants in the movies where people bring you your food? One where you get a menu, and you can order anything you want?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± TO said with a grin. ¡°But you have to pay for that-¡± ¡°That shouldn¡¯t be a problem. The supply kits should have the communicator we need, which is linked to a credit system for King Decon¡¯s synths. Of course, it¡¯s registered as a civilian account, so it won¡¯t cause any issues when we¡¯re in disguise.¡± ¡°And¡­ and we can visit a nice one?¡± DH¡¯s ears dipped back, ¡°Like in the shows? With candles and music and everything?¡± ¡°If you like!¡± TO said. All they had seen in the shows were two types of restaurants; those fancy ones that DH had mentioned, and smaller ones that were brightly lit, noisy, and where the servers used overly familiar nicknames and brought mugs of steaming drinks without asking if you wanted them. For TO, the dim quiet of the fancier restaurants was more appealing than the other type of restaurant. TO had heard them called Diners in the shows. ¡°Then yes!¡± DH said as they leaned forward, their ears twitching with excitement, ¡°I¡¯d love to visit a fancy restaurant with you!¡± TO gave a smile, ¡°Good. We¡¯ll go as soon as we can after we land. That¡¯ll give you something to look forward to!¡± DH suddenly looked away, their ears flushing as they crammed the last of their bar into their mouth. They chewed quickly and got up. ¡°Alright.¡± They said once they had swallowed the last morsels of bland food, ¡°Let¡¯s get to our tasks. I¡¯ll deal with the computer stuff again!¡± TO thought it was excitement that had made DH act so oddly. They worked on their tasks without thinking too much about how DH had reacted. It wasn¡¯t until they were nearly done with their checks in the training room that they remembered something. Often, when two people went to a fancy restaurant, they considered it a ¡°date.¡± Dates had romantic connotations. Did the idea of eating at a restaurant excite DH, or did the potential romantic implications fluster them? If they were flustered, was it because they would want such an experience with TO, or because they wouldn¡¯t? It occurred to TO that if they had been more awake they could have used the opportunity to probe DH a little. They could have said that fancy restaurants were often associated with romantic dates, and asked if DH was alright with that. They could have watched DH¡¯s reaction and judged from that how DH might react to an actual confession. Well, the time had passed, and they had missed their opportunity. ====== Log; Day 1 (Arkane Time) We switched over to Arkane time after we completed our initial checks on day 1. Acclimating to Arkane Time has been difficult; the shorter days and shorter sleep lengths have left both Ark-88, and myself exhausted and disoriented. Despite this, we have stayed awake through most of a full Arkane day. All checks are complete and recorded. We have started waste processing. The main engine system recommended that we activate engine cooling; we complied. We performed our physical training. We reviewed recent Arkane news to ensure we have a firm grasp on the current events when we land. Exhaustion is a factor, despite how early it is. We will spend the rest of the day immersing ourselves in cultural research to prepare for landing. TO leaned back in the chair before their work desk as they read over their report. They wondered if they should add anything else; like how they had cleaned the engine room so they didn¡¯t feel so filthy every time they entered. They wondered if they should mention how DH had worked with them to show them how the computers worked in depth. Would it be ok to note that the training center had become just a dot, nearly lost in the glowing nebula? Should they note they had found their supply packs hidden away near the front of the ship? They had altered the identification given to them, put their pictures on the thin cards and wrote fake names. TO had simply chosen to add a vowel to their nickname, creating Tio which would be easy for DH to remember. DH had been harder to alter, and in the end they had simply gone with ¡°Dee¡± At least it would be easier for Avery. It made TO happy that Hur-13 would have to call Avery by their chosen name when they were out and acting as civilians. TO was adding the information about their identification when their chip suddenly pinged with a notification. A moment later, their communicator pinged as well. TO grabbed the communicator and read off the tiny screen instead of bringing the information up before them in the air. They didn¡¯t want to activate their chip in front of civilians out of habit, so they had to get used to using the communicator. There was a message from Avery. TO; You¡¯re an idiot and I think you¡¯re stalling. You promised. -Avery. Panic flooded TO as they wondered if Avery had been too blunt in their message. After rereading it, they decided that nothing had been said which an uninformed synth could understand, so they were probably fine. They wished they could see Avery. They wished they could tell Avery how scared they were without worrying about anyone reading what they sent. They wished they could have just a normal talk with their friend. After several moments of careful thought on how to word their message, TO responded. Avery, I intend to keep that promise. The research is a little overwhelming, and I worry about doing it wrong; that¡¯s all. This is an important mission with no room for failure. I just want to make sure everything I can control is perfect. -TO After they sent the message, TO glanced over at DH who was sitting at the main console. Though they didn¡¯t know what DH was working on, TO could easily see how excited DH was as they watched their ears twitch as they worked. DH¡¯s their fingers typed rapidly as their eyes focused on the scripts before them. TO imagined walking up behind them, pushing their snout to the back of their ear and holding DH close to their chest as they embraced their friend with arms and wings. They imagined the sudden dip of DH¡¯s ears as they turned blue. Maybe it would make DH feel like TO often did; like their lips were too sensitive, and like their skin was itchy all over. TO stood up as though their chair had caught fire. ¡°Done,¡± they said as they turned to the washroom, ¡°It¡¯s late, so I¡¯m going to shower and wash my uniform.¡± ¡°Mm-hmm.¡± DH said, only half-listening as they focused on their work. They were far too immersed in their work to notice anything that TO was doing at the moment; a fact for which TO was immensely grateful for in the moment. Episode 133: Alive TO couldn¡¯t see the training center. Yesterday the training center had been a black dot against the light of the nebula, but now TO couldn¡¯t see it at all. Colored clouds of gas and tiny lights zipping about were all that TO saw when they looked for their home. At any rate, TO didn¡¯t see the training center anymore. The time had come. Still, TO hadn¡¯t figured out they¡¯d tell DH. Every time they thought about just telling them they got nervous, and their words all seemed so awkward. They didn¡¯t know how to be blunt, and DH wasn¡¯t picking up on their subtle clues. To be fair, TO wasn¡¯t hoping that they would, they were just surprised that DH hadn¡¯t already figured it out. They had told Avery that they were ¡®surprised that DH hadn¡¯t offered to help with the research¡¯ hoping they would understand what TO was trying to say. They did, and Avery thought little about subtle clues. TO scanned through the messages they had sent Avery over the last two days, explaining in their clumsily coded language how things were going. I have attempted to start the research. There have been issues. I am unsure how to start such a grand undertaking. It would be nice if DH offered to help with the research; I am surprised they have not. The responses from Avery had been short. There was no way to judge Avery¡¯s tone, but TO couldn¡¯t help but imagine their ears flicking in irritation, their eyes narrowed as they chided them. Just do the research. You promised. Stop procrastinating Easy enough for Avery to say. Avery didn¡¯t understand and didn¡¯t feel these things. Avery couldn¡¯t understand how terrifying it was! Once they told DH, everything would change! So much had already changed, and the thought of ruining the comfortable relationship they had with DH sent ice through their veins. They had to tell DH; hiding their feelings for the entire trip was impossible. It had only been three Arkanian days, and TO was frankly amazed that DH hadn¡¯t pointed out their odd behavior, even if they didn¡¯t understand what caused the behavior. It had only been three Arkanian days. It had already been three Arkanian days. TO sighed as they considered doing as Avery said. They could bring DH up here at any rate; it was dimmer here, so perhaps DH wouldn¡¯t notice how flustered they were. Maybe after they finished their work for the day¡­ Their chip pinged. TO took out their communicator and checked the messages. They had been expecting something back from Avery, but they found a message from DH. ¡°There¡¯s been a complication. I need your help.¡± TO rushed back down to their main living quarters to see what was wrong, dropping all worries about their plan, their fears, and about their feelings; DH needed them. ====== One of DH¡¯s screens showed the outside of the ship. They were looking at a vent in the ship¡¯s side, but something was blocking it. TO didn¡¯t know what it was, it just looked like an odd grey lump to them. ¡°I had weird readings with the ventilation systems.¡± DH said as they stood up, ¡°I ran all the different programs to fix the issue in here, but nothing worked. When I checked the outside cameras, I saw this.¡± They headed towards the elevator, ¡°I need to go outside to figure out what it is, but-¡± If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. Outside? In space? ¡°No.¡± TO said as they ran ahead of DH, ¡°I¡¯ll go.¡± ¡°You can stay in here and manage the systems.¡± DH said, their ears flicking down as they spoke, ¡°I know you don¡¯t enjoy being out here in space, and I can¡¯t imagine that you¡¯d enjoy being outside properly. ¡° ¡°I¡¯ve done it before.¡± TO said, ¡°You haven¡¯t. I¡¯ll go, you manage these systems.¡± they gestured to the computers, ¡°Wouldn¡¯t that be better? I have experience in this, and you don¡¯t. You¡¯re better on the computers than I am. It makes sense.¡± DH¡¯s ears twitched with worry as they considered this. They frowned, their ears pinning back, ¡°Are you sure you can manage it?¡± ¡°Positive.¡± TO said, ¡°Why would you think I can¡¯t?¡± ¡°Because you really weren¡¯t well when we were leaving the training center and getting onto the transport. I was really worried about you.¡± It was with some embarrassment that TO remembered how unnerved they had been when they left the training center. ¡°I remember¡± they muttered as their ears drooped and flushed, ¡°But, I can go outside and manage this. I¡¯ve done it before.¡± DH frowned, then nodded. ¡°Fine,¡± they said as they headed back to their seat. ¡°You go out, and I¡¯ll manage the systems. However, I¡¯m pulling you back instantly if there''re any issues. Also; tell me if you get uncomfortable, ok?¡± They gave TO a hard look as they turned back to them, ¡°Promise?¡± ¡°I promise. ¡° DH gave a deep sigh as they dropped into their seat. ¡°Activate space mode on your suit.¡± they said as they started bringing up a collection of different files on their computer. ¡°Test it before you go out there.¡± TO touched the bracelet to activate the chip. When the armor was on, they activated the armor¡¯s space mode. There was a weird sound as the suit seemed to suck itself together; as though it was taking a deep breath. The weird metal film expanded up their back and covered their wings in the thin, black metal membrane. There was a hissing sound as the ventilator in the helmet turned off and the internal oxygen supply activated, filling up from the surrounding air. They watched as DH looked through some data, then nodded. ¡°Alright,¡± They said, ¡°I¡¯ll be watching your vitals while you¡¯re out there. If your heart rate gets too high, I¡¯m pulling you back in regardless of what you say.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± ¡°Fine.¡± DH said, though their ears still pinned back. ¡°Let¡¯s get this over with.¡± ====== TO went to the lower levels of the ship. Across from the doorway to the emergency transport was another door that led to an airlock. They had to wait inside the airlock as it depressurized. As they waited, the ship came to a sudden stop. The change in momentum might have thrown TO to the floor had they not pressed themselves against the wall for support. ¡°What happened?¡± TO said into the communicator. ¡°Nothing; I reduced acceleration on the ship. It¡¯s better if we just drift while you¡¯re out there. ¡° ¡°You¡¯re not wrong.¡± TO muttered. The door opened and TO entered the airlock where they found almost the same supplies that they had seen in Shipping and Receiving. They hooked the long wire to their suit and found a mini-thruster, which they tied to their waist as they waited for the door to open. A sudden hissing noise echoed all around them, and the artificial gravity released TO allowing them to float for a moment before the door opened and they drifted into space. ¡®Why couldn¡¯t it be this easy back in Shipping and Receiving?¡¯ TO wondered. Well, no matter. At least it was easier. TO used the mini thruster to push themself out from the airlock, then grabbed onto the edge of the ship. The ship was still moving, but it was only drifting placidly through space. ¡°Which vent is it?¡± TO said into their helmet. ¡°The rear vent, port side.¡± DH said. They held onto the side of the ship as they alternated between using the thruster and pulling themself to where they needed to be. As they approached the vent, they saw the thing that DH had found on their video. TO didn¡¯t know what it was; it was papery, grey, and seemed to shiver slightly. ¡°Can you get any readings on it before you approach?¡± DH asked, ¡°The last thing I want is for you to get a blast of radiation from some weird space junk.¡± TO took out their multi-gun and set it to scan. They pointed at the thing in the vent and took the readings. They were looking for radiation warnings, or signs that it might be toxic. All the readings said it was safe, but there was another issue that TO hadn¡¯t expected. ¡°DH.¡± TO said, keeping their voice low even though they knew the creature couldn¡¯t hear them, ¡°I think it¡¯s alive.¡± ¡°Alive?¡± DH¡¯s voice was deadpan over the readings, their universal common sounding so plain compared to the almost musical lilt of their own language, accompanied by the constant twitching of their ears. ¡°Be careful as you approach. I almost recommend taking a preemptive shot at it before you get too close.¡± TO turned their gun to stun and took careful aim. They were about to pull the trigger, but stopped. ¡°... I¡¯ll approach first.¡± they said as they lowered their gun. ¡°What? Why?¡± ¡°We don¡¯t know that it¡¯s dangerous, and it¡¯s done nothing to us yet. I¡¯d feel bad if I shot at it without good reason.¡± ¡°What if it¡¯s like the Edacaeli?¡± DH said back, ¡°What if it¡¯s dangerous?¡± ¡°None of my readings show that it¡¯s dangerous. I¡¯ll have my gun ready in case it attacks, anyway.¡± ¡°... I want to go on record as saying that this is a bad idea.¡± DH said, ¡°It could be anything.¡± They were right, of course. The smart thing to do would be to open fire and send it flying off into space, stunned. Still, TO couldn¡¯t bring themself to do it; just because it was the most effective way to do things didn¡¯t make it the best way. ¡°Understood.¡± they said back, ¡°I¡¯ll be very careful; I promise.¡± ¡°You better be.¡± TO held their multi-gun carefully, wishing they had better aim than they did. With excessive slowness, they edged their way to the papery mound that was blocking more than half the vent. Whatever it was, they really hoped it wasn¡¯t dangerous. Episode 134: Gem The strange thing that was stuck in the vent still hadn¡¯t moved by the time TO had gotten closer to it. TO had hoped that as they approached, the thing would have taken off and fled. It had not. Now TO was just over a foot away from the strange creature which clutched to the vent of the ship. ¡°... what are you going to do?¡± DH¡¯s voice came in over the communicator in TO¡¯s helmet. ¡°Unsure.¡± TO said. The idea of shooting the thing popped into their head once more, but they disregarded it. Sure, it would be easier, but this creature had done nothing wrong. Sentience also came in many forms; what if this creature was sentient? ¡°You have to leave.¡± TO said as they turned on their translator. The words came out, altered and modulated by the translation system. TO couldn¡¯t hear how it sounded, but as the words came out, the creature flinched. ¡°It¡¯s ok.¡± TO said, hoping that the translation system could portray some kind of soothing tone, ¡°You¡¯re fine, I just need you off them ship.¡± The papery surface seemed to shuffle, then tighten down. TO didn¡¯t know if it was because of the noise, or because of what they said. TO turned off their multi-gun, then used it to poke at the creature. It shuffled, the papery part lifting like the petals of a flower just long enough for TO to get a glimpse of six long, spindly legs underneath it. They yelped and let go of the ship. Panic flooded them for a moment as they drifted away, but then they realized a tether connected them to the ship, and also that they had their thruster. ¡°Are you ok? Your heart rate spiked and I saw you let go of the ship-¡° ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± TO said as they felt their ears burn within the helmet, ¡°I¡¯m fine, I just got startled. ¡° ¡°Why?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a bug of some sort.¡± ¡°DO you want me to take over?¡± TO¡¯s ears burned as they turned on the thruster and headed back to the ship. ¡°No.¡± They finally said, ¡°No, I¡¯m fine. I¡¯m a highly trained soldier of King Decon! I can manage a bug.¡± They eyed the creature as their ears pinned back. ¡°It¡¯s big, so it can¡¯t really scurry away. Besides that, in space mode this armor is airtight. What¡¯s it going to do? Crawl on me?¡± ¡°But you don¡¯t like bugs.¡± ¡°I¡¯m aware!¡± TO said, very grateful that DH couldn¡¯t see their ears, or how horrified they really were. They took a deep breath and then said more to themself than to DH, ¡°I¡¯ve only ever seen them in simulations. Maybe they¡¯re not so awful?¡± They crept back to the bug on the ship. No, no, they were lying; they knew the bug was just as awful as the ones in simulations. It had six legs, which made TO distinctly uncomfortable. Some bugs fed off rotting meat, which was disturbing. Some bugs could burrow into your skin and lay eggs in your living flesh. Still. They had a job to do. They got back to the vent and reached out once more with their multi-gun. They poked at the petal like things which once more lifted to reveal the body underneath; it was rounded and looked like it might be squishy. TO couldn¡¯t see any eyes, or even a mouth. It was only after they saw the body that their eyes wandered up, and they could see the slightly purple tint, the shimmering iridescence to the underside of the creature¡¯s feathery petals. ¡°Are you watching through my helmet?¡± TO asked. ¡°I am.¡± came DH¡¯s response. ¡°Can you identify this thing?¡± There was no response for several minutes. As TO waited, they watched the bug and noticed something odd; they weren¡¯t clutching to the vent; they were clutching to a strange, bumpy substance. TO turned on the spotlight that was connected to their helmet and saw that the substance was some kind of crystallized stuff that had gotten stuck in the vent. It shimmered purple as the light caught it, giving off brief hints of red and blue in the places where the light didn¡¯t hit directly. Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation. Well, no wonder the various procedures for removing the blockage didn¡¯t work; if it had just been the bug, then the flushing systems in the ship would have removed it. ¡°It¡¯s called a Void Anemone.¡± DH finally said, ¡°They drift in space, and make their home on anything they catch onto. They¡¯re harmless though.¡± ¡°Are you certain?¡± TO asked. ¡°Positive.¡± DH said. ¡°They¡¯re listed as a pest because they can damage ships, but they feed off small amounts solar radiation, and passively absorb various gasses that they encounter. I don¡¯t even think they have teeth.¡± ¡°That must account for the coloration.¡± TO said, ¡°They have a purple underside to their wings, and there¡¯s this crystal like substance in the vent that seems to be purple too. They must have come from the Geode Nebula.¡° ¡°Probably. You can just release it here; it should be safe. Make sure it gets some distance from the ship, though.¡± TO looked over the creature, trying to decide how to ¡®release it¡¯. IT wasn¡¯t as though TO had the creature caught; the bug was holding onto the crystals with their tiny, grasping legs. TO poked it with the tip of their multi-gun, but it only clung more tightly to the crystals under it. After another moment of hesitation, to reached out with their armored hand and gently slid their fingers under the bug. They whimpered as their hand neared the creature. ¡±TO, your heart rate-¡± ¡± I¡¯m fine.¡± TO said, even though their voice was a few octaves too high. ¡°I can do this.¡± They reminded themself that the suit was airtight as their fingers touched the bug¡¯s legs. The insect slowly released their grip on the crystal and grasped onto TO¡¯s hand. If they hadn¡¯t had an airtight armored glove, TO knew that they¡¯d be flailing to get the bug off. Well, if they hadn¡¯t had an armored, airtight suit on, they knew they wouldn¡¯t have put their hand out. After a few minutes of gentle coaxing, the bug had moved away from the crystal entirely and was now clutching to TO¡¯s hand. They let go of the side of the ship and let themself float away, kept safe by the tether that connected them to the ship. When they were a decent distance away from the ship they turned towards the emptiness of space, towards the center of the nebula that seemed so far away now, and gently shook their hand. The bug didn¡¯t want to let go at first, but finally it seemed to give up. All at once its legs retreated into its body, sucked in like retractable wires. its papery petals spread out and drifted into space, floating like a flower on water. The dim lights from the ship and nearby stars caught on the colored part of the petals to create a beautiful iridescent display of purples and greens as it slowly drifted away. ¡°... That was beautiful.¡± Came DH¡¯s voice after they had watched the bug for several long minutes, ¡°I regret not going out to see that; that was amazing!¡± ¡°It was!¡± TO said. IT had been beautiful, and it almost made up for having to touch it. Almost. Armored glove or no, TO planned to take a long shower when they finished their work. ¡°OK.¡± DH said, ¡°GO back to the vent and clear out any blockages. Once you¡¯re done, I¡¯ll flush it out again and we¡¯ll be good to go.¡± TO watched the Void Anemone for another moment before they engaged the thrusters and headed back to the vent to finish the job. They wished they could have caught the bug to bring it inside for DH to see. However, they knew that doing that would involve actually touching the thing without the airtight suit. They¡¯d do it for DH. They¡¯d hate it, but they¡¯d have done it for DH. They wanted DH to see pleasant things up close. They got back to the vent and at first tried to pry the crystallized substance off, but it wouldn¡¯t budge. They wondered if they¡¯d have to go back inside to get tools, but they turned their multi-gun on to a narrow laser setting and shot alongside the ship. The laser went through the crystals, shattering them and creating a mass of floating pieces that slowly wafted past TO as the ship continued on. A few more shots, and TO had nearly rid the vent of its blockage. Everything was so loose now that they could to pry off the last few bits that were hanging off the vent. ¡°Alright. Come back in.¡± DH said, ¡°I¡¯m switching to the maintenance mode again and running the flush. Get away from the vent.¡± TO pulled themself back to the airlock by their tether, but something caught their eye. A larger piece of crystal was floating off into space just a little before them. They used their thruster to catch up to it and caught it in their hands. They could bring this in to show DH, anyway. It was something. The Crystal had been beautiful, and TO was certain that it would look better in person than it did on a screen. With the piece of crystal held in their hand, they pulled themself back to the airlock by the tether. They got inside, got doused with a cleansing agent, then had to suffer the strange sensation in their ears as the pressure in the airlock normalized once more and they could go inside the main part of the ship. As soon as they were safe and the door to the airlock was closed behind them, they deactivated their armor. They had been grateful for the armor when they were around the bug, but it was still uncomfortable. They rushed to the elevator, waiting to go up to the living area so that they could show DH the little crystal they had right away. However, when they look at the crystal more closely in their palm, they stopped. The clump of isometric crystals had been fascinating in the way they glittered and the slight iridescence that played off the surface, but their cubed shape was rather basic and boring. When TO had shot through the crystals, they had disrupted that nice, orderly shape and created a mess of differently shaped gems that had scattered into space. The gem in their hand had the rough approximation of a heart shape that seemed to be used across the galaxy for two things; A representation of the heart in medical fields, and of course to present to lovers. Civilians often gave such shapes as a gift for someone they loved romantically. TO had an idea. They had an idea in their head and they knew it would work. They didn¡¯t need to tell DH anything! All they had to do was give them the right information, to get them to associate heart-shaped gifts with expressions of romantic love! They slipped the gem in their pocket; It had to be hidden for now. TO needed to find a place where DH wouldn¡¯t find it, but where they could retrieve it quickly when needed. They kept it in their pocket until they got to the engine room, where they could hide it among the machinery. There, the crystal heart would be safe until TO was ready to give it to DH. Episode 135: Flirt Log #1 ¡°We¡¯ve apparently missed a holiday on Arkane.¡± TO said that night as they were reading up on the Arkanian news. ¡°Oh?¡± DH said as they turned to TO, ¡°What kind? I¡¯m excited for holidays too! We didn¡¯t really have holidays n the training center. Well, I guess the closest we had was when King Decon was giving his speech, but...¡± ¡°That didn¡¯t really work.¡± TO said, ¡°And we¡¯ll be there for other holidays too!¡± TO would make sure that DH to experience a bunch of holidays; DH looked so excited, and their ears were practically twitching with joy. They couldn¡¯t wait to make them even happier. ¡°But yes, we did just miss a holiday.¡± To say that they had ¡®just¡¯ missed a holiday was a stretch; It had happened a few Arkanian months ago, but time was relative. ¡°What was it?¡± ¡°Uh¡­¡± TO acted as though they were looking up the name of the holiday; as though they had not spent the entire evening looking for something which they could casually bring up to suit their purposes. ¡°The Festival of the Afren.¡± They said, ¡°It revolves around an old bit of folklore that got twisted up with their religious rites.¡± TO could hear DH¡¯s frantic typing as they started their own research on the holiday. ¡°Oh.¡± they said after several long, agonizing moments, ¡°it¡¯s a¡­ festival of love?¡± ¡°Something like that.¡± TO said as they felt their ears burning, ¡°It¡¯s not widely celebrated as a religious holiday anymore, but they still enjoy some traditions. Apparently, they give heart shaped symbols to those they wish to¡­ to court.¡± ¡°Court?¡± TO didn¡¯t turn around to see DH¡¯s expression. ¡°You mean... Dating? Like romantic couples?¡± Even hearing it from DH¡¯s mouth, it sounded horribly awkward. This was so hard to communicate; there was love between friends, family, and there was romantic love. Why didn¡¯t they have an original word for that kind of love? Well, Synths did; they had mates. The last piece of inspiration hit TO quickly. Of course! Mates! TO didn¡¯t have to explain to DH specifically how they felt; they loved DH, and that was that¡­ but if they said that they wanted to be mates, then DH would understand, right? They imagined it perfectly in that moment; sitting with DH in the weapons room, maybe holding hands. TO would take out that little heart shaped crystal, give it to DH, and then whisper just loud enough for DH to hear them, ¡®I want to be your mate.¡¯ The thought made them excited and terrified at the same time. They were so distracted that it took them a moment to realize that DH had been speaking to them. ¡°-and we both know how dumb civilians are, anyway. Why would a physical heart have anything to do with romance? It makes very little sense! It¡¯s rather stupid!¡± TO felt their ears droop. ¡°Exactly correct.¡± They muttered as they pretended to be focused on their work. ¡°Civilians tend not to make sense.¡± ¡°Right..¡± DH said as the silence settled over them, the only sound between them the typing on their work desks . ¡°Civilians are morons.¡± DH finally said, ¡°Half of the civilian species are obsessed with romance, so you¡¯d think they¡¯d be better at it.¡± ¡°They¡¯re bad at it?¡± TO asked, just happy to have any topic of conversation that would break the thick silence between them. ¡°Terrible.¡± DH said. ¡°I read somewhere that most civilians don¡¯t know if they¡¯re being flirted with or not.¡± DH continued, but once again TO was no longer paying attention. Flirting? TO didn¡¯t know if being unable to identify flirting was bad or not; they had never flirted, and nobody had ever flirted with them! Was flirting something that DH knew about? Had DH¡¯s obsession with romantic shows given them the ability to notice and identify flirting? Were they just commented that civilians were stupid? Or¡­ were they commenting, hoping TO themself would attempt to flirt? ¡°-It¡¯s a dumb thing to waste time and energy on researching, isn¡¯t it?¡± DH said as they finished their rambling rant against research on the topic. ¡°Yes, idiotic.¡± TO muttered. A moment later, they ran a search through the archives of old Arkanian shows, papers, and magazines, to see if they could find any tips for flirting. It wasn¡¯t long before they had a list of things they wanted to try; things that hopefully would let them know if DH was at all interested in them romantically. Things that would let them know if DH wanted to be their mate. ====== Tip #1: Bring attention to your lips. By drawing attention to the lips, the person you¡¯re flirting with will imagine themself kissing those lips! Apply gloss, lick, or even bite your lips! (if you¡¯re feeling confidant, that is.) If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. TO was not feeling confident. Wouldn¡¯t they look silly if they were just constantly licking their lips? Was this how civilians did things? Honestly, there were so many small little things that it seemed civilians did to try to ¡®flirt¡¯ with other civilians, these tiny little signs that were supposed to signal romantic interest¡­ Did Civilians take classes on this? There were so many things that TO would easily miss. Maybe someone had flirted with them in the past, and TO had just missed it! Well, no matter. They couldn¡¯t waste time trying to remember. They¡¯d try this whole flirting thing, at any rate. ¡°I don¡¯t think I want to do more of this today.¡± DH said from their work desk, ¡°We¡¯ve gone through all the major news articles, the minor ones, and now I¡¯m into the celebrity gossip. Why do civilians care so much about celebrities?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve no idea.¡± TO said as they turned around. DH still had their back to them. ¡°Do you want to stop early today?¡± As soon as the words left TO¡¯s mouth, DH closed all the screens that were hovering over their desk, then turned around, ¡°Yes!¡± They said, ¡°It¡¯s early, but yes. Let¡¯s watch something before we eat-¡± TO was quick. While they were talking, they took their pointed tongue, flicked it out, and licked their bottom lip. Was that right? Was it supposed to be the bottom lip, or the top? Did it matter? Had they done it too fast? Would DH notice? ¡°-So if we want to be productive and still watch something fun, maybe one of the historical dramas the Arkanians have produced? I don¡¯t think they¡¯re as good as the romance shows, but most of them have a romantic sub-plot worked into them. What do you think?¡± If DH noticed, they didn¡¯t act like it. ¡°Sounds good.¡± TO said as they got up, ¡°You pick something. I¡¯ll watch whatever you pick out. ====== The show they had picked out discussed the political state before King Decon brought Arkane into the Galactic Kingdom. It had not been a stable time; divided political systems across the planet caused constant strife, rampant corruption, and wars. There were even zealots who convinced the various leaders to go to war or break alliances based on various signs in the sky. Well, it was a dramatization, so TO hoped that it hadn¡¯t been all that bad. ¡°I can¡¯t believe that this is what it was like back then.¡± DH muttered, ¡°But look, you have all the stuff that old civilians leaders did! The luxury of the upper class, the Ego of the rulers!¡± The documentary focused a lot on the disparity between the upper class and the normal people, everything from how they dressed to how they travelled, and their ability to stay healthy. Of course, most documentaries focused on that. ¡°Well, what do you expect from civilians?¡± TO muttered, ¡°They care more about themselves than the overall good. If we demanded that they act as we do, they would refuse! They wouldn¡¯t even do it if it helped the entire galaxy!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t understand though.¡± DH muttered, ¡°A lot of the files we have, the people who are part of the insurgency¡­ none of them were listed as being part of the upper class, or having been old, displaced nobility or anything like that.¡± They glanced at TO. ¡°Why would they be fighting? If they were part of the privileged few who had their excess taken, I could understand that as pure civilian greed. Why would the lower classes be fighting King Decon?¡± They were sitting next to one another on the beds, the pillows and blankets bunched up behind them against the wall so that they were more comfortable. They were sitting close, their arms and shoulders against one another. TO had a wing over DH¡¯s shoulders. They looked at their friend, and with a little more slowness than before, they licked their lips. DH¡¯s eyes flickered down at TO¡¯s lips, then flicked back up. They had noticed, but as TO watched DH¡¯s ears there was no actual reaction from them. ¡°Well?¡± DH finally said. ¡°Well, what?¡± ¡°Why do you think lower class civilians are fighting King Decon?¡± TO glanced away, their ears flicking down, ¡°I imagine it¡¯s because¡­ Well, they¡¯re civilians.¡± TO said, ¡°They¡¯re selfish, self-centered, and easily manipulated. If I had to guess, they might fight because of some odd sense of loyalty to the former ruling class. I don¡¯t know though. It¡¯s hard to imagine what animals think.¡± ¡°You might be right.¡± DH muttered. ¡°But¡­ GiDi always wondered why they did what they did. I wonder what they would say.¡± With the mention of GiDi, TO didn¡¯t want to flirt anymore, at least not for a while. ====== TO¡¯s lips were hurting. They had licked them several times after they had finished watching the show, a few times while they were talking to DH during their supper, and several times while they were doing their last checks of the day and preparing to take their showers before bed. TO was fresh out of their shower and was throwing their uniform and DH¡¯s into the washer. They didn¡¯t feel confident, but their lips were hurting; the constant licking in the recirculated air of their ship had caused them to dry out. DH had seen. DH had noticed, but they hadn¡¯t reacted in the way TO had hoped. They¡¯d take any sign; a twitch to the tips of their ears, a light flush¡­ anything. There was nothing. ¡°Alright.¡± TO muttered to themself as they closed the washer and set their clothes to wash and dry, ¡°One more try.¡± Confidant or not, they¡¯d bite their lip. Wings wrapped around their naked body, they left the washroom. As they did, DH turned to them. ¡°I¡¯m feeling a little sleepy.¡± They mused, ¡°So I think maybe I¡¯m adjusting to Arkanian time. What do you think?¡± This was perfect! If DH noticed to bite their lip and was uncomfortable, then TO could try to pass it off as though they were just thoughtfully biting their lip! They bit down in what they hoped was - as the article had described- a ¡®tender and seductive gesture.¡¯ ¡°OW!¡± Maybe they bit too hard, or maybe the tenderness of their lips had made them more delicate, but they bit through the delicate skin of their lips with their fangs and drew blood. The metallic taste filled their mouth. Blood. Bones cracking. The smell of Disinfectant. DH was at TO¡¯s side immediately. They brought TO to the medical bed and helped them up on it without a word. ¡°It¡¯s not bad.¡± TO muttered, even though they were feeling dizzy. They could smell the blood just under their nose. ¡°You¡¯re right; it¡¯s not.¡± DH said quickly in the business-like tone they often used for when they were doing anything related to medical treatment, ¡°I¡¯m not worried about the lip, I¡¯m worried about you; you don¡¯t like blood.¡± TO reached up to wipe the blood away, but DH took their hand and put it down at their side, ¡°Don¡¯t wipe the blood with your hand. Close your eyes.¡± The orders came quick as DH practically barked at them. TO closed their eyes and tried not to think of knives slicing through skin, or the feel of gloves on their hands. They felt a wet cloth against their lips; the sting told them it was one of the little sanitizing wipes that were in their first aid kit. DH held the cloth to TO¡¯s lips, lifting it occasionally to check if the bleeding had stopped. If TO hadn¡¯t been so shaken from the memories flooding their mind, they were sure that they¡¯d react. Even in their state, they could feel the slight excitement in the back of their head at DH¡¯s hands so close to their lips. Still, at this point it was an easily ignored excitement. ¡°There. It¡¯s stopped.¡± DH said. ¡°You can open your eyes again.¡± TO did as they were told. DH had clearly gotten rid of any scrap of tissue which had any blood on it. ¡°Here.¡± DH said as they pressed something into TO¡¯s hand. It was a little tube of white plastic. They popped off the top to reveal a little stick of cream. ¡°If your lips are dry, use that.¡± DH said as they packed away the first aid kit. ¡°Licking your lips like you¡¯ve been doing all day will just hurt them.¡± ¡°Right.¡± TO muttered, unable to look at DH, ¡°Thanks.¡± Episode 136: Flirt Log #2 TO¡¯s lips still hurt the next day. They thought the whole lip thing would work for two reasons; first, the article said that drawing attention to the lips reminds people of kissing, and TO knew Synths kissed on another! At least, Flit and Snout did. The second reason was how sensitive their own lips got when DH was on their mind. If DH experienced anything similar to what TO felt, they¡¯d have the same sensitivities, wouldn¡¯t they? The lips were likely connected to something, even for synths! Well, strange synths anyway. Maybe it was a quirk specific to TO. Well, no matter. There were other things to try! The next one was simpler than the lips thing anyway, and perhaps a little more direct. Flirting tip #2; Pay compliments! This is a simple way to see if your crush is interested in you. If they seem flustered at the compliment, that¡¯s an obvious sign of interest! They¡¯d compliment DH on something and then see how they reacted; that seemed easy enough! As they sat across from DH as they ate, TO tried to think of a compliment to pay their friend. After agonizing over it for a few minutes, they realized they had no idea what to say. They liked everything about DH, but they had to compliment something specific. The article suggested clothes, but that hardly made sense for them as they wore their uniforms and had the same clothes. DH had nearly finished their breakfast when TO finally decided that they had to do something! They were getting worried that if they didn¡¯t do something soon, then Avery would get mad and let something slip to DH. TO¡¯s last message had not impressed Avery. They sent a simple explanation for the delay: ¡°I have attempted the research, but my approach didn¡¯t work. I am currently trying alternative approaches.¡± Avery¡¯s response had been short; ¡°Just do your damn research.¡± ¡°DH!¡± TO said quickly. As soon as DH looked up at them, TO could feel their ears twitching with anxiety. ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°I¡­ I like your- ¡®¡¯ They were going to say ears. They were going to say that they liked their ears, which should be clear enough that they were trying to ¡®flirt¡¯ They couldn¡¯t do it. Their mouth would not form the words that they needed to say. ¡°I like your uniform.¡± They muttered as they looked away. The heat rose to their ears as they inwardly cursed their cowardice. They knew that saying that they liked their uniform wouldn¡¯t work! It was a dumb thing to say, and they looked dumb for saying it. ¡°... Thanks?¡± DH said, obviously confused, ¡°I uh¡­ I like yours too.¡± ¡°Thanks.¡± TO mumbled as they shoved the last of their bar into their mouth and headed on to do their chores for the day. ====== Flirting tip 3#: Ignore your crush. While it may seem counterintuitive, ignoring your crush for a short period will make them appreciate your attention all the more when you talk to them again! It seemed counterintuitive to TO. It seemed illogical and almost mean spirited! TO didn¡¯t want to ignore DH, they wanted to spend time with them! They wanted to talk to DH. As much as they wanted to DH to pick up on how they were feeling; they didn¡¯t want to hurt DH either! Still, TO knew nothing about flirting. Perhaps the short-term loss would be worth it? ¡®Alright.¡¯ TO thought, ¡®I¡¯ll do it. At the very least, I¡¯ll ignore DH until it¡¯s time to go to bed. If I have to respond to them, It¡¯ll be short and direct.¡¯ They recalled the article they read saying that it was best to remain aloof and cold; it created an air of mystery. ¡®I don¡¯t understand, but I¡¯ll do it. Starting this moment, I¡¯ll ignore DH until the end of the day.¡¯ Just as TO thought that, DH turned away from their computer. ¡°I think I¡¯m done for the day.¡± they said, ¡°Do you want to watch a show with me? I found a fantastic one that has a mix of modern political intrigue and romance.¡± TO turned to DH, their ears perking up and a smile crossing their face, ¡°Yes! I would love to!¡± they said. DH beamed back, ¡°Good! I¡¯ll get it ready, and I¡¯ll prop the pillows and blankets up again so we¡¯re comfortable. I think you¡¯ll really like this one, it¡¯s about-¡° As DH talked about the show they wanted to watch, TO realized that they had utterly failed in their resolution to ignore DH for the rest of the night. They wondered for a moment if they should now brush their friend off and try to continue with their plan, but they decided against it. TO knew little about flirting¡­ But even to them, that tip seemed exceedingly dumb and mean spirited. ====== TO sat on the floor of the engine room the next day as their computer ran through all the various scans it needed to go through. TO wasn¡¯t paying attention; they didn¡¯t need to. If anything needed to be done, then the computer would tell them. All they had to do was sit and wait for the scans to complete. The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. As they waited, they glanced at Avery¡¯s latest message. TO; You¡¯re an idiot. -Avery. TO had tried to think of ways to explain what was happening, to explain their plan without giving away to anyone who might monitor their communication what was actually happening. If Avery had been there, then TO was certain they could have been clear, and that they could have explained things easily! Avery wasn¡¯t here. TO had to speak in code. Avery; You may be right. I am thinking that this whole research idea was a mistake. -TO. TO sighed and leaned back, letting their head bump harder than necessary against the door to the elevator. DH hadn¡¯t responded yet to any of TO¡¯s flirting, and they didn¡¯t know if it was because they were terrible at it, or if DH was purposefully trying to ignore it so as not to embarrass TO, or if DH was just not picking up on what TO was doing. They didn¡¯t know! They wanted to tear something apart, and scream, and cry all at once. They wished they had never felt like this. If TO never felt this strongly for DH, then they could have continued loving one another as friends and this entire issue would never have come up! Things would have been simpler! They thought about how DH made their skin itch, how their chest swelled when DH smiled at them, or when DH seemed to be very pleased with themself. They thought about how often they just wanted to grab DH, to hold them tight and rub their ears. They reached up and gently touched their healed lips. They thought about how DH had at least given them the cream for their lips. They thought about how it might feel to kiss DH. They imagined kissing DH, their ear between TO¡¯s fingers... TO shivered and dragged their mind away from that train of thought; now was not the time to get distracted. Another message came in on TO¡¯s chip. Normally there was a little time between messages from Avery and the quick response surprised them. Perhaps it was because their messages were so short. TO; Don¡¯t you dare. You promised. Just do it. -Avery. Why did Avery care? Why did anyone care! You have to talk to each other. Avery didn¡¯t understand. GiDi didn¡¯t understand. The only one who might have understood was C12, and TO had no way to speak to them! Nobody understood how scary this was, and how much could go wrong! Nobody understood how horrible it would be if this all went wrong! Frustration and anger overcame TO; they slammed their closed fisted against the floor with an almost feral scream. Their hand caught on something and ripped through the skin. They gasped in pain and clutched at their hand, a high-pitched whimper coming from their mouth. Then it was quiet. The silence in the engine room was overwhelming. They felt like they could still hear their voice echoing around them. It was only a moment later, but another sound interrupted the silence; a sob that TO hadn¡¯t known they were withholding. They put their hands to their mouth as they stifled their cries, letting the tears drip down their cheeks. It wasn¡¯t fair. Nobody understood. They did their best to calm down; this was a dumb thing to be upset about, and they felt like an utter idiot for being so upset. If only Avery hadn¡¯t figured it out, hadn¡¯t pushed for an answer. If only they hadn¡¯t felt like this in the first place! They wondered if they should give up. They wanted to give up, but they had made a promise and it didn¡¯t seem like Avery would let it go. Besides, they really wanted to tell DH. It was just complicated, confusing, and outright terrifying. They took a long, shuddering breath as they calmed themself. No, they had to try again. They still had things to try! TO looked at the next items on their list. They had figured that they could try two in one with the next two tips. Tip #4: send a flirty message. This will be a pleasant surprise in their day, and it¡¯ll keep you in their mind! That was fine, but TO didn¡¯t know what to send at first. They were looking up these tips to figure out how to flirt, so why was there a tip that basically said ¡®be flirty?¡¯ Civilians were such idiots. It didn¡¯t matter though, the next tip had something they could combine with the message tip. Tip #5: try out a pickup line! They¡¯re obvious, but even so they¡¯re fun, and make it very clear what you¡¯re trying to do. If it falls flat, you can just act like you thought it was funny and wanted to share the humor! This might work. Face to face, TO wouldn¡¯t be able to pass off a rejected pick up line as an attempt at humor, but they could over a message! The only problem was that TO didn¡¯t know any pickup lines. The few that they could recall from the various shows that they and DH had watched wouldn¡¯t have worked for them regardless, as they either involved body parts that they didn¡¯t have, or cultural norms that they didn¡¯t follow. They didn¡¯t go out on ¡®dates¡¯ so TO couldn¡¯t ask if DH was hungry, and if so, would they like a date. They also couldn¡¯t just tell DH that their uniform looked good, but it¡¯d look better on the floor; nudity among synths just wasn¡¯t the same as it was for so many civilian cultures and didn¡¯t have the same connotations. TO had to do some research. They looked up pickup lines from Arkane, diving into translations from common, and from the various dialects on the planet. Eventually, they found something. ¡°I want to put my bread loaf in your soup.¡± It didn¡¯t make that much sense, but TO recalled that sharing food was a common thing among couples, so maybe it had something to do with that. Yes, that made sense! TO was certain that that had to be what it meant, and that if they could figure that out, then DH could too! They took a moment to translate it from the Arkanian dialect, then modified it so that it would make more sense for them. Finally, TO sent their message to DH. ¡°I want to combine my food bar with yours.¡± They typed it out on their communicator with shaking hands and dropped the communicator to the floor once they sent the message. They sat on the floor, shaking. What if DH didn¡¯t get it? What if they did get it? What if they got it, but the message offended their friend? What if they laughed? What if they didn¡¯t? What if DH came right up to where TO was, pinned TO to the elevator door and kissed them hard, their lips working to their ears and then to their neck- TO wrapped their arms around themself as they gently bit at their lower lip; they wouldn¡¯t have noticed that were biting their lip were it not for the pain it caused. Well, at least the pain pulled them from their daydream before they got too carried away. They already took one shower today; another one would raise questions. Their communicator buzzed next to them. They reached out, their hand shaking. The message notification was showing on their communicator, but TO didn¡¯t want to read it. There was no point in ignoring the message though; even if they didn¡¯t read it, DH was just down in the living area and TO couldn¡¯t hide up in the engine room forever. They opened the message and read what DH had sent back. ¡°I don¡¯t think that would make them taste any better.¡± TO gave a sigh as they slumped against the elevator door. Had they messed it up? Maybe DH misunderstood what they said? Or did they understand perfectly, but pretended they didn¡¯t? They hated the idiotic flirting list, and they had made no progress at all! They hadn¡¯t even learned anything. Well, they had learned two things, actually. First, they had learned that they hated trying to flirt. Second, they had learned that Civilians were idiots with this stuff. How was TO, a synth that wasn¡¯t even supposed to feel these things, figure all this out if civilians could hardly manage it? They read the message again. ¡°I don¡¯t think that would make them taste any better.¡± If TO¡¯s heart didn¡¯t hurt quiet so much, it would have been funny. ¡°No, probably not.¡± TO sent to DH before they got up to finish their tasks in the engine room. Episode 137: Final Flirt Log Civilians were stupid. Avery was stupid. DH was stupid. TO was thinking these things as they headed back down to the living area, but mostly they were thinking about just how utterly, utterly idiotic they themself were. They had wasted nearly two days on these ¡®flirting¡¯ tricks and had made no progress. The last tip was the stupidest of all of them. Tip #6; ¡°accidentally¡± bump into your crush. Apologize, and say something like ¡°oh, I¡¯m so clumsy when I¡¯m nervous.¡± or if you¡¯re really feeling daring, ¡°I¡¯m so clumsy around cute people!¡± It was stupid. People could get hurt. Did civilians go around running into one another all the time as part of some asinine mating ritual? Did they really do all these stupid, inane things to find a partner? The species that followed these tips, how did they survive? It was so esoteric and underhanded that it made so little sense how they could find a mate at all! And how was it that TO was still going to try this idiotic trick? TO remembered all the romantic shows they had watched with DH. Several of them had this thing where the main character runs into what will become their love interest. Often, they make a mess and that starts a conversation which of course would ultimately lead to their romantic involvement with one another. Alright; TO could see how civilians might see that and think they could use such a trick. They felt the elevator slow as it approached the living area. They had to make a choice; were they really going to do this? Were they going to ¡®accidentally¡¯ run into DH in hopes of performing a successful flirt? What were the other options? ¡®Just tell them.¡¯ ¡®You need to talk to them.¡¯ TO could either do this, talk to them, or give up. At any rate, this would be TO¡¯s last attempt at flirting. This was the last usable tip, and even if they did more research, they just couldn¡¯t do it anymore. Even though all the tips were idiotic, TO¡¯s heart still felt so heavy when they didn¡¯t get the reaction they hoped for from DH. Their stomach felt like it was tying itself into knots and they wanted to hide away. They wanted DH to realize what they were doing! They wanted DH to figure it out and do something! Of course¡­ that ¡®something¡¯ could very well be sitting TO down and telling them they had to stop this foolishness. The door opened. TO took a step out and could see DH coming back from the washroom. They had a split second to decide on what they were doing, and they went for it. They moved quickly, slipping around the corner as though they themself were rushing to the washroom. They crashed into DH. They didn''t fall over, TO had been careful enough not to run into DH that hard, but DH had been carrying a container of something in their hands. They had knocked the container out of DH hands, spilling some kind of greyish water all over TO. Confused, they backed up and looked at the mess on the floor and the gunk in their uniform. Then the smell hit. It wasn¡¯t as bad as the time TO had gotten doused in sewage back in the training facility, but it wasn¡¯t too far off. They gagged and held their hand to their snout. ¡°What is this!¡± TO cried, already pulling their top off. They had to get their uniform off; it stank so bad! ¡°I¡¯m so sorry!¡± DH said as they helped untie the edges of the shirt, ¡°The computer gave me an alert saying the laundry pipes needed to be drained, and since you do everything on all the other floors, I thought I¡¯d take care of it! I¡¯m so sorry-¡± ¡°It¡¯s not your fault.¡± TO muttered as they removed their dripping shirt, ¡°I bumped into you.¡± ¡°Go shower.¡± DH said quickly, ¡°I¡¯ll deal with your clothes. Just go shower. It smells awful.¡± With a sigh, TO stripped off the rest of their uniform and headed to the shower. They were very glad to have an excuse to be alone for a little on the heels of their final failed flirting attempt. ====== Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings. At the very least, the water from the laundry system didn¡¯t cling to TO¡¯s skin like the sewage had so long ago. With the foaming soap provided from a dispenser in the shower, and with the detachable shower head, TO could feel clean again in very little time. DH had come in briefly, standing on the other side of the frosted door as they piled clothes into the washer, then left without saying a word. TO wasn¡¯t sure if they were angry or not. They probably were; TO had created a mess because they were being stupid, and now DH had to clean it up. They¡¯d apologize when they got out of the shower. Though the shower was far smaller than they liked, they were grateful for the privacy, grateful for the ability to be sad for a few minutes without worrying DH, or making them ask what was wrong. Really, TO knew that they were ¡®what was wrong¡¯. Because of these feelings they were having TO knew that they were ruining everything. This should have been the best time of their life; being away from the center with DH at their side. Wasn¡¯t this what they had always wanted? They should be happy.! TO wasn¡¯t happy. They were being an idiot and aching for DH far too much for that. It had to stop. These feelings were causing all kinds of problems, and TO didn¡¯t want to have them anymore. They wanted everything to be simple! They wanted to just push their feelings down until they went away and TO didn¡¯t have to worry about them anymore. ¡®That won¡¯t work. You¡¯ve tried that, and it didn¡¯t work.¡¯ With a groan, TO rested their head on the wall as the water poured over them. They had tried. Well before they even told Avery they had tried to ignore their feelings, and it hadn¡¯t worked. They¡¯d have to tell DH. They¡¯d have to tell them today. Maybe they¡¯d tell them when they got out of the shower? Could they wait until later that night? Tomorrow morning? TO¡¯s stomach clenched and writhed just thinking about it. First, they had to make sure DH wasn¡¯t angry. Then they¡¯d help clean up after they showered. Then- The ship suddenly lunged. TO was still leaning against the wall, so they didn¡¯t fall over. Still, their unsteady footing on the wet floor caused them to stumble. They pressed their hands against the opposite sides of the wall to make sure that they didn¡¯t fall over. Had DH changed course? Did something happen? There was a sound; an alarm¨Chigh pitched and grating. TO¡¯s ears suddenly flicked down protectively, as though trying to block out the sound. They turned off the water and dashed out into the main living area. DH was at the console, leaning over and alternating between typing furiously and fiddling with some wires that were sticking out of a panel just over the main console. Their ears were pinned to the side of their head as well, their eyes wide and panicked. ¡°What happened?¡± TO shouted over the noise. ¡°I don¡¯t know! I had to calibrate this thing over here-¡± They pointed to a machine in the wall. ¡°And I must have done something wrong. I have to calibrate this, but-¡± They yelped as a tube came loose and some kind of gas started spraying out. TO rushed forward, pushed DH aside, and reached up to hold the tube back in place. ¡°I¡¯ll hold this.¡± TO said, ¡°Fix the calibration, then we can make sure this is secure. Just stop that alarm!¡± ¡°Y-you¡¯re dripping wet!¡± DH protested, ¡°And you¡¯re naked, and-¡± ¡°Does that really matter?¡± ¡°Arkane has nudity taboo-¡± ¡°If they can see me from here, I commend their eyesight. Stop the alarm before I go deaf! DH was silent for a moment, then reached up and clasped in the tube into place, fitting a thin rubber band back in place. ¡°I¡¯ll read off the numbers here.¡± DH said as they sat down in the chair. ¡°You turn those valves until the numbers match what I¡¯m saying.¡± With the two of them working, it didn¡¯t take long. After only a few minutes, they set the numbers to what DH said they should be, and the alarm turned off. DH then found their repair kit, and they quickly fixed the tube from where the gas had come pouring out earlier. ¡°Was that poisonous?¡± TO asked as they tapped the tube. ¡°Yes, but not to a point where you have to worry about it.¡± DH said, ¡°We only inhaled a little. We might have a cough, but that¡¯s about it.¡± They packed up the kit and brought it to the closet across from the washroom. TO heard the ship¡¯s engine rattle as it prepared to take off again. Well, at least that was over. ¡°I might need another shower.¡± TO said, ¡°I just got cleaned, and I got that gas all over me.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think you¡¯ll have a problem, but there¡¯s no harm in it.¡± DH said, ¡°It gas was just-¡± TO didn¡¯t hear what the gas was ¡®just¡¯. The ship lunged forward again, and TO was once more thrown off their feet. They cursed themself inwardly for having forgotten about that. DH caught them before they landed on the ground, but because of the sudden movement of the ship they both fell down. TO tried to push DH out of the way, but they ended up twisted up before they fell on the ground. TO¡¯s head smacked against the floor, drawing a yelp of pain from them. ¡°Are you ok?¡± DH asked. TO had their eyes closed as though they were trying to block out the pain. After a moment, it seemed more like they had just been shocked rather than really hurt. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± TO muttered as they rubbed the back of their head. Their arm hurt, and they felt like they¡¯d have an enormous bruise on their rear by this time tomorrow. ¡°I¡¯m fine. I should have held onto something.¡± They opened their eyes, ¡°It¡¯s my-¡± They trailed off. DH was hovering over TO on their hands and knees. Clearly they had either fallen just over TO and caught themself before they fell on top of TO, or they had moved over TO in order to check to see if they were ok. Either way, they were hovering over TO, their hands just over TO¡¯s wings on the floor, one knee between TO¡¯s legs, the other just by their outer thigh. There was that moment again - just like that time so long ago in the changing room. The moment where they locked eyes, and it felt like time slowed down. The only difference was this time, TO could feel their heart swelling, and worried that their ears would flush and start doing that odd shivery thing again. Panicked, they broke eye contact with DH and looked away. They didn¡¯t care what they looked at, they just had to look at anything, the wall, the ceiling, DH¡¯s ears¡­ DH¡¯s ears. They were flushed deeply blue. They were twitching, almost shivering. It was a gesture that TO had only seen once before, but which they had felt many times since. DH¡¯s ears were moving in the same way their own ears twitched when they daydreamed about DH too long. It was the same way their ears twitched when they woke up and DH was breathing on their ears. It was the way they had seen C12 and Snout''s ears shiver that day so long ago, when TO had seen the two of them kiss. Though they had never seen it on DH¡¯s ears before, they recognized the gesture immediately; the clear sign of want. Need. Desire. Lust. Episode 138: Ears There was no mistaking the way DH¡¯s ears twitched and shivered. Even as TO told themself that they were wrong, there was no way they could read anything different from the way DH¡¯s ears moved, and the deep, vibrant flush that covered them. Their ears screamed with want. And desire; All the things that TO had been feeling and suppressing, all things that DH was apparently feeling right now. DH suddenly jumped up as though burned and pressed themself against the wall as far away from TO as they could get in the cramped space. Their ears stopped twitching and now simply bent down at the side of DH¡¯s head, still vivid blue with humiliation. ¡°I¡¯m sorry!¡± they said suddenly. They pulled themself up and hurried to the washroom, sidestepping TO¡¯s still prone form as they went in, they kept muttering, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m sorry!¡± as the door closed and silence filled their small living area. TO hadn¡¯t moved. They were still laying on the ground, more confused than anything. The events that had just passed, what they had just seen, organized itself in their mind. Want, desire, and maybe even lust; TO had definitely read that in DH¡¯s ears. Had DH been feeling that for TO? Was it possible? After a moment of wondering about it, TO realized that this had happened as DH had been hovering over TO¡¯s prone, naked, and wet body. With a sudden flush, they realized that they themself had to be a complete moron if they had to question that. TO sat up and scurried over to the door to the washroom. They wanted to open it right up, but they didn¡¯t, not right away. They knocked. ¡°DH?¡± DH¡¯s voice came to them through the closed door, pitched and panicked, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m so-¡± ¡°DH stop.¡± TO said, trying to keep their own voice firm. They thought of all the ways they had thought about DH, and of all the times that their own ears had moved like that when DH was running through their head. Had DH been thinking those things about TO? It was likely. Probable even. TO¡¯s heart felt like it was going to burst out of their chest, They felt dizzy, and there was an odd surreal feeling to everything. They wondered if maybe the fumes they had inhaled had affected their mind. They wondered if they had hit their head too hard when they fell over, and maybe now all this was just happening in their mind. The heat in their ears felt real. The swelling in their chest, the pressure that was suddenly creeping into their body ¡°... I¡¯m sorry.¡± DH said again, their voice softer this time. ¡°You have nothing to be sorry for!¡± TO said. There was no answer. ¡°Alright.. I¡¯m coming in.¡± ¡°Dont¡¯!¡± ¡°Then you come out!¡± TO insisted, ¡°You promised! We both promised not to run away anymore-¡± ¡°I- I¡¯m not running!¡± DH said. Their voice was strained, and there was a slight crack to it. ¡°I¡¯m not... I¡­ I just need a minute. Let me... Just give me a minute.¡± ¡°And then you¡¯ll come out?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll come out, and you can say whatever you want to say to me then.¡± ¡°You¡¯ll come out and -¡± They recalled Avery¡¯s constant recommendation that they just talk to DH. They recalled GiDi telling them they needed to talk. ¡°-and we¡¯ll talk. Ok?¡± ¡°... Alright.¡± TO took a deep breath and turned to the closet. They were still wet, so they grabbed a towel and started drying off. As their mind sorted out everything that had just happened, they had an idea. ¡°When you come out, come up to the weapons bay.¡± TO said, ¡°You have ten minutes, or I¡¯m going to worry that you¡¯re avoiding me. Alright?¡± There was no response. TO waited a moment before they knocked on the door, ¡°DH? Ten minutes. You¡¯ll be up there?¡± After just another moment of silence, TO heard DH say softly from the other side of the door, ¡°Ok.¡± ¡°Promise?¡± ¡°... I Promise.¡± ¡°Good.¡± TO said. They dried themself off quickly, then headed to the elevator. They¡¯d go to the weapons bay, but first they had to go to the engine room. ====== TO was sitting on the floor of the weapons bay atop the towel they brought, their wings wrapped around them as they watched the stars and planets in the distance through the windows of the weapons bay. TO was certain that ten minutes had passed, and they were about to get up and go get DH when the elevator door opened. DH entered, looked around, and when they saw TO their ears flushed and they instantly looked away. Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings. TO gave as comforting of a smile as they could. They were certain that their own ears were twitching with anxiety, but still they knew that this was worse for DH. They could only imagine how they¡¯d feel if they had been in DH¡¯s position. Even thinking about it made panic run up their spine and made their ears flush. Still, they couldn¡¯t help feel this was their fault. They hadn¡¯t told DH how they felt, and now because of everything, DH looked like they wanted to disappear from existence. Even though they were nervous and worried about this, they knew that if they had just told DH how they felt beforehand, if they had taken GiDi and Avery¡¯s advice, then this wouldn¡¯t have happened. Then DH wouldn¡¯t look so humiliated and anxious. ¡°... Sit with me?¡± TO said, their voice quiet as they patted the floor next to them. DH glanced over quickly, their wings tightening around them. Finally, then they sat down next to TO. TO still didn¡¯t know what to say. There was a lot to say, and they didn¡¯t know how to say any of it. ¡°It¡¯s nice up here.¡± they finally said, ¡°When the lights are down, anyway. It reminds me of the observation deck. I only wish we had a couch here too.¡± They looked to DH and desperately wanted to reach out and take their hand or wrap a wing around them. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t that be nice?¡± DH gave a brief hum, but didn¡¯t respond right away. TO tried to think of what they could say to make this better. Well, they knew what to say¡­ they just had to say it. ¡°So¡­ You didn¡¯t get hurt, did you? When you fell down?¡± DH finally asked. TO shook their head, ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± they said, ¡°I¡­ well, my head is fine. My rear might hurt for a day or so.¡± ¡°Good¡­¡± DH said, then they quickly added, ¡°I mean, not good that your rear might hurt! I don¡¯t want your rear to hurt. I mean... I¡¯m just glad that you¡¯re not seriously hurt.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± TO muttered. They had to talk about what had just happened. TO didn¡¯t want to embarrass DH more than they were, but they had to talk about it!? ¡°Are you ok?¡± ¡°I-... Yeah, I¡¯m fine.¡± DH muttered, their ears twitching with each syllable. ¡°You¡¯re lying.¡± TO said. ¡°DH...¡± ¡°I¡¯m uninjured, I mean.¡± DH said. They pulled their knees to their chest, their wings tightening around them, ¡°Look¡­ Look, I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°DH-¡± ¡°No. Look. I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t mean to.¡± they shook their head, and put their face in their hands, ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to¡­ to do that. To react like that, I Couldn¡¯t help it...¡± ¡°I know. We can¡¯t really control our ears. DH, listen-¡± ¡°I know I can¡¯t. I should be able to control¡­ other things, though! And I¡¯m sorry that I can¡¯t, and I¡¯m sorry that¡­ that you saw me like that. I¡¯m just really, really sorry. I didn¡¯t want you to see me like that, I didn¡¯t want to be like that, and-¡± ¡°Stop!¡± TO reached out and put a hand on DH¡¯s shoulder. They flinched, but didn¡¯t pull away. ¡°DH¡­ it¡¯s fine. Really, it¡¯s ok.¡± ¡°... It¡¯s not.¡± they muttered, still holding their hands to their face. ¡°You don¡¯t even know what... If you knew, You¡¯d hate me.¡± ¡°How many times have we said this to one another?¡± TO said as they shuffled closer to DH, ¡°I could never hate you.¡± They felt a twinge of guilt as they recalled all the doubts that they had before, how even though they knew DH wouldn¡¯t hate them, how worried they were that DH might be uncomfortable around them. It seemed like such a stupid worry now. They should have just told them. They should have told DH the moment they got on the ship. ¡°I just....¡± They shook their head. ¡°I¡¯m just sorry.¡± ¡°Stop apologizing.¡± TO said, though their voice was as gentle as they could make it, ¡°It¡¯s ok. I don¡¯t hate you!¡± They flushed as they recalled their own worries, ¡°I¡¯m not angry. I¡¯m not uncomfortable. It¡¯s fine.¡± DH slowly lowered their hands, now covering only half their face as they spoke, ¡°I know¡­ Look, I know you don¡¯t.. Want.. any of that.¡± They stopped and groaned. ¡°Look, I.. I¡¯ll give you space. I¡¯ll move the beds back apart. Maybe you wouldn¡¯t hate me, but I just don¡¯t want to upset you, and I can¡¯t help this! I¡¯ve tried. So I¡¯ll give you space-¡± ¡°NO!¡± TO said as they turned towards DH, ¡°NO, I don¡¯t want space!¡± ¡°What do you want!¡± Their hands came down, and they looked at TO, horrified, confused, and anxious. ¡°What do you want? I can¡¯t help this, and I don¡¯t want to make you uncomfortable!¡± TO pulled DH into an embrace, their wings wrapping around them. They brought their mouth close to DH¡¯s ears, but they were very careful not to touch them. They didn¡¯t know if DH wanted them to touch their ears, or if they did, TO didn¡¯t know if they wanted it right now. Their words threatened to catch in their throat as they spoke. If they had told DH earlier, this wouldn¡¯t have happened. DH wouldn¡¯t be so upset right now. ¡°... I want you to look at me like that again.¡± TO whispered. They thought their ears were going to burn off the side of the head. A part of them wasn¡¯t even sure that they had said it! It felt like some other entity had said it and had just used TO¡¯s mouth. DH shook their head and hid their face in TO¡¯s chest, ¡°You don¡¯t understand.¡± they muttered. ¡°I.. I¡¯m sorry. When I looked at you like that¡­ I mean, it was¡­ I wanted to.¡± their ears burned and twitched as they held onto TO. ¡°... You wanted to... kiss me?¡± TO asked. DH¡¯s grip tightened on TO as though they might suddenly slip away from them. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± DH whispered. TO swallowed several times and took a deep breath before they continued, ¡°Because¡­ If you did¡­ If you wanted to kiss me, I think I¡¯d be ok with that.¡± Why did it suddenly seem so silent in the weapons room? Why did DH seem to go so suddenly still? They lifted their face from TO¡¯s chest and looked at them in total confusion. ¡°What?¡± ¡°I mean... If that¡¯s what you wanted.¡± TO said quickly, suddenly terrified that they had, somehow, misunderstood. ¡°I¡¯d be ok with that. I mean, I-¡± They stopped. According to Avery, they had to be blunt and straightforward. They pulled back and held DH before them so that they could clearly see DH¡¯s ears. ¡°Do¡­ do you want to kiss me?¡± they asked. ¡°... Yes.¡± DH said, their blue ears twitching. ¡°I¡¯d like that.¡± DH stared at TO in amazement as the surrounding silence grew ever more suffocating. ¡°Well... well say something.¡± TO said as they looked away, ¡°Or¡­ Or do it. If you still want to.¡± ¡°You¡­ You know that¡¯s¡­ I mean, that¡¯s really a romantic thing-¡± ¡°I¡¯m well aware.¡± TO said as their ears flattened out. They reached under the towel and took out the little gem that they had hidden up in the engine room. ¡°I.. I had been wanting to give you this for a while. Normally these things-¡± DH let their eyes linger on the heart-shaped purple gem. ¡°It¡­ Wait, you told me about that festival a few days ago.¡± TO felt their ears flush, ¡°Well¡­ Well, I wanted to give this to you, and I don¡¯t know if you¡¯d get what it meant, so I had to¡­ You know., I had to make sure you knew, but then you said that heart-shaped things as a sign of romantic interest was stupid so I wasn¡¯t sure-¡± ¡°Well, it is!¡± DH protested, ¡°I mean¡­ the heart shape is! Giving gifts as a sign of romantic intention isn¡¯t but the fact that it¡¯s a heart¡­ Wait¡­ You were going to give this to me¡­ because-¡± TO remembered their plan. They remembered how they could make this exceedingly clear in so few words. They took DH¡¯s hand and pressed the gem into their palm. ¡°I¡­¡± Their ears burned. They felt sick. Was this going too far? They didn¡¯t care. ¡°I want to be your mate.¡± TO said, ¡°I¡­ I have for a while.¡± DH closed their fingers around the gem. They gazed at TO, their eyes wide as their ears flicked back in confusion. ¡°And I mean, if you don¡¯t, that¡¯s fine.¡± TO said quickly, ¡°I¡¯m sure-¡± Before TO could say anything more, DH brought their snout to the side of TO¡¯s face. They pressed their cheek against TOs for just a moment before they shifted slightly. Their lips pressed together in a chaste, quick peck. It was quick, but that moment of contact, and what it actually meant to TO, sent shivers down their spine. ¡°Does that mean that you¡­ You¡¯re ok with that?¡± TO asked. ¡°That you¡¯d¡­ That you¡¯d want to be my mate?¡± In response, DH put a hand on TO¡¯s shoulder, another around the small of their back just under their wings, and they kissed them again. It lasted longer this time, and when DH pulled their lips from TO¡¯s they rested their head against the side of TO¡¯s neck. ¡°Yes.¡± they whispered, ¡°More than anything.¡± Episode 139: Idiots TO and DH lay together against the pillar in the center of the weapons bay, watching the stars twinkling outside. It was so calming, and for the first time in so long TO wasn¡¯t worried about anything. They were leaning against DH, their own wings wrapped around them as DH rested against their shoulder. Oddly, their lips still tingled a little from the last kiss and at first they wondered if they should leave to avoid the telltale twitching of their ears, but then they realized it didn¡¯t matter. DH knew. DH knew how they felt. TO wasn¡¯t entirely sure if DH understood exactly how they felt sometimes, but they didn¡¯t have to hide the movements of their ears anymore. They didn¡¯t have to hide how they felt. ¡°... Why did you ask me to come up here?¡± DH asked, breaking the comfortable silence between them. ¡°Why not down in the living areas?¡± ¡°Oh.¡± TO said, their ears flushing as they recalled how carefully they had planned everything. ¡°Well¡­ I was planning to tell you earlier. I was planning to tell you the day we boarded the ship but...¡± Their fears about everything that could go wrong, and of the chance of driving DH away, filtered back to them. All those fears now seemed so unrealistic. ¡°Well, clearly I didn¡¯t.¡± Their ears flushed as they spoke, ¡°But¡­ but I had a plan! I was going to bring you here and get you to see¡­ well.¡± They gestured to the glowing nebula in the distance. ¡°This. Because¡­¡± Their ears burned, ¡°It¡­ it was dumb, I am -¡± ¡°TO.¡± DH said, their voice losing the calm tone it had held only moments before, ¡°You¡¯re not dumb, so please just tell me.¡± They huffed and looked away, ¡°I feel like¡­ if I had pushed you earlier¡­ you¡¯ve been acting so strange since we boarded this ship, specifically in the last few days! I said nothing because I¡­ well, I thought maybe -¡± They shook their head, ¡°This isn¡¯t about me! What did you think was stupid?¡± TO gave DH a hard look, one which took DH aback, and which made their ears sink down. ¡°If I tell you why, will you continue what you were saying? What you thought?¡± They asked. If DH was going to get them to talk, then TO could very well do the same!. ¡°Fine.¡± DH muttered, ¡°But you were talking first.¡± TO gave a sigh, ¡°Well¡­ well, I wanted to tell you, and I remembered that in the shows that we watch, these things always happen in beautiful places! There¡¯s always a waterfall, or fireworks, or starry skies! So, I thought first I¡¯d wait until we couldn¡¯t see the training center anymore, then I¡¯d tell you. But then, I found this gem, so I thought that I¡¯d give you that little gem.¡± They shook their head, ¡°But.. well, I put it off. Nothing went the way I wanted it to.¡± They glanced about at the weapons room, ¡°But I wanted at least one thing to go according to plan.¡± They shook their head again, their ears burning from the embarrassment of their own stupidity, ¡°It¡¯s dumb. I know.¡± they sighed and looked back to DH, ¡°Sorry, I-¡± their words died in their mouth as they saw how DH was looking at them. Their eyes were wide, their ears down and flushed. They seemed happy, but also like they might cry. ¡°You.. you were trying to set up something like in the shows?¡± They said, their voice just more than a whisper, ¡°You thought of doing that for me? And you¡­ Well, you found this for me.¡± They unclasped their hand and looked at the gem that TO had given them. ¡°You wanted to make it special for me.¡± ¡°Of course I did!¡± TO said, feeling their ears dip right down. Somehow, DH¡¯s sudden admiration of them made TO feel embarrassed, and they didn¡¯t know why. Still, it also gave their chest that swelling, fuzzy feeling. ¡°I wanted you to be happy! I thought you¡¯d like it.¡± DH stared at them with those wide eyes for a few minutes before TO looked away, blushing furiously, ¡°It¡¯s not that special!¡± they insisted, ¡°What about you! What was it you thought was stupid?¡± Finally, DH looked away, ¡°Oh.. that.¡± They cleared their throat, ¡°Well¡­ I thought that maybe you had picked up on how I might feel..¡± They looked away, their ears flushed deeply blue, ¡°I thought you were just being nice and ignoring it. Once you started acting really weird around me, I thought you were being odd because of that.¡± How often had TO thought the same thing? How often had TO worried that DH was being odd around them because they noticed how they had been acting? They sighed and pulled DH close to them. ¡°GiDi was right.¡± They muttered softly into the top of DH¡¯s head. ¡°What were they right about?¡± They wouldn¡¯t forget the day they tried to get Avery and GiDi to have some alone time together in the Observation Bay. GiDi¡¯s words after they realized TO¡¯s actual intention echoed in their ears even now. ¡°They were right about us being idiots.¡± The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. ====== When TO woke up the next morning, they woke up alone. They pushed themself up to a sitting position as they remembered the day before, their failed flirting, DH¡¯s ears, and everything in the weapons room. Had it really happened? After all this, had it really happened? All that worry, the hiding, the fear, it was all over¡­ and DH really felt the same! It seemed almost unreal! At any rate, where was DH? TO figured at first maybe they were in the shower, but they didn¡¯t hear the now familiar sound of pouring water. They strained their ears, then heard typing. TO got up and saw their freshly cleaned uniform folded and sitting neatly atop the crates for them. They smiled, dressed, then exited from behind the blanket. DH was sitting at their work desk, typing furiously. They glanced up at TO, smiled, then as their ears suddenly flushed and drooped down they looked back to their work. ¡°Good morning.¡± DH said, their words slow and deliberate. ¡°Good morning.¡± The response was slowly becoming automatic; it was so odd to have different greetings for different times of day. TO passed the table and the food dispenser and went up to their own work desk. They pulled the chair out a little and sat down, looking at DH. ¡°You should eat.¡± DH said without looking up at TO. ¡°... Are you upset?¡± TO asked. ¡°Yesterday¡­ well, I thought you were happy about it.¡± ¡°I am! I am happy!¡± DH said. They stopped typing and glanced at TO, ¡°I just¡­ A lot happened yesterday, right?¡± ¡°It did¡­ But.. It was good?¡± ¡°It was! I.. Well, I just didn¡¯t think it would happen. I had given up a while ago-¡± ¡°Wait¡­ given up?¡± TO frowned, ¡°What do you mean you gave up?¡± DH suddenly looked like they had wandered into a trap. They stammered a little, then turned back to their computer, ¡°I gave up.¡± They said, ¡°I... well, I¡¯ve felt this way for you for a long time. And I figured you either knew and were ignoring it, or you just didn¡¯t know, and if you didn¡¯t know then that meant you weren¡¯t interested.¡± Their ears dipped back, ¡°That¡¯s¡­ that¡¯s stupid isn¡¯t it.¡± ¡°Wait¡­ when was this? How did you think I¡¯d pick up on it?¡± ¡°Well¡­ I mean, GiDi knew. I figured if GiDi picked up on it then you would have! Then after a while you didn¡¯t, and I didn¡¯t want to make you uncomfortable... So I gave up, and now.¡± DH suddenly realized that they had been rambling, and looked away, ¡°Well.. Now it¡¯s all changed. It¡¯s a lot.¡± ¡°Do you dislike it?¡± TO asked. Panic filled their stomach as they worried that DH would say yes, that they disliked it, and that they wanted to go back to the way it was. ¡°No! No, I don¡¯t dislike it.¡± TO gave a deep breath, ¡°I¡¯m glad.¡± They said with a smile. Still, DH looked so worried, and their ears were still down and flushed. They figured DH still worried about something. Still¡­ they looked entirely endearing to TO. They leaned forward, hoping to kiss DH just on the cheek this time; something simple. That should be fine, even if DH seemed so flustered, right? The sudden movement from TO caught DH¡¯s eye. They turned to look and bumped their head against TO¡¯s. It startled TO more than it hurt, but they yelped all the same as they put a hand to their forehead. ¡°Sorry!¡± DH said as they reached, took TO¡¯s head in their hands, and looked over where they had hit their friend, ¡°I just didn¡¯t expect that.¡± ¡°I probably should have given you warning.¡± TO muttered as their ears burned, ¡°I.. well, I¡¯ve never done this before, right?¡± they gave a nervous laugh, expecting DH to follow along, laughing at the joke. They didn¡¯t. It occurred to TO that DH had been a little less hesitant than they had been, and that their first kiss had gone smoother than even TO had expected; they had expected at least a moment of shifting and trying to figure out how to turn their head. That hadn¡¯t happened. ¡°... Have you?¡± TO asked, their ears quirking up in curiosity. DH froze and turned back to the console ¡°Well, you seem like you¡¯ll be fine.¡± They muttered. ¡°DH.. have you kissed anyone before?¡± ¡°Well, it meant nothing.¡± DH muttered as they tried to focus on their work. ¡°I¡¯m honestly just curious!¡± They said, ¡°And¡­ and you could have told me! Why didn¡¯t you tell me?¡± ¡°Would it matter? Does it matter?¡± ¡°No, but this means you AND GiDi had kissed another synth, and neither if you told me! I had to press you both!¡± They huffed, ¡°GiDi wouldn¡¯t even tell me who they kissed.¡± It occurred to TO that they had broken their promise to GiDi. It seemed almost like it didn¡¯t matter as they¡¯d probably never see GiDi again, but they still felt bad. They sighed and put a hand to their forehead, ¡°GiDi even asked me not to tell you they kissed someone!¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure it¡¯s fine.¡± DH muttered as they focused on the screen before them. ¡°But you! Who did you kiss?¡± ¡°It¡­ it really doesn¡¯t matter. It meant nothing.¡± ¡°That¡¯s fine, but I¡¯m just¡­ who was it?¡± There were limited synths that TO could think of DH having kissed... Unless it was from before they were friends? ¡°Maybe... Maybe Q10 before you two had that fight?¡± ¡°NO!¡± DH said, their ears flicking right down, ¡°No! It wasn¡¯t Q10.¡± TO frowned, biting their lip as they tried to think of who it was, ¡°I¡¯d almost guess Avery? But that¡¯s who I thought GiDi kissed, and they said no. Besides that, Avery doesn¡¯t feel romantically inclined to anyone¡­¡± They glanced at DH, ¡°But of course, that would make sense, right? If it meant nothing.¡± They doubted it; they had a feeling that if DH had kissed Avery, then Avery would have mentioned something. Besides, Avery and DH had spent very little time alone as far as TO knew. ¡°Maybe 59F45¡± DH had spent a little time with them when they were flying. ¡°Though, they wanted to desperately to join the Vanguard, so I doubt that-¡± ¡°It wasn¡¯t them!¡± DH insisted. They sighed and looked away, ¡®Look, if I tell you who, do you promise never to bring it up again?¡± TO wasn¡¯t sure why they didn¡¯t want it brought up again, but they wanted to know. ¡°Of course!¡± they said. ¡°Fine.¡± DH turned back and took a deep breath, ¡°I¡¯ll tell you, but don¡¯t laugh, and don¡¯t bring it up again!¡± ¡°I promise.¡± Episode 140: Practice DH shifted in their seat, ¡°And you¡¯re sure that you¡¯re not upset that I kissed someone before you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not upset that you kissed anyone! No. I mean¡­ You want to be my mate, right?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± DH said, but the word came out of their mouth so quickly. ¡°I mean¡­ I mean, yes, I do!¡± ¡°I¡¯m just honestly curious¡­ and-¡± TO frowned; felt a little upset, but not because DH had kissed someone. ¡°I just don¡¯t know why you hid it from me.¡± ¡°I just wanted to never speak of it again!¡± DH said, their wings puffing out slightly, ¡°That¡¯s all.¡± They sighed, ¡°But¡­ If you have to know-¡± ¡°I¡¯d like to.¡± ¡°... It was GiDi.¡± DH could have said that they had kissed the Commander, and TO would have been less surprised. ¡°GiDi?¡± ¡°You¡¯re never to bring it up again! You promised!¡± TO pressed their lips together as they practically glared at DH. DH was right, of course, but looking back TO felt like DH had tricked them. Still, they had promised; they¡¯d never bring it up again. DH watched TO for a few seconds, then sighed and looked away, ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll tell you what happened.¡± they grumbled, ¡°Just stop pouting at me.¡± ¡°I do not pout!¡± TO protested, though even they had to admit that maybe the way their lips pressed together might have been mistaken for a pout. ¡°You do.¡± DH said in a deadpan voice, their ears parallel to the ground. Regardless, they were still lightly flushed, ¡°It¡¯s stupid though, so you can¡¯t laugh.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t!¡± DH sighed again, ¡°Do you remember that day when you got called to your Overseer¡¯s office?¡± ¡°I do.¡± TO said. They had been so afraid that they were going to be corrected for pulling their claws on 55H75 -Hur-13. Of course, if they had actually hurt the other synth, the Overseer would have corrected TO. ¡°Right. Well. Do you remember how you came and found me in the showers later?¡± ¡°I do.¡± TO said again, ¡°GiDi told me you were mad. I went to talk to you-¡± ¡°And¡­¡± They glanced away from TO, ¡°You were really upset. You looked like you were about to cry and I¡­¡± their wings tightened around them, ¡°And I just wanted to make you feel better. I wanted to hold you... Then I thought-¡± their ears flushed, ¡°I thought I wanted to kiss you then.¡± ¡°THEN?¡± TO couldn¡¯t help how loud they suddenly got. That had been so long ago! That had been well before TO themself had really felt any kind of romantic feelings for DH. ¡°I said I felt stuff a while ago!¡± DH said, their wings puffing up as their ears dropped, ¡°I said that!¡± ¡°You did! You did, I just¡­ I¡¯m sorry go on.¡± TO leaned forward, resting their elbows on their knees as they made a show of paying attention. DH scoffed and looked away. ¡°Anyway.¡± DH muttered, ¡°Yes, I wanted to kiss you then. It just came out of nowhere, and it bothered me.¡± TO remembered the first time they had wanted DH to stroke their ears, and how thrown they had been by that desire. TO felt like they understood that, but they said nothing, they just nodded and listened. ¡°And you didn¡¯t notice a thing!¡± DH said, ¡°You didn¡¯t! GiDi¡¯s the one who noticed something was different. They got you away, and then they pulled me aside and asked me outright what was wrong¡­ They can be a bit more blunt than you or me.¡± The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement. ¡°They can be.¡± TO agreed, ¡°I think they might have been the smart one.¡± TO didn¡¯t know if the sound that escaped DH¡¯s mouth then was a stifled laugh or a chuckle. ¡°Anyway... They pushed me until I told them, but then I said that I thought maybe I was just obsessed with the whole idea. I mean-¡± they shook their head, ¡°I watched so much romance in my spare time! I see so much of it, I thought that maybe the idea of kissing had gotten into my head and I was just distracted by it because it¡¯s not something that synths do!¡± They gave TO a desperate look, ¡°Does that make any sense?¡± ¡°Perfect sense.¡± TO muttered as they tried to ignore the burning in their ears, ¡°It makes perfect sense.¡± ¡°Well¡­ Then GiDi kissed me.¡± ¡°Just like that?¡± ¡°Just like that.¡± DH muttered. ¡°Well. no, not just like that. First, they smacked their snout into mine, and then I asked what they were doing, and they said that if I was just obsessed with the idea, then clearly kissing another synth would fix the issue. The second time we tried we kept moving our heads in the wrong direction and our snouts got in the way.¡± they rubbed their arms under their wings, ¡°And then we got it right¡­ and nothing.¡± ¡°Nothing?¡± ¡°Nothing. I mean, it was a kiss. But¡­ it didn¡¯t feel like anything, you know? I figured I was just obsessed with the idea of kissing, and that it was all over now, and that I wouldn¡¯t have to worry about that anymore. Kissing GiDi had been weird, and I was.. Well, I didn¡¯t want anyone to find out about that, so I made them swear not to tell anyone-¡± ¡°Not even me.¡± ¡°Especially not you!¡± DH said, ¡°I had wanted to kiss YOU, I didn¡¯t want to make you uncomfortable!¡± They huffed. ¡°Though maybe I should have told you. GiDi said I should have. They thought I should just try to kiss you.¡± ¡°Even though it was weird with GiDi.¡± ¡°It was very weird with GiDi. I didn¡¯t like it. I thought I was over the whole thing then, but clearly I wasn¡¯t.¡± A thought crept into TO¡¯s head, one that made their stomach churn. ¡°And¡­ and with me?¡± They asked, feeling their ears flick down, their wings tighten around them, ¡°Was it weird with me?¡± ¡°NO!¡± DH turned around to face TO, ¡°It wasn¡¯t weird with you it was-¡± Their ears suddenly flushed; it seemed like they had just been composing themself, but suddenly the color came back to their ears. ¡°It was¡­ Different with you. I mean-¡± They gently chewed their lower lip as they thought, ¡°It¡¯s hard to explain. It was¡­ It felt right, if that makes sense.¡± ¡°And¡­ it was ok? You enjoyed it.¡± ¡°You clearly did too if you were coming over to try it again. Like always though-¡± They gave a teasing grin ¡°-Your aim was off.¡± ¡°Clearly I haven¡¯t had enough practice!¡± TO snapped. DH had spoken like they were in training, doing target practice. ¡°Besides, I had a moving target from the start! That¡¯s hardly fair!¡± DH gave a little snort from repressed laughter, then laughed; softly at first, then dissolving into chuckles. TO felt their ears burn as they watched DH. ¡°Oh, so I had to promise not to laugh at you, but-¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± DH said as they calmed down, ¡°It¡¯s a little funny, isn¡¯t it.¡± TO huffed and looked away, ¡°It¡¯s not my fault I haven¡¯t had practice.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± DH said. ¡°It¡¯s not your fault.¡± They pivoted their body so that they were facing TO directly. They sat still and just looked at TO. ¡°Go ahead.¡± ¡°Go ahead?¡± DH¡¯s ears twitched, ¡°You said you didn¡¯t have practice¡­ well, here: A nearby, stationary target. Start there and then work up to more distant-¡± TO felt the burn to their ears spread almost to their cheeks as they looked away, ¡°This isn¡¯t actual target practice-¡± ¡°Keep your eyes on your target.¡± Their tone was just like when they would practice, when DH was helping TO get better, and aim better, and shoot better. TO glanced black, glaring at DH. ¡°You¡¯re teasing me.¡± they muttered. ¡°You¡¯re making fun of me.¡± ¡°I¡¯m¡­ maybe a little?¡± DH said with a grin ¡°Sorry. I¡­ It¡¯s kinda nice when you¡¯re flustered like this.¡± TO took a deep breath and positioned themself in front of DH. With excessive seriousness, their ears flicking back in concentration, their eyes narrowing, they lined DH¡¯s face up with their own, leaned in, turned their snout every so slightly to avoid hitting DH¡¯s snout with their own, and gently kissed DH. They would have pulled away after a moment, but DH leaned in, putting their hand up and resting their palm against the back of TO¡¯s neck. DH¡¯s hand was so close to their ears. They felt their ears twitch as they realized that. Panic and worry filled TO as they thought DH might see their ears twitching in that shivery way the edges seemed to vibrate, and the very tips of the ears twitched to signal their want to anyone who saw them. They felt like they had to push away from their friend, that they had to hide until they calmed down. Then they remembered they didn''t have to do that anymore. Still... There was something else. They pulled away slowly, falling silent as they tried to figure out how to ask what they wanted to ask. ¡°Is... are you ok? Was that weird? I-¡± DH was babbling, but then they saw TO¡¯s ears, ¡°Oh! Oh, your ears do that too-¡± TO might have died on the spot. Without even thinking they reached up and covered their ears with their hands, ¡°Leave them alone! It¡¯s-¡± ¡°Sorry¡­ Sorry, I was just surprised.¡± DH said, ¡°I thought. Well, nevermind.¡± They cleared their throat, ¡°Is everything ok though? You... you pulled away suddenly.¡± ¡°Yes¡­ yes, everything¡¯s fine.¡± TO muttered. They didn¡¯t know if they could ask now that DH had pointed out their ears. They wanted to, but they also wanted to slink away for a while. ¡°Then why did you pull away?¡± DH asked. TO slowly lowered their shaking hands, ¡°I¡­ I was wondering If.. well¡­¡± Their voice suddenly got very soft, ¡°Would you mind¡­ maybe¡­ rubbing my ears while you kissed me?¡± Their voice was so soft at the end that TO hoped that maybe DH hadn¡¯t heard them. ¡°... Rub your ears?¡± DH asked, their own ears flicking out in confusion. TO recalled how confused Avery had been when TO had mentioned it, and suddenly worried that it was indeed something inherently weird. ¡°I¡¯m sorry!¡± TO said, laughing nervously as they backed away, ¡°It was weird. I mean.¡± They turned away, ¡°This is all new right.. And¡­ And I didn¡¯t say this before, but when I Saw C12 and Snout that time, well, they¡­ It¡¯s nothing, Sorry, it¡¯s-¡± DH cut off their excuses by pressing their lips once more to TO¡¯s. Their hand rested first on their shoulder, then gently rested on their neck, trailing up wards slowly until DH finally took TO¡¯s ear in their hand and rubbed the soft part of TO¡¯s outer ear. TO relaxed, the feeling of DH¡¯s hand on their ear calmed them suddenly. Their chest swelled and a pleasant warmth filled them up as DH¡¯s featherlight kisses played over their lips. A strange sound between a chirp and a purr escaped from TO¡¯s throat. And though they couldn¡¯t really think about it at the moment, they knew they would be embarrassed by it later. After several moments, DH pulled away just a little, then pressed their forehead to TO¡¯s. They still kept their hand on TO¡¯s ear, but they had stopped rubbing. ¡°Like that?¡± They asked, ¡°Is that... What you wanted.¡± TO hummed, and leaned into DH. Yes, it had been what they wanted. It had been more than they had hoped for. Episode 141: Wrong TO; I¡¯m glad you finally got the research started, and I¡¯m glad that DH is eager to help as well. Honestly, I thought they would be. I had no evidence, but I thought it would be the kind of research they¡¯d enjoy. I don¡¯t know how your travels are going, but I honestly and truly find space travel to be tedious boring. I imagined all kinds of things about going into space; monsters like the Edacalie you told me about, insurgents attacking us every other day, and who knows what else! So far¡­ it¡¯s been a lot of nothing. We haven¡¯t even seen a Void Anemone like you and DH had. We did have to filter some oil in the engine room earlier today though. So far, that has been the highlight of our day. At least I have plenty of opportunity to read. I have taken the suggestion of Hur-1, and have thrown myself into reading all kinds of materials from Heramu; mostly fiction to help with getting used to the culture. I¡¯ve read a lot of stuff from Arkane as well, since there¡¯s a lot of cultural overlap between the two planets. Hur-13 mostly watches shows that are broadcast from the planets. I expected them to complain about the ways the civilians act, but they don¡¯t say much. That might be best. -Avery TO knew that Avery was bored simply by the increasing length of their messages. Even though their last few had mostly been chiding TO for their inability to talk to DH, they were still getting more and more talkative as the time went on. TO couldn¡¯t really understand how they were feeling though. Maybe being out in space was boring, but there was plenty going on in TO¡¯s mind to keep them from feeling bored. In the romance shows that TO watched with DH, either the story ended when the main characters ended up together, or it continued on and everything about the relationship changed. Sometimes it changed for the better, sometimes for the worse. Regardless of how things changed, everything changed. The promise of change sent fear though TO, and stood like a wall anytime they had come close to telling DH how they felt. Even before they had added any romantic elements, They treasured their friendship with DH; they didn¡¯t want anything to alter that. To TO¡¯s surprise, very little had actually changed and what did was for the better. TO slept more easily now, and they could also kiss DH whenever they wanted; When they came down from the engine room after they had their work done, when they woke up, before they went to sleep, and randomly throughout the day. It was glorious. In fact, even as they were up in the engine room, finishing their scans, they wanted to go back down and kiss DH now! They watched the painfully slow way the scans completed, showing the taskbar slowly crawling across each one until finally they were all done. They closed down their programs and dashed to the elevator. They were hardly able to keep still as they went down to the main floor. DH was still working. They were sitting in front of the console, typing furiously as their ears pinned back. In focus. TO wanted to sneak up behind DH and kiss their ear. Kissing the ear; that seemed so intimate, and TO¡¯s own ears twitched as they thought about it. Could they do that? Maybe not quite yet. DH had been more than happy to rub TO¡¯s ears after they had requested it, but TO hadn¡¯t yet done the same for DH. Leaning in and just kissing their ears? It felt like a bit of a jump. Still, they wanted to touch DH¡¯s ears. They hadn''t yet and in truth they felt guilty that they hadn¡¯t. They walked up behind them and draped their arms over DH¡¯s shoulders. ¡°All done?¡± DH asked as they kept working. TO might have thought them cold if it weren¡¯t for the fact that their ears perked up when TO put their arms around them. TO recalled that DH¡¯s ears had been one of the things they had noticed when they first met; they were more rounded than TO was used to seeing and it gave DH a softer appearance. ¡°All done.¡± TO said. They leaned in, and kissed DH on the cheek as they lifted their hand up to gently stroke their ears- DH¡¯s ears twitched oddly as TO¡¯s fingers touched them, and DH suddenly jerked their head away. TO backed off as though they had been shocked, their hands up in the air. ¡°Sorry!¡± They said suddenly, ¡°Should I not? I mean¡­ I -¡° ¡°No.. no no, you just startled me.¡± DH said. They had gone as far as to push away from their desk and away from TO. ¡°I just¡­ I don¡¯t know.¡± they reached a hand up to their ear, but fell short of actually touching it, ¡°Sorry.¡± The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there. ¡°No, I¡¯m sorry.¡± TO said as their ears flicked down. They could feel the heat rising to the tips. ¡°I should have asked, or given you warning. I know you get focused when you¡¯re working, and I should have known it would startle you-¡° DH stood up and pulled TO into an embrace, gently scratching the back of TO¡¯s neck with one hand and rubbing their ear with the other. In just a moment, TO¡¯s concerns were gone and the contented, odd sound of chirping and purring came from their throat. ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± DH whispered, ¡°You just start; I¡¯ll recover.¡± TO didn¡¯t respond; they hardly spoke when DH was doing this, and just preferred to enjoy it. ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­ If I¡¯d like having my ears rubbed.¡± DH muttered. TO hummed and moved their head just slightly, ¡°s¡¯fine.¡± they muttered, hardly paying attention. ¡°If you do¡­ you¡¯ll tell me?¡± ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ll tell you.¡± they were quiet for a moment, then pulled away from TO, their hand dropping from their ear. They watched TO for a moment, a grin playing over their face. ¡°No little whimper?¡± they teased. TO felt their ears burn, ¡°I did that ONCE!¡± they said, ¡°Just once!¡± DH chuckled and sat back down in their seat, positioning themself before the console, ¡°I know. It was cute.¡± TO wanted DH to go back to rubbing their ears. They wanted to stop their work and lay down to watch shows or read news with them. However, DH still had work to do. They turned to their computer and started typing furiously again. TO sat at their own work desk, and started bringing up the days¡¯ news. A moment later, DH¡¯s hands stopped typing. ¡°You... you don¡¯t find it weird at all?¡± They asked. TO froze. ¡°Find what''s weird?¡± They asked. They wondered if DH found the ear thing weird after all, and was just humouring TO because they liked it. ¡°Well¡­ all of it?¡± TO turned to watch DH, who was still facing the computer even though they had stopped typing. ¡°What do you mean all of it?¡± ¡°Well¡­ Like I said, with GiDi¡­ I thought it felt weird. GiDi Thought it felt weird too. You don¡¯t feel like any of this is strange?¡± ¡°We are strange.¡± TO said, their ears flicking parallel to the ground, ¡°We¡¯ve established that.¡± ¡°I know!¡± Dh¡¯s ears twitched down, ¡°But I mean, even given that, it doesn¡¯t feel wrong to you at all?¡± ¡°No?¡± Wrong. That was a new one. TO could manage feeling. ¡®Strange¡¯ or ¡®odd¡¯ as that was how they had been all their life¡­. but ¡®wrong¡¯ was different. ¡°Does it feel wrong to you?¡± ¡°It¡­ it¡¯s all very new.¡± DH muttered. ¡°I¡¯m just getting used to it. I didn¡¯t know if you felt it was weird or wrong or something.¡± ¡°Not at all.¡± TO said, keeping their tone as bright as they could. They shouldn''t have touched DH¡¯s ears. They should have waited. ¡°I¡¯ll¡­ I promise I won¡¯t touch your ears unless you ask me, ok? I¡¯m sorry I went to do it just then.¡± ¡°It¡¯s really not a big deal.¡± DH muttered. ¡°Just¡­ took me by surprise, and I-¡° ¡°You don¡¯t have to explain anything!¡± TO said. ¡°If you¡¯re uncomfortable with that - if You¡¯re uncomfortable with anything, I¡¯d want you to tell me.. .ok?¡± ¡°Ok.¡± ¡°.... I do love you.¡± TO said. Sure, they had said that so many times before, but now when they said that it did have a different meaning for them. ¡°... I love you too.¡± ====== After a few hours of working, TO wondered if they were this whole ¡®mate¡¯ thing wrong. Was it supposed to be this normal? TO didn¡¯t know. In the shows they watched, it wouldn¡¯t have been normal. In the shows, the movies and the series, when two people ended up in a romantic relationship, everything changed. The two were all over each other and madly in love! Sometimes, it seemed like the two characters couldn¡¯t stand to be physically separated for more than five minutes! TO didn¡¯t feel like that. The kisses, the longer embraces, the ears, they loved it all, and it made them feel¡­ well, the fee ling of their chest expanding was one thing, but this was different. Fluttery? It made them feel fluttery, and there were times where they had to get work done, but they didn¡¯t want to leave DH¡¯s embrace. Still, once they were doing the work, once they were seperated and falling back into the same routine as they normally had now, they felt perfectly content to just sit near DH and away from their touch. Was that normal? It seemed like something that happened with older relationships in the shows¡­ Or ones that weren¡¯t that great. TO¡¯s hands stilled from their typing. Their eyes glazed over as they looked at the news articles without actually reading them. Were they doing this wrong? Were they supposed to be closer to DH? They looked over their shoulder and frowned as they watched DH work. Well, DH didn¡¯t seem upset; they seemed bored if anything. They had finished their work a while ago and now they were going through news articles like TO was. For TO, this felt fine. They were happy to just work together in comfortable silence with DH, but they also wanted to do this whole mate thing right. They turned around, shifted their seat, and sat behind DH. They leaned over and rested their head on DH¡¯s shoulder, giving them a quick kiss on the cheek. DH¡¯s ears twitched as they did that, perking up suddenly. ¡°W-What are you reading?¡± TO asked. They knew what DH was reading already - They were looking at the cultural news, the ¡®fluff¡¯ pieces as they were called. TO was the one who was reading the political stuff, the increased crime, increased insurgent activity, and the riots. Even at a glance they could see that the article DH was reading was about an Arkanian who taught their pet Dermaptera - a very common, bug-like pet with pincers on its rear- how to sort colored balls into colored buckets. ¡°Just some pet news.¡± DH said as they gave TO a quick smile, ¡°Is everything alright?¡± ¡°Yes, of course!¡± TO said. Everything was alright, but somehow leaning on DH while they were trying to work like this felt odd to TO. Was this what DH meant when they wondered if this felt ¡®wrong¡¯? DH was quiet for a moment as they scrolled through the article, then turned and kissed TO on the cheek - more on the side of the face, closer to the ear. TO had to suppress a happy squeak at the contact. Alright, that didn¡¯t feel wrong; the kisses were fing. Hanging off DH like this though¡­ that didn¡¯t feel right. Was that bad? Was it a bad sign that they didn¡¯t want to constantly be touching DH? TO pulled away, their ears twitching as they turned back to their news. Episode 142: Filter TO and DH had watched no shows the day before; DH had said that they wanted to focus on something they were researching, and wanted to work on their own personal research for a little while. It hadn¡¯t bothered TO at first; occasionally one or both of them would want to work on their own project. This time, it made TO worry. They wondered if they had been too clingy the day before, or maybe if they hadn¡¯t been attentive enough. They thought about what DH had said about it all feeling weird and wondered if DH was thinking it was weird and was trying to create some distance. They worried they had somehow messed it all up without even realizing it. Specifically, they worried they should never have asked DH to touch their ears. They sighed as they checked the scans in the engine room; it was taking longer than normal, and today TO just wanted to finish their tasks and go back down to see how DH was. It¡¯d be better if they knew DH was alright, and that their actions in the last bit had just been a coincidence. It¡¯d be a relief to hear what Avery thought about it, at least. TO had sent off a message ages ago, but hadn¡¯t received a message back yet. They checked to see if maybe they had missed a message, but when they saw they hadn¡¯t, they just went back to read over what they had sent earlier. Avery; While the research project is going along, I¡¯m worried that maybe DH is less invested than I had hoped. While they do help, I find I¡¯m the one doing most of the work, and starting most of the research. I wonder if maybe DH regrets offering to help. -TO. That was the best they could tell Avery right now. They couldn¡¯t tell Avery how DH seemed to be avoiding them suddenly. Even if they could, what if it was just a misunderstanding? What if DH wasn¡¯t avoiding them and they were just reading too much into actions they¡¯d have ignored otherwise? They wished they could ask C12 about it. C12 was the only synth that they knew of who might understand. Well, C12 or Snout. Still, there was no way to contact either of them. An alert suddenly popped up on their chip, but it wasn¡¯t Avery; it was from the scans that they had taken from the engines. -Alert; Replace and clean exhaust filter- Exhaust filter? Where was that? TO selected the alert, and it gave them full instructions. Apparently, the filters were on the very bottom floor, close to where the airlock was. They¡¯d have to go down, replace the filter, and clean the old one. They got up with a sigh and checked once more to see if Avery had responded. They hadn¡¯t. TO let a low growl of frustration escape their mouth as they closed their messages. What did it matter if Avery responded; Avery didn¡¯t understand and would probably just tell them to talk to DH- Talk to DH. TO had figured that telling DH how they felt was the actual hard part. They thought everything would be easy after that, especially if it turned out that DH wanted to be their mate. Apparently, that wasn¡¯t so easy. Maybe they had to talk to DH again. Maybe it really was nothing, and if they just talked to DH, then they¡¯d realize that it was nothing! Yes¡­ yes, that was likely it, right? All TO had to do was talk to DH, and DH would tell them they were being silly. They got up and went into the elevator. They¡¯d ask DH to help them with the filter. At least that way, they¡¯d be doing something while they talked, and it would all be a little less awkward. ====== ¡°When¡¯s the last time someone cleaned that!¡± DH said, their nose wrinkling up in disgust as TO pulled the filter from the machinery hidden behind the wall on the lower floor. ¡°You¡¯d think that this stuff would get changed before we boarded it, right?¡± TO muttered as they dropped the fetid smelling filter into the tray they had brought down with them. ¡°Maybe this needs to be changed frequently. How long have we been out here now?¡± ¡°In Arkanian days, it¡¯s been-¡° ¡°No¡­ I mean, in Universal days.¡± TO said. It would be easier for them to think about the cycles of maintenance in terms of universal days. DH stopped, their eyes going blank for a moment as they considered that, ¡°I don¡¯t know, not really.¡± they said. ¡°I had gotten used to Arkanian days. It¡¯s been about... nine Arkanian days?¡± Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation. TO did the math in their head, ¡°Six Universal days then.¡± They muttered. TO poured hot and soapy water from a bucket into the tray, hoping that the force of the water might shift some of the scum. They only had three filters, and one was for emergencies, in case the main filters broke. They¡¯d have to clean the dirty one right away. ¡°The one we just put in is clean, so we¡¯ll see now if we have to change it again in another six universal days.¡± DH nodded as they squat down next to the tray, pulled on plain rubber cleaning gloves, and started working the dirt off of the filter. ¡°Ugh¡­ this smells awful.¡± They said. ¡°Are we sure this isn¡¯t bad for us? It might have weird spores or mold in it.¡± TO checked the instructions on their comm once more, ¡°According to this, it¡¯s not dangerous. There¡¯s not even a warning to wear gloves while handling this.¡± They glanced at DH and gave a grin, ¡°But I don¡¯t think either of us wants to touch it.¡± ¡°Nope; not at all¡± DH. Ran a long, blunt scraper along the screen and worked out an enormous pile of gunk, ¡°I don¡¯t want to get this on me at all! It¡¯s awful!¡± TO squat down across from them, pulled on the plain rubber cleaning gloves which felt so different from the surgical gloves, and held the screen while DH scraped off the gunk. ¡°If you get tired, we¡¯ll switch.¡± TO said. ¡°Yeah. Good. Ugh, We¡¯ll have to flush the waste disposal after this, I¡¯m worried this might stink up the entire ship if we don¡¯t do that right away. ¡° TO nodded and glanced over at their comm. Avery still hadn¡¯t answered. They had hoped they would and maybe have given them some other advice. Still, TO knew the only advice that Avery would give. Talk to DH. ¡°DH¡­¡± TO said slowly as DH focused on scraping away the gunk, ¡°... Do you mind if I ask you something?¡± DH stopped what they were doing and looked up, ¡°Of course not.¡± they said, ¡°Why would I mind?¡± TO felt their ears warm up as they glanced down at the filter. Despite the smell and the hard, dirty work, DH seemed so at ease, where lately they had seemed distracted and worried. Was that because of them? ¡°It¡¯s about the whole mate thing.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± DH¡¯s ears flicked down, ¡°Is¡­ is something wrong?¡± ¡°Well, I wanted to ask you that!¡± TO said, ¡°I mean-¡± They looked away, ¡°This is stupid-¡° ¡°And you should tell me how you feel, even if you think it¡¯s stupid.¡± DH said as though reciting something they had memorized. They gave TO a quick grin, ¡°You¡¯d tell me the same thing.¡± ¡°I know, I know. I¡¯m telling you.¡± They cleared their throat, and tried to ignore how hot their ears felt, and how stupid they felt, ¡°I just.. well, lately I feel - And by lately, I mean since we started¡­ you know, being mates-¡± They were scrambling, hesitating. They took a deep breath. ¡°I feel you¡¯ve been more distant.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± DH said. They looked down at the screen. ¡°You do?¡± ¡°I mean, You¡¯ve always been really affectionate, right?¡± TO said, ¡°Even when we were just getting to know one another, you were always more affectionate than I was! You were always touching me, and -¡° ¡°I didn¡¯t think it was a problem-¡° ¡°It wasn¡¯t! I liked it! That¡¯s my point!¡± They sighed, ¡°Now you¡­ you¡¯re not. You¡¯re more hesitant. I feel as though If I didn¡¯t-¡± If I didn¡¯t touch you. If I didn¡¯t embrace you. If I didn¡¯t kiss you. They wanted to say all those things, ¡°If I wasn¡¯t being affectionate, you wouldn¡¯t be.¡± DH was silent as they stared at the screen, working hard to get the gunk off. TO didn¡¯t know if they were deep in thought or just didn¡¯t want to answer them. ¡°... Does it make you uncomfortable?¡± TO asked once they could no longer take the silence between them, ¡°Do¡­ do you dislike it?¡± ¡°What?¡± DH looked up, an almost panicked look crossing over their face as their ears twitched. ¡°NO! No, I don¡¯t dislike it! Not at all it¡¯s just..¡± They stopped, and looked back at the screen they were clearing, ¡°It¡¯s just a lot, you know?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t.¡± TO said calmly, ¡°Please¡­ please try to tell me?¡± The movies and shows they watched hadn¡¯t prepared them for this. They thought that the hard part would be over once they told DH how they felt! Most of the media they watched never talked about what happened after people got together, it just showed them being happy and in love, or showed another couple that was ¡®drifting apart¡¯ ¡°... I wanted this for a long time.¡± DH muttered, their ears dipping down. ¡°And for a long time¡­ I just assumed it wouldn¡¯t happen. I got used to that, got used to-¡± Their ears took on a slight blue tinge, ¡°I got used to¡­ ignoring things. I spent a long time convincing myself that it was better that way, you know? And now it¡¯s¡­¡± They looked up at TO, their wings wrapped around themself, their ears pinning back despite how low they were, ¡°It¡¯s a lot, all at once.¡± They finally said. ¡°Do you wish I had said nothing?¡± TO asked, ¡°Should I have kept quiet?¡± DH shook their head, ¡°No¡­ No, I¡¯m happy you feel the same way! I really am!¡± They looked for a moment like they might reach out and take TO¡¯s hand, but their hand stilled in the air, and they went back to work, ¡°I just¡­ Even a retiree was being mocked for this.¡± they muttered, ¡°C12 suffered because of this, I¡¯m not as good as C12 was.¡± ¡°But nobody¡¯s here.¡± TO insisted, ¡°Nobody is here to cause us problems, or-¡± ¡°But we shouldn¡¯t be like this, right?¡± They looked away, ¡°According to King Decon, or at least the higher ups¡­ A synth in service to King Decon shouldn¡¯t-¡° ¡°But we know we¡¯re strange already.¡± TO said, ¡°We know that!¡± ¡°I know, but this is the thing that¡¯s a little beyond strange, isn¡¯t it?¡± DH muttered. ¡°This is something that could have gotten us in real trouble¡­ If we want to serve King Decon, is it right to have a mate?¡± They closed their eyes and took a breath, their ears flicking down in sadness. ¡°I just.. I don¡¯t know if we should be like this.¡± ¡°... you don¡¯t want to be my mate.¡± TO¡¯s stomach clenched, and they felt like they were going to be sick. They felt like they wanted to run away. ¡°I do!¡± DH said, ¡°I want to¡­ but I don¡¯t know if we should.¡± They scraped off the last bit of the gunk on the screen. ¡°I know we don¡¯t have to worry about being corrected now¡­ and we don¡¯t have to worry about being separated. I just worry that it¡¯s wrong for us to feel this way¡± ¡°Don¡¯t think it is.¡± TO said, their voice soft and hesitant. ¡°... I just want to go a little slow.¡± DH said. ¡°Maybe we can still be ¡®mates¡¯ but without all the¡­ I mean, maybe it¡¯s ok if we don¡¯t¡­¡± Their ears flushed, ¡°If we¡¯re not so physical with one another.¡± TO¡¯s stomach dropped. ¡°Right.¡± They said. Of course, the way they felt was more important. DH loved TO just as much as they did¡­ That should be enough, right? They didn¡¯t need to do the other things, right? Kisses and ear rubs, or any of the other stuff that TO thought about when they were alone¡­ they didn¡¯t need that, right? They had done something weird. Maybe the ear rubbing thing was too weird. ¡°That¡¯s alright then?¡± DH said without looking up at TO. ¡°That¡­ yes.¡± TO said as they got up and stretched as though their legs hurt. They looked away, knowing that while they couldn¡¯t hide how low their ears were from DH, maybe they could hide the tears stinging at their eyes. ¡°We¡¯re nearly done with this. Can you finish it up while I check the last of the scans in the engine room?¡± DH was quiet behind them, and TO could only hear the water sloshing around in the pan as they rinsed the filter. ¡°... I can finish.¡± DH finally said, ¡°You go on.¡± TO left wordlessly, worried that their voice would crack and break if they said anything. They had been too weird. They had ruined it, and now DH was uncomfortable. Episode 143: Perversion TO held it together until they got up to the engine room, at which point they leaned against the door to the elevator, slumped to the floor, and cried. They were quiet at first, then the sobs got louder as they lost the fragile hold they had on the ache that throbbed inside of them. They had messed up and had made DH uncomfortable about everything. They remembered just after they had told them how they felt, how long they had sat in the weapons bay looking at the stars and just holding one another. They remembered the little kisses they had exchanged. Everything was fine! Nothing went wrong until TO had asked DH to rub their ears. Was that what made DH so uncomfortable? Was ear rubbing that perverted? Of course you¡¯re perverted. You¡¯re hardly any better than a civilian half the time. How many times have you thought about DH in what you knew were inappropriate ways? How many times have you let those thoughts get to where you need to take care of yourself- hidden in the showers, under the blanket in your pod, or even in the observation deck? Of course you¡¯re perverted. You shouldn¡¯t impose that on DH. They¡¯d apologize. The thought came so quickly, TO felt ashamed that they hadn¡¯t done it right way back down when they were dealing with the filter. They¡¯d apologize for being weird. They¡¯d tell DH that they understood, that they were being weird, and that they¡¯d not do anything that DH didn¡¯t want them to. DH wouldn¡¯t have to rub their ears anymore. TO wouldn¡¯t try to be around DH all the time or to touch them so much. Well, at least that was a bit of a relief; always trying to be touching DH like in the movies was exhausting, and it made it hard to get any work done. Still, that provided very little comfort. They took quick gulps of breath as they calmed themself, forcing their breathing to slow. Before they went down, they had to pull themself together. They had to wipe away the tears and look more composed than they already did. They wished again that they had never felt like this. This was all so stupid! Why did the shows and the movies present this romance stuff as being good, as being wonderful? This was all hard, and it just caused so much pain so far¡­ They suddenly remembered Q10. They remembered how willing they had been to be corrected. TO remembered how at the time they couldn¡¯t understand how anyone would want to be corrected. Now they wondered if they would volunteer. If they knew that being corrected would stop them from hurting, stop them from wanting strange things from DH¡­ would they do it? No...no, it was too late for all that now, too late for wishing for such things. They probably wouldn¡¯t get corrected now, and they had told DH how they felt already. They wiped their eyes and stood up. Besides all that¡­ even if DH was uncomfortable, they knew DH didn¡¯t hate them. They knew DH would be sad if something happened to them. They had to go back down to talk to DH. They had to apologize for making such a mess of things, for being so perverted, and for breaking their promise. ====== When TO got down to their living area, they didn¡¯t see DH. At first they wondered if maybe they were still working on the screen, or if they were hiding, but then they heard the shower. Of course they¡¯d be in the shower; they had just completed a relatively dirty job and TO had left them to finish it by themself. That was something else they¡¯d have to apologize for. They¡¯d wait until DH got out of the shower, and before they started their research, they¡¯d apologize. It was then that a message came in through TO¡¯s communicator. Finally, they had their response from Avery. Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author. TO; I¡¯m sorry, don¡¯t know how to help with this. I know DH would be more than happy to help you with any research you were doing. Did you speak to them and find out what it was they didn¡¯t like about the research? -Avery. TO knew what DH didn¡¯t like about the ¡®research¡¯; It was too much, too weird, too perverted. DH didn¡¯t like what they were doing and TO had pushed them. They were no better than some perverted civilian. These were all things that they couldn¡¯t tell Avery just now. They didn¡¯t think that they could have told Avery, even if they didn¡¯t have to speak in code. How could they admit to how they had acted? How uncomfortable they had made DH? TO took another deep breath as they sat at their work table. It would all be fine; they had to believe that. They still loved each other, and TO knew that they could fix this! All TO had to do was talk to DH; just like Avery and GiDi had been saying. TO suddenly shook their head and chuckled. Maybe it wasn¡¯t even as bad as they thought, and maybe they had just misunderstood something? They had run off quickly, and maybe DH had more they wanted to say. It occurred to them that they had broken their promise; the promise to not run off when upset. A dull knot of anxiety hit their stomach as they thought about that; it was another thing they¡¯d have to apologize for. ¡®Well, I wasn¡¯t running away, I just wanted a moment to myself.¡¯ They thought, but even as they considered that they realized that if DH had run off and started crying by themself, they¡¯d make TO worry because they hadn¡¯t spoken to them! TO would feel awful for making DH feel that way! Just another thing to apologize for. They wondered if they should tell DH how sad and worried they were, but they didn¡¯t want to upset DH needlessly. TO turned to the screen, thinking that at least they¡¯d do some research while they waited, if only to occupy their mind; it was unlikely that DH would be in the shower to much longer, anyway. They glanced at the door to the washrooms, and the idea of going in, of offering to help DH with their back, entered their head. They wanted to do that, to mimic how DH had helped them way back when TO had gotten splashed with filth while working in maintenance. Maybe not now; not after everything that just happened. It was as they were turning back to their work desk that they saw that the blanket which DH had hung across their sleeping areas had come loose at the corner. One magnet seemed to have fallen, and now it looked untidy. TO scanned the floor and found the magnet by the door to the washroom. They snatched it up off the floor and went to put the blanket back into place. They reached up, shifting the blanket so that they could reach up and around on both sides to put it up properly. That¡¯s when they noticed the mess. At first, they weren¡¯t sure what they were seeing and in their shock, they pulled down the blanket from where it hung, letting it fall to the floor. DH had separated the beds, pushed them to opposite sides of the small sleeping area. The blankets that TO had carefully and neatly tucked around the corners of the beds were now sitting in a pile in the center of the floor. The storage crates were now sitting between the two beds, creating a barrier at one end. TO felt their legs grow weak. They tried to stay standing, but then they wondered why they bothered, and fell to their knees. DH didn¡¯t want to touch them anymore. They didn¡¯t want to hold them. They didn¡¯t want to sleep with them. TO had been so terrible, so perverted and deranged in what they wanted, DH had decided they couldn¡¯t even sleep with them anymore. Even if they apologized, would DH ever be ok with them again? They were so tired of crying, so tired of hurting like this, but it was their own fault. They had made DH uncomfortable and had messed everything up! Now, DH wasn¡¯t comfortable being around them anymore, even while they slept. TO thought of all the times they had woken up, their legs pressing together and their ears flushed because of how DH had been breathing on their ears. They had been so careful to hide that from DH before, but since they had told DH how they felt, they had stopped hiding that. They knew DH enjoyed sleeping with them, so how uncomfortable did they have to be to do this? TO couldn¡¯t cry. They felt too tired to cry. They leaned against the bed as they sat on the floor, the horrible feelings inside of them swelling up and wrapping around them. It hurt too much to cry. Why did DH go this far? They had been sleeping together for so long! Had they really made them so uncomfortable that they had to move the beds apart? And why hadn¡¯t they told them? A little flame of anger sparked from the darkness of TO¡¯s sadness and shame. OK, maybe they were weird. Maybe they were a pervert, and maybe there was something wrong with them, but if they had made DH uncomfortable, then why hadn¡¯t DH told them before it came to this! Why had they done this without talking to them! Anger, shame, and sadness mixed as TO waited, sitting on the floor between the two beds. TO wasn¡¯t sure how much time had passed until DH came out of the shower. They didn¡¯t move when they heard the water stop, didn¡¯t turn around when the door opened, and hardly reacted as they heard DH catch their breath upon seeing TO on the floor among the blankets and storage crates. ¡°Oh¡­ I thought you¡¯d take longer.¡± TO stood slowly, their ears pinned back, ¡°You wanted to have this all moved apart and cleaned up by the time I got down, didn¡¯t you.¡± they said, their voice cold and quiet. DH should have told them! If they were uncomfortable with all this, then DH should have told them so that this never happened! They turned to face DH, their eyes narrowed. DH had been crying; TO could tell by the blue ringed eyes. At least that cooled down some of the anger inside TO. Still, a part of them was happy about it. ¡®good. They¡¯re sad. I¡¯m sad too!¡¯ They¡¯d figure this out; maybe it wouldn¡¯t be comfortable or pleasant, and maybe it wouldn¡¯t work out in a way that TO liked, but they didn¡¯t care; They were going to figure this out. Episode 144: Confusion ¡°Why did you do this?¡± TO hissed, gesturing to the beds, ¡°We¡¯ve slept together for ages, even before we-¡± they wanted to say ¡®before we were mates¡¯ but then they wondered if they were still mates. ¡°Even before we tried anything romantic.¡± they said, ¡°If it all made you that uncomfortable, then you should have said something! I you didn¡¯t want to be my mate-¡° If DH had said they weren¡¯t interested in the first place, well, it would hurt but not as much as this was hurting right now. ¡°It¡¯s not that!¡± DH protested as they reached out, but let their hand drop as TO took a step away from them. ¡°I just thought it¡¯d be easier.¡± DH said as they looked away. ¡°What did you think would be easier!?¡± TO demanded, their hands clenched into fists at their side, their wings puffing up around them. They could feel the tears stinging at their eyes, but they weren¡¯t sure if it was from anger or sorrow. ¡°Did you think it¡¯d be easier to tell me that sure, you¡¯d be my mate, and then just¡­ Just stop?¡± ¡°NO! No no! I want to be your mate!¡± ¡°Then what did I do that made you this uncomfortable?¡± TO asked, ¡°When you pulled away from me that one time I reached for your ears, I stopped touching your ears. I Kept kissing you because I thought you liked it-¡± ¡°I did!¡± DH insisted as they took a step forward. ¡°I do-¡° ¡°But it¡¯s ¡®a lot¡¯ you said. Was I kissing you too much, or kissing you wrong? Was I around you too much? You didn¡¯t tell me I was doing anything wrong, You just¡­ You just-¡± Their anger was burning out, like a highly combustible fuel, leaving behind was sadness and exhaustion. ¡°You just pulled away from me and stopped kissing me. I think you only actually kissed me once when I gave you the gem!¡± DH was quiet as they wrapped their wings wrapped around themself. ¡°I know.¡± they whispered. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want you to be sorry! I want you to tell me what I did wrong, and how I can fix it!¡± ¡°That¡­ you did nothing wrong.¡± DH said. ¡°It¡¯s me¡­ It¡¯s..¡± the tears were swelling up in their eyes. ¡°You don¡¯t understand.¡± The anger instantly ebbed from TO. They took a step forward, but didn¡¯t embrace DH as they normally would have. They didn¡¯t know if DH wanted that, and they didn¡¯t want to push them. ¡°You¡¯re right; I don¡¯t understand.¡± TO said, ¡°And I won¡¯t unless you tell me!¡± DH¡¯s wings wrapped around them as they looked away, their ears down. They were silent for a while, and TO worried that they would refuse to talk. ¡°We promised.¡± TO said, ¡°We¡¯re supposed to talk when we¡¯re upset, not run... I-¡± They stopped, feeling their own wings tighten around them. ¡°I ran when I felt upset. I broke our promise, and I¡¯m sorry¡­ but please, don¡¯t do the same.¡± After a long, agonizing moment, DH finally took a deep breath. ¡°I love you, TO.¡± they said. ¡°I really do. And¡­ and I want to be your mate.¡± DH glanced up at TO, ¡°And I do like kissing and..¡± They let a little smile flicker over their face, ¡°I like the cute noises you make when I rub your ears.¡± TO felt those very ears burn and dip down, ¡°Then¡­ if you liked it-¡± ¡°I just¡­ We¡¯re supposed to serve King Decon, right?¡± ¡°We do serve king Decon.¡± TO said, ¡°We do our best. We work better together; even our Overseers saw that-¡± ¡°But¡­ but this? All this! Even the Commander tormented and mocked C12 because they had a mate, and they¡¯re a retiree!¡± they looked at TO, ¡°I don¡¯t know what¡¯s wrong with it. I don¡¯t understand why it¡¯s bad¡­ but if King Decon thinks that being mates is a bad thing-¡± The words came out of TO before they could really consider them. ¡°I don¡¯t care what King Decon thinks.¡± If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. Silence. Utter, deafening silence. DH looked at TO with a look that hovered somewhere between admiration and horror. ¡°... You don¡¯t care?¡± Their ears twitched in confusion, ¡°But TO! King Decon made us! King Decon is the single force that holds the order of the Galaxy together! We¡¯re King Decon¡¯s hands in the galaxy, and King Decon put these rules in place for a reason, so it must be bad, what we¡¯re doing... right?¡± It must be bad. Oddly, that had never been a worry of TO¡¯s; they had only worried about making DH uncomfortable. ¡°I worry a lot.¡± TO said. ¡°I¡¯m aware.¡± DH muttered. ¡°And sometimes, it¡¯s something worth worrying about. Sometimes it¡¯s not.¡± They shrugged. ¡°You know that. Worrying about¡­¡± They trailed off, and then gestured about them, ¡°Well, about going through the portal. About how we seemed at the training center. About¡­ Well, about you being uncomfortable I guess.¡± they gave DH a hard look. ¡°But, regarding how I feel about you? Holding you? Touching you? Kissing you? I never worried about that. I never once thought that it was wrong.¡± They looked carefully at DH. ¡°Do you honestly feel that it¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°King Decon-¡± ¡°No.¡± TO said. They took one more step, closed the distance between them, and put a hand on DH¡¯s shoulder. They were so relieved when DH didn¡¯t move away. ¡°Do you feel that it¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t know!¡± DH said in panic. ¡°We¡¯ve been warned about it. We¡¯ve been told-¡± ¡°C12 told me I should wait until I was out of the center.¡± TO said, ¡°They said that if I wanted to be mates with anyone, then I should wait until I was out of the training center to do anything.¡± ¡°But C12-¡± ¡°Was a retiree. C12 held a highly respected position, regardless of how the Commander treated them.¡± TO said. ¡°And besides that, we¡¯re already defying King Decon in some ways, aren¡¯t we?¡± DH fell silent as they glanced at the computer, where they had spent so much time working to alter the recording software. ¡°I¡­ I would defy King Decon to be with you.¡± TO said quietly, ¡°I already said that, didn¡¯t I? I said that if King Decon ordered me to fight you, I¡¯d refuse. I¡¯d turn against Him. You remember that, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­ very improbable.¡± DH muttered. ¡°I know you say it, and that right now you mean it. But you don¡¯t know unless it happens to you, right?¡± They shook their head, ¡°This is happening now¡­ and I want to be with you, I really do! But I thought there was no chance! I thought that maybe that was better, because then we could be good synths and be friends and serve King Decon and¡­¡± They trailed off, staring at the ground until they finally looked TO in the face. ¡°Are we bad synths?¡± TO pulled DH towards them, forgetting for a moment how hesitant they had been. The relief that flooded TO when DH leaned into them was almost enough to bring them to tears. ¡°We¡¯re strange.¡± TO muttered into the top of DH¡¯s head, ¡°We¡¯re strange. We¡¯re different. We¡¯re better in some ways, and that¡¯s why we¡¯re being sent to Arkane to deal with all this.¡± They remembered what C12 had said to them so long ago, ¡°C12 once said that we are exactly as we should be, strangeness and all. Maybe that means we struggle with some things. Maybe that means that the rules in place for normal synths don¡¯t work for us. I don¡¯t know¡­ but we can¡¯t help what we are, can we?¡± DH was slumping against them, so TO slowly eased them both to the floor, where they sat between the two separated beds. ¡°I think that we¡¯re good synths so long as we do our job.¡± TO whispered. ¡°I don¡¯t know that anything matters outside of that. So long as we excel-¡± ¡°You excel.¡± DH muttered, ¡°I¡¯m just a decent shot.¡± ¡°You¡¯re an excellent shot!¡± TO said. They shifted so that they could look DH in the face. ¡°We excel. We excel together! Together, we¡¯re a better pair of synths than any other two combined. That¡¯s why we¡¯re together here; even the Officers recognized that. We¡¯re stronger and better together.¡± TO felt DH bring their hands up and reach for TO¡¯s arm. TO removed a hand from around DH¡¯s shoulders and wrapped their fingers around DH¡¯s hand. They gave a quick squeeze. ¡°... If this is what you want¡­ Sleeping separately, keeping distance¡­ and not being mates. If that¡¯s what you want, then I¡¯ll accept that. I¡¯ll accept that, and even if I¡¯m sad I will always love you, and I¡¯ll always be your friend¡­¡± they pressed their forehead to DH¡¯s ¡°If that will make you happy, I¡¯ll do it. But¡­ only if it¡¯ll make you happy. If this will just make you unhappy, then I¡¯ll fight it.¡± They hesitated, and then gave a soft kiss to the top of DH¡¯s head, ¡°So please.¡± they whispered, ¡°Tell me... What do you want?¡± DH sat in TO¡¯s embrace, unmoving for a while. TO feared that they would tell them to let go any moment, to leave them alone and that they really did just want to be good synths and serve King Decon. They¡¯d do it. If that¡¯s what DH wanted, then TO would do that. DH¡¯s hand left TO¡¯s, and for a second they were certain that it was over. That thought faded as soon as they felt DH¡¯s hand on their face. They looked down at DH, their eyes big and wet, their ears down. ¡°... If I had to choose?¡± DH whispered. ¡°You don¡¯t have to, not really.¡± TO said, ¡°C12 didn¡¯t.¡± ¡°... I don¡¯t know.¡± DH said after a long time, ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t want to choose. I want to be a good synth, and serve King Decon. I want to be your mate, to hold you and kiss you and be with you, but I always end up worrying about it after! It feels like I¡¯ve done something wrong afterwards!¡± They clutched at TO, ¡°I just¡­ I don¡¯t know if I can be a good synth and be with you!¡± DH was right¡­ TO didn¡¯t understand. They didn¡¯t feel like they had done anything wrong when they were with DH. Still, this wasn¡¯t about them. TO wanted to say something to help and to make DH feel better, but they didn¡¯t know what they could say. Instead, they just held DH. Several minutes passed, and then DH finally looked up at TO and gently kissed at the corner of their lips. ¡°... I want this.¡± They whispered. ¡°I know that much, at least. I just¡­¡± They shook their head, ¡°I feel almost guilty after.¡± ¡°Is there anything I can do about that?¡± TO asked. DH was silent, and TO thought that they simply wouldn¡¯t respond. Finally, they spoke in a whisper. ¡°... Just hold me? Tell me it¡¯s going to be ok?¡± TO still didn¡¯t understand, but that was alright; they didn¡¯t need to understand. They held DH tight, and kissed them on the bridge of their snout.¡± ¡°It¡¯s going to be alright.¡± they whispered. Episode 145:Messages TO was going through more news about Arkane. It had become harder to keep up on the news as there seemed to be so much going on! Every day it seemed like there were more attacks, and the news reported it all as the actions of the insurgency. It would be easy to believe that the insurgency was ramping up for something, but there was something odd about the crimes being reported. TO expected grand crimes committed by the insurgency; industrial espionage, theft on a grand scale, and a slew of violent crimes¡­ that wasn¡¯t what they were seeing; There was theft, but it was on a smaller scale. While there were violent crimes, they were on a far smaller scale than expected. While TO could believe that the insurgency was stealing to fund their operation, they couldn¡¯t understand why they¡¯d be stealing things like fabric and food, or why they¡¯d be robbing something like a drugstore - apparently a store for medical supplies- and cleaning it out. Of course, TO didn¡¯t know why civilians had to buy medical supplies at all; It seemed like something which government officials should provide; even synths had medical supplies given to them so long as they earned a high enough rank. Maybe before King Decon took over the civilians would have had them, but TO found it hard to believe that they¡¯d have persisted afterwards; wouldn¡¯t King Decon have made such a thing illegal? It made no sense. They thought about GiDi, and how confused and baffled they had been at the Insurgency¡¯s attack on King Decon. Had GiDi, in their obsessive research about the insurgency, experienced the same confusion as TO was now? They were leaning forward, their chin resting on their propped up hand as they stared at the screen when suddenly they were spun around. DH stood before them, and before TO could say anything DH had pulled their own chair forward and sat down so that their back was facing TO. Their ears flicked down and flushed a deep blue. ¡°Do it.¡± they said, their voice shaking as they spoke. ¡°Do what?¡± TO asked as their ears quirked forward in confusion. Somehow, DH¡¯s ears burned brighter. ¡°The ear thing you like me to do!¡± They said, ¡°You wanted to rub my ears right?¡± ¡°Well¡­ yes, but if you don¡¯t want me to, it¡¯s fine¡­¡± TO and DH had been taking it slow. Yes, DH wanted to be with them, wanted to be their mate, and had been more open to kissing them. TO and DH put the beds back together and things had returned to normal. DH was still hesitant about romantic affection beyond the odd kiss, but now¡­ ¡°I know. I just¡­ just do it.¡± they muttered, ¡°If you want to. Maybe you don¡¯t. I¡¯m sorry, I -¡± ¡°No, no!¡± TO said hurriedly, ¡°I do! I just want to make sure¡­¡± they reached up, and put their hands on DH¡¯s shoulders, ¡°You want me to rub your ears?¡± DH nodded, ¡°Yes, please.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± They reached up for DH¡¯s ears, but DH was so tense and so nervous that TO almost felt bad. ¡°Are... are you certain?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± They were certain, and while TO was still nervous about doing it wrong, excitement overtook that feeling. They wondered how DH would react, and if they would make those odd squeaky chirping noises that TO sometimes made. TO reached up and gently scratched the back of DH¡¯s neck instead of their ears. DH stiffened up at the contact. ¡°I didn¡¯t hurt you.. Did I?¡± TO asked. ¡°That¡¯s not my ears.¡± DH muttered as their muscles relaxed. ¡°I know.¡± TO said, ¡°But you like this, right? I¡¯ve done it before¡­ It calms you.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± they said as they arched their neck to allow TO to scratch more of it. ¡°... I wish I could be as at ease about all this as you.¡± they muttered. ¡°I just.. ¡° ¡°It¡¯s fine. You don¡¯t have to explain it. I mean, you can, but you don¡¯t have to. Ok?¡± This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. ¡°I know.¡± They said, ¡°I just... I just get nervous about it all. Like it¡¯s wrong. Even though what you said makes sense.¡± ¡°That¡¯s fine.¡± TO said again. DH fell silent as they let TO scratch their neck. After a few moments passed and DH¡¯s ears had relaxed, TO reached up and with the gentlest of touches they gave the lobe of DH¡¯s ear a careful rub. DH stiffened, their ears tensing back and flushing. TO was about to stop, to make sure DH was ok, but before they could DH had leaned into the hand. It was low, but TO was certain they could hear a dull chirping from the back of their throat. ¡°Is this ok?¡± TO asked. ¡°Mm-hmm.¡± DH purred. TO smiled, and continued; it was fine for them to go slowly; they were just glad that DH was alright with any of it. More than that, they were glad that despite being mates, despite telling them how they felt, they were still, and always would be, friends. ====== ¡°Tomorrow¡¯s Portal day.¡± DH said as they got ready for bed once the lights had dimmed. TO was sitting on the bed, their blanket draped over their wings, which were wrapped around them. ¡°Do you think it¡¯ll be painful?¡± they asked, ¡°I got a warning on my chip that said we should lie down when we go through it¡­¡± They sighed as they checked their communicator again; they had hoped that Avery had already gone through the portal. They had sent them a message early that day, but there had been no response. It worried TO; If their calculations were correct, then Avery should have gone through the portal already and come out the other side; why hadn¡¯t they responded yet? Even if TO¡¯s calculations were wrong¡­ What had happened? Why hadn¡¯t Avery responded? ¡°Wouldn¡¯t Ark-1 have told us?¡± DH asked. They frowned as they considered this and went over to the console. ¡°I suppose we can always check it; it¡¯s not as though that¡¯s dangerous or confidential information.¡± TO hadn¡¯t even considered just looking it up. ¡°That¡¯s true; even civilians use portals for transport.¡± DH turned on the console, did a quick search, and read. As they read, a frown developed over their face, their ears flicking back. ¡°DH?¡± TO said, getting up and taking a few steps forward, ¡°Is it that bad?¡± They shivered as they wrapped the blanket around their naked body. DH continued to read, then looked to TO with a gravely serious, solemn expression, ¡°I understand very little of this.¡± DH said, their voice overly serious, ¡°I am not a quantum engineer.¡± TO laughed, ¡°Neither am I!¡± They said, ¡°But¡­ does anyone talk about what it feels like?¡± ¡°Yes?¡± DH said, their ears quirking out with confusion. ¡°But even that¡¯s confusing. A few of them say it¡¯s like time becomes a rubber band?¡± They shook their head ¡°And they said that it feels odd, but afterwards it doesn¡¯t matter?¡± ¡°They don¡¯t talk about pain or anything, though?¡± ¡°No... no they talk about not being able to move, but not about any pain; I guess that¡¯s why lay down; you don¡¯t want to be stuck in an uncomfortable position.¡± They frowned as they looked back at the screen. ¡°Still, I¡¯d like to know how it works¡­¡± ¡°Maybe you¡¯ll be a quantum engineer one day.¡± TO said as they went back to the bed. They checked their communicator again; still nothing from Avery. They looked through their old messages to them, wondering if they had missed something. They were so involved in looking through everything that they didn''t notice DH had gotten up from the console and undressed until they sat on the mattress next to them. ¡°TO?¡± DH said, ¡°What¡¯s really wrong?¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t heard from Avery; They said they¡¯d send me a message after they went through the portal and tell me what it¡¯s like.¡± ¡°Well¡­ If they went though, maybe it¡¯ll take longer to get messages? If it was successful then they¡¯re probably on the other side of the galaxy now, so messages would take longer to come through, right? ¡° ¡°Maybe.¡± TO said. Shouldn¡¯t that be something they were told about? They considered asking Ark-1 about it, but then figured it might be a silly thing to bother them about. DH touched the side of TO¡¯s hand with their own, ¡°So...¡± they grinned, ¡°Me, a Quantum Engineer?¡± TO stared at DH, perfectly quiet as they considered it, ¡°Maybe?¡± they finally said, ¡°I have no idea what it takes to become one, or if any of them are synths or not!¡± ¡°Well... the technology belongs to King Decon, doesn¡¯t it?¡± DH asked, ¡°So doesn¡¯t it make sense that only synths can use His technology?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± TO said, their ears flicking down, ¡°But.. but if you ended up being a quantum engineer, I don¡¯t know if I¡¯d ever see you again. You¡¯d probably have to go away to work on faster portals, or working on stabilizing wormholes out in dead zones.¡± ¡°Maybe you¡¯d come with me.¡± DH said, ¡°Remember what Snout said about being sent away? About being sent out into dead zones as punishment? It doesn¡¯t seem like it really would be¡­ I mean, not if they sent me with you. Maybe we¡¯d even find whole new planets out there.¡± ¡°We¡¯d have to find stars for that.¡± TO said, ¡°And that means finding a new solar system.¡± ¡°That¡¯s possible, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Yes, but unlikely if we¡¯re just being shot into an empty section of space to look for wormholes; that¡¯s why we avoid dead zones; nothing¡¯s tracked in them, nothing¡¯s known about them, and it¡¯s most likely that they contain nothing!¡± DH sighed, ¡°It¡¯s still possible.¡± they muttered. TO glanced at DH¡¯s face, looked at their hands, and then took DH¡¯s hand in theirs. DH¡¯s ears flicked down, but before they could say anything TO leaned in and gave them a kiss - gentle and quick- on the cheek. One day they¡¯d kiss the ears, but not yet. They hadn¡¯t even had their own ears kissed yet, but the idea of it made their ears quiver. They pulled DH down on the bed, wrapping their wings around them as they pulled them close and nuzzled into their chest. Not expecting to be pulled down like that, DH gave a little yelp, their ears flushing as TO pulled them close. ¡°It¡¯s good to be able to do this.¡± TO said. ¡°I-it was... I mean, we did this before.¡± ¡°Not like this.¡± TO said. They stiffened up suddenly. ¡°This is alright, right? You¡¯re not uncomfortable.¡± ¡°No! No. Just, you surprised me!¡± They gently put their hands around the small of TO¡¯s back, ¡°That¡¯s all.¡± Somehow, it felt like they calmed down when they were this close to DH. They didn¡¯t know if it had been like that before they started having feelings for them; when they had realized how they felt then, being close like this always held just a hint of anxiety in it. This feeling of serene calm that washed over them when they were in DH¡¯s embrace was new to TO, but they loved it. No matter what they were worried about, their concerns seemed to fall away, fading into the background of their mind. Tomorrow was portal day; they¡¯d be fine so long as they were with DH. Episode 146: Civilians TO and DH watched from the weapons bay as they approached the portal. While neither of them knew exactly how the portals worked, they knew a few basic things; they knew the portals used wormholes created by black holes, that King Decon was the only one with the technology to stabilize these wormholes, and that working around the portals was a dangerous job. While TO knew working with portals was dangerous, it was only now that they truly understood why. The black hole that they approached seemed to warp everything around it, twisting light and reality into itself and into the unfathomable darkness that hurt to look at. Around it was a strange modular shield, something which relied on the gravitational pull of the black hole to hold it together, but which was strong enough to keep from collapsing. THe pieces of the shield interlocked and pressed together to reduce the pull of the black hole and allow ships to approach the portals without getting sucked in. All around the circumference of this shield was a series of gates, connected to long tubes which would lead ships through the shield and to the wormhole. Before each tube was a large ring; big enough to encircle most ships. This ring would anchor their ship in place, holding it and ensuring that they didn¡¯t go off track. Once they anchored to these rings, they¡¯d have to power down. They¡¯d then go through the tunnel, through the gate, and then the anchor ring would release them. The gravity of the black hole would pull them through to the other side where a second ring would then catch them, locking them in to prevent them from being pulled back through the wormhole, or even into the black hole. The ring would then pull them through the tunnel on the other side until they got past the shields. When they were safe from the gravity of the black hole, the ring would release them. It was a game of galactic catch; an apt but unnerving analogy that made TO shiver. As they looked at the portal-docks before them, and eyed the ships that were waiting at all the different docks, they shivered and wrapped their wings around themself. What if it went wrong? What if they got caught in the black hole? What if they went through the wrong portal and ended up somewhere dangerous? DH leaned into TO¡¯s side and wrapped a wing around them. ¡°It¡¯s going to be fine.¡± they said, ¡°I mean, there haven¡¯t been many accidents since scientists perfected the shield, right?¡± ¡°There¡¯s been some.¡± TO muttered. It wasn¡¯t the shield that they had perfected, it was the introduction of the rings. Before, there had been more guesswork in the trajectory of how ships approached the wormholes, and sometimes ships would miss and get sent into the black hole. Now, it was only due to rare mechanical failure that such accidents happened. Still; Accidents happened. ¡°Some; but not many. We¡¯ll be fine.¡± DH said, though TO caught the slightest flick of DH¡¯s ears. TO looked at the mesh, ¡°That just looks too delicate to control the gravitational pull of a black hole.¡± TO said, ¡°I mean, it¡¯s made of unconnected pieces being held together by the black hole. If one of them were to break, then there¡¯d be a breech, and everything would get sucked in.¡± ¡°Not everything.¡± DH said as their ears flicked down, ¡°I mean¡­ it would be utter chaos for a little, and any undocked ships would get pulled to the breach, but the rest of the shield should stay in place, right?¡± Should stay in place; TO didn¡¯t like that. The ship slowed down, and alerts came up on TO and DH¡¯s communicators, ¡°Preparing for docking.¡± They looked outside, and could see the flexible tendrils with the thrusters on the end retracted back into the ship itself. They could now see the actual docking bay that they were heading to, and though the other docks were all filled and lined up, theirs was empty. ¡°... Does that seem odd to you?¡± TO asked. ¡°What?¡± ¡°That the docking bay for us is empty?¡± ¡°Maybe it¡¯s empty because we¡¯re going through?¡± DH asked, ¡°Maybe it¡¯s a security thing?¡± Their communicators beeped again, and gave them another message, ¡®Please prepare for screening; you must activate your armor and leave the ship to converse with wormhole security.¡¯ ¡°... We¡¯re going to talk to a civilian.¡± TO said. They looked at DH, ¡°We¡¯re actually going to talk to a civilian.¡± DH sighed as they pulled their wing from TO, ¡°I guess we better get ready.¡± they muttered, ¡°I don¡¯t want to go though; why do we have to talk to them; Civilians are awful.¡± ¡°Maybe not? I mean, maybe not all of them?¡± ¡°If they weren¡¯t awful, there¡¯d be no insurgency.¡± ¡°Well, maybe individuals aren¡¯t awful, and these are Galactic security, so King Decon must have approved them, right?¡± Still, TO¡¯s wings tightened around them; what if the civilians were awful? Well, even if they were, there wasn¡¯t much that a civilian could do to them; yes, they were low-level synths, but even a low level synth had more prestige and authority than the highest level of civilian. ¡°Well, let¡¯s see.¡± DH muttered. They got into the elevator, and TO followed them. Stolen story; please report. ¡°I¡¯m a little excited.¡± TO said, ¡°I¡¯ve never met a civilian before, I mean, of course we haven¡¯t, but I thought we wouldn¡¯t see one until we got to Arkane!¡± ¡°I just don¡¯t see why we need to be checked.¡± DH muttered. ¡°But I guess we have to do this.¡± ======= It was only about ten minutes later when they left their ship for the first time in two periods. While TO loved being on the ship with DH, it was nice to see something new, and refreshing to see people moving about. They were inside the station, so nobody needed to wear space suits here. TO froze. Yes, there were people moving about, but none of them were synths! Of course, TO knew that; they knew that there wouldn¡¯t be synths working here, but they hadn¡¯t expected such variety¡­ They didn¡¯t know where to look! There were so many people who looked so different from one another and going from an environment where everyone more or less looked the same to such a chaotic and in uniform mess was jarring. There was a person with four animalistic legs and two arms- The filter on the screen of TO¡¯s helmet activated and highlighted the four-legged person. A notice flashed at the top of their vision; =Anarian; origin - planet Erana. Specimen is an adult. Ask pronouns; likely She/He/Them= ¡°Did you see that?¡± TO asked DH through the communicator; they had to speak to each other in Common, but at least that way they weren¡¯t being oddly translated and the civilians couldn¡¯t hear what they were saying. ¡°See what?¡± DH asked back, and though tone was hard to pick up on in common for them, TO could tell by the speed of DH¡¯s speech that they were somewhat panicked, ¡°See all the random, strange looking-¡° ¡°The information!¡± TO said. They looked back at the Anarian, but the data had vanished; a small marker was next to them, and TO was certain that if they activated the controls, they could bring up that information again. Still, now that they were looking back at the Anarian, they felt slightly uncomfortable; the Anarian was far too large on their bottom half with the extra legs; TO was used to other synths, all of which had slender legs and wider shoulders. Everyone around them looked far too stocky, too bottom heavy to TO. There were several people who looked like bugs to TO, with multiple legs covered in exoskeleton and feelers off their heads- ¡°This is a lot.¡± DH said. ¡°It¡¯s a lot. I don¡¯t like this; I want to be back on the ship. Is this what it¡¯s going to be like on Arkane?¡± ¡°Maybe?¡± TO said; they were getting nervous but as their wings started to wrap around them, something stopped them; a part of the armor at their back kept TO from being able to wrap their wings around themself and instead kept them back, just barely touching their shoulders in an almost aggressive gesture. ¡°Let¡¯s get to the security, get checked, and get back on the ship.¡± DH said, ¡°I don¡¯t want to be here.¡± TO nodded and looked around for the security station, trying to ignore all the different people they saw around them. Because they were looking for a sign or a building, they didn¡¯t notice the two uniformed people coming up to them. It wasn¡¯t until they were in front of TO and DH that TO paid them any attention at all; They were both bipedal, though one had arms with fins on them, greenish skin, and large black eyes; TO didn¡¯t know what their mouth was like because they had a strange mask covering their mouth and nose. ==Lepomian; Specimen is an adult. Specialized pronouns; Fe, Ma, Ra. Ask pronouns. Note; this species requires a specialized mask when out of high humidity/aquatic environments.== The other one was human as far as TO could tell, with cropped black hair and contrasting blue eyes- ==Human; Specimen is Adult. Ask pronouns; likely He/she/Them. == They both wore uniforms that were much more elaborate than TO was used to; gone were the plain jumpsuits in different colors; these uniforms were almost extravagantly fancy to TO; a suit with a badge pinned over the center of their chest, fancy metal buttons with designs etched into them, and decorative stitching at the hems. Were these uniforms standard issue? Did King Decon allow this? As TO looked more carefully at the badges, more information came through. Over the human, TO saw the alert say ¡®=Galactic ID: Ark435-4956956734. Name; Morra. Pronouns; She/her. Occupation; Galactic Portal Security Agent.¡® and over the Lepomian, ¡®=Galactic ID Oca 654-495566832. Name; Bubura. Pronouns; Ma/Mer. Occupation; Galactic Portal Security Agent =¡® The civilians slowed as they approached TO and DH, and bowed their heads once they were before them; they were shorter than TO had expected; the human coming up to TO¡¯s chest, and the Lepomian falling a little shorter still. Morra the human spoke first, but TO couldn¡¯t understand what she was saying; it wasn¡¯t Common, and it wasn¡¯t any language that they were familiar with. A moment passed, and the sound feeding through the helmet dimmed as the translation played; it created a slight lag between TO seeing her mouth move and the actual words that were now coming to them through their helmet. ¡°Excuse me.¡± Morra said, ¡°Might I assume you are Ark-87 and Ark-88?¡± Even as she spoke, a strange overlay appeared on TO¡¯s visor, creating a pair of fake ears to appear around Morra to help TO understand the tone. The ears were down and out, not sad; scared and passive. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s us.¡± TO said. A moment later, they could vaguely hear the translation play for the civilians. They both seemed to flinch, but TO wasn¡¯t sure why. Wordlessly, the Lepomian, Bubura came forward and with two hands held out a scanner. ¡°Apologies for the inconvenience, but new security protocols require a direct read of your security credentials.¡± Morra said. The Bubura didn¡¯t speak, but just held the scanner up as ma looked away. ¡°... Why aren¡¯t you speaking?¡± TO asked. They expected the same lag between the time they spoke and the time that the question left their helmet, but a warning flashed before TO instead. ==INFORMATION== Lepomian¡¯s have difficulty speaking on dry land; Civilians normally consider it rude to comment on this. A jolt of worry ran through TO as they thought that they might have offended the Lepomian, but then they realized that the suit and the system had caught the mistake, informed TO, and refused to translate what they said. With a breath of relief, TO looked at the scanner. The civilians had asked for security credentials, and TO assumed that meant they needed to scan their chip. TO held their hand to the scanner, which suddenly flashed green. Bubura moved towards DH, who did the same. Once the light flashed green once more, Morra started speaking into a microphone clipped to the collar of their grey and black suit. ¡°This is Morra, section 45-ark-1. Requesting permission to send a Synth Carrier ship through; sending security information.¡± There was static over the line, and after a while a voice came back, ¡°Approved; send through immediately.¡± Once the order came through, Morra breathed a sigh of relief. Even Bubura seemed to relax. ¡°Is there a problem with sending people through?¡± TO asked, ¡°Is that why there¡¯s no line here?¡± Morra flinched as the words came out, ¡°No no, no problem.¡± she said, and the digital ears that superimposed over his head twitched with anxiety- no, they didn¡¯t twitch, they signaled; it was less a tone and more a statement; this person is anxious. The artificial ear movements were awkward, but they got the point across. ¡°Over the last day or so, all transports that tried to go through here have been diverted.¡± She explained, ¡°I¡¯m just most grateful that you will not need to be diverted.¡± Bubura stepped back, putting the scanner under one arm, and signaled with mer hand. As ma gestured, the words flooded into TO¡¯s ears. ¡°I thought it was a technical issue.¡± ma sighed, ¡°But the last transport to go through was the synths that came before; maybe they¡¯re keeping the location clear for transport?¡± ¡°We, of course, wouldn¡¯t dare to assume!¡± Morra said. ¡°Neither myself nor Bubura here! We just¡­ well of course we wondered-¡° ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± TO said, ¡°We¡¯re cleared to go?¡± The translation went though, and once more Morra seemed to flinch; they wondered if maybe the translations were too loud. ¡°Yes, of course.¡± she said, ¡°Please, go ahead; you¡¯re cleared for passage.¡± The two civilians bowed, and then backed away until they were at least six feet away from DH and TO; at that point, they turned and left. As they headed back to their ship, TO could only think of how scared the civilians had been, and how they flinched with every word TO spoke. They¡¯d have to check the translator; something had to be wrong. Episode 147: Power Down Although the civilian security had cleared DH and TO for passage, they weren¡¯t ready to go through the portal yet; they still had to power down their ship and run last-minute checks to their systems. DH, as normal, checked all the systems on the console while TO ran from floor to floor making sure everything was ready for a full power down. A few more switches had to be pulled, a few more systems properly shut down, and there were a few mechanical processes that TO needed to stop manually. When it was all done, TO went back down to the main living area where DH was just shutting down the systems of the console. The lights in the living area shut down just seconds before the screen that had been on since they started their trip faded to darkness. They could still see thanks to the lights from outside the ship, but even for a synth it was quite dim. A moment later, the artificial gravity gave out, and the two lifted into the air. It wasn¡¯t a big problem; they could easily reach the ceiling to push themselves around. ¡°Are we good?¡± TO asked. DH reached out and clutched at the wall, ¡°Nope.¡± They said, looking like they might be sick, ¡°I don¡¯t think I like this anti-gravity thing.¡± ¡°Right¡­ You¡¯ve never been in zero gravity.¡± TO muttered. They reached out and took DH¡¯s hand. ¡°Come here and hold on to me.¡± They said. They pulled DH towards them and allowed DH to hold on to them for extra support. ¡°Everything¡¯s ready?¡± TO asked. DH just nodded. TO activated their chip so that they could send a message back to the portal security guards; with the ship powered down, they couldn¡¯t send messages over long distances, but the dock was close enough that they could send a message over a local connection. ¡°We have shut all systems down, and we¡¯re ready to go.¡± TO sent. Not even a minute later, they got a response. ¡°Confirmed; please prepare for transport.¡± Moving slowly so as not to make DH too uncomfortable, TO made their way towards the bed and used the wall to pull themself down towards the mattress. The ship lunged as the anchor ring went into place around it and caught the ship in its own gravitational pull. The new artificial gravity pulled DH and TO down onto the bed. ¡°I guess I should have asked if you were comfortable sharing a bed while we travelled like this.¡± TO said, their ears flicking down slightly. They wanted to be very careful, and not assume that DH was comfortable with things. DH still looked a little queasy, but despite that they gave TO a quick smile, ¡°Of course.¡± They said. DH reached out and took TO¡¯s hand. ¡°I mean¡­ You¡¯re still scared, right?¡± TO glanced away as their ears burned; a synth that was afraid of travelling through portals; that was laughable. Still, maybe after the first time it wouldn¡¯t be so bad. Maybe they were less scared of this situation, and more just afraid of going through something new and strange. ¡°I shouldn¡¯t be.¡± TO muttered. They lay back on the bed, but they didn¡¯t cuddle into DH as they normally would; instead, they lay on their back and gave DH¡¯s hand a squeeze. Sometimes, if they were laying on their side, their arms might go numb or their back might hurt if they lay at an odd angle; if they couldn¡¯t move, then they didn¡¯t want any discomfort. Being on their back was best for this. There was a slight pull and a shake as TO assumed that they passed through the shield around the black hole, and got pulled forward by the black hole. DH quickly shifted closer so that their sides pressed together. ¡°It¡¯ll be ok.¡± DH said. ¡°You don¡¯t know that.¡± TO said. Still, they were more amused than anything else, and just happy to have DH by their side. ¡°Maybe¡­ But it¡¯ll be ok so long as you¡¯re here with me.¡± DH said, but they suddenly sounded strange. DH¡¯s voice seemed to slow down. Even as they gave a chuckle, it seemed to draw out more slowly, and there was an odd lag as their ears flicked down and flushed; For the first time TO could see the blue creep up their ears. It was like reality was slowing down. ¡°Sorry, was that corny to say...¡± DH frowned, the expression crossing their face even more slowly, ¡°There¡¯s... something... wrong-¡± If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. Suddenly, it felt like the ship lost control and was zipping through space with no thrusters or guidance. The lights from the dock faded away, leaving them in total darkness. There was an odd feeling that overcame TO, like the seconds were stretching out, passing and not passing all at once; TO could think and could feel, but while their mind was moving at the same pace as before, it felt like their body couldn¡¯t. More and more they felt like they were moving slower and slower until even a blink seemed to take an eternity. Days? Months? Years? Everything seemed timeless. Still, it wasn¡¯t unpleasant; TO wasn¡¯t Hungry or uncomfortable, and didn¡¯t feel restless at all. Then, suddenly, they felt time rush back to them. It was as though Everything they had been trying to say or do just snapped back into place, as though physical reality was trying to catch up with them. The ship jolted back to a stop as the ring on the other side of the portal caught their ship. ¡°-.. Wrong with meandidon¡¯t-¡± DH coughed as they choked on all the words that tried to come out of their mouth all at once. They sat up, clutching at their throat and wheezing. As DH caught their breath, they looked about frantically as the lights from the dock on the other side filtered into the windows, ¡°Is... Is it over?¡± TO sat up slowly, as though testing their body to see if they could, ¡°I think so?¡± They said. ¡°That... I didn¡¯t like it.¡± DH said, shuddering. ¡°It felt like it took forever at the time, but now that it¡¯s over-¡± ¡°It felt like it only took a second.¡± TO said, finishing DH¡¯s sentence, ¡°It was like time got stretched out, and then-¡± They stopped, remembering the odd description that DH had read off the console just the day before as they tried to figure out what going through the portal might feel like. ¡°It was like time got stretched out, and then snapped into place!¡± TO said, raising their hand to their mouth as they suppressed a low giggle, ¡°It was like¡­ Like time was a rubber band!¡± DH stared at TO for a moment, their ears flicking forward in confusion until finally they shook their head and laughed, ¡°Time was a rubber band.¡± they repeated, ¡°That explains it I suppose! Still, they could have explained it better, they could have-¡± TO and DH¡¯s chips went off at the same time. TO shifted on the bed and grabbed their communicator so that they could see the message. ¡°Probably just notices telling us we¡¯re on the other side.¡± TO said. Sure enough, the communicator had a message from Docking Control. ¡°Do not power up your vessel. Please confirm your identification.¡± TO typed in their new call numbers and sent it off. ¡°Do you think it¡¯s safe to get up?¡± TO asked, ¡°or should we wait?¡± ¡°I think we¡¯re good.¡± DH said as they stretched, ¡°We¡¯re locked into the gravity ring and we¡¯re still moving, so we must be going to the dock.¡± TO got up and went to the tiny window nearby; they couldn¡¯t see much, but they could make out the approaching structures before them. ¡°That seems right.,¡± TO said, ¡°I hope we¡¯re in the right place though... If we were, then they wouldn¡¯t need to ask for our Identification, right?¡± Before DH could respond, another message came in on the communicator. TO grabbed it and checked, hoping for confirmation that everything was alright. It was another message from Dock Control. ¡°No, your former assignments.¡± TO froze. Their former assignments? Why would anyone need those? Their former assignments, the numbers that they had as mere trainees, were no longer theirs and were no longer important ¡°Why do they need that?¡± DH asked, their ears pinning back. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± TO said. Their first thought was to send a message to Ark-1, but they realized that if they tried, their messages wouldn¡¯t get through until they powered up their ship. Even if they could send a message, hadn¡¯t they been sent off with the expectation that they could handle unexpected situations on their own? If they had a situation just in travelling through portals that they couldn¡¯t handle, then they weren¡¯t doing their job very well. ¡°... I¡¯ll tell them.¡± TO said, ¡°As far as I know, it¡¯s not confidential information, and it¡¯s fairly useless to civilians, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Yeah...¡± DH said slowly, ¡°Tell them, and see what they say; we can ask why they need it later; they¡¯ll have to respond to us once we¡¯re cleared.¡± TO nodded and sent back a message; ¡°Former assignments are no longer associated with active duty synths, and these assignments no longer have any association with us. Regardless, our assignments were 09T07 and 70H67.¡± ¡°Maybe it¡¯s part of the extra security measures?¡± DH said as they leaned back on the bed; still the way their ears twitched told TO how nervous DH was, ¡°Maybe they¡¯re just asking to see if we¡¯re actually synths.¡± ¡°We just cleared the first security checkpoint, and got cleared for transport; who else would we be?¡± TO muttered, their ears flattening out as they watched their communicator. ¡°Space Pirates?¡± DH ventured, ¡°I imagine having a synth vessel would be useful for space pirates.¡± Their communicator beeped with another message. DH lunged forward and hung off TO¡¯s shoulder as they read along with them. ¡°Do not power up your ship: if you do, we will open fire.¡± was all the message said. A moment later, a video came through showing a panoramic view of a dock which had at least two dozen ships stuck in the rings and powered down. One such ship was another synth vessel; Avery¡¯s. ¡°That¡¯s why we didn¡¯t hear from them.¡± TO said, their ears pinning back as their shaking hand started sending a message back, ¡°They couldn¡¯t send a message because their ship is still powered down.¡± ¡®What do you want?¡¯ TO sent back. They turned to DH, ¡°If we power up, they¡¯ll open fire.¡± TO glanced back at the video; yes, most of the ships were cargo which likely had a small crew on board, but there was, of course, Avery¡¯s ship, and at least one giant civilian passenger vessel. ¡°That civilian ship might be carrying hundreds of civilians.¡± DH muttered, ¡°If they open fire¡­¡± their ears flicked down as they looked at TO, ¡°I don¡¯t like civilians, but I don¡¯t want them to get hurt.¡± TO nodded, feeling their wings puff out around them; who was this, and how dare they do this? How dare they take control of this port? How dare they put so many people in danger? How dare they threaten one of TO¡¯s friends? Why did they do this? What did they want? A message came back, a single word in reply, ¡°You.¡± Episode 148: Singularity TO stared at the single work on the screen, speechless. They wanted them? Why? Was that why they had asked for their original numbers? Did they want them and DH specifically, or was there more information that the insurgents could draw from those numbers? ¡°Us?¡± TO said as they turned to DH, ¡°They want us?¡± ¡°... What if it¡¯s the insurgency?¡± DH said, ¡°What if it¡¯s the insurgency, and they¡¯re trying to stop us from getting to Arkane! They¡¯ve already gotten rid of several other synths, so maybe they¡¯re just trying to stop us before we even get there.¡± Maybe. TO¡¯s mind raced; that was a possibility. Where did the insurgency get the funds and materials for a space fleet big enough to take over a spaceport? ¡°Why did they want our old numbers, though?¡± TO muttered to themself. That part made no sense¡­ Or did it? Their eyes suddenly widened as they turned to DH. ¡°If GiDi came here¡­ what if they got caught by the insurgency? What if they tortured GiDi to get information out of them? Sure, knowing our call numbers might be nothing important, but if they know us better, if they know more about us, then they can use that information against us, right?¡± ¡°How so?¡± TO¡¯s eyes narrowed, ¡°By saying perhaps how close we are? By saying how I get dizzy at the sight of blood¡­.¡± There were so many little things; tiny weaknesses that GiDi might have known which would make them more vulnerable to the insurgency. Things that TO knew GiDi wouldn¡¯t tell the insurgency unless someone tortured them. Another message came through on TO¡¯s communicator, and with DH at their shoulder they read it together. ¡°You will leave your ship; your suits should allow for you to be outside in space for a short period. A drone will approach you, and both of you will enter the drone. If you destroy the drone, we attack. If you refuse to leave, we attack. If you power up your ship, we attack. Do you understand?¡± ¡°What do we do?¡± DH asked. ¡°We¡­ We can¡¯t just go to them! They¡¯ll kill us!¡± ¡°And if we don¡¯t, they¡¯ll kill us, anyway.¡± TO muttered. If the enemy opened fire on them now, what were the chances that they could destroy the synth ship before their weapons were online? How strong were their weapons? What weapons did the insurgent ships have? TO didn¡¯t know. What they knew was that their shields were down, as were the shields on Avery¡¯s ship. They¡¯d have only minimal physical defences against any weapons. The other issue was that if the insurgents had interrogated the other synths that had gone missing, then they might have a good idea of the various weaknesses of the ship. ¡°We can¡¯t power up.¡± TO said, ¡°There¡¯s too many of them, and it would take too long to bring all our systems back online before they did significant damage to us.¡± TO looked over the video again, looking at all the tiny ships that were hovering about; tiny, but many. Even if they could get their ship powered up, the chances that they could deal with all the insurgents at once were minimal. No, less than minimal; it was impossible. ¡°If we can power up, we can use a singularity bomb?¡± DH suggested. They had one singularity bomb intended for use dire emergencies much like this. singularity bombs were dangerous, creating a temporary high-density singularity that would pull things towards it and crush them once they got into a certain radius. It was basically a tiny black hole. ¡°There¡¯s a chance that the insurgents might damage the equipment too much before we got to use it. Also, everyone else is still too close to use; The civilians and Avery would get sucked in.¡± DH¡¯s ears pinned back, ¡°Would they though?¡± DH said. They leaned over and scrolled back through the video. ¡°Look, all the civilian ships are still in the anchor rings, and if those rings are strong enough to keep us from getting sucked into a black hole then I¡¯m positive that they can keep us from being drawn into a singularity, right?¡± TO chewed on their lip as they considered this, their ears twitching with thought. That was true, but how long would it take them to get their systems up and online to where they could drop a singularity bomb? How much damage could the insurgency do to them, or to the others in the time to prep their system. Stolen novel; please report. A message came through once more. ¡°Please respond; we are giving you five minutes to make your decision before we will unfortunately be forced to take action.¡± ¡°Five minutes¡­¡± DH said, their voice fragile and quiet, ¡°It would take at least that long to bring up all of our digital systems, let alone the actual mechanical ones we¡¯d need.¡± Their ears pinned back as they looked at the message, then they looked at TO; their eyes wide and afraid. ¡°What do we do?¡± TO didn¡¯t know. Their mind raced as they considered possibilities, but the smaller ships outnumbered them, and the enemy had synth and civilian hostages. In their training, they were of course taught that there was a certain level of acceptable casualties for situations like this; both civilian and synth. Their training experience gave TO a solution that they didn¡¯t like; outnumbered, with civilian hostages and an enemy that would capture them and torture them for information, then the best option was a self- destruct sequence on their ship. If they could call Ark-1, that would probably be what they were told to do. TO would not do that. Even if their training told them that might be the best option overall, they would NOT be doing that. They didn¡¯t want anyone to die here; civilian or synth! But still... What else could they do? A singularity bomb was probably the only option, but they couldn¡¯t bring one up without powering up the ship! The only active weapon they had at the moment was their multi-gun, and they couldn¡¯t drop a singularity with a multi-gun! ... Or could they? TO suddenly nodded, and sent a message back, ¡°Understood; we will leave the ship momentarily.¡± They closed the system. ¡°TO!¡± DH said, grabbing at TO¡¯s arm, ¡°You can¡¯t go out there! What if they kill you! Or Torture you!¡± TO smiled and took DH by the shoulders. ¡°It¡¯s ok.¡± They said as they leaned forward and kissed DH just on the bridge of their snout. ¡°It¡¯s ok. I have a plan.¡± They lowered their head a little, then kissed DH on the lips before they backed up and activated their suit. They had a plan, but it was dangerous, and in case the worst happened, they wanted to have that last kiss with DH. ====== They didn¡¯t have time to power up the ship so that they could leave through the airlock, so instead they had to go to the smaller ship attached and leave through the main doors after securing everything else. That, unfortunately, meant no tethers. Still, TO and DH had taken a long length of wire and tied it to one another. They also still had their thrusters so that they could maneuver in space. ¡°I still think this is a terrible idea.¡± DH said through the communicator, ¡°I don¡¯t have a better idea, but this is a terrible idea.¡± ¡°The alternative is giving up and doing what they tell us.¡± TO said back. ¡°And¡­ we can still do that.¡± ¡°You¡¯d surrender?¡± ¡°If you wanted.¡± TO said. They didn¡¯t want to surrender, but if DH would prefer it, then they¡¯d do it. They almost felt as though they wanted an excuse not to do this. ¡°No.¡± DH said, ¡°If this gets messed up, at least death should be relatively fast, and we won¡¯t get tortured and questioned.¡± ¡°Alright.. Let¡¯s do this.¡± It seemed so much different in this new area of space, on the other side of the portal; it was so much more cold and empty. The slight tint of the nebula that colored everything in vague shades of purple and red was gone, leaving only the cold black of space, interspersed with stars that stood out against the bleakness like holes in the universe. Some of those stars were planets, TO told themself, and maybe one was Arkane. They turned to see the docks nearby; to look at all the ships caught in the gravity rings. The much smaller enemy ships were hovering on the spot with red lights showing that they were armed and ready for attack. Now that they could see the ships more clearly, TO was certain that they were all drones; likely all unmanned; that somehow made TO more angry. The two used their thrusters to make their way around the ship until the insurgents, or at least the insurgents¡¯ drones, could see them. As soon as they were in sight, a slightly larger ship started heading towards them. It was the drone that the insurgents told them to enter. ¡°Last chance to choose to surrender.¡± TO said as they braced themself. They looked back at the shield around the black hole and hoped that DH¡¯s aim and skill with a multi-gun was as good as TO thought it was. ¡°I¡¯m ready to do this.¡± The ship came closer. TO moved forward, positioning themself between DH and the enemy ship. ¡°Alright¡­¡± TO said, wishing that they had something to hold on to, ¡°Do it now.¡± With DH obscured from view of the drone by TO, they could quickly grab their multi-gun¡ªwhich was turned up to the setting intended to do damage to buildings and barriers¡ªand fired not at the enemy but at the shield that held back the gravitational pull of the black hole. The force of the blast pushed DH back, sending them spiraling back towards their own ship, dragging TO along with them by the wire around their waists. They didn''t move quite fast enough; the enemy drone fired and struck TO in the leg; thankfully, their armor took most of the hit and seemed to sustain minor damage. Still, the pure force of the hit sent them off course. While DH¡¯s aim was very good, but this added force changed their direction and sent them off course. They still rushed to their ship, and while TO didn¡¯t end up close to the entrance to the smaller ship, they did at least grab hold of the side of the ship with the magnetized hands and feet of their suit. DH wasn¡¯t so lucky; they sailed past, only stopping as the robe went tight once more and they stopped thanks to TO¡¯s magnetic grasp on the side of the ship. There was a flash of light, and at first TO thought that they had failed, and that the drones were attacking. When they looked up, they saw that the flash wasn¡¯t coming from the drone; it was coming from the spot on the shield that DH had fired at; One of the modular shields seemed cracked. It sparked, the lights flickered, and suddenly went out. As the light went out, the piece fell back into the hole. They had just broken the one thing protecting them from the draw of the black hole before them, and as the shield fell back into the blackness to get crushed into a singularity, the pull of the black hole reached out, and pulled everything else to it. Episode 149: Hold As the gravity of the black hole broke free from the control of the shield, it seemed like everything in the port suddenly shifted and strained against the new force. The shield parts around the newly formed hole turned red, and an alarm sounded inside TO¡¯s helmet. A warning flashed across their visor. == Warning; Shield Breach. Stay inside your anchored ship until the breach is contained. == Of course, TO and DH weren¡¯t in their ship at all. DH was being held on by the wire between the two of them, and TO was only clinging to the ship thanks to the magnetic connections. Enemy drones, many which had been hovering in rest mode, rushed towards the hole in the shield. Some went right in, but others smacked against the edges and broke before the pieces spiraled towards the black hole. Other ships which were moving tried to reverse their thrusters and get more distance, but all they did was crash against the shield, or against other ships and causing substantial damage. The ships that were locked in the anchors thankfully didn¡¯t move, though a few ships lost pieces as the drones crashed into them. TO jolted as the wire around their waist pulled tight, and for a split second they thought they would lose their grip on the ship. They shifted, and one foot came loose, but they could regain their grip and secure their foot against the ship. They looked and saw that DH hadn¡¯t grabbed onto anything to secure themself and was now being pulled towards the hole in the shield. All that was keeping them both from being pulled away to either fall through the hole or slam against the shield was the magnetic connections TO head to the ship. TO had an Idea, that maybe if they could reach out and pull DH towards the ship, then it would be easier. They reached out, but the moment they pulled their hand from the edge of the ship they felt their grip loosening. They felt as though their heart had stopped for a moment and quickly slammed their hand back against the ship. Ok¡­ that wouldn¡¯t work. TO would just have to hold on until the shield¡¯s auto-repair mechanisms kicked in and created a temporary fix. Hopefully, it didn¡¯t take long, and everything was working as it should. TO glanced back at the shield, and felt a brief wave of relief as they saw the smaller circular bots zooming across the outside of the shield and towards the hole; the repair functions had already activated and were working to contain the breach. Hurry¡­ hurry up TO thought as they held on. THey could feel their grip slackening, the fight between the pull of gravity and the power of the magnets struggling against one another. They glanced back at DH, and saw that DH was working to try to pull themself back towards TO. Good; If DH could get to them, then they were certain they¡¯d be ok. They just had to wait a little longer; wait for the shield to be fixed, wait for DH to reach them, or wait to be pulled away and to their death. They felt something give, like a tear somewhere. When they looked down, they saw that the wire around their waist was giving; the cords under the tubing must have pulled too hard; maybe weakened by the makeshift loops and knots that they had tied. Whatever had caused it, that didn¡¯t matter now. What mattered was that the tubing was straining and breaking just at TO¡¯s waist. Even if they couldn¡¯t pull DH in, they had to grab the rope if they were to keep DH from spiraling off towards the black hole. Of course, if they removed a hand from the ship then the pull of gravity would pull them away! How were they supposed to do this! They had nothing to grab onto, just the magnets that were proving to be not strong enough! How do you hold on to a ship in space with all kinds of forces trying to pull you off! TO remembered the void anemone. That thing had clung to the side of the ship for days! It actually was hard to pry off, and TO had to use their multi-gun to get the remains of the crystals off! Sure, they hadn¡¯t been fighting the pull of a black hole, but they had been travelling through space! If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. They looked around and thanked their one tiny sliver of luck that they were relatively close to an exhaust vent. They slowly slid over a little closer without losing their grip, though it was dangerous and there were some horrifying moments where they thought they felt their grip loosening more. They didn¡¯t know how long they¡¯d have once they let go, so they¡¯d have to act fast. They quickly took their hand from the ship and slammed it into the vent. The added force and strength that the suit provided. They could break and bend a few of the vents just enough to push in their hand past their elbow. They fumbled around, slipping from the ship just as they felt their hand touch something. The pull of the unsecured black hole just about lifted them from the ship, but they hooked their arm around something and ended up getting their arm stuck at an awkward angle. While being stuck did at least keep them from being pulled away, the sudden yank and the unnatural angle made something give in their arm. They didn¡¯t know what happened, but it felt like something tore and they cried out in pain as their arm spasmed and then burned with pain from the shoulder down. They grit their teeth, and with tears of pain in their eyes, they did their best to ignore the pain in their arm. There was something more important than their arm; They had to make sure that DH was still ok. With their free arm, they reached out and grabbed at the wire just moments before it snapped. The movement made their hurt arm burn anew, and they nearly let go of the wire, but pure, stubborn will and determination kept them holding on. Thankfully, DH was nearly there. They got close enough to reach out for the ship, and the magnets in their own hands and feet connected to the side. Once they were secure, they shifted and put half their body over TO¡¯s, as though protecting them. The pain in TO¡¯s arm was excruciating now though, and TO worried they had done serious damage. They didn¡¯t know what was wrong, but they hoped that whatever it was, DH could fix it. At least now that DH was holding them to the ship, and because they were also holding TO to the ship there was less strain on their arm. At least it didn¡¯t feel like the pull of gravity would rip off their arm. The machines around the shield beeped. TO looked back and was just able to see the shield over DH¡¯s wings, which were being pulled towards the hole. There were odd, purple strands of electricity crossing the hole like strings of lightning. The machines that surrounded the hole rose and expanded out to reveal a circle of bug-like legs. Just before they got pulled through the hole, the machines linked by the legs and though they strained; they didn¡¯t break. The lights around the hole went from red to yellow, the electric string disappeared, and the pull of gravity stopped. TO still clung to the ship as though afraid that the shield might fail again. They were shaking inside their armor, and breathing in ragged and short breaths. The pain in their arm suddenly seemed to get worse, drawing a pained cry from TO which the armor silenced. ¡°TO, are you ok?¡± DH¡¯s voice broke through, speaking through their communicator. TO took several long breaths and shook their head. ¡°My arm.¡± They said, ¡°My arm-¡± Their voice cracked as they spoke, and the communicator cut off. DH crawled to the other side of TO, and to the vent where their arm was. They took out their multi-gun and before TO could tell them to stop they had already set it to a lower setting and used quick, small shots to break away at the vents; it was much like what TO had done to get the crystals off the vent after scaring away the creature. When the hole was big enough, DH put their arm in alongside TO¡¯s, felt around. And felt where TO had hooked their arm under something. ¡°This will hurt.¡± DH said, ¡°Ready?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± TO whimpered. ¡°Alright¡­ three, two¡­ one.¡± DH pulled the arm from out around where a metal bar hooked over it. TO cried out, but DH pulled the arm free. They pushed the arm up to TO¡¯s chest and as they did, an alert flashed up before TO¡¯s eyes. ¡°Damage detected; activating protection- area; left arm.¡± The arm of the armor seized up and held the arm in place. Though their arm still throbbed with pain, TO felt they could manage the pain, at least for a little while. Maybe it was just because they still had adrenaline rushing through them; a mixture of rage and panic. They looked around, but didn¡¯t see any other active drones in the area. ¡°Did it work?¡± TO asked, ¡°Are they all gone?¡± ¡°Anything that didn¡¯t get sucked through the hole must have gotten smashed against the shield.¡± DH said, ¡°At any rate, I don¡¯t see any enemy fire; I think we¡¯re safe.¡± They were safe; they had done it. TO hadn¡¯t known if it would work and had even agreed that their plan had been a stupid one. That didn¡¯t matter though; if it hadn¡¯t worked they¡¯d be dead, anyway; or worse. They had succeeded, and now all they wanted to do was go back to the ship and take a handful of painkillers to drive away the burning pain in their arm. They couldn¡¯t do that, though. Not now. Right now they had to work through the pain, they had to suffer through the pain and get to the main dock to see what had happened. They had to talk to the security and the dockmasters, and find out what had happened, and how a few dozen of drones got so far as to take over a portal dock. TO wanted to rest, but they were a Synth in service to King Decon; their own pain could wait; they had work to do. Episode 150: Security Using their thrusters, TO and DH made their way to the port airlock. They expected to have to go through more security procedures, but the airlock opened up almost immediately and let them in. When the door closed, the artificial gravity set in once more. ¡°I never want to be in zero gravity again.¡± DH muttered once their feet hit the ground. They put a hand against the wall, holding onto it as though that was the only thing keeping them upright. TO didn¡¯t respond; though the armor was still holding their injured arm in place, the sudden resurgence of gravity made pain arc through them like electricity. They suppressed a whimper and did their best to stand straight. The airlock started beeping, and then the door opened, revealing a hallway in which two figures stood; one of them had moth-like wings, bulbous eyes, and four arms- ==Heteropod; Specimen is Adult. Ask pronouns; likely He/she/Them. == ==Galactic ID: Pom 734-1432546734. Name; Dusk. Pronouns; They/them. Occupation; Galactic Portal Security Agent.== ¨C while the other had skin so transparent that if TO looked closely, they could see the blue muscles flexing under the skin, with the edges of silvery bones showing like jewelry ==Vitruopel; Specimen is Adult. Ask pronouns; likely She/they. == ==Galactic ID: Cav 642-17523467. Name Amber. Pronouns; She/Her. Occupation; Galactic Portal Security Agent.== As soon as the door opened, they both dropped to one knee. ¡°We deeply apologize,¡± came the translation through their helmet, ¡°The failure of our security-¡° ¡°How did it happen?¡± TO asked, and again there was that flinch. TO was sharp, but they didn¡¯t think they had snapped or even spoke particularly loudly. Well, it didn¡¯t matter for now; TO and DH had nearly died; MANY had nearly died! If the civilians were a little scared, well, maybe that was good. ¡°We can show you the security tapes and brief you on what happened,¡± Dusk said, without standing up. Somehow, the tone of their words in TO¡¯s ear didn¡¯t match with their body; the translation seemed so formal and matter-of-fact. but the way they moved, the way they looked about, reminded TO of an animal awaiting attack. Of course, TO then realized that the whole dock had just been under attack, so that made sense, didn¡¯t it? Of course they¡¯d be on edge. ¡°Alright; lead the way.¡± TO said. The two flinched again, but got up and led TO and DH down the hallway, which was too bright with their sharp lights and white walls. That only gave TO a moment of discomfort as the helmet quickly shifted the tinting on the visor, casting everything in a dimming blue tint. They walked for a little while, ignoring the sound of announcements over speakers and the sight of others running down the hallways, only to see them and suddenly turn and head in the opposite direction. Finally, the officers stopped and opened one of the many doors they were passing by. They moved aside and gestured for TO and DH to enter. ¡°They seem afraid of us, TO.¡± DH said through their personal communicator.¡± ¡°I know.¡± TO said back, ¡°I think they¡¯re just generally afraid; they were just attacked.¡± ¡°But the ones on the other side of the portal acted the same way.¡± The room was a large, circular room; far larger than any office that TO had ever seen before. There were comfortable looking chairs sitting before a polished,round table set in the center of the room. It seemed to be made of actual wood, which surprised TO who had never seen a piece of furniture that wasn¡¯t made of synthetic materials. ¡°Please, sit down.¡± Amber said as they walked across the room to the other side. TO and DH both sat down in strange, padded chairs. ¡°Do you think they made this from actual wood?¡± DH asked over their communicator.¡± ¡°Unsure.¡± TO said. ¡°If it is, it¡¯s not recycled or reprocessed wood. Who even uses this anymore?¡± Amber pulled open a control panel on the wall and pressed a button. The space before them flickered to life and turned into a curved screen displaying the docks outside; All the ships were slowly being brought into the sealed dome of the dock, and some were already being repaired. There was a collection of maintenance personnel going about on thrusters, working to repair damage to the docks as well. ¡°This is what¡¯s happening at the docks right now.¡± Dusk said. They reached out to the wall and gestured; the scene froze, then flicked back, the date working backwards until they went back two Galactic days. ¡°This is when it happened.¡± they said, and they let the scene play out. A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. The docks seemed normal. There were a handful of ships already in place; mostly the ones that were now still out there; all that was missing was two synth ships. In the distance,the video showed a very large shipping vessel approaching. There was a hum of static over the speakers, and a voice spoke. ¡°Docking security. We have an unidentified shopping vessel approaching. Over.¡± ¡°Copy that. Sending Requests for identification; Standby.¡± another voice said. ¡°This is where we send an automated message for identification.¡± Dusk said, ¡°it¡¯s written, not verbal. Once a ship is within range of our main communication devices, we can send a message to it without an ID.¡± The ship continued towards the docks, and a moment later the voice came up again, ¡°Ship is providing royal identification and passage licenses; it¡¯s good. Lock them in an prioritize vessel for transport. Do you copy?¡± ¡°It seems odd though?¡± Came the response, ¡°It¡¯s a civilian ship. They shouldn¡¯t have royal identification. Over¡± ¡°You want to question royal identifications, you go right ahead. I¡¯m approving the vessel for transport, and I suggest you do the same. Do you copy?¡± ¡°Copy that. Over and out.¡± TO watched as the ship drew closer. It slowed as it came into the area immediately around the docks, and then came to a stop. An anchor ring moved around it, and the ship seemed to power down. Lights around the anchor glowed as it locked the ship into place. ¡°Security to Dockmaster; that ship should have powered down; Send instruction to close cargo and power down. Over.¡± ¡°Already sent; no response given, and -Shit!¡± The message cut off as the drones spewed forth like a swarm of insects. They were smaller, and so numerous that the defence mechanisms closer to the docks couldn¡¯t stop even one fifth of them. ¡°Normally, we¡¯re able to identify any threats well ahead of this, and our long-range weapons make quick work of such threats.¡± Dusk said, ¡°But with Royal Identification, we¡¯re limited in the amount of security checks we can do-¡° TO held up a hand to silence Dusk as they watched the video. They knew why security had allowed the ship in¨Cthe issue they were more concerned about was how the insurgents had gotten the identification. That would be something they¡¯d have to report to Ark-1. They watched as the smaller drones went about and destroyed the defensive weaponry before hovering around the ships that were already in place. After that, a handful of larger drones exited the civilian cargo ship and headed to the building. ¡°As far as we could tell, everything was unmanned.¡± Dusk said as they fast forwarded the video, ¡°There¡¯s not much left to this; the other synth ship came and locked in, but we were told to put them aside. They glanced at TO. ¡°They instructed the Dockmaster to do so through a drone that was giving us orders. The insurgents also disabled all of our communication devices, save for the one intended for confirming transport which they monitored. We were told to refuse everything but the synth ships.¡± The video went ahead, stopping once TO and DH saw their own ship enter the area. ¡°The larger drones had their own communication system, and were being remote controlled by someone else; we don¡¯t know who. We were told if we didn¡¯t comply then they would kill everyone.¡± ¡°Where¡¯s the dockmaster who mentioned that the ship was odd in the first place?¡± TO asked. ¡°... Dead,¡± Dusk said as she took a step back ¡°They got shot while trying to fix damage done to a defensive laser.¡± ¡°... We thought the insurgents were just trying to stop synths from coming through.¡± Amber said ¡°We thought¡­ Well, we¡¯re unsure if we took the proper action in this situation.¡± They glanced over to Dusk, their brows furrowed with worry. ¡°We had no way to call higher authorities.¡± ¡°We can handle that from here.¡± TO said as they stood up.¡°We will need to power up our own ship and communicate with our own superiors.¡± Dusk¡¯s wings seemed to fold tighter against their back, while all the muscles in Amber¡¯s body seemed tense up all at once. A sign of nerves? Well, it made sense; if TO were in their shoes, then they¡¯d be terrified, and they¡¯d worry over if they did things properly. Of course, these were civilians, not criminals, and not synths. What¡¯s the worst that would happen to them? ¡°I will relay all the details of the situation to my superior we well.¡± TO added, ¡°If you had gone against their orders, then it¡¯s most likely that the insurgents would have attacked and killed everyone here, destroying the port and effectively cutting Arkane off from the rest of the Galaxy for some time.¡± Maybe that¡¯s what the insurgents had been planning, anyway. If they were planning something big on Arkane, then they would want to cut off the portals and keep King Decon from sending a larger force! They¡¯d want to stop other synths from going to Arkane, and they would want to capture any synths that they could for interrogation. Interrogation. GiDi! TO felt their ears pin back inside their helmet. If the insurgents hurt GiDi, then TO swore to themself that they¡¯d find out. They¡¯d find out what happened to GiDi, and they¡¯d punish any insurgent that had so much as looked at their friend. They¡¯d rip every insurgent apart with their own claws. ¡°I want all the technical details that you have about their entry, their process, and their ship. I want every scan, every message, everything.¡± they got up. ¡°I want to examine the drones,and the carrier. Understood?¡± The two civilians flinched and took a step back. ¡°Understood.¡± Dusk said, ¡°I¡¯ll see that we find drones that are still in decent shape for your examination, and we will provide a shuttle to take you to the carrier.¡± ¡°How long will it take?¡± ¡°We can¡¯t do anything until we¡¯ve properly repaired the shields.¡± A growl escaped TO¡¯s throat. But they were certain that the helmet didn¡¯t let it play through the speakers. ¡°And how long will that take.¡± They demanded. ¡°It might take a while.¡± Dusk admitted, ¡°We haven¡¯t gotten to see the real extent of the damage, so it¡¯s hard to tell-¡± ¡°Fine.¡± TO snapped. They didn¡¯t want to wait. They wanted to get this information together, and figure out where these ships came from exactly. TO would wring out as much information as possible so that they could track down the insurgents. ¡°We¡¯ll return to our ship, power up, and relay the information to our superiors.¡± They turned and headed to the door. ¡°I¡¯m afraid... I mean.¡± Dusk took a step towards TO, their hand outstretched as though trying to stop them. As soon as TO turned around they froze in place, their eyes growing big. ¡°F-for safety reasons, we can remove no ships from the anchors until we finish repairs. And¡­ and ships can¡¯t power up while in the anchors.¡± ¡°You¡¯re telling me that until that shield is fixed-¡± ¡°TO¡­¡± It was DH¡¯s voice playing in their ear, ¡°They¡¯re civilians, but they can¡¯t help this... And look at them; you¡¯re scaring them.¡± TO took a deep, calming breath. They weren¡¯t angry at the civilians; they were angry at the insurgents, and at the delay. ¡°So until the shield is repaired,we cannot power up our ship, correct?¡± ¡°That is correct.¡± Dusk said, ¡°We have accommodations for such situations! We¡¯re currently placing everyone stranded here in temporary lodgings. We will provide you with a room with secure communications so you can contact anyone you need to.¡± Secure communications? Well, they¡¯d see about that. TO still felt so angry at the idea that someone might have hurt GiDi. They had thought about that beforehand but hadn¡¯t really been able to consider it until now; it had been information placed on a shelf in their mind to be examined when the immediate threat was over¡­ Now that it was, the idea of GiDi being hurt was making TO stomach sick. ¡°Very well.¡± TO said, ¡°bring us to our accommodations.¡± Episode 151: Suite After finishing their meeting, the security officers called for two attendants, who brought TO and DH to the accommodation area of the dockyard. They walked in silence down several halls until DH¡¯s attendant led them down another hallway. TO was about to follow, but their own attendant, a short pale human with the name Glenn, spoke up. ¡°Your suite is further down this hallway, Ark-87.¡± they said. ¡°Apologies, but we will be there soon.¡± ¡°We have separate rooms?¡± TO asked, but the question didn¡¯t go through their translator; instead, a new alert sounded in their ear. ==In civilian lodgings, civilians present most guests with personal rooms unless otherwise requested; they do this for the sake of civilian privacy and safety. They often present most guests of importance with more lavish accommodations; this can be a gesture of goodwill, respect, or an attempt at bribery. == Their guide brought them a little further and then stopped in front of a door with the number 101. They took a card out of the pocket of their plain grey robes and presented it to TO with both hands. ¡°That will let you get into your room, and it will unlock all the facilities inside.¡± Glenn said, bowing deeply as he took a few steps away from TO, ¡°If you want anything, your communicator should link up with the guest services and you can place any requests.¡± They took another step back. ¡°If you have a request for your meal this evening, please let me know and I¡¯ll see to it that you have your desired meal provided for you. We have a wide range of foods available for all of King Decon¡¯s loyal synths, so please ask for anything you¡¯d like.¡± ¡°... I see.¡± TO said as they waited for the human to stand back upright. They didn¡¯t. ¡°... Is there anything else?¡± they finally asked. ¡°Not unless there is something you desire.¡± The pain in TO¡¯s arm was getting harder and harder to ignore, and they just wanted to sit down. ¡°There¡¯s nothing more that I need.¡± ¡°In that case, I will leave you for the time being.¡± Glenn took a few steps away before standing up and rushing off. TO had seen several civilians do that now, and was beginning to wonder why. Well, that wasn¡¯t important at the moment. They unlocked the door with their keycard and headed inside. Since they had described it as a suite, they were expecting a room like C12¡¯s; a small bed, a table, a chair, and maybe a speaker in the corner. TO didn¡¯t expect what they saw. The room was enormous; TO had only seen rooms as big as this in communal rooms back in the training center; the cafeteria and the training rooms, for example. It never crossed their mind that there would be a room this big for just personal use. As the door closed behind them, their helmet flickered and the light returned to normal; The civilians optimized the lighting here for Synth eyes, but TO didn¡¯t know if that had been a change made for them, or if that¡¯s just how these rooms were lit. The entire room was in a circular shape, with windows set in half and giving them an excellent view of the docks where the shield was still being repaired. By the tint to the windows, TO could tell that the other side had a mirrored glaze which would have given civilians privacy, but also allow for a decent view. Sitting right in the center of the mirrored half of the room was a very large, circular bed with more pillows and blankets on it than TO had ever considered a single bed would ever need. There was a couch with a screen before it, a sitting area with soft looking chairs and a table that held several fancy glasses and a decanter of wine, and a dining area with a sleek polished table and fancy looking chairs. Near the table, there was what TO recognized as a vending panel; it was much like the food dispensers, but the screens showed a variety of foods and items they could request. There was one door that was clearly set against the wall and intended to be visible with its sleek appearance and darker border. Was it perhaps a private washroom? That made sense. If the rest of the room was this lavish, then they hoped that maybe the washroom had a tub, or at least a larger shower than they had grown used to. They had thought the tub back in the training center was a luxury, but that was nothing compared to what they were looking at now. The walls looked like smoothed out stone, and soft, warm-toned lights hung from the ceiling, giving off a fire like-glow despite the absence of fire. There was a door that went off to a separate room with a toilet - a strange one that was raised off the floor like a chair- a sink, and several devices spewing fourth steam that filled the air with nice smelling fumes. The rest of the washroom was clearly a large shower; there were seats where one could sit while they washed, shower heads like TO was used to seeing, and there was a very large panel in the ceiling which looked like it would drop a flood of water over anyone in the center of the room. There were speakers in the corners playing music, there were dispensers around a pillar in the center which held a variety of soaps, and in the corner was the largest, biggest tub TO had ever seen. They went up to it and looked to see that it was already full of hot, steamy water. Jets of water were already being set forth from spots around the tub, creating bubbles that burst as soon as they hit the surface. There were also shelves all around the tub, filled with various salts and powders for the bath. TO wanted to jump in right away, but the throbbing in their arm reminded them they couldn¡¯t. TO hadn¡¯t even removed their armor yet because the armor was keeping their arm in place; They had to deal with their injury before they could do anything else. They needed DH. As they thought about that, they heard a faint beep in their ear. A notice came up before them on their visor. ==Notice; Visitor== the alert said, and it showed TO a video of what was just outside their door. It was DH; or at least TO assumed it was, as they still had their armor on. They had a box in their hand, but TO couldn¡¯t see what it was. ==Open Door; Y/N?== ¡°Yes, let them in.¡± TO said as they headed back to the larger room. By the time they got there, DH was already in and had deactivated their armor. They were looking around the room with big, wide eyes and their ears flicked down in awe. ¡°... Can you believe civilians live like this?¡± They whisper, ¡°This is huge! Can you imagine having this much space?¡± ¡°You should see the washroom.¡± TO said. ¡°Is yours as big as this one?¡± The mechanized voice fed through the speakers, and DH looked quickly at TO. DH shrugged, ¡°No idea; I demanded a med kit as soon as they separated us, and then told Sherry - that¡¯s the guide I had, the one with the fur, to bring me here.¡± They frowned as they looked over TO, ¡°You haven¡¯t tried taking off your armor?¡± This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it. ¡°It¡¯s keeping my arm in place.¡± TO said, ¡°So.. I thought I shouldn¡¯t remove it until you were here.¡± DH gestured to the bed. ¡°Well, sit there and take off your armor. I¡¯ll look at your arm.¡± their ears pinned back with worry, and though they said nothing TO was certain that the worry DH had was the same as the one TO themself had; that the damage would be too much for DH to fix. TO did as they were told, but as they sat down, they sunk down on the unfamiliar plush bedding and nearly fell back. ¡°Why is this so soft!?¡± TO said as they struggled to keep their balance. DH headed over with the med-kit and stopped as they watched TO sink into the bed. ¡°Maybe more species need softer beds?¡± they asked. They sat down next to TO and gave themself a moment to get used to the difference in the mattress''s softness. ¡°It¡¯s not so bad.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s not.¡± TO grumbled, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect it to be so soft.¡± DH grinned, their ears lifting for a moment before they pinned back with concentration as they opened the med-kit. ¡°At any rate.¡± They muttered as they looked through the kit, ¡°It¡¯ll be more comfortable when we sleep; I can have my arms wrapped around you, and they won¡¯t go numb from being pinned to the bed.¡± ¡°DH!¡± TO said quickly, and though their armor was still up, they could feel their ears warm up. ¡°We¡¯re not on the ship anymore! We don¡¯t know if we¡¯re being spied on, or-¡± ==Scanning for recording devices== came the alert on the screen of TO¡¯s helmet. They blinked as they watched their screen turn green while a series of commands and checks scrolled down to the side. When the scan finished, the alert came back in green lettering. == Room secure== ¡°... Nevermind.. Apparently the room is secure.¡± ¡°Well, the security people said they were.¡± DH said. They leaned forward and put their hands under TO¡¯s injured arm. ¡°And they¡¯d be dumb to lie to us, because if they got caught.. Well, wouldn¡¯t that be spying on King Decon and His agents? They¡¯d lose their jobs for that at the very least.¡± They set the kit aside once they had sorted out a few things, then looked to TO, ¡°Alright; take off your armor; it might hurt, but we need to see the damage.¡± TO didn¡¯t want to take off their armor; the burning pain in their arm was bad enough, and they knew it would only get worse once they disabled the armor that was holding their arm stiffly against their chest. Still, DH couldn¡¯t help them unless they took off the armor. TO reached up with a shaking hand and pressed their bracelet. The armor dissolved away, leaving their arm unsupported, but DH had their hands there to grab the newly unsupported, injured limb. TO¡¯s arm had been hurting the entire time, but they had gotten used to it. The moment the armor left their arm and their muscles tried to keep the limb up, the pain arched through TO¡¯s body like electricity. They yelped, stifling the sound and doubling over, whimpering as they clutched at their arm with their good hand. DH held onto TO¡¯s arm as gently as they could. ¡°Let go of your arm.¡± they said, their voice firm, but very gentle. ¡°I¡¯ll hold it, so just let your arm relax; we need to see it.¡± It took TO a moment, and several deep breaths before they could pull their arm away. This was the first time since the limb had gotten injured that they had seen their bare arm; the skin was blotchy, with spots in such deep blue colors that some of them even appeared black. The elbow looked distorted, like they had somehow twisted it around wrong. Their elbow was bulging out in the wrong place, and it making to feel slightly sick. They looked away, not wanting to see the damage to their arm. Time dragged on, slowed by pain as DH silently went over the damage. When DH broke the silence with a sigh, TO panicked. ¡°What is it?¡± they said as their mind raced. ¡°Did I break something? Is my arm destroyed?¡± Would the arm need to be removed? How would that work? Would have to go back to the center to recover? Would Ark-1 reassign them when they recovered? What if they got separated from DH? For a moment, the fear of being repurposed hit them. It took a moment for them to remember that they had passed their training and were working as active duty synths. They wouldn¡¯t be repurposed; the officers would make sure they got treatment, wouldn¡¯t they? They were too valuable to be repurposed, weren¡¯t they? Maybe they¡¯d have to work in a place like the fabric reclamation center, sitting at rows of tables while they worked to pull apart old uniforms. ¡°It¡¯s not destroyed.¡± DH said quietly as they dug through the med-kit, ¡°But it¡¯s in terrible shape; dislocated elbow and shoulder. That can cause a whole pile of other issues.¡± TO breathed a sigh of relief; They remembered when Q10 had a dislocated shoulder, but they ended up being fine even if they had been in pain. They remembered how the medical officer had simply popped the shoulder back into place and sent them off to continue their training. ¡°Is that all?¡± TO said as they leaned over; a sharp laugh escaped their mouth, but they didn¡¯t know why. DH pulled out a syringe from the med-kit and then looked through the various vials of medication. They pulled out one and read the label before giving a little triumphant exclamation. ¡°This is basically what they used back at the center.¡± They said as they focused on the dosage, ¡°It¡¯s weaker that what we use, but if I up the dose it should be the same thing.¡± They uncapped the syringe and slid it into the top of the bottle, drawing out a good amount of fluid. ¡°What¡¯s that for? Is it an accelerant?¡± TO asked. ¡°No, not accelerant.¡± DH said, ¡°You don¡¯t need an accelerant; you¡¯re not in training and when we leave here, we¡¯ll be travelling for another two periods before we get to Arkane; you have some time to heal up.¡± They went to TO¡¯s good arm, found a vein at the underside of their elbow, and put the needle in, ¡°These are painkillers; good ones.¡± ¡°... But Q10 had a dislocated shoulder, and they didn¡¯t need any painkillers-¡° ¡°You gave them your own painkillers, remember?¡± ¡°Well, yes, but I mean when the officer popped the shoulder back into place-¡° DH glanced up, ¡°TO.¡± They said seriously; they always got that serious look on their face when they were dealing with medical issues, and somehow it made TO¡¯s heart swell up even though they were still in pain. ¡°I don¡¯t think you understand how very painful this is going to be. I have to fix the shoulder first, then the elbow. Not only will the affected joint feel like fire, but so will the other joints because they¡¯re injured, and there¡¯s going to be a lot of pressure on them.¡± They finish administering the medication, then pull the needle out and put it in a small disposal container in the med-kit. ¡°You¡¯re going to need something to dull the pain.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± TO said, their ears dropping once more. Well, pain was alright, so long as they knew they¡¯d recover. Besides that, it couldn¡¯t be as bad as the joints being dislocated in the first place, right? They had managed the pain while their arm was stuck in the vent, so they were certain they could manage this. ¡°We just need to give the medication a moment to work.¡± DH said. They looked over the arm once more, then glanced up at TO. ¡°... I was really worried about you.¡± They said, ¡°You were stuck, you were hurt, and I couldn¡¯t get there fast enough-¡± ¡°Well¡­ if you had gotten hurt, it would have been my fault, anyway; it was my plan, remember?¡± DH shook their head, ¡°Your plan worked; there was only trouble because I didn¡¯t grab onto the ship-¡± ¡°Which was the insurgent¡¯s fault in the first place for shooting at you.. And for starting the whole thing.¡± They let a soft smile work at the corners of their lips. ¡°... I worried about you too. Fault or no, I still didn¡¯t want you to be hurt.¡± ¡°Well.. you got hurt.¡± DH said, ¡°And I¡¯m going to do what I can to help.¡± There was the strangest sensation in TO¡¯s arm; as though the pain that they had been feeling morphed into this icy feeling. ¡°I think it¡¯s already working.¡± TO said. ¡°My arm feels cold?¡± DH nodded and set the ice aside. ¡°Alright, you¡¯re ready.¡± they said. They reached into the med-kit and took out something that looked like a padded leather sausage. They put it into TO¡¯s good hand. ¡°Put this in your mouth, so you don¡¯t bite down and hurt yourself.¡± They said. They took TO¡¯s arm and for a moment TO could feel the pain shooting through the cold. ¡°Are you ready?¡± TO nodded as they put the bit in their teeth. They took a deep breath and braced themself against the pain. DH nodded, took the upper arm, held onto TO¡¯s back and pushed the joint into place. TO¡¯s vision went white as the pain came, shooting through their entire arm, their shoulder, and to their neck. They cried out, dropping the bit and whimpering as they doubled over. It took them a moment to even realize that DH had put their arms over TO¡¯s shoulders and was now gripping them, pulling TO against their chest and holding them close as TO breathed through the pain. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± DH whispered, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but we have to do this.¡± They said, ¡°We need to fix this.¡± ¡°I know.¡± TO whimpered. ¡°... And the elbow is going to be worse.¡± DH said. TO nodded, took several deep breaths, then sat up and looked away from DH. They picked up the leather bit from where it had fallen and saw tooth marks already in it from their fangs. ¡°Just do it.¡± they said before putting the bit back into their mouth. They closed their eyes, wincing as DH took their arm in their hands once more. ¡°Alright.. three, two, one-¡° The pain was absolute, and for the second where it seemed like TO was experiencing the purest pain, time drew out- like they had once more entered through a portal and time was being stretched out. They felt like they had to lean into the pain; to accept it and embrace it, as though that was what their existence was, and they¡¯d never be free of this pain again. Their vision faded, and they felt dizzy and lightheaded as their world went momentarily black. When they came to once more, they were laying down on the bed, their head in DH¡¯s lap. Their arm lay against their chest, and DH was gently scratching the back of TO¡¯s neck; something TO almost missed because of the pain. ¡°Done?¡± TO asked, their voice shaking. ¡°Done.¡± DH said, ¡°The worst is over, just rest now.¡± TO relaxed as they let the pain slowly ebb away from them thanks to the painkillers and the treatment from DH. Episode 152: Kei It was quite some time later when another door alert came through their communicators. TO, who had their arm in a sling that wrapped not only around their shoulder but around their chest as well, reached for their communicator from their spot on the couch. As they reached, DH pushed the communicator out of reach. ¡°I can take care of it.¡± They said as they took out their own communicator, ¡°you just sit and rest.¡± TO sighed and leaned back, sinking into the too soft couch. ¡°I¡¯m injured, but I¡¯m not bedridden! I¡¯ve had worse.¡± TO wasn¡¯t entirely sure if that was true; The injuries they had sustained during the breach at the training center left them with entirely different wounds and kept them from flying for periods. The damage to their wings back then had required stitches and had left TO with scars all over their wings. This injury involved no blood, just bad bruising so TO didn¡¯t think it was so bad. ¡°You say that now.¡± DH said, ¡°But wait until the painkillers wear off a little more; you¡¯ll think it¡¯s worse than. Besides, if you keep your arm still for now it¡¯ll heal faster and better.¡± They looked at their communicator to see who was at the door. ¡°It¡¯s Avery and Hur-13?¡± They gave TO a grin, ¡°I suppose we get to learn what they choose for a civilian name.¡± ¡°They probably choose a really common name for the area.¡± TO said, ¡°Like Lucius or Maria.¡± DH grinned and pressed the button on the communicator. The door opened, and the two synths walked in, still wearing their armor. When the door closed behind them, they pressed at their wrists and let the armor dissolve away from around them. Hur-13 looked the same as they always did, save for the black clothing that they wore in place of the grey uniform that they always wore. Avery looked oddly more relaxed than normal. TO had expected to see them maybe more strained, more anxious after being around Hur-13 all the time, but clearly that wasn¡¯t the case. They said they¡¯d be fine, and they were. TO didn¡¯t understand it, but it was a relief to see them looking well. ¡°TO, DH!¡± Avery said, a hint of relief in their voice as they strode towards them. A smile broke over their face, and they stopped right before DH as though they were planning to embrace them. ¡°I am surprised they kept those nicknames.¡± Hur-13 said, though they hadn¡¯t moved from where they were, ¡°They no longer have the codes that they drew them from.¡± ¡°We¡¯ve created our civilian names based on our old nicknames.¡± TO said, their voice cold and almost formal. ¡°I chose Tio, which is pronounced exactly the same as my nickname. DH went simply with Dee, but it¡¯s simpler to use DH and pretend as though they have some middle name that begins with H. Some civilians do that.¡± ¡°And you know I chose Avery.¡± Avery said. They turned back to Hur-13. ¡°And we¡¯re supposed to get used to calling one another by our civilian names so we don¡¯t get confused when we¡¯re under cover.¡± ¡°Very well.¡± Hur-13 said, their ears pinning back, ¡°In that case, you may refer to me as Kei, if you wish.¡± ¡°Kei?¡± TO couldn¡¯t repress the surprise in their voice. ¡°What made you come up with that one?¡± Hur-13, now Kei, looked at TO in confusion, ¡°I used a random name generator that I found through the network, and simply selected parameters that would choose a name that wasn¡¯t particularly uncommon for the area based on various influences of culture and language. The system gave me Kei, so I used it.¡± Avery sat down on the couch next to TO, eying the sling that held their arm. ¡°What happened, though! Why did you leave your ship! Why did you do that! They have killed you; they might have killed all of us.¡± DH sat on the other side of the chair, and Kei - TO still felt it would be odd to call them that- came forward, but didn¡¯t sit. ¡°I wondered that as well.¡± Kei said, but their voice still had that odd monotone that they always had. ¡°Your actions were not what I would consider being standard procedure; clearly you injured yourself in the process as well.¡± ¡°Dislocated shoulder and elbow.¡± DH said as they gave Kei a steady look, ¡°They¡¯ll recover.¡± ¡°Well, it worked in the end. Still, I have concerns about the reckless nature of your actions, and why you took such risks.¡± ¡°The insurgents got into the base because they had official Royal Identification.¡± TO said. ¡°When they called us, they wanted to know our identification numbers; Our old ones. They also must have known about how our systems worked, and how our ship works.¡± ¡°They had far more information than a civilian should have had, then.¡± Kei said. You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version. ¡°Yes. And given that some of us have gone missing on Arkane, and that Arkane is the center of insurgent activity. They might have kept some synths that are unaccounted for, and interrogated them.¡± There was a moment where Kei¡¯s ears pinned back in a mix of disgust and anger, ¡°No synth would fall to such tactics.¡± They said. ¡°If they found out how to read our ears, then we wouldn¡¯t lie to them.¡± Avery said, almost as though they were trying to calm Kei, ¡°And¡­ Well, there¡¯s only so much a person -even a synth- can take.¡± Kei frowned, ¡°It¡¯s torture then.¡± They said, ¡°That''s the only reason a synth would give into questioning from an insurgent. Even then, I assume it must be brutal to drive a synth who has passed all their training to turn on King Decon. Torture. The thought of GiDi being subjected to such pain made TO¡¯s vision blue, and made their ears pin back. TO would kill every insurgent who did it. Everyone who saw it happen, who allowed it to happen, who knows, who supported it¡­ Just every insurgent; they¡¯d kill every last one if they had hurt GiDi. ¡°That still doesn¡¯t tell me why you choose to break the shield that controls the gravitational force of a black hole.¡± Kei said, ¡°I am highly fascinated to know your reasoning for that.¡± Why was Kei questioning them? Maybe it was the anger that was still vibrating within TO, but the questions, the almost accusative tone, set TO on edge. Kei wasn¡¯t a superior to TO, they were equals! If anything, they ranked higher than Kei, right? Kei was going to Heramu, a farming colony. TO and DH were going to Arkane; the capital planet in that solar system. Didn¡¯t that make TO Kei¡¯s superior? ¡°We figured out that they were probably questioning synths.¡± DH said, ¡°And they demanded that we surrender ourselves to them, so-¡± ¡°They did not ask that of us.¡± Kei said. ¡°Well, they asked us.¡± TO snapped, ¡°I figured that if we could call Ark-1, then our orders would be to start a self-destruct sequence in order to keep vital information away from the insurgents. Once we realized that was the most likely case, I figured we might as well try something to stop the insurgents, cause less damage, and maybe avoid getting captured, tortured, and questioned.¡± Kei was silent as they considered this. ¡°It is still not how it¡¯s done, and not how they would have instructed you to act-¡± ¡°They chose us to go on this mission because we can come up with quick and clever plans, like the one that just worked.¡± TO hissed. ¡°If we had followed procedure, then us, you, and all the civilians in this dock would be dead, and the damage caused would disconnect Arkane from the rest of the galaxy until the portal was repaired. But no, we were clever, and we came up with a better plan. Maybe that¡¯s why we¡¯re going to Arkane to deal with the insurgency, and you¡¯re going to a mining colony to deal with minor political squabbles.¡± Kei was silent for several moments as they stared down TO with cold eyes. When they finally spoke, it was with a careful, controlled voice. ¡°I am certain that the officers who placed us know what they are doing, even if the logic escapes me; I only hope that if they are taking a gamble here that it pays off.¡± ¡°Clearly it did in this case.¡± DH said. ¡°Yes, this time.¡± Kei said with a glance to DH. They looked back to TO, ¡°What is your plan here?¡± Kei asked. ¡°Port authorities have informed us that our ship needs a period¡¯s worth of repairs until it¡¯s ready for transport due to damage caused; as such, myself and Avery would be the best option to stay and clean up this¡­ mess.¡± This mess? TO let their ears pin back once more, their eyes narrowing. ¡°My plan,¡± they said, ¡°Is to get to Arkane as quickly as possible. That¡¯s what they have ordered me to do, and that¡¯s what I¡¯ll do.¡± They stood up, simply not wanting to be looking up at Kei while talking now. ¡°You¡¯re so worried about things being done properly, but you want to stay here to fix things? You couldn¡¯t even deal with the situation in the first place, and had to wait for DH and I to get here to fix things!¡± Kei¡¯s ears flicked down- it was quick, but it happened. ¡°I simply didn¡¯t see the use of acting irrationally.¡± They said, ¡°I wished to see what the insurgents would say before we acted-¡° ¡°So you were awaiting orders from the insurgents then, were you?¡± TO suddenly felt dizzy, and before they knew it DH was at their side, gently guiding them back to their seat. At first, TO wanted to shake them off, but then they looked up at Kei and saw- for the first time- the slightest hint of blue on their ears, which were slightly down in shame. ¡°I was following orders.¡± Kei said, ¡°I had no orders to follow in this situation.¡± ¡°Neither did I, but I made it work.¡± TO said. THe dizziness passed, and though they didn¡¯t stand up again, they sat up a little straighter, ¡°Here¡¯s what¡¯s going to happen; I will contact Ark-1, who will report this event to the necessary people. Once port authorities fix our ship, we will tow yours along with us, and request a meetup for you to bring you to Heramu. While we wait, DH and I will investigate the carrier ship, and what drones we can find. After that, we will continue to Arkane and deal with the insurgents there. We¡¯re already stopped whatever they were planning here, so they should scramble to create new plans; they should be in a panic.¡± ¡°We do not need to be towed to Heramu.¡± Kei said, ¡°Once our ship is -¡± ¡°One period stuck here, and another period and a half to get you to Heramu; That¡¯s a colossal waste of time, and a waste I am certain that won¡¯t please your officers. We will tow you and ensure that you arrive where you need to be; am I clear?!¡± The lights overhead hummed with electricity. IN the corner, there was faint static coming from the speakers. TO could hear water in a pipe somewhere. In the silence that ensued, all these tiny sounds came to TO, and seemed so loud. They hadn¡¯t realized they had been speaking so loudly, so forcefully. ¡°... So long as both of our officers approve this plan, then I will go along with it.¡± Kei finally said. ¡°We will return to our rooms, and I will make the reports.¡± ¡°... I.. I¡¯m actually going to stay here.¡± Avery said, ¡°Unless you need me to help?¡± Kei turned away and pressed the button at their wrist to make their armor form around them once more. ¡°I do not need your help.¡± they said, the monotone, almost robotic voice coming through the helmet as they left the room. Episode 153: Gossip Once Kei left, Avery let out a low breath. ¡°They¡¯ve been tense since we got here, for obvious reasons.¡± They said, ¡°sorry about-¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing to be sorry about!.¡± TO said as they slumped back into the couch, ¡°That¡¯s just how they are, and I guess they¡¯re mad that despite being a strange synth, I¡¯m doing just as well as they are, and maybe better.¡± They looked over to DH ¡°What happens to our chips when power is down on the ships.¡± They pointed to their own chip, hoping DH would understand what they were asking. They did. ¡°If we shut the ships down, the data gets lost.¡± they say, ¡°We¡¯ll have to report that the ship is down, but-¡± ¡°But we¡¯re not being listened to right now?¡± ¡°Right.¡± DH said. They got up and stretched, looking at Avery as they did. ¡°You were about to hug me there, weren¡¯t you?¡± they said with a grin. ¡°Pardon me for being excited to see the two of you.¡± They said, their ears flushing slightly. ¡°I thought I¡¯d not see you again for cycles, if ever again.¡± TO leaned against Avery with a chuckle, ¡°look, you missed us!¡± Avery sighed and got up, letting TO fall sideways. ¡°Of course I did.¡± they muttered, ¡°And I worried about the two of you! I thought you were going to die out there!¡± ¡°Well, it was a possibility.¡± TO said carefully, ¡°But I didn¡¯t think there was any better way to get out of the situation. If we surrendered to the insurgents, they¡¯d question us before they killed us.¡± Avery nodded ¡°And you¡¯re right; at least you thought of something. Kei was¡­¡± They stop and look towards the door, ¡°They weren¡¯t themself.¡± DH gave a derisive snort. ¡°That¡¯s a good thing isn¡¯t it.¡± ¡°Well... no.¡± Avery said, ¡°I mean, having them as a shipmate hasn¡¯t been bad on me, you know? I do my work, and then I read, and I send you messages. Being on my own doesn¡¯t bother me. We keep more or less to ourselves. When insurgents took over our ship¡­¡± they shook their head, ¡°They kept saying to wait. I had a few ideas¡ªnone of them great¡ªbut Kei kept saying to just wait. The insurgents told us to wait, and they said we¡¯d ¡®hold our position¡¯ until we learned more.¡± They frowned. ¡°Kei seemed almost mad when you guys stopped the insurgents; they kept saying you would die out there, and then seemed disappointed when you didn¡¯t. They were man until they got here and¡­ well-¡± ¡°TO scared them.¡± DH said with a grin. ¡°I never saw you so angry before, TO.¡± TO shrugged, ¡°Well they shouldn¡¯t be telling us what we¡¯re doing wrong, or trying to take control if they couldn¡¯t deal with it in the first place! They¡¯re not our superior-¡± ¡°-They are my superior, technically.¡± Avery said with a grin, ¡°They¡¯re in charge of the ship, so to speak; lower number has authority on a ship¡± ¡°Well, they¡¯re not superior to me and DH; they¡¯re not on our ship!¡± They shook their head and reached for the communicator once more, but DH still had it out of reach. ¡°What do you need?¡± DH asked. TO sighed, ¡°I need to contact Ark-1.¡± they said, ¡°I want to get my reports in before Kei gets theirs in.¡± DH considered this, chewing on their lower lip for a minute before they pushed the communicator to TO, ¡°Fine.¡± They said as they picked up their own communicator, ¡°Then I¡¯ll contact our attendants, and tell them that Avery¡¯s going to be staying with us for our meal.¡± They looked over at Avery. ¡°You are, right? That is why you stayed with us?¡± Avery frowned, then nodded. ¡°I¡¯m a little worried about Kei¡­¡± they said, ¡°But.. but yes, I¡¯d rather stay here.¡± DH sent off the message, ¡°There, food for three coming here.¡± They said, ¡°And I don¡¯t know why you¡¯re worried about them.¡± ¡°Well¡­ I don¡¯t want anyone to be upset.¡± Avery said. TO got up and went over to the other side of the room where a small panel sat on the wall. They synced their chip up to it, and connected to the galactic network. Their communicator opened up a new communication program. ==Scanning connection== ==Connection secure== ==Authenticating chip identification== ==Authentication complete== Now, they had access to the Synth network specifically. Now they could call Ark-1 and tell them what happened. ====== By the time TO finished their meeting with Ark-1, their attendants had sent food up to them, and DH and Avery had set it all out on the table in what was apparently their ¡®dining nook¡¯. The meal prepared for them seemed to be some kind of tentacled aquatic animal, grilled in sauces and served atop a collection of vegetables. ¡°Well?¡± DH asked, ¡°What did they say?¡± ¡°Nothing much, surprisingly.¡± TO said, ¡°I gave them the information we had, and our suspicions. Ark-1 agrees with our plan to tow the other ship-¡± ¡°And uh¡­ I wonder if you¡¯ve realized that means that Kei and I will have to live on your ship until we get there.¡± Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. TO was just looking over the cutlery - Three different forks for one meal; again, it seemed so excessive- when Avery spoke. They froze, holding the fork in midair as they realized Avery was correct. ¡°... I did not consider that.¡± TO said with a sigh. ¡°I guess we¡¯ll have to figure that out.¡± ¡°We could just put them in the transport.¡± DH said with a grin, ¡°They probably wouldn¡¯t mind.¡± ¡°What else did Ark-1 say?¡± Avery asked. ¡°That we¡¯re to stay long enough to draw some information from the remaining drones, and the main transport. That data is going to be sent to the Synth Portal Authority section, and they¡¯ll deal with the issue after that.¡± They looked at DH, ¡°So tomorrow, we¡¯re looking into that.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll look into that.¡± DH said as they pointed with a fork at TO¡¯s arm, ¡°You¡¯ll rest.¡± ¡°I need to be there too.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll help.¡± Avery said, ¡°If you don¡¯t mind, that is.¡± they look to DH, ¡°That way TO can be more careful, and move their arm as little as possible.¡± ¡°That might be useful, actually.¡± TO said. their arm was still throbbing despite the painkillers and they knew that if something needed to be moved that they wouldn¡¯t be much help. ¡°But won¡¯t Kei want to join you?¡± ¡°Not if I don¡¯t tell them.¡± They say as they take up a grilled piece of fish, and take the tiniest of bites. After a moment of slow chewing, they nod. ¡°It¡¯s good.¡± they confirm. ¡°Now, if we need to wait until tomorrow to do anything more productive-¡± ¡°We do.¡± TO said. ¡°Then we can discuss more important things.¡± they gave TO a serious look. ¡°Tell me what happened with your ¡®research.¡¯ How did you get everything sorted out?¡± ¡°Research?¡± DH asked, their ears quirking forward. TO felt their own ears warm as they focused on their food, ¡°Well, as I told you already, Avery knew about¡­¡± They give DH a sideways glance, ¡°You know. About you? And how I Feel about you?¡± ¡°Yes..¡± DH said as their own ears flushed slightly. ¡°But research?¡± ¡°A code.¡± Avery says, ¡°So the messages didn¡¯t get flagged. TO said they were planning to tell you how they feel¡­ but they had been doing that since the training center, because they¡¯re an idiot.¡± They lean forward, ¡°So go ahead, tell me; how much of an idiot did you BOTH prove yourselves to be?¡± ====== ¡®I want to combine my food bar with yours!?¡¯ Avery had never laughed so hard before, at least not that TO has seen. Glowering at the last bit of their food - a desert with some kind of grilled fruit - TO tried not to look at Either Avery of DH. ¡°Wait.. WHAT?! That was... You were trying a pickup line?¡± DH asked as their ears flicked with confusion and amusement in equal parts. ¡°It got lost in translation!¡± TO protested, ¡°The original probably would have worked better.¡± ¡°And because I have such a morbid sense of curiosity, I have to ask¡­ What was the original?¡± Avery said. ¡°It came from the local Arkane dialect, and specifically translated to; I want to put this loaf of bread in your soup-¡± A snort of laughter, and Avery hid their face in their hands, their shoulders shaking. ¡°What?¡± DH asked, ¡°What is it?¡± Avery took a deep breath to compose themself. Then, with a self-satisfied look, they leaned forward. ¡°So, there¡¯s a lot of cultural overlap between Arkane and Heramu.¡± Avery said, ¡°And I know the speciality bread of Arkane is a long, relatively narrow loaf of bread with a seasoned crust¡± ¡°Right, they just call it bread, but it¡¯s known in the galaxy as Nira Bread.¡± ¡°Right. It¡¯s a long, crusty loaf.¡± Avery says, ¡°And soup is warm, and wet. And now, tell me TO; how do about HALF of the species in the universe reproduce, TO?¡± TO felt their face burn as the insinuation hit them. DH just laughed. ¡°That was a very bold pick up line!¡± DH said between their laughter. ¡°Well¡­ Well at least I tried.¡± TO muttered. Avery shakes their head, ¡°Yeah, you tried. Your brilliant, very subtle method of trying just ruined your lips, badly translate a very sexual pickup line, AND got nasty laundry water all over you.¡± They shook their head again, ¡°At least it was entertaining.¡± TO huffed, ¡°And at least I tried something.¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s not like you could have just told DH how you felt.¡± Avery said as they shook their head. ¡°So how did you end up actually talking about it?¡± TO glanced at DH and caught how blue their own ears had suddenly flushed. The memory of DH hovering over them, their ears twitching as they did¡­ No, If TO told Avery exactly how it happened, it would probably humiliate DH! ¡°Eventually, I took your advice and just spoke to DH about it.¡± TO said, ¡°After the whole ¡®trying to be clumsy¡¯ bit failed, I thought I might as well try.¡± It wasn¡¯t a lie, but it wasn¡¯t the truth. Avery didn¡¯t need to know everything. Avery finished their meal, shaking their head as they put the cutlery atop the plate. ¡°Well, it worked out anyway.¡± They said, ¡°And oddly, while I have no interest in romance for myself, I find myself more invested than I thought I¡¯d be in watching you two flounder your way through it.¡± They got up and stretched. ¡°But¡­ with that-¡± ¡°Leaving already?¡± TO asked as they got up. ¡°I¡¯ve been here for hours.¡± Avery said, frowning, ¡°I¡¯m looking forward to sitting in that giant tub in my room and reading late into the night without Kei telling me I should already be asleep.¡± They shook their head, ¡°That¡¯s the worst part about sharing a ship with them, honestly; Kei keep telling me I need to sleep more and read recreationally less.¡± They grin, ¡°Besides, I figure you two might want some alone time-¡± ¡°We have plenty of alone time!¡± DH protested, ¡°We haven¡¯t seen you in-¡± ¡°Let me rephrase that¡­¡± Avery said, suddenly getting serious. ¡°This is my first chance to be entirely and totally alone; to read and take up as much space as I like. I can stay in bed, I can sit where I like, I can sit in a tub as long as I want and read. I can¡¯t wait to be alone for a little!¡± They smile, ¡°I¡¯ve been social, I¡¯ve said hi, and I¡¯ve gotten stories from you¡­ and I¡¯ll see you tomorrow, but now? I want to be alone for a little.¡± TO got up, went around the table, and pulled Avery into a hug with their good arm. ¡°Thanks.¡± They said. ¡°... for what?¡± ¡°For helping me? For listening to me be an idiot? And for being alright after being around Kei and being trapped and-¡± ¡°We worried about you.¡± DH said as they came up on their other side. ¡°We¡¯re glad you¡¯re ok¡­ and we missed you.¡± ¡°And I suppose you want a hug too?¡± they asked as they eyed DH. ¡°Of course.¡± TO let go, and Avery let DH give them a quick hug before they headed to the door ¡°I¡¯ll be back tomorrow, anyway.¡± They said, ¡°See you then; lots of work to do.¡± They left. The door closed behind them, leaving DH and TO alone in their giant room. DH went up behind TO and rested their chin on TO¡¯s shoulder. ¡°... so, we do have this room, and it¡¯s secure.¡± DH said, ¡°A nice hot bath, perhaps? Then we can see what it¡¯s like to sleep in an unreasonably soft bed with far too many blankets and pillows?¡± TO chuckled, their ear twitching from DH¡¯s closeness to their earlobe. They thought maybe DH would kiss their ear, but it didn¡¯t surprise them when they didn¡¯t. TO turned their head and kissed DH gently on the cheek. ¡°Sounds wonderful.¡± Episode 154: Wiring TO lay naked on the bed, their body still giving off steam from the most wonderful bath they had ever taken in their entire life. The water had been perfectly hot for TO. The salts and powders they had chosen made the bathroom smell glorious, and the jets - which the training center didn¡¯t have- worked to relax the strained muscles in TOs¡¯ back. The speakers in the corners played a new musical, and TO found themselves so relaxed that they might have fallen asleep against DH in the tub. They nearly did, but when the musical was over the lack of sound pulled them from their deep state of relaxation and made it clear, it was time to get out. The cool air against their flushed, steaming skin was just the most wonderful feeling, second only to the silky feel of the blanket under them and the excessively soft mattress. The only thing that could have made things better was if TO¡¯s aching arm wasn¡¯t bound up in a sling. ¡°Look.¡± DH said as they came over to TO. There had been a door alert on their communicator, so DH had gotten dressed and checked to see who it was. They had actually left the room since they had an alert for their own room as well. Now they returned with two glasses and two green tinted bottles. ¡°Apparently they¡¯re giving these out.¡± They put the bottles on a nearby table as they pulled off their black uniform. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Alcohol; specifically, it¡¯s listed as sparkling wine.¡± They threw their top onto the foot of the bed and then passed the bottle to TO. ¡°15% alcohol, and no other chemical additives, hallucinogens, or stimulants. This won¡¯t have much of an effect on us.¡± ¡°It won¡¯t.¡± DH agreed as they took the bottle back. They pulled the cork out, creating a loud, startling pop as they did. DH nearly dropped the bottle, but held onto it. Once they poured up a glass, they sniffed at the contents and pulled back almost instantly as their nose wrinkled up. ¡°That feels weird.¡± They said. TO took the glass from DH and sniffed at it. The bubbles that rushed to the surface made their own nose wrinkle up, but it didn¡¯t smell bad; it smelled a little like some fruits they had eaten with Avery and GiDi way back in the training center; on that day when they snuck all that food into the observation deck. They took the tiniest of sips. It was a chilled drink, and the contrast between the cool liquid they drank and how hot their body felt from the bath was lovely. ¡°How is it?¡± DH asked. ¡°Glorious.¡± TO said as they lay back against the pillows and took another, longer sip. ¡°... Do you think civilians normally live like this?¡± DH asked as they poured themself a glass. ¡°Well¡­ this is apparently a special room that they give to certain kinds of people; politicians, celebrities, and I suppose us. The other rooms are probably smaller.¡± ¡°Do you think they have beds like this? Or drinks like this?¡± ¡°I suppose?¡± TO said. It made sense that they would; It was probably the same as in the training center where the only difference between a room a higher ranked synth had, and the bunks the trainees had, was simply a matter of size and privacy. They recalled C12¡¯s old room, and though that was the only private room they had ever seen it didn¡¯t look more comfortable than the bunk that TO had. ¡°At worst, I imagine that they have bunks like we had at the training center, but they probably have the same food and drink, and their bed would probably still be soft like this one.¡± DH sat next to TO on the bed, the mattresses sinking down as they did. ¡°They get to live like this, and they can more or less do what they want¡­¡± they frowned as they took a sip of their drink, ¡°No wonder civilians are so self-centered; They¡¯re too comfortable, and they¡¯re not really expected to be useful like we are.¡± TO hummed as they stared at the bubbles in their glass; that didn¡¯t seem right. It took them a moment to realize why, though. ¡°If that¡¯s the case, then why the insurgency?¡± TO asked, though they were speaking aloud more than to DH. ¡°Because they want more?¡± DH offered, ¡°I mean, we knew that people in the insurgency were awful, right? Civilians on their own are pretty bad but the insurgency is working against King Decon, which makes them even worse. We don¡¯t know for sure whose part of it, but we can probably assume it¡¯s former corrupt world leaders and deposed politicians who want to claw back their power.¡± The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°Yeah.. I suppose.¡± TO said, but still¡­ something didn¡¯t feel right. They couldn¡¯t place why, but there was just a part of this that made little sense. The throbbing that still lingered in their arms, coupled with the effect of the painkillers that DH had given them, wouldn¡¯t let them think about it right at the moment, so TO let their thoughts drift away from them. In the end, they guessed it didn¡¯t matter. The insurgents were working against King Decon, and that¡¯s all TO really had to care about. ====== The civilian security had turned the storage area of the insurgent transport into a workshop where TO, DH, and Avery could examine everything. DH had gone straight to the cockpit to check the information the ship had on its computers while Avery and DH were working to poke through the drones and see what they could find. So far, it wasn¡¯t good. Avery pulled the panel off the chief part of the one intact drone that security had found. TO leaned in and looked carefully at the soldering, at the way the wires were organized and arranged. They were careful to look at the different parts, to examine the designs and try to figure out where it came from. ¡°Anything?¡± Avery asked as they set down the panel. ¡°Yes.¡± TO muttered as they reached in and pushed aside a handful of immaculate-looking wires. ¡°Look at this.¡± Avery came over to TO¡¯s side and looked into the drone. ¡°... the same person did not make this.¡± they said as they stared at the work. ¡°This had to be the work of three... maybe four people.¡± ¡°Right.¡± TO said as they pointed to another clump of wires; this one more tangled and chaotic. ¡°First; someone who takes this much care with their wires- ¡°They pointed to the neater wires, ¡°-Wouldn¡¯t allow other wires to be so chaotic and tangled.¡± They pointed to a larger wire, setting their finger on a serial number, ¡°And look at this; this is from an Arkanian language.¡± They pointed to another wire. ¡°This is-¡° ¡°Wait.. that¡¯s universal common, sure¡­ but look at this.¡± Avery leaned in and pointed not to a wire, but to a motherboard, ¡°Look at the code on this.¡± TO frowned as they looked over it, their ears pinning back under their helmet ¡°That¡¯s synth.¡± They said, The particular way that their own written language worked and the distinct appearance of their lettering didn¡¯t allow for any doubt. ¡°This is Synth wiring too.¡± Avery said as they traced their hands from the motherboard to a collection of neater wires, ¡°About half the soldering is Synth too-¡° ¡°How can you tell that?¡± TO asked. ¡°I worked in Robotics for a while during training.¡± They said, ¡°They¡¯re very precise, and like to have everything perfect. I got to look at some civilian wiring as well. Honestly, if you compare it¡­¡± They shook their head, ¡°Imagine that the way it¡¯s wired, the way everything people work, is like a style of writing. If you look closely, you can notice the difference between the way certain people put these things together. Now.. synths? We¡¯re precise and neat; we manage near mechanical perfection in our work. You can see that here, here, and here.¡¯¡¯ They pointed to different parts of the insides, ¡°But civilians? It¡¯s like the difference between reading something written by an adult and something written by a child. It¡¯s clumsy and blunt. You can see that here almost everywhere else.¡± ¡°So it has civilian and synth tech merged-¡° ¡°Not only that¡­¡± Avery said, ¡°I think a synth might have worked on this.¡± ¡°Well, if a synth made it-¡° ¡°Not not, not what I mean.¡± they said, pointing to some of the nicer wiring. ¡°Look at this; This wiring leads from the Synth motherboard to this civilian component here. If they salvaged pieces of our tech to make this, then they must have done this wiring after the insurgents got their hands on this.¡± ¡°Right¡­ but.¡± TO frowned as they looked at the wiring, ¡°The wires are so neat, a synth must have done it.¡± Avery nodded and sat down on a nearby crate. ¡°Exactly; same as the bits of synth soldering on civilian tech.¡± They said, ¡°Not only do they have information about us, but they also have a synth doing wiring for them.¡± ¡°It has to be under duress.¡± TO said as they shook their head, ¡°The insurgency has to be torturing them.¡± Avery frowned as they looked into the wires. ¡°Maybe.¡± they said, ¡°Do you think that the civilians really could figure out a way to break one of us? To break us to where we¡¯d do mechanical work for them?¡± ¡°Unless they got information from someone that they questioned.¡± TO said as they looked over the machine. ¡°Unless they could get them to cooperate.¡± ¡°... Or if they choose to cooperate.¡± TO scoffed, ¡°What synth would help the insurgents.¡± TO said, ¡°Civilians, sure; they¡¯re weak, and cave to manipulation easily; they¡¯re selfish and short-sighted. Synths are different. They trained us to be different.¡± ¡°But there''re synths that differ from normal synths. Like, you, me, DH-¡° Like GiDi. Like C12. ¡°And you think that we¡¯d turn on King Decon because we¡¯re different?¡± TO asked, ¡°Do you think I would?¡± ¡°Of course not.¡± Avery said, ¡°But it¡¯s something to keep in mind, isn¡¯t it? It¡¯s a possibility to think about.¡± Synths helping the insurgency? No synth would do that. No synth would turn against King Decon-... Except TO already knew that they themself would, right? A shiver ran down their spine as they realized they had already said as much to DH; that if King Decon gave them direct orders to kill DH, that they wouldn¡¯t do it. That they¡¯d turn against King Decon. What if the Insurgency took DH? What if the insurgency had DH held captive, and said that the only way that they¡¯d be safe is if TO did what they told them to. What would TO do then? ¡°No point in worrying about this too much until we get more information.¡± TO said as they started pulling pieces out, ¡°Let¡¯s look through the rest of this, and see if we can get more information; I won¡¯t make any assumptions until I have the entire picture.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think you¡¯ll find that until you find the leader of the insurgents.¡± Avery said, ¡°If you find them.¡± Episode 155: Unnecessary The other pieces of tech they examined all said the same story; they built them from salvaged machinery scavenged from civilian and synth ships. They cobbled together all the tech with the same schizophrenic collection of wiring and soldering. The insurgents build these drones from salvaged tech. At least one synth was doing some of the wiring. TO wondered if GiDi might be the one doing the wiring; if they were still alive and healthy enough to do this. GiDi had never worked In robotics, but they had worked in weapons manufacturing. They had some practical knowledge that the insurgents would find useful. If GiDi was doing this work, then they were at least alive and relatively healthy. Unfortunately, that also meant that GiDi was working for the insurgency. If the insurgency had caught GiDi, then finding and saving them would be complicated; GiDi wasn¡¯t supposed to be out here at all. If they found GiDi, then their friend would be brought back to a training center and corrected, or maybe reprocessed. They couldn¡¯t allow that. TO was staring at some of the soldering, looking for any hint that GiDi might have done it, when DH¡¯s voice came to them through the helmet. ¡°I have information.¡± They said, ¡°I got the coding I needed, and I got what information I think might be useful¡­ Well, useful or troubling.¡± TO looked away from the drone, ¡°Send it.¡± they said back. A moment passed, and a file appeared on their chip. TO opened it so they could see it through the screen on their helmet. There was a lot of complex coding that TO didn¡¯t understand, but in the middle of it there was a list of various codes. They didn¡¯t recognize the coding, but they recognized two assignments; Hur-86, Hur-80. After these codes was a string of seemingly random numbers and letters. ¡°What¡¯s this after the ¡®Hur¡¯ designations?¡± TO asked. ¡°That¡¯s basically the authentication that goes with each code.¡± DH said, ¡°So, when you scan your chip on something, it sends a series of letters and numbers to whatever is scanning it; a key. What you¡¯re seeing is that key typed out. The system was using these codes to test authentication, but don¡¯t know what one they used to get into this port though; maybe the port security has it.¡± ¡°Send them a message and check.¡± TO said as they turned their attention back to the drone. Of course, they weren¡¯t looking at the drone now, they were thinking. Puzzle pieces in TO¡¯s head were fitting together and showing TO more and more of the story. At least one synth had to be helping them. At least one. One synth to tell when others were lying, to talk in their own language, and to convince the captives to give in, to offer information or work. What if it¡¯s GiDi? It wouldn¡¯t be GiDi. Even away in hiding, GiDi wouldn¡¯t turn on King Decon; they¡¯d stay in hiding and try to just live. They¡¯d work to help King Decon in whatever small ways they could. They couldn¡¯t think about that now. DH had given them some medication earlier, and they had worked to fight off the pain in their arm, but the painkillers were wearing off. It felt like the pain was wrapping its tendrils around TO, around their arm and their brain, and keeping them from being able to think. They closed up the drone, packed up a few pieces they had salvaged, and set it in a crate which port security had been so kind to provide for them. The crate closed, and a screen popped up on the lid, asking for a lock-code. They put in a random one and immediately sent the number to Ark-1. ¡°Are we done for the day?¡± Avery asked as they watched TO. ¡°Yes¡­ My arm is really hurting.¡± they admitted. ¡°I need to-¡± ¡°Resting time; got it.¡± Avery said. They rushed over and picked up the crate. ¡°I can take this.¡± TO nodded and let Avery deal with the crate. They didn¡¯t want Avery to do all the work, and they didn¡¯t want civilians to think they were injured, but the pain was quickly getting unmanageable. ¡°DH.¡± They said into their helmet, ¡°Are you done?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been finished for a little while; Just looking over the data that I have.¡± ¡°You should have told me if you were already done!¡± They snapped, their ears flicking back. Their arm hurt so much, they just wanted to lie down. If DH finished already, then they could have come and helped them finish faster. ¡°Sorry; I thought I¡¯d look through this while we were working, so I wouldn¡¯t have to organize my findings later on.¡± ¡°Well, we¡¯re heading back.¡± ¡°How¡¯s your arm?¡± ¡°In abject agony.¡± ¡°I¡¯m heading right down.¡± A flicker of guilt ran though TO for their irritation, but at least they knew DH wouldn¡¯t have picked up on any tone they might have given off with their ears. They hoped that DH would have missed it, anyway. The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. ¡°We¡¯ll meet you at the entrance to the ship.¡± TO said back. They wanted to add something; a quasi-apology for their hopefully unheard tone. ¡°We¡¯ll¡­ We¡¯ll order something nice for a meal.¡± They added. ¡°Alright; see you shortly.¡± The connection cut. Though TO was glad that tone was difficult to read over the communicators, wished they could have heard DH¡¯s tone, and see if they had upset them. DH was probably fine. ====== They passed by Kei on their way back to TO¡¯s room. Even though they were all wearing their armor, TO knew immediately that it was Kei, as they were the only other synth at the port. Still, Kei¡¯s identification flashed over their head on TO¡¯s visor. ¡°You were not in your rooms.¡± Kei said. ¡°I wished to confer with you regarding the reports we sent-¡± ¡°Ark-1 accepted my reports, and my plan of action.¡± TO said, their teeth clenched as they tried to manage the pain in their arm. They brushed past Kei; they didn¡¯t have the focus or will to deal with them right now. ¡°... You already heard from your superiors?¡± That stopped TO. Had Kei just sent off a report? Well, to be fair TO had sent off a message to Ark-1 explaining that there would be a delay in their travel plans, and that details would follow. Ark-1 had then called TO themself. ¡°Of course I heard.¡± they said. ¡°I provided vital information, and a plan.¡± ¡°I see. I expressed to my superior that you had a plan, but that I had concerns-¡± ¡°Ark-1 has already approved my plan.¡± TO said. ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry about it.¡± Their arm arched, and their elbow felt like it was on fire. DH hadn¡¯t been exaggerating; without chasing the pain with medication, the ache was almost unbearable. The signal fell silent for a moment, but then it sprang to life once more. ¡°I opened up a channel.¡± Avery said, ¡°Kei said that if I¡¯m occupied, then I need to report to them, but-¡± ¡°Avery and myself are to work as a team, and I am in command of that team. I should know what those under me are doing.¡± ¡°Avery offered to help us.¡± DH cut in, ¡°We accepted, since TO¡¯s is still recovering. It helped a lot.¡± ¡°And you didn¡¯t think to involve myself in this decision? Or to involve me in the examination of insurgent tech?¡± TO continued on, desperate to get to their room, to the medication, and to the bed so that they could lie down while the drugs took effect. ¡°There was no need; you weren¡¯t necessary.¡± Kei didn¡¯t have a response to that. The signal went silent, then dead. A moment later, Kei walked down the wall. TO, Avery, and DH headed back to the room, and as soon as they got in TO sat at the table, propped their arm up, and disabled their armor. It hurt so much worse than it had the day before, and they didn¡¯t understand why. They were just glad that they had the foresight to set their arm against something before they removed their armor. They gave a cry of pain and clutched at their injured arm as DH ran to the med kit. Vaguely, TO heard Avery say they were going to check on Kei. When they looked up to ask why, Avery had left. DH sat down next to them, and after wiping down their good arm, they injected the painkillers. It would still take a moment to work, but while it did DH sat next to TO, their hand rubbing at their lower back as they let TO lean against them. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m sorry.¡± They muttered, unsure why they were even saying that. DH just held them, and let them cry in pain while the painkillers kicked in. Now and then they would reach up with their good hand and gently wipe away the tears with their thumb. Eventually, TO calmed down; the pain shifted to that odd feeling of cold, and they felt like they could control themself once more. ¡°Are the painkillers taking effect?¡± DH whispered as they held TO. TO only nodded. ¡°Alright... Let¡¯s get you back in a sling.¡± They pulled out a new sling from the medkit and started their very gentle work of putting up TO¡¯s arm. ¡°... And for what it¡¯s worth, I don¡¯t think you need to be sorry.¡± DH said after a few minutes of silence, ¡°I mean, you were a little harsh to Kei¡­ If it had been anyone else-¡± ¡°Kei?¡± TO wiped at their eyes with their good hand, and looked at DH in confusion. ¡°Why would I be sorry about Kei?¡± ¡°Well, you said they were unnecessary¡­ That¡¯s a rough thing to say to a synth. That¡¯s probably why Avery went to go check on them.¡± TO shook their head, ¡°I didn¡¯t even consider that.¡± they said. ¡°Look, like I said, if it was anyone else, or even if they hadn¡¯t spoken about Avery like they did - like they owned them- then I¡¯d feel a little worse for them.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll survive.¡± TO said, ¡°Remember, they think little of me, anyway. They made that clear after they heard about GiDi.¡± DH shook their head, their ears pinning back. ¡°I remember that little rant.¡± They said, ¡°Saying we prolonged the existence of a useless synth. I could have slapped them. I nearly did, but you looked like you might tear them apart so I was more interested in keeping you back!¡± TO remembered that rage; it had happened a few days after they and DH were talking again, and the whole situation had only lasted a few minutes in the cafeteria. The sling was in place, and the meds had taken effect fully. For now, the pain was just cold on their body once more. DH helped TO up and led them to the bed so they could lie down for a little. Once TO was comfortable, DH sat next to them. ¡°Though¡­ if that¡¯s not why you were apologizing, then what were you apologizing for?¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± ¡°It¡¯s something.¡± TO felt their ears flick down in shame, ¡°I worried I snapped at you earlier.¡± they admitted, ¡°I wasn¡¯t going to say anything.¡± ¡°You¡¯re in pain. People say and do things they don¡¯t mean when they¡¯re in pain sometimes.¡± They said, ¡°I had it worse when I was working in the medical bay.¡± They gave TO a smile, ¡°I didn¡¯t even notice you snapped at me.¡± Relieved, TO leaned against DH while they rested. They weren¡¯t resting long when a message came in on both of their chips. TO didn¡¯t bother to check theirs right away, but DH did. ¡°Looks like our ship is ready for transport.¡± They said, ¡°We can leave anytime we like¡­¡± ¡°Tomorrow.¡± TO muttered. They turned into DH¡¯s side, wincing slightly as their arm moved. ¡°We¡¯ll go tomorrow. Get them to hook up our ship with Avery¡¯s and we¡¯ll go tomorrow.¡± Tomorrow. They wanted to stay a little longer. There was still a report to write up about what they learned today. They wanted to eat good food, sleep in comfortable beds, and lounge in that tub again. They wanted another day alone with DH before they had to be around Avery full time. But, they had a duty, and they couldn¡¯t ignore or even delay that just for personal comfort; they were synths, not civilians. Episode 156: Gifts TO had almost expected - and had even hoped- that Ark-1 would tell them they should stay for another day. Maybe it would be a good idea to get information from the civilians or to look into another piece of tech before leaving. They longed for an excuse to stay just another day in the enormous room with DH. When they woke up the next day, they had a message from Ark-1. They read it with excitement but it simply thanked them for their diligence, and assured TO that the information was being sent onto a specialized team of synths, who would work to improve the security features of the ports. ¡°Was there anything else we could look into?¡± DH said as they finished their breakfast; a collection of fruits, served with a single boiled egg that was about the size of their fist. They gave TO a strained smile, ¡°Maybe finding a way to just send Kei ahead in a shipping crate?¡± ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure we can¡¯t do that.¡± TO said, sighing. ¡°I wish I could keep them in their own ship, and honestly I thought we could do that when I had the idea¡­ but if their ship has to stay powered down until it¡¯s repaired, then they can¡¯t stay there.¡± ¡°Great.¡± DH grumbled. ¡°Should I head to our ship first and separate our beds?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s necessary. I mean, they knew we shared a pod-¡± ¡°But, where will they sleep?¡± Damn. TO hadn¡¯t thought about that. They wouldn¡¯t mind sharing half a small bed with DH, but they were certain that it would be uncomfortable for Avery to have to share with Kei. Besides that, it meant that they couldn¡¯t be as close as they had been of late when they slept. ¡°What if¡­¡± TO said quietly, ¡°What if we made up a makeshift sleeping area in the weapons bay.¡± Their ears twitched as they considered it. ¡°They could sleep up there. The beds do move, so maybe we can bring their beds over to our ship-¡± ¡°Too big to take from the ship itself.¡± DH said. TO frowned as they considered this, then activated their chip and started sending off a message. ¡°I¡¯ll see if the civilians have some sleeping bags.¡± They said, ¡°We can set them up in the weapons bay, and Avery and Kei and sleep up there.¡± ¡°You realize Kei will probably complain about that.¡± DH said. ¡°I don¡¯t really care.¡± TO said, ¡°They can complain. What are they going to complain about?¡± DH flashed a smile at TO as they got up, ¡°Well, I suppose if they do, you can deal with them, You got them to stop yesterday!¡± TO felt their ears flick down. ¡°Maybe I should apologize.¡± They said, They hadn¡¯t meant to be so nasty to Kei, even though Kei deserved it; they had just been in pain and wanted to get away from them, just wanted Kei to leave them alone. ¡°You don¡¯t need to apologize.¡± DH said, ¡°Like I said; if it was anyone else I¡¯d have felt bad, but Kei¡­¡± They shrugged, ¡°They¡¯ve said worse to us both. They¡¯ve DONE worse to us both.¡± DH sighed as they stretched their wings. ¡°I¡¯m going to miss this place though.¡± They said, ¡°All the space, all the privacy and comfort¡­ I guess we won¡¯t have that again until we get to Arkane.¡± ¡°More or less.¡± TO said, ¡°For privacy anyway. The space situation will stay the same.¡± They headed to the door. TO reached up to activate their armor, but DH reached out and stopped them. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± TO asked. DH said nothing; their ears were down and flushed as they turned TO to face them. Startled, TO backed up but ended up with their back to the door. DH rested one hand next to TO¡¯s face, the other at their ear, and then leaned in to kiss TO as they rubbed TO¡¯s earlobe. A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. It felt like the world shifted under them- they were so unprepared for that, and so surprised! They felt dizzy, as though they were spinning in place as the surprise, along with the sudden stimulation on their ears and the kiss temporarily overwhelmed their senses. They pressed a hand to the door behind them to steady themself. DH pulled away, drawing their hand from TO¡¯s ear. Still, their face was close to TOs, and TO could feel their breath on their neck. ¡°Sorry.¡± DH whispered. TO opened their eyes halfway to look at DH. Their ears were deep blue, their eyes were closed. ¡°Don¡¯t you dare apologize.¡± TO said. ¡°I just thought since we¡¯d be stuck with Kei we wouldn¡¯t be able to-¡± They pulled away, but TO leaned forward and kissed them gently on the lips. TO knew that their ears were twitching, and they were for the first time grateful that they¡¯d soon be putting on their helmet. ¡°I¡¯m glad you did.¡± they said once they pulled away. They gave an awkward laugh, ¡°Though¡­ now I really don¡¯t want to leave.¡± DH smiled, kissed TO once more, then pulled away. This time TO let them. DH reached up to their wrist and activated their armor. They didn¡¯t speak again until the armor and the helmet were in place and active. ¡°I suppose we should go fourth.¡± That odd, mechanical twang to DH¡¯s voice sobered TO up quickly; DH just sounded so formal, so odd when their voice filtered through the helmet. They activated their own armor, nodded, and the two of them left. ====== The civilians had done all the work of hooking up one ship to the other, had provided them with a. crate, and sent the three of them via a civilian shuttle to their ship. The civilian shuttle couldn¡¯t dock to the main ship, so they had to activate their suits and head into the ship the way they had left it originally; using their thrusters and making their way through zero gravity to the emergency ship. The power on the ship was still down, so Avery went to the engine room to power up what TO had worked on before, and DH sat at the console to work on bringing up the other systems. Of course, that left Kei and TO to sit and wait. ¡°I could have gone up and activated engine systems with Avery.¡± ¡°It¡¯s crowded up there; it¡¯d be difficult for more than one person at a time to be up there.¡± ¡°Very well, but I¡¯m certain that-¡± ¡°These ships are meant to be manned by two synths.¡± TO said, ¡°Avery is up in the engine room, DH is here. I¡¯m injured, and DH seems to think it better if I do as little as possible-¡± ¡°I¡¯m the only one of us with medical training.¡± DH chimed in. They glanced at Kei. ¡°Unless you did?¡± ¡°I did not. My placements were mostly production lines.¡± ¡°Right. So, since I¡¯m the only one trained, I believe it is better if you rest as much as possible so that you¡¯re healed up once we get to Arkane.¡± ¡°I, on the other hand, do not need to heal-¡± ¡°So just wait.¡± TO says, ¡°I¡¯m sure you can split my chores with Avery after today.¡± They narrowed their eyes as they looked away. They didn¡¯t know why every word that Kei spoke seemed to bother them so much. ¡°If you really want, go through the crate that the civilians provided for us.¡± Kei got up without a response and went to the crate. They pressed the button on top, and the lid opened up. ¡°They appear to have provided us with unnecessary foodstuffs.¡± They commented as they pulled out some sealed containers with lists on top. ¡°As well as bottles of that odd drink they provided.¡± ¡°That was nice of them.¡± DH commented from the console. ¡°It¡¯s unnecessary.¡± ¡°Well, we didn¡¯t ask for it.¡± TO said as they rubbed their arm, ¡°It must be a gift.¡± ¡°We should send it to King Decon then.¡± Kei said as they brought out more containers, ¡°All gifts given to us are to be sent to-¡° ¡°The civilians didn¡¯t prepare this for long distance transport.¡± TO said, ¡°Also, we would have to wait to get to Arkane before we can send it back. It would be rancid by the time it got to King Decon.¡± ¡°Then we should send it back-¡° ¡°That would be rude.¡± ¡°It¡¯s an unnecessary amount and variety of food.¡± Kei continued, ¡°What do we-¡° ¡°We eat it, obviously.¡± TO hissed, getting a little annoyed. They rubbed at their arm, which still had that cold feeling to it. ¡°We eat that food, which will expire before we can do anything more with it, and save our rations which can last for a longer period.¡± Kei frowned, their ears flicking down slightly, but they said nothing more. They pulled out the last few trays, then pulled out two tightly rolled up bundles. ¡°That must be the sleeping mats.¡± TO said, ¡°It looks like they provided blankets too.¡± ¡°We thought it best if we provided a separate sleeping area.¡± DH said, ¡°Four of us in that one area might be a little crowded, especially if TO has to sleep on their back to keep pressure off their arm.¡± Kei¡¯s ears pinned back in disapproval, their eyes narrowing. ¡°Very well.¡± They said, ¡°I will set up these mats for myself and for Avery.¡± ¡°Do it in the Weapons bay.¡± TO said, ¡°It¡¯s got more space, and we hardly use it.¡± ¡°Very well.¡± The systems finally finished coming online, and the ship hummed to life. The lights turned to full brightness. A moment later, Avery came out of the elevator. ¡°Everyone sit down.¡± DH said, ¡°There¡¯s going to be more kick than normal since we¡¯re pulling another ship, and I don¡¯t want anyone else getting hurt. TO was already sitting at their desk. Kei and Avery sat at the table. The engines powered up, and the familiar deep hum of the motors rumbled through the ship. TO held onto their desk with their good hand as the ship moved, jolting as momentum built. They looked at the screen over the main console, which was now displaying the view from outside the ship. They watched as the docks receded in the distance. They were now on their last part of the journey to Arkane. Episode 157: Guidance ¡°I want to kill them.¡± TO said, their hands balled into fists. It had only been a few days, but they were already sick of Kei questioning how TO and DH worked on their ship! They questioned the wisdom of letting DH be the only one to work on the consoles, on the switch to Arkane time, on the habit of watching movies and shows from Arkane in the evening. Kei even questioned the use of words like ¡®morning¡¯ and ¡®evening¡¯ since they were still technically in space. When they weren¡¯t questioning every little thing, they were just sitting there at the table, reading articles off their chip. Avery - who actually liked TO and DH - would spend some time with them in the evenings, but kept to themself in the weapons bay most of the time. Why couldn¡¯t Kei do that instead!? TO planned to read up on the news while DH ran the checks on the console, but it seemed so unfair that the scarce moments of alone time they had with DH had to be spent working. ¡°You don¡¯t want to kill Kei.¡± DH said without even turning from their screen, ¡°That¡¯s the pain talking.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not in pain right now!¡± TO protested, ¡°You still have me on painkillers, so-¡° ¡°Yeah, but your body is still in pain. Also, the painkillers I¡¯m giving you can affect your ability to regulate emotions.¡± They finished typing something into the console before they turned back to TO, ¡°That¡¯s why you¡¯re being more snappy lately.¡± They said with a smile. ¡°I¡¯m not being snappy.¡± TO grumbled, but even they could hear the slight snap to their voice, and the petulant tone they had taken on. DH grinned before pushing their chair towards TO and giving them a quick kiss. ¡°You are, but that¡¯s ok. Everyone gets like that when they¡¯re injured.¡± ¡°Careful!¡± TO said, their ears flicking down and flushing, ¡°Kei could-¡° ¡°Kei just went to deal with the engines less than a minute ago.¡± DH said, ¡°And Avery¡­ well, it¡¯s not so much of an issue if they see us, right?¡± Still, DH pulled away with flushed ears. ¡°... it¡¯d still be nice if we could have some time by ourselves.¡± TO muttered. ¡°If it was just Avery, we could just tell them we want some privacy; they¡¯d be happy for the time alone, and they¡¯d understand.¡± They frowned as they glanced back at their own screen where the news from Arkane displayed before them, still unread, ¡°Though, it¡¯s different with Kei.¡± ¡°Kei isn¡¯t used to being on their own.¡± DH pointed out. ¡°I don¡¯t like them, but they¡¯re used to being in the training center, eating, training, and showering with hundreds of other synths. They never spent time on their own like we did, and they¡¯re partnered up with Avery who likes to be on their own¡­¡± ¡°Still, they don¡¯t even like us, so why do they hang around us? Every day they finish their chores, then they sit at the table there and just go through files and data about mining facilities.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think liking us has anything to do with it.¡± DH said, ¡°It¡¯s just what they¡¯re used to.¡± They shrugged, ¡°Maybe not being around other people makes them uncomfortable.¡± TO shrugged; they really didn¡¯t care what made Kei uncomfortable or not. ¡°Kei didn¡¯t care that they made you uncomfortable. They didn¡¯t care that you were lonely when they went around telling people you were dangerous and strange, or that Q10 was suffering alone.¡± The elevator door opened, and Avery stepped out; TO had placed them in charge of dealing with the training room and the weapons bay, neither of which took as much time as running the scans in the engine room. ¡°I needed to re-calibrate the weapons, but everything else was fine.¡± They said, They turned to DH, ¡°Do you need to do anything with that now?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll just run a scan to make sure what you changed synced up with the key systems.¡± Avery nodded and headed to the showers; This was the routine that had come about in the last five days of travelling with Avery and Kei; Wake up; DH and TO eat first and go to the training room for exercise. While they were exercising, Avery and Kei would eat. After that, DH would start their system scans and TO started their research while Avery and Kei did their exercise. Avery and Kei would shower when they finished with their chores. After all the work for the day was complete, Avery went back to the weapons room to rest and read and work on their research while Kei stayed in the living area, sitting in silence as they did their own research. TO and DH took their showers once Kei set up in the main room; they didn¡¯t want to waste precious time together by taking showers, especially since they couldn¡¯t shower together. ¡°Is Kei alright?¡± DH Asked. Avery stopped and turned to face them. ¡°Why do you ask?¡± ¡®Well, they¡¯re down here a lot.. I know they don¡¯t like us, but¡­¡± Avery sighed and leaned against the wall. ¡°They¡¯re¡­ having difficulty adjusting, I think.¡± TO scoffed as they turned to focus on their screen. We¡¯re having difficulty adjusting to all this too. If it were just you, then it¡¯d be fine, but-¡° Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere. Avery shook their head, leaning against the wall. ¡°I don¡¯t mean that they¡¯re having issues adjusting to being here.¡± They said, ¡°I mean I don¡¯t think they¡¯re doing well outside of the training center.¡± ¡°.. but aren¡¯t they kind of ideal?¡± DH asked with a frown, ¡°They never had issues in training, never needed discipline-¡° ¡°And they were always quick to point out when anyone else wasn¡¯t acting ¡®proper¡¯ or doing well.¡± Avery fell silent, their ears twitching as they tried to figure out how to explain things. ¡°Look.¡± They said after a bit, ¡°When we first took off, they spent the first entire day trying to find a schedule.¡± ¡°Schedule?¡± TO asked ¡°Yes; A schedule; something they could follow to do the tasks that were given to them. I said that maybe we just had to get our tasks done and make our own schedule, but they insisted. When they couldn¡¯t find any kind of schedule, so they contacted Hur-1.¡± TO¡¯s ears flattened in disbelief, ¡°They contacted their commanding officer¡­ for a schedule?¡± Avery nodded. ¡°And Hur-1 just said that it didn¡¯t matter when we did things; we just had to get our tasks done and that we shouldn¡¯t need their help! But¡­ even after that, they-¡± They sighed, shaking their head, ¡°It was like they needed approval for every little thing, but of course I¡¯m not a superior officer, so I couldn¡¯t give it to them. In the end, I suggested an outline for a daily schedule, and presented it to them for approval. That worked at least.¡± They looked to TO, ¡°They don¡¯t like you, but you¡¯re acting like a superior officer and I think they want that - someone to just tell them what to do- more than they dislike you. ¡° ¡°Oh.¡± DH said, their ears dipping down, ¡°That¡¯s why you went to check on them after TO called them unnecessary.¡± TO sighed and put their head in their hands, ¡°I should apologize.¡± ¡°I explained that you just meant that we didn¡¯t need over three people.¡± Avery said, ¡°And they weren¡¯t happy about it, but they accepted it.¡± Maybe this was why the officers at the training center allowed a certain amount of oddness, of discrepancy among synths; Kei was basically the ideal synth, but they apparently needed an order for every little thing. TO and DH; they were strange, but at least they had some initiative. ¡°Just give them work to do.¡± Avery said, ¡°If you want them out of your way, give them work to do, and they¡¯ll be content for the time. Tell them they did good, tell them when they can rest, tell them-¡° ¡°Did you have to tell them all this?¡± TO asked, their eyes going wide, ¡°Do they need to be told every little-¡° ¡°I made a schedule, and asked them to approve it.¡± Avery said, ¡°I suggested courses of action, and asked them if they were alright. So yes, I told them every little thing, but I had to be subtle about it; they¡¯re technically my superior in our ship. You? You convinced them when you said that you had more authority because of your posting.¡° DH pursed their lips, then turned back to their screen. ¡°That¡¯s easy enough then.¡± DH said, ¡°A way to fix nearly all of our problems. If I look up extra maintenance work; deep cleaning, extra checks, oil changes, then we can give Kei daily lists of things to do- ¡° ¡°- And that might keep them away from us for a little.¡± TO said. A smile formed over their face, ¡°If we plan it right, we might get some time by ourselves-¡° ¡°Planning a date already?¡± Avery said, chuckling. They ignored TO and DH¡¯s flushed ears and sudden stuttering as they headed to the shower, ¡°That might be a good idea though; go somewhere out of the way while you send them off to another part of the ship to do other things. If you want some private time, that might be your best option.¡± They went into the washroom, leaving DH and TO flushed and staring. After a moment, they looked at one another. ¡°... Date tomorrow?¡± DH said, a sheepish grin flicking over their face. TO nodded, their own smile growing wide, ¡°Date tomorrow¡± They agreed. ====== When Kei came back from their chores, TO was waiting for them, sitting at the table with their screen up, trying to imitate how they had seen their officers in the past behave. They glanced up as Kei exited the elevator. They had developed a little of sympathy for them since Avery spoke about their troubles, but now that they were face to face, they felt their anger rise again. They had hurt DH. It was because of them that DH and Q10 stopped being friends in the first place, and it was their fault that Q10 had been repurposed. Sure, a lot of other things led up to that¡­ but it never would have if Kei hadn¡¯t interfered. Still¡­ They wanted Kei out of the way. They had to live with Kei for a little while longer. They had to act like they really were a superior officer, and that Kei was their underling. ¡°Kei.¡± TO said as they glanced back at their screen; they weren¡¯t looking for anything, but it felt like they had seen so many officers do that same thing; focus on the screen, glance up, glance back to the screen. ¡°Would you sit down with me?¡± There was a moment of surprise, but that was all. They nodded and sat down across from TO. TO took a deep breath and went over the little speech they had prepared in their head; it reminded them of when they were working in efficiency back in training. They could do this; they HAD done this before! Of course, back then they had an actual officer with them, and acted in an actual position of authority instead of this tenuous one that they had argued for. ¡°I have not been employing you to the best of your abilities,¡± TO said, thinking that admitting that might be the best place to start. They waited for Kei to say something, and when they didn¡¯t TO continued, ¡°If we¡¯re to share this ship and deal with the downfalls of having four synths to a two-synth ship, then we might as well use that to our advantage.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± TO cleared their throat. They had really thought that Kei would speak more in this. ¡°DH looked up some tasks that aren¡¯t done as often as the daily ones, and which the ship won¡¯t instruct; checking expiry dates on rations, deep cleaning the engine room; that sort of thing.¡± They glanced up at Kei, who was looking at them with a cold but focused look. ¡°I figured that given your¡­ fastidious nature, you might be ideal to do some of these things.¡± They suddenly felt panicked; what if Kei got angry at them for this? They didn¡¯t care, but they also just didn''t want to deal with that. What if they had been wrong in their assessment of their authority, and Kei contacted Hur-1 about it? They didn¡¯t get mad. They nodded. ¡°I would be more than happy to do extra work to keep King Decon¡¯s ships in exceptional condition.¡± TO gave a sigh of relief, but quickly stifled it and hoped that Kei didn¡¯t notice, ¡°Good.¡± TO said. ¡°Tomorrow, after chores and ¡®lunch¡¯ I¡¯ll have a list of things for you to start on. ¡® ¡®Yes. Understood.¡± ¡°In the meantime, rest for now.¡± TO said, ¡°Tomorrow will have more work so you should prepare for that.¡± ¡°Yes. I understand. I will do that.¡± They didn¡¯t seem happy, but they didn¡¯t seem as irritated or tense as they normally did, either. They got up without another word and went to the washroom for their shower. As soon as the door to the washroom closed, TO gave another deep sigh of relief and leaned over, resting their head on the table. Behind them, DH laughed from the console. ¡°Well, you played the role of commanding officer well.¡± DH said, ¡°I was surprised-¡° ¡°I was nervous. They probably noticed-¡° ¡°They probably didn¡¯t.¡± DH said, ¡°If they did, they would have called you out on it. I¡¯m surprised they didn¡¯t make comments about needless busy work. TO shrugged, ¡°I guess it¡¯s just as Avery said; they want orders from a superior officer. I¡¯m not officially a superior anything, but I suppose I¡¯m close enough.¡± They sat up again and went back to their screen to continue their work. ¡°Well, I believed it.¡± DH said, ¡°And you had training for it too-¡° ¡°Sort of¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s obvious where they want you when we¡¯re done on Arkane.¡± DH said as they turned back to their own work. ¡°I just hope I get to work with you.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure you will, or at least I¡¯m sure I can make the argument.¡± TO said. They turned back to their own work, but they couldn¡¯t focus on the news now; they were too excited and distracted for tomorrow. It had been five days since they and DH had any real time alone, and TO couldn¡¯t wait. Episode 158: Necklace TO could hardly sleep that night, not from nerves and anxiety as had so often been the case in the past, but from excitement. Though it had only been five days, the sudden loss of their freedom and privacy had weighed on TO and the idea of having a few extra hours alone with DH made them inexplicably excited. They only slept a few hours, and when they woke up several hours too early, they couldn¡¯t go back to sleep, no matter how hard they tried. Once they were up, everything seemed to take too long, and time passed tediously slowly. They ate, showered early, and then tried to do their research While DH ran their scans. TO couldn¡¯t focus of course, so they went through the lists of extra tasks to give to Kei instead. After some consideration they thought that checking their food supplies would take the longest amount of time; Kei would have to go into the storage areas behind the walls to do that, so it would keep them out of the way. It would probably keep them away for most of the day. Given how Kei was so careful, and so fastidious, TO was certain that they wouldn¡¯t rest until they checked every piece of food on the ship. While Kei did that, TO decided that the best place for DH and themself to go for their ¡®date¡¯ was the emergency ship. If Kei needed them for anything, they were unlikely to look for them in the emergency ship and would instead send them a message. They would have privacy, and they¡¯d even be able to see out into space and enjoy the view! Sure, it wasn¡¯t as nice as the weapons bay, but they didn¡¯t want to force Avery out; They had grown to like the quiet silence of the weapons bay, and the large space they could call their own for a few hours. With the time and place picked, TO now had to decide what to do; they knew that they¡¯d probably end up watching a show with DH, but they wanted to make the whole thing a little more special than that. They wanted to do something like they had back when they set up the surprise back in the training center. They realized suddenly that they could! They took a blanket from their bed and wrapped up a dessert that the civilians had packed for them, as well as the bottle of bubbly wine. TO had hidden these away, saving them for the short time between when they dropped off Kei and Avery, and when they arrived on Arkane. It felt like a much better idea to use it for their date. ¡°You¡¯re more excited than I¡¯ve seen in a while.¡± DH said, amused. When TO turned to look at them, they could see their ears twitching with suppressed laughter. They felt their own ears dip and flush as they returned their focus to wrapping up the food. ¡°Aren¡¯t you?¡± they asked. ¡°I am!¡± DH said. They got up from their chair and headed over to TO, ¡°It¡¯s just good to see you this excited too.¡± ¡°Did you think I wouldn¡¯t be?¡± they asked, grinning. They turned back to what they were doing, being careful to wrap up the bottle carefully so it wouldn¡¯t break. TO¡¯s concern about the drinks and the food slipped from their head as they felt DH press their lips to the back of their neck. They stopped, shivered, and leaned back against DH as though trying to coax them into more, to get them to trail those kisses towards their ears, or along their shoulder. The brief neck kiss lasted only a moment, though. TO did their best not to whimper as DH pulled their lips away from skin and just held TO for a moment before heading back to work. It was odd. DH seemed so much more affectionate now that they had other synths in the ship with them. Maybe it was because they were trying to make use of the little time they had alone. TO wished they could do that too, but now that others were around them they felt like they were always on edge, always worrying that Kei would come down through the elevator and see them. What would they do if they saw them? Would they report them? If they got reported, what would happen? They had finished their training, so would any higher officer leave them alone, or would they call the two of them back and deal with them? Even if the officers did nothing right away, would other synths mock them as they had C12? If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. No, it would be worse; C12 had been a retiree. Would their higher ups separate them and DH afterwards? TO didn¡¯t know, but they knew it was better not to risk it. Still, soon they¡¯d have their freedom back entirely. Until then they had their date on the emergency ship. TO only hoped that when they were alone again and they could pursue all this at their leisure, that DH would still hold the same enthusiasm as they did now. ====== When the four of them finished their lunch after they finished their tasks, it took everything in TO¡¯s power to not simply throw the extra work at Kei, grab DH, and run. No, they had to be subtle and present the tasks as though they were a genuine officer. They presented tasks for the day to Kei, commenting only that they should take their time and be thorough. Of course, that comment didn¡¯t seem to sit well with Kei. ¡°I am always thorough.¡± They said, ¡°There is no point in doing a task for King Decon if one is not.¡± ¡°Yes, yes, you¡¯re absolutely right.¡± TO had agreed; they didn¡¯t want to argue, they just wanted Kei to go away so that they could go with DH to the emergency ship. Kei didn¡¯t seem worried or curious about how fast TO agreed, or how quickly they spoke; they just nodded and turned to the elevator. As the door to the elevator slid shut, TO held their breath. They were certain that something would happen, that Kei would stop and suddenly refuse to do the work. They were certain that something would ruin the date. The doors closed, and TO let out a long breath of relief. Kei had to go down to the maintenance shafts to do this, which was accessible from the small hallway that led to the emergency ship. They¡¯d have to slip into the narrow area between the walls and go to where they kept all the food, which wouldn¡¯t be a big concern for them, and wasn¡¯t dangerous. The biggest problem with this was that TO and DH couldn¡¯t just rush off. They had to wait until they knew Kei was out of the way. Five minutes; that¡¯s what they would give the other synth. Though TO was the one who was watching the time, it was DH who suddenly got up from their console just a few minutes later. ¡°Well.¡± They said, ¡°I suppose I should get ready for my ¡®date¡¯¡± ¡°Get ready?¡± TO asked, their ears quirking forward. Did DH want to take another shower or something before they left? DH went into their sleeping area and after just a moment they came back out with a necklace around their neck. It took TO a moment to recognize it as the crystal they had given them, but it now had some thin wires wrapped around it, with a longer, thin chain holding it around their neck. As TO stared at it, DH glanced aside, their ears flushing. ¡°I found some old wires in the command center of the ship.¡± They said, ¡°I looked around, and found a bit of chain too. I worked on this a little by little while you were showering.¡± They put their hand over the gem. ¡°I was going to wait until we got to Arkane to wear it, but it should be fine for now, right?¡± TO got up and closed the distance between them. There was an odd twist in the wire, so they leaned forward and fixed that quickly, letting their fingertips brush against DH¡¯s light blue skin for just a second before they leaned in and gave DH a quick, soft kiss on the lips. ¡°It¡­ it looks good on you.¡± TO said, ¡°But you should be careful that Kei doesn¡¯t see it.¡± DH¡¯s ears dipped back, ¡°I know.¡± They muttered. ¡°I want to wear it all the time but¡­ I mean, there¡¯s nothing against it, not technically.¡± ¡°There¡¯s not.¡± TO agreed. They ran their hands down DH¡¯s arms and held their hands. ¡°But¡­ but just in case. Just in case Kei sees it and suspects. I don¡¯t want them reporting what they might think is going on.¡± ¡°Do you really think they would?¡± TO nodded, ¡°I have no doubt.¡± they said, ¡°I¡¯m positive that if Kei were to think that you and I were-¡± ¡±In love?¡± ¡°Romantically involved in one another in any way.¡± TO said as they felt the heat rise to their ears, ¡°Then they¡¯d waste no time in telling their superior-¡° ¡°And their superior would tell Ark-1?¡± TO nodded. ¡°They might separate us if that happens.¡± TO said. ¡°Like how C12 was separated from Snout.¡° ¡°But do you really think that they would suspect just from a necklace? Do you really think that they¡¯d see it and think that there was anything romantic between us? Even if they did, do you think our superiors would think that¡¯s reason enough to separate us?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± TO said truthfully. They looked up at DH, staring into their sad eyes. They wanted to tell DH to go ahead and wear the necklace all they wanted; All they wanted was for DH to be happy. In order for DH to be happy, they had to protect them. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± TO said again, ¡°But I don¡¯t want to take the chance.¡± DH nodded, ¡°Should I take it off then?¡± TO almost said yes, but they stopped, and gave DH¡¯s hard squeeze, ¡°.. I think it might be fine for our date.¡± They said with a grin. DH¡¯s face lit up, and for a moment, TO thought that their heart might burst from feeling so full. It still confused them, how DH¡¯s face lit up like that, how seeing them so happy made them want to cry simply because they felt so overwhelmed with happiness. It confused them, and they didn¡¯t entirely understand it, but this was one thing they weren''t concerned about understanding. Episode 159: Date As the door to the emergency shuttle closed behind them, TO felt an odd sense of nostalgia. Though they hadn¡¯t been together in the training center, and hadn¡¯t hidden away in the observation deck to have dates, they had still hidden away just to relax and be themselves. The feeling of finding a quiet place to relax was so very familiar to them, and the peaceful time they had spent with DH, GiDi, and sometimes Avery flooded back to them. ¡°This brings back memories.¡± DH said as they set the bundle down on the floor, ¡°Sneaking food into a hidden place so that we can just relax.¡± ¡°I was just thinking that.¡± TO said, grinning. They reached for the blanket, but before they got it DH took them by the shoulders, gave them a quick kiss, and then sat them down on the floor nearby. ¡°You stay there.¡± They said as they untangled the food and drink from the blankets, ¡°You did all the work back in the training center, so I want to do the work here.¡± ¡°I can help, even though my arm is-¡° ¡°It¡¯s not your arm.¡± DH said, laughing. ¡°I really just want to do this.¡± They touched the crystal around their neck. ¡°You got me this crystal, set up the food in the training center, and even planned a romantic way to tell me how you felt¡­ even though it didn¡¯t go through the way you wanted it to. You put in so much effort for me! This isn¡¯t much, but I want to do this.¡± It was enough that DH seemed to like how TO went out of their way. They felt their ears flush, and they held their hands up to their face, grinning as they watched DH work. Once they had taken everything from the blanket, DH spread the blanket over the floor and gestured for TO to sit on it. ¡°Go on; get comfy.¡± Ears flushed, and still with a wide grin on their face, TO shuffled over and sat down on the blanket. DH grabbed extra blankets from their emergency supplies and turned them into makeshift pillows, which they put against the wall to create a makeshift couch. Once TO was sitting comfortably, DH took up the glasses and filled them with the sweet, sparkling drink. ¡°It¡¯s what; like a picnic?¡± DH said as they held out the bubbly glass. ¡°Space picnic.¡± TO said as they took the glass. ¡°Maybe we can have a real one on Arkane?¡± DH said, smiling as they poured themself a drink. They sat down next to TO, sitting with one leg pressed against TO¡¯s as they opened up the dessert; berries, with a sweet-looking dip in the center. ¡°The food is a pleasant touch.¡± They said as they looked over the platter, ¡°But¡­ I¡¯m happy just to be alone with you for a little; just to not have to worry about Kei coming down the elevator, or worry that they¡¯re staring at us and looking for something.¡± Their smile faded for just a moment. ¡°I keep feeling like they¡¯re looking for something wrong, you know?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to think about Kei at all.¡± TO said as they took a long drink. They leaned forward and kissed DH on the cheek. ¡°I don¡¯t want thinking of them to distract me; I only want to think of you.¡± DH stared at TO, then laughed, holding their hand to their mouth as though trying to hold the noise back. ¡°Did you hear that in some movie?¡± They said, ¡°It-¡° ¡°It was corny.¡± TO said as their ears flicked down, ¡°Sorry, it was-¡° DH turned, and kissed TO on the lips, gently at first then more passionately, their arm encircling their waist as they leaned forward. They pulled away just long enough to whisper, ¡°No; it was sweet.¡± TO didn¡¯t know how to respond, didn¡¯t know what to say as their ears burned. They didn¡¯t understand why DH was so much more assertive with their affection right now - though they didn¡¯t mind it at all! Maybe it was because they didn¡¯t have the same freedom now as they did before; maybe it was because what time they had was limited, and there was this urgency that drove them to make the most of it. TO didn¡¯t really care why; they liked it. They liked DH taking charge like this, liked it when they shifted their lips from TO¡¯s mouth and gently kissed down the edge of their jawline before pulling away. Though half-lidded eyes they looked up at TO, their ears twitching and deeply blue. ¡°¡­ was that ok?¡± they whispered. ¡°More than ok.¡± TO said. They looked away, smiling. ¡°You can do that whenever you want. I mean, after we drop off Avery and Kei off, when we¡¯re on Arkane, alone, you can-¡± DH suddenly popped a strawberry covered in the sweet sauce -chocolate, TO realized- into their mouth. TO gave a muffled yelp of surprise before they had the sense to chew. ¡°I get it.¡± DH whispered as they leaned forward and licked a smudge of chocolate off the corner of TO¡¯s lip. ¡°I¡¯ll... be more affectionate.¡± Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°Only if you want.¡± TO said once they swallowed. ¡°I do.¡± DH assured, ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m not very good at it all the time, but I do; I really do. I just get nervous.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t do anything that makes you nervous.¡± TO said. ¡°I won¡¯t¡­ just... just let me see what I can do, what I want to do, ok?¡± TO reached up, put their good hand on DH¡¯s cheek, and kissed them. ¡°That¡¯s all I want.¡± ====== A handful of berries remained in the tray, and the bottle was mostly empty. The two had kissed, talked, ate, kissed some more, and just sat in each other¡¯s embrace as they gazed out the window into the vast expanse of space while listening to Arkanian musicals. TO knew that they¡¯d have to go back soon; they had already been down in the emergency ship for a while and eventually Kei would start asking where they were. Maybe knowing that they were running out of time for now made DH a little bolder. As they sat together, DH leaned forward and kissed TO first on the lips, then slowly started working their lips down TO¡¯s jawline. They kissed TO¡¯s neck and travelled down the firm, long tendons until they got to TO¡¯s collarbone. They stopped then, one hand around TO¡¯s waist, and the other on the edge of their tunic. ¡°¡­ Can I take off your tunic.¡± They asked quietly, their ears deep blue. TO felt the giggle escape them, half from the feel of DH¡¯s lips gently tickling their neck as they spoke, and half from how shyly they asked the question. ¡°You¡¯re embarrassed to ask me to take my shirt off? I¡¯m naked half around you half the time, anyway.¡± ¡°This is different,¡± DH said as they breathed against TO¡¯s neck, ¡°This¡­ This is different.¡± DH was right; it was different. There was a difference between the casual nudity they were so used to and DH wanting just their shirt off so that they could kiss TO more easily. ¡°You can take it off.¡± TO said, their own ears dipping down, ¡°You need to help me though; My arm-¡° TO didn¡¯t need to finish their statement; DH was already working, first untying the fastenings at TO¡¯s side and then gently pulling off their fabric. The tips of their fingers ran against TO¡¯s side, sending chills up their neck and making their ears twitch rapidly. They worked so gently around TO¡¯s bound up arm, ensuring that there was no extra pain from the movement. The edges of the tunic came loose, and DH pulled the beck up over TO¡¯s head and then pulled away the tunic, leaving TO shirtless as they leaned against the wall. DH leaned forward, starting once more from TO¡¯s jawline and this time kissing them with careful slowness down the long tendon in their neck and along their collarbone, to the center of their chest, where they stopped and started kissing back up. As they reached TO¡¯s neck, TO reached up and put their hand on DH¡¯s ear; they wanted to just enjoy this, but they wanted to do something for DH; they wanted to make DH feel as exquisite as they did. If they could make DH¡¯s ears twitch like their own were, if they could make DH press their thighs together as TO was starting to¡­ DH stopped, reached up, took TO¡¯s hand away from their ears and pulled it to their mouth to kiss their fingers with careful, featherlight kisses. ¡°Just let me do this.¡± They whispered, flushed. ¡°You¡­ you don¡¯t have to.¡± TO whispered back, ¡°You really don¡¯t-¡° ¡°I want to.¡± DH said. They held tightly to TOs hand. ¡°I do, but I¡¯m scared sometimes, and sometimes I still think about being a good synth and acting as King Decon would want. Sometimes that all scares me¡­ But I want to do this.¡± They looked away from TO, their ears sinking down, ¡°I want to make you happy. I want to make you feel good, and I want you to¡­ do the same for me, but just let me do this first. I¡¯ll feel better if I can just take care of you for now¡­ ok?¡± TO squeezed DH¡¯s hand, nodding slowly, ¡°Alright.¡± They said. They wanted so badly to make DH feel good too, to take away all this discomfort and guilt and just make it disappear! They knew they couldn¡¯t. TO knew that they just had to let DH take their time and do things at their own pace. If that would make DH happier in the long run then TO had no issue doing that. DH smiled softly, leaned in, and kissed TO on the bridge of their nose. Their hand went over their head and to the back of their neck, scratching just under their skull as they rested forehead against forehead. ¡°Thank you for being patient with me.¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing you have to thank me for; I just want you to be comfortable.¡± ¡°I just wish I was as comfortable with all this as you are-¡° ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± TO said, ¡°I promise.¡± DH kissed TO again and whispered, ¡°I love you so much.¡± Before they started kissing again, their lips travelling slowly along TO¡¯s jawline and towards their neck. TO arched their neck as DH kissed along the tendons once more, expected them to work down along their neck and to their collarbone. To their surprise, DH continued along their jawline and up, closer and closer to their ears. TO gave a whimper as they closed their eyes tightly, wondering if DH would actually go to their ears. They got closer and closer¡­. Then stopped. ¡°¡­ TO.¡± They whispered into their ear, ¡°Is it¡­ would be it ok -¡° ¡°If you kissed my ears?¡± TO finished as their ears burned. They felt terror running through their body; what if. DH had been asking if it¡¯s ok to stop, or if it¡¯s ok to do something else, or- ¡°You don¡¯t think that¡¯d be strange?¡± DH asked, ¡°I meant, I wanted to, but I worried you¡¯d think it¡¯s too much-¡° ¡°No. No, not at all!¡± TO opened their eyes wide as they looked at DH, ¡°I¡­ I really want you to do that¡­ please?¡± They felt their ears dips back as they heard how desperate their voice sounded. DH smiled, leaned in, and gently kissed at TO¡¯s earlobe. TO whimpered, their eyes shutting tight as they turned away to present more of their ear to DH. They could feel their ear twitching so much, warm and burning, the feeling travelling down their body and making them feel like they wanted to jump out of their skin. They felt pressure inside them as they pressed their thighs together. The guilt, the shame they normally felt when they were like this, was oddly absent. DH kissed along the lower ridge of TO¡¯s ears, then stopped and chuckled; the sound sent shivers all up and down TO¡¯s spine, ¡°I can tell you like this.¡± They whispered, their lips brushing against TO¡¯s ears as they spoke, ¡°Your ears move a certain way when you like something; like when I rub your ears, or when I kiss your neck-¡° ¡°Your ears move too!¡± TO protested. ¡°Yes.. yes I know. I just know how your ears move specifically when you really like something.¡± They continued working up to the tip of TO¡¯s ears, their fangs running so gently against the skin and causing TO to whimper once more before they slowly worked down to the base of their ears . TO needed to hold something with their good hand, so they reached up and put their hand around DH¡¯s waist, just under their wings. ¡°Is this ok?¡± TO asked, their voice soft and breathless. ¡°Yeah.¡± DH whispered as they kissed down the length of the ear. They shifted, moved TO¡¯s ear slightly, and kissed just where the ear met the back of the head. TO gave a loud gasp, and bit down on their lower lip as their gasp turned into a low moan. They clutched at DH, gazing into DH¡¯s own bright, sparkling eyes. It was then that the door to the emergency transport opened. Kei took two steps into the transport with their focus on their communicator, then looked up and froze mid-stride as they saw the two flushed and excited synths. Episode 160:Attack TO had never understood how people could ¡®freeze¡¯ in a dangerous situation. They had read news articles where civilians were in a dangerous place, and said afterwards that they ¡®just froze.¡¯ They had seen shows where people just froze, staring at the danger before them with stupid, wide eyes. No, TO never understood it; not until now. As Kei stared at them ¡ªDH still had their lips so close to TO¡¯s ears, their arm around TO¡¯s shirtless waist¡ª TO discovered that they couldn¡¯t seem to think of anything to say or do. They couldn¡¯t even think of what might happen; it was like their brain had just stopped; It was like when their ship had been turned off entirely and needed a moment to boot back up. Kei¡¯s the way Kei¡¯s ears suddenly pinned back in utter disgust hurried along that rebooting process. They pushed DH off of them and grabbed their shirt in a panic. ¡°What are you doing here!¡± they snapped, their blue ears low with horror, ¡°You were told-¡° ¡°To check the food supplies.¡± Kei hissed. They sneered at the two before looking away, turning their back on them both, ¡°I finished the work in the main part of the ship and then came here to check the food held in the emergency ship.¡± The emergency ship! TO hadn¡¯t even thought about that. Now their mind was racing; this was all their fault; they had told Kei to check the food and they had known that Kei would be careful and check every crumb, every single piece of food in the ship; that would include the emergency ship! And TO had suggested the emergency ship for their date. They were so stupid! Had they been so excited about being alone with DH that they hadn¡¯t even considered that? ¡°More importantly, what were the two of you doing in the emergency ship?¡± Kei snapped. Their ears were still pinned back in disgust, and they looked at TO and DH like something they had accidently stepped in and would need to clean off. TO didn¡¯t know how to respond; clearly Kei had seen them. There were no excuses they could make now. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter why we were here.¡± DH said as they stood up. They took a step in front of TO as though trying to protect them or hide them from Kei. Though their ears were a bright blue they were pinned back in anger, and as they spoke TO could see their teeth flash. ¡°We can go where we like in this-¡° ¡°Does your officer know that you¡¯re both deviants?¡± They turned back, glaring at the two of them. ¡°We¡¯re not deviants.¡± TO said as they got to their feet too. They were still holding their shirt to their chest as though it might protect them, as though they could hide behind it. ¡°Of course you are.¡± Kei hissed, ¡°You were there, acting like civilians in heat; like animals. Is that what you think you are? Do you think King Decon made animals instead of synths?¡± ¡°We¡¯re not-¡° ¡°Does your officer know?!¡± TO had never heard Kei¡¯s voice so sharp, so angry before. ¡°What does that matter?¡± They narrowed their eyes. ¡°They don¡¯t.¡± they said, ¡°You¡¯ve hidden this from them.¡± They took a step backwards, ¡°I knew you were strange, but I didn¡¯t think you were so fundamentally broken and twisted.¡± They turned away again and headed to the door. DH moved quicker than TO had ever seen before and got past them and to the door where they stood, blocking Kei¡¯s path. ¡°Where are you going?¡± ¡°I am leaving the two of you here to continue your animalistic, disgusting rutting while I contact Hur-1 and inform them of your ¡­Your defective nature!¡± ¡°That¡­ Why does that even matter!¡± TO hated the desperation in their voice; this was all going just as they had feared; with Kei finding out and deciding to go to their officers. Of course, this was the absolute worst way that anyone could have found out; far worse than them just suspecting something based on a piece of jewelry. ¡°It matters because this behaviour is not proper for any synth created by King Decon.¡± they turned back and glared at TO, ¡°You; you had potential. You passed your examinations. You were given a special assignment which you said was more highly ranked than mine, and this is how you think you should act?¡± Their ears flicked once more in disgust, ¡°You should be ashamed. ¡° TO wasn¡¯t ashamed, but they could tell that what Kei said was affecting DH; their ears were low, and tilted back. They seemed to be trying to look anywhere except for at TO or Kei. In an instant, the fear, desperation, and the desire to just hide away and disappear melted from TO. Kei had hurt DH again. DH had wanted so much to be comfortable with what was happening, to be able to enjoy their time and their intimacy with TO. They had been having a wonderful time, and now in a matter of moments Kei was here to ruin it all. Kei ruined their date. Kei made DH feel bad. Kei was responsible for the awful look on DH¡¯s face and ears; an expression of sorrow and shame that squeezed at TO¡¯s heart and made them hurt. Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon. ¡°You will tell no one.¡± TO¡¯s voice was so much lower than normal, and tinged with cold, suppressed rage. Sure, it was their fault for risking all this with DH when Kei was in the ship with them, and it was their fault for not being as fastidious as they should have been when assigning Kei¡¯s task and deciding on a place to have their date; TO could accept responsibility for all that later. RIght now, Kei was the one who was upsetting DH. It was always Kei, wasn¡¯t it? Kei turned around slowly, their ears twitching out slightly in disbelief, then shifting as they caught sight of TO¡¯s pinned back ears, their curled back lip, and the way their wings puffed out around them. TO took a step forward. ¡°You will tell no one.¡± They said again, their voice quieter this time, but somehow had made them sound so much more scary. ¡°Are you threatening me?¡± Kei said. Their voice had the same impassive coolness as it always had, but their ears still showed hints of fear. TO wasn¡¯t certain, but they could have sworn that Kei¡¯s wings tightened around them just a little. They hadn¡¯t been afraid when GiDi snarled at them in the dormitory. They hadn¡¯t been afraid when TO drew their claws at them in the showers. Maybe it was because now, there were no other synths watching them, and no higher ranked synth among them to stop anything. Maybe it was because Kei still viewed TO as a more highly ranked synth. ¡°I am not threatening you.¡± TO said, ¡°I am just saying that you will not tell anyone.¡± ¡°And why is that?¡± ¡°Do you want to irritate your superior officer?¡± TO hissed, ¡°And bother them over nothing.¡± ¡°This¡­ This isn¡¯t nothing.¡± Kei said, but there was just a moment when their ears twitched, displaying a second of doubt. ¡°This is deviance. This is going directly against everything we exist for! We exist to serve King Decon, not to rut like filthy civilians. We are better than that. We have greater control than that. King Decon created us as a superior species to serve Him and you¡¯re despoiling his work. How can you hope to serve King Decon when you¡¯re so caught up in your irrelevant carnal desires?¡± ¡°How can I hope to serve King Decon?¡± TO took another step forward, ¡°Clearly, despite being ¡®defective¡¯ and ¡®deviant¡¯ I can serve him better than you can. We were like this before we came into the port, and still we managed to stop the insurgents. We managed to save our ships, and other synths. We managed to maintain a flow of traffic between Arkane and the greater galaxy, ruining the insurgents plans while you did what again?¡± They gave a derisive snort of laughter, ¡°Right. You waited. You sat and waited. What was your excuse?¡± ¡°I¡­ I was awaiting orders-¡± ¡°Yes, I know. From the insurgents. Did you think that through? Didn¡¯t you have the sense to think that maybe you shouldn¡¯t be following insurgent orders, or do you need orders so badly that you can¡¯t function, you can¡¯t think without someone telling you exactly what to do! Maybe you¡¯re the defective one!¡± In the wake of TO¡¯s shouting, the three of them stood in silence. DH looked surprised, even scared at TO¡¯s sudden outburst. Kei just stood there, frowning as though they were in deep contemplation about something. TO suddenly regretted saying all that. They remembered what Avery had said about how they were struggling, how all they needed was guidance. Still, guilt or no it was the only thing that TO could think of the say, the only thing they could do! Besides, Kei upset DH and they didn¡¯t seem very concerned about that. Kei took a deep breath, and looked up again; their eyes seemed oddly detached this time. ¡°My own¡­ Failings aside.¡± They said in a cold, calm voice, ¡°If nobody in the training center knew about your own twisted nature, then it stands to reason that our superiors might have put you in this position and given you this assignment in err. If they didn¡¯t know the full truth about you-¡± ¡°Not that my own training is any of your business of yours.¡± TO said, ¡°But the specific one who suggested us for this position not only knew about my ¡®twisted nature¡¯ as you put it, but encouraged it as well. Also, I assure you that they were much higher up in ranking than an Overseer.¡± It was all true; C12, the former Retiree, did know about them. C12 had suspected that DH was the one TP had such feelings for, and they did encourage TO to pursue their feelings when it was safe. Kei didn¡¯t know that C12 had romantic feelings for another just like they did. They didn¡¯t need to know that C12 was gone now, that C12 had been the one who suggested them in the first place, or that despite their rank C12 had been mocked and ostracised for their feelings. ¡°They¡­ someone knew? Someone more highly ranked and skilled than an Overseer?¡± Their eyes flicked to TO¡¯s ears, watching for the telltale quivering that would show them in a lie. ¡°The very synth who recommended me for this position not only knew, but recommended that I be placed with DH.¡± they put their good arm on their hip as they stared at Kei, ¡°And yes, though it¡¯s none of your business they were far more highly ranked than our overseers. In fact, they were more highly ranked than Ark-1.¡± They shrugged, ¡°But go ahead, go tell your officer. Go tell Hur-1 and see what they think about it. I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll love the extra, unnecessary work you give them.¡± They glanced at the still shocked DH, ¡°Go on, let them go; it¡¯s not my business if they get themself in trouble with their officer.¡± DH looked at TO unmoving, their arms still up as though they were ready to stop Kei from moving. TO nodded at them, and then DH slowly lowered their arms and moved out of the way as they looked at TO in disbelief. ¡°Go on.¡± TO said, gesturing to the door, ¡°If you don¡¯t want to listen to me, maybe you¡¯ll listen to Avery; I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll also tell you not to inform your officer.¡± ¡°... I don¡¯t understand.¡± Kei said, their ears dropping down, their fists shaking at their sides. This was the first time that TO had seen Kei like this; back in the training center they had never gotten this emotional. Maybe Avery was right; maybe this was hard on them. TO sighed, and softened their voice as much as their anger would allow. ¡°You¡¯re not supposed to understand.¡± They said, ¡°You just need to listen to what I say.¡± ¡°But how can you be allowed all this? How can you be allowed this position, this task for King Decon when you¡¯re so-¡± ¡°Strange?¡± TO asked. ¡°Maybe there¡¯s some benefit to being strange, despite its challenges. It¡¯s nothing you have to worry about.¡± They tilted their head at Kei, their ears still pinned back in anger, ¡°Now¡­ Are we done here?¡± ¡°.... yes.¡± their voice was quiet and detached, as though someone else was speaking through them. TO nodded, rushed past Kei, hooked DH¡¯s arm in their own, and guided them to the elevator. ¡°we¡¯ll leave you to finish your tasks then.¡± They said. They went into the elevator, and though Kei didn¡¯t turn to look at them they held their stance until the door closed. Once they were alone once more, draped their good arm over DH, and leaned against them, trying to steady the irregular humming of their heart and steady their breathing. They wanted to hold DH, to just hold them in silence until this awful, anxious feeling in their stomach went away and they could breathe properly once more. Maybe they convinced Kei not to report them for the moment, but TO wasn¡¯t sure how long that would actually last. Episode 161: Audio TO and DH didn¡¯t go back to the main living area. Once the door to the elevator was closed, DH pressed the button to take them to the weapons bay. TO, shaking and struggling to control their breathing, didn¡¯t even notice this until the door opened and they saw the expanse of space through the curved window before them. How many times would they be able to view that with DH now? How much time would they have before Kei decided they wanted to report them and have them separated? The thought made TO clutch at DH. ¡°Avery?¡± DH called out to the seemingly empty room. ¡°I¡¯m over here.¡± Their voice came from the other side of the room. DH guided TO over to where Avery had set up a place for themself; they had used extra blankets and pillows that the civilians had given them to make what TO could only describe as a nest under the desks that circled the edge of the room. They reclined, reading something on their communicator. When they looked up and caught sight of DH and TO they immediately put their reading away and slid out from under the desk. They pushed some blankets out and gestured to them. ¡°Sit down.¡± they said as panic entered their voice. DH guided TO over, helped them to the floor, then sat down next to them. TO leaned against DH, feeling like they weren¡¯t really seeing anything before them, and as though anything being said was distantly far away. Would Kei still report them? How much time did they have left? Normally they¡¯d be a little more reserved even around Avery, but now that they didn¡¯t know if they had hours or days or cycles, they didn¡¯t care. They already got caught in the worst imaginable situation. What possible further harm could they cause? ¡°Alright¡­ What happened.¡± Avery said, their voice as soft as TO had ever heard it before. ¡°¡­ Kei caught us.¡± TO muttered, ¡°And they want to tell their supervisor.¡± Kei caught them and wanted to report them. The reality of it all caught up with TO and once the adrenaline and rage they had felt finally drained from them fully, they sobbed, clutching to DH as though their beloved partner might get ripped from them. ====== DH told Avery everything that happened down in the emergency transport, all the while holding onto TO and letting them cry into their arms. TO didn¡¯t know how DH could hold themself together like this, how they could just talk and recount what happened while every memory of those awful few minutes felt like it was tearing TO¡¯s heart apart. The memory of Kei¡¯s disgust, the look of shame on DH¡¯s face, and TO¡¯s own guilt over the situation was just too much. TO wasn¡¯t even paying attention when DH got the part where TO had castigated Kei to keep them from running off and reporting them immediately. ¡°It¡¯s my fault.¡± DH muttered once they finished the story. Their ears were low in shame. ¡°If we had been just sitting there and eating, we could have made up some excuse. Because we were-¡° ¡°Wait..no.¡± TO said, sniffling. ¡°It¡¯s my fault. If I had been more careful about where we went-¡° ¡°I¡¯m hard pressed to say that it¡¯s anyone¡¯s fault.¡± Avery said, ¡°It just happened.¡± Avery gave a deep sigh. ¡°So¡­ Kei is probably furious right now. Probably¡­ probably a little upset too.¡± ¡°They don¡¯t get upset.¡± TO muttered. ¡°They do.¡± Avery assured them, ¡°It¡¯s different for them than it is for you, but I assure you they get upset.¡± ¡°Do you think they¡¯ll report us?¡± DH asked. Avery frowned, falling silent as they thought about it. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± They said, ¡°They¡¯re probably of two minds on it; Kei would probably think that it¡¯s their duty to report you, but if you convinced them that a higher up knew about it then that, along with not wanting to bug Hur-1 over ¡®insignificant¡¯ things might hold them back.¡± They leaned forward, resting their arms on their knees. ¡°You took a gamble¡­ and honestly I think that what you said is probably the only thing you could have said to keep them from reporting you right away¡­ Mind you, I think you should have been a little¡­ gentler with them.¡± Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings. ¡°They weren¡¯t gentle with us.¡± DH said, ¡°You should have seen them, have heard what they said-¡° ¡°That¡­ that¡¯s just the way most synths feel about romance. I mean, I don¡¯t, but I also don¡¯t really care about it for myself. Almost any other ¡®normal¡¯ synth would have acted the same.¡± ¡°Doesn¡¯t mean it¡¯s right.¡± TO muttered. Still, at the same time they recalled what C12 had said about the commander, about how their former friend had looked at them with such awful disgust when they admitted how they felt. It wasn¡¯t fair. It wasn¡¯t right. ¡°I¡¯ll talk to them.¡± Avery said after a moment. ¡°And tell them what?¡± DH asked. ¡°Well, I won¡¯t tell them anything.¡± Avery gave a little smile. ¡°I don¡¯t tell Kei anything at all. I suggest, coax, guide them to their own conclusions. Kei only wants to do what they think is best for King Decon. For them, that involves some meddling; it involves rooting out who they consider weak synths, or synths that might harm King Decon. All I have to do is convince them it¡¯s for the best for King Decon that they not report you.¡± TO took a long, shuddering breath as they finally sat up, wiping the dried tears from their face, ¡°Do you think you can do that?¡± They asked, hating how quiet and scared their voice sounded. ¡°I believe I can make an argument.¡± They said, ¡°¡­ Actually, it¡¯ll be an excellent test for me.¡± They gestured to their communicator, ¡°You know I mostly like fiction.. but I¡¯ve been reading on¡­ well, working with people, I suppose, and tactics to convince people of a point of view. It all feels¡­¡± They frowned, ¡°Honestly, to a point it feels manipulative to me, but I had to help Kei without them knowing I was helping them, to convince them to listen to me even though they¡¯re technically my superior.¡± Their ears twitched as they gave a nervous smile. ¡°If I can convince them to leave this alone, to leave you alone, then I can probably convince them of anything.¡± ¡°It won¡¯t work.¡± DH muttered, ¡°They hate me. They always hated me-¡° ¡°They don¡¯t hate. I don¡¯t think they can hate, honestly.¡± Avery mused. ¡°But the entire time in training, and even now-¡° ¡°Like I said, they want to serve King Decon. If they see you as a threat to Him, then they¡¯ll try to get rid of that threat.¡± ¡°They think I¡¯m a threat?¡± Avery shrugged. ¡°More, I think they think of you as a weak link?¡± They waved the idea away, ¡°At any rate, I know they¡¯re wrong; I just have to convince them of that.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know how you¡¯ll do that though.¡± TO said, ¡°And I won¡¯t be able to rest until I know how it goes.¡± They felt like they might be sick. ¡°¡­ well, you can listen in, right?¡± They said, ¡°I mean, you can know how it goes right as it¡¯s happening?¡± ¡°How?¡± Avery gave DH an odd look. ¡°Didn¡¯t you go into the systems and find where the computer stores the recordings? Wouldn¡¯t you be able to listen to a recording in real time?¡± ¡°¡­ You want us to spy on you?¡± DH asked. ¡°Well, it¡¯s not spying on me if I say to listen in, is it? That way, you¡¯ll know how things are going right away.¡± DH still had an arm around TO. They gave them a quick squeeze as they looked at them. ¡°Well?¡± They asked, their voice so gentle, as though TO might break, ¡°Do you want to listen in, or would you rather wait?¡± TO felt like no matter what they¡¯d probably panic, but at least if they were listening in they would know what was happening instead of just waiting for the news and suffering in silence. ¡°¡­ I¡¯d like to listen in.¡± TO said, ¡°I want to know what happens.¡± ====== The plan was simple. First, they had to go back to the main living area and act as though nothing was wrong. If they acted like they had done anything wrong, that would encourage Kei to report them. A shower helped, but not as much as the pills that DH took from their med kit. ¡°I should say that this is not how these medications are to be used.¡± DH said as they passed TO a small white pill, ¡°I feel awful for abusing them like this¡­ but if we seem panicked, it¡¯ll tell Kei that we believe we were doing something wrong. ¡± ¡°What¡¯s it for?¡± TO asked. ¡°It numbs you, essentially.¡± They said, ¡°Normally we use it when injured synths panic.¡± TO looked at the pill in their hand. They wondered if it was the same medication that was in Avery¡¯s food back in training, and if they were still taking that. They took the medication and chased it with some water. ¡°¡­ We weren¡¯t doing anything wrong.¡± TO said, though it was more for DH than for themself. DH nodded as they took the pill, but how their ears still tilted down told TO that their words didn¡¯t convince them. They sat down at their computers, doing their research as though nothing was wrong. The Medication that DH provided seemed to create a sort of barrier between TO and the chaos of panic in their head, but despite the strange separation they experienced, the worry was still there. Once more, TO found that they couldn¡¯t focus on what they were reading, but this time it had nothing to do with excitement, and more to do with the swirling thoughts that dominated their mind. They hated that there was nothing else they could do for the time, that there were no other actions they could take to help the situation. Time dragged once more, but this time every second strengthened the feeling of doom and dread as anticipation¡¯s double-edged sword stabbed at TO. The elevator whirred to life. TO froze. Behind them they could hear the constant clicking of keys suddenly fall silent. They listened, their ears twitching as they followed the sound up from the lower level, to their own, and then past them. ¡°¡­ They¡¯re going right to the weapons bay?¡± DH asked. ¡°Of course they are.¡± TO said, unsure if that made them feel better or worse, ¡°They wouldn¡¯t want to come right here and just sit quietly around us, would they?¡± DH¡¯s fingers started flying over the keyboard once more and they worked, going into the various systems and looking for the audio feed. TO shifted, pushed their chair next to DH, and sat down just watching. Despite their dread, they couldn¡¯t help but admire how fast DH could type, how deftly their long fingers moved across the keyboard. Another moment passed, and DH brought up the audio feed. ¡°I can delete this when they¡¯re done.¡± DH said, ¡°Just in case.¡± ¡°That¡¯s best.¡± TO said. They shifted closer and took DH¡¯s hand in theirs, squeezing their fingers gently as they both sat like convicts awaiting their sentencing. Episode 162: Common TO and DH listened to the faint static that distorted the relative silence of the quiet audio stream. At first TO worried that Kei wouldn¡¯t bring it up, or that they wouldn¡¯t talk to Avery about what they had seen. When Kei lingered around after all the chores were done they hardly ever spoke, so why would it be different with Avery? The whoosh of the opening elevator door broke through the silence, and the static seemed to fade. They could hear footsteps as Kei walked around the room. They realized that they didn¡¯t know how Kei and Avery acted around one another when they were on their own. TO assumed that they¡¯d mostly just ignore one another. ¡°You don¡¯t look very happy.¡± Avery said. Surprisingly, they were speaking in Universal Common. ¡°Why speak in that language?¡± In comparison to Avery¡¯s Universal Common, Kei¡¯s speech - their synth-speak- sounded so stilted and jarring since TO couldn¡¯t see their ears. ¡°I am practicing. I know we have helmets, but it might be good to practice for when we''re ....¡± They cursed as the word left them. ¡°Out among the civilians?¡± ¡°Socializing.¡± Kei said, switching to Common as well, ¡°And with luck we will not need to worry about that; I doubt that there will be a need to go undercover among them.¡± ¡°Better to prepare. I want to do better. What is wrong? You look¡­ Irritated?¡± Maybe it was a good idea for Avery to practice anyway; TO¡¯s Common wasn¡¯t as fluid at DH¡¯s, but it was better than the simple, stilted sentences coming from Avery. Maybe because they watched so many movies which were often in Common they had developed an ear for the language without so much effort. ¡°Do you know what Those two were doing?¡± Though Kei had a greater grasp on the word choice and grammar, their use of tone was lacking impaired to Avery¡¯s. However, Common had a specific word for referring to people in a derisive manner. That, of course, was the word that Kei had used to refer to DH and TO. ¡°What were those two doing?¡± Avery said. TO winced at the use of the same derisive word, but then realized Avery was likely just repeating the question back to Kei. ¡°Fornicating.¡± Though there was no tone to Kei¡¯s words, TO could only imagine how their ears must be pinned back, the utter contempt and disgust they must have been showing. ¡°Really?¡± Avery sounded honestly surprised, ¡°They were fornicating?¡± ¡°I wish they¡¯d stop saying that.¡± DH grumbled, their ears deeply blue. ¡°We weren¡¯t.¡± ¡°Not by the technical definition of the word, but they might as well have been. They were doing disgusting things together. It was unfit for Synths, for servants of King Decon.¡± There were several beasts of silence before Kei spoke again, ¡°You don¡¯t even seem surprised.¡± ¡°I am not.¡± Avery said, ¡°It was¡­ I think the word is clear? Obvious? At any rate, It does not surprise me.¡± ¡°How can it ¡®not surprise¡¯ you.¡± Kei said, ¡°They¡¯re synths like us. To be acting in such a manner-¡° ¡°You know they are different than we are; you tell me that many times. You tell me that I am different as well.¡± ¡°I know, but for them to be doing that¡­¡± ¡°Is it important?¡± Avery asked, ¡°They are doing their work. They stopped the insurgents. Does it matter what else they are doing?¡± ¡°If they were not doing such things, they¡¯d have more focus to use on improving themselves and better serving King Decon. They are functioning as necessary but they are squandering their potential; they are distracting themselves and wasting time fornicating. Moreover, such things can lead to distraction away from the will of King Decon.¡± More silence. TO could hear Someone walking across the room. ¡°I should inform Hur-1¡± ¡°¡­ Hur-13, why do you need to do that?¡± ¡°Avery still calls Kei Hur-13?¡± DH commented. ¡°I suppose they prefer it?¡± TO said, though it made them angry; Kei had been so derisive about their nicknames back in training and it wasn¡¯t fair that Avery was going out of their way for Kei now. ¡°Why? Because it¡¯s a disgrace! It¡¯s unfit. They are twisting the creations of King Decon and their superiors should know that-¡° ¡°Their superiors do not know?¡± Silence over the stream once more, this time dragging out for so long that TO worried the stream might have failed. ¡°TO claims that their superiors do know.¡± Kei said. ¡°TO lied?¡± ¡°Not as far as I could see.¡± ¡°That makes more sense.¡± there was a tone of relief in Avery¡¯s voice. ¡°If they could not hide it from you, I am sure at least one superior knew. I suspected for a long time-¡° ¡°And said nothing?¡± ¡°I did not consider it my place. I suspected it, so it made sense that a superior or a synth as keen as you, would have known. In that case, I worried that reporting them might be wasteful or come off as questioning my superiors.¡± ¡°And you see no reason for me to report them.¡± ¡°What would that do?¡± ¡°They would potentially be recalled. They would be brought back to our officers and dealt with. They would be replaced by synths who behave more appropriately, and who will focus on their task and serving King Decon instead of pursuing their own carnal interests.¡± ¡°You wish them punished, then.¡± ¡°I wish them to be replaced with proper synths.¡± ¡°If you reported them and they were recalled, what would happen?¡± They didn¡¯t sound like they were questioning Kei, but more like they were genuinely curious. The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement. ¡°They would be recalled, and be seperated. I would hope that Ark-¡­ That Tio would be more effective without having ¡®D.H¡¯ around them all the time. As for ¡®DH¡¯, I find them to be far less effective and potentially unfit for such a position in the first place. They would likely be placed in a far more simple placement, unless our superiors thought it necessary to correct them.¡± ¡°But¡­ What about Arkane?¡± Avery asked. ¡°If we have to go back to the training center, then we have to delay the placements to Arkane. Would the insurgents not take advantage of that time?¡± ¡°The insurgents are vicious; they will take any advantage they can get.¡± ¡°So the best choice then would be simply to redirect Tio and D.H, yes? To have the two of us go to Arkane instead.¡± ¡°¡­ That would be one option. Potentially it would be the best option if they cannot be dealt with directly.¡± ¡°They want to go to Arkane themself.¡± DH hissed from next to TO, ¡°Since you said that our placement is better than theirs, Kei probably thinks they deserve it more.¡± TO gently shushed DH, trying to hear what was being said on the stream. ¡°-and I¡¯m sure you could do it, but I don¡¯t know¡­¡± Avery said, ¡°I do not know if I could perform on Arkane as well as Tio and D.H, despite the fact that they are fornicating.¡± They gave a low laugh, ¡°They performed better than I in training, and they solved the issue of the insurgents at the portal when I could not find a solution. If you do report them, and you think you can serve King Decon best in their place, please ensure I still go to Heramu. I do not believe I am as adept as TO and DH, and would not do well with such a delicate assignment.¡± More silence. TO realized that DH was squeezing their hand, that their leg was shaking, and that their wings were wrapped tightly around them. Slowly, TO put an arm and wing around DH¡¯s shoulders. They stiffened a moment, but slowly relaxed. ¡°¡­ they are strange. They fornicate. They are poor examples of what a synth should be.¡± Kei said. ¡°¡­Despite that, do you believe they are the best option for Arkane? That they should be allowed to continue their deviance while working for King Decon?¡± ¡°My opinion does not matter.¡± Avery said, ¡°It is only the opinion of their superiors. ¡°Their superiors know, So I would trust the superiors. Our superiors know better than we do, and would have their reasons to send Tio and DH alone together to Arkane despite their fornication. All I can do is trust in the decisions of our superiors. Though, if you think it¡¯s necessary, then I will of course trust in your decision.¡± TO froze. What was Avery saying? No, they had to convince Kei not to say anything, not say that they¡¯d be fine with it! ¡°¡­I do not wish to see that again.¡± Kei said after a long silence. There was also a word that showed disdain for an object. In fact, there were words to be used for people, places, and things; a very derisive ¡®that¡¯. That man, That woman. That person. That place. That thing. ¡°Though, for all I know they¡¯ve simply continued with their perversions now, which is why I came here.¡± ¡°So you¡¯re not going to report to Hur-1?¡± Kei gave an irritated sigh ¡°For now, since their own superiors are informed, then perhaps it is unnecessary.¡± Kei said, ¡°Though I still think that they should not be allowed the privilege of their position. I fully believe that this will distract them from their duty, that they will fail, and that they will put their carnal desires before their duty to King Decon¡­ But if our superiors already know about them, then I must assume that they have weighed the risks. Perhaps that is in fact why they were sent; either they will succeed, or the Insurgents will get rid of them. This could simply be another test to see if they are worthy of their existence as Synths.¡± ¡°I did not think of that.¡± Avery said, impressed ¡°That is very likely! As for you not wishing to see that again¡­ if you wish, I will go and inform them that they must keep their ¡®activities¡¯ to-¡° ¡°They should refrain from such things altogether.¡± Kei snapped, ¡°They are still Synths, and they should have some respect for King Decon¡¯s creations.¡± ¡°¡­ I will remind them.¡± Avery said, ¡°So that you do not have to risk seeing such things again.¡± ¡°I am perfectly capable of informing them myself-¡° ¡°Please pardon me; I did not mean to suggest you were not¡­ I just want to help. I want to take this task from you so you do not risk walking in on them again before they are properly informed. ¡° A derisive grunt could be heard before Kei spoke again, ¡°Very well; you do have more contact with them, to the point where you even spent time with them in the training center¡­. You are not like them, are you?¡± ¡°I am not, I assure you. I have no such feelings. I do not understand such feelings.¡± DH gave a deep sigh of relief, ¡°At least Avery is the right one of us to ask that.¡± they said. ¡°Good. And yes, if you wish to handle this on my behalf, I appreciate your efforts.¡± ¡°I will go now then. After that-¡° DH shut off the audio, and started typing furiously once more. ¡°I¡¯ll delete this.¡± They said, ¡°Just in case anything might get uploaded to their ship once it¡¯s on again.¡± They worked fast, their fingers flying over the keyboard as their pinned back ears stayed a vivid shade of blue. TO released a deep breath and slumped over, their head in their hands, ¡°We¡¯re so lucky that C12 knew about me.¡± they muttered. ¡°If they hadn¡¯t then I couldn¡¯t have told Kei that a superior knew, and they wouldn¡¯t have mentioned that to Avery¡­ It¡¯s only because Kei assumed that Ark-1 knew that they¡¯re not reporting us.¡± ¡°For now.¡± DH said, their voice shaking, ¡°But what about after this? What if they end up talking to their superior about something else and just happen to mention us? If they assume that our superiors know, then they have no reason to keep it a secret. If they ever talk to Hur-1, and they talk about us, do you think that Kei won¡¯t say something?¡± They stopped typing, and the files that showed on the screen before them disappeared. DH stared at the blank screen for several more minutes before they turned to TO, ¡°They were quick enough to warn you about me; you think they might not warn others about us? Bring it up in conversation?'''' They leaned forward, clutching at their head while their wings tightened around themself. ¡°It¡¯s only a matter of time. They know, and they will tell someone. We¡¯re not retirees; we will be seperated. Thanks to you and Avery, we just won¡¯t be separated right now. DH was right; the relief TO felt when it seemed like Kei wouldn¡¯t report them drained as they realized that Kei knowing about them meant that they were on limited time; that eventually, others would know. They tightened their wing around DH and leaned against their shoulder. TO wanted to say something to make them feel better, but they didn¡¯t know what they could say. There was nothing to say. Eventually, they would be seperated. They were found out and it was now only a matter of time. After a few minutes they heard the elevator hum to life Though TO was positive that it was just Avery they still pulled away from DH and sat before their own desk, acting as though they had just been working this whole time. The door opened. Avery stepped out, grabbed the closest chair from around the eating table, and sat down. ¡°You heard all that?¡± They asked. ¡°We did.¡¯ DH said from the console.¡±We heard mostly everything.¡± ¡°It¡¯s over though.¡± TO said, ¡°Maybe not right now, but when our placement is over-¡° ¡°Hopefully, when your placement is over you¡¯ll be held in such high esteem that even King Decon himself wouldn¡¯t care about what you¡¯re doing.¡± ¡°We hope to be retirees one day.¡± TO admitted, ¡° But¡­ we can¡¯t do that in just a single placement. C12 had to prove themself countless times before they were allowed to simply exist, and even then they were mocked and ridiculed.¡± Avery nodded. ¡°I know¡­¡± They said, ¡°And I¡¯m not saying that you won¡¯t have issues like that¡­ but C12 was allowed to just exist, right? Others knew, potentially King Decon knew, but they had proven themself to the point where it didn¡¯t matter, right?¡± TO remembered their placement in efficiency, remembered the synths who had been sent to be reprocessed. ¡°And I¡¯ve seen other synths who did amazing things, but still didn¡¯t become retirees. They were treated just like normal synths until the end of their lifespan.¡± ¡°¡­ At the very least, you don¡¯t have a standard placement.¡± Avery said, ¡°You¡¯re to stay on Arkane until the issue is fixed. You have far more time than a single cycle to deal with the issue. Also, you¡¯re on a planet where you can prove yourselves! You¡¯re going to be working on the planet that acts as the hub of the insurgency and one where many synths before you have either died or gone missing.¡± ¡°¡­ so we should draw it out more?¡± TO asked, thinking that it might at least be a way to keep them together for a little longer. ¡°Or go missing.¡± DH muttered. ¡°Actually, I¡¯m thinking you should work harder, and make it take less time.¡± Avery said. ¡°I¡¯m thinking you should try to take down the entire insurgency in less time than they¡¯ve been given before martial law is invoked. If you do that¡­ well, you¡¯d be valuable synths then, right? Halting an entire insurgency where so many others have failed in the past, that has to be worth something.¡± ¡°.. that might be right.¡± TO said, ¡°I mean¡­ the insurgency has been a problem for a long time now, and many synths have died or gone missing trying to stop them, especially lately. Maybe if we do stop it ourselves, we might be alright.¡± They looked over at DH, who still had their head in their hands, ¡°Maybe then it would be enough. Maybe we¡¯d be retirees then, and they¡¯d just leave us alone.¡± ¡°Or more so, they¡¯d not care if you were ¡®fornicating.¡¯ ¡°ON that note!¡± DH said as they sat up, their ears down and blue, ¡°We were not ¡®fornicating¡¯ we were just-¡° ¡°I know.¡± Avery said, holding a hand before them, ¡°It¡¯s all the same to Kei though, and our vocabulary for that kind of stuff in Universal Common is limited. ¡°Still¡­ Don¡¯t say it like that.¡± DH said as they once more put their head in their hands. ¡°Being romantic then.¡± Avery said. They sighed and leaned forward, ¡°I don¡¯t think you¡¯ll be able to hide it much longer. If you perform well on Arkane, I doubt they¡¯d call you back. If you fix the issue, you might have some leniency. I don¡¯t know¡­ But that¡¯s the best I can think of.¡± TO looked at DH, but their friend - their mate- wasn¡¯t looking at them. They still had their head in their hands, focused seemingly on their keyboard. ¡°¡­ it¡¯s not fair.¡± TO whispered, ¡°We¡­ we thought it¡¯d be fine once we got out of the training center. C12 even told me to wait, and -¡° ¡°C12 probably didn¡¯t think you¡¯d have extra synths in the ship with you.¡± Avery said. TO gave another deep sigh. They wished they could hold DH, could just go to bed now and hold them, and tell them that everything would be fine. TO wanted to tell them that they¡¯d make it work; they¡¯d find a way to make sure that they were together. They desperately wanted to say with the same certainty that they had back when they were in training that they would become retirees. That, of course, was always the plan¡­ but the more TO learned the less likely it seemed. Work hard; become retirees. Now more than ever, that felt like the only way they¡¯d be able to stay together. Episode 163: Tense Kei avoided them for the rest of the day, coming down from the weapons bay only for a moment to get their meal before retreating. Were it not for everything else, Kei¡¯s sudden desire to avoid them would have been an ideal outcome. Still, TO and DH kept their distance from one another until they went to bed later that evening. ¡°¡­ Should we separate the beds?¡± DH asked quietly. ¡°No.¡± TO¡¯s response came without hesitation. They could feel their ears pin back in anger just because Kei had made DH feel like they had to do that. ¡°The beds have been like this the whole time anyway, and Kei never comes back here; they have no reason to.¡± ¡°But if they do, just to check-¡° ¡°They said they don¡¯t want to see anything, so they wouldn¡¯t¡­¡± They stopped, taking in how low DH¡¯s ears were. It seemed like since the moment Kei had caught them, sadness draped over DH. TO could understand¡­ They still wanted to help. ¡°If¡­ If you want to separate them, just to be safe, then that¡¯s fine.¡± TO said. ¡°I just want you to be comfortable.¡± ¡°But last time, you got really upset when I separated the beds.¡± DH muttered. TO felt their stomach churn as DH said that. Maybe they shouldn¡¯t have been so upset back then. ¡°¡­ That was different.¡± TO said, ¡°You never spoke to me about that, and we were on our own then.¡± TO listened carefully, then took DH by the shoulders and pulled them into a hug. Their wings wrapped around their friend and gripped them. DH stiffened in TO¡¯s embrace, their hand against TO¡¯s chest. ¡°TO, If Kei comes down-¡° ¡°We¡¯re behind the blankets, and we¡¯ll hear the elevator if they come down.¡± TO whispered. ¡°I... I just want to hold you.¡± DH hesitated for a moment more, then relaxed into TO and wrapped their arms around TO¡¯s waist. They hid their face against TO¡¯s neck, and held them tightly. ¡°They¡¯re wrong.¡± TO said. ¡°Kei¡­ they¡¯re wrong. We¡¯re fine.¡± ¡°¡­ No.¡± DH whispered. ¡°We¡¯re not. We¡¯re not normal. They are right. Normal synths don¡¯t act like we do.¡± TO gave a chuckle as they pressed their cheek against DH¡¯s face, ¡°Well, we¡¯ve known that for a long time now.¡± they said, ¡°Kei is... looking for things, I think. But they¡¯re wrong. We can work just as well as they can. We can work better than they can!¡± ¡°... Do you think they¡¯re right about the whole distraction thing?¡± DH asked, ¡°How we might do better if we weren¡¯t like this?¡± ¡°No.¡± TO said quickly. ¡°If we weren¡¯t together, I think we¡¯d be miserable, and too distracted to improve.¡± They felt their ears twitch down. ¡°When I thought you really wanted nothing to do with me back in training, I couldn¡¯t really do much, remember?¡± They gently pressed a kiss on DH¡¯s cheek, then leaned back so they could properly look at DH. ¡°We¡¯re different from they are. We can¡¯t act like them; It just won¡¯t work for us.¡± ¡°... I-I still think that I¡¯d like to be careful, you know?¡± They looked away. ¡°Avoid being too¡­ intimate. Just while they¡¯re here! Just in case.¡± they looked back to TO quickly, ¡°I don¡¯t mean we should stop sleeping together and stuff, I just mean.. You know.. Maybe keep it like it was back in training for a little?¡± ¡°TO nodded, though their ears flicked down.¡± That¡¯s fine.¡± They said, ¡°though, does that mean I can¡¯t kiss you at all?¡± DH¡¯s ears flushed blue, but they gave a little smile as they looked up at TO, ¡°Well.. that might be ok when we¡¯re here, behind the curtain and stuff¡­ so long as we¡¯re careful.¡± TO smiled, leaned in and gave DH a light kiss, then gently scratched the back of their neck as DH rested against TO¡¯s shoulder once more. ¡°... And in truth.¡± TO added, ¡°They already know. I don¡¯t know how much worse the situation could be.¡± They laughed, despite everything. ¡°That¡­ That was honestly the worst.¡± ¡°I think the worst would be if an actual officer caught us.¡± DH muttered. ¡°But, thanks for what you said earlier when Kei caught us. I didn¡¯t think you¡¯d go after them like that.¡± TO huffed, ¡°They made you upset; what else was I going to do?¡± DH chuckled, kissed TO again, then pulled them to the bed. Though TO knew that the situation in its entirety was awful, for the moment they didn¡¯t care. The whole situation had left DH deeply troubled and upset, but they weren¡¯t pulling away from TO. they now had an unknown quantity of time together, but they still had time and potentially a solution. And no matter what, at least for another night, TO still had DH in their arms as they slept. ====== Though things followed the same routine the next day, it all felt very awkward. Kei glared at TO and DH when they came down for their meal, ate quicker than normal, and then left without saying a word. True, Kei never bothered with pleasantries, but they used to attempt a ¡°Good morning¡± when they came down from the weapons bay. If any interesting news had come up while they slept, they might have mentioned it as well. Today, Kei was silent. The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. ¡°... I don¡¯t know if that was a good sign, or a bad sign.¡± DH said once Kei went to the engine room.¡± ¡°Neutral, actually.¡± Avery said. They were still eating their breakfast and reading over news that had come up from the night before, ¡°I told them that if the whole thing made them that uncomfortable then they should avoid you.¡± They glanced at TO, ¡°I hope that¡¯s ok?¡± ¡°It¡¯s best if they keep their distance, yes.¡± TO growled. They had woken up this morning with DH in their arms, and saw hints of dried tears on their cheeks. TO didn¡¯t know if DH had cried in their sleep, or if they had been awake and had simply stayed so quiet that TO didn¡¯t wake. It didn¡¯t matter what the case actually was, TO was feeling a little prickly today, and if Kei had said anything to upset DH, even just something small, they didn¡¯t know how they¡¯d react. Most likely, their actions wouldn¡¯t be wise or helpful. ¡°That means that they¡¯ll be in the weapons bay more often.¡± Avery said, their ears dipping downwards. ¡°.. Sorry about that.¡± DH muttered. ¡°Now you have to deal with them more.¡± ¡°Well, I was used to that, anyway. It¡¯s not really an issue-¡± ¡°What if you went to the emergency ship? Or the exercise room? You could move your bed entirely if you wanted.¡± Avery shook their head. ¡°No¡­ I don¡¯t want them to think I¡¯m avoiding them; that might just make everything worse.¡± They smiled, ¡°They don¡¯t talk a lot anyway, so it¡¯s fine.¡± They finished their meal and got up to run the scans in the exercise room and the weapons bay. ¡°Sorry.¡± TO muttered, ¡°If we had been more careful-¡± Avery put their finger right in the center of TO¡¯s forehead, applying just enough pressure to push their head back. ¡°It¡¯s not your fault.¡± Avery said, ¡°It¡¯s just a bad situation. Stop blaming yourself, ok?¡± ¡°But if we-¡± ¡°No.¡± Avery said firmly. ¡°Not your fault.¡± ¡°They¡¯re right. Besides, that, it¡¯s really me-¡± Avery suddenly pointed at DH, ¡°Don¡¯t make me poke you too.¡± they snapped, their ears pinning back, ¡°It¡¯s not your fault; it happened, and it¡¯s bad, but it¡¯s not anyone¡¯s fault.¡± Avery stared at DH for a long moment, then looked back to TO, ¡°Understood?¡± ¡°... Understood.¡± TO muttered. DH glanced away, but a smile played briefly at their lips and their ears twitched with amusement. That was enough to make TO happy. ¡°Alright.¡± Avery said. ¡°I¡¯m going to go do my chores, and I¡¯ll come back later for lunch and check on the two of you. I expect to hear no more talk of blame.¡± They nodded, headed to the elevator, and left without waiting for a response from either of them. Once Avery left , DH looked at TO with a sheepish expression, their ears low but still twitching in amusement. ¡°Well... maybe they would be good as an officer.¡± DH said, ¡°They put us in our place, anyway.¡± ====== TO was more focused on their research than normal, looking up not only new news articles but also going through old ones to look for any connections between various events on Arkane and the insurgents. They were more determined now to get started right away once they got to Arkane, and make progress faster than any other synth might have before. Still, it was difficult; the collection of crimes committed by the insurgency as reported in the news ranged from minor to major, and it was difficult for TO to find any patterns. Still, they kept a list, and organized it as best as they could. There had to be a pattern, had to be some answer to the seemingly random collection of crimes that the news presented them with. True chaos didn¡¯t exist, there were patterns and reasons for everything. They were so invested in their work that it startled them when DH suddenly put a hand on their shoulder, and they gave a sharp, pitched yelp at the contact. ¡°Sorry!¡± DH said as they suppressed their laughter. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to scare you. I just finished my work and figured we should check your arm?¡± TO nodded, their ears flicking down as they got up from their seat and sat on the examination table. ¡°I was just really focused.¡± They said. ¡°I could tell.¡± DH said as they gently undid the wrapping around TO¡¯s arm. ¡°I asked you how your arm was feeling twice, but you never said anything.¡± ¡°Sorry about that.¡± TO muttered, wincing as the bandages came off. DH first checked the limb. Feeling about the joints to check how they felt, then got TO to move their arm in a variety of different ways to see if they could move their arm properly, and how hard or painful it was. A frown flicked across their face as they watched, their ears twitching back at the same time. ¡°Range is a little impaired.¡± DH muttered as they watched. ¡°You can¡¯t move it back any further?¡± ¡°NOt without a lot more pain.¡± TO said, rubbing their shoulder gently. DH nodded. ¡°It might take a little longer, but I don¡¯t think you need the bandages on now.¡± They said, ¡°In fact, it might be best to keep them off so you can get proper mobility back.¡± ¡°¡­ Will I get more painkillers?¡± TO asked. DH leaned in, as though they were about to kiss TO, but then stopped as their eyes flicked to the elevator, ¡°You need to be weaned off of them.¡± they admitted, ¡°So you¡¯ll start getting less. Sorry.¡± TO remembered how DH had to be weaned off of painkillers after they lost their original eye, and what pain they had been in. TO hoped it wouldn¡¯t be that bad for them, but they would manage it. DH had managed much worse, so they could take this. ¡°Nothing to be sorry about!¡± TO said, forcing a smile. ¡°It won¡¯t be so bad, I think.¡± DH said as they caught the way TO¡¯s ears dipped back, ¡°I¡¯ll take care of you.¡± ¡°I know you will.¡± TO said. They heard the elevator whir to life. TO got up from the examination table and went back to their desk. They wanted to go take a shower, but they didn¡¯t want to leave DH alone in case it actually was Kei coming down the elevator. Sure enough, when the door opened, Kei stepped out. They ignored DH and TO, and went right to the table and activated the food dispenser. TO and DH ignored them as they ate, knowing that they¡¯d likely leave and go back to the weapons bay when they finished. TO and DH were more than happy to wait until Kei left to get their food. A moment later, the elevator came to life again and Avery came down to get their food as well. ¡°There was some strange issue in the training room with the weights, but I think I fixed it.¡± Avery said as they went to the table ¡°I felt something off in the weights this morning when we were exercising, so I checked it to make sure.¡± ¡°Was it a big problem?¡± TO asked. ¡°One weight wasn¡¯t calibrating properly, and I think it might be wearing. I could fix the weight percentage to make it work for now, but I think that piece might need to be replaced when the ship gets back.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll report that now, anyway.¡± DH said, ¡°Maybe we will get a replacement while on Arkane. ¡° Kei finished their meal and sat in silence for a moment longer before getting up and walking not as TO expected to the elevator, but to TO themself. They stood before TO, arms crossed and wings slightly puffed up from their shoulders. ¡°What¡¯s my task for today.¡± They demanded. ¡°.. What?¡± TO turned from their desk. ¡°Your task?¡± ¡°You said you would have more in-depth tasks for me to work on after I finished the main chores. What¡¯s my task for today?¡± TO stared at Kei for a moment before they turned back to their desk and pulled up their files. They didn¡¯t expect Kei to want to do any of the tasks that TO had found for them, and didn¡¯t even consider that they would want a new assignment today! TO brought up the list and didn¡¯t even bother to look at the time or intensity of each project, ¡°You could check and clean the oxygen filters?¡± TO suggested, ¡°They¡¯re located-¡° ¡°Just send me the details and I¡¯ll deal with it.¡± TO nodded, and sent off the information they had to Kei, who wordlessly turned and went into the elevator while ignoring the stares from the other synths. ¡°¡­. I didn¡¯t expect that.¡± TO admitted once Kei was gone. ¡°I wasn¡¯t sure if they¡¯d ask for their task for today or not.¡± Avery admitted, ¡°but.. Like I said, they like to be useful, and despite everything I guess they still think of you as a kind of superior officer; at least when there¡¯s not another one around who can give them tasks.¡± ¡°Well, that makes things easier than.¡± DH said, ¡°They won¡¯t be in the weapons bay all day, and they won¡¯t be hanging around here. I think it ended up for the best, despite all the other awful stuff.¡± TO nodded. They still had periods - no, several Arkanian weeks- before they dropped off Kei and Avery, and while TO expected the time to be tedious, it seemed like Kei was intent on keeping themself occupied and ignoring TO and DH as much as possible. Episode 164: Heramu Upon reaching Heramu, the civilians that still lived on the mining colony sent several up ships to assist Kei and Avery get their ship safely to the ground. There were several civilian ships that brought ships stuck in orbit down to the surface, and a small transport ship that Kei and Avery would board from outside. ¡°Be very careful once you¡¯re outside.¡± TO said as they followed Avery into the elevator. Kei and Avery would have to leave the ship from the emergency exit, and TO and DH wanted to see their friend off. ¡°Even though you won¡¯t be out there for a long time, a lot can happen in just a moment, so be very careful!¡± ¡°TO hates going out into space.¡± DH explained as they pressed the buttons to take them down to the emergency hatch, where Kei was already waiting for them. ¡°It won¡¯t be that bad.¡± ¡°Given what TO¡¯s gone though half the time, they end up in space, I¡¯d say they have every right to be a little anxious about it.¡± Avery said, ¡°But¡­ I will take your advice, and be very cautious.¡± ¡°And tell us about the planet!¡± DH said, ¡°Tell us everything, tell us all about the civilians-¡± ¡°Another day and you¡¯ll be on Arkane anyway, so you hardly need me to tell you what they¡¯re like.¡± Avery said, but still a smile flickered over their lips, ¡°I¡¯ll let you know how things went as soon as I have a chance.¡± ¡°And remember, if anything happens, you can contact us; Emergency protocol states that in dire situations, contact the closest synths to your position, and-¡± ¡°It¡¯s a mining colony; I very much doubt we¡¯ll have problems.¡± Avery said, ¡°But the same goes for you two; if you need help, contact us.¡± They shot TO a serious look, ¡°Even if you think it might reduce your chances of becoming a retiree; call us. If the civilians catch you or kill you, you can¡¯t retire, regardless.¡± Their ears flicked back as their eyes narrowed, ¡°And on that note.¡± They said, ¡°Rest up today.¡± ¡°Rest up?¡± TO asked, ¡°I¡¯m not tired, I-¡± ¡°TO, you¡¯ve been working nonstop since¡­ Well, for the last few periods.¡± DH said, ¡°You stay up later, and even when you go to bed you¡¯re reading something.¡± It was true. Since that day that Kei caught them in the transport, TO had fully thrown themself into their studies. Not only had they been looking for patterns in the news, but they had also been looking up and studying how other planets or ancient cultures dealt with civilian uprisings, how various leaders had gotten the masses to follow them happily. They had learned about combat, about war tactics. They had researched and studied almost everything they could find; every history was a case study, Every fallen empire was a lesson. Sure, Synths had their own training on how to deal with civilians, But clearly that had failed. If they wanted to succeed where so many other synths had failed in the past, they had to do something different. ¡°Rest up.¡± Avery said, ¡°And promise me that when you¡¯re on Arkane, you¡¯ll take some time to rest as well.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll have too much work to-¡± ¡°Other synths might rest when they¡¯re tired, but you¡¯ll push through it and burn out. That¡¯s one thing I will say about Kei. At least they have the sense to rest when they¡¯re tired, if only to make sure they still stay Efficient.¡± TO and DH¡¯s ears flicked back at the mention of Kei, but they said nothing more. At least Kei had done their best to just avoid the two for the rest of the trip. They saw Kei only when it was time to eat, and when Kei asked for their special task. Aside from that, they stayed in the weapons bay. The elevator stopped, and the door opened. Kei was standing along the far wall a short way away from the entrance to the emergency ship. ¡°I assure you, we did not need an audience while leaving.¡± Kei said as they gave TO and DH icy stares. At least that was better than the glares they had been shooting. At least now, their ears only flicked slightly with restrained disgust when they set their eyes on the two. It made TO wonder if the Commander had been like this with C12, back when they were still in training. How long had the Commander glared at C12 with disgust? How had C12 dealt with that when they had, at one point, loved them? This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there. ¡°They¡¯re seeing me off and making sure we properly shut everything before we leave.¡± Avery said. ¡°Come, the ship will be here any moment to bring us to Heramu.¡± Kei nodded, activated their armor, and turned to the emergency exit. Avery turned back to DH and TO and gave a slight, apologetic smile, then activated their own armor. Farewells had already been said up in the living area and hugs exchanged. Oddly, TO didn¡¯t feel as sad this time; they had thought that upon leaving the training center they¡¯d never see Avery again, but in the end they had come across their friend before even getting to Arkane. Given that, they couldn''t believe that their parting would be permanent this time. Kei and Avery went to the first door, which TO then opened with their chip, and then went into the airlock to prepare. The door closed, and once more DH and TO were alone. They didn¡¯t have any time to appreciate that, though; The two went back up to their living area and activated the screen and external cameras so that they could watch the work happening outside. They wanted to make sure Avery was safe, and they wanted to make sure that the ship took no more damage. ¡°They¡¯ll be fine.¡± DH promised.¡± ¡°Will they be?¡± TO asked. DH nodded. ¡°Doesn¡¯t it seem like Avery gets on better with Kei than we thought? I don¡¯t mean that they particularly like them, but it¡¯s as though they have more patience for them?¡± ¡°They do.¡± TO said. ¡°They know how to handle them better.¡± ¡°... Honestly, I think they¡¯re better at handling people.¡± DH said after a few moments of pensive silence, ¡°They can talk to us and get us to do what they think we should do, and they could keep Kei from reporting us¡­¡± TO smiled, their ears flicking up, ¡°I wish we could have taken them to Arkane.¡± they said, ¡°They¡¯d be useful in dealing with civilians.¡± The smaller transport ship came up to Kei and Avery, who were using their smaller thrusters to get closer to it. They watched as the back opened up and the two disappeared inside. It was only then that TO¡¯s shoulders and wings relaxed. ¡°You were really nervous.¡± DH said. They reached up and put their hand over TO¡¯s, which was resting on the console, ¡°They¡¯re fine now.¡± TO nodded, smiled, and shifted their hand so that they could hold DH¡¯s as they watched, making sure Kei and Avery were on the planet safely, making sure that the ship was safe, making sure that their friend would be ok and that Kei would be far away. ====== TO and DH had to wait for the other ships to get back safely on the planet¡¯s surface before they could leave; apparently navigating several ships in orbit around a planet was harder than dealing with hundreds of ships around a training center in the middle of space. Once they were able, DH guided their ship out of orbit and headed to Arkane. Once they hit their base speed, DH ran a program on the computers to see how long it would take them to get to Arkane. ¡°About 30 Galactic hours.¡± They said, ¡°We¡¯ll be landing at about hour 20, Arkane Time.¡± DH said, ¡°still relatively early in the evening.¡± They typed quickly, then sent off a message. ¡°Just sending word ahead of our landing time.¡± TO nodded, and got up, ¡°Great.¡± They said as they stretched, their wings as much as they could in the small ship, ¡°I really want to get some flying in when we land.¡± They headed to their desk. ¡°Meantime, I found a simulation that might be useful for training, and there¡¯s a documentary about-¡° DH spun around in their chair and grabbed TO by the shoulders, turning them so that they were looking each other in the eyes. ¡°No.¡± DH said, ¡°Avery said you should take a break.¡± ¡°But¡­ but it¡¯s just a simulation-¡° ¡°You¡¯ve been working too hard.¡± DH said. They pulled TO closer, hesitated for just a moment as their eyes flicked to the elevator, then they leaned over and kissed TO gently just at the corner of their mouth, ¡°You need a break.¡± ¡°There¡¯s too much work to do.¡± TO protested, even though it was nice that DH was already pulling them forward, kissing them. In truth, TO had expected that DH would still be hesitant, even after Kei left. Apparently, they were wrong. DH reached up, gently setting their hand on TO¡¯s ear as they kissed them again, ¡°You¡¯ve worked too hard.¡± They whispered, ¡°Wouldn¡¯t you rather take a break? We can watch some historical documentaries, but we should still take a break. Wouldn¡¯t it be nice to relax during our last night before we¡¯re on Arkane?¡± TO didn¡¯t respond. They leaned into DH¡¯s hand, their ears twitching at the contact. There was so much work to do, and so little time now to pursue uninterrupted research¡­ But there was also so little time now to enjoy uninterrupted quality time with DH. Besides that, they had been so careful in the last few periods! had been keeping their distance from one another, stealing only kisses at night before they slept as opposed to the frequent contact and more intimate touches they had been enjoying. Maybe it was because of all that which made it so hard to pull away when DH was so gently rubbing at the lower part of TO¡¯s ear. ¡°So much work to do¡­¡± TO whispered, ¡°But¡­ maybe if it¡¯s a¡­ a good historical film?¡± They closed their eyes and leaned into DH¡¯s hand, ¡°Maybe it¡¯d be fine.¡± DH kissed TO quickly before pulling their hand away, and the whimper of disappointment came out of TO before they could stop it. DH¡¯s ears twitched with amusement as they got up. ¡°I¡¯ll throw some pillows against the wall and find a good movie then.¡± They said with a grin, ¡°We¡¯ll have a nice relaxing night before we go to Arkane.¡± TO sat there, now able to think without DH¡¯s hand on their ear. They had so much work to do, and they had to get so much done when they landed on Arkane. If they wanted to make this work, then there was no room for mistakes when they landed. If TO and DH worked hard, then when this was over, they could enjoy all the time together they wanted! They just had to sacrifice a little more, just work hard for a little while longer. Still¡­ DH looked so excited to have a nice relaxing nice with TO, and Avery did say they should rest. Besides, how much more could TO really accomplish in a single day? They got up and made their way to the beds to help DH set things up. Episode 165: Arkane At first, when TO looked towards Arkane, they thought they only saw a collection of four stars. As they approached, those stars grew bigger until they could make out the details of Arkane and its four moons. Three of the moons were pale blue-grey colors, one with a blue-green dot on its surface- an Arkanian lunar colony, as far as TO knew, made up of a collection of civilians who had volunteered and funded their own accommodations and housing to lessen the burden of overpopulation on Arkane. The last moon, a reddish-orange colored moon, and was a mining facility. Arkane itself was covered in Greenish-blue water, with mostly grey islands scattered all about it. The largest island - Okoia- was unnaturally rounded by expansions done over the years, and seemed to glitter in the light of the nearest sun. ¡°Apparently, the islands used to be a lot greener before King Decon brough Arkane into the Galactic collective.¡± TO said, ¡°Then he had a lot of the green space converted to make room for domestic housing and tertiary industrial processes.¡± ¡°Wouldn¡¯t that mess up the atmosphere, though?¡± DH asked, ¡°Doesn¡¯t a planet need a certain amount of -¡° ¡°Algae in the water produced most of the oxygen, anyway.¡± TO said, ¡°The oceans here- well, no, they¡¯re not oceans, more seas between the islands- aren¡¯t deep, so there¡¯s more plantlife deep under water. Even before industrialization, the water contained more plant-life than all the surface area of Arkane. Aside from that, King Decon¡¯s terraforming technology is more than advanced enough to keep a planet in a healthy state of equilibrium no matter what the civilians want to do on it.¡± They grew closer and TO watched as the planet grew obscenely big - at least in TO¡¯s opinion. That a planet was big enough to provide its own natural gravitational force was almost dizzying to TO; It seemed like it would be dangerous to get too close! The Training center was massive, but not nearly like this! They had never seen a solid thing that was so big. Soon, they even got so close that on one side of the weapons bay, the planet was the only thing they could see. It was at that moment when the ship came to an auto stop. An alarm came in on TO¡¯s chip, with a warning; Ship adjusting for planetary gravity- please prepare for anti-gravity. ¡°Great¡­ this again.¡± DH muttered. They headed down to the main living area and strapped themselves to the seats as the gravity gave way. ¡°I guess we¡¯re adjusting so we¡¯re in a safe position for landing and for dealing with the natural gravity.¡± DH¡¯s ears flicked down. ¡°I hope it¡¯s alright.¡± They said, ¡°I mean, you can control it like artificial gravity-¡± TO laughed, ¡°DH, you don¡¯t have to worry about that. It should feel like the same gravity on the ship; it¡¯s been slowly adjusting all this time so that we won¡¯t have an issue with the change, remember?¡± ¡°Right. I knew that.¡± DH said, their ears flushing. The ship started up again, and they started heading to the planet. ¡°Hold on.¡± TO said, ¡°they warned us that entering a planet¡¯s atmosphere can be¡­ difficult.¡± Apparently, most ships caught fire as they entered a planet¡¯s atmosphere. They knew their ship had landed on many planets, but they still worried. Would they be safe? What if the civilians had damaged something back at the portal docks, and hadn¡¯t the dock repair crew hadn¡¯t caught it? ¡°I don¡¯t know why anyone lives on planets, anyway.¡± DH muttered as they held on tightly to their seat, ¡°Weather, storms, natural disasters, uncontrollable gravity, and fluctuating temperatures. Wouldn¡¯t it be better if they used all the planets for resources?¡± TO was about to go into the logistics of such a plan which would cause near insurmountable obstacles, but before they could, the camera¡¯s showing space outside shut down. DH¡¯s ears flicked in panic as they reached out to the console and frantically looked up various status reports. ¡°What happened?¡± TO asked. ¡°The system says they¡¯re in landing mode? They¡¯ve turned off, and retracted back into the main part of the ship! And look!¡± They pointed to a screen that showed a diagram of the ship and the tendrils with the thrusters that had been moving them through space. ¡°They¡¯ve retracted too!¡± TO looked at the screen, then looked to one of the nearby windows to see if they could see anything outside. Outside, an odd, orange plasma formed around the ship; pale and subtle at first, then growing brighter and brighter. The force hit them suddenly; similar to the odd jerking of the ship that sometimes threw TO off their feet when the ship started moving, but this was so much worse, so much more powerful. They were being pressed back into the seats by the intense G-force that pushed on them. TO¡¯s heart hummed, their ears flicked back in fear. Was this normal, or was something going wrong? There were no alarms going off, so TO knew that everything should be fine, but the panic rose in them. The pressure pushing TO back got stronger and stronger until they struggled to breathe; it was as though they couldn¡¯t inflate their lungs! They tried to look over at DH, but their head was being pushed back with such force that they couldn¡¯t turn. They couldn¡¯t see out of their peripheral vision, and they couldn¡¯t hear anything now because there was noise coming from outside- a loud roaring as they broke through the atmosphere. It didn¡¯t occur to TO how noisy space travel could be once you were in an atmosphere. If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. A message popped up on the screen, but TO couldn¡¯t see properly. The ship suddenly slowed rapidly and TO felt like they were weightless for a split second before Arkane¡¯s gravity started pulling on them once more. The ship rotated again, setting itself upright and aligning the ship¡¯s design with the pull of gravity until it seemed like they were sitting upright once more. TO took several deep breaths. The pull of gravity below them now felt the same as it had the entire time, and the feeling of panic was ebbing away. They turned towards DH. ¡°That was more awful than I thought it might be. What did you-¡± They stopped, frowning at the way DH¡¯s head slumped forward. ¡°DH?¡± TO said, but they didn¡¯t respond. ¡°DH!¡± TO said. They reached to unbuckle themself from their seat, but the emergency locking kept them in place. They reached over and shook their arm. Their neck broke. The force of the landing snapped their neck! was TO¡¯s first thought, but thankfully before they could panic too much, the shaking seemed to have drawn them back. They looked about, dazed and confused, their ears moving slowly. DH blinked and looked at TO for a moment before their eyes actually focused. ¡°... I think I passed out.¡± They said, ¡°That was... Entirely unpleasant. Worse than zero gravity.¡± TO gave a panicked laugh as they squeezed DH¡¯s arm. The landing itself had been awful, but it didn¡¯t even compare to the shock of panic that TO felt when they saw DH unconscious. ====== They had to stay in their seats until the ship landed properly, and while TO was eager to get ready to leave and meet the civilians they were going to be working with, DH was happy to sit down for a while longer. ¡°I¡¯d have to, anyway.¡± They explained, ¡°I can¡¯t just get up after passing out. I need to rest a little.¡± ¡°Even if we could get up, I¡¯d make you rest anyway!¡± TO said. Once they had slowed, the ship¡¯s external cameras turned back on and they could now see what was going on outside. They were approaching the perfectly circular Okoia, and TO could now see that the glittering they had noticed from space was actually just a result of solar panels on the rooftop of every building on the island, from the giant, narrow skyscrapers to the wide factories and shorter, luxury apartments. The buildings became lower, and had more space between them, closer to the center of the island. As most of the tallest skyscrapers were on the outskirts of the island, Okoia had an odd, bowl-like feeling to it. In the very center of the island, the buildings stopped grouping together altogether, and allowed for a perfectly circular grassy plot with only a handful of large, low buildings. The largest of these buildings was in the center of the grassy plot. Next to it was a space devoid of grass. Purple light from the last rays of the sunset painted everything they could see, save for the shadows, which were only brightened by the blue-green lights which would illuminate the city at night. ¡°I think that¡¯s where we land.¡± TO said, pointing to the spot, ¡°And the other building must be the government building.¡± ¡°... Doesn¡¯t Arkane have an overpopulation issue right now?¡± DH asked, ¡°Why would they have so much space between buildings here?¡± TO didn¡¯t know the actual answer, but their brain didn¡¯t take long to come up with a logical explanation, ¡°Well, I imagine that on a planet with an active insurgency, having flat space around the important government buildings makes them easier to defend.¡± DH¡¯s ears twitched as they considered this, ¡°I suppose.¡± they said. They watched the screen, which showed their descent to the ground, allowing them to see more details - the clean, ornate houses, the fancy foliage, the fences and the guards patrolling about- until they finally landed. The thrusters latched onto the ground all at once, shutting off as they hit and then lowering the rest of the ship down. Once bottom half of the ship settled into a hole and the thrusters had fully retracted, TO imagined that it looked like just a strange dome sticking out of the ground. The seatbelts unlocked. TO unbuckled themself and rushed over to DH. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± DH said, smiling weakly as they unbuckled themself. ¡°My head hurts a little, but I¡¯m fine. I¡¯ll take something from the med kit before we go.¡± ¡°You¡¯re sure?¡± TO asked, a hand on DH¡¯s shoulder, ¡°I can go myself? Or we can put them off; The Arkanians can wait-¡± DH smiled again, but shook their head, ¡°I promise; I¡¯m fine.¡± they said. They got up, rubbed their shoulders, then smiled at TO, ¡°Let¡¯s go meet the civilians.¡± ====== When they left the ship, they left though the t-shaped hallway they found when they first entered. It had been unused up to this point, but clearly it was the main entrance once they were planetside; that made sense given the questioning room and the holding cell next to the hallway. They put on their armor once they got to the hallway, and TO input the codes to unlock and open the door. ¡°.. We¡¯re walking on a planet now.¡± DH said, ¡°On an actual planet. The ground is under our feet. It¡¯s a planet with its own gravity and everything! I expected it to feel¡­ different.¡± ¡°Me too.¡± TO said. They had never been on anything so massive before, and somehow it made them feel smaller than when they were in space. Maybe it was because space was so unfathomably huge, or maybe it was because the parts of space that were actually relevant to them were limited and linked by portals. Maybe it was because they could in fact know how big the planet was, and how small they were when compared to it. Maybe it was because the planet was a physical thing, not a nebulous void. The door beeped as the surrounding lights went green. They approached, and it slid open wide enough for them to walk outside side by side. Though the center of Okoia was covered in grass- grass which now appeared white in the artificial lights since the sunset- the area immediately around them was cement to accommodate the landing of their ship. The wide fence that encircled their ship hummed with electricity, and bore warning signs which hung on the outside of the fence at regular intervals. On the other side of the fence, TO could see flowers bearing large purple blooms with pointed centers. Their helmet identified the flowers as ¡®Giant NightShade¡¯ and informed them it was toxic to most species. They walked along the path to the gate in the fence, where a collection of no less than ten civilians were waiting for them; They dressed in ornate grey and green uniforms; Two-piece uniforms like the ones they had seen at the portal docks, with intricate embroidery decorating the seams, and shoes that reflected the nearby lights. TO¡¯s helmet started popping up with too much information about names, positions, and pronouns. ¡°I¡¯m turning the alerts off.¡± DH said, ¡°For now, anyway; just don¡¯t want them to be automatic. We can just call up information when we need it, anyway.¡± ¡°That¡¯s best.¡± TO said, and they did the same. Standing in front of the collection of planetary soldiers was a man who clearly was not a soldier. He was shorter, rounder, and dressed not in a uniform but in extravagant civilian clothing in a dull mossy color that matched the shade of his hair; The clothes were well made, but still seemed too small for the man wearing them. He took a deep breath as TO and DH approached, sucked in his stomach, and puffed out his chest. When TO and DH approached, he did his best to give a bow. ¡°Honored Dignitaries of King Decon.¡± He said, ¡°Welcome to Arkane. I am the distinguished Minister of Security, Noss. I will work with you closely from here on out.¡± Episode 166: Noss Noss led them to a collection of vehicles after their brief introduction, and while the soldiers and security that had come with Noss had their own vehicles, TO and DH rode with the security minister in a very large luxury hovercraft. Hovercrafts were common on Arkane as they were on most planets; roads took up far too much land. Most people used public transportation, anyway. ¡°Of course we¡¯ll have your vehicles brought to your residence before tomorrow morning, but we had to keep them away during the landing procedure! I¡¯m sure you understand!¡± Noss said from his seat across from TO and DH. He reached into his front breast pocket, and pulled out a wad of tissue which he pressed against his shining head. ¡°Our thanks.¡± TO said. They didn¡¯t think they needed a vehicle as they could fly where they needed to go, but of course if they had to go somewhere further away, then a vehicle might be better. The weather here was also a concern, and what would they do if they had to apprehend someone? They couldn¡¯t just carry them to their ship. ¡°Not one like this.¡± DH added, looking around and the large, ornate interior of the craft. ¡°Not unless you want one!¡± Noss said, looking suddenly nervous, ¡°I mean, of course I can have one brought to you; you can have this one if you like!¡± He gave a laugh that lacked any humor, and the digital ears that the helmet superimposed around his face lowered in a submissive gesture. TO noted the way he wouldn¡¯t make eye contact, of how small he was trying to make himself seem, and of how he was picking at the thumbnail on his left hand. Hopefully, they¡¯d pick up on these little gestures soon enough and would be able to more easily read these gestures in all civilians. The movies and shows they had watched with DH helped, but the gestures were so exaggerated there. ¡°It just seems needless.¡± DH said. It still unnerved TO how empty DH¡¯s words sounded when they came from the helmet, ¡°The hovercrafts outside seem to carry far more people, even though they¡¯re smaller.¡± ¡°Well, yes, but of course I wished to make sure we showed you the respect that your rank deserves!¡± Noss said while attempting to melt into his seat, ¡°I-is that alright, honored synths?¡± The still low ears that TO¡¯s helmet showed around Noss¡¯ head twitched with anxiety. Was trying to make himself small a sign of Noss¡¯ fear? Well, it made sense; it was like how synths wrapped their wings more tightly around themselves at times. ¡°I guess it¡¯s like with the suite.¡± TO said over the communicator to DH, ¡°It must be like how we got that giant room to ourselves as a sign of respect.¡± ¡°I guess excess is a civilian form of respect then.¡± DH said, ¡°They¡¯re really all about excess, aren¡¯t they.¡± ¡°Most likely.¡± TO said. They switched back to speaking to Noss, ¡°A small, efficient car is perfectly fine!¡± TO said. ¡°That would be acceptable.¡± DH said through their helmet. Idly, TO wondered what DH had actually said. Noss released a long, deep breath as the ears flicked forward slightly; relaxed- or at least more relaxed than before. He took a drink of what TO assumed to be the same bubbly alcohol that the civilians gifted them back at the portal docks. ¡°I do apologize for not offering you some as well.¡± They said, gesturing to the glass, ¡°But I understand, it¡¯s against your code to eat in public, correct?¡± ¡°Something like that.¡± TO said. TO wouldn¡¯t have called it code as much as it was a safety precaution. When acting as synths, they were essentially prime targets for the insurgency; eating in public would present the insurgency or any other enemies of King Decon an opportunity to poison them. They¡¯d have to remove their helmets, and their helmets organized information for them, gave them alerts to help keep them safe, and also protected them physically. If they removed their helmets, the civilians would also know what they really looked like and that would make future espionage problematic. ¡°I apologize in advance then.¡± Noss said as he took another drink, ¡°I wish to bring you to meet the other Ministers at the government house, but of course they went and made it into a¡­ celebration, of sorts.¡± He took another sip of his drink, his hand shaking and his eyes flicking about, ¡°We¡¯re just so grateful to have you here¡­ To have this opportunity to make things right for King Decon.¡± ¡°We will need a couple of days before we can really get to work.¡± TO said, ¡°But yes, after that we¡¯ll of course find the insurgents, and deal with them.¡± ¡°We will deal with the insurgency in a manner befitting those who would turn against King Decon.¡± DH said, the voice sharp and hard. TO frowned, and flicked over to their private line, ¡°... What did you just say?¡± They asked, ¡°You didn¡¯t hear me?¡± DH said. ¡°I did, but the translation was¡­ Well, it didn¡¯t sound like you at all!¡± ¡°Oh¡­ I said that we¡¯ll deal with anyone who works against King Decon. Why, what did I say?¡± ¡°¡­ I suppose that¡¯s right.. never mind, it¡¯s fine.¡± TO frowned, their ears flicking back under their helmet. They supposed it was the right translation, but it just seemed odd to TO; the translation seemed oddly formal and lacked any of DH¡¯s personality. This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience. ¡°You know¡­ Your translations don¡¯t sound like you either.¡± DH said, ¡°Maybe it¡¯s... compensating for local colloquialisms?¡± TO said. Yes, that made sense, but it was still strange, and TO didn¡¯t like it. ¡°Well, of course, we have every faith in you and of course we¡¯ll provide you with everything you need; personnel, weapons, technology, information; whatever you need!¡± Noss said, ¡°And of course, we know that you¡¯ll likely leave this little gathering after you¡¯ve met everyone; we wouldn¡¯t even suggest you stay!¡± Another nervous laugh. TO watched a bead of sweat drip down Noss¡¯ face and absorb into the too-tight collar around his neck. ¡°You¡¯re so busy, have so much to do, and I¡¯ve been told before that you synths have no interest in such things as parties or celebrations, right?¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t mind seeing a local celebration.¡± DH said to TO, ¡°But... we can¡¯t really enjoy it like this as synths in our armor.¡± ¡°I know.¡± TO said, then to Noss, ¡°Yes, we¡¯ll be leaving after meeting everyone we need to.¡± Noss nodded, his head bobbing up and down over and over as though he wasn¡¯t sure what else to do. ¡°I¡¯ll have one of my assistants come to you during the party and get your information; we¡¯ll send you all the extra information we have on the insurgents. I¡¯m sure you have everything we do and more, but I wouldn¡¯t want you to think we¡¯re hiding anything from you!¡± Another laugh. He took the wadded up pile of tissues and dabbed at his face once more. ¡°Of course, I know there''re suspicions about our leadership, but I can assure you-¡° TO listened, but their interest waned; Noss wasn¡¯t telling them anything that hadn¡¯t been covered in the briefing, but he was so anxious that TO just let him continue babbling on. Were all the civilians like this; anxious and simpering? It¡¯d be a long placement if that was the case. ====== The government building was like something out of the simulations back in the training center; an overly ornate, giant building that seemed designed more as a piece of art than as an efficient government building. A notice popped up on TO¡¯s visor, telling them that there was more information about this location. They opened the information and skimmed through the lengthy history of the building before they came to a date for its original construction. ¡°This thing has been around since before king Decon unified this solar system.¡± TO said, ¡°It¡¯s odd that they didn¡¯t bother to tear it down.¡± ¡°I guess if it¡¯s still a solid building, they wouldn¡¯t.¡± DH said, ¡°Besides, civilians have a thing for physical history; maybe they kept it because of that. ¡° ¡°Maybe.¡± TO said. Though they didn¡¯t have the same fondness for physical history that most civilians seemed to have, even they wouldn¡¯t have wanted to tear this down. Yes, the government building was too large, too inefficient, and a testament to how civilians had once spent so much time and money and energy building something for aesthetics, but it was beautiful; The white-faced building had six massive columns running up along the front, each one with intricate carvings around the base, showing a variety of what looked like sea creatures. Over the columns was a triangular frame that held within it a relief carving of a group of fishlike people hunting some massive creature; TO didn¡¯t know what it meant, but it was likely some kind of old Arkanian myth. There was a garden before the house, filled with flowers and shrubs. TO¡¯s helmet told them that everything was either inedible or worse- poisonous. Aesthetics over purpose; something that TO had known was true about civilians, but they hadn¡¯t expected it to be so prevalent; especially among the politicians on planets that King Decon had already unified. Maybe the building was just a leftover relic, but the garden had clearly been carefully tended to. There were what appeared to be guards or soldiers there as well, but they seemed to be more decoration than function as well, given how fine their clothing was. They stood at attention on either side of the path leading up to the building¡¯s giant doors, bowing their heads as the three passed. Could these civilians even move properly in their uniforms? How did they keep their uniforms in such good shape if they got into combat? An alert popped up, and a noise played in TO¡¯s ear. They followed the tracking arrow superimposed over their vision and found the source of the noise; a drone which hovered around, circling them. TO¡¯s helmet provided a projected path of the drone, observing it. ¡°Apologies.¡± Noss said as they noticed TO watching the drone, ¡°News Drone for local broadcasts. We want everyone to know you¡¯re here, and that you¡¯re going to fix things.¡± he suddenly paled. ¡°Of course, I can have it removed if you like! If it bothers you-¡° ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± TO said, ¡°But warn us next time.¡± Noss flinched, and started nodding again over and over, ¡°Yes, of course, my apologies. I promise it won¡¯t happen again. Of course, the news crews wanted to send a bunch of reporters, but I thought that given the situation, the security risks would have been too much.¡± The ears in the helmet were down and twitching again. He was backing away with tiny backwards steps. His wet forehead reflected the nearby lights in perspiration. ¡°He sweats a lot when he¡¯s nervous.¡± DH said through their helmet, ¡°You noticed that, right?¡± They didn¡¯t know about Noss, but they could feel their ears brushing against the inside of the helmet as they worried. TO wasn¡¯t scared, but the wide open space all around them was worrying to them. There was too much space, too many opportunities for people to come at them. Sure, they had their armor on and they were relatively safe, but anything could happen! ¡°I just want to get inside.¡± TO said, ¡°I don¡¯t enjoy being out here.¡± ¡°It puts me on edge too.¡± DH admitted. ¡°Enemies could be anywhere.¡± There were more guards by the doors, but these looked more functional; their sleek figures broken by the larger guns at their hips, and the pouch that hung off their back. As Noss approached them, they picked up something from a desk behind them. One gestured for Noss to stand before a line, the other waved a long stick over Noss. As the rod crossed past Noss¡¯ waist, the rod beeped and turned red. Noss paled, then quickly reached into his pocket and took out a communicator; it looked just like TO¡¯s, but of course it connected to the galactic network directly, and not through a chip. He gave it to one of the security guards with a laugh. ¡°Always forget that one.¡± He said, laughing a little too much, ¡°So sorry, I forget all the-¡° The security guards didn¡¯t bother waiting for him to finish before they started scanning him again. This time the rod didn¡¯t light up, and the guards gave Noss back the communicator as they gestured for him to move forward. As TO and DH approached the guards did the thing that most of the civilians seemed to do¨Cthe slight bow before they backed away. Clearly, they weren¡¯t interested in scanning the two of them. The obscenely large double doors that loomed before them opened automatically as they approached and revealed a vision of excess like TO had never seen before. Inside was a large room with double doors on either end, decorated with a tremendous amount of blue gems and flanked by service AI bots - ServAis- in matching formal, elegant uniforms. Another servAi in a similar uniform stood at a podium with a book before them, and another two more stood nearby; one was empty-handed, the other held a tray of drinks. On a round table in the center of the room was a gigantic bouquet of tropical flowers, which TO¡¯s helmet said were not native to Arkane, not edible, and had no healing properties. They did have a lovely assortment of colors that seemed to play off one another, though. The ceiling arched almost into darkness, but overhead were tiny lights that glittered like stars in the shadows, illuminating a dreamy mural of naked people playing in a nebula as though it were water. The empty-handed servAi went up to Noss and helped him take off his coat as the one with the tray and offered another drink. The one at the podium opened the book, and wordlessly held out a pen to Noss. Once his coat was off and his drink was in hand, Noss took the pen and wrote something in the book. An actual book, and real pens; who used that for data storage anymore? Who needed so many drinks, or so many ServAis, to do so many minor tasks? Why did a house that was used for work and not living have so many useless, decorative additions? TO thought it was beautiful, and just wanted to sit and stare at it all, but it made no sense. ¡°This house is obscenely beautiful.¡± TO said, forgetting to turn off their communicator. It didn¡¯t matter. The helmet didn¡¯t translate what they said and instead brought up an alert. NOTICE: This area of the building is the entryway only. Episode 167: Vassal TO always considered their memory to be excellent. An excellent memory wasn¡¯t at all special as all synths underwent memory training; it was just expected of all Synths. Despite this, TO was glad that their helmet and the system would remember all the names and faces they were currently being presented with. There were too many people introducing themselves too quickly, and TO already felt disoriented by the opulence they had already experienced and the pure variety of people they were seeing. In the first few minutes in the party, they had seen people with anywhere from two to six legs, multiple arms, and a vast assortment of body shapes and sizes. There was even one civilian who had two heads - one of which was asleep. TO¡¯s helmet informed them that with that species the heads took turns sleeping, and the body was never fully idle. At least the variety, the pure mess of mixed limbs and body parts, had worked to ease some worry in TO¡¯s mind. Before coming to the party, TO had worried about their wings; sure, they had the armor cloaking over their wings to hide the scars and make them look black, but they had been certain that the size and shape would give them away when they were in public. This would not be the case. Almost every other person there had wings of some sort- either wings they were born with, had gotten wings grafted on, or had mechanical wings that ranged from fully functional to simply cosmetic. It was actually when one civilian- a short male covered in scales- came up to introduce himself that TO was no longer in the least concerned about their wings; This civilian had a pair of functional, mechanical wings on his back, which looked like actual synth wings covered in black armor. ¡°I am entirely honored to meet you.¡± They said, bowing and taking a step back. TO had quickly realized that this was the normal greeting that civilians here gave to Synths; to everyone else, they seemed to do this thing where they gently bumped elbows together and formed a V with their arms. ¡°Please let me formally introduce myself- my name is Pholi, Minister of Language and Translations. If you ever need assistance with any translations or local dialects- ¡° ¡°We won¡¯t need it.¡± DH said to TO through the helmets, ¡°Our helmets do the job just fine.¡± ¡°I know.¡± TO said, ¡°I guess it¡¯s still good to have contact with him?¡± ¡°Why though?¡± DH said, and even without seeing DH¡¯s ears, TO could sense their frustration through their tone in common, ¡°Why are we meeting all these people? We have lists of names with contact information for all these people if we ever need them!¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure there must be a reason.¡± TO said back. They switched back to speak to Pholi, ¡°Minister Pholi, thank you for your support.¡± The short man nodded, bowed again, and backed away before turning to a much taller, furry friend who was holding a drink for them. As soon as the two met up, they scurried away from TO and DH as though fleeing. Through their visor, they say the same thing that they saw on almost every civilian here; their ears down and twitching with fear and anxiety. It seemed suspicious to TO. Why would they be afraid of synths? Were they corrupt and worried about being found out? At least the civilian gestures for such feelings were starting to sink in for TO. ¡°I think the reason we¡¯re meeting these people is just because the civilians want to have a fancy party.¡± DH grumbled, ¡°and speaking of fancy, look at the ceiling; do you think those things are real?¡± TO glanced up towards the ceiling of what they had been told was the Grand Ballroom; a room made with the specific purpose of holding parties. The ceiling was so high that TO couldn¡¯t make out the details of the painting overhead, but they could see the glowing blue butterflies that lazily flapped about. ¡°Did you check your helmet?¡± TO asked as they saw a notification pop up, showing available information. They checked the data, ¡°They¡¯re called Glowing Zircon Butterflies, and I think they¡¯re real.¡± ¡°They¡¯re real, and not local to Arkane.¡± DH said, ¡°Why have real butterflies here! Even if it was just for the look of things, they¡¯ll die here, won¡¯t they? Why have them here and not fake ones, or holograms? The civilians don¡¯t even notice them!¡± It was true; the civilians took as much note of the glowing butterflies overhead as they did the iridescent statues of beautiful people draped in gold which were positioned in even intervals around the room, the intricate relief mural carved into the wall, or even the civilians playing an assortment of real instruments while dressed in nothing but paint and gems despite Arkane¡¯s nudity taboos. All the glamour and excess was just background noise to them. They didn¡¯t even seem to enjoy the food that covered the large tables around the hall; they just ate mindlessly as they talked. ¡°I thought they ended kind of excess with once a civilization came into the galactic empire.¡± DH said. ¡°As far as I knew, it was.¡± TO said, ¡°But¡­ I suppose maybe this is normal for Arkane? Or at least normal for parties? This must just be how civilian parties are here.¡± Yet another civilian came up and introduced themself - a bug- like person who gave TO chills because of all the extra limbs. They introduced themself as media minister, but kept nodding, bowing, and backing away as though they were expecting to be hit. They kept stammering over their words, and going off on tangents before laughing and apologizing over and over to TO and DH. ¡°Is this normal Civilian behaviour?¡± DH asked, ¡°I don¡¯t know if they¡¯re scared or simpering, but either way we can hardly get any useful information out of them!¡± Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions. ¡°Maybe they¡¯re just awed? We are direct servants of King Decon; that¡¯s a highly respected position.¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s going to be a long placement if we have to deal with civilians acting like this all the time.¡± After the bug person left, Noss came back up to them. ¡°Everyone is so glad to have you here!¡± He said as he gave a bow, ¡°And I must inform you, the quadrant leaders; the praetors, they¡¯re here too, along with the Vassal! Of course, they all want to meet you as well! If you¡¯ll come with me, we of course have a smaller, more intimate setting for you to meet them.¡± ¡°I really don¡¯t want to meet them.¡± DH said as they followed Noss, ¡°I don¡¯t need to meet them; Four planetary quadrants, each one controlled by a Praetor. Oikia is in one place where all four quadrants meet, the seat of power, and is where a Vassal of King Decon lives to rule over the entire planet in His name. We have the names of all these people along with contact information if we need them, which we won¡¯t! We¡¯re here for security reasons, so really the only person we need contact with is Minister Noss.¡± Their wings puffed out slightly as they stalked alongside TO, ¡°And honestly, I doubt that we¡¯ll really need him!¡± ¡°I think it¡¯s considered polite to meet with them.¡± TO said with a sigh, ¡°Let¡¯s just get this done.¡± ¡°And then we have to meet the rest of the ministers?¡± DH asked, ¡°And the random merchants that got invited here?¡± The idea of it made TO¡¯s head swim; they didn¡¯t want to be at this party either! Well, that wasn¡¯t entirely true; they were curious about all the art and the food that the civilians were displaying, but of course they couldn¡¯t enjoy any of that while they were acting as synths. If they couldn¡¯t enjoy themselves, then at the very least they just wanted to go back to their ship, eat, and get started on their work. If they were working on the ship, then they¡¯d be able to relax with DH at the same time. ¡°Maybe after we¡¯ve met the Praetors and the Vassel, we can leave.¡± TO said, ¡°We can say we¡¯re busy; it¡¯s not false-¡± ¡°Even if it was, they can¡¯t see our ears so they wouldn¡¯t know.¡± This was very true, but TO wasn¡¯t entirely comfortable with it; they still remembered that one time they had been caught in a lie, and even though their lie had worked out better for everyone, they still had suffered awful punishment. At least they hadn¡¯t been corrected for it. ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s necessary to lie to them.¡± TO said, ¡°We¡¯ll meet them, and leave. We¡¯re really their superiors in all this; all the politicians and rulers of this planet answer to the Vassal, and the Vassal answers to King Decon. We represent King Decon here, so they have to do what we tell them, regardless. They can¡¯t really keep us here.¡± ¡°Good.¡± DH said, ¡°I¡¯m sick of all these civilians already; let¡¯s meet these rulers, and go back to the ship.¡± ====== Noss led TO and DH to another room that was just as excessive as the last, though it was a smaller. Intricate relief carvings covered the wall, but the ceiling caught TO¡¯s eyes right away; It was aglow with shimmering, bioluminescent stones set into the architecture. A long carpet lead from the entrance to a pedestal that held five chairs, each one carved from stone. The chair in the center was larger than the others and sat a little higher. It was something like the throne rooms that TO had seen in the simulations, and TO assumed that the people sitting in the chairs were the Praetors and the Vassal. A bird-like person with giant feathered wings and a strong, hooked beak on their bird-like face occupied the chair in the center; TO assumed this to be the Vassal and that the other four chairs were for the Praetors. Two of the supposed Praetors were also birdlike, one even possessing a long narrow beak. The last two were a little more unique, one looking something like a crab, and the last one was much larger than the others, with rosy-colored, scaly skin. ¡°This is very reminiscent of a throne room.¡± TO said, and this time the helmet let their words filter through, ¡°I was under the impression that there were no kings or queens save for King Decon.¡± Noss paled, ¡°Of course.¡± He said, ¡°There are no kings save for King Decon. This¡­ well, it¡¯s a relic from when Arkane had kings and queens! We¡¯ve long since reformatted this room, removing old family heirlooms of the former royal family and adding extra chairs to accommodate the far more organized method of planetary divisions that King Decon has imposed, but it¡¯s only used for such honored, special occasions such as meeting our honored synths!¡± He laughed, and backed away from TO and DH. ¡°They do not do such things as take audiences here, I assure you!¡± They hurried forward, and gestured to the chairs, ¡°This is Praetor Martha, of the North-West Quadrant.¡± Noss said as he gestured to the rosy colored lizard person; she had long red braided hair which framed the rounded features on her scaled face. Praetor Martha stood up, gave a slight bow, and sat back down. ¡°Next to her is Praetor Mimu of the South-West Quadrant.¡± Praetor Mimu, who had very long legs and the straight beak that TO had noticed at first, stood, bowed, and sat back down. ¡°Then over here is Praetor Sally; She rules the North-East quadrant which has the fewest islands but is home to a lovely underwater city.¡± The brightly colored woman with the pincers and exoskeleton stood and bowed, clicking her pincers together as she did before sitting. ¡°And the last Praetor is Praetor Arde, they are in charge of the South-East quadrant.¡± The last praetor was another bird-like civilian who had wings and talons, and a smooth face with human-like features. He stood up and bowed as well. After Noss finished introducing the Praetors, they went to the seat in the center, huffing and sweating as though they had been doing intense physical work. ¡°And finally, our beloved Vassal to King Decon; Vassal Buteo.¡± Vassal Buteo, another very bird-like species, stood and bowed, but the bow he gave was much shorter, less elegant than that of the praetors. He was covered in feathers, and had a strong, vicious looking beak. From the knees down his legs were very birdlike, and his wings were attached to his arms. Like the ministers, he wore a garland made of some waxy- looking plant bearing waxy red flowers, but they also had a pendant with King Decon''s symbol on it; the spiral galaxy; it was exactly like what TO and DH wore on their armor. Buteo also didn¡¯t seem to shrink away from TO and DH, an action TO only noticed because of its absence in Buteo¡¯s movements. Out of curiosity, TO brought up the information on Buteo through their helmet. ¡°Former royalty.¡± DH said; apparently they had done the same thing, ¡°Or¡­ they would have been; Arkane became part of the empire before they were born.¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t seem wise to have such a person in charge¡­¡± TO said. ¡°No, it doesn¡¯t¡­ a planet where the Vassal is from a line of royalty is the planet where the insurgency started. Wouldn¡¯t you think that¡¯s a little suspicious?¡± TO did. They paid close attention to Buteo, who hadn¡¯t yet sat down. They stood tall and proud as they regarded TO and DH. ¡°I speak for all of us,¡± they said, a faint clicking from their beak cutting through their words, ¡°When I say that we are honored that King Decon would give us this one last chance to prove our loyalty, and devotion to Him. We are prepared to do whatever work we must, and rid our planet of the insurgency once and for all.¡± TO gave a brief nod in acknowledgement, and Buteo sat down. Noss started talking again, but TO wasn¡¯t listening to them. ¡°Do you think he¡¯s involved with the insurgency?¡± DH asked as they watched Buteo, ¡°This would-be royalty?¡± ¡°Probably.¡± TO said, ¡°Most likely¡­ we¡¯ll have to watch this one.¡± Episode 168: Buteo Two ServAis came out from hidden doors in the walls, carrying seats for TO, DH, and Noss. They set them up in silence and asked all the civilians if they wanted something to drink. After they did that, they came up to TO and DH. ¡°We would offer you refreshments.¡± They said in their overly polite, mechanical voice, ¡°But we understand you do not consume refreshments. Is there anything we can retrieve for you?¡± ¡°I¡¯d really love to try this drink they had out there with all kinds of fruits infused into it.¡± DH said through the helmets. ¡°We¡¯re fine.¡± TO said. Unlike all the civilians, there were no ears around the heads of the AIs, and they didn¡¯t even seem to present any imitation of emotion. They vaguely remembered something about AIs not being allowed to experience emotion, but they weren¡¯t particularly interested in AIs, so they hadn¡¯t paid all that much attention. TO and DH sat down as the AIs turned and left. They weren¡¯t even out of the room when Buteo started speaking again. ¡°We have everything prepared for you in each quadrant. As you saw, your permanent landing for your ship is right here in the political district of Okoia, but each quadrant has set up a location for you to land your ship for temporary residence.¡± ¡°Do we need to go to each one?¡± DH asked, ¡°I thought we¡¯d just travel from where we are to any locations we needed.¡± ¡°If we have to work for extended periods in a single quadrant, It¡¯d probably be better.¡± TO said, then to the civilians they said, ¡°We will organize in Okoia first, and then move to the quadrants afterwards.¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Buteo said. As TO watched them, the superimposed ears around their head stayed relatively neutral. Of all the civilians, Buteo was the only one who hadn¡¯t been visibly anxious around them¡­ Still, the superimposed ears didn¡¯t work exactly like a synth¡¯s ears did; they only showed what the system could translate from physical actions and tone, which were things that civilians could control. The ServAis came back with drinks for the Praetors, Vassal, and Noss. This time, they ignored TO and DH. ¡°I was hoping to know your plans.¡± Buteo said once they had their drink, ¡°So I might accommodate you better. Were you planning to work across the planet from here, or would you be focusing on individual quadrants? Did you have an idea what your first actions might be?¡± TO did, of course, have an idea. After all the research they had been doing, they had what they considered being an excellent plan to stabilize Arkane, though it was rather different from the actions taken by previous synths here. Still, that was a good thing, wasn¡¯t it? Previous synths had failed. ¡°I have plans.¡± TO said, ¡°But for the time, we must keep those plans confidential; I¡¯m sure you understand. After all-¡° TO watched Buteo as they spoke, ¡°You already know that there are suspicions regarding the planet¡¯s leadership.¡± ¡°Oh, yes.¡± Buteo said, unfazed, ¡°We are well aware, and have of course been launching our own internal investigation. We have not yet come across any hard evidence of treason.¡± ¡°And we will give you all the data that we have from that!¡± Noss said from his seat just behind TO and DH, ¡°And I¡¯ll make sure you have all updates as they come in!¡± ¡°Of course.¡± TO said, still watching the impassive Buteo, ¡°And while you are more than welcome to continue your investigation, I am not concerned about it; once the insurgency crumbles, I am certain that the leaders, as well as any traitorous allies, will be flushed out.¡± ¡°At that point, we can deal with such malefactors ourselves.¡± DH said. The odd choice of work for DH, along with the unfamiliar formality, threw TO off, and suddenly they understood why; They sounded more like how a normal Synth would sound; they were talking like Kei might talk. Oddly, they relaxed a little. Of course, the translations would be more effective with normal synths; it was nothing to worry about. ¡°Of course.¡± Buteo said, ¡°As Synths, you have every right to do as you please, regardless of our planet¡¯s own policies; we are loyal to King Decon and His will.¡± The superimposed ears around his head perked up joyfully as they quirked their head at TO, their eyes widening. He leaned forward, ¡°Though I assured you, I have the harshest punishments waiting for those who would turn against King Decon. Punishments that will the citizens will remember for hundreds of years.¡± They tilted their head, ¡°Would you like to see?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t like Buteo.¡± DH said to TO, ¡°I don¡¯t know why, but I don¡¯t like them. There¡¯s something about the way he¡¯s acting that¡¯s making me... Uncomfortable.¡± ¡°I know.¡± TO said, wishing they could reach out to touch DH and calm them. TO didn¡¯t like Buteo either, but they knew why right away; they seemed excited to discuss the punishments they had in mind- almost gleeful. TO switched back to the translator, ¡°King Decon has punishments already prepared for insurgents.¡± TO said, ¡°Death for all leaders, punitive and restorative measures for any who have cooperated with the insurgency in more minor matters.¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Buteo said, and as his eyes relaxed and his head straightened the excitement to drained out of them, ¡°Well, we will have a demonstration in a few days to deal with a criminal guilty of a mere planetary crime; perhaps you would be interested in attending the event and seeing what we do to Arkanian criminals; I assure you, you¡¯ll find that my method of justice is more preventative than punitive. An inoculation against future crimes to make this planet even more worthy of being in King Decon¡¯s domain.¡± Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings. ¡°Preventative justice?¡± DH said to TO, ¡°What does that even mean?¡± ¡°No idea.¡± TO said. ¡°With all due respect, Vassal Buteo.¡± Noss said, ¡°I am unsure that our honored synths have time for such events-¡° ¡°Of course, Minister Noss. And I assure you that there¡¯s none who wish for them to find and deal with the insurgents more than me.¡± they turned back to TO, ¡°But if you have the time and wish to see how we deal with criminals under my law and justice; I wish for them to see how his Civilian representatives live up to His standards.¡± ¡°We will see if we have time.¡± TO said to Buteo, ¡°Though I cannot guarantee anything; we have a lot to do.¡± There was that flinch again, this time visible only in the Praetors. TO wasn¡¯t entirely sure how what they said had translated, but clearly it influenced those present. Maybe they were speaking too formally, and the translation took that further than necessary and appearing cold. ¡°Of course.¡± Buteo said, ¡°In the meantime, I¡¯m sure that my Praetors would be honored to speak to you one on one, and discuss issues relevant to individual quadrants, and potential issues- ¡° ¡°That won¡¯t be necessary.¡± TO said, ¡°We will pursue such information as needed. You can send anything that is urgent to us through Minister Noss.¡± ¡°If possible, I¡¯d like to have information sent to you directly.¡± Buteo said. ¡°Why bother with a middleman?¡± ¡°I am the delegate to any honored synths to come to Arkane!¡± Noss said from behind them, and even TO could hear the panic translated though their helmet, ¡°If you wish to send any information-¡° ¡°You may send us information directly, if you wish.¡± TO said, cutting off Noss. ¡°Minister Noss will share with you our contact information.¡± ¡°You want to talk to the Vassal directly?¡± DH asked through their helmets, ¡°Why?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to.¡± TO sent back, ¡°But I want to see how what Buteo sends us differs from what Noss shows us.¡± ¡°My thanks.¡± Buteo said. ¡°I¡¯m sure that given the suspicions as of late, it¡¯s best to get information directly from the source, no?¡± ¡°So long as we get the relevant information, it doesn¡¯t matter where it¡¯s come from.¡± TO said, standing up. ¡°Now then, if there¡¯s no other urgent matter, we will take our leave.¡± ¡°Leave?¡± Noss stood up from their chair, their hands clenching and unclenching as their forehead gleamed with multicoloured sweat from the glowing stones above, ¡°But.. there¡¯s so many others who wish to meet-¡° ¡°We don¡¯t have time to meet everyone right now, I¡¯m afraid.¡± TO said, ¡°We have much to do, and your planet¡¯s security and future is in a critical state; there¡¯s very little time to waste.¡± Noss flushed, bowed, and backed up, ¡°Of course.¡± They said, They turned to the Praetors and Vassel Buteo, ¡°I will escort our honored synths back to their residence then.¡± They said, ¡°Very well.¡± Buteo said as they stood up. The praetors stood up with him, and they all gave a curt bow to TO and DH, ¡°We look forward to working with you to rid our planet of the insurgent threat; for the glory of King Decon.¡± ¡°For King Decon.¡± TO said with a brief nod before they turned and followed Noss out of the room. ====== The three of them were walking down the hallway towards the entryway when another vaguely bird-like person ran up to them. They bowed to TO and DH, backed away, and then turned to Noss. ¡°Minister Noss, Minister Kahan wants to see you immediately.¡± Judging by the fresh sheen of sweat that appeared on Noss¡¯ forehead, TO didn¡¯t even need to look at the digital ears to know that this Minister Kahan scared him. ¡°Tell her I¡¯ll be there after I¡¯ve escorted our honored-¡° ¡°Apologies¡­ She said she wants to speak to you right away. I¡¯ll gladly tell her you¡¯re busy, but you know what she¡¯s like.¡± Noss glanced from TO and DH to the new person as they reached for their tissues and dabbed at their forehead again. ¡°It¡¯s no problem for us if you wish to deal with this issue.¡± DH said, surprising both TO and Noss, ¡°I¡¯m certain that we can find our way back to our residence with no problems.¡± ¡°Oh, but I couldn¡¯t be so rude as to-¡° ¡°Go ahead; it doesn¡¯t matter to us and I assure you we do not need your supervision.¡± DH¡¯s voice was sharp and cold. Noss backed away from them, but then bowed. ¡°If you¡¯re certain.¡± Noss said, ¡°My sincerest thanks to you. I will send you all the information you need as soon as I¡¯m able.¡± He backed away a couple more steps, then turned and took the other civilian by the arm, pulling them towards the door. As soon as the door to the ballroom closed, DH grabbed TO and pulled them down the hallway until they came to a door that was labeled as a washroom. Without explanation, they pulled TO in. ¡°DH, what are you doing?¡± TO asked once they were in. TO looked around, and noticed that the washroom was thankfully empty despite the fact that there were three entrances to it. ¡°No cameras in the washrooms.¡± DH said. They pressed at their wrist and let their armor dissolve and retract back into their bracelet. They took a deep breath, then suddenly gasped as they did. ¡°The air is so COLD in here¡± They said, taking suddenly slower breaths, ¡°I can get used to it but-¡° ¡°Why did you take your armor off?¡± TO asked again, looking around the washroom. DH¡¯s ears flicked down in confusion as TO spoke, then just shook their head. ¡°Let¡¯s enjoy the party.¡± They said with a grin, ¡°I want to try the food. You want to look around. We can talk to civilians and see how we blend in! It¡¯s like a test!.¡± ¡°You want to spend time around the civilians?¡± TO asked, feeling their ears quick up in confusion beneath their helmet. DH shook their head, their nose wrinkling up and their ears pinning back, ¡°¡®want¡¯ is a strong word.¡± They said, ¡°But¡­ We¡¯ll have to anyway, right? If we practice here, we can try new foods and listen to the music while still being productive! Besides, if we listen in on the civilians without them knowing who we are, we might hear something useful!¡± DH wasn¡¯t wrong. Still, the idea of spending time at the party just trying to mingle made them anxious. What if they messed something up? What if they gave away who they were? A door opened somewhere in the washroom. TO glanced around, and quickly deactivated their armor before another civilian came into view and wandered into one of the toilet rooms set into the wall. ¡°Alright.¡± TO said, ¡°An hour; no more¡­ let¡¯s go check out a civilian party.¡± Episode 169: Pholi There was a world of difference between being escorted about the party as Synths in their armor, and wandering about on their own as mere civilians. As civilians, nobody paid them any attention. TO and DH were wearing their plain black clothes -the only clothes they owned- and compared to the extravagant clothing that the civilians were wearing, they felt almost invisible. At one point a civilian - human female, by the looks of it, with fake fairy wings on her back- passed DH an empty glass, assuming they were staff. DH was too busy staring at her, their ears back in awe and their eyes wide, to tell her they weren¡¯t staff. ¡°¡­ She¡¯s pretty isn¡¯t she.¡± TO muttered, glancing at her. TO didn¡¯t know if they¡¯d call her pretty themself, but from what they understood, human standards considered her pretty; lots of hair done up in an extravagant braided style, a waist that was clearly cinched by surgery, a clear face, and enormous eyes. ¡°Her dress¡­ look at all the colors in it!¡± DH exclaimed, still staring after her, ¡°Look, it¡¯s all shimmery, and it looks like it changes color and glitters while she moves, and-¡± DH turned to TO, looking very excited but then caught how TO¡¯s ears were low and ever so slightly pinned back. They looked at TO in confusion for a moment, then gave a low chuckle. ¡°TO¡­ Are you jealous?¡± ¡°Of what?!¡± TO said, huffing as they turned away. ¡°Some human? Some civilian?¡± DH grinned and slid their hand into TO¡¯s. TO felt their ears dip back and flush as they looked around in panic, checking to see if someone was watching them. ¡°Nobody knows who we are here, TO.¡± DH said, ¡°And they don¡¯t even know our language, so they can¡¯t understand us.¡± ¡°If we draw attention-¡° ¡°TO, I saw civilians behind a statue on the other side of the room, and they were practically fornicating.¡± Their ears twitched with mirth as they grinned. ¡°One was wearing a dress, and the other was under the dress, and -¡° ¡°Ok ok, I get it.¡± TO said, their ears burning as they looked away, ¡°I can¡¯t believe civilians do that kind of stuff in public.¡± A servAI strode past them, a tray of drinks balanced in one hand. DH let go of TO to grab them both a drink. ¡°I suppose if they drink enough of this stuff, it influences them; diminishes their reason and inhibitions.¡± DH said, ¡°You can taste the alcohol on it. Thankfully, that won¡¯t affect us-¡° ¡°Unless it has fruits like the ones that made us all weird last time.¡± TO muttered. They took out the communicator and snapped a picture of the drink. It took a moment, but their system could finally identify it as ¡®Bubbly Rose-Apple wine¡¯ based on not only the look of it but also the fragrance which was relayed to the system through the chip in the back of TO¡¯s head. The communicator gave them the notification that it would have no adverse affects on them as the alcohol content was too low. ¡°Taste it TO!¡± DH asked after they took a sip. ¡°It¡¯s amazing; it¡¯s sweet, and bubbly, and it¡¯s a little like the stuff they gave us at the port, but so much better!¡± TO took a hesitant sip; it was very sweet and crisp. ¡°I guess we should try to talk to someone...¡± DH said as they took another drink, but their ears dipped down. ¡°I mean¡­ That¡¯s why we¡¯re doing this, right?¡± TO would have liked nothing more than to just relax with DH as they sampled the food and drinks, but they had a lot of work to do. If they could mingle successfully, then maybe they¡¯d get some interesting information. ¡°I suppose.¡± TO said as they took another drink. They looked around, straining their mind to remember what they could of all the people they had met. They took up their communicator again and started subtly scanning it around the room it¡¯s the notifications on. All they needed was a name, and they¡¯d probably remember a lot about what the person had told them. Still, most of the people they saw were already engaged in conversation with others. If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. ¡°How do we just talk to someone?¡± DH asked. ¡°How do we just join in a conversation? GiDi was on their own when we spoke to them, but here...¡± ¡°Come on.¡± TO said as they walked forward, scanning their camera around, ¡°I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll find someone who¡¯s on their own, or at least someone who-¡° TO gave a yelp as they suddenly stumbled forward as they tripped over something. They didn¡¯t fall, but their communicator tumbled out of their hand. When they looked to see what it was they had tripped over, they realized it wasn¡¯t what, it was who. ¡°Minister Pholi!¡± TO ignored their phone as they reached over to help the diminutive minister up. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry! I didn¡¯t see you!¡± ¡°No harm done, not really.¡± He said as he took TO¡¯s hand. ¡°Though you should-¡° He stopped as he looked up at who had tripped over him, his eyes darting to TO¡¯s ears, their eyes, and their wings. They suddenly smiled broadly, ¡°I¡¯m so sorry though, you seem to know me, but I don¡¯t recall you?¡± DH, who had run forward to get TO¡¯s communicator, came back and passed the device to TO. ¡°We only know of you.¡± DH said, smiling as their ears quirked forward, ¡°I¡¯m Dee, and this is Tio, my mate.¡± As they said that, they slipped their hand into TO¡¯s. TO felt their ears burn as they flicked down. What was DH doing just calling them their mate, just like that in public! ¡°You can¡¯t just call me that in public!¡± TO said, switching back to their synth-speak. ¡°Why not?¡± DH said, grinning, ¡°They don¡¯t know who we are, or what we are. Civilians don¡¯t even know our language. If it ever comes up with Ark-1, then we¡¯ll say we used it as a cover for why we¡¯re together all the time in public.¡± ¡°Ah, you¡¯re treating the party as a date then.¡± Philo said, ¡°Very good, very good. It¡¯s good to see young people enjoying themselves at these stuffy things.¡± He looked around, glancing at the nearby guests, who were all involved in their own conversations. ¡°So¡­ Tio and Dee, you said? Short for anything?¡± ¡°T-Tio is my name.¡± TO said, worried for a moment that their ears would give them away but of course civilians couldn¡¯t see that, ¡°And Dee is short for -¡± ¡°Demileigh.¡± DH said, ¡°Dee is so much shorter and easier.¡± They glanced at TO, ¡°See, I knew I¡¯d remember the real name on the identification.¡± ¡°Demileigh¡­ that¡¯s from the third quadrant of the galaxy.¡± They said, ¡°outer section, I believe. What brings you all the way here?¡± DH¡¯s ears flicked in confusion, then panic. They looked to TO with big, worried eyes. ¡°Apologies¡­ am I wrong?¡± Pholi asked, tilting their head at them. ¡°Not quite.¡± TO said, ¡°I don¡¯t know about the origin myself but I think the name was just one that was liked.¡± ¡°Well, I suppose your parents liked more exotic names.¡± They said, shuffling closer, ¡°Where are you both from then?¡± ¡°Second quadrant, central, originally.¡± TO said, reciting the line they had memorized. The second quadrant was the most diverse and the most clustered of all the quadrants, so it was very possible that one could travel all about that area and never meet all the different people there. ¡°From a moon colony. We saw a movie that featured Arkane once, ¡®The Rivers of the Crescent Isles¡¯.¡± ¡°Oh, I know that one.¡± Pholi said, ¡°Yes yes, it did paint Arkane in quite a romantic view, didn¡¯t it?¡± They laughed. ¡°Well, we were so taken by the movie that we decided we wanted to come here¡­ So here we are.¡± ¡°Ah, chasing the dream, I see, I see.¡± They tilted their head, ¡°And your position here?¡± ¡°Merchants.¡± ¡°You must be rather prominent merchants to be invited here of all places.¡± He said with a laugh. ¡°Our... My parents were.¡± DH said, ¡°They knew people who knew people; I don¡¯t know who, but they got us an invitation.¡± ¡°I see¡­¡± They tilted their head again as they listened, then backed away, ¡°Well, I¡¯ll not intrude more on your date. Oh, and-¡± They took out their own communicator and held it out. TO and DH looked at them in confusion before fumbling for their own and holding them out as well. They all touched their communicators together and after a moment of processing, their names popped up on each other¡¯s screens. ¡°There we go.¡± Pholi said, ¡°A pleasure meeting you. I¡¯d tell you to contact me if you need translation help, but I¡¯d say you¡¯re both linguistic savants!¡± They laughed, ¡°Your Galactic Common is almost too perfect to be believed! Most people have some kind of accent, but yours is practically textbook common!¡± They tapped at a little device on the side of their head. ¡°I recommend a translator, though. Not everyone speaks Galactic Common here, at least not outside of political circles, and even those that do, well..¡± They glanced about, ¡°In merchant circles, you might find dialects and accents a little difficult to parse. A translator will help with that.¡± ¡°Do we need that?¡± DH asked TO in synth speak, ¡°I mean, when we wear our helmets-¡± ¡°We won¡¯t always do that; getting a translation device is a good idea.¡± They said. They gave a wider smile than they were used to; Civilians relied more on facial tells than ear movements, and would need to see a bigger, more obvious smile for it to register, ¡°I will take that advice!¡± ¡°And what will you be looking into selling?¡± They asked, ¡°You must have a plan?¡± ¡°N-not yet.¡± TO said, ¡°We¡¯re looking into that for now. Just doing research at the moment.¡± ¡°I see, I see.. Well, good luck with it!¡± They turned around. ¡°And enjoy the party! There¡¯re plenty of private rooms to relax in.¡± They winked and turned into the crowd. They both kept their smiles, ignoring their burning ears at Pholi¡¯s insinuation, until Pholi disappeared among the civilians. When they were certain that he was gone, they turned to one another. ¡°... We¡¯re bad at this.¡± DH said. TO sighed and just nodded. Civilians were far more curious than they thought. TO took DH¡¯s hand and hurried off. They needed to regroup before anyone else asked them more questions. Episode 170: Petra TO pulled DH towards a hallway set off to the side. Pholi had suggested that there were private rooms, and from what TO could see, they seemed to be located down these hallways. Of course, they didn¡¯t intend to use the rooms for the insinuated purpose, they just wanted to get somewhere quiet for a few minutes; somewhere where they and DH could regroup, and come up with better answers to future questions. ¡°I should have asked him some questions.¡± TO muttered as they rushed down the hall. They stopped at a door and listened for a moment with their ear pressed to it before they pulled away as though burned, their ears bright blue. ¡°That one¡¯s occupied.¡± TO said as they continued down. ¡°Why should we have asked Pholi questions?¡± DH answered with a backwards glance, ¡°What would that have-¡± ¡°Civilians apparently love to talk about themselves. If we had gotten him to talk about himself, he wouldn¡¯t have thought to question us.¡± They stopped at the next door, listened again, and pulled away again. ¡°I can¡¯t believe these people.¡± they muttered. ¡°I¡¯m sorry I suggested this.¡± DH said, their ears down, ¡°We should have gone right back to the ship-¡± ¡°No no, this is good.¡± TO said. There was a smaller hallway leading off the main one, and after a moment of debate TO rushed down, ¡°If you hadn¡¯t, we¡¯d not have realized how badly we prepared for this.¡± Their ears flicked down, a mixture of shame and panic; They had prepared badly for this; they hadn¡¯t expected such curiosity, and didn¡¯t have answers that were quite detailed enough to satisfy some people. ¡°Well, we did the best we could!¡± DH insisted, ¡°And we didn¡¯t really have much opportunity to practice.¡± ¡°I suppose not.¡± TO said. They came to another door at the very end of the hallway. TO stopped and pressed their ear to it. Silence. Blissful silence. They pressed the button to the side, and the door slid open to allow DH and TO to scurry inside. By their normal standards, the room they had found was luxurious, furnished with soft couches. It was absolutely excessive compared to synth accommodations, but compared to what they had already seen it was almost shabby; the furniture was older than the few chairs they had seen in the main room; the art was sparse and plain, and while there was a small collection of food on the table, it sat haphazardly as though someone had just thrown it down. It occurred to TO that if the civilians used these rooms for fornication, then it made sense not to have anything fancy set out. With that in mind, TO leaned against the food-laden table instead of sitting on the couches. DH seemed to have the same idea. ¡°... Do you want to leave?¡± DH asked as they put a hand over TO¡¯s hand. ¡°We can just leave if you want and try again another time.¡± TO shook their head, ¡°No..¡± They said, ¡°No, we need to figure this out. This is¡­¡± They hesitated, trying to beat back the panic that was rising in their throat, ¡°This is just another skill we have to learn. Once we figure it out, we¡¯ll be fine.¡± DH sighed and looked at the food on the table. ¡°Well, at least we can try some of this.¡± they said as they picked at the food. ¡°It seems like a strange mix of stuff here though- Oh!¡± They picked up something that looked like a fruit, but had a strange, crystalline look. ¡°I¡¯ve seen pictures of this; Crystalized fruits!¡± ¡°Can you eat it?¡± TO asked. They reached out and tapped at one, feeling its hard exterior. DH smiled and pulled the one they had apart; on the inside it seemed soft and jiggly. ¡°Entirely edible.¡± DH said as they held it to TO¡¯s mouth. TO backed up a little, then felt their ears flick back and flush as they opened their mouth and let DH pop the candy in. Sweet. Crunchy. Chewy. TO¡¯s eyes widened at the sudden variety of textures, their ears twitching at the overly sweet taste. Next to them, DH gave a low chuckle. ¡°What?¡± TO asked once they had swallowed the candy. ¡°Nothing.¡± DH said, smiling with their ears forward, ¡°You¡¯re just¡­ adorable when you¡¯re surprised.¡± TO huffed and looked away, ¡°We are still in public.¡± TO said, ¡°Or did that drink actually influence-¡± Their voice caught in their throat as DH leaned over and kissed TO on the neck. They yelped, surprised as their ears burned. ¡°DH! We¡¯re in public-¡± ¡°Not really...¡± DH said, ¡°and I just¡­¡± They looked away, their ears flicking down. ¡°Sorry.¡± They muttered. Guilt flooded TO¡¯s stomach. DH had been working so hard to be more affectionate, especially since they were finally free of Kei. The last thing that they wanted to do was to make DH feel bad about it. ¡°It¡¯s¡­ You just surprised me.¡± TO said as they took DH¡¯s hand. ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have done that.¡± They said, ¡°You¡¯re right, we¡¯re in public, and-¡± TO leaned forward, turned DH¡¯s head towards them, and gave them a quick, chaste kiss. ¡°We need to be careful.¡± TO said, ¡°That¡¯s all.¡± ¡°I know.¡± DH said, smiling despite their low ears. ¡°I love you.¡± TO said, and though they leaned against the table again, they held onto DH¡¯s hand. ¡°...I love you too.¡± DH said. They gave a low laugh. ¡°It¡¯s funny though. We always loved each other, but now we say that, and we know we mean something different from what it meant before.¡± TO smiled, their ears still warm, but they didn¡¯t feel embarrassed. ¡°It¡¯s so much easier.¡± They whispered. Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon. This was so much nicer in TO¡¯s opinion. The party outside was too noisy, too busy, too crowded. When they were out there as synths, they had to remember everyone they met, and keep in mind as many details as possible. They had to be careful of what they said, and they had to watch what everyone was doing. Everyone was so formal with them in their armor, and the helmets kept TO from being able to have a simple conversation with DH. As Civilians, they had to keep track of stories, had to meet people without the information given to them by the helmets, and had to maneuver a crowded, clustered room of inebriated civilians. It was stressful, no matter what. They much preferred just being alone with DH. Maybe if they got better at just talking to civilians, everything else would be easier, too. They were just considering this when they heard a door open; not the sliding doors that all modern buildings had, but an old-fashioned one with a doorknob which, according to TO¡¯s keen hearing, was located further towards the back of the room. They heard a creak from deeper in the room behind some old screens that stood before a tapestry. The Tapestry shifted aside, and someone snuck out from behind the screen. They had a lithe, lizard like appearance, big green eyes, and wings that connected to their backs of their arms, their sides, and to the tip of their long, powerful looking tail; They were, in fact, holding onto their tail with their clawed hands so that it didn¡¯t whip around and knock anything over. Their skin was a mixture of greens, magentas, and blues. They wore an apron-like outfit that had the look of a simple uniform; it wrapped around their neck and their legs to keep it in place. Without their helmet TO wasn¡¯t sure what species they were exactly, and the sudden lack of knowledge worried TO; what if this person was dangerous? What if they were a known criminal? They froze as soon as they set eyes on TO and DH. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry!¡± they said, backing up, ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to disrupt, I just-¡± ¡°You weren¡¯t disrupting anything!¡± TO said, their ears blue with the idea of what she must have thought, ¡°Really, you weren¡¯t, we were just resting in here for a moment.¡± ¡°Exactly.¡± DH said. They glanced at the food, and moved aside, ¡°We were enjoying some of the food.¡± They looked from the food on the table to TO and DH, and then nodded, ¡°Right.¡± They looked scared and confused, and a little thrown off; far more than Pholi had been. Maybe this would be an excellent opportunity to practice their conversational skills with someone who wasn¡¯t as confident as they had been? If they were a criminal, TO very much doubted they would have apologized. ¡°I¡¯m Tio.¡± They said, taking a step forward and presenting their elbow as they had seen other civilians doing. ¡°They, them. This is Dee, also They, them.¡± They hesitated, then took tentative steps forward as though unsure if TO would attack or not. ¡°Petra. She, her.¡± She said as she reached out and tapped her elbow to TO¡¯s, pulling away immediately after as though worried the touch might burn her. ¡°You... you wandered quite a way away from the party just for some food.¡± She said. ¡°Well, it was noisy and crowded. We¡¯re not used to parties like this.¡± DH said. ¡°And all the other rooms we found were, Uh, occupied.¡± ¡°Not used to parties like this?¡± Petra asked, taking yet another step away, clutching at her tail as though they might try to take it from her, ¡°But I thought all the politicians-¡± ¡°We¡¯re not politicians.¡± TO said, ¡°Merchants.¡± ¡°I thought all the wealthy Merchants attended more parties than even the politicians did.¡± she said, and though she was still acting so very skittish, there was a bite to her tone that even TO could pick up on. TO gave what they hoped was a wide enough smile, ¡°I suppose we¡¯re not wealthy then.¡± They said, ¡°What about you?¡± ¡°Oh¡­ oh just, uh... Extra staff.¡± She gestured to the uniform she was wearing. ¡°They hired me for the party.¡± ¡°I thought they had mostly servAis for that?¡± DH asked. She scoffed and crossed her arms; a gesture that even without the helmet TO could pick up on as annoyance. ¡°They would have only servAis for it if they could.¡± She snapped, ¡°They¡¯re a one time investment for unlimited work.¡± The tip of her tail squished about as though trying to escape, and TO could understand why she was holding it so tightly. ¡°But no, they can¡¯t have servAis for anything more than handling a few drinks and clearing away the mess. Anything more complicated than learning how to mix a cocktail and they overheat and shut down.¡± ¡°Overheat?¡± DH asked. ¡°Well, it¡¯s a failsafe.¡± TO explained, ¡°If an Ai starts to¡­ well, for a better word, think too hard, then they overhead and go into a cooling period. It¡¯s one of the Artificial Intelligence conditions, to keep them from becoming dangerous.¡± ¡°And good for that too.¡± Petra said. ¡°If they didn¡¯t have that, then I¡¯m sure they¡¯d be happy enough to just let them replace all of us.¡± She shook her head, ¡°Of course, they¡¯d say that I¡¯m being short-sighted, and that we can always get jobs in manufacturing AIs¡­ But that requires education, doesn¡¯t it? Education that most of us can¡¯t afford.¡± ¡°Education under King Decon is free.¡± DH said. ¡°Basic education is.¡± Preta scoffed, ¡°But anything more than that and you have to pay¡­ Or go into debt, and at that point if you get a job then you¡¯re just working to pay off what you owe.¡± She huffed again, ¡°Not that these bastards-¡± She stopped, freezing in place. She suddenly backed away from the two again, but she still had this angry look on her face, ¡°But¡­ I guess you¡¯re both perfectly fine with that.¡± ¡°We are?¡± TO asked. ¡°As Merchants, I imagine you have all the servAis you could need in your residence.¡± ¡°Not quite.¡± TO said, confused; why would she hate the merchants? ¡°You¡¯re not fond of the merchants here?¡± She pursed her lips, eying them carefully. ¡°I¡¯m not a fan of people overlooking other people.¡± She said after a long pause. ¡°That¡¯s all.¡± ¡°TO, do you think she could be an insurgent?¡± DH asked in Synth Speak. TO shook their head, ¡°Apologies, Dee forgot that it¡¯s rude to speak an unknown language in front of others.¡± ¡°But we did that out in the ballroom¡­¡± DH said, switching back to common. ¡°That¡¯s different; we weren¡¯t speaking with anyone then.¡± TO said. They gave Petra a smile. ¡°Did you get to see the Synths, by the way?¡± She shook her head, her pupils going small as her tail thrashed in her hands. ¡°No. No, I stayed far away from the main floor while they were here.¡± She said, ¡°You weren¡¯t interested in seeing them?¡± DH asked, seeming to pick up on what TO was trying to do. ¡°No.¡± she hissed, ¡°Why, were you?¡± ¡°Well¡­. Curious, of course. Who wouldn¡¯t be?¡± ¡°Well, I don¡¯t-¡± The door behind the tapestry rattled, and Petra froze like a wild animal in a trap. ¡°Who¡¯s in there! Why is this door barred?¡± A commanding voice from the other side of the tapestry demanded. . Petra moved fast. She leapt to the table, grabbed a large satchel from underneath, and hung it over her neck. She then pushed all the food on the table into the satchel before rushing off to the side, pushing away an old curtain to reveal a window with laser bars crisscrossing over it. From a pocket in her outfit, she pulled out a box-like device and held it to a box next to the window. The bars dissolved away, and she could push the window opened. Petra turned back to TO and DH, ¡°If you¡¯ve any kindness, you¡¯ll tell them you were alone in here.¡± She said. She pulled the curtains back across to hide the window. With their sensitive ears, TO could hear her jump, and hear the flap of wings as she disappeared into the night, leaving TO and DH behind, confused and alone. They exchanged glances before leaving the room themself. They had just witnessed their first Arkanian robbery, it seemed, and they didn¡¯t want to stick around to answer questions. Episode 171: Synth Speak TO and DH made their way back to the ballroom, unwilling to hide in one of the private rooms again. Most of the rooms held busy civilians, anyway ¡°Did we really just meet a thief?¡± DH asked as they looked back down the hallway, ¡°And where did they go? There¡¯s enough security here that if they tried to just run-¡± ¡°They had a uniform on.¡± TO muttered as they looked about, ¡°They probably got in as a worker and then stole things while they were here.¡± ¡°But why food?¡± DH asked. They got to the main ballroom and made their way to a table laden with food. The food here was far more elegantly set out; like edible art. In hindsight, the food they had found in the room was just stashed away quickly. Why food? It was a good question. There were other things even in that room alone she could have taken and which had to be more valuable than food. If she wanted money, it¡¯d be more profitable and faster to steal one of the smaller pieces of art. There would be no reason to just steal food¡­ not unless she was hungry. But then, why take it; why not just eat it there? ¡°... Do you think she was right?¡± TO asked, looking at the spread of food. ¡°About what?¡± DH asked. TO shrugged and looked away, their ears down. ¡°About the education thing.¡± They said, ¡°Basic education is free under King Decon¡¯s reign-¡± ¡°So long as the civilians want it, yes.¡± DH agreed. ¡°But if civilians need further education to get work, shouldn¡¯t that be free too?¡± DH frowned, their ears flicking back, ¡°I¡¯m sure that there¡¯s more to it.¡± They said, shaking their head, ¡°I mean, if Arkane needed people to do something, they¡¯d open up training for it, and get the best people trained for the job.¡± Their ears were still down as they picked up a skewer of fruit from the table. ¡°Besides¡­ you know civilians; they¡¯re shortsighted and selfish. That one probably-¡± ¡°Petra.¡± TO said, ¡°She said her name was Petra, didn¡¯t she?¡± DH shrugged, ¡°Petra probably just isn¡¯t happy with her job, no matter what good it does for Arkane.¡± they bit into the fruit skewer, their eyes widening as the flavour hit them. They took a moment to savour the taste before continuing. ¡°And besides that; she was stealing food. I¡¯m sure Arkane doesn¡¯t let its people just starve; it¡¯s part of the Galactic kingdom. She must have just wanted to take the food because it looked good.¡± TO frowned, ¡°Are you certain?¡± DH paused as they reached for another skewer, their hand hovering over it. ¡°¡­You¡¯re not.¡± ¡°We¡¯ve been trying to figure out why the insurgency has a foothold here at all-¡± ¡°You have. I haven¡¯t. Previous world leaders want their uncontested power back, and to do that, they have to break away from King Decon.¡± ¡°And that might be true for the leaders of the insurgency.¡± TO said carefully, ¡°But they have to convince normal civilians, right?¡± TO thought of all the research they had done regarding failed civilizations on previously independent planets, successful insurgencies of the past, and of modern failed ones. ¡°The leaders of these groups say the same thing, don¡¯t they? They say that things will be better under them.¡± ¡°But.. they won¡¯t be.¡± DH said, ¡°They might think it will be, but if they get cut off from the rest of the galaxy-¡± ¡°I¡¯m not saying it will be. I¡¯m saying that any insurgency has to convince the civilians that things will be better if they¡¯re in charge.¡± TO said. ¡°That¡¯s how any insurgency gets support among a civilian population; they say that things are bad, but they¡¯ll be better if they take over.¡± They looked back towards the hallway, ¡°And if people believe it; if they think they¡¯re suffering because of issues like specialized education for people with more money- then the insurgency can easily convince them. Besides that-¡± They fell silent as another ServAi came by. TO took a drink from them, more to just have something to do with their hands than anything else, ¡°Besides that, maybe¡­ maybe she was right.¡± Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon. ¡°But King Decon would never allow-¡± ¡°King Decon isn¡¯t here.¡± TO said. ¡°Civilians lead this planet, and Buteo is a would-be royal.¡± TO took a sip of their drink, ¡°Maybe he¡¯s used to running things to give himself and his preferred people more advantages.¡± ¡°But if he¡¯s part of the insurgency-¡± ¡°Then he¡¯d have even more reason to make it seem like life under King Decon is bad.¡± TO said. ¡°If the insurgency fails, he¡¯s still the Vassal and still has power over the planet. If the insurgency succeeds, he has total control and no oversight.¡± ¡°... You¡¯ve thought a lot about this.¡± DH said, their voice quiet and awed. ¡°¡­ To be honest, I¡¯ve been curious about it since GiDi was researching it.¡± TO said, ¡°And I¡¯ve been putting extra focus on studying about insurgencies and how they succeed or fail.¡± They fell silent, tracing the mouth of their cup with their finger, ¡°And I keep thinking about the pharmacies.¡± ¡°The what?¡± TO sighed, ¡°Their stores that sell medical supplies. Remember, the insurgency has been breaking into them as of late? I was, confused as to why there would be a shop for medical supplies.¡± They look to DH, ¡°If medical supplies are being sold to profit former nobility, and the insurgency steals it and gives it away for free, then I imagine they¡¯d have the support of many sick civilians.¡± DH¡¯s ears flicked back, twitching with thought as they let TO¡¯s words roll in their mind. After a minute, they sighed and leaned against the table. ¡°So if the insurgency is thriving, you think it¡¯s because the leadership of the planet is corrupt.¡± ¡°I think it¡¯s a possibility. I¡¯d need to meet more people first. ¡° DH nodded, then glanced about the room before turning back to TO. ¡°So¡­ should we tell someone?¡± ¡°Tell someone what?¡± TO asked. ¡°That there was a robbery? We saw a thief. I mean, we could go after her as Synths-¡± TO shook their head, ¡°A single civilian stealing food from a party isn¡¯t that concerning.¡± they said, ¡°We have better things to do than to chase after her.¡± They took another drink as they looked around. ¡°... I¡¯d be more interested in trying to carry on conversation again, or at least listen to conversations.¡± they gave DH a grin, ¡°I¡¯d be very interested to hear what people say about synths when we¡¯re not around. I¡¯d have liked to have heard more about what Petra said, but¡­¡± they shrugged, ¡°At any rate, it might give us a chance to understand the civilians a little more, and then we¡¯ll go back to the ship.¡± ¡°And¡­ we can eat more before we go back to the ship?¡± DH asked, glancing at the spread again. Their eyes were so big as they looked over everything that TO felt their ears twitch back up. ¡°Of course we can eat whatever we like.¡± TO said. If they couldn¡¯t be productive, at least they could be content that DH was enjoying themself. ====== It didn¡¯t take long to realize that the conversations the politicians and merchants were pursuing were a lot less informative than their quick interaction with Petra. Many of them were slurring their words, making it difficult for TO to understand what they were saying. As Philo had warned, there was also a variety of different accents, which made it difficult for TO to understand much of anything at all. ¡°I¡¯m sorry this isn¡¯t as productive as you hoped¡­¡± DH said, ¡°I guess it was a bad idea.¡± ¡°It wasn¡¯t!¡± TO insisted, their ears flicking down, ¡°I learned a lot! Petra gave me some insight and let me put a few things together, and thanks to Philo, I learned we need those translators that he mentioned, and we need to perfect our story about who we are and what we¡¯re doing. Though.¡± They looked aside, their ears flushing. ¡°Whatever our story is, we have to go with being ¡®mates¡¯ now. ¡°Is that such a bad thing?¡± DH asked. TO glanced over at DH, and saw that they had a bit of powdered sugar on the side of their lips. TO had the urge to lean over and kiss it off of them, but they felt their ears burn just at the thought of it. ¡°It¡¯s not.¡± TO said, glancing away. DH smiled, and linked their arm into TO¡¯s, ¡°Well, let¡¯s go then.¡± They said as they headed towards the washrooms, ¡°We¡¯ll put our armor back on in the washroom, and head back.¡± TO let DH pull them along. Maybe once they had a little of privacy, they could kiss that tempting smudge of sugar off DH¡¯s lips. They got to the washroom; the door slid open, and TO was in such a rush that they almost walked right into Minister Philo, who was rejoining the party. ¡°So sorry.¡± TO said quickly, rushing past the small minister. ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± Philo said back in Galactic Common. They rushed into the washroom - which was thankfully empty now. They went to the door to the side, which they knew would lead to the exit hall. DH lifted their arm to activate their armor, but before they did TO took their wrists and, with hot, flushed ears, kissed the sugar off the corner of DH¡¯s mouth. DH stiffened for just a moment, taken aback by TO¡¯s sudden nerve, then turned and kissed them back. When they parted, DH gave a small, shy smile. ¡°That was sudden.¡± They said, ¡°I thought you weren¡¯t comfortable with that stuff around civilians.¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± TO looked back at the doors, then shrugged, ¡°There was a smudge of sugar on your lip.¡± they explained, ¡°I had to get it off, and if we waited until we got back to the ship it might have been gone-¡± DH stared at TO for a moment longer, then laughed, ¡°I get it.¡± They said, ¡°You¡¯re just a little shy around the civilians.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not!¡± TO said. DH grinned, ¡°I guess there must be some other reason your ears are so blue.¡¯¡¯ They activated their armor before TO could respond, so TO activated their own and followed DH out to the exit and to the entrance hall. The ServAis were still there. One came up to TO, ¡°Greetings Honored Synths.¡± They said, ¡°Are you leaving the party?¡± ¡°We¡¯re leaving, yes.¡± TO said back. ¡°We will call a transport to bring you to your home.¡± Home? Was that what their ship was? TO had never considered having a home before - homes were places that Civilians grew up and liked. They were places that civilians had a fondness for. TO wasn¡¯t sure if they had a fondness for the ship itself, but they did like to have a place where they could relax with DH, hidden from any prying eyes or listening ears. Maybe the ship was home. They were halfway to their ship - halfway home- when they realized something that made panic suddenly flood through their body. They felt their stomach clench, and their ears pin back. When they had bumped into Minister Philo, they had apologized in Synth Speak¡­ and Philo seemed to understand it. Episode 172: Narrative TO took off their armor as soon as they stepped into the entrance hall of their ship, their ears twitching with panic, their eyes wide. ¡°I swear! Pholi understood me!¡± TO insisted. They were certain that they hadn¡¯t been able to express their worry properly though Universal Common, and needed DH to understand not only what had happened, but how bad it was. ¡°Not even a day on this planet and I already messed up!¡± DH took off their armor and followed TO to the elevator. ¡°I don¡¯t think you messed up.¡± DH said, though their ears were down as well. ¡°I mean¡­ You said Pholi understood you? But he didn¡¯t speak Synth Speak.¡± ¡°When we were going into the washroom.¡± TO said, ¡°Remember how we nearly ran right into Pholi?¡± ¡°He¡¯s so tiny, and we¡¯re taller than the average citizen as it is¡­¡± ¡°Well, I wasn¡¯t thinking, and I apologized to him¡­ in Synth Speak.¡± ¡°And he responded.¡± DH said. They entered the elevator, the door sliding shut behind them. TO leaned against the back wall, trying to calm down, trying to keep their heart from bursting from their chest. ¡°Yes, he responded! He responded properly!¡± DH chewed at their lower lip, their ears flicking as they thought about the situation. ¡°Alright¡­ But what if he didn¡¯t?¡± They said after a while. ¡°What do you mean? He responded properly-¡° ¡°Well, you spoke right after nearly tripping into him, right?¡± DH said, ¡°And he can¡¯t understand Synth Speak; Civilians just don¡¯t. Where would he have learned it from?¡± Where would he have learned it from? TO had been thinking about that. ¡°He¡¯s the minister of language and translations.¡± TO said, ¡°We can assume he has decent language skills. We also know that several synths have gone missing here, and we suspect the insurgency took them for interrogation.¡± They got to their main living area, and as soon as the door swung open TO rushed to their desk, dropping themself into the chair. ¡°What if he¡¯s part of the insurgency and he¡¯s used the captive synths to learn Synth Speak? What if he can even read our ears?! If he can, then he knows everything we said is a lie!¡± They activated their desk and started bringing up files. ¡°Of course¡­¡± They laughed, ¡°If he knew we were speaking in Synth Speak, then he would have known that we were lying from the start!¡± they shook their head, ¡°Not even a day here, and I already messed up. The insurgency will know what we look like-¡± ¡°I just realized this, of course¡­¡± DH said, ¡°But if the insurgency has synths captive, then they¡¯d know what we look like, anyway.¡± DH said. TO¡¯s hands froze in midair, stopping their typing. That fact was so obvious, but TO had overlooked it. They had thought about all the other issues, all the other bits of information that the insurgents might get from synths¡­ but hadn¡¯t realized that they would, of course, know what they looked like out of armor. Their civilian disguise was useless. ¡°I¡¯m such an idiot.¡± TO muttered as they continued typing, ¡°Of course they¡¯d know what we look like. How did I not-¡± They stopped, their words cutting off as they felt DH¡¯s hands on their ears. Despite their panic, TO couldn¡¯t help the low chirps that escaped their throat as DH gently massaged their ears. ¡°You¡¯re not an idiot.¡± DH whispered. ¡°We didn¡¯t think about that; that¡¯s all. And even if we did, there¡¯s not much we can do about it.¡± They had to be more careful. TO knew that they had to watch out more when they were out without their armor on. Going undercover as just normal civilians would be far less effective now unless they came up with a different disguise. ¡°As for Pholi, maybe he understood, or maybe he wasn¡¯t sure if he actually heard you, but assumed you apologized for tripping over him like any civilian would and responded to what he assumed you said.¡± They stopped rubbing TO¡¯s ears and leaned forward, draping their arms over TO¡¯s shoulders. ¡°Doesn¡¯t that make more sense?¡± It did. TO didn¡¯t know if they felt better because of the logic or because of the contact with DH; Ear rubs always calmed them and DH¡¯s warmth against their back made them feel more steady. ¡°¡­ We still can¡¯t rule that out.¡± TO said as they relaxed in DH¡¯s embrace for a moment longer, then started typing again, still leaning back so that DH could hold them. ¡°What are you looking up?¡± DH asked. Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. ¡°First, I¡¯m looking up information about Minister Pholi.¡± TO said, ¡°I didn¡¯t bother to look up all his information when we met him, but I¡¯ll get it now. Then I¡¯m going to see if I can find anything on Petra.¡± ¡°Why Petra?¡± ¡°Well, first I want to know her species, but then I want to see if there¡¯s anything about her on file. I want to see if she has a history.¡± ¡°You think she¡¯s part of the insurgency?¡± ¡°Doubtful.¡± ¡°She didn¡¯t seem to like much about Arkane¡¯s leadership though-¡° ¡°If she was, and if the insurgency knows what we look like, then I assume she¡¯d have been a lot more frightened of us and she wouldn¡¯t have asked us to lie for her. Also, why would the insurgency be stealing food from a party?¡± ¡°That¡­ I suppose that makes sense.¡± DH said. ¡°But I am curious about her. Still; Minister Pholi first, since we know his actual name and position. He¡¯ll be easier to find.¡± DH watched for a moment, then sighed as they pulled their chair over and sat next to TO ¡°Alright.¡± They said, ¡°Let¡¯s see what we can find.¡± As TO guessed, it was easy to find Minister Pholi since he was a government official and they already knew his name and position. ¡°He¡¯s not a native Arkanian.¡± DH noted as they glanced through his records. ¡°He¡¯s not. His family moved here from Alke. Pangi species. It doesn¡¯t say why or how his family moved here, but I suppose it¡¯s not considered important.¡± ¡°Do you think it is?¡± DH asked. ¡°Potentially¡­¡± TO said as they glanced through the rest of his records, ¡°He¡¯s been Minister of Language and Translations for the last ten years. No living family in the area.¡± ¡°And his personal records?¡± TO brought up the legal records list, and at first worried as there was a very long collection of cases that he seemed to be involved in but upon further inspection they were all criminal cases where he assisted with translations. ¡°That¡¯s clean.¡± TO said. As far as they could see, there was nothing about him in their system that might show he was any issue. Even the personal notes from other synths and political figures noted him as useful, clever, and hardworking. DH put their hand on TO¡¯s leg, giving them a quick squeeze. ¡°See.¡± They said, ¡°No problems, no flags on his profile, no concerns from coworkers. He doesn¡¯t even seem to have minor infractions.¡± TO felt their ears warm as they considered maybe they had overreacted, and that maybe their worry over Minister Pholi ¡®understanding¡¯ their language was unnecessary. What DH said made more sense, and if Pholi was part of the insurgency, then there would have to be something on his file; even some minor things from his youth. There was nothing, though. ¡°Do you feel better?¡± DH asked. ¡°I do¡­¡± TO said, their ears flicking down. ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m sorry I panicked-¡° ¡°You shouldn¡¯t apologize.¡± DH said, ¡°You were worried. I¡¯m just glad you¡¯re feeling better now.¡± TO smiled, put their hand over DH¡¯s, then turned back to their desk. They still had to look into Petra. Petra, of course, would be harder to find; they didn¡¯t know any details about her, or even the name of her species. If they had taken a picture of her with their communicators, then they¡¯d be able to identify her that way. With just a picture, their system would scan her, and if possible, even identify her. Unfortunately, they¡¯d have to do things the hard way. They used their system to narrow down the species by traits; the scaly skin, the wings, the long tail and brighter coloration, and narrowed it down. Then they narrowed it down further by only species that had at least one member currently living on Arkane, which narrowed it down much further. The name Petra was rather common, but it still narrowed the results down, then they reduced it again to only those currently living in Oikia. In the end, it left them with only ten results. It was easy from there. DH was the one who picked her out; noting that her snout was narrower than most of the others, There was an alert on Petra¡¯s file; a yellow. Any confirmed members of the insurgency could have a red triangle attached to them, along with any major criminals. Anyone who had any crimes on their file more serious than traffic violations had a yellow tag on them. ¡°What did she do?¡± DH asked as they noted the yellow tag. TO opened up her file and scanned through everything. ¡°Civil disobedience, destruction of property, assault, petty theft¡­¡± They looked through the details of the various charges. ¡°How is she not in prison?¡± ¡°She spent some time in prison.¡± TO said, ¡°A working prison on Arkane itself. She worked out her time and was released.¡± ¡°What did she do?¡± There was a video link attached to the file, so TO opened it up. A screen projected above their desk, showing a crowd chanting before the government building that they had just left. Because they were accessing this video though Petra¡¯s file, the video stayed focused on her, zoomed in to show what she was doing. The crowd was chanting; apparently this was from a few years ago when there were major protests about the water quality around the islands of Arkane. Chants of ¡®Seawater Not Sewage¡¯ and ¡®My home is not your dump¡¯ rang out, translated so that TO and DH could understand it. Offscreen, there was a flash and all of a sudden, the people in the video fled. A planetary law enforcement officer grabbed Petra, who struggled against him, lashing him with her powerful tail and drawing blood before he pressed something to her back. She stiffened and fell limp. ¡°Assaulted law enforcement.¡± TO said, ¡°Automatic prison sentence no matter the situation. The other charges seemed to me from the same situation, mostly. She got involved in a lot of protests-¡° ¡°But she¡¯s not part of the insurgency.¡± DH finished. ¡°Not a confirmed part of the insurgency.¡± TO said. ¡°A discontent, but not an insurgent.¡± They pressed their lips together, ¡°Exactly the person who the ideals of the insurgency would appeal to, though.¡± They leaned forward, clasping their hands before them and resting their chin on their entwined fingers. ¡°Potentially... The person we could use.¡± DH¡¯s ears twitched forward. ¡°Use? What do you mean? She¡¯s yellow-tagged, got a criminal history-¡° ¡°Is exactly the type of person the insurgency will target to join their cause.¡± TO said. ¡°Alright¡­¡± DH¡¯s ears twitched in confusion, ¡°And that¡¯s good because¡­?¡± ¡°Because my plan involves outdoing the insurgency.¡± TO said, ¡°If we find out why the civilians are supporting them, find out what the insurgency is promising that they feel they¡¯re not getting from King Decon, and then we supply that, we¡¯ll lessen the insurgency¡¯s influence. With no civilian cause to pursue, we can expose the insurgency for what it is; a power-grab by displaced former rulers!¡± ¡°... You really think that¡¯ll happen?¡± DH asked. TO nodded; any insurgency could end up being viewed as fighters of justice, or vicious criminals focused on violence, all depending on the narrative that was spun, and the unmet needs that they carelessly promised. All TO and DH had to do was show that there was nothing the Insurgency could offer the civilians that King Decon could not. ¡°I think so. I really do! Once that happens, it¡¯ll be easier to take them down. It wouldn¡¯t surprise me if their own people end up giving up the leaders.¡± They grinned, ¡°We¡¯re not only going to end the insurgency here; we¡¯re going to end it to the cheering of Arkane¡¯s entire population.¡± Episode 173: Shopping There was a lot of work to do and TO knew this. As much as they might want, there wasn¡¯t a lot of time for them and DH to just relax together, at least not until they had completed their task and fixed the issues in Arkane and proved that they were valuable enough to become retirees. However, before they could start their work, there were a few smaller errands they had to deal with; things unrelated to managing the insurgency. They had to go shopping. Specifically, they had to go out and get some civilian clothing. The day after the party, once they had their basic chores done, they headed out into their new vehicle. It was smaller than Noss¡¯ had been and the inside was far more basic; just two back seats facing forward. They didn¡¯t have to drive as the vehicle was self-flying. It also looked very plain, so as soon as they got out of the main political housing compound, they blended into civilian traffic easily. ¡°We¡¯ll be using more pedestrian traffic mostly.¡± TO said as they looked over their map, ¡°Trolleys and tubes. We¡¯ll take this to get to the nearest shopping district. There¡¯s two or three on the island, but the closest one seems to have the best ratings overall; it has better selection, quality, and a better level of safety.¡± DH leaned against the window, watching the scenery pass by them. ¡°You know.¡± they said idly, ¡°I¡¯m glad we¡¯re still doing this¡­ But why?¡± They turned to TO, ¡°I really don¡¯t want to mention anything. I don¡¯t want you to change your mind, but if the insurgency knows what we look like, then why do we need civilian clothes? Why try to blend in at all?¡± ¡°Because the insurgency- or at least those higher in the insurgency- know what we look like.¡± TO said without looking up from their map, ¡°Normal civilians don¡¯t. We can still learn a lot from them and if we see someone acting odd around us for no apparent reason, then they might be involved with the insurgency.¡± ¡°But what if we¡¯re attacked out in the open because we¡¯re recognized?¡± ¡°I doubt they¡¯d do that.¡± TO said, ¡°At least not violently. It¡¯d be too big of a risk. We¡¯re going to a place with a lot of security, so we¡¯ll be alright. I¡¯d be more concerned about being poisoned. ¡° ¡°Right¡­. So we just can¡¯t eat out.¡± DH said as their ears dipped back. ¡°Well, we can.¡± TO said, ¡°We just have to be careful. The chips will work to identify if we put anything particularly deadly into our body, so what I would suggest is eating tiny amounts and waiting to see if the chip picks up anything before continuing.¡± They glanced up to DH, ¡°You brought the medkit like I said?¡± DH gestured to their kit, which sat on the floor at their feet. ¡°Yes.. it¡¯s a little obvious-¡° ¡°First thing we¡¯ll get is a bag then.¡± TO said. They went back to the map, and started looking up places where they might find a bag, ¡°If we encounter anything poisonous, we should be able to deal with it at the moment, and then we¡¯ll know if insurgents are at all involved with the location we¡¯re at.¡± They grinned at DH, ¡°See, I thought about it; Yes, they know what we look like, but if they reveal that knowledge, then we know who they are.¡± ¡°¡­ So, it¡¯s ok that we still go out and get civilian clothes? And we can still eat out?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t see why not.¡± TO said. DH gave a big smile, their ears twitching with glee before they turned back to the window. TO grinned, unsure why DH was so excited, but happy to see them so energetic, anyway. ====== The shopping district was shaped like a ring along one of the inner circles of Okoia. The buildings were lower here mostly, rising higher through each district as one got further out towards the sea. Even from inside the vehicle, there was a certain protected feeling in the area. Though the buildings were close together, TO could see a single larger road running through the center of the district along with a sort of trolley running through the center which people could simply hop on to get from one place to another faster than normal. ¡°That¡¯s the parking center, isn¡¯t it?¡± DH asked as they peered out the window on their side. TO leaned over to look and saw one larger building that stood a little taller than the rest. Unlike the others, it was much more plain and had no visible windows. ¡°I think so.¡± TO said as they checked their communicator. It was. They landed on the roof of the building and waited while the building¡¯s computer system checked the credentials of their vehicle. The speakers hidden in the vehicle''s ceiling suddenly chimed before a mechanical voice rang through. ¡°Please prepare for vehicle movement. Please do not leave the vehicle until instructed.¡± The floor beneath the vehicle shuddered as some mechanism clamped it in place and drew them into the building, plunging them into darkness as the roof closed up overhead. ¡°It¡¯s a bit like when we were at the portal dock.¡± DH said as they looked out into the darkness, ¡°We got locked into something, and now we¡¯re being pulled away.¡± They were right; that¡¯s exactly what it was like. TO looked out their own window, straining the sensitive eyes to see in the darkness. There was almost no light, but they could just make out unfinished walls covered in signs and wires. It wasn¡¯t long until the rough, chaotic mess of machinery and electronics disappeared behind a dark blue metal wall and light from blue toned lights below them illuminated the area. The walls lightened in color until becoming a very light teal once the vehicle finally stopped. Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website. ¡°Please exit the vehicle.¡± The voice intoned. TO released the seatbelt and reached for their bracelet before they stopped, as they remembered they wouldn¡¯t be wearing their armor today. They had to go out in their basic uniforms and try to pretend to be civilians. When they came to the vehicle in the first place, they had been wearing their armor because anyone who saw them leave their ship would know they were synths. Now, they had already blended in with civilian traffic and they were about to leave their vehicle, protected from the eyes of others by the walls of the parking center. They took a breath and opened the door, stepping out of the vehicle and into the very large, circular room they were now in. ¡°Thank you for using the Okoia parking system.¡± the voice said, now from speakers hidden in the walls of the room. ¡°You are in District 3: Opulentia Galleria. Is this your preferred location? Yes or no.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± TO said clearly. They had looked up nearby shopping areas the day before, and had confirmed that they¡¯d be able to find a wide range of clothing here. A red circle illuminated on the ground, surrounding the vehicle. ¡°Please stand outside of the red circle.¡± The voice said. TO and DH did as they were told, and the parking system pulled away their vehicle to another floor. As it left their sight, TO heard their communicator chime. When they checked, they had a notification, saying the exact location of their vehicle. ¡°We will retrieve your vehicle on your return. Please retrieve your vehicle before Hour 21. Please follow the green line to the exit.¡± As the voice ended, a green line appeared on the floor, and led them towards a door in the wall, previously nearly invisible but now surrounded by a matching green light. They followed the light as instructed, through the sliding door and to a too-bright hallway that made TO squint. ¡°This is going to hurt my eyes.¡± TO muttered. ¡°Sunglasses.¡± DH said as they shielded their eyes from the light reflection on the dazzling walls, ¡°We¡¯ll need those, too.¡± They followed the hallway until they came to a tinted glass door that showed a busy street before them where so many people walked around in so many outfits. Once again, the unordered cacophony of variety confused TO and left them dazed. ¡°... This is going to be our first time.¡± DH said. ¡°Our first time outside on a planet. Outside in an actual atmosphere, under an actual sun, with untreated air.¡± They wrinkled their nose, ¡°Do you really think it¡¯s safe? What germs could be out there?¡± ¡°I know, but we had all our vaccinations.¡± TO said. Still, it would be their first time actually being outside, breathing unfiltered air. Even when they had come to their vehicle from their ship, they had been wearing their armor. DH put their hand on TO¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Are you alright?¡± They asked. TO nodded, ¡°Yes, I¡¯m fine.¡± They said, ¡°You¡¯re lying.¡± DH said as they watched TO¡¯s ears. Their own ears pinned back in annoyance. ¡°I guess I¡¯m a little nervous.¡± TO admitted, ¡°But there¡¯s nothing we can do about that, right? We have to do this.¡± ¡°We could do this another day?¡± DH offered, ¡°It would give you more time to get used to being here?¡± TO shook their head. They had to get these minor tasks done sooner than later, and if they couldn¡¯t overcome some mild anxiety and go outside on an alien planet without their armor on, then what kind of synth would they be? ¡°It¡¯ll be fine.¡± TO said. ¡°We¡¯ve been inoculated to all the localized sicknesses. The air is deemed safe for us, and this is a good part of Okoia, so we¡¯re unlikely to be attacked here even if we¡¯re recognized by anyone. We¡¯ll be fine.¡± They realized they were rambling and talking mostly to themself, and their ears suddenly flushed. How stupid were they? Why were they so afraid? They felt DH¡¯s hand slip into theirs and squeeze their fingers. ¡°I believe you.¡± they said, smiling. They laced their fingers between TO¡¯s, ¡°And since we already told one person that we¡¯re mates, we might as well play the part¡­ Right?¡± TO felt their ears relax as their tension in their shoulders eased. ¡°Right...¡± they said, squeezing DH¡¯s hand back. They nodded and then faced the door. They approached together; the door sliding open and letting them out. ====== The first thing they noticed was how awful and bright it was. If the lights in the halls were bad, then the light from the sun outside was unbearable. They shut their eyes as soon as the light hit and looked away. Then they felt the heat. Obviously, TO knew that the sun provides heat to its planets, and they knew it was warmer on sunny days as opposed to cooler ones, but they didn¡¯t expect the actual beams of light to hit their skin and make them feel like they had somehow entered a dry, hot bath. They could hear the other people around them, talking and walking along the cobblestones, but they could also hear rodents hidden in the shadows, scurrying around. They could hear birds fluttering about somewhere nearby. The air smelled so different, so strange! They could smell perfume on people walking past, salt in the air, sweat from different people all around them, and a certain freshness that they couldn¡¯t place. As their eyes slowly adjusted and they could look around, squinting, they could see trees with red leaves nearby, and blue-green grass covering lots between shops. The ground felt different beneath their feet; firmer, and more solid; they could feel that more through their thin shoes as opposed to the solid, metal shoes that covered their feet when they had their armor on. It made sense; there were no layers of flooring beneath them no; no other levels under their feet, no space under the floor. They were on solid earth now; walking on the surface of an actual planet. There were cobblestones¡­ and then just dirt under that. The idea seemed so strange to TO. Then there was the space. It didn¡¯t feel safe to be in such an open area with no armor on. They felt DH¡¯s hand tighten on their own, and when they looked over, they saw DH with their hand up, trying to block the light of the sun from their eyes with their free hand. Their ears were twitching and rotating, as though trying to pick up on all the different sounds that were echoing from all around them, some so near, and some so far away. Normally, their helmets would have filtered out unnecessary noise, but without their helmets they were hearing everything at once, the chaotic mess of noise all around them attacking their hearing. TO squeezed back, checked their communicator, and then gently pulled DH down the street. They¡¯d get the sunglasses first; maybe this would be easier once they dealt with the excessive sunlight. Episode 174: Accessories TO¡¯s communicator gave them directions to the closest shop that carried sunglasses. They hurried along the street, hands over their eyes and heads down until they got to the shop and hurried in. The inside was also far too bright for them, but the moment they got in, they heard someone give an ¡®oh¡¯ of surprise before they hurried off somewhere. A moment later, the lights had dimmed significantly. ¡°Light sensitivity?¡± The person asked, ¡°I¡¯m guessing this is your first time off your home planet, then?¡± ¡°Something like that.¡± TO muttered as they rubbed their eyes. Even with the lights dimmed, it was still hard for them to see: The blue glow of overexposure kept them from seeing anything very well, save for faint outlines. Another moment passed and TO could look around and see relatively clearly. The shop was in a circular room, with the rounded walls covered in accessories. Sunglasses, purses, shoes, jewelry, and decorative attachments for basic communicators all hung up, sorted by color. TO checked their own communicator again and checked to see the details about the shop; It appeared to be a high end accessories boutique. ¡°How¡¯re your eyes doing?¡± The shopkeeper asked. Now that TO could see properly, they could see that the shopkeeper was another one of the many bird-like species of Arkane. They had black and white feathers, a rounder head, and large wraparound sunglasses over their eyes. A nametag on their shirt read, ¡®Strig. He/Him.¡¯ ¡°Better.¡± TO said as they rubbed at their eyes. ¡°That sun though-¡± ¡°It¡¯s a little brutal.¡± Strig said with a chuckle, ¡°My eyes are better suited for the night too, so the moment you came in, I knew you needed some sunglasses.¡± They tapped at their sunglasses with a clawed hand, ¡°You¡¯re lucky I¡¯m on shift today.¡± TO heard a gasp from behind them, and for a moment they worried that something was wrong, but once they turned around and looked at DH, they saw that their mate had simply gasped in awe. DH ran over to a nearby shelf to look at a light teal bag with a series of blue-jeweled ants decorating the front flap. ¡°That¡¯s new.¡± Strig said as they walked over to DH, ¡°Just came in. The bag itself is lab produced leather, made by an atelier on Avalon.¡± ¡°Avalon?¡± DH asked, not taking their eyes from the bag. ¡°One of Arkane¡¯s moons.¡± TO responded.. ¡°Right. And an independent artist on Avalon added the ants as well. Our boutique owner is currently selling it on consignment. It¡¯s one of a kind.¡± They took the bag off of the shelf and opened it up for DH and TO to see inside. ¡°As you can see, it has ample storage space, lots of pockets, and a padded strap.¡± ¡°I need a bag.¡± DH said almost as though pleading for it, ¡°You know.. For my kit.¡± They gestured to the very plain-looking box in their hands. ¡°That would fit easily.¡± Strig said, ¡°And it¡¯s very durable, despite the delicate craftsmanship.¡± DH¡¯s hands clenched into fists, their ears flicking, then drooping, ¡°I¡­ I suppose I don¡¯t need one so fancy though.¡± They said. ¡°Why not?¡± TO asked, ¡°You need a bag. This one is big enough, durable enough-¡± ¡°But¡­¡± DH hesitated, looked to Strig, then to TO, ¡°It¡¯s really fancy.¡± They said in Synth speak, ¡°And¡­ and we don¡¯t have fancy things. Civilians have fancy things; Rich civilians. With the amount of work that¡¯s been put into this, wouldn¡¯t that labor have been better spent more efficiently making more, but less fancy bags at a better price? I shouldn¡¯t be supporting such a wasteful means of production¡­ right?¡± TO understood what DH was saying, and if they had wanted something so beautiful and lavish for themself, then they¡¯d probably feel the same. But this was something that DH wanted, and the way their eyes lit up when they saw it, and the way their ears drooped when they thought they shouldn¡¯t have it affected TO more than any beautifully made thing on Arkane. ¡°It looks like we¡¯ll be mingling with a lot of those kinds of civilians.¡± TO said, grinning, ¡°If the party from yesterday is anything to judge by, anyway. We¡¯ll need to blend in, so I¡¯d say that not only can you get the fancy bag, but you should get it.¡± They turned to Strig, ¡°My apologies for that. We¡¯ll be getting that bag.¡± This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. It was likely too low for Strig to notice, but TO could hear the high-pitched, barely suppressed squeal of joy that came from the back of DH¡¯s throat, and felt their own ears perk up. As far as they were concerned, they weren¡¯t buying a bag, they were buying a moment of happiness for DH. ¡°I can do that.¡± Strig said, bringing the bag to the counter, ¡°But, before I get this ready for you, the two of you need sunglasses, yes?¡± They turned to DH, ¡°I can get you sunglasses that match this bag if you like-¡± Another squeal. TO knew that they¡¯d be leaving with whatever matched that bag for DH. ====== TO knew little about money in a practical sense. They didn¡¯t understand how digital numbers that didn¡¯t even exist in reality could have so much value. Most synths were like this, but it didn¡¯t matter as the funds made available to all of King Decon¡¯s synths were practically limitless. Finances were a civilian matter, and not one that should hinder the duty of a synth. That being said, TO knew that what they had bought was expensive, and they were happy enough that they didn¡¯t understand just how expensive it all was. DH seemed entirely pleased with the bag that now held their first aid kit, along with their matching wrap-around teal sunglasses and the new case that fit over their communicator, complete with a small ant-shaped gem that hung from the case on a silver chain. TO looked away from the tiny decorative bug. Why did ants seem to be such a prominent feature of decoration in Arkanian clothing? They had voiced that question in the shop, and Strig had told them why; the Arkanian Ant was found all across the planet. They were tenacious, hardworking, and were the pollinators of the gem-like fruits that TO and DH had tasted at the party. ¡°The official animal of Arkane is a hawk, but the ant seems to espouse virtues that we admire more.¡± Strig had explained. ¡°Builders, who have made their home on every island across the planet. There¡¯s an artistic quality to how they build their nests, and of course, were it not for the ant, there would be no ruby fruits!¡± ¡°Are you sure you didn¡¯t want anything more colourful for yourself?¡± DH asked as they left. TO had chosen a plain pair of black sunglasses, had no interest in any decoration for their phone, and had chosen only a brown bag for themself. They didn¡¯t need to carry anything, but it was best to have a bag, just in case. ¡°Positive.¡± TO said with a smile. ¡°I don¡¯t think I was as excited as you were.¡± DH¡¯s ears dipped back, ¡°Was I too excited?¡± They said, looking at the bag and the decoration on their phone. ¡°I¡­ didn¡¯t really need all this, did I?¡± Maybe they didn¡¯t need it, but TO felt like they needed DH to have it. ¡°I think it suits you.¡± TO said, ¡°You looked so happy!¡± DH¡¯s ears flushed, but they gently stroked the decorative ants on their bag, ¡°Well..¡± They said slowly, ¡°I... I guess it¡¯s ok, because I needed the sunglasses and the bag¡­ But I can¡¯t get carried away like that again! I have lavish, nice things; I have this bag, and glasses, and an entirely pointless trinket for my communicator. I don¡¯t need any of it, and I won¡¯t get so carried away again!¡± They looked seriously at TO, their ears pinning back, ¡°It was all Strig¡¯s fault! He just started talking about the bag- and I needed the bag anyway- and then I needed the glasses, and -¡± ¡°It¡¯s alright!¡± TO insisted. ¡°It all looks good.¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± DH glanced at their outfit, ¡°It looks a little odd with the black uniform though¡­¡± That was true. There was such a variety of different clothing on Arkane that TO had been certain their own outfits would blend in just fine. Maybe they would have if they hadn¡¯t been together; They stood out more because they were wearing the same thing. It made TO realize that maybe that¡¯s why the woman from the party thought they were staff and not guests. Wearing identical outfits gave their clothes a uniform like quality. Well, no matter; they were about to fix that, anyway. ¡°You can pick something that will match your new things.¡± TO said. ¡°Look-¡± They pulled up a list on their communicator, ¡°There¡¯s an entire list of different clothes we should get - different styles for different environments and situations.¡± DH leaned over and looked over the rather long list. ¡°That seems excessive.¡± They said as they adjusted the ergonomic strap of their one of a kind couture bag. ¡°But¡­ that¡¯s what civilians are like, so we have to dress the same to blend in.¡± TO nodded as they looked over the map. The shopping district was huge, and TO wanted to make sure they knew exactly where they were going so that they didn¡¯t have to double back. If they weren¡¯t careful about this, then their shopping could take several days of wandering about. DH suddenly slipped their arm into TO¡¯s, linking them together. Ears flushing, TO stiffened as DH leaned against them. ¡°T-this is ok, right?¡± DH asked, though they didn¡¯t look at TO. ¡°There were a few other civilians walking around like this, and. I figured since we already told one person who we were mates¡­¡± Panic rose in TO¡¯s throat as they looked around, their ears twitching as they listened to those around them. Yes, they were mates and yes; they had told Pholi at least, so it wasn¡¯t a secret to civilians. Even if they got caught acting like a couple out in public, then at worst they could say that they were just trying to keep up a charade that explained why they were always together. Though, TO wondered if that mattered anymore. Kei knew and might still tell their superiors when this was all over. It didn¡¯t matter. It really didn¡¯t matter. Even though it didn¡¯t matter, why did TO still feel so panicked? Why did they keep looking around, worried they¡¯d get caught? ¡°Sorry.¡± DH said, sliding their arm out from around TO¡¯s, ¡°I didn¡¯t¡­ well I thought that¡­¡± Their ears sunk down, the flush leaving them as they twitched with anxiety. As soon as TO saw that, they wrapped their own arm around DH¡¯s and pulled them in tight. ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± TO said, ignoring the burning of their ears as they went back to their map and continued to plot out their shopping for the day. Episode 175: Beauty ¡°And of course this coat, despite its thinner appearance- is cold graded for -50 celsius.¡± the stout, dark-haired human salesperson said. ¡°And in all honesty, while I have outerwear rated for at least -100, you won¡¯t need that unless you¡¯re heading to the poles. Of course-¡± He gave a deep laugh, ¡°If you¡¯re tourists and you¡¯re intent on seeing every inch of Arkane, then that might be a good idea for you.¡± Civilians had so much outerwear, and it left TO almost dazed. Waterproof rain jackets, sweaters, light jackets, overcoats, and cold weather coats to be worn when going to places that frankly TO didn¡¯t think people should live at all! Why would anyone live in a place where you needed coats that could withstand -50! DH was happy with the coat as soon as they saw it: it was long, it came in a beautiful dusty lilac color, and it had decorative stitching along the hems. Once they decided they liked the look of the coat, they didn¡¯t need to know anything else. TO was the one who asked the more technical questions about how it would fare in water and more extreme temperatures while DH went to look at boots. When the salesman mentioned the higher graded coats, they looked away from the heeled boots they were examining - ones that TO was certain wouldn¡¯t be any good for anything but very safe streets in mildly cold cities- to gape at the salesman¡¯s comment. ¡°-100?¡± Do people live there? Why would anyone live there!?¡± The salesman laughed. ¡°My opinion exactly. It¡¯s mostly for tourists though, and the only people who ¡®live¡¯ there do so seasonally, to lead tours and even camping expeditions. The scenery out there is exquisite though.¡± The silent argument that TO had with themself was brief, ¡°We¡¯ll take the ones graded for -100.¡± They said, ¡°They come in the same styles, I assume?¡± ¡°Of course! There are some minor differences in how the fabric flows, though. Let me go get that for you.¡± He ran off into the back to retrieve the coats. ¡°Do you actually think we¡¯ll need that?¡± DH asked, their ears down with worry, ¡°I didn¡¯t think we¡¯d be going anywhere that cold! I thought we¡¯d be keeping to the cities!¡± ¡°I hope so.¡± TO said, ¡°But it¡¯s better to have it, just in case.¡± They really hoped that dealing with the insurgency wouldn¡¯t bring them to such frigid places. It was unlikely as far as TO was concerned, but since they didn¡¯t have to worry about the cost for their supplies, it made more sense to be over prepared. A moment later, the salesman came out, and wisely presented the higher graded coat to DH, not TO, ¡°Here you are, Mx.¡± They said as they opened the long box to reveal the new coat. ¡°Like the previous one, this coat has extra space in the back to accommodate your wings. The shell is made of Lilac dyed Arkanian Arctic Seal pelt, which is denser than the North Seal pelt. It¡¯s been insulated with top of the line nano-insulation fabrics and then lined with an exquisite spider-silk lining.¡± ¡°Can the lining come in not-spider silk?¡± TO said quickly, suppressing a shudder. ¡°Oh, yes.¡± the salesman said as they turned to TO, ¡°We do of course have vegan alternatives for every piece. If you¡¯d like a combination, though - say a plant-based silk and the seal pelt- that will require customization. It would only take-¡± ¡°The entirely vegan option is fine.¡± TO said. ¡°And boots to match each coat - something good for walking over snow and ice, and -¡± ¡°If you¡¯re looking for all the cold-weather accessories, I of course have everything you could need. Boots, gloves, scarves.. Shall I fetch them for you?¡± ¡°Will they all match!?¡± DH said, their eyes growing wide. They stopped, looked at the coat, then with pensive ears, they looked back at the salesperson. ¡°What about in other colors, though? Would other colors look good?¡± ¡°I can bring you a variety of complementary colors.¡± He said with a big smile. He turned to TO, ¡°And, for you-¡± ¡°Greys will be fine for me.¡± TO said. They had looked up on their communicator what common colors for coats were, and among those that they found, grey was the first. ¡°Might I suggest grey with black accessories? It would add a little drama to the outfit-¡± ¡°That would look fantastic!¡± DH said, their ears twitching rapidly. That ear gesture, reserved for when DH was so excited they could hardly bear it, made TO¡¯s chest swell. They didn¡¯t care about clothing so long as it fit them comfortably and was practical, but they loved seeing DH so excited and happy. And they did like the idea of looking good to DH. ¡°Alright.¡± They said with a smile, ¡°Let¡¯s try that then.¡± If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. ====== The outerwear store was only the third place they had visited, but TO already felt exhausted. They hadn¡¯t realized just how much stuff they had to get, and how much stuff civilians needed to have just to live on this planet! Of course, civilians wouldn¡¯t need clothing for both deep cold and extreme heat. ¡°I can¡¯t believe civilians have to worry about all this.¡± TO muttered, taking a deep breath of the salt-smelling Arkanian air. ¡°I know! They wear so many things! So many colors and they¡¯re made to just look good! I mean, our uniforms were functional, but I never felt as¡­¡± Their ears suddenly flicked down, ¡°I mean¡­ I look great when I wear civilian clothes. They look so good, I almost forgot about this..¡± They raised their hand to the scars on their face, ¡°There¡¯s just so much more going on, and these scars look so pale in comparison!¡± ¡°I like your scars.¡± TO insisted. They stepped forward, and hesitated, glancing up and down the street before taking a deep breath and putting their hand on DH¡¯s face. ¡°I-I always liked your scars.¡± they said. DH¡¯s ears flickered with glee, flushing as they turned their face towards TO¡¯s palm and kissed the base of their thumb, ¡°I think you look fantastic in civilian stuff too.¡± DH said, ignoring the deep flush to TO¡¯s ears, ¡°Though¡­ I know you don¡¯t like shopping at all-¡± ¡°I don¡¯t mind it-¡± ¡°You constantly pin your ears back when you have to look at stuff.¡± They said, grinning. ¡°But you don¡¯t seem to mind it when I¡¯m looking¡­ so I don¡¯t feel so guilty about taking so much time.¡± They glanced away, but caught their reflection in the tinted window of the store they had just left and smiled as they looked over themself. The first shop they had gone to had been just to get more normal civilian clothing, which they were now wearing. TO had simply opted for jeans and a shirt that DH had picked out for them; a pale green backless top with a very loose, thick cowl that hung from their neck to the bottom of their ribcage. DH had, of course, been more extravagant in their choice, and had picked out a fluttery backless dress in a deep blue color. It hung to their knees and because of that, the salesperson had convinced DH that they needed different shoes to go with it. The colors contrasted with the red, heart-shaped pendant that they still wore around their neck and made it stand out more than ever. Their original uniforms were in their bags now while they had shipped everything else they had purchased to the parking building to be stored with their vehicle; a service Strig had told them about. At least the clothes were comfortable, but that was the only thing that was to TO on this day. They felt more than ready to be done with this entire experience of shopping. The bright sun was disorienting despite the sunglasses that they wore. There were too many new people, unfamiliar sounds and strange smells. They had been in three different shops which had three different atmospheres and they felt so confused about it all that they just wanted to go home. They wanted to be somewhere quiet and familiar. They were also hungry. They didn¡¯t know why, but they felt as though they had more of an appetite as of late. Perhaps it was just the effect of being on Arkane, the exposure to the air and the sun, and maybe the extra work they had been doing. The subtle, low grumble of DH¡¯s own stomach told TO that they weren¡¯t alone in that feeling. DH gave a chuckle, ¡°I guess it¡¯s time to eat.¡± They said as they checked their communicator. Their ears dropped back as they checked the time, ¡°TO¡­ I think normally we would have eaten a while ago! No wonder I¡¯m hungry!¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that late.¡± TO said as they looked at their own communicator. They were only half done with the shopping they had to do and TO couldn¡¯t imagine that could be so late in the day! It was just as late as DH said; they should have eaten hours ago. It was at this moment that their stomach clenched at the realization that they¡¯d be out shopping for the entire day. ¡°¡­ We should eat.¡± TO said, giving a sigh. Their original plan had been to just wait until they got back home, but that clearly wouldn¡¯t work. ¡°We¡¯ll eat quickly and then try to finish up this shopping before it gets too late.¡± They started searching on their communicator for a place to eat; somewhere close and fast. ¡°I¡¯m sure we can find something¡­¡± ¡°W-we¡¯re not going to a fancy place¡­ Are we?¡± DH asked, their ears twitching anxiously as they clutched at their bag. ¡°Hmm?¡± TO glanced up from their communicator, ¡°Oh, no. I don¡¯t even know if I could find a ¡®fancy¡¯ place right now; I think they¡¯re in another district.¡± They looked at the results their communicator gave; the handful of results were all small cafes or take out places. ¡°This way.¡± They said as they took DH¡¯s hand and guided them down the curved road ahead of them, ¡°There¡¯s a small place up ahead.¡± They pulled DH along, unaware of the slightest dip in their ears. ====== The point of any food shop in the shopping district was to be fast and convenient. People didn¡¯t come here for a ¡®dining experience¡¯ as far as TO knew, but to shop. Stopping to eat was an inconvenience and food shops here sought to minimize that, but still added typical civilian flair to the food. The place they found specialized in food on skewers, which was one of the first forms of civilian food that made sense to them; no dishes, no cutlery, just a single stick to be disposed of later on. If they could make an edible stick it would be perfect, but even so it was the best place that TO could find nearby; something simple and fast. leave it to civilians to over complicate something as simple as food on a stick. The chefs took grilled local fish and grilled imported vegetables and placed them in a spiral of near mathematical perfection along three skewers. They set different dipping sauces on the bottom of a black plastic bowl in such a way that it looked like a painting of a sunset, then set the skewers across the opening of the bowl, leaving the dipping sauces undisturbed. It wasn¡¯t food; it was an artistic endeavour which was beautiful and interesting to look at. TO didn¡¯t want to eat it, they wanted to frame it! They took their food away as soon as they had paid for it, the lineup behind them leaving no time to stare in awe at the work, and found a bench where they could sit. ¡°How many of these do you think they could have made if they didn¡¯t bother with making it pretty?¡± DH asked as they sniffed at one skewer, ¡°I mean, I can understand making clothes pretty and I can kind of understand making buildings pretty¡­ But food just gets eaten! No matter how pretty you make it, it¡¯s going to be destroyed soon after, so why go through the trouble?¡± TO agreed in theory, but they still spent several minutes admiring the spiral of the meat and vegetables on the stick before they dared to dip it into the painting-like artistry of the mixed sauces and took a bite. It was sweet and savoury, with a mixture of textures that TO wasn¡¯t sure if they liked right away. Still, it was food and even if they didn¡¯t like it that much; it filled them up. It tasted better than their food bars at any rate, cleaning out the plastic bowl until only smudges of sauce remained on the bottom. ¡°Wasteful.¡± DH muttered as they finished their last skewer and placed the container in the nearby garbage disposal, ¡°Entirely wasteful; The time spent to decorate it, and the packaging. What¡¯s wrong with civilians?¡± TO quirked an ear at DH in confusion, ¡°I thought you¡¯d like pretty looking food.¡± They said, ¡°With the clothes and all-¡° ¡°That¡¯s different!¡± DH said, gesturing to their dress. ¡°Clothes last longer! Food is just to be eaten! Besides, it was pretty, but I just think it was wasteful!¡± TO gave a low hum, but said nothing in response. They thought that they¡¯d remember the perfect geometric spiral of the food and the elaborate sunset created from sauces far longer than they¡¯d remember the mediocre taste of the food. Still, the plastic was wasteful, and it was with a lot of guilt and a sense of wrongdoing that they threw it out. ¡°Come on.¡± They said as they wiped their hands with one of the napkins that the servers thrust into their hands when they ordered, then threw the rest into their bag, ¡°Let¡¯s get this shopping finished.¡± Episode 176: Artists Twilight stretched its fingers over the city as TO and DH approached the last shop they needed to visit. It was another clothing store, of course, but this one wasn¡¯t for practical clothing, it was for formal clothing. At first TO didn¡¯t see the need of having formal clothing, but as they remembered the party and how they had been mistaken for serving staff, they considered that maybe one formal outfit might be necessary in case they had to do anything like that again. The atmosphere of the shop was entirely different from any other shop they had been in. All the shops had their own atmospheres, their own sounds and smells, but this one was far different from any of them; it felt more like someone¡¯s fancy hope, with extravagant art on the walls depicting people in formal dress, low music in the background, and food set on a table in the center, with couches all around it. The shopkeeper was sitting behind a desk in the far back of the room, working on a sewing machine. They glanced up as TO and DH came in, finished something quickly, then got up and strode towards the two. ¡°You¡¯re visiting late today, but I can certainly help you.¡± They said. The shopkeeper was the first civilian they had met who was taller than DH and TO when standing. They had white and pink chitin, which gave them a somewhat insectoid appearance. Their face had an angular look to it, but their eyes were huge and their arms longer than TO would have expected. ¡°I¡¯m Celesto. He/Him. I¡¯m the owner of this establishment, and the head tailor.¡± They held out their elbow. ¡°Tio. They/them.¡± TO responded as they bumped their elbow to Celesto¡¯s, ¡°And this is Dee; also They/them.¡± ¡°You can call me DH.¡± DH said as they also gently bumped their elbow to Celesto¡¯s ¡°Of course, of course.¡± Celesto said as they took a step back, ¡°Now then¡­ How can I help you today? Looking for something for a formal gathering, I¡¯m guessing?¡± ¡°Well, yes¡­ but I see nothing on display¡­¡± TO said as they looked around the shop. All the other shops had had all their products on display, but this one had nothing but clothing themed art on the walls. ¡°If you look at the paintings I have hung up-¡± they said, gesturing to the walls, ¡°You¡¯ll see samples of some things I can make. We can start with one of these designs and alter it to your needs and tastes. I don¡¯t have products simply hung to be taken off the rack. You choose the style, and I produce a beautiful piece of wearable art.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± TO said, their ears flicking with confusion, ¡°I didn¡¯t realize that¡¯s how this worked¡­¡± They looked at their communicator again to make sure that they had read the information on the store properly. ¡°Your listing says it¡¯s just a clothing shop-¡° Celesto sniffed, ¡°Yes, a hazard of relying on labels.¡± He said, ¡°But I assure you, I can make you an exquisite piece of clothing for any event. Anything you¡¯d like-¡° ¡°Can you do something like this for me?¡± DH asked. They both turned and looked at DH, who had already started looking around at all the pictures on the walls. They stopped before a picture of a person wearing a long, voluminous gown in a variety of red colors. ¡°Can you make this work with my wings?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you worry about your wings!!¡± Celesto said as they glided towards DH, ¡°I assure you I can customize any outfit for almost any person! But I wouldn¡¯t recommend those colors for you. I¡¯d suggest instead¡­¡± TO let their attention drift from the conversation and gratefully sat down on the couch in the center of the room. They¡¯d get something to go with whatever DH ended up choosing, though they were certain they didn¡¯t want a gown; there seemed to be too much fabric to it, and they didn¡¯t know how they¡¯d fly if they needed to. Maybe they wouldn¡¯t have to, but the idea of not being able to fly at will bothered TO. ¡°-I can take you back to measure you now, if you like.¡± Celesto said once he finished going over all the fresh ideas he had. ¡°Yes!¡± DH said, their ears twitching and their wings puffing out in pure excitement. They turned to TO, ¡°Do you mind?¡± ¡°That¡¯s what we came here for.¡± TO said with a smile. They turned to Celesto, ¡°I suppose I¡¯ll have to get measured too?¡± ¡°Of course, but we can discuss your outfit once I have Dee¡¯s- sorry, DH¡¯s measurements taken.¡± he said. He turned to DH and gestured for them to follow him into the back. The two left TO alone to wait in front, giving them a moment to just rest their feet. They sunk into the chair, and after a moment, looked over the drinks provided on the table. A quick check on their communicator pointed out which ones were safe for them to consume, so TO helped themself to a citrus flavored, bubbly drink. They downed half the glass - they hadn¡¯t realized they were so thirsty- and then sunk back down into the couch and closed their eyes. The day had been a lot. They loved spending time with DH, of course, but running around the shopping district, being bombarded with the lights and sounds and smells had all been a lot and TO was looking forward to going home and getting some rest. They were trying to decide if they¡¯d get something to eat on the way back when a bell chimed and the door opened. TO sat up in a panic, their wings puffing out and their ears pinning back as they looked around. The person who entered the shop pushed herself in on an old wheelchair as she had no legs; from the waist down, she had a long grey aquatic tail with smooth fins on the end. She had her long, braided hair coiled up in a red pile in her lap, contrasting with her bluish grey skin. TO wasn¡¯t sure of her race entirely, but her big black eyes and smooth face gave her a young appearance. She wore a dress that was made of what looked like carefully linked fragments of black, iridescent shells. She said something that TO only half understood, looking as though she terrified. When TO could only return what she said with a blank look of confusion, she cleared her voice and spoke again with deliberate clarity, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t mean to startle you.¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t.¡± TO lied. They sat up a little straighter, eying her as she came in. ¡°You¡¯re not working here, are you?¡± She asked, looking around for someone else. ¡°I am not, no.¡± They said. They wondered if this woman might be part of the insurgency, and maybe that was why she seemed startled. Even now, her hands clutched at the wheels of her chair, her eyes were wide, and her voice was soft. ¡°I¡¯m waiting to be measured.¡± TO said, trying to calm themself, and to act as naturally as possible, ¡°my mate is getting measured.¡± They tried to say it easily, but their ears still flushed as they did. This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. She wheeled up towards the table, giving a soft smile as she got close, ¡°Mate? Oh, that¡¯s nice. A couples outfit.¡± She smiled. ¡°Are you getting something done for a special event?¡± she asked as she eyed the food and drinks on the table before them. Oddly, she didn¡¯t take anything. ¡°No, not really.¡± TO said, ¡°We should just have something for formal events¡­ Shouldn¡¯t we?¡± She glanced aside. ¡°I guess? I wouldn¡¯t know.¡± She looked around. ¡°I don¡¯t go to fancy events enough to warrant having an outfit, just in case. But I am going to a party later this week.¡± She flushed, and grinned at TO, ¡°I¡¯m going to an art show, actually.¡± ¡°Oh!¡± TO¡¯s ears perked up. ¡°You¡¯re an artist then?¡± Her face turned bright red, her tail flicked at the end of her chair, ¡°Oh no! No no no! I¡¯m not¡­ not the artist! I mean, I¡¯m.. I dabble a little! But my work isn¡¯t at the show or anything!¡± She laughed and started fiddling with the long coil of braid that was sitting in her lap. ¡°I know someone whose work is going to be there, and they invited me. I¡¯ve never been to an art show like this before, so I¡¯m very lucky!¡± She pulled out a small canvas pouch from the coiled braids on her lap and retrieved a communicator; older than the original model for TOs, with several deep scratches on the back, ¡°Would you like to see some of the work that will be on display?¡± She asked. ¡°Sure?¡± TO was a little thrown now; she had been timid and quiet before, but suddenly she was talking fast, her dialect coming out a little more strongly from the careful, standard common that TO was used to hearing so far. They took the moment while she was fiddling with her communicator and pointed the camera of their own communicator at her. Several alerts came up to show the basic information; She was part of a race called Delsapian, a race that used to live on a planet a little further out in the solar system. Through King Decon¡¯s optimization of the galaxy, the planet was changed from a civilian location to a mining colony and most of the civilians were relocated over time to Arkane. Lendulin was her name, and she thankfully had no alerts coming up at first glance. ¡°Here!¡± she said as she held out her communicator for TO to see the screen. There were some pictures of landscapes, detailed architectural paintings and some breathtaking iridescent paintings that seemed oddly familiar to TO. They looked at one in particular, showing a striking pale figure in a multicolored gown, and suddenly realized why it looked familiar to them. They glanced up, looked at the walls in the store and saw the same picture with the same distinct brushstrokes, the strange iridescence, the same style of striking figures and features. ¡°You noticed!¡± Lendulin said, ¡°That¡¯s why I came here even though I don¡¯t normally come this far inland¡­¡± She gave a sheepish smile as she gestured to her fin, ¡°My...well, My friend¡¯s art is actually on display here. They did all the paintings for this shop, and their work is being put on display¡­ I thought it¡¯d be nice to have a dress inspired by one painting that wasn¡¯t commissioned for here.¡± She took the communicator back and pulled up a different picture for TO to see; this one had a woman standing along the shoreline, the water draping up and forming a dress around her form. ¡°Is this painting going to be on display?¡± TO asked, gazing at the picture. They wanted to see it in person. They wanted to take DH to see it. ¡°Oh, no it won¡¯t be.¡± She said as she sadly took the phone back, ¡°The themes and motifs in it aren¡¯t to the Arkanian liking¡­ but it¡¯d be nice if it got some representation at the show, wouldn¡¯t it be? It¡¯s a beautiful piece, and Mr. Celesto is the best; I think he¡¯s the only one who might do it justice.¡± ¡°-I can see you show excellent taste, and you already have a good eye for color.¡± Celesto¡¯s voice rang out as he and DH approached from the back once more. ¡°With your ideas and my expertise, you¡¯ll have a gown like none other. The ideas you have for Tio are exquisite. With some alterations, I can-¡± He fell silent as he caught sight of Lendulin. His eyes flickered along the length of her braid, down the shells of her dress, and finally lingered on her long tail. He gave a big, wide smile that showed too many teeth for TO¡¯s liking. ¡°And how, exactly, can I help you today, miss?¡± He said in a sickly sweet voice. ¡°Oh, you help this lovely person here.. uh-¡± She looked up at TO, ¡°I didn¡¯t catch your name-¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need to bother my customers.¡± Celesto said. His smile widened, drawing up along his face a little more than TO was comfortable with. ¡°Tell me how I can help you.¡± ¡°Oh, well¡­¡± Her voice went back to the timid voice she had when she first came in. When she started talking about the art, she had lit somehow, and seemed more animated and excited. Now, it was like that light had just drained out of her. ¡°I was hoping to get a fitting today-¡± ¡°Unfortunately, these customers will be my last of the day. So sorry-¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s fine.. I could book an appointment?¡± She gave a small smile, ¡°I¡¯m not in a big rush-¡± ¡°And that brings me to my next point¡­¡± He said as he placed his hands behind his back, standing up in a stiff, formal pose. His arms were so long, he could easily clasp his opposite elbows with each hand, ¡°I unfortunately cannot accommodate your¡­ specific needs.¡± He let his eyes flick to her tail, then back up to her face, ¡°So sorry.¡± ¡°... But I thought you said you could accommodate most anybody type¡­¡± DH said, their ears flicking forward, ¡°You said that you could work around most anything. When I showed you my feet even-¡± ¡°Absolutely right! Most body types.. I unfortunately won¡¯t be able to help this¡­ lovely lady.¡± Lendulin leaned forward in her chair. ¡°You could even just make it as though it were for a legged person!¡± She said, You can just drape it over the tail-¡± ¡°And the moment you get into the water, you¡¯ll ruin the dress.¡± ¡°OH! Oh, I won¡¯t be swimming in it. I¡¯ve been invited to the Summer Art Gala, and I wanted a nice dress for that.¡± ¡°Oh, you have, have you?¡± ¡°Yes, and uh-¡± She wheeled her chair forward towards Celesto, who took a step back, ¡°I even have the dress concept here. I don¡¯t know anyone else who could make this¡­¡± She brought up the picture she had been showing TO, and held it up for Celesto. He leaned forward, and for just a second, a smug look flickered over his face before he shot her a glare. ¡°Now, I¡¯d know Mr. Venturi¡¯s work anywhere.¡± Celesto said, ¡°And I assure you, he¡¯d not appreciate some¡­ well, just some person coming in and asking me to copy his work in any format!¡± There was when there was a flare in her eyes; a moment of anger quickly squashed. ¡°I promise, he¡¯s given me expression permission to have this made for my specifications.¡± She said, her voice quiet, and taking on a similar falsely sweet tone to her voice. ¡°I¡¯m guessing that this Mr. Venturi is your friend?¡± TO asked, ¡°The one who painted all this?¡± Her face took on an angry flush, but she simply nodded, ¡°Yes; that¡¯s him; he¡¯s the artist.¡± She said, but her voice was quieter this time. ¡°Mr. Venturi keeps a very close-knit, tiny circle of friends.¡± Celesto said, ¡°And I know you¡¯re not in that circle. Now then.¡± He reached down into one of his pockets and took out a communicator of his own. ¡°You can leave now, quietly and without upsetting my customers any more, or I will call the authorities and have you removed.¡± TO turned to him, their ears pinning back, their eyes narrowing, ¡°Hey now.¡± They said, ¡°She¡¯s not done anything worth calling the police over, she-¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± She said quickly as she put her communicator away. The flush drained from her face, leaving her looking starkly pale. ¡°It¡¯s fine. I¡¯ll go.¡± ¡°And I¡¯ll be telling the artisan¡¯s guild about you!¡± Celesto said, ¡°Don¡¯t you dare try to have Venturi¡¯s work reproduced! If he wanted a piece done, he¡¯d come here himself and request himself, as the artist! He¡¯s very protective of his work!¡± ¡°Trust me.. I know.¡± Lendulin said, but softly enough and quietly enough that even TO and DH only just heard it before she rolled herself out of the shop. Episode 177: Lendulin ¡°Don¡¯t you think you were harsh on that lady?¡± TO asked Celesto while being measured. DH was waiting in the front now, and Celesto had brought TO to the back room where there were illustrations and patterns on the walls, paper on the desk in neat piles, and tightly coiled measuring tape everywhere. ¡°Well, DH said you¡¯re new to Arkane.¡± He said, his voice now more warm than the stiff formality it held earlier, ¡°You probably just don¡¯t understand how things are yet.¡± ¡°I¡¯m a little more aware than you think.¡± TO said, unable to keep their ears pinning back and unable to keep the snap from their voice. Thankfully, their vocal tones must have still been very subtle, as Celesto seemed not to notice. ¡°I in no way want to suggest you might be na?ve or ignorant, but¡­¡± They stopped, pausing as they wrapped the measuring tape around TO¡¯s waist. They scribbled down a number, then shifted to take measurements of their legs. ¡°Well, it¡¯s a matter of safety, really.¡± He continued, ¡°You hear the news, and I swear if there¡¯s ten arrests in a day, then at least eight of them are legless.¡± ¡°Legless?¡± ¡°Like that lady that was here.¡± He said, ¡°People without legs. Well, I suppose that the ones that live under water only aren¡¯t too bad; they seem to have things sorted out.¡± He took another measurement, wrote it down, and then went to TOs back to measure around their wings. ¡°The legless on land, though; most of them¡­¡± He sighed and shook his head. ¡°They¡¯re given so many opportunities for work, and don¡¯t take them. They all hang around the Outer Ring-¡° ¡°Outer Ring?¡± ¡°District 10.¡± He said, ¡°Close to the sea. It¡¯s supposed to be filled with shipping centres but too many of the legless live there. It¡¯s not even technically a residential area, they¡¯re just squatters there.¡± ¡°Well¡­ wouldn¡¯t they need to be near water?¡± TO asked. ¡°Not all of them.¡± Celesto said, ¡°And there is a river that goes through the city; it¡¯s hidden mostly, but in the residential areas it¡¯s exposed. They could live there, but they choose to live on the outskirts.¡± They finished some measurements and went back to their notebook. ¡°Lots of drugs. Violence. I hate to sound prejudiced; I¡¯m not, but¡­¡± He shrugged, ¡°Facts are facts.¡± ¡°¡­ But she said she worked with that artist.¡± TO said, ¡°That she¡¯s his assistant?¡± Celesto scoffed. ¡°I¡¯ve had him in here many times, invited him to parties, been to his studio and his home and never once seen her there or heard him speak of her.¡± ¡°Alright¡­ But you also said that you couldn¡¯t make clothes for her? Even before you saw the design. I thought you could customize it for anyone?¡° ¡°Well, it¡¯d be a waste. Where would she store it when this party was over, even if she was going to a party? Last thing I need is someone coming back and accusing me of poor workmanship because they threw their dress in salt water. The fabrics aren¡¯t suitable for her kind. No, no, she¡¯s better finding someone who specializes in clothing for the legless. They know how to deal with their particular needs, and they have the fabrics they need to look good in and out of water, without being damaged.¡± ¡°Why not learn to use the fabrics yourself?¡± TO suggested. He shrugged. ¡°There¡¯s no market for it here.¡± TO considered this while Celesto finished up his measurements. Something wasn¡¯t right. TO had in fact been doing lots of research on the crimes on Arkane, but had paid little attention to what kinds of people were being arrested. They had read one thing about legless people, though. ¡°Most of the legless were brought here during the relocations, right?¡± TO asked. Celesto frowned as he continued to work. ¡°I suppose so?¡± He said. ¡°That makes it worse though, doesn¡¯t it? Anyone who came over here got housing and an allowance for an Arkanian year until they got settled and found work. So many squandered that opportunity.¡± He gave a sigh, ¡°It¡¯s a shame really¡­ but it is as it is. I¡¯m just concerned about protecting myself and my brand.¡± TO didn¡¯t like it and suddenly didn¡¯t like Celesto. There was so much physical variety even on Arkane alone that the presence or lack of legs shouldn¡¯t have caused a problem. Semi-Aquatic life on a planet that was mostly sea and islands should have been easy to accommodate. So what was the problem? This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it TO made a mental note to speak to the relocation minister and the infrastructure minister to see what had happened here. Something had clearly gone wrong, and TO knew that the insurgency would use the failings of the civilian government to get more people to their side. ====== By the time they left the shop, it was dark. TO found it hard to see with the sunglasses on now, so they took them off and found that even with the multitude of cool , blue lights illuminating the street, it was easier for them to see. The heat of the day still lingered in the night air, and the constant buzz of activity all around them had faded to a low and comfortable hum. Arkane at night was so much more inviting and comfortable than it was when the sun was up; at least, it was to TO. Maybe next time they had to do something like this they¡¯d go out after dark. They looked up, hoping to see the stars again, but the light from the dazzling city hid them. Well, it couldn¡¯t be perfect. ¡°I can¡¯t wait to see the gown!¡± DH said as they clapped their hands together. ¡°I can¡¯t wait to show it to you!¡± ¡°I just wish we didn¡¯t have to go back for a fitting later.¡± TO muttered as they walked away from Celesto¡¯s shop. ¡°I don¡¯t like him.¡± ¡°Who, Celesto?¡± DH asked. TO nodded. ¡°Why not?¡± TO related the conversations they had with Lendulin and Celesto. ¡°She was plenty nice!¡± TO said, ¡°And I didn¡¯t think there was any real reason for him to treat her like that. He said that she couldn¡¯t possibly be one of Venturi¡¯s friends, but she never said she was; she said she worked for him.¡± ¡°Maybe he was just trying to be protective of Venturi¡¯s work?¡± DH suggested, though their ears flicked down, ¡°Besides, if there wasn¡¯t actually a problem, why did she run when he said he¡¯d call the authorities. That doesn¡¯t -¡± they lowered their voice as they looked down the street, looking at a corner that was illuminated by a cone of blue light from a lamppost overhead. Lendulin was sitting there on the ground next to her chair, her braids strewn on the ground and her tail in a semicircle as she kept herself propped up. She was fiddling with her chair and occasionally looking around with big, panicked eyes. ¡°What¡¯s she doing?¡± DH asked, observing her. ¡°Let¡¯s find out.¡± TO said as they walked towards her. DH grabbed TO¡¯s wrist and pulled them back. ¡°Should we? She ran when Celesto wanted to call the police. If she did nothing wrong there, maybe she¡¯s part of the insurgency and just didn¡¯t want to be caught by the authorities!¡± ¡°I checked her profile while you were getting fitted.¡± TO said, sliding their hand out of DH¡¯s grasp and then taking DH¡¯s hand in their own. ¡°No issues, no reports, and no reason for the police to look for her. From everything I saw, she¡¯s harmless¡­ so let¡¯s see if she¡¯s alright.¡± They headed towards Lendulin, TO striding ahead with DH walking behind them nervously, their ears pivoting about as they listened to the darkness for any threats. ¡°Hello.¡± TO said as they approached, coming towards her from the front; on many civilian planets, it was rude to approach someone from behind, and it scared people regardless. ¡°Are you ok?¡± She stiffened as they approached, one hand going to her pouch and the other tightening around the wrench she held. When she saw TO and recognized them, she gave a deep breath of relief. She wasn¡¯t scared of them, TO realized, she was scared of strangers. ¡°Oh, you.¡± She said, giving a soft smile, ¡°I¡­ yes, I¡¯m fine.¡± She said, ¡°My chair on the other hand¡­¡± She sighed and started going at the wheel again, ¡°The rust got into the cogset, and this wheel won¡¯t move now. I¡¯m hoping if I can loosen something, it might work to at least get me home.¡± She strained, trying to get the wrench to shift a bolt, but in the end the wrench just slipped. ¡°I¡¯ll look.¡± TO said as they approached. They crouched down on the ground and looked at the damaged wheel; Lendulin had polished it up to look nice and new, but there was a lot of rust on the inside. TO held out their hand for the wrench. ¡°It¡¯s lucky you have this.¡± They said. ¡°Not luck, just common sense.¡± She sighed, ¡°I need to take care of this thing; I need this to get around out of water and I can¡¯t really afford a new one.¡± DH crouched down next to TO, watching as TO fitted the wrench around the bolt and strained to get it to move. It didn¡¯t. ¡°It¡¯s seized up.¡± DH muttered as they looked in. They glanced at Lendulin, ¡°You should have rust proof materials-¡± ¡°That¡¯s a lot more expensive.¡± She said, looking away, ¡°At the time¡­ I couldn¡¯t really afford it.¡± TO tried again, but the bolt wouldn¡¯t budge. ¡°Do you have anything we can use as a lubricant in your first aid kit?¡± TO asked DH in Synth Speak. ¡°Nothing.¡± TO sighed, and looked back to Lendulin, ¡°We can get you to your vehicle, if you like. Do you have anything there that will help you?¡± She gave a sudden snort of laughter. ¡°Vehicle? This thing is as close to a vehicle as I¡¯ll ever get.¡± She said, slapping the wheelchair with her fin, ¡°I use the tubes to get around.¡± DH looked around, ¡°I¡¯m sure we can find someone who can take you home-¡± ¡°No no! No, it¡¯s fine!¡± She said, She looked at the wheelchair, ¡°I¡­ I guess I can leave this here, and get a friend of mine to grab it in the morning. I can get to the tube-¡± ¡°How will you get to the tube, though?¡± DH asked. ¡°Without your chair I mean.¡± She shrugged. ¡°I can do it. I¡¯ve done it before. It might take a while, but the tubes run all night.¡± ¡°We can help though.¡± TO said, ¡°I mean, if you don¡¯t want us to call the authorities?¡± ¡°I¡­ please don¡¯t.¡± She said, her eyes suddenly going wide, ¡°No¡­ I¡¯ll do whatever you want, just don¡¯t call the authorities!¡± TO blinked in confusion, ¡°I won¡¯t?¡± They said, ¡°I¡­ I just said I wouldn¡¯t if you didn¡¯t want me to.¡± She peered at TO, looking over them with suspicious eyes, ¡°And if I said I¡¯d rather go myself?¡± She asked, ¡°If I said I want to go alone?¡± ¡°I¡¯d let you go alone, obviously¡­ but I¡¯d feel bad.¡± ¡°And¡­ you wouldn¡¯t call the authorities? You wouldn¡¯t follow me?¡± TO¡¯s ears dipped down, ¡°Why would I follow you?¡± They asked. Lendulin released a relieved breath, which turned into sudden laughter. ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m sorry.¡± She said between barks of suppressed mirth, ¡°I thought you were threatening me! You know, ¡®if you don¡¯t want me to call the authorities, you¡¯d better do as I say.¡± TO felt their ears flush, ¡°Apologies.¡± They said, ¡°While my Common is good in terms of language and grammar, sometimes I get tone mixed up. What I meant is¡­¡± They paused, trying to consider their words so that they¡¯d be understood regardless of tone. ¡°I will not call the authorities; it¡¯s clear the idea makes you uncomfortable. Unrelated; we would like to help you, if you¡¯d allow us .¡± ¡°We¡¯re not getting this chair moving.¡± DH said once more in Synth Speak as they looked over the wheel, ¡°Not unless you have something we can put under the broken wheel to let us push her.¡± ¡°I can think of supplies on the ship, but I¡¯m not leaving her here alone to go to the ship and come back.¡± ¡°Well, unless you want to carry her, I don¡¯t know what other options we have.¡± They said with their ears pinned back. As they looked up to TO, their ears flicked out slightly in confusion at TO¡¯s very serious look. ¡°And sometimes, the simplest solutions are the best.¡± TO said seriously, ¡°We carry her.¡± Episode 178: Tube ¡°I¡¯m really grateful.¡± Lendulin said as DH carried her along to the tube, ¡°And¡­ Honestly, a little surprised. I warned you I¡¯m kinda heavy; most people don¡¯t think so but the tail is pure muscle, but you still lifted me like I was nothing!¡± ¡°We¡¯re stronger than we look.¡± TO said, walking beside DH with the damaged wheelchair over their shoulders. ¡°This is no problem.¡± Lendulin¡¯s communicator beeped, and she pulled it out to read the new message, giving a sigh of relief as she did. ¡°I have a friend who found someone who can lend me their chair so I can get home. I have more tools at home so I can probably fix it up there.¡± ¡°You might just need a new one.¡± DH said, ¡°The rust on this one is terrible.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll get a new one¡­ Eventually.¡± She said, ¡°I can¡¯t afford one right now; they¡¯re expensive. I was hoping to save up for a waterproof one, but that¡¯s not going to happen, not if I need one now.¡± ¡°Under King Decon, they should provide you with essential medical care. I mean, you may not get a motorized chair, or a waterproof one, but a wheelchair is a necessary medical-¡± ¡°It¡¯s not a medical need though.¡± Lendulin said, giving him a knowing, sarcastic smile, ¡°According to the compensation office, my need isn¡¯t a medical one.¡± She patted her tail. ¡°It¡¯s just how I am.¡± TO frowned, ¡°You still need it.¡± They said, ¡°Yup! But it¡¯s not medical, so I get no help.¡± She put her communicator away. ¡°That¡¯s just how it works.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think King Decon would allow that¡­¡± DH said. She looked away. ¡°If he even knows. It¡¯s a big galaxy, and he can¡¯t pay attention to everything all at once. Let¡¯s be honest; he doesn¡¯t make the decisions for Arkane, the Praetors and his Vassal does. King Decon probably hasn¡¯t gotten directly involved with Arkane in centuries.¡± TO wanted to tell her they knew that there had been a decision made recently, but how would they know that as a civilian? ¡°You¡¯re not fond of King Decon, then?¡± DH asked. Their tone was normal, perhaps even flat, but their ears pinned back. ¡°Honestly, I have no opinion¡­ Like I said, he doesn¡¯t really make the laws on Arkane-¡± ¡°There''re galactic standards.¡± DH said, ¡°There''re things that King Decon demands-¡± ¡°Well, yeah, but he doesn¡¯t enforce them, right? So long as we follow the letter of His law, Arkane leadership can do as they like. I mean, maybe if he himself knew what it was like, then maybe he¡¯d do something about it, but he¡¯s busy; he¡¯s unifying a galaxy and doesn¡¯t need to worry about me and my chair.¡± Was that feeling prevalent? TO wasn¡¯t sure. They mentally tucked that question away, planning to look into it more later on. Maybe this was something that helped the insurgency along. They went down a sidestreet and found the entrance to the underground tube platforms. Stairs led deep underground, but right next to them was an elevator, which they took instead. ¡°Black for District 10, please.¡± Lendulin said. They pressed the button, and the elevator took them down through several levels and opened to reveal a platform bathed in purple light. A platform stood in the center, alongside a glowing purple tube. The tube was empty save for the magnetic rail that ran along the bottom and top of the tube. The station was empty, save for an android that stood off to the side. It looked up, regarded them, then went back to simply standing in place. ¡°You can leave me here.¡± She said, ¡°I can get on the tube myself¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s really no problem for us to bring you to your friend.¡± TO said, ¡°Right DH?¡± Lendulin blinked, then flushed, ¡°Oh. I didn¡¯t even ask your names!¡± She looked up at DH, ¡°DH, I¡¯m guessing.¡± She said sheepishly. ¡°Yes, and this is Tio.¡± ¡°Lendulin.¡± She said. Of course, she had no way of knowing that they already knew her name. ¡°Now... You said you need your chair, right?¡± TO asked. Lendulin nodded. ¡°Well, how will you get yourself and your chair to your friend?¡± She huffed, crossing her arms, ¡°I admit.¡± She said after a few minutes, ¡°While I could manage, it¡¯d be an absolute pain.¡± ¡°So we¡¯ll get you to your friend and you¡¯ll be fine.¡± TO said. ¡°It¡¯ll be faster and easier.¡± Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere. ¡°Are you sure though¡­¡± she said quietly, ¡°This tube goes to District Ten. You know, The Outer Ring?¡± The memories of Celesto¡¯s comments about squatters in the Outer Ring came to mind, but TO didn¡¯t care about that. ¡°It¡¯s no problem.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a long tube ride.¡± She said, ¡°And I¡¯m guessing a bit out of your way.¡± ¡°A bit.¡± DH said. The way their ears pinned back, and the very subtle bite to their tone, surprised TO, but they ignored it for the moment. ¡°We have no plans for the rest of the evening, anyway.¡± TO said, ¡°And it¡¯d be good to get to know the city.¡± ¡°No plans?¡± DH asked, their ears sinking down as they looked at TO. ¡°Do we really have no plans?¡± Lendulin gave TO a smile. ¡°If you have plans you should go and-¡± ¡°We don¡¯t have plans though?¡± TO said. They looked at DH, pure confusion showing in the way their ears flicked forward. ¡°What plans do we have?¡± DH¡¯s ears sunk down, almost falling limp as they looked at TO with a heartbroken expression. ¡°DH!¡± TO said, reaching out to touch their arm with their free hand, ¡°What is it?¡± They looked away, flushing, then muttered, ¡°You promised that we¡¯d go to a fancy restaurant.¡± ¡°I did?¡± TO said, ¡°I... I didn¡¯t think we had plans to eat out today. We went to that one stand, but-¡± ¡°No, you promised on the way here! Remember!?¡± They looked back at TO, desperation in their eyes as their ears pinned back, ¡°We were talking about restaurants here on the ship during the ride here, and you promised that we¡¯d go for a date at a proper, fancy restaurant.¡± Finally, TO remembered. That had happened back before TO had even told DH how they felt! They had been so worried at first, unsure if DH even knew that those fancy restaurants were normally for romantic dates! Apparently, they had been looking forward to it! TO had forgotten about it once they admitted to one another how they felt. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry!¡± TO said, their ears flushing and twitching in panic, ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m so sorry! No, of course we¡¯ll go to a fancy restaurant! I just-¡± ¡°You forgot!¡± DH said. ¡°I thought we¡¯d go out first thing. You said we¡¯d go the first chance we got!¡± ¡°I¡¯m really sorry.¡± TO said, their ears sinking lower, ¡°You¡¯re right; I forgot. I¡¯m sorry.¡± Lendulin watched the two, then cleared her voice. ¡°Most restaurants in the entertainment district require, like, a week at least for a reservation.¡± She said, ¡°You¡¯d have to make the reservation first, and -¡± TO didn¡¯t even finish listening to her; they took out their communicator and started looking up fancy restaurants. ¡°I¡¯ll find the best rated restaurant!¡± TO said, ¡°I¡¯ll take you on the nicest, most romantic date you¡¯ve ever been on!¡± After watching TO¡¯s panic for a moment, DH gave a low chuckle as they shook their head. ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± They said, ¡°If you forgot, then I guess you weren¡¯t interested in it. I don¡¯t want you to do this if you don¡¯t want to.¡± ¡°No! I am interested! I just forgot because we had a lot going on!¡± TO protested, ¡°I want to go! I want to make it a fantastic date!¡± ¡°But you don¡¯t have to¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to!¡± Lendulin giggled, her eyes sparkling with mirth. ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve seen a couple argue about trying to accommodate one another before.¡± She said, ¡°You two are practically wholesome.¡± They weren¡¯t sure why, but TO felt their ears burn as she said that; it was such an odd thing to have a stranger who knew they were a couple watch them interact. TO focused ahead as they headed to the platform to wait for the tube. Only a moment passed until it showed up; an empty, transparent carriage with lights overhead and seats lining either side. They filed in and settled into the closest seats, setting Lendulin down on a seat and her chair down in front of them. The Android that was waiting on the platform filed in after them and stiffly took a seat at the far end. ¡°Are they allowed to wander around here on their own?¡± DH asked, ¡°I thought most AI¡¯s had to be under some kind of sentient supervision.¡± ¡°There''re some exceptions.¡± TO said as they glanced at the android, ¡°Some service AI can be out on their own if given a certain task; like if they belong to someone who¡¯s sick and can¡¯t leave their house, then they might go to pick up food or medication.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t normally see ¡®em on this tube.¡± Lendulin said, ¡°Maybe they gotta pick up something from the docks. I don¡¯t know anyone who lives there that has one.¡± The tub started moving, pulling them into a darkened tunnel as they headed up towards the surface again. There was darkness all around them and TO felt like someone trapped them inside a glowing purple bubble that held the darkness at bay, and somehow it made them feel safe. Soon, they rose out into the city, past the streets and shops, until they were gliding past towers and skyscrapers towards the Outer Ring. TO looked up, wondering idly if they¡¯d be able to see the stars now that they had a little distance between them and the lights below, but of course they couldn¡¯t. Even if the stars were visible from here, they¡¯d never have seen them from within the glowing tube. ¡°TO, look!¡± The awe in DH¡¯s voice drew TO¡¯s gaze away from the sky and out towards the city. The city spread before them, illuminated with neon lights that made everything glow with reflected light, all of it seeming somewhat purple thanks to the light of the tube. Other tubes with different colors twisted through the city like glowing snakes, while window lights and signs illuminated the otherwise dark city like moons and stars in the night sky. In a tiny ship in space, TO had never felt so small before. How many people lived on Arkane? As far as TO knew, it was just over three billion. Three billion individual people are just living their lives. As vast as it was, the city before them held only a small percentage of that. How many synths had been in the training center with them? They weren¡¯t sure, but they knew it wasn¡¯t close to that number. Arkane was just one planet with a mid-range population level. There were many other planets that held vastly more people. ¡°It¡¯s beautiful isn¡¯t it?¡± DH said as they looked over it. ¡°I always think that too.¡± Lendulin said, ¡°An ocean of lights.¡± It was beautiful, but it made TO feel too small. They reached over and took DH¡¯s hand, squeezing them gently to help themself feel better. Episode 179: Outer Ring In looking at pictures of Arkane, or even when they saw the island from space, To never really paid attention to the seas; the multitude of islands covering the planet was always TO¡¯s focus. When their tube twisted past some buildings and revealed the sea to them in the distance, it suddenly became so much more; it was another one of those things that made TO just feel so small. It wasn¡¯t even an ocean; it had no right to be this big and make TO feel so insignificant. Two of Arkane¡¯s moons were out, their light catching on the waves and making the sea glitter in shades of green and blue, creating a cyan inferno atop the water. TO only got to stare at the shimmering sea for a moment before the tube headed back down towards the ground and twisted once more around large, tall buildings. Much darker, blockier buildings. ¡°Does the sea normally look like that?¡± DH asked. They turned to TO, ¡°You saw that, right?¡± ¡°I did!¡± ¡°Look Like what?¡± Lendulin asked, looking up from her communicator. ¡°Like that! With the moons and everything!¡± DH said. She shrugged, ¡°I guess?¡± She said, ¡°You weren¡¯t looking? You didn¡¯t see it?¡± DH¡¯s ears flicked in distress, as though it was a crime for her not to have seen it. ¡°Well, I live here.¡± She said, ¡°I see it all the time, right?¡± ¡°You guess?¡± TO said, unsure if they could ever get used to everything they¡¯d seen just today, even if they lived here for decades. They looked around, but now that they were descending towards the Outer Ring, the scenery had changed; the large blocky buildings had very few lights and no iridescent signs on them to illuminate the area. Light came from the streetlights below, but they differed from those they had seen in the shopping district; though most were still blue, some flickered oddly and gave inconsistent light. Some lights were out altogether, creating dark patches of shadow in the city. ¡°¡­ There was a fire among the warehouses a few months ago.¡± Lendulin explained as she caught TO staring at one in particular, ¡°There¡¯re a few lights that still need repairs.¡± ¡°But that happened months ago.¡± TO said, ¡°Shouldn¡¯t it be fixed right now?¡± Lendulin scoffed, ¡°Nah, they don¡¯t worry about that too much here. Most of the lights still work, so it¡¯s fine. I think they¡¯re planning to replace all the lights out here anyway since they are all older, but it¡¯s going to take a while.¡± The tube led them underground and came to another platform. DH picked up Lendulin again, TO took the wheelchair, and departed onto the Outer Ring platform. Following with the theme of what they had seen of the city, the platform had broken lights, rusty metal walls, cracked floor tiles, and garbage strewn on the ground. The Android that left the tube with them stopped to pick up anything that was in their direct path. ¡°The exit¡¯s over there, look.¡± DH said, gesturing towards the corner where TO could see a glowing sign that depicted an elevator and stairs. ¡°The elevator¡¯s out of service.¡± Lendulin said, ¡°I can make it up the stairs myself though-¡° ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± TO said as they headed towards the stairs. ¡°Wait¡­¡± DH said, their ears pinning back, ¡°How did you get down the stairs with your chair if the elevator is out of service?¡± Lendulin chuckled and gave a helpless shrug. ¡°Carefully!¡± She said. ¡°No¡­ really, how?¡± TO asked, now looking up the flight of stairs themself. They knew that there were many types of legless individuals who would have no problem with stairs, but Lendulin¡¯s tail was obviously aquatic, and not for on-land mobility. ¡°Step by step.¡± She said finally, ¡°I got off the chair, slid down a few steps, and then pulled the chair down as carefully as I could. Repeat until done.¡± ¡°But, nobody helped you?¡± ¡°Look, this is stuff I¡¯ve been doing every day since I was old enough to get around on my own.¡± She said, ¡°If I needed help every time I needed to go somewhere or do something, I¡¯d never get around.¡± Her expression softened, ¡°But¡­ you made things easier today when my chair broke in the Opulentia. That could have been inconvenient if someone thought I was causing trouble.¡± ¡°¡­ Like with Celesto?¡± DH asked. She sighed, ¡°Yeah, with him.¡± She said. An awkward silence surrounded them as they started up the stairs. Thanks to all the physical training they had done in the training center, there was no question of if they could carry her and her wheelchair all the way up the stairs. ¡°¡­ So, why did you run?¡± DH asked. ¡°DH!¡± TO said, slipping back into Synthspeak, ¡°You can¡¯t just ask her-¡° ¡°You mean, why did I run when Celesto threatened to call the authorities?¡± ¡°Yes, you did nothing wrong, right?¡± Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. ¡°Depends on who you ask.¡± She said, ¡°He obviously thought I did.¡± ¡°But did you?¡± She was silent for several moments, considering her words, ¡°Do you think I did?¡± She finally asked. ¡°I don¡¯t think you did anything wrong.¡± TO said, ¡°But I¡¯m also new here. We both are.¡± ¡°Look; what mattered there is that Celesto thought I did something wrong.¡± She said, ¡°He has influence and money. If he calls the authorities and tells them I¡¯m trying to plagiarize one of Arkane¡¯s top artists, then they¡¯ll believe him.¡± ¡°But you said that the artist¡­¡± TO frowned, drawing the name from their memory, ¡°Venturi, right? You said you worked with him; If there was an issue, you could have called him, right?¡± ¡°Oh yes, but then Celesto could have said I was disturbing his customers, making a scene¡­¡± She shrugged, ¡°Honestly, just not worth my time.¡± ¡°We were there, we would have said you did nothing wrong.¡± She shrugged, ¡°Just didn¡¯t want to deal with that today.¡± They walked in silence as they made their way to the top of the stairs and out onto the street of the Outer Ring. It was a very different place from Opulentia. The narrow streets wound around large warehouses that loomed all around them, rising into overhead, creating dark blocks against the sky which was otherwise illuminated by light pollution. The Street before them was a cluttered patchwork of blue light, and patches of darkness that lingered in the places where the streetlights had gone out. ¡°Bring me just to the end of this street, and right.¡± Lendulin said, ¡°There¡¯s a food truck between these two warehouses; My friend should be waiting there for me.¡± They followed her directions and saw the truck she was talking about, a relatively plain black metal truck with a service window on one side. They were still open, but had no customers at the moment. ¡°Maybe we¡¯ll eat here.¡± TO said, wondering if the food here would be as pretty as the skewered stuff they had earlier. ¡°It¡¯ll be awhile before we get home.¡± ¡°Look, there¡¯s my friend!¡± Lendulin said as she pointed to a folding table that was set up near the truck. From where they were and because of the lights, they could only see the outline, but that didn¡¯t matter. TO hurried on; the wheelchair, while not too heavy, was digging into their back and they wanted to set it down. The smell of whatever was cooking in the truck was also tantalizing them, though TO was more interested in the presentation than the actual food. DH set Lendulin down on one of the crates near the table that acted as seating. TO sat next to her and stretched, their wings spreading out as they tried to work the stiffness from their muscles. ¡°Thank you so much!¡± Lendulin said, ¡°I mean, I could have done it myself, and I feel bad that you came all this way, but I would have been hours trying to get home on my own. Let me treat you to something to eat!¡± She turned to her friend, ¡°Oh, this my friend-¡° ¡°We¡¯ve met.¡± The voice was familiar to TO. They looked over at Lendulin¡¯s friend, seeing more than just an outline of darkness against the lighting behind her. It was Petra, looking at DH and TO like she was some small rodent, caught by a predator. ¡°Lendulin, these are the two I told you about.¡± She said, ¡°¡­ From the party at the Government Building?¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Lendulin said, confused. She looked to her, then to TO and DH. Her own eyes widened. ¡°Oh! You two-¡° TO folded their wings and rubbed a place at their arm where metal had also pressed too long against flesh. ¡°Hello,¡± they said, ¡°Nice to see you again too.¡± ¡°This is your friend?¡± DH asked, still stretching behind TO ¡°Petra, right?¡± ¡°Y-yeah.¡± Lendulin said. ¡°This is Petra; she works with a medical center here in the Outer Ring.¡± DH and TO exchanged glances; their reports hadn¡¯t said she had any kind of employment. ¡°I thought you were taking on odd jobs?¡± TO asked, ¡°Like at the party?¡± ¡°That I work for the center is a stretch.¡± She said as she stood up, ¡°I volunteer.¡± She looked to Lendulin, ¡°we need to go.¡± ¡°Petra, I can¡¯t just-¡± ¡°They were at that party.¡± Petra hissed, ¡°They saw-¡° ¡°That¡¯s fine.¡± TO said. They had found Petra again, and they still had a use for her. They didn''t want to lose her, or scare her away. No. They wanted this person to like them, to talk to them. ¡°You¡¯re worried about the food?¡± DH asked as they sat down next to TO, ¡°I mean, we were curious-¡± ¡°But we won¡¯t do anything!.¡± DH said quickly. ¡°It¡¯s not our concern.¡± Lendulin gestured to TO, ¡°Tio tried to stand up for me around that tailor I mentioned. And they both helped me home.¡± She gave them a smile, ¡°I think they¡¯re ok.¡± Though still clearly on edge, Petra seemed like she wouldn''t run off. Still, her powerful tail was slapping the ground, her pupils dilated, and darting around. ¡°Would you get us some food?¡± Lendulin asked. She fiddled with her communicator and then passed it to Lendulin. ¡°It¡¯s unlocked. Get us two each, I think?¡± ¡°What is it?¡± DH asked, sniffing at the air, ¡°It smells good.¡± ¡°Oh I gotta see this.¡± Petra said, smirking as she got up, ¡°Cocopod, grilled in shell and served with-¡± ¡°It¡¯s grilled meat on a stick.¡± Lendulin said, giving Petra a look, ¡°It¡¯s a speciality here, and it¡¯s delicious.¡± She looked to TO, ¡°Can you eat Cocopod?¡± TO wasn¡¯t sure; The word was unfamiliar to them. They pulled out their communicator and ran the name through their food analysis program. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s fine.¡± TO said. Lendulin smiled, then turned back to Petra, ¡°Oh! Where¡¯s the chair? You said you had one?¡± Petra was just getting up to go to the nearby food truck. She stopped, and shrugged, ¡°Well, that was an exaggeration; I have one on the way. I didn¡¯t know what to do, so I called Pearla, and she knew someone who would lend her one.¡± ¡°Thank the seas for Pearla.¡± Lendulin said, ¡°She could find fire on the seafloor if we asked her.¡± She stopped, ¡°So¡­ what, were you going to carry me or something if you thought you had to run off from these two?¡± she asked. Petra flushed, her tail flicking about again, ¡°I panicked, ok!¡± she snapped as she turned to get her food. ¡°I didn¡¯t think that far ahead.¡± ¡°¡®That far¡¯ implies that you thought at all.¡± Lendulin teased. Petra turned around, giving her a hard look, ¡°I¡¯m going to push you into the sewage outfall.¡± She said, ¡°And I love you too.¡± Lendulin said with a smile. Petra rolled her eyes and went to the food truck. TO cleared their throat, ¡°I just want to make sure.¡± They said carefully, ¡°She was joking, right?¡± ¡°Oh my yes!¡± Lendulin said, ¡°We¡¯ve been friends since we were kids; it¡¯d be weird if we didn¡¯t threaten one another.¡± She chuckled, ¡°You thought she was serious?¡± TO¡¯s ears flushed, ¡°We¡¯re¡­ this is our first time off our home planet.¡± TO said, ¡°and we¡¯re struggling a bit with uh... Emotional tones in conversation.¡± Lendulin¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°Ahh, I see. I was always fine, but my parents were the same; we came from m¡¯hor-¡± ¡°That¡¯s Arkane¡¯s closest planet, right?¡± TO said, ¡°It got converted to support gas mining and aqua farming about.. 30 years ago.¡± Their eyes flicked over Lendulin, ¡°So, you must have come over during that time?¡± ¡°Gee, thanks for saying I look my age.¡± She said, ¡°But yes, I was 4 or something? Even when I was a teenager, they had trouble with the language, and the water here made sonar different too. I¡¯d be out swimming, and it¡¯d be like someone else was calling me when mom called me for dinner.¡± She gave a soft, sad smile. ¡°I get it. Even though we spoke the same language, it was just different, with so many varied, subtle ways to express ourselves.¡± She shrugged, ¡°I''m used to it though. They said I adapted so well because I was so young.¡± ¡°Are they doing better now?¡± DH asked. ¡°They passed a long time ago.¡± Lendulin said. Civilian death and Synth death were so different; a synth died in service to King Decon and even their death happened in a way to best serve Him. You shouldn¡¯t be sad about a synth dying - TO couldn¡¯t help it, of course, but they knew they shouldn¡¯t express it. Civilians were a different matter. Civilian deaths were tragic; they mourned the loss of even those too sick to really live while alive. TO would do the same if DH were to die. ¡°My condolences.¡± TO said. It was awkward; they felt like they should comfort Lendulin, but didn¡¯t know how. ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± She said, ¡°It was years ago; They got sick.¡± She gave a smile that didn¡¯t reach her eyes. ¡°Oh, hey, did you end up getting stuff at Celesto¡¯s?¡± ¡°We did!¡± DH said as they suddenly lit up, ¡°Do you want to see the design? He let me take a picture-¡± Just like that, with a simple comment about clothes the atmosphere lightened up. Maybe there was some point to beautiful clothing. Episode 180: Pearla ¡°Here.¡± The way DH¡¯s face lit up as they described the clothing they were having made absorbed TO¡¯s attention so much so that they didn¡¯t even notice that Petra had come back with food. When they turned to look at what a cocopod was, they let out a shrill yelp and jumped up from their seat. ¡°What?¡± DH asked, turning away from Lendulin. They followed TO¡¯s horrified gaze. ¡°Ah.¡± A Cocopod was apparently some kind of enormous insect, about the length of TO¡¯s forearm. It had more feet than TO could count, attached to more flat, rounded body segments than TO wanted to count. ¡°What is that?¡± TO said, their ears pinning back, their wings wrapping around their arms. ¡°¡­ a cocopod?¡± Petra said as she passed one to Lendulin. ¡°TO has an issue with bugs.¡± DH said, eying the insects wearily. ¡°¡­ But they¡¯re dead?¡± Petra said, ¡°And well cooked-¡° ¡°You eat those?¡± TO said, shocked and feeling a little sick. ¡°¡­ I can shell it for you if you like?¡± Lendulin said. ¡°You¡¯ve never eaten one before?¡± Petra asked. TO was certain that at some point, they had eaten insects. Insect meat was protein rich and extremely efficient to cultivate. It was present in most supplements and added to most dishes. That was fine; the idea of eating dried and powdered or flaked bug meat didn¡¯t bother TO. The idea of breaking apart a twisted, monstrous giant of an insect bothered them. The bug still had eyes. TO was certain that they saw one of its too-long feelers twitch. Lendulin took the skewers from Petra, a napkin from the pile on the table, and started working at pulling apart the insect and removing meat from the shell. TO couldn¡¯t even watch; it made them sick. ¡°It tastes better straight from the shell.¡± Petra said as she pulled off a segment of the bug, squeezed its shell, and popped a small chunk of meat out. TO looked away quickly before she could actually eat it. ¡°They really don¡¯t like bugs.¡± DH said. They looked up to TO and gently patted the seat next to them. TO wanted to leave now; didn¡¯t want to be around people eating bugs like that¡­ But they really wanted to have some kind of rapport with Petra. With a shudder, they sat back down, staring at the table so that they didn¡¯t have to look at the bugs directly. ¡°What about you?¡± Petra asked DH, ¡°Do you need yours shelled too?¡± ¡°¡­ I¡¯ll try it as it is.¡± DH said. ¡°Really?!¡± TO¡¯s stomach clenched, ¡°You¡¯re going to eat it just like that?¡± ¡°She said it tastes better this way!¡± Petra laughed, ¡°good for you, DH!¡± She said, ¡°Try it the right way!¡± ¡°We didn¡¯t see anything like this in Opulentia.¡± DH said as they took the skewer. ¡°They don¡¯t serve food like this there.¡± Petra scoffed, ¡°Consider it an Outer Ring speciality.¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t they serve it in Opulentia?¡± TO asked, terrified of the answer. This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. ¡°Shit, you two really are fresh.¡± Petra said, ¡°Opulentia is the high end shopping place, right? They¡¯d never have street meat.¡± Their stomach lurched as they heard more shells crack from where Lendulin sat. ¡°Street meat¡­ this came off the streets?¡± ¡°Actually, it came from the water, but street vendors cooked it.¡± There was a crunching noise from where DH sat. A moment later, a surprised hum. ¡°This is fantastic though.¡± DH said, ¡°It¡¯s better than the stuff we had for lunch.¡± ¡°Yeah, well, we¡¯re good at making these taste good. I know at least twenty different ways to cook them myself.¡± Lendulin said as she finally pushed over the napkin towards TO. It didn¡¯t look appetizing; torn up pieces of whitish meat, the juices seeping into the napkin. It was better than seeing the bug itself, with all the legs. They wished they could just go home and have a food bar. They were here now, and the idea of wasting food made them almost as anxious as the logs on the cocopod did. took a deep breath, picked up a tiny piece of meat in their thumb and forefinger, and popped it into their mouth without examining it too hard. The meat melted in their mouth, a wave of flavour - salty and savoury- washing over their mouth. It was so much better than the food they had eaten in Opulentia; the texture was better; the taste was better, and there seemed to be a lot more food. Nevertheless, the image of the bug wrapped around on that skewer, its legs sticking out¡­ ¡°How is it?¡± Lendulin asked. ¡°It¡¯s good.¡± TO admitted, ¡°¡­ I don''t think I can eat it.¡± ¡°You can get it made in soup, and you never see the bug.¡± Lendulin said. ¡°But the longer it¡¯s in the shell, the better it tastes.¡± ¡°I hope you bought me some of that.¡± another voice said. TO looked away from their food and down the street where another figure was heading towards them; this one was rounder and softer than the other two, with a more humanoid upper body than Lendulin had. She had a tail instead of legs, but it was more akin to a snake''s tail, and more convenient for getting around on land. She was pushing a rusted wheelchair before her. ¡°Sorry I took so long.¡± She said as she approached, ¡°The wheels needed some oil, and¡­¡± She trailed off as she caught sight of TO and DH. Her eyes flicked to their ears, to their faces, and their wings. She smiled, but the color seemed to drain from her purple toned skin. ¡°New friends?¡± SHe asked, her smile wavering as she brought the chair closer. ¡°Yes! Pearla, this is DH and Tio; they just came to Arkane-¡± ¡°Merchants.¡± Petra said, ¡°They¡¯re the ones from that party. The ones I told you about?¡± ¡°And we¡¯re entirely unconcerned about suddenly missing food.¡± TO said. ¡°I see¡­¡± Pearla said as she brought the chair over to Lendulin. ¡°Thanks; you¡¯re a lifesaver.¡± Lendulin said as pushed herself up from her seat. The muscles in her arms and muscles rippled as she lifted herself into the wheelchair with very little effort. That was how she would have made it home on her own; she was solid muscle. She could have easily dragged that chair up a flight of stairs and down if she wanted. She caught TO staring at her, and winked, ¡°I told you I could manage.¡± She said. TO felt their ears flush, and they mumbled an apology. ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± Lendulin said, ¡°You got me home faster at any rate.¡± ¡°Speaking of being home, shall we take off?¡± Pearla asked, ¡°It¡¯s late. I¡¯m sure your friends want to get out of here as soon as possible.¡± TO eyed Pearla, observing her. They had suspected Lendulin of knowing who they were because of how nervous she was, but they were certain now that they had been wrong. Was Pearla just as anxious as Lendulin, or did she know?¡± ¡°Pearla has a weird bug on her back.¡± TO said in Synthspeak. It was a lie, of course, and DH could see that thanks to their ears, but Pearla was back on to them, and couldn¡¯t see that. Not that TO thought that she could read their ears, but if she knew their language, then it was a possibility. ¡°She does; should we tell her?¡± DH responded, picking up on what TO was doing quickly. ¡°No; that might be impolite.¡± TO said back. They cleared their throat, and stood up. ¡°She¡¯s right.¡± TO said in Galactic Common, ¡°We should get home¡­ but-¡± They held out their communicator, ¡°It was wonderful meeting you all; I wonder if we might stay in touch?¡± Petra raised a brow ridge at TO, ¡°You¡¯re merchants who get invited to the government house, and you want to ¡®stay in touch¡¯ with us?¡± ¡°Of course!¡± DH said, holding out their own communicator as well, ¡°You all seem so nice! And-¡± They turned to Lendulin, ¡°You said you wanted to see the dress when it was finished, didn¡¯t you? I could show you!¡± Lendulin beamed and took out her communicator. Tapping them together, they synced each other as contacts. TO turned to Petra, ¡°You too?¡± They asked, giving a wide smile. Petra eventually scoffed, and took out her communicator, ¡°Yeah, sure.¡± She said, ¡°Who knows, maybe you¡¯ll be cool enough to start up a business around here that doesn¡¯t suck.¡± ¡°I¡¯d like to know what you mean by that.¡± TO said, ¡°Another day, perhaps?¡± ¡°Sure, whatever.¡± Finally, TO held their communicator out to Pearla, ¡°We only just met, but you were so kind-¡± ¡°I-I¡¯m so sorry.¡± She said, ¡°I forgot my communicator back at home.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Petra said, smirking at her, ¡°Since you got that partner you keep talking about, I thought you had your communicator glued to your hands!¡± Pearla turned a vivid shade of magenta as she put a hand over Petra¡¯s mouth, ¡°Shush you!¡± ¡°She has a new partner now, but it¡¯s all top secret.¡± Lendulin said, grinning, ¡°Won¡¯t tell us anything; name, pronouns, position. It¡¯s been a few months, and not a word!¡± ¡°I think it¡¯s some merchant who asked her to keep them quiet.¡± Petra said, ¡°You know they hate to be seen with a legless.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not like that!¡± Pearla said, ¡°Just shush you!¡± ¡°Sorry, sorry.¡± Petra said as she pulled Pearla¡¯s hand away, ¡°Come on. Let¡¯s go. We gotta try to fix Lendulin¡¯s old chair, anyway.¡± She and Pearly took up the chair; Lendulin holding the front, Pearla taking most of the back on her long tail, and they started off. ¡°Be safe!¡± TO said as they watched them head off. They walked a little further, and were about to round a corner before TO got up, and dashed forward in silence, with DH following close beside them. They rushed up, staying in the shadows as they approached the corner that the three had turned. Once they caught up, they saw Pearla, holding her hair out of the way as Petra looked at her back in confusion. She had understood. Episode 181: Bot TO got a photo of Pearla before they left to go home, so as they headed back towards the Tube they ran her photo through the network. There wasn¡¯t a flag on her file but she had a note marking her as a person of interest to the Arkanian authorities. ¡°She¡¯s not done anything, technically.¡± TO said as they scanned through her records, ¡°But in the last few months she¡¯s been fraternizing with a handful of people who all have extensive records. She¡¯s also been seen in dangerous places that she¡¯s never really gone to before.¡± They frowned. ¡°A few months ago, there was nothing. Suddenly her actions have changed, and she¡¯s hanging around criminals and going to strange places.¡± ¡°We know she¡¯s part of the insurgency!¡± DH said, their ears back and twitching, ¡°She understood us, and it wasn¡¯t the same as with Philo where context would help her!¡± They looked to TO, their ears sinking down, ¡°This just confirms it. The insurgency has some of us! They know our language, they know what we look like!¡± All TO could think of was GiDi. Did the insurgency have them? Were they being tortured for more information? A flicker of rage shot through TO like lightning; if the insurgency hurt GiDi, they¡¯d tear through the insurgency on their own. They¡¯d rip apart the leaders with their own claws. Of course, they¡¯d do that to save GiDi, regardless. ¡°You said that was only in the last few months though.¡± DH said, ¡°What was she doing before that?¡± ¡°According to her file, she runs a¡­ Well, a medical center is a bit of a push; it¡¯s more of a care center. They give food, shelter, and medical attention to people who need it.¡± ¡°Nobody should need it.¡± DH huffed, ¡°Under King Decon, those things should available for every citizen.¡± ¡°Under King Decon, a civilian should get medical equipment like a wheelchair for free.¡± TO said, ¡°But Lendulin still didn¡¯t qualify for one.¡± They frowned, feeling the anger swell inside them. What was Arkane¡¯s leadership doing!? There were specific laws in place; specific guidelines, and if felt like Arkane¡¯s leadership was subverting it, gaming them, and finding loopholes. ¡°I need to report this to Ark-1 when we get back. We¡¯ll get information from them and then approach the Vassel and praetors.¡± ¡°Do you think they¡¯ll do anything?¡± DH said, ¡°I¡¯m not sure that-¡° They cut themself off with a yelp, stumbling forward as someone ran into them; no- something. The robot that had been in the tube with them ran into DH, stumbled over them, grabbed their bag before taking off down the street and into the darkness. ¡°Get back here!¡± DH shouted. The bot ignored them. ¡°We¡¯re not synths right now.¡± TO said, ¡°They won¡¯t stop for strangers!¡± They ran after them, but DH tripped as soon as they started running. TO turned and saw that the heel on one of their shoes had broken. ¡°Go! Don¡¯t lose them; they have our med kit!¡± DH said, their ears pinned down in panic. TO only hesitated for a moment before running down the street to catch up to the robot. They followed the robot as it left the main street and ran through alleyways and away from the streets and functioning street lights. When they followed it down a dark alley, they took their chance; they held their wrist and turned on their armor again. As the helmet encased TO¡¯s head, it filtered the background noises of the city which had kept them from noticing the robot earlier, so they could now focus properly. The moment they caught sight of the robot again, they activated pursuit mode. The helmet noted the target and filtered information to TO while surrounding the target with a glowing red outline. Robot type 2; manual service class. AI level; Unavailable ID; Unavailable. TO hoped that they just needed to get closer for their system to pick up on the proper identifications, but they didn¡¯t think it would. This bot had stolen from them; technically, it had assaulted DH and stolen their bag. A bot shouldn¡¯t be able to do that regardless of its AI level. They shouldn¡¯t be able to do anything that¡¯s against the law. If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement. They needed to catch it; it was dangerous. Someone had bypassed their legal programming so if ordered, there was no limit to the number of destructive things they could do, or the people they could hurt. The moment they got out of the narrower alleyway and to a major street again, they spread their wings and took off, hoping to catch up faster in the air. It had been so long since had flown that TO nearly forgot they were chasing something. They just wanted to fly about, to soar and swoop as they used to in training. Civilians had to fly in designated flight areas, but a synth they could fly where they pleased. The feeling of the wind under their wings after so long was incredible. They hadn¡¯t really realized how much they missed flying, and now that void in their life almost brought them to tears. As much as they suddenly wanted to give up the chase and fly until they fell exhausted, they couldn¡¯t; they had to deal with the situation. TO caught up to the robot, dove feet first, and slammed them against the ground. They jumped off, skidded to a stop just in front of the robot, took their multi-fin and shot at the knees- three times each to make sure they got it- to it couldn¡¯t run. They also didn¡¯t want the bot to attack them, so they did the same to each shoulder. Oil leaked onto the streets from the torso, a distant streetlight giving it streaks of green. It¡¯s not blood. TO reminded themself. If it was blood, there¡¯d be a lot more. This was just a machine. A machine that had broken its rules. The first thing TO did was find the bag. When TO tackled the bot, it dropped the bag, and TO worried that some of the oil had stained DH¡¯s new bag, but it was fine. The med kit was still there, thankfully, and didn¡¯t seem damaged. Had this been a civilian, TO probably would have simply reported them to the local authorities and let them deal with a petty thief; it was a crime, of course, but not one that one would expect a synth to deal with. This wasn¡¯t a civilian though; this was a robot. A basic manual labour robot. Even the most advanced AI allowed wouldn¡¯t be able to commit a robbery of any kind! If they got to a point where logic suggested that a crime could be allowed, their logic centers would overhead and force a reset. Legal hardware wouldn¡¯t allow for thought processes above a certain level; anything too complex forced a reset and blacked out that train of thought. TO kicked the robot over so they could see their face and chest plate; normally there¡¯d be an ID or a barcode or something to identify them by, but there was nothing. Their helmet tried to get an ID again, but it was still unavailable. ¡°What¡¯s your ID code?¡± TO demanded as they set one foot on the robot¡¯s chest. ¡°My apologies, honored synth.¡± The robotic voice echoed from within its chest plate, ¡°I seem to not possess an ID code. This suggests that I may have been stolen, or tampered with.¡± At least it was compliant. ¡°Why did you try to steal this bag?¡± TO said, ¡°Your programming should have prevented you from stealing anything.¡± ¡°I was not stealing the bag.¡± The robot responded, the voice cold and placid. ¡°That was not my intention.¡± ¡°What was your intention; state your orders.¡± ¡°My orders were as follows; I was to locate the two synths and draw them into the alleys. There were supposed to be two; where is the other synth?¡± Equal parts worry and hope flooded through TO¡¯s mind. That this robot knew what they looked like out of armor was problematic. It meant that it was likely part of the insurgency as well. However, the robot had no choice but to respond truthfully and comply with what TO demanded of them. ¡°How do you know what synths look like?¡± TO demanded, ¡°Who showed you that?¡± The robot was silent, then shuddered as the lights behind its eyes went out. The helmet started scanning, trying to pull data from the robot¡¯s chips. It recorded a faint smell of burning and detected no signals coming from the robot. == damage detected; please perform maintenance== TO looked at the message that flashed across their helmet, and though they knew very little about the mechanics of robots, there were basic maintenance procedures that any civilian could do. TO pressed the safety on the back of the robot¡¯s head and the breast-plate came loose and revealed the mess of mechanics inside. The area around the processor was giving off smoke; it had overheated and fried itself. The wires that should have led to the emergency shutdown center were missing, which meant that when the processor overheated, there was nothing to keep it from burning up inside the robot¡¯s head. Had the terminal overheat started when they took the bag, or had it started with TO¡¯s questioning? Right now, they had no way of knowing. They reached into the chest cavity and pulled out three separate storage drives. The damage didn¡¯t seem to spread to the drives, so maybe TO and DH could get something out of it. They put it in the bag; it could wait for later. TO looked around, scanning for anything moving in corners that TO didn¡¯t notice, for sounds that they might not pay attention to. They could pick up nothing but the sound of pests scurrying around in the darkness. Either the robot hadn¡¯t lured TO to where they wanted to, or their owner had already run off. Either way, TO didn¡¯t want to stick around. They took to the skies again and headed back to DH. Episode 182: Culture Shock TO flew over the dim and dirty streets, looking for DH. They wanted to make sure that they were ok before they landed and removed their armor. DH seemed to be fine, sitting on the sidewalk, their shoes laying on the ground before them. A breath of relief escaped TO; They hated leaving DH behind, and the whispering voice of anxiety had been bothering them since they got the bag back. What if the insurgents attacked them, or even other simple criminal civilians? This was a dangerous place, after all! Well, it wasn¡¯t like DH couldn¡¯t defend themself. TO landed in a darkened alleyway, deactivated their armor, and then rushed out to DH. ¡°Are you ok?¡± they asked as they drew close. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± DH muttered, ¡°My shoe broke, and look at this!¡± They shifted so that TO could see their right knee; it was bloody and dark blue, the dirty and uneven pavement tore a large patch of skin away and left behind wet blood that glistened in the streetlights. Blood. Bones cracking. The smell of disinfectant. TO looked away, holding the bag out to them as they did. ¡°Sorry.¡± DH said as they took the bag. ¡°Let me deal with this before we go.¡± They opened the bag and saw the drives nestled inside next to the first aid kit. ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± ¡°Something to examine later.¡± TO said, ¡°clean yourself up and let¡¯s get out of there.¡± ¡°What happened?¡± DH asked. TO heard them open the first aid kit and smelled the antiseptic. It made them sick to their stomach. ¡°Robots aren¡¯t shouldn¡¯t be able to do that, are they?¡± ¡°No, they shouldn¡¯t.¡± TO said, ¡°I¡¯ll tell you more when we get back home.¡± ¡°Ah¡­ Alright.¡± TO heard the bandages being opened and felt a sudden guilt. If TO had fallen, if they had hurt themself, then DH would be right there applying the bandages for them. TO wanted to do that too, but as soon as they thought about turning and helping, thought about the blood seeping from the wound, they felt sick and dizzy. ¡°How bad is it?¡± TO asked, still not able to look. ¡°Not bad; just irritating. It looks a lot worse than it is. I¡¯m only fixing it now so it doesn¡¯t get infected and so I don¡¯t get blood on my dress.¡± They gave a long, heavy sigh, ¡°Honestly, I¡¯m more upset about my shoes.¡± ¡°Right... What happened to your shoes?.¡± The first aid kit snapped shut as DH finished their work. ¡°You can turn around now and look.¡± They said, TO turned back to DH, checking their knee first; They had covered it in a wide bandage that wrapped around the back of the knee and stopped just at the top of the calf. Though DH wasn¡¯t that worried about it, somehow TO couldn¡¯t help but feel it was their fault. They looked at the shoe that DH held up. The raised heel had lifted off from the sole entirely and now flopped around, useless and inelegant. TO took it from DH and looked it over. ¡°We can probably fix this when we get back home.¡± TO said. ¡°I guess they didn¡¯t make it for all the walking we did-¡° ¡°Walking the stairs, carrying Lendulin, and the running.¡± They sighed, took off their other shoe, and got up. ¡°All of it.¡± It was their fault. If TO hadn¡¯t volunteered them both to help Lendulin, then they wouldn¡¯t have ended up in the Outer Ring, DH wouldn¡¯t have damaged their shoes, and wouldn¡¯t have fallen and hurt themself. TO reached out and took DH¡¯s arm to help them up, ¡°I¡¯m so sorry.¡± They whispered, their ears low. ¡°For what?¡± TO looked aside, ¡°For¡­ well, for just saying that we¡¯d help her without checking with you? For¡­ for forgetting about the dinner.¡± They looked away, ¡°We were having a good day¡­ And I ruined-¡° DH quickly pulled TO close, wrapping their arm around their waist, and gave them a kiss which while not as deep as they might have enjoyed in a more private setting, it was still long and lingering and sweet enough to make TO¡¯s ears burn. ¡°You ruined nothing.¡± They said, ¡°Some bad stuff happened in the end, but it was still just..¡± They smiled, ¡°It was a great day! I tried so many nice clothes , and I got to eat some fantastic food and-¡± They stopped as they noticed TO¡¯s deep blue ears, ¡°And now you¡¯re all shy.¡± Somehow, DH pointing out their embarrassment made their ears burn deeper. ¡°We¡¯re in public!¡± ¡°And I gave my mate a kiss; that¡¯s allowed among civilians!¡± Blushing furiously, TO changed the subject, ¡°I thought you weren¡¯t picky over lunch.¡± ¡°I mean the Cocopod.¡± DH said, grinning. TO suddenly paled, and felt sick, ¡°You ate one..¡± They said, and their mind produced an image of one still alive on a skewer, its legs writhing. ¡°You ate one.. then kissed me-¡° ¡°You ate one too!¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t eat it from the shell!¡± ¡°Well... well, I didn¡¯t eat the legs or anything!¡± They protested. They stopped, their ears flicking out in amusement. ¡°Would you really not want to kiss me if I had?¡± Their stomach churned again, ¡°Ugh.. I can¡¯t even imagine you eating them-¡± ¡°But if I had, you wouldn¡¯t kiss me?¡± They leaned forward, their ears twitching in amusement as they looked up at TO, ¡°Not even if I asked nicely?¡± Even though they couldn¡¯t get the image of the awful insect out of their mind, they couldn¡¯t help but chuckle at DH¡¯s antics, ¡°I don¡¯t think I could bring myself to say no.¡± They finally said, The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation. DH grinned, leaned forward, and kissed TO on the cheek, just next to their lips. ¡°Home?¡± They asked. TO gave a deep sigh and kissed them back. ¡°Home.¡± ====== Once they got back to the ship, TO set out to take care of the most important thing first. It took some research, some planning, and several phone calls before they could get what they needed done. ¡°Alright.¡± TO said as they disconnected from the last call, ¡°It¡¯s all done.¡± ¡°What is?¡± DH asked. They were poking through all the boxes and bags that they had brought home with them, setting everything out on their bed in a multicolored pile as they slowly picked through everything and set things into the hidden storage compartments in the walls. ¡°I got reservations for a fancy restaurant in the entertainment district for next week.¡± ¡°Next week¡­ but won¡¯t we go to another quadrant before then?¡± That¡¯s what TO had thought at first, but this was important to DH and they were determined to make this work. ¡°A week here gives us more time to acclimate, and I can try to talk to Petra again.¡± They said. ¡°You think we can trust her?¡± DH asked as they placed a blue-green dress into storage. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t Pearla have told her about us?¡° ¡°Unsure.¡± TO said, ¡°I doubt it, but I can find out if I talk to Petra.¡± They sighed and sat down in their chair, leaning back and relaxing for the first time that day. ¡°Though¡­ if I had to guess, I don¡¯t think she¡¯d tell them. If she¡¯s involved with the insurgency-¡± ¡°Which we¡¯re positive about already.¡± ¡°Then I think she¡¯s hiding that from her friends.¡± ¡°What makes you think that?¡± DH asked, setting aside a light white dress. ¡°According to her records, she started acting odd a few months ago. We can probably assume that it¡¯s about that time she got properly involved with the insurgency.¡± ¡°A fair assessment.¡± ¡°Right. Now, Petra and Lendulin said that she¡¯s got a partner that she¡¯s been hiding from them for a few months. and Pearla got really anxious when they said that.¡± TO turned to their screen, ¡°Maybe there is no partner. Maybe she used that as an excuse for her strange actions. It would make sense to hide her involvement from her friends if she actually cares about them. The more they know, the more danger they¡¯re in.¡± ¡°So what now?¡± DH asked. ¡°We know she¡¯s part of the insurgency; do we apprehend her -¡° ¡°Not yet.¡± TO said. ¡°But we make a note of it. We can use her to find more valuable targets. In the meantime¡­¡± They turned on their computer, ¡°I¡¯m going to talk to Ark-1.¡± They sent the request through the network to Ark-1. A quick check of the galactic time and they could tell that the officer would likely still be awake, so they just had to wait. Waiting was no problem; there were progress reports to write up, and research to do in the meantime. It wasn¡¯t long before the call from Ark-1 came through. TO accepted, and a hologram rose over the desk showing Ark-1¡¯s hardened face. ¡°I¡¯m assuming that this is important.¡± They said, their ears pinning back. ¡°It is.¡± TO said. ¡°I have concerns about local governance, and updates on the insurgency.¡± They ran through the events of the day, what Petra had said at the party, what Lendulin said about medical supplies, then finished with their concerns about Pearla and their encounter with the bot. ¡°I worry that the mismanagement of the local government fuels the insurgency.¡± TO said, ¡°An insurgency that clearly has no issue with removing safeties from bots.¡± ¡°This Pearla; Did you apprehend her?¡± Ark-1 asked. ¡°We did not.¡± ¡°Why not?¡± ¡°We were disguised as civilians.¡± TO said, their ears flicking forward in confusion, ¡°And I do see value in letting her go free for the moment; it may offer us an opportunity to find people with more influence in the insurgency. If she¡¯s only gotten involved in the last few months, then she has limited information, and limited value.¡± Ark-1¡¯s ears twitched as they considered this. ¡°Very well.¡± They said, ¡°I trust your judgement in this. I expect to see some results. Monitor Pearla and forward her files to me. I would suggest not listing her as a confirmed insurgent at the moment if you wish to use her to find other insurgents; the local authorities will arrest her immediately if you do. That is; if she hasn¡¯t already gone into hiding.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± ¡°As for the drives, examine them. I want you to send me copies of the drives themself as well as a summary of what you found.¡± ¡°Understood. How should we deal with the other issue?¡± Ark-1¡¯s ears twitched in confusion. ¡°What other issue?¡± TO blinked, surprised. Could Ark-1 have forgotten the biggest issue already? Well, they had given them a lot of information, so maybe it was understandable. ¡°About the local governments? How they¡¯re skirting King Decon¡¯s laws?¡± ¡°Ah. That. Well, from what you say, they¡¯re still following the laws, so I see no need to pursue that-¡° ¡°But¡­ But it¡¯s not right!¡± TO said, their voice raising, ¡°Sure they¡¯re technically following King Decon¡¯s laws, but they¡¯re finding and exploiting loopholes! That¡¯s encouraging the insurgency and helping them get civilian support!¡± ¡°They are following the rules as much as they need to.¡± Ark-1 said, ¡°We set the guidelines, and they¡¯re following it.¡± ¡°But we can make them do more! Some of these laws are vague, and they¡¯re taking advantage of that!¡± Ark-1 fell silent, observing TO, the way their ears pinned back and their wings puffed out. ¡°This is culture shock.¡± They said finally, ¡°You¡¯re used to being among synths; among others who wish to follow King Decon, to see peace over a unified galaxy. Civilians are different and have more selfish, personal needs. It¡¯s necessary that we keep looking at the big picture, keep looking at the wellbeing of the galaxy itself and not the struggles of a few people on a single planet.¡± ¡°But they should follow King Decon properly!¡± TO Insisted, ¡°They should be -¡° ¡°They should be, yes, I agree.¡± Ark-1 said, ¡°And we could make them comply as we would, but think of the resources that would take. It would require more personnel and a closer eye on each planet¡¯s political workings. We might have some planets that rally against that, creating another insurgency. We might have to spend further military power to do what we need, creating anxiety across the galaxy, spreading Kind Decon¡¯s forces thing, and stoking hostility.¡± They tilted their head, ¡°I understand you¡¯re seeing some horrors of civilian selfishness at the moment, but please do not let that shadow your true purpose; you are not there to help them, you¡¯re there to stop the insurgency, to learn, grow, and become better servants of King Decon in the future.¡± ¡°People could die though!¡± TO said, ¡°People are going hungry if they have no work, and if they¡¯re not getting the help they need-¡° Ark-1¡¯s ears pinned back, their lips pursed. ¡°Tell me, how many civilian lives are worth the peace of the galaxy?¡± TO¡¯s ears twitched back, ¡°What?¡± ¡°How many?¡± They titled their head, ¡°How many planets would you place above the peace of the galaxy and of a unified empire?¡± ¡°None! But that¡¯s-¡° ¡°That¡¯s how this works.¡± Ark-1 said, ¡°We do what we must so that the empire keeps growing. That¡¯s one reason those laws are so vague; to placate some of the selfish civilians and keep them quiet. We made calculations and decided on the best, most efficient use of resources, and we take the best route to strengthen King Decon¡¯s rule. We have so many resources right now because of this process and it¡¯s those resources that allow us to continue to guide the galaxy. It¡¯s the minor sacrifices that allow us, that allow King Decon, to keep the galaxy safe. Do you understand?¡± TO did. They understood entirely, but it still made them sick. Ark-1 could apparently see that discomfort. ¡°You will be fine.¡± They said, their ears lifting a little, ¡°It¡¯s culture shock. You¡¯re simply seeing the worst of civilians after spending your life around the best of Synths. This is just how they are; self-centered and greedy. They focus only on themselves and not the benefit that their sacrifices have on the rest of the galaxy.¡± Ark-1¡¯s ears pinned back as they talked to civilian greed, their eyes narrowing slightly, ¡°Some civilians should be happy to die in order to preserve the order of the galaxy; we are.¡± ¡°Yes, Ark-1, I understand.¡± TO said, their ears down, their voice flat. It was true; they understood. It was their inability to agree with what was apparently King Decon¡¯s will that made their stomach twist. Episode 183: Economy Though Ark-1 made it clear that TO wouldn¡¯t be able to order the civilian government to cooperate with them, they still wanted to try. Maybe the civilians were selfish and self-centered, but TO knew that in the face of martial law and military intervention, they¡¯d be willing to make some changes. No matter how selfish they were, they wouldn¡¯t risk the possible destruction of their way of life and losing their independence for the sake of their current luxuries. That¡¯d be stupid. When TO said this, DH pointed out that civilians were also stupid. It didn¡¯t matter; they still had to try. After taking a few days to compile their arguments and go over the statistics that they needed, TO called for a meeting. All the praetors were now back in their own quadrants, but they could have their meeting digitally, each one using their personal communicators to have a meeting through their screens. When the time came, a series of screens popped up over TO¡¯s desk, each one displaying a video of the praetors, of Vassel Buteo, and Minister Noss. TO didn¡¯t have their armor on, but that was fine; their system would create an armored synth avatar, which would take TO¡¯s place. It was perhaps the fact that TO wouldn¡¯t be on screen directly that kept them from throwing up; they had never presented an idea to civilians before, and somehow it terrified them. Perhaps it was their nerves that helped them, that triggered a sudden jolt of adrenaline when they started talking. It was as though another part of themself took over and did the work with a kind of confidence that TO wished they truly possessed. TO presented quickly the argument and concisely since they knew civilians got distracted and bored easily. Now that TO had experienced some distractions of civilian life for themself they could understand why. ¡°Given that previous, more straightforward methods of dealing with the insurgency have failed, this seems to be the best way to deal with the current threats.¡± They glanced over to DH, who was sitting at their own desk. They gave a supportive smile and nodded for TO to continue. ¡°Rather than attacking the insurgency and breaking down their defenses, we instead starve them of support. We create a new office to deal with civilian needs, focusing on the planet¡¯s poorest, specifically those who fall under the Galactic Poverty Levels.¡± It wasn¡¯t randomly that TO choose this; the people who fell beneath that level were more likely to get involved with the insurgents; or at any rate, those were the ones who got caught and had records and who the insurgency was targeting. The insurgents had something to give them; TO needed to take their leverage away. The stony faced praetors stared back at the screen, their lips thin and tight as they stayed silent as they stared at their cameras. To TO¡¯s surprise, it was Noss who spoke first. ¡°Frankly, I think it might be a good idea.¡± he said, dabbing away the sweat on his brow. ¡°At the very least, it would diminish civilian support for the insurgency.¡± If they had been on screen properly, TO was sure that even the civilians could read the surprise that made their ears quirk forward. They hadn¡¯t even wanted Noss there; they seemed to TO to be ineffectual, slow-witted, and seemed better at simpering and fawning over them than they were actually doing anything to improve the planet¡¯s security. Maybe he was just agreeing with TO because they were a synth. At any rate, they had at least listened. Buteo cleared his throat, straightening his pose; unlike the other praetors who sat upright as though someone had carefully posed them in place, Buteo had listened while leaning to the side, head resting on his hand. ¡°You said at the beginning, honored synth, that this was a suggestion, not an order. Am I correct?¡± ¡°Yes, that is correct.¡± TO said, their ears already drooping back. They couldn¡¯t make it an actual order because of what Ark-1 said; they couldn¡¯t risk the government itself developing issues with King Decon. ¡°Then, as Vassal, I must say that I find this plan to be problematic.¡± He paused, weighing his words, ¡°This plan will not work for us.¡± He finally said, ¡°Perhaps it might work on other planets, but not here; not on Arkane.¡± The crab-like Praetor Sally nodded, ¡°with my quadrant, I know it will not work; not without massive economic destruction.¡± ¡°With all due respect, Praetor Sally,¡± Noss said, ¡°I believe that if this doesn¡¯t resolve this situation, martial law and massive Galactic Military intervention might be worse for your economy.¡± ¡°Perhaps, but that¡¯s assuming there¡¯s no other way.¡± Sally said. ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t the plan work for you?¡± TO asked. Yes, the plans that TO had in mind would have some cost, but they couldn¡¯t see it creating a massive problem. Sally¡¯s expression hardened, her mandibles clicking as her eyes rotated, focusing in on TO. ¡°Well, with my quadrant, the biggest complaint from the poor here is that they can¡¯t pay off their debts to our government. The solution would be to dissolve their debt, but doing that sets a dangerous precedent for other loan holders.¡± ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± TO demanded. ¡°Well,¡± she said, ¡°Some might choose not to pay their debts even if they can. If they think we might eventually dissolve their debt, what¡¯s the point of paying it?¡± ¡°Begging your pardon as well, honored synths-¡± Praetor Arde interjected, their beak snapping as they spoke, ¡°But this feels as though we¡¯re rewarding people for joining the insurgency, for the insurgency¡¯s very existence and the support the civilians have given it. If we just do what the insurgency wants, then aren¡¯t we letting them win?¡± TO¡¯s ears pinned back; were these people actually idiots? These were the leaders of Arkane! They had to be a little more broad sighted than the average civilian, right? ¡°We are not doing what the insurgents want.¡± TO said, ¡°We¡¯re doing what the people want. The insurgents are just using that to tempt their support.¡± You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version. ¡°I agree with Minister Arde, and Minister Sally.¡± Vassel Buteo said, ¡°As a government, we cannot give our citizens things that the insurgents are offering. The insurgency is just making empty promises for a future that will never come. Even if we could give what they want, doing so would encourage the same actions in the future.¡± ¡°If we put this into place and maintained the program, then there should not be any insurgency in the future.¡± TO said, ¡°Giving these civilians proper representations to share their issues and needs would make it harder for future insurgencies to have a foothold in your population.¡± Buteo just inclined his head; deference, but not agreement. ¡°On other planets, this solution might work, but it will not work here. We have a different culture, and a different mindset here than from other places.¡± He looked back up properly, ¡°And besides that, we simply cannot give what they want.¡± ¡°We already provide what they want, anyway!¡± The lizard-like Praetor Martha said, her braids swinging as she shook her head, ¡°We have work programs here! Citizens can join up, and they get paid for their work, get a bed to sleep on, and food to eat. If they¡¯re in financial trouble, then they can go there; they just don¡¯t.¡± ¡°And we provide ample opportunities in government programs here to help citizens pay off their debts.¡± Sally said. Buteo nodded, ¡°If you order this, we will of course comply.¡± the feathers around his neck puffed out slightly, ¡°But if this is just a suggestion¡­ my deepest apologies, but we cannot do that and maintain Arkane as it is. Some of the most powerful people on our planet will also resent this change and pull their support away from us.¡± He inclined his head again, ¡°I hope you understand; we have to maintain our way of life.¡± ¡°Very well.¡± TO said, and they hoped the translator could pick up on their irritation, their anger. They doubted it; the translator always seemed to modulate the mood and tone of their words and create an icy, indifferent and cold tone instead. ¡°I will continue my work privately, and attempt to resolve this as my predecessors did.¡± ¡°Of course. We are in your service in the meantime, for King Decon.¡± ¡°For King Decon.¡± TO snapped, then reached out and turned off the communicator. DH leaned forward, their arms on the back of their chair as they watched TO¡¯s face, ¡°I wish I could say I was surprised-¡± TO rested their arms on the table, crossing them to create a concave pillow. They put their face down in their arms and gave a loud, long, frustrated groan. ¡°Well, what did we expect?¡± DH said as they turned to their own consol again, ¡°They¡¯re civilians. You¡¯re asking them to change things for other people, to make sacrifices. They don¡¯t do that. They¡¯re-¡± ¡°Self-centered and selfish.¡± TO said, their voice muffled against their arms. ¡°I know.¡± They lifted their head and sighed, ¡°I just hoped that maybe the threat of unregulated AIs, a violent insurrection, and the possibility of martial law and military intervention might push them to make some changes to protect their planet and stop the insurgency.¡± They groaned again, leaning back until they were staring at the ceiling. ¡°... Do you have another plan?¡± DH asked, their ears flicking down, their eyes wide in a mixture of fear and hope. ¡°That was the best plan I had.¡± TO said, ¡°The only other one I had involves infiltration. That will require Pearla.¡± ¡°The insurgent.¡± ¡°The insurgent.¡± TO agreed. They hadn¡¯t flagged her files; doing so would alert the Arkanian authorities, who would arrest her immediately, as Ark-1 had said. If she got arrested, then the best path to the leadership of the insurgency would disappear. They needed her, so not only had they failed to flag her file, they had removed the checks on her. They didn¡¯t need to risk her getting caught because of something stupid. If they were to get involved with her, they also didn¡¯t need the authorities causing them trouble. ¡°Pearla won¡¯t talk to us.¡± DH said, ¡°She knows we¡¯re synths.¡± ¡°I know.¡± TO said, ¡°And I don¡¯t have a plan for that¡­ yet.¡± ¡°Do you think you can make a plan?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure I can.¡± TO muttered, ¡°I just don¡¯t know if it¡¯ll be a good enough plan to make us retirees. I don¡¯t know if it¡¯ll work fast enough.¡± They raised their hands to their face and rested their palms against their eyes. Even if they succeeded, what would it matter if they were ultimately separated from DH? The answer - or what the answer should have been- echoed in their head. It would matter because serving King Decon is all that matters. How simple it would be if King Decon¡¯s will was all that mattered to them. DH got up from where they were sitting, went over to TO, and wrapped their arms around TO¡¯s shoulders. ¡°... Maybe we can¡¯t do it.¡± They said, their voice soft and sad and oddly resigned. ¡°Maybe we won¡¯t be able to become retirees¡­¡± ¡°No! No we have to!¡± TO said, ¡°We¡­ we have to.¡± They turned around to face DH, twisting in their arms. ¡°If we become retirees, then we might get to choose where we can stay! We can stay together and we won¡¯t have to worry about being separated or corrected!¡± They thought of GiDi once more, on the day that C12 had to take them away. The image that was burned into their head was of the last sad look that GiDi gave them as they turned the corner and left their lives. It still hurt every time they thought about it, and they knew - with some guilt- that if DH had been taken away from them, the pain would have been so much worse. ¡°I can¡¯t lose you.¡± They whispered as they put their hands on DH¡¯s arms. ¡°... We might not have a choice.¡± DH whispered, ¡°Even if we manage, C12 was a retiree, and he got separated from Snout. ¡± ¡°That was different!¡± TO said, letting go of DH. ¡°Snout wasn¡¯t a retiree! If they were, then they wouldn¡¯t have gotten separated! We can do this, I just-¡± They put their hands to their temple, closing their eyes as though trying to see the inside of their mind, ¡°I just need a plan.¡± Their mind raced, their thoughts bouncing off the walls of their head as they tried to find a solution. They couldn¡¯t. They didn¡¯t have enough information; that was the problem. They couldn¡¯t see enough to find the solution. All the information they had was from the reports, from the news, from the leadership and politicians of Arkane, and their own higher ups. What they needed was more information from the people on the lower rungs. They needed more inside information. ¡°We need Pearla.¡± TO said firmly. DH gave a loud sigh as they pulled TO close. ¡°She won¡¯t talk to us. She wouldn¡¯t even give us her information, so we can¡¯t even call her.¡± ¡°Right.¡± TO said with a sigh, ¡°Lendulin and Petra did, but-¡± they trailed off, thinking. As inspiration flashed in their eyes, they pushed away from DH and pulled up their communicator. ¡°I think the best thing for us to do now is to try to get closer to her, to learn more about her.¡± ¡°How?¡± TO smiled as they sent off two messages. ¡°Through her friends, of course.¡± Episode 184: Pieces DH gave a sigh as they slumped back into their chair. ¡°I¡¯m finally done with the drives.¡± They said, stretching their neck after what seemed like hours of sitting in the same position. TO suppressed a sigh of relief; it had taken a lot longer than either of them had expected to extract the data on the drives, and it had been far more frustrating than expected as well. The drives had to be accessed through an operating system that was specific to the brand of the bot it came from, then specific to the model. TO hadn¡¯t known this, of course, and hadn¡¯t bothered to check for serial numbers or hints about the bot. Normally, their system would have identified what they needed, but the bot had no identifiers for their system to pick up on. There were hundreds of manufactures on Arkane alone and they had to pick through old and new operating systems until they found the right one. While TO compiled the data for the Praetors and Vassal - a waste of time- DH had gone through the tedious work of testing the disks with every possible operating system they found. TO had considered cancelling their plans with Lendulin and Petra, since they knew that being pulled away from a project that they were so frustrated with and so involved with would irritate DH to no end. Thankfully, there was no need for that. Not only had DH found the right operating system, but it looked like they had extracted all the data. TO wasn¡¯t surprised since they knew that with computers and programming DH could do nearly anything, they were just glad that it hadn¡¯t taken longer. ¡°Anything useful?¡± TO asked DH¡¯s ears twitched and pinned back as they chewed on their lower lip. ¡°Define useful.¡± They said, ¡°The bad news is that mostly, this information isn¡¯t anything we don''t already know. ¡°The good news?¡± ¡°They confirm what we thought might be true. They had programming to understand Synthspeak. They had images of synths-¡± ¡°Anyone we know?¡± TO asked, their ears pinning back. They wondered if it was GiDi. ¡°It was a composite image, so I couldn¡¯t tell.¡± DH said, ¡°But they knew us specifically. There were features to look for. The scars on your wings, on my face.¡± They weren¡¯t just looking for synths; they were looking for them specifically. It was just like when they were at the portal and the insurgents had demanded TO and DH after receiving their old numbers. TO tried not to think of GiDi, bound up in a dark, dank chamber with wounds all over their body from whatever torture the insurgents were employing to draw information out of them. ¡°They might try to use GiDi.¡± TO said, their teeth gritting together, their hands clenched into fists, claws threatening to pierce their palms, ¡°They might use them to get us to surrender to them, or give them information, or¡­ Or who knows what!.¡± ¡°... We can¡¯t let them hurt GiDi.¡± DH said, ¡°They won¡¯t. We¡¯ll stop them before they can hurt them anymore.¡± ¡°But if we can¡¯t?¡± ¡°We will!¡± DH stared at the screen, unblinking for several long minutes, before they pulled up another file. ¡°I also found out how they got the bot to overheat itself.¡± DH said. ¡°And it starts with this; the only other image of a person I could find.¡± A picture of a small person with a furry, narrow face, enormous eyes, and large, rounded ears appeared on the screen. ¡°The name associated with the image is ¡°Joe Mama.¡± TO blinked slowly at DH, their ears twitching with disbelief. ¡°... Really?¡± ¡°Really. The person who reprogrammed this thing has technical abilities of a well-trained savant, and the sensibilities of a child.¡± DH said, ¡°But they set things up so that it would rank them on the same authoritative level as synths. This ¡®Joe¡¯ probably told the robot not to say anything that might identify them. You, on the same authority level, demanded information they were forbidden from giving. Under normal circumstances, this would have caused a temporary reset.¡± ¡°But someone removed the reset mechanisms.¡± TO said, ¡°It couldn¡¯t reset, so it overheated.¡± ¡°Exactly.¡± They leaned forward. ¡°The solution here for what they did is simple enough, but that they could get around the security coding without breaking the actual functioning code is impressive. There''s all kinds of fail-safes and safety checks to shut the whole thing down and lock it if someone tampered with the security coding and they got past all that after hacking into it. ¡°Were we able to get an actual identification of the hacker?¡± ¡°Not yet; this species, Oryzoma, is prolific here, and there are no features in the image that would make them stand out. I¡¯m running a scan now in the civilian database looking for an Oryzoma with known advanced technological skills, specifically in AI, robotics, and programming. If I get a lot of them, I¡¯ll see about refining that to any individuals with a criminal record.¡± ¡°And we just hope that brings up something.¡± TO said. ¡°And if it doesn¡¯t, I see if I can make more headway with these.¡± DH tapped on the drives. ¡°There¡¯s some information here that¡­¡± They paused, glancing at TO, ¡°It¡¯s¡­ a little more advanced than you¡¯d be interested in. Suffice to say, I can probably use the information here to track them down over Arkane¡¯s network.¡± TO leaned forward and rubbed at their eyes with their palms. They had helped DH where they could, looking up different bot operation systems for them to try, had spent so long getting data for the praetors, and then when all they could do was wait, they looked into their databases looking for further connections with Pearla and the insurgency; someone perhaps who associated with her just before she got flagged for suspicious behaviour. So far, nothing. They hoped the drives would have more information, but as DH said, it only gave them information that they already knew. If that ¡°Joe¡± was already on their list, then maybe they¡¯d have something, but TO had seen no one like that on the list! There was nothing. Nothing connected in the way TO hoped. It appeared she had simply fallen in with the insurgency almost randomly, but that simply didn¡¯t happen. There had to be some missing piece here that TO wasn¡¯t seeing; something that so far escaped notice. The sudden warmth of DH¡¯s arms and wings as they wrapped around TO¡¯s shoulders startled them from their thoughts. They hadn¡¯t noticed DH get up from their seat and even now when they pulled their hands away from their eyes, all they saw was DHs chest, the soft blue fabric of one of their new dresses which rubbed gently against TO¡¯s cheek. They smelled nice. Were they wearing perfume? TO was pretty sure that DH received a sample at some point. Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation. Confusion rose and dissipated as TO decided that this was nice; far too nice to waste questions on. They nuzzled into DH¡¯s chest, wrapping their arms around their waist. Only a moment later, they felt DH¡¯s hand reach for the back of their neck. Gentle fingertips scratched just at the base of the skull, featherlight and gentle. The muscles that TO had kept tense for the last few days suddenly seemed to relax all at once and before they knew it, they were chirping softly in DH¡¯s arms, leaning against them as though they might fall asleep. ¡°... We could put off meeting with Lendulin and Petra.¡± DH offered, ¡°Just for today. We could just rest today.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t.¡± TO murmured into DH¡¯s chest. They wanted to, they wanted to take the day, the week, the year, and just stay with DH. We could run. In fleeting seconds, they imagined taking DH and running, disappearing into the city and just existing with DH at their side. The thoughts shot through their head like lightning; sudden and shocking. As the surprise of their own thoughts faded, it was replaced by guilt. They were here to do an important job for King Decon, to serve Him in managing the galaxy. That was their goal, their purpose; the very reason He had created them in the first place! Would they put DH over all of that? The answer came quick and easy, silent in their head and invoking panic and fear. Maybe this was why such feelings between synths were so frowned upon; it made them shortsighted and selfish, just like civilians. They spent another moment in DH¡¯s embrace before they pulled away. ¡°We need to get ready.¡± They said, their ears low, ¡°We have work to do.¡± ====== The office district was where most of the citizens of Arkane worked if they didn''t own a business, or work for the government itself. What TO knew of work done in offices was minimal, but from the data they had received they knew that most of what was here was ¡°Service Offices.¡± where hundreds of people sat at desks in a cramped office, connected to a communicator as they worked though whatever contract they were assigned. It could be anything; technical support, customer support, sales, marketing, research, intimate roleplay, and data collection were all things that such an office worker might end up doing. The image TO always had of such places in their mind, taken from shows of course, were that of clean offices, and smiling people in crisp suits taking calls. Maybe it was like that inside the offices, but outside it was different; people on breaks stood in a cage-like outside break area, smoking, drinking, or taking pills before going back in ¡°I swear, the last missus I had told me outright to just go kill myself!¡± ¡°I had one last week that told me they¡¯d come find me and do it for me.¡± There was a dry laugh that followed this, ¡°At least then I wouldn¡¯t have to come in to work.¡± ¡°Could be worse. Could be in shipping.¡± ¡°Damn right. Be grateful I guess.¡± Was a job in shipping worse than a job in service? For synths, there were no lesser jobs; all work served King Decon. There were of course jobs that TO themself wouldn¡¯t want to do, ones that were boring to them, or more dangerous, or which would take them away from DH. Still, they didn¡¯t look down on these jobs with the level of disdain that the civilians held in their voice for shipping jobs¡¯; it was thick enough that even TO could pick it up in their tone. ¡°I hate it here.¡± DH muttered, being careful not to step into any of the many puddles on the street. They had new shoes now; flat and sturdy, but covered in a blue velvet that matched their dress. ¡°Didn¡¯t you find a nicer place in the entertainment district?¡± ¡°Petra said she couldn¡¯t make it there.¡± TO said. ¡°She had business here, and could meet us later. This is easier for Lendulin too.¡± They shrugged, feeling their ears twitch back, ¡°Apparently, people aren¡¯t as hostile to her around here as they are in the inner rings.¡± ¡°I still hate it here.¡± DH grumbled. Something moved out of the corner of their eyes, and when TO looked they saw a large insect, about the size of an average cat with a small head and a large, fat tail tipped with a two-pronged pincer. It perched on the edge of a garbage can on a corner, nosing it¡¯s way through the refuse. A twitch of its tail and a shudder and a twitch of its antenna was all the foreboding they got before it plunged its tail over its head and into the garbage, coming back up with a piece of rotting meat caught in its pincer. TO shuddered and drew closer to DH. They hated this place too. They wished they could do this with their armor on so that they didn¡¯t have to smell and hear everything. With their armor on they¡¯d be less worried when they felt the phantom touch of insect legs crawling on their back. DH took TO¡¯s arm in theirs, lacing their fingers together. ¡°Are you alright?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be better when we get to the place.¡± TO said. ¡°Let¡¯s hurry.¡± The place that Petra had picked out was called Journeyman''s, and it was a bar instead of a cafe as TO had originally planned. Any assumptions of a nice, clean bar with padded seats and fancy drinks in elegant glasses fled from TO¡¯s mind as soon as they entered; the smell of people, of smoke and spilled alcohol was strong here, mixed with a hint of grease from a kitchen hidden in the back. It was late in the day so many of the tables were already filled with a chaotic array of various species wearing mostly baggy and tattered clothes in denim and cotton, sitting at their tables and drinking from large glass mugs. Tucked away in one corner around several large speakers was a civilian, an older human male with salt and pepper hair and an unkempt beard, who was ¡®providing entertainment.¡± He sat on a stool before a microphone, playing an out-of-tune guitar and singing; the two sounds seemed to compete with one another, and the speakers distorted the noise to create weird pitches and dull low notes that hurt TO¡¯s ears. In order to be heard the civilians had to shout at one another even though most of them were sitting close together. Bits and pieces of conversation far more melodic than the lyrics to the murdered song rose up over the fray. ¡°I swear, three hours just to fix her machine, and-¡± ¡°He didn¡¯t need the deluxe package, but I fuckin¡¯ sold it. Made my quota.¡± ¡°-when I called back with a male voice modulator, he was fine! What an asshole.¡± There were too many fragments of conversation caught over the cacophony of the noise coming from the entertainer''s speakers. That, combined with the smells and strange lighting was already giving TO a headache. They should have stayed home and had a nice, peaceful nice with DH. ¡°Are you sure this is the place?¡± DH shouted over the noise. ¡°Positive!¡± TO shouted back, wincing. They had checked the address and ran it through their communicator to ensure they had the right location. Still, they couldn¡¯t see Petra anywhere. Maybe she hadn¡¯t shown up. Maybe she had changed her mind. Maybe she never intended to meet up with them at all. TO knew that should bother them but in the moment they couldn¡¯t help but hope that was the case; if Petra wasn¡¯t coming, then they¡¯d be able to go home then and get out of this awful place. They felt a hand on their arm, and when they looked it was Petra. ¡°Sorry! I forgot it was live ¡®music¡¯ day.¡± She shouted. She gave the entertainer a glare as though she might make him disappear by will alone. When that failed, she settled on sighing and gesturing to the back corner, ¡°Come on, we can talk back there.¡± Disappointed, and with their head throbbing, TO followed her to the back, DH¡¯s arm linked in their own as they navigated their way past crowded tables and to the back corner. Episode 185: Business Petra led them to the back of the bar, to a table that was obscured from sight by a half-wall. It was cramped, difficult to get to, and TO honestly felt as though someone had shoved the table there after finishing everything else; like someone had found one more table that had to be put out and they simply crammed it anywhere they could. Still, once they sat, TO found that the wall muffled the awful caterwauling enough that it was mere background noise. ¡°Sorry.¡± Petra said as she sat down, ¡°If I had known it was open mic night, I¡¯d have suggested somewhere else.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± TO said as they slid into the narrow seat at the booth. They didn¡¯t have enough space, they could feel their shoes sticking to the floor, and the smell was worse in the back corner, but there was one enormous advantage; they could hear here. Thanks to the music, it would also be difficult for someone to listen in on them. They didn¡¯t know if they had to worry about the Insurgency spying on them here, but it was best - in their mind- to be cautious at every step. They had let their guard down once in the Outer Ring. That wouldn¡¯t happen again. ¡°Where¡¯s Lendulin?¡± DH asked as they slid into the booth next to TO, hissing in pain as they smacked their knee off the underside of the table. ¡°She thought she had her chair fixed, but something broke off the wheel while they were heading to the tubes. She sends her apologies though and says she was looking forward to seeing you again.¡± ¡°We wanted to invite Pearla too.¡± DH said, ¡°But we didn¡¯t have her contact information.¡± ¡°Yeah... Sorry about her the other day, by the way. She¡¯s always cautious around¡­ well, around strangers.¡± She shrugged apologetically, ¡°She¡¯s nice, but she has a ¡®Better safe than sorry, better paranoid than dead¡¯ Kind of mentality.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± TO said, ¡°Maybe you can talk to her about this afterwards.¡± What would happen to Pearla once this was over? Once they dealt with the insurgency and everything was getting sorted out in the end, would she be exiled? Executed? ¡°Right. What¡¯s this about?¡± Petra asked as she tapped a clawed hand on the table, her tail flicking. In the seat next to her, ¡°You made it sound like you wanted to do more than just have a drink with a friend.¡± ¡°Ah.. right; Drinks¡­¡± TO looked around, thinking they should call someone over, but because of the half-wall they couldn¡¯t see anyone. ¡°How do we-¡° Petra smirked and tapped on the table, which displayed a menu. She looked over it, and double tapped on something. ¡°You go through this, and just tap on what you want. What, you¡¯ve never been to a normal bar?¡± ¡°Normal?¡± ¡°You know, one with interactive menus instead of servers.¡± ¡°Something like that.¡± TO said as they looked at the menu, pretending to read. They were really thinking, preparing themself for what they were about to do. Their entire plan right now involved them lying a lot, and though TO was certain that Petra couldn¡¯t read ears, the idea of lying made their stomach knot up. It wasn¡¯t like she could do anything about it, even if she did. Still, TO was nervous. DH finally double tapped on a drink, and without reading it, TO ordered the same drink. Petra then tapped at an icon near the bottom and the menu disappeared. ¡°They¡¯ll be here soon.¡± She said, ¡°Now; what do you need?¡± They had practiced this in the same way they had practiced their conversations with other synths when they worked in Operational Efficiency. They had practiced with DH, and in their head over and over. ¡°Well¡­ As you know, we¡¯re here hoping to start a business-¡° ¡°Yes, and probably you¡¯ll be fine. I mean, since you ended up at the government house at the welcome for those damn synths¡± TO winced at the venom in her voice, ¡°Well, they didn¡¯t catch you that night, so they¡¯re not a problem, right?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not¡­¡± she sighed, ¡°Nevermind. Go on.¡± The bite in her voice had thrown TO, and it took them a moment to gather themself one more. ¡°Well, I think we mentioned we came here without an actual plan. We wanted to see what things were like, and what business we might run here first before making an actual plan.¡± ¡°Must be nice to just go to another planet without a plan. Go on.¡± TO felt their ears sink back; was she angry with them? It was hard to pick up on her tone. ¡°We want to do something good.¡± DH said, picking up where TO had dropped the conversation, ¡°We want to make things better.¡± She gave a short bark of laughter. ¡°You want to make things better through a business?¡± She shook her head, her tail slapping the seating, ¡°You won¡¯t last long here then.¡± A circular hole opened up in the center of the table, allowing a platform from below to rise, bringing with it three drinks. Petra had ordered a beer; amber and foamy, while DH and TO had ordered bright orange drinks in a tall glass. ¡°Hammerheads.¡± DH said in Synthspeak, ¡°I already checked them; they should be fine for us to drink. High alcohol content but nothing we can¡¯t handle.¡± TO nodded, took a sip, and set the drink down. They¡¯d wait a few minutes before they tried any more; by then they¡¯d know if it was dangerous for them, or if it had been poisoned. ¡°Why do you think we won¡¯t last?¡± TO asked. Petra took a long drink of her beer, setting the glass down heavily on the tabletop, ¡°Because you won¡¯t.¡± She said with a shrug, ¡°You want to run a business? You have to fuck someone over. That¡¯s how businesses run- no... that¡¯s how they survive.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not true.¡± DH said. They gestured to the blue dress they were wearing. ¡°The shop where I bought this; only one person worked there, and they made all their clothing themself-¡° Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings. ¡°Where¡¯s the fabric from?¡± She asked, leaning forward. ¡°¡­ What?¡± ¡°The fabric? Where¡¯s it from? Where are the raw materials from? How was it woven? If it¡¯s any kind of cotton, then the people who grew it probably went into massive debt to get the machinery and seeds for it. They probably paid the people who harvested it as little as possible to make up for that loss. Children probably wove it together.¡± She gestured to her own top, a plain garment that was slung over her head and tied around her thighs as to accommodate her wings. ¡°This is synthetic; cheap as dirt. The people who made the fabric were probably working to pay off debt, not for actual money. They likely breathed in a lot of nasty shit to get it made. Since it¡¯s cheap, kids probably wove and stitched it on some moon somewhere.¡± ¡°Why are you wearing it?¡± DH asked, still holding onto the fabric of their own shirt in their hands. ¡°Because I can¡¯t sew myself? Because I can¡¯t afford the high end shit people can feel good about buying? Because nudity is kinda frowned upon, and honestly I don¡¯t have the self-confidence for that lifestyle, anyway.¡± She shrugged, ¡°I need to wear clothes, and cheap shit made by the suffering of others is all I can afford.¡± ¡°OK, but there¡¯s laws against all that.¡± DH said, frowning, ¡°King Decon-¡° ¡°Ah, yes. King Decon.¡± She leaned forward, giving them a sickly sweet smile as she rested her chin in her hand. ¡°Tell me all about King Decon. What does He say about all this?¡± DH frowned, their ears pinning back. ¡°Well¡­ well, there¡¯s a certain wage that people need to receive, depending on their planet¡¯s economy. A living wage-¡° ¡°That¡¯s the ideal, yes.¡± Petra said, ¡°But most factories have their employees sign contracts when they start, saying they agree to working longer hours, to fewer breaks, to lesser pay¡­¡± She shrugged, ¡°And when the alternative is a crappy job, or no job and no money, well, most people take the crappy job.¡± She took another drink. ¡°Oh! That¡¯s not counting the indebted. If you owe someone -a company or a government- money, you can make a deal with them to pay it off through work.¡± ¡°Which is fair, right? If someone is in debt, that¡¯s their own fault, isn¡¯t it?¡± The look that she gave them made even TO shrink in their seat. ¡°Say someone gets sick; they get a bad flu or something. Health and safety regulations say that they have to be without symptoms for three days before returning to work, and say they cannot work sick. That¡¯s fair; you don¡¯t want to get sicker, and you don¡¯t want to make other people sick.¡± ¡°Right, and they won¡¯t lose their job if they¡¯re out sick.¡± DH said. ¡°HOWEVER, let¡¯s say this person we¡¯re imagining is sick for a week. Then they wait another three days to be symptom free. All that time, they have no pay; no money. They¡¯re short on their rent come the end of the month, so they borrow from the Housing Commission. So long as they pay that back within the next month, there¡¯s no interest, but most people in that situation are just scraping by; every penny they make is FOR something. So, they take what little savings they have, and try to pay it off. Maybe they eat a little less, and go without a few things they need. Maybe they can pay it off in that month, but if they can¡¯t then the interest goes up; it skyrockets. Now they have to pay back more, so they cut back more. Maybe they get sick again because they¡¯re eating less, or not turning on the heat. Maybe their communicator breaks, and they need a new one.¡± She shook her head. ¡°There¡¯s a million things that can go wrong! Now, not only are they behind on their debt, but now they don¡¯t have money for their rent again. Maybe they don¡¯t have money for food.¡± She held up her hand, two fingers raised up, ¡°There¡¯s two options; Go hungry and homeless¡­ or go into the debtors program.¡± ¡°And if that¡¯s the worst case¡­ that¡¯s not too bad, is it? The debt gets paid off, and they get to go back to their normal lives.¡± DH said. Petra shook her head, snorting. ¡°You really are na?ve, aren¡¯t you?¡± She said, ¡°To start, the debtors program puts you in an awful, cramped dorm. If you go in as a family, you¡¯re all separated. You can work off your debt, but you also have to work off the money spent to house and feed you, and interest on top of all of it. Many people go into the program, and just live there for the rest of their lives.¡± ¡°¡­ That happens?¡± TO asked, their voice quiet. ¡°All the damned time.¡± Petra said as she took another drink, ¡°And it all follows King Dick¡¯s grand plan for the galaxy.¡± DH, who had been taking another sip of their own drink, choked as Petra spoke. TO put a hand on their back, gently patting them and trying to help them. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, what?!¡± they said, their voice hoarse and raspy. Petra shrugged, ¡°I reserve the right to call anyone a dick if I think it fits.¡± She said, ¡°He sets up these plans that let well-off people like you- ¡°She pointed an accusing finger at DH, ¡°Feel happy about things. Makes you think that people on the bottom are there because they¡¯re lazy, or it¡¯s their own fault. It¡¯s just enough to let you feel better about yourselves.¡± ¡°¡®You lot?¡¯¡± Despite their anger, DH¡¯s ears quivered in confusion. ¡°You lot. The rich. People who can just fuck off to another planet and scope it out to see if it fits their wish to start a business.¡± The conversation reminded TO of Ark-1. Of how certain sacrifices had to be made to keep the peace of the galaxy. They kept certain laws vague to placate the civilians. Which civilians? Clearly not civilians like Petra. Clearly not the ones getting into these situations. ¡°Don¡¯t you worry about talking about King Decon like that?¡± DH hissed. ¡°Not really; I¡¯m sure he has better things to do than chase after me. What¡¯s he gonna do, send his damned synths after me for calling him a dick?¡± DH¡¯s ears pinned back, and their upper lip curled to reveal their teeth. TO put their hand on DH¡¯s thigh under the table, giving them a squeeze to calm them. Scaring her off wouldn¡¯t help them get closer to her friends; to Pearla. ¡°We¡­ I never considered that¡­¡¯¡¯ TO said, keep their tone even though even their ears pinned back in anger, ¡°But we want to do good. We want to do what we can, even if it¡¯s small.¡± They took a sip of their drink before continuing; it had a slightly fruity taste, but TO could easily feel the alcohol burn as it went down their throat. How strong did the civilians make their drinks? ¡°I was thinking about the whole thing with Lendulin¡¯s chair.¡± They said, going back to their practiced lines, ¡°And thought maybe that could be a starting point. That¡¯s why I was hoping to talk to her¡­ Well, her and Pearla.¡± ¡°Why Pearla?¡± ¡°Well, she¡¯s legless too. I figured there might be mobility things she struggles with as well.¡± Petra looked at TO, confused. ¡°You¡­ You want to focus your business on the legless?¡± ¡°There¡¯s a need for it.¡± DH said; they had calmed down a little, even though their ears were still pinned back, ¡°Celesto said that he couldn¡¯t make clothing to accommodate Lendulin. If other businesses aren''t accommodating the legless, then we could.¡± ¡°This¡­¡± TO lowered their voice, as though afraid of being overheard; it was all an act of course, ¡°This all really started when we were discussing¡­ The insurgency.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± She leaned on her hand, watching TO carefully. ¡°Well, they have a lot of civilian support-¡° ¡°For good reason.¡± TO nodded, ¡°Exactly! For good reason! We want to find out what that reason is! We want to help! If an issue is bad enough that it creates an insurgency, then it¡¯s important enough for us to help with, right?¡± Petra gave TO a hard stare as she took another drink. She finished the contents of her glass, set it down on the table, and double tapped next to the glass. A smaller hole opened up on the table and took the glass away. ¡°What if I said you¡¯d never make money doing this?¡± She said, ¡°There¡¯s no money to be made from helping us; we have no money. Most of us have negative money.¡± TO gave a grin, and answered truthfully, ¡°None of this is about the money.¡± She stared at them, not breaking eye contact even as a fresh glass of beer came up. Finally, she took it, took a drink, and laughed. ¡°Dumbasses.¡± She said, ¡°But sure. I¡¯m curious to see where this goes. What do you need?¡± Episode 186: Contacts When TO peeled off their clothes, they felt like they were peeling off a layer of scum. The stench and smoke that lingered in the streets and in the bar clung to them like a miasma that invoked bad singing and too-strong drinks. Clothes went directly into the small washer, and TO jumped right into the shower, which was still hot and steamy since DH had used it first. They used a lot of the plain liquid soap that came from the dispenser in the shower; it was the same as what they used back in the training center and somehow calmed TO. That was good. They needed to calm down and work on their plan. The only ¡®plan¡¯ they had was a vague idea what their next step was; they would meet again with Lendulin, this time at her home so that she didn''t have to worry about transportation with a bad wheelchair. The other part of the plan, the more important part, was getting Pearla to talk to them. Pearla; the actual target. They just had to get close enough to her friends to convince her to talk to them, and slip something that they could use, some hint that would lead them to someone else in the insurgency. Given that she knew they were synths, that would be very difficult. They had a week to do it before they went to another quadrant. If they didn''t have Pearla¡¯s contact information by then, then they didn¡¯t know what they¡¯d do. Was there a point in going to the other quadrants now? TO¡¯s original plan wouldn¡¯t work anymore, so was there a point? Why couldn¡¯t they just stay in Oikia? Because there was an insurgent presence in other quadrants. Because the Praetors already requested their presence in each one. Because there was the chance that they wouldn¡¯t be able to work with Pearla, and they couldn¡¯t waste their time trying to get her to cooperate if she wouldn¡¯t. Maybe they¡¯d have to have her arrested and interrogate her if she wouldn¡¯t cooperate in how they wanted. The idea made TO feel queasy. They had learned basic interrogation techniques in training and hated every second that they had to employ them in the simulations. The hot water poured over them until the heat made TO feel dizzy. They turned off the water and stood there, naked and dripping as steam rose gently from their skin. Their plan was awful; they had only planned one step ahead and from there they were, and they were fishing for hints on what their next step should be. Their original plan had been perfect, but of course nobody wanted to cooperate with them! The higher authorities, King Decon, did not wish to push the civilians and risk needing to spend unneeded resources to keep a planet in line. The civilian leaders didn¡¯t want to risk the state of their economy, even though all that would be torn apart should martial law take place. Now, because of all that, TO was just making things up as they went. They hated it. When they left the washroom, cooler air in the main room hit their skin, sending shivers through them, but leaving them feeling oddly refreshed as their wings wrapped around their naked, still damp shoulders. ¡°Feel better?¡± DH asked from where they were lounging on their bed. ¡°Much.¡± TO said. They grabbed their communicator and went to the bed, reclining next to DH. It only took a moment for DH to curl into them, resting their head on their shoulder and draping an arm and wing over them like a blanket. This was perfect. This was all TO really wanted. They pressed their snout to the top of DH¡¯s head, nuzzling them gently as they rubbed their mate¡¯s ear, reveling in their warmth of DH¡¯s skin against theirs. If they didn¡¯t do this, if they didn¡¯t fix the entire issue of the insurgency, then they¡¯d be separated. No, if they didn¡¯t fix the insurgency and do so in such a way that proved them both to be outstanding, then they¡¯d be separated. They couldn¡¯t just achieve, they had to excel. The idea of running flickered through their mind once more, igniting guilt and shame in them again. TO forced the idea away; they didn¡¯t want to leave King Decon¡¯s service; it was just a thought that had wormed its way into their head; once, which bothered them so much that it continued to poke and prod at them. Had DH ever considered running? Had that idea ever flickered into their head? Before they could think about that too much, before the question could bubble up and out of their mouth, their communicator went off. Careful not to move too much and risk disturbing DH, they reached for their communicator to see who it was. They expected a message from Petra, or even Lendulin. It was neither of them. An alert showed a simple contact share request from Pearla with no notes or messages along with it. Petra had promised to pass on TO¡¯s contact information to Pearla, but they hadn¡¯t expected her to take it, let alone send a contact request. Maybe this was a sign, saying that despite TO¡¯s worrying, things were going to work better and faster than they thought. Maybe everything would work out just fine. Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on. With a slight grin and upwards lifted ears, they accepted the request. ====== Though TO didn¡¯t want to go to the Outer Ring again, they had already made the arrangements to meet with Lendulin and so they had to meet her at her home on the outskirts of the Outer Ring. They took their vehicle, landing it at the only parking center in the Outer Ring, on the other side of the district from where Lendulin was. ¡°It would have been faster to land a few distracts over and take the tube from there.¡± DH had muttered as they looked up how long it took for the one tube that went through the Outer Ring to get to where they needed to go. ¡°The Inter-district tubs have an exit closer to Lendulin¡¯s place than the local tube does.¡± They hadn¡¯t even landed in the outer ring yet, and even from the inside of their vehicle they could feel the change in the atmosphere; the lighting was different here; the tall buildings were so crowded that even in the middle of the day the ground seemed to be covered in perpetual twilight. ¡°Ideally, yes.¡± TO said, ¡°But this time of day there¡¯s too much congestion going out from the Outer Ring and since they only have one tube that circles from there to the interior, it would take us hours to get there. ¡° ¡°That¡¯s dumb.¡± DH grumbled as they glared out the window, ¡°Why not have more?¡± TO didn¡¯t have an answer for DH, but they agreed; the tube from the Outer Ring seemed to run on a five-hour cycle, hitting each stop once every five hours. The interior districts had more frequent runs, though the further in you got, the more likely people were to have their own vehicles. It made little sense to TO. They¡¯d have to ask about it. At least the local tube circled the entire Outer Ring every three hours. Unfortunately, the hour they spent on the tube wasn¡¯t as pleasant as their previous tube ride; they didn¡¯t go high enough to see the ocean, so all they could see was the blurred form of the clustered buildings as they rushed by. The stop closest to Lendulin was right in front of a large warehouse next to the sea, giving them a good view of the workers unloading imports from other planets. Their synth vessel had been the exception, but most ships - especially cargo ships- that landed on Arkane landed in the water. Sometimes it wasn¡¯t even ships that landed in the water; landing and taking off again took a lot of fuel, so sometimes the ship itself would just pass by the atmosphere and send a shipping container through the atmosphere and to the water below. Containers similar to those that TO had worked with back in training crowded the shoreline. The entire warehouse reminded TO of the work that they had done back in training; They plucked a crate from the water, set on a trolley, and pushed into the warehouse where they assumed it would be unloaded and directed to the necessary locations. It was odd that there was a job that civilians did, which Synths also did. Of course, were there not civilian medics as well? Civilian maintenance crews? It still felt odd. They stepped out of the tube, and while TO was grateful for the sunglasses that protected them from the awful glare of the sun, the sun''s effects in this area were still obvious; there was a stink that rose from the water, salty, sickly sweet, and foul all at once. The Outer Ring was just as unpleasant at night as it was during the day; the only difference was that there were more people moving about; a cacophony of different species rushing about, or sitting on street corners, or leaning against scum covered walls drinking from green-tinted bottles that held a drink so strong that TO could smell the alcohol as they passed by. Maybe it was worse in the daytime; the sun made all the smells so much more vivid. ¡°Why can¡¯t civilians manage the stink around them?¡± DH muttered as they wrinkled their snout. ¡°Come on.¡± TO said as they took DH¡¯s hand and led them down the street, ¡°Maybe it¡¯ll be better once we get to Lendulin¡¯s place.¡± ¡°I thought the sea smelled fresh and salty. It smells like sewage and rot here.¡± They didn¡¯t have to get too far to realize why it smelled so foul. Along the edge of the water, various pieces of garbage clung to the rocks. There was an iridescent glow of oil on the surface that reflected the light, and a slime that coated the shore. ¡°Exhaust.¡± TO said, ¡°Garbage, sewage, that¡¯s why it smells bad.¡± They remembered something that Celesto had said, ¡°... There¡¯s waste all in the water on the shoreline. There¡¯s a bit of an exposed river in the residential district of the island that¡¯s cleaned and purified, but-¡± ¡°Then why is she living here!?¡± DH said, ¡°It¡¯s awful here, and there¡¯s a better place for her to live!¡± Why was she living here? It was a good question. ¡°We can ask her.¡± TO said, their ears perking up. DH frowned, ¡°Wouldn¡¯t that be rude?¡± ¡°Not if we¡¯re asking about making the planet better, right? We¡¯re asking her about problems that legless people suffer here, and if a lot of legless people live here, and the water is dirty, then that¡¯s a problem we can ask about!¡± They were excited, and even happy until one of those awful, multi-legged insects ran out from the shadows, darting past TO and heading to the water. A violent shudder ran through them, a strangled cry that was half scream, half squawk escaped their throat as they clutched at DH¡¯s arm, shaking. DH stopped, holding TO as they struggled to calm themself. ¡°Are you going to be ok?¡± they asked. ¡°I hate those things.¡± TO muttered, trying to get their heart to calm down, ¡°I hate them. I can feel it on me. I wish I had my armor on-¡± ¡°... I admit.¡± DH said, ¡°I¡¯m glad I didn''t wear a dress today.¡± When they dressed to leave, DH had worn a pair of plain denim pants, a rose-colored cotton shirt with holes in the back to accommodate their wings, and, of course, the plainest boots they had bought. There was some disappointment on TO¡¯s part that they dressed so simply; they looked lovely in their dresses, the ones that hugged their sides and flowed out from their thighs. Somehow, DH had an almost ethereal look about them when they wore any kind of dress or skirt, and it made TO¡¯s heart swell, and made them so insanely happy thinking about how they could hold DH, and kiss them and rub their ears if they wanted. Now, among the garbage and stink and insects, TO understand fully well why they had not worn a dress. TO was glad that they wore pants as normal, but they desperately wanted their armor to protect them from the bugs and the stench. OF course, they couldn¡¯t really pick up on the stench now. All they could smell was DH. DH still smelled of perfume, specifically lavender according to the bottle they had found. For a moment it seemed to block out everything else and TO could feel their muscles relax. They took a deep breath as they pressed their forehead to DH¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Yeah man, that one just like, SCREAMED at bugs.¡± The sound came from nearby, followed by laughter. TO pulled away from DH and looked around, their ears swiveling until they located where it was coming from. Atop a nearby storage building, a group of five children were watching them, laughing at TO for their reaction to the awful insect. The heat rose to their ears, and they took DH¡¯s hand once more, and pulled them along. The sooner they spoke to Lendulin, the sooner they could get out of the Outer Ring and go back home. Episode 187: Housing Eventually, the crowded buildings around the waterfront gave way to docks and marinas for a variety of ships; all clearly industrial or commercial, with large logos plastered against the worn and dirty sides. Often, between the docks, they¡¯d see modular houses set up on the waterfront; the ancient ones that were mostly plastic and all tiny. The residents had expanded some of the houses here and there with old shipping crates that were carefully attached to the sides. Many of the houses had areas added on that went into the water. Some were half submerged. ¡°People can¡¯t live here.¡± DH muttered. ¡°They do.¡± TO said as they caught sight of two young, octopus-like children who were playing in the iridescent water while their mother worked to link shells together with clear wire, creating something like what Lendulin had been wearing when they first met; a chain-mail-like dress made of fragments of shells. The mother glanced up at DH and TO as they passed, then did a double take as she took in their tall forms, their wings, and their legs. She quickly snapped something to her children, which at first TO didn¡¯t understand. The translator that Buteo had suggested to them back at the party kicked in and translated for them. ¡°Quick. Inside. Dangerous people.¡± The children looked up at TO and DH, looked at their legs, and jumped into the water next to a submerged shipping crate attached to the side of a tiny modular home. The mother stayed where she was, working and eying them carefully. ¡°... Do you think she knows we¡¯re synths?¡± DH asked, reverting to synth speak. ¡°No.¡± TO said, ¡°I just think she¡¯s just afraid of us. Of people with legs. Like Lendulin was.¡± They walked down the path that their communicator instructed, eventually walking down a narrow flight of stairs and closer to the water''s surface, where a narrow ledge led them to a tunnel that twisted back under the city. ¡°At least it¡¯s not so bright.¡± DH said as they took off their sunglasses. ¡°I think there''re lights further down; it looks like a maintenance tunnel of some sort.¡± They sniffed, and wrinkled their snout, ¡°Still stinks in here though.¡± ¡°Maybe this brings water to the river in the residential district?¡± TO said, though even they knew that the water would have to go through a lot of purification processes before it could be clean enough for that. Though the water here seemed to be a little cleaner than it was right at the shoreline, the surface still had its oily, iridescent gleam. They only had to walk a little further before TO¡¯s communicator told them they had arrived, stopping them in front of an old metal door in the stone wall. Clearly, there had once been a sign attached to the door, but someone had removed it, leaving the number seven scratched into the metal in its place. TO checked their communicator again. Lendulin told them that their address wasn¡¯t official, but if they got lost, they just had to ask for directions to ¡®Eponnomos canal¡¯ and look for number seven. There had been no signs at the entrance to this place, but ¡®canal¡¯ implied a waterway, and the door had a seven scratched into it. They felt for the multi-gun hidden under their shirt. It hadn¡¯t escaped them that this could be a set-up, and that someone might attempt to capture them here. If it came to it, they were ready to fight. They knocked on the door, their fist rapping at the metal and creating an echo that was so much louder than they expected, and which hurt their ears. A moment later, the door opened for them, revealing not Lendulin, but Petra. ¡°Hi!¡± she said as she moved aside to let them in. ¡°You¡¯re a little late; I was thinking maybe I should call, or just go looking for you.¡± She led them inside a simple enough room, one where the water from outside ran through an intake valve along one wall, taking up about a quarter of the space. The rest of the room was large enough, but lendulin had sectioned parts off with pieces of tarp hung up neatly across the room. ¡°OH! They¡¯re here!¡± They heard Lendulin say from the other side of the tarp. There was a splash, and a moment later she swam up alongside the edge of the water, resting her arms up on the stone floor as she looked up at them with a big smile, ¡°I worried you¡¯d change your mind about visiting!¡± Petra closed the door behind them, leaning against it with a smirk. ¡°Honestly, I thought you¡¯d bail once you got within smelling distance of the sea. You made it all the way in here without needing to be rescued and without giving up.¡± She gave a brief smile, ¡°Respect.¡± Lendulin laughed, ¡°Pearla knew you¡¯d come though.¡± She said, ¡°Right Pea-¡± She stopped and looked towards the tarp, ¡°Pearla? You ok?¡± ¡°Yeah.. yes, just coming out now.¡± she said, and a moment later she emerged from a part in the tarps. TO couldn¡¯t help the way their ears perked up, and they even forced a smile. This was perfect; they thought that they¡¯d have to impress her friends before they got to speak to Pearla herself but here she was! Maybe this wouldn¡¯t be as much trouble as they thought it might be! ¡°Nice to see you again, Miss Pearla.¡± TO said. ¡°Right... Same to you.¡± Petra brought a few old, mismatched stools over to a table in the center of the room; the ¡®table¡¯ was actually a giant old plastic spool used for industrial lengths of wire, which someone had saved and repurposed. ¡°We brought food.¡± DH said, reaching into their bag. This had been TO¡¯s idea, as they had been worried about being fed bugs again and wanted to bring something a little more palatable. ¡°Oh, you didn¡¯t have to do that.¡± Lendulin said. ¡°But I¡¯m damn glad you did.¡± Petra said as she sniffed their air, ¡°Imported meats; Goat, I think? Flame-cooked, braised in-¡± She paused, sniffing again, ¡°Unsure. Some kind of fruit maybe.¡± DH blinked as they pulled out the plain white box, staring at Petra, ¡°How did you know?¡± ¡°I¡¯m a carnivore. I¡¯m great at sniffing out different meats.¡± She said with a grin, ¡°It¡¯s been so long since I¡¯ve had anything but insects and seafood.¡± TO shuddered, remembering the awful insects on sticks. ¡°Why though?¡± They muttered. ¡°Uh, it¡¯s cheap?¡± She smirked and gestured to the seat, ¡°Go on, sit down.¡± She looked at Lendulin. ¡°Want me to make tea?¡± ¡°Please, it¡¯d keep me from having to get out of the water.¡± They sat down at the table, joined by Pearla, who was looking anywhere but at them. ¡°I mentioned to Pearla that you two were coming over to ask some questions.¡± Lendulin said, ¡°She wanted to join in.¡± The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. ¡°Y-Yeah.¡± She said, finally looking up, ¡°She said that you wanted to talk about the uh- issues facing the legless and stuff.¡± ¡°Something like that.¡± TO said, leaning forward and giving her an even stare. She looked away, her tail coiling about herself, her purple tinged skin going pale. ¡°My first question; what is this place?¡± DH said, looking about the room, ¡°It doesn¡¯t look like it was intended to be a residence; there''re no windows, no rooms-¡± ¡°They¡¯re new to the planet, and they¡¯re from¡­ you know, the richer folks.¡± Petra said. She set an old portable cooker on top of a counter made from old plastic pallets. ¡°They wouldn¡¯t have any reason to know about this place.¡± ¡°Eponnomos Canal.¡± Lendulin said, lifting herself up a little out of the water, ¡°It¡¯s an old word meaning ¡®sewer¡¯¡± ¡°... So we¡¯re in a sewer?¡± DH said, their ears flicking down. ¡°An old one.¡± Petra said, ¡°It¡¯s not used as a sewer anymore; it¡¯s converted at the far end as an intake valve for water purification. You know, all those fancy machines that King Dick-¡± ¡°Petra!¡± Pearla said, the last of the color going from her face as she clutched at her arms. ¡°They¡¯ve heard me say that before.¡± Petra said as she set an old kettle on the cooker. She turned around and leaned against the makeshift counter as she spoke, ¡°Here¡¯s a problem for you to consider; the water around the island sucks, and all the resources that King Dick gave the asshole politicians to clean shit up were used to make a lovely water purification system for water going to the center of the island.¡± ¡°Well... why not live there?¡± TO asked, ¡°Instead of here?¡± Lendulin laughed this time. ¡°You kidding?¡± She said, ¡°I can hardly afford this place-¡± ¡°Wait.¡± DH said, ¡°this is an old sewer. This room is¡­ what- an old storage room?¡± ¡°Old intake room for filtering.¡± ¡°And you PAY for this?¡± DH¡¯s ears were out in shock and surprise. ¡°Someone rents this out?¡± ¡°Impossible.¡± TO said as they looked about, ¡°These rooms don¡¯t nearly meet the basic housing requirements-¡± ¡°Ah, that¡¯s the trick.¡± Lendulin said, ¡°They¡¯re not rented out as residential complexes, they¡¯re rented out as storage rooms.¡± ¡°... So all the other rooms around are storage?¡± DH asked. Lendulin smirked, ¡°I¡¯ve never seen anyone actually use these rooms for storage.¡± She nodded to Petra, ¡°She lives a few rooms down. Petra, have you ever seen someone use these places for storage?¡± ¡°Just tell people where I live why don¡¯t you!¡± Petra snapped. Her outburst was clearly unexpected, as Lendulin let go of the ledge and floated away from her. ¡°... Sorry? I didn¡¯t think-¡± ¡°Pearla has been tense lately.¡± Petra said as she set the cups of tea - strong and black and smelling slightly of mint- before each of them before she sat down, ¡°She¡¯s probably worried her housing situation will get back to her super secret partner-¡± Pearla took the cup, and took a long drink before she spoke again, her voice tense, her words deliberate, ¡°Nobody uses these places as storage.¡± She said, ¡°Nobody. I¡¯ve lived here a long time, and I¡¯ve never seen anyone use them for storage.¡± ¡°Anyone who could afford a storage area wouldn¡¯t come here for it.¡± Petra said. ¡°Yeah. And it¡¯s all super sneaky. It¡¯s almost impressive how they do it,¡± Lendulin said. ¡°I went to the housing commission and said I was looking to rent a place. They asked for my budget and said they had nothing that would accommodate me that was in my budget. All they had in my price range was actually a storage room with an intake ditch. Very sly, you know?¡± She shrugged. ¡°So I rented a storage room and turned it into an apartment. They don''t ask questions, they don¡¯t have any obligations to keep this place to residential standards, and they get money.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you were Venturi¡¯s assistant?¡± DH asked, ¡°I mean, you have a job-¡± Pearla narrowed her eyes, her hands clutching at her cup, ¡°He¡¯s an ass.¡± She muttered. ¡°He¡¯s my employer.¡± Lendulin said with a sigh, ¡°And you know I need the work.¡± ¡°You could do better.¡± ¡°No, I couldn¡¯t. You know that.¡± She looked back to TO and DH. ¡°I do. And I make enough to rent, say, a small house on the edge of the residential district, but not one that accommodates me.¡± She let her tail flick out of the water just slightly. ¡°All the houses next to the water have higher prices. They¡¯re bigger, fancier, and even if I could buy one of those outright, I¡¯d need to change it so that it would be comfortable. I¡¯d need... well, I¡¯d need a house that¡¯s basically half submerged.¡± ¡°And they don¡¯t have them?¡± TO asked, ¡°if there¡¯s a population of semi-aquatic-¡± ¡°No demand. There¡¯s very few semi-aquatic, legless people who could afford a riverfront house.¡± Petra said, leaning forward and resting her head in her hands, ¡°That¡¯s the magic trick here, you see?¡± She grinned, ¡°the various housing commissions must provide housing affordable for those at the galactic minimum income. That¡¯s done, but those houses don¡¯t have accommodations for most legless people.¡± She gestured to Pearla, ¡°Pearla could go there, she¡¯s fine on land-¡± ¡°I¡¯d prefer to be near the water.¡± She said, her eyes darting about. ¡°But she can¡¯t get work that would pay her enough to rent a place in the residential district.¡± ¡°I¡¯m perfectly happy with my current job.¡± Pearla said, ¡°I help people.¡± ¡°Wait.¡± TO said, ¡°Don¡¯t you have a job? Any job should pay enough to-¡± ¡°I work at a not-for profit.¡± She said, ¡°They don¡¯t have to pay me anything, but they do what they can to make sure I have a roof over my head.¡± ¡°If you want to apply for a position, most places will ask you for your home address.¡± Lendulin said, ¡°As you saw, this place isn¡¯t an actual residential address. If we were to put, say, 7 Eponnomos Canal in an application system, it¡¯s going to give us an error.¡± ¡°There are no residential houses in the Outer Ring.¡± Petra said, ¡°So doing that blocks anyone who lives out here from working at a job outside the Outer Ring itself.¡± This wasn¡¯t right, and it made little sense, ¡°But.. the government rents these places out-¡± ¡°As storage, not as residents.¡± ¡°But they know people are renting them as -¡± ¡°Not on paper they don¡¯t.¡± Petra said. ¡°So to answer your question.¡± Lendulin said, ¡°I¡¯m lucky; I have a job, so I can afford a lot of stuff to make this place comfortable. I can¡¯t afford a luxury house on the riverfront in the residential district, along with all the modifications I¡¯d need to live in it.¡± ¡°And Pearla was born here.¡± Petra said, ¡°Her parents lived here, and she rented their place after they died. She doesn¡¯t have an address, and can¡¯t get work outside of the Outer Ring.¡± ¡°I¡¯m so sorry.¡± Lendulin said, laughing, ¡°You wanted to see how your business could help us. You can''t really do anything about the housing issues for us here.¡± ¡°No, they can¡¯t, can¡¯t they?¡± Pearla said, making eye contact once more and staring at them over her teacup. This wasn¡¯t right. There were rules in place to keep this kind of stuff from happening, to make sure that all the citizens of King Decon¡¯s galaxy could be safe and comfortable. But of course, the rules were vague, just like Ark-1 had said, to keep the people in power happy. Did this make the people in power happy? TO took another drink of their tea, staring at the table as they did. They thought about GiDi, who was so certain that there had to be an actual reason the insurgency existed, and why they acted as they did. Here¡¯s your reason, GiDi. Part of it, at least. Episode 188: Ranting Despite the clear tension between the two synths and Pearla, they soon dropped formalities. The smell of the succulent meat TO and DH brought easily overpowered the smell of the nearby waterfront, as well as an herbal oil that Lendulin generously splashed over a porous rock. Conversation and questions between them turned ranting as Lendulin and Petra talked about the ¡®shit they had to deal with¡¯ When Petra mentioned transportation, TO remembered that along with the food, they brought a repair kit. Soon, To and DH were on the ground next to the water, flanking the chair and trying to figure out a long-term fix for it. They switched the tea out for ¡®something stronger¡¯ and they drank and talked and worked on the chair. ¡°And let¡¯s just assume that there was no issue of physical mobility.¡± Lendulin said as she gnawed on the leftover bones, ¡°The tube here is-¡± ¡°It¡¯s the more idiotic system I¡¯ve seen!¡± DH said, dropping their wrench. ¡°If you want to go just a few districts in, it ends up taking a whole day unless you have a vehicle-¡± ¡°Exactly!¡± Petra said. She pulled the bone from her mouth and examined it before sucking on the end and drawing out a piece of marrow. ¡°Nobody has vehicles around here!¡± ¡°I know you¡¯re enjoying those,¡± Lendulin said with a sideways glance at Petra, ¡°But if you want me to make broth, you need to leave a little marrow behind.¡± ¡°The water situation is pretty bad too.¡± Pearla said; she didn''t speak up often, normally just interjecting with small comments that set Petra off, ¡°It¡¯s hard to get clean water here, and many people come into the center with illnesses that could be easily avoided if their water was clean.¡± ¡°Yeah! Some of us have, like, mini water purification machines.¡± Petra said around her bone, ¡°But if you don¡¯t, you have to rig something up, like me with some old clear plastic tarp, a bucket, and the sun. I don¡¯t have money to buy a water purifier outright, and the ¡®Water and Wellness¡¯ commission won¡¯t offer their support to-¡± she waved at TO, ¡°Come on, guess! Guess who they won¡¯t provide support to!¡± Despite Petra¡¯s jovial tone, the entire conversation was profoundly depressing to TO. Maybe if the alcohol they were drinking influenced them, they find it just as darkly humorous as Petra seemed to. ¡°Would it be non-citizens, those with a criminal record, and the indebted?¡± ¡°Exactly!¡± Petra said, raising her thin, beaten tin cup in a mock toast. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t want to help the wrong people, would you?¡± ¡°And the homeless. Don¡¯t forget the homeless.¡± Lendulin said as she swam to the other side of the room to retrieve some, ¡°It¡¯s not necessarily a barrier to getting help, but unless you want to go to the center of the island, filling out the form though the network requires an address.¡± DH spat a curse that they had picked up from a movie long ago. It was neither common nor synth-speak, but the way their ears pinned back got the intention across as they threw down another tool. ¡°I¡¯m probably going to break this before I fix it.¡± DH hissed, their ears pinning back with frustration, ¡°It¡¯s rusted shut. How do you fix this yourself?¡± ¡°Patience.¡± Lendulin said as she swam over to where DH was sitting. She eyed the bit that they were struggling with. ¡°If I pick at this enough with a knife-¡± TO sighed, ¡°Are you certain that we can¡¯t just give you a new chair?¡± They asked for the third time. They didn¡¯t know if a wheelchair would be the thing they¡¯d have to explain to Ark-1, but if it was, then they could easily say they used it as part of their research into the insurgency; it was perfectly true, even if it wasn¡¯t the real reason TO wanted to give her a new chair. Lendulin flushed and shook her head, ¡°No.. no no, I couldn''t accept that. It¡¯s too expensive. I¡¯d never be able to pay you back-¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯d be a gift-¡± ¡°I couldn¡¯t accept that.¡± Petra tossed her well gnawed bone into a nearby bowl, ¡°Maybe you should.¡± She said with a sigh, ¡°I mean, you got that thing you¡¯re going to, right?¡± ¡°What thing?¡± TO asked, looking up from the chair to Lendulin. ¡°The party? The art show? You know, the one I was trying to get a dress for.¡± DH glanced up. ¡°Did you get a dress in the end?¡± ¡°We got a friend who said she¡¯d do it. She¡¯s a better seamstress than that Celesto asshole. Biggest problem we have with her is getting the fabric, but we¡¯ll make that work.¡± Petra said. She picked at the untouched bones, selected the one with the most meat still left on it, and jabbed the pointy end at Lendulin. ¡°Doesn¡¯t make a difference if you don¡¯t have a proper chair though.¡± ¡°I couldn¡¯t ever pay them back though.¡± She said, her face growing darker by the second. ¡°... What about tickets?¡± Pearla said, suddenly perking up, her eyes alight as though she had a great idea. ¡°Yeah! Those tickets you got for us!¡± ¡°I- I got them for you and Petra-¡± Lendulin said, ¡°I¡¯d feel bad if I gave them to someone else¡­¡± ¡°I can¡¯t go.¡± Pearla said, ¡°it¡¯s in Thalassa.¡± She glanced at TO, ¡°North-East quadrant-¡± ¡°Nobody calls it the North-East quadrant.¡± Petra said, Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel. ¡°Well, they¡¯re from off planet, and Thalassa is really a local name.¡± She looked back to TO, ¡°Thalassa. North-East Quadrant. Most everything there is underwater save for shipping centers and some industrial stuff for energy production. Mostly, it¡¯s rich people who live there, and indebted people who work there.¡± TO remembered Sally having an issue with some of TO¡¯s suggestions, and how she said that most of the people in her quadrant would want debt forgiveness; something which would affect her economy. ¡°And following the train of conversation we¡¯ve been on, that means it¡¯s mostly legless.¡± DH said as they struggled with the bolt they had been fighting with. In a sudden, unexpected movement it came loose, causing DH¡¯s hand to slip. They smacked it against the wheel before grasping their hand and clutching it, their teeth grit against the pain. TO jumped up and scurried to DH¡¯s side to make sure they were ok; all the different diseases they could get from an infection raced through their mind, but thankfully DH only had a red spot on their hand that looked like it was going to bruise. ¡°Shit, you two are cute.¡± Petra said, ¡°Seriously thought Tio was going to scoop DH up there. You looked so worried about a tiny little bump.¡± ¡°Petra-¡± Pearla said, her voice suddenly tense. ¡°What? They are cute? Cutest damn couple I¡¯ve seen in a while.¡± She gave Pearla a grin, ¡°Unless you want to introduce me to your partner-¡± ¡°Drop it.¡± ¡°Fine, fine.¡± Petra said. She turned back to Lendulin. ¡°And I¡¯d love to go, but I can¡¯t. They screen at the border, and I have a criminal record.¡± Pearla tightened her grip on her cup. ¡°You really shouldn¡¯t just tell people about that.¡± Petra shrugged, and tossed the next bone into the bowl, ¡°It¡¯s not my fault!¡± She said, ¡°Protesting is legal, but rioting isn¡¯t. The difference between a protest and a riot is subjective.¡± She picked up her drink. ¡°Besides,¡± She said, her eyes flashing with hate, ¡°Praetor Sally always invites the fuckin¡¯ synths-¡± Pearla dropped her cup here, spilling her drink everywhere, ¡°-to the biggest parties in Thalassa, so they¡¯ll probably get an invitation to this one. I don¡¯t want to be around them if I can help it. Going to the local party¡­ That was enough.¡± ¡°You need to watch your language!¡± Pearla said, glancing between Petra, DH, and TO. ¡°What? These two are cool. They caught me taking the food from the party and all.¡± ¡°About that.¡± TO said, suddenly realizing they had a chance to get more answers now that Petra considered them ¡®cool¡¯, ¡°Why did you steal all that food?¡± Pearla paled again, but Petra just laughed. ¡°You have to ask that after everything we¡¯ve told you?¡± She said, ¡°We have limited food here; cheap stuff we make tasty. Shit, we can take bugs and make them delicious, as you well saw! They¡¯re nutritious too. Same with seafood. But we need other stuff too. Candied fruits last forever. Fresh fruits can be pickled, or dried, or steeped in sugar, and they still have-¡± she looked at Pearla, ¡°You use it all. What do they have?¡± Still pale, Pearla turned to a nearby box and started digging for something. ¡°I¡¯m not getting into the medical stuff now.¡± She said, ¡°I don¡¯t have it memorized, but we have people going into the center with diseases that shouldn¡¯t be a problem on a developed planet. It¡¯s because fruits and vegetables are expensive; all imported. Someone goes long enough without the right nutrients, and they get sick. Sometimes it just takes a few good meals to set someone right again, but we need the food for that.¡± ¡°Right, I was helping.¡± She glared at her cup. ¡°And where it was local, I could wait until the synths left, and then go in. Down there, I¡¯m trapped in there with them.¡± She sneered, ¡°Not worth it.¡± ¡°Why not?¡± TO asked. ¡°Because fuck synths.¡± She spat. TO¡¯s ears flicked out in confusion, their hands freezing in midair. Fuck synths? Why? What did synths do to them? Of course¡­ if Petra didn¡¯t like King Decon, then she wouldn¡¯t like synths, would she? Rather than feeling offended, TO felt oddly sad. DH clearly wasn¡¯t sad though; TO could hear the low growl that echoed in their throat. It was thankfully too low for anyone else to hear. They took DH¡¯s injured hand and gently stroked it to calm them down. ¡°Petra!¡± Pearla was very pale at this point and dropped the cloth that she had just pulled from the box. ¡°Watch what you say!¡± ¡°I mean it though!¡± Petra said, ¡°I mean, best case, they¡¯re robots. Robots, I can get it. Robots just do what they¡¯re told-¡± ¡°The AI they¡¯d need to do the things they do isn¡¯t allowed though.¡± Lendulin said, ¡°We¡¯ve had that discussion, remember?¡± ¡°Yeah, well, if King Dick wanted to break his own rules, I¡¯m sure he would. But yes; best case they¡¯re robots, and just following their programming. Worst case, they¡¯re actual flesh and blood people and I shudder to think that a person, that a living person with a heart and a mind, could be as cold and brutal as those assholes are. King Decon is bad enough, but the synths are the ones that carry out the dirty work. You¡¯d think they¡¯d have some compassion here and there.¡± She glanced at Lendulin, ¡°Remember Helen?¡± Lendulin fell quiet, ¡°I remember, yes.¡± ¡°We shouldn¡¯t talk about that.¡± Pearla said, ¡°I-I¡¯m sure that they don''t want to hear about that mess.¡± Helen. They remembered that name; the girl that was on their list of confirmed insurgents; deceased. She had looked so young, and even now as they thought about it, a spark of anger flickered in TO¡¯s head. How dare the insurgency endanger such a young child? Still¡­ maybe this would give them more information. Maybe they¡¯d get more names. ¡°Whose Helen?¡± DH asked, as though reading TO¡¯s mind. ¡°I¡¯m curious now.¡± Petra looked at Pearla, ¡°Go on; you know more about it than I do.¡± Pearla looked between them, then stopped. Her hand gripped the rag that she was using to wipe up the drink she had spilled as she stared at the table, her eyes narrowed. ¡°...Fine.¡± she said as she cleaned up the table, ¡°Fine¡­ you want to hear about that?¡± She looked at Petra, ¡°I don''t like talking about it, you know.¡± ¡°Yeah, but-¡± ¡°But nothing. It¡¯s not a fun story to remember.¡± She tossed the rag in a bucket in the corner when she finished cleaning, went to the counter, and poured a fresh cup of ¡®something stronger¡¯ for herself. She drank the entire glass right there, then poured another for herself. In less than a minute, she had drunk more than she had touched the entire afternoon. ¡°Fine. You want to hear about Helen? I¡¯ll tell you about Helen.¡± Episode 189; Helen ¡°It honestly looked like Helen and her family just appeared out of nowhere,¡± Pearla said, staring at her drink. ¡°They didn¡¯t belong in the outer ring, you know? You could just tell. I mean, they were human-¡± ¡°Whole human.¡± Petra added, ¡°Not a hybrid or anything, just straight up human. That¡¯s a rarity on Arkane, let alone in the outer right.¡± ¡°Right, well, they were human. And one day, they just showed up at the clinic.¡± She took another drink. ¡°Now, you can tell when people are new to the outer ring, you know? People who have been doing well their whole lives, people who were used to good food and clean water got sicker a lot faster if they ended up here.¡± Lendulin nodded, ¡°That¡¯s what happened to my parents.¡± She said. When she noticed TO starting at her she explained, ¡°We came here from off planet in the relocation efforts. They weren¡¯t used to the water around here, and got sick. I was sick at first, but I was younger so I got used to it faster. They didn¡¯t. We came here when I was here when I was about five. By the time I was fifteen, my dad died. By seventeen, my mother died.¡± ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s slow as hell.¡± Petra said, ¡°All the toxins just build up, and if your body¡¯s not used to it-¡± ¡°Well, that happened to Helen and her parents.¡± Pearla said, ¡°They were all sick, but Helen would get sick for a week, then recover, and then the next month she¡¯d be sick again. Honestly, I was just happy to see more time passing between each bout of sickness. For her parents, it was more of a slow worsening sickness.¡± She shrugged. ¡°Humans are adaptable, and they wouldn¡¯t have died soon. At worst, they¡¯d have had a few years.'''' She took another drink. ¡°Anyway. Helen got sick, couldn¡¯t keep food down, and they brought her to the clinic.¡± She shook her head, ¡°Scared half the people there out of their wits are first.¡± ¡°Most of the time, if someone with legs shows up around here, they¡¯re part of the Arkania authorities; the district police or special operations.¡± ¡°Yeah¡­¡± Lendulin said, giving TO and DH an apologetic look, ¡°We try to stay away from people with legs unless we know them; it never ends up good. Undercover police officers are always a possibility, but they could also just be assholes looking for amusement.¡± She shrugged, ¡°I knew an Octosapian teen a few years back, and one day some legged teens came into the distract trying to be all cool, and started harassing him. He ended up getting beaten up pretty bad, and then got arrested.¡± ¡°Arrested?¡± TO¡¯s ears flattened, ¡°Why? Self-defense, to a certain extent-¡± ¡°Dumbass.¡± Petra said, ¡°There were, like, three of them, and one of him. The legged kids said he started it. The police aren''t going to take the word of one legless teen against three legged ones.¡± ¡°Anyway¡­ we¡¯re getting off topic.¡± Pearla said, ¡°They came in. Helen was really sick, but I helped them out. We have a water purification device in the center, so I made sure she had clean water and bland food, right? Kinda gave her parents a ¡®Outer Ring 101¡¯ guide on where to get food, and how to prepare stuff you might find so that it tastes good.¡± ¡°Like those bugs.¡± DH said, ¡°You really made them delicious. I¡¯m surprised they don''t serve them further in!¡± ¡°I¡¯m glad they don¡¯t; we¡¯d never be able to get them here then. Anyway.¡± Pearla took another drink before continuing, ¡°Her parents would come back every day for water; which was fine, we allowed that, but they hung around and helped a lot. They liked to help, they talked to many people who came around-¡± ¡°And I guess now we know why.¡± Petra said, ¡°Honestly, I¡¯m surprised they didn¡¯t shut the whole center down after that.¡± ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°Well shush now, I¡¯m getting to that.¡± Pearla said, giving Petra a harsh look. Petra shrugged apologetically and took up another bone to gnaw on, ¡°Anyway... They were hanging around a lot, talking to a lot of people; I didn¡¯t think much of it because there was nothing abnormal about it, really! Things didn¡¯t get strange until people went missing-¡± ¡°Missing she said.¡± Petra said around her bone, ¡°I think we know what happened to them now; taken by the Praetorian Vanguard¡­ Or worse; the synths.¡± When Petra spoke of synths, TO never knew if their ability to discern tone was getting better or if the hate and disdain that Petra held for them was just so strong that it seeped from her words in a thick, unmissable slime. They were certain that if they could take away the actual word and just keep the tone in, even they could tell when they spoke of synths. They felt DH¡¯s hand touch their own, and when they looked over, they saw DH¡¯s ears pinned back. They realized that their own ears were low, and took a deep breath to shake off the strange sadness they felt. Petra, Pearla, Lendulin¡­ They just didn¡¯t understand. The lives of civilians were so small; how could they possibly understand? How could they understand the greater needs of the galaxy when they were struggling just to get food, clean water, and shelter? That thought didn¡¯t make TO feel better. Under King Decon, these things should be provided and accessible. ¡°Right, so. People start disappearing; regulars, you know? People who came by to see if I had any preserves to give them, or people who came daily for fresh water. Even some of the other volunteers disappeared, and I thought¡­¡± She shook her head, ¡°Well, it doesn¡¯t matter. I was afraid. We all were. We started walking home in groups of two or more. Nobody worked at the clinic alone. We even sent some of the stronger folks to walk people home.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t help.¡± Petra said, ¡°People still went missing.¡± ¡°Right¡­ It started looking like people were just being taken from their homes.¡± This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. ¡°And¡­ you reported it?¡± DH asked. ¡°What do you think the authorities are going to do here?¡± Petra snapped, ¡°They¡¯re going to look around, and they¡¯re going to arrest people for squatting if they don''t¡¯ have a lovely storage space to live in.¡± ¡°... But yes, we reported it.¡± Pearla said, ¡°We¡­ well..¡± She looked aside. ¡°That was stupid. It¡¯s just like Petra said; they came in, asked some questions, got a list of people who came to the clinic, and then arrested a few people squatting by the docks in those pre-fab houses.¡± ¡°Which is exactly what I told you would happen!¡± Petra snapped, ¡°And if you had listened to me-¡± ¡°Guys, enough.¡± Lendulin said, ¡°It... it¡¯s enough. What¡¯s done is done.¡± Petra continued to glare at Pearla for a few moments before looking away. Pearla just looked down at her glass. Lendulin gave TO and DH an apologetic look before clearing her voice. ¡°It was a few days later when the synths came.¡± Pearla nodded, ¡°I¡­ I was so scared.¡± She admitted, refusing to look at TO and DH, ¡°But¡­ well, they asked for a list of names; the same list I gave to the police¡­¡± She stopped and took a long drink. ¡°... It wasn¡¯t your fault, Pearla.¡± Lendulin said, ¡°They were probably going to come here anyway, you know. All the people they took, they ended up in the execution lineup.¡± Pearla nodded slowly, ¡°... Yeah.¡± she said, though she didn¡¯t sound convinced. ¡°... And even though I don¡¯t think you should have-¡± Petra cut off her sentence as Lendulin gave her a sharp glare, ¡°Well, if you didn''t cooperate, they would have taken you in too, and we¡¯d have seen you on the lineup.¡± Petra reached out and put her clawed hand over Pearla¡¯s. ¡°We really didn¡¯t want that.¡± Pearla nodded and took another drink before continuing. ¡°Apparently, there was¡­ well, they called it an ¡®insurgent knot¡¯ operating out of the clinic.¡± She said, ¡°The synths came, demanded the list I gave the police, then asked for the addresses¡­¡± ¡°To be fair, you tried to throw them off then,¡± Petra said, ¡°Petra shush.¡± Pearla said, ¡°Well, you did! You said that nobody who came to the clinic had an address, which is true technically-¡± ¡°Anyway. ¡°She looked directly at TO and DH, ¡°I cooperated.¡± ¡°It¡¯s ok, Pearla.¡± Lendulin said, ¡°Like we said, if you didn¡¯t, you would have been taken too¡­ Please don¡¯t beat yourself up over it.¡± TO knew that Pearla wasn¡¯t beating herself up. They could tell by the way she looked at them, fear and worry. I cooperated. I did what I was told. Please don¡¯t take me. TO could almost hear the unspoken pleading in the way she looked at them. ¡°They¡¯re right.¡± DH said, ¡°If you hadn¡¯t cooperated¡­ if you had acted in any way they thought was suspicious, they¡¯d have taken you into custody.¡± Pearla nodded and looked away. ¡°Anyway, the synths didn''t tell me anything, but they asked how long Helen¡¯s family had been here, then left. So I went to Helen¡¯s place. Where they were staying. It was pretty close to the clinic and if you knew how to get around, you could get there in half the time it would take by road. But¡­ Synths can fly. I forgot that.¡± She glanced at TO and DH¡¯s wings. ¡°They fly. I can¡¯t believe I forgot they can fly.¡± ¡°Well, to be honest, half the people going around the city have just decorative wings, right? Stupid. Why have wings you can¡¯t fly with?¡± ¡°Says the one who has wings.¡± Lendulin said. ¡°Right, well ... I got there just as the synths did. I actually went in their back door, and I was in their kitchen when it happened...¡± She shuddered. ¡°There was just that thin curtain between me and them¡­¡± She stopped, tears welling in her eyes. The look of her, her eyes shining with held back tears, made TO¡¯s stomach hurt. ¡°They just stormed in, you know?¡± She said, her voice ragged, ¡°They stormed in, and- and Helen was closest to the door, so I guess that''s why they grabbed her first.¡± She shook her head, ¡°She¡¯s twelve. Was. She was twelve.¡± She slammed her cup down, and looked at TO and DH. ¡°Twelve! And they grabbed her first because she was closest to the door!¡± ¡°That¡¯s why I say I hope they¡¯re robots.¡± Petra said. ¡°If they¡¯re robots, it makes sense. If they¡¯re actually alive¡­ Well, what people would just grab the kid first? Why take the kid? She¡¯s a kid!¡± TO knew exactly why. She might have been a child, but she was still an insurgent. She could still cause damage, still cause a problem. Neutralize all targets as quickly as possible according to your orders. Sometimes, that meant just detain, sometimes it meant kill. ¡°Of course her mother ran to her, right?¡± Pearla said, sniffing and rubbing her hand against her nose, ¡°I mean, anyone -synth or no- takes your child, you fight them. Well, they tazed her, and that was awful.¡± Her hand clutched at the cup. ¡°She just fell to the ground and started twitching. It was like she was having a seizure. Helen just went quiet, and then they took the three of them away.¡± ¡°And a few days later, her parents were listed as the leaders of the insurgency on the galactic broadcast. Big fucking celebration in the inner rings. End of the insurgency and all.¡± Petra snapped, ¡°They were executed. But they didn''t say what happened to Helen, but we know.¡± She spat the bone in the bowl, ¡°Pearla here had access to her medical records.¡± Pearla shrugged. ¡°You make me sound like a doctor. I¡¯m not. The clinic has access to records so we can look up medication. Though, it¡¯s not like we can provide any most of the time.¡± ¡°... Helen¡¯s records said she was dead.¡± Petra said, ¡°No additional sickness or injuries; just dead. Executed. Wouldn¡¯t surprise me if King Dick had one of his fucking synths do the job. Heartless bastards. That¡¯s why I hope they¡¯re robots; how awful would you have to be to do that to a kid?¡± ¡°... pretty terrible.¡± Pearla said softly, staring at TO. A twelve-year-old civilian child. TO wondered if they¡¯d be able to do it. They remembered their training, the test they went through, and the things they had to do. Shooting DH and GiDi¡­ TO had only done it because they knew it was a simulation. They remembered Avery, and how torn up they had been after their test. Could they do it? They didn¡¯t know. They only hoped they wouldn¡¯t have to. Episode 190: Egg ¡°Do we really have to go back there tomorrow?¡± DH asked once they got home and took off their armor. ¡°I feel like half the time we¡¯ve spent on Arkane has been in slums or here. We only spent one day in a nice part of Okoia!¡± ¡°I know.¡± TO said as their own armor dissolved from their form, ¡°But we¡¯re not here to enjoy ourselves.¡± It would, of course, be nice if they could just spend every day in pleasant parts of Arkane with DH, eating new foods, going to see shows, and just enjoying being around beautiful things with their mate. They couldn¡¯t do that, though. They had a job to do, and if they spent all their time having fun with DH, then they would end up separated from them. ¡°Hopefully, we¡¯ll have a new chair for Lendulin tomorrow, and we can deliver it to her¡­ I still think it¡¯s odd that she doesn¡¯t have one provided, and I want to bring it up to the Praetors-¡° ¡°Why though?¡± DH asked, ¡°You know what the Praetors will say. And if you tell Ark-1, you know what they¡¯ll say too.¡± TO nodded. They sat down heavily in the chair at their desk, resting their head in their hand. ¡°I know.¡± They said, ¡°The Praetors will make some reasoning about civilian responsibility, about how they have plenty of opportunities and just never take them¡­ and Ark-1 will say that petty civilian concerns like that are below our notice.¡± ¡°¡­ Do you believe them?¡± ¡°Given that I think it¡¯s petty civilian concerns that have led to the insurgency gaining their power I¡¯d have to say I think that Ark-1¡¯s view is very limited. ¡° ¡°What? No. I don¡¯t mean Ark-1, I mean Petra, Pearla, Lendulin¡­. You don¡¯t feel like they¡¯re just making excuses, do you?¡± They sat at their desk, ¡°Every time they said something, told us about an issue they had, I just¡­¡± They sighed, ¡°We know this is what civilians are like. They¡¯re lazy, greedy, and make as many excuses to do as little as possible¡­¡± ¡°Do you think they¡¯re lying?¡± DH was quiet for a long time before they finally spoke, ¡°No¡­¡± They said, ¡°When they were talking¡­ it¡¯s odd; individually I had a solution for every problem, but when they piled on, when they linked up¡­¡± They shook their head and turned to their screen, ¡°Well, it¡¯s all the civilians doing this anyway, right? The leaders of Arkane are still civilians themselves, and just as petty and short-sighted as any other.¡± ¡°King Decon allows it.¡± TO said. They scared themself as they spoke, a hint of anger seeping out into their voice. It even took DH by surprise as their mate turned and looked at TO with their ears low. ¡°Sorry.¡± TO said, ¡°I guess I¡¯ve been around Petra too much.¡± ¡°King Decon allows it¡­ but that¡¯s accommodating the civilians, according to Ark-1, right? It¡¯s a sacrifice for the good of the rest of the galaxy.¡± ¡°.. Do you think it¡¯s like this on other planets?¡± TO asked. ¡°.. I don¡¯t know? Maybe. The insurgency has some influence everywhere.¡± TO frowned, their ears twitching as they considered. How many people on Arkane were happy and well cared for, and how many were like Pearla, Petra, and Lendulin? How many people were being sacrificed, and how many were benefiting from that? ¡°I need to look something up.¡± DH said, spinning around and pulling up their screens. ¡°Don¡¯t you want to take a shower first?¡± TO asked. The smell of the Outer Ring clung to them once again, and DH had complained on the way back about it. ¡°Later.¡± They said, now fully distracted and invested in what they were looking up. TO went up behind them, wrapped their arms around DH¡¯s shoulders, and kissed them on the back of the head before turning away and going to the shower themself. They took their time, took a long, hot shower and even stole some of DH¡¯s fancy soap. The soap that they had on the ship made them nostalgic, but the fragranced, soft soap made the whole shower smell like DH. When they finally came out, their skin was bright blue from the heat and scrubbing, and if any hint of the Outer Ring remained, it was now hidden by the scent of lavender. DH was still at the computer, so TO went over, skin still steaming from the shower and dressed in a thin housecoat, and draped their arms over DH¡¯s shoulders to see what they were watching. It was the video of Petra¡¯s arrest. The Crowd of screaming protesters suddenly turned and fled from something unknown. THe authorities, in their angular silver armor, came on screen and arrested people. They pinned Petra down, thrashing on the ground as the officer put their knee on her back. The difference between a protest and a riot is a matter of perspective. TO wasn¡¯t sure what they were watching, but they knew officially it had to be a riot since they were watching Petra get arrested. ====== In their dream, the blood covering their hands smelled like the waterfront in the Outer Ring. They were at Pearla¡¯s place, which was odd since they hadn¡¯t seen Pearla¡¯s place. It looked like Lendulin¡¯s place, but somehow TO knew it was Pearla¡¯s. DH¡¯s body lay sprawled out on the table, their organs on display while TO carefully cut away the useable organs for storage. ¡°I hope it¡¯s enough to pay off their debt.¡± Lendulin said, sitting on the floor as they watched TO work. Even in the dream, the statement confused TO. Debt? What debt? They were synths, they didn''t have debt. ¡°Synths don¡¯t have debt.¡± Petra said, as though working her way in to correct the dream. She sat on DH¡¯s legs as though she was keeping them pinned down. ¡°They don¡¯t even have themselves. Their life is their debt. They¡¯re just returning borrowed property.¡± ¡°We exist to serve King Decon.¡± TO said, ¡°That¡¯s all.¡± ¡°So, you¡¯re paying off your life?¡± ¡°Civilians.¡± DH said, their voice gurgling as blood bubbled up from their lungs, ¡°Short sighted. They don¡¯t get it. They don¡¯t understand.¡± TO held the scalpel to DH¡¯s heart, the tip pointing downwards before they stopped. They frowned and looked at DH. ¡°We live to serve, then we die. We owe our existence to King Decon¡­ so she¡¯s right, isn¡¯t she? In the end, we¡¯re working to repay the cost of our lives.¡± Even in the dream, it made sense. The balance of a synths cost and value figured into everything they did, and if they weren¡¯t productive enough, if they didn¡¯t make up for the cost of their creation, then they cut their losses and either corrected or reprocessed the synth in question. ¡°We¡¯re paying off our debt.¡± TO said. ¡°I¡¯m not.¡± TO looked up and saw GiDi in the corner, watching them. TO stopped what they were doing, wanting to tell GiDi to run, but wanting to hug them at the same time. If they caught GiDi, they¡¯d have to bring them into custody. They had to tell GiDi to go away, so they¡¯d be safe. DH¡¯s heart turned into the crystal heart that TO had given them so long ago, back when they were on the ship. It shuddered, and then cracked. From the cracks spilled forth hundreds of bugs; Cocopods. The bugs were cooked, their shells splitting in places where the meat tried to escape the shell, but they were still alive. They swarmed over TO, their legs skittering all over them. They were suddenly no longer at Pearla¡¯s place, and the table, DH, and GiDi all disappeared. TO was now in a dark void with those cocopods swarming all over them. They tried to get away, but something tangled up their limbs. They wanted to scream, but refused to open their mouth in fear that the bugs would crawl down their throat so their voice just strained against the muscles in their neck as they made this awful, pitched sound in the back of their throat. Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation. Then they woke up. They woke themself up with the noise they were making, jolting in bed and clutching DH, who nuzzled into their chest, safe under TO¡¯s wings. They hadn¡¯t woken DH. It was just another nightmare. A much different nightmare than they were used to having, but a nightmare all the same. They took several long breaths and tried to settle back in. DH normally wanted to be woken if TO had a bad dream like that and TO normally obliged. Still, they liked to give themself a little time to see if they could get back to sleep on their own. Sometimes they fell asleep quickly, but other times they needed DH to help soothe them. Their chest felt itchy. They felt itchy all around, and they didn¡¯t know why. They reached up to scratch their chest and felt something brush against their fingers. Their ears contorted with horror as their mind tried to fill in what they felt. They scrambled to sit up, throwing off the blankets and turning on the lights. DH woke, but was still half asleep and only muttered in confusion, whimpering and hiding their face with their wing as the light came on. TO looked down. Hundreds of tiny black larvae which covered TO and DH. They crawled around freely on their skin, itching them with their feet. The bugs were no longer than the very tip of TO¡¯s pinky and they were very narrow, but there were just so many of them! TO¡¯s scream was unrestrained by tensed muscles this time, loud and piercing and feral. DH cried out in shock as they woke, looking around frantically. When they saw TO and saw the bugs, it took them a moment to understand in what they were seeing. They cried out, not the same terrified scream that TO gave, but a mixture of horror and disgust as they jumped out of bed. TO regained the use of their muscles, jumped out of bed and flailed about to get the bugs off of them. The insects seemed to stick to their skin with tiny little claws on the end of their legs, but oddly most of them already seemed dead. ¡°Stop, stop.¡± DH said. They ran up to TO, and started helping them get the bugs off their back and wings and off the back of their head. ¡°What are they! Where did they-¡° TO turned around, and saw that DH still had bugs on them. They had more all over their chest. Most of the ones that were still alive were crawling from a crack in the pendant that still hung around DH¡¯s neck. TO suddenly knew exactly what these bugs were, where they came from, and why they were dying so quickly. They ran to the toilet, vomited, then stumbled to the shower and ran scalding hot water over their skin, washing off the rest of the bugs as they shook with shock, disgust, and fear. An egg capsule. They had given DH an egg capsule as a present, and DH had worn it around their neck since then. A mixture of manic laughter and sobbing escaped their mouth as they leaned against the side of the shower, trying hard not to let the dead bugs touch their feet as the water carried them down the drain. ====== TO wasn¡¯t sure how much time had passed, but eventually DH came into the washroom and put something into the washer. Once they had that finished, DH leaned on the other side of the frosted shower door. ¡°... are you ok?¡± they asked through the glass. ¡°No.¡± TO said, their voice still strained either from the laughter, the crying or the scream, ¡°They were all over us. They-¡± their voice caught in their throat. ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t know-¡± ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have worn it to bed.¡± DH said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that. Can you come out?¡± TO was pretty sure that all the bugs were off of them now, but they had stayed in the water to get the feel of their legs off of them. They turned off the water and stood still, paying close attention to anything they might feel. TO was sure they had something in their ears. They opened the door and looked at DH in a panic, ¡°I think they¡¯re in my ears.¡± They said, their voice small, their ears down. ¡°Want me to check?¡± TO nodded and let DH guide them to the examination table. TO looked over the surface carefully, their eyes darting about. ¡°There¡¯s none over here.¡± DH said, ¡°They didn¡¯t get out of the bed. I have all the sheets in the wash, and I checked the mattresses-¡± ¡°What if they¡¯re in the mattress?!¡± TO said, ¡°W-we¡¯ll need new mattresses, we-¡± ¡°They can¡¯t get into the mattress.¡± DH said, giving TO a smile as they took the med kit down, ¡°I looked it up; all they can do at that age is crawl around and breathe. And the oxygen levels here killed them all.¡± They opened the kit and took out a long, narrow flashlight. Reaching out, DH pressed at the wall and turned on a screen which displayed the view of a camera hidden in the flashlight. They then put a hand over TO¡¯s. ¡°I lifted the mattresses up, got all the bugs off of them, swept up all the bugs, and got rid of them. I moved everything in the sleeping area, and there wasn''t any bugs anywhere else save for the few that dropped off of you on the way to the shower.¡± TO shuddered, their wings wrapping around their shoulders, ¡°Just check my ears.¡± They pleaded. DH nodded and gently guided the flashlight into TO¡¯s ear. The way they sat, they couldn¡¯t see the screen on the wall, which both a relief and a significant source of anxiety. They didn¡¯t think they could handle it if they saw an actual bug in their ears, but not knowing for sure that there weren¡¯t any bugs there made them shake, and made them feel like they wanted to throw up again. DH checked one ear, proclaimed it clean, then checked the other. ¡°All clean.¡± They said, ¡°Minimal waxy buildup, and no bugs.¡± TO gave a deep sigh of relief, then felt the tears building up again, as though the fear and anxiety had kept them at bay. ¡°I''m sorry.¡± They whispered as they wiped away tears, ¡°I¡¯m just-¡± ¡°It¡¯s ok.¡± DH said, lifting TO¡¯s chin and pulling them into an embrace, wrapping their wings around them. TO leaned against DH¡¯s, their hands resting on their shoulders, ¡°I just.. I had a bad dream, and there were bugs all over me and-¡± ¡°Do you want to talk about the dream?¡± DH asked. TO shook their head. Their dream was stranger than normal this time, and they didn¡¯t think they could talk about it or think about it while they were still trying to calm down. ¡°Alright, but there were bugs in your dream.¡± TO nodded, then gave a sharp laugh, ¡°They came from your pendant in the dream too.¡± TO said, ¡°I guess¡­ I guess a part of my brain knew.¡± They sniffled, then pulled back as they wiped their eyes. ¡°I can¡¯t believe I brought that in without even checking what it was. I just bought a random bit of bug-byproduct into the ship-¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that.¡± DH said, taking TO firmly by the shoulders, ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter.¡± ¡°And now your pendant is broken.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t need that to know that you love me.¡± They said, but as they said it, their ears flickered down and they flushed deeply blue, ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m so sorry. That was so cliche. Like it was from a badly written-¡± TO laughed, ¡°It was cute.¡± They said, ¡°I liked it.¡± DH smiled back, gave TO another quick squeeze, then pulled away. ¡°I suppose we should get back to sleep though.¡± They said, ¡°It¡¯s still late¡­ or rather, very early.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t.¡± TO said. Maybe DH got rid of all the bugs. Maybe the mattress was fine, but right now they couldn¡¯t sleep on it. They couldn¡¯t even sleep in this room. Maybe in the light of day, when their mind wasn¡¯t so rattled, they¡¯d be able to look things over on their own and they¡¯d be fine, but right now the idea of sleeping in the common area filled them with horror. ¡°I can¡¯t go back to sleep. I can''t sleep here.¡± ¡°DH gave another smile, ¡°I figured.¡± They said, ¡°And I have a plan for that.¡± ====== At night, the civilians turned the security lights in the center of the island off. The fences were still on high voltage, and drones scoured the area with night-vision cameras to take down any trespassers, but they had decided a long time ago that at night, they should turn the security lights off to avoid light pollution. Because of this, when they went up into the weapons bay to set up a place to sleep, TO could actually see the stars. They were fainter than in space; of course, the light had to travel through the planet''s atmosphere, so it made sense. Still, upon seeing the stars from the windows of the weapons bay, TO could almost imagine that they were back in space. They were back, travelling through space in that glorious, wonderful time before they got to the port, but after they had confessed to one another. Those days now seemed so perfect; they were alone in space, just enjoying one another¡¯s time, exploring their feelings and each other. Before Kei caught them. Before they landed on the planet and found out just how awful everything was, and how hard it would be to fix everything. DH made a nest of extra pillows and blankets, positioning their makeshift bed so they could clearly see the stars outside. When everything was arranged, DH sat down and held out a hand to TO, their wings stretching out as well, as though inviting them into their embrace. ¡°Come on.¡± DH said softly, ¡°Let¡¯s get some sleep.¡± TO smiled, and curled on their mate, letting DH¡¯s wings wrap around them. They once more nuzzled into their chest, breathed in the smell of lavender, and listened to the hum of their heart as they watched the stars outside. Just for the rest of the night, they¡¯d pretend they were still in space. Just for now, they¡¯d pretend like it was still a time where everything was ok. They could deal with everything else in the morning. It was only as they drifted off, their mind drifting lazily between thoughts, that they considered how odd it was that they had been in Pearla¡¯s place in the dream, and how odd it was that not only was GiDi there, but for the first time when TO had a dream like that, GiDi wasn¡¯t on the table and under their knife. Episode 191: Romantic The sun woke TO up the next morning, shining uncomfortable rays of light through the windows of the weapons bay. They moaned, covered their head with a wing, and turned to nuzzle into DH¡¯s warm, comfortable chest. They hadn¡¯t dreamed again, but they hadn¡¯t slept well either. It had been a very long time since they saw GiDi in one of their dreams, and having them make such a sudden and unexpected appearance threw them off. They didn¡¯t know why GiDi was there, and though they were glad that it wasn¡¯t another case of GiDi being sprawled on the table with half their organs removed, it still brought their worry for their small friend to their mind. If the insurgency had them as a captive, they wanted to get them away and safe. If they found GiDi, they¡¯d have to bring them back to King Decon. They clung tightly to DH, listening to the hum of their heart and trying not to think about what would happen if they actually found GiDi. Thankfully, only a few minutes later, a distraction came. TO¡¯s communicator alerted TO to a new message; the chair that they had ordered for Lendulin only yesterday was here. ====== ¡°I can never repay you.¡± Lendulin said, sitting in the chair as TO made adjustments to it, raising the seat so that it was just right, and so that she could more easily get in and out. ¡°It¡¯s electric, and I noted you had no plugs in your room.¡± TO said, ¡°That¡¯s why I got the generator too.¡± The generator was a simple, very basic thing; meant for camping trips and emergencies. One part of it sat in the water, the flow of the currents turning the gears within and charging the batteries. It was easy enough to set up, but DH was doing more than just setting it up. ¡°Ideally, you shouldn¡¯t use this constantly; it¡¯ll wear out too quickly and break. I tinkered a little to make it a little more effective and make it last a little longer.¡° They reached into the mess of wires, detaching things, snipping wires, and putting them back together, ¡°On another note, the wire organization of this thing is awful. It¡¯s a mess. It¡¯s like they didn¡¯t bother to measure the lengths needed and just crammed whatever they had into this thing!!¡± Lendulin giggled, ¡°I thought you were just merchants of something, but what, you¡¯re actually mechanics?¡± ¡°A rich merchant with practical skill.¡± Petra said from where she sat at the table, ¡°I never thought I¡¯d see it.¡± ¡°I¡¯m pleased to surprise you.¡± TO said as they finished adjusting the chair. They turned to Lendulin, ¡°There, can you get in and out of this alright?¡± In response, Lendulin pulled herself from the chair and onto the floor, twisting herself into the water. She dove under the surface, then jumped out and pulled herself onto the chair once more. She struggled a little as the chair was lighter than she was used to, and tipped as she put her weight on it. ¡°It¡¯s so comfortable!¡± She said, the tip of her tail twitching, her eyes wide and her smile wider than TO had seen it so far. They noticed for the first time that she had pointed teeth. ¡°Rustproof too, just keep it oiled up.¡± DH said as they bound up the leftover wire and tucked it away in the toolbox. They closed up the generator, screwed it shut, and put away their tools. ¡°Is there anything I can do for you?¡± Lendulin asked. She played with the controls of the chair, making it go back and forth. ¡°Just be careful when you have to go over stairs.¡± TO said, ¡°I got a lighter one since I knew you¡¯d have to carry it over stairs, but try to keep it on its wheels so the controls don¡¯t break.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be very careful!¡± Lendulin promised. She perked up, and turned to Petra, ¡°Oh! Get me the envelope?¡± Petra went over to a box and pulled out a thick envelope of creamy paper. It had a crest on it that looked like a conch shell. She passed it to Lendulin, who immediately passed it on to TO. ¡°Tickets to that art show.¡± She said, ¡°It¡¯s the least I can do.¡± She glanced at Petra, ¡°She¡¯s right; if I didn¡¯t have this chair, I wouldn¡¯t be able to go at all.¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t need to do anything for us, really!¡± TO said, ¡°But¡­ DH is excited to go.¡± DH suddenly brightened, ¡°Yes! I am! The dress I ordered- ¡° They stopped, remembering Lendulin¡¯s issues with getting a dress. ¡°Well, I¡¯ll have something nice to wear.¡± Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website. ¡°Me too.¡± Lendulin said, ¡°We figured out how to get some detailed fabric for my dress.¡± She grinned at DH, ¡°We¡¯ll have to have a little fashion show once we¡¯re there.¡± The way DH lit up when she said that made TO relax. They were happy that DH could talk to Lendulin about clothes, since fashion and dresses seemed to be one of the few civilian things that DH didn¡¯t have disdain for. Well, that and musicals. DH had a few things in common with Lendulin, a few things that softened their distaste for civilians. Today, TO was going to use that to their own advantage. ¡°You know¡­¡± TO said, unable to keep their ears from flicking down in disgust, ¡°I¡­ well, DH, why don¡¯t you get some of those uh.. Bugs on sticks.¡± ¡°Cocopods?¡± Petra said, perking up as she looked at TO, ¡°You want to eat cocopods? I thought you were going to faint last time you saw them.¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± Their stomach lunged. They did not want to eat cocopods. They wanted nothing to do with the foul creatures, especially after their dream and after waking up to hundreds of tiny bugs all over themself. ¡°DH hasn¡¯t been able to stop talking about them, so-¡° ¡°You know there is other food here aside from cocopods.¡± Lendulin said. She turned to Petra, ¡°Do you want to see what street meat we got today?¡± ¡°No no, it¡¯s our treat!¡± TO insisted. They turned to DH, ¡°You go with Petra and get some food¡­ I need to make a few more adjustments to the chair.¡± ¡°Really? It looks perfect.¡± ¡°There are a few things I need to do yet.¡± TO said. It wasn¡¯t a lie, and they felt bad for dodging the truth like that with DH, but they had to do it, and they knew that in the end, if it ever came up, DH would understand. Petra gave Lendulin a long, serious look, asking questions without a single word. After a moment, Lendulin just smiled. ¡°You go with DH. It¡¯ll be fine.¡± Her tail flicked, and after a moment she got up from her seat, nodding. ¡°Alright, come on.¡± She said to DH, ¡°Let auntie Petra show you where all the good food is.¡± DH turned to TO as Petra took them by the arm and led them to the door. ¡°TO, are you sure-¡± ¡°Go on.¡± TO said. They didn¡¯t like the idea of being away from DH in the outer ring, but it was in the middle of the day. They knew Petra wasn¡¯t an insurgent, and if something happened, DH could defend themself. TO had to remember that, remember how quick DH was with a multi-gun. As soon as the heavy metal door closed, TO turned to Lendulin. ¡°I lied.¡± They admitted. Though it wasn¡¯t an important lie, they still felt bad about it. ¡°The chair is fine. I just needed to talk to you without DH around.¡± Lendulin¡¯s lips pressed together, and she floated back away from the edge of the water. ¡°Alright.¡± She said, her voice low and careful. Under the water, TO could see her hands turn to fists. ¡°What do you want?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve never taken DH out on a date before, not really.¡± TO admitted. ¡°DH and I have been together for¡­ Well, really, not that long? It was just before we got here-¡± Lendulin¡¯s whole demeanour changed. She gave a laugh, and came back to the edge of the water, ¡°Wow.¡± She said, ¡°You two hooked up and then ran to another planet?¡± ¡°We were heading here anyway, we just¡­ Well, it happened on the way.¡± She grinned, ¡°Ahh, space love.¡± She leaned forward, her arms on the water¡¯s edge and her chin resting on her muscular forearm, ¡°So many great romance stories about that kind of thing.¡± TO felt their ears flick down and flush, ¡°Right, well, I¡¯ve never DH out on a date. I mean, there was this one time where I got a bunch of food together and we watched shows, but that was different and we had another friend with us, so it wasn¡¯t really a date. Oh., and there was one time where we ended up having some quiet time together on the ship on the way here.. And we jokingly called that a date, but it was really just us wanting some quiet time.¡± They realized they were rambling, so they stopped, cleared their throat, and tried again. ¡°Right.. So, I don¡¯t have a lot of experience with taking someone out on a romantic date¡­ and DH likes romance. They like romantic stories and settings, and we¡¯re going to a fancy restaurant tomorrow-¡± ¡°Right! You forgot about it until DH reminded you!¡± TO felt their ears twitch down as a pang of guilt hit their stomach, ¡°Yes, that.¡± They said, ¡°I want to make up for forgetting, and I want to make it special. I want to do a real romantic date for DH¡­ but I don¡¯t know how.¡± Lendulin smiled and stared thoughtfully at TO for a few moments. ¡°I have questions before I come up with ideas.¡± She said. ¡°How much time tomorrow do you have for this date?¡± TO blinked, confused, ¡°How long does a date normally take?¡± ¡°It can take the whole day if you plan it.¡± TO said, their ears flicking back in worry. Was this something they were already supposed to know? How would they make this a success if they didn¡¯t know such simple things? ¡°Let¡¯s assume I could make the whole day work if need be.¡± ¡°And¡­¡± Lendulin hesitated, biting at her lip, ¡°This might be a touchy question, but do you have a budget for this?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s assume money isn¡¯t a concern.¡± She tensed up, her eyes twitching just slightly and her lips pursing once more, but she said nothing and a moment later she was back to smiling. ¡°I see.¡± she said, ¡°And you¡¯d call DH a romantic?¡± ¡°A romantic? I mean¡­ we¡¯re in a romantic relationship¡­¡± Lendulin laughed, ¡°No no, that¡¯s not what I mean.¡± She said, ¡°I mean, they like things that are normally considered romantic. You know, late night walks under the stars, flowers and jewelry, picnics somewhere secluded and private.¡± ¡°Yes¡­ yes they do.¡± TO said. DH had loved the egg-pod gem that TO had given them and the makeshift picnic they had in the emergency transport thrilled them until Kei caught them. The memory of that made them sick, remembering how Kei had looked at them, and knowing that they still created a chance for TO and DH to be separated. ¡°Alright.¡± Lendulin said, ¡°I got some ideas.¡± Episode 192: Attire ¡°I really didn¡¯t think we¡¯d be going out this early!¡± DH said once they and TO were in the vehicle and headed to the entertainment district. ¡°If I had, I wouldn¡¯t have gone out, and I wouldn¡¯t have stayed out for so long!¡± ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me you were going out?¡± TO said. It had been an awful surprise to wake up first thing in the morning to see DH gone, leaving behind only the smell of lavender on the sheets and fading body heat. Of course, a quick message on their communicator told them that DH was just fine, but those moments of panic and horror drew out with agonizing slowness. In the moments that hid between waking and sleeping, TO thought that DH had been taken away, that Kei had told Ark-1 what they saw and that somehow Ark-1 had come to Arkane and took DH away. Even when TO knew that wasn¡¯t the case, they still worried about all the awful things that could happen to DH if they were out on their own. They stayed anxious and stressed until DH got back. ¡°I told you why¡­ It was for a surprise!¡± DH. they frowned, and looked away, ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­ I just-¡± They sighed, ¡°If you don¡¯t want to¡­ if I ruined this already, we don¡¯t have to do this.¡± TO cursed themself. They wanted to make this perfect; they wanted to make this special for DH and if they were angry, then DH would know, and it would ruin the day! The last thing they wanted was for DH to feel bad about going out. ¡°I want to do this.¡± TO said, reaching out and putting their hand over DH¡¯s. ¡°I really do, I was just worried about you.¡± ¡°I thought I¡¯d be back before you woke up, but things took longer-¡± TO leaned in, pulled DH towards them, and kissed them on the lips to stop their words. DH stiffened, but after a moment kissed back. ¡°You never kissed me in the vehicle before.¡± DH said, shifting their head to rest their cheek against TO¡¯s ¡°I thought maybe you were worried about surveillance?¡± ¡°I checked that the first day.¡± TO said, ¡°We¡¯ve just been busy. Every time we¡¯ve gone somewhere I had to do work, to do research on something, or look up something.¡± They nuzzled against DH¡¯s cheek. ¡°We¡¯ve been very busy.¡± ¡°No work today?¡± TO smiled, ¡°No work today.¡± They said, ¡°Today I-¡± Their ears dipped down, the words on their lips filling them with shame despite being unspoken. ¡°Today¡­ I am nothing but your mate. Your partner. That¡¯s all I want to be today.¡± DH smiled, leaned forward, and kissed them, trailing their lips from TO¡¯s mouth to the tendons that ran down along their neck while one hand went up to TO¡¯s ear. TO gave a soft gasp of surprise as DH gently pushed them against the wall, continuing their kissing. Private vehicles seemed excessive to TO. The resources and money put into maintaining roads for private use, as well as public parking spaces and regulations, was far more wasteful in their mind than simply putting half those resources into a public transport system that worked well. Today, It thrilled TO to have private civilian transportation, and despite how awkward it felt to them to be doing this while flying above the city, they were grateful for the distraction from the guilt and shame that radiated from what they had originally intended to say; Today, I¡¯m not a synth. How could they want to be anything but a synth? ====== They wore their normal uniforms under their armor when they went to the vehicle, but intended to get changed once they stopped in the entertainment district to ensure that the armor didn¡¯t damage their nicer clothes before their date. ¡°Can you dress first and then get out?¡± DH said, their ears low and blue, ¡°Then I¡¯ll get dressed.¡± ¡°There¡¯s room enough for us to both get dressed.¡± TO said as they pulled out the bag with their nice clothes in it. ¡°And it would be faster that way-¡± ¡°Please?¡± DH said, their ears twitching. TO gave them a confused look. ¡°Since when are you shy about changing around me?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not! Just¡­ Please? It¡¯s part of the surprise.¡± TO gave a soft smile, then pulled on their outfit and got out of the vehicle to let DH prepare for their surprise. ¡°Alright.¡± They said before they let the door close, ¡°try to hurry though.¡± The waiting bay in the parking building was quiet and pleasantly dim, so TO kept their sunglasses off. The sky was overcast, so they knew that they likely wouldn¡¯t need their glasses at all, so long as it stayed dim and pleasant, which was a relief for TO as bright sunshine gave them headaches sometimes, even when they wore eye protection. As they waited, they caught their reflection in the shiny black surface of the vehicle. They didn¡¯t think they¡¯d feel comfortable wearing a dress, and they didn¡¯t care so much about clothing as DH did, but they did like how the sleeker dresses created such a simple, elegant silhouette. When they had trouble choosing something, they explained their struggle with the shopkeeper, who was more than happy to help them find something that they actually liked the look of, and which felt comfortable. They left the shop with a thick belted black half skirt which was to be worn over a tight emerald romper with a halter top. It was simple and comfortable, reminding them of the uniform they wore as a trainee, but looked so much more elegant and sleek. The skirt could come off easily if necessary. They didn¡¯t wear heels like DH did, but their knee-high boots were still very shiny and black and had silver clasps up along the front. Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings. When they saw themself back when they first tried it on, home when they unpacked it, and even now as they looked at their distorted reflection, they wondered if this was really and truly them. Did their silhouette look so fluid in the eyes of others? Was their skin that bright against the darker colors? DH took a long time getting ready. TO even knocked on the window to check and make sure that they were fine, but got only a muffled reply saying that they were ok, and to just give them a little more time. Worry ran through TO; what if something was actually wrong? Well, if something was, then DH would tell them, right? What if they took so long, they didn¡¯t have time to do everything they wanted to? They hadn¡¯t told DH all their plans, hoping to leave most of the day as a surprise. TO wondered now if maybe that was a bad idea. They were about to knock again, to suggest that they needed to hurry, when DH stepped out of the vehicle. The way DH looked still TO¡¯s breath in their lungs. The dress they wore was fairly simple; a long black halter dress with a long slit up their leg, lace tights, and simple shoes with a low heel, but it was the jewelry they wore that surprised TO. They had a band around their head made of a woven silver chain and decorated with tiny purple gems. They had matching purple gems stuck along the edge of their ears. DH applied eyeliner, drawing on the suggestion of eyelashes in the outer corner of their eyes, and they also used lipstick in a deep purple color. ¡°... it¡¯s too much?¡± DH said, putting their hand back on the door of the vehicle, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I-. well it¡¯s a fancy restaurant, and when I went out, I told the salesperson where we were going¡­ She suggested this-¡± ¡°... You did the makeup yourself?¡± TO asked, their voice soft as they took a step forward. DH¡¯s ears flushed deep blue, and they turned around. ¡°I¡¯ll wash it off. I didn¡¯t think¡­ It was stupid-¡± TO took DH by the arm and turned them around to get a closer look at their eyes, which were made to look even bigger from the makeup. They wondered if they simply had not noticed how soft DH¡¯s lips were before, or if it was an illusion of the makeup? Their deeply flushed ears, long and soft and beautiful already, seemed even longer and bigger with the gems that caught and reflected the light. TO only just stopped themself from kissing at DH¡¯s ears, kissing instead just before their ear flicked out from their head. ¡°You¡¯re beautiful.¡± TO whispered. DH¡¯s ear twitched as TO whispered into it, and they pulled away, a gentle hand on TO¡¯s chest. ¡°... SO, was it worth going out today? It was worth waiting for me while I got ready?¡± TO kissed DH gently on the corner of their lips, careful not to smudge their makeup. ¡°So long as you¡¯re happy, it¡¯s already worth it.¡± ====== A hundred people with different tastes and preferences could go to the entertainment district and easily find a dozen things to do to occupy their time. There were restaurants of every type, gaming centers, clubs, bars, cafes, as well as several theaters, cinemas, shows, and museums. There were even performers on the streets - licensed by the city, sub-licensed by the district management, and approved by the merchants council- who made sure that no moment in the district was quiet and dull. It had been TO¡¯s original plan to get here early and walk about the district for a while with DH as they enjoyed the shows, taking in the cornucopia of sights and sounds which would all be new to the two of them. Lendulin had suggested that to start. They couldn¡¯t do that now; they had gotten here late, so they had to make a call and change some plans while DH was dressing. When they stepped from the parking building and onto the street, there was a type of carriage being pulled by a mechanism that looked like seahorses drifting through waves; in truth, they were simply running along on wheels under the machine, but they were designed in such a way that they moved as though swimming through water. The carriage itself was shaped like an upside down conch shell in iridescent colors and wide, silver tinted windows so they could look out without being watched themself. DH froze when they saw it, looking around as though trying to figure out what it was here for. They were still looking around as the AI that drove the whole thing stepped down from their seat behind the sea horses, a box in its arms. It looked from TO to DH, then its mechanical features formed a smile. ¡°Are you the one known as DH?¡± It asked as it looked over DH. ¡°I... yes?¡± They took a step back, their hand taking TO¡¯s hand as though they were preparing to run away with them. The AI set the box down, opened it, and pulled another smaller box from the inside, as well as a bouquet of glowing light blue flowers. ¡°A gift, from TO to their beloved, DH. They wish to tell you they hope your first date on Arkane will be everything you hope it might be.¡± They passed the items to DH, who cradled it all in one arm, still looking dazed and very confused. The AI turned, headed to the carriage, and opened the door to allow TO and DH to enter. DH stared at the AI for a few minutes more before they turned to TO, juggling their gifts in their hand. They didn¡¯t speak, but TO felt their own ears warm up by how DH was looking at them; their eyes wide, their flushed ears low. ¡°... I did some research.¡± TO muttered, looking away, ¡°If we¡¯re doing this; if we¡¯re making this a proper, civilian style date, then I want it to be a proper experience. You know¡­ chocolate and flowers and everything.¡± Their research, of course, had been from Lendulin. The carriage, the flowers, and the chocolate were all her ideas. ¡°Many people might find it cheesy, and maybe even too much?¡± she admitted when she dreamily told TO her idea, ¡°But¡­ I think DH might like it. You¡¯ll know best; they¡¯re your mate.¡± ¡°Is it too much?¡± TO asked, suddenly worried that it was; that the amount of attention they drew from the civilians would throw and upset DH. TO themself was regretting this; there were too many eyes on them, too many people watching them. The sudden, irrational fear came to them that someone might find out; that someone might tell one of their superiors about them, and have them separated sooner than later. Nobody knew who they were, of course¡­ Except the insurgency. What if the insurgency sent word? TO knew this was a crazy idea, that the insurgency wouldn¡¯t contact Ark-1, wouldn¡¯t know to contact them, and even if they did, Ark-1 wouldn¡¯t believe them. Why were they so afraid then? TO looked back at DH to take their attention away from the surrounding people, but say to their horror that there were tears in DH¡¯s eyes. ¡°I''m sorry!¡± TO said quickly, ¡°It¡¯s too much. I¡¯ll send the carriage away, and -¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you dare.¡± DH said, reaching a hand up to gently wipe away a tear before it hit their eyeliner, ¡°Don¡¯t you dare. I¡¯m not sad, I just¡­¡± They sniffled, ¡°I didn¡¯t think.. I didn¡¯t imagine that you¡¯d do all this for me.¡± ¡°I¡¯d do anything for you; you know that.¡± They could still feel the eyes of people around them, although most people were doing nothing more than glancing at the carriage. Many people seemed to go about their business as though this was a commonplace situation, despite that, TO felt like everyone was staring at them. ¡°Come on.¡± TO said, ¡°Let¡¯s get in¡­ I have some more surprises for you.¡± Episode 193: Slang The carriage pulled up to a large building which looked like a giant pillar crystal. There were no windows in sight, and only a single exit visible from the road. Golden lettering spelled out the name of the building over a set of ornate double doors. The Okoian Museum of Costume, Fashion, and Textiles TO wasn¡¯t sure a museum was a great place to start a date, especially since DH had never shown any interest in museums. They had chosen it because Lendulin said that they should choose something they¡¯d both enjoy. DH will know if you¡¯re not having fun. Choose something you¡¯ll both enjoy, so neither of you feels guilty. A museum, and a chance to do more research and learn more about the planet, would interest TO, but even with grand displays of ancient and modern costumes and clothes, they weren¡¯t sure if it would interest DH. ¡°I hope you like this.¡± TO said, ¡°They have an exhibit that shows the progression of fashion on Arkane from its antiquity, through to modern times.¡± They held the door of the carriage open for DH to get out, ¡°But¡­ If you don¡¯t think you¡¯ll like it, we can do something else! I found a bunch of other things nearby we can do or see-¡± ¡°NO!¡± DH said quickly as they jumped out of the carriage, ¡°I really want to see this!¡± They looked at TO, their eyes wide, ¡°Celesto mentioned this place when he was measuring me; he said there¡¯s some of his work here, And Lendulin mentioned it once or twice too when we were talking about dying techniques!¡± TO didn¡¯t remember that conversation, but they hadn¡¯t paid a lot of attention to the fashion talks. DH linked their arm in TO¡¯s, their ears twitching with excitement. ¡°Let¡¯s go! I can¡¯t wait! Sometimes they actually have artists there who have worked on some of the stuff, and they show how it was made and the inspirations!¡± TO grinned and let DH pull them up the stairs to the large door. They seemed to have picked an excellent location to start their date, at least. ====== Sealskin was a common fabric used in precolonial days. It was, of course, still used today; the cold weather coats they bought were made from similar fabrics. The old clothing was much different from that, comprising of simple tunics painted with dyes that the ancient people of Arkane used to make from dried flowers, bug shells, and fish oil. ¡°Clothing dyed with a variety of colors was a privilege reserved for those considered royalty in the village.¡± TO said reading off a sign that hung below a display holding two mannequins wearing such outfits, ¡°Since there was no fair economic system, the royals of each community took most of the best resources for themselves, and those of lesser ranking had to satisfy themselves with what was left over.¡± They looked up at the clothing hung behind the glass. There were two sets; one consisted of a long skirt and a baggy tunic which was brought in at the waist on the mannequin by a wide belt decorated with intricate embroidery. Dyes decorated the furs in a series of lines in green, blue, and purple, with red dots set where the colors met. The other - presumably the one that would have belonged to a commoner of the time- was shorter, had only a few green stripes on the edge, and seemed frayed and worn out. ¡°It¡¯s beautiful!¡± DH said, entirely enraptured by the bright colors of the first outfit. ¡°Can you imagine that even primitive civilians could wear stuff like this?¡± ¡°Well, only some of them.¡± TO said, glancing back at the tattered outfit. ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s because the kings of the time had control of everything, and took everything for themselves.¡± DH said, not looking from the fancy outfit. Was that really how it was? And even if it was, was there a difference now? Lendulin hadn¡¯t been able to get the outfit she wanted because she was legless. Even aside from that, those who lived in the Outer Ring didn¡¯t have the same housing, the same food, or the same medical care as those who lived further inland. They knew that if they were to ask Ark-1 about this, they would say that some civilians are simply lazy, and do not wish to take part in the economic system. They do not wish to work, and as such, they do not contribute to society. Those who do not contribute do not get to experience the bounty of civilization. Lendulin was just legless, and that caused her problems. They had arrested Petra during a protest. Neither of them were, from what TO could see, lazy. ¡°Do you think that¡¯s really how it is?¡± TO asked. DH nodded. ¡°The museum has accreditation, doesn¡¯t it?¡± They said, ¡°It has King Decon¡¯s royal approval?¡± This was true; the Statement of Accreditation hung in the entrance to the museum in clear sight, a sign that King Decon approved of this place, and approved of what they taught. King Decon wouldn¡¯t teach lies, nor would he approve of them. ¡°Look! There¡¯s an entire section over there for sub-aquatic clothing!¡± TO let DH pull them though to the next section, where subaquatic civilian mannequins wore braided seaweed and shells linked as well as outfits made from sewn together fish scales and a strange woven fabric made from some kind of ocean floor flower. The shells reminded TO of the clothing Lendulin wore, and of what they saw that octopus-like mother making in the Outer Ring. Did most Sub-aquatic people wear the same things? They figured they¡¯d find out when they visited the North-East quadrant; Thalassa, as Pearla called it. After the display on sub aquatic clothing, they moved onto the more advanced clothing from later times which involved some synthetic fabrics, but they were still mostly natural, and of course all from Arkane. Much later, there was a kind of wool from one of Arkane¡¯s moons- some now extinct animal that lived there once had produced a strange, very soft wool that became very fashionable for a while, but then Arkane came into King Decon¡¯s kingdom and the clothing became far more varied from influences across the galaxy. For several centuries, the planet seemed to lose interest in anything that had been traditionally Arkanian; The popular style suddenly became very dependent on clothing from the most populous areas of the galaxy as Arkane discovered the bounty of King Decon¡¯s kingdom. The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. It seemed to be only in the last century that Arkane was drawing back some of its old style, the lighter fabrics from around the galaxy combined with the brighter colors of Arkane¡¯s origins. TO found the exhibit on modern Arkanian fashion to be most interesting, as it took fashion from all over and gave it a slight Arkanian twist, using subdued, but numerous, colors and intricate floral embroidery. One outfit that sat on display under artificial sunlight showed what seemed to be a fully blue gown at first glance, but when you looked closely, you could see other colors quietly snuck into the fabric, waiting to be discovered by discerning eyes. When they saw this, TO glanced at their own outfit and noted that the emerald green romper had red, blue, and purple worked into it. A loud, booming voice speaking nearby startled TO from their thoughts ¡°I saw these beautiful dresses, and I asked myself, how can I give them LIFE? How can I take all these colors from my mind, and just put them on the gown?¡± TO looked around, irritated. Sure, there was no problem with speaking in the museum, but why did this one have to speak so loud? ¡°Well, you can imagine it took a lot of effort, but I created a painting method to create just what was in my mind. My good Friend Celesto - a Savant really, you must see him and have something made- could use that technique and apply it to fabric. It¡¯s all top secret, of course.¡± DH gasped, ¡°That must be the artist!¡± They said, ¡°The one that Lendulin works with! Venturi, right?¡± ¡°Right.¡± TO said, but before they even said it DH was hurrying off to go see him. TO felt their ears perk up, and their lips twitch up into a smile. They cared little about Venturi, but they were so happy to see DH so excited. It wasn¡¯t until they had almost reached the crows that surrounded the loud voice that they remembered back when they visited Lendulin the first time, the way Pearla seemed to dislike Venturi so much. ¡°He¡¯s an ass.¡± she said then. TO wondered why she disliked him. At first they thought it was just because of the way some legged citizens of Arkane treat the Legless, but Venturi hired Lendulin and paid her well, so that couldn¡¯t be the case. ¡°Mr. Venturi, your work with colors is just¡­ divine!¡± a tall, insectoid woman said as she gazed at a large, framed picture showing a person with long black hair, wrapped in iridescent black fabric, ¡°I didn¡¯t think you could make black look so cheerful! How do you come up with these ideas?¡± An avian person - most likely Mr Venturi- came up to her. They were nearly as tall as TO themself was, covered in blue-green feathers, and had a more human-like mouth as opposed to a beak. He also had both wings and arms, rather than hands, at the corner of his wings. There must have been some human in his bloodline; it lingered through the genetics and spread through the galaxy. ¡°Ahh, my dear Mrs Anoitos-¡± He said, ¡°You know I can¡¯t reveal my secrets! The secrets the muses whisper to me for my ears along, and given to your eyes through my medium.¡± Leaf-like appendages on either side of her head flicked out as she apologized, ¡°Of course, of course, how silly of me. Please, forgive me for asking. It¡¯s just, I¡¯m such a fan of your work! I wish I could be half as talented as you!¡± ¡°Ah, alas, it takes divine inspiration, dedication, and honestly an innate, born talent. Perhaps you have it!¡± He smiled widely at her, his dark eyes glistening, ¡°If you do, you¡¯ll produce such works with no concerns!¡± ¡°I do hope so.¡± ¡°Of course you do.¡± He said. He turned away from her, and caught sight of TO and DH. His eyes lingered on their wings, and he stepped forward. ¡°Dare I ask, are those natural wings? I¡¯ve not seen natural wings like that around here.¡± ¡°They are!¡± DH said, their voice higher than normal, ¡°I¡¯m Dee-¡± ¡°Dee.¡± Venturi smirked, ¡°That must be short for something.¡± DH stammered, their ears flicking down as they struggled to remember the name they had given themself. ¡°They¡¯re Demileigh.¡± TO said, ¡°They/them. They much prefer DH, and they¡¯re such a big fan of your work that they forgot their own name.¡± At this, DH¡¯s ears turned a deep blue. ¡°Ah, I see.¡± Venturi said. They held an elbow up to DH, ¡°Regardless, Demileigh, it¡¯s lovely to meet such an enthusiastic fan.¡± They looked to TO, ¡°And yourself?¡± ¡°Tio. They/Them. I appreciate your work.¡± That much was true, but they couldn¡¯t call themself a fan.¡± ¡°Excellent! So good to hear. Lovely to meet fans.¡± ¡°OH! We also know your assistant!¡± DH said quickly. ¡°Lendulin! She showed us some of your work after we went to see Celesto for formalwear!¡± Venturi''s lips pressed together, his big black eyes narrowing, ¡°Oh, she sent you here?¡± ¡°Oh, no!¡± DH said, oblivious to his sudden change in demeanour, ¡°We came here on a date!¡± They looked to TO, beaming, ¡°But she mentioned she works with you.¡± ¡°An assistant?¡± Mrs Anoitos hadn¡¯t left, and had clearly been listening in, ¡°Why Mr Venturi, you never told me you have an assistant.¡± ¡°Well, a man as busy as me, I need someone to do minor tasks for me. You know, sort through my emails, check my messages for me-¡± Another avian person nearby who had been listening in suddenly turned around, ¡°Wait, is it that legless girl?¡± They said as their beak clicked, ¡°There was this one legless girl in a chair who came by my paint shop a few weeks ago to get inks and oils. I had to burn some dried herbs once she left to get the stench of the Outer Ring from my shop! At first, I wouldn¡¯t sell to her since I don¡¯t want to be involved in that crowd, but she said she was your assistant, and she had the funds. Still, I nearly called the authorities on her there and then.¡± A few people were listening in now, and though, muttering to themselves. Venturi himself, who for only a second looked like he either wanted to run or hit someone, suddenly gave a big smile. ¡°Oh, that one.¡± He said, laughing, ¡°Yes, yes, she calls herself my assistant. I have her run some errands for me-¡± ¡°-ha! Figuratively of course.¡± Another voice in the crowd said. A ripple of laughter ran through the area. ¡°-and she calls herself my assistant. She was so excited, so eager to do something for me, so I let her sort my mail, and get some paints for me from time to time.¡± He looked at the one who had spoken of her coming to his shop. ¡°Please, continue to sell to her. She¡¯s alright for a slith.¡± Slith. That was an unfamiliar word that TO hadn¡¯t heard yet. Their earpiece simply said it was slang for a legless person. Still, there was something about the word, just about the way it sounded that TO didn¡¯t like. ¡°But Mr. Venturi, I¡¯m sure you don¡¯t need one of them as an assistant. I have a lovely niece, for example, who would love to work for you-¡± ¡°Ah, she was so insistent, so desperate to work for me. I just couldn¡¯t turn her away. After all, if a slith actually wants to work, then who am I to turn them down?¡± ¡°I¡¯d still have concerns.¡± The paint merchant said, ¡°You know how the crime stats are. I¡¯ll put her purchases under your account so you won¡¯t have to worry about sending any funds that way. That¡¯ll make things much simpler and safer for you!¡± He gave a wry smile, ¡°If you had told me ahead of time, I¡¯d have set that up for you right away.¡± Though Mr. Venturi smiled, his hands balled into fists, ¡°Yes, that will be most excellent.¡± He said, his words far stiffer than they had been before. He turned to DH, ¡°Though I¡¯m interested to know how you know her. What did you say you do again?¡± ¡°We¡¯re visiting here.¡± TO said before DH could say anything, ¡°We¡¯re considering opening a business at some point.¡± ¡°Ah, very good.¡± He said. ¡°A word of advice though; be careful who you acquaint yourself with, hmm?¡± he gave another smile, ¡°Networking is half the job, and you¡¯ll have trouble with that if you go about flaunting your friendship with sliths, yes?¡± He nodded, and turned back to Mrs Anoitos, ¡°Ah, I nearly forgot, you said you were interested in a custom piece made-¡± TO and DH watched him walk away from them, the crowd slowly flowing with him. DH stared after him in shock, as though they couldn''t believe what just happened. They turned to TO, their ears low and their eyes wide. ¡°... did I offend him?¡± they asked. ¡°... I think-¡± TO said in synth speak, ¡°That it might be as Pearla said; he might be an ass.¡± Episode 194: Hearts The hundreds of different dining venues in the entertainment district provided a vast range of atmosphere, food, and entertainment, which cater to any preference or taste. Most of the restaurants also had a choice of either a private room or a table in the public dining areas. This caused a lot of confusion as they tried to balance the risks of eating in either place, and the possibility of being spied on, attacked, or poisoned. In the end, TO choose the private room with music playing in the background. They could treat the room like they used to their pods, letting the music drown out their words and being very careful of what they said. It would also be harder for someone to sneak up on them in the private room, to slip a poison in their food when they weren¡¯t looking, or attack them suddenly with a hidden weapon. If they got ambushed, TO had no concerns about the combat abilities of two highly trained synths against some civilian insurgents. ¡°Did we do anything wrong?¡± DH asked once they had settled into their seats. Much like at the bar, the table they sat at had a platform in the center where their food and drinks would come to them. ¡°Maybe? I suppose most civilians have their ID numbers memorized.¡± When they showed up for their reservation, there had been some confusion since TO and DH never gave themselves civilian last names. That wasn¡¯t a problem, as many cultures didn¡¯t have last names, but those who didn¡¯t were more reliant on their civilian ID numbers. TO, of course, didn¡¯t have their number memorized, and had to look it up on their communicator . ¡°Not that.¡± DH said, ¡°I meant back at the museum.¡± Before they could say anything else, the table opened up, and the platform brought them two glasses of sparkling water along with fancy paper menus. TO picked up one as though it were a delicate treasure, and ran their fingers over the thick, creamy paper, feeling the texture and the slight bump of the lettering. Paper was so wasteful; nobody really used it anymore since everything was digital and since there were much better uses for the plants that were often used to make it. ¡°I just don¡¯t know why Mr. Venturi seemed so¡­¡± They frowned, their ears twitching as they tried to come up with the right words, ¡°I don¡¯t know, so dismissive? I don¡¯t think he liked me.¡± ¡°Pearla didn¡¯t seem to like him.¡± TO said, finally opening up the menu, ¡°She called him an ass, remember? Also, that word he used to refer to legless people - Slith- I looked it up on the way here-¡° ¡°The translator said it was slang-¡° ¡°And my research said it was a slur.¡± TO said, ¡°A bad one.¡± They shook their head, ¡°I don¡¯t think we did anything wrong; I think Pearla might be right-¡° ¡°She¡¯s just a civilian.¡± DH muttered. ¡°So¡¯s Venturi.¡± TO said. ¡°She¡¯s also an insurgent.¡± ¡°Venturi was being rude to you.¡± TO leaned forward, their ears pinning back, ¡°We told him you prefer DH, but he kept calling you Demileigh-¡° ¡°Well, that didn¡¯t bother me.¡± DH said, glancing away with their ears twitching with their attempted deception. ¡°Didn¡¯t bother me much, anyway.¡± They added. ¡°It might not, despite that, you have a preferred name, and we told him that. He didn¡¯t use it.¡± DH shrugged, ¡°Well¡­ That¡¯s what our superiors do anyway, right?¡± DH said, ¡°They call us by our proper names, not our nicknames. C12 was the only one who called us by our nicknames before. How is it different?¡± ¡°It just is. It¡¯s different among civilians. He was being rude.¡± DH sighed and picked up their menu. Much like TO, they held it carefully as though it might break, and ran their fingers over the paper as they read it, ¡°I just¡­ I can¡¯t see someone who makes such beautiful things being bad, you know?¡± They frowned, looked over the menu, then looked up to TO, ¡°I''m going to ask Lendulin about it.¡± TO felt their ears perk up. ¡°Really?¡± This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there. ¡°She doesn¡¯t seem as hostile towards him as Pearla, and she even worlds with him. Besides, Pearla¡¯s an insurgent; we can¡¯t trust what she says.¡± That was true; Pearla was an insurgent and treated both DH and TO with a certain icy coolness. Still, TO felt more at ease around her than they had around Venturi. ¡°I just¡­ I liked his work so much. I guess I hoped he¡¯d like me. I shouldn''t have said anything about Lendulin.¡± TO quickly placed their own order, and set their menu down, ¡°Let¡¯s not talk about it.¡± TO said, ¡°We can talk about it tomorrow. Today, I just want to spend time with you.¡± DH gave a quick smile, though their ears dipped back. ¡°Sorry.¡± They said, ¡°I enjoyed the museum though!¡± They suddenly brightened. ¡°Can you imagine getting to wear half of the stuff we saw? Civilians can wear that stuff all the time! And the way they have their patterns made, it¡¯s just math and geometry, but for fashion! A mathematical equation to clothing!¡± Their ears went up, twitching in excitement. ¡°I bet you could make a computer program to design clothing patterns, and use old design techniques from the museum to make some really nice things!¡± DH went on about how such a program would work, getting into the finer details of programming. TO themself had never delved into programming like DH had, and didn¡¯t understand half of what they were saying. They also didn¡¯t understand DH¡¯s love of clothing, but that didn¡¯t matter. They knew they could sit and watch DH be happy and excited about something for hours upon hours, and be content for every second. Tonight, DH looking so ethereal just made watching them a more divine treat than it normally would be. DH talked until their appetizers came. They had ordered this specialty roasted purple vegetable that the chef cut to bloom outwards when cooked like a flower; the meat plumping up and bulging with juice. The artistic way some civilians prepared food still surprised TO. How long had it taken to cut the vegetable so that it bulged out just right? How much trial and error had this taken? They didn¡¯t want to eat it; they wanted to take it home and keep it on display. ¡°You know you¡¯re supposed to eat it, right?¡± DH said after TO had been just looking at it for a few minutes. They had already taken several big bites out of their own serving. ¡°It tastes better than it looks.¡± TO felt their ears flush as they picked up their fork and took a bite; they were right; it tasted better than it looked; savoury, slightly sweet, and with a firm texture that allowed the juices to burst forth when TO bit into it. They closed their eyes, letting the taste linger in their mouth as their ears moved in a slow, languid fashion. This moment, here with DH, with the food, the smells, the privacy, it was all perfect. ¡°¡­ I can¡¯t wait.¡± DH said. They set their fork down and picked up their bag from the floor, rummaging around for something. ¡°Wait for what?¡± TO said, suddenly looking up from their meal. ¡°I have something for you.¡± DH said, ¡°I was going to wait until later to give it to you; I was going to find the perfect time, but-¡± They glanced up, their ears twitching in amusement, a grin on their lips, ¡°But you look so cute, so excited. The way you looked at that dish, the way your ears went when you tasted it, was just adorable!¡± They grinned as they pulled a small white box, tied up with black ribbon, from their bag. ¡°I just¡­ I just can¡¯t wait.¡± They slid the box to TO, ¡°Here; for you.¡± Their ears were brining from being called adorable, and now being given a present left them flustered. They sputtered a bit before they could actually speak. ¡°You didn¡¯t need to get my anything!¡± ¡°Well, you didn¡¯t need to hire a carriage, or get me flowers and chocolate!¡± DH said, their blue tinted ears flicking, ¡°So just accept it! I think you¡¯ll like it.¡± Their ears dipped back, ¡°I hope you¡¯ll like it.¡± TO couldn¡¯t guess what DH had for them. They opened the box, excited to see what it was. It was the gem that they had given DH, or at least half of it. The former egg pod had cracked when the bugs emerged from it, and TO hadn¡¯t looked at it for fear of seeing dead bugs left behind. It was clean now, polished and smoothed to look more like half a heart. Someone had filled the interior with a bright purple resin, and attached a silver chain to the top. ¡°¡­ This took most of my time today.¡± DH admitted as TO looked over the gem. ¡°I.. Well, I was sad that it broke, so I looked into getting it fixed! I found someone who could do it, but they couldn¡¯t see me until today, so I got up really early and went out to see them.¡± They reached back into their bag and pulled out the other half of the gem, which looked more or less like TO¡¯s. ¡°There were a few suggestions, but in the end the artisan said that turning it into matching necklaces would be the best idea.¡± They put their necklace on, beaming, but then they suddenly faltered, ¡°but¡­ well, I know you don¡¯t wear necklaces or jewellery or anything like that, so maybe it was a bad idea-¡° Before DH could say anything else, TO put the necklace on, beaming as they looked at the polished half heart. ¡°¡­ And it doesn¡¯t bother you that it used to be an egg pod?¡± DH asked with their ears down, ¡°I worried about that, but I also didn¡¯t want to just get something new, I wanted to do something with this because¡­¡± They glanced away, ¡°Because it¡¯s the first romantic thing you did for me, right? Even if it didn¡¯t work the way you wanted it to, you saved it to give to me, to tell me how you felt about me, and even if it didn¡¯t work how you wanted, you still gave it to me on the day we uh¡­ became a couple.¡± They looked at their plate, suddenly very interested in their food, ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­ I should have gotten something new that wasn''t an old bug egg.¡± ¡°I love this bit of bug egg!¡± TO said firmly. ¡°And I''m happy you saved it. I¡¯m happy you weren¡¯t mad that it ended up being a bug egg in the first place!¡± They shuddered, ¡°It had live bugs in it.¡± Their ears dipped down, ¡°I¡¯m so sorry for that.¡± DH chuckled, ¡°I think that bothered you more than me.¡± They said, ¡°But it worked out in the end! The artisan said that some couples have matching jewellery to symbolise that they¡¯re a couple and to remind them of one another.¡± They looked down at their plate, ¡°So¡­ if we do ever get separated, we¡¯ll at least have this.¡± TO touched the pendant, letting their fingers wrap around it, ¡°They won¡¯t separate us.¡± TO said. ¡°I¡¯ll do whatever I can to keep that from happening.¡± DH gave a wide smile, though their ears were still down a little, ¡°Well. it doesn¡¯t matter now!¡± They said. They picked up the drink that came with the appetizer - some kind of wine that went well with it - and lifted a glass. ¡°A civilian style toast to just enjoying our time together.¡± They gave a nervous smile. ¡°To us?¡± ¡°To us.¡± TO said as they clinked their glass against DH¡¯s. I won¡¯t let us get separated, they thought to themself. Never. Episode 195: Theater The last part of the night held something that TO was very excited for; a play. Lendulin told them that dinner and a show was a traditional, romantic style date, and even suggested that they go to a place that would provide both at the same time. TO looked into those kinds of theatres, but none of them provided private viewing rooms and the thought of sitting out in the open among civilians while they tried to enjoy a show with DH was too much. They were being watched too much, and stood out too much. Somehow, the eyes of everyone around them were making TO feel anxious. The Conch Theater, which looked like its namesake when viewed from above, was the most renowned theater on Arkane, and contended for one of the top ten theaters in this corner of the galaxy. It used to rank among the top three, but the insurgent activity on Arkane left its stain on the theater''s reputation. Who would want to go to a theatre on a dangerous planet? That didn¡¯t matter to TO. What did matter was that a musical that TO and DH had seen dozens of times before, and which they loved dearly, was being performed live there. It was a dramatic epic musical that had romance and tragedy wrapped around a central plot of civil war. There were two versions, but the first version had been a commercial flop, with critics calling it dangerous and subversive, and hailing this version as the superior one. In fact, there was only one critic who maintained that the subversive version was superior, but it was later discovered that insurgents had paid the critic to praise the corrupt version as it painted them as more sympathetic. Though no evidence was found, the critic later disappeared, fleeing potential punishment for working with insurgents. TO had actually tried to find the other version to satisfy their curiosity, but it seemed impossible to find now. No matter. The proper version was very popular and heralded as an instant classic. The walk from their carriage to their private box felt harrowing to TO; it felt like they were on display as much as when they were in their armor at the government house, but this time without the protection and anonymity of that armor. As they were, TO knew that anyone watching them would assume they were a couple on a date. Although being DH¡¯s mate was part of their civilian disguise, it still felt dangerous to be flaunting such a thing. Somehow, they felt like every set of eyes was going to tell Ark-1 and get them separated. Foolish, of course, but even so TO couldn¡¯t seem to convince themself otherwise. They were so relieved when they got to the comfortable, private box. The furnishings were scarce- just two chairs and a table between them, but every part of the box was ornate. An elaborate sea-shell pattern covered the walls, and the furniture had unnecessary curves and swirls that made the legs seem like waves which had been frozen in time. On the table, there was a bucket with the drink that TO had ordered for them; a distillation of the berries they had eaten back in training, cut with civilian wine. ¡°I can¡¯t believe we¡¯re here!¡± DH said, their ears quivering with excitement as they stepped into the room, ¡°I can¡¯t believe that we¡¯re actually going to get to see an actual play!¡± They sat down heavily in the chair, their hands grasping the armrests as they looked around, watching the rest of the theater filling up. Already, TO could see that most of the boxes had at least four people in them. That TO had nearly booked just the seats and not the entire room made them shudder. Being in close proximity to unknown civilians for so long was a horrifying prospect. TO took the glasses, opened the bottle and poured them both a glass of the sparkling drink. ¡°Drink this slowly.¡± TO warned. ¡°It¡¯s got those berries in it.¡± DH¡¯s ears dipped down, ¡°But¡­ we shouldn¡¯t then, right? We wouldn¡¯t be able to focus on the play! Last time, we fell asleep-¡± ¡°It¡¯s not strong.¡± TO said, their ears burning at the memory, ¡°Apparently you¡¯re not supposed to eat the berries on their own; they¡¯re supposed to be put in drinks.¡± They sat down and took a long sip of their drink. It did indeed remind them of the sweet flavour that they associated with that night when they fell asleep in DH¡¯s lap. DH smiled and took a long drink. ¡°I can¡¯t believe this though!¡± They said again, ¡°I mean, I figured we¡¯d maybe see a play, but I didn¡¯t think we''d be here, that we¡¯d see one of our favourites, or that it¡¯d be on the same day as our dinner date.¡± They glanced at TO, their ears flushed, ¡°I¡­ I didn¡¯t expect you to do so much, to plan so much¡­ I feel like I should have done more.¡± ¡°I wanted to make it special for you. It¡¯s special enough for me if you¡¯re happy.¡± Before DH could respond, the lights dimmed, and the stage lights shone. Music ebbed forth from the stage, signaling everyone to fall silent. In the theater''s darkness and the privacy of their little box, TO reached out over the table that separated them and grasped DH¡¯s hand. Without looking away from the stage, DH turned their hand over and twined their fingers with TO¡¯s. TO took a long breath, savouring the feel of DH¡¯s hand in theirs, the smell of their perfume, and the way their eyes grew big and bright as they watched the curtains rise and the actors appear on stage. This moment was perfect. They wished they could be like civilians, that they could do this all the time without fear of reprisal or separation, that they didn¡¯t have to work so hard, and that they didn¡¯t have to worry about doing so well that they could retire together. They desperately wished that they could just be like this for the rest of their lives. This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it. Impossible; They weren¡¯t civilians; They were synths. The thought of running came back to them, but they pushed it away. ====== TO wanted to stay in their box during the intermission, where it was private, and where they could just be with DH and be happy. The idea of having to be around civilians while under the mild influence of that berry drink made them uneasy, as though they could slip up at any moment and make some awful mistake. However, according to the programme, they could go to the lobby during intermission and purchase souvenirs, or even meet some actors who wouldn¡¯t be on stage for the rest of the show. ¡°We could get one of the show paintings, and get the actors to sign it!¡± They beamed, ¡°Maybe I could get one of the Fortune Teller!¡± The fortune teller died before the halfway point of the show, so she¡¯d be out in the lounge instead of getting ready for her next scene. The costume for the fortune teller had been an elaborate, feathery gown with silver jewelry, so it wasn¡¯t surprising that DH would want a painting print of that. It was against their better judgement that they went out among the civilians during the intermission. It was a bigger crowd that TO expected, and they immediately regretted the decision. This must have been a bigger performance than they originally thought as there was not only a large crowd of civilians packed into the lobby, but there were also several camera crews recording everything that was happening; Cameras rotated about taking video of the area while several journalists took notes or interviewed civilians. Later, TO knew that they would work together all the notes and all the interviews to create a story that the GNB could send across the galaxy. Of course, a story about a large show on Arkane would likely just be local news, broadcast to the rest of the solar system. Still, the cameras made TO as nervous as all the surrounding people. As they waited in line with DH to get the picture of the Fortune Teller, TO found themself almost standing at attention, looking around with their ears pinned back as though they were acting as proper synths. ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re ok?¡± DH asked, gently nudging their hand against TO¡¯s, trying to slip their fingers together. ¡°I¡¯m sure.¡± TO lied, ¡°Well, I''m anxious about being around all these people.¡± They glanced away, ¡°But that¡¯s all.¡± They crossed their arms as their wings tightened around them. All they had to do was wait in line just to purchase the picture, and then they had to hope that they could still find the actress before the intermission was over. Well, even if they didn¡¯t, they¡¯d still be able to get the picture now and find the actress later. TO wondered if it even mattered; sure they could have it while they were on Arkane, but like the clothes and the jewelry, their superiors would take it from them when they finished their placement. Maybe if they were careful, they¡¯d be able to keep the necklaces worn hidden under the uniforms in the future, but they weren¡¯t even sure about that. It would make DH happy. For now, that was all that mattered. ¡°Hey¡­ look at me.¡± TO only then realized that they were looking about the room almost frantically, trying to track the cameras and the people at the same time. They stopped and looked at DH as they were bid. DH was so beautiful, it made TO want to cry. Before they could control their thoughts, they felt their ears dip, felt them twitch and shiver from their affection for their mate. The blue came to TO¡¯s ears as they quickly looked away, looking around once more terrified that someone might have seen that. They shouldn¡¯t have ordered that drink. What were they thinking! If they were properly sober, they¡¯d be able to control their thoughts more! Maybe It didn¡¯t matter; these were all civilians, and civilians couldn¡¯t understand the ear movements. Though, would a civilian who knew their language be able to tell what that kind of ear expression meant? ¡°You know¡­¡± DH said softly, leaning against TO, ¡°There¡¯s lots of couples here tonight.¡± They gestured to the corner where two young civilians were sitting, waiting for the show to start again. They sat with their shoulders pressed together, hand in hand, whispering and smiling. TO wished they could do that in public. They wished that this anxiety they felt, this fear that the wrong person ¡¯d see them, would just melt away, or that they could ignore it. They regretted coming out to the lobby, regretted the fancy clothes, and regretted the carriage. They could have had a perfect time without making such a fuss about everything. What if they got caught? What if somehow someone found out about them and informed Ark-1? They¡¯d never be allowed to stay with DH then. Their slippery mind was certain that if they got caught, then even if they could retire, they¡¯d never be able to stay with DH. ¡°I think you can relax a little.¡± DH whispered as the line inched forward, ¡°You said it yourself; you¡¯re my mate tonight, nothing more¡­ right?¡± The word mate made TO¡¯s ears burn and dip down. ¡°... I love you.¡± DH whispered. ¡°I love you too.¡± TO said as quietly as they could, keeping to synth speak as they looked around, watching the cameras and the people. TO didn¡¯t expect DH to stoke their ear then, their middle finger gently running up its length and making them shiver. Though it was something they loved DH doing, at that moment, it only filled them with dread and horror. What if someone had seen that! There were too many civilians all around and TO¡¯s slippery mind knew that someone had to have, they had to have noticed that touch. They were going to get caught. How could DH be so careless? No, how could they themself be so careless!? How could they have come out here? How could they have allowed themself to get even mildly intoxicated? How could they take such a colossal risk when their staying with DH entirely depended on their performance and behaviour here? Their ears went down in panic, and they moved away from DH. Shaking, and with their wings tightly around themself, they looked first to DH, to their confused, enormous eyes, then around to the people in the line with them. They muttered an apology and left to wait for the end of the intermission in their box. They wanted to spend time with DH, but they were too high-strung now, too scared and anxious. DH could get the picture themself. Episode 196: Name Drop Why did DH do that? Even when TO got back to their private box, feeling foolish and embarrassed, they still wondered how DH could have so easily just stroked their ears in public! Weren''t they worried!? Didn¡¯t they know to be careful? As much as TO wanted DH to do things like stroke their ears more, just the idea of the wrong person seeing them made them feel sick! Of course, it was their own fault, too. They should have had the sense to tell DH just to be careful in public. Still, shouldn¡¯t DH have known that? Weren''t they worried they could be separated if the wrong person saw the wrong thing? Didn¡¯t they know that? Didn¡¯t they care? That was the thought foremost in TO¡¯s head once DH came back into the box. ¡°You promised you wouldn¡¯t run off anymore.¡± DH said, their voice shaking. When TO looked up, they saw DH¡¯s ears pinned back, and their wings out. The aggressive gesture towards them took TO by surprise, but they felt their own ears pin back. DH was angry? Why was DH angry!? ¡°I didn¡¯t run off.¡± TO hissed, ¡°I came here for some privacy, to get away from the civilians-¡¯ ¡°And from me.¡± ¡°And to salvage what little reputation we might have after that!¡± They stood up, and only just bit back the words in their mouth. They took a deep breath. ¡°Why are you angry with me!? I did nothing!¡± ¡°Exactly!¡± DH snapped, though their voice was a little too loud, and people in other boxes could hear them. They were speaking in Synth Speak, so nobody could actually make out what they were saying, but they didn''t want to make a fuss. DH lowered their voice. ¡°Exactly.¡± They said again, ¡°You did nothing¡­ You¡¯re the one who wants their ears touched, who wants to touch me, and the moment I do-¡± ¡°Hey now!¡± TO felt like DH had punched them in the stomach, felt sick, ¡°I always make sure you want to do anything I suggest! I stop the moment you say you¡¯re uncomfortable! I take my time, and I let you lead things entirely in matters of fornication-¡± DH¡¯s ears burned blue, but stayed pinned back. ¡°My point is-¡± They hissed, ¡°That you¡¯re the one who wants it more. You¡¯re the one who wants me to be more affectionate, and when I am, you push me away! So, I really don¡¯t know what you want!¡± They gave a dry laugh, ¡°I just¡­ Here, I wanted to make things nice for you. I wanted to make you happy. I KNEW you were uncomfortable out there, so I thought maybe that would calm you down-¡± ¡°It would have!¡± TO said, ¡°But we were around all kinds of people! There were cameras! What if we had been seen-¡± ¡°What if we had!?¡± DH clenched their hands into fists, ¡°So what if someone saw us!? We¡¯ve introduced ourselves as mates, and we act as such-¡± ¡°What if someone of importance had seen it? What if the insurgency saw it and held it over our heads? Or what if even Ark-1 saw it-¡± DH¡¯s ears flattened out in disbelief, ¡°I very much doubt that ark-1 watches cultural news of Arkane-¡± ¡°You don¡¯t know that! It¡¯s their job to stay informed, so it¡¯s very possible that they watch it!¡± DH gave a growl of frustration. ¡°And if they did? What would happen if they filmed us at that exact moment, and Ark-1 actually noted it? They won¡¯t pull us back now, and they won¡¯t correct us for it now! That would be a massive waste of resources!¡± ¡°Maybe not, but we don¡¯t know that! Besides that, I¡¯m doing everything I can to keep us together, to make sure we become retirees! I want to make sure we won¡¯t have to worry about being reprocessed when we get old and sick, and so we won¡¯t be separated!¡± ¡°And even if we do all that, it might not work! We might do all this, we might work so hard for nothing!¡± They took a step forward, ¡°You said that today, you were my mate; nothing more. So can¡¯t you act like that? Can¡¯t you ignore all this just for a little? Can¡¯t we just be with each other? Just for a night?¡± ¡°We can when we finish our job.¡± TO said. The anger was ebbing from them now, slowly, ¡°When we¡¯re done this, and we¡¯re retirees, then we can relax! I¡¯m working so hard to help us! Don¡¯t you see that? Don¡¯t you care?¡± They took a step forward, feeling tired, and just wanted to let DH hold them for just a minute. ¡°I can¡¯t let them separate us. I won¡¯t.¡± ¡°Just like you didn¡¯t let them take GiDi away?¡± Time stopped. Ice ran through TO¡¯s veins. The image of GiDi being ushered away down a hallway played in TO¡¯s mind. They couldn¡¯t keep GiDi from being taken away. That¡¯s why GiDi was most probably an insurgent prisoner now. If they were torturing GiDi, TO knew that it was their own fault. Clearly, DH knew it too. Was that really why DH was angry? Had they been angry this whole time, and just hiding it? DH¡¯s ears sunk down, ¡°TO, I-¡± ¡°Get out.¡± TO put their hand on the chair to hold themself up. They were shaking, but they didn¡¯t know if it was from anger or shock or sorrow. Already, the words that DH had spoken seemed to fade quickly into the past. Somehow, it felt not as though they had been spoken only moments ago, but that weeks had already passed. ¡°No, I won¡¯t.¡± DH said firmly. The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.TO could feel tears sting their eyes. They couldn¡¯t get the image of GiDi being pulled away out of their head. They took a deep breath. ¡°Fine.¡± They snapped. ¡°I¡¯ll go.¡± head down, they pushed past DH. ¡°TO, don¡¯t-¡± ¡°Then leave.¡± TO hissed. Their fists shook at their sides, and they desperately wanted to run. Still, they promised they wouldn¡¯t run away from this stuff. They hadn¡¯t run off the first time - no matter what DH said- they had just needed to get away for a few moments. Now, though¡­ now they needed to be entirely alone. DH stood before them for another moment before dipping their head, turning around, and leaving the box. The moment they left, the moment the door slid shut on DH¡¯s form, TO lunged forward, pressed the lock function, then just sat on the floor with their back to the door. They pressed their hand to their mouth to muffle their whimpering as they quietly cried. DH was right. They hadn¡¯t been able to keep GiDi with them despite their best efforts and the lower expectations set upon them, so what made them think they could stay with DH? The idea of them both being retirees, of being protected and allowed to live out their days in each others company as they served King Decon suddenly seemed so pointlessly optimistic, so na?ve, so stupid. Synths don¡¯t live to love. They live to serve. It was with the quietest voice that TO whispered the words to themself; worlds they would immediately regret and never mention to another soul for as long as they¡¯d live. ¡°I don¡¯t want to be a synth anymore.¡± ====== TO wasn¡¯t entirely sure how much time had passed between DH leaving the box and the time they finally felt composed enough to go after them, but the play had started up again. This time, TO wasn¡¯t listening. Every sweet note just reminded them that DH wasn¡¯t here. They weren¡¯t here because TO told them to leave. They sent them away. They left the box, and went out to find DH. TO immediately regretted sending them away, but they had been so shocked, so confused, so hurt that they needed to be alone just to let everything wash over them. They still hurt, and mostly they just hated themself now; their idealism, their wasted efforts, and how they sent DH away. DH didn¡¯t deserve that. If GiDi was their fault, and DH called them out on it, then TO had no right to be angry about it. They checked the washrooms first, but DH wasn¡¯t there. They checked other doors that led off to other parts of the theater, but they were all locked. Finally, they went back to the lobby. Maybe DH was waiting there, waiting to catch TO when they left. The lobby was mostly empty. The salesperson who handled the paintings was packing up, and a few people were still leaving the theater. TO didn¡¯t remember DH having the painting in their hands, and they were fairly certain that they didn¡¯t get one before running to find them. TO ran up to the salesperson and purchased a print from them before they were all packed up. ¡°... Did you see someone who looks a lot like me come through here recently?¡± TO asked the tall, skinny salesperson, unsure how recently it might have been, or if DH had been through here at all. ¡°Nah man, I¡¯ve been too busy to pay much mind to anything.¡± he said. He suddenly stiffened up, fixed their posture, and then spoke in a far more formal tone, ¡°If you wish to find a missing person, I recommend our security station, or local authorities.¡± ¡°Oh.. oh nobody¡¯s missing.¡± TO said, their ears flicking back, ¡°I just-¡± ¡°Lloyd, your acting is terrible.¡± A voice from behind him said, ¡°Just go back to your pictures.¡± TO turned around to see who was speaking, and to their surprise it was the woman who played the fortuneteller in the play earlier; a bipedal woman with writhing tendrils on her head and skin so pale it was almost white save for a pink tint. She had on a pair of feathered wings- obviously fake- and a low cut dress. ¡°Looks like you, wearing a black dress, gorgeous jewelry, and gems in their ear?¡± she tilted her head, watching TO carefully. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s the one, their name is -¡± ¡°Dee. DH, they told me. Take out your communicator.¡± TO was hesitant - they knew little about this actress, and couldn¡¯t be certain that she wasn¡¯t an insurgent. Still, they took out their communicator. She brought up a set of directions on her communicator and tapped her screen to TO¡¯s. The directions transferred over. ¡°They wanted to leave, but they didn¡¯t want to go home. I didn¡¯t think it was a good idea to have them running around upset, so I told them to go to the bar on your map.¡± She shrugged, ¡°I know the bartender; Ze¡¯s a good type, and Ze¡¯ll take care of DH.¡± TO looked down at the communicator, at the directions that really only led around the corner, and then back to the actress. ¡°... I¡¯m sorry.¡± They said, ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m new here. What¡¯s your name again?¡± ¡°Melissa. She/Her.¡± she said with a grin, ¡°You¡¯re Tio. They/them. You¡¯ve had a lovely night with your mate so far, but you had a lovers¡¯ spat now, and they think that you¡¯ll hate them forever because of something they said.¡± She gave a soft smile, ¡°But that¡¯s not true, is it?¡± ¡°I could never hate them. They know that. Anything they said to me¡­ I deserved it.¡± ¡°Well¡­ they need to hear that from you. I don¡¯t know what they said, but I know they regret it.¡± ¡°Why are you being so nice?¡± TO couldn¡¯t help but think that she might lead them into a trap. ¡°We don¡¯t know you, so why are you helping us?¡± She shrugged as she headed to the door, ¡°Love, I¡¯ve been heartbroken enough times myself to see it playing out, but when I was like that, I didn¡¯t have anyone around to nudge me away from potentially self-destructive behaviours.¡± She looked away from TO¡¯s face and glimpsed the print in TO¡¯s hand. ¡°Ooh, who did you get?¡± she asked, redirecting her comment entirely. ¡°I got your painting. It¡¯s for DH. They¡¯re a fan, and I figured-¡± ¡°Excellent! I was hoping you¡¯d say that.¡± She took a pen out of her tiny purse and held out her hand. ¡°Come on now, let me see.¡± TO passed over the painting, more out of curiosity than anything else. They knew how to write, in theory, but they had never actually done it. Watching this civilian let her pen flow effortlessly over the paper to create a mark that was supposed to be her signature was almost a magical event. ¡°Half the cast uses those awful verified signatures. I hate them. Sure, they have numbers attached to them that¡¯s supposed to make them unique, but they¡¯re not. They look the same.¡± She pulled out a stick of lipstick, applied a fresh layer on her already red lips, and kissed the painting before passing it back to TO. ¡°Number or no, you¡¯ll never have another print like that.¡± Ears down and eyes wide, they carefully put the print back in the protective plastic. ¡°I¡­ Thank you. You have no idea how much DH will love this. How much do I-¡± ¡°Nope.¡± she said as she put her lipstick back in her bag, ¡°Your charge for this gift is finding DH and making things better with them, understood?¡± She smiled. ¡°Lots of cuddles and comfort, I think. This bar rents some rooms for the feisty, the tired, and the drunk, so maybe take advantage of one of them?¡± TO felt their ears burn at the implication, but shrugged, ¡°They might be tired.. It might be best to get some rest.¡± ¡°Just¡­ it¡¯ll be fine.¡± She said, ¡°Couples have fights. I told DH, and I¡¯ll tell you; I very much doubt either of you hate one another.¡± TO thanked her again and took off towards the bar that she directed them to. She was right about TO, that they could never hate their lover and DH should have known that by now, but they understood the fear and anxiety that pulled those thoughts out. TO felt it themself right now, and only hoped That Melissa was right about DH¡¯s feelings as well. Episode 197: Drink Even at night, the Entertainment District was bright and welcoming. Strings of blue lights hung between the larger street lights, casting a mixture of warm and cool light on the street. Even the venues that TO passed all had brightly colored displays in the windows or storefronts, and music playing for those passing by. The mixing of songs created a discordant song of contrasting melodies that fought one another for the spotlight, while chatter and noise from the crowds around provided the chorus. Outside the theater, a street performer dressed in minimal chain-link clothing danced among whips of fire, their skin glistening with sweat as they worked while people walked past, taking no notice. TO was certain that DH would like to see the fire dancer. They just had to find DH, had to hope that they actually went to the bar that Melissa showed them. The carriage was still there, waiting for TO to return. The AI driver sat behind the two mechanical seahorses, a statue that blended in with the rest of the opulent scenery around the theater. TO ran up and checked inside, hoping that DH was just waiting in the carriage. They were not; it was empty. ¡°Did you see my partner?¡± TO asked the driver. It took a moment for the AI to respond, its eyes suddenly lighting up again as it came out of rest mode. It didn''t have to answer after that for TO to know the answer. ¡°Apologies Mx, I did not.¡± It looked at TO, tilting its head, ¡°If Mx Dee has gone missing, I can inform local authorities to have a search started.¡± ¡°No need. I think I know where they are.¡± TO said. They got into the wagon and looked at their map. ¡°I have a new address to add to our itinerary.¡± They sent the new address to the driver¡¯s system and waited a moment for the AI to analyze it. ¡°Of course Mx, right away.¡± ====== TO expected the side streets to be more like what they had seen in the Outer Ring; not as dirty, of course, but they expected them to be duller than the main roads. That was not the case. It appeared as though the various business owners, and indeed the council of the district itself, had gone through great pains to ensure that every part of the district, every tiny alley and narrow street, was a feast for the senses. They covered dead ends that would have held only garbage and debris in the Outer Ring in lights and painted the walls with fantastic murals. People filled the busy street, moving around statues and decorations that made it look even smaller than it already was. There were more cafes here, and more tables set outside where people could sit and talk. TO couldn¡¯t enjoy any of it. Every time they saw something beautiful, they could only think about DH, about how they wished they were there with them, and how it was their own fault that they weren¡¯t. If anything happened to DH, it would be their fault, just like losing GiDi had been their fault. The carriage eventually stopped at the entrance of an off-road. ¡°Apologies, but this is as far as I can go; the streets ahead are too narrow for my carriage to access. However, the road is short, and the bar you¡¯re looking for is in the center. If you are stopping for only a short time, I can simply move to the other side of the street and pick you up there. Otherwise, I will park on the main road and come when you need me.¡± TO didn¡¯t respond as they jumped out of the carriage and made their way down the narrow street. They wanted to run; or better yet, they wanted to fly over all the obstacles, but the Entertainment District banned non-mechanical flight, and the narrow street was too crowded for them to run though. Still, the bar wasn¡¯t too far in and TO got there quickly. It looked small on the outside but TO knew that it either led underground where it had more space to sprawl out, or sprawled out behind the other closed storefronts - oddly enough, a bakery and a flower shop- on either side. The exterior looked like wood, but it was obviously just resin. Fake plants sat clustered in neat planters that looked like stone but were again resin. The sign over the door seemed painted on to give it the look of an old pub, but the ¡®paint¡¯ was actually just clever lighting as the letters glowed white blue against the dark fake wood, spelling out, ¡°The Cottage Core Pub.¡± TO double checked their directions; Melissa said that it was a bar, not a pub. The directions were correct, so TO went inside. There seemed to be some kind of noise cancelling tech installed in the walls, because the moment that the door closed behind TO the confusion of all the music and voices outside simply turned off, replaced with the sound of wind rushing through trees and owls in the distance. The bar, much like TO had expected, was much bigger than it seemed outside, but there were no stairs leading down to a lower level where such a place might freely spread out. Perhaps, TO thought, the owner actually owned the buildings on either side and simply made the storefront seem smaller on purpose. Well, at least a bakery and a flower shop would match the general feel of the pub. Fake windows showed not the illuminated night time street outside, but a forest at night, bathed in moonlight. Tables topped with pale tablecloths sat all about, lit by artificial yellow-orange light from fake candles. There was a fireplace in the corner with some chairs before it, but even from the other side of the room TO could tell that the flames were fake; played on a screen behind the glass of the fireplace with the sound of crackling fire and snapping wood playing to make it seem authentic. Most people inside wore pale pastel dresses with big skirts or very refined suits. As they drank alcoholic drinks from mugs, they worked on various crafts and they talked among themselves. The entire bar held this aesthetic which the patrons had adopted, making both the people and the place seem like a piece of artwork. It made DH, sitting at the bar with their tight black dress and glittering jewelry, stand out. TO went to the bar and caught the eye of the bartender; they weren¡¯t sure of the species, but Melissa had mentioned their pronouns as Ze and Zim; at least that¡¯s what she had said. The bartender looked something like a moth with a big puffy collar of fur around zheir neck, soft moth-like wings at their back, and long feathery antennae on their head. Ze tapped at the bar next to DH to get their attention. DH looked up, the bartender whispered something, and DH looked behind them. The moment they caught sight of TO, their ears went down, pinned back, and they looked away. Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. They were angry? DH was still angry at them!? TO thought that, given what Melissa said, they were more sad than mad. Apparently not. They took a steadying breath as they wordlessly sat down next to DH. DH turned away from them, looking in the opposite direction at the wall. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t have run like that.¡± TO whispered, their voice low as they spoke in synth speak. ¡°Well, you told me to leave.¡± DH snapped, but the moment they did, their ears went down again, ¡°Not that I blame you.¡± TO looked over and saw a glass sitting before DH on the bar. It was mostly empty, with just a few drops left in it; not enough for them to see what it was. ¡°I didn¡¯t want you to leave entirely.¡± TO muttered, ¡°I just needed a second.¡± ¡°I figured it¡¯d be better If I left without you.¡± DH said, ¡°That way you wouldn¡¯t have to be seen around me.¡± ¡°You know it has nothing to do with that!¡± TO snapped. ¡°Well, you ran off from me in the lobby. What am I supposed to think?¡± ¡°You¡¯re supposed to think that I¡¯m trying my best to keep us together, to do the job properly and make sure we can retire and stay together!¡± TO huffed and looked away, ¡°But... Clearly you don¡¯t think I can do it.¡± DH¡¯s words ran through their heads once more, and they once more saw GiDi being pulled away from them. DH finished their drink, and the moment they set it down, the bartender was there to retrieve the glass. ¡°You finished that quicker than I expected.¡± Ze said. ¡°Yes. and I¡¯ll have another drink.¡± DH said, their ears back, their eyes narrowed, ¡°That tornado thing we talked about.¡± ¡°That¡¯s really strong.¡± the bartender said, zheir antennae twitching. ¡°I¡¯m aware.¡± The bartender nodded, glanced at TO, then went to get the drink. ¡°What is it?¡± TO asked. ¡°Nothing. A drink.¡± ¡°Alcoholic?¡± ¡°With a few other things that actually make it have an effect¡± TO felt their stomach twist, ¡°I don¡¯t know if that¡¯s a good idea.¡± They said, How much had HD already drunk today? ¡°We had those drinks with the berries earlier, right?¡± ¡°Does it matter? If you¡¯re worried I¡¯ll embarrass you, just go home. I¡¯ll get myself home later.¡± TO¡¯s ears dipped back, their eyes narrowing, ¡°Obviously, I won¡¯t leave you here.¡± ¡°Well, maybe you should!¡± DH snapped. ¡°Maybe you should, so I don¡¯t say anything else horrible to you and upset you and-¡± they choked, closed their eyes, and held their hand to their mouth. TO could see the tears in their eyes welling up for moments before DH willed them away. ¡°Maybe you should leave me here, so I don¡¯t say anything nasty to you again.¡± The bartender came back with the drink on a tray. It was bright green, and served in a very tall, very narrow glass. ¡°... Now legally, I can¡¯t refuse to serve you this.¡± The bartender said, ¡°But I don¡¯t recommend drinking it; you said you don¡¯t drink a lot, and you¡¯ve never had anything with fungal extracts before.¡± TO¡¯s ears flicked back, ¡°Fungal extract?¡± They asked the bartender as they switched to Common. Ze nodded. TO turned back to DH. ¡°Are you insane?¡± ¡°It won¡¯t kill me.¡± DH muttered as they took the glass. TO grabbed the glass from them and pulled it out of their reach before they could realize what was going on. ¡°I don¡¯t know how much you¡¯ve been drinking already. We had that berry drink at the theater, and now you want this? Have you even researched the interactions between these things?¡± The bartender tried to say something, but DH spoke over zhem, ¡°I looked it up, it¡¯s fine!¡± They reached out, trying to take the drink from TO. TO didn¡¯t trust DH''s words. They weren¡¯t lying, but DH clearly wasn¡¯t thinking straight and TO didn¡¯t know how much they had already consumed. Regardless, given emotional and potentially chemical influences, TO didn¡¯t think they could rely on DH¡¯s judgement. They knew, however, how much they themself had consumed so they could more easily weigh the risks of consuming the mystery drink. With DH grabbing for the glass, TO took it and quickly downed the whole drink in one gulp. It burned as it went down their throat and exploded in their stomach. The taste of it took the breath away from them, and for just a moment, their vision seemed to go blue before shifting back to normal. ¡°... That was stupid.¡± TO said, surprised at the sudden reckless action. ¡°Exceedingly.¡± The bartender said, ¡°For two reasons. First, I wouldn¡¯t have blamed you if you threw it on the ground. Second, I was trying to tell you that your friend here has had no mind-altering substances since they came here.¡± ¡°What?¡± They looked at DH, ¡°I thought-¡± DH¡¯s ears, now twitching with worry, sunk down, ¡°Well, I never told you I drank anything.¡± ¡°They came in and asked for the strongest drink we could serve. Given the aesthetic, we¡¯ve worked hard to cultivate drinks based on mushrooms, and that one-¡± zhey pointed at the now empty glass that TO still held in their hand, ¡°Is our strongest, and its meant to be sipped over a long period. I convinced your friend not to order that earlier when I said it¡¯s a bad idea to get messed up when you''re sad and alone!¡± TO, already feeling their vision slipping around, looked for the glass that DH had before them earlier, but remembered that the bartender already took it away, ¡°But¡­ They were drinking-¡± ¡°A lavender syrup, cut with carbonated water.¡± The bartender said. Zheir antennae twitched as their soft, furry wings shuffled behind them. ¡°I hope you¡¯re not piloting yourself anywhere this evening.¡± ¡°I... No?¡± TO panicked. They had drunk that way too fast, and now they were only going to make DH worry about them again. Maybe they¡¯d end up making themself sick, and DH would have to care for them ¡°We have automated-¡± ¡°You said you had a room, right?¡± DH asked the bartender, ¡°You have rooms for rent if I needed to stay away for the night?¡± ¡°I did.¡± ¡°Is that offer still open? I¡¯ll get them to lie down for a while. Maybe that¡¯ll help.¡± ¡°That might be best, unless you want to carry them home.¡± zhey said, ¡°I¡¯ll get a server to bring you there.¡± TO looked down at the bar, their ears down. They had been having such a good day, and then they ruined it all just because DH had been unexpectedly affectionate with them. They still had a little spark of anger for what DH said about GiDi, but that was well tempered both because this entire issue started because of TO, and also because in the end, DH was right. Episode 198: spiral TO had little understanding of how the fungi drink would have affected them, especially given what they had already consumed. When an alert came on their communicator telling them they had exposed themself to something dangerous, they panicked. DH said that the drink was fine, but would it actually hurt them? Could it kill them? The alert flashed red across the screen, a panic inducing warning that persisted until TO opened up the message. =WARNING= You have recently consumed the following; Crisposcybe montansis- Spiral Mushrooms Prunus euphoria- Bliss Berry Ethyl alcohol- Alcohol You have consumed a non-lethal dose. Further consumption is not recommended. Be aware that the effects of Crisposcybe montansis are enhanced by Prunus euphoria and Ethyl alcohol. Be aware of the following effects; -visual and auditory distortions -impaired judgement -impaired fine motor control -impaired speech -impaired comprehension -Drowsiness Recommended action; isolation, hydration, nutrition, rest. Isolation wasn¡¯t happening; DH was already watching them closely for any grave signs of diminishing health. So far, it just felt like the effects of the drink they had at the theater - Bliss Berry was the common name, they knew that now- was stronger now. Their thoughts were slippery and slow, and all they wanted to do was lie down. A servAi came and spoke to DH before leading them away from the bar and towards a small hallway on the side. TO focused on walking down the hallway, following behind DH and watching the backs of their feet from the time they got up to the time they stopped before the door to the room. The ServAi passed a key to DH before scurrying back to work. DH wasted no time in opening the door and getting TO inside. TO had no expectations of the room. They hadn¡¯t even considered what it might look like, but it was much smaller than they expected a civilian room would be. It was only a little bigger than the sleeping area in their ship, but a large bed took up one whole side of the room. It looked very soft, very comfortable, had silk sheets, and many needless pillows. The deep red walls lacked decoration, but there was a screen on one end, a panel that dimly showed drinks and food that could be ordered, and right next to that was a small fridge door. TO jumped as DH took their arm and led them to the bed, sitting them down on the very edge before turning and going to the fridge. A moment later, they came back with a bottle of chilled water for TO. ¡°The bartender said you should have some water.¡± They said, passing the bottle to TO. ¡°So¡­ here. Drink.¡± The bottle felt colder than it should have, and TO had a hard time taking the top off. After a moment of fumbling, DH took it and opened it up before pressing it back into TO¡¯s hand. ¡°Sorry.¡± TO mumbled before drinking. They intended to drink about half of it, but they found the water too cold for their mouth, so they stuck to taking tiny little sips and focusing too much on the water, warming up against their tongue before swallowing. DH sighed, and sat down next to TO on the bed, with their hands in their lap. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t have done that.¡± they said, their voice low. ¡°But... you already know that.¡± ¡°I do.¡± TO said between sips, ¡°Sorry.¡± DH leaned forward, their elbows on their knees, their wings tightening around their shoulders. ¡°Why did you even come here?¡± They said, ¡°I didn¡¯t tell you where I was going, you didn¡¯t want me around-¡± ¡°I always want you around!¡± TO insisted, ¡°Just¡­ Just not just then. I was upset!¡± DH nodded. ¡°You know... I knew how it sounded after I said it. But I didn¡¯t mean it that way.¡± TO felt their ears dip down as they remembered GiDi, as they pictured them being taken away. The worry they felt when they downed that drink and when they got the alert had driven the near constant echoing of DH¡¯s words out of their head temporarily, but it was back now and louder than before. ¡°Well, it¡¯s true.¡± TO muttered, their lips against the mouth of the water bottle, ¡°It¡¯s my fault.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not!¡± DH insisted. ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant at all!¡± ¡°Then what did you mean?¡± TO whispered. Their throat felt hoarse, and they could already feel tears sliding down their cheeks. Damn; they had wanted to stay a little more composed than this, but apparently the combination of mind-altering substances they had taken made such a thing impossible. DH reached out as if they wanted to wipe away the tears, but stopped. ¡°I meant you couldn¡¯t stop it from happening.¡± DH said as they looked away. ¡°... That is what I thought you meant.¡± TO said before taking another drink, ¡°I don¡¯t see how I could interpret it any other way.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t mean that it was your fault though!¡± DH said, ¡°I just pointed it out. I mean¡­ You couldn¡¯t save GiDi. Q10 couldn¡¯t save them, at least not inside the training center, anyway. I couldn¡¯t do it. You couldn''t do it.¡± They looked at the floor, ¡°I don¡¯t think anyone could.¡± They turned away, and rubbed at their eyes with the back of their hand, ¡°We couldn¡¯t keep them with us, and you really wanted that. If you really wanted it, and you couldn¡¯t do it, it can¡¯t be done. So¡­ If we couldn¡¯t keep GiDi with us, how can you think we can stay together?¡± This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. ¡°That¡¯s different!¡± TO insisted, ¡°We know better! We finished our training! Synths get tested in training, and if you don¡¯t pass, you get taken away. We passed!¡± They turned to DH, ¡°We passed, and now all we have to do is work hard to become retirees!¡± If they could become retirees. TO do that, they had to do this job perfectly. They remembered the cameras all around them. People talking. DH¡¯s lips on their ears. If anyone had seen that, they wouldn¡¯t get to retire at all! It would be surprising if they stayed on Arkane with DH after such a thing! ¡°... But clearly, you don¡¯t care about that!.¡± TO said, their ears pinning back, the bottle in the hand crumpling slightly in their grip. ¡°I do!¡± DH¡¯s ears sunk down, their eyes went wide, ¡°I really do, but-¡± ¡°If anyone had seen that! If Ark-1 had seen it-¡± ¡°But they wouldn¡¯t have!¡± DH insisted, ¡°Not unless someone pointed it out to them. They have better things to do than watch the cultural news from Arkane, and even then, the chances that they caught us in the background are slim! I was careful. I checked and made sure no cameras were pointed right at us-¡± ¡°But are you entirely certain!¡± TO snapped, ¡°If there¡¯s any chance that they could have caught us - and there was!- we could mess everything up! All this work we¡¯ve done, it could be for nothing and we could be separated-¡± DH seized TO¡¯s hand and held it in both of theirs. ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯m saying!¡± They said, ¡°I¡­ I think they will separate us. Just like with GiDi. I don¡¯t think we can stop that.¡± It was only now that they were looking at DH directly that TO could see the tears in their mate¡¯s eyes. Any anger they might have felt melted to shame. ¡°I don¡¯t think it matters.¡± DH said as they took a deep breath, ¡°I don¡¯t think it matters what we do, if we perform well or if we just spend all our time on dates here! No matter what we do, I don¡¯t think we¡¯ll end up being together afterwards.¡± ¡°But¡­ C12-¡± ¡°Even C12 and flit got separated in the end.¡± DH said, ¡°And it wasn¡¯t even because they were together!¡± They shook their head and looked down as they brought their hands and TO¡¯s up to their lips. They kissed TO¡¯s fingers gently and looked at TO as tears ran over their cheeks. ¡°It didn¡¯t matter that they were together. It was something different, something entirely unrelated that had them separated in the end.¡± They closed their eyes, ¡°All this work¡­ I know it¡¯s important. I know we have to do our best for King Decon, and I think you¡¯re amazing for how hard you work¡­ but I just don¡¯t think it¡¯s going to make a difference for us staying together. When we¡¯re done, you¡¯ll probably become a Trainer or an Overseer or even an Officer! I¡¯ll probably go into programming or medicine-¡± ¡°But if we retire-¡± ¡°They¡¯ll probably send us to different places.¡± DH said. ¡°Retirees share their wisdom and experience, right? Maybe do extra training. Why would any center need two?¡± Why would a center need two? It was a good question. TO didn¡¯t know how many other centers had Retirees, but if they were so valued for their knowledge and skill, would higher ups allow a single center to have two? What was the chance of them being together even if they both became Retirees? ¡°I just want to be with you.¡± DH said, their ears sinking down, their hands shaking, their wings tightening around them, ¡°And I know I should want more than that. I know I should want to serve King Decon, to throw every waking moment into serving him like you do so often-¡± ¡°You do!¡± TO said, their ears flicking in panic. Sure, DH didn¡¯t focus like TO did, but they still served King Decon just as well! ¡°-But I just want to spend time with you.¡± They said, ¡°If this is the last time we have together, then I¡¯d rather enjoy it than worry about being caught. I¡¯d rather have a life with you, even if it¡¯s only here, and only for a short time, then struggle all the time for the chance of maybe staying together for longer, especially when I just¡­ I can¡¯t see that happening.¡± They couldn¡¯t see it happening. Somehow, the idea of DH having this future in their mind, a future where they weren¡¯t together was entirely too sad for TO. DH pressed their forehead to TO¡¯s hand, ¡°If anyone could have kept GiDi with us, it would have been you. You couldn¡¯t. Nobody could. It¡¯s impossible, and the moment they were taken from us, I just knew that the same thing would happen to you one day. I knew I¡¯d see you taken away from me, and I knew there was no way to stop it.¡± A million arguments came to TO¡¯s mind; a million ways they could ask to be kept together, a million ways they could convince a future officer that they work well together, even if they had to be in combat on some dangerous planet. No, they wouldn¡¯t go into combat, TO knew that. They had both performed too well in training, and those who went into combat were average synths at best. No, they would take on specialized roles and that meant they¡¯d be separated since their skills were in entirely different things! TO had gotten special training as an officer, and DH showed skills in medical work and programming. TO felt dizzy, their head swayed, and over the course of the conversation the room had seemed like it was oddly twisting, like the walls were moving but not moving at the same time. They leaned forward, slumping into DH and falling into their lap. ¡°TO! Are you ok?¡± DH put their hand to TO¡¯s neck, feeling for the familiar vibration of their heartbeat. ¡°M¡¯fine.¡± TO whispered. They had wanted to hold DH or be held by them, they weren¡¯t sure which, but all they could do was slump against them. They didn¡¯t even notice the water bottle fall from their hand and spill on the floor. ¡°You¡¯re not.¡± DH whispered before gently scratching the back of TO¡¯s neck, then froze. ¡°... Is it ok if I still do this?¡± They asked. ¡°Yeah.¡± TO whispered, ¡°Why not?¡± DH went back to scratching the back of TO¡¯s neck. ¡°Back there, I was angry¡­¡± They whispered, ¡°I am trying, you know, with...¡± They gently let their hand touch TOs¡¯ ear, causing TO to shiver gently, ¡°With all this. I want this! I do! And most of the time, knowing that I''m going to be taken from you makes me push myself more. I thought you¡¯d appreciate me kissing your ears back there, and when you just pulled away, it just felt like I was trying for nothing!¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± TO whispered. ¡°No, I¡¯m sorry. I should have known better. I should have asked if I could.¡± Their hand stilled on TO¡¯s neck. ¡°I know this is all the drugs right now. I know you probably hate me-¡± ¡°Never.¡± ¡°You should though! I made you uncomfortable. I kissed your ears in front of people when you didn''t want that! You should hate me!¡± ¡°Well.. I don¡¯t.¡± TO said, ¡°Sorry.¡± A ragged laugh from DH turned into a held back sob. ¡°You¡¯re apologizing for not hating me.¡± DH said. ¡°That¡¯s insanity¡­¡± They trailed off, and just focused on scratching the back of TO¡¯s neck, ¡°I never want to upset you again. As long as we¡¯re together, for as long as that is¡­ I never want to upset you again.¡± Another bitter laugh came from their mate, ¡°But Miss Melissa said that couples, even great couples, always have fights from time to time. Maybe we can go at least the rest of the time here without it.¡± TO cuddled into DH¡¯s lap, an arm wrapping around DH¡¯s waist, their wings limp at their back and draping over them. Their head felt like it was spinning about, but it wasn¡¯t uncomfortable, though it made it difficult to consider what DH had said; how they felt certain they couldn¡¯t stay together. DH was right, and in this state at least no reasoning from TO could contradict them. ¡°Let¡¯s run away.¡± TO said. It was the first words on their lips, the same words that had been flickering through their head for the last several days, intrusive and terrifying. They stiffened, worried that such a base and civilian thought would disgust DH. It didn¡¯t. DH just gave a heavy sigh as they continued to scratch the back of TO¡¯s neck. ¡°If only we could. What¡¯s a synth outside of King Decon¡¯s service? Nothing. Worse than nothing; it¡¯s a drain, a disease.¡± Oddly, the words, ¡°If only we could,¡± provided such a balm for TO¡¯s anxieties over their thoughts that the rest of what DH said didn¡¯t bother them at all. Episode 199: Consequences Waking the next day brought only suffering and pain for TO. There wasn¡¯t a part of them which was free from pain despite the odd feeling of being disconnected from their body. The very thought of food made them want to vomit. Left to their own devices, they would have stayed in the back room until they felt better. DH would not allow that. They gave TO something from their first aid kit to help them manage the pain and nausea, then got them back to their ship as quickly as possible. ¡°Why do civilians choose to poison themselves and call it ¡®recreation¡¯¡± TO moaned from under a pile of blankets. They still wore their fancy clothes and hadn¡¯t even bothered to kick off their boots. The thought of fiddling with all the buckles on their boots made their head hurt more than it already did. ¡°Because civilians are stupid.¡± DH said promptly. They changed back into their normal uniform in the vehicle and had removed most of the jewelry. The gems stuck to their ears were still there, and they hadn¡¯t bothered to wash off their smudged makeup yet. As soon as they put TO on the bed, they rushed to the med kit and started pulling down various powders and pills, mixing them together for TO. ¡°Though, Melissa said that drinking there helps her forget her problems for a little, so maybe that has something to do with it?¡± They glanced at TO, ¡°Did you forget your problems?¡± TO groaned and pressed their face into the pillow. They hadn¡¯t forgotten their problems, if anything their problems had been worse! Though, at the moment, the physical pain and throbbing headache were making it hard to focus on the bigger problems. DH didn''t think they¡¯d stay together no matter what they did. DH had been pushing themself to be more intimate. They had said it; they said the words that had been flickering in their head. Loosened by the various drugs they had taken, the words slipped out. ¡®Let¡¯s run away.¡¯ DH had responded not with disgust or shock or horror, or even gentle chiding. They had responded only with the sad, whispered words, ¡®If only we could.¡¯ DH sat next to them, gently scratched at the back of their neck, and pressed their water bottle into TO¡¯s hand. ¡°Here. Drink this.¡± They said, ¡°It won¡¯t taste good, but it¡¯ll make you feel better.¡± Even the sound of the water sloshing about made TO feel sick, ¡°I¡¯ll throw up.¡± They said. They felt that if they swallowed too much of their own saliva, they¡¯d throw up, so they didn¡¯t imagine they could manage whatever DH just passed them. ¡°You won¡¯t. I put a little something in it to settle your stomach. Come on.¡± They gently pulled TO up from the blanket pile, resting them against their own chest into a half sitting position. ¡°Try to drink as much as you can.¡± TO took a shuddering breath before lifting the bottle up to their mouth and drinking. It did indeed taste foul; if the sweat from training had a taste, this would be it! Still, like DH said, it didn¡¯t upset their stomach. The liquid seemed to cast a calming blanket over their aching, twisting innards and gave them a few moments of peace. They forced themself to chug half the foul drink before gasping for air. Their stomach felt better, but their head still ached and they still had that very odd, disconnected feeling. ¡°Civilians are idiots.¡± TO moaned before pressing their face into DH¡¯s chest once more, curling up against their mate as though trying to block the rest of the world from their small bubble of contact, ¡°I hate this.¡± ¡°I know.¡± DH said as they went back to scratching TO¡¯s neck, ¡°You rest, I¡¯ll take care of the chores today-¡± ¡°No, I have to-¡± ¡°Rest. Take a nap and when you wake up, you¡¯ll feel better.¡± TO moaned before pushing themself up and struggling with the buttons on their outfit. After only a moment of this, DH took over and carefully helped TO out of their clothes. They were half asleep by the time they were done and didn¡¯t even notice DH throwing the blanket over them before getting up to start their tasks for the day. They felt the gentle kiss on their cheek, and though they couldn¡¯t draw forth the energy to speak, they mouthed, ¡®I love you¡¯ in silence. ====== Recovery was slower than TO would have liked, but soon they found it hurt just a little less to move, that their hands didn¡¯t seem so foreign to them, and that their head didn¡¯t throb every time they moved their eyes. It wasn¡¯t until DH had finished TO¡¯s chores and returned to the living area to start their own that TO felt like they wanted to do something other than sit in misery and suffer. Still, getting out of bed was too much. The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement. They propped themself up and took up their communicator. Lendulin would want an update on the date. She specifically said she wanted to know ¡®every little thing¡¯ It was then that their brain seemed to turn on; like an engine revving up after being off for a long time. The date, in their mind, had been a failure. TO was certain that all the joy that DH experienced earlier in the day had been destroyed by the events of the evening. If only TO had kept from reacting as they did when DH, just trying to calm them and comfort them and make them happy, kissed their ear. TO groaned and pressed their hand to their forehead. THe slowly developing clarity on the events of the day before was worse than the physical pain. ¡°Are you alright?¡± DH asked, turning away from their work to check on TO. ¡°Fine..¡± TO muttered. ¡°Just...¡± They glanced up slowly, careful not to cause themself more pain, ¡°I¡¯m sorry about yesterday.¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing to apologize for.¡± DH said, turning away as their ears flicked down, ¡°It¡¯s more my fault than yours. If I hadn¡¯t-¡± ¡°No.. I mean, I¡¯m sorry that I ruined it-¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t ruin anything!¡± DH said, ¡°Look, just rest, and we can talk when you¡¯re better but there¡¯s really nothing to talk about!¡± TO pulled the blankets tighter around them, flipping an edge over their head like a hood. ¡°Do you really believe there¡¯s no way we can stay together?¡± DH was silent for a long time, their ears low, their hands hovering over the keyboard as though unsure if they wanted to simply ignore that question or not. Their ears twitched and then they finally turned to face TO. ¡°I do.¡± They said, ¡°I¡­ like I said, the moment GiDi was taken away, I knew we¡¯d be separated. I tried to keep you away at first, to protect you-¡± ¡°A terrible idea.¡± Despite the situation, DH grinned. ¡°I know that now. But even after that, I knew we¡¯d be separated, and when we were placed together, I just wanted to enjoy my time with you.¡± They gave a small, sad little smile, ¡°That¡¯s all.¡± ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me?¡± TO said, their voice so low that DH almost didn¡¯t hear them. ¡°You felt like that, and I didn¡¯t even know-¡° DH shrugged, ¡°You would have worked harder.¡± They said, ¡°You would have said, ¡®no, I¡¯ll make it happen.¡¯ And you would have worked even harder and you would have worried more, and we would have had less time together.¡± TO looked away, and to distract themself they drank from the water bottle, forgetting for a moment that DH had filled it with the medicine. They gagged on the unexpected taste, but then forced themself to drink more. Everything that DH said was right. They would have just tried to work harder. They would have felt that DH¡¯s worries were just because they weren¡¯t doing enough. ¡°¡­ I¡¯ll do better.¡± TO said, ¡°Sorry.¡± DH sighed, ¡°You didn¡¯t do anything wrong.¡± They said, ¡°You were working hard, and working hard for us. I knew that, And¡­ I should have known that yesterday before I said anything awful.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll still do better.¡± TO said. They still wanted to do what they could, to make it so that they could be together forever¡­ but somehow, DH¡¯s arguments seemed too convincing, and if they had only limited time, then TO wanted to spend as much of it with DH as they could. If this little slice of time was all that they had with their mate, they wanted to make it count. It wasn''t fair; they wanted more time. Was that greedy? Was it alright to want more for themself when they owed their entire existence to King Decon? When their purpose in life was to work to maintain the order and safety of the galaxy, wasn¡¯t it terrible to want something for themself? For the moment, they didn¡¯t care. ¡°When you¡¯re done with your work, do you want to watch the rest of that play?¡± TO asked, ¡°it¡¯s broadcast on the network¡­¡± DH smiled, and turned back to their work. ¡°I¡¯d like that a lot.¡± they said. TO settled back down into the pillows and looked at their communicator. They didn¡¯t feel like telling Lendulin everything now, but they could at least catch up on the news. This was the first time since they left the training center where they hadn¡¯t checked the news right away. The alert from the day before was still on their communicator; silenced, but still there; a glowing red banner showing proof of being ignored. TO had entirely forgotten about it given everything that happened and given how awful they felt when they woke. Curious, they opened it up. There wasn¡¯t just one alert now; they were several. EMERGENCY ALERT Travel into and out of North-East district 4 is prohibited. Insurgent activity has been reported. EMERGENCY ALERT Temporary Criminal Holding has been breached. More than twenty fugitives with links to the insurgency have been released. TO froze, their sluggish mind trying to put together what they were reading. ¡°... DH?¡± TO said, ¡°Did you read the news alerts from last night?¡± ¡°I forgot all about it.¡± DH said, not taking their eyes from the screen, ¡°I dismissed it outright. I was so irritated that it went off when it did. Why, what happened?¡± TO didn¡¯t respond right away; they spent a minute flicking through the alerts they had gotten after silencing their communicator the night before. They didn¡¯t know how they had missed the alerts that had come in on their chip, but the drinks had to have been the cause. Not all the alerts were general news alerts; There were specialized security alerts about breaches on different systems, as well as a delayed report on a widespread security communications malfunction. The worst parts were the security notices, not the newsflashes. Requesting backup. Help needed. Insurgent activity confirmed. The last bit of information sent to them was simply two lists; one, a list of casualties and dead on the civilian side of the attack, the other was a list of twenty-three previously incarcerated insurgents, now missing. They remembered the night before, when they thought sure that whatever the issue was, it was a civilian issue, and not something they needed to be involved with. ¡°... It was something that we should have been heavily involved with.¡± TO said, feeling sick to their stomach for entirely new reasons. Episode 200: tunnel The citizens of Arkane, specifically Okoia, considered the fifth district of Arkane to be the security district. All the local law enforcement agencies were located here, as were temporary holding cells and off planet criminal transport. Ideally, this was because that district was in the center of the island, and the authorities could get to any part of the island relatively quickly. Well, that was the reasoning. TO noticed that the security district separated two parts of Arkane; the districts that lay further inside the security district were places that Lendulin would comment that she didn¡¯t feel welcomed. Normally, it would take them a while to find a parking center, but there was no need for that today. TO and DH were acting officially as synths now, so they could land where they wanted, or better still; fly where they wanted. With the vehicle set to circle above, TO and DH jumped out, spread their wings, and glided down, heading to the holding center. ¡°Are you sure you should be here?¡± DH asked TO though their communicator, ¡°I¡¯m sure I could manage if you needed more rest-¡° ¡°I¡¯ll be fine.¡± TO said back. They hoped that was true; the pain in their head and stomach persisted, but DH had given them something from the medicine cabinet, some kind of stimulant that pushed all their pain far away and let them function somewhat normally for a while. They¡¯d crash later, and feel as bad or worse than when they woke up, but for now, they had work to do. Surrounding the holding center was a looming wall of dark metal, broken in one place with a ragged, gaping hole near a road. This hole seemed to be the meeting point for everyone involved in the situation; there were various ships and different levels of local law enforcement, search drones, and repair crews which were working to move debris from the wreckage. As they drew closer, they even recognized Minister Noss, who was talking to a much taller person in uniform. Dread filled TO¡¯s mind when they saw Noss. It confirmed just how serious the situation was; it was definitely a situation that TO and DH should have been involved with from the start. They landed just outside the group of people, who all stood at attention when the two synths landed. ¡°Honored synths!¡± Noss said as they waddled up to TO and DH. ¡°My deepest apologies. We signaled you, requesting your aid, but given the communication issues-¡° ¡°It''s nothing.¡± TO said quickly. They were more than happy to let Noss think that they just didn¡¯t get the message. ¡°Have you recaptured the escaped insurgents?¡± Noss took out his handkerchief and dabbed at his face, ¡°They have not.¡± He said, nodding towards the nearby vans. ¡°We tracked them to a maintenance shaft leading to the water intake tunnels, but lost them there.¡± He looked at the hole in the wall around the center, ¡°They escaped the prison through there.¡± ¡°I assume as much.¡± TO hissed. That much was obvious. ¡°And none of your civilian guards could stop it.¡± Noss stammered over his words, floundering to explain things before a reptilian civilian wearing a fancy uniform and a buttoned up overcoat approached. She stood at attention as he approached the synths, then gave the same quick bow that everyone gave them before standing again and looking at Noss. ¡°Minister Noss, If I may?¡± Noss let out a deep breath and nodded, stepping away and dabbing at his face. TO¡¯s helmet identified her as Warden Paga; a muscular, short-haired reptilian female. A quick scan of her details told TO that she had been working here for fifteen years, with not so much as a smudge on her records. ¡°Last night, about 23:15, we got word of unmanned drones coming close to our perimeter. We issued the normal warnings and expected them to turn back.¡± ¡°Why not simply shoot them down?¡± DH asked, their question sounding so oddly sharp as their helmet translated it. ¡°We don¡¯t start with lethal force.¡± She said, her tail thrashing behind her. ¡°Normally, such an incident is simply accidental, someone taking city-shots of Arkane with their drone, or some youths on a recreational vehicle. A warning normally turns them around, so we sent the automated warning stating that they were entering restricted airspace. When this one showed no signs of turning after a ten second wait period, we did open fire. They had a shield up, so we activated our Wireless Defense Network to disable the shield so we could take it down.¡± She lowered her head, ¡°Of course, the moment we activated the WDN, that¡¯s when all the systems went down.¡± ¡°And why did the systems go down?¡± TO asked. Noss flinched, but Paga stood still, her expression just tightening slightly. ¡°We¡¯re unsure, Honored synths.¡± She said, ¡°We are still looking into that. We assumed at first it was a technical issue, but I figured it was probably something more coordinated.¡± She took out not a communicator, but a larger tablet which civilians often used for work, and passed it to TO. ¡°This is a map of the surrounding area. I used what information we saved, and what we observed to recreate what happened.¡± The graphics were simple, but they gave TO the information they needed; the outline of the building, and a brief graph of nearby buildings and streets. At first, TO only saw a small red dot approaching the building. ¡°That¡¯s the first drone.¡± Paga said. ¡°Just after we fired at it, it stopped.¡± As she said that, the dot suddenly stilled in mid-air. ¡°Then the systems went down, and-¡± Before she could finish, nearly a dozen other dots appeared on the map, seemingly simultaneously and from all directions. ¡°When the systems went down first, I suspected it was a hacker attack.¡± Paga said, ¡°When the other drones appeared, I knew it.¡± TO already had so many clues, so many pieces of this puzzle falling into their hands. Their mind jumped to several conclusions, but they pushed them aside; Now wasn¡¯t the time to sit and put together what they already had. Now was the time to look for the rest of the puzzle pieces. Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators! Of course, even before that there was a more pressing issue; the missing insurgents. ¡°Bring us to the last known location of the insurgents.¡± ====== Paga rode an air-bike with TO and DH following behind on wing. Soon, they came to a water runoff grate. TO and DH landed easily on the road before the grate, ignoring Paga as they examined it. The safety bars lay in pieces about the street, along with debris from a downed drone. ¡°When we reviewed security footage- which unfortunately wasn¡¯t until mid-morning, we saw the insurgents head down here.¡± She gestured to the debris, ¡°one drone crashed into the street just a few minutes earlier, and from the footage we have, we don¡¯t think we shot it down.¡± ¡°Has anyone examined the area down there?¡± TO asked as they peered into the hole in the road. ¡°Yes; We found nothing.¡± The civilians found nothing, but a synth hadn¡¯t been down there yet. Without further discussion, TO jumped down with DH following close behind them. ¡°A planned attack.¡± DH said, switching back to their private communication as they looked around, ¡°It¡¯s just our luck that it would happen when we were finally on a date.¡± ¡°I doubt it was luck.¡± TO muttered. No, that was one thing they knew; it couldn¡¯t be just bad luck, it was too well timed. If Lendulin mentioned to Pearla that they were going on a date today, maybe she told the insurgents. Of course, maybe someone else saw them; maybe someone at the bar saw TO drink that mushroom drink and passed on the information. Given the timing of when everything happened, that actually made more sense to TO. They scanned the area, looking for any clues as to where the insurgents might have gone. They ran down the tunnel leading to the exterior of the island, but soon came to a closed off set of bars and nets. ¡°I¡¯ll check around with echolocation.¡± DH said, ¡°I know you can, but it might hurt your head.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± TO said. They focused on the bars and nets before them, using their helmet to help their tired eyes focus on the smaller details. Could the insurgents have gotten through them? No, they were far too narrow. They ran back towards where they came from, following the water towards the other end, where it flowed to the interior and most likely to the residential district. They came across the same thing; Bars and nets. There was a break here; Something had snapped the bars on the right at the side in places, bending the strong metal back and even tearing the net in places. It was obvious and clumsy. If the insurgents had gone to such lengths to make this operation work, wouldn¡¯t they have been more careful in hiding their escape route? ¡°Look.¡± TO said, pointing at the damage. ¡°Does this look too obvious to you?¡± ¡°Maybe.¡± DH said, sending out a series of chirps towards the bars, ¡°Maybe they didn¡¯t intend to escape through these tunnels, and had to work fast?¡± They heard something behind them, but when they looked, they saw it was only Paga, having just climbed down the ladder to the tunnels. ¡°Did you send someone to investigate this?¡± They asked, pointing to the damaged bars. They had little faith in civilians, but they were certain that one of them must have noticed this. ¡°No point.¡± Paga said simply, ¡°They couldn¡¯t have followed the waterways, because that just leads to the water purification system. If they went that way, then they¡¯re dead by now, anyway.¡± That would be ideal, and it occurred to TO that maybe the bent bars were just a decoy to make them believe that¡¯s what happened. Of course, if they thought the insurgents were dead, then there was no reason to look for them. Convenient. ¡°DId you find anything?¡± TO asked through the helmet. ¡°Not yet.¡± DH said. In the background, the constant clicking and chirping from DH¡¯s echolocation was bouncing off the walls, making TO¡¯s head hurt, and making them a little disoriented. They finally had enough and made the helmet filter that noise out. Sure, they wouldn¡¯t be able to use echolocation themself, but DH had that under control so it didn¡¯t matter. ¡°We did a thorough search earlier.¡± Paga said, ¡° We even checked the maintenance room there.¡± She pointed to the other side of the tunnel at a solid metal door, a sign drilled into the front that simply read ¡®maintenance.¡¯ TO and DH flapped over and checked the door. It was unlocked. ¡°Is this always unlocked?¡± TO asked. ¡°It is not, Honored synth.¡± Paga said, ¡°It was when we came in, but we checked it anyway and left it unlocked.¡± She stiffened up again, her tail lashing behind her. ¡°Normally, we¡¯d have waited for you to do the investigation, and we tried to contact you as soon as the attack started, but I suppose with the shut-down-¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± TO said quickly, trying to ignore the guilt and shame welling up in their stomach. If they had just checked the message- No. That wouldn¡¯t have mattered. If they had checked the message, they still wouldn¡¯t have been able to come and deal with all this since they had just had that drink. They would have been far too intoxicated to deal with anything. If only they hadn¡¯t had that drink, hadn¡¯t fought with DH, hadn¡¯t gone out into the lobby! If only they hadn¡¯t been on the date. TO wondered if that was why romance between synths was so frowned upon. Of course it was; it was a distraction from serving King Decon and that distraction might have allowed so many insurgents to escape. Ignoring their churning stomach, TO went into the room. There wasn¡¯t much there; pipes came out of the wall, leading to complex looking machines that sat in the center of the room, which churned and creaked, working to keep the water flowing inwards. The space that was left wasn¡¯t enough to house twenty hiding insurgents, it was hardly enough for TO to make their way around, and the metal panels the covered the walls made the noise reverberate oddly, and made TO¡¯s head hurt. They didn¡¯t want to go into the room; was there even a point? Clearly, there was no way out. They had to though; They couldn¡¯t be complacent about this. TO took a single loop around the room, checking in gaps between machinery. Nothing. It was a dead end; the insurgents couldn''t have come in here; there was no way out. But where else could they have gone? ¡°TO.¡± DH¡¯s voice cut through their thoughts, ¡°Come back over here, Paga has information from her people.¡± TO looked around once more, looking for something they missed; some vent in the walls or on the floor. There was nothing; It was just cement and metal slats all the way around. The noise from the machines made their head hurt, and there clearly wasn¡¯t any way out from here. TO shook their head and headed back out into the tunnel. Paga stood at the ladder that led out, her tablet out and displaying video from somewhere else. As TO approached, they could clearly see the feed; water was pouring from an artificial waterfall somewhere, splashing about among tropical looking plants and trees. However, the water wasn¡¯t crisp, clear water, nor was it even the fetid, polluted water of the Outer Ring; The waterfall ran red with blood and pulverized flesh. ¡°This is a couple districts in.¡± Paga said, ¡°The residential district; they noticed the discoloration only a few minutes ago, but it went like this just now. Who knows how long the whole thing¡¯s been contaminated?¡± She glanced at the bars. ¡°I suppose they thought they¡¯d find a way out down there, and got caught in the machinery¡­¡± TO turned away. They felt sick all over again, and they were certain they could smell disinfectant. The crack of bones echoed in their head, the sound of the knife slicing through skin. They suddenly felt lightheaded and put a hand on the wall nearby to steady themself. They wished their wings could wrap around them; they wanted that, the comforting, gentle pressure of their wings against their arms, but the suit wouldn¡¯t allow it. ¡°... Honored Synth?¡± Paga¡¯s voice seemed like it was too far away. ¡°Apologies¡­ I have an issue with seeing that much blood.¡± A moment of silence passed, then Paga spoke again, ¡°Honored synth, are you alright?¡± Did she not hear them? They shook their head; they didn¡¯t have time to repeat themself. ¡°¡®Dead¡¯ is better than ¡®escaped¡¯.¡± TO said, doing their best to block out the sight of blood from their mind¡¯s eye, ¡°But that means we have nobody for questioning.¡± They pushed away from the wall and turned back to her, keeping their eyes away from her screen. ¡°We¡¯ll need access to all your security logs. If we¡¯re lucky, the insurgents might have left us a clue as to their identity.¡± Synth Episode 201: Escape The civilians in charge of the holding facility were quick to provide TO and DH with a private office to work in. There wasn¡¯t much in it; a table, a few chairs, and some computers with screens inbuilt into the walls. They¡¯d have access to all the files they needed, and could start reviewing the surveillance footage as soon as possible, but there were still more things that DH required before they could start; a proper toolkit, and as many of the downed drones as the civilians could salvage. They needed to see how the insurgents made the drones. Were these drones like the ones they encountered at the port? Would it show a mix of salvaged tech merged by synth and civilian work? How long could the insurgents keep a synth working for them? How long until the synth gave up, or found a way out? Of course, that was only the first part of their work. They also wanted to get some DNA samples from the tainted water and check it against the identification of the insurgents. Ideally, they¡¯d get enough DNA to confirm the deaths of most of the insurgents. Of course, the material was so watered down, and had gone through a few cleaning processes at least; not enough to purify the water perfectly, but potentially enough to ruin any potential samples. Paga, who they found out was the holding center¡¯s Sargent, had gone with the lab techs to fetch the material. At least TO didn¡¯t have to get the material themself. At least they didn¡¯t have to be around that awful, bloody waterfall. Despite how strange red blood looked to them, the knowledge that it was blood was enough to set TO on edge, enough to put the image of a juvenile synth being taken apart organ by organ in their head and set the smell of disinfectant in their nose. Bones cracking. Scalpel through skin. ¡°TO!¡± DH¡¯s voice echoed in TO¡¯s ear, drawing them from their thoughts. When they turned to look, they saw DH had removed their armor already and was speaking to them through their communicator. ¡°You took off your armor?¡± Under their helmet, TO felt their ears twitch with worry. ¡°We¡¯re not supposed to-¡° ¡°I know, and I¡¯m not trying to worry you.¡± quickly, their ears down with worry, ¡°I scanned the room for cameras and bugs, and there¡¯s nothing¡­ So, can you take off your armor?¡± ¡°Why?¡± TO asked, but oddly, DH flinched. ¡°Because the way the helmet translates things, it makes you sound angry all the time, and because I¡¯m worried about you.¡± Shame knotted up TO¡¯s stomach. Of course, they would have worried DH with their actions. After seeing us a bit of blood- just the image of blood on a screen- they couldn¡¯t hold their composure around a civilian. Even now, thinking about it made them feel sick, and drew up the sounds and smells that always seemed to haunt their mind when they were around blood. How long had it been since that day? Shouldn¡¯t they be over this by now? They were fully trained synths. They should not have this reaction to blood! Of course, they shouldn¡¯t have had that reaction to doing the reprocessing in the first place. ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± TO said, but before they could say anything more, DH cut them off, ¡°It¡¯s not. You¡¯re not. Please?¡± They were about to say no, that they were fine, but they couldn¡¯t really bring themself to lie to DH. With a sigh, they pressed at the button on their wrist, letting the armor dissolve back into a simple bracelet. The moment they were free of their armor, DH scooped them into an embrace with arms and wings, gently holding them and scratching the back of their neck. They shouldn¡¯t do this here, TO thought. Sure, DH checked for cameras and bugs, but what if someone just came in? What if their systems missed something? These thoughts hid deep down inside TO in the moment, because once DH held them all TO wanted was to lean into that embrace; to hold DH and let them make this awful feeling inside them go away. They wanted to hear DH¡¯s gentle chirping and the hum of their heart instead of the quiet, sharp sound of a scalpel slicing through skin. They only now realized how much they were shaking, how their ears had pinned back and down. They pressed their face into DH¡¯s chest, breathing in the smell of lavender that their mate always wore, holding them as though it might stop their shaking. Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. ¡°¡­ If either of us has to go to the waterfall, I¡¯m going.¡± DH said their ears pinning back in a way that said the statement would allow no argument, ¡°If either of us has to look at so much as a drop of blood, I¡¯m doing it.¡± ¡°No¡­¡± TO said, their voice small and unsure, ¡°I should be better than this. A little of blood shouldn¡¯t bother me-¡° ¡°First-¡° DH said, ¡°That wasn¡¯t a little blood, that was a waterfall of gore. Second, blood bothers you, regardless of what you think of that. ¡°They held TO tighter, ¡°The production officer should never have made you do that dissection.¡± ¡°It was my assignment.¡± TO said lamely. ¡°I don¡¯t care.¡± DH said, ¡°They shouldn¡¯t have made you do that.¡± Breathing steadily, TO held onto DH as they calmed down, as the thoughts of blood faded off thanks to DH¡¯s presence. They reluctantly pull away once they felt they had themself together. ¡°We should get to work.¡± ¡°Are you certain?¡± They weren¡¯t. All they were certain about was that they wanted in a few more minutes in DH¡¯s arms. They leaned in and kissed their mate gently. ¡°We have work to do.¡± They whispered, ¡°Serious work.¡± ¡°I know.¡± DH said. They kissed TO back, and then let them go. Even if they weren¡¯t trying to become retirees, even if they weren¡¯t trying to overachieve, they had a duty to King Decon and duty, ideally, came first. ====== TO started with video footage of the end of the attack and worked backwards from that. They found the footage from where the insurgents escaped into the tunnels, then followed them back towards the prison, through the hallways and corridors until they saw each of the insurgents in their individual cells. Watching the footage backwards confused them, so once they had all the proper files queued up, they played them in order to watch the escape take place as though it was just another show they were watching with DH. The attack started. On 23 different screens, TO saw prisoners suddenly looking up as though they heard something in the distance. Some of them approached the bars of the cells as though they might see what it was. That the civilians used bars instead of electric force fields was strange to TO at first, but moments later the power went out and the practicality of using bars made perfect sense; even a momentary blip in the power grid could provide an opportunity for someone to escape. The bars stayed in place in the brief moments it took for the emergency generators to come back up. Mild distortion overtook the footage as it rushed through a few minutes where nothing happened, but then the escape started. The guards had the insurgents placed in many areas and different levels of security, yet their cells opened up one by one, leaving the others waiting in nearby cells to scream at them, though TO couldn¡¯t hear it on the muted security tapes. Out of curiosity, TO turned on the sound but heard only static on half the videos, and on the other half there was too much noise from the attack outside to hear anything. Well, there wasn¡¯t much to be done about that. With more purpose than TO would have expected, the insurgents made their way down the hallways with previously secured doors opening before them like magic. They eventually met one another as they turned corners or fled down corridors, joining up and continuing on their way in small groups. One insurgent who looked a lot like the octopus mother from the Outer Ring pointed the security camera out to another insurgent who looked something like Lendulin, but their tail was shorter, they had much bigger eyes and a far more pronounced snout. They had been making their way about by pushing themself with their arms, but when the two met up, the tentacled insurgent scooped the smaller one up and continued on the way while the smaller one lifted a middle finger at the camera. Before much longer, the group of 23 met up in a large hallway that was closed off from the unsecured compound by one more gate; this gate needs a physical key to open it; a last defense in case of a compromised network. TO expected one insurgent to have some trick, to break the lock or pick it, but a four legged, two armed, insectoid guard came around the corner, and simply unlocked the door. Here, TO paused the footage. The system that did the recordings should have picked up on the guard''s security information, so TO gestured over the image of the guard to bring up anything they had. The name that came up had consonants lined up in a way that TO couldn¡¯t pronounce, but next to that in quotations was the nickname, ¡°Vince.¡± Vince wasn¡¯t just a guard; Vince was the Prison Officer; the highest rank in the prison¡¯s hierarchy. What was he doing helping the insurgents? TO noted the guard''s name and rank and ID number, and started the recording once more. Vince stepped aside, seemingly willing to let the insurgents pass by, but a very large, very muscular person with a long, snakelike tail grabbed him. There was a momentary struggle, but with the help of the other insurgents, the guard was subdued and pulled along as they left the secure area of the prison. The security footage from outside the facility was harder to get and wasn¡¯t as clear or comprehensive as the rest of the footage, but they could still use it to follow the insurgents as they escaped, using debris and chaos as their cover. Despite the lower quality recording, TO could clearly see all twenty-three insurgents and the one guard slip down the hole and into the tunnels below the street. They sped up the footage and watched as the battle overhead waned, as the sun came up, as the civilians appeared. Even then, TO kept watching until they saw themself and DH land dramatically on the street like fierce black shadows. They had never noticed before how everyone around them stiffened, and suddenly stood at attention when they landed, and how civilians who had been talking simply stopped what they were doing and watched the two synths, like prey among predators. Despite everything, they were confused. They understood why Noss was so scared; he had been failing his tasks for King Decon, and any envoy would make him uneasy. It also made sense for civilians in the outer ring, for people like Pearla and Lendulin to be afraid of them given what they had learned about them and local authorities¡­ But why were normal civilians- no, why were high ranking, trusted civilians afraid of them? They went back in the video, and stopped where the guard was. Using the same process they had used for the insurgents, they tracked the guard to find out where they had been earlier in the night. As they waited for videos to load and render, they pulled up any information on this ¡°Vince¡± on their helmet. Not only was this planned, it had been planned with help from within. Judging by the way the insurgents grabbed Vince, and the way he struggled against them, it was clearly forced help. What did the insurgents do to make Vince work with them? Was it similar to what they did to synths? TO was determined to find out. Episode 202: Remains ¡°Your Officer was missing, and you didn¡¯t bother to set up a search?¡± TO snapped at the screen that currently displayed Paga¡¯s image in resolution high enough that TO could easily see her flinch. She was lucky that they had their armor back on, because though the words came out with more of a snap than usual, she couldn¡¯t see how their ears pinned back in frustration. ¡°To be fair, we¡¯re missing nearly a quarter of our personnel due to damage caused by the insurgents,¡± Her response was terse and sharp. She had frills on her neck which flared out only slightly. ¡°It was reasonable to assume that he got injured or killed in the attack.¡± ¡°And you have no ability to track your people?¡± TO demanded, ¡°No trackers in their badges? Their communicators?¡± Her frills flared out more before she took a focused breath, and the frills smoothed down flat against her scales once more. ¡°We do, of course.¡± She said, ¡°But the insurgents damaged the equipment for that in the attack last night, so at the moment, we have no way of tracking anyone.¡± Of course, they had no way to track them. A growl escaped TO¡¯s throat, but the helmet thankfully cut it off. ¡°And you didn¡¯t even know the insurgents had taken him? It¡¯s right on the security footage!¡± ¡°We did not.¡± She said, ¡°We confirmed the route the insurgents took, but that¡¯s all. I¡¯ve not been able to spare anyone to look over video footage yet.¡± ¡°And that didn¡¯t seem like the first thing you should do?¡± ¡°In all fairness, honored synths,¡± she said, her controlled voice straining against her temper, ¡°I¡¯m without a quarter of my personnel. Half our systems are down, and we have others prisoners who aren¡¯t insurgents who also escaped, and might become a problem for normal citizens.¡± She pressed some buttons before her and brought up an image of the center superimposed over her on the screen for TO to see. ¡°As you can see, the insurgents did a great deal of damage to the facility, with major technical issues arising because of damage here, here, and here.¡± Areas of the center lit up in red. ¡°One of the damaged sections had the systems responsible for the auto-feeders, so I had to assign personnel to produce food manually, and distribute it to the prisoners who had missed breakfast, and now lunch. I recognize it¡¯s important to be hard on insurgents, but as a mere civilian, I can¡¯t bring myself to allow the other prisoners to starve.¡± ¡°That was not my suggestion.¡± TO said. Of course, the prisoners shouldn¡¯t starve. ¡°They must have their regular meals-¡± ¡°My medical staff is currently doing their best to provide emergency care for the injured, but that¡¯s going slowly since the main power is out across the center and we have to rely on generators. I have personnel working to clear the debris to the damaged areas to allow my electricians to fix the power. Once they fix the power, they can fix the tracking network. Until then, we¡¯re doing our best to clear rubble while my actual security force is either on extra guard duty since they knocked half our security out, or out tracking other prisoners while I facilitate everything.¡± She stared cooly into the camera, ¡°I¡¯ve not had a single person available to look over the recordings. I was waiting for the messages to get to you and for you to arrive, as I knew that would be the primary focus of your investigation.¡± TO wanted to rub at their eyes, but of course they couldn¡¯t through the helmet. If only they had bothered to read the message! No, if only they hadn¡¯t been on a date. ¡°If I¡¯m correct, there¡¯s a work system for the indebted on Arkane.¡± TO said. They remembered what Lendulin, Petra, and Pearla said about all that, how it was an awful system, but they decided that at this moment, it would be the quickest, most useful solution. ¡°Contact the Debt Facilitator, and request as many people as you need.¡± They pulled up a map of the security district. ¡°It won''t take long; they¡¯re in this district as well. Hurry the cleanup to find the rest of your personnel.¡± Paga¡¯s features tightened, her frills flaring. ¡°If you insist, Honored Synth.¡± she said. ¡°Did that not occur to you before now?¡± TO asked. ¡°In all fairness, I find the conditions that they hold the indebted in to be questionable in the least.¡± Odd. Paga wasn¡¯t legless, wasn¡¯t poor, and yet she still had the same distaste for the debt program as Lendulin, Petra, and Pearla. ¡°You have a resource available, and a time sensitive job with lives depending on its completion. Use what you have.¡± ¡°Understood. Is there anything else?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll inform you if there is.¡± TO said. They turned off the communicator, and as soon as the video window closed, they removed their armor, put their elbows on the table, their face in their hands, and gave a long frustrated scream into their palms. ¡°That awful?¡± DH asked from where they were sitting on the floor, surrounded by the parts of a drone they were currently disassembling. ¡°You heard that, right? I know that the debtor system isn¡¯t perfect, but it¡¯s a resource! They could at least use it.¡± ¡°Look, even if they¡¯re in debt, they have food and shelter, and they¡¯re being given work. I see no reason to avoid using them in a case like this.¡± DH carefully pulled out two parts of the drone that TO didn¡¯t recognize, and peered carefully as they poked at the wiring. ¡°But it¡¯s civilians. Maybe some of the missing people could have been saved by now if she called for extra hands earlier, but she didn¡¯t because she disagrees with the system.¡± They sighed, and pulled off a panel from the piece they were looking at, ¡°Civilians can¡¯t understand sacrifice for the greater good. If they did-¡± They pause as they focus on unscrewing something, ¡°If they did, then King Deacon wouldn''t have needed to make synths. Agree or disagree with the system, but using them at this moment saves lives.¡± They glanced at TO over their work, ¡°Like how I got my eye.¡± At that moment, TO wondered if they¡¯d do the dissection again. If the officer gave them the choice, if they had the option to save the youth, but at the cost of a fresh eye for DH, what would they have done? Somehow, they knew that they¡¯d do the surgery; it wasn¡¯t even a question. That knowledge made their stomach churn. They felt so awful doing that, the smells, the sounds, the cutting, and even just watching the actual juvenile synths die right in front of them; would they really choose all that for DH¡¯s eye? You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story. It wouldn''t have survived. It would have died anyway. It was minimizing losses. It saved DH¡¯s life. They could hear bones cracking. They sat up quickly. No, they had no time to be worrying about this! They had work to do, didn¡¯t they? ¡°Are you alright?¡± DH asked, catching how low TO¡¯s ears had dipped, and how pale they had suddenly become. ¡°No.¡± They admitted, ¡°But you know that.¡± They didn¡¯t need to go into detail. DH looked away, ¡°Sorry. I shouldn¡¯t have said that.¡± ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter.¡± TO said, ¡°What are you finding with the drones?¡± DH held up the two pieces, showing off a mess of connections on a motherboard. ¡°What do you see here?¡± ¡°... A motherboard?¡± DH¡¯s ears flattened, ¡°Well, yes, but what do you notice about the motherboard?¡± They asked, their ears twitching with frustration. They strained their eyes to see what DH was showing them. ¡°I¡­ It¡¯s a motherboard.. It¡¯s uh-¡± They weren¡¯t sure. ¡°Smaller than normal?¡± DH sighed, ¡°The motherboard itself is actually synth tech, but obviously a civilian did the soldering here. It¡¯s obvious if you look at how chaotic the connections are.¡± They gesture to the wires, ¡°but the wiring here is nearly perfect; Synth work. A synth worked on this, but here, a civilian worked on this.¡± They held up the motherboard again. ¡°A synth had to teach them how our motherboards work! That goes beyond being forced to do wiring.¡± Somehow, the insurgents were forcing information, complex and secret, from synths. How were they doing that? Were they brainwashing them, or just torturing them? Could a synth even be susceptible to brainwashing? It seemed to TO that they¡¯d have too much discipline to give into something like that. ¡°At any rate, that¡¯s a tiny piece of information for us and confirmation that the insurgents built these drones. It¡¯s all made of salvaged tech again, but the wires seem new.¡± They held up one, but TO couldn¡¯t tell an old wire from a new one, ¡°They purchased it here, judging by the code on the wires.¡± They pointed to a collection of numbers on the insulation. ¡°That might be something we can look at.¡± ¡°Maybe..¡± TO mused as they turned back to their screen. What did they hope to find if they investigated the wires? Probably a purchase made fraudulently, or by someone who had already disappeared. Or maybe someone on TO¡¯s new list had made the purchase. With a gesture of their hand, they brought up a list of over thirty people that Vince had had more than casual contact with over the last several weeks. TO documented anything more than a friendly hello in the hallway, and sorted the people by just how much contact they had with him. TO knew that they had to collect data, and if Vince was the biggest clue they had at the moment, then interviewing all these people might help. Still¡­ why? What was the point? They stopped and rested their head in their hands once more. What was the question they were even trying to answer? Where did the insurgents go? How did this happen? The first question seemed like the water system itself already answered it; they went into the water systems and got pulled into the purification system. The second question was getting more and more complex with every new discovery. Another call came in on TO¡¯s chip. TO gave another frustrated sigh, put their armor back on, and sent the call to the larger screen. When the video loaded a bird-like civilian with colourful feathers framing her face came on. The information at the bottom of the screen told TO that she was a scientist with the Arkanian Authorities. ¡°Honored Synth.¡± She said, bowing her head slightly, ¡°I represent the Arkanian Forensics Department with a report on-¡° ¡°You have DNA results.¡± TO said, cutting her off; they were quickly losing patience for all these formalities. The scientist¡¯s feathers pressed against her scalp, as though trying to make her look smaller. ¡°Yes, exactly.¡± She said as she pressed a button to display a more detailed report. ¡°Unfortunately, it was difficult to get a clean sample from the water itself. We hoped that since there was only one purification center between the event location and where the, uh¡­ remains? We found we might get a decent reading, but we weren¡¯t so lucky.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t tell me what you don¡¯t have.¡± TO snapped, ¡°Tell me what you have.¡± Even DH looked up from their work and gave TO a concerned look before going back to their tech. ¡°Right. Well.¡± she looked around, as though fumbling for something in front of her. Eventually, she pulled up another list. ¡°Mostly, it was inconclusive DNA. TO be fair, DNA analysis isn¡¯t as exact as people think. Mostly, we could only confirm some species, but not individuals. We cannot confirm the number of individuals involved in the incident. We can identify at least five separate species, though, two Osteichthyes, one Serpentes, one Decabrachia, and one Gastropoda.¡± Fish based, snake based, squid based, and snail based. It wasn¡¯t like Arkane had a slew of those types of creatures, both sentient and non-sentient, which roamed the area. ¡°Now, our teams did have the idea to go to the purification system itself, and see if we could get more materials from there.¡± The scientist continued, ¡°Maybe something got trapped in the filters. They were right, and we could get one piece of conclusive DNA, and an identification!¡± ¡°Show me.¡± TO demanded. Another gesture of her hand, and another picture came up on the screen showing Vince the guard. ¡°We found a collection of Chitin that was dissolving in the chemical solvents, but we saved some and could get an identification.¡± TO tried really hard not to think about how the shell ended up in the filters, and swore to themself that no matter how curious they might be, they would not look up how the purification systems worked here. ¡°That¡¯s all you have?¡± TO said. ¡°Well, yes, but we¡¯re running some more tests to try to-¡° ¡°Inform me if you have new information.¡± TO said. And cut the communication. They removed their armor, and once more set their head in their hands as they rested on the desk. ¡°You were a bit short with her¡­¡± DH said carefully. ¡°She kept going on about what they couldn¡¯t find!¡± TO said, ¡°And all I got from that was that Vince and a handful of other unidentified individuals ended up in the purification system.¡± ¡°Well¡­ what was it again? Fish, snake, squid, and snail? Did we have several insurgents with that type of genetic background escape?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°And if we have Vince, who the insurgents took with them, then that means it¡¯s really them, right? That the insurgents are dead?¡± TO took another breath, and leaned back in the chair as they looked at the screen, staring at the buggy face of Vince. ¡°Maybe.¡± They muttered. It seemed too easy. Why would the insurgents go through all this effort and mess up their escape at the very last moment? And why was the only conclusive DNA they found from the guard the insurgents had captured? And why were there no bones? The question came to them unbidden, but it bothered TO and made their ears twitch. Shouldn¡¯t there be bones? If they found chitin, then a bone or two should be there too, shouldn¡¯t it be? They did say they found it in a chemical solvent. After a moment of consideration, they sent off a message to the lab. == Information request; Regarding the chemical solvents used in the purification system. What would dissolve first, chitin, or osseous tissue.== They looked back at the screen, at the names before them. The question of if chitin or bone dissolved first in the solvents was more a curiosity to TO, a line of questioning to be picked up later. While they were sure they could find the answer themself, TO had more important work to do. TO had interviews to conduct. Episode 203: Recordings Everyone who came into contact with him called Vince a ¡®solid¡¯ guy, reliable, but distant. He¡¯d go to work, go home, and some nights he¡¯d drink with his coworkers. He never made small talk beyond the weather, his health, and some odd sports game he watched. Oddly, when TO mentioned at the end of the interviews that they were investigating him for colluding with the insurgency, the tone of his former coworkers changed. ¡°Well, you know, it¡¯s always the quiet ones.¡± ¡°You know, he did seem too normal.¡± ¡°Always thought there was something odd about him. I just couldn¡¯t put my finger on it.¡± There was a mate, but the interview with her led to even less information. Of course, she had just found out that her mate was dead, and that he had been working with insurgents, so her head probably wasn¡¯t where it needed to be. TO knew that if DH had died, they¡¯d not be able to answer many questions about anything. They left their contact information with her and asked her to get in touch if anything came to mind. That wasn¡¯t really the procedure they should have followed. What they should have done. Ideally, was to take her in and question her in person on their ship. She seemed so shocked and heartbroken that TO couldn¡¯t imagine that she had anything to do with it, and didn¡¯t know if they could bring themself to interrogate someone who had just lost their mate. It seemed like it was the end of their investigation. Vince helped the insurgents, but they didn¡¯t know why. The insurgents were dead, so they didn¡¯t need to track them down. Were the insurgents dead, though? The lab had gotten back to them about their question and said that chitin dissolves faster than bone. Much faster, according to the lab. If that was the case, then why didn¡¯t they find any bones? And if the insurgents weren¡¯t dead, where did they go? ¡°DAMNIT!¡± DH, sitting at the other desk behind TO, slammed their fist down on the table. ¡°JOE MOMMA¡± ¡°What?¡± TO¡¯s exhausted, and their mind didn¡¯t have the energy to spend on trying to figure out what DH meant. ¡°Joe Momma!¡± DH said again, ¡°That hacker who fiddled with that bot that attacked us.¡± They pulled up a long string of programming that TO couldn¡¯t really understand. ¡°This is their style! It¡¯s them. The hacker who messed with the bot is the same one who messed with the AI.¡± They turned around, the chair swiveling with them as they moved, ¡°And do you know how they did it, how they hacked into the systems here?¡± ¡°Would I understand if you explained it?¡± ¡°Probably not, so I¡¯ll give you the basics! They used maintenance bots! A maintenance bot coming into the facility had a program attached to its identification. When they got ID¡¯d, the program hid itself in the system and waited., TO, this happened months ago; well before we got here. We were still in training!¡± TO sighed and rested their hand on their face. ¡°That just confirms that ¡®Joe¡¯ Is working with the insurgency; which we already knew.¡± They said, ¡°And that they¡¯ve been planning this for a while!¡± ¡°And that.¡± TO said, rubbing at their head. The medication that DH gave them earlier was wearing off, and they were feeling awful again. With a few gestures, they started shutting everything down. ¡°We¡¯re done?¡± DH asked. ¡°I¡¯m done. You?¡± ¡°I could spend weeks going through this programming.¡± DH said, ¡°But I don¡¯t know that it would bring us anything more than we already have.¡± They turned and gestured at their own screens to shut things down. ¡°I made copies of everything, and sent them to our ship. I can look over this whenever I want.¡± Before TO could respond, the screen lit up again with a door alert, showing the name and information of a facility employee; one they had never seen before. The name read Vass, and the position he held was simply, ¡°Jr. Guard.¡± The automated system spoke for them, ¡°State the purpose of your visit.¡± Vass¡¯ voice came back, shaky and unsure, ¡°Uh¡­ I think I might have information for the synths? If that¡¯s alright?¡± TO sighed, stood up, and activated their armor. DH did the same, and they opened the door. Vass was a short, scrawny person, with four legs, two arms, and a tail that they had wrapped around their own torso, its tip in their hands as they fidgeted. They looked about with big, bulbous black eyes, which darted from DH to TO and back. ¡°Thank you for coming. We appreciate your cooperation. Could you tell us what you know?¡± TO was very careful, choosing overly polite and friendly language so that the suit would hopefully not make the translation so harsh; The poor civilian looked like they might faint or flee if they snapped at him. Their efforts worked. While Vess¡¯ tail stayed wrapped around their midsection, it loosened slightly. He nodded and bowed slightly. ¡°I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s anything of importance¡­¡± They said, ¡°I mean, I didn¡¯t know Vince really, and I wouldn¡¯t have come at all, but some others said you were asking about any odd behavior at all-¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± TO said, though apparently that was harsh enough to make the helmet snap at them. Vess jumped and took a step back. ¡°You were right to come to us with any information; again, I thank you for your cooperation. Please, tell me what you know?¡± Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. Vess nodded again, ¡°Right. Well,it was a few weeks ago? I was still in training. Well, I mean, I am still in training, but I''m actually working now, and not just learning. So, I was in training, and I was told to get snacks for the guard on video duty. You know, I''m still in training, so I get sent around to do all the little jobs.¡± TO wanted to tell him to get to the point, but they were sure that doing so would make them jump again. ¡°Anyway, I went to the break room. Now, it wasn¡¯t break time; we have designated break times to make sure we¡¯re never short on guards, but this wasn¡¯t anyone¡¯s break time so nobody should have been in the break room, and when I went in at first, there wasn¡¯t. The snacks were in the storage closet, so I went in, but Vince was in there and he wasn¡¯t getting snacks, which I thought was weird! He was pacing and on his communicator. The closet is big, so he had plenty of room to pace, and he didn¡¯t even notice me at first.¡± ¡°And¡­ taking calls in the closet is not normal. I assume?¡± ¡°Not for Vince.¡± they said, ¡°Sometimes, people sneak in to get a snack, and they take calls in there, because there are no cameras in there, right?¡± This was true. TO had seen multiple guards go in and out of that closet, and never paid it much attention since it was obviously for food storage. ¡°I think whoever it called contacted them first because he was saying things like ¡®Don¡¯t call me here.¡¯ And stuff, right? Like, he was angry, but then they said something and he got all afraid. He was quiet for a while, then said ¡®And then you¡¯ll leave me alone.¡¯ He didn¡¯t say anything else then because he saw me there and kinda froze.¡± ¡°And what did he say to you?¡± TO asked. ¡°Well... He said to the people on the communicator that he had to go. I apologized and all, I said I was going to leave, but he stopped me. I thought he¡¯d be angry, but he just said that, uh.¡± He glanced around, ¡°I promised I wouldn¡¯t say anything¡­ But you¡¯re synths, so I should tell you. Just don¡¯t tell his mate, please?¡± This was a matter of planetary security, with escaped insurgents, and this civilian didn¡¯t want them to tell Vince¡¯s mate? What was wrong with civilians? ¡°We have no interest in sharing information with her.¡± TO said, ¡°What did he say?¡± ¡°He¡­ He said that he ended up being, you know, Intimate? With a sex-droid in the red-light area of the entertainment district.¡± He looked aside. ¡°I mean, there¡¯s nothing wrong with that, you know, but people think there is? I mean, I don¡¯t have an issue with them, but it¡¯s kinda¡­ well, if it got out, his mate would be angry with him, he said, and it would also be like, You know,It¡¯d be a joke. People would cause him all kinds of problems. I¡¯m not saying he might have lost his job, but it¡¯d be very hard for him to continue it, you know?¡± ¡°So this person on the communicator had evidence?¡± ¡°Video, apparently.¡± Vess said, ¡°From the bot''s point of view, it would have been uh¡­ explicit stuff.¡± ¡°Why would he tell the likes of you?¡± DH said, the sharp snap to the translation making Vess jump ¡°Use softer language.¡± TO said through their communication, ¡°You''re snapping at him by just talking normally.¡± They switched back to speaking to Vess, ¡°Please, tell me why he told you this.¡± Vess eyed DH, and backed away a little, ¡°I... I asked the same thing. I ''m nobody!¡± They gave a bitter laugh, ¡°But they said it was worrying them. Nobody knew, they couldn¡¯t tell anyone... And I walked in on them, so I guess maybe they just wanted someone to talk to?¡± They laughed, ¡°I felt all good, you know? Like, I¡¯m the confidante of the big strong Officer¡­ some confidante I ended up being.¡± ¡°You might have helped more than you know.¡± TO said. ¡°Do you have anything else you want to tell us?¡± ¡°No, Honored synths.¡± They said, ¡°That¡¯s all. I.. may I go now?¡± They gave a nervous laugh, ¡°Honestly, I''m really nervous here.¡± ¡°Yes, you can go.¡± TO said. Vess immediately backed up, bowed, and ran off. The door closed behind them. ¡°Do we need to record that?¡± DH asked. ¡°No.¡± TO said, ¡°I took video of the footage.¡± Their head still hurt, and they were feeling sick again, but in a way they also felt better. Something made sense now, and that set their mind at ease. ¡°Let¡¯s go home, and we¡¯ll finish the report there. I have to add more information since some of this now makes sense.¡± DH nodded, ¡°Right, because that bot that got the recording of Vince might well have been hacked by this Joe Mamma.¡± ¡°Exactly.¡± TO said, ¡°And that¡¯s what made sense. They got the video, and used that to get Vince to comply, and took him with them on their escape to keep him from stopping them, or from talking afterwards.¡± they huffed, ¡°Though... Letting dangerous insurgents go free for the sake of his reputation¡­ it seems a bit much, doesn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°What do you expect?¡± DH said, ¡°They¡¯re civilians.¡± ¡°Right.¡± TO said. They had a feeling there was more to it than just that. When they looked at it from a different angle, though, it made sense. Vass said that their mate would be angry. Maybe they were trying to keep the information from getting out to the public not to save their reputation, but to protect their mate and their relationship with them. To TO, that made much more sense. ====== The situation report to Ark-1 was brief. Twenty-three insurgents escaped with the help of the officer of the facility, who seemed to have been acting under blackmail. Following the escape path that the insurgents took, the insurgents and the officer died after getting caught in the water purification. They didn¡¯t know if they should send the information about the bones. If there was any other way, the insurgents could have escaped, then they¡¯d be more concerned, but there were other reasons why they might not have found bones; even the lab said so, but they had gone into details about the process of water purification, and TO didn¡¯t want to read that. The insurgents didn¡¯t have anywhere else to go, and there was nowhere to hide. The only viable solution was that equipment room, but that had been so crowded that twenty-three people wouldn¡¯t have fit in there, and there were no other ways out. Nowhere else to go. They had to have died. It didn¡¯t feel right to them! There had to be something more; this just seemed so anticlimactic! Still, that seemed to be the case. They weren¡¯t in a show; they were in the real world, where civilians were short-sighted and did stupid things. They sent the report and lay down on the bed. Their eyes hurt, and they still felt sick. At least they had taken a nice, hot shower. DH let them use the shower first since they felt so bad and only wanted to get their work done and sleep. They turned over, and wrapped themself first in their wings, then in a blanket. DH would finish their shower soon. Then, they¡¯d cuddle up next to TO and they¡¯d sleep until morning. They¡¯d have one last visit with Lendulin, then later in the afternoon they¡¯d be travelling to Thalassa. TO was just dozing off, ignoring the pain, when their communicator went off with an incoming call. They groaned, and almost turned it off, but that¡¯s what caused them to miss all the mess with the escape. They checked their chip, expecting a message from Avery, looking for carefully coded hints about their date, or from Lendulin looking for ¡°all the details, please!¡± It was Ark-1. Episode 204; Viral A thousand excuses, each more pathetic than the last, filtered through TO¡¯s head as they tried to come up with an excuse to avoid this call. They were under no delusions why Ark-1 was calling, of course; while DH was right, and it was unlikely for them to filter through the cultural news of Arkane, something like the escape of over twenty insurgents from a holding facility was going to draw their attention. They, of course, wanted an update, and while TO had their report mostly done, the exhaustion and sickness that had overcome kept them from finishing it. Perhaps it was this exhaustion that was keeping them from coming up with a good reason to ignore the call. Ark-1 would demand answers and TO didn¡¯t want to have to answer for ignoring an officer. They pushed themself up in bed, rubbed their eyes to make the throbbing pain behind them go away, then answered the call on their chip. The hologram of Ark-1 hovered in the air before them; their ears were pinned back, their eyes narrowed. They were angry already. ¡°Greetings, Ark-1.¡± TO said as they tried their best to sit upright. ¡°I was not expecting a call-¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure you weren¡¯t,¡± they said, ¡°Though, I was expecting a report by now about the mess that¡¯s occurred on Arkane. Twenty-three insurgents escaped, a holding facility half-destroyed, and you¡¯ve yet to contact me about what happened.¡± ¡°Apologies.¡± They said, their ears dipping back, ¡°I wished to go over my report once more before sending it to you. There''re some complications to the situation, something that seems wrong to me and I wished to give further consideration to before I completed my report.¡± That was all correct. TO hoped that once their head was clearer, they might look over the data they had and see some clue that they didn¡¯t see before. ¡°Very well.¡± They said, though their ears stayed pinned back, ¡°Please, give me a quick run-down of your investigation.¡± TO nodded, and told them about the obviously planned attack, the infiltration of the networks by ¡®Joe Mamma¡¯ and the cooperation, blackmail, and ultimate demise of Vince. ¡°It seems odd to me that the insurgents would have planned the escape so well, but failed to consider their exit route. That is what I wished to look into more.¡± TO said, ¡°There''re particularities to the remains found which I wish to consider further.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Ark-1 said, ¡°But you¡¯ve not told me of the attack itself.¡± TO felt their ears quirk forward in confusion, ¡°Pardon?¡± ¡°The attack itself. The insurgents called for your help, did they not?¡± ¡°The insurgent hacker took down their communications.¡± TO said. ¡°As you¡¯ve already said.¡± Ark-1 said, ¡°What time did you arrive on scene? Were you there in time to witness any of the attacks?¡± ¡°We were not.¡± TO said, ¡°It was midmorning the next day when we arrived on scene-¡± ¡°Which I find odd.¡± Ark-1 said as they gestured before them. A screen came up on a different projection, showing logs of messages to and from TO. There were messages and time stamps attached to messages from Avery, calls to the various places they had gone to for their date, basic civilian news alerts that came nearly every day, and the emergency alerts that they had received that night while they were talking with DH in that room at the bar, too inebriated to do anything if they had read the message. ¡°Although the communications were down, a message got to you during the attack. I assume the civilians had some kind of emergency communication system that took a little longer for the insurgents to take down.¡± Their ears still pinned back, they gave TO a hard look. ¡°Do you wish to explain why you got the message that night, but did not respond until the next day?¡± What could they possibly say that wouldn¡¯t be an outright lie, which Ark-1 would see clearly in their ears? ¡°We were busy with other matters that evening.¡± TO said; that was true. ¡°And pressing matters had our attention at the moment. News alerts come every day from the civilians; useless things, like missing pets, civilian sports news, and academic competitions. I suppose the excess of useless information irritated me, and ignored it while I was busy.¡± Their ears dipping down, ¡°I will not be doing that again.¡± ¡°I imagine not.¡± Ark-1 said, ¡°But what were you occupied with?¡± That question took TO a little by surprise, and it suddenly worried them. Why was Ark-1 prying so much? Why were they asking so many questions? ¡°By your silence, perhaps you¡¯ve forgotten.¡± They said, and they gestured again, ¡°Perhaps I can provide a reminder, and you can further explain.¡± Another hologram appeared and TO¡¯s stomach clenched in icy terror. The image before them was of them and DH, though it wasn¡¯t of them in the theater as they had worried about. The image showed them before the carriage, dressed in their finery. Both had their ears down in that way that showed such longing and passion, the same way that C12 and Snout had looked at one another. It was clearly some kind of social media post, as there was a caption underneath that read, ¡°Nobody is this romantic anymore! Wish my partner did this for me!¡± Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation. It seemed to have gone viral overnight, spreading over the Arkane social network like fire. Apparently, it was an impressive romantic display. I can still fix this. They thought to themself. C12 said that other synths, normal synths, couldn¡¯t really read that emotion in their ears. If Ark-1 didn¡¯t see that, then they might be.They¡¯d give a little truth, and it¡¯d be fine. Hadn¡¯t they and DH already planned for this? ¡°We were acting as civilians.¡± They said, hoping their nervousness wasn¡¯t showing, ¡°We have described ourselves as romantic partners to explain why we¡¯re always together. This is how civilians in such a relationship act, according to our research. The idea of such a relationship throws others off and puts them at ease. I did not realize that it would attract so much attention.¡± ¡°I would believe that.¡± Ark-1 said, ¡°I truly would; your training records are immaculate, and impressive, and your actions in dealing with the issues at the portal were exemplary.¡± ¡°Thank you, Ark-1¡± ¡°But I did not find this image.¡± They said, ¡°I have more pressing things to do. No, Hur-13 gave this image to Hur-1, along with some interesting context. They thought it would be prudent that they inform me.¡° TO¡¯s ears fell back, and their breathing stopped. They felt like they were going to be sick again. ¡°Hur-13?¡± They said weakly. ¡°Indeed.¡± Ark-1 said, ¡°They¡¯ve been monitoring both their news and yours since the events on Arkane affect them as well. They came across this image because of its popularity, and upon hearing of the escape on Arkane, they felt they had to contact Hur-1. Apparently, they witnessed something grotesque and disgusting when aboard your ship. Of course, they should have reported it immediately, but they felt that despite your perversions, you were still the best one to work on Arkane. With this incident, however, they feared your¡­ Preoccupation with one another was affecting your work, and I am inclined to agree.¡± Shame and guilt fought TO in their head. Not only was this their fault for getting that damnable carriage, but they had gotten angry at DH for being careless! It was their own carelessness that led to this, their own actions, their own fault. Now Ark-1 knew, and now they were going to be separated. The idea of running once more flickered through their head. Could they run? Where would they run? How would they survive? Could they even run from King Decon? King Decon, their creator. If they ran, they were just a waste of resources; worse than being reprocessed because at least a reprocessed synth can serve King Decon¡¯s will. ¡°I want a straightforward answer; yes or no.¡± Ark-1 said, ¡°Are you in a romantic relationship with Ark-88.¡± ¡°... Yes.¡± There was no point lying; their ears would give it away. Trying to dodge the question or staying silent would be as bad as lying at this point. ¡°That is disappointing; I had great hopes for you.¡± TO dipped their head down, and struggled not to cry; that would only make things worse. They worked as hard as they could to still their breathing and keep calm. ¡°Here is what is going to happen.¡± Ark-1 said after long moments of tortuous silence, ¡°You will stay on Arkane. Despite this, I believe that your particular skills make you uniquely qualified to deal with the situation there. However, I cannot allow you to be distracted, nor can I allow this¡­ disgusting relationship to continue and distract you from serving King Decon. We will reassign Ark-88 will.¡± ¡°No.¡± The word slipped out before TO could stop it, ¡°Please-¡± ¡°Do not make me rethink this decision.¡± Ark-1 said, ¡°Ideally, I¡¯d recall you both and have you both disciplined for your crimes against King Decon, but I am weighing the good you can do on Arkane against this. If you deal with the insurgency as planned, then you may in fact avoid further punishments; same for Ark-88 if they perform well.¡± Further punishments. What would they do to them? Reprocess them? No, likely not. Exile? Being sent into the dark zones of the galaxy to scan for portals or planets? They¡¯d never send them together now. Maybe they would both go into exile alone, in the darkness of space until the end of their natural life; unable to even be reprocessed. ¡°Hur-13 and Hur-14¡¯s have nearly finished the repairs to their ship.¡± Ark-1 said, ¡°Once they finish, they will leave their posting, and connect with you on Arkane for ¡®meeting¡¯ regarding issues between the two planets. Afterwards, we will reassign Ark-88 as Hur-15, and Hur-13 will become Ark-89. You will continue your assignments from there.¡± DH would go back with Avery. Kei would stay with them. Despite everything, they felt relieved that at least DH wouldn¡¯t have to work with Kei. It was such a slight relief, but it was something they could cling to. ¡°I promise, this is unnecessary.¡± TO said, ¡°This will not occur again-¡± ¡°I cannot take that chance.¡± Ark-1 said, ¡°Arkane is the heart of insurgent activity, and the peace of the galaxy depends on your performance. I cannot allow a carnal relationship between you and another synth to effect.¡± Their ears pinned, ¡°You¡¯ve already made it clear to Hur-13 that you cannot keep from rutting like animals. If you have so little self-restraint around one another, then I have no choice but to separate you. Once more, it is only your commendable performance up to this point in other areas that keeps you both from being brought back immediately for corrective action.¡± ¡°... I understand.¡± TO said. They didn¡¯t know what else they could say to this. ¡°... How long until Hur-13 and Hur-14 arrive here?¡± ¡°The ship should take only three or four Arkanian days of work, and less than a full Arkanian day of travel after that.¡± Ark-1 said, ¡°Continue your work as expected for now; we cannot let the insurgents or civilians sense that anything is wrong, or that there''re any issue or weaknesses in our ranks.¡± They leaned forward, ¡°Make no mistake, if I have any reason to believe that you¡¯re putting King Decon¡¯s will behind your own carnal desires, my punishment will be swift and severe. If I have any clue of less than perfect performance from you both, I have you both sent into combat at separate ends of the galaxy.¡± Not exile, but a painful, violent death apart from one another. At least that would be quicker. ¡°¡­ Understood, Ark-1¡± ¡°Send me your reports immediately on the escape.¡± Ark-1 said, and without any further conversation, they cut the call. no TO sat in the bed, still as a statue for a long time. They felt the tears that they had been holding back fall over their cheeks. They wanted to sob, but they couldn¡¯t bring themself to do that. They had been stupid and careless. Going planetside hadn¡¯t given them freedom. It made them sloppy. Excelling in their tasks wouldn¡¯t allow them to keep DH close, but it would keep them from worse punishment. It wasn¡¯t much comfort. They stayed like that until DH came out of the shower, drying off with a towel. ¡°I feel almost normal again.¡± They said, their voice light, ¡°A meal now, and-¡± They stopped as they saw TO sitting up and crying. In moments, they were at their side, holding them. ¡°TO? What¡¯s wrong?!¡± TO held onto DH, wondering how many more times they¡¯d get to do that. How many more times they¡¯d see them, hear their voice, and smell the lavender off their skin. They pressed their face into DH¡¯s chest, and wept. Episode 205: Pity ¡°Who is it?¡± Lendulin¡¯s voice came through the metal door, seeping through the cracks to find its way to the other side. ¡°It¡¯s us.¡± TO said, trying to sound normal, but they couldn''t bring their hoarse voice to sound right, ¡°DH and Tio.¡± The door opened just a crack, allowing Lendulin to peek through. ¡°Sorry, now not a good-¡± She stopped as she looked up at the two, taking in their low ears, pale faces, and blue-rimmed eyes. ¡°Shit¡­ what happened?¡± She said, the mild vulgarity sounding so odd coming from her. ¡°Do we look that bad?¡± DH asked, tightening their hand around TO¡¯s. TO squeezed back, wondering how they had spent enough time around Lendulin for her to read them that quickly. Of course, maybe they just looked that broken; they felt it. ¡°One second.¡± She said. The door closed, and several minutes later, it opened up again. The small room looked entirely different; she had pushed aside the barrier that hid half the room to make space for a large, misshapen form hidden under an enormous sheet. She wasn¡¯t alone; Pearla was there, adjusting the corner of a sheet. They hadn¡¯t expected Pearla to be there, and suddenly decided that they had made the wrong decision to come here. They had spent the better part of the morning and the entire trip to the Outer Ring fighting with themself over whether they should visit Lendulin and tell her a version of what happened, or not. Lendulin would want to know how the date went, and once DH was gone, she¡¯d wonder what happened to the two. TO didn¡¯t think they¡¯d end up visiting with Kei. ¡°Ah. Sorry.¡± TO said, their ears dipping down as they saw Pearla, ¡°I figured you¡¯d be alone¡­ I should have called.¡° They turned to leave, ¡°sorry, I¡¯ll-¡° ¡°Hey, it¡¯s fine. You didn¡¯t have to call. Pearla doesn¡¯t mind, right?¡± ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter to me.¡± She muttered, watching the two carefully, her tail lashing against the floor. ¡°See, it¡¯s fine!¡± She said as she gently took TO¡¯s arm, ¡°Come on in. It¡¯s fine. I¡¯m a little busy, but I can make time for friends in need!¡± Were they really friends? They had associated with her more to get close to Pearla¡­ but if that was the only reason they were in touch with her, then why did they come here today? Why did they want to leave when they saw Pearla? Had they actually become friends with a civilian? ¡°Come on Tio, tell me what happened at least!¡± Lendulin said, ¡°Was the date that bad?¡± ¡°Can¡¯t have been.¡± Pearla said, a smirk on her face, ¡°They went viral, remember?¡± They went viral. The date hadn¡¯t been bad, but it had cost them way too much. They messed up, ruined the evening at the end, and because of their date, because TO had gone and rented a damned carriage, they got caught. And because they got caught, their superiors would separate them. The weight of it fell on TO, and despite their best efforts to keep from breaking in front of an insurgent, a sob broke free from their lips. Lendulin pulled them in, and they sat them at the table. Within minutes, they had warm cups of steaming, weak tea in their hands. ¡°Pearla, in the cupboard-¡± ¡°On it,¡± Pearla said. She rushed to the cupboard and came back with a silver flask. She popped the lid on it, and the stench of alcohol hit TO from where they sat. TO knew that it wouldn¡¯t affect them, but the thought of taking anything else into their system, any alcohol or excessive food substances, made them feel sick. They shuddered and pulled their cup away with a shake of their head. ¡°Alright, no booze for Tio.¡± She said as she offered it to DH, who also shook their head. ¡°It doesn¡¯t do much for us.¡± They admitted, ¡°But no thanks; not today.¡± Lendulin rolled up and leaned forward, her arms on the table. ¡°Alright, what happened?¡± She demanded. Of course, they had to alter the actual events a little, and had to leave out anything relating to the prison break. Instead, TO just said that their ¡®family¡¯ on their home planet had seen the viral picture of them and their carriage. They described Kei as a distant relative who disliked them, and who had found out about them being a couple. Of course, seeing the image, they felt they had no choice but to contact their respective families; for the sake of the business, of course. ¡°And¡­ of course our families don¡¯t want us involved with one another.¡± TO said, still staring at their cup. They hadn¡¯t looked up since they started talking, and they worried they might even start crying again. In front of Lendulin, that was bad enough, but with Pearla here¡­ They should have left as soon as they saw Pearla. No, they shouldn¡¯t have come here. What were they thinking? What made them think that visiting a civilian with links to the insurgency - whether or not she knew it- was a good idea!? Maybe... They just wanted to talk to someone about it. Lendulin was the best civilian they had met so far, and had been so kind to them. She had helped with the date, and TO knew it¡¯d upset her if the two of them just stopped visiting. ¡°Why not.¡± Lendulin asked, ¡°I mean, do they have a problem-¡± ¡°They think we¡¯re too young.¡± DH said simply, their ears twitching with the lie. ¡°At our age, we have more important things to do¡­ in their mind.¡± TO worried again that Pearla might know what that ear twitching was, but what did it matter now. She already knew that they were a couple, and that they were synths. ¡°Tio¡¯s relation,¡± DH continued, ¡°The one who doesn¡¯t like me, they¡¯re being sent here. They¡¯re going to help with the business here, and¡­ I¡¯m going home.¡± ¡°... No.¡± Lendulin said simply, ¡°No, that¡¯s not happening.¡± TO finally looked up, ¡°We have little choice.¡± They said. ¡°Refuse to go!¡± Lendulin said, ¡°What will they do, grab you, hog-tie you, and throw you on the ship if you refuse?¡± ¡°... That¡¯s not impossible.¡± DH said. ¡°They might well use force if necessary¡­ But there¡¯s worse that will happen if we don¡¯t go.¡± ¡°Like what?¡± TO and DH stayed silent. There was no way they could come up with a civilian equivalent to what might happen to them. This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. ¡°... Hey, what will they do?¡± Lendulin asked, her voice shaking and her tail lashing against her chair. ¡°Hey.. they don''t wanna talk about it.¡± Pearla said. It was the first time Pearla had spoken since offering booze for their tea. She tapped on the table before TO to get their attention. When TO looked up, it surprised them to see Pearla¡¯s normally narrowed eyes wide with concern. ¡°... can you run?¡± ¡°... That¡¯s complicated.¡± DH said. ¡°We¡¯d have no way off Arkane if we did; They have remote access to our ship and our funds, so we¡¯d have no resources either... They could have us hunted down by local authorities if they thought it was necessary. Even aside from all that ...¡± ¡°It¡¯s our family.¡± TO said quietly, ¡°We can¡¯t just leave it.¡± Once more, they weren¡¯t sure how to describe it really to a civilian, how to explain the privilege and inborn duty that came with being a Synth, the debt they owed for their entire existence, nor could they explain how much of a betrayal, how abominable it would be for them to turn their backs on King Decon. ¡°Your family shouldn¡¯t treat you like they do.¡± Pearla said, ¡°And as for the other stuff¡­ We could help. I run a shelter, so-¡± ¡°And people died because of insurgents there.¡± TO said, ¡°If they chased us, wouldn¡¯t it cause you problems too?¡± ¡°I can handle problems. Trust me.¡± They stopped and looked up at Pearla. Pearla, who knew what they were, and who might know what was really happening if they had gotten the right information from synths. Synths who the insurgency had tortured. What did she want? Was this just a ploy to capture them so they could force them to work for the insurgency? She knew what they were, and she was part of the insurgency, so she didn¡¯t want to help them. TO shook their head and looked away. ¡°No.¡± they said, hating every millisecond where they considered taking Pearla¡¯s help. ¡°That won''t work.¡± ¡°If we do what they tell us to do, we¡¯re safe.¡± DH said as they put a protective wing around TO. ¡°And¡­ if you don¡¯t, your family might hurt you?¡± Lendulin asked. ¡°You don¡¯t understand¡­¡± TO said softly. They shook their head, regretting coming at all now, ¡°We just¡­ well, DH is going to be leaving soon, and we have work to do on other islands before that, so we won¡¯t get to see you again-¡± ¡°If your family might hurt you, TO, then I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a very good family.¡± Lendulin said, ¡°Look¡­ we can think this over. We can figure this out. We can hide you two if we need to!¡± TO stood up suddenly, their heart racing. ¡°You. Don¡¯t. Understand.¡± They said, ¡°We didn¡¯t come for help, we came to say goodbye. We can¡¯t run. If we run, we¡¯d be in hiding. Our family can easily have us reported as insurgents and hunted down-¡± ¡°Must be some powerful family.¡± Lendulin said. ¡°You have no idea.¡± DH said, standing up as well. ¡°Let¡¯s go, TO.¡± ¡°Wait, don¡¯t go! Let me help!¡± Lendulin said, wheeling forward. She grabbed the edge of TO¡¯s shirt and pulled back. TO stumbled, catching themself just in time to keep from falling, grabbing out for something to help balance them. Their hand grabbed the sheet in the middle of the room and pulled half of it down. ¡°... What¡¯s that?¡± DH asked as they stopped, looking at what was under the sheet. It was a collection of canvases, set on easels to dry. The brilliant, signature iridescence of the clothing on what was clearly Mr. Venturi¡¯s work was still wet, as were the quick, fluid brush marks in black in which he used to define specific parts of his painting. ¡°It¡¯s nothing!¡± Lendulin said quickly, pulling the sheet up. ¡°Just practice! I¡¯m trying to mimic his style, right?¡± ¡°You said you weren¡¯t an artist.¡± TO said quietly, remembering that first day they met, ¡°You lied?¡± ¡°No, I didn¡¯t. I meant I¡¯m not like... A real artist, right?¡± She gave a nervous laugh, ¡°I mean, that stuff, it¡¯s not nearly as good as his.¡± ¡°It is though.¡± DH said as they gently lifted the edge of the sheet to see better. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen any of these before, and I¡¯ve been looking at his work since we saw it in the shop.¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s only because¡­¡± Lendulin trailed off, clutching the arms of her chair. ¡°... It¡¯s because these are originals.¡± Pearla said, ¡°Original Venturi paintings¡­ Or Lendulin Paintings, as they¡¯ll never be called.¡± Lendulin turned in her chair, eyes wide. ¡°Pearla! How could you-¡± ¡°What, you¡¯re going to stutter until you come up with a better excuse?¡± She huffed. She slithered over to the paintings and pulled the sheet off properly. Ten, no, twelve new paintings, each one exquisite and magical, stood in the center of the room. DH stepped forward, taking a better look at them, eying the clothing on the paintings as though they wanted to take them and wear them right away. ¡°So¡­ Venturi stole them from you?¡± TO asked. Right away, they were wondering what they could do. As synths, this was well beneath their attention, but they were sure that they could make the right notes in the right file, or alert the right people. ¡°No!¡± Lendulin protested, ¡°He doesn¡¯t steal from me; I¡¯m just.. His assistant.¡± ¡°More like his meal ticket.¡± Pearla said. She huffed and went back to the table. ¡°That asshole ¡®buys¡¯ Lendulin¡¯s paintings and pays her to keep quiet about them being hers. He then presents them as his own and makes a mint off of them.¡± ¡°He¡¯s helping me!¡± Lendulin said. ¡°You think I¡¯d be able to see them on my own? With this?¡± she slammed her fists on her tail with such force that TO was certain she¡¯d have bruises there the next day. ¡°No. No, I couldn¡¯t. If I tried to sell these on my own, I¡¯d be working on scrap paper and selling them for almost nothing at the waterfront. This way¡­ this way at least I can live.¡± She reached forward and pulled a brush from a glass that sat under the easel. ¡°You think brushes and paint are cheap? The inks I use? The canvas? No, it¡¯s all expensive. This way, I can make art, and survive off it.¡± She threw the brush to the floor. ¡°Without him? Without Venturi I¡¯m out in the harbor, cleaning the undersides of ships and getting oil-lungs from it.¡± There was silence in the small room. The sound of water trickling through the side and Lendulin¡¯s heavy breathing was all the noise there was. After several long minutes, DH went to the brush on the floor, picked it up, and brought it back over to her. ¡°... I really like your paintings.¡± They said softly, ¡°And.. I don¡¯t think Venturi liked me much, so... I¡¯m happy they¡¯re your paintings. Not his.¡± Lendulin snatched the brush, and flushing deeply, she took a rag from nearby and started wiping it down. ¡°Thanks.¡± she muttered, ¡°But you¡¯re not changing the subject! Your families are full of asses if they¡¯re doing this to you.¡± Pearla gave a sudden snort of laughter, covering her mouth too late to hide it. ¡°Sorry.¡± She muttered, but offered no explanation. ¡°... Couldn¡¯t he say you¡¯re doing the paintings?¡± TO asked, ¡°And that he¡¯s just... Marketing it? Agents still do very well-¡± ¡°They don¡¯t have the same prestige as artists.¡± Pearla said with a sneer, ¡°He wants to be famous.¡± ¡°.. And nobody wants art from a slith like me.¡± Lendulin muttered. ¡°Oi!¡± Pearla¡¯s eyes narrowed, her tail lashed, ¡°Don¡¯t you dare call yourself that.¡± ¡°It¡¯s true though. If everyone knew I was the artist, nobody would want any of my paintings. The ones that are on display in museums, they¡¯d be taken down and sold off, probably for pennies. That¡¯s if anyone believed me, that is.¡± She shrugged, ¡°This is the best I can get.¡± ¡°He tells her this shit, I know it.¡± Pearla said, ¡°He¡¯s awful. I¡¯ve never met him, but he has a reputation.¡± ¡°Can we focus on them!¡± Lendulin said, pointing to TO and DH. ¡°They¡¯re the ones who need help!¡± The anger drained from them. TO sighed and sat back down, ¡°There¡¯s no helping this.¡± They said, ¡°Your paintings wouldn¡¯t sell without him¡­ and we can¡¯t leave our families. We can¡¯t turn on them, and even if we were to, we don¡¯t have the resources to stay safe.¡± TO¡¯s wings tightened around them. ¡°So... that¡¯s that.¡± That¡¯s that. The end of them. DH would go to one place, TO would stay where they were, and their higher ups would keep them separated. How did C12 get to stay with Snout? TO wished they could ask. ¡°... Look.¡± Pearla said, their voice slow and careful ¡°That art show, the party¡­ it¡¯s tomorrow. Are you still coming to that?¡± ¡°I am unsure.¡± TO muttered. On top of the invitations that Lendulin gave them, Minister Sally, who was hosting the event, had invited them as Synths; the formal request for their presence had come as soon as they finalized their plans to go to the Fourth Quadrant. ¡°Please?¡± Lendulin said, ¡°It would mean a lot to me.. And it¡¯d be nice to have people there that I actually know.¡± She gave a bitter laugh, ¡°I¡¯ll probably be the only legless person there.. You might even be protecting me if you¡¯re around.¡± ¡°Go on.¡± Pearla said, ¡°Just¡­ go to the party. It¡¯ll be a last fun time with you three, right?¡± ¡°And I really want to see DH¡¯s dress!¡± Lendulin said. If Pearla wanted them at the party, that felt like reason enough to not go. Was it a setup? That was TO¡¯s first thought, but the way Pearla was looking at them was different now. There had always been this cold to her, angry and closed off. Now, she just seemed like she was pitying them. They didn¡¯t want a civilians pity. It might be a trap. They almost said no right away, but that would mean saying no to Lendulin, too. She¡¯d be alone otherwise. Would they be protecting her just by being there? ¡°We¡¯ll see.¡± was all TO said. Episode 206: Thalassa Moving their ship across the surface of the planet was far less dramatic than the original arrival. After securing what needed to be secured and performing some basic general maintenance, the ship rose from its spot on the island city of Okoia, and headed towards Thalassa. ¡°I¡¯ll miss Okoia.¡± DH said, their ears low as they watched the city fade into the horizon on their screen. ¡°I¡¯m surprised that Ark-1 didn¡¯t order us to stay there until after the switch.¡± Their ears flicked as they spoke, their hands clenched into fists. They tried not to talk about it. Thinking about being separated made them both feel sick and there was nothing to be done, so there was no point in bringing it up. TO hoped that if they didn¡¯t talk about it, then maybe they¡¯d have a few minutes where they forgot all about it. ¡°We can¡¯t let the civilians know that anything is wrong.¡± TO said. They figured the insurgency would find out, eventually; Kei¡¯s unscarred face would give it away. Of course, maybe they knew even before that. Maybe Pearla already told them. They had been stupid to talk about it in front of Pearla, k knowing she had links to the insurgency. The only solace that TO could give themself on that is that they weren¡¯t really thinking right then. Even now, they felt like they were in a fog half the time; like the looming certainty of DH being taken away just took too much of their focus. ¡°Right¡­¡± DH said. Their voice cracked, and they took several careful breaths to keep themself from crying again. There had been too much of that as of late, but TO now understood what DH had been talking about earlier; about knowing that they would be separated, and trying to make the best of it. All they wanted to do between now and the time that DH left was make their mate happy. So long as they were attentive and did their duty as synths, then they could make DH as happy as possible for the short time they had left. They just had to do well enough to prevent further punishment. They didn¡¯t even care about retiring anymore; what was the point? TO came up behind DH and draped their arms and wings over their shoulders, ¡°It¡¯ll be a few more days yet.¡± TO said, their voice careful and quiet, ¡°We¡¯ll get to go to the art show-¡± ¡°As synths though-¡± TO held DH closely. They still weren¡¯t entirely sure that it wasn¡¯t a trap; why did Pearla want them to go there? Well, they¡¯d be there, anyway; that wasn¡¯t the question. The question was if they¡¯d make an appearance as civilians, as Tio and DH. That might be dangerous. Of course, it was Thalassa, not Okoia. Okoia was large and open. It was the place where everyone on Arkane started. It was the center of commerce on the planet, where the rich and poor lived separated only by districts. Thalassa was entirely different. Thalassa was more like a carefully cultivated garden where the extremely wealthy of Arkane purchased the carefully cultivated and bubbled underwater land. From what TO understood, they carefully vetted and carefully monitored even the indebted who worked there. Maybe it would be safe. Maybe it wouldn¡¯t be, but it would make DH happy. ¡°... I¡¯d like to see your dress.¡± TO said. ¡°So¡­ we¡¯ll have to be civilians for a little while.¡± DH shook their head, ¡°It¡¯s risky.¡± They said, ¡°If we get caught-¡± ¡°Then we get caught.¡± TO said. ¡°We¡¯re going to be careful and we¡¯re going to do our job, but I will see you in your dress.¡± They leaned forward, their snout resting against the back of DH''s ear. The words that DH had spoken on the night of their date rang back in their head, as it had happened so many times since they had gotten caught. I¡¯d rather have a life with you, even if it¡¯s only here, and only for a short time ¡°... I don¡¯t want you to get hurt.¡± TO said, ¡°And now¡­ now I know that no matter what -¡± They stopped, their voice cracking. No matter what they did, they couldn¡¯t stop this from happening. They couldn¡¯t stay together. They took a moment to collect themself before they continued. ¡°I said once that I¡¯d rather be corrected than live without you.¡± TO said. ¡°And you¡¯d rather have a life together, even a short one.. Right?¡± The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. DH nodded. ¡°... Then as long as we¡¯re together, I want to have that life.¡± They had been juggling that thought in their head, wondering what punishments awaited them if they messed up the rest of their assignment. Would their superiors correct them, or repurpose them? They had already laid the worst punishment. Nothing else mattered. ¡°If you¡¯re ok with that,¡± TO whispered, ¡°then I want to enjoy these last few days with you as much as I can.¡± DH was silent for a long time, and all TO could do was wrap their own wings around them tightly and hold them. ¡°I¡¯d do anything for you.¡± TO said. Even as they said that, though, they felt a pang of guilt. They¡¯d do anything¡­ But they would let DH be taken from them. They said once they would defy King Decon to protect DH¡­ Would they do that to stay with them? The thought scared them; of course, any thought of defying King Decon scared them, and they pondered more than once if they should have taken Pearla''s offer. Of course, as soon as they remembered that, they remembered Pearla worked with insurgents, and likely wasn¡¯t actually interested in helping them, and who had likely hurt GiDi. No, they had nowhere to go. Running would only mean a short period of fear and hunger before they got sick from starvation, or got caught by local authorities and killed, or got captured by the insurgents. The insurgents who had really ruined everything, right? If it weren¡¯t for them, then Ark-1 never would have discovered anything. The attack never would have happened. ¡°TO?¡± DH said, their ears flushing blue, ¡°Can you¡­ kiss the back of my ear?¡± That request pulled TO from their thoughts, from the slowly rising anger inside them. Kissing DH¡¯s ears was something that they did rarely; when they were being very intimate, and when DH was feeling more daring than normal. It was something TO loved, but something DH still seemed shy about. That they were asking now drained all the anger from TO. They nuzzled their snout to the back of DH¡¯s head and gently kissed them. For now, they¡¯d try to just have this. For now, they had DH, their mate. Maybe it was only for another few days, but they¡¯d enjoy their time together. They couldn¡¯t save this anymore, so they¡¯d enjoy it while they could. ====== It took a full Arkanian day to get from Okoia to Thalassa. Of course, at its regular speed, their ship could easily circle the entire planet in less than an hour, but within the atmosphere, they had to travel at a much slower pace. Still, that didn¡¯t matter to TO and DH. It just meant that they had more time to themselves before they had to act again; before they had to be synths again. They arrived at Thalassa far too early for TO¡¯s liking. Much like on Okoia, a large, electric fence surrounded the landing station, but this time the landing pad took up nearly the entirety of one small island that sat in the middle of the blue-green ocean. There were other modest buildings outside the fence, some drones in the air and ships in the water, but there was no sign of normal life; no other civilian buildings, no distant cityscapes, just water all around, with small islands in the distance. ¡°Most everything is underwater.¡± TO explained. ¡°There''re some stations on islands for generating solar power, but that''s about it.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that dangerous?¡± DH asked, ¡°You would think living in an underwater dome would be unwise¡± TO just shrugged, ¡°They probably think the same about living in space.¡± TO said. They had done a lot of research on how safe Thalassa was, mostly to calm their own anxieties about going there. They didn¡¯t need to prepare for landing like they did when they entered the atmosphere. The ship merely drifted over the landing pad and settled in gently, the long tendrils gaining purchase on the mechanisms below before retracting to lower the ship to ground level. Before long, their ship was just as secure there as it had been on Okoia. They donned their armor and left to meet the welcome party outside. TO expected guards, of course; military personnel, much like they had seen on Okoia, along with only the essential political leaders. This was not the case; there were guards, but these guards were wearing armor that looked more decorative than functional; white, iridescent metal with shells worked into the breastplates. While they had weapons, they had spears instead of actual multi guns, and helmets with coral horns arching backwards, giving them the appearance of strange aquatic animals. Standing just behind the soldiers was a collection of civilians, all dressed in fancy, formal wear. They wore their hair in lavish and impractical styles, with shells woven into braids. Most of them had what looked like fish scales applied carefully to the sides of their faces. ¡°They seem to have a theme.¡± DH said through their communicator. ¡°Don¡¯t they though.¡± TO said back as they looked over everyone. There were so many types of civilians there, but TO noticed several things in common; they all had at least one set of legs; no legless people in attendance. They all had hair; or at least they wore wigs. Everyone wore artificial wings which were all designed to look like armored synth wings. Expensive, and pandering; from their short time on Arkane, they could notice that at least. The only other government officials that were there were Minister Sally and Noss. Noss dressed as he always was, but they swapped their wig for a larger one with curls that poofed up all over; it was still that same shade of green though and lacked any seashells. Aside from that, he looked mostly the same; still dabbing his face with his handkerchief, his eyes still darting around. ¡°I¡¯m surprised he¡¯s here.¡± DH said. ¡°He¡¯s basically our liaison.¡± TO said, ¡°It makes sense.¡± Though Noss didn¡¯t look that different from the last time TO had seen him, Sally did. Back on Okoia, she had worn relatively simple clothing, and no wig or accessories. Today, she had a large, intricately braided wig, with seashells woven in around where her minister''s laurel sat on her head. Her dress was made of fine, draping silk in shimmering blues, with shells embroidered all over in glittering metallic threads. ¡°Honored Synths.¡± She said, with a bow of her head, ¡°Welcome to Thalassa.¡± Episode 207: Jabs The one other building on the island led to a specialized tube station, one which would bring them deep underwater and to Thalassa. ¡°We, of course, have provided accommodations in the city itself.¡± minister Sally said as they travelled down. ¡°But all synths before you have preferred to sleep in their ship. Should you wish to do otherwise, I welcome it.¡± TO couldn¡¯t see outside. The tube was solid metal so far, so all they could see outside the glass tube was darkness and their own reflection. Noss was sitting next to TO, and as they looked across the carriage at Minister Sally, they could see Noss¡¯ reflection as well. As Sally spoke, Noss tightened his grip where he rested his hands on his knees. ¡°Of course, I¡¯ll have to have our people perform an inspection.¡± Noss said, ¡°Should anything happen, it will of course be my responsibility-¡± Sally looked at Noss like he was some small bug; harmless, almost unnoticeable, but disgusting all the same. ¡°I am certain you¡¯re not suggesting that I would provide our Honored Synths with anything less than the best and safest of accommodations.¡± She tilted her head, ¡°Am I correct.¡± ¡°Of course not! I mean, you are correct!¡± He laughed and dabbed at his face. ¡°Of course, I am not suggesting that, but any accommodations provided have to be cleared by planetary authorities, not local ones. All just formalities, I assure you.¡± He gave a sickly smile. ¡°Minister Sally, I am positive that whatever accommodations you might have provided for our Honored Synths, and for myself, will be nothing less than glorious.¡± ¡°Ah, that is right.¡± She said, her voice soft as she looked away, ¡°I suppose I should find accommodations for yourself as well. I thought your people would handle that. Well, it doesn''t matter.¡± She checked something on her communicator, then looked back to TO and DH. ¡°Honored Synths, we will exit the protected pipeline now; you¡¯ll have a proper view of Thalassa and its surrounding ocean properties if you look out.¡± Only moments after she said that, the metal tubing ended and their world lit up in blue-green light from the vast sea around them. Thalassa lay below them, protected from the water by an enormous glass dome, and illuminated with white-blue lights that ran in a spiral on the inside of the glass. The light caught on through the haze in the water and made the city appear to glow. Tall buildings, as much art as they were architecture, sat evenly spaced out in this underwater city, providing the luxury of space that Okoia simply didn¡¯t have. In one spot, TO could even see a park with trees and grass. ¡°We pride ourselves on having proper green space here.¡± Sally said, catching TO¡¯s stare, ¡°Have you ever seen such a thing before, Honored Synth? Real trees growing underwater¡± ¡°No, I haven''t.¡± TO said, their voice soft under their helmet, their ears low. They had never seen real greenery before, never touched real grass or an actual tree. Would they get to go there? Would they get to visit that part and see actual fauna? What did it feel like? Was the air actually crisper around real plantlife? ¡°I am surprised you¡¯ve not converted those spaces to residential buildings.¡± DH said next to them, the translation harsh and cold, ¡°This planet has an overpopulation issue.¡± ¡°Oh, of course.¡± minister Sally said, ¡°But down here, it¡¯s not so much of a problem. Thalassa is different; the people who come here are looking for space, and quiet. They¡¯re looking for an escape from the hectic, noisy life that waits for them on the surface. If we run out of space, we simply build a new dome. The residents here are wealthy, and pay their taxes to keep Thalassa beautiful and clean and quiet.¡± TO frowned, ¡°What of the indebted.¡± They asked, ¡°You were rather concerned about them; I am certain that they have little to offer in terms of taxes.¡± ¡°Oh, they don¡¯t pay taxes, of course.¡± She said, ¡°They pay their debts, but they¡¯re not really citizens of Thalassa. They live here, of course, but they have different accommodations which we have built for them, and have access to their own section of Thalassa.¡± ¡°Like the outer ring in Okoia.¡± DH added. Minister Sally gave a soft, staccato laugh. ¡°Oh my; nothing like that, I assure you.¡± She said, ¡°We keep everything here organized and clean. You won¡¯t see anything even close to the level of filth you¡¯d see in the nicer parts of Okoia, let alone the Outer Ring.¡± Her mandibles clicked, prompting an alert from TO¡¯s helmet. ==Sign of disapproval, irritation== ¡°I should mention as well,¡± Minister Sally continued, ¡°since you seem concerned about the indebted, that Thalassa is the most highly demanded work area. The indebted aren¡¯t technically citizens of our city, so the same taxes and fees they¡¯d pay anywhere else need not come out of their pay and they end up with more money to either save or spend as they see fit.¡± ¡°But not being citizens, I¡¯m guessing there are essentials they don¡¯t have access to. Certain medical facilities for a start.¡± TO said, remembering only too well the problems Lendulin had. ¡°Well, that¡¯s not a city matter; that¡¯s dealt with by the Ministry of the Indebted; They deal with those issues and make sure the indebted here are healthy enough to work. Besides, there¡¯s another advantage to being non-citizens; They have to purchase their supplies from shops set up for them, so we can limit the recreational drugs made available. They¡¯re less likely to drink away all their money that way.¡± She tilted her head at Noss. ¡°That¡¯s an issue I¡¯m certain you¡¯re working on in Okoia.¡± ¡°As I¡¯ve mentioned before, Minister Sally.¡± Noss said, once more dabbing at his face, ¡°I have little to do with such matters; I deal with planetary security, not the affairs of cities or even quadrants.¡± ¡°Ah, I keep forgetting that. I assume that any who choose to stay there in Okoia must either cannot afford the cost of living in Thalassa, or must work for the city itself. I cannot fathom why anyone would choose to stay there otherwise.¡± Another laugh from Noss, nervous and false, ¡°Well Minister Sally, it is the planet¡¯s capital.¡± ¡°For now, Minister Noss, for now.¡± She turned her attention back to TO and DH, ¡°Maybe one day, the powers that be will decide that a new, more properly managed capital would be more fitting.¡± TO wanted to see where the indebted lived here. They wanted to see if it was as bad as their friends said, or if it was as carefully managed as Minister Sally claimed it was. Of course, they were not to bother with such things. Ark-1 already told them to leave it alone, as that was not their job. They had to do their job to make sure they and DH were safe. They could enjoy their time with DH, but beyond that, TO intended to follow orders. You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version. They looked over the scenery, the glowing city below and the collection of more distant, hazy glowing orbs that lay further away on the ocean floor. So long as TO didn¡¯t think too much about it all, they could simply enjoy the beauty of the view. ====== Thalassa differed greatly from Okoia. The lights that spiraled on the inside of the dome set the city aglow when viewed from outside, but on the inside the ocean was dark; the light getting sucked into the depths. There was this sense of permanent night that pervaded the area. They couldn¡¯t see stars, but the many lights in the dome gave off a more diffuse light, a softer glow than the strong, painful light of the sun. Despite the dimmer, more comfortable light, Thalassa seemed brighter since the buildings were so cluttered and close; The streetlights were decorative; tall pillars topped with waves which held three clam shells on the furthest points, each one holding a glowing pearl. Even the pavement was more beautiful than in Okoia. Here, cobblestones in a mixture of blues, greens, and reds replaced the pavement that was found above water. Through the middle of the roads was a single track upon which an open trolley ran, carrying civilians in padded seats. There was one such trolley waiting for them when they exited the tube, with more finely dressed civilians standing on either side of the road. ¡°As you can see, everyone is excited to see the new synths.¡± Sally said, ¡°The ones that you saw when you landed were just a small simple; a close collection of some of the finest people in Thalassa.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t see the need for any of them to be here.¡± DH said into the communicator, ¡°If they wanted to see us, they should have come to that party in the Government House.¡± ¡°I think that was invitation only.¡± TO said, ¡°I¡¯m sure not everyone could have made it.¡± ¡°I hope you don¡¯t mind the trolly.¡± Sally said, ¡°We don¡¯t use vehicles here; the limited airspace makes it quite impractical. Of course, we also don''t need to worry about the weather; it¡¯s all well controlled here, so an open trolley car is always comfortable.¡± ¡°You will have your own vehicles, though.¡± Noss said, ¡°for emergency transportation.¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Sally said, her mandibles clicking. ¡°Though I¡¯m unsure how useful a private vehicle is, given the way the city is divided. No matter, I¡¯m sure we can sort it out.¡± For a moment, TO worried about the potential for attack in such a thing, but then realized that if there were no air-vehicles, then there were no drones ready for attack either. Of course, that also meant no security drones. The area was more spaced out, so there were fewer places for people to hide for a potential surprise attack, but also less to protect them from a distant, well-aimed laser. Was there something they were missing? ¡°I am curious about your security measures on Thalassa.¡± TO said once they were on the trolley. They sat in the back where there was an area large enough to accommodate Sallys¡¯ wide, crab-like lower half. ¡°I note no aerial defenses, and your guards here seem more decorative than practical.¡± They worried that maybe that was being a little harsh, but it was true! The insurgents had drones, rogue bots, and access to a variety of weaponry. The guards of Thalassa had spears and pretty armor. Another low chuckle came from minister Sally. ¡°Oh, I assure you we¡¯re far more secure than you might think.¡± She said, ¡°Who wants to live in a place that looks and feels like a prison? Not me, and not my citizens; that¡¯s why many of us left the surface cities. Making it look too secure would be stressful and, frankly, ugly. It¡¯s far more relaxing like this.¡± ¡°And at the cost of your safety.¡± DH asked. ¡°Oh no, not at all.¡± She settled into the larger set, arranging her dress before her as the trolley started off. ¡°We pride ourselves on invisible security.¡± She gestured above. ¡°Physical barriers first, of course. Nobody is going to sneak in easily through the leagues of open ocean, nor through the glass domes. There¡¯s security, unseen, outside the dome to protect us from anyone who might try to reach us that way. Of course, you cannot see that from in here.¡± ¡°So it¡¯s safe as long as nobody sneaks in.¡± ¡°Those who do enter must pass a rigorous security check.¡± She said, ¡°Hypothetically, should someone with more money than King Decon himself wish to live here, but they had a criminal past, then simply they wouldn¡¯t be allowed here.¡± ¡°There¡¯s still the indebted.¡± Noss piped up, ¡°Good luck finding enough of them without a past.¡± Sally gave a tired sigh. ¡°The poor things have an unfortunate predisposition to a criminal life, but we manage that as well.¡± She said, ¡°While a clean record isn¡¯t necessary for the indebted, certain kinds or amounts of crimes will keep them from coming to Thalassa. They may bring nothing with them from their past life, so they cannot bring weapons, and their clearance here doesn¡¯t allow them contact with people outside of Thalassa. What they can acquire here are necessities; food, beverage, clothing, and of course there¡¯s some entertainment to be had; shows, for example, but nothing that one could cause trouble with. We carefully curate even the media we allow the indebted to view to prevent them from getting ideas.¡± Her feelers twitched as she tilted her head at TO, ¡°Here, even the most dangerous of criminals, under the strict rules set for the indebted, could not cause problems.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure the insurgents who escaped recently had even less than your indebted.¡± DH said, ¡°But they caused problems, regardless.¡± ¡°Hmm, yes.¡± She said, ¡°But if I read the briefings properly, that was caused because of outside influences; an attack on the prison, and a blackmailed guard bending over for the insurgency.¡± ¡°And hypothetically.¡± TO said, ¡°If there was an attack here; say the insurgents were to attack from the outside.¡± ¡°From outside the domes?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± TO said. That was what happened to the prison. If the insurgents could break through the dome¡­¡± ¡°If they got past the drones outside the dome, and fired at us directly?¡± she shook her head. ¡°I¡¯d like to say it¡¯s impossible to break the dome.¡± Sally said with a sigh, ¡°But it¡¯s not. Still, the coordinated attack needed to destroy one of our domes would be impressive. The insurgency could not manage that level of -¡± ¡°I¡¯d not make assumptions about what the insurgency can or cannot do.¡± TO said quickly. ¡°They seem to have more resources than we thought.¡± ¡°That is perfectly fair; and you are correct; we must not underestimate the enemy.¡± She nodded, ¡°But we¡¯d see them. The moment they attacked, we¡¯d see them and we¡¯d be able to issue a counterattack. Now, along with the patrol ships, we have also worked on water-based weaponry. We could reduce a ship to scrap-metal in less than three seconds.¡± She turned to Noss. ¡°Well, the proper number, according to my reports, is 2.87 seconds. We are working on reducing that via automated targeting systems, but it¡¯s difficult. My engineers are suggesting a wave to neutralize all communications within a certain radius, followed by the sub-sonic attacks¡­ but if we¡¯re simply counting the time to neutralize an individual ship, that doesn¡¯t affect the numbers much.¡± ¡°And should all that fail?¡± DH asked. ¡°Well, even if the insurgency - or anyone- destroyed a single dome, we have safety procedures for rescuing the citizens inside, and lockdowns to protect the other attached domes.¡± She looked at DH. ¡°No single place in the galaxy is perfectly safe, but I am confident in the safety of our little underwater paradise here. And of course, so are all my citizens. She tilted her head, gazing up at the dome above them. ¡°I¡¯d say¡­ it¡¯s at least as safe as a large space-colony; likely safer.¡± After thinking about it for a moment more, she said, ¡°I¡¯d say the best way for someone to take down the dome is from the inside, but as I just said, we regulate all items that come in, a weapon strong enough to do the job falling into the wrong hands is highly unlikely.¡° ¡°And aside from larger catastrophes, what about basic security?¡± DH asked. They gestured to the nearby guards, who were following along on air-bikes. ¡°Spears won¡¯t do much if someone comes at you with a multi-gun.¡± Sally grinned. ¡°Perhaps when you¡¯re settled, you might visit the training grounds.¡± She offered, ¡°You¡¯ll be able to see what our spears can do there, and I promise you won¡¯t be disappointed.¡± Episode 208: Badges The tall building in the center of the city was the Thalassian government building, and apparently that¡¯s where minister Sally had arranged their accommodations. They entered the large, ornate double doors and went into a circular room with doors spaced out all over, and ServAis set between each. Shimmering holograms of historical figures floated near the ceiling all around, staring down unblinking and silent. There were more well-dressed civilians waiting inside, talking to themselves as they waited. As soon as they entered, the civilians all fell silent and bowed forward, the sudden simultaneous sound of layers of fabric shifting, creating a low roar through the room. ¡°As I said,¡± Sally purred, ¡°So many were excited to see you; I couldn¡¯t turn them away.¡± She clicked her claw at two ServAis standing along the wall. They instantly came to life and came over, greeting TO and DH first with the bow and backward step, then bowing to minister Sally. ¡°Greetings, Honored Synths.¡± they said in unison, ¡°Greetings, minister Sally.¡± ¡°You will take our honored synths to their rooms.¡± minister Sally said, ¡°And then, whenever they are in the building, you will wait on them and only them; am I clear?¡± ¡°That won¡¯t be necessary.¡± TO said. They didn¡¯t want to have ServAis around them all the time, and even aside from that, they had already seen several AIs being used by the insurgents. They weren¡¯t sure that it was entirely safe. Did minister Sally know? Probably not; They had kept the information confidential, as they still hadn¡¯t discounted the possibility of a minister being part of the insurgency. They still thought it was Buteo since he was a descendent of former royalty, but looking at the fine, decorative work put into all the buildings, the excess of grass and trees placed even by the roads, and the clothes and accessories she wore, TO wouldn¡¯t overlook minister Sally either. Already, she reminded TO of the kinds of old rulers that controlled planets before King Decon liberated them and brought them into His Galactic Empire; surrounded and dressed in finery and entirely removed from everyone else. TO doubted that she had ever seen the Outer Ring; they were certain that she had never been there. ¡°Please, let me send them with you.¡± Minister Sally said again, her voice so sweeter than when she spoke to Noss, ¡°should you need anything, these two will accommodate you. I wouldn¡¯t want you needing something and having nobody around to help you.¡± ¡°Couldn¡¯t you send a normal civilian?¡± TO asked. The helmet didn¡¯t translate that; instead, it gave TO a warning that in more highly regarded estates, especially on Thalassa, ServAi¡¯s were the norm, with actual people working only in the more specialized areas. Minister Sally may be unable to accommodate a request for a civilian, and even if she could, rejecting the offer of two ServAi¡¯s would be rude. More civilian rules. They only now realized how many rules there were in ¡®high¡¯ society here. There weren¡¯t any kind of unnecessary rules around Lendulin and the others. Of course, they didn¡¯t have their helmets on then, nor did their civilian friends have ServAis to offer them. There could have been a thousand simple social taboos that they broke around their friends without even knowing it. ¡°I thank you for your hospitality.¡± TO said. ¡°We should examine the room now, though.¡± Noss, who had been standing right next to Minister Sally, shook his head. ¡°There¡¯s no need for that.¡± he said quickly, ¡°I can have my people examine it-¡± ¡°We would rather examine it ourselves.¡± TO said. They¡¯d have to do it themselves anyway, regardless of who examined it. ¡°Of course.¡± minister Sally said. ¡°And before I forget, please, take these.¡± She clicked her claw at another ServAi behind her. It stepped forward and held two boxes up to TO and DH. ¡°Your security badges.¡± She said, ¡°Full access to any part of Thalassa, of course. I regret we cannot simply add your existing identification scans to our system, but it is part of that invisible security I mentioned earlier.¡± TO took a box and opened it, revealing a necklace inside; it hung on a golden chain and had a small conch shell hanging off the end. It didn''t look like anything more than a decorative necklace, but TO knew there had to be all kinds of electronics on the inside. ¡°If you wish to use any facilities in Thalassa, you will need your badge. If there¡¯s any other issues, please let me know.¡± ¡°These don¡¯t look like badges.¡± DH said as they picked their necklace from the box. ¡°Of course not.¡± Sally said, ¡°That¡¯s the point.¡± She gestured to her chest, showing her own necklace; it looked just like the one she had given TO and DH. ¡°They¡¯re meant to look beautiful, so they don¡¯t remind people it¡¯s a security device. Besides, nobody wants to wear an actual badge with the height of fashion, do they?¡± ¡°I like these.¡± DH admitted through their communicator, ¡°But¡­ it seems excessive, even for me. It¡¯s a security device; a safety measure. I don¡¯t think that looks should be a big concern.¡± ¡°That is odd coming from you.¡± TO said, their ears twitching with amusement. Of course, DH couldn¡¯t see that. ¡°I like Arkanian fashion, and I love pretty things, but if it¡¯s a safety measure, it shouldn¡¯t matter!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll leave you to your accommodations for now.¡± Sally said, bowing and stepping backwards, ¡°When everything is to your liking, please come to the training grounds for a little military display before the festivities.¡± She tilted her head. ¡°I do hope you will attend. We have so many people, and even a famous and very skilled artist, coming to meet the representatives of King Decon.¡± They had little choice on that; they would have to go as synths. ¡°We will attend, for a short while.¡± they said. Stolen novel; please report. ¡°Yes,¡± DH said in the communicator, ¡°Let¡¯s go meet the phony artist as synths, then spend time with the actual artist as ourselves.¡± ¡°Excellent. I know that Minister Noss put together a¡­ quaint little get together for you at the Okoian Government house, but I assure you, you¡¯ve not seen a party until you¡¯ve attended one at a Thalassian estate.¡± Noss huffed. ¡°I beg your pardon, we sought to provide the best welcome for our honored Synths-¡± ¡°And I''m certain you did the best you could.¡± Minister Sally said without looking at him. ¡°It is SO hard to do things on Okoia, given all the security issues.¡± She had been sniping at Noss the entire way, and while TO had no affection for the stout little man, they didn¡¯t enjoy her jabs. ¡°Please, follow us, Honored Synths.¡± The ServAi¡¯s said in unison as they headed towards a large, ornate elevator. ¡°We will await you at the training yard at your leisure.¡± Minister Sally said, and she backed away, bowing. As she did, the others who had entered following her did the same; a sea of brightly colored fabric and carefully balanced wigs all dipping at once, the roar of fabric sounding like a distant beast. ¡°Very well.¡± TO said, and then in their communicator, they said to DH, ¡°Let¡¯s get out of here, they¡¯re disturbing.¡± ¡°Very.¡± DH said back. They turned and followed the servAi¡¯s to the elevator. Even the elevator was too much; it was not a simple blank one, but one that seemed to travel upwards through an aquarium filled with bioluminescent jellyfish. After several long moments of silence, TO¡¯s communicator sounded in their ear with DH¡¯s voice. ¡°... Do you think they like the ocean?¡± A snort of laughter escaped TO, one which they quickly suppressed, and one which the helmet didn¡¯t translate. It was all ridiculous to TO! The fancy clothes made it feel like they were at a party that never ceased. The over-decorated interiors, the aquarium elevator, even the decorative badges were all so excessive as to be ridiculous. And as for those civilians, well, didn¡¯t they have anything better to do than to stand around and look pretty so they could glimpse a couple of on-duty synths? They were certain they didn¡¯t look any different from the ones who were here before. It wasn¡¯t necessary. TO could appreciate some aesthetic value, but all this? Real greenery under water? The wasted space? Lendulin couldn¡¯t afford a wheelchair. Pearla struggled to get supplies for people in her shelter, Petra couldn¡¯t get an education without going into massive debt and yet the people for Thalassa had aquarium elevators in government buildings, and public green spaces. This was the excess that King Decon meant to stop. The inequality King Decon had rid from his planets was now what they expected TO and DH to allow so that the planet would cooperate. For the good of the Galaxy. Civilians wouldn¡¯t understand. TO didn¡¯t understand either. ====== The servAis led them down an over-decorated hallway - TO was certain that they carved the mouldings from marble, and could see inlaid pearls and gold gilt at the edges - and to a large double door. Though it looked like an old-fashioned door that would swing open, the normal sliding mechanism clearly operated it. TO looked around for the panel that they¡¯d have to set their badge to. ¡°Honored Synth.¡± One of the ServAis said after a few minutes, ¡°There is no need for security input; if you approach the door, it will open automatically.¡± Under their helmet, TO felt their ears burn. They stepped towards the door, and just as the ServAi said, it opened automatically. Once they were inside, they turned to the Bot. ¡°You wait outside.¡± TO said, not bothering to soften their tone, ¡°If we need you, we will fetch you.¡± ¡°Of course, Honored Synths.¡± They stepped inside, and the door closed behind them. TO figured that their accommodations would be more lavish than they¡¯d need, and they were right. They entered a large circular room with five doors spaced out evenly around. In the center of the room was a table with a vase of aquatic flowers, bottles of wine, and a variety of fruits. Pictures hung between each door, showing images of mythical underwater creatures. Under each picture sat ornate padded chairs; the leather seats dyed a deep blue, the feet carved to look like waves frozen in time. ¡°They realize we¡¯re here to work, right?¡± DH muttered as they looked around. ¡°Do they have an office here, or-¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure one of these rooms is an office.¡± TO muttered. ¡°Want to scan for cameras?¡± DH nodded and fell silent as they looked about the room. A moment later, their voice came back on the communicator. ¡°Yes.¡± They hissed, ¡°Cameras all over; one over each door, and one in the ceiling pointing down.¡± TO felt their ears pin back and their wings puff up. ¡°Can you disable them?¡± ¡°I can.¡± DH said, ¡°But there¡¯s more in there; I¡¯m having trouble pinpointing it.¡± They looked up, down, twisted around, and then stopped. They lifted their necklace up, so they were looking right at it, then looked at TO. ¡°The badges.¡± DH said, ¡°They have recording equipment; cameras and audio recording.¡± Recording devices in the badges, and in the room itself. Why did they have that? Was that why Sally was so insistent that Noss didn¡¯t need to have it inspected? Of course, if that was the case, then why was she then so at ease with them inspecting it? ¡°Should we ask her about it, or report it?¡± DH asked. TO couldn¡¯t respond before their helmet answered that question for them. == Detected; Civilian grade service surveillance. Constant surveillance is an accepted part of security and life in Thalassa. They fit most guest rooms with such devices to ensure that they meet the needs of its occupants, and to increase general security. ¡°No wonder the others never slept here.¡± TO said, ¡°We can¡¯t even take off our armor here.¡± TO sighed. They didn¡¯t want constant surveillance again; they wanted to enjoy what little time they had with DH! ¡°We could request that they disable the surveillance,¡± DH said. ¡°I can¡¯t see how that would be a problem.¡± ¡°Does it matter, though?¡± TO said as they touched the necklace, ¡°We need to wear these to get around, regardless.¡± ¡°It does matter.¡± DH said, ¡°They have no right to be observing us. We¡¯ll have them disabled. I¡¯ll tell her to disable them myself!¡± ¡°But¡± ¡°For all we know, she could be part of the insurgency! I mean-¡± They waved a hand around, ¡°look at all this. She clearly likes the excess and ways of the Old Rule. Why wouldn''t she want to get rid of King Decon¡¯s rule and have more.¡± Ideally, that made sense, but after talking to Ark-1 about it in the first place about the allowances they afford the leadership of Arkane, they weren¡¯t sure if they¡¯d live any better freed from King Decon¡¯s rule. Episode 209: Display There was a garden behind the Thalassian Government house which was filled with large trees, and flowers of a variety of colors, blue-green grass, and vines that bore large red grapes. TO had never seen such a cluster of greenery before, and didn¡¯t even think that such places existed on fully industrialized planets. Most places would have fake foliage, but according to their scans, everything was real and alive. ¡°We said the training grounds.¡± TO said to the ServAi as they walked past a large purple flower surrounded by white butterflies. ¡°Training grounds, not simply the ¡®grounds''¡¯¡± ¡°Of course, honored Synths.¡± the ServAi said, ¡°The training Grounds are in the center of the Gardens.¡± ¡°Seems like a waste of space.¡± DH grumbled into the communicator as they walked under a section of the garden that was entirely shaded by the thick canopy. ¡°Why not use simulations for training like we did?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure they have access to the same training resources as we did.¡± TO said. ¡°Ah, that might be true.¡± DH said, ¡°But even so¡­¡± Even so, it didn''t need to be in a garden. There seemed to be something wrong with having a training area in the middle of such a peaceful garden. Still, for the moment TO was grateful that the civilians choose this location; There was so much that they saw which simulations couldn¡¯t mimic. The simulations didn¡¯t capture the way the light filtered through the leaves, or the way the light illuminated the edges of leaves, turning them brilliant yellow at the edges and fading to a blue-green that seemed darker than it really was in the center. TO wanted to take off their armor. They wanted to smell the air here; Fresh, crisp air enhanced by real foliage. They wanted to feel the grass under bare feet, to smell the flowers, to pull a grape off the vine and eat it just like that! It occurred to them suddenly that because of all the surveillance, the cameras everywhere, and the cameras on their badge, they¡¯d not get to come in here without their armor. Even now, there were cameras hidden in the trees in such numbers that there was nowhere to hide. It made them feel like they were back in training, walking the hallways of the Training center and knowing that they were being watched, knowing that they had to be careful of what they said and did. They finally came across a clearing in the trees, where about twenty of the soldiers were standing at attention in a perfect line. They faced one end of the field where minister Sally sat on a platform covered in cushions, flanked by seated civilians in fancy clothes. The civilians around Sally spoke amongst themselves, drinking bubbly drinks from tall glasses, and laughing. Well, most of them were. Noss, sitting right next to minister Sally, sat in his chair, looking at his communicator as the others spoke around him. ¡°Ah, you¡¯ve made it.¡± Sally said as they approached, her words to them drawing a curtain of silence over those around her. They all gave a little half bow from their chairs, watching the synths carefully. ¡°We were hoping you would!¡± ¡°And you were waiting for us, I see.¡± TO said, looking over the nobles. It was only now that they noticed the necklaces that they were all wearing, all identical to the one TO and DH now wore over their armor. ¡°Well, a little walk among the trees is a lovely way to relax and prepare for a big loud party, and I was so excited to show you our combat expertise.¡± She raised a claw and clicked it, and immediately there was a ServAi at her side. ¡°Chairs for our Honored Synths.¡± She said. ¡°That will not be necessary.¡± TO said, ¡°We won''t¡¯ be here long. We will need to return to our ship and do some preliminary reports before we return.¡± This wasn¡¯t necessarily true. While they didn''t want to use the computers in the room minister Sally had assigned them, they could use just their chips to send any necessary reports. The real reason they wanted to go back to their ship was so that they could get their formal clothes and re-enter the city as civilians. It would be a problem if TO and DH suddenly showed up with no documentation in Thalassa, when they were so careful with who they allowed to enter. They¡¯d have to use the invitations that Lendulin gave them, and see what kind of passage that allowed them. At least it would be a good way to test the entry security. ¡°Oh, that is a shame.¡± She said, ¡°I had an entire performance ready for you-¡± ¡°Alas, our honored synths have more pressing business to do.¡± Noss said, seeming absolutely delighted that TO and DH couldn¡¯t stay. ¡°We do have some concerns to address, though,¡± DH said as they stepped forward, ¡°The surveillance attached to our badges-¡± ¡°Oh, tell me it¡¯s working properly.¡± She said, ¡°The rooms setup should bring you anything you need, and should report to your ServAis¡¯ anything they need to fetch for you, but should you be out of your rooms, and need something-¡± ¡°We¡¯d like it turned off; we have no need for such surveillance.¡± ¡°Apologies, honored Synths.¡± Noss said, suddenly sweating a lot, ¡°If I had known about the surveillance in the badges-¡± ¡°All the badges have cameras and recording devices.¡± Minister Sally said, ¡°To keep us safe. Apologies for not commenting earlier about it. I forget about it altogether most of the time; most of us do. I assure you, the surveillance is there to make your visit comfortable, not to monitor you. It¡¯s the same with all of our citizens.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know how anyone can be comfortable with cameras on them all the time.¡± Noss muttered as he looked around. ¡°It¡¯s the simple cost of security.¡± Sally said, ¡°Honestly, I don¡¯t even notice it.¡± She turned to TO and DH once more. ¡°I will have it turned off.¡± ¡°Acceptable.¡± DH said. They turned to leave, and TO was about to follow, but Minister Sally spoke up, ¡°Oh please, stay for a brief demonstration just to ease your mind on our city¡¯s security measures?¡± A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. DH was the one who stopped in mid-stride. Their voice came on over the communicator. ¡°I am curious to see what they think those spears can do.¡± They said through the communicator.¡± ¡°Me too.¡± TO admitted. They turned around and now spoke to minister Sally. ¡°A quick demonstration.¡± They said, ¡°So we can see just how safe your city is.¡± She held up her claw, but didn¡¯t snap it this time; instead, she turned it over and TO could see a bracelet with a small panel on the underside. She held it up to her head and spoke gently into it. ¡°General, you may begin the execution.¡± Wait... execution? ¡°We didn¡¯t come here for an execution.¡± DH said before TO could react. ¡°Of course not.¡± She said, ¡°That was going to be at the end of the demonstration, but since you¡¯ve no time for all of that¡­¡± Some guards paraded a civilian out from a hidden spot behind the trees on the other side of the field. It was a snake-like person, much like Pearla was, but his skin and tail were blue, not purple, and he seemed just too skinny to exist. Even from where they were, TO could count the ribs on his side, see the flesh on his arm from where he had lost weight or muscles, or both. ¡°I¡¯m surprised you and your people have an interest in bloodsport.¡± DH said, then through their communicator to TO, they said, ¡°Don¡¯t look. Just close your eyes.¡± ¡°Bloodsport? Oh, my no.¡± She wrinkled her nose, ¡°How ghastly. No, I¡¯d rather not have blood everywhere in my field. No, we¡¯re far more civilized than all that.¡± Once they were in the center of the field, one guard stuck a long metal stake into the ground, pulling it to make sure that it was secure and wouldn¡¯t fall over. They put handcuffs on the civilian, and hooked them onto a latch on the stake''s side. ¡°Proceed.¡± She said into her bracelet. A single guard stepped forward. He held his spear out with both hands, then started twisting a piece of the spear''s handle. ¡°He¡¯s actually preparing it.¡± She said, ¡°There are several functions to them; and varying levels of lethality. It¡¯s a bit like a multi-gun, really.¡± She smiled, ¡°Of course I¡¯m not a particular fan of blood, so-¡± The guard swung the spear with a precise gesture; the tip slicing through the air before him. There was a hum in the air, and TO was certain that they could see the air vibrate from the swing, the distortion hitting the civilian instantly. He gave a half-cry, like he wanted to scream but didn¡¯t have time to do so properly. He swayed on his feet for a moment, then slumped forward, held up only by the chains that held him to the stake. ¡°And just like that.¡± She said, ¡°Executed. It¡¯s quite humane, really. They feel nothing. The wave you saw essentially liquifies their brains within seconds. I suppose some would say they could have the same effect with a multi-gun on its highest setting, putting a laser through someone¡¯s skull, but this is a much more elegant solution, don¡¯t you agree?¡± TO almost wished there had been blood. They were glad there wasn¡¯t; It didn¡¯t fill TO with the same dread as blood did, and it didn¡¯t make them feel sick, but it just didn¡¯t seem real. If someone had to die, then it should seem like they died. It was so hard even for them to understand what they were feeling; they didn¡¯t know how they¡¯d ever verbalize it to DH. It seemed too easy; too simple. A civilian just died right there in the middle of the field and there was no blood, no wailing, nothing. Even the civilians sitting behind Sally seemed rather bored with the entire display; leaning forward and gossiping, or showing one another things on their communicators. ¡°Are you alright?¡± DH asked. ¡°No.¡± TO said. They weren¡¯t, but they didn¡¯t know why. ¡°If that¡¯s all.¡± They said to Sally, ¡°We¡¯ll be going.¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Sally said, ¡°I do apologize that it¡¯s not more¡­ exciting. That¡¯s the reason we have executions along with a bigger display; some mock fighting combined with some of the more flamboyant abilities of our spears. The whole execution thing isn¡¯t nearly as showy as all that.¡± She turned to civilians sitting around her. ¡°Though, for my guests, I might have some festivities performed now.¡± She looked back to the synths, ¡°Are you sure you can¡¯t stay for a little?¡± ¡°We cannot.¡± TO said, ¡°We have business to attend to.¡± ¡°Honored Synths.¡± Noss said, stepping away from the crowd, looking rather pale himself, ¡°Shall I accompany you to your ship?¡± ¡°Unnecessary.¡± TO said. They knew they¡¯d be watched regardless of who was with them, but they didn''t want Noss around them at the same time. Still, Noss looked so pale, his eyes looked so big as he clenched his handkerchief so tightly in one hand that TO thought he might hurt himself. There was something wrong. Maybe he didn¡¯t like the execution any more than TO did. ¡°If you could, however, retrieve the guest list for us and send, that would be most useful.¡± It was all TO could think of for him to do at the moment. They didn¡¯t require the guest list, but it would be good to see who was coming, and it would give Noss an excuse to get away from Sally, the other civilians, and the dead legless in the field. ¡°Of course, honored synths.¡± He said. He turned to Sally, nodded, and then took off with his own ServAi following him. ¡°What a strange little man.¡± Sally said as she turned her gaze back to the field where the guards were moving the body away. ¡°I could have gotten that information for you, honored synths.¡± ¡°It¡¯s done now.¡± TO said, ¡°But you could tell me what that man was being executed for.¡± Sally frowned, her mandibles clicking, ¡°You know,¡± She said, ¡°I cannot recall. I simply called the guard of my security to bring me someone set for execution. I can have that information sent to you-¡± ¡°No, that won¡¯t be necessary.¡± TO said. They could find that information themself. They just wanted to see if Minister Sally knew. Episode 210: Policy Civilian intake to Thalassa was so different from their experience as synths, as with so many things. TO enter Thalassa as civilians, they had to go to a larger island a little further away from the city and go through the civilian security process. Booths selling trinkets, shells, and food and drink lined off the single road on the island, but TO and DH couldn¡¯t enjoy any of it. They had to wait in the glacial lineup for processing, and could only enjoy the sights and smells from a distance. It took an hour for them to get to the front. A few people around them commented they were glad they came early for the party, since the line was moving along quickly. ¡°Name and Identification.¡± The guard at the check-in said. The guard looked just like the ones that TO had seen in Thalassa proper, with spears that TO now knew were absolutely lethal. They were grateful that there had been no blood, but the sight of the civilian just slumping over and dying with so little fanfare stayed in TO¡¯s mind. Though they hated the sight of blood, it seemed wrong that someone could die so easily. ¡°TO?¡± DH nudged them from behind, drawing TO from their daze. They realized they had been staring at the spear. ¡°Apologies.¡± They muttered to the frowning guard. ¡°Tio. Identification number 32BCM453.¡± BCM. Business Class Migrant. It was as high of a civilian ranking as they could have without being politically aligned somewhere, and of course that would draw more unwanted attention to them. The guards'' expression softened slightly as they loaded up the information in their system. TO knew that their system wouldn¡¯t show anything there except for what DH and TO had put in; their arrival on Arkane and the few purchases they had made. Even their past would only show a private education at a distant school which was registered, but didn¡¯t actually exist. ¡°Reason for visit?¡± ¡°We¡¯re attending a party.¡± TO said and handed the guard the invitation. The guard nodded, scanned it once, and passed it back. ¡°Anything to declare?¡± ¡°We have our communicators here.¡± TO said, holding up their phones, ¡°And medical implants in our hands.¡± Ideally, they¡¯d not say anything about their implants, but if they didn¡¯t declare them, it would show up on their scans as they walked through the arch before them. At least it wouldn¡¯t give them away as synths; civilians didn¡¯t know Synths had them. The guard checked their files again, probably looking for the note about a medical implant. Of course, it was there; DH had to add it while they were in line and realized that the body scans would detect their chips, but it was there all the same. When the guard finished looking at their files, they looked at the bags at TO¡¯s side. ¡°And how long will you be staying?¡± ¡°Just for the party.¡± TO said, then with a nudge at their bag they added, ¡°We¡¯re going to change into our formal clothing once we¡¯re there. Don¡¯t want to get it messed up on the way, right?¡± The guard gestured for them to put the bag up on a table, and once they did, the guard opened it up and started looking through it. ¡°Are you carrying any weapons, or any prohibited materials into Thalassa?¡± ¡°No.¡± They had left their multi guns in their ship. The only other thing they had that might count was their armor, and that would show up only as a metal piece of jewelry on the scans. ¡°Please go through and accept your access badge on the other side.¡± TO went through an arch designed to appear like coral, an alert going off as they did. Another guard came up to inspect their bracelet. After a few minutes, they nodded and let TO go through and into the glass corridor that led to the tube. ¡°Hey! I¡¯m here for the same reason they are!¡± DH protested once the guard started asking them the same questions. ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter Mx.¡± The guard said, ¡°Please answer the questions.¡± TO shook their head and leaned against the glass while they waited for DH. It was less crowded on the other side of the security checks since there were no booths for shopping. Most people took off as soon as they got through the gate. ¡°It¡¯s not a fake!¡± A familiar voice said, ¡°I told you where I got it and who gave it to me!¡± TO turned around and saw Lendulin sitting in her chair just before the gate. She was arguing with another guard, looking increasingly more scared and desperate with every passing second. Judging by the way those behind her huffed and tapped their feet, it seemed she had been there for a while. If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. ¡°I have to make sure.¡± The guard said, looking carefully at Lendulin¡¯s ticket, ¡°You understand, of course; it¡¯s just the process. I¡¯ll simply call up the host and confirm your identity.¡± TO felt their ears pin back, and their eyes narrow. DH would be another moment with their guards yet, so there was no problem if they just popped over to see their friend. ¡°Lendulin!¡± they said, giving a fake, wide smile as they approached. ¡°I¡¯m so glad you made it!¡± Lendulin stiffened in her chair for a moment, then looked up and saw TO. Her features relaxed and her tail, which had coiled tightly around her chair, loosened. ¡°Tio. I¡¯m glad you made it.¡± ¡°Well, I said I¡¯d come, and how could I refuse an invitation from the assistant of the great Venturi?!¡± Even as they spoke, they couldn¡¯t help the way their ears pinned back, or how their wings puffed up just slightly as they said his name. Still, the guard didn¡¯t seem to note those things. ¡°You know this person?¡± ¡°Of course I do.¡± TO said, ¡°You don¡¯t?¡± They turned back to Lendulin. ¡°I¡¯ll wait for you. We¡¯ll head in together.¡± Lendulin gave a sad smile. ¡°It might be awhile.¡± She said, ¡°They have to cross-check my ticket and call up the host.¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s standard procedure-¡° ¡°Oh¡­¡± TO said as they took their own ticket up, ¡°The guard that checked me in didn¡¯t do that to my ticket.¡± They frowned at their ticket and then looked at the one in the guard''s hand. ¡°Do you need to check it? I¡¯d not want him to get in trouble now-¡° ¡°No, that won¡¯t be necessary. I¡¯m sure he did all he proper scans-¡° ¡°Well, clearly not, if this is procedure, and you¡¯re doing it for Lendulin!¡± He smiled at her, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll go in with you, and let Venturi know why you¡¯re late.¡± He shook the invitation at the guard, ¡°Though, to be honest, I don¡¯t really know the host; the invitation was a gift. I hope that¡¯s ok!¡± The guard looked from her to Tio a few times, as though wondering if it was all worth the trouble. ¡°I suppose everything else is in order.¡± He says, ¡°I might have been¡­ mistaken on the procedural steps for these invitations.¡± ¡°Ah, well, mistakes happen, don''t they.¡± TO said, putting the ticket in their pants pocket. The guard grumbled something, then pointed to her chair. ¡°You¡¯ll have to take an approved chair from our reserves.¡± He said as he started putting something into his own consol. ¡°Hey, she needs that chair!¡± TO started, but Lendulin shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± She said, ¡°I expected this. This chair got me this far, anyway; I think the rest of the way in a standard one should be fine?¡± TO nodded, ¡°If you¡¯re sure.¡± They said. It would be because they¡¯d make sure of it! Still, the situation angered them; it was a brand new chair, and she couldn¡¯t use it in Thalassa? Ridiculous. DH came over, their ears down with worry as they approached. ¡°I didn¡¯t see you over here at first.¡± They said as they came up to TO, ¡°Is everything alright?¡± ¡°Yes, of course.¡± TO said, and without even thinking, they took DH¡¯s hand. They hadn¡¯t meant to make them worry, but they couldn¡¯t leave Lendulin alone. ¡°Yes, just waiting for this guard to get Lendulin a chair.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t her¡¯s good enough?¡± DH asked, their ears twitching in confusion. ¡°Policy.¡± The guard said, sending yet another message through their communicator. ¡°No complex devices allowed.¡± It only took another minute before Lendulin had a chair; a basic one this time, with no electronics on it and no steering. She wheeled herself past the scanner, which recorded the chair. The guard looked over the scan for much longer than they had with TO before they nodded and waved her through. They were halfway to the tube before she spoke. ¡°Thanks for that.¡± Lendulin said. ¡°I worried he was going to turn me away.¡± ¡°Why, though? Your ticket is just fine. I mean, if ours were, then yours was. We got ours from you.¡± She huffed as she rolled herself forward. ¡°You know very well why they were being so picky, and why they might turn me away.¡± She patted her tail. ¡°I¡¯m legless. You¡¯d think it¡¯d be better in Thalassa, since they have more contact with the sirens here, but they apparently don¡¯t count as legless.¡± She sighed, ¡°And honestly, if they had called the host and said a legless person was here for the party, they¡¯d probably say to just deal with me.¡± It was idiotic, but TO didn¡¯t comment on it; they were just grateful that they could have helped, even if they were angry that the guard caused her so many problems in the first place. ====== The party was not in Thalassa proper; it was in one of the smaller privately owned domes just outside Thalassa owned not by Venturi, but by a friend of his who was a well-known art investor. ¡°He¡¯s not even interested in art.¡± Lendulin whispered, her voice low and careful as she looked around. There were so many people filling the tube, and though they mostly wore casual clothing, it was likely they were going to the party. ¡°He¡¯s not?¡± DH leaned forward. ¡°Why does he buy it all then?¡± ¡°Oh, he enjoys being an art collector.¡± She said, ¡°He enjoys having art, buying art, having entire collections and stuff¡­ but he¡¯s not actually interested in the art itself. ¡° ¡°Right, what about Venturi-¡° ¡°My friend.¡± She said, ¡°the one that¡¯s trying to be an artist?¡± DH¡¯s ears twitched back, confused for only a moment before they understood. ¡°Yes¡­ that friend.¡± ¡°He likes the idea of art.¡± she whispered carefully. ¡°He likes the idea of being an artist, but he just doesn¡¯t have the patience to learn, or the motivation to improve.¡± DH huffed, ¡°He¡¯s doing well for himself, anyway.¡± The ride was long, the tube twisting through multi-colored coral and around giant trees with their roots in the water and the leaves arching up into the air above. When they finally saw the dome, they could tell that the party was already underway. Someone was projecting fireworks on the glass of the dome itself, so the time was flashing with colorful explosions. There were also these strange anglerfish that swam around the dome, with bulbs that glowed far brighter than they¡¯d normally have, and with colors unnatural to underwater bioluminescence. They floated around close to the dome, rushing away when a firework projection went off nearby. On the inside of the dome, even from a distance, TO could see the massive, ornate house which looked like the architects made it from carved coral, and the expansive gardens with flowers and trees everywhere. Here, Lendulin leaned forward, pressing her face against the glass. ¡°Wow.¡± She breathed, ¡°Real trees! I¡¯ve never seen one before! I¡¯ve never really left Okoia before, and we didn¡¯t have any on my home planet.¡± She laughed, ¡°Though, even if we did, I probably wouldn¡¯t remember now.¡± Nearby, a few of the civilians watching snorted and turned away. A small group of well-dressed friends even started chuckling at her. ¡°We¡¯ve never seen actual trees up close, either.¡± DH lied, their ears twitching as they caught the sound of laughter that was thankfully too low for Lendulin herself to hear. ¡°It¡¯s exciting.¡± They said with a smirk, ¡°I might even go barefoot if there¡¯s grass there.¡± The tube slowed down and dipped down lower to the sea floor. They passed under several large marble arches which had some vining, underwater plant crawling over it. The last arch was much further away and had a glowing sign facing them. Welcome to the estate of the esteemed Mr. Stephan Mustela. They had arrived at the party. TO clutched at DH¡¯s hand while they looked out the window. Most likely, this would also be the last big night they¡¯d have with DH. They¡¯d make it count. Episode 211: Communicator The host must have expected that people would choose not to wear their fancy clothing on the commute to the party, as there was a set of very busy changing rooms set up just outside the stop for the tube. TO, of course, changed first as they only had a simple outfit, and didn¡¯t bother with makeup or jewelry. This, of course, meant they had to wait while DH and Lendulin changed. They spent the time waiting, looking over the news that they had ignored since Ark-1had caught them on their date. The worst thing for them lately was being alone. Lying awake in bed was only tolerable as they could hear DH next to them, could feel their body heat, the hum of their hearts, and their breath as they chirped. When separated physically, an odd panic seemed to fill TO, as though someone might take DH from them when they weren¡¯t looking. ¡°Oh! I didn¡¯t expect to see you here, Mx. Tio!¡± TO was so invested in the news that once addressed, they nearly dropped their phone. They recognized that voice, and it sent a sudden shiver down their spine. They turned and located the diminutive minister Philo, standing only a few feet from them. ¡°Minister Philo.¡± They said, their wings tightening around them. ¡°I¡¯m surprised you remember me.¡± Pholi gave a laugh, looking around quickly as he did, ¡°Well, likewise! Few remember the name of the Minister of Language, you know? Translations, and their nuance, are always so complex and interesting, but people tend not to understand that.¡± They smiled, ¡°I recall recommending those translators for you. Did they help?¡± ¡°They have-¡± ¡°We don¡¯t really think of the power those things have, do we?¡± He said, still looking around. ¡°They take your words and translate, but they change them too. The wrong word or wrong tone can entirely change the meaning of a sentence.¡± Finally, he stopped looking around and looked up to TO, ¡°Are you here alone today? Where is your mate?¡± Somehow, being asked about their ¡®mate¡¯ made TO nervous. ¡°Dee is here.¡± TO said, ¡°They¡¯re just getting changed.¡± ¡°Oh! well, how about I wait with you then, and we can all go in together.¡± They leaned against the wall and took out their communicator. ¡°It gives me a chance to check up on my messages before we go on in, you know?¡± ¡°We are here with a friend.¡± TO said, ¡°A good friend.¡± ¡°Oh, excellent. I¡¯ll be happy to meet them.¡± Pholi said, but then it was suddenly like they heard what they themself said and looked up, ¡°Wait. A friend?¡± ¡°Yes, someone we met while we were out shopping. Mr. Venturi¡¯s assistant, actually.¡± ¡°Fascinating.¡± He said, ¡°Yes, yes, now that I think about it, I do recall him having an assistant.¡± ¡°You do?¡± ¡°Why yes, the Delsaphian woman, isn¡¯t she?¡± It was the first time that TO heard anyone refer to her by species, and not simply by calling her legless. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right.¡± ¡°Excellent.¡± He said as he went back to his communicator, typing furiously on the screen. ¡°It¡¯ll be nice to meet her. I¡¯m certain she has a major influence on his work.¡± ¡°I¡¯m certain she does.¡± TO said, their ears pinning back as they thought of the drying paintings in her room. Though, it occurred to TO that it was odd that Pholi knew about her, and that they seemed so unsurprised. It was only the other day that Venturi admitted to having an assistant at all, and even then it was only because of them. ¡°How did you hear about her, though?¡± TO asked. ¡°Oh, I just know.¡± They said, ¡°Word gets around.¡± Before TO could further pursue this line of questioning, they heard DH call out to them. TO looked up and away from Pholi, and caught sight of their mate and their friend. DH looked exquisite, dressed in a voluminous gown that flowed about them. At their shoulders the fabric was about the same color as their skin, but as the gown cascaded down around them in soft waves of fabric, the color shifted to deeper colors of blues and reds and purples, wrapped snug around DH¡¯s waist before expanding into a cloud of color, dotted by tiny sparkling gems. A single larger gem sat at the center of DH¡¯s chest. They had on some kind of veil that draped down the back of their head, leaving their face uncovered; it wasn¡¯t fabric; it was more like a thin, fine net of thread with countless glittering tiny gems attached, glittering like stars as they moved. Their wings draped over their shoulders, draped with a thin, sheer fabric that drifted behind them. Set into the fabric as well were tiny gems, just like what was in the gown. All the colors had that iridescence to it that ¡®Venturis¡¯ paintings had, and which Celesto had captured. The whole outfit, the gems, the colors, the black fabric hanging from DH¡¯s wings, it put TO back in the training center; back on the observation deck in those moments where they could sit and relax with DH and their friends. It brought them back to a time before GiDi was taken away. Before they were sent off. Before they were caught, and knew for a fact that they¡¯d be separated. It looked like DH had taken the nebula that they always admired and wore it. ¡°... I know, I¡¯m overdressed.¡± DH muttered, their ears flushing after TO had been staring in silence for a noticeable amount of time. ¡°Well... overdressed for us. I mean, look around.¡± They gave a nervous chuckle, their wings tightening around themself, ¡°I¡¯m not wearing a giant wig or anything.¡± ¡°I told you it¡¯s fine.¡± Lendulin said, ¡°You look amazing!¡± DH¡¯s bright blue ears dipped down under the netted veil, ¡°Look at her!¡± they said, pointing to Lendulin, ¡°She looks like she just put on the water this morning!¡± DH was right. TO didn¡¯t know who it was who made the dress for her, but it looked as though Lendulin had just taken the ocean at sunset - one from a show or a picture, not the shores of Okoia- and simply pulled the surf out of the water and draped it over herself. The tailor made the dress for her chair as well, draping over it carefully, to make her look like she was rising out of the water where she sat. Around her neck, she wore a simple string of raw pearls that felt wild, but fitting for what she was wearing. ¡°A friend of mine in the Outer Ring made it.¡± She said. This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report. ¡°You both look lovely!¡± Pholi said, and though he looked up, he was still busy with his communicator. ¡°Truly; your friend is talented.¡± Lendulin looked at Pholi as though she only just noticed he was there. She reached out for the controls to her electric chair, but of course realized they weren¡¯t there. ¡°You¡¯re... Uh, I¡¯ve seen you on the news-¡± He gave a little bow. ¡°Minister Pholi.¡± he said, ¡°Happy to be here, and happy to see some familiar faces.¡± ¡°Ah.¡± she said, her face turning pale, her tail pressing to her chair. She looked up to TO, ¡°I didn¡¯t know you were friends-¡± ¡°We met once when we first came here.¡± TO said, ¡°At that party at the government house.¡± ¡°You make friends quickly.¡± She said, ¡°If you¡¯d rather spend time with him-¡± ¡°We¡¯re spending time with you.¡± TO said, ¡°As we said we would. If Pholi is interested in coming with us-¡± ¡°Well, maybe for a little.¡± Pholi said, though it seemed like he fully devoted his attention to whatever he was doing on his communicator. ¡°There¡¯s a few people I know here, and I heard the synths will make an appearance today.¡± ¡°Will they?¡± Lendulin tightened her grip on the wheels of her chair. ¡°When?¡± ¡°Oh, I don¡¯t know.¡± He said, ¡°I¡¯ve seen them before, the current ones, and past ones. They only ever appear briefly at these things. They¡¯re not really known for their deep appreciation of art.¡± He looked to TO, ¡°Right, Mx Tio?¡± Pholi knew. At that moment, TO was certain that Pholi knew they were synths. Of course they had suspected it before since he responded to what TO said in synth speak, but DH¡¯s point that maybe he did just respond to what he assumed TO would have said was convincing, and since mister Pholi never came up afterwards, they forgot about the whole situation. Now it seemed like Pholi was waiting for some confirmation, some hint that they were, in fact, synths and knew their language. Meaning that he, like Pearla, had a connection with the insurgents. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t know.¡± TO said, their ears twitching with their lie, ¡°I¡¯ve never met one.¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯ll have to bring you to meet them.¡± He said, ¡°I¡¯d say we could talk to Minister Noss, but-¡± He gave a little shrug, his small fingers still working on his communicator, ¡°Well, he didn¡¯t receive an invitation.¡± ¡°He didn¡¯t?¡± DH asked, their ears perking up. ¡°Oh¡­ You know him?¡± TO pinned their ears back. Yes, Pholi knew who they were, and was trying to trip them up somehow. Why was he doing that? ¡°We know of him.¡± They said. A notification came in on Pholi¡¯s communicator, and a look of relief crossed his face. ¡°Well!¡± he said suddenly, ¡°Though I¡¯d love to spend my evening with you, it looks like I¡¯m required elsewhere. You know, so many people around, so many things to see and elbows to rub.¡± He bowed, stepped back, and then took off. ¡°He was odd.¡± Lendulin said, staring after him, ¡°What¡¯s he minister of again? News?¡± ¡°Language and translations.¡± DH said, their ears flattening out, ¡°And yes, that was odd.¡± They glanced at TO, their lips pressing together in a firm line. ¡°There¡¯s a phrase for it back home.¡± They switched to synth speak, ¡°He knows.¡± ¡°Exactly.¡± TO said, ¡°He was just acting very oddly.¡± They¡¯d him taken in later. All they really had to do was make a note on his file and he¡¯d be arrested andthe Arkanian law enforcement would arrest him and bring Pholi to their ship. Maybe they¡¯d wait until Kei was here. TO didn¡¯t want to interrogate anyone and didn¡¯t want to make DH do it, either. Kei likely wouldn¡¯t have any issue interrogating a civilian, no matter how brutal they had to be. They stepped behind Lendulin, and set their hands on the handles of her chair. ¡°Would you like me to push you? So that you don¡¯t have to worry about your dress getting caught?¡± ¡°I can manage on my own¡­¡± She said, looking around, eying the others nearby who were staring at her, glimpsing the bit of her chair that was visible and of her tail which stuck out from the waves of her dress. ¡°But.. yes, please, I¡¯d appreciate that.¡± ====== They held the party in the gardens, not in the house itself. Large trees that someone thrived in the underwater dome wore full foliage, which glowed from the blue lights placed in their branches. The overhead lights in the dome gave off only a dim glow, but the bioluminescent fish that hung around the dome created an array of lights that swayed and danced in the darkness of the sea outside. In the center of the gardens, there was a clearing where everything was properly taking place. Dozens of food laden tables sat around the center of the clearing, each one holding in its center a large ice-fountain from which a bubbly alcohol poured forth. Lights hung overhead, criss-crossing from one tree to the other to create a low, calm ambient light. At some tables, there were civilian chefs cooking over fires, but all the servers were once more ServAis, Surrounding the perimeter of the garden, Lendulin¡¯s paintings were on display, sitting on easels made of twisted silver wire. Standing next to one of the biggest paintings was Venturi himself, talking loudly to a group of civilians. TO looked down to check on Lendulin, to see if she was angry, but to their horror, they saw tears forming in her eyes. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± TO whispered to her, ¡°You should be the guest of honor here. You should be in the center of that crowd.¡± ¡°What?¡± She looked up at them, looked around, and realized they had seen Venturi. A light laugh escaped her, and she carefully dabbed at her eyes with the back of her hand. ¡°No no. It''s not that.¡± She said, ¡°It¡¯s¡­¡± She looked over at the nearest art piece. ¡°... I can¡¯t believe my work is here. My work is on display at a big party in Thalassa. People are raving over them! Look, they set them on Silver!¡± She beamed. ¡°I never thought my art would make it this far!¡± ¡°It¡¯s still your work.¡± TO muttered. ¡°You should get credit for it.¡± ¡°Mm-hmm.¡± DH said, giving TO a hard stare. ¡°Funny for you to say that.¡± As they ventured further in, TO found themself confused by DH¡¯s words and the way their ears moved when they spoke. Why did DH say that, and with their ears so flat in disbelief? Suddenly, The memory of the report they did for C12 back in training, and DH¡¯s insistence that TO should get credit for their work, only came to their mind when they were sipping drinks and browsing the pictures, listening to the quiet music drift in the air. It wasn¡¯t the same, and TO would tell DH that when they got home. Lendulin was a civilian. As C12 had told them so long ago, they weren¡¯t. They were just tools of King Decon. GiDi came to mind suddenly, the image of their bared teeth, their pinned ears, their wings puffing up wide. They could hear the way the words shot from their mouth, ¡°I am not a tool.¡± They took a drink and tried to forget about that for the night. Episode 212; Crit The only thing that would calm Lendulin¡¯s clear case of nervousness, made clear by the way her tail pressed against the chair and the way she kept picking at her long fingernails, was a glass of the sweet-tasting bubbly alcohol that was flowing freely from the ice fountains. Once she had an ornate, crystal glass in her hands and a few sips in his stomach, she relaxed. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± She said with a sad little smile on her face, ¡°I¡¯ve never been at a party like this before¡­ I¡¯m probably going to make a fool of myself.¡± ¡°Well, if you do, we will too.¡± DH said as they took a drink. A nervous laugh escaped from Lendulin¡¯s mouth. ¡°I doubt that.¡± She said, ¡°You¡¯ve probably been going to these kinds of things all your life.¡± ¡°This is our second party.¡± TO admitted, looking around at everyone. They themself wore a plain black suit, the jacket of which went down to the floor and flared out at their hips. Though Celesto had suggested accessories, TO only wore the other half of the pendant that DH gave them under their shirt, and had no makeup. They honestly thought that this outfit, the fine clothing and subtle details, had been far too extravagant to wear anywhere. Standing now in a sea of bright colors and glittering jewels, they felt horrifically underdressed. ¡°Really?¡± Lendulin frowned at TO. ¡°I figured if you were from a well off family or something, you¡¯d go to parties all the time!¡± ¡°Our family doesn¡¯t really do parties.¡± DH muttered as they took a sip. Lendulin nodded, drank about half her drink, then pointed to the edge of the clearing where the paintings stood. ¡°Alright.¡± She said, ¡°Let¡¯s go look at the paintings!¡± ¡°Really?¡± DH asked. ¡°I want to see them all. I love your- I mean, I love Venturi¡¯s work.¡± Their ears pinned back, their wings puffed up. At least TO wasn¡¯t the only one who got angry when they thought about Venturi. ¡°But you¡¯ve seen it already-¡± ¡°Yes, but I want to hear what people are saying about it!¡± She said, ¡°I want to hear the critique!¡± Though she lowered her voice to a whisper, there was a life in her eyes, excitement that hadn¡¯t been there before. ¡°It¡¯s really hard for me to get feedback if I can¡¯t show people my work.¡± She said, ¡°How am I supposed to get any better if I can¡¯t get feedback?¡± She halted the light fading, ¡°But¡­ I mean, you¡¯re not here for that.¡± Before she could say another word, DH was pushing her towards the paintings. ¡°You just tell us where to go.¡± They said, ¡°And we¡¯ll bring you there.¡± ¡°Are you certain?¡± She asked. ¡°Of course.¡± DH said and started pushing her towards the crowd around Venturi. ¡°Oh no, not near him!¡± She said. As soon as she saw where they were heading, the color that had brightened her cheeks suddenly drained, leaving her pale and ashen. ¡°Why not?¡± TO asked. ¡°Well¡­¡± She looked away, ¡°There¡¯s two reasons.¡± She admitted. ¡°The first is because I''m pretty sure people don¡¯t give him real crit, you know? He¡¯s a public figure now. People won¡¯t tell him to his face when they really think.¡± TO looked over, and though they couldn¡¯t hear the distant conversation around Venturi properly, they could see Venturi gesturing broadly, cheeks flushed from alcohol as they laughed with those around him. He didn¡¯t seem like he was taking critique. ¡°And the other reason?¡± they asked. She shrugged, looking away from TO and DH. ¡°I kinda promised when I got the tickets that I¡¯d stay away from him at the party.¡± ¡°What?¡± DH hissed, their hands tightening on the chair handles. ¡°He asked you to keep away from him?¡± ¡°No, no!¡± Another strained, nervous laugh escaped her, twined with an odd clicking. ¡°I promised that if he gave me the tickets, I¡¯d stay away from him. He didn¡¯t just give me the tickets. I begged for them!¡± ¡°That¡¯s not right.¡± DH¡¯s voice was a low, angry hiss. ¡°You¡¯re the artist. He should beg you to come with him!¡± ¡°That¡¯s not how this works.¡± She said, smiling sadly, ¡°Really.. It''s fine. Just-¡° She pointed to a larger painting in which a single person was standing. ¡°That Corvian guy, he¡¯s an art critic. I want to see what he thinks.¡± TO and DH exchanged glances, but did as she said and brought her over towards the large painting. It showed a man standing against a background of gray, his black suit plain save for the shimmer of iridescence, like aurora borealis, visible when viewed straight on. Shadows entirely obscured his face, leaving no features visible. She gestured to TO and DH to be silent as they pushed her up, and carefully watched the critic as they approached. the Corvian, a species with black wings clinging to their arms, small eyes, and feathers forming a crest around their otherwise ordinary face, Stood with their hands clasped behind their back, chewing on their lower lip as they examined the work. After watching in silence, she spoke up. ¡°The composition on this one¡¯s weak, isn¡¯t it?¡± She said. The critic gave a hum of agreement before their crest puffed out. They turned and only relaxed a little when they saw Lendulin in the chair. He glanced at TO and DH, then released a long breath. ¡°He certainly added the background as an afterthought.¡± He said, ¡°Just dabs of paint with no reason for it. The values are weak too. He¡¯s relied far too much on this iridescent paint process he¡¯s got going on.¡± He shrugged, ¡°It¡¯s pretty enough, but if you¡¯ve seen his other works, then this one becomes quite boring.¡± If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. Lendulin nodded, ¡°The figure too.¡± She said, ¡°He¡¯s so lifeless, just standing there. He looks like he¡¯s just posing, not there for any reason.¡± ¡°Worse; it looks like he just painted from a mannequin.¡± He looked down at. Lendulin, the feathers around his crest twitching as he watched her, ¡°You have a keen eye for¡­ a person of your status. I wasn¡¯t aware that many legless were interested in the arts.¡± Her tail pressed to her chair, ¡°Well, -¡° ¡°Her name¡¯s Lendulin.¡± TO said, ¡°She¡¯s Delsaphian.¡± He looked to TO, nodding, ¡°Right, of course.¡± He said. ¡°Still, I¡¯m surprised to see¡­ one such as yourself here, Miss Lendulin. Are you yourself an artist?¡± ¡°I¡­ well, not really-¡° ¡°She¡¯s Venturi¡¯s assistant.¡± DH said. His feathers pressed down to his neck. ¡°Oh.¡± He said, ¡°Yes, Yes I had heard-¡° ¡°I won¡¯t tell him anything you said, so long as you don¡¯t tell him what I said.¡± She smiled. ¡°I just wanted to know if you shared my opinion.¡± He huffed and looked back at the painting, ¡°Yes, well¡­ that might be best.¡± He said, ¡°I know you¡¯d lose your job.¡± She nodded. ¡°And you¡¯d basically get castigated for telling the truth.¡± She said. Though if you have any advice, I can try to subtly pass them along. Make a suggestion here or there.¡± ¡°Yes, well, I¡¯d say he needs to do a little more figure drawing practice. The people he paints always look so stiff in their poses.¡± Lendulin nodded. ¡°You¡¯re absolutely right.¡± She said, ¡°And what do you think of the show?¡± He shrugged, ¡°If we¡¯re being honest.¡± He said, ¡°The art is fine enough; technically sound¡­ but that¡¯s about it. It¡¯s pretty, but unimaginative.¡± He shrugged, ¡°I¡¯d say if he keeps this up, the art circles will forget about in the year, but his reputation carries him now more than his art.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that a little harsh?¡± TO asked. ¡°It looks great to me.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s accurate.¡± Lendulin said. ¡°You just don¡¯t paint.¡± She turned back to the critic. ¡°I appreciate your honesty.¡± She said, smiling. ¡°And I yours.¡± He said, ¡°I imagine you¡¯ll be heading over to Venturi sooner than later? Rumor of his leg-little assistant has been spreading like wildfire, and I¡¯m certain that people are dying to meet you.¡± ¡°Maybe.¡± She said, ¡°I¡¯m sure he has a lot of other people to talk to, though.¡± ¡°Hmm, quite right.¡± The critic said. He took one last look at the painting. ¡°Enjoy the party.¡± He said as he walked away. ¡°¡­ He was ruthless.¡± DH said, ¡°I think it¡¯s beautiful.¡± ¡°Again, you¡¯re not an artist.¡± Lendulin said, and she pulled a small notebook from a hidden pocket in the folds of her gown. As she flipped to a blank page, TO got glimpses of sketches and notes. ¡°I¡¯m not upset.¡± She said as she looked up at DH before scribbling down notes. ¡°That¡¯s why I wanted to come. I knew art critics would be here, and I wanted to hear what they had to say outside of Venturi¡¯s earshot.¡± She pursed her lips. ¡°He was right though; I did actually use a mannequin for this one.¡± She chuckled, ¡°found it in the water, and thought I could use it for a painting. I couldn¡¯t figure out why I hated it so much when I was done, but I needed to give Venturi something, and he seemed to like it well enough.¡± ¡°Wait.¡± TO said, their ears quirking forward. You wanted to come here specifically so you could have your work ripped apart.¡± Without looking up from her book, she nodded. ¡°Yup.¡± She said, ¡°That¡¯s how you make better art.¡± ====== They spent a good hour going from painting to painting, hearing what people were saying out of earshot. Finally, Lendulin said she just wanted to sit for a bit. ¡°Honestly¡­ if it¡¯s not too much trouble, I wouldn¡¯t mind just¡­¡± She flushed, ¡°Sitting in the grass for a little. Maybe even getting some sketches.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± DH said, turning abruptly and heading towards the edge of the garden. ¡°Yes! I can¡¯t wait. I¡¯m going to take my shoes off, and sit in the grass-¡± ¡°No no! You can¡¯t! You¡¯ll get grass stains on your gown!¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Their ears dipped down in disappointment. ¡°Really?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure it¡¯s fine if you¡¯re careful.¡± TO said, ¡°And besides, I¡¯m sure we can clean that or get it fixed.¡± They went to the nearest grassy spot, fresh drinks in hand. As soon as DH got the chair on the grass, Lendulin pulled herself from the seat and used the chair¡¯s edge to lean back. ¡°Though, I¡¯ll probably do the same to my dress.¡± She said with a laugh, ¡°But my dress wasn¡¯t as expensive as yours probably was.¡± DH grinned, took off their shoes, and carefully set their toes into the grass, flexing their long digits against the greenery, enjoying the feel before they took off the other shoe and sat down. TO did the same. The grass was cool on their feet, and had a lovely, soft texture. For some reason, they expected the grass to be almost papery or feathery to the touch, but really it had a texture all its own. Lendulin grinned as she took out her sketchbook. ¡°I never thought I¡¯d feel real grass.¡± She said, looking up into the canopy, ¡°Or sit under actual trees. Once, trees apparently covered Arkane.¡± She frowned. ¡°That was before it was colonized, though.¡± ¡°Well, we have tech for oxygen purification now.¡± TO said, ¡°And trees aren¡¯t very efficient as a fuel source, or a source of building materials. Trees aren¡¯t even used for paper anymore.¡± ¡°Yeah, I know.¡± She said, ¡°They¡¯re mostly novelties now. Still, it¡¯d be nice to be on a natural planet.¡± ¡°A wild one.¡± DH said. ¡°Outside the galactic kingdom?¡± She looked to DH, ¡°Don¡¯t you think about what other planets are out there? Ones that haven¡¯t yet been discovered or colonized? Don¡¯t you wonder what they might be like?¡± TO didn''t have to wonder. Synths knew what such planets were like. Shortages caused by the controllable natural phenomena of the planet caused scarcity and famine, and created violent groups of people who wished to stash supplies. Planets with such a low technical level often existed in a state of war, with class systems where only a select few had the privilege of security and comfort. But, wasn¡¯t that the same here on Arkane, a planet that had been in King Decon¡¯s kingdom for centuries? What was the difference between a wild planet, and a planet that king Decon had under His control? Was it really any better? A moment of panic, of confusion, passed through TO before they shook those thoughts from their head. No¡­ if it was this bad on Arkane, then on the wild planets, it had to be worse. At the very least, a colonized planet had resources from the rest of the galaxy fed into it, and that made it better, right? A sparkle of light caught their eyes and pulled them from their thoughts. They turned, and saw that the sparkle came from the very ornate and elaborate jewelry of Celesto, who was standing at the edge of the grass, watching Lendulin sketching happily, not knowing she was being watched. Episode 213:Supposed ¡°Hello, Celesto.¡± TO said, their voice loud enough to alert Lendulin, ¡°I didn¡¯t know you were coming to the party.¡± Lendulin froze, creating a long, ugly mark across the page she was working on. Her shoulders rose almost to her ears as she looked up, seeing Celesto for the first time. ¡°Ah. you.¡± She said, glancing away quickly, forcing her muscles to relax. ¡°Such a cold greeting should offend me.¡± He said as he gave a patronizing smile to Lendulin, ¡°But knowing now that you do indeed know Venturi- not only that, but that you¡¯re his assistant, well,¡± He chuckled, ¡°I perhaps deserve it.¡± He glanced down at her book. ¡°But I¡¯ve not heard anything about you being an artist as well.¡± The color drained from her face, and she closed the book quickly. ¡°I¡¯m not.¡± She said, ¡°I just like to doodle a little.¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯m sure you¡¯re inspired by working with someone such as Mr. Venturi. Though, I am surprised that he¡¯s not mentioned you before now. I heard he brought you up at a museum in Okoia.¡± Lendulin shrugged and gripped her book to her chest. She clenched the pencil in her hand to slightly that it looked like it might snap in two. ¡°Well, she told you she knew him.¡± TO said as they stood up, their wings puffing out, ¡°You didn''t believe her. In fact, you threatened to have the authorities called.¡± ¡°Well.¡± He looked away, laughing nervously. ¡°I already explained that to Venturi, of course. I mean-¡± He gestured to her. More specifically, he gestured to her tail, ¡°How was I supposed to know that he¡¯d have a legless for an assistant? Even Venturi agreed that I¡¯d have no way to know!¡± He glanced behind TO, and suddenly raised a hand and waved, ¡°Speaking of; Mr. Venturi! Over here for a moment.¡± ¡°Oh, no.¡± Lendulin said, putting her book back in the pocket, ¡°No no, I¡¯m sure he¡¯s busy-¡° TO turned, and saw that Venturi had been speaking to a small collection of people clustered around a nearby table, but now he was looking at their small group, glaring at Lendulin. Of course, the moment he noticed TO was looking at him, he instantly. Smiled. He made some apologies to the people he was talking to - pointed to Lendulin and said something that TO couldn¡¯t hear. The others laughed, nodded, and went off as Venturi made his way to them. ¡°Mr. Venturi.¡± Celesto said once Venturi was in ear-shot, ¡°I was just talking to your assistant, explaining that I of course had no way to know-¡° ¡°Of course, of course.¡± Venturi said, waving Celesto¡¯s words away, ¡°it¡¯s not a problem. No hard feelings.¡± He looked down at Lendulin, a smile on his face that didn¡¯t reach his eyes. ¡°Isn¡¯t that right, Lendulin?¡± She nodded, refusing to look up from her lap. ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± She said. ¡°¡­ It¡¯s not though.¡± DH said, ¡°We were there. He threatened to call the authorities!¡± ¡°Well, you can hardly blame me!¡± He said with a huff, ¡°I mean, most of them are trouble, I had to keep my business safe-¡° ¡°And he said that he couldn¡¯t make a dress for her.¡± TO added. ¡° But her dress works just fine with her chair!¡± ¡°Tio, DH, it¡¯s fine.¡± She said, ¡°Please stop.¡± She looked up, and though TO thought she might start crying, she smiled, ¡°It¡¯s really no problem. Just a misunderstanding.¡± Celesto seemed to relax. ¡°I¡¯m glad you¡¯re so reasonable, girl.¡± He said, ¡°you understand. But really, you and your friends should be with us. Everyone¡¯s been talking about you.¡± Lendulin¡¯s face burned with a vivid red flush. ¡°They have?¡± ¡°Well.¡± Venturi said, ¡°I know how private you are, though your friends here did out you as my assistant. Or should I say-¡± He chuckled, ¡°My little a-slith-tant.¡± TO felt their ears pin back, their lips curled up to reveal their teeth. Despite that, they kept their tone calm. ¡°I didn¡¯t think such awful language would be fitting for a party like this.¡± They said, ¡°I might be new to the planet, but I thought that was a fairly nasty slur.¡± The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. ¡°Oh, she doesn¡¯t mind.¡± Venturi said with a wave, ¡°Right, Lendulin?¡± ¡°¡­ Right.¡± She whispered. ¡°It¡¯s fine, Tio.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not-¡° ¡°I said it¡¯s fine!¡± For the first time, she sounded legitimately angry. Her tail thrashed against the grass, and her pupils narrowed to show the light blue color of her eyes, ¡°It¡¯s. Fine.¡± Then, still flushed, she looked up to Celesto, ¡°And I¡¯d rather just watch, please. I¡¯m not very social.¡± ¡°See, it¡¯s as I told you.¡± Venturi said, ¡°She¡¯s antisocial and shy. Come on. Let¡¯s leave her alone.¡± He chuckled as he came up to Celesto¡¯s side and put an arm around his shoulder to lead him away. ¡°Come no, I do want to show you this lovely piece-¡° Lendulin was silent until they were gone. Then she looked up at TO, ¡°You understand nothing.¡± She said, ¡°I need him. I need him to want to work with me. I have the art, but he has the power.¡± She pulled herself to her chair, and hoisted herself up. ¡°You heard what the critic said- he¡¯s being carried by his reputation now. He could probably just drop me, find another artist, and say he¡¯s working on a new style.¡± ¡°But he shouldn¡¯t be able to call you-¡° ¡°What does ¡®shouldn¡¯t¡¯ have to do with anything!¡± She snapped as she settled herself in her chair. ¡°Your family shouldn¡¯t separate you two. I shouldn¡¯t have to sell my work to Venturi just to survive while he brings in all kinds of money from the fame. Pearla shouldn¡¯t have to run a shelter in the Outer Ring, and the government should have blacklisted Petra for protesting! But that¡¯s just how it is!¡± She wheeled her chair off the grass. ¡°That¡¯s just how it is, and how it¡¯s going to be, and I¡¯m just trying to survive.¡± She glared back at him. ¡°You get Venturi pissed, and what¡­ you don''t get invited to parties?¡± She scoffed, ¡°if I get on his bad side, then I can¡¯t work. I lose my place, my money, and I end up working in the water, harvesting shells and doing cleanup around the island for pennies. Either that, or end up indebted.¡± She pushed herself off, wheeling away. ¡°Lendulin, wait-¡± TO was about to chase after her, but DH stopped them, putting a hand to their chest. ¡°Wait.¡± They whispered. ¡°I¡¯ll go after her.¡± ¡°But-¡° ¡°She¡¯s angry at you. I¡¯ll go talk to her, and you can change, and deal with work as a synth. After you¡¯ve done that, and once Lendulin is calm, I¡¯ll send you a message, and ark-87 Can leave the party, you can come back, and we¡¯ll meet you.¡± They smiled. ¡°We were worried about leaving her on her own anyway when we had to be synths, right? This way, we don¡¯t.¡± ¡°They¡¯re expecting two-¡° ¡°You just say that I had pressing matters to deal with, highly confidential, and that you came to show King Decon¡¯s support.¡± Their ears dipped back. ¡°That should work, yes?¡± ¡°¡­ yes, I suppose-¡° ¡°Good.¡± DH said. They ran their hand down TO¡¯s chest, their ears slightly flushed, ¡°you know¡­ I really want to kiss you now. But¡­¡± They glanced around, ¡°Since we got caught-¡° ¡°I know.¡± TO said. They took DH¡¯s hand in their own and squeezed their fingers. Then, after a moment of hesitation, they leaned in and gave them a quick kiss. ¡°But we¡¯re running out of moments to kiss in.¡± DH smiled, kissed TO back, then turned and took off after Lendulin. For several long moments, TO could only watch them as they headed off, the black fabric fluttering from their wings and catching the light overhead, the gems in the netted veil shifting and moving. In their gown, they moved like a dream and TO worked so hard to commit that to memory. They quickly took up their communicator and took a picture, but it wasn¡¯t nearly as beautiful in the picture as it was in reality. They wished they could paint like Lendulin, so they could put their memory onto a canvas, and keep it forever. Well, keep it until they have to give it up upon reassignment. Once DH was gone, TO sighed and headed off. It was time to become a synth. ====== DH was right; splitting up was the best idea. Sure, it meant that they would have to be separated for a little while, but they had already committed to making an appearance as synths, and they didn¡¯t want to leave Lendulin alone. They still didn¡¯t like leaving DH alone. Once more, being separated from their mate made their stomach churn and brought back that feeling that they¡¯d never see them again. The fear that someone would just take DH away from them was so much stronger today, and they hated it. Maybe it was just because every second that passed stole from the time they had together. Maybe it was just because DH had just reminded them of that fact, and their imminent separation hung before them like looming, dark storm clouds. They¡¯d have to get used to that. They¡¯d have to survive without DH soon. Still, they hated being away from DH when every second they had left together counted so dearly. They left the party as though they were going back home, then went to the changing rooms to get their travel clothes. The changing rooms were, of course, all under surveillance, but DH had created a little program on TO¡¯s communicator that could disable any recording devices. Once they had activated that, they changed into their armor. Their long coat was a little too long to fit in the armor comfortably, so they removed it and put it in the locker with the clothing they had arrived in, leaving their badge inside as well. Once they looked like a proper synth, they headed to the vents in the back which led to the other side of the changing room.From there, they merely walked back towards the security guard at the entrance, who saluted them immediately. ¡°Apologies, I did not see you arrive-¡° ¡°Obviously, taking this tube would have caused panic and concern. I used screening technology to get in without causing issues.¡± It still made TO worry a little to lie like that, but lying to civilians wasn¡¯t the same as lying to another synth. ¡°Oh.¡± The guard seemed confused, but if he believed the story or not, he clearly wasn¡¯t willing to question a synth. ¡°Very well, honored synth. I will bring you to Minister Sally. I thought there would be two of you-¡° ¡°Ark-88 has urgent business to attend to, though I decided it would be best if at least one of us arrived.¡± ¡°Yes, of course.¡± The guard nodded, stepped back, then headed off to lead TO back into the party. It was easy; far easier than they had imagined. TO wasn¡¯t sure if turning into themself again would be as easy, but they¡¯d deal with that when the time came. Episode 214: Water The guard led TO not back to the general party, but to a VIP section where special guests were sitting. It seemed unnecessary to TO that they needed a VIP section there, given how carefully curated the rest of the party was, but it was just such excess that they were starting to expect from Thalassa. Being in the VIP area also meant they were further away from DH. Sure, as a Synth they couldn¡¯t talk to DH, but at least at the general party they¡¯d know that DH was somewhere nearby. Being so far away from their mate made their ears twitch and their stomach hurt. They walked further into the trees and towards a dell carved from a thick cluster of trees. Strings of light hung overhead, illuminating the area in a soft glow. TO could still see the glowing fish outside, but there seemed to be more of them than before, and some of them were moving oddly. They used their helmet to zoom in, and to their surprise they realized that it was a group of small bots scurrying across the inside of the dome. A quick scan told TO that they were maintenance bots; normally employed full time to ensure that the domes have no structural issues. TO couldn¡¯t see them clearly, they could only see the blinking green safety lights on as they worked on the inside of the dome. ¡°Maintenance bots, Honored synths.¡± The guard said as he noticed TO watching the bots, ¡°Though I thought that Mr. Mustela had the maintenance process postponed for the day.¡± ¡°If it¡¯s essential maintenance, it¡¯s probably best not to postpone such a thing.¡± ¡°Absolutely!¡± the guard said, suddenly standing at attention once more. ¡°You¡¯re entirely correct. Mr. Mustala must have thought of that.¡± In the tent, there was a single table around which several ServAis hurried about, filling cups and bringing food. Vassel Buteo was there, a glass in one hand as he leaned forward and spoke to Sally, who sat right next to him. Upon seeing Buteo, TO wondered if maybe the other praetors were there, or even other ministers, but there was nobody else that they recognized. They had expected to see Pholi there, but after their brief conversation earlier they were glad that the minister of language and translation was absent. At the head of the table there was a tiny creature, no taller than the length of TO¡¯s forearm, sitting on a very tall chair. White, downy fuzz covered him, growing longer at the end of his long tail. On his head he had several long white prongs sticking up with red balls on the end, and his face had a distinctly rodent-like look to it. Their helmet gave TO the rest of the information. ====== Stephan Mustela- He/him. Entrepreneur; Art dealer Species; Passitami ====== Mr Mustela looked up, saw TO, then stood on his chair. The others around the table stopped what they were doing, and when they saw TO they bowed their heads slightly. Mustela pressed a button on his tiny communicator, and when he spoke, his voice seemed louder than it should have for his size. ¡°Honored Synths- er, Synth.¡± He said, giving another bow, ¡°To have you attend my humble little get-together is as much of an honor as having King Decon himself here in attendance.¡± He gestured to the other side of the table, where two large chairs sat. ¡°We understand, of course, that you do not eat among the public, but we have prepared a seat for you.¡± He raised a hand and snapped twice. A servAi came up to Mustela and leaned forward to hear the diminutive host as he whispered frantically. A moment later, another servAi came forward and removed the extra chair. ¡°My apologies.¡± He said as the bots hurried away, ¡°I was told that both of our honored synths would join us today.¡± ¡°Ark-88 had other, pressing matters to attend to.¡± TO said. ¡°I came simply to represent King Decon.¡± ¡°That an honored synth and representative of King Decon could spare the time to appear at such an event is a pleasant surprise.¡± Vassel Buteo said as he dropped two dissolving tablets into his drink. TO¡¯s helmet identified them as a type of legal, recreational drug, and warned that such a drug would make a synth very ill. ¡°Of course, part of my duty is to represent King Decon.¡± TO said. This was more a formality, and something to keep synths on peaceful planets busy. ¡°Though, given the state of Arkane and the work I have to do, you¡¯ll understand if I don¡¯t stay long.¡± ¡°We have arranged for entertainment.¡± Praetor Sally said, ¡°A display of some of the local talent in honor of King Decon-¡± ¡°Not concluding with another execution, I hope.¡± TO said, and by the way everyone but Buteo flinched, TO knew that the helmet translations had taken their already stern and angry tone, and amplified it. ¡°An execution, Praetor?¡± Buteo said with a click of his beak, ¡°Such things require approval of all Praetors, and myself.¡± ¡°Only for civilian executions.¡± Sally said, ¡°This person was not only indebted, but didn¡¯t even possess planetary citizenship.¡± If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. ¡°Ah, I see.¡± Buteo said carelessly, and drank his drugged beverage as he looked around, bored. His eyes caught the maintenance bots on the dome overhead. Mustela¡¯s eyes followed his look, and his tail lashed at his chair when he saw the drones. With a snap of his fingers, he called over a servAi. ¡°Bring the entertainment, and have the maintenance drones recalled.¡± He said. ¡°Of course, Mr. Mustela.¡± the ServAi said before hurrying off. ¡°Apologies.¡± he said, ¡°I was certain I had them disabled for the day.¡± ¡°Is that not unwise?¡± TO asked, ¡°In such an environment, I¡¯d assume that constant maintenance would be ideal.¡± ¡°Having them off for a day is fine, I promise!¡± Mustela said. ¡°I¡¯d never endanger my guests, or my precious collection.¡± TO didn¡¯t like the idea of the maintenance bots being turned off. Maybe the insurgents were even waiting for that to happen, waiting for their opportunity to sabotage the party. Despite all the security, TO still worried that they had some kind of plan, some kind of trap. Maybe there was even some kind of backup that made sure the bots performed maintenance if there were any issues or attempts at hacking. They could only hope that Thalassa¡¯s extensive security permeated their networks as well, requiring a certain level of clearance for mere access. ¡°Please, take a seat, honored synth, and enjoy our offering of entertainment for King Decon.¡± TO made their way to the head of the table, where only one lonely looking chair sat. As soon as they sat down, they sent off a message to DH. == Maintenance bots are still functioning today, which makes me feel a little safer at least. Still, be careful on your own. Any sign of trouble, and you need to run and change into your armor. How¡¯s Lendulin?== They were still waiting for the reply when the entertainment arrived. A lithe woman with scaled, cream-colored skin and a tiny blue bikini entered the dell to the sound of drum beats that came from a hidden sound-system somewhere nearby. TO¡¯s helmet told them she was a performer from Thalassa by the name of Basi, but she went by ¡®Hydria¡¯ when she performed. Two ServAis came before her, one carrying a long hose and the other holding a cone. When they set it up on the grass, the cone spurted water from its tip. The lights overhead faded and hidden spotlights in the grass came on. Low music joined the drum as she stood, swaying before the small fountain, the sound of trickling water accompanying the staccato notes. TO started recording; They¡¯d show this to DH later. Maybe when they got back home, they¡¯d be able to watch this and enjoy it together. She put her hands in the water, and seemed to collect the streams, moving her hands rapidly until the water formed a ball under the rapid movement of her hands. It glittered against the lights, shimmering and sending off reflections everywhere. She threw it up, letting it arch in a stream above her head before she collected it again with hands that never stopped moving as they appeared to defy physics. If TO¡¯s helmet wasn¡¯t feeding them information about everything around them, it would appear to be magic. Unfortunately, the helmet pointed out the special folds on her hands that increased surface tension, the hydrophobic cream she had slathered about her body, and the practiced way she moved her hands to keep the water roughly in a ball. TO turned the notifications off. They didn¡¯t want all this to be ruined for DH when they watched later, and they hoped maybe they could remove the notifications that they had already seen so far. Once she had done a few simple tricks with the water- spinning it about, drawing it out and flicking it like a ribbon, splitting it into a few balls and juggling them with a clear carelessness which could only be achieved through countless hours of practice- she then started dancing with the water. It reminded TO of the fire dancers that they had seen in the entertainment district, and though water wasn¡¯t nearly as dangerous as fire, fire didn¡¯t obey the laws of gravity as water did. Even though they roughly knew the method that was used to make this trick happen, TO could still appreciate that it took a lot of hard work, a lot of focus, and a lot of practice. The lighting faded to a low blue, and golden lights turned on from the trees. It wasn¡¯t enough to illuminate the area, but it was just enough to create some gold reflections on the streams of water that spiraled around Hydria, who moved as though she were a part of the water, or that the water was just an extension of herself, creating a glittering aura around her as she moved. It was mesmerizing and before long, TO found their mind slipping into silence as they just watched the show. It was different from the contentment that they felt around DH when their anxiety drained from them. Hydria¡¯s movements drew TO into a trance, and once they were pulled in it was difficult for them to give any thought to the worries in their head that babbled on. Droplets of water fell about all over, sparkling with light and coating the grass in a shiny glaze. The music built, and her movements became more and more frantic. It was building to a crescendo as she spun, like a dervish draped in water and light. Her finale would have been amazing, TO was certain, if not for the sudden beeping from overhead that finally drew their attention, and the flashing of orange lights that flashed from the bots overhead just as the balls of water Hydria had been playing with exploded into a cascade of droplets that caught the surrounding light, forming a misty rainbow for mere seconds before it disappeared. Mustela gave a vicious curse, and stood up on his chair, ¡°I said disable the maintenance bots!¡± he snapped at the nearest ServAi, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you do that!¡± ¡°It is not a concern.¡± TO said, though they. Their tone was flat thanks to the helmet, but inside the disappointment over the ruined end of the show flooded their heart. ¡°We sent off the order to have them disabled, but as per procedure, it¡¯s still pending approval from the honored synth.¡± ¡°Our honored synths are not to be bothered with such things!¡± Mustela snapped. ¡°That¡¯s not part of your operations.¡± ¡°It is as per the last software update.¡± The ServAi responded. Panic flooded through TO as they checked their messages, and though they saw a response from DH, they saw nothing else. ¡°I have no notifications to approve.¡± TO said, ¡°Did you send it to the other synth? Ark-88 is presently occupied and will not be able to respond to official requests.¡± ¡°No, honored synth.¡± The ServAi said, their placid voice speaking in the same calm, even tone that all ServAis spoke in, ¡°The order is pending approval from N-94¡± N-94. N for nothing. N for nobody. N for a synth stripped of rank and awaiting a new one. N for a synth set to be corrected, repurposed, reassigned- Or N for a synth that escaped before any of that could happen, like GiDi. The warning alarms from the drones overhead gave a loud blare to give the notice that the lasers were being employed. Episode 215: Escape As the lasers struck the inside of the dome, TO¡¯s helmet flooded their senses with warnings. At the same time, the communicators of all those around them gave off loud, screeching alarms. Though TO couldn¡¯t see their communicators, they were certain that the warning said the same thing as they saw on their own visor. ==WARNING== DOME INTEGRITY COMPROMISED EVACUATION IN PROCESS Buteo snapped something at Mustela while Sally nearby simply pressed something on her badge. A moment later, a force-field surrounded her. TO¡¯s helmet said that it was a BCSS - Basic Civilian Safety Shield; often used for short bursts in space or underwater. ¡°To the pods.¡± Sally said, her mandibles clicking, ¡°We¡¯ll deal with this when we¡¯re at the surface.¡± ¡°But-¡± Mustela¡¯s tail lashed against the chair, ¡°We can just disable-¡± Buteo turned to TO, ¡°This N-94; is that a synth you know? Can you contact them?¡± Their tone was sharper than before, and To could see their taloned feed digging into the ground beneath them. ¡°No.¡± TO said, ¡°I am unsure if they even exist.¡± ¡°I see.¡± He snapped as he turned back to the collector. ¡°We can¡¯t just disable it.¡± He said, ¡°We need to get out.¡± He turned to Sally, ¡°This is why Thalassa will never be the capital; it¡¯s dangerous. I don¡¯t know why you didn¡¯t bother build atop the water¡± ¡°If we did, the city could sink!¡± She protested, ¡°Come along. Activate your badges; should the dome collapse, that¡¯ll give us time to get to a pod.¡± She started walking, then turned and pointed at Buteo, ¡°And I¡¯ll have you know, this wouldn¡¯t happen in Thalassa proper; this is a residential dome!¡± She shot a furious look at Mustela. ¡°One, apparently, with terrible security.¡± ¡°I have the best security money can buy!¡± ¡°Enough.¡± TO said. The dome was going to collapse, the area would flood, and they were arguing? ¡°Get to the pods and get out.¡± ¡°Will you be coming with us, honored synth?¡± Sally asked, but TO didn¡¯t bother to answer. They spread their wings, took to the air, identified one of the maintenance bots as a target, and then made their helmet locate others all around them. Even from where they were in the secluded area of the dome, their helmet identified the bots all over the place, their lights unnoticed mostly because of the strange bioluminescent fish on the outside, and the myriad of lights which hung overhead on the inside. == Targets identified. Recommended course of action; Multi-gun rapid-fire mode in stun setting. Multi-gun not found.== Of course, they didn¡¯t have their multi-gun with them. As synths, they could have brought them, of course, but as civilians, a multi-gun would have created too many problems. They approached the first bot and pulled it from the interior of the dome, where water was already leaking around a seam on the barrier. Its laser was still active, so TO used it to get rid of a few more bots before its safety overrides finally kicked in and it deactivated. TO dropped the now inactive bot and looked around. No, this wouldn¡¯t work. There were too many bots. Even with their multi-gun, given how quickly the bots were getting through the dome, there would be no way two synths could get rid of them all before it collapsed. An alarm echoed through the dome, loud and low and foreboding. As it did, two alerts went off on TO¡¯s helmet; one stating that the suit was going to underwater mode and that the armor''s minimal oxygen reserves were being activated. ==30 minutes of oxygen remains. Evacuation recommended== So much for Thalassa being safe. The other alert was a call from DH, which TO answered immediately. ¡°You should have a BCSS in your badge.¡± They said as soon as they answered, ¡°Activate that, and get to an evacuation station.¡± ¡°What¡¯s happening?¡± DH asked back. In the background, TO could hear Lendulin asking ¡®are they alright?¡¯ ¡°Tell Lendulin I¡¯m fine.¡± TO said as they looked around. Already, everyone from the VIP Section was heading towards a nearby pillar that had risen out of the ground, a red light flashing on top of it. Emergency pods, their helmet told them, to bring civilians to the surface. The architects who designed Mustela¡¯s estate had probably hidden these things all around inside the dome, and when the evacuation orders went through, they came out of hiding. ¡°There are emergency pods coming out of the ground.¡± TO said, ¡°Get to one.¡± ¡°And you?¡± They had to escape as well, but the insurgents had manipulated the bots down here, the ServAi¡¯s, and the maintenance bots. They also potentially used GiDi¡¯s authentication to override a command to disable the bots. N might stand for nothing and nobody, but it was still a synth designation, and it still could override any civilian commands. They needed information, and while TO¡¯s knowledge about the finer details of the bot¡¯s operations was fuzzy, they knew basic information. There would be a central computer that managed the bots, and that would have a hard drive with all the information they could need on it. ¡°I¡¯m going to see if I can get a backup from the central computer.¡± They said, ¡°Don¡¯t wait for me. Just let me know when you¡¯re safe.¡± They cut the call, then looked around. Beneath them, they saw a ServAi heading to the escape pod. They dove from their perch and landed feet first on the bot. ¡°Pardon me, honored synth.¡± It said in its normal, placid tone, ¡°But everyone must evacuate.¡± TO ignored them, and used their helmet to pick up the wireless signal being transmitted to the bot. Though it only took thirty seconds, TO could feel every instant pass them with painful slowness until, finally, they traced the signal. The central computer was in the house itself, in the basement. They spread their wings and took off. ====== Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators! The fastest way to get to the central computer was through the service door at the back of the house, so that¡¯s where TO headed. They intended to just fly down, use their Synth access to get through, get to the computer, then use that same access to use the nearest escape pod. Though they had some oxygen reserves, it wasn¡¯t enough to get them to the surface. They weren¡¯t even sure how well their suit would hold up under the water pressure. As soon as they approached the door, there was a problem. A herd of civilians, most of them legless, crowded around the door. Some were trying to leave, some were trying to get in, and some simply sat on the nearby rocks, staring blankly. TO landed in front of them, ignoring their sudden terrified faces and the screams that a scattered handful of them gave. ¡°The system has sent an evacuation alarm.¡± they said, ¡°Get to the nearest escape pod-¡± ¡°We can¡¯t!¡± one of them said, tears streaming down their face. This one had legs, fur, and a basic uniform. TO¡¯s helmet said they were part of the full-time maintenance crew in Mustela¡¯s estate. ¡°Why not?¡± ¡°It¡¯s our fault.¡± One of the legless - this one fully scaled and with writhing tendrils instead of hair- said. ¡°They called in extra work for the party. They got a lot more indebted in here-¡± ¡°And the pods for maintenance people reached capacity and launched already!¡± The legged one said. ¡°There¡¯s none left for us!¡± ¡°All the pods?¡± TO asked, their ears pinning back, ¡°There must be more-¡± ¡°Not for us.¡± another civilian said; this one legless as well, but it felt like more of a technicality to TO as they moved about on twelve tentacles. ¡°There''re pods left, but they all have access limitations; no maintenance staff allowed.¡± TO could feel the hum of their heart in their ears as their lips pulled back. Why would there be any reason to limit who can enter an escape pod? They pushed past the civilians as they tapped into the wireless system of the house again and pulled up a floor plan. ¡°Follow me.¡± They said, ¡°All of you. There¡¯s an escape pod two floors up. We have limited time before the dome entirely breaks. Activate your Basic Civilian Safety -¡± ¡°We don¡¯t have them.¡± The one with the tentacles said, ¡°us indebted, I mean. We only have temporary passes for here, and they don¡¯t have-¡± ¡°Then hurry.¡± TO snapped. That would be something for them to deal with later, but there just wasn¡¯t time now. They ran down the hallway, but when they turned to look, they saw that almost none of the civilians were running with them. ¡°What did I say? Move!¡± One civilian started crying, but it didn¡¯t matter as they all started moving, following TO as quickly as they could through the maintenance hallways until they got to a small exit off what their helmet identified as a ballroom; one that had several escape pods attached. They had clearly hidden in the walls, but when evacuation started, the walls slid open to reveal them. There were some gasps from the civilians, and as TO looked up, they understood why. The ballroom had a glass ceiling, and through that, they could see a large crack forming on the surface of the dome. It wouldn¡¯t last much longer. TO went up to the first escape pod, and pressed their hand to it. It beeped, and their helmet lit up with text. =Activate pod? Y/N= =pod set for level 3 access and above.= They sent a command to edit access and set it to open. The pod door slid open, showing a large, comfortable looking pod from which music was playing. Comfortable padded seats lined the circular wall of the pod, each one carefully spaced out for comfort. ¡°Get in.¡± TO said as they moved to the next one. They checked their time; already, ten minutes had passed, and they still had to get to the computer. If DH had been with them, then TO knew that their mate - their brilliant mate- could get all these pods open and working in moments, but they didn''t have DH with them. DH was in line to get into a pod, likely with Lendulin. DH would be perfectly safe. There were ten pods, but thankfully, they only had to open up six of them to fit all the maintenance people. The doors closed, and the pods pulled away to bring the civilians to the surface. Fifteen minutes to go. The computer was only a few minutes away. TO ran. ====== The computer was back in the maintenance levels of the house, behind several security doors. Thankfully, those proved no problem to TO thanks to their synth access, but it cost them precious seconds each time they had to stop for the door to recognize them. As they opened the last door, they heard a horrible creak from outside. ==WARNING== STRUCTURAL INTEGRITY OF DOME COMPROMISED MULTIPLE BREACHES DETECTED DOME COLLAPSE IMMINENT They didn¡¯t know how much longer they had until the dome broke. In the worst scenario, they could get to a pod with the last few minutes of their suit¡¯s oxygen. The barrier should protect them somewhat from the pressure and provide a little oxygen after that; maybe they¡¯d be ok for a few minutes. They wished they could disable the underwater mode for their suit until the dome actually broke, but if they got caught in water and the suit wasn¡¯t in underwater mode, they¡¯d lose their emergency oxygen. They ran into the room and stood before the intimidating computer; it was massive, with all kinds of programs running at once, with so much information displayed on screens in the walls about the maintenance bots - apparently they were trying to fix the dome even as they were destroying it- and servAis who were in recovery mode; set to direct civilians to pods, or carry those who could no longer walk on their own because of injury. With ten minutes left, TO had no intention of trying to figure out the programming. They pulled open the side panel, pulled the main power, then ripped the hard drive from its place. There was a mechanical kit nearby, and they thankfully found a bag in that for storage. They hoped the bag would be enough to protect the hard drive from water damage, and they hoped it had some level of water resistance to it already. They turned and rushed back to the ballroom. ====== ¡°DH, are you in a pod?¡± ¡°Not yet.¡± DH said back. There was a lot of screaming from their side of the communicator, ¡°There¡¯s been a few injuries, and I¡¯ve been carrying people to the-¡± ¡°The ServAi¡¯s are doing that.¡± TO said back, ¡°Get into a pod, or get your armor on.¡± ¡°Lendulin is with me.¡± DH said, ¡°There¡¯s flooding, and she¡¯s swimming out to help people who got caught in the water.¡± Flooding? How bad was it out there? Once they reached the ballroom, their question was answered. Their helmet''s noise filtering dimmed the roar of water against the glass ceiling, but even so TO could guess at how loud it was, and how forceful the water was. ¡°DH, get out.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve got my safety shield on-¡± ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter. Get out now, or put on your armor-¡± Another alarm sounded. But this one didn¡¯t automatically give TO any information. It was very low, and very distant; probably coming from outside the dome. Maybe this was an alarm to warn nearby subaquatic vehicles to move away. They were halfway across the ballroom when a loud groan came from overhead, followed by a horrific snapping. The ceiling overhead shattered from the force of the water that fell upon it, sending glass shards raining down with the fierce waterfall, pushing TO back. They grabbed their badge and activated their safety shield, just to ensure that they had a little more protection. ¡°DH, go now.¡± they snapped into their helmet. Even once they were in the pod, they knew they wouldn¡¯t relax until they knew DH was safe. ¡°Alright, I¡¯m going, I-¡± There was a sound, another loud, low hum. The lights flickered overhead, the sound from TO¡¯s helmet whined in protest, growing louder in the seconds before the sound disappeared altogether, along with the data the helmet fed to them and their augmented visor view. Their helmet shut down entirely, leaving TO blind and deaf. They tried to activate the night-vision setting, hoping that the dome had just gone dark, but their helmet was entirely non-responsive. Their visor, which normally showed a live-recording of what was before them with all the information superimposed over it in an augmented reality view, was entirely powered down. When they attempted echolocation, the high pitched chirps that they gave off simply rang around in their helmet, leaving TO dizzy and disorientated. They reached for the bracelet on their arm, trying to deactivate the armor. As they pressed on the edge of the bracelet, they expected their armor to dissolve away from them, and at least then they¡¯d be able to see and get to the pod. Nothing happened. It was then that they remembered Sally talking about weaponry that disabled all the systems of nearby subaquatic vehicles defenseless as they floated around the city. Something that would leave them disconnected and defenseless. Apparently, it was a weapon that could do the same to Synth armor. Though they couldn¡¯t see or hear anything, they could feel it when the protective dome finally gave way and the water descended upon them. Episode 216:Air The water pulled TO off their feet and sent them spiraling forward as the ocean filled the shattered bubble of air that once protected the grand estate, the trees, and the people. Thankfully, despite the suit being shut down, it still stayed in underwater mode, so while they found themself disoriented and confused, they could at least breathe. They slammed against something, reached out, grabbed onto whatever it was, and then hooked their legs around it so that their hands were free. At least now they weren¡¯t spinning, helpless to the mercy of the tide. The suit had shut down entirely, but of course those who designed the armor had considered such an occurrence, and planned for it. They reached up to the back of their helmet and felt around, pressing at the various bumps located just on the lower edge of their helmet. Eventually, they pressed something and the inner screen of their visor pulled away, letting them see into the murky water through tempered glass. The sudden mass of water that crashed into the building had entirely destroyed the ballroom, opening the house up to the outside entirely. The pure force of the water tore apart the wall, leaving only the most secure support behind, one of which TO was currently holding onto. Not even the pods escaped damage; Most of them rode the water far away, while a few others had crashed and shattered. ¡°DH, give me your status.¡± TO said, then realized of course that they couldn¡¯t send DH anything. Their suit was down, and they couldn''t access any form of communication. The realization hit them suddenly, harder than the water had once it broke through the glass. If their suit was down, then DH¡¯s suit was also down, meaning they wouldn¡¯t be able to put it on. From how DH was talking, TO very much doubted that they had gotten their suit on before their systems went dark. Even if they had, DH was out there, in all this chaos, without their helmet active. Would they remember how to fix their helmet? Would they panic? How much air did they have? How close were they to a pod? They had to find them. They had to find DH and get them to a pod, and they had to do it fast. Already, their head was aching from the slowly diminishing oxygen in their suit, and the gradual buildup of the CO2 that poisoned their minimal air supply. To let go of the pipe and the rushing currents around them pulled them away instantly. They thought at first that they could use their helmet to calculate the direction of the currents and maneuver to where they needed to go, but remembered, again, that their helmet wasn¡¯t working. They were so irritated with themself for forgetting about it. It wasn¡¯t even that they forgot; they knew their systems were down, but it was just instinct at this point to access them when they were wearing their armor. The current pulled them away, but TO grabbed onto a tree - now mostly bare after the water had pulled the leaves away- and looked out at the chaos. Of course, they couldn¡¯t see DH anywhere. Panic set in as they realized that if DH hadn¡¯t gotten to a pod, and didn¡¯t have their armor on, then the water would have taken them already. They would probably have drowned already or at least gotten beaten up by the debris that was being pulled about. They were alive, or they weren¡¯t. If they were alive, they were in a pod. If they weren¡¯t, there was nothing they could do. TO knew that with their limited time, they should get to a pod; there were still plenty around, and they¡¯d be able to get to one without issue. DH was underwater, and dead, or they had gotten to a pod, or they had put on their armor, or they had figured out some way to protect themself. There was no point in looking for them. That¡¯s what the logical, well-trained part of their mind said. The part of TO¡¯s mind that could solve problems and find ways around difficult situations told them that the best thing they could do was just get to a pod. They strained their eyes, looking through the murky water for some hint of DH. Yes, it was pointless, but they couldn¡¯t just leave without knowing for sure; They had to look while they could to at least make sure that DH wasn¡¯t still here, that they were somewhere nearby where they could just grab out, take their mate, and bring them to safety. Some primal part of their brain would not accept that DH was in danger, and there was nothing they could do. TO tried to check their oxygen levels, but cursed again - this time out loud in the silence of their helmet. They needed to know how much time they had left, what their oxygen supply was like. No. Don¡¯t worry about that. Focus on locating DH, on just seeing them. Just that one small thing to start. It was getting harder to focus. It was as though they were thinking through the same murky water that threw them around with such ease. Something struck them in the back, knocking them from their place in the destroyed tree and sending them spinning into the currents that rushed around. The mess of debris and bubbles around them blinded them and in a panic they reached out, grabbing for anything they could find. They caught something, and though it didn''t stop their spiraling entirely, it slowed them and dragged the helpless TO along with it through the water. At least they weren¡¯t spinning anymore. The debris finally faded from around them, and they could see what they had grabbed. Their hand clung to the tail of one of the giant glowing anglerfish, which was moving with a purpose that TO hadn¡¯t yet seen in any of them, heading to a nearby pod that was packed full with civilians; from what TO could see, they were all people who had been working- indebted, service, and maintenance workers. Did this fish think they were food? The pod was so much bigger than the fish, but TO knew that many species of animal could eat prey much bigger than themself. Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author. Even if that was the case, why was it so focused? More confusing, if it was after food, why didn¡¯t it seem to react to TO at all? TO must have seemed like a much easier meal than the pod. The answer came once TO got a better look at the fish. Placed just behind the stem on its head, which held the glowing orb, was a small black box. It fit into the fish''s head, digging through the skin. On one side, a faint light the same color as the orb was blinking rapidly. Was it controlling the fish? Yes, that made sense. Likely it was going to get the pods and bring them up to the surface faster. ¡°It¡¯s just a fish. Probably another safety device.¡± They said to themself as they tried to calm down. They were breathing fast now, their headache getting worse with every breath. It made it difficult to focus on the fish; Something seemed off about it to them. There was something wrong, but the murk that TO was trying to think through kept them from understanding it. No. They had to focus. The fish wasn¡¯t important, so they had to ignore it, ignore the way their heart seemed to struggle in their chest, and ignore their throbbing head. They had to look. They had to find- There it was. Just out of the corner of their eye, they caught a flash of iridescent fabric. It was hard for them to track them at first, but with some effort they could see the figure in the water, draped in flowing fabric. It had to be DH. They. let go of the fish, intending to swim towards DH, but they were moving much faster than TO had expected, like they were sliding through the water. The current must have caught them, and was dragging them along. TO tried not to think that DH was underwater without their armor. They tried not to think that if they still didn¡¯t have their armor on, their mate¡­ No, they wouldn¡¯t think about that. They refused. The idea that something had happened to DH, that something so terrible had happened just when TO left them for a short time was more than their mind could handle, and so their mind refused to accept it. Let them be ok, they thought, I don¡¯t care about anything else. I¡¯ll figure it out. I¡¯ll never let them out of my sight again. I¡¯ll run, just let them be ok! Who they were pleading to, they couldn¡¯t say. They got closer, but before they could see if their mate was alive or dead, a nearby tree that had been clinging to the ground finally came free, sending a cloud of dirt and dust into the water and blinding them once more. The flicker of fabric before them threatened to disappear entirely in the fog of dirt. No, they were so close. They were close to their mate, they couldn¡¯t let anything happen to them! A shout escaped TO¡¯s lips, echoing inside their helmet as they struggled against the water, reaching out desperately to grab DH. They grabbed something. It had to be DH! TO tried to pull back, but to their surprise, DH pulled forward! DH was still alive! DH was alive and swimming! They had no idea how they were alive without their helmet, but they were! And not only were they alive, but they were pulling them somewhere. Without their armor, how could DH be doing anything? Of course¡­ the civilian force shield. TO had forgotten about it, but now they felt foolish for their worry. Even if DH didn¡¯t have their armor on, they¡¯d have their civilian badge on, and that had a shield. It would have protected them for a few minutes at least! They had DH. DH was alright. Now they had to get to a pod. Somehow, they had to get to a pod before they ran out of oxygen entirely, and before DH¡¯s force shield became a useless barrier of CO2, as TO¡¯s armor was becoming. Still, it was so hard to see, and somehow it was even harder to move. No. impossible to move. They felt so heavy, and their head hurt so much. How much time had passed? What were their oxygen levels? Were they dying? DH suddenly pulled them from the water, out of the gloom, and they could almost see again. The murk was gone, but now they could only see spots in their vision. Still, they could tell that they were in a pod that had flung open when the water pulled it away, but which had landed in such a way that it still trapped most of the air inside. They were out of the water, laying on the floor of a pod. They were safe. Mostly safe. They still couldn¡¯t breathe. Was something wrong with the pod''s air supply? As the door closed behind them, they remembered that even out of the water, their suit would stay sealed either until deactivated, or removed. They pushed themself to their knees as their hands scrambled at the back of their helmet to hit the emergency release. They felt a panel under the button that had released the screens in their visor and struggled with it for several minutes before it came loose and they could mash the button hidden on the inside. The helmet fell apart into three pieces and landed with a splash in the ankle-deep water on the bottom of the pod as TO took long, desperate gasps of stale air that had never tasted sweeter. They leaned against the curved wall, gasping as the pod lit up and moved. It shuddered at first, threatening to give up, but then rose towards the surface. It would take a while, but the oxygen in the pod would be more than enough for both of them. They were safe. TO turned around to face DH, to hold them regardless of who might see in another pod somewhere. They had been so scared, so worried¡­ All that fear and worry came back to them as they saw that the iridescent fabric they had chased wasn¡¯t DH¡¯s dress. It was Lendulins. Lendulin, who was now staring at TO in disbelief, her eyes wide, and her tail lashing at the water. ¡°Tio?¡± her voice was quiet and scared. She looked over TO, looked over their face, and then their armor, as though trying to confirm that what she was seeing was correct. Slowly, anger flooded Lendulin''s expression as her hands balled into fists. Her eyes narrowed, and a snarl exposed their slightly pointed teeth. ¡°Explain.¡± she hissed. Episode 217: Friends Lendulin¡¯s clear, vibrating rage was something that TO¡¯s mind acknowledged, but tucked away in the back of their head. There was a far more important problem that was taking up all of their mind¡¯s focus. ¡°Where¡¯s DH.¡± TO said, looking around frantically as though their mate had to be in that pod somewhere, though clearly they weren¡¯t, ¡°I saw them, I had them in my-¡± ¡°Are they a Synth too!?¡± Lendulin demanded. ¡°You¡¯re synths! All this time you were synths-¡± ¡°Where¡¯s DH!?¡± Their ears pinned back, and they bared their own teeth. It was entirely unintentional, but that didn¡¯t matter. All that mattered was figuring out where DH was, and if they were safe. She flinched, her eyes flicking from TO¡¯s face to their armor. She backed up, pushing herself away from TO with her hands and tail. ¡°I-I got them into a pod as soon as the water hit us.¡± She said, ¡°I couldn¡¯t get them into one of the fancy ones, but one of the maintenance ones got washed towards us so-¡± TO stopped listening. They slumped against the side of the pod and just laughed; a manic, joyless laugh. DH was safe. DH had been safe all this time and was probably worried sick about them. They checked their armor again, trying to deactivate it with their bracelet, but it was still offline. As soon as they could, they had to tell DH that they were fine, and that Lendulin- ¡­ That Lendulin had seen them. Lendulin had seen them take off their helmet, and knew that they were a synth. Now that they knew DH was alright, they could process this problem. It was a problem. Civilians weren¡¯t supposed to know what a synth looked like out of armor. ¡°You lied to me.¡± She finally said. She started to shake, and a moment later she threw herself at TO, her hands beating at their armor as she screamed incomprehensible words at them. TO grabbed her wrists, and held her back, but she slammed her tail into them. The force of her powerful tail knocked the air from them and slammed them back against the wall as they let go of Lendulin. She pulled back again, curling against the opposite side of the pod. ¡°You lied to me.¡± She hissed. ¡°I thought you were my friends. ¡°She started laughing almost manically. ¡°Pearla. Pearla knew there was something about you two. She knew that there was something wrong and tried to tell me and Petra to stay away from you. I said she was paranoid. I was all ¡®oh no, they helped me out, they can¡¯t be that bad!¡¯ And all the time, you were synths!¡± She laughed again. ¡°What? Why was that? Why did you help me? Why were you even there!? What the hell do Synths need fancy clothes for?¡± It took a few moments for them to regain their breath, to speak. ¡°... For parties like this?¡± They said with their voice hoarse, their ears down, and their wings finally able to wrap around them since their armor was powerless. They looked down into the water at the bottom of the pod, which they were still sitting in. ¡°We¡¯re told to get civilian clothes when we arrive for our placements. Formal clothing was a part of that.¡± ¡°Why? So you could trick us?¡± TO¡¯s wings tightened around them. She wasn¡¯t wrong, really. ¡°... It makes blending in easier when we need to.¡± They said instead, ¡°So when we¡¯re pretending to be civilians-¡± ¡°Pretending. Right.¡± She gave a snort of laughter. ¡°You pretended to be civilians. Pretended to be my friend-¡± ¡°No, we didn¡¯t-¡± ¡°Then tell me, why did you bother to help me that night?¡± She snarled, ¡°When my chair broke in the shopping district. Why?!¡± ¡°You needed help.¡± TO said, ¡°And¡­ we could help. So we did.¡± ¡°Lies.¡± She hissed, ¡°You had some other reason. Why would a synth help me?¡± That tone, that utter disgust that was so vicious that even TO could pick it up. ¡°... You hate me.¡± TO said, their ears low, their throat burning. Lendulin was their friend. Well, had been their friend. Well, she had become their friend. TO didn¡¯t think they¡¯d have visited her in the Outer Ring if it hadn¡¯t been for Pearla, and their orders to get closer to her, but they cared about Lendulin. They liked her. ¡°Why do you care?¡± She hissed. ¡°Shit¡­ Petra was wrong. She kept saying that synths had to be AI or something, because she couldn¡¯t think that something living could be so vicious.¡± ¡°What exactly did I do that was so vicious!¡± TO said, their hands digging into their arms, ¡°I didn¡¯t do anything-¡± ¡°Synths took Helen, remember? Helen and her family-¡± ¡°That wasn¡¯t me!¡± TO said, ¡°That wasn¡¯t me! I did nothing to her. I¡¯ve never met her!¡± ¡°But you¡¯d have done it if you were told to, wouldn¡¯t you?¡± TO remembered wondering if they could. If given the order to apprehend and eliminate a child, could they? They thought about the juvenile synths floating in their tanks, and the one that PQ03 had forced them to dissect. ¡°... I don¡¯t know.¡± They admitted. ¡°... She¡¯s going to lose her mind when I tell her.¡± Lendulin said, shaking her head, ¡°Tio and DH are synths-¡° ¡°Please don¡¯t tell Petra.¡± TO said. If a civilian knew, they had to be dealt with. TO didn¡¯t want to deal with Lendulin and if she could just promise not to tell anyone, then maybe they wouldn¡¯t have to. ¡°Why not?¡± She snapped. ¡°We¡¯re not supposed to let others know who we are.¡± They said, ¡°It can endanger people and other synths, and¡­¡± They sighed, ¡°Ideally, I¡¯d have to take care of any potential intelligence breeches. I don¡¯t want to do that¡­ Not to my friends.¡± The rage that colored Lendulin¡¯s face drained. ¡°Friends.¡± She said, though even as she spoke, her voice cracked, ¡°Friends, but you couldn¡¯t tell me you two were synths.¡± ¡°It was dangerous.¡± ¡°Why? You didn¡¯t trust us? Friends don''t keep secrets like this-¡± Their ears pinned back, ¡°Your friend, Pearla, is part of the insurgency.¡± TO snapped back, ¡°Or¡­ Associated with them at least. So, clearly they do!¡± Lendulin laughed again. ¡°Pearla? She¡¯s not part of anything.¡± ¡°I have every reason to believe that she is.¡± TO said, ¡°And I have every reason to believe she knew that DH and I were synths, So¡­¡± They shrugged, leaned against the wall again, and stared out into the ocean. The fish were following the glowing pods, carrying them off one by one. It was as TO thought; they were recovery fish, mixed into the aesthetics of Thalassa. DH was safe. As soon as they were able, they¡¯d contact them. They¡¯d be fine. Everything was fine. Everything wasn¡¯t fine. ¡°... What was all that about you and DH, then?¡± She asked, ¡°I mean, you cried. In my house.¡± She stopped, shook her head as a strained,disbelieving laugh escaped her throat. ¡°I had a love-sick synth crying in my home. Shit.¡± She rubbed her eyes. ¡°Was that even real?¡± ¡°Was what?¡± ¡°You''re all upset about DH. What¡¯s really happening!?¡± Her voice echoed in the pod, making TO dizzy, ¡°You said all this shit about being mates, about your families, but clearly you don¡¯t have families since you¡¯re synths, so what the shit was all that about?¡± ¡°Just¡­ Just stop shouting?¡± TO said, their voice was a lot softer than they wanted it to be at that moment, their wings wrapping around their arms tightly, ¡°I¡¯ll tell you¡­ but just¡­¡± they let out a sigh, and looked at the water. This wasn¡¯t supposed to happen. They did like Lendulin, and they thought they had a friend in her, even if they wouldn¡¯t see her after Kei was with them¡­ but this wasn¡¯t how they wanted their friendship to end. ¡°Just what?!¡± she snapped. ¡°... I¡¯m sorry.¡± They whispered. ¡°I couldn¡¯t tell you. We couldn¡¯t tell anyone. We¡¯re not supposed to.¡± ¡°Well, tell me now!¡± She glared at them. ¡°You won¡¯t shoot me, are you?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°How can I know that?¡± TO shrugged, ¡°I don¡¯t have my multi-gun with me right now, regardless.¡± She huffed, then leaned against the wall, staring outside into the water. ¡°... Why did you spend so much time with me?¡± She asked. ¡°No, go back. Why did you help me?¡± ¡°The truth?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°... Honestly, it was exactly.¡± TO said, ¡°You were kind in the shop, Celesto mistreated you, and I felt bad for that, and then you were stuck, and you needed help so¡­¡± ¡°So you just did it because you felt bad.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Another irritated huff. ¡°I didn¡¯t think synths could feel bad about anything.¡± She snapped. ¡°Well¡­I do..¡± ¡°Right.¡± She said, ¡°And why did you visit me after?¡± Their ears dipped down. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ complicated.¡± They admitted. ¡°And a long story.¡± ¡°Pearla, right?¡± SHe said, ¡°You said you thought she was an insurgent, so you were probably using me to get to her, right?¡± TO winced, ¡°Getting closer to her was part of my orders.¡± They admitted. ¡°And why?¡± ¡°... That¡¯s confidential.¡± TO said, ¡°I can¡¯t tell you.¡± ¡°You already told me she¡¯s part of the insurgency, so what does it matter?¡± TO¡¯s stomach churned as they realized that. Well, in fairness, Lendulin had shaken them with the whole, ¡°Friends don¡¯t hide that stuff¡± comment. ¡°The more I tell you, the more dangerous things are for you.¡± TO admitted, ¡°It¡¯s bad enough that you know I''m a synth.¡± Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. ¡°Right.¡± She sighed, and looked out again, but her eyes went wide, and her tail curled up. ¡°How dangerous.¡± ¡°... the other synth that¡¯s coming is¡­ a lot stricter than I am. They follow procedure carefully.¡± If Kei were told to kill a child for King Decon, TO had no doubt that they¡¯d do it without hesitation. ¡°If they think that there¡¯s been any compromise in my position here, then they will deal with that efficiently and quickly.¡± ¡°¡­ That means they¡¯ll kill me.¡± ¡°Most likely.¡± TO said, ¡°If they considered you to be a more¡­ visible citizen; a public figure, or a politician, perhaps there would be more effort to do things differently but-¡° ¡°But what, because I¡¯m legless, there wouldn¡¯t be?¡± ¡°It has nothing to do with being legless.¡± TO said. She was very pale now, and her hands were shaking. ¡°Right.¡± She said quickly, ¡°And uh..¡± She chewed her lip. ¡°That entire story about you and DH.¡± She said, the words tumbling out of her mouth as though she was trying to put as many words between her and the previous conversation as possible, ¡°What¡¯s really going on there?¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°You and DH being mates, and getting caught and all that. Are you actually mates? What¡¯s the real reason DH is leaving?¡± TO¡¯s felt their ears burn and the tears sting at the corners of their eyes, ¡°That¡­ was true.¡± They said, ¡°I suppose you¡¯d change ¡®family¡¯ to ¡®commanding officer¡¯ And ¡®cousin who hates us¡¯ to ¡®another synth who hates us¡¯.¡± ¡°But aren¡¯t you all the same or something?¡± She asked, curiosity covering up her anger for a moment, ¡°I heard you all had some kind of hive mind-¡± ¡°Not at all.¡± TO said, ¡°A lot of synths didn¡¯t like me or DH when we were in training. We¡­¡± they shrugged, ¡°We were a little different. Weird. Strange. So, they didn¡¯t like us.¡± ¡°... And what¡­ your commanding officers don''t want you and DH together.¡± ¡°They don¡¯t.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Not supposed to be together with anyone.¡± TO said, ¡°Most synths don''t have mates. Most synths don¡¯t want mates and find the whole idea¡­. Disgusting. That¡¯s more why the one coming doesn¡¯t like me. They caught us, and-¡± ¡°And they found you and DH disgusting?¡± ¡°They figured it made us unworthy of serving king Decon.¡± They said, ¡°Thankfully, my performance so far has been excellent, so rather than correct me-¡± ¡°Correct? What, like¡­ brainwashing or something?¡± ¡°No. Well, maybe?¡± TO frowned, ¡°They use lasers, and alter the physical makeup of the brain. It reduces our mental capabilities, but leaves us able to do menial tasks. I suppose if they caught two synths like myself and DH, then ideally they¡¯d correct the two.¡± They looked up to Lendulin, and were absolutely shocked to see such a look of horror on her face. ¡°What the shit, Tio.¡± She said, ¡°What, they just lobotomize you?¡± ¡°No, they correct malformations in the brain.¡± ¡°It sounds like a lobotomy! And what, for falling in love? Why?! What¡¯s so-¡± ¡°A synth has one duty; serve King Decon. Anything else is a distraction.¡± ¡°... then leave?¡± She said, ¡°Quit.¡± ¡°Quit?¡± TO¡¯s ears flicked in confusion. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Just fucking quit!¡± She clenched her fists again. ¡°Take DH, take yourself, and run! Get out of there! I mean-¡± her tail slapped against the water, ¡°Do you really believe in what King Decon is doing?¡± TO¡¯s ears pinned back, ¡°King Decon created us so that we could help Him unify the galaxy.¡± TO said, ¡°King Decon does everything he can to unify countless different peoples and cultures to improve the lives of everyone in the galaxy-¡± ¡°King Decon decided that all the people in this solar system should be moved to Arkane.¡± She said, ¡°And the native Arkanian people here didn¡¯t like ¡®legless¡¯ people from aquatic planets taking up space in their waters.¡± She narrowed her eyes. ¡°My life hasn''t improved. My parents came here and had to work doing cleanup near the coast. The filth in the water got in their lungs, and killed them, so the move didn¡¯t improve their lives.¡± ¡°... I am sorry for that.¡± TO said, ¡°But, the collection of -¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you dare give me the whole ¡°essential ores¡± shit.¡± She snapped, ¡°I don¡¯t care what you think. Some ore isn¡¯t worth a life.¡± She looked away. ¡°King Decon cares about staying in power, and to do that he lets the powerful people, the rich people, do what they want.¡± How many planets across the galaxy were like Arkane? TO remembered wondering about that not too long ago. How many were being helped, compared to how many were being hurt. ¡°How did you even become a synth, anyway?¡± She asked, ¡°What, were you recruited? Did your parents give you up?¡± ¡°King Decon created us-¡± ¡°That¡¯s what they say, and if you were a robot, I¡¯d buy that.¡± She shook her head. ¡°But you¡¯re not. Where did you come from?¡± ¡°... A synth production lab.¡± TO said, ¡°Back in the training center, King Decon created me, and other synths grew me. I¡¯ve worked in the labs that create synths, and we¡¯re all made in tanks. ¡°... and you¡¯re not robots? I mean, you have scars, so-¡± She frowned, ¡°That could be cosmetic though-¡± ¡°No. we¡¯re not robots.¡± TO said, ¡°We¡¯re just creations of King Decon. He made us to serve him.¡± ¡°And who raised you?¡± ¡°There¡¯s a program that we live through that trains us and teaches us before we come out of the tanks.¡± TO said, ¡°But it¡¯s just like a faded dream when we wake. Most don¡¯t even like to talk about it.¡± ¡°Alright, but when you were kids, someone raised you, right?¡± ¡°We don¡¯t come out of the tanks until we¡¯re fully grown.¡± TO said. ¡°It¡¯s¡­ inefficient to raise juveniles individually.¡± ¡°...so you never had a childhood.¡± ¡°Synths don¡¯t need one.¡± ¡°And... you never had a choice.¡± TO¡¯s ear quirked up, ¡°A choice of what?¡± ¡°For being a synth!¡± Lendulin said, as though it was obvious, ¡°I mean.. Do they give you a choice~!?¡± ¡°... Why would we need a choice?¡± TO asked, ¡°We¡¯re made to be tools of King Decon-¡± ¡°Tools?!¡± She looks at them, her eyes wide. ¡°You¡¯re not a tool. You¡¯re a person~!¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m a synth.¡± TO said, though even as they said that, they could hear GiDi¡¯s voice echo in the back of their mind. I am not a tool. ¡°And you¡¯re a person! You¡¯re kind, you get sad, you have a mate!¡± She laughed, ¡°Just run. I¡¯ll help you. Pearla will help you. Heck, if she¡¯s part of the insurgency, she¡¯ll probably be happy to-¡± ¡°We think the insurgency has been torturing and killing us.¡± TO said, ¡°So¡­ I¡¯d rather refrain from that.¡± ¡°Well, from what you¡¯re telling me, you¡¯ve already been tortured pretty badly!¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t?¡± ¡°From what you just told me about how you were¡­ What, raised? Trained? It sounds pretty awful.¡± ¡°For a civilian, maybe.¡± TO said, shrugging, ¡°But we¡¯re synths.¡± ¡°And it still sounds awful. You can still run.¡± TO shook their head, ¡°We can¡¯t. We have to serve King Decon.¡± ¡°... So you love King Decon more than DH.¡± ¡°No, but-¡± ¡°Then leave!¡± She made it seem so simple, so easy. Choose between DH and King Decon. Choose between their beloved mate, and their reason for being. Choose between their love and their creator. ¡°It¡¯s not that easy. Besides, if we left, they¡¯d hunt us down.¡± She sighed and looked away again. Silence fell between them before she spoke again. ¡°Is Tio your real name?¡± ¡°It¡¯s¡­ it is, in a way.¡± TI said, ¡°We don¡¯t have names. We have call numbers that change depending on our position. When I was in training, my number was 09T07. DH was 70H67. We gave ourselves nicknames from that and it stuck.¡± ¡°Just.. T-Oh? Spelled just T-O?¡± ¡°Yes. and DH is just D-H.¡± She looked out, gazing across the water again as one of the giant fish led away a pod that was floating well above them. ¡°At least you could have a name.¡± ¡°It was frowned upon, but not something we¡¯d be corrected for.¡± ¡°Of course it was.¡± She muttered. She fell silent, watching the fish for a few moments longer. ¡°What do you suppose those fish are doing?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know for certain.¡± TO said, ¡°But I think they¡¯re maybe leading the pods away to safety.¡± ¡°That¡¯s weird.¡± She said, ¡°Why are they only going after the service pods then?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Service pods. Look.¡± She pointed, ¡°The service pods have just yellow light, while the fancy ones have blue light. It¡¯s supposed to be more relaxing or something like ours.¡± She gestured to the thin ring of light that was embedded in the pod''s top. ¡°So if they¡¯re bringing people to safety, then I''d figure they¡¯d take the fancy pods first, but they haven¡¯t. They¡¯ve only touched ones for maintenance staff.¡± With everything going on, TO hadn¡¯t even noticed that. Now, however, as they watched, they could see that what Lendulin said was correct. The fish were only taking the maintenance pods. Not only that, it was only now that TO noticed that the fish weren¡¯t heading to the surface. They were pulling the pods far away into the gloom. TO¡¯s ears went low, their eyes went wide. ¡°You said you put DH in a maintenance pod?¡± ¡°Yes? It was the only one nearby. Why?¡± ¡°Because those fishing aren¡¯t rescuing the pods.¡± TO said, ¡°They¡¯re abducting them!¡± Episode 218: Loss TO scrambled for the pieces of their helmet that lay under the layer of water at the bottom of the pod. They didn¡¯t know what exactly they could do at this point since their suit had no power, but they had to do something! Lendulin said she put DH in a maintenance pod, and it was the maintenance pods that were being taken away. The panic, fueled by the thought of DH out in the water, drowning, was like a spark near gas and was ready to explode once more within them. Lendulin¡¯s presence, her anger, and her questions had been a mere distraction. They held the pieces up to their head and tried to frantically put them together. Clearly, when their suit was powered down, their own two hands weren¡¯t enough. ¡°Help me!¡± They demanded of Lendulin, who was just watching. ¡°What?¡± ¡°I have to get out there. I have to find DH and-¡± ¡°You can¡¯t!¡± She said, ¡°You¡¯ll die.¡± ¡°This suit can give me a few minutes of oxygen, even powered down-¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t seem very waterproof to me!¡± she snapped, ¡°You just pulled it apart!¡± ¡°I just have to put it in underwater mode, and -¡± They stopped, cursed in synth speak, and threw a piece of helmet across the pod. It hit the other side with a loud bang that made Lendulin yelp in fright. ¡°The suit¡¯s powered down!¡± TO hissed. They held up their wrist and started holding their fingertips to the bracelet part of the armor. Nothing happened; They did it again, but still nothing happened. It was pointless though. They¡¯d know the second the suit powered up again. It¡¯d connect to their chip, and their helmet would make some kind of noise. ¡°Even if it wasn¡¯t, look how far away the pods are already!¡± She pointed out the window. ¡°You¡¯d only have a few minutes, right?¡± ¡°Five minutes, Give or take.¡± TO admitted. It would likely be less; they were still recovering from their oxygen deprivation earlier, and if they were particularly active, that would use up their meagre air supplies quickly. ¡°And when I got to you, you weren''t doing that good.¡± She looked out, ¡°I can¡¯t use my sonar in here, but I¡¯d say those pods are at least a five-minute swim for you-¡± ¡°Help me then!¡± TO said, ¡°You can get there faster-¡± ¡°And that brings me to my next point.¡± She said as she gestured to the door, ¡°These things aren¡¯t meant to be opened once they close; not until they hit the surface. If I open this now, I don¡¯t know that I¡¯ll be able to close it later.¡± She frowned. ¡°In fact, I don¡¯t even know if I can open it-¡± ¡°Then try! We have to try.¡± They lunged for the door, but Lendulin jumped before them. ¡°What I¡¯m saying is that if you go out there, if you open this door right now, you will die.¡± She pushed them back. ¡°You don¡¯t even have your helmet on, and you said it¡¯s powered down, regardless.¡± ¡°if I do nothing, DH will-¡± ¡°You¡¯ll die if I open this.¡± She said, ¡°And DH¡¯ll never know what happened to you. At worst, they¡¯ll get to see you drown.¡± She pushed them back gently, trying to get more space between them and the door, ¡°There¡¯s nothing you can do right now, TO.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t just get them taken away!¡± TO hissed. They looked towards the pods again, ¡°What if it¡¯s the insurgency!?¡± ¡°... I mean, it probably is.¡± Lendulin said. The careless way she said that so easily, with none of the fear or concern that TO was learning to read on her face and in her body language, made TO want to scream. ¡°How could you know?¡± They hissed, their fists clenching. ¡°Well..¡± She rubbed her arms. ¡°They.. do things like this sometimes.¡± ¡°What, attack civilian domes?¡± ¡°From time to time, they try to free the indebted.¡± She admitted. ¡°Though this is the first time I¡¯ve heard of them trying it in Thalassa.¡± ¡°Free them?¡± TO¡¯s ears pinned back, ¡°They attacked a civilian underwater residence, caused untold damage, and put lives in danger-¡° ¡°Because you care so much about civilian lives, right?¡± Lendulin hissed, ¡°The insurgency rescues the indebted, and takes them away. I don¡¯t know where; maybe they smuggle them off the planet.¡± She said, ¡°That¡¯s what I heard, anyway.¡± ¡°We care about civilian lives just as much as anyone would!¡± TO said, ¡°Maybe more than I should. I stopped to help a bunch of maintenance workers get out before the dome collapsed. If I hadn¡¯t, then maybe I¡¯d be with DH right now.¡± ¡°¡­ yeah.¡± Lendulin said, her tail wrapping around her, ¡°Yeah. DH was¡­¡± she shook her head and looked away, ¡°Sorry.¡± ¡°DH was what?¡± TO demanded. ¡°They were helping.¡± She said, ¡°Some people got injured. They were helping, doing first aid, getting people to the pods.¡± She clutched at her arms. ¡°Shit¡­ they knew you were still around, didn¡¯t they?¡± She looked to TO, who nodded. Lendulin looked away. ¡°¡­ They never mentioned you. They just helped. I remembered thinking it was good that you left early, so they weren¡¯t worried about you. They were doing all that, and they must have been terrified for you.¡± ¡°And that¡¯s just another reason I have to get DH back! They don¡¯t know if I¡¯m ok, and if it¡¯s the insurgency that¡¯s taking them¡­¡± the thought of DH being imprisoned and tortured was more than they could handle at the moment, They lunged for the door again, willing to dive into the water with or without a suit, but Lendulin held them back. ¡°You¡¯ll die.¡± She said, ¡°Even if your suit was ready, you¡¯d not be able to get them out of the pod without killing them and every other civilian inside!¡± ¡°I can¡¯t just let the insurgency take them!¡± They felt their wings puff up, their muscles tense. ¡°They¡¯ll hurt DH, and torture them until they do what they want.¡± Lendulin frowned, her tail twitching. ¡°No¡­ No, I¡¯m sure they won¡¯t.¡± She said, ¡°They wouldn¡¯t do that.¡± ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t they? You think nobody died in all this?¡± TO gestured to the pods all around them, ¡°Do you think everyone got to a pod?! You said they were ¡®saving¡¯ the indebetted but if I hadn¡¯t stopped and helped, it''s the maintenance crews and indebetted that would have drowned once the dome broke!¡± ¡°Well¡­ Ideally, they should have.¡± She said, ¡°I couldn¡¯t see everything that was happening, but I don¡¯t think there were enough pods for the extra maintenance staff.¡± She frowned. ¡°The insurgency wouldn¡¯t have known that though! There should have been enough pods! There were enough for guests, but they didn¡¯t bother to make sure there was enough for all the maintenance staff! There should have been enough!¡± ¡°There wasn¡¯t.¡± This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.¡°And that¡¯s not their fault! The insurgency wouldn¡¯t just go around trying to kill people-¡± ¡°And I¡¯ve seen them kill. Or at least, I¡¯ve seen someone die because of them. A security guard in the prison break earlier in the week. They pulled him along, and they all ended up dying in the attempt to escape.¡± She opened her mouth, looking very much like she wanted to argue what TO was saying, but then stopped and looked away. ¡°Nevermind it.¡± She said. ¡°But you can¡¯t go out. You won¡¯t help DH. You¡¯ll just die.¡± She gave a sudden laugh. ¡°You¡¯re a synth. I should just let you.¡± Despite everything, that hurt, and apparently when she looked back at TO, she could see that. She sighed and looked away quickly. ¡°... Sorry.¡± She said after the silence lingered in the air for too long. ¡°It¡¯s¡­ I can¡¯t see you as a synth. One moment you¡¯re TO, and the next-¡° ¡°What were you going to say?¡± ¡°... I don¡¯t want to get in trouble. I don¡¯t want to be on any lists, or-¡± ¡°You¡¯re not on any lists now.¡± TO said, ¡°Why would I put you on one? For having an opinion?¡± ¡°Probably.¡± ¡°Well¡­ I don¡¯t intend to.¡± ¡°... I know the insurgency isn¡¯t all good.¡± She said, ¡°I know that. I¡¯m not na?ve. I know people die, and I know they do bad things. I also know they¡¯re doing that tohelp people who can¡¯t help themselves. The government, King Decon, Synths, they all do worse. The only difference is that when they do it, it¡¯s legal.¡± ¡°And because of that, you think it¡¯s ok if the insurgency tortures DH?¡± TO hissed, their fists shaking. ¡°... I really don¡¯t think they would.¡± She said, ¡°I can¡¯t see it. Torture isn¡¯t really something they¡¯re known for.¡± ¡°But I know that¡¯s what they do!¡± ¡°How?¡± They hesitated, wondering how much to tell her¡­ how much could they tell her? Anything they said would put her in danger. She thought the insurgency was doing good; that they were helping. She didn¡¯t understand how dangerous they were, or what they could do to DH. ¡°The insurgents have learned our language.¡± TO said, ¡°And they knew some information that they could only get from synths. They also had work done on certain objects which was obviously being done by a synth.¡± they glared out at the giant angular fish, which were taking away the last few pods. DH was likely in one of those being taken away. They were alive for now, and that was TO¡¯s only consolation. Once their suit came back on, they could call DH, track them, and save them. ¡°They¡¯re torturing synths for information, and forcing them to do work for them.¡± ¡°... Or some synths defected.¡± She said, ¡°And they¡¯re just working for the insurgency.¡± ¡°They wouldn¡¯t.¡± TO said, shaking their head, ¡°No synth would work with the enemies of King Decon.¡± ¡°But why not?¡± She asked, ¡°I mean, that makes more sense, right? Torturing them to get information is one thing, but¡­ what kind of work are they doing?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t tell you that.¡± TO said, ¡°... Electrical work, let''s say.¡± ¡°Alright, well, I mean¡­ that¡¯s easy enough to mess up, isn¡¯t it? Why would they trust synths to do that kind of work if they were being tortured to do it? And I know little about language, but I¡¯d think you need some actual communication and cooperation to really understand someone¡¯s language, right?¡± She huffed, ¡°Besides, I imagine if they caught a synth, and said that they didn¡¯t have to worry about being lobotomized or killed for parts, then they¡¯d be happy enough to do work for them. Shit-¡± She looked to TO, ¡°If they said you and DH could stay together as lovers, wouldn¡¯t you work with them?¡± ¡°Synths do not defect. Any synth that survived their training would never defect.¡± ¡°That you have to ''survive¡¯ your training is horrifying, you know that, right?¡± She huffed, ¡°What about those that don¡¯t?¡± ¡°They get repurposed or corrected.¡± TO said, but even as they said that there was one synth that they knew didn¡¯t get repurposed or corrected. GiDi hadn¡¯t. GiDi had refused to serve King Decon. In their examination, GiDi threw down their weapon, and refused to fight TO. They said they weren¡¯t tools. GiDi was taken away before they could be reprocessed. Could GiDi possibly deign to work with the insurgency? ¡°You didn¡¯t answer me, though.¡± She said, ¡°What about you? If they said you and DH could be together, that you didn¡¯t have to be separated, and don''t have to be synths anymore-¡± ¡°It¡¯s an honor to be a synth.¡± TO said, but the words felt recited, felt practiced. ¡°And would you rather be a synth, or be DH¡¯s mate?¡± It occurred to TO that the only reason they had passed their training, the only reason they had been able to shoot DH, and try to fight GiDi was because they knew their exam was just a simulation. They also knew that they¡¯d never be able to hurt DH. they said as much to DH. If King Decon told them to shoot their mate, TO knew that they never would. They couldn''t. But would they join the insurgency? Would they? Could they? The insurgency would just torture them. Unless they weren¡¯t. Unless synths were working with the Insurgency. With their mind swirling in a million different directions, they didn¡¯t notice the last light of the angler fish outside fade off into the murky sea. They stayed lost in their thoughts until their chip suddenly beeped, and their helmet, still in pieces on the floor, lit up on the inside. ¡°I¡¯m back up.¡± TO said. They grabbed the pieces of helmet and pressed at their wrist again. This time, the suit dissolved around them. ¡°That¡¯s your suit!?¡± she asked, looking at the bracelet. ¡°I thought it was like a proposal thing or something, since you and DH wear them!¡± TO didn¡¯t answer. They instead took out their communicator and immediately tried to contact DH. There was no answer. They pulled up their tracking program instead. At worst, they could find DH that way. They could track them down and extract them from wherever the insurgency had them hidden. They¡¯d find them, they¡¯d tear through people and buildings to get to DH. Again, there was nothing. They tried again. Nothing. Again, and still nothing. ¡°TO?¡± Lendulin inched forward. ¡°Anything?¡± Nothing. DH was gone. They could see DH in their mind''s eye, smiling, laughing. Their ears twitching or flushing. They remembered the last moments they saw their mate in that beautiful gown, rushing away after their friend. Their last moment. Their last view of their mate. They gave a scream, unhinged and feral, and threw the communicator against the pod with such force that the screen broke. The sound echoed in the pod, coming back to TO¡¯s own ears as something foreign, a sound that they couldn¡¯t possibly have made. A sound that without words screamed of hurt and loss and anguish. They fell to their knees in the cold, salt water, put their hands to their face, and sobbed so violently that they thought they¡¯d throw up. DH was gone. Nothing mattered. Everything they had done, everything they had tried, was all pointless. All they ever wanted was to stay with them, even before they were mates. They failed. They felt tentative hands settle on their shoulders, and Lendulin¡¯s tail rested against their side. They leaned into their friend, letting her hold them as they let their frustration, confusion, and the horrible, wrenching feeling of loss pour from them in hot tears. They failed. They failed themself, and they failed DH. Episode 219: Offline When the glimmer of light overhead broke through the murk, TO put their helmet back on. They knew Thalassa had civilian emergency vehicles overhead, picking up and processing anyone that was rescued, and they didn¡¯t have time to go through that. A civilian would have to go through all the proper documentation and let the Thalassian authorities process them correctly; synths did as they pleased. ¡°Tio..¡± Lendulin reached out, setting a hand on TO¡¯s forearm. ¡°Just¡­ stay with me for now.¡± She said, ¡°Come to my place, I¡¯ll help. I¡¯ll take care of you-¡± ¡°I have to find DH.¡± TO said. They had to get back home where they could properly read the logs and maps that would show last known positions and which would have backups of messages that DH might have tried to send. Any information that would have gotten lost when TO¡¯s suit was down would stay in their backups, and TO had to get at it. They had to act fast if they wanted to save DH. Hopefully, it wasn¡¯t already too late. ¡°¡­ Could you take off the helmet?¡± Lendulin asked, ¡°You sound weird with it on.¡± TO sighed, and a moment later the helmet dissolved from around their head. They¡¯d rather have it on; their eyes were still blue-ringed from sobbing, and the space around their eyes was speckled with blue dots; veins that burst in their face from how violently they had cried. They had done their best to wash their face off with the salty water trapped with them in the pod, but had been less than successful. ¡°I¡¯d rather keep it on.¡± They said. ¡°You sound different when you have it on.¡± Lendulin said as she put a hand on TO¡¯s armored forearm. ¡°You sound¡­ Well, when you have the helmet on, I can understand why Petra thought you all were robots.¡± ¡°It¡¯s designed to translate from our own language.¡± They admitted, ¡°And DH and I speak a little differently than others. That¡¯s probably why.¡± ¡°Maybe.¡± Lendulin said, ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter. Look, just, Come with me.¡± She tightened her grip on TO''s arm. ¡°I¡¯m kind of worried about you, and I don¡¯t think you should be alone right now. You can stay with me-¡° ¡°Even though I¡¯m a synth?¡± Lendulin looked away, her tail lashing, ¡°¡­ Yes, even though you¡¯re a synth.¡± She frowned. ¡°You said you¡¯re supposed to ¡®deal¡¯ with me, because I saw you¡­ but you¡¯re not, because you don¡¯t want to hurt a friend, right?¡± TO nodded, their ears flicking back. ¡°Well, if you''re a friend before you¡¯re a synth, then you¡¯re my friend before you¡¯re a synth.¡± She looked up, her eyes big and her tail flicking. ¡°We¡­ are still friends, right?¡± TO felt their eyes burn and closed them tightly to keep more tears from coming. They had cried too much, and felt they¡¯d be sick if they cried more right now. ¡°Yes. We were. We are.¡± TO put an armored hand over Lendulins, gave her a squeeze, and then gently pulled her hand from their forearm. ¡°But DH is my mate. I have to find them.¡± ¡°Maybe I should go with you?¡± She said, though even as she spoke, her face paled, ¡°I mean-¡° she gave a nervous laugh ¡°It¡¯s not like you¡¯re arresting me, so I wouldn¡¯t just disappear if I went with you¡­ right? I¡¯d be safe?¡± ¡°No.¡± Even without the helmet, TO¡¯s voice was sharp, ¡°The other synths are coming. They¡¯ll be here soon, and one of them will¡­ deal with you if they think you know who I am.¡± The remaining color drained from her face. She backed away from TO, rubbing her hands as they did. ¡°And the ones coming, they¡¯re not your friends, right?¡± ¡°One is. The other one is¡­¡± Their words caught in their throat. The other synth was Kei, the one who reported them to their officer. ¡°They aren¡¯t my friend, no.¡± ¡°Will you be ok?¡± A strangled laugh escaped their throat. ¡°No.¡± They said, ¡°Not until I find DH.¡± They put their helmet back on, grateful to have something hiding their face, something covering the pained look in their eyes and the dip to their ears, something to compensate for the crack to their voice. This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. ¡°¡­ When you find them, just run.¡± She said, ¡°Come to me, I¡¯ll help you. We¡¯ll figure something out, but just run away!¡± She reached out again, but stopped as she looked up at TO¡¯s helmet. ¡°¡­ You¡¯re not one of them.¡± ¡°One of them?¡± ¡°One of the synths. You¡¯re not one of them; you¡¯re not like them. So, just run when you get DH.¡± ¡°¡­ You don¡¯t know what I am.¡± TO said, their fists clenching. ¡°I am a synth. I¡¯m a good synth. Excellent, in fact. Before I left for my placement here, they even considered me for-¡° ¡°But you¡¯re not one of them!¡± She said again, ¡°You¡¯re different. You care about us. I don¡¯t think that any other synth in the entire Galaxy would have given me a brand new chair just because they thought it was unfair that I couldn¡¯t get a good one.¡± The light overhead was getting clearer. Soon, they¡¯d break the surface, and then Lendulin could open the door. ¡°You¡¯re¡­ you¡¯re better than they are.¡± She finally said. The pod broke through the surface. They were a little way away from the main cluster of pods, most of which were being picked up by emergency vehicles. The door beeped, and a light that had been blinking red turned green. Lendulin reached out, hand on the door, ready to open it. She turned to TO. ¡°Ready?¡± They put their suit in underwater mode, just in case. ¡°Ready.¡± they said. She opened the door. Water rushed in, throwing TO off their feet for a moment, but once the pod filled up, they could swim to the surface. Now that their suit was active again, it was giving them all kinds of information; The temperature of the water, pollutants, and the oxygen supply that they had available. The helmet adjusted their screen so they could see clearly in the water. It also interpreted sounds and fed them to TO so that it was as though they were hearing things properly; as though they were still above water. So much easier, and so much less claustrophobic. Though they could swim, Lendulin grabbed them and brought them to the surface, breaking through and pulling them up after her. Once free of the water, TO spread their wings against the surface, letting themself just float on the waves as they gained their bearings. They sent the command to their helmet to get directions to their ship, and a moment later a red arrow on their visor pointed towards the north. ¡°Let me know when you get them.¡± Lendulin said, ¡°And¡­ and please, come find me when you¡¯re safe. I¡¯ll help you. Even if you don¡¯t want me to get Pearla involved, I¡¯ll help you! I¡¯ll figure out something! You don¡¯t deserve to be like this.¡± ¡°You¡¯re probably right.¡± TO said, ¡°But not in the way you think; there is no greater privilege than serving King Decon¡­ and it¡¯s a privilege I probably don¡¯t deserve.¡± They flapped their powerful wings and thought it was a struggle they could pull themself from the water. They circled around to gain some height, and then took off to the north, and towards their home. ====== For the first time, TO took no joy in flight. The freedom to fly where they pleased over the expansive sea held no pleasure for them today as every second in the air was a second wasted, a second more where something terrible could happen to DH, where the insurgency could hurt them. ¡°... Or some synths defected, and they¡¯re just working for the insurgency.¡± Lendulin¡¯s words lingered in TO¡¯s head; an idea so ludicrous, so insane that it clung to their thoughts and refused to be forgotten. Maybe it stayed because it gave them hope; maybe DH wasn¡¯t in danger. Of course, each time they thought that, they reminded themself that synths do not turn against King Decon. It was nice to have the hope, but they couldn¡¯t let that keep them from fighting, from looking for DH. The insurgency was dangerous, and they would hurt DH. They had to remember that. They ignored messages from Praetor Sally, and even one from Ark-1 as they rushed to get to their ship. When it finally appeared on the horizon, they pushed themself to fly faster, knowing they¡¯d likely end up hurting themself in the process or straining something in their wings. It didn¡¯t matter. They landed before the door, almost punching the security panel in their rush to get inside. Scanning in to gain access to the ship at the main door, then again at the elevator, stole precious seconds from them. It would be faster to rip open the maintenance hatch in the elevator and climb up, but they refrained from doing that. When they got to their living space, they plopped down in front of the console, still in their armor, and started searching for the information they needed. They were too slow, and they cursed on their fingers for lagging behind how fast they wanted to move. Of course, their mind was no better, no more adept at coaxing information from the console. If DH was here, they¡¯d already have the information pulled up and analyzed. But DH wasn¡¯t here. DH was with the insurgents somewhere. If they had shared duties more, if they hadn¡¯t been content to just let DH do all the computer work, then maybe they¡¯d be a little faster at all this. Finally, they got their messages up. There was only one message sent from DH to them, caught in the network, and left unsent because their suit was down. ¡°I¡¯m fine. Get into a pod.¡± The data for DH¡¯s chip said offline, and when TO traced it, the last known location was back in Thalassa. Once their chips went offline at the party, DHs never went back on. They had nothing. The information in DH¡¯s chip provided nothing but a message that told TO to get the safety. There was no further tracking information, no more messages. Even the data regarding vital signs had gone offline, so TO didn¡¯t know for certain if DH was alive or dead. Nothing. No information, and no idea where they might have gone with DH. No, they did have one idea. Lendulin said that the insurgents sometimes abduct the indebted, and situate them off planet. If they wanted to do that, then the only way to get off of Arkane was from Okoia. Maybe they didn¡¯t go to Okoia; maybe they were going to other islands on Arkane, but Okoia was the only lead TO had or would have until DH¡¯s chip came back online. They jumped up and prepared their ship for takeoff. Thalassa was no longer their concern, and could get crushed by the massive weight of the sea for all TO might care. The insurgents took DH, and they were heading to Okoia. That¡¯s all TO cared about. Episode 220: Offer TO had entirely forgotten about the message from ARK-1, and only another message reminded them of that. Though there was nothing they could do at the moment, they still hated turning away from the screen that projected the path ahead of them. They felt like they could make the ship go faster, so long as they didn¡¯t take their eyes off the horizon. ¡°Ark-1¡± TO said as they sat down, ¡°How can I-¡° ¡°I received an emergency newscast from Arkane.¡± They said before TO could finish, ¡°It said that there was an attack in Thalassa.you are of course located there, but you did NOT respond to my first message. Now I see that Ark-88¡¯s communications are offline, and I see your ship is moving without such a thing being cleared with me.¡± ¡°Apologies, Ark-1.¡± TO said, their ears flicking back in irritation, ¡°I believe it was in fact an insurgent attack. They took DH-¡± Their ears flicked down, they knew, but there was no point in hiding that at this point; Ark-1 already knew, so any sorrow they saw from TO at the loss of their mate was to be expected. ¡°-And I believe excessive insurgent activity will occur in Okoia presently.¡± ¡°Enough activity to change your plans entirely in an instant?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± TO said, ¡°I intend to find the insurgents. I intend to find DH and get them back.¡± Their eyes narrowed. ¡°I will not let them hurt another Synth.¡± Their ears flicked - disgusted- but at the same time they seemed pensive. ¡°¡­ So, what is your plan?¡± ¡°The insurgency abducted many indebted people who were working at the site of the attack. Apparently, they sometimes do this, and take the civilians off the planet. If they want to leave Arkane, they can only do that on Okoia. Once there, I expect an examination of the docks and launch-sites should reveal suspicious activity, allowing me to find them and apprehend some of them.¡± Find the insurgents, and rescue DH. If DH wasn¡¯t there, then TO would take as many of the insurgents as they could and drag them back to the ship. They didn¡¯t like the idea of having to interrogate someone, but they¡¯d do it for DH. ¡°¡­ While I do not agree with what seems to be your driving force in this, I agree with this more decisive action. I do, however, have issues with the fact that you act3ed without reporting-¡° ¡°I felt as though it was important to get to Okoia quickly and acted based on that.¡± TO said. Ark-1¡¯s ear twitched as they eyed TO through the camera. ¡°I will expect a full report on the events in Thalassa, as well as your plan from here on out. Hur-13 and Hur-14 will arrive early morning planetary time. I will extend their placement there temporarily. If you do not find Ark-88, or you confirm them out of commission, we will make other arrangements for Hur-14¡± ¡°I will find DH.¡± TO said, their name slipping from their lips. There was this long, agonizing period of silence where Ark-1 simply looked at them through the camera, watching them. ¡°Do I assume that¡¯s some nickname you¡¯ve created for Ark-88?¡± ¡°Yes, Ark-1.¡± TO muttered, their ears flushing blue. It was just how Ark-1¡¯s ears moved that made them feel as though they had done something childish and idiotic; something they should be ashamed of. ¡°There are no nicknames. There are assignments and call numbers.¡± ¡°Yes, Ark-1.¡± Ark-1¡¯s eyes narrowed as they examined TO like they were a machine that was working, but perhaps making a funny sound while it worked. ¡°¡­ I¡¯ll be completing a more thorough examination of the situation as well.¡± They said, ¡°And I may make more changes to my plans as needed.¡± Were they planning to call TO back? Would they correct them? No, unlikely. Synths who finished their training didn¡¯t get corrected; they got reassigned or sent into combat or sent off into the nothingness of space to find new wormholes. At least, they hoped they didn¡¯t correct synths who passed training. There was a brief, confusing moment of relief where TO realized that if they never found DH, then they would never correct DH. Of course, being captured and tortured by the insurgents was far worse. Lendulin¡¯s comment that the insurgents would never do that, and that brief spark of home flashed again before DH snuffed it out in their mind. No, the insurgents would kill DH after they got what they wanted from them. They¡¯d torture them until they agreed, then they¡¯d work their mate until they died or simply had no more use to them. The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. ¡°Do you understand, Ark-87?.¡± ¡°I understand.¡± ¡°Dismissed.¡± The screen went blank. They looked to the other screen that showed the horizon before them, where distance hid Okoia from sight. How were they supposed to write up a report when DH was missing? How would they write a report when all they could think about was DH being in trouble, and ?that even if they found DH safe and sound, Kei and Avery would be here by then, and just as soon as they reunited with DH, they¡¯d have to say goodbye. At least DH would be safe. Right now, all that mattered was making sure DH was safe. With a low growl, they turned from the view before them, and sat down at the consol; their consol, even though DH¡¯s was closer. Despite how they felt, they knew that staring at the horizon wouldn¡¯t help them reach Okoia faster. ====== The landing in Okoia was far less of a show than it had been the first time they came here. Of course, it was late at night and they arrived with no warning. It occurred to them also that Noss wasn¡¯t here, and it appeared he had arranged the whole thing last time. Well, that was fine; TO didn¡¯t have time to deal with Noss, or to deal with the various formalities that seemed to crop up whenever they did anything here. No, they had to implement their plan. At least writing up the report for Ark-1 had helped them solidify a plan that had started as ¡®Personally stand in vigilant at the public space port on the north- coast of Okoia until they saw something¡¯ now involved planetary law enforcement, and increased security and scanning of Arkane¡¯s skies. They had already tried to contact the minister of space travel on Okoia, only to be told that he was asleep. TO wouldn¡¯t leave word of their plan to anyone but the minister. They weren¡¯t entirely certain that they were trustworthy; they didn¡¯t trust anyone in the Arkanian government, and while they knew they¡¯d need help, they refused to tell anyone their plan unless it was absolutely necessary. A few harsh words and solid insistence that they speak to the minister. The aide in charge said she¡¯d wake him. That was the call they were waiting for as they left their ship, so it did not surprise them when a call came through. It surprised them when their visor said that it was DH calling them. They were alive. DH was alive, and they were somewhere on Arkane. They answered the call quickly, answering in Synth as soon as it connected. ¡°DH! Where are you?!¡± There was a beat of silence on the other line until a heavily modified voice came back to them. ¡°DH is with us, and if you want to see them, you¡¯ll do as we say.¡± TO¡¯s ears pinned back, their lips pulled forward and bared their teeth under their helmet. They even felt their claws try to extend, despite the hard gloves over their hands. If this person - whoever it was- was in front of them right now, TO knew that they¡¯d rip them apart. There would be no interrogations, no questioning, and no mercy. They¡¯d rip them apart slowly. ¡°The Despair Insurgency, I take it.¡± TO hissed, flicking back to universal common. ¡°I hate that translation, you know.¡± The voice on the other side said. ¡°I always thought it was odd that we¡¯d be called the ¡®Despair¡¯ insurgency. The actual word isn¡¯t actually from Universal Common; it¡¯s from the old Arkanian language. The language is ?archaic and nobody really speaks it, but it¡¯s Dez-par, and it just means ¡®rebellion¡¯ and the difference between a rebellion and an insurgency is just how the government identifies the rebels. Really, you¡¯re just calling it the ¡®Rebellion Rebellion¡¯. Of course, it¡¯s translated as ¡®Despair¡¯ in all other languages too, so that¡¯s what people see it as.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care.¡± TO hissed, ¡°I don¡¯t care what you call yourself-¡° ¡°I know, Apologies. You care about DH, correct?¡± The answer was yes, but they wouldn¡¯t say that to the insurgent. They wouldn¡¯t give them another whisper of information. ¡°Well, you don¡¯t have to answer.¡± The voice on the other side continued, ¡°I have a proposition for you, regardless.¡± ¡°And what makes you think I¡¯d do anything you want me to do-¡° ¡°It¡¯s nothing like that, it¡¯s just an offer.¡± The voice said. ¡°Will you listen?¡± Maybe they could use this opportunity to get information. Any scrap of information might help them. ¡°Who am I speaking with?¡± TO demanded, ¡°Am I expected to listen to ¡®offers¡¯ from a disembodied voice?¡± There was silence on the line, long enough that TO worried that they had disconnected. Finally, the voice came back. ¡°You can call me Joe Mama.¡± Another growl escaped TO¡¯s throat, but they knew ?the helmet wouldn¡¯t send that. ¡°I see. Is this the same Joe Mama who seems so adept at hacking local AIs? Or is that just the name that the insurgency uses? Perhaps this Joe Mama is the leader of the insurgency?¡± ¡°You flatter me¡­ Tio.¡± TO did their best to suppress the panic that jolted through them, reminding themself that they knew ?the insurgency knew who they were. The insurgency had chased after them in the Outer Ring already, and had information on them even before they met Pearla. ¡°What do you want?¡± TO hissed. ¡°I only intend to make you an offer.¡± They said, ¡°Since you¡¯ve come back to Okoia, I assume you¡¯re chasing us, and I also assume that you intend to involve other authorities in finding us.¡± TO said nothing; they¡¯d not confirm anything. ¡°Well, my offer is just this; don¡¯t contact the authorities. Our plans involve helping people, not hurting them. People will only get hurt if there¡¯s resistance.¡± ¡°This is an offer, you said.¡± TO snapped, ¡°What are you offering me?¡± ¡°Two things which I think you want, and which I think will make this easy for you to decide on.¡± ¡®Joe¡¯ said, ¡°The first, of course, is DH; safe and unharmed. I believe they''re your mate, yes?¡± They had to know about that as well if Pearla was giving them information. ¡°And the other thing?¡± They demanded. ¡°A meeting. You want to meet some higher ups of the insurgency. Well, we don¡¯t have quite the rigid command structure as you synths do, but I can offer you a meeting with someone I think you¡¯ll be happy enough with.¡± ¡°You¡¯d give up one of yours in exchange for me simply doing nothing?¡± ¡°From what I¡¯ve heard, I thought a synth would best understand one person¡¯s sacrifice for the masses; not that such an ideology actually works on Arkane, or on many other planets.¡± A low chuckle, made disturbing by the distortion. ¡°But at any rate, we won¡¯t be giving up one of our own. We¡¯ll be arranging a meeting. You¡¯re welcome to try and capture them, but somehow I doubt it¡¯ll be much of a worry.¡± This had to be a trap, right? Obviously it was. The proper thing to do would be to. Contact the authorities, collect the civilians the insurgents had captured, and track them the way they originally intended. But, they had DH. DH was safe, so said ¡®Joe¡¯, but were they, really? And would they stay that way if they didn¡¯t comply? Not only that, but the opportunity to get to an insurgent who might have caught GiDi, might have tortured them for information, or hurt other synths to get work out of them. The insurgency wouldn¡¯t do that TO didn¡¯t believe that. ¡°¡­ When will this meeting take place?¡± ¡°Tomorrow evening - 23:00. Security district. At the place where you lost the trail.¡± The call cut off. Episode 221: Tunnels Hopefully, DH was still safe. They had to be, if they were using DH¡¯s communicator to contact them; the implant communicated with the chip in the back of DH¡¯s head, and if DH was dead, the chip wouldn¡¯t work. DH was at least alive at the very least. Alive, and was likely somewhere on Okoia. They had let DH¡¯s chip go online, and even if it was offline now, that would have given their system just enough time to pick up a ping. Just enough time to locate DH. TO rushed back into the ship and pulled up the information on DH¡¯s computer once more. They were faster this time, having fumbled through the process once already, so they could find the information quickly. They flicked through the data and got to the coordinates. According to the consol, DH had been on the ship. No, that was impossible! DH hadn¡¯t been on the ship! There had been no way DH could enter. There were no logs of them using the chips by the doors or anything! They were about to run around and search the ship when they stopped and looked at the coordinates again. Latitude and longitude showed that at being on the ship, yes. Altitude showed them as being far beneath it. But there was nothing beneath the ship! Sure, there were water intake tunnels, but they wouldn¡¯t go under the ship¡­. Would they? Their communicator went off again, and though TO hoped it was DH, instead it was the minister of space travel. Well, they weren¡¯t necessary now. It was tempting to simply ignore the call, but they had insisted that the minister wake up for them, and he would probably keep calling. ¡°Minister Junon.¡± TO said as soon as they picked up the call. ¡°Yes, Honored synth.¡± The strained voice of Junon said from the other end of the call, ¡°So sorry to have kept you waiting. What can I do for you?¡± What could they do? TO¡¯s mind strained for something the minister could do for them. It came up with two things, actually. ¡°First.¡± TO said, ¡°I need a list of every ?space port on Arkane. Anything where so much as a shipping freight could leave orbit.¡± ¡°Of course, honored synth. Is there something specific I should look for?¡± ¡°No, I just need the list as soon as possible.¡± TO said, ¡°And second¡­ This may be out of your expertise, but I wonder if you have a comprehensive map of the tunnels under the Okoia.¡± ¡°Do you want an active map, or an archived one?¡± Active or archived? That was an odd question. ¡°What¡¯s the difference?¡± ¡°An active map shows only places that are currently maintained and in use.¡± He said, ¡°Waterways, sewage intake, and storage. The archived one has that, and the old tunnels as well.¡± ¡°What old tunnels?¡± ¡°You¡¯re not aware of- Oh, apologies, Honored synth.¡± Their tone had started as one of utter disbelief, according to the translations they were getting, but had once more shifted to that passive way that civilians spoke to synths. ¡°Pre-unification, there was an old community down there; a few species that lived underground. Once King Decon joined us with the Galactic Empire and optimized the planet, He moved them from the old tunnels.¡± Why were they moved? TO didn''t know and didn¡¯t care at this moment. Still, old tunnels beneath the city seemed to be exactly the ?place where insurgents could hide. ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll need the archived map.¡± TO said, ¡°Send it as soon as possible.¡± ====== Apparently, the water that flowed from the sea to the interior of the city to create an artificial river had once been an entire underground city. It sprawled out under the water and beyond the confines of the water itself, creating a labyrinthine web of cave systems. All the information that TO could find about the people who had lived there before was that King Decon had ordered them to be moved to the surface and integrated into the Arkanian majority during the planet''s primary optimization phase. There was a note that some had hidden in the tunnels, but the central caves flooded when the island was being sculpted and most didn¡¯t survive. Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators! It was a neat story, and TO was certain that if he brought it to Lendulin or Petra, they¡¯d have a different story about it. Further research could come later, though. At the moment, all that involved was the location of the caves. They superimposed the old tunnels underground with the buildings above ground. Though there wasn¡¯t a tunnel directly under them, there was one close enough. Close enough that a good collapse, or some digging, might create a cavern underneath. It was an old map, after all; from the early days of King Decon¡¯s reign. DH was here. DH was here, and was underground in these tunnels below the city, being held captive by the insurgents. Was the area under the ship their holding cell, or had they simply gone there to throw TO off? It didn¡¯t matter. They marked the area as a location of interest and started following the nearby caves as they twisted about. Where did the cave start, and where did it end? Was the entrance to the tunnels new or old? Was there one entrance, or multiple? They were thinking this when their communicator went off, warning them that Avery and Kei were about to land. They weren¡¯t traveling in their normal ship; that was still in orbit around the planet. Instead, they were using their emergency ship to land, and then take off again using the one landing pad in the central district, which was reserved for synth traffic. They have to meet them in their vehicle, brief them, and wait until the evening to meet the insurgents. They got up to leave, but stopped as their eyes glanced over a part of the map, still superimposed over the city. It was hard to see where all the tunnels went, and it was an outdated map; not entirely reliable, but useful. Still, they couldn¡¯t help but notice a single cave that twisted near the security district, wrapping around where the holding cells were. Specifically, wrapping very close to the building that the insurgents had already attacked. The only identifiable DNA had been that of the guard. They hadn¡¯t died. It had seemed so odd to TO that they¡¯d go through all that work to plan and escape, then end up with nowhere to go once they went underground. Now they understood; one of these tunnels had to be linked to that section of the water purification system. They killed the guard, threw him into the system, and used that as a distraction as they made their way into the tunnels. Cursing that they had fallen for the insurgents'' trick, they continued on to meet with the others. For a moment, they were glad that Kei would be there. The insurgents knew that TO loved DH, and would use that against them to distract them. Kei at least wouldn¡¯t care about that. Kei would focus on the insurgents while TO went to get DH. ====== ¡°It¡¯s convenient that Ark-88-¡± ¡°DH¡± ¡°Ark-88 disappeared so soon before their planned exit from the planet.¡± Kei said, ignoring TO¡¯s interruption altogether. TO, Avery, and Kei were riding on the self-driving vehicle back to the ship. The only civilians who noticed the landing were the security guards that worked around the landing area, so they could get the others away with no delays. Though TO was happy enough to see Avery, happiness was a hidden feeling overshadowed by everything else. Avery seemed to understand that, and kept their distance from TO, keeping quiet as they watched their friend. Still, once they were inside the vehicle and had their armor off, it was easy to see that Avery was relieved to see them. ¡°I had nothing to do with DH¡¯s abduction.¡± TO hissed at Kei. They wished Kei was being as quiet as Avery, but no; For a change, Kei had a lot to say. ¡°You might have hidden them.¡± Kei said, ¡°Or run off on their own.¡± ¡°The insurgents took DH.¡± TO snapped, ¡°They destroyed a civilian residence in Thalassa, and took DH. I had nothing to do with it, didn¡¯t plan it, and didn¡¯t want it to happen.¡± Kei watched TO¡¯s ears carefully as he spoke, watching to see if they were lying or not. ¡°TO wouldn¡¯t have done anything to put DH in danger.¡± Avery said, ¡°You know that.¡± Kei¡¯s ears flicked in disgust once more before they turned away, looking outside. ¡°Perhaps it¡¯s for the best.¡± Kei said, ¡°The loss of a synth would be troublesome, but so long as you can control your perversions, you¡¯ll be far more capable in the future.¡± TO wasn¡¯t aware that they rose from their seat; they were only aware of Avery suddenly shifting over and pushing TO back down before they could do anything. ¡°Kei, stop.¡± They said, ¡°I know you hate it, but can¡¯t you understand that they¡¯re upset and you¡¯re making things worse?¡± They stared at Avery, a long, level stare; one that brought TO right back to the training center. That look that said, ¡®What are you? Why are you here?¡¯ ¡°I am more concerned that you can understand such issues.¡± they said. ¡°And concerned that they looked as though they were about to attack me.¡± ¡°You pushed them-¡° ¡°This is the second time they¡¯ve been close to attacking me, and the second time someone had to hold them back.¡± Kei said. ¡°I said nothing the first time, just ?nothing about them and their animalistic behavior on the ship.¡± Their eyes narrowed. ¡°Of course, we know where that led.¡± They stared at TO, their ears pinned back, ¡°I ?think you¡¯re capable; you know this. I believe you have a keen mind, but every action I¡¯ve seen you take since we left the training center has made me doubt my choices. I will report this.¡± ¡°And I¡¯ll say that you were goading them.¡± Avery said. ¡°If they¡¯ve done that twice, I know they¡¯ll do it a third time. Next time, there might be nobody to hold them back.¡± Avery sighed, then looked back to TO. ¡°Don¡¯t let them get to you.¡± They said, ¡°What¡¯s the plan?¡± TO¡¯s hand felt itchy, like they wanted to move, like they wanted to grab Kei and rip them apart. ¡°Is there a plan, or have you been too busy pinning?¡± Kei hissed. ¡°There is a plan.¡± TO snapped. ¡°Thanks to the insurgents, I have a hint as to¡­ ?Where the insurgents might be hiding.¡± They projected a map before them, showing the city and the tunnels beneath. ¡°The insurgents contacted me a few hours ago.¡± They said, ¡°wanting to meet and talk.¡± ¡°About what?¡± Avery asked. ¡°I have no idea.¡± TO said, ¡°but when they contacted me, they used DH¡¯s chip. It came online for a moment, and I could track it. It showed up directly under the ship, and I then discovered that there¡¯s abandoned tunnels under the city.¡± ¡°Then are we going right there?¡± Kei hissed. ¡°No, not yet.¡± TO said, pointing to the spot on the map where DH¡¯s chip had activated. ¡°This is where the signal came from, but I don¡¯t know how to get into the tunnels. I¡¯m not even sure which tunnels we can access; many of them are flooded.¡± ¡°So then the logical thing to do would be to check all the old entrances and see if any of them are still functional.¡± Kei said. ¡°That would take too long.¡± TO said, ¡°THe logical thing to do.. is meet with the insurgents.¡± They closed the map. ¡°They said they were sending a person of interest to meet with me; something to tempt me. At worst, we¡¯ll capture them and find out what we need, though there¡¯s a chance they may give away the entrance of their tunnels, and we can go in and rip them apart.¡± As the last words escaped TO¡¯s mouth, they felt their ears pin back, their wings puff up, and their lips curl back. They would rip the insurgents apart. They¡¯d reach into their chest and rip out their hearts. ¡°Rushing in might be unwise.¡± Kei said, ¡°You realize it¡¯s a trap, yes?¡± ¡°Of course I do.¡± TO said, ¡°But we know it¡¯s a trap, and I¡¯m fairly confident in my ability to outsmart some civilians.¡± ¡°Very well.¡± Kei said as they looked back out the window, ¡°We capture the insurgents, retrieve Ark-88, and then leave.¡± Kei said, ¡°I¡¯d like to say we could plan a full infiltration, but if they expect us, I don¡¯t wish to risk it.¡° Kei could do what they wanted. TO realized that as soon as they got in the caves, they¡¯d be looking for DH. They wouldn¡¯t leave without their mate. Episode 222: Reporting The Galactic Broadcast announcer took the form of a synth for TO, Kei, and Avery, even on Arkane. Of course, they were watching the newscast on the ship, so it only made sense. ¡°Recovery at the site of an insurgent attack on Thalassa continues today, with ?235 people rescued from escape pods that arrived at the surface of the Thalassian sea last night.¡± The GBA said with their ears still with indifference. ¡°It¡¯s estimated that at least another 100 to 150 were in pods, but the insurgency interrupted rescue efforts and abducted the people inside. The motive for this attack, and the intention the insurgents have for their hostages, remains unclear. Experts theorize the insurgents may use their hostages to barter with the Arkanian Government, but Praetor Buteo - himself a survivor of the attack- has clarified that he will not negotiate with the Despair Insurgency.¡± ¡°¡­ Apparently, it¡¯s not actually called the ¡®Despair insurgency.¡¯¡± TO said, recalling their conversation with ¡®Joe.¡¯ ¡°It comes from an old Arkanian word for ¡®insurgency.¡¯¡± ¡°I could not care what trivial naming conventions the insurgents choose to take.¡± Kei said. ¡°They go against King Decon; that¡¯s all we need to know.¡± ¡°Civilians do that a lot.¡± Avery said, their voice quiet as though they were trying not to disturb Kei by being too loud, ¡°Asa Water is this fruit-flavored from the south part of the galaxy, but ¡®Asa¡¯ just means water in the language there.¡± ¡°Search and rescue teams are still looking for more survivors.¡± The GBA continued, ¡°But judging by the remains found so far, it¡¯s clear that many involved in the tragedy could not access the escape pods, despite the ?time between the first alarm and the breaking of the dome, and the excessive number of pods available. While there are no straightforward answers as to why this happened, there is speculation that the insurgency disabled many pods in order to maximize the lethality of this attack.¡± ¡°Wait. That''s not what happened!¡± TO snapped, their ears pinning back as they listened to the GBA go on, ¡°That¡¯s not at all what happened!¡± ¡°It¡¯s not?¡± Avery¡¯s ears flicked in confusion. ¡°But you said that your communications went down, right? If the insurgency could do that, then couldn¡¯t they deactivate some pods? Wasn¡¯t that part of the insurgent attack?¡± ¡°No. I mean, maybe?¡± TO frowned, ¡°Praetor Sally mentioned they had weaponry that could shut down communication and electrical devices, so it was likely a Thalassian weapon that shut down my armor¡­ But the insurgents had control of the repair bots, so ?they might have had control of the weaponry at that point too.¡± ¡°So¡­ what¡¯s wrong, then?¡± Avery asked. ¡°It¡¯s the thing about the pods!¡± TO said as they snapped their eyes back to the screen. It unnerved them that a synth could speak a lie without it showing in their ears. Of course, it was just an AI translation program. ¡°The insurgency didn¡¯t deactivate the pods; anyone who had maintenance clearance could only access maintenance pods, and because they brought in so many indebted for the party, there weren¡¯t enough pods for them all!¡± ¡°I¡¯m more concerned that the insurgents would have so much control.¡± Kei said as they watched the screen, ¡°How did that happen?¡± TO froze and dashed to the consol. They still had the hard drive, which they saved from Thalassa. ¡°I saved this.¡± They said as they pulled out DH¡¯s tools, ¡°I didn¡¯t have time, so I pulled it from the machinery.¡± It took a moment to unscrew the casing, and then TO had to wire it manually to the console so they could read what was on it. They weren¡¯t as good at reading through all the programming as DH was, of course, but they could at least make some sense of it. ¡°... That looks like synth authorization.¡± TO muttered. Their ears perked right up, ¡°That¡¯s right! The AI there said that they had to defer authorization to shut down the maintenance bots to a synth, but not myself or DH!¡± Kei¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°A synth working with the Insurgency?¡± ¡°Impossible.¡± TO said, ¡°I mentioned before, the insurgency must torture them. They used an N-code, so they must have gotten a synth with that designation.¡± Kei¡¯s ears twitched only slightly. ¡°I am unsure what such a designation means, but regardless of a synth''s position, our duty is clear.¡± ¡°N is a code for synths without a proper position.¡± TO said. It felt wrong to explain it the way they had heard it before: Nothing. Nobody. ¡°If a synth were being taken to get corrected, for example, they¡¯re designated as N.¡± ¡°I see. So, potentially, a synth that should have been corrected.¡± TO frowned as all the coding came up. ¡°Something like that, but there¡¯s other reasons a synth would have that designation.¡± The ServAi said that the new orders had come in a patch update, so that¡¯s where they had to look. TO went through the history for that very day¡­ and froze. A patch update needed authorization to be installed, and that had to come from the system administrator, or someone with a higher authorization code. Any normal guest, even if granted access to the system, wouldn¡¯t be able to change or upload anything. However, a synth¡¯s access could override any such security measures, and indeed, it was a synth that had given access. The call number Ark-87 was clear on the screen. The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. Their own code. How was it their own code? They hadn¡¯t accessed the system until the alarms went off! It was then that they remembered minister Philo, who had been so keen to hang around them when they first entered the party. With everything that had been going on, TO had almost forgotten about them, but from the interaction at the party and his apparent comprehension of their language, TO was certain that had a link to the insurgents. No, not just a link. TO was certain that he was one of them. They opened up their own files on their communicator to check any orders or files sent from their chip. Sure enough, though TO couldn¡¯t really understand the specifics, their chip sent something early in the evening, from about the time that they would have been speaking to Minister Pholi. Explaining nothing, TO sent off a message to the Arkanian authorities, demanding Pholi¡¯s arrest. They weren¡¯t sure if Pholi was the insurgent hacker specifically, but it was the only link he had. ¡°What happened, TO?¡± Avery asked, watching their friend with careful eyes. ¡°The insurgents circumvented the security by accessing my chip.¡± TO said, their ears pinning back as they spoke. ¡°And I know who did it; A local minister by the name of Pholi. I¡¯ve just called for his arrest.¡± ¡°And when you get him, what¡¯s your plan, then?¡± Kei asked. TO¡¯s first instinct was to hurt him. To take their claws to Pholi¡¯s face and rip him apart until they got DH back. They wanted to beat him until he revealed DH¡¯s location, then beat him more until the sharp pain of DH¡¯s absence faded away. ¡°Interrogation.¡± was TO¡¯s only response. ¡°And is that a good idea?¡± Avery asked, their ears dipping back. ¡°You¡¯re going to meet the insurgents, meet a higher up, and take them, right? What if getting Pholi ruins that chance, or what if they hurt someone else as revenge?¡± If they hurt DH was what Avery meant. ¡°They¡¯ve already hurt so many civilians and synths.¡± TO said, ¡°I very much doubt that my actions would change their plans in this.¡± Even as they spoke, they wondered if Avery was right. Would they hurt DH if Pholi were arrested? That wasn¡¯t part of the conditions they sent when they contacted TO, so would it matter? Did they want to take that chance? Their chip went off again with a message from the head of the Arkanian Authorities. ¡®That was fast.¡¯ TO thought as they opened it up, fully expecting simply a confirmation of their orders. ===Honored Synth Minister Pholi is among those still missing in the Thalassian tragedy. We will arrest him at once if he¡¯s found alive, but at this point he¡¯s listed among the dead, missing, and abducted. I will send more information as soon as I receive it myself. === Of course. If the insurgents were abducting the indebted, then it¡¯s likely that Pholi would have snuck into a service escape pod with them, so the insurgents would take him as well. Either that, or he drowned. He¡¯d deserve it if he drowned, but TO was only concerned about the fact that, at this moment, Pholi was out of their grasp. ¡°Pholi is apparently still missing.¡± TO said, their hand tightening around the communicator. ¡°So I won¡¯t be getting him ?soon.¡± ¡°Oddly, I think that might be best.¡± Kei said, ¡°Avery is correct; his arrest might alert the insurgents, and put them on higher alert. Hopefully, the captures we make tonight will prove to be a better prize.¡± Kei was right. If they were lucky, they¡¯d get someone of importance ?among the insurgents. Maybe someone who had even more information than Pholi. Maybe someone who was involved in the torture of synths; of GiDi and DH. They¡¯d capture them, interrogate them, beat them, and then bring them before King Decon for their final justice. Even as the thought of blood turned their stomach, they could feel themself shaking with rage. The insurgents had DH. They had likely hurt GiDi. TO had never wanted to hurt someone so much in their short life. ====== Construction at the holding facility was ongoing, and the Okoian authorities had moved the remaining prisoners either off planet or to other locations on Arkane. The civilian authorities blocked off all air traffic around the area, but of course that meant nothing to a synth. As they passed over the blockade, the authorities scanned their vehicle only once, and then ignored them. ¡°So this is the damage that the insurgents did while you were on your little date.¡± Kei said, their voice filtering through their helmets. ¡°That¡¯s not important now.¡± Avery said. Then, in a private channel, they said to TO ¡°Are you alright?¡± ¡°No.¡± TO said back, ¡°I¡¯m not. They took DH.¡± They knew that the venom in their own voice wouldn¡¯t really capture what they felt, not in the same way their ears could show that. Maybe that was for the best. ¡°¡­ When you capture them, I don¡¯t think you should interrogate them.¡± Avery said, ¡°You¡¯re angry. I think you might hurt them more than you intend to, and I know you won¡¯t want to do that.¡± ¡°Oh, but I do.¡± TO could feel their claws itching to be drawn, ¡°I want to hurt them. Don¡¯t you understand? There¡¯s every reason to believe that they hurt GiDi, and now they have DH. I will hurt them. I will rip them apart, and I¡¯ll do so with a smile on my face-¡° ¡°And you¡¯ll regret it for the rest of your life.¡± Avery said. ¡°I know I''m not as close to you as they were, but I know that much about you, at least. I know you¡¯ll wake up dreaming about it every night if you do that¡­ So when we get them, let me or Kei deal with them.¡± ¡°I want to-¡° ¡°Please?¡± Maybe if they were talking with their helmets off, then maybe it¡¯d be harder to argue with Avery. Maybe Avery would see TO¡¯s own ears twitching with worry. Blood, bones, the smell of disinfectant. Yes, if TO ripped them apart, then their massacred bodies probably would become a part of their dreams from then on. ¡°No.¡± They said. They didn¡¯t care if they dreamed of blood every night for the rest of their life. Whoever was involved in hurting GiDi and taking DH, TO would make sure they suffered. The vehicle slowed, and the map showed TO that they were at the location. ¡°We¡¯re here.¡± TO said as they opened the door. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°Understood, and ready.¡± Kei said, ¡°Order?¡± It felt so odd to be a part of an operation like this again, ordering around other synths. ¡°I¡¯ll go first.¡± TO said, ¡°I know the way. Which of you is a better shot?¡± ¡°Hur-14 is.¡± Kei said, ¡°My hand to hand combat skills are better.¡± ¡°Kei, you go after me and stay close. Avery, you come after, and keep watch. Gun out, fire at anything suspicious.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± Orders given, TO looked down at the ruined street below. Even from here, they could see the entrance to the sewers; plastic barriers stood around it, but the entrance itself still sat in a state of disrepair. Even if the civilians fixed the entrance, TO would have just shot through it. They jumped and soared down to the streets below. Episode 223: Underground The tunnel under the street looked just like it had when TO was there the first time; nothing had changed, and the authorities blocked nothing off. Of course, why would they need to block off anything down here when they already blocked off the street above and the entrance? ¡°Where are they?¡± Kei asked as they jumped down into the tunnel after TO, landing heavily on the concrete beneath them. ¡°The insurgents are supposed to be here?¡± ¡°They are.¡± TO muttered, though it was abundantly clear from where they were that the small section of tunnel was empty. They scanned around, looking for anything new or anything that they might have missed before; an odd crack in the wall, a section where the water flowed in ways it shouldn¡¯t, a breeze where there should be none. ¡°Through that door, then?¡± Kei said, pointing to the maintenance door on the other side of the river. There was nothing there last time, but this was different. The insurgents wanted to see them, so why would they hide? There was nothing obvious in the main tunnel, so it made sense to check there before continuing their search. With a flap of their powerful wings, they made their way to the other side of the canal, landing just in front of the maintenance door. Not only was it still unlocked, but it was open just a crack. TO could hear the whirr of machinery from the other side, mixed with the sound of water from behind them. Multi-gun in hand, they pushed the door open and stood, listening. Their helmet parsed the surrounding sounds, but most of what they heard was simply the machinery that dominated the center of the room, and the echo ringing off the metal. ¡°In here?¡± Avery asked as they approached behind TO and Kei. ¡°I think so.¡± TO said. ¡°Be careful; it¡¯s a cramped little place; ideal for an ambush.¡± There was no ambush as they entered, though. In fact, there was nobody in the room that they could see. ¡°Is there any other place?¡± Kei asked, their gun still up as they looked around, ¡°Any other ?location they couldn have meant?¡± Maybe. Maybe they had meant the residential area where the - -blood, the cracking of bones. Knife through flesh-¡® -river of blood had poured forth¡­ but no. No, with the tunnels here, there had to be a way in and out of this area. ¡°Let¡¯s keep looking.¡± TO said as they stepped around the giant machine that dominated the room. As they circled to the other side, to the tiny path between the machine and the wall, they saw it. The metal panels that protected the cement wall from the machinery made the noise bound around in the room, making it difficult to hear, and near impossible to make use of echolocation. However, on the other side of the machine, someone had moved a panel aside to reveal a rough tunnel that went into the wall. ¡°Yes.¡± TO said as they approached. ¡°Here it is.¡± They knew it. Well, they didn¡¯t know specifically that there had been a tunnel in this room, but it had always seemed odd to them that the insurgents had escaped the prison without a proper plan to get away from the security district. All that work and planning, and they just jumped into the water cleaning facilities and died? No, that wasn¡¯t right. The hidden tunnel in the wall made much more sense. The blood, and the guard¡¯s DNA found in the cleaning system, had just been a distraction after all. A distraction that worked very well. The guard had a wife; a mate. Was he dead when he went into the system, or had they pushed him in alive? Did they know or care? ¡°This is where you lost them last time, then?¡± Kei asked as they looked down the tunnel. ¡°Down here?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t know this tunnel was here, or that there were extra tunnels under the city.¡± TO said. The tunnel was big enough for them to go through, but only just, and only if they ducked. They turned to Kei., ¡°You go first.¡± They said, ¡°Avery, you hang back, follow at a distance.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± they both said. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go.¡± Kei nodded, and wings pressed to their back, they entered the tunnel. TO followed, with Avery close behind them as they wandered into the obvious trap. They only hoped that they were, in fact, smart enough, and trained well enough to deal with any trickery the civilians might attempt. Civilians were just civilians. Synths were created to serve King Decon; there was no way a civilian could compete with them. ====== The tunnel twisted about underground, turning sharply when the original diggers came across a random pipe, or a bit of foundation. TO imagined that the tunnel was originally supposed to be perfectly straight, but it turned into this twisted mess because of the obstacles they ran into as they worked. Whenever they had to turn a sharp corner, TO worried that this was where the insurgents would have them; where they would trigger a cave-in or cause the ground to fall from under their feet. Because of that, TO held a level of extreme caution with each step they took, and constantly used their echolocation to check the ceiling and floor. The curves and twists kept them from being able to hear much further than their immediate surroundings, but it was better than nothing. They only hoped that they would notice a potential trap, or hear an insurgent waiting to jump on them. This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. They heard something eventually, but it wasn¡¯t a waiting insurgent. There was music playing in the distance, the notes bouncing off the walls and snaking its way down the tunnel towards them. It was a musical that TO recognized, but hadn¡¯t listened to in a very long time. It was one that they had watched with GiDi and DH back in the training center on the observation deck. Whenever they heard the notes now, it filled them with this horrible melancholy. Well, normally it did. Today, it filled them with rage. Were the insurgents taunting them, or was this a coincidence? Were they using this to throw TO off? To upset them? They¡¯d rip them apart. TO was glad that Kei was in the lead here because they knew now with absolute certainty that if they encountered an insurgent now, the insurgent wouldn¡¯t make it back to the ship; TO would rip them to pieces there and then. ¡°They¡¯re ahead.¡± TO said, ¡°Follow that music.¡± ¡°You know it¡¯s a trap.¡± Avery said, once more on their private channel, ¡°That music-¡° ¡°I¡¯m well aware.¡± TO said. The music that reminded them of before they took away GiDi couldn¡¯t be a coincidence. ¡°Are they trying to lead us with that noise?¡± Kei hissed. ¡°It¡¯s obnoxious.¡± ¡°Just follow it.¡± TO said. ¡°There¡¯s not much choice.¡± Kei said, ¡°There¡¯s only one way forward.¡± They continued on, the tunnel widening so that TO could stand upright after so long crouched over. Light from nearby made its way into the tunnel in miniscule increments, making their helmets night-vision mode needless given their ability to see in low light. Did the insurgents think that the relative darkness would give them an advantage? They knew enough about synths by now; they had to know about their excellent low-light vision. A final turn, and Kei suddenly stopped and pushed them back. ¡°The tunnel ends here.¡± They said, ¡°It seems to open up into a room, but I can¡¯t see from here, so I do not know what¡¯s there, or how many people are waiting for us. The tunnels still affect echolocation, so I can¡¯t get any more information. What are your orders?¡± It amazed TO that despite everything, Kei was still looking to them for leadership, for orders. ¡°I¡¯ll hang back and fire if necessary.¡± Avery said. TO nodded, ¡°You do that. Kei and I will rush them.¡± They said, ¡°If they¡¯re planning a trap, I¡¯d rather go in fast and take them by surprise than go slow and let them catch us.¡± ¡°Normally I¡¯d say that we need to be more careful than that, but I think you¡¯re right.¡± Kei said, ¡°If they¡¯re planning an ambush, they¡¯re probably expecting us to go slowly and carefully.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± TO said, ¡°On my count, we rush. Ready?¡± ¡°Ready.¡± ¡°Good luck.¡± Avery said, ¡°And I¡¯ll follow up when you¡¯re out of the tunnel.¡± TO counted only from three, and then they and Kei rushed down the rest of the tunnel''s length, their multi-guns out and their helmets taking in every piece of information that it received, even so much as to identify the sound that was playing. Then they were out of the tunnel. TO wasn¡¯t certain exactly where they were; it reminded them of a bug¡¯s nest; a large, tall cavern with tunnels scattered all over the walls. In the very center of the cavern, in what looked like an amphitheater, was a speaker that played the musical. Of course; it was a similar plot to what they used to do in the training center. With the music playing, it was harder for them to focus and determine how many people were hiding in the tunnels. ¡°There¡¯s nobody here.¡± Kei said as they looked around. ¡°Not that we can see. There could be anyone hiding in the tunnels.¡± ¡°Avery, come to us.¡± TO said, then they switched to their external speaker. ¡°I¡¯m here.¡± They said, their voice loud, clear, and sharp. ¡°You promised me a meeting.¡± Silence met them for several long minutes until Avery exited the tunnels behind them. The music stopped, and a voice came over the speakers. ¡°Is that the last of you?¡± The heavily distorted voice said, ¡°Or did you bring Arkanian authorities with you as well?¡± ¡°There was nothing in our conversation that said I had to come alone.¡± TO snapped. ¡°That is entirely fair.¡± The voice said. The music started playing again, echoing over the walls. At first, TO expected for the insurgents to open fire, for an explosion, for something to happen. Then, finally, a small group came out of the tunnel directly across from them. They were all in disguises, wearing long, makeshift cloaks of tattered fabric, and strange, cylindrical helmets that hid their face behind mesh. It was impossible to see who it was that they were meeting; The one in the center was rather tall for a civilian- just a little shorter than an average synth, and held their cloak around them tightly, as though a non-existent wind might steal it. To their left was a civilian that was poorly hidden, given the long red and black snake''s tail that trailed behind them. The third was a very diminutive figure who was nearly drowning in their cloak. ¡°Might I assume that you¡¯re Minster Pholi?¡± TO said, their multi-gun pointing at the smaller figure. ¡°We''d appreciate it if you put down your weapons.¡± The snake person said, their voice heavily changed by something. ¡°We have none.¡± ¡°You could have this entire area trapped.¡± TO responded, ¡°Or snipers hidden in the darkness. We will not put down our weapons.¡± ¡°That¡¯s fair.¡± The small one said. They were using something to change their voice as well; clearly something connected to the helmets. ¡°As for identity, I¡¯m afraid I can neither confirm nor deny ?my identity, or that of my colleagues.¡± ¡°That¡¯s fine.¡± TO said, keeping their aim up. There were three of them. Who did they want first? Pholi, the snake person, or the one standing between the two who had said nothing yet. ¡°You promised me a meeting with someone of importance. I, unfortunately, can''t see any of you, so how should I know if you¡¯ve kept your end of the deal?¡± ¡°They¡¯re right.¡± The central one said to the small one, ¡°We could get the indebted off planet in a short amount of time. Because they didn¡¯t alert the authorities.¡± They looked back to TO, ¡°As for a person of importance, that¡¯s one problem with how you all view the insurgency. There¡¯s no formal leadership, as you would consider it. However, someone who has offered a lot of help, and who saved the resistance from crumbling, would be a person of importance.¡± ¡°And that¡¯s you?¡± ¡°No, that would be my parent.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a bit much to tell them, isn¡¯t it?¡± Pholi said. This would work. While Synths didn¡¯t have parental bonds, TO knew how strong they could be, and how devastated civilians were supposed to get when even their adult children were in danger. Was it as bad as the pain TO felt with DH gone? ¡°They also promised me a chance to speak to DH.¡± TO snapped, ¡°Where are they?¡± ¡°That¡¯s what we''re doing here, is it?¡± Kei hissed over the private communications, ¡°We¡¯re here because you-¡° ¡°I¡¯m waiting.¡± TO said, ignoring Kei¡¯s voice in their ear, ¡°Where are they?¡± ¡°They¡¯re not here.¡± The one in the center said, ¡°But they¡¯re safe, I promise. I¡¯ll bring you to them.¡± ¡°You said I could talk to them.¡± TO snapped, ¡°You¡¯ve already lied once. Why should I believe you?¡± ¡°That¡¯s the trap.¡± Avery said, ¡°DH might be already dead. We need to go.¡± They started backing up. ¡°We need to get out of-¡± Something went off- a low, loud hum that shook TO¡¯s eardrums. A moment later, just like when they were in Thalassa, their helmet shut off, cutting off their vision and cutting off any sound. They panicked, and pulled off the helmet altogether as quickly as they could, not wanting to be blinded to deaf in this situation. The helmet fell to the ground in three pieces, and TO repositioned themself, their hands shaking, their ears pinned back, their teeth bared as they pointed their multi-gun at the one in the center. Kei and Avery did the same, and now the three of them stood there in useless armor, their multi-guns pointed. The light on the back of the multi-gun showed it was still active, at least. They could still shoot. ¡°Are these the ones?¡± The snake-like one said to the one in the center. ¡°I recognize them.¡± The small one said, pointing to TO, not the other two.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± The center one said. They fell silent for a moment and then reached up to pull off their helmet. They struggled for a moment, the metal edge pulling against long ears before the helmet came free, and they let it drop to the ground with a loud clang. ¡°DH is alive and safe.¡± GiDi said, their ears showing no trace of deception, ¡°And I¡¯ll take you to them, TO. Just come with us.¡± Episode 224: Shoot TO stood unmoving, their eyes wide, their ears pinned down. Even as their gun shook in their hands, they felt the sting of tears in their eyes. GiDi. It was GiDi. Their friend who seemed so small and scared at first, and who stood up to not just their overseer, but to the Commander of their training center. ¡°I am not a tool.¡± GiDi, who was taken away to be corrected, disappeared with C12. TO had been so certain that the insurgents got them and tortured them. ¡°GiDi.¡± Their gun stayed up as they blinked back tears. GiDi, who was now standing alongside insurgents. A failed synth. A disgrace to King Decon. Their friend. Family, if a synth could have family. ¡°TO.¡± GiDi took a step forward. ¡°Come on. We need to talk.¡± Despite their low, calm voice, their ears twitched and flicked to give away their nervousness, their fear, their worry. ¡°Please.¡± Behind them, TO could hear the low growl from Kei. ¡°You traitor.¡± They hissed, ¡°You disgusting, abhorrent, broken thing.¡± The sound of the multi-gun charging for a lethal shot filled TO¡¯s ear. How often had they wondered what they¡¯d do if they found GiDi? They knew what King Decon expected of them, of course; retrieval. They¡¯d have to bring GiDi back to the training center where the higher ups would deal with them. Either the laser would carve into their mind and cut out the distracting, problematic thoughts, or the knife would separate the parts, and give them to synths that deserved them. At this point, since GiDi seemed to work with the insurgents, repurposing them was the only path that lay open now. TO hoped never to see them again, so they wouldn¡¯t have to choose between helping their friend, or obedience to King Decon. As they agonized about it at night, it seemed to be a near impossible decision. Apparently, it wasn¡¯t. The moment they heard the multi-gun charging behind them, it was like a part of their brain switched off. Or maybe it switched on. It was hard to tell, but suddenly they weren¡¯t thinking, they were acting. Someone screamed, ¡°No, don¡¯t.¡± And it took a few moments for TO to realize that they themself had yelled it as they spun on their heel and pointed the multi-gun at Kei and loosed a volley of shots at the other synth. Their aim had never been great, so DH had taught them to fire a lot at close range. There was no worry about ammo; their multi-guns had full charges, so they could fire and fire and fire at the enemy until they fell. The first few shots missed entirely, the next three hit Kei¡¯s armor. The other synth might have still shot GiDi, but they were so surprised, so shocked by TOs¡¯ sudden attack they took their eyes off GiDi, and simply stared at TO. Eyes locked in a strange inverse of the slow, drawn out gaze that TO and DH shared so long ago. It was like all they could see was Kei. All they could think was that they were going to kill GiDi, and they had to stop them! The next three shots hit first Kei¡¯s neck, then their face. The paralyzing tremor that ran through Kei¡¯s body drew a pained scream from them; their ears flicked down, vibrating with agony before they fell, twitching and shaking to the ground, curling up in pain. TO still had the multi gun before them, shaking, staring at Kei on the ground. Their blood rushed through their ears, so they couldn¡¯t hear whatever Avery was saying, but when they looked up, Avery had their own multi-gun pointed at TO. Their ears were down, flat, their eyes were wide, their hands were shaking. Was this what TO had looked like? No, TO was certain that they didn¡¯t look so scared, so confused, so sad as they shot Kei. They shot Kei. They attacked another synth. Was using a multi-gun worse than using their claws? They didn¡¯t think it mattered at this point; at least, the rising sickness in this stomach told them ?it didn¡¯t matter. If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. They attacked another synth while on active duty, before a group of insurgents. Their mind spun at just how bad that was. Avery¡¯s hands shook as they muttered silently to themself, their aim wavering. Did they have the gun on stun, or a more lethal setting? Was Avery going to kill them? Avery had every right to. They attacked another synth. Though, they did it to protect another synth. Did it matter? Was GiDi an insurgent now? If they weren¡¯t, why were they with the other insurgents, ?unbound, uninjured, and seemingly on very good terms with them? Had they kept Kei from attacking another synth, or had they kept them from attacking an insurgent? Had time slowed that much, or was Avery hesitating? Were they simply perfecting their aim, or were they shaking too much to take proper aim? They had to be careful with this shot; they had to hit TO in the head. TO still had their own gun in their hand, still pointed at the fallen form of Kei. Should they turn their gun on Avery? Should they kill their friend? Why? Even if they got DH back now, what would happen to them? They attacked another synth. Their service was over. ¡°Shoot them!¡± Kei cried out, their voice still shaking as they gasped with pain. TO took a step back from Avery, watching them as they licked their lips as they adjusted their aim. They still didn¡¯t shoot. Their ears were down, and tears were streaming from their eyes even as their finger twitched around the trigger. A low hum surrounded them, building with a horrible vibration until it hurt TO from the inside with a sudden ferocity that made TO double over, dropping the gun and pressing their hands to their ears to keep some of the awful noise out. Their efforts were in vain. It wasn¡¯t the sound; it was the vibration, going through them, hitting their inner-ear and sending shock waves through them, making them feel uneasy and dizzy and sick all at once, making the world spin around them as they stumbled backwards. They couldn¡¯t focus, couldn¡¯t make their body move like they wanted it too. They tripped over themself, and fell to the ground before curling up, much like Kei had, as they tried to protect themself from that low, awful sound. Had Avery shot them? They hadn¡¯t seen it, but they were so disoriented now, they weren¡¯t sure. They realized that even if Avery had shot them, they wouldn''t be angry. Avery was just doing what they were supposed to. They had shot Kei. TO was a traitor. Avery, if they had shot them, was just doing what was right. That was their last thought before the world slipped away. ====== It was; a sharp, awful pain in their hand that woke them up an unknown amount of time later. They cried out as they twisted to ?see what was happening, but someone had tied their arms and feet together, leaving them unable to move. ¡°It¡¯s ok TO.¡± GiDi said. They had TO¡¯s head on their lap, holding them as someone else worked behind them. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. It hurts, but it¡¯ll be over soon.¡± Where were they? They could hear water, and the way the world moved around them told them ?they must be on a boat going over a placid water mass. They could hear breathing - shallow and weak, but there. Avery and Kei? It had to be. There were others there too, at least three more people, but their breathing lacked the low, distinctive click that a synth had. It was so dark, darker than it had ever been on Arkane before. If they were outside, most every building had some light to it. Outside the circle of light given off by a nearby lantern, everything was a black void. They used their echolocation to orient themself, and found they were in some kind of tunnel or cave, one that was half full of water at least. ¡°We¡¯re underground.¡± GiDi said in response to TO¡¯s echolocation, ¡°It¡¯s a cave system that-¡± ¡°Don¡¯t tell them anything until I get this sorted out.¡± Another voice - small and pitched- said from behind them. ¡°I don¡¯t know what they''re recording or sending, and I won¡¯t until I get this chip out and into my computer.¡± There was a huff, and the sharp pain worsened. ¡°You¡¯re lucky I don¡¯t have to rip out the one in their brain.¡± ¡°I owe you-¡± ¡°You owe me several times!¡± The voice came back, ¡°He¡¯s going to kill us for doing this. He said it was too risky!¡± It took a moment for TO to realize what they were doing. They tried to move, struggling against the ropes to get away from whoever was behind them, from the sharp implements that were digging at their hand. ¡°We have to get the chip out.¡± GiDi said, their arms around TO, ¡°If we don¡¯t, then they¡¯ll find us.¡± ¡°I need it.¡± They croaked out, still trying to get away from the person behind them. GiDi held them tightly so they couldn¡¯t, and TO had to lie there and have a part of them ripped out. They looked up at GiDi¡¯s. GiDi, their small friend. Daydreaming, overthinking GiDi, who they had worried about so much. They hadn¡¯t passed their examination. They had gone against their direct orders, and refused to shoot. ¡°GiDi¡­¡± TO¡¯s voice was dry and hoarse. ¡°Are you¡­ are you an insurgent?¡± GiDi¡¯s ears dipped down in a deep sadness that TO had never seen in their friend before. ¡°¡­ I suppose I am.¡± they whispered. TO could feel the chip come loose behind them, and a strange feeling, like a sudden jolt of static, washed over their mind and when it passed, they felt a part that was missing. It was like there was an entire section of their mind which was just gone. They didn¡¯t understand it. They understood nothing. TO didn''t know what happened, how they were here, how GiDi was working with the insurgency, or how they could have attacked Kei. They had so many questions, but really, only one was the important one. ¡°Is DH really safe?¡± They muttered. ¡°Yes.¡± GiDi said, ¡°They¡¯re safe, and you¡¯ll see them really soon. I promise.¡± They lay back down, and let GiDi hold on to them. They didn¡¯t understand what was happening, but GiDi was safe, and DH was safe. Everything else they¡¯d worry about later. Episode 225: chips The boat continued down the underground river with no one saying where exactly they were going. The other insurgents in the boat, most of which TO hadn¡¯t yet seen, were silent save for the odd time they¡¯d mutter in a language that TO couldn¡¯t understand. The insurgents must have taken their translator, and even if they had their communicator they¡¯d not be able to access a translation as their chip was gone. It was much like when their communications were down in Thalassa. They could almost still feel the path that went from their mind to the missing chip. Vik simply scampered away after taking their chip, leaving GiDi to bandage up their hand. ¡°Avery, are they ok?¡± TO asked as the silence between them drew out. ¡°They¡¯re alive.¡± GiDi said, ¡°The other one too-¡± ¡°Kei. They were 55H70.¡± ¡°They¡¯re strange too? They gave themself a name?¡± ¡°You say they¡¯re strange.¡± the high-pitched voice muttered from out of sight, ¡°I say, ¡®resistant to cult brainwashing.¡¯¡± ¡°Not now, Vic.¡± GiDi said, sighing. ¡°They¡¯re not like us.¡± TO muttered. ¡°They told us to have civilian names when we came to our planets. They choose Kei because it¡¯s very common around here.¡± ¡°They¡¯re both alive, and you¡¯ll all be fine, I promise.¡± ¡°That¡¯s really up to them.¡± Vik said, ¡°I have no issues turning on the Subsonic Scream again.¡± Subsonic Scream; was that what that awful noise was that knocked them out? GiDi finished bandaging TO¡¯s hand, and sighed at their handiwork. ¡°It¡¯s not perfect, but it¡¯ll do.¡± They said. ¡°I wish I could do better.¡± TO turned to see GiDi, but the way they tied their hands behind them kept their wings in place, and caused too much pain if they put weight on their arms. Still, they glimpsed GiDi, their ears low and twitching with worry as they watched TO. ¡°... what happened to you?¡± TO muttered. ¡°You know what happened.¡± GiDi said, ¡°I failed my examination. I couldn¡¯t shoot you, and then Flit took me away.¡± ¡°After that.¡± TO whispered, ¡°After that, you were just gone. I couldn¡¯t find any records, and C12-¡± ¡°Flit.¡± GiDi corrected, ¡°They don¡¯t like being called C12 anymore.¡± TO¡¯s ears perked up, ¡°They¡¯re alive? I saw their files! It said they had a heart attack.¡± GiDi hummed behind them, ¡°Interesting.¡± They said, ¡°Of course, they wouldn''t say that a Retiree ran away, would they? That wouldn¡¯t look good.¡± ¡°Where are they? What happened?¡± TO asked again, ¡°How did you get here?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t tell them anything.¡± Vik said behind them, ¡°We don¡¯t know if we can trust them yet-¡± ¡°They shot Kei. I think we can trust them.¡± ¡°Is that really a sign that we can trust them?¡± A deeper voice huffed from the other side of the boat. ¡°You said they didn¡¯t even like this one, and you two basically grew up together, right? Not a hard choice to make there.¡± ¡°It is for a synth.¡± GiDi said, ¡°It has nothing to do with liking them or not. They shoot another synth. They can¡¯t go back now.¡± ¡°That doesn¡¯t mean we can trust them!¡± Vik snapped. TO felt something tiny jump over their leg, and then a small, rodent-like creature with feathery fur, a long tail, and huge ears landed in front of them, looking at GiDi. ¡°They could still choose to go back and report on us-¡± ¡°They won¡¯t.¡± ¡°You haven''t seen them in how long?¡± Vik said. They shook a hand at them - a hand that was holding a chip about the size of a coin. ¡°First, they passed that thing - the test or the examination you talked about, and they¡¯ve had more time since you last saw them to be brainwashed by King Dick¡¯s cult-¡± ¡°Have some respect.¡± TO hissed, their ears pinning back. Vik bounced back as though startled, the fur sticking up all over their body as they eyed TO. When they remembered that TO was bound, they looked back up at GiDi. ¡°See what I mean!¡± ¡°Right. Because I wasn¡¯t just like that when I first got here.¡± GiDi said. ¡°That¡¯s my chip.¡± TO hissed, eying it as Vik brandished it around. ¡°Give it back.¡± Vik looked at the chip, to TO, then held it to their own face. ¡°What, this old thing?¡± they made a point of nuzzling it with their cheeks. ¡°No no. It¡¯s my chip now. Finder¡¯s keepers and all that, and I found it in your hand!¡± They jumped up on TO¡¯s shoulder, flickering their face with the furred part of their long tail. ¡°So sorry. Can¡¯t be helped. It¡¯s mine now.¡± They jumped off TO¡¯s shoulder and went back out of sight to the other side of the boat. ¡°Look Gidi, I¡¯m just saying, watch what you tell them for now, alright?¡± GiDi sighed, and went back to TO, ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± They whispered. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry. This will make sense, I promise! Just¡­ just trust me for a little, ok?¡± ¡°... Tell me what happened. Tell me how you got here.¡± ¡°I suppose I can tell them that at least?¡± GiDi hissed at Vik. ¡°Sure, that¡¯s no issue to be; at worst you¡¯re gonna implicate more synths.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± GiDi stepped over TO and knelt down in front of them so that they could see each other clearly. ¡°Here¡¯s what happened.¡± ====== C12 ran down the hallway, dragging GiDi behind as they rushed to the stairs. ¡°Elevator¡¯s faster.¡± They said as C12 rushed, ¡°If we¡¯re hurrying-¡± ¡°They can stop the elevator if they want.¡± C12 snapped as they ran down several flights of stairs and burst out into a narrow hallway on a floor that GiDi had never seen before. They looked around, checking to make sure that nobody else was around before they dragged GiDi to a nearby washroom. If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. ¡°This is going to hurt.¡± They said as they pulled GiDi to the sink. ¡°What is?¡± C12¡¯s only response was to draw their claws. At that moment, GiDi felt certain that C12 was going to kill them right there. Maybe ?they found GiDi¡¯s actions, their words, to be so insulting to the retiree that they couldn¡¯t allow GiDi to keep living. Correction wasn¡¯t enough. They tried to pull away, but C12 was stronger than they were. ¡°No! Stop! Why!¡± C12 dug their claws into the back of GiDi¡¯s hand, digging into the flush and muscle to pry out the chip from the back of their hand. When they were done, they dropped it into the sink, and ran the water, pulling GiDi¡¯s wound under the flow. ¡°They track you with the chips.¡± C12 said, ¡°They track you, they listen in, they can see who you talk to, and what you look up. They¡¯ll find you as soon as they realize you¡¯re missing if you have your chip with you. Once it¡¯s out of range of the one in your head, they¡¯ll think you¡¯re dead.¡± They took GiDi by the hand once more and rushed out the door and back into the hallway and to the stairs. The last few flights bright them down to the wide open space of the shipping dock. There were a handful of other synths working, but none of them looked up from their work as C12 walked by. ¡°What are we doing here?¡± GiDi asked. ¡°Just keep walking. Act like you belong here.¡± C12 said, their voice low and quiet, ¡°They won¡¯t interrupt me; I outrank everyone here.¡± ¡°Alright, what are we doing here though?¡± ¡°Getting you out of here.¡± he said, ¡°The noise here echoes too much, they won''t be able to hear us.'''' They rushed down the hallway and got to a section where a transport was sitting, waiting to be sent off. C12 pressed their face to the glass so that they could read the code on the side. ¡°Yes; This one.¡± they said. They pressed their chip to the reader at the entrance to the shipping bay, but it gave a sour note and refused to open. C12 cursed and slammed their fist against the door. ¡°They shut me off already. The commander must have figured-¡± ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Both synths jumped as they turned around to see who had caught them, though when their eyes landed on a wingless synth, they couldn¡¯t help but stare. No wings, just stumps where their wings should have spread out from their shoulder blades. ¡°That¡¯s the one TO helped!¡± GiDi said, ¡°They almost got ripped into space-¡± ¡°You.¡± C12 pointed at the door. ¡°Open this.¡± ¡°Do you have authorization-¡± C12 just pointed at the badge on their uniform, ¡°I am a retiree, and your current superior officer, and the superior officer of everyone on this bay! Open the door.¡± They jumped then and hurried over to the door. A simple press of their chip made the door slide open. ¡°Now go back to the main console and prepare that vessel for transport.¡± C12 snapped. The wingless synth nodded and rushed back. ¡°They¡¯ll get in trouble-¡± ¡°No, they won¡¯t.¡± C12 said as they pulled GiDi to the ship. They opened the door, and set them inside. ¡°they¡¯ll report that they helped a retiree, which is true.¡± They turned back to the synth in question, who was now working at the console. ¡°Launch this thing in one minute!¡± They pulled the door closed. For a brief few seconds, GiDi was alone on the silent ship. Somehow, it seemed even more quiet than it should have. The absence of their chip made them feel so disconnected, so lost. C12 jumped into the other side and closed the door behind them. They scrambled around under the seat, and their ears lifted in relief as they pulled out two boxes. They passed one to GiDi. ¡°First aid kid. Patch up your hand.¡± They ordered, then they opened up their own and revealed several high-density rations. ¡°Enough food for a few periods if we¡¯re careful.¡± they said. ¡°Good, that means the maintenance on this is up to date.¡± They closed the box and put it away. ¡°In an emergency, these little ships are self-sustainable for at least that long.¡± Once they put the box back, they activated their own chip.GiDi watched as they bandaged up their own wound as the familiar screen flashed before them, showing what looked like personnel files. They hastily added a few notes before they drew their claws once more, and with stifled whimpers of pain, dug the chip out of their own hand. The sudden dip in their ears, and the way they looked at the chip in wonder, made GiDi realize they could feel its absence in their head just as much as they could. They opened the door or the vessel, held their hand outside, and hesitated. Their fingers gripped around the chip, their ears sunk, and then finally they let go. They closed the door before the chip even hit the ground. ¡°Why are we doing this?¡± GiDi asked, their voice soft and scared. What were they even doing? Where were they going? ¡°Do you want to get corrected?¡± they asked, their hands shaking as they gripped the steering, the blood dripping from the fresh wound. ¡°No.¡± GiDi said quickly, ¡°but.. that shouldn¡¯t matter? What I want shouldn¡¯t matter, right? Even if I get corrected or repurposed¡­ a synth should only serve King Decon. Right?¡± ¡°Synths are tools for King Decon,¡± C12 said as they finally found what they were looking for, and pulled out a mess of wires and connections, ripping them apart as they pulled them free. ¡°You¡¯re not a tool, remember?¡± They fell silent, idly rubbing the bandaged back of their hand. ¡°... Retiree, I can bandage your-¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be ¡®N¡¯ soon enough, so don¡¯t call me that.¡± They said, ¡°Flit is fine.¡± Warning lights flashed, and the vessel shuddered to life as the bay gate opened, pulling anything that wasn¡¯t tied down out into the void of space. ¡°Why though?¡± GiDi asked again, ¡°I don¡¯t want to be corrected, but why are you doing this?¡± ¡°That is a complicated question.¡± Flit said, ¡°Is it enough for now that I want better for you than I¡¯ve had? Then you might have otherwise? When we find Snout, then I can explain it better.¡± ¡°Snout. Your mate¡­ they¡¯re still alive?¡± ¡°They have to be.¡± GiDi didn¡¯t understand, not at the time. They didn¡¯t understand how a Retiree could defy King Decon in such a way, stealing His property and running off into space. It went against everything they had taught GiDi about synths, their duty, and their prestige. At least for now, they would not be corrected, or worse. ¡°¡­ I¡¯ll never see them again, will I? TO and DH, I mean.¡± Flits'' hands tightened on the steering as they gave a shuddering sigh, and GiDi could see the way their ears flicked back and down, a sadness that they couldn¡¯t understand. ¡°They passed.¡± Flit said, ¡°They could pass. They¡¯ll be safe.¡± The ship¡¯s engine fired up, and the holds were released. They burst from the shipping bay into space, and away from the only home and only family GiDi had ever known. Episode 226: Disconnected ¡°We¡¯re getting close.¡± Vik said, interrupting GiDi¡¯s story. ¡°Put a lid on them so we can go on and get home.¡± Before TO could ask what they meant, GiDi sighed and picked up a bucket, which had been modified with a strap under the chin, and padding around the eyes and ears. There was only enough space around the nose and mouth for them to breathe. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± GiDi whispered as they picked up TO¡¯s head, ¡°They don¡¯t trust you yet, and they have to keep themselves safe. It¡¯ll be alright, I promise.¡± Despite GiDi¡¯s promise, TO tried to back away, tried to thrash to get away from them, but a long, red tail slammed down on their arms and held them in place. When TO be looked up to see where it came from, they saw a large, muscular male with a long red tail. He must have been the same one who had tried to hide under the cloak earlier. He gave TO a glare of utter loathing, and that was the last thing that TO saw when the helmet slipped over their head. Once more, they were lost in darkness, unable to hear past the rush of blood in the ears, unable to see anything but darkness. The tail slid from their arm, leaving a long gash of pain across them. They¡¯d probably bruise later. If they had their armor on, they knew the lash of the stranger''s tail wouldn¡¯t have done any such damage to them. How could GiDi let them take their armor? Their chip? Even now, they felt their mind trying to reach that connection, trying to feel it, and sensing nothing. While GiDi¡¯s story about escaping the center made sense, they still couldn¡¯t believe that their small friend would join with the insurgents. Worse than that, they made it sound like Flit was still here, that they were involved in all this. They had of course taken GiDi from the training center, and TO was grateful for that¡­ But how could they let them join the insurgency? How could they be involved in this? Eventually, the boat hit against something. Rough hands grabbed TO by the arms and pulled them up, lifting them from the boat to solid ground; artificial, they knew that much, and very solid. Through their thin shoes, they figured it had to be cement or concrete. They loosened the ropes around the legs just enough so that they could shuffle along wherever the insurgents led them, but not nearly enough to allow them to walk normally, or even to run. Even if they could, it was most likely that they¡¯d just hurt themself thanks to the ridiculous bucket on their head. Like this, it suddenly struck TO that they were a prisoner. Maybe it was only because GiDi was there that they didn¡¯t really consider that before, but now, blind, bound, and dead, they funny understood their situation. Would the insurgents question them? They had DH too. TO knew that they themself could take any kind of torture from the insurgents and not give them a word of information, but how long would they last if they hurt DH? How long would DH last if forced to watch the insurgents hurt them? Once more, they wondered how GiDi could let this happen. How GiDi could have taken part in this! What changed then? The rough hands pushed them forward, forcing them along, taking turns until TO ultimately lost any sense of direction. If suddenly released, the makeshift helmet removed from their head, they¡¯d not have the slightest clue where to go to reach the surface once more. A sudden push forward took them by surprise. They stumbled forward, their knees striking the hard floor and drawing a pained cry from them as the uneven cement floor ripped through their basic uniform and tore the skin beneath. Before the last echo of pain escaped them, they felt familiar hands on their arms, catching them before they fell forward. They lifted the helmet from TO¡¯s head, and though momentarily blinded by dim, fluorescent lights which were inset in the ceiling, they could eventually see again. The surroundings were unimportant at that moment. All that mattered was that the one who had taken their helmet off was DH. TO felt their eyes burn as they looked up at their mate. ¡°Are you hurt?¡± were the first words from TO¡¯s lips, even as they knelt there, aching and bound. DH didn¡¯t seem obviously hurt, though there were deep rings around their eyes, as though they had been crying a lot. ¡°I was so worried.¡± TO said, their voice cracking, ¡°I thought you were dead. I thought they hurt you. I was going to rip this planet apart looking for you.¡± DH wrapped their arms around TO, their wings encircling their mate as they nuzzled their face into their neck. After a moment, they pulled back only to kiss TO on the lips, a hand stroking their ear at the same time. ¡°I¡¯m ok now.¡± DH whispered once they finally pulled away. ¡°I don¡¯t know what¡¯s happening¡­ But it¡¯s ok. We¡¯re safe. We¡¯re together.¡± They got up and went behind TO so that they could untie the ropes at TO¡¯s back. ¡°I was in one of those pods, and the insurgents took it. When they let everyone out, they saw me and they took me away, but one of those buckets over my head-¡± TO could finally feel the ropes behind them slacken. They pulled their hands forward, and though there were bright blue marks on their wrists, they weren¡¯t hurt. The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.¡°I saw GiDi.¡± DH said as they untied TO¡¯s feet. ¡°Me too.¡± TO muttered. ¡°... They¡¯re working with the insurgents.¡± ¡°They wouldn¡¯t tell me anything.¡± DH said. ¡°I don¡¯t think they could. They wouldn¡¯t even tell me what happened to you, if you were alive or-¡± The ropes around TO¡¯s ankles loosened. DH stood up and helped pull TO to their feet. Their feet hurt, though, and they felt oddly unbalanced. They stumbled forward, but DH caught them and led them to a mattress that sat on the floor in the corner. ¡°I thought you were dead.¡± DH said once TO was lying on the bed. TO looked up and saw DH¡¯s eyes - once more brimming with tears. They felt their own tears coming back as they remembered their own fear, the worry that DH was dead, or worse. For now, they were safe. TO did not know what would come in the future, but for now, they were both alive, both safe, and both together. Maybe for now, that was all that mattered. ====== They were disconnected. That was the first thing Hur-13 realized when they came to. The familiar trail of artificial neurons that they had used since they came out of the tank seemed to hit only dead ends. They bolted upright from where they were lying and looked at their hand. The bandage over the back of their hand told them what they feared, but all the same, they peeled back the medical tape to see the injury underneath. Blood, peeled back skin, and a painful gash that was deep enough to pry their chip from their flesh. Disconnected entirely. Being unable to use their chip at all was bad enough, but knowing it disconnected them not only from the general civilian network, but from the network of Synths under King Decon disturbed them deeply. They looked around, looking for another synth. Was Hur-14 with them? A quick look around the tiny room told them ?they were entirely alone; Neither Hur-14, nor Ark-87 was there. They were alone, disconnected, and trapped. Maybe being alone was better for now. The last thing they remembered was Ark-87 - no, the defect, the traitor- hitting them with a shot from their gun. Then Hur-14 hesitated to shoot the traitor. Was it Hur-13¡¯s fault? Avery was odd, but not as odd as the others were. They had expected better of the quiet synth who read books and did their job without complaint. GiDi, that tiny synth who should have been repurposed or corrected so long ago, was it their fault? Thinking of them with a name was odd, but they would have no other designation, so Hur-13 didn¡¯t know how to refer to them. It didn¡¯t entirely matter; they failed their examination, and didn¡¯t even have the sense of duty to submit to be corrected or repurposed. Worse than that, they had sided with the insurgents. It was disgusting. That a synth could sink so low, could turn against King Decon so thoroughly made Hur-13 want to break something. Still, they were content to lay the blame for their situation mostly on Ark-87. They were supposed to be better. They were the one who outperformed them in every aspect, and whose flaws were harder to quantify than those who their overseers had corrected early on. The synth called themself TO, who engaged in animal behavior with another synth, and who had let personal feelings dictate their loyalties. TO, the traitor. The name somehow seemed to work for them. GiDi perhaps didn¡¯t know better, since they never passed their examination, but TO should have. Still, they had been right all along. TO. DH. GiDi. The names they gave themselves were like a bright flag that showed their inability to be a proper synth. Their inability to serve and be happy for the privilege of serving King Decon. It was a bitter consolation that they had been right all along. If TO had avoided Ark-88, would things have gone differently? Would they have learned to serve properly, or would they have just grown preoccupied with another synth? No point in wondering about such things. There was only one fact that was important in all this; TO was dangerous. TO had to face justice. They sat up and took in their surroundings. They didn''t know that their room was the same as TO and DH¡¯s room - plain cement all over, a small table in the center, and a rough bed in the corner. In the other corner, two screens created a small private area, and when Kei approached, they saw a portable toilet, the kind that instantly dissolved waste, and a bucket with water in it. A bed, a table, a bucket, and a toilet. There was no way for them to shower, to keep clean and healthy. There was no means for physical exercise, mental stimulation, or any way to keep informed on the events on Arkane. That knowledge, that total isolation¡­ Why would someone do that to them? Already, they felt like their mind was struggling against it, struggling to reach out and contact something or someone. Even the traitor. No. No point in that. The insurgents had them, and there was nothing they could do for now. The insurgents would either kill them or interrogate them. They had been through enough interrogation simulations to know that they wouldn¡¯t give in to their methods, no matter how they tortured them. Eventually, the insurgents would kill them. A jolt of¡­ what, sadness? Ran through them. That was surprising to them. Of course, after a moment, they realized that the thought of dying here, unable to be repurposed and worked back into King Decon¡¯s service piece by piece, was the principal source of their anguish. Even in combat, scavenger bots on the field retrieved what they could to bring back to the scientists. Here, their body would stay here to rot, lost underground. What a waste. They settled their wings over their shoulders and faced the door. Eventually, the insurgents would come for them. They¡¯d be ready. Even without their armor, without their chip, and without a connection to King Decon, they¡¯d show the insurgent how a real synth behaved. Synth: Volume 3; Episode 227: Gyrini Minister Gyrini, Civilian security minister for the Glaucus Star Cluster, landed on Arkane at 11:04 AM on the civilian landing dock in the north section of the Outer Ring of Okoia. Already she was irritated; interior, more secure landing in the Central district should have been available to her, but no; she had to land in the slummy, civilian landing docks. While ?this ?dock, separate from the other shipping docks, was better kept than all the others, the smell of the water and the slums that surrounded it disgusted her. It also bothered her that there was no welcome party for her. There was just one little man waiting at the end of the dock for her as she made her way down the walking path from her ship. ¡°Minister Gyrini, so glad you¡¯re here.¡± Liaison Lucas said. She had expected that waste of space Noss, or even Vassel Buteo, to greet her. She hadn¡¯t expected Lucas. ¡°Liaison Lucas.¡± She snapped, her voice cold and sharp. ¡°Vassel Buteo keeps you busy running his errands, I see.¡± Lucas gave a nervous laugh as he stepped aside. ¡°You know Vassel Buteo has me doing most of his work.¡± He said, ¡°Anything he¡¯s too¡­ preoccupied to do.¡± She knew that tone, and she knew the hidden meaning of the words he had so carefully picked. Drugs, sex, or some other preoccupation? Well, it didn¡¯t matter. Buteo was as useful to her as mold in her chitin. As long as he stayed out of the way, she¡¯d be fine. Still, he could have at least sent someone with a higher rank than the liaison. ¡°Another four synths down?¡± She said as they made their way to the vehicle that sat nearby. ¡°Impressive. How many is that now?¡± ¡°This last batch gets us up to an even dozen.¡± Lucas said, ¡°No bodies, no clues, no ransom requests-¡° ¡°That last one doesn¡¯t surprise me.¡± She said, More resources would be useful to the Insurgency, and they had ransomed people off before, but never a synth. They were likely too dangerous to keep as a prisoner. Just as she knew she would be if they captured her. ¡°What has Noss done since their disappearance?¡± She¡¯d have to connect with him, get his plans, his information. That she would have to work with that awful, stupid man infuriated her more than anything. Lucas shrugged. ¡°He disappeared too.¡± He admitted. If one were watching carefully, they¡¯d catch the faintest jolt in her step - one of her back legs seeming to catch on nothing before continuing on. ¡°Was he taken by the insurgents as well?¡± She asked. ¡°Unknown. Once they were missing, he just-¡± Lucas snapped, ¡°Gone. Just like that.¡± He glanced up at her, ¡°You¡­ don¡¯t suppose he was involved, do you?¡± ¡°No.¡± She said, ¡°He¡¯s too much of a coward for that. He likely ran off to avoid facing the consequences of his ineptitude.¡± That was entirely fine by her- just one less person to hold her back. ¡°What was Vassel Buteo done in the meantime?¡± ¡°He¡¯s just waiting for you. I sent the reports to King Decon, who said he was sending you first, and redirecting a squadron of synths who would enact martial law upon landing. ¡° ¡°And King Decon¡¯s orders in the meantime?¡± ¡°He gave none. We were just told to deal with the situation and make do with civilian security before His synths arrived.¡± ¡®Make do with civilian security.¡¯ That meant her. Her mandibles clicked and her eyes narrowed. She hated being called a civilian. Of course, she knew that the distinction was simple; Synths were military, and anything that wasn¡¯t synth was civilian. It wasn¡¯t fair, though; It wasn¡¯t her fault that she was born Chalybion and not a synth. She had been older than she should have been when she learned one couldn¡¯t become a synth. She still remembered that day when it felt like her hearts broke. In school, standing before the other schoolchildren who wanted to build bots or be doctors or travel space when they grew up. Her pronouncement that she wanted to be one of King Decon¡¯s special guards met only uproarious laughter from her peers. If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. ¡°Gyrini, sweetie,¡± her kindly but very dull teacher had said back then, ¡°King Decon makes his synths. You can¡¯t be one.¡± ¡°Minister Gyrini?¡± Gyrini snapped back to attention. She had suddenly landed herself back in that awful classroom, surrounding by idiotic, laughing schoolchildren. The familiar shame and self-hatred that plagued her when she ended up doing that flooded her as she stepped up to the door that Lucas was holding open. She was an adult now. That shouldn¡¯t bother her. How did a memory from so many years ago still shine so vividly in her mind? ¡°Apologies.¡± she said as she got into the vehicle. I was deep in thought.¡± Lucas climbed in next to her, and the vehicle took off, taking them out of the wretched Outer Ring. ¡°So, you¡¯ve done nothing since the synths went missing?¡± ¡°Correct.¡± ¡°And their ship is still there?¡± ¡°Correct. King Decon has not granted us authorization to its interior yet, so we¡¯ve not returned it-¡± ¡°Don¡¯t bother.¡± Gyrini snapped, ¡°I¡¯m putting the entire planet on lockdown.¡± ¡°¡­ What?¡± ¡°Lockdown. Until the synths are here to say otherwise, nothing enters or leaves the planet¡¯s atmosphere. We shut all the space docks down.¡± After a moment of Lucas simply staring at her, she snapped, ¡°Well, go ahead. Give that order, and give me authorization to your planet''s network so I can start placing orders myself. ¡° ¡°R-right. Right away, Minister Gyrini.¡± Lucas stammered as he pulled out his communicator and sent off orders. It was only a moment later when her own communicator chimed, telling her ?she now had planetary authorization. Excellent. She downloaded the information for all the ships that had left the planet since the synths went missing, and sent out an alert to all planets in the star cluster, as well as the portal docks to freeze any of the noted ships, and investigate the people and the contents within. ¡°How long will the lockdown last?¡± Lucas said ¡°Until the synths arrive. They will be the next ones landing on the planet. Unless we ?deal with the situation ourselves¡± ¡°But if we¡¯re waiting for them, that could lock us down for weeks, or months! If I may, with this started right now, we¡¯ll have major supply chain issues. Arkane is a residential planet, not a production one! We rely on imports from our production planets -¡° ¡°Then that should be further encouragement for this sham of an insurgency to surrender, shouldn¡¯t it?¡± She snapped. ¡°And might reduce some civilian support. In the news broadcast, be sure to emphasize that we had no choice but to do this because of the actions of the insurgency. ¡° ¡°¡­ Is there really no choice? I mean.¡± He frowned, his brows knitting together as though he was desperately trying to fit together her logic in his mind, ¡°if we limit traffic to official ships and cargo ships-¡° ¡°No. I want a full lockdown.¡± She pulled up another file, looking for orders placed by the synths before they went out of contact. Of course, most of the information was either easily available, or protected behind layers of authorization that she did not have. Still¡­ she wanted to see whatever she could. She still believed in her theory, even though King Decon had brushed it off. Given the use of technology, the protected information the insurgents had, and the lack of ransom demands, she believed that at least one synth had to be working with the insurgency. She knew as well that King Decon had to know this. Of course, he simply couldn¡¯t admit it. Not to civilians. He could only share such trusted information with those of the highest ranking; His most trusted and accomplished synths. Still¡­ if she could prove that the synths were complicit in the insurgency, and if she herself could outsmart them and bring them to justice, then maybe she could prove herself to Him. If she could squash the insurgency before the synths arrived, achieve something that a dozen synths before her could not, maybe she¡¯d prove that she was good enough to serve him directly; that not only was she as good as a synth, she was better. ¡°It¡¯s done.¡± Lucas said as an alert came up on his own communicator. ¡°The planet is in lockdown.¡± ¡°Excellent.¡± Gyrini said. ¡°Now we put out an order of arrest for Noss.¡± ¡°Because he ran?¡± ¡°In part. Either he ran to avoid consequences, or he ran because he was complicit. Either way, he needs to be found. I¡¯m also placing a special order; Anybody on Arkane currently who was not born here needs to check in with planetary authorities.¡± As she caught Lucas¡¯ shocked expression, she simply said, ¡°I can put that order in myself. I don¡¯t need you.¡± ¡°Why do we need-¡° ¡°Because I say so.¡± She snapped. She needed to do this to see who was here on the planet, and who could check in. Of course, there was another highly guarded secret that she needed to know as well. What did a synth look like out of armor? If there were synths working with the insurgency, then since nobody knew what they looked like out of armor, they¡¯d be able to wander about the planet freely, and without disguise. If there were twelve missing synths, and twelve missing off-planet visitors to Arkane who looked even remotely similar, then she could probably make assumptions about how they looked. ¡°¡­ Some of our visitors might take exception to that.¡± Lucas said, ¡°They may not appreciate-¡° ¡°I don¡¯t very much care about what they appreciate.¡± She snapped as she sent off the orders, ¡°I care about fixing this mess that this planet''s shoddy government has gotten themselves into.¡± Another vehicle passing nearby just outside their own startled her, and she left a shiver at what felt to her to be a too-close pass. She wasn¡¯t used to being on a planet anymore and not used to moving vessels coming so close to one another. Just before adolescence, she earned a place in a civilian military school, which was stationed in orbit around a production planet. Since then, she had worked mostly on different ships, working up the ranks until she finally held one of the highest positions a civilian could hold. Still civilian though. It still wasn¡¯t good enough. One day, she¡¯d have the privilege that synths were made with. The privilege which, she was certain, at least one synth had squandered. Episode 228: Lies TO was fairly certain that it had been four days since the insurgency caught them. Without their chips, and with no clock in the room, the only way they could tell the time was from the regular meals that the insurgents brought to them, sliding them under the door though a small slot which locked on the outside. Mostly, they were fed those strange bugs with too many legs, and DH had to peel them so that TO could eat. In the morning, they also got a handful of dried fruits. In the evening, they added a strange root, one that DH promised was safe to eat. ¡°GiDi told me it was safe when I first came here.¡± DH said the first time the odd vegetable arrived, ¡°But.. they¡¯ve not been back since you came.¡± The insurgents had left them books, though; a collection of seemingly random texts. TO had never seen a physical book before. It seemed like such a waste of paper, such a poor use of resources when most books could be duplicated digitally. It was something, though. As much as they loved DH, and as much as they both occupied one another¡¯s attention, TO still needed something different to keep themself from going crazy. Basic exercises on the floor, made up chores, and the books all helped. If the insurgents had put them in a room away from DH, they didn¡¯t know if they¡¯d survive. They wondered where Avery was and how they were doing. Were they alone? Would it be better for them to be locked up with Kei, or would it be better for them to be on their own with a pile of books? They honestly didn¡¯t know, and couldn¡¯t ask either. They couldn¡¯t ask if Avery hated them for shooting at Kei, how they were doing, or if they were safe. TO tried to get word to Avery, but the only access they had to the world outside the room were the meals that kept time, and whoever brought them never responded to TO¡¯s questions when shouted through the slot in the door. ¡°GiDi will come back.¡± DH promised over and over again. ¡°They said things are complicated right now, which is why we can¡¯t leave this room¡­ but they¡¯ll be back.¡± Would GiDi actually come back? They could tell that DH wasn¡¯t lying about that, but could GiDi be trusted? Even thinking that made them feel sick, but GiDi was an insurgent now! How could they trust an insurgent? Was TO an insurgent now that they had shot a fellow synth? How would Avery ever trust them again? What would happen to them now that the insurgents had them? Ideas of being tortured passed through their mind more than once, as of course that was the only reason they could think of for a synth to work with the insurgency, but now it seemed very clear that GiDi had done so without being tortured. If they were working with the insurgency under duress or because of torture, then why? The only thing that kept them from these spiraling thoughts was DH. DH was there with them, and for now, they were safe. They had all the time in the world to spend with DH now; every day they could wake up, and rest in DH¡¯s embrace for hours if they wanted to. If all this had never happened, then they¡¯d be separated by now; probably sent to opposite sides of the galaxy. That was the thought that anchored them when everything else got chaotic in their head. It was what they were trying to focus on when, on the morning of the fourth day, the door to their room swung open. Both TO and DH were awake, but TO acted first, sitting up and positioning themself between DH and the door, their wings spread as though trying to hide their mate, their ears pinned down and their teeth bared as they stared down the red, snake-like figure who entered. He had one of their multi guns in his hands - TO didn¡¯t know how he was using one without a chip - and he was aiming directly at TO. ¡°Sit.¡± He hissed. ¡°Or what?¡± ¡°Or I¡¯ll shoot.¡± Came his very sharp response, ¡°What did you think I¡¯d do?¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine, TO.¡± DH whispered at TO¡¯s back, ¡°Just sit down. He¡¯ll stun you if you don¡¯t.¡± After another moment of staring one another down, TO obeyed and knelt down on the bed. As he did, the snake-person stepped aside to let three other people enter after them. Flit, Snout, and Pholi. ¡°Hello, hello, Don¡¯t mind me.¡± Pholi said with a pleasant wave at TO and DH, ¡°I¡¯m just an observer. Pay me no heed.¡± ¡°And I¡¯m here in case you decide to try anything.¡± The snake person said. ¡°Yes, yes, you¡¯re very intimidating.¡± Pholi said, ¡°Pardon my aggressive friend, Tio, D.H. This is my good friend Tham. He¡¯ll be chaperoning.¡± They didn¡¯t care that this Tham person would be there to watch them. They didn¡¯t care that - from the sound of the door locking on the other side once Snout closed it- there were other people there. What they cared about was Snout and C12- No, GiDi said they liked to be called Flit now. Snout and Flit. Of the millions of things they could have asked, the questions they had spinning about their head, they only really had a strange sense of relief, and they said the first words that came to them. ¡°... You¡¯re together again.¡± They said, feeling their ears twitch down. ¡°You found each other-¡± ¡°And you ended up here with DH.¡± Flit said as they leaned against the door. ¡°I thought they weren¡¯t the one you were interested in.¡± TO¡¯s ears burned as they looked around, eyes darting from person to person. Though Flit was speaking Synth-speak, TO knew that the language didn¡¯t really offer them any privacy. ¡°He knows our language.¡± TO snapped, pointing to Pholi, ¡°It¡¯s dangerous-¡± The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°Oh, I do.¡± Pholi said, ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯m here to observe.¡± Their stubby tail slapped against the ground, ¡°I can speak it if I have programs to create the strange clicks you have in your language, but from what I understand that involves being able to breathe and exhale at the same time, and I¡¯m literally, physically unable to do that. I could do it otherwise!¡± ¡°And you won¡¯t get in trouble for having a mate here.¡± Snout said. They stepped up to Flit and wrapped an arm around theirs, leaning against them and gently kissing their arm, exposed by the torn t-shirt they were wearing which they had altered to accommodate their wings. TO looked away, remembering the time they saw them kiss back in the training center. They were the only other synths they had ever seen act in such a way, and they weren¡¯t used to it. They especially weren¡¯t used to the awkward way Flit''s ears tilted down, or the blue flush that covered their ears. ¡°They get the idea.¡± Flit muttered, clearing their voice and trying to keep some composure, ¡°But yes¡­ That doesn¡¯t matter anymore. Not here, anyway.¡± Snout released Flit¡¯s arm and leaned next to them against the door, their shoulder pressed against Flit¡¯s. ¡°What do you want?¡± TO asked, still ready to jump up and protect DH from anyone in the room, even from Flit and Snout if they had to. ¡°Why did you keep us here for so long? Where¡¯s GiDi? And Avery-¡± ¡°GiDi is with-¡± ¡°Don¡¯t implicate her.¡± The snake person said. ¡°Shush.¡± Another snake person female. Someone associated with the insurgency. ¡°Is GiDi with Pearla?¡± TO asked. ¡°They are.¡± Flit said, ¡°And they¡¯re safe. They were just strongly recommended to take a few days away from here. Getting DH was risky enough, and a big gamble given what we were trying to do in Thalassa.¡± their ears dipped down, ¡°We thought that getting you out would be¡­ well, impossible.¡± ¡°And unwise.¡± Pholi added, ¡°I thought you were fine, mind. I just had to talk to you for three minutes while you were out of uniform to tell that. You do those same love-sick ear movements, and I figured you¡¯d be more like Flit and Snout. I knew having you here would be fine.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not so sure.¡± Tham said, ¡°GiDi, maybe they¡¯re ok. They got kicked out for a reason. You lot?¡± His gun was steady, his eyes focused. ¡°You passed. You¡¯ve worked for him.¡± His nose wrinkled with his sneer. ¡°Decon.¡± The way he spoke, that tone that he used when he spoke King Decon¡¯s name, had that same hint of disgust that some civilians -like Petra- used for speaking of Synths. ¡°How dare you?¡± TO hissed, their ears pinning back once more. ¡°I dare with a gun pointed at you.¡± Tham snapped back, ¡°Go ahead; give me an excuse to shoot.¡± ¡°Just calm down, TO.¡± Flit said, taking a step forward, ¡°I know you¡¯re probably very confused-¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been here longer, and I¡¯m confused!¡± DH said from behind TO, ¡°GiDi didn¡¯t tell me anything, except they¡¯d try to get TO.¡± ¡°I know, and I¡¯m sorry for that.¡± Flit said. They walked up to the bed and sat on the edge. ¡°There¡¯s a lot we can¡¯t tell you yet, but there¡¯s also a lot we can tell you.¡± He looked at TO, his ears twitching with concern, ¡°A lot that you wanted to know a long time ago, and which was just too dangerous to tell you then. But if you ask now, I can tell you.¡± ¡°Another reason I¡¯m here.¡± Pholi said, ¡°I¡¯m to veto any information that might be too sensitive at this moment to share.¡± ¡°So, go ahead.¡± Flit said, ¡°Ask me anything. Any question I might have pushed you away from before? Anything that you were too afraid to ask.¡± There were so many questions that TO wanted to ask. Answers they had given up on learning a long time ago, the question why Flit saved GiDi, and why they had TO and DH sent to Arkane. One question loomed above all the others now, a question that demanded an answer. ¡°Why are you working with them?¡± TO snapped, gesturing to the others, ¡°The insurgents.¡± They could feel their ears contort with disgust, ¡°How could you turn against King Decon-¡± ¡°We could do it easily.¡± Snout hissed, their own ears pinning back, ¡°Once I learned just what a lying, sociopathic tyrant Decon was, it was actually very easy to side with the insurgents.¡± It was almost dizzying to hear a synth say such things. They could almost understand the others, the insurgents themselves speaking of King Decon with disgust, even if they hated it. Civilians were shortsighted and selfish. They couldn¡¯t look beyond themselves and might have held some distaste for King Decon. They could especially understand it if they thought that all the awful things the leadership of Arkane did were actually King Decon¡¯s doing. A synth should know better, though, especially a synth that had worked in the labs. ¡°I guess we¡¯re diving right in.¡± Snout said. ¡°Though that¡¯s probably the best place to start.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t agree with them!¡± TO said, their ears down in absolute shock, their eyes wide. How could a retiree agree with that!? ¡°I do.¡± They said, ¡°Because I¡¯m smart, like you. When I have enough evidence of something, I¡¯m prone to believe it, even if it takes a while.¡± ¡°And what, you have evidence that King Decon is-¡± They couldn¡¯t bring themself to repeat the thing that Snout had said, ¡°That He¡¯s those things?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know about sociopathic, but I know one thing.¡± They gave a deep sigh, their ears dipping. ¡°King Decon is, in fact, a liar. ¡° Episode 229: Answers Snout activated their chip, and projected in the air before them a screen that showed a strand of DNA. ¡°They let you keep your chip?¡± TO said as they felt more keenly than they had in the last few days the absence of their own. ¡°You¡¯ll get yours back too.¡± Flit promised, ¡°It just needs to be altered before you can have it.¡± ¡°Chips aren¡¯t important now.¡± Snout snapped, ¡°Just look. This-¡± They gestured to the screen, ¡°Is supposed to be King Decon¡¯s greatest breakthrough. The very thing that allows his galactic kingdom to thrive. Us. Synths.¡± They pointed to TO, ¡°you asked before how Synths are made. What¡¯s the answer?¡± TO blinked, surprised that they were being questioned, surprised that a question that they had given up on so long ago was being brought up now. With everything else happening, it didn¡¯t even seem important. ¡°King Decon made us.¡± They said. They nodded at the screen. ¡°The DNA was crafted from base proteins and sugars, and then grown to create us.¡± ¡°All DNA is crafted from base proteins and sugars. How did Decon do it?¡± TO¡¯s ears twitched down, confusion coloring their expression. They had, in fact, wondered that so long ago. Wondering about it, following their curiosity had caused so much trouble that even now it filled them with a slight panic to let their mind ponder that path. ¡°TO?¡± ¡°I¡­ Don¡¯t know.¡± They said, ¡°It¡¯s protected information. The process, if fallen into the wrong hands, could be disastrous.¡± Snout snapped a finger at them. ¡°Right. That¡¯s what we¡¯re told. We¡¯re told not to look too closely at all this. We¡¯re told not to. Ask questions. We¡¯re taught- no, we¡¯re programmed not to ask questions.¡± A gesture, and the picture changed; this time it showed the image of a brain scan. A synth''s brain scan. TO had seen this multiple times in their studies back in training; The strange combination of smooth and rough surfaces differed from any other creature in the galaxy. ¡°Programmed before we even leave the tank.¡± Snout said. They pointed to the smoothed parts of the brain. ¡°These parts. Do you know what it is?¡± ¡°Adjustments.¡± TO said, proud that they knew that much, at least. ¡°Parts where minor imperfections were fixed.¡± ¡°It¡¯s damaged.¡± Flit muttered, ¡°Damaged to erase things that would complicate life for you.¡± ¡°We¡¯ve figured out different parts of the brain fairly well.¡± Snout continued as they pointed to various places in the brain, ¡°Parts of the brain that handle things like love, curiosity, empathy. All smoothed out by lasers. And of course-¡± They pulled up another image- this one showing a good section of the frontal lobe smoothed out much more than the previous image, ¡°IN case of synths that need to be corrected, the entire personality gets removed. Of course, this also destroys things like memory, dexterity, and problem-solving¡­¡± Their ears pinned back, their wings puffing up slightly, ¡°But hey, it¡¯s worth it, right? Better to have a mindless slave do menial physical labour than waste the whole synth.¡± ¡°There are no unimportant jobs under King Decon.¡± DH said, the recitation coming quickly to their mouth. TO had been about to say the same thing, the reflex instant and quick. ¡°They passed that thing Gidi mentioned.¡± Tham snapped. They still had the gun pointed at them. ¡°They¡¯re too far in. You can¡¯t convince them-¡° ¡°They¡¯re clever.¡± Flit said, ¡°Both of them. When presented with the evidence¡­ it might take some time, but they¡¯ll be fine.¡± Their ears pinned back slightly, ¡°And remember that I passed ¡®that thing¡¯ too, and made my way through the ranks to one of the most revered position in Decon¡¯s army.¡± Tham snarled, but said nothing more. Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit. ¡°If I can continue.¡± Snout said. They brought back the first image, ¡°Now the ¡®corrections¡¯ that occur in every synth''s brain remove various instincts, and suppressed natural, intellectual curiosity. That makes us less likely to question ¡®facts¡¯ that are fed to us. Even after leaving the tank, we¡¯re trained not to ask questions. They could condition even a synth with an intact brain not to ask questions. This is, of course, essential for Decon because otherwise we¡¯d start asking questions like-¡± they flicked back to the DNA, ¡°How does a single person create, from nothing, an entire species to serve him?¡± ¡°And, something you asked before-¡± Flit added, ¡°If Decon created us, why does so much need to be done? Afterwards? All these alterations to the mind and body-¡° ¡°The surgery I kept you from attending.¡± Snout added in, ¡°Done to every synth to remove ¡®unnecessary¡¯ organs. If they¡¯re unnecessary, and King Decon created us in the first place, then why keep in elements that need to be fixed?¡± TO knew the answer, or at least the answer that they had been given once. It was complex, and they, as synths, couldn¡¯t comprehend how King Decon created them. ¡°The answer, of course, is that Decon didn¡¯t make us. He stole us.¡± ¡°How could He have stolen us when we were made right in the training center?¡± TO said, ¡°I saw them. I activated them-¡° ¡°You didn¡¯t activate. You fertilized.¡± Another screen came up, this one showing the odd, vibrating dots that TO had seen so long ago; the activation fluid that Snout had been examining. ¡°A recording that I saved.¡± Snout said, ¡°The same thing you saw that last day I was there.¡± ¡°Activation fluid.¡± ¡°Spermatozoa.¡± They corrected, ¡°One half of the genetic makeup of a synth, harvested from sexual organs removed after a synth has reached a physical peak inside the tank. ¡° Ears flicking down in confusion, TO leaned forward, ¡°We don¡¯t have sexual organs.¡± TO sad, ¡°That¡¯s what separates us from civilians. We don¡¯t have the base-¡° ¡°We do.¡± Snout said, ¡°Or, rather, we should.¡± The brought the image of the brain back up. ¡°We suspect that the sexual instinct in the brain is somewhere¡­ here?¡± They pointed to a very smoothed out part of the brain. ¡°With that smoothed out, and the organs removed, there¡¯s no instinct for love or sexual desire.¡± Next to them, they felt DH¡¯s hand tighten around their own. No instinct for love or sexual desire. Well¡­ for them, that wasn¡¯t true. ¡°So¡­ if someone has those things¡­ Then it¡¯s a mistake?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s not a mistake.¡± Snout said, then they looked at Flit, ¡°Well¡­ in our case, it was.¡± ¡°We were lucky.¡± Flit said, their ears coloring slightly. ¡°I wanted to know why I was different.¡± Snout said as they leaned against the wall. ¡°I wanted to know why I felt things I shouldn¡¯t, why everyone else around me was normal, and I had a broken mind. I looked into how the conditioning process works, the alterations of the mind, and neuromapping. I dug as deep as I could into the feedback loops and watched these tiny little synths experience years in a matter of days, and I watched the lasers alter and destroy feelings and sensations it deemed problematic as they came up. Then, finally, I scanned my mind to see what I was missing. TO see what made me different.¡± They pulled up another scan. This one, TO didn¡¯t recognize. It was a brain again, and it looked somewhat like a synth¡¯s brain, but it lacked any of the smoothed places that TO was used to seeing. ¡°An intact synth brain.¡± They said. I don¡¯t know why. I still don''t know for certain, but I saw a record of some intense solar flares that hit the training center when Flit and I were in training, and we already knew that they had grown us in tanks next to one another. The best I could figure is that the feedback system for that set got fried, and nobody noticed it. The simulations were still running, but we just weren¡¯t being altered, and the simulation wasn¡¯t altering to condition us out of specific behaviors. That''s my theory, anyway.¡± ¡°So, it was a mistake.¡± TO muttered, ¡°Something broke, and then-¡± They frowned, ¡°Is that why I¡¯m¡­ so different? Was there another flare?¡± ¡°Oh, no.¡± Flit said, ¡°We disconnected you, GiDi, and DH as soon as they put you in your own tanks.¡± ¡°What?!¡± Once more, they felt their ears pin back, their wings puff up, and their lips curl back to reveal their pointed teeth. ¡°I¡¯m like this¡­. Because of you!?¡± The nights sobbing alone in their bunk. The constant nightmares of blood. The isolation, the disdain of other synths. The horrible, horrible loneliness they experienced before DH was around¡­ all that was because of them? How much easier and simpler would everything be if they had just left them alone? What would their life be like if they were normal? They wouldn¡¯t have DH. They wouldn¡¯t love DH. That was the only thing keeping them from being truly angry. ¡°We couldn¡¯t let that happen to you.¡± Flit said, their ears down, ¡°We¡­ we just couldn¡¯t.¡± ¡°Why not?¡± The words slipped, hissed through TO¡¯s teeth. ¡°As. I said.¡± Flit continued, ¡°The ¡®activation fluid¡¯ Is spermatozoa. The ¡®base DNA¡¯ is ovum. We harvest those resources from synths while still in the tank, and they¡¯re tracked in order to prevent a genetic bottleneck.¡± They frowned. ¡°Something that wouldn¡¯t be necessary if Decon could simply create more at will.¡± ¡°And how do you know that?¡± TO snapped. ¡°The labels.¡± Snout said, ¡°we mark the organs removed with specific codes, and sent to be destroyed. However, the ¡®activation fluid¡¯ and ¡®base DNA¡¯ have codes as well, and the original code for the organs hides in that code. This means it¡¯s possible to track where certain genetic materials came from. It¡¯s possible to see who has, without knowing it, parented a synth.¡± They recalled GiDi saying that their parent was part of the insurgency. They hadn¡¯t thought about that since -there was far too much going on in their head for that- but now¡­ ¡°So¡­ One of you. Your DNA was used to create GiDi?¡± TO asked, their ears down. ¡°Both of us.¡± Snout said. ¡°GiDi is the only synth still living that has mine and Snouts combined DNA.¡± ¡°Yes. Once we realized what was happening¡­¡± Snout glanced at the image still on the screen, ¡°I tracked all the synths that had my DNA, Flit¡¯s DNA, or both, and deactivated the feedback before the brain had formed.¡± Not a mistake. They said that TO wasn¡¯t a mistake. They pointed a shaking hand at the screen. ¡°SO.¡± They said, their ears down, their voice cracking, ¡°My brain looks something like that.¡± ¡°No TO.¡± Snout said, ¡°It doesn¡¯t look like this. This is a scan of your brain.¡± Episode 230: Choice That was their brain. A scan of their own rough, unpolished brain. Not the brain of a synth, which had been carefully developed and tended to and developed with purpose; this was the brain of a civilian, untouched by King Decon¡¯s will. TO thought that Flit had to be lying, but it only took a glance at their ears to prove that hope was wrong. They could only put their face in their hands and stare at the unfinished mess before them in silence. ¡°That means you two are also our¡­ parents?¡± DH asked from behind them, their voice cracking. ¡°Not both of us.¡± Snout said, ¡°For each generation, no synth has the two same progenitors. We found ones that had either my genetic code, or Snouts. GiDi is the only one formed from both of us.¡± ¡°... And me?¡± DH said, their quiet voice shaking as they leaned forward, a hand on TO¡¯s back, ¡°Which of you made me?¡± ¡°You have my DNA. I¡¯m unsure who your other parent is.¡± Snout admitted, ¡°I know their original code, but that doesn¡¯t help much, as it was unfamiliar to me.¡± ¡°And¡­ TO? Are they yours also?¡± ¡°No, no.¡± Flit said quickly, ¡°TO shares half of my genetic code.¡± Without looking, TO could hear the relieved breath leave DH¡¯s body, feel the muscles in their hand unclench. They didn¡¯t understand how they could be so at ease with that. They could have been corrected just because Snout experimented with their minds! And why? Just because they shared some base DNA? ¡°How many others?¡± TO finally said, their voice hissing from between their teeth. ¡°How many others did you break?¡± ¡°Break?¡± Flit¡¯s ears dipped, and they took a tentative step towards TO, ¡°We didn¡¯t break you-¡± ¡°You did!¡± TO protested, ¡°We might have been normal! We could have been just like every other synth! We would have worked, and we wouldn¡¯t have been so scared, or lonely-¡± ¡°And you wouldn¡¯t have fallen in love.¡± Flit said, interrupting their rant, ¡°You wouldn¡¯t have an ounce of intellectual curiosity, wouldn¡¯t be clever as you are, wouldn¡¯t enjoy things like you do! You¡¯d be like every other ¡®normal¡¯ synth.¡± Their wings puffed up, showing the scars once more. Their lips curled up only a little, and TO glimpsed that cracked tooth once more. They felt themself shrink before them, their wings suddenly tightening against their arms. ¡°You¡¯d be a mindless meat automaton in service to King Decon who, I remind you, has lied about making you in the first place!¡± ¡°I¡¯m not saying it¡¯s been easy!¡± Snout added, stepping forward and putting a hand on Flit¡¯s arm. Instantly, their ears relaxed and their wings dropped. The way their ears twitched back gave away their irresistible fondness for Snout. No wonder they hadn¡¯t been able to hide it. ¡°No. It hasn¡¯t been easy.¡± TO snapped. ¡°And I''m not saying it was a straightforward choice for us to make. Once I realized half of what was happening, once I saw my code and Flit¡¯s code¡­ I didn¡¯t know for certain everything I knew now. I wasn¡¯t so certain that King Decon wasn¡¯t using this technique just to save time in synth production! But.. once I knew I had-¡± They frowned, glancing at Flit. ¡°Once I knew I had offspring, I knew I had to do something. When your batch was being made, I had learned the true extent of the brain alterations, and I had learned the genetic links¡­ I had to act. I had to do something.¡± ¡°How many are left?¡± TO hissed. They watched as Flit and Snout¡¯s ears dropped, and in their silence they could only give one another this awful look of abject sorrow. ¡°Well? How many others did you do this to?!¡± ¡°If I may?¡± Pholi said, speaking common in contrast to their synth speak, ¡°The life for your kind, if what I understand is correct, is short, brutal, devoid of joy and love, and devoid of choice. I¡¯d think even a hard life is better than that.¡± ¡°Yes, but you''re not a synth, are you!¡± TO snapped back. They turned to Flit and Snout again. ¡°And I know some synths that would disagree. Q10, for example.¡± The memory of them willingly getting corrected to make the pain stop flooded back to them. ¡°They were miserable, they were angry, scared, sad, and they wanted to be corrected!¡± They remembered as well the other synth down in the tunnels, the one that had recognized them. ¡°And If you want to talk about choice, how many got caught for being different, and got corrected because of that? What choice did they have?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not¡­¡± Snout started, then stopped. They narrowed their eyes at the floor. ¡°That¡¯s not our fault. That¡¯s King Decon¡¯s. Thats¡¯ the system.¡± ¡°Q10.¡± TO continued, ¡°Were they one of yours?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Flit said, their arms crossed as they stared down TO, ¡°Mine, actually. Their other parent is unknown.¡± ¡°Right. And Avery?¡± ¡°Not ours.¡± Snout said. ¡°The feedback systems in the tanks link to dual receptors, so when I turned off your feedback system, I turned off theirs as well.¡± ¡°So not just the ones that your DNA was in.¡± TO snapped. ¡°Anyone who was next to them, too.¡± They glared at the older synths, ¡°How many are left? How many passed their training?¡± ¡°You, DH, and GiDi.¡± Snout said. ¡°The others were-¡° ¡°Corrected.¡± TO finished. ¡°Yes.¡± Flit said, ¡°The others got corrected. We saw too many of them get corrected, so I took on another training class so I could have some influence on you! So I could try to protect you!¡± The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. ¡°From what! From serving King Decon?¡± ¡°From serving a tyrant that doesn¡¯t care about you, yes.¡± Snout said, ¡°Like I said, Decon lies! And that brings us to the other¡­ Aspect of this-¡° ¡°Which, I gently remind you, you can¡¯t tell them yet.¡± Pholi said, ¡°It¡¯s too risky now.¡± ¡°Oh, tell me.¡± TO said, ¡°Go ahead. You¡¯ve come this far.¡± Snout was silent for a moment, looking between Pholi and TO. After a long silence, it was Flit who spoke. ¡°I can say that we have evidence that King Decon didn¡¯t create any original DNA. We have evidence that he used the genetic code of a civilian race and turned them into his servants.¡± they shrugged, ¡°We were civilians once, before such distinctions existed.¡± They had no proof for TO, but they could also see that once again, they weren¡¯t lying. "How many more are still in training?¡± TO asked. ¡°How many more did you do this to?¡± ¡°You were the first group.¡± Flit said, ¡°And¡­ we decided you¡¯d be the last. It was too risky in the end.¡± They sighed. ¡°Look, you can be angry with us. I would be too, honestly. But we gave you freedom, and you clearly choose that. Choose each other.¡± TO suddenly felt a hand on their arm, DH¡¯s gentle grip holding them back. They hadn¡¯t realized they were getting up, and only not noticed Tham tensing, their aim straightening. ¡°Alright.¡± TO said after a moment to collect themself. DH pulled them back, forcing them to half-recline against them. It was hard to be angry when they did that. It was hard to be angry at Flit and Snout when they realized it was ok for DH to do that here, in front of others. ¡°So. You broke us. And now we¡¯re here. Now what?¡± ¡°Your rescue was GiDi¡¯s plan.¡± Snout said. ¡°We agreed in the end, but it was their plan.¡± ¡°Alright. Why?¡± ¡°Because you were going to be separated.¡± Flit said, ¡°You said that you got caught and you¡¯d be separated.¡± Their ears flushed as they glanced at Snout, ¡°And.. I know I¡¯d rather anything over being separated from my mate. The plan was to get you both here, and safe. After that¡­ we didn¡¯t really have a plan.¡± ¡°¡­ You did all this, so we¡¯d be together?¡± DH asked. ¡°Pretty much.¡± Flit said, ¡°They were insistent. They didn¡¯t care if they never saw you again after, if you worked with us, or if we had to sneak you away; so long as you¡¯re together, they¡¯re happy.¡± ¡°And your plan before that? The reason you shut us off from the mental feedback stuff?¡± At this, Snout could only shrug. ¡°It didn¡¯t seem right.¡± They said, ¡°That''s all. I knew I couldn''t do it to every synth I¡¯d get caught too quickly, but I wanted to ?help some of you, and it felt right to help the ones with our DNA. Outside of giving some of you some free will, we didn¡¯t have a plan.¡± ¡°¡­ Are we prisoners?¡± DH asked, this time speaking in Common. It seemed he was addressing Tham and Pholi rather than Flit and Snout. ¡°If it were me, you would be.¡± Tham said. ¡°Though, if it were me, you wouldn¡¯t be here.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not prisoners.¡± Pholi said, taking a step forward, ¡°you¡¯re ¡®high risk refugees¡¯. We want to help you. We want to get you off the planet and somewhere you¡¯ll be safe. There will be no fight with Decon. You won¡¯t have to be separated, and you can just live out the rest of your lives together on a faraway planet. Vik can do something to your chips to make it seem like you¡¯ve died, so other synths won¡¯t chase you down.¡± ¡°That¡¯s all?¡± DH said, ¡°You won''t force information from us? You won¡¯t make us do tech work for you, or-¡° ¡°If we forced you to fight for us, we¡¯d be as bad as King Decon.¡± Tham said. ¡°Yes.¡± TO hissed, ¡°It¡¯s not like you¡¯d implicate someone in your work against their wishes, and then just kill them off.¡± ¡°No. We wouldn¡¯t.¡± Tham snapped. ¡°Well, what about Vince? The Officer?¡± Flit and snout¡¯s ears twitched with confusion. Philo gave a deep sigh, but Tham just narrowed their eyes at TO. ¡°who are you talking about?¡± Flit asked. ¡°Vince, the officer from the prison. The one whose blood and cartilage they found mutilated in the water cleaning system after the breakout.¡± ¡°He was complicit.¡± ¡°He was a civilian.¡± ¡°He kept our friends captive. You¡¯d do the same. Shit, you shot one of your own when they threatened GiDi.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t drag Kei down here.¡± TO snapped back, ¡°And I didn¡¯t kill them. You¡¯ll note that they¡¯re still in one piece. Or at least, they were when I saw them last. I don¡¯t know if you¡¯ve thrown them into a water purification system yet.¡± ¡°You know what? Yes. I did that.¡± He turned to glare at Pholi. ¡°And I¡¯m sick of making excuses! He fought back! He was going to escape, and tell everyone what happened and where we went, and then we¡¯d all be in the shit. I did what I had to do to protect us all, and if one guard had to die-¡° ¡°Tham¡­ not now.¡± Pholi said, ¡°Not the place to discuss this.¡± He turned back to TO. ¡°¡­ Our hands aren¡¯t clean; I¡¯ll admit that. We¡¯re only a small group of people, and even I¡¯ll admit that people have¡­¡± his tail fell limp, ¡°People have died. Sometimes it¡¯s accidental. Sometimes it¡¯s not.¡± He looked up at TO, ¡°But with you, I promise that we have no other motives for having you here. We wanted to bundle you up with the other indebted we saved, and get you off the planet as soon as possible. That got complicated, of course, but that¡¯s all we want for you.¡± ¡°We just want to help you.¡± Flit said, switching to common as well. ¡°Because¡­ You¡¯re our offspring and because GiDi cares about you. So, that¡¯s what we want to offer you; a life to live together. No more fighting, no more insurgents, no more Decon. Isn¡¯t that what you want?¡± It shouldn¡¯t be. It shouldn¡¯t be enough for them. They should want to fight for king Decon. They should have been above the petty, self-centered desires of civilians and spend their life in service to serve the King Decon and live for the greater good of the galaxy.. Still, the answer came quickly to their lips before they could really consider it. ¡°Then that¡¯s what you¡¯ll have.¡± Flit said. He turned to Tham. ¡°And we¡¯re not keeping them in here while we figure out how to get them off Arkane. It¡¯s cruel.¡± ¡°They¡¯ll attack us. They¡¯ll attack us, and escape.¡± ¡°If they do, that¡¯s their ticket out of here, gone.¡± They turned back to TO, ¡°You won¡¯t hurt any of us, are you?¡± Again, they should. They knew they should. They should fight as hard as they could to return to King Decon¡¯s service, and work like a proper synth. But they weren¡¯t a proper synth, were they? Their mind was raw and unpolished as any civilians. There was something wrong with them, something that would keep them from being a real synth. They loved. They had mated. These are things that a synth shouldn¡¯t do. They shot Kei. There was no going back after that. ¡°No.¡± They said, their ears showing absolutely no sign of deception, ¡°I won¡¯t.¡± Episode 231: Reconnected Once they were allowed to leave their little room, Flit and Snout led them to a larger common room; its rough walls told TO that it had been carved out recently, probably from a former, smaller area that was part of the old tunnel system. Despite the overall chaotic feel of the room, and the multitude of different species scattered about, it reminded TO of being back in their old dormitories. It wasn¡¯t because of any sense of decor - The stone and brick walls were old and dingy in stark contrast to the clean, gray walls they had in the training center. It wasn¡¯t because of the noise either; there was a mess of noise in the place - various people of different races playing card games and laughing uproariously, music playing from speakers and headphones, and a screen that played a drama off in the corner. No, what reminded them of being back in the dormitories was the looks they received as they entered. The looks that were quickly hidden as people purposefully went back to what they were doing, nevertheless, that look that said so clearly, ¡°what are you doing here?¡± The only difference was that this time, it was mixed with fear. ¡°Vik?¡±Pholi called out once they got into the room, ¡°You have the chips ready?¡± ¡°Yes. Sorta.¡± Vik¡¯s voice came from behind several screens off in the corner. ¡°Come on.¡± Flit said, putting a hand on TO¡¯s shoulder as they tried to lead them forward, ¡°Vik can-¡° TO shrugged Flit¡¯s hand off and wordlessly went over to the screens. A pang of guilt hit them as soon as they had, but it was too late then to do anything about it. As they walked away, they heard Snout whisper to Flit, ¡°It¡¯s ok¡­ they¡¯ll understand, eventually.¡± They understood perfectly. They were like this because of Flit and Snout. ALl the pain and suffering they had experienced was all because of them. They didn¡¯t realize that they had taken DH¡¯s hand until they felt their mate¡¯s fingers squeeze back. They glanced over and gave a quick, dull smile. Flit was right, though; if it wasn¡¯t for their tinkering, they wouldn¡¯t have fallen in love with DH, and despite all the worry and anxiety that had brought them, it also gave them sweet moments, memories like candy scattered amid the dull nutrient cubes of their life. It was worth it; they knew. TO didn¡¯t even have to consider it. They knew they¡¯d gladly suffer so much more just to be with DH, but they were still angry. They needed to have a few minutes with DH to talk about everything, but they didn¡¯t want to talk with DH in front of all the insurgents, in front of Flit and Snout. ¡°Welcome to my office.¡± Vik said as they neared the screens. The small rodent sat down before a semi-circle of screens, a keyboard wired to a tiny version of their own. Behind them, a large table covered in random tech lay scattered about. ¡°Take a seat.¡± They said, ¡°Just give me a minute to finish up, and I¡¯ll have your chips ready for you.¡± They didn¡¯t even look away from the screens as they spoke, and their tiny fingers never stopped moving as they typed in lines and lines of code. TO looked around, but didn¡¯t see any seats to take. There was a chair set up before the screens, but Vik had converted that into a tiny office, with crates set on the seat so that it was instead a small, private room. They saw a relatively sturdy old crate, and figuring that¡¯s what Vik meant, they sat down there. DH didn¡¯t, though. They stood up, watching Vik carefully, watching their fingers fly and watching the lines and lines of code flying up the screen. After a moment, their ears flicked back, and they gave a low gasp. ¡°You¡¯re ¡®Joe Momma!¡¯¡± They exclaimed. That stopped the constant typing. Vik looked up, confused as they stared at DH, then laughed. Even from around them, TO could hear muted chuckling from others as they pretended not to pay attention to the two synths. ¡°Oh, no!¡± they said, wiping tears of mirth from their eyes as their tail flicked rapidly. ¡°No no. Uh, that¡¯s not necessarily a name or an alias I¡¯ve taken on!¡± They chuckled again, and went back to their work, ¡°That¡¯s uh¡­ I guess it¡¯s a bit of a dummy name we use here. Bit of an inside joke, I guess. Someone - I don¡¯t even remember who- needed a name for something once, and they used ¡®Joe Momma¡¯ as a joke. Now, whenever we need a random name for something, we use that.¡± They snicker, ¡°It¡¯s funny to imagine you super serious synths sitting amongst yourself, talking about this awful ¡®Joe Momma,¡¯ though.¡± TO felt their ears warm slightly, knowing that they and DH had done just that. ¡°So, you weren¡¯t the one who called us?¡± They asked, ¡°I had figured that whoever called us had been the insurgent hacker.¡± ¡°Oi! I¡¯m not just a hacker.¡± Vik said, their tail lashing against the table, their ears flicking back, ¡°I¡¯m a programmer, and an engineer¡­ I just do some light hacking and AI modification on the side; it¡¯s just a useful little hobby.¡± ¡°A hobby you¡¯re good at!¡± DH said, their ears perking up as they leaned on the back of the chair. ¡°The methods you used to subvert the coding on that AI that tracked us down were absolutely elegant in its execution! It was so simple, but-¡° TO felt their own ears pin back. How could DH just be talking to these people so easily? Sure, they were excited about the programming, and yes, TO couldn¡¯t appreciate it on the same level as another programmer like Vik¡­ but it still bothered them. How could DH just engage with an insurgent so quickly? ¡°Excuse me?¡± There was so much noise in the large common area that TO had heard no one approach them. It was only when the civilian spoke they realized someone else was close. They turned, their wings puffed up, their ears back for the split second it took them to realize that the person who approached them was a small, skinny civilian who made her way around on eight long, red tentacles which matched the color of her skin. The plain brown dress she wore was the only thing that broke the color, as even her eyes and the strange prongs that stuck up from her head were bright red. The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°Sorry,¡± she said, edging back as TO turned, ¡°I don¡¯t mean to bother you¡­ but are you the synth that was in Thalassa?¡± Was this vital information? Had they sent her over to get something out of them? Well, that information was well known, anyway. The insurgents already knew that both TO and DH had been in Thalassa. ¡°Yes.¡± They said after longer than necessary. The young civilian gave a relieved sigh, her skin shifting to a green-blue color. ¡°I hoped it was!¡± She said, ¡°I¡¯m Marissa; she/her. I was in Thalassa when the alarms went off at that awful party.¡± ¡°They abducted you?¡± TO asked, glancing about to see who was paying attention to them. They lowered their voice. ¡°Do you need help?¡± If she wanted to get away from the insurgency, TO wasn¡¯t sure what they could do, but they¡¯d try to help, anyway. ¡°Oh, no!¡± she said, ¡°Well. I mean, I need some help, but it¡¯s nothing you can help with.¡± She laughed nervously, ¡°I just wanted to thank you!¡± ¡°Thank me? What for?¡± ¡°My brother was down there too, but we got separated in the rush for the service pods. I found out later that he got out before the dome fell, thanks to a synth that activated the guest pods.¡± She gave TO a soft, sad smile, ¡°I mean¡­ He¡¯s still in with the indebted, but he¡¯s alive thanks to you. I never thought that a synth would bother to help people like us.¡± TO felt their ears flick back as a frown crossed their face, ¡°No? But you¡¯d expect the insurgents to help?¡± She took another step back, the ends of her tentacles curling tightly as the prongs atop her head stood on end as her colors dulled. ¡°Well. I mean, it¡¯s just that with you, with synths¡­ we¡¯re not really¡­.¡± She frowned as she tried to put into words what was in her head. ¡°We¡¯re not worth your time? You generally have more important things to do, and you looked busy! But you stopped, and you helped them.¡± She looked away, ¡°Anyway, sorry I bothered you, but I just¡­ My brother is still alive. He¡¯s still indebted, and still living in that awful facility, but he¡¯s alive, and I wanted to thank you for that.¡± ¡°I guess you¡¯re going back to him, then?¡± TO asked. Maybe she wanted to, and the insurgents were keeping her here against her will. ¡°They said the rest of the Indebted they abducted went off the planet. You refused?¡± ¡°Well. Yes, but I¡¯m not going back. I won¡¯t leave without my brother, so I need to save him. Get him out of there.¡± She laughed again, but this time the sound was bitter. ¡°You probably think that''s a bad idea.¡± ¡°¡­ I have been here long enough and have learned enough to understand a desire to leave.¡± They said, ¡°The system for the indebted is flawed. I understand the desire to escape it, even if I don¡¯t think helping the insurgency is the best of ideas.¡± ¡°I just want to help him.¡± She said, ¡°Get him out, and then get off this planet.¡± She suddenly brightened. ¡°I heard there¡¯s a planet we could go to that¡¯s a lot like the one we grew up on! We can¡¯t go home; our home is to a planet wide hydroponics farm now, but it¡¯d be nice to be somewhere similar. Somewhere that we don¡¯t have to choose between being soaking wet or too dry for comfort.¡± ¡°Marissa!¡± The shout from Tham cut through their conversation like a knife, and Marissa flinched. ¡°Watch what you say to them!¡± ¡°They¡¯re different though!¡± She protested, ¡°They helped us! They¡¯re the one that activated the guest pods and got my brother out of Thalassa! They actually give a shit about us, so I don''t think they¡¯d try to hurt us now.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t know that.¡± Tham said as they came up to her. Maybe they weren''t intending to hurt her, and in retrospect, TO decide that they wouldn¡¯t have. However, the way they approached, their long tail lashing at the concrete, their broad shoulders back, their eyes narrowed, TO couldn¡¯t help but feel it was aggressive, and that they meant harm. They didn¡¯t even realize that they had moved before they were standing between Marissa and Tham. Their wings puffed out, hiding her from sight. As soon as they did that, Tham stopped, their tail stilling as they watched TO. Their hand twitched at the multi-gun still strapped to their waist. ¡°Hey, uh.¡± Marissa snuck past TO. ¡°Tham¡¯s an ass sometimes, but he¡¯d never hurt me. It¡¯s fine.¡± She gave a quick smile as she sipped past TO and towards Tham. ¡°And you need to relax. Honestly, I know you¡¯d never hurt a fly, and even I thought you were coming over here to do some beat-down.¡± Tham gave a withering look to TO before turning and slipping away with Marissa. ¡°Honestly.¡± They whispered, unaware that TO could still hear them, ¡°Don''t say unnecessary things in front of them. We can¡¯t trust them. They¡¯re synths.¡± ¡°So¡¯s GiDi, and they¡¯re practically family, aren¡¯t they?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not the same. They never became real synths, did they? They didn¡¯t pass that damned loyalty test thing.¡± ¡°Alright!¡± Though Vik was small, his voice seemed so loud since TO was straining their ears to keep listening to Tham and Marissa. ¡°All done! I have a makeshift solution for your chip issue.¡± That got TO¡¯s attention entirely. They turned away from Tham and Marissa and went back over to where Vik and DH were sitting. DH was looking at some code on the screen while Vik showed off a small, transparent piece of paper with circuitry etched into it. ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± TO asked as they approached. ¡°It¡¯s a makeshift chip.¡± DH said, frowning as they looked over the code, ¡°But the feedback here to the chip in the brain is-¡° ¡°Oi, it¡¯s going to take me a few weeks to come up with a better solution for your chips.¡± Vik said, ¡°So, in the meantime, this is the most elegant solution I can think of.¡± They jumped from the table - their long legs and tail facilitating the jump and giving them more height than TO expected, and landed on the back of their chair-turned-office. They held the thin piece up to TO. ¡°Hand please.¡± TO wasn¡¯t sure about allowing civilian tech to interfere with their chips, but they were so desperate to have that connection back that it wasn¡¯t much of an internal debate for them. They held their hand out, and Vik stuck the chip on TO¡¯s hand. Just like that, the connection flooded back to them; they didn¡¯t even need to look up anything, but they could feel their access restored to them. Just because they could, but lifted their hand and brought up a screen to project before them. The basic screen flickered to life- a little staticky, but otherwise fine- and showed them the local time and weather. ¡°You''re set to read only for now.¡± Vik said as they brought another chip to DH. ¡°You can¡¯t send information, but you can access all basic civilian files.¡± As they slapped the chip onto DH¡¯s hand, TO saw DH¡¯s shoulders and wings relax as they did the same thing as TO, and brought up their own screen. ¡°It¡¯s not much.¡± Vik said, ¡°But I know you all like to have your chips. You get all anxious without them, so. Here you go.¡± ¡°We all have our chips?¡± TO asked, ¡°What about Avery?¡± ¡°I have one ready for Avery.¡± Vik said, ¡°But¡­ they¡¯re not doing so well. And the other one, they¡¯re super aggressive and they¡¯d probably eat me if I got close enough to put a chip on them. They¡¯d probably also just pull it off after.¡± They didn¡¯t care that Kei was being aggressive. They only half listened to the rest of what Vik said. Avery wasn¡¯t doing so well. ¡°I want to see Avery.¡± TO said, closing their screen. ¡°¡­ Hey, Tham?¡± Vik called out, ¡°TO wants to see Avery. Is that fine?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll have to go with them.¡± Tham called from the other side of the room, ¡°And Pholi. Maybe Flit or Snout, just in case those two get aggressive.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t!¡± TO snapped, ¡°I¡¯m just worried about my friend!¡± ¡°They¡¯re not lying, you know.¡± Pholi said from where they sat at a nearby table, drinking a cup of tea as they poured over something on their own computer. ¡°You can tell by the way the ears move if they¡¯re lying; A subtle vibration along the helix shows-¡° ¡°Don¡¯t care; I don¡¯t trust those ear-movement things. What makes you so sure they can¡¯t control them?¡± Tham said. ¡°I wish I could.¡± TO muttered. ¡°I¡¯m glad you can¡¯t.¡± DH whispered in a volume so low even TO could only just hear it. ¡°I like how they look when you¡¯re flustered.¡± Ears down and flushed, TO could only just stare at DH. ¡°Well, I¡¯m busy.¡± Pholi said, ¡°A new news alert came through and I¡¯m trying to get the right information from it.¡± ¡°Then they can¡¯t go see Avery.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll go with you.¡± Flit said. They kept their distance from TO but now they stepped forward, ¡°If TO¡¯s alright with that.¡± They weren¡¯t. They still wanted to scream at Flit for everything¡­ but if the alternative was having Avery trapped along and upset in a room all by themself¡­¡± ¡°Fine.¡± TO snapped, ¡°DH and I will go see Avery, and I suppose Flit will come.¡± ¡°Along with me.¡± Tham said. ¡°And stick to speaking Common. The moment I hear that weird clicky-hissy language from you, we leave.¡± ¡°Fine.¡± TO said. ¡°Let¡¯s go then.¡± Episode 232 : Important TO thought that they had re-entered the old sewer system, but a few things told them it wasn¡¯t. There were stairs leading in and out of the water along the edge of the river that flowed through the tunnel. Sediment had built up over the years, but even so, they could see the blue-green tiles that covered the bottom. ¡°... This wasn¡¯t a sewer before, was it?¡± DH asked after a while. TO wanted to ask, but they didn¡¯t want to ask Flit or snout. They didn''t want to talk to them at all. ¡°It wasn¡¯t.¡± Snout said, sounding far too relieved that the silence had been broken, ¡°one species that lived here before colonization primarily lived in these tunnels-¡± ¡°And the King Decon moved them afterwards as part of the optimization plans.¡± TO said. ¡°I found that out before I came down here.¡± They hoped that their sharper tone would end the conversations. It didn¡¯t. ¡°Moved is an interesting way to put it.¡± Tham said. He kept back from the others, his hand resting on his hip not too far from his multi-gun. ¡°King Decon systematically eliminated them.¡± ¡°Officially, it was the Arkanian government.¡± Snout said, taking over the conversation, ¡°But King Decon approved all the orders related to them. The species that lived down here- another semi-aquatic species- died off after colonization because of health issues, which the planetary leadership at the time stated to result from living underground.¡± Their ears pinned back, ¡°That, of course, was a lie. They wanted to use the tunnels for their own water system, which they couldn¡¯t do without basically destroying the underground city. Saying that they were dying because they lived underground was just a way to get them to move out.¡± DH waited, their gaze flicking between TO and Flit before they spoke. ¡°... What was making them sick?¡± they asked. ¡°The government said it was an unknown gas leaking from the ground.¡± Snout said. ¡°Again, that¡¯s false.¡± ¡°And how would you know that? If official documents say that it was a gas leak, then what proof do you have to say otherwise?¡± ¡°Civilians keep their own records.¡± Snout said, ¡°Diaries, letters. Some digital, some physical. Arkane was still using paper back then, so some records survived, and people like Vik salvaged some digital records.¡± ¡°.. And what do those say?¡± DH asked. ¡°Well, it was a lot of different things.¡± Snout said, sickness, pollution, food-shortages. As people got sick, they left thinking that maybe the government was right about the gas. There were ¡®arrangements¡¯ made for them above ground; houses without windows and a sensor to tell them when it was dim enough to go out, and there was talk of creating a covered city, but that never happened. Being above ground exposed them to more sickness, so the ones that left the tunnels didn¡¯t last too long. Then there was talk of violence - and there are some criminal records that officially exist, talking about altercations between them and the surface-dwellers - their words, not mine.¡± ¡°It all built up, and they died out slowly. THe last one only died a few hundred years ago.; the last of the Ambyatara.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve probably seen images of them.¡± Flit added as they opened up their chip. To TO¡¯s surprise, they showed an image of the Arkanian government house, and zoomed in on the combat scene over the entrance; a dramatic scene showing several species - led by a hawklike person, fighting a giant sea-monster. Among them was a creature with long legs, muscular arms, webbed feet, and a pointed face framed by prongs that fell around them, three on each side. ¡°They killed them, but they called it a ¡®tragedy¡¯ and have them in art everywhere to ¡®honor¡¯ them.¡± Snout said with a huff, ¡°I guess it¡¯s easy to honor a race you oppressed if they¡¯re all dead now.¡± They wanted to question all this. All the information they were giving them, though TO knew that Flit and Snout weren¡¯t lying, they also knew that maybe they had simply read false information.. That was always possible! But that wasn¡¯t their first thought. Their first thought was to wonder if the same would happen to the Legless in Arkane. If all the legless here - people like Lendulin- were to die off because of their living conditions, would that be considered a ¡®failure to thrive¡¯ and treated as a tragedy? Somewhere nearby, TO heard a door open. They spun, their wings puffing up and their ears twitching as they located the source of the sound. ¡°Relax.¡± Snout said, ¡°There¡¯s people moving about all over the place-¡° Maybe, but that didn¡¯t mean that TO could just allow someone to run up on them. What if it was an insurgent waiting for a chance to kill them? They were certain that insurgents like Tham would be more than happy to see TO and DH dead, but ?there was little they could do if enemies attacked them while outnumbered and unarmed. They only hoped that Flit and Snout would defend them as well. Thought of defending themself flew from their head as GiDi rounded the corner and came to an abrupt stop as they saw TO. ¡°GiDi.¡± Tham said, their voice strained, ¡°You should have stayed away longer.¡± GiDi wasn¡¯t listening to them. Their eyes locked with TO, staring for a moment before they took a step back, their wings tightening around their arms, their ears flicking down as they looked away. ¡°Yes, but¡­¡± They glanced back up at TO and DH, then looked away again. ¡°I just wanted to check on them. I¡¯ll go back-¡° Before they could turn and leave, TO wordlessly strode towards them. They heard flit say something behind them, but paid the older synth no mind. Why would they care what Flit said? GiDi took a step back as TO approached, but didn¡¯t run. Instead, they braced themself, their wings tightened around their arms just as TO Grabbed them and pulled them in tight, embracing them and wrapping their wings around their smaller friend. ¡°We were so worried about you.¡± TO whispered, holding GiDi tight. GiDi tightened in their arms, then relaxed as they wrapped their arms around TO, buried their face in their chest, and started crying. They kept saying something over and over, but TO couldn¡¯t make it out. It didn¡¯t matter. GiDi had joined the insurgents and had plotted to have TO and DH captured by them. Even so, GiDi was their friend. Their family. Even before everything that Flit and Snout had told them, GiDi had always been family. Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings. DH came up next to them, grabbing both TO and DH together, their wings wrapping over both of them as GiDi shook and cried in TO¡¯s arms. GiDi had been upset before, but they couldn''t remember them being this shaken and upset. They had seen them angry, of course, and worried, but not like this. They gently scratched the back of GiDi¡¯s neck, trying to calm them. ¡°It¡¯s ok.¡± TO whispered, ¡°Whatever it is, it¡¯s ok. We¡¯ll sort it out. I promise.¡± ¡°I thought you¡¯d hate me.¡± GiDi finally choked out, ¡°I thought¡­ I wasn¡¯t sure what training did to you after I left. I thought you¡¯d hate me. I know you¡¯d never hurt me, but I thought-¡± ¡°We¡¯d never hate you.¡± DH said. ¡°You¡¯re our friend. We love you, moron.¡± TO was still confused. They didn¡¯t know how GiDi could work with the insurgents, but that didn¡¯t matter right now. GiDi was alive and safe, and they were with them again. For the first time since they were in training, they could help their smaller friend again. They could hold them and make sure they were ok, and make sure GiDi knew that the only thing they had ever felt for them was love, worry, and absolute sorrow when they left the center. Flit and Snout said they were GiDi¡¯s parents, but TO and DH had done more for them in their training than Flit and Snout had. Movement from the corner of their eyes drew their attention. They had been so focused on GiDi that they had paid no heed to their surroundings, and it was only now that they realized ?GiDi hadn¡¯t come along; that Pearla had followed them, and was now standing awkwardly by the corner, watching them. ¡°You.¡± TO hissed, ¡°You set this up! That¡¯s why you told us to go to that party!¡± The memories flooded back to them now. ¡°You insisted ?we go. You told Lendulin to give us those tickets-¡° ¡°TO.¡± GiDi wiped at their eyes, and gently pushed away so they could look TO in the eyes. ¡°She did it for me, because I asked her to.¡± ¡°¡­ And I¡¯d do anything for GiDi.¡± She said, a dull flush rising over her cheeks as her tail curled up on itself. GiDi stepped away from TO and DH, and walked back to Pearly. Ears low and flushed, they awkwardly curled their hand around hers as their wing draped over her. ¡°TO. DH. You¡¯ve met Pearla¡­. But I want to introduce you to my mate.¡± Their mate. TO¡¯s ears flicked in confusion for a moment, then narrowed as they glared at Pearla. ¡°Now it makes sense.¡± They hissed, ¡°You got GiDi involved in all this¡± They took a step forward, ¡°You dragged them into-¡° Tham shouted from behind them, but before Tham could react and before TO could finish their sentence, GiDi was before Pearla, their ears back, their lips curled, their wings puffed out. Seeing GiDi behave so aggressively towards them took TO by surprise, and TO stopped in mid-stride. ¡°It¡¯s ok.¡± Pearla said, putting a hand on GiDi¡¯s arm. Instantly they relaxed and looked back at Pearla, their ears flicking the way their own did when they looked at DH; with that same lovesick adoration. ¡°And they¡¯re just confused. This is a lot. Just be patient with them.¡± She put a hand on GiDi¡¯s cheek, and instantly GiDi¡¯s hand cupped over hers. ¡°They¡¯re your friends. Family, right? They¡¯re confused; it¡¯s all a lot I think.¡± They smiled, they glanced back over to TO. ¡°And I didn¡¯t drag them into anything.¡± She said, ¡°You¡¯ve got it backwards. I¡¯m involved here for GiDi. Before I knew them, I had no dealings with the insurgency.¡± She shrugged, ¡°So, maybe you could not look like you want to kill me? I only tried to help GiDi.¡± She glanced aside. ¡°And not get a couple of synths too focused on me.¡± ¡°But you knew our language. Only insurgents know our language-¡° ¡°I taught her synth-speak. She wanted to know, so I taught her before she even knew I was a synth.¡± They took a step forward towards TO, their ears relaxing a little, ¡°TO¡­ I trust her as much as you trust DH. She¡¯s done nothing but help me since I landed here.¡± Their ears dipped down. ¡°So if you¡¯re happy that I¡¯m alive, ?thank her. I¡¯d probably have been killed long ago otherwise.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think I helped that much-¡± she started, but GiDi cut her off. ¡°You did!¡± They said, taking her hands, ¡°And if you hadn¡¯t been around¡­ I would have been all alone, and I probably would have¡­ I don¡¯t know, I would have eaten something bad, or got on the wrong side of local authorities, or gangs, or who knows what! I didn¡¯t have any means of defense, no means of communication-¡± TO realized, as GiDi said that, that they had to have landed here without a chip. If the chips tracked them, and Flit got them out of the training center, then they had to have landed here with no chip. They came here with no chip, armor, or weapons. TO didn¡¯t know where Flit had been, but GiDi said they would have been all alone. The idea of being lost and alone, unable to understand the language properly and having no resources to draw on to keep themself safe and warm and protected made TO want to hold GiDi tight all over again. And Pearla had saved them from that. TO took another step forward, their ears relaxed this time. Though GiDi watched them carefully, they didn¡¯t stand in front of her like they had before. ¡°... I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re doing with the insurgency.¡± TO said, ¡°But you helped GiDi, and -¡± They glanced once more at their smaller friend, ¡°GiDi seems to adore you, so¡­¡± They dipped their head slightly, ¡°... thank you for that.¡± She laughed, flushing, ¡°It was nothing.¡± She said, ¡°I swear, no matter who they were, I couldn¡¯t-¡± ¡°You¡¯re the secret partner!¡± DH suddenly exclaimed, drawing everyone¡¯s attention. TO was confused, and even Pearla seemed lost before she suddenly realized what DH was talking about. ¡°Obviously, I didn¡¯t tell Petra or Lendulin anything.¡± she grumbled. ¡°They figured something was distracting me¡­ even before we were in a relationship of any kind! I was just rushing home all the time and staying home to help GiDi and keep them company. They assumed the rest¡­¡± ¡°And wound up being right.¡± GiDi said, grinning. ¡°And if they knew, I¡¯m sure they¡¯d have said the same thing I would have.¡± Tham said, ¡°That you can¡¯t just take random people into your home-¡± ¡°They were hurt, and didn¡¯t want to go to the center, or the authorities; not an uncommon request around here.¡± She huffed at Tham, ¡°Can you drop that already? It worked out.¡± ¡°Whatever.¡± Tham grumbled, ¡°Let¡¯s just get to that other one, and get back. I feel distinctly outnumbered here.¡± ¡°Other one?¡± GiDi asked, glancing back at TO, ¡°What other one?¡± ¡°Avery is here.¡± TO said, ¡°And they¡¯re not doing well, so we¡¯re going to see if we can help.¡± GiDi nodded, and turned to Pearla, ¡°You¡¯re coming too?¡± ¡°Maybe I should hang back. Too much all at once, right?¡± She slid over to Tham. ¡°Meanwhile, I¡¯m sure my big brother here can escort me to the common area.¡± ¡°I¡¯m escorting these two, to make sure-¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine; Flit and Snout and now GiDi are with them-¡± ¡°They¡¯re all synths though-¡± ¡°And you¡¯re saying you don¡¯t trust GiDi?¡± They frowned, glaring between the synths before they huffed and powered down their gun. ¡°Fine.¡± They grumbled, ¡°Let¡¯s go back to the common area, then.¡± ¡°Excellent.¡± she said, then before she took off, she rushed back over to GiDi, brought herself up on her tail so that she matched their height, and kissed them quickly.¡± ¡°Got you some privacy with your friends. Try to help the other one.¡± She said as she ran a thumb over GiDi¡¯s blue-flushed ear - a gesture that made TO flush and look away, ¡°The more synths we can help, the better.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll do my best.¡± They said, kissing her back quickly before she let go of GiDi¡¯s hand and rushed towards her brother, who was leaning against a wall, his eyes rolling. ¡°See.¡± GiDi said as they joined TO and DH, ¡°She just wants to help.¡± TO still didn¡¯t understand entirely, but there was a simple fact that helped them make some sense of the situation; GiDi and Pearla were mates. If they felt for one another half of what TO felt for DH, then they knew that they¡¯d do whatever they could for one another. If they could trust GiDi, then they supposed they could trust Pearla. And despite everything, despite being part of the insurgency now, they couldn''t imagine a situation where GiDi would actually try to hurt them. Episode 233: Family ¡°You said Avery¡¯s not doing well.¡± TO said, though they didn¡¯t turn to look at either Flit or Snout. ¡°What¡¯s happened to them? Were they injured?¡± ¡°No, none of you got injured badly.¡± Flit said, ¡°Kei had a slight limp, but that¡¯s all. We¡¯ve seen them walk around their room, and they¡¯re fine now. Likely just a sprain based on how they fell.¡± Before TO could ask any more questions, they stopped before another metal door. It had the same slot on the bottom TO and DH¡¯s did. ¡°Another insurgent prison.¡± TO muttered. ¡°If you like.¡± Snout said as they brought up their own screen. With a push of a few buttons, an image flickered to life; it showed Avery in the room, but they weren¡¯t moving. They were curled up on the makeshift bed, curled up in a ball with their wings around them. ¡°They still haven¡¯t eaten.¡± Snout said with a sigh, and closed off the program, ¡°That¡¯s the problem. They¡¯re not eating. They¡¯re not talking. We¡¯ve both gone in and tried to talk to them, but they just don¡¯t-¡± ¡°Wait.. are all the rooms set up with cameras?¡± DH asked, ¡°including ours?¡± At their question, TO felt the vicious blush crawl over their ears. They hoped theirs didn¡¯t have any cameras. ¡°Yes, but given that there are two of you in your room, we checked Audio before doing wellness checks.¡± Snout said. ¡°Now¡­ Do you want to go in and talk to them?¡± ¡°Of course we do!¡± DH snapped, ¡°How could you leave them in there like that? I know they prefer to be alone half the time, but there¡¯s a difference between being alone and being isolated.¡± Flit¡¯s ears dipped down. ¡°I am well aware.¡± He said, ¡°But we had little choice in the matter. You might have noticed the lack of trust that our friends have for you-¡± ¡°Your friends, the insurgents.¡± TO snapped. ¡°Yes.¡± This time, Flit hissed the word as their ears pinned back. ¡°Yes, my friends, the insurgents. The ones who have let me and my mate experience some relative peace, and who made it possible for the few synths that I still feel I owe something to. They¡¯ve kept GiDi alive, they kept Snout alive, took me in, and kept you two from being separated. I think we all owe them a great deal.¡± ¡°Fight later.¡± GiDi said as they stepped forward and turned the handle. To TO¡¯s surprise, the door opened without needing to be unlocked, and without authorization code. ¡°It only locks from the inside.¡± Was GiDi¡¯s only comment to TO¡¯s expression. ¡°Come on... let¡¯s go in.¡± ¡°You go in.¡± Flit said, ¡°We¡¯ve tried to explain everything, but they haven¡¯t responded. Just see if you can get them to eat at least?¡± Without a word in response, TO strode in. The food was on the floor - the same strange, roasted insect ?they had been eating this whole time. Though the sight of it made them shudder, they picked up the plate anyway and walked over to the corner, followed by DH and GiDi. ¡°Avery?¡± They whispered as they approached, and when Avery¡¯s ears flicked just enough to tell TO that they were alive, and that they heard them, they sat down. ¡°You need to eat.¡± They said as they set the plate down. Their ears flicked back as they reached out for the bug, but DH took the plate and sat down next to them. ¡°I got this.¡± They said, ¡°Avery?¡± they reached out and put a hand on Avery¡¯s calf. ¡°Avery.. GiDi¡¯s here. They¡¯re alive.¡± In response, they nodded, but said nothing and didn¡¯t turn around. ¡°.. They may not want me here.¡± GiDi said, their ears flicking down, ¡°They¡­ Well, I¡¯m an insurgent now.¡± They gave a humorless laugh as they looked away. ¡°They probably hate me.¡± DH pried a few pieces of meat free from the exoskeleton of the awful insect, and gently tried to turn Avery over. ¡°Come on.¡± They whispered, ¡°You''ve not been eating. You need to eat¡­¡± A single word came from Avery, and for all TO knew, it was the first word they had spoken since coming here. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°... If you don¡¯t eat, you¡¯ll get sick.¡± TO said, ¡°You¡¯ll starve.¡± ¡°Maybe I should.¡± They whispered, and curled up into a tighter ball than before, their wings shaking around them, their ears low and giving odd tremor like twitches. They were twitches that DH noticed, and which made their own ears pin back. ¡°... Last time you ate, it was on your own ship, right?¡± DH asked. Avery nodded again. ¡°And when you were on that ship¡­ you were still on reduced rations, weren¡¯t you?¡± Another nod. DH cursed, got up, and stalked over to the door with his ears pinned back. He gave a loud back on the door, which opened up just a crack. ¡°You¡¯re already done?¡± Snout started, but stopped as they caught DH¡¯s expression. ¡°Avery has been on medication since their examination.¡± They hissed, ¡°And because you brought them here, and never considered that, they¡¯re suffering withdrawal. No wonder they¡¯re not eating; the thought of food probably makes them sick.¡± They leaned forward, ¡°Get my medkit. There might be something in there to help for now, but I need to get proper medication for them.¡± It was so infrequently that TO heard DH speak with some force, such restrained anger that it made them shiver, and flicked their ears back in panic. Even GiDi, standing just next to TO, seemed taken aback as their ears flicked down.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll get it for you.¡± Flit said before closing the door. ¡°Will they be ok?¡± TO asked, now thinking of all the things that could go wrong. They didn¡¯t know how bad withdrawal could be, but they only remembered when DH was recovering from their surgery and the pain medication wore off. ¡°Hopefully.¡± DH said as they stalked back to the bed. ¡°I think they¡¯ll be fine. I have some medication in my bag that should calm them at least, and something that might numb their stomach.¡± ¡°Odd to have in a first aid kit¡­¡± GiDi commented. ¡°I know.. but I thought I might need it at some point.¡± They glanced quickly at TO, then away. ¡°Just in case.¡± For them. For the blood issue. How long had they had it in their bag? Had they had the mediation in their bag this whole time, or only since the prison break, where they saw the image of the blood waterfall? DH sat on the edge of the bed and nudged Avery¡¯s wing away from them. ¡°Come on, Avery.¡± They whispered, ¡°I need to look you over, alright? I need to make sure you¡¯re ok. When I get my kit, I¡¯ll give you medication-¡° If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement. ¡°No.¡± The second word that Avery had spoken since coming here. ¡°No?¡± DH¡¯s ears twitched in confusion, ¡°Avery¡­ you need to eat-¡° ¡°No. I don¡¯t.¡± They whispered, ¡°I need nothing.¡± ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure you need food.¡± TO said. ¡°A synth that doesn¡¯t serve¡­ doesn¡¯t deserve food. Or medication.¡± They pulled their wing out of DH¡¯s grasp and let it cover them once more. ¡°I¡¯ve failed. I¡¯ve failed King Decon, and now I¡¯ll die here.There won¡¯t even be a chance to be repurposed; I¡¯ll just rot here.¡± ¡°We won¡¯t let you die here.¡± DH said, ¡°Nobody wants that.¡± ¡°You served just fine.¡± TO whispered, ¡°It¡­ it¡¯s not your fault that you¡¯re here.¡± Their ears flicked down, their wings tightened against them. ¡°It¡¯s¡­ Mine.¡± ¡°I like to think I had something to do with it.¡± GiDi said, ¡°It was my plan-¡° ¡°If I hadn¡¯t shot Kei, then we¡¯d not be here.¡± TO said. ¡°And if I had shot when I was supposed to....¡± Avery tightened their wings around them. ¡°If I had shot anyone, if I had shot GiDi, or even you TO¡­¡± Their grip on themself tightened, ¡°I could murder civilians in my examination. I could do that for King Decon. But I couldn¡¯t kill two synths. I couldn¡¯t defend my partner, my superior.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not the same.¡± TO said, ¡°The civilians, that was just a simulation.¡± ¡°It might not have been.¡± TO¡¯s ears perked up, ¡°We can ask!¡± They said, ¡°Flit couldn¡¯t tell us anything before, but now-¡° ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter.¡± Avery snapped. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if it was actually real or not. It might have been real. They might have been real people, and I killed them for King Decon. ¡°And if you hadn¡¯t, they would have killed you.¡± GiDi said, ¡°Or... corrected you, which is just as bad.¡± ¡°Like you?¡± They asked, and finally, they looked up at GiDi. ¡°You refused to shoot. DH didn¡¯t have to.¡± They glanced at TO. ¡°You did¡­ but you knew at the moment it was a simulation, so it didn¡¯t matter to you.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t matter?¡± TO¡¯s ears flicked back, ¡°Even if I knew, DH didn¡¯t. They thought I had actually turned on them, that I shot them!¡± ¡°But you knew you didn¡¯t. You knew you¡¯d explain things. Imagine if you did that, and you thought at the moment that you really killed them.¡± They turned away. ¡°I did it because it was the right thing to do, right? Because it was for King Decon. It was His orders, and His orders are good and right and just¡­¡± their voice cracked, ¡°Even if I hated doing it, and it was the most awful thing I had ever done, I did it for King Decon, not because I was scared, but because I was doing my duty¡­ And then the moment it was someone I knew.. I couldn¡¯t. Kei would have. They were going to. Most every other synth could do it just fine!¡± They fell silent for a long while then, just laying there as the others sat, looking at one another unsure what to say. ¡°¡­ I¡¯m a terrible synth.¡± Avery finally said, ¡°And a terrible person. If I did horrible things, at least it was for King Decon. What¡¯s the point if I just crumpled like that?¡± A knock on the door told them that Flit and Snout had returned with the med Kit. DH got up, sighing, and went to the door. ¡°¡­ I don¡¯t think you¡¯re terrible.¡± TO whispered. ¡°You just did what you had to.¡± When Avery didn¡¯t respond, Gidi sat down where DH had been a moment before. ¡°¡­ When you were in the simulation, what did you think?¡± They asked, ¡°When you were told what to do, I mean. When you had to shoot your targets.¡± For a while, TO didn¡¯t think that Avery would respond; they were so quiet and still. But after a while, they spoke in a soft whisper. ¡°I was scared.¡± They said, ¡°they had shot another synth for refusing and if I didn''t do it¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯d have been shot too.¡± GiDi said, ¡°killed, right? Either the shot through the simulation would have killed you - I don¡¯t even know if that¡¯s possible- or they would have corrected you.¡± ¡°I made my choice then.¡± They whispered. ¡°I did what I did for King Decon. But if that was the truth, I¡¯d have shot you or TO when I had the chance.¡± They turned away once more. ¡°I¡¯m just a weak coward.¡± DH sat back down, shaking up a water bottle as they did. ¡°Come on.¡± They said, trying to get Avery to turn onto their back, ¡°I need you to drink this.¡± ¡°No. Thank you.¡± ¡°It¡¯ll make you feel better.¡± they said. ¡°And you¡¯ll be able to eat.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t deserve to feel better. I don¡¯t deserve to eat.¡± ¡°Neither do I.¡± DH said simply, ¡°But here we are. I¡¯ve eaten two full meals today.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve not entirely failed at everything.¡± They muttered. ¡°They captured you. You didn¡¯t even have to kill anyone in your simulation. If they released us and gave all of us back to King Decon right now¡­ you¡¯d be the only one still accepted back. The other synths would correct the rest of us?.¡± TO¡¯s wrapped their wings around them at the reminder of that. The reminder that they had truly and entirely removed themself from King Decon, from any right to serve him. But.. they got to be with DH. It felt hard to feel overly upset about everything, given that. ¡°Maybe I didn¡¯t shoot anyone.¡± DH said, ¡°But I promise..¡± their ears flicked down, ¡°I¡¯m just as much of a failure of a synth as anyone else here.¡± ¡°Which is a good thing, in my opinion.¡± GiDi said, ¡°It¡¯s because your minds haven¡¯t been altered.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± TO hissed, their ears pinning back, ¡°It¡¯s hard to be a good synth when you weren¡¯t created properly.¡± ¡°They told us only a little while ago what their plans for us are.¡± DH continued, ignoring the surrounding conversation, ¡°That I¡¯m not being released. That I¡¯m being sent off with TO to some other planet. I don¡¯t know where. Serving King Decon is supposed to be the most important thing to me¡­ but the idea that I¡¯d get to stay with TO entirely thrilled,¡± Flushed, they looked up at TO, and snuck one of their hands over the bed to grasp theirs. ¡°So, I suppose that they¡¯re the most important thing to me. Just because of that¡­ I fail as a synth. I choose.¡± Their ears flicked back, tilted down, but even so there wasn¡¯t a hint of lie in their words, ¡°I choose TO over King Decon. Love, I suppose, over King Decon. TO shot GiDi to protect them from Kei, so I suppose they did the same. And if you didn¡¯t shoot, despite seeing TO shoot Kei, despite being ordered to do so, then I suppose you did the same.¡± They held the bottle out once more, ¡°So¡­ cheers, I suppose, to all of us being as bad as one another.¡± For a while, TO thought that Avery Would not move, and that what DH said had no effect on them, although talking about choosing them over King Decon made TO¡¯s own stomach flutter, and their ears flush. Then, however, Avery turned over, pulling themself up, so they were half sitting. ¡°I would have killed those civilians.¡± They said, ¡°Simulation or not, I was ready to kill them all. You didn¡¯t do that.¡± They looked at GiDi. ¡°And you refused to shoot.¡± ¡°I refused to shoot TO.¡± GiDi said, ¡°If I was told to go shoot civilians, I would have. I¡¯d have done it just to get back to TO and DH.¡± Avery fell silent once more, just staring at the bottle in DH¡¯s hand. ¡°... I can¡¯t go back, can I?¡± ¡°Probably not without being corrected.¡± GiDi said. ¡°Then what am I supposed to do?¡± They said, ¡°If I don¡¯t serve King Decon¡­¡± They looked at TO, ¡°What are you going to do?¡± ¡°I suppose I¡¯m just going to live with DH.¡± they said. That was really all they could think of. They couldn¡¯t go back to King Decon, and there was nothing else they wanted. ¡°You could come with us?¡± ¡°Is there anything you ?want?¡± DH asked. ¡°Anything at all?¡± They shook their head. ¡°Not really.¡± They muttered. ¡°I¡­ all I want right now is to stop feeling so awful all the time. To stop hating myself all the time.¡± ¡°Here then.¡± DH said, giving the water bottle a shake. ¡°Here¡¯s the first step to that. Let¡¯s deal with some of the physical issues first¡­ then maybe they¡¯ll let us watch a show? You can read something while we do. Maybe we can have some food?¡± They smiled. ¡°You can pretend that we¡¯re back in the training center, in the observation bay¡­ excerpt this time.¡± They glanced at TO, a wry smile playing across their lips, ¡°TO and I won¡¯t be as stupid as we were.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a low bar; you were both entirely oblivious.¡± The briefest snort of laughter escaped from Avery, and they slowly took the bottle from DH. ¡°You two not being morons; truly a cosmic event worth sticking around for. I¡¯ll have to make sure I can enjoy it.¡± Episode 234: leadership Avery drank the medicine and ate about half of the awful bug - peeled, of course, by DH- before they stopped, pushing the plate away before DH could peel more. ¡°Do you want something different?¡± Snout asked. Snout and flit had come in shortly after Avery started eating, leaving the door propped open. ¡°I can get something, I''m sure. The bugs are just the most plentiful thing we have.¡± ¡°No.. I just can¡¯t eat anything else.¡± they looked up, their ears flicked back, their wings tight around their arms as their eyes flicked from Flit to Snout and back. They probably never knew Snout, but they knew of Flit and seeing a former retiree acting so casually around them, and looking at another the way they looked at Snout - that expression of longing and adoration- seemed to confuse them. Still, their next question was so softly spoken and tentative that it hurt TO to hear it. ¡°Can I leave this room?¡± they asked, ¡°Yes.¡± GiDi said, ¡°You can. And we¡¯ll get your chip fixed-¡± ¡°Are you sure?¡± DH asked, ¡°shouldn¡¯t we run it by-¡± ¡°By who?¡± GiDi said, ¡°Nobody¡¯s really in charge anymore. The people who were closest to being leaders to the rest of them died before I got here. You¡¯re not prisoners, remember? We kept you in these rooms for safety, and you¡¯d have been out of them a lot sooner if I had been here.¡± They looked at Snout. ¡°So, we¡¯re getting Avery out of here, and we should fix the door so it doesn¡¯t lock automatically anymore.¡± A gesture to DH and TO sent Flit¡¯s attention back to them. ¡°Theirs too; if they¡¯re cooperating, there¡¯s no reason to have them locked up.¡± They looked back TO flit, their ears flicking back. ¡°Why were they held so long like this?¡± Flit sighed and stepped aside to let the four of them leave. ¡°Everyone was frightened.¡± They said, ¡°I could have just pulled them out, but doing that would have put them at risk, wouldn¡¯t it have? If I had ignored everyone else right away and said that I was letting them out, that would have caused more trouble for everyone-¡± They looked at TO, ¡°Including you. It was only today that they finally accepted that they couldn¡¯t just keep you locked up.¡± ¡°Well, everyone¡¯s alright now.¡± GiDi said, ¡°we can get chips set up again, get some proper living accommodations set up-¡± ¡°Not everyone.¡± Flit said, ¡°Your old friend there - their identification on their chip said they¡¯re going by Kei here? They¡¯re still locked up.¡± TO had entirely forgotten about Kei. For the briefest of moments, their stomach churned at the thought of them being still locked up - it would for anyone locked in isolation- but the moment they realized it wasn¡¯t just anyone, it was Kei, their sympathy waned dramatically. ¡°You said they¡¯re proper synths.¡± TO said, staring right back at Flit, refusing to break eye contact. ¡°So, what do you plan to do with them?¡± ¡°We have no idea yet.¡± Flit admitted, turning away from TO. ¡°The original plan was to leave them where they were, and let them wake up on their own later, but they knew about the entrance to the tunnels, so we had to do something with them. At least they¡¯re safe here.¡± ¡°You tried to talk to them?¡± GiDi asked, ¡°I know they¡¯re programmed, but coming from a retiree-¡± ¡°A former retiree. One that¡¯s supposed to be dead and one which has obviously been, in their words, ¡®Corrupted by the influence of civilian individualism.¡¯¡± their ears pinned back, ¡°So, they¡¯re clearly not interested in talking to me.¡± ¡°They¡¯ve always hated me.¡± GiDi muttered. ¡°No, they didn¡¯t hate you.¡± TO said, ¡°They just never thought you¡¯d be a good synth-¡± Of course, it not only occurred to them that Kei had been right. GiDi hadn''t passed their examination and had joined the insurgency. That made them one of the worst synths. Still, TO didn¡¯t think that they themself were any better. ¡°They won¡¯t listen to TO or I.¡± DH said, ¡°Not after everything. They thought little of us before all this because of¡­ Well, they knew about us.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve heard.¡± Flit said, amusement moving their ears and coloring their speech. ¡°They especially won¡¯t talk to TO now, since they shot them.¡± DH said, ignoring their flushed blue ears. ¡°Avery, what about you?¡± Snout asked. ¡°You¡¯ve spent a lot of time together. Do you think you can talk to them?¡± Avery frowned, their ears flicking back as their wings tightened around them. ¡°I didn¡¯t shoot, even though they told me. They likely think I¡¯m a useless coward.¡± ¡°And you don¡¯t have any insight?¡± Flit asked, ¡°No ideas ?how we could get them to cooperate with us?¡± A quick, stifled laugh escaped Avery¡¯s mouth. ¡°They will not cooperate with you. Ever. If it involves the insurgency, they will not cooperate.¡± They looked at Flit. ¡°What do you want from them? Do you have a plan outside of keeping them locked up?¡± ¡°The entire task of getting you all down here was quickly thrown together, and admittedly, not well planned.¡± Flit said, ¡°Otherwise, I¡¯d have found up with a better location for the meeting. As it is, we couldn¡¯t think of a place where you could meet GiDi and the others in private, while providing Vik with the ability to set up his disruptor.¡± ¡°Disruptor? Like what they used in Thalassa?¡± TO asked, their ears now quirking up with interest. They had wondered how the insurgents had that tech. ¡°What do you mean, set it up?¡± They asked. ¡°There were conditions that Vik needed to set up the device.¡± Flit said. ¡°He needed a private place to set up the transmitters that confuse the communication devices and shut down the synth armor. After he got what he needed from Thalassa, he set up a testing site in the old mining hub. He just wanted to see if it would work, but having that set up there meant that there was an ideal place to meet you-¡± Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators! ¡°To trap us and disable our armor.¡± TO muttered. They still recalled the moment of panic they suffered when their armor went dark. Even as their ears dipped, they felt DH¡¯s hand slip into their own, squeezing their fingers gently. ¡°Yes.¡± Flit said with a sigh, ¡°So we could get you here safely, and because of that, and because Kei ended up down there as well, we¡¯re stuck with them. We can¡¯t let them go, because they¡¯ll give away our position. ¡°... Maybe Goretta¡¯s idea is the best.¡± Snout sigh, giving a deep sigh. ¡°Thought I¡¯m not necessarily a fan, the possibilities if it works are-¡± ¡°I don¡¯t like it.¡± Gidi said, their ears pinning, ¡°I really don''t and you know that-¡± ¡°Who¡¯s Goretta?¡± TO asked. They hadn¡¯t heard this name before. ¡°And what¡¯s their idea?¡± ¡°Goretta is a doctor.¡± Snout said, ¡°Or she was before she came to Arkane. A medical researcher to be specific, specializing in neuro-tech. She used to do research on repairing damage done from mental degenerative disorders, and since learning about the alterations done to most of us, she¡¯s been interested in seeing if the damage could be reversed.¡± They looked at Flit. ¡°I¡¯m not entirely fond of the idea of using them as a test subject, but what other choices do we have? We can¡¯t let them go, and the only other options we have are keeping them locked up, or killing them.¡± Their ears pinned back, ¡°And I am not killing them.¡± the blue seemed to drain from their face, their wings puffed up, and their eyes went wide. ¡°No more death. I don¡¯t want to see anyone else killed just because they¡¯re not what we needed them to be, just because-¡± ¡°It¡¯s ok.¡± Flit said as they stepped forward, taking Snout''s hand. ¡°It¡¯s ok. You¡¯re ok. No more death.¡± It was then that TO remembered back in the training center, back when Snout had gotten TO away from doing the surgeries. They recognized the way their ears pinned, and how wide their eyes went. They could practically feel what they were feeling. They were certain it was the same thing they felt now when they saw blood. Snout took several quick breaths, their hands shaking as they calmed themself. ¡°... No more death.¡± They said, ¡°And keeping them locked up is cruel. Even a normal synth can¡¯t manage extended isolation.¡± ¡°And I¡¯m not sure how I feel about altering their brains without asking.¡± Flit said, ¡°The risks-¡± ¡°Oh, Kei you want to ask?¡± TO snapped. ¡°You want to get their permission before you alter their mind¡± ¡°TO..¡± DH squeezed their hand, keeping TO from getting truly angry, so their anger escaped through cold, repressed rage and a dangerously quiet voice. ¡°You didn¡¯t mind changing our brains without asking, but theirs-¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t change your brains.¡± Flit said, ¡°I kept them from being changed. There¡¯s a difference. Kei is a fully developed synth with a fully developed mind. There are risks that weren¡¯t a factor when we disconnected you.¡± ¡°There are risks, though.¡± Snout said, ¡°But Goretta said that she needs to test the process. Theoretically, it¡¯s possible to undo the damage done, but she needs to test it on a synth that¡¯s been altered to specification.¡± If it works, though, we could fix most any damage done to a synth¡¯s brain.¡± ¡°... What about the synths who were corrected?¡± DH asked. ¡°Would this work for them?¡± ¡°It could.¡± Snout said, ¡°If it works.¡± ¡°But it could also cause more damage. If it doesn¡¯t work, then Kei could end up just like those corrected synths, or worse.¡± ¡°And this is your decision to make?¡± TO asked, ¡°I thought there weren¡¯t any actual leaders here-¡± ¡°There¡¯s not.¡± Flit said. ¡°I mean¡­¡± They looked at Snout, ¡°We¡¯ve been guiding them a little; our only concern was getting you two and getting people in danger off the planet.¡± ¡°The couple in charge beforehand had plans in case they got captured.¡± Snout added, ¡°They had someone set up to take over after them, but that person got killed by local authorities.¡± They shrugged. ¡°Basically, it was something to ?reduce damage. Get allies out of custody, get anyone at risk off the planet, and help any strange synths that got sent here.¡± They looked at Flit. ¡°That¡¯s why I got sent here¡­ with some help, of course.¡± ¡°I couldn¡¯t get you to the planet.¡± Flit said, ¡°But I knew if I got word to the right people, you¡¯d be safe.¡± There had to be a leader, TO knew it. It wasn¡¯t just because Ark-1 told them to find the leader, but because there was no way that the insurgency- this little group of civilians- was doing what they were doing without someone being in charge. They probably didn¡¯t even know who was in charge. It was ?likely that the person pulling the strings didn¡¯t know it either. Maybe they didn¡¯t even want the responsibility. This, however, was a good chance to see if they could figure it out themself. ¡°Alright.¡± TO said, ¡°It¡¯s not my call. It¡¯s not yours. There are no leaders, and I very much doubt you¡¯d do what Kei wants you to do - specifically, they would want you to release them.¡± ¡°And surrender.¡± Avery added. ¡°I don¡¯t think they¡¯d just leave; they¡¯d try to go back with whatever they could.¡± ¡°Right.¡± TO said, ¡°So.. see what the others have to say. Maybe someone will have unique insight, or have some idea? about what should happen.¡± ¡°We¡¯ve discussed it before.¡± Snout said, ¡°But we hoped that one of you could speak to them and see what they¡¯d like. They won¡¯t talk to us.¡± ¡°... I can try.¡± Avery said, ¡°I don¡¯t think they¡¯ll talk to me, but¡­I can try.¡± ¡°That¡¯s all we ask.¡± Flit said, ¡°And when that¡¯s done¡­ we¡¯ll talk to the others and decide what to do with Kei.¡± TO wasn¡¯t sure why they wanted to do this; to figure out who was leading the insurgents. They couldn¡¯t go back to King Decon, and even if they could, doing so would mean being separated from DH. Still, they wanted to know. Maybe it was their own curiosity, bolstered by the orders that no longer meant anything. Maybe they simply wanted the self satisfaction of figuring it out. It didn''t matter. Soon, they¡¯d know who was in charge here and they¡¯d at last satisfy their curiosity. Episode 235: Problem Before they could attempt to figure out who was actually in charge in the insurgency, they had to stop and see Kei. Well? Avery had to stop and see Kei. TO wasn¡¯t entirely concerned with what happened to them, and though a part of them felt bad, and knew that if DH or GiDi or Avery were in Kei¡¯s place, they¡¯d be doing everything they could to get them out of isolation. But it wasn¡¯t their friends. It was Kei. Kei had caused them enough trouble. Since the first day they met Kei way back when they were trainees, Kei had caused them trouble, had hurt their friends. No, Kei had done enough. It was hard to feel ?worried about the other synth. Still, Avery was worried about them. Flit and Snout also wanted to figure out what they were doing with them, but TO wasn¡¯t in a mind to worry about what they wanted. They simply didn¡¯t want to worry about Flit and Snout. They didn¡¯t want to think about them. The easiest thing to focus on was how they had meddled with their minds, disconnecting them from the programs that would have made them normal synths. That was what allowed them to love DH, and it was most likely what made them excel so much over other synths, despite all the other issues it had caused, but still¡­ They came from stolen DNA. Civilian DNA. Flit was a parent to them? Synths did not have parents. Synths did not come from Civilians¡­ Yet Flit and Snout were so certain, and said they had proof. I was all too much to deal with right now, when they were out with others. It was far easier to just be angry. They approached yet another door, with the same little slot on the bottom for food. Flit activated their chip again and brought up the video feed from inside. There was Kei, sitting at a table in the center of the room. The stack of empty plates on the table made it clear that they were eating at least. ¡°I¡¯m surprised they¡¯d take the food you offered them.¡± TO said. ¡°I¡¯m not.¡± Flit responded, ¡°DH assured you that the food was safe, but if they can place you in a room alone, what would you have done when given food by the enemy?¡± Their training had been clear. They¡¯d wait a day to see if they could escape, or if help was coming. Once that failed, they¡¯d eat, but they¡¯d eat slowly; taking tiny bites of the strange food to see if it was poisoned, or to see if it would make them sick before increasing the amount they ate. If Kei found no adverse effects after a day or two of eating in this method, they¡¯d have no issues with eating the food normally, ideally. ¡°Still, I thought he¡¯d refuse based on principle.¡± TO muttered. ¡°That¡¯s the difference.¡± Flit said, ¡°between you and them, I mean. You¡¯d consider principals. They¡¯d just follow orders. Their orders told them to eat a certain way.¡± They sighed, ¡°And their orders are also going to tell them not to speak with insurgents. No deals, no bargains.¡± ¡°... And you want me to convince them to go against their orders?¡± Avery asked, ¡°I really don¡¯t think I can.¡± ¡°I¡¯d like you to convince them to not be violent.¡± Snout said, ¡°If you could convince them to agree to being sent off somewhere, or to agree to having the procedure done-¡± ¡°They won¡¯t agree to any of that.¡± Avery said. ¡°Then just try to talk to them.¡± Flit said. They nodded to the slot in the door. ¡°Through there. We can¡¯t risk opening the door; they might get violent. I have no doubt that we could handle that, but I don¡¯t want anyone to get hurt; us or them.¡± Avery sighed, but slid down to sit next to the door. They reached their hand down and opened up the slot. ¡°... Hur-13?¡± It was odd hearing Avery call them Hur-13. They had gotten used to just ¡®Kei.¡¯ Flit gestured for them all to be quiet as they watched the recording on their chip. INside. Kei jolted, stared at the door for a moment, then got up and went over to the door. They crouched down, and when they did, TO could see their figure block out the light coming from inside the room. ¡°Hur-14.¡± they said, speaking common. They couldn''t see each other''s ears now, so normal synth-speak would be clumsy. ¡°You¡¯ve escaped?¡± ¡°... No.¡± Avery said, ¡°No. I¡¯ve not escaped-¡± ¡°Then you¡¯re still being held captive. I assume there are others out there as well, listening?¡± ¡°..There is, but I¡¯m not being held captive-¡± ¡°Are you allowed to leave, to go back to King Decon?¡± Avery¡¯s ears dipped down. ¡°I don¡¯t think He would allow me to serve.¡± Avery said, the sadness clear even in their common, ¡°I had an order, and I failed to follow it.¡± ¡°That is not what I asked.¡± They responded, ignoring Avery''s tone. Of course, maybe they never noticed it in the first place. ¡°I asked if you can leave and go back. ¡° Avery turned to Flit, who only shook their head in response. ¡°I don¡¯t think we can go back.¡± Avery said, ¡°But they don¡¯t want to hurt us. They¡¯re going to-¡± ¡°If I cannot go back to serve King Decon, then I am unconcerned with what they wish to do.¡± Kei said, ¡°We have one duty and one purpose in life. If we cannot follow our purpose, then we have no right to the lives given to us by King Decon.¡± The shadow disappeared, and on the screen TO could see Kei getting up and heading back to the table. Avery looked frantically at TO, then Flit. When neither of them said anything, they turned back to the slot. ¡°They want to help us!¡± They said, ¡°You can get out of this room, and they¡¯ll send us somewhere to just live, and -¡± ¡°I have no intention of living in any situation except for one where I am serving King Decon. If you are so corrupted by your deviant friends, then I cannot help you nor convince you otherwise.¡± ¡°Kei they-¡± They stopped, looked at Flit, then with their ears pinned back, they went back to the slot, ¡°They say there¡¯s something wrong with your brain.¡± They said quickly, ¡°Damage done during development or something. They want to fix it-¡± Kei turned suddenly, moving almost too fast for the footage to follow as they delivered a powerful kick to the inside of the metal door. Avery yelped and pushed away from the door. If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. ¡°I do not need to be fixed.¡± They said, and though they had difficulty getting the tone to come across in their common most of the time, they made their anger clear at this moment. Of course, even without the kick to the door did the job. ¡°I passed all my examinations, just as you and your disgusting, deviant friends did.¡± Kei snapped, ¡°And unlike you, I can follow orders. Unlike them, I can focus on my task and not get distracted by the urge to copulate!¡± They turned and went back to the table. The anger that Kei had invoked now melted away. ¡°Perhaps you need to be corrected, if you¡¯re considering the words of the insurgents, and if you think you can simply leave your duty behind.¡± ¡°Kei, you should at least-¡± ¡°Go away. I have no interest in speaking to you, nor any other insurgent. Keep me locked up. Torture me. Starve me. I no longer care.¡± Avery was about to say something more, but Flit leaned over and put a hand on their shoulder as they shook their head. Avery just looked at the former retiree for a moment, then with their wings around their arms and their ears down. Finally, they let go of the flap. It hit the door with a loud clunk that echoed through the hallway, ringing off the walls and hurting their ears. Still, Avery got up and nodded to Flit. Wordlessly, they made their way down the hall and back towards the common room. ====== ¡°I should have warned you not to mention the brain thing.¡± Flit muttered once they were out of earshot. ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± they muttered, their ears low and their wings tightly around their arms, ¡°I thought if I just.. I just wanted them to know what was happening.¡± they said, ¡°I thought if they knew, they¡¯d be curious at least-¡± ¡°Most synths with the typical alterations done have minimal curiosity.¡± Snout said with a sigh, ¡°Even the ones that aren¡¯t entirely typical have much of their curiosity conditioned out of them before they even leave the tanks.¡± ¡°And of course, you suggested they¡¯re broken.¡± Flit added, ¡°The implication that a thing needs to be fixed implies that it¡¯s broken?.¡± ¡°... Do you think ?they might be different if you fix them?¡± Avery asked. ¡°Would they still be themself, just not so-¡± ¡°We have no idea.¡± Snout admitted as they approached the door to the commons, ¡°we haven¡¯t done this before, so we don¡¯t know how someone would change if we restored the original neural pathways, or how other experiences or conditioning during training would affect things. Even if a perfectly in-tact mind¡­ Some of that stays with you.¡± Their own ears dipped back, their wings tightened around them. They felt DH¡¯s hand slip into their own once more. They turned, gave a quick smile to their mate, who rewarded them with a smile of their own, a beautiful lift of the ears and a brief flash of fang, before refocusing on the others. ¡°In the long run, it¡¯s nothing you have to worry about.¡± Flit said, ¡°You three will be off planet sooner than later-¡± ¡°Us four.¡± TO said, looking at GiDi, ¡°You¡¯re coming with us, aren¡¯t you?¡± GiDi had said little during the whole situation and now looked like they wanted to say even less. Their ears were down, and they looked away. ¡°... No, I won¡¯t be coming with you.¡± They whispered. Their words hit TO like a knife, slicing through them. All they could do was hold DH¡¯s hand tighter. ¡°But¡­ We just found you again-¡± ¡°I found you.¡± GiDi muttered. ¡°And I don¡¯t want to be away from you again¡­. But I can¡¯t leave.¡± It dawned on TO the obvious reason?, and their ears flicked back up in relief. ¡°Of course!¡± They said, ¡°Pearla!¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± GiDi¡¯s ears flushed slightly, ¡°She is part-¡± ¡°She can come with us?¡± DH offered, ¡°That¡¯s fine.. Right?¡± They looked at TO, ¡°GiDi is family, and if Pearla is their mate, then she¡¯s family too, right?¡± How could DH be so quick to accept? How could they say that so cheerfully? TO didn¡¯t understand, but they knew that if it made GiDi happy, they¡¯d call Pearla family. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t dream of trying to separate you from your mate.¡± They said to GiDi, ¡°She can come too, of course-¡± ¡°No¡­ no, because even if she could, I¡¯d want to stay.¡± ¡°Why?¡± DH and TO asked at basically the same time. ¡°It¡¯s dangerous to be here.¡± TO said. They frowned, their ears flicking back as they debated revealing more information than they needed¡­ but they had to in order to keep GiDi safe. ¡°You¡¯ve captured us. We were the last chance that Arkane had before going into martial law. That means more synths are going to come here on King Decon¡¯s orders, and they¡¯ll be here looking for the insurgency. They will find you.¡± ¡°... And even if they do.¡± GiDi said, ¡°I¡¯d still have to-¡± They stopped and shook their head, ¡°No. I want to stay here.¡± They swallowed, and then stood upright as much as they could, ¡°I.. I want to help the insurgency.¡± The silence that met their proclamation drew out like an eternity. ¡°... Is it because you were taken away?¡± They asked, thinking that maybe that was the reason, ¡°Because of your examination-¡± ¡°It¡¯s because they believe ?the insurgency is doing the right thing here.¡± Flit said, ¡°..it¡¯s the same reason Snout and I are still here. We could have gone off the planet, just like they¡¯re planning to do with you.¡± ¡°Thought I admit, a life of peace with you is¡­ tempting.¡± Snout said, grinning, ¡°But¡­ I''d not be able to leave now. I¡¯m involved now. Besides.¡± Their ears pinned back, ¡°Decon lied to us. To all of us. I have trouble letting that go.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± GiDi said, ¡°but.. I really ?think they¡¯re doing the right thing here. Everything we¡¯ve done since I got here, at least, has been just rescuing people. Getting people out of custody, or getting them out of the indebted system and onto a planet where they can be free again. We¡¯ve been helping people get food and medicine-¡± ¡°And sending drones to a portal, killing several civilians in an attempt to capture us?¡± TO said as their ears pinned back. ¡°We didn¡¯t want to kill anyone!¡± GiDi said-¡± ¡°We planned to just take control of the port and release it when you were safe.¡± Flit said, ¡°From what I figured, it should have been easy. The main thing was to keep the portal safe, and we said so long as nobody attacked us, we wouldn¡¯t risk damaging it. Of course, some civilians tried to take matters into their own hands¡­. And you two damaged the black hole, anyway.¡± They narrowed their eyes. ¡°Very dangerous. Brillant, and effective, but dangerous.¡± ¡°And people died.¡± ¡°TO.¡± Flit took a deep breath, ¡°yes.. They died.¡± They rubbed at the spot between their eyes, pinching the bridge of the nose as they did. ¡°People die. Synths die. This is a war, a rebellion, and neither side has their hands clean. We can only hope that we¡¯re doing the right thing as we¡¯re doing terrible things, and we can only answer to ourselves in the end.¡± they narrowed their eyes, ¡°I assure you ?I have killed more civilians in my time in active combat than I¡¯ve seen killed here. ¡°But that¡¯s different!¡± TO said, ¡°They didn¡¯t count, they were-¡± ¡°Insurgents?¡± GiDi asked, ¡°like me and Pearla?¡± they looked seriously at TO, ¡°I know you think I still matter at least¡­ otherwise you wouldn¡¯t have shot Kei.¡± ¡°Look.¡± Snout said, ¡°This isn''t important right now¡­ GiDi is staying unless they decide otherwise.¡± They looked at TO, ¡°You¡¯ll be in touch regardless, and GiDi will visit you, eventually. But no matter what happens here, you and DH can go. You can leave Arkane and be free. That¡¯s all you really want, isn¡¯t it?¡± TO huffed, and refused to admit that Snout was right. Still, they were. Being with DH was really all TO cared about now. ¡°That¡¯s all I want.¡± DH said, squeezing TO¡¯s hand. ¡°I want me and TO to be safe, and together.¡± ¡°Then let¡¯s go in and get your escape plan started.¡± Flit said as they opened the door to the commons, ¡°It¡¯ll take some prep, but in a few days you¡¯ll be¡­¡± They stopped as they entered the commons. The noise from earlier had stopped, and now most people sat clustered near Pholi as he scanned over something on the screen before him. As the synths entered, Pholi looked up, frowning as his tail lashed at the chair, leaving gashes in the already patched up fabric. ¡°We have a problem.¡± They said, ¡°You better come see this.¡± Episode 236: Lockdown Flit paled as Pholi spoke, their ears flicking down and twitching with worry as they hurried over ¡°What is it.¡± They said as they leaned over to see what Pholi was working on. Synths were larger than most civilians, and Pholi was so much smaller, so the contrast between Flit¡¯s large, solid form and Pholi¡¯s short and rounded one was distracting. The minister pushed them back with his tail. Given the many long lashes cut into the fabric of the chair, TO was certain that Pholi made a specific effort to keep from hurting Flit. ¡°We both know you can¡¯t pick this stuff apart, so you might as well give me space to keep doing it.¡± he said, ¡°But, to put it very very bluntly, the planet is on lockdown.¡± A muttered curse in a language that TO didn¡¯t know slipped from Flit¡¯s mouth. ¡°How will we get off the planet then?¡± DH asked, their hand tightening around TO¡¯s, ¡°Is there another way off or-¡± ¡°You don¡¯t get off the planet.¡± Tham snapped, ¡°It¡¯s a lockdown. At best we could get you in the air, but the orbital defense network would shoot you down.¡± They glowered at the screen, ¡°You¡¯re stuck here for now.¡± TO gripped DH¡¯s hand as their wings tightened around their arms. They didn¡¯t want to be around these insurgents any longer than necessary. The only thing good about any of this was the promise of being able to live with DH, hidden on a far off planet. If the planet was in lockdown, they were stuck here. ¡°Do they give a reason why?¡± Flit asked. ¡°Oh, several.¡± Pholi said as they flipped through the information. ¡°I¡¯m working through the different translations now.¡± He looked up at TO and DH, ¡°And I don¡¯t suppose either of you know the base language code, do you?¡± TO¡¯s ears flicked out, ¡°Base language?¡± They repeated, ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Oh, is it like a programming language?¡± DH asked as they rushed forward before TO could even stop them. ¡°A lot of our stuff is done in Lua, with a mix of-¡± ¡°No no. the base language.¡± Pholi said as they shifted to let DH look, ¡°Though, if you think it¡¯s a programming language, I don¡¯t think you can help. Flit and Snout couldn¡¯t.¡± DH looked over Pholi¡¯s shoulder, frowning as they looked at what was on screen. They looked up, and gestured for TO to look. ¡°Do you recognize this?¡± They asked. With a sigh, TO made their way over to look at whatever they were picking at. Even if they did know, they weren¡¯t sure that they¡¯d say anything but they were still curious as to what the insurgents were looking at. Seeing the screen answered no questions. TO didn¡¯t recognize any of the symbols on display. ¡°I should have figured that if Flit and Snout didn¡¯t know, then you wouldn¡¯t.¡± Pholi said. ¡°They didn¡¯t even know it existed.¡± ¡°If this is coding, shouldn¡¯t Vik be helping?¡± DH asked, looking around for the smaller programmer, ¡°He¡¯s good at this too-¡± ¡°I¡¯m over here!¡± Vik called out from his work area, ¡°And no; I know programming languages, not that mess. Though I do think that it might be more similar to a programming language than a spoken language, but I don¡¯t know enough about linguistics to make that call.¡± ¡°It¡¯s the language that goes into the Anchor.¡± Pholi said, ¡°It translates this-¡± ¡°He means the Galactic Broadcast Anchor.¡± Flit said, ¡°They just call it the Anchor here.¡± ¡°Yes, that.¡± Pholi muttered, ¡°This language gets sent out, and translated for all the different languages that might be required, and for all the different conditions that need to be met-¡± ¡°Conditions?¡± TO asked, ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Right. Well. Look-¡± He pulled up two transcripts in a language that TO didn¡¯t recognize at first, but they pulled up their chip and set the translator to see what they were looking at. ¡°Don¡¯t bother with that.¡± Pholi said, ¡°I¡¯ll show you the same thing on both transcripts.¡± ¡°So, it¡¯s the same.¡± ¡°In this-'''' He pointed back to the original language that was still on display, the so-called basic language. ¡°It is the same. But once it goes through the anchor, this translates into Arkanian- '''' He pointed to the transcripts, ¡°But the translations are different here. This one-¡± He pointed to the first, ¡°Is going to native Arkanian speakers in the residential district. While the other is going to people without an established residential address and low wage workers.¡± He shrugged, ¡°I like to look over both, to get as much information as I can.¡± ¡°Let me guess.¡± Tham muttered as he came forward, ¡°The one for us says that we¡¯ll have to ¡®make adjustments¡¯ to survive ¡®this trying time.¡± Pholi gave a joyless smirk, ¡°Something like that.¡± he said, ¡°Both translations said that the insurgency is to blame for the lockdown, obviously. The one for us says the normal stuff, that the effect of the lockdown will affect everyone, and that we all have to suffer together to get through this.¡± he pointed to the first one, ¡°This one on the other hand, says that the issue is mostly going to affect the upper classes who export goods in more than us plebs. Oh, and apparently we¡¯ll actually do better in this than the upper classes will, because we¡¯re used to living off local goods-¡± ¡°Wait¡­ they¡¯re blocking off supply lines?¡± Pearla said as she came up next to GiDi, ¡°They¡¯re cutting us off entirely?¡± ¡°Looks that way.¡± Pholi said, ¡°People are being told to ration goods, and there¡¯s no travel on or off the planet.¡± He frowned as he continued reading. ¡°... And when it¡¯s lifted, it¡¯s going to be either because the insurgency has been dealt with, or because they¡¯ve brought more synths here. Though¡­¡± He looked at the cluster of screens in the corner, ¡°Vik! Did you get that information I wanted from their chips?¡± ¡°I did. I sent it to you. Or rather, it''s in the shared drive.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t see it there.¡± He frowned as he started flicking through different screens, ¡°Where is it!?¡± ¡°If I may?¡± DH said, stepping forward, ¡°If he just sent it, it might be in your recent files.¡± Pholi flicked around, and a moment later a file showing synth writing popped up. ¡°Thank you.¡± He muttered, distracted as he ran some program. DH gave a quick grin, then faltered as he caught TO¡¯s disbelieving stare. ¡°What?¡± they said, ¡°Vik would have come over to find it, and it¡¯s painful to watch someone fiddle with something so easy to do!¡± They had been speaking synth-speak, but Pholi chuckled anyway. ¡°You¡¯re not wrong.¡± He said, ¡°Vik tells me that it¡¯s painful to watch me try to use a computer for anything other than reading daily news.¡± He sighed as he looked from one set of lettering to the next, ¡°Shame; I had hoped that your translation system would have had more information for me. Maybe even the meanings behind the basic code.¡± ¡°Our system?¡± TO said, ¡°you mean-¡± The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.¡°The translation system that works with your helmet.¡± They said, ¡°I was interested in how it translated things,¡± They glanced up, ¡°You know the translations here are entirely limited, yes?¡± TO felt their ears pin back, ¡°We suspected, but it wasn¡¯t a big concern for us. If needed, we could speak with one another through internal communication.¡± ¡°Yes, well, you should have tested it.¡± Pholi said, ¡°Your network changes everything you say, and even blocks some translations.'''' He scoffed, ¡°No wonder people think you¡¯re all robots; your translation network blocks out any comments that denote feeling, from what I can see¡­ Here-¡± He took out a microphone and held it up to TO and DH, ¡°Say something. Say you¡¯re feeling sad, or happy, or-¡± ¡°... Or uh..¡± DH¡¯s ears flushed lightly blue as they spoke in synth speak, ¡°Or, ¡®I love my mate, TO?¡¯¡± It was so odd to hear DH say it so easily around so many, especially so many who knew who they were, that they were synths. It was unnerving to have them say that in front of Flit and Snout¡­ but most people didn¡¯t understand what was said, and those who did just gave faint smiles. ¡°See¡­ it¡¯s not translating anything there.¡± he said, ¡°Try something else?¡± ¡°...I am fond of Arkanian food?¡± DH said. This time, a distorted voice spoke from Pholi¡¯s speakers in Galactic Common. ¡°Arkanian Food suffices.¡± the voice snapped in a cold tone. It dulls anything that denotes any emotion.¡± Pholi said, ¡°And some things, it¡¯ll just block out entirely.¡± Perhaps that was why the suit hadn¡¯t translated TO¡¯s comment about having issues with the sight of blood back when the insurgents first escaped. Well, they had suspected that. They hadn¡¯t expected the voice that came out to sound so sharp though. ¡°That¡¯s why people keep flinching from us when we talk.¡± DH said, ¡°Because we sound angry all the time.¡± ¡°Yes, you do.¡± Pearla said, ¡°You all sound like heartless assholes.¡± ¡°And that¡¯s not all it does.¡± Pholi said, It also filters out things from outside. It won''t translate anything bad about the Decon regime, or about other synths.¡± ¡°And it does different things depending on who''s talking and the audience.¡± Vik said from where he was working, ¡°The commercial communicators all use the same program, so if a higher class person is talking to a lower class one, they¡¯ll hear more disdain about the Royal Dick than the lower class person is actually using.¡± ¡°Yes, and most people just keep their communicators in, since it helps with accents and dialect as well, so even people speaking the same language might hear different things.¡± Pholi said, ¡°it¡¯s a very refined system-¡± ¡°Extremely refined.¡± Vik muttered, ¡°I was hoping those two would know more about it. It¡¯s either the most complex program anyone has ever made, dealing with more variables than I can even fathom, or, it¡¯s an AI guiding the program to alter the translations to a specific directive.¡± ¡°An AI that complex wouldn¡¯t be allowed.¡± DH said simply, ¡°The Galactic- sorry, the Anchor is complex, but it can¡¯t be that complex, or it would go against-¡± They paused, their ears twitching as they considered for a moment, ¡°At least twenty AI control laws.¡± ¡°I¡¯m well aware.¡± Vik muttered. ¡°Honestly, I¡¯m leaning towards it being an AI. such a developed and complex AI could only really be compromised by another such AI. If Decon uses such advanced technology, then it¡¯s obvious why he¡¯d want to ban others from using them as well.¡± He huffed as he continued working, his fingers slamming against the keys, ¡°Damn hypocrite.¡± ¡°Vik became a felon because of his work with AIs.¡± GiDi said to TO and DH, ¡°Ignored some of the basic AI laws in their research.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not surprised.¡± DH said, ¡°Their work on the one that we captured was-¡± ¡°Anyway.¡± Pholi said, ¡°The point is that the system - however it works- clearly works towards some kind of goal, and while it¡¯s interesting it¡¯s not what I¡¯m interested in now. What I¡¯m actually interested in now is¡­ Ah, right here.¡± A screen came up, and Pholi read over it as quickly as he could. ¡°Yes¡­ here we go.¡± he looked to Tham, ¡°This has more information. Of course, I don¡¯t know how true the information is, but it¡¯s more information. Specifically, it¡¯s information intended for synths.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± Tham demanded, ¡°What are they saying about us?¡± Pholi grinned, ¡°They really don¡¯t paint us in the best of lights.¡± Pholi said. They cleared their voice, ¡°Due to the malicious and short-sighted acts of the Despair Insurgency, the complacency of the civilians of Arkane, and the disappearance and presumed¡­ destruction? Of four synths, King Decon must sorrowfully invoke Martial Law upon the planet. Galactic Defense Minister Gyrini has arrived on the planet, and has chosen to lockdown the planet until the support of a liberation squad has arrived.¡± He frowned as he looked to Snout, ¡°It is ¡®destruction¡¯ there, not death, correct?¡± ¡°Right. We don¡¯t say that synths ¡®die¡¯ or get ¡®killed¡¯. We say they were destroyed or repurposed-¡± ¡°But I¡¯ve still not come across one for natural death.¡± Pholi said, ¡°There has to be one-¡± ¡°There¡¯s not. We don¡¯t have natural deaths.¡± TO almost spoke up then, to comment about the older synth they had met who was sent off to be repurposed just because they were old, and slowing down. The Officer had been irritated that they had waited so long to submit to examination, as after a certain point a synth''s individual parts were more important than the synth themself.¡± They almost spoke up. They didn¡¯t. The insurgents didn¡¯t need to know that. ¡°When they say ¡®liberation squad¡¯, they mean an army.¡± Flit said. ¡°A big one. I¡¯ve been in them before.¡± ¡°Right¡­¡± Pholi muttered, ¡°They don¡¯t say how big it¡¯ll be. They¡¯ll need a lot of synths if they plan to cover the entire planet-¡± ¡°They¡¯ll have the numbers, don¡¯t worry about that.¡± Flit said, ¡°And if they can¡¯t get the insurgency under control, or they feel that it¡¯s taking too much time¡­¡± they pursed his lips, their ears twitching as they considered. ¡°... I am unsure. This is a residential civilian planet. They could send a fleet of ships over the surface of the planet, and level every building in the span of a day with thermonuclear bombs.¡± Silence fell among all of them as the civilians, and even the younger synths looked to Flit in horror. ¡°.. They wouldn¡¯t really do that, would they?¡± Another civilian said, this one a younger, bug-like woman with broken wings on her back, ¡°I mean.. Decon is awful, but he¡¯s not that awful. I¡¯ve never heard-¡± ¡°You¡¯ve never heard about it, because it gets blamed on the planet itself.¡± Flit said, ¡°I¡¯m assuming you read about the Gaian-X Planetary Defense System Meltdown?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not that young. I saw that on the news-¡± ¡°They said that the insurgency attacked the network, and turned the weapons on the planet itself.¡± They shrugged, ¡°Of course, that¡¯s not what happened. The commander of that mission was likely given a timeline, and when they approached that timeline without resolution, they gave the order to level the planet. Meteors. Super-volcanoes. Extreme global warming events. These things happen naturally enough all over the galaxy, so if one of two planets must be dealt with, it¡¯s an easy enough way to fix the problem.¡± ¡°King Decon wouldn¡¯t do that.¡± DH said, stepping forward, ¡°I mean¡­¡± they faltered as the eyes of everyone there landed on them, staring. They looked at TO, their ears flicking in desperation, ¡°Things aren¡¯t¡­ I know things aren''t that good here, but King Decon wouldn¡¯t do that. He wouldn¡¯t allow an attack on his own civilians.¡± ¡°He would.¡± Flit said, ¡°And he¡¯s in fact encouraged it. The longer a struggle goes on, the harder it is to cover it up. At a certain point, Decon will make the order that this is the last chance for the planet. Martial law, and then failing that¡­¡± He shrugged. ¡°That can¡¯t be. He wouldn¡¯t allow that.¡± TO said. They couldn¡¯t even fathom that level of death and destruction. They had seen such disasters occur, but never considered that it might be done on purpose. Who would destroy a whole planet, and kill off all its people? The civilians, and the insurgency, might be self-centered and short-sighted, but even they wouldn¡¯t do something so awful. At least, they hadn¡¯t yet. King Decon lived to protect the civilians. That¡¯s why the synths were there; to serve him and let the civilians live their small lives. It would make no sense for him to simply decide to blow up planets. Unless it was for the greater good. A small voice inside said, Small sacrifice for the benefit of the rest of the galaxy. That thought threw them; it fell in line with what Ark-1 had said to them when they first arrived. However, what shook them more was Flit¡¯s expression; the low ears, the pursed lips, the way their wings tightened around their arms. ¡°He would.¡± Flit said, ¡°I know¡­. I had to give that order once.¡± Episode 237: Cult ¡°You did what?¡± Tham¡¯s voice was low and restrained, the words hissing out as though pushed by the pure pressure of his apparent anger. If TO thought that Tham had been angry before, it was nothing compared to the absolute rage that made them shake now. ¡°I was aware of this.¡± Pholi said even as he still read over the text before him. ¡°It just wasn¡¯t important.¡± ¡°Of course it was!¡± Tham snapped, turning to Pholi as his tail lashed on the ground. TO could practically feel the vibrations shake through the ground and to their feet. The bruises from when Tham had held TO down in the boat with his tail had mostly faded, but now TO was certain that if he had wanted to, he could have easily broken their ribs with a few good slams with that tail. Had he been holding back then to make sure that TO didn¡¯t get hurt? ¡°Look.¡± Pholi said, ¡°Jason was aware of it, and said not to talk about it. If he knew, and he was fine with it, that¡¯s all I care about.¡± The moment Pholi mentioned that name, an odd silence fell over the room. Tham and Vik nodded their heads down, as did a few others that TO had not yet met formally. GiDi and Pearla remained stony faced and silent, while the others simply looked confused. The name was familiar to TO. It only took a moment for them to remember where they had heard that name before. ¡°Jason. We thought him to be the former leader of the insurgency, according to our information.¡± ¡°Right!¡± DH said, suddenly remembering as well, ¡°He was the father of that girl, Helen, Right?¡± ¡°Yes, that girl, Helen.¡± Pearla said, the words coming out in a slow hiss, ¡°The one that was killed. Likely by synths-¡± ¡°Not by us.¡± GiDi said, giving her hand a squeeze as they turned to her, ¡°Not by me.¡± Out of the corner of their eye, TO saw Avery back away from the others, their ears flicking down, their wings tightening around them. ¡°And even if TO or DH had done it.¡± Flit said, ¡°You seem to think there¡¯s any opportunity to choose. If a synth who could receive the job of an execution had refused their duty, they would have been killed immediately, and another would have done the job.¡± Their wings tightened slightly around them, their ears dipping down, ¡°We¡¯re tools. Tools that don¡¯t work get thrown out.¡± ¡°So that¡¯s why you destroyed planets?¡± Tham snapped. ¡°Tham, enough.¡± Pholi said. ¡°You¡¯ve heard enough about what they went through, didn¡¯t you? Even a synth with a normal mind would have thought they were doing the right thing. It¡¯s an entire culture of indoctrination.¡± He snorted, his little tail continuing to whip at the back of his chair. ¡°Such a hypocrite. Decon outlaws religion because of its tendency to grow cults, but then forms his own cult-like religion for his synths.¡± ¡°He has not!¡± TO said, their ears pinning back in anger at the mere suggestion of it, ¡°We follow no religion-¡± ¡°You follow a powerful being who demands your total, unwavering obedience to shape the galaxy to his will. One who, might I add, has messed around so much with your minds and altered your cognition so much through conditioning that you can¡¯t help but obey. He even tried to convince you - successfully, might I add, that he created you.¡± He shook his head. ¡°Sounds like a religious cult to me.¡± ¡°And even so,¡± Flit said, their own ears narrowed back as they glowered at Tham, ¡°I did it at the time because I thought it was the right thing to do. None of us decide we¡¯re just going to go out and kill civilians. We go out thinking we¡¯re making the galaxy a better place.¡± The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. ¡°And for the most part, the conditioning is inflexible once we leave the tanks.¡± Snout said, ¡°It¡¯s part of the mind alteration done to most of us; it¡¯s impossible for a properly altered synth to reevaluate things. In fact-¡± They gestured at TO, DH, and GiDi, ¡°I¡¯d like to point out that the few surviving synths with whole minds are right here now-¡± ¡°Not like they had a choice.¡± Tham said. ¡°We captured them.¡± ¡°Excuse you.¡± GiDi said, their ears flattening out, ¡°I could have left. I stayed, thank you very much.¡± Tham flushed a deep red. ¡°Sorry. Yes, well, you¡¯re different-¡± ¡°And so are they. And so is every other synth that Decon hasn¡¯t broken!¡± GiDi said, ¡°Every synth that does what you¡¯re so angry about? They¡¯re all brainwashed and programmed to do what they¡¯re told, and even without having my mind altered, it¡¯s hard to break from that!¡± ¡°But they-¡± He pointed at Flit, ¡°They were what, a general or something?¡± ¡°A retiree.¡± Flit muttered. ¡°A retiree. I thought that was supposed to be a high honor or something. they weren¡¯t young when they got that, so they had plenty of time to learn that genocide and planetary destruction are bad?¡± ¡°Time, yes.¡± Flit said, standing upright. They crossed their arms, and their wings puffed up just slightly ¡ª it was the pose they had often taken when addressing trainees. ¡°Not an opportunity, though. Snout performed well enough to be taken into medical training right away so they never had direct civilian contact, and they placed me in combat right away; My only civilian contact for a very long time involved civilians trying to kill me.¡± ¡°I also imagine it¡¯s easier to press a button from orbit than it is to execute a child in person.¡± Pholi said. ¡°Yes.¡± Flit agreed, ¡°And it¡¯s easier when you know the other person is going to shoot you in the face as well.¡± ¡°I imagine¡­ of course I wouldn¡¯t know. Though to be fair, I was complicit in the exploitation of Arkane¡¯s lower classes for many years, so-¡± He glanced up at Tham, ¡°I suppose you have an issue with me as well. I didn¡¯t even have excessive conditioning to excuse me; just privilege.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not the same.¡± Tham said, taking a step towards Flit, ¡°They-¡± ¡°Look.¡± GiDi said, stepping forward between Flit and Tham. ¡°I never met Jason, obviously. I showed up here long after he was¡­ gone. Maybe we would have worked well together. Maybe I wouldn¡¯t have trusted him; I don¡¯t know. But I know that we don¡¯t have a lot of time here, right? I know we need to get my friends off the planet and safe, but we¡¯re in lockdown. We have a small army of synths who will destroy the planet if it takes too long to find us. We have problems, and they will not go away by fighting. When we¡¯re safe, we can fight among ourselves, right?¡± TO hadn¡¯t noticed before how squared Tham¡¯s shoulders had been this whole time. They only noticed it now as their shoulders sunk and rounded out and looked away. ¡°If Flit was going to hurt any of you, they wouldn¡¯t have come here.¡± GiDi said, ¡°They wouldn¡¯t have brought me here to hide with you. And they wouldn¡¯t have helped break you out of the prison, Tham.¡± ¡°... I was just surprised.¡± Tham muttered. ¡°I can¡¯t understand how someone could do something like that, and Jason, how could he trust them?¡± ¡°I couldn¡¯t tell you how myself.¡± Pholi said. ¡°I know Jason knew. Well-¡± They looked to Flit, ¡°Apologies. He spoke of a ¡®synth friend¡¯ that he had, and probably thinking we¡¯d never meet face to face, they told me a few things. He said never to bring it up and never went into detail. Until you showed up here, you were just a ¡®synth friend¡¯ who sent information and asked us to retrieve nearby synths from time to time.¡± They looked at Tham, ¡°Each one that came to us, might I add, was just scared and confused; never aggressive.¡± ¡°I know.¡± they muttered, ¡°But we never had one working with us before now. Not before Snout.¡± ¡°And I¡¯d like to add that I begged to stay and help.¡± Snout said, ¡°I had research to finish. I was just about ready to prove Decon¡¯s deception.¡± ¡°... I met Jason accidentally.¡± Flit said, still holding that pose with their arms crossed. ¡°It was in a red zone on a different planet where we were weeding out the last of the local insurgents. I was moving to another ship above orbit, but got hit by debris and knocked off track and to the planet. When I landed, I didn¡¯t have any armor, or a multi-gun.¡± He shrugged. ¡°I never had a posting on a planet before, but I did my best to just act like a civilian. I met Jason, and because he thought I was just another civilian trying to escape, he tried to help me. Since I was injured, I took the help.¡± ¡°... Is that how you lost your leg?¡± TO asked, forgetting for the moment his anger with Flit, ¡°In the crash?¡± ¡°... That was the time I lost my leg, but I didn¡¯t lose it in the crash.¡± Flit said. He frowned as he sat down, rubbing his fake leg as though it were real; as though it hurt. ¡°... It¡¯s hurting you?¡± Snout asked, sitting down next to him on the crate. ¡°Does that help?¡± ¡°A little.¡± He muttered, ¡°It hurts when I think of losing it.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t owe anyone an explanation.¡± Pholi said, ¡°You were trustworthy to Jason. You¡¯re trustworthy to me.¡± ¡°And nobody¡¯s going to press you for an explanation.¡± GiDi said, their ears pinning back as they looked around. Their eyes fixed on Tham. ¡°Right?¡± ¡°Right.¡± Tham muttered. ¡°... No.¡± Flit said, sighing as they continued to rub the hard plastic of their prosthetic limb, ¡°No¡­ when Jason was here, his word was probably fine, but he¡¯s not here anymore.¡± He looked at GiDi. ¡°It¡¯s ok¡­ I¡¯ll tell them what happened.¡± TO was curious, of course, about how Flit lost their leg. They were curious enough to forget their anger and listen, their ears forward, as Flit told the story. However, even as Flit spoke, there was something else that took their attention, something that gnawed at their stomach from the inside. They had hoped that seeing some interactions between the insurgents would tell them who was really in charge; someone had to be in charge, of course, whether or not they knew it. They had assumed it was Pholi, or maybe even Tham. They were, of course, wrong. After a brief interaction, it was clear to see that GiDi was the unknown leader of the insurgents on Arkane. Episode 238: Crash The brief trip from one ship to another in the small fleet should have been uneventful and dull, taking only an hour to go from the Command ship was where Flit was stationed to the Primary Attack ship on the other side of the fleet that orbited Knossos. Knossos; the last redone in this little star-cluster. One last little knot of resistance against King Decon, His glorious reign, and to joining the greater galaxy. It was Flit¡¯s job to crush that resistance and bring the planet into civilization; kicking and screaming if they had to. Flit was willing to do whatever it took to achieve this goal, and right now that meant going from their Command ship to the Primary Attack ship so they could go over their latest attack plan with officers in charge there. They didn¡¯t seem to understand Flit and needed over visual communication, and though Flit had tried, the others always got confused when they tried to explain the lengthier, more complex plans. Confused and irritated. Of course, they did their best to suppress the latter. Flit was their commanding officer, and showing irritation to one''s commanding officer wasn¡¯t the best of ideas. The combat officers also hated to leave their ship. Combat officers stayed on the Attack Ships. Sure, they would come to the Command ship if ordered, but they¡¯d have that strange, confused look on their face that Flit hated so much. It would also be a larger pain to have them all transported to the Command ship and back. It was faster and easier from a logistical standpoint for Flit to go to them, even if it was ultimately more confusing to the others for the commander to leave the ship. At least, it seemed to be a good idea until a cloud of debris struck their small transport ship. Later, Flit would discover that it had been debris from a large escape ship that they had intercepted earlier that week, but at the moment, they didn¡¯t know or care what it was. All Flit knew was that suddenly they were spirling off course, and that so many alerts were going off all at once, the klaxon blaring in their ears as an electronic voice listed the damage. WARNING: FUEL TANK DAMAGE WARNING: OXYGEN SUPPLY COMPROMISED WARNING: REAR THRUSTER COMPROMISED WARNING WARNING WARNING Light flashed, the noise made their ears ring as they spiraled, drawn towards the planet by its gravitational pull. They couldn¡¯t pull away; their remaining thrusters weren¡¯t strong enough and their steering wasn¡¯t working. Their next option was to get to the escape pod at the back of the ship. At worst, they¡¯d get thrown off into space for a bit and have to wait for a pickup. They didn¡¯t like that idea; the thought of being lost in space for an unknown period froze their blood in their veins, but they pushed that back down deep inside them. Right now, they had an action to take; they had a plan, and so long as they had a plan, they could fend off any worry they might have. The ship suddenly shook as it entered the atmosphere. It was such a specific, now familiar feeling that Flit recognized it immediately, and strapped themself in tighter to the chair. The little escape pods wouldn¡¯t hold if they tried to release while entering the atmosphere, so now they had only one option left. They got back to their seat, strapped themself in, and hit the emergency landing button. Panels encircled their seat and formed a tight egg that would protect them from the worst of the debris as they landed. Survival rate in one of these was about 70%. That was better than 0%, but not as good as it would have been if they had ejected before they entered the atmosphere. Not as good as it might have been if they stayed in their command ship and had the other officers come to them! Still, if they had, there was every chance that the weapons officers would be in this exact situation, and they¡¯d have lost up to five capable synths. If they had waited a day, or done this earlier, then maybe they wouldn¡¯t be in this situation. Perhaps if they were better at communication like Snout had been, then they wouldn¡¯t have needed to go to the other ship. Of course, if they were better at all, their superiors wouldn¡¯t have sent them into combat. If they had been more careful, they never would have been separated from Snout. Snout would never know what happened. Flit knew that was the likely outcome regardless of whether they died here, or got reprocessed later when they became too old to be efficient. For all they knew, Snout might have been repossessed by now and they themself would never know. Despite that, if Snout was alive, it broke what they had left of their heart that their missing mate would never know what happened to them. They couldn¡¯t even send a message; they were never told of Snout''s reassignment. ====== At some point, they passed out. Re-entry was awful at the best of times, but in a spiraling, damaged craft it was even worse. They only came to when they finally crashed to the ground, the remains of their ship breaking up and their little sealed pod flying out and striking against something and shattering. Flit wasn¡¯t sure what it was, but it was large and strong, and as they struck, they could feel pain radiate over their chest, their left arm, and both wings. They could almost feel their brain move in their head as they struck their skull before skidding against the ground. Their uniform thankfully offered some protection, but the rough ground was rocky, devoid of grass, and nearly stripped their exposed arms of skin, and they even felt something puncture one of their wings. When they finally stopped moving, they just lay on the ground. They were in so much pain; they didn¡¯t know if they could move, and didn''t even want to test it. For now, Flit just wanted to lie there, to let the world be still for a moment. If it weren¡¯t for the fact that they could hear their heart beating in their ears, the blood rushing through them, they¡¯d have thought they were eliminated; that this was what it was like when a synth ceased to function. Perhaps the pain in their body would remain until a retrieval crew picked them up to be reprocessed on the medical ship. Well, that or decaying on this awful planet. One or the other. Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more. Flit heard a noise behind them and realized that they had to get up. They had to stand up and move, and get out of the way. They had to assess the situation and find a way out of it as they had so many times before. Flit had been in worse situations before; positions that seemed even more hopeless than being on a hostile planet without combat armor or a multi-gun. They had survived before, they¡¯d survive again. If they survived this, then they had a chance to see Snout again. Up. Everything hurt. There was likely a broken bone in their wing, and it was likely that they had broken a rib or two as well. No matter. They could still move, and they could still get away from whatever was approaching- ¡°You ¡ª wait, I only ¡ª you¡¯re hurt ¡ª help?¡± The words spoken, no, called out, from behind them were strange - The language was obviously Common, but there was an odd accent to them, and Flit couldn¡¯t piece all the words together. Still, they recognized enough of what they spoke to realize that the speaker didn¡¯t want to hurt them. Still, it was a civilian. They couldn¡¯t trust civilians. Flit turned around regardless to see a civilian - human, and probably male by the looks of him as he was wider, had less defined waist and hips, and was lacking the breasts common in human females. He seemed to carry no weapon; at least not that Flit could see. He had a large bag slung over his shoulder. He could have weapons in there. They weighed their options carefully, but quickly. Without their armor, and injured as they were, if the human wanted to hurt them, they probably could. Of course, if they wanted to hurt them, they probably wouldn¡¯t have shouted at them. There was also the issue of him being here in the first place. He didn¡¯t have a uniform, and a civilian here without a known allied uniform meant he had to be an insurgent. Even if they didn¡¯t want to hurt them, even if they didn''t realize they were a synth, working with an insurgent was something that a synth just did not do, regardless of the situation. It was one of the many rules that a synth learned to follow early. Of course, if they had ever followed the rules to the letter, they¡¯d not be alive today. Flit stopped and waited for the civilians to catch up to them. On a hostile civilian planet without supplies, their armor, or a weapon, they realized they were in a very vulnerable position, and the next civilian they encountered probably wouldn''t be arguably friendly. And even if they were an insurgent, if working with them meant they had another chance to see Snout, they¡¯d do it happily. ====== The civilian, who introduced himself as Jason, and who was indeed he/him, brought Flit to their shelter - a cave hidden away nearby where several civilians hid. Flit took careful note of the location and any minor details for when they returned to their ship. They figured out long ago that there were small hideouts, and discovering them all was proving to be an absolute pain in the ass. At least now there was one they could deal with quickly. ¡°You must have triggered a landmine.¡± The civilian said, slowing their words and being very careful to pronounce every syllable properly so that Flit could understand. It was an unnecessary kindness, as was the small talk they were trying to engage in while stitching up the holes in Flit¡¯s wing after having patched up their arms. makeshift bandages covered them from wrist to shoulder on both arms, but it was better than nothing. ¡°Yes, I believe that¡¯s what happened.¡± Flit said. Jason had apparently heard the crash, but hadn¡¯t seen it happen. Flit was more than happy to let them make their own assumptions. ¡°You¡¯re lucky that you didn¡¯t get burned.¡± Jason said with a chuckle. ¡°Less lucky with the intensity of these wounds. It looks like you got thrown, but I didn¡¯t think our little landmines had the intensity for that.¡± ¡°Just bad luck, I suppose.¡± ¡°Did it throw you or something?¡± The thought of lying made their stomach churn, and filled them with a dull anxiety even though they knew this civilian wouldn¡¯t be able to tell they were lying. He couldn¡¯t read their ears. ¡°It happened quickly; I¡¯m not entirely sure how I got all my injuries.¡± ¡°Right¡­¡± Jason said, giving Flit a careful look. ¡°Well, it doesn¡¯t entirely matter. I¡¯ll get you patched up, healed up, and we¡¯ll get you off planet-¡± ¡°Off planet?¡± Flit asked. ¡°Off Knossos?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Jason said as they finished applying some bandages to the wing, ¡°That¡¯s why you came here, right? For the evacuation?¡± So that¡¯s what the civilians were doing. The last of the insurgents were evacuating; or at least the ones who couldn¡¯t fight were. ¡°I wasn¡¯t aware there was an evacuation going on.¡± Jason shrugged as he started looking through his bag. ¡°Well.. yeah.¡± He have a sigh, ¡°Decon''s got this planet, I think. Best we can do is get targeted people off.¡± ¡°Targeted people?¡± ¡°Yes, you know. Anyone Decon might have executed, which really is anyone who got caught helping us.¡± He shrugged, ¡°Even people who weren¡¯t actually caught, honestly. It¡¯s dangerous.¡± Flit hummed, but otherwise kept their mouth shut. Yes, it was dangerous to assist the insurgency. It was dangerous, pointless, and stupid. The entire insurgency was idiotic. It was a simple matter of resources and math. King Decon had the galaxy at his disposal, so what could a single planet do to stand against Him? Of course, why they would want to in the first place was beyond Flit¡¯s understanding, but what was the point of trying to figure out how insurgents thought? Jason finally dug out a small bottle of pills from his bag and passed it to Flit. ¡°Here. for the pain.¡± ¡°No, thank you.¡± Flit said, ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯ll be suitable for me.¡± It might have been, but without their helmet, Flit had no way of knowing. Maybe it would help them, but maybe it could kill them. If it were a life or death situation, they¡¯d take the chance, but it was only pain; They could take some pain while they healed. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s fine.¡± Jason said, ¡°I¡¯ve given these to your kind before.¡± Flit¡¯s ears pinned back. ¡°My kind?¡± This civilian couldn¡¯t possibly know that they were a synth. If they had, why bother to help them? Why tell them so much?¡± ¡°Yes, I don¡¯t look like much I know, but I¡¯m well traveled.¡± He lowered his voice. ¡°I¡¯ve been to Apoikia. Accidentally, but I¡¯ve been there. I know it¡¯s supposed to be off the maps. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll keep that quiet.¡± He smiled, ¡°I know some of your language, but I can¡¯t speak it, obviously.¡± He smiled, ¡°Didn¡¯t think I¡¯d find a Chilacian this far from home, to be honest. I can get you home if you¡¯d like, or I can get you somewhere safe if you don¡¯t want to go back.¡± He glanced up at Flit, and watched their ears. ¡°Oh¡­ and tell me what you want to tell the others. I¡¯ll collaborate on whatever story you want. Nobody else here needs to know about your people.¡± Flit said nothing. There was nothing they could think of to say to this. This civilian was clearly mistaken. It was possible there was another species that looked like them, but there were no synths living like civilians out there. And Flit hadn¡¯t even heard of Apoikia. They didn¡¯t know if it was a planet, country, or city. ¡°... Can you really understand this language?¡± they asked, switching to synth speak. ¡°I can.¡± Jason said, though of course he spoke Common, ¡°Bits and pieces. Enough to get the meaning, just don¡¯t ask me to be a translator.¡± Episode 239: Chilacian ¡°I thought we weren¡¯t talking about Apoikia yet.¡± Tham hissed, ¡°I thought-¡± ¡°Yeah, well-¡± Flit¡¯s ears took on an angry flush as they pinned back, ¡°I couldn¡¯t figure out how to explain why I ended up listening to Jason without it-¡± ¡°And if those two end up telling anyone about Apoikia-¡± ¡°They won¡¯t.¡± GiDi said, then turning to TO and DH, they added, ¡°Right?¡± ¡°... I¡¯m sorry, what?¡± TO looked from GiDi to Flit, ¡°Chilacians? And they spoke our language?¡± They shook their head, their mind coming up with a million excuses, ¡°Maybe it¡¯s just a colony of lost synths-¡± ¡°That¡¯s what I thought too.¡± Flit said, ¡°They have an entire history there, and didn¡¯t even know about King Decon until Jason ended up there.¡± ¡°And he keeps talking.¡± Tham muttered as he pinched the bridge of his nose with his thumb and forefinger. ¡°Well, I had to keep so much hidden from them until now!¡± Flit snapped, ¡°I had to just to keep them alive! Too many died or got ¡®corrected¡¯ before them-¡± ¡°Lobotomized.¡± Pearla said from next to GiDi. ¡°- and I didn¡¯t want to see it happen to them. Now that I can tell them things, I want to!¡± ¡°With no care if it gets us all killed in the meantime.¡± ¡°TO and DH won¡¯t tell anyone.¡± GiDi said again, then they turned to TO, ¡°Right?¡± TO hadn¡¯t had time to consider this kind of situation before. Well, not this specifically. They had considered what they¡¯d do if they found GiDi, and if they¡¯d report it. Before, they had just hoped, wished, that they¡¯d not find GiDi, despite desperately wanting to know if they were ok. ¡°... I don¡¯t think I will.¡± They said after just a moment of consideration. There was no logical reason for their answer, but there was evidence. When they found GiDi working with insurgents, they couldn¡¯t shoot them. It was what they were supposed to do, and they couldn¡¯t do it. More than that, when Kei tried to shoot GiDi, TO had stopped them, and had ruined their position among King Decon¡¯s synths by opening fire on Kei and getting them all captured. They hadn¡¯t even thought of doing that before; there was no consideration in that, only action. It felt likely then that if it came to it, if they had the option of following orders, or helping GiDi, they¡¯d help GiDi. They still loved the small synth, despite how much had changed, and how long they had been apart. GiDi was still like their family. No, apparently, they were actually family. A half-sibling. Synths didn¡¯t have siblings. That still made them feel dizzy to think of it. TO think that they had a family. That GiDi was an insurgent. That there were others like them who weren¡¯t synths. Chilacians. Synths came from Chilacians? Synths were Chilacians? TO suddenly felt DH¡¯s hand on their shoulder, and realized that their jaw had been tensing, and that their wings had tightened around their arms. They could feel how pinned back and low their twitching ears were. Of course, DH didn¡¯t look like they were doing much better. They pinned as well their own ears, but they seemed more concerned than anything else as they watched TO with wide, dark eyes. ¡°I think that might be enough for now.¡± GiDi said, ¡°This¡­ It''s a lot. I know it¡¯s a lot. I had the entire trip here to process everything. They don¡¯t.¡± ¡°No.¡± TO said, turning back to Flit, ¡°What else happened? How did you get away from them? Why did you start working with insurgents? Just because they said that there were others like us??¡± ¡°Well, no.¡± Flit said, ¡°I stayed with them for five days while I recovered. Jason was probably the nicest, kindest, most compassionate person I ever met, save for Snout-¡± ¡°No, from what I heard, I don¡¯t even hold a candle.¡± Snout said. ¡°And he was an ¡®insurgent¡¯ because he was getting people away from King Decon¡¯s reign. People who would have gotten killed under him-¡± ¡°Because they¡¯re insurgents.¡± TO said. ¡°Because they didn¡¯t want to get moved to an environment that¡¯s not good for them, like Lendulin¡¯s parents.¡± Pearla said, ¡°Or get moved to a place that wouldn¡¯t accept them. Or be forced to give up how they lived before. Some were-¡± ¡°Everyone had different reasons.¡± Flit said, ¡°I met everyone in time and couldn''t disagree with why they wanted to leave. King Decon values efficiency and progress over people, and would place someone in charge who thought the same, who would run their planet like a business and get the most out of it with no concern for the people there; Just like what¡¯s happening on Arkane. When they couldn¡¯t fight against it, they fled¡­ and I couldn¡¯t-¡± They stopped, falling silent as they looked at the ground, ¡°It¡¯s a lot. I know. It was a lot for me then¡­¡± They turned away. ¡°It¡¯s still a lot for me some days. But in the end, a group of synths were coming, following my chip¡¯s signal to collect me. The insurgents saw them and evacuated. Jason wanted me to go with them and said I¡¯d be in danger.¡± They shrugged, ¡°We¡¯re all terrible liars, and I liked Jason anyway. I respected him. So I ended up telling him the truth.¡± If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. ¡°And¡­ He attacked you then?¡± TO asked, ¡°He attacked you, and that¡¯s how you lost your leg?¡± Flit shook their head again. ¡°No, it surprised him, and he had questions, but there wasn''t time to give any answers. He gave me a code to access a secret channel. Said if I ever needed to escape Decon, or if I knew anyone who wanted to get away, he¡¯d help.¡± they chuckled, ¡°Apparently he thought I was alright. Don¡¯t know why he trusted me either, but I guess by then he figured I was trustworthy.¡± ¡°... And the leg?¡± ¡°... I asked him to shoot it for me.¡± They said, ¡°I couldn¡¯t hide the fact that the insurgents had been there, and I told him I couldn¡¯t lie¡­ So I told him to shoot my leg.¡± He shrugged. ¡°He hit something, though, and it got infected. Didn¡¯t expect I¡¯d lose the damn thing.¡± ¡°I might have been able to save it.¡± Snout huffed. ¡°I know.¡± Flit said, ¡°But if they saved it, I wouldn¡¯t have become a retiree, and I wouldn¡¯t have gotten to see you again.¡± ¡°And¡­ That worked?¡± DH said, ¡°What about the bandages you had on you? Didn¡¯t they ask why the insurgents healed you?¡± ¡°I mostly told them the truth.¡± Flit said. ¡°I was stuck. That¡¯s true. I got injured. That¡¯s also true. By letting the insurgents ¡®help¡¯ me, I learned where their hiding place was, and would lead my rescue party to me thanks to my chip. That¡¯s true too. When they were leaving, I refused, and they shot me and I couldn¡¯t follow them and find out where they were going. It was all technically true.¡± ¡°It baffles me how you can lie by omission, but you can¡¯t just outright tell a lie.¡± Tham grumbled. ¡°The psychology behind it is odd, and I¡¯m certain if you were in the right mindset, you could lie through other means than prevarication.¡± Pholi said, ¡°But I¡¯ve been working with GiDi on that, and it¡¯s not working.¡± ¡°Anyway,¡° Flit said, ¡°After they sent me back to my original training center, one synth we were detanked with¡­ well, they were strange as well. They weren¡¯t quite like us; their brains were altered, but not quite to specification-¡± ¡°I wasn¡¯t lying when I told you some variation is allowed.¡± Snout added, ¡°It¡¯s good for creating officers. This one was just on the line between acceptable and unacceptable, though.¡± ¡°Right. They ended up being ¡®problematic¡¯ Medical Officer Assistants. Reported few of the issues in young synths that would have them corrected or repurposed. Their superiors would have sent them off on an exploratory mission into the nothingness of space, and it didn¡¯t seem right. So, I contacted Jason, and they could intercept them and get them somewhere better.¡± ¡°... And that¡¯s what you did with Snout.¡± TO said, ¡°I thought you looked too relieved when the General said that the insurgents took them.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Flit said, their ears pinning back, ¡°They probably noticed it too. They knew I was doing things I shouldn¡¯t be doing, but I was very very careful. Synths being sent off to mining facilities and on exploratory missions? That¡¯s easy to manage.¡± They glanced at GiDi. ¡°Getting a trainee slated for correction is harder. Still, it worked out well in the end.¡± ¡°I¡¯d say it did.¡± Snout said, ¡°If you had stayed behind and gotten ¡®dealt with¡¯ by the General, I¡¯d have been so angry!¡± They put their hand on Flit¡¯s shoulder and squeezed gently. With a light flush, Flit set their own hand atop Snout¡¯s. ¡°Anyway, I didn¡¯t know if I could help Snout. I never got a response, and knew that Jason was dead at that point, so I didn¡¯t know if anyone would get the message.¡± ¡°Yeah, I found the message.¡± Vik said from his little corner, ¡°We needed information from Jason¡¯s old communicator, so I had to dig into it. I got your message, but didn¡¯t know who you were, so why would I send anything back?¡± ¡°Yes, that was awkward when I arrived here.¡± Snout said, ¡°They sent the other synths who came with me to Apoikia. I wanted to stay here and work. They were going to send me regardless-¡± ¡°But I said hell no.¡± Vik said, ¡°And I think Goretta wanted them to stay too. I wanted info about their chip, and she wanted medical info.¡± Goretta; TO had almost forgotten about her. The researcher was learning how to reverse the supposed damage done to normal synths'' minds either before leaving the tank or after. The one who wanted to test this procedure on Kei. Well, TO wasn¡¯t as concerned anymore; they knew who was considered the leader around here, and didn¡¯t need to see that argument play out anymore. ¡°... Is she the one that¡¯s going to poke a Kei?¡± Avery asked, their voice low as they spoke, ¡°The one who''s going to change their brain?¡± Vik stopped typing away, and looked up, ¡°You decided on that then?¡± They asked. ¡°No. Nobody''s decided on anything yet.¡± Flit said, ¡°But Kei will not cooperate with us.¡± ¡°Then it¡¯s our only option.¡± Vik said, going back to his work, ¡°Unless you want them dead.¡± ¡°We¡¯re not killing them.¡± Snout said. ¡°Why not? They¡¯d kill us.¡± Tham said, ¡°If they get loose, our position will be compromised, and we might all get killed-¡± ¡°Let¡¯s wait for Goretta to come back.¡± GiDi offered, ¡°Until then, we can piece together what to do about the blockade, and-¡± They looked at TO and DH, ¡°And maybe you two want to rest? I know you¡¯ve been resting. And you can stay out here with us, but -¡± ¡°I think I¡¯d like some quiet.¡± TO said. They didn¡¯t really want the quiet, but they wanted to have a few minutes to speak to DH privately about everything they had seen and heard. ¡°Do we need to go back to the locked rooms?¡± Avery asked, their wings tightening, their voice shaking, ¡°Please, I don¡¯t want to go back there. I-¡± They looked at TO, ¡°Can I go with you two?¡± Avery didn¡¯t want to be alone. TO was so surprised that they couldn¡¯t answer right away. ¡°Of course you can.¡± DH said. ¡°And we won¡¯t put you in locked rooms.¡± GiDi said, ¡°Come on, I¡¯ll find a better place for you.¡± Episode 240: Nostalgia GiDi brought them to a much larger room than the previous locked room. It was a simple, large rectangular room with bunk beds lining the worn concrete walls. It reminded TO a little of the dorms back in the training center. Of course, they had been much bigger, cleaner, and filled with more people than this desolate room was. ¡°This is where people waiting to get off the planet stay when we have many people around.¡± They said, ¡°There¡¯s a washroom in the back, a small shower. It¡¯s not much; Most of us don¡¯t sleep here, we have homes outside of the hideout. There are a few exceptions; Vik and Tham, obviously, since they¡¯re wanted, but they¡¯ve found old storage rooms. We have a few locked rooms for people we can¡¯t trust right away-¡± ¡°Like us?¡± TO asked, though now with Flit and Snout gone, and since they were away from the other insurgents, their voice lacked the venom it had possessed earlier. ¡°Well, I trust you.¡± GiDi said. ¡°The others don¡¯t know you. They just know that you¡¯re synths who passed their examination.¡± Their ears dipped down. ¡°I told them what happened during mine, and how I failed it. They kind of took that as a sign that I wasn¡¯t a real synth.¡± GiDi shook their head, ¡°Synth, Chilacian. They made the joke that I wasn¡¯t a synth since I didn¡¯t pass; I was a Chilacian. Only synths pass their examination.¡± ¡°GiDi¡­ I wouldn¡¯t have passed if I didn¡¯t know-¡± ¡°That doesn¡¯t bother me.¡± They said, ¡°Not anymore¡­¡± They closed their eyes and took a deep breath. When they opened their eyes again, they had this invigorated look to them. ¡°I knew there had to be a reason, didn¡¯t I!¡± they said, their ears twitching happily, ¡°I knew. I knew that there had to be a reason the insurgency existed. It had to be more than what the anchor told us, that it was just selfishness and short-sightedness-¡± ¡°You don¡¯t think it¡¯s short-sighted?¡± TO asked, ¡°I mean, the galaxy thrives under King Decon, right?¡± Even as they said that, they recalled their own concerns about how some people clearly didn¡¯t thrive on Arkane, and how Ark-1 said that some sacrifices had to be made. Apparently, some people had to be exploited for the greater good and even then it made TO distinctly uncomfortable. They didn¡¯t know if it was the same on other planets, but according to what they had heard so far from Flit about Jason, they were fairly certain that it was. GiDi¡¯s larger ears dipped back as they chewed on their lip, their fangs glinting in the light as they considered their next words. ¡°It depends.¡± They said, ¡°If you want to view just pure progress as being good, then yes¡­ Under Decon, with the way he¡¯s been pushing things, his empire will probably expand beyond the galaxy one day. He¡¯s pushed advancement in all levels, and streamlined every aspect of the galaxy to optimize production and technological advancement. If that¡¯s all a person looks at when judging how ¡®good¡¯ things are, then King Decon is doing the right thing.¡± They looked at TO, ¡°And we were told that such progress was everything. We were never told about civilians struggling. We were told they were lazy, self-centered, and selfish. If a civilian was suffering, it was because of some fault in their mind or character.¡± ¡°And that¡¯s not true.¡± TO said. They had meant it as a question, but somehow it came out as a statement. Perhaps that was because they thought of Pearla, who had worked to help people in the outer ring. Because Lendulin had shown them how stacked against them everything was. Even Petra suffered because she tried to stand up against the Arkanian policies that even TO felt were wrong. ¡°Right; they lied to us.¡± GiDi said, ¡°And if you want to consider the wellbeing of people when contemplating the overall good of the galaxy, and its advancement, then I think that Decon¡¯s reign has worked backwards; that¡¯s its regression in a lot of ways.¡± They gave TO a long, steady look, ¡°I know you probably think little of me-¡± ¡°I never said that-¡± ¡°You don''t have to.¡± GiDi said as their wings tightened around them, ¡°I know what you probably think of me. I¡¯m working with insurgents now, and I¡¯ve gone against everything they taught us.¡± they shook their head, ¡°But in the end, I still feel like I should work to make things better for the galaxy. I just don¡¯t think the way King Decon is doing things is the right way.¡± ¡°And you think there¡¯s a better one?¡± DH asked. ¡°I hope so.¡± GiDi said, ¡°One that at least balances the needs and wellbeing of people.¡± They stopped, smiled at TO, then lunged at them, pulling them into a hug. ¡°... I missed you two so much.¡± They whispered. ¡°I don¡¯t want to talk about all this. I really don¡¯t. All I want to do is watch shows with you. I want to see you two be idiots and fumble over one another.¡± They let go of TO and hugged DH again. ¡°It¡¯s a lot. I know it¡¯s a lot. It was a lot for me, and I had a lot more time to get used to everything. For a while, it felt like I was learning something every day that just turned my entire world upside down, and now you¡¯ve had all that happen in a single day!¡± They let go of DH and turned to Avery. They stepped forward, but then stopped, their ears dipping back as they hesitated. Clearly, they had only just remembered that Avery had been less physically affectionate than the rest of them. Well, that clearly wasn¡¯t the case at this moment. The moment GiDi stopped, Avery stepped forward and held them. It wasn''t the same as with TO and DH, though. Avery held onto GiDi as though letting go meant being pulled into the nothingness of space; as though if they let go, they¡¯d be pulled into a black hole. ¡°... And I could smack Tham for this.¡± GiDi whispered, ¡°Avery¡­ I¡¯m so sorry. I''m so, so sorry. I didn¡¯t know you¡¯d be here and if I did, I¡¯d never had let them leave you alone for so long.¡± They squeezed Avery tight. ¡°I¡¯m so glad you¡¯re here. I¡¯m glad we could get you out from under Decon¡¯s reign¡­ I¡¯m just so sorry that it happened this way.¡± ¡°... I don¡¯t want to think about it.¡± Avery said quickly. ¡°I¡­¡± They pulled back just a little, just enough to see GiDi, ¡°... Could we just-¡± their ears flushed, which was odd to see on Avery, ¡°Could we just sit and watch a show, maybe? I¡¯ll read one of my books-¡± They tapped on the back of their hand, ¡°Vik fixed my chip for me before we left. It can be like it was before our exam? We can pretend we¡¯re on the observation deck, and just¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s a lot, I know.¡± GiDi said. They turned to TO and DH, ¡°... I won¡¯t be staying here tonight. I¡¯ll be¡­ well.¡± Their ears dipped back and flushed. ¡°I live with Pearla at her place. But she said I should spend some time with you if I want to. And I do, if you¡¯re all alright with it?¡± Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. Pretending that they were still in training, that they were still living their uncomplicated lives and watching shows after their training for the day was done. Even thinking of that time, of such a simple time, made TO feel so unbearably sad. Everything seemed so important back then, and they had been so certain that once they had passed their training that things would be easier. Why had things just gotten so much harder? ¡°That would be nice.¡± TO said. It would be nice to go back to how it was before, but they never could. Even if they were plucked from where they were and put back in the training center to act like trainees, all the things that TO had learned couldn¡¯t be unlearned. The seeds of doubt that had crept into TO¡¯s mind in their brief placement had taken root and burrowed into the foundation of their training - their conditioning- as synths. They could never go back to how it was, but maybe for a little it was ok to pretend. ====== The only rule to their conversations, should they arise while watching their show, was that nothing serious was to come up. They were not to talk about the insurgency, Decon, Chilacians, mind-alteration and repair, or anything else that was big and heavy. In fact, GiDi seemed to be more interested in what happened between them and DH, and how they ended up developing their new relationship. However, that line of questioning quickly opened GiDi up to questions about their own new life. ¡°I think it¡¯s a little more surprising that you have a mate!¡± DH said, ¡°I mean, that¡¯s not surprising. It is surprising that your mate isn¡¯t a synth.¡± ¡°She was the first civilian I saw.¡± GiDi said, ¡°A Nagarajin. They¡¯re relatively common around here.¡± ¡°And you developed romantic feelings for the first civilian you met?¡± TO asked, ¡°Just like that?¡± ¡°Yes, well.¡± GiDi pretended to focus on the show even while their ears flushed blue. ¡°It was surprising to me too¡­ But it¡¯s thanks to you two that it happened at all.¡± ¡°We weren¡¯t even here!¡± TO said, ¡°We had nothing to do with it.¡± GiDi¡¯s ears dipped as the flush drained from them. ¡°You don¡¯t like her.¡± They said, their voice suddenly growing quiet. ¡°I don¡¯t really know her.¡± TO said, avoiding answering the question directly. They didn¡¯t like Pearla because most of their interactions with her had been so carefully guarded. Still, in the short time they had been around her since being captured, since being able to be more open about who they were, she had been nothing but helpful. And of course, there was something more important than that. ¡°She makes you happy.¡± TO said. ¡°She¡¯s helped you. She¡¯s taken care of you. I¡¯m just saying that DH and I weren''t here when you met her. We couldn¡¯t have had anything to do with it.¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± GiDi smiled, ¡°DH told me once that they looked you in the eyes, and it was like time slowed down.¡± They glanced at DH, ¡°And uh¡­ I can say this, right?¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± DH said, flushing, ¡°I told them¡­ Well-¡± They looked at TO, ¡°That was the time I thought I wanted to kiss you. Remember?¡± ¡°Ah. right.¡± TO said. They had that same feeling, that odd sensation of time slowing down, but they hadn¡¯t really considered what it meant. It wasn¡¯t until Flit told them about their own feelings for Snout that they realized what it could have meant. ¡°When I landed here, I ended up in the water.¡± GiDi said, ¡°It was a rough landing. We got attacked on entry, and our ship blew up in the air. I swam to shore, but I couldn¡¯t climb up- the rocks on the shoreline were too slippery for me to climb, and I couldn¡¯t fly out of the water. Pearla saw me crash, and pulled me out of the water¡­¡± Their ears flicked back, twitching in that slow, dreamy way as they suddenly seemed far off. ¡°She just looked at the wreckage on the water, the firelight, and just¡­¡± They suddenly closed their eyes, their smile widening as if it was too much for them to even think about. ¡°She looked so beautiful. Time just stopped, and I just stared at her.¡± ¡°... The way you talk about it is nice.¡± Avery muttered. Though they wanted to spend time with them, and wanted to be close, Avery was still content to sit and read. Though they were sitting closer than normal. They sat crossed legged next to TO, their arm just brushing against their own. ¡°I don¡¯t know if I¡¯d ever feel like that about anyone. I don¡¯t know if I¡¯d want to.¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± GiDi shook their head, ¡°I was terrified. I remembered what DH said, and at the time the idea that I might have developed romantic feelings - have ¡®fallen in love¡¯ with a civilian was¡­ it was just too much at the time.¡± ¡°¡®Fallen in love?¡¯¡± TO asked. GiDi nodded. ¡°Yes, a better way to distinguish, say, how we love each other, and you love DH. It implies romantic feelings.¡± ¡°An odd term.¡± Avery said, ¡°Falling doesn¡¯t sound appealing at all.¡± ¡°Anyway.¡± GiDi said, ¡°Pearla didn¡¯t want to get involved with the authorities, and I obviously didn¡¯t want to go to the authorities, so she took me to her home, and I stayed there with her for a while¡­¡± They grinned at DH, ¡°And after a while, when those feelings didn¡¯t go away¡­ Well, I used you two for inspiration.¡± ¡°Let me guess.¡± Avery said, ¡°You remembered what morons they both were, drew up a little courage, and just told her how you felt?¡± Avery ventured. ¡°Despite having no desire for that kind of relationship myself, I can see well enough how it¡¯s supposed to be done, and that those two were absolute idiots for taking so long-¡± ¡°We are right here.¡± DH said, their ears flattening out and flushed. ¡°Yes, you are.¡± GiDi said, ¡°And I guess you stopped being idiots at some point if you ended up together. One of you had to have actually used your brains and talked about how you felt.¡± Smirking, Avery shook their head, ¡°You¡¯d be surprised what it took.¡± They said, ¡°You want to hear some hilarious stories?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that funny!¡± TO insisted, feeling their ears burn. ¡°Oh, it is.¡± Avery said, and surprisingly, they closed up the story they were reading. ¡°GiDi, let me tell you the tale of TO¡¯s adventures in flirting.¡± TO huffed and tried to focus on the show still playing before them. They didn¡¯t want to hear about their frankly embarrassing attempts to flirt with DH¡­ But for the moment, Avery was animated, and no longer shaking. For a moment, Avery looked like their own self. Even the color came back to their face, and the awful, drained and scared look they had held faded away. Letting Avery have a little longer like this was worth some embarrassment. Episode 241: Decompress GiDi left as it got later, giving apologies and promises that they¡¯d be back early the next day. Of course, TO and DH both said that their small friend could stay with them, but GiDi only shook their head as a light flush covered their ears. ¡°I have trouble sleeping now when I¡¯m away from Pearla.¡± They admitted. ¡°I¡¯ll be back tomorrow. I promise!¡± Shortly after GiDi left, Avery also fell asleep; once more, they surprised TO by staying so close to them and DH. Of course, that could simply have been because they fell asleep while reading, the screen hovering in the air, flickering with the new, makeshift connection until it finally timed out. Rather than disturb them, DH got up, gathered some blankets and pillows from nearby beds, and brought them back over to TO, arranging everything so that they could be comfortable sharing the one narrow bed. ¡°I¡¯m worried about Avery.¡± DH whispered as they draped one of the worn blankets over Avery. ¡°They don¡¯t act like this. Did you see how they grabbed GiDi earlier?¡± ¡°Is it surprising?¡± They asked, ¡°This is all a lot¡­ Everything we¡¯ve been told today has just been a lot, and Avery¡¯s been isolated since we came here.¡± DH curled up next to TO, turning towards them and covering their mate with a blanket and a wing as they used the other synth as a pillow. ¡°I thought they¡¯d leave me all by myself at first, before you were here.¡± They whispered, ¡°But GiDi visited me every day until you got here. I thought maybe they didn¡¯t want to visit me after.¡± Their hand clenched into a fist on TO¡¯s chest, ¡°But the in-... the others asked them to stay away.¡± They pressed their cheek against TO¡¯s chest, ¡°And even then, when GiDi couldn¡¯t come here, I had you. I was ok. Avery was alone.¡± they tensed, ¡°... Kei is still alone.¡± ¡°Kei¡¯s fine.¡± TO said, only to just keep the hiss out of their voice. ¡°More importantly¡­¡± They wrapped their arms around DH and held them tight. ¡°What do we do, DH?¡± DH chuckled. ¡°I think I¡¯m supposed to ask you that.¡± They said, ¡°You¡¯re the one that figures things out.¡± Maybe they were¡­ but they had no plans at the moment, no ideas. They couldn¡¯t go back to the other synths, to King Decon. They had shot Kei, and couldn¡¯t be entirely sure that such information hadn¡¯t gotten to their higher ups. Even if it hadn¡¯t been, their superiors would question them about what happened on Arkane, and there was every chance they¡¯d end up admitting what they had done. More importantly, going back meant being separated from DH. if they went back now, even if their superiors didn''t question them about what happened, they would be separated from their mate. TO refused to let that happen again. ¡°... They said they want to send us away.¡± TO said, ¡°To some other planet. Probably the one with the other-¡± They paused for a moment, recalling the name, ¡°The other Chilacians.¡± The word seemed so odd, and it felt odder still to think that it referred to them. That they were a species; a civilian species. A species that King Decon had turned into synths. Now that they could consider the new information Flit gave them, they realized it answered a lot of the questions; the need for surgeries to remove unnecessary organs, the ability for synths to fall in love if they were strange - no, if their minds hadn¡¯t been altered. How King Decon ¡®made¡¯ them also made far more sense now. It surprised TO that they hadn¡¯t realized it before; Ova and spermatozoa, not base DNA and activation fluid. It opened up more questions for TO, even while it answered so many. Well, they could ask those questions now. Flit and Snout were here, and apparently they wanted to tell TO all these answers. ¡°Do you want to go?¡± DH asked. ¡°I want to stay with you.¡± TO said, ¡°If that¡¯s staying here, or going to another planet¡­ I want to stay with you.¡± ¡°And what about GiDi?¡± ¡°They want to stay here.¡± TO said, their ears dipping back as they spoke. ¡°They want to stay here because they think it¡¯s better than being a synth.¡± ¡°... Do you think they¡¯re right?¡± The now familiar disconnect in their mind occurred once more; the one where they knew intuitively how they should respond, but their mind had too many objections to that; too many concerns. They knew they should respond with ¡®no, of course not, King Decon is right,¡¯ but everything GiDi said made sense, and despite everything their conditioning and training had taught them, they found themself agreeing with their small friend. They thought about that one elderly synth in reclamation, got reprocessed because their productivity had fallen behind, and of the younger synth who got reprocessed before they had even lived. One was no longer productive, and the other threatened to take too many resources. Neither was ¡®efficient¡¯ and therefore had to be dealt with according to the ideals that were set out by King Decon. They thought also of the rich of Arkane, who seemed to take up so many more resources, and so many more frivolities than people like Pearla, Petra, and Lendulin. ¡°... I don¡¯t know.¡± TO finally said. ¡°I think¡­ there''s a lot of problems, and I don¡¯t know how to fix them.¡± They set their hand on the back of DH¡¯s neck, and started scratching. ¡°All I know is that I¡¯ve got you here, and the insurgents don¡¯t want to separate us, and probably won¡¯t kill us. They¡¯re content to send us off and let us live together. I think I¡¯m alright with that, even if everything else is¡­ Messy.¡± This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon. A low chirp emanated from DH, and they muttered something, but they slurred their words and even TO had a hard time making out what they said. It didn¡¯t matter. They continued to scratch the back of DH¡¯s head until their mate was well asleep, then they let their hand rest against DH¡¯s back as they drifted to sleep as well. The insurgents would get them off the planet, to somewhere they could live together. TO was alright with that; TO wanted that. So, with nowhere else to go, they decided that if they had to help the insurgents to bypass the blockade to get off the planet, then that¡¯s what they¡¯d do. ====== Though GiDi and Pearla were there the next morning, the only others that stayed were Vik, Tham, and a smaller insectoid lady with purple chitin, broken purple wings, four legs and two arms. She ate what looked like a bowl of syrup with grains mixed in. ¡°Where Flit and Snout?¡± GiDi asked as they entered the common room. ¡°Still asleep.¡± Tham answered from the long makeshift table where they sat by themself, drinking from a steaming mug. ¡°They were up late last night.¡± ¡°Well, you know them.¡± The other lady said. She glanced up, smiled at GiDi, but as soon as she saw TO and DH, she froze with the spoon halfway to her mouth. ¡°They¡¯re out?!¡± she said, nearly dropping her spoon. She turned to Tham. ¡°You let them out?¡± ¡°They¡¯re not going to hurt us.¡± GiDi said. They gestured to the table where she was sitting. ¡°This is Mira. She lives here, but she was out last night. She¡¯s Nocturnal, mostly¡± They gave Mira a quick smile. ¡°Mira, these are my friends, DH, TO, and Avery.¡± ¡°... And the other one?¡± ¡°Not a friend.¡± GiDi said. They turned to the others. ¡°You sit; I¡¯ll get you food.¡± They sat down at the table, trying to ignore the fact that Mira was watching them so carefully. ¡°Nice to meet you?¡± DH offered. ¡°Is it?¡± Mira said back. She turned from DH, and looked at TO, ¡°Do you really hate bugs that much?¡± TO¡¯s ears flicked down, ¡°What?¡± ¡°Bugs. You hate them. You''re terrified of them. I mean, DH has to peel the Cocopods for you, which is admittedly cute, but a live one made you scream like a child.¡± ¡°Mira has excellent hearing, can walk up walls, and is pretty well silent unless she wants to be.¡± GiDi tried to keep their voice casual, but their ears were twitching with amusement. ¡°She can even sneak up on me if she wants.¡± ¡°Yeah, I was trailing you two for a bit.¡± She admitted. ¡°When you were just you; not synths. I didn¡¯t want to risk getting detected by your little helmets. Flit said the helmets were good at detecting stuff.¡± ¡°You were following us?¡± TO¡¯s mind raced as they tried to think of a situation where they thought they were being followed. Well, the only time they could think of was with that ServAi. ¡°... Did you follow us the night of the prison escape?¡± DH asked, ¡°It was weird that all that happened when we were busy, and -¡± ¡°Nope. not her.¡± Vik¡¯s voice came to them from the corner, where it looked like they hadn¡¯t moved all night. ¡°That was me. Hacked the ServAi that was driving your carriage.¡± ¡°You hacked nothing.¡± Tham muttered, ¡°That ?chauffeur service saves money by getting off-the-books repairs done for cheap with shoddy parts.¡± ¡°I do their repairs, and sneak in a little something-something to let me see what the bot is doing, and where it¡¯s going.¡± ¡°That¡¯s it?¡± TO said, their ears pinning back, ¡°and what, just by luck, we got one that was altered-¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯ve been doing repairs on these things for years. The odds of you getting one I¡¯ve altered were pretty high, but-¡± their large, rounded ears twitched as they stretched, ¡°I have my ways.¡± ¡°He¡¯s clever, but don¡¯t let him fool you into thinking he¡¯s some tech wizard.¡± GiDi said as they put bowls of soggy preserved fruits down before TO and DH. ¡°He used the online booking system, and booked every single vehicle he hadn¡¯t worked on.¡± ¡°Hey! It was still hard work.¡± Vik snapped as he turned back to the computer. ¡°I have a program I use just for that, actually.¡± ¡°How does it work?¡± DH asked, suddenly leaning forward, ¡°I mean, that¡¯s fairly clever as it is; just booking up the vehicles you don¡¯t want your target to use, but how does your program work?¡± ¡°Oh, that¡¯s simple! I find some big event in the entertainment district, and-¡± ¡°Maybe it¡¯s best not to tell them all your secrets.¡± Tham hissed. ¡°They¡¯re still synths, and they''re not working with us.¡± TO, who had simply been poking at the soggy, misshapen fruits, had been wondering how to approach the topic. Now, Tham was offering a way to do it. ¡°... Actually.¡± TO said, their ears pinning back as they considered what they were about to agree to, ¡°For the time, to get off this planet-¡± They glanced at Avery and DH. They had mentioned their idea beforehand, and though it was with some hesitation, both agreed that it was perhaps the only path forward for them. Now, as TO looked to them for support, they both looked away, their ears down. They couldn¡¯t blame either of them. Still, they had to do this. This was the only way they could stay with DH. ¡°We¡¯ve decided to help you circumvent the blockade.¡± Episodde 242: Direct Apparently, when a bomb goes off ¡ª the huge kind that carries drop as they skim a planet''s orbit ¡ª there¡¯s a moment of silence when it hits. It¡¯s as though reality itself is so surprised, so shocked at what¡¯s happening that it falls silent for a split second. After that, though, there¡¯s a roar of noise, of screams, of fire and air rushing about, of destruction and chaos. Well, at least that¡¯s what it was like in the simulations that TO had experienced, and that¡¯s what it was like now in the mostly empty common room. A moment of silence was the response at TO¡¯s statement, followed by everyone else trying to speak at the same time; their voices clashing, echoing off the concrete walls and confusing TO¡¯s sense of hearing. ¡°Stop, Stop!¡± GiDi said, their own hands to their ears. When the others stopped talking, they leaned over from the opposite side of the table, looked at TO, watching their ears. ¡°You meant it?¡± They said, ¡°You want to help us?¡± They were watching TO¡¯s ears. They were watching them in the same way that their higher ups used to watch them, to ensure that they weren¡¯t lying. That GiDi thought they had to do such a thing left a sick feeling in their stomach. It reminded them of how the other synths used to look at them after they got caught for lying in a simulation once. ¡°Want is a strong word.¡± They said, ¡°We want to get off the planet. You offered us the ability to stay together; me and DH. That¡¯s what we want, and to get that, we have to get off the planet.¡± They shrugged. ¡°The only way to do that is to get around the blockade, so yes; we¡¯re helping.¡± GiDi looked at Avery, ¡°And¡­ you?¡± They asked, ¡°Do you want to go?¡± Avery had just been staring at the food before them, and didn¡¯t take their eyes off the syrup covered fruits as they spoke. ¡°... I don¡¯t know.¡± They said, ¡°I know nothing. I failed in my duty. King Decon lies. I¡¯m not made like other synths.¡± They shook their head, ¡°I probably couldn''t be a real synth if I tried. I Don¡¯t know what to do, what I should do, or what I can do, but¡­¡± They looked at TO, ¡°I¡¯ll help TO and DH. I just need time to figure out what I want to do-¡± ¡°Then we can¡¯t trust you.¡± Tham said, setting his cup down heavily on the table, ¡°If you don¡¯t know, then you might decide suddenly that you don¡¯t want to work with us, and you might turn on us-¡± ¡°I¡¯d not hurt my friends.¡± They said, finally looking up from their food and staring Tham in the face, ¡°TO, DH, GiDi or even Kei. I don¡¯t want to hurt any of them.¡± Kei? Avery considered Kei a friend, even after how they had spoken to them? ¡°And we¡¯re supposed to trust you based on that?¡± Tham snapped. They looked at GiDi. ¡°You can¡¯t let them help us; they¡¯ll try to sabotage us, or get us killed, or-¡± ¡°You seem to forget the ear thing.¡± GiDi said, ¡°They¡¯re not lying.¡± ¡°Maybe not, but they could well be subverting the truth here.¡± GiDi¡¯s ears pinned back as they stared Tham down for several long, agonizing seconds. They spun around to face TO and watched their ears carefully. ¡°Do you have any thoughts about sabotaging us?¡± GiDi asked. Again, that they were watching them so carefully, that they were asking their questions so directly made them feel sick. Of course, they knew it was only for Tham¡¯s sake. At least, that¡¯s what they hoped. ¡°No.¡± They said, They hadn¡¯t thought about doing that at all; it hadn¡¯t occurred to them. Even now that the thought was in their head, they knew they couldn¡¯t do it. Between GiDi, Flit, and Snout, they¡¯d never get away with it. Even if they could, they knew they wouldn¡¯t risk GiDi getting hurt. If the synths caught them, then they¡¯d be repurposed for sure. Caught by the synths. It confused TO that suddenly thinking of ¡®the synths¡¯ felt like thinking of an entirely different kind of person, separate from them. Of course, if their brain wasn¡¯t molded and shaped like a proper synth, then it made sense that they were different. Synths had perfectly formed synth brains. DH, GiDi, Avery and themself had unaltered, raw civilian brains. GiDi nodded, and turned to DH, asking the same question of them. ¡°Of course not.¡± DH said, ¡°You¡¯re going to let me and TO stay together. Why would I risk that?¡± ¡°Avery?¡± GiDi turned to them, and TO saw a small flicker of worry cause their ears to twitch, ¡°You have no interest in betraying us, do you?¡± ¡°They have no interest in helping us.¡± Tham said, ¡°They said themself they don¡¯t know what they¡¯re doing. You can¡¯t get them to help us.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll help.¡± Avery said, their ears flicking down and twitching rapidly as the color drained from their face, ¡°I¡¯ll do whatever you want. Just don¡¯t lock me up again.¡± GiDi glared at Tham, then sat down across from Avery. They reached across the table, putting their hand out for one of theirs. After a moment of hesitation, Avery put their hands in GiDi¡¯s. ¡°You¡¯re not getting locked up again.¡± They said, ¡°No matter what.¡± They glanced over at Tham. ¡°Right?¡± Tham grunted and looked away. Pearla cleared her throat loudly, and Tham sighed and turned back. ¡°No. they¡¯re not going to get locked up again. Provided they don¡¯t kill one of us.¡± GiDi turned back to Avery. ¡°See? And you don¡¯t want to hurt us, right?¡± Avery shook their head, their ears down and twitching. In almost a pained, plaintive voice, they said, ¡°I don¡¯t want to hurt anybody. I never did.¡± They looked down at their hands in GiDi¡¯s. ¡°... but I might have already hurt people. I don''t want to hurt anyone else.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to.¡± GiDi said, ¡°You don''t even have to help if you don¡¯t want to.¡± ¡°And they won¡¯t sabotage us?¡± Tham asked. When they got glares from Pearla and GiDi, they only shrugged. ¡°What? They never answered directly.¡± GiDi sighed. ¡°Avery. You¡¯re not going to sabotage us, are you?¡± ¡°No.¡± they whispered, ¡°I don¡¯t want you to get hurt. Or TO, DH, or Kei.¡± GiDi looked back to Tham. ¡°Good enough for you?¡± they asked. Tham just grunted and went back to their drink. With a sigh, GiDi got up and went to a small table in the corner, where an electric kettle ran from a generator. It was very similar to the setup that TO and DH had set up for Lendulin. ¡°Tham¡¯s like that; don¡¯t mind him.¡± GiDi said as they poured steaming water into five cups. They put homemade tea bags in each, and brought them to the table in two trips, ¡°Don¡¯t let him get to you.¡± ¡°That¡¯s just how he is.¡± Pearla said as she sat down across from TO. ¡°He¡¯s always trying to appear all grumpy all the time.¡± TO watched her carefully as she sat, ignoring the drinks that GiDi had set down on the table for them, ignoring the food. Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site. After sitting under their staring eyes for a few seconds, Pearla sighed, ¡°Look.¡± She said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry for lying to you, but what was I supposed to do?¡± They glanced at GiDi. ¡°They wanted me to keep an eye on you two so they could get you away from Decon. I couldn¡¯t just tell you, I was worried that if you found GiDi, you¡¯d take them away, and arrest me too!¡± She sipped her tea. ¡°What would you have done? I¡¯m sure that to protect your partner-¡± ¡°Mate.¡± GiDi said, their ears tinged with blue. ¡°-Mate, you¡¯d do whatever you had to. So, I did what I had to do so I could help them and keep them safe. Also, you lied to Lendulin and Petra, so¡­¡± She shrugged, ¡°I don¡¯t think they¡¯d take it very well if they found out that you¡¯re synths.¡± TO¡¯s ears dipped, ¡°No¡­ she didn¡¯t.¡± TO said, ¡°Lendulin found out.¡± Pearla suddenly choked on her drink. ¡°What?¡± She sputtered, ¡°She didn¡¯t tell me about that!¡± TO shrugged, ¡°When we escaped from Thalassa, we ended up in the same escape pod, and I had to remove my helmet to breathe.¡± They glanced over at Vik. ¡°Someone forced my suit to power down, and I couldn¡¯t breathe with it on.¡± ¡°.... Sorry about that.¡± Vik said, ¡°To be fair, Pholi said that you were both there as civilians, so we thought you¡¯d get out with the rest of the civilians.¡± ¡°And not all the civilians got out.¡± TO snapped. ¡°I¡¯m aware.¡± Vik hissed back, ¡°I didn¡¯t realize they had the fucking pods locked based on status levels.¡± They looked back at TO, ¡°And in my defense, I was trying to bypass those rules from here once I found out. It just so happens that you fixed the issue before I did.¡± ¡°OK, stop.¡± Pearla got up. ¡°Is Lendulin going to be alright? She never told me anything, but-¡± ¡°I asked her not to.¡± TO said, ¡°I told her there¡¯d be trouble if she did. For me, and for her.¡± GiDi frowned, ¡°Vik, what¡¯s the chances of someone finding out she knows what a synth looks like?¡± ¡°I fried all the surveillance, so the odds are good that nobody will know¡­ so long as she doesn¡¯t say anything.¡± Vik said. Pearla sighed. ¡°She never mentioned you. Never said she saw you in the pods. She acted like she thought you drowned-¡± ¡°The authorities listed their civilian IDs as among the missing.¡± Vik said, ¡°And if they don¡¯t find them - which they won¡¯t- then they¡¯ll say that they¡¯re among the dead.¡± ¡°Petra¡¯s worried too, but she doesn¡¯t know anything about them being synths, not like Lendulin and myself.¡± ¡°I can monitor them.¡± Mira said, ¡°Just watch her for a bit, and see if anyone¡¯s trailing her.¡± ¡°You will?¡± Pearla perked up. ¡°You¡¯ll watch her?¡± ¡°Sure. I¡¯ll just take a nap first, and I¡¯ll follow her around for a bit when I wake up-¡± ¡°And I¡¯ll add her to my daily checks.¡± Vik said, ¡°If I see anything strange, we¡¯ll bring her in.¡± ¡°What do you mean, bring her in?¡± TO asked, ¡°What will you do to her?¡± ¡°Nothing.¡± GiDi said, ¡°If she¡¯s being followed, or she¡¯s suspected of some wrongdoing¡­¡± They shrugged, ¡°She¡¯s legless. They could easily arrest her just because, or have her sent away to a colony.¡± ¡°But she didn¡¯t do anything!¡± DH said. ¡°She¡¯s just an artist. A painter!¡± ¡°She was the only legless person in Thalassa.¡± Vik said, ¡°That showed up here in security notes. If they¡¯ll looking for suspects on what happened, she¡¯d probably be on the list.¡± ¡°But she doesn¡¯t have a record!¡± TO said, ¡°I know; I checked.¡± ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter. She¡¯s legless.¡± Tham hissed, ¡°That makes her suspicious to the assholes in charge here.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll keep an eye out, and make sure she¡¯s safe if it comes to it.¡± Vik said. TO heard someone coming in through the door, and as they glanced over they saw a large-set lady approach. Her long, blue hair was in a very large bun, and instead of legs she had eight twisting tentacles. ¡°I¡¯m sure we can get her out of danger if something comes up, right?¡± Pearla asked, not having noticed the new person. ¡°If there¡¯s someone you want to make disappear, then you¡¯re best doing it right away.¡± The woman said. That¡¯s when everyone else turned to see her. ¡°Goretta! You¡¯re back early.¡± Tham said, their tail twisting as their hands tightened on their cup, ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°Well, the authorities grabbed half my patients today. They¡¯re grabbing anyone they think is even tangentially related to the insurgency.¡± She headed over to the table with the kettle and poured herself some tea. ¡°On that note, Pearla, you¡¯d best stay here for now, you and GiDi. They¡¯re heading into the old tunnels and arresting people.¡± ¡°But I didn¡¯t do anything!¡± Pearla said, ¡°I meant¡­ not really. I didn¡¯t do anything technically illegal.¡± ¡°You¡¯re on their list.¡± Vik said, ¡°That might be enough to question you, but to arrest you?¡± ¡°Living in the tunnels is technically illegal.¡± Goretta said, ¡°I overheard them as they were arresting my last patient. It¡¯s under some unlawful residence law or something. They could waltz in and arrest anyone living in the tunnels. They don¡¯t normally, but they¡¯re on a rampage now. This new security director is a monster, apparently.¡± Pearla''s eyes went wide as she slammed her hands down on the table. ¡°Petra.¡± She said, ¡°They¡¯ll arrest her for sure. She¡¯s got a record.¡± Tham finished their drink, and got up, ¡°Well, time to go then,.¡± They said, ¡°we¡¯ll grab her, Pearla, and come back-¡± ¡°On your own? Maybe we should wait until some ?others come back-¡± ¡°We can¡¯t really wait. Even if you message them now, we have to act fast.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll come with you.¡± GiDi said, suddenly chugging the rest of their drink. TO didn¡¯t like the idea of GiDi going out alone, when the authorities might grab them. Eventually, the authorities would process GiDi in the network, their image would go through the synth systems, and the synths that were coming to Arkane would grab GiDi, and take them away to be reprocessed. TO couldn¡¯t let that happen. ¡°We¡¯re coming too.¡± TO said as they stood up, ¡°We want to help GiDi.¡± They wanted to help GiDi, that was true, but the thought of Lendulin or Petra getting arrested over all this when TO knew full well that they did nothing wrong also bothered TO more than they expected. Petra and Lendulin were friends, and TO couldn¡¯t let their friends get hurt. Episode 243: Trust The tunnels that TO had seen thus far were neat. Despite its age, the ancient architecture was clean and sturdy because of the repairs the insurgents had made. The same was not to be said for the smaller tunnels that linked the main tunnels to the active sewage network. Twisting, uneven tunnels made the trip difficult. In some places, there was hardly enough room for them to squeeze through, creating a terrifying, claustrophobic atmosphere that made TO certain that they¡¯d get stuck and die underground. In places, this glorified cracks in the dirt opened up to wide caverns which should have given TO some temporary relief. It did not. Cave-ins had obviously caused the caverns, a fact that made TO more certain of their imminent death. And, of course, the bugs scurrying around them didn¡¯t help. TO could hear things crunching away in the dirt. They wouldn¡¯t have minded so much if they had their armor, but they didn¡¯t. They only had the plain, basic clothing that the insurgents had given them; shirts with the backs cut so their wings could fit through, and plain denim pants. They cringed every time they brushed up against something. At one point, when they set their hand on the dirt wall, they touched something slimy that moved, drawing a brief yelp from them as they pressed their back to the opposite side. ¡°What?¡± GiDi turned around, their multi-gun out, ready to attack anything that threatened them. Instead, all they saw was TO, their ears bright blue as their unsoiled hand covered their mouth. Behind them, Tham simply glared, while Pearla looked on in scarcely concealed amusement. ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± TO muttered, rubbing their hand on their pants, ¡°nothing. Sorry. Let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°Honestly.¡± Tham muttered as he waited for TO to move on. ¡°You¡¯re supposed to be a synth; you¡¯re supposed to be one of these awful, terrifying, heartless soldiers¡­ And you¡¯re afraid of bugs.¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯m none of these things.¡± TO said, their ears still blue as they trudged on, ¡°I was just startled.¡± ¡°You can always go back.¡± Tham snapped, ¡°Don¡¯t know why we let you come with us, anyway.¡± ¡°Because we need all the extra hands we can get.¡± GiDi said from the front of the line. The hallway was so narrow that they had to travel single file for now. GiDi led the way, but Tham insisted ?he travel behind TO, just in case they tried anything. ¡°And you said no armor, and no weapon for TO-¡± ¡°You have built-in weapons.¡± Tham said, ¡°Those claws. You showed me how strong those are; I didn¡¯t forget.¡± ¡°And you also didn¡¯t want DH to come with us, too.¡± GiDi said, ¡°Though the extra hands would have been useful.¡± ¡°Is the other one afraid of bugs?¡± ¡°DH; and no, they¡¯re not.¡± GiDi said. ¡°I¡¯m not afraid of insects.¡± TO said, ¡°Again, they startled me.¡± They huffed, wishing they could wrap their wings around them for some protection. Unfortunately, there wasn¡¯t enough space for them to move their wings around them, so they stayed pinned to their back. ¡°Besides, insects can be dangerous. They can carry disease, they can bite, some are poisonous, and some can just burrow into your skin!¡± ¡°... Why didn¡¯t we take the other one again?¡± Tham said with a sigh. ¡°DH. their name is DH.¡± Pearla said from behind her brother, ¡°And TO came with us because they''re better at hand to hand combat than DH is. DH is a better shot, but that¡¯s pointless since they don¡¯t have guns.¡± She looked over Tham¡¯s shoulder, trying to see GiDi, ¡°Is that right, darlin¡¯?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± GiDi said, the tips of their ears flushing, ¡°You listened.¡± It was odd hearing GiDi referred to by such a pet name¡­ but it was good to see it as well. Whenever TO saw GiDi and Pearla interact, saw GiDi¡¯s wing drape over her shoulders or saw the end of her tail twist around GiDi¡¯s leg, they could only be glad that GiDi had a mate that cared about that, that loved them, that made their ears blue and called them sweet names. They were just happy that GiDi hadn¡¯t been alone all this time. GiDi suddenly stopped before them, a hand held out to signal for the others to wait. TO watched as their ears twitched, listening. When TO stopped and listened, they could hear what GiDi was listening to. Footsteps nearby, people running along somewhere, and commands shouted with an accent that TO couldn¡¯t place. ¡°Police officers. No, probably Arkanian special operations.¡± GiDi said as they listened, ¡°The boots are heavier than what the police wear, I think.¡± Behind them, Tham cursed, ¡°Fully armored?¡± ¡°Likely.¡± GiDi said, ¡°They¡¯re pretty far in. Do you think they¡¯ve cleared everyone out?¡± ¡°Lendulin is much closer to the entrance than I am, and closer than Petra. She would have escaped through the waterway that runs through her place. She would have contacted Petra and-¡± She stopped, and suddenly floundered to find something in her dress. After a moment, she pulled out her communicator. ¡°I had this off.¡± She said as she pressed a button, ¡°I always do when I go into the old tunnels, just to make sure I¡¯m not tracked-¡± ¡°You should keep it off.¡± GiDi said, ¡°If they¡¯re looking for you, and you are missing right now, then if they are tracking you, they¡¯ll note your location.¡± ¡°Which means we can¡¯t just message Lendulin and Petra and tell them to meet us somewhere.¡± Activated their chip, and started sending off a message. ¡°I¡¯ll get Vik to run interference.¡± They said, ¡°They can start messaging people, and contact us.¡± They¡¯ll forward all the messages to us, no problem. ¡°Won¡¯t that give away your hiding spot?¡± TO asked. ¡°Vik can make it seem like the messages are coming from inside the government building itself.¡± GiDi said, ¡°That''s not a worry. The real worry is making sure Petra is ok. She can¡¯t swim like Lendulin can. Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. ¡°Do you have any ideas?¡± Pearla asked, her tail curling on itself as she leaned over her brother''s shoulder. ¡°Anything at all?¡± ¡°I could lead them away.¡± Tham said, ¡°I¡¯m still a wanted criminal. They¡¯ll chase after me-¡± ¡°No.¡± GiDi said, ¡°They won¡¯t all chase after you, they¡¯ll split up. Also, if you ?get caught, they¡¯ll execute you right away instead of just jailing you.¡± ¡°No executions.¡± TO said, their wings pinning to their back as they recalled the execution back in Thalassa. ¡°No, please.¡± Tham did a double take, staring at TO in silence for a moment. ¡°Alright.¡± He finally said, ¡°Do you have a better idea?¡± To was about to say no, of course they didn¡¯t. They didn¡¯t know these tunnels as well as GiDi, Tham, and Pearla did. They didn¡¯t know the local authorities like they did. However, they had a plan, one that glided into their mind quickly and easily. ¡°A cave in.¡± They said, thinking back to the caverns they had passed earlier. ¡°What?¡± Tham said. ¡°A cave in.¡± TO said, ¡°If we can force one, we can at least keep them from getting to the tunnels further back, right?¡± ¡°Yeah, and trap everyone else inside.¡± Tham snapped. ¡°But you¡¯ve got tunnels further in too, don''t you?¡± TO asked. ¡°We could go through there, and get people out.¡± ¡°The tunnels up here are too sturdy.¡± Tham said, ¡°We don¡¯t have the explosives to do that kind of damage on hand-¡± ¡°... We don¡¯t.¡± GiDi said, ¡°But my multi-gun might take out a tunnel under the sewer.¡± they activated their chip, and pulled up the map of the sewers and the old tunnels. ¡°Look.¡± They said, pointing to parts of the hologram, ¡°If we can do enough damage to the tunnel underneath, the sewer here might collapse. I think there was some leaking back that way, so the sewer there might need repairs. It might work!¡± Tham nodded. ¡°It¡¯ll take out one of our tunnels, but fuck it; we can manage. It¡¯s not like we don¡¯t have a bunch more.¡± They frowned. ¡°But¡­ that¡¯ll expose one of our tunnels. If they follow it-¡± ¡°It¡¯s one of the old tunnels.¡± GiDi said, ¡°The original ones, now our carved out ones. They¡¯ll think it was a fault in the tunnels, and that the bunch of them marching over it triggered the collapse. We can seal off our entrances, and the water should cause enough damage that we won¡¯t have to worry about that. We can fake cave-ins to important locations if we need to.¡± Tham listened, then finally nodded, ¡°Alright.¡± They said, ¡°How are we doing this?¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to find Petra.¡± Pearla said, squeezing past TO and Tham to get to GiDi. ¡°I know some ?places she might go to hide, so I¡¯m going.¡± ¡°And I¡¯m going with you.¡± GiDi said, taking Pearla¡¯s hand. They glanced at TO, and winced, their ears dipping down. ¡°... I don¡¯t ?feel comfortable with you going alone¡­¡± GiDi said, ¡°But I don¡¯t think you want to go with TO, so-¡± ¡°No no, it¡¯s fine.¡± Tham said, taking on a sudden, strange air of calm, ¡°It¡¯s not a single person job, anyway. TO will go with me. ¡°They held out their hand, ¡°Give me your multi-gun.¡± GiDi eyed Tham¡¯s hand, their eyes flicking from Tham to TO. ¡°Come on.¡± Tham said, ¡°We don¡¯t have time. I need your gun to trigger the collapse.¡± ¡°... And you won¡¯t shoot TO?¡± ¡°Not unless I have to.¡± he said with a narrowed glare at TO, ¡°Not unless they try to stop me, or try to hurt me.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t!¡± TO said, ¡°If I would, I wouldn''t¡¯ be here-¡± ¡°I don''t know that.¡± Tham hissed. ¡°I do.¡± GiDi said, ¡°I can tell they¡¯re not lying.¡± They took a step forward, ¡°TO is my family, Tham. They¡¯re as important to me as Pearla is to you. If you let anything happen to them, or if you hurt them-¡± ¡°I think I¡¯ve placed a lot of trust in you, and in your ¡®friends¡¯ so far.¡± Tham said, ¡°I don¡¯t agree with having them here, but I even helped you get them to safety. Why would I ?hurt them now?¡± GiDi frowned and then passed over the multi-gun. As TO watched the weapon change hands, they wondered how fast they were compared to Tham. TO could fly, but that wouldn¡¯t mean much in the tunnels. They were potentially faster though, and they had claws. If Tham attacked them, what kind of chance would TO have? GiDi pulled TO into a quick embrace. ¡°Be careful. I¡¯m sorry you¡¯re going with them but-¡± ¡°It¡¯s ok.¡± TO said. They said it was ok, but once the words left their mouth, propelled by the desire to make GiDi feel better about the situation, the worry started. What if Tham used this opportunity to kill them, and make it seem like an accident? Of course, it also stung that GiDi had decided so quickly to go with Pearla, and to leave TO with Tham. Guilt shot through them like lightning. Was this how GiDi had felt all the times TO went after DH, leaving them behind alone? They had little time to think about it. GiDi let go, nodded to Pearla, and chased her down the tunnel, turning into the shadows up ahead and disappearing. ¡°Come on.¡± Tham grumbled, pressing themself to the wall so TO could go ahead of them, ¡°After you.¡± Episode 244: Distance There was a bug with too many legs that just dropped from above them and nearly landed directly on TO¡¯s head. They yelped and stumbled backwards, only to crash into Tham. ¡°Oh, for- It¡¯s just a bug!¡± Tham snapped as turned on his flashlight and located the offending insect. In the light, it scurried away and burrowed into the ground. ¡°Come on. We don¡¯t have time-¡± He pushed To in the back, urging them forward, ¡°Move.¡± ¡°It could have been a dangerous insect.¡± TO protested, their ears flushed as they pressed on, making their way through the narrow tunnels. In some places, the tunnels arched up much higher than they needed to, because of a cave in, or because of some issue when they were digging the tunnel. Well, it didn''t matter; the extra space above them didn¡¯t make TO feel any better. It was too narrow to fly, and seeing the walls reach up above them made them feel like there was just more to fall on them later. It thankfully didn¡¯t take too long to get from where they were to the cavern that GiDi pointed out on the map; the one which was supposedly right under the tunnel that the Arkanian authorities were raiding; unused and uninhabited. Or so TO thought. As the walls expanded out to the cavern, they saw a pile of old crates stacked up in the center - old enough to have been here for a white some time, but not old enough to have belonged here when they were in use. Dust and dirt covered the crates, but despite that, they could still clearly see the letter J painted on the side in black paint. ¡°Fuck.¡± Tham hissed as he rushed forward, his tail leaving a long time in years of dirt as he approached the boxes, ¡°Fuck me dead. We could have used this.¡± That was a new explicative, and one TO was certain they¡¯d remember. They approached Tham, keeping their distance from their tail. ¡°What is it?¡± They asked. ¡°Supplies.¡± He snapped. There was a dusty crowbar set atop one of the crates, so Tham just took it and opened up the box. Inside, there were jars and jars of powders and preserves, along with many vacuum sealed packages. ¡°A few years old.¡± Tham muttered, ¡°But most of this is still good. The powders for sure. And now-¡± He growled, and threw the crowbar to the ground, ¡°Damn it, Jason.¡± ¡°I thought you all liked Jason?¡± TO asked, backing away from Tham. Pearla had told him not to worry, and that he wouldn¡¯t hurt anyone, but right now Tham had a crowbar in reach, a multi-gun in his hands, and most importantly, TO knew that Tham didn¡¯t like them. They didn¡¯t want to be too close when he lost his temper. ¡°I Do. Did.¡± his tail suddenly fell limp on the ground, ¡°but he was a paranoid one. He had crates of supplies hidden in the tunnels, just in case we needed them.¡± ¡°... and he never told you?¡± ¡°No, because he was worried. What if someone got caught? What if someone turned against us? We needed to have supplies just in case, and I got that.¡± He looked at the roughly painted J on the rough wood of the crate, then leaned over, resting his hands on the edge. ¡°But he could have told someone. Could have trusted one other person. He only told his wife. Of course, he never thought the whole family would get caught up-¡± His hands clenched at the crate, ¡°Taken by the synths.¡± ¡°... You were close to him?¡± TO asked. ¡°We all were.¡± He snapped as he straightened up. ¡°But we could have used these supplies months ago. We could use them now!¡± He slammed his fists on the edge of the crate. ¡°But now, they¡¯re going to get wrecked by the water.¡± TO frowned as they slowly approached the crate, peeking inside once more, ¡°... but it¡¯s all sealed, isn¡¯t it?¡± TO asked. ¡°Yeah. it¡¯s sealed.¡± ¡°Then the water won¡¯t affect it, so long as it¡¯s not broken.¡± TO said, ¡°Couldn¡¯t someone come down later and retrieve it?¡± ¡°There¡¯s going to be repairs going on here afterwards for a while.¡± Tham said, ¡°And the damage we¡¯re about to cause is going to break most of them.¡± ¡°Then we move them.¡± TO said, looking around, ¡°There are a bunch more tunnels that lead off in different directions; couldn¡¯t we hide them in one of those tunnels? They¡¯d be safer there, and since we¡¯re getting Lendulin out of the tunnels anyway, couldn¡¯t she retrieve them later?¡± Tham was silent, his tail twitching as he considered this. Suddenly, he stood upright and checked his communicator. ¡°... there¡¯s a tunnel nearby that dips down.¡± he said after glancing over the map. ¡°It¡¯ll flood quickly, and if they send people down to look around while repairing the tunnel, then they¡¯re likely to avoid that one. There¡¯s another exit on the other side we can access. We could retrieve the jars from there right away and then seal up the tunnel!¡± He sent off another message on the communicator, and a ?moment later, they had a response. Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.¡°Vik says that we have a few minutes before it¡¯s too late to collapse the tunnel.¡± He said, putting the communicator away in the pocket of his long, worn out, black button down top. ¡°If we hurry, we can get some of these crates in the tunnel.¡± There was nothing around as far as TO could see to make the job easier; so this would be a matter of pure strength for them. ¡°Can you lift the entire box?¡± TO asked. ¡°If we can get it on my tail.¡± He said, ¡°I can¡¯t lift it, but if it¡¯s on my tail and you hold it steady, I can move it.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± TO said as they went to the other side of the crate. As soon as they grabbed it, they could tell from the texture of the uneven wood that they¡¯d end up with more than a few splinters from this, ¡°Tell me what to do.¡± ====== Though the process was awkward, TO could get the crates on Tham¡¯s tail, and guided them to the tunnel that he had mentioned. It wasn¡¯t hard, per se, but TO had to hold the crate in place while Tham slowly moved to the tunnel, trying very hard not to jostle it too much and cause it to fall over. In the end, they only took about five minutes to move the crates. Still, that was five minutes out of a very limited time frame. By the time they got the last one hidden in the tunnel, Tham received a message on their communicator. ¡°They¡¯re nearly here.¡± Tham said as they hurried back to the cavern. TO chased after them, amazed at how fast they were with just a tail. ¡°We do this now, or we never do it.¡± ¡°What way are we going to escape?¡± TO asked, looking around at all the tunnels. Once they destroyed this cavern, the water from above would flood that tunnel fairly quickly, and TO wasn¡¯t certain that they¡¯d be able to get out in time. ¡°That one.¡± Tham said, pointing to a tunnel off to the side. It was higher than the others and was accessible by an old stone pathway. ¡°We¡¯ll go through that one and block it off when we¡¯re done, just in case.¡± Another message. Tham cursed, took up the multi-gun, changed the setting to the blaster, and took aim. ¡°Wait a minute-¡± TO said, trying to stop them, but Tham fired before TO could say anything else. The recoil pushed Tham back, but the blast only went about twenty feet before it lost its power. It was hard to see if one wasn¡¯t used to it. The blast had no color or clear visual signal, but you could see a warping of the air if you knew what you were looking for. Tham did not. ¡°Piss stinking dicks.¡± he hissed. ¡°Is this damn thing broken? I felt that, but nothing happened!¡± ¡°It did.¡± TO said, ¡°but the blasting function on that has a distance limit. The ceiling of this cavern is too high for it to reach!¡± Another curse from his lips and he turned to glare at TO, ¡°You could have told me that before now!¡± ¡°I thought you knew!¡± Another message dinged on his communicator. Another curse. He looked up, trying to figure out some way he could quickly get to where he needed. ¡°... Give me the gun?¡± TO said. ¡°What? No!¡± He held the gun out. ¡°I see¡­ this is just some trick, isn¡¯t it? The safety is on this thing or something.¡± Even as he spoke, he looked at the gun, as though checking it. ¡°You just want the gun so you can kill me.¡± ¡°GiDi wants me to keep you safe.¡± TO hissed, their ears pinning back, ¡°So no, I¡¯m not-¡± ¡°Oh, so if it weren¡¯t for that, you would?¡± ¡°NO! I know this may surprise you, but I¡¯m not a fan of killing people!¡± ¡°So you just felt terrible all the times you killed-¡± ¡°I¡¯ve never killed-¡± Their ears flicked back, and they recalled the little child synth in the tank, twitching in their last moments of life. ¡°I¡¯ve never killed any civilians.¡± ¡°The fun thing about this is I don¡¯t know if you¡¯re lying or not-¡± Another message came through on the communicator, followed by another almost right after. ¡°We¡¯re running out of time.¡± TO said, ¡°If I have the gun, I can fly up, fire at the ceiling, and then just soar back down to meet you.¡± He held the gun before him for another moment, then took out his communicator, and sent off a quick message before passing TO the gun. ¡°I just sent a message to Vik saying that I¡¯m giving you the gun.¡± He said, ¡°If I end up dead, they¡¯ll know.¡± TO didn¡¯t bother to respond. They took the gun and, with a few flaps of their powerful wings; they were airborne. There was no time to waste arguing with Tham. They had to collapse the tunnel. GiDi was on the other side, and TO couldn¡¯t let them get caught. Episode 245: Dissassociate Flying up into the heights of the cavern reminded TO of flying back in the flight room in training. It was dark enough that they had to use their echolocation to navigate, and they had to find perches in the surrounding stone to land and regain their bearings as well. It was a game. They were in training again, had a target, and were in flight. This was something they were used to. It was almost comforting. They flew up as close as they dared, finding not a ledge to perch on, but a pipe which they could wrap an arm around and hold themself in place. A quick check told them that the multi-gun was ready and was in the proper setting. They took careful aim, and as was their habit, fired three times, adjusting their shots each time, although the blaster didn¡¯t need accurate firing to work. The ground above them shuddered, and TO nearly let go of the pipe to soar down and get out of the cavern, but the ground held. They aimed and fired again. This time, some water leaked through, trickling over the rocks and dripping to the floor of the cavern. IT wasn¡¯t enough. ¡°Tham!¡± TO called down, ¡°Send me the coordinates-¡± The coordinates suddenly became unnecessary. They had worried at first that maybe they went to the wrong spot, or maybe the damage done to the tunnel was mild enough that they had to be more precise, or get closer in order to cause the cave in. That wasn¡¯t the case, of course. The water that trickled though was just the prelude to the deluge that followed as dirt and rocks overhead suddenly gave way, and a mess of water, debris, and screams. The screams were unexpected. TO knew that time was short, and that soon the authorities would have passed this point, but they didn¡¯t realize they were so close that they were right on top of them. A handful of officers with fancy uniforms, helmets, and breastplates fell through the new hole in the ceiling, falling to the ground. The first one fell head atop a large boulder. Even over the sound of the water and the noise that the surrounding earth was making, TO could hear the civilians helmet¡¯s crack. Despite the sudden chaos, they could see the civilian fall backwards, their spines bending back too much to be natural. That¡­ that wasn¡¯t right. Was that civilian dead? Of course, the civilian was dead; the way they moved, the way they now lay still, facedown in the quickly rising water was enough to tell them that. TO had killed them. Before they could consider that, they heard another sound- the sound of wings flapping above them. They looked and saw another officer; this one fully armored, with mechanical wings fashioned to look like the powerful wings of some bird of prey. Plastered on their chest were two crossed feathers. Was this one of the special forces that got mentioned earlier? Where had they been when the prison was attacked? TO didn¡¯t have time to think about that. The special forces agent soared about, and because they were looking down and not up, they saw Tham first, and took out not a multi-gun but a basic civilian gun. They aimed and fired before TO could react. The noise was deafening, and TO¡¯s ears rang from it. They could feel their sensitive ears flick down as though trying to protect their hearing. They looked down, frantically looking for Tham. At first, they couldn''t locate him. The chaos of the falling ceiling and the flooding cavern confused them, but soon they located them; their tail mostly hidden by the rising water, one hand covering their arm as bright red blood seeped from a wound that TO couldn¡¯t see. Blood. TO wasn¡¯t sure if they could actually smell it from where they were, or if that awful, metallic tang was just part of the cacophony of other things their mind threw at them. The sound of cracking bones. A knife through skin. Plastic gloves on their hands. The stench of disinfectant. All these things swirled in their head, fading their vision as they felt their grip on the pipe grow weak. The special agent aimed again. GiDi asked them to take care of Tham. Suddenly, TO couldn¡¯t explain it, but they felt like they were in a simulation. The simulations they had done in training felt very real and were nearly indistinguishable from reality, but somehow they felt like they were a step away from it, like they were sitting behind their mind, and directing the action of the simulation. A lower quality training simulation. That¡¯s all. Even as they could feel the storm of panic somewhere deep inside - a red storm that stank of copper and cleaners- they took the multi-gun and acted. Objective; Escape the Cavern with Tham. They let go of the pipe and dropped, their wings opening up and lifting them across the cavern and over the armored special agent. They looked up and saw TO for the first time, and turned their gun to them. Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. The gun. It would make a big noise when it went off, and their echolocation would be useless. They landed in front of the agent, falling into a crouch just below the line of the gun. Before the agent could adjust their aim, TO had their multi-gun up, ready. They fired three times, adjusting each time as DH had taught them. The blast setting sent the agent flying on the first shot, caught them on the second in midair and sent them into a spin. The last one hit them and pushed them into the unstable wall behind them. They smashed awkwardly against the wall. Their arm twisted the wrong way as their side hid the stone and one of the mechanical wings broke in three places. TO¡¯s focus wasn¡¯t on how the agent¡¯s arm twisted behind their back, or the way their head rolled to the side; their attention was entirely on the sparks coming from the wings. They¡¯d fall in the water. How strong was the power supply for that thing? What kind of damage could it do in muddy water? TO wasn¡¯t sure, but they would not take a chance. The objective required Tham to be alive. Tham was already injured, and TO didn¡¯t know if they were still in the water. They fired again, slamming the agent into the stone again. They knelt down and fired upwards, sending the agent spiraling into the air, the arms and legs spinning in unnatural ways, the broken wings twisting about, held together only by fraying wires. A few flaps of their powerful wings got them airborne once more, and they soared up, catching the limp by an arm. The agent was too heavy for them to carry very far, but they could throw them to the side and onto a nearby ledge where they would hopefully stay out of the water. Or at least, they¡¯d stay out of the water until TO escaped with Tham. How the agent just fell, limp and too still on the ledge, made something deep inside TO¡¯s mind recoil, but that didn¡¯t matter. They turned in midair and soared back towards Tham. They had to get out of the cavern now. The water was up to their knees when they landed. They and Tham were thankfully on a mound, but the water was rising fast, and they had little time. ¡°We have to go.¡± TO snapped, grabbing Tham by his good arm. Tham hissed in pain and pulled away. ¡°We can¡¯t!¡± He snapped, then jerked his head at the tunnel. ¡°Look.¡± The tunnel was still fine, still open and dry. At first, they didn¡¯t know what the problem was, but then they realized what Tham was talking about. While the tunnel itself was still fine, the initial deluge of water had washed away that path of dirt and stone that led to it. TO hadn¡¯t noticed it at first because the path wasn¡¯t important to them; why walk when they could fly? But now, they realized that, of course, Tham couldn¡¯t take that path to the tunnel now. With an injured arm, they couldn¡¯t climb up to it either. ¡°Can you lift me up there?¡± He asked, and thought there was still a bite to Tham¡¯s voice, there was something else too; his words seemed to shake at their core, and the question felt a little more desperate than he perhaps wanted it to be. ¡°Unlikely.¡± TO said, ¡°What do you weigh?¡± Tham gave them a number, and To shook their head, ¡°No. I couldn¡¯t carry you, let alone fly with you.¡± To still had to get Tham out of there, and out safely. That was their objective. They didn¡¯t know these tunnels, and the only one they knew was already flooded. They could probably swim through it if they were careful, but would they be able to hold their breath that long? Doubtful. However¡­. ¡°Out the way we came.¡± TO said, ¡°Come on.¡± ¡°Idiot, it¡¯s flooded.¡± Tham hissed, ¡°We need to come up with another way-¡± ¡°We don¡¯t have time.¡± TO snapped. The water was already up to Tham¡¯s waist. ¡°Well, I have time. You don¡¯t.¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯m aware!¡± Tham hissed, clutching at his injured arm, ¡°But that path is flooded!¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll drown.¡± ¡°We won¡¯t!¡± TO turned to Tham, their wings puffed, their ears back. They needed Tham to cooperate, and didn¡¯t have time to argue with them. ¡°Do you have a better idea?¡± ¡°No, but-¡± ¡°We¡¯ll be fine. There¡¯s air in there. You can swim faster than me, so let¡¯s go!¡± Tham looked around the cavern, their eyes darting around as they looked for another option, but all they saw was the water pouring down around them, and tunnels that were all either flooded or out of their reach. Finally, with a disgusted hiss, they made their way to the tunnels. ¡°Hold on to me.¡± Tham snapped, ¡°I¡¯ll try to get us through as fast as we can.¡± Episode 246: Panic TO held on tightly to Tham¡¯s shoulder as he dove into the water. Debris smacked against them both, and it took all their power to keep their wings closed against their back. If TO tried to get through that tiny tunnel with their wings out, they knew that they¡¯d get badly hurt. Somehow, they remembered the synths from shipping and receiving, who ended up having their wings removed. A life without their wings wasn¡¯t something TO thought they could manage. While a synth¡¯s eyes were sharp, they were not effective for seeing underwater. The water stung their large eyes and there was so much dirt and mud floating around that even if they could have seen perfectly through the water, they wouldn¡¯t be able to see past the thick dirty fog. Still, Tham seemed to know where they were going. It wasn¡¯t long before they got to the entrance to the submerged tunnel, something TO only realized because suddenly they kept bumping against the walls, receiving bruises all over. It was fine. They wished they could use their echolocation, but of course, that wouldn¡¯t work underwater. They couldn¡¯t hear anything thanks to the water rushing past their ears, so even if they could make the necessary clicks, they¡¯d never hear the sound echo back. That¡¯s ok. They didn¡¯t need to use echolocation to find what they needed. They had one skill that would help them in this; their eyes'' natural sensitivity to light. They looked up, squinting at the ceiling, looking for the faintest glimmer of light. At least, they hoped they¡¯d see it. Tham had their little flashlight on, strapped to their shirt; it gave some diffused light in the murky water and TO could only hope it would be enough to help them. It was. When their lungs felt like they might burst, TO saw a strange, reflective glimmer up ahead. They pulled on Tham¡¯s shoulder, but he ignored TO. They pulled again, harder this time. When Tham ignored them again, and the glittering reflection was right above them, TO dug their claws into Tham¡¯s shoulder. They tried to be gentle, but they had to stop Tham, and while they didn¡¯t want to tear up his muscles, they would use pain to get his attention. That worked. Bubbles of air escaped from Tham¡¯s mouth, reflective and glittering light in the murk before them; just like the glittering reflection that was just overhead. TO grabbed Tham, and swam upwards, pulling him out of the water, and gasping for breath as they surfaced in a dark pocket of air trapped in one of the taller crevices of the tunnel. The water was still rushing forward, so they had to hold on to the wall to stay in place, but for the moment they could catch their breath. ¡°Did I hurt you badly?¡± they asked. They hoped not. They had tried their best to just prick him a little. ¡°No.¡± Tham said, coughing and sputtering, He checked his shoulder, and TO was relieved to see that their efforts to be gentle as possible had succeeded, and they only left a few shallow holes in Tham¡¯s shoulder, and if there was any blood, it had already washed away. ¡°There should be four more spaces like this.¡± TO said, straining their mind to remember. There were probably more, but TO wanted to keep their estimate conservative. If there were more before they exited the tunnel, it would be a pleasant surprise. ¡°If we stop and breathe at each one, we should be fine.¡± ¡°How did you even know this was here?¡± Tham asked. His voice sounded ragged, his throat hurt from the water he had swallowed. Would the water make Tham sick? Would it make TO sick? The water came from around the island, and it was filthy, but it had also come through a few filters before falling into the cave. They¡¯d ask DH when they got back, or maybe that doctor, Goretta. ¡°I saw the places where the ceiling went up higher. Either from old cave bins, or from stuff that had to be removed when the tunnel was being made. Some of the air would have been pushed out, but the highest caverns would have had some trapped air.¡± ¡°And you memorized where they were?¡± TO shook their head. Their memory was excellent, but not that good. ¡°Air bubbles under water look reflective.¡± They said, ¡°it¡¯s not as obvious with a surface reflection, but it¡¯s there, and my eyes are made for seeing light.¡± They shrugged as their breathing slowed. ¡°I relied on your little flashlight to give enough reflection for me to see it.¡± ¡°And if you couldn¡¯t?¡± TO¡¯s ears dipped, ¡°I... I suppose we would have drowned.¡± They said, ¡°But we didn¡¯t have many other options.¡± Tham was still taking deep, gasping breaths, ¡°And you just went all in?¡± They said, ¡°You just said, ¡®Well, either this¡¯ll work, or I¡¯ll die.¡¯¡± ¡°Hesitation would have left us dead.¡± TO said, one of the many lessons various trainers had hammered into them during training. Of course, putting this into practice in simulations had probably helped them take those risks with less fear, anyway. Only now, it occurred to them that if they had been wrong, they would have died. Of course, if they had hesitated, Tham would have died. TO could have flown out of the hole overhead, but they didn¡¯t know what obstacles faced them overhead. Without their armor, a few lucky shots would take them down. Tham¡¯s breathing finally slowed, and he shook his head. ¡°Fuck.¡± He muttered, ¡°Fuck me. You synths, they really put you through it in training, don¡¯t they?¡± ¡°Put us through it?¡± TO asked, their ears quivering in confusion. ¡°Yeah.¡± Tham said, his breathing slowing, ¡°I mean, they drill this shit into you.¡± He shook his head. ¡°You acted so fast back there. You didn¡¯t even think about it¡­¡± He stopped and frowned at TO, watching them carefully as though looking for something. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Nothing.¡± He said, ¡°How far until the next bubble?¡± ¡°No idea.¡± TO admitted, ¡°But there were several areas like this, so it shouldn¡¯t be too far.¡± Tham gave a low chuckle. ¡°Well, either we¡¯ll die, or we won¡¯t.¡± He muttered, ¡°Would you be able to swim it on your own?¡± TO shook their head, ¡°Not at all.¡± They admitted. This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work. ¡°You can swim, though, right?¡± ¡°Of course, just not as fast as someone without wings could.¡± ¡°Fair enough.¡± Tham said, ¡°Alright. Hold on, and just tap on me when we get to the next one. I didn¡¯t even see that first bubble.¡± TO nodded, took a breath, and grabbed Tham¡¯s shoulder as he dove under the water once more. ====== TO never minded swimming until now. Well, correction; they never minded swimming in simulations. Unlike flying, they never got to swim in reality during training. The simulations were supposed to be realistic, but they didn¡¯t capture every aspect of the awful experience, and missed the sensation of water up TO¡¯s nose and in their ears, the awful taste, and the drag of their soaking wet clothes. It was harder and harder to keep their wings against their back as well, and they ended up with several bruises because of it. Maybe if they had gone swimming in the simulations without their armor, it would be the same. The only time they had been in water without armor before was when they bathed or showered. TO decided that they were not a fan or swimming, and didn¡¯t understand why civilians did this for fun. When they rose from the water and saw not a simple bubble but the rest of the tunnel before them, dark and cramped, but dry, TO simply threw themself to the ground, taking big, gasping breaths of air. ¡°I hate swimming.¡± TO gasped, ¡°Never again.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not so bad, normally.¡± Tham said, likewise laying on the ground and sputtering between words, ¡°Normally I have a better idea of when I can take my next breath though.¡± He moved ahead of TO, ¡°Come on.¡± He said, ¡°I want to get out of this cramped space-¡± Finally out of water, TO used their echolocation to check the area ahead. Thankfully, the tunnel expanded out just a little way ahead. They told Tham, and the two of them made their way out of the narrow tunnel and to the small cavern where they could at least lean against the wall. The first thing TO did once they were there was check their chip. They had several messages from GiDi which they hadn¡¯t noticed under water, each one getting more and more frantic as time went on. - We¡¯re fine. Had some trouble. We¡¯ll meet up soon.- TO messaged back. ¡°Good thing that Vik made these things waterproof.¡± Tham muttered as he looked at his own communicator. ¡°The water would have fucked this otherwise.¡± He apparently had messages of his own, and after reading one, he gave a relieved sigh. ¡°It worked.¡± He said, ¡°The authorities got over the gap, but by the time they did, we had everyone else evacuated from the tunnels; Petra included. Lendulin is still missing, but apparently they¡¯re certain that she¡¯s just hiding. They¡¯ll find her later.¡± ¡°Good.¡± TO said, though they felt odd, like they were hearing Tham from very far away. They were safe. They had completed their task, and they could go back to DH now¡­ But they didn¡¯t feel relieved. Their insides shook, and their mind refused to hold on to anything for more than a second. They couldn¡¯t even focus on what they were seeing before them. What was wrong with them? There was a hiss of pain from next to them. TO turned, their focus suddenly and inexplicably sharpening again, only for what they saw to dig into their mind like claws. Tham had pulled off the shirt that TO gave him, exposing the bleeding wound underneath his arm. Blood. Bones. The smell of disinfectant. The feel of plastic gloves. Their mind tried to find something else to latch onto, their heart racing like they were in combat, but there was nothing there. ¡°This is going to suck.¡± Tham said, examining his wound. Blood. Bones. Bones cracking. TO could see how the one police officer twisted when they fell. That officer never came back out of the water. In fact, when TO was dealing with the special agent, none of the officers- ¡°It¡¯s probably infected. I¡¯ll have to get Goretta to look at it-¡± -came up to help. None of them moved. Looking back, TO realized that they only saw the officers floating limply in the water, ignored while they dealt with the special agent- ¡°That¡¯ll mean a big ass needle though.¡± He hissed. ¡°Maybe I can convince her to just clean it well? We were pretty far in. The water couldn¡¯t -¡± -No, they didn¡¯t deal with the special agent. They way they twisted when TO blasted them, they way their armor cracked in places, the way they just fell limp on the platform after TO threw them- ¡°-Be that dirty, right?¡± A low hiss escaped from Tham¡¯s teeth. ¡°Though she¡¯s going to want to give me antibiotics just to be safe. She might make you get a shot too¡­ Oi, what¡¯s wrong with you?¡± - their limbs twisting unnaturally. Their strange, broken movements, which had been so easily ignored in the moment, came back to TO so vividly. How many police officers had fallen? They couldn''t all be dead. Well, even if they weren¡¯t when they fell, they were now that the water filled that cavern. They were unconscious, at least. ¡°Hey, got water in your ears? What¡¯s up with you?¡± Blood, bones cracking. Limbs flailing about, bending in unnatural ways. The smell of disinfectant. Plastic gloves. ¡°Oi, TO?!¡± Six? Seven by their own hands? By the blasts that hit the cavern ceiling. They killed. They killed civilians. Not even insurgents, innocent civilians. No, not just civilians; law enforcement. They killed- Blood, bone, disinfectant. -murdered- Elbows bending backwards. A hand on their arm, shaking them. Words spoken, but unheard. They looked, saw the hand, covered in blood. On the other arm, blood trailed down the flesh, leading up to a vivid, gory, bloody wound; mangled flesh, oozing blood. The world grayed out, then went black. Episode 247: Faint Distantly, someone was speaking. TO realized that they had been for a while, but the voice had just been washing over them, and they hadn¡¯t even thought to listen to what the person was saying; they hadn¡¯t focused on anything actually, they just felt like they were spinning in nothingness. Now, the odd, ethereal spinning had stopped. They were still moving, though; their body shifting as something under them moved. ¡°....... I don¡¯t know¡­. Meet you¡­. Get Goretta¡­¡± Some words were making sense, forming some meaning instead of existing as noise, of random syllables which drifted through the air. ¡°Do, I don¡¯t know what the hell happened.¡± Ah ha. A full sentence. TO even recognized the speaker this time. It was Tham- Tham. The water, the gun, the agent, the authorities, the blood¡­ It made TO¡¯s head hurt, but oddly, it felt like that had all happened weeks ago, although they had only shut their eyes for a moment. ¡°I¡¯m bringing them to safety.¡± Tham said again, ¡°I didn¡¯t do anything to them; I swear. They just outright fainted.¡± I¡¯m fine TO tried to say, but all they could do was move their tongue, to crack open the lips briefly. They didn¡¯t even feel like they had the power to breathe out hard enough to make noise. ¡°Yeah, ok.¡± Tham said, ¡°I¡¯ll see you there.¡± Who was he talking to? TO didn¡¯t hear any other voices. What happened to them? Were they sick? Drugged? Did something in the water have an effect on them, or did Tham, despite his protests, have something to do with it? They forced their eyes open, but when they did, it felt like what they were seeing didn¡¯t make sense. They tried to speak again, and at least this time they could make a noise. ¡°You¡¯re awake?¡± Tham asked. TO¡¯s attempt to say, yes, I am. What happened came out as just another low moan. ¡°Good.¡± Tham said, ¡°Just don¡¯t throw up on me. I don¡¯t have space to put you down here, and I¡¯d rather not have a synth puke on my back.¡± On his back? It was like that statement helped TO to anchor their thoughts, gave them a reference place to start at. They were moving. They were on Tham¡¯s back, their arms draped limply over Tham¡¯s shoulder, his long tail supporting the rest of TO¡¯s body. ¡°... I won¡¯t.¡± Their voice was still soft, still faint, but TO was just happy that they could pronounce words instead of a grunt or moan. ¡°Yeah. well.¡± Tham shifted TO on his back, ¡°I¡¯d appreciate that. Pearla - I called her and GiDi to let them know what happened - said you might. Apparently, when people faint, they can get sick or something.¡± He snorted. ¡°Shit, you went down like a bag of rocks. You didn¡¯t even fall over, you just crumpled. Thought that people swooned or something when they fainted.¡± ¡°... Sorry.¡± TO slurred before burying their face in Tham¡¯s back. They didn¡¯t want to move, didn¡¯t want to think. It hurt to think. ¡°Not your fault.¡± Tham said. ¡°You couldn¡¯t really help it. Didn¡¯t think you lot could faint.¡± You lot. Synths. But To wasn¡¯t a synth, right? Not really. What was it GiDi said? Something about them not being considered ¡°Synths¡± by the others because their brains hadn¡¯t been altered. Not Synths. That other thing. Chilacians. It was still hard to move, and even that bit of thought hurt their mind. Still, they wanted to get up, to walk the rest of the way on their own power. They groaned as they tried to push themself up. ¡°Just rest.¡± Tham said, ¡°Pearla said you¡¯ll probably feel better in a minute, but she also said to make sure you don¡¯t walk until we get you to Goretta.¡± TO sighed and relaxed once more. They were grateful that they couldn¡¯t quite think properly, because they had a feeling that they didn¡¯t want to think, that they didn¡¯t want to consider things properly. Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there. They wanted to be with DH. They wanted to lie down, wrapped in DH¡¯s wings and arms. ¡°... You were impressive.¡± Tham said after the silence dragged out a little longer, ¡°I mean, thinking about the air in the caves, right? I mean-¡± He huffed, ¡°I could have swum out once the water got a little higher, but if I had waited that long, then if anyone else was overhead, they could have looked down and shot me.¡± To just nodded, hoping that despite not being able to see them, that Tham would feel the movement, and figure out what it was. ¡°Right.¡± He said. ¡°So thanks.¡± TO nodded again, but kept quiet. They were more aware of their body now, of their wings draped down and scraping against the ground. It took more effort than it should have to fold them up against their back, but it was better than letting them scrape more than they already had. For now, they just had to focus. Stay on Tham, keep their wings up, and don¡¯t throw up. Simple. ====== Pearla and GiDi went right back to the hideout hidden deep in the tunnels, and Tham promised to meet up there. Thankfully, they didn¡¯t go to the common room; they went instead to the room where they trapped TO and DH beforehand. ¡°No, not here.¡± TO hissed. They didn¡¯t mind being trapped like Avery was, but they still didn¡¯t want to be locked up again. ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± Tham said, ¡°I''m not locking you in. Look.¡± He reached up as he opened the door and pulled down a little leaver that TO hadn¡¯t noticed before. When the door closed behind them, it stayed propped open. ¡°TO!¡± They were hardly inside when DH came rushing up to them, a hand on TO¡¯s shoulder. ¡°What happened to them? GiDi said-¡± ¡°They fainted.¡± Tham said as they brought TO to the bed, ¡°Here, help me get them onto the bed.¡± ¡°Are you sure that¡¯s all?¡± DH snapped, an edge to their voice that TO hadn¡¯t heard before, ¡°If you did anything to them-¡± ¡°They didn¡¯t.¡± TO whispered, ¡°Tham carried me out. That''s all.¡± ¡°I should have been with you.¡± DH said as Tham brought TO up to the bed, ¡°I should have-¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not. If I had been there-¡± ¡°Instead of what ifs, you can help him onto the bed.¡± Tham snapped, but there wasn¡¯t as much venom in his voice, ¡°And do your synth medical stuff.¡± He huffed. ¡°I¡¯d have been there if a certain Nagarajin hadn¡¯t fought against it so much.¡± DH snapped as they helped TO to the bed, laying them down gently and draping a blanket over them. ¡°Then maybe this wouldn¡¯t have happened.¡± ¡°Doubtful.¡± TO murmured. It was just bad luck. ¡°Whatever.¡± Tham snapped, ¡°I¡¯m going to go find Goretta-¡± ¡°She¡¯s helping a few of the people that came from the tunnels.¡± DH said, ¡°A few of the people from the tunnels got injured, so she¡¯s busy.¡± Tham hissed as he held his injured arm, ¡°It¡¯s fine. It can wait.¡± ¡°Wait.¡± TO said as DH pulled their medkit from under the bed, ¡°Wait.. DH can help you.¡± Confused eyes from both Tham and DH hit TO. TO turned to DH. ¡°Tham got injured. Civilian gun; the kind with actual bullets. His left arm-¡± ¡°Right.¡± Tham said. TO nodded, ¡°Tham, DH did a lot of training in medicine. They can fix your wound¡­ That¡¯s what you-¡± They seemed to lose their breath and felt suddenly exhausted. Their words trailed off, and they relaxed into the pillow. ¡°TO! What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Tired.¡± They muttered. ¡°Help Tham?¡± ¡°I need to help you first-¡± ¡°I just want to rest.¡± They said, their mind still foggy and unfocused. ¡°He carried me out of the tunnels.¡± ¡°Not that big of a deal.¡± Tham muttered, ¡°Couldn¡¯t let you stay there. GiDi wouldn¡¯t have liked that very much.¡± DH hesitated for just another moment, then took their medkit and stalked over to Tham. ¡°Get over in the opposite corner.¡± They demanded, ¡°Away from TO.¡± TO turned away. They didn¡¯t want to see DH do their work, and were happy enough for a moment to rest their eyes. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be easier by the bed or table-¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want you anywhere near TO.¡± they said. ¡°What, like I¡¯m going to hurt them at this point, with you around-¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that.¡± DH said, ¡°TO doesn¡¯t do well with blood.¡± TO could hear DH rummage through their bag, the background noise to the stunned silence that followed, only to be broken when DH finally said, ¡°Show me your arm.¡± ¡°... What do you mean they ¡®don¡¯t do well with blood?¡¯¡± ¡°Just what I said.¡± DH snapped. TO could hear the sharp intake of breath from their mate, ¡°This doesn¡¯t look great, and I think the bullet¡¯s still in there¡­ but it¡¯s not spurting at least. Nothing important hit, anyway.¡± More rummaging in their bag, ¡°I don¡¯t have any painkillers for Nagarajin-¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine, I don¡¯t need it.¡± They said, ¡°So what, that¡¯s happened before? They¡¯ve fainted like that before?¡± ¡°They¡¯ve gotten woozy. They got close to fainting, but not quite.¡± ¡°I wasn¡¯t exactly in difficult situations the other times.¡± TO said. All the other times they had been in a stressful situation like that, it was in a simulation, or there was no blood otherwise. To see Tham¡¯s gory arm just as their adrenaline was fading off¡­ After killing- No. Their head hurt. TO didn¡¯t want to think about that. They wanted to think about how comfortable the bed was, and how close DH was to them right now. They didn¡¯t want to think about bodies bending oddly, or flying limp through the air. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me?¡± Tham snapped, just before hissing in pain. ¡°That¡¯s just some basic disinfectant.¡± DH said, ¡°It¡¯s going to hurt worse to get the bullet out.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine; just do it.¡± Tham snapped, ¡°And someone should have told me that TO can¡¯t deal with blood.¡± Had Tham called them TO before? Hadn¡¯t it just been ¡®the synths¡¯ or ¡®that one¡¯ before? They couldn¡¯t remember. ¡°Well? Why didn¡¯t you tell me?¡± Tham demanded before cutting himself off in a hiss of pain again. ¡°Wasn¡¯t important.¡± TO muttered. They had a headache. They pressed their hands to their head. It wasn¡¯t important. They didn¡¯t think about it. They don¡¯t normally tell people that about themself right away; especially people they don¡¯t trust, and who so obviously hated them, hated all synths. Of course, most people hated synths, it seemed. Pearla didn¡¯t hate them as much as she seemed to, but she was also GiDi¡¯s mate. Lendulin was upset. Petra hated them so much.. But Petra knew now, didn¡¯t she? Or she would soon, and then she¡¯d hate TO and DH too. Would she have the same rage that Lendulin did when she found out, the anger over being lied to? TO took deep breaths, and tried not to think. There was too much to think about. Their head hurt. They could still smell blood. Episode 248: Focus The first solid thought that went through TO¡¯s head was a simple question; How many people? TO was feeling better. Their mind was settling - or at least it wasn¡¯t drifting aimlessly anymore. It was like their mind was starting up again; it was an engine that had been off for a while and was just revving up and working again. And the first thing that came to their mind when that happened was how the agent twisted in the air the second time they shot them with the multi-gun¡¯s blaster setting. Were they dead then, or still alive? Unconscious? Were they scared? Did they have a family? A mate? Was there blood in the suit? What about the other officers? How many fell? TO only saw one hit the ground, their body folding over itself. The others hadn¡¯t gotten involved when they were dealing with the situation. No dealing. Killing. Murdering. The agent hadn¡¯t been a synth and hadn¡¯t been an insurgent. It wasn¡¯t an ¡®unfortunate death in the service of King Decon¡¯ it was murder. They didn¡¯t mean to. They didn¡¯t want to kill anyone- That didn¡¯t matter. -they just had to stop them from shooting Tham- Tham; an insurgent. An agent and a handful of officers died so that an insurgent could escape. -so they could get away. Besides, it was the agent shot first, right? ¡°TO, are you asleep?¡± TO jolted; no, they hadn¡¯t been asleep. They had been curled up, their head in their hands, their back to DH and Tham. When their mind was just drifting, their only concern was to not think about the wound on Tham¡¯s arm, or the blood that oozed from it, that invoked the smells, the sounds of cracking bone that made them want to throw up . They had been fine. Then their brain worked again. ¡°No.¡± TO said in a small, tense voice, ¡°No, I''m not.¡± They heard DH come up behind them and felt their weight on the mattress as they sat on the edge of the bed. ¡°How are you feeling?¡± DH asked as they gently pulled TO over onto their back, being careful of their wings as they did. ¡°Do you feel sick?¡± ¡°No.¡± They didn¡¯t. They did. They felt like there was too much in them to feel anything; the cataclysm of thoughts that spiraled in their head consumed anything they might be feeling. ¡°GiDi messaged.¡± They said, ¡°They wanted to visit, but I said no-¡± ¡°Why?¡± TO sat up slowly. DH reached forward, a warm, firm hand on their back as they helped TO up. ¡°I didn¡¯t know how you felt.¡± They said, ¡°I said that when you felt up to it, we could go to the common room. They got Lendulin, and Petra-¡± Lendulin and Petra were safe. Yes, they could focus on that for now. ¡°Where are they?¡± TO asked, ¡°Are they ok?¡± ¡°As far as I know.¡± DH said, ¡°Goretta is free now too. Flit and Snout are awake, and they want to see everyone-¡± ¡°They want to talk about your friend.¡± Tham said. TO had forgotten he was still there. Their eyes darted over to him, glanced at the bandage that covered his arm. It seemed so much smaller than it should have; in TO¡¯s mind the wound was massive, but the bandage only wrapped around just under his shoulder in a band no thicker than the width of TO¡¯s hand. Tham was rubbing at his shoulder, and wincing as he tried to rotate his shoulder. ¡°Avery?¡± TO asked, frowning. Was something wrong with Avery? Were they alright? No, of course they weren¡¯t alright, they hadn¡¯t been alright since they came here. Did something else happen while they were gone? ¡°Avery is alright; relatively speaking.¡± DH said as they opened their pack once more and dug through it, ¡°I¡¯ve been with them, and I¡¯ve been giving them the medication they were taking with their food. Well¡­¡± Their ears flicked down, ¡°I¡¯ve been giving them half doses. I don¡¯t have a lot here with me. If we got to their ship, they¡¯d have the medication they need.¡± They pulled out a long, triangular piece of fabric and got up. ¡°The other one.¡± Tham said as DH approached them with a sling. He shook his head, but DH gave him a hard look. ¡°You need to rest the arm, so you¡¯re putting it in a sling.¡± they said, taking on that same firm tone that refused to be argued with, reserved for medical emergencies. Tham looked like he might argue, but huffed and let DH do their work. ¡°... Do you mean Kei?¡± TO asked once DH started tying the sling. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s it.¡± Tham said, ¡°Goretta wants to talk about the procedure.¡± It took TO a moment to remember what Tham was talking about. Right, the procedure. Altering Kei¡¯s mind - putting it back in a rough, natural state. ¡°Why do they want to talk to us about that?¡± TO asked with a huff. They had more important things to worry about; Avery, Petra, Lendulin, bodies twisting in the air or bending unnaturally as they struck rock. ¡°They thought you¡¯d have an opinion on it.¡± Tham said, ¡°I guess not.¡± ¡°Whatever you decide to do.¡± TO said. ¡°We¡¯ll still go to the common room.¡± DH said as they finished tying the sling. ¡°Avery and GiDi are there, and I want to see Lendulin.¡± Their ears dipped down as they looked to TO, ¡°I¡¯m guessing all her work was ruined¡­¡± Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. Of course, her paintings! They were all on display in Thalassa and would have been swept away by the water. Even if the shattering the dome and the flood afterwards didn¡¯t destroy the paintings, the water and all the muck in the water must have ruined them entirely. ¡°I suppose so.¡± TO said, ¡°At least there''re pictures?¡± even as they said that, TO knew that the pictures weren¡¯t any comparison to the original pictures. ¡°You know about all that, then.¡± Tham said, ¡°That she¡¯s the actual artist for that fraud?¡± TO nodded, ¡°Yes, we found out a little before the show.¡± Tham shrugged. ¡°We considered exposing him.¡± Tham said, ¡°Got Pearla to ask some questions, see what Lendulin would think of that, but she doesn¡¯t want the extra attention. If he gets exposed, so does she. She says it¡¯s fine to continue like this.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not.¡± DH said, their ears pinning back, ¡°But it¡¯s what she wants. She thinks things will just get worse for her if there¡¯s attention on her.¡± ¡°Yeah¡­ and she¡¯s probably not wrong.¡± Tham said. ¡°There are other planets where she might have a better time, but space travel is expensive.¡± He shrugged, winced as he moved his bad arm, and then gently rubbed at his shoulder. ¡°Maybe Goretta has some painkillers for you.¡± DH said. They put the last of their tools back in their bag and slung it over their own shoulder before heading to TO, ¡°Do you want to go, or stay here?¡± They asked, ¡°If you just want some time alone to rest-¡± TO did still feel tired, and a little dizzy, but the idea of being alone, separated again from DH, filled them with a strange dread. They knew that if they were alone in the quiet right now that they¡¯d just think about the bodies in the water, the way the agent twisted in the air. They¡¯d count the deaths, wonder if any of those people had mates, had children- ¡°I¡¯m coming.¡± TO said, swinging their feet over the edge of the bed and getting up quickly; too quickly as dizziness overcame them for a second, and they had to hold on to DH¡¯s shoulder. DH held them by the arms, and TO clung to them as though doing so might stop the way the world was swaying before them. ¡°You sure you¡¯re ok?¡± ¡°Fine.¡± TO lied, ¡°I¡¯ll be fine. I don¡¯t want to stay here.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± DH said as they slowly let go of TO¡¯s arms, ¡°But you tell me if you need rest, ok?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± TO said. They didn¡¯t need rest, though; they needed other people. TO needed a distraction, and needed to see Petra, and see just how much she hated them now. Even that was better than letting their mind drift back to what happened in that cavern. ====== There were fewer people in the common room than TO expected there to be. Goretta was there, looking a little more tired and worn than she had earlier that day. Vik still hadn¡¯t moved from his spot - did he sleep there? Eat there? When did he bathe? Before they could look around more, or really question how Vik¡¯s lifestyle looked - did he sleep at all?- GiDi ran up to them. ¡°I was worried!¡± They said as they ran up to TO and wrapped their arms and wings around them, ¡°I didn¡¯t hear from you, and then when I finally heard from Tham-¡± ¡°We were trying to get out of the tunnels.¡± Tham said, ¡°It was full of water and more than a little drowney, so that was a bit of a focus for us.¡± GiDi pulled away and looked at TO as though they were checking for something wrong, ¡°Tham said you passed out! Are you sure you¡¯re ok? What happened?¡± ¡°Blood.¡± TO said quickly, ¡°Tham got shot-¡± ¡°It¡¯s not important. I¡¯ll tell you later.¡± Tham said, ¡°Where¡¯s Pearla and her friends?¡± ¡°Pearla is trying to explain everything to Petra and Lendulin.¡± GiDi said, ¡°And.. it might take some time.¡± ¡°Can I see this?¡± Goretta had come up to them so quietly that she startled TO. Still, she wasn¡¯t looking at TO, she was looking at Tham and his bandage. ¡°I just put the bandage on. It¡¯d be best to let the wound heal, wouldn¡¯t it be?¡± DH asked, their ears quirking forward. ¡°You did this?¡± ¡°Yes offi-... Yes doctor?¡± DH¡¯s ears flicked down, flushed slightly from the slip of their tongue. ¡°Goretta is fine.¡± She said, ¡°And yes, you are right. What did you use to clean it?¡± She listened carefully as DH went over his process, and then nodded. ¡°Yes, that should be fine.¡± She said, ¡°We¡¯ll watch for infection, just in case, though.¡± ¡°Right.¡± DH said, nodding. ¡°That was my plan. I would have given painkillers, but what I had was specific to synths-¡± ¡°I have something that might help.¡± She said as she let one of her tentacles wrap around Tham¡¯s good arm, ¡°Come on, I¡¯ll get you some medication-¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Tham said, patting her tentacle, ¡°And you need to keep your meds. We might need more.¡± She pursed her lips, but nodded, ¡°Normally, I¡¯d say you deserve it as much as anyone else, but if you¡¯re up and talking without¡­¡± she shrugged, ¡°With the lockdown, It¡¯ll be hard for me to get more medication. I can¡¯t exactly go up and get more now, can I?¡± ¡°Why not?¡± TO asked, ¡°You¡¯re a doctor, so you can just get what you need-¡± ¡°I am a doctor, yes.¡± She said, nodding, ¡°But I¡¯m not licensed to practice on Arkane.¡± She gave an overly sweet smile while venom poured from her eyes. ¡°I had a bad habit of ¡®forgetting¡¯ to charge people who couldn¡¯t pay for their medical costs. This went against the rules of how the Medical Association of Arkane works, so they removed me from the association.¡± She shrugged, ¡°You can¡¯t practice on Arkane if you¡¯re not part of the association, and you can¡¯t get supplies and medicine if you¡¯re not a practicing doctor.¡± ¡°And we can¡¯t hit a drugstore for a while.¡± Tham muttered, ¡°We could try-¡± ¡°Too dangerous.¡± GiDi said, ¡°And we¡¯re housing too many people to risk it.¡± TO¡¯s ears perked up, ¡°That¡¯s why you were attacking the drug stores!¡± TO said, ¡°I was so confused by that!¡± ¡°Shouldn¡¯t be.¡± Tham snapped, but his voice seemed to soften with his next words, ¡°You¡¯ve been here long enough; you know how things work here.¡± Well, now it made sense, for sure. It didn¡¯t before. ¡°At any rate.¡± Goretta said, turning to DH, ¡°You said you have painkillers for Synths? Chilacians.¡± ¡°Chi-... uh, yes, for synths.¡± ¡°Good.¡± she said, ¡°I might need to bum some off you.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know how well it¡¯ll work for other civilians¡­¡± DH said, ¡°Me neither.¡± She said, ¡°But I''m told I might have a synth patient, and if I do, and if I can perform the procedure, they¡¯re going to need painkillers.¡± Episode 249: Spat GiDi made lunch; a kind of soggy, greenish salad, which GiDi said was actually a kind of seaweed. There was, of course, a plate of those awful bugs, and despite protests that they didn¡¯t want any, DH insisted on peeling a few for them. ¡°You need protein.¡± DH whispered as they dropped a few pieces of the meat atop the salad. ¡°Just eat a little.¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to turn into one of these awful things.¡± TO groused as they popped a piece of the meat into their mouth. ¡°Thank¡¯s GiDi.¡± Goretta said as GiDi put a plate in front of them. TO couldn¡¯t watch as she took a bug from the plate and just snapped a segment in half. ¡°Enjoy these while we can, by the way.¡± She said as she held up one half of the bug, ¡°If this lockdown lasts very long, the ¡®finer classes¡¯ will ¡®discover¡¯ them, and it¡¯ll be damn near impossible to find them when they¡¯re paying kids to trap ¡®em.¡± ¡°Maybe we should breed some in the tunnels.¡± Tham said, ¡°A little bug farm.¡± ¡°... Can we not talk about that?¡± TO asked as they felt their stomach lurch. Eating the bugs was bad enough, but they didn¡¯t think they¡¯d manage if they had to think about these awful things laying eggs. ¡°Of course.¡± Goretta said, ¡°Instead, we need to talk about your friend; Kei.¡± ¡°Not our friend.¡± TO muttered as they picked at the soggy salad. Surprisingly, it had an odd crunch to it despite its slimy appearance. ¡°... They¡¯re not bad.¡± Avery said. They had wandered out of the common room after a brief nap, to see TO and DH again. The lack of medication was still having a poor effect on them, but at least they could sleep. Even if they slept too much. ¡°They¡¯re not bad.¡± Flit said from the other side of the table. ¡°They¡¯re exactly as Decon programmed them to be. Their minds altered so they can¡¯t really consider things past a certain level of logic-¡± ¡°Like Ai¡¯s.¡± Vik said from their computer, ¡°With checks in place to make sure they don¡¯t think too hard.¡± ¡°Something like that.¡± Flit said, ¡°If you want to think about it as a program, what they¡¯ve done, then the first ¡®rule¡¯ is that King Decon is always right, always just, and serving him is the highest honor-¡± ¡°Bullshit.¡± Tham said. TO felt their ears pin back as they narrowed their eyes. ¡°See, look.¡± Flit said, pointing to TO. ¡°Their minds are normal, and hearing King Decon disparaged still has that effect on them. It¡¯s one part mind alterations, one part intensive conditioning.¡± They looked at TO, ¡°Thankfully,we interrupted their conditioning and the process that might have altered their mind. They can change. Kei can¡¯t. That¡¯s why they are as they are. It¡¯s not their fault-¡± ¡°Which is why I think we should attempt the repair process!¡± Snout said. They seemed about as interested in the bugs as TO was, but had eaten at least a third of one. ¡°With their minds altered as they are right now, they can¡¯t change. With my insight and Goretta¡¯s expertise, we have a process that can reverse that damage. We can give a synth like Kei their free will again!¡± ¡°Or we can drive them to insanity.¡± Flit snapped. Their tone startled TO, and they flinched to see how Flit¡¯s ears pinned back. ¡°If they were younger, still in the tank, or even if they were fresh into their training, maybe. But you¡¯ve seen what ¡®correction¡¯ does-¡± ¡°That¡¯s not the same!¡± Snout snapped back, their ears also pinned. ¡°That¡¯s creating further damage. That¡¯s removing what¡¯s left of the ability to reason, and creating near mindless automatons for basic labor! This is repairing! This is giving back the ability to think.¡± With a huff, they tossed their fork onto the table. ¡°If it works with them, it could work for others.¡± They added, ¡°Other synths who had actually been ¡®corrected¡¯ could have their minds back-¡± ¡°Which doesn¡¯t entirely matter, as we can¡¯t get to the ones that have been corrected already.¡± Flit said. ¡°Jason was trying to ?infiltrate a training center.¡± Tham said, ¡°He said that if we could, if we could interrupt the creation of synths-¡± ¡°But he didn¡¯t find a way in.¡± Flit said, ¡°The closest you got was that ship you tried to send to the engine room of His flagship, and that got stopped at my training center.¡± they nodded at TO, ¡°Nearly killed TO and another synth so thanks for that.¡± ¡°It was a good idea!¡± Snout protested. ¡°I let them use my identification to send that cargo ship, and it might have worked if there wasn¡¯t a backlog.¡± It took TO a moment to figure out what they were talking about, but when they did, it felt like so many puzzle pieces just falling into place once more, ¡°The explosion in shipping and receiving! You sent that!?¡± they leaned forward, ¡°I nearly died! Another synth lost its wings entirely!¡± ¡°That wasn¡¯t the point of it.¡± They muttered, their ears flicking down as they focused intently on the salad before them, ¡°And I ended up hurting you¡­¡± they glanced at Flit as they trailed off. ¡°It was my fault.¡± Tham said. ¡°I insisted they prove they were going to help us by letting us use their ID for something.¡± They straightened up, their shoulders squaring. ¡°I wanted to make one of Jason¡¯s plans work. With a synth¡¯s code, I thought we could have done something, work on a plan-¡± ¡°A plan to kill a bunch of synths?¡± TO snapped. ¡°That is all besides the point!¡± Snout said, ¡°We can make things better for a single synth right now. We can fix Kei¡¯s mind and give them the chance to think for themself for a change instead of just blindly following their conditioning. We might help the others!¡± If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. ¡°Or we could make it worse!¡± Flit snapped. ¡°Worse than it already is. But all that aside, Kei doesn¡¯t want their mind changed.¡± ¡°Kei can¡¯t make that decision.¡± Snout snapped back, ¡°They can¡¯t make a decision that would contradict King Decon¡¯s will right now, so-¡° ¡°I hate to interrupt the lovers'' quarrel,¡± Tham said, ¡°But our choices are limited, aren¡¯t they?¡± He drank the last of his tea - he had finished his meal before most everyone else had started eating- and slammed his cup down on the table. ¡°You don¡¯t want to keep him in isolation. If we let him out, he attacks, or worse, escapes. If he escapes and tells that security officer where we are, then we¡¯re all screwed.¡± He looked at Flit. ¡°We have two choices, don¡¯t we? Kill him, or do the procedure.¡± He turned his gaze to a scratch on the table, reusing to look any of them in the eyes, ¡°And from what you¡¯re saying, I almost think killing him would be the kinder option-¡° ¡°No.¡± TO said. Their stomach launched as they thought of a synth - any synth- just being slaughtered, like that one in the tank, like the civilians that fell to their deaths, their bodies twisting unnaturally. ¡°I thought you didn¡¯t care.¡± Avery said, their quiet voice piercing through the sudden silence that rose in the wake of TO¡¯s single, barked word. ¡°I.. I don¡¯t want anyone killed.¡± TO said, pulling their mind from replaying images of people falling to their deaths. DH didn¡¯t know. GiDi didn¡¯t know. The only one who knew so far was Tham. Would DH hate them if they found out? No, DH would never hate them. That made them stop. That thought stopped all other thoughts in their mind. How easily, how quickly, that certainty that DH could never ever hate them was surprising, comforting. ¡°So while I think it¡¯s the best solution for everyone, if you want an alternative solution without getting most of us captured or killed, then the only choice is to do the procedure.¡± Tham glanced up at GiDi. ¡°Maybe he¡¯ll be a half-decent Chilacian if given the chance.¡± ¡°You think so?¡± GiDi asked, their ears perking up. Tham just shrugged in response. ¡°So far, most of the ones that haven¡¯t had their brains fucked over by some weird program have been alright.¡± His eyes narrowed suddenly, his tail twisting on the floor. ¡°Though, if we do this, you can be damned sure I¡¯m keeping a closer eye on them than I did these two.¡± ¡°That¡¯s fair.¡± GiDi said, their ears twitching as they chewed on their bottom lip. ¡°And we don¡¯t have many other options-¡° ¡°GiDi!¡± Flit stood up. ¡°We don¡¯t know what it¡¯ll do to them. It could drive them mad, or make them entirely braindead-¡° ¡°Or it could free them.¡± GiDi said, ¡°And give them a chance to live a real life, and not just be a servant- a tool. We¡¯re not tools, and if I could fix the mind of every synth just like this?¡± They snapped their fingers. ¡°I would, but I can¡¯t. We can¡¯t. But this might be the first step to helping a lot of them.¡± ¡°So, you think we should do it?¡± Snout asked. Everyone was watching GiDi. GiDi didn¡¯t even notice it. They were so deep in thought, but TO did. They were paying closer attention to how the others treated their small friend, how they listened to GiDi¡¯s every word, and how much value they put in GiDi¡¯s opinions. ¡°I do.¡± They said finally. ¡°The best thing we could have done was to get TO and Avery without Kei getting involved¨C¡± ¡°Well, I didn¡¯t think you could bring any of them down here.¡± Goretta said, ¡°But it¡¯s too late for those concerns now.¡± GiDi nodded, their ears flicking down. ¡°I know. And I know you didn¡¯t want them here-¡± ¡°No offense.¡± Goretta said to TO and DH, ¡°I just thought it was too much risk.¡± ¡°¨CThen, in that case, I think it might be best to do the procedure.¡± They looked at Goretta. ¡°Sooner than later. The sooner we do this, the sooner we know if it works, and the sooner we can get them out of that room.¡± A sudden noise made TO jump to their feet, their hand going to a multi-gun that wasn¡¯t there. Flit¡¯s stool lay on the floor, knocked over when Flit jumped to his feet, radiating rage like a fire radiating heat. ¡°Fine.¡± They said, ¡°Do what you like. I tried to help enough and saw enough of the damage that did.¡± ¡°Damage?¡± GiDi frowned, ¡°Flit, what-¡° Flit jerked their head towards TO. ¡°They¡¯re right.¡± They said, ¡°I knew they were right before they said it; I knew it before I left the center. The moment some of them came out of the tanks and got scheduled immediately for correction or repurposing. Each one that they killed is partially on me. I did what I could for the ones that survived, but that wasn¡¯t much, and the ones that survived hate me for it anyway-¡° ¡°Flit¨C¡± Snout got up and put a hand on Flit¡¯s shoulder, but Flit shrugged it off. ¡°Do what you like.¡± They snapped as they turned. ¡°I¡¯m done.¡± With that, they stormed out of the room, Snout following closely behind, trying to talk to them, to get them to come back. TO¡¯s ears sunk low. This¡­ this was their fault. They were angry at Flit, yes, but now that anger felt almost childish. If they had been Flit, if they had tried to help other synths and ended up just causing most of them to get repurposed, how would that make them feel? How would it feel to have one of those synths throw those losses in their face? GiDi sat down beside TO with a sigh, ¡°They¡¯ve been fighting about this on and off since you got you.¡± They said, ¡°It''s not your fault. This was going to happen, eventually.¡± ¡°It¡¯s more than just this.¡± Goretta said, ¡°You can tell. It¡¯s not my business, but-¡± A sudden, startled yelp from Vik cut her off, and the rapid sound of clacking keys punctuated his next words. ¡°There¡¯s a new newscast.¡± They said, ¡°Damnit, where¡¯s Pholi when you need him?¡± ¡°He¡¯s making excuses for how he escaped from Thalassa without being recorded by search and rescue.¡± GiDi said, ¡°He said he¡¯d be away for a few days to get in good with the Security General.¡± ¡°Well, we could use him to see what they really have to say here.¡± Vik said. They looked at GiDi. ¡°Should I just play the translation?¡± GiDi nodded, ¡°Yes, go ahead. We might learn something at least.¡± Vik nodded, turned back to his computer, and pressed a button. The GBA - this time looking like a brown-feathered woman with large wings and a narrow beak. ¡°In a setting with a variety of species, it defaults to the planet''s most common.¡± GiDi explained before falling silent to hear what the public news had to say about the events of the day. Episode 250: Anchor ¡°I¡¯m recording this for when Pholi gets back.¡± Vik said, ¡°Keep in mind though, this is going to be directed at us; you know, the lower classes and such.¡± The image of the bird person looked out at its unseen audience intently, as though watching those in the room carefully, searching for a guilty person among them. ¡°Early this morning, our capital city suffered a vicious attack from the Despair Insurgency, targeting our most vulnerable citizens in the Outer Ring, destroying homes, and killing seven officials.¡± Seven. That was the number. That was how many. TO¡¯s head swam, even as they felt DH¡¯s eyes on them, felt their fingers twine with their own. Seven people. Seven families. ¡°Such obvious shit.¡± Tham grumbled, ¡°We didn¡¯t attack them.¡± Goretta nudged him and shushed him. He whispered an apology. ¡°During a routine examination of the tunnels¡ªgraciously offered by the Arkanian Government as affordable housing for those in need¡ªthe Despair Insurgency destroyed valuable and important infrastructure. Not only were many robbed of their homes in the attack, but they trapped half of the residents on the other side of an exposed sinkhole. The attack also diverted the flow of water, leaving many who depend on water for easy transportation trapped.¡± ¡°I was expecting them to deny that the authorities were down there, or say that they showed up later because of the attack.¡± Vik said; but they spoke so softly that Goretta didn¡¯t bother to shush him. ¡°While authorities have escorted many from the tunnels, many more are missing. It¡¯s likely that the insurgency took the missing citizens to use as leverage against the Arkanian government. This act follows the attack on Thalassa, where the insurgency also captured many of those taking advantage of the government¡¯s Debt Repayment Plan.¡± The screen flicked to a video, showing a tall, bug-like person in a pristine uniform walking with a few other Arkanian officers. ¡°While the insurgency has as yet made no demands, General Gyrini has said in a statement that the increased insurgent activity is likely a precursor to further attacks.¡± Gyrini herself came on the screen, speaking to the camera. Close up, she looked severe even to TO; her mandibles looked strong. Her four eyes, though round, were dots that formed an arrow on her face. And she moved with a restrained calm that reminded TO of ice-cold water. ¡°There will be further insurgent activity.¡± She said, speaking in a clear voice that was entirely devoid of any regional dialect, punctuated only by the clicking of her mandibles, ¡°The attack on Thalassa, and the disappearance of the synths working here was a much larger attack that we¡¯ve seen recently. With the lockdown in place, ?the insurgency will grow desperate. Desperate people make mistakes, and it¡¯s only a matter of time before they make one, or I find one that previous authorities in charge of this situation have missed.¡± ¡°Huh.¡± Vik said, turning to TO, ¡°I think she just took a jab at you a lot.¡± ¡°A jab?¡± TO said. ¡°Yeah. she insulted you. You¡¯re the ¡®previous authorities¡¯ that she¡¯s talking about.¡± TO shrugged, their wings tightening around themself. Was it a deserved jab? Probably. TO had killed seven civilians. Seven civilians had nothing to do with the insurgency. ¡°What do we know about this person?¡± GiDi asked, ¡°Anything?¡± ¡°She¡¯s in charge of security for this quadrant of the galaxy.¡± Vik said, ¡°A big-shot. Normally she wouldn¡¯t come to a planet like this, but I guess where so many synths have gone missing, they wanted someone highly competent to deal with things before more synths arrived and the place went under full martial law.¡± ¡°So they send her to deal with things before King Decon¡¯s forces show up.¡± GiDi said. It was so odd to hear GiDi speak of ¡®King Decon¡¯s forces¡¯ as though they weren¡¯t part of it. Of course, they weren''t. Neither was TO. ¡°We can only hope that King Decon¡¯s forces arrive soon.¡± The anchor said as the screen flicked back to his artificial visage, ¡°Not only have we seen an increase in the frequency of large-scale attacks - the attack on the Holding Center, Thalassa, and now the underground tunnels. In all three vicious attacks, the casualties have only risen. There was a loss of several guards in the attack on the Holding Center, many people in Thalassa-¡± ¡°Notice how it doesn¡¯t say ¡®citizens¡¯ there, because most of the people who died were indebted.¡± Tham said, ¡°And they died because there weren¡¯t enough escape pods for them.¡± ¡°And with today¡¯s vicious attack, the remains of several law enforcement personnel were recovered after a cave-in. Authorities have not confirmed cause of death on all casualties-¡± ¡°They drowned.¡± Tham said, ¡°Our luck that they were right over the spot we were targeting.¡± ¡°You destroyed their path just before they got to the other side. I told you it was close.¡± Vik said, ¡°And if you hadn¡¯t, then they¡¯d have taken a lot more people.¡± ¡°But evidence from limited remains shows not just murder, but mutilation.¡± the anchor looked out, their feathers down, ¡°a special agent¨C who would have survived the fall thanks to his equipment¨C was found apart from the others. While details of the attack are currently being withheld from the public, authorities have described it as ¡®vicious¡¯ and ¡®repugnant.¡¯ With this new level of ruthlessness displayed by the insurgents, authorities are asking civilians all over the planet, but especially on Okoia, to be especially careful when leaving their homes or traveling to dangerous districts.¡± Vicious? Had they really been vicious? No, it wasn¡¯t. It wasn¡¯t vicious, or ruthless, or anything of the like. TO didn¡¯t try to hurt anyone! The civilians fell because TO didn¡¯t even know they were overhead! They were only trying to help ¡ª ¡ª Help the insurgents. ¡ª Help Tham. And the only reason they were trying to help Tham was because GiDi wanted them to. Besides that, the agent ¡ª ¡ª Official Law enforcement- Attacked first, so was it really their fault if ¡ª ¡°TO, it¡¯s ok!¡± GiDi had their hand on TO¡¯s arm, squeezing. ¡°It¡¯s ok. You don''t¡¯ have to explain anything-¡± They had been talking? Where was DH? DH had been holding their hand just a moment ago, and now they weren¡¯t? A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation. ¡°Well, I¡¯m glad someone doesn¡¯t!¡± Tham snapped, ¡°When the anchor said that, all of you gave me such dirty looks ¡ª ¡± TO hadn¡¯t even realized they were talking, the thoughts in their head spilling out in a chaotic slew of words. ¡°And the anchor is full of shit.¡± Tham said, snorting in the screen''s direction. ¡°It wasn¡¯t ¡®vicious¡¯ at all. It was quick.¡± he nodded at TO, ¡°The agent attacked me first, and shot me in the arm!¡± he gestured to his bandaged arm. ¡°TO stopped the agent who was attacking me, that¡¯s all ¡ª¡± He held up his hand in imitation of shooting a gun, ¡°He just used this blasting setting on the multi-gun. If I could fly, I would have been the one doing it, and then yeah, you¡¯d be demanding an explanation from me, wouldn¡¯t you ¡ª ¡° There was blood. Tham¡¯s blood. Red, not blue like TO¡¯s own blood. There was the way the bodies twisted. They aimed the shot at the agent with their multi-gun on the blaster. They could now consider what damage could be done with such an attack. It certainly must have shattered their armor, and likely most of their bones, too. It was ?likely that their skin and their clothes were all that held the body together. They could see it. They had killed seven. Mutilated one. They did it to protect an insurgent-¡± Someone touched their arm. They expected it to be DH, but it wasn¡¯t; It was Avery. Avery, looking at them with their ears low in concern. ¡°Come on.¡± They whispered. TO looked around for DH, but didn¡¯t see them right away. Were they gone? Did they leave? Why would they leave without telling TO anything? Unless¡­ Unless the news of what TO had done was too horrible for DH to stomach. TO let Avery pull them into the hallway, away from the many voices now talking behind them. ====== They only went a little down the hallway and around one corner, before Avery stopped them and told TO to sit down. They did so gratefully, leaning against the wall and sliding down, their wings around them, their legs curled up to their chest and their head resting on their knees. ¡°Do you want anything?¡± Avery asked as they knelt before TO. TO could only shake their head. ¡°DH, are they-¡± ¡°They asked me to get you somewhere quiet while they went to get some medication for you.¡± They said, ¡°The stuff they give me.¡± TO shook their head, ¡°No, you need it.¡± Avery didn''t argue. They just sat down next to TO, silent. Distantly, TO could still hear the muffled voices of the others talking not too far away. Seven civilians. One was an agent. Mutilated. ¡°I think one civilian saved from Thalassa has a crush on you.¡± Avery said after a few long minutes. ¡°The octopus girl. Marissa? is her name, I think? She¡¯s the one that spoke to you yesterday?¡± One moment, TO¡¯s mind was spinning with images and numbers, and the words of the anchor. The next. The next had them just staring at Avery in abject and utter confusion. ¡°... What?¡± The topic seemed so out of place that it made TO¡¯s mind just freeze. ¡°Yes. The one that stayed around looking for her brother. She ran up to me, said Hi-¡± They gestured to their own face, ¡°Turned red from head to tentacle, then went absolutely pale when she saw I wasn¡¯t you.¡± TO frowned. ¡°She could tell?¡± ¡°Well, she got a better look at my wing.¡± Avery said. ¡°I¡¯m ¡®the one with no scars¡¯ DH is ¡®the one with the face scars¡¯ and you¡¯re ¡®the one with the wing scars.¡¯¡± They grinned, ¡°But you¡¯re also, apparently, ¡®the really nice one who saved a bunch of indebted.¡¯ so that¡¯s good.¡± ¡°... But what does that have to do with-¡± ¡°Oh, she asked where you were.¡± They said with a smirk, ¡°she wanted to know when you¡¯d be back, and asked me how often synths like GiDi ¡®get along so well¡¯ with people like her.¡± ¡°... with civilians?¡± TO asked, their ears twitching. ¡°I get along just fine with Lendulin and-¡± ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant.¡± Avery sighed and slumped against the wall. ¡°I cannot believe how dense you are. DH must have gone through torture.¡± They looked at TO, ¡°She was asking to see if she¡¯d have a chance at an intimate, romantic relationship with you.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± TO said, their ears dropping and flushing. ¡°Why?¡± Avery shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t know. I don¡¯t know how or why people choose things like this, how some people are friends, others suddenly decide they want more.¡± They shrugged again, ¡°I told her that DH was your mate, and you were-¡± ¡°What?! You told her-¡± ¡°Everyone here knows. Mostly. She didn¡¯t. But it doesn¡¯t matter here.¡± They fell silent, TO left with the confusion over this civilian, wondering why she¡¯d be interested in such a way. ¡°... Was she upset?¡± They asked, knowing how devastated they would feel themself they realized DH wasn¡¯t interested in them.¡± ¡°Oh no. Not really.¡± Avery said, ¡°She was more curious than anything else.¡± ¡°Right.¡± They said, In the silence that followed, the memories of why they were in the hallway, the bodies, the news report, the seven lives just gone by their actions crept back in, twisted at their stomach, and made their ears droop. It was just earlier that morning that they killed a handful of civilians, and Avery was here talking about a civilian who had a ¡®crush¡¯ on them? Why? ¡°I¡¯m surprised¡­¡± TO said, ¡°... You¡¯re not going to ask-¡± ¡°No.¡± Avery said. ¡°I didn¡¯t want to hurt anyone.¡± TO said, clutching at their knees. ¡°I know.¡± Avery said, ¡°But I also know that the last thing I wanted to do after my examination was talk about it. So¡­ I figured ?I could offer a distraction instead.¡± They tilted their head at TO, ¡°I thought you¡¯d be interested to know about that civilian. Oh, and DH and Vik are getting on well. I think they have a new friend.¡± they leaned back. ¡°I couldn¡¯t understand a word they were saying, but they were talking about programming, and DH seemed to have fun, so that¡¯s good.¡± A distraction; a way to keep their mind from focusing on everything that had happened, at least until they had to; until DH came back with medication, and they had to explain what happened to them. ¡°So long as they¡¯re happy.¡± TO said. They remembered how they met GiDi so long ago, how quickly DH became friends with them, and how stupidly worried they had been about being replaced. That fear hid deep inside them. The certainty that DH loved them and wouldn¡¯t leave them for anyone or anything covering them up muffled them so TO couldn¡¯t hear the scream of their own uncertainty. No, DH wouldn¡¯t ever hate them, not even for killing seven civilians. Episode 251: Guilt It wasn¡¯t long after when DH showed up, jogging towards them with their medkit in hand. They knelt down next to TO and dug through the bag. ¡°I thought I¡¯d just grab the whole thing and come back here.¡± They said as they focused on searching through the bag.¡± ¡°¡­ I don¡¯t need medication.¡± TO said, even as they tried to cling to the previous conversation they had with Avery. ¡°Hey, did you know Marissa apparently¡ª¡° ¡°Has romantic interest in you.¡± DH said, ¡°Yes, I noticed.¡± TO felt their ears dip down. ¡°¡­ Sorry,¡± they said. Maybe they shouldn¡¯t have said anything. How would they feel if a civilian had such an interest in them? ¡°Maybe we can redirect her to Avery.¡± They said with a shaky smile, ¡°that might-¡° ¡°No, thank you.¡± Avery said. ¡°I enjoy watching the two of you fumble over one another, but I have no interest in such relationships.¡± They gave TO a hard look. ¡°Not with GiDi, Marissa, or anything else.¡± As they watched TO¡¯s ears pin back, they cleared their throat, ¡°That¡¯s not to say I have an issue with it, and if I wanted such a thing, I¡¯d pursue it¡­ but I just don¡¯t. At all. For anyone.¡± ¡°And you¡¯re taking meds.¡± DH said as they pulled the packet of pills from their bag. They passed it to TO, along with a small bottle of water. ¡°I really don¡¯t-¡± They started, but DH gave them an unexpectedly sharp look. ¡°You do.¡± They said, ¡°Take it.¡± TO looked away, focusing on the packet. There were two small yellow pills inside. ¡°I could only take one-¡° ¡°Both.¡± Came DH¡¯s sharp reply. Without another word of argument, TO popped the pills into their mouth and chased them with water. ¡°I know you¡¯re in medic mode,¡± Avery said, ¡°But you¡¯re actually a little scary when you¡¯re like this.¡± It occurred to TO that though DH was in medic mode, the last time DH had really helped them, they hadn¡¯t been so sharp with them. They were about to say this, about to ask why, and if something was wrong, but then they realized why. Of course. They had just killed seven civilians. They massacred one. Of course, DH would be upset. ¡°¡­ I didn¡¯t want to hurt any of them.¡± TO said, ¡°I didn¡¯t try to, I-¡° ¡°TO, you don¡¯t have to talk about this.¡± Avery said. They looked at DH, ¡°Right?¡± In response, DH nodded briefly. ¡°¡­ But they¡¯re angry.¡± TO said. ¡°They won¡¯t look at me.¡± DH¡¯s ears dipped down, but even so they didn¡¯t look at TO. TO leaned back, eyes closed as their head rested against the wall. ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± They said, ¡°I¡¯d be angry with me too.¡± ¡°¡­ I¡¯m not angry with you.¡± DH finally said. ¡°I obviously know that you didn¡¯t go out to hurt people. You went to help GiDi.¡± ¡°And Tham was-¡° ¡°Tham is Pearla¡¯s brother, and Pearla is GiDi¡¯s mate.¡± Their ears twitched. ¡°It¡¯s still odd to think that, honestly, but that¡¯s what it is. You¡¯d never hurt GiDi, and hurting Pearla would be the same thing as hurting GiDi now.¡± ¡°And I didn¡¯t mean to kill-¡° ¡°I know that!¡± DH snapped. They stopped and took a deep breath. ¡°I know that.¡± They said again, though a little calmer now. ¡°Tham said that most of them just fell. The other one attacked him.¡± ¡°I should have let them attack.¡± TO said, their ears dipping down, ¡°I should have. I should have let them take us-¡° ¡°And if you do, you¡¯ll get separated.¡± Avery said, ¡°Or they had killed outright you. They don¡¯t know you¡¯re a synth, and I doubt you had any way to prove it to them.¡± ¡°Right.¡± DH said. ¡°You had a task, and it was necessary for you to defend yourself. You were helping civilians.¡± They clutched at their bag. ¡°¡­ You can¡¯t understand how happy I was when you got back.¡± They said, ¡°Everything that was happening, I was here, listening to the messages Vik was getting. I was so worried when you stopped responding, and when Tham called and said you were unconscious¡­¡± they shook their head. ¡°I was worried about you.¡± This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience. ¡°We should have both gone.¡± TO said, ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to worry you, but Tham -¡° ¡°I know.¡± DH said. ¡°I was still worried. Obviously, it had to be you, because a multi-gun would be useless in the tunnels, and I¡¯m useless without a multi-gun. ¡± ¡°You¡¯re not useless-¡° ¡°But I was still worried.¡± DH said. ¡°And I was so happy when you were back safe. And when the news report came on..¡± Their ears dipped down, ¡°When they talked about the seven officers, the one -¡° ¡°Don¡¯t go into detail.¡± Avery said, ¡°Not now.¡± DH stopped and looked at Avery for half a second before nodding and closing up their bag. ¡°I¡¯m happy that you¡¯re here.¡± DH said, ¡°I¡¯m happy you¡¯re safe. It¡¯s all a lot, though, right?¡± They looked at TO, their eyes landing on their chin, ¡°It¡¯s been a lot, hasn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°It has.¡± TO agreed. They reached out and took DH¡¯s hand in their own. ¡°Maybe¡­ just some shows for a little? Before I have to think about-¡° DH squeezed TO¡¯s hand, but then pulled away. ¡°I¡¯m actually going to help Goretta.¡± They said. The medication was taking effect. They could feel the surprise run through them, but they felt oddly detached from the feeling. It was like seeing water, knowing it was there and knowing it was wet rather than actually feeling it. ¡°What?¡± They said. ¡°What are you going to help her with?¡± ¡°Snout and I are going to help her.¡± DH said, ¡°While you were gone, she said that if they went ahead with the procedure, then I could help her and Snout.¡± ¡°But¡­ but it¡¯s a surgery.¡± TO said. The thought of blood came to their head, but the accompanying sensations that normally came to them stayed away. ¡°¡­ Do you think I shouldn¡¯t?¡± DH asked, ¡°You¡¯ve been quiet about the whole thing. You didn¡¯t say if you think it should happen or if you didn''t agree with it.¡± ¡°There¡¯s not much other choice, is there?¡± TO said. ¡°¡­. Do you think I shouldn''t be involved?¡± ¡°I¡¯m surprised you¡¯d want to be involved, that¡¯s all.¡± ¡°Right.¡± DH said, ¡°And¡­ and you¡¯d not be upset if I was?¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t¡­¡± TO said. ¡°Do you want to do it, though?¡± That was the only part they couldn¡¯t figure out. ¡°Of course I do.¡± DH said, ¡°I could learn so much, see so much! And maybe I can help Kei. Maybe they¡¯ll be better if we restore their mind. Besides that, Avery is worried about them-¡° ¡°To reiterate.¡± Avery said, their voice growing firm, ¡°I don¡¯t have interest in any kind of romantic relationship with them, though I do like them-¡° ¡°How?¡± TO asked as they turned to Avery. ¡°They¡¯re awful. They tried to get DH and I separated!¡± ¡°I know. And that bothered me, but if it¡¯s because they messed their brain up, then they wouldn¡¯t have a choice, would they?¡± They shrugged. ¡°And I¡¯ve been around them more. I know them better, and they never had the same animosity to me as they did the two you of.¡± Their ears pinned back, ¡°At any rate, if the procedure is a success, please don''t pull with us what you did with me and GiDi. Trying to get us alone, hoping we might fall for each other. Don¡¯t do that to me again, with Kei, or with anyone.¡± ¡°But what if you -¡° ¡°I promise, if I ever even have the faintest hint of romantic attraction to anyone, you two will be the first to know. At that point, I give you full permission to attempt whatever you want. Until then though,¡± They gave TO a serious look, ¡°I¡¯m not interested.¡± ¡°Alright, aright.¡± DH said, ¡°Avery doesn¡¯t want romance. Understood.¡± They gave a weak grin as they stood up, ¡°I still want to help, if I can.¡± DH said. ¡°And I have to go now, so-¡° TO pulled themself to their feet. ¡°I¡¯ll go with you.¡± They said. ¡°TO, I¡¯m not letting you step foot in the surgery room.¡± DH said, their ears pinning back, ¡°You fainted once today, and that¡¯s more than enough.¡± ¡°Oh no, I don''t want to watch the procedure,¡± TO said, ¡°But¡­ I¡¯ll walk there with you? I¡¯ll wait until you¡¯re done?¡± ¡°Me too.¡± Avery said quickly, ¡°I¡¯d like the company.¡± TO and DH exchanged a brief look, their eyes locking for the first time since the news report; a look of concern for their friend, shared for a second before DH looked away again. ¡°¡­ Alright.¡± They said, ¡°Let¡¯s get back then. We have to get Kei ready for the procedure.¡± ====== They met Goretta on the way to Kei¡¯s room, where they had to subdue the other synth. She had a plate of food in one hand, and a syringe in the other. ¡°You think they¡¯ll let you give them a shot?¡± Avery asked, ¡°They won¡¯t.¡± ¡°This isn¡¯t for them.¡± She said, ¡°It¡¯s for the food.¡± She pointed to the cooked bug on the plate. Oddly, the same level of disgust for the awful creatures didn¡¯t strike this time. ¡°I filled the needle with a little something to subdue them, and have them asleep in a half hour, then-¡° ¡°If you do that, they¡¯ll starve when you¡¯re done.¡± TO said. ¡°Do you think they¡¯d ever accept anything you gave them to eat afterwards?¡± ¡°Well, if they get hungry enough-¡° TO shook their head, ¡°Not even if they¡¯re hungry enough. If you poison their food-¡° ¡°It¡¯s not poison.¡± She said, her tentacles twisting around her as they turned red. Unlike Marissa, she didn¡¯t seem to change color all over. ¡°It¡¯s a sedative. It¡¯ll make them sleep-¡° ¡°They¡¯d consider that a poison.¡± DH said. ¡°And they wouldn¡¯t eat during their recovery.¡± ¡°I could intubate them.¡± She said, ¡°Make sure they eat-¡° ¡°Can¡¯t you use that thing that Vik used on us?¡± TO asked, remembering the awful noise that drove them to their knees and rendered all three of them unconscious, ¡°What, they called it a subsonic¡­ thingy?¡± ¡°Takes a lot of preparation, and a specific set of conditions for it to work,¡± she said. ¡°I asked Vik that. Apparently, the tunnels there worked because of their acoustics. Vik said it won¡¯t work in their room. It¡¯ll just give them a headache.¡± ¡°Even if you intubated them, what then?¡± DH asked. ¡°They won¡¯t trust any food you give them, and you can¡¯t keep them intubated forever. You¡¯d have to keep them strapped down all the time, or they¡¯d pull the tube out.¡± Goretta huffed, ¡°Great.¡± She said, ¡°now I need to think of a different way to do this. A dart gun or something-¡° ¡°A multi-gun on stun?¡± DH suggested, ¡°I don¡¯t want to shoot them, but-¡° ¡°I¡¯d be worried about damage that might cause pre-operation.¡± She said, ¡°Otherwise, it¡¯s a good idea.¡± ¡°¡­ I might have an idea.¡± Avery said, their ears twitching slightly. ¡°I¡­ I think I can get them to eat the food willingly, knowing it¡¯s medicated.¡± ¡°They¡¯d never do it.¡± DH said, ¡°I heard how they spoke to you before. They won¡¯t listen to what you say-¡° ¡°Let me in with them.¡± Avery said, even as their ears dipped down, shaking, ¡°Let me in with them, let me talk to them.¡± ¡°If they get violent-¡° Goretta started, but Avery cut her off. ¡°If they get violent, Then DH and TO are right outside. ¡° Goretta watched Avery, considering as her tentacles twisted about her. Finally, she nodded. ¡°Tham might throw a fit, but it¡¯s fine.¡± She said, ¡°So long as Kei doesn¡¯t get out, it should be fine.¡± She sighed. ¡°Honestly, I''d feel better if they agreed to the procedure. But you couldn¡¯t get them to agree before. why do you think you¡¯ll get them to agree now?¡± Avery sighed as they continued down the hallway, ¡°Because we¡¯ve isolated them for so long, and because this is going to happen one way or another¡­ and because I just thought of a way to make them want the procedure done.¡± Episode 252: Better Avery insisted on going in alone. TO and DH weren¡¯t sure it was the best of ideas, but Avery insisted, saying that Kei would never listen if they went as well. Still, as soon as Avery went in, Goretta put on the video stream from inside. TO and DH hovered around her, watching. ¡°If Kei does anything-¡± TO started, but trailed off, catching themself. What would they do? Would they kill Kei? Kill another person? Make their body count for the day an even number? ¡°If Kei does anything, I¡¯ll take care of it.¡± DH said as they slipped their hand into TO¡¯s. TO didn¡¯t even bother to point out that their hand-to-hand was better, and it would make more sense for them to go in; They were just glad to have DH¡¯s warm hand in theirs and the promise of their mate to take care of things. Kei was not at the table this time. This time, they were laying on the bed with their back to the door. Even from their limited view TO could see the remains of food left on the table; meals that Kei had picked at but hadn¡¯t finished. When the door opened, they shot up and got to their feet. Avery slipped in and closed the door behind them. Kei sighed and sat back down on the bed. For a moment, it looked like they might say something to Avery, but they just lay back down in silence and turned over. Avery sighed and headed to the table in the center of the room. ¡°Not hungry today?¡± they asked as they stacked the dishes atop the other, placing uneaten food on the topmost one. ¡°They don¡¯t have much variety, otherwise I¡¯d see about giving you something different.¡± Still no response from Kei; they didn¡¯t even move. ¡°Are they sick?¡± Goretta asked, frowning as she watched the video, ¡°They might need medical attention-¡± ¡°They¡¯re not sick.¡± TO said, ¡°At least, that¡¯s not why they refuse to respond.¡± ¡°They consider Avery an enemy I suppose.¡± DH said. ¡°As far as Kei¡¯s concerned. Avery¡¯s working with the insurgency. If you get captured, you don¡¯t speak to your captors.¡± Goretta frowned, her tentacles twisting as she looked at DH, ¡°You did though-¡± ¡°GiDi was the first one to come see me. I wasn¡¯t going to not talk to them!¡± DH said. ¡°They¡¯re family. With the dishes stacked and tidied, Avery walked over to the bed and knelt down. ¡°Kei.¡± They said, their voice softer than TO expected, ¡°Talk to me.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t converse with traitors.¡± The response had the practiced, automatic tone to it that TO recognized all too well. ¡°I know.¡± Avery said, ¡°I¡¯m trying to help.¡± ¡°It¡¯s going to be hard to convince them if they won¡¯t talk.¡± Goretta said. ¡°And did you see how they got up when Avery went in?¡± She looked at TO and DH. ¡°They might go for the door when Avery tries to leave. Can you keep them from getting out?¡± TO and DH nodded, but neither took their eyes off the screen. ¡°They don¡¯t want to kill you.¡± Avery said. ¡°The insurgents, I mean. They don¡¯t want to kill you. I don''t want you dead. TO and DH-¡± ¡°Are traitors, as well as defective and vile synths. Their thoughts mean less to me than yours do.¡± ¡°I¡¯m honestly surprised they said as much as they did.¡± DH said. Goretta stifled a snort of laughter. ¡°I know.¡± Avery said, ¡°I know the only thing you do care about is serving King Decon.¡± ¡°And If I die in his service, then I will be content.¡± ¡°Or you could live and serve Him better than you did before.¡± TO felt their ears pin back as they watched. They were all beyond serving King Decon at this point; all of them but Kei. Was Avery thinking of helping Kei to escape? They couldn¡¯t allow that. No, if Kei got out, they might kill GiDi, or someone GiDi cared about, like Pearla or Tham. Even if they didn¡¯t, they¡¯d report their location to Minister Gyrini. ¡°You¡¯ve worked hard to serve King Decon. You worked hard in training, you worked hard in your placement, but it wasn¡¯t enough, was it?¡± Their ears tilted back in sympathy, ¡°You still hated how TO-¡± ¡°Before they proved themselves to be entirely unworthy, I was happy that King Decon had such a competent synth serving Him.¡± ¡°But you felt ?you worked harder than they did, didn¡¯t you?¡± Avery said, ¡°You followed all the rules, you did what you needed to, you reported what was wrong, and TO still got a placement where they could do more than you¡­ right?¡± Kei¡¯s ears twitched as their only response. Meanwhile, TO felt their own ears flick out in confusion. What was Avery talking about? What were they doing?¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t know why they were better than you, smarter, more clever, why they performed better than you.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not my place to question why. It¡¯s only my place to serve as best as I can-¡± ¡°And that¡¯s what TO was doing; serving as best as they could-¡± ¡°No, they were more interested in fornicating with the other failure to properly serve King Decon.¡± The way Kei said that word, fornicating, had the same tone to it as Petra might have for ¡®synth.¡¯ TO felt their stomach twist as their ears dipped. ¡°Even if that was true, they still performed well! They outperformed you without being entirely focused, and that¡¯s because of their brains!¡± Avery leaned in and whispered, but despite that TO could still hear them clearly thanks to the sensitive microphones, ¡°Their brains are raw.¡± ¡°And that¡¯s what ruined them as synths.¡± Kei snapped. ¡°It allowed them to get distracted. A manufacturing error.¡± ¡°It¡¯s also why they think like they do, why they seem so clever. DH is the same, their mind is different-¡± ¡°It must be.¡± Kei snapped, ¡°Otherwise I know someone had corrected them long ago. They should have been corrected. TO would be a better synth if that abomination wasn¡¯t around. I told them that a long time ago, though I take no joy in being right.¡± The blood suddenly pounded through TO¡¯s head, Kei¡¯s words repeating over and over. For a moment, they would have been more than happy to go into that room and make their number for the day even, but then they felt DH¡¯s fingers tighten around their hand. When TO looked over, DH¡¯s ears dipped down, their lips pressed into a thin line. TO squeezed back and gave a weak smile when DH looked at them. They returned a flicker of a smile to them before focusing back on the video. TO did note, however, that their ears stayed dipped down. The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°Don¡¯t you think you¡¯d be the same if your brain was like theirs?¡± Avery asked. ¡°Never. I could never be that perverse, that self-centered and short-sighted.¡± Self-centered and short-sighted, just like civilians. Maybe they were. They apparently came from a civilian race at one point, and they had the natural civilian brains so they would be just as bad, wouldn¡¯t they be? As TO felt the warmth of DH¡¯s hand in theirs, they realized they didn¡¯t care if they were. Maybe that was part of the problem. ¡°Then why not have the procedure done?¡± Avery asked. ¡°If you know you¡¯ll never be like that, then why not get the procedure done?¡± ¡°To what end?¡± ¡°To stay alive longer.¡± Avery said, ¡°To maybe live a little longer to serve King Decon a little longer. If it¡¯s as you say and you won¡¯t change with the procedure, and if the procedure helps you think like TO does, then you might end up being a better synth than they ever were.¡± DH snorted at that, suppressing laughter as they watched. TO felt no such mirth. With Kei laying with their back to Avery, their friend could easily have lied about whatever they wanted, but they didn¡¯t. Their ears showed no such deceit. Did they really think that Kei would be a better synth than they were? Did Avery think that TO had been deficient in their service? ¡®It¡¯s true though,¡¯ TO thought, ¡®I am a terrible synth. I shot Kei to stop them from shooting an insurgent. I have a mate which I¡¯m running away with.¡¯ their hand tightened around DH¡¯s fingers once more. ¡°I¡¯ve killed civilians. Innocent civilians. I killed innocent civilians to save an insurgent.¡± ¡°They¡¯re listening.¡± Goretta said, ¡°Avery might do this.¡± TO¡¯s attention snapped back to the screen where Kei had sat up, and was now facing Avery and watching their ears carefully. ¡°Say that again.¡± They said, their ears perked up just slightly as they leaned forward. ¡°Say that all again.¡± Avery was still kneeling on the floor, looking up at Kei now. TO held their breath, watching and waiting for Kei to attack them, but for now it didn¡¯t look like they would. ¡°If you don¡¯t get the procedure done, you¡¯ll die.¡± Avery said. ¡°That¡¯s it. Best case there, they find your remains before they decompose to where they can¡¯t be repurposed. If you get the procedure, then you buy yourself some time. Worse case; you¡¯ll still die here. Best case? You escape, and become a better synth than TO ever was.¡± ¡°... And why would they want to do this?¡± Kei asked, ¡°Why do the insurgents want to do this to me?¡± ¡°They don''t want to kill you. They want to¡­¡± They paused, thinking of the best way to phrase Goretta¡¯s desire to see if they could restore a mind, and the wish that TO, DH, Flit and Snout had to restore the minds of others who had been corrected. ¡°The insurgents want to see if they can do it, and they think it¡¯ll change you.¡± Avery shrugged. ¡°Your only actual concern is if you think you will actually change and join them.¡± ¡°Like you did.¡± They spat, ¡°Like all of you.¡± ¡°I understand if you¡¯re worried.¡± They said, ¡°If you think you might change. If you think you¡¯d do the same thing that DH and TO-¡± Kei¡¯s ears pinned back down. ¡°I could never be like them.¡± They hissed. ¡°No matter what they do to me.¡± ¡°Then if you get it done, you buy yourself some time.¡± Kei fell silent, watching Kei as their ears twitched in consideration. DH was holding their breath in anticipation next to them, and Goretta was muttering to herself in a language that TO didn¡¯t know. ¡°Very well.¡± Kei finally said, ¡°I will submit to this procedure.¡± ====== After that, Kei took the drugged food. They knew there were powerful sedatives hidden inside- Avery told Kei as much as they passed the meal through the little slot, but Kei took it wordlessly, and ate it without hesitation. ¡°... Do you really think they¡¯ll be a better synth than I was?¡± TO asked as they watched Kei eat through the video. ¡°Not in a millenia.¡± DH scoffed. ¡°I¡¯ve no idea.¡± Avery said, ¡°But at the very least, as they are now they¡¯re better synths than we are, aren¡¯t they?¡± Well, Avery was right about that, at least. A ¡®better¡¯ synth wouldn¡¯t have a mate, wouldn¡¯t have shot Kei, wouldn¡¯t be helping the insurgents now. A better synth would do exactly what Kei had done. ¡°I¡¯m still surprised they agreed.¡± Goretta said, ¡°From what you said, I thought they¡¯d refuse-¡± ¡°Waste is one of the worst things to us.¡± Avery said with a shrug. ¡°If there¡¯s a chance to survive, then letting yourself die is a waste, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°GiDi is intent on reusing nearly everything.¡± She admitted, ¡°It¡¯s become a bit of a problem. They horde garbage like the shells of the cocopods, utterly intent to find a use for it.¡± She sighed. ¡°But that¡¯s all you did? Convinced them not to waste their lives?¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s part of it.¡± They admitted. ¡°So long as they¡¯re alive, they have a chance to escape. Getting the procedure gives them more time to do that.¡± ¡°I see¡­ and do you hope that they¡¯ll escape?¡± her eyes narrowed, her grip on her medkit tightening slightly, ¡°Or do you plan to help them?¡± ¡°I¡­ I hope that this might be helping them.¡± They said after a long moment of consideration, ¡°I¡¯d be happy if this changed them. If they were a little more like TO and DH. I told the truth and offered them something I knew they wanted.¡± ¡°Freedom?¡± Goretta offered. ¡°To surpass TO in their service to King Decon.¡± they responded. ¡°They¡¯ve always seen TO as.. Odd. Lesser? Especially since they-¡± They paused, their ears dipping with a light flush, ¡°Since they discovered the nature of TO and DH¡¯s relationship. Kei thinks they¡¯re better than TO. I suggested that TO might have been the ¡®better¡¯ synth only because of the alterations.¡± ¡°So you basically told them they might serve King Decon better if they get this, and they fell for that.¡± Avery shrugged. ¡°I wasn¡¯t lying. That¡¯s just not what I¡¯m hoping for.¡± They shook their head, ¡°I know you don¡¯t see much good in them. I didn''t at first either. But they¡¯re hardworking, they¡¯re honest, and they just try to do good, even if that¡¯s not what anyone else thinks is good. They take what¡¯s important to them, and they hold that, follow it.¡± They looked at Goretta. ¡°That¡¯s why I figured they¡¯d agree. It¡¯s important to them, and because of that, they¡¯ll push harder, and do more than others might.¡± Their ears dipped down as they looked at DH, ¡°... That¡¯s why they warned people about you. They wanted to help others be better.¡± ¡°Better is subjective.¡± Goretta snapped, ¡°But at any rate, look.¡± She pointed to the screen. There was still some food left, but Kei was already slumping over, their ears moving languidly as they tried to continue eating with clumsy hands. After just another minute, they gently slumped to the ground. ¡°Alright, they¡¯re under.¡± Goretta said. She unlatched the door and let it swing open. ¡°Let¡¯s get them ready.¡± Episode 253: Certainty Goretta and Snout had a shared laboratory; a series of rooms renovated with limited materials, and supplied by ¡®missing¡¯ crates of product originally meant for the labs located deeper in the city. It was a dramatic step down from the medical bay DH had once worked in, and certainly a step down from the giant lab that Snout had worked in back in the training center. ¡°I¡¯m surprised you could get all this equipment.¡± DH muttered as they entered. ¡°I¡¯m more amazed that you have the tech here to do something as complex as brain repairs.¡± ¡°Vik helped with that.¡± Goretta said. She pulled a large plastic tarp off a gurney and rolled it out to the center of the room. ¡°Here.¡± She said, ¡°Put Kei here.¡± Avery had carried Kei on their back from the little room to the laboratory. Though they seemed mostly asleep and couldn¡¯t quite move, they opened their eyes from time to time, and they muttered occasionally. ¡°Will it be safe to do the procedure on them while they¡¯re like this?¡± Avery asked as DH helped them get Kei onto the gurney. ¡°They still seem kind of awake.¡± ¡°They are ¡®kind of¡¯ awake, but likely won¡¯t remember any of this, and we¡¯ll properly anesthetize them before we start.¡± She looked at DH. ¡°Do you mind checking their vitals, though?¡± She asked. DH nodded and started doing their checks. Kei grumbled something, their ears twitching back for half a second as DH touched them. ¡°I¡¯m surprised you have meds to work on us.¡± They said, ¡°at least, ones that are safe.¡± ¡°Snout could make some.¡± She explained, ¡°Or extracted it or something. I keep meaning to get them to explain what they did to me, but I¡¯ve just not had the time.¡± Where was Snout? TO frowned, remembering that they chased after Flit earlier. Were they still with them, or had they fought more when they were alone? TO never really saw them interact that much as a couple, and it was odd to think that they might disagree or fight over anything. As far as TO knew, the only troubles in their relationship were because of the Commander and because synths weren''t supposed to have relationships like that. They never considered that Flit and Snout would be anything other than perfect together. ¡°Their vitals are good.¡± DH said, their voice taking on that clear, clinical tone it did when they were doing this kind of thing. ¡°Heart rate is low, but not dangerously low-¡± ¡°And not surprising given that I¡¯ve given them a heavy tranquilizer.¡± Goretta finished. ¡°Hopefully Snout shows up before it wears off. I messaged them earlier- ah.¡± As she spoke, the door to the lab opened and Snout walked. TO had never realized how tired they looked before back when they were in the training center, and they hadn¡¯t realized how much lighter they seemed here. As they entered the room, it was as though they brought the weight of a black hole in with them, weighing on them and sucking away some of their light. TO hadn¡¯t even noticed it. They hadn¡¯t paid attention to how much happier Snout was here. ¡°Sorry.¡± They muttered as they put a small box on the table, ¡°I have the anesthesia-¡± ¡°Excellent!¡± Goretta said, her eyes lighting up. ¡°We¡¯ll get to do this. We¡¯ll actually get to do this!¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Snout said in a deep, breathy exhale. They looked at TO, ¡°I hope you¡¯re not helping.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not.¡± TO said quickly, backing away as though Snout might insist even though they knew they wouldn¡¯t. ¡°I¡¯m just going to wait for DH.¡± ¡°And I¡¯ll keep them company.¡± Avery said, ¡°I¡¯m guessing it¡¯s going to take a long time?¡± ¡°Oh, the actual repair of the brain is going to take days.¡± Goretta said. ¡°The procedure is going to take a few hours, but we¡¯re not fixing the brain ourselves.¡± ¡°It¡¯d be too risky, and I dread to think how long it could take.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± DH¡¯s ears fell a little, ¡°I.. I was very curious about how you could fix a brain.¡± ¡°Minor brain repairs are already being done, but the issue with this is that we weren¡¯t just looking at simple brain injuries being repaired; nor are we looking at degenerative mental diseases. We¡¯re looking at a fully functioning brain with multiple tiny alterations done through the entire brain during development.¡± She leaned against the wall silent for a moment as she considered how to best describe it. ¡°The brain alterations we have today for basic repairs are like repairing a bridge in a city. You¡¯re attaching the two road ends over a gap. With synth brains, it''s like we have a city with areas of the roads removed, with no debris or buildings to suggest what might be there.¡± ¡°So.. that¡¯s why having GiDi¡¯s information helped.¡± TO said, their ears twitching as they frowned in concentration, ¡°So.. you could compare more minds and make some kind of guide.¡± ¡°Exactly!¡± Goretta said, beaming. ¡°We used comparative brain scans to map out the brain as best we could. Now we have to test it.¡± ¡°But you don¡¯t fix it yourself, you just said that.¡± DH said, ¡°So what do you do?¡± ¡°Basic brain repair is done with specialized nanobots.¡± She said, ¡°We do a craniotomy, access the brain directly, and insert the nanobots. They do the work over time, and when the brain is complete, they shut down and dissolve to get filtered out through the blood.¡± She grinned at Snout, ¡°Snout here came up with the solution to getting the bots through the blood-brain barrier. Doesn¡¯t work to get them it, but it gets them out alright.¡± If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. ¡°Well, I¡¯ve always been interested in neurology-¡± ¡°Wait.¡± Avery said, their ears flicking back, ¡°You haven¡¯t tested this on anyone yet?¡± ¡°We couldn¡¯t.¡± Goretta said, ¡°We haven¡¯t had a typical synth mind to work from. Now we do.¡± ¡°Ok, but you don''t know it¡¯ll work, right?¡± Avery¡¯s wings tightened around them. ¡°It might hurt them-¡± ¡°It might.¡± Snout said, ¡°We¡¯re confident that it¡¯ll work, though. The bots are in use frequently, I¡¯m confidant in the mapping, and we¡¯ve run so many computer tests-¡± ¡°A computer¡¯s not a synth!¡± Avery said. ¡°That¡¯s not Kei. You don¡¯t know if it will work on a living synth-¡± ¡°We¡¯re confident enough to risk it.¡± Goretta said, ¡°And as you know, we don¡¯t have many options here. This could help a lot of synths, and it might help your friend.¡± Avery looked at her, their eyes wide and staring. With their ears down, twitching in panic, they looked at DH, at Snout, then at TO with big, pleading eyes. ¡®Say something. Please say something.¡¯ the eyes screamed, but TO couldn¡¯t think of anything to say. No matter what happened, Kei couldn¡¯t possibly be any worse than they were already. Anything had to be an improvement. ¡°... Alright.¡± Avery said, their ears dropping as they broke eye contact with TO, ¡°I get it.¡± Snout turned to Goretta, giving her a meaningful look. It only took her a second to notice it, but when she did, she turned to DH. ¡°Come on.¡± She said, ¡°Let¡¯s make sure your scrubs fit.¡± She said as she guided DH towards another door at the back of the lab. ¡°A-alright.¡± They said, turning to Avery. They gave a smile that faked all the confidence that their ears failed to show. ¡°I¡¯ll take good care of them, Avery; I promise!¡± Avery just gave a quick, jerky nod in response before DH disappeared behind the door. ¡°Avery, I get your concerns.¡± Snout said as they turned to Avery, a hand on their shoulder, ¡°I really do. But this is the only way to make them better.¡± Snout said, though they softened their tone from before when they were just explaining how things would work. ¡°You want that, right?¡± ¡°... Yes.¡± Avery said. ¡°Then you have to trust us, and let us do this.¡± ¡°... Alright.¡± Avery said. They stood there for a moment with their wings wrapped tightly around their shoulders, then turned and headed to the door. ¡°... I¡¯ll be back, TO.¡± They said, ¡°I¡¯m going to get some food.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll go with-¡± TO started, suddenly worried for their troubled friend, but Snout put a hand on their shoulders to stop them, and shook their head when TO shot them a questioning, confused look. ¡°... You should talk to Flit.¡± They said once Avery was gone. ¡°Alone.¡± ¡°Why should-¡± ¡°Because they¡¯re upset. Because they already feel terrible enough about everything that happened. And because of everything, they haven¡¯t stopped trying to help who they could. This was the best they could do for GiDi, for DH, and for you.¡± Snout lowered their voice. ¡°Flit does actually care about you, you know.¡± They whispered, ¡°You¡¯re a lot like they were back when they were in training, and they just want things to be better for you.¡± ¡°What am I even supposed to say to them!¡± TO snapped. ¡°It¡¯s fine that they feel bad now, but they still-¡± ¡°Gave you, DH, GiDi, and your friend Avery the ability to do more than just exist.¡± They said, ¡°They gave you the chance to love. They wanted more for their offspring than a life without Love or friendship.¡± All the suffering TO had endured, all the pain and anxiety, all the corrected or repurposed synths just so they could have friends and love? So they could have DH, who in their mind was worth every single awful thing to have happened to them. Even so, thinking about the whole situation sent rage and fire through their blood. ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll make things better.¡± They hissed. ¡°Just talk to them.¡± Snout said, ¡°Please.¡± They took out their communicator and sent something to TO. ¡°I¡¯m sending you the directions to our room. Please. Just talk to them.¡± ¡°... Fine.¡± TO snapped after a long pause, ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll go to them, and I¡¯ll talk to them. I don¡¯t think it¡¯ll make anything better.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± They whispered before heading to the door themself. It felt so odd for doors of an important laboratory to have basic, old-fashioned doors instead of sleek sliding doors that TO was used to. They decided at that moment that they didn¡¯t like the old-fashioned doors. The noise it made when Snout closed the door seemed so final to TO, and the silence left in the wake of that sound, the contact, the click of the mechanism and the turn of the lock, made everything else seem so much quieter, and made TO feel so alone. They hadn¡¯t been alone since they came here, they realized, and the sensation stung more than they thought. In the silence, they could hear their thoughts better, the anchor talking about how brutal the attack was. Seven dead. They could still see the bodies in their mind, the unnatural way that they twisted, but the memory didn¡¯t seem to hit them the same way as it normally did. It was as though there was a layer between them and the memory. The drugs that DH gave them really worked. Still, they had to deal with those thoughts, to think when they wanted to do anything else. Thankfully, Flit had given them something to do, and something which might consume their attention. They checked their communicator, read the directions, and headed out of the lab and down the hall to find Flit. Episode 254: Intention Flit¡¯s room wasn¡¯t far from the lab; TO only had to walk down the hall and take a few turns before they found Flit and Snout¡¯s room. To their surprise, the door was open a crack, and TO could hear music coming from the room, along with a strange clicking noise that they couldn¡¯t identify. Even though the door was open, it felt odd to just walk in, so they knocked gently on the door before peeking in. Flit sat on a bed on the far end of the room, their back against the wall as they tinkered with an odd puzzle cube that was making the clicking noise as they pushed and pulled pieces of it around. The small colorful toy wasn¡¯t what really pulled their attention, though; what really caught TOs eyes was just the amount of personality that burst from every part of the room. They had expected it to be just as sparse and plain as their room in the training center was, but that was not the case at all. There was something on nearly every surface in the room; smooth rocks, small trinkets, and old paper books. Cheap fabric clung to the walls in places with such a variety of pictures on them that TO could find no theme or pattern to the images; people, places, scenery, buildings, animals and monsters all covering up the otherwise gray and dull wall. The music came from a small hologram that was projected over a glass box, a figure singing along with the music TO didn¡¯t understand. Even the bed was unique, covered in a strange, mismatched quilt created from such a random variety of colors and textures of fabric. Even from where they were, TO could tell that the quilt had likely once been scraps of clothing that someone had stitched together. They caught sight of a box on the floor, filled with different colored threads and scraps of fabric. Had Flit made that quilt? Or Snout? They didn¡¯t even know either of them could sew. ¡°I really, truly do not have the energy to fight.¡± Flit said, pulling TO from their observation of the room. The older synth set down their puzzle and stood up. ¡°If that¡¯s what you¡¯ve come for, I¡¯d rather if we put it off until tomorrow, at least.¡± Their ears were low, their voice ragged. Much like with Snout, they seemed like they had this heavy fog around them. Well, that made sense. TO knew that if they fought with DH, then they¡¯d have the same atmosphere of doom around themself. They remembered the day they had their date, when DH gently touched their ears, and TO snapped at them, leaving them alone in the line while they went back to their theater box. They were certain that they had the same lingering atmosphere of despair around them as Flit had now. Remembering that, remembering how awful they felt, they just couldn¡¯t bring themself to be angry at Flit in this moment; at least, they couldn¡¯t bring themself to express that anger. ¡°I¡­. That¡¯s not why I¡¯m here.¡± Their ears flicked as they tried to figure out what they could or should say to Flit. In the end, truth seemed like the best option. ¡°Snout asked me to come see you?¡± They ventured. ¡°I think they were worried about you?¡± Flit gave an annoyed huff as they walked to the table. From a box underneath, they pulled out aluminum cans with colorful labels. From their short time on Arkane, TO recognized it as a very cheap drink made of bubbly water and a myriad of chemicals that gave it a distinct flavor. ¡°It¡¯s more likely that they wanted you out of the lab.¡± Flit said as they set the drinks down on the table. ¡°Drink. Stay away from the lab while they¡¯re working.¡± TO¡¯s ears pinned back, ¡°Why would they want me gone?¡± They asked, a sharper snap to their voice than they intended, ¡°I wasn¡¯t planning to stop it-¡° ¡°It¡¯s a surgery.¡± They said as they sat down, ¡°You have issues with surgery and blood. It¡¯s only natural that they¡¯d want you as far away from the situation as possible.¡± Those words spoken so matter-of-factually went through TO, curling up in their stomach and gnawing on their insides. Yes, ?they had issues with blood, and they hated surgeries. DH knew that, so did Snout. If Snout knew, then Flit would know¡­ Who were they kidding? After they fainted from seeing all the blood on Tham, everyone knew. They crossed their arms, trying to look more annoyed than anything else, but the tilt of their ears and the way their wings tightened around them gave them away. ¡°It¡¯s not like I was in the surgery room.¡± They grumbled. ¡°Maybe not, but what if one of them came out covered in blood or something? What if you could hear some of what they were doing?¡± They opened the can, the pop of the tab followed by the hiss of air covering up the silence. ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s why.¡± TO snapped. They stayed standing, even though the extra can of water sat on the table as an unspoken invitation. ¡°Snout was worried about you.¡± Right, this wasn¡¯t about them, it was about Flit and Snout. ¡°They looked awful. You look awful.¡± The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. ¡°¡­ I probably do.¡± They said in a low, deadpan voice. Of course, they looked awful. TO knew they¡¯d look awful if they fought with DH, and they¡¯d be sick to their stomach with worry that maybe this pushed DH away. Even though they knew ?DH loved them, there was still that little insect in their mind, eating away at their sanity as they worried. ¡°¡­ Is everything going to work out?¡± They asked, trying to make it sound as though they were just asking about the time. ¡°I suppose.¡± Flit said, their low voice coming out sharp, ¡°The procedure is being done, so there¡¯s not much more point in arguing about it.¡± They leaned forward, resting their forehead in their hand. ¡°I¡¯m just so damn tired. That¡¯s all. Tired of trying to do the right thing, and fucking it up every. Single. Time.¡± TO had never heard them swear before. They had heard them angry, of course, that time Flit caught them lying in the simulation, but they had never heard Flit curse before. Somehow, it sounded more defeated than anything else TO had heard. That, and the utterly exhausted tone they had, drove the resentment for TO¡¯s mind for the moment, and they sat down across from Flit. Flit did mess up, didn¡¯t they? So many dead synths because of them, because they stopped the correction process¡­. Of course, TO had just killed seven civilians; civilians who were just trying to enforce the law of their city. They really had little place to talk at the moment. ¡°¡­ Kei consented to the procedure.¡± TO finally said, hoping that might help. It was so much easier to be angry at Flit when they seemed in control and confident. When they looked so defeated and tired, it was near impossible, so the only thing TO felt they could do was make them feel better. ¡°I find that very difficult to believe.¡± They said, ¡°I had a hand in their early training. On top of having very typical minds, they were one of the more fervent in their devotion to King Decon.¡± ¡°Yes; that¡¯s why they agreed.¡± TO said. They opened their own can of water and took tiny sips as they told Flit about what Avery said to Kei, and how they convinced them that getting the procedure would let them better serve King Decon. ¡°That would do it.¡± They muttered. ¡°Your friend had a good idea there, though I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s going to work out in the end.¡± They took another drink of their own water, finishing it before throwing the empty can across the room and to a box on the other side. They missed, and the can bounced off the wall and rolled away on the floor. ¡°Even if it does work, we don¡¯t know if it¡¯ll work like we hope it will. Maybe it¡¯ll break them. Maybe they will escape. Who knows?¡± They glared at the box, as though it had offended them by not catching the can. ¡°I¡¯m just done trying to fix things.¡± ¡°What were you even trying to fix?¡± TO asked, regretting the words as soon as they slipped from their mouth. This clearly wasn¡¯t the time to talk about this, but they had warned Snout ?they didn¡¯t think they¡¯d be much good at this. Flit clasped their hands together before them, pressing their thumbs between their eyes. ¡°In hindsight¡­ I have no idea.¡± They said, ¡°The ability to think? To love?¡± A bitter snort escaped them. ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter. Whatever I was trying to do, it was stupid to do it.¡± He gave a deep sigh. ¡°All I can do now is try to salvage what¡¯s left. Get you, DH, and try to convince GiDi to leave Arkane.¡± ¡°Wait¡­ you want GiDi to leave?¡± They asked. ¡°I thought you didn¡¯t. I thought you were happy that they were part of the insurgency!¡± ¡°I¡¯d be happier if they were safe, and right now, with the lockdown in place and an army coming to deal with the planet, none of us are safe.¡± ¡°DH and I are leaving.¡± TO said, their ears pinning back. ¡°We¡¯re going to get through the blockade, and we¡¯re going to that planet.¡± They frowned, ¡°GiDi too. If I have to tie them up and drag them off the planet, I¡¯ll do it.¡± Flit shook their head, ¡°If I had been smarter, I would have gotten them off the planet sooner. I would have sent them away as soon as we got here, but we got separated, and by the time we met back up, they were together with Pearla and refused to leave.¡± ¡°Pearla would have gone with them, right?¡± ¡°She would have.¡± Flit agreed. ¡°And I didn¡¯t push too much. I thought it¡¯d be fine. I thought with three synths, we¡¯d achieve some of Jason''s dreams, but¡­¡± They trailed off, and fell silent for a few minutes. ¡°Jason was special.¡± They said, ¡°They could get anyone to go with what they wanted to do. They could just come up with the more ambitious plans, and people would go along with them. He was special. We¡¯re not.¡± ¡°¡­ GiDi seems to manage things pretty well.¡± TO said, ¡°And¡­ they¡¯re special too.¡± They gave a soft grin. ¡°Though I don¡¯t know how they ended up leading all this.¡± Flit, surprisingly, smiled as well. ¡°You noticed that too.¡± They said, ¡°They just slipped into the role, and they haven¡¯t even noticed it yet.¡± He sighs, his low ears perking up just a little. ¡°If they had a little more confidence¡­ Well, it doesn¡¯t matter. GiDi got Tham out of the prison and kept things together so we could feed ourselves and help some people. They got you, DH, and Avery here and out of King Decon¡¯s influence so we could tell you what was happening.¡± They sat up, ¡°They really thrived after finding Pearla, and if they had a fraction of Jason¡¯s confidence, maybe we could do more than just survive.¡± Another sigh, ¡°But we just need to survive. I just want to see you all safe at this point.¡± Their ears dropped again. ¡°No more death.¡± That was a sentiment that hit TO through to their core. No more death. TO didn¡¯t want to see any more death either; synth or civilian. ¡°.. What does Snout think?¡± TO asked quickly, desperate to change the subject. ¡°They seemed upset, and you seemed so angry at them-¡± Flit shrugged as they looked away. ¡°They have more confidence, or at least more hope. Or maybe spite; Reversing the alterations would be like spitting in King Decon¡¯s face, and I think they¡¯re overlooking the risks¡­¡± ¡°... But will you two be alright?¡± TO asked. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen you fight before-¡± Flit¡¯s ears quirked forward as they peered at To, confused, ¡°You¡¯re worried about that?¡± ¡°Well¡­ yes?¡± They suddenly felt like maybe it was a silly thing to be worried about. ¡°You two will be alright, right?¡± A low chuckle escaped Flit. ¡°Yes, TO.¡± They said, ¡°We¡¯ve argued over less and over more. We¡¯ll be fine before we sleep; I promise.¡± Episode 255: Relieved Without words, it seemed like a mutual understanding formed between TO and Flit. Flit didn¡¯t seem like they wanted to ask anything about what happened in the tunnels, and TO wouldn¡¯t bring up Flit¡¯s decision to meddle with the brain alterations of so many synths. At least, they wouldn¡¯t for now. After simply speaking with Flit for a while without letting their anger dictate their actions, they realized how hard it was to stay angry at the older synth, and how tiring. There was a lot to be worried about, a lot to be angry with, and TO just didn¡¯t have it in them to stay angry with Flit. Maybe someday, in calmer times, they¡¯d talk about everything again, but for now¡­ For now, there was just too much to deal with. At Flit¡¯s suggestion they decided to check on GiDi, and TO¡¯s civilian friends. This might have had something to do with their decision to simply not be angry at the moment. If they stayed angry at Flit, how could they hope that Petra and Lendulin wouldn¡¯t be angry at them? ¡°Maybe I should wait to see them.¡± TO said as Flit led them down a hallway. The older synth already had directions from GiDi as to where GiDi and the others were, so TO was just following them. ¡°Maybe I should wait until they want to see me-¡± ¡°And if GiDi could have seen you right away when we brought you here, and they didn¡¯t, how would you feel about that?¡± they asked as they glanced into the water that ran alongside them in the corridor. There was something in the water, swimming by them. At first TO thought it might be a fish, but all too soon they realized it was one of those cocopods swimming through the murk. They recoiled, and edged away from the water. ¡°You¡¯re better off at least trying to see them now.¡± Flit continued. ¡°Even if they¡¯re mad at you, at least they won¡¯t think you just ignored them.¡± TO sighed as they followed along, ¡°You don¡¯t know Petra, though.¡± They said, ¡°You¡¯ve not seen how angry she gets when she talks about synths. Lendulin was angry enough with me; Petra might want to kill me!¡± ¡°Well, at the very least, I can guarantee that she won''t do that.¡± Flit said, though their ears twitched with faint amusement. ¡°At worst, she might take a swing at you, and I¡¯m sure Pearla can hold her back. Besides, she¡¯s already been talking to GiDi so she knows you¡¯re synths already, and they¡¯re probably prepared for that. I also imagine GiDi warned her that you¡¯re coming.¡± They glanced back. ¡°If GiDi thought she¡¯d be dangerously violent, or that it was a bad idea, I¡¯m sure they would have told us not to come.¡± That was probably true. Still, they didn¡¯t look forward to seeing Petra, to hearing her accusations. Her normal hatred of synths was bad enough but they had been lying to her all this time and now she knew. How angry would she be for their deception? What if she simply ignored them, or pushed them away like the other synths had when they discovered TO¡¯s deception in training? The idea made them feel sick as their wings tightened around their shoulders. Soon, they were back at the communal bunks that TO, DH, and Avery had stayed in the day before. Flit opened the door and stood aside to let TO enter before them. It was a lot more chaotic than TO thought it would be. Children ran around, chasing each other on a combination of limbs, tails, tentacles, and wheelchairs in various states of disrepair. TO recognize a couple of people right away; Marissa and Pearla were going from person to person, sometimes providing a bundle of clothes, sometimes with a container of food and a bottle of water. There were others helping as well, but they were people that TO didn¡¯t recognize. What startled them most was the children. They had seen no children in the tunnels, and somehow assumed that there weren¡¯t any there. Of course, they had seen a few children in the Outer Ring, hadn¡¯t they? They recalled the tentacled children, and their mother who called them into the house when TO and DH walked by. There were children that laughed at them too when one of those bugs got too close to their feet- There were likely lots of children in the Outer Ring¡ª a place where there were technically no residences. The implications hit TO hard; where did they go to school? Residential location dictated where a child got their education, so where did these children go to school? Where did they get medical help if they were sick? If their parents couldn¡¯t get jobs, then how did they get food or clothes? Did the leadership of Arkane know so many children lived in the Other ring? They tried to tell themself that there probably weren¡¯t as many children there as they worried about, but if the people here were any sign¡­ Well, there were about twelve adults that TO didn¡¯t recognize. The children easily outnumbered them two to one. Maybe more. The Outer Ring wasn¡¯t fit for children, and children had no control over where they ended up. Either the government of Arkane knew it and allowed it, or they simply didn¡¯t know. Apathy or Incompetence. If it was Apathy, then that was just another of those things that were ¡®allowed¡¯ by King Decon. Their thoughts fled their mind as someone tackled them, a body of nearly pure muscle driving the air from them. Was it a trap? As they fell to the ground, they wondered if it was law enforcement in disguise, or if the insurgency just decided that it was time to deal with the synth in their midst. It was neither. It was Petra who tackled them. They assumed that this was the start of her attack on them, and they raised their hands up to protect their face. She dashed their assumptions the moment she spoke. ¡°You asshole.¡± She choked. ¡°I was so fucking worried about you.¡± This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. ====== GiDi and Pearla came over to pry Petra off of them and help them up. Of course, the moment she was upright Petra lashed out and slapped TO hard on the arm, drawing a pained yelp from them. ¡°That hurt!¡± TO yelped, rubbing their arm where her sinewy hand had struck. ¡°Good!¡± she snapped, ¡°I don¡¯t know if that was for lying, or for letting me worry! I thought you and DH drowned in Thalassa!¡± She looked behind TO, and brightened momentarily when she saw Flit, then frowned. ¡°They¡¯re not DH.¡± she said, then turned to Pearla, ¡°You said they both survived-¡± ¡°DH is¡­ well, they¡¯re helping with a medical thing.¡± TO said. ¡°They have some medical training, and wanted to help Goretta. She''s a doctor that-¡± ¡°I know who Goretta is.¡± Petra said with a glance at Pearla, ¡°She helped Pearla a lot, unofficially.¡± TO nodded, ¡°Well¡­ They¡¯re helping another one of us now, and DH is helping her.¡± ¡°Good. I don¡¯t know if I want to slap them or hug them either. I¡¯ll decide when I see them.¡± Pearla led them to the nearest bed, where they could all sit down among the clamoring children and too-quiet adults. ¡°Y¡¯all just talk right here.¡± She said, ¡°We have a lot of work to do, and a lot of the people here are in shock.¡± She sighed as two children ran past them, screaming with laughter at their game of chase. ¡°I¡¯m only happy that the kids don¡¯t seem too bothered; the younger ones, anyway.¡± A thought suddenly crossed TO¡¯s mind. ¡°What¡¯s going to happen to them?¡± They asked, ¡°I know you said you smuggled people off planet, but-¡± ¡°We¡¯ll keep them here if they want to stay.¡± Pearla said, ¡°And we¡¯ll get them on safe planets as soon as possible, but who knows how long that¡¯ll take.¡± ¡°We just have to keep them healthy and fed until then.¡± GiDi said, ¡°Thankfully nobody got badly injured.¡± ¡°Nobody you saved anyway.¡± Petra added. ¡°We have to hope nobody gets too sick, either.¡± Pearla said with a sigh, ¡°We don¡¯t have a lot of supplies, and a robbery would be too risky.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll get another gig.¡± Petra said. ¡°That way, I can get more food, and I¡¯ll monitor the medicine cabinets and take anything we might need.¡± ¡°Unwise.¡± GiDi said, ¡°Besides, I doubt there¡¯s going to be many big parties right now with the lockdown and I¡¯m sure people are going to be far more careful with their supplies now.¡± Petra stared at GiDi for several long moments, then turned to Pearla. ¡°I still think that the oddest part of all this is that your partner is a synth-¡± ¡°Chilacian.¡± GiDi said. ¡°I¡¯m not a synth, I¡¯m a Chilacian.¡± Petra shrugged, ¡°I don¡¯t know what the difference is.¡± ¡°Synths work for King Decon.¡± Pearla said, ¡°Chilacians don¡¯t.¡± That made sense to TO. To be a synth was to hold this wonderful, elevated position as a servant of King Decon. Even if they were technically the same species, how could someone like them be the same as a synth? Synths didn¡¯t leave King Decon¡¯s service and didn¡¯t have friends or mates. ¡°... That¡¯s probably the best way to describe it.¡± TO said. ¡°And I guess in that vein¡­ I¡¯m not a synth anymore either.¡± ¡°I¡¯d say you never were, but I don¡¯t think you¡¯d want to hear that right now.¡± GiDi said as they put a hand on TO¡¯s shoulder. ¡°I¡¯m happy that you¡¯re not, though.¡± ¡°Alright, look.¡± Petra said, sitting upright, her tail lashing against the bed, ¡°I¡¯m still pissed at you. I¡¯m glad you¡¯re safe, but you were a fucking synth this whole time, and you didn¡¯t tell me!¡± ¡°I couldn¡¯t.¡± TO said, their ears dipping down. ¡°I explained that to Lendulin-¡± The stopped and looked around, ¡°Where is Lendulin?¡± ¡°Tham led her to some place where you two hid food.¡± Petra said, frowning, ¡°I said he¡¯s injured, and it could wait, but he insisted he get it as soon as possible.¡± ¡°And it doesn¡¯t matter if you told Lendulin everything because she didn¡¯t tell me anything!¡± She glared at Pearla, ¡°Neither of you did, and you¡¯re not a synth, and you¡¯ve been my friend for years! I thought you''d have told me!¡± ¡°You had enough trouble!¡± Pearla protested, ¡°I didn¡¯t want to make more trouble for you!¡± Petra huffed and turned back to TO, pointing a long finger at them, ¡°You, I¡¯ll consider forgiving on one condition.¡± ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± TO asked, leaning forward, their ears twitching. They didn¡¯t realize they¡¯d be so desperate for her forgiveness, or so eager to make things right between them. TO hadn¡¯t realized just how much their new friends actually meant to them. ¡°I want you to tell me the truth. About everything. Why you came here, why you didn¡¯t report me, why you became our friends, you and DH¡­ Everything!¡± TO gave a relieved sigh. All she wanted from them was the truth and right now, that was something they could offer her. Episode 256: Outside Views TO didn¡¯t think they¡¯d find relaying ¡®everything¡¯ would be as exhausting as it was. They didn¡¯t think at first that they¡¯d have to go all the way back to the early days of their training and explain how they and DH met and became friends. They didn¡¯t think they¡¯d end up explaining what training was like for them. TO¡¯s story didn¡¯t surprise Pearla, she had heard it all from GiDi before, but Lendulin and Petra had heard nothing about what life before Arkane was like for TO and DH. Was it more exhausting to tell them everything that happened, or was it more exhausting to see their reactions? Seeing their eyes widen in horror at things that TO never thought were that bad in the first place, things that were just expected of them or ways that synths were treated, twisted in TO¡¯s heart in a way they couldn¡¯t comprehend. ¡°You don¡¯t understand.¡± TO said after they explained about how their former officer in Recovery sent older synths off to be repurposed, ¡°For most of us, for real synths, that¡¯s just how it is. It¡¯s expected! That¡¯s what Kei would want to happen to them!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t make it right.¡± Petra snapped, ¡°Mother-fucking King Dick. Here I thought you were all robots or some shit. He treated you like them! Tools my ass.¡± Her tail lashed behind her. ¡°Even the ones that are ¡®normal¡¯ are just well programmed. Of course, the ones that took Helen and her parents didn¡¯t have any issues with it; Decon taught them not to think!¡± She turned to Lendulin, ¡°This has to be some kind of personal rights violations-¡± ¡°And who would hold King Decon to his own laws?¡± GiDi said with a bitter laugh, ¡°Besides, we¡¯re not considered people; we¡¯re tools.¡± ¡°Bullshit. You can think, you can feel; you¡¯re a person.¡± She snapped, then turning to TO, she continued, ¡°So what, just because he made you, he thinks he owns you?¡± She huffed, ¡°I can¡¯t believe that the whole ¡®Decon created the synths¡¯ thing is actually true.¡± ¡°Not entirely.¡± GiDi said, ¡°There¡¯s other evidence-¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be right back.¡± TO said as GiDi started talking. They didn¡¯t feel like sticking around to hear about Chilacians, didn¡¯t want to see Petra¡¯s anger when she learned about that, or feel Lendulin¡¯s pity. They left the room mostly unnoticed as GiDi was talking, and didn¡¯t stop walking until they were halfway to their room. Their room would be empty, and they weren¡¯t sure they wanted to be there alone. They considered going back to the lab and waiting for DH, but they didn¡¯t want to risk seeing something that might affect them badly. Flit was right about that, at least. After a few minutes, they simply sat down in the hallway, listening to the water running alongside the walking path. They considered dipping their toes in the water, but remembered the bug that they saw swimming in it earlier and changed their mind. Had things really been that bad? Of course, it seemed awful at the time because they were in the middle of the whole situation, but it was only hard for them because they differed from the other synths; they were strange. Or, no, they weren¡¯t strange, they just hadn¡¯t been conditioned properly, their brain hadn¡¯t been altered properly. Should their brains have been altered? TO didn¡¯t intend to mention that at all, but at one point, Petra had asked how so many of the synths could be so distant, or could go through their training without questioning the news they heard or railing against the rules imposed on them; GiDi mentioned the brain alteration, and the conditioning, and of course the warnings that Flit had given them on keeping quiet. The mention of all that had drawn expressions of disgust and horror, which was only a little less surprising than the relief that showed so clearly on Petra¡¯s face when TO said that they and DH had not been altered in such a way¡­. It wasn¡¯t wrong. It was fine, because they were synths, and synths existed to serve King Decon. But what of Chilacians then? Why did Chilacians exist? In the same way that TO never got to choose to have their brain preserved, none of the ¡®normal¡¯ synths choose to have their minds altered. No Chilacian had agreed to become a synth. What would TO have chosen if given the chance? Without knowing DH, or knowing any friendship or knowing how easy or hard their life might be, what would TO have chosen for themself? Was altering their minds in the first place wrong? It would be wrong if they were civilians, but they were synths. It was different. Of course, they were only synths because King Decon chose them to be synths. They leaned against the cool stone wall and listened to the water flowing past. Things were simpler when they were just synths, when they struggled because they were strange, and they simply had to strive to serve King Decon. Now, everything was different and confusing. At least they had DH. At least through all of this, DH was a constant in everything. ====== ¡°TO?¡± They didn¡¯t know how long they had been sitting, just listening to the water flowing past, but it must have been a while because GiDi had come looking for them. ¡°I just wanted some quiet.¡± TO said, ¡°That¡¯s all.¡± GiDi nodded and sat down next to them. ¡°I understand that.¡± they said as they positioned themself crossed legged next to TO. ¡°The room¡¯s a little loud, isn¡¯t it?¡± TO grunted in agreement and went back to listening to the water flowing, throwing all their focus into the sound. It kept them from thinking too hard on things that they couldn¡¯t work out right now. ¡°... Are you alright?¡± GiDi asked, breaking TO¡¯s focus, which had been hanging by a thread. Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.¡°... No.¡± TO said after considering lying for just a moment. ¡°I¡¯m¡­ really not.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t think so.¡± GiDi said. ¡°I wasn¡¯t for a while.¡± ¡°GiDi¡­¡± TO stared into the water, watching the movement but not really seeing anything. They felt like they were looking past the water, past the physical and to something far, far away that didn¡¯t actually exist. ¡°I killed seven civilians.¡± They said, ¡°Everything else is confusing enough on its own, but that¡¯s not. I killed seven civilians. Synth, Chilacian, or civilian, that¡¯s¡­.¡± they pulled their knees closer to their chest, ¡°I should be repurposed.¡± ¡°No, you shouldn¡¯t.¡± GiDi said as they put a hand on TO¡¯s knee, ¡°And if it helps, you easily saved three times that number. Children too.¡± TO snorted as their ears dipped back, their wings tightening around their shoulders, ¡°They wouldn¡¯t have died.¡± They said, ¡°The authorities would have taken them and what? Questioned them? Most of them knew nothing-¡± ¡°Technically, they could have them all arrested for ¡®unlawful occupation¡¯¡± GiDi said, ¡°And most of them were legless, who don¡¯t do so well in Arkane¡¯s prison systems, or their legal systems. They¡¯d likely had become indebeted after, and because they¡¯d have a criminal record, they¡¯d receive harsher work in dangerous environments. They wouldn¡¯t last long.¡± ¡°... You¡¯ve seen this?¡± TO asked, glancing at their smaller friend, watching as their ears pinned, and their eyes narrowed. ¡°Yes.¡± They said, ¡°I¡¯ve been here a while, and I¡¯ve helped with a few things. If someone with a criminal record becomes indebetted, they get sent to do some of the most dangerous work on the planet¡­ or off. And yes, they don¡¯t survive. Legless children also don¡¯t do well in the childcare systems for orphans here.¡± GiDi¡¯s fist clenched on TO¡¯s knee. ¡°The state I¡¯ve seen some of them end up in¡­¡± They shook their head, ¡°Those officers knew what they were going to put those people through. They knew the system they¡¯ve chosen to support.¡± They let go of TO¡¯s knee, ¡°... Of course, it was the same one I supported once. That you supported.¡± ¡°... And you don¡¯t support any of it now.¡± TO asked, ¡°The growth of the galaxy, the betterment of society-¡± ¡°I don¡¯t.¡± They said, their voice sharp, ¡°I¡¯ve seen enough suffering, and decided it¡¯s not worth it.¡± They looked to TO, ¡°I¡¯ve seen you and DH suffer before I was taken away. I¡¯ve heard of your suffering afterwards. Flit, Snout¡­ me., we¡¯ve all suffered enough. We¡¯ve seen people get corrected or reprocessed. I¡¯ve seen legless people starve in a system designed to legally kill them off. I¡¯ve seen citizens born in poverty pushed to work and work and suffer until they break, and nobody does anything, nobody changes the system because it¡¯s working as it¡¯s supposed to.¡± ¡°... it¡¯s not supposed to-¡± ¡°Yes, it is!¡± GiDi snapped, ¡°This is how King Decon wants it to work. Expansion and growth. He permits the abuse of the lowest of his people because the lowest people aren¡¯t important to him. So long as they do the work that the system needs them to do, it works. He doesn¡¯t care about suffering.¡± They looked away, focusing on the water once more. ¡°If he did¡­ he''d stop it.¡± It made sense, and TO hated that. They hated knowing that GiDi¡¯s reasoning here answered every question they had why King Decon allowed the systems on Arkane to continue, and why such suffering was allowed. Worse than that, they realized they had never been told any differently. We must make sacrifices for the good of the Galaxy; they just never realized ¡®the good of the galaxy¡¯ was such a mathematical, cold thing. Expansion and growth at any cost; even the cost of people¡¯s lives or wellbeing. ¡°... I still didn¡¯t want to kill anyone.¡± TO said, ¡°Not even for King Decon.¡± They gave a sharp, bitter laugh. ¡°The only time I ever thought I wanted to was when you took DH away.¡± A sharp chuckle escaped GiDi¡¯s mouth. ¡°You wanted to kill me then, I took DH.¡± ¡°But I didn¡¯t. And Avery was trying to hold me back, because they said that I shouldn¡¯t, that I wouldn''t want to kill anyone.¡± They grasped their arms, hugging themself as their wings tightened, ¡°I didn¡¯t want to kill them.¡± ¡°... I know.¡± GiDi said. ¡°I know you. You wouldn¡¯t hurt anyone if you could help it.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t even try to kill them.¡± TO said. ¡°The officers just fell. The other one shot Tham, and then I shot them, but their-¡± ¡°TO¡­¡± GiDi shifted, and knelt in front of TO, ¡°You don¡¯t have to tell me if you don''t want to¡­ but if you want to, then just take a breath. Talk slowly.¡± They put their hands on TO¡¯s arms, ¡°It¡¯s a lot. Just go slow.¡± TO hadn¡¯t even noticed their breathing picking up until GiDi said something. They swallowed and took several deep breaths before they started talking again. ¡°I shot the agent once.¡± They said, speaking slowly and purposefully, and taking deep breaths between each statement. ¡°Something on them sparked. Tham was bleeding. I didn¡¯t want the agent to fall in the water with whatever it was sparking on them. I shot them out. I don¡¯t know when they died.¡± GiDi nodded. ¡°The anchor exaggerates anything listed as insurgent behavior.¡± GiDi said, ¡°None of us believed for a second that you tried to hurt anyone.¡± ¡°They¡¯re still dead because of me.¡± ¡°And if you did nothing, Tham would be dead and the kids you saw would go into a system designed to destroy them.¡± They shrugged, ¡°It doesn¡¯t make it better¡­ but I think you¡¯d feel like this no matter what you had done; if you had protected Tham or not.¡± ¡°You think so?¡± They asked. GiDi didn¡¯t respond right away. Their lips pressed together as they stared at TO for a long moment. After a while, they slowly got to their feet, and held a hand out to help TO up. ¡°Come on.¡± They said, ¡°There¡¯s lots to do. You can help us get some survivors settled.¡± TO frowned, their ears twitching in confusion at GiDi¡¯s sudden shift in topic¡­ but then they simply took GiDi¡¯s hand and got up. Maybe this was something that GiDi didn¡¯t want to talk about, and TO wouldn¡¯t press their friend. Episode 257: Arachnoid As TO followed GiDi down the hallway, they suddenly remembered Avery. Avery hadn¡¯t been in the best state when they left earlier and TO had intended to go after them, but Snout held them back and told them to go see Flit instead. It was with a guilty twist to their stomach that they realized they had not heard from their friend since. ¡°Have you seen Avery?¡± They asked. GiDi stopped and turned. ¡°Not recently. They were with you earlier, so I figured maybe they were waiting for the procedure to be over?¡± ¡°They didn¡¯t seem happy with the whole situation.¡± TO admitted. ¡°They ran off earlier¡­¡± ¡°And you didn¡¯t go after them then?¡± GiDi asked, their ears pinning back. ¡°I tried to!¡± They said, ¡°But Snout held me back and told me to go talk to Flit-¡± GiDi sighed, and doubled back down the hallway, ¡°Come on.¡± They said, ¡°Vik¡¯ll know where they went.¡± ¡°I was going to go after them!¡± TO insisted as they chased after GiDi. ¡°I wanted to! But -¡± ¡°I know.¡± GiDi said, ¡°I believe you¡­ Snout¡¯s been worried about Flit since we got you here, but they shouldn¡¯t have kept you from chasing after Avery.¡± They huffed, ¡°At the end of the day, Flit has Snout. Flit has support.¡± They looked at TO, ¡°You know that you and DH are Avery¡¯s support, right?¡± ¡°I know that-¡± ¡°And you need to be there for them, even if you¡¯re distracted by one another.¡± TO came to a sudden stop. ¡°GiDi¡­ I didn¡¯t want to let them go off by themself, and I didn¡¯t mean to leave you alone either¡­ You know, back in training.¡± GiDi stopped, ¡°... I know.¡± They said, ¡°This isn¡¯t about me. It¡¯s about-¡± ¡°Avery. And they¡¯re upset. They¡¯re worried about Kei, though for the life of me, I don''t understand why.¡± ¡°... I know you wouldn¡¯t want to hurt anyone.¡± GiDi said, ¡°I know there¡¯s a lot going on right now, but there¡¯s a lot going on for Avery too, and Avery doesn¡¯t have a mate, so¡­ just keep an eye on them. I know they normally like to be alone, but lately¡­¡± ¡°Lately they don¡¯t.¡± TO finished, ¡°I know. Snout held me back and told me to go check on Flit.¡± GiDi gave a deep sigh, ¡°That sounds about right.¡± They said, ¡°Come on.¡± They rushed down the hallway in silence until they came to the common room where, as was normal, Vik was sitting and working on their computer. What was unusual was that they were alone for a change. ¡°Tham¡¯s not back yet?¡± GiDi asked. ¡°Not yet. I got a report from him, though; they got the supplies, just moving them is taking longer than expected since he¡¯s got only one good arm, and Lendulin can¡¯t really help. Most everyone else is out trying to get supplies before things get too bad.¡± ¡°Does he need help?¡± GiDi asked. ¡°He says he doesn¡¯t. I believe him. That tunnel is safe enough, and I¡¯m watching him.¡± He pulled up a map on his screen, and with the press of a few buttons displayed a dot moving along a tunnel. ¡°If I see him stop for more than a minute or two, I check on him.¡± ¡°While you¡¯re checking on people, can you check on Avery and tell me when they¡¯re gone?¡± ¡°Avery; Yes.¡± They pressed a few more buttons, and another dot came up on the screen. ¡°There we go. They¡¯re in the kitchens.¡± GiDi gave a sigh of relief, ¡°Good.¡± They said, ¡°We¡¯ll head there now.¡± ¡°Wait.¡± TO said, taking a step forward and squinting at the dot, ¡°You¡¯re tracking Avery?¡± ¡°Not actively.¡± Vik said as they closed the map, ¡°But technically, I can find almost anyone¡¯s location.¡± ¡°Our chips already have trackers in them.¡± GiDi said as they held up their hand, ¡°So Vik¡¯s software just uses that-¡± ¡°More complex than that, but yes, if you want to dumb it down, my software here tracks your chips.¡± TO felt their ears pin back, ¡°But why?¡± They asked, ¡°Why would you track us-¡± ¡°So I can figure out your location in relation to, say, a group of officers working to round up a bunch of people from the tunnels. It¡¯s also useful if someone ¡ª like Tham ¡ª is doing work somewhere and I want to make sure they¡¯re ok. Or let¡¯s say you got lost in the tunnels. I could see where you were and give you direction to get back.¡± Their ears twitched. ¡°Of course, Tham doesn¡¯t have a chip implanted into him; I just track his communicator. The officers from earlier were easier to track than that; they have a secured signal between them so it was easy to identify. It was easier to track them than it is to hack into their signal and hear what they¡¯re saying.¡± ¡°So, you can listen in to what we¡¯re saying then?¡± TO asked as they felt their ear pins back. They were used to being listened to, but they had relaxed a little once DH altered the system on their ship. They didn¡¯t know if they wanted to have anyone just listening into their conversations now. You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version. ¡°I¡¯m sure I could.¡± They said, ¡°I haven¡¯t bothered yet, but the programming -¡± ¡°They can.¡± GiDi said, ¡°Technically. Keep in mind, they can also hack into altered Ai and give them alternative commands. They¡¯re not listening in on your conversations.¡± ¡°Nah.¡± Vik said, still focused on their screen before them, though now they had gone back to working on some kind of code. ¡°I used to. I mean, not with you; with other people. I used to listen to random people back when I was a kid.¡± ¡°You''re still a kid.¡± GiDi said, their ears flattening out. ¡°Excuse you, I¡¯m old enough to drink.¡± they snapped. ¡°Anyway, when I was a literal child, I used to listen in on people all the time. It got boring. I ended up only listening to my parents so I could keep them from getting too pissy with me.¡± TO didn''t care what Vik said; If they could listen in on their conversations, then it was back to talking in low voices with music on. They didn¡¯t want to risk saying the wrong thing. ¡°Come on.¡± GiDi said, tugging on TO¡¯s arm as they led them out of the common room. They stopped just as they got to the door. ¡°Oh, Vik, when¡¯s the last time you slept?¡± ¡°Sleep is for the weak.¡± Vik said. ¡°And there¡¯s too much to do right now.¡± ¡°Right, well.¡± GiDi hesitated, then sighed, ¡°Try to take a nap at least.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll consider it.¡± Another sigh, and GiDi left the room with TO following behind them. ¡°Avery must be in the kitchens with Lake.¡± They turned to TO, ¡°You¡¯ve not met him yet.¡± They froze then, ¡°And uh, he¡¯s rather¡­¡± They frowned, their ears twitching, ¡°He¡¯s rather arachnid in shape?¡± ¡°... He¡¯s a spider?¡± ¡°No, He¡¯s an arachnoid.¡± GiDi said, ¡°He¡¯s the son of a friend of Pearla¡¯s, and he¡¯s a really excellent cook. He just doesn¡¯t enjoy being around too many people all at once.¡± They continued down the hall. ¡°Honestly, I¡¯m surprised Avery¡¯s still there. I wonder how long they¡¯ve been there.¡± they shrugged, ¡°Anyway... Please don¡¯t act too scared around them? Bugs scare you, I know, but-¡± TO¡¯s ears dipped back, ¡°They¡¯re not a bug, they¡¯re a person. I doubt they¡¯re going to suddenly and without reason crawl all over me.¡± They huffed, ¡°I don¡¯t like bugs. Insectoids aren¡¯t bugs.¡± ¡°Arachnoids.¡± GiDi said, ¡°It¡¯s different.¡± A brief smile flickered over their face. ¡°Still, I¡¯m glad to hear that. There are a few insectoids that do work with us you haven¡¯t met yet, and I¡¯d hate for you to be afraid of my friends.¡± ====== The insurgents had repurposed most of the old rooms from whatever their archaic purpose had originally been to what they needed at the moment; bedrooms, dorms, common areas, and, of course, the small prisons. TO expected much the same for the kitchens; a basic setup with salvaged equipment, squeezed into a random room. It wasn¡¯t like that at all. Stepping into the kitchen was like stepping back in time. The room¡¯s original purpose had clearly been that of a kitchen; A stone oven sat built into the wall, the stones arching up and creating a gentle curve leading to the ceiling, from which hung a variety of mismatched pots and pans. Of course, there was no fire in the old hearth; the fuel for cooking with fire would be impossible to get on Arkane in modern times; no, a simple electric stove sat where a fire would have once roared. Its cord was longer than was strictly safe and trailed out of the room and off to some other part of the underground. They probably had a setup like DH made for Lendulin; a water powered generator to keep things running. They hadn¡¯t asked themself before how they were getting power down here for Vik;¡¯s computers, or even the electric lights that kept things bright, but of course, now that they considered it, it made sense. Along with the stone hearth and the old, battered cookware, there was a large, worn, smooth stone table in the center of the kitchen, currently covered in various cooking implements, various dried plants, and many jars with unidentifiable contents. ¡°TO?¡± TO looked to the corner and saw Avery. They were kneeling down on the floor next to a large plastic box. They had large, elbow-length gloves on, and in their hand they held a live, writhing cocopod, its legs all moving in a fluid motion as its large body wrapped around Avery¡¯s hand. Somewhere, deep inside themself, they could feel the urge to scream. However, to their own surprise, they instead strode forward, even as ice flooded their veins. They grabbed the first thing they could see off the table - a large plastic fork- and, not even knowing what they were going to do, headed to Avery to help get that disgusting creature off their friend. They had no idea what their plan was once Avery was free of the insect, but they had to get it off their poor friend as soon as possible. TO was a few feet away when they felt someone hold them back- long, thin legs with simple claw-like hands grasping their shirt with a strength that didn¡¯t match the appearance of the thin limbs. ¡°Careful now.¡± A clicking, staccato voice said from above. TO looked up, and someone with shiny black chitin, eight long limbs - four from their mostly humanoid torso, four from the narrow oval of their lower body- and a rounded head with four eyes was hanging from the ceiling. Three of the limbs held the ceiling, two held TO by the shoulders, and the other three were still busy mixing things in two different bowls. ¡°If you get too close, you¡¯ll scare the cocopods.¡± Episode 258: Fiction ¡°Maybe back away from the crates.¡± GiDi said as they linked an arm with TO¡¯s and pulled them back. ¡°And maybe let go of the spoon.¡± They gently pried the spoon from TO¡¯s hand and held it up towards the ceiling, tilting it towards the busy cook. ¡°Here you go Lake.¡± ¡°Thanks.¡± Lake the Arachnoid said as they let go of TO and took the spoon with their newly freed hand. ¡°They looked like they were about to go make mashed cocopod. You¡¯re supposed to cook them first.¡± The chitin around their face seemed somehow more flexible, and so a brief smirk could cross their features. Avery quickly lifted the lid of the container and slipped the captured cocopod inside. It let go of Avery¡¯s hand easily enough, but the problem was that in that ?moment when Avery opened the lid, TO glimpsed the contents of the container; a chaotic mass of chitin and legs writhing around. The container was full of cocopods, and at a glance, they could see at least four more containers behind Avery. They were all closed, but given what they had been eating since arriving underground, TO could guess what the containers contained. Seeing that one writhing mass, and seeing Avery with his hand free of the cocopod, seemed to break the trance that TO had fallen under, from their determination to help Avery. No scream escaped their mouth, but they could feel the muscles of their neck tense as though a scream wanted to come out. Their ears flattened, and their wings wrapped around them as they suddenly stumbled backwards. Something caught their feet and they would have fallen over were it not for a chair that Lake suddenly grabbed and placed behind TO. ¡°Careful.¡± Lake said as they crawled on the ceiling towards the large stone table. ¡°There are too many sharp objects and hot things; it¡¯s not safe to just stumble around.¡± They put the spoon back down on the table, latched the now free hand back onto the ceiling, and continued to mix. ¡°You¡¯d get hurt.¡± ¡°They¡¯re afraid of bugs.¡± GiDi said, ¡°Sorry, I didn¡¯t even think of the cocopods-¡± ¡°Why would you, you eat them every day?¡± Lake said. They turned to Avery. ¡°Speaking of eating, though, did you find a few nice fat ones?¡± Avery stood up from their spot on the floor and already had the thick rubber glove off. ¡°Oh¡­ no, sorry, I only just started when TO came in. I put it back.¡± ¡°Well, if you¡¯re still looking for a distraction¡­¡± They set down the bowl, ¡ª which now TO could see had a strange cream in it ¡ª and picked up a long, narrow metal fork. Over the little electric stove there was a large pot boiling; they removed the lid and poked around until they brought up a dripping wet package, wrapped in seaweed. ¡°Here. You can prep and clean this one for me then. You remember how to do it?¡± ¡°I do¡­¡± Avery said as Lake set the package down on a plastic cutting board, ¡°But¡­ TO hates even the look of them.¡± They glanced up apologetically at TO, ¡°I should wait for them to leave¡± All of Lake''s busy hands paused. They turned from Avery to TO. ¡°Is that right?¡± They asked, their eight eyes wide as they stared, ¡°You don¡¯t even like looking at them?¡± A slight flush crept up the back of TO¡¯s lowered ears as they nodded. ¡°But you¡¯ve been eating them?¡± ¡°DH, my mate, they¡¯ve been peeling them for me, and-¡± TO didn¡¯t get to finish their sentence. Lake sighed, dropped the bowl, and picked up the fork again. He shook it like an admonishing finger at GiDi. ¡°You could have said something.¡± He said before turning and grabbing the small bundle again. He took a nearby knife and cut apart the string that held the seaweed together. The sodden leaves fell apart, revealing a curled cocopod covered in a collection of strange herbs. ¡°They can eat the bugs!¡± GiDi insisted. ¡°You¡¯re so busy-¡± ¡°We have little enough food here, and it¡¯s hard enough to nourish all the lot of you. Last thing I need is one of you getting sick because you can¡¯t handle how something looks.¡± They took a large knife from a plastic block and with careful, quick movements started cutting the segments of the cocopod apart to create smaller segments of shell, each one with four legs attached. Feeling the bile rising in their throat, TO looked aside, breathing heavily through their nose. ¡°See.¡± Lake said, ¡°Look. How are they supposed to eat if they can hardly look at these things? Honestly, GiDi, you should have said something to me.¡± The knife continued its work. The sound of the blade against the bug''s shell was clear in TO¡¯s ear. ¡°TO, was it? Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll put this together in a way you won¡¯t even recognize.¡± ¡°I-I¡¯m sure I can eat anything you prepare.¡± TO said. ¡°There¡¯s no need-¡± They looked over, intending to prove that they could in fact look at it, and that the arachnoid Lake didn¡¯t need to go out of their way for TO, but the moment they did was when Lake started breaking open the shells. Unlike how DH carefully peeled the cooked shell off after removing the legs, Lake just smacked the shell with the flat of his blade. TO was positive that the legs twitched as the shell cracked open, allowing Lake to scoop out the meat inside. A gag threatened to escape them. They reminded themself that they had been eating those things for days, and though they intended for that to calm them down, it didn¡¯t work. ¡°I think the proper response is, ¡®Thanks Lake! I appreciate it!¡¯¡± TO took a deep breath to calm their stomach, then with their ears down they nodded, ¡°Thank you, Lake.¡± A low chuckle, accented by clicks, escaped Lake¡¯s voice. ¡°There, that wasn¡¯t so hard, was it?¡± they asked. ¡°GiDi, why did you even bring them here? You know I have all kinds of¡­ supplies in my kitchen.¡± ¡°We were looking for Avery.¡± GiDi said, ¡°And I thought it would be fine, for a minute anyway.¡± ¡°Well, you found Avery, but I can¡¯t let you take them away.¡± Lake said, ¡°They¡¯re far too helpful. I have a new kitchen assistant now. Too bad.¡± ¡°I just wandered in here.¡± Avery said, their own ears flicking down. ¡°I just wanted some quiet, but I didn¡¯t want to go back to my room, so-¡± If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. ¡°Avery can enjoy someone¡¯s company without needing to make conversation.¡± Lake said, ¡°They can stay and help with the cocopods.¡± The sound of the knife slapping against the shell suddenly stopped. ¡°That is, if you want to, Avery.¡± ¡°I¡­ I¡¯ll think about it.¡± Avery said. ¡°But, thank you for letting me stay here for a while-¡± ¡°You¡¯re welcome anytime.¡± Lake said, ¡°But please, get your friends out of here before TO throws up all over my floor. I don¡¯t know what synth vomit looks like, and I''m not super excited to find out.¡± Avery nodded, removed their gloves, and set them on the table before getting up and heading over to TO. They put a hand on their shoulder and gently guided them up. ¡°Come on, let¡¯s go.¡± They said. ¡°Lake, we¡¯re heading to the dorm. Do you have-¡± ¡°Prepped meals in the corner in plastic containers. Bring the containers back. I¡¯ll have a meal ready for TO later. When it is done, I¡¯ll send you a message.¡± ¡°I can get them.¡± TO said as they got up, being careful to move so they wouldn¡¯t see the bits of cocopod on the table. ¡°They¡¯re full of cocopods.¡± Avery warned, ¡°I packed some of them myself-¡± ¡°I can¡¯t see them, so it¡¯ll be fine.¡± TO said as they went over to the stacks of opaque containers. They picked up two and balanced them in their arms. ¡°Are you sure?¡± GiDi asked, ¡°Avery and I-¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure.¡± TO said with a smile, ¡°Positive.¡± They might have been afraid of insects, but they could at least help carry them. They weren¡¯t that bad. At least, they hoped they weren¡¯t. ====== ¡°So¡­ How¡¯s the procedure going?¡± Avery and TO were passing out the meal to the survivors; TO passing out the filled water bottles, Avery dealing with the containers. TO had gotten to the room just fine, but if they had to choose, they¡¯d rather handle the water than the containers of bugs. They worked in silence mostly, but now ?Avery spoke with TO in synth speak, to keep their conversation private. ¡°I don''t know.¡± TO said, ¡°They didn¡¯t want me around.¡± Their ears flicked down. ¡°I was going to chase after you, but Snout asked me to talk to Flit¡­¡± ¡°Right¡­¡± Avery said as another civilian, this one a legged human female with a tentacled child, came up to take a container of food. ¡°I can understand that.¡± ¡°You can?¡± TO said, their ears tilting up in confusion. ¡°Well, yes.¡± Avery said, ¡°You¡¯re their offspring, right?¡± ¡°That has nothing to do with anything.¡± TO said, their ears flattening out. ¡°It only means I was one of the synths that they disconnected. You¡¯re the same, just by chance-¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­¡± Avery said, their ears twitching in contemplation as they passed a container of food to the next person. ¡°In a lot of my books, parents have some kind of instinct to protect their offspring, and they have been more involved with you, GiDi, and DH-¡± ¡°DH isn¡¯t their offspring.¡± TO said as they passed a bottle of water to the person who had just received their meal. ¡°So there goes that idea.¡± ¡°True, but DH is Snout¡¯s offspring. Snout is Flit¡¯s mate. Relation or not, wouldn''t they want to help protect someone that¡¯s close to their mate?¡± That was true, at least. It was the same way that TO felt some need to protect Tham; He was Pearla¡¯s brother, and Pearla was GiDi¡¯s mate. It suddenly occurred to them that GiDi was their half sibling; that they were literally family to the smaller synth. They had always considered GiDi to be family to them, but that idea that it was biologically true made their head spin. ¡°I¡¯m just saying, if you¡¯ve been angry at them, and they feel some kind of need to protect you, or help you, or connect with you¡­ then they¡¯d be upset that you¡¯re angry at them, wouldn¡¯t they be?¡± They passed a meal to the next person. ¡°Of course, I don¡¯t know. This is just from fiction, and fiction often either glorifies or understates things. In the same vein, I¡¯ve read plenty where the parents were entirely and thoroughly disinterested in the offspring; to the point of hurting them.¡± They shrugged, ¡°So I don¡¯t really know. But, if you being upset has bothered them, it makes some sense, doesn¡¯t it?¡± Did it? The idea of having a parent of any kind was entirely foreign to them. The closest they had was King Decon, who supposedly created them. That was why they served King Decon, why they owed everything to King Decon¡­ But that was a lie. King Decon didn¡¯t create them. ¡°... Do offspring normally have to serve their parents?¡± TO asked. They didn¡¯t pay as much attention to the parent-child relations in their shows, but the children always seemed rather obedient. Of course, they were also young. ¡°No.¡± Avery said, ¡°Though some parents expect their children to. It never turns out well in those cases, though. It¡¯s not¡­¡± Their ears twitched as they thought about it, ¡°Apparently it¡¯s not healthy. But again, I only know this all from fiction.¡± That was a relief. TO didn¡¯t want to serve Flit. Though, now that they were thinking about it, they wondered¡­ Was it healthy for them to be expected to serve King Decon? They knew that the proper answer to that would be that they didn¡¯t need to be ¡®healthy¡¯?. King Decon did not create them to do anything other than serve. That answer seemed so wrong to them. They had felt such things, such thoughts had been wrong before, but now they only had the vague feeling that it was so, and had no logical reasons they should feel like that. Now, with the outrage that Lendulin and Petra had shown when they told them about their training, and everything else they had learned since being taken by the insurgents, they had some solid reasoning ?for their feelings. Episode 259: Children There was a lot of work to be done, and TO was happy to have the distraction. They weren¡¯t used to being idle for very long; even their down time with DH used to be filled with some kind of mild urgency. It was as though they had to work hard to enjoy every second since back then they had limited time. Since coming to the underground, time took on a strange, unreal quality to TO. It felt like nothing mattered, and a day could have been three days or an hour. Of course, maybe their days of isolation at the beginning had something to do with that. At any rate, being suddenly busy felt good. Having a list of tasks to do made TO feel normal, and settled the whirling torrent of all the other thoughts that raged in their mind. They didn¡¯t have to worry about the dead civilians because right now their task was to go from bed to bed and find out which people were together in a family. Pearla said that they wanted to keep family members together. This was simple work for TO; they had an excellent memory, so they rarely lost track of where they were, or forget if they had asked a specific person who they were with. Their concentration wasn¡¯t easily broken either, so it was quick work for them. Of course, little hands tugging at the hem of one''s shirt would distract anyone. ¡°Yes, can I help you?¡± TO finished inputting some data in the datapad before turning around, their eyes flicking down to view the child trying to get their attention. They nearly dropped the datapad. At first, they thought ?the child was a synth. A young, juvenile synth like they had seen in the tanks back in the training center. It, of course, only took an extra moment to realize that this was entirely not the case. Yes, the young one had big black eyes, similar skin tone, and long ears that looked just a little too big for their head, but rather than being bald like a synth, they had three fins on their head; two on the side, one on top. Their nose was flatter than even a synth, and of course there were no wings. This child had fins at their elbows, and a long tail instead of legs. Instead of a wheelchair like Pearla had, the child pulled themself around on a long, flat board with small wheels attached to the bottom; wheels that might have come off an office chair. ¡°Hello.¡± TO said, kneeling down to get a closer look. The resemblance to the synths in the tanks was striking, and it made TO feel sad, though they didn¡¯t know why. ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± They asked, keeping their tone as soft as possible; as though speaking too loud or low might damage their ears. The child straightened up as much as possible on the board and spoke with a clear, practiced lilt that brought a smile to TO¡¯s lips and an amused twitch to their ears. ¡°Constance Clora Skimmer. She/her.¡± She looked up with her big fearless eyes at TO. ¡°What¡¯s yours?¡± ¡°You can call me TO. They/them.¡± TO said as they quickly recorded the name. They hadn¡¯t come across too many people down here with last names, and none with the last name of Skimmer. ¡°Constance, is Clora your last name, or is it Clora-Skimmer?¡± The child giggled, ¡°No!¡± She said, as though TO had said something entirely foolish, ¡°Constance is MY name. Clora is my mother, and Skimmer is what my father does.¡± She flicked her enormous eyes over TO¡¯s face, to their ears, their eyes, and let them linger on TO¡¯s wings. Finally, she said, ¡°Aunt Pearla says you¡¯re a synth. Are you really?¡± The question, TO realized, had become harder to answer in the last week. Were they a synth, or a Chilacian? What really is the difference between the two? Did they have the right to call themself a synth? Did they even want to? ¡°Yes.¡± They said, The simplest answer in this case was the best. The child probably just wanted to know if TO was like the synths she had seen about the city, or seen on the news. ¡°... But you don¡¯t look scary.¡± She said, huffing in annoyance. ¡°And you don¡¯t have big teeth!¡± ¡°I¡¯m supposed to?¡± TO asked. They opened their mouth so that Constance could see their fangs. ¡°I ¡®ave ig teef.¡± They said, pointing to the sharp, glistening fangs. ¡°Mine are bigger.¡± She said, and when she smiled, she revealed a row of thin, pointed teeth. Perhaps they were thinner than TOs, but they were longer, and left TO wondering how she spoke around them. She closed her mouth and puffed up her little chest, the fins on her head puffing up at the same time. ¡°Mx Daska said that If I kept playing in the water and didn¡¯t sit right in the chair, that they¡¯d call the synths, and they¡¯d take me away, and eat me!¡± She said, ¡°But Aunt Pearla said that you wouldn¡¯t hurt me. But, just in case-¡± She flashed her teeth again, ¡°If you try to eat me, I¡¯ll bite you!¡± The chuckle that slipped from TO¡¯s mouth was only half of amusement. Though the child was small, and clearly very young, those teeth looked like they would hurt. ¡°Also, if you¡¯re a synth, where''s your armor!?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± TO said. They had an idea that Vik had it, but he hadn¡¯t offered it back, and TO hadn¡¯t asked for it. They were just happy enough to have their chips back. She looked them over once more, frowning at their ears. In that moment, though TO didn¡¯t know what it was signaling, they could see a peculiar twitch in Constance¡¯s ears. ¡°You don¡¯t look scary.¡± She finally said, ¡°Your eyes are too big.¡± ¡°And their ears are too fluttery to be scary.¡± A very familiar voice said behind them. ¡°That¡¯s the real thing to watch for.¡± Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.Their own ears perking up, TO turned around, their face brightening as they saw DH standing behind them. They wore fresh clothes; a knee-length dress of cheap fabric. The back was cut out of it to accommodate wings, but the ends were left rough and the fabric was curling in on itself. Several things went through TO¡¯s mind. First; it wasn¡¯t fair. DH loved clothes so much, and had such nice things before, and now they were wearing a plain, tattered outfit. Of course, to TO they lit up the room no matter what they wore, just by appearing, just by speaking, but DH loved the nice clothes, and TO wanted them to have things they liked. Second; the way DH looked at them; their expression calm, their ears relaxed, their smile bright as always. It didn¡¯t matter that they killed seven civilians; DH was just happy to see them and, for a moment, DH¡¯s light chased away the residual shadows of their earlier actions. Maybe it would only last a moment, but TO was happy for that moment. Third; They were just so happy to see DH. They didn¡¯t realize they dropped the data pad as they got up and wrapped their arms and wings around their mate, gripping them. ¡°I was worried.¡± They muttered into DH¡¯s neck. DH chuckled and wrapped their arms around TO¡¯s waist. ¡°I wasn¡¯t the one getting the surgery done.¡± They said, their voice soft so close to TO¡¯s ear. ¡°I wasn¡¯t even doing the surgery, just assisting.¡± ¡°I know.¡± TO said, pressing their face against DH¡¯s skin. They could smell the soap off their mate, and still feel the residual dampness on their skin. ¡°You bathed?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t want to smell like an operating room when I saw you.¡± They whispered. ¡°And I guess it¡¯s a good thing I did.¡± They gently scratched the back of TO¡¯s neck. ¡°See. Synths don¡¯t hug either.¡± The voice of Constance brought TO back to their senses, and while they didn¡¯t pull away, they looked around, their ears flushed and flicking with anxiety as they searched for watching eyes. To their surprise, though, nobody was watching them. Well, nobody except for Constance. ¡°Only out of armor.¡± DH said with a smile at the small child. Then, to TO they asked, ¡°You made a friend, I see?¡± ¡°Constance?¡± Pearla¡¯s voice rang over the crowd. ¡°She¡¯s over here, Pearla.¡± TO called back. It wasn¡¯t even a moment later when Pearla made her way through the crowds and to the girl. When Constance saw Perala, she scooted over to her, her tiny arms wrapped around Pearla¡¯s waist. ¡°Are you sure they¡¯re Synths?¡± Constance asked. ¡°They don''t act like synths.¡± ¡°No, they don¡¯t.¡± She said as she put a hand on Constance''s shoulder, ¡°But they were.¡± ¡°I¡¯m guessing you know her parents.¡± TO said as they picked up the communicator, ¡°She called you Aunt. She¡¯s not Tham¡¯s child, is she?¡± TO knew that hybrids were commonplace between many species, but she seemed so radically different from Tham that they couldn¡¯t imagine that the two might be related. Maybe Constance was the child of a half-sibling¡¯s child? ¡°Oh, no no no.¡± Pearla said laughing, ¡°I¡¯m ¡®aunt Pearla¡¯ but I¡¯m not related by blood.¡± She said, at the same time giving a reassuring squeeze to Constance¡¯s shoulder, ¡°I¡¯m friends with her parents, and I watch her a lot.¡± ¡°So she calls you aunt, but you¡¯re not her aunt.¡± TO said, their ears twitching in confusion. ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s a thing.¡± Pearla said, smirking. ¡°Alright.¡± TO said, ¡°Where¡¯s her parents then? I¡¯ll list her with them now-¡± ¡°Daddy is working, but he¡¯ll be back soon.¡± She said, ¡°Mommy died before I hatched. But, I have lots of aunts, so it¡¯s ok!¡± ¡°Right.¡± Pearla said, her face dropping. She patted Constance on the shoulder. ¡°Now, I found some old toys for you, and put them under your bed. Why don¡¯t you crawl under and make a little fort with the sheets, hmm?¡± Constance gave Pearla a quick hug. ¡°Ok!¡± she said, then started scooting away as quickly as her arms could move her towards a bunk near the back. ¡°Will her father be back soon?¡± TO asked. Pearla sighed and gave TO a tired look. ¡°I sometimes forget how you lot don¡¯t really pick up on lies.¡± She said, ¡°The authorities took her dad. She was playing with some friends further back, so we could get her out.¡± TO¡¯s ears pinned back, ¡°And you lied to her?¡± They asked. Pearla shrugged. ¡°She¡¯s six, TO. She couldn¡¯t do anything about it, and it¡¯s just going to make her miserable. Besides, we¡¯re hoping we can get him back before we have to go, and before anything happens to him.¡± ¡°And if you can¡¯t-¡± ¡°Then my lie has done nothing but save her a few days of heartache.¡± Pearla said. ¡°List her as alone for now, but if anything happens, get me.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± TO said. They went into their file, and added Constance in a group of her own¡­ but it seemed so sad to TO. They didn¡¯t remember their own ¡®childhood¡¯ as they were in the tanks and it passed like a dream that¡¯s been long forgotten, but they knew ?children ?shouldn¡¯t be alone. Besides that, Constance was small, and going about on their scooter kept her low to the ground. In case of an emergency, someone had to watch out for her and make sure that she was safe. Above her name, they put their own name, and DH¡¯s. If they found her father, then TO could fix that later. Then, after a moment of hesitation, they added Avery¡¯s name. They could ask their friend if that was alright later, but for now, if they were putting their own name on this list, grouping themself in a family of sorts, they¡¯d add Avery. Episode 260: Steps Hours after they started their work, Pearla approached TO looking ragged and tired, but despite that there was a smile on her face. ¡°I think we¡¯ve done all we can for today.¡± She said as she looked up at TO, ¡°How¡¯s the list coming?¡± ¡°It¡¯s done.¡± TO said, their ears twitching anxiously, ¡°Do you want to see the lists?¡± ¡°Sure, yeah, just send it to me and I¡¯ll check it later.¡± She said, She looked back over all the people in the underground, getting settled in their bunks as they tried to get some sleep. Most of the children, thankfully, had fallen asleep already. TO cast their eyes around for Constance, and after a moment found her sleeping in a bunk with another family. ¡°That¡¯s the family she was visiting when everything happened.¡± Pearla said, catching TO¡¯s gaze, ¡°She¡¯ll stay with them for now.¡± ¡°Ah.¡± TO said, frowning at their datapad, ¡°Should I have put her under their name then?¡± ¡°No, no.¡± Pearla said, ¡°We still hope we¡¯ll find her father.¡± ¡°What if you don¡¯t?¡± DH asked. They had stayed close to TO after returning from the surgery, taking every opportunity they could to slip their hand into TO¡¯s, to brush up against them, or even just to watch them as they worked. TO¡¯s concentration was good, but after a while even they felt their attention waning with DH around. ¡°If we don¡¯t¡­.¡± Pearla sighed, ¡°I don¡¯t know. I know that family would take her in, but they have eight children-¡± ¡°Eight?¡± TO¡¯s ears flicked out as their eyes widened. ¡°Eight?!¡± ¡°Eight. And they¡¯ve come to me asking for help before. I know if we asked they¡¯d take her, but¡­ I don¡¯t want to ask and put that on them, you know?¡± She shook her head, ¡°Anyway¡­ let¡¯s hope we can find her father, right? Let¡¯s not act like he¡¯s dead until it¡¯s too late.¡± A moment later, Avery headed from the back towards the three of them. They were looking at something projected before them on their chip, but when they looked up and saw DH with TO they turned off the projection and quickened their pace. ¡°How did it go?¡± They asked as soon as they were in easy hearing range, ¡°Is Kei alright?¡± Can I see them?¡± ¡°The procedure went like they expected it to.¡± DH said, through their ears tilted down, ¡°I don¡¯t know myself though; They were doing some really complicated stuff. It was interesting to watch, but I mostly just handed them stuff while they worked, so I know nothing about how it worked.¡± ¡°They¡¯re alright through, they didn¡¯t die, or-¡± ¡°Goretta says we need to wait for them to wake up to see how they are, and then sometime late tomorrow the process will start¡­ but yes, they¡¯re fine. They¡¯re just sleeping.¡± ¡°Can I see them?¡± Avery asked again, ¡°Where are they?¡± ¡°There¡¯s a recovery room next to the operation room.¡± DH said, ¡°They¡¯re in there-¡± ¡°Alone?¡± ¡°Goretta is nearby, and they¡¯re being watched.¡± DH said. ¡°I¡¯ll go wait with them.¡± Avery said, and without another word they strode past TO and DH, and headed out into the hallway. ¡°Avery, wait-¡± DH said as they took a step forward, then hesitated as Avery left the room. TO didn¡¯t hesitate. This time, TO ran after them. They left the room, and chased after Avery, catching up to them only a few seconds later as they reached out and grabbed their sleeve. ¡°Avery, wait!¡± TO said, ¡°You heard DH. Kei is fine, they¡¯re just sleeping-¡± ¡°I know that.¡± Avery said, ¡°And I¡¯m going to sit with them until they wake.¡± ¡°Alright, but why?¡± TO asked. Avery didn¡¯t seem like they were going to run off, so TO released Avery¡¯s sleeve. ¡°They¡¯re asleep, they might not even know you''re there, or want you there-¡± ¡°If it was DH who was asleep after a major procedure, you¡¯d stay with them. You did stay with them. Remember? They day they lost their eye-¡± ¡°That¡¯s entirely different though!¡± TO said, though the mention of that so shortly after talking to GiDi made the guilt stroke through them, a hit of cold in their veins, ¡°DH is my mate-¡± ¡°They weren¡¯t then.¡± Came Avery¡¯s quick retort. ¡°Well, they were my friend even then.¡± TO said, ¡°Of course I¡¯d stay with my friend.¡± ¡°There you go.¡± Avery said as they turned to head back down the hall, this time just walking at a clipped pace. ¡°I¡¯m going to wait with my friend.¡± ¡°... Are they your friend?¡± TO asked. ¡°I know you care about them but¡­¡± Avery stopped again and stood still in the hallway. Their ears dipped down, while flicking in contemplation. Their wings tightened slightly on their shoulders. ¡°Have they ever called you their friend?¡± TO asked. ¡°You know the answer to that.¡± Avery said. ¡°And before all this, Maybe that would have meant something. Maybe that would have even bothered me¡­¡± They turned, ¡°But¡­ Now I know I am as I am because of my brain. I can feel friendship for people, empathy, sympathy, I can do that because my brain is altered. Kei can¡¯t. Even if they wanted to, I don''t know if they could feel any kind of friendship towards me.¡± If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. ¡°And you¡¯re hoping that¡¯ll change now?¡± TO asked. ¡°I hope. I if they¡¯ll be nicer, if they¡¯ll be angrier, if they¡¯ll want to be my friend or if they¡¯ll hate me.¡± They frowned, ¡°But I also don¡¯t know if they¡¯ll be scared, or lonely. The only thing I know is that they¡¯ve been alone for too long now, and I know that being isolated had a toll on them.¡± They looked up at TO, ¡°So¡­ I¡¯m going to wait with them. I¡¯ll sit by them and wait for them to wake up. If they tell me to leave then, I will¡­ But if they wake up alone and scared after a procedure, and I let them stay alone, I¡¯d never forgive myself.¡± It occurred then to TO that if it were anybody else, they¡¯d wouldn¡¯t have questioned why Avery wanted to stay with them. Even if it was some unknown civilian who was alone in the recovery room, TO would have assumed that Avery was just being compassionate, and wanted to help someone¡­ Why was he questioning Avery wanting to stay with Kei? The answer came back to him the moment the question echoed in his head. Kei was awful; he insulted DH and GiDi time and time again, isolated DH in their early days, made DH feel bad when they were caught in the emergency ship, and reported them to their superior. If it weren''t for the insurgency, the Kei¡¯s actions would have had DH and TO separated by now. Maybe he would be different when the procedure was done, and his brain was repaired. Still, TO wasn¡¯t sure if they could ever feel sympathy for the other synth. Still¡­ They could feel sympathy for Avery. ¡°I¡¯ll go with you then.¡± They said, ¡°I¡¯ll keep you company-¡± Avery gave TO a soft, sad smile, their ears dipping, ¡°Thank you¡­ but stay here.¡± They said. ¡°I don¡¯t mind going with you!¡± TO protested. ¡°I know, and I appreciate that. BUt I convinced Kei to get this done by saying they might be better than you. By holding you over their head, right?¡± They shook their head, ¡°I don¡¯t know how they might react to you, and just after their procedure I don''t want to risk them getting upset.¡± ¡°... Would you like it if DH went with you instead?¡± TO asked. They didn¡¯t want to be apart from DH, but they also didn¡¯t want Avery to be by themself with Kei. However, Avery just chuckled at TO¡¯s suggestion. ¡°They¡¯re not overly fond of DH either.¡± They said, ¡°It¡¯s fine. I won''t be alone¡­ I¡¯ll be with Kei.¡± ¡°But they¡¯re asleep-¡± ¡°They¡¯ll still be there¡­ if that makes sense.¡± It made little sense to TO, but Avery seemed entirely at ease with the idea. They nodded and pointed to their hand where the chip was stuck. ¡°If you change your mind, message me.¡± TO said, ¡°And I''ll be checking in on you to make sure you¡¯re doing alright.¡± Another smile flickered across Avery¡¯s face as they nodded. ¡°Thanks.¡± They said, ¡°And¡­ if I change my mind, I promise I¡¯ll tell you.¡± ¡°Alright..¡± Avery nodded again, and continued down the hallway, walking now instead of running. Somehow, that made TO feel better. With a sigh, TO turned around, and headed back to the room to find DH. They would keep up on checking in on Avery, though. They even activated their chip and set up an alert. Once an hour, on the hour; check on Avery. ====== DH was waiting for them outside the room, leaning against the wall. TO figured that they weren¡¯t too far away from where they had spoken with Avery, so it was likely that DH heard the conversation. ¡°They¡¯re staying with Kei then.¡± DH said, confirming that very thought. ¡°Yes.¡± TO said, their ears pinning back, ¡°I can¡¯t understand why though. IF they had developed romantic feelings, that I could understand, but they didn¡¯t. At least, they say they didn¡¯t.¡± ¡°They developed friendship feelings.¡± DH said. We have no idea what they¡¯re like together, but we know Kei doesn¡¯t like to talk too much, but they do like being around people if they¡¯re not busy.¡± TO¡¯s ears dipped as they nodded. They remembered how frustrating it was to them to just have Kei hanging around them and DH. ¡°Yes, they do.¡± ¡°So¡­ I suppose they would have gotten along alright.¡± DH said, ¡°Maybe Kei took it as friendship. Maybe Kei let them, or didn¡¯t care what Kei called it because they worked well together. Maybe Avery considers them a friend.¡± ¡°Kei doesn¡¯t consider anybody their friend.¡± TO said. DH just shrugged. ¡°Maybe they will when their brain is restored¡­¡± DH mused, ¡°Maybe they will want to be Avery¡¯s friend. Maybe they¡¯ll want to be ours.¡± ¡°After everything they did!¡± TO snapped, their ears pinned and their wings puffing up around them. ¡°The horrible things they said-¡± ¡°They might be a different synth after this.¡± DH said, ¡°That¡¯s what we hope, anyway, right? For us, for them, and for Avery.¡± TO huffed, ¡°You¡¯re more forgiving than I am.¡± They said, ¡°I almost lost you, thanks to them. If it weren''t for the insurgents-¡± ¡°Well¡­ it¡¯s fine.¡± DH said as they lined their arm into TO¡¯s, and pulled them down the hallway, ¡°If it works, we¡¯ll deal with that then. They¡¯ll go to Apoikia with us, and they¡¯ll be other synths - other Chilacians. I¡¯m sure it¡¯ll be fine.¡± TO let DH lead them down the hallway and away from the dormitory as they considered their mate¡¯s words. Apoikia- the planet of the Chilacians. Maybe things would be fine when they got to the Apoikia, but they had to get there first. They had to get off this planet first, and that wouldn¡¯t be a simple task. Despite how busy they had been, they hadn¡¯t even started any plans for that! One step at a time. One action at a time. They could only hope it worked out in the long run. Episode 261: Juice ¡°I guess we head to our own ¡®room¡¯ for now.¡± TO said as they let DH lead them down the hallway. They perked up suddenly as they remembered something from their visit with Flit earlier. ¡°If that is our room, then maybe we can make it look different? I went to Flit and Snout¡¯s room today and they have their room decorated with posters and all kinds of odd things!¡± DH¡¯s ears perked, ¡°I¡¯d like that!¡± They said, ¡°I could find some prints of Lendulin¡¯s work, maybe?¡± ¡°Oh, and maybe we could get a small speaker!¡± TO added, ¡°We could listen to musicals without using our chips. The sound¡¯s not been the same since Vik tinkered with it. If we found an old projector we could watch them too! Maybe-¡± suddenly their ears dipped down, ¡°I was going to say maybe we could watch that musical we went to watch. The one we didn¡¯t finish.¡± The one they didn¡¯t finish because TO messed up everything. That would be nice, but it seemed now that the musical was intrinsically linked with their fight with DH that day, and even thinking of it put a sour stone in TO¡¯s stomach. DH squeezed TO¡¯s arm, a wing wrapping around them, ¡°I¡¯d like that.¡± They said. ¡°We could make it special. Maybe get some food-¡± There wasn¡¯t a lot of interesting food, and what they had needed to be consumed sparingly, saved for their flight from the planet. That fact, of course, reminded TO of several things. ¡°... Of course, we might not even be here long.¡± TO said, ¡°We¡¯re trying to get off the planet and if everything goes right, we¡¯ll be gone soon, and back out in space.¡± And if they didn¡¯t get off the planet¡­ well, from what Flit said it was likely that they wouldn¡¯t be around much longer anyway. Either they would get caught by the synths, or perish if the synth army on its way decided to ¡®deal¡¯ with an unsalvageable population. Of course, there was always the possibility that the security minister might catch them first. TO wasn¡¯t sure what she¡¯d do to the civilians that helped the insurgency, but they did know what was waiting for them if anyone discovered they were synths. ¡°That doesn¡¯t mean we can¡¯t enjoy the room we have while we¡¯re here.¡± DH said. ¡°So long as we¡¯re here, and so long as that room¡¯s ours¡­ I say we do what we like with it. And maybe Vik has an old projector we can borrow!¡± TO smiled as they held onto DH¡¯s arm. ¡°Let¡¯s ask tomorrow.¡± They said, Maybe if they watched that musical with DH again, this time blissfully alone, they¡¯d be able to form some new memories. Suddenly, TO realized that they were not heading to their room. The underground still confused TO, but there was a distinct crack on the floor next to the water in one part of the main hall. TO recognized the crack as they passed it, and realized that they were walking away from their room. ¡°Where are we going?¡± TO asked. Their mind raced as they came up with possibilities for their eventual destination, and landed on the obvious one, ¡°Avery said we shouldn¡¯t be there. They don¡¯t want Kei to be upset when they wake, and -¡± ¡°I know. I heard.¡± DH said, ¡°But we¡¯re not going there, not now anyway. We should head there after though, just for a minute.¡± They turned a corner, and TO realized that they were heading towards the common room. ¡°Pearla said we should come here for some food. It¡¯s a bit late for a proper supper, but apparently there¡¯s something made up for us before we sleep.¡± Nausea plagued TO all day, born either from nerves or the sight of the cocopods being prepared. They didn¡¯t know if they could eat the awful shelled little creatures now but they had to try. They had to eat something, and their options were limited. At least the cocopods tasted better than the nutrition cubes they were used too. At least the cocopods had a flavor. For TO, it was just a matter of getting over how they looked in order to enjoy it. Soon they reached their destination and opened the old fashioned door. The second TO stepped through the door, there was a loud shout. ¡°THERE THEY ARE!¡± TO flinched since the shout was so close to them, and yelped as a heavy weight suddenly dropped over their shoulders and pulled them away from DH. They panicked, thinking at first that this was it; the authorities had broken in, caught them, and now had TO. They felt DH slip away from them, and the only thought that entered their head was that they didn¡¯t care who it was, they didn¡¯t care if it was the planetary authorities, the insurgency, the minister of security, or King Decon himself, nobody was taking them away from DH again! They drew their claws, and turned to face their attacker¡­ then stopped. Not an attacker. Tham was hanging off TO¡¯s shoulder, his already red skin flushed even redder at the face. ¡°Tham?¡± Their ears flicked out and their claws retracted though their hand hung in the air for an extra moment. ¡°Yeah, of course it¡¯s Tham!¡± Tham said. The smell of alcohol poured from their mouth, and TO felt their snout scrunch up. ¡°You¡¯re drunk.¡± They stated, their ears flicking parallel to the ground. ¡°I am, and it¡¯s all thanks to you!¡± Tham said as they patted TO heavily on the shoulder. He leaned on TO, putting more of his considerable weight on them and causing TO to strain. Tham had lifted themself to TO¡¯s height using their tail, but now TO had the Nagarajin¡¯s weight was on TO, causing their knees to buckle. ¡°Tham, you¡¯re heavy-¡± ¡°Tham, come on.¡± Pearla approached, a chuckle in her voice as she took Tham¡¯s arm. ¡°Come on now, you¡¯re gonna squat TO.¡± Judging by the slight slur of her words, and the much more mild flush to her cheeks, Pearla too had been drinking. She pried Tham off TO¡¯s shoulder though, and tried to keep him steady. Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more. ¡°I wouldn''t squat ¡®em!¡± Tham protested, ¡°I¡¯m trying to thank ¡®em!¡± He pulled away from Pearla and seemed to fall at TO, who caught them just as they did. ¡°Look.¡± He said, ¡°You. That stuff you got. It had SO much in it. Enough for everyone. And this.¡± He held up an empty bottle , ¡°So much of this.¡± Pearla pried her brother off TO once more, ¡°It¡¯s a juice.¡± She explained, ¡°Or, it was. It¡¯s supposed t¡¯ be good for vitamin C and stuff.. But-¡± She pointed to a similar bottle in her own hand, still half full of a bright red liquid, ¡°This stuff fermented. So it¡¯s no good for us-¡± ¡°Plenty good!¡± Tham insisted. ¡°It¡¯s got lots of... You know. Good stuff.¡± GiDi came up, an amused smile on his face as Pearla struggled with Tham. They put a hand on her shoulder, ¡°Are you going to be ok with your brother, love?¡± They asked. ¡°OH yeah.¡± she said, ¡°I think I should get him to bed-¡± ¡°Oi.¡± Tham said, glaring at GiDi, ¡°You drank more than me. Why aren¡¯t you drunk off your ass?¡± ¡°Alcohol doesn''t affect us.¡± TO said, ¡°Not unless it¡¯s been altered with other substances.¡± ¡°Well, it has a strong effect on them.¡± GiDi said with a sigh. ¡°It wasn¡¯t supposed to!¡± Pearla said. ¡°I know, I know.¡± GiDi said. They turned to TO. ¡°We were going to save most of the juice for emergencies, but VIk and Goretta thought that the people who went to get all the stuff in the first place should get to enjoy a bottle. Tham drank his in less than a minute, and it apparently fermented, so..¡± They gestured at Tham, who was hanging off Pearla, ¡°Now he¡¯s like this.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not like I tried to get hammered.¡± Tham muttered, ¡°It wasn¡¯t supposed to have a hit to it.¡± ¡°Come on Tham.¡± Pearla said, chuckling, ¡°Let¡¯s get you laying down, hmm?¡± ¡°Nooo, I don¡¯t want to leave.¡± Tham muttered. He looked around, and saw one of the makeshift couches near the edge of the room. ¡°I¡¯m gonna lay down there.¡± He pulled himself upright, and slithered a foot away towards the couch, then stopped, turned, and pointed to TO. ¡°You.¡± He hissed. ¡°Me..?¡± TO took a step back, expecting Tham to throw a fist or maybe try to strike him with his tail.¡± ¡°You''re not bad.¡± He said, prodding TO in the chest, ¡°Not bad. Right?¡± He gave one more firm poke before suddenly turning and heading over to the couch and leaving TO very confused. After a moment they turned to GiDi, their ears out in confusion, their eyes wide. ¡°¡­ Can you explain any of that to me?¡± They asked. GiDi chuckled. ¡°From what point?¡± They said. ¡°From the point where he came up to me and started rambling?!¡± They frowned, ¡°He said something about there being enough for everyone? Enough of that drink?¡± Their ears pinned back. ¡°I don¡¯t know if I can deal with more people like that-¡° ¡°Like you¡¯re any better when you get inebriated.¡± DH chuckled. ¡°I¡¯m not that bad!¡± TO insisted with flushed ears and an absolutely scandalized voice, ¡°Not nearly-¡° ¡°You are.¡± DH said, ¡°In the training center, with those fruits? You fell asleep on my lap.¡± They grinned, ¡°Which honestly I was alright with. Oh, and only recently at that weird bar-¡° TO turned away from DH, focusing all their attention on GiDi, ¡°What were they talking about?¡± They asked, ignoring DH¡¯s chuckling behind them. ¡°Oh. Well, there were a good few bottles of that stuff, but we can¡¯t use it as we¡¯d like because it is so intoxicating. Probably it¡¯s best to trade most of it for extra food in the second and third rings.¡± They shrugged, ¡°Despite the food shortages, the kind of work they do there drives most civilians to drink- the continuous, monotonous, thankless work. The bars will trade us for certain.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Pearla said, ¡°I know some of the owners, and they¡¯re actually expecting a boost in their business so long as they can keep up their stock.¡± ¡°But¡­ with food shortages, people won¡¯t be spending their money on -¡° ¡°Stress, anxiety, and hopelessness drives people to it in these times.¡± Pearla said, ¡°I can¡¯t say I blame them; the only difference is I have something to do, a path to take to make things better. Most of the workers in the second and third rings don¡¯t.¡± She shook her head, then set her hand to her temple and rubbed gently as though that might help get rid of some of the intoxication that she was struggling with. ¡°Anyway. Aside from that, we found a bunch of these bars that Jason had been making. A contingency in case there was a food shortage.¡± ¡°A bit like the nutrition cubes from training.¡± GiDi said, ¡°Except they taste better.¡± ¡°Right¡± Pearla said, ¡°Now, it won¡¯t work for everyone long term- some people need more protein, or more grain depending on the species, but it should keep most of us from starving for a while anyway.¡± She shrugged, ¡°You know¡­ at least long enough.¡± TO understood what she meant by ¡®long enough¡¯. They wouldn¡¯t starve, they¡¯d get caught by the authorities first. Either that of the planet would be dealt with. ¡°Tomorrow, we worry about that.¡± GiDi said. ¡°For now, we worked hard, and we did a lot of good today. All of us. I think we deserve to relax for a little at least. Tomorrow we start the real work.¡± DH took TO¡¯s arm on their own, and led them into the room. ¡°Well, come on.¡± They said, ¡°I think Petra and Lendulin are around somewhere, and I know that Snout said they were going to come here after they spoke to Flit. Let¡¯s go find them.¡± Everyone that was important to them - almost everyone, anyway- was here. Family, friends, and of course their mate. ¡°Alright.¡± TO said, ¡°Just one moment¡­¡± They checked their chip, and though it was a little early, they sent off the first message to Avery. Episode 262: Pain The alert from TO¡¯s chip nagged at their consciousness, dragging them from their deep sleep. They turned over and curled into DH, snuggled into the warm body heat provided by their mate¡¯s chest and their wings wrapped around them as TO relished the sound of DH¡¯s soft, sleepy chirps. I don¡¯t want to get up. They thought as their ears flicked in irritation. Getting up meant leaving the nice warm pod, going for the first meal, then training¡­ they just didn¡¯t want to do it today; somehow they felt so tired that they didn¡¯t know if they could just get through the day. Still, the alert was relentless, and echoed off the sides of the pod- Wait. No. This was different; the sound echoing back to them from the walls was bouncing back from a greater distance, becoming more distorted as it came back to them. It was only then that TO woke and realized that they were not in their pod back on the training ship. They were in their room; After hours talking to their new friends, they had come back to their room and collapsed onto their bed. They had spent the night answering questions about their training and how they got through it. At least the conversation had been lighter than earlier as they spoke of the many happy hours they spent flying or relaxing hidden on the observation deck. They sighed, checked their chip, and saw that it was only a few hours past midnight. Their dozy mind struggled to figure out how long they had actually been asleep; the answer was not nearly long enough. Why was their alarm going off? Wait, it wasn¡¯t their alarm; it was a call coming through their chip. Avery. Wasting no more time, they answered the call. ¡°Avery, what¡¯s -¡° They started to ask what was wrong, but the sound that came from the other end of the line made TO¡¯s blood freeze in their veins and woke DH from their deep, peaceful sleep with a startled cry of their own. It was a primal, wordless cry that instantly made TO understand that whatever was making that sound was in agonizing pain. Over that awful, paralyzing sound, they could just make out Avery¡¯s voice. ¡°Something¡¯s wrong! I need help!¡± ===== A message to Vik, who was surprisingly - or perhaps unsurprisingly- still awake, provided them with the directions to the medical room. TO and DH ran the entire way there with TO leading the way as they checked their directions while DH followed, lugging their medkit behind them. Soon, the screaming was enough to guide them. They got to the room, threw the door open, and went inside. The room was sparse; a bed, a few chairs, and a handful of machines in the corner, all beeping erratically. Kei lay on the bed with a blanket hanging half off their naked, sweating body as they gripped at their head with tense, clenching hands. Wires from the machine were connected to Kei¡¯s chest and back of their head. If there had been any wires on the front, Kei had already ripped them off. Kei¡¯s claws must have come out, because long lines of- -Blood. Bones. The smell of disinfectant- -deep blue blood stained their scalp. Their ears contorted back, their eyes closed tight, as though trying to block out the pain as they screamed in wordless agony. ¡°They just woke up and started screaming!¡± Avery cried over the feral howls that escaped from Kei. ¡°I don¡¯t know what to do-¡° ¡°Did you call for Goretta?¡± DH asked, matching the volume to be heard over Kei. ¡°Yes, she was here, and she gave them something but it didn¡¯t work!¡± Avery¡¯s ears flicked down to protect their sensitive eardrums, but even so it seemed like the sensitive organs had suffered too much, and Avery suddenly put their hands to their ears. ¡°She went to get something else, and she said she¡¯d be back-¡° DH set their bag on the bed. ¡°How long ago?¡± They asked. ¡°Just a few minutes ago. I called her first, but Kei won¡¯t stop screaming and I don¡¯t know what to do!¡± A howl from Kei faded dissolved into loud, violent sobs for mere moments before they started screaming again, fresh lines of blood appearing at their fingertips. TO felt their vision swim as they turned away, rubbing at their chest to try to life the awful weight and the nagging sickness that seemed to be growing in them. If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement. ¡°TO, wait outside.¡± DH said, their tone turning into that sharp tone they took on when they did medical stuff. ¡°No... no I¡¯m good.¡± TO muttered as they made their way to a stray chair in the corner, watching DH while doing their best to avoid looking at Kei. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s get their hands away from their head.¡¯ DH said, ¡°See if you can find bandages in my bag - long cloth ones. They¡¯re not helping themself by ripping at their head like this-¡± They took Kei¡¯s arm and paused. TO followed DH¡¯s gaze, and saw what they were looking at; There were cuffs around Kei¡¯s wrists - leather, and seemingly very secure, with leather straps that disappeared under the bed. ¡°What are these?¡± DH hissed. ¡°Goretta said they were to keep Kei safe.¡± Avery said as they passed DH the bandages they had asked for, ¡°I don¡¯t know anything about this, and I guess if they just got up and tried to wander off or something¡­¡± DH huffed as they wrestled Kei¡¯s hand away from their head, ignoring the other synths¡¯ curses and screams as they wrapped the bandages first over one hand, then the other. It was surreal to see Kei like this, to hear them scream and curse. The angriest, the most emotional TO had ever seen Kei before was back when they caught DH and TO in the emergency ship and even then they were limited to cold disgust. Of course, this wasn¡¯t just anger or disgust, this was pain and agony that fueled their reactions. As soon as DH finished wrapping Kei¡¯s hand, they let Kei continue to grip at their head, but at least now the claws could only tear at the fabric. ¡°Can¡¯t you give them something?¡± Avery asked, ¡°Some medicine or painkillers-¡° ¡°I can¡¯t.¡± DH said, their ears sinking down, ¡°I don¡¯t know what Goretta gave them already.¡± As they said that, Goretta entered the room once more. She had a case in her hand and stilled only for a moment when they saw TO and DH there. She quickly slipped back into her normal, fast pace as she approached the bed. ¡°Good call on the bandages.¡± She said as she set her case down. She opened it up and took out a full syringe. ¡°It wasn¡¯t my priority, but it¡¯s a good call.¡± ¡°Well, I wished to keep them from scalping themself.¡± DH hissed, their ears pinning back, ¡°Why are they bound?¡± Goretta was very careful not to look at DH as she pulled the blanket back to expose Kei¡¯s leg. Without a word of explanation, she pushed the needle into the skin and administered the dose. Kei didn¡¯t even seem to notice the injection, but moments later their arms relaxed, and ultimately fell limp at their side. It was only now that TO noticed how tense their entire body had been, as they now seemed to melt into the mattress as the drug took effect. ¡°There.¡± Goretta said with a sigh. She took out her communicator and started to input some notes. ¡°Regular painkillers weren¡¯t working, so I put them into a medically induced coma. This must be some neurological pain their brain is creating while their brain is stitching back together.¡± She glanced at Kei, watching them as though to make sure they were still asleep. ¡°I¡¯ll let them wake up and then check again.¡± ¡°Very good.¡± DH said, ¡°Now, why are they bound up like that!?¡± Goretta let her eyes flick to the straps on Kei¡¯s wrists before she turned to look at the machines that Kei was hooked up to, all of them beeping more slowly now in a pitched rhythm. ¡°It¡¯s keeping them from hurting anyone, of course.¡± She said as she took more notes. ¡°Their brain is being pieced back together. The nanobots are creating new neural paths that the rest of their brain is entirely and wholly unfamiliar with. They¡¯re going to be a little confused when they wake up and it¡¯s not out of the question that they may grow violent.¡± That made sense to TO, and judging by how DH¡¯s ears relaxed, it made sense to them as well. ¡°But when they¡¯re healed, they¡¯ll be released, right?¡± Avery asked. ¡°They won¡¯t have to be isolated again?¡± ¡°Well, my primary concern is to see that the procedure went well.¡± Goretta said, ¡°Outside of that, I suppose the question of what happens after goes to GiDi and the others.¡± Avery nodded. ¡°GiDi won¡¯t let them get isolated again.¡± They said. ¡°And what about the pain?¡± DH asked, ¡°Are they going to be in pain like that again?¡± ¡°Likely.¡± Goretta said. ¡°Though hopefully it slacks off sooner than later when their brain figures out what paths do what.¡± She finished taking whatever notes she wanted and put her communicator away. At the same time, she pulled the blankets up with her tentacles and tucked Kei in up to their neck. ¡°I¡¯ll check every six hours, track their pain, and check their vitals. I didn¡¯t expect things to be this bad, to be honest, and I hoped that perhaps basic painkillers would help. Clearly they didn¡¯t.¡± ¡°And if it was a possibility that the basic painkillers wouldn¡¯t work, then why didn¡¯t you have whatever you just gave them with you when you came in the first time!?¡± DH snapped. TO felt their ears pin as they got up from their chair. Of course, they caught a glimpse of the blood on Kei¡¯s head and immediately sat down again. ¡°I¡¯m going to pin that on being dead asleep when the alarms went off.¡± She said, ¡°Followed by the frantic call from Avery-¡° ¡°You had alarms?¡± Avery asked. ¡°Of course I did!¡± Goretta responded, her tentacles twisting, ¡°I¡¯m a responsible doctor here! I have alarms that wake me up the second the readings here-¡° A tentacle jabbed at the machines ¡°-surpasses certain levels. What, did you think I just left them here with no way of monitoring them?¡± DH¡¯s ears dipped slightly. ¡°Well¡­ when Avery called us-¡° ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± Avery said, and when TO looked at them, they could see their friends¡¯ ears dipped back as well, ¡°I was worried. Kei was screaming so much..¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. I¡¯m just saying I was a little flustered when I left my room, and I forgot I kept the more potent drugs in my bag.¡± She went back to her bag and started pulling out antiseptic cleaners and smaller bandages. ¡°Anyway, they¡¯re asleep. I estimate that the drugs will wear off in about six hours. You¡¯re all welcome to come back if you want.¡± She turned to Avery. ¡°And you should really go get some sleep; you have a good six hours before they wake.¡± ¡°Come with us, Avery.¡± TO said. ¡°Stay with us for now, and we¡¯ll wake you in time to come back in six hours.¡± With the panic and screaming over, the signs of exhaustion were starting to show on Avery; their ears moved more slowly than they should have, their half-closed eyes seemed oddly unfocused, and as they were about to respond they suddenly gave a big yawn. ¡°Go get some sleep.¡± She said, ¡°I¡¯ll clean up the wounds, and then go back to bed. It¡¯s going to be a busy day tomorrow, so you¡¯re all best getting more sleep, and I won¡¯t be able to fit another bed in here even if I wanted to.¡± With a murmur, Avery nodded. TO got up, took Avery¡¯s arm on their own, and let them out of the room. TO just wanted to get out of the room, and away from the smells of disinfectant and blood. Episode 263: Relocation After the screaming, anger, blood and tension, neither of them found sleep very easy to achieve. For two hours they lay in the bed, tossing about and getting in each other¡¯s way in a manner that they had never done when they slept in a pod. It was only because Goretta warned them that the next day would be busy, and that they¡¯d have to do a lot that DH dug into their med kit and pulled out a small bottle. They shook the small container, listening carefully to the sound from inside. ¡°... There¡¯s not a lot left.¡± They said as they opened the bottle and upturned two small white pills into their hand. They broke them into halves, and gave one to TO, one to Avery, and took the other for themself. ¡°Sleeping pills.¡± They said as they tossed one into their mouth and drank it down with a bottle of water that they kept in their room. They passed it to TO, ¡°Here.¡± ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we save it?¡± TO asked, looking at the white chalky piece of pill in their hand. ¡°For what?¡± DH¡¯s voice seemed oddly flat to TO. ¡°We need sleep. We¡¯re not sleeping without help. Who knows what¡¯ll happen tomorrow?¡± TO¡¯s mind was still swirling with blood, and they still felt sure they could smell disinfectant in the room. The odd time they nearly fell asleep, they thought sure they could hear that distinct sound of the blade of a scalpel slicing through skin, and the cracking of smaller bones - too small for them to be certain that they heard them, but also too vivid for them to be sure that they didn¡¯t. Sleep would be a welcome relief from such torment. With that in mind, they took the bottle, downed the pills, and passed the bottle to Avery before climbing into bed after DH, wrapping their body around their mate and snuggling into their chest. They were asleep before Avery crawled in after them. ====== Half doses of the sleeping pills were enough to put one asleep, but it wasn¡¯t enough to help TO get the comfortable, silent sleep they needed. When they woke, they felt like they had hardly slept at all, and they felt entirely too uneasy. They were certain that they dreamt in their uneasy sleep, but they couldn¡¯t remember anything that they might have dreamt of. All they had was the uneasiness they normally did. That, and a slight headache which the beeping of their chip did nothing to help them with. They ignored it for a while, but then as they woke up and their thoughts came back to them, they realized that the alarm was for Kei, to wake them about when they should wake up so that Avery could go check on them. To pulled themself to a sitting position, detangling their limbs from DH¡¯s and lifting their mates¡¯ wing from their shoulder. Despite the noise, DH hadn¡¯t yet woken. They considered letting DH sleep as they woke Avery and went to the recovery room¡­ but they knew DH would be more helpful than they would if anything happened. Still, DH looked so peaceful there sleeping, so content, that To didn¡¯t want to wake them up. They wanted only to curl back up and go back to sleep. They leaned forward, and gently kissed DH on the cheek, and scratched the back of their head. After a minute, DH woke up, their eyelids slowly flicking open. ¡°... Morning.¡± They said with a yawn as they blinked away the sleep from their eyes. They reached up and gently took one of TO¡¯s ears in their hand, rubbing gently and drawing low chirps from TO. Of course, it also made their ears flush vividly. ¡°Avery is here.¡± They whispered. ¡°Did you forget?¡± Confusion, followed by a vivid flush on DH¡¯s face, told TO that they had forgotten. They pulled their hand away from TO¡¯s ear as though burned, and sat up, looking around as they caught sight of Avery, still asleep next to them. ¡°I guess it¡¯s time to go see Kei?¡± they asked. TO nodded, and DH got up with a sigh, rubbing their face as they fumbled around the floor for the clothes they had worn the day before. AS they dressed, TO turned to Avery and gently shook them awake. Unlike with DH, Avery¡¯s eyes shot open, and though groggy, they pushed themslef up, and started fumbling on the floor for their things. ¡°They¡¯re awake?¡± They asked, ¡°It¡¯s time?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know if they¡¯re awake.¡± TO said, ¡°But it¡¯s been six hours.¡± Avery nodded and cursed as they failed to find one of their shoes. They got up, got on their hands and knees, and fumbled under the bed. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll go. If they¡¯re not awake now, they will be soon.¡± This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it. ¡°We¡¯ll go with you.¡± TO said as they got up, ¡°Let me get dressed-¡± ¡°No.¡± Avery and DH both said at once. Half off the bed, TO froze, then looked at DH with their ears down. ¡°No?¡± ¡°Sorry.¡± They said as they finished pulling on their shirt. Fully dressed, they then grabbed their med kit and slung it over their shoulder. ¡°You already fainted once yesterday, and I know you weren¡¯t feeling well last night.¡± ¡°I can manage!¡± TO insisted. True, the sight of blood, the smells, the very room had left TO entirely disquieted, nauseated, and they were certain that their dreams from the night before were the same as the ones they often had, just dulled by the sleeping pills. That didn¡¯t matter. They wanted to be there for DH and Avery. If there was any small thing they could do to help, they wanted to be there. ¡°I know you can manage.¡± DH said, ¡°I don¡¯t want you to manage. I want you to be comfortable.¡± ¡°And if they wake up and they can take in who¡¯s around, then DH being there is going to be bad enough.¡± They said, then with a glance at DH added, ¡°No offense. I Don¡¯t think you should go either¡­ but you helped with the procedure.¡± DH nodded before turning back to TO, ¡°What you can do is find Gidi, and make sure that they won¡¯t isolate Kei again.¡± They said, ¡°I don¡¯t even like them, but they shouldn¡¯t be isolated like that. Nobody should.¡± That was true, at least. The days of Isolation Avery had suffered had changed their friend, and though TO was more used to their friends being around them, and being close to them, ?that this was not how Avery acted normally worried them. They¡¯d give anything to see Avery turn back into their normal, slightly detached self just because that was normal, and they¡¯d know their friend was ok. ¡°Please go check on that?¡± Avery asked. ¡°Just.. make sure they won¡¯t have to go back to that room.¡± TO really didn¡¯t want to leave their friends¡­ but they also didn¡¯t want to go back to that room, to see and smell everything that reminded them of surgeries and blood. ¡°Please.¡± DH asked, sensing the hesitation in them. ¡°You¡¯d do the same for me. You¡¯d insist.¡± They would, they knew that. If there was something that would make DH uncomfortable - for example, being outside a ship in space¡­. ¡°Alright.¡± TO said as they climbed off the bed and fumbled for their own clothes. Their uniform was getting dingy and needed to be washed. TO hadn¡¯t taken a bath or shower since they got here. They had been using the small bowl of water and the electric kettle in the corner of their room to wash up. DH had showered yesterday, which meant there had to something in the tunnels to allow them a proper shower. First, they¡¯d talk to GiDi, then they¡¯d find a shower in the tunnels. After that, if DH and Avery were still with Kei, well, they¡¯d go there, anyway. They didn¡¯t want to be away too long. ====== TO went to the common room first, assuming that GiDi wouldn¡¯t be there until later, just like the day before, since they lived with Pearla. The only ones who stayed in the tunnels were those who were wanted criminals, with their names and faces known like Vik, Tham, and Goretta, or people who had no other homes like themself, Flit, and Snout. It would be quiet, so they¡¯d probably check the news reports while they ate, just to keep their mind quiet. They assumed that the room would be quiet, and they¡¯d risk being alone with their thoughts for too long. They were wrong. The cacophony of conversation that hit TO the second they entered the common room was surprising and a little overwhelming. The table was full with a combination of people that To had met and those they had not. Most were legless, but there were a handful of legged insectoids as well. Some were even sitting on the floor to eat, as there was no space at the table. Nobody seemed to notice them, so they figured at first that they¡¯d leave, and maybe send a message to Vik¡ªwho was still at his table in the corner?¡ªand ask for directions to a shower. As they took their first step backwards, they caught sight of GiDi, who looked up at the same time, caught their eye, and waved them over. ¡°TO, over here!¡± they called out. ¡°I got a place for you to sit!¡± They hesitated for just a moment, but didn¡¯t want GiDi to feel like they were avoiding them, so instead they headed over to the table to see GiDi pulling a crate out from under the table. ¡°Here.¡± They said as they scooted over, brushing up against a bleary-eyed and exhausted Pearla, ¡°Sit here.¡± ¡°Thanks¡­¡± TO said as they stepped over the crate and tried to make themself as comfortable as possible. ¡°More people here today than yesterday¡­¡± ¡°Well, most of us live in the tunnels.¡± GiDi said, ¡°After yesterday, those of us that didn¡¯t get caught had to come down here.¡± ¡°Yeah. Myself included.¡± Pearla muttered as she picked at scraps of bug-meat on her plate. She had shelled the cocopod already, so thankfully what she was poking at looked like nothing that would bother TO. ¡°All my stuff¡­ I mean, it¡¯s only stuff, but¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± GiDi said, slinging a wing over her shoulder, ¡°When things cool down, we¡¯ll go back and see if we can salvage anything.¡± ¡°Might be too risky.¡± She said. She gave a sigh, and then picked up her tea. ¡°It¡¯s only stuff.¡± she said again as she gently let her hand rest on GiDi¡¯s wing. ¡°I have you; that¡¯s all that¡¯s really important.¡± Something sliding in front of TO distracted them from watching GiDi with their mate. They turned to see a plain container coming to rest before them. ¡°Here.¡± Tham said. ¡°This is for you, apparently.¡± He groaned as he spoke, then picked up an enormous glass of water and drank half of it before laying his head down on the table. Tham looked really ragged - his eyes had dark circles around them, and his color seemed somehow duller today than it had yesterday. ¡°Are you ok?¡± TO asked, leaning forward, ¡°Should I get Goretta-¡± ¡°He¡¯s hungover.¡± Pearla said, ¡°That¡¯s all. He¡¯ll be fine.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t be.¡± Tham protested, his voice muffled by the table, ¡°I might die. It¡¯d be a relief.¡± TO felt their ears twitch, and their stomach lunge in sympathy as they remembered the day they chugged DH¡¯s special drink at that club. There was nothing they could do to help Tham, so they turned their attention to the container before them. They cracked it open carefully and peeked inside. They couldn¡¯t see much, but at the very least, they were certain that whatever was in the container wasn¡¯t moving, so they opened it up. A simple round patty of meat, and that strange seafood salad sat on the plate. They leaned in and sniffed, and realized that it must be cocopod. It smelled like cocopod, and TO knew for certain that the insurgents didn¡¯t have many food sources. Then they remembered Lake saying they¡¯d prepare it in a way that wouldn¡¯t bother TO. The smell of the food, the relatively innocent look of it, and their own hunger did in fact override their disgust of the cocopods. At that moment, that patty looked delicious. They made a mental note to thank Lake later and then set into devouring the prepared meat. Episode 264: Ships TO didn¡¯t forget to ask GiDi what the plan was for Kei, but they also didn¡¯t feel right asking GiDi with so many people around. Their plan was to just follow GiDi when they left the common room, ask quickly, and head back to the recovery room, but DH, Avery, and Goretta showed up before TO finished their breakfast. ¡°Is that everyone?¡± Flit asked as the three arrived. Flit and Snout had eaten before TO showed up, and when they were done, they left the table and stood, leaning against the wall. TO had wondered why they didn¡¯t just leave if they were done, but apparently they were waiting. GiDi looked around, counted silently, and then nodded. ¡°That¡¯s everyone.¡± They said as they jumped up on their chair and sat on the back of it to position themself so that everyone could see them. The surrounding chatter stopped when GiDi gently cleared their throat. How did GiDi not realize they were in charge here? ¡°We have some information.¡± GiDi said, ¡°And none of it¡¯s good.¡± They gestured to the corner, ¡°Vik¡¯s been watching the movements of the new Security Minister closely, and they¡¯re a lot stricter than expected.¡± ¡°Very strict.¡± Vik said, ¡°It¡¯s a pain in the ass; this one has morals and actually sticks to them. Five merchants have tried to bribe her so far, and each one ended up in a holding cell in the security district.¡± ¡°That¡¯s surprising.¡± Pearla said, ¡°Merchants who can afford a bribe normally don¡¯t end up in prison.¡± Vik nodded. ¡°Yeah, she¡¯s very strict, and doesn¡¯t allow for any bending of the rules.¡± ¡±Planets go into lockdown all the time.¡± GiDi pointed out, ¡°It¡¯s generally because of disease outbreaks, but even so they still allow supplies to come in, and empty supply ships to leave out-¡° ¡°And ships from rich assholes who can either bribe the right people or don¡¯t give a shit if they have to pay fines.¡± Tham said, ¡°Sucks, but it¡¯s something we might exploit.¡± GiDi nodded, a humorless smirk lifting their lips. ¡°If you¡¯re rich enough, a fine is just how much it costs to break the law.¡± GiDi said. Their words took on a practiced tone, like a lot of their sayings that they had embedded in their heads back in training. The only difference was they said this phrase with a conviction that those other sayings never had. ¡°That¡¯s what we were relying on here; a supply ship or a rich luxury vessel we could borrow. Unfortunately, that doesn¡¯t seem to be the case.¡± ¡°There¡¯s been several attempted departures from the planet since lockdown.¡± Vik said, ¡°Authorities disabled all the ships before they could reach orbit, and brought them back down to the planet. They¡¯ve also detained and held most of the owners and passengers for questioning. The only exception ?was an empty supply vessel that was automatically launched by a warehouse¡¯s computer. The company responsible had to pay a hefty fine for not keeping their security systems up to date.¡± Marissa, who was still eating her own breakfast and who looked very tiny at this moment, looked up to GiDi. ¡°So¡­ There¡¯s no way off?¡± ¡°No obvious way.¡± GiDi said. They pressed at their chip and projected a list in the air over the table. It was a short list, showing spaceships, a list of names attached, and different levels of security clearance for each. ¡°These are the ships that we think might have security codes advanced enough to hold off intervention from planetary authorities¡­ For a short time.¡± GiDi said. ¡°So we might ?get into orbit.¡± ¡°Unless the authorities shoot us down.¡± Tham grumbled, ¡°If they can¡¯t hijack the ship with programming, then they¡¯ll shoot it down.¡± ¡°I know.¡± GiDi said, their ears dipping slightly, ¡°So we need to look through these and find something that has half-decent defensive abilities, something that¡¯s fueled, and ready to take off at any moment. We also need a vessel that can carry many people, and something that can stash a lot of food and water.¡± As GiDi spoke, they activated their chip, and with each condition, they eliminated a ship. Soon, all that remained were five ships, all defensive ships from the shipping companies on Arkane. ¡°This is what we have left.¡± GiDi said, ¡°Armed escort ships for cargo transport in more dangerous areas. Of course, they¡¯re under intense security, and locked down right now. Getting to them won¡¯t be impossible, but it won¡¯t be easy¡­¡± ¡°And getting food supplies to them will be harder still.¡± Pearla said, ¡°If we can get off the planet, there is a safe-zone on the moon of a mining planet where we can stop and recoup, and maybe get on better ships¡­ but we still need food enough for everyone for a week at least.¡± ¡°And that¡¯s assuming these ships can handle an attack from real attack ships?¡± Tham added. ¡°They¡¯re good, but if they¡¯re outnumbered, they won¡¯t survive¡­¡± Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more. ¡°You¡¯re missing a ship.¡± TO had been only skimming the lists of ships and the different statistics that were attached to each one, but it suddenly occurred to them that there was, in fact, a ship that was missing. Vik huffed in the corner, his constant typing stopping suddenly. ¡°I did not.¡± Vik snapped, ¡°I have a list of every accessible ship on the planet here.¡± ¡°¡­ No, you don¡¯t,¡± GiDi said, their ears suddenly perking up, ¡°You don¡¯t have the synth ship here!¡± ¡°I never have the synth ship here.¡± Vik said, their small tail lashing behind them as their ears pinned back, ¡°I¡¯m good at what I do, but there¡¯s too many risks involved in hacking their systems, and there¡¯s no way I can get around the security with social engineering since the synths don¡¯t work like that. Also, I can¡¯t just use basic Synth access since the ships only link to specific IDs-¡± ¡°And that ship is linked to mine.¡± TO said, ¡°Mine and DH¡¯s.¡± Their ears perked up as they sat upright, ¡°And Avery¡¯s chip-¡± They pointed to Avery, who was still standing on the other side of the room with DH and Goretta, ¡°Is linked to the one circling the planet right now!¡± Vik was silent for a moment. His typing stilled as he stared at his computer. After a long moment, he started typing again, more furiously than before. ¡°I¡¯m an idiot.¡± He muttered. ¡°You¡¯re anything but.¡± GiDi said. ¡°No. I should have considered that.¡± he said. He turned to Flit. ¡°These ships, how many people could we fit inside?¡± Flit¡¯s ears twitched as he considered, ¡°Let¡¯s see¡­ Well, there¡¯s two beds on the main floor, an entrance hall with a questioning room and a holding room¡­¡± ¡°We could fit four on the main floor.¡± TO added. ¡°And there¡¯s the weapons bay, the gym-¡± ¡°Wait.. your ship has a gym on it?¡± Tham muttered, lifting his head ever so slightly from the table. ¡°Of course?¡± DH said, their ears flicking out in confusion, ¡°Otherwise, if we¡¯re on a long trip, we¡¯d lose muscle mass and tone.¡± ¡°One small bathroom, one small shower.¡± TO added. ¡°How many people do we need to transport?¡± ¡°We only got twenty-seven people out of the tunnels.¡± Pearla said, ¡°That¡¯s including children, but if we could, there¡¯s more people I¡¯d like to gather up for this. People who would be in trouble-¡± ¡°And my brother.¡± Marissa said, ¡°We have to get him if we¡¯re leaving!¡± ¡°So that¡¯s another indebted rescue mission as well..¡± GiDi said. ¡°The ships are fast.¡± Flit said. ¡°They¡¯re made for long distance, interstellar travel. There¡¯s lots of food and though it¡¯s made for synths, hopefully it¡¯ll be fine for most of you-¡± ¡°It won¡¯t be harmful for most.¡± GiDi chimed in. TO had almost forgotten that GiDi had worked for a short period in food production. ¡°It¡¯s specialized to us, but thankfully there¡¯s a lot of overlap in basic essential nutrients. If we bring what food we can, and get our hands on some vitamins, that can compensate for anything other species traveling with us might need.¡± They frowned, ¡°That means another drug-store break in as well¡­¡± ¡°Pearla?¡± TO frowned, ¡°How many people? do you think we¡¯ll have to get out in the end? If you rescue everyone, you need to?¡± ¡°If I get everyone out?¡± she asked with a laugh. ¡°Everyone I want is everyone from the indebted program.¡± ¡°Then the real question is how many people, max, we can carry on two ships.¡± Flit added. ¡°If we squeeze people, we might manage 50. It won¡¯t be a comfortable ride, though. I¡¯d suggest only forty to ensure we don¡¯t run out of supplies or overwhelm the air and water recycling systems.¡± ¡°Are you forgetting something?¡± Vik added, ¡°Pearla, you said Twenty-seven, but you¡¯re only counting people we got from the tunnels yesterday. What about the rest of us? Add on fourteen extra, no?¡± ¡°That¡¯s forty-one¡­¡± GiDi muttered. ¡°We can tinker with the systems.¡± DH offered, ¡°Make things a little more efficient, and perform more regular maintenance¡­¡± How much time do we have?¡± ¡°Pholi will know.¡± GiDi said, ¡°He¡¯ll have the information when the synths should arrive.¡± ¡°Well, it took us two Arkanian weeks.¡± TO said. ¡°We switched over as soon as we boarded.¡± ¡°Thank you for not making me do the conversions?¡± Vik said. ¡°It wouldn¡¯t matter.¡± Flit stepped away from the wall and headed over to Vik, eying their screen. ¡°That¡¯s coming from the training center to here. The synths on their way could be closer, could be further, and it¡¯ll take a longer time for a fleet to arrive than it will for one ship.¡± ¡°So we have no idea.¡± Vik said as they tossed up their hands and slumped back in their seat. ¡°Not until Pholi gets here.¡± ¡°How long will he be?¡± TO asked, ¡°Are you certain he¡¯s ok? I¡¯ve not seen him since-¡± ¡°Since Thalassa.¡± GiDi said, nodding, ¡°And yes, he¡¯s been in contact. He just has to be very careful right now. He¡¯ll be here soon.¡± They looked down at their folded hands, their ears twitching. ¡°... I think the best thing to do for now is simply to prepare to accommodate the people we have while getting to the ship.¡± GiDi said. ¡°We can make a plan to save the indebted - at least those we have the time to- but we have to be prepared to get off Arkane as soon as possible.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t leave without my brother.¡± Marissa said, sitting up straight and suddenly looking a lot fiercer than her slight form showed. ¡°If you can¡¯t get him, I¡¯m staying behind.¡± GiDi nodded. ¡°I understand. And we¡¯ll do what we can, but if we have only days to leave¡­¡± ¡°... But you¡¯ll stay to help, right?¡± Marissa asked. GiDi fell silent as they stared at his hands. Here, Flit spoke up instead. ¡°It¡¯s too dangerous.¡± Flit said, ¡°For any of us. Anyone involved in assisting the insurgency. I¡¯d say we should even contact the few merchants we know who have helped us, and offer them a way off the planet.¡± ¡°I could help if I stayed.¡± GiDi said, ¡°If I stayed-¡± ¡°No.¡± This time, it was Pearla and Flit who spoke at the same time. Pearla put a hand on GiDi¡¯s knee. ¡°If you stay, they¡¯ll catch you. We won¡¯t have the support we had¡­¡± Pearla said. ¡°And while you might do some good here, you can do more by getting off the planet and figuring out some way to stop the fleet from outside.¡± Flit said. GiDi nodded, their lips tight and their ears pinned back as they tried their best not to glance at the clearly disappointed looking Marissa. Either way, TO felt a sudden wave of relief wash over them. GiDi WAS going to leave the planet with them. GiDi would be safe. ¡°Alright.¡± Flit said, ¡°Then¡­ what¡¯s the most important part of our preparation here, GiDi?¡± ¡°Confirm that we can access the ships.¡± GiDi said. ¡°Then get the supplies we need.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Vik said. They looked to TO, ¡°You said it¡¯s your ship. How do you intend to get to it?¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± TO asked, confusion flicking their ears and lacing their tone, ¡°I¡¯m just going to walk up to it.¡± There were too many pairs of eyes staring at TO in the wake of their simple statement. They felt the heat rise to the ears, and they shrugged as they added, ¡°Well¡­ I doubt we have access to our vehicle anymore, so I can¡¯t drive up.¡± Tham, their head still down on the table, snorted in laughter, ¡°Sure, TO, whatever,¡± He said, ¡°You¡¯re not going to just walk up to the ship, pass all the security measures, and stroll into your ship. They won¡¯t let you.¡± TO felt as confused as everyone else looked as they stared at them. They blinked, tilted their head, and asked, ¡°Why not?¡± Episode 265:Appraisal An unusual calm had overtaken the outer-ring since the raid on the underground just the day before. True, the news had described a vicious insurgent attack on the underground, and proclaimed that as the reason the authorities had gone in there¡­ but people talked. Some who had escaped one way or another spoke in whispers about the authorities coming out and dragging them away. Others simply had friends living in the underground, and when they failed to contact their friends, they sought those people who knew things. From them, they heard the rumors that quietly described the scene, the screaming, the fear, the arrests. Melissa, she got them four kids, right? Well, I heard she went to lockup, and then kids went to a group home. She¡¯ll never see them again, even if she gets out. Vale tried to rush ¡®em. Get his kids and his husband out. Idiot. They shot him, and the others got caught just outside their home. That sweet Lendulin. She¡¯s just gone now, you know? Well, maybe she got away in the water. Pearla¡¯s missing too. Yeah, illicit habitation, they said. Might as well arrest the whole damn Outer Ring. The last idea they only uttered in a glib tone, and they always followed the statement with a chuckle that felt oddly wrong. It was a very true statement, and something that everyone logically knew, but with the raid on the underground it now felt too heavy and dangerous to take seriously. So, parents told their kids to stay inside. The small things that people did to their homes, small statues and decorations on the outside, or colorful blinds in the windows, suddenly disappeared so that the makeshift home would look more like random piles of discarded refuse, and not like ¡®illicit habitation.¡¯ And of course, certain phrases were always said in a glib tone and always followed with laughter, quickly stifled just in case the wrong person might hear. Those who went outside - looking for food they could salvage since the announcement just the day before about the lockdown sent their food prices skyrocketing - spent more time looking over their shoulder, down the road, or to the sky than they did looking for food. Any minute, someone might swoop down and take them, arrest them, and take them away from their families. Of course, a good handful of these people screamed when they saw the two forms swoop out from the underground. At first most thought it had been a special agent¡ªthey had been around in such force the other day¡ªbut with a glance, they could see that they were not agents. Most dropped whatever they had collected and ran for their lives as they realized it was a pair of synths rising ?from the underground and making their way to the center of Okoia. ====== It felt like forever since TO actually enjoyed flying. The last time they had the chance to fly any distance, it had been after the incident in Thalassa. The sudden absence of their mate had drained any ? enjoyment from though. Now, they could soar over the city, their mate by their side. Yes, they had a lot of work to do, and yes, what they were doing was dangerous, but it didn¡¯t matter. Their friends were safe, their mate was by their side, and they were flying high above the buildings. ¡°I wish we could have just flown about all the time.¡± TO said over their communicator to DH. ¡°We¡¯d have gotten more exercise, we would have seen all this-¡± ¡°And why didn¡¯t we again?¡± DH asked. They were flying slowly today, since they were clutching their medkit with far more caution than it normally needed. ¡°The vehicles were faster when we were out acting as synths.¡± TO said, ¡°And we wouldn¡¯t be hiding our status as synths very well if we just landed on the street and removed our armor, would we?¡± ¡°I suppose¡­¡± DH muttered. They soared over the city, stretching their wings and gliding to their destination. TO even removed the masking on their own wings so that they could enjoy the feel of the wind rushing over the thin membrane, feel the hum at the edge as they slipped between air currents and made their way to the center of Okoia. Along the way, several security vehicles approached them¡ªlikely seeking to enforce Okoia¡¯s strict flight laws. The first time this happened it sent a thrill of panic through TO. Yes, all the information from the moment they entered the sewers had been wiped, and yes, DH helped Vik to redirect their chips recording from their ship to his own computer, but TO still worried that somehow their higher ups had all the information, that they had seen TO shoot Kei through their helmets, and heard them working with the insurgents. The vehicle approached. TO¡¯s helmet told them they were being identified, and then the ship immediately turned around and let them be. That was when TO knew that they were alright, that local authorities did not currently consider them criminals and traitors to King Decon. Of course, TO know the truth. ¡°They must have figured out who we are.¡± TO said when they saw the fourth vessel quickly turn away from them without checking their identification. ¡°Oh, yeah.¡± Vik said. The small hacker was, of course, patched into their communications. ¡°By the way, the access I¡¯m getting from your suits is amazing! This is so much easier. I can patch right into their channels.¡± ¡°And?¡± ¡°And what? It¡¯s just what you¡¯d expect. ¡®Oh shit, they¡¯re back¡¯ and ¡®Where the fuck did they come from?¡¯ They¡¯re also saying to contact that Gyrini person to let her know you¡¯re here.¡± ¡°No talk of arrests?¡± ¡°Not yet. You¡¯re in the clear. See what you can do.¡± They approached their ship, and as they did, they saw several other vehicles following them from underneath; All security vehicles, flying in a single straight line to meet them. ¡°Should we ignore them and just head right on in?¡± DH asked. If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. ¡°Would you do that normally?¡± Vik said. ¡°Just do what you¡¯d normally do; Don¡¯t draw too much attention.¡± ¡°Bit late for that.¡± DH muttered as they eyed the vehicles below. They landed heavily on the other side of the gate and waited for the vehicles to catch up. It only took a moment, and from the first car hopped the diminutive Noss, clutching a stained handkerchief in his hand as he hurried to the gate. Gyrini stepped out of the vehicle behind him, and when she stood to her full height, she was about as tall as a synth; in fact, she was likely taller than GiDi was. ¡°Minister Gyrini, in the chitin.¡± Vik said in their ears, ¡°I¡¯m setting your translator here back to its original setting so you won¡¯t sound too different. Do your best and get inside quickly.¡± A beep sounded in TO¡¯s ear, and words flashed across their helmet; ==Secure.tone.modulation Active== ¡°And¡­ Action.¡± Vik whispered. DH stood upright and hesitantly slung their medkit over their shoulder as casually as they could manage. ¡°Honored synths!¡± Noss huffed as he ran up to them. ¡°We thought you were dead. There was that incident in Thalassa, then more synths came, then you all disappeared-¡± Gyrini stood alongside Noss and cleared her throat. In person, she was more intimidating than she seemed on the screen, her eyes far more calculating as she let her unblinking gaze travel over them each, appraising them. She had a presence to her that made TO feel like they were back in training; like the commander was talking to them and watching their ears oh so carefully for any hint of deception. Impossible, of course. She was just a civilian, and couldn¡¯t have read their ears even if they had their helmets off. TO repeated that in their head. She¡¯s just a civilian. You have the authority here. ¡°Clearly, we did not die.¡± TO said, watching Noss flinch as the words came out of their helmet. ¡°If you ever wonder why some people think all you synths are robots; it¡¯s shit like this.¡± Vik said, ¡°I don¡¯t know what you said there, but it came out as, ¡®We are obviously still functional.¡¯ Nice and snappy too.¡± ¡°It pleases us that you are.¡± Gyrini said as she took a step forward, coming right up to the gate, standing so close that TO was certain she could feel the hum of the electricity pulsing through the shiny metal bars. ¡°With your return, I would like to convene with you and discuss information. I have implemented a lockdown to prevent the insurgency from escaping, and -¡± ¡°Unnecessary.¡± TO said, ¡°We will continue our investigation from here. Lift the lockdown immediately; your services are no longer required.¡± She dipped her head slightly, but did not step back. ¡°As much as I would like to comply, I cannot.¡± She said, ¡°My orders have come from King Decon himself, who has bid me to take whatever measures I must in order to keep the situation stable until more honored synths arrive. To reverse my decisions now would be to go against His orders.¡± She looked back up, watching the two carefully, her eyes flicking from their hands to their wings. ¡°Of course, I am certain you can contact the proper people to reverse the orders, at which point I will happily do as you say.¡± ¡°Shit.¡± Vik said, ¡°That would have been too easy, wouldn¡¯t it have been? I suppose we¡¯ll have to be happy enough that you have access to your ship.¡± ¡°Should we press her?¡± DH asked. ¡°No.¡± TO said through their helmet, ¡°We wouldn¡¯t do that normally.¡± They switched back to talking to Gyrini. ¡°Very well. We will confer with our higher ups and determine the best course of action from there. Now, if you¡¯ll excuse us-¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Gyrini said, ¡°But would you like to make time to discuss my own findings? You¡¯ll find them quite interesting, I think.¡± ¡°You can send them to us.¡± TO said as they continued to their ship, ¡°In the meantime, we have important work to do.¡± ¡°Might you have information on the insurgency?¡± She asked. ¡°If they took you, and you escaped, you must. You¡¯ve been gone for over a week-¡± ¡°Our methods at this point are entirely confidential.¡± They said, They paused, then turned around again. ¡°Furthermore, I will say only that I fear I suspect that people with lofty ranks in the Arkanian government are involved.¡± They stared at Gyrini, meeting her eyes even though they knew she couldn¡¯t see theirs. ¡°Likely¡­ People even higher than mere planetary governments may well be involved.¡± They hoped their suggestion would startle her, make her back off, or at least make her worry that maybe TO was talking about her. To their surprise, she didn¡¯t. Her eyes widened slightly, and the moveable parts of her mouth widened around her mandibles, creating an odd, unsettling smile. ¡°You know what?¡± She said, her voice soft, ¡°I suspect the exact same thing.¡± Her mandibles clicked, and her antenna wavered in the air. ¡°If so, that is such a disappointment. Some people, I suppose, do not treasure their positions, and their ability to serve King Decon.¡± ¡°... Precisely.¡± TO said. They turned and left without a word, but they were very grateful for the helmet they wore, hiding the terrified tilt to their ears. ====== Once inside their ship, they hurried up to the main floor to see their old living quarters left exactly as it had been. With a sigh of relief, TO removed their armor, letting it dissolve once more into the bracelet around their wrist. ¡°I don¡¯t like her.¡± They said, sitting heavily at their workstation. ¡°I feel like she knows.¡± DH removed their armor, and gently set the medkit on the medical table. ¡°Yes.¡± They breathed, ¡°I thought she was going to try to arrest us.¡± The bag shuffled, and after a minor struggle, Vik popped out. They had a tiny communicator in their hands and an earpiece in one large ear. ¡°Probably.¡± They said, ¡°Or perhaps they just suspect everyone. I patched into her channel too- it was harder than local authorities, and even once I got in, she didn¡¯t say anything of interest. I thought for sure she¡¯d say something to Noss¡± They gave a heavy sigh. ¡°Waste of effort. Oh, well.¡± ¡°Maybe she¡¯s just not a talker?¡± DH offered. ¡°I don''t think anyone here wants to talk to Noss.¡± TO said, ¡°You ?remember how Minister Sally treated him, yes?¡± ¡°Whatever. Noss is a tool.¡± Vik snapped. They looked around, taking everything in before letting their eyes land on the giant consol that DH normally worked at. An enormous smile stretched their cheeks as they jumped first up to DH¡¯s shoulder, then to the back of the chair, then onto the desk before the computer. ¡°Ahh.. that bag was too damn hot, too stuffy, and moved around too much. I thought I was going to be sick at least three times, but this? This?!¡± They stepped up to the large keyboard, and gently stroked the space button, ¡°This was worth it all.¡± They opened up their communicator and looked expectantly at DH. ¡°Well, come on; are you going to give me access, or do I have to crack your system open myself?¡± Their eyes went big. ¡°Please tell me you¡¯re going to make me hack it. I want to try so bad!¡± DH grinned, and went to the medical cupboards, ¡°You have until I¡¯ve restocked my medkit.¡± They said, ¡°Then I will give you access if you can¡¯t get in by yourself.¡± Tail swishing behind them and their eyes wide with excitement, Vik turned around and dove into the process of accessing their computer. Episode 266: Common In order to give Vik as much time as possible to hack into the ship''s network, DH became particularly fastidious about cleaning out the medical cabinet. Medication tucked away in that back that would likely never see use they cataloged and packed up, wrappings of all kinds found themselves neatly organized, and DH even pulled out tools and equipment that TO had never seen before and carefully tucked them away in their bag. TO found a backpack that they could use as well - something they had bought when they went shopping and never used - and filled it with whatever DH couldn¡¯t fit in their bag, as well as a few changes of clothes for them each, and comfortable shoes. They wanted to take the signed picture that DH had pinned to the wall with magnets as well. Melissa hadn¡¯t just signed it. The actress had kissed it to give an imprint of her lips on the corner, and it had become one of TO¡¯s treasured possessions. As TO removed the magnets that held it up, DH stopped them. ¡°We¡¯ll be using this ship to leave the planet anyway, so might as well leave it there, right?¡± Their ears flicked in worry. ¡°Besides, if you take it down, it might get damaged.¡± TO wanted them to have it, and who knew how long they¡¯d be waiting before they left? Still, DH was right, and if they took it now, then that was just an extra opportunity for it to get lost or damaged. There wasn¡¯t much else for them to take, really; the only other thing that they had of any kind of personal value was the half-heart pendants that they each wore around their necks. Of course, TO never took theirs off. Despite spending a good hour poking into every corner of their living quarters, Vik still wasn¡¯t able to get into their system in time. ¡°If I had more time, I could get in!¡± Vik protested as DH sat down at the computer, shooing Vik to the side. ¡°Now that I¡¯m here, and I have access to the console-¡± ¡°The security is tight.¡± DH said, ¡°And it doesn¡¯t use passwords only.¡± They typed in a few commands, and the computer¡¯s lock screen disappeared to show the work that TO had been working on the last time they were here. ¡°So, once you¡¯re done, can I access this system from underground?¡± Vik asked, their tail whipping back and forth excitedly. ¡°Any time I want? And get any information I want?¡± ¡°Well, no.¡± DH said with a frown, ¡°Even within the synth network, our superiors locked some information under such tight security that I couldn''t get it. Also, I don¡¯t know if I can trick the system into staying on. It locks once I¡¯m out of range with my chip. Any synth chip, really. I¡¯m hoping I can trick it-¡± ¡°Secured NFC connections?! I should have thought of that! Here, I have a writer built into my communicator, if you can transfer the right codes¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to go check the systems¡­¡± TO said, now feeling entirely useless and in the way since the two were talking about programming. ¡°Alright.¡± DH said as they looked up briefly from the screen and smiled at TO¡ªtheir ears shuddering fondly as they caught their mates'' eyes. ¡°We¡¯ll be down here.¡± How DH looked at them made TO feel better. They hated feeling so left out when DH was getting so involved in their programming talk. TO just didn¡¯t understand most of it now, and watching DH and Vik get so excited over some technical challenge like this made their stomach twist. Before, it was just because Vik was an insurgent, and how could DH be so at ease with an insurgent? But now, TO was ?basically an insurgent as well, so there was no reason that any of this should bother them. Why did it? DH loved them. They were DH¡¯s mate. Even if DH had other friends that understood all the programming stuff that TO couldn¡¯t, they were still DH¡¯s mate. Still, they wished they could be as passionate about programming as they were, so they could join in when DH got so excited. A pang of guilt hit them at that though; they had never bothered to study programming beyond the basics that they needed for basic training; if they wanted to join in with DH¡¯s excitement, then they had every opportunity to learn more. It just took a little extra effort. Of course, where was that time for extra study coming from? They weren¡¯t exactly idle, at least not until the insurgents locked them up in that room with DH. Even then, if TO were to be truthful, they and DH weren¡¯t idle then either. It didn¡¯t matter. The two had always had different interests, unique abilities, and they still loved each other and loved spending time with one another. They didn¡¯t have to be so deeply involved with one another''s hobbies to be wonderful mates. Still, an odd sadness settled into them as they watched DH and Vik excitedly work on some bit of programming just before the elevator door shut. ====== All while TO worked on the normal tasks that they would normally have performed every day to make sure the ship was ready to take off, their mind was buzzing with other thoughts. They should have been thinking about the plan to escape Arkane, or about Gyrini who seemed to suspect them, or about the coming fleet of synths, or even about the seven dead civilians. Instead, their mind went to DH. Jealousy, they told themself, wasn¡¯t what they were feeling. Not at all. TO had no reason to be jealous because DH loved them and they did far more together than work on programming. They had trained together, slept together. were intimate, and in the end, they had far more in common with one another than DH could ever have with any civilian; they were certain of that. Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more. However¡­ When they tried to come up with the list of things they had in common, TO fell short. DH enjoyed looking at paintings, art, and loved wearing beautiful clothes, while TO was far more utilitarian with their clothing, and while they enjoyed looking at delightful pictures, they were not as drawn to them as DH was, and couldn¡¯t talk about art like DH did with Lendulin. TO liked fancy foods that were as much a meal for the eyes as they were a proper meal! DH was only concerned with how their food tasted and almost seemed offended by the extra effort spent to make food look nice. The things they found they had in common with their mate; hot baths, musicals, shows¡­ Well, those were things common to so many people. TO loved flying, but the magic of flight and the wind around their wings didn¡¯t thrill DH like it did TO. TO loved learning, loved historical shows and documentaries. DH preferred romance and drama. It doesn¡¯t matter TO thought to themself, DH and I have been friends for nearly our entire lives. We wouldn¡¯t be so close if we didn¡¯t have something in common. Well, of course, they had something else in common. It was the very thing that brought them together in the first place; they were strange; there was no companionship between them and the other synths, who were far happier being on their own. They needed companionship, and they found that in one another, and eventually in GiDi and Avery. Their communicator¡¯s alert dragged them from their thoughts and told them that the scans on the engines were done. The maintenance list the system gave them was a longer list than normal, but it wasn¡¯t unexpected. They had been away from their ship for so long now, and hadn¡¯t really done the maintenance in the days before their abduction, so they were behind on everything. Of course, it didn¡¯t all have to be done right away, but TO felt it best to have the ship ready for takeoff as soon as possible.TO refused to be in a situation where they had to leave, but they couldn¡¯t because they hadn¡¯t cleaned some filter. They did the required maintenance that was needed up in the engine room; tightening and loosening things, changing coolants, and tinkering here and there. It was simple work, but there were a lot of small things to be done and it took another hour for them to finish up in the engine room. Of course, they still weren¡¯t done; there was some basic maintenance they had to perform on the lower levels. Some ?tasks were two person jobs, or at least they would be easier with two people. They took the elevator back down to the ground floor to check and see how much longer they had before DH and Vik were done. If they weren¡¯t too tired and there was no urgent reason to go back underground, they and DH could finish the work today. When they got back to the main living area, it was as though DH and Vik hadn¡¯t moved. DH sat in their chair, Vik sat on the table. Both were typing furiously while talking about programming things that TO didn¡¯t understand. Vik always seemed excited when they were working with technical stuff, but they seemed positively elated with their time working on a synth system. DH, likewise, sat with happily twitching ears as they went over the code and talked through the logic behind some of the programming. ¡°This is so simple. It¡¯s brilliant!¡± Vik exclaimed as DH showed them something, ¡°If I do that, then I can make a fake chip and have it set up no problem!¡± ¡°I said the exact same thing about your programming on that AI!¡± DH said, ¡°brilliant in its simplicity. And you never studied programming formally?¡± ¡°HA. By the time I was eleven, they kicked me out of the public school for hacking into the education network. It was such bullshit; I didn¡¯t even do anything once I got in; I just wanted to see if I could get in! But¡­ They kicked me out. My parents weren¡¯t poor, but they couldn¡¯t afford to send me to a private school. Still. I hacked into the education network again- carefully this time, so I didn¡¯t get caught- and taught myself what I had to. Took my basic education test at thirteen and passed. ¡° ¡°If you had had a synth level of programming education¡­ I almost shudder to think what you could do with that!¡± DH said, grinning. Neither of them had noticed TO yet, so they just waited until there was a lull in the conversation to ask if they had any idea how long they¡¯d be. They didn¡¯t mind waiting; it was good to see DH so involved, so excited about something¡­ even if TO couldn''t really understand it, couldn¡¯t really take part in it. They wished they could, and their stomach twisted again. Maybe they should have found the time to study this too. They recalled once a long time ago giving DH advice to help them with their programming work, back before DH had any interest in it. Maybe now they would ask DH to teach them? ¡°It¡¯s good to talk to someone who actually understands all this!¡± DH said. ¡°Someone who gets it, you know? Someone who has ideas!¡± they beamed at Vik, ¡°It¡¯s like just talking to you opens up new pathways with all this!¡± This time, the twist in their stomach planted TO on the spot, and they found they couldn¡¯t move. The idea they had only a moment ago of asking DH to teach them seemed now so oddly na?ve and stupid. DH didn¡¯t have time to teach TO this stuff; they were using this now! They were busy¡­ and Vik was useful to them in a way that TO was not. Silently, they backed up into the elevator. They were both strange. That brought TO and DH together. They both wanted companionship. They both loved one another. TO told themself that again, but watching Vik and DH had made them realize something else; something they had missed before. They weren¡¯t ¡®strange¡¯ to the civilians. That made sense, since apparently they had civilian minds. They were among people who had similar, raw minds now. They weren¡¯t ¡®strange¡¯ here, and both TO and DH had made some friends among the civilians. They came together because they were strange; Now, they were not. They stayed together because they longed for companionship; now they had several new friends, and even family. The two loved each other; without interests in common was that enough to keep them in love? TO didn¡¯t know. Episode 267:Tracking It took several hours to finish the work on the computers, but eventually, DH and Vik figured out a way to let them access the ship''s information from the underground. By the time they were done, TO had completed most everything they could do by themself. Maybe tomorrow, they could come back with only DH, and get some more work done. Maybe they could also use their little washroom to take a hot shower. ¡°You¡¯d think they¡¯d design your suits with some pockets or something.¡± Vik complained as they settled into TO¡¯s bag. DH¡¯s bag was too full and carried too many fragile things for Vik to hide in there. ¡°What do you do if you need to carry something around?¡± ¡°There are pockets on the inside, and DH has their medkit.¡± TO said, ¡°There¡¯s also a small pocket on the leg of the armor, but you won¡¯t fit there.¡± ¡°Of course not.¡± Vik grumbled before TO zipped up their bag. TO and DH activated their own armor, looking around the entry hall to the ship once more. Somehow, TO didn¡¯t want to leave. They had spent so much time with DH here, had so many comfortable nights in their mates¡¯ arms and watched so many shows. ¡°Maybe we should stay here.¡± TO said. ¡°Wait, what?¡± Vik¡¯s voice came over their radio, suddenly panicked and higher in pitch than TO was used to. ¡°Why would you want to stay here?¡± The panic in Vik¡¯s voice invoked such confusion in TO that they could feel their ears brush against the inner edge of the helmet. ¡°Why not?¡± TO asked, ¡°We could maintain the ship, we could go out as normal civilians and feed ourselves while leaving the food in the ship alone, we could get more supplies, and free up another room in the underground.¡± They looked at DH, but of course could get no impression on how they felt about it from a glance; they had their helmet on. ¡°We could bring Avery up too. I think they hate being in the underground-¡° ¡°Avery won¡¯t leave.¡± DH said, ¡°Not unless we can leave with Kei, and Kei¡¯s going to need medical surveillance for a while; specialized medical surveillance. The kind I can¡¯t provide. ¡°Oh¡­ Oh, you meant just to stay here until we leave.¡± Vik said, and even though the communicators TO could hear the relieved sigh he gave. ¡°Of course.¡± TO said, ¡°What did you think I meant?¡± ¡°Nothing.¡± Vik said, ¡°And I think GiDi would be sad if you stayed up here. And Pearla! I mean, she just wants GiDi to be happy, right? And she doesn¡¯t mind you. Oh, and Tham! I know he¡¯s a dick half the time, but he was happy around you two last night, right?¡± ¡°¡­ You thought I meant to stay here and go back to work as a synth, didn¡¯t you?¡± TO asked. ¡°No no. I mean, why would I think that?¡± TO didn¡¯t answer, but it suddenly occurred to them that if they wanted, they could simply act as synths again. With Kei out of commission, nobody knew that they had shot the other synth. They had accessed their ship with no problems, and local authorities still acknowledged their authority. ¡°We wouldn¡¯t leave GiDi behind like that.¡± DH said, ¡°And besides, even if we stayed, we wouldn¡¯t be able to go out and get supplies¡­ They''re probably looking for us, or at least people who look like us, because of the incident in the tunnels yesterday.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t even think of that.¡± TO said. Of course there would be recordings from the helmets of the authorities from that incident, but given the distinctive scars on their wings, TO knew the authorities would easily recognize them. Also, if local authorities had footage of them, then it was only a matter of time until that footage made its way to Ark-1, and to the rest of the synths. Of course, they had to know something, right? The ?news that the GBA had given would be something that Ark-1 would pay attention to. TO had received no messages from Ark-1 yet. Would their superior try to reach out to them, or would they simply cut TO off? Well, that was just another thing to ask Flit about later. They stepped out into the hazy Arkanian evening; the sky bathed in purple, the distinct glow of electric lights from the inner-rings giving off a faint white-blue aura. The combination of light, and the fading mist from the heat of the day would have given everything a somewhat dreamy feel if it weren¡¯t for the drones flying overhead, the electric fence enclosing them, and the guards still standing at their main gate. ¡°What are they doing here?¡± DH muttered as they caught sight of the guards. ¡°Maybe extra security given everything that happened.¡± TO offered. ¡°Not my concern.¡± ¡°I¡¯m linking into their wireless signals anyway.¡± Vik said, ¡°So much easier with Synth access! I¡¯m Unstoppable!¡± They gave a manic cackle that echoed in TO¡¯s ear. ¡°Careful Vik.¡± DH said, ¡°Don¡¯t let anyone hear you.¡± ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter.¡± TO said, ¡°Let¡¯s take off, and head back. I don¡¯t want them to pay us more attention than absolutely necessary¡± ====== They were airborne for all of five minutes when the alert came in; a quiet ping in TO¡¯s ear, followed by a warning flashing across their vision. Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation. == Warning; Potential tracking occurring. == As the words flashed across TO¡¯s vision, an arrow pointed off to the side. ¡°What the heck was that?¡± Vik said, ¡°Something just came in on my communicator.¡± ¡°It was an alert,¡± DH said. ¡°I got one too.¡± ¡°Obviously.¡± Vik said, ¡°It¡¯s saying something about tracking, and it¡¯s giving coordinates.¡± TO didn¡¯t need the coordinates. Holding tightly to the bag, they did a sudden loop in the air, getting a good view of everything around them. As they did, their helmet locked onto a drone behind them. It was one of the drones that had been circling over their ship before, but now ?it was following them. ¡°What the fuck TO!¡± Vik shouted, their little voice louder than it needed to be right in TO¡¯s ear. ¡°Keep it down!¡± TO snapped. ¡°Well, maybe don¡¯t flip me upside-down without warning! Ugh, I might throw up.¡± ¡°What did you see?¡± DH asked. ¡°There¡¯s a drone behind us. Must have been following us from the ship.¡± TO said. They gave the commands to their chip to send a message to the drone behind them to stop following. ¡°Do you really think a cease order is going to work?¡± Vik asked. ¡°How do you know what I did?¡± TO snapped. ¡°I¡¯m using your chip to access some info, and I can see the commands that you¡¯re sending.¡± ¡°Well, it should work.¡± TO huffed. ¡°We have authority here.¡± They waited a minute, then two, and the drone was still following them. ==ORDER DISREGARDED== Elimination suggested. ¡°So your suit tells you how to do everything, then.¡± Vik said, ¡°Interesting. So long as you obey properly, it basically turns you into a cyborg! That is so cool. I mean, it¡¯s awful; Clearly you¡¯re supposed to be a flesh-bot that just obeys orders, but it¡¯s still cool on a theoretical level!¡± ¡°We¡¯re not cyborgs.¡± TO snapped. ¡°Also, Elimination suggested after just one warning?¡± A low whistle, distorted just enough to prevent pain to TO¡¯s sensitive ears, came through the communicator. ¡°Brutal.¡± TO sighed and pulled up what information they could on the drone. ¡°See.¡± They said, ¡°This type doesn¡¯t have anyone inside. It¡¯s just a surveillance drone.¡± ¡°And you think the order would be different if there were civilians inside?¡± Vik asked. ¡°I¡¯d think it doesn¡¯t matter.¡± TO said, ¡°Neither of us has a multi-gun.¡± ¡°To be fair, I¡¯m surprised so many people were alright with us having our armor back.¡± DH added, ¡°I didn¡¯t think they¡¯d give us our weapons back, either.¡± TO sighed and acted fast. They flicked their wings out so that the sudden catch of air would slow them down, giving the drone a chance to catch up. In a split second, the drone raced beneath TO, following DH. TO flew up, aimed, folded their wings and then dropped feet first onto the top of the drone. Their armored metal boots put a decent dent in the drone''s top, knocking it off course and sending parts and sparks off in all directions before it careened down and broke apart on top of a civilian skyscraper. ¡°Please give warnings before you¡¯re going to do something like that!¡± Vik said. ¡°I swear, I will throw up in this bag.¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t. It¡¯s a fifteen minute flight at least to the outer ring.¡± TO said, ¡°It would be an uncomfortable ride for you.¡± Vik fell silent in TO¡¯s bag for a moment, making TO worry that they were actually going to throw up. However, a moment later, his voice came back, tense and quick. ¡°So, I scan the general security line.¡± Vik said, ¡°It kinda gives a general idea of what¡¯s going on in the city. I can tell people what areas to avoid, or if they¡¯re being actively tracked. And with that trick, you¡¯re now being actively tracked.¡± ¡°But TO just drop-kicked that drone.¡± DH said, ¡°It seems very broken. I don¡¯t know how it can still track us.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that.¡± Vik said, ¡°Look, there¡¯s security cameras everywhere, right? There¡¯s people with their communicators. There are security cameras on most of these buildings, civilian cameras, even the overhead news cameras. The authorities here have access to all that if they need it, and right now, they¡¯re using all that to track you.¡± ¡°Right.¡± TO said, their ears pinning back as they bit briefly on their lower lip. This wasn¡¯t ideal. ¡°DH, circle around, follow port.¡± They both turned in tandem, TO making a wider turn and letting DH catch up on their left side as they flew. TO followed the curve of the wall below that separated the inner residential ring from the security ring. ¡°If we''re being tracked, we can¡¯t go back into the tunnels.¡± TO said, ¡°We need to ?lose the tracking, and get out of range of any cameras.¡± ¡°Does it matter?¡± DH asked, ¡°We can go where we like so-¡± ¡°I said before, I think ?Gyrini suspects us. Why else would she send a drone to follow us?¡± ¡°So you shouldn¡¯t have broken the drone?¡± DH asked. ¡°Breaking it is what the suit said.¡± TO said, ¡°And that¡¯s what a synth would ¡®normally¡¯ do. If anyone asks us why, well, I¡¯ve made it abundantly clear that we suspect the government here of being involved with the insurgency, so of course we wouldn¡¯t want to be followed.¡± They frowned as they looked around, trying to guess how many cameras sitting passively atop buildings and in the hands of civilians were actually tracking them right now. Scanning in this environment would be impossible; since they were on the move, they¡¯d have to scan every few feet to make sure they weren¡¯t under surveillance. ¡°So if that¡¯s the case, why do we have to worry about them seeing where we go? We don¡¯t have to tell them anything.¡± DH said, ¡°No, we don¡¯t, but if we just go into the tunnels again and disappear, then Gyrini¡¯s going to become curious where we went. She might send more people down there to look around-¡± ¡°Which means a greater chance that they¡¯d find our hideaway.¡± Vik said with a sigh. ¡°Exactly.¡± ¡°... Alright.¡± Vik said. ¡°Do we need an out? I have an out.¡± TO¡¯s helmet dinged with a new message from Vik, and when they opened it, it was a map of the city. ¡°That place I¡¯ve marked off in the business district. If you can get there, I can get us lost in the city.¡± The spot on the map wasn¡¯t too far away; TO and DH could get there in minutes of easy flying. They wished they could come up with their own idea to get away from surveillance, and they were certain that they could if given just an extra minute, but Vik already seemed to have a plan, and TO wasn¡¯t interested in wasting time. ¡°Alright.¡± TO said, ¡°DH; Hard starboard. Follow me.¡± They pivoted off their easy circular path over the wall, and headed outwards towards the business district. Episode 268: House TO expected other drones to follow them, to show up out of nowhere, the saturated evening light glinting off shiny black metal as drones followed them to the point on the map that Vik pointed out. Thankfully, their fears didn¡¯t materialize. ¡°Of course not.¡± Vik said when TO mentioned their worry to the small hacker, ¡°Those things are expensive, and you already broke one; they¡¯re not going to send another for you to smash. Honestly, I¡¯m amazed that they didn¡¯t pull the drone back in the first place!¡± ¡°Maybe they¡¯re not watching us anymore?¡± DH offered. ¡°Maybe we¡¯re not worth it?¡± ¡°Oh no, they¡¯re still watching. They¡¯re just trying to be covert. Look.¡± An alert came in on TO¡¯s chip, and when they opened it, a video played in the corner of their vision; a compilation of clips showing them from several angles tracking their movement. ¡°This is the security feed.¡± Vik said, ¡°It has footage from every camera in the city. Every security guard, police officer, and special agent has access to this, and thanks to your permissions on your chip, so do I! They¡¯re tracking you, no doubt about that.¡± They continued on, tracked by the countless civilian and surveillance cameras all about until they approached the spot on the map. It was an innocuous ?location; a tall skyscraper like all the others in the business district. ¡°This place?¡± TO asked as they circled around the building. ¡°Yes, and no. There¡¯s a tube entrance leading to the underground right on the side of the building. Go there.¡± They dove, plummeting to the ground before spreading their wings to slow down just moments before striking the hard pavement. Several civilians on the street scattered as the two synths landed, taking cover as though a bomb were about to go off. The video feed in the corner of TO¡¯s sight suddenly showed dozens more frames of them and DH, landing in the street. ¡°Oh yes, this got us away from being tracked.¡± TO said, their ears pinning back, ¡°Wonderful plan.¡± ¡°¡­ I feel you dislike me.¡± Vik said, ¡°Well, no matter. Go underground and follow the actual tunnel.¡± ¡°The tunnel? You mean the tube? And what happens if we get crushed by the tube?¡± ¡°You won¡¯t; trust me.¡± TO didn''t want to trust him, but they figured that if something happened to them, then Vik would be in just as much danger; maybe more, since TO and DH had armor on, and Vik didn¡¯t. At any rate, the crowd watching them was making TO uneasy, and they just wanted to be out of sight. They raced into the darkness of the tunnels. It was too narrow to fly, so they had to continue on foot. The light behind them from the illuminated waiting area faded off quickly, the images of them on their visor fading one by one, and soon they found themselves in near total darkness. Still, their echolocation let them navigate well enough. The darkness didn¡¯t bother TO at all, but what bothered them was the distant sound of the tube cart rushing towards them and making the surrounding tube vibrate. ¡°Keep going.¡± Vik said, ¡°There¡¯s no camera down here; they¡¯re only on the carts, so we have until one comes by to get out of sight.¡± ¡°And if we don¡¯t get there in time?¡± TO demanded. ¡°Please. You think I didn¡¯t already check the schedules? The next one isn¡¯t supposed to hit that stop for another half-hour and we only need about ten minutes to get where we need to, so we have a solid twenty minutes before we¡¯re in trouble. Just keep going.¡± They ran down into the darkness, following the easy curve of the tube, feeling the vibration of their footsteps and the cart in the distance until Vik finally stopped them. ¡°Here.¡± They said. ¡°To your left. One of the tube panels is loose, but some brilliant person has secured them with wire at the topmost connections. You should be able to lift it, and¡­ Well, it might be a little small, but I think you can still get through¡± They couldn¡¯t quite make out what Vik was talking about here; their echolocation was good, but it wasn¡¯t quite that precise, so they had to turn on the night vision on their helmet instead to see. Just as Vik said, there was a panel that at first glance seems no different from any of the others. However, the screws that kept it in place were gone, and replaced with strong wire to create a makeshift hinge. When they pulled the panel up, it revealed a small, square opening. Their night vision didn¡¯t show them anything past the opening, which was odd at first, but using their echolocation explained everything; Just outside the tunnel, the ground had fallen away to form an enormous cavern. ¡°I found this cavern when I was like, twelve?¡± Vik said, ¡°Maybe eleven. Doesn¡¯t matter. Let¡¯s go!¡± ¡°Where does it lead?¡± TO asked, unsure they wanted to take Vik¡¯s advice here and jump into an unknown cavern, especially when the last time they were in a cavern deep underground¡­ Well, not so great things happened. ¡°The cavern connects to the sewage network for the inner residential area. I can get us out of there unseen, no problem.¡± They still had time to get out of the tunnels if they wanted to. Of course, what would they do then? Ideas filtered into their mind, ranging from flying to the outer ring and diving into the water, to going into the sewers and finding a different route, and even going back to the entrance in the security district. If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.All viable options, but even TO knew that this was likely the best one. It was unlikely that Vik would put them in danger, as that would harm the small hacker too. Furthermore, all those other options were mere possibilities, and would take a lot more time to explore. This was an option that sat right before them. TO knew they were smart enough to find another route. They also realized they were smart enough to recognize that, given everything, this was likely the best option. They sighed, gave DH their bag, and squeezed through the small opening. It was tight, and they worried they might not get through without deactivating their armor, but they were lucky and got through, dropping from the opening and into the darkness below them. Thankfully, they could spread their wings and catch themself before they hit the ground. They flew back to the opening, took their bag and DHs, then brought them to the bottom of the cavern as DH followed them in. ¡°This area isn¡¯t mapped.¡± Vik said, ¡°Head south-south east, and you¡¯ll see a perfectly rectangular stone stocking out from all the other rough ones. Follow that into a stone tunnel and keep going until we hit fresh air.¡± With nothing else to do, and nowhere else to go, TO followed the small hacker¡¯s instructions. ====== The stone tunnel had clearly been an old maintenance hallway; that was clear. The entrance was rough and cluttered with fallen rocks, but the rest of it was relatively smooth. There were, of course, cracks in the wall, bugs scurrying about, and in some places mold or moss was growing thanks to ?minor leaks. The bugs didn¡¯t bother TO as much at that moment, since they had their armor on, but they still didn¡¯t enjoy wandering about in underground tunnels. ¡°How far does this tunnel go?¡± They asked after having walked for only about five minutes. ¡°It¡¯s about a half-hour walk, I suppose?¡± Vik said. ¡°Which really isn¡¯t bad given that it would take us at least an hour to get there by tube.¡± ¡°And we¡¯ll end up in the sewage area of the residential district.¡± ¡°Yes; I hope your helmets filter out smells, because it¡¯s ripe down there. Somehow, it¡¯s worse than sewage in the outer ring.¡± ¡°I find it concerning that you have a preference.¡± TO said. ¡°Do you? Give it a bit. Soon, you¡¯ll be able to tell what part of the city you¡¯re in just by smell.¡± They walked on in relative silence. Vik was busy checking the various communication lines, checking to see if they had any hints about where the two synths had gone. Occasionally, they¡¯d give updates. ¡°They know you went into the tubes, but they can¡¯t just shut the tubes down; you¡¯re not wanted criminals, and they weren¡¯t technically in pursuit.¡± but they were so involved in their work that other chatter faded to the wayside. They couldn¡¯t talk privately over their helmets so instead, TO signed to DH. <> they asked. <> DH signed back. <> << I know that. Still¡­ is it smart to just follow his directions like this? >> DH took a moment to answer TO, and when he did his hand movements were slow, and tentative. << Do you really not like him? >> << liking or disliking him doesn¡¯t matter right now. >> <> It wasn¡¯t that TO didn¡¯t like him. TO didn¡¯t know him, and somehow, the way he just slipped in and worked so well with DH bothered him. <> he signed back, <> <> Eventually, they could see a faint sliver of light ahead of them. They rushed forward only to end up in a small, stone room where once some machinery had sat, as evidenced by the too-clean marks on the floor, the grooves scratched into the stone. Well, whatever had been there before was gone now, and the room was presently empty. ¡°Alright. There¡¯s a handful of cameras in our way, But I can deal with them.¡± Vik said, ¡°Just give me a minute-¡± ¡°You can deal with cameras?¡± TO asked, ¡°Why couldn¡¯t we deal with the cameras that were watching us before?¡± ¡°Because I have these cameras on a system; I¡¯ve used them many times before.¡± ¡°So, this is a regular route for you?¡± DH asked. ¡°Something like that.¡± Vik said, ¡°Ok, cameras are good. When you get out, we¡¯ll be at the edge of an artificial river. Follow that upstream a little, and you¡¯ll find a side door to the house on your left. Go in there.¡± TO expected to see people waiting for them on the other side of the door, but when they opened it, they saw only the other side of a stone bridge. The water that flowed through it was almost perfectly clear, the stone river bed painted to give the appearance of beautiful blue water. They went in the direction Vik told them to, and eventually they approached a large house; it wasn¡¯t like the rectangular buildings they were used to; it looked like an old-fashioned stand-alone home, complete with fake grass, sculptured synthetic trees, and fiber-optic flowers that change color every ten seconds. Amid the fake foliage and artificial trees, right along the edge of the house, there was a door. ¡°Is this the door?¡± TO asked as they approached. ¡°Yeah. just go in. I¡¯ve already unlocked it; it should just slide open when you approach.¡± As Vik said, the door slid open and let them go inside with no trouble, leading them to a simple entrance way. The digital windows had images of a vast meadow outside, and a rug at the door read, ¡®Welcome to our home.¡¯ With the O in home forming a heart. ¡°Down a little more, and to the left, there¡¯s an actual window. You should be able to see a car from there. Just watch the car and confirm that it leaves.¡± Things were just as Vik said. Among the digital windows was a single actual window that showed a vehicle set down on a landing pad. It wasn¡¯t sleek like their government assigned vehicle had been; it had an artificially old-fashioned look; boxy and large in places that modern vehicles were supposed to be sleek. Cream colored, and accented in red, it was easy for TO to see the barcode that possessed all the ownership information attached to the car. Their helmet scanned it automatically, and when the results came TO checked them more out of curiosity than anything else. It listed the owners as Mrs. Viktoria Lumix and Mr. Ray Lumix. The two small, rodent-like creatures, with their round ears and large eyes, looked at TO from the image on their visor. They might have doubted their first assumption, but the flag marking their file only assured TO that they were right. The flag on their file showed some criminal concerns, linking the very respectable-looking couple to their missing offspring; Viktor Lumix. Episode 269: Viktor Once TO confirmed that the car was gone, Vik instructed them to go further into the house. ¡°And unzip this bag.¡± They said from inside the pack TO carried, ¡°it¡¯s getting stuffy in here.¡± Once the bag was open Vik popped out and took a long breath of air. ¡°I don¡¯t mind small places, but that was too squat and stuffy.¡± They grumbled as they settled in their new position. ¡°Alright. Left, go down the hallway and then take another left. That¡¯s where the garage is. We¡¯ll take one of the service vehicles and head right to the outer ring.¡± ¡°Won¡¯t we bump into anyone on the way?¡± DH asked, their voice low and urgent, ¡°We¡¯re in a civilian house!¡± ¡°No, that''s fine. Just go on ahead, I¡¯ll show you.¡± TO and DH walked on, and as they took the first turn they saw a ServAi in the hallway. TO froze for a moment, worried that after all that trouble they¡¯d get caught on the ServAi¡¯s built-in camera, but thankfully no images showed up on their visor. ¡°I said we¡¯re fine.¡± Vik said, chuckling, ¡°There¡¯s only ServAis working here, and I¡¯ve shut them down. You¡¯re good; keep going. The house security cameras are dealt with too, so don¡¯t worry about that.¡± ¡°You¡¯re going to have to tell me how you did all that.¡± DH said, ¡°Even for me, that¡¯s some quick work, and I¡¯m entirely impressed!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be too impressed.¡± TO said, ¡°I believe they had a lot more time than you think to get this sorted out.¡± They double checked the ID they pulled from the vehicle, and checked the dates on how long ago the child had been missing. The dates lined up with what Vik already told them, so with that information checked they said, ¡°You¡¯re Viktor, right? And I¡¯m assuming this is your home?¡± ¡°Hmm? Oh, yeah.¡± They laughed, ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you that?¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t!¡± DH protested, ¡°You grew up here? In the inner district?¡± Vik gave another laugh, their ears dropping slightly. ¡°Yeah.¡± They said, ¡°Back in the day. I guess they considered me a ¡®privileged¡¯ kid. Parents lived here, so I could go to a good public school, but not a private one.¡± They chuckled, ¡°Worse than that, I was a ¡®gifted¡¯ privileged kid. Parents weren¡¯t happy when I got kicked out of school.¡± ¡°I thought you said your parents weren¡¯t rich!¡± DH said, ¡°But they have a house here-¡± ¡°A house they inherited from their parents, who inherited it from their parents. I also said they had some money, yes? Well, I guess they got more now that they don¡¯t have to support me, right? Come on - keep going.¡± They stepped around the ServAi and continued down the hallway and to another door on their left. It opened before them, and just as Vik said, they were in the garage that held a single, bulky cargo vehicle. ¡°They keep this one inside, because it¡¯s not aesthetic.¡± Vik said as they worked on their communicator. A few minutes passed, and the cargo vehicle turned on, its rear doors opening up. ¡°Go on, hop in. It¡¯s automated; no need to drive.¡± With some hesitation, the two got inside. The doors slid behind them. ¡°Take a seat.¡± Vik muttered as they worked, ¡°It¡¯ll take me a minute to set up an appointment and backdate it in the system. It¡¯s fine though; my parents won¡¯t be back for a while.¡± Taking Vik¡¯s suggestion, DH sat down on the floor of the van and deactivated their armor. It dissolved around them and melted back into the bracelet around their wrist. TO panicked at first, worried that they¡¯d be seen outside of their armor, but then they remembered how Vik said they had deactivated all the cameras. They disabled their own armor and sat down next to DH. ¡°I hate wearing that for so long.¡± DH grumbled. They glanced at TO and offered them a quick smile, their ears flicking out fondly as they did. ¡°It¡¯s awful having to talk to you though common on that helmet. At least it doesn¡¯t mess up what we say to one another like it does when we speak to others.¡± TO reached out and took DH¡¯s hand, squeezing it gently on the floor. ¡°Hey, Vik.¡± DH said, turning away from TO, ¡°How do you know they¡¯ll be gone for a while?¡± ¡°Because I know them, and I found the right bait.¡± Vik said. ¡°One of mom¡¯s superiors at work is at a little cafe in the Entertainment district. She¡¯s always trying to suck up to them and climb her way up, so-¡± ¡°What does she do?¡± DH asked. ¡°Entertainment industry. She works on designing new digital actors and performers. Anyway, she¡¯s always sucking up for promotions, and her superior mentioned on their social that they were at that cafe. I just made sure mom saw that. She¡¯s taken off with dad to see her and be all ¡®Oh, how nice to see you! You come here too.¡¯¡± they snorted with unamused mirth. ¡°It works too. You should see her work! A coincidental meeting, a mention of something their superior likes, a few questions¡­¡± he shook his head, ¡°It¡¯s gotten a good few promotions. Worked better when I was young and cute, though; Back then, she could bring me around and show me off. That got decidedly less effective when I could talk. Anyway, if she speeds - which she will- will take twenty minutes to get there. If the coworker is still there, she¡¯ll work her magic for a good hour but otherwise she¡¯ll come right back home. At worst, we have forty minutes.¡± The transport vehicle shook as it hovered into the air and circled the small garage. It sped up, forcing TO and DH further to the back of the vehicle before it rose into the air and made its way through the city. This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it. ¡°There we go!¡± Vik said. They made themself comfy atop the bag TO brough, settling in as they continued to work on their communicator. ¡°Now we just wait. This thing goes slow, so we¡¯ll have a bit of a commute.¡± ¡°That¡¯s fine.¡± DH said as they shifted towards TO. ¡°At least we¡¯re getting away right?¡± ¡°Right.¡± TO said. An awkward silence fell over them. Vik focused on their communicator while TO and DH just sat there, holding hands and feeling the vibration of the older vehicle as it continued on its way. As TO glanced at their mate, they saw the uneasy tilt of their ears as the older vehicle moved. DH¡¯s fingers tightened around their own as they took a long, shuddering breath. ¡°So, how did you know it was Vik¡¯s house, TO?¡± DH asked after a few long minutes of them trying to keep calm. ¡°Correction; My parents'' house.¡± Vik said, ¡°I don¡¯t even get it if they die, I¡¯m out of their will so I don¡¯t get it. No idea who gets it now.¡± ¡°Well, you are missing.¡± TO said. ¡°I looked at their file when my helmet scanned their vehicle. A missing person report went out a while ago-¡± ¡°About six years ago.¡± Vik said, ¡°Just after I left home. They wouldn¡¯t have bothered to file it, but everyone knew they had a kid, so if that kid just disappeared and they didn¡¯t make an excuse, it¡¯d be a little suspicious.¡± ¡°Maybe they¡¯re looking for you.¡± DH offered. ¡°If you¡¯re their family, they can¡¯t be that cold to you-¡± ¡°They reported me missing six years ago.¡± They said, ¡°Two years after that, I went home and they were very decisive in kicking me out. So yeah. They¡¯re not interested in me, and I¡¯m not interested in them. There¡¯s a reason I only go by Vik now.¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t just shorten Viktor?¡± TO asked. Vik¡¯s ears dropped, their tail swishing side to side, ¡°Well, yes, but that¡¯s because I¡¯m used to it. I never use my full name anymore.¡± TO frowned, and continued scrolling through the data they had on Viktor Lumix. DH noticed, and nudged TO, giving them a quick shake of their head. Confused, TO put away the communicator. Well, they could check that later, but they didn¡¯t understand why DH seemed to want them to stop looking. That heavy pit returned to their stomach, but it disappeared shortly after DH squeezed TO¡¯s hand once more. ¡°On a change of subject.¡± DH said, ¡°Even if you had access previously, it¡¯s an interesting setup you¡¯ve got to get in. How did you set this all up? I mean, the tunnel and everything.¡± ¡°Half of it was luck.¡± Vik said. ¡°Sure, it took some skills to block all the cameras, but most everything else? Luck.¡± ¡°How so?¡± ¡°Well...¡± Vik¡¯s little fingers stopped working at his communicator. ¡°Well¡­ I used to sneak out all the time. I always got caught not long after I left the property. Even if I disabled the cameras or took a car, I¡¯d get caught if I tried to leave the residential district and there¡¯s not much to do in the residential district, so why would I stick around? I had friends in the third ring - outer residential. Met them through the net. Anyway, I kept looking for ways out where I wouldn¡¯t get caught.¡± ¡°So you made that cavern?¡± DH asked with a concerned twitch of their ears. ¡°Oh, no!¡± Vik laughed. ¡°I couldn¡¯t do that myself. The old sewage entrance was locked off back then. But there used to be a hole in the side that I discovered I could crawl through when I was about twelve. Once inside, I followed the tunnel for fun and it came to that cavern. An old cave-in made it. I suppose the maintenance tunnel probably got too close to it, or the tube did. Doesn¡¯t matter. Anyway, eventually a panel came loose on the tube - happens all the time, auto repair fixes it most times, but I, of course, kept that from happening!¡± They grinned. ¡°If you put wire in the right places, the tube thinks that the panel is just fine. Took me another year to get the courage to take the tube out. Of course, I¡¯m small, so it was easier for me to get out of the tube undetected, and then I was free to do what I wanted for a few hours!¡± ¡°And you¡¯re telling me that nobody bothered to fix it since?¡± TO asked, ¡°It¡¯s just stayed like this the whole time?¡± ¡°Well, no.¡± Vik said, ¡°The crack in the wall next to the door was sealed off ages ago, but I had the door unlocked by then, and fixed it so I could come and go as I liked. Now, if I was going up to the tube, there¡¯s a rope I¡¯d normally climb, but you didn¡¯t need it.¡± They glance at DH. ¡°I still sneak in from time to time if I need something special; new tech or something. Sometimes, I¡¯ll order something and have it sent there under Vikktoria Lumix. The misspelling is plain enough that nobody would think about it too much, but I programmed the ServAis to take those packages and put them by the maintenance door. Having access there is useful if the package isn¡¯t too big, or needs verification of delivery.¡± ¡°And it¡¯s useful for escape.¡± TO added. ¡°You probably had authorities chasing you into that tube all the time, getting entirely confused when you just disappeared.¡± ¡°Well, this is the first time that happened!¡± Vik said. ¡°I¡¯m small, and my species is common enough here that I can get around without notice. You? Not so much.¡± They grinned. ¡°That¡¯s why we have a delightful ride all the way home, and you two can give your wings a rest.¡± They went back to their communicator. ¡°Now, if you¡¯ll excuse me, I need to come up with a few alternative ways we can get you out of the underground and to your ship. You can go about all you want, but we just need to make sure you don¡¯t lead anyone to us.¡± ¡°Is there anything I can do to help?¡± DH asked, sitting up a little. ¡°Nah, anything I¡¯m looking for won¡¯t be on normal maps.¡± Vik said, ¡°Oh, but if you can schedule a refuel for your ship, that¡¯d be good?¡± ¡°I can do that.¡± TO said as they took out their communicator. With one hand, they sent off the necessary messages while DH leaned against them, watching the two of them work. DH could have ordered the fuel, of course, but somehow, TO wanted to do it themself. Or rather, they didn¡¯t want DH to help Vik. Episode 270: Warehouse Though there were no windows in the back of the transport vehicle, Vik tapped into the cameras in the front, so the three of them could watch where they were going and see what was happening. As they approached the outer ring, they saw that there were many security drones wandering about, scanning the streets and skies. Oddly, there were no police and no authority vehicles. ¡°Three, six, eight¡­ Look at that; nine drones just in our immediate field of view.¡± Vik said as they glanced up from their communicator to the projection that they had set up. ¡°Though I don¡¯t know if that¡¯s for you specifically. There¡¯s been more surveillance here since Gyrini showed up.¡± ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter if it¡¯s for us specifically or not.¡± TO said as their ears flicked with concern, ¡°If all these drones are around, we can¡¯t leave the vehicle. And if this vehicle makes its way to the tunnels on its own, I¡¯m sure that¡¯ll seem suspicious.¡± ¡°Oh, it will, no doubt about that!¡± Vik said. ¡°That¡¯s why we''re not landing in the street or going into the tunnels. We¡¯re heading to a warehouse on the shoreline.¡± He brought up a different image, showing a rather large, innocuous warehouse. ¡°This one, specifically. Management only uses robot workers with low AI capabilities, and they¡¯ve let the cameras stay ¡®broken¡¯ for years. Most people use it to get rid of things they don¡¯t want, or to smuggle things that are technically illegal. Or just actually illegal. Getting people in and out is absolutely easy.¡± ¡°People?¡± TO¡¯s ears flicked back. ¡°What do you mean, people?¡± ¡°Just what I said. People. Well, sometimes just bodies. If it¡¯s coming from the inner circles, nobody asks too many questions. The point is, it¡¯ll be easy enough for us to get away in there.¡± They approached the warehouse, hovering before the street entrance for a few seconds as Vik put some commands in on his communicator. A moment later, the door slid open, and the vehicle went inside. Dull yellow lights illuminated the interior of the warehouse, where a handful of civilian shipping vehicles were sitting, waiting. Though a few ServAis were working on filling one or two transports with tightly sealed boxes, most stood along the wall in an idle mode. ¡°Should we be worried about all these other vehicles?¡± DH asked. ¡°Nah, it¡¯s fine.¡± Vik said, ¡°Most of them are here to wait for a pickup, and they¡¯ll be waiting until they get called back, until someone smuggles in what they¡¯re waiting for, or until the blockade ends. Whatever.¡± ¡°And you¡¯re sure the cameras here are-¡° ¡°Entirely deactivated. Even if Gyrini wanted to activate them, half of them are fake and the others are broken. This warehouse doesn¡¯t deal with off-planet transport, so it doesn¡¯t need to have the same level of security as the others do either.¡± ¡°And nobody asks questions?¡± Vik shrugged, ¡°Not really.¡± They said, ¡°I mean, the owners do have contracts with some local producers. Nothing particularly legit, though; knockoff shit, cheap electronics. Stuff people see on ads in the social, and order late at night. It¡¯s not much, but it¡¯s enough to make things seem legitimate even if some people get scammed.¡± The transport hovered over a landing spot, a series of beeps and pings coming from the front before it lowered down on a platform and powered down. ¡°There we go.¡± Vik said. ¡°Now, the warehouse is half on land, and half over the water, where the Okoian sewers empty their contents. We¡¯re over water, and we¡¯ll be heading into the sewers. Just jump out of the transport, lift the metal floor panel, and drop? down.¡± He dove into TO¡¯s bag once more. ¡°Zip me up and put on your armor.¡± ¡°Wait, I thought you said that the cameras were all taken care of.¡± DH said, their ears flicking back, ¡°Why do we have to put on our armor.¡± Vik looked up at DH for a moment in silence, their ears flicking as they tried to decide if DH was joking or not. ¡°... because we¡¯re going into the sewers.¡± He said. ¡°It stinks. I mean, you can keep your armor off, ?but I¡¯m going to be hiding in the bag with my paws over my nose.¡± It took no more convincing for TO to put on their armor. They had been covered in sewage once in their life, and that was more than enough for them. ====== The sewers were small, dark, and cramped. There was slime all over the sides of the tunnels they wandered through at Vik¡¯s direction, and it made TO exceedingly glad that they wore their armor. Also, though the trek was long and irritating, it was more or less uneventful. They sludged their way through the muck until finally, at a bend in the tunnel, there was a break in the sturdy metal that surrounded them. They nearly didn¡¯t ?squeeze out, but with some effort, and with applying only a little more damage to the metal, they made it. The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. ¡°In some places, they ran the sewage pipes through the old tunnels.¡± Vik said, ¡°It saved on labor and made it easy to repair. However, this crack has caused no problems yet, so nobody¡¯s bothered to fix it.¡± The tunnels under the city were all connected, so following Vik¡¯s directions and using their echolocation to make their way through the lightless old tunnels, they eventually made their way to a section that the insurgents used. It wasn¡¯t a part they were familiar with, but it was lit by the same fluorescent lights that the insurgents used to illuminate every other space, so for the moment at least it felt safe. Safe around insurgents; TO didn¡¯t think they¡¯d ever feel like that. ¡°And we¡¯re home!¡± Vik said, ¡°Unzip me; it''s stuffy in here.¡± ¡°It¡¯s stuffy in these.¡± DH said as they pressed their wrist. The armor dissolved around them and back into the bracelet, but the thin film of muck that clung to the armor ended up splattering them. DH made an awful gagging noise as the smell hit them. ¡°You¡¯ll get used to it.¡± Vik said as TO unzipped the bag, letting them pop their head up, ¡°But¡­ Yes, you might want to get cleaned up. A change of clothes and all that. Might make you feel better before we tell GiDi what all we did in your ship.¡± ¡°Yeah, I know!¡± DH whined, their voice distorted as they tried to speak without using their nose at all. ¡°I¡¯ll head to our room, heat ?some water for that little bowl-¡± ¡°... little bowl?¡± Vik frowned, their ears twitching for a moment before they laughed, ¡°Oh DH, please don¡¯t tell me you¡¯ve just been bathing in your room this whole time!¡± TO and DH both stared at VIk. TO hadn¡¯t removed their armor yet, wanting to postpone for as long as possible ?when they¡¯d get splattered as well. ¡°... Isn¡¯t that what we¡¯re supposed to be doing?¡± DH asked. ¡°That¡¯s all we have-¡± ¡°Dee. We have hot springs down here.¡± TO wasn¡¯t sure when Vik started calling DH ¡®Dee¡¯ and they weren¡¯t sure they liked it, but either way, that wasn¡¯t important at the moment. ¡°Hot springs?¡± They asked. ¡°Yeah. Used to be part of a heating system underground, but we rigged it up for a bath ages ago!¡± TO held the bag before them, bringing Vik to just below eye level. The helmet normally altered the tone of translated speech more harshly than normal, but this time, even the angle of the ears, the tension in TO¡¯s wings, and the slight barring of their fangs - all of which were of course unseen- the helmet got the tone just right as it hissed out in a low, angry snap a single spoken word. ¡°Where?¡± ====== The only showers or bathing facilities that TO and DH had encountered had been the open public ones in the training center, the large private one at the portal dock, and the tiny one in their ship. Three very different ?accommodations! However, this was the first time that they went to a communal bathing area and saw any effort to provide privacy. A pipe came out of the rocks and ran along one makeshift wall, shower nozzles installed in the pipe at regular intervals, the spaces below separated by large plastic panels, and closed off with flimsy plastic curtains. At the other end, the pipe fed into what appeared to be an old plastic pool, a steady stream of steaming water flowing in, the excess pouring out on the other end into a bucket with a hose in it. The hose trailed off out of the room - likely into the old river that trailed under the city. It was not fancy. It wasn¡¯t as small as the shower they had in their ship ¡ª that was true ¡ª but it also simply wasn¡¯t as nice. The faint smell of mildew permeated the air, and everything had a thrown-together feel to it. Still; it was a hot shower. The hot water filled the room with steam, and that put TO in mind of the showers at the training center and that, oddly, filled them with some peace despite the dingy appearance of everything. Wordlessly, TO headed straight for the shower. ¡°Hey, TO, aren¡¯t you going to remove your armor?¡± DH asked as they pulled off their top, throwing it in a pile on the floor. ¡°No.¡± They said, ¡°I¡¯m rinsing off my armor first so I don''t get splattered first. I have no interest in having the sewage of hundreds of different species on me.¡± ¡°Well, thanks for that.¡± DH grumbled as they stepped out of the rest of their clothes and went to the closest shower. ¡°I wish I knew about this before. I would have showered here instead of using the bowl in our room. It took three fills before I was certain the smell was gone!¡± Goretta should have told him, TO thought. Really, someone should have told them both that this was here! Even GiDi failed to tell them that there were actual showers here! Only Vik had told them! Well, Vik had told DH. Did that make a difference? Was it intentional? Would they have told TO if DH hadn¡¯t been there? With their armor rinsed, they stepped out, deactivated their armor, undressed, and stepped back into the free-flowing hot water. As soon as the water hit them, it felt like days of residual cold collected from bathing from a bowl was driven from their body with a single, final shiver as the warm water flowed over them. Nothing else mattered at that very moment. Their worries melted away as they simply closed their eyes and let the water hit them. Whether Vik intended to tell only DH, or both of them, TO would still thank the small rodent when they were done. Episode 271: Dig Supper was well over by the time TO and DH got to the common room. Of course, their work at the ship consumed most of their day, and they spent a good part of the evening escaping surveillance so it was well after dark by the time they were ready to see the others. Many of their new allies were actually asleep. By the time they got to the common room it was mostly empty save for Vik at his computer, GiDi, Pearla, Tham, Flit and Snout. ¡°We couldn¡¯t have slept until you guys were back, anyway.¡± GiDi explained as they pushed containers of food towards TO and DH. ¡°Well, I just wanted information.¡± Tham muttered. Though he sounded better than he had earlier that day, there were still deep blue bags under his eyes, contrasting vividly from the red of his skin. Somehow, even the scales on his tail seemed duller than normal; as thought they were missing something. When they glanced at Pearla, they say that her scales had a slight iridescence to them. It was something they hadn¡¯t noticed before its absence in Tham. ¡°He says that, but he was legitimately worried.¡± Pearla said as she passed a smaller container of food to Vik. ¡°He was worried about you after yesterday-¡° ¡°Hey now, I just worried that they¡¯d faint or something and fuck everything up. And Vik was with ¡®em!¡± ¡°He was worried about the three of you.¡± Pearla. Said as she sat back down at the table. ¡°Very worried.¡± Tham only huffed in response. ¡°The good news is that we seem to have remote access to the synth ship.¡± Vik said as he flicked open the container and pulled out a shell. TO looked away as he cracked it hard against the table to break the shell, focusing instead on their own meal. They were happy enough to see a small container of some kind of soup with a crumbly kind of bread. They hadn¡¯t eaten since that morning, so they weren''t surprised that they had an appetite at least. ¡°Now, I¡¯m told that there¡¯s some maintenance that still needs to be done before we¡¯re really safe to fly.¡± Vik looked at TO, ¡°How long will that take?¡± ¡°Half a day, so long as there¡¯s nothing major that needs to be done.¡± TO said, ¡°And we¡¯ll have the ship refueled by tomorrow. Also, what¡¯s left to do we can, technically, do it in flight. I¡¯d just rather have it done before we leave if possible.¡± ¡°And the problem with that is that they tracked us on the way back.¡± Vik said. ¡°I got us off the radar, but I don¡¯t think we can use the same trick again; at least not with those two. We went into a tube and disappeared; they¡¯re going to search that and I can only hope they don¡¯t find my secret passageway. Still, the more often we go in there, the more likely they will find it.¡± ¡°And then there¡¯s the issue of getting everyone to the ship, I suppose¡­¡± Pearla said. ¡°I don¡¯t know how we¡¯ll do that secretly¡­.¡± The plan coalesced in TO¡¯s mind instantly, their ears perking up. ¡°Well¡­ we can.¡± They said, They turned to Vik. ¡°Can¡¯t we use that warehouse?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°You said that the warehouse is used to move people all the time!¡± TO said, ¡°I could place an order to go to the ship, receive it, and settle people in there!¡± ¡°Won''t that be suspicious?¡± Pearla asked. ¡°Maybe.¡± TO said, ¡°But we¡¯ll hopefully be off the planet before it causes a problem.¡± Vik¡¯s ears twitched thoughtfully before they started typing again. ¡°That might work.¡± They said. ¡°if you placed an order for something¡­¡± He paused, ¡°I don¡¯t know. Food supplies for your trip back, perhaps. Or equipment for repairs. We can choose something, I¡¯ll set up a site we can order from.¡± They suddenly beamed, ¡°Oh, and you could actually pay for the stuff from your galactic accounts, Not only will we get people to the ship. But we¡¯ll also get some funds for us!¡± ¡°That¡¯s useful.¡± Pearla said, ¡°No matter where you are in the galaxy, money can buy a lot of compassion.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not wrong.¡± Tham said. ¡°Only one more problem.¡± Vik said, ¡°If you¡¯re here, how do we get people inside the ship? Normal delivery drones don¡¯t have access¡­¡± That would be a problem. ¡°The only way it would work is if we go back.¡± TO said, ¡°And just act as normal synths-¡± If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. ¡°I don¡¯t like that plan.¡± Tham said quickly. ¡°Let them just go back to being synths?¡± he shook his head, ¡°No. no, not a good idea-¡± ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll be fine.¡± Vik said, ¡°Everything¡¯s under control-¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to leave Avery here alone.¡± DH said, ¡°Especially not with Kei still recovering. I know I can¡¯t do much, but I can do a little. ¡° TO¡¯s ears flicked back as they considered, casting a wide net over their mind for a new plan. That had only been their first idea; a reasonable, easy one to implement, but if it didn¡¯t work for anyone, at the very least they could come up with other ideas. If only they had a tunnel to their ship. Suddenly, they recalled the signal from DH¡¯s communicator. Back when the insurgency had just taken DH, and TO tried to track their mate, the signal was coming from their ship. DH of course was not on their ship¡­ but there had been tunnels underground! ¡°Vik!¡± TO said as they activated their chip, ¡°Before I was down here, how did you make it seem like DH¡¯s was in the ship?¡± ¡°Oh, that¡¯s easy.¡± Vik said, ¡°there¡¯s a tunnel under your ship a good ways down-¡± TO brought up the map of the tunnels under the city, the ones that snaked their way all over, forgotten and unused. ¡°This one?¡± They asked as they pointed to the one right under their ship. ¡°If we¡¯re careful, and if the ground cooperates with us, we could probably tunnel to the ship.¡± Flit said, eying the map, ¡°That¡¯s such a stupid simple idea.¡± ¡°Won¡¯t work,¡± Vik said. ¡°I mean, it will work, sure, but the second we break ground we¡¯ll end up targeted by security drones and ground troops. We¡¯d have seconds before we had to get under cover again, and we¡¯d never get a bunch of civilians on the ship from there.¡± He turned to Tham, ¡°Remember how hard it is to get there in the first place? Half of them wouldn¡¯t make it. Decon¡¯s balls, Tham, you hardly made it.¡± Decon¡¯s balls. That was a new one. ¡°You still have the warehouse.¡± TO said, ¡°We could send people who couldn¡¯t make it through the tunnel to our ship through the original plan, and anyone else who can get through the tunnels can go to our ship from underground-¡± ¡°And get spotted as soon as they break ground.¡± TO glanced at Flit, and noted the light smirk on their face, the amused way their ears twitched. A foolish sense of pride deep inside them bloomed as they leaned forward, reading their hand on their chin. ¡°They don¡¯t need to break ground.¡± TO said. ¡°The ship has emergency entrances on the bottom. We just need to get to that and then we can let people in. We can start bringing people and supplies over right away. Anyone who can¡¯t use the tunnels can go in shipping crates-¡± ¡°Have any deliveries rushed!¡± Pearla said, ¡°Express delivery.¡± Her smile suddenly had an odd, sinister look to it, ¡°Same day delivery.¡± ¡°I can arrange it so that our packages get shipped right away, anyway.¡± Vik said, ¡°We won¡¯t need-¡± ¡°It¡¯ll cost more, and that money¡¯s going to go to us anyway from King Decon¡¯s own pocket!¡± she frowned as she watched Vik, ¡°You literally just said to charge Decon.¡± ¡°Oh¡­ right.¡± Vik said, frowning. They paused, then took a drink from a tiny bottle filled with a glowing purple fluid. ¡°You¡¯re right; I did. It was a good idea. It¡¯s all basically a good plan!¡± ¡°Sounds good to me.¡± Tham said, ¡°And those two can stay here then.¡± He jerked his head at TO and DH. ¡°... Or better still!¡± Vik said, their dark eyes growing big, ¡°They can still come and go, showing that they¡¯re in fact on the ship! Gyrini would have no reason to search the tunnels then and won¡¯t find us! They¡¯d have open access to the city, and the underground without worry about surveillance!¡± Their eyes brightened, ¡°They could run errands for us above ground and get supplies down here right away!¡± GiDi gave a relieved sigh, slumping in their chair, ¡°Alright.¡± They said, ¡°We¡¯ll arrange for some tunneling tomorrow morning, and then once that¡¯s under way, we¡¯ll complete our plan to get more people out of the indebted system.¡± ¡°We¡¯re doing that tomorrow?¡± Pearla asked, her brows furrowing in the center of her violet forehead, ¡°Is that safe-¡± ¡°We¡¯re only planning things tomorrow.¡± GiDi said as they rubbed their eyes, ¡°I can¡¯t think straight right now, but I¡¯m sure a rest will help.¡± Had GiDi been sleeping properly? Their skin seemed a little dull, their eyes a little less alert than they might have been, and their ears a little slower in their more subtle movements. TO picked up their soup, flicked off the lid, sniffed it, and then drank half of it. It was good; savory and flavourful. So long as they didn¡¯t think too much about what it was, they¡¯d be fine. ¡°Food, then bed then.¡± TO said, ¡°I suppose we¡¯ll have a busy day tomorrow too.¡± ====== ¡°Hey Dee?¡± Vik said, ¡°I¡¯m working on this bit of coding to your ship - just trying to navigate your network here. Now, I could do it on my own, sure, but if I had a bit of help¡­¡± ¡°You go on¡­¡± TO said. While they wanted to have DH to themself longer, this gave them a chance to get something done before they went to sleep. ¡°I¡¯ll meet you at our room.¡± Before they could take so much as a step away, DH took TO by the arm and turned them around. ¡°You sure?¡± They said, keeping their voice low enough that the words stayed between the two of them. ¡°I can go with you. Vik can figure this out on their own-¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± TO said. It wasn¡¯t a lie; they didn¡¯t mind necessarily as they had other plans. DH smiled, nodded, and then leaned in to press a soft kiss on their lower lip. ¡°Alright.¡± They said, ¡°I¡¯ll see you there soon. Love you.¡± TO kissed them back, enjoying the way their mate¡¯s hand lingered on their arm for just a second longer than was really necessary before they parted. As DH went over to help Kei work with their files, TO hurried out the door and down the hall. Flit and Snout weren¡¯t too far gone yet; they were sure they could catch up. Episode 272: Hobbies It didn¡¯t take long for TO to catch up to Flit and Snout. The two were walking at an easy, placid pace, while TO was running. It was odd to see them both walking so close together, hand in hand alongside the river. When TO had seen them in training, they of course were never together save for that one time they saw them in the upper levels, and even then there was an urgency to all their actions. Now, they seemed at rest. It was odd, but it was good. It put TO at ease though they didn¡¯t really understand why. They heard TO approach them, turned, froze for only a single second - it was perceptible, but only just, their wings tightening, their ears pinning briefly before they relaxed and let TO catch up to them. ¡°TO.¡± Snout said with a sudden, bright smile, ¡°You came to talk to Flit?¡± How many times had TO wished that they could contact Flit to talk about their problem, to talk about their relationship with DH, to ask questions, to receive some guidance for a wonderful situation for which they were woefully unprepared. Now that they had the opportunity, they froze. Would Flit want to talk about their issues right now? They had been civil since their conversation the day before but they hadn¡¯t really talked. ¡°I¡¯ll leave the two of you to talk.¡± Snout said, letting their hand drift from Flit¡¯s, ¡°I can go-¡± ¡°No!¡± TO said suddenly. The way Flit¡¯s ears dipped in disappointment as their mate let go of their hand wasn¡¯t the only thing that prompted TO¡¯s reaction. They had never spoken to Snout about DH before, but their short time seeing the older synth among the insurgents had shown them that Snout was far more open, more at ease with talking about all this romance stuff than Flit was. ¡°... Could I talk to both of you?¡± TO asked, doing their best to keep their wings from tightening around their arms. ¡°If that¡¯s ok. If it¡¯s not-¡± ¡°Oh! That¡¯s fine.¡± Snout said. As soon as they words left their mouth, they sheepishly glanced at Flit, ¡°I mean, if you¡¯re ok with that-¡± ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t I be?¡± said, oddly relieved as Snout¡¯s hand slipped back into their own. ¡°Is this supposed to be a private conversation?¡± They asked TO. ¡°Maybe?¡± TO asked. They weren¡¯t planning to ask anything particularly personal, but perhaps it was best to go somewhere private. ¡°Alright. Come with us.¡± Snout said, ¡°To our room. We¡¯ll talk there.¡± The two led the way, TO trailing behind. Their steps had more purpose now; they were going somewhere and had something to do. While grateful for the help, TO felt bad for disrupting their peaceful stroll through the tunnels. ====== Once in the other room, Flit brought out more of those sweetened cans of drink and set them down on the table. ¡°You have a lot of these.¡± TO said with a weak chuckle as they opened their can. ¡°This stuff is cheaper than water around here, and filled with synthetic sugar and flavoring.¡± Snout muttered. ¡°But¡­ we specifically need more sugar in our diet than the average civilian, and we work just fine on synthetic sugar.¡± TO took a sip, the unfamiliar overly sweet flavor hitting their taste buds. ¡°If we need lots of sugar, shouldn¡¯t our nutrition cubes taste, well, sweet?¡± ¡°Should. If we used natural sugar.¡± Snout said, ¡°They use a synthetic compound that produces what we need from sugar, but they don¡¯t flavor it.¡± They shrugged as they sat down and opened their own, ¡°Why bother? Fuel needs to be effective, not tasty. Having it tasteless also prevents overeating from pure desire.¡± TO could see that being a benefit in space, where food was limited, and the Training Center was mostly self-sustaining. They definitely ate more than they needed to when presented with the more flavourful civilian food. Well, when they could eat, anyway. ¡°¡­ So is everything alright?¡± Flit asked as they opened their own drink. ¡°Did something happen today? We were all worried.¡± ¡°No, nothing happened¡­ not really.¡± They stopped, and offered a humorless laugh, ¡°Well, Lots happened today, really, but you know about all that.¡± They gripped the can in their hand, willing their wings to stay relaxed even as their ears flicked back just a little. With everything else going on it seemed rather selfish to worry about something so personal. Still, they were here now. Without looking up they asked, ¡°What is it that the two of you have in common?¡± Both synths seemed confused at this question. Snout answered first, ¡°... We love each other?¡± ¡°Aside from that!¡± At this, Snout gave a snort of laughter. ¡°Not much.¡± They admitted. ¡°Back in the training center, when we got some time together I¡¯d generally be going over computer simulations for long-term effects of different nutrient mixtures, and Flit played games-¡° ¡°Excuse you.¡± Flit said, their ears flattening parallel, ¡°I was designing simulations for trainees and testing them before they got converted to simulations.¡± If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. ¡°I know, I know.¡± Snout said, smiling at Flit. Their hands were under the table but from the subtle movement of Snout¡¯s arm and then sudden, dull flush of flit¡¯s ears they assumed Snout had likely grasped Flit¡¯s hand. ¡°Really, we were just happy to be around one another. It didn¡¯t matter what we were doing.¡± ¡°And there¡¯s no encouragement for hobbies, not unless they were productive.¡± Flit added, ¡°You had a little more freedom to explore different topics and activities since you were in training, and you were developing your mind. There was no reason for, say, a production lab worker to run simulations, a retiree to look at lab results, or a shipping and receiving worker to learn how to draw.¡± ¡°But what about now?¡± TO asked. ¡°I mean¡­ You two can do what you please now, right? What do you have in common now?¡± Flit shrugged, ¡°We listen to music?¡± They offered. ¡°We play simple board games-¡° ¡°You play. I lose.¡± Snout said. ¡°That¡¯s because I worked on so many strategy simulations.¡± Flit said with a flick of their ears and a quick, self-satisfied smirk. ¡°Maybe if you played more, you wouldn¡¯t lose so much.¡± Their expression briefly melted into one of fondness before they looked away from Snout and back to TO. ¡°Why do you ask?¡± ¡°¡­ It¡¯s stupid.¡± ¡°It¡¯s probably not.¡± Snout said, leaning back in their chair. ¡°If it¡¯s something you¡¯re worried about, then it¡¯s not stupid.¡± A moment of hesitation, then TO broke and told them everything. How from the moment they got into the ship to the moment they left, DH and Vik had been entirely. Involved in the programming stuff that they were working on. They explained how the two could talk for minutes, and then end up talking about stuff that was so over TO¡¯s head that they couldn¡¯t follow the conversation. ¡°And of course I tell myself that it doesn¡¯t matter, that even though we have nothing in common, we still ended up together in the training center, but that was only because we were lonely already! We were both different; strange. That might have been enough in training, but now?¡± They caught themself in their rambling. They hadn¡¯t noticed how they were clutching at the half empty drink can, their wings had tightened around their shoulders, and their ears pinned low. Well, no hiding how much this is bothering them now. ¡°¡­ I just don¡¯t know if it¡¯s enough now.¡± They said, ¡°Not when there¡¯s so many other people like us around.¡± ¡°Other¡­ strange synths?¡± Flit¡¯s brow furrowed, their ears flicking out in confusion . ¡°No no. I mean the civilians. Vik, Pearla, Tham¡­¡± They shrugged, ¡°DH just gets along so easily with Vik-¡° ¡°And Tham¡¯s warmed up to you. You also have a civilian with a crush on you, if I recall.¡± Flit took another drink, ¡°Do you think DH should be worried about that?¡± ¡°Well, no, but that¡¯s not the same.¡± TO said, ¡°I don¡¯t spend time with Tham and that civilian girl.¡± ¡°Ah.¡± Snout suddenly leaned back in their chair, comprehension moving their ears forward, ¡°And DH spends time with Vik because they both have an interest in programming.¡± It felt petty when they put it like that, but regardless TO nodded. ¡°When they really get into it, it¡¯s like I¡¯m not there.¡± ¡°Did you tell DH this?¡± Flit asked, drawing a subtle eye roll from Snout. ¡°Of course they didn¡¯t, otherwise they wouldn¡¯t be here, would they?¡± They huffed and looked away, ¡°They really are your progeny-¡± ¡°Excuse you, I talk about things with you-¡± ¡°But you didn¡¯t, not when we were their age.¡± ¡°It didn¡¯t feel right to tell DH how it makes me feel!¡± TO said, hating the way the words desperately wretched from their throat, ¡°Vik is a friend of DH¡¯s. I want them to have friends!¡± TO said, ¡°I wanted them to have a friend in GiDi-¡± They skipped the part where they were jealous of GiDi, where even though they and DH weren¡¯t at all romantic at the time they still feared that GiDi would draw DH away from them. ¡°I just want to have something that I can talk to them like that with!¡± ¡°To be fair.¡± Snout said, their face entirely stoic, their ears flat, ¡°I¡¯m sure you and DH do plenty that DH and Vik do not.¡± TO¡¯s ears dipped and burned. TO their surprise, so did Flits. ¡°That was unnecessary.¡± Flit said as they took a drink to distract them. ¡°It¡¯s not, actually. In fact, we should talk about-¡± ¡°Not now?¡± TO pleaded. They didn¡¯t want to have any conversations with Flit and Snout about any of the private things that they and DH did. ¡°Just¡­ Can we talk about this problem first?¡± Flit sighed, the color in their ears fading as they set down their drink. ¡°TO¡­ we don¡¯t have answers.¡± They said. ¡°But you and Snout-¡± ¡°Have been mates for a long time, but we don¡¯t have the answers.¡± Flit said, ¡°We know what works for us. But we don¡¯t really have much insight on this. Romance¡­¡± They shrugged, ¡°It wasn¡¯t supposed to be something that we deal with, so we had no information on it, no education outside of what we could grasp from erroneous and overblown civilian media.¡± That was true. TO tried not to think too hard about their failed attempts at flirting. ¡°One of DH¡¯s passions is something that their superiors, and yourself, encouraged them to pursue because it was useful. It also coincides with the passion of a civilian they get along with. But you had no opportunity to explore any interests outside of what applies to your training, education, and placement. Even now, yes, you¡¯re free to pursue what you like, but we¡¯re all so busy¡­¡± ¡°I took up sewing.¡± Snout said, gesturing to the blanket on the bed. ¡°It¡¯s archaic, and I use old strands of clothing to do it, but it works and it¡¯s useful!¡± Ah, so Snout had sewn the blanket. Somehow, the image of snout sitting at a chair, stitching fabric together seemed so odd but also so nice to TO. ¡°Well, sewing hurts my hands.¡± Snout grumbled. ¡°So does knitting. Besides, I¡¯ve also been busy helping with tactical issues here. And now, we¡¯re going to be busier than ever!¡± They leaned forward, their hands clasped on the table before the now empty can of drink. ¡°TO.. Just get through this, I think. Let¡¯s get off planet, and once we can take a breath and we don¡¯t have to worry about a million things that might get us killed I highly encourage you to look up new hobbies or activities. Maybe you¡¯ll find something that you and DH like to do! But¡­ for now, just get through this. Rest when you can. Spend time with DH, and your new friends in your off time in case¡­¡± Their words trailed off, the unspoken concern heavy in the air. ¡°Just.. try not to worry too much. Try to just enjoy the time you have now.¡± TO nodded, swallowing back the words that echoed in their head . Enjoy the time you have now. We may run out of time sooner than we think. Episode 273: Realization They always had limited time, didn¡¯t they? As TO walked back to their room, that¡¯s what they thought about. It seemed like peace, like the surety that they¡¯d be with DH was always just out of their grasp, and every checkpoint they hit had some kind of condition to it. They had to survive their training, had to go on assignment together, had to stop the insurgency. Brief moments in between where they either thought they had lost altogether, or thought they had all the time in the world now. Now¡­ they had to get off the planet. Another task, another condition, another chance they would get separated or killed. All they had to do now was get off a planet in lockdown, and avoid being captured or killed by this quadrant¡¯s minister of security¡ªwho already suspected them, TO was certain¡ªor by King Decon¡¯s own army when they arrived. Even if they did that, TO doubted that that would be the end. They turned a corner, their own room laying just ahead of them. Was DH there, or was their mate still talking with Vik? If they were, TO decide they¡¯d go find Avery or GiDi. They didn''t want to stop DH from making friends, but they also didn¡¯t want to be alone. They opened the door, and found DH there laying on the bed, their chip projecting lines and lines of code in the air before them. As TO Entered the room, they stopped and turned off their work. ¡°Where did you go?¡± They asked as they sat up, ¡°I was worried-¡± ¡°I just wanted to talk to Flit and Snout.¡± TO said, ¡°That¡¯s all.¡± DH¡¯s ears quirked forward, ¡°Is everything alright?¡± TO smiled, and headed to the bed. They sat down next to DH, wrapped their arms around their mate, and then lay down, pulling the other with them. ¡°... Nothing¡¯s alright.¡± TO muttered as they curled into DH, holding onto them, a wing draping over their body. ¡°... You¡¯re upset about the warehouse too?¡± Confusion halted TO¡¯s thoughts. ¡°What?¡± they muttered, ¡°The warehouse?¡± ¡°What Vik said about making people disappear, or smuggling them in.¡± DH said as they wrapped an arm around TO, ¡°That it¡¯s just allowed. That so much is just allowed¡­ No, that King Decon allows it.¡± TO¡¯s hands tightened around DH. Their first response, the one on the tip of their tongue, was to say that He likely didn¡¯t know about it. However, that had been their assumption on the whole indebted program as well, and the housing situation. It was all allowed. All sacrifices for the good of the galaxy, to keep things running smoothly. And if things didn¡¯t run smoothly¡­ Well, things were not running smoothly on Arkane right now, and they knew what was coming. King Decon allowed all this to happen. Maybe if he had been in direct control it wouldn¡¯t have, but even so he allowed this to happen. King Decon sacrificed the well being of civilians for the smooth running of his kingdom, and now with it endangered, there¡¯s every chance that King Decon wouldn¡¯t fix the problem, but just destroy it; a planet of civilians, just gone. They were once civilians too, a long time ago. Chilacians. What happened there? Why were they turned into synths? Civilians did that to other Civilians. King Decon wasn¡¯t supposed to do that to civilian races and certainly wasn¡¯t supposed to lie about it. They hid their face in DH¡¯s side, their ears low, their hands shaking. ¡°.... DH.¡± Their voice was low and soft, their words whispered so quietly it was almost as though they didn¡¯t want them heard. ¡°... Is King Decon bad?¡± The words felt so childish coming from them, but even so it was the only way that they could say it, the only way they could pose the question. DH felt quiet, their hold on TO tightening. For a long time, TO thought that DH wouldn¡¯t answer, and even worried that they shouldn¡¯t have said anything. TO was about to apologize, to beg DH to forget they asked that, but then DH finally spoke. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± They said, their words slow and ponderous, ¡°But I don¡¯t think he cares about us. I don¡¯t think he cares about any single person, so long as the Galaxy is running as he wants.¡± They pulled TO closer, resting their chin atop their head as they slid a hand around their lower back, ¡°Otherwise¡­ how could He just kill off an entire planet of people?¡± That made sense. That made so much sense it was painful. TO always thought that the sacrifices that they made for the Galaxy under King Decon¡¯s rule ensured that civilians could live good lives. That civilians could be comfortable, and the Galaxy could grow. The Galaxy was growing, but it wasn¡¯t for the benefit of the civilians, at least not most of them. They had been working, striving for the good of the galaxy. For the good of its people. If all their work, if their service wasn¡¯t doing that, if King Decon wasn¡¯t doing that¡­ then what was it for? You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story. They clutched at DH and hid their face in the other¡¯s chest. They thought of all the training they had done, how lonely they were at first, how scared once they met DH that they¡¯d lose their mate. All their hard work, all their efforts. They thought of Q10, who their higher ups had corrected. Of the trainees that had been corrected for just not working as they should, for not acting as they should. They thought of GiDi being taken away, early getting corrected, and of how they nearly lost DH time and time again. All of it was supposed to be a worthy sacrifice at least. A sacrifice for King Decon, and the good of the galaxy. ¡°...it was all a lie.¡± They whispered before they wept into DH¡¯s arms. ====== They dreamt of the juvenile again. The child floating in the tank, whose life would cost too much to maintain. Of course, this dream had been one that plagued them from the day it happened, often becoming worse and worse as time went on. The only solace to it was that over time, the nightmares grew further and further apart. This dream, however, was vivid, and lacked the normal surreal elements that normally implanted themself in their dream. They dreamt of The child, the twitching of their body as PQ03 pressed the button, ending their life. The box that connected to the small synth¡¯s neck jolted, the juvenile suddenly tensed, their ears pinned, their eyes twitched beneath translucent eyelids, and then they fell limp and floated like a preserved specimen in the tank. ¡°It¡¯s far less wasteful to start over and reprocess what we can than it is to fix the problem in this case.¡± Less wasteful. Efficiency was so important. For king Decon. In service to King Decon. As tools for King Decon. When they jolted awake, they expected their hands to be covered in blood. It had been so normal, so real, that TO wasn¡¯t sure it had been a dream at all. They could hear and smell everything so clearly. It took a few waking moments for the smell of disinfectant to fade, for the sound of bones snapping to be replaced with DH¡¯s soft breathing, interspersed with chirping. They were supposed to wake DH when they had this dream. They had promised. Still, the first thing they did was close their eyes and snuggle deeper into DH¡¯s sleepy embrace once more, listening to the hum of their heart, the rhythm of their breathing, and the soft chirps. A minute passed, and then another. While the dream had faded, they still felt sick and they were so keenly aware of the puffiness around their eyes. What had it all been for? It had been for the good of the galaxy. Apparently that doesn¡¯t count the people in the galaxy. Their mind wouldn¡¯t let it go. The wondering, the gnawing of the thoughts at the inside of their stomach. No, they weren¡¯t getting back to sleep. With a sigh they reached a hand up and gently set it along the back of DH¡¯s ear. A soft, contented hum escaped them as they continued to sleep. TO didn¡¯t want to wake them.. But they had made a promise. ¡°DH.¡± Their whisper was soft, but urgent, and it was enough to rouse them from their sleep, but only just. Their arms tightened around TO¡¯s waist as they snuggled closer, their snout resting on TO¡¯s head, their ear flicking in TO¡¯s hand. ¡°DH¡­ I had the dream again.¡± TO whispered. DH¡¯s eyes opened languidly then, looking around as though trying to place where they were, then settling on TO. ¡°Hmm... the dream?¡± They asked, the words not really making sense to DH yet. It didn¡¯t matter. DH¡¯s other hand went to the back of TO¡¯s neck, scratching gently just below the base of TO¡¯s skull. ¡°It was more real this time.¡± TO muttered, but already the tension was seeping from them. ¡°It was just like how it happened back then.¡± ¡°I wasn¡¯t there this time?¡± ¡°No, thankfully.¡± TO said, ¡°It was just like a memory.¡± ¡°How do you feel now?¡± How could TO explain it? Their only comfort before had been that it was for something bigger than them, something better. But, there was still something good that came out of it. TO let their hand slip to DH¡¯s face, tracing the scars on their cheek. ¡°I¡¯m glad you¡¯re here.¡± TO said. The only thing that comforted them about that whole incident now was that it helped DH. If it hadn¡¯t been for that sick young synth, if TO hadn¡¯t been there, hadn¡¯t seen the eyes removed, then DH never would have had them. They would have lost DH long ago. ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯m getting back to sleep though.¡± TO whispered. DH hummed and shifted to grab their communicator. ¡°Alright.¡± They said, ¡°Let¡¯s see what time it is. If it¡¯s too early, I¡¯m sure we can distract ourselves¡­¡± The dim light of their communicator illuminated the area, and TO shut their sensitive eyes to it. A moment later, DH groaned, their hand dropping behind TO, their head crashing against the pillow. ¡°Nevermind.¡± They sighed, ¡°It¡¯s time to get up.¡± ¡°Is it really?¡± ¡°Yes¡­ we need to check on Avery.¡± Episode 274: Glare ¡°You don¡¯t have to come with me.¡± DH insisted as TO followed behind them on their way to see Avery, ¡°I know you don¡¯t like Kei, or being around the medical supplies.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t like them either.¡± TO pointed out. ¡°True, but I¡¯m doing this for Avery.¡± Their ears flicked back, perking up ever so slightly as they took on a serious look, ¡°Besides, if I¡¯m offering medical care, my personal feelings have nothing to do with it. All that matters is=¡° They stopped, their ears pinning slightly as their brow furrowed, ¡°Well¡­ all that used to matter is a synth¡¯s productivity and capabilities. I suppose even that¡¯s not overly important anymore.¡± That was something that TO hadn¡¯t considered. Their own worries for receiving medical care since leaving the training center had diminished since DH was the one taking care of that, but if they had to rely once more on the care of medical officers, then they would have to concern themself with the comparison of needed treatment versus their use. Just another thing that was done to maintain efficiency; another sacrifice for the good of the Galaxy. And the good of the galaxy, as they had learned it, was a damned lie! They thankfully had no time to consider this, as they approached the recovery room. DH knocked once, then opened the door. Inside, Avery sat next to the bed reading something on their communicator as Kei slept soundly. Kei remained strapped to the bed as the machines next to them continued their rhythmic song. Avery looked up, their ears perking up as a brief smile covered their face, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect the two of you!¡± They said, ¡°I mean¡­ I hardly expected DH today-¡° ¡°I told you I¡¯d check in at least once a day.¡± DH said as they approached the machines, ¡°I know little about neurosurgery, or even the more complex basic surgeries, but I can tell if their vitals look good, so there is that!¡± Avery looked to TO, ¡°I¡¯m especially surprised to see you.¡± They said, ¡°I know you don¡¯t like-¡° ¡°Well, I like DH, and I like you, so I¡¯m here.¡± TO huffed. After their conversation with Flit and Snout the night before, To wasn¡¯t interested in being away from DH. Longer than absolutely necessary. ¡°Kei¡¯s heart rate is picking up.¡± DH said, ¡°Did Goretta say anything about that?¡± ¡°It happens when they¡¯re getting ready to wake. Something about the sedatives wearing off.¡± Avery said. ¡°She hopes that when they wake up this time, they won¡¯t be in pain.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a fast recovery.¡± DH muttered. ¡°Snout made something? Said to keep them asleep for longer because it would hurt more, but they¡¯d feel better-¡° ¡°Accelerant.¡± TO said. ¡°I¡¯ve heard of it.¡± ¡°Yes, it basically works to focus the body¡¯s full attention on healing¡­ but it hurts a lot more, and takes a lot more energy. Still, if they were asleep during the whole thing¡­¡± They glanced at Kei, then back to the machines, ¡°Well¡­ I suppose that¡¯s fine then? They¡¯d been on pain killers too¡­¡± TO didn¡¯t know if it would be fine. All they really cared about was that all the cuts on Kei¡¯s head hid beneath bandages, and that thick fabric bandages covered their claws, keeping Kei from clawing at themself again. ¡°What happened yesterday?¡± Avery asked, ¡°Snout told me you were back and safe, but they didn¡¯t tell me why you were gone so long!¡± ¡°Well, there was a lot to do at the ship.¡± DH said as they leaned against the wall, an eye continuously flickering to the beeping machines, ¡°And then we had a little trouble getting back.¡± ¡°We were being tracked.¡± TO said, ¡°Probably by Gyrini.¡± Their ears pinned back as they recalled how she had looked at them, how it felt like she was looking through their armor and eying TO directly. ¡°I think she knows.¡± ¡°She knows what?¡± Avery asked, frowning. ¡°That we¡¯re working with the insurgency.¡± TO said, ¡°Against King Decon.¡± Against King Decon. Saying those words still sent a tremor of terror through TO but wasn¡¯t that what they were doing? Did they want to work against Him, or did they want to go back to His service if given a chance? All the new information was still a lot, and they were desperate not to think about it. Still, in a sudden flash they understood Snout¡¯s anger at King Decon at least. Snout had worked in production for so many years before TO came along, and Snout was strange as well. Well, Snout had an unaltered mind. Snout was, if TO wanted to consider the state of the mind as the major difference, Chilacian. Chilacian, just like TO. Seeing what happened to the child was terrible enough for TO, and they only did that once. How many times did Snout do it? How many times did they tell themself that it was King Decon¡¯s will, that it served the Galaxy? When that lie fell away, how had it felt for Snout, who created, altered, and sometimes reprocessed synths? How had it felt for Flit, how had been out in combat against civilians? Executing Civilians for the good of the galaxy? Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit. ¡°TO?¡± Avery¡¯s voice, the insistent way they said their name pulled TO from their thoughts. ¡°Apologies.¡± They said, their ears flicking down, a light flush covering them, ¡°lost in thought. What were you saying?¡± Whatever it was, Avery didn¡¯t repeat it. Their long, concerned look was a prelude to their next questions. ¡°Are you alright?¡± They suddenly gave a mirthless laugh, ¡°Well, no, you¡¯re not; none of us are.¡± They glanced at Kei, who shifted slightly on the bed. ¡°¡­ But are you alright, relatively speaking?¡± TO wished they could say that they were fine, but they knew if they did their ears would betray their lies. ¡°¡­ I just need some time to think on things.¡± They said, ¡°And I don¡¯t want to think about them.¡± DH and Avery¡¯s ears flicked down, and they nodded. That didn¡¯t surprise TO; they had all absorbed a lot of information lately, and very little time to process it. Even if TO had the time, they¡¯d rather do anything else than think too hard on all these problematic issues. ¡°I spoke to Flit and Snout yesterday.¡± TO said, trying to change the topic. They looked at DH, ¡°While you were talking to Vik. I went to go see them.¡± Of course, they didn¡¯t want to say what they had seen them about, but thankfully there was another direction they could take their thoughts in with this, ¡°They think I need some kind of hobby.¡± DH¡¯s ears flicked down, ¡°A hobby? Why?¡± ¡°They think it would be good.¡± TO said, ¡°That I never got to try a lot of things during training.¡± ¡°What, and they think you¡¯re not busy enough now!?¡± DH said, their ears flicking back, ¡°We were busy most of the day yesterday, and we didn¡¯t get to our room until late.¡± TO bit back the response that hung off their tongue. They would have been to their rooms sooner if DH hadn¡¯t spent so much talk going over programming stuff with Vik. ¡°Apparently, Snout¡¯s taken up sewing.¡± TO said, ¡°They have this big blanket in their room, and Snout said they made it.¡± ¡°I¡¯m glad that Snout¡¯s had the time.¡± DH said, huffing, ¡°TO, in the last two days you¡¯ve been involved in two separate operations, and you¡¯ve been helping with the civilians. I think you should just rest when you¡¯re not busy! Watch shows or something. Listen to musicals.¡± ¡°You¡¯re one to talk.¡± TO said, any resentment that would have colored their voice and the movements of their ears hid behind their amusement, ¡°When you¡¯re not sleeping, you¡¯re helping Vik, checking on Avery, or helping Gyrini.¡± ¡°And when I¡¯m not, I''m perfectly happy to rest!¡± TO shrugged, ¡°I said I¡¯d think about it.¡± They said, ¡°But I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll have much chance between now and getting off Arkane.¡± ¡°... I should do more.¡± Avery said, their voice a whisper among the constant beeping, ¡°I mean, I¡¯d feel bad leaving Kei, but I feel bad letting you two do most of the work¡­¡± TO leaned forward, looking Avery in the eyes, ¡°Avery; You don¡¯t need to go up there.¡± They said, ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry about this.¡± Even though Avery might be useful, TO didn¡¯t want them to get involved. Things were bad enough for Avery when they thought they might have killed civilians under the orders of King Decon. They didn''t need to be in a position where they had to kill civilians for Insurgents. That brought something to mind though; if TO was having all these feelings about King Decon, about all the waste, the sacrifice made for the supposed ¡°Good of the Galaxy¡± Then how did Avery feel about that? Or had Avery even thought about that? TO had no clue what their experience on Heramu was like, and then as soon as they came to Arkane the insurgents captured them. ¡°... Hey, Avery?¡± TO frowned, their ears twitching, ¡°What was it like on Heramu?¡± ¡°Stop.¡± DH said, their voice suddenly sharp. TO glanced over and saw them looking intently at Kei, their ears twitching with the beeping of the machines. ¡°What is it?¡± TO asked. ¡°They¡¯re waking.¡± At first, TO wasn¡¯t sure; Kei was laying there as normal, unresponsive. However, just a moment later they shifted, their head moving to one side as their eyes squinted against the faint light that filtered through their eyelids. TO didn¡¯t know how DH could tell when Kei was waking before they started moving, but as they watched their mates ears moving with the beeps, they figured they must have caught an increase in rhythm that TO and Avery had missed. ¡°This is good.¡± Avery said in a hushed voice, as though they were worried about waking although they were already waking up, ¡°The last few times they got this far, they started moaning in pain.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s hope they don¡¯t start.¡± DH said, though at the same time they sent a message off on their communicator; from where they were sitting, TO could see Goretta¡¯s name as the recipient. Well, that was a good idea; in pain or not, Goretta would need to see Kei as soon as possible. The sleeping synth shifted again, their ears flicking back, pinning and relaxing as their breathing came out of the low, deep breaths they had been taking. Though TO didn¡¯t like Kei, a part of them was curious. What would this new Kei be like? How would the alterations have affected their mind? Would they be nicer or more talkative? Would they want to be friends with Avery? Would they want to be friends with DH and TO? Would TO want to be their friend, even with the restored mind? Slowly, Kei''s eyes opened, staring blankly at their ceiling as though they were unaware that anyone was around them. ¡°Kei?...¡± Avery leaned forward, ¡°How do you feel?¡± Kei¡¯s ears flicked back, and their eyes widened in surprise at Avery''s voice. Their eyes danced around the room, hitting Avery first, the door, the straps on their wrist, and then to TO. When they saw TO, their eyes stopped dancing. Oddly, TO remembered that moment in the showers so long ago, when they and DH caught each other¡¯s eyes and time stood still; drawing out in a single sweet second where they fell into each other¡¯s presence. This was similar, but wholly opposite. Time stopped, but It did not draw out; it froze. The expression that went over Kei; the narrowing of their eyes, the curling of their lips, the particular way their ears pinned back was unlike anything TO had seen before; it was even scarier than the time Flit got angry at them for lying in the simulation. It was a glare that made TO feel cold right to their bones. With a growl, Kei lunged forward, but their straps held them back. Still, TO stumbled back and away from them, eying the recovered synth with low ears and wide eyes. ¡°Kei, stop-¡± Avery put a hand on Kei¡¯s chest to push them back down, but Kei opened their mouth and gave this awful, pitched sound somewhere between a screech and a hiss. Avery let go as though Kei was on fire and backed away as well. DH stepped back, but stayed close to the machines, checking the different readings that the screen displayed. After a moment, they simply looked at TO and shrugged. ¡°Kei..¡± Avery inched around the bed, never taking their eye off Kei as they put themself between the enraged synth and TO. ¡°Kei, can you talk to me? Are you hurt?¡± They lunged again, straining against their straps. ¡°Traitor.¡± Their voice was ragged and hoarse, like they were tearing the words from deep within and flinging them from their mouth, ¡°Filthy, deceitful, self-serving, fucking Traitors!¡± The cursing from Kei jolted TO¡¯s fear and shock into incredulity. Yes, they had seen Kei angry and disgusted before; but never like this. Never with such raw hatred and rage. They knew without a doubt that if they did not strap Kei to bed, they¡¯d have attacked. TO had a sinking feeling that they wouldn¡¯t have stopped until one or both of them were dead. Episode 275: Rabid It took a moment, but TO was the first one to regain their senses and quickly assess the situation. Yes, Kei was a little terrifying right this moment; their eyes narrowed to slits, their wings strained against the bed to puff around them, and their ears pressed to their skull. Thin, dark blue lips curled up to reveal not only pointed, shiny fangs but also the deep blue gums. Their veins bulged against the light blue skin, the thin nostrils of their snout flared, and when they were not shouting insults and obscenities the growl that escaped from their throat was almost chthonic. Terrifying, yes, but the thick straps seemed to hold, despite the straining and thrashing. Thick fabric also bound Kei¡¯s hands, limited the use of their claws. Even if Kei got loose, they probably wouldn¡¯t have the sense of mind to remove the fabric before attacking. Also, even if they did attack, TO had DH and Avery with them. The three of them could restrain the thrashing, angry synth. Maybe Kei looked terrifying, but they were harmless at this moment. Still, TO kept their eyes on the other synth as they made their way to the door. Wordlessly, DH and Avery followed. It wasn¡¯t until they were outside and the door was closed behind them they spoke again. ¡°What was that?¡± DH said, releasing a long breath, ¡°I never saw them act like that before!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know!¡± Avery said, ¡°I¡¯ve never seen them That angry before!¡± They turned as though they wanted to go back inside, then thought better of it. ¡°I thought this would make them happier!¡± TO didn¡¯t know if they¡¯d be happier, but they didn¡¯t expect this sudden excess of rage and hate, the feral desire for violence that seemed to overwhelm the formally cold synth. What happened? Before they could try to figure it out on their own, Goretta came down the hall, hurrying on her tentacles. ¡°What happened?¡± She asked as soon as she was in hearing range. ¡°They just woke up!¡± Avery said. ¡°And they¡¯re in pain?¡± She frowned, ¡°My sensors should have picked that up before they woke.¡± ¡°They¡¯re not in pain.¡± TO said, ¡°They¡¯re angry.¡± ¡°Enraged is more like it.¡± DH said, ¡°They were straining at their straps, cursing, yelling-¡± Goretta¡¯s shoulders relaxed, and they let out a deep breath, ¡°But they don''t seem in pain?¡± she asked again, glancing at Avery. ¡°Er¡­ no?¡± Avery ventured, ¡°They seemed fine before they woke up. They were fine-¡± They stopped, their ears dipping as they glanced at TO, ¡°... They were fine until they saw TO.¡± Goretta pursed her lips, ¡°Right.¡± She said, ¡°And you mentioned before that they don¡¯t like TO that much-¡± ¡°Not at all.¡± Avery said. ¡°I thought they might be angry! You said they might, but you didn¡¯t say they might be like this!¡± From further down the hall, TO heard another set of footsteps, and seconds later Snout turned the corner at the other end of the hallway, running towards them and straightening their disheveled clothing as they approached. ¡°What happened?¡± They asked DH as they got close. ¡°You messaged me-¡± ¡°Kei woke up, saw TO, and, and got angry.¡± Goretta said. ¡°I¡¯m going in-¡± ¡°Is that safe!?¡± DH asked, their ears pinning back. Goretta glanced at DH. ¡°Are they still strapped in?¡± she asked. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Then yes.¡± She said, She turned to Snout, ¡°I¡¯ll go in first. Hopefully, they¡¯ll be more neutral to a civilian than they will be to you.¡± ¡°Fine.¡± Snout huffed, ¡°But if something goes wrong-¡± They didn¡¯t bother finishing their sentence as Goretta opened the door and slipped into the recovery room before they got past the third word. Snout reached out for the door, hesitated, then sighed and leaned back against the wall. Whatever adrenaline had been previously pushing them suddenly drained, and they let themself slide to the floor, their head slumping down. ¡°Snout!¡± DH knelt down next to them, opening their med kit. ¡°Are you alright?¡± Snout held a hand up to their mouth and gave an enormous yawn, their ears flicking down as they did. ¡°M¡¯fine.¡± They said once they could speak again. ¡°Just tired.¡± ¡°But you were fine just a second ago-¡± ¡°A second ago I thought something terrible had happened.¡± Snout murmured. ¡°I was running on adrenaline and about three hours of sleep.¡± TO had never noticed it before, but with DH and Snout sitting so close together certain similarities became so clear. Snout¡¯s larger snout distracted from their other facial features, but Snout¡¯s jawline had the same, softer curve to it, and their ears were just slightly larger than average. And when they were sleepy and had their eyes half closed, their ears dipped, they looked almost exactly like DH. This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. Well, minus the snout, of course. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you get more sleep!¡± DH exclaimed, ¡°That¡¯s not hardly enough-¡± ¡°Honestly, I didn¡¯t think I¡¯d be up this early.¡± Snout said. ¡°I¡¯ll be fine. Won¡¯t be the first day I¡¯ve spent on limited sleep.¡± They rested their head back against the wall, closing their eyes. ¡°Now¡­ mind telling me what exactly happened?¡± DH told Snout what happened, about how Kei had reacted the moment their eyes landed on TO, how suddenly wild and feral they appeared. All the while, Snout just nodded. At first, TO thought they had gone to sleep again but once DH finished they spoke. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect this, but I¡¯m not surprised.¡± Snout said before yawning again. ¡°Though I had hoped for a more positive reaction when they woke.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not surprised?¡± TO asked, their ears flicking back, ¡°Not surprised at all that they turned into a rabid rage beast?¡± Snout didn¡¯t move from where they sat, didn¡¯t even open their eyes, ¡°I¡¯m not surprised that they don¡¯t know how to handle the emotions they¡¯re suddenly experiencing.¡± They said, ¡°When you were in the simulation, you had the chance to learn how to live with your emotions, and how to regulate them.¡± They finally opened their eyes, ¡°A basic life-simulation, taking you from childhood to adulthood in just a few cycles. In your simulation, you had to deal with your stronger emotions. Kei though? Every time they experienced a powerful emotion, that part of their brain was altered so they wouldn¡¯t experience it again.¡± ¡°... But now they can.¡± DH said, ¡°So if they were a little irritated before-¡± ¡°Their mind is trying to interpret things.¡± They said, ¡°Hopefully, it evens out.¡± ¡°And if it doesn¡¯t?¡± Avery asked. Their ears were low, their wings tight around their arms, ¡°What if it doesn¡¯t even out?¡± ¡°Then we figure it out then.¡± Snout said. ¡°But for now they need some time.¡± ¡°... So they will have to go back to their room.¡± Avery said. They turned to TO, ¡°But you spoke to GiDi, right?¡± TO felt their own ears pin down, ¡°... Not yet.¡± They admitted, ¡°Yesterday was hectic, but I¡¯m going to talk to them today!¡± They turned to DH, ¡°Come on, let¡¯s go find them-¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think that isolation is a good idea, but I don¡¯t think they¡¯ll agree to total freedom for Kei.¡± Snout said. ¡°I don¡¯t know. But even if you talk to GiDi¡­¡± They looked at Avery, ¡°You know that like this, they¡¯re dangerous to themself, and to others. What happens if they attack one of you when you¡¯re alone? Or if they find the refugees from the tunnels and attack them?¡± ¡°If they¡¯re feeling a lot more now than they were, then keeping them alone won¡¯t help them!¡± Avery insisted. ¡°It¡¯ll make things worse! The insurgents have to see that!¡± They turned to TO, their ears flicking and low in desperation, their eyes wide, ¡°You¡¯ll do something right? You¡¯ll fix this?¡± Their eyes flicked momentarily to DH, ¡°You always fix things.¡± TO didn¡¯t like Kei. In normal circumstances they wouldn''t care if Kei was all alone or not. However, the effect of isolation on Avery was clear enough; if it was going to be worse on Kei and their unchecked, untrained emotions¡­ Well, they couldn¡¯t imagine they¡¯d wish that on anyone. Besides that, that they forgot to talk to GiDi about Kei made their stomach churn, and made looking directly at Kei very difficult. ¡°I¡¯ll fix it.¡± TO said, ¡°Don¡¯t make promises you can¡¯t keep.¡± Snout sighed from the floor. ¡°I¡¯m not.¡± TO said, their ears flicking back, ¡°I¡¯ll figure something out.¡± ¡°They¡¯ll do their best.¡± DH said as they stood up, lacing their fingers between TO¡¯s. ¡°But¡­ TOs not in charge.¡± ¡°I will figure something out!¡± TO insisted. They gripped DH¡¯s hand, ¡°I kept us together, and our superiors in training didn¡¯t care about feelings at all. GiDi does, and we do.¡± They turned to Avery, ¡°We¡¯re going to go right now, we¡¯re going to talk to GiDi, Pearla, Tham¡­ we¡¯ll talk to whoever we need to. Kei won¡¯t be isolated again.¡± Snout gave a sign that turned into a yawn, ¡°Well¡­ Honestly, that would be best.¡± They said. ¡°I don¡¯t want to think of what isolation would actually do to them in this state. Still, I don¡¯t think anyone will be alright with Kei wandering around like you three do.¡± They cracked an eye open and looked directly at TO. ¡°DH said they looked like they wanted to attack you. You¡¯ve described them as a ¡®rabid rage beast¡¯ just a minute ago. Would you be comfortable running into them alone in a hallway down here?¡± ¡°We¡¯ll figure something out.¡± TO said. They looked at Avery, ¡°Can I guess you want to stay here?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Avery said, ¡°if possible, I want to see them when Goretta is done. I want to make sure they¡¯re not alone.¡± TO nodded, took DH¡¯s hand, and led them down the hallway, ¡°Come on.¡± They said, ¡°Let¡¯s get this fixed.¡± DH let TO lead them down the hall a bit, getting out of earshot of the others before they spoke again. ¡°If we can.¡± They said, ¡°... I don¡¯t know if I¡¯d be comfortable with them wandering around either.¡± Their fingers tightened around TO¡¯s, ¡°They looked like they wanted to kill you. TO, if they ever hurt you¡­¡± ¡°I know.¡± TO whispered as they squeezed back, ¡°But we still need to do this. I should have spoken to GiDi yesterday.¡± Even as they said that, they wondered if it would have made a difference. Yesterday, they didn¡¯t know that Kei would wake and immediately fall into a violent rage. Even if they had convinced the others not to lock Kei up again, they were certain that this event would have changed things. Still; they had to try. TO had failed Avery already in forgetting to talk to GiDi about all this; they¡¯d not fail their friend again. Episode 276: Clueless TO knocked rapidly on the door to GiDi¡¯s room. It had taken them far too long to get there, to find GiDi, and at this point TO thought that they may well scream if GiDi wasn¡¯t there. First, they went to the common room, but GiDi wasn¡¯t there. Vik was there, typing away on his computer, but wouldn¡¯t help them until he was done with some kind of coding or something. DH helped him with the programming which sped that up but of course that meant that afterwards they had to have a chat about what they worked on. By the time that was all done, Vik had entirely forgotten that they needed something and To had to remind them and ask again for Vik to tell them where GiDi was. ¡°I mean¡­ maybe you should wait for them to come here.¡± Vik said, ¡°They might still be sleeping-¡± ¡°This is important!¡± TO insisted. ¡°It¡¯s about Kei, and I need to talk to them! They¡¯ll talk to me, and they won¡¯t mind me waking them up!¡± ¡°They¡¯ll come right here when they wake up-¡± ¡°Vik! I need it now!¡± It had taken a good five minutes before Vik finally relented and sent them the directions. If GiDi was not here, then TO didn¡¯t think that screaming just a little would be an exaggerated response. Thankfully, it didn¡¯t come to that. It only a moment before GiDi opened the door a crack and slid out into the hallway as they closed the door behind them. They had clearly just woken up; their eyes were half closed with crust in the corners, and they wore a black silky housecoat that was both too big for them and also not made for someone with wings. Their wings poked out of the back of the collar but its larger size still covered them. ¡°Vik sent me a message.¡± They said with a yawn, ¡°Said you needed to talk to me?¡± Maybe Vik had been right. Maybe they should have waited. Seeing GiDi disheveled and exhausted filled them with guilt, but they were here now, anyway. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for waking you.¡± TO said, ¡°But yes; it¡¯s important. It¡¯s about Kei-¡± Another yawn, and another twitch of their ears. ¡°Alright.¡± They said, ¡°Give me a minute to get dressed and get to the common room-¡± ¡°Can we talk here?¡± TO offered, ¡°It won¡¯t take long, and then you can go back to sleep-¡± DH nudged TO in the side, and shook their head, ¡°We can go to the common room.¡± DH said. ¡°What?¡± TO asked, ¡°It¡¯ll only take a few minutes-¡± GiDi cleared their throat, ¡°Yes, maybe.¡± They said, the lightest of flushes coloring their ears, ¡°But Pearla is in there too and¡­ not ready to have guests.¡± It took TO only a second to see what GiDi was saying, and to understand what DH had already figured out. Their own ears burned at just how long it had taken them to figure out why GiDi might not want them in their room. ¡°Right!¡± They said, grabbing DH by the arm, ¡°The common room then.¡± GiDi¡¯s ears twitched in amusement, and a smirk crossed their lips, ¡°Thank you.¡± They said as they slipped back into the room, closing the room behind them. ¡°Honestly.¡± DH said, their words tinged with laughter and their ears twitching, ¡°You¡¯re supposed to be smart. How were you so clueless back there?¡± ¡°I wasn¡¯t clueless!¡± To snapped, as the flush to their ears deepened ¡°I was distracted! This is important!¡± A snort of laughter escaped DH, their ears twitching as they pulled TO along. Despite the flush to TO¡¯s ears, they didn¡¯t mind DH¡¯s gentle teasing. There was a levity to them in this moment that hadn¡¯t been there for quite some time and it suddenly occurred to TO that despite everything, despite all the threats and dangers that they were facing, there could still be little slivers of happiness, of joy and mirth; in DH laughing at TO¡¯s cluelessness¨C¨Cthough TO wasn¡¯t clueless, they knew that!¨C¨Cand their gentle, affectionate teasing. These were the moments that they had to treasure. It wasn¡¯t just spending time with DH; it was savoring these moments when they had so little opportunity for them, and when their time might well be limited. They tightened their hand on DH¡¯s, intending to just let their mate pull then towards the common room. However, DH suddenly stopped, pulled TO suddenly towards them, and pulled them into a tight embrace. ¡°You are.¡± DH whispered as their hand went to the back of TO''s neck. ¡°You¡¯re utterly clueless.¡± ¡°I am not.¡± TO protested, but their protest lacked any genuine conviction; it was hard to disagree with DH when they were scratching at the back of their head like that. Even harder when their hand went up to stroke the back of TO¡¯s ear with careful, gentle hands. A carefully worded counter argument turned into a squeak as TO melted into DH, hiding their face in the other¡¯s neck. A moment later, DH took TO by the chin and lifted their face so that they were looking at each other, and kissed TO softly. If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. A thousand questions ran through TO¡¯s mind, all jumbled together and rendered incoherent as they kissed back, their ears shivering. Maybe DH would push them against the wall, would kiss them all along their neck, across their shoulder¡­ How far away was their room from where they were? TO was having a hard time remembering. How quickly could they get to the relative privacy of their modest living quarters? DH pulled away, stroked TO¡¯s ear once more with a smirk, and then pulled away. ¡°Yes.¡± They said, ¡°You¡¯re entirely clueless.¡± They let go of TO and continued down the hallway towards the common room. TO stood, rooted on the spot, their mind spiraling in the confusion that going through so many emotions in such a short time put them into. It wasn¡¯t until DH was about to turn the corner down another hallway that they looked back at TO. ¡°You coming? We have to meet up with GiDi; remember?¡± ¡°Y-yes, I¡¯m coming.¡± They said, stumbling forward in a daze as they touched their hand to the back of their ear. Finally, one question rose from all the others; a question that they kept unspoken for now. Where did that come from? ====== ¡°Back already?¡± Vik asked once they came back to the common room. The tone of amusement in their voice was painfully clear. He glanced over to TO, saw their still flushed ears, and chuckled. TO¡¯s ears dipped, and a familiar horror filled their veins as. What if Vik had cameras? What if they saw- No. They had to remind themself that it didn¡¯t matter. Even if Vik saw them through a camera in the hallway¡ªsomething TO doubted¡ªthe insurgents didn¡¯t care! The insurgents couldn¡¯t and wouldn¡¯t have them killed or corrected for it! DH could throw TO against the hall right here, pull their clothes off with their teeth, and kiss every inch of their body, and there would be no threat of correction. Though, even as they thought about it, their ears twitching rapidly in a way that made TO very grateful that Vik couldn¡¯t read their ears, they might still absolutely die if DH did that right here! ¡°I warned you.¡± Vik said as they went back to their computer, ¡°Anyway, is GiDi heading here? And is Pearla coming with them?¡± TO cleared their throat, trying hard to ignore the grin that covered DH¡¯s face and the way their ears perked up as they watched TO¡¯s own ears. ¡°Yes, GiDi is on the way.¡± TO said, ¡°I don¡¯t know about Pearla though.¡± ¡°She¡¯ll likely come with them.¡± Vik said, and once more they started typing rapidly, ¡°I¡¯ll send out a message to everyone else to meet up.¡± They looked up at TO, ¡°It¡¯s breakout day.¡± TO wasn¡¯t sure what they meant at first, but then remembered Pearla mentioning getting people out of the indebted system. Would that take the whole day? TO assumed it would, and that was a problem. They wanted to see Petra and Lendulin again, and a part of them was still worried about Constance. True, they had heard nothing about her, and they were certain that the other family was taking good care of her, but they still felt they had a responsibility to check in; especially since they had listed the child as being with themself. And of course, they needed to talk to GiDi. Ideally, they¡¯d talk to GiDi alone. ¡°Could you wait until they get here?¡± TO asked, ¡°It¡¯s still early, right? And I still need to talk to GiDi.¡± ¡°Hey, it means i Have more time to finish my work here.¡± They said as they focused on their programming once more. ====== GiDi and Pearla both appeared not too long after, dressed in their normal clothes though still clearly half asleep. GiDi made tea as they listened to TO and DH explain what happened with Kei, what Goretta and Snout said, and Avery¡¯s own worries about Kei being isolated again. ¡°Well, they won¡¯t be isolated.¡± GiDi said, their ears pinning back, ¡°Not if I have anything to do with it.¡± Their ears dipped as they glanced at TO, ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have let that happen with you. I should have fought that, or come back earlier, or¡­¡± they stopped as they spilled some tea, and then took a long breath. ¡°I won¡¯t let it happen again: Not even to Kei.¡± ¡°It wasn¡¯t your fault.¡± Pearla said from where she sat at the table. Through the entire conversation so far she had drifted between napping and listening, but now she was entirely focused on GiDi, ¡°And you came back earlier than Tham and Goretta said you should.¡± ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have-¡± They stopped, sighed, and wordlessly finished pouring their tea, ¡°Nothing I can do about that now.¡± They said as they brought Pearla a cup of steaming tea, ¡°The point is, they won¡¯t be isolated again.¡± They looked at TO. ¡°But, if they¡¯re violent¡­ we have to think of something.¡± ¡°Yeah; we like you GiDi, I don¡¯t think any of us want a crazed, violent synth wandering about here freely.¡± Vik said without turning from their computer, ¡°Now, I do have some options for you; I don¡¯t know how much you¡¯ll like them-¡± ¡°I think I¡¯d rather hear from Goretta before we decide on a course of action.¡± GiDi said as they sat down next to Pearla. Pearla cupped her hands around the tea and took a long drink of the steaming fluid. When she was done, there was a moment where she seemed utterly and entirely content. ¡°I think that¡¯s a good idea too.¡± She said, already sounding more awake. ¡°Get all the information. Who knows, maybe Kei¡¯s calmed down by now? I mean, they did just wake up then and saw all these people around. I doubt anyone would be calm in that situation, let alone a synth who hasn¡¯t had the freedom to feel that deeply before.¡± TO hadn¡¯t considered that, but maybe they were right. Maybe Kei had calmed down. Well, either way that wasn¡¯t their concern. They of course didn¡¯t want anyone to be isolated like that, but what they were doing now wasn¡¯t for Kei; it was for Avery. ¡°You can promise though that you won¡¯t let Kei be isolated, right?¡± TO asked, ¡°You promise. Can we tell Avery that he¡¯ll be alright?¡± GiDi nodded, their ears pinning back once more, ¡°I promise.¡± they said, ¡°Whatever I have to do; no more isolation.¡± GiDi said it and said it so seriously that that was enough for them. No isolation. Whatever happened now, at least they didn¡¯t have to worry about that. At least TO had kept their promise. Episode 277: Incorruptible Vik was just sending out the call for everyone else to gather when the door behind them flew open and an exhausted Pholi scurried into the room. The casual suit they wore hung off them, crumpled and stained, their artificial wings were absent, and they reeked of smoke and filth. ¡°Pholi!¡± Vik brightened up as soon as they saw the minister of language and translation, jumped from their workstation, and onto the table where Pholi was just taking a seat. ¡°I hadn¡¯t heard from you, and I know that if I hear nothing everything is good but with Gyrini there-¡± Pholi held up a hand suddenly and let out a shuddering breath. ¡°Please.¡± he said, ¡°A drink before I talk about her, or any of this-¡± ¡°I¡¯ll get you some tea.¡± GiDi said, getting up from their seat next to Pearla. ¡°Balls, no.¡± He said as he slumped in his chair, ¡°I¡¯ll need something substantially stronger than that.¡± Pearla frowned, ¡°But, it¡¯s still so early-¡± ¡°Well, I haven¡¯t slept yet, so it¡¯s very late for me!¡± he snapped. ¡°What do we have?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t there more of that juice?¡± TO asked. GiDi nodded and wordlessly made their way to a box in the corner. A moment later they came back with a bottle of the juice that Tham had gotten so drunk off of the other night. They set it in front of Pholi. ¡°I don¡¯t know what your resistance to this is.¡± GiDi said, ¡°But Tham and Pearla-¡± Pholi didn¡¯t bother to listen to GiDi¡¯s warning; they opened the bottle and took a long swig before setting the bottle down heavily on the table, causing Vik to Jump. ¡°That has a kick.¡± He muttered before realizing how he had startled Vik. ¡°Sorry Vik, I didn¡¯t mean to scare you.¡± GiDi slid back into their seat, ¡°Was it that bad?¡± they asked. ¡°Worse.¡± Pholi said, ¡°She¡¯s a nightmare. She¡¯s thorough, conscientious, brutal, and incorruptible.¡± He took another drink, ¡°One of Buteo¡¯s errand boys tried to offer her a bribe to get some deliveries in from their orbit. That woman had the poor man arrested and questioned.¡± He frowned and shook his head, ¡°No. Not questioned. Tortured.¡± ¡°Tortured?¡± Pearla sat up in her chair, ¡°I know offering a bribe is illegal but nobody ever got tortured for it before! I don¡¯t think they¡¯ve arrested anyone here for it until now!¡± Vik gave a tired shrug and took another drink. ¡°Well, now he got tortured.¡± Pholi said, ¡°Technically, she had him ¡®questioned¡¯ to see if he had links to the insurgency but of course he was just doing it so Buteo could get his fix.¡± ¡°Did he give up Buteo?¡± Pearla asked, ¡°Is Buteo in holding now?¡± ¡°Oh, no.¡± Pholi said, ¡°She wanted to see if there were links to the insurgency. I don¡¯t know if he gave up Buteo or not, but it probably doesn¡¯t matter if he did; it got the message across; she can¡¯t be bought.¡± He gave a dry chuckle, ¡°Besides, everyone knows Buteo is useless.¡± ¡°Wait¡­ He is?¡± TO¡¯s ears flicked out in confusion, ¡°He seemed with it enough when we saw him-¡± ¡°Oh yes, he can clean up for a visit from King Decon¡¯s Honored Dignitaries.¡± He rose the bottle in a mock toast to TO and DH, ¡°But when he¡¯s not putting on a show, he¡¯s drugged up and enjoying all the food and sex he can get his talons on.¡± ¡°Really?¡± DH frowned, ¡°But, we thought had ties to you,to the insurgency!¡± They glanced at TO, ¡°We thought.. Because his family is former royalty of Arkane-¡± ¡°Yes, and as former royalty, his ancestors received the position they currently hold.¡± Pholi said, ¡°And his position is ornamental at best. He¡¯d never work with us, he has it too good right now. Prestige and position, money from taxes, every loophole in the legal system at his feather tips, and nothing to do but enjoy himself.¡± ¡°Well, at least when he doesn¡¯t have to sober up long enough to put on a show.¡± Vik said as they pushed the bottle out of Pholi¡¯s reach. When Pholi grumbled and reached for it, Vik just pushed it away further, ¡°GiDi wasn¡¯t kidding; this stuff is potent.¡± He put his hands on his hips and glared at Pholi, ¡°Why haven¡¯t you slept!? If I hadn¡¯t slept I¡¯d be hearing about it.¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t slept because I spent the entire night wandering about the entertainment district, trying to lose the drones following me.¡± he sighed, ¡°I lost them eventually, and made it to The Cottage and- ¡± ¡°Cottage?¡± DH asked. ¡°The Cottage core Pub.¡± Pholi said. ¡°We just call it The Cottage.¡± TO glanced at DH, ¡°That was the place that you went to, wasn¡¯t it? That night we went to the theater?¡± ¡°Oh yeah; that wasn¡¯t a coincidence.¡± Vik said, ¡°I had your driver tapped, remember? We knew you were at the theater and when Melissa saw DH leaving, she nudged them to the bar.¡± ¡°Wait! She¡¯s one of you!?¡± Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website. ¡°Of course!¡± Pholi said, making another futile swipe at the bottle. Vik pushed it further away, and scurried to GiDi, ¡°Can you get Pholi that tea?¡± ¡°Gladly.¡± GiDi said, taking the bottle with them as they got up. ¡°And yes, apparently she¡¯s been working with us for a long time.¡± ¡°A solid decade at least.¡± Pholi said, ¡°From back when she was a bartender in the entertainment district.¡± ¡°Anyway, The Cottage is owned by someone friendly to us, and there¡¯s a little route underground from there. Have to go through the sewers, but-¡± ¡°Which is why you smell like shit.¡± Vik said. ¡°Yes, thank you for your very observant statement.¡± Pholi said. ¡°Tea, shower, and bed.¡± GiDi said as they brought a steaming cup of tea to the beleaguered minister. ¡°Anything else can wait-¡± ¡°No, it can¡¯t.¡± Pholi muttered as he took the tea, ¡°Or I¡¯d have waited.¡± He sighed, ¡°We have a week before they get here.¡± ¡°A week?¡± TO felt their ears pin back, ¡°But¡­ that¡¯s not much time at all-¡± ¡°Better than a day.¡± Pearla said, ¡°We have a timeline now, so we can get into the -¡± ¡°Getting into anything might be difficult.¡± Pholi said, ¡°She¡¯s got something but I don¡¯t know what; she¡¯s being silent about it all. I¡¯d call her paranoid, but she¡¯s right; there are ears everywhere and eyes on her correspondence.¡± He glanced at TO, ¡°Since that day you and DH reappeared, she¡¯s been especially careful. She knows something, but I have no idea what.¡± ¡°I knew it!¡± TO said, standing up as they slammed a hand on the table, ¡°I knew it! I had a feeling she knew something - I think she knows that we - the synths- are working with the insurgency.¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t put it past her.¡± Pholi said with yet another sigh. ¡°But I have no idea how. They also caught you on the footage from the special agent¡¯s helmet out of armor so if you go out as yourself you¡¯ll be arrested. If you go out in your armor, you¡¯ll be under extreme scrutiny. Just like you were the other day.¡± He turned to Vik, ¡°On that note; don¡¯t use your tunnels anymore. At all. She shut down that tube and did a walkthrough.¡± Vik¡¯s ears dropped, their tail flicked back and forth atop the table, ¡°Did she find my exit?¡± ¡°No idea. If she did, she¡¯s not said a word to me-¡± ¡°Which if she did, that means she might find her way into the tunnels.¡± Vik said. They jumped back to their little desk and dove back into their programming, ¡°I need to set up more security. I need more drones-¡± ¡°I can help with that!¡± DH said, ¡°You have drones for terrestrial work, just like you had for the ones at the port, right? Let me help!¡± ¡°Why do you need drones?¡± TO asked. They had felt a little better about things with DH since the sudden caresses and kisses in the hall, but DH was so eager to work with Vik despite the fact that TO just wanted to get their mate back to their room¡­ ¡°I need smaller ones for surveillance in the further tunnels; It¡¯s unwise to set up cameras and leave evidence, so drones are best; something I can remote control. I also need a bigger drone that I can use to trigger a cave in to block off our exit there-¡± ¡°Is that the best idea?¡± Pholi asked, ¡°what if you need to get back there?¡± ¡°I won¡¯t, and if we need to get something delivered, we have other options.¡± Pholi tapped his long claws against the table, ¡°... We have a week,¡± He said, ¡°If you wanted to go back-¡± ¡°I don¡¯t.¡± Vik said, their ears flicking back, ¡°I don¡¯t. I won¡¯t. I can¡¯t anyway, even if I wanted to. Too risky.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure-¡± ¡°No.¡± Despite Vik¡¯s size, the command in his voice and the finality in that single word was surprising, and allowed for no further arguments. ¡°I have to deal with this now. Getting the drones sorted out.¡± The door opened again, this time letting Tham come in carrying a box in his muscular arms. ¡°Breakfast.¡± He said, ¡°I bumped into Lake on the way here. They asked me to grab this and bring it over.¡± They glanced at Pholi, ¡°Hey, you¡¯re back. Any good news?¡± Pholi sighed and slumped forward, resting their head on the table. ¡°Someone else can explain it to them.¡± He said, ¡°I¡¯m tired, and if you can spare me now, I crave sleep.¡± ¡°Shower first.¡± Vik said, ¡°If you go to sleep with sewage filth on you and you¡¯re going to get an infection in your scales.¡± Vik sighed and slid off the chair, ¡°You will note, Vik, then when you offer me very practical advice which I know in my heart is good advice, I follow it.¡± He gave a strained smile, ¡°Try to do the same and get more than three hours of sleep at some point?¡± ¡°We¡¯ll see.¡± Vik said, ¡°Lots of work to do.¡± Pholi gave a last exhausted sigh before he headed out, skirting past Tham. As he drifted by, Tham sniffed, then recoiled as his nose wrinkled up. He said nothing though until Pholi had left the room and the door had closed behind him. ¡°I¡¯m guessing I missed something.¡± He said as he set the box down on the table. ¡°Someone fill me in?¡± ¡°Once the others get here.¡± GiDi said as they scooted closer to Pearla, their arm reaching out so they could hold Pearla¡¯s hand under the table, ¡°We¡¯ll tell everyone then. For now¡­¡± They glanced at Pearla, their ears dipping with concern. ¡°It¡¯s going to be a very busy week.¡± Episode 278: Inflitration TO didn¡¯t want to leave the underground. Truthfully, they didn¡¯t want to do much other than spend their time with DH in the underground talking Flit and Snout¡¯s advice and savoring every single second of time they had between now and when they got off the planet. Well, that or the synths came, whatever came first. Regardless of what they wanted to do, What they didn¡¯t want to do was spend their day infiltrating an indebted living area, but that¡¯s what they were doing. GiDi¡¯s simple plan to get some indebted people out of the network. Even after a long, dry meeting where TO tried their best to come up with a better plan, this was still the best they had mostly because of all the pre-planning that went into it. After wandering through the sewers they found a place in the security district where they could sneak out and onto the streets above, Trailing behind Pearla and Mira. They hadn¡¯t seen Mira in a while now as she stayed out on the streets looking for information, but with Tham injured as he was, the purple insectoid had been asked to come along. TO would have preferred if DH came with them, but because DH had some medical training, Goretta asked them to stay underground so they could help with Kei if something came up, and to help with the other civilians. Maybe it was better anyway, since TO didn¡¯t want DH to get involved in this mission. Of course, To was certain that DH would rather if TO had stayed behind. ¡°Are we sure this is going to work?¡± Pearla asked as they slipped through the alleyways. ¡°I mean, security is so tight-¡± ¡°Oh yeah, getting in will be fine.¡± Mira said, ¡°There¡¯s so many new people in the system now that the guards won¡¯t be entirely sure whose who. I¡¯ve been watching, and they suck at it and they focused the facial recognition software on people leaving the area, not going in.¡± ¡°Which brings another question to mind.¡± TO said, ¡°How do we get out?¡± They had plenty of old uniforms normally worn by the indebetted that they easily found a size to fit the three of them. As an extra precaution, TO¡¯s wings were colored with a muddy red paint, and the telltale scars now hid beneath a thick layer of wax. It wouldn¡¯t do to have someone recognize the scars on TO¡¯s wings as the same ones from the video taken in the tunnels. ¡°Well, we¡¯re not tagged, so we can get out.¡± Mira said. ¡°And hopefully so long as we have our communicators we can have Vik hack the tags, so we can get some others out.¡± ¡°Couldn¡¯t we just remove the tags?¡± TO asked, ¡°It¡¯d be easier and probably faster than getting Vik to work on them.¡± In response, Mira tapped on the back of her neck, ¡°Not possible.¡± They said, ¡°They insert the tags on the base of the skull, kinda like the control thingy for your chips.¡± Her eyes narrowed and the remains of her damaged and broken wings hummed in rapid fluttering. ¡°In the odd case where someone gets out of the system, they don¡¯t even remove the tags then. They say it¡¯s because of the high rates of recidivism, but honestly someone who leaves the indebted system can only go back into debt!¡± ¡°Wait, why?¡± TO asked, their ears flicking out. ¡°It¡¯s stupid.¡± Pearla said, ¡°Say you¡¯re indebted, and you get out, right? You get out with nothing; no place to live, no job, no food. So, you need these things to live, right? But you also need a home address to get a job, like I told you. Most places require a deposit on rent, so you need money first. You go to a lender, but because you were in the system, they charge you higher rates of interest on your loan. If you don¡¯t get a job right away, borrow more-¡± ¡°Long story short.¡± Mira interrupted as she held up a hand to stop their movements as a vehicle passed through the road before them, ¡°It¡¯s hard to get a job if you were indebted. You borrow money at high interest just to live, and if you don¡¯t get a job right away, you¡¯re screwed. If you have a medical emergency, you¡¯re screwed. The bills for living pile up while the interest increases, and when you hit enough debt, you go back into the system.¡± ¡°Oh, and the debt limit for the previously indebted is lower than for other citizens.¡± Pearla added before they slipped across the street and into another alley, ¡°So, you hit that faster. Most people who leave the system end up back in there within a year. And like I said, most people don¡¯t leave the system.¡± TO felt their ears pin back as they followed the two, ¡°You know.¡± They said, ¡°After you told us all that, I actually tried to make some changes to the system.¡± ¡°And you couldn¡¯t?¡± Mira asked, ¡°I thought you synths had all the power here.¡± ¡°Well, over civilians, we did.¡± TO muttered, ¡°And over civilian government, but it¡¯s a course of action I¡¯d have to get approved by Ark-1- sorry, they were our superior, and Ark-1 said that it wasn¡¯t a big enough issue for us to pursue.¡± ¡°Not a big enough issue?¡± Pearla snapped, ¡°The welfare of the benevolent King Decon¡¯s citizens wasn¡¯t a big issue?¡± ¡°Apparently, not.¡± TO muttered. ¡°Apparently, keeping Arkane¡¯s leadership loyal and content was more important in the wider view of things.¡± If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. ¡°Oh yeah, that¡¯s messed up.¡± Mira snapped, ¡°The whole ¡®small sacrifices¡¯ for the greater good.¡± She snorted, ¡°Funny how the people making these sacrifices are normally the people who got nothin¡¯ left to- Oh, look.¡± In the road before them, there was a relatively large group of people in similar beige uniforms as what the three of them wore, all of them shuffling towards a large van ¡°It¡¯s like you said.¡± Pearla whispered, ¡°Repair crews from the holding center. They must be heading back to the indebetted center.¡± ¡°... It¡¯s noon.¡± TO whispered, ¡°Why are they sending them back at noon?¡± ¡°Fourteen hour shifts.¡± Mira whispered back, ¡°I¡¯ve been watching. One crew starts at midnight, the other starts at noon. Twenty-eight hours of repair work at low cost to the city. For them though-¡± She gestured to the indebted trudging alone, ¡°The time it takes to gather everyone up to come out here, and brief them on what they¡¯re doing before they even start working, that¡¯s a solid hour. It takes an hour for them to get gathered up and organized to go back too. So, really it¡¯s fourteen hours for them. Come on, let¡¯s go!¡± There were drones and guards watching the indebted, but the drones lingered near the back of the line, and the guards didn¡¯t seem too attentive so it was no problem for the three to slip into the line. TO expected someone to question their sudden appearance, if not the guards then the people they were sneaking in with at least! But everyone seemed to trudge along in a near lifeless state, with their eyes down. ¡°I hope Vik was right.¡± Pearla muttered as they walked along towards the transport, ¡°If they try to scan us-¡° ¡°The scans happen at the transport.¡± Mira said, ¡°And they¡¯re more concerned about numbers than individuals.If fifty people come out, then fifty people back in. They won¡¯t be worried unless they''re missing someone once everyone is in the transport.¡± She gave a quick smile, her antenna flicking in the air, ¡°Come on, when has Vik been wrong?¡± ¡°Oh, plenty of times.¡± Pearla whispered back, ¡°Remember the antibiotic heist last year?¡± ¡°They got the wrong mediation. That¡¯s different. When has he ever been wrong about computer stuff? Besides, when have I been wrong? I¡¯ve been observing them and I know how they act.¡± TO knew nothing about the medication heist, but even so they didn¡¯t enjoy relying on just the expertise of one civilian. They set their fingers against the cool metal of their bracelet, as though confirming it was still there. If everything fell apart they could probably get away and Mira could probably manage on her own, but what about Pearla? A Nagarajin was too heavy for them to fly with, that they already knew. They glanced over at one guard, an insectoid with front facing eyes, short legs, and a wide frame. They had a limited range of vision so TO was certain if it came to it they could sneak up on them. There was a civilian gun at their waist and while the sound of it still rang through their ears, and the sight of blood from Tham¡¯s arm still lingered in their head, they figured they could probably use that to get away. TO didn''t want to do that. They really didn¡¯t want to use one of those civilian guns. They held their breath as they passed the guards, their red painted wings tightening against their back as TO resisted the urge to wrap them around their arms. The guards took no note of the extra passengers and the drones were much further back, monitoring the back of the line. The only thing counting the people entering the transport was a security gate that surrounded the door. It beeped green each time one of the indebted passed through it. TO felt certain that it would give off some alarm as they passed through it; maybe Vik was mostly right, but what if that gate picked up their own chip, and sensed something wrong? They held their breath as their fingers hovered over their bracelet, ready to turn on their armor. Using their armor here would mean that their cover as loyal synths would be ruined, and it would limit their ability to get back to the ship. Still, if it came down to it¡­ They passed through the gate. The green light did not flash as they did, but no alarms went off and nobody seemed to notice that the gate didn¡¯t register them. ¡°And we¡¯re in.¡± Mira said as they made their way to the back of the transport. The held breath rushed out of TO as they followed Mira and Pearla to the back of the transport. A narrow bench wrapped around the inside of the transport but although only about half the indebted were in, there was no sitting space left and many chose to sit on the floor. Some were sleeping against the legs of the person sitting on the bench behind them. Already, the smell was getting unbearable here as the stench of bodies worked for fourteen hours in the heat and grime lingered even with the door open. Though most of the people in with them were legless, sitting next to them was one short, four-legged reptile-person who was in the middle of prying off their shoes. At first TO thought that others would get angry at them, the smell was awful enough in here, but when TO saw the blood caked around their feet, any anger they had would have melted away. ¡°Here.¡± Pearla whispered as she passed the poor civilian a small packet. The person jumped, eyed Pearla, then the packet which was simply a basic antibacterial wipe, made for cleaning blood from skin. They reached their hand out tentatively, then hesitated. ¡°How much.¡± They asked. ¡°Free.¡± Pearla said. ¡°Well, we could use some information¡­¡± Mira muttered. Pearla slapped her arm with her tail and gave the purple insectoid a sharp glare. ¡°We could.¡± She admitted, ¡°But that¡¯s not part of a trade; this is free.¡± The indebted civilian glanced from Mira, to Pearla, then to TO, let their eyes linger on TO¡¯s wings, then took the packet. ¡°Thanks¡± They muttered as they opened it up, ripped the cloth inside in half, and wiped down their feet. ¡°There¡¯s an ointment in it as well that¡¯ll take the sting out of your wounds.¡± Pearla said with a smile. ¡°Are you sure it¡¯s ok?¡± they asked, as they stilled their hand, the already bloodied scrap of napkin hovering over torn skin. ¡°Of course.¡± Pearla said. They continued to wipe at their bloody feet, trying to make one half of the cloth last as long as they could before they relented and used the other half. ¡°Haven¡¯t seen you around before.¡± ¡°Yeah, we¡¯re just visiting.¡± Mira muttered. TO felt their ears flick back in horror at the prospect of Mira giving them away, but the other indebted just gave a low snort of laughter. ¡°New then.¡± They said after a minute. ¡°I¡¯m Beck. She/her. My condolences for ending up here.¡± ¡°Pearla, She/her. This is Mira, she/her, and Tio, They/them.¡± She grinned, ¡°And don¡¯t worry, we don''t plan on staying too long.¡± Episode 279: Indebted The vehicle used to transport the indebted wasn¡¯t just for those people working at the damaged holding facility, it traveled to other districts to pick up indebted people from other work areas. Four times on the way they stopped to pick up two or three people, all who found seats on the floor. Some of them immediately went to sleep; others spent their time rubbing their bloodied feet or their calloused hands. ¡°So did you three get the basic bunk, or one with a privacy curtain or a screen?¡± ¡°Basic.¡± Pearla said. ¡°Hoping to be out of here in a year.¡± ¡°Or less.¡± Mira said. ¡°Right, same.¡± TO muttered. Mira and Pearla seemed to understand some of the strange questions that Beck was asking, but TO did not, so they just parroted whatever the others said. ¡°Right. So, you know most people break and upgrade by the end of the first month.¡± Beck said as she rolled up the little pieces of the napkin she had used to wipe down her feet. ¡°You come in, and you¡¯re like, I¡¯m indebted, I should be working or sleeping. And maybe after the first week you¡¯ll stick to that, and you¡¯ll work and sleep because you¡¯re exhausted. After that you¡¯ll adjust, you won¡¯t be as exhausted, and your heads gonna want to have some other stimulation. When that happens, you break and get a screen in your bed.¡± She leaned forward, whispering, ¡°But look; I know someone with a private bed and a screen in their bunk.¡± She glanced at a male across the way, sitting under a vent. He looked a lot less tired than the others and lacked the hollow cheeks of the more experienced indebetted. ¡°If you want to use a bed and a screen for a night, he¡¯ll let you use his; you just gotta do his work when you¡¯re on a job with him next.¡± ¡°He rents out his bed?¡± TO asked. ¡°Yup. There¡¯s a few people like that, so if you want some private time with someone, or just want to sit and watch something, you can go to them.¡± She leaned forward, ¡°Though¡­ I have a screen in my bunk. I don¡¯t rent out my bed, but if you want to want to share with me¡­¡± She held up the twisted remains of the napkin, ¡°I¡¯ll share; as thanks.¡± She then stuffed the napkin pieces between her pinky toes where, upon further examination, TO noticed the blood sticking to her scales. ¡°How long are you working for?¡± Pearla asked as she eyed Beck¡¯s feet. ¡°Another two years if everything goes perfectly. Been here for five already.¡± She said, ¡°Of course, if I get sick, well, a day¡¯s a week, right?¡± ¡°It is?¡± TO asked as their ears flicked out. ¡°Ok, so you¡¯ve never been in the system.¡± Beck said as she looked at TO, her eyes once more lingering on their wings. ¡°If you¡¯re sick for a day in here, that basically adds on an extra week to what you have to repay.¡± They glanced over To once, more, ¡°How did you end up here again?¡± TO floundered, but before their confusion got too clear, Pearl took over. ¡°Bad business deals, too much borrowing, and didn¡¯t have anyone to bail them out.¡± Pearla said. She leaned forward and spoke in a low whisper, ¡°TO couldn¡¯t rely on their family, since their family disowned them because of their partner, and they never got on well with any member of the Debt Offices. ¡°That¡¯s it, more or less.¡± TO muttered. ¡°Yourself?¡± ¡°Oh, my parents were indebted.¡± Beck said, ¡°I got thrown into the childcare system when they went into the indebted system. Aged out of that, went into the workforce, had a string of bad luck-¡° She held up her arm and showed a long scar distorting the blue-gray scales, ¡°Broke my arm really badly. You could see the bone sticking out. Anyway, I had to take out loans when I couldn¡¯t work and¡­¡± She shrugged, ¡°Well, the rest is the normal story.¡± The transport lunged and tilted upwards, making everyone inside scramble to hold themselves in place. Several people on the far end of the transport who had been sleeping suddenly woke up as their center of balance shifted and they fell over. ¡°Ah, here we go.¡± Beck said as she braced herself with her long tail against the floor, ¡°We¡¯re Heading back to the hovel now. Guess we¡¯re not picking up anyone else.¡± ¡°They should have more transports for yo- us.¡± TO grumbled as they braced themself against the tilt of the vehicle. ¡°Yeah, no.¡± Beck said, ¡°They do that, and they state ¡®increased transport costs¡¯ as an increased expense in our maintenance bills. No, thank you, I¡¯m happy to be shoved in here with double what we have today if it means I get out a little earlier.¡± Several minutes passed before the vehicle finally leveled out to the sound of relieved sighs from all around. Beck sighed and leaned against the legs of the sleeping person behind them. ¡°Not to be rude, But I''m gonna nap.¡± SHe said, ¡°You should as well. This bit of downtime is almost worth the outside work detail on its own.¡± She settled herself in, making herself comfortable, ¡°Though with the cost of fuel and vehicle maintenance added on, we pay enough for it.¡± Stolen story; please report. TO had more questions, of course, but there were things they didn¡¯t want to risk asking with everyone else around. Not only that, the transport had gone oddly quiet given just how many people were there. So many had fallen asleep already. With a raised brow ridge, they glanced at Pearla who just shrugged in response, and got as comfortable as she could with her tail wrapped around her. With a sigh, TO settled in as well, breathing through their mouth for the rest of the trip. ====== Once the transport landed, its doors opened up to a long hallway which everyone simply trudged along. Pearla walked ahead with Beck, while TO and Mira followed closely behind. ¡°What do you think of the stellar facilities so far?¡± Mira asked, her voice low as she leaned towards TO, ¡°Is it everything you dreamed it would be?¡± ¡°... I have come to realize that many of you consider the conditions that I trained under to be cruel and inhumane.¡± TO said, ¡°Medication allotted based on performance, constant surveillance, and of course-¡± They gestured to their head, ¡°All that. But at least all our pods were, to a degree, private, had screens, and they did not cram us into a place that couldn¡¯t hold us comfortably.¡± Well, that was mostly true. Their pod got cramped when they shared it, but that was voluntary. ¡°And we never had to forgo necessary rest or medical care for the sake of profit.¡± They frowned at Beck, ¡°How can civilians allow this?¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± She glanced up at TO, ¡°What do you mean allow it? It¡¯s not really a choice. You need money to live, and if you go into too much debt and can¡¯t survive and pay your bills, you end up here.¡± TO was about to ask again how they allow it, how to let it happen to them, but then they realized they don¡¯t. People like Petra had been protesting and had a record because of it. The insurgency had been getting people out of the indebted program for years, waiting for opportunities to, as the Anchor said, ¡®kidnap¡¯ the indebted for some nefarious purpose. Lies. all lies. King Decon approved the Anchor, so it was almost as though King Decon was lying. King Decon was lying to everyone. They knew the Anchor was changing translation based on the audience, but it hadn¡¯t hit them yet that all the news they had been hearing all their life was lies crafted to show events in the most convenient light. For the synths, the Anchor always told them that the insurgents did such things to create discord, and flaunt disrespect to King Decon. What did it say to civilians? To the higher classes, and to the indebted themselves? They were so lost in thought that the alert nearby drew a yelp from them. They looked around, their ears swiveling to orient themself until they saw the source of the alert. The tunnel they had been walking through ended just a little ahead of TO, the exit marked by a metal arch with a light on top flashing in time with the klaxon and casting red and yellow light over the terrified form of Pearla underneath. ¡°You there!¡± a nearby guard came up to her, ¡°You know the drill, against the wall.¡± ¡°Shit.¡± Mira muttered as she backed up, ¡°Those are new.¡± ¡°What do you mean they¡¯re new?¡± TO whispered back, but Mira was already dragging TO away from Pearla. Or rather, she was trying to. After getting only a few steps away TO dug their feet in and held fast. ¡°I¡¯m not leaving her.¡± TO whispered. ¡°Obviously we¡¯re not leaving her, dumbass.¡± Mira whispered. ¡°We¡¯re just getting some distance. Watch.¡± ¡°If they hurt her-¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think they will.¡± TO watched, ready to pounce and rip the guard off of Pearla if it seemed like she might be in pain, but as it was Pearla seemed relatively calm now and was doing what the guard told her. She caught TO¡¯s eyes, nodded once, then looked away. ¡°Arms up.¡± The guard said, gesturing for Pearla to put her arms out. ¡°What is this?¡± Mira asked as she stood on her toes to look over the heads of those surrounding them. ¡°Extra security.¡± Beck said. She had followed Mira¡¯s lead in getting some space between her and Pearla, ¡°They haven''t ruled out that an indebted had something to do with the attack on Thalassa, right? So they started doing scans when people came in from a job.¡± ¡°Scans for what?¡± ¡°Oh, anything.¡± She said, ¡°Mostly communicators. Sometimes we find them when doing clean up jobs and¡­¡± She paused, perhaps taking in how Mira¡¯s antenna started twitching like mad, or catching how TO¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Shit.¡± She whispered, ¡°You got something, don¡¯t you.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± TO said, feeling the pocket of their uniform where the modified communicator hid. ¡°We both do.¡± ¡°Shit.¡± She muttered. She looked around at the people around them; everyone else was watching as the guard pulled the communicator out of Pearla¡¯s pocket. ¡°Quick.¡± She said, ¡°Give me your communicators now.¡± ¡°Why?¡± TO whispered. ¡°Because if the guard gets them, they¡¯ll take it and add a hefty fine to your balance.¡± They had little time to think of another plan, didn¡¯t know the area, didn¡¯t know the rules of this place, and while they didn¡¯t much care about their nonexistent balance, but they cared about keeping their communicators. If the guards got them, TO was fairly certain that their chances to get it back would be limited. They pulled out the small black communicator, a different kind from the one that was linked to their chip, and passed it over. Mira hesitated a moment longer, then did the same. Beck nodded and slipped backwards through the crowds. TO turned, watching her disappear. They meant to go after her but Pearla¡¯s sudden cry of pain caught their ear. They turned in time to see Pearla rubbing the back of her neck, her hands shaking as her face drained of color. ¡°Honestly, I can¡¯t believe they missed another.¡± The guard said as he put some small rectangular device back in a holster against his hip. ¡°They gotta be more careful when they¡¯re chipping newcomers at intake.¡± ¡°Wh-what did you do?¡± pearla asked, her hand touching at the base of her skull. ¡°Just implanted a tracking chip.¡± The guard said, ¡°You should have reported to someone that you had no chip, but since you¡¯re cute,¡± He gave her a rough wink, ¡°I¡¯ll save you the fine, and let it slide.¡± Episode 280: Charge TO lunged, trying to get to Pearla to make sure she was ok, but Mira held them back. ¡°Don¡¯t.¡± She whispered. ¡°They chipped her. You have a chip already don¡¯t you? Some kinda thing linked to the chip in your hand? What¡¯ll happen to you if they try to chip you?¡± TO didn¡¯t know, and that was dangerous. Would the chip cause damage to their existing chip? Would it damage the wiring to their brain? Would it damage their brain? TO had no idea what it might do, and that was dangerous. Still, they had to help Pearla. Thankfully, with Pearla chipped it didn¡¯t seem like the guard wasn¡¯t too concerned about her anymore, and wandered off without a backwards glance. Mira held onto TO for another moment until the guard got a little more distance, then pulled them forward so they could check on Pearla. They passed through the gate with no issues thankfully and got to where Pearla was leaning against a nearby wall. The purple tone of her skin had grayed in her face, and her breathing was erratic and rushed. ¡°Let¡¯s see.¡± Mira said as she gently pulled Pearla from the wall and lifted the hair from the back of her neck. After a moment, she looked to TO, ¡°I don¡¯t know what I¡¯m looking for here.¡± She admitted, ¡°Can you look?¡± TO rushed to her side and looked at Pearla¡¯s neck only to reel back almost instantly. There was blood; a steady trickle of red running down her purple skin and seeping into the back of her tunic. Why was there so much blood? Was she hurt- -blood. Disinfectant. Plastic gloves. Bones cracking, skin slicing- -Was she going to die? Putting a chip in someone¡¯s brain seemed something to do in a laboratory setting, like it should be a surgical event and not something a random guard could do with a glorified stapler. ¡°Oh shit. Yeah, blood.¡± Mira positioned herself between TO and Pearla, ¡°Shit. I can clean this up a bit-¡± ¡°I know nothing about it.¡± TO said as they held themself against the wall, taking long deep breaths through their nose. The sour smell of overworked civilians was awful, but it was better than the tang of blood, and the imagined smells that their mind was giving them. When would this stop? That whole incident had happened so long ago; when would they be able to see even a drop of blood and not react? They felt a hand on their arm and jumped, turning around and preparing to defend themself; their wings puffed, their ears pinned, they had their hands out¡­ and it was just Beck, looking very confused and more than a little scared. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to startle you?¡± She said as she took a few steps back, ¡°What¡¯s happening here?¡± ¡°Pearla got a chip.¡± Mira said, then noticing she was looking at TO she added added, ¡°Oh, and they¡¯ve got a thing with blood-¡± ¡°Thanks.¡± TO hissed. They didn¡¯t need or want everyone to know that! Beck turned to Pearla, ¡°They didn¡¯t chip you at intake, and you didn¡¯t bolt while we were working?¡± her tail swished behind her, ¡°Man, I would have run.¡± She beckoned as she headed away, ¡°Come on, You got basic beds; I have a private one. We can clean her up there and have a chat.¡± ¡°Wait.¡± TO turned, ¡°Where''s our-¡± ¡°I took care of it.¡± Beck hissed, her voice suddenly quiet, ¡°Come on, I¡¯ll tell you about it at my bunk.¡± ¡°What¡¯s she talking about?¡± Pearla asked as she touched her hand to the back of her neck. ¡°Later.¡± TO said as they took Pearla by the arm, and let her lean on them as they followed Beck. Somehow, the hiss to Beck¡¯s voice, the tensing of her muscles and the flick of her tail were things that TO recognized in part; a warning that they weren''t safe to talk. A quick look around told them that there were cameras watching them, and of course there were guards strolling about, a few of whom were now watching the four. Too many ears, too many eyes; this was not a safe place to talk. Beck, however, had a safe place, and they needed to follow her and not draw unnecessary attention to themselves. At least to TO, this environment was one they were already used to. ====== A small, dark room with cement floors, cement walls, no windows and an unfinished high ceiling was the location of the dormitory for the indebted. Bunk Beds covered most of the floor, leaving little to no room between them for navigation or privacy. Some bunks had thick curtains roughly hung around them, others were entirely open. A few people had hung their sheets up along one side of the bunk bed, but they weren¡¯t large enough to encircle the bed or thick enough to muffle sound or to dull light. This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version. Beck went to a bed and unzipped the front. ¡°Here.¡± She said as she pulled the flap aside, ¡°Squeeze in.¡± ¡°Hey Becky.¡± the woman in the next bunk over said as she watched the others pile in, ¡°Having some fun without me?¡± ¡°Newbies, Vana.¡± Beck said before she crawled into her bunk, ¡°The purple one got chipped at the gate.¡± ¡°Lost the opportunity.¡± Vana said with a shrug, ¡°Though, not like there¡¯s very far you could have gotten if they didn¡¯t chip you.¡± They could have gotten so far. Even chipped, TO knew that they could get away without too much concern in the end but they needed their communicators for that! The guard had Pearla¡¯s, but TO¡¯s and Mira¡¯s¡­ Well, Beck had a plan to save their communicators, apparently. Once everyone crammed into Mira¡¯s darkened bunk, she turned on a tiny screen that was stuck to the underside of the bed above her. A low tune played - one TO vaguely recognized as a local, popular song, and the light from the music video illuminated the bed itself. It reminded TO very much of their old bunks back in training when they would go to sleep with the dull light of the screen for illumination. Here though, there were no alternatives to light save for the harsh overhead lights of the room. Privacy and illumination were at odds here, one sacrificed for the other. ¡°Can we talk here?¡± TO asked as soon as Beck finished zipping up the curtains. ¡°Yeah, we should be fine-¡± ¡°Good; where''s our communicators?¡± Pearla gave a strangled squeak as she turned to TO, her movements stiff and unnatural. Her hand was still on the back of her neck, and when she moved TO could see a smudge of blood on her hand which appeared nearby black in the dim light. They looked away, focusing instead in a particularly dark shadow in the curtains. ¡°What do you mean where are they?¡± Pearla asked. ¡°We need them-¡± ¡°Honestly, you¡¯d probably lose them eventually, anyway.¡± Beck said as she dug blindly into a hole in her thin pillow. ¡°I mean, you don¡¯t have a private bed, so anyone could grab ¡®em.¡± After another moment, she pulled a long strip of fabric from the pillow. ¡°Tio, in the corner on your side, there should be a tin water bottle..?¡± TO¡¯s low light vision made it easy to find what she was talking about, which was good because it was hard for them to move around with how cramped the space was. To avoid hitting their head, TO sat with their legs up to their chest, their head ducked down, and their wings pressed tightly to their back. If they had to look around much, they¡¯d never have found it. They passed the bottle to Beck, who opened it up and drenched the rag in water before passing it to Pearla, ¡°Here.¡± She said, ¡°Try to clean it up before your uniform gets too stained. If it¡¯s bad enough, they¡¯ll issue you a replacement, and that gets charged to your outstanding debt-¡± ¡°Our communicators.¡± Pearla said, echoing TO, ¡°Where are they?¡± ¡°Right, so uh. Orkas took yours. He¡¯s ok, but he won¡¯t give your communicator back, no matter what you offer him. He got dinged for accepting favors from us before, and he¡¯s gotta be careful now.¡± She looked at TO and Mira, ¡°Yours though; there¡¯s a small gap where the tunnel meets the transport. I dropped them in there. If you want them in here I can make that happen, but you¡¯ll have to work a shift for a friend of mine.¡± ¡°That¡¯s fine.¡± Pearla said quickly. TO was about to protest her quick acceptance, saying they didn¡¯t have time, but it didn¡¯t matter as they¡¯d not actually be sticking around for too long. ¡°Alright.¡± Beck said, ¡°We eat, then we shower, then we sleep. The alarm for supper will sound in a bit so you three will follow me, we¡¯ll sit and eat with my friend at supper and we¡¯ll get you sorted out.¡± ¡°Where do you eat?¡± TO asked remembering how quiet the cafeteria always was back in training, ¡°Will it be safe to talk there?¡± ¡°Oh, of course.¡± She said, ¡°As long as we¡¯re quiet; there¡¯s too much chatter and too much noise from the kitchen for people to overhear us. Besides, nobody¡¯s really too concerned about what we¡¯re saying, we just don¡¯t want to be overheard by the wrong person.¡± She crossed her legs and rested her elbows on her knees, ¡°Still, I think it¡¯d be a waste to get them back; they¡¯ll get found eventually, or they¡¯ll lose their charge and there''re no chargers in here, right? Your communicators, it¡¯ll die before long.¡± TO hadn¡¯t even thought about that. In their head they had been going through the time they had; worst case, they had a week - no, only six days to get back to the ship before the synths arrived. Now that Beck mentioned it, TO realized that they had until the charge on their communicators was out. Thankfully, they had been fully charged, and Vik had tinkered with them so they had longer battery lives, but TO wasn¡¯t entirely sure how long they had. If the communicators died though, they had no way to deactivate any chips, and no way to contact Vik. They were so deep in thought that they nearly missed how intently that Pearla was staring at them, catching their eyes as she jerked her head at Beck. ¡°... Are you ok?¡± TO asked after a moment, ¡°I... can¡¯t really help with your wound.¡± Their ears dipped. ¡°I mean, I can try but-¡± Next to them, Mira sighed and gently patted TO on the knee. ¡°It¡¯s ok dear.¡± She said, a smirk lifting the corners of her mouth. ¡°And yes, Pearla, go ahead.¡± TO caught Pearla¡¯s quick smile before she turned to Beck, and then finally understood what she was trying to tell her. TO nodded as well; they needed help in here to find the people they needed and now to get their communicators back. There were also changes that were new, that neither Mira nor Vik knew about so they needed someone to help them stay out of trouble. ¡°So¡­ Beck.¡± Pearla said as she wiped at her neck with the cloth, ¡°How would you like to get out of here a bit earlier than you thought?¡± Episode 281: Comfort Zone The alarm that sounded for their meal was a harsh, blaring alert that permeated even the thick soundproof curtains from the speakers overhead. The sound made TO yelp in pain as they covered their ears. Beck, on the other hand, acted like she hadn''t even heard it. ¡°You... actually think you can get people out?¡± She asked in a low whisper, ¡°And you seriously trust the insurgency to get us out?¡± ¡°We do.¡± Pearla said. She had entirely skipped several important details when she told Beck what she had planned; primarily that they were with the insurgency, and that TO was a synth, and that there were so many more synths coming. It was likely wise to keep these things from her for now but they were still just important factors that they felt bad keeping them secret. ¡°And what, the insurgents just pulled you off the streets and threw you in here to-¡± She suddenly lowered her voice down to the faintest of whispers, ¡°To break a bunch of people out of the system?¡± ¡°Specific people, if we can find them.¡± Pearla said, ¡°We can get a bunch out, but we can only take another thirty off the planet.¡± ¡°I know I don''t pay much attention to the news and stuff, but if you haven¡¯t noticed there is a blockade.¡± Beck said, ¡°I don¡¯t think anyone is getting off the planet.¡± ¡°We have ways.¡± Pearla said, ¡°Look, if we get our communicators, we can make it so your chip won¡¯t track you. If you help us find people, I¡¯ll get you off the planet, but we need help, and we can only take a few people with us.¡± An alert sounded again, this one shorter, sharper, and sounding in two quick blasts instead of one longer one. TO covered their ears again, wincing. ¡°Is that an alert we have to be worried about?¡± They hissed. Beck snapped their head to TO, ¡°What?¡± They asked, then she realized what they must have meant. ¡°Oh, no, that¡¯s the supper alarm.¡± She leaned forward, ¡°Did you know about all this too?¡± She asked, ¡°Did you come in with her, or did she get you in on this afterwards?¡± ¡°I came in with her.¡± TO said quickly. ¡°If that¡¯s the supper alarm, shouldn¡¯t we go? That¡¯s where we can see your friend to get our communicators back, right?¡± Beck blinked twice, once with her eyelids, and the other with a thin membrane that gave her eyes a clouded look for a brief second. ¡°You¡¯re actually serious?¡± She asked. ¡°Well shit. I mean, if you got off the planet, where do you think you¡¯re going?¡± ¡°Not sure yet.¡± Pearla said, ¡°But anywhere is better than here.¡± ¡°Is it?¡± Beck asked, ¡°What if it¡¯s a planet with even fewer resources than here? Or what if it¡¯s a planet that looks less fondly on outsiders than Arkane? Also, leaving the planet doesn''t magically wipe away your debt-¡± ¡°That¡¯ll be taken care of.¡± Pearla whispered. ¡°You¡¯ll have a new name, new IDs-¡± ¡°So fraud then.¡± She said, ¡°If I get caught I end up on a worksite in some dangerous mine on a moon somewhere.¡± ¡°Would that be any worse than this?¡± Mira muttered. ¡°Of course it is!¡± Beck said, ¡°I mean, if I¡¯m here, at least I have a chance to get out, right? At least I¡¯m working towards clearing my debt, not working for nothing until I die.¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t get sick.¡± Pearla said, ¡°And if you don¡¯t get injured, if they don¡¯t increase prices-¡± ¡°And if I don¡¯t leave the planet, then what? I get arrested and then I¡¯m not just indebted, I¡¯m a criminal.¡± ¡°Like there¡¯s much difference.¡± Mira muttered, but only loud enough for TO to hear her. ¡°So I either live in hiding, get arrested, or I get off the planet to who knows where, in a place I¡¯ve never been, away from anything I¡¯ve ever known!¡± TO wanted to tell her that the synths were coming, and that there was every chance that they¡¯d destroy the planet with her on it, and all the indebted would die along with everyone else. Of course, they couldn¡¯t; revealing that would reveal a level of knowledge that would be questionable to anyone. ¡°... So you don¡¯t want to get out then.¡± Pearl said as her tail coiled around herself. ¡°Are we sure she¡¯ll help us then?¡± Mira asked. ¡°Or will she draw unwanted attention to us? Maybe get us caught?¡± She leaned forward, bringing her face up close to Beck¡¯s, ¡°I heard that if you sell out others for misdemeanors, you can get some of your time reduced. How much time would you get off for turning the three of us in?¡± As Mira leaned in, Beck backed up and into the curtain behind her, just catching herself from falling backwards. ¡°Not enough.¡± She said, her voice low, ¡°There¡¯s lots of people here hoping every single day that they¡¯ll go out for a job and get caught up by the insurgents; like what happened in Thalassa.¡± Her eyes narrowed, ¡°Some of us are a little more careful. I don¡¯t trust that they¡¯d just grab us and let us go. Maybe they are trying to ransom us, maybe they¡¯re not. Maybe they¡¯re asking ¡®favors¡¯ of the people they ¡®rescue¡¯ and if they are, well, I¡¯m not interested in getting into a deal when I don¡¯t know the terms.¡± ¡°And what about a deal with debt authority, hmm?¡± Mira asked, ¡°Report us for a little off your debt.¡± ¡°Not worth it.¡± She said as her tail coiled around her ankle and her hands grasped the blanket beneath her, ¡°Too many people want the insurgents to take them. If it got out that I stopped something like that? Let¡¯s just say that life would get very hard for me.¡± The alarm went off again, this time it was three short rings. Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more. ¡°Final alert.¡± Beck said, ¡°If you don¡¯t go to eat now, you don¡¯t get to eat.¡± ¡°Mira, it¡¯s fine.¡± Pearla said as she gently pushed Mira away from Beck with her tail before putting herself between the two, ¡°Look¡­ We don¡¯t want to force anyone.¡± She said, ¡°We just need our communicators, and we need to find some specific people.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go then.¡± Beck muttered as she reached for the zipper, ¡°Come on.¡± ¡°Wait... you¡¯ll still help us?¡± TO asked, certain that she¡¯d refuse after all that. ¡°I said I would.¡± Beck said, ¡°And I keep my promises. But I can¡¯t help you find people¡­ and If you get caught, then all I ask is that you don¡¯t tell anyone I helped you, or I did anything for you, ok?¡± Her pupils widened, her clawed hands dug into the curtains, ¡°Can you promise me that?¡± ¡°We promise.¡± Pearla said, ¡°We won¡¯t tell anyone that you knew anything.¡± ¡°... Alright, let¡¯s go.¡± Beck said. She lowered the zipper, letting the harsh light of the room flood in. TO¡¯s eyes had relaxed in the dim of the bunk, but now they groaned as they held a hand up to shield their eyes. They hoped that the rest of the center wasn¡¯t so bright; they¡¯d have an awful headache when they got back to DH. ====== As soon as they entered the cafeteria, TO knew they had no worries about being overheard. The cacophony of noise that assaulted their ears from all directions made them suddenly long for the oppressive silence of the cafeteria back in the training center. The room was too big, the ceiling too high, and there was no soundproofing on the walls so noise from all around bounced about and struck TO, making their head spin and their stomach lunge. They couldn¡¯t even rely on their eyes since they were still hurting from the glare of the light. An arm hooked into theirs, and it took TO a moment to realize that Pearla was now at their side, leading them forward. ¡°Sorry.¡± She said, loosening her grip slightly, ¡°I know GiDi hates places like this, hates bright places and echoey places.¡± She smiled as she suddenly seemed to look past TO, ¡°I remember, we were out once, in this little illegal temp market near the docks set up in this giant old set of shipping crates. The echo was awful, and there were so many people, it made GiDi kinda sick. When we got back home, I put blankets over all the walls to make my place less echoey, and I got a few smaller lamps so we didn¡¯t have to rely on the overhead light; I made a little dark nest for them.¡± That did sound nice, actually; a small room, walls that didn¡¯t bounce sound everywhere, and nice dim lights. TO and DH had managed in the cement rooms so far because there were fewer people about, but even so doing that to their room would make it more comfortable. ¡°That can¡¯t have been easy.¡± TO said, holding on tightly to Pearla¡¯s arm, ¡°It¡¯s hard enough for you to get supplies-¡± ¡°Well..¡± A flush crossed her cheeks, ¡°I was happy to do it. I mean, this was back then there was nothing romantic between us, but they were my friends and I liked them. I wanted them to be comfortable.¡± Was it like with DH and TO before they became a couple, even far back enough when there was nothing between them except the friendship that bloomed fast and strong? ¡°... They¡¯re precious to you.¡± TO said, speaking more to themself than to Pearla. Still, Pearla heard them. ¡°Exceedingly.¡± She said, ¡°I loved them before they were my partner, and I love them even more now.¡± She grinned at TO, ¡°And because of that, and because I know they love you too, I won¡¯t let anything happen to you. You just hold on to me, and I¡¯ll get you through all this noise.¡± TO nodded and set their free hand over hers. ¡°... And because I love them, and they love you,¡± They said, ¡°I¡¯ll get you through all this.¡± They looked at her meaningfully for a moment before letting their eyes flick to her neck. ¡°I¡¯ll get you out of here.¡± Her smile faltered for just a moment, and she squeezed TO¡¯s arm, ¡°... We¡¯ll get out of here.¡± She said, ¡°We¡¯ll be fine. This is just a small little trip up. It¡¯s no big deal.¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯m not leaving without you.¡± TO said. ¡°Don¡¯t be a moron.¡± Mira said beside them. ¡°If we get a chance to run, one of us should. We can tell the others what happened, and they can make a plan.¡± ¡°You run.¡± To said, ¡°I won¡¯t leave Pearla alone. I won¡¯t return to GiDi without their mate.¡± Pearla¡¯s face flushed deeply, ¡°It¡¯s so strange to hear other people call me GiDi¡¯s mate.¡± She muttered, ¡°I¡¯m used to partner-¡± ¡°Hey.¡± Beck stopped, and turned around to them, ¡°Look, over there.¡± She pointed to a nearby table where a small stature male with a set of eight tentacles instead of legs was sitting, eating an unidentifiable substance from a bowl. The strangest thing was that though most seats around this area were taken, leaving people standing up along the wall or sitting on the floor eating, the seat next to that person was empty. ¡°The seat on his left is only for business.¡± She said, ¡°One of you go take it; whoever¡¯s doing the talking.¡± She nodded, ¡°Well, good luck-¡± ¡°Where are you going?¡± TO asked, ¡°When we¡¯re done with them, we can find you-¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think that''s wise.¡± She said, ¡°When shit goes down, I think I¡¯m best having as little to do with you three as possible.¡± ¡°If you change your mind, tell us.¡± Pearla said, ¡°We can help¡­ and it¡¯s best if you do.¡± ¡°No, thanks.¡± She said, ¡°I¡¯ll take my chances with what I know.¡± She nodded quickly before turning and scurrying off to disappear into the crowds. ¡°We should have told her.¡± TO finally said once she was out of earshot. ¡°She doesn''t know.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right, she doesn¡¯t.¡± Mira said, ¡°If she knew, best case, she¡¯d agree to go with us. Worse case, that would open up a lot of questions that we¡¯re not ready to answer. And of course, if word got out¡­¡± she glanced around at the hundreds of people in the room, ¡°Well, we can only take thirty, right?¡± ¡°Right.¡± Pearla said with a sigh. ¡°Come on.¡± Mira said, ¡°Let¡¯s go talk to this guy; we might just be in luck here.¡± ¡°How so?¡± TO asked. ¡°Because I know that guy.¡± Mira said, ¡°Not only is he trustworthy, but he also owes me. Big time.¡± Episode 282: Favors Mira slid into the empty seat next to the person Beck had pointed out, nudging him with her thin elbow. ¡°Hey friend.¡± She said, her voice taking on an uncharacteristic sing-song tone. ¡°It¡¯s been a while.¡± From his head to the tips of his tentacles the man turned deep red for a moment, then when he turned and saw Mira the color relaxed to a blue. ¡°Mira.¡± He said, a smile flickering across his face, ¡°It has been a while.¡± He frowned, his color darkening, ¡°What, if you¡¯re in here-¡° ¡°Your family¡¯s fine.¡± Mira said quickly, lowering her voice, ¡°I¡¯m just in here visiting with some friends.¡± She gestured to TO and Pearla, who stood behind her. ¡°This is Tio, and I think you know Pearla already.¡± ¡°I do.¡± He said, nodding to Pearla, ¡°Shame you¡¯re in here. You did a lot of good for people in the outer ring; my family included.¡± ¡°Pearla, this is Leanaran; He came here with his wife when they were young during one of the migration events.¡± ¡°I think I know your wife.¡± Pearla said, ¡°Anomora, right?¡± Leanaran brightened as he heard his wife¡¯s name, ¡°Yes, that¡¯s her.¡± He said, ¡°Is she doing well? I saw that there was a lot of trouble in the outer ring. I know she¡¯s not in the underground, but even so¡­¡± ¡°She¡¯s fine.¡± Mira said ¡°I checked on her. She¡¯s keeping her head low for now.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± He said, his color shifting once more to a lighter blue, ¡°So what are you doing in here then?¡± Mira lowered her voice to a whisper and murmured to Leanaran for a minute. Normally TO would have been able to hear but because of all the surrounding noise they couldn¡¯t make out anything. A few times, Leanaran glanced back at Pearla, but he ignored TO mostly. ¡°We can do the same for you.¡± She said after a while, dropping the careful whispers. ¡°You, and your family. You can go on a trip once you¡¯re out of here.¡± ¡°¡­ I take on ¡®extra work¡¯ because I want to get out of here.¡± He said, ¡°And I¡¯m very careful because I know if something happens to me, if I die before I work off my debt, or if I were to, say, disappear, then they¡¯d go after my family instead.¡± He raised a hairless brow, ¡°I¡¯m happy to help you with the communicator- I owe you that much at least, but if something goes wrong with the other stuff-¡± ¡°I can¡¯t talk about a lot of details.¡± Mira said, ¡°But you and your family should come with us.¡± ¡°The risks though¡­ if we got caught-¡° ¡°It¡¯ll be worth the risk, and much better than the alternative.¡± She reached out and grasped his arm with her thin hand, ¡°We have a small group of people we need to find, but after that we¡¯re getting who we can out. ¡° He frowned, glanced back at Pearla, briefly at TO, then back to Mira, ¡°¡­ Something¡¯s going to happen, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t say that right now.¡± Mira said. ¡°How bad though?¡± ¡°Bad.¡± ¡°¡­ And I¡¯m guessing you haven¡¯t told too many other people, have you?¡± Leanaran asked as he glanced around. ¡°We haven¡¯t.¡± Mira said. ¡°¡­ Though on that note, we told Beck. She was absolutely not interested. Do I have to be worried about her-¡° ¡°Oh, no.¡± He said, ¡°She keeps herself to herself. She skirts the rules to make life liveable, but does nothing to get herself more time or make life harder. Nah, I don''t think you have to worry about her.¡± He paused, frowning at the bowl of sludge that he was eating. ¡°Though¡­ I can remind her it¡¯s best if she keeps quiet about things that don¡¯t concern her-¡± ¡°No, no.¡± Pearla said quickly, ¡°She¡¯s sweet, I don¡¯t want her hurt.¡± ¡°She wouldn¡¯t get hurt, but fine.¡± He said. He lowered his voice further so once more TO couldn¡¯t hear him. When he was done, Mira nodded. ¡°Alright.¡± He said as he went back to his meal, ¡°I¡¯ll give you everything tonight. Go to the cage around midnight; I should have everything by then.¡± This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience. ¡°Alright.¡± Mira said as she got up, ¡°Enjoy your supper.¡± ¡°This slop?¡± Leanaran gestured to the beige substance in the bowl, ¡°Not a chance. You¡¯d better go grab some before they''re out; it¡¯s the best food you¡¯ll get in here.¡± ¡°Alright, thanks.¡± Mira said as she got up and pulled Pearla and TO away. Someone else was already loitering around, trying to get their seat, waiting to talk to Leanaran about something, and Mira had hardly left the seat before they slipped in and pulled them away. ¡°Come on.¡± She said as she pulled them towards a queue at the other end of the room, ¡°We should eat something; I¡¯ll fill you in once we have some food.¡± ====== By the time they got to the front of the line the beige slop had run out and they were serving a strange looking grey slime in its place. ¡°Is this edible?¡± TO muttered to themself as they eyed the somewhat gelatinous substance as settled in their bowl. . ¡°Barely.¡± The server said¨C¨Cfrom their uniform, it was easy to tell they were also indebted. ¡°You¡¯re lucky though; we¡¯re almost out of the defrosted stuff. Soon we¡¯ll be selling slime-pops.¡± TO¡¯s ears pinned in disgust. Was this really what they were serving the indebted? How was this allowed? They of course knew the answer to that. ¡°Come on TO.¡± Pearla said, pushing TO forward, ¡°let¡¯s go.¡± They took their ¡®food¡¯ and finding no tables available they instead found a section of freed up wall where they could sit and eat and talk. ¡°Couldn¡¯t we go back to the dormitory and eat?¡± TO offered as they shook their bowl, watching the goo jiggle. ¡°It¡¯d be quieter-¡° ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s the problem.¡± Mira said. She held the bowl up to her face and sniffed it before dipping her finger in. A small amount stuck to her fingertip, and she gingerly licked it off. ¡°Eh, I¡¯ve had worse.¡± She declared before she started eating. ¡°You doin¡¯ alright?¡± Pearla asked as she put a hand on TO¡¯s shoulder, ¡°headache?¡± ¡°It will be.¡± TO muttered as they rubbed their head. ¡°Why is this better?¡± ¡°Because it¡¯s harder to make out what people are saying here.¡± Mira said, ¡°Be careful what you say, and keep your voice down. Nobody cares much about what we say here, so nobody¡¯s going to pay much attention to us.¡± ¡°Makes sense.¡± TO grumbled. They didn¡¯t like it, but it was the same principle as playing music in their bunk when they wanted to talk to DH, GiDi, and Avery back in training; any devices recording them would struggle to pick up what they were saying. ¡°So what¡¯s happening?¡± Pearla asked. ¡°He¡¯ll help us-¡° ¡°He¡¯ll help us, Yes.¡± Mira said, ¡°He¡¯ll help us get our communicator back, and find the people we¡¯re looking for, but in return he has a list of people he wants to get out.¡± ¡°Well, we can get them-¡° ¡°But they¡¯re not all in here.¡± She said, ¡°He said some of them have families on the outside like he does. So, him and his family at least; that¡¯s four people.¡± Pearla sighed, ¡°I was hoping to get more people out of here¡­¡± She said, ¡°but really we¡¯re in here to get people caught up in that raid on the underground, so we can reunite some families. I suppose it¡¯s the same idea¡­¡± ¡°Basically.¡± Mira said. ¡°I didn¡¯t think it was a problem, and of course without him we won¡¯t have any help.¡± ¡°And it was a good idea to tell him?¡± TO asked, ¡°You were worried about Beck telling the Superior- sorry, no, the guards that we¡¯re planning something, so aren¡¯t you worried about him?¡± ¡°He owes me, and he knows if I¡¯m in here, I can¡¯t help his family.¡± ¡°Right.¡± Pearla said, ¡°What''s with that?¡± ¡°Oh, his family went into debt after a bout of sickness in their kids. The medicine was free, but not the extra food they needed. Anomora had to stay home to take care of them since they couldn¡¯t go to school until school doctors passed them. Things piled up, they went into debt and lost their rental. They had one of those little worker flats near their workplace in the second ring.¡± ¡°So.. they came to the outer ring?¡± ¡°Well, they were going to be taken into the indebetted system, but he took on all the debt for him and his wife so the kids wouldn¡¯t go into the system. She went to the outer ring, and he went into the system.¡± ¡°And you help them now?¡± TO asked as they poked at the slime in the bowl. What was even in it? Was it something a Chilacian could eat? The thought hit TO suddenly; Chilacian, not synth. When did that happen? When did they consider themself a Chilacian before a synth? ¡°I was friends with Leanaran beforehand.¡± She said, ¡°There was nothing sinister or shadowy or anything like that; we were just friends. We got along well, went for drinks. I watched the kids a few times. When shit went sideways, I told him I¡¯d take care of his family as best I could. Made sure they had a roof over their head, food to eat, and medicine when people got sick.¡± She glanced at Pearla, ¡°Of course, half of that was me going to Pearla and giving her the supplies to bring to them.¡± She looked back at TO, ¡°But yeah, he¡¯s safe. He¡¯d do nothing to cause me any grief.¡± ¡°Wow Mira.¡± Pearla said with a grin, ¡°I didn¡¯t think you were so trusting.¡± ¡°Hey now.¡± Mira said as her expression hardened, and her antenna twitched, ¡°Don¡¯t get me wrong; I like him, and I trust he loves his family. If something happens to me here, then nobody is watching out for his family. He has a personal interest in helping me.¡° TO didn¡¯t know him, and didn¡¯t know how close he actually was to his family, but if Mira trusted him¡­ well, at the very least TO knew what they themself would do for their own ¡®family.¡¯ Speaking of, if DH was here, they¡¯d be telling TO to at least try to eat something. They followed Mira¡¯s lead, dipping their finger into the slime and letting a small amount of it stick to their finger. It had such an odd texture; squishy to a point until it gave up and stuck to the skin, and formed a long trail of goo from the bowl to TO¡¯s fingers, shaking in the air for a moment before it gave way and snapped in two. With a resigned sigh, they popped their slime covered fingers into their mouth. It had an oddly sour taste that made saliva flow, and an awful texture that made them want to spit it out. A moment later, a firm beep came from their hand, sharp and high pitched, design to be heard specifically by synths.. They spat the awful food back into the bowl and then wiped at their tongue with the sleeve of their uniform. ¡°Dark waters TO!¡± Mira snapped, ¡°I know it¡¯s not great, but you have to eat-¡± ¡°I can¡¯t eat this.¡± TO said, their ears flicking with panic, ¡°There¡¯s something in it; I don¡¯t know what yet, but there¡¯s something in it that¡¯ll make me sick-¡° ¡°How do you know that?¡± Pearla asked. TO gestured to their hand, ¡°My chip.¡± They whispered, ¡°It alerts me when I eat something that might hurt me-¡° ¡°¡­. What.¡± Mira said. She looked at TO''s hand, saw the chip still stuck to their skin, and then gave a smile too wide and toothy to be friendly. ¡°You mean to tell me that after all our worry about the communicators, about contacting someone, you had your little chip in this whole time¡­ and you never told us?¡± Oh. Since their placement had started, from the moment they got on their ship and left the training center, TO had been working hard to get used to using the communicator to access their chip. It wouldn¡¯t do if they suddenly activated it while out of armor among a bunch of civilians, so it was important to act like they couldn¡¯t just use their chip as it was! It was so important to use the communicator, to train themself to rely on that. TO had done their job well. Too well. With everything going on, they had forgotten that they didn¡¯t need their helmet or their communicator to use their chip. In response to Mira¡¯s accusatory glare, TO could only mutter one thing. ¡°¡­.oops?¡± Episode 283: The Shops Another loud alarm sounded, ringing out through the cafeteria and causing TO to wince once more. As the alarm faded, the noise increased in the cafeteria as everyone seemed to get up all at once and once and surge to the exit. ¡°What now?¡± Pearla asked as she rose, pressing against the wall to keep from being stepped on by the crowd. ¡°Not sure.¡± Mira said. She looked around and after a moment she tapped the shoulder of a tiny person with scale covered skin, and who moved about on undulating muscles on the bottom of their wide body. ¡°Sorry, we¡¯re new.¡± Mira said, ¡°Where are we going now?¡± The person glanced at them, then shrugged, ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter.¡± They said, ¡°You can go to the showers, bed, the cage, the shops¡­ It doesn¡¯t matter where you go, but you can¡¯t stay here. Maintaince has to clean the room, and the guards¡¯ll get nasty if you make them work.¡± They shrugged again and continued on their way. ¡°The shops?¡± TO asked, ¡°They have shops?¡± ¡°Well, yeah.¡± Mira said, ¡°It¡¯s like this; say you make one hundred credits in a day, right? Eighty percent of that goes to your basic debt, the remaining twenty goes to a pool that you can use at the shop. Some cheap legal drugs, mostly extra food, blankets. I don¡¯t know. Anyway, you can save that twenty percent, and it gets pulled if you¡¯re sick, or gets added to money you can leave with once you¡¯ve paid your debt. Otherwise, you can just use it in here.¡± ¡°Food?¡± TO wasn¡¯t hungry at the moment, but they knew they¡¯d need food before they got out of here, ¡°We could go there and-¡° ¡°We don¡¯t have the right chips.¡± Mira said, ¡°Technically, Pearla has one, and I suppose that guard was expecting her to get it sorted out on her own, but right now her chip is just a tracker, and it¡¯s not linked with her information, her debt info, or any credits she might have. If that gets linked, then getting out of here is going to be a lot harder.¡± ¡°Right.¡± TO said, their ears dipping. ¡°Anyway¡­ where should we go¡­¡± They tapped the back of their hand, just below the chip to avoid activating it. ¡°I say we will use the cage later.¡± Mira said. ¡°We¡¯ll go a few minutes before the proper time; If he sent us there, then it should be empty-¡° ¡°What is the cage?¡± TO finally asked, ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a good idea to be put in a cage here, or anywhere!¡± ¡°¡®The cage¡¯ is just slang.¡± Mira said, ¡°There¡¯s a large patio on the roof, enclosed in bars; like a cage. People can go up there for fresh air, to smoke if they have smokes from the shops¡­ You can go up there anytime you like; something about some fresh air law or something-¡° ¡°It¡¯s a Basic Provisions law.¡± TO said, their ears perking up, ¡°Yes! I guess where this is an official, non-criminal holding facility, then they have to obey those laws! Food has to have a minimum nutritional value, people in here have to be given the opportunity to keep clean, have free access to basic medical care, and they have to have free access to fresh air, sunlight, and mental stimulation. There¡¯s a lot of other regulations of course, but those are the most basic things.¡± They glanced at the canteen, which was closing up, ¡°Of course that also says that such facilities have to make sure they can accommodate the nutritional needs of the inhabitants. Maybe I could explain that I can¡¯t eat their slime-food.¡± ¡°But if you do that, they¡¯ll ask to see your chip which is not set up for this place.¡± Mira said. ¡°Will they really want to see my chip?¡± ¡°They will.¡± A sigh escaped TO¡¯s lips. They could go for a while without eating no problem, but DH wouldn¡¯t like it and they knew if they were here any length of time they would need to eat. ¡°Look, the plan until then is to kill some time until we can get a private place to activate your thing.¡± Mira said. ¡°We don¡¯t have beds, and we don¡¯t want to seem like we don¡¯t belong here, so we¡¯d best try to blend in.¡± ¡°Showers?¡± TO suggested, ¡°That one we spoke to said that there are showers.¡± Hopefully, the showers were better than the setup in the underground. They didn¡¯t have high hopes for that, but at the very least they¡¯d be proper showers and not the makeshift ones TO used in the underground. ¡°Ugh, no.¡± Mira said, ¡°The showers here are public, group showers. I do not want to deal with that. No, thank you.¡± Ears flicking back, TO frowned, ¡°But.. Arkane has nudity taboos.¡± The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings. ¡°Yeah, but the people in control here don¡¯t care about that; Showers with any level of privacy require more maintenance.¡± Mira looked TO up and down, ¡°What, do you lot not have nudity taboos?¡± ¡°They don¡¯t.¡± Pearla said, a smile flickering over her face, ¡°It.. led to some awkward moments between GiDi and I when we first met.¡± ¡°Well, that makes sense.¡± TO said, ¡°They didn¡¯t get a briefing on the planet like we did, so they wouldn¡¯t have known-¡± ¡°They absolutely did not know.¡± Pearla said. ¡°When they first came here, they crashed into the waters around Okoia. I brought them home for the night and offered them a bath. Now, there¡¯s not much privacy in my little place, but I had a screen around the tub for some privacy, so I put that up.¡± A flush covered her face as she laughed nervously, ¡°They cleaned up, ignored the robe I left, and came right out from behind the screen wiping off their face with the towel I gave them!¡± She giggled, ¡°I mean, it¡¯s funny now, but at the time¡­¡± ¡°Well, we should leave anyway.¡± Mira said, ¡°This place isn¡¯t safe to talk in anymore.¡± Even TO could see that Mira was right. The cafeteria was mostly empty now, and the noise had died down to where TO¡¯s ears didn¡¯t hurt from overstimulation. ¡°Maybe we should go to the shops, anyway.¡± Pearla said, ¡°We can look around for a bit. We can¡¯t buy anything, but maybe we¡¯ll find some food for TO.¡± ¡°It¡¯s really not that important.¡± TO said, their ears flicking down. ¡°How long can you go without food, anyway?¡± Mira asked. ¡°About a week.¡± TO said, ¡°Depends on different factors, So if I don¡¯t eat now, it¡¯s not a big-¡± ¡°A week?!¡± Mira said, ¡°That¡¯s not long at all!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t need to eat a lot.¡± TO muttered, ¡°But-¡± ¡°But you have to eat regularly.¡± Pearla said. ¡°Or you¡¯ll get sick.¡± She frowned, ¡°I read something about this when I was young, or maybe my parents told me about it? Something about how birds have to eat all the time, or they¡¯ll starve. They said it¡¯s so they don¡¯t get too large to fly. Maybe it¡¯s the same for some other winged animals? They have high metabolisms.¡± She grinned, ¡°I can go a month at least before I suffer from lack of food. Of course, it¡¯s better if I eat at least once a day of course.¡± ¡°Well¡­ we might as well go to the shops then.¡± Mira said, ¡°We can¡¯t guarantee that the other meals they have prepared will be suitable for TO, so we should scrounge.¡± The crowds had thinned, and guards were coming in from an entrance near the back, looking around angrily at the stragglers. TO tapped Mira on the shoulder, and gestured to them. The sight of the guards drew a grimace on her face, and she pulled Pearla and TO forward. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m not messing with that today.¡± She said, ¡°Let¡¯s get out of here.¡± ====== The shops were in one of the upper levels of the indebted center, and was entirely underwhelming compared to what TO expected. They knew it wouldn''t be like the shops they saw in the shopping district of course, but they didn¡¯t expect how shabby and outright depressing this would be. One wall had five booths built into it, each with a list on the side showing products. There were no tables or benches, and the sharp fluorescent lights overhead buzzed with electricity, and flickered oddly in a way that would hurt most civilian eyes. It was worse for TO; the lights were too bright, the flickering bothered them, the buzz of electricity from overhead mixed with the echoing chattering and made them dizzy. Clearly this was not a place intended for relaxing. Nevertheless, some of the indebted had made it a place to loiter with their friends. Many had carried thin blankets up with them, and spread them out of the floor in a feeble attempt at making a softer seat for themselves. Sitting in one corner, a group of four split a small dessert cake, portioning out mouthfuls to each other, then eating the food in tiny bites. Most others sat, talked, and drank from small green tinted bottles. The only ones that didn¡¯t seem to loiter were the ones that bought thin plastic packages; those people bought their package and left immediately. ¡°Those packs, those are pink seaweed wraps.¡± Mira said, ¡°A cheap enough drug, but it¡¯s addictive and it can mess up your eyes. They have to go to the cages to smoke them though, so they don''t hurt anyone else¡¯s eyes.¡± They glanced up at TO, ¡°That¡¯s why we have to go so late; by midnight, everyone else will be gone to sleep if they have assignments in the morning.¡± They pointed to the small green bottles, ¡°And they make those drinks from distilled sea berries. Poisonous raw, but when made right they get a person very -¡± ¡°It has an intense inebriation effect.¡± TO finished, remembering the night that they got highly intoxicated at The Cottage. ¡°I¡¯m aware.¡± ¡°I''m thinking,¡± Pearla said, ¡°That might be a way to get you some food.¡± ¡°What, getting drunk?¡± TO shook their head, ¡°No, I¡¯ve done that once before; got hung over-¡± ¡°No, no.¡± Pearla said, ¡°No, that won¡¯t help us at all. What we can do is try to collect the discarded bottles and try to pour out any remains. If we get a full bottle out of it, we might trade it.¡± She frowned as she watched someone else rush past them to get to the cages, A small little packet in hand, ¡°Or, we might look for butts of those wraps. They sometimes have some unsmoked seaweed in it. We could trade that for food. Still, I don¡¯t enjoy handling that stuff.¡± ¡°Oh, touching it with your hands won¡¯t cause your eyes any problems.¡± Mira said. ¡°We don¡¯t know that!¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­ we don''t have to do that!¡± TO insisted, ¡°I can get food in the morning-¡± ¡°If we get there in time to get that sludge, and if that¡¯s food you can actually eat.¡± Mira said, ¡°And if it¡¯s not, then we have to wait until tomorrow evening to get you some food and I doubt you¡¯ll be feeling very well after that.¡± That was true. By tomorrow evening they were sure they¡¯d be in substantial pain from hunger, and that would affect their ability to think and react. The last thing they needed to do right now was make some stupid mistake because they were hungry. ¡°Maybe the cages.¡± TO muttered. They didn¡¯t like the idea of being around smoke that could mess up their eyes, but the lights and the noise were rapidly making the disorientation TO suffered worse. ¡°Nah, hold on.¡± Mira said, ¡°I think I can manage this quickly with the bottles.¡± She grinned, ¡°You two hang back; I know how to deal with drunkards.¡± She flexed her thin hands and scurried forward, muttering just loud enough so that TO could hear over the din of irritating noises, ¡°Momma Mira¡¯s gonna provide.¡± Episode 284: Trades Po, the man TO had been talking to for the last five minutes, was entirely too drunk. It was to where TO worried that there would be some medical concerns if he drank much more. His blue-green face took on a strange flush, and his closed gills twitched as though he were trying to breathe with them, despite the air being far too dry. His long fin flapped languidly on the floor and even the strange tendrils that flowed from his head to about his waist moved oddly; reminiscent of how TO¡¯s own ears moved as though under water when they got drunk, or that time that they and DH ate those strange berries. At any rate, Po was far too drunk, and needed to stop drinking now. With that in mind, TO could almost imagine their actions being less an attempt at trickery and more an effort to help the inebriated civilian. ¡°So how long can you breathe underwater?¡± TO asked in an effort to keep conversation flowing. They weren¡¯t very good with civilian small talk but Mira gave them basic advice; keep asking questions about the target. Find something the target was interested in, and ask questions about that. ¡°Oh, indef-in-it-ly.¡± Po said as he leaned forward, brandishing the green bottle at TO and wafting the too-sweet smell at them. ¡°You should ask how long I can breathe out of water!¡± He laughed as he took another drink. ¡°So¡­ how long can you breathe out of water?¡± ¡°Dunno, but when I find out, it¡¯ll take my breath away!¡± He laughed with an intensity that TO didn¡¯t really think was right for a joke about the poor man suffocating to death on land. ¡°Then it¡¯s good that they give you mostly aquatic jobs.¡± TO said with a nervous chuckle. ¡°You said you get sent for harvesting jobs? What do you harvest?¡± ¡°Whatever.¡± He said as he set his bottle down on the floor. ¡°The only things that can grow on this planet are underwater. Yesterday I was harvesting sea berries; can you believe that.¡± he chuckled and reached for his bottle, ¡°No wonder they keep it cheap, given what they pay us.¡± ¡°What else do you do?¡± TO asked quickly, ¡°Aside from drinking, I mean, to keep occupied here.¡± Po chuckled, ¡°Really easy to tell you¡¯re new.¡± He said, ¡°There¡¯s much to do other than work and rest. I envy people who find the energy to keep hobbies even outside of the center.¡± He set the bottle down without taking a drink and let his hand slide close to where TO¡¯s rested on the floor, ¡°Though there are a few free amusements in here, you know.¡± He whispered. ¡°You haven''t said a thing about yourself you know.¡± He leaned forward. ¡°Do you have someone outside?¡± ¡°I do.¡± TO said, hoping that their sudden nervousness didn¡¯t show too much in their ears; or if it did. That PO couldn¡¯t see it. ¡°I have a partner. A romantic partner.¡± ¡°Ah¡­ I see.¡± he said, his hand pulling away slightly. ¡°I don¡¯t suppose the two of y¡¯are open, are you?¡± ¡°Open?¡± ¡°Open; ok with having some fun with others.¡± TO¡¯s ears dipped and burned, ¡°No¡­ no we¡¯re not.¡± Po sighed and pulled back, ¡°Ah well. My loss.¡± he looked over TO, squinting as he caught TO leaning away just slightly. ¡°Ah shit, I hope I didn¡¯t make stuff weird.¡± ¡°Uh, no, I just-¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine with just having another friend t¡¯ talk to.¡± He said, ¡°Don¡¯t gotta be anything too much. I just I like y¡¯wings.¡± ¡°Oh!¡± TO¡¯s ears relaxed slightly. ¡°Thanks.¡± ¡°Can I touch ¡®em?¡± He asked, ¡°Nothing weird or nothing, just¡­ I like wings. Can I touch em¡¯?¡± ¡°Sure?¡± TO¡¯s ears flicked out at the oddness of the request. Nevertheless, they extended a wing so that Po could easily feel the membrane. He traced his fingers over it with careful fingertips, as though he might damage the strong, stretchy membrane. ¡°Are they real? I mean.¡± He chuckled, ¡°I know we can¡¯t have mechanical wings in here, but were they grafted on, grown, or were you born with them? Can you fly?¡± ¡°I can.¡± TO said, ¡°And they¡¯re real. I¡¯ve had them since I was de- since I was born.¡± They almost said detanked, and that would have drawn far too many questions.¡± ¡°Very nice.¡± Po said as he pulled his hand away. ¡°You know, when I was young, I said I was going to have wings one day too. I said I¡¯d get ¡®em grafted on, and I¡¯d learn to fly with ¡®em and everything.¡± He chuckled, ¡°Parents smiled, and laughed, and said to do my best. What else were they gonna say to their dumb kid, right?¡± He shook his head, ¡°No idea what I¡¯d say if I had my own.¡± ¡°No children then?¡± TO asked. ¡°Nah. and likely none now, y¡¯know.¡± He shrugged, ¡°it¡¯s fine though. I probably wouldn¡¯t be a great parent, anyway.¡± He reached for his bottle, brought it up to his lips, and after tilting it up high he pulled it away, frowning. ¡°Something wrong?¡± TO asked, their ears twitching. ¡°Nah, I thought I had more.¡± He said as he peered into the bottle, ¡°Though I had at least a few more good mouthfuls.¡± ¡°Pleasant conversation makes the drink go faster.¡± TO recited. It was something that the first target had said to TO when they went for their own drink and discovered the same thing had happened. If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. Po chuckled, ¡°That might be right.¡± He said. He reached around and pulled a small square plank where it leaned against the wall. Four wheels attached to each corner of the plank let PO drag himself about more easily. Of course, TO only knew this because they had seen him pull himself into the shops earlier, sitting on that and pulling with his arms. Already, they had seen several people using only little wooden boards on wheels, instead of a wheelchair. ¡°I might go get myself another. You want one?¡± He glanced at the empty bottle that TO had been pretending to drink from, ¡°You still good?¡± TO gave a weak smile, picked up their empty bottle, and made a show of tilting it up as though they were drinking the last drops from it. ¡°That¡¯s it for me.¡± They said, ¡°But.. no more. I should rest up, I think.¡± Po chuckled as he arranged himself on the plank. ¡°Oh, come on, it¡¯s still early-¡± ¡°You should rest too.¡± TO said, grabbing Po¡¯s wrist to hold them there for just a moment longer, ¡°You¡¯re likely to get another assignment tomorrow¡­ right?¡± ¡°Yeah, but it¡¯s fine.¡± He said. He pulled away, and TO let him slip from their grip. ¡°There¡¯s Not much else for me to do here, ya¡¯ know? I work, I come back here, I drink, I sleep.¡± He shrugged, ¡°There¡¯s just not much else to do.¡± TO sighed as they watched him roll away, heading back to the canteens to get another bottle. ¡°You know. We¡¯d get through this a lot faster if you didn¡¯t try to convince people not to drink themselves to sleep after we were done.¡± Mira said. ¡°I mean, it hasn¡¯t worked once yet has it?¡± She had been sitting behind PO, feigning sleep until the moment she could take his nearly empty bottle and pour it into the empty bottle she had nabbed from a recycling bin. ¡°It¡¯d be faster if we just asked if we could ask for the last sip instead of stealing it.¡± TO murmured. ¡°Yeah, you try that and see where it gets you.¡± She glanced up to see Pearla coming towards them, ¡°Ah, sorry, was I too late to get to your target?¡± ¡°She started feeling woozy and said I could have the last of her drink since I was so sweet.¡± Pearla said as she passed a mostly empty green bottle to Mira, ¡°I braided her hair, so she was happy enough to part with the drink.¡± ¡°See, we could have just asked!¡± TO said. ¡°Yeah, you learn to braid hair and we¡¯ll try that.¡± Mira said as she poured the dregs of Pearla¡¯s bottle into her own. After a careful examination she nodded and screwed the cap on top. ¡°Done.¡± She said as she stood up, ¡°Come on now; let¡¯s see if we can¡¯t get you something to eat.¡± TO thought they¡¯d have to ask around and see if anyone was interested in trading with them, but Mira led them to the other side of the hall towards a group of people all sitting around another Nagarajin; this one had scales that spiked out on their tail as opposed to Pearla¡¯s smoother scales, and a patterned coloration of red and white, with black spots that trailed from the tip of his tail and up his back. He sat in a nest of blankets, his tail coiled around a small speaker that played some kind of narrative broadcast. As they approached the Nagarajin glanced over the three but his eyes landed on Pearla. Once they were close enough, he said something in a language full of hisses, where all the syllables merged. ¡°Ah¡­ sorry.¡± Pearla said, her cheeks growing a deeper purple than before, ¡°My parents were from Typhon¡­ You¡¯re from, uh-¡° ¡°Montalvo.¡± He said, switching to galactic common. Still, despite the change, TO found it hard to understand his accent. ¡°Sorry, Got a little excited there.¡± ¡°Nothing to apologize about!¡± Pearla said. She glanced back at Mira, but Mira just passed her the bottle. ¡°You want to trade something, I guess?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Pearla said, the word coming out in a rush of relieved breath. She glanced at TO. ¡°My friend here can¡¯t eat the cafeteria food, so we need something they can eat.¡± ¡°Well, sit down then.¡± He said as he gestured to the floor as though offering fancy cushioned seats, ¡°Let¡¯s talk business. What did you get for me?¡± ¡°Sea Berry Brine.¡± Pearla said, passing the bottle forward as she lowered herself to the floor. TO and Mira followed suit, sitting on either side of Pearla as the Nagarajin took the bottle, opened it, and sniffed at it. After a moment he nodded and screwed the cap back on before turning to TO. ¡°Alright then!¡± He said as he cracked his knuckles, ¡°What can you eat?¡± TO foundered for specifics. ¡°Uh... meat? But not eggs. I can eat fruit¡­¡± they frowned. Their food was always pre-prepared for them in the training center, and probably thanks to GiDi, Flit, and Snout, the insurgents seemed to have a good idea of what they could eat. ¡°Certain grains are ok-¡° ¡°I got Jerky.¡± He said, pulling some bags from the folds of the blankets. ¡°Meat jerky and fruit jerky.¡± After just a moment he had a spread of different vacuum sealed bags spread before them, each one bearing a white label that detailed the contents. ¡°For the bottle, you can choose one.¡± ¡°Just the one?¡± Mira said, ¡°Come on now, We should get two or three for a full bottle.¡± ¡°These are more expensive than the brine.¡± He said, ¡°I¡¯m being nice in letting you have an entire bag.¡± ¡°Mira, it¡¯s fine.¡± TO said, but she ignored them. ¡°Maybe it¡¯s more expensive at the canteen, but we both know you could trade this for a lot more, and a lot easier.¡± ¡°Maybe before, but not now; not with the lockdown. It¡¯s only a matter of time before the fancier foods are gone from the shops altogether.¡± TO ignored their bartering and focused on the meat. Taste wasn¡¯t important; they had to find nutrient dense meats. Finally, they settled on some dried and salted fish. ¡°These, please.¡± TO said, setting their hand on the package. ¡°Oh, come on!¡± Mira said, ¡°Those are local; we can get those here on Arkane-¡° ¡°And because of that, they¡¯re going to be one of the few foods we can still get, and they¡¯re going to be worth a lot more.¡± Mira sighed, ¡°Robbery.¡± She muttered. ¡°Hey, I¡¯ll let you sit and listen to the rest of the show for free.¡± He said as he patted the speaker, ¡°No admission fee for you for the night. This is something I can be generous with.¡± TO rubbed their head, their ears flicking down, ¡°¡­ I¡¯d rather find some quiet.¡± They muttered. ¡°Somewhere quieter, and smaller.¡± A smaller location would echo less, even if the walls had no soundproofing. ¡°Not doing so well?¡± Pearla asked, leaning forward and putting a tentative hand on TO¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Not at all.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know where we¡¯ll find a quiet spot for you¡± Mira said, ¡°We don¡¯t have a private bunk-¡° ¡°Go to the laundry room on this floor.¡± The Nagarajin said, ¡°It¡¯s quiet enough, though it smells a little odd. What can you expect though?¡± He shrugged, ¡°And if you don¡¯t want to listen to the speaker with us, well, direction can be just as valuable.¡± Mira frowned, glancing at the small bag of dried fish that TO still had their hand tentatively resting on. Finally, she sighed. ¡°Fine. The bottle for the bag of fish, and directions to that laundry room.¡± He smiled and pushed the bag towards TO. ¡°Done.¡± Episode 285: Contact ¡°Feeling better?¡± Pearla asked as she scratched the back of TO¡¯s neck. ¡°A bit.¡± TO said. It felt so strange to have someone else scratch the back of their neck, but Pearla said that it was one of the few things that made GiDi feel better when all the sounds and lights of Okoia got to them. With this information, it only took them a few minutes of suffering in the small, dark, sour-smelling laundry room for them to relent and let Pearla scratch just at the base of their scalp while TO rested their head on her tail. They hoped it was ok. Having the back of their neck scratched was always a comforting gesture, but not one they considered romantic or intimate; Just nice. ¡°I thought you¡¯d feel better after you ate.¡± Mira said, glancing at the little bag of fish that TO had taken. Of six small salted fishes, TO had eaten only two. ¡°Maybe you need to eat more?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not the food.¡± Pearla whispered. ¡°Chilacians are really sensitive to sound, right? They can do that whole echolocation thing, and their hearing is really keen. In big places like this where the sounds all bounce around and stuff, they end up getting disoriented unless they have sound filters in.¡± ¡°My helmet.¡± TO muttered. ¡°My helmet normally deals with that.¡± ¡°Yeah. The translators work too, but they¡¯re not specialized. It¡¯s better than nothing but of course we couldn¡¯t take those with us because they have seen them.¡± Pearla huffed, ¡°Just as well. We would have lost them anyway going through that gate; just like my communicator.¡± The translators worked to help protect their ears? TO didn¡¯t realize that before, but now looking back it made sense; while it was never pleasant to be in large echoing places, it never hit them quite like this; never made them feel as disoriented nor gave them the same headache as they currently had. Of course, that headache was probably also from eye strain. The constant flickering of the fluorescent lights made their unnatural brightness so much worse. ¡°Back when I was in training,¡± TO whispered, ¡°I had a terrible headache from the laboratory I was working in. They gave me this mask to wear over my eyes.¡± They groaned as they pressed their palms to their eyes, ¡°I wish I took it with me.¡± As they said that, Pearla lifted TO¡¯s hand and slid the end of her tail over their eyes. Before they could protest, the pressure from all that muscle over their aching eyes instantly soothed some aches. ¡°They¡¯ll be alright.¡± Pearla said, ¡°TO, we snuck some painkillers in. Do you want-¡± ¡°This will pass.¡± TO insisted. ¡°We don¡¯t know what else we might need those painkillers for, and if I know this is going to pass, then I¡¯d rather just wait it out.¡± ¡°If you¡¯re not better by the morning, you¡¯re taking medication,¡± Mira said. ¡°Non-negotiable. We can¡¯t afford for you to be sick while we¡¯re trying to get all this figured out.¡± Pearla looked around, trying to see into the dark corners of the laundry room. The lights had, of course, been on when they came in but they turned them off right away and settled down on the floor, away from the piles of dirty laundry. ¡°You¡¯re certain there''re no cameras in here?¡± Pearla asked as she glanced at Mira. ¡°Not that I saw.¡± Mira said, ¡°There¡¯s no other way out of here, and there are cameras in the hallway outside, so I suppose putting a camera in here wasn¡¯t a top priority.¡± ¡°We could use your chip in here then, TO.¡± She whispered. ¡°It should be safe, and we were supposed to get in touch with the others hours ago.¡± ¡°So long as nobody comes in here.¡± Mira muttered, ¡°it¡¯s not like this door locks. One of us could wait outside though.¡± She got up, stretched, and headed to the door, ¡°In fact; I volunteer. This place stinks even to me. I don¡¯t know how the two of you manage it.¡± The smell was ripe, yes, but TO was just grateful to have a quiet, dim place to rest in. ¡°If anyone tries to come in, I¡¯ll turn them away. If I can¡¯t, I¡¯ll knock.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Pearla said. ¡°Sounds good.¡± The door slid open, and through TO braced for the sharp fluorescent lights to strike their eyes, Pearla¡¯s tail kept the light from hitting. The door slid shut, and they were alone. ¡°Alright.¡± Pearla said, ¡°Do you think you can manage a video call? I understand if you can¡¯t, but you could see DH! And¡­¡± ¡°And you could see GiDi?¡± TO asked, a light smile tugging at the corner of their mouth. ¡°I¡¯d like to¡­¡± TO sat up, letting Pearla¡¯s tail slide from their face. They brought their own hands back up to their eyes and pressed against their aching eyeballs. ¡°You really care about them.¡± TO muttered. ¡°You thought I didn¡¯t?¡± She asked. Even TO could catch the hint of anger in her tone, the hiss that colored the end of her words. ¡°No, but I¡¯m just surprised by it. Pleasantly.¡± They lowered their hands and looked at her. The light provided by the emergency lights was dull, but enough for TO To see properly. ¡°They really are precious to you.¡± ¡°More than anything.¡± Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more. ¡°Good.¡± TO said. They wondered if GiDi had told her about their conversation so long ago in the training center, how they didn¡¯t feel precious to TO and DH. GiDi was important to TO, but they had been right; DH was special to TO in a way that nobody else was, and that nobody else could be. It was a relief that GiDi had someone who felt that way about them. ¡°Alright.¡± TO said as they set their fingers against the back of their hand, ¡°Let¡¯s do a little video call.¡± Their chip took a moment to activate, making TO worry that maybe the people in charge of this place disabled such devices in the confines of the indebted habitation, but soon it loaded up and displayed the slightly static-y screen before them. They gave a few commands, and the call went through. Oddly, when it wasn¡¯t answered at the first alert, TO worried. Was something wrong? Had something happened to DH? Had Gyrini found them? All these concerns faded when on the third ring DH answered. ¡°TO!¡± Their ears were perked right up, and their eyes were big, but even so TO could see the blue ring around them. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± TO asked, ignoring the throbbing pain in their head that the dim light from the display hanging in the air before them caused. ¡°Is something wrong?¡± ¡°Oh, no.¡± DH said as they rubbed their eyes, I was just worried about you-¡° ¡°We all were.¡± Vik said as they jumped on DH¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Of course I knew you were alright.¡± They jerked their tail at DH, ¡°I told them that your chips monitor vital signs, and I told them you were inside the indebted housing, and that you were alive.¡± DH¡¯s ears dipped, coloring slightly, ¡°Yes, well¡­you were supposed to contact us hours ago!¡± ¡°And I said that they probably just couldn¡¯t do so safely yet.¡± Vik said with a sigh, ¡°Honestly, you worry too much-¡° ¡°I worry just the right amount!¡± Vik rolled their eyes and looked at the screen, ¡°I am surprised you¡¯re using your chip though, and not the communicator.¡± He frowned, ¡°I mean, the worst case with the communicator is that it gets taken. What¡¯s gonna happen to you if they find out you have a built-in communicator?¡± TO gave a weak chuckle, their ears dipping back, ¡°Well, about that.¡± ====== Vik cursed in a dialect that TO couldn¡¯t quite make out, since they didn¡¯t have the translators in. Still, they got the gist of their feelings. ¡°They didn¡¯t give a shit about that stuff before.¡± Vik muttered, ¡°I mean, you¡¯re not supposed to be criminals in there; you¡¯re indebted-¡± ¡°You know that¡¯s hardly a difference to some.¡± Pearla said. ¡°I know, but they never acted like the indebted were dangerous before! They never bothered with scanners, and checking for communicators.¡± ¡°Wait¡­¡± TO frowned, forcing their still throbbing head to piece together ideas, ¡°We met someone; Beck. She said that we¡¯d lose the communicators if we got caught with them, and that there wasn¡¯t any means of charging them?¡± ¡°Maybe things changed.¡± Vik said with a shrug. ¡°Though, before, if you found valuables you were supposed to turn them into your work supervisor. They put the items in a lost and found, and you get the amount they were worth taken off your debt. If they saw you with a communicator then yeah, they¡¯d probably take it because it¡¯s assumed you found it and it wasn¡¯t yours in the first place! But they never scanned for them; not as far as I know.¡± ¡°... maybe it¡¯s Gyrini.¡± TO said, ¡°The insurgency helps a lot of indebted people, right? Maybe she thought that there were people inside trying to help the insurgency, so demanded that they scan for communicators.¡± ¡°Well, if that¡¯s the case, it worked.¡± Vik grumbled, ¡°She put a knot in our plans!¡± ¡°We¡¯re getting the communicators back!¡± Pearla said. ¡°Though, it¡¯s going to cost us some space getting off the planet. I was hoping to get as many families together as possible-¡± ¡°Well without that communicator, we¡¯re not getting anyone out¡­¡± Vik looked seriously at Pearla, ¡°Without it, we can¡¯t get you out. So, a few seats is worthwhile.¡± They sighed and rubbed their little hand against their head, ¡°Find anyone we were looking for yet?¡± ¡°We haven¡¯t looked yet.¡± Pearla said, ¡°it¡¯s been chaotic, and TO couldn¡¯t eat the food here-¡± ¡°Wait, what?¡± DH, who had been mostly quiet as they listened, suddenly leaned forward, their ears pinned back. ¡°TO! You didn¡¯t tell me-¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine!¡± TO protested as they held up the bag of fish. ¡°I¡¯ve got something to eat. Besides, the other meal they offer might be something I can eat.¡± ¡°Maybe.¡± Pearla said, ¡°If it¡¯s not, we can trade it for something that you can eat. We won¡¯t get that much though.¡± ¡°But I have food.¡± TO said, giving a small smile to their mate, ¡°I knew you¡¯d be upset if I didn¡¯t eat.¡± DH¡¯s ears relaxed, and they rewarded TO with a soft smile. Of course, that smile hardened as soon as Pearla next spoke. ¡°Yeah, because we forced you to.¡± Pearla said, ¡°You kept going on about how you¡¯d be fine.¡± TO¡¯s ears pinned as they glared at Pearla, but given their headache they could really only manage a pout. On the display, DH chuckled, ¡°Well, at least she¡¯s there to take care of you since you can¡¯t take care of yourself.¡± They said, ¡°Though, I wish I was there to take care of you instead.¡± ¡°... Me too.¡± TO said. Pearla was nice enough to help, but DH scratching the back of their head would be a hundred times more effective; TO was certain of that. ¡°Ok you two, stop flirting.¡± Vik grumbled, ¡°Flirt when and if we get you out of there. Now, I know a few ways to sneak things in there, but I don¡¯t know how viable it¡¯ll be now if there¡¯s been changes. I can still try to sneak you a new communicator-¡± ¡°I said we¡¯re getting them back!¡± Pearla said, ¡°We found someone to help, and he¡¯s a friend of Mira¡¯s, so I¡¯m not worried about them being trustworthy.¡± ¡°Well, if Mira¡¯s comfortable with them, it might be fine.¡± Vik said, ¡°Still, maybe we can figure something out just in case.¡± They looked to DH, ¡°Think we can capture and reprogram one of their drones?¡± ¡°OH!¡± DH¡¯s ears perked right up, their eyes widening, ¡°Yes! Let¡¯s do that-¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to.¡± TO grumbled, their ears dipping. They shouldn¡¯t be here. They should be back with DH. It was important that they spend as much time with DH as they could! They didn¡¯t know how much time they had left. Pearla frowned at TO, but nodded. ¡°Y-yeah.¡± She said, ¡°Do nothing yet; nothing that might raise more alarms. We¡¯ll know if we need the help later, ok?¡± ¡°We can still look into it!¡± Vik said. ¡°Besides, that might be a useful thing for the future, anyway.¡± ¡°Fair enough.¡± Pearla said with a sigh, ¡°But just keep out of trouble.¡± ¡°Always!¡± Vik said, giving a mock salute. ¡°When do I ever get into trouble?!¡± ¡°Do you want a chronological list?¡± ¡°Not really!¡± Vik said, ¡°TO, will your chip give a notification if I send you a message?¡± ¡°Yes, but I can set it to be quiet.¡± ¡°Good. Do that. Check it often. I¡¯ll give you any updates that we get.¡± They looked over something on their screen, ¡°Anything else before I let you go?¡± ¡°Yes, something very important!¡± Pearla said. ¡°Something you nearly forgot!¡± ¡°Ah, sorry Pearla. You know my memory. What did I nearly forget?¡± Pearla gave Vik a serious look as she leaned forward, ¡°I need to talk to GiDi.¡± Vik rolled their eyes and started typing something on their computer. ¡°Fine, fine, apparently I¡¯m running a dating hotline or some shit here.¡± ¡°And we appreciate it, Vik.¡± Pearla said, smiling as she waited for GiDi to come on the screen. Episode 286: Delivery ¡°I know we should probably get some sleep when we¡¯re done with this today.¡± Mira said, her thin, bug like arms wrapped around herself, ¡°But after this? After hours in that laundry room and now out in the cold? The showers might be a good idea. ¡°A particularly cool breeze cut through the metal bars of the cage, drawing a further shiver from her.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not so bad.¡± Was Pearla¡¯s comment, ¡°You¡¯re always cold.¡± TO had no idea if Mira was always cold, or if Pearla normally seemed so indifferent to the chill that the wine in Arkane brought late at night. They knew that the only thing keeping them warm was their wings wrapped tightly around them. ¡°Do you think this stuff on my wings will come off if I go to the showers?¡± TO asked as they stroked the inside of their wing, feeling the texture of the wax used to cover up their scars. ¡°I¡¯d put off showering as long as you can.¡± Mira said, ¡°You¡¯d probably be fine if you got a little water on them, but we don¡¯t know how long we¡¯re going to be in here now.¡± She glanced up at them, ¡°I¡¯m sure you can go a few days without a shower.¡± ¡°They were really intense about showering in training.¡± Pearla said, ¡°Which I suppose makes sense; if you¡¯re in a giant building with a bunch of other people you want everyone to keep clean.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± TO muttered. ¡°I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll be out of here soon enough.¡± ¡°Hey, at least while we¡¯re here, we have this view.¡± Mira said, gesturing to the tall, windowless buildings that stood around them and blocked their view, ¡°You¡¯d think there¡¯d be less wind here with all these buildings, but no, it snakes its way around and comes in to cut right to the bone-¡° ¡°Yeah.¡± A small, unfamiliar voice said, ¡°Most people bring their blankets up with them to keep warm.¡± This late at night, there were no others in the cage and the city was quieter in the security district than it was in other places. The surrounding bars also didn¡¯t do so well to bounce back a lot of sound. While Mira and Pearla jumped and looked around frantically to find the source of the noise, TO could find it immediately. In a nearby corner there was a tiny drain in the floor with a metal grate over it; TO probably could have fit their fist down the drain, but that was all. Still, that was the place the voice came from. ¡°Over here.¡± TO said, walking towards the corner. ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s right.¡± The voice said, ¡°Leanaran sent me. Just come over here and sit down next to the grate. Use your big old wings to cover it if you.¡± Mira and Pearla, still not entirely sure where the sound was coming from, followed TO as they headed to the corner and sat down on the cold tile of the roof, their wings spread slightly to cover the grate. As soon as they opened their wings, the wind tore away the layer of heat that TO had produced, sending a chill through them. They agreed with Mira; it was too cold. Once TO had settled down, the grate lifted from its place and a small creature With too many long, twisting tentacles crawled up, its tentacles still trailing behind them. TO couldn¡¯t tell where the head ended, and the body began on this creature, but they could identify six eyes at least. ¡°An insectoid, a purple snake lady, and someone with natural black wings.¡± They said, looking at the three of them. ¡°You must be the ones Leanaran mentioned.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Pearla said, the word coming out in a breath of relief, please tell me you have-¡° ¡°Don''t talk directly to me!¡± The creature snapped, ¡°Abyssal shit, lady! There are cameras here. Look, both of you, just sit down next to your friend and act like you¡¯re talking to them.¡± Mira¡¯s antennae twitched, her eyes narrowed, but she did as the small creature bid and sat next to TO. Pearla sat on the other side. ¡°Good; better anyway. Yes; I have your stuff, and I have a note.¡± They said, A tentacle came up from the pipe, and tightly clutched in one twisting tendril was a crumpled napkin with clumsy writing sprawled over it in an uneven purple ink. They passed it to Mira. ¡°They said to give it to you directly.¡± They said, ¡°Read it later; it¡¯s a list of names and brief descriptions.¡± ¡°Thanks.¡± she muttered as she slid the paper into the hidden pocket of her uniform. ¡°Good. now I¡¯m going to lay these communicators down on the ground, and leave.¡± They said, ¡°when I¡¯m gone, you can slip these into pockets or whatever, and leave.¡± They flexed, their muscles pulling up the tendrils about halfway, then they stopped. ¡°... something bad is happening, isn¡¯t it?¡± They asked as they peered up at the three, ¡°And you all know about it.¡± ¡°Why would you think that?¡± Mira asked, her voice cool and casual as could be. This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. ¡°Because Leanaran was not himself today, Because I got a list of names and i know damn well Leanaran¡¯s not selling anyone out, and because he¡¯s sent me to give this to you without telling me to bring back anything in return.¡± They huffed, ¡°Normally, I get to take a cut as a delivery free.. But obviously there¡¯s no delivery fee here!¡± They still hadn¡¯t pulled the communicators from the pipe. Instead, they left them hidden as they watched the three expectantly. ¡°... Do you want a delivery fee?¡± TO asked. ¡°Well, obviously.¡± The small creature said. ¡°If I¡¯m doing extra work, I should get paid for it, shouldn¡¯t I?¡± ¡°And why not ask Leanaran about that?¡± Mira asked as her antenna lowered, drawing closer to her head and giving her a narrowed appearance. ¡°He asked you to do this, so why ask us?¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s just common courtesy, a tip-¡± ¡°Is it really?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± They said as their tendrils twisted about them, ¡°A reward for my service and discretion.¡± Mira¡¯s glare continued, but her antenna twitched just slightly. Idly, TO wondered if they were akin to a Synth¡¯s ears, saying more about her emotions than she¡¯d like to display, or if she had some control over them. ¡°What did you say your name was?¡± She asked. ¡°I didn¡¯t. You can call me Outis. They/them.¡± ¡°And what do you want, Outis?¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯d love to not get fucked just because I¡¯m out of the loop.¡± they said. ¡°I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on, I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s good that I¡¯m not on this list, or bad.¡± they glanced up at them, ¡°If something big is happening, I¡¯d like to know.¡± ¡°Ah.¡± Mira said, ¡°Information, then.¡± ¡°Essentially.¡± Information was dangerous. They already discussed that, and if too many people in the center knew what was really going on it might cause panic, and they didn¡¯t have the resources to get everyone out. ¡°... The security minister for this quadrant is here on Arkane.¡± Mira said after a long silence. ¡°Did you know that?¡± ¡°I did.¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯ll be problematic for some people to be here longer than they need to be, you understand. Even if they¡¯re in the indebted system.¡± Outis hummed, the noise mixed with a strange gurgling sound that made TO feel vaguely uncomfortable. ¡°Leanaran¡¯s on the list.¡± Outis said, ¡°You¡¯re implying that he¡¯s in trouble?¡± ¡°I''m saying that Leanaran decided it¡¯s best for them to be on the list.¡± Mira said, ¡°I¡¯ve not read it yet.¡± She made a show of stretching, giving a big wide yawn. TO never realized before now that Mira used only a tiny portion of her mouth when speaking. When her mouth opened up all the way, it was a gaping void of spiraling teeth, with sharp mandibles on either side. Big enough to swallow Outis whole if she wanted, and vicious looking enough to turn them into pulp. ¡°If you like, we can go to Leanaran.¡± She said when she finally closed her mouth back up, the different section of chitin falling into place over her mouth like a puzzle. ¡°You can tell him you read the note and ask why he¡¯s on the list. Actually-¡± She examined her hands, specifically the long claws on the end, with the tiny hooks on the edges, ¡°If our information isn¡¯t enough, I¡¯m sure he¡¯d understand and maybe come up with a better way to pay you for your service.¡± ¡°Oh no.¡± Outis said, pulling their tentacles up out of the tube. ¡°This is more than enough. Just a little information is all I asked for! A token of thanks, really.¡± TO heard the communicators hit the tile. ¡°Don¡¯t take them right away,¡± Outis said, ¡°Wait until the grate is back in place, slip them into your pocket, then linger for longer before you leave. Got it?¡± ¡°Not my first time, Outis.¡± Mira said, ¡°Well, first time here. Not my first time being discreet.¡± They grumbled something in a language TO didn¡¯t recognize, then left. The scrape of metal against the tiles, and the gentle sound of the grate falling back into place was TO¡¯s sign; they gently felt around, being careful not to look at the ground. Eventually, their fingers touched the cool plastic case of the communicator. They slipped it into their pocket then leaned back against the wall. ¡°... Got it?¡± TO asked. ¡°Yup.¡± Mira said, ¡°Sorry we couldn¡¯t get yours Pearla.¡± ¡°Do they have a charge?¡± Pearla asked, ¡°That''s what I want to know. Can you use it to disable the chip in my neck?¡± ¡°Best not to check yet.¡± Mira said, ¡°We¡¯ll sit here for another few minutes, then head to the showers. It should be dead this time of night, so I¡¯m going to take my chances at a shower. But before that, we can slip into a washroom stall and get your chip sorted out.¡± ¡°Right.¡± Pearla said, ¡°I¡¯ll sleep better if I can get my chip deactivated.¡± ¡°And on that note, once we¡¯re done there, we find a place to sleep.¡± She said, ¡°We can¡¯t get caught having nowhere to sleep; we need to make it seem like we belong here. All the new people around might confuse the guards for now, but they¡¯ll notice something if we claim we don¡¯t have a bed to sleep in, and they¡¯ll try to check our chips.¡± ¡°Got it.¡± TO said. The idea of a hot shower was absolutely intoxicating. The chill to their bones and the lingering smell of the laundry room bothered them, and they weren¡¯t used to going to sleep without taking at least one shower in a day. Even when the insurgents locked them up, they could use the bowl of water in the room to bathe. Of course, that wouldn¡¯t be the hardest thing. They weren¡¯t used to going to sleep without DH with them, skin against skin, wrapped up on one another''s limbs and wings. What they¡¯d do for DH to be there with them, for their mate to hold them, to rub their ears, to scratch the back of their neck. TO kiss them and nuzzle them as they dozed. Even if they had to sleep in the laundry room again, if they knew DH would be there, they¡¯d go with a smile on their face. They went through the timeline in their head, and tried to figure out how much longer they¡¯d be in here. Losing their communicators had put them behind, so now they were looking at two nights in this awful place. Two nights, and that was if everything went right. They sighed and pulled their knees to their chest. Two nights away from their mate. They hoped it was worth it. Episode 287: Distance The showers in the indebted facility was a single large, rectangular room. Near the main door, there were cubbies for people to put their clothes, to the side was a set of toilet stalls which - to TO, had doors on them, and then the rows of showers through the rest of the room. There was no tub which TO thought the authorities might have given the indebted since the indebted often had to do a lot of hard work, but no; just showers. There weren''t even any benches for people to sit on when they were getting dressed again. There were only two reasons for people to come here; to use the toilets, or to shower. That was why TO ended up hiding in a stall while Mira worked to disable Pearla¡¯s in another. Again, much like in the training center the toilets lay built into the floor to save room; the biggest difference was the privacy allowed to each one. The privacy that allowed Mira to fix Pearla¡¯s chip, and the privacy that allowed TO to use theirs. Leaning against the wall, they activated their chip to project an image before them as they called DH. A moment later, their mate''s face appeared on screen once more. ¡°DH.¡± TO breathed, as though the sight of them had relieved a pain they had been struggling with. ¡°You¡¯re ok!?¡± DH asked, a hand out as though they wanted to cup TO¡¯s face. They pulled back as their ears colored slightly. ¡°You¡¯re using your chip though-¡± ¡°We got our communicators.¡± TO reassured DH, ¡°But I want to save battery life just in case.¡± Before DH could respond to that, Avery entered the view, ¡°You¡¯re ok!¡± They said, their ears relaxing, ¡°I wasn¡¯t around when you called first, so-¡± ¡°Yeah, we¡¯re good.¡± TO said, their ears dipping only slightly. They had hoped for a moment to talk to DH alone; not that they had anything specific to say, just that it would have been nice to have DH all to themself for a few minutes. ¡°How are things over there?¡± Avery¡¯s ears dropped, and they gave a heavy sigh, ¡°Not great.¡± They said, ¡°I can¡¯t see Kei for now-¡± ¡°They¡¯re still¡­¡± TO didn¡¯t really know what word to use. Murderous was the first one to come to mind of course, but they didn¡¯t think that Avery would appreciate that. ¡°Agitated, yes.¡± Avery said, ¡°Though, Goretta got Flit to talk to them and that helped, so-¡± ¡°Flit? Really?¡± TO said, ¡°I thought Kei would hate them more-¡± ¡°That¡¯s what I thought too.¡± Avery said, ¡°But they were a big authority figure, right? I suppose being a retiree still has some weight. Either that or Kei still has some kind of instinct to obey, because they calmed down when Flit demanded it.¡± ¡°They calmed down for a little.¡± DH said, ¡°Then they started crying until they got enraged again.¡± Kei was crying; TO couldn¡¯t imagine it. Of course, they couldn¡¯t imagine the rage that Kei had expressed either. If they were experiencing such a flood of emotions that they never had before, it made sense that feeling everything now would create havoc for them. Still, for all the tears they had caused, TO couldn''t bring themself to feel much sympathy. ¡°They are calming though.¡± Avery added, ¡°Slowly. They¡¯re a little less angry each time I see them. Goretta says they¡¯re learning emotional control at an ¡®exceptional¡¯ rate, but she also said that¡¯s because they have a mature mind, so this other aspect is rushing to catch up. Goretta¡¯s also offering ¡®emotional literacy¡¯ training to speed things along.¡± ¡°By the time I get back, maybe they won¡¯t try to kill me.¡± TO said with a huff. ¡°Speaking of that.¡± DH said, ¡°When will you be coming back?¡± Their ears dipped, ¡°GiDi is spending the night with Avery and I. GiDi needs a distraction too, and Avery wants to distract us-¡± ¡°Can¡¯t I just want to spend time with the two of you!?¡± Avery said from the side, their own ears tilting back. ¡°-but I miss you.¡± ¡°.. Well, you knew we¡¯d be here overnight at least.¡± TO said, ¡°We hoped to have more done by this time, but without our communicators we couldn¡¯t.¡± ¡°Yeah, I know.¡± ¡°I guess we¡¯ll spend tomorrow looking for people, and planning the escape. Mira is taking care of that-¡± ¡°Oh! Right!¡± DH perked up, ¡°Vik was working on that earlier. Pholi gave him some password that he could use to login and request workers. It was less interesting than if he got in on his own, but it was faster.¡± ¡°Right.¡± TO said, a coolness overcoming them, ¡°Once everyone we need to find is ready to go, they¡¯ll get assigned special detail outside the center. We just have to get out ourselves.¡± They sighed, ¡°I thought that¡¯d be easy, but with the increased security¡­ We weren''t expecting this. It was supposed to be easy since we didn¡¯t have chips, but I¡¯m not sure now.¡± ¡°Right¡­¡± DH said, eying TO¡¯s ears, watching the way their wings tightened around them. They turned to Avery, ¡°Didn¡¯t you say earlier that you helped Lake make some kind of snack for later?¡± ¡°What? I mean.. We were working on something but Lake will message me when-¡± They stopped, eyes flicking from DH the screen, their eyes widened and their ears lifted, ¡°Oh! Yes. snacks. Yes, I¡¯ll go check on them!¡± They turned and basically ran for the door. When the door closed behind them, DH looked back to TO with serious eyes and ears flicked down parallel to the ground. ¡°Alright.¡± They said, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? You don¡¯t like Vik?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that!¡± TO said, though their ears twitched as they spoke, ¡°I don¡¯t¡­ I don¡¯t really know Vik!¡± ¡°But you don¡¯t like me spending time with them?¡± DH asked. As TO¡¯s ears dipped and they looked away, DH sighed, ¡°I mean, you weren¡¯t being subtle before either. At least, your ears weren¡¯t. I said nothing before because Vik was right there-¡± ¡°It¡¯s not Vik.¡± TO said, wishing that they didn¡¯t have to have this conversation here, that they could have it in person. Or better still, that it was a conversation that could wait until after they were safe. ¡°It¡¯s just¡­¡± TO realized that their original issues with Vik, particularly that they were an insurgent hacker, had become irrelevant. How could TO have issues with Vik for that if they themself were now acting as insurgents, and going against the planetary authorities? Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere. ¡°Just¡­?¡± DH prompted. ¡°... He¡¯s a bit glib? Flippant?¡± TO offered. ¡°But¡­ it¡¯s not him.¡± ¡°Then what¡¯s wrong?¡± DH asked, ¡°Because every time I bring him up, you get so cold! When you see us working together, it¡¯s like you just smelled something bad!¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± TO sighed, ¡°It¡¯s nothing to worry about-¡± ¡°Then you¡¯re going to tell me what¡¯s wrong if it¡¯s nothing that¡¯s a big deal!¡± Another sigh; TO knew they were defeated and knew that DH could continue to press until TO admitted what was wrong. ¡°It¡¯s not Vik.¡± They said again. ¡°But¡­¡± They glanced back at DH, ¡°I should be the one spending time with you. Not them. I should be with you, but I can¡¯t do advanced programming like you, I don¡¯t have medical training, so I can¡¯t help you there. Everything I¡¯m good at takes me away from you, and-¡± They felt tears stinging at the corners of their eyes, but they had spoken so much now, they could only continue, ¡°And we don¡¯t have a lot in common. All we¡¯ve ever done is train and watch shows and sleep, and apparently we should have a hobby or something and I know that flit and Snout said it¡¯s unnecessary, but we don¡¯t spend enough time together-¡± ¡°TO.¡± DH reached out a hand, once again acting like they wanted to touch TO, but they couldn¡¯t. ¡°... I wish I was there with you. I wish I could hold you! Dammit¡­¡± Helplessly, they let their hand drop to their side, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you say anything before?¡± ¡°When did we have time?¡± TO asked, ¡°We¡¯ve been so busy, and when we¡¯ve been together, I didn¡¯t want to waste that time talking about something so stupid.¡± It felt stupid now, at least, ¡°And I don¡¯t have a problem with Vik, but they get to spend more time with you than I do now and-¡± They stopped, not wanting to voice that small, very insecure part of them, the part that said that DH might become more interested in Vik than they were in TO, and might want to be their mate instead. It was a worry they knew was absolutely foolish, and yet one that had nested in their mind like some destructive insect. Fortunately, it didn¡¯t seem like they had to say it. ¡°... Vik is my friend, I think.¡± They said, ¡°I think He¡¯s cool, and we have a lot of fun programming, but he¡¯s not my mate. He¡¯ll never be my mate, no matter how much we have in common.¡± ¡°I¡¯m stupid for thinking it.¡± TO said. ¡°... Am I stupid for worrying about you getting involved with Marissa?¡± TO¡¯s ears flicked forward, confusion furrowing their brow as they struggled to understand what DH was saying. Marissa. Right, that was the octopus girl! The one who was looking for her brother who was likely in here with them!¡± She was also the one that Avery claimed had a crush on them. ¡°I know her less than I know Vik!¡± TO said, ¡°I¡¯m not getting involved with her.¡± ¡°Is there a problem with her?¡± ¡°Not as far as I know?¡± TO said, ¡°But that doesn¡¯t matter, I don¡¯t know her-¡± ¡°But if you got to know her, would you?¡± their ears dipped, ¡°I mean.. GiDi is happy enough with Pearla. Maybe¡­ I mean, we had little choice, much variety when we met, or when we became mates¡± ¡°That doesn¡¯t matter!¡± TO said, ¡°I love you, not some random-¡± ¡°But you thought the same thing!¡± DH said, ¡°You thought that about Vik!¡± They had, that was true. They considered how they felt about DH and wondered if they could ever just leave DH for anyone else. TO pushed themself, they even tried to imagine it; to imagine leaving DH for anyone else in the universe. The idea made their stomach sour and churn. ¡°... The idea of leaving you for any other person makes me feel physically sick.¡± They said, rubbing their stomach after a moment of consideration, ¡°I don¡¯t think I could, even if I wanted to. Which I don''t!¡± ¡°... Really?¡± ¡°Really.¡± TO said, ¡°I promise I don¡¯t think I could ever love anyone else, not like I love you.¡± A knock suddenly came to the door of the stall, causing TO to yelp and jump. ¡°Hey, TO?¡± Mira said from the other side of the door, ¡°I¡¯m glad you and DH are having a chat and all, I really am. But we can hear you. Now there¡¯s nobody else in here, but if there was, well, I¡¯m less worried about your conversation being overheard and more worried about the fact that someone might find you with your chip!¡± TO¡¯s ears warmed as they suddenly realized how careless they were being, and as they considered that Pearla and Mira had overheard them. ¡°Right.¡± They muttered. ¡°Now, there¡¯s nobody else here. I fixed Pearla¡¯s chip, so she and I are going to take a shower while we can risk some privacy. You can talk to your partner all you want while we¡¯re in there, just keep quiet.¡± ¡°... I will.¡± TO muttered. They listened to Mira¡¯s footsteps on the floor as they faded, and soon the sound of the low-pressure showers drowned even that out. ¡°No shower for you?¡± DH asked, their voice low and quiet once the showers started. TO shook their head and spread one of their paint covered wings. ¡°Just in case the paint runs.¡± They whispered, ¡°If we might be here for a couple of days, I have to make sure this lasts.¡± DH smiled softly, ¡°Well¡­ I hope that keeps you from being identified.¡± They said, ¡°Just be careful.¡± ¡°The wings are my most identifiable feature so if people are looking for me, they¡¯re looking for my wings, not my face. It should be a good enough disguise so long as I keep quiet¡± ¡°I hope you¡¯re right.¡± DH said. ¡°Enough about that.¡± TO said, ¡°What¡¯s happening down there?¡± they crouched down, positioning themself a little more comfortably. ¡°Come on¡­ get me out of this place for a minute and tell me how it¡¯s going there.¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s been the same-¡± ¡°Then tell me about it.¡± TO said. DH could sit there and tell them all about the complex coding stuff that TO didn¡¯t understand, and they¡¯d be happy. All they wanted to do for a few minutes was listen to their mate, and pretend that they were sitting with them in their room instead of sneaking a chat with them in a bathroom stall of the indebted center. For a few minutes on this awful day, they might feel alright. Episode 288: Squatting Showers had always been some kind of luxury for TO; one that was not only encouraged, but demanded of them while in training. The hot showers and the large tub had their dual purpose of soothing aching muscles and keeping clean. Unlike so many of the minor pleasures they stole for themselves while in training, the frequent baths and showers were one of the few things that they felt no need to hide or explain. It was a small, permissible pleasure. It was surprising that for the first time TO was glad to have missed out. ¡°I can still feel it on my feet.¡± Mira said as they headed to the Dormitory. ¡°The entire floor in there was just a layer of slime. Don¡¯t they clean that shit?¡± ¡°Oh, poor you.¡± Pearla muttered, ¡°You had your little tiny feet on it. I had my entire tail on it!¡± She shuddered, ¡°I think I feel dirtier after the shower than I did before.¡± They turned a corner as they headed back to the dormitory and saw another guard heading towards them from the other end. The three shifted to the other side of the hall, walking in single file to let the guard pass. He gave them only a brief glance before moving on. ¡°At least they don¡¯t care too much about us being out of bed.¡± Mira muttered, ¡°Otherwise we¡¯d have a problem.¡± ¡°Speaking of beds.¡± Pearla said, ¡°Did you figure out where we¡¯re sleeping tonight?¡± ¡°I suggest we just find beds in the dormitory and sleep under them.¡± She said, ¡°Preferably ones with curtains around them. Maybe in the corner.¡± She glanced around quickly before pulling something out of the front of her uniform, ¡°I grabbed extra towels for pillows.¡± TO sighed as she passed them one. Sleeping on a cold, hard floor with a rolled-up towel for a pillow. Even back in training they had their own bed. It wasn¡¯t much, but it was comfortable enough, and they had thin pillows and basic blankets. They already weren''t looking forward to a night of poor sleep when they entered the dormitory, and it only got worse once they did. The lights were still on and although they were dimmed, they still had that strange flickering quality to them that irritated TO¡¯s eyes and reignited their still smoldering headache. Perhaps worse than the lights was the noise. TO had no idea how many people were in the dormitory, but the noise of everyone breathing, snoring, talking, or mating created a relentless cacophony of chaos that echoed through TO¡¯s ears. ¡°We¡¯ll get under beds with curtains.¡± Pearla whispered as she nudged TO, ¡°That¡¯ll help.¡± ¡°I hope so.¡± They muttered. They went to the back corner of the room where most of the private beds were; pushed against walls it was easier and cheaper to encircle these beds to make them private. ¡°There.¡± Mira said as she pointed to the bed in the corner, ¡°You take that one. There¡¯s a wall at the head of the bed, and a wall bed behind you. Hopefully, it¡¯ll help more.¡± It seemed like a privilege to have the corner bed and a part of TO wanted to object but their aching eyes and now throbbing head refused to let them. They nodded and passed their communicator to Pearla. ¡°TO¡­ this is yours-¡± ¡°You take it.¡± They said, ¡°It¡¯s not connected to this.¡± They gestured to the back of their hand, ¡°If something happens, we can¡¯t contact you. At worst, I have¡­ other means.¡± Pearla hesitated a moment more, her hand hovering before the communicator before she finally took it. ¡°Alright.¡± She said ¡°Just in case.¡± ¡°Sleep.¡± Mira said, pushing TO towards the bed, ¡°Tomorrow¡­ Might be better.¡± ¡°I hope so.¡± TO muttered. They knelt to the floor, lay down, and rolled under the bed. Thankfully, the beds were higher than a normal one might have been, and the heavy curtains surrounding the two exposed sides worked to muffle some sound once TO was inside properly. They struggled to wrap their wings around themself, to position the rolled-up towel under their head, but then they finally pressed their back to the wall and tried their best to get comfortable. It was cold and cramped. Whoever was sleeping above them moved a lot in their sleep and TO could hear every creak of the mattress but at least the flickering fluorescent lights couldn¡¯t penetrate the curtains, and at least they couldn¡¯t hear as much of the noise from all around them. They missed their pod, with its soundproof barrier and basic comfort. Still, it was at least quiet and dim here, though it didn¡¯t make up for how cold the floor was under them, or how hard. They hugged themself and curled themself into a ball to keep themself warm. If DH was here, they¡¯d keep warm. They¡¯d curl into one another, and be comfortable despite the cold hard floor and the ceaseless creaking overhead. Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit. If DH was with them, they¡¯d be fine. They activated their chip, and though they couldn¡¯t call DH, they could send them a quick message. ==Trying to get some sleep now. I miss you. I love you. Goodnight.== They wouldn''t tell their mate about how cold and uncomfortable they were, or how lonely. The idea of DH awake all night with worry made TO¡¯s stomach churn, and if they had GiDi and Avery with them, then DH should try to enjoy the time with their friends as much as possible. They¡¯d tell DH how awful it all was one they got back and once they could rest in DH¡¯s embrace. TO shivered, and tightened their wings around themself. They wanted to go home. Such an odd word for them, first being the training center, then their ship, and even now it was their little room in the underground. Still, in this moment they suddenly realized what made all those places home, and why they were so homesick here. Home was with DH. ====== TO blinked, and it was morning. Or at least, they assumed it was. Through the thick curtains that muted the world around them, TO could hear the sudden blaring alarm that told people to go for their meal. Overhead, the occupant of the bed made more noise than they had the entire night as they woke up. It had to be morning; nothing else could feel as miserable when DH wasn¡¯t around. TO stifled a groan, not wanting to wake up yet. They hadn¡¯t slept well at all; struggling to get comfortable and then waking up after small micro naps because of the noise from overhead. Well, they didn¡¯t have to get up right away. In fact, they figured it was a good idea to wait until it seemed like whoever was sleeping over them was gone. All they had to do was keep from falling back asleep before them. As they opened their eyes, they suddenly realized that staying awake wouldn¡¯t be a problem. They pressed their hands to their face, and this time stifled not a groan but a scream as they backed against the wall behind them. It wasn¡¯t a Cocopod; it wasn¡¯t as big as one, but it was still terrifying to TO. Perhaps it was only so frightening because it was so close to them; only inches from their face. Whatever it was though, it was about the size of TO¡¯s hand; six legs, a fat squishy body, and some kind of pincer on the end of a long, thick tail. It had huge black eyes, wriggling mandibles, and was far too close to TO¡¯s face for their liking. They tried to back away, to get away from the horrible creature, but with their back to the wall there was nowhere they could go. At least the creature didn¡¯t seem to notice TO; it wandered around under the bed as though it were alone. Unfortunately, it wandered too close to TO¡¯s face. TO wanted to cover their eyes, to protect their eyes and snout and mouth with their hands and just wait until it went away¡­ but what if it didn¡¯t? What if it got closer to them? The bed overhead creaked. Whoever had been sleeping there got up, and TO could hear their footsteps move away and get lost in the muffled noise from outside. Taking their chance, they removed their hand from their face and held it open, the back of their hand facing the creature. They really didn¡¯t want to touch it. It got closer, its stubby tail rising in the air, opening and closing as its mandibles wiggled. TO yelped and backhanded it. They could feel it against their skin for only a brief second, could feel its lightness as their hand batted it against the heavy curtain around the outside of the bed. The curtain was too heavy though, and in not wanting to touch it for longer than absolutely necessary, TO failed to follow through with their slap. It suddenly rose on its feet, its tail rising higher, its pincer grasping at the air. ¡°NO!¡± TO yelped, slapping it again. This time they pushed it to the outside of the curtains. As soon as it was out of sight they pushed themself down to the foot of the bed and wriggled out from underneath. The noise they made was clearly loud, as several people were now sitting nearby, staring. The one sitting on the bed closest to them, a green-haired lady with a long, spiky, fishlike tail, looked down at TO. ¡°Woah.. you ok?¡± ¡°I¡­ Yes?¡± TO ventured. They looked around looking for the bug. As they peeked around the bed, they could just see it disappear under another bed. ¡°Yeah, don¡¯t sleep on the floor.¡± She said as she caught sight of the insect scurrying away. ¡°It might be quieter if you sneak under a private bed, but those things come out at night. That¡¯s why the beds are so high.¡± She grinned, ¡°And why don''t we keep things under the bed. Keep anything between the mattresses; less likely to be found that way.¡± ¡°Thanks..¡± TO muttered as they got to their feet. ¡°TO!¡± Pearla said as she crawled out from under the other bed, ¡°I heard you yell, are you-¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± They said, wishing they could control the burn of their ears, ¡°Let¡¯s just drop it.¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine with that.¡± Mira said as she crawled out from the spiky-fish-lady¡¯s bed. She glanced up, ¡°Oh, hi. Sorry for squatting.¡± ¡°No problem.¡± She said, ¡°And I won¡¯t tell anyone else you were here¡­ But under the beds is not a great place to sleep. Lots of bugs.¡± ¡°Oh, poor TO.¡± Pearla said, her voice soft as she went up to them and offered a hand to help them up, ¡°You ok?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± They hissed, their ears burning. ¡°Just¡­ a big nasty thing with a pincer-¡± ¡°Just a little snapper.¡± Spiky fish lady said, ¡°Some people keep them as pets here. You¡¯re lucky you didn¡¯t seem to hurt it.¡± TO shuddered at the thought that anyone would keep those things around. ¡°You¡¯ll be alright.¡± Mira said as TO rubbed their arms. She offered a quick thanks to the lady whose bed she had been hiding under, then ushered TO along. ¡°I¡¯m not sleeping there again.¡± TO said. ¡°Sure, we¡¯ll find another place.¡± Mira muttered, ¡°For now though, we have work to do.¡± ¡°Right.¡± Pearla said, ¡°We have to find the people on that list-¡± ¡°Yes, but first, I want to find someone else.¡± Mira said. ¡°The list has names, descriptions, and places where we can find the people. That¡¯s fine. And as for everyone else, we¡¯ll find who we can, right? But before that, I want to find someone in particular.¡± TO nodded, the shock of that awful thing so close to them fading off. ¡°Right.¡± They said, ¡°And I think I know who you want to find?¡± ¡°Oh, do you know?¡± Mira asked, ¡°Who is it then?¡± There were lots of people that needed to be helped, and with limited space they couldn¡¯t help everyone. There was one person though that TO felt they had to help if they could. ¡°Constance Cora Skinner¡¯s father.¡± Episode 289: Leads Despite putting Constance with them, Avery, and DH as a family unit until they could find her father, TO knew very little about her, or her family. ¡°Constance said her father was a¡­ skimmer?¡± TO ventured as they picked at their meager breakfast. It was better than the slime at least; the gray sludge had a slightly more appealing texture and when TO tasted it their chip, thankfully, didn¡¯t go off. Hunger drove them to eat a quarter of it without hesitation, but as the hunger pains subsided TO became pickier. ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s one job they give people who can stay underwater for long periods.¡± Pearla said, ¡°If Lendulin wasn¡¯t doing art, well, that would be her next option.¡± ¡°But what is a skimmer?¡± TO asked. ¡°Well, it¡¯s basically what it sounds like.¡± She said, ¡°You swim to the bottom of the sea, and you ¡®skim¡¯ the seafloor to find whatever the employees want you to find. Mostly it¡¯s garbage around the islands, but sometimes you go deeper for coral.¡± She frowned, ¡°The latter isn¡¯t so bad, but if you get stuck around the islands for a long time, the pollution around here can make you sick. That¡¯s what happened to Lendulin¡¯s parents.¡± ¡°Yeah, and it¡¯s awful.¡± Mira said, ¡°There¡¯s too many people who get shipped here from their home planets - clean, aquatic planets- and end up living in filthy water and cleaning toxic sludge from the bottom. Now, I¡¯m too young to have witnessed it myself but I¡¯m told that about 75% of the people who became skimmers after the first migration got really sick. Their kids, not so much.¡± ¡°Well, the kids are sick in the early years. I guess their bodies adjust.¡± Pearla said. ¡°Lots of parents came to me when their kids started coughing up gunk, when their gills clogged, and when fungi started growing on their fins.¡± ¡°So¡­ Her father is likely to be sickly?¡± TO ventured as they looked around. They hadn¡¯t seen too many sick people around yet which of course made sense. Unlike in the training center, here there was a chance of outside sickness being introduced to the general population. It would be important to isolate anyone who got sick to prevent an outbreak. ¡°No worse than most.¡± Pearla said as she looked over the crowds. ¡°Either he¡¯s here, or they¡¯ve taken him for questioning.¡± Mira said, ¡°I doubt they¡¯ll take him in though, he wasn¡¯t involved in anything dangerous.¡± ¡°If we don''t see him, we ask around.¡± Pearla said, ¡°It¡¯s not too suspicious for someone to look around for an old friend when they show up here.¡± TO nodded. ¡°So we ask around for someone who looks like Constance-¡° ¡°Oh, no.¡± Pearla said, shaking her head, ¡°Constance looks like her mother. She has her father¡¯s teeth though.¡± ¡°So we ask around for someone who looks like they could turn a person into this,¡± As TO spoke, they poked at their sludge. Pearla chuckled, but shook her head, ¡°We go around, and ask if someone knows a Piscijin named Mark, with green-toned skin, fins on his head, and scales up his back.¡± She said ¡°He also has a fake fin on the right side of his tail; He lost it to fin-rot as a kid.¡± ¡°There¡¯s a lot of Piscijin in here though¡­¡± Mira muttered as she looked around, taking in all the different kinds of fish-people in the cafeteria. ¡°Hopefully that¡¯s enough to identify him.¡± ¡°I suppose we can always ask if they have a daughter?¡± TO offered, ¡°Even if we found a Piscijin who looks like¡­ Mark, you said?¡± At their questioning glance, Pearla nodded. ¡°Even if we find one who looks like Mark, what¡¯s the chances they¡¯ll have a daughter named Constance.¡± ¡°Slim.¡± Pearla said, ¡°And that¡¯s not information we have to keep quiet.¡± ¡°Right. So, we have a plan to start.¡± Mira said, ¡°We split up, and ask around. People will head to get their assignments for the day. We¡¯ll follow them and look for Mark. After we¡¯ve found him, we can look for the other people on our list.¡± ¡°Will you be ok splitting up, TO?¡± Pearla asked. ¡°I¡¯ll manage.¡± TO said. Already the lights and the noises were bothering their eyes, but they had work to do, and if they couldn''t split up, then it would take them longer to get everything done. They didn¡¯t have time to waste and even if they did, TO wanted to get back to DH. The alarm sounded again, making TO wince. People once more started filing out of the cafeteria. This time, the three got up and melted into the crowds quickly. The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. ¡°Alright.¡± Mira said, ¡°Send a message if you find him. If you can¡¯t, then we¡¯ll meet in the laundry room at noon to wait for the night shift people to wake up; understood?¡± She spoke with such authority that TO couldn''t help but offer their quick, trained response of ¡°Understood.¡± And only just stopped themself from calling her, ¡°Officer.¡± With that, they split up in search of Mark. ====== The mood was much duller as everyone trudged along the wide hallway towards the assignment office. It was just as it sounded; a place where the indebted got scanned in and given assignments for the day. While TO had to make sure they weren¡¯t in a position to be scanned, it was fine to just follow along and talk to people. Well, if there was anyone who wanted to talk. ¡°Excuse me?¡± TO said, gently tapping an insectoid on the shoulder, ¡°I¡¯m looking for someone by the name of-¡° ¡°I don¡¯t know anybody.¡± They grumbled as they walked on, pointedly avoiding looking at TO. TO didn¡¯t know why people were like that, but it was becoming an irritatingly common reaction. Still, there was no point in giving up. They went to the next person, and the next, and the next; three people in quick succession waved TO away, or rushed to slip away from them in the crowds. Was it because they had legs? While most people in the center were legless, there were plenty of bipeds, quadrupeds, and more! There were even a few people with some form of wings, so while rare it wasn¡¯t unheard of. ¡°Ah shit.¡± someone from behind TO snapped. They turned to look and saw a Piscijin - not the one they were looking for, this was one female, blue in tone, and had iridescent scales- struggling with the hem of their uniform which had gotten caught in the board''s wheel she pushed herself around in. They knew they shouldn¡¯t feel happy about someone¡¯s misfortune, no matter how minor, but TO couldn¡¯t help but think this was an opening for them. They scurried back towards her against the crowd of people surging forward and knelt down. ¡°Stuck?¡± TO asked as eyed the scrap of fabric caught in the wheel. ¡°Yeah.¡± She muttered as she struggled to free the fabric. ¡°It¡¯s in there good.¡± ¡°I could cut it?¡± TO offered, flexing their hand to reveal their sharp nails. ¡°I¡¯m surprised they didn¡¯t cut those down before you got in.¡± She said, She examined the hem for a moment longer, then sighed. ¡°Yeah, go ahead. Cut it. It¡¯s in there good and it¡¯s already so worn that I¡¯ll need a new one soon, anyway.¡± TO glanced around, suddenly very aware of their claws. They had seen no one else with claws like theirs in here but even outside of the training center; it wasn¡¯t polite to flash them unnecessarily. Well, no matter. They just had to be careful from here on. TO helped get her towards the wall and out of the way so that they could pick at the fabric and save as much as possible. ¡°I¡¯ll try not to do too much damage.¡± TO promised. Of course, that wasn¡¯t just for her; If TO was careful and took their time, then they¡¯d have a moment to talk. ¡°While we¡¯re here.¡± They said as they picked at the threads of fabric holding the garment to the wheel, ¡°I¡¯m looking for another Piscijin. His name is mark?¡± he glanced up, hoping to see a sliver of recognition in her large black eyes, ¡°Fins on his head, green toned, with-¡± ¡°With a missing fin on the left side of his tail?¡± She asked. TO breathed a sigh of relief as they freed more threads from the wheel. ¡°Yes.¡± They said, ¡°You know him?¡± ¡°He¡¯s new, right?¡± She said, frowning, ¡°He said they caught him in that whole raid a few days ago on the underground. If that¡¯s him, then yeah; He and I got sent on a cleanup job yesterday around the coast.¡± ¡°Do you know where he is?¡± ¡°Why?¡± She asked, stiffening, her dark eyes narrowing. TO felt their own ears pin, their wings fluffed out slightly at the sudden change in the woman; it felt somehow aggressive to them! Still, they did their best to calm themself. ¡°I know his daughter.¡± TO said, and that was true enough, ¡°I wanted to tell him that she¡¯s ok.¡± She seemed to relax at this, her shoulders dropping, her eyes widening once more. ¡°Yeah, I know where he is. He got injured while he was out-¡± ¡°Is he ok!?¡± TO¡¯s claws cut through the rest of the fabric that held her uniform to the wheel, but they didn¡¯t even notice it; they were too busy imagining Constance, so bright eyed and happy, talking of her father, the skimmer. ¡°Oh, yeah.¡± She said, ¡°I mean, he got a nasty gash on his arm from some scrap near a busy shipping yard. He probably could have worked today, but the water is nasty there, right? If you get injured, they¡¯ll shoot you up with antibiotics and keep you for observation. He¡¯s likely still in the infirmary.¡± A lead! Perfect! TO didn¡¯t know if Pearla or Mira had found anything, but they had something, and they could bring it back to them. ¡°Where is the infirmary?¡± Before she could answer, there was a sudden commotion at the entrance to the assignment room. The crowds ahead of them stopped, and the people surging forward collided into the now still wall of people. ¡°What the hell?¡± The Piscijin grumbled. She looked at TO, ¡°You¡¯re tall; Can you take a peek and see what''s going on?¡± ¡°Sure.¡± TO said as they got up from their knees to see what was happening. They were taller than most others, so it was easy for them to see over the heads of everyone else. As soon as they saw what was happening, they ducked down again, trying to keep out of sight. ¡°What is it?¡± the woman asked from below, ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± TO straightened once more so they could look again, so they could be certain of what they were seeing. Their eyes were sore, so maybe they weren¡¯t seeing right! Or maybe they were so dizzy that their eyes were playing tricks on them! They weren¡¯t. At the door leading to the assignment room, flanked by her own personal guards, was Gyrini. She was talking to a guard, her antennae back against her head, a hand on her hip as she spoke to a security guard at the door. Because of all the surrounding chaos, TO couldn¡¯t hear what she was saying. They could, however, recognize the glint of metal in her hands. A communicator. A basic, civilian grade communicator, just like the one TO and Mira had and just like the one Pearla had taken from her. Somehow, TO knew that the communicator in Gyrini¡¯s hand was, in fact, Pearla¡¯s. Episode 290: Information Gyrini glanced away from the crowds, her enormous eyes scanning the crowd, seeming to linger on each face she saw for seconds before moving on. Would she recognize them from the footage of them from the tunnels? From their brief encounter the other day? TO ducked, kneeling back on the floor next to the woman, a chill running through their spine. ¡®No, she wouldn¡¯t recognize me from the other day; I had my armor on.¡± ¡°Well? What¡¯s going on?¡± Piscijin asked. For a moment, TO just stared at her, their ears twitching, their wings tightening around them. Lots was going on, but most of it was about stuff that TO shouldn¡¯t have known about. ¡°Some kind of¡­ police officer?¡± TO muttered, their ears twitching with their lie ¡°I don¡¯t know what she wants but she¡¯s talking to one of the security guards.¡± She rolled her eyes, ¡°Great.¡± She muttered ¡°They¡¯ve been absolutely anal about security here since the incident in Thalassa. I guess someone messed up.¡± ¡°Probably.¡± TO muttered. Yes, someone had messed up; Several people had messed up, and it led to Pearla getting a chip implanted in the back of her neck, and having her communicator confiscated! Now, Minister Gyrini had the communicator. What did she find on it? How did it get to her? They must have found something on it to worry them; maybe they found the programs that let them deactivate chips? What if they found something that could lead them to the underground? Whatever she found, the problem was that Gyrini was here now and somehow TO didn¡¯t think they could rely on her being more focused on their disguised wings than their face. She seemed far more careful than that. How clear was the video, anyway? What details could someone make out from the footage? Was it clear enough to see the shape of their ears, their eyes, the clawed hands and the subtly digitigrade legs? What about the tone of their skin, or the tiny claws that stuck up from the upper point of their wings? All the spiraling thoughts in their head - the chance of being recognized, the chance of her knowing everything that was on Pearla¡¯s communicator, the possibility that she might even be able to trace the signal from the communicator back to the underground- Created a current of panic in them. However, it was a current that was hidden deep under fathoms of water; the part of TO¡¯s mind that remembered their training, remembered all the simulations they had run and all the situations they had prepared for took over and pushed the panic down deep. They could panic later, when there was nothing for them to do. For now, they had a job. Objective: Contact allies, warn them of the new threat, and reassess the standing plan while continuing the search for Mark. Resources: All TO had was their communicator, their chip, and a few of the dried fish they had leftover from the other day. Time limit: TO had no idea. They couldn¡¯t hear what Gyrini was saying, and they didn¡¯t want to get closer to find out. They could have days, hours, or minutes. That, really, was the biggest issue; they lacked information. ¡°Where¡¯s the infirmary?¡± TO asked again. They didn''t want to risk wandering around with Gyrini here, so they¡¯d get their directions now. ¡°It¡¯s on 3U; that¡¯s the third floor underground.¡± ¡°And do we need special clearance to go there? Permission from one of the security guards?¡± ¡°¡­ No?¡± She looked at TO, confused, ¡°I mean, you¡¯ll get charged for each visit, but you can go to the infirmary anytime you like-¡± TO nodded and left before she could finish what she was saying, slipping through the crowd crouched over so that they wouldn''t stand over everyone else. Once they turned a corner and detangled themself from the crowd, they stood up and walked as quickly as they could in their search for a private place to contact Mira and Pearla. There were cameras everywhere, so TO couldn''t be suspicious. IT was so important to just act like nothing was wrong. They had to be aware of all the cameras around and had to keep from drawing attention to themself. They had to walk down the hall as though they already knew where they were going and as though they were in no rush to get there. This was all just like when they were back in the training center; their absolute knowledge that they were being watched, and the undercurrent of fear that rested in their body at the chance of being caught and dealt with were familiar things. Oddly, it made TO feel far calmer than they felt before. ====== Unlike synths in training, the indebted center afforded the indebetted some privacy in the toilets. They set the cameras here in the corners of the room but once TO slipped into the stall and closed the door behind it they couldn¡¯t see the lense of any security cameras. They were safe; at least for now. They activated their chip and sent off messages. Their first message went to Mira. ==Minister Gyrini is here. I saw her in the assignment room. I¡¯m certain that she has Pearla¡¯s communicator with her. If she spoke to the guard who confiscated it, she knows what Pearla looks like. Pearla needs to get out of sight and in disguise.== TO knew that Mira probably couldn¡¯t check their message right away, and they had no idea how long until they could check. Pearla still didn¡¯t have a communicator, and To had to rely on either finding her, or Mira finding her. They wanted to think that it would be fine; that Gyrini wouldn¡¯t find them before they got the message but TO was taught to never take unnecessary chances, especially when there was something they could do. If they checked their messages that was great, but TO had to act as though they wouldn¡¯t, and plan for that. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it. The next message was to Vik. ==Gyrini has Pearla¡¯s communicator. I have no idea what she saw on it to make her come to the indebted center, but she¡¯s here. I need any information you can get about what she might have, and I need Pearla and Mira¡¯s current location. They don¡¯t know, and may not be able to read their messages. == Finally, they sent the most important message of the day == Good morning, DH. I miss you. I love you. I can¡¯t wait until I¡¯m back. Gyrini is here, but I saw her before she saw me, so I think I can avoid her. == Now they had to wait for responses, but even then they weren¡¯t idle. Their mind raced, reorganizing the plan. They¡¯d have to take more risks, they¡¯d have to just give Vik the list of people; the original one, and the one that Leanaran gave them. The safer plan would have been to contact each person individually, confirm that they wanted to leave, and that they were willing to run, but now they didn¡¯t have the chance to check people like that. Now, they had to get out as soon as possible. How soon was that though? They went through their limited knowledge of the indebted schedules in their head, trying to figure out their earliest opportunity. There were already people gone on their assignments for the day and it was likely that some people they needed to get were already gone on a job. They wouldn¡¯t get put on assignment again today so the earliest they could leave was tomorrow morning. Maybe Gyrini would be gone by tomorrow morning. Well, TO could hope that was the case, but they didn¡¯t think so. Gyrini seemed competent to them -she was the security minister for this section of the galaxy, so that was to be expected- but she also seemed oddly keen. They still couldn¡¯t shake the feeling they had when she spoke to them last time they met, when TO and DH were in their armor, heading to their ship. The sensation that she was looking through their armor, that she could see them hadn¡¯t been easy to forget. For now, best to assume they were at least as smart as TO themself was; that was safest. If TO was in her place, and they found something in a confiscated communicator, they wouldn¡¯t leave the center until they found something. It was much like how they themself had pursued the escaped criminals in the holding center until they had ¡®proof¡¯ they were dead. They always knew back then that there was something odd about how the escaped criminals had disappeared, but with nothing but limited DNA and signs of an escape plan gone wrong, TO had no choice but to pursue other lines of thinking. The insurgency had fooled them, a synth. Well, there were other synths involved, of course - GiDi, Flit, and Snout. What had once been a source of shame now was a source of hope. Even If Gyrini was as smart as TO was, they could still decieve her. An alert flashed on their hand, alerting them to a message from someone. TO checked it almost instantly. It was from Vik. == I planned for the communicators to get taken at some point. That¡¯s why I wasn¡¯t too worried about Pearla¡¯s being taken. Your communicator linked to your chip but Pearla and Mira¡¯s are unlocked with a fingerprint. If there is a single failed attempt at unlocking the communicator, then a passcode will generate randomly, but the communicator will go to its default settings. It¡¯s less suspicious if there¡¯s an actual code to crack and if it just looks like a normal communicator. I know, I¡¯m brilliant. With Gyrini being there, she¡¯s either being very cautious, or she found something worrisome on the communicator. Maybe going back to all default settings was odd to her. I can confirm that the communicator has gone to its defaults as I can no longer communicate with it. I can give you tracking for Pearla and Mira. The others are discussing what they can do now. In about twenty minutes we¡¯ll contact you with an update; be ready to access a private location to check your message.== It was a relief to know that the communicator had basically been erased, but Vik was right, something made her suspicious, and that something brought her here. If TO was in her position, how would they go about trying to get information here? There wasn¡¯t much time to consider this, since seconds later their communicator pinged again showing Mira and Pearla¡¯s locations. They were both in hallways not too far away from TO so that was lucky. With a final look at the map, they memorized Mira and Pearla¡¯s locations before they deactivated their chip and slipped the communicator into the hidden pocket of their uniform and slipped out of the stall with as much of a casual stance as they could, making a show of washing up before they left the washroom. Up ahead they could still see the crowd of people waiting for their assignments, impatiently shuffling around as the ones in the back strained to see what was happening ahead. If they were still waiting, that meant that Gyrini was likely still there, talking to the guard. Good. TO could slip away and try to find Pearla without the risk of bumping into the minister. They strained their ears to hear something, but with all the echoing around them their efforts only made them dizzy. Well, at least their eyes still worked despite how they throbbed from the fluorescent lights overhead. Still, the ability to hear what she was saying would have been a tremendous boon; some hint as to her plans, or to what she knew. Of course, in this environment doing that meant getting a lot closer than was safe. TO was halfway down the hallway when the crowd dispersed, but not into the assignment room. They filtered through the hallways, some grumbling, some looking oddly relieved. A few of them were heading towards TO, towards the washroom at the end of the hallway. One was a gray-toned Nagarajin man, and the other who slithered beside him was an eel-like person wearing a specialized mask over their face. ¡°Excuse me.¡± TO said, keeping their voice low as they ran up to the two, ¡°What¡¯s happening?¡± The eel-like person with the mask signed quickly at TO, but they were signing with a dialect that confused them, and signing so quickly that without their helmet TO had no chance of understanding. ¡°Apologies.¡± TO said, their ears dipping, ¡°I don¡¯t understand your signing.¡± ¡°What, you¡¯re only good with standard?¡± Their friend asked. ¡°Yes, sorry.¡± TO said, ¡°I have had little chance to practice here¡­¡± The eel person rolled their big black eyes and gestured to their friend, who nodded. ¡°Right. Well, they turned us away.¡± The Nagarajin said, ¡°Said to go back to our dorms.¡± ¡°They ran out of jobs?¡± TO asked. The Nagarajin held back a snort of laughter as his friend just shook their head. ¡°They never run out of jobs.¡± He said, ¡°Nah, apparently we¡¯re in lockdown for some dumbass reason.¡± ¡°Lockdown?¡± TO felt the chill go through their spine, their ears pinning back. ¡°Yeah; anyone who left is coming right back after their jobs, and nobody else is allowed to leave.¡± They stretched their arms up and gave an enormous yawn, ¡°I mean, sucks, because if we¡¯re here and not working that¡¯s basically growing more debt, but I could use an extra day of sleep. No idea what''s going on, but I¡¯m going to enjoy it as much as I can.¡± He nudged his friend, ¡°Hey, maybe we¡¯ll have a couple of days with this!¡± ¡°You might.¡± TO muttered, their voice low as they turned the corner and rushed down the hallway towards their friends. A lockdown. Upon thinking about it for just a moment, TO realized that yes, this is exactly what they would have done. Episode 291: Contour It had never been harder for TO to simply walk, to restrain themself from bolting down the hallway. With their blackened wings draped tight around their body and their eyes at the ground, they hurried towards Pearla first; she was in the one in most danger; It was her communicator after all. If Gyrini tracked down the guard who confiscated the communicator, she¡¯d get a description at least. Maybe she¡¯d even get information on the chip, but that had already been disabled so it wasn¡¯t as much of a concern as it might have been. Still; a description of Pearla was enough. Their eyes hurt as they kept straining to look up while keeping their face down. They didn¡¯t want to risk being recognized, but they had to keep an eye out for Pearla; the constant muscle strain joined with the lights and the noise only worked to increase the throbbing in behind their eyes, but they had to keep going. They had to ignore the pain as best they could. When they got back, DH would hold them, rub their head, and give them something for the pain. When they were home, in DH¡¯s arms, they¡¯d be ok. As TO turned the corner they heard someone call out to them from the other end of the hallway. They glanced up and saw Pearla heading towards them. ¡°What are you doing over here?¡± She asked as she approached, ¡°Do you-¡± ¡°I have information.¡± They hissed, ¡°Go to the laundry room now if you can. Don¡¯t follow me. It¡¯s important. Keep your head down and hurry.¡± All this flooded out of their mouth as they passed her, and they continued walking down the hallway. They wanted to make it seem like they were simply passing her by chance, should anyone check the cameras. If they were being watched; Particularly if Pearla was being watched, then TO had to keep their distance for now. They silently willed her to continue down the other hallway, hoping she wouldn¡¯t follow TO right away. It was hard to hear her moving as her scales against the floor were far more silent than one¡¯s footsteps would normally be, but when they turned the next corner, they felt confident that she wasn¡¯t following them. Good. One message delivered. Now to do the same for Mira. ====== TO had to pass by the shops to get to the laundry. With work canceled for the day many people went to the shops to use their merger savings, which created an unexpected surge of people heading to the shops, and loitering about. It was a fortunate coincidence since the three of them heading up here wouldn¡¯t have been suspicious should anyone check the cameras. Them going into the laundry room might be considered odd, but they had little choice, and it was a chance that they had to take. Mira and Pearla were already there by the time TO entered; that didn¡¯t surprise them. Once they passed Mira and gave her the warning, TO had made their way to a washroom on the other side of the indebted center and had lingered there for a few minutes before leaving. The two of them sat close together by the wall, whispering over Mira¡¯s communicator. Mira¡¯s antennae were down low atop her head, and the color had drained from Pearla¡¯s face leaving her with a dull, nearly gray complexion. ¡°You read the message I sent then.¡± TO said as they let the door slide shut behind them. Mira took a deep breath and ran her little hand over her antenna, ¡°Yup.¡± she said, her voice strained. ¡°Just¡­ just one more thing to deal with.¡± ¡°One more thing?¡± Pearla said, her eyes wide. ¡°It¡¯s not one more thing. It¡¯s the last thing! Gyrini is here! She¡¯s here, she has my communicator, I¡¯m chipped, and she¡¯s going to know what I look like soon!¡± she gave a strangled whimper, and TO could notice that the very end of her tail was practically vibrating. ¡°She¡¯s going to get me. She¡¯s going to get me, then us, and then-¡± ¡°Not necessarily.¡± Mira said, ¡°That guard let you off, remember? He took the communicator, but said he wouldn¡¯t write you up for it.¡± ¡°So?¡± Pearla asked, ¡°I¡¯m sure he remembered what I look like! There¡¯s not many chubby purple Nagarajin in here!¡± ¡°He was supposed to report you.¡± Mira said, ¡°If he didn¡¯t, and if Gyrini is here now with that communicator, he¡¯s going to do whatever he can to cover his tracks and not be on the receiving end of her anger when she finds out he fucked up and didn¡¯t do his job right.¡± She put a hand on Pearla¡¯s shoulder, ¡°Honestly, If I was him? I¡¯d deny I ever saw that communicator.¡± She grinned, ¡°He might even try to mess with the security cameras¡­ if Vik hasn¡¯t done that for us already.¡± ¡°Wait.¡± TO said, their ears flicking down, ¡°Vik can do that?¡± ¡°He can try.¡± Mira said as she held up her communicator, ¡°He needs an access point into the center, and it just so happens that our communicators work as just that.¡± She shrugged, ¡°It¡¯s the same way he hacked into the system in Thalassa to bring down the dome.¡± ¡°I imagine security is going to be tighter here.¡± TO said, ¡°Are you certain he can do it?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s hope so.¡± Mira said, ¡°Between him and DH, I imagine they could.¡± Right, DH was with him. Well, if Vik couldn¡¯t do it, then TO was certain that DH could. They suddenly brightened up as something occurred to them. ¡°They have synth levels of access!¡± They said, ¡°Our chips! Mine, GiDi¡¯s¡­ They even have chips belonging to retirees!¡± ¡°They¡¯ve been using those things for everything under the sun since Snout showed up here.¡± Mira muttered, ¡°Seriously, I think he¡¯s in love with synth levels of authorization.¡± ¡°But more than that.¡± TO said, ¡°They have access to our ship! If I was on my ship, I could pull all the security records from any part of Arkane! I¡¯m sure with all that access they can mess with some video files.¡± ¡°What if the guard comes clean though!?¡± Pearla asked as she clutched at the thin fabric of her uniform, ¡°Gyrini tortures people! You think a guard can handle torture? Just to hide a single mistake?¡± ¡°No.¡± Mira said, ¡°But if he says it wasn¡¯t him, and they have no video evidence, then why would she suspect him?¡± TO considered what they would do in such a situation, and their ears dropped with a sudden realization. ¡°If she looks for the video evidence, and it¡¯s just gone, then she¡¯s going to be suspicious.¡± TO said. They sunk to the floor, crossing their legs as they sat, ¡°If I were in her shoes, then yes, I¡¯d ask to question the guard who brought the communicator in. If he denies it, or makes up some story why he didn¡¯t report it, then I would check the cameras. And if all the video feed was gone¡­¡± They shrugged, ¡°That tells me that someone in here is looking to hide something and until I get some answers, I don¡¯t know that I¡¯d end the lockdown on the center.¡± If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. ¡°Lockdown?¡± Mira asked, ¡°You mean, on the planet-¡± ¡°No, the center.¡± TO said. They told Mira and Pearla about what they had been told earlier, about everyone being sent away and about work being canceled for the time being. When they were done, Mira gave a long, shuddering sigh as she leaned forward, her head in her hands. ¡°Alright.¡± She said, ¡°So. Gyrini, the minister of security for this quadrant of the galaxy, is in here right now because she may or may not have gotten information from that communicator.¡± ¡°Correct.¡± TO said. ¡°And that guard may, or may not, lie about how he came across that communicator, thus making Pearla a person of interest.¡± ¡°A person they¡¯d want to lock up and torture, yes.¡± Pearla said, her voice shaking. ¡°As well, there¡¯s still a chance, however slim, that TO might be recognized.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve done what I can with my wings-¡± ¡°And to top everything off, this entire building is on lockdown which probably won¡¯t be lifted until Gyrini either gets someone, or until she¡¯s satisfied that there¡¯s no threat.¡± ¡°Exactly.¡± TO said. ¡°At least, that¡¯s what I¡¯d do.¡± Mira shook her head, ¡°And we still don¡¯t know where Mark is-¡± ¡°Oh, I know where Mark is.¡± TO said, ¡°Or, I know where he might be.¡± Mira froze, suddenly becoming very still and very silent for several minutes before she slowly lifted her head from her hands, and glared at TO. ¡°... And you didn¡¯t think to mention that first?¡± She said in a cold, quiet whisper. TO just shrugged. ¡°To be entirely fair, I think that all the other stuff was more important.¡± They said. ¡°Ok.¡± Mira said. ¡°New plans. Find Mark first, and tell him the plan. Get his chip information to Vik, along with the other people on our list.¡± She took out the paper that Outis, Leanaran¡¯s delivery person, had sent to them. ¡°We give Vik these names first, then Mark¡¯s information, then as many of the others as we can get.¡± She looked at Pearla. ¡°You can stay here and look over the information; choose the ones that are most vital.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll check for overlap.¡± She said as she took the paper from Mira, ¡°Hopefully there¡¯s a few people that we both want out of here.¡± ¡°Good.¡± She said, ¡°TO and I are going to find Mark.¡± She looked over TO, her eyes running from the tips of their ears to the shoes that their long toes were folded into. ¡°Are you really worried about her recognizing you?¡± She asked. ¡°I am.¡± TO said, ¡°She¡¯s clever. I think if she saw my face, she¡¯d at least try to question me.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Mira said as she eyed their wings, ¡°I think I have a solution.¡± ====== The black stuff on TO¡¯s wings were not waterproof. Or, at least they weren''t spit proof. All it took was some of Mira¡¯s saliva to get a good amount off from the crevice of TO¡¯s wing; right where the membrane connected to their back. Once she had a good bit of black off, it only took her a few minutes to rub it into various parts of TO¡¯s face; Around their eyes, their chin, around their ears, snout, and under their well-hidden cheekbones. ¡°Ok..¡± She said as she held up the darkened screen of her communicator, ¡°What do you think?¡± The difference was startling. They seemed so much more angular; TO¡¯s eyes were still large, but now they seemed deeper set, and angled at the edges. Their once rounded features were now sharp and narrow, with a sharp jawline and sunken cheeks. Their snout seemed far more pronounced, as though they had some kind of nose instead of the softer snout that merged with their cheeks. At their temples, the black paint created indents and further narrowed their face. ¡°Now that¡¯s more like what I used to think a synth looked like.¡± Mira said, beaming. She turned to Pearla, ¡°What do you think? Does this look more like a ruthless, heartless synth?¡± ¡°... You look like your head¡¯s bulging out.¡± Pearla said, staring at TO. ¡°I mean, your face looks so narrow, so your head-¡± ¡°That works.¡± Mira said, ¡°They don¡¯t look like a Chilacian though, do they?¡± ¡°They don¡¯t.¡± Pearla agreed. TO could only stare at the image reflected to them. Makeup had made DH shine; had made them seem almost ethereal, and more beautiful than they already were. This¡­ ¡°I look monstrous.¡± TO said. A part of them hated it, but the important thing was that they didn¡¯t look like themself. With their wings, the work Mira did on their face, and the uniform they were wearing, they doubted that Gyrini would recognize them at a glance. Maybe if she sat down and really stared at them she would, but with just at a glance? They didn''t even recognize themself at a glance. They raised their fingers up to touch their snout, to test the newly created ridge. ¡°Don¡¯t touch.¡± Mira said, pushing TO¡¯s hand away from their face. ¡°Nobody¡¯s going to notice a smudge on your wings, but if you smudge up your face, they will.¡± ¡°Right.¡± TO said. They satisfied themself with looking at their reflection once more before nodding and standing up. They fished their communicator out of their pocket and gave it to Pearla. ¡°Here.¡± They said, ¡°in case of emergency. We¡¯ll head to a washroom as soon as you message us-¡± ¡°And you might want to hide in the laundry.¡± Mira said. She gave an apologetic shrug, ¡°Sorry, but if someone comes in-¡± ¡°No, you¡¯re right.¡± She said, ¡°I¡¯ll hide away in the back¡­ And hope I don¡¯t die of the smell of it.¡± She sighed. ¡°I think I¡¯m getting used to it, which might be worse.¡± ¡°Tell me about it.¡± Mira muttered, ¡°When this is done¨Call done, I mean; once we¡¯re off Arkane¨CI¡¯m going to find the biggest tub I can, and I''m going to soak for an hour in essential oils. Away from the sewers, from the Outer Ring... just somewhere relatively clean.¡± She looked at TO, ¡°I don¡¯t suppose you have a bath on that ship of yours?¡± ¡°I wish.¡± TO sighed, ¡°But there is a shower.¡± A shower that ran hot, and which TO was going to stand under for an hour once they were on that ship and heading off the planet. ¡°Better than nothing.¡± She muttered. ¡°Come on, let¡¯s go.¡± Episode 292: Signing Unlike most places in the indebted center, the infirmary was easy enough to find. Of course, TO had already been told about where it was; down in the third sub-basement, so it was only a matter of making their way to the staircase and heading down. A few people passed on their way, and TO expected them to stare at the cosmetic alterations made to their face. They vividly remembered how everyone had stared at the beautiful, blue-silver scars on DH¡¯s face, and not just when they were fresh angry wounds either! Once healed, the stark difference between DH¡¯s face and the face of any other synth had drawn eyes most everywhere. Here, it was entirely different. Nobody seemed to even notice. TO mentioned it to Mira, but Mira just shrugged. ¡°Well, yeah?¡± She said, her voice low and quiet, ¡°You¡¯re not anyone of importance here, right? I very much doubt anyone paid much attention to what you looked like before.¡± She was right, of course. TO wasn¡¯t anyone important now, and most of the people they were passing had never seen TO before. Still, they could feel the paint on their face, and they knew how different they looked because of it. It felt like someone should have been able to see through it. They got to the third sub-basement, and as soon as they left the stairwell there were signs on the wall, with arrows pointing in two different directions. One read infirmary, and the other read morgue. ¡°Do they really need a morgue here?¡± TO asked as they hurried down the hallway towards the infirmary. ¡°Well, yeah.¡± Mira said, ¡°All the people in here, you think they don¡¯t have a few bodies a day at least? They basically work people to death here.¡± Without the paperwork on hand, TO wasn¡¯t certain what the death rate was in the indebted center. Maybe they¡¯d look into that later. They got to the infirmary; the doors sliding open before them as they approached. TO was grateful for that as they had been so worried that it wouldn¡¯t open for them without a proper chip. The laundry room door and the washroom doors wouldn¡¯t have needed security, and most everywhere else they went, they moved with a larger group so the doors were always open. Thankfully, those in charge didn¡¯t seem to think that the infirmary needed any special security. Once inside, the reason for that was clear. The doctor was a shorter creature, perhaps four feet high, with wings connected to their hands and the outside of their legs; much like Petra, except this one had ears that rivaled the size of TO¡¯s own ears, and soft red fur all over. Standing by the door was a larger, reptile person wearing a guard¡¯s uniform and a sneer on their face and a civilian gun at his hip. With the large, armed, grumpy looking guard there, nobody would be very interested in causing any problems. TO wondered idly if they could deal with this guard should things take an unfortunate turn at any point. He was only a civilian guard, and civilian training didn¡¯t come close to a synth¡¯s training¡­ However, TO just wasn¡¯t sure. The infirmary was still a large, echoey room, and all the patients there didn¡¯t have their own private rooms like they had in the medical bay in training; here there were beds, surrounded with thin white sheets. Every moan and groan and mutter echoed back to TO, adding to their discomfort and distortion. They could only just manage to get around the center, and even then they had to contend with a near constant headache and the throbbing pain behind their eyes. How much would that affect them in a fight? Not to mention the fact that unlike TO, the guard was armed. What would the odds be? They didn¡¯t know, and they weren¡¯t interested in finding out. The doctor glanced up, looked at Mira and TO, then glanced back down at their computer. ¡°New?¡± They asked, irritation lacing their words. ¡°Dr. Nycht. He, Him. If you''re looking for something for aching muscles, my best advice is to just deal with it. Give it a week, and you¡¯ll stop hurting.¡± ¡°We¡¯re here to visit someone, actually.¡± Mira said, stepping forward only slightly. ¡°Uh, Mark? Here¡¯s in here right?¡± Dr. Nycht stopped what they were doing, and glanced up, fixing their eyes on Mira, ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you be on an assignment?¡± They asked. ¡°Lockdown.¡± TO said, ¡°We were told we can¡¯t work today.¡± ¡°Exactly.¡± Mira said, ¡°So we thought we¡¯d visit Mark.¡± The doctor frowned, before checking his communicator. ¡°Huh.¡± He said, ¡°Lockdown. Odd.¡± He tossed it back on the table, ¡°Alright. Go ahead.¡± He pointed to the back of the room, ¡°Fifth bed on the left.¡± ¡°Hey, doc.¡± The guard said, their icy voice like a large rock being thrown into a pond, ¡°You got the good meds locked up?¡± ¡°Always.¡± ¡°Good.¡± The guard gave TO and Mira a hard look, smirking as they did, ¡°Just in case.¡± Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work! Mira took TO by the arm and pulled them forward towards the bed that Doctor Nycht pointed out. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, we don¡¯t wanna steal your drugs.¡± Well, she didn¡¯t, but now that she had mentioned such a thing TO was thinking about it. They had limited medical supplies underground, so even if they could grab a handful of painkillers and some fresh bandages for Goretta, that would be good, right? Before they could consider that further, Mira pushed aside curtains that led to Mark¡¯s bed and slipped in, pulling TO behind her, and getting them both out of sight of the doctor and the guard. There wasn¡¯t a lot of space behind the curtain; there was enough room for a person to stand next to the bed, but not much else. Mark had no table nearby to hold medication, no screens to watch shows on, and no chairs for anyone else to sit oon. Even the bed was too small for Mark; his long, green tail hung off the foot of the bed, his injured fin waving about idly. On the bed itself was a bit of plastic, about the size and shape as the other half of Mark¡¯s fin but instead of holding a faint blue iridescence over green scales, it was just made of unpainted plastic scrap. He had pushed the blanket to the side, and Mark lay in his crumpled and dingy uniform with his injured arm set on his chest. He glanced away from the seemingly very interesting spot on the ceiling when Mira and TO came in, and gave them a quick, unfeeling smile. Unfeeling or no, TO could still get a glimpse of the rows of teeth that he shared with his daughter. ¡°Hi?¡± He said, his voice unsure as he propped himself up on his elbows. ¡°Do I know-¡± ¡°Mark!¡± Mira said, increasing the volume of her voice, ¡°I¡¯ve missed you!¡± Mark seemed entirely confused at her words, but then the movements of her hands caught his attention. She was signing in universal common as she pretended to give him a warm welcome. Though her signing was anything other than warm and friendly. At least it was basic, devoid of accent or strange flourish, so TO could understand. ¡°We¡¯re here to help. Your daughter is safe.¡± ¡°She-I¡­¡± They stiffened for a moment before looking around their little curtained off area. Though there were cameras outside, from the inside it would be impossible to see them signing. ¡°I¡¯m glad you came to visit!¡± He said, taking on the same over-excited tone that Mira had feigned before signing again. Their signing also had no accent or flourish, and they signed even slower than Mira did. ¡°Who are you? How do you know she¡¯s ok?¡± ¡°Well, we figured you¡¯d be bored.¡± She said while at the same time signing, ¡°Your daughter is with us. I¡¯m here to help. We¡¯re going to get you out of here if you want to come with us.¡± ¡°A bit.¡± Mark said as they attempted to sign again, but they were stumbling over their signing, and even a two-word sentence sounded forced even to TO. ¡°I¡¯ll talk.¡± TO signed, ¡°You two can have the proper conversation.¡± They cleared their throat, and though their ears twitched with their lies, they spoke clearly and forced a pleasant, excited tone. ¡°We thought you¡¯d be bored.¡± They said, ¡°So, we came to offer entertainment.¡± ¡°Entertainment?¡± Mira and Mark both spoke, their hands stilling. ¡°Yes.¡± TO said, ¡°We watched that show in Beck¡¯s bunk, remember? I paid attention, so I can tell you what happened.¡± The ¡®show in Beck¡¯s bunk¡¯ was actually something that TO and DH had watched a handful of times already; a story TO knew by heart. Mira¡¯s eyes lit up, ¡°Yes.¡± She breathed, ¡°They¡¯ve been dying to tell you about this show they saw; they really thought you¡¯d like it.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Mark said, giving a genuine smile this time. Of course, as was the case for their unfeeling smile, all TO could see was teeth. ¡°Yes, please, I¡¯d love to hear about it. Take your time telling it; I¡¯m not going anywhere.¡± TO started rambling idly about something they had watched with DH recently. Unlike Mark, TO was more than capable of splitting their attention, and focusing on two things at once¡­ So long as one of those things took little critical thought. ¡°Constance is hidden with some mutual friends.¡± Mira signed, ¡°She¡¯s safe.¡± ¡°Good.¡± Mark signed back, ¡°Just take care of her.¡± he looked away, but TO glimpsed the tears starting in the corner of his eyes, ¡°So long as she¡¯s safe and happy, I will be ok.¡± Mira nodded, but kept signing. ¡°I¡¯m also a friend of Pearla¡¯s. She wants to help. If an opportunity arose, would you be able to leave this place?¡± Mark¡¯s hands fell still as he stared at Mira. ¡°... Are you serious?¡± He asked, his voice cracking slightly as he spoke. ¡°... I am.¡± TO said, ¡°Yes, the main character quit their job to chase after this stranger they just met.¡± TO said, weaving ends of what they had been saying to create some reasonable response to Mark¡¯s out-of-nowhere question. ¡°I know it¡¯s derivative at first glance, but they really didn¡¯t have any other option.¡± ¡°Nice save.¡± Mira signed to TO. She turned back to Mark. ¡°We¡¯re very serious. We can get you with your daughter. You can be together, and safe. Do you want that?¡± Mark signed yes while nodding rapidly. ¡°Good.¡± Mira signed back, ¡°Just do what we say when the time comes, and we¡¯ll get you out of here.¡± She glanced at TO, ¡°Do you have more story to tell?¡± She signed. ¡°Yes, I can continue for a while.¡± TO signed back, all the while never once messing up their retelling of the show. ¡°Good.¡± Mira signed back, ¡°Here¡¯s the plan.¡± Episode 293: Memory They would release Mark by the next day, clearing him for work so long as there were no complications. It didn¡¯t seem like there would be too many problems given how he had been left alone since his arm was cleaned and stitched up. Besides, nobody seemed concerned about his injury, especially not Mark himself. ¡°I hope he¡¯ll be alright, anyway.¡± Pearla said once TO and Mira returned to the laundry room and filled her in on what happened. ¡°I¡¯ve seen people get injured in those waters and the fever doesn¡¯t really hit until days later. I¡¯m sure there¡¯s a reason for that-¡± ¡°And I¡¯m sure it¡¯s a reason Goretta is familiar with, and one she can treat if any issues arise.¡± Mira said. ¡°It¡¯s not a problem for now, anyway.¡± She gestured to the communicator in her hand, ¡°What did you figure out with all that?¡± ¡°Right! The list.¡± Pearla opened something on her communicator. ¡°There¡¯s a bit of overlap. Also, we¡¯re in luck since Marissa¡¯s brother is on his list.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not surprised. Aren¡¯t Marissa and Leanaran from the same planet originally?¡± Mira asked. ¡°I think it¡¯s Hydroponics farm 3 now?¡± ¡°Yeah, Aktigi.¡± Pearla said, ¡°They renamed it after Decon¡¯s conversion.¡± She rolled her eyes, then glanced at TO. ¡°Hey, I know it¡¯s not your fault or anything, but why does Decon think that it¡¯s a good idea to have the entire solar system¡¯s population moved to a single planet?¡± ¡°Many solar systems only have one habitable planet, you realize.¡± TO said. They leaned back against a pile of dirty laundry. Though it pained TO to admit it, they were getting used to the smell. It didn¡¯t even really bother them anymore. ¡°And it¡¯s an idea of efficiency, and making the best use of the resources we have. By relocating civilians to planets with low or no yield in terms of natural resources, the planets that can be used for production, and can remain focused on that and maximize output. This way, they can redistribute excess resources through the rest of the galaxy-¡­¡± Their ears dipped slightly as they realized that their voice had taken on a nearly practiced tone as they spoke of the benefits of planetary relocation. ¡°... Of course, the data I¡¯ve seen on it fails to mention the social issues caused by such overcrowding.¡± ¡°Yeah, well, Decon doesn¡¯t seem too concerned about how his people feel about his decisions. Not the normal people anyway.¡± Mira said. TO huffed, and looked away. ¡°... You¡¯re not wrong.¡± TO said before looking at Pearla. ¡°When you told DH and I about the indebted system, I actually went to my superior with plans to deal with the issue.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Pearla¡¯s brows shot up, ¡°You really thought you¡¯d try to change something?¡± ¡°And how did that go?¡± Mira said, her tone as cold as ever, but her antenna had perked up. ¡°Did Decon actually care?¡± ¡°The information never got that far.¡± TO said, the words coming out in a bitter hiss and their ears pinning at the same time. ¡°My superior said I was experiencing ¡®culture shock¡¯ and said I had to focus on the mission at hand.¡± ¡°Culture shock? Really?¡± Pearla snorted, ¡°I mean, I know you¡¯re all sheltered in training, but you have some access to information-¡± ¡°Through the GBA.¡± TO said. ¡°I think my superior was more concerned about my interactions with civilians.¡± Perla¡¯s eyes flickered with comprehension. ¡°Ahh, I see.¡± she hummed, ¡°And we know what you lot think of us civilians.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t.¡± Mira said as they looked from Pearla to TO, ¡°What do you think of us?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not important.¡± TO said quickly, ¡°At any rate, they stressed the necessity of small sacrifices for the overall peace of the Galaxy.¡± ¡°Which means making the people in charge happy and keeping the people who don¡¯t like how things are as powerless as possible so that we can¡¯t fight back.¡± Mira raised a brow at TO, ¡°Am I right?¡± ¡°... More or less.¡± TO muttered. ¡°For galactic peace, apparently.¡± ¡°Not the time.¡± Pearla said as she waved her communicator in the air, ¡°You can talk about this when we¡¯re on the ship getting off this planet.¡± She sighed, ¡°I rearranged the list, so it¡¯s in order of who we should try first.¡± ¡°Nice.¡± Mira said, slipping over to check, ¡°Send it to me. How did you decide?¡± ¡°Painfully.¡± Pearla grumbled, ¡°I figured it best to keep families together. Mark was first, because his daughter has no other parents or guardians with her, and then there¡¯s a brother and sister in here¨Cjust old enough for the indebted system¨Cwho got taken in together, and who has younger siblings waiting with us. Since one sibling is on the list Leanaran gave me, I put them together and set them on the list. Aside from that, I¡¯ve sorted families by who has the most children. I thought that¡¯d be best, since larger families will need more hands to help take care of the kids.¡± ¡°You considered it more logically than I expected.¡± Mira said. ¡°What about the kids?¡± TO asked. The mention of the children currently waiting underground reminded them of kids that the insurgency hadn¡¯t rescued. ¡°The children that got taken away? Are they kept here somewhere too?¡± The sad, defeated look on Pearla¡¯s face was not what TO was expecting to see. Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more. ¡°They took those children to education facilities.¡± Mira said, ¡°There¡¯s several around the planet, and the government has given them new identification numbers. With more time and resources we could come back for them, but-¡± ¡°We might guess where a few have been put.¡± Pearla said, ¡°And from there, we¡¯d have to go in and find them. Of course, given that we¡¯re not children it would be a lot harder for us to sneak in there to find them.¡± ¡°Could a synth get them?¡± TO asked, ¡°If I placed an order to release them to synth custody?¡± ¡°... we can¡¯t save everyone, TO.¡± Mira said without looking at either of them. ¡°We don¡¯t have the time to gather up every single person and even if we could, we don¡¯t have the space to take everyone off the planet with us.¡± She took a steadying breath, ¡°The best thing we can do is keep what families we can together, and get who we can out.¡± ¡°But Flit said that the synths that are coming might just kill everyone!¡± TO said. ¡°If they stay here-¡± ¡°I¡¯m aware.¡± Mira snapped, ¡°I know also that outside of the kids who were taken from the underground, there are thousands of other kids, and other innocent people and families who were never involved with the insurgency who we just cannot get off the planet.¡± She crossed her arms and looked away again, ¡°... All because we wanted things to be a bit better.¡± ¡°And before you suggest it, GiDi already asked if they shouldn¡¯t just take responsibility and turn themself in.¡± Pearla said, ¡°Flit said Decon might still destroy the population at this point, if that is their ultimate plan.¡± ¡°Yeah, can¡¯t let anyone know a synth turned from their creator.¡± Mira huffed. ¡°Anyway¡­¡± Pearla looked at the paper again, ¡°I suppose now we connect with as many of these people as we can, and confirm that they¡¯re willing to leave.¡± She shook her head, ¡°That¡¯s the riskiest part of all this. One of them might decide to report us.¡± ¡°Why?¡± To asked, ¡°Why report us instead of get out-¡± ¡°Because they don¡¯t trust us. And why would they? The news tells everyone that this lockdown is our fault. Also, people can get some debt wiped away if they report suspicious behavior.¡± Mira said. ¡°So, let me do the talking. I¡¯ll be able to feel them out and see if they¡¯re interested or not.¡± ¡°Fine by me.¡± Pearla muttered, ¡°I¡¯m still stuck in here.¡± ¡°This is going to be an absolute pain.¡± Mira muttered as she looked at the list of people. ¡°I can¡¯t check my communicator outside of here or the washroom, so I¡¯m going to have to keep dashing off to check the names and descriptions-¡± ¡°It¡¯s only a list of thirty people, right?¡± TO asked. ¡°Let me see, I can memorize it.¡± Mira¡¯s antenna twitched as she glanced at TO. ¡°Only thirty, they say.¡± She muttered. ¡°Well, GiDi said that TO had an amazing memory.¡± Pearla said. ¡°Not amazing.¡± TO could feel their ears warm ever so slightly, ¡°Just¡­ better than average for a synth?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not what GiDi said.¡± Pearla said, ¡°They said you can read anything once, and just remember it.¡± ¡°It takes more than one time.¡± TO insisted. ¡°But¡­ It''s only thirty people. I should be able to remember that for now.¡± ¡°You really think you can memorize a list of names and descriptions, and be able to pick them out in a crowd?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know about picking them out, but I can memorize them.¡± Mira stared at TO for a moment longer, then passed TO her communicator. ¡°Go ahead then.¡± She said, ¡°See what you can do.¡± ====== TO read the list three times, carefully linking names to features and inscribing the details on their mind, giving themselves a comfortable fifteen minutes to take it all in. A quiz from Mira followed this where they first recited the entire list from memory, then answered questions that Mira came up with. ¡°Who was tenth on the list?¡± ¡°What does Lara look like?¡± ¡°What¡¯s the name of the reptile with a hint of icy blue on her tail?¡± One more perfect recital followed A handful of other questions before Mira finally closed up the communicator and shook her head, smiling. ¡°Are you sure they didn¡¯t put a computer in your head or something?¡± Mira said, chuckling, ¡°It would be the only explanation.¡± ¡°Well, technically, I do.¡± TO said, ¡°I have the other part of my chip at the base of my skull. It works with my chip to, for example, warn me when I¡¯ve ingested something that might hurt me. But it can¡¯t save information for me.¡± ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s all TO. GiDi said they all had decent memories, but TO¡¯s was so much better than their own.¡± ¡°GiDi dismisses themself too easily.¡± TO muttered. ¡°We all lived in a simulation before we were ¡®born¡¯ and they embedded certain fundamental skills into our heads.¡± Well, skills and other forms of conditioning; The nearly unshakeable confidence in King Decon, the will to serve, and those odd sayings that they used to repeat, and which always took on such a practiced, recited tone. ¡°If we¡¯re ready, can we go? It¡¯ll be lunchtime soon, right? If everyone goes to the same place for a meal, then we should find who we''re looking for there if we¡¯re careful.¡± ¡°Between lunch and supper, yeah.¡± Mira said. ¡°We should, hopefully, find everyone.¡± ¡°Then let''s go.¡± TO said, already heading to the door. They had a lot of work to do, and TO didn¡¯t want to waste any time. The more time they took, the more likely it was that they''d have to spend an extra awful day in the indebted center, and away from DH. Episode 294: Reciprocation ¡°The one who just came in; no hair, tattoos on the scalp, long black tail. Her name is Valerian.¡± TO watched as the Nagarajin made her way to the canteen, ¡°She¡¯s next on your list.¡± They said to Mira. ¡°Right.¡± Mira said as she took a sip of water from a pilfered bottle. ¡°You¡¯re sure she¡¯s next?¡± ¡°Positive.¡± TO said. That person was next on the list and TO knew that because Valerian fell between the arachnoid with the purple tipped feet who Mira had just spoken to, and the woman who had only seven tentacles instead of the eight that most of the Cephaloids possessed. ¡°Alright.¡± Mira said, ¡°Gimme a second, then I¡¯ll head over.¡± She glanced around, ¡°Anyone else.¡± ¡°Yes, the seven tentacled woman in the corner next, then the reptilian-¡± ¡°Don¡¯t list it to me again.¡± She grumbled, ¡°I won¡¯t remember it, and you don¡¯t need to prove your memory to me.¡± TO grinned, their ears wiggling slightly, ¡°Well, I had to earlier.¡± They said. ¡°Yeah, yeah, I know.¡± Poor Mira did look tired; her antenna had slowed in their twitching, and pinned back almost permanently against her head. She also moved with an awkward lethargy, as though her body were too heavy for her. ¡°Are you alright?¡± TO asked. ¡°Tired.¡± She admitted. ¡°I didn¡¯t sleep well last night, and even though I¡¯m eating the food¡­ I still feel hungry afterwards? I mean, I feel full when I¡¯m done¡­¡± Pursing their lips, TO considered this for a moment before reaching into their pocket and pulling out the bag of dried fish. ¡°Here.¡± They said, ¡°Have some.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s fine, I¡¯ll-¡± ¡°You¡¯re unwell. I ate, and while the substance that they serve early is foul in its taste and texture, it at least seems to hold some nutritional value for me. Clearly, it has nothing for you.¡± They pushed the bag of fish into Mira¡¯s hands. ¡°Eat before you go to the next person.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s not-¡± ¡°Eat at least one, or I¡¯ll stop reciting people off the list.¡± Mira glared at TO, but it lacked the bite it might have had. Finally, she sighed and took two of the few remaining dried fish from the bag and passed the rest back to TO. ¡°I¡¯d manage, you know.¡± She grumbled. ¡°That¡¯s what I said, and you and Pearla still ensured I had food.¡± TO said. ¡°Whatever.¡± Mira muttered as she scarfed down the food. ¡°I¡¯ll eat this, and hit up the next person.¡± TO glanced around, watching people entering and checking them off of their mental list as they did. ¡°Do you want me to talk to a few people?¡± TO asked. They felt bad that Mira was doing everything while TO was just standing there and picking people out. ¡°Absolutely not.¡± Mira said, ¡°You struggle with local dialects a lot, and you don¡¯t always pick up on things. You know..¡± She shrugged, ¡°When someone is uncomfortable, or anxious, in trying to be subtle.¡± TO huffed, crossing their arms as they leaned against the wall. ¡°Not my fault, nobody can express with their ears.¡± They grumbled. ¡°Besides, I can pick out facial expressions-¡± ¡°Barley.¡± Mira said. She ate the last few bites, ¡°Alright¡­ Here I go. Who was the next person again?¡± TO sighed. How did she forget this so quickly? ¡°Over there.¡± TO said, pointing off to a corner, ¡°Sitting on the floor and eating. No hair, tattoos on the scalp.¡± ¡°And her name is some kind of flower, right?¡± ¡°Valerian.¡± TO said, ¡°I have no idea if it¡¯s a flower or not.¡± She took off without another word to talk to Valerian, whose name may or may not have been a flower. With a sigh, TO glanced around, looking for more people. When Leanaran came in, they noted him but paid little attention since, given he knew what was going on, they didn''t have to talk to him. Leanaran¡¯s presence was extraneous information, and he faded from TO¡¯s attention until the moment he was standing before them, looking up expectantly. ¡°Oh. uh¡­ Hello?¡± TO glanced over to Mira, who was just starting their conversation with Valerian. ¡°Mira is over on the other side of-¡± ¡°That¡¯s fine.¡± Leanaran said, ¡°Come with me. Have a seat for a few minutes.¡± He lowered his voice, ¡°I heard you were scrounging for food yesterday. I have some for you if you want it. It¡¯s artificial jerky.¡± Though TO was certain they could manage with just the stuff that they served at the cafeteria and the last dried fish for a little while longer, the promise of more meat was tempting even if it was artificial. Besides, maybe they could save some for Mira and Pearla. Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. ¡°Alright.¡± TO said, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± They glanced over at Mira, and it seemed like she was going to take a while longer. Well, it was fine, she¡¯d see TO sitting with Leanaran when she came back. TO followed Leanaran to what was apparently his seat because although in the rest of the cafeteria had only standing room left, the seat that Leanaran had sat in when they saw him first was still open, as was the seat next to him. ¡°Someone saved your seat for you?¡± TO asked. ¡°Paid for by me.¡± Leanaran said. ¡°I offer some special products to the people on either side to make sure they save the seat. Though, most people know it¡¯s my seat, and they don¡¯t want to annoy me.¡± TO¡¯s ears pinned back. They had seen stuff like this in the shows, where incarcerated people would use threats of violence to establish their hierarchy. ¡°They¡¯re afraid of you?¡± TO finally asked. ¡°Oh, my no!¡± Leanaran said with a big laugh, ¡°No no. I mean, I don¡¯t think so? If I like someone, I¡¯ll offer them special rates on stuff, or help them out from time to time.¡± Amused, he shook his head as he sat down, patting the seat next to him as he did. ¡°Honestly, you watch too many shows.¡± The flush to TO¡¯s ears probably gave away that his assumption was entirely true, but how else was TO to learn about life outside of the training center before their placement. Of course, it¡¯s not like the things they had seen in the shows had proven accurate. ¡°So¡­¡± They sat down, oddly conscious of not having a bowl with them while everyone else was eating. ¡°... You don¡¯t ¡®lay a beat-down¡¯ on people if they get in your way?¡± ¡°Well, I don¡¯t.¡± Leanaran said, ¡°I¡¯m not interested in getting people hurt. Though, there are people here who will hurt you if they have reason to, there''s hardly violence in the center itself. It¡¯s too easy to get caught and the consequences are harsh. If you¡¯re going to be attacked, it¡¯ll be on a job assignment.¡± TO was just glad they didn¡¯t have to go on assignment. Leanaran reached down under the table, and came up with one of the cafeteria bowls, but instead of the sludge that they normally had, Leanaran had filled it with bits and pieces of cubed, dried ¡®meat¡¯. The artificial stuff wasn¡¯t as appetizing as the natural stuff, but since all TO had eaten in the last few days was the sludge and the fish it seemed like a high-class feast, so they dug in. ¡°You¡¯re not adapting to the food here.¡± Leanaran chuckled, ¡°I¡¯d say you¡¯ll have to learn¡­ But I suppose you won¡¯t, will you?¡± TO paused for just a moment as a jolt of panic struck through them, but then they remembered they had in fact told Leanaran about their plans. ¡°I suppose not.¡± They said before continuing to eat. ¡°And if everything goes according to plan, I can afford to splurge a little, can¡¯t I? I might treat a new friend to a meal, and have a little chat.¡± They stopped eating again, looking at Leanaran in surprise. ¡°A friend?¡± They asked, their voice quiet. They hardly knew this man, and he already thought of him as a friend? ¡°You consider me a friend?¡± ¡°Of course. I mean, friends help each other, right? I heard you were scrounging for food and figured you¡¯d need something half-decent to eat.¡± The idea of such a transactional means of friendship seemed odd, but they remembered that the first day they met DH, they had made a deal to help each other; TO would help DH with their flying, and DH would teach TO to speak in a smoother manner. Of course, that was just an excuse to spend time together, and this felt very different. Leanaran watched TO for just a moment longer before adding, ¡°And¡­ if I needed something from you, I¡¯m sure you¡¯d offer to help.¡± ¡°Well.. yes?¡± TO said, their ears flicking out at the strange, unidentifiable tone that Leanaran had; one that seemed far more purposeful than their normal speech. ¡°But¡­ I mean, I help people who aren¡¯t my friends too?¡± They mostly remembered Q10, and how they shared their medication with them back in training. Of course, remembering the synth brought a wave of guilt and sickness to them, and brought to mind the way they were just so willing to get corrected. They focused again on their food, trying to block out the memory. ¡°Tio?¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± TO glanced up from their food as Leanaran spoke their name. ¡°Yes?¡± Leanaran gave a heavy sigh. ¡°You¡¯ve lived a sheltered life before this, haven¡¯t you?¡± They asked. ¡°A little.¡± they said as their ears dipped. Truthfully, they had been very sheltered in training; they saw that now. Although they remembered the story that Mira had made up about them, They wanted to avoid lying if they could. ¡°I can tell.¡± Leanaran said flatly, ¡°I need some information.¡± Suddenly, Leanaran¡¯s comments about helping friends and having a chat fell into place. TO¡¯s ears warmed as they set the jerky down. ¡°Ah.¡± They said, ¡°We¡¯re not actually friends, you just want to ask me something.¡± Leanaran¡¯s color turned a gray-blue as their tentacles twisted about them. ¡°Ah.¡± They muttered. ¡°... I have nothing against you, but I don¡¯t know you, right?¡± TO nodded, ¡°I understand; that makes much more sense!¡± They sat upright, ¡°So, to be clear¡­ you¡¯re trading me some of this jerky for information?¡± Leanaran sighed again, ¡°Yes, Tio. I¡¯m trading you food for information.¡± ¡°Why didn''t you just say that!¡± TO said. Now, they didn¡¯t have to worry about potentially insulting Leanaran by saving some to give to Mira; it wasn¡¯t a gift, it was currency. ¡°What do you want to know?¡± Leanaran looked around quickly, then leaned in and spoke in quiet, whispered words. ¡°Tell me about this Gyrini. Why is she here?¡± Episode 295:Plan TO half swallowed the mostly unchewed piece of jerky they had been eating, and immediately had to cough violently to get it back up. They felt a tentacle on their shoulder and scarcely heard Leanaran ask if they were ok. When they finally coughed up the meat, their throat felt raw from the effort. A bottle of water was pushed into their hand and without prompting they drank at least half of it to soothe the burn in their throat. ¡°Do you play cards?¡± Leanaran asked with a smirk, ¡°Let me know, I think I¡¯d clean house.¡± ¡°What does cleaning house have to do with playing cards?¡± TO rasped once they finally caught their breath. Leanaran just shook their head. ¡°Nevermind that.¡± They said, ¡°Just tell me what you know about Gyrini.¡± ¡°Gyrini? Who¡¯s Gyrini?!¡± TO said, their ears twitching from both their panic and their deception. ¡°Please.¡± Leanaran said, glancing around quickly. He lowered his voice. ¡°I might have bought that before your reaction there, but not now.¡± He leaned in. ¡°So. Who is she? I know she¡¯s a security minister, but she¡¯s not from Arkane, so, what is she? Some politician in charge of the Arkanian cluster? The wider solar system?¡± He leaned forward, ¡°And look, there¡¯s talk that the lockdown is because of what happened in Thalassa. We have never had a lockdown before. There could be a heatwave with toxic gasses spreading across the entire planet, and we¡¯d still go out to work! So, a planetary lockdown, combined with a center lockdown, seems excessive.¡± TO was prepared for questions now, and though they weren¡¯t comfortable lying, simulations had trained them for questioning. They said nothing in response to Leanaran¡¯s questions, only raising a questioning brow ridge. ¡°And of course, while all this is happening is just when Mira, Pearla, and you show up with cryptic warnings and saying we have to get off the planet. You have to agree, that all seems a little coincidental.¡± ¡°Perhaps.¡± ¡°And to add to that, she seemed to have a communicator with her. Apparently, she¡¯s looking for the owner of that communicator.¡± TO¡¯s ears dipped down suddenly, their eyes widening. ¡°... And I¡¯m assuming it belongs to one of you three, since the three of you came in, but I only returned two communicators to you.¡± He lowered his voice again, ¡°So, given I got you that communicator, and given I¡¯m involved in this plan of yours, I¡¯d like to know what the going on.¡± TO still kept silent, but this time it was because they were thinking. Leanaran was part of this by now, even if he didn¡¯t know everything that was going on. He had helped them a lot! Of course, he hadn¡¯t necessarily done that out of altruism. There were over a dozen names on their list now because Leanaran had demanded that as payment for his help. Still, they needed him. Well, maybe not for the plan itself, but they needed him to keep quiet about their plans and not to go Gyrini. Besides, even if he didn¡¯t report them, there might be other situations where they needed his help. ¡°Many people are involved in this, Tio.¡± Leanaran said, ¡°I¡¯ve gotten many people involved. I need to know that they¡¯ll be alright, if this is going ahead, or if you¡¯re calling off the whole thing.¡± ¡°... There have been complications.¡± TO finally admitted, ¡°But we¡¯re coming up with a plan.¡± ¡°Implying that you don¡¯t have one.¡± Leanaran said, frowning. ¡°... Is it safe to go ahead with this?¡± ¡°No.¡± TO said, ¡°But it¡¯s not safe to stay here either.¡± ¡°And I only have your word for that.¡± Leanaran said, ¡°Who is this Gyrini?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t watch the GBA?¡± TO asked. ¡°Anyone with a screen in their bunk would be much happier watching shows or porn. Watching the depressing news is not a priority. I know Gyrini¡¯s a security minister, and that she¡¯s not from here.¡± TO tapped at the table. They didn¡¯t want to tell people what was actually going on, as it would cause a panic. Still, if anyone watched the GBA more carefully, they¡¯d know who Gyrini was, anyway. ¡°... Gyrini is Minister of Security for this Quadrant of the Decon Galaxy.¡± ¡°Shit.¡± Leanaran whispered. ¡°This really is bad.¡± They frowned, ¡°But why is she here?¡± ¡°... On Arkane, or in this center?¡± ¡°Both!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t entirely know.¡± TO said. ¡°She came to Arkane when the synths went missing, but they¡¯re back now as far as I know.¡± It was odd to talk about themself in the third person, but TO was just glad that they remembered to do it. ¡°Did you know about that?¡± ¡°I think I heard about it, but to be entirely honest I¡¯m not concerned about what the synths are doing. They wouldn¡¯t care about what we do here, anyway.¡± ¡°Well... She came here when they went missing. I¡¯m assuming she¡¯s investigating their disappearance.¡± ¡°You¡¯d think King Decon would have sent more synths¡­¡± Leanaran muttered. ¡°But I think a lot of them have gone missing, so maybe He doesn¡¯t want to risk losing any more?¡± He frowned, His brows furrowing and his tentacles twisting. ¡°Something still doesn¡¯t make sense¡­ but I can¡¯t quite place it.¡± With a sigh, he glanced around again and this time something caught his eye. ¡°Looks like I¡¯m keeping you.¡± He said as he waved behind TO. When TO looked, they could see Mira waiting for them, her long arms crossed, her feet shifting on the floor. ¡°Yes.¡± TO said as they got up, ¡°Sorry. Thank you.¡± They stopped, their hand on the bowl ¡°I can take this?¡± ¡°Go ahead.¡± Leanaran said. ¡°Thanks.¡± TO took the bowl and emptied the contents into the little bag holding the last piece of fish they had, then turned to leave. They hadn¡¯t even taken a step before Leanaran had a tentacle on their arm, holding them back. ¡°... Do you have any idea how to get us out of here?¡± He asked once more.| ¡°... Out of the center you mean?¡± If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. ¡°Yes, out of the lockdown. Do you have any ideas?¡± Mira had apparently been listening, because at this point she finally stepped forward. ¡°Hey, sorry for listening in.¡± She said, giving a false smile. ¡°We have a plan, but¡­¡± She shrugged, ¡°Have to keep it very quiet for now. You understand.¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Leanaran said, letting go of their grip on TO. ¡°I¡¯m just glad to know you have some plans. I won¡¯t pry for now, but if you need anything; Food, medication, or first aid, let me know.¡± He glanced around the cafeteria, ¡°I noticed Pearla isn¡¯t with you today. Is she ok?¡± ¡°Oh, yes!¡± Mira said with a laugh, ¡°She¡¯s fine; just didn¡¯t want to be in the cafeteria. I think the food made her a little sick.¡± ¡°It can do that.¡± Leanaran said with a sigh as they looked back at their own bowl. ¡°Well¡­ Good luck.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± She smiled at TO, and pulled them forward, ¡°Come on, more work to do.¡± She said with a thick enough that TO could pick up on how cheerful it was. Well, TO could understand how she might be happy! Even they felt their ears perk up and their muscles relax. TO had no idea what the plan was, or how Mira had come up with one in such a short time, but they were just glad that at least something was sorted out. ====== ¡°What? No! Of course I don¡¯t have a plan!¡± Mira said when TO questioned her about it later. ¡°I don¡¯t know what we¡¯re supposed to do here!¡± They were back in the laundry room, the smell of which was entirely overlooked at this point. TO TO, its smaller size and quieter atmosphere entirely outweighed its other flaws. They had been almost happy given that they could now rest their eyes, that they weren''t being bombarded by noise all over, and that Mira had a plan. ¡°Then why did you say you had a plan!¡± TO asked, nearly dropping the bag of fish and jerky as they passed it to Pearla, ¡°I heard you right! You said we had a plan! You were smiling! You were pleased!¡± ¡°I lied, obviously!¡± Mira said, ¡°I don¡¯t have a plan! I have no idea what the heck I¡¯m supposed to do! I¡¯m getting all the pieces in place, getting everyone ready, and trying to figure things out as I go!¡± TO put their head in their hands and sighed. They thought they¡¯d be able to rest now since they had some time between now and dinner before they had to look for the others. They had most people off their list, but there were just a few left they had to find. The glorious few hours they had to wait and rest in the dim quiet of the laundry room was now a scant few hours to figure out a plan. ¡°Maybe we need to bail.¡± Mira muttered after a few agonizing minutes of silence. ¡°I¡¯m sure the shipping crates leaving the center are still moving at least. They¡¯re trying to keep planetary shipping going as best as they had to make it look like things are ok.¡± ¡°And you think Gyrini won¡¯t have the crates checked?¡± TO asked. ¡°She¡¯s probably set up some lockdown procedures. In fact, if it were me in her place, I¡¯d have said nothing leaves the center. At all. Not even garbage.¡± Mira sighed, ¡°Call Vik.¡± She said to TO, ¡°I want to save my battery here, and we need to talk to him. Maybe he and DH have come up with a plan.¡± Right! Vik and DH were both working on something, and TO knew that DH wouldn¡¯t stop until they were out of the center, and back safe underground. The call took several minutes to go through, and longer for someone to answer them. When they did, there was no video, just audio. ¡°Vik?¡± Mira frowned at the blank screen floating above TO¡¯s hand. ¡°What¡¯s up? No camera today, or-¡± ¡°Busy. working.¡± They said, ¡°So, I¡¯ve got some reports here-¡± ¡°Later.¡± Mira said, ¡°We need to know if you have a plan for us.¡± ¡°A plan?¡± ¡°Yeah. The center is in lockdown, and we can¡¯t get out the normal way.¡± ¡°Right. Yes. There is progress, but before that-¡± ¡°Just give me some hope here, Vik.¡± Mira pleaded, ¡°Come on, something good. Tell me some good news.¡± Vik sighed, ¡°Alright¡­ Where are you? I¡¯m assuming you¡¯re somewhere safe.¡± ¡°One of the laundry rooms. We¡¯ve been left alone so far here, so it should be safe.¡± ¡°Alright. Well, good news first then, I guess.¡± Vik said, ¡°The good news; I¡¯m comfortably hidden in their system, and it seems like nobody has noticed me. Right now I¡¯m focused on observing their reports, watching their communications, and tinkering just a little to see what I can edit, and how much they¡¯ll notice. I have a backdoor now, so I can get in and out as I please. We¡¯ll be fine when you¡¯re ready to go. Really, the synth level of authorization makes this so much easier!¡± ¡°Good, that¡¯s something.¡± ¡°OH!¡± The one syllable was all TO needed to recognize the excited voice of their mate. Their ears twitched and rose in response to the familiar voice. ¡°And I managed the thing I was working on!¡± ¡°What was it?¡± TO asked. ¡°Can you tell us now?¡± ¡°Yes, I can!¡± DH said, ¡°I have access to their drones!¡± ¡°Their drones?¡± TO asked. ¡°But they don¡¯t have drones in the center, just-¡± ¡°Just when people go on assignment, right? And if that¡¯s when we¡¯re getting people out, we can turn off half their functionality, and keep them doing their rounds without actually monitoring anyone! I can also monitor you and use the drones to help you if something happens!¡± ¡°That¡¯s useful.¡± Mira said. ¡°When we can get around the lockdown, things might be a little easier.¡± She sighed, ¡°Ugh. Two lockdowns to get through. I hate this. Since we got here, it just feels like everything is going wrong!¡± ¡°And on that note.¡± Vik said, ¡°Now that I¡¯ve given you the good news, are you willing to listen to the not-so-good news that I unfortunately must break to you?¡± ¡°Shit, you got your polite voice on. Must be bad.¡± Mira said, smirking. ¡°It is.¡± Vik said, ¡°They know the communicator was Pearla¡¯s, and they¡¯re looking for her right now.¡± Episode 296: Snitch Gyrini knew the communicator belonged to Pearla. She was looking for Pearla and it stood to reason that they¡¯d be looking for Mira and TO as well. The three of them had been together all this time and even if Vik had edited the surveillance, simple questioning would link them together. ¡°How do they know?¡± Mira snapped. ¡°Was it the guard?¡± ¡°No,¡± Vik said. ¡°Look, I still can¡¯t access Gyrini¡¯s communicator, but I have access to everything going to the primary communication systems in the center there. Now, I''m assuming that whoever reported her went right to Gyrini because the data I have simply shows me the results. Pearla¡¯s description, her name, and ID got put into the system-¡° ¡°How did they get my name?¡± Pearla asked, panic flooding her voice. ¡°Your government records, probably.¡± TO said, remembering what had come up when they first looked into Pearla, ¡°You¡¯re not listed as a criminal. You have no flags in your file, but they listed you as someone to watch; A person of concern.¡± ¡°What?¡± Pearla¡¯s gaze snapped to TO. ¡°How would you know that?¡± ¡°Well¡­ after we met you, we looked you up. We had access to all civilian files-¡° ¡°And you never once thought it was important to mention that to us!¡± Mira hissed. ¡°Well, I¡¯m mentioning it now.¡± TO said with a huff, ¡°Forgive me, but it¡¯s been busy since I ended up with the insurgency. That Pearla was someone Arkanian law enforcement keeps a stray eye on didn¡¯t seem to be particularly concerning a piece of information!¡± ¡°So, what?¡± Mira glanced back to the Communicator. ¡°You said the guard didn¡¯t inform them?¡± ¡°Well, there¡¯s no report here saying specifically who reported the information¡­. However, they fired that guard and Gyrini took him into custody today according to the center logs. Shortly after they logged that, there was one indebted person who had nearly half their debt wiped.¡± ¡°Beck.¡± TO said. ¡°Everyone said that she¡¯d not say anything. She said she¡¯d not say anything, but she saw Pearla get her phone taken. She knew about the guard-¡± ¡°Uh, not someone named ¡®Beck¡¯¡± Vik said, ¡°The Person¡¯s name was¡­ let¡¯s see here¡­¡± ¡°Outis.¡± DH said. Apparently, they were in the background listening and only choose now to chime in. ¡°I remember the name.¡± ¡°I told you they have great memories.¡± Pearla said. Despite their apparently great memory, it took TO a moment to remember who Outis was. ¡°Leanaran¡¯s messenger.¡± TO said. ¡°The one who brought us our communicators!¡± Mira cursed, ¡°Shit. What were they thinking? They smuggled the communicators to us! They could get in so much trouble for that!¡± ¡°Only if they¡¯re reported.¡± Vik said. ¡°Right? And who''s going to report them, you? Leanaran? You all have lots to lose if Outis gets caught for that, right? Besides, if they brought you the communicators, then why didn¡¯t they report you and TO as well?¡± ¡°No idea.¡± Mira said, ¡°I don¡¯t know what they were thinking! Things never work out well here for snitches.¡± ¡°Chances are they didn¡¯t realize that someone was checking the reports.¡± Vik said, ¡°Likely, they felt they¡¯d be safer and get more if they reported directed to Gyrini, not to the guards.¡± ¡°Right.¡± Mira said. She put her head in her hands and gave a mighty groan of frustration. ¡°So, first, I¡¯m going to tell Leanaran. Second-¡° ¡°I¡¯d say not to tell Leanaran, but if you need him to help you with everything else, then it might be best to let him know so he doesn''t rely on Outis for anything else.¡± ¡°What did they even tell her!?¡± Mira snapped, ¡°Oh, yeah, I brought her friends their communicators, so since she didn''t have one-¡° ¡°They¡¯re tiny.¡± TO said, ¡°Maybe they saw it happen, and we just didn¡¯t notice, or maybe¡­¡± They stopped and looked around the laundry room. They had checked for cameras when they first came in, but that was it. They had paid little attention to anything else given that whenever they came in here their head and eyes were aching. Now as they looked around, they could see the vents in the wall. A muttered curse left their lips, and they started sending a message on their communicator to Mira, Pearla, and Vik. ==Outis is small, and when they approached us on the rooftop they came through the drain, remember? What are the chances that he wanders around in the vents too? Maybe that¡¯s why Leanaran uses them for those things; they can get around without being noticed.== ¡°Fuck me dead.¡± Mira muttered before sending a message of her own. ==That means that they might know so much. They might know you¡¯re a synth. They might know our entire plan!== TO shook their head and sent a message back. ==If they knew, I think they''d be more interested in getting involved. Clearly they want to get out if they reported us for a reduction of their debt. If they knew everything we¡¯ve been talking about, then they¡¯d probably have demanded that they come along in return for their silence. If they know what might happen to the planet, then why would they bother with just reducing their debt to get out faster?== ==A good point. == Vik sent back. ==as a tiny creature capable of hiding in unexpected places as well, I can confirm that often you just hear interesting things here and there.== A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. ==We still need to be careful and watch what we say. == TO messaged, ==and we need to get out of here as soon as possible.== Mira gave an irritated sigh, looked for a moment like she was going to snap something at TO, then instead went back to furiously typing something out. ==We can¡¯t. Gyrini is specifically looking for Pearla. Until she has her, nobody is leaving the center and you don¡¯t even think we can use the shipping bay to get out.== ==Mira is right. == Vik responded, ==Nothing¡¯s left the center since earlier today. Normally they at least send out the used shipping crates they receive supplies in.== ==See! We can¡¯t leave!== There had to be a solution. Again, this was just like a simulation where TO had run back in training, with an objective and limited resources. It was their job to come up with a plan to meet the objective. There had to be a solution; there had never been a situation in the simulations that was unwinnable, and TO refused to believe that there was one now. Pearla was watching TO¡¯s communicator, watching the conversation continue. She kept silent, but after reading the last message she gently tugged the communicator from TO¡¯s hands. TO let her take it, unsure what she was doing. She shifted back to her seat and began typing out of TO¡¯s sight. ==This is Pearla: Maybe I should turn myself in. Right now, we can¡¯t even get out. I¡¯ll get caught eventually, and if they discover you¡¯ve been hiding with me, then we¡¯ll all get taken in. If I turn myself over to Gyrini, then she¡¯ll open the center back up and you three can continue with the plan. You can even get people out then.== TO took the communicator back instantly and started typing furiously. Mira and Vik sent a simple, almost simultaneous ¡®no¡¯ before TO could properly form their response. ==Absolutely not. That is not a solution in my mind. It would devastate GiDi, and I won¡¯t let that happen== ==If we need to, we¡¯ll find someone else to pin it on. == Vik said, ==Maybe I can find a lookalike in the files, and we can set them up.== TO didn¡¯t know if they¡¯d find a lookalike. There were plenty of Nagarajin, yes, but not necessarily ones with Pearla¡¯s coloration, or the mass of curly black hair. Even if they found one, that meant putting a lookalike at Gyrini¡¯s mercy and she¡¯d question them ruthlessly, torture them, for information. Either Gyrini would question them until she believed they were innocent, or until the lookalike died. Though, if Gyrini was good at ¡®questioning¡¯ people then it was unlikely that anyone would die until she was done with them. There was no point questioning a corpse. The solution to the issue suddenly sparked in TO¡¯s head, and a plan came into existence. There were questions of course, some of which TO had an answer for and some which didn¡¯t. Still, it seemed like the best solution so far and with the help of their friends and allies TO felt certain that it would work. They started typing, explaining their plan and hoping that everyone would be alright with it. ====== There was a lineup waiting to see Leanaran when supper came around, but even so when he saw TO and Mira he waved them up. TO sat down, and Mira stood between the two. ¡°I¡¯m guessing you need something?¡± Leanaran asked as soon as they sat, ¡°Nothing has changed yet. Lockdown is still in place.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± Mira whispered. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that for now. But we need to tell you something.¡± ¡°Shit.¡± Leanaran said, dropping their spoon into their bowl, ¡°I hate it when someone tells me that. That means something problematic happened, and it¡¯s something I need to fix.¡± ¡°Yes, you do.¡± Mira whispered. She paused and peeked under the table. ¡°What, you drop something?¡± Leanaran asked. ¡°No.¡± Mira whispered back, ¡°I¡¯m looking for Outis.¡± ¡°Outis? They¡¯re not here.¡± Leanaran said, ¡°I don¡¯t think so anyway.¡± ¡°Good.¡± TO whispered. ¡°Did you tell them the plan?¡± ¡°I have told no one anything yet.¡± Leanaran said, ¡°It¡¯s too risky yet. I need to know that things are going ahead before I start anything.¡± ¡°Get people ready then.¡± Mira said, ¡°If things go right, tomorrow morning is when everything will happen.¡± ¡°Meantime, you have to be careful of Outis.¡± TO said, keeping their voice as low as possible; they couldn¡¯t see Outis, but they didn¡¯t want to take the chance that the small creature might be around. ¡°They found out that the communicator was Pearla¡¯s and reported it to Gyrini.¡± Leanaran fell silent, their eyes almost glazing over. After a few agonizing moments they put on a forced smile and focused on their bowl. ¡°I¡¯ve been working with Outis for years.¡± They said, ¡°You know, there¡¯s very few people I trust.¡± They shrugged, ¡°Been burned a lot. Been hurt a lot. The list of people on my trust list is tiny. My wife, I trust absolutely. My mother, before she died, was also on the list of people I trust. I¡¯ve worked for years with Outis, and they¡¯ve made their way onto that list. I don¡¯t know if I¡¯d believe evidence of a betrayal from pretty much anyone except for another person on that list¡­¡± He paused her, and looked at Mira, ¡°... And you¡¯re also on that list, Mira.¡± ¡°I¡¯m glad to hear it, because I¡¯m telling you the truth.¡± He shook his head and looked away. His coloration turned to a dull blue, and the movement of his tentacles slowed. ¡°... and you¡¯re sure it¡¯s not a misunderstanding?¡± He asked, ¡°Maybe you saw or heard something, and misunderstood it. I just can¡¯t see them reporting anything to anyone! If they did¡­ well, if it got out, nobody would trust them, nobody would work with them, and I couldn¡¯t work with them anymore!¡± ¡°Look, it¡¯s not impossible that we misunderstood our evidence, but what we have is pretty damning.¡± Mira said, ¡°I can show you.¡± ¡°... You will.¡± Leanaran said, ¡°And not only that, but you¡¯ll tell me everything that¡¯s going on.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s a good-¡± ¡°It¡¯s non-negotiable at this point.¡± Leanaran said. His voice suddenly went cold and firm, his words more pronounced, his color turning icy. ¡°Either you show me your proof, and you tell me your entire plan and what¡¯s going on, or I won¡¯t be helping you anymore. And nobody else will help you.¡± Mira looked up at TO, ¡°... What do you think?¡± She asked. ¡°You know him better than I do.¡± TO said. ¡°I know¡­ despite that, what do you think?¡± ¡°I think we have limited options and need the allies we can get at this point.¡± TO said. They wondered if they could make their plan work without Leanaran. Maybe they could, but it would be faster and easier if they had him to help. ¡°Alright.¡± Mira said, ¡°We¡¯ll show you what we have, but we need one thing to make our plan work.¡± ¡°And what¡¯s that?¡± Leanaran asked. ¡°Sea berry juice.¡± Mira said, ¡°Not from the canteen though. Someone has to be distilling it themselves here, right?¡± ¡°... Yes, but I can get you the canteen stuff, it¡¯s safer-¡± ¡°I know. I need the knockoff stuff, and I need it strong.¡± ¡°That¡¯s very dangerous.¡± Leanaran said, ¡°Can knock a person right out. I know it¡¯s a stressful time, and normally I¡¯d not be too worried about how a person choose to cope, but if you end up too drunk to pull things off, or if you end up dead-¡± ¡°It¡¯s essential.¡± Mira said, ¡°Please. And I¡¯ll give you any information you want.¡± Another sigh as they looked around. ¡°... Fine.¡± they said. ¡°But tell me everything.¡± Episode 297: Methanol There was very little they kept from Leanaran upon bringing him to the laundry room after supper. While they told him of their ¡®suspicions¡¯ about the potential actions of the synth fleet once it approached Arkane, they did not share exactly how they got that information. They also left out the fact that TO was a synth, and that they had five other synths underground with them. TO worried that Leanaran would press them for more information, that he would demand to know how they had so much information. He didn¡¯t. Of course, facing the annihilation of an entire planet''s population was likely to push other, less important thoughts out of one¡¯s head. There were questions about their source when it came to Outis though. The data that Vik had presented was incriminating to be certain; the simultaneous arrest of the guard, the call for the guards to find Pearla, and the slash to Outis¡¯ remaining debt all added up to the same picture. ¡°I¡¯ll take care of Outis.¡± Leanaran said, their voice cold, their expression unreadable as they read over the information once more. ¡°Just¡­ leave him to me.¡± ¡°What if they¡¯re in the vents?¡± TO asked, glancing back up to the grated vent in the wall, ¡°And if he reports on us-¡± Before TO could finish their thought, Leanaran threw a dirty towel at them. ¡°Put that over the vent.¡± He said. While TO did that, he picked up another towel, opened the sliding door, then let it close again. Just before it actually closed he caught the edge and held it in place. A moment passed before the door beeped, and a small light at the top flashed red. Ignoring that, Leanaran manually pulled the door shut. ¡°And now, this won¡¯t open automatically.¡± He said. ¡°So you don''t have to be worried about someone walking in on you.¡± ¡°That¡¯s useful.¡± TO muttered as they tucked the towel around the corners of the vent. ¡°You pick up on things.¡± Leanaran said. ¡°And we can¡¯t risk anybody seeing her.¡± He glanced back to Pearla. ¡°If Outis got so much debt slashed for just reporting you, then I¡¯d hate to see what gets offered for someone finding you.¡± ¡°But¡­ nobody would turn me in, right?¡± Pearla asked, ¡°It¡¯s not worth it, right?¡± ¡°Depends.¡± Leanaran said, ¡°If someone thought they could bargain for the rest of their debt to be wiped, then maybe.¡± ¡°They haven¡¯t even announced it yet.¡± Mira said, ¡°So that¡¯s not a problem-¡± ¡°It will be if they go much longer without finding her, they¡¯ll release Pearla¡¯s description to the center.¡± Leanaran said. ¡°Every day we¡¯re in lockdown is an extra day added to our debt. People are going to get sick of that, and end up looking for her with or without a reward.¡± Mira turned to TO, ¡°What do you think?¡± She asked. ¡°If you were Gyrini, what would you do.¡± ¡°If I were Gyrini, I¡¯d already have announced who I was looking for.¡± TO said. ¡°I don¡¯t know why she hasn¡¯t.¡± ¡°I do.¡± Vik said. They were still on the line, though they were using a voice modulator just like the first time they spoke to TO. ¡°Of course, I can see all the files. The center management sent a request to Gyrini, asking her to let them handle it themselves. I guess she¡¯s coming down on them for the recent escapes.¡± ¡°Well, that won¡¯t last long.¡± TO said, ¡°At least, it wouldn''t last with me.¡± ¡°I wonder about your particular experience in this.¡± Leanaran said, a sharp glance and the tight twisting of their tentacles betraying the otherwise cool tone and relaxed facial features. ¡°Previous work experience.¡± Mira said, ¡°They¡¯re trustworthy.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll take your word on it.¡± Leanaran said, ¡°For now, anyway.¡± ¡°So what about the rest of our plan?¡± Mira asked. ¡°Is it to your satisfaction? Can you help?¡± ¡°There¡¯s a lot of moving parts here that I can¡¯t see.¡± Leanaran muttered, ¡°A lot is happening behind the scenes. It also requires a lot of trust in people I don¡¯t know.¡± He glanced at Mira¡¯s still broadcasting communicator, ¡°Including people who won¡¯t even use their real voice.¡± ¡°Hey.¡± Vik¡¯s unnaturally deep voice spat from the communicator, ¡°I don¡¯t know you either, and I still agreed to work with you.¡± ¡°It¡¯s the same plan it was when we first approached you.¡± Mira said, ¡°Just¡­ with a few extra steps.¡± ¡°Mira, I swear, if this was anybody but you¡­¡± ¡°I know I know.¡± Mira said, ¡°So you¡¯ll help?¡± Leanaran sighed, ¡°Yes.¡± He said, ¡°Even if part of this is true, it¡¯s best to get away from here as soon as possible.¡± ¡°So now what?¡± TO asked, ¡°We wait for Gyrini to announce that she¡¯s looking for Pearla?¡± They were prepared for a second night here away from their mate, but TO didn¡¯t know if they could handle a third. ¡°Hmm, no need.¡± Leanaran said, ¡°I can speed that up a little.¡± He smirked at TO, ¡°You might have an idea on how Gyrini works, but I know how the guards work. The information will get back to me before I go to bed tonight, I assure you. Once it does, then I¡¯ll take care of things.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Mira said. She looked at Pearla, ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re ok with this? If things go wrong¡­¡± Pearla hugged herself, shrugging, ¡°I wouldn¡¯t say I¡¯m ok with this.¡± Pearla said, ¡°But it¡¯s the only option I can see, right?¡± She shivered, ¡°I don¡¯t know what Gyrini¡¯s going to do when she gets her hands on me.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a risk.¡± Vik said, ¡°And your Partner''s not thrilled with it, but the alternatives are worse; if you stay in there too long, Gyrini will catch you. I know you¡¯re loyal, Pearla, and I know you¡¯d never turn on any of us, but¡­¡± ¡°But torture will break you.¡± TO said, finishing Vik¡¯s thought, ¡°And without special training, you¡¯ll tell her everything you know.¡± ¡°Right.¡± Vik said, ¡°So¡­ they hate it, but they can¡¯t see another way. Also, it¡¯s TO¡¯s idea, and they trust TO.¡± Leanaran sighed once more, and gave TO a hard stare, ¡°I hope you¡¯re as good as they seem to think.¡± He said. ¡°There¡¯s going to be more than one death here if you don¡¯t know what you¡¯re doing.¡± TO nodded, their ears dipping. They knew what they themself were doing, yes, but like Leanaran said; there were too many moving parts behind the scenes, too many variables. They weren¡¯t used to working with Non-synths, and didn¡¯t know how everyone would react. Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel. Still¡­ they had to do something. ¡°Alright.¡± Mira said, ¡°Let¡¯s get this started.¡± ====== Hours later, Mira and TO watched the screen projected before them. With the door jammed and the vent covered up, TO didn¡¯t mind using their chip and projecting the video that Vik was sending them. There were many security cameras through the center, focusing mostly on larger communal areas and main hallways, but they only needed to watch the elevator and the stairs. When Leanaran entered the elevator at two in the morning followed by a guard, and Gyrini, they only had to focus on one. ¡°-I have no problem leading you to the infirmary.¡± Leanaran said, his voice clear once get go into the elevator, ¡°But I¡¯m certain you don¡¯t need me to-¡± ¡°Certainly not.¡± Gyrini said, her voice a low hum, ¡°But You¡¯re still coming with me.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t get why she¡¯d do that.¡± Mira muttered. ¡°Well¡­ Civilians lie.¡± TO said, reciting the words from their training, ¡°If you catch them in a lie-¡± ¡°Them?¡± ¡°... Well, what they taught us, I mean.¡± TO said as their ears dipped back, ¡°If you catch a civil- Someone in a lie, they¡¯ll panic, and you¡¯re more likely to get the truth from them.¡± The elevator brought the three down to the bottom floor, to the infirmary that TO had visited only earlier that day. They strode past the sign leading to the morgue, and towards the infirmary. ¡°Vik, you¡¯re certain you can get us audio from the infirmary?¡± Mira asked. ¡°Yup! I mean, not from the security cameras, but from the computer there.¡± ¡°And you¡¯re you set certain everything up right?¡± TO asked, ¡°You¡¯re certain that all the files correct?¡± ¡°Really, you worry too much.¡± Vik said, ¡°Yes, it¡¯s all fine.¡± The door to the infirmary slid open, allowing Gyrini, Leanaran, and the guard to enter. The security guard positioned in the infirmary went from his position of leaning his impressive bulk against the wall to standing at attention once Gyrini entered. ¡°A moment.¡± Dr. Nycht muttered, his ears twitching and rotating as the unfamiliar noise entered. He glanced up, and froze once he saw Gyrini. ¡°Minister Gyrini!¡± He said, dropping a file and standing as tall as he could atop the desk, ¡°Apologies, I didn¡¯t realize it was you. Please, sit, how can I-¡± ¡°I¡¯m looking for a patient: Deceased. Nagarajin. Subject has curly black hair and purple toned skin.¡± Dr. Nycht frowned, ¡°That sounds familiar¡­¡± he muttered as he looked through his files.¡± ¡°Of courts it does, Dr. Nycht.¡± The guard at the door said. ¡°That¡¯s the description they gave us earlier today. You were to look out for any patients that match that description.¡± ¡°And I checked all the patients here.¡± He said, glancing back towards the curtained beds behind him, ¡°But there was nobody matching that-¡± Leanaran cleared his throat, ¡°I had to interrupt.¡± He said, ¡°But I heard she had expired already when she came here. Maybe she never even came into the infirmary?¡± Dr. Nycht thrummed his fingers on the table. ¡°Possible¡­¡± ¡°Unlikely.¡± The guard said, ¡°Doctor, you always bring your patients in here-¡± ¡°Yes, but if she was dead already¡­. Ah.¡± He found a file on his computer and projected the image above the computer so that Gyrini could see. Though TO couldn¡¯t see the image on the screen from where they watched the scene play out, they knew what it looked like; Pearla¡¯s darkened eyes, sunken cheeks, the dry, cracked lips¡­ A picture couldn¡¯t capture the unsettling stillness though. ¡°Pearla Faros.¡± He said, reading the file, ¡°From the third moon of Folia. Cause of Death was Methanol poisoning.¡± He sighed and shook his head, ¡°Dumbasses.¡± ¡°Methanol poisoning.¡± Gyrini echoed, considering the words, ¡°How.¡± ¡°Most likely from bootleg seaberry.¡± He said, ¡°Some of the indebted smuggle it back from trips underwater, ferment and distill them here. Most of the time they fail.¡± ¡°I see¡­¡± She said, ¡°How was she found? Was anyone around her? Who reported her?¡± ¡°Uh¡­¡± Dr. Nycht checked the file, ¡°It says someone by the name of ¡®Leanaran¡¯ reported her body-¡± ¡°And that¡¯s myself.¡± Leanaran said, ¡°I found her under a bed in the dormitory. She must have drunk some bad sea berry juice.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Gyrini said. Now she was watching Leanaran carefully, ¡°Or someone gave her bad seaberry juice.¡± ¡°Well, always possible¡­¡± Leanaran said, ¡°But I wouldn¡¯t know-¡± ¡°Spare me.¡± She hissed, ¡°I already know about you. You basically have a little shop running in here.¡± When Leanaran didn¡¯t respond to that with anything more than a startled look, she continued, ¡°I really don¡¯t care what little scams you¡¯re running in here; it¡¯s frankly beneath me. What I do care about is what happened to this person.¡± ¡°... I didn¡¯t give her seaberry juice.¡± Leanaran said, ¡°I didn¡¯t know her until recently, didn¡¯t trade with her, and honestly I avoid getting that stuff to clients as it tends to end with them dead.¡± Gyrini watched him for a moment more, then turned to the doctor again, ¡°What time was she declared dead.¡± She demanded. ¡°I found her yesterday, late at night.¡± Leanaran said, ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­ twenty-five hours thereabouts?¡± ¡°She was logged in here about twenty-five forty.¡± The doctor said, ¡°So.. between the time she was found, reported, and transported down here¡­ that would make sense.¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t mention this to me.¡± The bulky guard said, ¡°Are you certain?¡± ¡°Well, the paperwork is here, so I must have done it right!¡± They said, ¡°My memory is awful, but look, I¡¯ve done better than I thought I did.¡± He pointed to the guard, ¡°This is why I¡¯m so careful with my paperwork!¡± It seemed to be going well, at least. Leanaran had memorized everything on the report, the guard on duty today wasn¡¯t the same as the one on duty with the doctor the other night, and Dr. Nycht¡¯s memory was just as bad as Leanaran said it was. Still, the next words from Gyrini still filled TO with dread. It was a request TO was expecting though, as her request was exactly what TO would have requested. ¡°I want to see the body.¡± Episode 298: Body TO didn¡¯t like the morgue. As the camera flicked to show Gyrini entering the room along with the two guards, Dr. Nycht, and Leanaran, TO felt like they were in the room again. They could feel the chill in the air that kept bodies from decaying, the emptiness of the bagged bodies around them, and the smell of medical grade disinfectant that sent TO out of the room, shivering and shaking as their mind replayed the sounds of cracking bones and showed them deep blue blood on plastic gloves. There was no blood, and thankfully the bagged bodies showed no sign of their contents aside from the vague shapes underneath. Still, it was eerie that the only sound in there had been the hum of the overhead lights and the whir of the air conditioning that kept the room cold. ¡°Which one is her?¡± Gyrini demanded as she looked around at the trolleys, each one holding a bagged body. ¡°Let¡¯s see¡­¡± Dr. Nycht muttered as he skimmed through his notes on the communicator. They could hear him far more clearly than they could Gyrini, but of course they were listening through his communicator, so it only made sense. ¡°She is in bag 7854.¡± Gyrini glanced at the nearest bags, and took in what TO themself had noticed earlier. The careful numbering and placement of the bodies had a certain order, a pattern that organized them. The security minister followed the pattern of numbers back until she found Pearla¡¯s bag; it was so much longer than the others because of her tail, and it looped under the trolley to keep out of the way. ¡°This is it.¡± Dr. Nycht said from the guard¡¯s shoulder. ¡°7854. This is her-¡± ¡°Open it.¡± Gyrini said. ¡°Let me check¡­¡± The doctor said, skimming through his notes. ¡°I said open it.¡± Gyrini said, her voice colder than the room itself. ¡°I expect my orders to be followed.¡± ¡°Of course, Minister Gyrini.¡± Dr. Nycht said, ¡°But I just have to make sure there¡¯s no issue, no troublesome potential biohazard issues before we open it.¡± After a moment, he nodded and turned to his guard, ¡°Would you?¡± He asked. The guard grunted, stepped forward, and unzipped the bag. Even on camera, TO wasn¡¯t used to seeing Pearla like that, and they were just grateful that GiDi wasn¡¯t watching this. Pearla¡¯s eyes were dark and sunken, her cheeks were drawn, and she was just so unnaturally still that it sent shivers through TO¡¯s spine. ¡°What if they cut her open?¡± TO whispered. It wasn¡¯t so bad now that they were away from the room, but seeing her unmoving on the slab sent horrible pictures of dissection through TO¡¯s head. ¡°They won¡¯t.¡± Mira said. ¡°They didn¡¯t take any tools with them, did they?¡± Gyrini stepped up and looked down at Pearla, her large eyes flicking over her face and taking in the details. ¡°Coloration seems correct.¡± She muttered, ¡°The hair, the size¡­ Unzip the bag more so I can see the tail.¡± The guard nodded and unzipped the bag further, exposing a flash of iridescent purple scales. ¡°Is this her?¡± Dr. Nycht asked. ¡°Seems to be.¡± Gyrini said. She reached out with a thin, claw-like hand and pressed chiton covered fingers to Pearla¡¯s neck. ¡°No pulse.¡± She muttered. ¡°I¡¯d hope not.¡± Dr. Nycht said, ¡°Not really a place for people with a pulse.¡± He shivered, ¡°Us included.¡± ¡°Check her chip.¡± Gyrini said, ¡°Make sure it matches what¡¯s on file.¡± The guard nodded and took out a scanner from a holster at his hip. Even from the video, TO could see the large man steady himself, and could still see how the rest of his body seemed to lean away as he slipped the scanner under the neck and scanned the chip. As soon as the scanner beeped, he pulled away as though he was pulling his hand from a fire. ¡°Does it match?¡± Gyrini demanded. ¡°Let¡¯s see¡­¡± Dr. Nycht said as they looked at the scanned numbers. ¡°Yes. Yes, it does.¡± Her chip matches that on file. Pearla Faros. Gyrini¡¯s antenna bent back, her mandibles twitched and tightened as she glared at Pearla,. It was as though she were angry at Pearla¡¯s audacity to be laying there in the Morgue. ¡°She only came into the center recently.¡± Leanaran offered. ¡°Got pulled in after that raid in the Outer Ring.¡± ¡°And within a couple of days, she died?¡± Gyrini snapped. ¡°Well, you know what they say about the outer ring.¡± Leanaran said, shrugging and not looking directly at either Pearla or Gyrini, ¡°Slackers and addicts. I guess she was desperate for a fix when she came in, and took what she could get.¡± ¡°It pisses me off that we gotta go with this bullshit.¡± Mira grumbled next to TO. ¡°It fits their narrative.¡± Vik said. ¡°I¡¯m perfectly happy to use their stupidity as an exploit.¡± ¡°Are you certain she¡¯s dead?¡± The guard who had Dr. Nycht on his shoulder asked. ¡°I just said she has no pulse.¡± Gyrini said, her voice flat and cold. ¡°I very much doubt I¡¯d put someone in here when they¡¯re still alive.¡± Dr. Nycht said, ¡°Though, to be fair, a lack of pulse in these environments isn¡¯t uncommon for Nagarajin. They hibernate in the cold, so a pulse would be exceedingly slow and weak.¡± ¡°... Fascinating.¡± Gyrini said as she leaned in to look more closely at Pearla, ¡°And how would you test for life then?¡± ¡°Outside of hooking her up to a monitor? Well, you basically did it.¡± Dr. Nycht said, ¡°You touched her. She didn¡¯t move.¡± A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.Gyrini eyed Pearla for a moment longer, then without warning she slapped Pearla across the face. They easily heard the impact over Vik¡¯s communicator. TO held their breath as they watched the scene unfold, as they watched Gyrini watch Pearla, looking for any hint of movement. Nothing. ¡°I have a terrible memory.¡± Dr. Nycht admitted, ¡°But I¡¯m not negligent. I wouldn¡¯t mistake a living Nagarajin for a dead one.¡± Gyrini fell silent, her eyes never leaving Pearla. ¡°Minister Gyrini?¡± The guard next to the Gyrini said, ¡°This is who you were looking for, isn¡¯t it? She matches the description.¡± ¡°Yes, she does.¡± Gyrini hummed, ¡°And if she¡¯s been here, it would explain why nobody¡¯s seen her today.¡± She finally turned away from Pearla, looking to the guard that was with her, ¡°But it wouldn¡¯t explain why we can¡¯t find her on the security tapes.¡± ¡°Thank the seas.¡± Mira breathed, ¡°Yes, get onto another topic and stop staring at Pearla.¡± ¡°There¡¯s lots of people in here.¡± The guard said, ¡°Respectfully, Minister Gyrini, our computers can track her but we need to find her in the video first and then we can track her. I assure you, I have people combing over the last week of footage, looking for her-¡± ¡°... Check the footage leading to the morgue.¡± She said as she turned around to leave, ¡°We know where she is now, so follow her backwards.¡± ¡°I knew she¡¯d check that!¡± TO said, ¡°See Vik, I said she¡¯d think of that!¡± ¡°You did.¡± Vik said, sighing, ¡°And I suppose I should be grateful for your insight.¡± ¡°Minister Gyrini, a question.¡± Dr. Nycht said, ¡°You have your target now. I mean, she¡¯s dead, but you found her. Does this mean we can leave the center now? I¡¯ve technically been off shift for a few hours now, and I¡¯d like to go home.¡± ¡°Not until I¡¯ve checked the security footage.¡± She snapped. ¡°Once I¡¯ve found her, then I don¡¯t really care what you do.¡± ¡°Well, TO, I suppose I owe you.¡± Vik said, ¡°Your paranoia paid off for us.¡± ¡°I just know what I¡¯d check.¡± TO said as they leaned back against the wall. ¡°Still, she¡¯s absolutely insane.¡± Mira said, ¡°I mean, she has a body matching the description, she has the reports from Dr. Nycht, so that should be enough!¡± She glanced back at the projection, watching as a guard zipped up Pearla¡¯s bag before they all left. ¡°She even slapped poor Pearla!¡± I was so scared she was going to wake up.¡± ¡°Nah.¡± Vik said, ¡°The strong Sea Berry juice, the homemade stuff, that makes you numb all over. That, along with the hibernation Nagarajin go into when it¡¯s cold, would make her pretty still and lifeless. Though, really, I think your makeup skills pushed it to that extra level of realism! Those sunken eyes, the gray-toned skin¡­¡± ¡°Yeah, well, it didn¡¯t take much.¡± Mira said, ¡°There was plenty of black gunk left on TO¡¯s wings that I could scrape off to use.¡± ¡°I was more worried that she¡¯d see bruising with that slap, or that she¡¯d break the skin.¡± TO muttered. ¡°She¡¯d probably have questions if Pearla started bleeding like a living person.¡± They took a breath, and stood up, ¡°Vik; keep watching the Morgue. Don''t take your eyes off Pearla. Nothing can happen to her, understand?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Vik said, ¡°You think GiDi would let me take an eye off this for a second? They¡¯re a mess right now. They couldn¡¯t even be here to watch this because they couldn¡¯t stand to see Pearla looking like that.¡± TO didn¡¯t want to think about how GiDi might be feeling right now. This was TO¡¯s idea, and if anything happened to Pearla, it¡¯d be their fault. ¡°She¡¯s going to go check the tapes now, and so long as everything works out, she¡¯ll lift the lockdown.¡± ¡°It¡¯ll work out.¡± Vik said, ¡°I got footage of Pearla going into the washroom there, and I dredged up footage of maintenance wheeling a body out of that washroom from a few months ago. Splice them together, and we have a perfect little story.¡± ¡°I hope so.¡± Mira said, ¡°We don''t have footage of her entering that hallway-¡± ¡°We have footage of a crowd going through that hallway after dinner. Easy enough to imagine that Pearla broke off from them and went to the washroom.¡± ¡°Right. And if she just has a suspicion on that communicator and nothing solid, then there¡¯s no reason to track Pearla down further.¡± TO said. ¡°Official story would be that she picked up the communicator while on a job and the guard confiscated it before she could use it. Then, she was drinking some bootleg seaberry juice, got poisoned, and died.¡± ¡°And that¡¯s enough to throw her?¡± Mira said, ¡°You¡¯ve been right about everything so far; she¡¯s thorough, so what if she looks deeper?¡± ¡°I¡¯d be worried if I thought this was her only task.¡± TO said. ¡°But it¡¯s not. She¡¯s probably trying to do a dozen things on top of her investigation here. She¡¯s also most likely being hounded by the Arkanian government over two lockdowns.¡± ¡°She can do what she wants though.¡± Vik said, ¡°Just like Synths-¡± ¡°And just like myself and DH, she¡¯s probably got people complaining to her about the lockdown. Without something solid, she¡¯ll lift the lockdown.¡± They shrugged, ¡°I would.¡± ¡°Hey, you¡¯ve been right so far, so I¡¯ll believe you.¡± Vik said, ¡°Once lockdown is lifted, I¡¯ll trigger the automatic transport for the bodies in the morgue. A brief detour before the final destination and we¡¯ll have Pearla back here safe and sound.¡± Of course, then you still have to get your part of things done.¡± ¡°Just get the work orders ready for tomorrow morning.¡± TO said. ¡°Everyone on that list goes with us, as well as Outis.¡± ¡°Outis?¡± Vik said, ¡°The little asshole who caused this problem in the first place?¡± ¡°It¡¯s at Leanaran¡¯s request.¡± Mira said, ¡°Just do it. If they cause issues, I¡¯ll deal with them.¡± ¡°Alright, on it.¡± Vik said, ¡°You lot be careful and if everything works out¡­ We¡¯ll see you tomorrow.¡± If everything worked out, TO would be with their mate by tomorrow. They felt so grimy at this point that even the makeshift showers underground sounded good. A hot bath, a good meal, and their mate by their side¡­. For that, that was a good enough reward for getting through this. Episode 299: Reactions It was considered the best idea to not loiter in the laundry room anymore. While it was a private place and they now knew how to jam the door closed, Leanaran pointed out that other people might want to use it, and may cause them problems if they stayed there much longer. ¡°I don¡¯t know why.¡± TO muttered as they left the room, ¡°We needed to hide, and the eyes and noise hurt my eyes.¡± ¡°Yeah, well, other people want to use it to have sex.¡± Leanaran said, ¡°Not everyone has a private bed, and not everyone will pay for one.¡± TO suddenly regretted leaning on anything in there. ¡°Now.¡± Leanaran said, ¡°I¡¯ll inform my people, and get them ready. You two deal with yours-¡± ¡°I¡¯ll deal with ours.¡± Mira said. ¡°I saw them once, I think I can find them again.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be with you anyway.¡± TO said, ¡°So I can help-¡± ¡°You need to stay somewhere dim and quiet.¡± Mira snapped, ¡°Tomorrow is a busy day, and the last thing we need is you waking up sick from a migraine.¡± ¡°Take my bed.¡± Leanaran said, ¡°I¡¯ve been too busy to lend it out today. You can hide there until I¡¯m heading to bed.¡± ¡°Yeah, good idea.¡± Mira said, ¡°you can keep in touch with Vik, and make sure everything goes to plan. It¡¯s not like you can use your communicator; Mira has that. You have to use your chip.¡± ¡°A question.¡± Leanaran said, his voice a whisper, ¡°I thought you told me your communicators were safe before they were linked to you directly through your fingerprints. How can Pearla use Tio¡¯s?¡± ¡°Tio¡¯s is connected to that weird chip they have.¡± Mira said, ¡°The benefits of a rich family, right?¡± TO gave a nervous chuckle and nodded. They had presented the chip on their hand to Leanaran as some kind of trinket from home; something their imaginary rich parents had given them. Would Leanaran be angry when it came out that they were synths? Lendulin and Petra had been angry, but they considered TO friends at that point. Leanaran wasn¡¯t a friend, they were an accomplice. Would that make things better, or worse? Well, no point in worrying about that right now. That point would come, and hopefully Leanaran would be glad just to be out of the indebted center. ¡°Well, enjoy a bit more privilege.¡± Leanaran said, pulling TO from their thoughts, ¡°Use my bunk to rest your eyes and keep up on Pearla. She¡¯s a good person, and I¡¯d hate for anything terrible to happen to her.¡± ¡°Me too.¡± TO muttered as left to go to the dormitories. That anxiety was building up in their stomach again, and they knew they wouldn¡¯t be able to relax until they knew Pearla was safe. ====== GiDi had, apparently, seen the surveillance tape of what happened in the morgue. ¡°How could you let that happen to her!¡± They snapped over the video connection. Despite their distance, and despite knowing that GiDi would do nothing to hurt them, TO recoiled. They had seen GiDi angry before, yes; when they shouted at their Overseers that they were not a tool for instance. That alone had been scary enough, but this was different. This anger had a passion to it, a fire that promised violence. It was almost like a more controlled version of how angry and feral Kei had been after their procedure. ¡°It was her idea!¡± TO protested, ¡°Besides, Gyrini knew what she looked like! We had to get her out of here-¡± ¡°I¡¯ll kill Gyrini.¡± GiDi hissed, ¡°With my own hands. I¡¯ll rip out her throat! She slapped Pearla!¡± ¡°GiDi, I don¡¯t like it either.¡± Tham said. They stood next to GiDi, but seemed to arch away from them, ¡°I hate that she¡¯s in a morgue, and I hate that she got slapped, but she¡¯ll be fine. She¡¯s just drunk and hibernating, so-¡± ¡°YOU DON¡¯T KNOW THAT!¡± GiDi screamed, their ears pinned flat back and their lips pulled back in a snarl so that they could see every single tooth, ¡°You don¡¯t know that she¡¯s fine!¡± ¡°GiDi?¡± TO heard Flit¡¯s voice before they appeared on screen, ¡°Come with me.¡± ¡°No, I won¡¯t leave here until I know Pearla¡¯s ok! I refuse-¡± ¡°You¡¯ll hurt someone if you stay here.¡± Flit said, their voice sharp and serious. ¡°Come with me.¡± ¡°GiDi wouldn¡¯t hurt anyone.¡± TO said, ¡°Not their friends anyway. I can understand them wanting to hurt Gyrini! If anyone hurts DH, then I¡¯d want to deal with them myself!¡± ¡°TO, Trust me, they need to get away right now.¡± Flit said. ¡°I¡¯m not leaving.¡± GiDi hissed. ¡°Well, then I¡¯m sorry, GiDi.¡± Flit said. Before GiDi or TO could ask what they were sorry for, Flit moved quickly around GiDi and pushed a hand to the space just behind their ear. TO didn¡¯t know exactly what happened, but suddenly GiDi yelped in pain, then their eyes unfocused and they fell limp. TO had a vague idea of what might have happened; a pressure point behind the ear that could easily disrupt blood flow and knock them out. Flit had mentioned it once in training, but they never taught the trainees how to use it. It was then they realized that they never really saw Flit fight before. They were faster than expected given their fake leg. ¡°Flit!¡± TO wanted to dash through the screen to help GiDi. ¡°What did you do! Why did you-¡± ¡°I¡¯ll explain later.¡± Flit said, a light flush over their ears, ¡°I promise, this is the best solution for now.¡± ¡°I want to know now!¡± TO snapped, ¡°You hide too much, you-¡± ¡°Later. As soon as you¡¯re here.¡± Flit said. ¡°... With Snout. I promise.¡± Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. Before TO could protest any more, Flit was gone with GiDi. ¡°... So that was weird.¡± Vik said as they settled back into position before the screen. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen GiDi that angry before.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯d be thrilled if I saw DH getting hit.¡± TO admitted. With GiDi apparently unconscious and Flit gone there was now no point in worrying too much about that at the moment. At the very least, TO was certain that GiDi wouldn¡¯t be further hurt under flit¡¯s care. ¡°Where is DH anyway?¡± ¡°Goretta needed them for medical stuff.¡± Vik said as they stared at their screen. ¡°I don¡¯t know how long they¡¯ll be but I¡¯ve told them to contact you as soon as they¡¯re done.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± TO said. ¡°No problem. Can¡¯t keep the lovebirds from saying their goodnights.¡± Vik¡¯s ears suddenly stood up, and their tail flicked rapidly. ¡°Oh, and it looks like the orders went through to lift the lockdown.¡± ¡°You mean you¡¯ll have Pearla out Now?¡± TO asked. ¡°No.¡± Vik said, ¡°Soon, but not immediately. It¡¯ll take a minute for it to be implemented.¡± ¡°Right.¡± TO said, ¡°And¡­ when it¡¯s lifted, what happens to Pearla?¡± ¡°Well, for some odd reason that has everything to do with me, the first delivery prioritized to leave the center is corpse removal. They¡¯ll get some indebted down there to load up the transport, all supervised, of course. The transport is going to take a detour to the outer ring to that warehouse, where we¡¯ll get Pearla out and fill the bag with a dummy that Lendulin rigged up for us. Once that¡¯s done we¡¯ll send the transport on its way.¡± ¡°Alright, but what about when it gets to the-¡± they paused, unsure what word to use. ¡°What do you call people who handle dead civilian bodies?¡± ¡°Morticians.¡± ¡°What happens when they get to the mortician, and they find a dummy? It¡¯s my understanding that they collected viable organs from civilians too, right?¡± ¡°Most civilians have a choice.¡± Vik said, ¡°Indebted don¡¯t¡­ but the keyword here is ¡®viable¡¯¡± They grinned, ¡°Pearl¡¯s body isn¡¯t considered viable for organ donation because the paperwork says she died because of an overdose. They¡¯ve slated her body for incineration. Also; since she¡¯s coming from the indebted center, they won¡¯t even bother collecting her ashes. If she had any family they¡¯d contact them, but she doesn¡¯t.¡± Vik stretched, ¡°We get Pearla back, safe and sound, and the morticians get a dummy to incinerate. They won¡¯t even open the bag, they¡¯ll just burn it.¡± ¡°Hooray for gross negligence towards Arkane¡¯s indebted, I guess.¡± TO grumbled, ¡°It¡¯s a situation where a lack of concern works out I suppose.¡± ¡°Hey, if the government here is going to neglect us, then we should use that neglect to our advantage!¡± Vik said, ¡°It¡¯s how we get half our stuff done.¡± TO was about to question that, to ask how else they use that, but they got an alert on their communicator that made their ears perk up, and the hum of their heart increased. ¡°Sorry. DH is trying to contact me.¡± They said, and without waiting for a further response, they switched over to see their mate. ¡°TO.¡± DH said, a smile breaking over their haggard face as soon as they saw their mate, ¡°Hi.¡± ¡°Hi.¡± TO said, letting their own smile creep over their face as their ears rose. ¡°You were busy?¡± ¡°It was Kei again.¡± DH said. ¡°They¡¯ve been refusing to eat, so we¡¯ve had them on an IV¡­ but they pulled it out today. I won¡¯t get into details, but they needed medical help.¡± ¡°They¡¯re still not cooperating then.¡± TO said, ¡°I¡¯m not surprised.¡± ¡°They don¡¯t trust us to eat anything we give them.¡± DH said, ¡°When we eat later, I¡¯m going to eat with them, and show them that the food won¡¯t hurt us.¡± ¡°They won¡¯t attack you?¡± ¡°No, thankfully. They¡¯re hostile, but not aggressive anymore, I think their logic is kicking in again and they¡¯re realizing that there¡¯s no point in attacking me right now. I mean, where would they go? They don¡¯t have a map of the underground, and it¡¯s confusing down here!¡± They sighed, ¡°Goretta¡¯s hoping that Flit and Snout can get through to them, and convince them to cooperate with us.¡± ¡°Right.¡± TO said. ¡°I doubt they will. Anyway, have you been spending any time with GiDi?¡± TO frowned. ¡°A little¡­¡± DH said, their ears suddenly flicking down, ¡°They¡¯ve been odd lately.¡± ¡°Odd how?¡± TO asked. ¡°Well¡­ They seem angrier? Anxious? It¡¯s like everything irritates them.¡± ¡°I was just talking to them with Vik and Tham.¡± TO said. They relayed GiDi¡¯s reactions to the video footage from the morgue, and the strange, terrifying rage that overcame them. DH listened patiently, their ears twitching in thought as they did. ¡°Interesting.¡± DH muttered. ¡°Did you learn anything about this when you were in your medical placement? Or any of your other independent research?¡± ¡°No, I haven¡¯t.¡± DH admitted, ¡°But if Flit just knocked them out and took them away without seeming concerned at all, then they must know something.¡± ¡°They wouldn¡¯t tell me about it.¡± TO said as their ears pinned back. ¡°They said they¡¯d talk to me with Snout-¡± ¡°Well, maybe it is a medical thing, but not a concerning one?¡± DH offered. ¡°Snout would be the better person to talk about that, right? Flit¡¯s not familiar with medical information, so maybe they just don¡¯t know how to talk about it.¡± ¡°Maybe.¡± TO mused, ¡°They seemed more awkward than worried. Maybe it is just something they don¡¯t know how to explain¡­¡± ¡°Maybe.¡± DH said. They then smiled, ¡°So, putting all that aside¡­¡± they put on a wider than natural smile, ¡°Why don¡¯t you tell me about your day, darling.¡± They said in a tone that was very reminiscent of the older romances they used to watch. The exaggerated nature of it drew a chuckle from TO and made their ears twitch happily. They were certain that DH already knew the important parts of their day from Vik, but TO smiled and settled in to tell DH about every little detail. Maybe parts of it would be boring, but that they were talking to DH made it the only thing they wanted to do at the moment. Synth 300: Involvement With more time to look around TO and Mira found a couple of abandoned empty beds for the night. While this provided a place to sleep, it didn¡¯t help TO that much. The lights overhead were still too bright and flickered too much for their comfort, and the sound of so many people just existing around them, breathing and snoring, was too much for their sensitive ears. Pulling the thin covers over their face helped a little, but the air was stuffy and they kept alternating between pulling the covers down to breathe, or pulling them up to stop the attack of noise and light. Several times, they considered taking the chance and sleeping under one of the curtained beds. However, as soon as they considered sleeping under a bed, they could clearly see that awful bug so close to their face and instantly changed their mind. At any rate, it wasn¡¯t just the environment keeping them from sleeping; Their worry for Pearla and GiDi ran around their head, and they could feel the space next to them where DH should have been, curled up against their back, wings draped over them and their gentle chirping in TO¡¯s ears. DH¡¯s chirping was so much nicer than the rough snoring that echoed through the dormitory. It was soft and comforting in stark contrast to the grating and disordered growls and roars that came from everyone around them. Their chip went off. The only hint to it was a flash of light that TO saw out of the corner of their eyes, but they quickly hid their hand under the blankets just in case anyone saw that flash. They didn¡¯t have their communicator anymore, so they had to use their chip and while that was far more reliable, it was also harder to use secretly. Still, they needed to know what was in that message. They pulled the covers over their face again as they had done at least a dozen times in the last half hour and activated their chip. The projection hovered before them, half of which was cut off by the blanket but they could see the message if they maneuvered themself and the screen just right. == Lockdown is lifted. Orders should be set for tomorrow morning, and job assignments should be back in place. I¡¯ll alert you as soon as we have Pearla. Let us know as soon as we¡¯re ready to go on your side - Vik== They¡¯d feel better if Pearla was already gone from the center, but at least this was something. At least the lockdown was lifted and they could start things in the morning. If they were lucky, they¡¯d be home¨CAt DH¡¯s side¨Cby noon. They deactivated their chip and sighed as they pulled the blankets down once more. Now the excitement of seeing their mate again was running through their mind; another thing to keep them awake. After another minute of laying there and staring at the bunk above them, they took the pillow from under their head, turned on their side, and wrapped their arms around the pathetically thin thing as they buried their face into the slightly mildew-smelling fabric. For now, maybe they could pretend it was DH. As small and cold and uncomfortable as it was, maybe they could trick their mind into believing that they had DH in their embrace. Maybe, just maybe, their mind would be too exhausted to fight that lie. ====== ¡°Are you sure you slept at all?¡± Mira asked as TO yawned a sixth time while in line for their breakfast. ¡°A bit.¡± TO grumbled. ¡°The lights and noise kept me up.¡± ¡°Maybe you¡¯d have been better off with the pillow over your eyes.¡± she said with a teasing lilt in her voice, though she said it casually enough. TO¡¯s ears warmed and dipped slightly at the reminder that Mira woke them up and found TO spooning the pillow. Spooning; a new term they had learned today thanks to Mira. Apparently, that was their default sleeping position with DH. ¡°Can you drop it?¡± TO hissed as their wings tightened around them. ¡°Fine, fine, sorry.¡± Mira said, ¡°Didn¡¯t mean to actually upset you. I¡¯ve just never seen you sleep before and didn¡¯t expect one of you to be the kind to hug your pillow. It was cute.¡± TO still wasn¡¯t sure if it was unexpected of them to have been hugging the pillow at all, or if it was just because they were a synth. ¡°Anyway.¡± TO said, trying to steer the conversation elsewhere. ¡°Is everything else¡­ ok?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Mira said, glancing around and lowering her voice, ¡°The lockdown is lifted, and I got word that everything is ready to go. Vik uploaded names, work orders set, deliveries are ready, and supplies are being packed up right now.¡± She scanned the room, and as TO followed her gaze they saw it land on Leanaran. Mira waved, and Leanaran gave a wave back, along with a brief, nearly imperceptible nod. ¡°What about them?¡± TO asked. ¡°And what about the thing with Outis. Leanaran wanted them to go with us-¡± ¡°It¡¯s set up.¡± Mira said, ¡°I don¡¯t like it, and I don¡¯t know why Leanaran wants them to come with us, but I¡¯m not going to be the one to tell them no. We still need them.¡± ¡°... You¡¯re still here.¡± The voice behind them took TO by surprise, but once they turned they saw Beck, already holding her food and looking up at TO. ¡°... We are.¡± TO said, their ears twitching as they wondered why Beck was talking to them. She wanted to keep her distance, and given that TO hadn¡¯t seen her since she directed them to Leanaran, They figured she was avoiding them. This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. ¡°I thought you might not be here.¡± She said as she lowered her voice, ¡°You know¡­ the lockdown and everything.¡± ¡°Yeah, well, don¡¯t worry about that.¡± Mira said, ¡°I know you don¡¯t want to be involved.¡± ¡°Hey, look.¡± Mira said as she lowered her voice and came closer to them. ¡°I don¡¯t¡­ but I want you to know I didn''t say anything. I didn¡¯t report anything or tell anyone! I was as surprised as anyone else at the lockdown, so I just wanted you to know that-¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine Beck.¡± Mira said with a sigh. She leaned back and crossed her arms, ¡°We know what happened, and we know it wasn¡¯t you.¡± Beck released a relieved sigh, ¡°Good.¡± She said, ¡°I just don¡¯t want trouble, you know.¡± ¡°I know.¡± Mira said, glancing aside, ¡°And you won¡¯t get any from us.¡± ¡°... And what about Pearla?¡± Beck said. TO could see her hands tighten around the bowl she carried, and noticed that the fur on her body puffed up ever so slightly. ¡°What about Pearla?¡± Mira hissed. ¡°Well¡­ she¡¯s not here.¡± ¡°She¡¯s fine.¡± Mira said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it.¡± ¡°But where-¡± Beck started to ask, but Mira quickly made a sharp shushing sound. ¡°You said you didn¡¯t want to be involved.¡± Mira said. ¡°So stop asking questions.¡± Beck shrugged and backed away, ¡°I was just worried about her.¡± Beck said, ¡°She was nice.¡± TO looked between Beck and Mira, both of who were now pointedly not looking at one another. ¡°... It¡¯s not too late.¡± TO whispered, ¡°You know¡­ if case you¡¯ve changed your mind.¡± The image of the planet under attack by some awful gas, some bio-weapon or a specialized bomb lingered in TO¡¯s mind, along with the thought of all the deaths that would occur. The people sitting around the cafeteria, eating their food and talking to their friends could all be dead in a week¨CNo, less than that. Four, maybe five days!¨Cand that thought was profoundly disturbing to TO. That Beck, who had helped them and who was honestly nice enough, Could be one of them upset TO deeply. More troublesome was the fact that they knew if Beck had all the information and knew about the potential attack on Arkane, then she¡¯d change her mind and go with them. ¡°No, I just don¡¯t want trouble.¡± She said, taking another step back, ¡°I¡¯ll be fine here, right? I mean, I¡¯ll be out in a few years if I work hard right?¡± She shrugged and turned suddenly, ¡°I just came to see if Pearla was ok. I hadn¡¯t seen her in a while and was worried.¡± TO wanted to go after her as she walked away, to grab her and tell her exactly what was going to happen. Mira must have sensed their wish, or maybe TO telegraphed their thoughts in their movements, but either way they suddenly felt Mira¡¯s thin hand on their arm, ready to hold TO back if need be. ¡°Bad idea.¡± She whispered. ¡°If she knew, she¡¯d come with us.¡± TO whispered back. ¡°I know.¡± Mira said, ¡°But if we tell her now, then there¡¯s time for her to tell someone else. I¡¯m not saying she¡¯d report us, but maybe she knows someone who she can¡¯t stand to see left here to die. So she tells that friend. Friend maybe tells another friend, who tells a lover, who tells someone they know¡­¡± She shook her head, ¡°Before you know it we have people after us, asking to come with us, and when we can¡¯t take them, who''s to say that they won¡¯t report us out of spite?¡± TO watched Beck meld back into the crowd as she looked for a place to sit and eat. When they couldn¡¯t see her anymore, they sighed and leaned back against the wall. ¡°I know.¡± They muttered. ¡°I just don¡¯t like it.¡± ¡°Neither do I.¡± Mira said. ¡°...But Beck is on the list.¡± Pearla, Mira, and TO had put Beck on their list. By the time they had all the people they needed contacted, they had just one more free spot available. While there were plenty of people who could have gone there, most either had families on the outside which the insurgency didn¡¯t have in their protection, or would have to leave the center with at least one other person; a sibling, a child just old enough to be placed in the indebted center instead of child care, or a partner. One seat for one person; they choose Beck. when the time was right, they¡¯d tell her about the real danger. TO knew that Beck would listen, and would be happy to go with them once she knew the real danger. Unless she didn¡¯t believe them. ¡°It¡¯ll be ok; she¡¯ll come with us; it¡¯s fine.¡± Mira said, giving TO¡¯s arm one last squeeze before releasing it. ¡°I¡¯ll make sure it¡¯s ok.¡± TO said. If Beck wouldn¡¯t believe them, then TO was going to make sure she got off the planet. They wouldn¡¯t let that last seat go to waste. Episode 301: Wielding Most of the land-based jobs were in the security district, not too far away from the indebted center. The insurgent attack just earlier that month had left a lot of damage behind, and a lot of work had yet to be done before they could use the main holding center in the security district again. Because of the lockdown, they considered the repair of this center an emergency since they could no longer send criminals off planet to mining or farming colonies. Of course, there was also work to do outside the center; debris was scattered about damaged roads, and the other buildings nearby which had suffered collateral damage still needed to be repaired. It was hard and dirty work, so it was perfect for a large mass of indebted people. Of course, hands could only do so much and at a certain point the automated construction bots had to be deployed. ¡°I had a hard time picking out a bot for you guys.¡± Vik said as TO and Mira followed Vik¡¯s careful directions through the lower floors of the indebted center, and to the equipment storage area. ¡°Honestly, the problem at first was finding something that could accommodate Pearla¡¯s tail since there¡¯s limited space in bot cockpits. Our interesting solution to getting the lockdown lifted, opened up a lot more options to me, so¡­ Good job TO!¡± ¡°So long as Pearla¡¯s going to be safe!¡± TO snapped as they rounded a corner, stopping and peaking around to check if anyone was coming towards them. It was quieter down here, with nearly nobody wandering about the cramped maintenance halls, so TO was free to use their echolocation. When they saw nobody down the hall, they checked again as they emitted a series of high-pitched chirps. ¡°It¡¯s clear.¡± TO said and took off down the hallway. It was odd to be doing this out of armor, and without a multi-gun in their hands. If someone came down the hallway towards them, they¡¯d have to resort to hand to hand combat. ¡°You know I can give you a warning if someone heads your way, right?¡± Vik said, ¡°I am watching the cameras, and intercepting the feed. That¡¯s why you¡¯re able to be down there without security after you.¡± ¡°No unnecessary risks.¡± TO snapped, ¡°What if you miss something?¡± ¡°I won¡¯t.¡± Vik said. ¡°And I won¡¯t take the risk.¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s just another turn, and the door is right in front of you.¡± Vik said, ¡°That¡¯s the warehouse with all the equipment. No indebted people are allowed there, only approved engineers, maintenance, and security.¡± They turned another corner and ran down the hallway. The door before them was larger than the simple single doors they had passed. This one was a large metal door that appeared to roll up into the ceiling. There were multiple signs on the front saying things like ¡®No unauthorized entry¡¯ and ¡®No entry without safety gear¡¯, along with many signs warning of poison gas, radiation, and corrosive materials. ¡°Shit.¡± Mira said as she looked over it, ¡°Should we really be going in here?¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± TO said as they walked up to the door. ¡°Those are only a concern when specific vehicles are being worked on, or refueled. Even then, it¡¯s more of a concern for the people doing the work than it is for anyone just walking through.¡± They tapped gently on the door and from the sound it made they could tell that while it was secure, it wasn¡¯t soundproof. ¡°How do you know that?¡± Vik asked, ¡°I mean, you¡¯re right but-¡± ¡°I¡¯m a highly trained, specially bred soldier, created and trained on a space station in the middle of a nebula.¡± TO said as they pressed their ears to the door. ¡°I might be clueless about a lot of civilian things, but I have a plethora of basic information about a lot of things.¡± ¡°And yet you don¡¯t know basic programming-¡± Vik muttered. ¡°I know basic programming; nothing near what you and DH do. Now quiet.¡± They listened carefully for sounds from the other side of the door. ¡°I already checked the room.¡± Vik said after an impatient sigh, ¡°It¡¯s fine-¡± ¡°Check again.¡± TO said as they stood back. ¡°Oh, for¡­ fine.¡± Vik said. ¡°Look, here, I¡¯m pulling up the room, I¡¯m checking the video feed, and¡­¡± The silence that followed Vik¡¯s ¡®and¡¯ was heavy, and far too drawn out. ¡°And?¡± TO asked as their ears flicked back, twitching slightly. ¡°.... And there''s someone in there now.¡± Vik muttered. ¡°Maintenance, it seems. Where did he come from!¡± ¡°Maintenance, but not security.¡± TO said as they rubbed the space between their eyes. So they¡¯re unarmed?¡± ¡°Unarmed save for a welding torch.¡± Vik said. They¡¯d have to be careful of that; Sure, the welding torch could do a lot of damage, but more importantly it could temporarily blind TO. Even civilians with a moderate eyesight had to use special safety equipment to protect their eyes. They glanced at the door again, their eyes sweeping over the signs before they turned and looked around the hallway. There was a smaller door that they had run past just back down the hallway, one they had overlooked as it didn¡¯t matter to their current task. So they had thought. TO ran back to it. ¡°The door I¡¯m in front of right now, can you open it?¡± TO asked. ¡°Yeah, but it¡¯s just storage-¡± ¡°Likely storage with safety equipment.¡± TO said, ¡°It¡¯s close to the big door back there. It makes no sense to store your safety equipment across the facility when you could store it just outside, right?¡± ¡°OH! Right, and I guess you need something to protect those eyes of yours. Probably your ears too, since there might be a lot of loud noises in there. ¡°Exactly.¡± TO said. They hadn¡¯t actually considered something to protect their ears. Anything they¡¯d have would reduce their ability to echo locate, but for now, it would be best to protect their ears from the loud whirring and mechanical straining of large machinery. The door slid open before them, revealing the well-organized lines of safety equipment that TO knew it held, along with extra gas canisters, tools, and materials. ¡°Good call.¡± Mira said as she walked in. ¡°Thanks.¡± TO muttered as they searched the shelves. It wasn¡¯t long before they found what they were looking for: A visor to fit over their eyes and protect them from the glare of the welding torch. They grabbed two helmets, and then found some large, heavily padded industrial earmuffs which seemed like they would work. ¡°Here.¡± TO said as they ran back up to Mira with their new supplies, ¡°Earmuffs, and a visor¡­ what do you have there?¡± You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author. Mira grinned and held up a large, heavy-looking device, ¡°Nail gun.¡± She said, ¡°Just in case-¡± ¡°No.¡± TO said. Civilian guns were bad enough, they couldn¡¯t imagine the gore that a nail gun would create. Even thinking about it made them shudder, made their wings tighten around them. ¡°No nail guns.¡± ¡°Oh, right, the blood thing.¡± She said before putting it back on the shelf. ¡°It¡¯s just a civilian.¡± TO said, ¡°I¡¯m certain I can deal with him without hurting him too badly.¡± ¡°I¡¯m more worried about you getting hurt.¡± She muttered. ¡°I might.¡± TO admitted, ¡°But I doubt it. I can deal with him and get him out of the way.¡± ¡°Alright, but keep in mind; he¡¯ll tell people what happened once you¡¯re out, and he¡¯s awake.¡± Vik said. ¡°That could be problematic.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡± TO said as they put on the visor and earmuffs, ¡°I can do this.¡± Objective; neutralize target without providing additional intel to the enemy. Easy. ====== Lampros was silently fuming as he worked on repairing the damaged side to the bright yellow compactor. It was a one-person job, and he had volunteered to come down and do it himself not because it was particularly keen on his work, but because he just couldn¡¯t be around the others for another fucking moment longer! Shitty Kitty was not a funny nickname! And sure, such a juvenile taunt shouldn¡¯t bother him, and yes his mother always said not to mind if people teased him about the distinct brown pattern of fur that ran up his back, but after a while such nicknames got grating! First, it obviously wasn¡¯t shit. It was the color of his fur! Second, he was not a kitty! Yes, he had particular feline attributes; the ears, and the teeth, but he had two opposable thumbs on each hand, a flatter face, and six legs, not four! He didn¡¯t even have a tail! But no. Apparently the fur and the ears and the teeth was enough. The other part of that awful nickname came from Ja-ri, a popular, idiotic slacker from Lampros¡¯ school days who came up with that nickname based on the pattern in his fur. Ja-ri ended up working as a general laborer here whereas Lampros was a welder. Normally, his specialized position would have given him a little more social ranking than Ja-ri, but the moment that asshole slipped that nickname¡­ How could adults be as immature as children? A part of him wanted to report it, it was harassment after all, but reporting a stupid nickname like that? It would make things worse. The problem was that it wasn¡¯t the name itself, but the constant picking and poking with that name¡­ Well, why did he expect his working life to differ from his school life? All they could do was focus on his work, and try to enjoy the music from his headphones, pressed tightly to his ears by the large earmuffs protecting them from the other less enjoyable noises. At least his work was beyond reproach, and he could hold his head up high because of that. Maybe once he had more experience under his belt, he could get a job working elsewhere! Maybe even working on spaceships! He was considering how much better, how much different life would be if he got that kind of job when pain ran through his body. His vision went gray, and he felt the welding torch fall from his hands. Then, darkness. ====== The moment the door opened, TO rushed to the maintenance worker; a six-legged, two-handed feline kind of person. He didn¡¯t notice as TO approached, never turned around, never even flinched. He was completely oblivious to TO¡¯s presence until the moment that TO copied the movements that Flit had used on GiDi earlier. Of course, they didn¡¯t go behind the ears like Flit did; they went in front of the ears just at the temple. It was a common civilian pressure point, and one TO could easily exploit as the edge of the visor acted as blinds and limited peripheral vision. The maintenance worker dropped his torch, the flame cutting off almost immediately thanks to the safety, and it harmlessly fell to the ground. The worker stiffened for just a moment before falling limp. ¡°There.¡± TO said as they gently guided the worker to lay down on the ground. ¡°Taken care of.¡± ¡°Yeah, ok, and nobody will have questions when they find him like this?¡± VIk grumbled through the communicator. ¡°That¡¯s what this is for.¡± TO said as they held up an empty gas canister that they had swiped from the storage room. They grabbed a nearby wrench and loosened the nut at the top. ¡°An unlabeled gas canister with a loose nut.¡± TO said, ¡°Easy to think that he passed out from exposure.¡± They set it down nearby, then removed their visor as they turned to Mira. ¡°See. Easy.¡± ¡°OK, yeah, a lot easier than I thought.¡± Mira huffed as she removed her own visor. ¡°Vik, where to now.¡± ¡°North-west corner of the room, there¡¯s a large bot there. Get inside the cockpit; it¡¯s scheduled for remote use today.¡± The two ran to the corner, eventually coming across a strange, spider-like bot with claw-like hands and a rounded cockpit. ¡°The fuck is that?¡± Mira asked. ¡°It¡¯s called a climber.¡± Vik said, ¡°Original, I know. It climbs over rubble and can break down sizeable pieces of debris and move it. Climb on in! It¡¯s ready to go; it¡¯s just going to get packed up and moved.¡± TO went up to the machine, climbed a nearby step ladder, and looked about the outside of the cockpit. After a moment they found a button placed near the door panel. ¡°Are we sure this is the right button?¡± TO asked, not wanting to make this bot do something unexpected.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t see what you¡¯re looking at.¡± Vik said, ¡°There is a limit to the cameras here. Just press it; it¡¯s power off, but the door should still work.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± TO said. They pressed the button and got ready to jump back if need be, but the panel just slid open. The inside was empty, and plenty large enough for both TO and Mira. With a smile and perked-up ears, they reached down to Mira. ¡°Come on.¡± TO said, ¡°I¡¯ll help you up.¡± Mira rolled her eyes, went over to one leg of the bot, and climbed up easily. ¡°Did you forget I could do this?¡± She asked. TO shrugged, a light flush covering their ears as they watched Mira climb in before they followed. They had forgotten, yes, but if that was the worst thing to happen in this today, then TO was happy. So far, everything was going right. It was a welcomed change. Episode 302: Concerns They weren¡¯t sitting for too long in the darkness of the unmanned bot before they heard the commotion outside. Though TO strained their ear to hear through the Thick, industrial grade metal, they couldn¡¯t hear anything specific or useful. ¡°I¡¯m guessing they found the maintenance guy.¡± TO muttered. ¡°I can¡¯t make out what they¡¯re saying though.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± Vik said. ¡°They came in to get to work and found him lying there¡­. And someone just found the canister you left.¡± ¡°What are they saying?¡± Mira asked, ¡°I can¡¯t hear a damn thing.¡± ¡°They¡¯re speaking Aktilo.¡± Vik said, ¡°And my Aktilo isn¡¯t great. It looks like they believe he got knocked out by the gas though, since they¡¯re putting on gas masks.¡± TO had insisted on keeping Vik on the line not only so that they could keep them updated on what was going on, but also so that TO would hear when DH showed up again. They had nothing important to say to DH, had nothing they needed form their mate, but they just felt so desperate to hear their voice. It had been only a few days and they could feel their absence as keenly as if they had lost a limb. ¡°So, it¡¯s ok?¡± Mira said, ¡°No big concerns?¡± ¡°Doesn¡¯t seem like it.¡± Vik said, ¡°They¡¯re reporting a delay in sending off the bots for the day while they run a test to see if the air is safe. Well, since that canister was empty, we know it is.¡± ¡°Good.¡± TO said as they leaned back in the padded chair meant for the bot operator. They had offered it to Mira at first, but Mira pointed out that TO was much taller than she was, and it would be better for them if they sat in the chair so they didn¡¯t, in her words, ¡®bean their head¡¯ on the ceiling of the bot. ¡°And what about Pearla?¡± TO asked. Pearla promised TO that she would be fine even if she was in hibernation for a few days, but it still worried TO. What if there wasn''t enough oxygen in the bag? What if she suffered some long-term issues from her hibernation? What if she didn¡¯t wake up when she warmed up as she said she would? ¡°They¡¯re prepping the bodies now.¡± Vik said, ¡°I made sure the transport coming to pick them up was one I had remote access to, so once she¡¯s on we¡¯ll get her to the outer ring safe.¡± ¡°Let me know where she is every step of the way!¡± TO said. ¡°She¡¯ll be fine.¡± Mira said, ¡°She¡¯s on the way home. We¡¯re the ones I¡¯m worried about.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not worried about you.¡± Vik said, ¡°The chips you have are small enough to be undetected, you''re still in contact with me, and nobody goes into that bot; it¡¯s set for remote use so it will surprise nobody when it gets up and walks away. Now you two hang tight; I¡¯m going to disconnect so I can get some actual work done without having to reassure TO every five seconds.¡± ¡°Hey, I don¡¯t need reassurance, I just want to know-¡± The sudden silence on the line told TO that Vik was already gone, and that they were talking to dead air. ¡°She¡¯s fine.¡± Mira said, ¡°Pearla knows herself, and what she can take. She wouldn¡¯t have suggested this if she didn¡¯t.¡± ¡°I just don''t want her to get hurt.¡± TO grumbled as they activated their chip. Being able to use it in the open¨Cor at least in the open of their cramped hiding space¨Cwas a relief. ¡°Nice that you¡¯ve gotten that close to her.¡± Mira said. ¡°I didn¡¯t realize you had to be close to someone to be worried over their wellbeing.¡± TO said, their ears flicking down. ¡°But it¡¯s not just that.¡± They had no messages from DH, or from GiDi. DH, they knew, was busy at the moment but GiDi hadn¡¯t responded to them since Flit knocked them out. Messages to Flit and Snout which inquired about GiDi¡¯s wellbeing were sparse in their response: GiDi is fine, we¡¯ll discuss this when you¡¯re back here. ¡°Then what is it?¡± Mira asked. TO sighed and deactivated the screen before them. ¡°It¡¯s GiDi.¡± TO said, ¡°They have a mate, someone who treats them as though they¡¯re the most important person in the galaxy.¡± They imagined GiDi¡¯s expression if something were to happen to Pearla. They could remember the rage on their face before, the cold anger when they forcefully snapped that they were not a tool, and the hurt after the attempt on King Decon¡¯s life when TO left them all alone as they tended to DH. ¡°I love GiDi too, you know.¡± TO said, ¡°Even before I knew there was genetics linking us; GiDi was family and I don¡¯t want them to get hurt again.¡± If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.¡°Ah¡­ just looking out for your sibling then.¡± Mira muttered. ¡°Something like that.¡± ¡°... And what about when this is over?¡± Mira asked. ¡°We¡¯re all leaving the planet now once we get sorted, but you think GiDi won¡¯t go back into the fray? You think they won¡¯t keep fighting against Decon?¡± She frowned at TO, ¡°Or are you going to hang around and join them.¡± Right. That. The looming cloud ahead of them. Even if they got off the planet, GiDi would want to keep fighting. All TO wanted to do was stay with DH and to live with them comfortably. Right now their plan was to convince either Pearla or GiDi to stop, to just find a safe place to hide and live and enjoy the rest of their lives together. They were certain if they could convince one, the other would follow. ¡°I want them to be safe and happy. That¡¯s all.¡± TO said, ¡°That¡¯s all I want for them¡­ and for DH and I.¡± ¡°Well¡­ I hope you can get that.¡± Mira said. ¡°Might be hard with King Dick around.¡± As TO¡¯s ears dropped and their eyes went wide, Mira snorted, ¡°Oh, come on, don¡¯t be all offended at this point.¡± Offended wasn¡¯t the right word; their reaction had been instinctual more than anything, and her words had brought back everything that they had learned about Decon; the truth of their race, the truth of the state of the galaxy¡­ Everything. While they were busy they didn¡¯t have to think about such things. In the indebted center they had tasks to worry about, and danger to avoid. Their assignment kept their mind focused, and kept them from straying into the more problematic thoughts. They activated their chip again. ¡°I¡¯m messaging Vik.¡± TO said, ¡°They should have the instructions for this bot. It¡¯ll be easier to maneuver with this once we get there than it will be to sneak out around the guards.¡± ¡°You can operate this thing?¡± Mira asked, looking at the array of controls that lay before them, illuminated in the dull red emergency light of the interior. ¡°Part of my training included simulations with a variety of machines and bots for which provided me with basic instructions, and limited time to figure out the functionality.¡± They glanced up as they sent off the message and closed the screen, ¡°So, no, right now I can''t operate this ¡®thing¡¯.¡± Their ears pinned back and perked up, and a brief smirk crossed their features; subtle, but there. ¡°But give me five minutes and the instructions, and I¡¯m sure I can make do.¡± ====== The security drones buzzed around the shipping vehicles which carried all the supplies for work done by the indebted. They weren¡¯t unloaded or supervised by the indebted, of course; the vehicles were all driven by AI, and special security officers watched the smaller bots unload the equipment. ¡°It¡¯s fuckin¡¯ hot out here.¡± One scrawny, furred security guard grumbled as he mopped his damp facial fur with a rag, ¡°Why do we even have to be here.¡± Another security guard - this much like Petra with the scales, wings, and a tail, was looking at a list on their communicator and marking off the equipment as it left the vehicles. ¡°Because the indebted can¡¯t be trusted with the equipment. Do you know how much they can sell some of this for? Someone gets their hands on it without us signing it out to the right person, and suddenly it¡¯s missing.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not like they can sell it to anyone in the center.¡± The furred guard grumbled. ¡°We¡¯d catch ¡®em before they got it inside, especially with the additional security measures.¡± ¡°Dumbass. There¡¯s probably all kinds of lowlifes around here, slith¡¯s hiding in the shadows, waiting for someone to pawn something off to them. Don¡¯t you know that¡¯s a thing?¡± They huffed as another box of basic equipment was brought out. ¡°They give the equipment to some broker in the shadows, that broker takes half the money, and sends the rest either to the indebted family, or wires it to their account so they get out earlier.¡± The furred guard huffed again, ¡°Never heard of that happening.¡± He grumbled. ¡°Well, it does.¡± The other said, ¡°I hear about it all the time. Shit just goes missing. And it¡¯s obvious what happens to it.¡± Their tail swished behind them, ¡°You¡¯re just cranky because you¡¯re hot.¡± Another huff from the furred guard, but no response. He was too hot, yes, but his coworker was a native species of Arkane, and thus used to the heat, and wouldn¡¯t understand how uncomfortable he actually way. ¡°Odd.¡± the scaled guard muttered as a large bot was unloaded. ¡°Didn¡¯t think we needed the spider here today.¡± The furred guard looked at the large, eight-legged bot with its large claw-like appendages. ¡°It''s not our job to question that, is it?¡± He grumbled. ¡°We don¡¯t have to assign that, do we?¡± ¡°We won¡¯t let the indebted near the bots.¡± the scaled guard said, ¡°It''s remote controlled from the offices. Imagine what damage an indebted person could do with it.¡± He frowned as he looked at his checklist, ¡°It¡¯s here on the list¡­ it just feels odd that it¡¯s supposed to be here. They¡¯re normally used earlier on.¡± ¡°Maybe they need it for something specific.¡± The furred guard said as he dabbed his head again, ¡°Whatever, just check it off and get this done. If it¡¯s supposed to be here, I''m sure as soon as we unload it it¡¯ll take off wherever it has to go.¡± The scaled guard clicked his tongue, checked the bot on his list, and then entered the command for the metal restraints holding the bot in place to release. As soon as he did, the bot rose, and headed away. ¡°See. it¡¯s got a job.¡± The furred guard said, ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± The scaled guard watched it for a moment longer before turning back to the rest of the equipment. He was tempted to ask the work managers about it, but the work managers were all assholes who thought that because they got a nice office and didn¡¯t interact with the indebted that they were better than the security guards there. He went back to work, checking the rest of the product. Even if it had been sent by mistake, as far as he was concerned he had done all his work. If something went wrong, it wasn¡¯t his ass on the line. Episode 303:Abduction The bot moved quickly over the debris still littered on the ground as it made its way through the streets and around corners, passing by small groups of indebted workers who toiled under the watchful lens of the ever-present drones. Drones that, unbeknownst to the security guards, were under Vik¡¯s control. ¡°Everyone on your list is working in the waterway today.¡± Vik said, ¡°The same one that we escaped through the last time. Honestly, I¡¯m amazed that they haven¡¯t found our exit yet.¡± ¡°It¡¯s well hidden.¡± TO grumbled, focusing on maneuvering the bot through the narrow streets, ¡°The room is tiny, and the machinery in there is far too loud. Unless you knew what you were looking for, it¡¯s easy to overlook.¡± ¡°Nobody¡¯s going to question thirty people going into the waterway?¡± Mira asked. ¡°Nope.¡± Vik said, ¡°I mean, no more than they questioned a giant spider-bot being packed up for street cleaning. If it¡¯s in their orders, then I promise that most of them won¡¯t think much beyond that.¡± ¡°And what if they check down there to see what¡¯s going on?¡± She asked. ¡°Why would they?¡± Vik scoffed, ¡°Every indebted person down there is chipped and tracked, so they don¡¯t have to check anything! At least, not until the signal from their chips shows them moving away from the location. Of course, by then it¡¯ll be too late.¡± They turned a last corner and came to the now familiar location; the street with the sectioned off hole in the ground leading to the waterways underground. It looked a lot better than the last time TO had been here; The ragged edges of damaged cement were cut away, leaving a neat square that was more ideal for repairs. ¡°Is that going to be big enough to get through?¡± Mira asked as she glanced at TO. ¡°I mean, honestly I¡¯m surprised that you¡¯re doing this well with the bot¡­ But that entrance looks small.¡± TO gave a sharp nod. The bot had been fairly easy to figure out, with intuitive and simple controls designed for civilian use. The biggest issue for TO was the many functions. There had been so many, and most of it looked potentially needless for their purposes, so they only skimmed the instructions on them, rather than really taking it in. ¡°There¡¯s a function for narrow locations.¡± TO muttered. ¡°Vik, are you able to find that and activate it? It¡¯s in the manual under ¡®mobility functions¡¯¡± ¡°And you didn¡¯t memorize how to use all the functions in the short time you had the manual?¡± Mira said, smirking, ¡°Tsk?, you¡¯re slacking.¡± ¡°I got it.¡± Vik said. ¡°Just let me know when you¡¯re ready for me to activate it.¡± Parked on the other side of the road from the entrance to the waterway was a large transport vehicle; the kind that TO, Pearla, and Mira had snuck into in order to get to the indebted center. Next to the vehicle were four guards sitting on crates aligned in a circle, all looking inward and shouting. As TO got a little nearer, they could see what they were doing; their communicators displayed projections of monsters that were currently fighting one another in the middle of a projected combat ring. ¡°What are they doing?¡± TO muttered as one guard turned to watch the spider-bot approach. They were only watching for a moment before one of the other guards gave them a mostly friendly punch in the arm and drew their attention back to the battle in the center of the circle. ¡°Just a game.¡± Mira said, ¡°People gamble with it. You start with pretty basic little blobs with like, one or two features. Maybe one has teeth, or claws, or horns, right? Anyway, you fight, and if you win, your little blob kills the other one and takes their feature.¡± ¡°People like to gamble with them.¡± Vik said, ¡°And in the right circles, blobs with a lot of features can sell for a lot of credits. Anyway, they¡¯re eight rounds deep into this. They won¡¯t care about you.¡± That seemed correct, at least; only the one guard paid them any attention, and his focus was now back on the fight between them. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen any of you play it.¡± TO said as they positioned the bot over the hole, placing the eight legs equally over the entrance. ¡°That¡¯s because it¡¯s expensive to get into, and you can lose all the money you put into it with a single terrible battle. It¡¯s bullshit.¡± They heard Vik¡¯s irritated sigh from the other side, ¡°Anyway, I see you''re in position at least-¡± ¡°Yes.¡± TO said, ¡°I recalled seeing the information on entering tight spaces, and I remembered how to set it up, but I didn¡¯t bother to get into all the specifics of it.¡± ¡°No problem,¡± Vik said, ¡°I can set you up. Mira, hold on to something.¡± The body of the bot moved. The elongated, egg-like shape of the body shifted, the front pointing down towards the hole and other parts of the cockpit itself flexing and growing narrow. Mira only had to hold on to the wall with her feet and she stayed in place, but TO¡¯s seat went from being on the ¡®floor¡¯ of the cockpit to the ¡®wall¡¯ as they looked down, the screen before them showing the dim entrance to the waterway. It was uncomfortable, but they had suffered much worse. Compared to entering Arkane¡¯s atmosphere, this was practically enjoyable. Then, with the nearby guards paying absolutely no attention to what they were doing, they slipped underground to the waterways. ====== The small section of waterway was far too small to have thirty people working simply to clean up what was already a mostly clean area. Maybe if the guards had checked down here before the indebted came down, they would have noticed something odd. The guards clearly weren¡¯t concerned about where they were sending the indebted and clearly preferred to rely on the three drones hovering above. ¡°Three drones seem like overkill.¡± Mira said, ¡°I mean, for a location this small¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s not based on area size.¡± Vik said, ¡°One drone per ten people. We have just over thirty people down there, so we have three drones.¡± As the spider-bot settled in place as its body shifted back to normal. The surrounding people edged away from the bot that was clearly too large for the area, and a few legless who were more capable in the water had been swimming in the half-purified water, but swam away and dove beneath the surface as the bot settled into place. ¡°Alright. I got this now.¡± Mira said. ¡°Open the door.¡± TO pressed another button, and the door opened. They set the bot to standby as both TO and Mira climbed down from the cockpit, observed by their indentured audience. A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.¡°OK!¡± Mira said, her voice a lot louder and a lot firmer than TO expected. ¡°You all know why you¡¯re here, so line up!¡± A splash of water drew TO¡¯s attention down, and they saw Leanaran rising from the surface, their tentacles grasping the edge of the walkway as they pulled themself up. ¡°Mira!¡± They said as they went up to her, ¡°I¡¯m honestly a little surprised you made it! I half expected something to come up and ruin everything.¡± ¡°Trust me, so did we.¡± Mira said as she pulled out her communicator, ¡°Now come on, show me some neck¡± Leanaran turned around so that Mira could see his neck. She placed her communicator next to the incision for the chip and waited as Vik worked remotely through her communicator. ¡°So, what happens once my chip is offline?¡± Leanaran asked, ¡°Normally, if a chip goes offline, that means someone died, so they¡¯d send someone down to check on me.¡± ¡°Yes, normally.¡± TO said as they climbed down from the bot. ¡°But we¡¯re not just deactivating the chip. It¡¯s being copied to Mira¡¯s communicator.¡± They couldn¡¯t understand exactly how it was being copied, but they remembered how DH had explained it to them, and how it would work. ¡°Right.¡± Mira said, ¡°So, I¡¯ll get all your chips deactivated and copied onto my communicator.¡± She said, ¡°Then, once that¡¯s done, I¡¯ll toss it into the water purification system. They¡¯ll see all the chips go into the water purification system before suddenly going offline.¡± ¡°Wait.¡± another insurgent came forward, another Nagarajin with a brown and beige pattern on their scales, ¡°So¡­ we¡¯re actually getting out of here?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± TO said as they glanced around, taking in all the indebted around them. Thirty people seemed like a lot more when they were all crammed into a small area, and Mira had the only communicator that could do the job. ¡°So, I need everyone to line up here.¡± They said, gesturing to the walkway, ¡°If you''re in the water, just have a hand or tentacle on the walkway to represent your spot. If you¡¯re on the walkway, be careful not to step on appendages, and respect people¡¯s places!¡± Leanaran looked at TO as Mira waited for his chip to transfer. ¡°Do you think you can find our friends?¡± He asked. ¡°Can you take care of that for me?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± TO said. They spread their wings and took off to the other side of the waterway so that they could look about without being in anyone¡¯s way. Once over there, they found one of their two targets right away. ¡°Beck.¡± TO said as they saw the smaller, reptilian woman now hiding in the corner and watching the spectacle on the other side of the waterway. They jogged up to her. ¡°How did you get over here?¡± TO asked. She wasn¡¯t wet at all, showing that she hadn¡¯t swum over at least. ¡°I climbed.¡± She said, glancing at the bars which blocked the entrance backwards towards the outer ring. TO glanced down, and saw that the shoes were off all four of her feet, and that small, hooked claws were still unsheathed at the end of each long toe. ¡°What the fuck is going on?¡± ¡°Come on.¡± TO said, ¡°We¡¯re going to deactivate your chip, and-¡± ¡°I said no!¡± Beck said, taking a step away from TO, ¡°I said no. I¡¯ll stay here, thanks.¡± ¡°You want to stay here?¡± TO asked, gesturing to the surrounding area, ¡°You want to stay in the indebted center-¡± ¡°Well, I don¡¯t even know if I can do that!¡± She snapped as she looked around, her tail whipping back and forth, her eyes wide, pupils dilated. ¡°Shit. what are they going to do to me when they come back and see that everyone but me is gone!¡± TO could follow the logic that went through Beck¡¯s mind in that moment. Yes, her sudden glance at the exit to the street above and the way she eyed the people lined up before Mira as though they were dangerous beasts did work to confirm her train of thought, though it was entirely unnecessary. ¡°Beck.¡± TO¡¯s voice was firm as they shifted to stand in front of her, blocking her sight, ¡°You need to come with us.¡± ¡°No, I don¡¯t.¡± She said, taking a step back into the wall. At her hands, TO saw her unsheathe a set of claws- long, narrower than TO''s own, and colored in deep blue. ¡°I need to keep my head down, pay off my debt, and get back to my normal life.¡± ¡°Listen.¡± TO said, keeping their voice as low as possible; All the others would know the details soon enough, but there was no point in panicking people yet. ¡°Even if someone paid off your debt today, and they released you, you might not be able to go back to your normal life; not for long, anyway.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care what the statistics say.¡± Beck said, a growl playing under her words, ¡°I won¡¯t be like that. This happened once because I was careless. I¡¯ll do everything right this time. I¡¯ll save money, I¡¯ll be frugal, live in my means-¡± ¡°That¡¯s not what I mean.¡± TO said, ¡°Besides, I don¡¯t think you being here was because of a personal failure, just bad luck.¡± They glanced over their shoulder to see how work was progressing with the others. ¡°You might not be able to go back to your normal life because there might not be ¡®life¡¯ on Arkane in a week¡¯s time.¡± her tail froze in mid-air. ¡°W-what?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t go into details now.¡± TO muttered, ¡°But you have to come with us, ok? I¡¯ll explain everything-¡± ¡°No!¡± she snapped. She jumped sideways, leaping off the walkway and onto the bars where water poured through from the ocean. Her clawed feet grasped the bars easily, and she practically walked horizontally over the bars to the other side. She was fast, but TO was faster, and very well trained. TO followed her, flying over the water, tackling her to the wall, and holding her to the wall. She called out, clearly trying to get the attention of the guards above. The first syllable of her cry for help hadn¡¯t even formed properly on her lips before TO applied pressure to her temple. They hated hurting her, but if they did nothing, she¡¯d scream out and alert the guards. If they did nothing, she¡¯d stay on this planet and get caught in whatever attack the synth army would launch. She stiffened in TO¡¯s arms, then fell limp in their arms. ¡°What do you do!¡± One indebted near the back of the line shouted as they backed away from TO, ¡°How did you move like that-¡± ¡°Practice.¡± TO muttered as they picked Beck up as gently as they could, ¡°And I applied medium force to a pressure point at her temple to render her unconscious so she couldn¡¯t shout and alert the guards.¡± Mira looked up from her work, watching the exchange. After a moment, the person shrugged and turned around once more, waiting for their turn. With a sigh, TO got in the back of the line, cradling Beck in their arms. They didn¡¯t want to hurt her, but they also didn¡¯t want anyone else here to get hurt, and they couldn¡¯t stand the idea of Beck being on the planet when things got back. They could only hope that she¡¯d eventually forgive them. Episode 304: Value Mira had almost finished deactivating all the chips when Tham showed up, sneaking up from the underground through the hidden entrance off the machinery room. One arm was still in a sling, but he still moved about without issue. He carried a long plank of wood with him, and he had a multi-gun strapped to his waist. At least if something went wrong here, Tham would use a multi-fun, and not one of the civilian guns, which sent blood and flesh flying. ¡°Alright.¡± Mira said, taking on that strong announcer''s voice once more, ¡°If your chip has been deactivated, then go follow Tham; he¡¯ll have directions for you to follow.¡± ¡°Yup.¡± He said as he pulled a long wooden plank to the edge of the walkway and set it up so that people could cross over, ¡°Come on over. If you¡¯re in the water, then climb on up.¡± ¡°Is it ok to separate the group?¡± TO asked as people crossed to the other side. ¡°It¡¯s fine enough.¡± Mira said as she kept working. ¡°Tham will send them to that clearing, and they¡¯ll wait there until everyone is down there.¡± Her communicator beeped, signaling that the person she was working on, who was the last person in line, had their chip deactivated. ¡°Alright, you¡¯re good to go.¡± She said as she gestured to the plank. ¡°TO, bring Beck over.¡± Tham ushered everyone else down the tunnel while TO, Mira, and Leanaran waited for Vik to finish remotely copying Beck¡¯s chip. When that was finally done and most everyone else was already on their way underground, TO brought Beck over to Tham. ¡°Here.¡± they said as they rested Beck on Tham¡¯s tail, ¡°Keep her safe.¡± ¡°Something happened here I guess?¡± Tham said as they balanced Beck on their tail. ¡°Can we trust her?¡± ¡°She¡¯s fine, Tham.¡± Mira said, ¡°Just¡­ get her down there safe. There¡¯s one more thing we have to do here.¡± Tham left, and Mira, Leanaran, and TO stood alone on the walkway. Well, seemingly alone. They all knew there was one more person there. They just hadn¡¯t seen them yet. TO hadn¡¯t been able to search for Outis with Beck in their arms, but they had kept their sharp eyes peeled for them, and their echolocation had been going nearly nonstop. The waterway was comfortably dim, and while sound echoed off the stone walls, it was still easier on the ears for TO since the area was smaller and narrower than the hallways in the indebted center. Despite how much easier it was to see and here in the underground, TO had failed to locate Outis. Leanaran didn¡¯t seem too concerned by this, though. ¡°You¡¯re staying here longer?¡± Tham asked, frowning. His eyes flicked from Mira to TO, and finally stopped to linger on Leanaran. ¡°Can we trust him?¡± He finally asked with a gesture at Leanaran. Oddly, the fact that Tham was more concerned about Leanaran than he was about TO themself was oddly uplifting. ¡°Absolutely.¡± Mira said, ¡°He¡¯s been a tremendous help to us so far.¡± ¡°If you¡¯re sure¡­¡± Tham said. He glanced at TO, nodded briefly, and then turned to leave. Was Tham asking TO to monitor things? Well, it would be nice if Tham had left the multi-gun, if that was his intention. After a while, the sounds of all the people heading down the tunnel faded off, even to TO¡¯s ears. Leanaran, his tentacles hanging off the ledge and resting in the water, leaned against the back wall with his arms crossed. ¡°Outis.¡± Leanaran¡¯s voice was firm and impassive, like a wall. ¡°You might as well come out. We know you¡¯re here.¡± Well, Maybe Leanaran was sure, but TO wasn¡¯t. They were still looking for Outis and in the mostly empty waterway, but their eyes and ears found nothing. A moment later, the reason for that was revealed. The water rippled, and from a crack in the stone deep under water, a tiny figure shot out. TO realized it was their first time really seeing Outis. They knew they were small since they could get through the pipes at the center, and that they had tentacles, but that was it. Now, they could see Outis more clearly as their mostly boneless body, propelled by ten tentacles, broke the surface of the water. TO couldn¡¯t see a mouth hidden on their spotted black and brown skin, but they could see huge black eyes that seemed far too large for their body. ¡°I figured you were hiding in a crack or something.¡± Leanaran said as they leaned forward to get a better look at Outis, ¡°Hiding away from us?¡± Outis pulled themself up on the ledge, ¡°Well.¡± They said once they were out of the water, ¡°I was trying to avoid being trampled.¡± An uneasy laugh left their mouth. ¡°Well, you know if you''re around me, I¡¯d normally keep people from stepping on you.¡± Leanaran said. Then, with a sudden, exaggerated raise of his brows and an overly concerned tone, he asked, ¡°Or were you avoiding me for some reason?¡± ¡°Why would I be avoiding you?¡± Outis asked as they edged away from the three. Of course, doing that only brought Outis closer to the bars that separated them from the cleaning system. ¡°I have no time or patience for this.¡± Mira said, ¡°And we¡¯re on a time limit, Leanaran.¡± ¡°Very well.¡± Leanaran said with a sigh, ¡°Outis, I know you reported Pearla to Gyrini.¡± ¡°Sure, that¡¯s what they say!¡± Outis said, ¡°You¡¯ve known them for what, a couple of days?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve only known Tio for a couple of days.¡± Leanaran said, ¡°But I¡¯ve heard of Pearla before, and Mira is an old friend who has been monitoring my family for a very long time. I¡¯m inclined to believe her when she says something.¡± ¡°Well, I said nothing about you!¡± Outis said, ¡°I didn¡¯t say a word about you, or any of your dealings!¡± they jabbed a tentacle at Leanaran, ¡°You didn¡¯t technically do any business with Pearla.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t, no.¡± Leanaran agreed, ¡°But I¡¯m assuming you don¡¯t know who Pearla is.¡± ¡°No, should I?¡± Outis said, their eyes flicking from person to person once more. ¡°I¡¯d say so.¡± Leanaran said with a shrug, ¡°She¡¯s helped nearly every family in the outer ring. If she¡¯s not helped directly, then her actions have spilled over. Extra food, extra medicine, the knowledge of cheap local remedies spreading when outbreaks happen¡­ All that comes from Pearla one way or another.¡± ¡°Well, she¡¯s never helped me.¡± Outis snapped as their tendrils felt the wall behind them, looking for cracks in the stone. Could they fit in a crack in the wall? How big was the crack they had hidden in underwater? TO wasn¡¯t sure, but didn¡¯t want to take the chance. Their wings puffed out slightly, their ears narrowed. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. ¡°Not that you know of.¡± Leanaran said, ¡°And honestly, if I had let what I know spread through the center, I very much doubt you¡¯d be alive right now for this conversation. There are people here who owe their lives to Pearla, many of whom just left this place. You¡¯re very lucky.¡± ¡°Not that lucky.¡± Mira said, ¡°You know too much, and you¡¯ve caused us too many problems. You¡¯re something we have to take care of now, and the last person we had to take care of-¡± she pointed to the bars behind Outis, ¡°Got pushed into the water purification system.¡± The image of the waterfall of blood flickered through TO¡¯s mind, sending a shiver ripping through them and causing their wings to tighten around their arms. They pulled their mind away from the thought, struggling with it as though it were some beast on a leash. No, don¡¯t look at that. Look at Outis, who might have caused Pearla¡¯s death. The death of GiDi¡¯s mate. Your sibling¡¯s mate. That makes her almost family. That, at least, made them forget the blood for the moment. They had a feeling they¡¯d suffer a nightmare tonight, but at least they¡¯d be in DH¡¯s arms when that happened now. ¡°But since Outis is a friend of mine, we will not do that.¡± Leanaran said with a glance at Mira, his brows furrowed, showing that now only did he not know about the ¡®loose end¡¯ that Tham had dealt with, but that he clearly didn¡¯t approve. ¡°Right. Look.¡± Outis¡¯ body was pushed against the wall now, and they surprised TO with how flat it could appear, ¡°Just do whatever you¡¯re doing to my chip, and I''ll take off and hide! I¡¯m good at hiding. I swear, I can disappear. Nobody will ever see me again!¡± ¡°Bad idea.¡± Mira said, ¡°They went to Gyrini once before. What¡¯s saying they won''t do it again? If they get caught or picked up and wants to trade some information for their freedom or other favors, I think they¡¯d do it.¡± ¡°He comes with us.¡± Leanaran said. Mira sighed, ¡°And here I thought you wanted to deal with them yourself.¡± She said, ¡°We can¡¯t take them, we don¡¯t have enough supplies as it is.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± Leanaran said, ¡°We¡¯re going off the planet, so we can drop him off at a mining colony. He¡¯ll be safe, and we¡¯ll be gone.¡± ¡°So that¡¯s what is happening.¡± Outis said, ¡°You¡¯re all going off the planet. Getting out of this shithole, and after all I¡¯ve done for you, you¡¯re gonna leave me here!¡± ¡°Everything You¡¯ve done for me has been repaid in excess!¡± Leanaran snapped. ¡°... And if there was enough space and enough supplies, I would have taken you.¡± ¡°Oh, is that so?¡± Outis said, coming away from the wall just a little. ¡°So tell me who were the lucky fuckers got to go on this little outing with you!¡± ¡°People with families, Outis.¡± Leanaran said, ¡°People who we can reunite with their kids. We can get some whole families off planet.¡± ¡°... and because I have no family, I was never on your list, right?¡± Outis said, their voice suddenly cold, then tentacles twisting about them, ¡°Because I have no family. Because I was in the system basically my entire life, I never even had a chance to have a family!¡± They gave a bitter laugh. ¡°Even the few years between leaving juvenile care and getting here, I never could have a family because those bastards sterilize any teen who needs a medical procedure! I never had a damn chance!¡± They stared at Leanaran, their eyes big and reflecting the bit of light that flowed down the hole above them. ¡°If it weren''t for that, maybe I¡¯d have a family and you¡¯d have considered me worthy enough to be on your little list!¡± ¡°It¡¯s not about you!¡± Leanaran said, ¡°But people with families-¡± ¡°And because I don¡¯t have one, I¡¯m not important!¡± Outis snapped. Leanaran looked away. ¡°... I¡¯m sorry.¡± Leanaran said, ¡°You¡¯re important.. But-¡± ¡°But not important enough.¡± Outis said. ¡°And not useful to you out here.¡± ¡°Leanaran is helping many people here today.¡± Mira said, ¡°We have limited seats, and kids who are missing parents. Now I¡¯m sorry life sucks, but we can¡¯t help everyone and we have to make hard decisions!¡± ¡°And you¡¯re sending me to a mining colony to make sure I don¡¯t tell anyone about these hard decisions.¡± Outis said, ¡°Right?¡± ¡°You¡¯ll be out of the center.¡± Leanaran said. ¡°Once we copy your chip, they won¡¯t be able to track you down. I promise, they will not look for you in a mining colony.¡± ¡°They won''t find me there. I¡¯ll just work until I die, right? On worse food, and in worse conditions.¡± ¡°It¡¯s the only option.¡± Leanaran said, ¡°You know everything now, and¡­ Mira¡¯s right. We can¡¯t trust you.¡± He gestured to Mira, ¡°So don¡¯t make this hard, Outis. Let her copy your chip, and we¡¯ll head underground.¡± Outis was still for a moment, their eyes flicking about, their tentacles feeling the wall behind them. Finally, they jumped into the water. TO worried for a moment that they¡¯d swim away, but to TO¡¯s surprise they instead swam up to the surface so Mira could reach down and copy their chip. ¡°Wise.¡± she said. She leaned down, grabbed Outis by the collar of their tiny uniform, and pulled them out of the water before starting the process. ¡°There¡¯s nowhere else you can go, really. If we didn¡¯t deactivate your chip, they¡¯d find you and bring you back to the indebted center.¡± ¡°And that¡¯s supposed to be worse than a mining colony.¡± He snapped. ¡°Well, Gyrini would probably question you when you got back, and from what I hear, she¡¯s not exactly gentle when she questions people.¡± It took only another minute for the chip to be deactivated, but when it was, Mira gave a deep sigh. ¡°There.¡± She said as she turned to TO, ¡°Can you take them, or-¡± The next few seconds were a confusing and chaotic mess. Outis moved oddly in Mira¡¯s hands, positioning themself with their tentacles so they could shoot a spray of black ink in her face. She screeched and threw them, away as she wiped the ink away. More ink came out of Outis once they were in the water, creating black clouds in the water. TO went to dive in, but Leanaran shouted at them to stop. ¡°Their ink will sting your eyes!¡± They shouted. With a curse, TO scanned the surface of the water. They could see the ripples on the surface, a result of the displaced water from Outis¡¯ movements. They watched as the ripples led to the bars, then disappeared as Outis presumably made their way out of the waterway and into the water cleaning machinery. Episode 305: Scarier ¡°Outis is going to the water purification system!¡± TO shouted as they ran to the bars. ¡°They¡¯re going to get caught in the machinery!¡± ¡°Good!¡± Mira snapped, ¡°Agh, my eyes! This hurts like a bitch!¡± ¡°We have to stop them! They¡¯ll die!¡± TO said, The images came back, the blood red waterfall. Would this water be red or black like the ink they had sprayed? Maybe they were like synths and had blue ink? ¡°... It¡¯s too late, I think.¡± Leanaran said, his shoulders sinking. ¡°Even if it¡¯s not, by the time we get in there¡­¡± He shrugged, ¡°All we¡¯d find is parts.¡± That thought made TO¡¯s head swirl as their mind tried to create the image that might be before them. No, they could not think about that right now. Right now, they had to get away from here and get to DH. ¡°Shit. let¡¯s go.¡± Mira said as she wiped at her eyes, ¡°I can¡¯t see shit, get me to the water, I need to rinse my eyes.¡± ¡°Water will make it worse right now.¡± Leanaran said. ¡°It¡¯s full of ink.¡± They reached out and took Mira by the arm. ¡°Come on. I¡¯ll help you across, and we¡¯ll meet up with the others underground. I¡¯m out of drinking water, but maybe someone has some down there.¡± Leanaran and Mira headed to the plank. TO followed behind, but watched the water even as they did. Outis had to know that there was nothing but machinery in there, right? They had to know it¡¯d kill them. Mira said that they pushed a person through there, so Outis had to know the implication of that, right? ¡°Nah, I¡¯ll just work until I die, right? On worse food, and in worse conditions.¡± Had Outis known, and chosen to go in there, anyway? Had they chosen a short but painful death over years of work in a mining colony, or had they simply been ignorant of the danger? Maybe they thought they could avoid the machinery. ¡°Hey, Tio.¡± Leanaran called out, pulling TO back from their thoughts. ¡°You coming?¡± Leanaran and Mira were already on the other side, Leanaran still leading Mira, and Mira still rubbing furiously at her eyes. ¡°... Yeah.¡± TO said as they made their way over the plank. ¡°I¡¯m just¡­ wondering why Outis chose that.¡± Even TO could catch the expression of sadness that covered Leanaran¡¯s face. Their tentacles fell still for a moment as he looked at the fading clouds in the water. ¡°I¡¯d say they took a gamble.¡± Leanaran said, ¡°A gamble which they lost.¡± TO crossed to the other side of the waterway, still watching the water. Though the cleaning system was doing its best, it¡¯d take a minute to really clear up. ¡°... Can you dive in and check?¡± TO asked, ¡°Maybe they''re hiding in the crack again.¡± Leanaran¡¯s tentacles stiffened, their eyes widened. ¡°That¡­ might be a thing!¡± He said, ¡°He¡¯s so small¡­ but we saw those ripples in the water-¡± ¡°Is there any way he could have faked that?¡± TO asked. ¡°Not sure.¡± Leanaran said, ¡°I can¡¯t check until the water clears, though. The ink¡¯ll burn my eyes.¡± ¡°Please get me down to the tunnels.¡± Mira hissed, ¡°My eyes-¡± ¡°Mira, give me your communicator.¡± TO said. ¡°You go down. I¡¯ll wait here to see if Outis comes back up, and when Leanaran comes back, we can check the cracks underwater.¡± Mira fumbled around in her pockets blindly before she handed TO her communicator. ¡°Here.¡± She tried to pass the communicator, but It slipped out of her hands and nearly fell into the water. TO caught it just before it did and held on tight. ¡°Now get me down there, or I¡¯m going to rip my eyes out.¡± Leanaran led Mira towards the machinery room. ¡°I¡¯ll be right back.¡± They said before they disappeared inside, leaving TO alone in the waterways. Less than a minute passed when they realized they didn¡¯t want to be alone in the waterways. Watching the water for any sign of Outis wasn¡¯t particularly mentally engaging, and it left plenty of opportunity for their thoughts to drift, to conjure images of bodies caught in machinery and bloody waterfalls. The tug-of-war over TO¡¯s concentration fought between these awful images and the need to search for movement in the water was suddenly disrupted when their chip alerted them. Though silenced, they could still feel the hum of the chip in their hand. ¡°DH?¡± TO said as soon as they answered their call. There was no video this time, so TO couldn¡¯t know for sure. ¡°Sorry to disappoint.¡± Vik said. ¡°Where are you?¡± ¡°Still in the tunnels.¡± TO said, their eyes still scanning the water. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°OK! So,uh. Minor problem with Pearla.¡± That got TO¡¯s entire attention. Looking for Outis in the water and the thoughts in TO¡¯s head were no longer important. ¡°What problem?¡± They snapped. ¡°Well, there was a redirect order on the transport carrying the bodies.¡± Vik said, ¡°Instead of the transport going to the morgue, it¡¯s going to a medical office in the security district.¡± ¡°Well, just redirect it again!¡± TO said, ¡°It wasn¡¯t even going to the morgue in the first place, it was going to the outer ring!¡± ¡°I know, and I can absolutely override that order, but if I did then whoever placed that order is going to get awfully suspicious, you know?¡± ¡°And can you tell who placed that order?¡± ¡°The biggest problem we¡¯ve had this week, of course.¡± ¡°Gyrini.¡± TO said, ¡°Right.¡± Vik said, ¡°Maybe she¡¯ll order a physical intercept on it. Maybe she saw it was going in a weird direction and sent the order to check it.¡± That made sense. She hadn¡¯t found what she wanted, and they had left no clues for her. Reopening the indebted center and then just watching to see what happened? What would happen? That would give her more clues to what was going on than anything else. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it. It was a good idea, and TO couldn¡¯t help but admire her thought process. ¡°Alright.¡± TO said, ¡°Plan?¡± ¡°I was hoping you¡¯d have one.¡± Vik said. TO¡¯s first idea was to go out there on their own, catch up to the transport and get to Pearla themself, then take off and hopefully evade any drones or security following them. Without their armor, however, that was a very dangerous, idiotic idea. Even if they had their armor, Pearla was still unconscious and wouldn¡¯t be able to defend herself if something happened! No, at the very least they¡¯d need an armored vehicle, and even then, how would they escape in something so easily tracked? Then it occurred to them; they had such a vehicle. Another moment of thought, and they had an exit plan. ¡°Requesting confirmation.¡± TO snapped as they got up and rushed back to the other side of the waterway, ¡°Is the entertainment district further in or further out from the security district?¡± ¡°Further in.¡± Vik said, ¡°The security district is almost like the wall between the good parts of the city and the bad parts. Why?¡± TO jumped into the vehicle and closed the door behind them. ¡°I have an idea. I just need you to forward your tracking on Pearla to me.¡± ¡°Done.¡± Vik said, ¡°I hope your idea¡¯s a good one.¡± ¡°It is.¡± TO said with absolute certainty, ¡°Just do what I say; there¡¯s no time for explanation.¡± ¡°Gotcha.¡± Vik said, ¡°It¡¯s all you TO. DH doesn¡¯t stop raving about how clever you are, so now I''m kinda interested.¡± Despite the situation, TO felt their ears warm slightly as they turned on the spider-bot. DH doesn¡¯t stop talking about them to Vik? They couldn¡¯t wait to be home. ====== At a flat run, the industrial Spider-Bot (model UC-159) can reach speeds of fifteen miles per hour assuming an unobstructed path. At least, according to the manual. This wasn¡¯t especially fast compared to bots designed for land speed, but it was fairly agile for construction equipment. Thankfully, the Spider-Bot¡¯s fundamental skill wasn¡¯t in reaching high speeds on a flat track; it was in swiftly getting in and out of small spaces, climbing over wreckage, and moving debris. Now, admittedly, when it left the waterway at first, it took a moment to shift back to its normal state. The nearby guards hardly paid it any attention as it rose, shifted, and then headed not down the road it had come from originally but towards the buildings. It activated its climbing, and it climbed up the walls of some very tall buildings and took off between them, much like the insect the original engineers modeled it after. At that point, the guards paid attention. Of course, it wasn¡¯t because they realized the bot was acting strangely and that there was no way its orders told it to climb up undamaged buildings. They paid attention because as soon as the bot wandered outside the range of the monitors the guards carried, over thirty alerts went off at once, alerting the guards that all the indebted under their supervision were gone, and getting further away in the spider-bot¡¯s direction. Of course, they briefly and with much cursing discussed the impossibility of over thirty people fitting into a single spider-bot, but once they checked the waterway and found it entirely empty, they sent out the alert. ¡°Took them less than a minute.¡± Vik said, ¡°Just got the alerts in here.¡± ¡°Good.¡± TO said as they navigated the bot through the narrow alleyways between the buildings. ¡°What do they have after me?¡± ¡°Only two vehicles from the indebted center.¡± Vik said. ¡°Oh... but wait!¡± He was silent for a moment before coming back to TO, ¡°Look at that; fifteen seconds after the indebted security set off their alerts and Okoian authorities set off theirs.¡± TO took a needless turn, then another. They had their map in front of them, of course, and it showed Pearla¡¯s location, but they didn¡¯t want to make it too obvious where they were going. ¡°Is that normal?¡± They asked once they maneuvered through a difficult section with pipes crossing between buildings. ¡°Nope!¡± Vik said, ¡°You¡¯re just special! And I guess Gyrini is still looking for weirdness, so it¡¯s likely she has standing orders to get Okoian authorities involved in anything that happens.¡± ¡°Great.¡± TO muttered. ¡°Do you have footage for me from outside?¡± Another video flashed on TO¡¯s display, showing the spider bot making its way through the narrow alleys. ¡°Yup. Got two drones following you for good measure. If need be, I can get one to crash into a vehicle that gets too close.¡± ¡°Good. Get me an image of what¡¯s going on overhead and show me that.¡± ¡°Got it.¡± Vik said, ¡°Looking out for vehicles overhead?¡± ¡°Exactly.¡± ¡°Good. Well, this at least takes Gyrini¡¯s attention from the transport. Want me to redirect it now?¡± ¡°No. Let it go where it¡¯s going.¡± TO said, ¡°I¡¯m going to intercept it.¡± ¡°But how will you get away-¡± ¡°Just do it.¡± TO said. They came to a road between buildings, but thankfully they could get the spider-bot to leap between them. As they did, they could see the vehicles turning onto the main road to intercept. Of course, they were still a little farther behind. ¡°Alright.¡± Vik said as the video of the view of the sky between buildings replaced the view of the spider bot. At first all they saw was the blue-green Arkanian sky, but shortly after they glimpsed the vehicles overhead. ¡°Heading to intercept.¡± TO said, ¡°Keep monitoring the airwaves and keep this line open.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± Vik said with an exaggerated formality. ¡°Shit, you¡¯re a little scary when you¡¯re like this.¡± Were they? Well, that didn¡¯t matter. All that mattered was getting this job done and if they needed a scarier version of that, then so be it. Episode 306: Velocity The security vehicles overhead were following TO as closely as they could. They couldn¡¯t maneuver into the narrow alleys thankfully, but they hovered overhead, waiting for their opportunity to intercept the rogue spider-bot. TO could have lost them easily if they turned off the communicator, broke it, or got Vik to disable the signals coming from it on their end, but that wouldn¡¯t work long term. No, for their plan to work TO needed the signal to keep broadcasting. That meant they had to put up with the vehicles overhead. There were six that they could see, but TO was certain that there were more nearby. ¡°Careful up ahead.¡± Vik said, ¡°My drones don¡¯t show it, but according to the street-cams they¡¯re planning a blockade up ahead at the next major road.¡± ¡°Was I being that predictable?¡± TO asked as they checked their map. Vik had already marked the blockade with a red dot just a little further ahead. ¡°If you turn here, you can redirect-¡± ¡°If I redirect now, they¡¯ll reposition.¡± TO said. They checked Pearla¡¯s location again, watching the little red dot moving along with the transport that carried her and the other bodies. ¡°The building to my left, just before the main road; what is it?¡± ¡°Records office.¡± ¡°They should have a fire alarm, can you-¡± ¡°On it.¡± Vik said. ¡°Oh, and some good news as well.¡± As TO got closer to the exit to the main road, they could see the vehicles waiting for them; the shiny black exteriors and tinted windows hovering as the spider-bot came into range. A small panel opened on the bottom of the vehicles and a silver laser came out, its sheen such a contrast to the dull black metal. ¡°What¡¯s the good news?¡± TO asked as they maneuvered the spider bot off the ground and up the wall of the building. ¡°Well, once you took off, I sent word to Tham about the situation. They directed Leanaran not to go back into the waterway. They sealed up the exit and they¡¯re heading through the underground to our little home here.¡± ¡°Good.¡± TO said. The lasers were preparing to fire; the first blast on these larger lasers always took a bit of a warmup, and TO hoped to be in position by the time they were ready. ¡°How¡¯s Mira?¡± ¡°Oh, the ink fucked her eyes for the day.¡± Vik said, ¡°Goretta said that she can treat her once she gets back, and she¡¯ll be fine in a couple of days, but she¡¯s out of commission for the rest of the day.¡± ¡°She¡¯ll be alright through?¡± TO asked as they scurried up the wall. ¡°She should be.¡± Vik said, ¡°That was some nasty shit Outis shot out at her though.¡± TO¡¯s ears pinned back, their teeth grit. They had hoped that Outis had been hiding in the cracks in the water, and that Leanaran would just find them and draw them out once he came back. While they still didn¡¯t want to think about anyone getting trapped in the water cleaning system, the idea of Outis free to report to Gyrini about what they were doing left a particular lump of dread in their stomach. Still, they had to leave. They had to keep Pearla safe. Just seconds before the lasers fired, TO stopped the spider-bots'' ascent up the building, released its grasp on the wall, and let it fall down several meters. The lasers still fired, six heavy shots landing where the bot had been just a second before and creating a large hole in the wall. The lasers were not part of TO¡¯s plan. They hadn¡¯t been sure they would open fire in the city and risk more damage, but apparently they would. Had they evacuated the building ahead of time, had they noted the alarm, or did they just not care that there might be civilians inside the building. Well, whatever the case the destruction worked for TO on this day. They guided the bot up the wall of the opposite building, zigzagging about to avoid further laser fire until they were in position to jump into the newly created hole. The trick to avoiding fire in these kinds of situations was simple. Your attacker, if they were competent, would fire at the place the bot would be, not where it was. If one kept this in mind, then the way to avoid fire was simple; don¡¯t be where you look like you¡¯re going to be. While this did often result in a relatively chaotic movement pattern it would disorient the enemy. The hardest part about this was to not fall into a pattern. If you kept veering right when you seemed like you¡¯d go straight, then your attacker would just adjust to that in seconds if they were competent. No, the trick was to not fall into a pattern, to keep the movements sporadic.Occassionally, it was a good idea to move in exactly the direction you seem like you might, just to keep the enemy guessing once they¡¯ve varied their shots. The necessity of chaos and randomness in this was difficult for bots and Ai to replicate, or track. It was also difficult for many of the normal synths to maintain. Thankfully, for TO and their friends it had been much easier so long as they focused a little. Once in position, they jumped across the narrow space between buildings, landing the large spider-bot into the empty office which the laser shots had opened up. The alarm had triggered a deluge of flame retardant chemicals to rain down from overhead. That, along with the blaring of alarms and the flashing red lights would have left TO completely disoriented but the bot blissfully dulled the sounds, protected TO from the water, and even filtered out the worst of the flashing lights. ¡°They¡¯re going to the other side of the building.¡± Vik said, ¡°And setting up security at the other sides-¡± ¡°Good.¡± TO said as they turned around and lunged right back out of the hole they had just entered, scurried up the building, and made their way to the main road. Luck was with them as they left the safety of the alleyway as a large transport made its way up the road. With careful timing, TO could leap from the walls and grasp the side of the transport just as it passed by. ¡°Is this transport driven manually or-¡± The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. ¡°Ai.¡± Vik said, ¡°I¡¯m checking and getting control through your chip. Increasing its speed and heading to Pearla. Also, they¡¯re coming at you again.¡± TO moved the bot to the front of the vehicle so that if the security vehicles were to shoot at them again, they¡¯d at least have the large transport between them. ¡°How fast can this go?¡± TO asked, checking the dots on the map, calculating based on speed and positioning where everything was and would be. ¡°Not overly fast.¡± Vik admitted, ¡°Not as fast as those security vehicles, but I can at least get you some time and help you cover some distance-¡± TO did the math quickly in their head, calculating angles and acceleration, making their best guess what variables they¡¯d have to deal with. ¡°Increase vehicle incline by seventy-degrees, increase speed to one-seventy mph.¡± ¡°I can only go to one-fifty-five.¡± ¡°Not if you drop the load the vehicle is carrying.¡± There was a moment of silence on the line, then the vehicle shifted as it released the transport crate it dragged behind them. Now that it was front heavy, it nearly spun forward into circles, but Vik was quick to adjust the vehicle balance and increase the speed. They were just reaching their speed when something hit them. A laser blast struck through the vehicle, cut through the cockpit, and struck off the heavy, reinforced metal of the spider-bot. Alarms went off, and a warning that many functions were now offline flashed on a different screen before TO. A brief check told TO that they¡¯d be fine despite the damage. They could still move, still climb, and still jump. Some useful features were now offline, but that wasn¡¯t a concern for TO anymore. Another shot. This one penetrated the metal and hit something on the inside. The systems warned of a fuel leak. Thankfully, the bot still had an electric battery. TO set the bot in energy conservation mode, and the many lights and readings from all around went dark. If it weren¡¯t for the windshield before them and the video from their chip, they¡¯d be in darkness. ¡°How many more shots do you think you can take?¡± Vik asked. ¡°None.¡± TO said. That was fine, they didn¡¯t need to take any more shots. ¡°Increase angle to eighty-five degrees.¡± The transport took a sudden turn upwards. TO released the bot¡¯s grip on the transport and let the trajectory of the transport and all the speed behind it throw the spider-bot in an arch towards an intersection. Their keen eyes watched the road, the seconds drawing out as they looked, hoped they were right, hoped that their math was right. It was. The transport carrying the bodies collided with TO, spiraling off course and into a nearby building. This building seemed to be some kind of storage facility, and as soon as TO and the transport crashed through the wall more alarms went off, more chemicals poured from overhead. ¡°End the alarms.¡± TO ordered, ¡°And open the transport for me.¡± There was no response, just action. Good, that was what TO wanted. They rushed ahead to the now open transport and grabbed the first body bag there. While the cargo was supposed to be non-living, someone had strapped all the contents down to prevent unfortunate shifting and colliding in transport, so despite the crash Pearla was still alright. TO opened the door to the Spider-bot and jumped out. They didn''t have long before the security vehicles caught up, so they grabbed Pearla, still in the bag, and tried to pull her towards the spider-bot. She was too heavy. TO had forgotten how heavy a Nagarajin could be with their tails of solid muscle. They needed a new plan, or a quick way to get her into the bot. ¡°Vik, use the claws. Get Pearla to the door.¡± TO said as they gently laid Pearla down on the ground and rushed back to the bot. Again, no response, just action as the bot pinched the bag with one of its powerful claws and lifted Pearla up. Once it was close enough, TO could pull her into the Spider-bot and position her so that she was safe before taking their seat again. ¡°Alright.¡± They said they got the spider-bot up again, moving out of the way just before another laser hit the spot where TO had been, cutting a hole through the transport. They scurried back into the narrow alleys of nearby buildings and continued in the rough direction of the interior of Okoia. ¡°Vik, get me directions to The Cabin.¡± ¡°... You mean the bar?¡± Vik asked, ¡°Why the Bar-¡± ¡°Just do it.¡± TO said as they eyed the security vehicle above. They stopped in their tracks just before it fired, the laser striking the ground behind them, then TO hurried off again. ¡°Alright, understood.¡± Vik said. Pearla¡¯s dot disappeared, and another lit up on the projection from their chip, this one further towards the interior. TO had Pearla, and everyone else was safe underground. They were almost done. ¡°Alright.¡± They said they got the spiderbot up again, moving out of the way just before another laser hit the spot where TO had been, cutting a hole through the transport. They scurried back into the narrow alleys of nearby buildings and continued in the rough direction of the interior of Okoia. ¡°Vik, get me directions to The Cabin.¡± ¡°... You mean the bar?¡± Vik asked, ¡°Why the Bar-¡± ¡°Just do it.¡± TO said as they eyed the security vehicle above. They stopped in their tracks just before it fired, the laser striking the ground behind them, then TO hurried off again. ¡°Alright, understood.¡± Vik said. Pearla¡¯s dot disappeared, and another lit up on the projection from their chip, this one further towards the interior. TO had Pearla, and everyone else was safe underground. They were almost done. Episode 307: Wall TO never realized that the different sections of the city had immense walls separating them. Well, maybe not all the districts, but at the very least, the security district had walls. All the buildings on the edge of the security district lined up with the border, and the gaps between the buildings were closed off with sections of tall metal wall. ¡°You gonna climb it, or trick ¡®em into shooting a hole through the wall?¡± Vik asked as TO maneuvered the spider-bot between buildings and towards the fence. It was faster for them to jump from wall to wall in the narrow allies, but they couldn¡¯t change their direction in mid-air, so doing so made them easy targets. ¡°Whatever comes first.¡± TO said as they suddenly shifted direction along the side of a building, dropping several feet and avoiding a laser blast. They realized they had done that too much in the last few minutes, and next time the enemy would likely account for the drop. ¡°They¡¯re converging on you.¡± Vik said, ¡°They might just open fire and scatter their shots around you. How many more hits do you think you can take?¡± ¡°Unknown.¡± TO¡¯s clipped voice said, sounding more cold and robotic than normal. They were responding automatically as their focus stayed on avoiding shots from the other vehicles in pursuit. Another shot fired, and TO froze this time. As they suspected, the laser blast missed them, shooting too far down. As the laser charged for a second shot, they dropped again, this time landing on the ground just behind a dumpster as the shots hit the wall. The powerful claws of the bot pulled the strong metal lid off the dumpster and held it over as TO rushed to the wall. ¡°Clever, but that lid won¡¯t protect you that much.¡± Vik said. ¡°I know.¡± TO said. They didn¡¯t want it to protect them, they wanted it to hide them, at least for a minute. Even if the enemy still knew their location, the added coverage would be useful. Another shot, but this one went through the lid and slipped between the moving legs of the bot. TO kept the lid a little off center, so that hopefully the shots fired wouldn¡¯t hit their proper mark. They just needed a minute to maneuver and climb. When they were only a third of the way up the wall, the security vehicles clustered around them, taking aim. ¡°Use one of your drones and crash into the vehicle in the center of the main cluster.¡± TO said as they stilled the bot, waiting for the shots to fire. Vik thankfully did as asked, and just as the lasers were about to fire, the drone nearest to the security vehicles crashed into the windshield. The vehicle went off course in a spin as its laser went off and several other nearby vehicles were hit. Just as that happened, TO dropped the garbage lid. The remaining vehicles, expecting TO to drop or move suddenly to avoid the fire, shot at the lid. A half-dozen laser strikes shot the lid to pieces and worked holes through the wall itself. Immediately after the lasers had fired, TO let the bot drop until they were over the now weakened area of the wall, and pulled apart the remaining metal with the large, powerful claws. This was thankfully what the spider-bot was made for, and it took only moments to create an opening which they could maneuver through, making their way from the security district to the entertainment district. Teetering on the edge of the hole they made between one district and the next, they planned their trajectory, jumped, and landed atop a nearby building. The security district had been blissfully devoid of pedestrians, but the same was not so for the entertainment district. As was the case back when TO and DH had gone there for their date back before everything fell apart. The roads in the entertainment district were a cornucopia of lights and noise dedicated to providing pleasant stimulation to the senses. The stark difference between the two districts was even visible in the wall behind them. On the security district side of the wall, there had been nothing but plain metal reaching up into the sky. On this side, the metal was reflective, and made the district seem so much bigger than it really was, and extended this peaceful facade of joy and merriment. Even as it arched up into the sky, the wall disappeared as it simply reflected more of the sky. Well, it was very easy to see the wall now. The hole that TO had torn in the wall now looked like a black rip in the sky. From further above, the security vehicles appeared one by one, ready to continue their pursuit. ¡°How¡¯s your fuel holding up?¡± Vik asked. ¡°Unsure.¡± TO said as they continued along, jumping from rooftop to rooftop of businesses that brought life to the district. At first, a few spectators on the ground seemed to think that the bot was part ?of performance but that illusion shattered once the security vehicles came into view Many civilians hadn¡¯t seen a construction bot before, but everyone knew what a security vehicle looked like, and that was enough to get people running away. ¡°Well, I don¡¯t know how much further you intend to go.¡± Vik said. ¡°But if the bot powers down, you''re stuck out there.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t need to go much further!¡± TO snapped as they checked their map, checked their trajectory, and jumped across the road. They truly weren¡¯t too far from where they had to go now, and they hoped they could make it. Maybe they¡¯d avoid further climbing if they could. They could scurry along the rooftops now, continuing their process of dodging and feinting. You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version. Or maybe not. They just thought that when the security drones circled ahead of them. To avoid the coming laser fire, TO let the bot drop between buildings where they continued along. It would take longer here, and there was a greater chance that the bot would lose power. At least there were no civilian vehicles here, and all the pedestrians were long gone. The only other traffic on the road were the strange carriages, pulled by mechanical seahorses and driven by AI. AI that Vik had control of. ¡°Change of plans!¡± TO said, ¡°Get one of those carriages to me, and get ready to take over control of the bot.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± Vik said. ¡°I¡¯ve got control of one a few blocks away.¡± ¡°How quickly can you get it here?¡± ¡°Three minutes.¡± Vik said after a few moments of silence, ¡°I think.¡± ¡°Alright. Standby.¡± TO took another strange turn, not bothering to follow their path on the map and instead using the last drone they had to look around at their external environment. After a few minutes, they finally found what they were looking for. They remembered looking for DH that night, watching the streets as their carriage brought them through the narrow side-streets of the entertainment district. Many of the bars had these canopies overhead to protect their patrons against the rain and to provide this comfortable closed-off feeling as they ate and drank. For TO right now, it would provide some cover from above. ¡°Take the controls.¡± TO said, ¡°Follow this road down, and don''t stop no matter what.¡± They didn¡¯t wait for a response from Vik, there was no time. TO unfastened Pearla from the straps behind them, and braced themself against the door as her weight fell on them. They checked the drone and their windshield once more before they pressed the button for the door. TO and Pearla fell out onto the road as the spider-bot moved on. TO wrapped wings and arms around Pearla to protect her head as they rolled into the street and under the canopy. Sound once more assaulted their poor ears. The bot made this awful whirring noise as it moved, and the security vehicles gave off this deep, thrumming sound as they made their way through the air. TO was happy to note that the sound was moving away, that the security vehicles were following the bot and didn''t seem to notice the two fall out of it. ¡°TO!? TO, are you ok?¡± Vik¡¯s voice came through their communicator. The projection showing their movement on the map, and the drone¡¯s footage had flickered out with the sudden, unexpected movement, but once TO was still, the projection came back on. ¡°I¡¯m ok.¡± TO said. ¡°Now, make the bot climb to the rooftops, and make its way to the interior. Let them shoot it, though; that thing needs to be destroyed entirely, along with the communicator inside. They can¡¯t know that it¡¯s unarmed right now.¡± ¡°... So the remote-controlled bot draws attention away from you, leads them on a chase to a juicer target; the government building perhaps, and an explosion destroys all evidence. Meanwhile¡­¡± A sudden noise from behind them sent a shudder through TO, and they turned, standing crouched between Pearla and the new threat¡­ Only it wasn¡¯t a threat, it was a carriage. ¡°Mx Tio.¡± The ServAi sitting in the driver¡¯s seat said as it stood up, ¡°I am here to pick you up. Shall I help you with your luggage?¡± It took TO a moment to realize that they meant Pearla. They listened carefully, and could hear nobody else around them. The security vehicles were long gone now, and no pedestrians had returned to the streets. The one problem they had not exactly solved yet¨Cgetting Pearla into the carriage¨Cnow seemed to be fixed. ¡°Let the nice ServAi help you.¡± Vik said over the communicator, ¡°He¡¯s got a good carry limit; he can manage a Nagarajin, no problem.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± TO said, stumbling to their feet. The ServAi was at their side in a moment, a steady robotic arm helping to steady the shaking TO. ¡°Get her in first.¡± TO said, gesturing to Pearla. The ServAi hesitated a moment, then nodded. They strode over to Pearla and picked her up as though she weighed nothing, and carried her to the carriage. ¡°Set her inside.¡± TO said, ¡°On the seat.¡± ¡°As you wish.¡± The ServAi said. They did exactly as TO asked, then came back and offered an arm for TO once more. ¡°Allow me to help you, MX. You appear to be inebriated.¡± TO gave a sudden bark of laughter, but they let the bot lead them to the carriage. It wasn¡¯t until the door shut behind them and the carriage moved that TO felt their wings relax, felt their ears flick forward, and felt the way their shoulders and jaw suddenly relaxed all at once. For the moment, they were safe. Episode 308: Cottage Core It was only when the carriage had traveled far enough for TO to once more hear pedestrians and entertainment outside the carriage that they truly relaxed. If things were calm enough for people to go back to their business, then TO could easily assume that there were no security vehicles or higher Arkanian or Okoian authorities to be seen, and that it was very probable that they had gotten away. Safe was perhaps an overstatement; they wouldn¡¯t feel safe until they were back underground. Until they were in DH¡¯s arms they wouldn¡¯t consider their mission completed, and thus couldn¡¯t let their guard down entirely. Still, they were probably alright to wake Pearla. The ServAi had placed her on the seat across from TO, letting her lie down while still in the body bag. While the bag was helpful for keeping her tail from going everywhere, it was still disconcerting to see their friend in one and they didn¡¯t want her to wake up in a body bag. Slipping over to the other seat, TO quickly found the zipper to the bag and pulled it down. Pearla still looked quite dead, and TO had to remind themself over and over that it was just the makeup Mira did. They also had to remind themself that because of her hibernation state coupled with the distilled berry juice she drank before going into hibernation, TO wouldn¡¯t be able to feel her pulse and confirm that she was alive. While it kept her safe earlier, TO now found that fact disturbing. She felt so cold and looked truly dead. TO couldn¡¯t let GiDi see her like this. They could only imagine how they would feel if they saw DH in such a state. No amount of reassurance from anyone else would convince TO that their mate was ok, and they¡¯d panic over them until signs of life were visible. No, Pearla would be awake when they got back. TO pulled away the rest of the bag and repositioned her so she was laying back on TO¡¯s lap. They didn¡¯t know how long it would take for her to wake, and had no idea how they¡¯d get her out of the carriage if she was still asleep when they got to The Cabin. Well, Problems for later. Perhaps it was adrenaline still pumping through TO¡¯s veins, or the slight pride they felt from so many off-the-cuff plans working out so well, but they felt as though they could handle any issue right now. They had formed a plan going into the indebted center but from the moment they set foot inside everything had gone wrong that could go wrong. All the careful planning they had done was for nothing, yet, they still got through it. If Pearla wasn¡¯t awake TO was certain they could figure it out. ====== Even with the heat on in the carriage and Pearla resting on TO¡¯s lap, it took nearly an hour for Pearla to wake up properly. Thankfully, it only took ten minutes for the first signs of life to show. Her heartbeat sped up and strengthened so TO could feel the steady thumping of her heart when checking her pulse. It felt so odd to feel the pounding of a heart as opposed to the constant thrum of their own heart. Did the heartbeat distract her? A little longer and her eyes flickered, and the dullness in her complexion faded off and the warmer purple shade colored her cheeks. Still, it took an hour for her eyes to flutter open. She squinted against the light in the carriage, looking around with eyes that were far too dilated. Was that normal, or was it a result of the distilled sea-berries? She blinked, squinted, and stared at TO. ¡°GiDi?¡± Her voice cracked due to disuse, and she coughed slightly as she spoke. ¡°Not GiDi.¡± TO said, keeping their voice low, ¡°Just me. Just TO.¡± ¡°TO¡­¡± She closed her eyes again and lifted a hand to her face. Her movements were still jerky, and her hand shook horribly as she rubbed at her eyes. ¡°Where¡­?¡± ¡°There were complications.¡± TO said, ¡°It''s nothing to worry about now. We¡¯re in a carriage, and heading to the Cottage.¡± They paused and knocked on the window that separated them from the driver. While the window didn¡¯t open, ServAi''s voice echoed over speakers in the Cabin. ¡°How can I help you, Mx. Tio?¡± ¡°There¡¯s a bar called Cottage Core Pub.¡± Can you take us there now?¡± ¡°Of course, Mx.¡± The ServAi said, and immediately the speakers clicked off. ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m not supposed to be here?¡± Pearla asked as she tried to push herself up. She struggled, so TO helped her into a sitting position. ¡°No; you were supposed to go right to the underground but Gyrini tried to redirect the transport. I grabbed you.¡± She blinked again, this time her eyes focused a little more. She tried to speak again, but her voice cracked and she coughed. TO put a hand on her back, unsure what they could do but wanting to help?. Maybe that was why she had been so helpful to TO that first night when their eyes and head throbbed so badly; seeing them in pain made her just want to help. Now, TO wanted to repay the favor. Pearla was still catching her breath a few minutes later when the carriage came to a stop. The speakers crackled to life one more time. ¡°Mx. Tio, we¡¯ve arrived at the destination.¡± the ServAi said. ¡°Thank you.¡± TO said, ¡°Could we go to the back entrance-¡± ¡°We are already there, Mx.¡± The ServAi said, ¡°You requested a discrete arrival.¡± TO, of course, had done no such thing. They assumed Vik had thought of that beforehand. They moved away from Pearla and peeked out the window. The alleyway was small enough for a carriage, but nothing else. Stolen novel; please report.¡°... Last time I was in a carriage to get to this place, you had to stop by the main road.¡± TO said. ¡°Back roads are wider than the alleys to accommodate vehicles, but they are not part of our overall route as the back roads are not aesthetically pleasing. An exception has been made for this trip.¡± Well, that made sense. It would be an absolute pain if deliveries had to be walked down streets filled with pedestrians. They turned to Pearla. ¡°Are you able to walk?¡± TO asked, ¡°I can help, of course.¡± Pearla looked at TO unblinking for several moments before she shook her head. ¡°No TO. I cannot walk.¡± A slight grin crossed her face., ¡°But if you help keep me steady, I¡¯m sure I can make my way in.¡± She lifted the end of her tail, the tip wiggling in the air, ¡°But¡­ I¡¯m afraid walking is not an option.¡± TO¡¯s ears burned, dipping down as they realized their mistake. ¡°Oh. I¡¯m so sorry! I didn¡¯t mean-¡± Pearla just laughed, ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± She said just before an enormous yawn escaped her mouth. ¡°I¡¯m just messing with you.¡± she shook her head, and carefully slid off the seat. ¡°Just help me in¡­ Wait. Why are we going here?¡± ¡°We¡¯re going to rest until you¡¯re more awake, and then we¡¯re going home.¡± TO said. They knocked on the window again. ¡°Open the door, please.¡± ¡°Of course, Mx.¡± The door slid open before them, revealing the dirty, narrow alley. It was nothing like the main roads; which were clean and easy to move in. Back here, abandoned boxes in stacks leaned against the walls, and strange bugs scurried into the darkness. TO shuddered, but at least the bugs here weren¡¯t as large as the ones in the outer ring, and not as big as the one they had woken up to the other day. TO slipped out of the carriage and looked around for any sign of surveillance. They didn¡¯t see any drones, and though they saw a single camera in the corner attached to the back of the pub, a closer look told TO it hadn¡¯t worked for a long time. They turned around and offered an arm to Pearla, who took it and leaned heavily on the taller synth as she maneuvered herself out of the carriage and to the ground. ¡°Will you be needing my services any longer, Mx. Tio?¡± the driver asked. ¡°No, that¡¯s-¡± They paused, turned, and grabbed the body bag from the carriage. Last thing they needed was this being found and reported to Gyrini. ¡°No, we¡¯re fine now.¡± TO said. ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°Very good, Mx. Tio.¡± The ServAi said. ¡°Please enjoy the rest of your day.¡± The carriage then lunged forward and made its way out of the narrow alley. ¡°Never been in one of those before.¡± Pearla said wistfully as she watched the carriage drive away, ¡°I wish I had been more awake¡­¡± ¡°When all this is over, I¡¯ll tell GiDi to take you on a date.¡± TO said, fondly remembering the advice that Lendulin had given about taking DH out. ¡°And they¡¯ll get even fancier accommodation for you than that.¡± They went up to the door, and while TO was about to knock, Pearla put her hand over TO¡¯s fist and pushed it down. In response to TO¡¯s inquisitive look, she lifted her own fist and knocked on the door herself; a series of taps that made out some kind of melody that TO felt certain was familiar to them somehow, but which they couldn¡¯t quite place. A moment later, the door opened, and a frantic-looking woman about a third of TO¡¯s size opened the door. She had white fur all over, a long tail, big black eyes and a long, narrow snout with very long teeth that protruded over her lower lip. She took one look at Pearla and gasped before standing to the side. ¡°Get in.¡± She blurted as she moved aside. TO helped Pearla into the comfortable dim of what was clearly a stock room, filled with plastic boxes and crates. ¡°Thank you.¡± TO said, ¡°I¡¯m-¡± ¡°Shush.¡± the woman said as she closed the door behind TO. She pushed the two forward, towards the back corner of the room. At first TO didn''t know where she was going as all they could see were more and more shipping crates, but once she got to two stuck right in the corner, she pressed a button on the side of one, and then easily pulled them forward to reveal a narrow staircase that led down. ¡°Go down here. There¡¯s a sliding door to your right. Go there, go in, be quiet. I¡¯ll be down shortly.¡± The woman¡¯s voice was so clipped and nearly frantic that TO obeyed without question. The moment they were in the hallway, the shipping crates closed behind them once more, and a tiny, dim light came on overhead. ¡°Ugh, I can hardly see anything in here.¡± Pearla complained. ¡°I¡¯ve got you.¡± TO said, ¡°Come on. I¡¯ll help.¡± ¡°Right¡­ I guess this lighting is just right for you.¡± It was. It was so much quieter in here, and the light was perfect and comfortable for TO¡¯s sensitive eyes. Despite being cramped and ugly, it was the most comfortable place TO had been in a long time. If only DH were there with them. Episode 309: Saferoom TO would have carried Pearla if they could, but as it was the best they could do was to lead her down the narrow stairway, supporting her weight as they descended into the dim. They didn¡¯t have to go too far before they found the narrow sliding door that the woman recommended. TO pushed it open, let Pearla in first, and then followed in sliding the door closed behind them. Inside, the tiny room was only a little brighter so Pearla could see well enough to make her way to the narrow bed in the corner and flop down. The bed wasn¡¯t big enough for her whole body, so half her tail still hung off the end. Despite this, she was asleep and softly snoring in moments. As for TO, they could see everything clearly, and their eyes were relaxed in the persisting dim. There was a narrow door in the corner that presumably led to a makeshift washroom, the bed, and an empty table in the corner, under which was a collection of roughly made scrap blankets. As TO picked through the blankets to find one for Pearla, they could have sworn that one of them had the same feel and style to the one they had seen in Flit and Snout¡¯s room. Right, Snout said that they had taken up sewing, and made the blankets themself. Maybe some extras had made their way to allies. They took the one Snout probably made, and draped it over Pearla. DH¡¯s parent made this. The thought was a strange one to TO, and made them hesitate for a moment before letting go of the blanket. The idea of amy of them having a parent at all was still odd, and they didn¡¯t think they had special feelings towards Snout because they were simply their parent. Still, that they came from someone, and not that King Decon handcrafted them Himself was comforting and concerning at the same time. TO pulled their attention back to Pearla. She was clearly still exhausted if she fell asleep so easily, and keeping her warm was the best way to counter that. It was hard to tell if she was well or not because of all the carefully applied black goo on her face, but seeing her breath, hearing her snoring, and watching her shift in her sleep assured TO that she was at least a little better than she was earlier. There were no other chairs in the small room, and no space on the bed for TO to sit on. Well, that didn¡¯t matter. They took an extra blanket from under the table, folded it up, and set it on the stone floor. With their new makeshift mat, they had a place to sit and wait for Pearla to wake. Of course, they weren¡¯t waiting too long before there was a knock on the sliding door. TO got up again, and opened the door to see the woman from earlier on the other side, carrying a rather heavy looking basket in one hand. ¡°Provisions.¡± She said, ¡°Pearla looked out of sorts, so I thought-¡± ¡°She¡¯s asleep.¡± TO said as they stood aside to let the woman in. ¡°You know her, I¡¯m assuming.¡± ¡°Who doesn¡¯t?¡± She said as she hurried in and set the basket on the floor next to the table. She pulled out a hot plate and plugged it into an outlet in the corner. Next came a kettle, a large bottle of water, a large bowl,mugs, some rags, and a small container which she set on the table. ¡°Food.¡± She said as she gently tapped the lid with tiny, clawed hands. ¡°Basic stuff. Fruit, meat, cheese¡­¡± She glanced at TO, ¡°Can you eat any of that?¡± ¡°The fruit and meat.¡± TO said as they stepped forward, ¡°The cheese will make me sick.¡± ¡°Ah, apologies-¡± ¡°No no, this is plenty.¡± TO insisted. They took a step forward and opened the container to peek inside, and while they hadn¡¯t felt hungry until now, the sight of some variety in food made their stomach give out a hungry growl. ¡°I¡¯ll bring more.¡± the woman said with a low chuckle, ¡°... But, who are you? Our mutual messaged me and said that couple of people would need a place to rest, so while I was expecting guests, I wasn¡¯t expecting Pearla and a stranger.¡± TO wondered if this woman had seen GiDi before. Well, clearly not. If she knew about GiDi, she¡¯d probably know a little more about Chilacians, and wouldn¡¯t be looking at TO with such intense curiosity. ¡°I''m a friend of Pearla¡¯s.¡± TO said, not wanting to give off more information than necessary. ¡°Tio, is my-¡± ¡°Tio.. Tio.. Wait.¡± She frowned and looked up, ¡°Were you here the other week with another? One of you got entirely plastered on one of our speciality drinks?¡± TO¡¯s ears dipped, ¡°... Yes.¡± they muttered, ¡°I didn¡¯t realize it would hit so hard.¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯m glad to hear it!¡± She said, as she filled the kettle from the bottle of water, ¡°I made it myself.¡± She glanced up, ¡°I wasn¡¯t here that night, but I own the place. You two had to check in to use one of our rooms so I saw the name, and my assistant told me a story about these two tall, bald, winged people who got plastered and needed a room. I saw the name when I was doing my paperwork later on.¡± She set the kettle on the hot plate and turned it on. ¡°Now then. I¡¯ve got some tea here. You both look exhausted, but Pearla looks half dead, so I brought some tea to help wake her up.¡± ¡°Only half dead?¡± TO muttered, their ears twitching at their small joke. Either the small woman didn¡¯t hear them, or ignored them as she continued on with her instructions. ¡°Now, this tea needs to steep for three minutes only. Shorter than that and it won¡¯t have the right effect. Longer, and it¡¯ll taste like ass.¡± she gestured to the basket, ¡°I brought rags if you want to get cleaned up before you go on, and some bandages in case you¡¯re injured¡­ But you seem alright to me.¡± ¡°More or less.¡± TO muttered as he watched her unpack things. ¡°Just.. tired.¡± ¡°I¡¯d say! I saw some of that chase on the GBA.¡± ¡°You did?¡± TO¡¯s ears perked up, ¡°what did they say?¡± ¡°Oh, the normal stuff.¡± She said, ¡°Insurgent plot with some indebted taken hostage. Massive infrastructural damage, monumental risk to innocent citizens, the usual.¡± She shrugged, ¡°I know better than to listen to the editorializing. If you pay attention to just the information they give, maybe you can get half the story.¡± She turned, ¡°At any rate, just hide here as long as you need.¡± She took out her communicator, ¡°You got a comm with you?¡± The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement. ¡°I don¡¯t, I have¡­¡± They paused, just moments away from activating their chip before realizing something. ¡°Wait!¡± TO went over to Pearla, and carefully reached into the pocket of her uniform. Their communicator had been with Pearla just in case she needed it, so now they could retrieve it. ¡°Yes! I have a communi- sorry, a comm.¡± It was odd how she used this slang so easily, and yet TO heard none of the others use it. They¡¯d ask later. It wasn¡¯t important now. ¡°Perfect.¡± she said as she stepped forward, pulled her own communicator out of her pocket¨Cit was so small, it looked like a toy to TO. Or, was it that TO¡¯s was so much bigger than hers?¨Cand held it up. TO tapped their own to hers, and a moment later her profile and contact appeared on TO¡¯s communicator. ==Fengari. She/her.== ¡°Normally, I¡¯d not share my info so quickly with someone I just met, but you come with high recommendations from our mutual friend, and you got Pearla here safely, so I trust you. You need anything, just message me.¡± She said as she slipped her communicator back in her pocket, ¡°Or, when you¡¯re ready to go. I¡¯ll lead you to the exit, alright?¡± ¡°Alright.. Thank you.¡± TO said. ¡°She just needs to warm up and sleep a little, So I don¡¯t think we need anything¡­¡± A thought occurred to them, ¡°Though, if you had some soap that¡¯d be nice.¡± ¡°Soap?¡± She asked, ¡°I mean, sure, but you know that the tunnels you¡¯ll be going through aren¡¯t clean, right?¡± TO¡¯s ears dipped, ¡°I figured.¡± They said, It was true, they had figured they¡¯d have to crawl through disgusting old tunnels again, but they hoped there would be a cleaner route. ¡°It¡¯s just, Pearla and I have this black gunk on our faces.¡± They said as they reached up and touched a part of their face where the black goo was particularly thick, ¡°I¡¯d like to get it off before we leave.¡± Fengari gave a deep sigh of relief, ¡°Thank the seas.¡± She muttered, ¡°I saw Pearla, and I thought she was really sick or something at first. It¡¯s just what, makeup?¡± ¡°Something like that.¡± TO said, ¡°I don¡¯t even know how well soap will work, but I want to try-¡± ¡°I¡¯ll get you a few things.¡± She said, ¡°You can figure out what works.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± TO said. ¡°Not a problem. Now, I¡¯ll be right back. Just sit tight.¡± TO sat down on the folded blanket once more, waiting for the kettle to boil, waiting for Fengari to come back, waiting for Pearla to wake up and feel well enough to go back home. Waiting; they had done so much of that by now, and always felt so on edge when they did. They decided that waiting with no way to improve their situation was, without a doubt, the worst thing for them. ====== ¡°... What¡¯cha doin?¡± TO heard Pearla waking up only about a half hour later. She hadn¡¯t been sleeping particularly restfully; the dead sleep that made her seem so lifeless was well gone, and now she was just tossing and turning as she slept off the remaining chill the lingering effects of the distilled seaberries. Still, TO had detected a subtle change in her breathing when she woke, and had listened while they sat on the ground, a bowl of hot, soapy water before them, a rag in one hand, and a mirror in the other. She had been awake for quite some time, laying silent on the bed while TO worked on their face. ¡°Getting this goo off.¡± TO muttered as they scrubbed at their cheek. They figured out a combination of the cleaning materials that Fengari had provided; a makeup remover, different soaps, and even a bottle of vinegar. They still had to scrub a lot to get the stuff off, and the effort left their skin feeling raw and looking deeply flushed, but at least it worked. ¡°Right.¡± Pearla said. Still heavy-lidded and languid, She looked around the room, frowning, ¡°Where are we?¡± ¡°Cottage Core Pub. Or, at least we¡¯re under it. I was waiting for you to wake up before we continued on.¡± ¡°Waiting for me to clean up, and for you to get your face washed?¡± She said with a grin. ¡°This is just me testing this.¡± TO said, ¡°You¡¯re using it next.¡± ¡°Oh, I¡¯m fine, I-¡± ¡°You look sickly thanks to the work Mira did on you. It served our purpose, but GiDi¡­¡± They remembered the way they had reacted before Flit knocked them out and took them away. ¡°They¡¯re acting odd. It¡¯s best if they don¡¯t see you looking like someone has hurt you.¡± That shook her from her slow, sleepy movements. She sat up suddenly on the bed, her eyes wide, ¡°What''s wrong with GiDi?¡± She demanded. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± TO said. ¡°Flit and Snout say they¡¯re fine, but they wouldn¡¯t tell us what was going on. They said they¡¯d have to speak to us later.¡± ¡°Can you tell me what happened then?¡± She said as she slithered off the bed, ¡°What did you see? Why are you worried?¡± TO rubbed the last of the goo off their forehead and frowned at the mirror. There was still good around their eyes, but they looked a lot better. They figured a good soak would be the only thing to get rid of it properly. They handed the mirror to Pearla, then handed her a clean rag. ¡°Here.¡± They said, ¡°You clean up, and I¡¯ll tell you what happened.¡± Pearla sighed, curled her tail around her, and dipped the rag in the hot, soapy water. ¡°Alright.¡± She said, ¡°But you better not skip a damn thing. If something¡¯s wrong with GiDi, I want to know. Do you promise to tell me everything you know?¡± ¡°I promise.¡± TO said. If TO were in this situation with DH, they¡¯d want to know everything as well, and they hated how information kept being hidden from them. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you everything.¡± Episode 310: Tea First, TO explained what had happened to Pearla in the morgue, and how Gyrini had slapped her to be certain she was dead. Now that the color returned to Pearla¡¯s face and the black goo was coming off, TO could see an angry purple bruise forming on Pearla¡¯s jawline. Pearla didn¡¯t seem too concerned though, and simply grimaced as she cleaned that area, trying her best to work with the small mirror in her hand. Of course, Pearla wasn¡¯t interested in what happened in the morgue. Pearla was interested in what happened to GiDi. So, TO explained how GiDi had acted after seeing the footage. They explained how even Tham had seemed afraid, how GiDi had never seemed so angry before. TO related GiDi¡¯s threat to Gyrini, and Flit¡¯s initial attempts to get GiDi away before resorting to knocking them out with a pressure point. While listening, Pearla¡¯s expression seemed oddly fixed. Her tail tightened around her slightly, and she stopped making eye contact; that TO noticed, and while it worried them, they continued on with their story. ¡°And Flit said that GiDi would be fine and said they¡¯d explain things to me when I got back.¡± TO gave a low growl as they glanced over at the kettle. They were waiting for it to boil again so they could make Pearla the tea Fengari left for her. ¡°I¡¯m just so sick of people keeping things from me.¡± ¡°I uh¡­ I think it might be best this time.¡± Pearla said, focusing intensely on the mirror as she cleaned her face. ¡°Yeah. I mean, it¡¯s fine, Right? Flit will talk to you later, so¡­¡± ¡°Why later, though?!¡± TO said, ¡°Flit has always hidden stuff from me, and I thought now that I¡¯m here, now that I already know so much of what¡¯s going on, I thought they¡¯d stop hiding things from me!¡± They huffed and stared at the kettle as though studying it. ¡°Clearly, I was wrong.¡± ¡°He¡¯s not hiding things.¡± Pearla said, weighing each word before it left her mouth, ¡°It¡¯s just¡­ I suppose there¡¯s a time and a place, right? I mean, if it¡¯s something important they have to talk to you about, then in the middle of the indebted center the day before we try to implement a big plan, isn¡¯t the best time to do that, right?¡± ¡°If it¡¯s important, then they should tell me now! They said it could wait, and that GiDi was ok, but GiDi¡¯s not ok! I know them, and I¡¯ve seen them angry before, but I¡¯ve never seen them like that. That was¡­¡± TO shook their head as they stood up. The kettle was nearly boiled; they could tell from the quality of the steam rising. They leaned against the wall as they waited. ¡°It was different. When Kei woke up, they were nearly wild with rage and it was a bit like that, but not quite.¡± ¡°Feral, right?¡± Pearla asked, ¡°Like¡­ if their anger was a big angry animal, and it was only just being held back on a leash?¡± TO paused, her words forming the picture in TO¡¯s head. ¡°... Yes.¡± TO said, their voice quiet. ¡°That¡¯s pretty much what it was like.¡± Several moments of silence passed before Pearla spoke again. ¡°Look. If Flit says that GiDi¡¯s going to be fine, then GiDi¡¯s going to be fine, alright? I¡¯m sure it¡¯ll all get sorted out once you get back.¡± ¡°You know something.¡± TO said. It wasn¡¯t a question because TO was certain that she knew something. She had been so concerned when TO said that GiDi was acting odd and had insisted that they tell her everything they knew. They had expected Pearla to join them in their frustration of being left out of the loop, of having knowledge withheld from them, but she was now just waving away the issue and telling TO to wait. She dropped the mirror, fumbled with it, and grabbed it just before it struck the floor. ¡°W-what makes you say that?¡± She asked as a deep red flush covering her cheeks. Well, if TO¡¯s previous observations hadn¡¯t convinced them, her reaction just now did. They were still struggling sometimes with some of the more subtle facial expressions, but the bright coloring of her face was easy to catch. ¡°Because I¡¯m actually relatively clever.¡± TO said, ¡°So, what¡¯s happening?¡± Pearla stared at TO, frozen in place for several long moments before she gave a nervous chuckle and went back to her mirror. ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± She said, ¡°I mean, GiDi will be fine, so-¡± ¡°You too?¡± TO said, huffing. The faintest whistle sounded from the kettle, and TO turned it off before it could hit a screeching pitch. ¡°I¡¯m so sick of people hiding information from me.¡± They poured the hot water into the mug and set an alarm on their chip before they dipped the tea bag in. ¡°Flit said the reason they hid information from me before was to protect me in training¡­ but I''m not in training anymore, and they¡¯re still hiding important information from me! Even you¡¯re hiding information from me!¡± They leaned against the wall as they waited for their chip to go off. ¡°If you won¡¯t tell me what¡¯s going on, you can at least tell me why you won¡¯t tell me.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not¡­ Look, I¡¯m not trying to hide anything! It¡¯s just¡­¡± She paused, sighed, and set down her mirror. ¡°Look, it¡¯s not my place to tell you anything.¡± ¡°Why not?¡± TO snapped. ¡°Look, I know GiDi is your mate, but they¡¯re my friend too. More than that; they¡¯re family. I only just found out that they¡¯re literally family, but they¡¯ve always been family to me and to DH!¡± ¡°And I¡¯m not questioning that!¡± Pearla said, rising and heading towards TO, ¡°I¡¯m really not¡­ It¡¯s just that¡­¡± She paused, face flushed as she considered her words, ¡°I¡¯m just not the best person to tell you what¡¯s going on.¡± If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.¡°And you didn¡¯t answer my question of why not!¡± TO snapped, ¡°You¡¯re telling me you¡¯re not the person to tell me anything. Ok. Why aren¡¯t you? You clearly know what¡¯s going on.¡± They gave her a hard stare. ¡°Right?¡± ¡°... Sorta.¡± She finally admitted, ¡°To a point.¡± ¡°Then explain it to me to that point.¡± She pursed her lips and looked around as though searching for an exit to the conversation. When none became apparent, she shifted, turning away slightly and looking at the bowl on the floor. ¡°... It has to do with biology.¡± She offered. ¡°Fun fact.¡± TO said, their ears pinning back, ¡°GiDi and I are the same species. We have the same biology, and I don¡¯t know any time I¡¯ve ever acted like that.¡± Even as they spoke those words, they strained to remember a time they might have been like that. The closest they could get was the time the insurgents took DH from them, but even then they had controlled themself more than GiDi had over the video call the other day. ¡°... So, it has to do with reproductive biology.¡± She glanced up at TO, ¡°No offense; I like you, but I¡¯m not interested in giving you ¡®the talk¡¯¡± ¡°What talk!?¡± TO gave a heavy sigh, ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about, Pearla. Tell me something at least!¡± Pearla gave a weighty sigh and rubbed at her eyes. ¡°It¡¯s about reproductive biology, TO. About Sex.¡± She glared up at them. ¡°Is that ¡®something¡¯ enough?¡± ¡°Oh.¡± TO¡¯s ears dipped and flushed as they suddenly desperately wished they could rewind the last minute of conversation. ¡°Oh¡­ so. When you said ¡®the talk¡¯, you meant-¡± ¡°Yes, that talk.¡± She grumbled, ¡°Flit and Snout had a ¡®talk¡¯ with GiDi, and GiDi told me.. Well, the essentials.¡± She went back to the bowl on the floor and curled back up on her tail. Her bright red face was mostly clean, but still she dabbed the cloth into the water and searched for anything that needed to be washed off. ¡°So, pardon me if I, a Nagarajin, don¡¯t feel properly informed or comfortable enough with the subject material to explain the facts of Chilacian biology to a Chilacian.¡± There were a lot of things that went through TO¡¯s head after that. They wanted to retort first that they had never acted like that despite being intimate with DH, but the idea of bringing it up at all made them freeze. They wanted to say that they weren¡¯t entirely na?ve, that DH and themself had muddled through certain aspects and things ended up working out, but again the idea of talking about it to anyone made them want to curl up into a little hole forever. Then, they realized that when they got back underground, Flit and Snout corner them and insist on having a ¡®conversation¡¯ with them about that very thing. Of course, it was in part TO¡¯s own fault for insisting that Flit tell them what¡¯s going on. ¡°Fuck.¡± TO muttered. The curse they had heard used around them so much, the crude civilian swear seemed so oddly fitting in this moment. ¡°Precisely.¡± Pearla grumbled. Before TO could respond, the timer on their chip went off. They quickly turned back to the cup, grateful to have something to do, and fished out the little tea bag. ¡°Fengari said this needed to steep for only three minutes.¡± TO said, hoping to put as much conversation between the last topic as possible. ¡°So, I set a timer. She said it wouldn''t be as effective if it was in for less, and it would taste awful if left in for longer.¡± They went over to Pearla and sat down cross-legged next to her before passing her the cup. ¡°Here you go.¡± ¡°Thanks.¡± she muttered. She put down the mirror and cloth, and took the cup without looking at TO. ¡°... I think you got all the black off that you could.¡± TO said, ¡°It sticks pretty good. I think a soak might be the best option when we get back.¡± ¡°Yes¡­ yeah, that might be right.¡± She muttered, ¡°Uh, my face kinda hurts, so I¡¯m happy not to rub at it too much.¡± She sipped the tea, and then gave a happy sigh, ¡°Oh, this is good.¡± she said with more enthusiasm than simple tea deserved. ¡°Spicy, and a little sweet. Did she give you anything to put into it to sweeten it?¡± ¡°Nothing.¡± TO said, fully willing to jump onto a new line of conversation, ¡°She just gave me specific instructions on how to steep it.¡± ¡°Well, it makes sense. Maybe there were honey crystals in it, and they melted into the water?¡± She gave a humorless chuckle, ¡°That would sweeten it, and the honey would be ok regardless of how long it was in the bag.¡± She nodded, ¡°Honey Crystals. That¡¯s what I¡¯d guess.¡± ¡°Honey Crystals?¡± There, something TO didn¡¯t know about, and Pearla seemed just as eager to change the topic as TO was. ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± ¡°Well, you know how honey is made, right? Bees and stuff. Well, these crystals are specific to a bee on the other side of the galaxy that doesn¡¯t live in hives. It makes a nest of these crystals instead and works on its own.¡± That reminded TO of the bug on the outside of their ship, the Void Anemone, and how it had made a crystal egg pouch that had hatched while TO and DH were sleeping. The idea of talking about these strange bees made TO shiver. Even so, it was better than the feeling of wanting to hide in a hole for the rest of their life.¡± ¡°R-really? Bees?¡± They gave a nervous laugh as their ears drooped. ¡°T-tell me more.¡± Episode 311: Remaining TO had been expecting the knock on the door, the soft tap from the diminutive bar owner, so they were right at the door waiting to open it when it came. Fengari slipped in with a plastic bag in each hand. ¡°Ready to go then?¡± She asked as she glanced over the room. Pearla had cleaned up as much as she could have given the circumstances, the food Fengari had left earlier was gone, and they had packed up all the supplies Fengari carried down and organized them neatly in the basket. ¡°Yes.¡± Pearla said, the word riding a big breath of air as it left her. She went over and gave Fengari a big hug, ¡°Thank you so much for helping us here.¡± Fengari laughed, a strange chittering audible between the syllables. ¡°You know I¡¯d help anyone.¡± She said, ¡°And besides that, you guys have helped me a lot-¡± ¡°Please.¡± Pearla said as she pulled away, ¡°Any favors you¡¯ve asked for have been to help other people.¡± ¡°Well. it still counts as a favor in my eyes.¡± She said, grinning. She held up the bags, ¡°It¡¯s not much, but I packed some food for you.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Pearla said as she went forward to take the bags. TO intercepted her though, and carried the bags for her. Pearla just shook her head, and turned back to Fengari, ¡°It helps a lot. Things are-¡± ¡°Rough right now.¡± Fengari said, ¡°I know. It¡¯s only been a few days but there are already shortages because of panic buying. Thankfully, I keep plenty of extra food on hand so we¡¯re ok for now, but I¡¯ve had to stop offering most of our menu items.¡± ¡°Wait¡­ people are still trying to eat in restaurants?¡± TO asked. ¡°Oh, my yes.¡± Fengari said, ¡°They go out so they don¡¯t have to use their own supplies. Most of my competitors increased their prices and they¡¯re already obsessed with how they¡¯re going to spend their profits once this is all over.¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t?¡± Pearla asked. ¡°Nah. I reduced the amount of food in each dish and stopped offering the more wasteful dishes. Food is more important than money now, and I¡¯ll be able to feed more for longer.¡± She shrugged, ¡°We always put too much food on the plates, anyway.¡± She stepped back into the hallway, ¡°If you¡¯re ready?¡± They left the room, closing the door behind them and once more stepping into the dim of the secret staircase. They walked in relative silence as they followed Fengari, with Pearla walking behind TO. This arrangement had been TO¡¯s idea, so that if Pearla stumbled in the dark, they could catch her. ¡°Watch out ahead, Tio.¡± Fengari said after a while, ¡°There¡¯s a beam up ahead, and I don¡¯t want you to smack your head on it.¡± ¡°I see it.¡± TO said. For someone with normal day vision it would likely have been invisible, but for TO the metal beam was clear. ¡°Oh?¡± Fengari turned to look at them, focusing on their eyes, ¡°low-light vision, I¡¯m guessing?¡± ¡°Yes. This is perfect for me.¡± ¡°Same.¡± Fengari said, ¡°I keep it dim in here just in case I ever get raided. Low-light vision is a little less common, so it might give me an edge.¡± She glanced around TO, ¡°Pearla, you doing ok?¡± ¡°I can see TO ahead of me, and that¡¯s it.¡± She said, ¡°I¡¯m just glad they¡¯re so pale or I¡¯d never see them.¡± ¡°Just be careful.¡± Fengari said, ¡°Don''t fall now.¡± ¡°I got my tail supporting me on about a dozen steps. I¡¯ll be fine.¡± ¡°Good, good.¡± Fengari said as she continued down. A few more moments of silence passed before she spoke again, ¡°So, all your preparation for the great escape going along good?¡± Pearla gave a bitter laugh, ¡°It¡¯s going, that¡¯s all I can say.¡± She said, ¡°We were supposed to be out of the center days ago. It was supposed to be an overnight thing, and we weren¡¯t supposed to end up here.¡± ¡°So, some problems came up?¡± Fengari asked. ¡°Oh, yeah.¡± Pearla said. ¡°That Gyrini showed up.¡± Fengari said something in a language that TO didn¡¯t know, but given the tone they could tell it was a curse. ¡°And you got away from her? She seems actually competent. She¡¯s scary. There¡¯s something about her¡­ She almost feels like a synth, you know?¡± She glanced back past TO and to Pearla, ¡°You don¡¯t think she is one, do you?¡± ¡°Er, no.¡± Pearla said, ¡°I¡¯m fairly certain she¡¯s not a synth.¡± ¡°How?¡± ¡°Her form.¡± TO said, their ears twitching as they suppressed a grin, ¡°If you observe how synths look in their armor you can tell she¡¯s not the same height, or the same size. She¡¯s shorter, wider, and has no wings.¡± ¡°I suppose¡­ but the right armor can make a person¡¯s form look a lot different, and fake wings are easy enough to get.¡± Fengari said. ¡°Anyway, she freaks me out.¡± She turned back to the stairs, ¡°Is everything else going ok?¡± ¡°We still need to get and prepare supplies, but I think we have everyone that¡¯s coming with us. Well, aside from one person.¡± She sighed, ¡°Fengari, We can still get you off the planet.¡± ¡°Oh, so, she knows what¡¯s happening?¡± TO asked, ¡°She knows about everything?¡± ¡°That there¡¯s a synth armada coming to Arkane, and they might just decide to kill us all to save themself the trouble of weeding out the insurgency? Yeah, I¡¯m aware.¡± ¡°... And despite that, you¡¯re not coming with us?¡± TO asked, their ears quirking forward. ¡°You know about all the danger, and you¡¯re choosing not to run?¡± Fengari shrugged, ¡°I considered it. Strongly.¡± She said, ¡°But.. You guys can only take so many. I get that. And it¡¯s important for you all to be away to keep on keeping on against King Decon, right? You can help people on other planets. Arkane isn¡¯t the only planet that needs help; I get that.¡± she glanced back again, ¡°But with the insurgency gone, there will not be a lot of help left for people stuck here, and there¡¯s a chance that they¡¯ll leave the general population alone-¡± If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. ¡°And if they do that,¡± Pearla said, ¡°Once we get the people with us to safety we¡¯ll return.¡± ¡°But until then, there¡¯s people here who will need help. I can offer that.¡± She shrugged again and turned away, ¡°I have no family. I have my business, I have my pets. If I had kids or something, it¡¯d be different, but I don¡¯t. So, I can afford to take the risk.¡± ¡°You¡¯re one of us though.¡± Pearla said, ¡°You¡¯ve always been helpful to us.¡± ¡°I know.¡± Fengari said, ¡°And that¡¯s because I have my business. If I leave Arkane, I can¡¯t help at all. So, I¡¯d rather my seat be open to someone who could really use it. Someone with family, or a kid on their own.¡± ¡°But, if they do attack, then¡­¡± TO trailed off. ¡°Then I die.¡± She said, ¡°I¡¯m aware.¡± How many people were like Fengari? The question planted itself in TO¡¯s mind. How many people had been given the option to leave and choose to stay? How many choose to stay because they wanted to help here, or choose to stay because they felt they weren¡¯t important enough? Was that why GiDi and Pearla were insisting on staying at first? ¡°Maybe¡­. I should stay.¡± Pearla muttered, ¡°I¡¯d be useful.¡± ¡°You¡¯d be useful wherever you go.¡± Fengari said before TO could even start an argument against that, ¡°So, you¡¯re going. You¡¯ll help a lot more people if you survive.¡± Well, that was better than TO¡¯s argument. GiDi was coming with them, but if Pearla stayed, then GiDi would stay as well, and TO refused to let the smaller synth¨Cthe smaller Chilacian¨Ccome to harm again. They were together again, their little family, and TO wouldn¡¯t let GiDi be separated from them again. Thinking about all the people on the planet, knowing more and more people who were staying behind either by choice or simply because they couldn¡¯t help everyone made TO¡¯s stomach churn. A small part of them, a part that was weak, beaten, and still clinging to life, said that King Decon wouldn¡¯t allow that. It said that King Decon was just, and wouldn¡¯t kill off an entire planet in their search for the insurgency. The rest of TO no longer believed that small part. ====== Eventually, they came to the end of the staircase. It looked like a storage area with a raw dirt floor and plastic panels for walls. Fengari went up to one wall, dug her nails into the groves at the end, and pulled it forward to reveal another tunnel leading further down. ¡°This will take you to the sewers.¡± She said, ¡°The old ones. You¡¯ll know your way from there?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not familiar with the way¡­¡± Pearla admitted, ¡°But we¡¯ll get directions.¡± ¡°You¡¯re sure?¡± Fengari asked, ¡°Normally, someone¡¯s here to lead anyone I bring here, but-¡± ¡°Look.¡± TO said as they took out their communicator. They showed it to Fengari so she could see the map of the underground. ¡°Our friend is going to track us and give us directions. It¡¯ll be fine.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Fengari said, stepping aside to let them through, ¡°If you¡¯re sure.¡± ¡°We are.¡± Pearla said. She moved forward and gave Fengari a big hug, ¡°And if you change your mind-¡± ¡°You¡¯ll be the first to know.¡± Fengari said, ¡°And if the odds of them killing us all goes to one hundred, you tell me and I promise I¡¯ll change my mind then.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll tell you right away.¡± Pearla said as she gave her one last squeeze. ¡°Take care of yourself.¡± She whispered before slipping into the old tunnels. ¡°You too.¡± Fengari said before turning to TO, ¡°And you. You take care. I know we only met but you seem decent, so you take care of yourself, alright?¡± ¡°I will.¡± TO said, ¡°You too.¡± Fengari lifted her arm, extending an elbow. TO returned the customary elbow bump before slipping into the shadows of the tunnels. They turned to ask her once more if she was certain that she didn¡¯t want to go with them and get off the planet, but the door closed and they were alone in the tunnels. ¡°Alright.¡± Pearla said, ¡°You got the communicator. Send off a message to Vik, and get him to track us so we can get back.¡± She sighed and rubbed her arms, ¡°I need to see GiDi.¡± TO frowned as they sent off the message. ¡°Are you sure we can¡¯t convince her?¡± TO asked, ¡°Fengari, I mean-¡± ¡°I promise, we¡¯ve tried.¡± Pearla said, ¡°But she won¡¯t go if she can be useful here. She¡¯s like that. There¡¯s a few business people we work with, and most do it for a profit. Fengari just helps, and because she just helps she¡¯s always had her business on the knife¡¯s edge, always struggled to pay the bills, and has lived in the attic of her business for years.¡± She sighed, ¡°That woman deserves better. I think she only became a business owner to help more people.¡± The communicator pinged, and Vik¡¯s directions for them to get home were on their screen. TO turned once more to the closed door, their mind racing as they tried to think of how they could convince Fengari. They couldn''t. Fengari knew the risks and knew exactly what was happening. Unlike Beck, she also believed what they and Pearla were saying. For now, there was nothing they could do. TO sighed, and went ahead of Pearla, ¡°Come on.¡± They said, ¡°I can see better, so I¡¯ll lead the way.¡± ¡°Thanks. I was going to suggest that.¡± Pearla said. Every step they took away from the door was heavy with guilt for TO, but it wasn¡¯t just because of Fengari. They felt for every civilian out there who didn¡¯t know what was coming, and for every civilian who knew, but stayed for one reason or another. King Decon would kill them all, blame the insurgency, and justify it to those in the know that it was ¡°For the good of the greater Galaxy.¡± It wasn¡¯t right, and TO didn¡¯t know what to do about it. Episode 312: Attempted Avoidance The old sewers leading from the Cottage Core Pub back to the hideout underground were dirty, poorly maintained, and full of bugs. At one point, TO and Pearla came across a spot in the walkway where the old stone had fallen away, and someone had set metal panels over the resulting gap. Still, despite the filth and disrepair, the long trek back was relatively uneventful. Well, until they neared their hideaway. Once they got close, they could hear someone in the hallway up ahead of them, just around a turn. TO put a hand out to stop Pearla, their ears tensing as they focused on their hearing. Had the authorities figured out where they went? Had Gyrini sent a group of people down into the underground to search? A sound hit their ears; the familiar chirp of echolocation from another synth. It was familiar to TO, comforting, and made their ears flutter. ¡°DH?¡± TO spoke softly, but their voice carried well in the hallway and DH¡¯s hearing was just as good as TO¡¯s. The sound of someone walking over the stone walkway ceased for just a moment, then TO could hear someone running over the walkway at full speed. DH turned the corner, running so quickly that it felt like TO could just see them a moment before they barrelled into them, burying their head in the crux of TO¡¯s shoulder, then wrapped their arms around TO¡¯s waist. They didn¡¯t speak right away, they just held TO tightly, nuzzling into their neck. TO wrapped their wings around their mate, held them tight, and pressed their cheek against the side of DH¡¯s head. ¡°I missed you too¡­¡± TO whispered next to DH¡¯s ear, ¡°So much more than I thought I could miss anyone.¡± ¡°I was so worried.¡± DH whimpered, ¡°I was watching everything that was happening. Vik told me You¡¯d be fine, and Flit and Snout said that you¡¯d be fine and that I was just making myself worry by watching you too closely so they told me to help Goretta out, but even then I was still so worried about you! I couldn¡¯t eat, I couldn¡¯t think-¡± They stopped, suddenly gasping for breath as though they had forgotten to breathe while they were talking. They panted against TO¡¯s neck, holding them tight as they caught their breath. When they could talk again, all they said was, ¡°I was just so worried about you! Never do that again!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t plan to.¡± TO said as they reached a hand up and gently scratched DH¡¯s neck as they nuzzled against DH¡¯s face. ¡°I missed you so much. It was awful there.¡± They were content to hold DH there, but they suddenly and rather unexpectedly felt DH¡¯s lips brush against their neck. They stifled a yelp of surprise, but only just. Before they could say or do anything more, Pearla loudly cleared her throat from behind TO. ¡°Well!¡± She said, ¡°Since we¡¯re basically back I think I¡¯m going to go find GiDi.¡± TO had, for a moment, entirely forgotten that Pearla was there. From the moment that their mate had embraced them, DH was all that existed. They pulled away, their ears hot, blue, and low. DH had clearly not remembered that Pearla would be with TO either, as they seemed to jump when she spoke, and their ears were just as dark as TO¡¯s; maybe more. ¡°Er, Right, that reminds me.¡± DH said, stepping back just a little. ¡°Flit and Snout want to talk to us.¡± ¡°Yes, go on and talk to them.¡± Pearla said as she started down the hallway, ¡°Have fun.¡± ¡°Come on.¡± DH said as they took TO¡¯s sleeve and pulled them forward, ¡°They said they wanted to talk to you right away, because it had to do with GiDi, and Flit promised you that as soon as you got back they¡¯d explain things?¡± TO was just composing themself, but at the reminder of the upcoming conversation with Flit and Snout, their ears dropped once more. DH pulled them forward just a few feet before TO stopped in their tracks, taking DH¡¯s hand in their own. ¡°I-it can wait.¡± TO said. ¡°We don¡¯t need to talk to them right away.¡± DH¡¯s ears flicked as they turned to look at TO. Their eyes wandered over TO¡¯s ears before they spoke again. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°N-nothing is wrong, really.¡± TO muttered. It was mostly the truth. There was nothing wrong. They just didn''t want to dive into the conversation right away. Or later. Or at all. Their mind floundered for an excuse and landed on one almost immediately. ¡°I need a bath first.¡± ¡°A bath?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± TO said, ¡°I haven¡¯t had one since I went into the Indebted Center!¡± With everything that had been happening, they could ignore the layer of dirt that covered them, but now that they were relatively safe, it was impossible. The focus on hygiene back in the training center had left too big of an imprint, and even after a day in a clean environment they could feel the natural scum on their body. The unclean environment they had been staying in, the black goo on their wings, and their recent trek through the sewers made them felt like they had to peel off a layer or two of skin before they¡¯d feel clean again. Thankfully, the focus on hygiene had stuck to DH as well. As soon as TO mentioned how long it had been, they wrinkled their own nose. ¡°And you¡¯ve not been in the cleanest of places¡­¡± DH mused. ¡°So¡­ Yes, maybe a bath first.¡± They rubbed their arms. ¡°Maybe I¡¯ll take another today, just to be safe.¡± ¡°Because you hugged me and I¡¯m covered in filth?¡± TO asked, their ears twitching as a smirk covered their face. DH didn¡¯t even try to deny it. They nodded solemnly. ¡°Because I hugged you, and you¡¯re covered in filth.¡± They agreed. ¡°A hot shower first, and then a bath. I¡¯ll help you get the black off your wings.¡± TO¡¯s ears relaxed, their shoulders dropped. ¡°That might take a while.¡± They said with a smile. ¡°I had some of this on my face, and it took forever to get it off. I think it might take a few soaks to get this stuff off my wings.¡± ¡°Oh, Vik didn¡¯t tell you?¡± DH smiled, ¡°They have an oil that¡¯ll get this stuff right off. It¡¯ll only take a few minutes instead of hours of scrubbing.¡± They tilted their head, ¡°Nobody told you?¡± TO remembered how hard they had scrubbed at their face to get that gunk off. They had scrubbed to the point of pain, and still had some clinging to them. ¡°No.¡± They said, sighing as they pinched the spot between their eyes. ¡°Nobody told me.¡± ¡°Well, you go on ahead to the showers. I¡¯ll go get the oil, some clean clothes, and I¡¯ll meet you there!¡± They hesitated a second more before hugging TO again and placing a quick, light kiss on their lips before taking off to get their things. TO watched their mate disappear around a corner before they headed off towards the showers, a smile on their face and their ears slightly flushed. Despite knowing how filthy they were, DH had still hugged them once more, and even kissed them! Even though they still desperately wanted to get out of the conversation with Flit and Snout, they were so happy to be home once more. If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. ====== TO had never taken a longer bath. They insisted on getting every bit of the black goo off of their body, soaked until they had to refill the tub with hot water twice, and showered before and after their bath to ensure that every bit of grime was off them. With how thorough they had been, the quick passing of time still surprised TO. According to DH, they had been in the makeshift showers for two hours at least, but to TO who was dreading the upcoming ¡®conversation¡¯, it felt like it had been only a handful of minutes. ¡°Come on!¡± DH said, TO¡¯s hand in their own as they pulled their mate through the underground hallways towards Flit and Snout¡¯s room, ¡°Why am I more eager to find out what¡¯s happened to GiDi than you are? This is the kind of thing I thought you¡¯d jump at!¡± TO¡¯s ears twitched as they followed along. ¡°I suppose I¡¯m just worried about what they¡¯ll say.¡± TO finally said. It was true, if not for the exact reason DH might assume. ¡°Well, not knowing isn¡¯t going to change things.¡± DH said, ¡°If something¡¯s wrong, then we need to know.¡± They glanced back, and took in the anxious quivering of TO¡¯s ears, ¡°... Maybe it¡¯s not as bad as you¡¯re thinking.¡± DH said, ¡°I mean, if there were something medically wrong, Goretta or I would have been called to help, right? If GiDi needed surgery or something, Flit and Snout wouldn¡¯t hide that from us.¡± Surgery. While the word normally brought horrible thoughts to TO¡¯s mind, this time it brought a glimmer of hope! There was no reason that Snout had to talk to them about anything regarding reproduction since they had surgery while they were still in their incubation tanks to remove all the equipment related to that! Snout told them that back when they first arrived, explaining how King Decon ¡®created¡¯ synths by taking the genetic materials from reproductive organs harvested while they were still growing! Pearla had to be wrong! ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± TO said, squeezing DH¡¯s hand and quickening their pace, ¡°You¡¯re absolutely right.¡± ¡°I was considering what might have made GiDi like that.¡± DH said, ¡°Seeing Pearla looking like that, looking like she was dead, it mustn¡¯t have been fun. And watching her get slapped¡­¡± They glanced at TO again, ¡°Well, If I saw you get slapped while looking dead, I¡¯d want to rip apart someone too. Didn¡¯t you feel the same when we got separated?¡± TO nodded. True, they hadn¡¯t acted quite as GiDi had in that moment, but they didn¡¯t get to see DH get slapped, they only knew that the insurgency had taken away their mate from them, and they didn¡¯t know exactly what was happening to DH back then. Maybe the issue was just another strange side effect from their brains being unaltered, combined with their training. TO didn¡¯t know, but they weren¡¯t nearly as worried about this talk anymore. ====== Once they got to Flit and Snout¡¯s room, the two older synths ushered in them and gestured for them to sit at the table surrounded by shaky folding chairs which sat in the middle of the room. TO had never noticed the smell in here before, but now they could; the familiar smell of other synths, and the sweet tang in the air from the opened cans of drink set before them. Even the well scrubbed stones in the room seemed to have a scent. Had they forgotten these small smells, or had the stench of poorly kept, crowded living reset their snout and now they were smelling things all over again? TO didn¡¯t know, but they weren¡¯t too concerned at the moment. The sweet smell from the can was enticing, and before everyone had gotten settled and sat down, TO had already finished the first can. ¡°... Thirsty?¡± DH asked as their ears twitched. ¡°I''m guessing that there wasn¡¯t a lot of sugar in the center.¡± Snout offered, ¡°At least, not the amount we need.¡± They took the empty can off the table and offered TO a fresh one. ¡°Go ahead, have as much as you need.¡± TO didn¡¯t need to be told again. They grabbed the can off the table, opened it, and started chugging. They weren¡¯t sure if it was a lack of sugar causing them to crave this strange, sugary drink, but the smell of it drove them crazy and made their mouth water. Breathing could wait; their mind focused solely on getting as much into their body as they could. ¡°Alright.¡± Flit said, sitting down across from TO. ¡°We need to talk.¡± ¡°We know.¡± DH said, ¡°You told us that. Tell us what¡¯s going on with GiDi.¡± Snout clasped their hands before them, resting their elbows on the table. ¡°What¡¯s going on with GiDi is going to require more background information.¡± Snout said. ¡°Well, give us the background information!¡± DH insisted. ¡°You know what? I¡¯m going to get some food.¡± Flit said as they stood up, their ears low and flushed, ¡°TO¡¯s sugar deprived. Some good food might help, and-¡± ¡°Flit, sit down.¡± Snout said, their ears going parallel, ¡°Honestly, this is important.¡± TO finished the second can of drink and set it down with a gasp. Before TO could even ask Flit took the empty can and came back with a third. ¡°Try to breathe while you drink this one.¡± they said before sitting back down. ¡°No promises.¡± TO muttered as they opened the next can and started chugging. They really were reliant on sugar! How much of it hid in their normal food? How sweet would the bars even taste if the food engineers allowed the sweet flavor to remain? ¡°Right.¡± Snout said, their ears pinning back slightly as they watched Flit sit back down. ¡°Now then. I¡¯m more than happy to tell you what¡¯s actually going on. We¡¯ve been meaning to talk to you about this for a while, anyway.¡± They glared at Flit. ¡°Some people just kept putting it off.¡± They shook their heads and looked back at TO and DH. ¡°We have to talk about Chilacian reproduction.¡± At that moment, TO learned an important thing about Chilacians and synths alike. Their three lungs were absolutely vital to their language; allowing them to inhale and exhale at the same time and pronounce syllables that would otherwise be impossible. It also made their breathing far more effective than species with only two or even a single lung. Despite their extra lung, they apparently could not give an involuntary squawk and drink at the same time without inhaling fluid and breaking into a vicious coughing fit. Episode 313: Aggression TO didn¡¯t notice the way Snout¡¯s ears once more flicked parallel to the ground as they gave a disheartened sigh while TO coughed and coughed. All they could notice was how that drink burned as they tried to cough up what they had almost inhaled. DH jumped from their chair and hovered next to TO and placed a hand on their shoulder and one on their back. ¡°That¡¯s it, keep coughing.¡± TO tried to say, perhaps a little sharply, that they couldn¡¯t exactly stop but the words couldn¡¯t escape. ¡°See, this is a bad time.¡± Flit said as they got up to grab some rags from nearby, ¡°Look, You just mentioned it, and they choked.¡± ¡°GiDi¡¯s reaction was worse.¡± Snout said, ¡°Something you¡¯d know if you had been here to help me with that chat.¡± TO coughed once more and held a hand up to Flit. ¡°No need.¡± They gasped, but the moment they spoke they coughed again. ¡°I promise, there''s a need.¡± Snout said, ¡°And it¡¯s something that should have gone over long ago.¡± Finally, TO felt they had their coughing under control. They took several long, careful breaths before they spoke again. ¡°You said synths don¡¯t have reproductive organs!¡± ¡°No.¡± Snout said, their face one of unreadable neutrality, their ears flicking in mild irritation. ¡°I said most of them are removed. Not all of them.¡± ¡°Why not all of them?!¡± TO demanded. ¡°King Decon is content to alter and adjust Chilacians to his will, but there are limits.¡± Snout said. ¡°We remove parts of the organs, but not all of them. It would be too risky an operation and would affect too much in the long run. Besides, what¡¯s the point of a long, risky operation when he can just do a much more simple alteration to the brain to prevent most reproductive systems from functioning in the first place? It¡¯s far more efficient.¡± They shrugged, ¡°Honestly, the removal of certain organs is probably more intended to facilitate the harvesting of genetic material needed to create more synths. The change to the brain is normally far more effective than-¡± They sighed, and looked up at Flit. ¡°Flit, you want to sit down?¡± TO hadn¡¯t realized that Flit was still up. They had set the rags on the table, over the small puddle of coughed up drink on the table, but now Flit was edging to the door. As soon as Snout called them on it, they headed back to the table with low, blue ears. Seeing Flit in this new setting, one where they could be free with their affection for Snout, was a little disconcerting as it was. Seeing this level of awkwardness from the former Retiree, who seemed so composed and strong back in the training center was downright disorientating. It felt like Flit should be above this; above feeling awkward about this stuff. But.. Why should they? Why should TO expect Flit to be any different from themself? TO nearly choked on their drink, and DH, despite their earlier concern for TO, was now quite blue in the ears themself and absolutely silent! Why should Flit have things any more put together than they did? The only one who seemed to have everything together was Snout, who only seemed mildly annoyed at the surrounding reactions. TO took a steadying breath, and though their ears were still low and burning they tried to calm themself. The moment they did, a question came to mind. ¡°... Do you even have information?¡± TO asked, staring at their mostly empty can of drink on the table, ¡°I mean, back in the training center you were trying to figure out if the genetic material was genetic material, right? So¡­ if you only just confirmed that-¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been on Arkane for a while now.¡± Snout said, their shoulders relaxing a little now that TO had asked a question, and now that some conversation was starting. ¡°And while contact with the Chilacian home species is limited¨Cespecially now with the lockdown¨CI could make a request for information.¡± the slightest flush colored their ears as they glanced at Flit, ¡°Besides that, I have personal experience.¡± Flit seemed like they were going to hide their face in their hands, but stopped themself and settled for clasping their hands before them, their elbows on the table, and resting their chin as their ears glowed. ¡°Yeah, uh¡­¡± DH glanced aside, ¡°We have¡­ We know what we¡¯re doing.¡± DH muttered, glancing away. ¡°We figured things out-¡± ¡°I doubt that.¡± Snout said. ¡°And unless you feel you want to share every aspect of what you have ¡®figured out¡¯ then I think it best to start from the beginning and assume you know nothing.¡± ¡°Beginning is good!¡± TO said, a little too quickly. Yes, this wasn¡¯t a conversation they wanted to get into at all, but seeing Snout so neutral about it calmed them. They also had no interest in telling the two anything of what they and DH had ¡®figured out.¡¯ The quiet nights in their ship or in their room, slowly exploring one another first with hands, then eventually with their mouths. Nope. they didn¡¯t want to talk to them about any of that. ¡°Good.¡± Snout said, then glanced at DH, ¡°You?¡± ¡°I-I¡¯m good.¡± TO stammered, looking directly at the table in front of them. ¡°Good.¡± Snout said, glancing at Flit. ¡°Now, first, and what you¡¯re most worried about¡­ GiDi is fine.¡± TO glanced up at Flit, ¡°That¡¯s what they said.¡± They muttered, ¡°And I mentioned to Pearla what happened¡­¡± Snout¡¯s ears flicked up, ¡°Oh, you did?¡± They asked, ¡°And what did she say?¡± ¡°.. That GiDi would be fine¡­¡± TO glanced at the table which DH found so interesting. At this moment, they could see why. They really didn¡¯t want to think about how stupid they had been in pushing Pearla earlier. ¡°And that it had to do with biology.¡± ¡°Well, they are fine.¡± Snout said. There was a sudden shift in their demeanor. Their ears went absolutely neutral in a way that TO hadn¡¯t seen since the training center, and their eyes narrowed a little. They didn¡¯t seem angry, they just seemed very businesslike. It was like they were in training again. Even so, Snout paused, looking past TO and DH as they collected their thoughts. The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings. ¡°In the Chilacian homeworld, there¡¯s a saying.¡± Snout said, ¡°Now, the language they use today has split off from our synth-speak. Synth-speak is like Archaic Chilacian; it hasn''t changed since Decon stole it. Still, the saying translates out to something like ¡®Friendship is the seed of love.¡¯ This basically means that without Friendship. No romantic love can exist between two individuals.¡± This was an easier topic than TO expected at least. ¡°You mean like in shows when the main character in a show realizes that their best friend was best for them all along?¡± They asked. ¡°No.¡± Snout said, ¡°I mean literally and chemically. All romantic feelings stem from friendship in Chilacian society. Flit and I were good friends before any kind of romantic feelings really formed, or could form.¡± ¡°Do you have to talk about us?¡± Flit grumbled. ¡°Yes, I do.¡± Snout said, ¡°Basically, when a Chilacian becomes friends with someone, their bodies adapt, to get used to one another. Affection and friendship among any social animal triggers the production of a hormone that makes the person feel happy. It¡¯s a simple evolutionary trait to encourage socialization in species that need it to survive.¡± Flit stifled a groan, ¡°If you¡¯re doing this, can you do it without going through a theory of general evolution across the galaxy?¡± ¡°Right. Well.¡± Snout cleared their throat, ¡°In Chilacians a similar hormone exists, but it¡¯s more specialized. Without getting into too many details the body learns to tell who is triggering the production of this hormone, and adapts to react best to the individual who triggers the highest levels of those hormones, essentially by playing off the other¡¯s hormonal scent signature.¡± Embarrassment over the frankly awkward topic faded away as curiosity took over for TO. Curiosity had always been such a problematic thing for TO, getting them into more trouble than they needed. At this moment though, it was breaking through the mortification. ¡°So¡­¡± they pulled on their basic knowledge of general biology. ¡°So.. I¡¯m guessing we have scent glands somewhere then.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Snout said, ¡°Well, technically there are scent markers in your sweat, but there are scent glands behind the ears.¡± TO¡¯s preoccupation with ears suddenly made so much more sense, and that realization came with a flash of embarrassment. Still, that wasn¡¯t their crucial question, and they still had to work out their thoughts. Their words came out slowly as they tried to figure things out while battling their desire to disappear. ¡°And¡­ Perhaps the hormones from one bind to the other¡­ no, that wouldn''t work.¡± They frowned, considering for another moment before they snapped their fingers, ¡°If that hormone is produced in the presence of friends, and the body ends up being able to identify one person who it gets the most of this hormone from, then it would adapt and save its energy to use this person to get the most, while getting a little less from others! It¡¯s basic respondent conditioning for the endocrine system!¡± ¡°That¡¯s a basic enough explanation.¡± Snout said, their ears twitching in the slightest pride. ¡°Good.¡± ¡°They pick up quickly.¡± Flit muttered as their ears perked up. ¡°Faster than you.¡± Snout said with a smirk and a flick of their ears. ¡°Anyway, when the body gets very efficient at producing that hormone, you basically hit a moment of saturation.¡± They leaned forward, their posture becoming casual, the cold neutrality of their visage lifting slightly. ¡°The body produces more of this hormone than it can actually use. This moment is¡­ well, it¡¯s sudden. Most individuals describe it as a time stop. A glance at the eyes that drags on.¡± TO¡¯s ears dipped once more, as they looked at the table again. That moment when they caught DH¡¯s eyes in the showers, the first moment when DH said they wanted to kiss them, that was this ¡®moment of saturation¡¯? ¡°The moment of saturation is called a soft bond.¡± Snout continued, ¡°Basically, that¡¯s when one Chilacian body recognizes another as a potential mate, and prepares for that¡­ and that takes a long time in good circumstances. In poor ones where food is scarce, or in high-stress situations, it can take longer.¡± They twirled a hand in the air, as though pulling together their thoughts, ¡°Basically, this hormone, and it¡¯s excess, triggers reproductive hormones. The more you have, the faster the body adapts and develops, and the sooner a reproductive cycle can occur. In high stress environments, there¡¯s less of this hormone derived from other sources, so it takes longer.¡± ¡°Wait.¡± TO put up a hand to stop Snout as pieces fell together, ¡°Your phrasing there; reproductive cycle. Does that imply that¡­ the individuals-¡± It was easier to look at this from a scientific standpoint, as Snout seemed to do. Talking about the whole situation as though they were talking of a different species was absolutely easier. ¡°-That individuals go into seasons?¡± Snout pursed their lips, ¡°... not quite, but something like that.¡± They said, ¡°They go into a ¡®mating phase¡¯ but saying a ¡®season¡¯ implies that it¡¯s all individuals all at the same time; in the same season. For Chilacians, it¡¯s much more individualized.¡± There was another swirl of their hand. They spoke a lot more with their hands than normal, TO noted. ¡°As a general rule once the cycles start they can average around once every two galactic spans. Well, Technically it¡¯s four ¡®months¡¯ on Apoikia-¡± ¡°They don¡¯t know that time frame.¡± Flit said. ¡°Well, that¡¯s why I converted it.¡± Snout said, and though their ears pinned just slightly at Flit¡¯s interruption, they were otherwise high up and pleased. ¡°So, individuals have a mating cycle.¡± TO said firmly, the certainty at their conclusion growing stronger, ¡°And many species with a mating cycle get more aggressive during the¡­.¡± They paused, their ears growing hot once more, ¡°During the¡­ active part of the cycle.¡± ¡°Wait.¡± DH finally spoke, their realization of the situation breaking through their mortification that the entire conversation was happening in the first place. They looked wide-eyed at TO, ¡°You¡¯re suggesting that GiDi was so angry and aggressive because of a mating¡­ thing?¡± ¡°The Chilacians call it Enkavma.¡± Snout continued, their voice still as cool as possible, ¡°And yes, that¡¯s exactly correct.¡± Episode 314: Enkavma TO had spent the last few days watching out for Pearla, and making sure she got back to GiDi safely. Perhaps that was why their mind bypassed all the other implications of what Snout said and went right to her. ¡°Will she be ok?¡± TO asked as they stood up, ¡°I mean, if this is going to make GiDi aggressive-¡± ¡°Sit down.¡± Snout sighed, ¡°Yes, she¡¯ll be fine. The only people who might be in trouble are people who might try to hurt her. Honestly, she¡¯s safest with GiDi at this time.¡± They frowned at TO, ¡°Pearla¡¯s a friend, you realize. Do you think we¡¯d let her go to GiDi if there was any concern for her safety? Besides, they¡¯ve been through this before. Just¡­¡± They shrugged, ¡°Not enough to get the timing down, I suppose. Otherwise they would have given us warning that this might happen now.¡± ¡°What about leaving the planet?¡± DH asked. Their ears were still low and blue, but at least this concern distracted them. ¡°Will they be able to leave the planet with us?¡± ¡°That shouldn¡¯t be a problem.¡± Snout said, ¡°Look, GiDi¡¯s going to be fine. Pearla¡¯s going to be fine. We¡¯re still going to get off the planet just fine, but there are some things that will have to change.¡± They leaned back in their chair, ¡°For the next few days, GiDi and Pearla will be out of commission.¡± ¡°It should be fine.¡± Flit said, their ears pinning back, their eyes narrowing, ¡°We¡¯re short-handed, but plans are all made. So long as we keep up the work everything should be ok in the end. Though, there is a lot Pearla was going to take care of that we have to figure out now.¡± They got up from their chair, ¡°I should take care of that, actually. I should find people to take over her-¡± Snout grabbed Flit¡¯s sleeve and pulled them back down without a word. Defeated, Flit allowed their mate to pull them back into their seat. ¡°Now, that¡¯s what¡¯s happening with GiDi.¡± Snout said, ¡°They¡¯ll be fine, and Pearla will be fine. It¡¯s lucky though; From my research here a Chilacian¡¯s mating period lasts about half a period. That time seems to change with different species, so it¡¯s shorter for them.¡± Half a period. Five Galactic days. 200 hours. ¡°That¡­ that''s not all spent¡­¡± their ears dipped and burned as they trailed off. ¡°Eating, sleeping, and copulating.¡± Snout said. ¡°And honestly not much outside those three things. Given your surprise at this¡­ I think it¡¯s safe to assume that you and DH have not yet cycled and entered Enkavma yet.¡± ¡°Hey, look, you gave us the information.¡± DH said as they stood up, ¡°We¡¯re prepared now, so-¡± ¡°Sit.¡± Snout said, their voice sharp. In that moment they looked so much like a superior officer that DH shuddered and obeyed. ¡°... Is there more we need to know?¡± TO asked. They hated how meek their voice sounded at that moment, but they couldn¡¯t help it. At that moment they felt like a trainee, and Flit was an officer that was irritated with them. ¡°Yes.¡± Snout said. ¡°Now, as you pointed out earlier, some of the vital reproductive organs have been removed from you.¡± Their ears dipped slightly, their eyes cast to the table, ¡°... I couldn¡¯t prevent that. Apologies. But that means that neither of you can impregnate, or carry a fetus. With unaltered Chilacians, both partners in a coupling can do both.¡± TO was very silent for a moment, considering this, and trying to make sense of things. ¡°... Are you certain that uh¡­ other things haven¡¯t been removed?¡± They asked. ¡°I mean¡­ I don¡¯t think-¡± Their ears burned, their stomach clenched. ¡°I mean¡­ I¡¯ve observed nothing in other synths, any kind of anatomy that might seem useful for¡­ those things.¡± ¡°You are correct.¡± Snout said. ¡°But, like with many flying species, Chilacians are aerodynamic.¡± They lifted their hand and activated their chip. ¡°Really?¡± Flit sighed, a hand over their face, ¡°You¡¯re bringing up pictures?¡± ¡°Illustrations from the documents I received.¡± Snout said, their voice deadpan and their ears once more going parallel to the ground, ¡°Unless you¡¯d rather describe the specifics-¡± Another groan from Flit, ¡°Go ahead.¡± They muttered. The picture that illuminated before them differed from what TO had expected. It was clearly a synth, yes, and they were clearly nude but casual nudity had never been a concern. No, what was surprising to TO were the tattoos; This synth had tattoos on their arm and leg; a strange, twisting script that TO had never seen before. Was this an average Chilacian? ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± TO asked, entirely forgetting the reason they were there. ¡°The tattoos?¡± Snout asked. TO nodded. ¡°It¡¯s a thing Chilacians do. I don¡¯t understand it well, but I can say that the symbols themselves are Chilacian script. If you look closely, you can see some similarities to our own writing. Ours is just a lot more angular.¡± Seeing a synth, no, a Chilacian with tattoos was so strange to TO. Their scars on their own wings, and DH¡¯s scars on their face were different enough, but these tattoos were stark marks on the skin in multiple colors! A purposeful alteration to King Decon¡¯s Design. No. Not design. He didn¡¯t design them. ¡°Anyway, this is a Chilacian in a neutral state.¡± Snout said, ¡°And as with many species, the reproductive organ is here-¡± They made a gesture, and a circle formed between the subjects legs. Like with every other synth that TO had known the area looked almost entirely blank. The only thing there was a small, flat spiral at the very bottom of the otherwise smooth area of their lower torso. It was easily overlooked and often ignored by other synths. TO had ignored it as well¡­ until they started feeling things for their mate, and the pressure they often experienced around their mate got difficult to deal with and that particular spot demanded their attention. ¡°In an active state, the organs expand out from that.¡± Snout said, ¡°Dual reciprocal organs that allow the simultaneous transfer of genetic material.¡± They leaned forward, ¡°I¡¯ll be entirely honest. The reason I¡¯m so adamant on explaining this is because the first time it happened to me, I thought I was seriously sick. I was a grown, trained synth freaking out because I didn¡¯t know what was happening, and thought something was broken in me. The days leading up to that were exhausting, and I was hungrier than I ever been. I panicked. I considered performing on-the-spot surgery to ¡®fix¡¯ the issue.¡± They glanced at the blue-eared Flit, ¡°Thankfully, Flit saw me before it came to that, but if they hadn¡¯t¡­¡± They glanced back to TO and DH, ¡°Or if I had tried to hide away from them because I was embarrassed, I could have caused a lot of problems for myself.¡± ¡°... That is fair.¡± Flit finally grumbled, ¡°Those two don¡¯t have the best track record for communication.¡± ¡°And-¡± Snout said, leaning back in their chair now, ¡°What happens if we plan something important, and they enter Enkavma? What if that had happened over the last few days?¡± They shook their head, ¡°No. You need to be fully informed, so you know when this may happen. That way, we can plan for it. We¡¯re lucky that GiDi was here when this happened.¡± The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. TO took a deep breath and nodded, though their eyes stayed focused on the table. ¡°Alright.¡± They said, ¡°Go on.¡± ¡°Right.¡± Snout said, frowning as they recollected the ends of their lecture. ¡°Right. You¡¯ll be hungrier leading up to it, and you¡¯ll sleep more. When it happens, contact with your mate will trigger the hormones to activate the mating period. If you keep your distance when you feel this beginning, you will avoid going into the mating period- the Enkavma. TO frowned, their ears perked. ¡°Wait¡­¡± They said, ¡°so¡­ that¡¯s how you and Flit-¡± ¡°How we avoided getting caught and repurposed, yes. Though, Flit¡¯s position as a Retiree helped a lot.¡± Snout said, Ignoring how Flit groaned and leaned forward, their face in their hands. ¡°Wait, the Commander knew.¡± TO remembered that ride in the elevator, the way the commander treated Flit, and the not-so-subtle warnings that they gave. ¡°Well, yes.¡± Snout said, ¡°It wasn¡¯t impossible to fully hide but so long as we could keep it to something that was just assumed, instead of something someone had proof of, we were fine. Mostly. Of course, we didn¡¯t know all this at the time.¡± they sighed, ¡°We figured it out over a lot of trial and error.¡± They glanced at Flit, ¡°We figured out the timing first, and we¡¯d work around that as best as we could. One day Flit had to go to a¡­¡± They paused, ¡°What was it?¡± ¡°A combat ship needed some advice on field training.¡± Flit said, not looking up from the table. ¡°They flew me out to assist.¡± ¡°Right.¡± Snout said as they turned their attention back to TO and DH. ¡°It just happened that the Enkavma was timed for that, but because we were apart, nothing happened.¡± This time, Flit looked at Snout, their ear rising slightly, ¡°Nothing?¡± They asked, ¡°Didn¡¯t feel like nothing.¡± ¡°Well. true.¡± Snout said, ¡°There¡¯s absolutely side-effects to the avoidance method. Physical discomfort and pain, constant headache, exhaustion, anxiety, and as you saw with GiDi, a quickness to anger and excessive rage.¡± They shook their head, ¡°While it was a method that kept us safe it¡¯s not something I recommend if you have any other option.¡± DH¡¯s ears dropped, and though they had been relatively silent they now spoke up, ¡°Are you certain?¡± They asked, ¡°I mean, wouldn¡¯t it be easier to just avoid it altogether?¡± Somehow, those words hit TO¡¯s stomach. This was all a lot, and it sounded inconvenient, and they really didn¡¯t want to be talking about this¡­ but at the same they had to wonder; if the things they and DH did in private felt as good as it already did when they weren¡¯t in that Enkavma state, then would it feel even better when they were? And to be given so long to just be with one another, uninterrupted by others sounded exactly like what TO wanted! All they wanted was to be alone with their mate. That had been the one good thing about being trapped in that room during their early days with the insurgency. Of course, the anxiety of everything that happened ruined it quite a lot. This would be different, and the part of TO not dying from the embarrassment of the entire conversation though it¡¯d be fun. Did DH not think so? ¡°It would not.¡± Snout said, ¡°First, you¡¯d have to stay away from TO the entire time. You couldn¡¯t even see them. During that time, it¡¯s torture It¡¯s like¡­¡± they paused, trying to think of a way to describe it. ¡°It¡¯s like a piece of your insides was torn out.¡± Flit said. Though their hands were still covering their face their voice was sharp and cold. ¡°It hurts all the time. The only thing you can think about is your mate, and how they¡¯re not with you. You want to scream, and rip things apart. You feel sick, and you can¡¯t sleep. It¡¯s torture. And the worst part is knowing you could be with them. Knowing that they¡¯re near, and there¡¯s nothing keeping you apart.¡± they shook their head. ¡°Sometimes, getting caught and being repurposed wasn¡¯t enough of a deterrent.¡± ¡°Right.¡± Snout said after gazing at Flit in silence for a moment once they were done. ¡°... It¡¯s not recommended.¡± ¡°...So, when this happens.¡± DH asked, ¡°If it happens-¡± ¡°If you¡¯ve been intimate at all, it will.¡± Snout said, ¡°That starts the production of the needed hormones.¡± They shook their head and gestured with their chip. The picture above them changed, showing the same synth as before, but this time there was no smooth skin between the legs. Where the small spiral had been, now there was a sleek, smooth tendril with five smaller ones around it. The illustration showed an opening at the base of the main tendril. ¡°Here.¡± Snout said, as a circle formed around the main tendril, ¡°Phallus.¡± An arrow pointed to the opening, ¡°Five different openings around it, leading to a uterus.¡± A circle encased one of the smaller prongs. ¡°These prongs have a semi-permeable membrane, and allow for the exchange of hormones. They also link to hold the two individuals in place.¡± ¡°You mean an exchange of DNA, right?¡± TO asked, ¡°Not hormones.¡± ¡°No, I mean Hormones.¡± Snout said. ¡°It assists in the body syncing to a single partner. While Chilacians can have different partners at different times, they¡¯ll only have one mate. The body adapts to best work with that individual and thus becomes more effective.¡± TO wondered if despite how at ease they seemed, they were a little nervous about this talk. As soon as they went back to the scientific aspect of it they once more had that cold, synth-like tone. ¡°For the most part, you have no worries about other reproductive functions; those parts were removed.¡± Snout said, ¡°However, if you don¡¯t look more or less like this when the time comes, then I don¡¯t care how embarrassing it is for you, you need to see me and tell me that something is wrong. Understood?¡± TO and DH both gave silent, quick nods. ¡°Once things start, everything is going to be sensitive.¡± Snout said as they finally deactivated their chip, and the image flickered out of existence. ¡°You¡¯ll be fine so long as you¡¯re with one another.¡± They gave both TO and DH a hard look, their ears pinning once more, ¡°I cannot stress this enough; when it happens, don¡¯t hide away from one another. Also, send a message to me that your Enkavma has started so we can track it for next time. Understood?¡± Another quick nod from both TO and DH. ¡°Good. Other information isn¡¯t, in my mind, as vital, so I¡¯m sending the document to your chips. I recommend you read it but as far as I¡¯m concerned you have everything you need to at least keep you from hurting yourselves.¡± ¡°... So we can go?¡± DH asked. ¡°Yes, unless you have questions.¡± Snout said, but even if they had, it was clear that they wouldn¡¯t be asking them there; they were gone from the room before Snout¡¯s sentence was finished. Episode 315: Side-Effect TO and DH hurried away from Flit and Snout¡¯s room in silence, their hurried pace never slowing until they had turned two corners and were at least halfway to their own room. When they finally slowed down, DH pulled up their own chip to check their messages. ¡°I¡¯m just checking to see if Goretta needs help.¡± They muttered. ¡°You know¡­ medical stuff.¡± ¡°Right.¡± TO said. If DH was looking to pretend that conversation didn¡¯t happen, then so was TO. Mostly. Now that they were away from the room and out of the conversation they found they did actually have other questions. Mostly, they wanted to know how DH felt about all that, how they felt about the probability¨Cwell, the certainty according to Snout¨Cof that happening to them. They had seemed plenty willing to just skip the whole thing earlier. Other questions were, of course, technical, but they didn¡¯t want to go back and ask now! They¡¯d have to go back on their own later, perhaps. Wait, no! They wouldn¡¯t! They checked their own chip for the message that Snout said they¡¯d be sending. It was there; they supposed they had just ignored it as they hurried away from the room. They opened it briefly just to see how big the file was, but saw that there was a message included with the file. ==I failed to mention an important thing. Being around a Chilacian before and during Enkavma can trigger a surge of hormones in other Chilacians. It won¡¯t activate Enkavma in others though, but it can have an effect. It¡¯s best to keep this in mind if you¡¯re around GiDi. I strongly recommend giving them space for a few days. - Snout== They stopped mid-stride. The day they left the underground to head to the indebted center, they had run to talk to GiDi about Kei, and about ending their isolation. They thought they would just have a quick chat in GiDi¡¯s room, but it quickly became abundantly clear as GiDi answered the door disheveled, wearing a housecoat that clearly wasn¡¯t theirs, and told them that no, they couldn¡¯t come in because Pearla was there. DH had been the one to understand the situation faster than TO then. TO remembered very well DH¡¯s gentle teasing about how clueless TO had been¡­ And then they remember how, moments after they had spoken to GiDi, DH had pulled them into an embrace. They remembered DH¡¯s hand on their neck, moving to their ear to gently stroke at the sensitive edge before moving to kiss TO. They strained to remember much else. They recalled the places their mind went, the hope that DH would push them against the wall and shower them with kisses, and how they stood, dumbfounded once DH pulled away. Had that all resulted from being around GiDi for less than a minute as this Enkavma approached? Another memory struck them; one of the Snout running towards them just after the incident with Kei. The normally well put together synth had been strangely disheveled, and the moment they realized that there wasn¡¯t any immediate danger they had slumped to the floor, exhausted. ¡°I was running on adrenaline and about three hours of sleep.¡± Then, of course, Snout and Flit were strangely absent from their meeting with the others afterwards once Pholi returned, and told them about meeting Gyrini. Was that all because of this? More importantly, that wonderful moment when DH grabbed them, stroked their ears, and kissed them so softly; was that just because of this Enkavma thing? Would DH not have done that if it weren¡¯t for this apparent side effect of being around Chilacians at that stage? ¡°You got a message too?¡± DH¡¯s voice dragged TO from their thoughts, and as they looked up, they saw DH reading the same message. ¡°Apparently¡­¡± TO said. DH cleared their throat and closed their messages, ¡°Best to avoid GiDi for now then.¡± They muttered. Then with their ears down and slightly tinged with blue they added, ¡°And.. it might be best to find out when Flit and Snout do this¡­ thing. You know, so we can avoid them.¡± ¡°If you want.¡± TO muttered as their ears pinned back. Of course they¡¯d want to avoid them, so they wouldn¡¯t risk another random expression of affection. Maybe next time they¡¯d be in a private place. DH glanced up at them, caught the movement of their ears, and frowned, their own ears pinning back as well. ¡°What?¡± they asked. Immediate guilt rushed through TO. ¡°... It¡¯s stupid, sorry.¡± They muttered. ¡°It¡¯s not.¡± DH said, ¡°TO, we¡¯ve been through this before; what is it?¡± TO glanced aside, their ears heating once more. ¡°It¡¯s just¡­ I take it you don¡¯t want to go through that whole¡­ thing.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure we¡¯ll have much choice.¡± DH muttered, ¡°Not from what-¡± ¡°Choice or no, you don¡¯t want to, right?¡± TO said. ¡°And you do?¡± DH asked, ¡°Days of¡­¡± Their ears flicked back down, ¡°Of just constant¡­ sex?¡± They looked away. ¡°And those changes.. That diagram.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not just that.¡± TO said, suddenly wishing they had kept their mouth shut until they had gotten to their room. ¡°It¡¯s the other thing too.¡± DH frowned, their ears twitching as they tried to figure out what TO meant. Finally, they drooped as they gave up, ¡°What other thing?¡± ¡°This!¡± TO pointed at their chip, ¡°What we just learned. Immediately you said we should keep our distance!¡± ¡°Yes?¡± DH said, ¡°Because if we don¡¯t, and we get distracted and suddenly there¡¯s a medical emergency to help with, or Vik needs my help with some programming, or you¡¯re needed for an important assignment, then it¡¯ll be hard for me to let you go! I might not even be able to do it. I mean..¡± they gave a sudden, exhausted laugh as they looked away. ¡°Do you know how hard it was that day?¡± They whispered, their voice so low TO could hardly hear them. ¡°The day you went to the indebted center? Just after we saw GiDi.¡± They shook their head, ¡°We were around them for what? Thirty seconds? And then just moments later...¡± They wrapped their wings around themself. ¡°... It was nice.¡± TO muttered. ¡°Unexpected, but nice, and-¡± ¡°I was too close to just jumping on you right there.¡± They said as their ears burned and went right down. TO was certain they could see a hint of color go as far down as their cheeks. ¡°In the hallway. Do you know what I wanted to do to you there?¡± If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. They didn¡¯t, but they knew what they wanted DH to do to them. They remembered vaguely wondering how far away their room was, and now they wondered if they¡¯d even have brought it up if DH had followed some of those instincts that they had fought against. ¡°... I promise.¡± DH said, their wings tight around them, ¡°It¡¯s not because I didn¡¯t want to do those things with you. I know you¡¯re anxious about when we¡¯re in public, and I¡¯m sorry I grabbed you back then-¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be.¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have if I had been in my right mind.¡± ¡°Look, I¡¯m sorry!¡± TO said, ¡°I know you¡¯re not as¡­¡± Their ears dipped again, their voice a whisper, ¡°As interested in this as I am¡­¡± ¡°You think I''m not?!¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± They glanced around again as their own wings tightened around them. ¡°I... I¡¯m fine with it, with going at your pace. I really am!¡± they looked up, ¡°I guess I just worried that¡­.¡± ¡°... That I¡¯d want to avoid something like that, like that Enkavma or this other thing not because of inconvenience, but because I just don¡¯t want to?¡± TO refused to look at DH. When did they gain the ability to read TO¡¯s mind? ¡°...Yeah.¡± DH was silent for longer than TO would like. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± TO said again, ¡°Look. I just¡­ it was a stupid thought, and I shouldn¡¯t have brought it up. I should be better than that-¡± ¡°Stop.¡± DH said, though their voice was much softer now than it had been. When TO looked up the backwards pinning of DH¡¯s ears had lifted, though their ears were still low. ¡°I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m glad you told me this.¡± they took TO¡¯s hand, ¡°This is the kind of thing we¡¯re supposed to talk about right? I mean¡­¡± They gave a bitter chuckle, ¡°That we¡¯re bad at it is why we just had to go through all that, right?¡± A soft snort of amusement left TO. ¡°I suppose you¡¯re right.¡± DH caressed the back of TO¡¯s hand with their thumb, then suddenly tightened their grip and pulled TO along as they made their way back down the hallway. ¡°DH?¡± TO let their mate lead the way. ¡°We don¡¯t need to go back to Flit and Snout-¡± ¡°We do not.¡± DH agreed, ¡°We¡¯re not going there.¡± They hurried down the hallway, turned down another, and before TO knew it DH was knocking at a door. It took TO a moment to realize it was GiDi¡¯s door they were knocking on. ¡°DH!¡± TO¡¯s ears flattened and flushed deep blue, ¡°We can¡¯t interrupt them right now!¡± ¡°We shouldn¡¯t.¡± DH said, ¡°There¡¯s a difference.¡± They knocked again, and even from the outside TO¡¯s sensitive ears could hear movement inside, and an exasperated sigh as footsteps quickened to the door. A moment later, the door opened and GiDi poked their head out. ¡°What?¡± they snapped. ¡°We wanted to see you.¡± DH said, their ears flicking down. ¡°It¡¯s been a while. TO was worried about you-¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± GiDi snapped. They retreated in and started to close the door. ¡°Are you sure?¡± DH asked. ¡°I mean, I¡¯ve not seen you since-¡± ¡°Yes. I¡¯m positive. We¡¯ll talk later. We¡¯ll talk about whatever you want later.¡± Then without another word from their friend the door closed with such force that TO felt the wind of the movement. A second later, they heard the latch close as the door locked. With TO¡¯s hand still in theirs, DH pulled TO back down the hallway and towards their own rooms. ¡°Come on.¡± They said as their pace quickened, ¡°Let¡¯s see how strong that effect is.¡± ¡°Y-you didn¡¯t have to do that!¡± TO protested as guilt squeezed at their stomach, ¡°DH, I don¡¯t want you to do anything that makes you uncomfortable-¡± ¡°I did that because I wanted to!¡± DH snapped. ¡°I don¡¯t want to be uncomfortable! You don¡¯t understand how much I want this, how much I want you!¡± Their voice was louder now, their ears entirely blue. ¡°But before, every time we got close or started to enjoy ourselves, I worried. I worried because I wasn¡¯t a good synth, because I was going against what King Decon made me for.¡± They glanced back at TO, ¡°You? You could handle it because you¡¯re exceptional. You always were. I¡¯d have been corrected ages ago if it weren¡¯t for you.¡± ¡°You¡¯re exceptional!¡± TO said, ¡°You¡¯re an amazing programmer, you¡¯ve picked up a lot of medical training in a short time-¡± ¡°But you¡¯re the useful one. As far as King Decon is concerned, you¡¯re the useful one and I¡¯m just a good shot who knows first aid.¡± They looked down, ¡°As for programming¡­ Vik is better than I am, and I¡¯m good for someone who doesn¡¯t work in programming. I¡¯m good for an amateur, and I guess because my brain is different I can see a few things that others can¡¯t, but I assure you I¡¯m not as good as I¡¯d need to be to be considered especially valuable.¡± ¡°But that doesn''t matter anymore!¡± TO said, ¡°We¡¯re not working for King Decon now. He didn¡¯t even make us! None of that matters now!¡± DH tightened their grip on TO¡¯s hand, their pace quickened. ¡°Exactly.¡± They said, ¡°None of that matters anymore, and that last time we saw GiDi before you went to the indebted center was the only time my mind stopped worrying about it, the only time enjoying this didn¡¯t make me sick with guilt!¡± They looked back at TO, ¡°And I only stopped because we were in a hallway, and you¡¯re worried about that stuff in public.¡± TO could only manage a soft ¡®oh¡¯ as DH pulled them back towards their room. Episode 316: Need TO wondered why they didn¡¯t feel the same effects as DH had when they saw GiDi days ago, just before DH grabbed them in the hallway. Sure, they had been a little more scatterbrained, and at the time they had just attributed that to the aftermath of DH pinning them to the wall and kissing them. Still, they had felt mostly normal all things considered. Maybe it wasn¡¯t the same kind of relentless pull that the whole Enkavma thing seemed to be. Maybe it was more like a distraction, one a person could ignore if they put their mind to it. Or maybe it was just something that TO¡¯s mind had pushed aside as they had so much to do. Whatever the case was, they felt it more strongly now. They found they couldn¡¯t take their eyes off DH as their mate pulled them along the hallway, and couldn¡¯t stop thinking about what they might do to them when they got to their room. They found they could feel their lips so much more acutely, and that throbbing pulsing returned with a vengeance. They approached the room, and though they had basically broken into a light run at this point, it still seemed to take so long to reach the door. It was much like the time they went through the portal that first time; the way time drew out around them and everything slowed. They finally got to the door, and just like with the portal it was like time suddenly sped up. DH pulled the door open, pulled TO inside with them, Slammed the door closed, and pushed TO against it. One of DH¡¯s legs went between TO¡¯s and they rested one arm on the door, leaning in as their hand went to TO¡¯s neck, slid up the tendons, and caressed TO¡¯s shivering ear. Their fingertips traced over the upper ridge, their thumb rubbed their earlobe and drew a low whimper from their mate. TO felt their legs weaken, their thighs instinctively drew together but were stopped by DH¡¯s leg. ¡°DH, we should-¡± They were going to say they should at least get to the bed but before they could finish DH¡¯s lips covered TO¡¯s own, kissing them deeply until TO moaned into their kiss, at which point DH trailed their kisses from TO¡¯s lips to their jawline. Whatever it was, the hormones or pheromones or whatever it was, it had an effect. Maybe it didn¡¯t make TO as forward as DH seemed to become, but it made them a lot more sensitive, made them need some pressure on that damn spot. DH trailed kisses up TO¡¯s jawline, making much more hurried progress than usual to their ear. TO expected the kiss to the base of the ear, and expected a sudden turn down their neck. This didn¡¯t happen. To TO¡¯s absolute shock and bliss, DH shifted up and began kissing up along the bottom of the ear that their hand wasn¡¯t stroking. TO could only give a gasp of shock before they felt themself grow weak and slip further down the door. It was then that DH pulled their lips away, holding TO up and resting their head against TO¡¯s shoulder. DH¡¯s lips on their ear felt like it had reset TO¡¯s brain, and they needed a minute to gather themself back together. ¡°Y-you never did that before.¡± TO whispered as they slowly wrapped an arm around DH¡¯s waist and pulled them closer. ¡°Sorry.¡± DH said, breathing deeply as they spoke. It was as though they had forgotten to breathe while they had their lips on TO¡¯s skin. ¡°I should have warned you, asked if it was ok-¡± ¡°If it¡¯s not, I¡¯ll tell you.¡± TO promised. TO leaned their head against the door, traced their hand up DH¡¯s side, over their chest, and cupped their mate¡¯s cheek in their hand. ¡°Until then¡­ Keep going.¡± ====== TO awoke with a start as their communicator dinged incessantly the next day. Back in the underground they hardly used it, so it remained in the pocket of the pants they had worn the previous day. Those pants were on the other side of the room, over by the door, and getting them meant leaving the warm embrace of their mate. TO groaned and pressed their face into DH¡¯s chest, curling up under blankets and wings. Maybe if they ignored the noise, it would go away? A moment later, the noise awoke DH, who groaned and pulled TO closer to them. ¡°Communicator?¡± They mumbled. ¡°Hmm.¡± TO nuzzled into DH. ¡°It¡¯s so loud¡­ but it¡¯s all the way over there¡­¡± ¡°... It¡¯s linked to your chip though.¡± DH said, ¡°Just use your chip.¡± Right. The communicator was linked to their chip. How had they forgotten that? A deep flush covered their ears as they grumbled and sat up, checking their chip as they tried to ignore DH¡¯s low chuckling. The call was coming from Vik, and TO was tempted to ignore it¡­ But it could have been important. With a deep sigh, they answered the call on their chip and the relentless chiming from the discarded communicator shut off. ¡°Yes?¡± TO mumbled as they rested their head on DH¡¯s chest. ¡°I know you¡¯re probably tired from your visit to the indebted center and all, you know?¡± The normally small voice was too loud for TO at the moment. Was the chip amplifying their voice? They turned it down. ¡°And I¡¯m all for letting you sleep it off¡­ But it is sixteen-hundred.¡± TO¡¯s sleep addled mind took a moment to translate that. Why did the different planets all have to have their own time system? Wasn¡¯t Galactic Time fine enough? Finally, the numbers made sense in their head. Sixteen hundred hours. Arkane had twenty-eight-hour days. It was mid afternoon! TO jolted up, startling DH who had been dozing back to sleep. ¡°Why didn¡¯t anyone wake us sooner!¡± They demanded. ¡°Again, we all figured you were tired.¡± Vik said, ¡°You went through a lot, and we figured you needed the rest. But.. Snout says you should probably come eat something, and we need some help¡­ if you¡¯re able to help, that is-¡± ¡°We¡¯ll be right there.¡± TO said as they detangled themself from wings and blankets and stumbled to their feet. They felt so hungry, and for a moment they worried that the thing Snout told them about, that Enkavma thing, was happening, but then they realized they hadn¡¯t eaten in far too long. Was this something else that they¡¯d have to worry about? Just great. Well, maybe that file they sent had more information, more hints to warn TO. ¡°Common room?¡± ¡°Yup. We¡¯ll have some food for you here.¡± This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience. ¡°Thanks.¡± TO ended the call and rushed to the bundle of clothes on the floor. Meanwhile, DH got up with slow, languid movement and went to the corner where a large open box sat. ¡°Fresh clothes.¡± They said as they tossed a bundle of fabric to TO. ¡°I guess there¡¯s not too much time for rest, huh?¡± ¡°Not at all.¡± TO said as they unrolled the bundle which contained a pair of pants and an old T-shirt that had the back cut in half to accommodate their wings. They tied the fabric around the neck and pulled it on before tugging on the pants. ¡°Lots to do, I guess.¡± Their ears dropped, ¡°And Flit was saying we don''t have enough people for everything we need to get done¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯ll be fine.¡± DH said as they pulled out something for themself to wear: a simple gray shift dress, again with the back cut out and scraps of fabric left at the neck. They slipped it over their head and tied it up quickly before reaching under the table for the simple flat shoes that they and DH had been wearing since they got there. They tossed TO their shoes and slipped their own on. ¡°If it was an emergency, they would have woken us up earlier.¡± That was true at least. TO slipped their shoes on and went to open the door, but before they could leave DH was at their side. They closed the door once more, turned TO around, and kissed them softly on their cheek; just inches away from their ear. ¡°I¡¯m glad they left us alone, though.¡± DH whispered. ¡°I missed you so much. I couldn¡¯t even sleep right.¡± TO turned and gently met their lips to DH¡¯s. They didn¡¯t have time right now, but they could spare a quick kiss before leaving, especially one that DH had initiated so boldly. ¡°Neither could I.¡± TO admitted. ¡°I¡¯m glad I''m home.¡± ¡°This is home?¡± DH asked with a chuckle. ¡°So long as you¡¯re here it is.¡± DH¡¯s ears flushed, and they quickly took TO¡¯s hand and opened the door again. ¡°Come on.¡± They muttered, ¡°Before Vik calls again wondering where we are.¡± They hurried down the hall towards the common room to see Vik and see what was happening. Somehow, the idea of Vik didn¡¯t bother TO nearly as much today. In fact, their previous feelings towards the small creature now seemed somehow juvenile and silly. Who cared if DH and Vik spent a lot of time working on their programming and talking about AI. TO was DH¡¯s mate, and Vik couldn¡¯t compete with that. ====== The common room was empty when they got there, save of course for Vik who was working at their computer as was usual. Three screens were on display before them, one with rolling lines of text, the others with programming that TO couldn¡¯t understand. ¡°You pissed off Gyrini nicely.¡± Vik said once the two got there. ¡°The indebted center is in lockdown again, and apparently she¡¯s interviewing all the employees there.¡± ¡°Good.¡± TO said, ¡°That means she¡¯s distracted¡­ I¡¯m surprised though. With all of us gone, I figured she¡¯d focus more on locating the escaped indebted people.¡± ¡°Well, we thought you¡¯d go after the escaped insurgents after we broke Tham and the others out of the holding center.¡± They glanced up at TO, ¡°Why did you spend so much time in the holding center checking the surveillance footage?¡± ¡°Good point.¡± TO muttered. They had stayed there because they had no other leads. While they suspected the insurgents had gotten away, they did not know back then how they got away. The only thing they knew was that they had escaped from the holding center, so they worked through all the information there to find out what they could. ¡°... You should seal off that passageway.¡± TO said after a moment of consideration. ¡°That section of underground has been used twice now. There¡¯s clearly something there, so if I were Gyrini I¡¯d head there and pull the place apart once the indebted center gives me no more leads.¡± ¡°I¡¯m planning on giving her a lead, actually.¡± Vik said, ¡°Gonna make it look like the finance minister had something to do with it. He¡¯s the one who set up the indebted system, anyway. Besides, what if we need that tunnel again?¡± ¡°It¡¯s too risky to keep that one open.¡± TO said, ¡°And we¡¯ll be gone soon.¡± ¡°Fair.¡± Vik said, ¡°I got drones working on digging a path to your ship. I¡¯ll redirect a few to the tunnel to seal it off.¡± ¡°And what about us?¡± TO asked, ¡°You said you needed help, so we¡¯re here.¡± ¡°Right.¡± Vik said. They turned back to their computers, ¡°First, you need to eat. There¡¯s food on the table. After that we need to head out and get more food.¡± ¡°TO was on that video.¡± DH said, ¡°the one showing them taking down those special agents. Isn¡¯t that dangerous?¡± ¡°They went into the indebted center undetected.¡± Vik said, ¡°I¡¯m sure we can figure it out without them having to paint their wings again. Besides, we¡¯re short on people.¡± ¡°I¡¯m going with them.¡± DH said, their hand grasping TO¡¯s as they spoke. ¡°Won¡¯t Goretta need you?¡± Vik asked. ¡°TO needs me.¡± DH said. ¡°Besides, most of the injuries have been treated now. Anything that comes up, I¡¯m sure she can handle.¡± ¡°Hey, it¡¯s not my call.¡± Vik said with a shrug. ¡°I¡¯m not in charge, I¡¯m just delegating. Though, you should eat. You¡¯ll be going out in a small group, and the others aren¡¯t ready yet.¡± ¡°Yes, eat.¡± DH said as they pulled TO to the table, ¡°Eat as much as you can. You didn¡¯t eat properly in the indebted center, so I¡¯d like to see you eat plenty now.¡± TO wanted to say that if they still had to wait, then Vik could have left them and DH alone for a little while longer. Though, even as they thought that their stomach gave an angry growl. ¡°Alright.¡± TO said as they sat at the table. ¡°Food first. Then work.¡± Episode 317: Trust TO¡¯s ravenous hunger should have been a lot more concerning to them than it was, especially with the new information about Chilacian biology that they had still freshly rattling around in their head. However, that they had eaten little over the last few days, and that what they ate likely didn¡¯t have nearly as many nutrients as they needed, made them less worried. Besides, DH¡¯s appetite still seemed normal, and they even offered TO half of their own food once TO had finished inhaling their own. They figured that if it had anything to do with the Enkavma that Snout had talked to them about, then DH would be just as hungry. Probably more so, since DH always had the bigger appetite. The food was devoured, and TO tried their hand at making some of the tea that Pearla always made for them. It wasn¡¯t the same as the stuff they had in the safe room and they didn¡¯t have the same precise instructions that Fengari had so carefully given them. Still there was sugar in a chipped bowl, and TO figured anything would taste better if they added enough sugar. They were mostly right. The drink was sickly sweet by the time they were done, but they could drink it at least. They were considering looking up a guide on how to brew the stuff properly when the door opened. TO looked up, expecting to see the people they¡¯d be going out with on their supply run. Tham was there, which was a little surprising since they still had their arm in a sling. Avery followed them, which was also surprising as Avery hadn¡¯t been involved much in any of their work so far. They had spent all their time watching out for Kei and didn¡¯t seem to have any interest in helping the insurgency. Of course, that wasn¡¯t the biggest surprise. The biggest surprise was that Kei followed the two of them, unbound. Despite their apparent freedom, their ears still pinned back and twitched far too much. It was so odd to see Kei¡¯s ears moving so much. The movements had always been so subtle before, though still easy enough to read. Now, it was like Kei had gone from whispering their feelings to shouting them; Anger, anxiety, fear. Had it been Avery or DH, the movements wouldn¡¯t have been that odd. It was only because it was Kei that it struck TO so much. Of course, that wasn¡¯t their primary concern at the moment. The moment Kei entered, TO jumped up from their seat, took the chair, and put it before them as they backed up. They didn¡¯t have any weapons but if Kei lunged at them, at least TO now had a chair to use. They tried to recall who had been better at hand to hand combat back in training. TO and Kei had never sparred in real life and had never fought against one another in simulations. They couldn¡¯t even recall how the other had performed in training since they had kept their distance. TO felt a hand on their arm and looked down to see DH still seated. ¡°It¡¯s ok.¡± DH said, though their ears pinned back as well and their free hand tightened back into a fist, ¡°It¡¯s ok. They will not attack.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t know that.¡± TO hissed as they watched Kei, ready to react to the slightest movement. Still, Kei didn¡¯t look like they were going to attack. Though their ears were pinned back, they looked less like they wanted to hurt TO and more like they wanted to run. ¡°If I were going to attack.¡± Kei said, straining to keep their words even and smooth, ¡°It wouldn¡¯t be here. That would be moronic.¡± ¡°You wanted Kei to be out of isolation.¡± Vik said, not bothering to look away from their computers. ¡°They¡¯ve been spending time unbound with Avery and Goretta, and even with DH-¡± ¡°Briefly.¡± DH said, ¡°They didn¡¯t attack. It wasn¡¯t fun though.¡± ¡°I assure you, the feeling is mutual.¡± Kei hissed. ¡°I¡¯m not thrilled with this either.¡± Tham said, ¡°But we¡¯re low on people, we have a lot of stuff to do, and if Kei helps, Avery will help.¡± He sighed, ¡°This is low risk, and I¡¯ll be coming along. I even have supplies for all of you.¡± He held up his good hand and showed off some small bags he carried. ¡°I¡¯m surprised you¡¯re so ok with this.¡± TO said, ¡°you were the one most against DH and I being allowed out and about.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± Tham said, ¡°And then you saved my life, got me to safety, and put yourself in danger several times over to help many people. I can admit when I¡¯m wrong.¡± He glanced at Kei, ¡°I¡¯m trying to be better. At any rate, we¡¯ve still taken precautions.¡± TO figured he meant a multi-gun. Well, that would help, but maybe TO would convince him to let DH handle the gun. DH had better aim and synth-level reflexes. Tham might be ok for a civilian, but he also had an injured arm. ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a good idea.¡± TO said, sitting down again. ¡°It¡¯s risky, It¡¯s-¡± ¡°I thought it was risky getting you to help move people from the underground.¡± Tham said, ¡°I was wrong¡± ¡°This isn¡¯t the same!¡± TO said. ¡°It pretty much is.¡± Vik said. ¡°Isn¡¯t it? I mean, we didn¡¯t trust you guys, GiDi wanted you out of isolation, so we got you out and you ended up helping us a lot.¡± they glanced at TO, ¡°In fact, I¡¯d say the two of you became pretty much essential. Maybe Kei and Avery will be the same.¡° ¡°TO, it¡¯s ok.¡± Avery said. ¡°Look, I know you don¡¯t like Kei, but they want to help!¡± Avery turned to look at Kei, ¡°Right?¡± Kei was silent for a moment, eyeing TO. Finally, when they spoke their voice was low and quiet, but cold. ¡°I wish to go out on one of these expeditions.¡± ¡°Their mind is different now.¡± Avery said, ¡°they¡¯re more settled now-¡± If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.¡°Their mind was different before I went into the indebted center, and they attacked me then.¡± ¡°To be fair, you also attacked them. You know, back when we first met.¡± Vik said. ¡°Look. We¡¯ve taken precautions. I¡¯m as confident about this as I was with you going on that first time, and GiDi wanted them out of isolation. Apparently, Isolation isn¡¯t good for you synths¡­ or, Chilacians.¡± They shrugged and went back to their computer, ¡°Whatever you consider yourselves.¡± ¡°Come on.¡± DH said, ¡°I don¡¯t like it either, but they¡¯re trying, right? And it¡¯s not their fault how they were before.¡± TO¡¯s ears flicked as they considered everything. Finally, they had one last question. ¡°Why?¡± Kei¡¯s ears twitched as they glared at TO, ¡°Why what?¡± ¡°Why do you want to help?¡± They said, ¡°I helped because I wanted to help GiDi, same as DH.¡± That wasn¡¯t the only reason now, but in the beginning they hadn¡¯t cared about the insurgency or its people, they only cared about GiDi. ¡°... I want to be productive.¡± Kei finally said. ¡°I can¡¯t do that while locked in a room.¡± ¡°And I want to help Kei.¡± Avery said, ¡°So I¡¯ll go out too.¡± Kei¡¯s ears flicked down, but Avery didn¡¯t see that because they were looking at TO and DH, not Kei. It occurred to TO that perhaps, now that Kei had their brain fixed they might be capable of friendship. That Chilacian saying, ¡®friendship is the seed of love.¡¯ rung through TO¡¯s mind. If they were capable of friendship, did that mean they¡¯d be capable of that whole Enkavma thing? Could that mean that Avery, who insisted that they felt nothing like that, might start to? They didn¡¯t like the idea of Avery getting involved with Kei. Kei was the one who nearly separated them and DH. They also recalled the story that Flit told them about the commander, how Flit had told the Commander how they felt, and the Commander had treated them with such disgust¡­ No. That would be too hurtful. They¡¯d have to talk to Avery later. ¡°Look, we¡¯ve taken the same precautions with Kei and Avery as we did you two.¡± Vik said, ¡°It¡¯ll be fine, and if something happens, it¡¯ll be dealt with.¡± ¡°And we don''t really have time to argue.¡± Tham said, ¡°We have limited time; only a few more days, really. Most of the able-bodied people who can work are gone to clear the space under your ship, or they¡¯re getting information, or medicine. Pholi¡¯s gone back to the government building, putting in appearances to keep Gyrini off his back-¡± ¡°Petra and Lendulin.¡± TO said, ¡°They could help, and I trust them-¡± ¡°Lendulin is already out helping to harvest underwater, away from the city.¡± Tham said, ¡°She¡¯s getting what little seafood we can get. Petra is one of the few legged people who aren¡¯t on a wanted list for questioning because she didn¡¯t live in the tunnels, so she¡¯s gone out shopping for what supplies we can buy.¡± TO kept their steady glare on Kei for a moment longer before they huffed and looked away. Maybe they were wrong. The Kei they knew before had an altered brain. Now, they were different. After such a sudden change to their mind, TO couldn¡¯t imagine how they were feeling at the moment. Besides, Vik and Tham were right. The insurgents had given TO and DH a chance when they had really no reason to do so, even though it had been dangerous. They had given TO and DH a chance just because GiDi asked them to. Now, Avery was asking TO to give Kei a chance. ¡°Alright.¡± TO grumbled. They¡¯d give Kei a chance, even if they monitored them. Even if they¡¯d never forgive Kei for what they nearly did to them and DH. ¡°Great.¡± Tham said as they set the bags on the table, ¡°Each of you take one of these. They¡¯re your disguises for the day.¡± TO frowned and took on the bags. They fully expected to see that black goo in there in a little container, but to their surprise all that was inside was a long, tattered cloak and stocking cap. ¡°If you all drape your wings over your shoulders like you always do, then you can hide them under the cloaks. You can also stuff your ears into the hat. That should help throw off identification programs.¡± ¡°What about facial recognition programs?¡± TO asked. ¡°Because there¡¯s so many species here, facial recognition works back from most obvious features to least.¡± Vik said, ¡°With your ears covered the programming wouldn''t recognize you.¡± They glanced at Tham, ¡°Same way it wouldn¡¯t recognize Tham if we cut off his nose.¡± ¡°Thankfully, there are easier ways to trick the software than that.¡± Tham said as he reached into his own bag. He took out what looked at first to TO to be some hairy dead animal, but a moment later he affixed it to his face, and it became a scraggly beard. ¡°This should do it. Since Nagarajin are common here, I should be fine.¡± ¡°Anyway.¡± Vik said, ¡°You¡¯re going out to get food. There¡¯s two ways to do this in the outer ring; through trade, and through hunting. TO, you¡¯re afraid of insects, so I¡¯m guessing you and DH will do the trading thing.¡± As Vik spoke, TO caught how Kei¡¯s ears pinned down, caught that hint of disdain. Their own ears dropped in shame, but they said nothing. ¡°I¡¯ll send you a list, and give, and give you stuff to trade. Check in with me before you actually trade anything.¡± They huffed, ¡°Honestly, I¡¯d rather have someone else go with you to help, but again¡­ we¡¯re shorthanded.¡± ¡°We make do.¡± Tham said. They passed bags back to Kei and Avery, ¡°Come on, get ready; Time is running out.¡± Episode 318: Ankyra With their cloaks on it was difficult to tell that the four of them were synths. Their wings, once draped over their shoulders, were difficult to see, and in TO¡¯s opinion they looked just too odd with their ears hidden under a cap. Their faces felt too small and somehow distorted, and their eyes seemed suddenly too big without their ears showing. Being able to see the faces of the others without being able to see their ears was unnerving. The cap pressing on their ears was also exceedingly uncomfortable. ¡°Well, it works.¡± Tham said as he observed the four, ¡°If I saw you in a crowd, I wouldn¡¯t assume you were synths.¡± ¡°Good.¡± TO grumbled as they took their cap off, ¡°I¡¯ll keep this off until we get out; it hurts my ears. ¡°Fine.¡± Tham said as he gently scratched at his chin under the fake beard, ¡°But keep your cloak on; especially you, TO. Your wings got those giant scars on them and if anyone saw those, they¡¯d probably figure out that you were the one who took down the special officers in the tunnels. They¡¯re pretty big scars, and they were clear on the video. How did you get them, anyway?¡± ¡°Space is really dangerous.¡± TO muttered, but their mind refused to focus on Tham¡¯s question. Yes, if someone saw their wings, they could easily recognize TO as the person in the video. Why did that concern them so much? ¡°Stories for later.¡± Vik said, never taking their eyes from their computer screen, ¡°We don''t have a lot of time, right?¡± ¡°Right¡­ we¡¯re ready to go then?¡± DH asked as they took off their own cap. A moment later Avery removed theirs as well, but Kei kept theirs on. ¡°Almost.¡± Vik said, ¡°I have bags of extra stuff in a storage room down the hall. That¡¯s what you¡¯ll be using to trade for supplies, so if you want to get ¡®em-¡± ¡°I¡¯ll go.¡± TO said, their ears perking up at what they saw to be an opportunity. They headed towards the door, grabbing Avery by the arm as they went, ¡°Come on, you help me.¡± ¡°Me? Why not DH?¡± TO paused and suddenly came up with an excellent reason DH shouldn¡¯t go with them. They turned around. ¡°DH, grab your med kit; just in case.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a good idea, actually.¡± Tham said. ¡°Good. We¡¯ll be right back.¡± TO said as they left the room, only just hearing Vik say that they¡¯d send them the directions to the specific storage room. ¡°Ok.¡± Avery said once they were in the hallway and the door closed behind them. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± TO asked, their ears twitching as they glanced at the directions Vik sent them. ¡°I need some help getting the supplies-¡± ¡°And your ears perked right up as soon as Vik said they needed someone to get them. Also, You¡¯d never give up a chance to spend more time with DH.¡± They sighed, their ears dipping, ¡°I¡¯m guessing this is about Kei.¡± ¡°No! Well.¡± TO¡¯s own ears dipped. They had planned to start the conversation subtly. While they didn¡¯t think they could really converse about the more technical aspects of Enkavma as Snout had, they could at least bring up the whole thing about romantic love coming from friendship. Apparently, Avery would not allow subtly today. ¡°Look, I know this probably isn¡¯t the best idea.¡± Avery admitted as they glanced back. ¡°They¡¯re still¡­ odd. I guess it¡¯s a lot for them. They¡¯re probably scared though, right?¡± They glanced at TO, ¡°I mean, Imagine if everything you felt suddenly got amplified, or if you suddenly started feeling things you never felt before!¡± ¡°Yeah, about that-¡± ¡°I just don''t want them to be in isolation.¡± Avery said, ¡°Even before they had the procedure done, before they were locked alone in that room, they hated being alone. Remember back on your ship when they were always around and looking for you to give them stuff to do? That¡¯s always been there! It must be so much worse now, and I don¡¯t want them to suffer! And if they¡¯re willing to help the insurgency just to get out of that little recovery room and avoid their old holding room, well-¡± ¡°It¡¯s not about that¡­¡± TO said as a low heat bloomed in their ears. ¡°I mean, I don¡¯t think they should go with us, yes, but¡­¡± They sighed, ¡°There are too many arguments for it.¡± Avery¡¯s shoulders relaxed, their ears flexed back up to a more neutral position. ¡°Ok¡­ ok.¡± They said, ¡°I¡¯m going to watch them regardless.¡± ¡°Good¡­ that¡¯s good.¡± TO frowned as they wondered how to move the conversation to where they wanted it to be. ¡°So, what¡¯s this about then?¡± Avery asked as they came to a split in the hallway. TO checked their communicator and followed the path towards the proper storage room. ¡°Would you say you and Kei are friends?¡± TO finally asked. ¡°... I¡¯d like that.¡± Avery said, ¡°They never really disliked me but they never really considered me a friend, I think. Not like you and DH do.¡± ¡°Ri-ight.¡± TO said, drawing out the word, ¡°But do you think that¡¯ll be different now that they¡¯ve had their mind restored?¡± Avery gave a deep sigh. ¡°I hope so.¡± They said. They turned to TO and gave them a serious look, ¡°More importantly, once they settle down more, do you think you could consider them a friend?¡± Their question took TO aback, and they wished they had taken more time to respond, more time to at least pretend to think about it before they snapped out their quick and too-firm, ¡°No.¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± Avery¡¯s ears dipped once more. ¡°They¡¯ve done too much.¡± TO said, ¡°Do you know how much trouble they gave DH back when we were in training? Any friend that DH might have made, they went to them and warned them away from DH. they even told me that DH was dangerous, that I might get corrected if I spent too much time with them-¡± ¡°I know, but-¡± ¡°And they were absolutely awful to GiDi.¡± TO continued, ¡°They kept saying all the time that GiDi would get corrected. Then there was the thing back on the ship, and then they reported us to Ark-1!¡± Their ears pinned back sharply, ¡°They almost separated DH and I!¡± ¡°All before their mind was restored¡­¡± Avery said, ¡°Was it really their fault?¡± ¡°Well, they haven¡¯t apologized for anything.¡± TO huffed, ¡°So I imagine they don¡¯t feel bad about it at all.¡± ¡°Fine, fine.¡± Avery said, ¡°Why did you bring it up then?¡± Oh right. That. Their ears dipped once more. ¡°Look.¡± They said, ¡°I, I mean, DH and I had a talk with Snout yesterday.¡± ¡°About Kei?¡± The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. ¡°N-no.¡± TO muttered, ¡°About¡­ Other stuff. About Chilacians.¡± ¡°Ah.¡± Avery¡¯s ears relaxed, and even perked up and twitched as their lips curled up in a slight smirk, ¡°Do tell.¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± This was harder to do than they thought it was. They checked their map without really looking at it and continued on down the hall. ¡°About how¡­ romantic feelings can form?¡± They glanced at Avery, ¡°You know, between¡­. Chilacians?¡± ¡°Between us, yes, I see.¡± Avery said, a mock seriousness ebbing from the movements of their ears, ¡°Very important stuff.¡± ¡°Yes. well.¡± TO glanced about, checked their map again just so they had something else to look at, ¡°Well. I know you said that you don¡¯t feel any¡­ anything like DH and I feel, right?¡± ¡°That is correct.¡± Avery said, nodding, ¡°I don¡¯t feel romantically inclined towards anyone.¡± ¡°Well... in this conversation that we had with Snout,we were talking about that kind of stuff. You know, uh. Romantic feelings, and stuff like that, and how they form and how they work, and -¡± Avery finally sighed, ¡°TO, as amusing as this is¡­ I¡¯m going to stop you.¡± TO froze in their tracks, ¡°What?¡± Avery put a hand on TO¡¯s shoulder, their ears lowered in sympathy, ¡°TO, you¡¯re my friend, and I care about you¡­ but you¡¯re horrible at talking about reproduction and sexuality. Leave that to Snout.¡± TO¡¯s ears burned deep blue as they stared at Avery in confusion. Avery let TO stand there, staring with their mouth opened before they finally said, ¡°Snout already talked to me.¡± ¡°They did?¡± TO¡¯s ears flicked back as the color lessened, ¡°About-¡± ¡°Reproduction, Enkavma, all that.¡± They said, ¡°Probably because they were planning to talk to you and DH, and figured they might as well cover all their bases. With Kei getting their mind fixed, I¡¯m guessing they were probably concerned that we¡¯d become friends, and that friendship would do exactly what yours and DH¡¯s did, and they¡¯d have to have that talk to me, eventually.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Was all TO could say. ¡°And after talking to me for exactly five minutes, they realized they didn¡¯t need to worry about that issue.¡± Avery paused, ears flicking as they contemplated, ¡°Or at least, they¡¯re pretty sure. They got me to read that file.¡± They looked to TO, ¡°They sent that to you too, right?¡± ¡°They did.¡± To said, ¡°I didn¡¯t have time to read it yet-¡± ¡°Well, you should.¡± Avery said, ¡°There¡¯s an entire section in there that fits me perfectly.¡± How was Avery so calm about this? Even with TO¡¯s indomitable curiosity it had still been hard to talk about everything! They pulled up the directions again, eyes glazing over the directions as they asked, ¡°And¡­ what is it?¡± ¡°Ankyra.¡± Avery said. ¡°And while Flit and Snout didn¡¯t have all that much information on how Chilacian families groups work, or the specific dynamics in them, the file discussed the Ankyra briefly.¡± Their ears raised, twitching in amusement as a thin smile crossed their lips, ¡°From what I read, they¡¯re the only members of most home groups that have their wits about them full time since they don¡¯t experience Enkavma, so they¡¯re considered essential parts of every family group.¡± They paused, their ears perking up, ¡°Oh, speaking of family groups, did you know that they¡¯re not based entirely on blood relations? They consider emotional bonds more important than biological ones, so most will just go out and find people to be in their family!¡± TO stopped walking, ¡°Wait, back up.¡± They looked at Avery. ¡°You¡­ you don¡¯t?¡± Their ears dropped, ¡°You won¡¯t feel like I feel for DH? Not ever?¡± While this was all difficult to talk about, they couldn¡¯t help but feel bad for Avery, ¡°So¡­ you¡¯ll never-¡± ¡°I won¡¯t feel the same romantic feelings you do.¡± They said. ¡°I can¡¯t, apparently.¡± They stopped and leaned against the wall. ¡°I mean, I¡¯ll read about it, and I enjoy watching you and DH stumble around each other, but no, I won¡¯t feel that way myself.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry-¡± ¡°Why?¡± Avery¡¯s ear flicked out in slight curiosity, ¡°I don¡¯t want to experience any of that. I have no interest. It¡¯d be like a fish telling you they¡¯re sorry you¡¯ll never lay eggs.¡± they gave another smirk as their ears twitched, ¡°Apparently, Ankyra are important because the rest of you get so distracted and thrown by the hormones flooding your brains that you need someone around to keep things together. There¡¯s often at least one in each family group. They keep things together when you all get so distracted and flustered that you can¡¯t function.¡± TO¡¯s ears pinned back, ¡°I don¡¯t get like that!¡± They said, ¡°I can manage just fine, regardless of what¡¯s going on between me and DH!¡± ¡°Well, I remember things being hard for you when you were on that ship with DH, trying to tell them how you felt. Also, if it weren¡¯t for me, you probably would have kept from telling them for even longer.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not true!¡± TO snapped, but even as the words escaped their mouth their ears twitched as they realized that was a lie, ¡°Well¡­ that¡¯s different anyway!¡± they checked the directions on their communicator again, ignoring Avery¡¯s low chuckle. ¡°I didn¡¯t know how DH would react.¡± ¡°And if you weren''t so caught up in worry over how you felt, you would have seen that even if they didn¡¯t feel the same, they¡¯d never have done anything to hurt you.¡± They shook their head, that annoying grin still on their face, ¡°But even putting that aside; Right now, GiDi and Pearla are out of action, and can¡¯t really help with stuff. But, I¡¯m here to help, right? I can pick up the slack because I¡¯ll never go through that!¡± ¡°OK, but that¡¯s hardly their fault.¡± TO said. ¡°That doesn''t mean they can¡¯t think straight about this stuff! And sure, maybe when that-¡± Their ears flushed, ¡°Enkavma stuff happens, it¡¯s an inconvenience, but that still doesn¡¯t mean we can¡¯t think straight.¡± ¡°I have one more piece of evidence to prove that point.¡± Avery said, ¡°To prove that you all need an Ankyra in your lives to keep things going smoothly.¡± ¡°And what¡¯s that!?¡± TO snapped. Avery looked at TO for a long minute with that smirk on their face before talking. ¡°Here is my winning piece of evidence.¡± They said, ¡°You¡¯ve checked the map on your communicator four, maybe five times since we left the common room, right?¡± ¡°Maybe? Yes?¡± TO hadn''t really paid attention to how often they checked the directions. ¡°And because you¡¯re so flustered right now, you did Three checks after we had already passed the storage room and never even noticed..¡± TO didn¡¯t understand at first, their ears flicked out in confusion, then flicked down in panic as they checked their map once more. Sure enough, according to the map the storage room was back down by the first split in the hallway. They had, in fact, checked the map three times since passing it and never once noticed; at least not until Avery pointed it out. Avery snickered, and then turned back and led the way back down the way they came, ¡°Come on.¡± Avery said, ¡°Let your Ankyra lead the way; you¡¯re clearly too distracted by all these other matters.¡± Several retorts died on TO¡¯s tongue before they sighed and fell in line behind Avery with their ears drooped and their wings tight around their arms. Episode 319: Barter There was a section of the outer ring where an old shipping dock had fallen into disrepair. The politicians had planned to turn it into a new water purification center for the outer ring, but nobody had ever done more than simply talk about the idea. Still, the old building still had a use. Though far disused from its original purposes the area around the sprawling dock had found new life almost like a new ecosystem within the Outer Ring. Some people had stolen some parts of the building to secure other makeshift homes, while most of the old wiring had been long since stripped away and either used for repairs or sold. What remained, the metal frame and recycled plastic foundation, now functioned as scaffolding for the makeshift homes of the citizens of the Outer Ring. As TO looked around, waiting for the others to finish with the cocopod traps, they thought maybe people living out here would have preferred a place with a little more skylight. The sun was too bright for TO most times, but as far as they knew most civilians liked the sun. Why then did so many smaller shelters seem to cluster around the old covered areas where a thin metal sheet of a roof still hung overhead? Why hadn¡¯t anyone removed those very useful metal sheets for some other purpose? ¡°You¡¯re deep in thought.¡± Tham said as they approached with a writhing sack. TO instantly turned around and shuddered as they stepped away from the wagon they brought with them. The wagon had been an absolute pain to TO so far, since the only path that could accommodate the makeshift old thing was the longest one that wound around and around beneath a section of the Outer Ring before finally coming out by the shore. Still, the wagon had a covered cage in it, which Tham was using to keep the cocopods locked up safe. Well, at least TO didn¡¯t have to touch them, and the tarp covering the cave meant they didn¡¯t have to look at them. DH had no such issues and ran forward to help open the cage. ¡°Just thinking.¡± TO said as they looked around the dim, cavernous old building, ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t people make their homes outside the building? There are plenty of structures outside which would provide enough stability for a house, and even during the rainy season here, the weather is never particularly extreme.¡± ¡°True,¡± Tham said. TO could hear the flick of the tarp covering the cage as DH pulled it back, the sudden clank of the cage, and the sound of more cocopods falling into the pile. ¡°But it¡¯s not just elements we need to hide from. There are security ships that make regular rounds out here.¡± He shrugged, ¡°They used to come out once a week, maybe? It¡¯s more now. Anyway, they make people uneasy, and if they¡¯re in here, then they can ignore the security ships and continue on with their day.¡± ¡°I thought nobody really cared if people lived here.¡± DH said, ¡°I mean, it¡¯s an open secret that people live out here.¡± ¡°Today nobody cares.¡± Tham said, ¡°Maybe tomorrow, they care. Maybe next week some politician wants to make a good name for themselves and get rid of squatters in the outer ring. Maybe there¡¯s just too much activity in one place, and it¡¯s deemed suspicious and cleared out just in case.¡± He shrugged, ¡°It¡¯s best to keep quiet and be unseen when possible.¡± Though they still refused to turn around, TO could hear the careful footsteps of Kei and Avery coming up behind Tham so their sudden presence didn¡¯t startle them. ¡°We got more.¡± Avery said, ¡°Most of the last few in the trap were dead, but we found two still alive.You told us to leave the dead ones, right?¡± ¡°In the event that nutrition has to be scavenged away from one''s ship, and away from known food sources, it¡¯s wise to avoid animals that have already died.¡± Kei¡¯s voice was still so cold and had the same tone of recitation that TO¡¯s sometimes had. TO glanced over, and though they couldn¡¯t see Kei¡¯s ears, they noted the subtle way that their eyes narrowed. ¡°The unknown time the animal has been dead, the growth of bacteria, and the potential for alien parasites to feed on the body creates a far more dangerous risk than that of simply starving.¡± ¡°They are right.¡± Tham said, ¡°It¡¯s a risk just taking the bugs from among the dead ones, but it¡¯s a risk I¡¯m comfortable with.¡± The last of the bugs went into the crate, the lid closed with a clank, and finally the tarp went back up to hide the awful appearance of the writhing insects. It was only then that TO turned back to face them. DH was tying the straps back down, Avery was wiping their hands off on the outside of the sack they were using, and Kei simply stood there, watching. Their eyes seemed to land on everything and drank in every unfamiliar sight, trying to hear as much as they could with their hearing ears covered the cap. Well, it was better than having their ears overloaded with the constant deluge of sounds from all around them. Even with their caps over their ears, TO was still happy to have their little translators back, since they also worked to filter some of the sound out. It wasn''t as effective as their helmets of course, but it was better than nothing. A hand on their arm pulled them from their thoughts, and DH¡¯s warm, gentle hand rested just below TO¡¯s shoulder. ¡°You¡¯re doing ok around the bugs?¡± They asked, their voice low and quiet. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± TO said, trying not to glance at Kei. ¡°I can handle this.¡± ¡°How did your last trade go?¡± Tham asked as grabbed the rope at the front of the wagon and wrapped it around their waist, ¡°Get what you needed?¡± ¡°Vik said to trade the large battery for some ¡®Ocean Sediment.¡¯¡± They frowned and grabbed a small jar from the bag on the wagon. ¡°This stuff.¡± They said as they shook what looked like wet, greenish sand. ¡°Ah, that shit.¡± Tham said, wrinkling his nose. ¡°Yeah, if you just eat that on its own it¡¯s awful; believe me, I know. Apparently if you add a bit into most other foods, it hides a lot of nasty flavors.¡± They shrugged, ¡°Cooking is like magic to me sometimes, I swear, with the stuff Lake can do.¡± ¡°What''s it made of?¡± Avery asked, watching the bottle as TO put it back. ¡°You don''t want to know.¡± Tham said. ¡°But it¡¯ll let people stomach foods they might not otherwise.¡± ¡°Food is a fundamental right in King Decon¡¯s kingdom.¡± Kei said with only a glance at the bottle, ¡°If they did things right, then there would be no need for such disgusting alternatives to proper food.¡± ¡°Well, things aren¡¯t done right.¡± Tham muttered, ¡°If they did things right, people wouldn¡¯t be living in the Outer Ring, but most of them have no choice.¡± Kei had no response to that, but they oddly didn''t seem confused. Though TO couldn¡¯t see their ears because of the cap, they caught the way their eyes narrowed again, giving them a somewhat pointed look. Of course, maybe that was just because their head already seemed so narrow without their ears poking out. ¡°Next stop is out by the old intake dock.¡± Tham said. ¡°There¡¯s a bunch of semi-aquatic people living there, and some traps. We can do more trades and hit up the traps there.¡± He pulled the wagon forward, ¡°Come on. Let¡¯s go.¡± Though they were all ready to leave, Kei stopped and looked out among the ruined building, their eyes taking in everything with a sharp focus. It was then that TO realized that that focus wasn¡¯t there before. Sure, Kei had always focused on their tasks before, but this was different. It was like there was a fire, a light behind those dark eyes now. ¡°Come on, Kei.¡± Avery said as they approached the other synth. They put a hand on Kei¡¯s shoulders, but the other shrugged it off immediately, their eyes narrowing and their lips curling for a brief second before they calmed themself. Wordless, they brushed past Avery and fell in line behind Tham. This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience. ¡°I still don¡¯t like this.¡± TO whispered to DH once enough space was between them that none of the others would hear them talking. ¡°I mean, they¡¯re helping, but¡­¡± ¡°They¡¯re helping, and they¡¯re being nasty to Avery.¡± DH said with a sigh, ¡°Still, they are helping. We¡¯d be moving a lot slower if Tham had to use his bad arm, or if Avery was just working on their own.¡± They gave a shrug, ¡°Maybe it is just the isolation. Maybe they¡¯re happy enough to trade their labor just to be outside.¡± ¡°Maybe.¡± TO muttered. Still, watching how Avery followed them with such a slow pace and a lowered head made TO¡¯s chest hurt. ¡°I hope they don¡¯t hurt Avery.¡± DH said, slipping their hand into TO¡¯s. ¡°Just in case Avery feels something for them, you know? I think if you had ever treated me like that, I¡¯d just want to curl up in a ball.¡± Under their cap, TO felt their ears strain to move against the firm fabric. ¡°We don¡¯t have to worry about that.¡± TO whispered, secretly making plans to burn the cap when they got back, ¡°I spoke to them about all that.¡± ¡°You did?¡± DH asked, their eyes widening slightly, They lowered their voice to the softest of whispers, ¡°When? What did they-¡± ¡°When we went to go get the supplies.¡± TO said. ¡°I just didn¡¯t; have time to tell you.¡± ¡°Well, tell me now.¡± DH said as they quickly glanced at the others, ¡°We¡¯re far enough away, and if we keep our voices low¡­¡± TO sighed. They were planning to tell DH everything when they got back, but there was really no problem with telling them now. ¡°Alright.¡± TO said, planning to focus entirely and only on what Avery said about themself so they didn¡¯t get too flustered with all the other details. ¡°Apparently, Avery is something called an Ankyra¡­¡± ====== Nako, the Anguillian man that TO was talking with regarding their next potential trade, was looking over the piece of equipment TO pulled from the canvas bag on the wagon. It was an old translator that no longer worked properly. TO wasn¡¯t sure what was wrong with it, but if the way Nako picked at certain parts of the device was any clue, then he knew what was wrong and how to fix it. Well, TO wasn¡¯t paying attention to that; they were looking at the too-long tail that languidly floated in the water below him. TO had gotten somewhat used to the fish like Piscijin, but their tails were much shorter and fuller. Nako had no fins on the end of his tail, and his slate gray skin had none of the scales they had gotten used to seeing. There was also no separation between the skin on the tail and the skin on the torso. He was entirely hairless, had gigantic eyes, long, dexterous claws, and no visible nostrils or gills. Nako raised a hand to their throat where they wore a thick black choker. They pressed a button, and the distorted, static-y words came out from a hidden speaker on the choker. ¡°You know it¡¯s rude to stare at our tails like that, right?¡± TO stumbled backwards, horrified by their own rudeness as they looked anywhere but at Nako. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry.¡± They said, ¡°I didn¡¯t mean-I mean, I didn¡¯t know it was-¡± Nako gave a laugh that sounded like no sounds TO could try to pronounce before he waved his hand and shook his head. His fingers went back to the choker. ¡°It¡¯s fine; I¡¯m just having a bit of fun. Though, I suppose if you went to any parties you would need to be careful that you''re staring at someone''s face, and not their ta-ta-ta-ta-ta-¡± They stopped talking, but the band continued to sing its monosyllabic song of ¡®ta-ta-ta¡¯. Nako finally removed the collar, frowning, and gave it a good smack against their palm. The sound stopped, but even so Nako continued the conversation with Galactic sign language. ¡°As you can see, I need the device,¡± he signed, ¡°So, I won¡¯t bother with my usual dickering. What does Small-tech-mouse want for this?¡± The phrase ¡®Small tech mouse,¡¯ simply combined words and morphed them into a simple gesture that on its own made no sense. ¡°You mean Vik?¡± TO asked. Nako rolled their eyes and nodded, doing the small-tech-mouse sign again. ¡°Let me check.¡± TO said as they pulled up their communicator to check their notes. - Nako: Trade (1) Broken translator (spare parts) for at least (5) seaweed bars. ¡°...Six seaweed bars.¡± TO said, feeling their stomach twist several ways. They reminded themself that there were children in the underground who would need food during the trip, and there were few things as horrible as starving on a ship in space. Still, they didn¡¯t like taking food from someone who clearly had little of it to spare. Nako set the translator down and slipped from the edge and into the water, disappearing into the darkness below. TO didn¡¯t know how they seemed to just disappear like that, and had no idea where they had gone. They worried perhaps they had performed some strange, unknown taboo that drove the other off, but several minutes later they came back with six clumsily made but still firm bars which had been crudely vacuum-sealed in discarded plastic. ¡°Pleasure doing business with you.¡± Nako signed as they lifted a black bag from the water. They pulled out a small container with an air-tight lid and slipped the translator inside before putting the whole thing back into the bag before strapping it to their back. They signed a quick goodbye before slipping once more into the water and disappearing. ¡°Well, that was easy.¡± DH said as they picked up the blocks, ¡°Oh, these are much lighter than I expected!¡± TO frowned and picked one up; the brick looked like it would have some weight behind it, looked like it might hurt if thrown, but DH was right: It was deceptively light. They were fairly certain that if they set it in the water it would float. ¡°No idea what it is.¡± TO said as they carried half of the bricks back to the wagon, ¡°But we¡¯ve gotten all kinds of stuff so far, mostly unidentifiable goo and powders. Why shouldn¡¯t a brick be any different?¡± ¡°Seaweed Brick.¡± Tham said, overhearing part of their conversation as he too approached the wagon, ¡°It¡¯s red seaweed from the deeper parts of the Arkanian ocean. It has an awful texture, and it tastes awful, but it¡¯s apparently got a lot of stuff in it that we need to not get sick.¡± He reached into the wagon and pulled out a small bottle of water. ¡°Lake will open these up a little at a time and put it in whatever he¡¯s making.¡± ¡°Will it make much of a difference?¡± DH asked, ¡°I mean, there¡¯s only six bars, and there''s a lot of people coming with us-¡± ¡°That¡¯ll go a lot further than you think.¡± Tham said, gasping after chugging half their water. ¡°Pearla says it¡¯s essential, and Lake says it¡¯s the best thing for cooking.¡± He capped his water bottle and threw it back into the wagon. ¡°DH, come help us. The trap over here broke, and it¡¯s an absolute shit-show trying to get the cocopods out.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± DH said as they threw their bricks into the wagon as well. ¡°I¡¯ll come with you.¡± TO said, but Tham held out a hand to stop them. ¡°You stay with the wagon.¡± he said, ¡°The last thing we need is someone coming and stealing everything we got so far. Protect it with your very life. Got it?¡± TO wasn¡¯t entirely sure if Tham really needed the wagon guarded, or if he were just giving them someone seemingly important to do so that they didn¡¯t feel bad about not helping with the bugs. ¡°Understood.¡± TO said. No matter what Tham¡¯s intent was they were just glad they had a reason not to get involved with those awful insects. Episode 320: Trade For nearly TO¡¯s entire life, they had been under observation. From the cameras and recorders in the training center and the ship, to the prying eyes of every other synth and civilian around them. Constant observation had been the norm. They always had to be careful, and even now when they could to be a little more free, could be themselves among the insurgents, they still had to be careful and make sure the Arkanian authorities did not catch them out in the open. Still, because of their lifetime of observation, The sensation of being watched in this moment was more one of familiarity rather than one of discomfort. The certainty of eyes on them crept up their neck as they watched the others while they struggled with the broken trap. They stood up, stretched, and twisted their body as though working a kink out of their spine while they looked about. Of course, there were plenty of people hiding in the shell of the old building, but most of them were busy trying to stay out of sight. The exception came when TO¡¯s eyes landed on two young children watching them from behind an old dumpster. Children. Shouldn¡¯t they be safely underground? Wait, no. The children in the underground were only those pulled from the tunnels; presumably a small percentage. Of course there would be other children in the Outer Ring, children who weren¡¯t preparing to leave the planet in a matter of days. Children who would be here when the synth fleet came. When it became obvious that TO was watching them, they quickly ducked back behind the dumpster and despite the cap covering TO¡¯s ears they could still clearly hear the quick, panicked chatter. Of course, they couldn¡¯t make out what they were saying, and they were too far away for the translator in their ear to do its job. After a few more minutes in which TO wondered if maybe they should investigate, or at least let Tham know about the kids, one of them snuck out from behind the dumpster. The kids were Nagarajin; their coloration dull and speckled, their scales running up in scattered patches along their skin. They wore old, loose T-shirts that were clearly far too big for them. cinched in the center with a short length of rope. The larger of the two led the way, their chest puffed up, their eyes narrowed and their lips pursed. The other followed behind trying to hide from TO¡¯s sight. Although they were only children, TO still stiffened, their wings puffing around their arms slightly. They were children, yes, but even children could cause damage. Did they have a weapon? Were they leading the authorities to them? The determined way the larger one walked towards them could only be the stride of someone on a mission. As they approached, TO corrected their posture and drew themself to their proper height. The smaller Nagarajin stopped and backed away, but the larger one only slowed slightly before squaring their shoulders and continuing until they were only a few feet away from TO. ¡°Hoy.¡± The larger once said as they approached. ¡°My brother and I wanna trade with you.¡± ¡°Trade?¡± TO¡¯s wings and shoulders dropped, their ears relaxed. These kids wanted to trade? The big one looked so serious and the younger one so scared that TO thought for sure they were coming to start a problem with them! ¡°Yeah, trade.¡± the big one said, jutting his chin towards the wagon. ¡°For one of your traps.¡± The kid glanced over at the others who were still struggling with the one broken trap. ¡°We¡¯ve been watchin¡¯ you. You got lots of traps. You can trade one for something better, right?¡± He looked behind at the kid cowering behind him, ¡°Mik, show ¡®em the bag.¡± ¡°But¡­ I¡¯m scared, Gro.¡± The smaller one¨CMik apparently¨Csaid. ¡°I think they¡¯re-¡± ¡°Just show ¡®em the bag!¡± Mik flinched, then came out from behind their brother and crept up to TO. Once they were close enough, they opened a bag and held it before them, stretching their arms wide so that they could keep as much distance from TO as possible. ¡°Oh. Uh¡­¡± TO glanced over at the others, thinking that maybe they should ask Tham first if they could give the kids one of their traps, but after a moment they figured that it really didn¡¯t matter. They¡¯d be gone in a few days and wouldn¡¯t need the traps, anyway. Even if they could come back later, they had plenty of traps. ¡°You can just have one.¡± TO said as they turned to the wagon, ¡°It¡¯s no problem-¡± ¡°We don¡¯t want your pity.¡± Gro snapped, ¡°This is good shit here. You worked hard on your traps, and we worked hard to get all this! We trade.¡± ¡°Gro, if they¡¯re just gonna give us the trap-¡± The younger brother¡¯s words faded off, and he quickly withered under his brother''s glare. ¡°We trade, or nothing.¡± Mik glanced up at TO, their eyes flicking away as soon as they made eye contact, and then held the bag up higher for TO to see. ¡°Just¡­ pick anything.¡± They said, ¡°None of it¡¯s stolen. We promise.¡± Was this some tradition in the Outer ring that you had to trade for stuff? Or, was it just a matter of pride for the older sibling? With a sigh, TO glanced in the bag. They didn¡¯t expect to see much of any value, and they weren¡¯t surprised. It looked like the kids had been picking about the streets, grabbing any old tools or scraps of metal. There were old batteries, bits of wire carefully wrapped and tied up, and large scraps of plastic. TO was about to grab just anything; something that looked mostly worthless so the kids could use other stuff to trade later on, but then they saw something actually useful. They nearly overlooked it at first as It looked like a solid rod of worn metal, small enough to fit in the palm of someone¡¯s hand. It was filthy, and there was rust caught in every crevice. Still, as TO took off their sunglasses to get a better look, they could see the telltale numbers written in such a familiar language, and could even locate the button on the bottom. Where did these kids get a synth tool? It was clearly a pocket welder, used for emergency repairs on small ships and shipping vessels. It shouldn¡¯t have been on Arkane, and definitely shouldn¡¯t have been in the hands of civilian children. ¡°This.¡± TO said as they plucked the tool out of the bag. ¡°But it¡¯s worth a lot more than just one trap. You can take two.¡± Mik¡¯s eyes widened, the tip of their tail lashed about as they turned around to see what Gro thought of that. Their elder sibling appeared to be considering the offer, making a big show of scratching their smooth, rounded chin and humming as though in thought, but TO could see the tip of their tail flicking about as well. ¡°Alright.¡± Gro said, nodding, ¡°Sounds good. Mik, get the traps!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll help with that.¡± TO said as they turned to the wagon. They¡¯d be a lot more worried about the kids taking them all by themself, but the empty traps were light at least. ¡°Thank you.¡± Mik said, their voice so quiet and timid. ¡°And uh¡­ sorry.¡± TO set the two traps down on the ground before the small Nagarajin. ¡°Sorry?¡± They asked, ¡°For what?¡± ¡°Yeah, for wha?¡± Gro asked as they came over to the traps, ¡°We didn¡¯t do nothing bad.¡± Mik glanced at the ground, then at the traps before looking back up at TO. ¡°Uh¡­ For laughing at you that time.¡± When TO¡¯s face showed no comprehension as to what they were talking about, Mik cleared their throat and continued, ¡°You know¡­ With the bugs? When you were out with your partner? I think they were your partner, anyway¡­¡± TO knew they had heard their voices before. Their eyes widened. ¡°You! You¡¯re those kids!¡± ¡°You¡¯re that winged richy!¡± Gro took a step back, ¡°Oh shit, you really are!¡± They grabbed the other trap and backed away, ¡°Look, sorry, we didn¡¯t-¡± The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. TO held up a hand, taking a step back from them. ¡°It.. it¡¯s ok.¡± They said, ignoring how their ears warmed under their cap. ¡°I¡¯m not going to hurt you.¡± ¡°What the heck are you doing here?¡± Gro said, putting the traps behind them as though TO was about to change their mind and take them back, ¡°You had on all of them fancy clothes last time, and you obviously weren¡¯t coming here to find a room! You ain¡¯t from here!¡± ¡°Well¡­ I¡¯m from here now.¡± TO said as they glanced over at DH. ¡°My¡­ partner and I. We live here now.¡± ¡°Why?¡± Gro frowned, their brows knitting as though this was a complicated issue that needed an answer. ¡°You lot don¡¯t just end up here.¡± ¡°Well... We did.¡± TO said. ¡°Things didn¡¯t go as we planned.¡± Though the kids still kept their distance, that phrase seemed to calm them. ¡°I know lots of people from the outer circles who came here because things didn''t go as planned.¡± They said, ¡°Never saw it happen to someone who dressed like you a lot. You know; from the inner circles.¡± TO shrugged, ¡°terrible luck, I suppose.¡± ¡°Were your wings real?¡± Mik asked, ¡°Or were they the fake ones.¡± ¡°Oh¡­ they¡¯re real.¡± TO said. They glanced around, checking for a sign of a drone or anything that might spy them from the holes in the ceiling, but when they say nothing they shifted their cloak out of the way and showed the kids their unscarred wing. ¡°Woah¡­ Cool.¡± Gro said as they inched forward. ¡°Can I touch it? Does it feel like plastic?¡± ¡°It feels like skin?¡± TO said, unsure how to respond to that. They had never considered how the membrane of their wing felt before. ¡°You can touch it if you want?¡± Gro came closer and held out their hand as though they were about to pet some dangerous animal. Finally, they let their fingertips graze the membrane as though they were touching something very fragile. ¡°Shit¡­ it¡¯s just skin.¡± They said before touching it again. ¡°Cool.¡± ¡°It¡¯s stretchy.¡± TO said, smirking a little as they spread their wing just enough to make the membrane stretch. ¡°Cool.¡± Gro said again before turning to his brother, ¡°Mik, check it out!¡± TO stretched the wing towards the smaller sibling, who crept up and gingerly poked the membrane. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen real wings before.¡± Mik whispered. ¡°Not this close. And most of the ones I have seen were like, all feathered and stuff. These are like synth wings!¡± TO¡¯s wing retracted involuntarily as the limbs tightened around their arms. ¡°I suppose.¡± They said with a laugh. ¡°I suppose I never thought of that.¡± They hated their cap, but they were glad that their ears were covered so that their sudden anxiety wasn¡¯t so obvious, their lie so clearly signaled. ¡°Man, don¡¯t talk about those things.¡± Gro said, elbowing their brother in the ribs, ¡°They were out here only days ago, remember? Everyone¡¯s all freaked out over it.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± TO said, pointedly looking at the pocket welder, making a show if examining it. ¡°It was surprising.¡± ¡°Surprising? More like terrifying.¡± Gro muttered. They shrugged, ¡°Anyway¡­ thanks for the trade.¡± They turned around to leave, then stopped, ¡°Oh. If you¡¯re afraid of bugs though, why are you out here? There¡¯re bugs all over the place.¡± TO prove their point, they kicked away a nearby rusted slat of metal which lay on the ground nearby, and several long creatures with too many legs and long prongs on the back ends of them scurried away, moving far too fast as they disappeared into the cracks in the cement. In the seconds that they were visible TO stumbled backwards, putting the wagon between them and the bugs. ¡°Yeah. like that.¡± Gro said, ¡°I mean, they¡¯re harmless, but they¡¯re all over the place, so why are you out here scavenging?¡± TO pulled their cloak around them as though that could protect them from any other strange bugs. ¡°Not much choice.¡± They said, ¡°I wasn¡¯t going to let my friends, my family come out and do all the work while I hid away.¡± Gro nodded, pursing his lips as though savoring the taste of TO¡¯s words. ¡°Fair.¡± He finally said. ¡°Do what you gotta do, right?¡± ¡°Gotta do what you gotta do.¡± TO hadn¡¯t noticed Tham approaching from the side, and his quickly spoken words startled TO as he echoed the child¡¯s sentiment. ¡°Do you kids need anything?¡± He asked as he looked the kids up and down. ¡°Nah, just making a little trade.¡± Gro pointed to the traps, ¡°Headin¡¯ off now.¡± ¡°You know how to use those traps?¡± ¡°Yup.¡± ¡°And you can kill and clean a big cocopod?¡± ¡°Of course. We¡¯re not stupid kids.¡± TO was about to point out that they were, in fact, children, but Tham only chuckled and went back to the wagon. He pulled the tarp off of the cage, and as TO looked away he pulled out one of the writhing cocopods and brought it over to the traps the kids had. ¡°Here then.¡± He said as he dropped one in. ¡°You won¡¯t catch anything in ¡®em until tonight. You gotta leave the traps out overnight.¡± ¡°Yeah. Thanks!¡± Gro said, now eying the bug inside. ¡°We¡¯ll cook it up good!¡± ¡°Good.¡± Tham said as he closed up the cage again, ¡°Now go on. Don''t forget to get some bait before it gets too dark.¡± The kids were already running off, shouting to one another as Tham offered his advice. With a sigh, he turned away from them. ¡°Why¡¯d you give them traps?¡± Tham asked. ¡°Well, I figured we wouldn¡¯t need them if we¡¯re leaving soon.¡± TO said with a dip of their head. Maybe they should have asked first. ¡°Fair enough.¡± Tham said, ¡°They didn¡¯t steal anything, did they?¡± ¡°Steal anything?¡± To frowned, ¡°Why would they-¡± ¡°Because we have a pile of food on a wagon, and they¡¯re hungry kids.¡± Tham said as he checked the other bag. ¡°... Looks fine though. I think. Your memory is better than mine; is everything in here?¡± TO looked into the bag, their heart racing at the idea that the kids might have tricked them. Their anxiety faded though they looked through their supplies and found everything they had gotten so far. ¡°Everything¡¯s here.¡± TO said with a sigh of relief. ¡°Good.¡± Tham said. ¡°I came over to check on them, to be an extra set of eyes in case someone was trying to sneak up on you here.¡± they looked back in the direction that the kids had run in. ¡°Maybe they figured since you gave them the traps that they didn¡¯t need to rob you.¡± ¡°Or maybe they weren¡¯t going to at all.¡± TO said. They tightened their fingers around the pocket wielder. ¡°They actually came up to me to-¡± A deafening snap rang through the area, followed by a sudden scream. It was a sound unlike one TO had ever heard before, but one they recognized immediately. They¡¯d recognize their mate¡¯s voice anywhere, regardless of if they were laughing, crying, or screaming. Episode 321: Time Slip Occasionally, TO reflected on the fact that the Overseers and Kei were right. In terms of what a synth was supposed to be and how they were supposed to act, such feelings as love and affection could only distract and hinder. Of course, there was nothing that TO could do about this now and even if they could, they wouldn¡¯t. Still, they wondered If that feral, pained scream had come from anyone other than DH, would TO have moved or reacted faster? The sound itself made them stiffen, made them freeze in place for seconds that felt like tiny, agonizing eternities as DH¡¯s unrestrained scream echoed through their covered ears and bounced around inside their head. It took too long, in TO¡¯s mind, to unclench their muscles and turn to see what had happened. Over where the others were, DH had their hands stuck in the trap, flailing as they tried to get it off. It was an accident, that¡¯s all. DH was in pain, and the scream had been sharp and sudden, but there didn¡¯t seem to be any blood or any serious damage. Next to them, Tham gave a heavy sigh. ¡°I told them to be careful.¡± He muttered. ¡°These things close quickly when triggered, and they¡¯re painful when they snap down on your hands. They¡¯ll have some decent bruises-¡± The next few seconds happened in a blur, with the focused precision that only a synth could possess. While DH was struggling with the trap Kei, who was standing next to them, swept DH¡¯s feet from under them. DH fell forward, their bound hands leaving them helpless to rebalance themself. DH¡¯s training kicked in though, and their wings wrapped themself quickly to protect both the thinner bones and DH from getting hurt in the fall. Avery lunged forward to catch DH, but Kei grabbed an old pipe, and swung at Avery. Thankfully, stepped back, avoiding the careful swing. TO finally got their leg to move, taking only a few steps forward before Kei dropped to their knee on DH¡¯s back, and grabbed the prone synths¡¯ multi-gun from the holster at their hip. Multi-gun in hand, Kei then grabbed DH, pulled them up, and held the multi-gun to their head as they turned and faced TO and Tham. Confused, and breathless from Kei knocking the wind from them with their knee, DH could only stand there on shaking legs as Kei knocked the cap from DH¡¯s head, and roughly grabbed their ear. Another pained cry from DH. This time, TO could only think how much they were going to hurt Kei when they got their hands on them. ¡°Stay away from me.¡± Kei hissed, the words shaking out of their mouth. TO stopped mid-stride. A hostage scenario. Synths didn¡¯t deal with negotiations in hostage situations; they let the civilians do that while synths worked on retrieving the victims, and apprehending the target. The only time one would expect a synth to deal with the negotiations in such a situation would be in a case much like this. And synths didn¡¯t negotiate. TO looked around, looking for something they could use to get DH away from Kei. There had to be something they could take advantage of, or some opportunity they could exploit. They considered the few hostage situations they had seen in shows where a clever officer talked down the culprit. Could they do that? TO knew they could lie at least, since the cap covered their ears, but could they convince Kei to let DH go? What were their options? There had to be an option. Maybe there was an option, but TO wouldn¡¯t find it. They felt their muscles lose all their strength, as they collapsed in a heap on the ground. Had Kei had shot them? What setting was this on the multi-gun? They hadn¡¯t even seen Kei aim at them! Another moment told them that wasn¡¯t the case; DH, Avery, and Kei had fallen to the ground as well, so something else had to have happened, and had to affect all of them. TO struggled to get up, but their body simply would not respond to them. What was this? Had the planetary authorities caught them? Was it Gyrini? Was this some kind of specialized weapon or- ====== The next thing TO knew, they were on their back staring up at a dirty sheet of thick tarp, illuminated by a comfortable Where were they? One moment they had been working to get up, trying to figure out what happened to them, and the next they were laying on their back, looking up at a grease stain in the dirty fabric. ¡°-Let¡¯s try again.¡± Tham said. TO¡¯s body finally responded to them, and they could turn to look at Tham. They sat before a transparent container, filled with filthy, cloudy water. Atop the container, the flashlight sat upside down, its light diffusing through the murk and turning into a soft glow which was just the right brightness for TO¡¯s eyes. TO tried to sit up, but a weight on their chest kept them down. ¡°Not yet.¡± Tham said, ¡°Can you repeat back to me what I said?¡± ¡°You said let¡¯s try again?¡± TO said as they struggled again to get up. It wasn¡¯t working; they lifted their hand to see what was on them and felt cool scales. Tham¡¯s tail. Well, that made sense; Nagarajin tails were heavy and powerful. If Tham didn¡¯t want TO up, then they weren¡¯t getting up. ¡°Is that TO!¡± DH¡¯s voice was clear and worried, ¡°Where are they? Let me up-¡± ¡°Calm down, DH.¡± Tham said with a sigh. ¡°And TO, I mean before that. What did I say before ¡®let¡¯s try again¡¯?¡± ¡°I don''t think you said anything before that.¡± TO said, giving up their struggle and laying on the ground. ¡°We¡¯ll try again then.¡± Tham said. ¡°Berries of blue are great in you. Berries of green make you scream. Berries of black and you won¡¯t come back.¡± TO frowned; what was this gibberish? A rhyme? A poem? ¡°What are you talking about?¡± ¡°What, is that TO!?¡± DH¡¯s voice echoed again, with the same surprise and worry as it had the first time. What was wrong with them? Whatever it was, Tham didn¡¯t seem concerned as they chose to just ignore them. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s TO, and they¡¯re fine, DH.¡± Tham said. They turned to TO, ¡°That¡¯s an old rhyme from my parent¡¯s planet.¡± he said, ¡°they used to have these berries there. Blue were good to eat, green were too bitter, and the black ones were poisonous.¡± He shrugged ¡°It was a little rhyme to remember which ones were which.¡± ¡°Ok?¡± TO frowned. Was this important? What was really important was DH and Avery. Were they ok? And where was Kei? Did they get away?¡± Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings. ¡°So, can you repeat what I said?¡± Tham asked. ¡°Berries of blue are great in you. Berries of green make you scream. Berries of black and you won¡¯t come back.¡± They struggled again, ¡°Tham, what does this have to do with anything?¡± ¡°Well, You¡¯re back anyway.¡± The weight lifted from TO¡¯s chest as Tham¡¯s tail slid away. TO sat up immediately, taking in where they were. Someone had used a large tarp to construct a makeshift tent within some broken down infrastructure. Laying right next to them was DH and Avery, both pinned under Tham¡¯s tail. DH was awake and looking around frantically while Avery was still unconscious. Kei was there too, Tham wasn¡¯t holding Kei under their table; they had instead tied Kei up. Kei¡¯s arms and legs were bound in tight knots, their wings bound in a scrap of tarp and a length of rope. Another length of rope bound them to a large metal pole which held up much of the tarp up. Their hat was off, and as they caught TO¡¯s gaze their ears pinned back dramatically and their eyes narrowed. They tried to say something but a cloth gag in the mouth prevented any of their words from escaping. Still, the movement of Kei¡¯s ears got the nasty intention across. ¡°TO!¡± DH saw their mate, and their eyes lit up, their ears perking up at the same time. ¡°You¡¯re ok! Where¡¯s Avery! Kei tried to hit them with some kind of pipe-¡± ¡°There¡¯s right here.¡± TO said as they crawled up to the still unconscious Avery. They knew to check their pulse, and were happy to discover that it was still there and still strong, but aside from that they couldn¡¯t tell if they were ok. ¡°I¡¯m keeping them held down so they don¡¯t move for now.¡± Tham said, ¡°They fell kinda weird on the ground, so I just want to be sure they¡¯re ok. Once DH is better, I¡¯ll get them to check on them.¡± ¡°Better?¡± TO turned on Tham, ¡°DH is fine! Let them up!¡± ¡°They¡¯re not.¡± Tham said. ¡°Give it a minute.¡± TO had no idea what Tham was talking about, but before they could question them further, DH spoke again. ¡°TO! You¡¯re ok!¡± TO looked back at DH, and saw the same relief and surprise in their ears as they had before. ¡°Where¡¯s Avery? Kei tried to hit them with some kind of pipe, and I don¡¯t think it hit, but I didn¡¯t see anything. Are they ok? Where are they?¡± ¡°Yeah, they¡¯ve been like that.¡± Tham said, ¡°It¡¯ll wear off in a few minutes.¡± he looked at TO, ¡°You were the same until just now. I¡¯m keeping them pinned down so they don¡¯t wander off and hurt themself.¡± He glared at Kei, ¡°And they¡¯re tied up so they don¡¯t try shit again.¡± TO looked over the three, the enraged Kei, the relieved DH¨Cwho once more expressed their joyous relief at TO¡¯s presence, and asked where Avery was¨Cand of course the still unconscious Avery. ¡°I don¡¯t think Kei would have hurt Avery out with that pipe, by the way.¡± Tham said, ¡°It was a plastic one. It looked real though, and the way Kei swung it made it seem like it had a lot more weight behind it than it actually did.¡± TO sat down heavily between DH and Avery. When DH asked again about their friend, TO simply put their hand to the back of their head and scratched at the base of DH¡¯s skull. Moments later they were chirping happily, their ears flickering with contentment despite how badly bruised one ear was, and despite the occasional winces of pain DH gave. ¡°I¡¯ll test them again in a few minutes.¡± Tham said, ¡°Just to see if they can keep a thought in their head.¡± ¡°What happened to us?¡± TO asked, ¡°How did you get the multi-gun away from Kei? And¡­ where are we?¡± ¡°Oh, we¡¯re still in the Outer Ring.¡± Tham said, ¡°I traded a few cocopods for a loan of the tarp, and made up a little tent just to keep us out of sight for now. It¡¯s getting dark out, and part of me wonders if it¡¯s not better to just wait until morning to go back, but-¡± ¡°Getting dark? How long were we unconscious for?¡± ¡°Oh, just an hour or so.¡± Tham said, ¡°We were going to turn back soon, anyway. You know, before everything happened.¡± ¡°Wait¡­¡± TO glanced at the tent and drew the obvious conclusion, ¡°You weren¡¯t unconscious.¡± Tham suddenly focused on a nearby bag, ¡°Yeah, I wasn¡¯t.¡± They said, ¡°Hey, I have some cocopod meat in here if you¡¯re hungry. In fact, you should eat. You haven¡¯t eaten a lot the last couple of days-¡± ¡°Tham.¡± TO¡¯s voice grew firm, their ears pinning, ¡°What happened.¡± Tham glanced up quickly, catching TO¡¯s eyes for just a moment before they looked away. ¡°... It¡¯s better if Vik explains it.¡± Tham said, ¡°As soon as we get back. Just, I don¡¯t know how to explain it. It¡¯s technical.¡± They looked back at TO, ¡°Please?¡± TO wanted to insist that no, Tham was going to tell them now. However, the memory of such demands to Pearla just the other day and their regret at pushing for information soothed their curiosity, at least for a moment. ¡°Fine.¡± TO said. ¡°We go back as soon as the others are well.¡± They looked at Kei, their lips curling, their ears flicking back. ¡°And as for you, if either of them are seriously hurt-¡± ¡°They¡¯re not.¡± Tham said, ¡°Just¡­ This isn¡¯t the time, ok? I gagged them so they would stop trying to pick a fight with you.¡± TO held Kei¡¯s glare, staring them down with bared teeth and pinned ears until, surprisingly, Kei glanced away, their ears dipping slightly. ¡°I knew we couldn¡¯t trust you.¡± TO said. ¡°I knew it was a mistake to bring you out here.¡± ¡°TO-¡± Tham tried to interrupt, but TO ignored them. ¡°I don¡¯t care if you stay in isolation from now until we leave this planet.¡± They hissed. The sight of the multi-gun against DH¡¯s head came back to them, sharp and vivid ¡°I don¡¯t care if they leave you locked up after we leave.¡± ¡°We won¡¯t do that.¡± Tham said, ¡°But we need to figure out something.¡± TO huffed, and looked away to focus on DH, who was still chirping away, oblivious to the conversation. Once they were back, then TO could get answers. Right now, they¡¯d just take care of DH. They could handle Kei later. Episode 322: Pulse It had taken a solid half hour more for DH to truly be themself again, and another half hour for Avery to wake up, come to their senses, and get checked over by DH. Once DH pronounced Avery had suffered no injury beyond a minor bruise from falling over, they put a very unhappy, bound Kei on the wagon and covered them and the cage with the folded up tarp before they continued on their way. The trip back to the underground took longer than it had before, as the three synths were still a little unmoored, and Kei was making things as hard as they could, thrashing as much on the wagon as their ropes would allow. When they finally got back to the more familiar, main hallways illuminated with old hanging lights,Goretta was waiting for them along with two larger civilians from the group they had taken from the underground; one with a long tail, the other with a set of ten tentacles, both slightly shorter than TO, and both much stockier. ¡°They¡¯re on the wagon I take it?¡± Goretta asked. ¡°Yup.¡± Tham said as they pulled the tarp back. Kei glared about, trying to look as imposing as they could considering their situation. ¡°Alright. We got them.¡± She said, nodding to the two with her. They both went up to the wagon. ¡°I should go with them.¡± Avery said as the lady with the long tail hoisted Kei in an undignified manner over her shoulder and carried them down the hall. They took a step towards the quickly receding figures, but TO gently reached out and took their arm. ¡°Stay with us.¡± They said, ¡°Please?¡± TO could see Avery start and cancel several thoughts in a brief span of time. Their mouth opening, the first syllables of a thought leaving their lips before fading away, unfinished. They looked back at Kei once more, their ears sinking low as they watched the other synth struggle against their ropes. ¡°... Ok.¡± Their ears were still low, but they pinned back slightly, and that single word was so firm, it surprised TO. Avery turned away from Kei, and looked to DH and TO, ¡°Where are we going.¡± ¡°I¡¯m taking you to Vik.¡± Tham said, ¡°They¡¯ll explain what happened.¡± Avery nodded and fell in line next to TO and DH as they walked down the hallway. They walked in silence for several minutes before Avery spoke again. ¡°... They swung a pipe at me.¡± They said, Their voice shook a little and when TO looked their ears were back further than they were before. ¡°... Yeah.¡± DH said. ¡°They did.¡± ¡°... It wasn¡¯t a real metal pipe, right?¡± Avery asked as they looked at Tham, ¡°I mean, they wouldn¡¯t. Without armor, if they hit me in the head, it could have really hurt me. It could have killed me. It wasn¡¯t a real pipe, right? Just a plastic pipe or something. Right?¡± Tham was silent for a moment longer as they walked along and TO wondered if they were even paying attention. However, they finally spoke, their voice soft as though they regretted what they were saying. ¡°Yeah.¡± They said, ¡°It was real.¡± ¡°But don¡¯t most buildings use PVC pipes now?¡± Avery asked, their ears twitching and their hands twisting about one another. ¡°They do.¡± Tham said, ¡°That building is old though, and they had metal pipes for certain liquids that were too strong for synthetic pipes. They used to repair a lot of ships there, and even some spacecraft when the need arose so it¡¯s not odd that there¡¯d be old metal pipes.¡± ¡°But¡­ You can¡¯t be sure that one was-¡± ¡°PVC doesn¡¯t rust.¡± Tham said flatly. ¡°And that pipe had rust all over it.¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± Avery fell quiet for a few more minutes as they walked, but the mood about them changed so suddenly then, it was scary. TO could almost feel the pressure coming from Avery, and when they looked again at their friend they could see how their ears had slowly flicked back. ¡°... Avery.¡± TO said, gently setting a hand on their friend¡¯s shoulder. ¡°You were right.¡± Avery said. They turned to TO, their eyes wide, their ears back. ¡°You were right! They could have killed me!¡± their wings puffed out, their hands balled into fists, and TO realized that they had never seen Avery so angry before. It was like all the sorrow that had been in them since they came to the underground was a gas, and Kei¡¯s attempted violence towards them had been a spark that lit it all on fire. ¡°I¡¯ve been kind to them. When they wanted to be left alone, I left them there. I tried to think about how they felt when we were coming here. I tried to help them here! I stayed with them all the time when they were recovering, when they were healing up, I tried to talk to them, to help them, and¡­¡± They stopped, and turned to TO. ¡°... Their mind is fixed now, right? But¡­ they could have killed me! And when they swung that thing at me, they didn¡¯t even seem to care! They didn¡¯t look worried, or surprised even! They looked angry!¡± They had all stopped now as TO, DH, and Tham watched Avery who practically vibrated with rage now. ¡°... I''m sorry.¡± TO said. They had no idea what else they could say to their friend at this moment. ¡°... They didn¡¯t even care.¡± Avery said. ¡°And they¡­ They were actually aiming for me. If I hadn¡¯t moved out of the way, they would have killed me! Why?¡± TO had answers. Well, they had their own answers at least. Kei didn¡¯t care about anyone. Kei wanted to escape, and would have done anything to do so. Synths didn¡¯t kill other synths, but a synth that turned on King Decon was supposed to be some horrible thing so it was likely that Kei no longer considered them synths. They tucked that away in the mind, saving it for later. Maybe that was the only important difference between a synth and a Chilacian. ¡°... Because that¡¯s just who Kei is.¡± TO finally said. They wished they could have said that they didn¡¯t know, that maybe Kei was just scared at the moment. But the shaking of their voice back when they told TO to stay away from them had seemed more like anger than fear, and TO no longer had their cap on, so their lie would be obvious. If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. ¡°... I thought we were friends.¡± Avery said, their voice suddenly growing small. ¡°At least, I thought once this was done, once they could feel friendship¡­¡± ¡°... I¡¯m sorry, Avery.¡± TO said again. TO couldn¡¯t explain it exactly, but it was like something broke. Avery¡¯s ears dipped, their wings dropped, and an almost imperceptible shift happened in the way they stood and held themself. A moment later, they could see the tears forming, welling in Avery¡¯s eyes. ¡°... I''m an idiot.¡± They whispered. TO put another hand on their shoulder, ¡°You¡¯re not.¡± They said, ¡°You¡­ you¡¯re kind. More than Kei deserved.¡± A tear fell, and then another. Avery reached up to wipe away the tears, but all they could do after a moment was hold their hands to their eyes, their quiet breath shaking as TO pulled them into an embrace, their wings around their friend. Avery¡¯s quiet, stifled sobs were more painful to TO than if they had been loud, racking wails, and TO didn¡¯t quite know why. This wasn¡¯t fair. Avery didn¡¯t deserve this. Avery had been nothing but nice to Kei; Nicer than Kei had deserved. They tried to help Kei, to get them out of isolation and to make sure they were safe, and in return, Kei had tried to kill them. TO knew they¡¯d never forgive Kei for how they treated GiDi, for the things they said back in training. They¡¯d never forgive Kei for what they did to DH back then either, or for almost getting the two of them separated later on. Now, they knew they¡¯d never forgive Kei for what they did to Avery. ====== It was Avery who insisted that they see Vik once they had calmed down. TO suggested that maybe Avery could spend the night with them and DH, and they could talk to Vik in the morning, but Avery declined. ¡°I appreciate it.¡± They muttered as they wiped their face with a cloth that DH pulled from their med kit, ¡°But¡­ no. Let¡¯s go. Let¡¯s find out what happened.¡± So, only a handful of minutes later they were in the common room, sitting around Vik¡¯s workstation. ¡°I¡¯m glad you¡¯re all alright.¡± Vik said, focusing entirely on their screen, ¡°That could have been terrible. Kei got the multi-gun, right?¡± ¡°He did.¡± Tham said, ¡°And he was holding it to DH¡¯s head. We were really lucky-¡± ¡°We were.¡± TO said, grasping DH¡¯s hand as they thought of what could have happened. ¡°But what happened? We all just fell over. I couldn¡¯t even move, and afterwards none of us could hold a thought for longer than a few minutes!¡± ¡°Right.¡± Vik said, tapping his fingers on his keyboard. It was odd, but TO realized that at this moment they weren¡¯t actually typing; their tiny fingers were just tapping on the keys all at once, with not enough force to trigger any input. ¡°Yeah. Ok. So, that¡¯s a medical thing. A prototype that a group of researchers on, uh.¡± He paused, frowning, ¡°I¡¯m not sure where they¡¯re located. You know what? I can look it up-¡± ¡°It doesn''t matter where it¡¯s from.¡± TO said, ¡°What is it?¡± Vik sighed, ¡°Right.¡± They said, ¡°So, yeah, it¡¯s a medical prototype. It was supposed to replace regular chemical anesthesia. You¡¯d have to ask Goretta for the details on how it works, but uh¡­ apparently, when you¡¯re going under for surgery, there¡¯s a couple of chemical they give you-¡± ¡°There are chemicals to paralyze the body, to inhibit pain, to block memory from forming, and to force the patient to sleep.¡± DH said. ¡°... If the patient is asleep, why would you need to have the other things?¡± TO asked. ¡°You try sleeping through having an eye replaced.¡± DH said, ¡°No matter how deep you are, that¡¯ll wake you up.¡± ¡°Right.¡± Vik said, ¡°And those can have some effects for days afterwards. So, some researchers invented a more refined way to do this. A digital pulse to the brain that does all that in seconds.¡± They continued their anxious tapping on the keyboard. ¡°It was useful, but it didn¡¯t pass testing. The procedure was harder to control in terms of duration or something, so there was too high of a chance that people would wake up during the procedure. It¡¯s not approved for medical use, but it¡¯s still being worked on.¡± TO leaned forward, their eyes widening. ¡°That¡¯s what happened to us, isn¡¯t it?¡± They said, ¡°Someone used this thing on us, and knocked us out.¡± Their ears pinned back, their wings puffed up as they considered all the potential people who could have done it; local authorities, Gyrini, or even a civilian who wanted to take all their stuff. The latter was less likely, but still possible. Of course, one thing still bothered them about this. ¡°But there was nobody else nearby, not that we saw anyway. How close do you have to be for this to work? And if they got all of us at once, how did Tham avoid getting knocked out?¡± ¡°They¡¯d probably have to be really close.¡± DH said, frowning. ¡°I mean, I don¡¯t know about the technology itself; we didn¡¯t use it in the training center, and I never learned about it, but it makes no sense for any kind of medical implementation like that to have any kind of range. I mean, I think about it; if it had range, you could accidentally knock out the surgeon while putting the patient under. No, I think any medical tool like that would have to be used pretty close to the patient. Maybe even right against the skin.¡± The pieces fell into place. Only the synths were affected, and such a device would have to be used right against the skin. For a moment, there was only disbelief as TO lifted their hand and rubbed the back of their neck. ¡°I¡¯m guessing that a chip-system already implanted in a person¡¯s brain might make for an excellent delivery method for this system.¡± ¡°I¡¯d think so¡­¡± DH said, ¡°I mean, for it to work, it might even be best to use an injection to go past the skin and-¡± DH stopped, their eyes going wide and their ears dropping for a moment before pinning back. At their other side, Avery stiffened, their hands clutching at their chair. They had caught what TO had already figured out. ¡°... Vik.¡± TO said, their voice low, their ears back, their wings puffing out slightly, ¡°What did you do.¡± Vik¡¯s constant tapping on their keys stopped, his own large, rounded ears drooped. They took a deep breath and closed their eyes. When they finally spoke, they did so without looking up from their keyboard. ¡°... We took reasonable precautions.¡± Episode 323: Still Synths Three loud synth voices shouting in a mixture of Galactic Common and synth speak were as unintelligible as the frantic yowling of angry cats. Still, the eyes narrowed to slits, the ears flush against their skulls, and the flash of reflected light off exposed fangs told Vik and Tham that the three Chilacians did not appreciate the cautionary measures. ¡°Y-you realize DH might be dead if we hadn¡¯t, right?¡± Tham said, backing away as he held his good hand before him, ¡°That Kei might have taken them away and reported to Gyrini?¡± ¡°You realize that if you had told us what you had done to our chips, Kei wouldn¡¯t have tried anything in the first place!¡± TO snarled, taking a step forward. They pointed back towards Avery, ¡°What if that pipe had hit Avery? We¡¯re strong, but a metal pipe to the head could still easily kill us!¡± ¡°Yeah. Well, that happened fast!¡± Tham said, taking another step back. This time, they subtly tried to place a nearby chair between them and TO. ¡°And I didn¡¯t want to trigger it on all of you!¡± ¡°How did you trigger it?¡± TO snapped, ¡°What did you do?¡± Tham¡¯s gaze flicked between the three, then they reached into their sling and pulled out a small remote. It had only one button on it. ¡°... Vik made this.¡± He said. ¡°It¡¯s a panic button, and since I have a sling, I hid it in there. But, because it¡¯s a panic button, it worked on all of you at once. Vik could have activated it on Kei alone.¡± ¡°Vik!¡± DH, who had followed TO closely either to support them or hold them back if need be, turned to shout at Vik but to everyone¡¯s surprise the small rodent was gone from his seat. ¡°Where did he go!?¡± DH hissed at Tham. ¡°Honestly, he probably went to hide.¡± Tham said, ¡°You¡¯re a hundred times his size and weight, and could probably eat him in one bite.¡± ¡°Eat him?¡± DH¡¯s ears dropped in a mixture of revulsion and horror, ¡°You think I¡¯d eat him?¡± ¡°Oh, they wouldn¡¯t have to worry about that.¡± TO huffed, ¡°They have a panic button to turn us off if they feel like it!¡± ¡°It saved DH¡¯s life!¡± Tham said. ¡°It protected us all! What if Kei had gotten away!¡± he slipped the remote back into his sling, ¡°If you¡¯re going to be angry at anyone, be angry at Kei!¡± ¡°Oh, I am.¡± Avery said, their voice filled with quiet, shaking rage. ¡°And I can also be angry at the people who put an off switch in my brain.¡± ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell us!¡± TO asked, trying to keep their voice under control now, trying to dampen the fiery rage in their head. Tham was still backing away, and a part of TO worried they¡¯d push the button again. ¡°Look, we said we took precautions, didn¡¯t we!¡± Tham said, ¡°TO, you didn¡¯t even want Kei to go out with us, right? Well, you were right! And if we hadn¡¯t taken those precautions-¡± ¡°But why didn¡¯t you tell us!¡± TO said, ¡°I thought we were fine!¡± Another pace back, this time Tham shrugged and looked away, ¡°It¡­ I guess we¡¯ve been so busy, it didn''t occur to us¡­?¡± ¡°The reason is obvious.¡± Avery hissed, ¡°They don¡¯t trust you.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t.¡± TO said with just a glance at Avery. ¡°They didn¡¯t trust us. And I understand that, but-¡± ¡°But if they trusted you now, shouldn¡¯t they have told you?¡± Avery said. They should have. At this point, TO thought that the insurgents, that Tham trusted them! Their eyes flicked to Tham¡¯s sling, the reminder of the injury that made them basically helpless while TO dealt with the special agent. No, not ¡®dealt with¡¯. While TO killed the special agent. The blood, the bones, the death. How many people had died that day? TO had done their best not to think about it, and as they had kept so busy since then they had been mostly successful. The odd time that memory crept into their head, they soothed themself by thinking of the children they had brought into the underground, and by how friendly Tham had been later that day, and since. At least now, they thought, the insurgents trusted them. Now they wouldn¡¯t be worried that TO and DH would turn on them. Clearly, that wasn¡¯t the case. ¡°Is that really why?¡± TO asked, though they knew any venom they could throw into their voice had seeped away, and that while they wanted to keep their ears pinned back, they had now dipped. ¡°Is it because you still didn¡¯t trust us?¡± ¡°... I¡¯m sorry.¡± Tham said, their voice quieter than TO had heard it before. ¡°We were going to¡­ and you can understand why we did it, right?¡± they glanced at TO, catching their gaze for just a second before looking away. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t have objected to us doing it to Kei, right?¡± ¡°That¡¯s different.¡± TO said. ¡°Kei¡­ Kei was a normal synth. We-¡± ¡°You four all passed that test thing that Flit told us about.¡± Tham said. ¡°You were all proper synths who finished your training. Natural brains or no, from what I know that training involved a good bit of brainwashing, and I promise there¡¯s plenty of people who agree with what Decon is doing without having their frontal lobes fucked. Synths, and others.¡± Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon. ¡°I killed someone to keep you safe.¡± TO hissed, ¡°I killed a civilian. I killed several civilians, all of whom were doing nothing other than their jobs.¡± ¡°Their jobs involved-¡± ¡°They were doing what they thought was right.¡± TO snapped, ¡°Just like you were when you pushed that security guard into the water cleaning system. He was only doing his job too, you realize.¡± Tham flinched. ¡°But we had to-¡± ¡°And despite that, despite what I did to keep you safe, to keep your sister safe, to keep the civilians underground safe, you still didn¡¯t trust me enough to tell me about this off-switch you all put in our heads.¡± They took another step forward, ¡°Why.¡± Tham didn¡¯t answer right away. They looked at the table, the floor, at Vik¡¯s computer as though the small creature might have reappeared. They looked everywhere but at the three synths, the three Chilacians. ¡°Tham.¡± TO took another step forward, ¡°I want an answer.¡± ¡°Well¡­ We¡¯ve only known you for a few days.¡± Tham said, ¡°Besides, you¡¯re smart. You¡¯re really smart from what I know. And I know you all can¡¯t lie, but clearly Kei has proven you all can be very careful with your words.¡± ¡°DH and I have been doing nothing but helping since you let us out of that room.¡± TO said. ¡°And Kei was helping too.¡± Oh. TO wasn¡¯t sure if the realization of what Tham was saying made them angry or sad, but it hurt either way. TO took a step away from the Nagarajin. ¡°You thought I was acting.¡± They said, ¡°You thought I was faking. That I was biding my time, waiting for an opportunity.¡± Tham shrugged, ¡°Well¡­ You clearly don¡¯t agree with us, with what we¡¯re doing¡­¡± ¡°I might not have at first.¡± TO said, ¡°But I assure you, I had issues with how things were being run on this planet beforehand, and I¡¯ve learned plenty to assure me of King Decon¡¯s duplicity. But even if that were not the case, I would never do anything to hurt GiDi. If GiDi is here, and working with you, I¡¯d help you. I¡¯d protect you and Pearla for no other reason than Pearla being GiDi¡¯s mate, and that makes the two of you practically family.¡± ¡°They would be considered our family.¡± Avery said, ¡°By Chilacian standards anyway. Blood or no, they¡¯d be considered family.¡± ¡°Right.¡± DH said, ¡°Just like Avery is our family.¡± ¡°Well, how are we supposed to know that?¡± Tham said, finally looking at TO again, ¡°You¡¯re synths. I like you, TO. You¡¯re a hard worker, you¡¯re clever, and you¡¯ve saved my ass and my sister¡¯s life. But you¡¯re still a synth. How am I supposed to know how deep that brainwashing went?¡± TO took another breath, a long, calming one. This argument was going in circles, and they knew if they kept up at it, they¡¯d get angry at Tham. If they got into a big enough argument, maybe Tham would press that off switch just to end it. ¡°Do the others know about this?¡± TO asked, ¡°Pearla, GiDi¡­ Flit and Snout?¡± The way Tham looked away filled TO with a sliver of relief. Yes, Tham had also deceived the rest of their family, but at least Flit, Snout, GiDi, and Pearla hadn¡¯t kept this from them. Though, it made them wonder if the others had the same off switch in their chips. TO turned without another word. ¡°Come on.¡± They said to DH and Avery, ¡°We¡¯re going.¡± ¡°Where are you going?¡± Tham said, ¡°TO, you can¡¯t-¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡± TO hissed, ¡°We¡¯re not leaving the underground, so you won¡¯t have to shut us down again.¡± They glanced back and were happy enough to see a flicker of guilt across Tham¡¯s face. Their ears pinned back as they turned away. ¡°We¡¯re going to tell Flit and Snout.¡± TO said, ¡°Just in case you did the same thing to them.¡± ¡°We didn¡¯t!¡± Tham said, but this time DH turned around, their ears back and down. ¡°You and Vik hid this from us.¡± DH said, ¡°How can we trust a thing you say now?¡± They took TO¡¯s hand, and stormed ahead, taking Avery by the arm as they went. ¡°Come on.¡± They snapped, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± There was a certain shaking to DH¡¯s voice, and while their ears mostly screamed their anger, TO could see that tilt down, that certain sadness that hid beneath the ocean of anger like an undercurrent. TO realized that while it hurt enough that Tham had hidden this from them, that Tham didn¡¯t trust them, Vik¡¯s distrust of DH probably hurt their partner much more than Tham¡¯s hurt TO. DH and Vik had hobbies and passions in common, spent lots of time together, and they had become fast friends. This likely hurt DH much deeper than it hurt TO. TO squeezed DH¡¯s hand, and let their partner lead them to Flit and Snout. Episode 324: Removal DH stormed up to Flit and Snout¡¯s room with Avery and TO following behind them, and pounded on the door with the side of their fist. Flit and Snout¡¯s room had a plain wooden door instead of a reinforced metal one with a little slot on the bottom like TO and DH had, and as DH banged on the door, it shook and rattled. TO even worried that the door might fall apart with the force DH was using, and held their mate¡¯s arm back. Though, Why did they still have that metal door? Why had the insurgents not offered them a new room? Was it another precaution? Did they intend to lock TO and DH in their room again if they felt the need? TO wouldn¡¯t let that happen. Flit opened the door just a moment later, their ears pinned back at first but lifting when they saw the three standing there. ¡°You¡¯re back. Good. Come in.¡± They said as they stepped aside. TO¡¯s original plan, depending on what DH did, was to tell Flit and Snout immediately what happened, to make sure they didn¡¯t know. Distraction disrupted their plans as soon as they entered the room and saw several star maps projected about by tiny, circular projectors. A set of multicolored lines created dotted paths spanning across the maps, and from their training it was obvious to TO what Flit and Snout were doing; They were plotting a variety of routes to take them across the galaxy to Apoikia, the Chilacian home planet. As they glanced at the table where Snout sat, they saw the older synth working on calculations, and running projections on their own smaller projection where a tiny dot approached a planet and whipped around it. The last time TO had seen this kind of math, it was back in the early days of training when they would practice plotting courses for hypothetical space using gravity assist to save fuel. It was an excellent mental exercise, even if they were highly unlikely to have to do such work after training. Well, TO supposed it was good that they learned it as it was certainly useful now. There was one line that seemed separate from all the others, one that glowed bright red where the others were all in shades of blues and greens. A large triangle traveled along this bright red dotted line, filling it in as it went and leaving an angry red scar against the dark backdrop of the star maps. That triangle was approaching Arkane, rather than leaving it as all the other lines seemed to do. ¡°That¡¯s our best guess where the synth fleet is.¡± Flit said as they saw TO watching that red triangle. ¡°While we can¡¯t track it properly, we could get a report showing recent portal use; that¡¯s sent to all security offices in the affected sector. From there, we could figure out where the ship likely was.¡± ¡°Vik got this for you?¡± DH asked, glancing at the triangle on the line as it made its way towards Arkane.¡± ¡°Yes, with some help from Pholi.¡± Flit said, ¡°Apparently, while Noss is mostly inept in all things, his personal digital security skills are sharp. Pholi had to go into his office and physically access his computers so that Vik could get the files.¡± ¡°Are you sure this information is correct?¡± DH asked, their ears pinning back, ¡°Are you sure Vik¡¯s not lying to you about this?¡± Flit and Snout fell silent, both looking at DH with their ears flicked out in confusion. ¡°... Yes?¡± Flit said, ¡°I had some concerns that someone might have tampered with the data before it got to Noss, but I didn¡¯t have any concerns about Pholi or Vik.¡± Their ears dipped, their eyes narrowed. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Because we can¡¯t trust Vik.¡± DH hissed. Their hands balled up into fists, their ears pinned back. For a moment they radiated almost pure rage as they spat out their words. ¡°Vik. Cannot. Be trusted.¡± Snout got up from their seat and walked towards them. As they stood at Flit¡¯s side, there was a moment where TO caught the slightest movement of their hand, as though they wanted to touch DH, perhaps to squeeze their shoulder or arm in some kind of comforting gesture, but they stopped. It seemed odd to them at first, but then they remembered Snout was DH¡¯s parent. Did they feel something now, seeing their offspring so enraged? The two had interacted little before TO and DH came to the underground, but was there some kind of innate, biological drive to protect the offspring? It was among most natural species, so it only made sense. They¡¯d read that file that Snout sent them later. They should have read it the night before! There were so many answers in there, and while a part of them felt guilty for putting off what was likely essentially study, they couldn¡¯t feel too bad about choosing to spend the night as they did with DH. ¡°You and Vik were getting along.¡± Snout said, ¡°I thought you were becoming good friends. What happened?¡± DH paused, their breathing coming out a little more rapid than TO was used to. Then, they seemed to freeze; they tried to say something, but the words came out as a strangled, choked sob before they backed away, their hands to their face as they seemed to shatter before them. Immediately, TO was at their side, pulling their mate into an embrace and wrapping their wings around them, just as they had Avery earlier. Even as they soothed the sobbing DH, gently scratching at their neck, they felt their ears pin back. They¡¯d never forgive Vik for this. ====== Avery was the one who took over then, sitting at the table with Flit and Snout and telling them what happened as TO sat with DH on the edge of the bed, trying to soothe them. DH had stopped crying fairly quickly, falling instead into a cold, empty silence that somehow made TO more worried than they had been before. It had only been a few days that DH and Vik had known each other, but Vik¡¯s surreptitious actions had hit DH much harder than expected. Perhaps it wasn''t just because of Vik. Maybe this brought back the cascade of broken fledging friendships from the early days of DH¡¯s training, when Kei went about telling other synths that DH was too dangerous to be around. Maybe it reminded them of that day when Q11 pushed them away during physical training. At least now they could look back on that and say it wasn¡¯t their fault, not really. Their brains were different, and it was obvious to the other synths. Really, they were more like civilians than synths. But that didn¡¯t matter. To the others, they were synths. If they got to the Chilacian homeworld, would they still be considered synths there? Even if the Chilacians didn¡¯t consider them synths, would they consider them Chilacian as well, or would they be treated with the same suspicion that everyone else treated them with? Would have to prove themselves over and over for a simple sliver of fragile trust? At least Tham hadn¡¯t lied when they said that Flit and Snout didn¡¯t know. As Avery told them what happened, the confused and curious expression of their ears shifted to the same rage and panic that TO had felt. When Avery was done with their story, it was Flit who stood up first, taking a deep breath as they did. They folded their arms across their chest, their wings sat over their shoulders. ¡°Alright.¡± They said, their voice cool and controlled as they walked over to a box in the room''s corner. ¡°First thing we have to do is see if we have the same mechanism in our own chips.¡± They reached into the box, and pulled out a simple, plastic leg. It looked more realistic than the one they had worn back when TO was in training, but its construction was far more simple. The prosthetic Flit used to wear was designed to be effective for walking, whereas someone clearly designed this one just to look like a leg. Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author. ¡°Flit, what are you doing?¡± Snout asked as Flit came back to the table. ¡°The insurgents made this leg for me.¡± They said, ¡°It¡¯s designed to connect to my nervous system, and respond accordingly.¡± They sat down and unfastened a series of buttons along their pant leg. When they undid the buttons and pulled back the fabric TO saw Flit¡¯s new mechanical leg for the first time. It was sleek and smooth, and dozens of mechanical muscles shifted with every slight movement that Flit made. Flit pressed a button on the side of the mechanical limb, and the leg came loose from a plug that was attached to the stump of Flit¡¯s leg. They pressed another button on the inside of the plug, and the metal attachment came off revealing for the first time the stump that ended just under Flit¡¯s knee. The scars were precise and surgical, not the mess of twisted scar tissue that TO had expected so they couldn¡¯t help but stare at it in some kind of morbid fascination as Flit stuck the plastic one on in its place, strapping it to their stump with a small belt before buttoning up the pant leg again. ¡°But that one hurts your leg after a while.¡± Snout said, putting a hand on Flit¡¯s good leg, ¡°Do you really need to switch them out?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know if they put some kind of fail-safe in my leg too.¡± Flit hissed, their ears pinning back, ¡°I don''t want to take the chance. I¡¯d rather use this. Yes, I might limp, and I¡¯ll get blisters on my stump, but I¡¯d rather have that than have my leg simply stop working and seize up on someone¡¯s whim.¡± ¡°Vik didn¡¯t give you that leg.¡± Snout said, ¡°Goretta did.¡± ¡°And what if she¡¯s in on this too?¡± Flit said. They looked to Avery, ¡°Did Tham say if she was or not?¡± ¡°He didn¡¯t mention her.¡± ¡°Then for now, I¡¯ll assume she¡¯s in on it.¡± ¡°She wouldn¡¯t.¡± Snout said, ¡°I¡¯ve been working with her, I¡¯ve been helping her with her research-¡± ¡°They were helping Vik.¡± Flit said, jerking their head towards DH, ¡°And Vik didn¡¯t tell them anything.¡± ¡°Look, Vik is¡­ Odd.¡± Snout said, ¡°They might have gone along with that pulse just to see if they could.¡± ¡°And you think that¡¯s a good enough reason to put something like that in their chips without telling them?¡± Flit shook their head, ¡°Again, I think the issue here isn¡¯t that it was done. I think we¡¯d all understand why they¡¯d do something like that in the beginning.¡± They glanced at TO as though they wanted to confirm. ¡°I would understand that in the beginning.¡± TO said, ¡°And if they told us, I¡¯d understand. But they didn¡¯t.¡± Snout sighed, ¡°Look.¡± they said, ¡°I¡¯ve been here longer than any of you now, right?¡± They squeezed Flit¡¯s good leg, ¡°You knew Jason longer, but I¡¯ve been with them longer, worked with them longer. I know them, right? Tham absolutely hates synths. They¡¯re ok with GiDi because they don¡¯t consider them ¡®real¡¯ synths since they didn¡¯t pass their examination, but the rest of us?¡± They shrugged, ¡°They didn¡¯t trust me at first. That¡¯s why they wanted me to use my access to send that bomb to the training center, and even after that it was more like they tolerated me more than anything else. They were the same with TO and DH at first-¡± ¡°At first.¡± Flit said, ¡°They should know better by now.¡± ¡°... Maybe.¡± Snout said, ¡°I can see Tham asking Vik if there¡¯s something to be done, some backup they can create in case it turns out they can¡¯t trust TO and DH. I can see Vik getting more involved in the idea of what they¡¯re doing, in seeing how it would work, and if they could do it. They probably never once considered the ethical aspect to it all.¡± They looked over to DH, ¡°You¡¯ve only known them a short while, but you¡¯ve seen how excited they get when they¡¯re trying to figure out if they can do something¡­ Right?¡± ¡°Yeah¡­¡± DH muttered, their ears perking up slightly. ¡°They still could have told us.¡± TO muttered, ¡°I might believe what you¡¯re saying, but why wouldn¡¯t Vik tell us afterwards? We brought them to our ship and gave them access to our systems. Shouldn¡¯t that be reason enough to trust us?¡± ¡°Exactly.¡± Flit said. Once they had finished buttoning up their pant leg. When they were done, they put their left hand on the table, palm down, and grabbed the corner of the adhesive that kept their chip to the scarred skin of the back of their hand. They tore it off in one fluid movement before anyone could stop them, giving a stifled grunt of pain as they did. It left an irritated blue square on the back of their hand but thankfully there was no blood. ¡°Hey, you need that!¡± Snout said. ¡°Do I?¡± Flit asked as they carefully pried the chip itself off the adhesive. ¡°I¡¯m not interested in having this stuck to me if they can turn me off at any time. You have some elastic medical bands, right? Attach it to one of those. I¡¯ll make a removable band for my chip.¡± ¡°Will that work?¡± TO asked, ¡°I mean, if the programming is in the chip in the back of our head, couldn¡¯t they still trigger their failsafe, right?¡± ¡°Impossible.¡± Flit said, ¡°Right Snout?¡± Snout looked from TO to Flit, then sighed, ¡°Right. It¡¯s impossible.¡± They said, ¡°The chip in the back of your head¡­ Well, it¡¯s complex, and I¡¯m not a programmer so I don¡¯t understand exactly how it works outside of just saying that it¡¯s only a receiver. It''s too dangerous to have everything connected to the back of your head, there¡¯s too much that could go wrong. With the main chip on the back of your hand, if something goes wrong it doesn¡¯t risk hurting a part of your brain.¡± ¡°And the chip needs to be attached to you in order to connect with the chip in your head.¡± Flit said. ¡°So, if you remove it and just have it nearby, it won¡¯t do anything.¡± As soon as Flit finished what they were saying, Avery put their hand on the table and looked at Flit with a determined tilt to their ears. ¡°Take mine off next.¡± They said. ¡°Then mine.¡± TO said. They enjoyed having their chip back, and the short period they went without it had been horrible, but they¡¯d rather be able to remove it at will if the insurgents could shut them off whenever they wanted. They pressed their head to DH¡¯s, ¡°What about you?¡± DH was silent for a moment longer, staring off into nothingness before they looked up at TO, and nodded. ¡°Take mine off too.¡± they said. They turned to Flit, ¡°I don¡¯t¡­ I don¡¯t trust them.¡± Snout sighed and got up. ¡°Well¡­ I can¡¯t stop you all.¡± They said, ¡°Let me get something to make this easier, so you don¡¯t leave a giant welt on your hands. But after that¡­¡± They paused, frowning as they took their medkit from a shelf. ¡°After that, I¡¯m going to talk to Goretta.¡± ¡°And we¡¯ll go with you.¡± TO said. Tham hadn¡¯t said a thing about Goretta being in on this, but TO wanted to question her themself. Moreover, they wanted to talk to Pearla and GiDi. They knew they couldn¡¯t right now, but they had to tell them what happened as soon as possible. GiDi had to know what had happened, and TO had to be certain that Pearla wasn¡¯t in on any of it. They wouldn¡¯t let her hurt GiDi. Episode 325: Prisons Goretta and Kei weren¡¯t in the recovery room, nor were they in Kei¡¯s original holding room. While TO thought that perhaps Kei had somehow got away from Goretta and the two larger civilians, Flit and Snout weren¡¯t as worried. ¡°There¡¯s another place they might be.¡± Flit said, ¡°In fact, I¡¯m sure they¡¯re there.¡± The four of them left the main area of the underground and headed away from the repaired hallways. The halls got narrower, the ceiling lower, and the turns they took seemed more confusing somehow. It was as though this area of the underground was designed to turn people around and get them lost. Eventually, they took a turn and entered a hallway with no small river running through it, and no hanging lights dangling from the ceiling. The only light came from small emergency lanterns on the floor and while it was perfectly comfortable for a Chilacians¡¯ sensitive eyes, TO could only imagine it was far too dark for most of the others. ¡°This hall is so much narrower.¡± DH said as they drew closer to TO, slipping their hand into their mate¡¯s. ¡°Is this a maintenance hallway?¡± TO asked, ¡°The ceiling is lower, the hallway narrower¡­ and why doesn¡¯t this hallway have water running through the center like the others?¡± ¡°It used to be a prison or a jail or something like that.¡± Flit said, ¡°The hallways are narrower so that people can block them off more easily.¡± There¡¯s no water here because of that, and of course a river flowing through the center of the hall would give prisoners a place to hide. Flit¡¯s words were proven true shortly afterwards as they passed the first old cell. Well, Old wasn¡¯t the right way to put it; it was archaic; a simple empty square room with bars running across the large opening. The bars were old and rusted in places, but they still seemed solid. Still, if TO could look past the old bars, they realized that the ancient old cells reminded them of the cells in the holding center, the biggest difference being the bars which in modern times were replaced by electromagnetic barriers. They walked a little further down, and the sound of people talking just before them hit TO¡¯s ears. It wasn¡¯t Goretta and Kei though, TO knew that from the certain cadence of their voices. As they drew closer, they saw that one cell was now a makeshift security room; the bars were gone, and a simple table holding several mini projectors similar to what Flit and Snout had in their own room lined one wall. These projections didn¡¯t show star charts, they showed video of a different cell further back. Inside, the broad Nagarajin woman who carried Kei away earlier leaned against the wall, watching the projection. There was a taser at her side; a larger civilian model which while less effective, slower, and which possessed a shorter range, would still be effective enough to stop an unarmored synth. She wasn¡¯t alone in the small converted cell, Mira was there with her, sitting at the table and watching the video intently. She turned when she heard the others approaching and waved one of her narrow, clawed hands at TO. ¡°You¡¯re back.¡± She said, ¡°Good. What the abyssal shit happened?¡± She jerked her hand at the projection, ¡°All I was told is that Kei tried to escape. Vik¡¯s nowhere to be found, and all Tham told me when I asked how you all stopped Kei was that he ¡®handled it.¡¯¡± Her antenna twitched, her eyes narrowed, ¡°I don¡¯t like not knowing things, you know. That¡¯s what I do: I know things. I stay quiet, and I listen, and I learn. I don¡¯t enjoy being in the dark.¡± Was she being serious, or was she putting on an act? Did she know about the failsafe, or had she been as clueless as the rest of them? She frowned as TO considered this, and tapped one one of her thin, spindly legs on the floor as she reclined back in the chair, watching TO. ¡°... So, whatever happened, it was bad, wasn¡¯t it?¡± She asked. ¡°What?¡± TO felt their ears flick down in sudden panic, ¡°Why do you -¡± ¡°Your ears.¡± She said, a smirk playing across her lips, ¡°I¡¯m not as good as Pearla with reading your ears, but you and I just spent three days together, and I¡¯m very observant. I can tell when something¡¯s bothering you¡± If she didn¡¯t know, she was a talented actor at least. TO juggled with the potential consequences of telling her what happened, and found none. ¡°Vik and Tham did something to our chips.¡± TO said. ¡°Created a failsafe.¡± ¡°More specifically,¡± DH said as they stepped next to TO, ¡°They added a program to our chips that would send a pulse through our heads.¡± They tapped at the base of their neck, ¡°Some experimental medical technology that¡¯s supposed to be used to put people under for surgery. It¡¯s an alternative to chemical anesthesia, and they used it to knock us out.¡± TO observed Mira, expecting her to look as indignant and angry as TO felt, or perhaps she¡¯d give herself away now, and show that she knew all along. TO didn¡¯t expect her to slam her claw-like hand on the table and shout, ¡°That¡¯s what it was!¡± Her small hand struck the table with more force than TO expected, and her shout was so sudden and forceful that the Nagarajin jolted and gave a yelp possessing a much higher pitch than TO expected from the large woman. ¡°What do you mean, ¡®that¡¯s what it was?¡¯¡± Flit said as they took a step towards her, ¡°You knew they did something?¡± ¡°I suspected they did something.¡± She said, ¡°They were being too...¡± She twirled her hand around in the air, peering upwards as though looking for the word, ¡°I don¡¯t know. Too careless, I thought.¡± She glanced at TO with an apologetic smile, ¡°To careless with Kei, and with you at first. I mean, I didn¡¯t know you then aside from the lot of you being synths, and you being afraid of bugs.¡± she shrugged, ¡°So, yes, I thought that letting freshly captured synths we didn¡¯t know out of secure rooms and getting them to help right away was a little¡­ Ill advised. And I thought the same thing about Kei and your friend here. But Vik kept saying it was fine, and Tham¡­¡± she shrugged, ¡°Well, he wasn¡¯t okay with it, but it was far more at ease than I would have expected of him. I knew they had to have some kind of plan, but I didn¡¯t know what.¡± ¡°If you thought something like that, why didn¡¯t you tell us?¡± Flit snapped. ¡°Because I didn¡¯t have proof?¡± She said with a shrug, ¡°Because I could have been wrong. They were being careful, and while I suspected they did something, I had no idea what it might have been. Without more information, what was I supposed to tell you?¡± She frowned, ¡°And even if I knew, why would I have told you? I mean, ok, maybe Flit and Snout, they¡¯ve been around long enough and they¡¯ve helped enough¡­ and TO, sure, After the indebted center I¡¯d tell you. But the rest of you? I hardly know you! Synths or no, why would I trust you?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been helping too.¡± DH muttered, crossing their arms as they looked away. Mira sighed, ¡°DH, don¡¯t take it personally. I don¡¯t dislike you; you seem fine, you like to help people, you¡¯re clearly compassionate, and I¡¯m glad Vik has a friend they can chat to about all their computer stuff.¡± ¡°Had.¡± DH spat. Mira ignored DH¡¯s addition. ¡°But liking you and trusting you are two different things.¡± ¡°Well, now we need to figure out who we can trust.¡± Flit said, ¡°This is a dangerous situation for us.¡± ¡°It¡¯s dangerous for all of us.¡± Mira said. ¡°Heck, it¡¯s dangerous for the planet. If the synths come and kill us all-¡± ¡°We¡¯re facing that same danger!¡± Flit snapped, ¡°Death if they choose to just eliminate the population. If they come here and catch us¡­¡± they stopped, their ears dipping down as they glanced at Snout. ¡°It¡¯ll be worse.¡± Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators! ¡°We¡¯d be repurposed if caught.¡± Snout said, ¡°Killed, and pulled apart for spare organs. They could choose to correct us if they¡¯re short on basic, menial labor. They''d likely do that and leave us on the planet to clean up the corpses.¡± ¡°What about the exile thing?¡± TO asked, remembering what they had been told so long ago, ¡°What about sending us off to explore uncharted space?¡± ¡°Perhaps for Avery, DH, and Kei.¡± Flit said, ¡°They¡¯ve not necessarily been caught doing anything so there¡¯s a chance they¡¯d be sent out on permanent solo expeditions. Of course, that¡¯s providing they passed a careful interrogation. Either way, higher ups would consider them far too compromised to be put back into regular service.¡± The color drained from DH¡¯s face as their ears flicked down. TO took their hand and squeezed their fingers gently. A solo expedition? One that would last the rest of DH¡¯s natural life? TO couldn¡¯t let that happen. ¡°And as though that wasn¡¯t bad enough,¡± Flit continued, ¡°Now we also have to worry about our ¡®allies¡¯ putting an off switch in us! If they did that, what else might they have done? What else might other people have done? If Goretta helped, how can we possibly trust her to help with medical issues? Can we trust the medication she¡¯s giving us? Can we trust her to help Snout with caring for the rest of us?¡± ¡°I trust her.¡± Snout muttered. ¡°She¡¯s done nothing but help me since I got here.¡± ¡°Hey, don¡¯t get angry with me.¡± Mira said, ¡°I had nothing to do with all this.¡± ¡°And how do we know that?¡± Flit hissed. ¡°You don¡¯t.¡± She said, shrugging. ¡°You only have my word for it. Maybe I can help though.¡± She turned to the screen, observing the scene before her. TO had paid little attention before, but now as they watched they could see Goretta standing before a closed cell. Inside, Kei sat on a simple mat, glowering out at her. Even in the poor quality video TO could see the quick repairs done to the cell, the repaired bars and the boxes at either end which likely sent a current through the sturdy metal. ¡°She¡¯s trying to help them.¡± Mira said. ¡°I don¡¯t know how. I mean, she¡¯s a neurologist, not a therapist.¡± She glanced back at TO, ¡°And all of you need therapy but that¡¯s besides the point. Keep quiet.¡± She pulled her communicator out of her pocket and pressed a button. A call rang through and a moment later TO saw Goretta take her own communicator out and step away from the cell. The projections had no sound, but Mira had put her communicator on speaker, so that they could all hear what was being said. ¡°How¡¯s the interrogation going?¡± Mira asked as soon as Goretta answered. A heavy sigh sounded from the communicator. ¡°It¡¯s not an interrogation.¡± Goretta said, ¡°I¡¯m trying to figure out their mental state. I just did a major operation on their brain, and I need to know that they¡¯re thinking properly.¡± DH opened their mouth to say something, but Mira saw them and held a finger up to her thin lips to quiet them. ¡°Alright, whatever you¡¯re doing.¡± Mira said, ¡°How¡¯s it going?¡± ¡°Not great.¡± Goretta said, ¡°They¡¯re not talking to me at all. They were before, but now¡­¡± That was interesting. TO knew why Kei wasn¡¯t talking to her, of course. They weren¡¯t supposed to say anything to the enemy if they got captured. However, despite that, and apparently despite looking for a chance to run, they had broken this rule before. How much had they talked? How friendly or antagonistic had they been? TO wanted to ask, but Mira clearly wanted them to stay silent. ¡°Well, I dunno.¡± Mira said, her tone far more casual than it had been before, ¡°Maybe they¡¯re angry at the chip thing.¡± Even on the low-quality screen, TO could see Goretta¡¯s brow furrow, her tentacles twist about her tightly, ¡°Chip thing? What do you mean?¡± ¡°You know. The chip thing? I mean, I just found out about it myself. Apparently Vik and Tham put some kinda off switch in their chips. Something-something experimental medical knock-out tech. I dunno. You know I don¡¯t know the specifics of that kind of stuff.¡± On screen, Goretta¡¯s tentacles twisted into tightly coiled spirals. When her voice sounded over the communicator it resonated with rage despite how calm, it seemed on the surface. ¡°You mean to tell me that Vik and Tham, two people who have zero medical knowledge, put experimental medical technology on my patient without telling me?¡± She stepped further away from the bars. ¡°You¡¯re telling me they triggered an experimental pulse through the brain of a patient who has only recently received fairly intense brain surgery, and whose mind is still recovering and reprogramming itself?!¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± Mira¡¯s voice feigned concern, ¡°I suppose you didn¡¯t know then.¡± On the screen, TO could see Goretta open and close her mouth several times before stopping, closing her eyes, and taking a deep breath. Her tentacles never unclenched through all this, and when she opened her eyes the black orbs seemed bigger than normal. She smiled as she spoke through the communicator but even to TO, the smile seemed wider than would be considered friendly. It felt predatory, as though she was showing her teeth to her next meal. ¡°I¡¯m gonna kill them.¡± She closed her communicator and rushed off-screen. ¡°Well, there you go.¡± Mira said as she put her communicator away, ¡°That should prove to you she at least didn¡¯t know, and hopefully it proves to you I didn¡¯t know, and that I want to help you.¡± She glanced up at TO, ¡°Am I correct?¡± TO could have hugged her. They hadn¡¯t realized how worried they were that Mira was part of this, but now that they were satisfied that she wasn''t they could feel the absence of their anxiety more than anything else. Their ears lifted as they said a quiet, ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Good.¡± Mira said, ¡°Now, I¡¯ll catch up with you all later, but for now I¡¯m going to go with Goretta to have a chat with Vik and Tham. She¡¯s not going to hurt them, but she is pissed, and she is going to tear a strip¨Cfiguratively¨Coff both of them. It¡¯ll be rather entertaining. She looked at the Nagarajin, "You''re going to stay here?¡± ¡°They asked me to do security duty.¡± She said, ¡°So, yes.¡± ¡°Great.¡± Mira said, then smiling she turned to the others, ¡°Though, you lot might want to take off. Goretta¡¯s angry, and while I didn¡¯t tell her you weren¡¯t here, I also didn¡¯t tell her you were.¡± She grinned, ¡°So, hurry off and keep me out of trouble.¡± ¡°Yes, let¡¯s go.¡± Snout said, taking Flit¡¯s arm and hurrying them away. TO, DH, and Avery followed the two, and when they were nearly at the end of the hallway Snout turned to Flit, ¡°Do you trust her now?¡± ¡°I trust her more.¡± Flit muttered, rubbing the band on their hand. ¡°I trust her.¡± TO said. They glanced at DH, but their mate didn¡¯t seem nearly as relieved. They seemed to stare out at nothing, their ears still low and back. TO squeezed DH¡¯s hand, and while they squeezed back and flashed a quick smile at TO, the smile didn¡¯t move their ears. Of course that wouldn¡¯t have cheered them. Mira wasn¡¯t DH¡¯s friend, and they weren¡¯t as close to Goretta as they had been to Vik. The damage was already done for DH. Had Mira and Goretta been involved, it simply would have been another strike on their already wounded mate. They recalled how DH had interrupted Mira, saying that they and Vik ¡®had¡¯ been friends. While their sudden quick friendship had sparked jealousy and worry in TO before, now it¡¯s absence worried them. They wanted DH to be happy, and Vik¡¯s actions, their duplicity, hurt DH deeply. There was no fixing this, but if there was TO knew that they fix it in a heartbeat, just to see DH happy again. Episode 326: delegation ¡°... Flit?¡± ¡°Yes, TO?¡± ¡°What do we do now?¡± The question had spun in TO¡¯s head since they left the old prison halls. What do they do now? Goretta was clearly not involved, and that was a relief. Mira didn¡¯t seem involved, or at least she didn¡¯t seem to be. The way she had handled people in the indebted center, and the way she led Goretta to revealing her lack of involvement in the matter told TO that despite how excluded she seemed, she might still have had some part in it, or at least knew more than she let on. Regardless, her actions and candor told TO that at the very least she was someone they could rely on. So Mira and Goretta were blameless, but Tham and Vik had set this up, and others might have known. The question of who they could trust was center stage in TO¡¯s mind, and they didn¡¯t know how to deal with that. Did they question everyone using subtle questioning to determine who was involved, and who wasn¡¯t? Did they leave the insurgents and figure things out on their own? If they left, what did they do after that? And what about GiDi? GiDi wouldn¡¯t leave Pearla behind, and likely wouldn¡¯t go with them. Was GiDi safe? Had Vik and Tham put the same failsafe in them? Worse yet, did Pearla know? ¡°We continue on with the plan.¡± Flit said after they walked in silence for several more minutes. ¡°We need to get off Arkane; all of us. We need to make sure GiDi and Pearla get off Arkane, and don¡¯t decide to stay behind in some self-sacrificial gesture. Even setting aside our personal wishes for their survival, they can both do a lot more living than they can if they¡¯re dead.¡± ¡°It¡¯s possible that Vik and Tham were the only ones involved.¡± Snout said. ¡°Vik was the one who set up the chips, right? Maybe nobody else had anything to do with it.¡± ¡°Possibly.¡± Flit said, his ears twitching, his voice slow and thoughtful as he rolled the word around his mouth, ¡°But we don¡¯t know. We needed to find out about Goretta, since she¡¯s helped us with a lot of medical issues¡­¡± They rubbed at their bad leg, frowning, ¡°And Mira can probably help us find out who else knows, If we ask her.¡± They glanced back at TO, ¡°You should ask her to find out.¡± ¡°Right.¡± TO said with a nod. Of the four of them, TO suspected they had spent the most time with Mira, and she expressed her trust in them. Mira could also follow the ¡®subtle questioning¡¯ plan that rolled in TO¡¯s head far better than they themself could. ¡°Also, we have to tell GiDi as soon as possible.¡± Their ears flicked down, flushing slightly as they recalled the reason for GiDi¡¯s absence, ¡°And, uh¡­ When might it be best to talk to GiDi?¡± ¡°Two more days, I think.¡± Snout said. ¡°Though, I¡¯m making a guess based on previous experience, and a very rudimentary knowledge of Nagarajin biology. Last time it was about three days, but that could shift depending on Pearla.¡± ¡°Two more days,¡± Flit said, ¡°Then a single day before our planned departure-¡± ¡°What?¡± TO stopped, their ears flicking back in panic, ¡°Wait. That''s only three days. We had an Arkanian week-¡± ¡°And you spent half that dealing with the Indebted Center.¡± Flit said, ¡°We¡¯re running out of time now.¡± Three days. They¡¯d be leaving on the fourth day. By then, everything needed to be done. They had to have the path to their ship secured, everyone ready to go, food and supplies ready, the ship ready for takeoff and prepared to withstand an attack in case Gyrini tried to stop them. ¡°When do the synths get here?¡± TO asked. The synths. More and more, the coming armada seemed so different from themself, as though synths were different species and not others who had similar genetics as them, and who went through the same training. Others, who might even be a blood relation to TO; siblings of Flit or whoever their other parent was. How strange it was that genetic relatives and former comrades could seem to be a different species, how they could be synths, and while TO was viewing themself as Chilacian more and more. Synths apart from King Decon. Synths with unaltered brains. Chilacian. ¡°We¡¯re thinking it¡¯ll arrive the day after we leave.¡± Flit said. ¡°We¡¯re guessing, of course. We¡¯re making the best calculations we can with the minute information we have. They could arrive earlier, or later.¡± ¡°We need to finish prepping the ship.¡± TO said, trying not to think of the mess that would happen if the synths arrived earlier. ¡°We can take priority on that. What¡¯s left to do won¡¯t take that long, a day at most. I¡¯ll order a refuel too.¡± ¡°Won¡¯t that seem suspicious?¡± Avery asked, ¡°I mean, doesn¡¯t a refuel have to go through government agencies? That¡¯s what happened when we left Heramu. If Gyrini sees a refuel ordered, won¡¯t that tip her off that we¡¯re planning to leave?¡± ¡°The synths are arriving.¡± TO said, ¡°It makes perfect sense for us to fuel up and be ready for departure, depending on our orders.¡± They frowned as they considered Gyrini, as they thought of what they themself might think if they saw an order from strangely absent synths. ¡°It might make her suspicious. Of course, no order might also make her suspicious.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± DH said, ¡°That¡¯s just a day of work, at most. We could go now and do it.¡± ¡°You need to rest first.¡± Snout said, ¡°It¡¯s been a long day, a taxing day, and it¡¯s getting late.¡± ¡°We can rest at the ship, and get started first thing in the morning.¡± TO said, but Flit shook their head. ¡°We¡¯re still working on clearing a path to your ship.¡± They said, ¡°It¡¯s almost clear, but not quiet. You can¡¯t get there until they finish the tunnel.¡± ¡°So what, we just wait?¡± DH snapped, ¡°We work with people we don¡¯t know we can trust-¡± This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it. ¡°You¡¯ll probably help with the medical prep.¡± Snout said, ¡°So, you¡¯ll be working with Goretta. Avery, you¡¯ll probably help in the kitchens, prepping food for the trip.¡± ¡°And I should go help with the tunnels.¡± TO said, their ears dropping slightly. They were skilled back in training, and very useful on the more dangerous missions they did for the insurgents, but they lacked particular skills to make them useful in the more mundane, practical ways. ¡°Actually¡­¡± Flit stopped, and turned to face TO, ¡°Since GiDi¡¯s¡­ occupied.¡± Their ears dipped slightly, taking on the slightest shade of blue. ¡°You could probably help by coordinating things among everyone.¡± TO was just getting over the shock of their limited time when this next shock hit them. Their ears dipped, their eyes went wide, their wings fell limp over their shoulders as they muttered a quiet, ¡°What?¡± ¡°Well, someone needs to coordinate things. That¡¯s normally GiDi. I was doing it today but¡­¡± they shook their head, ¡°I¡¯m not as well known to the civilians here as you are, and I have other things to do. It¡¯s a waste of time for me to explain my reasoning for every little thing to convince someone to do as I ask them.¡± ¡°They won¡¯t trust me!¡± TO said in a voice far higher than normal, ¡°I mean,Vik and Tham literally just-¡± ¡°Lots of civilians were looking for you while you were gone.¡± Flit said, ¡°Looking for, ¡®the one with the scarred wing, who helped those indebted out of Thalassa, and out of the indebted center.¡± ¡°I think your friends were applauding you as well.¡± Snout added. ¡°Pearla¡¯s artist friend, and the other one-¡± ¡°Petra?¡± TO said, thinking of the winged reptilian. ¡°Yes, her.¡± Snout grinned, ¡°They¡¯ve been raving about the two of you. You must have told them about your training too, because they¡¯ve been talking about that.¡± ¡°What do you mean talking about our training?¡± DH asked. ¡°Mostly, they seemed to have focused on the practices of correction and repurposing, and leadership¡¯s views about excessive interpersonal connections.¡± Snout said, ¡°At any rate, half the civilians feel sympathetic.¡± They shrugged, ¡°Mira said we all need therapy, right? That¡¯s a sentiment that¡¯s been buzzing around.¡± ¡°The point is this.¡± Flit said, ¡°TO, you¡¯ve helped indebted people in a big way, they¡¯ve seen you helping, passing out food and water, and you have civilian friends who vouch for you. More people are going to listen to you than they will us.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve been here longer.¡± TO said. ¡°Yes, but we¡¯ve been out of sight.¡± Flit said. ¡°And DH, while they¡¯ve been helping medically¡­¡± They trailed off, their ears flicking slightly. ¡°... I¡¯m more useful that way.¡± DH said. ¡°And¡­ TO is better at planning things, organizing¡­ They were the one being prepared to be some kind of officer back in training! I wasn¡¯t.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not the same!¡± TO said, their ears flicking down and flushing from the high regard of their abilities. ¡°That¡¯s about managing synths-¡± ¡°Innovative, determined, hardworking. 09T07 seems uniquely designed to manage, teach, and guide.¡± Flit¡¯s words rattled off as though they were reading from a screen, their ears taking on that impassive, cold angle they had back in training, ¡°Subject would be best suited in some form of leadership position. Recommendation: lead role in placement, followed by a position as Officer in Training or Overseer in Training.¡± they turned to TO, ¡°You have a predisposition for this kind of work. You¡¯ll be fine.¡± ¡°But again, that¡¯s synths-¡± ¡°You¡¯re not training people here.¡± Flit finally said with a sigh, ¡°You¡¯re coordinating, and delegating. Most of the hard work has been done, the jobs are all listed, you just have to make sure things get done. The others will listen to you.¡± Maybe they¡¯d listen. Flit and Snout seemed so sure, but TO didn¡¯t have their confidence. Would Vik and Tham listen to them? And how would the other civilians react when TO started telling people what to do?¡± ¡°Anyway, that¡¯s for tomorrow.¡± Snout said. ¡°For now, you need food and rest.¡± They shook their head, ¡°And get up early tomorrow.¡± They added, ¡°Come see us before you go anywhere else.¡± ¡°Why?¡± TO asked. Snout glanced around quickly before answering, ¡°We¡¯re going to talk more about our plans for the next few days.¡± That look, quick and careful, told TO more than their words did. Whatever it was, it was important, but they couldn¡¯t talk about it here. ¡°We could go to your room now?¡± TO offered, ¡°And talk about it right now?¡± ¡°I promise, it can wait.¡± Flit said. ¡°You¡¯ve been through a lot today, and I need you all rested and ready tomorrow.¡± They glanced over the three synths, ¡°All three of you. Understand?¡± ¡°Understood.¡± The three of them spoke in unison, as though they were back in training. Flit sighed and turned to Avery. ¡°Stay with them tonight.¡± They said as they jerked their head to TO and Flit, ¡°I don¡¯t want you near Kei for now, and I don¡¯t think you should be alone. I don¡¯t think you have been alone since you left that room, right?¡± Avery nodded. ¡°Then stay with them for now. We¡¯ll sort things out when we¡¯re safe.¡± TO wouldn¡¯t have let Avery be on their own tonight anyway, not after everything that happened. It wasn¡¯t just the recent isolation; it was Kei¡¯s actions. Once Kei''s attack settled in their mind, it seemed like part of Avery broke. It was much like how Vik¡¯s part in the whole mess seemed to break a part of DH. TO wouldn¡¯t say they were unaffected by the incident, but nobody had hurt them as deeply as Kei and Vik hurt Avery and DH. ¡°We¡¯ll stick together.¡± TO said. They¡¯d make sure that Avery and DH were alright tonight. They¡¯d keep their family safe. Episode 327: tradeoff TO was all but certain that Lake had nothing to do with the clandestine addition of the failsafe to their chips. However, This wasn¡¯t because they had any level of trust for the arachnoid. The reason TO felt Lake had no part in Vik and Tham¡¯s actions was simply because he seemed to be far too busy. Today, for example, Lake seemed to have thrown all his energy into bottling. He hung from the ceiling on two gangly legs as five of his remaining limbs were busy at work, dealing with several things all at once; stirring pots, chopping vegetables, and taking clean, empty jars from a pot which spewed a constant pillar of steam into the air. The only hand that wasn¡¯t busy held a thermos which Lake would occasionally drink from. He seemed entirely unbothered by the heat and humidity that filled the kitchen, making it uncomfortable even for synths. Steam hung in the air like a blanket of fog before settling on every surface and forming tiny droplets of moisture. As the door closed behind them, Lake glanced up, sparing them the briefest of glances before going back to his work. ¡°Stew.¡± Lake said as they filled one of the clean bottles to the brim. ¡°Bottles and bottles of stew. I swear, if you touch a single unsealed jar I¡¯ll keep you here the whole damn night to help me finish this.¡± The stew smelled delicious. The scent of the seasoned cocopod meat was obvious to them, but other smells that they were entirely unfamiliar with hung in the air as well, earthy and nutty. They closed their eyes and tried to place the scent, but they couldn¡¯t. It was something entirely unfamiliar to them. Would they be able to eat it? With a disappointed dip to their ears, TO realized that it didn¡¯t matter. They had their plain nutrition cubes in the ship, and they had everything a synth needed to be healthy. The food Lake was preparing was for the civilians. ¡°It smells good.¡± TO said. Maybe the compliment would encourage Lake to let TO and the others have a taste. Even if they couldn¡¯t eat it, they could at least taste it before they had to spit it out. ¡°Thanks.¡± Lake said even as their eyes darted around the kitchen at all the things they were working on. They finished stirring one pot, then scurried across the room and retrieved three containers from a high shelf. They plopped these on the table before going back to their work. ¡°Please tell me there¡¯s a way to heat food on your ship. We can eat this at room temperature in a pinch, but it¡¯ll be far nicer if we can warm it.¡± ¡°There¡¯s not.¡± TO said, frowning, ¡°We don¡¯t have any means to prepare food on our ship-¡± ¡°What?¡± Lake¡¯s hands stopped working for just a moment, ¡°How do you eat then?¡± ¡°We have cubes.¡± TO said, ¡°Balanced, artificial nutrition cubes. GiDi didn¡¯t tell you?¡± ¡°They said they ate cubes in training, but don''t you have to make them on your ship?¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t know how to make them.¡± TO said, a bitter grin lifting the corners of their lips as their ears pinned back slightly, ¡°But the cubes can last for years in the right conditions. They¡¯re nutrient dense, possessing everything we need to live.¡± They held up their hand, ¡°And they¡¯re small enough to fit in the palm of my hand. One cube per meal. It¡¯s ideal for space travel.¡± ¡°I see¡­¡± Lake said, ¡°Sounds disgusting. How does it taste?¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t.¡± TO said. ¡°It¡¯s not meant to taste, it¡¯s meant to nourish.¡± ¡°That should be illegal.¡± Lake grumbled as they went back to work, ¡°Honesty, making food designed not to have a flavor. Does Decon hate synths or something? Does he want to steal every sliver of joy from you?¡± He sighed and shook his head, ¡°If I bring a heating tray, can we find a place to set that up?¡± TO nearly said no as there were no outlets on the ship to plug anything like that in. However, with all the maintenance they had done on their ship, they knew where the wires connected behind the wall, knew where they could set up an outlet if they had to. ¡°If you get me the supplies I¡¯d need, I can set up a place for you.¡± ¡°Good.¡± Lake said, ¡°I¡¯ll send off a message for that, and I¡¯ll give you a list of how many outlets would be best.¡± They fell silent, their hands moving even as they seemed for the moment lost in thought. ¡°What about water?¡± They asked. ¡°I don¡¯t know much about space travel, but I know water is heavy, and it¡¯s a big problem or something. How are we for water for everyone?¡± ¡°The ship has water recycling and purification systems.¡± TO said, ¡°I¡¯ll do one more check before we leave, but our system is fully operational.¡± ¡°Great. Recycled water.¡± Lake said, their mandibles clicking, ¡°Don¡¯t tell too many people that.¡± ¡°Technically, all water is recycled.¡± TO pointed out, ¡°Recycled in nature. Our systems just speed up and perfect the process.¡± ¡°Still. Don¡¯t tell too many people that.¡± Lake said. They looked to Avery, ¡°Avery, when am I going to have your help again? I have eight hands, but even that¡¯s not enough.¡± Avery hadn¡¯t been paying attention, not really. They watched Lake move, watched their ceaseless hands, but didn¡¯t really pay attention to the conversation. When Lake said their name it was like he pulled them from sleep. They blinked, and looked up, ¡°Sorry¡­ What?¡± ¡°Your help.¡± Lake said again. ¡°I could use your help.¡± ¡°We need to rest.¡± TO said, ¡°All of us. It¡¯s been a long, hard day.¡± They gently set their hand on Avery¡¯s forearm. ¡°Avery will be here tomorrow, but we really need rest.¡± Lake finally seemed to realize something was wrong. Their hands stopped working as they walked across the ceiling to come closer to Avery, stopping only when they were a foot apart from them. With Avery¡¯s height, and Lake¡¯s trick of dangling from the ceiling, this put the two basically face to face. ¡°What happened?¡± Lake asked, ¡°Did you get hurt out there?¡± ¡°Something like that.¡± Avery muttered. ¡°It¡¯s not important.¡± ¡°Well, it is!¡± Lake said. They frowned and went over to the cupboard again. Their hands dug deep inside and eventually came out with a small jar of fruit suspended in syrup. ¡°Here.¡± They said as they scurried back over and pressed the jar in Avery¡¯s hand, ¡°They¡¯re old preserves, but they¡¯re still good. They¡¯re very sweet. You all like sweet things, right?¡± ¡°I¡­¡± Avery looked at the jar, their ears flicked back and tinted with the faintest shade of blue. Despite that though, there was the slightest pinning of their ears as they peered into the jar. ¡°It¡¯s¡­ unnecessary-¡± ¡°What we can¡¯t take with us is going to be eaten the day before we leave, or left to sit here.¡± Lake said ¡°You might as well have some now. ¡°Thanks¡­¡± Avery said, even as they peered into the bottle as though looking for something. The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°It¡¯s not poisoned.¡± Lake said with a chuckle as they went back to their work, ¡°At worst it¡¯s fermented, but I doubt that since it¡¯s air-tight. And as you can see, I take great pains to bottle my preserves carefully, so they last a long time. I¡¯ve had stuff sitting on a shelf for years and it still tasted as good as the day I bottled it when I finally got to use it, and nobody¡¯s ever gotten sick from eating my preserves.¡± Even TO was grateful that Lake now had their back to Avery so that they didn¡¯t see their reaction. As soon as Lake said the word, ¡®poisoned¡¯, Avery¡¯s ears shot down in panic. ¡°If they wanted to poison us, they¡¯d have done it already.¡± TO whispered in synth speak. They cleared their throat before switching back to Galactic common. ¡°Thanks, Lake.¡± they said as they grabbed the food from the table and hooked an arm around Averys, ¡°We¡¯ll see you tomorrow.¡± They rushed out the door, Avery on their arm and DH behind them as they caught Lake saying something like, ¡®You¡¯d best¡¯ or ¡®Get rest.¡¯ They didn¡¯t stop to ask what they actually said, it didn¡¯t matter. Right now, they wanted to get Avery back to their room. ====== Rather than bring their food to the common room and risk eating in hostile silence with Tham or Vik, TO led DH and Avery back to their own room, where they could eat at the small, square table in peace. Of course, as soon as they settled in to eat it became clear that eating in their room wouldn¡¯t be much better. TO had gotten used to eating with others, the conversation ranging from flippant and irreverent to thoughtful both here among the insurgents and back in the indebted center. Before they joined the insurgents, when they ate outside their ship they suffered the backdrop of a hundred other conversations happening in the background which even the translators in their ears couldn¡¯t filter out for them. Even back in training, though there was a clinical silence that overtook the cafeteria, it never seemed personal. The lack of conversation, amplified by the sounds of chewing and drinking from all around them, created an emotionless silence It was indifferent and dispassionate. The silence that stalked their room now as they ate their modest meal was a different creature altogether; a dominating presence that threatened to crush them with its enormous weight as it watched them chew and swallow. It made TO feel like they should apologize for every accidental noise they made, for every time they felt they swallowed too loudly or breathed too deeply. As DH and Avery cracked the shells of roasted cocopods to get at the juicy meat inside, every snap of chitin made TO jump, as though the noise would anger someone or something. This lasted only a handful of minutes before TO couldn¡¯t take it anymore. They slid the band holding their chip in place from their wrist to the back of their hand, connecting chip to skin. Once everything was connected and online, they pulled up an old musical for the three of them to watch while they ate. Removing the chip from their skin had clearly affected the quality of the connection. The video flickered, and a wave of flickering distortion often swept over the show. Sound which had once been rich now sounded tinny and weak, as though TO were listening to it through a pipe. Well, that didn¡¯t entirely matter. This show was one they had seen at least a dozen times before, and its familiarity brought comfort to them almost immediately. It was a musical that they and DH put on when they wanted to watch something, but didn¡¯t know what. It was something they had watched over and over with Avery in the time after GiDi had left the training center. TO had played it in their head during that week of isolation with DH, and they even replayed parts, mouthing the words to the songs as they tried to seep in the indebted center. It helped. It didn¡¯t scare away the silence, but it made the monster something they could ignore. As they finished their meal, they could all pretend they were so quiet because they were watching the show and not for any other reasons. ¡°... Once we have access to the ship, I¡¯m going to check our chips.¡± DH said a while later, once they had finished their meal and had been sitting, staring at the projection playing before them for a time. ¡°I can check all our chips from the ship, and then I can run a repair scan and see what he¡¯s changed. Maybe I can remove the failsafe.¡± ¡°Will that be safe?¡± TO asked. ¡°I mean¡­ Vik did more than just add that, right?¡± ¡°Oh, yes.¡± DH said, their ears pinning and their eyes narrowing as soon as TO mentioned Vik. ¡°They blocked tracking to the synth systems, blocked recording, and redirected any messages that might come to us from other synths.¡± TO¡¯s ear quirked out, frowning over DH¡¯s phrasing, ¡°Redirected?¡± They asked. ¡°Yes.¡± DH said, ¡°If he blocked it entirely, they would have thought something was wrong sooner than they did. Messages are going through, but they¡¯re just not going to us.¡± ¡°I see¡­¡± TO said. It seemed odd to them, now that they considered it, that they had heard nothing from Ark-1. ¡°Have they contacted us?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± DH said, ¡°I never looked into it. I figured Vik would tell me if Ark-1 or if anyone else sent us anything, But now I don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°So it¡¯s being redirected to Vik¡¯s system.¡± TO said. ¡°Yeah.¡± DH said, frowning. ¡°Maybe I should see if I can check them. Who knows what they¡¯ve sent, or what Vik is doing with the information.¡± ¡°.... Did you ever think things were easier back when we were synths?¡± Avery asked, drawing DH and TO¡¯s attention suddenly to them. Avery had been silent, picking at their food with little interest in eating much. Even the sweet preserved fruit seemed to hold no interest to them. ¡°No.¡± TO¡¯s opinion on that was firm, if only for one reason. ¡°It was harder when we were synths, for us at least.¡± ¡°But you were a good synth.¡± Avery said, glancing up, ¡°You did well.¡± ¡°We couldn¡¯t be together, Avery.¡± DH said, ¡°Not like we are now. We had to keep things secret, and we didn¡¯t know if we¡¯d still see each other after our placement.¡± ¡°Ark-1 was about to separate us.¡± TO said, ¡°That¡¯s why you and Kei came here in the first place, remember?¡± ¡°Right¡­¡± Avery said, looking back to their food. They had broken all the cocopod shells, working the meat out and piling it up in the corner of the food container before picking at the slivers of meat, eating in a halfhearted, forced manner. ¡°... Was it easier for you?¡± TO finally asked. Avery sighed, ¡°It was¡­ simpler.¡± They said, ¡°Kei never attacked me. I felt I could trust those I worked with, even if we weren¡¯t close. So long as I did my work, I could read as much as I wanted, and I was fine.¡± They glanced up, their ears dipping back, ¡°I¡¯m happy to be here with you, DH, and GiDi. And knowing about the Chilacians is helpful. Knowing about families, and how they¡¯re formed¡­¡± They stopped, and shook their head, ¡°But, I never hurt like this before.¡± TO watched Avery in silence as they tried to think of something to say, something to make things better. There wasn¡¯t anything they could say, of course. Kei had hurt Avery, the insurgents had isolated them, and there was nothing TO could do to make either of those things better. They recalled Snout just a little earlier, asking if Avery had been alone since the insurgents released them from isolation, and commenting that they¡¯d deal with that when they were safe. How would they deal with what they had done to Avery? How could they possibly fix this? They couldn¡¯t. ¡°... This is an unpleasant situation.¡± TO finally said. ¡°We¡¯re stuck here, the threat of an artificial planetary extinction event is just days away, and¡­ and we¡¯ve learned a lot in the last while.¡± ¡°That¡¯s one way to put it.¡± DH muttered. ¡°And¡­ I don''t think we¡¯ll get to think about it too much until we¡¯re safe. Until we¡¯re on Apoikia.¡± TO didn¡¯t add that they didn¡¯t know if Apoikia would be any better for them. Maybe it wouldn¡¯t be. Maybe the Chilacians would be less accepting of them. Still, they had to hope things would go well there. Avery gave a grunt and picked at their food more. As they did this, DH frowned and got up, looking for their med kit. ¡°How¡¯s your stomach?¡± They asked as they brought their kit back over to the bed. ¡°Fine.¡± ¡°Do you want something for it, just in case?¡± They asked, poking around their bag. ¡°Or¡­ maybe a sleeping solution?¡± ¡°... that might be nice.¡± DH dug out some small packets from the bottom of their bag, along with a small plastic cup. They poured water out from their water bottle into the cup and added the powder before mixing it all together using a plastic stick from their bag. ¡°... I¡¯m sorry about Kei.¡± DH said as they pushed the drink towards Avery. ¡°I¡¯m sorry they hurt you. BUt you have us, you know?¡± ¡°You said we¡¯re family.¡± TO added, their voice soft, ¡°That Chilacians don¡¯t take blood relations into account when building a family.¡± Avery nodded, but didn¡¯t respond. Silently, they took the cup and drank the medicine which would pull them to sleep. ====== They choose not to bathe before bed that night. Avery was falling asleep mere minutes after they took their medication, and neither DH nor TO wanted to leave them alone. While DH said that TO could go on their own, TO refused. After the hurt inflicted on them by Vik, TO didn¡¯t want DH to be on their own. They regretted this decision once DH was asleep. The grime they gained in the outer ring clung to their skin and left TO feeling itchy and restless. Maybe they should get up and go to shower now that DH was asleep. Or, maybe they¡¯d just do what they did back when they were in isolation, and bathe from the pitcher of water in the corner. When they got back on their ship, they¡¯d bathe twice a day. Hopefully, they could do the same on Apoikia. They¡¯d never feel dirty again, that was their promise. At least, they wouldn¡¯t feel dirty for very long. They wouldn¡¯t toss and turn, conscious of the grit and grime on their skin as they tried to sleep. As happy as they were to be in a place where they could be with DH openly, they missed the cleanliness of their old training facilities. It was nearly a relief when a communicator dinged, something to distract them from their failure in acquiring rest. It wasn¡¯t their communicator though; it was DH¡¯s. They nudged DH, but their mate was deeply asleep. With a sigh, TO settled in again, but the communicator dinged once more. A few minutes later, it went off again. When it went off a fourth time, TO sighed and got up, grabbing the communicator from its spot on the floor next to them. Without DH¡¯s chip, they couldn¡¯t access it properly but they could see who the message was from Seeing Vik¡¯s name on DH¡¯s communicator drove the remaining sleep from their head. They couldn¡¯t read the message, of course, but they figured if he was messaging DH, then there was only one place the small creature would be. TO got up, pulled the covers up past DH¡¯s shoulders and kissed them gently on the head before they went to the corner and grabbed their clothes from the day before. They didn¡¯t know why Vik was messaging DH now, but they knew they wouldn¡¯t let that small creature hurt their mate again. Episode 328: Prey It was only a five-minute walk from their room to the common room, but TO made it there in less than three, taking long, angry strides over the uneven stone floor. Stopping themself just as they reached the door to the common room, they took several long breaths to cool their temper, to push back the memory of DH¡¯s hurt at Vik¡¯s involvement with the failsafe. Yes, they wanted to deal with this, to confront the rodent-like creature, but they didn¡¯t want to risk their anger getting the best of them. The image of GiDi, snarling and baring their teeth when Pearla was in a risky situation had stuck with them and they didn¡¯t want to scare Vik like that, didn¡¯t want to give the insurgents any reason to think they needed a failsafe. They also didn¡¯t want to lose their temper and draw their claws. DH and GiDi weren¡¯t here to hold them back now, and TO knew that any encounter between their own claws and the diminutive hacker would be absolutely fatal to the small creature. A final deep breath, a reminder that getting angry wouldn¡¯t help them, DH, or Avery, and they opened the door and walked into the common room with cold, placid restraint. As they suspected Vik was at their computer, his little hands working away on the tiny modified keyboard he had made for himself. They glanced up and did something TO hadn¡¯t expected; they stopped typing. Not only did they stop typing, but they also turned away from the computer to face TO directly. ¡°Dee.¡± They breathed the nickname with a sigh of relief, ¡°I was so worried you wouldn¡¯t show up, I-¡± They paused as they looked closer at TO, as the extra moment of observation allowed Vik to note the distinct lack of a scar on TO¡¯s face. ¡°Not DH.¡± TO said, their words snapping out of their mouth in a quick and angry staccato, ¡°And not Avery either. Can you only tell us apart by our scars? Should I spread my wings for you?¡± It was a relief to spread their wings a little, the anger they were holding back wanted to puff them up, but TO had been resisting. Spreading them now so that Vik could see the series of scars on the membrane of their wing felt like they were giving into that anger, even if it was only a little. Vik froze, their eyes going big, their ears suddenly perking upright and twitching with random, jerking movements. They remembered what Tham had said earlier once they realized Vik had disappeared after telling them about the failsafe. ¡°I don¡¯t plan to eat you.¡± TO said, their nose wrinkling up at the notion. ¡°I don¡¯t even like looking at blood.¡± ¡°I never said anything about you eating me.¡± Vik said, though their voice was strained, their tail was lashing back and forth behind them. They went back to their computer, fingers on the keyboard, eyes to the screen even as their ears twitched about. ¡°And¡­ I expected DH to show you. Not you. The three of you look alike. Sorry it took me a minute.¡± ¡°My ears are far more narrow than DH¡¯s.¡± TO said, ¡°And their jawline is more rounded. They¡¯re also shorter than I am.¡± ¡°Right.¡± Vik said, ¡°Sorry.¡± TO huffed and crossed their arms before leaning against the now closed door. Though their wings were now relaxed, they didn¡¯t bother draping them over their shoulders again. ¡°What did you want?¡± They asked. ¡°... I wanted to talk to DH.¡± Vik said without looking up. ¡°DH is asleep.¡± TO said, ¡°And frankly, they probably want to talk to you less than I do.¡± The typing slowed, the constant tap-tapping winding down as though it was run by a battery that was quickly running out of power. ¡°... Yeah, I know.¡± ¡°So, what did you want?¡± TO said again. ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± ¡°You sent DH a message in the middle of the night, and from your reaction I¡¯m guessing you wanted them to meet you here. That¡¯s something.¡± Vik continued typing, the lethargic clicking of keys the only sound in the room. ¡°Fine.¡± TO said with a shrug when it became clear Vik would not start talking. ¡°If you don¡¯t want to talk, then I will.¡± they pushed away from the wall and walked towards Vik, their steps slow and purposeful, their ears pinned. They had to press their lips together twice to make sure they weren¡¯t baring their teeth, and their fingertips dug into their arms. Keeping their arms crossed right now was probably the best idea. ¡°I don¡¯t think you understand how much you¡¯ve hurt DH.¡± ¡°I do!¡± Vik said, turning back to TO, ¡°I do, I-¡± ¡°No. You didn¡¯t want to talk before, so now, you listen.¡± Another step forward. They were close enough that Vik had to look up at TO. Their eyes were bigger than TO had ever seen them before, their tail a ceaseless whip behind them. TO wondered if Vik noticed they had gotten to their feet, their body tense and ready to flee. ¡°You have no idea what DH has been through.¡± ¡°They told me¡­ They told me about losing GiDi.¡± He said, their eyes flicking from TO¡¯s face to their hands. ¡°They told me they were worried about being separated from you.¡± ¡°Oh? Did they tell you about a synth we called Q10?¡± They demanded. ¡°A former ¡®friend¡¯ of DH¡¯s who broke their heart. Did they tell you how Kei had a hand in that? Did they tell you how Kei told any synth that got close to them to stay away? That DH broken somehow? That they were dangerous to be around?¡± ¡°... No.¡± Vik said, taking a tiny step back on their desk. ¡°No, they didn¡¯t tell me that.¡± ¡°We spent thirty days in that training center before we met each other.¡± TO said, ¡°Thirty galactic days. Forty galactic hours per day.¡± They did the calculations in their head. Galactic hours were longer than Arkanian hours, as were the days. It took only a moment for them to calculate things. ¡°Over two months.¡± They finally said, ¡°Two Arkanian months, with no family and no friends, just constant rejection and betrayal from anyone they thought might be a friend.¡± ¡°They didn¡¯t say that.¡± Vik said, looking back down at their computer. ¡°But¡­ I didn¡¯t tell them I wasn¡¯t¡­ wasn¡¯t their friend-¡± This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. ¡°You put an off switch in their head without telling them.¡± TO hissed, ¡°They thought you were their friend, thought you trusted them. They trusted you!¡± ¡°I know!¡± Vik said, ¡°And¡­ and I wanted to tell them. Not I first, I mean, I didn¡¯t know them at first.¡± They looked up, ¡°Look, I didn¡¯t have many friends either, you know! Getting kicked out of school so young, being the family disappointment, being the person who people are careful not to bring up at parties? I didn¡¯t have friends until I ended up down here, and even then-¡± ¡°This isn¡¯t about you.¡± TO hissed. Maybe in the morning they¡¯d have more sympathy for Vik, but right now they had none. Right now, they could only think of DH¡¯s sobbing after a ¡®friend¡¯ had betrayed them. ¡°I know you didn¡¯t trust us at first but by this point, you¡¯d think that you would have told them!¡± ¡°I wanted to!¡± Vik snapped back, standing upright and making tight fists out of their tiny little paws, ¡°I wanted to¡­¡± ¡°Then why didn¡¯t you!¡± ¡°It wasn¡¯t my place to!¡± ¡°Oh, really?¡± TO snorted, ¡°It was your place to mess with the chips, to put the failsafe in, but not your place to tell them? Whose was it then? Tham¡¯s?¡± Vik fell silent as they glanced back at their computer. ¡°It¡­ it just wasn¡¯t my place to tell you.¡± ¡°Whose was it then?¡± ¡°Look¡­ T-this wasn¡¯t my idea in the first place.¡± Vik said. ¡°I just¡­ made it happen, right?¡± They rubbed their arms, ¡°I just¡­ filled a need. I fixed a problem. It¡¯s what I do.¡± ¡°What problem? The problem of us existing here? Of us being allowed out of our rooms and, you know¡­ Helping you all?¡± ¡°The problem of nobody trusting you!¡± Vik said, ¡°Myself included, at first. The problem of trying to convince people it¡¯d be ok. It was same problem you had, actually!¡± They pointed their little finger at TO, ¡°The problem of letting Kei out of isolation and letting them help us. I¡¯d say it all worked out pretty well in this case!¡± It had, yes. And it was true that TO was concerned about Kei. Still, that didn¡¯t change TO¡¯s mind, and didn''t soothe their anger. ¡°You never once told me you had a failsafe in Kei¡¯s chip.¡± ¡°No, and we didn¡¯t tell most other people!¡± he insisted. ¡°Only the three of us knew!¡± There it was; some truth. ¡°The three of you, hmm?¡± TO peered at Vik, returning his stare until the small hacker looked away. ¡°What three. There¡¯s you, and there¡¯s Tham. Who else was so well informed.¡± ¡°Look¡­ Look, that''s not important now.¡± Vik said as they sat back down, ¡°I only called DH here to apologize, To talk to them so maybe¡­¡± He sighed and shrugged, ¡°So many they wouldn¡¯t hate me.¡± ¡°You want to apologize?¡± TO hissed, ¡°You want to say you¡¯re sorry? You think you can just say you¡¯re sorry and undo the hurt you¡¯ve caused DH?¡± ¡°... I know I can¡¯t.¡± he said, ¡°But I want to try. I¡­ I like DH. I¡¯ve never had a friend like them.¡± They looked up. ¡°I¡­ I know this isn¡¯t about me, I do. But, I¡¯ve never had friends before I came here, and I never had a friend like DH. I never had someone I could talk to.¡± They gave a weak chuckle, ¡°The other kids my age¡­ Well, I skipped some grades, so I didn¡¯t talk to them. The kids I was in school with weren¡¯t interested in talking to me, the ones who lived around me thought I was boring and weird¡­ and by the time I was old enough to curb some of that weirdness, they had kicked me out of school and their parents were warning them to stay away from me.¡± They glanced back up at TO. ¡°I¡¯ve¡­ never had a friend like DH before. Keeping this from them made me feel sick to my stomach.¡± ¡°But you still kept it from them.¡± ¡°I... didn¡¯t want to hurt them more by telling them.¡± They whispered. TO stepped closer and crouched down so they were eye to eye with Vik, ¡°Look.¡± They hissed. ¡°You want to be friends with DH? Alright. Maybe they¡¯ll forgive you. Right now, they¡¯re not interested. Right now, they¡¯re angry, they¡¯re hurt, and your apology won¡¯t fix that.¡± ¡°I know-¡± ¡°And I think nothing will fix that.¡± TO said, ¡°But¡­ We are concerned about who else was in on this. Who else knew, but didn¡¯t tell us.¡± Their eyes narrowed, ¡°And from what you just told me, there was at least one other person who knew. So tell me who it was.¡± ¡°Please, that¡¯s not¡­ helpful.¡± ¡°It will be.¡± TO said, ¡°It¡¯ll be a start to fixing things, if they can be fixed.¡± If Vik told them something, told them something that might help them, maybe TO could convince DH that Vik was on their side. If they could feel certain that Vik wouldn¡¯t hurt DH again, maybe TO would even help things along. Anything to see a smile on DH¡¯s face again, to take away some of the hurt. Vik hugged themself, looking about as though searching for someone to save them. Finally, they looked back up at TO, ¡°If I tell you¡­ You can¡¯t tell them I told you.¡± Vik said, ¡°Please¡­¡± ¡°I won¡¯t.¡± TO said, trying to soften their voice as much as possible. Of course, their ears still signaled the anger they were attempting to hide, but hopefully Vik wasn¡¯t paying that much attention to them. ¡°Do you promise?¡± Vik asked, watching TO carefully, ¡°No matter who it was¡­ You can¡¯t tell them I told you.¡± ¡°I promise.¡± He looked down, silent, rubbing his little arms. Was he still considering what he was going to say? Were they planning a lie? TO wouldn¡¯t be able to tell if they lied. Civilians were so much better at it and lacked the ear movements to prove or deny their veracity. Vik took a deep breath, and then said in a voice so low and soft that if it weren¡¯t for their Chilacian sense of hearing, they would have missed it. ¡°...GiDi.¡± Episode 329: Reasoning ¡°GiDi.¡± At first, it was as though the two simple syllables that escaped Vik¡¯s mouth were incomprehensible. TO¡¯s mind, as sharp and as quick as it was, refused to interpret them, refused to accept the name that Vik gave them. When it finally settled in, when the sounds made sense, it felt like TO had heard them ages ago, although only seconds had passed. They had experienced this before, of course, when horrible things happened. TO wondered if that was their mind tricking them into getting more time between the event and the present. A part of their mind, probably the part that wanted to think of anything other than the implications of what Vik had just said, wondered if there was a word for that. ¡°... You¡¯re lying.¡± TO said. They were still crouched, so that they were face to face with Vik, but their entire demeanor had changed. Their once pinned ears had flattened at first, then sunk. Their narrowed eyes widened, their wings fell limp behind them. ¡°You¡¯re lying.¡± They said it again, this time with a little more determination, more certainty. Vik didn¡¯t look away. ¡°If I were, that would be stupid, wouldn¡¯t it be?¡± He said, ¡°When GiDi is done with this whole rutting thing or whatever it is-¡± ¡°Enkavma.¡± TO hissed. The embarrassment they might have felt, or the shock they¡¯d have experienced discovering Vik knew about that whole thing, was entirely shattered by everything else they were feeling. Vik sighed at the correction, ¡°I know.¡± he said, ¡°But I can¡¯t pronounce that word. It¡¯s Chilacian, and it has syllables that even Pholi can¡¯t pronounce. I think in Galactic Common, for a non-binary species they might call it ¡®Frenzy¡¯ but I¡¯m uncertain-¡± they stopped and shook their head, ¡°Look we can ask Pholi about that later. My point is, when GiDi is done with that, you can ask them. You can ask them directly¡­ though, make sure you don¡¯t let them know I told you. You promised that.¡± TO¡¯s ears twitched, their mind racing as they tried to discover some kind of loophole to that logic. Vik was right; If TO were to ask GiDi directly, then GiDi wouldn¡¯t be able to lie. If that was the case, if Vik knew that TO could just ask GiDi later, which he did¡­ Why would he tell such a lie? ¡°You¡¯re buying yourself time.¡± TO said, and though to a civilian their words sounded confident enough, anyone who could read their ears could see that of all the things TO felt, confidence wasn¡¯t one of them. ¡°I can¡¯t confirm this with GiDi for days yet-¡± ¡°What would I be buying myself time for?¡± Vik said, his little hands on his hips, ¡°I can¡¯t run away, the synths might choose to kill us all, and as far as I know we don¡¯t have the tech to defend against a global royal attack. Even if we did, the synths could likely override that. Also, if I want to be friends with DH, if I want them to forgive me, then why would I lie to you now? Wouldn¡¯t that make things worse for me later?¡± It would. It made no sense for Vik to lie about something so big, to lie about someone they and DH trusted so totally, and who they could easily question later with no doubt to their honesty. ¡°GiDi wouldn¡¯t do that.¡± TO said. It was the only argument they had standing against Vik¡¯s words. Vik sat down again, ¡°Look.¡± They said, their voice a little softer, their tail no longer flicking as much as it had been. ¡°... Look, I think they were going to tell you, but they suggested it, and-¡± ¡°Why would they do that!¡± TO snapped. ¡°It makes no sense-¡± ¡°It makes perfect sense if they wanted you out of isolation.¡± Vik¡¯s voice was calm now, their ears lower than they had been. TO was certain that the little creature didn¡¯t use his ears as much as synths and Chilacians did, but they had also noticed certain movements that were like their own, and which seemed to appear when he experienced more intense feelings. They perked up when Vik was interested in something, flattened against the top of his head when he was angry, and seemed to drop limply when he was sad. Right now, they were low and limp. ¡°They would have told us.¡± TO said, a low crack in their voice as their own ears dropped. ¡°Let¡¯s pretend you¡¯re GiDi.¡± Vik said, their fingers tapping on the side of their chair. ¡°You¡¯ve been here with your mate for nearly a year. You have a new life, new friends. Then your old friends from training, people who you consider family and who you¡¯ve missed horribly, show up on Arkane. You know they¡¯re in trouble, so you want to help them. You work to get them brought down to the underground where you know they¡¯ll be safe. But you¡¯re among insurgents, and while your new friends trust you, they don¡¯t trust these new synths. You also know your old friends won¡¯t trust the insurgents at all, so there¡¯s some worry for their safety.¡± He shrugged, finally looking away, ¡°On top of that¡­ Once they¡¯re here, they¡¯re put into isolation. They¡¯re locked in a room, and while you know that at least they¡¯re safe, you know that isn¡¯t good for them.¡± ¡°GiDi didn¡¯t know about that until-¡± ¡°I know, we don¡¯t need the specifics.¡± Vik huffed, ¡°Just listen.¡± TO fell silent, and Vik continued. ¡°Right. So. You know your friends are in isolation, and you want them out, but nobody trusts the synths. They don¡¯t know them, and they think you¡¯re being too emotional, thinking this is too personal for you to make a sound judgment on. So, you come up with an idea. You want your friends out of isolation. You know they must be missing their chips, so you also want them to have their chips back. As it happens, you know of a technology that¡¯s fairly harmless, which can knock a person out in seconds with the right proximity. You pitch that to the person with the biggest voice and most issues with letting your friends out of isolation-¡± ¡°Tham.¡± TO said, knowing exactly who Vik was talking about. Vik nodded ¡°And then you get your hacker friend, who¡¯s already working on the chips, reprogramming them so you can use them without access to the synth network, to see if he can incorporate that technology into the chips.¡± Vik shrugs, ¡°Your hacker friend is smart, and can do it with just a little experimentation. He puts the tech in. Tham is now mostly alright with them coming out, so long as he has an emergency button, so you agree. You don¡¯t tell others because you don¡¯t want anyone to take advantage of this technology, but with Tham¡¯s stance on this softened just slightly, the danger to your friends is reduced.¡± Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators! ¡°Then why not tell us?¡± TO asked. ¡°I know Tham said it could be a test.¡± They said as they went back to their computer, flicking through screens seemingly at random. ¡°They wanted to see what you do without knowing we can shut you down at any moment. I think Tham expected you to attack him that day you went with him into the tunnels. After that¡­¡± He gestured to TO, ¡°Well, I suppose they knew this would be the result. Maybe they planned to tell you when we were off Arkane. Maybe they didn¡¯t want to upset things in such a dangerous situation. I don¡¯t know why they were holding off after we started to trust you¡­ but they asked me and Tham not to tell you until they gave the ok.¡± It made sense. All of it made far too much sense. TO didn¡¯t know if they¡¯d do the same thing, if they could risk putting their friends, their family in danger like that, but from what Vik told them, they could at least understand the logic. It was a sound plan, one that TO wouldn¡¯t hesitate to implement if they were a little colder. ¡°Please don¡¯t tell DH.¡± Vik said, ¡°Not yet¡­ I¡­ I know they¡¯re already hurt. I know they¡¯re upset. This might be too much for them.¡± Wordless, TO stood up, turned around, and left the room. They ignored Vik¡¯s pleas to keep quiet about it for the sake of DH¡¯s feelings. Feelings. What were those? At that moment, TO felt so detached they couldn¡¯t feel anything. It was like they were deep inside their brain, controlling their body as though they were a worker from the indebted center, controlling a bot¨Ctheir body¨Cremotely. Feelings were something their body felt, and they weren¡¯t part of that right now. Numb and silent, they returned to their room. ====== The entire way to their room, it was like TO¡¯s mind didn¡¯t want to think, or at least didn¡¯t want to hold on to any thoughts. GiDi. For the moment, their brain resisted the very act of thinking, of taking an idea and examining it more fully. Anything they thought of, their normally sharp mind repelled,fleeing the ideas as though they were deadly. GiDi. It wasn¡¯t until they got back to their room and looked at Avery and DH sleeping that something finally stuck. In TO¡¯s absence, the two synths, their friend and their mate, had curled into each other in search of comfort against the pains of the day. Even with the overhead light off, their glowing communicators gave off enough of a glow that TO could see their faces, could see the deeper shade of blue around their eyes, and the trail of dried tears on their cheeks. The tear stains hadn¡¯t been there when they went to sleep, and TO realized that both of them must suffered unpleasant dreams or nightmares that manifested in the real world as sleeping tears. GiDi. Is this what DH and Avery felt like earlier? When Kei swung that pipe at Avery, did their mind go blank just as TO¡¯s had? Did a strange fog of disbelief blind their mind? When DH learned Vik had a hand in all this, had programmed the failsafe in their chips, had they suffered this strange numbness in the brief moments before it turned to the anger and rage that drove DH until they got to Flit and Snout, when they finally broke and let sorrow overtake them? GiDi had suggested the failsafe. Looking at the two of them curled up together, the evidence of lingering grief and betrayal on their face, TO knew they couldn¡¯t tell them right now. They wanted to! More than anything, they wanted to. They wanted to wake them both up right now and tell them what they had learned, share this frozen grief with their friends and get some relief from them¡­ But they couldn¡¯t. They didn¡¯t know if their friends could handle it right now. While the events from earlier had upset TO as well for a variety of reasons, it hadn¡¯t struck them as hard personally as it had Vik and Avery, and so TO had taken care of them to some extent. This would hurt all of them. GiDi was their family. Or, were they? Now that GiDi had a mate, To had thought that GiDi, Pearla, and Tham were a part of their family, an extension of it reaching out of the Chilacian species. But, maybe they were wrong. Maybe GiDi wasn¡¯t part of their family anymore. Maybe GiDi was part of Pearla¡¯s family. How would they know? They wondered if GiDi would choose their Chilacian family over their Nagarajin mate if such a situation arose. A multi-gun in their hand, forced to shoot one person or another, would GiDi shoot Pearla, or one of them. That wasn¡¯t a fair question, TO realized. If someone gave them a multi-gun and forced TO to choose between DH, or GiDi or Avery, they knew they¡¯d spare DH every time. It would hurt, and they¡¯d hate themself for it for the rest of their life, but they¡¯d still choose DH even while loving the others as their family. GiDi suggested the failsafe, and hadn¡¯t told them. After standing at the foot of the bed for far too long, TO finally went to their side of the bed and slipped in under the blankets, curling up against DH¡¯s back and pressing their cheek in the valley of muscle between DH¡¯s wings. They¡¯d have to tell them, eventually. It only took a moment of thought for them to realize when they should reveal their findings to their friends. Once GiDi finished with their Enkavma, TO would have to approach them and ask them directly. They¡¯d see GiDi¡¯s ears, and hear GiDi¡¯s truth. Then, when that was done, if Vik was right and GiDi had not only known but had suggested it, TO would insist that they tell DH and Avery. Somehow, they felt that might hurt less than if the two heard it from any other lips, including their own. Yes, that was a good plan. They just had to hide their own sorrow, the feeling of shock and betrayal that hung in their stomach. Hopefully, they¡¯d be so busy in the coming days they¡¯d not have time to deal with it. Hopefully, they could throw themself in their work, their new assignment, and push the thoughts away. Maybe, at the end of each day they¡¯d be so exhausted they¡¯d fall instantly to sleep regardless of what their mind wanted to think about. Clearly though, despite everything that had happened that day, they weren¡¯t yet at such a level of exhaustion. Their head practically vibrated with thoughts, and their stomach hurt. They didn''t want to dig into DH¡¯s med kit for sleeping pills as they didn¡¯t know the right dosage off hand, and knew that such supplies were best saved for more desperate needs. After a half hour of trying to sleep, they sat up and activated their communicator. The screen projected by their chip was unsteady and static-y now that the chip was no longer attached to their hand, but their communicator was still clear and easy to read. They pulled up the file that Snout sent them the other day and started reading. Episode 330: Guide Family Chilacian Dynamics The average Chilacian family has about sixteen people in it. Some families can be bigger, and some smaller. A healthy family has no less than three people, for reasons we will get into later. You may wonder how you¡¯re all connected! You know you have your Yonis, (GC. Parents) Preyonis, (GC, Grandparents) your Adels, (GC, siblings) and your Thes (GC. Piblings. Neuter of Aunt/uncle) and maybe even your Prethes! (GC Great Piblings). While some of these people may be related to you by blood, most of them are not! Let us look at a single average Chilacian family and explain how all these people may be connected to you. When your Yonis entered adolescence, between 17-25 years of age, they began to form very important, deep connections with other Chilacians outside of their family. While one of these people would eventually become their Erasti, (GC, Mate) some of them formed a unique connection; Agel (GC. (Col) Pack Bond)* Agel Agel is a special, shared bond between several people. This bond can include all the different relations we mentioned above. The only ones that have any kind of blood connection would be the Yonis, and that¡¯s only true for your birth family. While the connection between a child and the yonis is strong, it fades off as they grow up. This may seem sad, but it¡¯s not to be mourned. The fading of the Yonis bond starts the child¡¯s search for their own family! Consistent contact forms and maintains the Agel. You may not know this, but your body can tell the difference between the touch and scent of not only a potential mate, but of every person you come into contact with! Those you spent a lot of time around grow increasingly familiar to your body, and increasingly comfortable. This drives you to seek physical contact with your friends and family. The maintenance of the Agel is one reason most healthy families have communal sleeping, and why you may feel compelled to embrace your friends outside your family, and to sit and cuddle with them. This is your body and mind working to solidify those bonds, and building the scaffolding of your future family. The Agel is the most important bond in our society, as even the bond between Erasti is born from Agel. Your best friend today could be your Adels or Erasti in just a few years! Depending on the differing family sizes, you may choose to live with your Adels as you get older, and their family would become yours! Maybe you¡¯ve already seen something like this happen! Perhaps a family member has brought a friend to visit, and over time it was decided that they¡¯d live with you. Suddenly. Your Thes¡¯ friend from work is a new Thes of yours! Maybe they even brought their Erasti, and a child who is now your Adel. It seems confusing doesn¡¯t it! Well, it can be! Who¡¯s family is who¡¯s? Where do people live? What if your Adel has a friend or child you dislike? This all gets simplified by your Ankrya. Ankyra You may have noticed that most of the adults in your family have an Erasti. If they don¡¯t, there¡¯s likely someone very special to them that may soon become their Erasti! Well, this is true for all but one very important member of your family. One of your Thes would be the family Ankyra. An Ankyra, unlike other Chilacians, will never experience Enkavma, and never find an Erasti, but their Agel is much stronger than in other Chilacians. Consider the Ankyra as the sun around which all the planet¡¯s orbit. The family would be considered your Ankyra¡¯s family! This is why if your name is Anditi, and your Thes Ranadi is your Ankrya, then your full name would be Anditi Rana. When your Yonis go into the Enkavma, your Ankrya takes care of their tasks. If there¡¯s a dispute between family members, your Ankyra resolves it. Two people on their own, an individual and their Erasti, could not function well without the Ankrya especially during their Enkavma Sometimes when there¡¯s a big conflict between family members, this resolution involves a person leaving the family. While its gradual nature often softens the pain of a broken Agel, it is not unheard of for the Agel to be broken suddenly, by anger or betrayal. The pain of this loss ripples through the family, but affects the Ankyra most. Some Ankyra become sick with grief after this happens, a condition known as Thummeia (GC. Shatter-sickness) Should this happen in your family, be sure to give your Ankyra lots of affection! However, if the Thummeia doesn¡¯t lift, your other Thes may have to bring your Ankyra to see a healer. ====== Memory can be a cruel thing. The sweetness of even the best memories fade while the terrible memories seem to solidify and stay fresh for decades. The happiest of memories, drawn out over years, often wind up infected by a single bad day which shatters the whole thing. The one courtesy memory sometimes offers is its absence from sleep, and its slow revival upon waking. When memory chooses not to manifest as a vicious nightmare, then In those first moments of consciousness after a long sleep, there is nothing but the awareness of a loved one nearby, the warmth of a bed, the comfort of a pillow. Then, of course, you feel the churning of an anguished stomach, feel the dried tears crusting your eyes, and the memories wake and attack anew. This was how TO awoke the next day. At some point they had finally fallen asleep while reading the strangely simple and overly friendly file Snout had sent them. Their communicator dropped to the floor as they sunk into their pillow and nuzzled into DH¡¯s back. They stayed like that, exhausted beyond the ability to dream until their discarded communicator beeped at them from the floor, waking them with a jolt. For seconds, it was just a normal day. They were safe, comfortable, and had DH nearby. For seconds, nothing was wrong with the world. Then their memories woke, and all the events of the day before, Kei¡¯s attack on Avery, Tham and Vik¡¯s betrayal, and the name that the tiny rodent hacker had given them, flooded back. Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings. GiDi. They groaned, and pressed their face into DH¡¯s back, hoping to go back to sleep and forget again, even for a little while. However, just as they were dozing off again, the communicator beeped once more. This time, it roused DH and the chirping that thrummed in their throat and vibrated through their chest stopped suddenly as they gave a discontented groan. They mumbled something, but their tongue was still so heavy with sleep that to TO it was unintelligible. GiDi. They couldn¡¯t tell DH or Avery, the two were still hurting enough from their own pains. If TO worked things right, they could make the discovery far less painful than it might be. They remembered that as their brain woke slowly, like a cold engine starting up after a long time. Right, until they could talk to GiDi, they had to keep busy. They had to work themself to exhaustion so they could sleep, and so Avery and DH wouldn¡¯t notice their pain. Bits and pieces of the file they read the night before filtered back to them. They lost most of what they read to sleep, but they remembered the first part about Chilacian families. If they had been a proper Chilacian family, TO realized that they¡¯d probably tell Avery about GiDi right away. The Ankrya, the center of the family, would figure out what to do, and decide if GiDi was part of their family, or not. But they weren¡¯t a proper family, and even if they eventually morphed into one, that time wasn¡¯t now. The communicator went off again. TO finally rolled over and reached down to the floor, their hand feeling the cold stone until they finally felt the thin communicator at their fingertips. They grabbed it, and squinting their eyes against the light that came from the screen, read the messages. ===== Forwarding you all the contacts, schedules, and information you need to coordinate today. You¡¯ll probably get more information as the day goes on. I suggest implementing a time-chart - Flit===== ===== Where are you three? We need to get to work - Flit===== ===== Don¡¯t forget to come by our room first - Flit===== TO sighed as they checked the time. It was later than they expected, but not so late that they were behind. They sent a message back. ===== We need to shower first. I¡¯ll massage Lake and ask them to get our breakfast to your room===== They sent the messages, hoping that Lake could do that, and then nudged DH, who was fading back into sleep. Their mate groaned and curled up, their wings over their face and over Avery. ¡°Come on.¡± TO said, their voice soft, ¡°We have to get to work.¡± TO could just see the tips of DH¡¯s ears, could see the sleepy, languid way they twitched for a moment before they dipped back. They realized that their mate¡¯s memories had awoken as well, ripping through the languid, sleepy morning thoughts and disrupting everything with hurt and betrayal. After another moment, DH sat up, rousing Avery as they did. Their confused friend sat up, sleep crusting their eyes and slowing their ears as they strained to remember why they were there with TO and DH. ¡°Flit and Snout want us in their room.¡± TO said, not wanting either of them to have too much time to think about everything that happened yesterday, and really not wanting to think about what they learned hours ago. ¡°We only have a couple more days to get ready¡­ And then we¡¯re gone.¡± ¡°Yeah. Gone.¡± DH said. They crawled over TO to get out of bed, but TO grabbed them and held them close for a moment before letting them go. They had nothing else to say, they just wanted to hold their mate for a moment longer. ¡°What happens after that, though?¡± Avery asked. ¡°Does it matter? Will things be better after we leave, or will it just get worse?¡± TO looked over at Avery as though for the first time. Avery normally preferred to be by themself, and the one time that TO had slept alongside them in training, well, that had been an exception. They recalled from their reading before they fell asleep something about contact, about that pack bond, Agel, being created through consistent contact, and as that bond strengthened the need for contact was stronger. A positive feedback loop demanding more and more affection. TO reached out, and took Avery¡¯s hand. Avery; their Ankyra. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± TO said honestly, squeezing Avery¡¯s fingers gently. ¡°But we¡¯re going to get there together.¡± Avery gave a bitter grin, their ears pinning back, ¡°Because you¡¯ll make sure of it?¡± They asked, ¡°You won¡¯t let us get separated?¡± TO¡¯s ears dropped. ¡°No.¡± They said, They had tried that once, and failed. On their own, they didn¡¯t trust their ability to keep them together, not anymore. Still, this didn¡¯t mean they were hopeless. If anything, they felt more confident that they could all stay together if only for one reason. ¡°We¡¯re going to make sure of it.¡± ====== They wasted no time once they were up, getting dressed, showering, and rushing to Flit and Snout¡¯s room within twenty minutes. By the time they got there Lake had delivered their breakfast, the three plastic containers sitting on the small table in the center of the room. ¡°About time.¡± Flit grunted once they got in. The older Chilacian was lying on the bed, their basic prosthetic sitting on the floor. They rolled their pant leg up past their knee, leaving the stump exposed. It looked a lot worse today than it had yesterday. Yesterday, the stump held a pattern of linear silver scars. Today, several sores had formed, and the space under Flit¡¯s knee was an angry blue. ¡°I might have something for that.¡± DH said as they went over to the bed, their med kit slung over their shoulder. ¡°I hoped you might.¡± Snout said, a relieved sigh escaping their lips as their ears relaxed from their pinned position. ¡°I wanted to call Goretta, but Flit wouldn¡¯t have it.¡± ¡°She¡¯s busy.¡± Flit grunted as DH sat down on the bed and pulled out a cream and bandages. ¡°I don''t know why you don¡¯t just use the other prosthetic.¡± Snout sighed, ¡°We know Goretta wasn¡¯t involved-¡± ¡°But Vik was.¡± Flit¡¯s ears flicked back, their eyes narrowed, ¡°I¡¯m not taking the chance.¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± DH hummed, lips pursed as they looked over the sores. ¡°Once I¡¯ve bandaged this up, you probably shouldn¡¯t wear any prosthetic until it¡¯s healed-¡± ¡°Impossible.¡± Flit said, ¡°I¡¯ll have to wear it when we leave-¡± ¡°Then wear your mechanical one then.¡± Snout said, their ears going parallel to the ground. ¡°Last thing we need is for something to happen to you when we¡¯re trying to escape.¡± Snout grumbled something under their breath, but when they looked towards the wall next to them, they muttered only, ¡°Fine.¡± ¡°Good.¡± Snout said. ¡°Meantime, there¡¯s plenty for you to do without using your prosthetic.¡± Flit cleared their throat and looked back to Avery and TO. ¡°At any rate.¡± They said, ¡°There¡¯s lots to do, but before you go off to work on all the things we need to work on, we want to tell you about something we¡¯re trying to do.¡± TO went to the table and sat down to eat. They didn¡¯t want to eat and their stomach churned constantly, but they knew that if they suddenly had less appetite than they normally had, that would make DH worry. More importantly, that would signal to DH that something was wrong, that something was bothering TO. They couldn¡¯t let that happen. They¡¯d eat, even if every bite made them want to vomit. ¡°What is it?¡± Avery asked as they took a seat next to TO. They peeked into each of the containers on the table until they found TO¡¯s and slid it to them. When TO looked inside, they saw that the cocopod meat had been shredded and laid over some kind of vegetable patty. Another unfamiliar vegetable, based on the smell, but if Lake was serving it to them, then TO was certain it would be fine for them. They considered flipping the elastic on their wrist over and letting the chip contact their skin, but nobody else had done that yet, and TO figured it was to prevent Vik from using their chips to listen in. ¡°Well¡­ it¡¯s obvious, isn¡¯t it?¡± Snout said as they sat across from TO and Avery. ¡°The synths are coming, and there¡¯s a very good chance that they¡¯ll end life on Arkane.¡± ¡°And even though we¡¯re getting out, that leaves a foul taste in our mouths.¡± Flit added. ¡°So... we¡¯re thinking of a way to stop the synths.¡± Episode 331: Brainstorm TO hadn¡¯t even considered the possibility of stopping an attack by the synths. Even now, as Flit mentioned, TO could only look at them in disbelief. Stop an attack from a whole fleet of synths? Maybe they could stop one or two, and they might even manage against a small, specialized team? But an entire fleet with multiple armed ships?TO would have been less perplexed if Flit said they were going to find a way to stop breathing. Stopping the synths¨CStopping King Decon¨Cwas impossible. They were a small group of insurgents hiding underground on Arkane, working with a single admittedly great hacker, reclaimed tech, bug meat, and hope. King Decon had all the resources of the galaxy at his fingertips, and all the time in the cosmos. They might delay Him for a while, but stopping Him was impossible. Despite the absolute insanity of Flit and Snout even considering some plan to stop an attack, TO thought of Fengari, who provided them shelter at the Cottage Core put They thought of the children they saw in the Outer Ring, and of the other civilians in the indebetted center who they wanted to help, but couldn¡¯t. Because of that, the first word out of their mouth was ¡°how?¡± Snout gave a heavy sigh, ¡°We don¡¯t exactly know yet.¡± They said, ¡°We¡¯ve discussed a few plans but none of them will work.¡± ¡°We had been thinking about this for a while.¡± Flit said. They flinched and hissed in pain as DH swapped some particularly strong-smelling antibacterial onto Flit¡¯s sores, and took a moment to compose themself before continuing. The smell alone threatened to throw TO back into the memories of blood and bones. They were lucky that Flit¡¯s sore leg was oozing a clear fluid, and not bright blue blood. Focusing on their food, on the smell, the taste and texture, kept them from slipping into dangerous memories and spiraling into a panic. ¡°Sorry.¡± DH said, their tone clipped even as they continued working without pause, ¡° I have to make sure this doesn¡¯t get infected.¡± ¡°As Flit said, we had a few early ideas.¡± Snout said, taking over from Flit¡¯s line of conversation. ¡°Primarily, we thought to shut down the portal-¡± TO¡¯s ears perked up, ¡°Oh! like you did when we were trying to get here.¡± They said, ¡°Yes.¡± Snout said, their ears dipping, ¡°That didn¡¯t go as smoothly as we planned, both in terms of loss of civilian life and¡­ well, the overall failure of the attempt.¡± They shrugged and gave TO a wry grin, their ears twitching, ¡°We didn¡¯t account for your increased cleverness.¡± Despite the situation, TO felt their ears burn and they put renewed attention on their food. ¡°The problem with that,¡± Snout continued, ¡°Is that even if we shut down the portal, that¡¯s only a temporary solution as it can be fixed. Even if we managed to utterly destroy that portal, there¡¯s other portals which would bring ships relatively close to us-¡± ¡®Relatively.¡± Flit said, not recovered from their moment of pain. ¡°The nearest one would bring a ship¡­ What, twenty years away from us?¡± They shook their head. ¡°They¡¯d still get here. The only difference is we¡¯d have had twenty years of time to prepare, not a week, and doing that would ensure that King Decon chose to eradicate life here. ¡°Right.¡± Snout said, ¡°And besides that, there''s too many other issues with entirely shutting down the portal. There¡¯s other planets around which aren¡¯t in lockdown, and many which rely on food and medicine from outside this star cluster. Isolating this area would cause famine here, and the loss of life from starvation and lack of medical services would be¡­.¡± ¡°It would be greater than the loss of life resulting from King Decon deciding to simply blow up the planet.¡± Flit said. ¡°The death of the entire population of Arkane, and its moons would be inconsequential in comparison to the slow death we¡¯d inflict by destroying the portal altogether. ¡°Right.¡± Snout said, ¡°And while shutting it down temporarily would buy us more time, it would take necessary resources that we need to help the people with us, and prepare for escape. If we failed or if our timing was off then not only would we still be here when the armada arrived, but if the attempt were discovered it would increase the chances of King Decon just killing everyone here.¡± ¡°And even if you changed your mind, it¡¯s too late for that.¡± TO said, frowning as they picked at their food. ¡°They¡¯ve already passed through the portal. They¡¯re two days away from us.¡± ¡°Exactly.¡± Snout said. ¡°You¡¯ve all been preoccupied, you¡¯ve all been busy doing other, very important things.¡± They sighed, ¡°We don¡¯t even know if we can do this. It¡¯s a hope. A fantasy. It didn¡¯t seem right to take you away from everything else. Even now¡­¡± They glanced at Flit, ¡°I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s worth trying.¡± ¡°If we¡¯re not going to tell everyone on the planet, then I at least want to do this.¡± Flit said as their eyes narrowed. ¡°If we do nothing, if we don¡¯t even try, then in part all the deaths are our fault.¡± Snout scoffed and looked away, ¡°I¡¯d rather blame King Decon and the synths who initiated the attack. But¡­ so long as it doesn¡¯t slow down the guaranteed good we can do to get some people safe, then sure.¡± They pursued their lips, their ears flicking down. ¡°We¡¯re helping who we can. I¡¯d like to help as many people as possible, but we have to be realistic.¡± ¡°I want to help.¡± TO said. Logically, it made no sense to even try, and they agreed with Snout to some extent. Logically, they should focus all their attention on what they knew they could do. They should make sure not to strain themself too hard physically or mentally, and throw all their efforts into coordination, and solving the myriad of problems they were already dealing with. Logically, it also made sense to repurpose¨Cto euthanize¨Ca juvenile synth with tumors in their posterior lung. TO told themself that from the time it had happened, from the day they watched the poor thing twitch and die. It was logical. It made sense. It was the best option. After joining the insurgents, they did all they could to not think about that awful day at all. When the memory floated to their mind, all they could tell themself was that there was nothing they could have done. It didn¡¯t stop the occasional nightmares, or the assault on their senses when they saw blood. They didn¡¯t know if they could take more deaths staining their heart. If they tried and failed, so be it. At least this time they would have tried to do something. There was another reason, one that floated in the background of their mind. The extra work would help them get to that lovely level of exhaustion where they would collapse on the bed at the end of the day, curl up into DH¡¯s arms, and instantly fall asleep. ¡°I¡¯ll help too.¡± DH said, not looking away from their work as they carefully wrapped bandages around Flit¡¯s shortened limb, slipping two fingers around the edge to check how tight it was. ¡°Good.¡± Snout nodded at DH, then glanced at Avery, ¡°What about you?¡± If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. ¡°¡­I don¡¯t know why you¡¯d need me.¡± They said, looking down at their food, ¡°I¡¯m average at best-¡° ¡°We need whatever help we can get.¡± Flit said. ¡°And you¡¯re not average, I promise you.¡± Avery shrugged, ¡°Alright.¡± They said, ¡°If that¡¯s what DH and TO are doing¡­ I¡¯ll help too.¡± If that¡¯s what DH and TO were doing. It was as though Avery didn¡¯t have any concerns other than that. They wondered if they were doing it just to help their ¡®family¡¯ or if they, like TO, were only hoping to distract themself from pain. ¡°Good.¡± Flit said. They moved as though they were about to get up, then looked at their leg and settled back against the stack of pillows which had been carefully arranged behind them. ¡°Try not to move too much.¡± DH said, ¡°Or at least, not to the point where you need your prosthetic.¡± Flit huffed, sighed, and turned away for a second before glancing back at DH. The older Chilacian looked them over as though they were surprised at who they were. DH ignored their intense stare as they packed up their things but once they were done and Flit was still looking at them, they finally said, ¡°What?¡± ¡°... I forgot for a moment that you aren¡¯t medical officer.¡± Flit said, ¡°That¡¯s all.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know if that¡¯s a compliment.¡± Snout said. ¡°Not overall, anyway.¡± ¡°MO6 wasn¡¯t bad.¡± Flit said with a shrug, ¡°Anyway¡­¡± They looked towards the table. ¡°If you¡¯re going to help, the first thing we have to do is brainstorm.¡± They nodded to Snout who, to TO¡¯s surprise, pulled out a strange tablet. It was larger than a communicator, or even the clipboard sized tablets that most civilians used if working away from their computers. They set the tablet in the center of the table, and as they pressed at the corner of the device it powered up and displayed a large keyboard covering half the screen. ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± DH asked as they sat at the table, picking up the last container of food. ¡°It¡¯s a study tablet.¡± Snout said, ¡°Designed for small children just learning their letters. It has no data capabilities, but we can use it to save writings and ideas without worrying about anyone else having access to the information we keep on it. ¡°Found it ages ago.¡± Flit said, ¡°Got tossed out and ended up in the harbor. It¡¯s a relatively simple device, so I was able to fix it.¡± As Flit spoke, Snout started typing. They were slower at typing using the much larger keyboard rather than the tiny one on their communicator screens and computers, and of course typing on anything couldn¡¯t compare to the subvocalization speech-to-text capabilities of their own chips, but it got the job done. In big, kid friendly letters on the top of the screen Snout wrote: Ways to Stop the Synths from Killing Everyone. ¡°Now. Brainstorming.¡± Flit said. ¡°No stupid ideas. Say whatever comes to mind.¡± ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure there are stupid ideas¡­¡± TO said, their ears dipping down, ¡°like, if I said we put a large bubble around Arkane, that would be-¡± They stopped as Snout typed in the idea, feeling their ears warm as they saw such a moronic notion set to writing. ¡°No stupid ideas.¡± Flit repeated. ¡°Or at least, get the stupid ideas out now. Don¡¯t think too hard. Just talk.¡± All three were silent, TO and DH exchanging looks of pure confusion as their ears drooped. No bad ideas? Even the really stupid and obvious ones? Did Snout really expect them to talk without thinking?¡± ¡°... We could shoot them down?¡± Avery offered once the silence grew heavy. Snout typed it under TO¡¯s awful, silly idea. ¡°Good.¡± Flit said, ¡°Keep going.¡± ====== They only had a half hour to eat and brainstorm. Within minutes, what should have been a very serious conversation about devising ways to stop an entire synth armada, and in fact King Decon himself, turned into a game where each one tried to come up with ideas more and more ridiculous than the other. DH¡¯s silliest idea was to simply move the planet to another location. Though, this did inspire DH¡¯s favorite idea which was to hack into the synth databases and change the very location of Arkane in the automatic mapping, effectively hiding Arkane from the synths. While TO¡¯s original idea of covering the planet in a large bubble was among the worst ones they later on they came up with the brilliant idea of using a theoretical means of interstellar travel they had read about once where they would convert entire solar system into an interstellar bioship, thus making it possible to flee the coming armada. Avery¡¯s idea, while far more simple, was no less insane. The idea of creating some kind of fake news broadcast to convince the armada, and King Decon, that everyone on the planet was already dead and thus there was no reason to launch an attack. Those were the fun ones. Less fun were the ideas of surrendering to the synths, presenting themselves as a sacrifice for the lives of everyone else on the planet. ¡°I¡¯m not shutting down any ideas right now.¡± Flit said as Snout silently typed that idea after TO said it, ¡°But I want to point out that even if we did that there¡¯s still an excellent chance that Decon might have life on the planet destroyed just to be safe. After all, he supposedly already killed off the leadership of the insurgency, and yet we remain. I doubt he¡¯d be interested in taking more chances. Begging for mercy, negotiating, and pretending that they had been captured by the insurgents in hopes that the synths would be forced to trade the lives of Arkane had all been suggested even though they knew that it would never work. A real synth wouldn¡¯t be swayed by tears and pleading for their lives. Negotiation would be met with force, since King Decon¡¯s army did not negotiate.Synths as hostages wouldn¡¯t work either. The synths would let synth captives die without any thought. Tools could be replaced, even very good ones. In the end they had a long list of ideas ranging from doable to impossible and while none of them seemed particularly effective Snout and Flit still seemed pleased when they were done. ¡°Come back tonight when you¡¯re all done.¡± Snout said as the three left to get to work. ¡°We¡¯ll go over them.¡± Once they left the room, DH shook their head, ¡°I don¡¯t know what the point of that was.¡± They muttered, ¡°None of those ideas were any good.¡± ¡°Better awful ideas over no ideas.¡± Avery muttered. ¡°Who knows. Maybe something will come of those.¡± ¡°Maybe.¡± TO said. They were still trying to come up with ideas, but now their thoughts slowed. At least that brainstorming had done a couple things for them: It took their mind off everything else, and it dragged all the bad ideas from their head. ¡°Maybe I¡¯ll get to think on it more though the day-¡± They pulled up all the information that Flit sent, and their ears dipped. ¡°Or maybe not.¡± There were dozens of things to do on the list. Some of them seemed simple, like following up on food supplies and medical status. Others involved planning, packing, people management, medical management, and basic hygiene issues. ¡°Well, you have a busy day.¡± DH said as they glanced over the information. ¡°But look, I think a bunch of that involves the civilians we got from the underground. Why not come with me there? I¡¯m heading there not to meet up with Goretta. Besides, don¡¯t you need to check on that kid?¡± DH tilted their head at TO. ¡°You got her father out of the indebted center, right?¡± ¡°Constance, yes.¡± TO said. They also got Marissa¡¯s Brother out, and TO wanted to check on them both, they also hadn¡¯t seen Lendulin and Petra in a while either. Checking on their friends wasn¡¯t necessarily part of their tasks for the day, but it was important to them. ¡°You guys go on.¡± Avery said as the hallway split, ¡°The kitchens are down this way. I¡¯ll go on, and meet you later-¡± ¡°You want us to walk you there?¡± TO asked, Suddenly stopping mid-stride and turning around. Shatter-sickness, that¡¯s what that file had called it when an Ankyra is too depressed after a break up of the family. TO hardly considered Kei a part of their family, but Avery had been around them and only them for a long time during travel, and they had become rather protective of the other synth over time. Even if Kei was incapable of forming that bond, was it possible that it formed for Avery, at least a little bit? Would Avery get sick? They didn¡¯t have Chilacian healers here, and TO doubted that any of them knew how to treat ¡°shatter sickness¡¯ ¡°It¡¯s a three minute walk, and then I¡¯m in the kitchens, ¡° Avery said, but even so their ears relaxed ,¡±but¡­ thanks. You guys go on. We¡¯ll meet for lunch?¡± TO nodded, ¡°Yeah, Lunch.¡± Avery smiled, though it was still a little dour, a little sad, and walked down the hallway. TO and DH watched them until they turned a corner and went out of sight. ¡°... What¡¯s wrong?¡± DH finally asked, watching TO carefully. TO panicked, but before they could worry and panic about having to tell DH about GiDi, their mate continued, ¡°You¡¯ve been watching Avery all morning, like they¡¯re glass. What¡¯s happened?¡± Oh. well, that was something they could tell DH, and if they knew that was something TO was worried about maybe they wouldn¡¯t bother asking again if TO seemed concerned later that day. ¡°... Right, so, I couldn¡¯t sleep last night.¡± TO said as they took DH¡¯s hand and led them down the hallway, ¡°So I read that file Snout sent us¡­ and I have some concerns.¡± Episode 332: Shatter-Sickness TO and DH talked as they walked to the area where all the civilians were staying. Mostly, it was TO talking and DH asking the odd question or occasionally asking TO to repeat some of the Chilacian words they had never heard before. Having not heard these words spoken aloud, TO made their best guess how to pronounce but they were unsure about some of the inhalations. Synth speak, or Chilacian, had many sounds where the words required either inhaling, exhaling, or doing both simultaneously which was only possible thanks to their more cyclical respiratory system and the posterior lung. There were also certain movements of the ears, and particular clicks that were made deep in the back of a Chilacian throat. Well, in the end it didn¡¯t matter. The important information they had to get across to DH had nothing to do with mates or Enkavma or anything like that, thankfully. It had to do with that bond, Agel, how it formed, and the Shatter-Sickness that a Chilacian could suffer when that bond broke. They were still explaining it when they reached their destination, and so they lingered outside to finish their conversation in private. When TO finished telling them everything, DH gave a heavy sigh and leaned against the wall, their arms crossed and their wings draped over their shoulders. Their ears twitched with worry as they frowned. ¡°... so you think Avery did this¡­ bonding thing with Kei?¡± They asked. ¡°Agel?¡± ¡°unintentionally, and just by the misfortune of being stuck with them alone in that ship and during their placement.¡± TO said, ¡°I don¡¯t think the bond is permanent, but still¡­ Apparently when it breaks suddenly it¡¯s hard on the Ankyra. Shatter-Sickness.¡± ¡°Is that because it shattered the family, or shattered the Ankyra?¡± DH asked. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± TO said. ¡°Either way¡­¡± ¡°Either way, we know little about it and we don¡¯t really know how to treat it.¡± DH finished TO¡¯s thought, cutting right to the biggest and most worrisome problem. ¡°The file said that if your Ankyra is suffering from Shatter-Sickness, then you should spend more time with them¡­¡± TO chewed on their lower lip, ¡°But it also said if it doesn¡¯t lift they need to see a healer.¡± ¡°Did it say anything else?¡± DH asked, ¡°What specifically causes it?¡± ¡°Well, when someone leaves the family-¡± ¡°No no, I mean, what about that causes the sickness?¡± DH asked, ¡°Hormones? Depression?¡± ¡°The file didn¡¯t say.¡± TO said with a frown, ¡°Honestly, it¡¯s¡­¡± Their ears flicked back, ¡°It¡¯s simply written, and it¡¯s not gone into a lot of details yet. I¡¯ve not found any complex scientific explanations.¡± DH shrugged, their ears coloring as they looked away, ¡°Well¡­ I suppose that makes some sense.¡± They said, ¡°It¡¯s a file from a Chilacian society written to teach other Chilacians about¡­ Biology.¡± they focused intently on a place further down the hallway, ¡°So it makes sense that they would write it for juveniles, right? Youths who are about to enter -¡± They frowned, ¡°Is there a specific word for Chilacian puberty?¡± ¡°Not that I¡¯ve come across.¡± TO muttered, their own ears coloring. ¡°Wait.. You think this is a file for children? Why?¡± DH cleared their throat as their eyes flicked to the floor, ¡°... I might have looked up civilian books which might be similar.¡± DH muttered. ¡°We lack materials, I told you that. So¡­ I made do.¡± ¡°... You read civilian books on reproduction.¡± TO was too shocked to be delicate. ¡°The less open species just call them Personal Development books.¡± they snorted, their ears lifting and the color seeping away slightly as they looked to TO, ¡°But... Honestly, We¡¯re bad with this, but some species are even worse! Some species and cultures wrote these files with so much allusion and innuendo and suggestion that I couldn¡¯t find a solid piece of actual information in them. Some were just books about flowers!¡± they huffed, ¡°But¡­ Yes. They wrote most of them for younger members of the species. Some even seem like they¡¯re written for children.¡± ¡°¡­ Why would they give us a file for children?¡± TO snapped as their own flushed ears pinned back. It was less out of embarrassment now though, there was a certain indigence in them at being told to study a file designed for children ¡°That¡¯s probably all they have.¡± DH said, ¡°Books written for different species lack practical information, and a someone writing a practical book for their own species would direct it to the age range where it would be most useful. I suppose that¡¯s going to be just before they begin their adult development.¡± TO huffed, ¡°Which means the more direct, scientific knowledge we might need to know about this shatter-sickness is going to be entirely absent from the file.¡± TO pinched the space between their eyes. Now that they thought about it, it made sense. The book seemed to talk to them as though their parents were there, and didn¡¯t say a thing about the reader''s mate. Even when the file mentioned Shatter-sickness, it said that the parents, the Yonis, might take their Ankyra to a healer. They must have been half asleep not to realized that right away. ¡°We need to talk to Snout about it.¡± DH said after thinking in silence for several minutes. ¡°Maybe they sent them more scientific documents. They did request it, didn¡¯t they?¡± ¡°Yes¡­¡± TO said, ¡°And if they don¡¯t have the documents, maybe they can send off a request for information.¡± Their ears dropped, ¡°... if it¡¯s safe to do so, that is.¡± ¡°Yeah, I think the signals are being monitored, so it might be risky. Even Vik was anxious about sending anything off the planet.¡± As soon as DH finished their thought, they seemed to look far away into the distance one more time, but this time their ears had dipped back down. TO didn¡¯t need to ask what was wrong, they knew. ¡°I¡¯ll send a message to Snout.¡± TO said as they put their hand on DH¡¯s arm and led them to the door, ¡°Hopefully they¡¯ll have something-¡± ¡°I can do it.¡± DH said, ¡°You already have a lot to do-¡± TO shook their head, ¡°So do you, I¡¯m sure.¡± They said, ¡°You have a lot of medical stuff to do. Me? Apparently coordinating people, supplies, and information is my job today. So, this falls under my responsibilities.¡± DH nodded and turned to enter the room. Just as their hand grasped the doorknob, TO stepped forward and put their hand over DHs, sliding their fingers between their mates. DH stopped and turned as TO pressed their snout against the side of DH¡¯s face, nuzzling them gently. Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± They whispered. ¡°You did nothing.¡± ¡°I know. But I''m sorry about Vik.¡± They stopped, nuzzled DH once more, then kissed them quickly on the lips before letting go. While they knew that couldn¡¯t make the problem go away, couldn¡¯t chase away DH¡¯s sadness, the sudden unexpected display of affection seemed to lift their ears a little, and draw the smallest of smiles to the corners of their blue lips. ¡°Thanks.¡± They said. DH took a deep breath followed by a ragged exhale before turning to the door, ¡°Well¡­ best to get to work then, right?¡± They gave a shallow chuckle, ¡°Can¡¯t just be sad the whole day.¡± Maybe DH was just as eager to get to work as TO was, so they could have something else to occupy their mind. ¡°Alright.¡± TO nodded, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± ====== The civilian room was quieter than it should have been. Last time TO was here, children had been running around playing, with their parents calling after them. TO thought that with more people there there would be more noise. However, that was clearly not the case. It occurred to TO that anyone who was able-bodied was probably working to clear away the rest of the dirt that separated their ship from the tunnels. This left the room filled only with those too sick, injured, aged, frail, or young to work. Many people sat silently, staring at the children or the walls, or at nothing at all. A few were laying in bed with thin blankets over their heads. The children were another story altogether. Seemingly unconcerned with their location, or the danger that loomed before them, they played with broken cocopod shells which they had saved from their meals. ¡°They¡¯re creative.¡± DH said as they saw TO¡¯s gaze land on a small group of children nearby, working hard to put the broken pieces of one cocopod segment back together using a fine, unknown powder and small quantities of water. ¡°They¡¯ll play with anything. I gave them the old wrappers of some bandages I¡¯ve used, and they¡¯ve folded them up, making boats and birds and all kinds of things.¡± ¡°And everyone else?¡± TO kept their voice low as they looked about, taking in the broken expressions of the adults in the room. ¡°Well... They¡¯re worried. I don¡¯t think most of the kids understand how big what we¡¯re doing is, not yet. Some of them are excited to go into space¡­¡± They lowered their voice. ¡°As well... most of the adults have lost at least one person who¡¯s close to them. The kids have too, but their parents haven¡¯t told them yet.¡± ¡°Why not?¡± ¡°Trying to protect them I suppose.¡± DH said, ¡°Make sure they¡¯re safe before telling them the bad news. Or maybe they just can¡¯t tell them yet.¡± They adjusted the strap of their medkit on their shoulder, ¡°Some of them can hardly talk without crying, so I don¡¯t think they could tell their kids what¡¯s happening.¡± A sudden flurry of movement caught TO¡¯s eye, and as they turned to look they saw Lendulin and Petra heading towards them. Petra was pushing Lendulin in a wheelchair which wasn¡¯t nearly big enough for her long gray tail. TO wished that they could have gotten the electric wheelchair for her from her place in the tunnels. Maybe it was still there. Maybe they could ask someone about retrieving it. They realized they were the one sending out the orders today. If they wanted to ask someone to fetch the chair, they could. ¡°You go on with them.¡± DH said as they gave TO¡¯s arm a squeeze, ¡°I have to find Goretta and get to work, and I promise you don¡¯t want to be around me when I do.¡± They nodded towards their two friends, ¡°Besides, maybe they can help you with your work.¡± ¡°I¡¯m happy they¡¯re here¡­¡± TO said, frowning, ¡°But I figured they¡¯d be at the tunnel, digging.¡± ¡°They¡¯re two of very few people who seem to cope with this alright.¡± DH said, their voice lowering, ¡°They¡¯ve been a lot of help around here with all the kids.¡± TO nodded, pressed their head to DH¡¯s quickly for a brief nuzzle, then released their mate. ¡°I¡¯ll see you later.¡± TO said, ¡°For lunch with Avery.¡± DH grinned as they walked away, ¡°As the civilians say, see you after work.¡± They chuckled as they made their way through the narrow walkways around the beds, looking for Goretta. ¡°TO!¡± Petra¡¯s voice was for a moment the loudest thing in the room, fueled by excitement more than anything else. Despite this, despite the way her tail flicked happily behind her and the way her large reptilian eyes widened, she still jabbed a fist at TO¡¯s arm once she got close. ¡°Ass.¡± Petra said with anger so fake that even TO could tell despite her lack of emotive ears. ¡°We haven¡¯t seen you in days. We were worried.¡± ¡°I was busy.¡± TO say, dipping their head as their ears sunk. ¡°She knows that.¡± Lendulin said, ¡°We¡¯ve just been worried about you. We know you¡¯re busy, and DH told us you were safe, but we¡¯ve not seen you or those other synths. Uh¡­¡± She paused, ¡°The two older ones?¡± ¡°Flit and Snout.¡± TO said, ¡°They¡¯re fine. They¡¯re busy too.¡± ¡°Yeah, and GiDi.¡± Petra said, smirking, ¡°Pearla¡¯s secret partner.¡± She shook her head, ¡°I still can¡¯t get over that. I mean, GiDi is nice and all, but we thought she was running around with some legged rich person. If you told us she was dating a synth¡­¡± She paused as she looked at TO, the smile disappearing from her face, ¡°Oh no.¡± She said, her voice becoming a whisper, ¡°What happened.¡± ¡°W-what do you mean?¡± TO asked as panic sent ice to their stomach. They had said nothing, and had done their best not to make any facial expressions or any noises when Petra mentioned GiDi. ¡°When your ears go down like that, it normally means something¡¯s wrong.¡± Lendulin said with a frown. ¡°I mean¡­ Unless we¡¯re wrong?¡± TO wasn¡¯t sure if she was giving them a way to escape any questioning, or if Lendulin thought she and Petra had guessed wrong. They were about to deny that anything was wrong, and say perhaps that they were just tired or busy, when they realized something. Despite everything, Lendulin and Petra considered themself TO¡¯s friends. Even when Lendulin found out about them being a synth, she was angry but still didn¡¯t seem like she hated TO, or even disliked them. They were friends. More importantly, they were friends who wouldn¡¯t be hurt by GiDi¡¯s recent actions. TO hesitated only a moment more, considering the wisdom of keeping a secret to as few people as possible. Finally, they shook their head as they hugged their arms, their wings tightening around them. ¡°... You¡¯re not.¡± They finally said, ¡°Is there somewhere private where we can talk?¡± Episode 333: Breaking Point Petra and Lendulin did in fact have a private place where they could talk. Just down the corridor from the large dormitory which housed all the refugees was an unused, decrepit hallway drenched in shadows and darkness. TO could still see relatively well, but Petra used the light of her communicator to illuminate the hall before them since she and Lendulin lacked low-light vision. They turned a corner and saw that Petra and Lendulin had made good use of this place. A large, very worn blanket hung from an old pipe overhead and when Petra pushed it aside she revealed the small sanctuary that the two had created. The blanket hid the dim light of a small electric lantern that sat in the pile of debris and rubble that blocked off the passageway. Years of dust and debris which had once carpeted the floor now sat pushed aside into a relatively neat pile in the corner and replaced with another old blanket which was far too worn out to be of any use. Stacked next to one wall was a roll of tissue, a few cans of water, and an old pillow that looked so ragged and worn that it surprised TO to see that there was any stuffing left in it. ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± TO asked as they looked around. They recalled hearing that the laundry room they hid in back in the Indebted center was a common hideaway for people to have sex in, and they wondered with a twitch of their ear if the civilians used this room for the same thing. ¡°Sometimes a person needs to break down.¡± Petra said, ¡°And they don¡¯t want to do it in front of their kids, or in front of people they think had it ¡®worse.¡¯¡± She snorted, ¡°Which, I mean, that¡¯s not fair. This whole situation sucks all around. Nobody has it ¡®better¡¯ or ¡®worse.¡¯¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Lendulin said with a shake of her head, ¡°tar your own boat.¡± TO blinked, suddenly entirely confused. ¡°Tar what?¡± They asked. Petra sighed at Lendulin, ¡°It¡¯s an old saying on Arkane.¡± She said, ¡°Way way back, before Arkane was part of the galactic kingdom, people used old boats made from a kind of firm sea sponge. It floated, and when treated it became nearly as strong as PVC today. But, it wasn¡¯t waterproof. They¡¯d use beach tar on the bottom to keep it afloat. It worked great, but it had to be tarred often.¡± ¡°Right.¡± Lendulin said, ¡°And the saying goes that people would tell others the right way to tar their boats, and then not do it right on their own.¡± She glared at Petra, ¡°So, saying that ¡®nobody has it better or worse¡¯ here while refusing to take a break or talk about what¡¯s bothering you is like someone instructing another on tarring their boat while messing up their own.¡± She finally broke her glare at Petra and gave TO a smile, ¡°Hence, ¡®tar your own boat.¡¯¡± ¡°Look, I¡¯m fine.¡± Petra said, ¡°Everyone else here has lost nearly everything. Their everything might be pets, family, or stuff, but it¡¯s still ¡®everything.¡¯ I had nothing to lose.¡± She gave a small, sad smile to Lendulin, ¡°My ¡®everything¡¯ is my friends. And I still have them.¡± She shrugged and turned to TO, ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± She said with a smile that was far too tight even to TO¡¯s eyes. ¡°You¡¯re not.¡± She sat down on the worn blanket on the floor and patted the space next to her. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± TO¡¯s first instinct was to say that they didn''t have time to sit. They had a lot to do, and even now they felt guilty hiding here with Petra and Lendulin when there was so much work to do, and so much to prepare for. Even as thought went over that list in their head, TO found themself leaning against the wall, sliding down to sit next to Petra. They pulled their long legs up to their chest and their wings around their arm in an attempt to save space in the narrow hallway. As soon as they settled down, Petra put a can of water in TO¡¯s hand. ¡°Here.¡± She said before grabbing one and throwing it to Lendulin. She then grabbed a drink for herself, cracking it open and taking a long drink. ¡°Now, talk.¡± Petra said, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°¡­ It¡¯s a long story.¡± TO muttered as they opened their own can and took a drink. It was bubbly, and they hadn¡¯t expected that. The bubbles hit their nose and sent them sneezing for a moment before they collected themself and took a more careful sip. ¡°Then go on.¡± Petra said, ¡°Start from the beginning.¡± The beginning, TO decided, was when they got captured by the insurgents. Back when they thought the insurgents had captured their friends, and were subjecting them to unfathomable torture in an attempt to force their cooperation. TO described how they came down looking for DH, how they had been so taken aback by GiDi¡¯s presence with the insurgents that they froze, their orders and procedures conflicting with the fact that their friend was before them. They told the two how Kei had aimed to shoot, and TO had turned and opened fire on the other synth immediately. The action, performed and finished in seconds had been the catalyst for their transformation from Synth to Chilacian, and that happened so quickly and with so little thought from them was disconcerting even now. They described the awful sound, how they fell to the ground in pain, and how they woke up later as Vik removed their chip. Of course, they then had to describe how the chip worked in minor detail. ¡°I want one.¡± Petra said as TO temporarily activated their chip, pressing the band to the back of their hand to project the GBA giving a mundane report about financial news. Because the chip linked to TO specifically, it remained a synth, and spoke only in synth speak. ¡°Man, that would be so useful. And you don¡¯t have to type anything?¡± TO projected a text file, and using subvocalization they wrote the message, ¡°Not at all. Not unless I¡¯m using the communicator that¡¯s linked with this, but that¡¯s only to allow me to use my chip when I¡¯m in public around civilians.¡± ¡°You¡¯re a civilian now too.¡± Lendulin said, her eyes skimming over the words, ¡°Aren¡¯t you?¡± Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site. TO shrugged. That was a question that they weren¡¯t ready to think about. ¡°That doesn¡¯t matter.¡± Petra said as she glanced at TO¡¯s ears. ¡°Go on. What happened to the chip?¡± TO skipped ahead, figuring they¡¯d tell them how things happened as far as TO had learned them. They explained what happened when they were out trading for supplies, how DH got their hands stuck in a trap, and how Kei took DH¡¯s multi-gun and held it to their mate¡¯s head. The reaction to this was far more visceral than TO had expected and gave them new information about their friends. For example, they never knew that Lendulin¡¯s eyes could narrow to thin lines on her face, that her cheeks could suck in and give her such a fearsome expression. They also never knew that the frills on Petra¡¯s tail could puff up, making it seem not just a tail, but also a fearsome weapon. ¡°Is DH alright?¡± Petra asked, the words hissing out of her. ¡°I mean, I¡¯ve seen them since, but-¡± ¡°They¡¯re fine¡­. Sort of.¡± TO said. ¡°Kei didn¡¯t end up hurting them¡­ But it didn¡¯t turn out well either.¡± They explained, as best they could, what happened after that. The sudden loss of first their bodily control as they fell over, then how quickly their consciousness had jumped from moment to moment as though that time had been carved out of their existence. Lendulin and Petra¡¯s confusion over what happened was obvious, and nearly as strong as TO¡¯s had been when it first occurred. Their anger when TO explained about the chips, about Vik¡¯s fail safe, and the panic button also seemed to match their own. No, it didn¡¯t match TO¡¯s anger; it surpassed it. Petra and Lendulin¡¯s rage burned, undamped by the feelings of betrayal and sadness that had mixed with TO¡¯s own. ¡°How big is this Vik?¡± Petra said. ¡°I want to have a talk with them.¡± TO sighed, but despite that they felt a soft grin spread over their face, ¡°Maybe don¡¯t attack the second best programmer and only hacker we have here.¡± They said, ¡°We need him.¡± ¡°DH¡¯s talked about Vik.¡± Lendulin said, frowning, ¡°I mean, aren¡¯t they friends? The only person they talk about more is you.¡± TO shrugged, ignoring the blush rising to their ears, ¡°They were friends.¡± They muttered. ¡°Not anymore.¡± ¡°¡­ Poor DH.¡± Petra said, ¡°Everything they went through in training was bad enough, and now this?¡± ¡°DH told you about all that?¡± TO asked, an ear quirking out. They themself had told Petra and Lendulin about their training, at least in general terms. They hadn¡¯t had time, energy, or emotional fortitude to go through the more detailed aspects of the whole thing. ¡°Oh, yeah.¡± Petra said, ¡°They¡¯ve been talking to us a lot while you were gone. They told us about uh¡­ Q10? And a few others¡­¡± She sighed, ¡°Damn. That has to hurt.¡± ¡°It gets worse.¡± TO said. ¡°Have you two met Avery?¡± ¡°We haven¡¯t.¡± Lendulin said, ¡°But we¡¯ve heard about them.¡± TO explained the Shatter-Sickness as best they could in as few words as possible. They didn¡¯t want to get into too much detail, but they needed their friends to understand that it could be dangerous since they didn¡¯t have a Chilacian healer here. ¡°Shit¡­¡± Petra said. ¡°No wonder you¡¯re so upset. You¡¯re worried about them.¡± TO¡¯s ears dipped. ¡°Not quite.¡± They said, ¡°I mean¡­ I am worried about them, yes, very! But that¡¯s not what¡¯s bothering me personally¡­¡± Finally, they told them of their talk with Vik, and they revealed that GiDi not only knew about the chip and didn¡¯t tell them, but that GiDi apparently had suggested it in the first place. By the time they got to the end, the water was all gone, and while Petra had placed the tissues conspicuously close to TO, they remained unused. TO felt numb more than anything else. ¡°¡­ And I¡¯ve not told DH or Avery yet.¡± TO said. ¡°They¡­ Well, things are hard enough on them as it is.¡± They pulled their knees closer to their chest, their wings wrapping tighter around them. ¡°DH is dealing with Vik¡¯s duplicity. Avery is dealing with the fact that Kei nearly killed them¡­ This on top of what they¡¯re already dealing with would be too much.¡± ¡°It¡¯s enough on its own.¡± Lendulin said in a whisper. ¡°Yeah.¡± TO muttered. They were right on that. Even if DH and Avery weren¡¯t already dealing with so much, this would still be so hard. In any circumstance, TO knew that they wouldn¡¯t want to tell them about GiDi. Lendulin and Petra were silent for a while. TO refused to look at them, refused to look up. A part of them knew their friends would say they should talk to DH. TO knew they should. They knew if DH found out they were hiding this information that they¡¯d be hurt, and they wouldn¡¯t want TO to suffer alone. But TO didn¡¯t know if DH could handle this information now, and if they could make it hurt less for DH and Avery, then that¡¯s what TO wanted to do. ¡°TO¡­.¡± Petra finally spoke, her voice soft and careful as though she were walking over ice of unknown thickness. ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°¡­ Are you going to be ok?¡± TO hadn¡¯t expected that question. They expected questions about DH or Avery. They expected chiding about hiding something from their mate, and friend¨Cno, not friend, their Adel. If Petra had punched them in the arm and told them to stop being an idiot and go talk to their family, they would have been less surprised. They also wouldn¡¯t have looked inside themself, really looked inside at how GiDi¡¯s actions felt to them. Yes, GiDi¡¯s actions hurt, but they had been more worried about hiding that hurt from DH and Avery. They had been more worried about how that would affect others, and not how it was affecting them. Maybe they didn¡¯t want to look at how it hurt them. Maybe it was easier to worry about DH and Avery, their family. It occurred to them they had been existing in two states since Vik told them that GiDi had been involved. The first state refused to believe it and despite all logic saying that Vik was telling the truth, that state would not believe it until it came from GiDi¡¯s mouth. The second state believed Vik, but it focused entirely on hiding it from DH and Avery. These two mindsets circled each other like binary stars and now they finally gave in to gravity and collided in a cataclysmic explosion whose light illuminated the whole situation with painful clarity. TO GiDi, the insurgents came before TO. Once upon a time, there were the four of them: GiDi, Avery, TO, and DH, and they had been everything to one another; an island of four in the middle of a hostile ocean. Now GiDi had Pearla, Tham, and Vik. They had their parents, the Yonis, and while they apparently had a genetic connection, the friendship and closeness they once had was gone. The Agel normally faded over time. Had that really happened with them and GiDi? ¡°No.¡± TO said in a breakable voice ¡°¡­ No, I¡¯m not.¡± Tears that should have spilled the night before finally welled and fell. They felt a hand on their shoulder as they hid their face in their arms and cried. Episode 334: Suspicion TO was grateful for Petra and Lendulin¡¯s presence. They realized just how much they had to talk to someone about what they had learned only after their crying had slowed and their composure returned in fragments. It had been clear for a while that TO liked the two, that they enjoyed talking to them, and that they wanted nothing to happen to their new civilian friends, but they hadn¡¯t realized how close they had gotten. They hadn¡¯t realized how much they felt they could trust the two. Only a day ago that realization would have thrilled TO. Today, it scared them. Here they were, letting all the hurt and pain caused by one of their oldest friends flow out of them in front of two civilians who they had only met weeks ago. Yes, they knew that this was essential, that they had to talk to someone about this. GiDi¡¯s actions had hurt them and while talking about it made it hurt all the more in that moment, the lingering dread and weightiness of the information seemed to lessen. Still, how could they trust these two when it seemed they couldn¡¯t even trust GiDi? Did they want to risk suffering more? If they trusted these two now, showing their pain to them and letting the two comfort them, would that make an eventual betrayal hurt all the more? They thought that they should have spoken to Flit or Snout about this. At least they had had nothing to do with the failsafe. ¡­ But they had hidden information from them in the past. Flit had disappeared with GiDi, left them and DH in the training center without really knowing if their friend was alright. Flit and Snout had altered them before they could even think! Yes, they were more at ease with this now, and their anger at the older synths had lessened¡­ Despite that, if GiDi could hurt them like this, couldn¡¯t Flit and Snout? They had known GiDi longer than they knew either of them. Petra had her arms around TO, her attached wings wrapping around them almost like synths wings. Petra had moved her chair closer to TO and was gently squeezing their shoulder with her webbed hand. It helped. The contact helped them, and TO couldn¡¯t help but wonder if that was because of the stuff they had read. Was that Agel thing forming with them now? Could that connection soothe and comfort a synth, even if the other person wasn¡¯t a synth themself? It took a minute for the pain to lessen enough that they could push away from the two, standing up and wiping their eyes with a tissue as they stepped to the other side of the hall. ¡°Apologies.¡± They muttered, not even realizing how stiff their speech had gotten, ¡°I¡­ that helped nothing.¡± ¡°It¡¯s ok, TO.¡± Lendulin said, ¡°It¡¯s fine¡­ If you want to talk or complain or just cry, we¡¯ll be here. Ok?¡± They¡¯d be here, sure, but for how long? What would it take for them to choose to manipulate them, to hide something important? How long would their betrayal take? A part of TO knew that wasn¡¯t fair and knew that Lendulin and Petra had done nothing to them. Still, they couldn¡¯t help but worry that they would. They wanted to believe their friends, and in this moment when they couldn¡¯t talk to DH or Avery, they wanted to accept their help and comfort. They told themself that they had known Lendulin and Petra longer than DH had known Vik, that the two likely did just want to help. ¡°You¡¯ve only known them for a week longer, and you haven¡¯t been around them much lately. Add up the time you¡¯ve spent with these two, and compare it with the time DH has spent with Vik, or even the time you¡¯ve spent with GiDi. If GiDi could betray you, what makes you think these two wouldn¡¯t?¡± The thought hurt, but they couldn¡¯t ignore it. ¡°Thank you.¡± They muttered, crossing their arms as their wings tightened around them, ¡°I¡¯ll be fine though.¡± ¡°Alright¡­¡± Pearla said, though she clearly wasn¡¯t convinced, ¡°So, what are you going to do?¡± ¡°Nothing, for now.¡± They said in a voice that felt cold even to them. It was uncomfortable talking to them with their back turned and their sudden distrust of their friends sparked guilt in their heart simply because they had done nothing. TO turned around and attempted to relax as they leaned against the wall. These two had done nothing to them- For now. -And they just wanted to help. Until they didn¡¯t. ¡°Nothing?¡± Petra frowned, ¡°You should talk to GiDi.¡± TO expected her to say that they should talk to DH, and tell them the truth. They didn¡¯t expect her to suggest talking to GiDi right away. ¡°That is my plan.¡± They said, ¡°But I can¡¯t talk to them now.¡± ¡°Why not?¡± Petra frowned, ¡°What, they¡¯re busy or something? If they hurt you, you need to tell them!¡± ¡°Or they need to tell DH.¡± Lendulin said, her lips pursed, ¡°I mean¡­ They¡¯re your mate-¡± ¡°And dealing with stuff already.¡± Petra said. ¡°This will come out eventually, and DH is going to find out, and it¡¯s going to hurt. If they¡¯re already hurting, then that¡¯s going to pile on the hurt. Do you think that¡¯s a good idea when everyone has to push to get off this planet?¡± TO gave a deep sigh of relief and finally felt their muscles truly relax. ¡°Yes. You understand.¡± They said to Petra, ¡°DH can¡¯t handle this yet.¡± ¡°So, you¡¯re gonna just suffer alone?¡± Lendulin asked. ¡°No, they have us.¡± Petra said, ¡°They¡¯re not suffering alone.¡± For a moment, TO thought it would be ok. They thought maybe they could accept Petra and Lendulin¡¯s support even though they might hurt them in the future. Even if an eventual betrayal came to pass, was that a suitable price for their care and friendship now? Then they recalled the Agel thing once more. It would hurt more if that bond solidified. It wasn¡¯t fair. They wanted to let Petra help them, especially since she understood TO¡¯s thinking in this! If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. It wasn¡¯t fair. Friendship with civilians was hard. Of course, GiDi wasn¡¯t a civilian, and they had still hurt TO. If it weren¡¯t for the Agel, then maybe things would be ok. Of course, that affected the Ankyra more than it did any other synth. Maybe it would be ok. They weren¡¯t an Ankyra. Or¡­ were they? No, they couldn¡¯t be. They had DH. They loved DH. they had romantic feelings for DH, and so they couldn¡¯t be an Ankyra. Or, was that how it worked? The file so far only said that an Ankyra never went through Enkavma. Well, TO hadn¡¯t done that yet. A new flare of panic rose in them. Could they be an Ankyra? ¡°So, you¡¯re going to see GiDi today, right?¡± Petra asked. ¡°You¡¯re going to ask them why they did that, right?¡± ¡°R-Right.¡± TO said, letting Petra¡¯s words pull them from their suddenly spiraling thoughts. Petra and Lendulin were here, and they were helping. How could they just expect the two to hurt them in the future? Ignoring the persuasive counterarguments in their head, they nodded. ¡°I mean, I am going to talk to them, yes, but not today.¡± ¡°Well, you should.¡± Lendulin said as she gestured for another can of water, which Petra passed to her. ¡°The longer you wait, the worse it¡¯ll be when DH finds out you know.¡± ¡°I know.¡± TO said, sighing. ¡°But I can''t talk to them now.¡± ¡°Why not?¡± Lendulin pressed. While TO frowned, trying to think of the best way to say that they weren¡¯t able to talk to GiDi, Petra¡¯s eyes suddenly lit up. ¡°Oh, right!¡± She turned to Lendulin. ¡°That thing that Pearla told us about. They won¡¯t be talking to GiDi for a while yet!¡± ¡°Ah.¡± A light flush covered Lendulin¡¯s face. ¡°Right. I forgot about that.¡± TO¡¯s ears went parallel to the ground as they gaped at Petra, ¡°... You knew?¡± ¡°Well, Pearla told us?¡± Petra said with a shrug, ¡°I mean, it¡¯d be hard to hide anyway if they¡¯re running off for a few days of seclusion every month¡­¡± ¡°Right. Well.¡± TO cleared their throat, their ears warming, ¡°At any rate¡­ I won¡¯t be talking to GiDi for a while longer.¡± Their wings tightened around them, ¡°And even once they¡¯re available, that¡¯s the day we¡¯ll be leaving Arkane. It won¡¯t be the best time to have a serious conversation.¡± Lendulin sighed as she leaned forward, her elbows on her tail and her chin in her hands. She looked at TO intently. ¡°This is a problem then.¡± She muttered. ¡°And you think you can hide this from DH?¡± Petra asked, ¡°You synths can read ears and stuff. Will that give it away?¡± ¡°Maybe¡­¡± TO muttered. ¡°They¡¯ll know I''m upset about something. But, there¡¯s lots to be upset about.¡± They shrugged, ¡°DH is also upset because of Vik, and we¡¯re both worried about Avery.¡± ¡°I still think you should tell DH.¡± Lendulin muttered. ¡°I mean, they¡¯re your mate. It¡¯s going to hurt no matter when you tell them.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a choice between duration or intensity.¡± Petra said, ¡°Either have a terrible time now with the extra bad news atop what''s already a big problem while they¡¯re already working hard to help here, or spread it out longer and dilute the pain.¡± She shrugged, ¡°In a few days we¡¯ll be on a ship and you¡¯ll have time to talk to DH without having to worry about running around and getting things done.¡± Lendulin sighed again, but nodded, ¡°Yeah¡­ I guess.¡± she said, ¡°At least, if you need to talk, you have us here.¡± TO¡¯s ears must have dropped as the spiraling, paranoid rhetoric in their head returned because suddenly Petra said, ¡°... If you want to talk to us, that is¡­¡± ¡°Sorry.¡± TO said, guilt mixing with the anxiety in their stomach, ¡°If¡­ If I need to talk, I¡¯ll come find you.¡± ¡°... Or we¡¯ll check in on you.¡± Petra said, ¡°Because we are worried about you. You¡¯ve been through a lot, and now you can¡¯t talk to DH about a good portion of what¡¯s bothering you.¡± ¡°Right.¡± Lendulin said, ¡°So don¡¯t just hide things from us, ok?¡± She gave a wry grin ¡°You know, not like you did the whole being a synth thing.¡± Petra huffed, ¡°Yeah, that was big.¡± She said, ¡°And I don¡¯t know who I was angrier with! You for not saying anything, or Pearla for not telling us anything!¡± She shrugged, ¡°At least you had a reason to hide it from us, I suppose.¡± They hid that from them, didn¡¯t they? It was true that they and DH hid the fact that they were synths from Petra and Lendulin. They had forgotten about that, since the two seemed to forgive TO, but now that fact reared up along with everything else they were feeling. Maybe they deserved this. Really, what was the bigger secret? GiDi suggesting a failsafe in their chip to knock them out in order to pacify the insurgency, or TO hiding the fact that they were synths from their friends. It wasn¡¯t the same. They had only just met Petra and Lendulin back then, and they had to keep things a secret! Besides, in the beginning they never set out to be friends with Petra and Lendulin. Oh. Right. TO and DH had used them in the beginning. They befriended the two in order to get closer to Pearla who clearly had something to do with the insurgency. They never wanted the friendship of civilians, that just happened! All they wanted in the beginning was information. They absolutely deserved this. GiDi¡¯s betrayal seemed so minor in comparison. ¡°Thank you.¡± TO said, their tongue heavy and their ears low, ¡°If I need to talk, I¡¯ll come to you.¡± ¡°Good.¡± Lendulin said. ¡°¡­ But I should get to work¡± TO said, turning to the curtain hanging before their small alcove. ¡°There¡¯s lots to do.¡± There was lots to do, and TO was grateful for that. If they kept busy, if they occupied their mind, then they could keep their thoughts from following this spiraling whirlpool of guilt and blame and hurt. If they worked hard enough, they¡¯d be too tired to feel. ¡°Alright.¡± Petra said, taking the handles of Lendulin¡¯s wheelchair and pushing her behind TO, ¡°But if there¡¯s anything we can help you with¡­¡± There was. There were lots that the two could help them with which would save TO plenty of time and energy. The two had spent a lot more time among the civilians down here in the tunnels and having their help would simplify things. ¡°No, thank you.¡± TO said as they pushed away the blanket and headed into the darkened hall before them. ¡°I can take care of it myself.¡± They turned back and gave their best civilian smile hoping it would distract from how low their ears were. ¡°I''m sure you have a lot to do yourself.¡± They needed their work, and nobody would take the sweet relief of exhaustion from them. Episode 335: Reversal Whoever had recorded the people coming to the underground from the indebted center had made a horrible mess of the task. They put names in the file, and thankfully whoever did it had thought to add any immediate medical concerns, but that was it. That tere had been no attempt to separate the names of people who had just come here, and no attempt to link the new names up with other families in the center. The names hadn¡¯t even been alphabetized; they had just been thrown onto the bottom of the file like a pile of junk! It was a mess, and TO¡¯s priority was to clean it up. At the very least, they wanted to record families, to note which people should stay together. As TO looked at their lists, they realized that there were still many people in the underground that they hadn¡¯t yet seen, people whose names brought up no face in TO¡¯s mind. It was problematic, especially if they were to organize everything for a few days. With a sigh, they glanced over the long list again, and changed their original plan. Instead of going from one task to another in the indebted center, they would focus on meeting all the people on the list who they didn¡¯t know yet. While they did that, they could compile needs for the trip, link people with families, ensure that people had the necessary medical treatments administered, and double check on any dietary needs. Their recent time in the Indebted Center was hard, and they didn¡¯t want anyone else suffering because they couldn¡¯t get food they needed. A quick skim of the immediate area, and they found one civilian that they rescued from the indebted center. He was a Piscijin by the name of Revmo, and had a tail longer than most, with a fin that had once been very large and flowy. When TO saw him in the indebted center they had noted right away how tattered his tail was, noted healed and fresh wounds in the membrane, and saw the strange discoloration in the scales that covered their entire body. Now, parts of his fin bore a series of stitches, and damp bandages covered part of his tail. He had bandages on other parts of his body as well, and occasionally he¡¯d spray the bandages with water from a spray bottle they kept nearby. Revmo was with another Psicijin that TO hadn¡¯t yet met who sat in an old office chair while Revmo laid on the bed. They were larger, but duller which made the tiny infant in their arms with the bright green scales stand out. ¡°Revmo, right?¡± TO said as they walked up to him. Revmo looked as TO spoke and while he was calm at first, he froze in place once he locked eyes with TO. ¡°Me?¡± he squeaked as nearly every muscle in his body tensed. ¡°I¡­ yes?¡± TO frowned. Was he thrown because TO knew his name? Maybe. He hadn¡¯t actually met this man before; he had only seen him briefly in the indebted center when he pointed him out to Mira. ¡°I¡¯m a friend of Mira¡¯s¡± They said, trying not to think too hard about the use of their word ¡®friend.¡¯ ¡°I was in the Indebted center with her.¡± They looked at TO for a moment longer, then their eyes widened, ¡°OH! You! You were the one with the bot, you¡¯re-¡± he paused, and glanced at the person next to him. ¡°Revy?¡± The other Piscijin drew close to him, pulling the chair to the bed as they held the child close to their chest, ¡°Is something wrong.¡± ¡°No, not at all!¡± They said, looking from TO to the other, ¡°Koralli, this is¡­¡± They paused and looked up at TO, meeting their eyes once more, ¡°Uh¡­ What should I call you?¡± ¡°TO. They/Them.¡± TO said, not bothering to pronounce the two syllables separately anymore. If someone wanted to spell their name as TO or Tio, they weren¡¯t sure if it mattered except on paper. ¡°Tio.¡± Revmo said, ¡°They helped us all get out of the Indebted center.¡± They gave a too-wide smile, revealing pointed teeth. While earless expressions were still a struggle for TO, they felt as though this smile wasn¡¯t a cheerful smile. It felt forced, and didn¡¯t hit the eyes like it tended to for many other civilians. ¡°Mx. Tio, this is my partner, Koralli. She/her.¡± TO looked again at Koralli, taking her in and committing her face to memory. Their gaze must have been too intense, or maybe they lasted too long, because suddenly she turned away just slightly, twisting her muscular body towards Revmo as a hand went protectively over the infant¡¯s head. ¡°Apologies.¡± TO said, breaking off their gaze and making a show of looking over names. They found Koralli quickly and saw that she was listed with someone by the name of Kyma. ¡°And, this is Kyma, correct?¡± They asked, glancing at the baby. ¡°Yes.¡± Koralli¡¯s voice was slow and unsure, and she didn¡¯t move from her twisted position. ¡°My child.¡± TO linked Koralli and Kyma in their files, making a note of Kyma being her infant offspring. ¡°Thank you.¡± They said, making the note. They glanced at Revmo, ¡°Do I assume you¡¯re the other parent?¡± This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report. ¡°I am.¡± His shoulders squared as he faced TO directly. What was this? The behavior was troublesome, and TO didn¡¯t know exactly why they were acting like this. Had they done something wrong? Maybe it was just the fact that they came here out of nowhere and started asking questions. They gave a slight bow of their head, their ears lowered, ¡°I¡¯m just gathering some information.¡± They said, their tone slipping into the cold neutrality of their training. ¡°For what?¡± Their ears flicked out as they peered at Revmo. ¡°What do you mean, ¡®for what¡¯¡± TO said, their brows furrowed, ¡°For leaving the planet.¡± Silence fell between them for a moment before Revmo shrugged, ¡°Alright, what questions.¡± ¡°Any dietary constraint-¡± ¡°None.¡± Revmo snapped. ¡°... Kyma will get a sore belly if they eat red seaweed.¡± Koralli said, though she didn¡¯t move from her position. ¡°Alright¡­¡± TO made the note, ¡°And any medical issues that need to be addressed?¡± They looked to Koralli this time, since Revmo would not talk to them. ¡°Revmo needs creams for his scales.¡± She said, ignoring the hard look Revmo gave her, And he¡¯ll need fresh bandages.¡± More notes, all easy enough as far as TO was concerned. ¡°Right, and any accommodations you¡¯ll need for the ship?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± She glanced at Revmo, who shook their head quickly hoping TO didn¡¯t see. They did. ¡°Anything at all?¡± TO pressed, then glancing down at the infant they added, ¡°Anything the child might need?¡± ¡°... We could use salt water.¡± She said after a while. ¡°Too long in water, and our lungs won¡¯t be able to keep up. Too long out of water, and¡­¡± She glanced at the bandages on Revmo¡¯s scales, ¡°Well¡­ there¡¯s a bunch of issues that come about if we get too dry.¡± Salt water. That might be an issue. ¡°I see.¡± They said, taking a note. They¡¯d have to figure that one out. TO presumed that there were many species here who would need some access to salt water. They¡¯d have to figure out how to do that. ¡°Good, any more questions?¡± Revmo said, eying TO with pupils now so narrow they looked like lines in otherwise blue-gray eyes. They closed the screen that hovered before them. ¡°No, thank you.¡± TO said, ¡°Just making sure we have everyone linked to their families, and that we can be prepared for the trip.¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯m here with my family.¡± ¡°Right.¡± TO said, and as they glanced at them both they had the same feeling, they had back in the training center; Who are you? Why are you here? You don¡¯t belong here. That was bad enough, but that look held a hint of fear. Why were they acting like that? TO nodded once more, turned, and walked away. Why had they looked at TO as they did? Worry bloomed inside them, but they snuffed it out. While they had worked hard at understanding the subtleties of civilian expression, they weren¡¯t an expert in any sense. Perhaps they had inadvertently intruded on a personal conversation? It seemed likely for all of ten seconds. TO wasn¡¯t too far away when they heard Koralli whisper to her partner, ¡°Why were you like that? You made me nervous.¡± ¡°They¡¯re a synth.¡± Revmo whispered back. ¡°Mira told us on the way here-¡± Koralli gave an exasperated sigh, ¡°Yes, I know.¡± She whispered back, "They''re not those kind of synths though.¡± ¡°How do you know?¡± TO was getting far enough away that with all the background noise in the area, they wouldn¡¯t be able to hear the two clearly anymore. They stopped and pulled up their list once more, scrolling through as though checking for names while they strained their ears to hear the conversation behind them. ¡°They¡¯ve been helping for a while.¡± She said, ¡°And that one helped a bunch of people in Thalassa, and they helped get us from the underground so I¡¯m told.¡± ¡°So?¡± Revmo¡¯s voice was shaking, ¡°They¡¯re a synth. They¡¯re probably working to set us up or something, or get us all taken in. I can¡¯t believe anyone down here would trust a synth!¡± TO didn¡¯t bother to listen to the protests of Koralli, who was now explaining that there were in fact several ¡®former synths¡¯ here helping. They closed the file, began scanning faces for the next person to check with. This time however, they weren¡¯t just looking for an unfamiliar face in the crowd, they were looking at expressions; or trying to. Looking for people watching them and looking away as soon as their eyes met. TO looked for wide eyes, and stiff postures among the people in the makeshift dormitory. They found all of it. There had been no such fear before they brought in the people from the indebted center¡­ or, had there been, and TO just didn¡¯t notice? Perhaps working alongside Pearla, who the civilians clearly liked and respected, had softened civilian opinion of them. Apparently, that effect hadn¡¯t lingered. Or, maybe the addition of new people who hadn¡¯t seen TO working with Pearla had turned opinion against them. They spotted a group of unfamiliar faces and headed towards them. This wasn¡¯t ideal, but TO could work through it. None of their tasks required anybody¡¯s trust, just their information. That was fine, because right now TO didn¡¯t trust any of the civilians, anyway. Episode 336: Patience Less than a half hour later, TO already found themself exhausted, and looked forward to work that required less socialization. Some civilians, mostly the ones that had been here for a while and the few that TO had spoken to before going to the indebted center, were perfectly fine with TO, and cooperated as they collected information. The others treated them with the same distrust the Revmo held for them earlier. It would have been better if everyone had been instantly distrustful, just so they could know what to expect. It was hard enough that their mind was in a tug-of-war between their current task and all the things that had happened in the last day, but the whiplash between the tentative friendliness and pity¨Cthe latter likely from those who had heard about their training¨Cand the outright hostility and fear was adding another layer of emotional whiplash to the already difficult situation. Also, if people were just outright distrustful, then TO wouldn¡¯t have to approach each new person with careful curiosity as they tried to gauge how they felt about them. They wished they had their helmet on, something to superimpose ears around civilians, and translate the more subtle expressions into clearer ear movements. They also wished that people would stop asking them why they were helping. Wasn¡¯t it enough that they were? The first few times they had answered thoughtfully but their patience was quickly wearing thin. Why were they doing this? ¡®Because my family is helping the insurgency. Because my mate is here. Because my friends are here. Because I want to get off this planet too. Because I want to.¡® The most recent person to have asked¨Ca strange fishlike person with lizard-like scales and four eyes¨Cgot only the snappy response of ¡®because¡¯ followed by TO¡¯s original question repeated through grit teeth. After getting the information they needed they turned to leave and nearly tripped over someone. They almost snapped at that point thanks to their fraying patience and the whirlwind of thoughts still spiraling in their head which they were desperately working to ignore, but somehow, they didn¡¯t. They took a deep breath with their eyes closed, and then looked down to apologize for something that they didn¡¯t even think was their fault. They were so very glad that they didn¡¯t snap. ¡°Constance.¡± TO gave the small child as much of a smile as they could manage, one that didn¡¯t quite reach their ears. ¡°How are you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m good!¡± She said, her big black eyes sparkling, her fanged teeth showing. ¡°Are you here to see your part-ner?¡± TO ignored the flush that crept up the back of their ears and knelt down so they were closer to eye level with the child, ¡°Not today.¡± They said, ¡°Today, I¡¯m here to visit people.¡± They glanced around, looking for Mark. Hopefully, Mark would remember them and wouldn¡¯t be as hostile as the others had been. Hopefully, their visit with Mira back when Mark was in the infirmary had softened him to TO. They looked for the dull sheen of blue over dull green scales, unfortunately, they couldn¡¯t see them nearby. They looked to Constance and once again gave her a smile, ¡°In fact, I¡¯m here to visit your father. Can you show me where he is?¡± ¡°I can!¡± She said. Her expression suddenly turned very serious, ¡°But only if you answer a question.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± TO said, suppressing their smirk. ¡°I¡¯ll try to.¡± Despite all the questions they had answered in the last thirty minutes, they didn¡¯t think that Constance would ask anything particularly taxing. She looked up TO, meeting their gaze with wide, dark eyes, ¡°Do you eat people?¡± They felt their ears fall. ¡°No.¡± They said in a voice a lot firmer and deeper than they intended. They remembered her saying something like that before when they had first met. Yes, she mentioned someone telling her she had to sit still in her chair, or the synths could come and take her and eat her. They had found it almost amusing back then. Today, it wasn¡¯t amusing. ¡°Are you sure?¡± She asked, ¡°Because someone told me that If I kept racing across the floor with my board that you¡¯d take me and eat me. And I said that I told you if you tried to eat me that I¡¯d bite you, but you never said that you didn¡¯t eat people, and¡­¡± She trailed off as she looked up at TO, watching them carefully as a frown pulled at the corner of her lips. ¡°... I-I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°For what?¡± TO said, now trying to keep some kind of smile on their face. ¡°... I think I made you sad?¡± She said, ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to.¡± TO raised a hand to the side of their head, feeling how low their ears had gone. Were their ears so obvious, and the sorrow and guilt that swirled in them so deep, that even this civilian child could see it? Nobody else had, or if they had, nobody else had said anything or cared. ¡°It¡¯s ok.¡± TO said, ¡°I... I am sad. But it¡¯s not because of you. It¡¯s because of other things.¡± ¡°What other things?¡± She asked, still staring intently at TO. ¡°... It¡¯s complicated.¡± TO said. ¡°Don''t worry about-¡± ¡°¡®It¡¯s complicated¡¯ means you had a fight with someone.¡± She said, ¡°Right?¡± After a moment, TO nodded. She was kind of right. There was going to be an argument in the future. ¡°Something like that.¡± She nodded, then her hand- so comically small compared to TO¡¯s wrapped around their forefinger and middle finger as pulled them forward. TO scrambled to their feet just before she pulled them too far, but even so they had to walk hunched over as Constance pulled herself along the floor. ¡°Come on.¡± She said, ¡°Come see my daddy. He¡¯s great at helping people!¡± A handful of protestations died on TO¡¯s lips. They didn¡¯t need and didn¡¯t want Mark¡¯s help with everything they were feeling, but they wanted to see Mark. They still had Constance listed on the chart as being with Avery, and DH, and themself so she was their responsibility. TO wanted to make sure that all was well with him before they changed her name over. Constance pulled TO through the room, gaining them some odd glances as she brought them to the back corner where Mark was sitting, leaning with his arm pressed against the stone wall. His fake fin lay on the bed, unattached to his tail, and he gazed at nothing. It occurred to TO that perhaps Vik and Goretta could make a prosthetic for him as they had for Snout since it would be more comfortable, and would work better. Of course, as soon as they thought that the other thoughts of Vik, of GiDi came forward in their head. No. No, they didn¡¯t want to think about any of that. They wanted to think of work, of the people giving them strange looks, of the confusing mix of hostility and friendliness that they were receiving now. Of course they couldn¡¯t ignore Vik; they needed to be in contact with the tiny programmer in order to get things done. TO took a breath as they approached, and sent off the messages; one to Vik, and one to Goretta. If they didn¡¯t think of Vik as a person, if they just thought of him as the programmer, then they could work with him for now without thinking about all the bad stuff. They just had to consider Vik as a small but vital piece in the machine that was the insurgency for now. ¡°Daddy!¡± Constance¡¯s face lit up as she approached, her voice louder than necessary, ¡°Look, this is TO! They¡¯re a synth and they don¡¯t eat people.¡± This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it At first, Mark¡¯s face brightened when he saw Constance and to TO¡¯s surprise it didn¡¯t drop when they looked up and saw TO, nor did their pleased expression fade when Constance said rather loudly that TO was a synth. It did, however, fade into an awkward, almost apologetic expression when she proclaimed that TO didn¡¯t eat people. ¡°Well¡­ That¡¯s good to hear.¡± He said, clearing his voice. He glanced up at TO. ¡°And uh¡­ it¡¯s good to see you again. Good, that you got out. I was worried that you wouldn¡¯t make it since you didn¡¯t go into the tunnels with us.¡± TO shrugged, ¡°I took a detour.¡± They said as they stood up by the bed. Constance let go of their hand and pulled herself closer to her father. She looked up at TO, and firmly patted the bed with her tiny hand. ¡°Sit.¡± She insisted. TO took a step back with excuses at their lips, but Mark nodded, ¡°Yes, sit.¡± Around them, a few of the civilians¨C Though, should they be calling the other civilians now? Weren¡¯t they civilians too, like Vik had said? ¨Cwere still watching them, either with fear, open distrust, or just with mild curiosity. So many eyes on them made their ears pin back as a prickle of unease rode up their spine. The feeling that something bad would happen if they sat with Mark overcame them. It was as though sitting with him was against some kind of rule. But¡­ it wasn¡¯t, right? Tentatively, they sat on the edge of the bed. ¡°You said that synths would eat me if I didn¡¯t go to school.¡± Constance said, her tail flicking in her chair and her fins rising. She put her little hands on her hips. ¡°You lied! Synths don¡¯t eat people!¡± Mark chuckled, his face darkening with a deep shade of blue, ¡°Well¡­ Let¡¯s say I was wrong, not that I lied.¡± He gave her an apologetic smile, but glanced at TO, ¡°See, my parents told me that synths would eat me if I didn¡¯t eat all my seaweed.¡± She frowned, thinking this new information over, ¡°So¡­ Your parents lied?¡± ¡°¡­ I think they misunderstood.¡± Mark said after a moment. He made a big show of clearing his throat. ¡°Oh, wow. My throat is pretty dry.¡± He smiled at Constance, ¡°Think my little jellyfish can get me some of that nice honey tea?¡± She huffed, her own face darkening with blue as well. TO realized that the tinge hitting their face was like how their own ears too often warmed and flushed. It was the first time they had met another species that blushed like that. ¡°I¡¯m not a Jellyfish!¡± She said as her tail gave an impatient flick. ¡°I know, but you¡¯re cute just like one.¡± Mark teased. ¡°Please, find that tea for me?¡± Constance fumed for a moment longer, then her fins dropped, ¡°Ok¡­¡± She said as she rolled away. She stopped suddenly and turned around. ¡°Mx. TO.¡± She said, her voice suddenly proper, ¡°Can I get you anything?¡± Her sudden formality brought a grin to TO¡¯s lips, and a perk to their ears, ¡°No, thank you.¡± They said. ¡°Ok. I¡¯ll be right back!¡± She said as she turned around again, ¡°Don¡¯t leave until I get back!¡± ¡°Take your time sweets.¡± Mark said, smiling widely as he waved to her. Once she was out of sight his expression dropped. ¡°Hey, so¡­ I¡¯m really sorry about that.¡± He said, ¡°About the whole synths eating her thing.¡± TO frowned as they looked at Mark, ¡°Oddly, that¡¯s the second time in less than a day someone has brought that up.¡± They said. ¡°Which is strange, since I know for a fact that when we¡¯re in our armor we¡¯re not supposed to eat anything. Out of armor, nobody¡¯s supposed to know we¡¯re synths.¡± ¡°Yeah, why is that?¡± Mark asked. ¡°If nobody knows what we look like out of armor, then we can infiltrate civilian groups easily.¡± They said, ¡°We can talk to people we suspect without people being on edge.¡± It occurred to TO that maybe that was why Revmo had said what he did to his partner. Synths serving King Decon would often go undercover as civilians for information. TO had been doing that with Petra and Lendulin, a fact that even as they thought of it now made their heart twist. Revmo suspecting that was actually rather insightful. Of course, if they were doing that, they wouldn¡¯t tell anyone they were synths. ¡°That¡¯s why some people are all uptight, I guess.¡± Mark said. ¡°They think you¡¯re setting us up.¡± TO sighed, ¡°Yes¡­¡± They said. ¡°Apparently.¡± ¡°Well, the eating kids¡¯ thing; I think it¡¯s because you don''t eat when you¡¯re in armor.¡± Mark said, ¡°I mean, either people think you¡¯re robots and don¡¯t need to eat, or they think you eat something you have to hide.¡± TO huffed, ¡°Well¡­ neither.¡± They said. ¡°It¡¯s also probably an easier way to describe synths¡­ you know, taking people,¡± He glanced at the wall as though there was suddenly something highly interesting on it. ¡°You know, if kids refuse to go to school then that¡¯s truancy. It¡¯s not enforced in the outer ring, but it¡¯s still breaking a law.¡± TO¡¯s ears flattened, ¡°I assure you, even dedicated, loyal synths don¡¯t bother with truancy.¡± ¡°Ah¡­.¡± Mark looked down at the worn blanket, picking at a thread for a moment before asking ,¡±So¡­ What do you eat?¡± TO gave a heavy sigh, then spoke loudly for the benefit of the surrounding people. ¡°It¡¯s more about what I can¡¯t eat.¡± TO said. ¡°Certain grains will make me sick, so will most forms of mammalian dairy. Most forms of eggs will hurt me.¡± They shrugged, ¡°There¡¯s a few more things, but if I asked you to list everything in the galaxy that you couldn¡¯t eat, could you?¡± Mark shook his head, chucking, ¡°Probably not.¡± He fell silent, and there was an awkward moment between them before TO sighed and spoke again. ¡°In training¡­ back when I was still a synth, I mean, mostly we had these nutrition cubes.¡± They held up their thumb and forefinger, ¡°We¡¯d get a collection of little cubes about this size on an edible plate. It was mostly mycelium which was used for structure, and synthetic nutrients were added.¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± Mark frowned, ¡°What did it taste like?¡± ¡°Like nothing?¡± TO said. They took a moment to think of all the foods they had eaten since they got here, and remembered one they had tried on their date with DH. ¡°Like a plain, uncooked button mushroom.¡± They wrinkled their nose. ¡°I had a salad with them in it and bit into one with no dressing on it. It had the same texture too but they cut it too thin for me to be sure.¡± ¡°¡­ and that¡¯s all?¡± Mark asked, ¡°That¡¯s all you ate?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°And¡­ What about normal food? You said you had a salad-¡° ¡°Protein and fruit, mostly.¡± TO said. ¡°They had most of the nutrients I need.¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± He gave a wry grin. ¡°So¡­ no children, and you don¡¯t drink blood.¡± TO thought they might vomit at the thought. Maybe it was that, the shock of the suggestion, and how Mark was just so at ease with them they answered truthfully, ¡°I feel sick and faint at the sight of blood.¡± They frowned, ¡°And even if I didn¡¯t, even if I needed to drink¡­ that.¡± They suppressed a shudder, ¡°Why did you tell your young child that a synth would eat her if she didn¡¯t go to school? Didn¡¯t that seem excessive to you?¡± Mark shrugged and looked away, ¡°I wasn¡¯t lying when I said my parents told me the same thing.¡± He said, ¡°It¡¯s just something parents tell their kids.¡± ¡°¡­ So we¡¯re the monsters used to scare your children into good behavior.¡± TO¡¯s voice was sharp, but their ears dipped. ¡°¡­. Sorry about that.¡± Mark said, ¡°But¡­ As you can see, Constance isn¡¯t scared of you. Since she met you a few days ago, she¡¯s now entirely fascinated with synths. She said you have ¡®twitchy ears¡¯ and a partner.¡± TO¡¯s ears dropped again, this time without flicking back as they warmed slightly. ¡°Yes.¡± They muttered, ¡°She seemed surprised at that.¡± ¡°Well, she thinks it¡¯s cute.¡± He said, ¡°So, congratulations, you¡¯ve entirely changed her view of synths in armor and out. Don¡¯t be surprised if she has questions for you later. Lots of questions. She even asked me if I think that every pair of synths on every planet are a couple.¡± Another sigh from TO, but this time a slight grin pulled at their lips. ¡°They are not.¡± They said. The idea was a fun one though. At any rate, they could probably handle questions from Constance since she had greeted them with such joy earlier. ¡°¡­ And on that note.¡± Mark said, clutching his bandaged arm which was still pressed firmly against the cool stone wall. ¡°I have a favor to ask you.¡± ¡°Alright¡­¡± TO said, glancing at the arm. They didn¡¯t have the same medical training as DH did, but at a glance they could see it was swollen, and held a painful darker blue tone at the edges. ¡°Painkillers?¡± They guessed. ¡°Or a bandage change?¡± They frowned, their ears pinning back and dropping, ¡°I can change bandages, but if the wound is bloody¡­¡± ¡°Oh, no no, I wasn¡¯t going to ask that of you.¡± He said, shaking his head with a sad smile. ¡°This looks pretty bad under the bandages, even if it¡¯s not bloody.¡± ¡°Alright¡­¡± TO said, ¡°Then, what do you need?¡± Mark squeezed his arm as he stared down at his blanket. ¡°¡­ If something were to happen to me, if I got left behind, or¡­ just if I couldn¡¯t get on the ship, would you take care of Constance for me?¡± Episode 337: Protector TO was absolutely silent as their mind struggled to make sense of what Mark said. Despite TO¡¯s keen ears, they must have misheard Mark somehow or maybe they had just misinterpreted what he said. Yes, it had to be the latter! As they considered what they heard and the situation in general, they concluded what he meant. ¡°I¡¯m certain you¡¯ll get on the ship, but should anything happen I¡¯ll make sure she gets off Arkane.¡± TO said. They activated their chip, and continued taking notes, ¡°If you¡¯ll give me the name of the person who normally watches her, I¡¯ll make sure she¡¯s placed with them-¡± ¡°No¡­ no you misunderstand.¡± He sighed, ¡°Look¡­ I know we only just met the other day, and I know that.¡± He glanced around, looking at the others nearby still giving TO weary looks, ¡°And I know that until recently I had the same view of synths as everyone else did.¡± He frowned as he glanced up at TO, ¡°You know, the armor and the way you all talk in armor doesn¡¯t help your image.¡± ¡°I think that might be the point.¡± TO said as their ears flattened out. ¡°Though I¡¯m not sure why.¡± ¡°Probably to keep you from making friends with us and joining our cause.¡± Mark said, ¡°Anyway¡­ No, I wouldn¡¯t want you to just get her on the ship. I¡¯d like you to take care of her.¡± That had been what TO thought he meant first. ¡°¡­ You don¡¯t know me.¡± They said, ¡°She doesn¡¯t know me-¡± ¡°Maybe not.¡± Mark said, ¡°But I know a protector when I see one.¡± A confused frown crossed over TO¡¯s features, ¡°What?¡± ¡°Look¡­ I heard what happened in Thalassa.¡± He said. ¡°You were doing other stuff, and you still helped the civilians.¡± ¡°Well, I couldn¡¯t let a bunch of civilians drown!¡± ¡°And Beck, You got her here too, even though she didn¡¯t want to come. You made sure she was safe.¡± ¡°Yes, but she helped us in the Indebted Center, so I couldn¡¯t just leave her there!¡± ¡°And I¡¯ve been watching you, seeing you talk to people around here. You¡¯re more patient than I would be. He held up his arm, ¡°Your partner bandaged this up. They talked about you a lot. If I hadn¡¯t known the person they were talking about was a synth, then I¡¯d think you¡¯re just a really reliable, protective kind of person. And you¡¯ve already shown me you have patience for Constance.¡± ¡°Look¡­¡± TO sighed, ¡°You should get someone else.¡± They said, ¡°I mean, you have people who look after her now, right?¡± ¡°I do.¡± He said, nodding, ¡°But they already have too many kids. I don¡¯t want her to feel like a burden, and I don¡¯t want her to fall to the side.¡± He shrugged. ¡°It¡¯s nothing against my friends, but I know they¡¯re only just coping as it is. I can¡¯t ask them to do this. So, if something happens to me¡­¡± He trailed up and looked at TO again, ¡°Would you take care of her then?¡± Hadn¡¯t they already listed Constance with Avery, DH, and themself as a family? They did that before they met her father just to make sure that she¡¯d be ok since she was here without her family. Still, this felt different. This felt more important, more serious. ¡°I¡¯ll make sure you¡¯re on that ship.¡± TO said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that. You¡¯ll be there.¡± ¡°But if I¡¯m not?¡± ¡°You will be.¡± TO said. ¡°If you¡¯re so sure, then clearly it wouldn¡¯t be a problem for you to promise you¡¯ll take care of her if something happens to me, right?¡± TO stammered, unsure how to respond to that. He had a point; if TO was going to make sure that he was on the ship, they¡¯d have no worries about being responsible for Constance. If they failed to get him on the ship, well, then it was their fault Constance was alone. It made sense that they should then be responsible for her, didn¡¯t it? The sound of small wheels against the rough stone alerted TO to Constance¡¯s return. They heard her before Mark did, but Mark followed TO¡¯s gaze as they turned to look, and saw Constance making her way back towards them. ¡°Don¡¯t say a word to her.¡± Mark said, ¡°I don¡¯t want her upset. Things have been hard enough.¡± TO glanced back at Mark, frowning. They wanted to say that Constance should have a say in this, that if someone was going to look after her, then she should know that, right? But Constance was very young, younger than anyone TO had ever interacted with before. The closest they had ever been to someone Constance¡¯s age was when they worked in the production lab and saw the juvenile synths floating in the tanks. Despite their lack of experience, they were fairly certain that someone as young as Constance probably couldn¡¯t make big decisions on their own. Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings. They didn¡¯t even know if she¡¯d be able to understand a big decision. ¡°I couldn¡¯t find Pearla.¡± Constance said as she approached, ¡°But I found the Octo-Doctor-¡± ¡°Goretta.¡± Mark said, a slight smile on their face, ¡°Dr Goretta. You wouldn¡¯t like it if someone called you the fish girl.¡± Constance huffed, her fins puffing out. ¡°It¡¯s rude to interrupt!¡± She said. ¡°It is, I¡¯m sorry.¡± Mark said, ¡°Go on.¡± Constance huffed again, but then continued, ¡°I found Dr. Goretta and she said she¡¯d bring you some tea in a minute.¡± She looked to TO, ¡°What were you talking about? Did daddy help you with your fight?¡± ¡°Oh, that¡¯s fine.¡± TO said quickly before turning to Mark, ¡°She told me you were good at helping people.¡± ¡°They had a fight with someone.¡± Constance said, ¡°You can help, right?¡± Mark glanced at TO, who shook their head with a quick and subtle gesture. ¡°Oh, right. That.¡± He smiled at Constance, ¡°All taken care of. I was just asking TO to do a little favor for me.¡± ¡°Oh? What kind of favor? Can¡¯t I do it for you?¡± ¡°Oh no. And it¡¯s nothing you have to worry about.¡± He lied. ¡°I was just asking if they could take care of something for me.¡± He looked back to TO, ¡°... Can you?¡± The favor Mark wanted TO to do was conditional. If Mark didn¡¯t get onto the ship, then TO would be responsible for Constance. But, Mark was already here. He was out of the indebted center and they''d make sure everyone here got on that ship and got off the planet. Something would have to go very wrong to keep him off the ship. Yes, things could go wrong, but as far as TO could consider anything that would keep Mark off the ship would keep the rest of them off the ship. ¡°Yes.¡± They finally said, ¡°Yes, I can take care of that for you.¡± Mark gave a sigh of relief, ¡°Thank you.¡± He said. ¡°It means more than you think.¡± TO nodded, and got up, ¡°Well, I have to get back to work.¡± They said, ¡°Lots to do-¡± ¡°Can I come with you?¡± Constance asked. ¡°Constance, TO is very busy.¡± Mark patted the bed, inviting her to sit next to him, ¡°Why don''t you come up here. I¡¯ll read you some stories¡­ and maybe TO might visit later?¡± He looked up, ¡°if you¡¯re not busy later?¡± They would be busy. TO wanted to keep themself as busy as possible right now. But, maybe visiting here later would help distract them. An extra task that required less work but still demanded TO¡¯s attention and time would be a welcomed break later. ¡°I will.¡± TO said as they flashed a quick smile, to Constance, ¡°I promise.¡± ====== Despite the looks they were still getting and the occasional hostility, TO felt better after talking to Mark and Constance. Despite the conversation around TO¡¯s eating habits, neither Mark nor Constance had been hostile to them and somehow the idea that a small child was entirely at ease with them, and her father wanted to entrust her entirely to TO¡¯s care, was a comfort. A comfort that really helped them fight through the frustration of explaining themself over and over. ¡°-And I really just need information to make sure we¡¯re prepared to escape.¡± TO said, sighing at the creature who at first glance looked like a Nagarajin, but she had a set of stubby hands at her hips, and the fins at her sides and the webbed hands told TO that they were probably more aquatic than anything else. There was nothing on the chart talking about what species she was, so TO just made a mental note of the name to looked it up later. Well, they¡¯d do that if they didn¡¯t spend the rest of the day trying to convince this one- Pye, was his name, TO had gotten that much information from them at least- that yes, it was ok to tell them the information that had to be passed on, and that TO would not turn them all in. ¡°I get what you¡¯re saying, I do!¡± Pye said, slithering backwards with her dominant hands up, ¡°But look at it from my perspective. I don¡¯t know you. I know you¡¯re a synth, that¡¯s all. And I¡¯ve never seen a synth help a person.¡± ¡°Well, you¡¯re seeing it now.¡± TO said, ¡°And I helped plenty of people here. I helped people from Thalassa-¡± ¡°Many people died there.¡± Pye said. ¡°And a lot more might have.¡± TO hissed. ¡°Did you know they were being taken away?¡± Pye asked, ¡°Maybe you were just helping to ¡®recover property¡¯.¡± She huffed and looked around, ¡°Look, just let me talk to Tham, and-¡± ¡°Tham is busy.¡± TO said. A few people had asked to speak to Tham, and sometimes TO had called him and asked Tham to vouch for them. They¡¯d do it again if Pye didn¡¯t cooperate soon, but they really didn¡¯t want to. What was the point of TO having any job if they had to keep interrupting Tham because they couldn¡¯t do the job? ¡°Look, you¡¯re already here.¡± TO said, ¡°I¡¯ve been working with Pearla-¡± ¡°You know Pearla?¡± Pye asked, one of the fins on her head perking. ¡°I do, and I¡¯ve been helping her.¡± TO said, ¡°Along with Tham, and GiDi-¡± ¡°Who the fuck is GiDi?¡± TO stopped, and could only gape at Pye. They thought everyone knew who GiDi was. GiDi was basically in charge here! But the more TO thought about it, the more they realized they had never seen GiDi come in here with the rest of the civilians. The people who saw GiDi were people who worked with the insurgency. Was that on purpose? They had little time to think about that. An angry shout of ¡°You!¡± came from behind them. Now, there had been some fighting among the civilians down here, among a few older kids, or some adults who didn¡¯t get along well, but TO had heard no one speak like that, with their voice vibrating with rage. They sighed and turned around, prepared to intervene and prevent anyone from needing medical help, but as they saw who it was that shouted they froze. Short, covered in blue-gray scales, and rapidly closing the distance between them on her four speedy legs, Beck¡¯s anger was like a bubble around her which drove other civilians out of the way. To TO¡¯s dismay, she wasn¡¯t arguing with another civilian. The rage that shot from her eyes and bore into TO¡¯s own was evidence enough that her anger was reserved especially for TO. Episode 338: Self-Defense As soon as TO saw Beck rushing forward on her four legs, they knew she was going to hit them. They had had little time to practice hand to hand as of late, but they had always excelled in that part of their training, and always had a skill for reading their opponent¡¯s moves in practice and in simulations. Beck was no warrior, and her movements weren¡¯t subtle. She was leaning into her gait, as though building momentum with every step. Just from the way her left arm seemed to tense in the air, they could tell that she¡¯d be attacking from her left; she was likely left handed if that was the case. TO made a note of that. They also realized from her open hand that she likely was going to slap them. If she had any training, they¡¯d expect an open-palm fighting style. As she was just a normal civilian, TO expected nothing more than glorified flailing. There was something else they had to pay attention to though. Beck was angry. She seemed to be filled with that kind of white-hot anger that blurred one¡¯s vision and made them do stupid things. Anger might make her fight more, and hit harder, but it would also make her fight stupidly. It would be a non-lethal civilian attack. She approached, and as TO suspected she swung around in an uncontrolled movement to slap their face. Foolish. She was really too short to reach TO¡¯s face properly, and even if she connected, the strike would have lost most of her power. If TO bothered to block the hit, they¡¯d probably do more damage to her than she would to them. Honestly, even if they let the strike hit, she¡¯d probably just break her fingers. TO slid backwards in a simple, fluid movement and let Beck slap the air. Even hitting nothing there was a moment where TO worried that she might have overextended something in her attempt to hit them. They took a quick step forward, but stopped as she glared at them. ¡°Fucker.¡± She hissed as she took another step forward. ¡°Look, I know you¡¯re angry.¡± TO said, trying to be sympathetic. Still, their ears were back, and their eyes narrowed as they watched her. It was hard not to be angry when someone was attacking you. ¡°But if you calm down, I can tell you what¡¯s going on now-¡± ¡°I know what¡¯s going on.¡± Beck snapped. She growled as she tried to slap TO, but she only slapped the air where moments ago TO¡¯s face had been. She stumbled forward but thanks to her four legs she kept her balance. ¡°You kidnapped me from the center and brought me here, and now I¡¯m going to be taken off the planet and sent to who knows where!¡± ¡°Well, yes.¡± TO eyed her hands, watching for the next strike, ¡°But¡­ it¡¯s more complicated than that. Staying here is dangerous. It was for your own good.¡± Her eyes flashed, as though the rage inside her had exploded, ¡°How dare you decide what¡¯s for my own good!¡± She snapped as she lunged towards them. Her hands flexed, and her claws came out. TO¡¯s heart stopped for a moment as she saw those claws. They had no idea how dangerous they might be, how sharp this species'' claws were, but they knew that claws out meant that someone seriously wanted to hurt you. Just like how Q10 had hurt DH, costing them their eye and scarring their face. TO tensed. They felt their body shift slightly- Stand angled to the side; it provides a narrower target to your opponent. The words Flit had said when they were in training, teaching them to fight, came back to them as they took their stance. -as their hands clenched into solid fists. Ensure your fist is solid! If it¡¯s not, you¡¯re going to break fingers. Beck took another step forward, her hand out, claws glinting in the light as she swiped at TO. Instinct and practice both merged for TO. The hours they had spent in training, and the fear of what a person¡¯s claws could do worked together and fueled the series of simple movements which they performed in quick succession.In one second, Beck was before them, claws out and about to attack. In the next, she was lying on the back behind TO, gasping for breath. Beck¡¯s attack was a simple one; The most common of civilian attacks; an untrained, clumsy swing. Not dangerous as far as any of them were concerned, but if a civilian had a weapon in their hand, or had claws, then it could be a lot worse. Because of its commonality, they had all learned how to counter it early. You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version. It was one of the first defensive moves they had practiced. Still, despite how easy the move had been, TO was breathing hard. They weren¡¯t sure why they were breathing so hard, and why their heart seemed to beat so loudly in their ears. ¡°Someone, grab them!¡± TO didn¡¯t know who it was who shouted; the sound seemed very far away to them at first, but they suddenly felt hands on their wrists as someone pulled their arms back. A moment of panic flooded them as they pulled away and turned around to face the scrawny Nagarajin who had tried to grab them. They backed away, but felt someone at their back. They couldn¡¯t say if they had bumped into someone, or if someone had tried to grab them, but it didn¡¯t matter. TO was done. They were done with people yelling at them, attacking them, and just being overall nasty to them. ¡°Get back!¡± TO¡¯s voice was louder than normal, more of a shout than anything else. Their wings didn¡¯t just puff out behind them, they spread with a sudden, surprising force so that the civilians standing around them to back away or suffer a strike from TO¡¯s wings. ¡°Yes, If everyone could get back.¡± A calm voice said behind them, ¡°I¡¯d rather not see more injury.¡± TO turned around and saw Goretta now helping Beck up off the floor. DH was there too, their kit in hand, ready to help. They leaned down to help Beck up, but she shoved them off of her when they tried to help, causing DH to lose their balance and fall backwards onto the floor. That woman just pushed DH. The woman who came at them with her claws out just pushed DH down to the ground! TO took several purposeful steps forward, their ears tensed and their eyes narrowed. They weren¡¯t looking at DH though, they were looking at Beck. The rest of the world faded away in a shaking white blur as they closed the distance between them. ¡°TO, I¡¯m fine! Stop!¡± At that moment, DH¡¯s voice was the only thing that seemed solid. Since those claws had come out, everything had seemed confusing and chaotic. DH calling their name was like a beacon back to reality, and TO stopped in their tracks as the world came back into focus. They were only a couple of feet away from Beck, who was now standing on unsteady feet with Goretta¡¯s help. TO¡¯s right hand was at their hip, as though searching for a multi-gun that they didn¡¯t have with them. What if they had the multi-gun. What would they have done? Would DH have spoken in time? What were they about to do? TO turned away from Beck and went to DH. They knelt down by their mate, their ears twitching, their eyes wide. ¡°Are you ok?¡± They asked as they looked over DH. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± DH said. They took TO¡¯s hand ¡°Really, I just stumbled and rolled back. My pride hurts, but that¡¯s all. Just help me up.¡± ¡°That fucking synth just attacked her!¡± Someone in the surrounding crowd shouted. TO turned, looking about for the speaker but couldn¡¯t tell who it was. ¡°Shut up, Dave.¡± Another voice said, ¡°You saw what happened, she swung at them. She attacked them.¡± A third voice joined the argument, ¡°They¡¯re a synth. She¡¯s unarmed-¡° ¡°They¡¯re unarmed too.¡± ¡°Doesn¡¯t count; they¡¯re basically weapons.¡± Weapons? TO had never considered themself a weapon and had never heard them or any other synth called a weapon. TO didn¡¯t even consider themself a tool anymore but not even the most loyal of synths would have called themself a weapon. DH looked around, their ears twitching as they followed the voices. TO¡¯s ears did the same, and they looked around to see if they could tell who was speaking but there were so many people around it was hard to tell who said what. ¡°DH, why don¡¯t you go get me a hot water bottle.¡± Goretta said flashing DH a quick smile as she helped Beck to a nearby bed. Despite her calm voice and warm smile, TO noticed her tentacles coiling tightly about her, the color shifting slightly to a warmer hue. ¡°We have hot-water bottles though.¡± DH said, ¡°Over in-¡° ¡°I¡¯d like a new one with fresh hot water.¡± Goretta said. ¡°She¡¯s mostly fine, just bruised-¡° ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you put ice on a bruise?¡± DH said, ¡°You shouldn¡¯t apply heat until-¡° Goretta¡¯s smile widened along with her eyes, giving her an almost manic look as her skin flashed red for a brief second, ¡°Then go get me a bag of ice.¡± she snapped, showing her teeth. DH finally understood, ¡°Ah, right.¡± They said, ¡°Sorry... I¡¯ll go.¡± Goretta looked at TO, ¡°Can you go with them and make sure they get what they need?¡± She cleared her voice and spoke a little louder, ¡°Since you¡¯re basically in charge for now.¡± They nearly said that they weren¡¯t ¡®in charge¡¯ and that they were just filling in while GiDi was out of commission. They weren¡¯t in charge of anything! But they quickly saw what Goretta was doing and let the words die on their tongue. ¡°Of course.¡± They said as they took DH¡¯s hand and led them away. There was a group of six civilians standing before them as they headed to the door. It was a mix of tentacles and tails mostly, but there was an insectoid standing at the front who had an elongated body, long tail, rounded head, and only five arms where they should have had six. They stood in front of the others, and though they took a step back when TO approached they didn¡¯t move. ¡°¡­. Excuse us.¡± TO said through clenched teeth. They didn¡¯t want their anger right now to be apparent to the civilians, so they did their best to keep their tone neutral and hoped they wouldn¡¯t read into the aggressive and angry position of their ears. The insectoid glanced at Goretta, back to TO, and then stepped aside with a slight nod. The others behind them got out of the way as well so that DH and TO could speed walk across the room and get out and away from all the noise. Mostly, they wanted to escape the whispering, and the eyes staring at them. The whispers were quiet enough that TO could tell they weren¡¯t meant to hear them, but thanks to their keen ears, they could hear every comment about them being synths, about them being dangerous. Their keen synth ears. Or, were they Chilacian ears? For all the wondering TO had done over that in the last few days, they had never felt more like a synth than they did right now as they rushed out of the room to the chorus of angry glares and whispers. Episode 339: Antibiotics The door slammed shut behind them as DH pulled TO along the hallway, though they could still hear the civilians shouting inside. It was a relief that some of those shouts were in TO¡¯s defense. That helped, but not much. If people were arguing there now it was because of them. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t have been alone in there.¡± DH said as they rushed down the hallway, ¡°I knew you shouldn¡¯t have been working alone, but I was so busy... People are nasty enough to me when Goretta is around!¡± TO¡¯s eyes widened, ¡°Wait.. they¡¯re nasty to you?¡± Their ears pinned back, ¡°Who¡¯s nasty to you!?¡± They stopped in their tracks, and turned around, heading back to the door. ¡°TO, no!¡± DH grabbed TO and spun them around, encircling them with their wings and arms, ¡°TO¡­ it¡¯s fine. Just breathe.¡± ¡°Who was nasty to you?¡± TO growled, their ears pinning back. ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± DH said, their ears dipping slightly, ¡°Just¡­ relax.¡± TO wanted to go back to find out who had been nasty to DH¡­ but they listened to their mate. Once more, DH¡¯s voice was like an anchor, holding TO in place. They could smell DH, and their touch against them was soothing, like it drained the anger from them. Well deserved anger, TO thought, but it was hard to hold on to. ¡°It¡¯s not fair.¡± TO muttered, finally calming down and relaxing against DH, their arms wrapping around their mate. ¡°I know¡­¡± DH muttered, gently scratching the back of TO¡¯s neck. ¡°¡­ We should have you with someone in there. Someone to help.¡± ¡°If I''m supposed to be in charge, then I should be able to do this without help!¡± TO insisted. They wanted the work. Well, really they needed it. They needed to work themself hard enough so that they didn¡¯t think about all the other problems. ¡°Well¡­¡± DH sighed, ¡°It¡¯s not that easy¡­ If Only GiDi was here. They''d be able to help.¡± their mates ears flicked down, blushing. ¡°But, they can¡¯t be here.¡± TO felt their ears pin back, and held DH closer so they wouldn¡¯t see their ears, their scarcely hidden anger. ¡°I.. don¡¯t think they could.¡± TO said, ¡°some civilians in there didn¡¯t even know GiDi.¡± ¡°OH.¡± DH¡¯s voice was quiet as they held TO. ¡°That¡¯s odd.¡± ¡°Yes, it is.¡± TO said. They took a deep breath, dragging their mind away from thinking about GiDi. They weren¡¯t ready to talk about that with DH yet¡­ Now wasn¡¯t the time. Of course, when would be the time? DH sighed and pulled away, ¡°Look¡­¡± They said, ¡°While you¡¯ve been out there, I¡¯ve been down here.¡± DH smiled at them, ¡°I¡¯ve been helping people¡­ and I¡¯ve told them I¡¯m a synth!¡± they sighed, ¡°I understand why you kept that quiet in the indebted center, but some people feel you tricked them¡­¡± ¡°Yes, I had little choice.¡± TO said, Of course, that was true¡­ but they wondered if it was the same as them hiding this from Lendulin and Petra, or if it was the same as GiDi hiding the info about the failsafe from them! No, it wasn¡¯t. Those civilians weren¡¯t their friends. It differed from how they tricked Lendulin and Petra, and it differed from how GiDi tricked them! ¡°So¡­ it¡¯s not your fault.¡± DH said. ¡°Maybe we should get someone to help. Maybe Tham-¡± ¡°Tham is busy.¡± TO said, ¡°The tunnel is so close to being finished¡­¡± ¡°I know.¡± DH said, sighing. ¡°We have to think of something. You have work to do, and you can¡¯t do it if everyone is being so aggressive with you¡­¡± ¡°Not everyone¡­¡± TO muttered, ¡°Mark is good with me.¡± DH beamed ¡°That¡¯s great!¡± They said, ¡°Mark is a good fellow¡­ But I¡¯m worried about his arm¡­¡± TO shrugged, ¡°It¡¯s bandaged,¡± They said, though as they recalled their conversation with Mark, their ears dipped. ¡°Though¡­ I need to tell you something.¡± They whispered. ¡°Oh?¡± DH asked, ¡°What is it?¡± TO told DH about what Mark said, and the promise they had made to take care of Constance if he didn¡¯t get on the ship. ¡°I already had her listed with you, me, and Avery.¡± TO said, ¡°I hope that¡¯s ok¡­ but it was just in case, you know? So she wouldn¡¯t get left behind if we didn''t find her dad. Now, Mark asked me to take care of her, but¡­¡± TO shook their head, ¡°That won¡¯t be a problem. I¡¯ll make sure he¡¯s on the ship and¡­¡± They trailed off, noticing DH¡¯s ears dip down. ¡°DH, what¡¯s wrong?¡± DH frowned as they looked back at the door to the room where the rest of the civilians were. The door was closed, and nobody was listening to them, but even so DH took TO¡¯s hand once more and pulled them down the hallway and away from the door. ¡°... Mark¡¯s not well.¡± They whispered once they had turned a corner. ¡°.. Of course he¡¯s well.¡± TO said, ¡°I just finished talking to him!¡± DH shook their head, ¡°I know.¡± They said, ¡°But¡­ they¡¯re not well.¡± they pointed to their arm. ¡°His wound got infected.¡± TO frowned, ¡°Ok?¡± They said, ¡°He just needs antibiotics then, and he¡¯ll be fine, right¡± You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version. ¡°No¡­¡± DH said, ¡°I mean, well, yes, but the problem is we have limited supplies here!¡± DH sighed. ¡°And our antibiotics aren''t working.¡± TO frowned. An infection wasn¡¯t a big problem, not really. Use antibiotics! If one didn¡¯t work, there was an entire army of antibiotics that they could use! Medical science around the galaxy was always making more, always making them more potent! TO hadn¡¯t considered that here, in the underground, they would have limited variety. ¡°.... Can¡¯t you try another.¡± TO asked. ¡°We only have three kinds.¡± DH said. ¡°The first one they used at the center. The other one we use here, but it didn¡¯t work.¡± They frowned, ¡°The last one¡­ if it doesn''t work¡­¡± they trailed off. ¡°... What happens if antibiotics don¡¯t work?¡± TO asked. ¡°... Well, there¡¯s few options after that.¡± DH said, ¡°We considered doing an amputation-¡± TO¡¯s stomach clenched, their ears pinned down. ¡°-But, that¡¯s risky. It was risky enough with doing the surgery on Kei, but this would be harder to keep clean afterwards. Also¡­¡± DH¡¯s ears dipped, ¡°Thanks to all the shots and medications they gave us before we left, and we¡¯re resistant to a lot¡­¡± TO¡¯s stomach still churned at the thought of an amputation. ¡°Good.¡± They muttered, their ears pinned down. ¡°Those shots made us so sick, at least we got something from them.¡± ¡°So¡­ we need to try one more antibacterial treatment on him.¡± DH said. ¡°And hope that works.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no other treatment?¡± TO asked, ¡°I mean, in the movies, sometimes they had herbal remedies-¡± DH snorted, ¡°When''s the last time you saw a herb on this planet.¡± DH said, bitterly. ¡°There were herbs that we could have used, once, But you¡¯ll only see them in old records now.¡± ¡°Ok¡­¡± TO frowned, ¡°Then.. He¡¯ll get sick, right? But he¡¯ll get better! Bodie can fight off infections!¡± They gave a bitter, disbelieving laugh, ¡°I mean, civilians don¡¯t just die of infection!¡± ¡°Not when they get to a proper hospital.¡± DH says. ¡°Not when they have money for the medical supplies they need.¡± Their ears pinned back. ¡°Without that¡­¡± TO felt their stomach churn ¡°... I shouldn¡¯t have brought him here.¡± TO said, their ears dropping. ¡°If he was still in the indebted center, he¡¯d have antibiotics¡­¡± ¡°And might die in a few days anyway if the synths really do attack, and if we can¡¯t stop it.¡± TO fell silent, thinking of what they could do. ¡°... Can we get them to a hospital?¡± they asked, ¡°A proper one?¡± DH shook their head. ¡°They wouldn''t take him in.¡± they said, ¡°they''d send him back to the indebted center.¡± ¡°And would his chances be better there?¡± TO asked. ¡°Unlikely.¡± DH said, ¡°They have the meds, they have access¡­ but he¡¯d not get what he needed fast enough. They¡¯d have to cycle through the medication we¡¯ve already used and by that point¡­¡± they stopped and frowned, ¡°Well, t¡¯d be too late.¡± ¡°So¡­ our options are-¡± ¡°Hope that the last antibacterial works, or hope that his body can fight off the infection.¡± DH said. TO¡¯s ears dipped. ¡°And.. what are the chances of his body fighting off the infection on its own?¡± They asked. DH¡¯s ears dropped, and they looked away from TO. ¡°... Let¡¯s hope that the antibiotic works.¡± They said after a long silence. ====== Goretta, of course, didn¡¯t actually need ice, she just needed TO and DH to be out of the room for a time. They both knew this, and since they didn¡¯t want to go back to the dormitories right away, they chose instead to go back to Flit and Snout¡¯s room. The two had asked TO and DH to come back and help them figure out what to do about the coming synths. TO still wasn¡¯t sure they could do anything¡­ but brainstorming and coming up with ideas was better than nothing. When they got there, Avery was already in the room, waiting for them. They had brought meals for all of them, the warm food sitting in plastic containers on the table. They looked up as TO and DH came in, and smiled. TO watched Avery closely. The smile lifted their ears a little, but not enough. They were still so low, and their eyes still seemed to look far away. That shatter-sickness the file spoke of, were there symptoms outside of just being sad? They needed to finish reading that file. They had to get through it, to make sure Avery would be ok. ¡°We were worried you wouldn¡¯t show up.¡± Flit said, still laying on the bed. A container of food sat next to them, already half eaten. ¡°Well, things didn¡¯t go well in the dormitory¡­¡± DH muttered as they led TO to the table. TO sat down, sighing. ¡°Not well at all¡­¡± They said, ¡°It was awful¡­¡± ¡°Well, they¡¯re civilians.¡± Snout said, ¡°There¡¯s a reason we¡¯re keeping away from them for now¡± TO frowned, their ears pinning back ¡°Is it the same reason GiDi keeps away?¡± They snapped, unable to keep the anger out of their voice. DH looked at TO, concern dipping their ears. ¡°... TO?¡± they whispered. ¡°I-I¡¯m just saying, apparently the civilians don¡¯t know who GiDi is!¡± TO said, ¡°Not the new ones anyway, not the ones from the underground, or from the indebted center!¡± ¡°Wait.. I thought GiDi was basically in charge!¡± DH said. Flit shrugged, ¡°Mostly.¡± They said, ¡°Not officially, and they stay away from civilians who aren¡¯t involved with the insurgency¡­¡± Flit looked up at TO and DH, ¡°But, you two have been doing well! Some of them like you!¡± ¡°At any rate.¡± Snout said, setting up the projector before them. ¡°This is a working lunch.¡± They turned on the projector and displayed the star-map they saw earlier that day. ¡°Now¡­ let¡¯s go over our options one by one.¡± They said, They looked at their list from earlier, and read off the first one. ¡°Cover the planet in a bubble.¡± They said, then looking at TO, grinning. ¡°Explain, exactly, how that would work.¡± ====== Thankfully, the humiliation of trying to explain all the stupid ideas they had earlier that day only lasted about twenty minutes. As DH was trying to explain to Flit how a ¡°planet teleporter¡± would work over longer distances, there was a knock on the door. Flit got up and quickly hid all their work. ¡°Why are we hiding this?¡± DH asked as Snout rushed to put everything away. ¡°We don¡¯t want the civilians to get to¡­ distracted by this idea.¡± Snout said, hiding the projectors before they went to the door. Distracted¡­ or hopeful? TO didn¡¯t know which they really meant and couldn¡¯t ask before Snout opened the door. TO looked at the doorway, their eyes widening. They didn¡¯t know who they expected to see, but of all the people in the underground, it wasn¡¯t Pearla. Episode 340: Assistance Five sets of ears all dipped down, deepening to different levels of blue as Pearla came in. She had clearly just showered, but the clothes she wore bore a chaotic pattern of wrinkles and dust. She also looked like she had been rushing about to get here. Still, she looked better than when TO had seen her last. Last time they saw her, she was still wearing the uniforms they had in the indebted center, and her face still had all that strange makeup that Mira used to make her look as though she had died. Frankly, seeing her look so much healthier and happier made TO feel such relief. ¡°Pearla!¡± Snout said, stepping back and keeping their distance from her, ¡°I¡­ I thought you¡¯d still be occupied-¡± ¡°Yeah, well...¡± She shrugged, ¡°Desperate times and all that.¡± She mutters. ¡°Does this mean that GiDi¡¯s available?¡± TO asked, their ears lifting. Despite their anger, if GiDi was free, then they¡¯d be able to talk to them, and get some answers. They¡¯d also be able to convince GiDi to tell DH about the whole situation with the failsafe themself! If GiDi did that, then TO could talk to DH about it. Pearla shook her head, a flush covering her face. ¡°GiDi is¡­ Resting.¡± She said, ¡°Sleeping, and not to be disturbed.¡± She gave a glare which even TO and the others could understand meant that she would not be answering more questions about the subject. Snout leaned against the opposite wall from her, an almost ridiculous distance away from the purple toned Nagarajin. ¡°So.. what brings you here?¡± They asked, eying her as though she was something dangerous. She sighed, ¡°Well,¡± she said, ¡°Lendulin messaged me-¡± ¡°Lendulin?¡± Snout asked, ¡°That woman who paints?¡± ¡°Lendulin, the Delphinian woman, my friend. Yes.¡± Pearla said, sighing, ¡°You two need to get out of your room more and meet more people.¡± She shook her head. ¡°She messaged me, telling me what happened with the civilians, with Beck.¡± TO felt their ears dip, guilt and embarrassment and shame hitting them all at once. ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m sorry.¡± They said, As angry as they were at GiDi¡­ if half the things they knew so far about the Enkavma were true, then they had just caused GiDi some serious issues. Pulling a Chilacian¡¯s mate away from them during Enkavma was, apparently, a problem. At least, the file they were reading, which was apparently written for children, said never to interrupt or bother a couple when they were experiencing Enkavma. They hoped it wouldn¡¯t cause any really severe problems. ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± She said, then she stopped and frowned. ¡°Well, it¡¯s not fine, but it¡¯s not your fault.¡± She came over to the table and leaned against it, giving a smile that seemed somehow sad at the same time. Facial expressions without ears were hard. Flit and Snout seemed to edge away from her further, but TO paid that no mind. ¡°Look.. I was pretty hostile to you too, at first.¡± She muttered. ¡°Even though I couldn¡¯t show it. I couldn¡¯t really get angry at you and call you a horrid synth, because I had to act like I didn¡¯t know!¡± She sighed. ¡°Do you know how scared I was then? I had only just gotten involved with all this because of GiDi, and suddenly I was trying to pretend to be friends with synths?¡± Her face suddenly paled. ¡°I mean¡­ I didn¡¯t know you, so-¡± TO shook their head, ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± They said, It made them feel a little better about their own deception to Lendulin and Petra. She sighed, ¡°The point is¡­ Everything that¡¯s going on? What happened in the dormitory? It¡¯s not your fault.¡± She said, ¡°They¡¯re afraid of synths, and for good reason! But they don¡¯t understand that you¡¯re not really a synth!¡± TO blinked at her, her words rattling in their head as they stared. Not a synth. It was something they had been wondering about, of course, the definition of what they were, and where the line between Chilacian and synth was. Were they a synth, or were they Chilacian? When they were spending time with DH, their limbs twined, their hearts racing, they felt nothing like a synth! They didn¡¯t feel like a synth when they watched shows with DH and Avery, with their family, either. But when they worked, when they organized, and came up with plans as they tried to fulfill an objective, they felt very much like a synth. What made her so sure they weren¡¯t one? ¡°It¡¯ll take some time.¡± She continued, ¡°But just let the others talk about you. Myself, Lendulin, Petra¡­ the ones who actually know a little about you, and what you and DH went through in training. If they know¡­¡± She sighed, ¡°Well¡­ at the very least, they¡¯d have some sympathy for you, and wouldn¡¯t get so aggressive.¡± Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. ¡°What exactly happened?¡± Flit asked, having been silent this whole time. ¡°With the civilians?¡± TO was thinking primarily about the hostility they had been enduring the whole day, but Pearla was apparently thinking of something else. ¡°Our friend from the Indebeted center, Beck, got into a fight with TO.¡± she said. TO¡¯s ears dipped and pinned back as they recalled what happened. They looked up at Flit and Snout. ¡°She drew her claws on me.¡± they said. Avery¡¯s eyes went wide, horrified as this was the first time they heard this. Flit and Snout¡¯s expressions matched Avery, but DH, who had seen it happen, just looked angry. Pearla, however, seemed exceedingly confused by their reactions. ¡°Oh, right.¡± She said, ¡°Yeah, I forgot Beck had claws, but¡­¡± She looked at the others, ¡°.. Ok, I know it¡¯s rude to claw someone up, but is it that big of a deal?¡± She looked at TO, her eyes glancing over them over, ¡°It doesn¡¯t seem like she got you-¡± Silence fell in the room, lingering for long minutes before Flit cleared their voice. ¡°Among synths¡­ that¡¯s one thing you do not do.¡± They said, their ears slowly returning up from their horrified position, ¡°Drawing your claws on someone¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s the ultimate sign of aggression.¡± Snout said, their own ears lifting as well, ¡°It¡¯s one synth telling another, ¡®I want to hurt you badly.¡¯¡± They frown. ¡°We prevent our trainees from doing that.¡± ¡°I got in trouble once for drawing my claws, but not using them.¡± TO admitted. ¡°But.. that was when Kei started talking about how GiDi and DH wouldn¡¯t make it through training¡­¡± ¡°And¡­ and someone we knew got corrected.¡± DH said, gesturing to their face and the scars on their skin, ¡°They actually clawed me¡­¡± As DH mentioned being corrected, Pearla¡¯s face paled. ¡°I¡­ I forgot all about that.¡± She admitted. ¡°About you guys getting corrected.¡± She looked from TO to DH, ¡°I¡­ I see. So, given that, you¡¯d consider that if someone like Beck drew her claws-¡± ¡°It would be considered highly aggressive.¡± Flit said. ¡°Right.¡± Pearla said, ¡°... So TO throwing her in an arch over their back and dropping her like a sack of rocks is a¡­ measured response?¡± Despite the situation, Flit gave a brief chuckle. ¡°Well done¡­¡± they said to TO, their ears perking up with pride. When Pearla gave him a sharp look, they shrugged. ¡°What? I bet she was fine, mostly.¡± Pearla scoffed, ¡°Well, she was, but she was terrified! She¡¯s not a light person, you know! She¡¯s solid muscle and has two extra limbs!¡± ¡°Well, our training teaches people to use their own weight against them.¡± Flit said as they flash TO another smile, ¡°Well done.¡± they said today, ¡°You always were good at hand to hand.¡± Pearla glared at Flit, but Snout cleared their voice. ¡°Our trainees would consider someone coming at them with claws to be dangerous.¡± They said. ¡°So, yes, I¡¯d say it was a measured response, and that it¡¯s a good idea they don¡¯t have their multi-gun on them.¡± Pearla¡¯s eyes opened wide. ¡°They¡¯d have shot her?¡± ¡°Stunned her.¡± Snout said firmly. ¡°A multi-gun has several settings. Putting it on a lethal setting right away for a single unarmed civilian wouldn¡¯t be the initial response of any well-trained synth.¡± Pearla shook her head. ¡°Ok¡­¡± she says, taking a deep breath, ¡°Well, we¡¯re going to have to tell everyone that.¡± ¡°I¡¯d rather not-¡± Fit said, but Pearla held up her hand. ¡°If they don¡¯t know, then they¡¯ll think that TO¡¯s reaction was a massive overreaction!¡± She frowned. ¡°And someone might do it again! You know, we don¡¯t really think much about people ¡®drawing¡¯ their claws here. It¡¯s not such a big deal. Clawing someone, yeah... but not just drawing their claws.¡± ¡°Wait.¡± DH said, ¡°I lost an eye when I got clawed! Scratching people is dangerous! And you don¡¯t get concerned when someone draws their claws at you? What about when someone actually claws you?¡± She shrugged, ¡°It happens, but it¡¯s not considered a big bad thing. It¡¯d be a dick move, about the same as punching someone. But if someone aimed for another person¡¯s eye, yeah, that would be bad.¡± She looked at TO, ¡°I¡¯m sure nobody would expect you to toss them over your head if they just drew their claws around you! They should know. For their safety.¡± Episode 341: Social The civilian standing before TO was a strange sight: A blob of undulating reddish-green which moved about by stretching its body and pulling itself in the direction it needed to go. They were mostly opaque, but even so TO could see the outlines of organs moving about freely within them. While this civilian seemed to have no true face¨Cno mouth, no nose, no ears¨Cit had two eyes floating about right next to the surface on the upper part of their body. The two black orbs twisted as they looked about, often with one eye looking in an entirely different direction than the other. Really, TO didn¡¯t know if this civilian had any discernible body parts but it wore a simple shirt over its midsection, the sleeves dangling uselessly at the sides. It looked almost comical, but Arkane had a nudity taboo, and if they didn¡¯t wear something, then the citizens of Arkane might have thought them strange. Well, the blob creature was strange to TO, anyway. They had eyes, but TO couldn¡¯t note any emotions from them as they lacked any form of eyebrows, ridge muscles, or eyelids. They also had no facial features, so TO couldn¡¯t make a guess on what the creature was feeling from the contortion of their features. And, of course, they didn¡¯t have ears emotive or otherwise. ¡°Blorp!¡± Pearla said, beaming as she approached the blob. ¡°How are you?¡± ¡°B-blorp?¡± TO asked. Pearla smiled at TO, ¡°Let me introduce you: TO, this is ¡®Blorp¡¯. They/them. Blorp is a nickname though because I¡¯m unable to make the right sounds in their language with my vocal chords. It¡¯s like how I can understand some synth speak, but I can¡¯t speak it because I can¡¯t do the weird breathing-in-and-out-at-the-same-time thing you can.¡± She looked at Blorp, smiling, ¡°Blorp, this is TO. Also they/them.¡± She smiled as her cheeks darkened, ¡°They¡¯re practically family, since their sibling is my partner.¡± Practically family? TO¡¯s ripped their attention from the undulating blob as they looked at Pearla, ¡°Really?¡± They asked, their ears perking up. Pearla looked at TO in silence and surprise for a moment before she broke out into laughter, ¡°Of course!¡± She said, ¡°I mean, You and GiDi are family, and they love you a lot.. And I love GiDi.¡± Her face deepened in color again, ¡°I don¡¯t want to change that, So I can only join you!¡± A second after she finished speaking, her face suddenly dropped, and the color seeped from her face, ¡°Oh.. I.. I''m sorry.¡± She said, ¡°I mean, that¡¯s presumptuous of me-¡± ¡°No! You¡¯re fine, I was just surprised!¡± TO insisted. There was no way they could describe the level of relief they felt hearing her say that. There were still a lot of things they were concerned about, especially where GiDi was involved, but at least this was one thing they likely didn¡¯t have to worry about anymore. ¡°Wait.¡± Blorp said. their voice was odd to TO, and it hummed against their ears strangely. As far as TO could tell, Blorp was vibrating parts of his surface in a very specific manner in order to create the sounds that mimicked Galactic Common. ¡°I heard you had a partner down here! I heard about GiDi!¡± Their body turned red, ¡°GiDi is a synth?¡± Pearla¡¯s tail slapped the ground behind her, causing the stones to shake. The sound of it made TO¡¯s ears flick down protectively, and when her tail impacted the ground, Blorps'' color went from red to yellow. The power in her tail was so surprising to TO. When they looked at Pearla, they saw a rounded civilian. Everything about her seemed soft and kind from the curls in her hair to her rounded figure which was so different from synths. She had no fangs, no claws, and didn¡¯t seem dangerous in the least! To see all the power she had in just that split second shocked TO. Even as her tail slapped the stones, Pearla smiled at Blorp, ¡°Nope! Chilacian.¡± she said, ¡°Just like TO and uh-¡± She looked around the room, searching, ¡°DH, if you¡¯ve met them. The one going around with Goretta and helping.¡± Blorp¡¯s coloring changed suddenly, going from yellow to a cooler blue-green which reminded TO of the green held in the Arkanian skies and seas on nice days. ¡°They¡¯re not synths?¡± The blob asked as one of their big black eyes shifted inside their body and turned to look at TO even as the other remained focused on Pearla, ¡°But the others said that they were.¡± ¡°Decon turns Chilacians into synths.¡± Pearla said, her eyes narrowing slightly, ¡°Apparently he does this by altering Chilacian brains. TO is a Chilacian; they have a natural brain.¡± It felt weird to have all this said so frankly before someone TO had just met. It also felt so stupidly simple. The line drawn between Synth and Chilacian couldn¡¯t be that clear! There was more to being a Synth than just the state of their brain, right? The overseers had trained them as a synth; they lived as a synth in training, and for a time they had a synth¡¯s assignment. Did the composition of their brain, it¡¯s raw nature, undo all their lived experiences? ¡°... I thought Decon made synths.¡± Blorp said, The more TO could hear, the stranger their voice seemed. It was like they were speaking through a layer of water and gurgling through the syllables. ¡°I mean, that¡¯s what we¡¯re told, right? I didn¡¯t think he actually made biological creatures, but I thought he made robotic AIs¡± ¡°Do you really think King Dick would be smart enough to build an AI that can act like a synth does?¡± Pearla huffed, ¡°And honestly, does anyone really believe he can make an entire creature, a whole species, from scratch?¡± She chuckled, ¡°How would that even work?¡± TO¡¯s eyes widened, ¡°Theoretically, it¡¯s possible.¡± They said. ¡°If one had all the genetic markers mapped out, then it¡¯s possible to create entirely new species!¡± Their ears dropped, ¡°Though¡­ right now, that¡¯s only been possible to do in a laboratory setting with very simple, single-celled creatures. I was very interested in figuring out how King Decon made us from just the base proteins and sugars that make DNA, but..¡± Their ears dipped. ¡°But¡­ Of course, he didn¡¯t make us. It was a lie.¡± Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.King Decon had lied to them. Lied to TO, to DH, to all the synths! They had a entire world, a culture, and a biology that they never knew, and King Decon kept that from them. It still hurt every time TO remembered it, though they didn¡¯t know why. They should have been over that... Right? Why did it still hurt?¡± At any rate, Pearla¡¯s explanation seemed to be enough for Blorp; The creature¡¯s color turned a darker blue. Did this creature¡¯s species show emotion through their color? Well, that would be easier to read than facial expressions. TO noticed that occasionally, the eyes would twitch oddly. Did that have any meaning? Was that further emotional expression, or a solid means of communication. Was it similar to how TO¡¯s ears moved, or more like how many species just blinked. ¡°So¡­ it was all bullshit.¡± Blorp said as their external membrane seemed to shudder for a moment. ¡°I always thought it was impossible to just make a species.¡± ¡°Not impossible.¡± TO said, remembering their research, ¡°Just not yet done.¡± Pearla smiled at Blorp, ¡°At any rate.¡± She said, ¡°TO¡¯s trying to help us plan for leaving the planet.¡± She said, ¡°They have some questions for you.¡± The blob flashed red for a moment as one eye stared at Pearla, while the other looked at TO. After a moment, both eyes turned to TO. Finally, slowly, their coloring shifted back to blue. ¡°Alright,¡± they said, ¡°What can I do?¡± TO felt a sigh of relief escape them as they started asking their questions. A living blob had to have special requirements on a ship in space, TO was certain. What did they eat? What did they need? What was their species even called!? Even after they got the information, TO knew they¡¯d need to do a lot of research. ====== ¡°That was a lot easier¡­¡± TO muttered as they left the dormitory. Working with Pearla for a single hour had allowed them to get more work done than they had in the three hours they worked alone! ¡°You should have asked for help!¡± Pearla said, ¡°Honestly, why didn¡¯t you ask in the first place?¡± TO¡¯s ears dipped back. There were many reasons they hadn¡¯t asked for help; the desire to work until exhausted, the need to keep busy, and the desire to do well on the job assigned to them. ¡°I just thought it was something I could handle on my own.¡± TO said. ¡°Well, this doesn¡¯t work if we all try to get through on our own.¡± Pearla said, ¡°Now, what¡¯s next?¡± ¡°I-I can handle it.¡± TO said, ¡°You can go back to GiDi-¡± Pearla sighed, her hands on her hips, ¡°You realize that GiDi needs to sleep from time to time, yes?¡± She said, her face flushing slightly. ¡°Even during this¡­ thing¡± ¡°Yup. I know.¡± TO said in a fast, clipped tone, their ears dropping and burning bright blue, ¡° No need to talk about it!¡± ¡°Good!¡± Pearla said, ¡°Then we don¡¯t have to talk about it, and I can help you. Now, what¡¯s next?¡± TO attempted to voice their protestations several times, their words becoming stammered syllables in their mouth. Despite everything, the thought of talking to Pearla about anything related to Enkavma was absolutely mortifying, and the only way they could get around her argument was to do just that! In the end, TO sighed and looked at their list. ¡°There are a lot of tasks I can manage on my own later.¡± TO said as they skimmed the list and went over the tedious prep they had to do in order to make sure they had all their supplies ready to go, as well as the modifications they had to prepare for when they had secret access to their ship once more. As they approached the end of their list their ears flicked down as they saw something that would require more interaction with civilians they didn¡¯t know. ¡°... But I need to check on the tunnel leading to my ship¡± TO¡¯s eyes flicked to a little red dot next to that item on the list. With a sigh, they checked it, and saw a note added to the task. ===Hey, maybe not a big issue, but if you could send one of those synths up here to check out something on their ship? We think something is wrong, but we don¡¯t know. At any rate, we think we hit the ship. Here¡¯s a picture.=== TO opened the picture to see what it was, hoping that it was something they could fix easily from a distance. It soon became clear that they couldn¡¯t. While TO¡¯s eyes were excellent in low-light vision, the camera that took the photo was not and darkness obscured most of the image, leaving what they could see grainy and vague despite what looked like a flashlight on it. At any rate, TO was fairly certain that they were looking at the front of the emergency transport for their ship. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Pearla asked. ¡°Nothing, Probably.¡± TO muttered as they tried to make out details in the picture. They finally sighed and looked at Pearla, ¡°Is this really how you see things in the dark?¡± They asked, turning the projection towards Pearla. ¡°More or less.¡± Pearla said with a light grin on her face. She leaned in to look at the picture. ¡°Why, what¡¯s wrong?¡± TO sighed, ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± They said, ¡°I have to go to the tunnels and talk to someone there.¡± Pearla perked up, ¡°Oh, well, that¡¯s where Tham is, so I can visit and say hi.¡± She headed down the hallway, humming slightly until she realized that TO wasn¡¯t following her. ¡°Come on.¡± She said, ¡°This way.¡± TO hadn¡¯t seen Tham since that night they learned about the alteration to their chip and hadn¡¯t wanted to see them at all. They had entirely forgotten that Tham was in the tunnels, organizing the expansion of their existing tunnel system to reach TO¡¯s ship and helping as much as he could give his injured arm. For a moment, they wondered if they could just ask Pearla to go look. That would be easier, and then TO wouldn¡¯t have to see Tham again! But no, if there was a problem, they¡¯d need someone familiar with the ship and with synth technology. At any rate, this was TO¡¯s job which Flit had assigned to them. TO sighed and followed along. Episode 342: Mining Pearla led TO past the well-maintained tunnels and towards the ones that still lay in a state of relative disrepair. Walls crumbled around them, the floor beneath was treacherous and uneven, and water trickled past the stones and to the ground, wearing away at the ancient stones and working ceaselessly to degrade and wear away the tunnel. Eventually, they came across a collapsed section of the old stone wall which someone had used as an entrance for a simple dirt tunnel much like the one TO and Tham took to the underground cavern when they collapsed the old storage tunnels. The dirt looked like it had been freshly moved, with loose soil still crumbling in places. ¡°We only started this tunnel recently.¡± Pearla said, ¡°And by recently, I mean we started it the day we decided to use your ship to get off the planet.¡± ¡°They¡¯ve made excellent progress then.¡± TO said as they looked at the carved out walls. In a few places, they could see stones which looked like something had simply cut through them with a knife as they lay flush to the uniform size and shape of the tunnel. ¡°This wasn¡¯t done by hand, it was done by machine.¡± TO noted. As they looked closer, they could see that the edge of the stone had a smooth, polished look to it. ¡°Lasers?¡± They asked. ¡°No idea.¡± Pearla said, ¡°Vik got some old mining bots he altered ages ago so we could expand the underground as we needed.¡± She frowned as she looked at the well carved wall, ¡°I¡¯m surprised we need people working at this if the mining bots are cutting through everything so quickly and easily though.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not.¡± TO said as they observed how the machines that Vik used had simply cut a path through anything and everything in its way. ¡°Mining bots eat through anything and separate everything it collects for refinement. If it got too close to my ship, it could have caused some serious damage.¡± As the two continued on, TO¡¯s point became obvious as they saw a large pipe that had been cut flush with the dirt wall, destroyed as easily as though it had been dirt or clay. ¡°Oh, wow¡­¡± Pearla said as she went up to it. ¡°Yes¡­ I¡¯m guessing this could have caused some damage to your ship.¡± TO checked the pipe themself, looking at how some of the metal had melted as lasers sliced it through. ¡°It¡¯s an old pipe. Probably hasn¡¯t been in use for centuries.¡± TO said as they noted the rust crusted on the inside. They looked deep into the length of the pipe, and In the darkness they saw something move; a glimmer of light against chitin. TO stifled a yelp and immediately backed away, nearly knocking Pearla over as they did ¡°TO? What¡¯s wrong?¡± Pearla asked. ¡°N-nothing.¡± TO said as they wiped their hands on their shirt. They could practically feel the tiny legs of many insects trying to crawl over them. ¡°Bugs.¡± Pearla winced, ¡°Yes, there might be a lot of them here.¡± She said, ¡°Let¡¯s get to the site quickly.¡± TO was more than happy to take her advice and hurry along, trying not to think about the bugs crawling in the dirt all around them. It took a while to get where they needed to go, walking the straight tunnel upwards, closer and closer to the surface near the center of the island. Soon the smooth uniform tunnel shifted to rough, clumsy walls which were clearly carved out by hand. The tunnel widened to a small cavern, illuminated by a few simple chemical lights that were set into the stone. The small clear orbs cast a blue-green illumination, providing light to the many civilians who worked nearby carefully pulling dirt away from TO¡¯s ship. ¡°Pearla?¡± TO recognized Tham¡¯s voice, and couldn¡¯t help the way their ears pinned back as the Nagarajin approached. As soon as Tham recognized TO in the dim of the cavern, his face dropped and his pace slowed. When he stopped, even TO could tell that he stopped further away from them than he normally would. Pearla didn¡¯t seem to notice though, and simply went up closer to him. ¡°Hi Tham.¡± She said, ¡°TO got your message about the-¡± ¡°I thought you were too busy to be out and about.¡± Tham said, his tail tensing and slapping against the stones. His eyes narrowed. ¡°I thought you were occupied with GiDi.¡± Pearla¡¯s face reddened, but even so her eyes narrowed, her tail lashed behind her, and her angry glare seemed to match Tham¡¯s. ¡°Yes, I was.¡± She snaps, ¡°and I fail to see how that¡¯s your business.¡± Even to TO, who was only still learning how to pick up on the subtle intonations that so many civilians used to express emotion in absence of expressive ears, could tell that she was exceedingly angry. Even Tham looked away from her, his anger shriveling under her glare. ¡°I¡¯m just saying.¡± He said, ¡°You said you couldn¡¯t help with anything-¡± ¡°I found some time to help out.¡± spat, ¡°Would you rather if I stayed away altogether?¡± Tham grumbled under his breath, saying that he was ¡®just asking¡¯ and ¡®being worried.¡¯ TO could just make out what he said, though Pearla seemed to hear him just fine. Maybe she was attuned to his voice, or maybe she just guessed what her brother was muttering. ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry about me.¡± She snapped. ¡°Now, what¡¯s the picture you took eariler?¡± ¡°Right. This way.¡± He said. He glanced up and caught TO¡¯s eye for just a moment before looking away and leading them through the cavern and closer towards where everyone else was working. It wasn¡¯t far away, and though several people looked at and glared at TO, their expression softened as they saw Pearla. Pearla really was a charm, a magic item that softened people to TO. A part of them wondered if she should send a message to everyone, stating that she was a friend, or even family to TO, and that people needed to at least treat them without the outward hostility they had so far! That wasn¡¯t much to ask for, TO thought, especially since they were working so hard to help! Tham led them to a small, cement box in the center of the cavern. Large parts of the box looked like someone had smashed it in, the debris falling inside, rather than outside or on both sides as it would have if it fell apart due to time. TO recognized nothing from the picture at first. Everything seemed so different from what they saw on the camera. Of course, in the picture they could only see what the camera had captured. Now, the dull glow of the chemical lights provided more than enough illumination for a synth of Chilacian to see. The cement block was part of the landing pad for their ship; the part that sunk underground to hide their emergency vessel. As TO stepped inside the small area they saw the emergency vessel, docked into the main ship''s lower port. The side doors of the cockpit were clear and soon TO would have free access to their ship once more. Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author. ¡°My ship.¡± TO said, their voice rushing out in a sigh of relief. Yes, home was where DH was, but the ship was the place they had spent such a short, happy time with their mate. The ship was where they confessed their feelings to one another, where they explored one another. Even as the memory brought a subtle flush to TO¡¯s ears, they couldn¡¯t help but smile. Wherever DH happened to be was TO¡¯s home, but the ship made TO feel safe. ¡°Looks fine.¡± TO said as they approached, ¡°What¡¯s the matter with it?¡± ¡°Look at the panel to the side.¡± Tham said. ¡°Is that important?¡± TO frowned, and shifted to the side to see the panel that Tham was talking about. It was, in fact, the security panel for the pilot''s side door; the one which would allow people to enter and exit since the back entrance led into the main ship. It had a hand sensor, of course, which would allow any synth linked to the ship to open the door, but it also had a number pad in case of emergencies where a synth needed to get inside and could not use their chip properly. Something had fallen on it, a bit of debris from when the cement was smashed most likely. The scanner was damaged and sparking, and the panel was crushed. ¡°A bit of cement smashed it?¡± TO asked as they approached the damaged section. ¡°Yes.¡± Tham said, looking away, ¡°It happened while we were trying to get in at the ship.¡± Tham admitted, ¡°We were trying to be careful-¡± TO wasn¡¯t worried. This was an emergency ship, and emergency ships were expected to get into dangerous situations and certain levels of damage were expected and prepared for. They looked to the other side of the door and found the hidden panel near the ground. TO pried away the panel and pulled out the tools hidden inside. ¡°The part that¡¯s damaged, the panel that opens the door.¡± TO muttered as they took the toolkit over to the smashed panel. ¡°I should be able to fix it so long as the stuff inside isn¡¯t too badly broken, but if I can¡¯t then the door itself can be pried open. I would rather not do that as it¡¯ll cause further damage to the vessel, but it¡¯s something we can do if we¡¯re left without options.¡± Tham made his way over to watch TO work, but stopped further away than he normally would. TO did their best to ignore him as they opened up their toolkit and pulled out the basic tools. ¡°That doesn¡¯t seem very secure¡­¡± Tham said, glancing at the door. ¡°Just anyone could just pull it open?¡± TO couldn¡¯t help but feel their ears pin back as they glanced at Tham. Tham was the one who triggered the failsafe when they were in the outer-ring. TO remembered how friendly he had been when he got drunk on that strange drink, when he came up to TO and put his arms about them. TO would have considered that an action of a friend, not someone who would knock them out. TO pulled the chip off their hand, slipping the elastic band back to their wrist where their chip could sit until they needed it again. They didn¡¯t know if Tham still had the remote on them, and didn''t want to risk being caught unawares. ¡°Yes, well, it¡¯s not intended to be hard to get into. What if something happens when you¡¯re outside your ship and you need to get inside quickly? What if the programming fails, or something gets broken? There has to be a way to get inside.¡± They turned back to their work, ¡°That¡¯s why we have all these other ways to get in, and why we have a toolkit nearby. That¡¯s why we keep it hidden underground when we land, and why we have additional security measures inside, and why it''s attached to a transport ship with defensive capabilities.¡± They glanced at Tham, ¡°Without us, you¡¯d never even know the emergency exit was here.¡± Their glare deepened and their ears pinned back. They felt their lips curl slightly. ¡°Without us, without my ship, you¡¯d not be getting off this planet.¡± TO said. Tham looked away, the slightest darkening of his red-toned skin spreading over his cheeks. ¡°Yeah. I know, and I¡¯m grateful for that-¡± ¡°Funny way of showing it.¡± TO hissed as they pulled out a screwdriver and removed the damaged panel. Half the screws had already broken, so it was very easy to pop out the damaged parts. Thankfully, nothing seemed too broken on the inside: To could fix all the major parts, and the parts that needed to be replaced were small things that TO had extra of in their toolkit. ¡°... Did I miss something here?¡± Pearla asks. TO had nearly forgotten she was even there, and busied themself as they focused back on their work. ¡°It¡¯s nothing, Pearla, it¡¯s fine¡­¡± Tham muttered. TO said nothing, but focused on their work. It wasn¡¯t fine, that was for sure, but it wasn¡¯t something that TO particularly wanted to talk about here. ¡°Well, it doesn¡¯t look like nothing.¡± Pearla said, ¡°You two were getting along so well before! What happened?¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t say we got along well.¡± TO muttered. ¡°Tham just got drunk and was kind for a little.¡± Pearla frowned, then looked at her brother. ¡°What did you do?¡± She asked, her eyes suddenly narrowing. ¡°I¡­ I¡¯ll tell you about it later.¡± Tham muttered, looking away, ¡°Look, I have to check on something, so I¡¯ll come back and-¡± As Tham began to leave, Pearla reached out and grabbed his shirt, holding him back. ¡°No.¡± She said, her voice solid and cold, ¡°You can tell me now. What happened?¡± TO stopped what they were doing and looked up at Tham. TO their surprise, they caught Tham¡¯s anxious, almost scared expression. Were they afraid of Pearla, or just ashamed of their actions? Maybe both. When Tham said nothing, Pearla looked at TO. She smiled sweetly, but her tail slapped against the dirt behind her. ¡°TO.¡± She said, smiling, ¡°What happened between you and Tham?¡± Tham looked at TO, his eyes wide as he shook his head slightly. Was he asking them not to say anything? TO felt their head practically shake with anger as their vision blurred a little. Did Tham think that after everything, after how this whole situation hurt them, DH, and Avery, that TO would cover for them? That they would lie for them? They looked Tham in the eyes, holding their pleading gaze for a moment before they turned to Pearla and spoke in a cool, clear voice. ¡°Tham and Vik put a failsafe in our chips that knocked us out in the Outer Ring.¡± Episode 343: Siblings Pearla was silent for a moment, her face frozen as she looked at TO, letting their words sink in. At first, TO was worried that she didn¡¯t understand what they had said. Or worse, that maybe she knew. Maybe she had known about it all along and just didn¡¯t know that Tham had triggered it since she was hiding away with GiDi. Judging Tham¡¯s horrified expression they¡¯d guess she knew nothing. At least, TO hoped she hadn¡¯t known. Finally, after staring at TO in silence for moments that felt like hours, she gave a short, confused laugh. ¡°I¡­ what?¡± She said, looking from TO to Tham. ¡°A¡­ A failsafe.¡± She chucked again, but this time her eyes furrowed in confusion as she looked back to TO. ¡°A failsafe¡­ to knock you out?¡± The laughter faded. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Pearla, it¡¯s not that bad-¡± Tham started, but as soon as he spoke TO felt their ears pin back once more. Before they knew it they were up to their feet, their eyes narrowed to slits as they took a step towards the Tham. TO didn¡¯t miss how he backed away suddenly, how their hand went to the inside of the sling their injured arm hung in. TO was glad that they had their chip off their hand, glad that Tham wouldn¡¯t be able to do that to them again¡­ even so, somehow, seeing Tham back up like that, seeing their hand go to where TO thought the remote hid made TO felt like they were being squeezed on the inside, and their ears fell just a little. ¡°It¡¯s not that bad?¡± TO hissed. ¡°You set us up. You messed with our chips-¡± ¡°VIk messed with them!: Tham said, ¡°And you knew they did something to it! You knew they changed the tracking on it, rerouted the communications-¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t know that they put an experimental bit of medical tech into our chips to temporarily paralyze us and knock us out for nearly an hour!¡± TO took another step forward. They wondered if Tham had pressed the button already, if they already tried to knock TO out or not. ¡°That was experimental tech tested on civilians! You don¡¯t know what it could have done to us! And even aside from that, what if one of us got hurt really badly when we fell? What if someone saw us unconscious and hurt us?¡± ¡°You were in disguise!¡± Tham insisted, ¡°Nobody knew you were synths-¡± ¡°No, they didn¡¯t, but even if I were just a civilian, something could have happened to me!¡± ¡°...is that true, Tham?¡± For a moment, TO had forgotten about Pearla. They had gotten so angry with Tham in that moment that Pearla, the cavern, and everyone else inside had faded away. In those moments it was just TO and Tham, and the anger that TO had been managing. Now, as they turned to look at Pearla, they saw something surprising. They saw that while they themself were truly angry. Pearla looked furious. She had looked angry before, of course, but never like this. Now, It was as though every feature was pointed and narrowed. Her tail lashed behind her, shaking the stones. ¡°¡­ Brother.¡± She said firmly. ¡°Did you really do that?¡± There was a way she said the word ¡®brother¡¯ that was so cold that it made TO shiver. ¡°I¡­ I didn¡¯t DO it.¡± Tham said ¡°I just¡­ knew about it? And agreed with it at the time?¡± He glanced at TO apologetically. ¡°I¡­ I didn¡¯t know TO back then.¡± Pearla suddenly smiled, but her smile was too wide for comfort. She looked at Tham. ¡°I¡¯m going to tell GiDi.¡± She said in an almost giddy tone. TO and Tham exchanged a glance, then TO looked away. Had Vik told Tham that TO knew that GiDi had a hand in this? That Gidi had suggested this? Pearla caught their gaze, the awkward glance, and the sudden panic on Tham¡¯s face. ¡°What?¡± She asked as she looked between TO and Tham. ¡°Look¡­ can we talk somewhere else?¡± Tham asked. ¡°No, we cannot!¡± Pearla snapped. She turned to TO, ¡°You¡¯re at least telling the truth, what happened?¡± TO shook their head, ¡°It.. it¡¯s not important.¡± they said. They wanted to tell Pearla, wanted to tell her that GiDi knew, just so they could see her righteous anger¡­ But they didn¡¯t want to mess things up for GiDi right now. ¡°TO.¡± Pearla said, her voice sounding so oddly commanding in that moment. TO froze as they worked, their hands hovering in the air. ¡°....yes?¡± ¡°I would very much like to know what¡¯s going on.¡± Her voice was sweet, but commanding, and TO could feel the vibrations of her tail slapping the ground. ¡°... I don¡¯t think that¡¯s a good idea.¡± TO said, their ears flushing. ¡°And why not?¡± Pearla demanded. Once more, TO could feel her tail slap the ground. ¡°... I just think now isn¡¯t the best time to talk about this.¡± TO said, their ears burning. ¡°And why not?¡± ¡°It.. it¡¯s just not.¡± Pearla huffed and looked between TO and Tham. ¡°Well.¡± She said, ¡°I¡¯m not leaving until I get an answer.¡± She said as she crossed her arms. After a moment of silence, she went over to TO. ¡°TO.¡± She said, her voice a little softer now. ¡°What happened?¡± TO fully intended to say that nothing happened, that everything was fine, and she didn¡¯t have to worry, but as soon as they were about to, they remembered Pearla could, to a certain extent, read their ears. ¡°... GiDi knew.¡± TO whispered. Pearla¡¯s tail stopped slapping the ground. ¡°What.¡± She said in a voice far sharper and more fierce than TO expected. When TO didn¡¯t respond, Pearla looked to Tham. ¡°GiDi knew?¡± ¡°Pearla,¡± Tham said, ¡°It¡¯s complicated, it¡¯s-¡± ¡°It¡¯s not complicated! It¡¯s simple!¡± She snapped as she got up and headed to the tunnel. ¡°GiDi fucked up!¡± TO wondered if they had heard Pearla swear before. If they had, it was absolutely not with the same viciousness that she just had in her voice. Tham chased her, trying to talk her down, to convince her from going to see GiDi. Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit. ¡°Pearla.. Pearla, wait!¡± TO said as they scrambled to their feet. Amazing how fast Pearla was when she wasn¡¯t waiting on someone: She and Tham were already halfway down the tunnel by the time TO caught up, and their words were already growing louder and louder. Well, at least Pearla¡¯s words were. Tham was doing his best to soothe her and calm her down. ¡°Look, it''s not that bad-¡± Tham was saying as TO approached. Even TO could tell that this was the wrong thing to say, and the slam of Pearla¡¯s tail against the ground confirmed it. ¡°Not that bad? It is that bad! It¡¯s awful! Everything those synths have been though-¡± ¡°You didn''t like them at first either!¡± Tham said, ¡°You would have suggested the same-¡± ¡°No, I wouldn¡¯t have! They¡¯re GiDi¡¯s family and GiDi loves TO, DH, and Avery! How could they do that to them!¡± ¡°Pearla¡­¡± TO said, slowing as they approached her, ¡°Just¡­ please¡­ say nothing to GiDi yet.¡± Pearla¡¯s glare made TO take a step back, their ears dropping and their wings tightening around their arms. A moment later, Pearla took a deep breath. ¡°And why not.¡± She said as she pinched the bridge of her nose, her eyes closed as she tried to focus. ¡°B-because you¡¯re busy?¡± TO said, their ears burning. ¡°You¡­ and GiDi have things going on-¡± ¡°Yes, we do.¡± Pearla said, her own face flushing, ¡°but that doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯m not going to talk to them about this!¡± She looked at TO, her brows furrowed in worry, ¡°How can you be so calm about this!?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not!¡± TO protested. ¡°I just-...¡± They stopped, their ears dropping. ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m just trying not to think about it¡­¡± Pearla turned her head to Tham, ¡°Trying not to think about it.¡± She said, ¡°That doesn¡¯t sound like it¡¯s ¡®not a big deal¡¯ to me!¡± Tham gave a frustrated sigh, ¡°Well¡­ it worked, didn¡¯t it?¡± He said, ¡°I felt better about the whole thing, so did Vik-¡± ¡°Oh, and your feelings are all that matter-¡± ¡°And thanks to the failsafe, we could stop Kei from actually hurting DH!¡± Tham glared at TO, ¡°You didn¡¯t tell her that!¡± ¡°You leave him alone!¡± Pearla said, suddenly stepping between Tham and TO. She pointed a finger into Tham¡¯s chest, ¡°How would you like it if I put an off switch in your head!?¡± Despite everything, despite how awful this had all felt, and how worried they were about Pearla going to see GiDi about this now, they had to press their lips together to keep from laughing at the way she said, ¡®off switch¡¯ ¡°This is different!¡± Tham said. ¡°Because they¡¯re synths!?¡± Pearla snapped. ¡°Yes!¡± Tham said, their eyes big, their hands clutching into fists, ¡°You¡¯re ok with them now, sure, but you were scared of them at first. You wanted nothing to do with them at first!¡± ¡°I¡¯m very aware.¡± Pearla said, her eyes narrowing, ¡°And I feel horrible about that-¡± But you wouldn¡¯t if it was Kei, right?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not the point. TO should have known about this. TO should have known you were doing this. You shouldn¡¯t have kept it a secret! You should have told them!¡± ¡°... You really didn¡¯t know.¡± TO said as they watched her. They knew that, of course, they knew she didn¡¯t know the moment that she got angry about it, but somehow her indignation in this moment really solidified that fact. That she thought they should at least have been told, even if they didn¡¯t have the choice in the matter meant a surprising amount to TO. ¡°Of course I didn¡¯t!¡± Pearla said, ¡°TO, you¡¯re family. If I knew I¡¯d tell you!¡± She glared at Tham, ¡°And you should have done the same! You should know better.¡± Her eyes narrowed, ¡°What would mom and dad-¡± ¡°No idea.¡± Tham snapped, ¡°They¡¯re not here.¡± He turned around and stalked back to the cavern, ¡°Go on, yell at GiDi. I don¡¯t care. If everything we¡¯re working for falls apart because of a lovers spat-¡± ¡°I will!¡± Pearla shouted after him, ¡°And I¡¯ll tell you this: GiDi is a LOT more mature than you are! At least he could tell his crush he liked them!¡± TO watched Tham disappear down the tunnel and back to the cavern. The hall was silent then, save for Pearla¡¯s heavy breathing, and the sound of water dripping somewhere in the distance. ¡°... Did you mean it?¡± TO whispered after a moment. ¡°Of course I did.¡± Pearla snapped as she turned to leave. ¡°Tham¡¯s an idiot. He had this big crush and¡­¡± She stopped, frowning. After a moment she looked at TO. ¡°Sorry¡­ I''m angry at him.. But it¡¯s maybe not something I should share¡­¡± TO shook their head, ¡°Not about that.¡± TO said, ¡°The other thing.¡± ¡°Other thing?¡± Pearla raised a brow at TO, ¡°What other thing?¡± TO felt their ears dip slightly, and flush. Somehow, it felt so stupid to as her this. ¡°B-before, you said I was practically family¡­ just then you said I was family¡­¡± Pearla¡¯s eyes widened, ¡°Of course you¡¯re family!¡± She said, ¡°You¡¯re GiDi¡¯s sibling. GiDi.. is my mate.¡± She lowered her eyes, ¡°I know I¡¯m no Chilacian.. And I can¡¯t do the proper bonding thing.¡± Was she talking about the pack bond? TO wasn¡¯t sure about that, they half thought that maybe Vik and DH developed that pack bond before everything happened. ¡°But.. but despite that!¡± she looked to TO, ¡°GiDi¡­ is my mate.¡± Her face flushed, ¡°And¡­ you¡¯re their sibling.¡± To¡¯s ears dropped. ¡°Blood relations don¡¯t really¡­ mean much for that in Chilacian culture, apparently.¡± TO said. ¡°I know.¡± Pearla said, sighing as she looked at where Tham had disappeared, ¡°But even aside from that, GiDi loves you, DH, and Avery.¡± Her eyes flashed for a moment, Narrowing, ¡°Even if they were an idiot in this case. But they still love you both, and if they love you, you¡¯re their family¡­ and so you¡¯re my family.¡± She sighed, and shook her head, ¡°And family takes care of one another¡­ So I will take care of you. And Tham should take care of you too, if he wasn¡¯t being¡­¡± She groaned. ¡°A paranoid jerk!¡± After another moment of silent, she turned to TO, ¡°I.. am sorry about him for what it¡¯s worth-¡± She couldn¡¯t finish her sentence. TO ran up to her and embraced her in a hug, their arms around her shoulders, their wings wrapping around her. Family. Even if they and GiDi had been apart, apparently GiDi still loved TO and DH, and apparently that was enough for Pearla to consider them family, and to work to keep them together. ¡°Thank you.¡± TO whispered, holding her close. It was odd to hug someone that wasn¡¯t DH or Avery or GiDi, odd to hug someone so much shorter than they were, and so much softer. After a moment, Pearla returned the hug, but her arms could only reach about halfway around TO¡¯s broad chest. ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± She says. ¡°... and.. I am sorry I didn¡¯t trust you or really like you at first, you know. But I didn¡¯t know you.¡± TO nodded. ¡°Well..¡± They said, ¡°You do now. At least a little bit.¡± Synth 344: Afraid TO finished the repairs on the panel, which thankfully were relatively minor. The ship was designed to go hurtling through space at near unimaginable speeds, and durable enough to take damage from lesser stray asteroids and space junk. At worst, if something damaged parts of the ship, everything was modular and designed to be quick and easy to fix. A stray rock from a cave speeding up at the mere acceleration of gravity wasn¡¯t a big issue. Though, TO never thought they¡¯d end up doing such a repair while listening to GiDi¡¯s mate castigating her brother. Pearla had followed Tham back up into the cavern and had a few more words for him before she headed back to see GiDi. She kept her voice down low enough that the others working in the cavern didn¡¯t hear her, but TO¡¯s keen hearing let them hear nearly every word. Oddly, it made TO happy. They weren¡¯t happy that Tham was getting told off, and they weren¡¯t happy with the idea that Pearla was going to go back to GiDi and probably say even worse to them! No, TO was happy that Pearla knew, and that Pearla was angry on their behalf. It wasn¡¯t like Goretta, who was angry because of the potential complications to her work; Pearla was angry because she found the situation unfair. It wasn¡¯t until TO was packing up their tools that Pearla came back to check on them, face flushed with residual anger, ¡°All done?¡± She asked. ¡°All done.¡± TO said as they set the toolkit back in the hidden panel. ¡°It was an easy fix. Tham really didn¡¯t have to be so worried about this.¡± ¡°Anything else you need help with?¡± She asked. A sign escaped TO¡¯s lips. ¡°I have a lot to do, but nothing else involves being around many people who I don¡¯t know.¡± TO said. ¡°So, I think I¡¯ll be fine.¡± ¡°If you¡¯re sure.¡± Pearla said, giving TO a quick smile. ¡°If you need anything, send me a message.¡± ¡°But, you¡¯re busy-¡° ¡°I know.¡¯ She said with a slight flush, ¡°And I know GiDi isn¡¯t in a state to be around others right now, but I am. So, if you need my help, promise you¡¯ll message me.¡± She looked up at TO, a serious expression on her face. ¡°Again, you¡¯re family. Family helps each other. So, let me know if you need any help.¡± In that moment, TO knew that Pearla was, in fact, their family. She had said as much, but in that moment TO felt their affection for her as strongly as they felt it for GiDi or Avery. Maybe it was that whole bonding thing taking over, or maybe it was the fact that Pearla was so intent on helping them. Maybe it was just the fact that she was taking care of a situation when TO themself was so used to doing it. ¡°¡­. Do you have someone taking care of you?¡± TO asked. ¡°I mean..¡± their ears flicked down. It was nice to have someone who refused to let TO worry about them, but if that only made things harder on her¡­ Well, TO knew the weight of responsibility, of trying to take care of everything. They knew how crushing it was when you failed. If it all made life harder on Pearla, then TO didn¡¯t know how they felt about that. ¡°Oh, don¡¯t worry.¡± Pearla said, ¡°GiDi looks out for me. Well, We look out for each other.¡± TO frowned, their ears flicking forward slightly in concerned confusion, ¡°But.. you¡¯re going to go yell at GiDi.¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to have very strong words with GiDi.¡± She said, ¡°We will have a discussion about this, and how shitty I think this failsafe stuff was¡­.¡± She gave TO a little smile, ¡°But¡­ in the end, we¡¯ll be fine, and GiDi will still be there for me. You think we haven¡¯t had disagreements before?¡± She laughed softly, ¡°When we have a disagreement, we work it out. We¡¯ll be fine, I promise.¡± ¡°¡­ and it doesn¡¯t bother you?¡± TO asked, thinking of every single time that they and DH got angry at each other, the way their stomach clenched, and the times they¡¯d sleep alone in their pod, feeling DH¡¯s absence stronger than they ever felt their presence. ¡°Well. Sometimes. But we¡¯re people, we¡¯re individuals, and we¡¯re going to have disagreements. That¡¯s inevitable! The important thing is that we talk about it instead of letting everything fester over weeks.¡± She smiled at TO again, ¡°Seriously, don¡¯t worry about that. Now promise me, if you need help.¡± ¡°I¡¯m message you.¡± TO said. They meant it, honestly and truly. ====== TO was not looking forward to the next task that they had to do. In truth, they couldn¡¯t wait until they could just find a small, quiet place, and sort through the various needs of the civilians escaping the planet with them. They even wanted a little time away from DH just so they could not worry about seeming upset or angry! They¡¯d get that, but first¡­ they had to check on something else. They had to get the answer to an important question. The map that Vik sent TO earlier, along with TO¡¯s memories of where they had gone just yesterday, was enough for TO to navigate to where they had to be. They made their way through the repaired tunnels, deeper, following the twisted paths to narrower tunnels with lower ceilings, all the way to the prisons that lay under the old subterranean city. To their surprise, Mira was still there when they arrived. ¡°You¡¯re still here?¡± TO asked as they approached the small modified cell that Mira and her bodyguard friend occupied. Neither of them had left the area¨Cat least not for any extended period. They had stacked empty food containers in a corner, telling TO that the two had eaten at least four meals down here. This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source. ¡°My work is mostly done.¡± Mira said. She lay forward, arms on the table, her insectoid legs folded under her as she watched the screen before her with big, black eyes. Occasionally the broken bits of her wings would flicker. ¡°I¡¯ll be helpful by watching Kei.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure we could find someone else to watch them.¡± TO said as they glanced at the screen. The screen hovering over the desk showed Kei sitting in a corner, their wings around themself, their legs pulled up to their chest. ¡°Where¡¯s Goretta?¡± TO asked, not seeing her on the screen, ¡°She was trying to talk to them, right?¡± ¡°Yes, and she¡¯ll be back later.¡± Mira said, ¡°But she has other things to do. Something about getting specs from Vik.¡± She shrugged and looked up at TO, ¡°She wants to check on what he did to your brains with that failsafe.¡± An angry flush covered TO¡¯s ears as they pinned back, ¡°Unnecessary. We¡¯ve had no adverse effects-¡± ¡°For Kei, I think.¡± She said, ¡°She needs to go over what Kei did. That¡¯s what she said, anyway.¡± She leaned back, crossing her arms, ¡°Apparently, you lot can¡¯t have your chips removed at all-¡° ¡°The upper chip connects directly to the brain stem and acts as an extension of our nervous system.¡± TO said, ¡°And connects with the chip in our hand, which holds functionality¡± Mira winced, ¡°So, when they took out your chips, it was like amputating you?¡± TO hadn¡¯t considered it like that. Even as Mira said it TO felt their hand slide over the elastic that held their chip in place on their wrist. Calling it an amputation didn¡¯t feel right as it was an added aspect of their body¡­ but it was part of their nervous system now. TO could remember when it was first removed when they first came to the underground, and how they had felt its absence, how they¡¯d reach out to connect to it, and find it missing. Even now, when they tried to use it for something mundane, to check a message, to check the time, or to make a note while the elastic that now held their chip sat on their wrist, they always suffered a strange effect. It was like mentally walking into a wall. ¡°Something like that.¡± TO said. ¡°I think it¡¯s just too dangerous to remove the tech in the brain stem, especially when it¡¯s easier to simply alter or remove our chips.¡± ¡°Fair. Anyway, Goretta wants to check the stuff Vik did to make sure it won¡¯t mess with anything she did. I almost feel sorry for Vik; Goretta is relatively calm, but if you mess with her patients¡­¡± She shrugged. ¡°Aside from that, she has other patients to check on, so ¡­ yeah, she¡¯s not here.¡± TO pushed their chip into place, ¡°Well, I¡¯m sure I could find someone to take over-¡° ¡°No.¡± Mira said as she eyed the screen. ¡°I want to watch him.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Because I''m very good at figuring people out.¡± She said, ¡°I¡¯m good at watching, and seeing how they act, how they feel just from observing them even if they¡¯re not talking.¡± She snorted, ¡°If I could get them to talk to me, even just a little, I¡¯d probably learn so much.¡± ¡°They won¡¯t talk to you. It¡¯s protocol.¡± TO said. Mira huffed, ¡°Well, they¡¯re scared that much is sure.¡± She said as she watched Kei on the video. ¡°Am I right?¡± TO hadn¡¯t paid too much attention to Kei at first beyond noting that they were in the cell, and that they were alone. As they now leaned forward to better observe Kei, they could see how their ears pinned back and tilted down. Their eyes were enormous, their teeth hidden by thin, tight lips. That alone would have been enough for them to agree with Mira, but the way Kei¡¯s wings were wrapped around their own arms, holding themself tightly and hiding themself would have been enough on its own for TO. TO wasn¡¯t used to seeing Kei like that. Oddly, it made a lingering anger simmer in their stomach. ¡°Oh, they¡¯re frightened.¡± TO hissed, ¡°They didn''t care that Avery and DH were frightened, did they?¡± Their eyes narrowed, their ears pinning back, ¡°They don¡¯t care how upset Avery is, do they?¡± ¡°Avery¡¯s upset?¡± Mira asked, turning from their screen. ¡°Yes.¡± TO hissed. They didn¡¯t want to go over all the information on pack bonding, Ankyra, and shatter sickness, but they figured they could skip that. ¡°To be brief; they considered Kei a friend, and their attack has hit them hard.¡± ¡°Right.¡± Mira said, ¡°Well, it¡¯s possible they don¡¯t know about that, right?¡± She said, ¡°I mean, the only person who saw them since they got put in there was Goretta, and would she even know how Avery is feeling?¡± TO frowned. ¡°Probably not.¡± They said. That idea just made them more angry. TO wanted Kei to know, to understand what they did to Avery. They wanted Kei to know how Avery was suffering. Mira watched the screen for a moment longer, then looked up, ¡°What brings you here, anyway.¡± ¡°Kei, actually.¡± TO said. ¡°Something has to be done with them.¡± Mira¡¯s eyes widened, ¡°And you¡¯re going to decide what it is?¡± ¡°No.¡± TO said. ¡°I need to talk to them and decide if they¡¯re safe enough to transport with the rest of us. Of course, if it was my choice, I¡¯d leave them behind in that cave.¡± ¡°Leave them to starve to death?¡± Mira asked, her antenna flicking slightly as she frowned at TO. ¡°Leave them to share the fate of the rest of the planet¡­ if Decon kills everyone.¡± ¡°¡­ but it¡¯s not your choice.¡± Mira said. ¡°Whose is it?¡± ¡°Likely, it¡¯ll be a group decision.¡± TO said, ¡°Not mine alone. But, before I worry too much about that, I need to talk to them. I need to see what they want, to ask why they did what they did. I need to know their intentions. If I ask pointed questions, they shouldn¡¯t be able to hide much from me.¡± ¡°¡­ Right.¡± Mira said, ¡°And they¡¯ll talk to you?¡± TO shrugged, ¡°They don¡¯t like me anyway, so maybe my presence will make them angry enough to talk to me. If not¡­ Well that won¡¯t help them much, will it?¡± Mira eyed TO for a moment longer before shrugging, ¡°No.. I suppose not.¡± She said, ¡°Basically, you¡¯re seeing how cooperative they¡¯ll be¡­¡± She looked back at the screen, ¡°I¡¯ll admit¡­ I¡¯m not looking forward to having them on the ship with us.¡± ¡°Why not?¡± TO asked. ¡°They¡¯ll be on a ship full of what they consider to be insurgents and insurgent sympathizers, yes?¡± She asked. TO nodded, ¡°Yes Including myself and the other¡­Chilacians.¡± Mira nodded, ¡°And Kei¡¯s a synth. A proper one.¡± She said, ¡°Trained and loyal and all that, right?¡± TO nodded. ¡°As far as I know.¡± they said. Avery had hoped so much that Kei would be different when the procedure was done. Maybe it was that hope that made Kei¡¯s attack so much worse on them. ¡°So¡­ if they end up on the ship, there¡¯s a chance they could sabotage it, right?¡± She asked. ¡°I mean¡­ I listen, I pay attention. I imagine that a ¡®proper¡¯ synth would think nothing of sacrificing themself to do something they think would benefit King Dick, right?¡± Despite everything, TO couldn¡¯t help the way their ears flicked back when she called him that. ¡°Correct.¡± TO said, ¡°¡­ So you think they¡¯d sabotage us, or damage the ship.¡± ¡°Maybe they could damage the oxygen, or the fuel, or¡­ I don''t know: I don''t know enough about space travel to guess how many things they could do to it.¡± TO nodded. They hadn''t sat down to think about it yet, but Mira was correct; that was a risk. Risks had to be weighed with the rewards. What would be best for the insurgents? What would be best for Avery? Though they didn¡¯t think Kei deserved the consideration, they also felt as though they had to wonder what would be best for Kei as well. Which was why TO didn¡¯t want to make this decision on their own. ¡°¡­ Well, they¡¯re yours.¡± Mira said, ¡°One of you, I mean. So, whatever you decide, I think you Chilacians should decide it among yourselves.¡± She leaned back, ¡°I said my piece.¡± ¡°They¡¯re not a Chilacian.¡± TO said. ¡°No? They have a normal mind now, yeah? Doesn¡¯t that make them Chilacian?¡± TO looked past Mira, and watched the screen for a moment longer, watching the recording of Kei. They¡¯d think that they were just looking at a picture if it weren''t for the slight flickering of their ears; of the very tips which twitched and flicked with whatever feelings the thoughts inside them were eliciting. It was so obvious on them, so strange, that TO couldn¡¯t help but notice it. Kei¡¯s ears had never moved that much before, and while Mira probably didn¡¯t notice it, TO did. They didn¡¯t like it. ¡°No idea.¡± They said, ¡°Let¡¯s go see what they want to be called.¡± Synth 345: Laughter In the near silence of the hallway, TO¡¯s keen ears could pick up almost every subtle sound. They could hear the padding of their shoes against the floor, the trickle of nearby water, and even the sound of pests crawling in hidden spots behind the walls. More importantly, as they approached the end of the hall they could hear breathing; Kei¡¯s breathing. TO wouldn¡¯t normally have recognized Kei¡¯s breathing from anyone else¡¯s, not like they could DH, but they knew there was only one synth down there, and they knew that style of breathing. ====== The instructor they received after Flit left wasn¡¯t nearly as interesting; They were an Overseer who had learned most of what they knew from instruction, not from experience. There was a certain awkwardness to their movements when they tried to teach them combat, lacking the fluidity that Flit possessed despite their missing leg when they showed a technique. Still, when combined with the simulations, it was effective enough. The Overseer taught more than just combat though; they went over basic survival skills and multiple emergency procedures. ¡°In the case of capture, you do not speak.¡± The Overseer said, ¡°You do not converse with your captors, You do not eat the food they give you, or drink the water they provide you. You give them nothing.¡± This bit of instruction hadn¡¯t sat well with TO. As they stood in the line of other synths, DH at their side, TO hesitantly raised their hand. ¡°Your enemy may try to act friendly towards you, to act as though they wish to help you. Rest assured this is an act and-¡± They turned, and caught sight of TO¡¯s upraised hand. They looked at it for a moment as though they simply couldn¡¯t understand why it was there, as though it was some strange creature that simply appeared in the training room. After a moment, their eyes trailed down their arm and landed on TO. ¡°You. Yes, what?¡± ¡°Overseer.¡± TO lowered their hand, ¡°How long do we refrain from eating or drinking?¡± The Overseer looked over TO again, noting the number on their uniform. ¡°Until you escape, are released, are rescued, or expire.¡± TO frowned, ¡°But, depending on temperature, stress, and overall health¨Cnone of which may be ideal in such situations¨Cthe longest one of us could survive with no water is-¡± ¡°Two days.¡± The Overseer said. ¡°But in most cases, it will be less than that. I suggest you create your escape plan as quickly as possible.¡± They turned away, ¡°Now, in the event that you are captured-¡± ¡°But¡­ wouldn¡¯t it be better to take some of the food or water after a short time?¡± TO asked. ¡°If it¡¯s a choice between starvation or poisoning-¡° The Overseer gave TO a cool, steady look. ¡°What if it¡¯s a choice between starvation and betrayal?¡± The Overseer snapped. ¡°What if your captor puts something in your food to loosen your tongue, to make you babble about anything that comes to mind, or make you more pliable to their questioning? Would you be willing to betray King Decon to simply avoid starvation?¡± DH quietly nudged TO in the side, and though TO had several other questions they fell silent. ¡°Now then,¡± The Overseer said, ¡°As I was saying, in the event that you are captured, your captors may use a variety of techniques on you to make you cooperate with them; the simplest of which is isolation. Extended isolation can have negative mental side effects. Two ways of preventing these side effects is to either clear your mind, or occupy it. The former is far more difficult, but more effective. At any rate, practiced, focused breathing will accommodate this. Breathe in for five seconds, hold for five seconds, release for five seconds. Do not keep track of your breaths to keep track of time. It is best to ignore that time exists in such a situation.¡± They looked around. ¡°Now, for the next hour, you will breathe in such a way, and either occupying your mind with the numbers of pi, or keeping your mind empty and blank.¡± ====== TO hadn¡¯t been able to keep their mind either on the numbers of pi, or keep it blank. Their mind raced and fought for stimulation and eventually fell to just focusing on the sounds of all the synths breathing around them. They tried at first to just listen to DH, to feel them close, but their mind heard Hundreds of synths all breathing at the same time. Their breaths eventually synced up, creating a disturbing sound that made TO feel uneasy. Breathing practice, which was often done at the end of a class, always disturbed TO from that time on, and the sound lingered in their mind afterwards. Now that it was only one synth doing that unmistakable focused breathing, but the sound still made them uncomfortable. After a moment, they even felt their breath start to sync to the rhythmic breathing. TO quickened their pace, rushing and breathing a little faster just so their breath wouldn¡¯t sync up with Kei¡¯s. As they turned down the final hallway, they could see Kei sitting in the corner of their cell, their wings still around them as they focused on that deep breathing. TO could see that they weren''t deeply into it. They didn¡¯t have their mind in the right place as the old Overseer would say. The steady twitching of their ears told TO that much at least. Their ears were supposed to be relatively still if they were doing this right, and Kei¡¯s were not. Kei¡¯s ears continued to twitch and flick with all the thoughts rushing through their head. TO walked right up to the bars and stood with their arms crossed, their wings puffing up slightly. ¡°I know you¡¯re aware of me, Kei.¡± TO hissed, ¡°Your ears are moving too much for you to be particularly deep in the number of pi, or nothingness.¡± It was odd enough to see Kei¡¯s ears moving as much as they were, odder still to see the formerly stoic synth¡¯s ears dip back, and take on the slightest flush of blue when TO called them on their lack of focus. They glanced up at TO, their wings stiffening around them as they stayed sitting. TO wanted them to get up; They didn¡¯t enjoy looking down on them when they looked like this, with their ears low, their eyes big, and their wings so tight against their arms. Still¡­ Kei had hurt DH, had reveled in the fact that GiDi was taken away, and nearly got TO and DH separated. It didn¡¯t matter if they were sitting on the floor looking terrified; it was still the same synth! They were the synth who potentially sent Avery into a spiral of shatter-sickness. ¡°Avery used to ask me to be kinder to you.¡± TO snapped. ¡°Said you had trouble adjusting once you were out of the training center. They were worried about you. They checked on you when they thought you were upset back on our ship, and in the port.¡± TO crouched down, their ears pinning back, their eyes narrowing, ¡°They sat with you while you were recovering. They worried about you and considered you to be a friend. Avery hoped you would be a friend to them once you could.¡± This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source. They waited to see some flicker of Kei¡¯s ear which showed remorse, or some hint of sadness. TO could see nothing, and only hoped that their fear at the moment was overwhelming any remorse their ears could show. ¡°And then you attacked them.¡± TO¡¯s voice lowered, tensed, and their words came out in a strained growl, ¡°Have you any idea how that affected Avery?¡± Kei didn¡¯t move, save for their ears, they didn¡¯t speak, and didn¡¯t turn to look at TO. They simply stared at the wall, their breathing keeping that rhythmic pace. With a growl, TO slammed their hand against the bars, ¡°Speak!¡± They said, ¡°Your protocol will not help you, Kei. I know the protocol. I know what you¡¯re trying to do!¡± They scoffed, ignoring the fresh pain in their hand from where they struck the bars, ¡°What, you think I¡¯m going to torture you? You think I need information from you? I don¡¯t need a single fucking thing from you.¡± Kei flinched. In truth, TO flinched a little too, internally at any rate. They had never sworn like that before. Clearly, the civilians were rubbing off on them. ¡°I¡¯m only here because something has to be done with you.¡± TO said. ¡°In a few days, King Decon¡¯s army is going to be here. A fleet of synths are going to show up, and they might just decide to destroy all life on this planet just so they don¡¯t have to deal with the insurgency anymore.¡± They crouched down, getting closer to Kei¡¯s level. ¡°We have a way to get off the planet in a couple of days, and in that time we have to decide what to do with you. I have to assess how much of a danger you are to us.¡± Kei finally looked up. As their eyes met TO¡¯s, they narrowed, and their ears pinned back. ¡°How much of a danger can I be?¡± Kei hissed. ¡°I¡¯m locked in a cage like an animal. They have locked me up for weeks.¡± ¡°There¡¯s plenty you could do on the ship.¡± TO hisses, ¡°And there¡¯s going to be too many people on board for us to just take the risk with. So I need to figure out if you¡¯re a danger or not.¡± They looked at Kei¡¯s ears, observing them. ¡°I need to know if you plan to hurt us.¡± TO said, ¡°Me, Avery, DH, any of the civilians, in any way.¡± Kei¡¯s ears pinned back as they listened, and they held TO¡¯s gaze as their eyes narrowed. ¡°You¡¯re worried about me hurting the civilians?¡± They said, ¡°You have kept me in isolation. My chip was removed. You forced me to undergo mental alterations-¡± ¡°Nobody forced you-¡± Kei glared at TO, ¡°Oh, I had another option then, did I? I had an option that didn¡¯t involve starvation in isolation?¡± They glowered, ¡°My options were to submit to that procedure for a chance of being relieved of isolation¡­or slow, painful death.¡± Their eyes suddenly went big as their hands went to their head. They clutched at their scalp, digging into the scabbed flesh. They whispered the next bit, but TO could still hear them, ¡°You have no idea the horrors I suffered in the days after that awful procedure. I will never forgive Avery for convincing me¡­¡± ¡°Avery only wanted to help you!¡± TO snapped. ¡°They wanted to fix your-¡± ¡°I was not broken!¡± Kei shouted. TO felt their ears dip and their stomach drop. That anger, that rage there, and the words they used were too close to GiDi¡¯s that day so long ago, when they were taken away. ¡°I was not broken until you decided to use me for that mad doctor¡¯s experiment!¡± Kei snapped. ¡°Goretta is no mad doctor.¡± TO hissed. ¡°And Avery convinced you because they wanted to help you; because they considered you a friend before you attacked them.¡± ¡°Their assumptions are not my concern.¡± Kei said. ¡°I had never once given them any sign that I was interested in something as foolish as friendship, or that I saw them as anything other than an ally in King Decon¡¯s service.¡± ¡°They had this strange idea that you¡¯d be better when the procedure was done.¡± TO said, ¡°That you¡¯d be able to feel friendship.¡± ¡°And just because I might, hypothetically, be able to, they think I would automatically want to have them as a companion?¡± The sneer on Kei¡¯s face took TO aback, and made them feel like they had said something utterly disgusting. ¡°I could defecate in the open, I could lick the walls, I could allow some lesser synth to put their tongue all over me. And yet, while I could do these things, I do not because I am not some base animal. Why would Avery think I would be different simply because the potential was there?¡± ¡°They hoped.¡± TO said, their ears burning at Kei¡¯s crude rendition of that disastrous, intimate moment between TO and DH. ¡°They hoped you¡¯d be different.¡± ¡°They hoped I¡¯d be like you.¡± They said, ¡°And for that hope, they pressed me to submit to a procedure to mutilate my mind so it would be more like yours.¡± ¡°It wasn¡¯t to mutilate anything.¡± TO hissed, ¡°My mind was never mutilated.¡± ¡°It was.¡± Kei said, ¡°That¡¯s why you were different, why you have such perversions.¡± TO¡¯s ears burned, ¡°My mind could develop naturally. Yours was altered.¡± ¡°Why would mine have been altered! I- I was a good synth!¡± when they spoke the word, ¡®good¡¯ their voice cracked. TO could see the fall of their ears, and the blue around their eyes, and wondered if the other synth would start crying. A part of them wanted that to happen, but they wanted to see Kei cry for what they did to TO¡¯s friends, and not for themself. ¡°I¡­ was a good synth.¡± They said, ¡°Created by King Decon. My mind needed no alteration.¡± TO¡¯s ears perked up as they realized Kei didn¡¯t know yet. Nobody had told them the truth about King Decon, not yet. The devastating, horrible truth of their so-called ¡®creator.¡¯ TO almost had a smile on their face as they leaned in. ¡°King Decon didn¡¯t make us.¡± They said, ¡°He stole us, and butchered our minds to pacify us.¡± Kei was silent for long moments, ¡°How dare you.¡± They said, their voice cold and quiet, ¡°How dare you speak like that of your maker, of your creator, of the one person who holds this galaxy together and leads us forward!¡± TO leaned forward, mere inches away from Kei¡¯s face. It was like all the rage that they had for King Decon condensed and became solid in that moment; coalescing in the face of one who still fawned over King Decon. ¡°King Dick is a fraud.¡± They said with an angry, shaking voice. Kei jumped then, as though their anger had simply overflowed and they lunged at TO, claws out, grasping through the bars at them. TO fell backwards and pushed themself away from Kei, getting a little distance before standing up and checking over themself. They felt no pain, there was no blood, and it didn¡¯t even seem like their clothes had been torn. Kei looked up at them, their eyes narrowed, their claws out and leaving long lines in the stone. They were on their hands and knees, and gave TO the impression of some strange, cornered animal. A scrap of blood stained the floor, leading back to Kei¡¯s hand. Clearly, they had caught their finger on an uneven piece of the floor, and tore their skin badly. -bones cracking, the smell of disinfectant, scalpel through skin- TO couldn¡¯t look at the bloodstain. They looked away and focused their attention on the wall instead. Suddenly, there was a sound that TO hadn¡¯t expected; a cold, staccato sound that reverberated off the stone walls and multiplied into a chorus. TO looked to Kei again, and saw the synth cradling their hand, the blood seeping into their filthy uniform, their ears pinned back, twitching in a strange combination of rage and mirth. The laughter that escaped Kei was scarier than any hiss or growl, scarier than any drawing of claws or baring of teeth. The manic sound that came from them seemed threatening and crazed and dangerous all at once. Somehow, this laugh was a sign of danger, and chilled TO to their core. Episode 346: Bite TO didn¡¯t like Kei¡¯s laughter. When DH, Avery or GiDi laughed, it was a joyful, soft laughter which made TO feel as though everything was going to be ok, at least for a moment. Kei¡¯s laughter right now just felt, looked, and sounded so wrong. The laugh itself was cold and sharp, each syllable feeling like a pointed attack. Although they were laughing, their ears were tense and pinned back in an expression of anger and rage that felt so wrong to TO. Kei¡¯s laughter felt like a threat. TO took a few steps back, feeling their ears dip and their wings tighten around them as they watched Kei, watched them laugh as they clutched their injured, bleeding hand to their chest. ¡°All this time, I thought you were superior despite your flaws.¡± Kei finally said, ¡°Your needless mental creativity, your quick thinking, your problem-solving abilities, they all seemed to be special skills for you, skills that would make you useful to King Decon. No matter how hard I tried, it seemed like those were skills I simply could not teach myself.¡± They chuckled again and looked up at TO. Their eyes narrowed and the grin on their face showed most of their teeth. ¡°I know better now.¡± They hissed. ¡°You all forced me to undergo that procedure, and now my mind is sharp. Now, I see the solutions to problems before me as clearly as I see you now.¡± They held yup their injured hand. ¡°As clearly as I see my blood.¡± They slipped one of their bleeding fingers into their mouth, sucking the blood from the skin. TO felt grateful for a moment to not see the bleeding, but the idea of Kei ingesting their own blood made their stomach feel heavy; their head, light. ¡°You are inferior.¡± Kei said, their ears lifting only slightly. Kei spoke as thought they were a very patient overseer explaining something which TO just could not understand. ¡°If you had been normal, but still had your mind, then I shudder to think what you might have done for King Decon. You had this amazing tool from the start¡­ And you wasted it.¡± Kei¡¯s eyes narrowed as they clamped their teeth down on their finger. There was a moment, where they seemed to hesitate, where they strained their teeth against their own skin. Suddenly, their jaw closed and a sudden crunch emanated from them. TO¡¯s stomach churned as Kei pulled their finger away from their mouth, the tip now a bleeding stub. Blood poured from the stub and- -blood, bone, disinfectant, latex, skin- -seeped over their lips as they grinned- -The room was spinning. TO could feel gloves on their hand- -and spat the bit of flesh bitten off their finger as hard as they could at TO. It struck their leg, splattering them with shiny droplets of blue blood before landing on the floor in a tiny pile of gore. Blood bone disinfectant latex. The sound of a scalpel through skin. There was Blood on TO¡¯s clothes, and blood at their feet. A tiny piece of flesh sat on the floor before them, mangled and covered in wet, glistening blue. It was only a little blood, TO knew, but somehow it seemed to be so much more. The smell of it was sharp and acidic and seemed so overwhelming to TO! Blood was on Kei¡¯s face as they grinned at them, seeping from their lips. It poured from their finger, leaving a blue puddle on the floor before Kei. The hallway spun. It was a whirlpool of blood. TO stumbled away from Kei, swaying as their stomach churned. They turned to the side, vomiting, flailing for something to grab onto, something to keep them steady. Their hand landed on the stone wall but all they could feel was the insides of that juvenile synth through their gloves. They could feel the hardened, diseased lung that they had to dispose of, the eyes that saved DH, the bones they saved for the stem, skin for skin grafts, liver for transplants for high-ranking synths. PQ03, the old synth production officer who once worked with Snout, said that the inner organs were saved only for the most valuable synths whose mental value and expertise was worth more than the overall cost of a lengthy surgery and recovery period. TO pulled their hand away from the wall as though it was on fire, stumbling back as they did. Their head felt like it was detached from their body, like it was being pulled up and away. They tripped on something, falling, expecting to hit the hard stone floor. They didn¡¯t. Instead of hitting the floor, TO fell into the vortex of blood in their mind. ====== It didn¡¯t feel like a dream. A part of TO knew it had to be, but it felt far too real, and was far too normal compared to TO¡¯s other dreams. In this dream, TO was back in training. They were in the production lab once more, locked in the procedure room with PQ03 as the older synth set out the body of the deceased juvenile. It was so normal for a dream, so different from how this dream normally played out. There were no strange sights, or people that weren¡¯t supposed to be there, and the body didn¡¯t randomly turn into other people. It was just TO themself, the PQ03, and the body. The officer instructed TO on how to cut open the skin, how to crack the bones and get into the ribcage. Here¡¯s how you remove the heart. This lung is the diseased lung, so we dispose of this. We can harvest these bones for stem cells. Careful with the skin there, that¡¯s perfect for a graft. Those eyes are the proper size, so we can save them. Save this organ for transplant. These organs are too underdeveloped to be used for transplant. Save the fatty tissue. We can use that for building organ scaffolding for synthetic organs. This dream felt more real than the event itself. It was far more clear and intense compared to the fog-like state that TO had originally experienced the awful situation in. It was as though their brain had recorded the event and saved it for a day when they might want to show TO what happened in clarity that TO could not experience at the time. The smell of disinfectant was strong, and TO could feel the gloves on their hands, and the soft organs through thin latex. Please stop. They tried to speak, but they couldn¡¯t. Their body continued replaying the gruesome scene as their mind struggled against it, trying to stop their hands from moving and following the instructions PQ03 gave them. They would have had a better chance of changing the course of a show by shouting at the screen. Of course, at least with a show they could turn it off if they didn¡¯t like it. TO couldn¡¯t even close their eyes to the awful scene before them. They tried, but they just couldn¡¯t. They closed their eyes, but they could still see. This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.Then, finally, blissfully, they closed their eyes, and there was blackness. ====== There was a low mumble from nearby. At first, TO didn¡¯t know what it was, or where they were. For a few seconds, they thought they were back in training, certain that they were laying under a thin blanket in their pod as they waited for their day to start. Someone was talking nearby, and TO could tell just by the sound of the voice that it was a synth, likely DH. Were they awake? Were they talking to GiDi? The person who responded was not a synth: Their voice was so much thinner than the rich voice that synths had thanks to their triple vocal chords. Confusion and fear raced through TO as their eyes shot open and they sat up- And instantly felt nauseated. Their head throbbed, and they flopped back down on the bed with a loud groan, holding their hands to their eyes. ¡°TO!¡± the voice they heard earlier was indeed their mate. They¡¯d know DH¡¯s voice anywhere, but how DH said their name was different from how anyone else said it. The way they seemed to pronounce each letter separately instead of running them together as ¡®Tio¡¯ was unmistakable. TO felt their mate¡¯s hand on the back of their head, scratching at the base of their scalp. ¡°Where¡­¡± They wanted to ask where they were, but they felt weak and tired, and the pain was a lot to deal with. ¡°Just relax.¡± DH said. ¡°I brought you to our room. Mira called us as soon as you fainted.¡± The memories slowly came back to them, trickling through their mind as though TO¡¯s thoughts were traveling through a thick fog.When they recalled what Kei did, how they bit off the tip of their finger and spat it at them, TO paled and groaned. ¡°I-I¡¯m going to be sick.¡± They whispered. Before they could say anything else, they felt DH¡¯s hand on their back. DH gently rolled them to the side so they could throw up in a bucket at the edge of the bed. ¡°You might feel sick.¡± Goretta said. Now that TO was a bit more awake, TO could recognize her voice. ¡°You smacked your head pretty good on the floor. I saw the video after we got you away from-¡± ¡°Away from Kei.¡± DH hissed. There was venom in their voice that felt so strange to TO. As TO finished emptying the contents of their stomach, DH kept rubbing their back, and scratching at the base of their skull. ¡°Did Kei really do that?¡± TO whispered. They hoped maybe their memories were wrong. If they hit their head, that was possible, wasn¡¯t it? ¡°Did they really bite-¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Goretta said, sighing. ¡°I could reattach their fingertip, but I had to knock them out to bring them to the operation room.¡± She sighed. ¡°They agreed to go peacefully, but I couldn¡¯t risk it.¡± ¡°Where are they now?¡± DH hissed. ¡°In recovery again.¡± She said, ¡°Strapped down once more. I hate having them strapped down like that but-¡± ¡°But nothing.¡± DH hissed. ¡°You should have let them lose their fingertip.¡± ¡°I needed to bring them to the surgery room, anyway.¡± She said, ¡°The risk of infection-¡± ¡°It¡¯d be their own fault!¡± DH snapped. ¡°They bit off a piece of their finger and spat it at TO! You saw the video! Kei¡¯s lost it.¡± TO finally rolled onto their back, whimpering in pain. Before they could even ask, DH was helping them up, propping pillows behind them and offering them water, and a small cup of pills. ¡°An accelerant, and good painkillers.¡± DH said as TO looked at the pills. ¡°You should be fine tomorrow.¡± ¡°We need to save the painkillers.¡± TO said, shaking their head and passing the pills back. ¡°We¡¯re saving the painkillers for people who need them.¡± DH said, ¡°You need them, so you get them.¡± They pushed the pills back to TO. ¡°I can handle a little pain.¡± TO protested, but DH shook their head, their ears pinning back ¡°TO, I love you, you know I do, but this is why we were saving the pills! We were saving them so we could use them in an emergency!¡± they leaned forward, ¡°Now.. you¡¯re going to take the painkillers, or I swear I¡¯ll force feed them to you.¡± TO¡¯s eyes widened, their ears dipped back. They had never seen DH like this! The closest they got was just from the other night, when DH found out about the failsafe. DH sighed, closing their eyes and taking a deep breath to calm themself. Slowly, their ears relaxed, ¡°TO¡­ I¡¯m worried about you, that¡¯s all.¡± They said, ¡°Please, will you take the painkillers?¡± TO sighed and finally took the painkillers. They drank some water, and then swallowed both pills at once. Almost instantly, DH seemed relieved. ¡°You¡¯ll be a little off for the rest of the day.¡± DH said, ¡°The drugs are strong, so they¡¯re going to affect your mind a bit-¡± ¡°You mean it¡¯s going to make them very high.¡± Goretta said, amused. ¡°Yes.¡± DH said as they looked TO in the eyes, ¡°And the reason I choose that particular drug is two-fold. First, it¡¯s one that won¡¯t work on civilians, so there¡¯s no point in saving it for anyone else.¡± ¡°Alright¡­¡± TO said, ¡°And the second reason?¡± DH smiled, their ears dipping down a bit, ¡°Two¡­ it¡¯s going to make you high enough that you won¡¯t be able to work.¡± TO¡¯s eyes widened, ¡°I need to-¡± ¡°What you need to do is rest.¡± Goretta said. ¡°I think you should take a few days off, but DH promises that with that accelerant, you can be back to work tomorrow morning.¡± She sighed. ¡°It¡¯s almost cruel to use that stuff. It just makes things hurt more. What if we didn¡¯t have painkillers?¡± DH sighed, ¡°We¡¯d do without.¡± They said, ¡°But thankfully, that¡¯s not the case.¡± With a sigh, DH got up and headed to the table in the middle of the room where a small speaker was sitting. They turned it on, and that one musical, the one that they could listen to repeatedly, played. ¡°Just rest and listen to the musicals.¡± DH said, ¡°You¡¯ll get high, you¡¯ll sleep, and rest. Try to keep your eyes closed too, I don''t want you to get eye strain on top of the concussion.¡± TO nodded, and lay back, listening to the music. If they could not work, then they could at least enjoy the rest, and the musical. A part of them was grateful that DH had given them those drugs although they had so much work to do. Not only did it ensure that TO couldn¡¯t work, but they hoped their mind would be slippery enough that they couldn¡¯t worry about GiDi¡¯s involvement in the failsafe, or about Avery and the shatter sickness. They had one worry in the front of their mind though, ¡°What are we going to do with Kei.¡± TO said. ¡°I¡¯m going to keep them under observation for now.¡± Goretta said, ¡°We can¡¯t have them hurting themself worse.¡± ¡°No.. I mean..,¡± TO looked at her, their eyes squinting against the light of the room. ¡°I mean, are we bringing them with us?¡± ¡°... I think that should be something you all should decide.¡± She said, ¡°You Chilacians. When you¡¯re better, I will go over a few things for you to take into consideration, but that will wait.¡± TO flopped back, and nodded. ¡°That¡¯s what Mira said.¡± They whispered. They lay back, waiting for the drugs to take effect. ¡°She said we should decide.¡± ¡°Well, I agree with that.¡± Goretta said, ¡°Rest now, And we¡¯ll talk tomorrow.¡± TO did as they were told and lay back to rest. They didn¡¯t have the mental fortitude to think about this right now, to parse what happened back in the hallway and put it into perspective. Still, they had the ability to form a single, simple thought about the situation. They did not want to be on a ship with Kei again. Episode 347: Harsh It only took about twenty minutes for the drugs to kick in. The pain TO felt in their head and stomach turned cold, the throbbing, fiery pain replaced with ice and numbness. It was such an odd sensation, and one that allowed them to feel their pain more thoroughly, as an acute cold mass in their head, its icy tendrils creeping down the back of their neck and back. Oddly, they could also feel other lesser cold spots on their shoulder and in their wings, a reminder of pain that they ignored over time. It would be worrisome if it weren¡¯t for how comfortable they were. The drugs really were good, creating a slippery surface in their mind where thoughts couldn¡¯t take hold. All they could really do was rest and listen to the musicals playing as they drifted in a daze of painkillers. Occasionally, someone came in to check on them. Sometimes it was DH. Sometimes, it was Avery, who sat by TO for a little longer to talk to them. TO wouldn¡¯t be able to tell what they were saying; words that Avery spoke a minute ago drifted from TO¡¯s head and got lost in the fog of their mind. Still, at one point, TO reached out and took Avery¡¯s hand. They had no recollection what Avery had said to trigger their reaction, but they squeezed Avery¡¯s hand tightly. ¡°You¡¯re too good.¡± They said, ¡°Kei doesn¡¯t deserve you. Kei doesn¡¯t deserve to have you as an Ankrya.¡± As TO said that, Avery just held TO¡¯s hand tightly, their ears lowering, their hand shaking. ¡°I¡¯m worried about you.¡± TO said, ¡°That.. shatter-sickness stuff.¡± They couldn¡¯t remember what Avery said to that, as their mind once more got lost in the fog. They passed the rest of the day in that fog, with a vague awareness of people coming and going. At one point, DH and Avery came to their room and curled up on either side of TO as they both fell into deep, exhausted sleeps. If it weren''t for that, TO might not have realized how late it was in the day. TO, of course, didn¡¯t need to sleep. They felt like they had been drifting in and out of sleep the whole day, and just continued that though the night. Because of this, they heard DH chirping and mumbling through the night, and occasionally when their chirping stopped suddenly, TO could see their ears pin back in anger, a response to some dream they were having. Avery, TO realized, was a much more restless sleeper than they previously realized. They tossed and turned, occasionally clutching at TO, occasionally shivering as they slept, their ears were low as and they whimpered frequently. Was that an effect of ¡®shatter sickness¡¯ or had TO just never noticed how Avery slept before? It¡¯s not like Avery slept with TO and DH often, so it was hard to tell. As time passed, their thoughts slowly reformed and within a few more hours they could think properly again. Of course, that mostly meant they could worry about DH and Avery as they slept fitfully on either side of them. Their family. TO¡¯s mate to one side, and their Ankyra on the next. There was only one more day to prepare. One more day, to make sure everything was ready, and then they had to leave with their little family. One more day. They¡¯d either make it together, or they wouldn¡¯t. ====== Although TO felt fine when DH and Avery finally woke up, DH insisted they stay in bed and rest while they and Avery went to fetch some breakfast for the three of them. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± TO insisted as they got up, but a withering stare from DH made them slink back into bed. ¡°I really am fine.¡± They muttered as they pulled the covers back up over their lap, ¡°I didn¡¯t break my neck, I bumped my head. I didn¡¯t even feel it.¡± Once TO was back in bed, DH¡¯s expression lightened. Their ears were still low, but they were smiling at least. ¡°Yes, you¡¯re very lucky!¡± DH said, ¡°If you had fallen wrong, you might have hurt yourself worse, or you might have broken your neck. What if you had fallen into the bars of Kei¡¯s cell? If that happened, then you¡¯d have hurt yourself worse and Kei would have been able to grab you!¡± ¡°But none of that happened.¡± TO said. ¡°I¡¯m aware! I saw the video footage!¡± DH said, ¡°You were very lucky! So, I don¡¯t want to tempt luck any more than we already have. You¡¯re going to lie in bed, and when we come back, you¡¯re going to eat a full breakfast, take more medication, and then I¡¯ll examine you and see if you¡¯re actually ok.¡± DH went up to TO, arranged a pillow behind them, then kissed them quickly. ¡°Just stay in bed and rest a little more for me.¡± They whispered before they turned around and rushed off to get breakfast. ¡°DH was worried about you.¡± Avery said as a means of explanation. ¡°When they first heard something was wrong, when Mira contacted them, she didn¡¯t say what had happened, she just said you were unconscious and sent her friend to get you. They didn¡¯t know you had fainted. Mira didn¡¯t know either, not until they watched the footage.¡± TO¡¯s ears warmed. ¡°Yeah.¡± They grumbled, ¡°Who wouldn¡¯t faint! Kei bit off a piece of their finger and spat it at me!¡± they shuddered, ¡°I could hear it.¡± ¡°... They¡¯re not really in their right mind.¡± Avery said, ¡°Goretta said she wanted to run some tests, and-¡± ¡°Wait.¡± TO¡¯s ears pinned back, ¡°Avery¡­ you¡¯re not still defending them, are you?¡± ¡°It¡¯s¡­ not really their fault.¡± Avery said. ¡°King Decon altered their mind first and then everything that happened here was so sudden, you know? They still need help!¡± Ears tilting down, they glanced at TO. ¡°And¡­ I saw the video, TO.¡± ¡°So you saw them spit their fingertip at me!¡± ¡°Y-yes¡­¡± they said, ¡°But I also saw how scared they were when you went up to them, and how angry you looked.¡± This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it. ¡°Of course I was angry.¡± TO said, ¡°They¡¯ve hurt everyone I care about!¡± They felt their ears pin back further and took a breath to calm themself. ¡°The only people Kei hasn¡¯t hurt yet are Flit and Snout. But they hurt GiDi, they hurt DH¡­ They hurt you, Avery.¡± ¡°They just knocked me down-¡± ¡°They didn¡¯t just hurt you physically.¡± TO said. They glanced up at Avery, their eyes flicking over them. After a long period of silence, Avery¡¯s eyes widened, their ears perking up in comprehension. ¡°Oh. right.¡± Avery¡¯s ears flicked down, ¡°You¡¯re worried about the shatter sickness.¡± ¡°How did you know that?¡± TO asked, their eyes going wide. ¡°Well, you told me you were worried. Of course, you told me while you were high on painkillers, so I guess you might have forgotten.¡± They gave a humorless smirk, ¡°You might have also forgotten that I read that entire file. I know what Shatter-Sickness is.¡± TO looked aside, ¡°I didn¡¯t forget.¡± They said, ¡°I just didn¡¯t think you¡¯d consider that.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not as clever as you, TO, but I pay attention.¡± They said, ¡°I paid attention to that video. I saw how scared Kei looked, and how angry and aggressive you were.¡± They looked away. ¡°What did you say to them, anyway?¡± ¡°... Excuse me?¡± ¡°What did you say to them? They looked scared and when you spoke to them, and then they got angry¡­ But then they lunged, that was different. What did you say to them?¡± TO fell silent. They could only look at Avery in disbelief for a few minutes. ¡°You¡¯re really going to blame me for how they reacted?¡± an irritated clicking came from the back of their throat. Avery¡¯s ears dipped. ¡°I¡¯m not blaming you¡­¡± They said, ¡°But you must have said something to make them act that way.¡± At that moment, TO wanted to tell Avery every detail of their conversation. They wanted to tell Avery everything that Kei said. ¡°I will never forgive Avery for convincing me¡­¡± ¡°I had never once given them any sign that I was interested in something as foolish as friendship, or that I saw them as anything other than an ally in King Decon¡¯s service.¡± They nearly said the words, nearly told Avery what Kei said¡­ They wanted to tell them so desperately, to let them know Kei wasn¡¯t worth Avery¡¯s concern, to show Avery that TO had a reason to be angry with them, and to protect Avery, so they wouldn¡¯t waste their time, their energy, and their feelings over Kei. And maybe, so Avery wouldn¡¯t look at TO with such accusation again, with their ears dipped in disappointment. But what would happen if TO told Avery all that? Wouldn¡¯t that just hurt Avery more? If Avery was already at a risk of that Shatter Sickness, then wouldn¡¯t this make it worse? ¡°I told them the truth.¡± TO finally said. They looked away from Avery, their ears down, ¡°Pardon me for telling them the truth more harshly than I should have. As I said, they¡¯ve hurt everyone I care about, so I was angry.¡± Avery stared at TO for a moment before responding. ¡°Told them the truth? About what?¡± ¡°... About King Decon.¡± TO said. ¡°That¡¯s when they attacked me. I told them that King Decon stole us and altered us. I told them we didn¡¯t break their mind in their procedure, we restored it.¡± With a sigh, Avery turned and headed to the door. They paused and turned around. ¡°Look¡­ for the record, Kei obviously shouldn¡¯t have done¡­ everything. But they¡¯re unwell right now-¡± ¡°Were they unwell when they told GiDi that they were broken? Or, were they unwell when they made sure to separate DH from every single friend they might have made before they found me? What about when they reported DH and I to Ark-1, and tried to get us separated!? Were they unwell then?¡± ¡°Yes, because King Decon had altered their mind then, so-¡± ¡°That¡¯s what they were like before.¡± TO said, ¡°And this is what they¡¯re like now¡­¡± They lay down, and turned onto their side. They didn¡¯t want to look at Avery, didn¡¯t want to talk about this anymore. They knew if they talked about it much more they¡¯d tell Avery what Kei really said. ¡±Maybe this is just how they are. The only difference is now they have less emotional control. Now we¡¯re seeing what they¡¯re really like.¡± There was a sigh, and Avery started for the door. ¡°I think you deserve better than Kei.¡± TO said. ¡°... And I think you should have been more careful with them.¡± Avery said. TO didn¡¯t bother to look up as Avery left the room. ====== When DH returned, TO was happy to see Avery with them. They didn''t want to talk to their friend right now, but they were at least glad that Avery had come back, and hadn¡¯t chosen to ignore or avoid TO. Thankfully, it didn¡¯t seem like they¡¯d have to talk to Avery right now, as the two were followed by Snout who was pushing Flit along in a wheelchair, and Goretta. ¡°Flit?¡± TO sat up, ¡°Are you ok, what-¡± Flit¡¯s ears pinned back and flushed blue. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± They hissed. ¡°I could walk on my own just fine, but-¡± ¡°But you need to let the wounds on your leg heal.¡± Snout said. ¡°And you wanted to come here, so¡­ we compromised with a wheelchair. You¡¯re lucky we found one we could borrow.¡± Flit grumbled for a moment more, but TO caught Snout slowly scratching the back of Flit¡¯s neck, and the older Chilacian seemed to calm down. ¡°For the record.¡± Goretta said, ¡°I¡¯m not offering my opinion on anything here. I¡¯m just here to state medical facts, and I¡¯ll hang around if you have questions, but aside from that I am not getting involved with decision making.¡± ¡°Decision making?¡± TO asked. Snout gave a solemn nod, ¡°Yes, decision making.¡± They said, ¡°GiDi¡¯s not able to decide about anything at this time. So, we need to make a decision.¡± They shook their head, ¡°We won¡¯t have time for a big discussion tomorrow, so we¡¯ll have to just tell GiDi what we¡¯ve decided.¡± TO closed their eyes, their ears pinning back, ¡°Right.¡± They said, ¡°I assume then that our decision is regarding what we do about Kei.¡± ¡°Exactly.¡± Flit said. ¡°We need to decide what to do.¡± Episode 348: Morality DH quickly passed breakfast around to everyone, including Goretta. They also found an old box for her to sit on while she ate. ¡°Thank you.¡± She said, an expression of pure bliss on her face as she sat, her tentacles hanging over the side of the box. ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve sat down in days.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think you ate much yesterday.¡± DH added as they passed her a bottle of water. ¡°Hmm.. I had breakfast¡­ and I¡¯m sure I snacked on something.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not enough.¡± DH said, then they paused, ¡°Is it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s less than I should have.¡± She admitted, ¡°Anyway, I did a quick scan of Kei¡¯s brain while they were tranquilized. I was specifically looking for irregular swelling or anything that might put pressure on certain parts of the brain.¡± She glanced up, ¡°Finding something like that might prove that their actions weren¡¯t necessarily their fault. Pressure on the wrong part of their brain could make them more aggressive, or lower their inhibitions.¡± ¡°And did you find anything?¡± Avery asked as they sat down on the edge of the bed to eat. ¡°I did not.¡± Goretta said, sighing, ¡°They¡¯re still rather lacking in the self control and emotional regulation department though. It hasn¡¯t been that long since their procedure and their brain is still rewiring itself¡­However, there are no big issues in terms of unexpected side effects. Their brain looks as it should.¡± Flit gave a deep hum, a low clicking escaping from the back of their throat. ¡°Even if we take that into account though, If their self control is lacking then that just means we¡¯re seeing how they really feel now.¡± Snout sighed, ¡°Of course this is how they really feel.¡± They said, ¡°They went through their training with an altered brain. It¡¯s more than just mind alteration that goes into training a synth.¡± They looked to TO, ¡°You had the same training, and you were loyal to King Decon. You just weren¡¯t as loyal because you could think and reason, and because you had your friends. You had a purpose outside of serving King Decon, and you had others who were important to you.¡± ¡°Why does that make a difference?¡± DH asked. ¡°Because you three found fulfillment outside of serving King Decon. Most synths, being unable to form friendships and being isolated by the alterations to their mind can only find comfort and solace in serving King Decon. Their only reason for living is to serve King Decon, they have nothing else. ¡°¡­ So you mean if Kei had had a friend, they¡¯d be different?¡± DH asked. Snout shook their head, ¡°Kei couldn¡¯t have had a friend. Their in-tank development altered their mind in such a way that they couldn¡¯t form friendships or have connections with people. But, we are social creatures, apparently. We need people, we need connection. If the only connection a synth can feel is from servitude to King Decon, then they¡¯re going to cling to that.¡± Flit huffed, ¡°It¡¯s like water.¡± They grumbled, ¡°And Decon ensured he seemed like the only source.¡± Snout nodded. ¡°Right.¡± They said, ¡°Once Kei realizes that there are other sources, other people then hopefully they should calm down.¡± TO, who had been during the conversation up to this point as DH was making sure they ate their breakfast, suddenly had to speak up. ¡°They won¡¯t.¡± TO said. ¡°Kei hates me, hates us-¡° ¡°Kei doesn¡¯t hate me.¡± Avery muttered. ¡°-and won¡¯t work with us.¡± TO tried their best to ignore what Avery said. Flit glanced at TO. ¡°Speaking of, we need to know what happened in the holding cell..¡± They said, ¡°You had your chip disconnected, so there¡¯s no recording, and the video we have doesn¡¯t provide any sound.¡± TO frowned, ¡°You saw what happened; they bit their finger off and spat it at me!¡± They felt their ears flick down as the scene replayed itself in their head, as they saw in their mind¡¯s eye that wet bit of flesh on the floor. DH¡¯s hand slipped into their own, giving them a gentle squeeze. TO took a deep breath, trying to ignore the scene replaying in their head. ¡°Yes, but did you get to talk to them before that?¡± Flit asked. ¡°Did you figure out if they¡¯d at least cooperate with us for the sake of their life? They should have some survival instinct now at least.¡± The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there. TO relaxed as they remembered the actual reason they had gone there in the first place, to see what Kei would say about being transported. ¡°I didn¡¯t get to question them as much as I¡¯d have liked.¡± TO said, ¡°But I can tell you they¡¯re not particularly happy about the situation.¡± ¡°To be fair, they have been in isolation, operated on and locked up.¡± Snout said, ¡°I doubt anyone would be happy about that.¡± ¡°Well, they¡¯re especially not happy about the operation.¡± TO said. ¡°They were exceedingly clear on that.¡± ¡°TO also told them about Decon.¡± Avery said, ¡°About the whole Chilacian thing.¡± They glanced at TO, ¡°Did you really think they were ready for that?¡± ¡°Yes, well.¡± TO said as they felt a slight heat rise to their ears.. They didn¡¯t look at Avery, choosing instead to look at their food ¡°Maybe not, but they didn¡¯t know. I told them because they called Goretta a ¡®mad doctor¡¯, and said that we forced them to get the procedure done. They said they were ¡®pressed¡¯ to ¡®mutilate their mind.¡¯¡± They looked up at Flit, ¡°So, I had no issues telling them the truth.¡± Snout sighed, ¡°That might have been a bit much.¡± They said, ¡°I mean, Kei is unstable as it is-¡± ¡°But I got my answer!¡± TO said. ¡°They lunged at me when I told them about King Decon! Right now, they¡¯re still loyal to King Decon, still a proper synth!¡± They leaned back in the bed, ¡°We can¡¯t take them with us.¡± ¡°¡­ I¡¯m not offering an opinion on this here.¡± Goretta said, ¡°But fixing their mind wouldn¡¯t have changed their loyalties in the first place, It would have just restored the emotional and cognitive abilities locked off to them previously. It wouldn¡¯t have changed who they are, wouldn¡¯t have made them suddenly friendly in the first place.¡± Avery looked up, eyes big and ears down. ¡°Then why did we do it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a vital procedure.¡± She said, ¡°One we hope to use to help other synths who have broken away from King Decon, and who do not have full mental capabilities.¡± ¡°I thought we were doing it to help them!¡± Avery said as their ears pinned back. ¡°Well, yes, it would have helped them.¡± She frowned and opened her mouth to say something, but then stopped. ¡°What is it?¡± Flit asked. ¡°No¡­ it¡¯s nothing, I don¡¯t have a place in deciding-¡± ¡°We appreciate that, but we still want your opinion.¡± Flit said. She sighed, ¡°Well, ideally I¡¯d like to have them under observation for a while longer. There¡¯s more I could learn as their mind heals. I wonder if we couldn¡¯t have them under observation on the ship¡­ there is a secure place there, right?¡± ¡°There is¡­¡± Flit said, ¡°But if they are still loyal to King Decon, then it¡¯s too dangerous.¡± ¡°Why?¡± Goretta¡¯s tentacles twisted about, slow and exhausted. ¡°A synth loyal to King Decon will do whatever they can in his service, even if it means their own death.¡± Flit said, ¡°A ship full of insurgent leaders and colluders hurtling through space would be a tempting target for them.¡± ¡°But if we keep them under observation, keep them in a secure place-¡± ¡°All they need to do is get away once.¡± Flit said. ¡°All they need is a single chance. If there¡¯s a way to stop the ship, to make it crash or explode or worse-¡± ¡°What¡¯s worse?¡± Goretta asked, a frown on their face as they stopped eating their food and just listened to Flit. ¡°Doing something to the water, perhaps.¡± Flit said, ¡°If they broke the filtration system, we¡¯d essentially have no water, and we¡¯d all die of dehydration. If they ruined our food supplies, we¡¯d starve. There are millions of horrible ways to die in a spaceship, and they could do many things to kill everyone.¡± Goretta frowned ¡°You think they¡¯d do that? They¡¯d die too. You said you hoped they¡¯d have a self preservation instinct-¡± ¡°I did.¡± Flit said, ¡°And, I hope that, but if they¡¯re still fully loyal to King Decon, then that instinct might not do it.¡± They looked at her steadily, their ears flicking down, ¡°If they¡¯re still loyal to King Decon, then they would consider their own death a worthy sacrifice, I assure you.¡± ¡°Look, they¡¯re here because of us.¡± Snout said. ¡°They were developed in a production lab, we let the computers alter their mind, and then we took them with us when we grabbed Avery and TO. Kei is here because of us, so that makes them our responsibility.¡± They shook their head, ¡°We can¡¯t send them back to Decon, not with what we¡¯ve done to their head. The moment they acted differently, they¡¯d be examined and repurposed-¡° ¡°Killed.¡± Goretta said. ¡°Very well.¡± Snout said, their ears dipping, ¡°Killed. They¡¯d be killed.¡± ¡°But if we leave them here, they¡¯ll be killed too!¡± Avery said, ¡°if we leave them here, either they¡¯ll die if King Decon ends all life on the planet, or they¡¯ll starve with nobody to give them food and water.¡± TO¡¯s ears flicked back. ¡°Hey¡­.¡± They said, ¡°They weren¡¯t eating when they were first in isolation, right?¡± They frowned at Flit, ¡°How did they survive that? DH and we were in isolation for a week, but we ate. How did Kei not die of dehydration?¡± Goretta sighed, looking away, her color shifting slightly to a pinker hue. ¡°Well¡­¡± She said, the word slinking out of their mouth, ¡°When they were sleeping, we may have ensured they¡¯d stay asleep with gas, and then used some intravenous nutrition. It¡¯s the same thing we do if someone is unconscious and cannot eat.¡± Avery¡¯s ears pinned back once more. ¡°You knocked them out and gave them intravenous food without their consent!?¡± ¡°It was that or let them die!¡± Goretta said. ¡°Or tie them down and force feed them, but that seemed just cruel. And I assure you, there were people who thought we should just let them starve, who felt that we¡¯d have no blame in their death if they starved themself.¡± She huffed, ¡°So, yes, I waited until they were asleep, knocked them out, and fed them intravenously.¡± She glared at Avery, ¡°And If I let them die, I¡¯m sure you¡¯d be twice as angry as you are now.¡± ¡°At any rate.¡± Flit said, their eyes roaming around at everyone around them, ¡°Talking about this, about why they¡¯re here and of what was done to them, isn¡¯t the point at this moment.¡± They sat up straight in their chair, their wings straightening behind them, their ears taking on an authoritative slant. ¡°Being able to discuss the ethics of a situation is a privilege that we don¡¯t have right now.¡± ¡°Then what are we doing?¡± Avery snapped, ¡°If we¡¯re not talking about ethics, then why are we here?¡± Flit sighed and gave Avery a long, hard look. ¡°We need to look at this objectively, practically. We need an answer to the very simple question of if we can take them with us, regardless of how we do it, and how we feel about it.¡± Episode 349: Practicality Flit¡¯s proclamation of how they were dealing with Kei, of setting aside the idea of morality and ethics in transporting them or leaving them behind¡­ well, even to TO, it seemed harsh. Still, they couldn¡¯t deny the sense of Flit''s words. What if they were talking about DH? The words slipped into TO¡¯s mind unwelcomed. DH would never be in this situation¡­ Right? They remembered the argument they had made for DH¡¯s replacement eye, How they had argued, brought up the replacement eye they had salvaged from the juvenile synth, and pointed out how DH¡¯s skills were worth the cost of an eye and a surgery. Of course, allowing that had been the wrong decision for King Decon¡¯s army, wasn¡¯t it? DH was here now, and helping the insurgents. ¡°If that¡¯s the point, then why are we even here.¡± Avery hissed, ¡°Clearly, our opinions don¡¯t matter, so-¡± ¡°The point is to decide not if we want to bring them with us, but if we can bring them with us.¡± Flit said, their ears pinning back, their voice taking on a slow, controlled cadence. ¡°We have to put aside what we want and what we hope, and decide only if it¡¯s possible to bring them.¡± Their eyes flicked to each of them once more, resting on every person for only a moment. ¡°And¡­ I don¡¯t think we can.¡± ¡°I think we should make the effort.¡± Snout said, shaking their head, ¡°It¡¯s such a waste otherwise. We can probably figure out something-¡° ¡°If we had more time, maybe.¡± Flit said. ¡°If we had more time, we could comb over the holding cell in the ship. And make sure that no matter how long they¡¯re in there, they can¡¯t escape. We could make plans. We could keep them bound for the whole trip-¡° ¡°We can¡¯t do that!¡± Avery said, but Flit held up a hand to stop them. ¡°Again, we are not talking about ethics or morality here.¡± Flit said. ¡°Foremost, we have to decide simply if we¡¯re able to bring them with us.¡± ¡°¡­ Since we¡¯re not talking about ¡®ethics¡¯, then I might have an idea.¡± Snout said, their voice slow and their ears dipping ¡°We could keep them unconscious for the trip and feed them intravenously. They wouldn''t be particularly healthy by the end of the trip, and there are obvious medical risks, but it¡¯s possible.¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t mind that.¡± Goretta said slowly. ¡°It¡¯s not ideal, but it¡¯s better than letting them perish here. The work that¡¯s been done on them can help many people, and I think that given more time, given the influence of others, they might adapt better. If we bring them to Apoikia, bring them to.. Well, I suppose it¡¯s their ancestral home, then they¡¯ll see what Chilacians are like, what they were like before they became synths. Maybe even that would help.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t talk about them like they¡¯re a science experiment!¡± Avery said. ¡°They¡¯re a person! If you talk about them like they¡¯re a thing¡­¡± They paused, huffed, then sat back, ¡°Then you¡¯re doing what King Decon was doing, what you all say is so horrible, right?¡± TO felt their ears pin back. ¡°You want to talk of them as a person, not a thing? Not a resource? Fine.¡± They looked at Avery. ¡°Kei is an excellent synth, but a horrible person.¡± ¡°You just don¡¯t know-¡° ¡°I know enough.¡± TO said. ¡°They went out of their way to keep DH isolated because they were different, because they thought DH was too strange. They convinced Q10 to push DH away. They told me frequently that DH and GiDi, and myself were broken. They said the only difference with me was that I was ¡®capable¡¯ enough to be ¡®useful.¡¯ They said over and over how DH and GiDi were useless, and Kei wanted them to be repurposed.¡± ¡°Look, They didn¡¯t like you three, and you didn¡¯t like them¡­¡± Avery said. ¡°Even if they liked us, I don¡¯t think that would have made a difference!¡± TO snapped. ¡°Kei seemed to like Q10. They seemed to like them enough to be around them, to work with them, and to tell them to stay away from DH. Yet when Q10 had that breakdown when we all thought that King Decon had been attacked, they didn¡¯t care. They didn¡¯t care that Q10 might be corrected¨Cwhich they were¨Cand they didn¡¯t care afterwards when Q10 was just gone!¡± TO scoffed, ¡°DH and I cared more about Q10 than Kei did, and Q10 caused us nothing but trouble!¡± ¡°¡­ And they almost got us separated.¡± DH whispered, their ears low. ¡°Right! And, they also called us horrible things when they caught us in the emergency vessel-¡° ¡°Wait¡­ what?¡± Flit frowned. ¡°What do you mean-¡° ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter.¡± TO said, their ears flushing as they realized what they implied. ¡°They said horrible things and nearly reported us. Then, when they saw us on a news recording, they reported us to Ark-1! Furthermore, they were ready to shoot GiDi-¡± ¡°They¡­ they only considered GiDi an insurgent then!¡± Avery said, ¡°And they¡¯ve only been violent and uncooperative since they got here. The only reason they allowed the procedure to happen was so they could be a better synth than me!¡± ¡°O-ok, but that was before Goretta restored their mind!¡± Avery said, ¡°They can¡¯t be held accountable-¡° ¡°Well, since Goretta restored their mind, they lunged at me with absolutely feral rage. They tricked us into taking them with us out into the outer ring where they waited for an opportunity to attack. They tried to take DH hostage and knocked you down with a pipe! We can only be glad it was PVC and not an old metal pipe otherwise you might be dead!¡± TO¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°And since we came back, all they¡¯ve done is say how awful we are, how I¡¯m such a waste of a synth, and attempt to attack me once they realized I-¡± Their ears dipped and flushed, ¡°Once they realized how bad my aversion to blood is, they immediately used that to affect me.¡± Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators! They fell silent for a few moments, breathing heavily as they caught their breath. All their words had come out in a flow and they only realized afterwards how little they had been breathing. ¡°So, no, I don¡¯t think we can trust them.¡± They said once they felt calmer, ¡°I think they¡¯ll do whatever they can to trick us, and hurt us. The moment Kei finds a weakness, they will absolutely exploit that.¡± ¡°They¡¯re still adjusting, still recovering!¡± Avery protested. ¡°They might get better-¡° ¡°We can¡¯t act on who they might become!¡± TO said, ¡°If they are who they are now when we take them on the ship, and an opportunity to kill us all arises, they will absolutely take that opportunity. And¡­ and you can¡¯t stand for them based on what you hope they¡¯ll be! They might get better, or they might continue to be the awful, hurtful, vicious person they¡¯ve always been. The only thing that the restoration of their mind seems to have done is make them more aggressive!¡± There was silence in the room for long moments after that, with only the breathing of everyone around them filling the uneasy quiet. After a while, Snout sighed. ¡°As a person, they¡¯ve not much experience.¡± Snout said in a low, soft voice. ¡°They have potential, but TO is right, we can¡¯t rely on that potential at the moment.¡± They looked up, ¡°but, as a subject¡­ as a resource, if we can keep them knocked out-¡° Avery¡¯s ears pinned down as they glared at TO, ignoring anything Snout was saying, ¡°You only know one side of them.¡± They said, ¡°The anger, the rage, and the loyalty. You didn¡¯t spend weeks with them on a ship, or surface side on a planet. You didn¡¯t sit by their bed while they were recovering from the procedure. You don¡¯t know them!¡± ¡°And you do?¡± TO said, ¡°You know them?¡± ¡°I think so.¡± Avery hissed, ¡°Better than you do.¡± The hiss to Avery¡¯s voice, and the way their ears pinned back startled TO, but even so they held their ground, and looked back at Avery with their own ears pinned and held their friend¡¯s glare. ¡°Very well.¡± TO said, their voice low and cool, ¡°Enlighten me. Give me one reason you thought they wouldn¡¯t try to kill us all at the first opportunity.¡± They scoffed, ¡°You can¡¯t, because at the first opportunity they had in the Outer Ring¡­ guess what? They attacked us!¡± ¡°Enough.¡± Flit¡¯s voice was loud and clear, and it made every other Chilacian in the room flinch. ¡°Look, What they''re like as a person does not matter at this moment.¡± They said. They wheeled over to Avery, closing the distance between them and looking at them directly. ¡°You want Kei to come with us, right?¡± He asked. ¡°Yes.¡± Avery said. ¡°Alright.¡± Flit said, ¡°But now, I want you to think about something. Close your eyes.¡± Avery frowned, but after a moment did as Flit told them. ¡°Alright.¡± Flit said ¡°I want you to picture myself, Snout, DH, GiDi, and TO.¡± They said. ¡°A-alright¡­¡± ¡°Now picture Goretta, Tham, Pearla, Mira¡­basically all the insurgents you¡¯ve met so far.¡± Avery nodded. ¡°Now¡­ I also want you to picture-¡° They paused, and looked to TO, ¡°How many civilians are coming with us?¡± They asked. TO did up the numbers in their head quickly ¡°65.¡± They said. ¡°And of those, how many children?¡± ¡°19.¡± Flit nodded, and turned back to Avery, ¡°19 children.¡± They said, ¡°Now¡­ if we bring Kei with us, and if they were given an opportunity to escape our observation and control, and if they decided to do something disastrous to the ship, every single person you¡¯ve just thought of will die.¡± They let their words hang in the air for a moment before continuing. ¡°Now, answer truthfully; Are all those lives a risk you¡¯re willing to take to have Kei on board with us? Can you trust Kei not to do anything to hurt a single person on that ship? If you had to decide yourself, knowing it¡¯s not just your life at risk but the lives of every single person you¡¯ve met as well as the lives of 46 civilian adults and 19 civilian children, what would you do? What would your decision be? Would you be willing to take the risk?¡± Avery was quiet for a long, long time. Slowly, their ears tilted back and dropped low, and when they opened their eyes, there were tears there once more. ¡°That¡¯s enough.¡± TO said, their own anger dissolving at the sight of Avery¡¯s reaction, ¡°Flit-¡° ¡°Would you risk it?¡± Flit asked again. ¡°¡­No.¡± Avery¡¯s voice was quiet and broken, their eyes rimmed with blue. Flit nodded and wheeled their chair back a little. ¡°That doesn¡¯t mean we can¡¯t take them, not necessarily.¡± Flit said, ¡°That means we have to see if there¡¯s a way we can do it and keep everyone safe.¡± ¡°¡­ So then, our options are to either leave Kei behind, or keep them unconscious for the entire flight.¡± Snout said. ¡°Seems like it.¡± Flit said. They turned to Goretta. ¡°Is that something we can do?¡± ¡°Well, of course we can. I had to do it every so often in my practice, but there are medical risks to be considered-¡± ¡°Not what I mean.¡± Flit said, ¡°Is it possible? Do we have the means?¡± They looked to TO, ¡°Do we have the space as well to keep them isolated in their own room?¡± ¡°The holding cell would work.¡± TO said. ¡°I considered we might need a place to hold a person if they got aggressive, so I didn¡¯t calculate that into overall space.¡± ¡°And the interrogation room is filled?¡± A light flush covered To¡¯s ears, ¡°I, ah, figured that it would be best to have a private room for civilians to¡­ have ¡®private time.¡¯¡± They said, ¡°I¡­ recognize that Chilacians aren¡¯t the only species to have¡­ cycles, and that if a couple on the ship when into such a state while we were in space and we had no private room-¡° ¡°That¡¯s fine.¡± Flit said, their own ears flushing slightly, ¡°We can use the interrogation room as a holding cell if something comes up.¡± ¡°That might be a decent deterrent.¡± Snout mused, ¡°If we make it known that the one privacy room on the ship would be repurposed if something came up, I¡¯m certain people would be far less willing to cause problems.¡± Flit cleared their throat, ¡°Right. Well. that¡¯s sorted. What about the other essentials?¡± They looked at Goretta, ¡°You¡¯d need medication, I take it?¡± ¡°Yes. I Can use the medication I used to keep them calm while their mind was healing in those first few days after their procedure.¡± She sighed and checked something on her tablet, ¡°I¡¯ll have to see what I have on hand, and made some calculations as to how much I¡¯ll need in order to keep them under for the trip.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll see what I have on hand too,¡± Snout said, ¡°And we can check to see what¡¯s already on the ship. I¡¯m not saying that all synth ships have a large supply of medical drugs, but there would be something there. As for intravenous nutrition, what we¡¯ve been using should work fine, but we need to see how much we have, and how much we¡¯ll need. If we don¡¯t have enough, we¡¯ll have to see if we have time to make what we need.¡± Flit nodded. ¡°The only other option would be to keep them bound at all times, and force feed them¡­ but even with that I have reservations. Their mind is repaired now, and we¡¯ve seen. How capable a synth with an unaltered mind can be.¡± They glanced at TO. ¡°We don¡¯t know what Kei is capable of at the moment, how clever, ruthless, or violent they might be.¡± TO sighed and nodded. What they really wanted to do was say that there was no point in this, to balance out the use of materials that would be needed to keep Kei under, how they could be better used, and make the argument that it was best to keep Kei on Arkane. There were two things that kept them from doing that. First; thinking about that reminded them of how medical supplies and food had been rationed out to everyone based on their performance and overall value, and knowing that they had been thinking like that for a moment made them somehow angry with themself. Second: while Avery¡¯s tears had stopped, they still looked heartbroken. Thoughts of Shatter-Sickness drifted through TO¡¯s head. TO closed their eyes and took a long breath. ¡°I¡¯ll do what I can to make sure they¡¯re on the ship.¡± They said, their voice low and quiet. ¡°... I¡¯ll make sure we have the needed resources.¡± Episode 350: Chance ¡°Avery!¡± Once the conversation was done, Avery excused themself and left the room before anyone could stop them. Despite DH¡¯s protests¨Cwhich were far milder than they had been when TO wanted to get up and get to work before eating¨CTO threw on some clothes and took off after Avery, catching up to them before they got too far. Avery stopped at the corner once they heard TO call out to them, but they didn¡¯t turn around. ¡°Avery¡­ I-¡± TO paused, not entirely sure what to say. Should they apologize? A part of them felt apologizing was the proper thing to do in this case, but they didn''t feel like they should! They were right, weren¡¯t they? Everyone else agreed with the idea that Kei was too dangerous to let loose on the ship. Even Avery agreed with them once Flit laid out the situation in such dramatic words. ¡°... Flit was too harsh.¡± they finally said. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°They were right though, weren''t they?¡± Avery said, still not turning around to face TO. Despite that, TO could see how low Avery¡¯s ears were. ¡°Right or not, Flit didn¡¯t have to be that harsh.¡± TO whispered. Avery shook their head and looked down. ¡°I want to be angry, you know.¡± They whispered. ¡°I was-¡± ¡°I know.¡± TO said. ¡°... but you were right, weren¡¯t you?¡± They said, ¡°You and Flit.¡± They shook their head again, ¡°No¡­ I don¡¯t need to ask that. I know you¡¯re right.¡± Their wings tightened around them as they hugged themself. ¡°If we brought Kei on the ship, and they escaped¡­¡± They rubbed the side of their head where a dark blue bruise was still healing from the other day when Kei swung that pipe at them. Despite their lack of medical training, TO knew what that strike could have done. In most species, synths included, the side of the head was a delicate place and their instructors had taught them to exploit that back in training. If the hit had been harder, if Avery hadn¡¯t moved when they did, if Kei had gotten their hands on something other than a PVC pipe¡­ ¡°Kei could have killed you.¡± TO said. ¡°I¡¯m not exaggerating, they really could have.¡± ¡°I know¡­¡± Avery¡¯s voice was too soft for TO¡¯s liking. ¡°And you deserve better than them.¡± TO said. ¡°It¡¯s really not their fault, you know.¡± Avery said, ¡°It could have been you in their position. You could have been the one with the altered brain, and they could have been the ¡®strange¡¯ synth. They could have been the one making friends and falling in love.¡± They shook their head. When we were on the ship I could tell they were scared, you know?¡± ¡°Scared?¡± TO frowned, unsure if Kei had ever been truly scared in their life. ¡°Kei didn¡¯t have anyone giving them orders. They were supposed to give me orders, but they couldn¡¯t and didn¡¯t know how to think for themself. They could only follow orders and didn¡¯t know why it was so hard. When they saw you take charge back at the portal, they looked just so ashamed of themself, and they didn¡¯t know why they were like that¡­¡± They sighed. ¡°I¡­ I just wanted to help them, but they wouldn¡¯t accept my help. I thought once they had the procedure done¡­¡± They hoped I¡¯d be like you.¡± Kei¡¯s words echoed in TO¡¯s head, ¡°And for that hope, they pressed me to submit to a procedure to mutilate my mind so it would be more like yours.¡± In this moment, it was hard to deny what Kei said. ¡°You¡­ you tried.¡± TO said, ¡°You did your best.¡± ¡°... I feel like they could get better.¡± they whispered, ¡°But¡­ we¡¯re leaving tomorrow.¡± They leaned against the wall, ¡°Maybe if I had spent more time with them when they were recovering. Or, maybe if I had tried harder before they had the procedure-¡± ¡°That wouldn¡¯t have done anything.¡± TO said, ¡°Right? I mean¡­ they couldn¡¯t feel anything before the procedure, and you spent as much time with them as you could afterwards. ¡°Not as much as I could.¡± Avery admitted as their ears dipped in guilt. ¡°Sometimes, I left to eat by myself, or went somewhere quiet to read.¡± TO heard the door open behind them and heard DH¡¯s soft footsteps approaching. Avery turned away, ¡°I should¡­¡± They stopped, and shook their head, ¡°I don¡¯t know what I should do. Should I get back to work with Lake, or should I go talk to Kei?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t talk to Kei.¡± TO said quickly. The last thing they wanted was for Kei to say just how they felt to Avery. ¡°They Might try to hurt you. And you remember what Flit said, right? We don¡¯t know how dangerous they could be.¡± Kei could be very dangerous to Avery right now, and TO knew that. The wrong words might hurt Avery worse than they could imagine. DH came up behind them, their ears dipped down slightly. ¡°Avery¡­¡± They said quietly, ¡°We¡¯ll do what we can to bring Kei with us.¡± They said. ¡°It won¡¯t be pleasant on the way, but once we get to Apoikia with the other Chilacians¡­¡± ¡°I Know¡­¡± Avery said. They closed their eyes and took a deep breath. ¡°You have to make sure that there¡¯s medication for Kei, and enough intravenous food to keep them alive¡­ And I can¡¯t help with any of that.¡± The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. TO put a hand on Avery¡¯s shoulder, turning them around, ¡°Look.¡± They said quietly, their ears dipping as they saw Avery¡¯s blue-rimmed eyes, ¡°You just¡­ if you make sure we have enough food for the trip, if you make sure all that prep is done, then I¡¯ll have more time to see that we have the medical supplies we need for Kei.¡± Avery shook their head, ¡°You don¡¯t even like Kei.¡± They said, ¡°And if you had to choose, you¡¯d leave them here.¡± TO sighed. There was really no point in lying about that. ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± They said ¡°I don¡¯t like Kei. They¡¯ve hurt too many people that I care about, and caused too many problems for me.¡± they paused, their hand tightening gently on Avery¡¯s shoulder. ¡°But, you¡¯re my Ankrya, right?¡± They gave a sad smile, ¡°Family. We can¡¯t just let them loose with us on the ship, that¡¯s dangerous, but I will make sure they¡¯re on that ship for you, Avery.¡± ¡°You would?¡± Avery and DH both asked that question at the same time, both with very different movements of their ears. ¡°Yes.¡± TO said, but then they looked at Avery seriously, ¡°Just¡­ do me a favor, and don¡¯t go to talk to them. Just leave them alone until we get to Apoikia, ok?¡± ¡°But they¡¯ll be all alone down there.¡± Avery said, their ears dipping once more. ¡°The only person checking on them is Goretta, and Mira brings them food-¡± ¡°Wait¡­ they¡¯re eating now?¡± TO asked. ¡°Well, yes.¡± Avery said, ¡°They¡¯ve been eating since the procedure.¡± They frowned, ¡°That¡¯s good, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°I think so.¡± TO said. Maybe Flit was right, maybe they had developed more of a survival instinct, some reason to live beyond service to King Decon. ¡°We can worry about that once we¡¯re safe.¡± TO shook their head, ¡°look, in less than a day, they¡¯re going to be put under and put on the ship. They can handle a day.¡± DH nodded, ¡°And when they¡¯re put under, it¡¯ll be just like¡­¡± they hesitated, their ears flicking down, ¡°well, like when we got knocked out¡­ It will be just like a flick of a switch, and all the time they¡¯re under will pass in a second.¡± Despite DH¡¯s words, Avery didn¡¯t seem too pleased with the reassurance. ¡°What I mean,¡± DH said, picking up on Avery¡¯s lack of enthusiasm, ¡°is that they won¡¯t feel the time pass, you know? They won¡¯t be lonely. ¡°Look, like I said,¡± TO said, taking a step towards Avery, ¡°For you, I¡¯ll do everything I can to get them on that ship. Once we¡¯re safe, once there¡¯s no threat to everyone else¡­¡± They took a deep breath, frowning as their ears pinned back just slightly. ¡°... If you want, I¡¯ll give them a chance.¡± Avery¡¯s ears perked up, and they were suddenly so relieved and so focused on TO that they didn¡¯t see the way DH¡¯s ears flicked forward in utter shock. ¡°You will?¡± they asked, ¡°You¡¯ll give them a chance?¡± TO sighed, and nodded, ¡°For you.¡± They said. Avery gave a relieved sigh, their ears relaxing. ¡°Thank you.¡± They said, ¡°I know they¡¯re hard to be around, but it¡¯s not their fault. And¡­ and I know we have to consider everyone else, but I really think they can change!¡± ¡°I hope you¡¯re right, Avery.¡± TO said. Avery nodded, ¡°Me too.¡± They said, ¡°But.. Well, I guess to have a chance for that, I should let you get to work, right?¡± they turned to leave, ¡°I¡¯ll go to the kitchens, and-¡± TO stopped them, holding their arm gently as they pulled their friend back and into a quick embrace. ¡°I¡¯m still sorry about Flit.¡± TO said, ¡°They were too harsh on you.¡± Avery hugged TO back, ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± They said, ¡°They¡¯re a Retiree for a reason, right? They survived a lot. I guess it¡¯s because they¡¯re like that, that they can just look at the bottom line of a situation.¡± They shook their head, ¡°If you¡¯re willing to give them a chance when this is all over, then it¡¯ll be worth it.¡± They squeezed TO once more, then let go and rushed down the hallway to get to the kitchens. TO and DH waited in silence until they couldn¡¯t hear Avery¡¯s footsteps anymore, at which point DH turned to TO, incredulous. ¡°You¡¯re going to give Kei a chance?¡± DH asked. ¡°... You think I shouldn¡¯t?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that, but you hate Kei-¡± ¡°For an excellent reason!¡± TO said, their ears flicking back, ¡°They hurt you, they hurt GiDi, they hurt Avery-¡± ¡°I¡¯m not saying it¡¯s not for a good reason!¡± DH protested, ¡°I¡¯m just saying I¡¯m surprised!¡± TO sighed, ¡°Well, I didn¡¯t say I¡¯d just outright accept them; I said I¡¯d give them a chance.¡± They shrugged, ¡°If they can change, if Avery is right, and they just need more time, then eventually the Kei we know won¡¯t exist, right? They¡¯ll be someone else. But¡­ if this is just who they are, then that should be apparent enough, and soon¡­ Avery will have to see that.¡± They shook their head. ¡°But¡­ At any rate, if we can keep things calm for Avery until we get to Apoikia, then at least there we should have someone who can treat the shatter sickness thing.¡± ¡°So you are planning to go there.¡± DH said. ¡°... Even if GiDi doesn¡¯t? Even if GiDi comes back here, or continue elsewhere?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll go wherever you are.¡± TO said with a light flush of their ears, ¡°but Apoikia is safe, and they¡¯ll have someone who can help Avery. Regardless of what I do afterwards¡­ I need to make sure that Avery is ok.¡± ¡°And¡­ speaking of being safe and getting off the planet¡­¡± DH said, ¡°I was hoping to bring Avery back. Flit and Snout want to talk to us.¡± They lowered their voice, ¡°About¡­ the stuff we were talking about before in their rooms.¡± They glanced down where Avery had gone, ¡°But I don¡¯t think Avery is up for that right now.¡± Confusion contorted TO¡¯s ears for a moment, but then they realized DH was talking about the plan to keep King Decon from destroying all life on the planet. ¡°Right.¡± TO said, ¡°And I¡¯m guessing we should meet them in their room, since we know it¡¯s safe there?¡± ¡°That¡¯s what they said.¡± DH said, ¡°Goretta already left, and I¡¯m going to catch up with her soon.¡± TO nodded, ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go talk to Flit and Snout.¡± They said, ¡°Let¡¯s see if they have a plan.¡± Episode 351: Resources ¡°I¡¯m glad DH caught you.¡± Flit said once TO and DH returned, though they frowned once they realized Avery wasn¡¯t with them. ¡°Avery didn¡¯t come back with you?¡± ¡°You were too harsh!¡± TO said, their ears pinning back, ¡°And you know that! You made them cry!¡± Flit sighed, ¡°Yes, I noticed.¡± They said, ¡°I also made them see how things are, didn¡¯t I?¡± They shook their head, ¡°I might be blunt, but that¡¯s the only way I¡¯ve been able to get so many resistant synths to safety in the past, and if it comes down to a choice between hurting Avery¡¯s feelings, and risking lives for the thin hope that someone might be better than they¡¯ve proven themself to be.¡± they shrugged, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, TO, but I will hurt their feelings to protect everyone, and that includes them!¡± They huffed, and looked away, ¡°Besides¡­different or not, some people just can¡¯t change no matter how hard you want them to.¡± Snout put their hand on Flit, squeezing their mate¡¯s shoulder for a moment despite the way their ears momentarily flicked back. ¡°I wish they stuck around though.¡± Snout said, ¡°But¡­ I suppose it¡¯s fine for now.¡± TO sighed and sat on the edge of the bed. They were still angry that Flit had upset Avery, but at least now Avery understood Kei was dangerous. ¡°It¡¯s the last day.¡± TO said, ¡°I¡¯m guessing we have no plans to keep Decon from destroying life on Arkane?¡± ¡°Outside of just hoping that he chooses not to, no.¡± Flit said, ¡°The best thing we could come up with while you were out last night was to find a reason for him to choose not to kill everyone on the planet. However, image is important to him more than anything else. To hide the inability of his troops to contain the threat, he absolutely would kill everyone here.¡± ¡°There¡¯s not even any resource on the planet itself that he can use.¡± DH said. ¡°He won¡¯t want to blow it up because of the nearby moons, but he also won¡¯t have any reason to keep the planet habitable.¡± They looked at Flit, ¡°See, I pay attention.¡± ¡°They weren¡¯t really paying attention last night.¡± Flit said in response to TO¡¯s confused expression. ¡°They were too worried about you.¡± They grinned at DH, ¡°But, I guess if you could remember something then maybe you weren¡¯t as inattentive as I thought you were.¡± Flushing, DH huffed and looked away. ¡°I can be worried About TO and pay attention at the same time you know.¡± ¡°At any rate.¡± Snout said, clearly amused by the antics, ¡°We have nothing that would convince King Decon to simply not destroy the planet.¡± ¡°And we can¡¯t defend ourselves, I¡¯m guessing?¡± Flit sighed, ¡°We¡­ had to talk to Vik about that.¡± They said, ¡°We asked what access we¡¯d have to the planet''s defensive capabilities.¡± ¡°And?¡± ¡°And honestly, even if we had access to the planet''s full capabilities it would only be a temporary solution. We¡¯d be under siege which would just lead to mass starvation after a while.¡± TO sighed, ¡°So¡­We have no solution?¡± ¡°Not that we can see.¡± Snout said. ¡°Well.¡± Flit¡¯s ears pinned back, ¡°I don¡¯t like thinking that there¡¯s no solution. There absolutely is a solution, I know there must be, but with our limited time, limited resources, and far too much to do, I don¡¯t think there¡¯s a solution we can find or implement in time. We can only hope that King Decon decides not to kill everyone.¡± ¡°Which he likely won¡¯t do because his image is too important.¡± Snout said, ¡°And I don¡¯t even mean that his image is too important to him. Arkane isn¡¯t a big planet with countless resources; it¡¯s relatively small and isolated so the fact that the insurgency has kept some influence here is a source of embarrassment.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not just a source of embarrassment, it¡¯s a threat.¡± Flit said, ¡°If it gets out that a small knot of resistance lasted this long here, it could inspire more resistance on other planets. It¡¯s not just ego, it¡¯s strategy.¡± TO leaned forward, resting their face in their hands as they remembered the woman from the Cottage Core Pub, the kids in the Outer Ring, and all the other people in the indebted center who they couldn¡¯t help escape. ¡°It was an ambitious goal.¡± Flit said as they saw TO¡¯s ears dip, ¡°And we¡¯re not in the best of situations to implement much of anything. We¡¯re helping who we can.¡± TO nodded, but didn¡¯t respond. Much like Flit they believed that there was an answer, a solution hidden away from them which they just hadn¡¯t seen yet. Things had been too chaotic, too emotional, too hard for TO to really throw themself into finding that solution. As much as they hated to admit it, the plan to stop Decon¡¯s potential attack was not a priority for them, not when they were out dealing with everything else that had been happening. ¡°So now what?¡± DH asked. ¡°Finish your tasks¡­¡± Flit said, ¡°Then pack up, and get some sleep. Tomorrow is going to be a very busy day.¡± ¡°Most of our stuff is on our ship.¡± DH said, Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings. ¡°Well, make sure of that.¡± Flit said. ¡°Leave nothing important behind. Flit¡¯s words did trigger something in TO, and a sudden panic overcame them. They jumped up and ran to the box of clothes in the corner. ¡°TO, what¡¯s wrong?¡± DH asked. ¡°I took this off back before I went into the Indebted center.¡± They said as they dug through the old clothes, ¡°I hid it here so it¡¯d be safe¡­ Oh thank the stars.¡± They said as their hand brushed against something hard. A moment later they lifted the necklace that DH had gotten during that disastrous date; the roughly shaped half heart which had been so carefully cleaned and filled before being placed on a chain. ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± Flit asked. DH smiled, their ears coloring slightly as they pulled their half out from under their shirt. ¡°Uh.. matching necklaces.¡± They said, ¡°Just something TO got for me. A gift.¡± TO frowned, ¡°You got us the necklaces.¡± They said, ¡°It was a gift you got me!¡± ¡°Yes, well, You got the crystal in the first place-¡± ¡°It wasn¡¯t even a crystal! It was an egg sac for a Void Anemone!¡± They shuddered, remembering the morning it hatched. Even just thinking about it made them feel those little feet all over them. ¡°Adorable.¡± Snout said. They nudged Flit¡¯s shoulder as their ears twitched in amusement. ¡°How come you never get me space-bug by-products as a gift?¡± Flit rolled their eyes, ¡°Never crossed my mind.¡± they grumbled, ¡°I¡¯ll bring you some cooled Edacaeli feces when I come across some next.¡± TO felt their ears warm at the teasing, but DH huffed, ¡°It was heart-shaped, and I loved it!¡± they said, ¡°And after it broke -¡± ¡°Hatched.¡± TO said, ¡°-I had the pieces turned into a necklace!¡± Flit was about to say something more¨Cclearly something they found amusing if TO were to judge by the way their ears twitched¨Cbut then their communicator went off. Flit gestured with their hand first, a reflex to activate their chip, then grumbled as they took out the small civilian communicator. ¡°It¡¯s Vik.¡± Flit said, ¡°I asked him to keep an eye out for anything that we might use to stop Decon.¡± DH¡¯s ears dipped down at the mention of the rodent-like creature. TO slipped their hand over DH¡¯s and gave it a quick squeeze. ¡°I¡¯m still amazed you trusted them enough to tell them.¡± TO said, ¡°Given everything.¡± ¡°Well we were running out of ideas, and had few resources.¡± Flit said. Besides that, they were almost insistent on finding something to do for us.¡± They scoffed, ¡°As though a favor would win back any trust after that stunt they pulled.¡± ¡°And although they don¡¯t talk to their family, they do in fact have family here.¡± Snout said, ¡°They do have an interest in protecting life on the planet.¡± Flit shook their head and turned on the communicator, ¡°You have something I can use?¡± they asked, offering no greeting or pleasantries. ¡°I might.¡± Vik said over the communicator, ¡°Or rather¡­ Pholi might.¡± ¡°Pholi?¡± Flit frowned, ¡°Why didn¡¯t he tell us yesterday then?¡± ¡°They went out yesterday.¡± Vik said, ¡°They¡¯re not a wanted criminal, and still have some resources. They called in some favors to get some supplies for us to bring, some medical stuff-¡± ¡°That¡¯s a relief.¡± DH muttered. ¡°-And.. They brought someone with them.¡± ¡°Someone else?¡± Flit¡¯s eyes narrowed, ¡°We¡¯re full up enough as it is-¡± ¡°Well, this person might have some information we can use.¡± Vik said, ¡°GiDi will make the final decision tomorrow, but we¡¯re trying to decide if we should bring him or not. We could use your input.¡± ¡°Well, if they¡¯re here and we don¡¯t need to worry about them selling us out then we should be able to bring them, especially if Pholi brought more food-¡± ¡°You¡¯ll want to come and talk to this one before you decide.¡± Vik said. ¡°Why?¡± Flit demanded. ¡°Because, it¡¯s Minister Noss.¡± ====== Last time TO had seen the sweaty security minister, it had been in Thalassa. They remembered how Minister Sally had been so disdainful to the short, rounded human, and they even felt a little sorry for him. When they came into the main room with the others, they felt even more sorry for the pathetic politician. Noss sat on a chair at the end of the table, with Tham on one side holding the multi-gun, and Goretta on the other. Even Mira and her friend had come up from the prisons to observe him. Nearby, Vik was still on their computer, typing frantically. ¡°The multi-gun is unnecessary.¡± Pholi said. , Minister of Language and Translations was currently making tea at the table in the corner, ¡°He¡¯s not armed, and he can¡¯t run too fast-¡± ¡°You don¡¯t know he¡¯s armed.¡± Tham said, ¡°That¡¯s just what he told you.¡± ¡°Oh, I-I¡¯m not armed.¡± Noss said. He had that stained handkerchief in their hand, and was continuously dabbing his sweaty head, ¡°I can¡¯t stand violence. I can¡¯t even stand the sight of blood since¡­¡± They shuddered, and continued to wipe his face. ¡°Well, I don¡¯t carry a weapon.¡± He looked over as TO, DH, Flit and Snout entered the room, and looked over them with a frown, ¡°W-who are they?¡± they asked. ¡°Oh, them?¡± Tham said, an innocent lilt to their voice as their tail flexed behind them, ¡°You¡¯ve met them before, Minister. These are the synths.¡± Episode 352: Clearance Noss¡¯ eyes suddenly went very wide; his face, pale. He stumbled to his feet, but Tham held the multi-gun closer, and Goretta put a heavy tentacle on his shoulder and pushed him back into his chair. ¡°You stay seated.¡± Tham said as his tail lashed against the stone floor. ¡°I mean it, I won¡¯t hesitate to shoot you.¡± ¡°Please, hesitate until I¡¯ve confirmed the codes he¡¯s given me.¡± Vik said from where he sat typing away at his computer. ¡°If this works, he might have more we can use later.¡± ¡°I-I told you the truth!¡± Noss said, leaning as far away from the group of Chilacians without leaving his chair. ¡°Those are the codes for the main defensive systems! Get me off this planet and I¡¯ll give you more codes!¡± TO frowned and looked over at Pholi. ¡°What¡¯s he talking about?¡± TO asked. ¡°Well, You¡¯ve met Minister Noss, right?¡± Pholi said, ¡°Of course you have, he was introducing you at that party at the government building.¡± He brought over a cup of tea and set it in front of Noss before taking his own cup back to his own seat. ¡°Noss wants to get off the planet. Apparently King Decon is irritated with the continued existence of the insurgency, and Noss seems to be in the crosshairs to take the punishment for this.¡± TO frowned. ¡°I thought killing the entire population of Arkane was his plan.¡± TO said, ¡°How is he going to punish Noss if everyone here is dead?¡± ¡°I very much doubt that Noss has been updated on King Decon¡¯s plans in that matter.¡± Pholi said. ¡°And even if everyone on Arkane dies, the insurgency is still well known throughout most of the galaxy.¡± Flit said, ¡°Arkane is still known for being the home of the insurgency, so to speak. If everyone here dies, then blaming the deceased minister of security would be a decent idea. Noss isn¡¯t appointed by King Decon, so it would be viewed as a civilian fault.¡± ¡°Wait. What do you mean, everyone dies?¡± Noss said, his voice getting higher in pitch. ¡°N-Nobody¡¯s going to die!¡± ¡°Oh, I didn¡¯t tell him anything important.¡± Pholi said, as if to explain Pholi¡¯s confusion, ¡°I¡¯m not dim. I also had him blindfolded as we came here.¡± He took a drink of his tea. ¡°Just in case you decided not to work with him. Of course, I didn¡¯t expect Tham to pull out the multi-gun right away.¡± ¡°How do you know that he¡¯s trustworthy?¡± TO said as they glanced over at Noss. It was hard for them to be angry at the small human. TO didn¡¯t like him particularly, but he seemed so ineffective at his job, so nervous all the time that TO almost felt sorry for him. Honestly, even if he was on the ship with them, TO didn¡¯t think he could mess anything up too badly; he seemed too incompetent to hurt them. It still didn¡¯t mean they were willing to take the chance. ¡°Trustworthy is a stretch.¡± Pholi said, ¡°But Noss, Much like me, isn¡¯t particularly concerned with¡­¡± He paused, contemplating his words, ¡°Following the letter of Arkane¡¯s legal codes, so to speak.¡± He finally said. ¡°Of course, He¡¯s not involved in the resistance.¡± He frowned, considering, ¡°not knowingly, anyway.¡± ¡°Care to explain?¡± TO said, eying Pholi. They wished they knew more about Pholi¡¯s species, more about how they communicated, and their body language. Even without the use of their helmets, they were getting used to reading the body language of the Nagarajin, and some Cephaloids like Goretta. Pholi¡¯s body language was still a mystery to TO. ¡°I-I¡¯ve worked with smugglers before!¡± Pholi said, ¡°Getting people off or on the planet, getting legally gray supplies, drugs, banned materials¡­ All of it!¡± He looked between TO and Tham as though trying to decide if the synth was better to plead to over the Nagarajin with a multi-gun pointed at them. In the end, they turned to TO. ¡°I have all the codes for the planet¡¯s security systems.¡± ¡°Can you evacuate the planet?¡± TO demanded. Even as they asked, they didn¡¯t know how effective a full planetary evacuation would be with a single day to organize it. Noss winced and tried to shrink in the chair. ¡°We don¡¯t have a full planetary evacuation system.¡± He said, ¡°There are private ones, of course-¡° ¡°Owned by the government, and the rich of Arkane.¡± Tham snapped, ¡°It¡¯s much like the evacuation system that was in place for the party in Thalassa, yes? It¡¯s enough for the ¡®important¡¯ people, and enough poor people to do your dirty work, right?¡± ¡°Some planets have full evacuation plans in place.¡± Goretta said, ¡°What, did you forget to do it?¡± ¡°That¡¯s probably not his fault.¡± TO said, ¡°Some planets have orders and funding provided to them to create a full population evacuation, but those are only planets that are considered at risk. It¡¯s expensive in terms of money, materials, and supplies, so the focus is on helping planets with the most need to get them. Arkane would not be under order to have an evacuation order. They could have put it together themselves as a precaution, but clearly that was left as a private endeavor.¡± Evacuating the planet was one idea that TO had for keeping King Decon from killing everyone. Flit, who was now suppressing a slight smirk, had informed TO why a planet like Arkane might not have one. TO had just recited their explanation nearly word for word. ¡°He¡¯s still useful.¡± Pholi said, ¡°That¡¯s why I brought him here.¡± He smiled across the table at Noss. ¡°See, Noss and I have done business together from time to time.¡± ¡°Shit.¡± Tham said, ¡°This is your source, isn¡¯t it? This is how you get shit smuggled in for us.¡± Noss looked like he might faint. ¡°Wait.¡± He said, ¡°You.. the stuff I smuggled in, you used it to help the insurgents!?¡± Pholi sighed at both of them, ignored their questions, and looked to TO, ¡°now and then, there¡¯s been something we needed here that we couldn¡¯t get; tech or medicine. Or sometimes there¡¯s a person we need to move, like when Snout first came here after we intercepted the ship they were on. When that needs to happen, I just give him the ID of the ship in question to Noss, and he¡¯d slip it into the system and let it enter with no interference from security.¡± ¡°And what did he get in return?¡± Tham hissed, now glaring at Pholi, ¡°Information? Names?¡± His eyes narrowed. Pholi kept his gaze steady as he looked at Tham, ¡°Money.¡± He said. ¡°Just money.¡± ¡°Oh, look.¡± DH said, their own ears pinning back, ¡°A civilian who is actually like they told us they are in training.¡± The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°Yes yes, I know. I heard it all already.¡± Tham snapped, ¡°All civilians are selfish, self-interested assholes.¡± ¡°I-I had debts!¡± Noss protested. ¡°The kind people take organs for!¡± TO¡¯s ears flicked out, twitching. ¡°Gambling debts.¡± Pholi said as they watched TO¡¯s ears and picked up on the obvious confusion. ¡°Illegal gambling debts. Gladiator battles, right?¡± ¡°Oh, you son of a bitch.¡± Tham said, holding the multi-gun up a little more. ¡°It¡¯s not like I arranged them!¡± Noss said. ¡°I didn¡¯t even know it was happening the first time I saw it, I just went to see an old friend, and they had some indebetted brought in on their estate for ¡®renovations¡¯ but then¡­¡± They shrugged, ¡°Well, next things I know, I¡¯m in an underground stadium, the indebted are fighting each other!¡± ¡°Fighting to the death, right?¡± Tham hissed. ¡°NO! No no, you don¡¯t fight to the death in this kind of thing!¡± He said, ¡°People would notice that! Besides, if you have outstanding fighters who put on an interesting show, then you don¡¯t want them to get hurt, right? The occasional injury or fatality might get overlooked, but-¡± ¡°Noss.¡± Pholi said, smiling gently at the round, sweaty minister, ¡°Shut up.¡± He looked at TO, ¡° while Noss isn¡¯t one of us, he doesn¡¯t have his hands clean, and he¡¯s more than willing to break the rules to save his own skin. He¡¯s pretty sure King Decon has him on the chopping block, and he¡¯d very much like to get off the planet before anything happens to him. I caught him trying to talk to another acquaintance of ours, trying to secure an escape from Arkane. Of course, with Gyrini around, even the more corrupt government officials are hesitant to break any laws.¡± He shrugged. ¡°Can¡¯t spend your money if you die, I guess.¡± Noss looked around, his eyes wide, ¡°Of course I want to save my skin.¡± He said, ¡°Nobody wants to die! It only makes sense to save your own life!¡± He suddenly paused, and gave a strangled, panicked laugh, ¡°Or.. do you not? If you¡¯re working with the insurgency, and with synths, I¡¯d think you¡¯re dumb or have a death wish, and I know you¡¯re not dumb!¡± He looked at TO again, ¡°Are they really synths, or are you just trying to scare me?¡± ¡°We were synths.¡± TO said. They turned to Pholi. ¡°And I don¡¯t trust him. Look how much he¡¯s sweating! He¡¯s obviously nervous.¡± They glanced back at Noss, glaring at him, ¡°I bet he wants to trip us up, to get us caught so he can avoid punishment.¡± ¡°I-I¡¯m always sweaty!¡± Noss said, ¡°I-I¡¯m part Chordling!¡± Thankfully, even without their helmet and without checking their chip, TO knew what a Chordling was. It was an amphibious species from the outskirts of this quadrant of the galaxy, short, rounded, hairless, and known for constantly secreting a substance to protect them from the colder water they lived in. Squinting, To realized that if they were to take a picture of Noss, and black out all the details except for the silhouette, then Noss would indeed have a rather Chordling appearance. Most everything else about Noss seemed human. ¡°Huh.¡± Vik said, never taking their eyes off their computer. ¡°I thought you were just short and round. You don¡¯t have Chordling eyes, Chordlings don¡¯t have hair.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a wig,¡± Pholi muttered. ¡°My great-great-great-grandfather was a Chordling.¡± He said as he dabbed his face with his soaked rag. ¡°But everyone after that was human, so we only have a few traits. My brother has Chordling eyes, and my sister can swim like a Chordling-¡° ¡°And you got stuck hairless and secreting all the time.¡± Vik said, ¡°Sucks to suck.¡± Something flashed up on his screen, and his ears and tail suddenly perked up. ¡°Oh, look, your codes actually worked.¡± ¡°I told you they would!¡± Noss said, ¡°I don¡¯t know why you had such an issue-¡± ¡°It was an issue because I had to make it seem like I was accessing the security systems from inside the government center.¡± Vik said, ¡°Otherwise, I¡¯m pretty sure there would be some problems if Gyrini saw someone accessing this shit from the Outer Ring.¡± Pholi sighed, ¡°As I said, I blindfolded Noss, so he has no idea where exactly we are. Or at least, he had no idea.¡± ¡°So, we have security codes.¡± TO said, trying to ignore the unimportant chatter. ¡°Does that mean we can end the lockdown?¡± ¡°Technically, yes.¡± Vik said, ¡°But Gyrini would see that right away, reinstate it, and even if they can¡¯t see where I¡¯m accessing the systems from, they will see whose ID I¡¯m using. They¡¯d lock down Noss¡¯ ID right away, and then we¡¯d just get locked out again.¡± They frowned. ¡°I might be able to make an exception list and hide it in the directories¡­¡± ¡°That won¡¯t work.¡± Pholi said, ¡°It takes at least fifty-six hours for the systems to upgrade. That¡¯s why I¡¯ve always told you I need a few days at least to arrange a shipment.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Vik said, looking around at the new system he had access to, ¡°Then when we take off, I¡¯ll send the order to end the lockdown-¡° ¡°And Gyrini will have that reversed in less than a minute.¡± Pholi said, ¡°She¡¯s always got her communicator on her, and she responds to everything almost immediately. Unless you can get out of airspace before she can enter her code, that won¡¯t work and the orbital defense system will just blow us up.¡± Vik sighed and stopped typing. ¡°Then what?¡± They said, ¡°You said Noss had useful shit for me! Are these codes supposed to be a show of good faith or something? I¡¯m not interested in helping this asshole if he can¡¯t do anything for us.¡± He glared at Noss. ¡°He¡¯s the one who found Jason and his family, and sent the synths after them.¡± ¡°It was a pharmacist, actually.¡± Noss said, ¡°Someone you lot were working with. Got caught for selling prescriptions and gave up a handful of insurgents so they wouldn¡¯t get sent to a mining colony.¡± ¡°We¡¯re aware of that.¡± Tham said, ¡°But I also know you¡¯re the one who made that deal with the pharmacist, you¡¯re the one who told the synths where Jason was, and you escorted Jason and his family to King Decon.¡± His tail lashed against the stones, his eyes narrowed to slits. ¡°And then we never heard from them again, but we can assume they¡¯re dead, right?¡± ¡°T-The official statement is that-¡± ¡°You killed Jason.¡± Tham hissed. TO saw his finger tense on the trigger, heard the crack to Tham¡¯s voice as they spoke. ¡°Did you get to see it? Did you get to do it? Or did you just the satisfaction of knowing that his death was your fault?¡± ¡°¡­And Helen.¡± TO said, remembering the face of the young human girl among the faces of insurgents dead and alive. ¡°She died too¡± As TO spoke her name, Noss seemed to flinch, recoil, and pale. They clutched their damp handkerchief, holding it to their mouth as they shuddered. ¡°Well, answer me.¡± Tham said, his voice low and cold, shaking with rage. ¡°Tell me why we should keep you around. Tell me why I shouldn¡¯t shoot you and be done with you.¡± ¡°T-The codes. You can use them to redirect the defensive systems.¡± Noss said. ¡°You can launch a security vessel on the other side of the planet, and set it as a threat level five. Then, you can change the threat level of whatever ship you¡¯ll be using, so it¡¯s at a threat level zero. Most of the defensive forces will focus on the empty ship, and we can just shut down the individual systems that come for us.¡± There was a moment of silence in the room as everyone looked at Noss. Finally, Pholi broke it. ¡°That¡¯s kind of inspired¡­ for you, I mean.¡± He said, ¡°You don¡¯t normally come up with clever ideas.¡± Noss gave a bitter chuckle. ¡°When my life is on the line, my brain works overtime.¡± ¡°Good for you.¡± Tham said, then pressed the multi-gun right to Noss¡¯ head. TO saw him shudder, saw his face go pale as the minister went still. An acrid smell hit TO¡¯s nose, and they realized the minister must have wet himself from fear. ¡°Can your brain work overtime and come up with a single reason I shouldn¡¯t kill you?¡± Tham said, ¡°We have your codes, we have your plan. What do you have that keeps me from shooting you?¡± ¡°Ph-Pholi told me¡­ said if I h-helped, you¡¯d spare me-¡° ¡°Pholi isn¡¯t in charge of me,¡± Tham said. ¡°Pholi has no say over what I do.¡± ¡°Tham¡­ we really could use him later.¡± Pholi said, ¡°Just¡­ Just put the multi-gun-¡± He paused and fell silent as Tham¡¯s long tail whipped behind him, striking an old crate and shattering it with a loud bang that echoed over the stone walls. The way Pholi and Tham stared at one another made TO think that the destruction of the crates wasn¡¯t an accident, wasn¡¯t a side effect of the way a Nagarajin shows anger in their body language. That crate got shattered as a threat. Pholi sat down, hands folded on the table before him as he watched Tham and Pholi. ¡°Now, tell me why I should let you live,¡± Tham said again. ¡°W-What do you want?¡± Noss said. ¡°I¡¯ll give it to you. I¡¯ll do anything you tell me. Anything that I can. I¡¯ll tell you anything I know.¡± Tham¡¯s finger twitched on the trigger again, but he paused. ¡°Anything?¡± ¡°If you swear to spare me.¡± Noss said. ¡°And you¡¯ll tell the truth?¡± Tham said. ¡°Absolutely!¡± ¡°How do we know you¡¯ll tell the truth?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll know.¡± Pholi said quietly, ¡°I¡¯ve known him for a long time. I know when he lies. I¡¯m kind of an expert at body language as well as spoken and written languages. That¡¯s half the reason I got him to work with me in the first place.¡± The silence lingered for several more long minutes. TO couldn¡¯t take their eyes off that multi-gun. It was shaking, and TO realized that Tham must have been holding the gun up for quite a while. Their eyes trailed up their shaking arm, over their shoulder muscles which were twitching, and along the tensed tendons in their neck. Tham¡¯s face twisted with rage and anger, with such absolute hate that TO knew Tham wouldn¡¯t regret killing Noss. They remembered the execution in Thalassa, how the criminals had just died. The lack of blood had been fortunate, but even so TO didn¡¯t want to see anyone else die. They held their breath, listening. For the sound of the multi-gun charging, listening for the shot. When he finally spoke, Tham¡¯s shaking, whispering voice felt so much louder than anything else as he made his request, as he demanded of Noss the one thing that could apparently appease Tham enough to make him spare Noss¡¯ life. ¡°Tell me what really happened to Jason.¡± Episode 353: Execution ¡°I want to say for the record that I didn¡¯t think King Decon would kill anyone.¡± Noss said, dabbing his face with his handkerchief. ¡°Bullshit!¡± three voices spoke at once there, Mira, Vik, and Tham. As expected, Vik spoke without turning from his computer, but Mira give a sheepish shrug, and nodded at Tham. ¡°That¡¯s absolute fucking bullshit.¡± Tham hissed, pressing the multi-gun to Noss¡¯ head. TO wondered what mode it was on. A lethal mode would be quick and clean. If he set it to stun him, then at such a close range Tham could cause some brain damage. If he set it to the seldom used battering setting¡­ TO shuddered, and hoped it wasn¡¯t. At least with a lethal shot, it would take a moment to wind up, and TO could do something. ¡°You knew he would kill Jason.¡± Tham said. ¡°Well, yes, obviously.¡± Noss said, ¡°What I meant was that I didn¡¯t think he¡¯d kill the wife and kid too.¡± ¡°Wait.¡± TO said as their ears flicked down, ¡°didn¡¯t think ¡®he¡¯d¡¯ kill the others? Are you saying that King Decon killed them Himself?¡± Noss shuddered and shook his head, ¡°No.. no no, he didn¡¯t. It was a synth who did it. Well... two synths.¡± He dabbed at his face again. ¡°King Decon wanted to be told as soon as we caught the leaders of the insurgency, and when we sent word, he had us summoned to his ship.¡± Despite everything, TO couldn¡¯t help but feel a pang of want, of envy for this small creature who got to see King Decon in person. The feeling was immediately replaced with disgust for themself, but somehow that desire to see King Decon, to actually be in His presence overwhelmed TO more practical knowledge of all the other horrible things He had done.¡± ¡°What synth did it?¡± Tham said, one hand clenching into a fist, the other tightening on the gun in his hands. ¡°Tham.¡± Flit said, their voice calm for the moment, ¡°Please put down the multi-gun.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not letting this asshole have any opportunity to escape!¡± Tham snapped. ¡°I won''t escape. I won¡¯t run. You can tie me up if you want.¡± Noss whispered, eying the gun, ¡°Please¡­ please put the weapon down.¡± ¡°I''m asking you to put the multi-fun down not for his sake, but for yours and mine.¡± Flit said, ¡°Your arm is shaking, your eyes are twitching, and your tail is slamming against the floor. You could easily fire that multi-gun accidentally.¡± ¡°Would that be a problem?¡± Tham snapped. ¡°It would be if you shot someone accidentally.¡± ¡°I know I¡¯m not as well trained as the lot of you, but I¡¯m not that-¡± ¡°You¡¯ve had your arm up for a while. You¡¯re getting tired. It¡¯d be easy enough for you to slip or misfire. Just put the gun down, we won¡¯t let Noss get away.¡± Flit turned to TO, and simply nodded their head. TO immediately moved to stand behind Noss, watching him for any odd movements, ready to stop him if he tried anything. Tham looked from Flit to TO, then to Noss. He sighed, and while he didn¡¯t put the weapon away, he dropped his arm so it wasn¡¯t pointing directly at Noss¡¯ head. ¡°... And I don¡¯t know what synths they were.¡± Noss said, ¡°I went into the throne room, The two synths that were positioned here on Arkane originally let the prisoners-¡± ¡°Justin. Mel. Helen. They had names.¡± Mira said. ¡°Mel enjoyed building miniature spaceships, Jason was a writer-¡± ¡°A poet.¡± Tham said, ¡°Jason was a poet.¡± ¡°And Helen was just a kid, she was-¡± ¡°She was marked as highly intelligent for her age.¡± Noss said, his voice dull and monotone, his eyes fixed on the table before him as the sweat dripped down his face. ¡°Her teachers recommended her at an early age for academic advancement, but her parents refused that. She was otherwise a normal child who seemed to enjoy school, and who had a healthy circle of friends. In the few months before she withdrew from classes, she became more secretive, and more withdrawn. Teachers were worried that she was depressed, and checked in with her parents to make sure that things were ok at home. After a few months of this, she stopped attending classes.¡± Noss¡¯ hands gripped the table before him, ¡°I know they¡¯re more than just names.¡± Flit eventually cleared their voice, breaking the awkward silence that followed. ¡°You said they brought you to the throne room?¡± They asked. ¡°Well, it looked like a throne room to me.¡± Noss said. ¡°King Decon was sitting in a chair. It was a circular room, with windows everywhere and no other furniture.¡± ¡°That¡¯s odd.¡± Flit said, ¡°For Decon to bring them directly to him.¡± ¡°Odder still for him to kill them without publicizing it.¡± Snout muttered. ¡°Not recently. Public civilian opinion turned against execution, and publically killing them would have generated sympathy and outrage; especially since it was a family with a kid.¡± Flit looked back to Noss, ¡°How many synths were there?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. A lot. Over twenty. They were all wearing that armor you all wear, but it was different-¡± ¡°The armor gold colored stripes on the helmets?¡± Flit asked. Noss nodded. ¡°Then they were his vanguard. Highly trained synths who are supposed to guard and serve King Decon directly for life.¡± ¡°It¡¯s supposed to be a high honor.¡± Snout added, ¡°A higher honor than being a General or a Retiree.¡± Noss shrugged, ¡°I¡­ I have no ideas about your internal hierarchy.¡± Noss said, ¡°You¡¯re all just synths to me, and we do what the synths tell us.¡± Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere. ¡°And we were synths.¡± Flit said, ¡°We¡¯re not anymore, so please don¡¯t lump us in with them. ¡°A-apologies.¡± Noss said, dipping his head. ¡°Anyway, King Decon sentenced them all, then told one synth¡­ I think the one closest to him, to execute them.¡± ¡°And who was that synth?¡± Tham hissed. ¡°The higher ranked the synths are, the closer they stand to King Decon himself. If there was one standing right next to him, then it would be one of his ¡®hands.¡¯¡± Flit said. ¡°They never leave His side, and do whatever he needs them to do.¡± ¡°Good to know.¡± Tham said, their tail lashing against the floor again. TO was almost certain they saw some stone shatter. ¡°Because I¡¯m going to murder his hands!¡± ¡°One is already dead.¡± Noss said. He paused, his hand clutching at the handkerchief. ¡°I¡¯d rather not talk about this anymore.¡± He said. ¡°Too fucking bad.¡± Tham snapped, ¡°Which one died?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. I can¡¯t tell them apart., They had the same armor-¡± ¡°Which one killed Jason!?¡± Tham shouted. His voice was so sharp and had such a growl of rage in it that even startled TO. Noss cowered in his seat, ¡°T-The one who died!¡± He said, ¡°King Decon ordered their deaths, then the first synth came out and just¡­¡± Noss started shaking, his hands pressing against his pale, grayish cheeks. ¡°How.¡± Tham spoke with a shaking, thin voice. ¡°It.. it was like some kind of long needle.¡± Noss said. ¡°They just put that in the back of his neck, and-¡± He stopped, and suddenly began retching. Goretta grabbed an old empty trash bucket for him to vomit in while TO and Mira stood around him to make sure he didn¡¯t get away in the sudden commotion. TO thought that Tham would be more attentive, would accuse Noss of faking the sudden nausea, but he wasn¡¯t even looking at Noss; Tham was looking at Flit. ¡°A needle?¡± He asked, as though he hadn¡¯t heard. Flit sighed and slowly nodded their head, ¡°Yes.¡± They said, ¡°A needle. Well, it¡¯s more like a surgical rapier I suppose. It¡¯s a specialized weapon used for execution. Use it just right, and hit in just the right place for it to work as it should. It¡¯s highly ineffective for combat, so only those Synths allowed to perform executions under King Decons orders are trained for it: Generals, higher level military officers, and the Vanguard.¡± ¡°We had something similar.¡± Snout said, their ears dropping and their face growing pale. ¡°If we had to repurpose mostly developed synths.¡± Mira frowned, ¡°That seems a bit too fancy for King Decon.¡± She says, ¡°He¡¯s all about efficiency, isn¡¯t he?¡± ¡°It¡¯s actually perfect for King Decon.¡± Flit said, ¡°For an execution, it¡¯s a single stab to the base of the brain which shuts down everything. It¡¯s low effort, takes few resources, and the needles are easy to make and maintain. They say it¡¯s painless, that the needle is so sharp that the person hardly feels it.¡± Noss shook his head, ¡°It didn¡¯t look painless.¡± He said, spitting up the last of the vomit, ¡°He just started twitching and fell to the floor. He didn¡¯t even have a chance to scream.¡± TO hadn¡¯t noticed how quiet and still Tham had grown until he made a sudden odd sound, and suddenly turned and left the room. Mira called after him, but after looking between Tham and Noss for a moment. As Tham disappeared out the door, she simply cursed and stayed where she was. ¡°I¡¯ll find him later.¡± She muttered as she turned back to Noss. ¡°Do I have to go over the rest?¡± Noss asked as they looked at Flit. Their eyes were red, their skin damp and gray. ¡°No, not entirely.¡± Flit said after a moment of consideration. ¡°But.. you said one vanguard died, one of his hands. How would you know that? They¡¯re replaced as soon as their position is vacant.¡± Noss shuddered, ¡°I saw it happen.¡± He said. ¡°The hand you¡¯re talking about, well, they killed Jason, then Mel, then they went for Helen¡­ but they stopped.¡± Flit frowned, ¡°What, you mean King Decon ordered them to stop?¡± Noss shook his head, ¡°No, they just stopped. They were about to do it, they stopped, and just asked King Decon if it was necessary.¡± Flit and Snout both flinched at that, and while it didn¡¯t have quite the same effect on TO and DH, they knew that asking King Decon if one of His orders was ¡®necessary¡¯ was not something any synth should do. That a synth in the Vanguard, apparently one of King Decon¡¯s most trusted servants, had questioned King Decon was enough of a shock. ¡°And I suppose he then killed the hand.¡± Noss nodded. ¡°Immediately.¡± He said, ¡°I didn¡¯t even see King Decon move! Just¡­ the synth stopped what they were doing, asked a question, then they just jolted, and King Decon ripped off the back of their helmet and-¡± they stopped, clutching the bucket again as though they might vomit once more. ¡°... King Decon killed them?¡± Flit asked. Noss only nodded. ¡°Did you know them?¡± TO asked as they looked at Flit. Their ears were a little lower than normal, but they seemed more thoughtful than anything else, more pensive than upset. ¡°No.¡± They said, ¡°But¡­ it¡¯s odd that a synth would advance to the Vanguard, that He would appoint them as one of King Decon¡¯s hands, and still question Him.¡± ¡°Is that good information?¡± Noss asked, ¡°Can I go?¡± ¡°You can¡¯t go.¡± Mira said with a frown, ¡°We have to keep you here-¡± ¡°I mean, can I leave this seat? Are you done questioning me? Am I going to be killed?¡± ¡°... I think we can at least agree that Noss stay in one of the secure rooms for now?¡± Pholi asked, ¡°I know we shouldn¡¯t have people isolated like that, but it¡¯ll be less than a day-¡± ¡°I don¡¯t mind being isolated!¡± Noss said, ¡°Give me something to watch, and you¡¯ll forget I¡¯m there! There¡¯s a new reality series from Quadrant 3 about a woman looking for a parent for her 200 eggs, and-¡± ¡°I¡¯ll figure out something for you to watch.¡± Pholi said, then glancing at TO, he added, ¡°If.. If that¡¯s alright?¡± TO remembered the week they spent in isolation with DH all too well, and they knew how much worse it would have been if they didn¡¯t have their mate with them. ¡°Yes.¡± To said, looking towards the door that Tham had run out of, ¡°Just so long as he can¡¯t send messages on it.¡± They frowned, a small battle fighting in their head before they sighed, ¡°Do you need me to escort him with you?¡± They asked Mira. ¡°It¡¯d be preferred.¡± Mira said. ¡°Why, you busy?¡± TO shook their head, ¡°it¡¯s nothing.¡± They said. TO knew they had to deal with Noss first. Sure, he looked small and weak, but this close to getting off the planet, they didn¡¯t want to risk any kind of carelessness. They¡¯d check on Tham when they were done. Episode 354: Obligation Once they locked Noss in one of the holding rooms, TO sent off a quick message to Vik asking for the location of Tham¡¯s room and confirmation that he was there. Because Vik was there when Noss was talking about the execution he was more than happy to give TO the information they needed, asking only that TO go easy on Tham. TO didn¡¯t know what Vik thought their reason for seeking Tham was, but they had no intention of getting angry with them right now. DH did not understand why TO was going to see Tham. ¡°Tham and Vik set up the failsafe!¡± DH said as they walked alongside TO, following them down some hallways they had never ventured down before, but which were clearly well used if the patchwork series of repairs on fallen stone was any sign. Different colors of cement and rubber sealant decorated the wall in uneven shapes. ¡°If he¡¯s upset I don¡¯t see why we should be concerned about that, or why we should ¡®check on him¡¯¡± ¡°I¡¯m not doing it for Tham.¡± TO said as they checked their map at an odd intersection in the tunnels and took what they hoped was the right hall, ¡°I¡¯m doing it for Pearla¡± ¡°If Tham was involved, what makes you think she wasn¡¯t?¡± DH¡¯s ears suddenly dipped down, ¡°Do you think we should tell GiDi?¡± ¡°We can talk to GiDi when they¡¯re done with their¡­ situation.¡± TO said, ¡°But Pearla didn¡¯t know.¡± ¡°And how do you know that?¡± TO realized that given the events of yesterday, they hadn¡¯t gotten an opportunity to tell DH what happened between Pearla and Tham. They quickly went over the entire event, skipping anything that would implicate GiDi in the application of the failsafe. Of course they felt absolutely terrible as they did, since they knew DH would find out eventually and might be angry at them. Still, this wasn¡¯t the time or place to tell DH, and things would be much better if TO could get GiDi to admit what they did. ¡°She really just lectured Tham right there?¡± DH asked as their ears perked up, ¡°I wish I had seen that!¡± ¡°Well, not ¡®right there¡¯¡± TO said, ¡°It wasn¡¯t like she was in the center of the cave; they were down a separate tunnel, and I¡¯m fairly certain that nobody else could hear them.¡± ¡°Shame.¡± DH said, their ears pinning back. ¡°Anyway, Pearla said that since we¡¯re GiDi¡¯s family, we¡¯re her family too, and family watches out for one another. So, that¡¯s why she got so angry at Tham.¡± TO sighed as they got closer to the door. ¡°And if I want to accept that from her, then I do in fact have to accept that Tham, as her brother, is also our family.¡± ¡°I thought blood relations aren''t such a big deal for Chilacians.¡± DH said. ¡°That family groups were not dependent on that.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right, they¡¯re not.¡± TO said, ¡°But Tham being her blood brother is important to Pearla. So, if Pearla¡¯s brother is upset, then I¡¯m going to do what I can to help.¡± They sighed, ¡°Or at the very least I¡¯m going to check on them and ask if they need anything.¡± DH huffed, ¡°As much as I hate to say it, you make a good point.¡± DH said, ¡°But I¡¯m not ready to consider him family! Still¡­ if it comes to it, I would help him for Pearla, since she helped you yesterday.¡± They looked aside, ¡°And since you¡¯re certain she didn¡¯t know about that failsafe, I suppose that¡¯s ok." TO gave a sigh of relief, ¡°Then you¡¯ll come with me to talk to him?¡± They asked. Before DH could answer, their communicator went off. As they pulled the small civilian communicator from their pocket and skimmed the message, their eyes went wide and their ears flicked down, but stayed close to their head.¡± If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. ¡°DH, what is it?¡± TO asked, the sudden expression of fear and worry on their mate¡¯s face made them anxious. ¡°Emergency in the dorms.¡± They said as they put their communicator back in their pocket, ¡°Goretta says she needs me there now.¡± TO stopped in their tracks, ¡°Emergency? What kind? What do you need? How do I help?¡± DH shook their head and quickly kissed TO, ¡°There might be blood.¡± They said, ¡°She didn¡¯t say what was happening. I¡¯ll let you know later.¡± They looked down the hallways towards Tham¡¯s quarters, and shrugged, ¡°I admit¡­ I¡¯m not disappointed at being called away.¡± TO kissed DH, ¡°I know.¡± They said, ¡°It¡¯s fine. Maybe it¡¯s better if only one of us goes. Maybe Tham doesn¡¯t want to be around too many people. He seemed really upset.¡± TO said. It was a valid point, but it wasn¡¯t the only reason they were alright with going to see Tham alone. If Tham was upset, there was every chance that he¡¯d not be as careful with his words as he could be, and might let slip to DH that GiDi knew about everything. That was an issue that TO wasn¡¯t ready for. ====== Tham didn¡¯t answer when TO knocked on the door. They might have thought that Tham wasn¡¯t there were it not for the fact that their sensitive ears could hear the quiet shuffling from within. ¡°Tham?¡± TO knocked on the door again, listening carefully with their ear pressed to the door. Certain that the sound they heard was Tham¡¯s breathing and his tail dragging across the stone floor and not something else, they knocked once more. ¡°Tham, At least tell me you¡¯re ok in there.¡± Silence. TO sighed and took out their communicator. They¡¯d check with Vik to see if Tham was still in his room. If he was, then Tham was clearly ignoring TO and there was nothing they could do about it. If he wasn¡¯t, then TO had to find them. They were just about to leave when they heard movement on the other side of the closed door, and a moment later it opened just a crack. It wasn¡¯t enough for TO to see inside, but they could see the room was darker than a Nagarajin would normally have it. From the light that spilled into the dark from the hall, they could see the faint flash of red iridescence from Tham¡¯s scales. ¡°What.¡± Tham growled. A part of TO wished they had left sooner. They were just trying to do something good, and Tham was growling at them. Of course, they were doing it for Pearla and not Tham, but did that really matter? ¡°I just came to check on you.¡± TO said ¡°You seemed¡­ upset.¡± Saying that Tham had ¡®seemed upset¡¯ was downplaying it, but maybe that was the best thing for the moment. Tham huffed, ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± He said, ¡°I¡¯ll be ready to work in a minute. I have to oversee transportation of food and stuff to your ship.¡± Right. Work. Tham was going to pack up the ship, so TO would have to make sure that the ship was unlocked for them and that they could get in. ¡°I¡¯ll make sure the ship is prepared for you.¡± They said. ¡°Do you have plans for where everything should go?¡± TO wasn¡¯t used to forgetting things, and the horror that they had forgotten something so important shocked them. Of course, the only reason they had forgotten something was because DH had given them drugs the night before to help them sleep, so that least that helped mitigate the horror. ¡°I have to take care of that now. And I¡¯ll have it in less than an hour.¡± TO said, turning away and heading down the hall without waiting for a response from Tham, though they heard the door close. Well, no matter, they needed to find a quiet place to work so they could figure this out. Maybe they¡¯d head back to their room, or maybe they''d go to that little alcove near the dorms so they¡¯d be close if anyone needed anything. They activated their chip and brought out the details of how much stuff they had to fit into the ship, and started thinking through the best ways to arrange everything inside. They nearly overlooked the sudden thud coming from Tham¡¯s room, and the sharp, pained cursing. Stopping in their tracks, they turned around and watched the now closed door for a moment. ¡°Tham?¡± TO called, but there was no answer. Panic filled them as they rushed to the door and flung it open to make sure Tham was alright. He wasn¡¯t. TO wasn¡¯t sure how a Nagarajin, who had no feet and really never seemed to have their full tail off the ground, could trip over something. However, it seemed like that¡¯s what just happened here. In the darkness it seemed like Tham must have somehow lost their balance and fell to the ground. Even in the dim light, TO''s keen eyes let them see how Tham was shaking against the stone. TO ran up to Tham to help them up, ¡°What happened?¡± TO asked. ¡°Did you trip over something?¡± They knelt down and gently pulled Tham from the floor. ¡°Are you hurt, or-¡± They stopped as they looked over Tham. He didn¡¯t seem physically hurt, which was good, but their face was blotchy in the cheeks, and their eyes were redder than they were supposed to be, with heavy bags under their eyes. Had Tham been crying? As soon as Tham noticed TO looked at them, they turned away, ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± he said, though TO couldn¡¯t ignore how strange his voice sounded, and how it cracked on certain syllables. ¡°I¡¯ll.. I¡¯ll be fine. I¡¯ll be fine to work, I just need-¡° his voice cracked, and his shoulders shook. ¡°Tham¡­¡± TO reached out, hesitating before they put a hand on their shoulder. ¡°Just go away.¡± They said, ¡°I¡¯ll be fine.¡± TO nearly did as Tham said. They nearly left Tham to recover themself and get on with their day. As they turned to leave, they thought of Pearla insisting that she help TO though the hardest parts of yesterday, and how she said she was going to talk to GiDi after digging into Tham about the failsafe. They thought about how insistent Pearla had been in helping them, and how grateful they were for that help. They also couldn¡¯t shake the memory of how worried they had been over Pearla, how they asked if they had someone to help her. TO and DH, and Pearla had GiDi. Who did Tham have? Who else was going to come here and help him? They realized that if anyone else was going to do that, they¡¯d be here already. ¡°¡­No.¡± They said, ¡°I¡¯m not leaving.¡± Episode 355: Loss They watched Tham eat the odd snack that TO themself had fetched from Lake. The dish seemed to be a simple bowl of noodles at first, but if TO looked closely they thought they could see the ¡®noodles¡¯ moving. They could have been wrong, but TO didn¡¯t want to know badly enough to ask and they weren¡¯t sure they¡¯d want a solid answer. They were more than happy to pretend the dish was just noodles and not look too close. ¡°Will eating that really make you feel better?¡± TO asked. When they inquired earlier as to if anything would make Tham feel any better, he had only asked TO to pick something up from the kitchens. Tham only grunted in response to TO¡¯s question as his mouth was full. After a few more moments he swallowed, ¡°Yeah.¡± He said. ¡°Comfort food.¡± ¡°Comfort food?¡± TO frowned, ¡°It¡¯s food that makes you comfortable?¡± They glanced over just enough to see Tham nod. ¡°I¡¯d be interested to know how it does that. Is it a chemical in the food or-¡± Tham gave a snort of laughter, then started coughing as they had only just shoved more of the noodles into their mouth. Waving TO away as they got up to help, they gave a few purposeful coughs before drinking some water and clearing their throat. ¡°You¡¯ve never heard of comfort food before?¡± They asked. TO felt their ears warm, ¡°It¡¯s likely that I have, but I might have heard of it by another name. Any media I¡¯ve watched that would have mentioned it before was translated for me, and if I heard it in another context or culture, then my helmet would have translated it to something I¡¯d recognize. ¡°Right. Language fuckery.¡± He muttered, ¡°Comfort food is just what you call food you eat when you¡¯re upset to cheer yourself up.¡± He shrugged, ¡°And here for a second I thought you synths didn¡¯t have comfort food.¡± ¡°Well¡­ We don¡¯t.¡± TO said, ¡°Not really. In training, there¡¯s only one kind of food. It¡¯s tasteless, but has all the nutrients we would need. Though, I prefer civilian food.¡± Tham grunted and looked down into his bowl, ¡°Right. Yeah. GiDi told me about the gray cubes of sadness. I guess they wouldn¡¯t be comforting.¡± An uncomfortable silence fell over them, and for several minutes TO wondered if they should say something. Their mind raced as they tried to figure out what they should say, what might help, or what might make things worse.They were still angry with Tham to a point, but it was hard to really feed that anger right now: his pale skin and blotchy face made it impossible for TO to want to do anything other than help. ¡°I¡¯m fine¡­¡± Tham said after another minute, ¡°You should go on and get your work done.¡± ¡°I can spare a few more minutes.¡± TO said as their ears twitched with their lie. Still, they felt no guilt with this lie, and idly wondered if their ears moved slightly differently because of that. ¡°You and Jason were close?¡± They finally asked. Tham stopped eating, lowering their fork slowly back into the bowl. ¡°You could say that.¡± he said slowly, ¡°Yeah, we were close. Very close.¡± ¡°More like family?¡± TO ventured, their ears dropping. It hurt bad enough for TO when GiDi was taken away and their fate was ambiguous. How would confirmation of GiDi¡¯s death have hurt them if GiDi had died while trying to escape the training center? Would knowing be worse than not knowing? Would it hurt just as bad if they learned for certain that GiDi had died even after they assumed the worst for months or even years? How long had it been since Jason was taken? ¡°... yeah, like family.¡± Tham said. ¡°He used to work in civilian assistance groups. You know, visiting other planets and helping the civilians who got displaced, right? That¡¯s where we met. We worked together a lot and got along well.¡± He looked up, ¡°I knew him before he met Mel, back when he had nobody behind him.¡± ¡°You were part of an assistance group?¡± TO asked. Civilians of planets integrated into the galactic empire did not need to be exposed to interplanetary warfare, but if they wanted to, a civilian could join a civilian assistance group and go to planets with active combat or natural disasters to help as civilian support. It was akin to joining a military back when most planets were independent, and left to defend themself and conquer as they wished. Joining the civilian assistance groups was also the only time most civilians would see a synth army in person, and get to work with them in any capacity. Given what they knew so far. TO could see Jason doing that, but they couldn¡¯t see Tham joining. ¡°Briefly.¡± Tham said, ¡°And I didn¡¯t go to a combat planet, I mostly worked in places with natural disasters.¡± ¡°I¡¯m more surprised that you joined at all.¡± TO said as they leaned forward to listen. ¡°I mean,they often support the synth army¡­¡± ¡°I got arrested when I was younger for theft, and back then there was a big call for people to help on a planet suffering a climate disaster. They let non-violent criminals ¡®volunteer¡¯ for a reduced sentence. So, I joined, and met Jason there. We got close fast, and I stayed on with the assistance group. Jason led a unit, and he could request me specifically.¡± he smirked, ¡°Of course, he wasn¡¯t just helping, you know?¡± He smiled as he stared into his bowl, ¡°Jason was getting people off the planet if they didn''t want to be there, or if they were in a bad spot and needed to go to another planet and be another person. That¡¯s how all this started, you know.¡± he shook his head, ¡°Just.. getting people away from places they didn¡¯t want to be and helping people get what they needed. After a while, he just realized he couldn¡¯t do that legally.¡± Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator. ¡°And that¡¯s how he formed the insurgency¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s how he grew a group of people who realized that the people in charge were exploiting us all.¡± Tham said, ¡°He never considered it an insurgency. It shocked him when the GBA called us an insurgency. In the early days we weren''t even that organized, we were just doing what we could.¡± TO nodded, ¡°So¡­ you stayed on just to work with him.¡± TO said, ¡°And, you two were very close.¡± ¡°... For several years, yes.¡± Tham said, He looked down, his hands forming fists on the table, ¡°He called me his brother after a while, and¡­ well, he didn¡¯t have family, not really, so he often said I was the most important person in his life. And, honestly, he was the most important person in my life.¡± ¡°You became his family.¡± TO said. ¡°Yeah, I did,¡± ¡°You know¡­¡± TO looked down, ¡°Chilacians, from what I understand, don''t put a lot of stock in blood relations to form their family units. I think he¡¯d be considered your actual family.¡± ¡°Well¡­ anyway.¡± He looked aside, ¡°Eventually he met Mel, and she became his most important person in his life.¡± There was a hiss to his voice, and a twitch of his tail that TO couldn¡¯t overlook. ¡°Did you dislike her?¡± TO asked. Tham looked up, eyes suddenly wide, ¡°No. No, not at all.¡± he said, ¡°I didn¡¯t know her, not really. She and I were never friends, but¡­¡± He sighed, ¡°I guess I disliked her at first. But I didn¡¯t know her. And one night Jason and I went out for drinks and she was all Jason could talk about. Mel said this, Mel did that, Mel was thinking we might¡­¡± He shook his head, ¡°Jason was crazy over her, so if she was important to Jason, then I figured I¡¯d have to just deal with it.¡± He sighed, ¡°If I wanted to be in Jason¡¯s life, I¡¯d have to accept that she was in his life too.. And I¡¯d have to learn to like her.¡± ¡°And did you?¡± ¡°We were polite to one another, and the few times when I got injured doing something for Jason, she¡¯d help patch me up and make sure I was ok.¡± He gave a joyless smirk, ¡°She was important to Jason, and I was important to Jason, and Jason was, separately, important to both of us. So, we made it work. And Jason and I still worked together when we went off the planet. She had a medical thing that made her unsuitable to volunteer, so with the assistance group, it was just me and Jason. But then Mel got pregnant with Helen and¡­¡± Tham shrugged, ¡°That was that. He chose to stay home since he had a family, so he left the assistance group. I left as well and we did what we could to help people here, but it wasn¡¯t the same.¡± TO frowned, ¡°Wait, what do you mean that was that?¡± They asked, ¡°You were still his family, yes?¡± Tham nodded, ¡°Yeah. I was his family. I was Uncle Tham to Helen, but things were different. That¡¯s also when we started getting organized; Being stuck on Arkane gave us an opportunity to do that.¡± He took a large drink of water, grimacing as he did. ¡°Something wrong with that?¡± ¡°No, I just¡­ forgot I was drinking water.¡± Tham said. He put the water down and sighed, ¡°I suppose it¡¯d be a bad time to see if we have that fermented drink left.¡± ¡°... If you want to rest, I can take care of things.¡± TO said. Even as they spoke they were silently cursing on themself. They already had so much to do, and they were already behind. How were they going to balance their work and Tham¡¯s at the same time? ¡°No, it¡¯s fine.¡± Tham said, ¡°I need to work. I need to be productive.¡± He pushed himself from the table, ¡°I need to help.¡± ¡°You just found out some hard news.¡± TO said, ¡°I imagine nobody would be upset if you took time for yourself-¡± ¡°I¡¯ll have plenty of time for myself when we get off Arkane.¡± He said, ¡°If I want to¡­ to mope and be a moron, I can do it then. For now, there are things to do, there¡¯s work to be done and I won¡¯t let myself ruin things for everyone.¡± TO nodded and stood up, ¡°Then¡­ I¡¯ll do the plans for packing the supplies on the ship, and send them to you as soon as I can.¡± they said. ¡°Meantime, I suppose it¡¯s best to get everything brought to the cave around the entrance.¡± Tham got up, running a hand through his short red hair as he nodded, ¡°Yeah.¡± He said, ¡°I''ll take care of that.¡± TO nodded and left Tham to prepare himself for work. There was a lot about the situation they felt they didn¡¯t understand, bits of the story that Tham left out or skimmed over. Still, Tham¡¯s desire to work right now was something TO understood well. ====== Of course planning the placement of the supplies for the trip was near the top of TO¡¯s list of things to do, but there was something else they had to check first. While DH said that they were fine dealing with whatever emergency had come up in the dorms on their own, TO still wanted to check on them and make sure that everything was alright. They decided to do any quiet work in that little alcove that Petra and Lendulin showed then, because at least that way they could stay close to DH and then the two of them could easily meet Avery later at lunch and make sure Avery was ok before they continued on with all the rest of the work they had to do. They braced themself, not sure what might wait for them on the other side of the door to the dorm. Their mind briefly raced through every possible thing that could happen, everything from parts of the underground collapsing to gas leaks and infestations of disease-carrying insects. They took another breath, just hoping there wouldn''t be too much blood, and opened the door. Episode 356: Spores The first two things TO noticed in the dormitories was the sound and the smell. There was a strange, haphazard whistling coming from all over the place at chaotic tones and pitches, and it made TO¡¯s ears twitch as they tried to focus but got confused. Thankfully, after a moment of that strange noise the translators seemed to pick up on that as a sound to be filtered out, and soon the noise faded. The smell was far more distracting. It wasn¡¯t bad, not really, but it had a sickly sweet quality to it; like honey mixed with sugar. They sniffed deeply as they looked around to see what the smell was but they couldn¡¯t see anything that might explain it. What they saw was about half the civilians in the dorms with masks over their faces. TO¡¯s ears instantly dropped and they covered their own mouth and nose. Yes, they had been vaccinated against most diseases in the galaxy, and synths were resistant to most others, but all it took was the wrong mutation and all that resistance could prove useless. DH! Was DH ok!? Did they have a way to protect themself from inhaling anything? Would they think to be careful, or would they rely on their immunity? They rushed towards the back of the dorm, stopping once to ask a civilian if they had seen DH and Goretta. The civilian pointed to a place in the back that had been sectioned off with sheets to make a small, private area. TO rushed past and pushed through the sheets in their desperation to find DH and make sure their mate was ok. Beyond the sheets were a handful of tables which were currently being used as medical beds. Several civilians sat up, tissues over their noses and a glass of some strange blue-green juice in their hands. At the far end, TO could see DH bend over a table, working. ¡°DH!¡± They rushed up, hand still over their face and mouth as they kept as far away from the civilians on the tables as they could. When they approached, DH¡¯s ears twitched. ¡°Careful, TO.¡± DH said, ¡°Don¡¯t startle me; this is delicate!¡± TO slowed and approached their mate from the side to see what they were doing. They were leaning over a scaled civilian who had an enormous nose and short stubby legs. The civilian¡¯s nose drew most of TO¡¯s attention as DH was a few inches away from it, a pair of long tweezers already deep inside. To their horror, they noticed that DH wasn¡¯t wearing anything over their mouth or nose. ¡°DH, don¡¯t you have a mask or something?¡± They asked in synth-speak ¡°You could wear your helmet. We can disable the translation stuff, and that¡¯ll at least filter the air and-¡° ¡°No need.¡± DH said, ¡°This isn''t something that can affect us.¡± ¡°How do you know?¡± TO asked, ¡°What if it¡¯s some weird bacteria or virus that¡¯s mutated? If it mutated the wrong way, we wouldn¡¯t have any immunity to it-¡° ¡°It¡¯s not a virus.¡± DH said, their ears twitching in amusement, ¡°And it¡¯s not bacteria.¡± Before TO could ask DH how they knew that and demand more information, the tweezers suddenly twitched in their mate¡¯s hands. The civilian whimpered as DH slowly drew the tweezers out. ¡°It¡¯s awful, I know.¡± DH said, forcing an artificially soothing tone to their carefully spoken Galactic Common as their ears dipped down in sympathy. ¡°It¡¯s almost done though.¡± A moment later, they pulled a tiny cluster of what looked like orb-capped mushrooms from the civilian''s nose. TO could only watch in absolute confusion as they dropped the tiny mushrooms into a plastic bowl by their side and gave the civilian a tissue. ¡°Now sit up and hold that to your nose for a bit. You might get a nosebleed. We¡¯ll get you to drink a little something to suppress that from growing back, and you should wear a mask for the rest of the day, but you should be fine.¡± The civilian took the offered tissue and sat up, pinching their wide nose with the tissue. ¡°Y¡¯ sure?¡± They asked, their oddly deep voice distorted by their blocked nose. ¡°Oh, yes.¡± DH said as they picked up the bowl, ¡°These things have shallow roots¨Cmycelium¨Cand it looks like I got everything, but even if I missed something, the juice I¡¯m going to give you is going to keep it from growing back.¡± TO leaned over to see the tiny mushroom better. It looked like tiny little stalks with purple orbs on top. As TO got a little closer that sickly sweet smell got even stronger. They recoiled in fear, clasping their hands over their face more tightly. ¡°You''re fine.¡± DH said without even looking up as they poured a glass of that blue-green juice, handing it to the patient with a quick smile ¡°And you¡¯ll be fine, just drink that and keep that tissue over your nose for a few more minutes.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± The civilian said, eying the drink, ¡°does it taste awful?¡± ¡°No, but even if it did, you won¡¯t be able to taste much for a day or so. That¡¯ll wear off though, so don¡¯t worry about it.¡± They stood up, activated their chip, and strode towards the back, ¡°Come with me, TO.¡± DH said, ¡°I¡¯ll just update these notes first.¡± The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement. TO didn¡¯t know what notes DH was updating, but as they walked behind their mate, it suddenly struck them by how different they seemed. Here, among the sick civilians, they walked with a strange sense of purpose. Their eyes were sharp and keen as they put information onto the screen hovering before them, and though their ears were tense with focus, they rested high around their face, The old lab coat which Goretta had grabbed and altered to accommodate DH¡¯s wings fluttered around them as they walked at such a clipped pace through the small sectioned off area. They seemed so in control and focused; like they had everything together and could handle anything that came at them. TO wasn¡¯t even aware of the way their ears flicked and twitched as they watched them. DH led them into a closet near the back. The door was long gone and only another old sheet covered the entrance. As soon as they were inside, DH turned, took TO¡¯s hand from their face, held their chin with their other hand, and kissed them deeply. Still being thrown by the rather visceral image of DH pulling a small cluster of mushrooms from someone¡¯s nose, TO could only give a stifled ¡®mmmph.¡¯ Before they calmed down and leaned into the kiss, their hand was clutching the back of their mate¡¯s neck. It took all their self control to keep their fingers away from DH¡¯s flushed, twitching ears. ¡°That was unexpected.¡± TO whispered when DH finally pulled away from them. ¡°S-sorry.¡± DH said, their own ears dipping a little. ¡°I saw your ears when you were watching me there¡­ and I couldn¡¯t help it.¡± TO recalled how they had been gazing at their mate, and their ears suddenly dipped and flushed. ¡°I- I couldn¡¯t help it! I always look at you like that!¡± They huffed and looked away, ¡°Got us in trouble..¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that.¡± DH said softly. ¡°It was different this time.¡± ¡°Anyway.¡± TO said, ¡°What was the emergency!? Why did you pull mushrooms from a person''s nose? And why does the whole place smell like it¡¯s been doused in pure sugar?¡± DH sighed and sat atop a crate in the corner. ¡°Right. The emergency.¡± DH said. ¡°Well, it was an emergency in that Goretta needed a lot of help. Half the people in the dorm had those mushrooms in their nose.¡± TO shuddered. ¡°How?¡± ¡°Goretta thinks the spores were probably dormant down here.¡± DH said as they looked around the stone wall. ¡°All the people suddenly here, the activity, heat and sweat and just the moisture from everyone¡¯s breath probably activated the spores and well¡­ here we are.¡± They shrugged, ¡°Pulling mushroom clusters from people¡¯s noses.¡± ¡°¡­ why are they in people''s noses though?¡± TO asked. ¡°And why do you think we¡¯re immune?¡± DH smiled at them, ¡°The nose is a warm, moist environment with easy access to blood, which they need to grow. If they go further inside the body the spores won¡¯t spread and if they¡¯re nearer to the nostrils, then it¡¯s too easy to blow them out. It only affects a certain branch of blood types which is pretty common here, but we don¡¯t have it. Goretta does though, so she had to drink some of that juice. Apparently, it¡¯s got an enzyme in it that keeps the mushrooms from settling in the nasal cavity.¡± ¡°I see.¡± ¡°So¡­ yeah, this morning half the civilians woke up with their noses whistling through clusters of mushrooms and that sickly smell was everywhere.¡± They looked up sheepishly at TO, ¡°You probably could have helped, but there have been a few nosebleeds so it¡¯s probably best that you weren¡¯t here.¡± ¡°I probably could have handled a nosebleed or two.¡± TO muttered, trying to ignore the way their ears dipped as they spoke,¡± ¡°How was Tham?¡± DH asked, their ears suddenly tensing, ¡°Did he talk to you?¡± ¡°Tham is¡­Ok.¡± TO said, ¡°He and Jason were closer than I thought they were, and I suppose hearing just how he died was a lot today.¡± ¡°And I guess hearing that a synth killed him didn¡¯t help.¡± DH said. ¡°I¡¯m surprised he was willing to speak with you.¡° ¡°Well¡­ we¡¯re not really synths, are we?¡± ¡°At the very least I¡¯m not a very good one.¡± DH said, ¡°But you know, when I¡¯m walking around and helping people here¡­ I feel like MO-6 when I do this!¡± It had been a while since TO had thought of the old medical officer, but now that they recalled them, TO knew what it was about DH that seemed so different. MO-6 had seemed somehow apart from them back in training. They had been a fully grown, competent synth who had finished all their training and ended up running the med bay in the training center. Sure, Flit had been a Retiree, and Snout was an officer as well, but TO had gotten to know them on a personal level. MO-6, despite being relatively understanding and friendly, had never really let TO see any personal side to them and therefore had seemed beyond them somehow. When they were walking to the closet, DH somehow had that same feeling to them. ¡°TO?¡± DH frowned, ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Nothing.¡± TO said, shaking themself out of their thoughts. ¡°But¡­ anyway, yes, Tham spoke to me. He¡¯ll be fine.¡± ¡°Well, good for him.¡± DH said, their ears flicking back. After a moment, they sighed, ¡°And¡­ good for you. It¡¯ll help Pearla anyway I suppose.¡± They smiled up at TO, ¡°Aside from that, what brings you back here?¡± ¡°I had to check on you!¡± TO said, ¡°I had to check on the medical emergency!¡± ¡°Well, things are calming down now.¡± DH said, ¡°Goretta is getting a few more people sorted out, but really the emergency was that once those mushrooms pop up, It¡¯s important to get them out as soon as possible otherwise the patient needs surgery.¡± TO¡¯s ears dropped again, and the mention of surgery made their stomach lunge. ¡°Is it ok for you to take a break to talk to me then?¡± ¡°She was my last patient, and Goretta has the last few, otherwise I¡¯d ask you to help.¡± TO sighed and leaned against the shelves. DH was fine, and the medical emergency was really a non-emergency. ¡°I guess you have to take off now.¡± DH said as their ears sank down, ¡°You¡¯re really busy¡­¡± ¡°I have a lot to do.¡± TO said, ¡°But¡­ What I need to do now, I can easily do here.¡± DH¡¯s ears perked up, ¡°Really?¡± They asked, ¡°It¡¯s not a problem?¡± TO smiled, their heart warming as they saw their mate¡¯s excitement. ¡°Not in the least.¡± Synth: 357: Necrotic There was very little that TO would have considered enjoyable about their training, especially in the early days. Of course, the time they spent with GiDi, DH, and Avery in the observation deck were pleasant times, but those times weren¡¯t part of training; they were secret, stolen times where they could relax and not worry about all the eyes on them, watching and judging. They enjoyed flying, and simulations where they actually got to use their brain and come up with complex solutions to complex problems without an actual life or death threat hanging over. Both things they missed from training, and both things they hadn¡¯t been able to enjoy since they went on their placement. When the wave of nostalgia washed over them as they sat in the dormitory''s corner, working at a wobbly desk and sorting out the best way to store their supplies in their ship, it was a shock that it left them feeling almost relaxed and excited. It took several minutes of them working and puzzling over this feeling until they remembered what triggered it. This was just a puzzle! They had a 3d version of their ship hovering in the air before them, 3d boxes with the weights and contents, and all they had to do was find the way to fit them in efficiently, and safely. It reminded them of the puzzles they used to do in the early days of training; the ones they had always excelled at, and enjoyed doing. Once they figured that out, their work was almost fun, and they allowed the puzzle to absorb their attention. They hardly noticed when DH stopped by and set a drink down on the table for them. It was only when a soft, chirping chuckle escaped their mate that they realized DH was there and they gave a smile, a quickly muttered thanks, and a brief kiss before going back to their work. Could this be a hobby? Were their other logic puzzles designed simply for fun? Could they find them? They decided that once they were on the ship and away from Arkane that they¡¯d look into that. For now, they¡¯d simply enjoy the fact that they found this essential, important task rather enjoyable! The puzzle engrossed them and stole all their attention, thus preventing their mind from drifting to less pleasant thoughts. They were nearly done, focused on fitting in the last few boxes when Constance approached. TO was oblivious to the small child until she pulled herself up on the edge of the table, rising into TO¡¯s field of vision like a shark out of the water. They gave a soft, stifled yelp once they saw her. Their ears flicking down. ¡°I¡¯m sorry I scared you, but did you know you went all shivery just then? Even your ears shivered!¡± She giggled and lifted her hands up to her own ears in an attempt to wiggle them. TO steadied themself with a deep breath, and smiled, ¡°My ears move a lot.¡± they said, ¡°All the time.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°It¡¯s part of how we communicate.¡± TO said, frowning as they considered the best way to explain it. ¡°It s like facial expressions, but I can¡¯t control them, and they also influence the meaning of my words when I speak my native tongue.¡± ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± She asked, her tail flicking behind her. ¡°... You know, I don¡¯t know what it¡¯s called, properly.¡± They said, ¡°We always called it synth speak, but I suppose it had a name before that.¡± they paused, their ears flicking back slightly, ¡°Though¡­ My knowledge of linguistics is limited, but I suppose if the language split far enough back, then ¡®Synth Speak¡¯ probably would have become its own language, and whatever it was before would have turned into something else.¡± ¡° Constance was silent as she pursed her lips and closed her eyes in careful thought. After a moment, she opened her eyes and asked TO seriously, ¡°I meant, what¡¯s a native tongue? But, what¡¯s ¡®linguistics¡¯?¡± TO stopped what they were doing and looked at Constance for a moment, then chuckled. As they did, the small shark-like child pouted and glared up at them. ¡°What¡¯s so funny!?¡± ¡°Nothing, nothing.¡± TO said as they composed themself. They still couldn¡¯t suppress the amusement that was clear in their ears but the child wouldn¡¯t recognize that. They had never considered that children would have such a limited vocabulary, and on the shows they watched, whenever children were depicted TO often figured that their limited vocabulary must have been exaggerated since it seemed strange to TO that a person would know so few words in their native language. ¡°¡®A native language¡¯ is the first language that a person learns to speak, and ¡®linguistics¡¯ is the study of language.¡± This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source. ¡°Oh.¡± She said, falling silent for a moment before she asked, ¡°Are you playing a game?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not.¡± TO said, ¡°But, I have to finish this.¡± They looked around, ¡°Where¡¯s your father? Or¡­ who''s watching over you right now?¡± ¡°Nobody! I don¡¯t need to be watched!¡± She said, pouting once more. ¡°And dad¡¯s with Doctor Goretta. She put some kinda screen around his bed and told me to go play.¡± She frowned and looked at TO seriously, ¡°I didn¡¯t want to go play, I want to watch! I¡¯m going to be a doctor one day, so I need to watch what doctors do! It¡¯s very important!¡± ¡°Wait¡­ He¡¯s with Goretta?¡± TO¡¯s ears flicked down, ¡°Why?¡± ¡°She said she wanted to check his arm, but they never made me leave before so I think they¡¯re lying to me!¡± Her tail lashed behind her, ¡°Adults aren¡¯t supposed to lie!¡± ¡°No¡­ they¡¯re not.¡± TO said, entirely distracted. ¡°Maybe I should go talk to him.¡± They frowned as they looked at the screen before them. ¡°But¡­ I need to get this done first.¡± ¡°If you go, can you tell dad he¡¯s not supposed to lie?¡± ¡°I will¡­¡± TO said, thinking about how they were going to focus on this with Constance there talking to them. Their ears perked up as they had a sudden idea, ¡°But, in order for me to do that, I have to get this done. So why don¡¯t you help me?¡± ¡°OK!¡± She said, her tail now placidly waving in their air, the fins on her head perking up a little. ¡°What do we do?¡± ====== It only took TO a moment to explain how the 3D model worked, though they kept it in much simpler terms than they would have before. Once she seemed to understand, TO continued fitting boxes, arranging them by weight and size in the proper places on the ship. Constance did actually prove to be helpful, seeing a space that TO had missed because of their height and angle at which they were sitting, so they finished quickly and sent the information to Tham. A further stroke of luck meant they didn¡¯t have to think of a way to keep Constance from following them to see their father; As they were heading to the corner of the dorms a few other children who were planning some kind of game called out to her and asked her to join them. ¡°You¡¯ll still talk to my dad, right?¡± She asked, ¡°And tell him not to lie?¡± ¡°I will.¡± TO said, ¡°I promise.¡± With that, Constance was more than happy to play with the others as TO continued down to Tham¡¯s bed. As Constance had said, they had drawn a curtain up around the bed so that TO couldn¡¯t see anything that was happening on the other side. They were about to just pull the curtain aside, but then it occurred to them that if Goretta had the curtains up, she might be doing some kind of procedure which involved blood. They stopped just before they pulled the curtain and cleared their throat. ¡°Goretta? Mark? Is it ok for me to come in?¡± Though they both spoke in whispers behind the curtain, TO could still hear them perfectly. Goretta asking Mark if he was ok with them coming in was as clear to TO as though she was speaking right next to them, as was Mark¡¯s agreement. ¡°Alright, you can come in.¡± Goretta said. ¡°There¡¯s no blood, is there?¡± ¡°No blood, no, not anymore.¡± With that assurance, TO slipped behind the curtains and into the small, newly sectioned space that held Mark¡¯s bed. As they entered, the true reason for the curtains became abundantly clear; it wasn¡¯t because there was any blood or out of any need for privacy but to suppress the foul stench that came from the newly stitched up wound. It was so strong it made TO reel, and almost drove them to flee. A nearby bowl seemed to be the source of the stench, But even so it had a thick cloth drawn over it. It took little imagination to figure out what was in there as Marks¡¯ arm now had a sizable dent in it, as though someone had simply scooped out a segment of flesh. ¡°The infection got worse.¡± Goretta said as she took bandages from her med bag, ¡°I did my best to remove as much of the necrotic material-¡° ¡°Necrotic?!¡± TO¡¯s eyes went wide, their ears dipping down. ¡°-And I¡¯m giving another dose of antibiotics and hoping that works.¡± She continued. ¡°¡­ Can you put something over the wound before you bandage it?¡± Mark asked, ¡°I don¡¯t want Constance coming in and seeing my arm like that.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± She said as she took some gauze from the bag and wrapped it into a makeshift pillow so that the bandages on the wound would be flush with the rest of his arm. ¡°So¡­ TO, what brings you here?¡± ¡°¡­Constance.¡± TO said, holding their hand to their face once more to protect themself from that awful stench. ¡°She said you wouldn¡¯t let her watch, and I wondered why¡­¡± ¡°Well, now you know¡­¡± Mark said softly as he watched Goretta work. ¡°It¡¯s because I had to have half a bicep cut away.¡± ¡°But¡­ it¡¯ll heal now, right?¡± TO asked, ¡°I mean, she cut away the infected flesh, and you¡¯re getting more antibiotics, so you should heal up just fine now without having to have your arm removed¡­ Right?¡± The silence that met TO¡¯s question screamed with dread and fear. Episode 358: Stats ¡°TO said that they¡¯d take care of Constance if anything happened.¡± Mark said as Goretta silently bandaged his arm, ¡°So¡­ I think you can tell them what¡¯s going on.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± TO said, their ears flattening out, ¡°I can see what¡¯s going on; she removed some of the infection, and you¡¯re getting more antibiotics, so-¡± ¡°Sometimes that doesn¡¯t work.¡± Goretta said in her clipped, professional tone. ¡°The antibiotics we¡¯re administering are only holding the infection at bay, not getting rid of it.¡± she frowned at the bandages on Mark¡¯s arm. ¡°Removing the necrotic skin was essential, of course, and I perhaps removed more than necessary as a precaution-¡± ¡°So that means the antibiotics will have a better chance of working, right?¡± ¡°Right.¡± She said, ¡°But every procedure I do brings a chance for more infections, and requires more antibiotics. If there¡¯s a secondary infection on top of the existing one-¡± Mark sighed and leaned back, ¡°You¡¯re dragging it out.¡± he said, ¡°The point is that the infection isn¡¯t going away, and I know there¡¯s limited supplies-¡± ¡°We have enough!¡± Goretta said, ¡°Honestly, we¡¯ve been stockpiling long enough-¡± ¡°We have limited supplies, and you¡¯re using them on me without knowing if they¡¯ll work.¡± He said, his eyes downcast, ¡°Look, I appreciate what you¡¯re doing, what you¡¯re trying to do¡­ but I also know there¡¯s a long trip ahead. If someone gets sick and they need antibiotics, and you¡¯re out because of me-¡± She sighed and looked to TO, ¡°Talk some sense into him.¡± She said, ¡°I convinced him to take a dosage after this procedure, but he says he¡¯ll refuse any treatments afterwards if it doesn¡¯t!¡± TO could only blink in utter confusion. Refusing a procedure? Could he do that? Sure, they had to convince Kei to accept the procedure from Goretta, but that was different. From Kei¡¯s point of view, refusing a non-essential medical procedure from presumed enemies was the only smart decision. TO was also used to synths being denied medical procedures based on their perceived lack of usefulness, however the idea of being offered a life-saving medical treatment by a friendly party and saying no was unthinkable to TO! ¡°Look, if this doesn¡¯t work, the next step is losing my arm and hoping that antibiotics, which haven¡¯t worked so far, suddenly and magically work. Meanwhile... What if Constance gets sick on the ship and needs antibiotics, but can¡¯t get them because we¡¯ve run out? I couldn¡¯t live with myself.¡± He looked at Goretta, ¡°And don¡¯t tell me she won¡¯t get sick. We¡¯re going to be crammed into a ship which was designed to carry two people, right?¡± TO hadn¡¯t considered that, but now that he mentioned the issue, it seemed obvious that disease might be a problem on the ship. It wasn¡¯t something they as synths had to worry about as they were vaccinated against most things and lived in an enclosed environment until they left the training center. Two synths who had trained together could catch nothing from one another. However, a chaotic array of different civilians who hadn¡¯t been living in the healthiest or cleanest of environments and who could not acquire proper medical care¡­ Well, that was problematic. ¡°Constance is young and healthy.¡± Goretta said, ¡°I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll be fine.¡± ¡°Maybe. But what about someone else''s kid? Or someone else¡¯s parents who might be fine with a single dose of antibiotics?¡± ¡°That¡¯s all hypothetical. You¡¯re sick here and now-¡± ¡°Look, I know you¡¯ll lose people on the ship.¡± Mark said. ¡°I came here with my parents when I was very young, and they both died from illness on an overcrowded space ship. That was a ship designed to carry fifty passengers.¡± He looked to TO, ¡°How many people are boarding your ship?¡± TO¡¯s ears dropped. Originally, they figured they could comfortably get forty people on the ship; fifty if they really pushed things. Of course, the list of people they needed to get off Arkane had risen steadily, alterations had been made to the ship¡¯s systems to handle that load, privacy had been disregarded and living quarters were made from areas that had no right being a living quarter. ¡°S-seventy two.¡± TO said. The idea of keeping the holding cell as a private room seemed utterly foolish to TO considering this new revelation. Already, their mind was racing through numbers, trying to get percentages from the data they had in their head. While their knowledge base was impressive, it was limited in this aspect. ¡°I read when I was older that the death rate on migration spacecraft from the relocation efforts back in the day was about forty percent.¡± Mark said, ¡°That was because they crowded the ships back so much. Do you really think nobody¡¯s going to get sick on your ship? That nobody will die?¡± ¡°Of course people are going to get sick.¡± Goretta said. She looked up at TO, ¡°And we have planned for that; me, DH, and Snout.¡± ¡°And you didn¡¯t tell me?¡± TO said as their ears pinned back. ¡°Well, we weren¡¯t hiding it from you either!¡± She said, ¡°There¡¯s nothing that can be done about that, except for us to plan! You were in the indebted center when we got most of our medical supplies and made most of our plans! We expect it, we¡¯re prepared for it-¡± ¡°And it¡¯s not right for you to waste more antibiotics on me before we even leave the planet when we don¡¯t even know if it¡¯ll work.¡± Mark said, ¡°My decision is final; I¡¯d rather you use the medical supplies on people who might actually benefit from them.¡± Goretta sighed again, ¡°Talk some sense into him, TO.¡± She said. TO couldn''t, not just then. They were too busy going over numbers in their own head, as well as the list of everything they had to do. ¡°Goretta, He said he¡¯d take this dose of antibiotics.¡± They said, ¡°Give that to him. A big dose. As big as you can.¡± The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°It doesn¡¯t really work like-¡± ¡°As effective as you can.¡± TO snapped. ¡°Make sure it works so we don¡¯t have to think about the next options.¡± They frowned, and headed for the part in the curtains, ¡°I need to talk to DH, figure this out.¡± ¡°TO, I promise, it¡¯s figured out. We¡¯ve taken all the precautions we can.¡± ¡°Maybe there are more precautions I can take then.¡± They said as they strode through the curtains. Silence fell within the sectioned off area for just a moment before TO returned, poking their head through the curtains and looking at Mark seriously. ¡°Also; Constance wants me to tell you that adults shouldn¡¯t lie to children.¡± ====== DH was carefully packing up bottles of various medications when TO found them in the storage closet near the makeshift procedure room where Kei had had his surgery. They were carefully packing dozens of darkly colored glass tubes into a heavily padded crate. They jolted when TO slammed the door open, shaking with surprise. ¡°Don¡¯t do that!¡± They said as they released a shuddering breath, ¡°I nearly dropped-¡± ¡°What¡¯s the estimated fatality rate for our trip?¡± TO asked before DH could finish what they were saying. DH¡¯s ears dropped as they looked up at TO. ¡°Ah¡­ That.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± TO said, ¡°You hid that from me?¡± DH flinched, ¡°Not hiding it¡­¡± they said, ¡°It just didn¡¯t come up.¡± ¡°And you think it wouldn¡¯t have come up? Or that it wasn¡¯t important for me to know?¡± DH sighed and put the last of the bottles away, ¡°More like I find it horrible, and didn¡¯t want to spend my precious time with you both giving you something more to stress over and making myself upset.¡± They looked up at TO, ¡°There¡¯s really nothing you could do. It would only have worried you more, and I know you¡¯re already stressed and worried, so-¡± TO¡¯s anger immediately melted away. It wasn¡¯t because of what DH had said, but more from the realization that they were doing the same thing to DH and Avery when it came to GiDi¡¯s involvement in the whole chip issue. ¡°... What¡¯s the percentage?¡± TO asked again, their ears relaxing forward a little, their voice softer. ¡°The current projection, or the original?¡± ¡°What¡¯s the difference?¡± DH sighed, sealed the crate, and submitted the number on the lid into their chip. ¡°The original calculation is considering overcrowding, the strain on our purification systems on the ship, the existence of two doctors and one trainee, and the current health state of the passengers.¡± ¡°And what¡¯s the original mortality rate?¡± ¡°... Twenty percent.¡± TO stumbled backwards and sat down on a crate behind them. ¡°Twenty? Fourteen or fifteen people. You¡¯re telling us we¡¯re expecting fourteen or fifteen people to die on our ship?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± DH looked away, ¡°We got that number down to 5%¡± ¡°That¡¯s three or four people.¡± TO said, doing the numbers in their head quickly, ¡°Which still isn¡¯t good.¡± They sighed and leaned back, ¡°How did you get it down?¡± DH grabbed an empty crate from nearby and sat down across from TO. ¡°Well, first, we found anyone with any kind of limited medical training, and prepared them to help us in basic ways. This limits the amount of work Goretta, Snout, and myself have to do.¡± ¡°Alright... What next?¡± TO asked. ¡°We¡¯ve come up with a shower schedule.¡± DH said. ¡°Mandatory daily hot showers for every adult, with time in between a certain number of showers to allow for water recycling and reheating. Any child that can¡¯t shower on their own will have to get daily sponge baths.¡± they shrugged, ¡°Though, that was going to be the only option for small children anyway, given how small our shower is.¡± ¡°What else?¡± DH sighed, ¡°A lot of small things, really.¡± They said, ¡°We have two toilets on our ship; the main one, and the emergency chemical toilet in the emergency ship. Goretta could get her hands on four more chemical toilets, and they¡¯re going to be set up in small tents, two in the weapons bay, two in the gymnasium. We have regular cleaning and disinfecting schedules for that, as well as regular cleaning schedules for the entire ship, as well as basic hand sanitizers, and the means to make more hand sanitizer. We¡¯ve screened for any hint of sickness earlier and treated what we could. There¡¯s already been some sickness in the last few days, not counting the whole spores issue we had this morning, so we¡¯re hoping that the worst of it might have worked its way through the population before we take off.¡± They shook their head, ¡°There were other ideas, but they weren¡¯t viable in such tight quarters.¡± ¡°... And because of that, you¡¯re thinking five percent. Three or four people.¡± ¡°I¡¯m hoping nobody dies.¡± DH said. ¡°But..I¡¯m prepared if they do.¡± Now that TO was calmer, they could see how much this was weighing on DH. their ears were so low and their voice was so quiet, TO just knew this had been bothering them. How had they not seen it before? ¡°... You should have told me.¡± TO said. ¡°There¡¯s nothing you could do.¡± DH said, ¡°And¡­ you¡¯re already so busy, and you have so much going on. I didn¡¯t think you needed to know right now. I figured I could just work through it myself, and then later on when things calmed down a bit for you¡­¡± They gave a low, humorless chuckle and shook their head, ¡°Well¡­ I guess that was stupid of me, wasn¡¯t it?¡± TO¡¯s stomach twisted in knots, as they looked away. ¡°No¡­ it¡¯s not.¡± They said, They closed their eyes, willing themself to change their mind on what they were about to do, hoping they could convince themself to stay to their original plan. They couldn¡¯t. ¡°... There¡¯s actually something I have to tell you, DH.¡± Episode 359: Double Negative DH was quiet for a while after TO told them everything they knew, but their body language communicated far more than words could. They weren¡¯t looking at TO, their wings wrapped around their arms, and their ears were low and tense. ¡°... I¡¯m sorry.¡± TO said, ¡°I didn¡¯t tell you because you were already upset, and I¡¯m worried about Avery and the whole shatter-sickness thing. I didn¡¯t want to make things worse!¡± More silence met their words as DH looked away, staring into nothingness as though lost deep inside their head. TO wanted to reach out and touch DH, to hold and hug them, but they were worried that DH might be angry at them, and they didn¡¯t know if they could stand having their mate push them away. ¡°Please say something.¡± TO whispered. ¡°... How long did you know?¡± DH asked, their soft voice cutting through their previous silence like a knife. ¡°...Since the day we went to the Outer Ring.¡± TO said. ¡°You and Avery were asleep, I couldn¡¯t sleep, your communicator went off, and it was Vik-¡± ¡°And you didn¡¯t wake me? You didn¡¯t tell me?¡± they finally looked up at TO, their eyes wide, ¡°I didn¡¯t even know he messaged me!¡± ¡°I was worried that He¡¯d upset you more!¡± TO said. ¡°You and Avery were already upset! I was the least upset, and I knew if you knew GiDi had any part in that, it would hit both of you hard-¡± ¡°Oh, like it didn¡¯t hit you hard!¡± DH snapped back. ¡°It did! But I wasn¡¯t already upset at being betrayed by people I considered friends!¡± They wrapped their wings around their arms and looked away. ¡°I was worried about you. I worried maybe you had been doing that bonding thing with Vik, just like we both worried about Avery. Maybe you can¡¯t get shatter sickness, but you can still be badly hurt! I was trying to protect you and Avery from being hurt on top of how much you were both already hurting!¡± Their ears pinned back slightly, ¡°Just like how you wanted to protect me from knowing about the fatality rate.¡± DH¡¯s ears suddenly relaxed, though they took on a slight flush. ¡°Were you going to tell me?¡± They asked as they looked to the floor. ¡°I was going to make sure you knew.¡± TO said, ¡°Once GiDi was done with their thing, I was going to talk to them, and ask them to tell you and Avery themself. I thought it might hurt a little less that way.¡± ¡°And¡­ are you going to tell Avery now?¡± TO hadn¡¯t thought of that. They had only just told DH at this moment, and the idea of telling Avery right now made them feel sick; especially after the discussion they had had this morning. They pursued their lips as their ears pinned back, a thoughtful clicking coming from the back of their throat. ¡°You don¡¯t want to.¡± DH said. ¡°¡­I don¡¯t know if I should!¡± TO asked. ¡°Will it be worse if I tell them now or if GiDi tells them tomorrow? Will they be angry that I held onto this for so long? And if GiDi tells Avery themself, maybe there¡¯ll be less pain.¡± Their mind raced over the pros and cons of their limited options. ¡°When I found out, neither of you were in a state where I¡¯d be comfortable telling you. Avery still isn¡¯t, especially not today. If I tell them now, I¡¯m worried it¡¯ll make them more upset and might hurt them, not just because of GiDi¡¯s involvement but because I hid it from them¡­¡± ¡°Yeah¡­¡± DH said softly, ¡°I¡¯d be a lot more upset if I hadn¡¯t been trying to protect you from stuff as well.¡± ¡°So, I think it¡¯s still best if GiDi tells them on their own.¡± TO said. ¡°If they do¡­ Well, if they tell Avery when we¡¯re on the ship, well, we¡¯ll have less to do, and we can be around Avery more often to help them and comfort them. Right now¡­¡± they shook their head, ¡°Right now everything is so chaotic and busy, I¡¯m surprised I get to see you as much as I do.¡± The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation. DH nodded along with TO as they spoke, their wings tight around their arms, their eyes downcast, their ears low even as they twitched with contemplation. ¡°What do you think I should do, DH?¡± TO asked. DH¡¯s ears suddenly flicked in surprise as they looked up and caught TO¡¯s eyes once more. TO could feel DH¡¯s gaze flicking to their low, uncertain ears, and taking in how TO¡¯s own wings were tightening further around their arms. ¡°You¡¯re asking me?¡± ¡°Yes. DH, what do I do?¡± DH gave another sigh. ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­ I¡¯m mostly upset that you didn¡¯t come to me in the first place.¡± DH said, ¡°Finding that out hurt you. I could have helped you, or at least been there for you. That you didn¡¯t have anyone to help you with this-¡° ¡°Oh, I had help.¡± TO said. DH¡¯s ears flicked back down suddenly, ¡°You told other people, but not me?¡± TO shrugged and looked away, ¡°Well, it wasn¡¯t intentional, not really.¡± They said, ¡°Petra and Lendulin could tell something was bothering me-¡° ¡°They noticed, and I didn¡¯t.¡± DH shook their head, ¡°I can¡¯t believe I missed it-¡° ¡°You were upset!¡± TO said, ¡°They weren¡¯t. So, they were helpful¡­ and I told Pearla, but only after she figured out that something had happened between Tham and me.¡± ¡°Wait, Pearla didn¡¯t know?¡± DH frowned, ¡°But she¡¯s GiDi¡¯s mate, wouldn¡¯t she have known already?¡± TO shook their head, a slight amused twitch moving their ears, ¡°She didn¡¯t¡­ and it did not impress her when she found out. She yelled at Tham first, then said she was going to ¡®have a talk¡¯ with GiDi.¡± ¡°So GiDi knows you know.¡± TO nodded, ¡°I¡¯m assuming that they do by now; unless Pearla¡¯s waiting until after they were¡­ done.¡± DH nodded, ¡°right¡­¡± They said, ¡°... I still wish you had come to me. I thought we promised no more secrets.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t keep this secret from you any more than you kept the whole fatality rate thing secret from me.¡± TO said. DH¡¯s ears dipped again, and silence lingered for another moment before they looked up ¡°... Are you going to tell Avery?¡± ¡°... Are you?¡± It was clear that DH didn¡¯t expect that question any more than they expected TO to ask them what they should do. ¡°Me? Why me? It¡¯s not¡­ I¡¯m not the one who should tell them!¡± ¡°Am I?¡± TO asked, their wings still wrapped around their arms, ¡°If I don¡¯t, will you tell them?¡± DH¡¯s ears dropped once more, and after a few long moments they finally muttered, ¡°N-no.¡± TO released a deep breath, their wings and ears finally relaxing. They didn¡¯t know they had been so tense about this, but DH saying that they wouldn¡¯t tell Avery lifted a weight which had settled in the pit of their stomach. ¡°I want to tell them.¡± TO said, taking a step forward and tentatively putting a hand on DH¡¯s arm. Much to their joy, DH leaned into them, and let TO wrap their scarred wings over them. ¡°But I¡¯m worried about them, and I think if GiDi tells them it¡¯ll hurt less.¡± ¡°... What if GiDi won¡¯t tell them?¡± DH muttered into TO¡¯s chest. TO¡¯s ears narrowed as they held DH tighter in their embrace, ¡°I¡¯ll convince them.¡± ¡°And if you can¡¯t?¡± ¡°... Then I¡¯ll tell Avery.¡± TO said, ¡°I¡¯ll tell them I wanted GiDi to tell the truth, and waited until they had the opportunity.¡± DH nodded, then looked up and smiled, ¡°Good.¡± They said, ¡°And¡­ next time something like this happens, at least tell me.¡± ¡°But I only waited-¡± ¡°I know. And.. I¡¯m sorry that I didn''t tell you about the fatality rates.¡± DH said, ¡°We both messed up here. So¡­let¡¯s just do better next time.¡± TO nuzzled their snout into DH¡¯s ear, letting their hand reach up and gently scratch the back of DH¡¯s neck. They had so much work to do, but for the moment it seemed like both of them were content to sit there on crates, enjoying one another¡¯s touch. It was a better outcome that TO had originally hoped for. Episode 360: Alert TO and DH were later than normal in getting to Flit and Snout¡¯s room for lunch, and they fully expected to see the two older Chilacians there with Avery. Their surprise when they saw Flit, Snout, and four meals waiting for them but no Avery. ¡°Avery brought the food earlier, but then said they had to go back to the kitchens.¡± Snout said when they saw TO¡¯s confused expression. ¡°I wanted them to stay with us, but-¡± ¡°We should go see them.¡± TO said, already turning around to leave and head to the kitchens. ¡°They said they were busy, and they weren¡¯t lying.¡± Flit said. ¡°I mean, we do only have a single day left. Any food that they don¡¯t have prepped today won¡¯t be able to go with us.¡± ¡°As for you two¡­ Sit.¡± Snout said, gesturing to the table. ¡°Avery is spending their time in a kitchen, surrounded by food and drinks. The two of you aren¡¯t, so I want to make sure you¡¯re both eating properly.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about that with me.¡± DH said as they pulled TO away from the door and brought them to the table. ¡°I¡¯ve been eating just fine since I got here!¡± TO insisted. Still, they allowed their mate to pull them to a chair. They sighed as they sat and opened up the small contained before them; Cocopods again, obviously. This time, Lake had wrapped the bugs up in a sheet that looked oddly like the same material they made the edible plates with back in training. ¡°Did you come up with any other ideas?¡± TO asked, ¡°We have Noss now, so maybe he opens some additional avenues?¡± ¡°We hoped so.¡± Flit said as they looked over their files on the tablet. ¡°And if we left Arkane before Gyrini showed up, maybe his defection would help us.¡± ¡°But¡­ It doesn''t now that she¡¯s here?¡± TO asked. ¡°It helps us get off the planet, maybe.¡± Flit said, ¡°Which is good, yes, but it doesn¡¯t help much with stopping an attack. With the Minister of Security for this quadrant of the galaxy on the planet, Noss¡¯ position becomes mostly ceremonial.¡± They sighed. ¡°It¡¯s a shame. I had hoped that he¡¯d have something to buy us more time to get away from the planet.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± TO asked, ¡°The synths will be here tomorrow, so we can¡¯t stay!¡± Flit shook their head, ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant.¡± They said, ¡°I want more time to get out of the planet''s orbit. If we could take things more slowly, we might tether Avery¡¯s ship and split up all the passengers between the two.¡± TO felt their ears flatten as Flit mentioned that. If they could tether the ship and tow it, moving people between the two would solve a lot of problems with overcrowding. Even the meal cubes in Avery¡¯s ship would be useful. ¡°If I had thought of that earlier, maybe we could have figured something out.¡± TO muttered. ¡°You don¡¯t have to think of everything yourself.¡± Flit said, ¡°You, DH, Avery, you¡¯ve all been busy, and all had a lot going on. It¡¯s ok to let us think of things.¡± ¡°Also,¡± Snout added, ¡°We thought of Avery¡¯s ship a while ago, but couldn¡¯t think of a way to grab it without opening us up to attack. If we could ensure that our ship was safe for longer in Arkane¡¯s airspace we could try it.¡± ¡°Landing the thing would have worked, but with the lockdown in place we can¡¯t even do that.¡± Flit said. They made an irritated sound in the back of their throat, a mix between a growl and a series of clicks, ¡°If I had thought of that before the lockdown-¡± Snout sighed and shook their head before looking at DH, ¡°It¡¯s good to know that TO does that too.¡± They said. ¡°What do I do?¡± TO asked, looking up from the wrap. It was a little big, and they were trying to figure out how to eat it without dismantling it. ¡°The thing where you act like everything is your responsibility.¡± DH said, not even looking up from their own meal, ¡°And you beat yourself up when you can¡¯t do everything.¡± Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. Flit gave an irritated growl in response, while TO only focused more intently on their food. After a moment, TO cleared their voice. ¡°So¡­ Noss can¡¯t help us with stopping a likely attack, right?¡± ¡°Not that I can tell.¡± Flit said, ¡°He has limited access now. He can send out Galactic alerts, and he has some insight that will ensure we get off the planet, but not much else.¡± ¡°Wait, what Galactic alerts?¡± DH asked. ¡°Just what it sounds like; an alert that sounds to the whole galaxy..¡± Snout said, ¡°with an extermination level event, or when it¡¯s clear that the planet is under a threat it cannot survive, certain higher-level members of government can send out a Galactic Alert. The person gives their identity, the name of the planet, and whatever information they can about the disaster that¡¯s happening.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve never seen one of those before.¡± DH said, ¡°Are they common?¡± ¡°Only one has been triggered in the last hundred Galactic years.¡± TO said, ¡°An unstable stellar black hole consumed a planet, and they could get an alert out fast enough and provided enough information that we, i mean, the synths, could stabilize it.¡± TO said, ¡°It¡¯s interesting, really. It was too small to use for wormhole creation, but even today they¡¯re studying it and trying to learn how to turn it into an alternative source of energy.¡± ¡°Basically, that¡¯s it.¡± Flit said, ¡°I¡¯ve been told it was much more common in the early days of Galactic unification, back when there was still a lot of interplanetary warfare and smaller would-be dictators seeking to overpower King Decon. Today, it¡¯s almost a relic, but the system is still maintained just in case some cosmic disaster happens. Of course, we¡¯re getting very good at detecting most things.¡± ¡°There¡¯s still stuff we don¡¯t know.¡± TO said. ¡°There¡¯s the Korolo disaster.¡± It surprised TO to see everyone looking at them with blank faces. They frowned, their ears twitching forward, ¡°What?¡± They¡¯d asked, ¡°Did I say it wrong?¡± Their ears warmed, ¡°I never heard the planet¡¯s name spoken before, so-¡° ¡°Maybe?¡± Flit said frowning, ¡°What was it, the Korolo disaster?¡± TO shrugged, ¡°You know, you must. It happened over three-hundred years ago, I think. They send out a Galactic alert but the primary language on that planet was a strange one. Nobody could translate it, and afterwards all communication to the planet stopped. When people went to investigate, the planet was just gone; no debris or anything left!¡± They looked at Flit and Snout, waiting for some sign that they knew what TO was talking about, but they never got it. ¡°I¡­ I know I read it.¡± ¡°It¡¯s an event that happened over three hundred years ago, with no military significance.¡± Flit said, ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have learned about it, and I don¡¯t normally spend my time reading up on old history.¡± A wry smile accompanied a flick of Snout¡¯s ears, ¡°I have a lot more intellectual curiosity than Flit does.¡± They said, ¡°But¡­ it¡¯s mostly in the medical field, so that¡¯s not something I¡¯d have heard of before either.¡± ¡°It¡¯s true though.¡± TO said, ¡°I can look it up-¡° ¡°No no, we believe you.¡± Snout said, ¡°We just didn¡¯t know that one.¡± ¡°Why wasn¡¯t the language translated?¡± DH asked, frowning, ¡°Wasn¡¯t the translation system working back then?¡± ¡°Well, it was, but it¡¯s not applied to the emergency system.¡± TO said, ¡°And the language was unique to the primary species on that planet. When the planet was destroyed, the database that held that language was also destroyed, so it was effectively wiped out from the translation system. Now every language has a backup on several other planets, so if that happens again-¡° ¡°But why wasn¡¯t the translation applied to the emergency system?¡± DH asked. ¡°It¡¯s a safety measure.¡± TO said, ¡°Translating the information takes time, and with such a system it¡¯s more important for the information to get out into the galaxy as soon as possible. If you have only minutes to send a message, every second counts and processing time could cost valuable seconds. If the planet is destroyed while the message is still being processed, it simply won¡¯t go out. So, it goes out into the world untranslated, and people have to run a translation filter on it afterwards.¡± ¡°But that wouldn¡¯t give anyone enough time to help the planet-¡° ¡°It¡¯s not about helping the planet.¡± Flit said, ¡°It¡¯s about warning others, and hopefully stopping the threat from destroying any other planets.¡± ¡°So¡­ Even if we used that to call for help, it wouldn¡¯t work.¡± DH said. ¡°It wouldn¡¯t.¡± Flit said, ¡°We considered maybe using it anyway, to warn others that this could happen to them, and show what King Decon is really like¡­ but he¡¯d call it insurgent propaganda.¡± ¡°Well, we can still think about it.¡± TO insisted. ¡°We can still think about it, and maybe I¡¯ll think of something.¡± They flushed as they remembered the comment that Snout made earlier, ¡°Or, maybe one of you will. Or Avery.I don¡¯t know. But we still have time. When we meet for supper we can-¡° ¡°No.¡± Flit said suddenly. The three of them all turned to look at them. ¡°No?¡± Snout asked, ¡°You¡¯re giving up? That¡¯s not like you-¡° ¡°I¡¯m not giving up.¡± Flit said. ¡°But¡­ we have one more day. Tomorrow, we either get off this planet¡­ or we don¡¯t.¡± They looked down at their meal, their ears flushing a little ¡°And¡­ If we don¡¯t get off the planet, or if something goes wrong, I don¡¯t want to spend what little time we have beating our heads against the wall over a problem I doubt we can solve.¡± They fell quiet for a moment, then looked up at DH and TO. ¡°Spend your supper together. Spend all your free time together and spend tonight with Avery. Try to relax. Try to do something fun.¡± Their ears flushed deeper, ¡°Just¡­ try to make today special. Just in case.¡± It didn¡¯t occur to TO before that maybe they weren¡¯t the only one thinking that this may not work, that they may fail, and that these days may be their last. Somehow, hearing Flit say it made them feel better somehow, and hearing them say that they should take the time to rest, to enjoy the company of their mate and family seemed to loosen the pressure on them. ¡°¡­ Alright.¡± They said, looking at their food. A moment later, they looked up and looked at Flit. ¡°Then, if that¡¯s the case, I have a question.¡± ¡°Go ahead.¡± Flit said. ¡°Before I go back to work¡­. Can I play a strategy game against you?¡± Flit blinked, surprised, then chuckled and shook their head. ¡°What, you think you¡¯ll beat me?¡± ¡°I think I can, at any rate.¡± TO said. Flit shook their head again before glancing at Snout, ¡°Look at this; the arrogance of youth.¡± they chuckled, then nodded at TO, ¡°Sure, and I¡¯ll even let you choose the game.¡± Episode 361; Simple The game that Flit found for them to play was a civilian one which TO had never played before. Flit hadn¡¯t played it before either, so that¡¯s why they both agreed on it. The game was some kind of combat simulation where they lead their troops instead of being directly involved in combat and was very much like some of the earlier games they played in training before they started doing simulations. The scenario took place in a strange, oddly beautiful alien terrain but the screen was obscured in places so that they couldn¡¯t pass a rather limited distance. They didn''t even have a full map of the setting, so all TO could see was the immediate area around where they started. Their training took over. The aim was to take the enemy base by attacking it. They had resources; they had troops, and the ability to gather more resources and create better troops. Information was the prime objective in this early stage. They had to fill out their map and figure out the landscape, the location of enemies, and the placement of resources. Then, they had to build up their resources and their army and launch an attack. TO figured that this boiled down to who found and gathered resources the quickest. The extra materials they had on hand allowed them to create some scouts, which would reveal the map as they traveled so TO quickly figured out the best way to cover the map in the least amount of time. They found resources and started the slow process of gathering them as they searched for the location of the enemy. =You are under attack= The alert came as a surprise to TO. They hadn¡¯t been playing long, and they couldn¡¯t imagine that Flit had already gotten the necessary supplies, so what was happening here? They went back to their base to see what was attacking them. Was there an enemy unrelated to either of the players which could attack them, a native beast from the wilds that would give them trouble? No. As they went back to their base, they saw not some alien enemy born of the strange planet they were on, nor did they see large soldiers and combat troops attacking their base and defensive units. They saw an enormous mass of the cheapest, least combat effective units available. Sure, they could do damage; all troops could, but they did such minor damage it wasn¡¯t worth using them for combat. Well, that¡¯s what TO thought. Early on and in such large numbers¡­ Well, TO¡¯s defensive units could kill them in a single shot, sure, but that still took precious seconds. By the time three of the enemy units were slain, TO''s own defensive units were mulched by a wave of cheap, weak enemies all hitting at once for minuscule damage that added up. TO quickly pulled their scouts back and did their best to defend their base and stop the attack, but it was too late. Having lost valuable troops already, the enemy surged over their base like a tidal wave. An apt description, TO thought, an individual drop of water won¡¯t hurt anything, but a wave can be devastating. It wasn¡¯t long before TO¡¯s screen went black, and the word ¡°Failure¡± flashed before them in glowing red letters. ¡°¡­You didn¡¯t think before you started, did you?¡± Flit asked, leaning forward, lacing their fingers together and resting their chin on the back of their hands. ¡°I did!¡± TO said, ¡°I read the rules, and I knew what I had to do-¡° ¡°You thought about the game; not about me.¡± They said, ¡°You were trying to win the game, not beat me.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that the same?¡± TO asked. From the corner of the room where Snout was showing DH some kind of craft involving strands of repurposed clothing and long metal needles, the former production officer shook their head and sighed, ¡°They do this.¡± They said, ¡°It¡¯s not enough to beat you, they have to rub your nose in it too.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not rubbing their nose in it!¡± Flit insisted, ¡°I¡¯m teaching them. It¡¯s what I do.¡± ¡°Then teach them, don¡¯t drag the lesson out of them.¡± Snout said. ¡°It¡¯s the best way to learn!.¡± Flit said. They looked back to TO, ¡°Tell me, what¡¯s the difference between beating the game, and beating me?¡± TO blinked, ¡°it¡¯s the same?¡± They said, ¡°TO beat you, I have to beat the game.¡± ¡°Alright then, tell me; why did you lose?¡± TO frowned, ¡°... I lost because you used non-combat troops in combat?¡± TO said. ¡°No, that¡¯s how I won. How did you lose?¡± TO¡¯s ears flicked back in frustration. Wasn¡¯t that the same thing? Despite their frustration, they pushed their mind to get an answer; they had to figure this out. ¡°¡­ I lost because I didn¡¯t think of using non-combat troops in combat?¡± Flit chuckled, ¡°Maybe.¡± They said, ¡°Here, take this away for a little.¡± they pressed a button, on the screen, and a few moments later TO heard their communicator ding. When they looked, they saw Flit had sent them a video of the battle, but one where they could actually see both sides of the map. ¡°Watch the recording, think about it, and see if you can figure out something and implement it for next time.¡± Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. ¡°Ugh¡­ They do that too.¡± Snout said. They carefully passed the craft to DH, who held the long metal sticks awkwardly in their hands as though they might bite, and slowly started working with the strands of old fabric. ¡°TO, keep in mind that next time you play¡­ They¡¯re going to beat you harder than they did this time.¡± TO¡¯s ears pinned back again, ¡°They won¡¯t.¡± TO said, saving the video on their communicator, ¡°Next time we play, I¡¯m going to beat them harder than anyone has ever beaten them before!¡± Snout chuckled, but TO wasn¡¯t sure if they were chuckling at them or at the sudden mess that DH had made with the craft. ¡°Well, do your best, and don¡¯t feel too bad for losing against Flit.¡± They said, ¡°They¡¯re pretty smart.¡± ¡°TO is pretty smart too.¡± Flit said, ¡°I have no doubt they¡¯ll beat me¡­ Eventually. And I¡¯ll be very proud of them when they do.¡± ====== The first thing they had to do once they were done with their lunch was help get the ship packed and ready. Once they got to their ship, it took TO very little time to open up all the different areas that the others needed to access in order to pack up the supplies for the trip. They didn¡¯t sit idly once that was done, of course; there was a lot to do, and the others were busy packing things up. They set up the chemical toilets and washing stations, just so that they would be ready as soon as they took off. Once they finished that, TO had to prepare the safety devices for takeoff. The force people experience in a ship as it leaves a planet is intense, and can cause serious, fatal issues. So, while smuggling people on board a ship to escape an unfriendly planet sounded fine, leaving a planet¡¯s gravitational pull caused some real problems. The solution the insurgency came up with was absolutely, stupidly simple. Ages ago, someone had made a series of straps which formed a harness, complete with electromagnets strong enough to secure a person to the floor. To protect a person''s joints and their more vital and delicate bones, they had designed a set of oddly shaped pillows which would cradle and protect those areas. An egg-shaped capsule held anyone too small to be strapped. The capsule had padding designed for each person individually, measured to fit their form and keep them safe. Straps would hold the capsule in place once the person was inside. It wasn¡¯t just for babies and infants either. Vik would have to be in such a capsule for takeoff. Again, it was stupidly simple, and those were often the solutions that TO liked but today it was this kind of solution that infuriated them. It that reminded them of Flit¡¯s stupid simple solution of sending worker troops into combat and overwhelming them. The more TO thought about it the more they cursed themself for not thinking about it and the more they plotted to do better next time. That was what they were thinking about as they worked; their plan for next time. They were nearly done with the tedious tasks when the elevator opened and let Tham out. ¡°Alright; We packed most everything up.¡± He said as he snaked his way over towards TO, ¡°There¡¯s still food that Lake and Avery are working on, but I think if we work in shifts of two or three, with the rate those two are packing stuff we should be able to keep up just fine.¡± ¡°Mm-hmm.¡± TO heard what they said, of course, but they weren¡¯t paying attention; their mind was split between the harness they were setting up which had somehow twisted around and gotten kinked up in the fastenings, and their plan for the next game they played with flit. It¡¯s too easy to just do what they did with the workers, Flit will expect that. Of course, that doesn¡¯t mean they won¡¯t do it again. ¡°Now, there''s an older person coming with us who has aches in all his joints, and another who has a medical condition where their joints are really fragile. We can try them with the straps, but I saw that the seats in the emergency ship look secure, so maybe they can work instead?¡± ¡°Mmm.¡± Was TO¡¯s thoughtful response. I¡¯ll have to put more energy into defending the base first. But, how many resources can I get with just the basic number of starting workers? I won¡¯t find resources fast enough if I don¡¯t scout. A hand on TO¡¯s shoulder made them jump and a mix between a squeak and a chirp escaped from their throat. ¡°What kind of noise was that?¡± Tham said with a chuckle. ¡°The startled kind!¡± TO said as their ears warmed, ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Are you even listening to me? The chairs in the emergency ship? Can we use them?¡± They had in fact been listening to Tham; they had just put no thought into the words he was saying. ¡°Absolutely not.¡± TO said, ¡°The chairs in our living space can rotate to accommodate a vertical takeoff; the ones in the emergency ship can¡¯t.¡± They went over a few possibilities in their head which might work. ¡°Those two can use our chairs, and DH and I will strap down on the beds. We need to be in the living quarters, close to the console just in case there¡¯s an issue.¡± Tham nodded, ¡°Good, thank you.¡± He said, ¡°Though, even in your chairs I¡¯m worried they might get hurt.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll make sure DH is ready to help them once we¡¯re in orbit.¡± TO said. Hopefully, they¡¯d get into orbit without issues; their shields should be able to handle anything that¡¯s fired at them while they¡¯re escaping gravity, but once they were in orbit, that¡¯s when they¡¯d be more open to attack. The elevator opened again, and when TO looked over they saw Marissa come carrying a box on her shoulders and looking around the weapons bay in a mix of fear and awe. ¡°Is¡­ is this all underground?¡± She asked, looking at the blackened windows. ¡°No, we¡¯re above ground now.¡± TO said, ¡°but I¡¯ve set the windows to privacy mode out so the security drones around the ship can¡¯t see us.¡± ¡°Ah. right.¡± She said, the red color to her face and tentacles darkening as she looked to the floor. TO noticed that her tentacles were also curling up around her, twisting into tight little spirals. ¡°Is everything ok, Marissa?¡± Tham asked, ¡°What¡¯s the box?¡± ¡°Oh! Uh, it¡¯s supplies for the infants.¡± She said, ¡°Your instructions said they came up here.¡± TO nodded and gestured to a spot under the console where a small space remained. Wordless, she went over and put the box away. ¡°You can take a break now, Marissa.¡± Tham said, ¡°We¡¯re going on shifts for the rest of the evening to pack up the food. Go get some rest.¡± Marissa nodded, but didn¡¯t move from where she was. After a moment of silence, she cleared her throat. ¡°I was actually wondering if I could talk to TO for a moment?¡± She asked. ¡°Of course.¡± TO said, their ears perking up. Things had been easier among the civilians for them since Pearla helped them, but things were still a little more tense than they¡¯d like. Besides, Marissa was the first civilian down here to seem comfortable around them; they¡¯d made time for her. ¡°I¡­ was wondering If I could talk to you alone?¡± She asked as she glanced at Tham, her color darkening further.¡± ¡°Sure, I¡¯ll be by the entrance setting up the shifts for tonight.¡± He said as he headed to the elevator. Once he passed Marissa, he turned around and gave TO a meaningful look. Well, it was meaningful in that TO knew he was trying to to tell them something, but they had no idea what that might be. The elevator closed, and he was alone with the young, red Cephaloid. Synth 362; Crush Marissa was oddly quiet after Tham had left, confusing TO, who thought that she wanted to speak with them. ¡°Is everything alright?¡± they asked. Maybe something was wrong, something that was hard to talk about. They suddenly remembered her brother, who they had rescued from the indebted center. He had been weak from malnutrition, as were several others. ¡°Is your brother alright?¡± perhaps they hadn¡¯t recovered as the others had, or perhaps there was some kind of complication which sprang from their malnutrition. Her eyes widened, and her tentacles stilled around her. ¡°Oh¡­Oh yes,¡± she said, her color fading slightly to cool red. ¡°Yes, he¡¯s fine.¡± She looked away. ¡°Well, mostly fine, I suppose. He¡¯s still weak, but he¡¯s getting better.¡± ¡°He¡¯s eating well, then.¡± TO said, ¡°That¡¯s good. If I recall, he was more malnourished than many of the others... which is odd. At the very least, the indebted center is supposed to ensure that people have the food they need, and accommodate for any medical issues.¡± They wrinkled up their snout, their ears pinning back, ¡°Of course, that doesn¡¯t mean the food they¡¯ll give you is any good¡± ¡°W-well, I suppose that¡¯s the problem.¡± She said, ¡°My brother is... picky. and I don¡¯t mean like a kid is picky and doesn¡¯t want to eat vegetables, no. I mean, He seems to have some strange phobia of certain kinds of textures. Of course, they don¡¯t really count that as a dietary or medical issue. Even without us leaving the planet and all, if you left him in there, he¡¯d probably starve to death.¡± ¡°... The food isn¡¯t that bad.¡± TO said, frowning, ¡°I mean, it¡¯s awful, but it should make anyone sick¡± ¡°My brother has something like a phobia for certain textures.¡± She said, frowning, ¡°And...it happens to be the same texture as the glop they serve in the indebted center.¡± She shook her head. ¡°Can you imagine having to eat something you¡¯re terrified of just to survive? He did his best, but...¡± TO was about to point out that they hate bugs, but they eat them every day... of course, they couldn¡¯t even look at their food if it looked like a bug. Since they got here, their food had either been shelled so that it looked nothing like a bug, or worked into different shapes and textures. Then, TO had an abjectly horrifying thought. What if they were hematophagous? What if they had to drink blood every single day, multiple times a day, in order to survive? Would they be able to do it? They¡¯d try for sure, but they didn¡¯t know how much they could handle without throwing up, or fainting. ¡°I didn¡¯t know someone could have a thing like that.¡± TO said, their ears dipping down, ¡°Your brother is very brave, very strong to manage as they did.¡± Marissa suddenly smiled and gave a soft chuckle as she shook her head. ¡°Strong, sure, but it¡¯s more likely that he¡¯s just determined and willful.¡± She sighed, ¡°You know, when we were younger, I¡¯d have to babysit him from time to time, and I hated it. If he decided to do something, or decided he wasn¡¯t going to do something, nothing and nobody could stop him. I guess he decided he was going to survive that place.¡± ¡°I¡¯m very glad he¡¯s ok.¡± TO said, ¡°And that you and him will be leaving with us¡± As they spoke, she cleared her throat and looked aside once more, their color reddening once more. ¡°Yeah. I Uh... I wanted to thank you for that.¡± She said, ¡°You know, getting him out of there.¡± ¡°Well... I was there for a bunch of people!¡± TO said, their own ears warming. It was a pleasant change to have a civilian thanking them for what they did, sure, but they weren¡¯t used to it. ¡°Well... I still wanted to thank you!¡± she insisted, ¡°And... if there¡¯s anything I can do for you-¡° ¡°That¡¯s entirely unnecessary!¡± TO said, ¡°Really. You¡¯re working hard enough with loading up the ship, and you really should spend some time with your brother before we take off tomorrow.¡± Their ears dipped, ¡°I... don¡¯t know how we¡¯re going to do tomorrow, but just in case, spend time with the people you care about.¡± Marissa was quiet for a moment, then nodded and headed to the elevator. She pushed the button, but as she was waiting for it to come back up, she spun around again. Her face was several shades darker than it had been a moment before, and she twisted her tentacles into tight coils. Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original. ¡°Is it true that DH is your partner?¡± ¡°My partner?¡± They frowned. ¡°I mean, they¡¯re working more with Goretta at the moment.¡± She sighed, ¡°No, not like that.¡± she said, ¡°I mean... Is it true they¡¯re your romantic partner?¡± Despite the fact that most of the people they spoke to on a day-to-day basis now knew that they and DH had a romantic relationship, and despite the fact that there was nothing wrong with such a thing here, they still felt that odd twist to their stomach as their ears dipped and flushed. ¡°Why do you ask?¡± their ears pinned back almost defensively as they spoke. ¡°I... Wanted to know if you had a partner?¡± ¡°Yes, but why?¡± Her color deepened, and for a moment it looked as though she wanted to run away. A moment passed, and she closed her eyes and balled her hands into fists. ¡°Because... Because if you didn¡¯t, I was wondering if you... wanted a partner...¡± TO was already feeling relatively stupid after being absolutely destroyed by Flit in that game earlier. Now, as they recalled being told several times by several people that Marissa had a ¡®crush¡¯ on them, that feeling grew exponentially. ¡°Sorry, that¡¯s a weird way to phrase it.¡± Marissa continued, ¡°I mean, uh, if you... if you wanted to spend some time-¡° ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry.¡± TO said, their ears low and blue as they wished they could just disappear, ¡°Apologies. Uh, it¡¯s not- it wasn¡¯t wise to talk about that kind of thing back when I was...Still a synth.¡± They cleared their throat, ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have been so defensive¡± ¡°No, no, I¡¯m sorry, I shouldn¡¯t have asked. It was a stupid question-¡° ¡°It wasn¡¯t.¡± TO said as they looked away, ¡°Uh... DH is my... my partner, I suppose.¡± Could they rewind time? physics said no, but if there was any way to break physics and reverse the last few minutes so that they could have handled this with a little more grace, they would. ¡°Though, we normally just say mate.¡± information flooded their mind, the studying they had done of the last few days tumbling out of their mouth, ¡°Actually, in Chilacian, it would be Erasti. Normally every Chilacian will end up with an Erasti, unless they¡¯re an Ankyra. that¡¯s something like the center of the family, I suppose. Avery is mine-¡± They paused, ¡°You... know Avery, yes?¡± ¡°Y-yes,¡± she said, her color fading off once more since she now seemed more confused than anything else by the sudden flood of information from TO. ¡°I... I asked them, but I wasn¡¯t sure if they really understood.¡± She looked away, ¡°But... but yeah. No. Uh, Erasti is a romantic partner, right?¡± ¡°Right.¡± ¡°And... DH is yours, right?¡± TO nodded, their ears flushing once more. It was still so odd for them to just be able to say that, and a part of them still expected to see that specific flicker of ears that showed such disgust, despite the fact that she hardly had any ears, and what she did have she couldn¡¯t move. ¡°That¡¯s good,¡± she said after a minute, and as she turned away from them, TO could see the hint of tears forming in her eyes. ¡°I¡¯m happy for you¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± TO said in a soothing voice. ¡°No... no, I¡¯m sorry. I Uh... I shouldn¡¯t have asked.¡± Having never been in this situation before, TO had no idea what they were supposed to do. This wasn¡¯t normally a part of any shows they had seen; most shows skimmed over these situations, and let the characters speak about it afterwards. ¡°Is... is there anything I can do?¡± They finally asked. ¡°You¡¯re upset... is there anything I can do to help?¡± Marissa gave a bitter laugh and turned away, her hand going to her face. ¡°You could forget this conversation ever happened.¡± She said. ¡°I¡¯m not good at forgetting things...¡± TO said, ¡°But... I can promise not to bring it up, and not to think about it in the future?¡± ¡°That would be great. thanks.¡± She mumbled. The elevator door finally opened up. It took so long that TO was certain that some people moving about food supplies must have been using it. The moment the doors slid open, Marissa dodged inside and pressed the button. There was an awkward few seconds where neither of them said anything, then the doors blissfully closed. with a groan, TO sat back on a storage box, and put their face in their hands. Maybe if they had been a little more aware, or if they hadn¡¯t been so anxious about being asked what DH was to them, then maybe they could have handled that better and she wouldn¡¯t have left in tears. They didn¡¯t even know her that well, but she was one of the few civilians who had always been kind to TO. The idea that maybe now she¡¯d avoid them left a distinctly unpleasant feeling in their stomach, and they silently wished that there was some way they could make this situation better, some way they could make things easier for her. Romance was a difficult situation and TO was only just getting a handle on their own romantic life; they weren¡¯t in any position to help anyone else in this field. ====== ¡°Hey heartbreaker.¡± Tham said when TO left the elevator several minutes later. ¡°Don¡¯t¡± TO hissed, their ears pinning back, ¡°I feel awful.¡± Tham sighed, ¡°I get that.¡± He said. ¡°Though she¡¯s been told had a partner. I don¡¯t know. Maybe she thought you were open to other partners.¡± TO groaned as they rubbed the space between their eyes. ¡°What do I do?¡± they asked. ¡°I didn¡¯t want to make her feel bad. What do I do? How do I fix this?¡± Tham laughed much more honestly and heartedly than TO expected, or had ever heard before. ¡°Well, first of all, you can¡¯t fix it.¡± He shook their head, and let a brief grin cross his face, ¡°Second... Well, I¡¯d not worry too much about it.¡± ¡°But she¡¯s upset!¡± TO said, ¡°And it¡¯s my fault-¡° ¡°Well, no, it¡¯s not.¡± Tham said, ¡°But either way, she won¡¯t be upset for long¡± TO blinked, their ears flicking forward once more. ¡°How do you know that?¡± ¡°Pearla knows her relatively well.¡± Tham said, ¡°She used to come to the old shelter before she got thrown into the indebted program. Now, I don¡¯t know specifics, but Pearla said she¡¯s the kind to fall for a person fast. She¡¯s also, apparently, the type who gets up again and falls again really fast.¡± they smirked at TO, ¡°So, I¡¯m willing to bet that by the time we¡¯re on that ship in the morning, she¡¯s fallen for someone else.¡± Synth 363: Interperation ¡°I¡¯m certain you can just message people, right?¡± TO asked as Tham leaned against the side of the ship. ¡°You don¡¯t have to wait around here.¡± ¡°I might as well.¡± Tham said, ¡°I mean, some people may not have their communicators on them, right?¡± ¡°Who doesn¡¯t carry a communicator with them at all times?¡± TO said, their ears going parallel to the ground. Tham frowned as they eyed their ears, began to say something, then stopped and chuckled. ¡°I was gonna say that you don¡¯t have to take that tone with me, but you didn¡¯t really take a ¡®tone¡¯ now, did you?¡± He shook his head, ¡°You don¡¯t gotta flatten your ears at me!¡± TO blinked, stared at TO for a moment, then couldn¡¯t help it as their ears perked up and their eyes widened. ¡°You¡­ you read my ears!¡± Tham huffed and turned away, ¡°Well, some shit is easy, you know.¡± He muttered, ¡°Like when you¡¯re angry, or you¡¯re sad, or you¡¯re happy.¡± They glanced at TO, ¡°when they flatten out, when then go parallel to the ground, I feel like you¡¯re irritated, or sarcastic, or just kinda done.¡± With a low, clicking hum, TO considered this. They had never really thought about describing the movement of their ears, to offer an interpretation in words for what the movements meant. They were so reflexive to TO, and so inherently understood that even trying was difficult. ¡°I suppose?¡± They said after a few moments, ¡°I mean, It could be sarcasm, I suppose, or irritation, or maybe exasperation?¡± ¡°How do you tell the difference?¡± Tham asked, frowning. ¡°How do I tell the difference between you frowning because you¡¯re angry, frowning because you¡¯re sad, or frowning because you¡¯re concerned?¡± TO asked. They paused, ¡°Well, to be fair, there are certain tells that I¡¯ve been made aware of in a general sense. The movement of eye ridges, along with the shape of the eyes, and tensing of the facial and lip muscles all apparently work together.¡± They glanced at Tham, ¡°For example, I¡¯m pretty sure your relaxed facial muscles, open mouth, raised brows and wide eyes are a clear sign of surprise.¡± Tham¡¯s colouring deepened as they schooled their expression into something more neutral. ¡°So you can do that, but-¡° ¡°I¡¯ve learned that.¡± TO said as they gestured to their bracelet, ¡°The helmet I wear will analyze facial expressions of known species, and give me the meaning. It just so happens that the combination of mouth, brows, eyes, and facial muscles are very common. I got used to a few things.¡± They shrugged, ¡°Of course, I have trouble picking up subtle expressions, as I¡¯m sure you would have trouble picking up on subtle movements of my ears. I mean, If I was speaking¡­ Synth speak, I doubt you¡¯d be able to take my ear movements and link them to the words to give the needed meaning to what I was trying to say.¡± ¡°¡­. Your language does that?¡± Tham asked, ¡°How?¡± TO shrugged, ¡°Again, I¡¯m just used to it. I wouldn¡¯t be able to teach it, I don¡¯t think.¡± They gestured to their ears, ¡°I can¡¯t stop it either. This is all involuntary. Even thought I¡¯m talking Common now, there¡¯s subtle movements to my ears that would match with the similar sentiment in synth speak. As they spoke Tham watched TO¡¯s ears all the more closely, frowning, their brows knit in concentration. After a moment, their eyes widened once more in surprise. ¡°Fuck.¡± He said, ¡°I never noticed that.¡± He blinked, then widened his eyes again, ¡°Wait. That¡¯s why you¡¯re so certain about the lying thing!¡± ¡°Lying thing?¡± ¡°How you say that you can tell if someone is lying so long as you¡¯re face to face with them.¡± TO Nodded, ¡°Yes, the ears make a specific movement if one of us is lying about something.¡± Tham let out a low hiss, ¡°No wonder you lot don¡¯t say a lot when you¡¯re here.¡± He said, ¡°Even the few that came before you, they wouldn¡¯t say a word for ages. Eventually they did though.¡± ¡°Right¡­ the ones that came before me¡­¡± TO frowned, ¡°they¡­ all went to Apoikia, right?¡± Tham nodded, ¡°I¡¯m surprised they all agreed to it.¡± ¡°Well¡­ I¡¯m not.¡± Tham said, ¡°I didn¡¯t know the details back then, but back when Jason was around, he said he had a contact among the synths, and that some synths weren¡¯t really¡­ normal synths.¡± He shrugged, ¡°They were synths who might not want to serve King Decon, ones who were different than the others, and who would appreciate the ability to get away and live free. Once Jason set up operations here more permenantly, that was one of the big things he wanted to do: to help synths that weren¡¯t Norm-. I mean¡­¡± He frowned, trying to pick his words carefully. A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. ¡°Not normal synths is fine.¡± TO said, ¡°DH, GiDi, Avery and I always said we were strange.¡± Tham shrugged, ¡°Well, you¡¯re more normal to me than ¡®normal¡¯ synths, but anyway, sure. ¡®Strange¡¯ synths who might not want to serve King Decon. So, his contact - who ended up being Flit- would make it so that these odd synths came here. Sometimes they came to the planet itself, sometimes they went to one of the local moons, but we¡¯d do what we could to get them here, and get them off the planet and to Apoikia.¡± He shrugged, ¡°After we convinced them to eat and drink, of course.¡± ¡°Well, that explains all the missing synths.¡± TO said. ¡°Yeah. They weren¡¯t always strange though.¡± Tham said ¡°We¡¯d get a warning when a strange synth was coming. The ones who took Jason¡­ they weren¡¯t strange.¡± His eyes narrowed, ¡°And I suppose the one that killed him wasn¡¯t strange either.¡± He sighed, then shook his head, ¡°Anyway¡­ All I meant to say is that yeah, no wonder you lot don¡¯t talk a lot when you¡¯re ¡®captured¡¯. If we could pick up on the ear movement that tells us you¡¯re lying, that could make things problematic.¡± ¡°It could.¡± TO said. ¡°¡­ Hey, show me what it looks like when you lie¡± TO frowned, ¡°Why?¡± They asked, ¡°So I know in the future. You know, so I know when you¡¯re lying to me, or when any other synth-¡° ¡°Chilacian.¡± ¡°-is lying to me.¡± TO frowned, ¡°You picked up on the ear movements so far, I think you can pick up on that.¡± ¡°Oh come on.¡± Tham said, ¡°it would be good, right? Then I¡¯d know for myself if you¡¯re lying or not.¡± TO¡¯s eyes narrowed, ¡°I think it¡¯d be best if I could do that to you!¡± They snapped, ¡°Though, I guess really I¡¯d need to know when you¡¯re hiding stuff; like that failsafe.¡± Tham¡¯s face darkened again, and they looked away, ¡°Look¡­. I¡¯m sorry.¡± He muttered, ¡°We made what we thought was the best decision at the time, and for what it¡¯s worth, Pearla already tore a strip outta me.¡± ¡°¡­ I¡¯m more angry at Vik.¡± TO said after a moment of silence. ¡°Because they programmed it?¡± Tham asked. ¡°Because they hurt DH.¡± Tham sighed, ¡°If it helps, Vik¡¯s pretty upset too.¡± They said, ¡°He was really starting to get along with DH, and he misses them.¡± ¡°And we¡¯re both still angery at GiDi too.¡± TO said, ¡°Probably¡­ both of us are more hurt about that than we are about you and Vik.¡± They shrugged, ¡°GiDi¡¯s family, they shouldn¡¯t have kept that from us.¡± Of course, Tham was almost family too, more or less. GiDi was Family. Pearla was GiDi¡¯s mate, and they all liked Pearla well enough, so she was family too. given that the blood relation between Pearla and THam was so important to her, it was hard to say that Tham was then not family. Still, they weren¡¯t going to tell him that just yet. ¡°Look, I got nothing like that.¡± He said, ¡°Not that I know if anyway. You can ask Pholi later if you want. Apparently, there¡¯s certain tells that people have which can signal if they¡¯re lying or not, but I have no idea if I do, or what it is. But If I did, or if there was some kind of universal ¡®I¡¯m lying¡¯ flag for Nagarajins, then I¡¯d tell you.¡± TO sighed, then looked at Tham straight on so he could see both ears. ¡°It¡¯s absolutly vital that you stay here and talk to every single person whose been delivering stuff to the ship. It won¡¯t do to just send a message to them.¡± They gave tham a look, their ears flattening once more, ¡°Did you get the way my ears moved then?¡± Tham sighed, ¡°I don¡¯t have much else to do.¡± They said, ¡°I might as well make sure everyone knows they can take some time off and spend it with friends and family.¡± *Shouldn¡¯t you be spending time with your family?* The words were right on the tip of TO¡¯s tongue, but they stopped them from tumbling out. Of course, Tham¡¯s family was Pearla, and she was with GiDi. So, just like To couldn¡¯t spend time with GiDI, Tham couldn¡¯t spend time with Pearla. They let a sign fall from their lips as they looked over the Nagarajin. Family, yes, but TO still didn¡¯t really want to tell him that. ¡°Look¡­¡± They said, trying to think of something to do, some way to make things easier for Tham. Their eyes landed on the sling that held their injured arm, ¡°When¡¯s the last time you had your arm checked?¡± ¡°Ah, a few days ago.¡± He admitted. ¡°Well¡­ come on.¡± TO said as they headed towards the tunnel, ¡°I¡¯m going to go get DH, whose in the dorms with Goretta. You can get her, or them to check your arm and see if you still need that sling.¡± They frowned, ¡°Besides, there¡¯s someone in the dorms with a bad infection on their arm. they had to get a chunk removed today, and I dont¡¯ think it¡¯d be great if the same had to happen to you. So, best to get it checked.¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t hurt more than normal though.¡± Tham said. When He glanced at TO though, he saw how their ears were once more flat to the ground. He sighed, took out his communicator, and sent off a quick message before falling in line behind TO. ¡°Good.¡± To said, their ears perking up slightly, ¡°Best to have to checked just to be sure. There¡¯s a lot going on tomorrow, and if you can make good use of your arm, then that¡¯ll help us a lot. More. If you can, of if it¡¯s infected, then it¡¯s best to get that checked now, before it gets worse. ¡°Yes *mom*.¡± Tham sighed. ¡°¡­ Yonis.¡± TO said. ¡°What?¡± ¡°A Chilacian parent is a Yonis.¡± they said. They glanced back at Tham, ¡°Words like ¡®mom¡¯ and ¡®dad¡¯ imply a gender. We don¡¯t have one.¡± ¡°I know. It¡¯s a joke.¡± Tham said. They chuckled And shook their head again, ¡°Fine, whatever. IS there a word for a *yonis* that¡¯s particularly overprotective?¡± ¡°Not that I know of.¡± Tham gave an exaggerated sigh, and somehow TO knew that if his ears moved as TO¡¯s did, they¡¯d be perfectly parallel to the ground ¡°Ah,¡± he said, ¡°Shame.¡± Episode 364: Kids \As they were walking down the halls, Tham suddenly stopped and grabbed TO¡¯s shoulder, stopping them in their tracks. ¡°Wait.¡± He said, ¡°Let¡¯s take the long way around.¡± TO frowned at him, ¡°Why?¡± They said, ¡°I¡¯d like to get there as soon as possible-¡° ¡°I know.¡± He said, ¡°but¡­ I¡¯d rather not go the normal way right now.¡± ¡°Why not?¡± He gave TO a long stare, then cleared his voice. ¡°Because the shorter path goes past GiDi¡¯s room.¡± They were about to ask why that mattered since they were certain GiDi and Pearla would have the door closed, but then recalled how loud they themself could be in normal circumstances. ¡°Right.¡± TO said as they abruptly took the other path heading down the longer, winding corridor to the dorms in an awkward silence. ¡°¡­ How long is that thing supposed to last?¡± Tham said after they had walked for a while. ¡°It¡¯s supposed to be over today.¡± TO said, their ears burning. How did the Chilacians on Apoikia handle this? They hadn¡¯t gotten to that part of the file yet, but TO imagined that this whole ¡®thing¡¯ was hard to hide or keep quiet. ¡°I know it¡¯ll be over by tomorrow.¡± Tham grumbled, ¡°But¡­ will it be early evening? Overnight?¡± they gave a joyless chuckle. ¡°Does it end when our three moons all pass the apex of the sky?¡± TO¡¯s ears flicked, ¡°As far as I know, the moon cycles are irrelevant to our biology.¡± They looked back at Tham. ¡°What¡¯s that from, anyway?¡± They asked. ¡°¡­ An old story from when I was a kid.¡± Tham said after a moment, ¡°How do you know I didn¡¯t just make it up?¡± ¡°Because that¡¯s not how you talk.¡± TO said, ¡°Anyway¡­ I have no idea.¡± ¡°But you¡¯re a synth too, and you have a mate, so-¡° ¡°I don¡¯t know!¡± TO said again, their blue ears flicking down and pinning back. ¡°I have no experience with this!¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± Tham said. the awkward silence set in once more, and for a while TO was happy with it as it gave them a moment to collect themself and let their ears cool. Once they were more composed, they cleared their voice again, ¡°I¡¯m sure Pearla will contact you when she¡¯s free.¡± They said. ¡°You¡¯d think she could make time for me before tomorrow.¡± He grumbled, ¡°I mean, this is all none of my business and I¡¯m happy for her¡­ But tomorrow might be dangerous, and I¡¯d like to talk to her before then.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll talk to you as soon as she can,¡± TO said. ¡°If she could, I¡¯m sure she¡¯d talk to you right away.¡± ¡°Are you now?¡± Tham said, and though TO didn¡¯t look back, they could hear the way his tail slapped against the stone floor, ¡°Well, she made time for you, didn¡¯t she?¡± A pang of guilt and sympathy ran through TO. She had, that was true. Pearla had slipped away while GiDi was sleeping to help TO with the civilians, and while she was helping TO, her interactions with Tham were mostly angry. ¡°That was different.¡± TO said, ¡°There had been an issue in the dorms, and I needed help to get things done.¡± ¡°Yeah, and then she still had time to follow you up to the ship where she made time to tell me off¡­¡± TO wanted to point out that she wouldn¡¯t have done that if Tham hadn¡¯t been complicit in the failsafe that he, GiDi, and Vik had set up in their brains. Still, this wasn¡¯t the time for it. ¡°I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll message you as soon as she¡¯s free.¡± TO said instead. ¡°She¡¯s your sister, and she cares about you, so she would, yes?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Tham said, ¡°She was pretty angry.¡± ¡°Well¡­ you told her to talk to you when she¡¯s done, right?¡± Silence met TO¡¯s ears at the end of their question, and they turned around to look at Tham. ¡°You didn¡¯t?¡± ¡°Well, she was angry. I figured she¡¯d talk to me if she wanted to.¡± ¡°¡­ But she¡¯s your sister, and we¡¯re leaving tomorrow.¡± TO said, their ears once more flattening out. ¡°Of course she¡¯s going to walk to talk to you.¡± Tham shrugged, ¡°I dunno. She will if she wants.¡± TO¡¯s ears went parallel once more, but then they perked up, flicking with interest. ¡°Huh¡­ fascinating.¡± ¡°What¡¯s fascinating?¡± Tham said, frowning. ¡°Just that I guess this is what Avery felt like back before DH and I became a couple.¡± TO said, ¡°Just¡­ amazed at the level of¡­ well, ¡®stupidity¡¯ seems rather harsh but-¡° ¡°Hey now!¡± Tham said, his eyes narrowing. ¡°Watch it.¡± TO sighed and turned around to continue down the hallway. ¡°Just send her a message saying you want to talk to her when she¡¯s free, regardless of how early or late it is.¡± TO said, ¡°She¡¯s your sister, and she cares about you; she¡¯ll want to talk to you before everything happens tomorrow. Family is important to her.¡± ¡°I hope so,¡± Tham said as he followed behind TO, ¡°Otherwise, if things go sideways, our last conversation will end up being an argument.¡± Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings. ====== ¡°Really, you should have come here sooner!¡± Goretta snapped as she cut away the bandages on Tham¡¯s arm. ¡°I told you I needed to check this at least once a day.¡± ¡°I figured if it was really important you¡¯d tell me!¡± Tham protested. ¡°How? When?¡± Goretta snapped, ¡°I haven¡¯t had two seconds to sit and think about anything that wasn¡¯t an immediate, pressing concern.¡± Tham, who was now sitting on a table while Goretta cut away bandages, gave a heavy sigh, ¡°It doesn¡¯t hurt.¡± He said, ¡°No more than usual, anyway.¡± ¡°That¡¯s very good. How much is the usual amount of pain?¡± Goretta snapped. The last of the bandages came off, and TO saw the wound for the first time. The color drained from their face - Blood, cracking bones, scalpel through skin. -As they saw dried blood sticking to Tham¡¯s red skin, and the simple stitches that held the ragged edges of the wound together, now encrusted with dried blood. TO turned away, their ears low as they tried to figure out if the smell of antiseptic was lingering in their mind, or if Goretta was using some while she examined the wound. They knew the smell of latex was real as they heard the snap of the plastic as Goretta put her gloves on. ¡°It doesn¡¯t look too bad.¡± She said, ¡°Maybe a little inflamed, but not infected.¡± ¡°I told you.¡± Tham said, ¡°It¡¯s fine-¡° ¡°Well, if you had come earlier, I might have been able to clean this up a little better and put something on it to reduce the inflammation!¡± TO heard a bottle open, and a moment later heard a hiss of pain from Tham. ¡°This isn¡¯t supposed to hurt, Tham.¡± Goretta said with a chuckle. ¡°It didn¡¯t¡­ I just thought it would.¡± While a person¡¯s tone of voice was still difficult for them to make out without being able to look at faces, TO was certain that if Tham had mobile ears, they¡¯d be low and flushed. ¡°Anyway, it was cold, and I didn¡¯t expect that!¡± ¡°Well, we¡¯ll clean this up at least and put a bandage on it. If you¡¯re careful, I don¡¯t think you¡¯ll need the sling anymore. You¡¯re lucky the shot missed bone, you know.¡± ¡°Yeah, I know,¡± Tham said. ¡°Look, it¡¯s not like I went out there trying to get shot, or that I was being careless. Things kind of went crazy!¡± He huffed, ¡°Just like I¡¯m sure TO didn¡¯t go down there thinking, ¡®You know what, when this is done, I¡¯m gonna faint just for fun.¡¯¡± ¡°I indeed did not.¡± TO said, their ears warming. ¡°Well, at any rate, you should be fine.¡± Goretta said, ¡°I want to check this daily though. Last thing I need is for you to get an infection. You probably wouldn¡¯t come to me about it until it got to the point where I had to cut something off!¡± ¡°Told you.¡± TO said. Tham sighed, ¡°Well, I¡¯m here now.¡± He muttered, ¡°Pardon me for being busy.¡± TO sat down on a nearby chair, letting their head and stomach settle from the sight of blood. At least the red blood didn¡¯t seem to affect them as much as their own blue blood did, and dried blood had even less of an effect. Still, they were happy for a moment to sit and collect themself. ¡°Uncle Tham!¡± TO¡¯s ears perked up since they recognized Constance¡¯s voice, and their confusion lasted only a moment as they recalled Constance calling Pearla, ¡®auntie Pearla¡¯. They turned to see the young shark like girl pulling herself towards Tham on her little cart. It wasn¡¯t just her though, there were five or six children had followed her in her rush towards Tham. ¡°Well hi there, Constance.¡± Tham said, and instantly his entire body language changed. Where once he had been stiff and upright, now his muscles seemed to have relaxed, and his tail lay still on the floor. He looked at the other children following her. ¡°Jayda, Rimini, you¡¯re doing better now, yeah?¡± Two other children, One scaled from head to toe with a long tail and clawed feet, and the other a Cephaloid, both nodded. The Cephaloid grinned. ¡°You should have seen the mushroom that Doctor D pulled out of my nose!¡± Tham grinned, ¡°Oh?¡± He asked, ¡°Was it big? Or just gross?¡± The scaled one, who TO figured was Rimini, wrinkled up her nose, ¡°It was big and gross!¡± She said, ¡°Jayden kept showing it to me, and he wanted to keep it, but Doctor D said that it was a *contaminant*.¡± She said the word with a big smile and spoke it so carefully that TO knew she had learned it today. ¡°So they made Jayden throw it away.¡± ¡°Doctor D?¡± TO asked, their ears flicking with confusion. ¡°That¡¯s DH!¡± Constance said. She turned to the other children. ¡°This is Tio, and they¡¯re DH¡¯s partner!¡± TO felt their ears warm as she said that. She was so direct, and that still flustered TO despite the fact that it was perfectly safe to announce that DH was their mate here. ¡°Are you a synth too?¡± One of the other kids, a Nagarajin with spiky scales, asked. ¡°I¡­ I was.¡± ¡°But.. you¡¯re not now?¡± He tilted his head at TO. TO frowned, ¡°I¡­I think that you¡¯re only a synth if you work for King Decon.¡± They said softly, quietly verbalizing what they had been thinking of for days. ¡°And¡­ what are you if you don¡¯t?¡± ¡°I think that¡¯s Chilacian then.¡± TO said as their ears flicked with worry. They didn¡¯t know if that was really a good explanation of things or not. ¡°Oh.¡± The kid looked blankly at TO for a moment more, then turned back to Tham, their eyes lighting up as they glanced at his arm. ¡°What happened to your arm!?¡± He said. ¡°Ah, that.¡± He looked at the kid. ¡°I got shot.¡± ¡°Tham!¡± TO¡¯s ears flicked down in horror, ¡°You can¡¯t just tell a kid-¡° ¡°You did!?¡± The kid, somehow, seemed more excited now than they had a minute ago. ¡°You really did? Did it hurt?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be stupid.¡± Rimini said, ¡°Of course it hurt!¡± ¡°What did it feel like!?¡± ¡°Will it scar?¡± ¡°Can I see?¡± TO shook their head and turned away as the kids clambered about to get close enough to see the wound before Goretta finished bandaging it up. ¡°How did you get shot?¡± Constance asked. ¡°It was that day you all came here to stay with us,¡± Tham said, his voice far more jovial than TO expected it to be. ¡°The Okoian police and a Special Agent came after us, and they shot me!¡± ¡°But you took care of them, right?¡± ¡°Well, actually, it was TO.¡± Tham said. ¡°I got shot pretty early on, so I wasn¡¯t much use. If It weren¡¯t for TO¡­¡± ¡°They would have got you!?¡± Jayden said, ¡°And they¡¯d send you back to jail?¡± ¡°Holding, not jail.¡± Tham said. Of course, TO knew that they wouldn¡¯t have sent Tham to the Holding center. Those who went in to catch them were out to end their lives. Still, the kids didn¡¯t need to know about that. Constance looked over at TO, her eyes bigger now than they were before, and the fins on her head perking up, ¡°You stopped them!?¡± she said. ¡°Well, yes.¡± TO said, ¡°But-¡° ¡°How many were there?¡± Jayden asked, ¡°Did they all have guns?¡± ¡°Of course they all had guns, dummy.¡± ¡°Was it hard?¡± ¡°Were they strong?¡± ¡°How did you do it?¡± The chaotic slew of questions from the children threw TO, and by the time they had an answer to one question ready to go, the kids had five more. They glanced up at Tham, who only grinned at TO while Goretta was now left to bandage his wound in relative peace. Somehow, TO felt Tham knew what would happen once he told the kids the truth. TO cleared their voice, ignored the questions for a moment, then spoke up with their voice a little louder and firmer, and with a tone that brought silence to the children. ¡°You¡¯re asking too many questions all at once.¡± They said, ¡°If you sit down and if you¡¯re quiet, I¡¯ll tell you what happened. However, must keep all questions for the end. Understood?¡± Among the chorus of promises to be quiet, and the shuffling around as the kids sat, TO missed the low chuckle Goretta gave, and the slow shake of her head as she finished bandaging Tham¡¯s arm. Episode 365: her Over recounting a very sanitized retelling of the incident in the tunnels, TO learned several important things. First; Civilian children, for the most part, are not squeamish. Except for Rimini most of the children seemed to want the goriest of details, and seemed highly disappointed when TO refused to provide such information. Second; Civilian children were brutally honest about how entertaining or boring they found a story. TO¡¯s careful, precise explanation of the events as they remembered them were apparently ¡®so boring¡¯ Third; Apparently, TO wasn¡¯t a very good storyteller. Before they had even gotten to the part where they collapsed the tunnels, the children were turning back towards Tham. He already had his wound bandaged, and trying to get the kids to pay attention to TO. ¡°Tham, can you tell it?¡± Rimini asked. ¡°Yeah, Tham does the voices, and he makes the explosion sounds!¡± Jayda said as he scooted over towards Tham. ¡°But TO¡¯s already telling it.¡± He said. ¡°But you tell stories better!¡± Rimini insisted. ¡°Please!?¡± Tham gave an apologetic look towards TO, who could only shrug and nod in response. If the kids didn¡¯t want to listen to them, well, TO would not force them to. Constance put her little hand on TO¡¯s arm, ¡°It wasn¡¯t that boring.¡± She said, with more emphasis on the word ¡®that¡¯ than TO would have liked. ¡°I¡¯ll listen to the rest of you want.¡± Though she offered to listen, she was already turning towards Tham, listening and watching carefully. ¡°It¡¯s alright.¡± TO said, ¡°GO listen to Tham tell it.¡± ¡°Are you sure?¡± She asked, already turning away from TO. ¡°I¡¯m sure.¡± TO said, ¡°I have a few things to take care of anyway, and I-¡° ¡°Ok, thanks!¡± She said, pulling herself towards Tham¡¯s apparent reenactment in process, where he was already mimicking someone sneaking around, talking about how they crept through the low, dripping, filthy tunnels. He gave special attention to how dirty the tunnels were, and provided exaggerated descriptions of the bugs that he saw down there. The bugs had been awful, but TO was certain there had not been giant millipedes with eggs on their back, or swarms of some strange dirt-louse. If there had been, TO would not have been in the tunnels. ¡°¡­He¡¯s good with kids, isn¡¯t he?¡± TO jolted. They had heard someone approaching, but paid it no mind as so many people were walking around. They looked up with warmed ears at DH, who watched Tham tell his story. ¡°He is.¡± TO said. ¡°They were all excited to see him earlier.¡± They looked back at Tham. ¡°I was apparently boring them.¡± DH watched Tham for a moment longer as he made loud noises, mimicking the sound the tunnel made as it collapsed. ¡°Well¡­¡± DH said, their ears flicking down slightly, ¡°He is a bit more animated with the kids.¡± ¡°Oh, so you think I¡¯m a bad storyteller too?¡± TO said, suppressing a chuckle. ¡°I didn¡¯t say that!¡± DH¡¯s ears flicking down in panic for a moment before they turned and saw the amusement in TO¡¯s ears. They huffed, their ears flicking parallel as they looked back to Tham, ¡°Well, in that case yes, that¡¯s exactly what I¡¯m saying!¡± TO chuckled, ¡°you¡¯re not wrong.¡± They said as they watched Tham. As he got to the part when the planetary authorities attacked them, TO¡¯s ears flicked down and they stood up suddenly, heading away from Tham and the kids. Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work! ¡°TO?¡± DH asked as they chased after them, ¡°Whats¡¯ wrong?¡± ¡°Nothing, really¡­¡± TO said, ¡°But, Tham is getting to some parts I don¡¯t want to hear about, especially not in a tone as animated as he¡¯s giving.¡± It only took DH a moment to realize what TO was saying, and to realize that Tham was indeed approaching the bit about the actual fight. They nodded, took TO¡¯s arm in their own, and hurried off with them. ====== A moment of time between TO and DH was all they could enjoy as both of them still had work to do. While TO found their own list of tasks growing ever smaller, they wanted to get everything done as soon as possible so they would have more time to spend with DH during their meal break, and more time to spend with their family when they were done for the day. Even as they performed their last checks, making sure everyone was ready to leave and knew the plan for the next day, their mind was more focused on planning the events for that night. A private meal with DH was doable, and while they considered asking if there was any of that berry juice around which they could enjoy they didn¡¯t want to risk inebriation in the morning. Snacks for them, DH, and Avery wasn''t an option, unfortunately, but maybe they could get a new flavour of that sugary drink. As was their normal habit, TO figured they¡¯d all enjoy a show, but would they watch a show they already knew and loved, or watch a new one that they had been meaning to watch? What if they¡¯d went with the new one, and didn¡¯t like it? Then, if everything went bad, the next day the last show they would have watched as a family would be one they disliked! It was almost relaxing to have such low-risk anxieties. Caught up as they were in their thoughts, they weren¡¯t paying attention to everything around them and they were entirely surprised when they saw Beck sitting on a nearby cot. The glint of the light against her claws and the whole mess that followed it replayed in their head, and they quickly dodged behind a privacy screen that was currently not in use. ¡°Beck, look, I know you want to stay here, but there¡¯s a good chance you¡¯ll die, that everyone left on the planet will die!¡± Their ears pinned back in irritation that they didn¡¯t notice Petra before dodging behind the privacy screen. Judging by how low her voice was, it seemed clear that the conversation the two were having was a private one. They¡¯d not interrupt, but while they needed to check on everyone before they left in the morning, they really didn¡¯t want to talk to Beck. Maybe they¡¯d just message Petra to check on her? ¡°I¡¯d rather die on the planet than risk being separated from Her.¡± The words hit TO¡¯s ears just as they were preparing to move on, and for a moment they felt a pang of guilt. Her? Who was her? Was there someone that Beck was trying to find, to reunite with? If so, why didn¡¯t she just tell them? ¡°Her who?¡± Petra asked, seemingly just as confused as TO was. She sighed, ¡°If there¡¯s someone you can¡¯t leave the planet without, you should have told someday! I¡¯m sure they would have done whatever they could to help.¡± Beck gave a heavy sigh, ¡°You don¡¯t understand.¡± She said. ¡°You can¡¯t understand.¡± ¡°Try me.¡± Petra said. The silence that formed between grew more and more tense with every second; like an elastic was being pulled to its limit, quivering and preparing to snap. ¡°¡­I can¡¯t.¡± Beck finally said. ¡°Why not?¡± ¡°I just can¡¯t.¡± Another sigh, this time from Petra, ¡°Can you at least tell me who ¡®she¡¯ is?¡± ¡°I *can¡¯t*.¡± The words were desperate, and almost pleading even to TO¡¯s ears. ¡°¡­ You know.¡± Petra said, ¡°My best friend has been seeing someone for months. Nearly a year. We figured she was seeing someone, but she wouldn¡¯t tell us who it was. She¡¯s legless, so we figured she was seeing some high up legged politician, and that¡¯s¡¯ why she was hiding it from us.¡± She chuckled, ¡°For a time, we even wondered if she was seeing Buteo himself! I mean, he doesn¡¯t have a partner, and doesn¡¯t seem to have any interest in one-¡° ¡°Because he¡¯s too busy acting like he¡¯s actually important, and getting drugged out of his mind when he¡¯s not ¡®on¡¯¡± Beck said. Well, that was news to TO, and they made a note to look it up later. at this point it didn¡¯t seem important, but they were curious. ¡°But when we finally found out who it was.¡± Petra continued, ¡°It turns out that her partner was a synth! The one that left Decon¡®s forces and joined the insurgency. The one whose practically leading this shit right now.¡± TO felt their ears dip down. Talk to GiDi being a synth hadn¡¯t been widely spread around the civilians, not yet. Still, Beck didn''t seem to respond to that. ¡°And¡­ I mean, yeah, it was a surprise.¡± Petra said, ¡°And we had a LOT of questions, but we didn¡¯t get angry with her. ¡° ¡°But she¡¯s your friend.¡± Beck said, ¡°You hardly know me.¡± ¡°I know you a little.¡± Petra said, ¡°I¡¯ve seen you at the shelter before, years ago. I was upset when they put you into the indebted Center¡­ I tried to get to know you better before that, but you never really talked to anyone.¡± ¡°For good reason.¡± Beck muttered. ¡°¡­ Look, I get if you got trust issues.¡± She said, ¡°I mean, I¡¯ve been burned plenty. But.. at this point, I promise, it doesn¡¯t matter who ¡®she¡¯ is. Either we can help, or we can¡¯t, but we won¡¯t know unless you tell us.¡± ¡°The only way you can help is to get me out of the tunnels.¡± She said. ¡°I don¡¯t know why I¡¯m being held here against my will!¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± Petra seemed suddenly uncertain, ¡°I¡­ I think some people are worried about your mental state.¡± She said. ¡°What?!¡± ¡°I mean, you want to stay on a planet Where Decon might end all life, and you won¡¯t tell anyone why. You have to admit, that¡¯s a little strange! And it¡¯s not uncommon for people to lose their minds in the Indebted Centre.¡± ¡°Even if I told you, You¡¯d think I¡¯m crazy¡­. Or worse.¡± ¡°Or worse what?¡± Petra asked, ¡°Tell me, what¡¯s the absolute worse case scenario you can think of?¡± ¡°Getting reported.¡± She said. ¡°And being taken away, regardless.¡± Petra gave a sudden sharp laugh, ¡°Man, you said I don¡¯t know you, but you clearly don¡¯t know me!¡± She chuckled, ¡°If I watched you murder a person, I¡¯d not report you to the authorities!¡± She paused, ¡°I might try to take things into my own hands if you hurt someone I cared about, but I wouldn¡¯t report you! Fuck that! I hate the authorities.¡± ¡°But you said those synths are your friends.¡± ¡°Yeah, but they became my friends before they were synths, and they were cool. They let me steal a bunch of food from the government building, and didn¡¯t pursue me or report me.¡± The silence stretched on once more. For a while, TO thought that Petra would give until she spoke again. ¡°Please¡­ tell me who ¡®she¡¯ is. If I can¡¯t help, then at least help me understand.¡± When Beck spoke again, she spoke so softly that Petra had to ask her to speak up. Still, thanks to TO¡¯s keen hearing they could clearly hear the name that she spoke. Even so, they listened again carefully when she repeated her words to Petra, just to make sure they hadn¡¯t misheard. ¡°Arkane.¡± Beck said, ¡°the ¡®Her¡¯ that I can¡¯t leave¡­ is Arkane.¡± Epsiode 366: Insane The silence once again dragged out between the two, this time even longer than it had before. It was especially frustration to TO this time, as the situation entirely confused them. The ¡®her¡¯ that Beck mentioned was ¡®Arkane¡¯? Did she mean the planet, or someone unfortunate enough to be named after the planet? ¡°Don¡¯t look at me like that,¡± Beck grumbled, her voice quieter than it had been before. ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m sorry.¡± Petra said, her own voice strained, ¡°Did you just say, ¡®Arkane¡¯?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°As in the planet?¡± ¡°I said you wouldn¡¯t understand.¡± TO heard the creak of the bed and assumed that Beck had gotten up. ¡°No no, wait.¡± Petra said. ¡°You really do mean Arkane, the planet?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Beck hissed, ¡°Arkane. *She* is the planet.¡± There was another stretch of silence before Beck spoke again. ¡°See. You do think I¡¯m crazy.¡± ¡°I¡­ I just never met someone before who... you know, really believed in that stuff.¡± ¡°¡®That stuff¡¯ is very important to me.¡± ¡°¡­Important enough that you¡¯d rather stay here and die?¡± Petra shot back. ¡°Like I said, you don¡¯t understand¡­¡± ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t.¡± Petra finally said, sighing, ¡°I mean, I¡¯ve heard of Seawack-, I mean, Arkanists.¡± ¡°Arkanaeth.¡± Beck snapped, ¡°And I caught what you almost said.¡± She scoffed, ¡°I should be glad you nearly used the less offensive term in the beginning.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± she whispered, ¡°I¡­ I only¡­ I didn¡¯t mean.¡± ¡°I shouldn¡¯t be surprised.¡± Beck said, ¡°Most people don¡¯t even know the proper word. Most just hear ¡®Seawacks¡¯ or ¡®Seafuckers¡¯ and roll with it.¡± TO¡¯s ears dropped down. Arkanaeth wasn¡¯t a word they were overly familiar with, but ¡®Seafuckers and ¡®Seawackers,¡¯ were. People referred to as such were often portrayed in some of the Arkanian shows that they watched, but not in a very positive manner. At best, they were portrayed as these odd, out of touch crazy people who treated the planet like their lover. At worst¡­ Well, TO had watched a show in the early days of their trip to Arkane where one such person convinced a bunch of teenagers to ¡®become one with the waters¡¯ by having an orgy on the shoreline of an abandoned island. Once it was all done, and all the teens were asleep, the antagonist went about and quietly drowned each one. Arkanaeanism, was what it was called; TO remembered that now. It was one of the old religions of Arkane, and the only one to survive with some small following today. So that¡¯s why she didn¡¯t want to say anything. TO felt their ears pin back as they listened. ¡°¡­How did you become one?¡± Petra finally asked, ¡°I mean, were your parents like that? Or, did you get involved with a cult or-¡° ¡°It¡¯s not a cult!¡± Beck snapped, ¡°And no, I didn¡¯t get involved with anyone, since nobody can talk about religion, right?¡± She huffed, ¡°honestly, a part of me still thinks you¡¯ll report me to your synth friends, but honestly if it¡¯s getting to the point where I have to choose between dying here, or leaving the planet, then it might be for the best if you do report me! They can kick me out and leave me to die here.¡± ¡°We¡¯re not going to kick you out!¡± Petra insisted. ¡°Why not? That¡¯s what I want.¡± After a few long moments of awkward silence, Beck sighed, ¡°And¡­ my parents were Arkanaeths.¡± She said, ¡°But they didn¡¯t teach me or anything. I didn¡¯t know until they died, and then I found their stuff when I was cleaning up. They kept it all locked up. I don¡¯t know if they were trying to keep me from getting involved with it, or if they were afraid I¡¯d tell someone.¡± ¡°Why would they worry about that?¡± ¡°¡­Because If I told one of my teachers when I was younger, or even just talked about it in passing, then at best I¡¯d get taken from them! At worst, they¡¯d probably get sent off to a mining colony.¡± ¡°So even though they hid that from you, on purpose, you decided-¡° ¡°I found their stuff. I was horrified, like you are, and was planning to throw it away. But stuff just made sense to me as I looked through it. It helped me.¡± She huffed, ¡°I don¡¯t expect you to understand.¡± ¡°Ok¡­ ok, ok, let¡¯s¡­ let¡¯s put that aside for a moment.¡± She said, ¡°Your parents were¡­Part of a cult?¡± ¡°A belief system.¡± You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author. ¡°A religion.¡± ¡°That Implies organization.¡± Beck said. ¡°This is a personal thing. There¡¯s no meeting or anything like that.¡± This was very different from how it seemed in the shows that TO had seen, where the ¡®leaders¡¯ of a cult or religion would go around, secretly recruiting people and giving them mysterious instructions to be in a dark and shady place at a certain time on a certain day. ¡°Ok. A belief system.¡± Petra said, ¡°And, because of that, you¡¯re part of it now-¡° ¡°No.¡± Beck said, and even TO could hear the frustration in her voice, the edge of a growl creeping up. ¡°I found their notes and books after they died. I read the notes, and I thought about it myself. Now I believe it now because it makes sense to me. It feels right.¡± ¡°And because of that¡­ you refuse to leave the planet, even if you die on it.¡± There was no response from Beck for the longest time until Petra finally sighed again and said, ¡°Seriously, just tell me. I¡¯m not going to report you to anyone.¡± ¡°I¡¯m certain there¡¯s been many people who said the same, only to have their ¡®friends¡¯ open up to them.¡± ¡°I¡¯m helping the insurgency take care of people that they¡¯ve hidden away from the authorities, and I¡¯m complicit in illegally transporting citizens off planet. Trust me; if I found anyone to report you to, I¡¯d be in a lot more shit than you.¡± ¡°¡­The belief system¡­¡± Beck started, her voice uncertain and quiet before trailing off. ¡°Look, I¡¯m not trying to recruit you, or convert you, but you want to know, so-¡° ¡°It¡¯s ok, go ahead. Help me understand.¡± Beck sighed again. ¡°The belief system views water as the source of all life.¡± Beck said, ¡°As connected to all life. It has a memory and holds a piece of everything that it touches.¡± TO¡¯s ears perked up. They had actually heard about this, but not related specifically to water. Quantum Entanglement was what it was called, and while TO¡¯s understanding of Quantum Mechanics was superficial and basic. They did recall that it had something to do with particles being linked. They only recalled this now because the document they had read used drops of water to provide a basic example. How Quantum entanglement worked TO couldn¡¯t say, and their interest in it hadn¡¯t been enough to drive them to deeper research, so all they knew was from the briefest of overviews in an article about something else. ¡°Ok, water has memory.¡± Petra said. ¡°Go on.¡± ¡°Well.. on Arkane, that means that everything that¡¯s touched the water here is connected to that water, right? Everyone who ever lived or died here still ¡®lives¡¯ in that water.¡± ¡°¡­Ok.¡± ¡°So, I believe that when I die, so long as I¡¯m here, and so long as I¡¯m put in the water, then I¡¯ll be reunited with everyone I¡¯ve ever known and lost.¡± ¡°¡­ So, your parents, right?¡± ¡°My parents, yes.¡± She said, ¡°But also¡­ My partner, who died in the water, and my child who died when he was still a toddler.¡± TO¡¯s ears dropped, and their hands went to their mouth. ¡°Oh¡­ Oh Beck.¡± Petra¡¯s voice was softer now, ¡°I didn¡¯t know you had-¡° ¡°I was young.¡± She said, ¡°Too young to have kids, really. But I loved him, and I loved our baby. When they died, I moved back in with my parents. Then they died-¡° ¡°How did they-¡° ¡°I don¡¯t want to talk about it.¡± ¡°Right.¡± Petra said. ¡°¡­ Sorry.¡± ¡°¡­ So, yeah.¡± Beck said, ¡°I believe, maybe stupidly to you, then when I die, so long as I¡¯m on this planet, and especially if my body is put in the water, I¡¯ll see my family again. My parents, my partner¡­ and my child.¡± TO took a slow breath and moved away from their hiding spot, making sure to keep out of sight. They didn¡¯t know that they could stay in hearing range for much longer without making some sound, or without saying something, and they weren¡¯t ready to talk to Beck just yet. ====== TO had always thought it was insanity for someone, anyone, to prefer death to breaking one of the aspects of a seemingly arbitrary belief system. Yes, King Decon had banned organized religion in the early days of his reign, but people were still free to practice whatever they wanted on their own. They just couldn¡¯t impose that on anyone else. Though, judging by how scared Beck was, TO guess that the government of Arkane had taken that rule and twisted it someway for some purpose, as they had many other things. They¡¯d ask someone about it later on, maybe once they were on the ship and off the planet. In the meantime, despite the confounding conclusions taken from a single scientific theory, TO¡¯s stomach churned at the thought of taking Beck from her only hope of seeing the people she loved once more. They didn¡¯t believe it was possible, but they did believe that Beck¡¯s hope was real. There had to be some solution, something they could do to help. Maybe they could disprove the theory, show her some science that would convince her that it didn¡¯t matter if she died on Arkane or not. No, that wouldn¡¯t work. TO didn¡¯t think they could stand breaking her heart in that way, and killing that little spark of hope. Well, there had to be a solution, and they didn¡¯t have much time to find it. They considered the problem idly as they made their way to their next task. Down the hallway and past their own room, they approached one of the other rooms that the insurgency had designed to hold potentially dangerous people inside. Noss was there, apparently, and it really seemed like they were going to bring him along. TO didn¡¯t like that idea, but felt that while the others had left Kei¡¯s fate up to the Chilacians, Noss¡¯ would be left to Arkanian citizens. If that was what they choose, TO would go along with it. That didn¡¯t mean they wouldn¡¯t take the proper precautions. They approached the metal door and had almost unlocked it before they paused. Certainly, if Noss tried something, then TO would be able to handle them, right? He was a third of TO¡¯s size, had no combat training, and didn¡¯t move particularly gracefully.He wouldn¡¯t be stupid enough to try anything, right? TO leaned forward and listened at the door. It was thick and solid, and someone with average hearing wouldn¡¯t be able to hear much without opening the little slot on the bottom, but TO¡¯s hearing allowed them to hear some noises through the door. From the Cadence of the sound, TO was fairly certain that Noss was speaking to someone¡­ But who? Was he talking to himself? Being kept in solitary wasn¡¯t good for any species, but could it drive someone like Noss to insanity in such a short time? Suddenly, they heard another voice; one familiar but with a cadence they couldn¡¯t place. Who was in there with Noss? Their mind flashed back to their time in the indebeted Center, to their escape and to Outis who had escaped whatever fate Leanaran had for them. The squid-like creature was so small, so sneaky, and seemed able to get through tiny little cracks almost anywhere! Could they have made their way here? Were they conspiring with Noss? With narrowed eyed and pinned back ears, TO unhooked the latch and threw the door open. Episode 367 : Outcasts The door slammed open, smacking against the stone wall with a sound that made TO¡¯s ears hurt, and which made the two people sitting at the table nearby jolt with shock as one of them dropped the drinks he had in his hands. ¡°... Pholi?¡± TO¡¯s eyes slid over the diminutive minister of language, who had jumped down from his chair to pick up broken pieces of glass while cursing in a language that TO couldn¡¯t place. Noss, on the other hand, had frozen in place and was watching TO much like a small insect would watch a spider. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Pholi gingerly placed the broken glass on the table, then sat up in his chair again. He reached out for a glass bottle of some dark-coloured drink that sat between the two on the table. He spoke something in the same language from before, and when Noss responded in kind, Pholi took a deep drink directly from the bottle before he answered TO. ¡°I¡¯m keeping Noss company.¡± ¡°If that¡¯s ok!¡± Noss said as he reached into his pocket and pulled out his handkerchief, which was currently filthy and stained. He wiped off the sweat from his face. ¡°I mean, if it¡¯s not, I can be on my own!¡± he gave his nervous laugh. ¡°It¡¯s fine, Noss.¡± Pholi said as he took the bottle he had drank from and filled up Noss¡¯ glass. He held the bottle up towards TO, ¡°Want some?¡± he asked. ¡°I mean, if you don¡¯t mind drinking off me. I only brought the two glasses, you see.¡± TO frowned, their ears flicking, ¡°The door was locked.¡± They said, ¡°Why were you in here with the door locked?¡± ¡°Mira locked it after me,¡± he said, ¡°I figured that nobody would be very pleased if I left the door unlocked, so I figured I¡¯d visit for a few hours and call someone when I was ready to leave.¡± TO took a step forward, ¡°You came in here alone?¡± they hissed, their mind reeling from the sheer carelessness of it, ¡°You didn¡¯t think maybe he¡¯d hurt you, or-¡° ¡°I did mention Noss and I are friends, yes?¡± Pholi said. ¡°I¡¯m sure I did.¡± ¡°You did not.¡± TO hissed, ¡°You said only that you worked with him.¡± ¡°Oh. Well. We¡¯re friends too, of a sort.¡± Noss, who had taken another long drink from the glass Pholi had filled, raised the glass in a mock toast, ¡°Us rejects gotta stick together.¡± He grinned, then caught TO¡¯s eye and morphed back to his normal, skittish self. Pholi held the bottle out to TO again, shaking it gently. When TO shook their head, he took another drink and set it down. ¡°A friendship of convenience, in a sense.¡± He said, then glancing at Noss, he added, ¡°No offense.¡± ¡°N-none taken.¡± TO looked between the two. They didn¡¯t like this: Pholi had never mentioned that he was friends with Noss before, and how could he be friends with someone he was working against? ¡°You realize I can see the suspicion in your ears, yes?¡± Pholi said as he leaned back in his chair. ¡°I¡¯ve made a special study of how you communicate with them. The slight tension of the lower ear muscles, the dip down, is enough to show displeasure, but not enough to show something as intense as sorrow. As well, while your ears are pinned back slightly, it¡¯s not enough to show your anger.¡± He looked to Noss, ¡°There are exceptions, but I¡¯ve realized that those are the three fundamental aspects of Chilacian or Synth ear movements that need to be observed to at least comprehend the feelings. Tension plus height plus angle equals basic feelings. Now, it¡¯s much more complex if you¡¯re trying to understand the mood used.¡± he took another drink, ¡°The same words, let¡¯s say, for example, ¡®pour me a drink¡¯ in their language can mean, ¡®Pour me a drink!¡¯ as a commend, or ¡®would you pour me a drink¡¯ or ¡®You could pour me a drink-¡®¡° ¡°You¡¯re losing me.¡± Noss said. ¡°Well, I¡¯ve made my point.¡± Pholi said. Then he paused, frowning, ¡°Actually, no, I haven¡¯t.¡± He looked back to TO, ¡°My point was that I can mostly understand your ear movements, and I can see that you¡¯re mostly suspicious of me. Well, you were suspicious of me. Now you¡¯re mostly surprised and confused.¡± While it hadn¡¯t been TO¡¯s intention to lie to Pholi, the knowledge that they now couldn¡¯t put them on edge. ¡°None of this makes sense to me.¡± They finally said, ¡°I can understand working together, but why consider one another ¡®friends¡¯ if you¡¯re not really friends?¡± ¡°It¡¯s hard not having any friends.¡± Noss said, his voice quiet. ¡°You go to work, you¡¯re either alone with people who only tolerate you, or people who watch you every second waiting for you to slip up-¡° ¡°Or being around people who know they can¡¯t say anything about your job, so they take little jabs at your background.¡± Pholi added. ¡°Didn¡¯t you have someone like that? Someone that you didn¡¯t really like back when you were in training, but someone you kept around because it was better than just having nobody, or having only people who hated you around?¡± ¡°I did not, no.¡± They said, ¡°DH and I found each other, and GiDi, and later Avery, and we all liked each other.¡± Even as they spoke, they remembered Q10. They hadn¡¯t been a ¡®friend¡¯ to TO in any sense, but they recalled how they had stayed around Kei back in the day, how they had worked together and spent time around one another up until Q10 clawed DH¡¯s eye. They remembered thinking that the two must have been friends, and how surprised they were when Kei did nothing to stop Q10¡¯s breakdown. Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. Q10 had been different, just like they were. DH said so, and even TO could see that just before they got corrected. Would that be a ¡®friendship of convenience?¡¯ If TO hadn¡¯t found DH and GiDi, would they have formed such a friendship with anyone who would tolerate them? ¡°... Did others suspect you were performing illegal activities?¡± TO finally asked, ¡°Is that why you were ¡®outcasts¡¯?¡± Pholi chuckled at that, ¡°Oh my no.¡± He said, ¡°We¡¯re at the very least too clever to be caught. Clever, and lucky.¡± He nodded to Noss. ¡°Noss here had his position land in his lap because his uncle had it before him.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t want it.¡± Noss said, ¡°I wasn¡¯t interested in security. I worked as his aid hoping I could break into the Ministry of Hospitality.¡± ¡°Yeah, then his uncle got sick, and before he died, he pulled whatever strings he could to get Noss his position.¡± Pholi looked to TO, ¡°Minister of Security is an important position, one that a lot of people worked very hard to get. Even if Noss hadn¡¯t gotten it based on nepotism, he would have angered a lot of people by getting it at all.¡± He took another drink. ¡°Now, nepotism isn¡¯t an uncommon way to get a job here; it¡¯s almost necessary in government, but at the very least you¡¯d make sure the person who got the job was good at it, and wanted it.¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t say I was awful at it...¡± Noss muttered. ¡°Who doesn¡¯t mess up from time to time? Just with me, every time I made a tiny little mistake, it got reported to Buteo.¡± ¡°Yeah, Noss¡¯ mistakes were one of the primary fuels of the government¡¯s rumor machine.¡± Pholi said, ¡°So, Noss got a reputation. It wasn¡¯t bad enough to cost him his job, but enough for people to look down on him.¡± ¡°I¡¯m also not ¡®human¡¯ enough.¡± Noss grumbled, ¡°Or, not ¡®Cordling¡¯ enough. If you¡¯re a mix, you either need to be mostly human with a few careful traits thrown in from the other species, preferably the pretty ones, or you need to look more animalistic, and not identify as human. I don¡¯t fall into either category.¡± ¡°... And to be fair, you really didn¡¯t put your best effort into the job when you first got it,¡± Pholi added. ¡°I know you didn¡¯t want it, but still-¡° ¡°That was over twenty years ago!¡± Noss said, ¡°I was basically still a kid!¡± ¡°... Was it the same for you?¡± TO asked Pholi, ¡°You got the job everyone wanted, or you weren¡¯t very good at the beginning...¡± They trailed off as Noss chuckled. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Minister of Communication isn¡¯t a highly sought-after job, it¡¯s considered boring.¡± Noss said. ¡°It also takes a lot more work than many of the other positions.¡± Pholi added. ¡°It¡¯s a lifetime of study, as language is an ever changing beast.¡± ¡°And Pholi was always good at his job.¡± Noss said, ¡°they recommended him for a position in the Ministry of Communication right out of school, and got his position a year later when the former minister retired.¡± Pholi nodded and took another drink. ¡°My coworkers didn¡¯t like me because I was a system kid.¡± He glanced up and caught the confused way TO¡¯s ears flicked. ¡°A system kid; it means I grew up in the government educational system after my parents went to the Indebted system when I was very young. Basically, the opposite of Noss; I got my position because of my skill, and without any relatives to push me into positions.¡± ¡°Shouldn¡¯t that have made things better for you?¡± TO asked. their skill softened the disdain they had suffered for being different, and the way people treated DH had improved once the got the replacement eye; a sign of their usefulness to King Decon. ¡°Maybe if I had stayed as an assistant.¡± He said, ¡°But I was a kid from the sewers of Arkane¡¯s society, who got a top position. That spat in the face of the narrative they made up about system kids. See, most system kids either end up working very basic service jobs. Well, the ¡®good ones¡¯ do. The others end up in the indebted center, or get sent to a mining or farming colony because they¡¯re lazy or addicts, and go to crime for easy money.¡± He held up the bottle. ¡°You know. I couldn¡¯t really drink at public parties because someone would bring up drug use among the indebted and the poors.¡± ¡°Remember that one party with Minister Sally?¡± Noss asked. A low growl came from Pholi¡¯s throat in response. ¡°I do.¡± He snapped. ¡°She went on about how there¡¯s a genetic connection between laziness and drug abuse, and how the children of such ¡®unfortunate people¡¯ should know better, especially if they were raised in our ¡®excellent government education system.¡¯ before going on about how maybe it¡¯s also willpower and self control that¡¯s lacking in the lower classes.¡± As though in defiance, he took another drink before slamming the bottle back down. ¡°That was the first time I dared have a drink in public, and the last.¡± He turned to TO, ¡°If Decon wipes out life on this planet, then at least people like her will die along with the ¡®poors¡¯¡± This wasn¡¯t like Pholi, at least not as far as TO knew. Maybe the Pholi they had met before wasn¡¯t actually ¡®like Pholi¡¯, and was instead just a public facing figure, a mask that he wore around everyone. Maybe this anger that TO saw was the real Pholi. If that was the case, and if everything Pholi and Noss had said was true, then TO understood why the former Minister of Communication had worked with the insurgency. ¡°¡­Just be careful.¡± TO said, ¡°We are leaving tomorrow, and if you''re hungover-¡° ¡°What, you think i can¡¯t control myself now either?¡± Pholi snapped. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ not at all what I mean,¡± TO said, their ears flicking down. ¡°I just meant, if you¡¯re unwell in the morning, it¡¯ll be a lot harder getting to the ship.¡± Pholi looked like he might snap at TO again, but his eyes flicked to TO¡¯s ears once more and took in the concern and worry there. He sighed. ¡°Fine.¡± He said. He pushed the bottle towards Noss. ¡°Here. You finish this.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s talk about something more pleasant.¡± Noss said, dabbing his face as he gave a nervous laugh. ¡°What about the idea you had?¡± ¡°Idea?¡± TO¡¯s ears perked up. ¡°You mean, an idea to stop Decon?¡± ¡°No, just an idea to cause him trouble.¡± Pholi said, ¡°I figured we could use the emergency broadcast system to tell everyone how awful things really are, to say he¡¯s killing us all, and that the big bad synths are actually all big-eyed twitchy eared space bats-¡° ¡°Space bats?¡± ¡°-who had their minds torn up?¡± He sighed. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t work through. He¡¯d just say that it¡¯s more insurgent lies¡­ and people would believe that.¡± Noss suppressed his chuckle. ¡°Well, maybe if we showed off one of the synths.¡± He said, ¡°Show the people the enormous eyes and big ears.¡± Even TO had to control a low, chirping chuckle as they activated their chip. ¡°Chilacians. Not synths.¡± TO said, ¡°Now, before you both have too much fun imagining how you can publicly insult King Decon, let¡¯s go over the plan for tomorrow.¡± Episode 368:Thermal The armor was a mixed blessing for TO. They hated how it pushed their ears in, how it clung to their body and covered their wings in that strange particle armor. They hated how, when they flew in their armor, they couldn¡¯t feel the air rushing past them. It would be so nice to fly again, to remove not only the armor covering their wings but the entire suit and feel the wind against them. They missed the way their wings sliced through the air, the way the wind rushed past their ears and over their face. However, the Armor protected them from so many of the things they hated. Wearing their armor, TO could be certain that bugs couldn¡¯t touch them no matter how tiny. Should they get into an engagement with an unfriendly person, not only would the armor offer them protection from injury, but it would also offer a comfortable barrier between any potential blood spilled. And in this particular case, their armor would protect them from some of the foulest substances in the galaxy. TO approached a ragged hole in one of the many sprawling tunnels, a small spider-bot walking behind them. This bot was much like the larger spider-bot they had taken to escape the Indebted center, but of course it was much smaller, standing up only to TO¡¯s waist. It had some basic tools attached, but primarily it had a small latch on the bottom, which could be used to carry things as the bot crawled over rocks and debris. ¡°You¡¯re sure the bot won¡¯t break from this drop?¡± TO asked as they looked down the hole. It was dark enough that their helmet adjusted to provide more details of what waited for them; the concrete walls of the sewage system, old pipes redesigned to work with the modern city, and the awful, unspeakable sludge that flowed through it. ¡°Positive.¡± Vik said through TOs¡¯ helmet. ¡°This thing can take a hundred foot drop, and can walk along any rough surface. You¡¯re basically there to open doors for it or I¡¯d be happy enough to send it on its own!¡± TO sighed, their ears flicking down against their helmet. ¡°I wish you could send it on i¡¯s own.¡± They said as they took a breath and dropped down the hole. Their armor protected them from any of the sludge that might have touched them and their helmet filtered out the worse of the stench. Well, the worst of it, but not all of it. TO could still smell enough of the unspeakable foulness, and along with the view of the not-entirely liquid sludge that rose to their knees, it was enough to make them retch. ¡°You alright?¡± Vik asked. Behind them, the small bot jumped down, landing in the sludge and struggling as it got its thin legs to the wall. ¡°You¡¯re not gonna vomit at you?¡± ¡°No.¡± TO said, working hard to breathe through the retching. If they were going to vomit, they¡¯d have to take off their helmet, and they didn¡¯t want to do that here. If they had to smell the full force of this muck without their helmet on, they thought they¡¯d never stop vomiting. ¡°Alright. Well, take your time,¡± Vik said as the bot finally made its way to the wall. It pulled itself free from the muck and waited for TO. ¡°I mean, not too much, I¡¯m sure you don¡¯t want to be in there too long, and I bet you¡¯ll want to have time later for a bath or something before you call it a night.¡± TO nodded as they continued to breathe. A few moments passed, and they thankfully felt their stomach settle. ¡°Alright¡­¡± they said, slowly standing upright, ¡°Alright. I¡¯m ok. I¡¯m fine.¡± ¡°You sure? I can probably find someone else to help here.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Vik was silent for a few minutes, ¡°¡­Maybe.¡± They said, ¡°Though¡­ to be honest, it¡¯d only be you, DH, and Avery with armor to protect you.¡± TO sighed, stood up, and started down the tunnel. DH was far too busy with medical issues to deal with this, and Avery was so focused on packing up the last of the food that they wouldn¡¯t have time. ¡°How far is it until we get to the exit?¡± They asked. ¡°Ten minutes, maybe.¡± Vik said. ¡°the bot can manage by walking on the walls, so it can keep a decent pace. So long as you keep up¡° ¡°I¡¯ll be there in seven.¡± TO said, walking through the muck at double the speed they normally would have. They heard Vik chuckle in their ear; A soft sound with a strange chittering noise under it. ¡°I¡¯d say you could fly from the exit to a cleaner passage once you got the medication, but if you get spotted-¡° ¡°I wouldn¡¯t want to leave the medication on its own, anyway.¡± TO said. The only reason they were here was because they had promised Avery that they¡¯d make sure Kei could be on the ship safely. The only way they could think of to make that happen was to keep them in a medically induced coma for the duration of the flight, and they needed specific medication for that. While they had some on hand, they didn¡¯t have enough to keep Kei under for the entire trip, so they had to get more. A few fake documents and an ¡®urgent¡¯ order from a local medical supplier got a crate of the medication they needed sent to the warehouse Vik used for smuggling supplies into the underground. TO just had to go there, sneak into the shipping vehicle from the secret passage in the floor, grab the crate, and let the bot carry it. It was relatively easy when compared to all the other stuff they had to do, but they still didn¡¯t want to leave a whole crate of essential medication with a bot. What if something happened, or the bot got lost? Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings. No, TO would escort the bot and the medication to Avery to ensure that it got there safely. ¡°That¡¯s probably best.¡± Vik said, ¡°Honestly, with our luck that thing would breakdown, or I¡¯d lose my remote access and control, and that would be a lot of waste.¡± There was another beat of silence before Vik spoke again. ¡°How long do you think the blockade will last?¡± Since learning of the potential extermination of life on Arkane, they had relegated the blockade to a minor inconvenience in their mind. ¡°Well, if Decon does attack-¡° ¡°If he doesn¡¯t.¡± Vik said, ¡°If he decides not to kill everyone, how long will the blockade last?¡± TO hadn¡¯t thought of that. It was unlike them to overlook such a consideration, but so much had been happening that potential situations like that wasn¡¯t important. ¡°¡­ Well, if it were me¡­¡± TO said, thinking through the situation as they spoke, ¡°I¡¯d probably insist on a lockdown even while I¡¯m investigating, either until I had proof of the insurgents being dead or gone.¡± They sighed, ¡°Much like I did at the holding centre, but that didn¡¯t work.¡± ¡°We had three synths helping with that plan.¡± Vik said, ¡°Two of which are older and more experienced than you.¡± *And smarter* TO added that last bit themself, but didn¡¯t say it. It still bothered them that Flit beat them in that game so easily earlier. ¡°So, if we gave them proof that we were gone from Arkane, would they lift the blockade?¡± Vik asked. ¡°If we gave them solid proof?¡± TO muttered as they tried not to feel the way the bottom of the tunnel seemed to give way under their feet as they disturbed years of accumulated gunk. ¡°Unsure. I don¡¯t know what we could do to give them that proof. The ¡®leaders¡¯ of the insurgency were already captured, dealt with.¡± ¡°But, without doing that, can we just-¡± There was a moment of distortion as Vik sighed into his mic, ¡°I don¡¯t know. Can we tell them we¡¯ve left after we¡¯ve gotten away? I mean, they¡¯ll see us leave anyway, and even if they tried to follow us-¡° ¡°If they tried, Civilian ships can¡¯t keep up with synth ships.¡± ¡°And I bet I could keep them from tracking us,¡± Vik said. ¡°Would they lift the blockade, then?¡± ¡°No.¡± TO said after several moments of thought, ¡°No, I don¡¯t think they would.¡± ¡°Why not?¡± ¡°If Gyrini told you that she was leaving, that the authorities weren¡¯t hunting the insurgency anymore, and it was safe for you all to come out of hiding, would you?¡± ¡°Ah,¡± another sigh, ¡°Yeah. I¡¯d think it¡¯s a trap.¡± ¡°Exactly.¡± To said, ¡°I don¡¯t know what we could say to get them to lift the blockade.¡± ¡°What about, ¡®Hey, these synths think that Decon is going to kill everyone here, so yeah, we¡¯re out?¡¯ Would that work?¡± ¡°Maybe if they believed it.¡± TO said, ¡°But by that point, it¡¯ll be synths taking over control and-¡° They froze, stopped, and stared at a portion of the wall where some of the old stone had crumbled away. They had been absolutely certain that they saw something flicker past, and catch the dim light which glowed from the spider-bot that followed. they switched to thermal visioning, thinking at first maybe they were just mistaken, and confused since they hadn¡¯t been wearing their helmet recently, and perhaps one of the stats that hung in their peripheral vision, the endless series of temperatures, news announcements, gas levels and personal readings had made them think something was there in the tunnels with them. As soon as they turned on their thermal vision, it picked up a tiny, dull spot of heat behind the wall, hurrying away from TO. They gave chase. ¡°TO? what is it?¡± Vik said as the spider-bot picked up its own pace on the wall next to them. ¡°There¡¯s something in the wall.¡± TO said as they followed the hot spot. A moment later, it seemed to turn away from the tunnel, and the spot faded away, leaving no hint of what it was, or where it had gone. ¡°I didn¡¯t see anything,¡± Vik said, ¡°And the camera on this bot is pretty good.¡± TO sighed as they switched to a few different through their helm for any hint of whatever it was. Nothing showed up. ¡°I saw something in a hole in the wall a little way back.¡± They said, ¡°And when I switched to thermal imaging, I saw a heat source.¡± ¡°One of the bigger bugs, maybe?¡± Vik said, ¡°Or a rodent. Thankfully, we don¡¯t have too many of them here on Arkane; Half of the feral ones are bigger than I am.¡± ¡°What if it wasn¡¯t feral?¡± TO muttered as they checked their thermal imaging once more. ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°When we left the Indebeted center, there was one person that got away-¡° ¡°Outis, right?¡± Vik asked, ¡°The one who told Gyrini about you?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± TO said, ¡°Lendulin arranged it so they¡¯d be with us in the tunnels when we escaped, but-¡° ¡°But they got away after half blinding Mira. Yeah, I heard.¡± Vik said. ¡°But they went into the water purification system, yeah?¡± ¡°They did-¡° ¡°Then they¡¯re likely dead.¡± Vik said. ¡°I don¡¯t know about that.¡± TO muttered as they finally turned off the special sensors and went back to a plain view from their helmet, ¡°They¡¯re small, and they can get into pretty much any little crack-¡° ¡°The water purification system is designed to filter every tiny thing out of the water before cycling it back into the main water supplies. Even when Tham escaped from the holding center, by the time that water had filtered though everything, it was clean enough to go back into-¡° ¡°Please don¡¯t finish that sentence.¡± TO said, feeling the blood drain from them as they remembered how red the water had turned on their screen. ¡°Sorry,¡± Vik said, ¡°But, I just mean that Outis likely didn¡¯t escape, and even if they did.. well, they¡¯d be stupid to try anything, right? You¡¯re ten times their size.¡± ¡°They could report us.¡± TO said, ¡°If they know where we are, they could tell the authorities.¡± ¡°And that¡¯d be just as stupid. Since then, they¡¯d be put back in the Indebeted center.¡± The spider-bot walked ahead of TO, its light illuminating the way. ¡°If they are alive, their best option is to lay low and keep quiet. Besides, we¡¯re gone tomorrow, so unless they have a plan to fuck us over in a single night, I think we¡¯re ok.¡± TO didn¡¯t like it. They wanted to know what it was they had seen, and know what had become of Outis. Having them still potentially out there, knowing that TO was a synth, and knowing so much about them made TO uneasy. Still, there wasn¡¯t much they could do about it now. They couldn¡¯t go and test the water in the purification system, and they couldn¡¯t go through the walls and chase down whatever it was that they had seen. Even if they could do those things, they didn¡¯t have the time. They sighed and continued on to retrieve the drugs. Episode 369: Rage Once TO had scraped the sludge off their armor and off the bot, and after they had taken a long shower in hot water until they stopped feeling the non-existent layer of scum on the skin, they brought the medication to Goretta to examine. She wasn¡¯t in the dorms with the civilians anymore. No, apparently she had returned to the private, makeshift medical room. ¡°She probably went to pack up some last-minute things.¡± Vik said when TO asked why she had gone back there. ¡°I mean, she wouldn¡¯t want to pack up all her supplies until the last minute in case something happened, right?¡± That made sense, at least to TO. TO opened the door to the medical room and looked around. Most everything did indeed seem packed up and Goretta wasn¡¯t around. They opened the door wider and let the robot scurry past, carrying the box of medication under them. It hadn¡¯t been hard to get the medication in the end. They hadn¡¯t seen anything else in the tunnels after that heat signature the first time, and didn¡¯t see another person along the way. Even the tunnels were devoid of insects, which, while odd, did at least calm TO down. The box of medication, while heavy, was even smaller than TO thought it¡¯d be making it very simple to transport with the bot. The entire way back, they had been on guard. They were certain that things were simply too easy right now, and that something had to go wrong. For a change, it hadn¡¯t. ¡°Goretta?¡± TO called out, their ears twitching as they listened carefully. They heard muffled talking from behind a nearby door and approached. They nearly opened the door, but they remembered earlier when Goretta had the sheets hung around Mark¡¯s bed, and had been cleaning up after the procedure, so they knocked just in case. The door opened, and Goretta peeked out. Over the short doctor, TO could see into the room, and see what she was tending to. Kei was there, laying on the bed in the center. They were strapped down at their wrists and ankles, and a large strap went over their chest, holding them down against their wings. While there seemed to be tools nearby for some kind of IV, they weren¡¯t hooked up to it just yet. Kei looked up and caught TO¡¯s eyes. Their ears pinned back, but oddly, they lifted as well in a smirk as they stared TO down. It only lasted a brief second as Goretta slipped out of the room and closed the door behind her, but the look that Kei gave TO set them on edge. ¡°Sorry.¡± Goretta said as she closed the door. She looked down at the spider bot, and her expression brightened. ¡°Oh! you got the meds!¡± She said as she bent down to examine them.¡± ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± TO asked, glancing back at the closed door. ¡°I¡¯m still working with them.¡± She said as she detached the crate from the bottom of the spider bot. ¡°I¡¯m making substantial progress, too. They¡¯re actually eating solid food.¡± She smiled as she patted the spider bot. ¡°Good bot.¡± ¡°Are they now?¡± TO muttered, pulling their eyes from the door. ¡°Yes.¡± She stood up as she set the box on the closest table. ¡°But I¡¯m not entirely sure that they did it in the spirit of cooperation.¡± ¡°Why not?¡± ¡°Well, they said they¡¯d eat, but seemed very disappointed when I sat down and started feeding them. I thought they¡¯d refuse to eat then, but they didn¡¯t.¡± She shrugged as she opened the box. ¡°Maybe they just didn¡¯t want to be fed, but were too hungry to argue. Still, I was worried that the second I loosened their bindings, they¡¯d try something.¡± ¡°Wise.¡± TO said. They sighed and leaned in to look at the medication. It seemed to them that most of what was in that box was dense packaging surrounding tiny, thin glass vials. ¡°Is it enough?¡± They asked. ¡°It should be along with the rest that we have.¡± Goretta said, ¡°I calculated extra on what I thought was the precise amount needed, just in case something happened and we ended up taking longer to get to our first stop.¡± ¡°Right¡­¡± TO said, their ears dipping, ¡°¡­ How important is this medication exactly?¡± They asked. ¡°It¡¯s absolutely essential if we want to keep Kei asleep on the trip.¡± ¡°Aside from that,¡± TO said, their wings tightening around their shoulders, ¡°How important is this medication in general?¡± She sighed, ¡°Fairly important.¡± She said. ¡°For most species, it¡¯s needed to put them under for a surgery.¡± ¡°And what happens if you run out?¡± ¡°Well, for us, it means we have to wait until we get to the first safe port to do any surgeries-¡° ¡°No, that¡¯s not what I meant,¡± TO said, clutching their arms under their wings, ¡°I meant¡­ on Arkane. If ¡­ if Decon doesn¡¯t kill everyone, but the blockade stays up. What happens if they run out of this?¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± her fingers drummed against the table as she considered this, and for the first time TO noticed that she had no fingernails, nor any claws. They couldn¡¯t help but watch and stare at her fingers as they danced along the tabletop moved. Watching those claw-less fingers made them check their own fingertips, as though checking to ensure that their own claws were still there. ¡°Well¡­ I¡¯m not involved with the official medical systems anymore.¡± She said, ¡°But once Gyrini implemented the lockdown, I assume that they indefinitely postponed any non-essential surgeries.¡± ¡°Right, they wouldn¡¯t start again until the lockdown lifted, right?¡± She shrugged. ¡°Maybe longer than that.¡± She said, ¡°The first surgeries would be just the cosmetic ones, or the elective ones. The longer they stay in lockdown, though, the more they¡¯re going to cut back. They¡¯ll start looking at how long a person can survive with certain issues and start doing surgeries based on that. If it lasts long enough, only immediate procedures with top rates of survival will happen.¡± She reached into the crate and pulled up a padded tray of medication, setting it down carefully on the table and examining every vial. ¡°When I was in school, I learned of a planet where something like that happened; An issue with their local sun made it impossible to deliver shipments there for several years. Before they ran out of the essential drugs, I think they were only allowing surgeries that had immediate and life-saving urgency, which had a success rate of 70% or above, and a survival rate of 90% or above.¡± She paused, and tapped at a vial, checking for something, some flaw that TO wasn¡¯t certain of. ¡°So, if you were over a certain age, and you suddenly had a heart attack and needed a bypass, you¡¯d not get it, as your recovery wasn¡¯t really assured.¡± Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings. It reminded TO a lot of how it had been in training; of how they carefully weighed stats to see if a medical procedure, or even if continuing to develop a young synth, was worth it. Of course, here all the treatments had to do with how effective they¡¯d be long term, and not how capable or worthy the person was. ¡°And¡­ what about when you run out entirely?¡± She paused, one of those clawless fingers resting on a vial. She looked up and watched TO carefully for several long minutes. ¡°Why do you ask?¡± ¡°I¡¯m curious.¡± ¡°It¡¯s¡­ not pleasant.¡± She said. ¡°And I know you¡¯re averse to-¡° ¡°Just¡­. In the most sanitized terms, please.¡± TO said as they sat down on the nearest chair. She gave a heavy sigh and turned to look at TO as she leaned back against the table. ¡°Most surgeries stop. Those that can technically be done without the use of anesthesia¡­¡± she shrugged, ¡°Well, it¡¯s patient¡¯s choice at that moment, really, and most won¡¯t opt in for it unless they¡¯re in a life or death situation. But they have to sign papers beforehand, because they¡¯ll scream and ask us to stop during the procedure.¡± Her meaning was clear. All TO could think about in that moment was of when DH got their eye replaced. It hurt badly enough when they had to stop taking the good painkillers, so TO wondered how bad it would have been if they hadn¡¯t been put under for the procedure. They could only imagine their precious mate strapped down to a table, their head held in place by metal clamps as they screamed and begged for the medical officer to stop. A cup of water appeared before them, and it took TO a moment to realize that Goretta had gotten them the cup, and was holding it before them. ¡°I warned you.¡± She said. TO nodded and took the cup from her, sipping it carefully as they tried to focus on the feel of the cool liquid running down their throat, and the faint aftertaste of the various minerals added to the drinking water of Arkane. ¡°¡­You going to be ok?¡± she asked. ¡°No.¡± TO said, ¡°We¡¯ve stolen all the medication to keep Kei sedated. We got that to keep Kei from finding a way to kill us all in space.¡± They shook their head, ¡°¡­It if wasn¡¯t for Avery¡­I couldn¡¯t do this.¡± How many vials were in that case, anyway? Was each vial a single dose? Was each vial a single surgery which could be performed without agonizing pain? Goretta sighed and pulled up a chair in front of TO, her writhing tentacles draping over the edge and twisting on the floor as she sat down. ¡°Look.¡± She said, ¡°¡­ When it comes Kei as a person, I don¡¯t have a say.¡± She said, ¡°I don¡¯t have any involvement in that decision.¡± She slowly reached out and put her hand on TO¡¯s wrist. ¡°But¡­ I have an investment in a test subject.¡± ¡°That doesn¡¯t make things easier,¡± TO muttered. A long silence drew out between them, one in which TO could hear the various sounds that made their way to them from all around: large bugs behind the walls, rare rodents, pipes that still carried water through the dirt and distant machinery doing who knew what. ¡°Do you have anyone you left behind?¡± ¡°What?¡± TO blinked as they looked up, their ears twitching in confusion. ¡°Someone you left behind in the training center, or just under Decon. Do you have anyone you had to leave behind who maybe didn¡¯t escape the brain alterations?¡± TO nearly said no, but then they remembered Q10, how heartbroken they had looked as they were led away to be corrected, and how empty they were afterwards. They had never been friends, but Q10 had been different, had been strange, and what happened to them wasn¡¯t right. ¡°¡­Yes.¡± They said. ¡°Someone who got corrected.¡± ¡°TO, I want Kei to cooperate and work with me because it¡¯ll help me in studying them, their brain, and how it recovers. It¡¯ll help me perfect the procedure so I can do it on others. There are synths that we already brought to Apoikia who were different, but still had alterations done to their mind. I can help them. Maybe one day we can even help synths who were like you, the others that Flit and Snout disconnected from that system and then got corrected. Maybe I can restore their minds.¡± TO remembered another synth, the one that they had protected from the awful sludge in the Maintenance section of the training center. The one that had been on the other side of them in the tanks, and who had been corrected early on. What were the chances that they, like Avery, had their brains intact? What might they had been like before being corrected? Why did they get corrected? ¡°I¡¯m hoping I can help a lot of people.¡± She said. ¡°And¡­ Yes, if Decon doesn¡¯t kill everyone, and if they extend the lockdown in an attempt to catch a handful of insurgents and don¡¯t allow so much as medical supplies to reach the planet¡­¡± she sighed. ¡°¡­I don¡¯t feel good about what I¡¯m doing with this stuff, but I also don¡¯t feel bad. Nor do I feel bad for the food we got, even though food shortages will be another issue the planet will suffer after a while.¡± She looked at TO. ¡°In the end¡­ I¡¯m just doing what I think is best. Not what¡¯s right: what¡¯s best.¡± ¡°¡­ Right.¡± ¡°¡­Do you think he won¡¯t attack?¡± She asked. ¡°Do you think Decon won¡¯t kill everyone?¡± ¡°¡­I don¡¯t know.¡± TO said, ¡°I¡­ I can¡¯t imagine them doing it at all, honestly.¡± Their ears pinned back, ¡°But before I came here, before I learned everything I did¡­ well, there¡¯s a lot that I never could have imagined Kind Decon doing, which it¡¯s very clear he did.¡± Goretta nodded, giving TO¡¯s wrist a little squeeze, ¡°You know¡­ I kind of wanted to post something somewhere.¡± She said, ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­ send a mass email to everyone I know, or post something on socials. I wanted to just tell everyone what King Decon had done, you know? I wanted to tell them about the planned mass murder, about what he did to you synths, and how he¡¯s perfectly happy to let people suffer so long as it keeps the people running each planet placid¡­¡± She shook her head, ¡°But, it wouldn¡¯t matter. If I sent that, it would be censored right away. Heck, even if I could send it to everyone on the planet, it¡¯d get stopped before it could go anywhere else in the galaxy.¡± She shook her head. ¡°I mentioned it to Vik¡­ and they said that the translation system would block it, and that doing that was a great way to get us tracked down here.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t even know what it would do.¡± TO muttered, ¡°It would just anger King Decon, and the synths coming here wouldn¡¯t believe the message.¡± Goretta shrugged, ¡°I know.¡± She said as she let go of TO¡¯s wrist and stood up, ¡°Maybe I just want to shame him a little, or get the rest of the Galaxy angry. Maybe if enough people saw what he was doing¡­¡± she chuckled and shook her head, ¡±But¡­ I guess if he¡¯s got control of all the communication systems, and the translation system, so that¡¯d never happen.¡± ¡°It wouldn¡¯t.¡± TO said, sighing. ¡°Even if you could get that information out, the narrative would be that you¡¯re just an insurgency spreading discord.¡± ¡°Yeah¡­ I know.¡± Goretta said. She went back to the box. ¡°¡­ I¡¯m going to use this on Kei in the morning.¡± She said, ¡°I don¡¯t want to use any of this until it¡¯s absolutely necessary.¡±" TO nodded, then stood up to leave. They had all their work done now, and they could rest with their mate and their family. As their hand rested on the doorknob, they stopped. The conversation was replaying in their head, and a question rose in their mind. They turned to Goretta. ¡°¡­What do you think is right?¡± They asked. ¡°The right thing to do, in this situation.¡± ¡°I¡¯d rather keep that information to myself.¡± She said. ¡°I hope you understand.¡± TO nodded, turned, and left. Most likely, what Goretta thought was right was also what TO thought was ¡®right¡¯. And they couldn¡¯t bring themself to surrender and see DH get hurt. Episode 370: Exomoon By the time TO got back to their room, DH was already there. DH had already set two containers of food out on the table, along with cans of that gloriously sweet drink. DH themself was sitting on the bed, their clothes hung on the edge as they dried themself off with a towel. ¡°I¡¯ve packed all my clothes,¡± they explained almost sheepishly as TO stopped entered the room. ¡°And what I had on got damp after I showered, so I figured I¡¯d let them dry overnight.¡± They paused as they vigorously dried their arms. ¡°That¡¯s... fine with you, right?¡± ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t it be?¡± TO asked, frowning. DH only shrugged in response. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± They admitted, ¡°We¡¯ve been here on Arkane for so long, and they do have nudity taboos.¡± TO sighed, their ears going parallel to the ground once more. ¡°As though that bothers me,¡± they said. ¡°We didn¡¯t even start worrying about that kind of thing until we were coming to Arkane, and even then it was to get in the habit of always wearing clothes on a planet with a nudity taboo.¡± ¡°I... I know,¡± DH said, slowly dabbing at their already dry arms. ¡°And even though we¡¯re here, we still all sleep nude.¡± TO said, ¡°And how often do we shower together?¡± DH cleared their throat, ¡°It¡¯s...it¡¯s just that recently, we¡¯ve been so busy we fall asleep right away at night, and the only time we¡¯ve been undressed around one another has been... when we¡¯re in private.¡± They glanced up at TO, ¡°It¡¯s not been a casual state for us as of late.¡± TO felt their ears warm as they realized what DH was saying. ¡°Well.¡± They said as they went up to DH and took the towel from their mate. ¡°I suppose things have been... hectic as of late.¡± They sat on the bed behind DH and gently dried their wings, and the space between on their back which was so hard for any of them to reach. ¡°And... I suppose the only time we¡¯ve been by ourselves and could relax was when we were sleeping or doing... other stuff.¡± ¡°Yeah...¡± DH muttered, ¡°I mean... I... don¡¯t necessarily have a problem with that-¡° ¡°Really?¡± TO¡¯s ears perked up, twitching. The heat rose to DH¡¯s ears as they gave an awkward chuckle, ¡°But... I suppose maybe I¡¯ve begun to associate a lack of clothing with specific things.¡± TO gave a low hum as they considered this, ¡°I wonder if there¡¯s a link between nudity taboos in various cultures, and the general pace of life for said culture.¡± TO said, ¡°I suppose if a society could only be unclothed when they had a reason, they might be more likely to view nudity as functional, opposed to being just a matter of comfort in a controlled environment.¡± They paused, wiping down the membrane of DH¡¯s wing with the gentlest of touches they could muster. ¡°Of course, I¡¯m sure there are other reasons, but that could be one. I still think it¡¯s foolish.¡± ¡°You do?¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s a waste of fabric, and just not as comfortable.¡± TO said. Once DH¡¯s back and wings were dry, TO grinned and draped the towel over their mate¡¯s head. ¡°Of course, if you don¡¯t feel comfortable-¡° ¡°N-no. it¡¯s not that.¡± DH said as they reached up and removed the towel from their head. It caught on their ears slightly before they bent forward and let the fabric go. ¡°I just... Wanted to make sure it was still ok.¡± In response, TO got up and pulled off their own clothes, setting them down on the bed next to DH¡¯s. ¡°I¡¯m entirely unbothered by nudity; mine, yours, or anybody¡¯s.¡± ¡°And... it won¡¯t distract you too much?¡± ¡°DH,¡± they said as firmly as they could manage, despite how their ears burned at the words they were preparing to say. ¡°I promise that while you do *distract* me, your clothing, or lack thereof, has no effect on that.¡± DH breathed a sigh of relief, their ears relaxing and their wings draping more loosely around them. They looked up and smiled at TO, chuckling awkwardly once more before they glanced at the table. ¡°In that case...¡± they said, ¡°We should eat, if we¡¯re ok like this. I went to the kitchens earlier and got our meals. Avery said they¡¯ll be a few more hours before they come back here. I figured we could watch a show or something with them then.¡± They shrugged. ¡°You know, have some of that quality time that Flit and Snout suggested¡± TO nodded, and held a hand out to DH, ¡°Time with the people I love; all I¡¯ve wanted all day.¡± ====== Several hours later, Avery finally came back to the room. They had clearly just showered, as their clothing was wet in places. Upon seeing TO and DH both still undressed and simply playing an old training game they still had in their chips, Avery pulled off their own clothes and set them to the side to dry as well before joining them on the bed. ¡°It was a long day for you.¡± TO said as they shut down the game. Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. ¡°Hey, I was going to beat you that time!¡± DH protested. After a confused look from TO, their ears dipped and they looked away. ¡°Well, I might have beaten you.¡± They grumbled. ¡°Let¡¯s say that one ended in a draw.¡± TO said, their ears twitching with amusement. They knew just how close they had been to beating DH. ¡°Is that fair?¡± DH sighed and nodded, ¡°Fine. A draw.¡± They looked at Avery. ¡°Your work took longer than you thought?¡± ¡°Well... there was a lot to do.¡± Avery said as they lay back and activated their chip. Immediately, a fiction story appeared on the screen. ¡°And with the size of the kitchen, we can¡¯t have too many people in there working. We also didn¡¯t want to end up wasting anything, so we tried to get everything packed up and ready that we could. We were doing our best to have zero food waste. ¡°And did you?¡± Avery nodded. ¡°Everything we had, everything that was useable, is now sealed and ready for the trip. From the calculations you gave us regarding how much food we¡¯d need to feed everyone, we should have enough to last an extra week in space if it comes to it. Maybe more if we ration the food more than we plan to.¡± Their ears dipped slightly. ¡°Even... there¡¯s even enough if Kei ends up waking up during the trip... but I suppose we have plenty of nutrient cubes for us.¡± TO sighed, ¡°Yes, we do.¡± They said. The idea of going back to eating nutrition cubes didn¡¯t appeal to them, not after all the delicious food they had been eating this whole time. Even though the look of Cocopods made TO feel queasy, they had to admit that the way Lake prepared them was wonderful, and since they had started putting the meat into patties or wraps, it was wonderful! Going back to Tasteless food with the texture and consistency of uncooked mushrooms did not appeal to them. ¡°Is there a chance Kei might wake?¡± DH asked as their ears pinned back. ¡°Oh. No.¡± TO looked at Avery, smiling, ¡°Good news; I did as I promised. I got the medication needed for Vik. They can last the entire trip asleep in the holding cell.¡± Despite the fact that TO found this to be excellent news, Avery¡¯s ears dipped down once more. ¡°... You know, I¡¯ve been put to sleep like that before.¡± DH said, ¡°When I got the eye transplant. It¡¯s not like when that failsafe went off. From Kei¡¯s perspective they¡¯ll be on Arkane, blink, then be...¡± They paused, and threw a confused look at TO, ¡°You know, I never bothered to ask where we were going before we head to Apoikia.¡± ¡°ScrapRock¡± TO said as they brought up their own notes again, ¡°An exomoon in an asteroid field outside the solar system.¡± ¡°An exomoon?¡± Avery frowned. ¡°how does that happen? Wouldn¡¯t it just end up orbiting another planet?¡± ¡°Normally it would, or it would crash into its parent planet.¡± TO pulled up one of the maps that Flit and Snout had been using to chart their path. It was only by asking for the maps and details and skimming through it that TO had learned this information. After pulling up the proper information, they projected a basic star map in the air before them, a yellow circle around a specific point that lay far outside the solar system. ¡°This planet was being used a few centuries ago as a mining planet. It was mostly composed of a rare material used for a lot of technological research in the past.¡± ¡°They mined an exomoon?¡± DH asked. ¡°Oh no, it was a normal moon then. They over-mined it, and it lost its stability. There was concern about it crashing into its planet, or breaking apart into bits and causing untold trouble for spaceflight in that area. So, to prevent that, they built up some of the mining structure to hold the moon together, then jettisoned it out of the solar system. It got caught in the asteroid field and... Well, it¡¯s just there now.¡± They closed the file. ¡°There wasn¡¯t much else in the file about it specifically, and everything I found later just talked about the issue of moving the planet. Still, there¡¯s apparently a way we can get resources on ScrapRock, so I¡¯m assuming there¡¯s some habitation there. Perhaps it¡¯s used as a checkpoint or trading post of some kind.¡± Avery leaned back. ¡°Great.¡± They said, ¡°We¡¯re heading to a patchwork moon.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know how long we¡¯ll be staying there. Hopefully not long,¡± TO said. They didn¡¯t want to stay there any longer than absolutely necessary, and would push to get them to Apoikia as soon as possible. The idea of staying on a near deserted rock in the middle of an asteroid field wasn¡¯t necessarily the worst thing they could think of: They¡¯d have friends, family, and DH with them and they honestly felt like they could easily survive isolation from the larger Galaxy with all those people around them. But no, they were still worried about Avery. They wanted to get Avery to Apoikia as soon as possible so they could get them checked, and ensure they¡¯d not suffer too much from shatter sickness. ¡°I don¡¯t think we¡¯ll wake Kei until we reach Apoikia.¡± DH said after a moment, ¡°Just to be safe, you know?¡± They smiled at Avery, ¡°Who knows... maybe seeing an entire planet of Chilacians will have an effect on them.¡± ¡°I should have visited them today...¡± Avery whispered. ¡°I didn¡¯t know when they¡¯d get put under, and we were so busy...¡± ¡°I saw them.¡± TO said, trying to keep very calm so that Avery wouldn¡¯t see the anger in their ears, ¡°I had to go near the medical bay. They¡¯re fine. They were even eating solid food.¡± ¡°They were?¡± Avery asked, ¡°When was this?!¡± ¡°A few hours ago.¡± TO said. ¡°Goretta¡¯s not putting them under until the last minute, so they¡¯ll likely be awake until very early in the morning.¡± ¡°...Maybe I should go see them now.¡± Avery muttered, frowning as they eyed the screen of text before them. ¡°...I wouldn¡¯t.¡± TO said quickly. ¡°Goretta finally got them to eat on their own, and she¡¯s working with them, right? They¡¯re still unstable, so it might not be best for you to see them.¡± That was all true, yes, but even TO felt that it was a flimsy excuse. At any rate, they had to keep Avery from Kei for now. They couldn¡¯t risk Kei getting nasty with them and either triggering the shatter-sickness if it hadn¡¯t already taken hold, or making it worse. ¡°We were hoping you¡¯d stay with us.¡± DH said, We could relax together, watch a show... you can read while we have something playing, you know we don¡¯t mind... We just want to be near our family before everything happens tomorrow." Avery fell silent, their ears low, and TO worried that they¡¯d insist on seeing Kei. A moment later, though, their ears rose gently, and they gave a half smile. ¡°Alright.¡± They said, ¡°I¡¯ll stay here with you two.¡± ====== It was perhaps one of the most relaxing evenings TO had experienced in quite a long time. The three of them watched several shows; a longer one and several shorter ones, then talked about anything that came to mind until exhaustion silenced them and they fell asleep. Despite the risks they¡¯d be facing just the next day, TO experienced a glorious, deep sleep; one born of equal parts contentment and exhaustion. they would have woken up the next day feeling fully rested if a sudden, frantic alarm hadn¡¯t gone off on their communicator, violently pulling them from sleep. Episode 371: Resilience TO fumbled for the communicator, grabbing it from under the worn pillow and dropping it on the floor as they attempted to turn it off, cursing as they reached for it. In those moments while they felt around for the communicator, they realized that it wasn¡¯t just an alert warning of a waiting message, or that someone was trying to reach them: It was an alarm, identical to the one currently going off on DH¡¯s communicator. Finally, they grasped it and pulled it to their face where the brightly lit screen displayed a simple message: ¡°Call me now.¡± TO called them right away, even as DH¡¯s communicator was still going off. ¡°What?¡± TO snapped as soon as Vik answered, which was less than a second after they placed the call. Blissfully, once Vik answered, DH¡¯s alarm went silent. ¡°I think Avery killed Kei.¡± The last of the sleepiness drained from TO, along with any color in their face. ¡°What?! No, Avery is-¡± They turned to look at Avery, who had been sleeping between them and DH... But they weren¡¯t there, and they weren¡¯t in the room with them. TO¡¯s stomach churned. DH crawled over the bed and reached out for TO¡¯s communicator. They put it on speaker, ¡°Avery wouldn¡¯t kill anyone.¡± DH said, ¡°They hate violence. It makes them sick to their stomach to think about being violent with anyone.¡± ¡°Look, I just got an alert that all Kei¡¯s vital signs just suddenly dropped.¡± Vik said. ¡°When I checked, I saw Avery was in the med-room. I can¡¯t see anything because there¡¯s something wrong with the camera. So, with the cameras malfunctioning, and with Avery in the med-room while everyone else is asleep-¡° ¡°No.¡± TO said as they got up and grabbed their clothes from the edge of the bed. ¡°No, you¡¯re wrong.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t even know what I was going to say!¡± ¡°You¡¯re going to say that you think Avery planned it.¡± TO said as they pulled their clothes on. In seconds, DH was up and getting dressed as well. ¡°You¡¯re going to say that they did something to the camera because they planned to hurt Kei.¡± ¡°... To be fair, that camera there isn¡¯t the only one that¡¯s not working.¡± Vik said, ¡°All the cameras on that side of the tunnel system are down! I¡¯m getting nothing but a black screen here.¡± ¡°And you think that¡¯s because Avery had an escape plan?¡± TO snapped. ¡°I would, but Avery is still in the med-room. Their vitals are going all erratic, but they¡¯re there.¡± Erratic. TO didn¡¯t like that. ¡°What do you mean, Erratic.¡± DH said as they took the communicator from TO. ¡°What are you seeing?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. They¡¯re erratic! can¡¯t read all these stats, you know? But I can tell you that the yellow line went down, and the blue line and the red line went up. ¡° Now DH cursed as they pulled on their clothes. ¡°And Kei¡¯s?¡± ¡°Kei¡¯s vitals elevated for a few seconds, then completely dropped off,¡± Vik said. how long ago was this?" DH demanded. ¡°It was only a couple of minutes ago.¡± Vik said, ¡°As soon as it happened, I started calling people, but nobody answered. So I sent out the alarms to everyone, asking for anyone to call me back! Since I¡¯ve been talking to the two of you, I¡¯ve had half a dozen others contact me. I¡¯ve been messaging them and telling them what¡¯s happening, but I¡¯d rather if the two of you went to investigate... just in case.¡± If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. ¡°Just in case what?¡± TO hissed. ¡°Just... just in case something happened, and they¡¯re scared or aggressive-¡° ¡°Avery isn¡¯t aggressive.¡± DH said as they grabbed the med kit from under the bed. ¡°We¡¯re going there now.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll keep you informed if anything else happens. I need to call Goretta. She¡¯s messaging me a lot, but it¡¯ll be easier to talk to her. I¡¯ll send her your way.¡± The line went quiet. TO and DH ran to the door, pulling it open and running down the hallway as fast as they could. ¡°Avery wouldn¡¯t kill anyone,¡± DH said. ¡°Ever. The thought of violence makes them sick. Even if they were angry at Kei... no, they¡¯d never. They wouldn¡¯t.¡± TO said nothing, mostly because they were saving their breath and running as fast as they could. Avery wouldn¡¯t hurt anyone, not even Kei. But if they went to see Kei for whatever reason, and Kei got angry and told Avery what they really felt... TO just ran. They needed to get to Avery. ====== Mere minutes passed before TO burst through the door of the makeshift med-room, nearly breaking the old wooden door off its hinges as they rushed forward towards the room where Kei had been bound on their bed only hours before. Their panic over the situation had only grown as they ran though the hallways and considered the implications of what might have happened. If Avery had killed Kei, would anyone demand that Avery get left behind? Would they demand that Avery go into a medically induced coma, as they were planning to do with Kei? TO wouldn¡¯t allow it. If Avery did something to Kei, there had to be a reason. Maybe there were recordings they could listen to from Avery''s chips, but that was something they¡¯d look into later. There had to be a reason to explain what had happened. Of course, even if there was a reason, and even if everyone they knew decided that Avery was blameless, TO was still worried about Avery. They remembered how they had been after their examination in training, and how the idea that they might have killed actual people had stuck with them. They had to get to Avery. They had to make sure their friend was ok. They didn¡¯t even pay attention to what DH shouted at them as they threw open the door to the room in the back. blood There was lots of blood on the floor, glistening in the overhead lights- Blood. The sound of bones cracking. Scalpel through skin. -dripping from the bed onto the floor. The smell was strong, metallic, and sharp in TO¡¯s nose, and it seemed to wrap around their brain. Their vision went white, and they felt arms grab them from behind- Blood. Bones cracking. The sharp smell of sanitizer mixed with the stench of blood, so strong and so real that TO could almost taste it. -and carefully lower them to the floor before letting go. As they lay on the floor, TO could see a body crumpled up on the floor, mostly covered by limp wings. There was a certain, subtle twitching of the ears which at least told TO that they were alive. Blood soaked their clothes, and there was blood on the floor. A foot had smudged some blood near TO, and left a few footprints on the ground before disappearing. Blood. Bones. the thin layer of the medical gloves was the only thing between TO¡¯s skin, and the organs of the juvenile synth on the slab. ¡°Avery!¡± There was an anguish that TO hadn¡¯t heard in DH¡¯s voice before, and a panic that made their voice crack. TO turned their head back to the blood covered body, their own movements slow and detached. DH turned the body over, and TO could see their face of their friend, of their Ankyra, of Avery, covered in blood. Through the blood and bruised skin, and the attempts of their own mind to fade their vision so they wouldn¡¯t have to see the scene before them, TO saw a flash of metal at Avery¡¯s neck. Focus Blood, Bone, skin. Focus. Something is wrong. Avery needs you. The smell of blood, of antiseptic, of plastic gloves Avery needs you. DH needs you. Don¡¯t lose them! They blinked twice and strained to focus on their friend. The flash of metal was from a syringe which stuck out from Avery¡¯s neck. As TO looked, they could see the skin under the blood already bruising. Avery had been attacked. It was like their mind was starting to reset, to boot back up after a critical failure, and now basic information was flooding their mind once more. They still felt like they had to vomit, and wanted to close their eyes and pretend that they didn¡¯t see any of this, that they couldn¡¯t feel sticky blood on their skin, feel it soak their clothes and cling to their body. They wanted to pretend that Avery wasn¡¯t laying on the floor only a few feet away from them, unconscious and bloody. They pushed themself up, ignoring DH¡¯s warning to stay down and rest. They shook their head and looked around. ¡°Avery¡¯s hurt.¡± They said, more to themself than to DH. ¡°Avery... Avery¡¯s heart rate was erratic. Kei-¡° They looked around, cursing themself as this was the first time they noticed that Kei was gone. The footprint they had seen on the floor was on the opposite side of the bed from where Avery lay. A quick examination- Blood. Bone. Sliced skin. Plastic gloves. It¡¯s just ink. It¡¯s paint. Just pretend for a few minutes! You can¡¯t fail here! -told TO that a synth left the footprint. It was easy to tell, given the rounded toe-prints, the telltale scrape of the curved claws of their feet, and the additional pressure on the front pads of the foot, caused by their digitigrade stance. But why was there blood on that side of the bed, and why so much? Avery was on the other side, so while there might have been some splatter- Splattering blood, stinking, sticky. Blood everywhere. -There was no reason for there to be so much blood on the other side of the bed. On their hands and knees, they pulled themself towards a small puddle of blood on the floor. There was less blood than TO thought at first, collected in a single puddle, disturbed only by that one footprint. Something metallic was in the blood. Their mind raced back to Avery and the needle in their neck, their brain playing awful videos in their head over and over... But this wasn¡¯t a needle, it was small and flat. With a shaking hand, they reached out and picked the metal item up from the blood, wiping it and their hands off on their shirt before they inspected the item more. The metal of Kei¡¯s chip lay in the palm of TO¡¯s hand. Episode 372: Accomplice Blood. Cracking bones. Blue blood smeared in the creases of their fingers. It was clearly a chip in their hand, and could only be Kei¡¯s. Still, TO pulled off the band that held their own chip to their hand and pressed Kei¡¯s abandoned chip to their bloodstained skin- blood. Cracking bones. The smell of antiseptic. ¡®Pass me that bone saw.¡¯ -Just so they could confirm. After giving the chip a moment to sync, they called Vik. The small hacker answered immediately. ¡°Kei¡¯s chip just started recording their stats again.¡± Vik said, and even over the communicator TO could hear their misplaced relief, ¡°I suppose I owe Avery an apology-¡° ¡°You will when they wake up.¡± TO said. *When, not if. They will wake up. DH is helping them now. DH has to focus on Avery.* ¡°What do you-¡° ¡°Kei isn¡¯t here.¡± TO¡¯s voice didn¡¯t feel like their own. It was as though the words were coming out of their own accord. A program was running in their head, and they were just following that program, obeying the commands sent to them by some deep part of their mind. ¡°Avery is here. Kei attacked Avery. Their injury seems to be severe-¡° ¡°Kei rammed the syringe into Avery¡¯s neck.¡± DH said, ¡°They¡¯re bleeding a lot. I¡¯m doing what I can. There¡¯s some damage to the trachea as well. I need Goretta here now, I can¡¯t-¡° DH¡¯s firm, medical tone slipped and cracked, a soft whimper escaping them before they took a breath and continued. ¡°I can¡¯t do this on my own.¡± ¡°She¡¯s already on her way.¡± Vik said as their own voice became clipped and quick, ¡°What about Kei?¡° ¡°Gone.¡± TO said. They glanced at the footprint in the paint- Blood. Blood and cracking bones. A finger spat out against them. The body was still warm when they opened it up to collect the useable organs. -and tried to calculate how long ago they left based on how much the smudge had dried since then. ¡°They probably left as soon as their vitals dropped. They left on their own power. They walked.¡± ¡°Shit.¡± Vik whispered into the communicator. ¡°And I can¡¯t see them on my cameras. More have gone down since, and I don¡¯t know why! There¡¯s no technical issues as far as I can see!¡± The camera. TO looked up at the camera in the corner. It seemed to be working properly, sure. The small red light that blinked every few seconds was still blinking, but the problem was that a thick black substance covered the lens. The same substance that Outis shot into Mira¡¯s face the day of their escape. ¡°They had an accomplice.¡± TO said as they pulled themself up from their floor. ¡°Outis must have helped them. They covered the camera in black sludge.¡± Vik cursed again and TO could hear their frantic typing. ¡°Alright. I can plot their most likely location from here. I¡¯m assuming they¡¯re trying to escape, so if I track the tunnels that are blacked out, I can figure out the likely path they took to escape. If we hurry and search the tunnels, we can catch them both and-¡° ¡°No.¡± TO said, ¡°Don¡¯t bother.¡± ¡°What? Why not? I know the tunnels here are chaotic if you don¡¯t have a map, but they could still find their way out, and if they do, they¡¯re going to tell someone where we are-¡° ¡°Kei is dangerous.¡± TO said, ¡°They¡¯re dangerous and unstable, and I know that they¡¯ll be able to elude most anyone in the tunnels. The only people I¡¯d consider sending to look for them would be another synth.¡± ¡°Alright, well then-¡° ¡°They hurt Avery. DH is taking care of them. Flit can¡¯t go on their own into the tunnels.¡± TO¡¯s ears flicked back. Flit refusing to use their mechanical leg had seemed like such a good idea at first as a precaution in case something had been done to its programming. Now, even if they wanted to use the leg again, the wounds on their stump were still healing. ¡°The only people who could go after them would be myself, GiDi, or Snout.¡± ¡°Alright, well-¡° ¡°And how long will three people searching the tunnels take to find a single person who doesn¡¯t want to be found?¡± ¡°¡­Right.¡± Vik said, ¡°It would take too long. If you were lucky, you¡¯d find them right away, but if you weren¡¯t-¡° ¡°If we weren¡¯t, it¡¯d take days.¡± TO said, ¡°We don¡¯t have days. With them gone, we don¡¯t even have the hours we thought we¡¯d have. If they know a way out of the tunnels, then they won¡¯t be wandering for too long, and as soon as they get out of the tunnels, they¡¯ll go to the authorities. ¡° If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. ¡°You¡¯re sure about that?¡± They asked, ¡°I mean¡­ If they did, wouldn¡¯t they go back to Decon in the end? And if their mind is altered, wouldn¡¯t Decon kill them?¡± ¡°Depends.¡± TO said, ¡°If they kept doing their work, kept acting normal, then no. But even if they knew that King Decon would repurpose them the second they were back on a synth ship, they¡¯d probably still go. Even if the procedure gave them some kind of greater self preservation instinct or something, I¡¯m certain they¡¯d still be willing to sacrifice their life to stop us. That¡¯s one of the reasons we were so worried about them on the ship: they¡¯d absolutely sabotage the ship and kill everyone, themself included, in service to King Decon.¡± ¡°So¡­ the second the get out of the tunnels, they¡¯ll look for some authority figure,¡± Kei said. ¡°They¡¯ll go right to Gyrini if they can.¡± TO said, ¡°The second they get out of the tunnel-¡° They paused, their ears pinning back once more, then dipping. ¡°They know how to get out of the tunnels.¡± ¡°What? How?¡± Vik asked. ¡°Remember when I said I saw something in the walls when I was heading to the transport yesterday?¡± Another curse from Vik, ¡°If Outis was following you, they¡¯d know the path to that tunnel.¡± They said, ¡°They¡¯d know how to get out. Maybe we should try to get them?¡± ¡°No.¡± TO said, ¡°They¡¯ll be too careful, and they have a head start.¡± They heard a terrified gasp from behind them, and when TO looked they saw Goretta at the door, her own med-kit in hand. To her credit, she didn¡¯t freeze or stop and ask questions; the moment she set eyes on Avery, she lunged forward, opened her bag, and helped DH with what they were doing to stabilize Avery. TO didn¡¯t know exactly what they were doing; they didn¡¯t want to look. They looked instead around the room, taking in the supplies they had procured for getting Kei on the ship. ¡°Goretta. DH.¡± TO¡¯s voice had a clipped and mechanical tone. ¡°Use the gurney we had for Kei and get Avery to the ship.¡± They said. ¡°Put them in the same room we had planned for Kei. It¡¯ll be quiet, and out of the way. DH can keep it locked, so in case something happens, you¡¯ll have an extra layer of security there.¡± ¡°As soon as we stabilize the neck.¡± Goretta said as she pulled tools from her bag, ¡°We¡¯re lucky they used the syringe. I can just cauterize-¡° ¡°Do what you have to do.¡± TO said as they turned to the door. ¡°Vik, we¡¯re leaving now. Wake up everyone. I have no idea how much time we have until we have the authorities swarming the tunnels. I¡¯m heading to the civilian dorms to ensure we get everyone out of there as fast as possible.¡± ¡°I¡¯m on it.¡± The line went dead. ¡°DH.¡± TO said without turning around to look at their mate, ¡°Inform me of any changes to Avery¡¯s status. Inform me when you¡¯re safe on the ship.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± DH said. TO strode out of the small room, out of the med bay, and into the hallway. They walked in a trancelike state through the smaller hallway until they reached the main one, where the water flowed between the walkways. It was only then that they stopped. They listened to the trickling of the water, the echo of distant noises from farther down the hallway. Their skin felt hot where blood made their clothes cling to their skin. Blood. Bone. The smell of antiseptic. They fell to their knees and vomited profusely into the underground river. ====== By the time TO got to the civilian¡¯s dorm everyone was already up and rushing around, dressing their kids and throwing the last few items that they had waited to shove into the random assortment of packs and bags that the insurgency had been able to provide for them. ¡°TO!¡± TO turned and saw Petra rushing towards them. ¡°Where were you? What¡¯s going on? Where-¡± She paused and looked TO over quickly. ¡°¡­ Where¡¯s your shirt?¡± TO¡¯s shirt had been covered in blood, and once they recovered their senses a little more, they couldn¡¯t stand to have it on them. They didn¡¯t think they¡¯d be able to wear that shirt again anyway, so they used it to wipe away as much of the blood as they could from their hands, and then got rid of it. ¡°Kei got away.¡± TO said, ignoring her question, ¡°Outis was involved somehow. There¡¯s cameras-¡° ¡°Who¡¯s Outis?¡± Petra asked. TO sighed and rubbed their forehead, closing their eyes for only a second because it seemed the moment they closed their eyes, they could see blood all over them. They could feel it. It was as though they had to keep their eyes open to remind themself that they weren¡¯t covered in blood. ¡°Outis is someone from the indebted center.¡± They said. ¡°Someone who got away. They¡¯re helping Kei now. The moment Kei gets out of the tunnels, they¡¯re going to find the authorities and get them in here to stop us.¡± they looked to Petra, expecting her to look a little scared, but instead she was trying not to look at TO. It took them a moment to realize why. ¡°Really?¡± they hissed as they lifted their arm, ¡°I¡¯m still wearing pants... Arkanians and their nudity taboo.¡± They activated their armor, which got an altogether different and sudden reaction from Petra. Her tail stiffened behind her, and she took a step back. ¡°You¡¯re listening to me now?¡± TO asked. Petra nodded stiffly in response. ¡°Good. We have limited time. Grab your stuff and get yourself and Lendulin to the ship. Follow the red lights in the hallway.¡± that had been a simple but brilliant solution that Vik came up with to ensure nobody got lost on the way to the ship: change the lights leading the way to red. ¡°B-but there¡¯s still people I can help here-¡° ¡°Get Lendulin to the ship.¡± TO said again, gritting their teeth slightly as their ears pinned back under their helmet. ¡°Everyone has a partner to get there with; everyone who needs or might need assistance is paired with someone who can provide that. Get yourself and Lendulin to the ship.¡± There was no more argument from Petra, but TO noticed something odd: Petra took a few steps back, and nodded, almost giving that same half-bow they had gotten used to when they were still acting as proper synths among the civilians, then ran off. It took TO a moment to realize why that was. The armor probably made them look a lot fiercer than they were, but the helmet was still translating things in that harsh way. It wasn¡¯t a strange form of etiquette. It was fear; A reluctance to turn their back on them and a brief sign of submission. Well, it was an easy fix. They deactivated their helmet before rushing to the nearest civilian, who was struggling with packing up some last-minute supplies while holding a baby in her three arms. Episode 373: Melt TO hadn¡¯t even considered contacting GiDi before they dove into helping the civilians. They had gone these past few days without no contact with their friend and, given how rushed their morning had been, getting in contact with GiDi was the last thing on their mind. They remembered that GiDi was now recovered from their thing with Pearla when they saw them rushing about the dormitory, helping people get their things packed up just as TO was doing. Relief that their friend was now there to help them battled the twist of anger in their stomach at the knowledge that GiDi had been fully involved in the creation of the failsafe, and that they had actually been the one who suggested it in the first place. GiDi glanced up, and in a split second they caught TO¡¯s eyes. TO quickly looked away, feeling their ears pin back and their wings lift. They were glad they had GiDi around again, even though they were still angry at them. It was so odd to feel such a mix of emotions at once, and given that they were still struggling with seeing blood on their skin every time they closed their eyes, they didn¡¯t want to deal with this right now. Even if they did, there was no time. They had to get everyone on the ship. GiDi seemed to think differently. Out of the corner of their eye, TO could see GiDi practically drop the stuff they were packing up and run over to them. ¡°TO!¡± They stopped short of TO, their wings against their arms, their hands clasped before them as though they didn¡¯t know what they were supposed to do with them. ¡°TO¡­ Pearla told me that you know-¡° ¡°Now isn¡¯t the time.¡± TO said, not looking at GiDi. It really wasn¡¯t. Even if they were in a better state of mind and wanted to talk about everything, they were far too busy, and there was far too much going on to have this conversation. ¡°I¡­ I know. But TO, please, I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m sorry, I-¡° ¡°GiDi¡­¡± TO gave an irritated sigh, ¡°This really, really isn¡¯t the time.¡± TO said as their ears flicked down once more, their lip curling slightly as they focused on arranging some supplies into a bag with far more care than was necessary. ¡°TO¡­ please, look at me?¡± TO couldn¡¯t help but glance up, planning to only take a quick look at their small friend, but when they looked at GiDi and saw how big their blue rimmed eyes were, and how low and practically limp their ears were, the anger drained from them. As angry and betrayed as they felt, they knew GiDi well enough to understand that they wouldn¡¯t have done something so hurtful if they didn¡¯t believe it was the best option. TO still fully believed that GiDi was in the wrong, but somehow they just couldn¡¯t hold that same anger anymore, especially when it made GiDi look so heartbroken. ¡°Look¡­¡± TO said softly, their ears dipping down, relaxing from their previously tense and angry pose. We really can¡¯t talk about this now. But.. we¡¯ll talk on the ship.¡± ¡°I just need you to know that-¡° ¡°I know you wouldn¡¯t try to hurt us,¡± TO said. ¡°I know that. So, it¡¯s ok. We can talk on the ship.¡± GiDi took a stilted step forward, hesitating as they looked up at TO. Their wings wrapped more tightly around their arms. ¡°It¡¯s ok.¡± TO said, ¡°I¡­Well, it¡¯ll be ok.¡± Their ears perked up as they remembered something. ¡°I¡¯m not going to tell Avery that I knew about everything beforehand. That will have less of a sting if you to tell them yourself. I think it¡¯d hurt less that way.¡± GiDi winced and took a step back from TO. ¡°Y-you¡¯re right.¡± They said. ¡°I didn¡¯t want to hurt them. I didn¡¯t want to hurt anyone, I just-¡° ¡°Again, it¡¯s fine. We¡¯ll talk on the ship.¡± TO said. GiDi hesitated a moment more, looking at the floor, at the walls, around at the civilians rushing around them. It only took TO another moment to realize why they were hesitating. TO pulled them into a quick hug, and though their armor prevented their wings from bending forward enough to wrap around GiDi properly, they did at least relax from their own tensed position as they held GiDi close. ¡°It¡¯s ok. Or, It will be. We¡¯ll be ok. But we need to get ready now.¡± Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon. GiDi nodded, lingered for a moment more in TO¡¯s embrace, then pulled away from them and rushed back to what they were doing. ¡°I admit.¡± A voice from behind them said, ¡°It¡¯s weird to see that, especially when you¡¯re in your armor.¡± TO jolted, turned, and saw a civilian who they only knew through their time in the civilian dorms. He came from the tunnels and had no family to speak of on this planet. The dark clothes he wore created a start contrast to his pale, nearly translucent skin. Instead of legs, he had a long, eel-like tail with which he moved about on land with relative ease. He also had long ears; longer than a synth¡¯s ears, but also much narrower. Unlike most Psicijin, he didn¡¯t need a cart or a wheelchair to get around; he moved as easily on land as a Nagarajin, using his tail as a snake would to make his way about. His name was Lon, TO recalled that from setting him up with his travel partner. ¡°Yes, well, apparently it¡¯s distracting for me to go around without a shirt on, so I opted to wear my armor. At least, most of it.¡± TO said. ¡°Yeah, I noticed. Thanks for not wearing the helmet, that thing is freaky.¡± he sighed and clasped his hands at the small of his back. His own long ears dipped down, and while there were certain aspects of the movement that would have differed from their own, TO was able to recognize the concern in them. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± TO asked. ¡°My partner.¡± He said. ¡°She refuses to leave. She¡¯s not packed, and she says she¡¯s just going to stay here.¡± TO sighed and scanned the room, looking for Lon¡¯s partner. They didn¡¯t want to do this right now; they hadn¡¯t had time to prepare themself mentally¡­ But time was short, and they had no choice. ¡°Right.¡± They said once they failed to find her in the mass of moving civilians, ¡°Bring me to Beck.¡± ====== ¡°Hey, Beck?¡± Lon said as they approached where she lay on the bed, walking far slower than was necessary so as not to startle her with TO¡¯s presence. The last thing TO needed was for her to get frightened and draw her claws on them. ¡°What?¡± she hissed. ¡°Could we talk?¡± Lon didn¡¯t know Beck before they ended up underground together, and their pairing up for the trip had been an issue of circumstance and opportunity, and not because of of any connection between the two. Lon was small, and mobile on their own enough that if there were any issues Beck would be able to carry him. Of course, this meant that Lon didn¡¯t know Beck, didn¡¯t know why she was staying behind, and had no idea what to say to convince her or how she might respond. TO didn¡¯t even know what they could do to convince her. They really didn¡¯t want to knock her out again or otherwise incapacitate her. A part of them even considered that maybe it would be better to let her stay if that was what she really wanted¡­ But they had to attempt to convince her otherwise. Beck looked up, saw TO, and tensed. TO¡¯s eyes went right to her hands, watching her fingertips for the faintest glint of claws. ¡°Please don¡¯t draw your claws on me.¡± They said, putting their own hands in the air before them, showing that they were empty. ¡°I don¡¯t want to hurt you.¡± ¡°You could have fooled me.¡± She hissed. ¡°TO be fair, you drew your claws on me and lunged.¡± TO said, ¡°Amongst ... well, in training, you didn¡¯t draw your claws on another. If you did, it was a sign that you wanted to hurt them badly, maybe even kill them.¡± Their ears pinned back, ¡°You¡¯ve seen the scars on DH¡¯s face, yes? Someone in our training group clawed their face and destroyed their eye. DH had to get a replacement. Our Overseers nearly didn¡¯t give it to them.¡± She was silent for a moment, still tense as she watched TO carefully, ¡°¡­ What would have happened if they hadn¡¯t gotten the new eye?¡± She asked. ¡°They¡¯d have stayed on the training ship to work in maintenance or reclamation. They wouldn¡¯t have been placed here with me and I¡¯d likely never see them again.¡± TO didn¡¯t say that it was likely they¡¯d have been corrected eventually in such an environment. They didn¡¯t know how much she knew of that, or how much she cared. They also didn¡¯t have time to explain that to her. ¡°Beck, you need to come with us,¡± Lon said, his voice soft despite the visible irritation in his ears. Idly, TO wondered if there was some link between Lon¡¯s species and the Chilacians. Maybe some ancient ancestor before they split off, one growing wings and the other forming a tail. ¡°There¡¯s nothing here for us. There¡¯s nobody to help us once the insurgency leaves, and the authorities are on their way. Even if they weren¡¯t, Decon might kill everyone anyway!¡± ¡°I¡¯m staying.¡± She said, looking away from TO and Lon. TO sighed and picked up the empty bag on the floor next to her cot. They passed it to Lon, ¡°Here.¡± They said, ¡°Put her stuff in this. Let me talk to her.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to talk to you,¡± Beck snapped. ¡°If you listen to me for a few minutes, I¡¯ll give you a choice.¡± TO said, trying to make a plan in their head as they went, ¡°You can either get on the ship with us¡­ or I¡¯ll show you how to get out of the tunnels and back to the city.¡± She clutched at her arms, her own ears flicking back, her tail curling around her legs. After a moment of silence, she looked up. ¡°You promise?¡± She asked. ¡°I promise.¡± TO said, ¡°Lon will pack up your stuff. When we¡¯re done, you can take your pack and either go with him to the ship, or you can follow the map I¡¯ll send you, and get back to the city.¡± She looked over TO, searching their face for something. TO realized they were probably looking for a hint of sincerity in their expression, but she¡¯d not find that there. To realized that while her own ears were mobile, and while they corresponded with some emotions, they weren¡¯t as essential as TO¡¯s own were. Perhaps they were more indicative of levels of attention. ¡°Alright.¡± She said. She picked up her communicator and set a timer. ¡°You have three minutes. Episode 374: Trust TO glanced at Lon, their ears flicking back, ¡°Would you mind giving us a moment?¡± They asked. ¡°Lon can stay here.¡± Beck said with a hiss, ¡°I don¡¯t want to be alone with you in case you decide to attack me again.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not for my benefit; it¡¯s for yours.¡± TO said. ¡°Also, I feel it essential to point out that you attacked me first. With your claws out.¡± TO was certain that their icy tone came through enough for a civilian to notice it even if they couldn¡¯t read their ears. Despite that, Beck smirked and tapped on her communicator. Her message was obvious; She wouldn¡¯t give TO any extra time. ¡°Very well.¡± TO said, clasping their hands behind their back, ¡°I apologize for the intrusion to your personal business, but I overhead the conversation you had with Petra the other day.¡± Their ears flicked parallel as they looked down at her. ¡°About why you don¡¯t want to leave the planet?¡± Her eyes went wide. It was strange: she had slit eyes, and they were normally relatively narrow, but in that moment they went big, and her green eyes looked nearly as black as TO¡¯s own. She looked over at Lon, ¡°On second thought... Could we have a moment?¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Lon said as he turned around to put some distance between them. He paused, and looked back, ¡°But, no fighting, please?¡± ¡°So long as she keeps her claws to herself, there will be none.¡± TO said. Lon hesitated, but after a moment, he sighed and left. ¡°Right.¡± TO said, ¡°That was a waste of a minute.¡± They took a deep breath, ¡°I understand that you follow one of the old religions of Arkane-¡° ¡°It¡¯s not against the law to do that!¡± Beck protested. ¡°And before you say anything, I wasn¡¯t evangelizing. That is against the law, and I wouldn¡¯t do that. Petra asked me-¡° ¡°I have no interest in what¡¯s legal or illegal at this point.¡± TO said, ¡°I¡¯m a former synth working with the insurgency. Even if I did take personal issue with it, I¡¯d have no way to do anything about it.¡± ¡°... So you won¡¯t report me to anyone? Not even when we get out of here?¡± TO knew why she was asking; the law against organized religion wasn¡¯t a planetary one, it was a galactic one. ¡°Honestly, I don¡¯t care enough about it to bother,¡± they said. ¡°I do care about preventing as much death as possible at this point though.¡± ¡°Right...¡± ¡°And I understand that the reason you don¡¯t want to leave is because you wish to have your remains put in the Oceans of Arkane when you die, correct?¡± ¡°Y-yes.¡± TO was thinking fast now, making up the plan as they went. ¡°Well, if that¡¯s the case, then there¡¯s two options. First; We can bring some water with us. You could keep it with you, and when you die, you can have your ashes put in that.¡± Her eyes narrowed. ¡°That¡¯s not how it works.¡± She said. ¡°Then the second plan,¡± they said, ¡°Is to get someone to promise to bring you back when you die.¡± ¡°Space travel is expensive.¡± She said with a huff, ¡°I wouldn¡¯t be able to find someone who was trustworthy, willing, or had the means to do that for me.¡± ¡°Space travel is expensive, yes, but I have a ship. I wouldn¡¯t even have to land on the planet to put your remains in the water, so even if the planet was inhospitable to life, I could do it..¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Terraforming.¡± TO said, ¡°During the terraforming process, sometimes additions need to be made to the oceans of a particular planet. Now, my ship isn¡¯t equipped with that particular kind of container, but it is equipped for an orbital drop. The crates are easy enough to find. I could easily get one once things calm down. I¡¯d rather not handle a dead body, so if cremation is an option for this process, then that¡¯s easier. Even if it¡¯s not, I¡¯m sure I could still do this for you.¡± She chuckled and shook her head. ¡°You might have the means, but you forgot the other two factors: trustworthy and willing.¡± ¡°I¡¯m willing to do this if it means you leave with us peacefully.¡± TO said, ¡°As for trustworthy... Well, I suppose that¡¯s a gamble for both of us. I¡¯d be trusting you not to run away, or do something to the ship.¡± Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. In the moment of silence that followed, the alarm of Beck¡¯s communicator went off. She frowned as she reached out for it to turn it out. TO, meanwhile, turned around to find Lon, ¡°Lon, Do you have her things packed?¡± they asked in a voice loud enough for him to hear." ¡°More or less.¡± Lon called back, ¡°Just need the stuff by her bed.¡± ¡°Good. Bring the bag over? we¡¯re done talking.¡± Lon came back and passed Beck a plain white sack with a few items in it. From the looks of things, all she had was the clothes she had when she escaped from the Indebted center, the communicator given to her by the insurgency, and a few personal items they had given her from others. When Lon held out the bag, she held it carefully as though it might bite. ¡°Just grab whatever else you have,¡± TO said as they took out their own communicator. They held it out to Beck, who looked back at them as though she didn¡¯t know what they were doing. ¡°Please. your contact information so I can you the directions to get out of the tunnels.¡± ¡°You¡¯re still giving me the map?¡± she asked. ¡°You said I had three minutes, and those three minutes are now done. I promised to give you the directions and let you make your choice after that three minutes.¡± They said, though even as they said that, they were trying to think of a way to keep her from leaving, some last thing they could say to keep her from going. ¡°... You know.¡± They said, ¡°If King Decon decides to kill everyone on the planet, there¡¯s not going to be anyone left to make sure you end up in the water.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll have to stay by the water.¡± She said as she held her communicator up, tapping it on TO¡¯s own communicator. A moment later, TO was able to send her the information. ¡°The path is a bit winding, but it¡¯s safe.¡± TO said, ¡°It¡¯ll take you into the outer ring.¡± ¡°Right. Thanks.¡± Beck jumped up from the bed and knelt on the floor, quickly throwing a few small things in that she had hidden underneath. A book, some small articles of clothing, and a packet of food. It was something given to all the civilians, just in case something happened and they needed a quick meal in a critical situation. She hesitated before putting that in her bag and looked up at TO. ¡°I should give this back to you.¡± She said. ¡°Keep it.¡± TO said, ¡°It was prepared for you.¡± Beck nodded, put the packet in her bag, and tied it up. When she stood up, she looked at TO for a moment as though she wanted to say something, then headed towards the door. ¡°... Please don¡¯t go,¡± TO said, their voice so quiet that TO was half certain Beck couldn¡¯t have heard it. She did. ¡°Why do you care if I leave or not?¡± she asked, ¡°Why do you care if I go or not? You don¡¯t know me!¡± ¡°...Enough people are going to die here.¡± TO said, keeping their voice low so that the others couldn¡¯t hear them. ¡°And I can¡¯t help everyone. We can¡¯t save everyone. We have a single ship, limited resources, and even if we had more resources, the pure logistics of getting everyone on the planet onto a ship to flee...¡± They didn¡¯t know what else to say about it. ¡°Enough people are going to die. You were kind. I¡¯d like to be able to keep you from dying.¡± She didn¡¯t respond to that. She gave a grunt, which could have been taken any number of ways, then continued walking towards the door, passing by some of the civilians who were still there packing up their things. Once she was out of TO¡¯s sight, they sat down on the abandoned bed with a sigh, putting their head in their hands. ¡°... You¡¯re letting her go?¡± Lon asked. ¡°She¡¯s not a prisoner.¡± TO said, ¡°And... and at any rate, I promised her I would.¡± They did promise that. It was a promise they made quickly, and without too much thought, but it had been the only way she would listen to them. They had one chance to convince her otherwise, and they failed. ¡°... She¡¯s going to die, though.¡± Lon said, ¡°If she doesn¡¯t die because of King Decon, she¡¯ll get caught and thrown back into the Indebted center, and she¡¯ll die there.¡° ¡°I know.¡± TO said, not looking up, ¡°Many people are going to die. Most of Arkane, actually.¡± ¡°But we can stop her from-¡° TO looked up at Lon, their ears low as they gave them an icy stare. ¡°What would you have me do?¡± They asked, ¡°Should I attack her? Should I knock her out again and drag her onto the ship? That way, she can tell everyone that I attacked her again.¡± They sighed and looked back down at the floor. ¡°I promised I¡¯d let her go. I¡¯m not going to break that promise.¡± They had planned to knock her out and bring her if it came to that, but once they promised, they realized they couldn¡¯t. If they prevented her from leaving now, when they got on the ship, she¡¯d tell everyone that TO attacked her and lied to her. That information would create an exceedingly a volatile environment on an overcrowded ship rushing through space. Given that many were still on edge around them, allowing that kind of environment to persist was a disastrous idea. As they were thinking this, someone came to stand before them. TO hadn¡¯t even noticed; there was so much noise all around that their translators worked to filter out much of the ¡®needless¡¯ noise. The worn, patched black shoes stopping before them were the only thing that told them someone was there. They looked up and saw Beck looking down at them. Her pupils were once more narrowed slits as she looked down at them. They could assume the bigger eyes were a fear response judging by the context from earlier, but what of narrowed pupils? One of the few facial features that a synth might display was the disconcerting narrowing of their eyes as their ears pinned back and their lips curled to show their pointed teeth. Like that, everything about them seemed angular and sharp, which matched the dangerous levels of anger that the expression often foretold. Was this the same? ¡°Hey.¡± Beck said, ¡°You were actually going to let me leave?¡± They looked up, blinking in confusion, ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Because I said I would?¡± She pursed her lips together as she stared at TO, her narrowed pupils focused on them intently, making TO feel jittery and nervous. ¡°Fine.¡± she said as she threw the bag on the bed. ¡°I¡¯ll go. But I want a plan for how getting my body back to Arkane is gonna work¡± Episode 375: Similarity
Beck found it far easier to take TO at their word after her little test, and the two of them came up with a quick plan. Details would have to be hashed out later, but once they all had new identification, Beck would list TO as her next of Kin and then, when she died, TO would have possession of her remains.
¡°Cremation is fine.¡± She said, ¡°Some people like to keep the ashes of their family members, so nobody¡¯s going to think that¡¯s strange, and they won¡¯t question it if you¡¯re not on Arkane. After that, just do whatever you have to do to get my remains in the water.¡±
¡°Simple enough.¡± TO said. They even planned to get the necessary crate when they reached Scraprock, just to further prove to Beck that they were serious about keeping their promise.
¡°If I find someone else willing to do it before I die, well, you¡¯re off the hook.¡± She said, ¡°But, I doubt I will. Still, crazier things have happened.¡±
¡°And if King Decon doesn¡¯t kill everyone, you can come right back to Arkane once you have a new identification¡­ if you want.¡± they shrugged, ¡°It¡¯d be riskier than going to a far-off planet and starting again, but not impossible.¡±
¡°I¡¯d rather live in the Outer Ring for the rest of my life near the seas of Arkane instead of living inland, in the big fancy land-locked houses of the residential district.¡± She said. She hushed up as Lon made their way back over to them, shrugging her bag over her shoulder. They had shooed him away once more, so he¡¯d not discover her beliefs, but perhaps they had taken too long, for he now came back to them with a concerned look on his face.
¡°Most everyone is gone.¡± He said once he got close. ¡°Should we leave?¡±
Beck nodded and stood up. ¡°Alright.¡± She said, ¡°I¡¯m ready.¡±
Lon nodded, ¡°Lead the way.¡± He said as he let her walk past her. To TO, he mouthed a quick ¡®thank you¡¯ before following her out of the dorms and into the hallways. It was a relief that she was going without a fight, though TO still didn¡¯t understand how she could feel that way, how she¡¯d prefer to die with the planet instead of getting away and starting a new life. Well, they supposed they didn¡¯t have to understand it; they just had to respect it. It wasn¡¯t like she was forcing anyone to believe as she did. If she had tried to convince the other civilians that they should all stay behind and die with the planet, well, then they¡¯d have held an issue with that.
¡°¡­ Mx TO?¡±
TO turned around, recognizing Constance¡¯s small voice. ¡°Constance.¡± They said, their ears perking up for a moment at the sight of the small child with the almost synth like face before they dropped again, concern flooding their mind. ¡°Why are you still here?¡±
She huffed, ¡°Goretta was supposed to bring me and daddy to the ship, but she¡¯s not here! We got everything packed, and we waited and waited, but she¡¯s not here!¡±
TO hadn¡¯t forgotten that Goretta was Mark and Constance¡¯s partner. Of course not, they didn¡¯t forget things. They just hadn¡¯t had time to think about it and consider an alternative solution. ¡°Right.¡± TO said, ¡°Well, that¡¯s because Goretta has to help DH with something.¡±
¡°Oh.¡± She frowned, her eyes going wide as her ears sunk back. ¡°Who¡¯s gonna help us then? Daddy¡¯s got his wheelchair, but he can¡¯t get into it with his hurt arm!¡±
¡°Well, I can help.¡± TO said as they stood up and made their way towards the back where Mark was resting. ¡°I don¡¯t have a travel buddy either, since DH was going to go with me, and they¡¯re busy now.¡± They frowned. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me sooner though?¡±
¡°You were talking to the kitty-lady when I found you.¡± She said, ¡°It¡¯s rude to interrupt.¡±
¡°Well¡­ thank you for that.¡± They said, grateful that she hadn¡¯t interrupted them during their talk with Beck, ¡°But even if I¡¯m talking to someone, if it¡¯s important, please let me know. Even if I can¡¯t do anything about it right away, I can finish what I¡¯m working on more quickly and get to whatever¡¯s needed once I¡¯m done.¡±
Constance followed TO as they made their way to her father. Goretta wanted to be his travel partner so she could keep an eye on his arm. Her concern over the infection hadn¡¯t lessened, and she was insistent on checking it multiple times a day. TO had no problem taking over even if they couldn¡¯t check the wound themself, but they didn¡¯t understand why Mark and Constance hadn¡¯t gone already, or why Mark hadn¡¯t at least gotten into his wheelchair and approached TO himself.
When they got to his bed, they saw why. This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.
Goretta¡¯s attempt to cut out the infection clearly hadn¡¯t worked. Around the bandages of his arm, Mark¡¯s skin was an angry shade of blue-green, and an unpleasant flush to his face was enough to tell TO that a fever had formed overnight. Sweat beaded his skin and in a cruel irony the perspiration gave some of the iridescence back to his green tail.
¡°Hey¡­¡± He said weakly, ¡°Where¡¯s Goretta?¡±
¡°My Ankrya, my friend, was attacked and needed immediate medical attention.¡± TO said as they leaned down to help Mark up, ¡°You do as well, but my friend was bleeding from their neck.¡±
¡°Ah¡­ I see.¡± Mark said, ¡°Look¡­ Just take Constance-¡°
¡°Daddy, I¡¯m not leaving on my own!¡± Constance said, her tail slapping the ground behind her.
¡°You wouldn¡¯t be alone, sweetie.¡± They said, ¡°TO would be with you. Wouldn¡¯t you like that?¡± They smiled. ¡°They have ears and eyes like your mother.¡±
TO froze. Was that why he had asked TO to take care of her should something happen? When TO looked at Constance¡¯s face they saw a young synth, but it didn¡¯t occur to them that they might look like an adult of Constance¡¯s specific race.
¡°But I don¡¯t care about mom!¡± she said, ¡°I never met mom! I want you.¡±
¡°Come on.¡± TO said as they hefted Mark out of the bed and into the chair, ¡°let¡¯s get you in the chair and on the ship. I told you I was getting you there.¡±
Mark shook his head, but didn¡¯t resist. Perhaps it was because Constance was right there, looking at him with her big black eyes. ¡°I¡­¡± He glanced at Constance, his own smaller, paler eyes tearing up. ¡°Sweetie¡­ I¡¯m really sick.¡±
¡°I know! Goretta will make you better.¡±
¡°She¡¯s tried¡­ sweetie¡­¡± he winced as TO put him in the chair, his bad arm pushing against the armrest.
¡°We¡¯ll put that in a sling when we get on the ship.¡± TO said, ¡°I¡¯m no medic, but I know enough basic first aid to do that. Then we¡¯ll get you some painkillers and antibiotics-¡°
¡°You shouldn¡¯t waste them on me-¡°
¡°It¡¯s not a waste!¡± Constance said, ¡°It¡¯s going to make you feel better.¡±
With his good hand, Mark reached out to Constance and cupped her cheek. ¡°Sweetie.¡± He said, ¡°If something happens to me-¡°
¡°It won¡¯t¡¯!¡±
¡°I know, I know. But if something does, you go with TO, understand?¡± He said as he looked at her, fighting his pain to keep his face from contorting, ¡°Please, sweetie.¡± Then with a softer smile, ¡°Even if we just get separated. Ok?¡±
Constance¡¯s eyes were welling with tears. ¡°We¡¯re not allowed to get separated.¡±
¡°Please, this is important. I need you to promise me that if we get separated, you¡¯ll go with TO, understand?¡±
She sniffled, nodded, and squinted her eyes to keep the tears from spilling.
¡°Alright.¡± Mark said. He shifted painfully in his chair and made space for her on his lap. ¡°TO, get her on my lap, and tie her board to the back of my chair?¡±
TO nodded and did as he asked in silence. Was it really because they shared certain features with Constance that Mark wanted TO to take care of her, or were there other reasons like what he mentioned before? They weren¡¯t sure, but in truth, they didn¡¯t know if it mattered. They got a good look at his arm as they tied the board to the back of Mark¡¯s chair. Through the blue-green swelling, TO could see a darkening of veins under the skin, as though the infection was sending roots through his body.
They had used so many antibiotics already, and the infection was still spreading. Even if they got Mark on the ship, TO had a feeling they¡¯d be taking care of Constance in the end, anyway.
======
TO, Mark, and Constance were the last to leave the dorms since TO wanted to make they left nobody behind. When the place was empty, TO took out their translators from their ears, and listened to the cavernous room. They could hear water running in pipes and bugs in the wall. They could hear Mark and Constance¡¯s breathing, the small, suppressed whimpers of pain that Mark hoped died in his throat.
Once they were content that there was nobody else in the room, TO pushed Mark and Constance out of the room and along the path to their ship. uncountable footsteps had worn down the path over the years, and the insurgents had covered up holes and bridged gaps with salvaged plastic to accommodate for the wheelchair. It would be harder when they got to the new tunnels, TO knew. The floor was more likely to be uneven there despite any efforts to smooth it out in a short time. Getting the wheelchair over it might be a pain, but that¡¯s why they had chosen people to partner up.
¡°How long until we leave?¡± Goretta asked as she looked up at TO.
¡°As soon as possible.¡± TO said. They flicked the wristband down on their hand and activated their chip so they could use it while they pushed. They sent out a call to Vik, the normal call screen flashing up before them. There was no video there, so the screen hovering the air showed only a black square with a call time.
Still, it was impressive to Constance, and at least took her mind off of her father¡¯s pain.
¡°TO, hi!¡± Vik said once they connected, ¡°Are you heading to the ship?¡±
¡°I¡¯m on the way.¡± TO said, ¡°How are we doing? Is everyone else on the ship?¡±
¡°Mostly.¡± They said, ¡°I¡¯m tracking as they come in, and Tham is looking around for people I might have missed. By the way, I¡¯ve set up a workspace in your computer area, not DH¡¯s. I remember they said you don¡¯t work with your system as much-¡°
¡°That¡¯s fine.¡± TO said. They were approaching a convergence of the tunnels ahead. ¡°Check something for me.¡± They said, ¡°Anyone heading to the ship from the underground would have to pass through this area here, right?¡±
¡°Lemmie check your location¡­¡± Vic fell silent for a moment as the clicking of keys sounded in the background. ¡°Yes, unless someone is going to the surface, they have to go past you.¡±
¡°Alright.¡± TO said, They reached the center of the intersection, and stopped. ¡°We¡¯re going to wait here until everyone else has passed. Send me the list of people you don¡¯t have on the ship yet.¡± Episode 376: Stragglers The last collection of civilians filtered past them in pairs as the stragglers rushed to the ship. As they made their way through the intersection, TO would message Vik that the civilians were on the way, and once Vik confirmed they were on the ship, TO mentally ticked them off of the list in their head. ¡°What if they leave without us?¡± Constance asked after about ten minutes of waiting and watching people rush by. ¡°They won¡¯t.¡± TO said. ¡°They¡¯re waiting for us.¡± While that was true, TO had some concerns. What if something happened, and they had to take off right away? Kei knew they were using the synth ship and if they told the authorities and Gyrini, then TO would expect her to have forces surrounding the ship to stop their takeoff. If that happened, if they had mere moments to escape... Would they leave, even without them? No, they needed TO in order to do that. DH was too busy to trigger takeoff, and even if they weren¡¯t, they wouldn¡¯t leave TO alone. Though, was Vik able to get into the systems and trigger takeoff themself? ¡°Vik, how are we doing on the count up there?¡± TO said, ¡°Did you find anyone else?¡± ¡°I did.¡± Vik¡¯s clipped voice came back quickly, and in seconds the new list came in on their communicator. ¡°I just finished checking it over.¡± TO scanned the list, mentally removing people they had already seen pass by until there were only four names left: TO. Constance Skimmer. Mark Skimmer. Lake 125 55 63. Lake was one of the species, much like TO themself, who had no last name and relied on a civilian identification number to differentiate them from other people named Lake. As soon as TO saw Lake¡¯s name, they froze. Avery was Lake¡¯s partner, and much like how Mark no longer had Goretta to help them, Lake no longer had Avery. Of course, they hadn¡¯t thought of that while they were rushing around and getting everyone ready to leave! Though Lake was able to move on their own, so why didn¡¯t they go to the ship themself? why hadn¡¯t they messaged anyone to ask where Avery was? ¡°Any word from Lake?¡± TO asked. ¡°Nope.¡± Vik said. ¡°I tried to contact them, but they¡¯re not answering their communicator. ¡° TO gave a low hiss of frustration. ¡°Where are they?¡± They asked as they looked down the hallways as though they might see the arachnoid heading towards them, ¡°Are they still in the kitchens, or their room?¡± ¡°Neither. They¡¯re in a storage room down the hall from the kitchens. I figured they were grabbing a few last things. Maybe their communicator is on silent, and they don¡¯t hear me while they¡¯re looking for stuff.¡± There was a beat of silence over the line, and TO could hear chatter in the background. ¡°Mira just pointed out that if they¡¯re crawling around on the ceiling, their communicator could have fallen out of their pocket. That¡¯s happened before.¡± ¡°Or they might be hurt.¡± TO said. ¡°Send me directions. I¡¯ll go fetch them.¡± ¡°Shit. I didn¡¯t think they might be hurt.¡± Vik said as they sent the location to TO. ¡°You... you don¡¯t really think they¡¯re hurt, do you?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a possibility, no matter how unlikely,¡± TO said as they looked at their map. Good, it wasn¡¯t too far from where they were. ¡°Can you get a visual on them?¡± ¡°Nope. I told you half my cameras were offline, and that hallway is gone dark for me.¡± ¡°Right.¡± TO said. Apparently, Outis had been clever and disabled multiple cameras around the tunnels. If they had disabled only the ones along the path they needed, it¡¯d be obvious where the two were going. It was a clever idea to be sure. Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings. Maybe Outis hadn¡¯t been clever. Maybe Kei told them what to do. ¡°I¡¯m heading there now.¡± TO said. They turned to Mark and Constance, hesitating. They didn¡¯t want to bring them along, but they also didn¡¯t want to leave the two alone, given Mark¡¯s physical health. Also, if they ran into trouble, it was better if Mark and Constance had TO with them. ¡°We¡¯ll go with you.¡± Mark said, almost as though they could tell what TO was thinking. ¡°If Lake is hurt, I can carry him in my chair, and you can carry Constance.¡± TO knew they could probably carry Lake themself, but it wasn¡¯t an issue of weight for TO, it was the issue of all those legs going all over the place. It would be cumbersome and take a lot longer than it needed to. There was also a much greater chance that they could hurt Lake further if they carried him improperly. ¡°Alright.¡± TO said as they got behind Mark and pushed them down the hallway, ¡°That¡¯s probably best, anyway.¡± ====== They rushed down the hallway as fast as they could, pushing Mark along and balancing their need for haste with the desire to keep Mark from being in more pain than they already were. Thankfully, Constance found it to be a wonderful ride, squealing with laughter as they sped around corners. At least she was distracted from her worry over her father, and the possibility of the ship leaving without them. As they approached the hall that housed the storage room where Lake was, they slowed down. ¡°We¡¯re there already?¡± Constance asked, clearly disappointed now. ¡°I thought you were worried we were taking too long,¡± TO said as they stepped around Mark¡¯s chair. ¡°You two stay here while I check on Lake.¡± ¡°Aww. why? I wanna see the storage room.¡± Constance said. Because what if Lake¡¯s hurt? What if it¡¯s an awful sight, and there¡¯s blood everywhere? Their own heart rate quickened at the thought. What would they do if that was the case? Would they be able to handle it on their own? ¡°We don¡¯t have time.¡± TO said as they headed forward, grateful that Mark at least would listen to him, and Constance wouldn¡¯t be able to make her way over on her own. They walked over with a clipped pace, straining their ears to hear on the other side of the door. Though they were hoping to hear breathing on the other but the fact that they couldn¡¯t hear them didn¡¯t necessarily surprise them; even with their keen hearing, Lake would have to be breathing pretty loudly for TO to hear them through the door from this distance. Still, they couldn¡¯t hear any movement on the other side either, and that worried them. ¡°Pardon me, Lake?¡± TO said as they grasped the door and pulled it open a crack, ¡°Are you-¡° Click It was a simple sound that sent electric terror through TO¡¯s heart. It was the simple click of a civilian gun; the click that came seconds before Tham got shot in his arm and all that blood spilled everywhere. They pulled back just as the shot fired, and the bullet went through the old door in a shower of splinters and debris before breaking through the surface of the stone wall and lodging itself inside. TO¡¯s translators blissfully muffled the sound of the shot, as it did Constance¡¯s pitched scream behind them. TO turned and gestured for Mark go to back down the hallway, though TO didn¡¯t think that they had TO. He was already pushing his chair back down where they had come from, quietly whispering to Constance as he did. When he wheeled himself around the corner with his good arm, TO breathed a low sign of relief. Now they could deal with whatever this was. They activated their helmet, and the helmet instantly formed around their head. They switched to heat vision and through the wall, they could faintly pick up heat signatures from two individuals. A quick shot of echolocation confirmed what their helmet was showing them; that there were two people standing very close together in the storage room. This would be fine. They weren¡¯t as good a shot as DH was, but they could fire a volley of stun shots inside. TO was certain Lake would understand if he got caught in the crossfire, especially if TO was able to protect them from further injury. As they reached for their multi-gun, they realized with a jolt that they didn¡¯t have it. Of course they didn¡¯t: they hadn¡¯t needed it! They had given it to DH back when they went to the outer ring for food, and Tham must have taken it after that! Their holster wasn¡¯t empty, though. Tucked inside, where their multi-gun should have been, was the small pocket welder the children in the Outer Ring had traded to TO in exchange for some of the Cocopods. As their heart thrummed with a thunderous hum, they pressed the power button, hoping to see the little light over the power button turn to green. It did, but it flickered slightly, showing that while the small hand welder was working, it needed a charge and wouldn¡¯t be good for long. Still, they could handle civilians in one-on-one combat, even if they were armed. They had handled the authorities in the tunnels, so they were confidence they could handle a single authority. The main issue would be getting through the chokepoint of the storage room door without injury. they had their armor, so that would protect them from penetration, but the mere force of the bullet could still cause injury. ¡°Whose there?¡± TO demanded, pressing their back against the wall, trying to make their voice as loud and sharp as possible in collaboration with the naturally sharp tone given off by their helmet. ¡°I am-¡° They paused. The proper way to do this would be to identify themself by their code, and as an agent of King Decon before demanding the culprit drop their weapon. They were not any such thing though, not anymore. Still, identifying themself as a synth would likely make any civilian back down, or at least rethink their actions. ¡°I am a synth, and I am armed. Drop your weapon and kick it out the door, then put your hands on your head and get on your knees.¡± ¡°You are no synth, TO.¡± Kei¡¯s voice came back to them. The galactic common which they spoke came out cold and sharp. ¡°I am Hur-13, an Agent of King Decon. Drop your weapon and slide it into the room before surrendering. I have your associate who calls themself Lake. If you do not comply, I will shoot him.¡± Episode 377: Promise TO froze, their ears pinning back and their hand tightening around the small welder as they felt their heart seem to squeeze tight in their chest. It was Kei. Could TO deal with a synth who passed the same training as TO had, but who was now far more volatile than they had ever been before? Would that new temper and rage hamper their hand to hand skills, or would it make them even more dangerous? Well, that didn¡¯t matter; Kei had the gun. Unless TO could get the gun away from Kei without risking Lake, any question of superiority in combat meant nothing. Not only did they have a gun, they had a civilian gun, the kind that shot solid bullets which tore through flesh and bone and organs, and splattered blood on the wall. It made TO nauseous to think about it. ¡°I said drop your weapon!¡± Kei snapped from within the storage room. ¡°You have five seconds before I start hurting this one.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t actually have a weapon!¡± TO said quickly, cutting Kei off before they could even start counting. ¡°I lied. I don¡¯t have a weapon.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t believe you,¡± Kei snapped, ¡°Your lying is characteristic. You could have lied about having a weapon earlier, yes, but you could be lying about this as well.¡± ¡°I really have no weapon.¡± TO said. ¡°Don¡¯t shoot Lake, he didn¡¯t do anything-¡° ¡°This one has been supporting the insurgency and facilitating a plot to conceal and smuggle wanted criminals off planet.¡± Kei snapped, ¡°It would be entirely within my power, and even expected of me, to execute him now.¡± TO heard the click of the gun again as Kei prepared the for another shot. ¡°Kei, I don¡¯t have a weapon.¡± TO said. ¡°I...¡± They clutched the welder in their hand. They could toss that to them, and hopefully, that would work. Of course, then TO would be in an even worse situation than they already were. ¡°Prove it.¡± Kei said, ¡°Come to the door where I can see you. I want to see your hands up and empty.¡± That was a bad idea, and TO knew it. The moment they stood in that doorway, Kei would shoot at them. Of course, even if Kei shot at them, they¡¯d hit TO¡¯s armor. It would hurt, yes, but it wouldn¡¯t cause them serious injury and it wouldn¡¯t hurt so badly they were unable to react. More importantly, it would give them precious seconds to assess the situation, to get a better view of Kei and Lake. If Kei shot them, they¡¯d also have precious seconds between then and the next shot in which to act. More importantly, Kei didn¡¯t have any armor on so if TO got close to them, if they had those precious seconds to get into Kei¡¯s personal space, they knew that they could disarm them and take them down. ¡°Alright.¡± They said. They took the tool and slipped it into one of the storage compartments of their armor. It was small and could fit into the empty hostler where they had found it, but they didn¡¯t want to take the chance of Kei looking into the holster and finding it. Once they had secured it away, they slowly walked to the door, their hands up and facing their palms towards Kei. ¡°See Kei.¡± They said, ¡°No weapon, I-¡° They froze as they took in Kei¡¯s form. Their clothes were filthy and covered in a combination of that black sludge and Avery¡¯s blue blood. The wet fabric clung to their body, which had grown nearly emaciated in their recent refusal to eat, and they possessed a nearly skeletal appearance with the thin clothing they wore. They nearly felt bad for them, but the well-trained part of TO recognized that as an opportunity. They were in a weakened state. Their muscles had degraded. Their aim would be off, and they wouldn¡¯t be able to fight as well. Lake, who lay on the ground next to Kei, seemed almost worse off despite Kei¡¯s appearance. Lake was awake, but their own blood¨Cwhich was blue like TO¡¯s, but thinner and more transparent¨Cdripped down the side of their face and onto their white shirt, mixed with a stream of tears running down their face. He had a gag in their mouth made from what looked like an old towel, which seemed to hold their mouth open at an uncomfortable angle. They whimpered around the gag, though if the sounds were mere whimpers of fear or if they were trying to say something TO didn¡¯t know. They shook all over, and strained against the series of zip ties which held Lake¡¯s legs together at the joints. Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. That was bad. Tying limbs together at the joints could cause damage. If they had to restrain civilians, there were certain ways they were supposed to do it in a way to cause no long-term injury, but at the end of the day if they had to restrain someone and had limited resources... Well, it was more important to get the job done, to complete the task than it was to worry too much about injury to a single civilian. ¡°What do you want, Kei?¡± TO said. They had to get Lake out of here quickly, had to get them somewhere to get those zip ties off. ¡°I can send you directions out of here. I can send you the whole map if you want. We¡¯ll be gone soon anyway, and you¡¯ll never see us again, so-¡° ¡°I don¡¯t need direction!¡± Kei snapped, ¡°I know very well how to get out of here.¡± ¡°If you know how to get out of here... why are you here?¡± TO asked, frowning under their helmet in confusion, ¡°You could have been gone by now!¡± ¡°Yes, I could have.¡± Kei said, their ears pinning back, their eyes narrowing, ¡°And that¡¯s what you¡¯d do, isn¡¯t it? You¡¯d have just run away. You would have just left, forgetting about King Decon, forgetting about everything they trained us to do, forgetting-¡° They winced, their fingers tightening on the gun as their free hand clutched at their head. They took several deep breaths to soothe themself until their ears relaxed a little. When the moment passed, they glared into TO¡¯s eyes. ¡°I am not like you.¡± They hissed. ¡°I am better than you.¡± They scoffed, ¡°I¡¯d say I¡¯m a better synth, but as I already stated, you are no synth.¡± Somehow, even though TO didn¡¯t quite consider themself to be a synth anymore, that statement stung. ¡°So what now?¡± TO demanded. ¡°What do you want?¡± ¡°Is Avery alive?¡± Kei demanded. ¡°What, now you feel bad?¡± TO hissed, ¡°You stabbed them in the neck with a needle. What do you think?¡± A low growl escaped them. ¡°Why were they even there with you? How did you get out of the straps? What did you tell them-¡° ¡°Silence.¡± Kei snapped, ¡°Is Avery alive?¡± ¡°...Yes, they are.¡± TO said after a long pause. They wanted to tell them that Avery wasn¡¯t, just to see their reaction, but even saying that Avery was dead felt like a risk. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t believe you,¡± Kei said. ¡°You¡¯ve already proven you¡¯re willing to lie. You have a habit of that, don¡¯t you?¡± Their ears pinned back again, ¡°More and more like a civilian. How did I not see it before? How could I have possibly thought that you could serve King Decon? that you¡¯d be a benefit to him?! That-¡° They stopped again, grasping their head as they took long shuddering breaths. ¡°... You¡¯re in pain.¡± TO said, coming up with another idea, ¡°Do you want help with that? If you come with me-¡° ¡°I¡¯m not going anywhere with you.¡± They snapped again as they aimed their gun at TO, ¡°I am fine! I need no help, not from you, not from Avery, not from any insurgent or sympathizer!¡± They looked up again, their hand shaking as it held the gun in the air. ¡°Remove your armor.¡± ¡°No!¡± TO said, ¡°I¡¯m not an idiot-¡° ¡°You¡¯re many things, TO, but I agree, you are not an idiot.¡± ¡°Then why do you think I¡¯d remove my armor? If I do that, you¡¯re just going to shoot me.¡± They looked to Lake. ¡°And you¡¯ll likely kill Lake as well.¡± Not only that, but if they went down the hallway, they¡¯d also find Mark and Constance, and might kill them, too. What if they went all the way up to the ship? Would the ship be gone before Kei got there? ¡°Remove your armor.¡± They said again. ¡°I have no interest in killing you at this moment. Right now, I just need to see your ears, and I need to hear your voice without the interference of that helmet.¡± To TO¡¯s surprise, Kei¡¯s ears were giving off no sign of a lie. Still... the idea of being without their armor before Kei, who had a gun, seemed like the stupidest of ideas. ¡°Remove your armor,¡± Kei said again, ¡°Or I¡¯ll shoot the civilian.¡± ¡°Lake.¡± TO said as they glanced down at the arachnoid. ¡°His name is Lake.¡± One of Lake¡¯s eyes had turned entirely blue from a burst vein, and the blood on his face made TO¡¯s stomach churn, but even so the look of desperation, the fear-born tears streaming through the blood on Lake¡¯s face and the pleading sounds they whimpered from around the gag was worse in that moment than the blood itself. They looked back at Kei. ¡°You swear you won¡¯t hurt me?¡± ¡°As I said, I have no interest in killing you at this moment.¡± They weren¡¯t lying, that much was clear, and Lake was so scared and in so much pain, it tore at TO¡¯s heart. How tight were the zip ties? Were they cutting off circulation? how long could Lake last before they suffered real damage in their limbs? ¡°If I remove my armor, you¡¯ll let Lake go.¡± TO said, ¡°Promise me that, Kei.¡± ¡°Fine.¡± Kei said, ¡°I promise, I swear to you, if you remove your armor, I¡¯ll let this one go.¡± They weren¡¯t lying. Everything Kei was saying was absolutely true. ¡°... Fine.¡± TO said. If Lake was gone, then TO would have more freedom to move, and a better chance to deal with Kei. Maybe they could still deal with Kei on their own! They kept having those bouts of rage and pain, so many that would help. Maybe they¡¯d disarm Kei, and they¡¯d fight with just their bare hands, so they could show them that despite what Kei thought, TO was the superior Synth. TO deactivated their armor. The moment they sent the command through their chip, signaling for the armor to dissolve into particles and condense itself back into the bracelet around TO¡¯s wrist, they realized their mistake. They were still in the process of realization as Kei¡¯s gun sounded and the bullet rushed through their knee. It¡¯s cold. Why is it cold? It¡¯s supposed to hurt. Time slowed as they fell to the ground, their thoughts speeding up their horror as the realization of their own stupidity hit them. Kei said they had no interested in killing TO and promised not to kill them. They never said a word about not shooting TO. Episode 378: Bait As TO hit the floor, it was like all the pain suddenly hit them, as though the pain had simply been delayed by the sudden shock and had doubled out of spite for how long it had to wait to be perceived. A ragged, animal cry tore from tore from TO¡¯s voice as they felt the pain in their knee, the explosion of bone and blood- Bone and blood and bone and blood and bone and blood -as their mangled knee smacked against the floor. The pain was so bad that other things that should have hurt, their shoulder striking the stone floor and their good ankle twisting and bending under them as they fell, didn¡¯t even register. The roar of their heart deafened them momentarily, and while they could tell that Kei was speaking, they had no idea what they were saying. The world around them didn¡¯t exist, only the pain in their knee did, slowly turning from an explosion to a raging fire. It exploded again with the sudden movement as Kei turned them on their back. It was that pain linked with the movement which reconnected them with the real world. They felt Kei pull off the band with their chip from around their wrist. A part of their mind told them to shout and fight and take their chip back, but the pain was paralyzing, and all they could manage was a pathetic whimper. *Serotonin and adrenaline. Common phrases used for hormones in most species to regulate and control the nervous system.* They were supposed to breathe. They didn¡¯t even think about it, but their training had ingrained it in their mind, and the slow, steady, breaths began automatically. Inhale-one-two-three-four-five. Hold-one-two-three-four-give. Exhale-one-two-three-four-five. *When exposed to intense pain, these hormones can lead to your survival. Of course, they can also cause you to act erratically.* The words from their training filtered through the pain, as though their mind had put on a show of their memories to distract them. Serotonin. Adrenaline. Those things were supposed to help with this, to limit the pain and make them able to function. *In extreme cases, we have observed even civilians to gain increased strength, and suffer unthinkable pain thanks to adrenaline alone, while serotonin can block some sensations of pain.* Was serotonin blocking pain right now? They hoped not, because if it was, that meant that the genuine pain was even worse than this. They had to do something. The pain might fade off slightly, but it wouldn¡¯t go away unless they did something. With a whimper, they opened their eyes and looked around, but their vision had doubled, and everything appeared blurry. Even so, they were certain they saw Kei release Lake from the zip ties and drag them to the door. Something was said, but TO couldn¡¯t hear properly. They brought a shaking hand to their head and felt their ear to see if Kei had covered them. They hadn¡¯t. *In such a situation, your survival becomes a matter of pure willpower. Pain can paralyze you, or it can make you do things you never thought you could. The only training we can offer are the breathing exercises and the best advice we can give is to think of your duty to King Decon. Use your loyalty and devotion to Him to pull yourself through the pain and continue your duty. TO had no feelings of loyalty to King Decon, not anymore. They tried to think of DH, of getting back to their mate, but all they could think of was how grateful they were that DH was safe in the ship. Still, they breathed as they willed themself to focus. They kept their eyes opened and tried to focus, to clear their vision, but it just wasn¡¯t working. ¡°My knee is fine...¡± TO whispered in a shaking voice, whimpering as their ears twitched with their own lie, ¡°My knee is fine. I just hit it. it¡¯s fine. My knee is fine. My knee is fine. My knee is fine.¡± Willpower. Maybe if they convinced themself they were telling the truth, it wouldn¡¯t hurt as bad. The door to the storage room closed and Kei strode over to TO. Kei said nothing as they grabbed TO by their arms and dragged them over towards the wall and away from the door. Another ragged scream tore from TO¡¯s throat as their knee dragged against the uneven, ragged floor, their eyes closing as fireworks of agony exploded behind their eyelids. When they were able to open their eyes again, Kei was kneeling next to them, watching at them carefully. ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± Kei said as their eyes flicked over TO¡¯s pain contorted expression, their ears pinned, low, and quivering in a heartbreaking combination of pain and panic. ¡°It could be better, though.¡± They reached down to TO¡¯s damaged knee and grabbed it, digging their claws into the sensitive, burning flesh. TO screamed again, a sob escaping them now as tears born of pain and fear formed. ¡°That¡¯s perfect.¡± Kei said, ¡°But just, don¡¯t cry yet.¡± they brought their hand up to TO¡¯s face and while TO couldn¡¯t see it they could feel the warm, sticky blood- -blood and bone and blood and bone and blood and bone- -which Kei smeared over their cheeks. They remembered how Lake¡¯s face had blood crusted on it, streams of tears cutting through the blood and creating a heartbreaking view, adding to the urgency that TO felt to get Lake away from Kei. Had that been real, or had Kei done the same thing to Lake as they had just done to TO? Their breathing was growing shallow after the rough treatment from Kei, their head getting dizzy. They suddenly realized that they were at risk of hyperventilating. They forced themselves to take long, shuddering breaths, counting the moments in the way the trainers had taught them, and in the way Kei had been breathing when TO approached them in the cell only a few days ago. Inhale-one-two-three-four-five. Hold-one-two-three-four-give. Exhale-one-two-three-four-five. ¡°Why.¡± TO whimpered. They wanted to shout it. They wanted to take Kei by the throat, their own claws digging into the light blue skin as they demanded an answer. The whimper was, however, all they could manage. ¡°You¡¯ll see,¡± Kei said as they stood up and TO forced themself to watch the synth, forced their eyes to focus. They could do this. They had to. Their knee was fine. Inhale. Hold. Exhale. They had to find a way to power through the pain, to bring their focus back. Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on. Kei took a few steps back and slipped the elastic band onto their wrist before positioning the chip onto the back of their own hand. It took a moment for the chip to calibrate, but soon a flickering image appeared in the air, showing TO¡¯s messages and contacts. ¡°It won¡¯t work,¡± TO hissed through Grit teeth, ¡°Vik altered it¡­ You can¡¯t call Ark-1.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to call Ark-1,¡± Kei said. They selected one of the codes, and a moment later, the screen came to life. DH¡¯s face appeared on the screen. The image appeared reversed from TO¡¯s perspective, and there was a large smear of blood on DH¡¯s forehead. But even so, their mate was easy to recognize. ¡°TO, what-¡° they stopped, their ears dropping as they saw Kei. their eyes went wide in fear and horror for a moment, but then DH shifted. Their eyes narrowed, their ears pinned right back, and their lips curled up to reveal their teeth. ¡°What have you done?¡± they hissed, an ocean of rage showing in their ears, and their voice shook with the weight of holding it back. ¡°Where is TO!¡± ¡°Right here.¡± Kei said as they turned the screen around and let DH see TO. Their mates ears dropped once more, their face paling making the smear of blood on their forehead seem all the brighter. Oddly, it didn¡¯t make TO want to vomit in the moment. Perhaps that was also a side effect of the adrenaline. ¡°TO! What happened? Where are you?¡± ¡°DH! I¡¯m-¡± Their words transformed into another ragged scream as Kei quickly stepped on TO¡¯s injured knee. Their vision went white, their hearing faded out once more while Kei held their foot against them. It took a while for their hearing to filter back to them, but they seemed to be just in time to hear the end of the conversation with DH. ¡°And of course you¡¯re right. It is very much a trap. You¡¯re welcome to ignore me. You¡¯ll be able to leave the planet with the insurgents like the traitorous defect you are. That would be the wise thing to do, in fact. But, somehow... I think you won¡¯t.¡± as they finished speaking, they pressed against TO¡¯s knee once more with their foot. Another scream, but this time their hearing didn¡¯t fade out quite as much, and their vision didn¡¯t go completely white. They could see TO¡¯s horrified face just as the screen flickered off. ¡°There.¡± Kei said. ¡°Now¡­ we wait.¡± they glanced down at TO, their ears pinning back as they glared at them, ¡°However, I am taking no chances to chances with you.¡± They walked over to a nearby shelf, keeping TO in their vision as they did. ¡°Why.¡± TO managed to say again, their voice shaking with the effort of holding back sobs of pain. ¡°Why?¡± Kei stopped for a moment, glancing at TO directly for a brief moment. ¡°You did not hear me?¡± They frowned, ¡°Ah, yes. You wouldn¡¯t have. You were screaming in pain. The screams were perfect, by the way. Very effective.¡± They turned back to the shelf, searching for something while at the same time keeping TO in their line of sight. ¡°You have not figured it out yet? You¡¯re so clever, I thought you would have.¡± TO didn¡¯t respond. Even if they wanted to, they couldn¡¯t. They hurt so much; it was all they could do to keep from crying out. ¡°Very well.¡± Kei said, ¡°The answer is simple. It¡¯s almost embarrassing how much time it took me to come to a proper conclusion about this entire fiasco.¡± They began poking through boxes. ¡°I had so much time to think about the situation. First when I was in isolation, when my mind was still whole. Of course, that was before you ruined the perfection of King Decon¡¯s work.¡± They lifted boxes, peeking inside, looking in them and under for something. ¡°Back when my thoughts were blissfully simple, I tried to figure out how this happened to me. I did everything right, finished my training, followed orders... For a while, I figured that it must just be bad luck. My bad luck to get paired up Avery, who was close to you three defects.¡± ¡°We¡¯re not defects.¡± TO hissed through grit teeth, ¡°We are -¡° ¡°Traitors then, if you prefer.¡± Kei said as they opened another box. They pulled out some rope. ¡°I was hoping for zip ties, but this will do.¡± They went over to TO, untwisting the rope in their hands as they looked down at them. ¡°Now, if you struggle while I tie you up, we will have issues. If you struggle, I¡¯ll tie your legs together, which will be a painful experience given the state of your knee. If you struggle too much, I¡¯ll have to kill you. I¡¯d rather not do that yet.¡± Yet. The plan was indeed to kill them, just not yet. Not yet, because they wanted DH and GiDi here. Kei knelt down and took TO¡¯s hands, turning TO onto their side so they could tie TO¡¯s wrists together. As they rolled onto their side, another explosion of pain ripped through them from their knee. ¡°As I said, I thought it was bad luck, and nothing more. But then you mutilated my mind.¡± They tied TO¡¯s wrists together far too tightly, with quick, nearly violent movements. The rope bit into their skin, and somewhere, TO registered that this could cause them damage as well if they were tied up too long. Of course, it probably wouldn¡¯t matter. ¡°Do you know how awful things were afterwards?! Immediately after the surgery, can you imagine how it was? What they exposed me to?¡± They scoffed as they finished tying TO¡¯s wrists. ¡°No. You can¡¯t. You¡¯ve always been like this.¡± They stood up once TO was bound, ¡°But for me, do you wish to know what it was like? Do you want to know what the aftermath of that surgery was like?¡± Before TO could answer, Kei kicked them in the knee. The pain was worse this time, so much harsher than before, and TO thought for certain that they were going to pass out. Their vision turned white, their ears rang, and their scream ended suddenly when they vomited up what little food they had eaten that day. ¡°That¡¯s what it was like.¡± Kei said once TO had recovered enough to hear, ¡°In my head, constantly. A torrent of emotions, like a mix of fire and ice. Emotional pain isn¡¯t supposed to have a physical aspect, but it did for me: Like a knife in my head, my chest, my stomach. And unlike you, I had no way to regulate it.¡± With TO bound, they now turned their back and made their way to the back of the room, opposite the door. Carefully, they opened it and checked how many bullets they had left. They only had three, but one would be enough to finish TO. ¡°Crude weapons.¡± They said, ¡°But effective. A multi-gun would be kinder and faster, though.¡± They closed up the chamber and sunk to the floor, sitting with their knees propped up and their arms resting atop them to keep the gun steadily aimed at the door. ¡°There was a benefit to all that pain, though.¡± They said. ¡°when all the pain had cleared, it was as though I could think differently. I could make connections I couldn¡¯t before. I could understand the greater range of cause and effect beyond direct action and reaction. That¡¯s when I saw that everything which had happened was, in fact, my fault.¡± Their ears lowered, shame and guilt obvious in them, ¡°I was being punished.¡± ¡°P-punished?¡± TO said though long, heavy breaths, ¡°W-why-¡° ¡°Because I should have reported you sooner.¡± They snapped. ¡°I should have reported my concerns to the overseers back in training. I should have reported your deviance to Hur-1 and Ark-1 the moment I stumbled upon you and DH rutting like filthy animals in the emergency ship!¡± They stopped, wincing. They brought a hand to their head again and took more of those long breaths to calm themself down. ¡°But I didn¡¯t.¡± They looked at TO, ¡°I allowed you, GiDi, and DH to survive and continue. Because of that, Avery has been just as corrupted as the rest of you, your meddling has ruined my brain, and because of that, I ended up here. trapped underground with Arkane¡¯s vermin. If they had sent here proper synths in your place, the insurgency would be dealt with by now.¡± They glared at TO. ¡°If you did the job properly, the lockdown wouldn¡¯t have been imposed on the planet. If the people of Arkane must die to preserve King Decon¡¯s kingdom, that is an awful loss¡­. But it will be your fault.¡± ¡°N-no, it¡¯s not-¡° ¡°And¡­ if it is your fault, then it is also my fault for allowing you three to exist.¡± They turned their attention back to the door, ¡°So, now...I am fixing my mistake.¡± It had to be the pain that kept TO from understanding what Kei was doing for so long. The motives would have been harder to comprehend, yes, but they should have figured out what Kei was planning much earlier. Now they understood and the jolt of panic that went through them and the awful twist of their heart was stronger than the pain in their knee, and stronger than any loyalty and devotion they had ever felt for King Decon. Kei intended to kill GiDi and DH, and they were using TO as bait. Episode 379: Push
The idea of a singularity was always such a fascinating one to TO. the idea of everything condensing in on itself, of all matter and energy in the whole universe coming together into a singular tiny point in space which was so compact and intense that time itself warps and becomes meaningless seemed so big and incomprehensible, yet there it was: the most likely birth of the universe.
In that moment, TO¡¯s thoughts and feeling all got sucked into a singularity of their own. It drew everything towards the singular idea that DH was coming down here to ¡®save¡¯ them, and that Kei would shoot them the moment they opened the door.
DH: Their mate, their precious mate, their beloved. DH would open that door and get shot, and unless TO did something, they¡¯d have to lay there and watch their mate suffer in pain, bleeding out.
-blood and bone and blood and bone and no no no no no-
The pain, the images of blood, and memories of that juvenile synth all faded to the background of TO¡¯s mind. Even the need to get back to the ship before it took off faded into an unimportant detail in their head. The singularity that pulled everything together in this moment was the singular need to keep DH safe. An angry growl escaped them as they twisted on the ground, trying to force themself up and onto their feet. The pain in their knee was excruciating, but for the moment TO didn¡¯t feel it. They recognized it, and they knew it hurt, but it was as though their mind had determined that the pain was unimportant.
Still, their knee didn¡¯t work, and their efforts to get to their feet failed.
¡°I would rather not gag you.¡± Kei said from where they sat on the floor, waiting with pinned ears for the door to open, ¡°But if you make too much noise, I will.¡±
This wasn¡¯t working. No, they couldn¡¯t just get up and attack Kei; their knee was damaged, and they wouldn¡¯t be able to walk. Facts and information flooded their mind, fueled by the core of rage; a supercomputer powered by the center of a black hole.
Objective: Protect DH. the idea sunk into their head and planted itself firmly above everything else. What are my resources? I have my claws. My mouth. My ears. I have my armor, but not my chip. I can activate my armor without a chip, but it¡¯ll be useless: I won¡¯t be able to move in it. They struggled, trying to rip at the rope with their claws but the Kei had bound their hands meant that they couldn¡¯t quite reach. If only their fingers were longer. If only they had a knife, or scissors, or-
I have a welder.
They did have the pocket welder! When their armor dissolved away into the bracelet, it would have ended up in their pocket. Which pocket, though? And could they get it without Kei noticing?
They shifted, letting themself roll on their back once more. Despite the fact that their brain seemed to disregard the sensations of pain from their body, their body was still reacting, and a loud, long groan of pain escaped them.
¡°if there had been a more effective way to do this without keeping you in a sustained state of pain, then I would have done so,¡± Kei said, glancing at them only briefly before focusing their eyes back to the door. ¡°But I need the others down here as well. Getting rid of you alone won¡¯t fix all my failures.¡±
Though the gasp of pain TO gave a shallow laugh, ¡°Your failures? You had nothing to do with it.¡± Thankfully, they could now feel the weight of the welder in their pocket and luckily, now that they were on their back, it was on the side facing the wall. They reached for the pocket to the side, their arm twisting painfully under them as they reached. Their fingertips could only just feel the welder in their pocket, but they couldn¡¯t quite grasp it. If they could just grab it, if they could just get their fingertips to nudge that tool a little closer, they might be able to get a grip on it.
¡°That is true.¡± Kei said, never taking their eyes from the door. Still, TO could see their ears flick with shame and frustration, ¡°But I had an opportunity to stop it. I should have reported you long ago. As such, I feel as though I have allowed this, so I am fixing it.¡±
They were so close! The tool kept slipping from their fingertips and each time they thought they might have it, the welder slipped and risked falling deeper into their pocket. At the moment, Kei wasn¡¯t watching them but if they looked over, if they decided to see what TO was doing, they might notice them fumbling around, and might question why.
¡°You feel, you say.¡± TO said, managing a fake chuckle between their straining and soft groans of pain. ¡°And you¡¯re going to kill other synths-¡°
¡°You and your collection of mistakes are not synths.¡± Kei snapped.
¡°You¡¯re going to kill other synths based on what you feel, is that it?¡± They scoffed, ¡°I think that might make you more ¡®defective¡¯ than I am.¡±
¡°If I am, it is Avery¡¯s fault for convincing me to go along with this. The insurgency¡¯s for performing this awful surgery, and yours, for letting it happen. Still, when I failed to report you all, I was normal. I am making up for my failures now.¡±
¡°Well, if you think that me and DH rutting like animals makes us defective, and you think you¡¯re better than I am...¡± they grunted as they reached for the tool, hoping that Kei would assume it was a dismissive noise, ¡°Well, I¡¯ve heard of synths having such relations and being separated, or being dealt with some kind of punishment, but I don¡¯t believe any synth who has harmed or killed other synths get away with such light punishment. I believe any synth who does that gets corrected¡­if they¡¯re lucky.
Kei¡¯s ears pinned back again, their lip curling as they emitted a low growl, ¡°You three are not synths.¡± they hissed as their hands tensed around the gun, their claws threatening to come out.
Claws! Yes, they had claws! TO pulled their own claws and used the tips to grasp the tool with a thin indent in the metal, pulling it closer to their hands until they could grasp it properly. They let out a low, shuddering breath of all the air they had been holding as they fumbled for the tool. You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.
How loud was the tool? They had no idea, and it was very possible that the moment they turned it on, Kei would hear them and take the welder away. The only way they could do this was by distracting Kei and hiding the noise. They shifted on their side again, wincing in pain as they did, gritting their teeth against the cry which begged to escape them. ¡°You really think that?¡± They demanded, ¡°You really think you know better than our overseers did? than the Commander and Ark-1¡± They laughed loudly, turning the welder on as they did. The flames cut through some of the rope, but it also singed their hand. Their laughter turned into a sudden cry of pain as they dropped the welder from their hand, wincing.
For the briefest of moments, TO worried that Kei might have heard it clatter to the floor.
¡°I think no such thing!¡± Kei snapped. ¡°If they knew what you were like, they¡¯d have you-¡°
¡°But Ark-1 knew.¡± TO snapped, panting as they ignored the fresh pain in their hand. Thankfully, Kei didn¡¯t seem to have heard anything. Likewise, they didn¡¯t seem at all concerned about TO¡¯s cry of pain. Still, the tool now lay on the floor behind them. TO had no idea where specifically where it was, and didn¡¯t think they¡¯d be able to reach and fumble around to grab it without Kei noticing something. Still, maybe they didn¡¯t have to. The rope felt much looser now, so likely they burned away enough rope to allow them to escape. They struggled, trying to twist their burned had enough to free themself.
¡°Ark-1 only knew because I told them.¡± Kei snapped, their eyes flicking over to TO. ¡°Last I was informed, they were in the process of dealing with you both.¡±
¡°They were going to separate us.¡± TO said, ¡°Not kill us.¡±
Kei growled again, ¡°Perhaps when this is over and I am once more among proper synths, they¡¯ll be more strict with such incidents in the future.¡± Their ears twitched with disgust before they focused their attention back to the door. ¡°Clearly, such deviant behavior shows further issues with your character. You¡¯re working with insurgents ¡°
The rope was loosening. They could feel it. With every movement, something threatened to give way and free them. They struggled, grunted, and twisted their hands about. The rope rubbed against the fresh burn, pulling another yelp of pain from them. As the pain coursed through them, their hands jolted, straining to get away from the source of the pain with such force that the rope blissfully snapped.
It was all they could do to not jump up, grab the welder, and charge at Kei right away. Their leg was useless, and the welder wouldn¡¯t stand much of a chance against a gun. They had to get Kei over to them. They had to make Kei come over to hurt them more, but not something to make the other synth angry enough to simply shoot them. Still, with Kei¡¯s state of mind, that might be difficult to manage. They were so easily enraged, their head seeming to ache when the anger got worse. That might have been something TO could use, as it would likely affect Kei¡¯s ability to reason. That would make it easier for TO to fight them, but if they pushed Kei enough, they would just shoot, even if that wasn¡¯t the most logical course of action.
Was there a way to get out of this without getting shot, or was that inevitable? If it was inevitable, how could they avoid further injury?
¡°W-what makes you think they¡¯d listen to you?¡± TO said, ¡°You¡¯ve been here among the insurgents just like GiDi, DH, Avery-¡°
¡°I have not worked with the insurgents.¡± Kei snapped, ¡°I am no traitor.¡±
¡°But you didn¡¯t follow protocol.¡± TO said, their mind dredging up every single rule that Kei might have broken. ¡°You ate their food, drank their water... and perhaps you forgot, but you assisted us. Before you went for DH¡¯s multi-gun that day, you were very helpful while gathering up those cocopods for the trip.¡± They allowed a smirk to cross their lips, their ears twitching, ¡°Or, did you forget that you did, technically, help the insurgency?¡±
For a moment, Kei wavered, ¡°I... That was simply to find a means of escape.¡± They said. ¡°Our superiors expect us to make an effort to escape-¡°
¡°By assisting the insurgency?¡± TO asked, ¡°Alright, for the sake of argument, let¡¯s ignore the cocopods. Let¡¯s say they accepted that you did that only to attempt an escape. What about the procedure?¡±
Kei¡¯s ears pinned once more, ¡°That was not my fault.¡± They said, ¡°That was-¡°
¡°Goretta refused to do the procedure without your consent.¡± TO said, ¡°That¡¯s why Avery worked so hard to convince you, and you agreed! Your mind is like mine now, and while I got through my training with a raw mind, do you really think you¡¯d have gotten through yours? Do you think that the officers would see you as anything other than broken now?¡± They shook their head, wincing as they did, ¡°They¡¯d do their scans, run you through their tests, and see how your mind has been altered. Then, they¡¯d label you as broken. You¡¯d be repurposed.¡±
¡°You do not know-¡°
¡°If you went back to them with so much as a missing leg without having done anything really worthy in your time, then they¡¯d just repurpose you to save resources.¡± They grunted in pain. ¡°I know. I¡¯ve seen it. I had a period of training in management, and the officer there sent off an elder synth to be repurposed just because they were getting old and slow. If you were lucky, maybe they¡¯d put you in reclamation.¡± TO chuckled again, keeping their hands close together as they did, ¡°Imagine, just day after day of taking apart broken equipment and old clothes for the rest of your life!¡±
¡°All tasks are equal under King Decon.¡± Kei said, but as they spoke TO could see some worry, some concern in their ears. Yes, all tasks were considered equal under King Decon, and a normal Synth would be happy to do any small task for Him.
But Kei was no longer a normal synth.
¡°Well, it doesn¡¯t matter.¡± TO said, ¡°You allowed your brain to be altered by insurgents. You agreed to it.¡±
¡°I was tricked.¡± They hissed.
¡°if you had been following orders, you wouldn¡¯t have so much as spoken to Avery, and they wouldn¡¯t have been able to ¡®trick¡¯ you as. You claim.¡± TO said, ¡°Isn¡¯t that why you¡¯re not allowed to speak to our captors?¡± Their ears perked up suddenly. ¡°Maybe you were deviant even before this, and that¡¯s why you allowed your mind to be tampered with.¡±
¡°Silence.¡± Kei hissed, their ears pinning back once more. ¡°I was always a model synth.¡±
¡°And you know what... I¡¯ll tell you this, just so you know it, and can¡¯t deny your role in helping the insurgency later.¡± TO said. they shifted, tilting their body away from Kei. ¡°You didn¡¯t just allow your mind to be altered by the insurgency, you provided your mind as a resource to the insurgency!¡±
Kei¡¯s eyes widened, their ears dropped back. They looked at TO, watching their ears for any hint of deception, but all they could see was the apparent joy in giving Kei this information, visible despite how their ears flicked and twitched from pain. ¡°I did no such thing!¡±
¡°Why do you think Goretta wanted to do the procedure in the first place?¡± TO asked, ¡°It wasn¡¯t for you, and she hardly knows Avery enough to do such a big favor for them. No, she wanted to use you as an experiment so she can help other synths later and repair their minds as well.¡±
¡°This was not a repair!¡± Kei snapped again, now turning away from the door, their body facing TO, their hands shaking on the civilian gun, ¡°This was a mutilation!¡±
TO took a breath to steady themself, pushing away the pain, steadying their hands. ¡°Oh, your mind was mutilated, yes,¡± TO said, speaking slowly and carefully, ¡°But not by Goretta. King Dick ruined your mind before you even came out of the tank¡±
Kei gave a violent scream, electrified by rage and anger. Their eyes narrowed, their ears pinned back and shook with pain as they turned the gun to TO, and pulled the trigger. Episode 380: Three Shots
The moment Kei shifted the gun away from the door to point the barrel directly at TO¡¯s head, TO used their now free hands to activate their armor. While they wouldn¡¯t be able to move or see, or even hear anything that happened outside their armor, which wasn¡¯t loud enough to be heard through their helmet, the armor would still protect them from most damage. They still felt the bullet, felt the pressure, and felt themself shift back as the force of the bullet spread out over their body. Their knee exploded in pain once more, and TOs cry echoed in the helmet.
¡°My knee is fine,¡± they hissed though grit teeth, doing their best to ignore the pain and accurately count down three seconds. With no chip to sync up to, the armor would dissolve away back into their bracelet after those three seconds passed, and TO would be able to move and act.
In the darkness and silence of the armor, three seconds felt like fifteen minutes. Still, As soon as the armor dissolved away TO grabbed the pocket welder, pushed themself up, and rolled towards Kei. Something gave way in their knee as they twisted, but they didn¡¯t know what precisely happened. It felt like both a tear and a crack happening at the same time.
My knee is fine, my knee is fine. MY. KNEE. IS. FINE
Judging by the way Kei rubbed their ear and shook their head, their eyes squinted shut in pain, it seemed they had no ear protection. Before, TO had taken shelter behind the wall and didn¡¯t see how Kei reacted to the sound of the gunshot.
The precious seconds of opportunity they had lengthened.
As soon as they were close enough, TO reached out and with their claws extended, they dug the sharp-edged blades into Kei¡¯s leg-
-They could feel their claws slice through the skin, feel the warm gush of blood on their naked hands. My knee is fine! It¡¯s just paint!
-and dug in as fiercely as they could. Kei¡¯s feral scream of pain echoed in the room, turning into a growl as they turned and aimed the gun at TO again.
Click. The warning that their opportunity was nearly up was clear to them, and TO twisted back, pulling Kei¡¯s leg from under them and knocking the other synth to the ground. Kei¡¯s gun went off with another deafening bang, which hurt TO¡¯s ears at such a close range despite the translators doing their best to protect them. The bullet rushed just over TO and embedded itself in the floor at TO¡¯s back, sending fragments of stone up into the air.
Two bullets down. One to go.
Kei fell to the ground, smacking their arm against the stone floor. Finally, the gun fell from their grasp and landed on the floor nearby. Kei reached for it but as they did TO took the welder up, and held it to Kei¡¯s leg before turning it on.
There was no blood, thankfully. Still, the scream that Kei gave them ran through their body and down their spine, causing them to momentarily pull the welder away, the pressure on the switch loosening and cutting the flame. The next thing TO felt was the heel of Kei¡¯s foot striking them in the head. They cried out in pain as their vision went white. With a second strike, and retracted their claws from where they grasped Kei¡¯s calf, covering their head with their forearms. Kei scrambled away from TO, stumbling to their feet, their now injured leg causing them to limp painfully as they pulled themself to the other side of the room.
¡°You said you had no weapons.¡± Kei said, panting as they got their breath back and suppressing groans of pain.
TO forced their eyes opened. Their head throbbed and their eyes hurt now, but even so, they had to see what was around them, to plan, prepare, and adapt.
¡°It¡¯s not a weapon.¡± TO hissed, ¡°It¡¯s a tool.¡±
They turned on the welder, the blue-white of the welder illuminating the room and making TO squint as they threw it at Kei. TO was unsure if the other would dodge it or try to catch it, but it didn¡¯t matter. What mattered was that it distracted Kei long enough for TO to roll over the well-worn stone floor-
-There was blood on the floor; theirs and Kei¡¯s. Not blood. PAINT. Blood and bone and the tearing of Kei¡¯s flush under their nails. It¡¯s only paint. My knee is fine.
-and pushed themself towards the gun. There was a single bullet left, enough to take a single life, and TO couldn¡¯t let that life be DH¡¯s. They got close and reached out, their fingers wrapping around the handle of the gun as they pulled it forward and grasped it. As soon as their fingers wrapped around the grip, they felt a weight on their back, and turned around just in time to see Kei press the welder into their shoulder, through the thin membrane of their wing. The scream that left TO was alive and hurt as it ripped from TO¡¯s throat. They brought the gun back in a practiced swing and slammed the butt of the gun into Kei¡¯s head. Though Kei dropped the welder, they grabbed onto TO, their claws digging into their back, ripping through fabric and skin. The sharp points of pain were nearly something that TO could overlook thanks to the symphony of pain to which they were an unwilling audience to, their body singing in agony as they did everything they could to keep that gun from Kei. They twisted again, attempting to roll and get Kei off their back, but they could only manage to half roll on their side before the soloist of their agony, their mangled knee hit a climatic crescendo as something snapped and the pain momentarily overtook them. Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.
In the moment of pain, Kei pushed them onto their back, and drove their elbow into TO¡¯s stomach, before straddling them to hold TO in place. TO gasped and coughed, their grip on the gun loosening giving Kei the opportunity to wrestle it from TO hand. Claws out again, TO swiped at Kei¡¯s face with their free hand, aiming for the eyes. If they could blind the other synth, they¡¯d win for sure.
A flash of fear flickered over Kei¡¯s face as they saw the glint of light against TO¡¯s claws, and they turned away just in time, avoiding a slash to the face and receiving instead a long tear at the base of their right ear. They screeched in a mix of pain, rage and frustration before they dug into TO¡¯s hand with their claws. A strange numbness ran from hand to elbow as Kei hit something in their hand, and they let go of the gun. The moment their grip loosened, Kei snatched the gun away.
Click. The gun was ready to fire its last shot.
Kei brought the gun to TO¡¯s face, but TO reached up and pushed back, keeping the gun pointed away from their face. TO reached out with their other hand to attack, to claw something, but Kei grabbed it and held their fingers in a painful grip as they strained to get the run where they needed it.
¡°I don¡¯t care about the others!¡± Kei Shouted, ¡°I¡¯m going to end you!¡± they strained against TO¡¯s grip, slowly aided by gravity as the barrel of the run turned towards them. ¡°My only regret will be that you won¡¯t see what I¡¯m going to do to your friends.¡± Their good ear pinned back, the other ear hanging limply at the side of their face. There was something entirely disconcerting about how Kei¡¯s ear just hung there, loosely swinging with their every movement. Watching it made TO want to vomit, made them want to run away. It looked just entirely wrong and despite the face that TO¡¯s first instinct was to look at another synth¡¯s ears, they were now desperate to look anywhere else.
¡°Y-you have one bullet left¡± TO groaned as they struggled, their strength threatening to leave them, ¡°You... you won¡¯t be able to take both of them. You¡¯re injured. If you surrender now-¡°
Kei growled again, the gun inching its way to the proper angle for TO¡¯s face. ¡°I don¡¯t care!¡± They shouted again, ¡°But I want you to know that I will make them hurt! I will fight them and cause as much harm and pain to them as I can! I will rip them apart, tear your precious mate¡¯s ears off! The last thing your mate will see is your corpse as they die, and If I die after this, I-DO-NOT-CARE!¡± The gun crept closer as TO¡¯s arms burned from the effort, their own body screaming out in agony as their strength seeped away. ¡°Just die knowing that I will make DH suffer.¡±
¡°No!¡± TO cried out, a combination of pain and desperation as they drew on the last of their strength to push the gun away. Still, TO could tell that it wasn¡¯t enough to save them; it was only enough to prolong their demise.
The door swung open.
¡°NO!¡± TO shouted, now trying to pull the gun back towards them as Kei jolted, turned and aimed for the door. It didn¡¯t matter, TO was too weak, and Kei¡¯s movement was so sudden that the synth was able to just pull their hands from TO¡¯s grip as they fired the gun.
The last bullet hit Mark, who was already rushing towards Kei, using all the strength in his good arm to push himself forward. TO couldn¡¯t see how he got hit, but they could see Mark¡¯s expression of shock as his good hand went to his side. Mark had already built up the momentum in his chair and continued forward as he rammed into TO and Kei at the same time, twisting in his chair and striking Kei in the side with their powerful tail, knocking Kei off TO and to the floor as their chair turned and fell over.
The only thought in TO¡¯s mind was DH. Even as Mark¡¯s blood dropped to the floor, a bright red in contrast to the drying blue that already stained the stones, the only thought that went through TO¡¯s head was, ¡°It¡¯s not DH,¡± accompanied by a rush of relief.
Still, they weren¡¯t out of danger, and Kei could still hurt DH.
Nearby, the pocket welder lay on the floor. TO reached out and grabbed it, clutching it in their hands and turning it on as they turned to face Kei who was only just picking themself up from the ground. Blood dripped from their ear and their leg, and around their thigh a great hole had burned through the fabric where TO had pressed the welder against them.
¡°You want me dead?¡± TO hissed through grit teeth. ¡°Try it,¡± they said.
Kei looked over TO, their eyes lingering on the welder for a moment before flicking to Mark, who lay on the floor, groaning softly. As Kei¡¯s hand tightened around the gun, the rage drained from them, replaced with a desperate, panicked flicking of their ear.
¡°Come on.¡± TO said, their finger ready to flick the switch and hold the powerful flame against the first part of Kei¡¯s body that they came into contact with. If Kei waited much longer, maybe DH and GiDi would show up, and then they could easily handle an injured synth. Most likely, one of them would show up with a multi-gun, and Kei wouldn¡¯t last two seconds.
After everything Kei had done, TO was certain that Avery would understand if Kei wound up dead.
Another moment of thought, and then Kei lunged. They didn¡¯t lunge for TO though; they moved around them quickly as their injured leg would allow and got to the other side of Mark and the chair. TO growled as they reached out to grab them, but they couldn¡¯t reach and couldn¡¯t pull themself over Mark or his chair.
¡°Trip them!¡± TO shouted at Mark, hoping he could at least knock them down with his tail, but Mark didn¡¯t move and Kei rushed past him and into the hallway.
TO lay on the ground, watching the doorway as though Kei might somehow return to fight them, but soon they heard the limping footsteps fade off, and they knew Kei had run.
Kei had run away, TO was still alive, and DH was safe. The moment this thought went through TO¡¯s head, it was as though all the pain and exhaustion from the ordeal-
Blood and bones and blood and bones and blo-
-my knee is fine my knee is fine my knee is not fine-
-rushed back, overwhelming them. Their vision went white, their ears rang, and the world around them spun. They wanted to vomit, but they couldn¡¯t; there was nothing left in them to throw up. They gagged, an awful, bitter burning rising in their throat as their stomach felt like it was tearing itself in two.
Finally, the world went black. Episode 381: Words
A sudden jolt of pain brought TO back to wakefulness, an awful explosion from their knee that made them cry out in agony. Their ears flicked down in panic, pinning against their head as they oriented themself. Had Kei returned to finish them off?
Almost immediately they felt familiar fingers at the back of their neck, and their ears relaxed Somewhat.
¡°Shh, it¡¯s ok.¡± DH¡¯s voice was a soothing balm for their mind, ¡°We just hit a bump, that¡¯s all. You¡¯re ok. Go back to sleep.¡±
TO wanted to listen to DH, to go back to sleep and escape the pain that ran through their body. Their knee was the primary source of agony of course, but there were other spots of pain all over. Still, they couldn¡¯t. They forced their eyes open and though it took a moment for them to orient themself, soon the world around them made sense.
GiDi was walking before them, rushing through the stone halls towards the ship, a multi-gun in one hand as they stopped at each corner or split in the tunnel to make sure the path ahead was safe. TO recognized it as one of the training exercises they ran back in the training center, and felt a surge of pride that GiDi seemed to remember it. TO themself sat in the wheelchair, their chest tied to the back of the chair. They struggled and writhed, trying to free themself from the rough rope.
¡°Shh.¡± DH said again, their hand once more scratching TO¡¯s neck. They were pushing the chair, rushing ahead while trying to avoiding the worst of the bumps and cracks in the floor. ¡°It¡¯s just to keep you from moving around too much. You¡¯re hurt. Please¡­ TO, please be still.¡±
TO took several breaths, assuring themself that the ropes weren¡¯t too tight around their chest. As they looked down, they saw that their hands weren¡¯t bound to the chair, though a large part of their forearm, wrists, and hands were bandaged. They flexed their hands, making fists before drawing and relaxing their claws. Good; nothing seemed to be damaged at least. If Kei attacked them, then TO was certain they could free themself and help. They leaned back in the chair, breathing against the pain in their body, relaxing as much as they could until another realization hit him.
¡°Mark.¡± They said, surprised by how their voice croaked as they spoke. They cleared their voice and tried again. ¡°Mark. This is his chair, where-¡°
¡°TO¡­ don¡¯t worry about that now,¡± DH said. TO turned so they could look at DH, to see their mate¡¯s ears, but their shoulder and neck hurt too badly when they did.
This was Mark¡¯s chair. Where was Mark?
TO¡¯s mind played back the scene from the storage room; played back the fight, and Kei pinning TO down and holding the gun to their face. They were about to shoot, to kill TO.
The door opened. Kei shot. Mark got hit. They remembered the blood that poured from Mark¡¯s body, bright red against the blue-
Blood. Bones cracking. There had been so much blood that day. Blood on their face, on their skin, on the floor. Synth blood. Chilacian blood. Nagarajin blood. They felt their claws slice through skin and dig into the muscles of Kei¡¯s leg.
¡°Stop.¡± TO whimpered, ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m going to be sick.¡±
They didn¡¯t stop, instead DH held a bottle of water to TO¡¯s lips. ¡°Drink.¡± They said, ¡°You¡¯ll feel better.¡±
TO didn¡¯t want to drink. They turned away, whimpering as they pressed their lips together. If they drank anything, they knew they¡¯d throw up.
¡°TO. I love you, but if you don¡¯t drink some of this, I¡¯m going to pinch your nose and force you to drink some.¡±
Up ahead, GiDi gave a low chuckle as they checked a split in the hallway, but the mirth didn¡¯t quite reach their ears. ¡°You do what you need to do, DH.¡± They said, ¡°We need to get to the ship.¡±
DH held the water bottle to TO¡¯s lips again, and this time they took a drink. The water tasted funny, and their first instinct was to spit it out, but DH held it up in such a way that it was impossible. They felt the water run down their throat, and as soon as it hit their stomach it was like a soothing wave drowned their queasiness. They drank more then, seeing how it made their stomach feel better, but after a moment, DH pulled the water bottle away. Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.
¡°I already mixed in some medication.¡± DH said, ¡°pain meds, anti-nausea-¡°
¡°Mark.¡± TO said as they caught their breath, ¡°Where is Mark?¡±
GiDi glanced back, their ears pinned back with concern as they looked over TO¡¯s head at DH. A moment later, they shook their head and looked at TO.
¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± They said, ¡°He was dead when we got there.¡±
¡°What? No!¡± TO struggled against the ropes, ¡°He came in, he ran his chair into Kei-¡°
¡°He got shot in the stomach, TO.¡± DH said from behind them, their fingertips never ceasing their gentle scratching at the back of TO¡¯s neck. ¡°Even if he was still alive when I got there, I don¡¯t think I could have saved him! He was sick and weak and struggling with that infection¡­ Even if I had been there when he got shot, I don¡¯t think I could have helped. He wouldn¡¯t have survived all the way to the ship.¡± They sighed, ¡°And¡­ honestly, even if he had been shot on the ship, I don¡¯t think he would have survived. It would have just been too much of a shock to his system, and there¡¯s so many complications with that kind of injury.¡±
Mark rolled in, got shot, and then slammed against Kei. TO tried to remember anything else they could, but all that came to mind was how, once Kei was off of them, they had gone right for the welder. They remembered shouting at Mark, telling him to knock Kei over, to stop Kei as they ran from the room. Had been alive then? Were the last works he heard a barked order from TO?
¡°What about Constance?¡± TO asked. ¡°She was with Mark. I didn¡¯t see her, but-¡°
¡°Lake brought her back to the ship.¡± GiDi said, ¡°Apparently, Kei told them if we weren¡¯t there in fifteen minutes, they¡¯d kill you.¡± They scoffed, ¡°Likely, they just wanted Lake to get away so the two of you couldn¡¯t fight them together. Lake passed Mark on the way, and Mark asked him to bring Constance to the ship.¡±
That was a relief, at least, knowing that Constance was safe. Still, now TO would have to explain to her that her father was dead. If they hadn¡¯t brought Mark with them to check on Lake, he¡¯d still be alive. Maybe if they had been more alert after the fight, they could have done something. Perhaps there was some kind of first aid they could have done. DH said that there was nothing they could have done, but how could they know unless they tried?
And of course, even if there was nothing they could have done, Mark died there while TO was entirely and fully focused on Kei. Shouldn¡¯t people dying like that have last words? Something TO could pass on to Constance, or some dying wish? If Mark had last words, they went unheard. If he had hoped for words of comfort in his dying moments, he was disappointed. All Mark got was shouting, and an order to stop Kei from running over him.
======
The only person outside the ship was Tham, who stood before the entrance with a multi-gun pointed at the entrance. With a word from GiDi, he relaxed, but he didn¡¯t entirely lower the gun. ¡°Did you get them?¡± He asked, ¡°Lake¡¯s mostly fine, but he said that Kei shot TO, and-¡° he paused, his eyes growing wide as TO came into view. ¡°Fuck.¡± He whispered. ¡°I know Lake looked worse than he was, but-¡°
¡°TO needs immediate medical assistance.¡± DH said, pushing TO up towards the door, ¡°Goretta said she has Avery stabilized, so I can handle this. We¡¯ll get through takeoff, but then I¡¯ll need everyone cleared out of the main deck while I work on TO.¡±
¡°Yeah, sure.¡± Tham as he stepped aside for DH to get TO into the ship, ¡°You¡¯re sure Kei is gone? You don¡¯t think they followed you here?¡±
¡°If they hadn¡¯t run, then I¡¯m sure they would have killed TO while they were unconscious.¡± GiDi said.
¡°Alright.¡± Tham said as he lowered the gun. ¡°...But, where¡¯s Mark?¡±
¡°Tham.¡± GiDi said as they helped DH get TO¡¯s chair over the threshold of the ship, ¡°Aside from Mark and Kei, do we have everyone?¡±
¡°I¡¯ll double check.¡± Tham said, ¡°But-¡°
¡°You have everyone.¡± TO said, grateful that whatever medication was in that water left them feeling mostly numb, ¡°Lake, Constance, Mark, and myself were the last ones. Kei ran off, Constance came here with Lake.. and Mark-¡°
¡°Get TO in and secure for takeoff.¡± GiDi said, cutting TO off, ¡°You¡¯ll need to take extra care for that leg-¡°
¡°I know.¡± DH said as they quickly pushed TO further into the ship.
¡°We lost Mark.¡± GiDi said, their voice as soft as they could make it, but not soft enough to keep their words from reaching TO¡¯s ears. ¡°Did anyone else leave the ship after DH and I?¡±
¡°Nobody.¡±
¡°Alright.¡± GiDi said. TO heard the door behind them close, and heard the big security lock fall into place. Once they powered the ship up that lock until they were able to land once more. ¡°Go up to the weapons bay and make sure everyone is in place for leaving orbit. Send me a message when you¡¯re in place, and then we¡¯ll take off.¡±
¡°On it.¡± Tham said. They slipped by DH and TO, putting their hand gently on TO¡¯s shoulder for a brief moment before they went to the elevator, heading off to prepare for liftoff and to escape from the awful civilian planet. Episode 382: Terraformer
TO almost wished that DH hadn¡¯t given them that medicine infused water as the pain In their body would have stopped their mind from its spiral of thoughts. They kept placing themself at the front of the maze of events and trying to find an alternative solution to everything, but they could find nothing. Had they not done everything they could? Had they not done everything right?
No matter what, they couldn¡¯t think of a way they could have influenced things from the point where they woke up to the moment when Mark was shot which would have kept Mark safe. Yes, they could have left Mark at the split in the hallway, but then what? What if Kei had gone that way, rushing to the ship instead of having Lake bound in the storage room? TO didn¡¯t know, and Kei doing that was a lot more logical in TO¡¯s mind.
Besides, if TO left Mark at the split in the tunnels, Lake still would have rushed past on the way to the ship, telling Mark what was going on before taking Constance and bringing her to the ship while Mark made his way to the storage room to get shot.
¡°¡­ Where¡¯s Constance?¡± TO asked as DH pushed them into their small living area. The control room where TO and DH had spent so much time in relative peace on the way to Arkane was instantly comforting to TO, despite the fact that there were two civilians there¨Can older one with thin, spindly legs, and a younger who seemed thinner than was healthy¨Cstrapped into the chairs that TO and DH used for landing.
¡°She¡¯s up in the weapons bay,¡± DH said, ¡°with the others. She¡¯s safe, and she¡¯s ready for launch-¡°
¡°She¡¯s supposed to be with us.¡± TO said, ¡°I promised Mark-¡°
¡°I know.¡± DH whispered, ¡°She¡¯s safe, though, and you need medical help as soon as possible. As soon as we¡¯re out of here, you need medical attention.¡±
They couldn¡¯t get the wheelchair further back into their living quarters, so DH picked TO up from the chair, held them carefully in their powerful arms, and carried them. Despite what TO could recognize as potent g painkillers, the movement in their knee sent a spasm of pain through their body and made them cry out in agony.
¡°Shh, it¡¯s ok.¡± DH promised, ¡°It hurts, I know. I¡¯ve got your knee bound so it won¡¯t get damaged anymore.¡±
How bad was their knee damaged already? TO hadn¡¯t even considered that yet. They recalled every strange twist and crack and pop, their mind replaying the feeling of something ripping in their knee.
¡°How bad is it?¡± TO whispered.
¡°¡­ I don¡¯t know.¡± DH said as they lay TO down in the bed. They carefully arranged TO¡¯s limbs before picking up straps at the edges and using them to bind TO to the mattress. ¡°I can look when we get off this planet. Whatever¡¯s wrong, we¡¯ll fix it, I promise.¡±
Once TO could lay still and the straps held them in place, the pain once more gave way to the strange coolness that seemed to cover every other aching part of them, they breathed a sigh of relief. Their relief only lasted for a few seconds though as their brain once more beat against the walls of the maze, looking for any better path they could have taken.
¡°TO¡­¡± DH¡¯s voice was soft, but as TO glanced over, they could see the worried way their ears flicked. ¡°¡­ I can¡¯t give you any more medication right now. With the injuries you have, I¡¯d rather have you unconscious for launch, but we don¡¯t have time for that.¡±
¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± TO said, ¡°I¡¯m not in pain-¡°
¡°You were when I picked you up, and it¡¯s going to be worse in a minute.¡± DH said. ¡°I¡­ I can¡¯t even hold your hand. I have to keep my mattress against the other wall for support.¡±
TO nodded, ¡°Alright.¡± They said, their ears dipping. The one thing TO wanted in the galaxy at this moment was for DH to be close, to hold them while they took off. They wanted to hold on to their mate while pain arched through them. That was impossible though: they had to lie flat like this during launch.
¡°It¡¯s going to hurt badly.¡± DH said.
¡°¡­. Can I have something to bite on?¡±
DH nodded and rushed to the medical table where they grabbed a clean towel, twisted it, and held it to TO¡¯s mouth. It wasn¡¯t so thick that it was uncomfortable, but it would keep TO from grinding their teeth or biting their tongue. Once that was done, DH took out their communicator.
¡°Tham¡­ is everyone ready?¡± they asked.
¡°Yes, we¡¯re all ready up here.¡± Tham¡¯s voice had a strange echo on the communicator, but it was clear nevertheless.
¡°Alright, are you secured?¡± DH asked as they lay on their bed, adjusting straps over their legs. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.
¡°Yes. I used my tail to turn on the communicator, but I don¡¯t think I can use it to turn it off again.¡± He sighed, ¡°Still, I taped the communicator to the floor next to me, so at the very least, it won¡¯t go flying and hit someone.¡±
Ah, that would explain why his voice seemed so weird.
¡°Alright. Prepare for launch.¡± DH said as they slipped the band on their wrist over their hand, connecting their chip.
¡°My chip.¡± TO said, suddenly realizing how bad it was that it was gone. Without the chip, TO had no access to any parts of the ship! ¡°Did Kei leave it behind, or-¡°
¡°They didn¡¯t.¡± DH said, their ears pinning back as TO mentioned Kei. ¡°But Vik can make you another.¡±
¡°But if Kei has the chip, they have access to all my files, my messages-¡°
¡°Kei¡¯s working on that. Don¡¯t worry.¡± DH said. ¡°Just¡­ Brace yourself.¡± They strapped themself in, slipped another band over their chest, then made a gesture with their hand. A moment later, TO could hear the ship powering up. The hum of the ship¡¯s engines turned into a powerful road from the engines in the lower pits of the landing bay. The ship shook with a force that TO had never experienced before, and they didn¡¯t like it.
no, nothing¡¯s wrong. I never saw the ship do this before because it¡¯s never taken off from a planet before. They strained to look at the screens over by the control panel, but the way DH strapped them down made that impossible. They attempted, on instinct, to check their chip for any error reports, but they had that same awful mental block which made them feel as though they were trying to move a limb they no longer had. ¡°DH!¡± TO called over the noise, ¡°Do all the readings look ok?¡±
¡°No Alerts.¡± DH called back, ¡°Everything looks fine!¡±
The ship shuddered, then moved. Movement was slow at first as the ship rose from the ground and hovered a safe distance in the air above the city before initiating the actual takeoff. The previous roar of the engines had clearly been just a warmup, as now the force of the engines seemed to dominate every sense as the force of their sudden vertical movement hit them all at once like a massive weight against their body pushing them into the mattress. Their knee once more exploded in pain, but the noise drowned TO¡¯s scream out as they surged forward. They tried to breathe, tried to focus their mind as they had back in the storage room with Kei, but they couldn¡¯t seem to catch their breath, couldn¡¯t seem to hold a thought.
Their vision went white with the pain, their lungs burned as they tried to gasp for air. Then their vision went black, and everything was blissfully silent.
======
Anxious voices filtered through the silence of TO¡¯s unconsciousness, pulling them from blackness and back into the waking world where their knee still ached, but the pain was a mere echo of what it had been once. The worse of it, the core of the pain still burned inside them, but the rest seemed to have developed that dull coolness.
¡°¡­.early¡­.. targets¡­.¡±
¡°¡­.What¡­. Evasive¡­. Weapons systems¡­¡±
Whatever was being talked about seemed important, and once TO was able to think properly again, they dragged their mind from unconsciousness, their eyes opening to the comfortable lights of their ship. They attempted to push themself to a sitting position as they could feel the straps absence from their body, but the moment they did an awful pain arched through their arm and knee, driving them back down.
Right. they had hurt their arm back in the storage room. They recalled landing on it funny, but it hadn¡¯t hurt this badly before.
¡°TO!¡± DH, who had been at the control panels, rushed to TO¡¯s side, a hand on their shoulder, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. You were unconscious. Once we get to safety, I¡¯m going to-¡°
¡°Safety?¡± TO frowned, ¡°Did the launch fail?¡±
¡°It didn¡¯t, but-¡°
¡°Let them see.¡± It was Flit¡¯s voice that came from the other side of the control room, near the control panels. ¡°They need to see.¡±
¡°But, they can¡¯t help-¡°
¡°Let me see, DH.¡± TO said, struggling again to prop themself up. This time DH only sighed and pushed TO gently up into a sitting position, propping them up with pillows so TO could rest and still see clearly.
Vik, Flit, and GiDi stood up on the other side of the room, watching the large screen before them. The image showed a fleet of ships, each one bearing the double spiral of Decon¡¯s Crest.
¡°Decon¡¯s fleet.¡± TO said, ¡°It¡¯s here.¡± They frowned as their eyes flicked over the ships. Most of them were familiar from the simulations back in training: the fleet¡¯s mother-ship, a handful of defensive units, some repair units, and the tiny individual combat ships that circled the mother-ship. There was one ship which TO didn¡¯t recognize; a massive vessel consisted of five rings that orbited a brightly glowing orb. It was massive compared to the other ships and gave off an overwhelming blue-white light.
¡°It¡¯s a small fleet.¡± TO said, eyes flicking over the other ships, ¡°That big one: It¡¯s... ¡° They frowned as they looked over it. The orb was likely a power supply of some kind, and it seemed as though the ship had been made to transport the power supply rather than the power supply being used to fuel the ship. ¡°A weapon, I¡¯m guessing?¡±
¡°It might as well be.¡± Flit said, ¡°It¡¯s a Terraformer.¡±
It seemed odd to TO that they had never seen a Terraformer ship before, not even in photographs. With the proper knowledge of a planet¡¯s makeup and geography, a Terraformer could use its immensely powerful laser to alter planets. Powered by the glowing core: a miniature, artificially created sun, the Terraformer had the power to melt ice-caps, trigger super volcanos, or increase the temperature of the core of the planet itself.
They were rare ships, given that the miniature sun could easily become unstable.
¡°...They¡¯re going to do it.¡± TO said softly. ¡°They¡¯re really going to kill everyone on the planet.¡±
¡°Seems like it,¡± Flit said, their ears flicking back. ¡°We knew that was likely. That¡¯s why we got off the planet when we did.¡± They cursed under their breath, ¡°How did we miscalculate though? I thought we had more time-¡°
¡°But we¡¯re off the planet.¡± TO said as Flit¡¯s reaction made a knot of panic form in their stomach, ¡°We had enough time! We left early!¡± they looked from Flit, to GiDi, to Vik, then they looked up at DH, ¡°We made it, right?¡±
¡°Not quite.¡± Flit said, ¡°They sent a message to us. They¡¯re blocking our escape until we allow them to board our ship.¡± Episode 383: Path ¡°Just go! Take off!¡± TO said as though it was the most obvious thing in the world, ¡°We¡¯re already off Arkane and the engines are ready, so-¡° ¡°We would already be gone if that was an option.¡± Flit said. They stood before the screen, hands behind their back, their wings resting stiffly over their shoulders. ¡°You can¡¯t see it on the screen, but there are several combat ships around us.¡± ¡°We have weapons systems.¡± TO said, ¡°A whole defensive system!¡± ¡°We had to take them down.¡± DH said, their ears flicking down, ¡°We packed the weapons bay with civilians, many of them children. We had to shut it down to keep someone from firing off something accidentally, and we also had to redirect the energy from the main weapons to the filtration systems so we could keep up with the added demand of everyone in here.¡± TO frowned, their ears flicking, ¡°Why are they even stopping us? This is a synth ship!¡± They frowned at the screen, ¡°I¡¯ll tell them that-¡° They reached for their chip, but frowned when they remember that it was gone. ¡°Tell them we¡¯re departing on urgent business and don¡¯t have time for them to board.¡± TO stopped, their ears flicking down, ¡°Wait¡­ that won¡¯t work. If we had urgent business, or if we had contacted any of our superior officers, then the fleet would already know.¡± ¡°Exactly.¡± Flit said, sighing, ¡°They won¡¯t have any record of orders being given to you to leave the planet, and every second we delay, they grow more suspicious.¡± ¡°We can stop them, can¡¯t we?¡± GiDi said. ¡°If we can¡¯t escape, we can power up the weapons systems and fire at the Terraformer.¡± They looked from Flit to TO. ¡°That would work, wouldn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°...I wouldn¡¯t try to destroy the Terraformer.¡± TO said, ¡°That orb in the center is an artificial sun, controlled by the rings circling it. If we damaged the ship, the sun might grow unstable and cause massive amounts of damage.¡± ¡°And even if that was a possibility, the moment we did that, the rest of the combat and defensive ships would swarm us and destroy the ship.¡° Flit said. ¡°Everyone on board would die and it¡¯s extremely unlikely that we¡¯d actually destroy the Terraformer.¡± they huffed, ¡°Even if we did, King Decon could send another. It would take time, but he could send another.¡± TO stared at the screen as though there was a chance they¡¯d see something, some hint that would help them escape. The more they thought about it, the more fruitless it seemed. They were outnumbered, outgunned, and had no ideas on how to escape. DH¡¯s communicator beeped. They checked their chip and projected a screen before them which showed a written message: You have five minutes to reply, and to permit and facilitate boarding. Failure to comply will identify you as a hostile element. ¡°Can you talk to them?¡± TO asked Flit, ¡°Can you show them you¡¯re a synth, and maybe that¡¯ll convince them to let us go?¡± ¡°They¡¯ll want to talk to us via video message.¡± Flit said, ¡°And if we do that, they will question by whose orders we¡¯re departing the planet. Also, I¡¯d have to identify myself, and I¡¯m supposed to be dead.¡± They looked to DH. ¡°Even if you did it, you¡¯d have to lie directly to them.¡± ¡°We could say their superior officer ordered them to leave??¡± GiDi said hopefully, ¡°I mean, technically, TO is DH¡¯s superior officer, so that would be right, and they wouldn¡¯t be lying-¡° ¡°Even so, they¡¯d check that.¡± Flit said, ¡°If we only had to convince an individual, maybe we could get away with it¡­ but this is an entire fleet, albeit a small one.¡± They shook their head, ¡°No, that won¡¯t work. The Communications officer would ask for names, then check for confirmation.¡± They looked over at TO, an apologetic tilt to their ears, ¡°Especially where you have a history.¡± ¡°A history?¡± TO¡¯s ears flicked with concern, ¡°What do you mean-¡° ¡°You were discovered, right? You and DH?¡± TO¡¯s ears burned as they dipped down, ¡°Right.¡± They said, looking down at the blanket draped over their mangled leg, ¡°Yes¡­ Kei saw it, and then reported us-¡° ¡°And then you were missing for over a week.¡± Flit said, ¡®If you suddenly came back, they wouldn¡¯t just let you go. They¡¯d want to take you into custody and examine you. And honestly, it doesn¡¯t matter if you could pass that examination because once they board the ship and see all the civilians, the insurgents, and three synths who are supposed to be dead after simply disappearing, well, we¡¯d all be executed, likely within the hour.¡± ¡°What about the civilians on the ship?¡± Tham asked, ¡°Not just me: everyone else. The kids, the -¡° ¡°If King Decon is going to kill every living being on the planet to save face, why do you think he¡¯d worry about a ship full of less than one hundred civilians?¡± If they complied, they¡¯d die. If they resisted, they¡¯d die. If they tried to escape, they¡¯d die. The twisted maze had no solution, just dead ends and recursive corridors. They growled, slamming a fist against the bed and crying out in pain as the sudden movement caused their knee to hurt. DH wrapped their arms and wing around TO, holding them tightly and making soothing noises as TO rode out the pain. ¡°All this just because Decon wants to save face.¡± TO said. ¡°He needs to.¡± Flit said, ¡°The ¡¯important¡¯ people, the planetary government and leaders, need to believe that he¡¯s a fair, benevolent king. And again, even if we got the word out, they¡¯d just say its insurgent lies.¡± ¡°If only we could show them.¡± TO hissed, tears pricking at their eyes. ¡°If only-¡° It was like the world shifted. The maze suddenly opened up, the solid walls parting and forming a direct path to the exit. Maybe they could make it, maybe they wouldn¡¯t, but the path that opened up so suddenly before them was the only option they had. TO looked up at DH, eyes big, ears up and alert, ¡°I have a plan.¡± They said. They turned to Vik, ¡°Go get Noss and Pholi.¡± ¡°What about the fleet?¡± Flit asked. ¡°They gave us five minutes.¡± TO said, ¡°That¡¯s all we need.¡± ====== The next three minutes was a rush of activity, with TO directing things from where they sat on the bed, propped up by pillows and doing their best to ignore the throbbing in their knee. Before long, DH sat before the screen, which showed the scene outside, with Pholi at their side while Vik and Noss worked at something at the computer. This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source. ¡°TO, are you sure you can¡¯t do this?¡± DH asked, their ears flicking down, ¡°I mean¡­ You¡¯d be better at this, you¡¯d know what to say-¡° ¡°No, it¡¯s fine.¡± TO said, ¡°Just be yourself and tell the truth. Follow the plan.¡± ¡°¡­ But what if I mess it up?¡± DH asked as their ears lowered further, giving off a sudden, anxious twitch, ¡°This is¡­ This is too big!¡± ¡°I can¡¯t do it.¡± TO said, ¡°I don¡¯t have my chip, so I can¡¯t move in my armor.¡± ¡°What about Flit!¡± They turned and looked at the Retiree, who sat on DH¡¯s bed, watching. ¡°Flit, you¡¯re good with words, you can-¡° ¡°I don¡¯t have armor.¡± Flit said simply. ¡°Neither does GiDi nor Snout.¡± ¡°You¡¯ll be fine!¡± GiDi said, and while their ears didn¡¯t show any kind of lie, they did possess a nervous twitch. ¡°If I mess up, they¡¯re going to kill us,¡± DH said softly. ¡°If I messed up with this plan, they¡¯ll kill us.¡± TO said, ¡°If this idea doesn¡¯t work, they¡¯ll kill us. If we let them board our ship, they¡¯ll kill us. If they take us in for examination, they¡¯ll kill us.¡± TO looked at DH, ¡°This is¡­.¡± They paused, frowning. ¡°This is a last resort. I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s going to work, but it¡¯s better than doing nothing.¡± ¡°Even if it¡¯s doomed to fail, it¡¯s a slap in Decon¡¯s face.¡± Flit said, ¡°I¡¯m happy to go down fighting in this.¡± ¡°Get ready.¡± Vik said as a warning flashed on their screen, ¡°We got ten seconds.¡± DH nodded, and turned to TO. Quick kisses and hugs and proclamations of love had already been exchanged between them in a rushed flurry, but even so DH now gazed at TO, their ears perking up slightly, flushing and twitching in that way that showed nothing but their pure desire and affection for TO. ¡°I love you.¡± TO said, ¡°No matter what.¡± DH nodded, their eyes brimming with tears. ¡°I love you too,¡± DH whispered before activating their armor. The shiny black armor spread over their body, covering their face and ears, the black spreading over their wings as they sat rigid in the chair, looking towards the camera they had hastily set up. ¡°Alright.¡± Noss said as he rushed to the camera and checked some settings once more. ¡°Ready? Mic¡¯s hot in three¡­ two¡­ one¡­¡± ====== +++ Second Quadrant of the Decan Galaxy. Solar System: Flamber. Planet: Cristaux. Human colony of Foyer +++ Etiennette didn¡¯t want to sit in the parlour and watch the screen with her parents. Ever since she had been old enough to walk on her own two feet, she had sat and watched evening sitcoms with her parentals, and it had become a type of bonding moment between them and her three siblings. Today, though, she wanted nothing more than to go to her room and be alone. Their progress reports had come today, and hers hadn¡¯t been good. She wasn¡¯t as smart as her older sister, Marie, who consistently came home with perfect marks and wept when she wasn¡¯t in the top three of all her classes. Her elder sibling, Gateaux, didn¡¯t have great grades, but they were working part time in the school programming lab and already had a promise of a job when they finished school. Antoine, her younger brother, was only in level 2, and did about as well as any other kid in his grade, but he was already showing artistic skill and was very popular among his peeps. Etiennette was never popular, never had a lot of friends, and never got good grades, even in the younger levels. Right now, she was failing half her subjects and showed no actual skill for much of anything! Well, that wasn¡¯t true; she showed no actual skill for anything useful. ¡°Look!¡± she said, pointing to something on her progress report as the rest of them were trying to eat supper. ¡°The teacher said I can translate faster than anyone in my level! And I¡¯m leading the linguists club in all our competitions-¡° ¡°Great.¡± Gateaux said, smirking, ¡°If my communicator ever breaks, I¡¯ll keep that in mind.¡± ¡°Gateaux¡­¡± her father said, frowning, ¡°Being able to translate is a skill, and it¡¯s entirely fascinating to know the origin of words, and the evolution of language.¡± He smiled at Etiennette when he said this, but it was a forced smile and she knew it. Her father had no interest in language, and didn¡¯t understand her fascination for it any more than anyone else did. ¡°Mx. Lune says we won¡¯t learn translation when we get to the 5th level.¡± Antoine said, ¡°Because translators are so reliable.¡± ¡°Exactly.¡± Her mother said, ¡°I just don¡¯t understand it.¡± She looked at the progress report, sneering at the other grades. ¡°If you can take the time to remember so much useless stuff about where words came from, why can¡¯t you memorize chemical formulas or programming languages? You can conjugate nouns in four languages, but you can¡¯t do basic calculus?¡± Her comment that you don¡¯t conjugate nouns, you decline nouns and conjugate verbs, was not appreciated by anyone except her older siblings who hid their sudden laughter behind their hands as her mother snapped at her for her ¡®attitude.¡¯ After supper, when Etiennette was heading to her room, her mother had stopped her and demanded that she sit with them in the parlour. ¡°I¡¯m not going to let you stew in your bad attitude. You¡¯re going to spend family time with your family, not running off to translate old stories which already have a perfectly good translation!¡± Her parentals didn¡¯t understand. Nobody did expect for the others in the linguistics club. Words had meaning and nuance! The way a person translated a single sentence could change from person to person, from culture to culture, and through time itself! Some of the stories she translated did indeed seem to have much different meanings than the translated versions she already knew, and sometimes it bothered her. Sometimes, the ¡®official¡¯ translations seemed intentionally wrong, or translated with a slant that created a whole different meaning than intended. When she brought this up to the teacher supervisor, they told her that she was translating into modern parlance stuff that had been written hundreds of years ago, with a different cultural view and with different intention and meaning behind certain words. The teacher said that the translation system accounted for that, and that she should trust that the translator has the best, most accurate version of the material. Still, she liked to see the different ways that people could translate things, and try to figure out the original meaning. She was thinking about this, about a particular poem with translations of verbs which shifted from active to passive to subjunctive, turning a vicious verbal attack into an odd, masochistic love poem, when something strange happened to the screen. First, the show they were watching froze. That happened from time to time, and was met only with brief groans from her family. Then the screen when black. ¡°What happened?¡± Her father asked, ¡°Is it broken?¡± ¡°No, look, the power¡¯s on.¡± Her mother said, getting up to inspect the screen, ¡°Maybe the wireless went down?¡± The screen then flickered back to life, but not with the show they had been watching, but with an alert. THIS IS A GALACTIC EMERGENCY BROADCAST - THIS IS A GALACTIC EMERGENCY BROADCAST - THIS IS A GALACTIC EMERGENCY BROADCAST. ¡°Awe, it¡¯s a drill.¡± Antoine said, groaning, ¡°I hope they pause the show.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not a drill.¡± Gateaux said, leaning forward from where they sat on the couch, ¡°I think this is legit.¡± Everyone held their breath as the screen then flicked again to show a synth and a strange, small, a rounded creature both sitting before an image of a planet that was instantly recognizable to everyone in the room. It was Arkane, the birthplace of the Despair insurgency. Another fun linguistic trick, Etiennette thought, musing over a translation she had come across not long ago. While the word sounded like ¡°despair¡± in Galactic common, and was translated to ¡°despair¡± in all other languages, in Milou, the language native to Arkane, it simply meant, ¡°Insurgency¡± or ¡°Rebel.¡± The rebel insurgency, or the insurgency insurgency. She couldn¡¯t hear it without smirking now. Was this a mistake of the system or was it done on purpose? She¡¯d never know. ¡°Maybe they got the bad guys?¡± Antoine said, leaning forward from where he sat on the floor. ¡°They¡¯d just have a new conference for that.¡± Her mother said as she sat back down in her seat. They fell silent as the Synth began to speak¡­ but there was no auto-translation! Not even any subtitles! Yes, the synth in question was speaking Galactic common, but it was a different dialect and nearly incomprehensible to her family. When the synth finished the sentence, the smaller person translated it into a version Galactic Sign Language not in use in their quadrant of the galaxy. Etiennette could understand both the synth and the smaller person, though. The language It was the dialect common to the fourth quadrant, where Arkane was, as was the sign language. ¡°Damnit.¡± Her mother said, cursing, ¡°Is the translation system bugged? What the heck?¡± ¡°It¡¯s ok.¡± Etiennette said. Though what the synth was saying was beginning to worry her, she couldn¡¯t help the spark of pride and spiteful joy that grew in her at this moment. ¡°I can translate.¡± Episode 384: Plead
¡°Greetings, Civilians.¡± The synth said in that strange, almost mechanical voice. Its tone was as sharp and cold as it ever was, chilling every civilian viewer. ¡°My assignment ID is Ark-88. I am broadcasting this Galactic alert from orbit over Arkane, which many of you know is the base of the Despair Insurgency.¡± There was an unnatural pause in the synth¡¯s speech, which who were watching assumed they were simply allowing the small civilian at their side to catch up with the galactic signing. However, any who had come into contact with the synths before knew that it was just how they spoke.
Another argument for them being robots: the strange lapse in conversation.
¡°They sent here me with my superior officer Ark-87, after completing my training. Our assignment on this planet was simple: to discover the leader of the insurgency and bring them to justice.¡± Another pause, but this time if one looked carefully they could almost see the helmet turn down, as though the synth was looking down at its hands.
¡°That, clearly, did not happen.¡± The synth spoke simply, then seemed to look offscreen in silence for a moment. They gave a slight nod before lifting their arm and pressing at something on their wrist.
The armor dissolved away, seeming to have gotten sucked into a small black bracelet around their wrist. In most homes across the galaxy, anyone watching the broadcast drew in a quick breath, holding it in silence as they looked over the creature which they had just learned was a synth. In seconds, the idea that synths were mere robots fell apart. Many of those who believed that synths were biological beings were surprised to see them looking far less bug-like than they expected.
A few young children pointed and said ¡°Bat.¡± In their own languages.
The camera shifted, and there was a shout from off camera. Shadows and lights moving off screen hinted at the flurry of activity happening around them as the synth held onto the desk before them, their eyes wide and their ears down.
¡°We have civilians on board!¡± The synth said. ¡°We have innocent children, parents: we have families! A fleet of synths has just opened fire, and if they keep this up, everyone on board is going to die!¡± The synth¡¯s voice was now so much different from before and though it still had that odd, mechanical twang to it, it was so much more fluid, so much more natural.
¡°Shield¡¯s up.¡± Another synth said off screen, ¡°Go on, DH, you¡¯re doing good.¡±
The synth, DH, nodded and turned back to the camera. ¡°As I said, we have multiple families on this ship, and many children. King Decon¡¯s orders at this moment involve killing everyone on board this ship!¡±
A few more shots hit the ship, the shaking far less intense than before, but then, inexplicably, the shots stopped. DH was quiet for a moment, then took a breath and continued on.
¡°It¡¯s not just this ship that¡¯s in danger.¡± DH said as they gestured behind them to Arkane and the ships waiting above it. ¡°It¡¯s the planet that they¡¯ve decided has to go. Apparently, the insurgency has been around too long, and it¡¯s gotten too hard to get rid of. Decon is apparently sick of dealing with it.¡± They pointed to a large ship which most people watching never would have seen before; one with several rings circling around a huge, fiery orb. ¡°That thing is a Terraformer, and it can absolutely make a planet unlivable. Decon wouldn¡¯t just blow it up: the surrounding moons are too valuable for mining, but he would kill everyone on it just to save face and keep the rest of the galaxy quiet.¡± They faltered. ¡°It¡¯s something about uh¡­ about it inspiring other insurgencies or something. I don¡¯t know: the point is, it¡¯s embarrassing to King Decon that the insurgency has lasted this long, so he wants to erase any knowledge of it!¡±
They were quiet for a few minutes, breathing heavily as their ears flicked rapidly. ¡°And¡­ And look: I get it. I just told you I¡¯m a synth. I was wearing the armor, and Now I¡¯m telling you all that synths want to destroy a planet. It makes no sense, right? Well¡­ well, that¡¯s because I¡¯m not a normal synth. There¡¯s lots of us who aren¡¯t normal: maybe even some who are watching this now!¡± They leaned forward, ¡°And if you are-¡° They switched to another language, one composed of a strange series of clicks and syllables that seemed to be created by inhaling and exhaling at the same time. There were a select few who could understand what DH was saying though, and despite the odd language the person at their side continued signing away, ¡°If you¡¯re a synth, and if you¡¯re like me, then watch my ears: you¡¯ll know I¡¯m telling the truth¡±
Silence hung for several seconds, as though the synth, DH, was gathering up their courage to speak. ¡°For my entire short life, I¡¯ve been told I am a synth whose only purpose, the only reason for being, was to serve King Decon. Friendship, love, freedom... those were all things I was supposed to be happy to sacrifice for the privilege of working in his service.¡± They stopped, and shook their head, ¡°No, they were things I wasn¡¯t supposed to feel at all. I, and all other synths, are supposed to be free of such feelings for the good of the galaxy.¡± They gave a laugh which sounded strange to most of the civilians listening, as they seemed to breathe in and out rapidly as they did. ¡°It was something we owed to King Decon for creating us. But...¡± They paused again and looked away from the camera. The synths who were watching, those who were in a position to stop what they were doing and watch the broadcast, could easily see the anxiety in DH¡¯s ears, and in the way their wings now wrapped around their arms. Those who could be considered perfectly normal felt a strange, sinking dread in their stomach. Those few that never quite fit in though - a Repair Officer who had this way of seeing solutions to problems that nobody else could find, a certain Medical Officer stationed on a training base, and a clever young synth in special training, hoping to become one of Decon¡¯s Vanguard- Watched the broadcast with a strange sense of hope and peace, and the same thought running through their heads, This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.
¡°I¡¯m not alone¡±
Some had known before, others had no clue, but they all felt that same relief.
¡°King Decon...¡± Another moment of hesitation, and even those who didn¡¯t communicate with their ears could see the fear in DH¡¯s face, ¡°King Decon did not create synths.¡± They said, ¡°He stole us. He took DNA from some place in his long life, and used that to make us, cutting out parts of our minds and -¡° their ears pinned back, ¡°And stealing our ability to feel, to have friends, to love.¡±
======
MS-675, the Mothership that provided tactical defensive and offensive support to Terraformer-8, was under the supervision of Commander MS-675. Once upon a time, Commander MS-675 (Simply called Commander aboard the MS-675) had been assigned as an officer aboard the ship, but had outlasted previous leadership and ultimately became the Commander due to their quick thinking, and their problem-solving skills.
They were also very good at surviving, though it hadn¡¯t been easy. Insanity would have been a given for them, feeling as trapped as they did inside their own head. It seemed like they could never connect with anyone, never really understand others, and could never be understood. They stopped trying early, seeing what pushing for that kind of understanding could do to a trainee, but over the years they had discovered a better, safer way to keep their sanity... kind of.
Their chip beeped with an order from Central Command. They flicked the screen up, checking the order while everyone else was staring at the broadcast.
---CEASEFIRE ENDED: CONTINUE ASSULT---
They pursed their lips, their ears flicking down as they read the message. It was only a few moments ago that the order came to stop their attack on what they now knew was a rogue synth ship. It came just after the scarred synth who called themself ¡°DH¡± said that there were civilians aboard the ship. Now, seconds after DH¡¯s announcement that King Decon had stolen the DNA used to make them, they were once more ordered to open fire.
"Fuck that" Adhara said. Adhara, who was, of course, their oldest friend, their confidant, and one of the voices that they had formed in their head over the years to keep them sane. "There are literal civilians on that ship! Children! They don¡¯t deserve to die!"
perhaps. Commander had to be careful when they spoke back to their friends in their head. Sometimes, if they got too into the conversation, they tended to speak aloud.
¡°I¡¯m inclined to agree¡± Auorae said. Auorae was another friend in their head, a more cautious foil to their beloved Adhara. Auorae was the one who always had the logical, practical advice, so it was odd to hear them agree with Adhara.
¡°You agree?¡± Clearly, Adhara was just as surprised as Commander was, ¡°You agree with me?¡±
¡°To a point¡± Auorae said, ¡°*I want to hear what this DH has to say, and I don¡¯t want to kill children.¡±
Commander didn¡¯t want to kill children either. If I ignore the order though...
¡°If you ignore the order, it¡¯s insubordination¡± Auorae said, ¡°And we know the punishment for that¡±
They did. They had seen it before.
¡°At this point, you have a choice to make.¡± Auorae said, ¡°You need to decide if you want to die for a handful of civilians, or live with the deaths of civilians and children on your hands¡±
We...we have killed before. Commander said, but that wasn¡¯t quite right. They had killed enemy ships trying to attack the Terraformer, and before that they had, of course, come up with strategies at the order of their own superior officer.
They had never been facing a ship full of civilians, and had never disagreed with an order so stronger before, while being in a position to ignore that order.
You¡¯ll die too. Commander couldn¡¯t help but feel a deep, painful ache in their chest as they thought that.
There were no words after that; none were needed. Commander could feel what their friends felt; the sense of resolve as they considered what could be their last order.
¡°Commander?¡± A nearby officer came up and stood at Commander¡¯s side, ¡°Is there a new order?¡±
Commander closed down the screen before the Officer could see it. ¡°No, D-37¡± They said. The formal title for this officer was, of course, MS-675-D-37, but D-37 was easier. ¡°Continue to wait for my next order.¡±
¡°Yes, Commander.¡± D-37 said, and with a quick nod, they headed back to their position closer to the front of the deck.
¡°Alright. we¡¯re doing this then.¡± Adhara said, ¡°Well...let¡¯s see what else this DH has to say¡±
======
¡°All our lives, we were told we¡¯re tools.¡± DH said, ¡°Nothing more. And all your life, you were told that you¡¯re lucky! That so long as you do things right, so long as you follow the rules and work hard, that there¡¯s a place for you in King Decon¡¯s Galactic Kingdom!¡± They stood up, one hand leaning on the table, the other pointing to the planet on the screen, ¡°But how many people on Arkane have been following the rules, had been doing everything they were supposed to, and now they¡¯re literal seconds from global devastation and death! You¡¯d be told it was a natural disaster: an asteroid, perhaps, or even something the insurgency did! but that¡¯s all a lie! King Decon lies!¡±
They stood there, shaking, taking several long breaths as the civilian next to them, who many on Arkane had identified as Minister Pholi, continued to sign. They stayed silent for a few moments after Pholi¡¯s hands had fallen still.
¡°...All this, we were told, was for the good of the Galaxy.¡± DH said, finally breaking the long silence, ¡°All our sacrifices were supposed to be to protect civilians, and to maintain King Decon¡¯s law. But, if an entire planet can be destroyed just to save face, if children can be killed as they try to flee destruction, and if more synths have to go through life believing that they¡¯re broken and worthless just because they love?¡± They shook their head, and finally sat down, ¡°Then... that¡¯s a kind of law that I can¡¯t fight for.¡±
DH looked down at their hands, now nervously scratching at the edges. ¡°All the people on board this ship want is a chance to survive.¡± They said, ¡°All the people down there on Arkane want is to continue to live their lives...¡± They looked off screen once more, ¡°And... all I want is my friends, my family... and my mate. I don¡¯t want to wake up every day, terrified that I might lose everything that matters to me.¡±
They looked up at the camera again, ¡°I... am not a Synth. I was, but I¡¯m not now and I don¡¯t want more people to die, and I don¡¯t want to see the people I love get hurt anymore. So please-¡° their ears dipped, their big black eyes welled with tears, ¡°Please, just let us go.¡± Episode 385; Disinformation
The five minutes which Decon¡¯s fleet granted had long run out by the time DH finished their broadcast. Of course, Noss wanted the camera to keep rolling either until they got away, or until Decon disconnected the stream.
¡°I¡¯m surprised they haven¡¯t cut the broadcast.¡± TO signed to Flit, the pain in their arm a mere dull throb thanks to the medication that DH gave them earlier.
¡°I¡¯m not.¡± Flit signed back, ¡°King Decon created the emergency broadcast system as a failsafe, something an enemy couldn¡¯t stop or take down. I¡¯m certain that was a much greater concern when he created this system.¡±
Another moment passed. DH¡¯s ears flicked nervously as they looked at the screen. ¡°We¡¯re waiting.¡± They said once the silence became awkward, ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t know if they¡¯re going to let us pass or¨C¡°
An alert came in on their chip. They opened it, their eyes flicking over the message before them. After a moment, their ears lifted and their eyes widened.
¡°They granted us passage.¡± DH said, looking at the camera in total shock. ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m sorry, I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going to happen to Arkane, but they have offered us safe passage from the solar system.¡± They looked over to TO, whose eyes and ears showed as much surprise as DH¡¯s. Still, their mind raced with the possibilities of King Decon¡¯s deceit. King Decon lied, so maybe they were just waiting for them to think they were safe. They quickly signed a message to DH, ¡°We¡­ We will end the broadcast for now.¡± They said as they watched TO sign, ¡°And we will post another broadcast once we¡¯re safe. As for Arkane¡­¡± They watched TO, but TO had stopped signing. They didn¡¯t know what to say about the planet below, and its people.
¡°¡­ As for Arkane..¡± DH said, ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m sorry we have only one ship. I¡¯m sorry we couldn¡¯t take more people. I¡¯m sorry we couldn¡¯t stop this.¡± They looked down at the table before them. ¡°Believe me when I say we tried¡­¡±
Off to the side, Noss allowed the silence that followed DH¡¯s apology to linger a little longer before he turned off the camera. ¡°Perfect.¡± he said, ¡°Perfect place to end it! It¡¯s hopeful, sad¡­ The apology was inspired¡±
¡°Glad you approve.¡± Flit grunted as their ears quivered with their sarcastic lie, which Noss clearly didn¡¯t understand given the smile that spread across the minister¡¯s face. ¡°DH, set our course and get us out of here.¡± They looked to Noss. ¡°You stay here though. Once we¡¯re safe, you can do the next broadcast¨C¡±
¡°We¡¯ll have to lose the fleet before we leave the solar system, then.¡± Noss said, ¡°After that, I¡¯ll be out of range.¡±
¡°I¡¯m working to get their tracking off us,¡± Vik said, typing away at the tiny keyboard he brought with him. He had set up a little workplace at TO¡¯s desk and now seemed just as content to work here as he did back in the common room in the underground. ¡°I¡¯m going to try to bounce our signal around so they can¡¯t track us when we send the next broadcast. ¡± They looked at DH, who had jumped from their seat and rushed to their own workstation where they fired up the main navigation controls. ¡°Hey, D, your permissions won¡¯t work on that mother-ship, will it? I¡¯m not saying I can¡¯t hack it, but your ships use an entirely different coding language that I¡¯m not used to. I can get through it with permissions, but without it¡¯ll take more time than we have.¡°
¡°DH would only have access to our ship.¡± Flit said, ¡°No reason for them to have access to others.¡±
Conversation continued around them, but TO let it morph into a meaningless noise. The ship lunged as it began movement, picking up speed and moving away from Arkane. Would the synth combat ships give chase, or would they be left alone? Was there anything that TO could do, any other plan they could think of to ensure their safety?
It hurt to think, which was a very odd sensation to TO. It was as though mind was walking through water, and thinking beyond a certain level now hurt their head. They lay back, watching the flurry of movement before them without really seeing what was going on. The pain was coming back now as well, waking and turning the dull, numb, cold sensation into searing pain. More and more, the sounds and movements around them faded into meaninglessness as they tried to manage the pain.
They had no idea how long it was before DH finally sat down on the bed next to them, a long needle in hand. They said something, but TO didn¡¯t pay any attention to the words: The only thing they cared about was how low and worried DH¡¯s ears were, how nice their hand felt as they reached out and gently rubbed TO¡¯s right ear before cupping their cheek.
Through all the other pains in their body, they didn¡¯t even feel the needle slide under their skin. Moments later, they were unconscious.
======
The Galactic Broadcast Anchor on Arkane often appeared as a feathered civilian with a blunt hooked beak and short wings. Sometimes it would appear as male, sometimes female based on who was around. In private homes, it of course shifted to appear like its viewers, using the same language and speech patterns, but in a public place like pubs, it took on that bird-like visage. Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.
Today, in the CottageCore pub, the GBA took on a female form at first, but shifted to male when a man from the smoke shop next door came in. He stopped and stared at the news, playing on that screen which normally looked like a window into a countryside.
¡°Hey, Fen.¡± He said as he looked over to the bar and say the tiny owner working there, ¡°You got the news in your window!¡±
¡°Hilarious.¡± she said, keeping her focus on the knife she was sharpening. ¡°There¡¯s lots happening today, so I felt it best to have the news on until we heard something.¡±
¡°Doesn¡¯t really fit the place, does it?¡±
Fengari sighed. True, having the news broadcast didn¡¯t quite fit the aesthetic of the CottageCore pub, and she was normally more than happy to allow for the escapism, to create this place where people could pretend to be someone else somewhere else, at least for a little while. Today wasn¡¯t a normal day, though. She had to know what happened, had to hear any little piece of news that came up. The Emergency broadcast had played on every single screen in the pub, so the face of the synth had stared out at them from every single fake window, and even the fake fireplace as they talked about their impending destruction.
Her tiny hands slowed as she carefully drew the knife over the sharpening stone. A synth. It hadn¡¯t been Tio; she knew that as Tio didn¡¯t have scars on their face. Still, the synth on the broadcast was clearly the same species as Tio, which meant that Tio was a synth.
There had been a synth in her pub. No, that was wrong. There had been a synth in her safe room, and two synths in her pub back several weeks ago when one came in, apparently upset after a fight with their mate. The other had come in and got entirely plastered after drinking one of her special brews.
Two synths had spent the night in what she fondly called her drunk tank.
She started laughing, putting the knife down, so she didn¡¯t accidentally cut herself. When a nearby bug-like patron looked over, their antennae lifting in confusion, she only shook her head.
¡°Just remembered a joke.¡± She lied. Really, it sounded like a joke! ¡®Two synths walk into a bar.¡¯
Before the patron could ask what the joke was, and before she could even think up one of the passable jokes she¡¯d heard before, the GBA suddenly slipped out of the pre-recorded looping stream of current local events and weather, and took on a far more stern countenance.
¡°We provide for you now an update regarding the distressing emergency broadcast which aired earlier today.¡± The anchor said, speaking clipped Galactic Common with an Arkanian accent. ¡°The broadcast from earlier showed a creature claiming to be a synth in a spaceship over Arkane.¡±
¡°Claiming? it was a synth!¡± A different patron said from next to the fake fireplace, ¡°They had the armor, and¨C¡± before she could finish, the other patrons shushed her so they could hear the rest of the announcement.
¡°We have confirmation that, despite a local planetary lockdown, a ship did, in fact, leave the planet earlier today. The launch was unauthorized and illegal, as authorities had initiated a lockdown on the planet to contain dangerous insurgent activities.¡±
Behind the anchor, an image of what the Synth had called a Terraformer appeared, ¡°A nearby Terraforming ship with a small defensive fleet which was en route to intercept an asteroid witnessed the illicit launch and moved to stop the insurgents. At the time, it was unknown that the insurgents had taken a collection of civilians as hostage. This information discovered during attempts to pacify the insurgent vessel, and attacks on the rogue ship halted.¡±
A collection of murmurs rose in the pub, mostly softly cursing on the insurgency. Fengari kept silent, her small tail swishing behind her as she picked up her knife once more and continued her work with more force than necessary. She remembered Tio asking her to come with them, to leave the planet with them, warning that Decon might kill everyone on the planet.
They weren¡¯t hostages; they were refugees.
¡°King Decon wishes to calm the fears stirred by these imposters, and assure the public that there is not, and has never been, any attempt to eradicate life on any singular planet.¡± The anchor continued, ¡°Experts believe that the insurgents planned their takeoff to coincide with the arrival of the Terraformer so that they could spread lies about its presence here and stir fear and distrust in King Decon.¡°
Fengari didn¡¯t believe that either, though most everyone else in her pub did. She couldn¡¯t say she blamed them; the idea that they might have come so close to death, to planetary extinction, was hard to wrap her head around. No, the lies that the GBA was giving them offered them a much easier, much more comfortable version of events.
¡°The insurgents were allowed to leave the vicinity of the planet in order to preserve the life of the hostages. The synth forces are working to rescue the civilians and apprehend the insurgents. If anyone has information regarding these events, or has a friend or family member missing, we encourage you to report to the local authority.¡±
The GBA fell silent for a few minutes, its face blank before brightening up as it took on a brighter, casual tone. ¡°Looking at weather in Okoia today, the temperature-¡°
Fengari turned the screen back to the window view it had before. Showing the swaying flowers and rustling trees in a fake countryside. Conversation shifted, people now talking about the insurgents, bringing up any little thing they could to link themselves with the events of the day.
¡°You know. Irene¡¯s kid hasn¡¯t been home in a while-¡°
¡°There was an odd delivery at the cyber-bar the other day.¡±
¡°Remember that prison break the other week?¡±
¡°And the insurgent attack on the underground. I bet that¡¯s where they got most of their hostages.¡±
¡°Honestly, serves the squatters right. If they lived in real housing¨C¡±
Fengari closed her eyes, shook her head, and went back to her work. She remembered the way the Synth named DH had apologized to that they couldn¡¯t do more to help the planet. Was that synth a friend of Tio¡¯s?
She hoped they¡¯d discover that Arkane, at least for now, was ok. Episode 386: Safe, For Now
TO couldn''t move. They couldn''t move, couldn''t talk, couldn''t even open their eyes! no matter how hard they tried, it was as though their body simply wouldn''t listen to them. With all their struggling, the most they could do was whimper softly, and twitch their foot.
"Shhh... Just relax. you''re ok." DH''s voice cut through the panic, and a moment later TO felt their mate lay next to them, their cool hand sliding under their neck and scratching at the base of their skull. The events of the last day were still jumbled and foggy, and they couldn''t remember what had happened once they got to the ship, but if DH said that they were ok then TO was willing to believe that.
For a while they rested, allowing their thoughts to drift until true consciousness coalesced, drawn together to the dull, throbbing pain in their body. With a groan they finally opened their eyes to the dim lights of their ship''s small living quarters glowing overhead as they lay on their bed. They groaned as they tried to sit up, but next to them DH made a soft shushing sound and put their hand on TO''s chest, holding them down gently.
"Stay down." they said softly. "Try not to move for a bit. You need to heal up."
TO groaned again, but did as DH said and lay back. still, they couldn''t relax now; their mind was awake, and insisted on answers. "The fleet." they groaned, turning slightly to face DH, "What happened-"
"We lost them." DH said, once more trying to keep TO from sitting up by draping an arm over their chest, "They didn''t even do anything to Arkane, not yet anyway."
"I have to get up." TO said as more thoughts rushed through their head, "Avery, are they-"
"Unconscious, but stable." DH said. "Goretta and I were able to stop the bleeding pretty quickly." They hugged TO close, "Please... just stay down and rest."
"No, there''s more, I-" they tried to get up, but their right leg wasn''t responding. They could feel it, sure, and they could kind of move it, but they couldn''t bend their knee. They struggled to sit up but they were still physically weak, and DH was easily able to keep them down. "TO, please... I''m not joking, and I''m not just being cautious. You need to stay down."
"My leg. I can''t bend it." They said, reaching down with their hand to try to feel their knee. "What happened?"
"I''ll answer all your questions." DH said as they curled in to TO, "But you have to promise to stay lying down, alright?"
"But there''s so much to do!"
"The ship is designed to be run by two people." DH said, "Between myself, Flit, and Snout, we can handle all the hard work with relative ease.
"Can I at least sit up?"
"I''d rather you wait a day or so" DH said, "If you don''t you might hurt yourself, and have to wait longer to recover properly"
TO sighed, "Fine." They groaned. In truth, though they felt they had so much to do they were grateful for DH''s insistence that they rest as their body ached, and their mind felt heavy. "Why can''t I move my knee?"
DH nuzzled into TO''s shoulder, "...The shot to your knee shattered the bones entirely." they said. "There was no saving it."
TO''s eyes widened as their ears dropped. The image of Flit''s stump, the gnarled scarred end, and the prosthetic leg they always wore came to their mind "My leg... It''s gone?"
"oh! No. No no no." DH held TO close, "No... Your leg is fine TO, I promise." They clutched at TO. "...But, I had to remove the shattered bone, and use a temporary knee joint to keep things in place
"... Use what?" TO frowned, still reaching to try to feel what DH was talking about.
"Right. so uh." they looked over towards the computers, "In case of emergencies, we do have medical grade materials for printing certain medical aids." DH said, "I mean, we can''t have supplies to deal with every eventuality, right?" They gave a nervous chuckle, "So if you need certain materials or medical aids, you just print it if you don''t have it." They leaned in, "So... I printed a temporary one while your knee heals. It''ll keep everything in place until we can sort out a more permanent solution."
"And... what''s the permanent solution?" TO asked.
"I don''t know." DH said. "We won''t know until your leg''s healed up. For now, the best think you can do is rest."
"But what options might there be-" Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.
"There''s lots we can do." DH said, "But please don''t worry about it now."
TO lay back uneasily, their mind still spinning and seeming to grab at whatever it could. "Constance." They said, "I have to tell her-"
"Pearla''s talked to her." DH said, "TO... You don''t realize, I think, how badly you''re hurt. Your knee was the worst, but you had a lot of injuries. There''s an awful burn in your back, your shoulder was messed up..." they stopped, and held TO close, "You were hurt badly." They whispered. "And there were complications while you were out. I had to do surgery." They looked up at TO, "I didn''t know if you''d get through it."
TO could feel DH shaking against them, could hear the soft crack in their voice as they clung to TO''s chest. TO pressed their cheek to DH''s head, unable to embrace them properly as they were still in a lot of pain. "I''m sorry." They whispered. "I didn''t try to get hurt."
"I know." DH said, "But... we''re away from Arkane now. We''re safe. We just have to wait until we get to ScrapRock, so please... Just rest. for me?"
For now, they were safe. They were on their ship with a lot of people, but with people who knew that DH was TO''s mate, and who didn''t have any issue with that. The ship was filled with allies, friends and family.
They pressed their lips to the top of DH''s head before nuzzling them softly. "Ok." They whispered, "For you... I''ll rest for a little."
======
The tunnels under Arkane stank. It stank back in that awful solitary room, it stank in the operating room where Kei found themself bound for days, and it stank in the makeshift prison the insurgents kept them in. Kei thought they''d be use to the stink by now, but once they finally got out of the ancient, crumbling tunnels where the insurgents hid and got into the main sewers, the stink became unbearable.
"The exit is a little bit further ahead." the small squid-like creature said as they crawled forward on the ceiling. "Just keep going if you can."
Kei grunted, but continued on. The creature''s name started with O, they knew that much, but they hadn''t bothered to remember it. The creature mentioned their name when Kei was in the medical room, speaking quietly though a nearby vent, making a plan for freedom for the two of them. "Look, you''re a synth right? I can help get you out of here, but I''ll need your help after that."
The help that the creature wanted was simply for Kei to clear the crime of indebtedness once they got out of the tunnels, and use their own ship to get them off the planet. Kei had promised to do what they could, despite the fact that they technically had no authority on this planet yet, and the fact that their ship was orbiting Arkane without them.
Their injured leg hit something obscured by the opaque viscous sludge of the sewers, and they yelped in pain. The sudden intake of rancid air caused them to gag and vomit up the last quick meal they had before their escape earlier that day.
the creature sighed as they watched Kei. "Your leg?" They asked, "Tio got you good, yeah?"
Kei spit and wiped their mouth, "They were lucky." they hissed, their ears pinning back. They really didn''t believe in luck, but what else could it have been? Kei was better than TO! they worked just as hard as TO did in training, they had the same kind of mind now which was supposed to have granted TO their enhanced mental powers, but they didn''t have the same flaws as TO, the deviancy. Kei had been willing to do whatever it took to achieved their goals without hesitation. The mathematics of the solution had been clear, and they approached the problem with no emotion. Meanwhile, TO had been tied up and heavily injured. How then did that defect get the best of them?
"We should keep going." the creature said as they watched Kei. "You have raw sewage against open wounds. I''m not a doctor, but I think that''s bad."
"Exceedingly." Kei snapped.
"If you had followed the plan, we''d be out of the tunnels already" they said, "I mean, we were lucky that your friend came to visit you-"
"Avery was not my friend." Kei hissed, "They are responsible, in part, for... for what has happened to me"
The creature made a motion with their tentacles which felt like a shrug, "I mean, they came just to check on you, they told you what the plan was, and then you managed to convince them to unlock your bindings so you could use the washroom yourself. I don''t think they''d have done all that if they weren''t a friend."
"They were careless." Kei said, "A quick observation of the area would have shown to them that I had a catheter in. They should have been more careful."
"Then it''s even more of a lucky break!" they said, "And yet, you squandered the biggest string of luck I''ve ever seen for what? For revenge?"
"To fix a mistake." Kei said. They wanted to say that it wasn''t about revenge. They wanted to say that they were above such petty, civilian motives... but it had felt so damn good to shoot TO in the knee, and even better to kick them when they were tied. when they thought they might actually kill TO, there was a moment of what they could only describe as joy... but that was only because they were finally fixing their mistake.. right?
maybe they hadn''t approached the situation with pure cold logic. Perhaps emotions had played a larger part than they thought, and that was what led to their failure. Well, if that was the case, then at least they had uncovered the problem. Now, they just had to fix it.
"Whatever" The creature said, "Let''s get you out so you can clear my record up on the surface, and then we can get off this planet before it blows up"
"Very well." Kei said. They took a breath though their mouth to lessen the affect of the stench, steadied themself on the slimy wall, and continued forward.
Outis; that was the creatures name. Kei''s plan for escape had worked, but Outis was the missing link in their success. Biting off their finger and spitting it at TO had given them an odd satisfaction in seeing such a presumably successful synth sway and faint at the sight of blood, but more importantly it had pushed that civilian butcher, Goretta, to move them from the prison to the much less secure medical room.
That was where Outis had seen them.
They looked down at their finger. The bandages still covered the wound but they knew they''d have a scar when it finally healed; Goretta told them as much.
They didn''t mind. That scar was proof of how far they would go to achieve their goa volume 4, Episode 387: Gyrini II Gyrini leaned forward at her desk, watching the security footage of the synth ship sitting idle on the landing platform in the center of Okoia for the 4th time. The first time she watched it she filtered the footage so the system only placed times when activity had occurred at the ship. There had been a refuel order at one point which was odd, but she had no reason or authority to stop that. Aside from the unexpected fuel delivery, most of the activity had been security making their rounds, other drones, or the odd pest that triggered the motion sensors. After that, she had played the recording in full at twenty times speed, then at ten times speed. Still, she saw nothing. Despite the fact that the ship, filled with insurgents and hostages, was now gone, she still had to figure out how they had done this. How had they filled the ship with synths, former ministers, and indebted hostages without being seen? She must have missed something despite the fact that she initiated constant surveillance the moment that synth, Ark-87, arrived at the ship that day they met! Of course, her intention then was to watch that synth but the synth had escaped her somehow. Watching the ship in case they returned seemed like a reasonable plan. As she watched the sunset on the screen at five times speed, she clenched her fist, her mandibles clenching together as her antennae shivered. How had they gotten away from her? She checked the footage from the tube, searching for some sign of the two synths, and there was nothing! It was only a pure lack of manpower that kept her from shutting down the entire tube system and searching every inch of the thing! She still wished she could do that, even now. Yes, it was too late to stop anything, but she needed to know how they got past her. Yes, they were synths, and they were supposed to be better than she was, but she couldn¡¯t reconcile the idea that synths who might be traitors to King Decon had outsmarted her. Still, it was some balm to her frustration that she had been right in that meeting with King Decon so long ago when she suggested that the insurgents had to have someone helping them from the inside. Certainty, King Decon would view her as more than a mere civilian now, right? A tone sounded from the door to her temporary office, a warning that someone was coming to see her. She sighed and checked the camera at the door in hopes that it wasn¡¯t Buteo again, acting like he actually wanted to be productive. He put on a good show, but he was really just a figurehead, a symbol of Arkane¡¯s integration to the Galactic Empire. A figurehead that got paid too much and was given far too much power, in her opinion. She didn¡¯t know why a planet needed to have the bloodline of former despotic rulers integrated into a modern government; wasn¡¯t it enough that a planet new to the Galactic Kingdom had access to all the resources in that kingdom, instead of being limited to the resources linked to their own planet and surrounding moons? It wasn¡¯t him, thankfully; it was Liaison Lucas and a local law enforcement officer. The automatic scan of the officer¡¯s identity through the camera was not necessary for her to recognize him as Nir, police chief of the Outer Ring. Her eyes narrowed; She recognized him because she had been the police chief in the week leading up to the day the insurgents left the planet. She knew that the insurgents must have had some kind of hideout in the Outer Ring and suspected he was perhaps working with them. If he wasn¡¯t, she figured he had to be inept at his job, promoted through family channels or some other connections instead of based on merit. To her surprise, that hadn¡¯t been the case. Nir had worked hard as a young officer, and rose up through the ranks before being placed in the Outer Ring, and taking over there. He hadn¡¯t been working with the insurgents¨Cat least not directly¨Cand if his failure in finding the insurgents was a sign of ineptitude; he was no more inept than Gyrini herself was. However, in recent years, let his integrity slip. While she would have loved to investigate that herself, she did have more important things to deal with. She placed a note on his file requesting an investigation and left it at that. Had Lucas done the investigation himself? Could she trust his investigation? A few days ago, she¡¯d have said yes. Today, she wasn¡¯t so sure. Gyrini pressed the button to open the door, and the two entered as Gyrini put her focus back on the video. She was almost done with this watch-through and still hadn¡¯t found nothing. She worried she¡¯d have to watch it in real time in order to find anything. ¡±Minister Gyrini.¡± Lucas said as he stood before her desk, one arm in a sling, the other holding his communicator. ¡°This is police Chief Nir or the Outer Ring.¡± She glanced yup briefly as Nir stood suddenly at attention, ¡°Ma¡¯am.¡± He said in brief greetings. ¡°At ease.¡± She said, glancing back at the screen. She felt no need to point out that she already knew that information; Lucas knew full well that she knew how Nir was, but the introduction was mere formality and manners, and consideration for Nir, who had never been in her direct presence before. ¡°I am busy, so make your business brief.¡± She glanced at Lucas, ¡°If this is regarding any kind of *Formalities* it can wait.¡± ¡®Formalities¡¯ was a little code they used between one another, referring to anything involving a third person in their presence. ¡°It¡¯s not.¡± Lucas said, and when Gyrini looked up again, it surprised her to see that Lucas was smiling. She paused the video and put her attention on the two. ¡°Alright.¡± She said, ¡°Then I¡¯m guessing this is about the ongoing investigation in The Outer Ring.¡± ¡°Yes, Ma¡¯am.¡± Nir said, ¡°The insurgent base has been located. My people have secured the entrances, but we¡¯ve not yet investigated the area fully. We wanted to consult with you on how to proceed, and -¡° ¡°Where is it?¡± She demanded, her voice suddenly sharp. She didn¡¯t care about what they had chosen to do regarding procedures and the like. All she cared about right now was that they found the insurgent base. ¡°It¡¯s in the old underground.¡± Nir said, ¡°Apparently, there¡¯s a hidden entrance in the sewers in the security district, and several others out in the outer ring.¡± The insurgents had been hiding in the sewers? Fitting, she supposed. ¡°How did you discover this?¡± She asked. Nir wouldn¡¯t have noticed it, but Lucas saw the way her eyes narrowed, but narrowed differently than if she had been angry. When she was angry, her upper lid lowered to narrow her eyes, but in this moment, her lower lid rose to narrow her eyes. The difference was subtle, but Lucas could tell the difference between her expression of anger and the expression of frustration she wore now. ¡°I didn¡¯t.¡± Nir admitted. ¡°We apprehended your suspect.¡± Her eyes widened, and her heart fluttered in her chest. ¡°*No*¡± she said, allowing her amazement to show, ¡°You didn¡¯t.¡± ¡°We think it¡¯s the one.¡± He said, ¡°We found them wandering along the edge of the outer ring with one of the hostages from the Indebted center, though we believe that this hostage might have actually been an accomplice.¡± She didn¡¯t care about that, not now, anyway. The local authorities could take care of the hostage. ¡°Bring me to them.¡± She said. ¡°Show me the synth.¡± ====== She expected the synth to be in a holding cell, but apparently they had suffered numerous injuries and needed immediate medical attention, so they had been transported to the holding center in the security district and placed in the medical ward there. Of course, she questioned if this was the best idea. Once they arrived at the medical ward of the holding center, she found it far too open and free for her liking; too many windows, and too much natural light. No matter how often she worked planetside, she¡¯d never get used to all the space and light. The narrow halls of a spaceship and the hum of artificial lights were far more comfortable to her. ¡°They¡¯re a synth.¡± She said, ¡°And we know what they¡¯re capable of. This one took down several officers and a special agent in the outer ring.¡± Nir slowed, his long lizard-like tail swaying behind him. ¡°Do you really think they¡¯re synths?¡± He asked. ¡°I know they¡¯re synths.¡± Gyrini said, ignoring the way Lucas was staring at her. She hadn¡¯t told him what she learned about synths as of late, and at first she felt bad for holding that information from him. She didn¡¯t now, not after how he acted during that awful broadcast. ¡°Well, at any rate¡­¡± Nir said slowly, ¡°This one surrendered to us.¡± ¡°How did you get them to surrender?¡± She asked, ¡°Or were their injuries too much for them to fight you?¡± Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site. ¡°No, ma¡¯am.¡± Nir said, ¡°They just surrendered to the first officer they saw and complied with our every request.¡± They got to the room in the medical bay where the synth was staying. All the doors here locked on the outside, but this one was also flanked by two guards. They stood at attention as she approached, but said nothing. ¡°Let me in to see them.¡± She said, ¡°Alone.¡± ¡°Is that wise?¡± Lucas asked, adjusting the sling over his shoulder. ¡°I mean¡­ they surrendered, but-¡° ¡°I can handle them.¡± She snapped. Even as she spoke, she patted the laser gun at her side. Her laser gun was several steps above a normal civilian gun, but not nearly as effective as a multi-gun. Still, the synth in there wouldn¡¯t be armed, and they were injured. ¡°Let me in.¡± The guards nodded and scanned their cards simultaneously at the card reader by the door. The door silently slid opened, and Gyrini stepped into the room to confront this synth, this traitor to King Decon who slew civilian authorities and assisted the insurgency. The synth lay in a narrow bed, bandages wrapped around their arms A nearby IV dripped various medication and fluids into the line that snaked to their arm. She was no doctor, but she recognized one bag as a strong antibiotic, and another as a nutrient supplement. Well, the latter the synth looked like it needed: they had the unmistakable look of malnutrition to them, of someone who had lost too much weight too quickly. She could see their bones more clearly, and from what she had already seen of synths, the weight loss made their eyes and ears look better. She walked to the foot of the bed, her pace slow but firm as she prowled before them. She stopped and stood with her hands clasped behind her back. ¡°Spread your wings.¡± She demanded. The synth was silent for a moment, looking over in return for her quick examination of them, but then they did as she bid and spread out both their wings. As they did, Gyrini¡¯s antennae dropped in disappointment. ¡°You¡¯re not Ark-87.¡± She said. The synth laying on the bed looked up, their ears rising up suddenly, their already enormous eyes growing larger. ¡°I indeed am not.¡± They said, attempting to push themself up properly on the bed. They seemed to have several wounds around their body, but their leg seemed the worse, and they winced as they shifted their leg. ¡°But I am curious as to how you knew that.¡± Gyrini looked over them again, taking their appearance in anew now that it wasn¡¯t tinted by the disgust of presumed treachery. ¡°I saw Ark-87 a week ago.¡± She said, ¡°And I immediately identified them as the one who fought and killed several members of local law enforcement as well as a special agent.¡± She smirked, ¡°You see, we caught the individual who did all that on camera and while they looked exceedingly like you, they also had a series of scars on their right wing.¡± Her luck in noticing that was substantial, as it might have been overlooked thanks to the lighting in tunnels, the quality of the cameras, the speed with which the synth moved. ¡°When ¡®Ark-87¡¯ went to their ship, I was there to greet them. They had their armor on, of course, but their wings were uncovered. I saw the same scars there. Scars that you do not have.¡± The synths¡¯ wings folded once more as they lay back. ¡°Impressive. I would not expect a civilian to notice such a thing.¡± They said. ¡°Of course, I would not expect TO, apologies, the one who was formerly Ark-87, to be so careless. Today is full of surprises.¡± ¡°Yes, well.¡± Gyrini¡¯s small, claw-like hands clenched, her mandibles clicking, ¡°I could not help be born as a civilian, I can only strive to be better than the average civilian.¡± ¡°¡­ Fascinating. Admirable.¡± The synth said before changing the subject, ¡°So, since you know I am not *That* synth, you¡¯ll see that these local authorities do not keep me locked up, I hope.¡± Their ears pinned back, ¡°I¡¯ve been locked up far too long at this point, and while this is much better than the situation I was in with the insurgents, it¡¯s essential that I contact my superiors and inform them of what¡¯s happened here.¡± While this synth clearly wasn¡¯t Ark-87, she didn¡¯t know if they were one that they could trust. From the broadcast that aired, it was clear that there was more than one synth working with the insurgents. Yes, maybe this synth really did want to report to their superiors, but perhaps they had been working with the insurgents also, getting left behind at the last minute. Maybe they were only acting like a loyal synth in order to stay alive right now. ¡°I can, but you understand that I have to investigate the underground. The officer who brought you in said that the insurgent hideout was in the sewers, I believe.¡± ¡°Not quite. They hid in older tunnels beyond the sewers. Unfortunately, it is essential to go through the sewers to get there.¡± their ears flicked back, their snout wrinkling, ¡°Disguising, but in truth it¡¯s fitting for vermin.¡± A faint twitch of her antennae, a slight smirk at the sentiment she considered earlier being echoed by a synth. ¡°Indeed.¡± She said. ¡°We will have to examine the tunnels and look for any information we can find.¡± ¡°In that case, you will want the creature I arrived with: Outis. they are the one who led me out of the tunnels. Their familiarity with the tunnel system exceeds my own at this moment.¡± ¡°The creature, I¡¯m told, is among the indebted who escaped the tunnel system.¡± Gyrini said. ¡°From their account of things, they were brought to the tunnels against their will, and escaped before the others left.¡± They scoffed, ¡°That, of course, could have been a fabrication. However, they did hear the rumor among the insurgency that King Decon was planning to eliminate life on Arkane, and they seemed to believe it. Despite that, they still choose to assist me in my escape instead of leave with the insurgents. As such, I have no reason to disbelieve them at this point.¡± They paused, frowning. ¡°That is not to say that their motives were selfless. They asked two favors of me in return for helping me to escape.¡± The synth before them spoke with a clear, firm voice which made her think of the large ship she had grown up on; secure and strong. It was odd to think that this creature before her was a synth though, since they seemed so much *more* in their armor. It was no surprise to her that people thought they were robots, as they seemed so much better than other civilians: Calm, confidant, and entirely loyal to King Decon. That¡¯s what she had thought that before she met those other synths. They had not been loyal. If a synth couldn¡¯t be loyal to the one person they were meant to be loyal to, could any being in the galaxy be entirely loyal to anything? ¡°Speaking of Outis, where are they?¡± The Synth¡¯s question brought her out of thoughts which had uncharacteristically drawn her attention. ¡°In a holding cell. They had no injuries, so they were secured immediately.¡± ¡°I see. Well, when you¡¯ve arranged things for me to leave, they must leave with me.¡± They frowned. ¡°They asked for two things of me: first was for me to clear their debt, and the second was to take them off the planet. I fully intend to pay off their debt for them once I have access to King Decon¡¯s resources once more, but in the meantime I hope you can at lease release him into my custody.¡± Gyrini slowly sat down on the uncomfortable plastic chair that sat near the bed, her eyes widening slightly. ¡°I see.¡± She said. ¡°You¡¯re giving him what he wanted?¡± ¡°I made a promise, and I intend to keep it.¡± Silence fell in the room as Gyrini looked over the Synth. They looked so small on the bed, injured and diminished by malnutrition. The synth on the broadcast hadn¡¯t looked this bad, so perhaps that was indeed a sign that they had been taken prisoner by the insurgents. She could see the sharp edge of their collarbone, the slant of their cheekbones and jawline which had been so much softer on the other synth. She didn¡¯t know if it was because of malnutrition or not, but their eyes also seemed so much bigger. ¡°You are staring.¡± They said simply, their ears flicking out slightly, ¡°Why?¡± Gyrini¡¯s short wings behind her fluttered briefly, a short-lived buzz sounding in the room. ¡°It¡¯s only recently I learned what synths actually look like.¡± She said, ¡°You are not what I expected.¡± ¡°My apologies if you are disappointed. I cannot control how I appear as a synth, simply how I act.¡± She nodded and got up quickly. ¡°Yes, well,¡± she said as she headed to the door once more, ¡°I will look in on your friend, Outis-¡° ¡°They are not my friend. They are my ally at best.¡± ¡°Your ally then.¡± She said, ¡°I will look into their location, and then look into our next steps here to investigate the insurgents.¡± She sighed, ¡°Hopefully, there is some hint as to where they went.¡± She headed to the door, rushing more than she would have before. ¡°Before you go, a question.¡± The synth said. ¡°If you do not mind.¡± She stopped and slowly turned, willing her wings to stay still on her back. ¡°I do not.¡± She said. ¡°I... believe you are still loyal to King Decon, unlike those other...¡± she frowned, ¡°I would not call them ¡®synths¡¯. They are not worthy of the name. What would you call them?¡± ¡°Defects.¡± the synth said with a snap to their voice. ¡°My question is this; when that alert went out and that traitor announced their awful lie about King Decon¡¯s plan for this planet, what did you think of that?¡± ¡°My thoughts were primarily around my failure at that point.¡± She said, ¡°And I was racing to find a way I might redeem myself.¡± ¡°But what of the announcement itself?¡± they asked. ¡°They said everyone on the planet would die. What was your opinion of that?¡± Ah, that. Many had expressed their opinions on that, and many had laughed it off in the aftermath when the lie was exposed. Still, Gyrini had not been alone when that broadcast aired, and many of the security officers around her had suddenly begun planning an escape. Lucas had been with her at that time, grabbed her arm, and told her to go with them to end the blockade and hop on a ship. It was amazing how, regardless of how much people have disappointed her up to this point in her life, they still found ways to disappoint her more. Perhaps if the disappointment hadn¡¯t stung so badly, she¡¯d feel a little bad for breaking his arm as she did. ¡°I, of course, would rather live.¡± She said, ¡°And I would be lying if I said I had no fear then... But, if King Decon had actually chosen to kill all life on the planet, then I would accept my fate and die as He needed me to.¡± The synth didn¡¯t smile, not with their lips, but somehow she felt that they were happy with this answer as their ears lifted. ¡°I am impressed.¡± They said, ¡°We will work well together, Minister Gyrini.¡± Despite her efforts, her wings hummed behind her back once more. ¡°My thanks, Honored Synth.¡± She said, then frowned, ¡°Apologizes, I do not know your proper assignment. I only know that you are neither Ark-87 nor Ark-88.¡± ¡°My assignment at this time is unknown.¡± They said, ¡°I do not know if my superior officer knows I am alive as my personal chip was removed. However... I was required to choose a civilian name for myself when I was on assignment. Kei will do, if you like.¡± Kei. it was so simple and practical, just like Kei¡¯s method of speaking. ¡°Thank you... Kei.¡± she said, ¡°I hope in our search, we will find a hint as to where they went.¡± ¡°Ah, yes. You do not need to worry about that.¡± They said. They lifted one of their arms, which was bound to the bed in a long chain, and showed her what seemed to be a makeshift scrap of elastic. ¡°This elastic has the chip of the one who was Ark-87. The data has been erased now, but I was able to look through some of it before that happened.¡± they looked at her, two big black eyes staring into her four eyes. ¡°Tell me, do you know of a place called ScrapRock?¡± The thought that she¡¯d prove helpful to this synth nearly made her wings hum again. ¡°Yes,¡± she said, ¡°I do.¡± Episode 388: Visit
TO didn¡¯t like feeling useless. It wasn¡¯t a feeling that came up for them often and in the past they had been fast to find some way to be useful and productive, some way to make things better. Last time they felt truly and totally useless had been back in training, back when GiDi was taken away from them. Even though they were reunited now, the memory of GiDi rushing away down the hallway with Flit still made TO¡¯s heart hurt. There had been nothing they could do back then, and the loss of their friend along with the way DH initially pushed TO away had thrown them into such a deep sorrow that nothing else could fit in their heart.
As TO looked down at Avery, they wondered if that all-consuming sorrow would be better than the awful churning storm of emotions they felt now. It had been four days since they left Arkane. In those four days, TO had been kept heavily medicated and sedated while they recovered from their wounds and the surgery. Most of their superficial wounds were now healing nicely, according to DH, and the burns had lost their heat. The painkillers they took now were mostly to dull the pain in their now useless knee. It didn¡¯t feel that bad to TO, but DH insisted it was because they were ¡®chasing the pain¡¯ with heavy painkillers.
Still, the dosage was no longer enough to keep TO in a daze, and that was an improvement.
Even so, it had taken a lot to convince DH to bring TO down into the makeshift recovery room to see Avery. In the end, TO succeeded less by merit of their argument and more by the pure fact that if DH didn¡¯t bring them to see Avery, they would have found a way to get down on their own. When it was time for DH to check on Avery, they put TO in the wheelchair and brought them down to the room they had originally prepared for Kei. While DH checked the data from the beeping machines and attached a fresh bag of liquid nutrients to Avery¡¯s IV, TO simply sat and watched.
¡°And that¡¯s done.¡± DH said as they finished their work and came around to TO, ¡°Do you want to go back up now?¡±
¡°Not yet,¡± TO whispered as they looked over Avery. They lay in the bed, unconscious, and connected to a variety of different systems and tubes which would keep them alive and healthy until they woke up. The bandages which wrapped around their neck like a thick band made TO uneasy, made them think of the blood in the room back when they found Avery, and found that Kei had escaped.
Blood everywhere. Cracking bones. Their nails ripping through skin. The sticky feel of blood on their skin. The smell of antiseptic and latex gloves.
They somehow had this feeling that the bandage was the only thing keeping Avery together.
One of DH¡¯s hands squeezed TO¡¯s good shoulder, their other went to scratch at the back of TO¡¯s neck. ¡°We¡¯re lucky.¡± DH whispered, ¡°If we hadn¡¯t prepared all this stuff for Kei, we might not be able to support Avery now.¡±
¡°If we hadn¡¯t kept Kei around, we wouldn¡¯t need to.¡± TO hissed. A part of them wanted to cling to that as the answer. If they had gotten rid of Kei, then Avery would still be ok. But, if they got rid of Kei, would Avery be ok? They seemed so upset at the prospect, and there was legitimate concern about Shatter sickness. Could a pack bond form, unreciprocated, between two synths?
It wasn¡¯t fair. Of course, if Avery hadn¡¯t been forced to live in a ship with Kei, then it wouldn¡¯t even be a problem today. If Avery had been able to just stay with TO and DH...
It was all too complicated, and TO didn¡¯t know what could have been done to prevent everything.
¡°They¡¯re stable.¡± DH said, something they had repeated several times. ¡°Goretta is confidant that they¡¯ll wake up-¡°
¡°When?¡± TO asked, not taking their eyes off Avery.
¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± DH said. ¡°We¡¯re not keeping them in a coma here. That¡¯s just something their body did.¡±
¡°I¡¯m surprised the others haven¡¯t insisted we keep them like this,¡± TO said, their eyes flicking to the handcuffs that bound one of Avery¡¯s wrists to the bed. ¡°They insisted on that.¡± Their ears pinned back, ¡°And they insisted on locking the door. What if Avery wakes up and they¡¯re trapped in here?¡±
DH sighed, ¡°I know.¡± they said, ¡°I hate it too.¡±
TO took a slow breath, closing their eyes for a moment. ¡°Avery didn¡¯t let Kei go.¡± TO said, ¡°They wouldn¡¯t.¡±
¡°I know that,¡± DH said, ¡°And you know that. But the others don¡¯t.¡± They sighed again, ¡°And¡­ be honest, if it were anyone else¡­¡±
TO grunted. Yes, they knew that too. If it was anyone else, they¡¯d not take chances either. In fact, if it was anyone else, TO was fairly certain they¡¯d recommend an armed guard around the door at all times. Right now, all anyone knew was that Kei got free, and Avery had been in the medical room at the same time when Kei was free. ¡°Everyone thinks that Avery must have freed them.¡± TO said, echoing what DH told them earlier, ¡°But if that was the case, why would Kei have stabbed Avery in the throat instead of taking them?¡± Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.
¡°They were vocal with their distaste for Avery after the procedure happened.¡± DH said. ¡°So the going theory is that Avery went to free Kei, and then Kei turned around and attacked them.¡±
¡°Avery wouldn¡¯t have done that.¡± TO said again. ¡°They knew how dangerous Kei could be.¡± They paused, staring at their friend for several moments before they registered DH¡¯s prolonged silence. Turning in their chair hurt their injured arm, but they had to look at DH, anyway. ¡°Right?¡±
DH¡¯s ears immediately dropped as they looked back at TO, but they didn¡¯t respond.
¡°You can¡¯t believe that Avery would do anything to hurt us!¡± TO said, ¡°They wouldn¡¯t hurt anyone, they-¡°
¡°I know they wouldn¡¯t hurt anyone.¡± DH whispered, ¡°And I know that they wouldn¡¯t want anyone to hurt. So¡­ yeah, I know they¡¯d never do anything to hurt us. But if Kei said they were in pain, or if they begged Avery to let them free¡­. Do you think they might, then?¡±
¡°Avery is smarter than that.¡± TO said, though their ears dipped back.
¡°Is Avery more compassionate than they are smart, though?¡± DH asked. When TO didn¡¯t answer, DH just went back to scratching the back of their neck.
¡°Either way.¡± TO said, ¡°I know they didn¡¯t want to hurt us. They don¡¯t need to be cuffed to the bed or locked in here.¡±
¡°As soon as they wake up, I¡¯ll know.¡± DH said, ¡°I got Gyrini to link her systems to my communicator. Once they wake up, we can find out what happened.¡±
¡°...And how long will that be?¡± TO asked, ¡°Why are they unconscious anyway?¡± they turned back to look at Avery, ¡°They didn¡¯t hurt their head, did they?¡±
¡°Well, they would have hit their head when they fell back, but Gyrini did a scan and didn¡¯t see any damage.¡± DH said, ¡°I worried about that too.¡±
¡°Then why are they still unconscious?¡±
¡°The way Gyrini explained it to me is basically that sometimes, when there¡¯s been a traumatic injury, the brain forces a coma to make sure the body has time to recover properly.¡± They sighed again, their hand stilling on the back of TO¡¯s neck, ¡°It¡¯s their body trying to keep them safe¡±
¡°And how long until they wake up?¡± TO asked.
¡°Gyrini wouldn¡¯t give me a definite time.¡± DH said, ¡°And when I pressed her for information, she more or less refused. It was only after I said I¡¯d go and look up case studies myself that she gave me any kind of real answer, and even then-¡°
¡°What did she say?¡± TO didn¡¯t like it if Gyrini was being cagey with information. It implied to TO that she didn¡¯t want to tell them at all, and she would only want to keep them in the dark on this if it was bad news.
¡°She said the mathematical average is about two weeks... but she also said not to put any stock in that at all. They could wake up in the next thirty seconds, thirty days...¡± They paused, and TO could feel their hand shake, ¡°Or... They might not wake up.¡±
That¡¯s what TO had been afraid of. They looked over Avery, again cursing themself for not fighting harder to get rid of Kei earlier. Of course, it wasn¡¯t that simple. Nothing was.
¡°Maybe the other Chilacians can help on Apoikia,¡± TO said as they reached out and put a hand over Avery¡¯s. ¡°I mean... I was hoping they could help with the Shatter sickness. Maybe they can help with this.¡±
¡°... I wondered about that.¡± DH said, ¡°I wondered if maybe this is part of the Shatter sickness.¡± When TO looked up at them, they shrugged. ¡°Maybe I¡¯m just hoping that they can fix this, but if the mind can force you into a coma because of physical trauma, I imagine it could do the same for emotional trauma. I mean, if that was us? If I went to see you, and the moment you had the opportunity, you attacked me and tried to kill me? I don¡¯t know if I could handle that knowledge.¡±
TO hadn¡¯t even considered that. It wasn¡¯t the same. DH was TO¡¯s mate, and Kei never even considered Avery to be their friend... but that didn¡¯t matter, did it? If the loss of a family member could cause Shatter sickness, then TO didn¡¯t want to think of what that kind of violent betrayal could do.
¡°They¡¯re stable though.¡± TO said, ¡°And they¡¯ll be ok?¡±
¡°So long as there¡¯s not any complication,¡± DH whispered.
TO sat in silence, watching the slow rise and fall of Avery¡¯s chest. They had spent days like this back with Kei, just keeping them company so that Kei wouldn¡¯t wake up alone. ¡°I¡¯ll stay here with them.¡± TO said.
¡°You will not.¡± DH said, ¡°There¡¯s no room here for a bed for the both of you, and you need to be kept comfortable while your knee recovers.¡±
¡°But if they wake up and nobody¡¯s here-¡°
¡°We¡¯ll have notice of any brain activity, and I¡¯ll get an alert.¡± DH said. ¡°And I¡¯m checking on them several times a day as well. I can bring you to visit them once a day, but you¡¯re still healing yourself... and you will take care of yourself.¡± DH¡¯s voice suddenly turned sharp. ¡°Understood?¡±
TO¡¯s ears twitched with slight amusement, their heart humming in their chest despite DH¡¯s sudden, sharp tone. ¡°Understood.¡± TO said, ¡°Just... Can we stay here for a minute longer?¡±
¡°Of course...I¡¯m worried about them too, you know. But there¡¯s nothing else we can do for now.¡±
¡°I know.¡± TO whispered. They sat in silence for a few minutes, hand over Avery¡¯s as they watched their friend, their Ankyra, sleep.
¡°...Avery deserved better.¡± TO whispered. ¡°How could Kei do this?¡±
¡°That¡¯s over now.¡± DH whispered as they wheeled TO¡¯s chair out of the room, ¡°There¡¯s nothing we can do about them. We can only take care of Avery now.¡±
TO didn¡¯t respond, but they knew that DH was wrong. They didn¡¯t know how or when, but one day there would be something they could do about them.
One day, they¡¯d make Kei regret hurting their family. Episode 389: Families In the brief moments of lucidity over the last few days, TO had been able to discern that there existed a constant stream of people were coming through the small living area that TO and DH used to have all to themselves. The narrow shower in their living quarters was the only one on the ship and the timetable put in place to ensure that everyone had access without overloading the water filtration system meant that from the early hours of the day to late in the evening there was a steady parade of people walking through the room. Even after that, they had no no privacy. While many civilians felt less on edge and concerned around TO and other synths, there was still a level of awkward discomfort present around many of them, a tension that got worse when trying to sleep in such close quarters. As such, the mattresses which when pushed together had comfortably accommodated TO and DH were now strewn on the floor and covered in old blankets and pillows. It resembled less of a bed now, and more of a nest which was shared by TO, DH, Flit, Snout, GiDi, and Pearla. Tham slept in the living areas as well, but preferred to sleep on the chair before the large computer console. Vik slept on the console itself, presumably, but TO had yet to see the small civilian sleep. Every day, he was on the computer working through the systems of the ship or building and programming new tech. Well, no, there was one time when TO woke up in the middle of the night and all the lights were off, and the room was entirely silent save for the normal sounds of the ship¡¯s engines. Either that was proof that Vik slept, or Vik had taken off and left the room. In truth, TO didn¡¯t mind the people coming and going as it offered them something to focus on, and something to listen to. People waiting for the shower would often ask if they were ok or if they needed anything. The half lucid conversations while civilians waited to use the shower were better than silence. Even when there were no civilians around and everyone else was asleep, Vik was there, working. When TO and DH got back to the living space, it surprised them to see that Vik wasn¡¯t there. Nobody was there, in fact, save for GiDi. Their small friend had clearly just gotten out of the shower as beads of moisture still clung to their body, and the thin cotton pants they had chosen to wear clung to them uncomfortably. They were in the process of drying off their wings when TO and DH came out of the elevator. ¡°... I hate wearing pants after a shower.¡± They muttered, glancing away from them both, ¡°They cling to me all if my skin¡¯s still damp. But...Pearla says it¡¯s best if I wear something right out of the shower, in case someone else shows up.¡± They gave a humorless chuckle, their ears twitching nervously. ¡°I hate the nudity taboos.¡± ¡°Yes... It¡¯s irritating.¡± DH said as they pushed TO out of the elevator. ¡°Well, I want to see how TO¡¯s knee is healing up, so-¡° ¡°Y-you know.¡± GiDi said quickly, ¡°When I first got here, well, I crashed. Or, I mean, our ship got shot, mine and Flits. I landed in the water, and Pearla found me and took me to her place. She insisted I take a bath since the water was filthy out off the coast. Of course, once I finished I got up and came out from behind this little screen she had, obviously naked, and she-¡° ¡°GiDi...¡± DH said, sighing, ¡°I want to check TO¡¯s Knee.¡± ¡°Right...¡± GiDi said, trailing off from their story, ¡°Right.¡± they looked to TO, ¡°Maybe when you¡¯re done that, we can talk?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± TO said, but at the same time, DH said, ¡°No, not now.¡± They both paused and looked at one another and while DH¡¯s ears were giving off some kind of anxiety, their hands tightening on the handles to the wheelchair, TO¡¯s could only show confusion. ¡°It might not be the best time.¡± DH whispered. ¡°TO is still recovering, still taking a lot of painkillers-¡° ¡°I told GiDi we could talk once we were off Arkane.¡± TO said as they watched DH carefully, ¡°And I feel fine!¡± Their ears dropped as DH gave them their stern Medical Officer¡¯s stare, ¡°Well... Well enough for a conversation, anyway.¡± Stolen novel; please report. ¡°You said you wouldn¡¯t talk to me without TO here.¡± GiDi said, ¡°You wanted them awake and lucid. And now they are, and you still won¡¯t talk to me?¡± They took a step forward, their ears low, ¡°Please-¡° ¡°Wait.¡± TO frowned as their ears flicked back. ¡°What do you mean, they won¡¯t talk to you?¡± DH looked aside, ¡°It¡¯s... just been a lot.¡± They said. ¡°And you¡¯re hurt...¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t want either of you to get hurt!¡± GiDi Insisted, taking a step forward as their wings wrapped around their arms and their hands tightened into fists, ¡°I just wanted you all safe!¡± ¡°Right.¡± DH huffed, ¡°That¡¯s why you put that failsafe in-¡° ¡°Yes, it is!¡± GiDi said, ¡°That¡¯s absolutely why I suggested it!¡± they looked at DH, tears of desperation forming in their eyes, ¡°I wanted you safe, and I knew you¡¯d be safe with the insurgency. I knew if you were with us, then you could both be together without worrying about getting caught or corrected, or repurposed! but if the others didn¡¯t trust you, then you wouldn¡¯t be safe!¡± ¡°Well, I fail to see how giving us an off switch helped them trust us.¡± DH said, ¡°Or why you had to hide it from us¡± ¡°The failsafe didn¡¯t help them trust you.¡± GiDi said, ¡°No, you¡¯re right! But what it did do is get them to agree to have you around! If you had that, then you could leave that locked room, you could be around the others! You¡¯d be able to meet my friends, and my family-¡° ¡°I thought we were your family.¡± DH¡¯s voice was low, but their ears tilted back and down. GiDi took another step, reaching out for DH¡¯s arm, but DH stepped away, pulling TO¡¯s chair with them. GiDi¡¯s arm hung in the air for a moment longer as a look of absolute heartbreak dropped their ears. ¡°You are.¡± They said, ¡°I... I wanted you to meet the rest of my family.¡± they looked down, ¡°And I knew if they spent some time with you, if they got to know you, then they¡¯d trust you. But they wouldn¡¯t do that unless they had some security. And...¡± They glanced up at DH first, but upon seeing how pinned back their ears were, they switched their glance to TO, ¡°If you knew about it, they¡¯d say that you were only behaving because you wanted to trick them, to make yourself seem trustworthy until we deactivated the failsafe!¡± ¡°... Just like Kei did,¡± TO whispered. ¡°When were you planning to tell us then?¡± DH hissed, though clearly they heard TO¡¯s comment, and perhaps because of that the sharpness was gone from their voice, and their ears relaxed a little. ¡°Now.¡± GiDi whispered. ¡°On the ship once you were safe. Before everything went crazy, before the lockdown...¡± They stopped, then shook their head as they stepped back, leaning against the wall behind them. ¡°I didn¡¯t want you hurt.¡± They said, ¡°I didn¡¯t want you involved in any of this stuff. I wanted you safe, on a ship and away from Arkane, away from King Decon...¡± ¡°And away from you, originally.¡± DH said, ¡°You weren¡¯t planning to come with us.¡± Ah, right, that was another issue altogether. It seemed as though Arkane had been spared, and so the issue of GiDi returning there was rekindled. ¡°... I didn¡¯t want to be separated from you.¡± They said, ¡°But... Well, now you know everything, right? About King Decon, I mean.¡± Their eyes narrowed. ¡°Everything he¡¯s done, not just to us, but to other synths, to the civilians.¡± They stopped and took a deep breath, seemingly trying to will the anger to go away. Slowly, their ears relaxed. ¡°... of course I didn¡¯t want to leave Arkane. I didn¡¯t want to leave Pearla. Pearla¡¯s my mate.¡± They looked away, ¡°But that doesn¡¯t mean I didn¡¯t want to have my Arkanian family, have Pearla and Tham, together with my first family.¡± They looked up, and looked at DH again, ¡°And...be honest, if you had to choose between never seeing me again, or never seeing TO again-¡° ¡°Do you mean that?¡± TO whispered. When GiDi looked at them, confused, TO cleared their throat and spoke up, ¡°Mean that... that we¡¯re your first family?¡± They looked up, ¡°Not... just your old family?¡± ¡°If... if you¡¯ll both still be my family,¡± they said, ¡°Which... I really want that.¡± The elevator opened up, and a skinny civilian with a narrow tail got out. They looked awkwardly at the three synths before they cleared their throat, ¡°Ah...s-sorry. it¡¯s my turn for the shower-¡° ¡°Yes, sorry.¡± GiDi said as they moved aside to let them pass, ¡°Go ahead.¡± Awkwardly, the civilian stepped past them and slipped into the tiny little washroom. The three of them then waited in silence until they heard the water turn on. ¡°Is there somewhere we can talk?¡± GiDi asked, ¡°Without being disrupted?¡± ¡°Doubtful.¡± DH said, ¡°It¡¯s too crowded, there¡¯s nowhere-¡° ¡°Actually...¡± TO said softly. ¡°There¡¯s a place we can go.¡± They looked up to DH, ¡°... I want to talk to GiDi.¡± They said, ¡°Please... come with us?¡± DH looked as though they wanted to say no, to protest, but as they looked between TO and GiDi, their ears dipped and relaxed, and the resistance they had to this softened. ¡°Fine.¡± They said, ¡°Where are we going?¡± Episode 390: Talk There were select few places on the ship that had not been converted into communal living spaces, most of which were either too dangerous to be used, or which they needed for some other purpose. The only exception was their emergency ship, which would in truth be relatively useless in a catastrophic failure of their ship but which could be used for shorter expeditions which might take them only hours away from the main ship. On this day, it had another use as an impromptu meeting room for TO, DH, and GiDi. The back loading door was large enough that DH could easily maneuver TO inside with the chair, though that left little room for them after that. The back door wouldn¡¯t lock while the ship was docked, but nobody else on the ship had any reason to come down there looking for them. It wasn¡¯t as though they were doing anything private this time, but they still didn¡¯t want to be interrupted. Another benefit to using the emergency room which TO hadn¡¯t considered beforehand was that with the main lights off, the view of space from the main windshield reminded them of time they once spent together on the observation deck back in training. TO hoped that maybe the view would make things go more smoothly. DH seemed to take no notice of the view. ¡°Alright.¡± They said, their voice still sharp despite how their ears had relaxed, ¡°You wanted to talk, so talk.¡± GiDi sighed and leaned against the wall, slumping to the floor in an exhausted manner. ¡°You¡¯ll listen?¡± They said, looking at DH with an ear quirked up, ¡°I mean¡­ you¡¯ll actually listen to me? And try to understand?¡± DH stayed silent for a moment longer, but finally sighed and sat down atop a nearby crate. ¡°Yeah.¡± They said, ¡°I¡¯ll try. But I think we¡¯re both more upset that you never told us. You had plenty of opportunity!.¡± Their ears pinned back again, ¡°Do you know how¡­ how awful it was to feel my body just give out like that?¡± They shuddered. ¡°I didn¡¯t know the same thing happened to Kei. They had the multi-gun to my head, and then suddenly my body just stopped responding and I didn¡¯t know why!¡± Their wings tightened around them, their ears sinking down, ¡°I had no idea¡­. Do you even know what I thought-¡° ¡°I do.¡± GiDi whispered, ¡°And I would have told you if I could.¡± they looked away, ¡°I couldn¡¯t. I just couldn¡¯t. not then.¡± ¡°Just.. tell us what you wanted to tell us,¡± TO said, trying to keep their voice even, and trying to keep their own anger from pinning their ears too much. The latter was easier than they thought it would be, as GiDi looked so sad and tired in this moment that it was nearly impossible to be angry with them. Still, there was that hit of rage, that awful feeling of betrayal. GiDi could have told them any time. Why didn¡¯t they? GiDi nodded slowly, ¡°Right.¡± They said, ¡°Well... here¡¯s what happened.¡± ====== ¡°I promise this isn¡¯t necessary!¡± GiDi said, resting their head in their hands, their elbows resting on the table. ¡°They¡¯re my friends, my family. They won¡¯t hurt us.¡± earlier, their words had been sharper towards what Pearla playfully referred to as GiDi¡¯s ¡®brother-in-law¡¯ Tham, but they had been arguing on and off for days, and the most recent argument had drawn on for hours. GiDi was tired and just wanted this to be over now. ¡°They won¡¯t hurt you¡± Tham said, though their tone lacked a lot of the sting it held earlier. GiDi supposed that he too was worn down by how long they had been fighting about this. ¡°You¡¯re a synth.¡± ¡°I am not.¡± GiDi hissed, ¡°I¡¯m Chilacian.¡± ¡°You were a synth.¡± Tham said, ¡°We¡¯re ¡®insurgents¡¯ so they¡¯ll want to deal with us. They¡¯ll see you as a synth, so you¡¯ll be safe.¡± ¡°Maybe.¡± Vik said from where he worked at his computer, typing away at their tiny keyboard, ¡°Or maybe they¡¯ll see GiDi as a traitor and decide to try to kill them. I mean, you saw that one synth getting ready to shoot GiDi.¡± ¡°They¡¯d never hurt me.¡± GiDi snapped, ¡°They¡¯re my family, Vik! They wouldn¡¯t do anything to hurt me.¡± Tham sighed and leaned back in his chair. ¡°Look.¡± He said, his voice much softer than it was before, ¡°Ok, you were never a normal synth, right? I mean, you didn¡¯t even pass that loyalty test thing they put you through.¡± He sighed, ¡°Those two did.¡± ¡°Only because TO knew it was a test.¡± GiDi said. ¡°TO¡¯s smart like that, and they told me afterwards that they knew it was a test.¡± They looked aside, ¡°If they thought it wasn¡¯t a test, they¡¯d never have shot DH.¡± their ears flicked down a bit, and they looked away from Tham. They hated how that was the thing that confirmed for them that TO knew it was a test early on. Of course, it was harder to take offense to that these days. If they had to choose between saving Pearla, or saving TO or DH... ¡°You don¡¯t know that,¡± Tham said, ¡°That¡¯s just what TO told you.¡± ¡°They didn¡¯t lie,¡± GiDi said. ¡°I would have seen it in their ears-¡° ¡°They didn¡¯t outright lie, but you all can tell half truths without it being a lie, right?¡± Tham leaned in, ¡°Somehow, if you tell A truth, it doesn¡¯t trigger your ear thing.¡± Another sigh from GiDi. That was true, and Tham had pointed out that TO could have realized at any time that it was a simulation. They could have realized as soon as they woke up in that awful blank space where the Commander and their overseers waited to discuss their performance that none of it was real. GiDi was certain that wasn¡¯t the case, but apparently their unwavering belief in TO and DH didn¡¯t account for much. ¡°Look, GiDi.¡± Tham said as he leaned forward in his chair, ¡°I know you care about them¡­ but we have to keep other people in mind, and-¡° ¡°We already got them away from King Douchenozzle.¡± Vik said, frowning, ¡°Have I used that one before?¡± his ears flicked back in concentration, his small tail flicking despite the fact that their typing never paused, ¡°King Dookie, Perhaps?¡± He shook their head, ¡°I¡¯ll work on that. Point is, we got them away from him. We¡¯re going to send them to the Chilacians and hopefully seeing a whole civilization of happy, thriving Chilacians will be enough to convince them.¡± he sighed, ¡°I¡¯m even reprogramming their chips here! We¡¯re already spending a lot of time and energy on this!¡± ¡°And we¡¯ve taken way too many risks.¡± Tham said, groaning as he rested his head in his hands, ¡°Pholi and Goretta are gonna be pissed.¡± ¡°Pholi likes TO and DH.¡± GiDi said, ¡°And Goretta already said she wished she had more brain scans. That we got Kei here should make her happy-¡° If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. ¡°Kei¡­ that¡¯s, uh, your other friend?¡± Vik asked. ¡°No, that¡¯s Avery. Kei is¡­¡± they trailed off. According to DH had once been 55H70. It didn¡¯t surprise GiDi that they had picked literally one of the most common names in this part of the galaxy. The name ¡®Kei¡¯ was so common that had fallen out of style and was becoming more and more rare now simply because nobody called their offspring that anymore. How many times had Kei told TO over and over that DH and GiDi were going to be repurposed? How many potential friends had they pulled away from DH. And of course, it was Kei who had reported TO to their overseer the day that TO drew their claws in the showers despite the fact that they never attacked? According to DH, Kei was also the one who reported them both to Ark-1. ¡°Kei is just someone we knew in training.¡± GiDi said. It was too much to get into right now. ¡°And they¡¯re ¡®normal¡¯ synths.¡± Vik said, ¡°With a brain altered the way a ¡®normal¡¯ synth¡¯ would be. They¡¯re right, Tham; Goretta is going to be thrilled with that.¡± ¡°She wouldn¡¯t be so thrilled if they had shot GiDi.¡± Tham muttered. ¡°And I know Pearla wouldn¡¯t-¡° ¡°Pearla encouraged me to get them.¡± GiDi hissed, ¡°Because she knows how important they are to me.¡± ¡°Hey, you think I didn¡¯t!?¡± Tham snapped back, his tail lashing against the floor, ¡°I was there with you to get the lot of ¡®em, right?¡± ¡°Yes, you were,¡± GiDi said as their ears relaxed a little. ¡°I also did most of the planning in Thalassa.¡± Tham crossed his arms, raising himself up a little on his tail so that he nearly matched GiDi¡¯s height. It was something he did a lot when they first met. ¡°To be fair, you were more interested in getting the indebted out.¡± Vik said. ¡°Pearla did more to get DH out of there since she¡¯s the one who gave them those tickets in the first place.¡± Tham shot Vik a withering glare which went wholly unnoticed as he lowered himself down again. Despite the situation, GiDi couldn¡¯t help but chuckle. ¡°Vik, whose side are you on here?¡± Tham said. ¡°I¡¯m not on a side,¡± Vik said as he continued his work. ¡°I¡¯m just stating fact. The fact is that getting DH here was a stroke of luck. The attempts to get TO and the others here were risky, but we did it. There are some benefits to be had, but that doesn¡¯t mean we push our luck!¡± ¡°You can¡¯t just keep them isolated until we send them off!¡± GiDi said again, once more circling back to the core of the issue, ¡°It¡¯s not right, it¡¯s not fair, they don¡¯t deserve it, and it¡¯s not necessary! They¡¯d never do anything to hurt me.¡± Vik¡¯s hands slowed on their keyboard, ¡°Well... I do believe that,¡± he said. ¡°Thank you.¡± GiDi said, sighing in relief. ¡°And I think they¡¯d only want to help you.¡± Vik continued, ¡°Unfortunately, if they¡¯re loyal to Decon, then helping you might mean getting you away from us and bringing you back to the synths. They might even be encouraged to harm the rest of us if they feel we¡¯ve hurt you. You know, by corrupting you or something like that.¡± GiDi sighed again, once more resting their head in their hands. This was going nowhere, and they were getting tired of arguing. ¡°In the end, we just can¡¯t take the chance.¡± Tham said. ¡°Now, TO and DH are in a room together. We were going to put Kei and Avery together, but you said not to, so we didn¡¯t.¡± He leaned back in his chair again. ¡°They¡¯re all safe, and we¡¯re safe. Unless you want me following them around with a gun pointed at them at all times, I don¡¯t think there¡¯s a way we make sure everyone stays safe.¡± ¡°Even that wouldn¡¯t be a great idea.¡± Vik said, ¡°They¡¯d probably behave for a while to throw you off and all, but the moment you lowered the gun they could attack then. Nah, you¡¯d need an off switch or something.¡± he shrugged, ¡°I mean, that¡¯s what I¡¯d do.¡± ¡°And you¡¯re certain that the device you made back when we rescued them, the thing that knocked them all out-¡° ¡°I already told you, it takes too much setup, it¡¯s not portable, and it¡¯s too delicate. For a one-shot solution it was fine, but it¡¯s not fine as a long-term thing.¡± ¡°Shame though.¡± Tham said, ¡°If we could just turn ¡®em off if they act up, I¡¯d almost be ok with letting them out.¡± ¡°...Maybe... Maybe we could?¡± GiDi said, frowning as they tried to think of a solution, ¡°I mean, maybe a dart gun or-¡° ¡°Same issue with the guns there.¡± Vik said. ¡°Well, what about using one of your drones?¡± GiDi said, ¡°You could have them follow TO and DH-¡° ¡°That¡¯d be hard to hide from them.¡± Vik said. ¡°Even if I used the smallest I have, they¡¯d notice it. Your hearing is something else.¡± ¡°Yeah, and I¡¯ve seen what you can do.¡± Tham said, ¡°If you¡¯re right and they¡¯re both stronger than you, I don¡¯t think it¡¯ll be much issue for them to take out a couple of drones.¡± GiDi gave an irritated huff and flopped back in their chair. ¡°Well, what about an auto-injector or something?¡± They snapped, ¡°You could put in on their chip and give their chips back to them!¡± Vik¡¯s typing slowed. ¡°That... isn¡¯t a bad idea.¡± Vik said, ¡°I mean, it¡¯s impossible to execute, to be honest. These chips are powerful, and they deal with most of the processing of the whole neural setup you got going on here... but they¡¯re thin. Putting that kind of device in them would be impossible to hide. Even if we could hide it, an injection in the hand wouldn¡¯t be particularly effective.¡± ¡°Then why did you say it wasn¡¯t a bad idea?¡± GiDi growled as their ears warmed. ¡°Well, the Idea is good, even if your execution isn¡¯t. There is some tech that would let us make that kind of setup work.¡± Vik brought up another screen and began furiously typing once more. ¡°Goretta slipped me some interesting information about an experimental medical thingy that would knock ¡®em out in an instant. I¡¯m pretty sure I could alter their chips to work with the system they set up.¡± He looked over at Tham. ¡°Would that be fine for you?" Tham huffed and looked aside. ¡°I suppose,¡± he said, ¡°So long as I can trigger it.¡± ¡°I should be able to make a few remotes for it.¡± Vik said, ¡°So, yeah, give me a bit and I can get this sorted out.¡± ¡°That¡¯s great!¡± GiDi said as they sat upright, ¡°And... If they don¡¯t know, and they act fine and don¡¯t try anything, then that should be proof enough that we can trust them, right?¡± Tham huffed again, ¡°Only if you promise not to tell them about it.¡± He said, ¡°Otherwise they¡¯re just behaving until they can get away with it.¡± ¡°Yeah, that would be a bad idea.¡± Vik said, ¡°Best to not tell them for now.¡± ¡°That won¡¯t matter.¡± GiDi said, ¡°They won¡¯t do anything that¡¯ll make you trigger it, so they¡¯ll never even know it¡¯s there.¡± They paused as a thought came to them. ¡°Wait...Is it dangerous? Will it hurt?¡± ¡°Well, it shouldn¡¯t matter if we never have to trigger it, right?¡± Tham said as the slightest smirk lifting the corner of his lips. It was an odd gesture to GiDi, and when they first came to Arkane, they thought it was the same as a smile. One day when they were out in the city with Pearla, their wings hidden under a mass of fabric, they had misinterpreted this facial gesture as one of true happiness from a black market vendor, and Pearla had taken them aside and told them the difference. Vik shrugged. ¡°Honestly, it won¡¯t hurt them any more or less than your original idea.¡± He continued typing away. ¡°It is, essentially, an off switch. It¡¯s meant to be used for surgery as a drug-free alternative to anesthesia, but there was some issue with controlling its effective time. Well, so long as we don¡¯t intend to cut them open while they¡¯re out, shouldn¡¯t be an issue.¡± They quickly glanced up at GiDi. ¡°Aside from that, I suppose there¡¯s the same issues anyone would have if they were suddenly knocked out. If they¡¯re on top of the flight of stairs, they¡¯re going to fall down, you know?¡± GiDi nodded. ¡°And, actually putting it in their chip won¡¯t cause any problems?¡± ¡°Nope.¡± GiDi turned to Tham, ¡°And if we do this, you¡¯re ok with them leaving the room?¡± Tham gave an irritated sigh as his tail flicked behind him. ¡°Yeah, I guess.¡± He muttered, ¡°Just make sure I have a trigger for this thing, and don¡¯t tell anyone else! They can¡¯t know, and the more people who know, the more likely they are to find out.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll make one for each of us,¡± Vik said. ¡°Between the three of us, I think we can monitor them just fine and deal with anything that comes up.¡± A breath of relief left GiDi, their ears finally relaxing as they realized that the hours or arguing were over. More importantly, they realized that perhaps within hours their family would be allowed out of their room, and out of isolation! The two halves of their family would meet, and they¡¯d be free to just be themselves without the constant worry over being corrected or repurposed, or being worried about silly things like training scores or examinations. They couldn¡¯t wait. Episode 391: Reconciliation
¡°At the time, I didn¡¯t really consider the whole knockout thing to be a problem.¡± GiDi said once they finished recounting the conversation they had with Tham and Vik, which led to the decision to put the failsafe in their chips. ¡°I just didn¡¯t want you two or Avery to be stuck in your rooms any longer.¡± They stared down at their hands, particularly at the corners between their fingers where they had begun to pick at dried skin while they talked. ¡°And then everything just started happening all at once, and I forgot all about it.¡±
¡°You... You just forgot about it?¡± DH said, their ears flicking in disbelief.
¡°Well, not entirely, no,¡± GiDi admitted, ¡°But it wasn¡¯t on the top of my list. And even if it had been the only thing on my mind... I promised that I wouldn¡¯t tell you two. If I did, and if Vik or Tham found out...¡± They hissed in pain as a bit of skin which they were picking at tore off, and they suddenly clutched their hand in pain.
¡°I¡¯m giving you something for that.¡± DH said in their firm medical officer tone of voice, ¡°You shouldn¡¯t be picking at your skin, anyway. Are your hands particularly dry or something?¡± They strode over to one of the cupboards in the small emergency ship and took out a first aid kit.
¡°A bit.¡± They admitted. ¡°Ever since getting back on the ship...¡±
¡°You¡¯re not used to the recirculated air, I suppose,¡± DH said as they positioned themself so that GiDi would have their back to TO while DH tended to the small but obviously painful wound. Oddly, though, TO knew that GiDi¡¯s hand was likely bleeding at the moment. They didn¡¯t feel the same things they normally did when they were around blood. The panic had been there, under the surface of their mind when they saw Avery earlier, but there had been no actual blood there. It was very odd, but at the same time a relief. In part, they wondered if it was because of the medication DH had given them. The panic that they¡¯d normally feel just felt somewhat numb.
¡°...I didn¡¯t want to hurt you, or Avery, or anyone.¡± GiDi said in a soft voice as DH treated their hands, ¡°But I just... I wanted to see you again. I wanted to talk to you, and I wanted you to meet Pearla properly, and get to know Tham...¡±
¡°I know.¡± DH said.
¡°...And... you¡¯re still angry with me?¡±
DH was silent for a moment, then gave a heavy sigh. ¡°No.¡± They said finally, ¡°I¡¯m not angry with you, mostly ...because I keep thinking about how I agreed to however they wanted to secure Avery. I was just happy that they were stable and safe, and didn¡¯t think much about the other stuff.¡± TO heard the spray of aerosol disinfectant and noted that even the smell of it didn¡¯t seem to set them off like it used to. ¡°And I would be more angry that you just didn¡¯t tell us sooner... but if you promised them that you wouldn¡¯t tell us...¡±
¡°It would have been too much of a risk.¡± TO said. It was odd that they could think about this so easily now. Perhaps they had finally gotten over the issue with blood? It would make sense, right? The recent exposure would have done that. Compared to all the awful things they had seen recently, a few drops from torn skin shouldn¡¯t have that much of an effect, right? Of course, it wasn¡¯t as though there was no effect: Their head felt weird, almost as though they were in a simulation or something similar. Perhaps it was just an effect of the drugs they had been on since leaving Arkane.
¡°Right.¡± DH said. their ears flushed slightly. ¡°I... asked you not to tell TO the stuff I talked to you about back in training. If you had, I would have been... well, angry wouldn¡¯t be the right word. It would have felt even worse than just anger. I¡¯d have felt like I couldn¡¯t tell you anything ever again... and given the situation, that wouldn¡¯t be a good thing.¡±
¡°... Tham¡¯s also my family too.¡± GiDi said, ¡°So, I wouldn¡¯t want to hurt him either.¡±
DH finished cleaning up GiDi¡¯s hand, snapped the first aid kit shut, and stood to put it away. A simple, small bandage was now sticking to the space between GiDi¡¯s pointer and middle finger, and their skin had a glossy shine on it from some kind of cream.
¡°...I¡¯m sorry I couldn¡¯t tell you.¡± GiDi said.
¡°...It¡¯s ok.¡± DH said, ¡°I... Should have listened to you sooner.¡±
GiDi¡¯s ears perked up when DH said that, and then almost immediately after they turned to TO, waiting in quiet expectation. It took TO a moment to realize that they were even waiting for something from them, but once they did, it was as though their mind snapped back where it belonged.
¡°I forgive you on the condition that you tell Avery yourself as soon as they wake.¡± TO said.
¡°Not as soon as they wake.¡± DH said, ¡°After they wake, and when I¡¯m relatively happy that they¡¯re healthy enough for heavy news!¡± They put the first aid kit away and turned to look at TO with their hands on their hips, ¡°Too much stress after they wake up from this won¡¯t do them any good...¡± Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.
¡°Fine...¡± TO said, ¡°As soon as DH says you can, then you need to tell Avery.¡± Their ears sunk down. ¡°I¡¯m worried about them. After everything with Kei-¡° they paused as they saw the way GiDi¡¯s ears suddenly pinned back then, their eyes narrowing,
¡°You mean after Kei held a gun to DH¡¯s head, stabbed Avery in the throat, or when they nearly killed you?¡±
¡°...I suppose, yes.¡± TO said. They hadn¡¯t considered it before, but how would Avery react to the news that Kei had come so close to killing them? ¡°I¡¯m worried about this shatter sickness stuff.¡± TO said, ¡°I¡¯m worried Avery was suffering from that before Kei hurt them¡± they groaned and gently rubbed at their forehead, ¡°I don¡¯t have nearly the information I need on this. The guide that Flit and Snout gave us only mentions it briefly.¡°
¡°Yes, because it¡¯s meant for youths.¡± GiDi said, their ears twitching in mild amusement, ¡°So, it¡¯s not going to go into detail.¡± They held up their own hand and activated their chip, causing a flickering screen to appear in mid-air before them. Watching this made TO clench their own hand, their mind reaching out once more for their own chip, but finding nothing. ¡°I think we should be out of this solar system in a few days, so we can send a message to Apoikia then, I think. I¡¯ll have to ask Vik if it¡¯s safe but-¡°
¡°Wait.. I thought it absolutely wasn¡¯t safe to send any messages to Apoikia!¡± TO said, ¡°I thought any off planet communication was too dangerous!¡±
GiDi stared at TO in silence for a moment, their ears still giving that amused twitch until finally they said, ¡°It was too dangerous to send communication off planet. But we are, at this moment, off planet ourselves. It¡¯s much easier to send a message discreetly from out here.¡±
¡°A-ah. Right.¡± TO said, feeling their own ears warm. ¡°Yes. right. that¡¯s right. We could send a message then.¡±
GiDi nodded and deactivated their chip, ¡°I¡¯ll talk to Vik, like I said, and as soon as it¡¯s safe we¡¯ll send a message off.¡± they paused, their ears sinking once more, ¡°Though, on that note... how was Avery when you saw them?¡± They looked back to DH. ¡°Any signs of them waking?¡±
¡°Not yet,¡± DH said. ¡°We might not see anything for a while.¡±
GiDi nodded, then looked back at TO. Their eyes lingered on TO¡¯s temporary, useless ¡®knee¡¯. ¡°And... How¡¯s your knee coming along?¡±
TO shrugged, ¡°I don¡¯t feel it.¡± TO said, ¡°But that¡¯s more thanks to the drugs than anything else, I think.¡±
¡°Oh, it is.¡± DH said, ¡°If I have any control over it, you won¡¯t feel any of that pain until it¡¯s entirely bearable.¡±
GiDi nodded, ¡°Right..¡± They said, ¡°You know, Vik is working on a design with Goretta for a better knee for you.¡± They said, ¡°And a new chip.¡±
¡°I don¡¯t know if I¡¯d want a knee from him.¡± TO said as they remembered how Flit had quickly removed their prosthetic leg the moment they learned about the failsafe. They imagined a knee would be harder to remove at will. ¡°As for a chip, well...¡± They rubbed the back of their hand, their fingers tracing over the scar where their chip had once been inlaid in their skin, ¡°So long as I can remove that at will...¡±
¡°A knee from Vik is going to be a lot more useful for you than a normal civilian one.¡± GiDi protested, ¡°And Vik and Goretta are working really hard to make sure it¡¯s perfect for you. Besides, the whole idea of the failsafe was mine, right?¡± They looked to DH. ¡°I just offered an idea, and Vik came up with a solution. You know what he''s like, right? Offer him a problem and he just works to fix it!¡±
¡°I realize.¡± DH said, their voice getting cold once more, ¡°And I¡¯d rather them not begin ¡®problem solving¡¯ in regard to my mate.¡±
¡°You can check the tech after then, and make sure that he didn¡¯t do anything to it, right?¡± they glanced back at TO, ¡°It¡¯ll be better in the long run. Your knee won¡¯t hurt so much, and you¡¯ll be less likely to need another surgery in the future.¡±
TO had no idea what to expect after a knee replacement, and neither idea of further pain even after it healed, nor had the possibility of needing another surgery in the future hadn¡¯t crossed their mind.
¡°...You¡¯re sure it¡¯ll do all that?¡± DH asked.
¡°Well, Goretta and Vik are working to make that the case.¡± GiDi said, ¡°And just think about how well Flit¡¯s prosthetic leg worked! they didn¡¯t have the same pain they have now, and they could walk around even without a limp!¡± they frowned, ¡°I¡¯d like them to keep using the leg Vik and Goretta made for them, actually...¡± their looked down at their hand again, now picking at the edges of the bandages, ¡°I know they¡¯re in pain, and they can¡¯t move as easily now...¡±
DH sighed, ¡°I¡¯ll scan the leg.¡± they said, ¡°I was planning to do that anyway, I just hadn¡¯t gotten around to it.¡±
TO frowned, unsure for a moment what they meant by scanning the leg, but then they realized what DH was talking about. ¡°Right. You said once we were on the ship, you could check the leg and the chips for any other software.¡± TO said.
¡°Software, or weird hardware.¡± DH said with a nod, ¡°I haven¡¯t bothered to check my chip yet, since I¡¯ve been busy with other things, but I¡¯ll check Flit¡¯s leg first so they can wear it. Then I¡¯ll do our chips.. and then-¡° They looked at TO, ¡°Then, I¡¯ll watch over Vik¡¯s shoulder while they work on that knee for you.¡±
¡°You do realize Goretta is already looking over everything Vik does, right?¡± GiDi said as their ears dropped again, ¡°She was...less impressed than you two were with the fail-safe.¡±
TO felt their ears perk up again, remembering how angry Goretta had gotten when she learned about the whole incident. Seeing her reaction to the news, especially since she had no idea at the time that TO was watching her, had put Goretta on a short list of implicitly trusted people. ¡°It¡¯s probably fine since she¡¯s working on it, too.¡± TO said.
¡°Probably.¡± DH agreed, ¡°But I¡¯m not taking that chance. Any tech that goes into your body, I¡¯m going over first.¡±
¡°Then, you¡¯ll talk to Vik too?¡± GiDi said as they looked over to DH again, ¡°I mean, if you¡¯re going to watch him work, it¡¯d be awkward if you didn¡¯t try to talk to him.¡± When DH didn¡¯t respond, GiDi continued, ¡°he really wants to talk to you again, you know.¡± They said, ¡°He misses you.¡±
¡°I wish they had thought of that before they-¡°
¡°He didn¡¯t know you before they set up the failsafe.¡± GiDi said, ¡°And... be honest, can you tell me you don¡¯t miss him at all?¡±
DH huffed, arms crossed. After a few minutes of silence, they finally muttered, ¡°I¡¯ll consider it.¡±
It was only then that TO realized that, despite their anger at the small hacker, perhaps DH did, indeed, miss spending time with him. Episode 392: Scripting
When TO and DH got back to the main living area, they saw that Vik had already returned. The tiny hacker sat at the makeshift office he had created for himself on TO¡¯s workstation and was typing away at some project or another. When the elevator door opened, their little ears perked up, and they turned around to see who it was. Upon seeing DH, their ears dropped again.
¡°Ah, hello DH!¡± he said, his voice over-happy in stark contrast to the way his tail and ears drooped. It was disconcerting to TO, but they reminded themselves that the ear movements of Vik¡¯s species may show the same depth of emotion as their own, and the movements could be more a sign of attentiveness or alertness. Perhaps having lower ears showed that Vik was more relaxed than he was a moment ago. Maybe, but TO didn¡¯t really believe that. Oddly, the overall gestures for larger emotions¨Cjoy, sorrow, anger¨Call seemed similar among different species, and idly TO wondered if there was perhaps some common ancestors way back in the primordial days of live developing in the Galaxy, or if it was more a result of convergent evolution.
DH glanced away from Vik at first, but behind them GiDi gave DH¡¯s back a little nudge, and DH grunted in response to Vik as opposed to simply ignoring them.
¡°Well, you get to work then,¡± GiDi said. ¡°I need to get back to others and help Pearla. We¡¯re still getting things organized, but mostly we¡¯re trying to keep the kids from getting scared or bored. The first day they were just excited to look out the window, but now they¡¯re getting restless, so we¡¯re trying to think of some kind of schedule to keep them on.¡± They looked to DH, ¡°Maybe you could help with that when you¡¯re done your work? You¡¯re good with kids.¡±
¡°Maybe¡­¡± DH said, pointedly not looking at Vik, ¡°I¡¯d like to get out of this room for a bit¡­ but I don¡¯t want to leave TO alone.¡±
¡°¡­ Hey, I¡¯d be here.¡± Vik said softly.
The sympathy that TO had for Vik was limited, however, they felt a little more generous towards him now that they knew how everything with the fail-safe went down. Even if that wasn¡¯t the case, though, there was just a point where TO could practically feel the hurt come off of Vik. It could have been anyone, and TO still would have felt bad at this point. They turned around, intending to tell DH in Synth Speak to be kinder, but as soon as they did, they changed their mind. It seemed that DH already felt bad for how they spoke, judging by the way their ears flicked down, a guilty droop curving the upper edge of their long ears.
As they looked past DH, they caught GiDi¡¯s glance from behind their mate. The conversation TO and GiDi had then, if it were to be called that, was entirely one of ears- a combination of movements giving more complex meaning; Helpless, frustrated, hopeful, worried.
¡°At any rate¡­¡± GiDi said, ¡°DH, you have that tech stuff to work on, right? So, you focus on that. The sooner that¡¯s all taken care of, the better. I¡¯m sure TO would like to have their chip back soon. ¡°
¡°I would.¡± TO said, ¡°Very much so, yes.¡± The last few days they had been laying in bed, drifting in and out of sleep and consciousness. The lack of mental stimulation hadn¡¯t been a problem then, since their mind was happy to float listlessly through the nebula of their mind. Now, while they didn¡¯t know if they¡¯d have the mental fortitude to work on anything intense, they wanted something to occupy their mind in their waking hours. Not having their chip meant they had no way to do that.
¡°Right. I¡¯ll get started.¡± DH said before turning back to GiDi, ¡°And¡­ I¡¯ll start with Flit¡¯s thing.¡±
¡°Thank you.¡± They said, a sigh of relief escaping them as their ears relaxed slightly. ¡°I¡¯ll head on up then and I¡¯ll check in later.¡± They looked over to Vik. ¡°Let me know if you need anything.¡±
¡°I will,¡± was Vik¡¯s quiet response. Even with TO¡¯s limited ability to discern tone, they could hear the broken defeat in Vik¡¯s voice. Even his typing seemed somehow melancholy.
¡°And DH.¡± GiDi said, switching briefly to Synth Speak. The switch took DH off guard, and they turned around quickly again to watch GiDi¡¯s ears as they spoke. ¡°Give Vik a chance, hmm?¡± This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.
¡°I will, but he needs to-¡° Whatever DH was going to say, they couldn¡¯t finish as the door to the elevator suddenly closed.
¡°It¡¯s odd that GiDi would rush off like that,¡± TO said, sticking to Galactic common instead of switching to Synth Speak. ¡°It was almost rude.¡±
¡°It¡¯s not their fault.¡± DH said, sighing as they pushed TO towards the bed, ¡°We had to set the elevator up to go between floors on a schedule since the only way to activate it right now is my chip and the main computer system.¡± They brought TO to the edge of the bed and leaned down, letting TO wrap their arms around DH¡¯s neck so DH could lift them from the bed. TO hated so helpless but in truth, they enjoyed it when DH lifted them up in their arms, holding them close and carefully before laying them on the bed. DH had only carried them like that once before, back in training, when that awful migraine made them so sick and DH had to carry them to the medical bay. TO couldn¡¯t enjoy it back then, but now they could fully appreciate how easily DH lifted them, how firm their chest was, and how solid DH¡¯s arms felt as they cradled TO.
Clearly, this appreciation showed on their ears if the slight smile and the cocky twitch of DH¡¯s slightly blue ears were any evidence. ¡°Alright.¡± DH said as though they had noticed nothing, ¡°I can put on a show for you if you like while I¡¯m working. Your medication won¡¯t be strong enough to really knock you out today.¡± They adjusted some pillows behind TO¡¯s head and carefully arranged their leg on the bed, ¡°Is there anything else I can do for you?¡±
¡°N-no,¡± TO said, hoping that DH wouldn¡¯t call them on the lie that their brilliant blue ears signaled.
¡°Alright.¡± DH said, amused, ¡°Well, if there is, let me know.¡± They said as they stood upright, ¡°I¡¯ll get to work, but I¡¯ve got an alarm set for two hours-¡°
¡°Why two hours?¡± TO asked.
¡°For your medication,¡± DH said, ¡°I have it timed so you won¡¯t have any dips in the painkillers in your system.¡±
¡°Is that necessary?¡± TO asked, their ears dipping, ¡°I mean, I¡¯m sure others might need-¡°
¡°It¡¯s entirely necessary, and I will not be accepting any argument on you from this.¡± momentarily, DH took on that Medical Officer persona with their ears flicked back slightly in a way that allowed no argument, but in the next second their demeanor relaxed and they leaned in to give TO a soft, warm kiss. It wasn¡¯t something TO was expecting as Vik was still in the room with them but despite their surprise, they were happy enough to return the kiss for the moments that it lasted. As DH pulled away and set up a screen for TO to watch a show, TO was content to lie in momentary, languid bliss. It wasn¡¯t until DH went back to their own desk to work that TO pulled themself out of that state. The desire to call DH back to them, to ask them to lie down alongside TO for a while, was strong, hindered, and ultimately abandoned only by Vik¡¯s presence.
They only watched a moment before a loud clunk drew their attention once more. They looked over to DH¡¯s desk to make sure that their mate was ok and saw that they were fine. The sound had simply come from DH putting Flit¡¯s mechanical leg on their desk. A handful of wires came out with them, and DH began plugging wires into ports in the main consol.
¡°Is something wrong with Flit¡¯s leg?¡± Vik asked as they watched DH plug the leg in. DH only gave a quick grunt in response at first, but then their ears dipped in guilt and they cleared their voice.
¡°There¡¯s not, not that I know of.¡± DH said, ¡°I¡¯m doing a scan to make sure there¡¯s nothing wrong with.¡±
Vik¡¯s ears flicked back. ¡°Was there any malfunction?¡± he asked. ¡°I mean, it is my programming. I''d be able to find any flaws in my scripts-¡°
¡°There was no malfunction.¡± DH said, their ears once more flicking back, ¡°I¡¯m looking to see if there¡¯s any unexpected programming or hardware in it.¡±
¡°Oh.¡± Vik said, his entire body seeming to slump as he realized what DH was saying. He watched in silence for several more moments as DH plugged in the last of the wires and opened up some program on their computer. With a few quickly typed commands, a dense screen of coding that TO couldn¡¯t begin to understand came up. As the rows and rows of coding loaded, the tilt of DH¡¯s ears told TO that despite DH¡¯s superior coding and computer skills, this would not be an easy task.
If only TO was better at coding, then they could help. As it was, TO knew that anything they tried to do to help would only make things harder for DH.
They¡¯d never know if Vik had picked up on the mood behind the movement of DH¡¯s ears or not, but as the weight of the task before them settled on DH Vik suddenly abandoned his own computer, ceasing their constant typing as he jumped down from his workstation and then leapt back up onto DH¡¯s desk.
¡°What do you want-¡°
¡°Let me help.¡± Vik said before DH could finish their sentence. ¡°You can look over it all, and poke at everything, but I can show you how some of my weirder scripting works. You¡¯ll see the logic in it... you¡¯ll be able to tell the things I¡¯m telling you aren¡¯t lies, and I¡¯ll even help you test anything you want!¡±
The sudden flurry of movement in DH¡¯s ears told an entire story to TO: distrust, anger, and guilt, but also sadness and hope.
¡°... Fine.¡± DH said as they shifted slightly so Vik could properly see the screen, ¡°You can help because I have to check all the chips after this, but yes: I will test anything remotely odd that I see.¡± Episode 393: Draw While TO tried at first to pay attention to what DH and Vik were talking about, they were not able to follow with the conversation and grew so confused that it was as though the two were speaking in another, unfamiliar language. Their attempt to listen and learn lasted only a few minutes longer as the show which DH had put on grew ever more entertaining than the incomprehensible chatter about ''tables'' and ''logic loops''. Soon, the chatter over by the computers became mere background noise as TO focused in on fictional characters they had never met before working through mundane personal issues. Eventually, the constant opening and closing of the elevator door and the steady flow of people heading to the showers, while irritating at first, faded into the background. If it hadn''t faded into the background, TO would have noticed their visitor sooner. As TO watched the show and became more engrossed in the story and the characters, they heard something near the foot of their bed. Most of the noise that had been going on around them they had ignored: The elevator, DH and Vik working, and the flow of people as they made their way to the showers, but this noise was closer than the others had been. TO glanced to the foot of the bed thinking it might be DH at first, trying to sneak up on them for some odd reason. Unfamiliar black eyes looked back at them, and in that moment TO knew it was Kei. They knew that somehow Kei had snuck onto the ship to do as they said they wanted to, to kill both TO and DH! They jolted, pulling themself up as pain coursed through their body at the sudden movement and caused them to give a small, stifled cry of pain. "Are you ok!?" The voice was not Kei''s, and when TO looked again they saw that the black eyes belonged not to Kei, but to Constance. The small child now stared at TO, her eyes even bigger than before as she took in TO''s flicked back ears and wide eyes. "Ah, Constance." DH said as they pulled themself from their work, turning in their chair to face her and TO. "I said I''d get you-" Constance turned around, her eyes narrowing suddenly at DH, "You said you''d get me when TO woke up!" she said, "You lied!" "I did not!" DH said, their ears flicking down, "I fully intended to tell you later! but..." "It''s been busy." TO said, steadying themself with slow breaths as they pulled themself slowly back into a comfortable place on the bed. "And, today is really the first day I''ve been..." they paused; they wanted to say ''coherent'' but they weren''t sure that she''d understand what they meant. "Well, I wasn''t really awake until today." "I know." She said simply. She smiled broadly at TO, showing her sharp teeth, "I was checking on you!" "Wait, what do you mean you were checking on them?" DH asked from the other side of the room. Constance looked back at them, her ears still down back and her eyes narrowed. "I come down here in the morning to use the shower." She said, "and I''d check on them then, and sometimes if nobody was in the elevator when it opened on our floor, I snuck in and came down here to check. You just never noticed! When I came down this time, TO was awake." She gave DH as hard a stare as a small child could, looking as angry as possible. "When were you going to tell me they were awake!" "Ah, later on today." DH said, amusement making their ears twitch subtly. While Constance was trying to be as scary and intimidating as possible, she was still a six-year old child who had rather synth-like features and as such the result overall was amusing rather than intimidating. "When I went up later to help Goretta with evening medications, I was going to tell you then!" Constance continued to glare at DH, and TO was honestly worried that their mate would chuckle at her attempt to be scary, but Constance thankfully looked away before DH allowed their shoulders to shake in silent mirth. "Why were you checking on me?" TO asked once she had turned away from DH. Their ears dipped, worried that she''d come ''discuss'' her father with them. The drugs and worry over poor Avery had distracted them from everything that happened with Mark, but they hadn''t forgotten it. If Pearla had indeed spoken to Constance about what happened then she''d know that not only was her father dead, but that it was TO''s fault, right? "Dad told me to stay with you." she said simply, the fins on her head drooping along with her ears, her eyes growing big once more. "So... I should be down here with you, right?" If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Emotion, as well as civilian facial expressions and body language were still things that TO was getting used to. That being said, there were certain things in Constance''s demeanor that they could read. Her pointed ears dipped along with the fins atop her head. Her eyes, though big, seemed to lack the excitement that she had when TO had met her preciously, and while the area around her eyes wasn''t ringed blue , the skin around them was puffy. "You don''t have to stay here." TO said quietly, "Not if you don''t want to." They couldn''t imagine that she''d want to spend time with them, and didn''t want her to feel forced to out of a sense of obedience to her dead father. "Oh." She said, looking away from TO and casting her big eyes to the ground, "I mean... If you don''t want me here-" "No no, that''s not what I meant!" TO said, ears back and down in panic at the misunderstanding, "It''s just..." just what? that they didn''t think she would want to be there? that she should hate them for letting her father die, for letting the last words he may have heard be a shouted order? "It''s just that I think you''d have more fun with the other kids." TO finally said, "I''m not very entertaining, and there''s not much to do down here." "That''s ok." She said as she glanced up at TO once more, "I''m not in the mood for fun anyway." It was such an odd phrase to TO that she simply wasn''t ''in the mood'' for fun. Still, TO understood what she meant without having to think about it too much. "Well... if you want to stay here with me, I don''t mind." They looked over to DO, "DH, you don''t mind either, do you?" "Not at all." DH said, "She can stay here as long as she wants." "Are you sure?" She asked as she looked at TO. "I''ll be quiet. I won''t get in the way if you''re busy." "I''m not busy." TO said, forcing the corner of their lips into a smile as their ears lifted, "I''m anything but busy. I''m bored, in fact, and company would be useful." They glanced at the show playing on the screen. Certain things weren''t intended for children, they knew that, but they had never what considered appropriate content might be in any depth before. Still, they recalled the ratings applied to the show when DH had first put it on, and knew that it was suitable for a general audience. Suitable, but not very entertaining. "I''m watching this show for now, but I don''t think it''ll be very entertaining to you." TO said. "Is that ok?" Constance nodded and slipped from her little scooter board and onto the mattress, pulling herself over to the wall with the help of her tail. It was then TO noticed she had a small bag slung over her back. Once she had settled herself among pillows and blankets she dug into the bag and took out a small, brightly colored tablet. TO instantly recognized it as a variation of one of the learners tablets that Flit and Snout had altered to use for their work in trying to stop King Decon. "A tablet?" they said, smiling, "Where did you get that?" "Auntie Pearla gave it to me." She said. "There''s a few tablets, and everyone''s sharing them... but Auntie Pearla said I could have this one." TO''s question of why that was died on their lips, for as soon as they thought about it for more than a moment, they understood why. "Well, that was nice of her." They said. "What are you doing with it?" "I''m supposed to be reading." She said, "But... I''m not. I''m drawing." She paused and looked up at TO, "Is that ok?" she asked, "I... don''t feel like reading either." "That''s fine, of course!" TO said, their ears perking up in honest surprise, "You can draw?" "A little." she said as the color of her cheeks darkened to a deeper blue. "I can draw fish really really well. Wanna see?" "I do!" TO said, leaning forward to see better. Constance shifted slightly to let TO see as she took her fingers and slowly created the shapes of brightly colored things which TO assumed were fish. They knew nothing about art, about drawing or painting save for the handful of things they had overheard at the art show they went to. Some paintings were satisfying to look at, and some weren''t. Some paintings could fill them with a sense of dread while others could invoke a sense of awe. With Constance, the very fact that she creating fish from memory and bringing them into reality on a screen with no formal training was an amazing thing to them. "I''m not actually really good." Constance said, the color deepening on her face, "Jayda can draw fish better than I can. They actually look like fish, and he can make them look like they''re coming right at you!" for a moment, the sadness faded and frustration overcame her, "It''s not fair! I used to go into the water every day, and I could swim deep enough to see fish. He''s only seen pictures, so shouldn''t I be able to draw fish better than he can?" She huffed again, "But, he can draw all kinds of things. Pearla said our art is good in different ways, but I know Jayda''s better." "I think it''s amazing that you can draw at all!" TO said, "I can''t" "Everyone can draw though." she said, frowning with concern and confusion, "When I went to school, even when I was younger they told us to draw stuff and everyone could draw something." "Well, I never got a chance to draw before." TO admitted, "When I was in training, drawing wasn''t something we were encouraged to do, and we were never told to draw anything." Constance''s went wide, her mouth dropping open to reveal the rows of teeth, "You mean you''ve never drawn anything?" "Nothing." TO said, trying not to laugh at her reaction. Constance was quiet for a moment longer, then she pulled herself close to TO and thrust the child sized tablet into their hands. "Here." She said, "I''ll show you how to draw a fish." Episode 394: Wall The children¡¯s tablet that Constance had possessed basic programs which allowed a person to use their fingers to create a picture using basic tools. Using simple gestures, one could make and resize primary shapes before using a fingertip to add lines or details. The process was simple enough, and the way Constance explained how to use the tools made TO believe that this was something commonly taught to children on Arkane. When Constance showed TO the way to make different shapes and how to choose different colors, it was as though she were pretending to be a teacher herself. Patiently, she led TO through the simple process of creating a fish, followed by a six-legged feline, an old-fashioned spaceship, a planet with rings around it, some kind of water-flower, and a simple robot. When that was all done, she then told TO to draw anything they¡¯d like. ¡°Anything?¡± TO asked, looking at the newly cleared vast blank space before them. ¡°Yup!¡± Constance said, still beaming, ¡°When I used to go to school, they¡¯d tell us that we could draw or read if we finished our work, and we could draw whatever we wanted to!¡± ¡°Oh.¡± TO said as they looked at the screen. If she had told them to draw a city or a ship or had given them some kind of direction, this would make more sense. ¡°You go to school to learn, right? As far as I understood, school for children was like training for us, just at a slower pace and...¡± they trailed off, unsure how to explain to her how much higher the stakes had been for them in training, ¡°And with much more patient trainers. Are you telling me they¡¯d let you do whatever you wanted when you were supposed to be learning?¡± ¡°Well, if we got our work done, of course, they¡¯d let us have fun!¡± She said as she frowned at TO, her tail flicking behind her as her ears and head-fin seemed to tense, ¡°Why, what did you do when you finished all your work?¡± ¡°More work?¡± TO said, feeling their own ears dip in response. Of course, if they finished the work assigned, they¡¯d receive more work, so they¡¯d improve faster. It made perfect sense to TO. ¡°That¡¯s not fair.¡± She said, ¡°If you finish your work, you deserve to have free time!¡± she paused, her fin quivering and her eyes squinting slightly as she considered the situation, ¡°Unless you rush your work just to get it done. If you do that, then you don¡¯t get free time, and you actually have to do your work right while everyone else gets to play.¡± ¡°Well, that makes some sense...¡± TO said. They themself had always put everything they had into their work back in training, but there had been some who perhaps didn¡¯t work as hard as they could have on certain days and the punishment for that had, of course, been more work. Any perceived lack of effort would be treated either with extra work in the specific area , or with a few shifts in the underbelly of the training center with the maintenance crew. ¡°What did you do for fun when you were little?¡± She asked, ¡°I mean, even when you were in school, they let you play a bit, right?¡± She suddenly perked up, forgetting about the tablet, and drawing, ¡°What games did you play when you were a kid? Were there any cool synth games!¡± she looked at TO¡¯s wings. ¡°I bet you played in the air a lot, right? I¡¯d love to fly, and there are wings you can get that actually let you fly, but daddy said-¡° She stopped talking suddenly as though her thoughts hit a brick wall, and her whole demeanour changed. Over the course of the last half hour or so, Constance brightened up as she showed them how to draw on the table. The process was so slow that TO hardly notice it. However, the way the energy and joy suddenly seemed to drain for her at the moment she mentioned her father was a harsh reminder of what had happened to her in only the last few days. If it were DH, GiDi, or Avery, they¡¯d have some idea of how to help, but with Constance, they weren¡¯t sure. They had no problem with the child, but they knew very little about her. All they knew was that she wasn¡¯t afraid of TO like some of the others were, that her father had died, she liked to draw, and wanted to fly. ¡°... Why don¡¯t you show me how to just draw something?¡± they asked. ¡°You could show me... maybe what you would look like if you could fly?¡± The bit of joy and the little spark in her eyes was gone, but she nodded and began to draw shapes on the screen. She started with putting down the blue-green of Arkane¡¯s sky, a bright yellow circle for the sun, and some grey rectangles which TO assumed was supposed to represent the buildings of Okoia. TO was just starting to relax when she spoke again, ¡°What happened to my dad?¡± TO¡¯s ears pinned back, the faint blue color draining from then until their skin was almost white, ¡°I thought Pearla told you-¡° Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. ¡°Auntie Pearla said that there was an accident.¡± She said, ¡°And... that dad died.¡± Her fingers stilled on the screen. ¡°I caught a Linneas once. I brought her home and asked dad if I could keep her. He said ok, but I had to keep her in a box.¡± her little hand curled into a fist on the tablet, ¡°I gave her food, and water, and I said goodnight and I petted her and everything, but when I got up in the morning to check on her she was curled up into a ball and wouldn¡¯t move. Dad said she died, but didn¡¯t know why. He said that sometimes that just happens.¡± TO had no idea, offhand, what a Linneas was. They assumed it was some kind of animal, a small creature perhaps considered a pest on Arkane, and that Constance had caught it wild. In that kind of situation, there were many reasons why a creature might suddenly die: shock at being displaced, food or water they weren¡¯t used to, or even an unseen injury acquired during the chase. ¡°But auntie Pearla didn¡¯t say that dad had just died. Pearla said it was an accident. She wouldn¡¯t tell me what happened.¡± Constance looked up. ¡°When dad gave me to the other man, he said he was going to check on you.¡± Her eyes were bigger than before, shining with held-back tears. ¡°Did you see what happened?¡± ¡®Yes, I saw what happened. Your father got shot trying to help me, and I didn¡¯t do a thing to help him after that.¡¯ that was the truth that TO knew, but not only did they not want to explain that right now, but they also didn¡¯t think it¡¯d be very helpful. They also didn¡¯t want to lie. As they thought about it, they realized that Pearla had been kind of right. It had been an accident, with Mark showing up unexpectedly, and Kei shooting him because they thought that Mark was actually DH, coming to save TO. That wasn¡¯t the complete story. It wasn¡¯t even close to the complete story, but even if they had been entirely detached from the actual event, TO wasn¡¯t sure they could relay what happened to Constance. Thinking about it all now brought up stark images of the event, of the blood and pain, and the feel of Kei¡¯s skin giving way under their claws. They could feel it, and it was just as visceral as any other time in the past when their mind forced them to see and smell and hear the memories of such things. Now they felt detached from it once more. No, that wasn¡¯t quite right. They once more felt removed from themself. The only way they could really describe it was as though they were sitting down and watching a show, but the show was the reality happening around them. ¡°TO?¡± The sound of Constance softly whispering TO¡¯s name pulled them back, and when they looked down, they could see what they perceived as concern in her young ears. ¡°A-Apologies.¡± TO said. ¡°Are you ok?¡± ¡°I am,¡± TO said, ¡°And... Pearla isn¡¯t necessarily wrong.¡± They frowned, and turned as much as they could so they were looking directly at Constance. ¡°It was an accident. Nobody wanted to hurt your parent.¡± Their ears flicked down, ¡°I... was determined to get him on the ship, but...¡± But the desire to stop Kei, to grab them and pull them down and rip them apart to keep them from hurting DH was far stronger than their desire to help Mark. ¡°But he got hurt, and he died.¡± ¡°What kind of accident?¡± She said, her voice a whisper. ¡°... Someone was trying to hurt me, and hurt DH.¡± They finally said, ¡°And... they thought for a moment that your father was DH, and shot them instead.¡± ¡°¡­Did it hurt?¡± She asked. TO glanced up, distracted by movement to the side, and saw DH approaching the bed. They sat down on the edge, leaning forward slightly as their ears dipped. ¡°Constance.¡± They whispered. ¡°I¡¯m. sorry.¡± Their ears dipped. ¡°I didn¡¯t get there fast enough. Your parent...¡± They trailed off for a moment and looked away, their ears low and the beginning of tears forming at the corners of their eyes. ¡°If I had gotten there sooner, maybe I could have done something-¡° ¡°It wasn¡¯t your fault!¡± TO said, their own concerns over the incident fading in light of the guilt DH carried which TO hadn¡¯t even known about, ¡°If I hadn¡¯t been there, then Mark wouldn¡¯t have come and-¡° ¡°You had to go!¡± DH said, ¡°You had no idea why Lake hadn¡¯t shown up on the ship. It was possible that he had gotten hurt!¡± ¡°Well, if I asked Mark to stay at the intersection-¡° ¡°He¡¯d still have found out what was happening once Lake passed by.¡± DH said, ¡°If I had just run a little faster-¡° ¡°I know some first aid I could have-¡° ¡°...who shot dad?¡± Constance¡¯s voice was quiet among the arguing, yet there was a coldness to it which was so harsh compared to her normal tone, so surprising coming from a child that it silenced TO and DH immediately. Both were silent for a while until Constance looked up again, her eyes narrowed and a trail of tears going down her cheeks. ¡°Who shot my dad?¡± She repeated. ¡°Another synth,¡± TO whispered, ¡°One who we called Kei.¡± ¡°Are they on the ship?¡± She asked. ¡°They¡¯re not.¡± DH said, ¡°They ran away just as I got there. I saw them turn a corner, but... I didn¡¯t chase them. We were more worried about TO and your parent. GiDi and I ran in to check on them both and by the time we realized your parent¨Cyour father¨Cwas... gone, then Kei was gone.¡± TO hadn¡¯t realized that, hadn¡¯t realized how close DH and GiDi had been when Kei made the decision to run rather than fight TO further. They wondered how much the two had heard of TO¡¯s shouted words to Kei, and to Mark. ¡°...I hate them.¡± She said, her voice even softer now, ¡°I hate them.¡± Her voice grew stronger as she spoke. ¡°I¡¯ll hate them forever!¡± She shouted the last words, slamming her fists on the bed as she spoke. For a brief moment, she was still and quiet, her hands and shoulders shaking, her ears and fins pinned back against her head. Then she shook. Her ears dipped, her fins seemed to go limp, and she collapsed on the bed in helpless sobs. For a moment, TO and DH only looked at each other, unsure what to do, hesitant in their interactions with a strange civilian. Still, it felt wrong to TO to simply let her sob without doing something, so they did the only thing they could think of. Gently, they pulled her close and let her cry on them until exhaustion and sorrow pulled her to sleep. Episode 395 - Future
After crying for a long time in TO¡¯s lap, Constance succumbed to exhaustion and fell asleep. DH stayed near them for a while longer before TO assured them it was fine and that they could go back to their work. Of course, TO knew that if they really needed DH here that their mate would drop what they were doing just to sit in silence next to TO. However, they could tell just from the way DH¡¯s ears twitched and flicked that they wanted nothing more than to get back into their programming work. After a few more reassurances that they were fine, DH went back to their workstation and dove into programming once more.
With DH engrossed in their work with Vik and Constance asleep on their lap, TO wasn¡¯t sure what they could do. They didn¡¯t want to put their show back on in fear that they¡¯d wake Constance up, so now they had nothing to watch. Listening to DH and Vik talk about programming was soothing at first: seeing DH so excited about something, seeing them light up, would never fail to make TO happy. Still, DH and Vik were dealing with complex programming, and TO was quickly lost in the information.
After a while, their eyes landed on the now abandoned children¡¯s tablet that Constance brought with her. They picked it up and began poking around the settings and saw that it was as Flit and Snout had said: These tablets were highly limited in their capabilities and most access to the galactic network was filtered to the point where, for TO, it was almost unusable. They could have bypassed all that, of course, but since Constance was going to have it back soon, they didn¡¯t want to fiddle with any of the safety settings.
They could still make use of the tablet to occupy their mind, for a while at least. They activated the drawing program that Constance showed them and began drawing once more. First a fish, just like Constance had told them, then they attempted their own ship, but it wasn¡¯t quite right. It didn¡¯t look like it did in their mind. Closing their eyes, it was easy for TO to pull up an image of the massive ship, but somehow creating it with basic shapes wasn¡¯t working as they hoped.
They were still fiddling with the program, trying to fit together shapes in the right way to represent their ship, when Pearla came along. TO was so engrossed in their work that they didn¡¯t even notice her at first. The constant opening and closing of the elevator and the stream of people going to the showers were background noise now, so hearing her enter their sleeping area and pushing aside the curtain didn¡¯t alert TO. It wasn¡¯t until she cleared her throat that TO looked up, momentarily dazed from being pulled from what they were doing.
¡°Pearla?¡±
¡°I came down to ask if you¡¯d seen her.¡± Pearla whispered with a nod at Constance. ¡°I was looking for her all over upstairs. She hides sometimes and often falls asleep in the oddest places.¡±
TO¡¯s ears fell as they put the pieces together in their mind. Seeing Constance fall asleep so quickly after crying so hard led them to believe that in the weapons bay¨Cor perhaps they should call that the new dormitories?¨CConstance was hiding and crying herself to sleep all alone. Memories of the time when DH was trying to put distance between them and TO was sleeping alone and crying themself to sleep slipped into their mind and even now filled them with a terrible lonely dread. It was an awful feeling, and it made them feel much better to know that this time at least poor Constance hadn¡¯t been alone.
¡°What is it?¡± Pearla asked, her normally soft voice even softer than normal. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±
TO sat in a moment of confusion before they recalled that Pearla could more or less read their ear movements thanks to her closeness with GiDi. ¡°It¡¯s¡­ it¡¯s just that she fell asleep here after crying a lot.¡±
Pearla nodded as she stepped forward, sitting down on the bed. ¡°Yeah¡­¡± she said, ¡°I was worried that¡¯s what she was doing.¡± She sighed and brushed the fin from Constance¡¯s face so she could see her more easily. ¡°I¡¯m just glad she was with someone this time, not alone.¡±
¡°Yes, that is preferable¡­¡± TO said, surprised that her words mirrored their own thoughts so perfectly.
¡°What was she doing down here, anyway?¡± Pearla asked. She glanced behind at DH and Vik, both who had long ago set their headphones to a specific frequency so they¡¯d hear nothing but one another. Apparently, the constant movement of people in and out of the small living area had been too great a distraction for them both. ¡°DH said they didn¡¯t want her to come down here until you were awake and aware-¡°
¡°I think they forgot about that.¡± TO said, smiling softly. ¡°But they¡¯re just being protective. DH is like this when someone is hurt, you know?¡± They turned back to their tablet. ¡°They take their medical practice very carefully.¡±
¡°Think they might want to be a doctor or something?¡± She asked, ¡°I¡¯m sure Goretta would like a more long-term partner in crime, so to speak.¡±
TO glanced over at DH, watching the way their mate¡¯s ears flicked and twitched happily as they and Vik talked over complex programming problems and puzzled through difficult to understand scripts. It seemed that once they had gotten into the thing they both loved, the former wall between the two had dropped. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± They said, ¡°I think they like knowing and learning about medical stuff so that they can help others, but I don¡¯t think it¡¯s something they¡¯d want to do long term.¡± They nodded to DH, ¡°Programming, on the other hand¡­ I¡¯ve seen them throw themself into that for hours on end. Sometimes I wonder if they even breath when they work!¡±
¡°Well, that¡¯s good.¡± Pearla said, smiling, ¡°I mean, there¡¯s no harm in knowing some medical stuff, and it¡¯s good to see them excited about something.¡± She chuckled, ¡°I say that as though I actually know them.¡± She looked over to TO. ¡°What about you though?¡± Stolen story; please report.
¡°Oh, I¡¯d be no good in any medical field.¡± TO said, suppressing a shudder, ¡°And even if I had a similar interest in programming as DH does-¡°
¡°Oh, no.¡± She said, ¡°Not what I meant. I meant, what about you? Any ideas what you might wanna do once things settle down?¡±
The idea of things settling down hadn¡¯t crossed their mind in the least. ¡°Well, I suppose that depends on what Apoikia is like!¡± they said. ¡°I don¡¯t really have enough information to think about what I might do before then.¡±
¡°Right... But is there anything you enjoy doing?¡± Pearla asked.
There was, and it was something they felt robbed of since leaving the training center, something which came to them only in tiny crumbs of joy amid the chaos. ¡°Flying,¡± they said. ¡°Back in training, we had an enormous room to practice in, and it was my favorite thing to do.¡± They sighed as they leaned forward, remembering how the air rushed over them as they soared in the dim fight room. ¡°But I haven¡¯t been able to fly a lot on Arkane, and never without my armor on.¡± They frowned. ¡°Well, never without my helmet. The coverings on the wings are optional depending on the situation, and I prefer to fly without the wings covered.¡±
¡°GiDi would sometimes want to stretch their wings too from time to time.¡± She said, ¡°Now and then, they¡¯d get an itch to fly. They said it made them feel better.¡± She shook her head. ¡°Before I knew they were a synth, all they¡¯d say is that it reminded them of home, where their ¡®older sibling¡¯ would take them flying all the time.¡± She grinned at TO. ¡°I suppose that ¡®older sibling¡¯ was you, and that it was less ¡®home¡¯ they missed and more their ¡®family.¡¯¡±
TO¡¯s heart seemed to hum harder than before, growing in their chest even as their ears flicked back and they felt the tears prick at the corner of their eyes. They looked away before Pearla could notice that, acting as though they were suddenly interested once more in the mess of shapes on the tablet. They had never really consciously worried that GiDi had forgotten about them once they left and found Pearla. Their fears that their new family might replace their own were entirely separate from any underlying fear of being unimportant to the smaller synth, and forgotten. Still, hearing that GiDi had spoken of them back before Pearla even knew they were a synth and hearing how they¡¯d want to go fly to ¡®feel better¡¯ even though they never had a strong affinity for flying back in training made them realize that it was indeed a worry that lay hidden inside them, and one which was needless and false.
¡°TO?¡±
¡°I... Imagine that there will be plenty of place to fly on Apoikia.¡± TO said in an effort to move the conversation forward. ¡°Maybe even on ScrapRock?¡±
¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± She said, ¡°I¡¯ve never been there myself.¡±
Their knee didn¡¯t hurt, not really, but they could feel an odd sensation in it, one which had come and gone frequently enough in the last few days for them to recognize it. The sensation was a loud, constant vibration as the hum of their heart seemed to sound in the injured limb. They imagined that the space where the shattered parts of their knee which DH removed contained some kind of motor that revved up ahead of the pain. Well, they assumed that anyway. In a few minutes, they were certain an alarm would go off somewhere and DH would get them the medication.
¡°Well... Even if there is, I have to get this dealt with first,¡± they said as they reached out and gently rubbed the area above their knee. ¡°I can¡¯t fly if I can¡¯t stand.¡±
¡°Do you need something? Is it hurting?¡± she looked around, ¡°I can get DH-¡°
¡°They¡¯ve got alarms. They¡¯ll know when to give me the medication.¡± TO said. ¡°For now...It¡¯s hard to think about what I might do after this is all ¡®settled down¡¯, as you put it.¡± They rubbed their leg for a moment longer before pulling their hand away. ¡°I don¡¯t know what shape I¡¯ll be in by the time I get there, and I don¡¯t know what Apoikia might be like.¡±
¡°But... you¡¯re determined to go there?¡± She asked.
¡°I am.¡± TO said, ¡°Avery... I¡¯m worried about them, and I¡¯m hoping that if we get there, the Chilacians there can help them.¡± They looked over to DH, smiling as their mate typed away furiously, their ears dipping and flushing, ¡°Besides... it¡¯s a safe place, isn¡¯t it? DH and I could stay there. We wouldn¡¯t have to worry about what¡¯s next, or about who might find us and separate us. We can just relax and be together.¡±
¡°And... what about GiDi?¡±
TO looked up at her, ¡°I¡¯m... Hoping that GiDi will stay with us.¡± They said, ¡°And yourself, of course!¡± They added as soon as they saw a flicker of panic in Pearla¡¯s eyes, ¡°I¡¯d never ask GiDi to leave their mate behind!¡±
¡°R-right. well.¡± She cleared her throat as her face flushed. ¡°I don¡¯t know about that. I mean... We could be safe there maybe, but we could also do some good and help other people. We could go back to Arkane and help people there!¡±
¡°...Would you be safe there, though?¡± TO asked as they leaned forward. ¡°You and GiDi?¡±
That made her falter for a moment, and that was all that TO needed to understand. They both wanted to fight against Decon, yes, but they also wanted to keep each other safe, didn¡¯t they? Fighting a Galactic King wasn¡¯t really ¡®safe.¡¯
¡°At the very least, you could stay there for a while.¡± TO said, ¡°We have a ship, we could bring you two back later on, but if you stayed on Apoikia for a while, you¡¯d have a little time to rest and just...¡±
¡°Just be together for a bit,¡± she whispered.
¡°Exactly.¡±
She fell silent, her eyes going to her clasped hands. ¡°Well... GiDi wants to go to Apoikia now anyway, just to see it, and make sure that you two are alright there. And I know they don¡¯t want to leave you behind there, so... ¡° She glanced up again, ¡°Maybe staying there for a little might make things easier?¡±
TO nodded and tried not to smile too widely. They¡¯d have their chance to convince GiDi when they got to Apoikia and once GiDi had been able to spend some time with Pearla in a more peaceful environment. If they could convince them both, then maybe things would be ok. ¡°Of course, Tham could stay too.¡± TO said. They knew that Pearla wouldn¡¯t want to leave her brother behind. ¡°If he wants to stay-¡°
¡°On that note...¡± she said, suddenly frowning, ¡°I have a favor to ask of you.¡± she glanced over at DH, ¡°If DH says it¡¯s ok, of course. I wanted to ask you about this earlier, but DH said you weren¡¯t really able to talk.¡±
TO looked over Pearla, saw the way her tail was twisting slowly on the ground, how her eyes seemed to flick about, and how despite clasping her hands she was still fidgeting by clenching her fingers and relaxing t hem over and over. Was she anxious, angry, or just uncomfortable?
¡°Alright.¡± TO said, ¡°What do you need? Once DH says I can get out of bed for longer than a half hour at a time, I can help! I want to help!¡± With a low chuckle, they tapped on the child¡¯s tablet. ¡°drawing on this tablet is fun, sure, but I doubt it¡¯ll occupy me for much longer, and I¡¯m desperate already to do something!¡±
Pearla nodded, took a breath, and looked up.
¡°Do you think you could try to be friends with my brother?¡± Episode 396: Trust
TO understood that, compared to how things used to be, they now had a wide and accepting social circle. They had GiDi, Avery, and DH as they had back in training, but now they also had Flit and Snout which they could go to at any time for advice. They also had civilian friends which was especially surprising to TO. None of this was anything that they took for granted, of course. The memories of those first thirty days in training hadn¡¯t faded that much from their mind. They had always been ¡®strange¡¯ and had always felt like they were an outside when compared to the rest of the synths but in those first thirty days they had also been alone. The coincidences that led to them talking to DH for the first time had changed their life, and let them meet GiDi and Avery.
The loneliness of those first thirty days had been awful, and somehow the rejection from everyone when TO tried to connect on some level was worse. Had it not been for DH they didn¡¯t know if they¡¯d ever had met someone or if they would have made it thought their training. How long would they have suffered before deciding it wasn¡¯t worth it, before their performance started slipping from depression and their value was suddenly outweighed by their strangeness?
Friendship was important to TO, and they¡¯d never forget how hard it had been to cultivate. Each one in their life was like a shooting star where they looked up at the sky at just the right time and saw it¡¯s blazing brightness streak across the darkness. It was a combination of chance and effort. Even with Pearla, Lendulin, and Petra, though the reasons for pursing friendship had been false, their meeting and connection had been accidental and authentic.
So, having someone ask them specifically to be friends with a person was a daunting proposition, and threw TO back to training, back to that look that said so clearly ¡®you don¡¯t belong.¡¯
¡°Tham doesnt¡¯ want me as a friend.¡± TO said quickly. ¡°I mean, he likes me well enough¡­ I think.¡± They frowned, ears twitching in concentration, ¡°He respects me, perhaps. They¡¯re grateful for the work I do.¡±
¡°My brother has been very friendly to you in the past!¡± Pearla said. ¡°And he always talks highly of you-¡°
¡°My old overseer spoke highly of me.¡± TO said, ¡°That didn¡¯t mean they wanted to be my friend.¡± their ears went parallel to the ground, ¡°And the times he¡¯s been friendly with me could be counted on a single hand. It would have to be a single hand, since the other hand had a bottle of that fermented drink in it!¡±
Pearla cleared her throat and looked aside, ¡°Well, wine is a truth serum, no?¡±
¡°¡­ No? It¡¯s wine.¡± TO said, ¡°It¡¯s Alcohol anyway, which impacts a person¡¯s mental state. Well, most people anyway. For synths, it doesn¡¯t do much.¡±
¡°I heard you got plenty plastered at the CottageCore Pub!¡± Pearla retorted. ¡°Er, drunk, I mean.¡± She added once she saw TO¡¯s confused expression.
¡°That wasn¡¯t just alcohol.¡± TO explained, ¡°That was alcohol with some kind of psychedelic additive, and that will affect a synths mental state.¡±
¡°Never mind.¡± She said, ¡°What I mean is that most people, when drunk, will just be more themselves, you know?¡± She said, ¡°If Tham is friendly to you when he¡¯s drunk, then I¡¯m willing to bet he wants to be friendly to you normally!¡±
¡°¡­ I admit to not having a lot of experience with this.¡± TO said, ¡°But I¡¯ve seen many shows where characters get drunk and do things they entirely regret the next day. I¡¯ve also seen news reports where people do awful, awful things under the influence. Things that they¡¯d normally never do!¡±
¡°Well, of course.¡± She said, ¡°I mean, a person¡¯s impulses aren¡¯t always going to be good, you know? They¡¯re going to say things they wouldn¡¯t otherwise, things that might be problematic, or things that might cause problems for them. That doesn¡¯t mean it¡¯s not what their impulse was at the time, and it doesn¡¯t mean it wasn¡¯t true.¡± She gave TO a hard stare, ¡°And, if that¡¯s how we¡¯re looking at this, then I think there¡¯s something about this that you haven¡¯t realized yet.¡±
¡°Oh, and what¡¯s that?¡±
¡°It¡¯s this: Under the affects of alcohol, Tham saw you, and wanted to be friendly towards you, rather than shout at you for being a synth, or even punch you.¡± She sighed, ¡°He has just outright punched people before when he¡¯s been drunk, you know. He didn¡¯t do that with you. He went up to you, put his arm around you, and started raving about how awesome you were.¡± Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
A flush rose up to TO¡¯s ears, but they didn¡¯t say anything. Pearla was right about that, of course.
¡°Even if that¡¯s the case.¡± TO said after a moment, ¡°If that¡¯s not what he¡¯s like when he¡¯s sober, then how would I be friends with him?¡± TO said.
¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t know?¡± Pearla said.
¡°So, you want to keep him drunk then?¡±
¡°¡­ Honestly, if I could at this point I would.¡± She said, ¡°He¡¯s been¡­ Not great since Noss came here. Before we took off there was so much work to do, so he kept busy and got drunk in the evening off his personal stash. But, now there¡¯s less to do.¡± She sighed, ¡°He¡¯s talking to the kids a lot, entertaining them, but he can¡¯t do that all the time.¡± She glanced at TO¡¯s large chair next to the unused computer console, ¡°I¡¯m just glad I convinced him to sleep down here. I wouldn¡¯t want him alone all night long. He¡¯s worse at night. There¡¯s less to do and he ran out of alcohol, and¡­.¡± She shook her head as she looked down at her hands, ¡°And¡­ I¡¯m worried about him. He needs a friend.¡±
¡°He has you?¡± TO offered.
¡°He does, but that¡¯s not the same.¡± She said. ¡°And he needs more than me.¡±
¡°He has Vik as well.¡±
Pearla sighed, ¡°If you don¡¯t want to do it, That¡¯s fine.¡± She said.
"That''s not what I mean!" TO said, their ears suddenly flicking down, "I just doubt he''ll have an interest in being friendly with me!" they remembered how Pearla had helped them in the underground, how she went around the dorms with them so that the other civilians might be warmer with TO. The remembered how angry she had gotten at her brother when she learned about the fail safe. Those things alone were enough to convince them to do what Pearla wanted them to do. "It has nothing to do with what I want to do or not... I''m just concerned about how effective I''ll be." They leaned forward, idly rubbing the area over their knee. "I worry I may just end up irritating him."
"... I think that¡¯d be an improvement" Pearla said. Her voice was only a whisper then, but TO heard her words clearly and looked up at her in surprise.
"You want me to irritate him?"
She signed again and shook her head, "Ideally, no." She said, "But even if you did, that would be better than how he''s been acting." She paused a moment as she looked at Constance, as though checking to see if she was still asleep. After a moment she seemed satisfied that the girl was, and continued. ¡°He¡¯s just been emotionally dead. He was better earlier, but then his stash run out.¡± She sighed and rolled her eyes, ¡°I mean, His stash of alcohol. I didn''t know he had his own stash. Most of what he had packed in his bag was bottles of alcohol wrapped up in his clothes." her tail slapped against the floor, but TO could see the muscles clench at the last moment to keep her tail from hitting the floor as hard as it normally would have. "I don''t even know where he got it, and I thought I''d be happier once he ran out, but now it¡¯s just like there¡¯s nothing there.
"Has he talked to you about Jason?" TO asked as their ears flicked back in slight concern. They didn''t think there was anything wrong talking about that but they didn''t feel comfortable bringing up something that was clearly painful for Tham. Still, it was hard to imagine that Pearla wouldn''t have known how close Tham was to Jason and his family.
Their question seemed to surprise Pearla, "Of course." She said, "He... told you about all that?" She asked.
"Yes." TO said, "When Pholi came here first, he told us about what happened to Jason, and... Tham didn''t take it well. I went to check on him afterwards and he told me all about it."
Pearla smiled, "Well... and here you are thinking he wouldn''t want to be friendly with you. If he told you all that, then clearly he would!" She lowered her voice, looking over towards DH and Vik, then checking on Constance once more, "I didn''t think anyone knew but me. You didn''t tell DH, did you?"
"I didn''t consider it something important to tell them." TO admitted.
Pearla nodded, "Well... keep it to yourself." She said, "I mean, lots of people suspected, but Tham hasn''t told many people. It doesn¡¯t matter now, but it could have caused him problems back when Jason was still around, and now..." She sighed, "I suppose it''s hard to talk about now."
"I... guess?" TO frowned as they fought their confusion. If Tham spent as much time around Jason and his family as he said, then wouldn''t it have been hard to hide? and why would it be a problem if people knew how close Jason and Tham had been?"
"And between you and me." She said, leaning in and lowering her voice to a whisper, "It''s his own fault. I''d never tell him now, obviously, but he was too much of a coward to say anything, and then it was too late."
"Too late for what?" TO asked, now very confused.
"Well, look, I get how worried he was." She said, "But I still think it''d have been better for Tham to tell Jason that he loved him before he met Mel!" She said, "Or at least before they had Helen. At one point he was certain that Jason and Mel would break up, and he promised he''d confess to Jason after that, but they never did and..." She paused, looking over TO''s ears for the first time in a few minutes. The color drained from her face, and her eyes widened, "Oh.... shit." She muttered.
"Wait." TO said, their ears flicking as they finally now understood what Pearla was saying, "You mean Tham was in love with Jason!?" Episode 397: Idle
The blood drained from Pearla¡¯s face as she turned around to see if DH and Vik were still working away at their computers, oblivious. They were. With her eyes wide and her tail twisting on the ground, she turned back to TO. ¡°I thought you said he told you everything!¡± she said in a frantic whisper.
¡°I thought he did!¡± TO whispered back as their ears flicked down with guilt. ¡°I didn¡¯t know¡­¡± They paused as they let the new information that Pearla had inadvertently given them swirl in their brain and mix with the other information they already had. Their eyes widened. ¡°Tham was in love with Jason?¡±
A soft curse which was unknown to TO but which they could grasp the intention of thanks to the tone escaped her lips as she turned and looked at DH and Vik once more. ¡°Just¡­ keep your voice down.¡± She said. She glanced down at Constance next, but after a moment, seemed satisfied that the child was still asleep. ¡°Yes.¡± She whispered once more. ¡°But he doesn¡¯t want anyone to know. He didn¡¯t want me to know originally, but he had to talk to someone about it...¡± She gave TO a deep, penetrating look, ¡°Don¡¯t tell anyone, understood?¡±
¡°W-why would I?¡± TO said, their ears now flicking in confusion. They weren¡¯t sure why it mattered that anyone knew this information; Jason and his family were dead, and it wasn¡¯t as though Tham would suffer any consequences for having feeling for someone, not like a synth would. They could understand if Tham just didn¡¯t want to talk about it, of course. They remembered their conversation with Tham after he learned how Jason had died, and Tham¡¯s reaction to hearing the details of Jason¡¯s death, his rage towards Noss, and his deep, consuming sadness once he was alone now made perfect sense, and even seemed somewhat understated to TO. If DH had just disappeared and then suddenly they learned a year or two years or even a decade afterwards how their mate had died, then TO thought it would make the loss feel as fresh as the day it happened.
Of course, Jason hadn¡¯t been Tham¡¯s mate. Apparently, Tham had just quietly kept his feelings to himself as he remained Jason¡¯s friend. He stood by as Jason fell in love, found a partner, and had a child. True, he had been ¡®uncle Tham¡¯ to Helen, but compared to what he wanted, that must have been like being the moon around a planet; orbiting, affecting, sharing light, but never being together.
Oddly poetic, in TO¡¯s mind, that if Tham had confessed afterwards, it would have very much been like a moon colliding into a planet; Either the moon would be destroyed, or the planet¡­ or both. Once Jason had a family, then Tham couldn¡¯t tell him without destroying something, so TO understood why he had kept his feelings to himself afterwards. Still, TO couldn¡¯t comprehend how much that could have hurt. They tried to imagine how they¡¯d feel if DH had fallen for, say, Avery if they had never been able to confess. If that had happened, would DH have begged TO to help them get placed with Avery? Would TO have helped? Could they have been around DH while they and Avery were together as mates?
No. Back when they first met GiDi, it was hard enough to think that maybe DH simply liked GiDi as a friend more than they liked TO themself! They couldn¡¯t begin to comprehend how much it must have hurt to be around Jason and Mel. They felt that Tham had some kind of issue with Mel from how he spoke about her before. Now, they understood why.
¡°Just don¡¯t tell anyone!¡± Pearla said, the words snapping from her mouth in a sharp, unquestionable tone. ¡°At all. Don¡¯t act differently around him! Don¡¯t let him know that you know!¡±
¡°¡­But you just asked me to act differently around him.¡± TO said, momentarily drawn away from the new information they had gained, and the heartbreak that must have accompanied it. ¡°And¡­ Won¡¯t he question why I¡¯m suddenly spending time with him?¡±
¡°Maybe? Just¡­ ¡° She groaned and put her face in her hands. After a moment of silence, she said, ¡°Just¡­ tell him it¡¯s the first chance you¡¯ve had to spend time with him. That¡¯s true, right?¡± She sighed, ¡°I mean, you could say you¡¯ve been wanting to spend more time with him, anyway! Of course, then he¡¯d ask why. He can¡¯t read your ears like I can yet, but he¡¯s not stupid. He¡¯ll pick up on it, I¡¯m sure.¡± She sighed and looked up. ¡°Maybe it would be best if you just didn¡¯t bother with it after all.¡±
¡°¡­ No.¡± TO said, their ears flicking down once more as a subtle frown crossed their lips, ¡°No, I¡¯ll spend time with him.¡±
Pearla¡¯s surprised was obvious, and TO didn¡¯t even need to study her expression to tell. Thanks to that, they didn¡¯t notice another feature; her tail seemed to stiffen and almost shudder when she was surprised. Was this normal? Was a Nagarjin¡¯s tail expressive as a Synth¡¯s ears? They¡¯d pay attention to that later. The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.
¡°I thought you¡¯d take the out.¡± She said. ¡°I mean, I really don¡¯t want Tham to know that I told anyone-¡°
TO frowned as they considered the issue, but now that they knew what had really happened between Tham and Jason, they could work backwards and see how obvious Tham¡¯s words and behavior had been that day TO spoke to them after Noss revealed just how Jason had died. ¡°Well, if I look back, it¡¯d be an obvious assumption, wouldn¡¯t it be?¡± TO asked. ¡°When I checked on Tham after Noss came to us, his behavior was stranger than normal. He seemed more upset than I would have assumed, and he seemed to dislike Mel for no discernible reason.¡± They glanced upwards, thinking it through, as their ears twitched with concentration. ¡°That is likely, isn¡¯t it? I could guess that there was something going on between them from that, right?¡±
¡°Maybe.¡± Pearla said, ¡°But, I promise you, he won¡¯t be any happier if he thinks you¡¯re spending time with him out of pity.¡±
¡°Hmm...maybe not.¡± TO said as they considered the issue, ¡°But would it bother him if I spent time with him out of boredom?¡±
Pearla frowned at them, her tail twitching on the ground. ¡°I don¡¯t know?¡± She said, ¡°I Think they¡¯d have a hard time believing you¡¯re already bored. The kids haven¡¯t even really gotten bored yet.
¡°It¡¯s different for me.¡± TO explained, ¡°I¡¯ve been sitting here for days. Before today, it wasn¡¯t so bad since I was on heavy medication.¡± They rubbed the space over their knee once more. It still didn¡¯t hurt, not yet, but the only way they could explain how it felt was ¡®Itchy on the inside.¡¯ Hopefully, the medication DH would give them would make that sensation go away, ¡°Now though...¡± They frowned as they glanced up at the show which had been playing in the background, the sound so low that Constance wouldn¡¯t hear it while she slept. ¡°I¡¯m not used to having quite so much free time.¡± They said. ¡°And all this free time at once is too much for me.¡±
¡°It is?¡± Pearla tilted her head at TO. ¡°But you and DH were all along on the ship while you came here, right? Wasn¡¯t that boring?¡±
¡°Not really.¡± TO said, ¡°Monotonous, perhaps, but not boring.¡± They leaned back. ¡°Each day, we start by doing basic chores around the ship to keep it going. It probably doesn¡¯t look like that much since DH, GiDi, Flit and Snout are working on it, but there were many tasks that had to be done every day. Then we had to do exercise to keep in shape, and after that we had to study up on Arkanian culture and politics, and follow the recent news. We did have a lot to do, honestly.¡±
¡°I¡¯d think you¡¯d appreciate the rest, then.¡± Pearla said, ¡°Even once you were underground with us, you were always so busy-¡°
¡°And now... I¡¯ve come to a screeching halt.¡± TO said as they slumped back against the wall. ¡°When I woke up this morning, and the medication wore off a little, and I realized that I didn¡¯t have to do anything today... at first, that was wonderful.¡± They smiled softly, their ears warming up. It had been so lovely when they woke up. It was more crowded in their little sleeping area, of course, but TO had a spot near the wall due to their injury, and DH would always sleep right next to them. Waking up naturally in their mate¡¯s embrace and realizing there was no need for them to get up had been a luxury to TO. For a while, they could relax in DH¡¯s arms without worrying about how much longer they might have to rest. ¡°But I¡¯m not used to this much unlimited time to myself. DH can¡¯t be with me all the time-¡° They gestured over to DH, who was still entirely focused on Vik. TO wasn¡¯t even certain that they had noticed Pearla. ¡°They have work to do, and I can¡¯t help them. I can¡¯t go about the ship to do basic maintenance, and DH does the work I could do sitting down.¡± They looked back to Pearla, ¡°But if I wanted to spend some time with Tham while everyone else was busy, then I think that would be alright.¡±
¡°... At the very least, I think Tham would get that.¡± She muttered, ¡°He¡¯s not used to being idle either.¡±
¡°Then it¡¯s settled.¡± TO said, ¡°Tell me the best time to go see Tham, the best time when the kids might be busy elsewhere, and I¡¯ll go up and find him.¡± They cleared their throat. ¡°It¡¯ll have to be tomorrow, though. I should hopefully have a chip on me by then. I¡¯m fairly certain DH wouldn¡¯t like me going around without a chip... and honestly, I wouldn¡¯t be comfortable doing that either.¡±
¡°If you¡¯re sure.¡± She said, but even as she spoke TO caught the breath of relief she released, and saw how her tail suddenly relaxed, ¡°But don¡¯t tell him you know about-¡°
¡°I won¡¯t.¡± TO said, ¡°If he asks, I will simply say I gathered that they were close. That is true. If he finds out that I know, I¡¯ll just point out how obvious the signs were when we spoke that day.¡± They huffed and looked aside. ¡°Of course, I don¡¯t have to tell him I didn¡¯t figure it out on my own.¡±
Pearla reached out, gently squeezing TO¡¯s forearm, ¡°Thank you.¡± She said, ¡°Thank you so much. I¡¯m just so worried about him...¡±
¡°I don¡¯t know if I¡¯ll be any help with that.¡± TO said. ¡°But... I¡¯ll try.¡± They chuckled, ¡°I Don¡¯t even know what I¡¯m supposed to do with him. We¡¯ve never spent time together before outside of the work we did before.¡±
¡°I can figure that out,¡± Pearla said. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll be down tomorrow to make sure you¡¯re still ok with this, and then I¡¯ll figure out the best time.¡± She looked into TO¡¯s eyes, ¡°You¡¯re sure you¡¯re ok with this?¡±
If they hadn¡¯t been, they¡¯d still have done it. They¡¯d have done it for GiDi, since it was their mate asking them to do this, for Pearla, who had already done so much for them, and for Tham, whose grief at everything that had happened TO could only imagine.
¡°I am entirely sure.¡± Episode 398: Din
The once empty and almost peaceful weapons bay which took up an entire level of the ship was now packed with civilians and engulfed in a cacophony of noise. It was so loud and chaotic that as soon as TO got off the elevator the next day they immediately set the specialized translators in their ears to a filtering mode, turning it up higher than normal so that the surrounding din faded to a distant roar. A part of them hated using this as it would prevent them from using their echolocation, but it wasn¡¯t as though they¡¯d be able to use it here, anyway. Besides that, why would they need to use echolocation up here?
As the elevator and the doors closed behind them, TO felt the oddest thrill of fear run through their spine; a fear for which they had no explanation. They kept thinking that if they got attacked up here that they were alone, injured, and in a wheelchair. They wouldn¡¯t be able to defend themself, and they weren¡¯t even armed! In this state, it would be relatively easy for a civilian to attack them and really hurt them.
in this state, a civilian could probably kill them.
The civilians here didn¡¯t want to kill them, TO knew that, but it did little for the fear that someone might take this opportunity to do just that. The image of Beck stalking towards them in the dorms back on Arkane, the flash of her claws in the light, came back to them, and TO¡¯s wings tightened around their shoulders.
is everything alright?
The voice in their ear made them jump at first, and they stifled a yelp as they put a hand to their ear where DH¡¯s voice had echoed, though. Right, they had nearly forgotten the modifications done to the translators. TO took a moment to calm themself before reaching to their wrist and pressing the bracelet there. The bracelet had also been modified. It held their armor, yes, but it but it also held their chip in place. It could still be removed, of course, but it required a special password which TO would have to subvocalize to a specific communication channel accessed through the chip.
¡®I¡¯m fine.¡® TO sent back, subvocalizing to send the message to DH. That had been an alteration that DH and Kei had come up with together, apparently. It made it easier for them to talk to one another without the need for a communicator, and without needing their helmets. The only issue is that it didn¡¯t work with Synth speak due to the necessity of seeing the ears, so they had to speak Galactic Common just like they had with their helmets. All in all, it was very useful and TO only wished they could offer up some lenses to provide the same information their helmets did.
¡®Are you sure?¡® DH asked back ¡®Your heart rate spiked for a second.¡¯
Heat coloured TO¡¯s ears as they awkwardly clutched at their arms under their wings. Now that they had their chip back, there was no doubt in their mind that DH was watching their heart rate, or at least had an alert set up to warn them of any sudden changes to their vital signs. TO figured that were the situation reversed, they¡¯d do the same.
¡®I¡¯m fine, I promise.¡® TO said, ¡®It¡¯s just a lot more chaotic up here than I expected.¡®
¡®You can come back down here if you like. Another day won¡¯t hurt, and-¡®
¡®No, I¡¯ll be fine!¡® their response came out a lot sharper and quicker than they intended, but TO just couldn¡¯t stand another day of doing nothing.
¡®Alright, but I¡¯m going to ask the others to keep an eye on you.¡®
¡®That¡¯s fair.¡® Again, TO would have done the same thing in DH¡¯s position. ¡¯The others¡¯ simply referred to Flit, Snout, and GiDi. The three of them were up here somewhere and, as TO scanned the crowd, they located Flit sitting on a mat nearby. Flit looked up a moment later, likely having received the request from DH, and likewise looked around the crowd as though searching. They locked eyes with TO, and gave them a quick nod as their ears flicked back momentarily, neutral enough to be friendly but tensed enough to show their attention.
TO nodded back at them before looking around for Tham.
Tham was thankfully easy to find since he was sitting in the middle of a circle of kids, holding up a larger tablet. TO couldn¡¯t see what was on the tablet, but it was clear from the way the children were listening and the way he was talking that he was in the middle of teaching them something. TO quickly glanced over the children that sat about him and saw Constance sitting with the other children, listening with rapt attention. Her friends who sat closest to her and most of the others gathered around TO had, of course, seen at some point in the underground, but hadn¡¯t really met. There was one child that caught their attention simply because they looked oddly familiar to TO, but they couldn¡¯t quite place why. They were one of the Cephaloids, their skin holding a dull grey color, which occasionally shifted into blues and greens. It wasn¡¯t the coloration or the tentacles that made them think of anyone; it was the child¡¯s facial features which seemed familiar; the shape of the face and the curve of the brow.
They placed it after a moment more and looked around for the child¡¯s parent. A moment later they locked eyes with Leanaran, who was sitting nearby and watching the lesson Tham was giving. He gave TO a quick wave before whispering something to the much larger adult cephaloid was with them. The two got up and headed towards TO with three other children in tow. The Children all seemed too young to be learning much of anything, the presumed eldest twisting about in the tentacles of the larger one, and the youngest was sleeping in a sling which Leanaran had draped over his shoulders.
¡°And the hero arises.¡± Leanaran said as they approached. ¡°I heard you got injured while we were escaping, but details have been kept pretty secret.¡± He grinned as he leaned against TO¡¯s wheelchair. His whole posture and general demeanor might have come off as sly, but the adorable baby who slept at his chest detracted from that effect. ¡°Maybe now that you¡¯re here, I might get more details?¡± This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.
The larger Cephaloid made a strange clicking noise as and shifted the largest of the children from one tentacle to another, ¡°Lea, love, the poor thing is injured. Don¡¯t go pressing them for information right away.¡± She looked at TO, approaching with a bent elbow. ¡°Apologies, my partner is always digging for information, even when he shouldn¡¯t. Even when he should be introducing me to the person who reunited and saved my family.¡± She bent down so that TO could easily bump their elbow against hers without having to reach too far. ¡°I am Halarana; She/her.¡± She held up the eldest of the children she had with her. ¡°This is my daughter, Magarana. And this-¡° She held up another child who was a lot more energetic, and which she seemed to hold a little more firmly in her tentacles, ¡°Is Saranaran, our eldest son.¡± She gestured to Leanaran, ¡°That¡¯s Laranaran, our youngest son.¡± she then pointed to the circle of children around Tham, ¡°And our eldest daughter is there, Leanrana.¡±
At first, the names felt confusing to TO as they sounded so similar, but it only took a moment for TO to notice a pattern, ¡°I¡¯m guessing ¡®-rana¡¯ is put at the end of names for females... and ¡®¡¯-naran¡± is for males?"
Halarana smiled at TO, then looked to Leanaran. ¡°I like this one.¡± She said before looking back to TO, ¡°In a sense. That is how it is for our family. in Leanaran¡¯s family, -naran was for males, and -taka was for females. In mine, -rana for females, and -roto for males."
¡°Surnames, of types.¡± TO mused.
¡°Of a type.¡± She agreed, ¡°More like a naming tradition rather than a formal naming rule.¡±
¡°Now that you¡¯re all introduced... Maybe you can tell us what happened,¡± Leanaran said as he gently patted the baby¡¯s back. ¡°You¡¯re clearly injured, and badly. All we were told was that there had been an incident with a different synth.¡± They frowned, suddenly giving TO a sharp look, ¡°Which one? I¡¯ve met most of them, I believe. Not the one that was cooking, but-¡°
¡°It wasn¡¯t one you would have met,¡± TO said quickly. They were grateful that the actual story hadn¡¯t been spread too far and that the identity of most people involved had been kept quiet. It was essential in their mind that Avery wasn¡¯t linked to the incident in any way. ¡°The one who caused a problem... they weren¡¯t a friend of mine. They were...¡± They frowned as they considered their next words, ¡°They are still loyal to King Decon. I suppose that makes them a synth, and not a Chilacian.¡±
¡°I still can¡¯t believe that you lot are the synths.¡± Halarana said, ¡°When Leanaran and I first reunited, they told me that someone by the name of Tio had been working to with Pearl and Mira to help get people out, but he didn¡¯t know you were a synth until... Oh, that other one.¡± She frowned and looked at Leanaran. ¡°The medic.¡±
¡°DH.¡± TO said.
¡°Right! your mate! Well, they mentioned you, said you were their mate, and then after that someone told us that you were all synths!¡± She gave TO a careful look, scanning them up and down. ¡°Honestly, you look a lot less intimidating without that awful armor on. But, your voice still has a¡­¡° She gestured to her throat, ¡°Take no offense, but you all have a twang in your voice. It makes your voices seem almost mechanical.¡±
Subconsciously, TO put their own hand to their throat, ¡°We have three sets of vocal chords.¡± TO explained. ¡°That¡¯s why we sound like this.¡±
If TO hadn¡¯t had the noise filtering active on their translator, they would have heard someone sneaking up behind them. Even when they heard something, it was so muffled that they overlooked it, assuming it was part of the overall background din of the area. When Petra finally wrapped her arms firmly but gently around TO¡¯s shoulders and pulled them into a backwards hug, the three sets of vocal chords which they had just explained suddenly all gave a startled cry.
¡°TO!¡± Petra ignored the cry and hugged TO a little tighter. ¡°We were worried about you! Lendulin and I wanted to visit, and we asked DH about you all the time, but they wouldn¡¯t let us come see you!¡±
As the sudden shock of being grabbed from behind faded, TO realized then that they had never been hugged by a non-synth before. Petra and Lendulin had been there for TO when they were upset, and they had gently placed their hands on their shoulders and let them cry, but they hadn¡¯t been embraced by civilian species before.
TO remembered the information about that family bond in the file about Chilacian family life and remembered wondering if that could happen between different species. They figured it could since GiDi had been able to bond with Pearla¡­ But was it different for a non-romantic pack bond? They didn¡¯t know. It if wasn¡¯t any different, was it a problem?
Petra let go and came around to look at TO from the front, ¡°We didn¡¯t know you were so badly injured though! what happened?¡±
¡°TO was just going to tell us that.¡± Leanaran said, but Halarana wrapped a tentacle around his waist and pulled him away from TO and towards her.
¡°Actually, we were just going to let TO catch up with their friends who have been exceedingly worried about them over the last few days, right?¡±
¡°Ah... yes, I suppose that would be the¡­ polite thing to do.¡± Leanaran said, the color shifting to a slightly pinkish hue. ¡°Sorry, I¡¯ve been in the center for so long... I¡¯m used to getting information.¡±
Halarana pulled him tighter and leaned over, kissing him on the cheek as the two children in her tentacles pretended to gag. ¡°You¡¯re not there anymore, Love.¡± She said, ¡°You can relax and let TO come to you when they¡¯re ready.¡±
¡°Yes... yes, you¡¯re right.¡± He said. He let one of his tentacles twine with hers and let her lead him away. Halarana turned around to face TO once more before leaving, ¡°Thank you again.¡± she said, ¡°We¡¯ve already thanked the others, but wanted to thank you in person as well.¡±
¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± TO mumbled, ¡°Just doing my task.¡±
¡°Yes, yes,¡± she said, ¡°But you didn¡¯t need to do it. So, thank you.¡±
TO didn¡¯t agree with what she said, of course. Yes, they didn¡¯t need to do it, not technically, but working with the insurgency was the thing which would get them and their own family to safety. In their own view, what they did was entirely motivated by self-interest. Still, Leanaran and his family had left too quickly for TO to really make that argument. They could still see them, and watched as they melted into the crowd. Leanaran himself seemed so much different now, so much warmer and more relaxed, and his face seemed so much brighter than it did back in the indebted center. If they had known Leanaran before meeting them in the indebted center, then they¡¯d have noticed how much duller he seemed in there, how empty and grey. The shift in his demeanor reminded them briefly of how Flit seemed so different when he thought he was alone with Snout.
Did TO appear differently when they were separated from DH? Had anyone noticed? The panic that sparked inside them as they wondered this made them feel almost sick, and it took them a while to calm themself. Even if someone had noticed they had to remind themself that it was ok. Though the idea made their ears burn, they told themself that it would be perfectly safe for DH to come up here right now and kiss their ears if they wanted to! That would be far too intimate for such a public place, and far too embarrassing¡­ but it would be safe.
It was safe to love DH, and it was safe for people to know that. Episode 399: Honesty While TO was grateful that Petra offered to push them towards Lendulin, DH had already rigged up their new chip to the chair, so her assistance wasn¡¯t necessary. Ideally, they should have been able to use it much in the same way Flit had been using his mechanical leg, with the chip recognizing it almost as a limb and allowing signals from the brain to control it. The only problem was that unlike Flit¡¯s leg, TO had never had a chair connected to their brain before, so now their mind was connected to a brand new ¡®limb¡¯ which it didn¡¯t know how to control. After some practice, they were able to move it, but occasionally they¡¯d glitch and the chair would either turn suddenly, or stop altogether. It was an improvement on pushing themself constantly whenever they wanted to move. They had tried that for only a few minutes and it left their arms burning from the effort. TO and Petra approached Lendulin without any incident or odd glitches from the chair. She had claimed a small area of the perimeter of the weapons bay for herself, and lounged on the floor with a wheelchair at her back. Whether it was due to the background noise of the area or the task that Lendulin seemed to be entirely focused on, TO didn¡¯t know, but she didn¡¯t notice them until the two had gotten close enough to see what she was doing. Lendulin had a tablet in her hands, but it wasn¡¯t the same kind as the others had used, nor was it the simplified kind that the kids shared. This tablet was slimmer, and the screen lacked the same kind of shine to it that a normal one hand, appearing far less shiny as a result. Rather than use her fingers on the surface, Lendulin was using a stylus. TO leaned in to get a closer look and saw that Lendulin was creating a digital painting of the ship. TO¡¯s ears instantly burned as they looked at it and recalled their own attempt to draw the same thing. They thought they had been doing decently despite the fact that the ship they drew on the tablet looked nothing like the ship they had in their head. They could recall nearly every detail of the ship, but somehow it still looked skewed on the paper, and impossibly flat. Lendulin¡¯s ship glided through space, parting nebula like clouds in its wake like a ship cutting through waves. TO knew that a nebula didn¡¯t work like that, and knew that their ship wouldn¡¯t part a nebula like that, but it didn¡¯t matter; it looked so good. It looked better than reality. ¡°Ah, it¡¯s not finished!¡± Lendulin¡¯s voice pulled TO from their admiration as the screen went dark. In an instant TO went from being in space, looking at their own ship soaring through the luminescent clouds, to being back in the makeshift dorms. they looked at Lendulin, entirely confused by the deep shade of blue that colored her cheeks. Fascinating, Lendulin blushed the same color as a Synth did. It was odd to see it on someone¡¯s cheeks, though. Confused by her objection to her work being seen, awed by the way the ship looked, and still feeling this odd, burning shame and desire in their own chest, the words that left TO¡¯s mouth did so with no consideration or forethought. ¡°That was breathtaking. I¡¯ll never paint like that.¡± Lendulin blinked in surprise, staring at TO for a moment before she laughed nervously, ¡°It was just, uh, the beginning of a thing.¡± She said awkwardly, ¡°And I¡¯ve not painted many ships or vehicles¡­ and I know that, uh, space is a lot emptier than¡­¡± she suddenly knit her brows as she looked up at TO, ¡°Wait. You¡¯ll never paint¡­ like that? I didn¡¯t know you were painting?¡± TO hadn¡¯t planned to tell anyone that they had tried to draw something, especially not after seeing what Lendulin had made. ¡°Ah. No. I¡¯m not.¡± They said, ¡°I just¡­ well, I could never do that.¡± Their ears warmed as they chuckled and looked away. ¡°That¡¯s all. I wouldn¡¯t know how to start, or how to make it look like it¡¯s actually moving towards you-¡° ¡°You totally could!¡± She said, suddenly leaning forward as though excited, ¡°That¡¯s perspective, and it¡¯s almost like math. I hate perspective, but you might like it!¡± TO continued to shake their head, but Lendulin continued, ¡°Honestly, I think anyone can learn to draw or paint! It just takes a lot of time and practice!¡± Her eyes brightened, widening bigger than TO had seen before as she leaned forward. ¡°I could teach you!¡± It didn¡¯t seem to TO that drawing or painting was something that anyone could learn, at least not unless they were very young. Civilian skills like that were, well, just that: Civilian skills. Still, Lendulin seemed so excited by the prospect that TO couldn¡¯t help but stammer out, ¡°S-sure.¡± The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement. ¡°Ok, calm down there, teacher.¡± Petra said as she stepped forward and slipped into Lendulin¡¯s chair. ¡°TO¡¯s still recovering, and more than learning about that, I want to learn what happened.¡± she eyed TO¡¯s wheelchair. ¡°I mean, what really happened? Not the little story that you¡¯ve told everyone else.¡± TO weighed what they could tell the two, and figured at first that they could tell them more or less everything without telling them about Avery¡¯s potential involvement. However, as they considered that, their stomach seemed to churn, and their ears flicked down in guilt even before they had said anything. They remembered Lendulin¡¯s anger when she found out that TO and DH had been synths this whole time: Anger not over the fact that they were synths, but anger over the fact that they thought they were friends and TO had hidden that fact from them. *It would be good to get their perspective anyway, right? Maybe the other civilians wouldn¡¯t react as poorly as they feared. Maybe the civilians would be willing to give Avery the benefit of the doubt, no matter how damning things seemed for them. ¡°Alright.¡± TO said, feeling oddly relieved and lighter once they convinced themself to tell the two everything. ¡°So... it started the day we were planning to leave. We were sleeping, and all of a sudden our communicators woke us up...¡± ====== Petra and Lendulin were quiet for a while once TO was done. Through the story, their expressions had gone through rapid transformation, cycling often between rage, shock, and fear. It made TO feel better that they skipped over the details of how they had found Avery and avoided an in-depth description of exactly how Kei had hurt them once the other synth had shot their knee and bound their hands. Petra¡¯s expression turned unfathomable to TO, her demeanor icy in comparison to how she normally was when they got to the part about Mark coming into the room and Kei turning and shooting at him. Though they had originally intended to tell them everything, Petra¡¯s reaction was enough to convince them to skip over any comment about Mark after Kei shot him, and how TO had simply focused on Avery and shouted at Mark to stop them. They hadn¡¯t even told DH that, not yet. They didn¡¯t think they ever could. ¡°You mean to tell me...¡± Petra said, her voice low and quiet as she spoke, ¡°That Avery, the one who let Kei go, is still on the ship?¡± TO¡¯s ears dipped down, and they instantly wished they could go back in time and choose not to tell them anything about Avery. Still, at least now they knew what everyone else would think of that. At least she kept her voice down. ¡°I don¡¯t know what happened,¡± TO whispered, keeping their own voice low enough that Petra and Lendulin had to lean in to hear them. ¡°But Avery wouldn¡¯t do anything to hurt GiDi, DH, or myself.¡± They said firmly. ¡°That I do know.¡± ¡°Yeah...¡± Lendulin said, drawing out the word as she considered it, ¡°I mean, if Kei and Avery were working together, then why would Kei stab Avery in the neck?¡± she frowned and looked up at TO, ¡°Avery is your friend, right?¡± ¡°Right.¡± TO said, their ears relaxing despite the fact that they never noticed how they tensed up, ¡°They¡¯re more than that, actually. They¡¯re family.¡± They figured they¡¯d explain the whole thing to the two of them at some point about Ankyra and the family bonds, but they didn¡¯t want to go into that right now. Petra huffed and looked away, but clearly she was softening. ¡°Well... either they had something to do with it, or they were very unlucky. Still, why wouldn¡¯t they tell you they were going to see them then? Why were they even there?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± TO said as they looked down at their lap, ¡°That¡¯s... well, we¡¯re waiting for them to wake up to tell us what happened.¡± When they woke up. Not if, when. They refused to think about the potential of them not waking up. Also, what happened if they woke up and didn¡¯t remember anything? What would they do then? Petra sighed again, ¡°Well... I suppose you know them better than I do.¡± She said, ¡°I figure you wouldn¡¯t have them on the ship if you thought they¡¯d do something. Still....¡± she looked down at TO¡¯s leg again, observing the heavy bandages before flicking to the chair itself. ¡°They had something to do with it. Intentional or not. If they hadn¡¯t been there, do you really think that Kei would have escaped?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± TO said truthfully. Kei¡¯s behavior had changed since the procedure, so they didn¡¯t know if they would have found a way to escape with or without Avery. Before they could consider that any further, they heard the din of noise behind them momentarily increase. As they turned to look, they saw two kids playfully wrestling atop some thick blankets. They recognized one of them as Leanaran¡¯s eldest daughter. If she was now playing with other kids, didn¡¯t that mean that Tham¡¯s time teaching the kids was over? They looked around, but didn¡¯t see him anywhere. Where could he have gone so quickly? ¡°Is something wrong?¡± Lendulin asked as she watched TO look around. ¡°Yes.¡± TO said, ¡°I came up to talk to Tham, but he seems to have disappeared. ¡° Episode 400: Search There weren¡¯t many places on the ship for a person to hide, and though Pearla told them that Tham had a tendency to disappear after taking care of the kids TO was certain that they could find him. There were only so many places he could go after all: it wasn¡¯t as though he could have gone outside for a walk. A quick search around the weapons bay proved to TO that Tham wasn¡¯t there. They called down to Vik. ¡°I need to know where Tham is.¡± They said as soon as Vik answered their call. ¡°He ran off as soon as he was done with his lesson for the kids.¡± Vik was silent for a moment, the faint static on the line and slight shuffling in the background the only noise TO could hear for a long time. ¡°Well.¡± Vik said when he finally decided to break the silence, ¡°I can tell you that he¡¯s on the ship.¡± TO¡¯s ears flattened parallel to the ground. ¡°No, really?¡± They said, ¡°I thought he had gone for a stroll around the ship.¡± ¡°... I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever heard you be sarcastic before.¡± Vik said, ¡°I figured synths didn¡¯t do sarcasm.¡± ¡°Well, surprise, now you know,¡± TO said. ¡°Now do you know where Tham is?¡± ¡°Look, I wasn¡¯t trying to be funny. Well, ok, maybe a little...¡± Vik cleared his throat, ¡°But honestly, all I can tell you is that Tham is on the ship.¡± ¡°You were able to give me perfect direction to a person¡¯s location back on Arkane.¡± TO said. ¡°Well, yes, but for a good reason.¡± Vik said, ¡°First, back on Arkane, I was mostly tracking people for you in the tunnels. If I have the ability to track someone within a certain radius, it¡¯s easy enough for me to tell you they¡¯re in a certain tunnel. Closer to the main areas, I had sensors set up to make my readings more accurate. You¡¯re asking me to determine exactly where Tham is within that radius, which covers about 90 percent of your ship. I can tell you he¡¯s not in the engine room, and he¡¯s not out in the weird tentacle-jets your ship has. What¡¯s up with those things, anyway? They don¡¯t look very sturdy. But hey, I don¡¯t know much about ships, so I don¡¯t really know.¡± In the background, TO could hear DH explain briefly how it improved maneuverability in space, and how they could retract for landing and takeoff from planets. ¡°Alright.¡± TO said, considering their options, ¡°What floors do you have the elevator set to go to?¡± ¡°All of them, except the engine room.¡± Vik said, ¡°The others are all being used in some way, right? Privacy room, and med room. The bit with the emergency ship has extra chemical toilets set up there, the exercise-¡° ¡°Alright.¡± TO said, sighing, ¡°I¡¯ll go take a look.¡± ¡°Right.¡± Vik said, ¡°Sorry I can¡¯t be more helpful, but I don¡¯t have surveillance set up yet. There¡¯s been more important-¡° ¡°Do not set up surveillance on my ship!¡± TO said, their ears suddenly pinning back. They had been so pleased when they first settled in on the ship that DH could cut off the Officer¡¯s ability to monitor them. Once DH turned their little ship into a haven for the two of them where they could speak their mind and act as they wanted, TO had relaxed in a way they never had before. Being under observation in the underground was something they managed decently, but the idea of their ship, their home suddenly being set up to observe them? No, they wouldn¡¯t allow it. ¡°Alright, Alright!¡± Vik said quickly, ¡°Shit, it was only to help keep track of people.¡± ¡°... Apologies.¡± TO said after a moment, lowering their voice as they looked around the weapons bay. Though most of their conversation was obscured by the noise, their sudden shouting had drawn a few eyes to them. ¡°Just, please, don¡¯t set up cameras around here. I¡¯m sure I can find Tham.¡± TO heard DH saying something to Vik in the background, but this time their mate was speaking so softly that they couldn¡¯t make out the words. TO could only hear the cadence of their voice, the flow of the sentence. This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. ¡°Alright, no cameras.¡± Vik said, ¡°And... it¡¯s fine. Don¡¯t worry about it.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± TO said as guilt over their snapping at Vik crawled into their stomach, ¡°Look, I need to go find Tham. I¡¯ll be back later.¡± They cut the line before Vik could say anything else in response, and made their way to the elevator to start their search. Any guilt that began spreading roots in their stomach could wait for now; Pearla asked them to spend time with her brother¨Cspecifically, to attempt to befriend him. If Pearla wanted them to do something, they¡¯d do it. She deserved that much for standing up for TO about the whole fail safe thing. If Pearla needed something, TO would do it. ====== It took longer to find Tham than TO would have liked, and they nearly missed him altogether. They gave a more thorough search of the weapons bay, and asked if anyone had seen Tham, but nobody had seen him since he finished helping with the kids. TO themself had a hard time looking for him as they were stuck in their chair and for the first time in their life they experienced what it was like to be short. They didn¡¯t recommend it, at least not for finding people in a crowd. Petra helped them look, climbing up on an old chair and looking out over everyone¡¯s head to find the red Nagarajin, but after checking from four different angles she had to report to TO that she couldn¡¯t find him and that she was fairly certain he wasn¡¯t here. The exercise was the next place they checked, and it was full as well. A few people were using the adjustable weights while a handful of kids chased each other around to get rid of pent up energy. TO looked around quickly but didn¡¯t want to stay in the room as it reeked of sweat and body odor. They were used to that from training, but this was different: it was as though it had ripened. Maybe the air filters weren¡¯t working as effectively as they should, given how many people were using it each day. They sent off a note about the issue to DH, then continued their search. The next place they checked was the hall that led to the ground floor entrance hall. The Privacy room wasn¡¯t in use, and TO could hear the whirr of machines from Avery¡¯s room. They didn¡¯t linger long, and went down to the next floor to check if maybe he had used one of the extra washrooms set up there. When the elevator opened, it took TO by surprise how narrow the room seemed now: The chemical toilets, which were blissfully effective as TO couldn¡¯t smell anything aside from the almost sickly sweet smell of the chemical itself, lined the wall between the maintenance closets. . They didn¡¯t know who was cleaning the toilets every day, and honestly, they didn¡¯t want to know. It was a job that they couldn¡¯t do until they had a new knee; a lucky situation in their mind as they had dealt with enough sewage for their entire life. They waited around for a while, listening to the idle chatter of the dozen people waiting around to use one of the toilets, until someone came out of each small closet-like structure. Tham wasn¡¯t among them. A quick glance into the emergency ship proved that it, too, was empty. With a sigh, they went back to the elevator. Tham had to be in here somewhere, so what did they miss? Vik said that he couldn¡¯t have been in the engine room, but what if Vik was wrong about that? What if Tham had gotten up there? TO looked around the elevator, ignoring the door as it opened on the ¡®ground¡¯ floor as they looked for any sign of tampering. What they couldn¡¯t ignore was the sound. They had somehow missed it earlier: maybe it hadn¡¯t been there when TO checked, maybe they were distracted by the sound of the systems which currently kept Avery alive, or maybe they were in such a rush to get away that they didn¡¯t pay enough attention. Still, this time they heard ragged, hard breathing from deeper in the hallways. The elevator doors began to close, but TO quickly wheeled themself in the way and they retracted. The sound of their chair moving and the sudden beep the elevator gave as it detected someone in the way of its doors seemed to cut though the sound, and when TO listened again, they didn¡¯t hear anything. Well, it didn¡¯t matter that they didn¡¯t hear it now: they had heard something before. They pushed themself out, and the elevator doors closed behind them. They¡¯d be here for a while now until the elevator came back. Slowly, TO maneuvered themself to each door, first the privacy room which was thankfully quiet, and then to Avery¡¯s which continued with the rhythmic, steady hum that tracked Avery¡¯s heart. Nothing unusual there. They heard another sound, as though someone had been holding their breath, and suddenly gasped for a quick gulp. Yes, someone was there, and clearly they were hiding. Their ears pinned back as they looked around and rolled further down the hallway. Was Tham here? If he was, what was he hiding? Was he plotting something? They rolled into the main foyer, which was meant to be a type of waiting room for civilians who wished to speak to the emissaries of King Decon. They were fairly certain that the plastic padded seats had never been used before, though. Well, not until now. In the wall closest to the hall from which TO had entered, tucked away in the corner, was Tham. The puffy, blood-shot eyes and shaking shoulders told TO immediately that while Tham was hiding, it wasn¡¯t because he was plotting anything. He looked at TO, his coloration darkening, his eyes opening to a kind of panic. Around him on the floor were empty jars, all dry and empty. Next to him on the seat were a few bottles of what TO recognized immediately as the compressed air they used to clean, delicate equipment. Pearla had been right to be worried. Episode 401: Air Tham¡¯s heavy breathing stopped, and his coloration darkened dramatically. At first, TO thought that he¡¯d be angry that they had found him in such a state that perhaps he¡¯d attack. That tail could do some serious damage, and TO wouldn¡¯t be able to get out of the way. As the moments passed, it seemed as though an attack was highly unlikely, as Tham seemed simply frozen in place. TO moved first. They rolled up towards Tham, who looked away and became suddenly invested in the fake leather fabric of the seat. Surprisingly, he didn¡¯t say anything as TO approached. Even TO wondered what he could have said at this point to explain what was going on here in any way other than the obvious. Once TO came close enough to the seats, they reached out and picked up one of the bottles. There were several, and the labels on them were all written in synth-speak. Tham wouldn¡¯t have been able to tell what was in them at a glance, but the long, detachable nozzle on the end and the visual instructions on the side would have made it clear that it contained compressed air. ¡°You know.¡± TO said, their voice calm and almost indifferent, as though they hadn¡¯t walked in on Tham alone in a secluded part of the ship, crying and trying to huff fumes from compressed air. ¡°I read that these used to be able to get people high.¡± The color drained from Tham¡¯s face, leaving him with a full pallor. ¡°Used to?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± TO continued as they shook the bottle and quickly tested the air against the armrest of their chair. ¡°In fact, that was an actual problem among civilian populations even as recently as ten cycles ago.¡± They looked around and found the lid for the bottle sitting on the seat next to Tham. TO gestured and almost as though in a daze, Tham picked up the cap and passed it to TO. ¡°Even now, if you go to shops with older products or just happen to come across some of this stuff in an old storage room somewhere it could still have the chemicals that can induce that effect.¡± They turned the bottle over and checked the production date. ¡°... And they¡¯re not now?¡± Tham asked, their voice broken and quiet. ¡°No.¡± TO said as their ears relaxed, ¡°There was always a way to remove the harmful chemicals from this stuff, but it used to be too expensive and troublesome to do. About ten years ago, a simpler purification system was put in place, something cheap and effective. Health and safety laws were changed and both civilian and synth manufacturers implemented the new technology immediately. Anything made after that time...¡± They shrugged, ¡°The worse it¡¯ll do is make you a little dizzy from trying to breathe it in.¡± ¡°I see...¡± Tham said, still not making eye contact, ¡°And... out of curiosity-¡° ¡°These were made two cycles ago.¡± TO said, answering his question before Tham had a chance to ask it, ¡°They get used fairly quickly during routine maintenance, so they don¡¯t have a chance to sit on a shelf for very long.¡± ¡°I see.¡± More silence followed, and after a minute TO made a show of picking up the other abandoned cannisters around the seats while ignoring Tham as he wiped his face with the lower edge of his shirt. TO¡¯s instinct was similar to what they¡¯d do if DH had been crying, or GiDi, or Avery: to hold them, to comfort them and try to make them feel better. Tham was different though, and not as close as the other were. If they had been a synth, then at least TO could have watched their ears to see if such contact would be appreciated or not. Instead, they just listened and when Tham¡¯s breathing slowed, they turned back to them. The script they had in their head was simple: Did they want TO to get Pearla, or they want to talk to TO? Tham had talked to TO before, telling them briefly about Jason, so maybe he¡¯d want to talk again. Maybe Tham would tell TO everything and TO wouldn¡¯t have to worry about pretending that they didn¡¯t know. Their words fell out of their head when they turned and looked at Tham. He wasn¡¯t crying, no; that would have been better than the detached, broken look in his eyes. Without thinking, TO reached out and put their hand on Tham¡¯s arm, gently squeezing. If they had been closer, or not in the chair, TO was certain they would have embraced him. It was a good thing they didn¡¯t. The contact between TO and Tham lasted for half a second before Tham pulled away. This tail lashed against the chairs, his eyes narrowed to slits as he glared at TO. ¡°I don¡¯t need your *pity*.¡± he hissed. ¡°Nothing to do with pity.¡± TO muttered, their ears down as they looked away. Their first instinct was right: Tham didn¡¯t want to be comforted in the way that DH or GiDi or Avery would. The way he reacted seemed more to TO like the way Q10 acted when they fell down that time and DH went to help them up. Why was Tham like this, though? What did Tham have to lose from accepting some comfort? Civilians were confusing. ¡°Well, I don¡¯t need your *sympathy*, then.¡± Tham snapped. TO sighed, ¡°What about kindness?¡± TO said, ¡°is that allowed?¡± Tham clearly didn¡¯t expect that response, and instead of answering back, he muttered something unintelligible. ¡°Well¡­ Anyway.¡± TO sighed and picked up another cannister, ¡°Don¡¯t do this again, got it?¡± Tham gave a humourless bark of laughter. ¡°Why not?¡± He muttered, ¡°You just said it doesn¡¯t do anything.¡± ¡°You know what I mean.¡± TO said, ¡°Don¡¯t¡­ don¡¯t try to¡­¡± they frowned at the bottle. ¡°Don¡¯t try to get high, I suppose?¡± ¡°If I was on Arkane, or any other planet, I could get plenty of legal drugs-¡° Stolen story; please report. ¡°Legal and safe drugs.¡± TO retorted. ¡°The old stuff in these canisters could get you high, yes, but it could also cause a lot of damage!¡± They glared at Tham. ¡°Irreparable damage, in many cases.¡± Tham huffed again and looked away. ¡°Why do you care, anyway?¡± TO knew that the answer they should give was something like ¡°Because I don¡¯t want you to get hurt.¡± Or ¡°Because people need you¡± or something like that. All the shows they watched had this as the solution, to tell the person about all the people that needed them and cared about them. That didn¡¯t feel right to TO, for some reason. Tham hadn¡¯t asked why they shouldn¡¯t do this, they asked why TO cared. Why did they care? ¡°¡­. I¡¯d rather you not die on my ship.¡± They finally said. ¡°Also, your sister is essentially family, and I know she¡¯d be exceedingly upset if something happened to you. Even if it weren¡¯t for how much she¡¯s helped me, I wouldn¡¯t want a member of my family to be upset like that.¡± They frowned as they considered how Pearla was in fact family now, and how her species, unlike Chilacians, did pay a lot of attention to blood relations. ¡°And I suppose that makes you family as well. As such, I¡¯d rather no members of my family hurt themselves in such a stupid way.¡± Tham stayed silent for another moment, then gave another low chuckle. ¡°Well.¡± He said after a moment, ¡°At least you¡¯re honest.¡± He sighed as he eyed the cannister. ¡°Fine. I won¡¯t try to make do with unsafe ¡®drug alternatives¡¯¡± ¡°Good,¡± TO said as they picked up the last cannister; this one was closest to Tham and TO could tell it was empty. The sound the small little shaker inside made was louder than TO would have liked, and it made them uneasy in the new silence of the hall. ¡°You know.¡± They said, ¡°I think that might be the first time someone called me honest. I had a reputation for being a deceptive synth back in training.¡± Another snort, ¡°You? How?¡± Tham asked, ¡°Synths can¡¯t lie to one another, so how could you possibly be deceptive?¡± It had been a long time ago, but TO still remembered it well. They tucked the cannisters into the little pouch on the side of the chair, pulled out a small can of the sugary drink, and held it out to Tham. He took it after a moment of staring and drank half in a single gulp. ¡°It was during a training exercise.¡± TO said as they took out another drink for themself, ¡°And¡­ I was being an idiot.¡± ======= A distraction seemed to work better for Tham than any comfort that TO might have attempted to provide, and the story TO told was apparently just the kind of distraction Tham needed. True, they weren¡¯t especially good at telling stories to children, but at the very least the content of their story was enough to keep Tham interested and asking questions. In particular, he seemed exceedingly interested in the simulation itself, and in the games they¡¯d play as part of their training. ¡°Flit really did that?¡± He asked when TO was done telling them about the time they deceived their teammates in a simulation, ¡°Why? You won! You found a better way to get to the objective, and when your teammates wouldn¡¯t listen-¡° ¡°I wasn¡¯t in charge.¡± TO said as they gently shook their can, listening to see how much was left. They drank the final drop before continuing. ¡°I wasn¡¯t in charge, and I lied to the team leader-¡° ¡°But you won,¡± Tham insisted. ¡°Isn¡¯t that more important than just respecting the chain of command?¡± TO looked down at their can and slowly wiggled the little tab back and forth until it came loose. ¡°No.¡± they said, ¡°Proper synths¡­ don¡¯t do that. Even civilian forces respect the chain of command. ¡± They said. ¡±And it was dangerous in training. I mean, it was a simulation, and I was punished afterwards for it, but things were horrible after that for a while. Other synths didn¡¯t trust me, they looked down on me, didn¡¯t want to work with me¡­ One even executed me in a simulation because they didn¡¯t trust me.¡± The hard tips of their sheathed claws ran against the can. ¡°Before that, most considered me a ¡®good¡¯ synth.¡± They said. ¡°Weird, but good. Capable.¡± They frowned, then looked at Tham seriously. ¡°There was a balance, you know? A certain level of ¡®strangeness¡¯ was allowed. Most of the higher ups were ¡®strange¡¯. But, if you didn¡¯t have the skills to compensate for that¡­.¡± They shrugged. ¡°Death.¡± Tham said, ¡°Or a lobotomy.¡± When TO looked at Tham in silence with their ears flicked forward, it took him a moment to realize that it was an expression of confusion. ¡°Uh, correction.¡± He shook his head. ¡°GiDi mentioned that. Laser to the brain. Goretta said that from her research and her understanding it was basically a lobotomy with a laser.¡± ¡°Well.. I suppose.¡± TO said. ¡°If you were corrected, at least you could be used for basic labor. If you couldn¡¯t even be useful that way, you got repurposed." ¡°Murdered, and your organs harvested.¡± Tham said. His eyes narrowed again. ¡°I hate how you all don¡¯t call it what it is. You make it sound like you¡¯re garbage being recycled.¡± TO shrugged again, ¡°That¡¯s what we were.¡± They said. ¡°We were things. Tools. We were called tools. What do you do with a broken tool?¡± They waited for Tham to answer, but when he didn¡¯t TO continued, ¡°You fix it, if you can. If you can¡¯t, you get rid of it. Recycle it. If it doesn¡¯t work or it wears down or breaks or just gets too old¡­¡± they trailed off, remembering the one synth in reclamation whose age had slowed him down to the point where they were no longer worth the food they were allowed, the air they breathed, or the space they took up. ¡°All I¡¯m saying.¡± Tham said, their change in tone so quick that even TO picked up on it, and picked up on his attempt to change the topic, ¡°Is that Flit should be the last one to punish you for disobedience? I mean, look at them: they were sending us synths for years and plotting with us while training you lot. I¡¯m sure that went against their ¡®orders¡¯¡± ¡°They also weren¡¯t under constant observation.¡± TO pointed out. ¡°They weren¡¯t being watched for any problematic behaviour. That gives you more freedom.¡± they shook their head. ¡°If I had done pulled that stunt around any other officer¡­.¡± They paused, wondering if such action on its own would actually have led to them being corrected. They were certain it could, but they didn¡¯t know if the officers considered them skilled enough to avoid correction in that situation. ¡°I don¡¯t know that I¡¯d be here now. I don¡¯t know that I¡¯d have survived.¡± ¡°Right.¡± Silence covered them once more. Why had TO come down here in the first place? Right. They had come down here to try to ¡®befriend¡¯ Tham. They weren¡¯t sure how effective they had been so far, but distracting Tham from his sorrows and keeping him from huffing air from a can were likely things that Pearla would have approved of. Still¡­ how would they make friends with him? They recalled everything they could from shows where two characters became friends and while many of the solutions wouldn¡¯t have worked, they recalled one that might.¡± ¡°¡­Do you want to see some of the simulations?¡± TO asked. ¡°We don¡¯t have the full system here, of course, but we do have basic training games. We could run one together if you¡¯d like.¡± A snort of suppressed laughter escaped Tham. ¡°What.. you want me to play video games with you?¡± TO¡¯s ears warmed as Tham said that, and they recalled that most of the shows they watched with featured the forming of friendships were about children, and not adults. They were about to take it back and change the topic, but Tham chuckled again and shook his head. ¡°Sure.¡± He said. ¡°Show me what games you got on this thing.¡± Episode 402: Activity
TO didn¡¯t realize that DH had been waiting for them back in the main living quarters. As soon as the elevator door opened and TO rolled themself out, DH was there, taking TO¡¯s hands and clasping them in their own.
¡°There was activity!¡± They said, their ears flick wildly, the beginnings of tears forming in the corners of DH¡¯s eyes, ¡°Finally, there was activity!¡±
¡°Activity?¡± TO had no idea what DH was talking about, but it almost didn¡¯t matter in this moment. They hadn¡¯t seen their mate this excited in a long time, probably not since they had gone on their date so long ago back on Arkane. Whatever it was, TO was happy about it.
¡°Activity!¡± they said again, their ears lifting up even further, ¡°New brain activity in Avery!¡±
TO¡¯s ears lifted then, their eyes widened as they tightened their grasp on DH¡¯s hands, ¡°Avery? Activity!? you mean, Avery is awake!?¡±
The sudden drop to DH¡¯s ears made it clear that that wasn¡¯t the case. ¡°N-no, not yet.¡± They said, ¡°But, there¡¯s been new brain activity! that¡¯s a good sign! It means they¡¯re going to wake up, and hopefully soon!¡± There was another flick to their ears. ¡°Well, relatively soon. Hopefully, before we get to Scraprock.¡±
TO squeezed DH¡¯s hands and pulled their mate closer, wrapping an arm around DH, who knelt down to be closer. TO wished they could properly hold DH with their arms and wings without the chair in the way, but the best they could do like this was half cradle DH in their lap and hug them close.
A moment passed and DH started shaking. Their breathing became erratic, and they clutched at TO. With one hand, TO gently scratched the back of DH¡¯s neck as they rested their head atop their mates. ¡°What is it?¡± They asked, their ears twitching, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±
¡°I.. I was so scared.¡± They whispered. ¡°There wasn¡¯t anything for a while, and Goretta said that happens sometimes, and that our equipment wouldn¡¯t pick up everything, but we weren¡¯t seeing anything new, and... and I was so worried that we wouldn¡¯t...¡±
TO held them closer, ¡°You never said you were worried...¡± They whispered as they nuzzled the top of DH¡¯s head, ¡°You never said anything-¡°
¡°I didn¡¯t want to worry you.¡± They whispered between quiet sobs, ¡°I didn¡¯t want to worry you, not while you were recovering.¡±
TO held their mate, letting them cry in their lap. DH should have told them, should have shared their concerns so TO could help! But that wasn¡¯t something they wanted to bring up right now. Right now, all they wanted was to hold DH until their mate calmed down.
A few moments passed, and TO heard an awkward cough from behind them. ¡°I... I can come back later. Or tomorrow.¡± Tham said.
TO had forgotten anyone else was around them. They hadn¡¯t been as relieved at the news as DH had been, obviously, but their relief and their attention to DH had taken precedence over anything else and they had forgotten that anyone else was in the room. They remembered that Vik was also still there, but when they looked over at him, they saw that Vik was still entirely focused on his work.
¡°S-sorry.¡± DH said, their ears flushed as they pulled away from TO, ¡°I.. I didn¡¯t even realize you brought Tham here-¡°
¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± TO said, pulling DH back in for a quick hug despite their own burning ears. In their head, they kept reminding themself that this was fine, that they could in fact show affection to their mate here and there would be no punishment to follow. Still, how quickly they had allowed that to happen in front of someone else, and how quickly they had forgotten about Tham¡¯s presence when they themself have brought him there scared TO. What if something like that had happened back when they were in training? What if, in the future, they were in a situation where they had to hide their feelings once more, but simply forgot?
They fought the panic for a few more moments before they finally allowed DH to pull away from them. DH stood upright and rubbed their eyes quickly before turning to Tham. ¡°Sorry.¡± They said quickly, ¡°I didn¡¯t-¡° Whatever DH was going to say faded on their tongue as they looked over the Nagarajin, ¡°W-what happened?¡± They asked, ¡°Are you ok?¡± Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.
¡°I¡¯m fine!¡± Tham said quickly, turning away and making his way suddenly to the washroom. As the door closed and locked behind him, DH turned back to TO.
¡°What happened?¡± DH asked. ¡°Is he alright?¡±
¡°He¡¯s been though a lot,¡± TO said after a moment of consideration. They gave a quick glance to Vik to make sure the small hacker was still preoccupied before they added, ¡°He¡¯s not been coping well. That¡¯s why Pearla wants me to spend time with him, I think.¡±
DH nodded. ¡°He looked awful.¡± They said, ¡°But why bring them here?¡±
¡°I¡¯m going to show him some of the simulations.¡± TO said, ¡°We don¡¯t have the actual simulation pods, so we can¡¯t do anything immersive, but we can still connect and run some non-immersive programs.¡± TO paused, their body tensing for a moment as they realize they had overlooked an important flaw in their plan. With wide eyes and low ears, they looked up to DH. ¡°DH,¡± they said, ¡°Tham doesn¡¯t have a chip.¡±
A slight lift came to DH¡¯s ears, followed by the slightest of amused twitches. ¡°No, he doesn¡¯t.¡± DH said, ¡°But we had to give him some access to the ship, remember?¡± They gestured to Vik, ¡°We figured the best way to do that was to use his communicator and trick the ship into accepting it as an authorized chip.¡±
¡°But it¡¯s not a chip.¡± TO said, ¡°He won¡¯t be able to control any aspects of the simulations!¡±
¡°Not unless you use the manual override.¡± DH said. ¡°You¡¯d be limited in what simulations you can run, but it¡¯s better than nothing.¡± They took another deep, uneasy breath as they raised their hand and rubbed their eyes. ¡°We¡¯re nearly done with Flit¡¯s leg, so if you want, we could take some time to design some kind of interface for Tham-¡°
TO reached out and took DH¡¯s hand in their own. ¡°You¡¯ve done more than enough.¡± TO said, ¡°You don¡¯t have to push yourself this hard.¡±
DH shook their head, ¡°I¡¯m not pushing myself.¡± They said, ¡°I enjoy this kind of thing. It¡¯s a problem to solve and... it takes my mind off everything.¡±
TO understood that entirely. ¡°Alright.¡± They said, ¡°If you want to.¡± They glanced back at the washroom, and could hear noise coming from behind the door. ¡°But you don¡¯t have to. Only if you want to.¡±
DH nodded, then bent down to kiss TO quickly before standing up and heading back to their workspace. Just as DH settled back into their work, the washroom door opened and Tham came out. TO could tell that he had just washed his face¨Cor scrubbed it viciously if a deeper red color on his skin was any indication¨Cand while he still didn¡¯t look himself, he looked better than he had before.
¡°I can go.¡± He said as soon as he saw TO, ¡°If you wanted to spend time with DH and Avery...¡±
¡°I always want to spend time with my family.¡± TO said as they wheeled towards the back area, ¡°Come on, let¡¯s see what simulations we can find.¡±
======
The manual override for non-immersive simulations were clunky, just as DH had said, and their selection was limited. Tham had to view the simulation through the screen of his communicator, which meant that they had to find some graphically simple simulation to run. They ended up finding a resource management simulation which they could comfortably run for hours. While there was a competitive mode, TO insisted that they work together in team mode. If they had been in competition, TO feared that their familiarity with these kinds of simulations and their previous training would create such a mismatch that there¡¯d be no enjoyment in it for either of them.
¡°I haven¡¯t played anything like this in years.¡± Tham said after an hour into the game. ¡°Lost access once I turned 22, and didn¡¯t have tech decent enough to run it even if I got unauthorized access.¡± he tapped at his communicator, ¡°This thing can¡¯t run anything more than the basics on its own. Even though it¡¯s connected to your ship, I¡¯m still surprised it doesn¡¯t implode.¡±
¡°What do you mean, you lost access?¡± TO asked. Before Tham answered, TO remembered that the legal age of the majority in Arkane was 22. Before that age, children had access to educational resources. ¡°Did you have access to these kinds of games through the educational programs of Arkane?¡±
¡°Yeah.¡± Tham said, ¡°Honestly, most of the time they¡¯d rather let us play educational games and call it a day. So long as we passed our evaluations, they didn¡¯t care. Honestly, even if we failed the evaluations, they¡¯d just put us in remedial for a bit until we passed. They had no interest in keeping us in the education system until we aged out.¡±
¡°Well... that¡¯s not ideal.¡± TO said, ¡°But, it¡¯s better than I thought it was. I thought kids in the Outer Ring didn¡¯t get the basic education.¡± Their ears flicked down as they recalled all the ways that people who lived out there slipped through the cracks of the systems put in place to help them. ¡°At least the kids were still taken care of.¡±
Tham stopped playing and stared at TO for a while in silence, their brow furrowed. TO worried at first that they had done something to make Tham angry, but after a moment all he said was, ¡°I figured GiDi would have told you.¡±
¡°Told me what?¡± TO asked, now entirely confused. ¡°Pearla, Petra, and Lendulin told me about the state of the Outer Ring. GiDi didn¡¯t tell me anything about it.¡±
¡°Not that.¡± Tham said, frowning. ¡°Pearla and I didn¡¯t grow up in the Outer Ring.¡± he paused, ¡°Well, I mean, we did for a couple of years, but that¡¯s it.¡±
¡°Ah, I¡¯m sorry.¡± TO said as their ears dropped, ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have assumed. I just didn¡¯t think you grew up in the Residential section.¡±
Tham chuckled and shook his head. ¡°I never spent a second in the Residential section legally.¡± He said, ¡°Pearla and I both grew up in the system.¡± Episode 403: System
It was difficult for TO to imagine Tham as a child. It was actually difficult for them to picture any of their new friends as a child. Among civilians, most species had an infancy and a childhood before they were considered adults: this was common knowledge. TO was used to children by now, and though they had seen juvenile synths back in training, it never felt like they were truly synths. They seemed to TO more like the precursor to a synth, the blueprints to the ship, or the gas cloud to the star: not the same thing at all. The idea that a child of a species could eventually become an adult of the same species was simply odd. Maybe it was because they had no recollection of their own infancy. The vague images of the dreamlike state they had lived in until they were detanked had faded quickly, leaving only odd, familiar sensations or a longing for something they¡¯d couldn¡¯t remember.
They couldn¡¯t fathom remembering their childhood, couldn¡¯t understand being the same person as they were when they were young. They related in that way more to a specific species of civilian from the other edge of the galaxy: a strange species that underwent such a transformation during their adolescence and transformed so dramatically into their adult form that any recollection of their childhood was almost entirely detached from themself, if not forgotten. Perhaps that¡¯s why they had never bothered to ask any of their new friends about their childhood. Vik had told them about their family and Lendulin had talked about coming to Arkane when she was young, but even when it was obvious that they were children at the time, TO still imagined them as just younger looking adults.
¡®The System¡¯, however, was not for adults. The second TO thought of kids in the system, they couldn¡¯t help but picture small, chubby faced civilians running around and playing or sitting and listening attentively to an instructor just as the children had been listening to Tham earlier that day. As soon as Tham said that he and Pearla used to be system kids, TO tried their best to imagine what they might have looked like. They knew what a Nagarajin child looked like since they had seen many of them, but they either imagined a smaller version of their adult forms, or pictured children that seemed to have the same color but had no true visual relation to Tham or Pearla.
¡°What?¡± Tham said, chuckling as he watched TO¡¯s confusion show in their ears. ¡°You didn¡¯t think we were system kids?¡±
¡°I never considered that you were children.¡± TO admitted, unable to come up with a less stupid answer in any reasonable time frame. For a second, they worried that Tham would be somehow offended by this, but the sudden bark of laughter that came from him got rid of that fear.
¡°You didn¡¯t think¡­ What?¡± Even though TO was still learning the more subtle ways that Nagarajins expressed emotion, they could pick up on Tham¡¯s amusement and confusion from the way his eyes widened, his smile broadened, and his seemed to shake. ¡°What, did you think I just hatched as a full-grown adult?¡±
TO¡¯s ears dipped slightly as they brought their attention back to the game they were playing. ¡°I did.¡± They said.
¡°¡­Shit.¡± Tham said, going back to the game as well. They were both silent for a while before Tham cleared his throat. ¡°Sorry about that,¡± he said. ¡°Must have been rough.¡±
¡°¡­ Not really?¡± TO said. It never occurred to them that an absence of a childhood which they could recall was any kind of problem. ¡°There¡¯s a few species who naturally hold no memories of childhood once they become an adult.¡± TO frowned, their ears pinning as they considered something. ¡°I¡¯m unsure: Are Nagarajin the kind who can remember everything from the moment of their birth?¡±
¡°Thankfully, no,¡± Tham said with a sigh, ¡°My earliest memory¡­.¡± He paused, frowning. TO couldn¡¯t tell if he was frowning in because of something he was working on in the game or because he was trying to remember. ¡°Honestly, I think it was on the ship that brought us to Arkane in the first place.¡± He said, ¡°I kind of remember things before that, but not well. I wouldn¡¯t be able to tell you if shit actually happened or if it¡¯s something I made up or dreamed¡­ I remember being on the ship coming to Arkane, because I remember we were all waiting around Pearla¡¯s egg waiting for her to hatch. I wanted to stay up and our parents said I could, but I fell asleep.¡± He smirked, His eyes softening slightly at his recollections. ¡°When I woke up, there was this tiny shriveled thing sleeping in a box under our bunk. I thought she was a weird worm or something at first because she was so small. I thought she¡¯d be the size of the egg.¡±
¡°What¡­ what do you mean you ¡®think¡¯?¡± TO asked, now entirely ignoring the game. ¡°You either remember something, or you don¡¯t, right?¡±
¡°No?¡± Tham looked at TO in confusion, ¡°Sometimes memories are fuzzy?¡±
¡°Not mine!¡± None of TO¡¯s memories were fuzzy, and the idea of ¡®remembering¡¯ something, but not being sure if it had actually happened or not, was unsettling. ¡°From the time I came out of the tank until now, I remember everything clearly!¡±
¡°Sounds exhausting.¡± Tham said as he looked back at the game. ¡°Anyway, yeah, that¡¯s around when I started to remember things properly. There¡¯s a few gaps here and there until I guess I was five or six? I got a few memories of being¡­ somewhere.¡± He frowned. ¡°I don¡¯t think it was the outer ring, because I think it was a proper house, but shortly after that we went into the system. I was six, Pearla was three.¡± The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.
¡°Why?¡± TO asked. ¡°What happened-¡°
¡°No idea.¡± Tham said. ¡°Looked up records later, and apparently our parents went into the indebted system and died a few years later.¡±
¡°¡­ I¡¯m sorry.¡± TO said as their ears dipped. ¡°I didn¡¯t know-¡°
¡°I don¡¯t have a lot of memories of them.¡± Tham said, now entirely focused on the game. ¡°And Pearla doesn¡¯t remember them at all. We were close to the other kids in our Pod. Our Pod Parent was kind¨Cwe were lucky in that¨Cand a few of the older kids watched out for us too.¡±
¡°Pod?¡± TO said as they recalled some of the wording used in their file on Chilacian families. A Chilacian family was called a pod.
¡°Yeah, just the name of a group of kids under one adult.¡± Tham said. ¡°In the place we grew up in, I think we had ten kids to a Pod Parent. It was essentially a big family. We all ate together, played together, we took the same classes until we were fifteen or so¡­.¡±
¡°¡­What was it like?¡± TO asked. They knew what it was supposed to be like, or at least how the shows they watched would present the Childcare System: productive learning through play in youth, followed by training for trades or higher education when they were older. There was a level or structure that reminded TO of their own days in training, but of course with far more affection and friendship, and fewer rules on how they had to act.
¡°We were lucky, actually.¡± He said. ¡°Like I said, our Pod Parent was kind. We were educated, fed, and clothed. We even kept in touch with them up until a few years ago. Pearla and I managed to stay out of trouble for the most part, and none of the older kids picked on us.¡± He smirked, ¡°Well, not when we were little. When I was ten or so, some kids from another Pod decided they wanted to give us a hard time. That didn¡¯t last long.¡±
¡°Why not?¡±
A snicker escaped Tham, ¡°Because when they tried I kicked the shit out of them with a smile on my face.¡± my face.¡±
¡°Ah. Well. I suppose that would do it.¡± TO said.
¡°Yeah, for all GiDi told us about you guys and your training, I¡¯m surprised they were so strict about violence.¡± Tham muttered. ¡°Stupid. ¡®yes, you¡¯re all meaningless pawns to King Dick-face. Don¡¯t have friends, or feelings, or any will to do anything other than serve. Be cold and ruthless, just don¡¯t punch one another!¡¯¡± He snorted. ¡°Honestly, you¡¯d think they¡¯d pit you in combat against one another or something.¡± A frown crossed his face. ¡°Though, I think Flit mentioned something about a trial by combat for some class of synth. I can¡¯t remember exactly, though.¡±
¡°I doubt it.¡± TO said, now ignoring the game before them entirely. ¡°You must have misunderstood something. Maybe he was talking about one of the tests in the simulation at the end. They don¡¯t make it clear at first if they¡¯re simulations or if they¡¯re real. Avery never knew for certain.¡±
A long stretch of silence came after that. Avery might be waking up. Did the additional brain activity mean that Avery could tell when they were alone and when they weren¡¯t? Were they conscious inside their head? TO hoped not, as the idea of being so trapped and alone seemed to be worse than being locked in a room alone for a week.
¡°... I¡¯m sorry about Avery, by the way.¡± Tham said, finally cutting the silence between them.
¡°You are?¡± TO¡¯s ears flicked forward, ¡°Really?¡±
¡°Well, yeah.¡± Tham said as he looked over to TO, eyes narrowing, ¡°I¡¯m not that bad, am I?¡±
TO didn¡¯t respond right away. There were many reasons why TO would think Tham might be happy that Avery was unconscious, or even hoping worse had happened. Maybe he had some trust for TO now, but they remembered Tham¡¯s earlier hostility and distrust which sprung just from TO¡¯s existence as a synth. If Tham showed outright hostility to Avery, it wouldn¡¯t have surprised TO at all. Of course, Tham might also have a reason to be suspicious of their friend. Avery had begged for Kai to be released, which had been an overall bad idea, and there was suspicion as to why Avery was in the med room when Kai escaped.
Apparently, the time it took TO to respond was too long. Tham sighed and looked away. ¡°Come on.¡± He grumbled. ¡°No matter who it is, I can be sorry that someone hurt your friend, can¡¯t I?¡±
¡°... Avery isn¡¯t just my friend,¡± TO said. ¡°They are my Ankyra.¡±
¡°Right.¡± Tham said, frowning again. For a second, TO thought that maybe Tham had an issue with the what they had said, but a moment later it became clear that he was again just trying to remember one of those apparently foggy memories. ¡°GiDi mentioned an Ankyra to me before.¡± he shook his head. ¡°They said something about Avery being my Ankyra too, but I don¡¯t even understand what that means. Pearla just says it¡¯s like she¡¯s married into a family, and now I¡¯m part of that family... but GiDi says there are bonds and stuff.¡± He wrinkled his nose, ¡°No offense, but I¡¯m not interested in ¡®bonding¡¯ with any of you.¡±
This time, TO was the one who chuckled. It was a very different sound from Tham¡¯s low chuckle; a higher-pitched staccato laugh with soft clicks sounding under it. ¡°It¡¯s not that kind of bond,¡± they said after a moment, ¡°And I promise, Avery has no interest in that kind of bond with anyone.¡±
¡°Well, I still don¡¯t get it,¡± Tham said as he refocused on the game. ¡°The way your families work is weird, too complicated.¡±
How long had the two of them been sitting together, playing this game? How long had they been talking together? TO had learned more about Tham in a single day than they had over the entire time they had known them, and it hadn¡¯t even been that hard. Tham had been more willing than TO had thought they¡¯d be to talk. Maybe Pearla had been right about her brother.
Of course, they were certain walking in on Tham in the state they were in back in the hall had added to that.
¡°... I could try to explain it to you.¡± TO said. ¡°It¡¯s... a lot of words, but it¡¯s not actually that complicated.¡±
In the silence that followed, TO figured that Tham actually had no interest in learning about it, and no interest in actually being part of their ¡®Pod¡¯ as Chilacian families were called. Odd that it was the same word that had been used for the groups that kids in the system lived in.
¡°Sure.¡± Tham said after what seemed like ages, ¡°Give it a shot. See if you make more sense than GiDi did.¡± Episode 404: Gravity
The conversation with Tham took longer than TO though it would. The way that Chilacian families worked, or in truth, the way any civilian family worked, was still complicated to TO, and comparing and comparing how Chilacian family structures worked in comparisons was proving to be a difficult task. All they felt they had to know was that they had an Ankyra. And they had their mate, and they had others who they loved and who they considered family like Avery and GiDi. By extension, Pearla was their family as well, as was Tham¡­ but trying to describe this using a combination of common words and Chilacian words which didn¡¯t have a Galactic common equivalent. Tham also seemed to be struggling with the idea that an actual blood relation had little influence on the makeup of a pod once a juvenile had grown up.
In the end, DH interrupted them so TO could take some pain medication. Tham sighed and got up as they did, getting out of the way. Wordlessly, he headed to the elevator and TO worried that he¡¯d take off and not come back. Pearla had asked them to spend some time with Tham and try to befriend him and while the task appeared to be going much more easily than TO first expected it would, they didn¡¯t know how it would go if they had to search for Tham tomorrow.
¡°There¡¯s other simulations we can run.¡± TO said, ¡°Maybe DH could find a way to link you in properly so we can run more interesting ones.¡± They remembered the game that Flit had challenged TO to before, which TO had lost miserably. A little practice with Tham might be good for them to get used to the game before they challenged Flit again.
Tham stopped at the elevator and turned around. ¡°What, you want me to come back?¡± He asked.
They recalled the plan made with Pearla, and the reason TO would give for spending time with Tham. ¡°There¡¯s little I can do with my injury, and I¡¯m exceedingly bored.¡± They said. ¡°I would enjoy the company.¡±
¡°But DH is here.¡± Tham said with a frown, ¡°You have company.¡±
¡°I am here.¡± DH said, ¡°But I¡¯m also trying to fix some sudden issues that came up with our systems here.¡±
Issues? What issues were there? They wanted to ask but they had to convince Tham first.
¡°Maybe.¡± He said as the elevator opened before him. ¡°Well see. I might have things to do.¡±
Maybe was better than a no, and TO nodded as Tham stepped into the elevator and disappeared behind the sliding doors.
¡°Had fun then?¡± DH asked as they passed TO their medication. ¡°He was here for a while.¡±
¡°He was¡­¡± TO said as they took the tiny pills from DH and swallowed them, chasing them with a chug of water from the water bottle next to them. ¡°I do have a question.¡± They glanced over at Vik, making sure the small hacker was still focused in on his work. He was. ¡°You know the compressed air we use for cleaning electrical equipment?¡±
¡°Of course I do.¡± DH said, ¡°I use them all the time to keep the setup down here clean.¡±
¡°Right.¡± TO said, ¡°I am aware that the new kinds lack the chemicals to induce a high and have most of the bad effects, but what side effects might there be to trying to inhale it anyway.¡±
With a slow blink of their eyes and a dip of their ears, DH considered the question. ¡°I.. I would have to look into that?¡± They said, uncertain of themself in this. ¡°It¡¯s not something that¡¯s come up before¡­¡± They frowned and stared at TO with wide eyes. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me Tham-¡°
¡°There¡¯s a bunch of cannisters in the hallway.¡± They said. ¡°I have no idea how much he consumed trying to get high, but I need to know if there might be health issues as a result.¡±
Eyes wide, DH nodded, ¡°I¡¯ll took into it.¡± They said. ¡°¡­ How many canisters did he go through?¡±
¡°No idea.¡± TO said. ¡°I have one. The others are still in the hall.¡±
DH sighed and turned to the elevator, ¡°I¡¯ll go check.¡± They said. ¡°I swear, if he isn¡¯t going to have medical issues from trying to inhale who knows what, he¡¯s going to have medical issues from me if he¡¯s used all my condensed air.¡±
======
There was something to be said for a medicated sleep. The way TO¡¯s mind would get slippery as it slipped down into a warm, comfortable sleep was nice, even if TO hated the way they slowly lost control of their mind before that. They generally wanted to be active, to be helpful and productive, and their mind always fought against the way the medication made their body so tired. Once their mind slipped through that phase and sunk under the ocean of medicated calmness as well they were happy enough to sleep for as long as they could. This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.
Waking up was generally more pleasant. The exception to that was when there was clearly something important going on around them and they couldn''t quite manage to drag themself from sleep as quickly as they liked. This time, that was what happened. It was as though several frantic voices were talking, and TO''s mind had woken up but their body was taking far longer. They had no idea how long it actually took them to wake: It would have been hours or it could have been seconds, but in the end it didn''t matter: The half-lucid frustration they felt stretched out regardless.
When they finally had the strength to open their eyes and take in their surroundings, they immediately knew that there was something wrong. Flit, Snout, GiDi, and Pearla, had come down and were talking to Vik and DH at their computer. That was normal enough, and wouldn''t have worried TO too much. Even Tham being there again didn''t bother them, since Tham slept down there with the rest of them.
Pholi and Noss, on the other hand, hadn''t come to their floor since takeoff. TO hadn''t seen Noss at all since he got on the ship and just assumed he was staying out of sight. Honestly, that was the wise option given that most of the others on the ship probably wouldn''t be thrilled to see the former Minister of Security.
"I don''t think surrender is an option." Noss said, dabbing his forehead with his already soaked handkerchief. "King Decon is utterly unforgiving! More than I thought." his eyes were wide with fear as he looked from person to person. "I''d have said maybe if we surrendered he''d spare regular citizens but after the whole nearly murdering everyone on Arkane thing I''m willing to bet he wouldn''t!"
"Not even the children?" GiDi asked. "He can''t possibly thing that they''re complicit in any of this. Half of them can hardly talk right yet!"
"It wouldn''t be a punitive action." Flit said with a sigh. "It would be preventative. Kill everyone involved and the issue never comes up again. It''s also efficient; the easiest course of action would be attacking the ship itself."
TO pulled themself to a sitting position, groaning slightly as they did. DH''s gaze snapped from the screen and went right to DO. "Sorry. we didn''t mean to wake you-"
"Don''t worry about that." TO said, "What''s happening." Whatever it was, it didn''t sound good. The time for ''surrendering'' was supposed to have been long past by now. They were supposed to be free!
"We''re being followed." Vik said. he sent something to TO''s chip and when they opened it they saw a simplified map of the solar system with two highlighted dots basically right on top of one another. Thankfully, this didn''t worry TO too much right away. When seeing even a portion of a star chart, or even something relatively small as a solar system''s map, two dots sitting on top of one another could still be a planet''s width away. They selected the dots, and pulled up comparisons.
The other ship was still very far away. They weren''t in attacking range, so TO at first saw no need to worry about it. However, after watching the numbers for a few minutes they saw the problem; The distance between them was slowly growing smaller.
The other ship was catching up.
TO did the math quickly in their head. The other ship would catch them within a galactic day; within 40 hours.
"Accelerate." TO said simply. "Our ship is going at a fraction of it''s top speed. We can still accelerate and get out of the solar system faster. Once we''re out, it''ll be much harder for that ship to track us."
"Our top speed is lower right now." DH said. "Due to all the extra weight."
"A moment." Pholi said, "We''re in space. weight shouldn''t matter in space, right?"
"Weight matters in space." Flit said. "It''s not the same effect as what we''d experience on a planet, but in escaping the solar system we are attempting to escape the sun''s gravitational pull." They paused, frowning as they crossed their arms, their ears twitching as they figured the best way to describe the situation. "Imagine this solar system''s sun as being ''down''. We''re going ''up'' and trying to escape it''s gravitational pull. The effect is far less obvious, but it''s still there. We''re also dealing with the gravitational pull of other planets which affects the entire solar system."
"I thought we were doing something with the planets to save fuel." Noss said as he searched his pockets for a fresh handkerchief. the one he was using appeared to be entirely saturated.
"We are." Flit said. "But only specific planets. We''re still being affected by the others, in a small way."
"What percentage of our max speed can we go at?" TO asked. They didn''t'' have all the numbers before them to do the calculations themself.
"87%." DH said.
"The ships we saw in Decon''s fleet were designed for combat and destruction, not efficient travel like ours is." TO said, "If it''s one of those, I think we can still go faster than they can." They looked away from their screen and to DH, "What are we travelling at now?"
"30%." DH said.
TO did a bit more math in their head. "Go to 62%." They said. "Just get us to that speed, and get us out of the solar system. We can cut the engines afterwards and drift for a while before we have to readjust our trajectory. It might add a day or so to our travel time... But it''s better to get there hungry than it is to not get there at all."
"The ship following us will be able to catch up, TO." DH said.
"Civilian ships can''t match the speed of even the older Synth vessels." TO said, "And these small ships are the speediest long distance vessels there are. Anything faster needs a mothership as a support vessel to travel any significant distance."
"I know." DH said, "But that''s the problem. The ship chasing us is the exact same as ours."
A brief moment of confusion passed over TO before they put the pieces together. "Oh." They said, their eyes widening. "It''s Kei''s ship?"
DH nodded, and there was only one word TO could find to respond with.
"...Fuck." Episode 405: Authentication TO reran the calculations in their head, the max speed of a synth distance transport ship such as theirs, the rate at which the ship was watching up, and the potential weight that Kei¡¯s ship might be carrying. There was no situation in which TO could imagine that Kei¡¯s ship would have more supplies or people on board than it could comfortably handle without affecting its max speed dramatically. Kei would catch up to them, and TO had no idea what the other synth would do once they did? Flit said that the easiest thing to do would be to open fire on the ship itself and destroy it. Would Kei do that, or would they try to board the ship? ¡°Are we sure it¡¯s Kei¡¯s ship?¡± TO said quietly as they considered the situation. ¡°And not some other synth ship?¡± ¡°Positive.¡± Vik said. ¡°I picked it up on our radar and pinged it to see what it was. I recognized it as one of your ships and DH identified it as Kei¡¯s specific ship.¡± ¡°That¡¯s entirely impossible.¡± Pholi said, frowning as he looked between the two. ¡°We took their chip.¡± He looked to Flit, ¡°You said without the chips, they can¡¯t contact other synths, and they can¡¯t control their ship.¡± ¡°They do have a chip.¡± TO said as they rubbed the new which Vik had only recently created for them. ¡°Mine.¡± ¡°As far as I was informed, each chip is linked to a certain ship.¡± Pholi looked at Flit again. ¡°You said that a ship can only be controlled by a linked chip. Kei would have TO¡¯s chip, which is linked to this ship, not their own.¡± He looked back to Vik, his tail lashing and his little eyes narrowing as the large scales on his back seemed to rise up slightly. ¡°And you said you wiped TO¡¯s old chip, regardless! Even if Kei had a chip, how did they find us? You said that with the cloaking on this, it would be impossible to track this ship outside a relatively close distance!¡± ¡°They are relatively close now.¡± Vik grumbled. ¡°As for how they got this close¡­ unless they were very, very lucky-¡° Noss had fallen silent for a while, listening to them all talk while he dabbed at his face with a fresh handkerchief. Finally, he spoke. ¡°When did you wipe the chip?¡± He asked. Vik frowned and pulled up some logs on his computer. ¡°I did it as soon as I could.¡± He said, flicking through the files. ¡°¡®As soon as you could¡¯ isn¡¯t ¡®immediately¡¯.¡± Noss said. He stood up from the low, squat seat where he sat. ¡°How much time passed between the moment Kei got the chip in the first place, and when you sent the signal to wipe it?¡± Vik pulled up further files, checking a chaotic stream of logs written in a programming script that TO was not comfortable enough with to read quickly. ¡°Hard to tell, exactly.¡± They said. ¡°Ideally, I¡¯d track it from the moment the chip stopped recording TO¡¯s vitals, but they had the chips on those elastic bands.¡± TO¡¯s ears dipped as they looked down at their hand. The new chip was now connected to a much more sturdy half-glove, which Vik said would be easy for them to remove, but impossible to be torn off. They didn¡¯t feel guilty for their actions in removing the chip from their permanent location on the back of their hand¡­ But having done so seemed to have caused a lot of problems. ¡°I¡¯d say ten hours from the time Kei used the chip to contact DH.¡± Vik said after a while .¡±Give or take.¡± ¡°Ten hours.¡± Noss said. He looked to TO. ¡°And I¡¯m assuming you had information about our plans on your chip? Departure times? Course tracking? Perhaps calculations about fuel and supplies?¡± TO felt the blood drain from their face, and their ears fall down. ¡°Yes.¡± They whispered. ¡°And.. what security did you have on your chip?¡± Noss asked. They didn¡¯t have a chance to answer Noss as DH let a curse slip from their own lips first. ¡°There is no such security on the chips.¡± DH said. ¡°Not even a password?¡± Noss asked. ¡°No biometric confirmations? Not even two-factor authentication?¡± ¡°To be entirely fair, they shouldn¡¯t be necessary.¡± Flit said. ¡°They need to touch the body in order to work-¡° ¡°And they¡¯re specialized to our skin: Synth skin.¡± Snout said. ¡°And even if that weren¡¯t the case, someone would need the connection we have in our brainstems to read the chip. In a sense¡­ we provide all the security needed.¡± A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation. ¡°Except when a rogue synth decides to take your chip and run off with it.¡± Noss said, huffing now with irritation. The constant wetness on his skin seemed to dry up and his pupils narrowed. ¡°We¡¯re actually the rogue synths.¡± GiDi said from where they stood behind Vik. ¡°So they¡¯re technically working as intended.¡± ¡°The new chip does have biometric confirmation requirements.¡± Vik said ¡°Thankfully, it gets that just from touching your skin.¡± ¡°Well, yes, now you have security on that thing,¡± Noss said, ¡°But it¡¯s nearly unfathomable that King Decon would have allowed such a glaring security flaw! and now, because of that, we have to assume that Kei knows where we¡¯re going, what supplies we have, how many people on on board the ship...¡± He huffed, ¡°As for how he got access, I assume it¡¯s not an issue to provide access to a different ship with the right authentication.¡± He huffed again and crossed his arms. In the silence that fell, he looked about at everyone staring at him. ¡°What?¡± ¡°¡­you actually know what you¡¯re talking about,¡± Tham said. ¡°Of course I do.¡± Noss said, ¡°I held the damned position for years. I learned how to do the job on a basic level at least.¡± He looked back to DH. ¡°Well, you seem like you know the technical stuff. Can a clean chip be synced to a ship remotely?¡± ¡°Yes. Easily.¡± DH said, ¡°We have to change course. We need to find somewhere else to go.¡± They brought up a series of maps. ¡°Is there any other location we can-¡° ¡°We don¡¯t have the supplies.¡± GiDi said. ¡°We have enough supplies to get to Scraprock-¡° ¡°Ok, but what does it matter if we get to Scraprock and they just show up later and murder us all?¡± Tham says, ¡°We need to change our course!¡± ¡°...Maybe.¡± TO said, ¡°But right now, all we need to do is worry about escaping that ship.¡± They looked to DH, who was still loading up information from star charts. ¡°We can make a plan with our remaining supplies after we lose their ship.¡± DH nodded. ¡°Right.¡± They said, ¡°No.. you¡¯re right.¡± They looked back at the screen and bought up the local map once more. It showed their ship and Kei¡¯s on screen. With a quick gesture of their hand, DH zoomed in until they could clearly see how the distance between the two ships was shrinking. ¡°Now that they¡¯ve found us, they could be tracking us,¡± DH said. ¡°If we want to get away, we need to stop that.¡± ¡°Well, get me close enough to actually establish a healthy signal and it¡¯s done.¡± Vik said, ¡°I¡¯ll just need about five minutes to get in.¡± ¡°Will you?¡± DH asked, ¡°It¡¯s the same system as our ship, and if you still have the codes for TO¡¯s old chip, and if Kei is accessing that ship with TO¡¯s old chip, you can just access the system, right?¡± Vik¡¯s eyes went wide as his little tail flicked excitedly from side to side. ¡°Yes! Yes, that would work!¡± ¡°At least this setup is going to work in our favor for now.¡± Noss grumbled, now sitting down in his chair again, ¡°Still, getting close to them is the opposite of what we want to do, isn¡¯t it?¡± TO was already formulating a plan. They could power up their weapons systems and fight if they really had to, but they both had the same firepower and defensive systems. TO could perhaps outsmart Kei, but they¡¯d still be at a disadvantage since their own ship¡¯s weapon systems had been shut down to divert power and while it wouldn¡¯t take too long to power it up again their weapons would take longer to fire as they had been allowed to idle too long. The other issue with this plan was that they had civilians on the ship, so they couldn¡¯t risk taking on as much damage as Kei could. Could TO outsmart Kei in combat? Probably. Was it a good idea to try? No. ¡°... Let¡¯s do what we did in training.¡± TO said. ¡°Back when we did that simulation with Kei and Q10 and the others.¡± TO looked at GiDi, ¡°Remember? We made it seem like I was getting the flag, but I dropped it, and you got it while the others chased me." ¡°... We don¡¯t really have an extra ship to use.¡± GiDi said as their ears flattened out. ¡°I know that!¡± TO said, ¡°I don¡¯t mean literally. We make them think that we¡¯re going to rush into combat with them and get into combat position.¡± They pulled the ship¡¯s information up on their chip. ¡°We can divert power to the shields, and that should hold until Vik has their tracking system dealt with.¡± ¡°And then what? they¡¯ve caught us at that point.¡± Tham said. ¡°They won¡¯t need to chase us. We¡¯ll be right there.¡± ¡°If they open fire on us, Kei¡¯s ship is going to divert its power from the engines to the weapons system. It¡¯s more effective, and they¡¯ll be trying to break down the shield. We won¡¯t fire up our weapons system though, we¡¯ll keep our engines hot so we can take off as soon as Vik is done!¡± they beamed with pride, their ears flicking up, ¡°We¡¯ll be out of sight by the time they redirect power and get up to speed.¡± ¡°...Do you think that Kei will fall for that, though?¡± Flit asked, ¡°I actually watched that simulation you¡¯re talking about, and it was a good trick, but it was just a trick. I doubt it would work on the same opponent a second time.¡± He glanced at TO, ¡°And they seem to know your mind fairly well, so I assume they¡¯re prepared for that kind of deception.¡± ¡°They do not!¡± TO hissed as their ears suddenly flicked back, pinning against their head, ¡°They don¡¯t know me at all!¡± ¡°...They got you to the storage room.¡± DH said softly. ¡°And they convinced you to remove your armor.¡± ¡°That was different!¡± TO said, but even as they spoke, they had this awful feeling that maybe Flit was right. Kei had outsmarted them then. No, Kei had outsmarted them twice: The first time was when they were out scavenging for supplies, and the second time was in the storage room. They had also, somehow, gotten Avery to release them, which started the whole issue in the first place. Kei had gotten smarter since they had that procedure done... Were they smarter than TO now? Were they better? For some reason, the thought shot through them like fire through their veins, and pooled in the pit of their stomach. ¡°...Hey.¡± GiDi said after a long moment of silence. TO looked up, almost expecting GiDi to give some reason they thought that TO¡¯s plan would work, or to offer some reassurance that Kei wouldn¡¯t predict TO¡¯s thoughts that easily, but GiDi wasn¡¯t looking at TO; they were looking at Flit. ¡°I might have an idea: tell me if this might work.¡± Episode 406: Matters Was a name really all that important? That was one of the things that Kei was thinking about as waited to come within firing range of the insurgent ship. They refused to think of it as another synth ship because it wasn¡¯t; it was filled with insurgents who wanted to bring chaos to King Decon¡¯s reign. But did that matter? Did it matter if they called that ship an insurgent ship, a synth ship, or just referred to it only by its serial number? Likewise, did a name matter to them? Did having a name or not having a name matter? The small civilian crew on their ship seemed to think it did. They wanted something to refer to Kei by, and just using the phrase ¡°the synth¡± seemed to make them uncomfortable. Well, it made most of them uncomfortable; Gyrini adapted to almost anything they told her. It didn¡¯t matter in the end; they thought. They had no proper title, and had gotten used to the name Kei anyway, and found themself responding to the name without thought. Was that a problem? Did that matter? They shook their head, ignoring the questioning look of the small, reptilian civilian doctor who nervously worked to stitch up the wound on their leg. The civilian doctors had stitched it up back on Arkane, but something had gone wrong, and they all had to be removed and replaced. As they were coming up on the insurgent ship in mere hours, it seemed like the best idea to get the wound treated quickly to ensure that they were in the best possible condition to execute the plan. They huffed and looked away from the doctor. The plan was all that really mattered. They could put the thoughts of names and titles out of their head for now. It was a simple plan, and an easy one given that they had seen all the travel plans that TO had on their chip. Still, Kei was determined to do the job properly and record footage of the insurgent ship blowing up. The commander themself had Given Kei this duty, since none of their former officers had any authority over them anymore, as they had disappeared and failed to report in over a week. They wished they had thought to ask the Commander what their title should be, and who they were actually working under, but they couldn¡¯t help the swell of pride in their chest, the way their ears had flicked upwards as the Commander gave them the duty. Flustered and concerned about this development, Kei had ended the communication as quickly as possible and forgot to ask about a designation. It wasn¡¯t important. No, a name, regardless of how they felt about that name, didn¡¯t matter. They were a synth serving King Decon, and that was the only thing that mattered. They didn¡¯t know why the civilians cared so much. Worse still, they didn¡¯t know why they themself actually seemed to care. They hissed in sudden pain; the sensation bringing them back from the thoughts which they seemed to get lost in so often these days and back to the civilian doctor whose needle had stabbed the wound rather deeply. ¡°Apologies, Mx. Kei.¡± The doctor said as they looked down at the floor, their hands shaking, their eyes wide. ¡°it¡¯s almost done-¡° ¡°Then finish it.¡± Kei snapped, glaring at them. They glanced at the half-stitched up wound on their leg, and looked at the blood trickling down the side and towards their feet, trailing around the bent form of their digitigrade feet. They focused on the blood as though looking into it, searching for something¡­ Nothing. Their ears flicked back in a smirk; TO¡¯s aversion to blood wasn¡¯t due to the brain alterations, but was rather some innate flaw in the renegade synth. Kei had seen and drawn blood many times now since the procedure, and never once had they had a reaction like TO¡¯s. ¡°Done, Mx. Kei,¡± the doctor said as they applied a clean bandage to the surface of the wound. ¡°Is there anything else-¡° ¡°No.¡± Kei said as they pushed themself up from the chair. While they allowed the civilians to call them Kei and had no issue with the name, they disliked the title they insisted on using; Mx. It was the most common title for those who were genderless or genderfluid, and it was considered polite to refer to with a higher status to use some kind of title like that, but it was not their title. Kei didn¡¯t have a title. They had explained this to the civilians several times, but they had insisted they were only being polite. Still, the use of that simple title reminded them of what they were lacking, of what had happened. Mx. Mix. Everything had gotten mixed up; Their position, their plans, their mind. No matter. They could fix it all. All they had to do was destroy that ship. As they shifted their weight to their injured leg to test it, the elevator door opened and Gyrini stepped out. Her wings fluttered momentarily at her back as she saw Kei¨Can odd gesture which Kei had yet to parse¨Cand stood at attention before them. ¡°We¡¯re approaching the renegade ship, Kei,¡± she said. Oddly, her simply calling them by that name allowed them to release a breath they didn¡¯t realize they were holding. Gyrini was the only one on the ship who immediately listened and obeyed when they said they did not use any titles, and that assigning them a common one was needless. Still, that moment of relief was replaced by concern as her words sunk in. ¡°It is early for that.¡± They said. They looked down at the medic. ¡°You; go. You¡¯re not needed here.¡± ¡°Yes, Mx. Kei.¡± the medic said as they rushed to the elevator. ¡°Kei has asked you do not use a title.¡± Gyrini said, her antennae flicking back on her head, ¡°You will obey-¡° ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter.¡± Kei said as the doors closed, ¡°Names are entirely meaningless to synths.¡± ¡°Still,¡± she said, ¡°You gave an order, they should obey it.¡± Kei grunted, their ears flicking down with worry as they approached the main console. ¡°We weren¡¯t supposed to approach the ship for another few hours.¡± They said. ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°Unsure. They slowed, so we took advantage of that to catch up further. Eventually, they stopped. We figured perhaps they had a mechanical failure of some kind, but when they next accelerated, they headed towards us.¡± Kei¡¯s mind raced, taking all these little bits of information and laying them out in their mind. That, of course, was the best thing about the procedure that had altered the mind that King Decon had crafted for them. There were so many awful side effects such as the slew of emotions they had struggled to understand when they first woke up, the way their mind would grab a thought now and wander off with it, they way they would sometimes consider things which made no sense, different situations they might never find themself in, and create full narratives from the potentials therein. It was all awful, but the way their mind seemed somehow unleashed was proving to be useful. ¡¯*There is no reason for them to turn around like that.*¡¯ They thought, ¡®*But, there must be. Why turn from their destination? Their time and resources are limited and there¡¯s no other location nearby they can flee to. What¡¯s different? What changed?¡¯ The answer was obvious; it was them, Kai¡¯s own presence. Slowing or stopping, yes, that could be a sign of random mechanical failure, but then they had changed course and turned around to meet them. ¡°They know we¡¯re here.¡± Kei said simply. ¡°I suppose they mean to fight; to take us by surprise and disable our ship before we can attack.¡± That made the most sense. It was possible that they were running scans for nearby vessels, and possible as well that TO or DH might have recognized the ID code for their ship. ¡°I see,¡± Gyrini said, ¡°I admit: I suspected as much. Shall we activate the shields and prepare for combat?¡± Kei was silent for several moments as they considered their options. ¡°No.¡± They said. ¡°Might I ask an explanation?¡± Gyrini asked. ¡°That¡¯s what TO would expect us to do.¡± They said simply. ¡°TO wouldn¡¯t simply go into combat with them like this: Our ships have equal firepower, yes, but they have civilians on board their ship, and as such, they can take less damage. Besides-¡° Their ears pinned down as they remembered that simulation back in training, the one where TO had tricked them, ¡°TO would not fight like that. No, they¡¯d come up with some plan to give themselves an advantage.¡± They knew that TO had a plan. They just didn¡¯t know what it was, as their actions made no sense. Kei walked to the status screen and looked over the numbers before them; the stats on their engines, their fuel information, the energy levels going to the different areas of the ship... If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. They paused and looked at the energy levels. Right now, their shields and weapons drew no power. If they prepared for combat, they¡¯d have to divert a lot of energy from other places to power their weapons system. Ideally, they would stop to divert all that energy to the weapons bay. Ah, so that¡¯s what they were doing. Kei leaned forward and entered a few commands on their console, increasing the power going to the engines and speeding up. ¡°Kei?¡± Gyrini asked as the hum of the engines grew louder, ¡°Might I ask-¡° ¡°I believe TO expects us to stop.¡± Kei said, their ear twitching up again in a self-satisfied smirk. ¡°They expect we will stop and prepare to fight, but they will not. They will continue to move and if we¡¯re stopped, then they¡¯ll have a chance to put further distance between us.¡± ¡°¡­ If that¡¯s the case, then why turn around and head towards us in the first place?¡± ¡°An excellent question.¡± Kei said as their ears pinned back. That they didn¡¯t know. They knew there had to be some reason for it though. ¡°Perhaps they have some plan to stop our ship or limit our ability to track them. Either way, I expect they¡¯re planning on us stopping and fighting.¡± They looked to Gyrini, their ears flicked up again, ¡°If that¡¯s what they want, then we must not do that.¡± Her wings fluttered again, and she nodded. ¡°Understood.¡± She said. ¡°What do I do?¡± Kei paused and watched her for a long moment. After being around broken synths for so long, Gyrini¡¯s unquestioning obedience was refreshing. ¡°You are truly more of a synth than the synths we are chasing.¡± They said. Her wings fluttered again, and though she stayed standing at attention, she seemed to stiffen. ¡°Thank you.¡± She said, her words staccato and quick. ¡°As for what you do¡­¡± They paused and looked at the screen with the tracking program. ¡°Nothing. We watch, and we wait.¡± The minutes passed: Trajectories became clearer and they could see that the renegade ship would be dangerously close as it passed them. The readings showed clearance, but also gave a warning to change course to ensure their safety. Kei reached out to do just that, to allow the automatic guidance system to shift their path ever so slightly and ensure that they didn¡¯t hit the other ship. As their hand hovered over the button, a series of alarms went off as the renegade ship changed its own trajectory to aim not further away from them, but directly at them. A timer appeared on the screen, red flashing numbers counting down from exactly one minute and eleven seconds. One minute and eleven seconds until they crashed into one another should they not change their path. Gyrini scoffed, her antennae flicking back again, ¡°They¡¯re riding the comet.¡± Kei glanced at Gyrini, their ears flicking out as they considered the statement. They recognized it, of course, but they could not recall what it meant. It was one of the seemingly endless, meaningless statements that civilians made up to mean different things. ¡°What does that mean?¡± They asked. Gyrini¡¯s antennae flicked back, her wings tightened against her back. ¡°Apologies. It means they¡¯re¡­ challenging us, basically.¡± She said. She pointed to the radar image. ¡°They¡¯re aiming for us. If neither of us changes our course, we¡¯ll crash.¡± ¡°Ah.¡± Kei said, ¡°Doing something stupid and dangerous in hopes that we will back down. I am surprised. I thought they were more intelligent than this.¡± They didn¡¯t know why TO was doing this, but it was clear what the intention was. For whatever reason, they wanted Kei to turn their ship, to change trajectory and get out of the way. Perhaps they thought that since Kei had civilian staff on their ship for the time that one of the civilians would wrest control of the ship from them and change direction. It didn¡¯t matter what TO thought; they realized. All that mattered was what TO wanted them to do. Right now, it seemed like they wanted Kei to redirect the ship. ¡°¡­We will not change our course.¡± Kei said as they stood, their hands clasped behind their back, their wings puffing in defiance. They looked at the timer, which now showed forty seconds remaining. ¡°They will shift out of the way, and we will follow them.¡± Gyrini nodded, but her antennae pressed down against the top of her head, ¡°They will not actually crash the ship, correct? There are too many civilians on board. Even if they had the nerve and fortitude to crash the ship against us, the other civilians would not.¡± Was she asking them, or telling them what she thought? ¡°I agree.¡± Kei said. ¡°TO will not crash that ship, not with DH there as well.¡± Their ears pinned back, their eyes narrowing, ¡°They turned on King Decon for the chance to be with them, so I highly doubt that they¡¯d be willing to let DH die now.¡± ¡°And what if they do not?¡± Gyrini asked as she eyed the timer, ¡°How long do we wait until we change course?¡± An excellent question. After considering her words for a moment, they pressed a button a button on the control panel which locked the elevator. ¡°We do not change course.¡± Kei said, ¡°They either move, or we crash into them. If they move, we chase them. If we crash, then our duty is done. The collision will destroy both our ships.¡± They glanced over at Gyrini, their ears flicking back. She had impressed Kei so far, yes, but she was still a civilian. A very loyal civilian, but a civilian nevertheless. on the timer, thirty seconds remained. There was still time for her to change their path. ¡°If they do not change course, what will you do?¡± Her antennae twitch, her shoulders shook, and for a moment the solid and steady form of Gyrini seemed oddly frail. Kei sighed, preparing to be disappointed in her. They didn¡¯t know why that bothered them, why it seemed as though she was about to ruin all their good opinions of her, and why that made them feel so oddly heavy. ¡°Well.¡± She said, ¡°I¡­ I guess I¡¯ll die then.¡± Kei paused and looked at her, observing her carefully. They were awful at reading body language without their helmet, but they could see that the idea of crashing into the other ship and dying in a horrible explosion had scared her. Yet, she still simply said she¡¯d die. ¡°You¡¯re not frightened?¡± They asked before they could stop themself. ¡°I am.¡± She said. ¡°I wish I was not.¡± Her long, spindly legs shuffled where she stood and she looked away from the screen that showed their radar tracking and the warning which counted down to the last twenty seconds they had before they could no longer avoid a collision. ¡°I¡­ apologize.¡± She said, ¡°I can¡¯t watch.¡± She looked up, looked around at the small area of the command station, at the bed in the back, at the small table where Kei would often eat alone. ¡°¡­ if I¡¯m to die, at least it¡¯s on a ship in space, and not on the cold, open air of some awful planet.¡± Kei nodded and turned back to the screen. Ten seconds. In ten seconds, it would be decided. They¡¯d no longer have time to move out of the way, and perhaps only seconds after that, they would collide. How fast were they going? If they switched to their exterior view, would they be able to see the insurgent ship yet? Nine seconds. It was a shame that they¡¯d not be repurposed once this was done, but it was a soothing balm that at the very least they¡¯d die while following a Commander¡¯s orders. Die. They frowned, their ears pinning back. Death was never something they considered before. Synths didn¡¯t die; they were repurposed. Eight seconds. What was dying actually like? Was it instant? Was it slow? Would the crash itself kill them, or would an explosion afterwards do the job? Would they be torn apart in the aftermath? They knew that disembodied head can live for a short time being separated from its body, so if they were torn apart, how much would they see or feel? Seven seconds. That didn¡¯t matter. It would be over shortly after. They would just be ended. They¡¯d be able to say they lived and died in service to King Decon. Six Seconds. They had this odd, gnawing feeling in their stomach, like they should say something to Gyrini. ¡°You are a good Civilian, Gyrini.¡± Kei said in the silence that lingered under the alerts and warnings that came from the screen. They didn¡¯t know how their space could seem so silent despite how the noise. ¡°Practically a synth.¡± Five seconds. ¡°Thank you.¡± She said. Her voice sounded strange, deeper than normal, and shaken. ¡°I¡­ wished to be a synth when I was a child. Foolish, I know.¡± Four seconds. Of course, her voice seemed different. She was scared. She was a civilian. Civilians weren¡¯t supposed to die in service of King Decon. So far, in the short time they had known her, the woman had been unflappable, and now she was scared. They knew that she shouldn¡¯t have been, that she should have been thrilled to die in service of King Decon... but how could that demand that of her when they suddenly realized that they weren¡¯t even happy to be dying in service to King Decon. Three seconds. ¡°But.. I suppose at least I¡¯ll die like a synth; in service to King Decon,¡± she said. Kei swore they could hear her voice crack. ¡°I am happy for that.¡± Two seconds. *No.* One second. Kei lunged forward and hit the redirect order as the final second flashed on the screen, unsure if it would work at this point or not. It happened so fast and felt like they acted without thinking, their body reacting and moving and hitting that command before their brain could process what was happening. The ship lunged, the engines shifted and accelerated in a new direction. The sudden movement, the change in speed and direction, knocked them both to the side. Kei felt their wing twist behind them as they hit the wall, and saw Gyrini reach out and grab the nearest surface before she fell, stabilizing herself with her four legs. Something hit the ship, causing it to shudder and causing an awful crunching sound to echo though as an alert came back up on the screen. Damage to Engine 1 Damage to Engine 5 Damage to Engine 6 Mobility compromised: Engine system unstable. Automatic shutdown initiated. Engines retracted. Engines shut down and their ship drifted off into a new direction, spinning from the force of the strike. Thankfully, the artificial gravity hadn¡¯t been damaged, so while the ship twisted and spun in the void of space, they didn¡¯t feel it. They pursed their lips as their ears low and pinned back, Kei got up and looked at the radar again, seeking the insurgent ship. They¡¯d have to repair the broken engines now before they could pursue them, but knowing what direction they were heading in would help them make a plan. The radar showed nothing. Kei frowned and zoomed out. Perhaps they had already accelerated enough to get out of the immediate range the radar was set for. They checked again, but still saw nothing. They switched to the external view of their ship, but due to the way the ship was spinning, they couldn¡¯t focus. Their tracking had failed, and the ship was lost. ¡°What did you do?¡± Kei turned, Gyrini¡¯s tone which was always so steady and constant now had a hint of something else to it, a shaking quality to it. When they met her eyes, they saw the remains of tears on the caprice of her face, but her antennae were pinned back. Kei¡¯s ears dropped, their eyes widened. As they realized what had just happened. ¡°I...I hit the course correction.¡± They said as though they were talking about someone else, as though they could hardly believe it had happened despite the fact that they themself did it. ¡°Why¡± Gyrini demanded, taking a step forward. Kei¡¯s head was spinning with that question, seeing an answer and finding none. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Episode 407: Gamble TO was shaking as they held a hand to their mouth, uncertain if they¡¯d be able to keep from throwing up even as all the others were in the midst of celebrating their very minor victory. The timer had gone down to the very last second despite the fact that Kei had hacked in, disabled the tracking on Kei¡¯s ship, and hid their interference with more than ten seconds to spare! Once he was done, GiDi would have just hit the button, but the moment DH reached to do so, GiDi gently took their hand and stopped them. ¡°Trust me.¡± They said. ¡°This will work.¡± TO would have hit that button in a second, but they, of course, couldn¡¯t get up to do that on their own. Death seemed imminent at that moment and TO knew that Kei wouldn¡¯t turn their ship and move out of the way. If the synth had been ordered to kill them, then crashing their ships into one another would have done the job as well as shooting them. Yes, maybe Kei had a few civilians on their ship, but TO knew the lives of a handful of civilians were nothing when a loyal synth weighed against the will of King Decon. And yet, Kei had turned the ship. When the timer was down to the very last second, Kei¡¯s ship swerved and the countdown stopped despite there being less than a second on the screen. Even then TO didn¡¯t think they had made it since something slammed into their ship. What hit them, and what the damage was TO couldn¡¯t tell, but it was hard enough to change their course. They closed their eyes, the fingers of one hand curled into a half-fist and resting between their eyes while the other still covered their mouth. TO knew that Kei wouldn¡¯t back down, that Kei would gladly crash their ships to do their duty. GiDi¡¯s plan had been a good one, for the most part: appear like they were trying to ram the other ship so they could get close enough to let Vik get into the system and hide their ship on their tracking. They were supposed to hit the redirect button as soon as that was done! But GiDi hadn¡¯t hit the redirect. Even as TO shouted at them too, they didn¡¯t. They had come so close to death, and that left an awful horror in them, but that wasn¡¯t the only reason TO felt like they were going to throw up. That Kei wouldn¡¯t turn their ship had been a certainty in TO¡¯s mind, and nobody had listened to them! And TO had been wrong. So often, they had been right about how another might act, and that had saved them and their friends... but this time, they were wrong. What would have happened if TO themself had been in charge!? A sudden barking laugh drew their attention, and they looked up and saw Tham pat GiDi on the back, ¡°Fuck, I thought that was it,¡± he said, ¡°Don¡¯t even know why I¡¯m laughing about it now. Shit. We nearly died. I nearly pissed myself.¡± ¡°Well¡­ Well, we didn¡¯t die.¡± GiDi said, their ears flicked back and flushed, ¡°Though I was starting to worry-¡± ¡°I was starting to worry!¡± Flit said. The older synth had sat down in a nearby chair, their face pale and their ears low, but they seemed to be slowly recovering their color. ¡°That was a dangerous risk. Relying on Kei¡¯s actions so soon after the surgery-¡± GiDi cleared their throat, ¡°Well, that¡¯s why-¡° ¡°It worked out better than we could have hoped!¡± Vik said, still typing away furiously at their keyboard. ¡°I got a view of Kei¡¯s ship before we got too far away: we knocked out three engines. They¡¯ll have to drift for a bit to repair the damage, so by the time they can move again, we¡¯ll be so far away that they won¡¯t be able to find us! I also had time not just to disable their tracking, but I was able to block this ship¡¯s signal in the system.¡± ¡°What? How!?¡± DH asked, looked down at Vik with their ears up and out. ¡°How did you-¡± ¡°I made the security systems view the signal for our ship as a dangerous signal, so it¡¯ll block it before their systems have a chance to actually figure out what it is!¡± he snickered, ¡°honestly, even if Kei had the thought to go into the security settings and poke around, they¡¯d be a moron to open quarantine files randomly.¡± How was everyone so calm? How were people laughing!? They nearly died an awful, excruciating death! ¡°...How did you know?¡± They said, their voice shaking. Their voice was so low that TO wasn¡¯t certain that GiDi would hear them, but they did. GiDi¡¯s eyes lit up as they looked to TO, then their ears dropped in concern as they saw how queasy they looked. ¡°Are you going to be sick?¡± They asked as they rushed forward, ¡°I can get-¡± ¡°How did you know?!¡± TO snapped, their ears flicking down. ¡°Or did you not?! Were you just taking some kind of gamble!?¡± All the chatter quieted down, and GiDi¡¯s ears flicked back, sticking out slightly in confusion. ¡°I.. well, this is all a gamble, right?¡± GiDi said. ¡°Us being here, going to Scraprock, it¡¯ a gamble. And I thought you¡¯d like the plan. It seemed like something you¡¯d do-¡± ¡°I¡¯d do it when I had no other options!¡± TO snapped, ¡°When I was certain! We could have all died!¡± ¡°... I was certain, though.¡± GiDi said, ¡°I knew that Kei wouldn¡¯t let the ships crash.¡± ¡°How?¡± TO said, their ears pinning back. Their queasiness was fading off. The fear that had paralyzed them moments ago filled them with adrenaline, and now that the fear was sinking away, all that had to divert into something. ¡°How did you know?!¡± This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. They didn¡¯t realize how loud their voice had gotten, how sharp it became until they heard the silence that fell after, and the echo of their own voice seemed to bounce about in their head. Worse than that, worse than the way everyone was looking at them in surprise, was the way GiDi was looking at them with their ears down and their wings falling limp around them, their ears down. ¡°I¡­ I thought you¡¯d be impressed.¡± GiDi said, their voice small and quiet. TO drew in a slow, deep breath, and when they spoke again, their words were quiet and slow. ¡°We nearly died.¡± They said, ¡°On a gamble.¡± ¡°But you do this kind of thing all the time.¡± GiDi said, frowning, their ears pinning back ever so slightly. ¡°That¡¯s different!¡± TO hissed, ¡°That¡¯s-¡± ¡°Emotions are high at the moment.¡± Flit said quickly, stepping between the two. ¡°Take a breath, maybe get some rest, and-¡± ¡°I want to know why they were so confident to risk our lives,¡± TO hissed. ¡°Did you forget that Pearla is on the ship? Your mate?¡± GiDi¡¯s eyes narrowed, their ears flicked back, their wings puffed up just slightly. ¡°I never forget about my mate, even for a second.¡± They said, their voice cool and stiff, ¡°And I promise, the solution I found¨Cwhich worked, might I add¨Cwas the best one. It¡¯s not my fault you didn¡¯t think of it first.¡± TO¡¯s ears flicked back and down, their eyes widening as they stared at GiDi. If GiDi had come up to them and drew their claws, TO didn¡¯t think they¡¯d be more surprised than they were. GiDi¡¯s words caused TO to jerk as though they had been struck and for the moment, words failed them. This lasted only a moment though: Despite it feeling like the second was frozen, the shock struck them like lightning, hitting quickly before disappearing, leaving fire in its wake. ¡°Oh, I¡¯m very happy that I failed to think of an idiotic idea that could have gotten all of us killed.¡± TO hissed as they squared their shoulders and stared at GiDi with narrowed eyes. ¡°You¡¯re lucky it didn¡¯t kill everyone!¡± ¡°Right.¡± GiDi snapped, their nostrils flaring, their hands balling into fists. ¡°Because when you do something that seems stupid, it¡¯s well thought out and clever. When I do it, it¡¯s idiotic.¡± ¡°When I have a plan, it *is* well thought out!¡± TO said, wanting to get up and stand before GiDi so that they were looking down at them instead of up at them. ¡°And you think mine wasn¡¯t?¡± GiDi took a step forward. ¡°You should be happy! I came up with a great idea that got us away from Kei, damaged their ship, and which let Vik block them from being able to track us again!¡± ¡°Your plan could have failed!¡± TO snapped. ¡°It nearly did!¡± ¡°Maybe!¡± GiDi hissed, their lips curling in a snarl, ¡°But I assure you, I put as much thought into my plan as you did *any* of yours! I knew that Kei was still recovering from that procedure! You told us that you were able to get away from them because you made Kei angry, and they stopped thinking and just started acting!¡± They jabbed a finger at Flit, ¡°They¡¯re the ones that said that Kei had likely had developed some self-preservation instincts, and Goretta said that all these emotions were new to them, and they wouldn¡¯t be able to adapt or control them for a while! Right now, Kei won¡¯t think, they¡¯ll just *act*.¡± They huffed, exhausted for a moment, but kept flaring at TO. ¡°I knew, logically then, that if we were to aim our ship right at them, that they¡¯d feel that fear first, that their preservation instinct would take over, and they¡¯d act before they thought!¡± The more GiDi talked, the more what they said made sense. TO felt the anger drain from them as they realized that GiDi was right. They looked away, glaring now at the floor while their wings tightened around their shoulders. Now that they were really thinking about it, that had been an excellent plan, and they had had all the same information that GiDi did. Why didn¡¯t they think of it then? ¡°Meanwhile, it seems like all your ideas lately have just caused us more problems!¡± They took another step forward, now pointing a long finger at TO. ¡°GiDi, stop.¡± Snout said as they stepped forward, putting a hand on GiDi¡¯s shoulder, ¡°You did good, let¡¯s-¡° GiDi ignored Snout, shrugging off the older synths¡¯ hand as their wings puffed up. ¡°You had the brilliant idea to remove your chip and have it on a scrap of elastic! That made it easy enough for Kei to get it, which told them *exactly* where we were going!¡± Despite the heat rising to their ears, TO kept GiDi¡¯s glare. ¡°Yes, well, pardon me for wanting to get the damn thing off my hand!¡± TO snapped, ¡°I had only just realized that one of my oldest friends had put a *off switch* in my brain!¡± GiDi¡¯s glare narrowed, their lips pursed. ¡°Yes, well, I had to if I wanted you out of that room!¡± ¡°I thought this was over.¡± Flit said with a heavy sigh. They rubbed the side of their head with two fingers. ¡°Come on, this isn¡¯t helping here-¡° ¡°-And if you hadn¡¯t gotten the brilliant idea to go looking for Lake on your own, maybe Kei wouldn¡¯t have gotten your chip!¡± GiDi said, now entirely ignoring Flit. ¡°Maybe you¡¯d still have your *Fucking right leg* on you, so we wouldn¡¯t have to be scrounging around, looking for whatever materials we have lying around for trade on Scraprock to make you another!¡± TO crossed their arms as they glared up at GiDi. ¡°I didn¡¯t have many options there.¡± They snapped, but their voice was lower now, quieter. ¡°Obviously if I had known that Kei was there-¡° ¡°And for whatever reason, you brought a literal child and her injured father along with you!¡± Someone¨CIt might have been DH, TO wasn¡¯t sure¨Csaid, something like stop, that¡¯s enough, but TO¡¯s ears were suddenly ringing, and they felt like their head was being pressed from both sides so they couldn¡¯t be certain. ¡°I knew Kei was around! I had no idea they were in the storage closet!¡± TO said, ¡°If I had, I obviously would have told Mark to go on by themselves, or at least to wait for me! I never would have brought them with me!¡± ¡°But you did! You gambled there, and *you* lost, and now Mark is dead!¡± TO felt their ears dip as they looked away, crossing their arms, their wings tightening further around them. They wanted to say something, but they couldn¡¯t seem to form words. Even if they could, there was nothing to say. Once more, GiDi was right. The silence lingered for seconds longer, interrupted only by the slide of the elevator as it arrived on their floor on its automatic schedule. GiDi huffed and turned away, heading to the elevator. ¡°I¡¯m done.¡± They said. ¡°I¡¯m going up to check on everyone else.¡± They went inside, followed by Snout, who only gave Flit a meaningful look and a not before they slipped in after GiDi. No words were spoken, but from the fuzzy shadows cast on the floor by the dim yellow lights, TO could tell they were signing back and forth. They couldn¡¯t tell what was being said, but TO was certain that they didn¡¯t want to at this point. GiDi was right... And it was time they properly acknowledged that. Episode 408: Analysis So much to do in the aftermath of their detour and, for once, TO could be helpful. While the others checked for potential damage to the ship and tended to the refugees, TO looked over star charts alongside listings of their fuel reserves, rations, and dietary needs for different species on their ship. Thankfully, TO and DH still have plenty of the tasteless, spongy cubes to eat, but they were so specific to their own dietary needs that they wouldn¡¯t help the civilians much. Still, they made note of those civilians who would be able to eat it. At the very least, it might help make some stomachs feel full even if they didn¡¯t taste good. Their remaining fuel reserves gave them a general area they could travel, and within that they calculated the distance they could go in the time their supplies would last them on the strictest of rations. Within that shortened area, they still had options, but none of them were good. The closest option was a civilian repair port. There, they¡¯d have access to supplies that might be needed to repair any damage to their ship. They could refuel and even get more supplies. This would have been the best idea. This was a sanctioned repair port which meant it would have security, and wouldn¡¯t be willing to help insurgents to King Decon¡¯s reign. In fact, they¡¯d have to contact the port with their identification codes, and that would likely identify them as the rogue Synth ship. Even if it didn¡¯t, even if they masked the codes, their escape from Arkane had been publicized. The simple act of defiance had allowed them to escape, but it put a target on them. A synth ship unloading so many civilians would immediately draw suspicion. There were a few civilian ports: small ones. The security there would be minimal, but who was to say that they¡¯d be friendly to them? It would be a gamble- You gambled there, and you lost, and now Mark is dead! And the thought of making that gamble with the lives of all the civilians left on the ship made TO¡¯s stomach churn. Still, they marked them off and sent the locations to Tham, asking if he knew of any which were friendly to the insurgency. Of course, even if one of them was known to be friendly to the insurgency, it was then a question of if the port would even have the supplies that they needed. They needed to refuel; they needed more food, and they needed a way to get the civilians out and into the galaxy with new identification codes. The only place they could be certain of was Scraprock: a friendly, or at least a neutral, location with all the supplies they needed. The only issue with Scraprock was that Kei knew they were going there. If they went to Scraprock, how long would they have until Kei caught up again? How fast could they risk going before they ran out of fuel? How long would it take Kei to repair their own ship? What if Kei¡¯s ship needed to go to a port first for proper repairs? There were too many variables. The best estimate they could give themself was two days. If they kept their course for Scraprock, they¡¯d have at least two days before Kei caught up to them. TO leaned forward, groaning as they rested their head in their hands, clutching their scalp with a comforting grip. Everything was a gamble! Any choice they could make had the potential to end in the deaths of everyone on the ship! They had to make a choice, or at least make a suggestion for what they thought was the best option. They shook their head, and did their best to lay out all the facts as simple, objective truths. Truth: They risked capture at any port they went to. Truth: they had limited supplies in terms of food and fuel, and running out meant death. Truth: Scraprock was the only location where they could be assured of finding the supplies they needed. Laid out like that, it was all so simple, and the conclusion was clear. Still, as TO¡¯s wings wrapped around their arms and their hands moved to rub their face just over the bridge of their nose, they still felt utterly frozen on making a decision. A part of them was certain they had made a mistake somewhere, or miscalculated some non-mathematical property to all this. ¡°... Are you ok?¡± The words pulled TO from their thoughts they jolted and turned with a sharp in of breath, pulling their head from the comforting grip of their hands as they set their wide eyes on DH. Before everyone split up to get their tasks done, TO had requested that DH put up the blanket as a curtain to their little sleeping area so that TO could continue their calculations without interruption. They had been alone since then, with the blanket offering a comfortable force-field against the comings and goings of everyone else on the ship. That they hadn¡¯t noticed DH slip in around the curtain surprised them. Now DH stood against the wall, their hands at their side as they watched TO, waiting for their answer. ¡°I¡¯m...¡± they wanted to say they were fine, but that was an utter lie. They were anything but fine. They finally looked away, giving a heavy sigh as they slouched forward, scowling at the data they had been pouring over as though the numbers themselves were the cause of their turmoil. A hand went back up to their head, gently rubbing the bridge of their snout. ¡°This is impossible.¡± They grumbled. ¡°There¡¯s no real choice here. ¡° You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story. DH pursed their lips, leaning against the wall for a moment longer before they stepped forward and sat down next to TO. ¡°The numbers don¡¯t work?¡± They asked as they glanced over the maps and charts that TO had on display." ¡°Of course the numbers work.¡± TO sighed as they brought their other hand to their face and rubbed against their closed eyes with their palms. ¡°They¡¯re numbers, they¡¯ll work. Just the solution they give me isn¡¯t something I can work with!¡± ¡°What solutions do the numbers give?¡± TO sighed again and brought up a new file for DH to look at. This one had all the information they had collected about the potential locations they had access to, as well as the risks and benefits of each one. ¡°None of these are safe.¡± TO said after letting DH look over their notes for a while. Their fingers slipped up to their forehead and curled into a strong grip on their scalp. ¡°Every single option here could leave everyone dead.¡± ¡°....and which option is most likely to leave us the least dead?¡± TO only just managed to stifle a joyless chuckle at that as they shook their head. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°... But which do you think-¡° ¡°I don¡¯t know!¡± TO said, finally slapping their hands down against their thighs, wincing in pain as the strike came too close to their injured knee. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± They pulled up the charts and maps again, and began looking over it all again, as though there might be something they missed. ¡°I need to figure this out from the other side. I thought I had a decent idea of how everything worked. At first I figured that maybe they¡¯d avoid searching for us at locations least friendly to King Decon, but one which can guarantee a refuel and some food. But any of those are targets.¡± They leaned forward once more, their hands spread against their temples as they held up TO¡¯s head. ¡°And I don¡¯t know which is safest.¡± ¡°I know you don¡¯t know.¡± DH said as they set a hand on TO¡¯s shoulder. For some reason, TO couldn¡¯t help but flinch as they did, their shoulders stiffening, their wings tightening behind them. Still, they were glad that DH didn¡¯t pull their hand away. ¡°But.. which do you think is safest?¡± ¡°...I don¡¯t know.¡± DH offered some comforting pressure on TO¡¯s shoulder, but said nothing for a while. TO expected them to say something, to tell them what had been going through their own mind for the last while! They had to make a decision; they had to pick and course and go for it because every second they wasted meant the loss of another option! Even if they were to go along with their training, their course was clear! indecisiveness would be death! They¡¯d have to make the best decision they could, and go with it. ¡°Maybe we need to talk to GiDi...¡± DH said after another moment of silence. TO froze at first, remembering GiDi¡¯s harsh words to them, the harsh truth finally thrown in their face... but then they realized that was the best option. ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± They said, sitting up suddenly. ¡°I am?¡± DH said, ¡°I didn¡¯t think you¡¯re agree-¡° ¡°I can just send GiDi my notes.¡± TO said as they gathered up everything they had along with their final notes on each planet and sent it all in one single file to GiDi. ¡°They can make the decision.¡± Once everything was sent, they closed all the windows and gave a deep sigh of relief. ¡°Yes... they can choose. They probably know better than I do in this, anyway.¡± DH leaned against TO, their lips pursing as they spread a wing and gently wrapped it around TO¡¯s shoulders. The faint weight and heat from DH¡¯s wing was much like a blanket to TO, and they relaxed into DH¡¯s side. ¡°... You know.¡± DH said, ¡°I didn¡¯t mean you should send GiDi your files.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think I need to talk to them.¡± TO said as they glanced away, ¡°My notes are concise and clear.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t mean that you should talk to GiDi about where we should go.¡± DH said as they wrapped their arm around TO¡¯s and pulled them closer, ¡°It¡¯s not a bad idea to get other input on this, but it wasn¡¯t what I meant.¡± TO¡¯s stomach lunged again. ¡°I... I know.¡± They said. ¡°...I need to apologize to them.¡± ¡°... Well, yes.¡± DH said, ¡°But they should apologize to you too!¡± They looked to TO, ¡°I mean, you shouted at them. Ok. You shouldn¡¯t have done that, but you were scared, and you thought you were going to die. We all thought we were going to die! I doubt that GiDi would stay angry at you for that, given the circumstances.¡± they looked away, their eyes fixing on a seemingly random spot on the floor, ¡°But.. what GiDi said to you-¡° ¡°What GiDi said to me was the truth.¡± TO said as they closed their eyes and leaned against DO, ¡°Mark is dead because of me.¡± ¡°Mark is dead because of Kei.¡± DH said, ¡°Kei is in the one who shot them.¡± ¡°If I hadn¡¯t brought Mark to the storage room in the first place-¡° ¡°You didn¡¯t have many choices there, did you?¡± TO shook their head. ¡°It¡¯s... not just that.¡± They said, ¡°Maybe I could have saved him afterwards. Maybe I could have... I don¡¯t know.¡± they sighed as they let their hand slide down DH¡¯s arm and over their hand so they could lace their fingers together. ¡°Maybe I could have done something... stopped the bleeding or-¡° ¡°You were unconscious.¡± DH said, ¡°There wasn¡¯t much of anything you could have done.¡± TO¡¯s grip on DH¡¯s hand tightened as they remembered that awful right, and the moments that led to Mark¡¯s death. ¡°You don¡¯t understand,¡± they said as they hid their face in DH¡¯s arm. ¡°... I don¡¯t, no.¡± DH said, ¡°But... I know something is bothering you. You¡¯ve not been yourself since we left the planet and I hoped it was just because you were in pain, because of the drugs, or because of Avery.¡± TO felt DH¡¯s other hand reach up behind their neck and scratch at the place where their neck met their skull. ¡°If there¡¯s something else bothering you...¡± ¡°it doesn¡¯t matter.¡± ¡°But if there is.¡± DH said, ¡°You should tell me. Maybe I can help, or at least make you feel better!¡± they squeezed TO¡¯s fingers gently, ¡°Remember... I¡¯d never hate you. You know that, right?¡± They did. They were still worried about it from time to time, and they did worry that if DH were to learn how they had treated Mark in his final moments that DH would never look at them the same again. Still, DH could never hate them. They had to keep that in mind. They had been through too much at this point, and while a part of their mind might fear that result, they had to hold that belief in DH as strongly as they held their belief in gravity- it was an objective, indisputable fact. ¡°Let me sit here another minute.¡± They said as they squeezed DH¡¯s hand back, ¡°Then I¡¯ll tell you.¡± Episode 409: Confession TO felt sick to their stomach as they told DH what happened. Of course, DH already knew the general flow of events and the essential facts. First: TO had gone to look for Lake in the storage room. Kei had been there, and attacked TO. Second: TO got free, and fought back as much as they could despite their injuries. Third: Mark showed up, and Kei shot them, thinking it was DH. Mark fell and passed out. Fourth: TO got the gun from Kei, and stayed conscious long enough for them to run off, then passed out. In reality, those were all the facts. Anything else would be considered useless information. Well, useless or not, it had been the extras that had been haunting TO. They had a chance to check on Mark, and instead they just shouted to the unconscious man to stop Kei. Sometimes, they had dreams about that night: horrible nightmares filled with blood. Sometimes, those dreams replayed in their head not as flashbacks but as dramatic daydreams where things had gone differently. They didn¡¯t tell DH this, but despite the fact that their stomach still churned when they thought of their claws ripping through Kei¡¯s skin, they still wanted to do more in that moment, and did do more in their very detailed daydreams. Sometimes, they only stopped when they felt they might vomit. DH held TO close as they told the story, a wing constantly around TO¡¯s shoulder and a hand at the back of their neck. They said nothing until TO had finished and described everything up until the point where they fell unconscious. ¡°¡­Why didn¡¯t you tell me this before?¡± DH asked once TO was done. They never moved their hands from TO, never stopped the constant scratching of TO¡¯s neck, nor their soft embrace. Still, their grip had stiffened from time to time, had tightened. TO wanted to look up and see what DH¡¯s ears were doing, but they couldn¡¯t bring themself to do so. Would they see that awful expression of disgust on DH¡¯s ears now, or would they see sympathy? they didn¡¯t know if they could handle disgust from DH. ¡°I¡­ I was worried.¡± They said, ¡°I.. I couldn¡¯t tell you-¡° ¡°I could never hate you.¡± DH said, their grip tightening. ¡°We¡¯ve talked about this at length. You could never hate me, no matter what. I could never hate you.¡± ¡°I know that,¡± TO mumbled. ¡°¡­ I think I just didn¡¯t want to think about it.¡± They said ¡°And¡­¡± they trailed off, unsure how to describe how they felt about this. They knew how awful they themself felt about what happened, so they could only imagine how someone else, who wasn¡¯t in TO¡¯s head at the time, might feel about it. ¡°And¡­?¡± ¡°¡­And I felt awful about it.¡± TO finally said. ¡°I didn¡¯t want to talk about it to anyone.¡± They sighed, ¡°But¡­ GiDi was right. What happened to Mark, that Constance lost her parent... It is my fault.¡± ¡°I.. Look. I don¡¯t blame you for Mark¡¯s death.¡± DH said, ¡°I blame Kei for Mark¡¯s death. Kei shot them and was intent on killing more people. Kei is squarely to blame for that, so I don¡¯t want you blaming yourself for his death for a second more.¡± To felt their ears flick down, their stomach churning as they held onto DH. ¡°But he¡¯s dead because of-¡° ¡°Because of Kei.¡± DH said in a tone that didn¡¯t allow any argument. ¡°Even if you could have helped Mark before you passed out, I don¡¯t think you could have saved him.¡± DH looked aside, turning away from TO ever so slightly. ¡°I didn¡¯t do a full examination since we were pretty rushed, but that bullet went through a few internal organs. Even if you had managed to stop the bleeding on the outside, you couldn¡¯t have stopped it on the inside. Given how sick and weak he was...¡± They trailed off and shook their head, falling silent for a moment before they continued,. ¡°No, you couldn¡¯t have saved him. Mark¡¯s death is not on you.¡± They closed their eye, their ears low as their wings tightened around their shoulders. If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. ¡°... What else do you want to say, though?¡± TO asked. They could hear the unspoken words that DH held in their mind as though it was a klaxon of its own. ¡°... If someone had told me you did that, I¡¯d say they were lying.¡± They said, ¡°If I think of you in that situation, I picture it happening in my head. I see you instantly running to Mark. I see you doing everything you can to save him. Your fear of blood, your exhaustion, your injuries... I don¡¯t know if you could have even gotten to him before you passed out, but I know - I knew- that you¡¯d do everything you could to help.¡± They held on a little tighter, as though they were worried TO might get up and run off. ¡°But... you didn¡¯t. You were so focused on killing Kei that checking on Mark didn¡¯t even come to mind, not until much later. That¡¯s not who you are... or at least, who I thought you were.¡± TO knew they had messed up. They knew that they should have run to Mark to help them, but DH putting it like that, as though they had ignored Mark out of Bloodlust was too much. ¡°It wasn¡¯t about Killing Kei!¡± TO insisted. ¡°Wasn¡¯t it?¡± DH said. ¡°Kei said they were going to kill you!¡± TO said, ¡°They said they were going to kill you, and GiDi and... and I couldn¡¯t let them.¡± As they finished speaking and felt DH stiffen in response to their words, TO finally looked up at their mate. DH was staring off at some unseen spot on the opposite wall with their ears pinned back. For the longest time, they said nothing and in the silence that followed and TO realized that the constant typing that normally came from Vik¡¯s workstation was oddly absent. Perhaps DH had asked Vik to scamper off for a bit so they could have privacy. Maybe Vik had left for some unrelated reason, and DH took this moment to talk to TO. It didn¡¯t matter in the end, but the absence of the constant click-click-clack made the silence all the more unnerving. ¡°I couldn¡¯t let them hurt you.¡± TO finally said, desperate to break the silence. DH¡¯s ears continued to twitch, signaling a serious thoughtfulness even as they stayed pinned back and their eyes narrowed slightly. After a few minutes where the only thing they could hear was the hum of DH¡¯s heart, the steady rhythm of their breath, and the sound of the ship¡¯s machinery all around them, TO finally said, ¡°Please, say something.¡± ¡°... I love you.¡± DH said. They pulled TO close, holding them in a soft embrace, resting their head on TO¡¯s shoulder so that they could no longer see how DH¡¯s ears were moving. ¡°I will always love you. But this changes who I thought you were.¡± TO¡¯s stomach dropped, and they held tightly to DH, ¡°And... who I am... isn¡¯t who you loved?¡± The moment the words came from their mouth, DH made a sound somewhere between a snort and a tsk, and went back to scratching the back of TO¡¯s neck. ¡°No.¡± They said. ¡°I¡¯ve told you before that I love you and I will always love you.¡± They said firmly. ¡°I still love you now!¡± DH gave a heavy sigh. ¡°I¡¯d not say anything of this if I thought you wouldn¡¯t know. If I thought I could hide how I feel about this...¡± ¡°Just be honest.¡± TO said, wrapping their arms around DH as they hid their face in DH¡¯s shoulder, ¡°Just tell me the truth.¡± ¡°... Like I said, this changes my view of you... and I just need some time to reconcile that.¡± What did that even mean, that DH needed time to reconcile that? Did it mean that they didn¡¯t want to be a couple anymore? The horrifying idea that DH might decide that while they loved TO, they didn¡¯t want to be their mate anymore seeped into their head. ¡°... That sounds ominous.¡± DH said as though they had been reading TO¡¯s mind. ¡°All I mean is that this is going to be on my mind for a bit.¡± They pulled away slightly so they could lift TO¡¯s chin, and kissed them on the lips. They shifted their hand on TO¡¯s neck shifted to the side of their face, their thumb gently stroking the lower edge of TO¡¯s ear and making them shiver. ¡°I love you. I still love you. I¡¯ll always love you. Understand that?¡± ¡°I do.¡± TO said slowly. DH kissed them again, and pulled them into an embrace once more. TO held them close, taking in how they felt, the heat of their body, their very scent. DH would always love them. They believed that. But they loved DH even before they had any romantic feelings for them. What if this changed how DH felt about them? What if, after thinking about it, they realized they couldn¡¯t be mates anymore? They closed their eyes, letting their tears absorb into DH¡¯s shirt. Maybe DH would decide that, and if so, they¡¯d just enjoy what they had for now. If DH couldn¡¯t be TO¡¯s mate after knowing what they were really like, then TO would accept that, and still love DH as a friend, and as their family. In truth, a part of them felt that would be what they deserved. Episode 410: Projection
Despite DH¡¯s promise of loving them forever, the idea that they might not desire them romantically was now playing in TO¡¯s mind. DH already said that what TO told them about Marks¡¯ death had changed how TO seemed in their eyes, so couldn¡¯t that also lead their feelings to change?
Still, even if it did, TO felt in part that they¡¯d deserve it. There was nothing they could do about that now: what was done was done, and they had made their decision to tell DH about what had been weighing on them.
Once TO had calmed down after their talk with DH, DH went back to the computer and continued their own work. Nothing was different between the two, but somehow it seemed far more silent than before. True, DH never spoke to them when they were working, but now it seemed different. Maybe TO was just imagining it and they tried to tell themself that, but it was no use. The only way they would know for certain would be when DH went to sleep. IF they curled up next to TO as normal, then for now things were alright.
They waited, their stomach twisting in anxiety all day until the Arkanian clock switched to nighttime and the main lights faded. The elevator opened and closed on its normal schedule, allowing people to shower. But now people were coming down and slipping past the blanket that separated the main traffic area from their small living area. The first ones to arrive were Flit and Snout, who slipped under the sheet arm in arm.
¡°Evening.¡± Flit said, their voice artificially light as they eyed TO, ¡°How are you doing?¡±
TO frowned, their ears flicking back. As TO searched their memory of so many conversations they had with Flit, they could not recall a single moment when the older synth had opened up any conversation with small talk. In fact, they seemed to have next to no patience for it.
¡°I am fine?¡± TO said, watching them, ¡°Why?¡±
¡°Just asking.¡± Flit said quickly.
¡°Very subtle.¡± Snout said as they rolled their eyes, ¡°I don¡¯t know what I expected, though.¡±
¡°What, I can¡¯t ask them how they¡¯re doing once in a while?!¡± Flit said, their wings rising, but their ears warming slightly from Snout¡¯s comment, ¡°Technically, they are my progeny!¡±
¡°Blood doesn¡¯t mean much in terms of Chilacian families.¡± TO said, a slight grin coming to their face as they suppressed a chuckle, ¡°You know that.¡±
Flit huffed, ¡°Very well.¡± They said, ¡°Regardless... I believe we¡¯re still part of a pod.¡± They grumbled. ¡°I can ask my family how they are doing.¡±
That was hard to debate. Though, TO wondered how this worked in Chilacian families proper. How did you know when someone was actually part of your pod? did it require some kind of acknowledgement from the Ankrya? They hadn¡¯t read that yet, and honestly, they hadn¡¯t been able to finish reading the document that Snout send them.
Could a pod exist without an Ankyra? what if that Ankyra was lost in a coma, like Avery was? what happened then?
¡°TO?¡± This time Snout spoke, their ears flicking back in concern, ¡°What happened earlier...¡±
Snout¡¯s voice pulled TO from their thoughts, and they realized that their ears were rather low, their wings tightening against their arms. ¡°S-Sorry.¡± They said, ¡°I was worried about Avery.¡±
Flit sighed and walked over to them, gingerly sitting down on the collection of mats and pillows that formed what was essentially a large nest where the lot of them slept. ¡°Look.¡± They said, ¡°About what happened earlier-¡°
¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± TO said, ¡°I-¡°
¡°Stop.¡± Flit said, their eyes narrowing as their ears pinned back. At that moment, they seemed very much like they used to back in training: The retiree who taught them essential skills. ¡°Look. Just listen,¡± they said. They eyed TO for a moment and when they didn¡¯t respond, Flit continued, ¡°You are not ok. You shouldn¡¯t be ok. Nobody on this ship is ok right now, myself included.¡± They said, ¡°We¡¯ve all been though a lot, and we¡¯ve been working so hard that we¡¯ve not had a second to actually think about things!¡± they glared at TO, ¡°So, don¡¯t you dare lie to me and tell me that you¡¯re ¡®fine¡¯!¡±
TO looked down, a wave of shame hitting them as the memory of how angry Flit had been that time they lied in the simulation floated to the surface of their mind. How long had they spent after that running simulations independently, which just required pure, thoughtless obedience? Their wings tightened around them again as the blood drained from their face. ¡°Sorry. I¡¯m sorry.¡± They said, the words rushing from their mouth, their ears flicking down, ¡°I won¡¯t lie. I didn¡¯t mean to, I just-¡°
Snout sighed and sat next to Flit. ¡°Flit, you¡¯re not helping.¡± They said as they reached out and gently squeezed Flit¡¯s shoulder. ¡°And TO.¡± they looked past Flit, taking in TO¡¯s low ears and wide eyes. The older synth sighed and shook their head. ¡°You did your best. You always do your best.¡± You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.
¡°I could have done better.¡± TO muttered as they looked away. ¡°That¡¯s twice I messed up. This time, I shouted at GiDi, and I couldn¡¯t even think up a half-decent idea to get us out of trouble!¡± they pulled their good knee to their chest, their wings tightening on their arms, ¡°Last time I messed up, someone died. Next time, I might kill everyone.¡±
¡°Or,¡° Snout said as their ears went parallel to the ground, ¡°Someone will be there to help, like GiDi was today.¡± Their ears flicked back. ¡°You don¡¯t have to be the one to fix everything.¡±
¡°Nobody can fix everything.¡± As DH spoke, TO snapped their gaze towards them. TO thought that DH had still been working, and didn¡¯t expect them to have overheard anything.
¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Flit said, recovering from Snout¡¯s earlier comment, ¡°Nobody can do everything. That¡¯s why we have armies, why we work in teams.¡± They sat up, seeming to slip once more into that Retiree demeanor. ¡°Even the most productive synth can¡¯t do everything on their own; we form teams to cover one another¡¯s weaknesses.¡±
TO¡¯s ears flicked back. Weakness. That¡¯s what it was, wasn¡¯t it? Somehow, their skill in this had turned into a weakness, and they were only causing problems for other people. But what had happened? They used to be the one with the plans: the problem solver. They used to be able to protect their family.
How did it change?
¡°The only thing that matters is doing your best.¡± DH said. They spoke normally, but even so TO winced. Of everyone there, DH was the only one who knew what had happened back on Arkane, and their words resonated with TO differently. They had done their best back on Arkane, hadn¡¯t they?
Well, up until Mark got shot, anyway. Everything else they had thought about and weighed the options. In that moment, though....
The elevator opened up and Tham slid out, looking exhausted. ¡°One of the kids upstairs has a cold.¡± They grumbled as they looked to TO, ¡°Should we quarantine? Normally I¡¯d ask Pearla, but I haven¡¯t seen her in hours.¡±
TO looked up at Tham, the question taking them off guard and pulling them from the Labyrinth of thoughts they wandered through. They heard Tham¡¯s words, and understood that he was asking them for their thoughts, but even so they couldn¡¯t bring themself to work though what he was saying.
¡°A cold?¡± DH asked, ¡°You sure?¡±
¡°I think so,¡± Tham said as they turned in confusion to look at DH. ¡°A flu comes with a fever, right? I¡¯m pretty sure that none of them have a fever.¡±
¡°I¡¯ll look into it before I sleep,¡± DH said as they pushed themself away from their desk and grabbed their med kit. ¡°Though, I wouldn¡¯t be surprised: civilian children are walking bio-hazards. They don¡¯t even get a full round of inoculations.¡±
¡°You realize that we don¡¯t need a full round, right?¡± Tham said as DH slipped into the elevator. ¡°Why does a normal civilian kid need to have shots for diseases they have on the other side of the galaxy?¡±
DH didn¡¯t respond, and the elevator door closed quickly behind them. Tham huffed and turned to look at TO. ¡°What¡¯s got them upset?¡±
TO shrugged and looked away, leaving Tham to wonder what was going on.
======
As the night grew later, Flit and Snout curled up on the other side of the pillow nest. It was surprising the first time TO saw that and noticed Snout gently embracing Flit from behind and covering them with their wings. Somehow, they imagined that Flit would be the one holding Snout. Despite everything, it softened them to see that. As the two fell asleep, they noted that Snout chirped loudly in their sleep, much like DH did. Was that genetic or coincidence? How long had they been able to sleep in each other¡¯s embrace? Did they do that in training like DH and TO had? The two had spent a long time apart between the incident in training and when they reconnected, and TO knew that they had to be careful in the training center. Had they only been able to be in each other¡¯s embrace so freely since Flit came to Arkane?
The thought made the image of them now oddly bittersweet.
It was hours after that when DH came back, looking exhausted as they tossed the med kit under their desk and flopped into the pillows next to TO.
¡°... DH?¡± TO reached a hand out, uncertain if they should touch DH or not. What if their mate pulled away from them? Still, with DH looking so drained, they had to do something. The moment they squeezed DH¡¯s arm, they turned over and curled into TO¡¯s chest. Immediatly, TO wrapped their arms around them, followed by their wings.
¡°Was it rough up there?¡± They asked. DH gave a groan in response, and at first TO thought that they would simply fall asleep right there. A few minutes later, though, they spoke.
¡°No fevers.¡± They said, ¡°But it¡¯s a nasty cold, and several of the kids have it.¡± They said, ¡°It¡¯s going to be an awful time for a bit.¡±
¡°Anything you can do?¡± They asked, ¡°Masks, or quarantine?¡±
¡°Ideally, both.¡± DH grumbled, ¡°But in these small quarters, unless we can get everyone to eat separately, there¡¯s no point. We also don¡¯t have a place big enough to quarantine everyone.¡± They groaned and nuzzled into TO, ¡°I hoped we¡¯d have more time before this, but we knew it was going to happen. This ship isn¡¯t made for so many people, and unless everyone was perfectly cleared of any virus of bacteria, we were going to have some kind of outbreak.¡± They gave a long, heavy sign. ¡°I only hope it doesn¡¯t turn into anything worse.¡±
TO held onto them, scratching at their neck. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± They said, but they couldn¡¯t help their ears flicking up happily. ¡°I hope it won¡¯t be too bad.¡±
¡°It¡¯s going to be an awful few days.¡± DH said. ¡°... But again, we expected it.¡±
TO rested their chin on DH¡¯s head. Yes, it was awful news, but TO was just so happy that DH came to rest with them when they had expected DH would keep their distance.
They were on the brink of sleep when they realized that GiDi and Pearla hadn¡¯t arrived yet. It was far too late, and TO knew that GiDi had to be asleep somewhere. Where had GiDi gone? They had planned to apologize to their small friend when they came back, but it seemed that they were keeping their distance.
When sleep pulled them under, the realization that GiDi was keeping away from them seeped into their dreams, twisting them. Episode 411: Perspective
To anyone watching, DH was acting normally. Their quiet and hyper-focus on their work was the same as always, and their excited chatter with Vik seemed absolutely standard. Nobody watching would say that there was anything bothering DH at the moment. Still, TO could tell. They couldn¡¯t put their finger on how exactly, but they knew DH was acting differently. The silences were different in some way: heavier and pensive. Their focus on their work and on Vik seemed, at least to TO, to be less about what they were doing and more about what they weren¡¯t doing: that is, they weren¡¯t talking to TO.
DH didn¡¯t hate them. TO had to tell themself that over and over and over. DH didn¡¯t hate them. DH would never hate them, they promised! Still, who was to say that feelings couldn¡¯t change? Even if DH would never hate them, couldn¡¯t they stop loving them as a mate? And what if DH told GiDi and Avery what they had done?
Well, what if Avery grew to hate them?
They had been so worried about DH¡¯s feelings towards them that it never occurred to them that Avery or GiDi might change how they felt. Maybe GiDi already hated them after what happened. They deserved it, of course, but what would happen if Avery hated them too once they woke and learned everything that happened? The file Snout gave them about Chilacian families did mention in an offhand kind of way about pod dissolutions and exiles, but the information was vague. All TO knew was that it was often a last resort when a member of a pod was harmful enough to the others that the physical and emotional safety of the pod could only survive by cutting off the individual responsible. But, TO wasn¡¯t that bad, right?
Was that something that could weigh, or something that the Ankyra would just know? Could TO themself weigh how they might have helped their family against how they had hurt them? They had helped the insurgency, sure, but in the end, had they been any more useful than any other person? And when they considered the situation from a more personal point of view, they could only see how they had helped DH at this point.
They allowed GiDi to be taken away back in training.
They allowed Avery to be assigned with Kei, which started the whole mess that ended up with Avery unconscious and bound to a bed.
They brought Avery in with them to find DH, which led to Avery being locked away all alone while TO was lucky enough to be locked away with DH.
Would their pod, their family as a whole, be better without them?
They considered all this as they nibbled on tasteless nutrition cubes for breakfast. Would their family be better off without them? They didn¡¯t know at this point. Still, TO wasn¡¯t exiled yet, and there was always the chance they could make themselves useful, make their presence a net positive to their family. But, how? Their plans as of late had all gone bad, and they couldn¡¯t even do physical labor thanks to their injured knee.
What could they do? How could they be useful to their pod, or at the very least, how did they undo some of the damage they seemed to have done?
TO was still gnawing on the last cube, which DH insisted that they try to eat when DH got up from their desk to go look at a minor technical issue up in the engine room. Well, DH said they had to go up to the engine room, but TO was certain that their mate simply didn¡¯t want to be around them. If they did want to be around them, then couldn¡¯t DH have asked someone else to go and take care of the issue? Their mind raced to think of something they could say to DH, some way they could get confirmation one way or another on how DH really felt, but they the elevator door closed before they could, leaving TO alone in the living area with Vik. This, of course, meant they were practically all alone, since Vik had tiny headphones over their ears, their attention consumed by their work.
Well, no matter. They had some thinking to do, some problem-solving to perform. They separated all the issues that came up in their mind, all the ways they had failed their family, and placed them into two categories: what they could fix, and what they couldn¡¯t. What they could fix, they had to consider what they could fix while injured, and what they could fix now. Some things were impossible at the moment thanks to their location, TO¡¯s physical state, and, of course, the fact that Avery was unconscious.
They finally decided that the main thing they could try to fix was GiDi¡¯s opinion of them.
It was as they decided this that the elevator opened again on their floor. They looked over, hoping that DH was back, but were surprised to see Pearla slid out from the elevator. She looked around, her eyes landing first on TO, then to DH¡¯s empty seat, then to Vik. she came up behind Vik and gave the table which he sat on a few taps. It was more the vibrations that the noise that must have gotten his attention because even TO could hardly hear the sound of her delicate fingers against the table, but Vik slid the headphones off his large ears and looked up.
¡°Oh! Pearla! What brings you-¡°
¡°Could you scoot for a bit?¡± She asked, a smile crossing her face, ¡°I want to talk to TO.¡±
TO didn¡¯t hear how Vik responded. They were far too overwhelmed with relief. Pearla had been such a help when everything was falling apart back on Arkane! They helped with GiDi and Tham, and helped them in dealing with the other civilians! They had no doubt that she¡¯d help now too!
Vik scurried away, carrying a tiny tablet in his hands as he disappeared up a vent. When Pearla then turned to face TO, any hope that they might have held in her helping them disintegrated instantly. Pearla¡¯s face held that cold, angry mask she held when she was talking to her brother in front of the others back in Arkane, the one she wore before she yelled at him for his part in setting up the fail-safes.
¡°Have you¡­ any conception of how hard GiDi tries to be just like you?¡± Her cold voice shot from her mouth like bullets. ¡°Do you have any idea of how hard they try?¡± She came closer, gesturing with her hands as she spoke, ¡°Ever since I met them, even before I knew what they were, they were always talking about their ¡®sibling¡¯, Tio. They were talking about how Tio is so smart, and clever, and how they can fly so well, and how they always come up with the good ideas to fix the problems. Every time something went wrong, they would say that ¡®Tio¡¯ would know what to do, that ¡®Tio¡¯ wouldn¡¯t have let things get so bad.¡±
TO looked away, their wings clenching against their arms. They wanted to protest, to say that normally their plans worked, but they just didn¡¯t this time. They wanted to say they did their best. Both of those phrases sounded so flimsy in the face of death and pain.
¡°On bad days, they go on and about they¡¯ll never be like you!¡± Pearla snapped. ¡°How they¡¯ll never be smart enough, or strong enough. They¡¯ll never fly like you, never come up with the stupid-clever solutions!¡± She glared at TO, ¡°And then, yesterday, guess what! GiDi came up with the stupid-clever solution. They saved all of our lives and got us away from Kei. For moments, they were so proud of themselves. Everyone was proud of them. It should have been a time for celebrating!¡± Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.
¡°I.. I¡¯m sorry.¡± TO finally said, ¡°I know it doesn¡¯t make up for-¡°
¡°Do you even know why you¡¯re apologizing?¡± She asks, ¡°Do you even really know what you did wrong??¡±
¡°I do.¡± TO said softly, ¡°It¡¯s my fault that Mark is dead. It¡¯s my fault that Constance doesn¡¯t have her parents right now. It¡¯s my fault that Kei caught up to us, and it¡¯s my fault-¡°
TO¡¯s ears flicked, the anxious writhing in their stomach and the panicked fluttering of their heart suddenly overcome by confusion as Pearla laughed. It wasn¡¯t her normal happy laugh, though; it was somehow different; colder and manic. ¡°Stars and suns.¡± She said once she could speak again, ¡°They shouldn¡¯t worry about never being as smart as you, because clearly you¡¯re a dumbass half the time!¡± She glared at TO, ¡°Those things aren¡¯t your fault. You did your best-¡°
¡°I don¡¯t think I did-¡°
¡°Shut up.¡± She snapped as her tail flicked to the side and easily dented one of the nearby shelves, making TO fall into a terrified silence. That tail could hurt them, badly. Maybe they deserved it. Could they fight back? Should they fight back? Would they deserve it?
No, Pearla would never hurt them.
Still, she could. She could hurt them easily right now with TO injured, immobile, and unarmed.
Pearla looked over them and saw their ears flicked back low and shaking, their wings tightening around their arms, their eyes growing wide while their pupils dilated. She held a steady glare with them for a moment more, then sighed and looked away as she curled her tail up on itself.
¡°Maybe it¡¯s not about you and what you did.¡± She said. ¡°It¡¯s not always about you. Maybe this time it¡¯s about GiDi.¡±
¡°But¡­ GiDi was better than me this time.¡± TO said as they looked away, their eyes still flicking to her tail, ¡°They came up with the idea when I couldn¡¯t, and it worked. I was useless.¡±
Pearla cursed in a language that TO didn¡¯t recognize. ¡°Then why didn¡¯t you tell them that?!¡± she snapped. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell them that when it happened?! Why didn¡¯t you look at them and say something like, ¡®Oh, good job GiDi! You saved us all!¡¯ Rather than shouting at them because you were scared! We were all scared! GiDi was scared, but their idea worked, and we didn¡¯t have any other ideas!¡± She came closer, her eyes wide as she stared TO down, her gaze piercing right though TO. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell them they did a good job!¡± she huffed and looked away. ¡°They were so proud that their idea worked. They were allowed to be happy and proud for all of ten seconds, and then you shouted at them. Do you have any idea how much that hurt them?¡±
TO looked away, their eyes downcast, ¡°They should be proud¡­ they did what I couldn¡¯t.¡±
Pearla sighed and came closer. She lowered herself down, so that she was at eye level to TO. ¡°Listen to me carefully.¡± She hissed. ¡°Because I know you¡¯re an idiot half the time. Seriously: roll a nice with you. If it¡¯s even you¡¯re absolutely brilliant. If it¡¯s odd, you¡¯re a dumbass. So listen to me carefully¡±
¡°I am listening-¡°
¡°You¡¯re hearing, but you¡¯re not understanding.¡± She says, ¡°You¡¯re so focused on making this about you, on this being your problem. You didn¡¯t do well enough. You didn¡¯t come up with a plan.¡± She glared at them. ¡°GiDi has been brilliant since they got here. They¡¯ve solved many problems without you guidance, up to and including getting you and DH away from King Decon. They don¡¯t need you to fix everything. They can do it on their own!¡±
They looked away, ¡°I know that, they don¡¯t need-¡°
¡°What they can¡¯t do on their own is to be proud of themselves!¡± She snapped. ¡°They can¡¯t pretend to be you and say, ¡®Good job, I¡¯m proud of you, thank you for saving our asses.¡¯ They can¡¯t convince themself that they¡¯re just as good as you are!¡±
TO¡¯s eyes widened, their ears flicking down, ¡°But¡­ but they are!¡± They insisted. ¡°They came up with the plan, and-¡°
¡°Don¡¯t tell me!¡± She snapped again. ¡°Tell GiDi! Since they came to Arkane, they¡¯ve been beating themself up over how they¡¯re not good enough, how they¡¯ll never be as good as you. Shit, they even keep talking about how they couldn¡¯t pass that damned test you all had to take because they weren¡¯t smart enough to realize it was just a simulation!¡±
¡°¡­ It was only luck that let me realize that.¡± They said.
¡°Then tell GiDi that!¡± She says. ¡°Have you ever once told GiDi that you were proud of them!? Of all that they¡¯ve done!? Did you ever tell they that they were amazing just for surviving everything they went through, for fleeing everything they had ever known and surviving on a strange planet alone!¡±
¡°Of course I¡¯m proud of them!¡± They said as their ears flicked back again, ¡°They thrived here! They got out from King Decon¡¯s rule before me and did so much better among you civilians than-¡°
¡°I¡¯m not asking if you are proud of them. I¡¯m asking if you ever told them that!¡±
Finally, TO understood. Their ears dipped again, and they looked away.
¡°That¡¯s what I thought.¡± She said. She pulled herself upright. ¡°That¡¯s all they want from you, TO. You have no idea how fucking much they love you, and all they want is for you to think they¡¯re capable, that they¡¯re smart. All they want is for you to be proud of them.¡±
¡°I don¡¯t know if they still love me after yesterday.¡± They muttered, ¡°After¡­¡± They were about to say ¡®after they had failed so miserably¡¯, but now they knew that that wasn¡¯t necessarily the issue. They were sure it didn¡¯t help, but that wasn¡¯t the primary concern.
Not after everything.¡±
¡°They do.¡± She said, ¡°Otherwise they wouldn¡¯t still be upset about it.¡±
That pulled TO into silence for a moment as they considered her words. Was that true? Was their anger at them a sign of some familial affection still?
She turned and headed to the elevator. ¡°I don¡¯t know when GiDi will come back down here,¡± she said. ¡°But when they do, you¡¯re gonna tell them everything you were telling me, and more.¡± She said. She glared back at TO. ¡°Understood?¡±
Her tail still twisted around itself at the end and now as TO saw it tense and twitch, they realized that was an intentional act to to keep the thing from slapping the floor or another shelf.
¡°U-Understood.¡± They said.
¡°Good.¡± She snapped.
It took a moment for the elevator to reach them, and they sat in awkward silence for a moment more before she signed again. ¡°And¡­ look.¡± She said. ¡°What happened to Mark wasn¡¯t your fault.¡± She said. ¡°I¡¯m more likely to blame Kei and the indebted system for it.¡± She huffed, ¡°if they hadn¡¯t taken such shitty care of him, the infection might not have spread and he¡¯d probably have been ok. He was too weak and sick when he got to use, though, and we didn¡¯t even know if he¡¯d survive liftoff.¡± She looked down. ¡°I¡¯d never say that it¡¯s good that someone died, but I think it¡¯s better that he died quickly on Arkane. If he got on the ship, Constance would have watched him die slowly and painfully. I¡¯ve seen enough people do that to know how...¡± She trailed off, looking to the side as though staring deeply into something, ¡°Well, it sticks with you.¡± She shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s bad enough that he¡¯s dead. I¡¯m glad Constance didn¡¯t have to go though that¡­ and glad that he didn¡¯t have to suffer that level of pain when we don¡¯t have the painkillers to make him comfortable enough.¡±
Finally, the door opened. She slipped inside again, then poked her head out once more.
¡°Still pissed at you for hurting GiDi, and I¡¯ll stay pissed until you talk to them! But GiDi shouldn¡¯t have said what they did. You¡¯re both idiots, as far as I¡¯m concerned.¡±
The door closed before TO could come up with any response, leaving them to think about how they had actually messed up. Yes, they had failed in coming up with good plans, but it seemed their bigger failure was in helping GiDi, in supporting them. Their mind raced back to the conversation they had with GiDi long ago back in training, when GiDi lamented that they didn¡¯t feel precious, that DH was obviously so much more important to TO than they were.
They had promised to do better, but with GiDi now having Pearla, now having someone to whom they were most precious, the issue had faded from TO¡¯s mind. It never occurred to them that GiDi would still want that from TO. Episode 412: Hiding
¡°GiDi should be apologizing to you.¡± They muttered as they helped TO into the chair. As soon as DH came back from whatever it was they had to do, TO asked for help to get into their chair. ¡°But, you should talk to them, yes.¡±
¡°I¡¯m the one who messed up.¡± TO muttered once they were in. Of course, DH didn¡¯t let them go just then as they insisted on preparing TO first by putting a blanket around the injured leg, stabilizing it, and putting together a little pack of supplies. TO said they didn¡¯t need the supplies, but they insisted on giving them some painkillers to take with them: Not the strong ones which DH had reduced to only small, twice daily dosages, but some milder ones that TO could take every four hours if the pain got bad.
The lower dosage meant constant pain in their knee, but it was bearable. The positive side to the reduced dosage was that TO wasn¡¯t sleepy all the time, and their mind was clear again.
¡°I could go with you.¡± DH said, ¡°Just in case something happens. What if your knee starts hurting really bad? Or if GiDi¡­¡± They paused and shook their head, ¡°What if you and GiDi get into a bigger fight?¡±
¡°If that happens, I¡¯ll handle it.¡± TO said. That wasn¡¯t what they originally intended to say in response. Originally, they were going to say that if that happened, then they deserved it and would take whatever GiDi threw at them, but they didn¡¯t want to give DH more reason to worry about them. They had to find ways to be more beneficial to their family, and causing more work for DH was the opposite of what they needed to do.
¡°Alright.¡± DH said. They leaned in towards TO, and gently pressed their foreheads together as DH¡¯s hand went behind TO¡¯s head and gently scratched the back of their neck. ¡°If you¡¯re sure.¡±
¡°I¡¯m positive.¡± They said. ¡°I want to do this on my own.¡±
DH held TO in place for a moment longer as they scratched the back of TO¡¯s neck until a low chirping emitted from TO. DH chuckled as that happened, smiling at the light flush that covered TO¡¯s ears. They then kissed first TO¡¯s forehead, then their snout, then they planted a gentle kiss on TO¡¯s lips.
¡°Ugh. Get a room.¡± Vik said as they emerged from the vent once more, ¡°We have a room just for that stuff! Though, I think that¡¯s basically always in use. You might have to wait in line.¡±
DH jolted up, ¡°Vik!¡± They said as they turned around, their ears flushed blue, ¡°Where were you? We have to work on the schematics for the prosthetics!¡±
TO smiled despite their own embarrassment, the deepening flush of their ears, and the twist of anxiety in their stomach, which they fought to soothe with reminders that they could be affectionate here. The sudden affection from DH served to soothe some of the worries they had, to make things feel normal between the two of them.
Their relief lasted as they went to the elevator and rolled inside. The door closed, the elevator moved, and now that they were away from DH, they couldn¡¯t help but wonder if the unexpected affection was a diversion. Maybe TO themself had been too quiet, and DH knew that they were upset. DH was amazing and wouldn¡¯t want them to feel that way, so it made sense to TO that they would overcompensate, and try to make TO feel better, right?
As they worried about this, the door opened. The elevator didn¡¯t open on the floor where everyone else was staying. It followed its path and opened up in the hallway below them. It was relatively quiet, though the privacy room to one side, which they had set up to the side, had the little sign set on the front flipped to ¡®DO NOT DISTURB¡¯, indicating that someone was using it. There was a line, yes, but it wasn¡¯t a line of people. It was a line of socks which trailed from the door down the hallway.
That made sense. If TO and DH did want to use the room, they didn¡¯t think they¡¯d want to wait awkwardly outside for an undetermined period with a bunch of other people.
The elevator door began to slide shut but on a whim TO pushed themself out. The motion sensor caught their movement, and the doors opened up, allowing TO to exit the elevator. They¡¯d go find GiDi, absolutely, and they¡¯d apologize and do whatever they could to make things right! But Avery was right here. Avery, their friend, their Ankyra. Maybe Avery would hate them as well for everything that had happened, but with GiDi angry at them and with the strange tension they sensed between themself and DH, they wanted to talk to someone even if that someone was unconscious.
They rolled up to the door and waved their chip before it, hoping that their chip had the proper privileges for it. It did, and the door slid open, allowing TO to enter. At first glance, the room appeared to be empty, with the only sounds coming from within the steady beeping of machines. However, as TO rolled in, they caught a flicker of movement out of the corner of their eye, and heard a sharp intake of breath and a loud clatter from the corner of the room. They turned in their chair, their knee arching at the sudden awkward angle as they drew their claws. If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.
Someone was in there with Avery, but why? Was it a civilian? Why were they sitting in the corner? Were they going to hurt Avery? Were they waiting for DH to make their daily rounds?
Why did their claws feel so odd? They didn¡¯t want to draw them, but TO had no weapons or method of self defence.
Somehow, the idea that it was Kei came through their head. Somehow, Kei had found a way on their ship, and was here to do what they failed to do on Arkane.
Those thoughts all ran through TO¡¯s head in the split second it took them to recognize the figure in the corner. A chair lay on its side on the floor right next to a terrified looked Noss who stood before TO with his hands out. A small tablet lay on the floor next to his feet, screen down. The minister, or former minister, stammered the beginning of several sentences as the sweat poured off his face.
No, it wasn¡¯t sweat; it was a secretion. Noss said that it wasn¡¯t sweat.
¡°What are you doing here?¡± TO hissed, moving themself between Avery and Noss. Yes, he had helped them get off the planet, and Pholi had vouched for him, but who was to say that it all wasn¡¯t a trick?
¡°Nothing! I swear!¡± He said, finally regaining control of his tongue.
¡°Then why are you here¡± TO still kept their claws unsheathed. They hated it, and it made them feel anxious and sick, but they had no other weapon and couldn¡¯t defend themself properly since they were in the chair.
If he had a weapon, TO would attack. They glanced to the corner of the room, and saw the camera, its activity button blinking away to prove it was working. Good. Hopefully DH would see what was happening, and would be there soon.
Their chip suddenly beeped, a signal that they had a message. They nearly went to check it, but that would have given Noss an opportunity to attack, so they didn¡¯t.
¡°Why are you here?!¡± TO demanded again.
¡°I¡­ I¡¯m hiding!¡± Noss said, backing up a little more, his back against the wall. ¡°I swear, Ask Pholi. Ask GiDi, I swear-¡°
¡°Hiding from who!¡± TO said as they willed their chair forward. ¡°And why in here!?¡± They flicked their eyes to the tablet on the floor. ¡°What were you doing with that?¡± Maybe they weren¡¯t there to hurt Avery, maybe they were just sending information off to Gyrini. Maybe this was all a ploy to redeem themself in Decon¡¯s eyes.
With painful slowness, Noss reached down and picked up the tablet. He turned it over and pointed the screen at TO so that they could see what they had been doing. On the screen, a show was playing: something animated, but otherwise not something TO recognized.
¡°Please, I swear, I was just here watching a show I like,¡± He said. ¡°That¡¯s all.¡±
¡°But why here¡± TO said again, ¡°I can¡¯t think of a single reason you should be here, or why anyone should be here!¡±
¡°T-That¡¯s the point.¡± Noss said. ¡°I¡¯m here because nobody else has a reason to come here.¡± He lowered the tablet slightly and looked at TO, ¡°GiDi visits in the morning. DH makes their rounds in the evening. Nobody else comes here in the middle of the afternoon, so it¡¯s a place I can hide!¡± He turned the tablet around and began inputting something on it, ¡°I can call GiDi or DH, and they¡¯ll tell you they said it was ok! Pholi suggested it, and he asked them-¡°
¡°But why are you hiding at all?!¡±
Another beep on TO¡¯s communicator: This time it was a call. TO gestured, and a flickering screen popped up before them, showing DH¡¯s face. DH¡¯s ears were out in panic, their eyes wide.
¡°DH. Noss was-¡°
¡°Noss is ok to be there!¡± DH said quickly, ¡°He¡¯s staying there, so he doesn¡¯t upset the other civilians!¡±
TO frowned, their ears flicking out slightly in confusion. ¡°Why though?¡± TO said.
¡°I was... Well, they were going to lock me up somewhere.¡± Noss said. ¡°But there wasn¡¯t space, and nobody really wanted to give up that privacy room, and I helped so GiDi and Tham said that so long as I didn¡¯t cause any issues with the others, I didn¡¯t need to be isolated or locked up. But most everyone else hates me, and things were always tense.¡± He paused and gave a nervous laugh. ¡°I mean, really, what happened wasn¡¯t my fault! I didn¡¯t make the rules, but half the people on this ship hate me!¡±
¡°We were worried about fights breaking out.¡± DH said, ¡°And with tensions getting a bit high with the others anyway, it was looking more and more likely. Pholi suggested that Noss just hide away somewhere for most of the day, and I figured at least this way, Avery wouldn¡¯t be alone.¡±
As TO¡¯s ears dipped further, they retracted their claws. ¡°Why didn¡¯t anyone tell me?¡±
¡°You were still heavily medicated when we decided on this,¡± DH said, ¡°And after that it just didn¡¯t seem important.¡± They frowned. ¡°Why are you there though? If I knew you were going down there, I¡¯d have told you about him. I thought you were going to find GiDi!¡±
¡°I am!¡± TO insisted, ¡°I just wanted to see Avery first!¡±
¡°¡­I¡¯m ok to be here?¡± Noss said. ¡°I mean, I can go-¡°
¡°You¡¯re fine, Noss.¡± DH said, ¡°I¡¯m just glad I called. I messaged TO first when I saw them on the camera, but they didn¡¯t answer.¡±
¡°I didn¡¯t know why Noss was here.¡± TO said, ¡°What if he was here to hurt Avery? What if he attacked? I didn¡¯t want to give him an opening.¡±
DH stared at TO in stunned silence for a moment longer before breaking out into laughter, their ears twitching.
¡°Noss? You didn¡¯t want to give Noss an opening? TO, weapons here are all locked up and Noss¡­ Well, he¡¯s Noss. I doubt he¡¯d be stupid enough to attack you!¡± Their ears flicked down suddenly, ¡°Ah, apologies, Noss, I meant to offence-¡°
¡°None taken in this case. You¡¯re right, I¡¯d not be stupid enough to attack even an injured synth! I have a strong sense of self-preservation!¡±
TO sighed, their ears warming as DH continued to laugh. ¡°I was being careful.¡± They muttered.
¡°I know, I know, and I love you for that.¡± DH said as they calmed down. ¡°Sorry, I would have told you before.¡±
¡°Don¡¯t worry about it!¡± TO said. The last thing they needed right now was DH worry about something like that. ¡°Sorry I caused a fuss-¡°
¡°It¡¯s nothing. I¡¯ll see you when you¡¯re done. Don¡¯t forget to check on GiDi.¡±
The video cut, leaving TO along with the sleeping Avery, and the still terrified Noss. Episode 413: Failure In the brief silence that followed, TO could hear Noss¡¯ anxiety spike: His breathing came in short shallow breaths, and his heart beat like a drum under the music of the machines. That wasn¡¯t something TO normally noticed, but they were so close to Noss that they were certain they could now. Well, maybe they didn¡¯t actually hear that, maybe it was just the way Noss¡¯ whole body seemed to pulse with each beat that made TO think they could hear it. It was so odd to have a heart that beat rather than hum. Was Noss aware of it all the time? ¡°Well! I will, uh, I¡¯ll leave you to your work, honored- I mean.¡± Noss stammered, his words falling him as he realized that his way of addressing TO wasn¡¯t correct anymore. As the man cleared his throat, apologizing, TO suddenly realized the actual use of all the seemingly stupid rules of etiquette that spanned so many civilian cultures. In an awkward situation, one could simply fall back on pre-set rules of action and dialogue. Those rules had now failed Noss, and since he didn¡¯t know what to do, he simply fell into an awkward stammering. ¡°TO is fine.¡± TO said, as they made their way towards Avery, ¡°I have no more formal title.¡± Why Noss was suddenly so anxious around them? They had already spoken since Noss left the Arkanian government: Once before they left, and again only the day before! Of course, before they left Arkane, Noss had been drinking with Pholi, so that could have limited his typical, obvious anxiety. Though, that didn¡¯t explain yesterday. In fact, yesterday, Noss seemed like an entirely different person. He had gone over all the facts of Kei¡¯s access to their data, explaining how Kei had found them. ¡°Well, yes. Uh. TO. I¡¯ll leave you to your work. Or uh. I¡¯ll leave you to your friend.¡± They said, doing that same little bow as they backed away, creeping towards the door behind them. ¡°You don¡¯t have to bow, either.¡± TO said, ¡°I¡¯m not an ¡®envoy of King Decon¡¯ anymore. In fact, I¡¯m likely considered quite the rebel now, probably with a kill-on-sight order.¡± They paused as they looked down at Avery, then turned their chair to face Noss. ¡°You were rather quick yesterday.¡± They said, their ears pinning back slightly. TO knew that Noss wouldn¡¯t have recognized the gesture, but even so, it seemed to make him uneasy. ¡°You ran through the situation and came up with logical reasoning as to how Kei found us.¡± Noss chuckled as he backed away. ¡°Well, yes. It¡¯s my job. Was my job.¡± TO frowned, ¡°You said you disliked your job.¡± They said, ¡°And that you weren¡¯t suited to it.¡± Even as the anxiety in Noss drew more of that secretion from his skin and pushed him to dab at his face with the sodden handkerchief, his brows knit together in confusion, ¡°When did I say-¡° ¡°Before we left. You were drinking with Pholi.¡± The skin on his face darkened. ¡°Oh! Right. Right. I was..¡± he looked away, ¡°Sorry, yes, I suppose I might have.¡± He gave a nervous chuckle, ¡°Well, w-who doesn¡¯t complain about their job when they¡¯ve been drinking!?¡± ¡°I¡¯m just surprised that, given what you said, you were as competent as you were,¡± TO said, watching Noss carefully. Was he just nervous around TO like he always was, or was this anxiety a sign of something else? Was his competency just a cover? Had he told Gyrini and Kei where they were?¡± ¡°Well. I, uh.¡± He shrugged, ¡°I have been doing the job for a long time now. Even someone like me can learn!¡± He chuckled, ¡°Put any animal of minimal intelligence to a task long enough and it¡¯ll get good at it.¡± He wiped under his chin with the handkerchief, but TO wasn¡¯t sure if it was doing anything to help. ¡°That kind of¨Cah¨Crisk assessment was a daily part of my job. Let¡¯s say someone with any security clearance moved to another department, got fired, or got arrested, then it was my job to figure out how much information which they had access to might have been useful, and what they couldn¡¯t have copied before they knew they¡¯d lose their access. Then, I¡¯d have to figure out how much damage that information could do, and then I¡¯d have to make a plan for harm reduction.¡± ¡°I assumed that there was an automated system, so the moment that a person was arrested-¡° ¡°Oh, there is!¡± Noss said, putting his hands up defensively. ¡°But. Well, let¡¯s say one of my under-secretaries got caught doing something illegal, and was being chased by the Sharks-¡° ¡°Sharks?¡± TO¡¯s ears quirked outwards. ¡°In the water?¡± Noss face darkened again, ¡°Ah, no, Sharks. It¡¯s uh, slang, I suppose, for the Arkanian authorities.¡± He cleared his voice and took another step backwards towards the door. ¡°Let¡¯s say someone was being chased by the authorities, but we didn¡¯t know who it was. I¡¯d have to look at the time the authorities began chasing them, and the time they got caught, filed, and their access to all government systems revoked. How much information could a person get from that? What information did they have access to? How much would that be worth to the wrong people-¡± He paused, then gave another nervous laugh, ¡°oh uh, I suppose the right people since the insurgency got their hands on most of it.¡± He chuckled. ¡°I had to go through all that, run risk assessments, and create a plan of action to make sure that any potential damage was minimal.¡± He looked aside, ¡°I uh. Well, this was also when I could do the most favors for Pholi.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± TO asked, their own brows knitting together. ¡°Well, l-lets say that someone had access to incoming flight logs.. Oh! I remember that, uh, almost a year ago now, someone was arrested and they had access to incoming flight logs. One of them had information about synth ships coming to one of the lunar colonies. That information is invaluable, but also lethal to sell, if you get caught. Pholi was interested in incoming synth ships and bought the information from me. That was the ship that Snout was on, apparently.¡± He shrugged, ¡°When the ship was compromised I launched an investigation, but since I had already placed that information under potential risks, we could assume that the stolen assets were a result of my former under-sectary selling information. It didn¡¯t affect him, since he was already sent off to a different mining colony in another solar system.¡± Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author. They suddenly realized what Noss was saying. The idea that Noss, this small, always nervous former minister, was the reason that Snout had gotten away from King Decon in the first place seemed entirely unreal to TO. Without realizing it, Noss had ensured that Flit and Snout could be together now. Unknowingly, Noss had done more to help TO¡¯s family, their pod, than TO had. Their point made sense as well. Noss had been doing his job for long enough that there had been certain aspects which he had gotten good at. It occurred to TO that this was in rather stark contrast to TO themself, who seemed to only have gotten worse and worse at their ¡®job.¡¯ As Noss had just said, ¡®Put any animal of minimal intelligence to a task long enough and it¡¯ll get good at it.¡¯ This made perfect sense, so why was TO only getting worse and worse? Why were they failing so badly now? ¡°... Right.¡± Noss said, suddenly clapping his hands and looking away, ¡°I, uh, I¡¯ll go. I¡¯ll let you talk with Avery there, or sit with them. And uh... ¡° ¡°If this place is safe for you-¡° ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sure I can handle a bit of time out in the wild.¡± Noss said, a nervous laugh coming from him in little cracking croaks, ¡°I¡¯ll go find Pholi. We¡¯ll spend some time going over news and the like. You know, keep useful and all!¡± TO watched as Noss hurried out of the room, the door sliding behind him as he escaped and left TO alone with Avery and the beeping machines. Sighing, TO rolled over to the overturned chair and set it upright. ¡°Did you hear that, Avery...¡± TO said slowly. ¡°Any animal of minimal intelligence will get good at a job if they do it long enough.¡± They sighed and wheeled over to Avery¡¯s bedside. ¡°So, what does that make me?¡± They waited as though Avery might respond, as though the constant beeping of the machines attached to their friend might have some kind of hidden message, some code. Avery¡¯s steady breathing. The rise and fall of their chest was a comfort at least, even if their face was drawn and thin from being on IV nutrition. ¡°...I¡¯m not very good at my job.¡± They said after the silence had carried on for a while. ¡°I mean, I was a good synth, in the beginning; They said I was clever, and I worked hard. I was ¡®exceptional¡¯.¡± They shook their head, ¡°But that was just to keep everyone safe, wasn¡¯t it?¡± They looked down at their lap, their hands clutching the dull, faded fabric of their pants. ¡°All I wanted in training was to keep us all together. You, GiDi, DH and me. And.. I couldn¡¯t even do that.¡± Was that all they had wanted? They thought back to the early days of their training, back to where this all happened. ¡°... I don¡¯t even know if I did it for you. For any of you.¡± They said after they had been silent for a moment more. ¡°... Do you know what it was like for me in the beginning? Before I met DH?¡± They glanced at Avery, imagining what their response might be. *No, I don¡¯t. You never talk about it.* ¡°I don¡¯t like to talk about it.¡± They said, responding to the made-up response that the Avery in their head said. ¡°Those first thirty days... All I wanted was someone to talk to. I¡¯d have talked to anyone if they were kind, I just...¡± they stopped as those days came clearer to them, their isolation and loneliness. ¡°I always wanted someone,¡± they said. ¡°Just someone to talk to. To be friends with. Before I found DH, it felt like I was trapped in a bubble, separated from everyone else. No matter how much I tried to talk to people, or connect with people, it didn¡¯t work. They just got angry with me if I tried too hard, or they just started giving me that look.¡± They shook their head, ¡°You know the one, don¡¯t you? That one that just screams that they hate you. That they don¡¯t want you around them. Or maybe you didn¡¯t get that look. You were better at hiding. Or... maybe you got that look, and I just didn¡¯t pay attention.¡± That was entirely possible. Once DH was there, DH was all they really cared about. ¡°... I wanted to keep us all together.¡± TO said, ¡°And... I failed. Well, first I wanted to make sure we all passed our examination, and I failed at that. Then I wanted to keep you, DH, and me together, and I failed at that too. Then we came here to Arkane, and I wanted to work hard so that DH and I could become retirees together.¡± They suddenly gave a sharp chuckle, ¡°You know.. Maybe I¡¯m not actually getting worse. It seems I have a track record of failing, don¡¯t I?¡± *¡¯Well, things still worked out.¡¯* The Avery-in TO¡¯s-head said. ¡°Yes, things worked out, but that wasn¡¯t thanks to me, was it?¡± TO said, ¡°Flit saved GiDi, and GiDi got all of us away from King Decon...¡± They gave another bitter laugh, ¡°GiDi¡¯s done everything I wanted to do, but failed to do. I don¡¯t know why I¡¯m worried that I¡¯m just failing now. Apparently, I¡¯ve been failing all over the place since training. The only thing I was succeeding in was looking like a good synth! Everyone said I was smart and capable, and...¡± They paused, and leaned forward, their elbows resting on the arms of the chair as they rested their face in their hands. ¡°And now I¡¯m not even that anymore. I¡¯m not even a Synth. I never was, was I? The one thing I was apparently good at was a lie.¡± The constant beeping filled the silence that followed as TO let all these thoughts roll around in their head. ¡°... Even you being here, it¡¯s my fault.¡± They said, ¡°I... I don¡¯t know how. Nobody knows know why you went to see Kei. I don¡¯t know what happened, but I wanted to protect you, too. I wanted to keep us all together... and now, here you are: unconscious, with all these machines plugged into you, and we don¡¯t know if you¡¯re going to wake up. You may never wake up.¡± Their hands dug into their face, ¡°But... At least there¡¯s a chance with you. You might wake up... And when you do, if you¡¯re our Ankyra, it¡¯s your role to keep us all together.¡± They looked at Avery. ¡°You know that, though, right? That¡¯s why you were trying so hard to take care of Kei. Because you cared about them... Even if they didn¡¯t-or couldn¡¯t-care about you. You were doing your job. Maybe, when you wake...¡± They stopped and took a long, shuddering breath to steady themself, ¡°Maybe when you wake up, you¡¯ll do your job, and you¡¯ll see that I¡¯m...¡± They stopped, their hands falling into their lap. ¡°... that I¡¯m not good for the pod.¡± They wanted to be good for the pod. They wanted to help, but now that they realized that their whole life was just a constant series of failures, how could they possibly think that any new attempts they might make would be successful? *Of course you¡¯re good. You try. You care.* ¡°... That¡¯s what DH thought too, I bet.¡± They said, ¡°But... I think that they saw who I really am. No...¡± They shook their head, closing their eyes and willing tears back. ¡°No. No, I told them who I really was.¡± They took another deep breath, blinking rapidly, calming themself. No, they didn¡¯t deserve to keep it quiet, and they didn¡¯t deserve to cry. Constance deserved to cry for what she lost, and DH deserved to cry since TO had fooled them for so long with this image of a person who, clearly, they weren¡¯t. No, they didn¡¯t deserve to keep it quiet. ¡°I showed myself who I really was... and it cost a man his life.¡± Epsiode 414: Beep
Now that TO knew exactly how DH felt about the story made it even harder for TO to talk about that fight with Kei and Mark¡¯s involvement. They wanted to pretend that it hadn¡¯t happened, that the part of them that shouted at Mark and disappointed DH didn¡¯t exist. If they could have gone back in time somehow, they didn¡¯t even know if they would tell DH the truth.
It was too late for all of that; the events had happened, that part of them existed, and they told DH.
¡°I can¡¯t even remember what I was thinking when it happened.¡± TO said once they were done. They were leaning against the side of the bed, listening to Avery¡¯s breathing under the beeping of the machines around them as they resting their head on their folded arms. ¡°I... I want to say that I just wanted to stop them, that I wanted to keep them from hurting someone else.¡± They forced themself to relive that day, those moments, drawing up the memory and replaying the scenes in their head.
They forced themself to stare at the image of blood in their mind; shiny, wet, sticky blood. It made them feel oddly numb again, though they wished it would send them into a panic like it used to. It would have been an appropriate punishment.
¡°I drew my claws, and I tore into Kei.¡± They said, ¡°I can feel it, you know...¡± They looked at their hands, and with a quick motion, drew their claws to look at the lethal tips. When they woke after the procedure, there was no blood on their hands and no gore in their claws, so TO could only imagine that DH had worked hard to remove every scrap of evidence from them. ¡°I drew my claws, but I don¡¯t even feel bad about that. Our claws are supposed to be a last resort, and Kei didn¡¯t leave me with any other options...¡±
They replayed that moment again, their claws digging through Kei¡¯s flesh as they struggled to stop Kei, to escape their flesh. They recalled the fight that put TO on their back, giving Kei an advantage as they knelt on TO¡¯s chest, the gun inching to their face as the two struggled.
Then Mark arrived, and Kei turned to fire the gun at what they thought was DH.
¡°You know what I thought when Kei shot Mark?¡± They asked, as though Avery could respond, ¡°When I saw Kei fire that last bullet, when I saw Mark grab his side...¡± they shook their head, ¡°I thought, ¡®It¡¯s not DH!¡¯ And in that moment I was just so happy that someone else had taken that bullet. Kei was out of bullets and wouldn¡¯t be able to shoot DH even if they showed up. That Mark got hurt wasn¡¯t a concern until after everything was over.¡± they pressed their face to their forearms. ¡°I was relieved, and then I only cared about stopping-... About killing Kei. I even yelled at Mark to stop them, to trip them while they were bleeding out! Kei was running away, and I was telling them to fight me, telling Mark to trip them, and telling myself that you¡¯d understand if Kei wound up dead... All that, when I should have just been glad they had given up, and should have been taking care of Mark.¡± TO shook their head in their arms, breathing even as they felt their ears burn with shame. ¡°Even if I couldn¡¯t have done anything for him, I could have at least made his last few moments more comfortable.¡±
More beeping rang from the surrounding machinery in place of a response from Avery. For a moment TO thought that maybe Avery¡¯s breathing had quickened, but then decided it was just the racing of their own mind and heart that made things seem to move faster.
Despite Avery¡¯s silence, TO¡¯s mind was more than happy to provide hypothetical dialogue about what their friend might have said.
How could you?
You would have killed Kei?!
What if it was me there? Or GiDi? Would you have shouted at us while we bled out?
Dozens of other responses came to TO¡¯s mind, but there was one that stood out from the others, the one which was worse than anything else Avery could say; I thought you were better than that.
¡°I thought I was better, too.¡± They said, sighing as they leaned against the edge of the bed, ¡°And, when you wake up, if you want me out of the pod¡­¡± they hesitated, their stomach twisting. What would they do when Avery told them to leave? They were injured and needed help to do so many basic things right now! They couldn¡¯t even get into their chair without help! Even if they had been perfectly healthy, the thought of being along again, of sleeping on their own, of having nobody to connect to make them want to cry. Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.
No. No crying. They didn¡¯t deserve it. How did Mark feel when TO was shouting at him in his last moments? Did that make him want to cry?
¡°¡­When you tell me to leave the pod, I will.¡± They said, ¡°I¡­ I can sleep elsewhere, apart from the rest of you. I¡¯ll take care of myself, I¡¯ll figure it out. And when we get to Scraprock, I¡¯ll find somewhere to go.¡±
They hadn¡¯t even thought about that. Where would they go? The first thought was Apoikia, and maybe they¡¯d try to start over there. From what they understood, Chilacians often joined new pods for a variety of reasons! The only problem that TO could see was that Avery had to go there to recover from this Shatter Sickness. Would it be ok for TO to go with them? What if Avery¡¯s pod decided to stay there in the end? Could TO stay there as well and survive without being part of their pod? They imagined what it might be like to walk past DH on a street in Okoia, or even back in the hallways of the training centre. Would it break their heart to see their mate walk past and look at them with indifference or disdain? Would they be able to handle that even if a new pod had accepted them?
Would they find a pod? If they were so harmful, who would have them in a pod? What happened to Chilacians who were too dangerous to be in a pod? They recalled what Snout told them ages ago about the exploratory ships: the ones in which certain synths would be put on as a major punishment, sent out into the void of space for the rest of their days to look for undiscovered planets. The isolation in that situation had always disturbed TO, and now they wondered if Chilacians had something similar; some place where they banished Chilacians who weren¡¯t fit to be in a pod.
Was that what waited for them if they went to the Chilacian homeworld? If they didn¡¯t go there, where would they go? Where could they go?
The spiral of planning and anxiety in TO¡¯s head was blissfully cut short by a new beeping that sounded out from the others: A high-pitched, staccato tone which sounded out in three rapid beeps, followed by a rest, and then three more. TO froze, jolting up and looking over all the machinery, over Avery, trying to figure out what had happened. Had they done something? They looked around where they had been leaning, terrified that they had leaned on some wire or tube that they hadn¡¯t seen. They knew little about this medical stuff, but at the very least, the shows they had watched with DH told them that this noise was a bad noise; this was normally when civilian doctors rushed in with special equipment and frantically worked around the patient to save their life while a terrified partner watched on from the corner, scared and helpless.
TO didn¡¯t want to be helpless. They wanted to help, but what if they made things worse? What if they got in the way like the civilians did in those shows sometimes?
TO¡¯s communicator went off: the chip at their hand beeping. With a gesture, they answered the call, and the screen projected in the air before them, showing DH¡¯s face. There was a frantic twitching to their ears, which TO had of course expected given the sudden new and alarming noise coming from the machine. What they hadn¡¯t expected was their mate¡¯s ears to be perked up, flicked forward in hope and curiosity.
¡°You¡¯re still down with Avery?¡± They asked immediately.
¡°Yes.¡± TO said, their ears dipping, ¡°I don¡¯t know what happened though: The alarms just-¡°
¡°No no, those are good sounds!¡± DH insisted. ¡°Is anything happening? Is Avery moving? Making sounds? Did anything happen?¡±
¡°No, no, they¡¯re just lying there: there¡¯s been nothing odd.¡± They frowned, their ears flicking in concentration, ¡°Well, there was a moment I felt their breathing was perhaps faster, but I thought it was just me-¡°
¡°Ok, and they don¡¯t seem to be in any pain?¡±
¡°None.¡± TO confirmed as they glanced over Avery¡¯s sleeping form once more. ¡°They still seem to be sleeping peacefully.¡±
¡°Good, Ok. I¡¯ll be right down. Don¡¯t leave yet.¡±
The call dropped before TO could say anything else. There was nothing that TO could do here, and they didn¡¯t know why DH asked them to stay. Still, the way DH had acted, how happy they had seemed judging from the angle of their ears, made TO think that it wouldn¡¯t be like in the shows, and that they wouldn¡¯t be cowering in the corner, watching while DH struggled to keep Avery alive.
Maybe Avery would wake up.
At first, TO¡¯s heard jumped as the possibility flooded them with relief but in the next moment they realized that the sooner Avery woke, the sooner they¡¯d know everything, and the sooner they¡¯d make a decision on TO staying in the pod or not. Maybe they already made the decision. Maybe they had actually heard what TO said and their disdain and anger over everything somehow dragged them from the depths of their sleep, pulling them awake so they could do what had to be done.
They reached out and curled their hand around Avery¡¯s. For now, they were still family, still part of a pod, and TO didn¡¯t know how aware Avery was at this moment, or how scared they might be if they were awake, but trapped. They also didn¡¯t know if holding Avery¡¯s hand would help or not, but here and now, it was all they could do. Episode 415: Optimism Not long after the call had ended, DH rushed into the makeshift med-room with their ears twitching frantically and a bag slung over their shoulder. TO realized that this bag wasn¡¯t their normal med kit, it was a different kind of old threadbare canvas bag, held together by hope and patches of mismatched fabric. Before TO could ask what it was or where it came from, DH was at Avery¡¯s bed and pulling out supplies that ranged from stuff that TO recognized¨Csyringes, stethoscope, thermometer¨C but there were other things that they didn¡¯t recognize and which they had no opportunity to ask about before DH started plugging things in. ¡°Ok.¡± DH said before TO could ask what was going on, ¡°The alert you heard was something that¡¯s hooked up to Averys¡¯ brain; it detects brain activity and gives and alert when it picks up anything that¡¯s beyond the span of what¡¯s expected in this kind of coma.¡± They looked over at TO as they plugged one of the strange devices into a machine which sat under the gurney. ¡°It¡¯s like when I told you we had some brain signals a few days ago, and that meant that Avery would soon wake up.¡± The machine they plugged in gave a few odd beeping noises before its screen flashed and came up with a loading screen. ¡°That there¡¯s another flash of activity so soon is a good sign.¡± ¡°You think they¡¯ll wake up soon?¡± TO asked, watching DH work. ¡°I hope so.¡± DH said. They put the stethoscope on, their ears twitching and contorting oddly as they put the ill fitting civilian equipment in their ears and pressed it to Avery¡¯s chest. ¡°I thought you had to put that on under the clothes.¡± TO said as they watched DH work. DH flinched when TO spoke, and made a gesture for TO to be quiet. It wasn¡¯t even an emergency, and TO was getting in the way. They fell silent as they clasped their hands in their lap, rubbing their claws together the skin. With their claws retracted of course they couldn¡¯t do any damage but they realized in that moment that it was odd to feel the hard stub of their claws under the otherwise soft skin of their fingertips. For the first time, they wondered how they managed to keep from clawing themself when they retracted their claws. What kind of sheath existed under the skin? They thought to draw their claws so they could check, but for some reason the idea made them feel sick to their stomach, so they kept their claws in and contented themself with just rubbing them together through the skin. ¡°Right. Sorry about that.¡± DH said once they were done and had taken the stethoscope from their ears. ¡°We don¡¯t have any stethoscopes designed for ears like ours, so I have to work with one for smaller ears. They¡¯re far more sensitive, and a lot louder. Even the hum of a heart can make my ears hurt with this, so I listen through the fabric.¡± They gave an apologetic smile to TO, ¡°And, if someone talks around me when I¡¯m listening, it hurts.¡± ¡°I¡¯m so sorry!¡± TO said, their ears dipping down again, ¡°I didn¡¯t know-¡° ¡°Oh, I should have told you, don¡¯t worry about-¡° DH couldn¡¯t finish before the door slid open again. TO turned in their chair as Flit and Snout entered the room, led by GiDi whose ears were flicking in that same anxious-but-excited way that DH¡¯s had been. They noticed that Flit and Snout seemed far more cautious, their ears pinned slightly, the twitching minimal. Did they know something that DH, GiDi, and TO themself didn¡¯t? That didn¡¯t matter, at least now for now. GiDi was here, and that¡¯s who TO had wanted to see in the first place. They swivelled in their chair to look at GiDi but their smaller friend¡¯s attention was entirely on DH and Avery. ¡°Everything is alright?¡± They asked as they hurried up to DH, ¡°I read that people in comas can-¡° ¡°I told you not to read anything!¡± DH said, their ears flicking down, ¡°You¡¯re just going to worry yourself!¡± ¡°I know! But I had to know!¡± They gestured to Avery, ¡°They¡¯re my friend! how could I not want to know?¡± The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. It hadn¡¯t occurred to TO to look up anything: DH told them what they needed to know, and TO had trusted that. Meanwhile, GiDi was the one who went out of their way to research things, to learn about issues. Another pang of guilt hit their stomach¡­ GiDi really was better than they were, weren¡¯t they? ¡°Nothing went wrong.¡± DH said, ¡°There was additional brain activity-¡° ¡°But that can happen when something goes wrong!¡± GiDi insisted. DH gave another sigh, ¡°GiDi, calm down. Yes, that can be the case. Just like a headache can be a tumor! Most of the time, it¡¯s not the case.¡± They looked back to the small machine they plugged into the system, ¡°Especially since we picked up brain activity a few days ago, it¡¯s a more likely to be a process of slowly waking up. Still, I am checking all Avery¡¯s vitals to make sure that everything is fine *as a precaution*¡± they activated their chip, and made a note in a file they had which contained all kinds of numerical information which TO couldn¡¯t identify. ¡°And from what I¡¯m seeing here, the stats look good.¡± They input the new stats, and some calculations ran in a window to the side. After a moment of reading the information that came up they added, ¡°The stats are excellent, actually.¡± ¡°So, they¡¯re going to wake up.¡± GiDi asked, ¡°When?¡± DH¡¯s ears dipped down once more, ¡°That, I don¡¯t know.¡± They said, ¡°But from what I¡¯m seeing, and from what I¡¯ve been studying, I¡¯d imagine anywhere from a few days to a period?¡± ¡°Maybe.¡± Snout said as they took a step forward, ¡°This kind of thing is never specific like that. The frequency of enhanced brain activity is a good sign, but it could also fade off again.¡± Flit gave a little nudge to Snout¡¯s ribs with their elbow. ¡°Well, I mean, I¡¯d say it¡¯s still unlikely that it will fade off at this point.¡± Snout added as their rubbed their side, ¡°But I just want you to know that it¡¯s a possibility.¡± Oddly, the lack of certainty from Snout didn¡¯t bother TO that much. DH was certain, and that¡¯s all they really needed! Avery was waking up! They would likely wake up before they got to Scraprock and from there they could get Avery to Apoikia so they could get better! Well. Avery could go. TO wasn¡¯t sure if they themself would be able to go. As they considered that, all the worries they had held in their heart moments ago which had been pushed aside by the activity from Avery and the comment that they might wake up soon suddenly flooded back: concerns about what might happen to them if they didn¡¯t prove useful to their pod. Another thought game to TO¡¯s head As well; Why had this happened now while TO was talking to them? They considered that perhaps Avery was able to hear them and worried about how Avery might feel if could hear but couldn¡¯t react, so what if that was what caused the sudden brain activity. The story played out in TO¡¯s head instantly. From the depths of their coma, Avery had heard everything that TO had said and was so enraged at their actions that they struggled to wake up, to tell TO to get out and leave them and their pod alone. That surge of brain activity had come right after TO told Avery everything that happened and everything they did and failed to do, so from TO¡¯s perspective it made perfect sense! Avery waking would be a cause for celebration, but also it could a sign of the end of the life TO had. They glanced at DH who was still focused on all the stats that came from the devices attached to Avery. What would DH do if that happened. Would they go with TO, or would they stay with their pod. Would DH even want to go with them? Would DH be happy if they had to live apart from Avery and GiDi? Would they ever be happy apart from TO? That thought brought a stabbing pain to TO¡¯s stomach, since it meant that when Avery told them to leave DH would have to make a choice, and that choice, no matter what they choose, would hurt them for a long time; maybe for the rest of their life. If TO had only been better, then DH wouldn¡¯t have to make such a choice. ¡°Right.¡± GiDi said as they took a long breath, ¡°Thank you for telling me.¡± They stepped up to Avery and gently touched their fingertips to Avery¡¯s hand. ¡°I¡­I want to know when they wake up. The second they do.¡± They looked to DH, ¡°Please, tell me immediately?¡± ¡°I will.¡± DH said, their voice short and clipped as they were still so focused on the stats. ¡°Good.¡± GiDI said, taking a deep breath and closing their eyes for a moment before turning around, ¡°I have stuff to do. I¡¯ll¡­ I¡¯ll check in later.¡± While TO heard what GiDi said, their mind was elsewhere and it took them a moment to actually realize that GiDi was leaving. ¡°GiDi, wait-¡° They said, but GiDi was already gone, the door sliding shut behind them. ¡°DH, I¡¯m going to go talk to GiDi.¡± ¡°Right.¡± DH said, glancing up from their stats and flashing TO a quick smile, ¡°Go on, get them before they go in the elevator. TO nodded, turned their chair, and hurried off. Avery wasn¡¯t awake yet so they still had time too fix things. They still had some time to make things better. Even if they couldn¡¯t fix things to the point where Avery wouldn¡¯t consider them damaging to the pod, they could at lease make things better with GiDi. Episode 416: Motivation GiDi stood waiting for the elevator, their arms crossed and their wings pressed tightly to their arms as they rapidly shook their leg. TO wasn¡¯t surprised that they were still here since they had to wait for the elevator come back down to this floor. ¡°GiDi¡± they called out, hoping to stop GiDi from getting into the elevator should it arrive while TO was approaching. GiDi seemed to stiffen As TO called out; their shoulders rose, their wings puffed and their ears pinned back. The expression startled TO so much that their chair jolted to a stop. GiDi was angry and while TO knew that they were angry with them, seeing GiDi look at them they way they had Q10 or the Commander sent ice through TO¡¯s veins. It had been their hope that GiDi would have relaxed a little over the last day since they hadn¡¯t seen each other, but it was clear that wasn¡¯t the case. GiDi turned around slowly, their arms crossed, their hands grasping their upper arms, their eyes narrowed. GiDi had never looked at them like that and suddenly the idea came into TO¡¯s head that they were too late to make things better, that whatever relationship they had with GiDi was entirely destroyed now, and would never get better. Still, they had to try. It took an extra moment for TO to will the chair forward once more, but it soon moved again and they approached GiDi. Looking up at GiDi, they could almost see why a person would be a scared of them. From this angle, their small friend looked actually intimidating, and somehow more angular: Dangerous. How odd that a simple shift of perspective could change things so dramatically. ¡°What do you need.¡± GiDi said, their voice cold and formal. TO had expected something more like ¡°What do you want¡± or ¡°I don¡¯t want to talk to you.¡± Spoken in an harsh, snappy voice. While either of those would have hurt, they felt like it would have hurt less than the cold formal way GiDi spoke to TO now. ¡°Look.¡± They said, taking a breath as their mind raced to come up with what they should say. They had been so focused on catching up to GiDi in the first place that anything they planned to say had fled their mind. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± They said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry for snapping at you the other day.¡± GiDi said nothing and simply stood before TO with their arms crossed, waiting, ¡°I.. I should have told you that you did good, because you did!¡± TO continued. ¡°Back when you... when all that happened¡­¡± There had been so much going through their mind at the time, guilt that they themself couldn¡¯t come up with a way to solve the problem, fear from the idea that they might crash into the other ship, the possibility of everyone dying, It was all so much and while TO was able to remember everything properly they couldn¡¯t parse what they had been feeling into a simple, understandable thought. ¡°I was scared.¡± They finally said. It felt so thin coming from them now, but it was the only way they felt they could sum up everything they had been feeling. ¡°Scared.¡± GiDi echoed, giving them a cold, flat look. ¡°Do you think I wasn¡¯t?¡± They huffed and looked away ¡°You acted like I didn¡¯t care that we might all die: That Pearla might die. You don¡¯t think I was terrified too?¡± Their ears dropped, ¡°I¡­ I know you were-¡° ¡°You don¡¯t know anything.¡± They said, ¡°Not about me anyway.¡± GiDi huffed and looked aside, ¡°And what, dare I ask, inspires you to say all this now?¡± ¡°I want to make things better!¡± They said. ¡°I know I messed up, and I want to make it better somehow. I don¡¯t want you to be upset!¡± ¡°Hmm, you¡¯re not lying, but that¡¯s not the full truth, is it?¡± GiDi said as their eyes narrowed. ¡°Still, even if it was, you realize that you¡¯re doing this now because of something you want, right?¡± ¡°W-what?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t want me to be upset.¡± They scoffed. ¡°And the only reason for that is because Pearla talked to you. She shouldn¡¯t have talked to you: I asked her not to but she wouldn¡¯t listen to me this time!¡± They huffed and glared at TO, ¡°You felt bad after Pearla talked to you, after she told you why I was upset because somehow despite knowing me for so much longer than her, you couldn¡¯t figure it out yourself! and now you want to make things right so you don¡¯t have to feel bad about it anymore.¡± If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. ¡°That¡¯s not true!¡± They said, but the moment they said that they began to wonder if it was. Yes, they didn¡¯t want GiDi upset. That idea of GiDi being upset with them made them feel sick but wouldn¡¯t that make anyone feel the same? Anyone would want to make things better if they learned they upset a friend, right? Why did the fact that GiDi was upset bother them? Well, that was simple: because they liked GiDi and didn¡¯t¡¯ want them upset! No, that wasn¡¯t quite it, was it? All they had been thinking of since this all came up was that they had to make things right so that Avery wouldn¡¯t see them as a detriment to the pod, and wouldn¡¯t tell them to leave. Was their desire to make things right actually selfish? ¡°Here¡¯s the problem.¡± GiDi said, still glaring at TO, ¡°What you said would have meant a lot¡­ if you had said it before Pearla told you to say it.¡± They looked away, their ears dipping, ¡°You don¡¯t really believe what you¡¯re saying, you¡¯re just doing what Pearla told you to do.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not true!¡± TO said, ¡°You did well! I just-¡° ¡°You know what?¡± GiDi said as they held up a hand to stop TO, ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter.¡± ¡°... It doesn¡¯t?¡± TO asked, unsure why GiDi would say that. ¡°It doesn¡¯t.¡± They confirmed. ¡°Because you know something?¡± They smiled, but it was an odd smile, cold and self-satisfied. ¡°Pearla thought I did well. Tham, Flit, Snout, they all said I did well!¡± ¡°That¡¯s good!¡± TO said, suddenly perking up. Maybe their own failure hadn¡¯t hurt GiDi as badly as they thought. ¡°It is!¡± GiDi continued. ¡°but I was still upset that *you* didn¡¯t say I had done well!¡± ¡°I¡¯m saying it now!¡± TO said, their ears once more flicking back, ¡°I do think-¡° ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter now because you had to be told to say it. I don¡¯t know if you really believe it or not!¡± As TO started to speak, GiDi shook their head and held up their hand, ¡°You can say you believe it, and you probably wouldn¡¯t be lying now, but it had to be pointed out to you. Everyone else thought I had done well, but I was upset because you didn¡¯t.¡± They glanced away, ¡°That was stupid. I shouldn¡¯t need you to tell me I did well when I know I did well.¡± They gave a bitter chuckle that didn¡¯t match with the way their ears narrowed, ¡°Really, if I know I did well, then I don¡¯t need anyone else to tell me that, do I?¡± ¡°¡­No.¡± TO said after a while. At first, their mind rebelled against that idea; the need for someone else to recognize your good work seemed so essential to them! And they could understand why instantly. Being recognized for your work back in training, under King Decon¡¯s regime meant you were more likely to survive! You¡¯d get more food, less dangerous jobs, and even better medical attention than those who higher-level synths had not recognized for their work. In training, being recognized for your good work was absolutely vital! Even now, outside of King Decon¡¯s grasp, TO themself was always recognized for their successes. Still, as they thought about it they realized that GiDI was right, ¡°The most important thing should be your success.¡± TO said, their voice soft as considered this idea. ¡°If what you did worked, then that should be enough.¡± ¡°Exactly.¡± GiDi said, their eyes narrowing once more as they looked back at TO, ¡°The praise, the validation is nice, but I don¡¯t need it anymore. Not from anyone.¡± Their wings puffed up slightly, their lip curling, ¡°Especially from you.¡± TO blinked, their ears dipping back again as their stomach twisted, ¡°W-what?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t need your praise.¡± GiDi said, now speaking slowly and clearly as though TO would struggle to understand them. ¡°I don¡¯t need your praise. I don¡¯t need your validation! And I don¡¯t. Need. You.¡± The elevator arrived, sliding open before the two of them. There were two civilians, one Nagarajin and one Piscijin who slipped out without recognizing the intense conversation they had walked in on, and scurried across the hall to the privacy room. GiDi stepped into the elevator, leaving TO searching for something to say, waiting for the civilians to go into the room and leave them alone again so they could talk. The elevator door closed. The civilians slipped into the privacy room, giggling. TO sat in their chair, staring at the elevator door, still unsure how to respond to GiDi even now that they were long gone. They didn¡¯t know what they could have said or what they might say to GiDi! All they knew now more than ever before that they had failed their friend spectacularly, and there was probably no way to make it right. episode 417: Craft Upon arriving back at their small living quarters, TO was happy to see that Vik¡ªthe only person there at the moment¡ªwas entirely engrossed in their work at their tiny computer. A sigh of relief escaped them since TO was certain that they couldn¡¯t handle being around people at the moment, or at the very least they couldn¡¯t bring themself to be normal at the moment. They wanted to be alone, to get behind the curtain and hide in the little private space they slept in so that they could relax and let their ears drop. Behind the curtain, they could cry if they wanted and muffle the sound with their fist or a pillow or a blanket and nobody would know. Their ears could be low, and they could be as miserable as they needed to be for a short time. Gaining that privacy would be harder than they expected. The sheet-turned curtain was down, and TO couldn¡¯t reach up high enough to connect the magnet high up enough on the wall. They realized then that even if they could hang up the curtain that they wouldn¡¯t be able to get out of their chair and into the space: They could move their chair just fine, but the private area behind the curtain was a nest of pillows and blankets which the wheels of their chair could not get over. Without help, they couldn¡¯t get out of the chair, couldn¡¯t hang up the curtain, couldn¡¯t even shower or use the washroom on their own! Even if one overlooked all the damage they had managed to cause to their pod, the way they were currently helpless and needed so much help made them enough of a burden to them cast out, wasn¡¯t it? No. They had to find a way to do something on their own! Reaching down, they grasped the sheet with their fingertips and, with a fair amount of strain and struggle, they grasped the sheet. They then lowered their good leg to the floor, locked the wheelchair in place, and with their hand on the arm of the chair they pushed themself up, attempting to put the curtain back in place. They yelped in pain the second their bad knee moved, and fell back into their chair with such speed that the sudden force against their knee drove a fiery spike of pain through their whole body. ¡°Abyssal-fucking-shit¡± they cried out, switching back to synth-speak inadvertently, their voice cracking and breaking on the last syllable as they leaned over, grasping their knee as though they could somehow stop the pain that way. A shuddering collection of clicks escaped them as their breath grew ragged: the frustration, their rage at themself, the hurt from GiDi, their utter uselessness, and finally the raw pain that coursed through them all swirling together into a vortex of uncontained misery. ¡°Shit.¡± Vik said, the typing stopping for a second. ¡°Are you ok?¡± ¡°No!¡± was all TO could say, their voice cracking as they leaned over and began to sob. They hated this. They hated everything about the situation: their pain, their uselessness, the way that it seemed that they could only hurt people! They hated themself. They hated themself so, so much that they wished they could start over, could somehow rip themself off and be someone different, someone new. Vik cursed as they stared at TO, their eyes wide, their body frozen in place. A moment later they jumped from their seat, their tiny body zooming through the air as they landed first on TO¡¯s shoulder, then on the floor where TO dropped the magnet after falling back in pain. They grabbed the magnet, jumped to the handle of the wheelchair, and a last jump let them stick the magnet up on the wall a little further back than normal, so it draped over TO. It took them another minute to sort out the sheets so that it wasn¡¯t on top of TO, but by the time TO managed to claw some control back, they had some small level of privacy. ¡°Right.¡± Vik said as they jumped to a nearby shelf, bringing them about at eye level with TO. ¡°Is it your knee? Of course it¡¯s your knee. That¡¯s a stupid question. DH has the meds here, I think. I can-¡° Face in their hands, TO shook their head. ¡°I¡­I have painkillers. It¡¯s not that. I was stupid. It doesn¡¯t hurt anymore.¡± They clutched at their head, the hard tips of their sheathed claws digging into their scalp. The pain in their knee, which was for a second so sharp and so all-encompassing, was indeed fading now, but the other pains¡ªtheir failure, their uselessness¡ªlingered and throbbed like a toothache. Vik shifted, watching TO carefully. A moment later, they pulled out their tablet and began looking for something. ¡°What are you doing?¡± They asked as Vik pointed the tablet at TO, their fragile voice cracking. Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more. ¡°You lot, synths, Chilacians, communicate a lot more with your ears in your regular language, yeah?¡± he asked. ¡°I¡¯m awful at languages, to be honest. I mean, not many people need to learn languages thanks to the translators! Unfortunately, that doesn¡¯t cover facial language.¡± TO took a shuddering breath, wiping tears from their eyes as they looked up, clinging to what Vik was saying in an attempt to distract themself. ¡°My helmet does... my suit.¡± They mumbled. ¡°I noticed!¡± They said, beaming, ¡°I mean, did you think I wouldn¡¯t poke through those things the second I got a chance? The only problem with that is that it translated it for you, which means translating facial expression in to ear movements, which I can¡¯t read.¡± They beamed as they looked over the tablet. ¡°Now, Pholi is too busy to help me with it, but it was easy enough for me to reverse the process by making your translation thing translate my own facial expressions! I¡¯m still parsing some stuff, but I¡¯ve almost got a functional translator. Once that¡¯s done, I think I can make my own program to translate facial expressions into words!¡± ¡°That¡­ That¡¯s great.¡± TO said, taking deep breaths as they listened. They were happy enough for the distraction. ¡°And on that note, I can use the partial system I already have made to translate your ears!¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Their ears dropped, flushing lightly. ¡°So, that means-¡° ¡°That means that while I don¡¯t doubt you were in pain there, you¡¯re also really really upset about something, and really frustrated.¡± Vik looked up, beaming for a moment in pride at their system and at how clever they were, but then their ears dipped slightly and their tail, which had been flicking about happily, lay still on the shelf. ¡°Ah.. of course, I don¡¯t really know what to do with that.¡± They said. ¡°Normally¡­ Well, ice cream tends to fix most anything, but we don¡¯t have ice cream on the ship.¡± They frowned. ¡°And I don¡¯t know if you can eat ice cream.¡± ¡°What¡¯s in it?¡± ¡°Uh, cream? Often fruit. Sugar-¡° ¡°Refined sugar?¡± TO¡¯s ears flicked as they pondered this. ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Then it¡¯s probably not a good idea for me.¡± They said. They could see how it might help many civilian races: the presence of natural and refined sugars would absolutely help brighten up the mood of most civilians. ¡°I imagine it¡¯s the excessive sugar that helps, but syn¡­ Chilacians are designed to take in sugar fast and process it quickly. So, I doubt it would have the same effect.¡± Vik stared at TO for a moment, then sat down. ¡°Well shit.¡± They muttered as they started typing things on their tablet again. ¡°I dunno. Wanna talk about it? I mean, I know we¡¯re not close or anything¡­¡± They frowned as they seemed to read something off their tablet. ¡°Do you want a distraction, solutions, or do you want to rant?¡± When TO only looked at them in confusion, they awkwardly turned their tiny tablet towards TO, though it was so small it was hard for TO to see what they were looking at. ¡°Look, just because I can identify the feelings, doesn¡¯t mean I know what to do when a freakin¡¯ synth is upset, you know?¡± They tucked their tablet away. ¡°If you were DH, I¡¯d show you some kind of problem I was having with a system I was programming. That¡¯d distract you for days if necessary-¡° ¡°Did you do that a lot for DH?¡± The way that Vik suddenly froze, his ears pressing against his head and his little tail stiffening behind him, made TO believe that Vik had told them something they weren¡¯t supposed to. ¡°Well, you know¡­ This is hard for everyone.¡± They said with a nervous chuckle, ¡°Every single person on this ship has just been uprooted from their home and now sleeps shoulder to shoulder sharing a small bathroom, some chemical toilets, and a single shower! And yeah, I know ¡®home¡¯ wasn¡¯t great for most of us, but home is still home, no matter how awful it is!¡± They looked back at their tablet, ¡°And for you a lot, well, you¡¯ve been through some rough times, and everything has been happening fast for you, yeah?¡± They shrugged and looked away. ¡°I imagine that for you and for DH, there¡¯s stuff that happened weeks ago which you¡¯re only getting the chance to really think about now¡­¡± While that wasn¡¯t true for TO themself, they appreciated what Vik was saying. Moreso, they understood what Vik was actually saying. Without betraying any trust, they had given TO somewhat of an answer to their question. Yes, Vik has been working to distract DH as of late, probably because DH has been slowly dealing with everything that¡¯s happened. How upset had DH been as of late? How had TO not even noticed? Their ears flicked down as they looked aside. Once more, they had proven themself useless. Maybe this was what GiDi had been saying; they hadn¡¯t realized why GiDi was upset until someone told them, and now they hadn¡¯t realized that DH had been upset until Vik let it slip now. ¡°¡­ Do you want to talk about it?¡± Vik asked after the silence between them had drawn on too long. ¡°¡­ No.¡± TO said. There was too much they¡¯d have to explain, too much that they just didn¡¯t want anyone else finding out about for them to tell Vik what was on their mind. ¡°Ok¡­¡± they said, trailing off, their little whiskers twitching as they considered things. ¡°¡­. You like games, right? Wanna see a game I¡¯m making?¡± TO turned to look at them, frowning as their ears flicked back in consideration. ¡°You make games?¡± ¡°I¡¯m trying to!¡± They said, their ears perking up, ¡°I love the programming aspect of it. Wanna see?¡± TO realized that they never considered that someone made games. All the simulations they had played, all the games, seemed to simply exist. Suddenly, they realized that someone made them. They were crafted just as much as any show or musical was. ¡°Yes,¡± they said as their ears perked up and their eyes widened, ¡°Show me.¡± Episode 418: Concern The game Vik was working on was interesting to say the least. Mechanically, TO felt like it was something they could get lost in: A platform style racing game with elements from a genre that Vik called a rhythm game. If the player jumped from platform to platform, timing their leaps so that they landed with the beat, then the character could go faster. There were a few problems with this though, some of which Vik pointed out and some which TO could see for themself. The visuals became clumsy when the character got up to a certain speed, and the rising of the highly saturated, brilliant background made TO feel dizzy. When Vik passed them a small controller and let TO try the demo he had created, the experience nearly made TO throw up once they had gotten good at it. The levels were all the same as well, to a point. Yes, as you progressed the platforms got smaller and the necessary maneuvers needed to progress got more complex, but aside from that they all looked and sounded the same. There was one larger issue that stood out to TO though; if the player was too successful then the music sounded strange and distorted. The act of successfully landing the jumps at the right time which had originally been satisfying became jarring and unpleasant. Eventually the beat became impossible to follow. Even TO with their keen eyes and quick reflexes couldn¡¯t keep up once the screen became a blur and the beats merged into a single dissonant sound. When that happened, the best TO could hope to do was land awkwardly on a platform, breaking the streak they had built up and causing the music to jangle as though all the instruments had suddenly fallen down. It was disappointing, and the streak up to that point had lost its fun anyway. The worst that happened was falling off the platform, at which point the music cut suddenly and they were left looking at a black screen with blood-red letting that said ¡®Game Over.¡¯ After racing through the level with li ghts and sounds blasting at them, this very much felt like hitting a sudden brick wall. ¡°DH came up with the idea of adding music to a platform racing game, and it¡¯s a good idea but I can¡¯t make it work.¡± Vik said. ¡°The music gets too fast, it accelerates too much¡­¡± He shrugged. ¡°Maybe it¡¯s just two ideas that can¡¯t work togeth-¡° ¡°Why does it have to always accelerate?¡± TO asked. ¡°I mean, music doesn¡¯t.¡± They frowned as they considered this, realizing that though they enjoyed music and listened to a lot of it, they didn¡¯t know the terms to describe what the music was doing. ¡°Some songs get really intense, really fast, and then suddenly just drop off after this big explosion of sound.¡± They frowned, their ears warming as they realized how foolish what they were saying sounded. ¡°When we ran racing simulations in training, there were ways to go faster depending on the environment: using gravity to help accelerate, wind, water running through rapids¡­ there were lots of ways, but none of them were constant.¡± They turned, their wings shuffling as their ears lifted, ¡°In flying simulations, it was one of the best things to catch an updraft! I¡¯d rise up into the air really fast, and then if I dove down at the right angle, I¡¯d pick up speed rapidly before pulling up before hitting the ground. See, the skill there was knowing how close you could get to the ground before you risked crashing. If you pulled up too fast you lost valuable acceleration but too late, and you could crash. It was so satisfying to get the timing just right!¡± They gestured to the screen which currently still glowed with the red lettering. ¡°Here¡­ it¡¯s like a constant dive, but with no satisfying ending. Either I stop too soon, or I crash.¡± Vik leaned back, staring at the screen along with TO. They got the feeling that he wasn¡¯t actually looking at the screen though: he seemed to be looking past it as though he could see the inner workings of his game. After a moment he nodded. ¡°You know, you might be right. I¡¯m thinking about bass drops. That might work here. Something like boosts in other racing games¡­¡± He frowned, his little ears twitching, ¡°Ugh, but then what do you get for getting perfect hits on all the other beats.¡± A puzzle indeed. Thankfully, TO liked puzzles. While they were considering that, the elevator opened. TO had been ignoring this the whole time but this time the sound of the elevator door sliding open was accompanied by a happy squeal of ¡°TO!¡± Which was pitched enough that TO¡¯s ears flicked down protectively. They turned, and before they could really understand what was happening they felt a jolt of pain as something connected with their bad knee. They yelped, hissing in pain, their eyes watering from the intensity of it as they doubled over and grasped their bad knee. Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon. ¡°I¡¯m sorry! I¡¯m sorry!¡± The voice said, now sounding on the verge of tears. When TO looked up, their vision clearing, they could see it was Constance. The child looked like she might cry, and her face was pale. ¡°I-It¡¯s fine.¡± They said, breathing through the pain. ¡°Just be careful around my knee¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry!¡± She said again, ¡°I always used to¡­¡± she paused, and whatever she was going to say seemed to slip from her mind. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°It¡¯s ok.¡± TO said, ¡°It¡¯s not hurting badly.¡± Their ears did twitch with their deception as they spoke, but they were confidant that she wouldn¡¯t catch that. ¡°What are you doing down here?¡± ¡°She missed you yesterday.¡± Petra said as she stepped out from the elevator, followed by Lendulin in her chair. ¡°She was worried about you, and she wanted to visit.¡± ¡°We were worried too, you realize.¡± Lendulin said, ¡°I know you¡¯re busy, but please come see us more? It¡¯s not fun to just sit and worry about you.¡± ¡°Ah¡­ apologies.¡± ¡± TO said, their ears flicking down as they glanced down at Constance who now clutched to the side of the chair as she looked up at TO. ¡°I was worried.¡± She said, ¡°I heard you weren¡¯t feeling well, so I didn¡¯t come down yesterday, but I had to come down today!¡± She frowned, her little head-fins flattening against her scalp, ¡°Everyone¡¯s getting sick upstairs, and you¡¯re already sick, and I didn¡¯t want you to get sicker!¡± Her grip tightened on the chair, and suddenly TO understood her precious anxiety and her exuberance once she saw TO looking relatively well. Her father had been sick, got sicker, and died. It wasn¡¯t from the sickness that he had died, but that didn¡¯t change the fact that he was dead, and that his weakened condition had ensured that the shot was fatal. And of course, they remembered what Mark had said before everything happened, how he asked if TO would take care of her if something happened to them, how he suggested that he should stay behind. They had no doubt that Constance remembered it as well. With a slow, hesistant movements, TO put their hand on her shoulder. They were prepared for her to jerk away, but instead she looked up at TO, her ears and fins out so much like Synth ears, her big dark eyes wide as she looked up. ¡°I¡¯m ok.¡± They said, ¡°I¡¯m not sick, not really. I just wasn¡¯t feeling myself.¡± ¡°No?¡± She asked as she looked up at them, ¡°Why not? What¡¯s wrong?¡± TO sighed, forcing their lips into a smile that their ears did not reflect. ¡°Sometimes, you just have a bad day.¡± They said. ¡°Is today any better?¡± They opened their mouth to respond, but stopped as their uncertainty caught them. Originally, they were going to say that it wasn¡¯t really better today. Their conversation with GiDi had been absolutely awful¡ªworse than their confession to DH! In the minutes after their conversation with GiDi, the day had absolutely been worse than it was yesterday. Somehow, that seemed far more distant now than it actually was. They had enjoyed talking to Vik about their game and coming up with ideas to make it better. Constance¡¯s enthusiasm to see TO was also refreshing, despite her inadvertent attack on their knee. Seeing Petra and Lendulin, knowing that The two were worried about them also seemed to soothe their heart. "I also brought my art tablet." Lendulin said. "A gift from my former *Patron* so I could design stuff faster." Though she said ¡®patron¡¯ in a tone of abject disgust, even TO could catch the almost sad way she looked down. "He was a jackass." Petra said as she looked over the tablet for a moment before looking to TO, "Can you believe she feels bad for taking that when she ran?" "It wasn''t actually a gift! he lent it to me!" She protested. ¡°I stole it!¡± "He should have just given it to you! Of course, even if he bought you ten of those it wouldn''t have been enough to repay all the bullshit you dealt with." She rolled her eyes, crossing her arms awkwardly so that the wings which connected her arms to her body stretched out oddly. "Consider it severance pay." "Anyway!" she said as a light flush rose in her face, "The point is that i brought it so I could teach TO some art stuff..." She looked to TO, "If you still want me to, I mean. If you don''t, I understand..." "I want to learn too!" Constance said, her tail flicking behind her quickly. She looked up at. TO again, "I want to be an artist like Len when I''m older! She said her art was in shows, and that people paid lots of money for them!" Her eyes got somehow ever wider, "Can you imagine just getting lots of money for doing some fun!?" Despite everything, TO couldn''t help but chuckle softly, their ears twitching slightly. "IT does sound good." They said, "I suppose if that''s what you want to do, then we should get to learning, right?" They shifted, moving their chair carefully so that they could get closer to the others. "If one of you would help me out of this chair, it might be easier to do this on the floor over there, on the pillows." they said with a nod to the sleeping area. They willed the chair forward, stopped, and turned back to Constance. "Oh, and yes: Today has been better." Episode 419: Lines TO had no idea what to expect with drawing lessons. The Overseers didn¡¯t encourage artistic endeavors back in training, and they doubted that there was even any kind of resource for a synth who wanted to do something like draw or paint or sing. Such hobbies simply weren¡¯t what synths did, and pursing any of them would have been viewed as an utter waste of time. That meant that TO¡¯s experience in this area was limited once more to what they had seen in shows, and even in most of the shows they had watched, there was never a ¡®training montage¡¯ of artistic development. A character would be told to draw or paint something, and suddenly the artist watching them would realize that the person had this magical, wonderful thing called ¡®talent¡¯ and the rest would be more about the person in question learning how to ¡®dig deep¡¯ and draw something ¡®from the heart.¡¯ Well, TO had learned their lesson about civilian media when they were trying to ¡®flirt¡¯ with DH. They couldn¡¯t trust that the media showed them the truth of the matter. The real irritation was in how sometimes the media could be shockingly close to reality, and then, without warning, be entirely contrary to it! Some of what they had seen might be correct, and others might not. Maybe they would work on something for all of five minutes before Lendulin said that TO wasn¡¯t talented. Perhaps Lendulin would set up a still life and see how quickly or accurately TO could copy it, or just tell them to draw something - anything- and then she¡¯d see something from that. This wasn¡¯t the case at all. On Constance¡¯s tablet, Lendulin set up an image with a grid over it, and a matching grid right next to it without the picture. She was told to copy the picture to the blank grid. TO, on the other hand, was just told to draw lines. ¡°Lines?¡± TO asked, their ear quirking forward as though they hadn¡¯t understood what Lendulin told them. ¡°You mean just straight lines?¡± ¡°*Just* straight lines.¡± Lendulin said, chuckling. ¡°You can¡¯t draw anything unless you can draw a good line. Now, watch.¡± She organized herself next to TO, her own tablet in hand. ¡°Here¡¯s how to draw a line-¡° ¡°I know how to draw a line.¡± TO said as their ears flattened. ¡°It¡¯s a line.¡± ¡°Oh? Is that so?¡± Lendulin grinned at TO as though she knew something that TO didn¡¯t. ¡°Go ahead then.¡± She leaned over and put two dots on the screen. ¡°Draw me a nice straight line from one dot to the other.¡± TO rolled their eyes, their ears flattening as they carefully drew the line, resting their hand on the screen and moving forward with careful percussion from one side of the screen to the other. When they were done, they leaned back and smirked, ¡°See, a line.¡± ¡°I said a straight line.¡± Lendulin said, leaning forward with her own stylus and marking things on it in red, ¡°Look, you got bits coming off the line here and here and anywhere you stopped to move your hand to draw this thing. The line wobbles here, here, and here.¡± She made more circles. ¡°And look, it curves here to hit the dot I drew!¡± The final eighth of the line she circled in red. ¡°I thought you said you could draw a line!¡± Constance, who was sitting and happily working on her own grin picture looked up and giggled. ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s a furry worm!¡± ¡°... A what now?¡± TO asked, more confused than ever. ¡°Furry worms. When you draw a line like that, the line is squiggly, and it looks like it has hairs coming off of it. A furry worm.¡± ¡°Ok, it¡¯s not perfect.¡± TO huffed as their ears warmed up. ¡°But it is a line. If I practice it more-¡° ¡°Or if you learn how to draw a good line.¡± Lendulin said, ¡°Now¡­ can I show you how to draw a line?¡± It felt silly to TO at first, that they had to be taught to draw a line¡­ It was a line! But even so, the more Lendulin talked, the more TO realized there was actually a technique to making lines look good. Draw from the shoulder, draw quickly, and be confidant. TO didn¡¯t know how one drew ¡®confidently¡¯ nor how they were supposed to draw an accurate line if they were being quick with it. Still, Lendulin said she had exercises they could do. First, they had to draw line after line on the same spot, trying to make all their lines go over one another. It was awful, and while TO¡¯s lines all started in the same spot, they all fanned out in the end. Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. ¡°Good.¡± Lendulin said, despite the first that TO wasn¡¯t getting any of the lines where they were supposed to be. ¡°They¡¯re straight and smooth. They¡¯re not even curving at the end!¡± She looked to TO, ¡°Most people curve the line at the end to correct themselves.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not good,¡± TO said, frowning ¡°I¡¯m not getting it where it needs to be!¡± They didn¡¯t think this would be frustrating, but it was frankly embarrassing that they couldn¡¯t even draw a proper line! And now they had the feeling that Lendulin was simply pitying them for their ineptitude! ¡°Accuracy will come with practice. The more important thing is that you¡¯re making decent lines now.¡± She gestured to the screen before TO, ¡°Now¡­ fill the page with these lines.¡± They spent the entire afternoon drawing these lines while Constance happily finished her grid drawing and moved on to drawing strange looking fish. After an hour or so, TO¡¯s shoulder ached, and they had to stop. ¡°Am I doing it wrong?¡± They asked as they rubbed their shoulder. ¡°I¡¯m doing it as you said, but I hurt myself.¡± ¡°No, no,¡± Lendulin said as she looked at the lines TO had finished. ¡°Your just using muscles you¡¯ve not used before, so-¡° ¡°I use my shoulder muscles all the time!¡± TO protested, letting their wing rise slightly. ¡°And they¡¯re a lot stronger than an average civilians¡¯ shoulders, I promise you that!¡± ¡°Maybe. But You¡¯ve never used them in this way. There are smaller muscles that you¡¯ve never needed to use before, so they¡¯re the ones that are hurting.¡± She smiled, saved the screen, and closed the program. ¡°Still, maybe rest it for the rest of the day.¡± Groaning, TO rubbed their shoulder. ¡°I didn¡¯t think that drawing would put me in more pain.¡± They grumbled. ¡°I know, but it won¡¯t last long.¡± Lendulin said, ¡°You¡¯ll be fine tomorrow, and I can show you more.¡± She looked up at Petra, who was sitting in the corner and watching something on her communicator. ¡°You¡¯ll come down again too?¡± ¡°Sure.¡± She said, ¡°I Don¡¯t care about learning to draw, but I¡¯m happy to be in a less crowded spot.¡± ¡°Can you show me more stuff?¡± Constance said as she pulled herself forward towards Lendulin, ¡°I wanna draw more too. Can you teach me how to draw Cocopods? I want to draw a bunch of them!¡± TO shuddered and tried not to let the image of one of those awful creatures slip into their brain. ¡°How about we see about tomorrow?¡± TO said as they rubbed their shoulder again. ¡°This really hurts now.¡± Their ears flicked down. ¡°One thing I miss about the training center: the showers. Massive showers, with a seemingly limitless amount of hot water. They even had a hot soaking tub to help with hurt muscles. That¡¯d be useful now.¡± ¡°What? Why? What happened?¡± DH exited the elevator, clearly having only heard the last bit of what TO said, ¡°Are you in pain? Did you hurt yourself? Is it your knee?¡± They carelessly dropped the med-bag into their chair and hurried towards TO, their ears flicking back with concern. ¡°Or is it another muscle? Do you hurt somewhere else?¡± They suddenly slipped into a more practiced way to speaking, ¡°When an injury impedes your movement, your other muscles can overcompensate and that can cause new muscle strain! So, if you¡¯re in pain, I need to know. I can help! I can-¡° ¡°TO is fine.¡± Lendulin said, trying not to laugh, ¡°I was teaching them how to draw, and now their shoulder is a little sore.¡± DH fell silent, their ears twitching as they considering this. ¡°¡­ How do you hurt yourself drawing?¡± DH finally said, ¡°It¡¯s¡­ it¡¯s drawing! It¡¯s not the kind of thing you hurt yourself doing!¡± ¡°Oh, if you do it right, you can hurt yourself by doing almost anything.¡± Petra said. ¡°You know.¡± Vik said from where they had been working in relative silence, having overheard some of the conversation while adjusting their headset, ¡°I got a bad back from all the programming I do. You wouldn¡¯t think you could hurt yourself sitting down in front of a computer for hours, but-¡° ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter.¡± DH said as they dug into the bag on TO¡¯s chair, ¡°Do you have any more of your painkillers? They should help you. Do you need a refill?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± TO said as their ears warmed. They were used to DH fussing over them, especially after their injury, but they weren¡¯t used to DH fussing over them like this when there were other people so close. ¡°Ok...¡± DH said, pulling away slightly. They considered TO for another moment before their ears perked up. ¡°You seem better, though! Did you talk to GiDi?¡± As soon as DH said that, TO¡¯s ears flicked down once more, and they looked away. There was an awkward beat of silence until Petra got up from her seat, putting her communicator in her pocket. ¡°Hey, Lendulin,¡± she said, ¡°Isn¡¯t tonight movie night?¡± ¡°Movie night?¡± DH asked. ¡°Oh, yeah.¡± Lendulin said, ¡°We try to have different things on different days of the week, to keep time from getting too slippery, you know?¡± She looked down at Constance. ¡°Wanna go up and see what movie they have for tonight?¡± Constance nodded and neatly picked up all her papers before looking up at TO. ¡°Are you going to come with us?¡± ¡°I think TO has work to do.¡± Petra said quickly, ¡°But maybe they can come up later.¡± She smiled down at Constance, ¡°But, let¡¯s go up and get some good seats so we can see, ok?¡± Constance nodded, her fins drooping slightly as she followed Petra to the elevator. As they entered, Vik suddenly grabbed their tiny tablet and jumped over so they rested on Petra¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Maybe I¡¯ll go and at least see what movie it is.¡± He said, ¡°DH, I¡¯m guessing you¡¯ll be busy too?¡± ¡°Yeah...¡± They said, their ears twitching slightly, ¡°Yeah, I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll get a chance to watch this time.¡± Vik nodded, and a moment later the door slid closed, leaving DH and TO alone. Episode 420: Joint At first, TO insisted that they were fine, and that whatever went on between them and GiDi was something that they could and should deal with on their own. Unfortunately, DH was able to see that lie on TO¡¯s ears clearly, and wouldn¡¯t let it rest. When they went so far as to suggest that they¡¯d check the security feed, TO finally told them exactly what had happened. They went from the point where they rushed out of the room to catch up to GiDi, all the way to the moment where GiDi went into the elevator and left TO alone, reeling from their words. ¡°And¡­ I¡¯m sorry.¡± DH said as they gave an odd, frightening chuckle, their ears pinning back as they paced before TO, ¡°I¡¯m certain I misheard you. Can you repeat to me what GiDi said to you?¡± TO¡¯s ears dipped down, flushing with shame. ¡°It... you heard me the first time, I¡¯m sure-¡° ¡°TO.¡± DH said, their voice far firmer than TO had ever heard it before. ¡°Tell me.¡± TO felt like they were in training again, like their overseer was demanding to hear them explain some of their own unacceptable behaviour, which had been reported by another overseer. ¡°They said¡­¡± They sighed and closed their eyes as they drew the words up in their head. They didn¡¯t want to, but a part of them felt like they had to. It was as though remembering exactly what GiDi said was some kind of well-deserved punishment for them. ¡°They didn¡¯t need me. They don¡¯t need my praise, my validation¡­ And they don¡¯t need me.¡± DH gave another chuckle, their wings puffing up slightly, their arms crossed before them and their ears pinned back. TO worried for a moment that DH was angry with them for having messed things up so much, but the next words out of DH¡¯s mouth quickly changed that misconception. ¡°I¡¯m going to kill them.¡± They said, pacing once more across the room before they headed towards the elevator, ¡°I¡¯m going to-¡° ¡°DH!¡± TO leaned forward and grabbed the bottom of DH¡¯s pants to stop them. When TO looked up, though, they quickly let go. DH had been angry before, of course, but never like this. This wasn¡¯t an anger like a spark setting off combustion in an engine, or like a vast and sudden wind hitting them as they flew. This was quiet and focused, a star as it collapsed seconds before expanding out into a brilliant and destructive supernova; dark, silent, and full of destructive potential. It was a rage that TO could feel deep in their bones. Vaguely, they recalled the rage they had seen in GiDi the day they spoke to them from the indebted centre. That had been scary enough over the communicator, and they wondered if it had been more like this in real life. When DH looked down, their eyes meeting with TO¡¯s, the anger suddenly melted. They sighed and knelt down, helping TO back into position against the pillows and blankets. ¡°Obvious I¡¯m not actually going to kill them.¡± They grumbled. ¡°Probably I¡¯d yell at them-¡° ¡°You looked like you might hurt someone.¡± They said, their ears twitching down, their wings pressing against their arms. Their stomach suddenly churned as they looked away. ¡°B-but I know you¡¯d never actually do that.¡± They said. Of course DH wouldn¡¯t. DH wasn¡¯t like that. TO was the one who would drive their claws into someone, who would shout over a man bleeding out on the floor. DH sighed again and sat down next to TO, twining their fingers together as they lay back, focused for several long moments on steadying their breathing. ¡°Why is GiDi acting like this?¡± They finally said. ¡°I mean, ok, I understand in the moment, after nearly dying, being a little on edge. I can understand people - you and them- maybe saying things you wouldn¡¯t have said otherwise in that kind of situation. But it¡¯s been days. You apologized. I just¡­¡± they huffed and looked away, their ears pinning back. ¡°For what they said to you, I can¡¯t just shrug it off as the effects of a burst of adrenaline!¡± ¡°¡­ It¡¯s not about just the other day.¡± TO said quietly. ¡°They¡¯re upset that I¡¯ve never really praised them or supported them.¡± DH scoffed, ¡°You¡¯ve supported them this whole time.¡± They said. ¡°You tried to keep them safe back in training-¡° ¡°Which I failed at doing.¡± ¡°And the moment you got here, the moment you found out what was going on, you just started helping. Isn¡¯t that supporting them?¡± ¡°¡­ I never said they were doing good.¡± TO said. ¡°And Pearla says that it upset GiDi.¡± ¡°What, that you never specifically looked at them and said good job?¡± DH said as their ears flattened out. ¡°You¡¯re not GiDi¡¯s overseer.¡± ¡°Apparently, they thought they¡¯d never be as good as me.¡± TO said softly. ¡°Which is stupid. They¡¯re so much better than I am. I mean-¡° they gave a breathy puff of humourless laughter, ¡°I was good in training. When It came to being a tool, I was very good. I¡¯m not good at anything else-¡° ¡°Don¡¯t you dare say that.¡± DH said, now turning their gaze back to TO, ¡°You¡¯re brilliant.¡± ¡°If I was brilliant, I¡¯d have realized that Avery would go see Kei. I¡¯d have stopped Kei before Mark got there. If I was brilliant, I¡¯d have figured out a way to get away from Kei when their ship approached ours and none of this would be happening now!¡¯ They looked at DH, their ears pinning back in rage directed only on themself, ¡°If I was truly brilliant, our pod wouldn¡¯t be falling apart, GiDi wouldn¡¯t be upset, and I¡¯d still have my knee!¡± Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work! DH was silent for several moments, simply staring at TO as they let the words roll around in their head. ¡°TO.¡± They asked, their voice so much calmer than before. ¡°Why do you think our pod is falling apart?¡± ¡°Because I-¡° ¡°No, no, I mean, why are you saying it¡¯s falling apart?¡± They asked. ¡°What brought you to that conclusion?¡± ¡°¡­ Avery is unconscious because of me-¡° ¡°Because of Kei.¡± ¡°And GiDi refuses to stay with us at night.¡± ¡°That¡¯s GiDi¡¯s choice.¡± DH said, their ears pinning back once more. ¡°I don¡¯t doubt that they¡¯re upset, like you said. And I get that. It was a rough moment, and everything happened all at once! I also I get you being scared! You¡¯re normally the one who handles that kind of thing, and not having that control-¡° ¡°I said it¡¯s not just about the other day-¡° ¡°And I heard you.¡± DH said. ¡°And I also know that you *do* care about GiDi. You care about me, GiDi, Flit, Snout-¡° They sighed as they leaned against the wall, ¡°You don¡¯t say how you feel often. I think the only times you did with me was when you absolutely had to. When you told me¡­¡± They glanced aside, their own ears now deepening, ¡°When you finally told me how you felt about me after all those silly attempts to flirt.¡± TO¡¯s ears burned vividly as DH brought that up. ¡°I was just trying to-¡° ¡°I know.¡± DH said as a grin crossed their face. ¡°And the only reason you told me exactly how you felt was because you had¡­¡± They cleared their throat, their ears flushing, ¡°You had clear, visual evidence of how I actually felt about you.¡± That was true: TO could still remember how DH¡¯s ears looked when they fell, with TO still wet from the shower and naked as DH practically pinned them down. As they remembered it, their own ears flicked, giving a sign of their own interest. They looked aside, eyes closed tightly as they tried to focus on anything else, to pull their mind away from those kinds of thoughts. Those feelings had been dulled as of late thanks to the pain and the drugs, but they came up now and then, and TO had to fight to keep them away. They didn¡¯t have space in the shower to take care of any needs that might come up, and they knew that after a certain point¡ªif they ¡®popped¡¯ for lack of a better word¡ªthey¡¯d have no other recourse except to find a way to ¡¯handle¡¯ the situation. Given how crowded the ship was, and their injuries, that would be rather awkward and painful. DH gave an awkward chuckle and glanced aside, ¡°Right. Well..¡± They said, clearly trying to calm their own mind, ¡°You didn¡¯t say anything until you knew for certain, and even then, you really only *say* how you feel when you have to. When you know it¡¯s something I need to hear-¡° ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I didn¡¯t realize-¡° ¡°Shush.¡± DH said, ¡°Did I say it bothers me? No. I mean, maybe if I didn¡¯t know you as well as I do, it would. But I know you better than anyone, and I know how you show that you care.¡± They squeezed TO¡¯s hand. ¡°It¡¯s the soft touches when nobody looks, the way you worry about people, the way you just try to fix everything for people you care about.¡± They tightened their fingers around TO¡¯s. ¡°That¡¯s not necessarily the best thing to do, of course. You can¡¯t fix everything! But that¡¯s how you are. That¡¯s what I see.¡± They shrugged, ¡°Pearla says how she feels more, and at this point I think GiDi has spent more time with her than they have us, so of course that¡¯s how they¡¯re used to things being. Of course, Pearla wouldn¡¯t understand how you show you care, because it¡¯s not how she shows she cares. It¡¯s not how GiDi is used to being cared about.¡± ¡°But it wouldn¡¯t hurt me to say how I felt more¡­¡± TO said, ¡°I mean, it¡¯s only words. I could-¡° ¡±And If I said I don¡¯t trust words?¡± DH said, ¡°I mean¡­ Ok, I trust them, with us it¡¯s hard not to, but if I said that your actions told me that you cared about me more than your words did?¡± They chuckled, ¡°I uh¡­ didn¡¯t say this, because I didn¡¯t want to encourage you¡­ but once I realized that your weirdness back then was from attempts to flirt with me¡­¡± they trailed off, their flushed ears twitching gently. ¡°¡­You enjoyed it?¡± ¡°Once I knew what it was!¡± DH protested, ¡°I mean, I didn¡¯t have any more experience in this than you, and I had given up on you feeling the same as me before we left training! but once I looked back on it all¡­¡± they shrugged, ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­ just knowing that you did all that for me. That you researched ways to let me know you had romantic feelings, that you were doing all these silly things just to signal to me how you felt? Yes¡­ Yes, I liked it.¡± They shrugged as they looked away. ¡°And if GiDi recognized how much you did, how much you worried, then they wouldn¡¯t need you to tell them.¡± ¡°¡­ I still had to tell you in order for you to understand,¡± TO said. ¡°So¡­¡± DH sighed, ¡°Maybe.¡± They said, ¡°But, all that aside, I don¡¯t think our pod is falling apart... GiDi¡¯s angry, and Avery is unconscious¡­ but Avery should wake soon, and you and GiDi will be fine, eventually.¡± DH wrapped an arm around TO, ¡°It¡¯s hard now, that¡¯s all.¡± They leaned against TO, ¡°And honestly, I thought that once we got on the ship, things would be easier. But they¡¯re not. Even outside of what¡¯s going on among our pod, the illness upstairs is spreading, and people are getting more and more restless. A fight nearly broke out yesterday, and I¡¯m just worried that an actual fight might still happen.¡± They glanced up at TO, ¡°How long until we make it to ScrapRock?¡± they asked, their eyes big and pleading as though TO could dictate how long it would take. Despite themself and all their worries, a smile crept over TO¡¯s lips. ¡°Well, let¡¯s see,¡± TO said, realizing that they¡¯ve not recalculated their path since GiDi confirmed where they were going. In fact, TO realized then that they hadn¡¯t even checked GiDi¡¯s response about their destination. They pulled up their messages and went through the ones GiDi had sent to them. Amid the lengthy messages and pleasantries, the last message stood out as a single, indifferent response. = Confirmed: Destination remains ScrapRock. = They did their best to ignore the curt response to their question, to not think about the tone in which it might have been intended, and how there has been no further communication between the two of them since. They flicked to their maps and did the calculations from their current point to the time they should arrive at Scrap Rock. Their acceleration, while it took them in the opposite direction they wanted to go in, also served to speed them up while they caught up. ¡°Five more days.¡± They said once their calculations were complete. ¡°Five days, and we should arrive at ScrapRock.¡± DH leaned against TO, draping an arm and a wing over their shoulder as they groaned. ¡°I can¡¯t wait.¡± They said. ¡°I can¡¯t wait to get you a new knee and see you well again.¡± They pressed their snout into the crux of TO¡¯s neck, avoiding their ears for the obvious reasons. ¡°I can¡¯t wait to have privacy again...¡± TO closed their eyes and rested their head against DH¡¯s, enjoying the quiet moment and the closeness. For now, they could just enjoy their mate¡¯s company. Episode 421: Compatibility Despite what happened with GiDi earlier in the day, TO found that the rest of their time had been wonderful and relaxing. Vik had been happy to show them the game he was working on, and learning about that had given TO something to focus their mind on when their thoughts wandered to something that might upset them. They found that it was relaxing to have a problem to work through that wasn¡¯t a life-or-death issue! Yes, the game was important to Vik and TO knew that, but if they messed up or made the wrong decision while helping Vik, then the only thing it meant was that they had to try something else. Nobody would die, and they weren¡¯t being judged or assessed by the results of their work. It differed from playing the games as well; the moment they started playing a game or simulation, their mind slipped into the same way it had been in training. They had to do well; they had to succeed because they had to prove themself. Had they enjoyed the games they played with Flit and Tham? Yes, but there was a certain anxiety at the prospect of failure. No matter how often they would tell themself that it was fine, and that a game was just for fun, the anxiety around the possibility of failure was still strong. That wasn¡¯t a problem when you were making the games. In TO¡¯s eyes, that felt like something you¡¯d have to fail at several times. Then, of course, there was the sudden art lesson with Lendulin. That too was an endeavour that seemed to possess no stress for TO. They didn¡¯t know why, but they didn¡¯t feel as sick at the thought of failing with that as they did with simulations. Time with friends and the means to occupy their mind without stress had helped them far more than they thought possible. Even before DH had come back to their room and questioned them about GiDi, TO felt better. In fact, had it not been for Vik, Petra, Lendulin, and Constance, TO was certain they wouldn¡¯t have been able to handle relaying what happened with GiDi. Yes, it hurt to replay it all for DH, but they got through it without breaking Afterwards, with how soft and kind DH had been and how they held TO, the pain was quickly forgotten. DH was especially good at distracting TO like that. It was only as they were getting ready to sleep that the anxiety and hurt crept back. Their worries slunk into the room like some awful insect when the elevator opened on its regular schedule, but nobody came out. It curled up at TO¡¯s feet when they settled into their nest of pillows, the space which Pearla and GiDi used to occupy oddly empty. ¡°GiDi knows they can come down here.¡± DH said as they saw TO looking at the elevator, their voice cool and their ears flicked back. ¡°Nobody is keeping them away.¡± ¡°But you know they won¡¯t come down here while I¡¯m-¡° ¡°And if they want to be stubborn like that, that¡¯s their issue.¡± DH said firmly. ¡°I¡¯m not sending you away because GiDi is angry. And if you were sent away, I¡¯d go too.¡± ¡°We tried to talk to GiDi as well.¡± Snout said, glancing up from whatever they were reading on their tablet, ¡°They¡¯re not¡­. Hmm..¡± ¡°Being reasonable?¡± Flit offered. ¡°Open to reason? Or simply not listening?¡± ¡°¡­ They are hurt, and at this moment they cannot see past that.¡± Snout finally said. ¡°Just give them time.¡± TO wondered if that¡¯s what they should have done. They hadn¡¯t told Flit and Snout what GiDi said to them and, in truth, they didn¡¯t want to. They felt a little better about what they considered being their own failing after talking to DH, but they didn¡¯t want empty assurances from people who didn¡¯t know the whole truth about what they did back on Arkane. ¡°¡­ So, should I leave?¡± Tham said. Despite the fact that Pearla wasn¡¯t here, Tham had continued to sleep in the chair on the other side of the room. Somehow, he found sleeping in a pile to be oddly awkward, and even when Pearla and GiDi had told him it was ok for him to sleep in the pile, he had refused. ¡°Of course not.¡± DH said, ¡°You¡¯re family, you¡¯re part of the pod-¡° ¡°Well, I¡¯m family only because of Pearla.¡± ¡°That doesn¡¯t matter.¡± DH said. ¡°I¡¯ve been reading those files. Once you¡¯re family, that¡¯s it. You¡¯re family. How you became ¡®family¡¯ doesn¡¯t matter.¡± ¡°And you thought they wouldn¡¯t actually read the files.¡± Flit said idly from where they sat in the pile of pillows, relaxing against Snout¡¯s side. ¡°Yes, yes, you were right. I was wrong.¡± They switched to Synth Speak and added, ¡°And you suggested we just give them the files so you could avoid having a talk about the whole situation,¡± Snout said in a light, carefree tone as they scratched the back of Flit¡¯s neck. That was something that TO had noticed while on the ship; the back of the neck scratching was something both Flit and snout, and GiDi and Pearla did. They couldn¡¯t help but wonder how they all had that same habit. Did other Chilacians have that habit as well? If they got to Apiokia, they¡¯d know for certain. ¡°How does that even work?¡± Tham asked, frowning as their tail twitched idly. ¡°I mean, I¡¯m not a synth-¡° ¡°Chilacian.¡± Snout said firmly. ¡°Right, sorry. I¡¯m not a Chilacian. And you lot haven¡¯t really had pods or families before, right?¡± They glanced at TO, ¡°I mean, TO told me a little about how it works, but this is all new to you, right? And you didn¡¯t have pods in your training.¡± Stolen novel; please report. ¡°Well, we did, to an extent.¡± Flit said. ¡°Synths with altered minds don¡¯t form the same kind of connections; it¡¯s impossible. Unaltered ones, or rather, ones that have had that part of their minds spared, will form such bonds, and will end up seeking out others who can. That¡¯s how DH, TO, GiDi and Avery started associating.¡± ¡°Yeah, but again, I¡¯m not Chilacian, so-¡° Snout sighed and put down their tablet. ¡°You want the big long scientific explanation, or the short and simple one?¡± ¡°Short and simple.¡± Tham¡¯s words raced over Snout¡¯s question, answering almost before the question was properly asked. ¡°Right.¡± Snout said, ¡°Some species can. Some can¡¯t. It¡¯s a simple matter of compatibility. I¡¯m looking for a pattern for it, but I¡¯ve not found one yet. If your species can pair bond with a Chilacian, like GiDi and Pearla have, then that species will be able to form a familial bond as well.¡± ¡°Right¡­¡± Tham said as they considered this. ¡°¡­ Does that mean that they¡¯re compatible, then?¡± ¡°I should hope so,¡± DH muttered, ¡°Given they¡¯re already bonded.¡± Tham¡¯s tail lightly slapped the ground as their eyes narrowed, the reddish color on their face darkening. ¡°I mean, could they have kids? Will I be an uncle, or-¡° ¡°No.¡± Snout said firmly. ¡°You won¡¯t be an uncle.¡± ¡°Because they¡¯re not compatible or-¡° ¡°Oh!¡± TO¡¯s ears perked up, worry replaced with knowledge, ¡°You mean *Interspecies compatibility*¡± they said. ¡°That¡¯s when two different species can produce offspring.¡± They beamed as they looked to DH. ¡°Do you want to guess the species with the highest level of Interspecies compatibility?¡± ¡°Uh.. homosapiens?¡± They asked. ¡°Close! They¡¯re third. First is Virionids! That was a species that TO had never encountered before, but they knew that their kind had become the dominant species-mix in the second quarter of the galaxy. ¡°Second is Perisoa; a kind of thinking plant species.¡± ¡°And I have no idea where we fall on that scale, and we may never know because all of us have had surgeries to prevent that.¡± Snout said as their ears pinned back, flicking down too much to be simple anger. ¡°The essential organs are harvested for materials to make more synths. Each of us has had that surgery done well before we left the tank.¡± ¡°¡­ Shouldn¡¯t that mean that you can¡¯t bond then?¡± Tham asked as their frown deepened. ¡°That¡¯s more complex than reproduction, and the surgery would be far more invasive and risky. Also, the chemicals and hormones that affect bonding also affect healthy growth even after a synth has hit maturity. Such a surgery was considered non-essential, and the ability to form bonds was cut off from the mind.¡± They huffed and grabbed their tablet again. ¡°So, no. None of us can have offspring. Not naturally.¡± ¡°Though¡­¡± Flit frowned as they glanced at TO, ¡°I imagine your batch should be prepping soon.¡± TO sat up, ¡°What?¡± They asked, ¡°What do you mean, our batch?¡± ¡°Just like how you¡¯re Flit¡¯s offspring, and DH is mine.¡± Snout said, ¡°The genetic material harvested from the two of you may be put into production soon.¡± It took TO an extra few moments to understand what Flit meant. Of course, material had been harvested from them, that had been part of the process of their in-tank development. They knew that, and they knew that they couldn¡¯t reproduce and thought no more of it; it didn¡¯t bother them. Still, the thought that their genetic material might be used to create offspring without any input from them bothered them more than they expected. ¡°Will they be like the lot of you?¡± Tham asked. ¡°Or more like Kei.¡± TO bristled at the thought that any creature even remotely related to them could be like Kei, and they were about to express just that, but Snout spoke first. ¡°They¡¯ll be more like Kei.¡± Snout said as their ears dipped slightly. ¡°With Flit and I, it was pure luck that our minds weren¡¯t corrected. A solar storm hit the training center when we were in development, and that caused some malfunctions. Most of them were caught and repaired, but ours weren¡¯t.¡± ¡°And we¡¯re the ones who disconnected the system for specific individuals in this batch.¡± Flit added. ¡°So, unless there¡¯s another synth there who knows the secrets that Flit nearly died to uncover, hasn¡¯t been discovered yet, and has gotten far up into the system there with the right combination of knowledge to disable the systems without getting caught and without damaging the synth¡­¡± they shrugged, ¡°Then yes, the next batch will be considered ¡®normal¡¯ synths. Fully corrected.¡± It wasn¡¯t important. There were synths every few cycles being detanked, who were all more or less normal by synth standards. There were synths in training right now that could still be their siblings, and there was nothing that TO could do about that. They didn¡¯t think about it that much; it wasn¡¯t something they could change. Even if they could change things, what would that accomplish? Most of them would be corrected or repurposed in training and even if they survived, what waited for them after that? TO knew, or at least they had a hint of what would await such a synth: a lifetime of longing and loneliness, or wanting something so badly and feeling so terrible for wanting it. That was the life that waited for them unless they were lucky enough to find others, like TO and DH were, and unless they were lucky enough to have people free them from King Decon¡¯s grip. No, unless they could be there to help and guide them like Flit had been when they were in training, TO knew that it was a terrible idea to do that to a synth. So why did it bother them to think that their own offspring might be corrected like that? Blood relationships didn¡¯t even matter to Chilacians, not really. ¡°At any rate.¡± Flit said, ¡°The point stands. Your specific species of Nagarajin are compatible with Chilacian, so you¡¯re able to join a pod like you have, and you¡¯re able to bond with a Chilacian, like Pearla has.¡± They finally looked away from Tham and went back to their own tablet where they were playing some kind of strategy game by themself. ¡°So, if TO and DH consider you family, I¡¯m fine with it. In fact, I¡¯d rather you stay here if that¡¯s the case. It¡¯s¡­ Odd without GiDi and Avery here. ¡°If you¡¯re sure.¡± Tham said as they began their nightly ritual of trying to get comfortable in the chair before the computers. ¡°¡­ and for what it¡¯s worth, I know Pearla is trying to convince GiDi to come back down here. She¡¯s just not pushing them.¡± That surprised TO, who considered that information long after the conversation tapered off, and everyone else fell asleep. They had thought for certain that Pearla would have been firmly on GiDi¡¯s side in this, given how she had berated TO the other day. They pulled up the conversation they had that day, but this time, they focused on how she had ended their little chat. *Still pissed at you for hurting GiDi, and I¡¯ll stay pissed until you talk to them! But GiDi shouldn¡¯t have said what they did. You¡¯re both idiots, as far as I¡¯m concerned.* Maybe she wasn¡¯t angry at TO anymore. Maybe it would be ok. Though, as they fell asleep, they considered just how angry GiDi had to be if not even Pearla could convince them to come back downstairs. Episode 422: Cold As the elevator door opened up the next day on its normal schedule, it was the slight cough that alerted TO to the fact that someone was there. A moment later, Tham pushed aside the makeshift curtain and stood before TO, one hand on his hip, the other against the wall as he leaned, looking at TO. Tham. That would explain why it was the cough and not footsteps that alerted them to his presence. ¡°Yes?¡± TO asked, their ears drooping slightly. The only thing that kept them from feeling sick with anxiety at this moment was the knowledge that Tham had stayed with at night while GiDi and Pearla had hidden themselves somewhere else at night and they had no doubt that GiDi and Pearla had told them everything. ¡°Wanna play that thing again?¡± They asked, holding up their tablet, ¡°That game where we have to build up our resources and grow shit?¡± It only took a moment for TO to realize that Tham was talking about the resource management game that they had played a while ago when TO found Tham in the downstairs hall. ¡°I would.¡± TO said, ¡±But Lendulin, Petra, and Constance will be here soon, so-¡° ¡°Ah, that¡¯s the other reason I¡¯m here.¡± He said with a sniff. ¡°The three of them caught the cold going around upstairs.¡± TO¡¯s ears flicked down suddenly, their eyes widening in worry and fear, ¡°Are they ok!?¡± They asked, ¡°How bad is it? Does DH know? Does Goretta-¡° Tham held a hand up to stop TO¡¯s onslaught of questions, ¡°They¡¯re fine, more or less.¡± he said. ¡°It¡¯s just a cold.¡± ¡°It¡¯s *sickness*.¡± TO said. ¡°It might be a cold today, but aren¡¯t there all kinds of awful things that can happen even from a seemingly minor illness like a cold? Secondary infections and the like?¡± TO would be the first to admit that their medical knowledge was limited, and what they knew mostly came from this one medical show that DH sometimes watched. ¡°Well, yeah, but-¡° ¡°And didn¡¯t DH say that the sickness was getting worse?¡± They asked. ¡°Spreading more. People could get really sick, and if we run out of supplies-¡° ¡°We¡¯ll be at Scraprock soon.¡± Tham said, ¡°DH, Goretta, and Snout are doing what they can to keep things from getting worse.¡± ¡°¡­ has anyone died?¡± They asked. When Tham didn¡¯t respond right away, TO¡¯s eyes narrowed and their ears pinned back, ¡°Someone did.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Tham said, ¡°Someone died.¡± ¡°From the cold, right?¡± Tham sighed, ¡°Not from the cold, not really.¡± They said, ¡°Look, the cold is normal. Heck, it¡¯s called ¡®the common cold¡¯ and most people I know will still go to work when they¡¯re sick like that!¡± ¡°Stupid.¡± TO muttered, ¡°If you¡¯re sick, you shouldn¡¯t be around anyone.¡± Tham huffed, giving TO a smirk, ¡°Oh that¡¯s rich.¡± They said, ¡°I¡¯ve heard about you lot going into training sessions with stitches on your wings and dislocated arms-¡° ¡°Those aren¡¯t contagious!¡± TO snapped, ¡°Nobody got sick in training: it was a closed system and there was no way for infection to get on the ship. If it did, then I promise the infected synth would be immediately quarantined until they showed no symptoms.¡± ¡°Or they¡¯d just get¡­ oh, what *was* the word they used for murdering synths they didn¡¯t think were useful, and harvesting their bodies?¡± Their glib expression faltered when they saw TOs face pale, ¡°Shit. Sorry.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± They said quickly. ¡°You said someone died?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Tham said, ¡°She was an older person, and Goretta said her lungs were damaged before she got sick. She came from the indebted center, and you already know what working conditions are like there.¡± ¡°And having damaged lungs made the cold kill her?¡± ¡°Goretta said that the damage to the lungs meant that she already had a constant cough, and couldn¡¯t breath well on the best of days. They got a secondary infection-¡° ¡°Which I just said could happen!¡± ¡°-Because of the damage already done to her, and she died because of that.¡± Tham looked away, ¡°There¡¯s gonna be deaths, Goretta says. Half the people here came from the indebted center, and everyone else grew up in urban poverty and have health issues because of that. Constance is pretty healthy, all things considered, so she should be ok. Lendulin is fairly healthy because she¡¯s spent most of her life painting, not diving. As for Petra-¡° Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there. ¡°Will she be ok?¡± ¡°Goretta says that the way her body and lungs work make the cold a mild inconvenience at it¡¯s worst. Apparently, her species aren¡¯t prone to lung infections like others are, and bacteria and virus¡¯ don¡¯t grow the same way.¡± He shrugged, ¡°Same with me and Pearla, apparently. We¡¯re cold blooded, so apparently that makes it harder for bacteria and virus to grow or something. I don¡¯t know. I¡¯m no doctor, I¡¯m just repeating what she said.¡± They raised a brow, ¡°What about you lot. I figured you¡¯d be more worried about this hitting DH.¡± TO shook their head, ¡°Synths don¡¯t get sick-¡° ¡°Well, you just said you were in a closed system. I¡¯m surprised you don¡¯t get sick the moment you leave the centre.¡± ¡°Once we¡¯re confirmed for our placement, we undergo as series of inoculations and injections to strengthen our bodies against sickness.¡± They said. It was only thanks to those inoculations that being on this ship wasn¡¯t driving them into a mad, paranoid frenzy and isolating themself somewhere. ¡°The sickest I¡¯ve been was from side effects of those shots. The same is true for DH¡­¡± They paused, their ears flicking with worry. ¡°But¡­ not GiDi.¡± ¡°As far as I knew, you couldn¡¯t get a shot to stop the cold.¡± TO shrugged, ¡°I don¡¯t know much about how it works.¡± They said, ¡°but we have specialized vaccinations which are supposed to protect us from the cold. I don¡¯t know if it strengthens our immune system, or other systems to make it ineffective. DH might know.¡± ¡°Right.¡± Tham said, ¡°Well, I wouldn¡¯t be worried about GiDi regardless. I¡¯m sure they and Goretta figured out something. I mean, They¡¯ve been on Arkane in the Outer Ring for over a year, got sick a few times, but got better. I think they¡¯ll be ok.¡± They shrugged, ¡°Besides, everyone up there is wearing a mask now, so-¡° ¡°Nobody wears them down here.¡± Tham reached into his pocket, and pulled out a crumbled fabric mask that seemed to have been made from old shirts. ¡°Honestly, I take it off as soon as I can. It¡¯s an absolute pain to wear, and you¡¯re all inoculated, so it doesn¡¯t matter, right?¡± He huffed and shoved it back into his pocket, ¡°Besides, I don¡¯t know that they¡¯re going to do much. We have to take them off to drink and eat, and we don¡¯t have space to be really careful with it. GiDi goes off to eat on their own - I think up in some engine room?¡± So that¡¯s one of the places GiDi had been hiding. Maybe they were even doing the tasks that TO did themself on their first journey. Was GiDi sleeping up there as well? They hoped not: It was easily the dirtiest part of the ship. ¡°Look, It¡¯s a cold, and it¡¯s very sad that someone died from it, but for the most part it¡¯s not going to hurt people. that¡¯s what Goretta says anyway.¡± He sat down next to TO with his tablet. ¡°So, as I said, Constance, Petra, and Lendulin are sick. They¡¯re resting. I¡¯m fine, and I wanted to know if you¡¯d like to play that game you showed me a few days ago.¡± They shrugged and glanced over at Vic¡¯s spot, taking in how focused he was on his work, completely deaf to their conversation thanks to the headphones he wore. ¡°I know DH is busy, and Snout¡¯s busy as well, which means Flit is up there with Snout trying to help. So, I figured you¡¯d probably be alone for the day.¡± ¡°¡­Well, yes.¡± TO said, their ears dipping, ¡°But that¡¯s fine. I can manage a day on my own-¡° Tham was quiet for a moment as his brows furrowed in through, then he finally gave a heavy sigh, ¡°Look.¡± He said, ¡° Subtly isn¡¯t my strong point.¡± ¡°¡­ I¡¯ve noticed.¡± TO¡¯s ears flicked parallel to the ground as they looked at Tham. ¡°Right. So I¡¯m not great with the whole tip-toeing around shit.¡± They frowned at TO, ¡°So, look. You¡¯re probably upset, right? Nah, you are upset.¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine, I-¡° ¡°I hear what¡¯s going on around here. DH is worried about you, GiDi is pissed, and Pearla, to use her phrasing, ¡®had words¡¯ with you and I know that when she does that, she can hit harder I figured you likely felt low.¡± TO shrugged and looked away, not responding either way to Tham¡¯s observations. ¡°And I probably owe you anyway for distracting me the other day.¡± He said, ¡°And especially so for not telling Pearla what you saw.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not a big deal.¡± TO said quickly, ¡°I just-¡° they paused. They weren¡¯t supposed to tell Tham that Pearla asked them to spend time with her brother. They wondered for a moment if they should tell Tham anyway but then a thought came to their head; Had DH asked Tham to do the same, to come check on them and spend time with them? ¡°Well, it was a big deal to me.¡± Tham huffed again. ¡°So, yeah. I¡¯m *grateful* for that.¡± Their colour darkened slightly, ¡°And I feel like I owe you.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t.¡± ¡°But I feel like I do, and I know you¡¯re upset. So, it works. Also, the game you showed me was fun, I had a good time, and I¡¯m so fucking bored up there. While this cold is going around we¡¯re not doing any of the group learning things with the kids so I have nothing to do.¡± He shrugged, ¡°So, I¡¯m also being greedy, looking for a way to pass the time.¡± ¡°Ah.¡± Was all TO said. Maybe Tham had been asked by DH to check on them, and maybe Tham was here of his own will. TO wasn¡¯t certain, didn¡¯t know if they wanted to be certain, and didn¡¯t even know if it mattered. ¡°So.¡± Tham said. ¡°I warn, I do suck at this kind of thing.¡± They said. ¡°So, do you want to rant about what¡¯s going on, do you want advice, or do you just want a distraction?¡± ¡°I think a distraction¡­¡± TO paused, the words falling silent on their lips. They wanted a distraction primarily because they didn¡¯t want to tell anyone what happened, because what they did made them feel so sick to their stomach and they knew that others would be properly disgusted with them if they knew. But not Tham; that was what they realized in that moment. Of everyone on that ship, Tham was the one least likely to be disgusted with them. Tham was the one who pushed a civilian security guard into a water cleaning system, killing them to throw their pursuers off their trail and buy everyone who escaped from that prison time to escape into the underground. ¡°¡­I don¡¯t know about advice.¡± They finally said, ¡°Maybe just your opinion. And, yes-¡° they picked up their own tablet, ¡°I¡¯ll tell you about it while we play that game.¡± Episode 423: Adrenaline Halfway through once more recounting the events of that day, TO began to worry that Tham would find the events just as horrible as TO feared. At a time when they really had to be making things better, making people¡¯s view of them more positive, TO knew that relating this story was perhaps a bad idea. Still, if anyone would be in the least sympathetic to them, they knew it would be Tham. They continued, told the story, and fell silent as they waited for Tham to comment, to offer judgement or sympathy. At first, Tham offered neither. He remained silent for the longest time anxd when TO looked up at him, they saw that his expression was not one of judgment or disdain, but of expectation. The silence drew out for a moment later before Tham finally spoke and said, ¡°Ok. What then?¡± TO blinked, looking at Tham as their ears quirked out in confusion. ¡°What do you mean, ¡®What then?¡¯¡± They asked. ¡°Well, you kind of hyped this up as though you had dome something awful, so I¡¯m waiting for the awful part.¡± They said, ¡°I mean, what, are you upset that Kei got away, or-¡° ¡°Mark.¡± TO said, their ears flicking back slightly, ¡°I feel bad because of Mark-¡° Tham sighed and shifted. ¡°I mean, I get that, but that wasn¡¯t your fault. You¡¯re not the one who shot him.¡± He shrugged, ¡°I mean, I understand maybe the feeling of ¡®I could have done better¡¯ or something like that. You know, ¡®if I had worked harder or faster, I could have stopped them.¡¯ But that¡¯s not really helpful. Also, given everything, I think it¡¯s impressive that you managed to stay alive and fuck over Kei¡¯s plans there.¡± ¡°But I shouted at Mark.¡± TO said, ¡°And I didn¡¯t even bother to try to help him when Kei was gone.¡± Tham was silent for another moment as they gawked at TO, their confusion clear on their face for long moments before it shifted to something like amusement. ¡°That¡¯s it?¡± They said. TO¡¯s ears lowered, ¡°Isn¡¯t that enough?!¡± they said, a tone of panic in their voice, ¡°I mean-¡± Tham held up a hand to silence TO, ¡°hold up, let me get this right.¡± They said, ¡°I¡¯m certain I have to be misunderstanding something.¡± ¡°Ok.¡± ¡°So, to confirm.¡± Tham said, ¡°You¡¯ve been beating yourself up this entire time because while you were injured, in incredible amounts of pain, and fighting someone who intended to kill you and everyone you loved, you shouted at a man?¡± ¡°I-it¡¯s not that simple!¡± TO said, their ears warming up at the glib way Tham put that, ¡°A man died-¡° ¡°Yes, I know,¡± Tham said, ¡°But you didn¡¯t kill him.¡± ¡°I yelled at him-¡° ¡°Look.¡± Tham¡¯s amusement drained as he looked at TO seriously, ¡°Do you really think that¡¯s the absolute worst thing you could do?¡± He shook his head, ¡°I mean, think about all the adrenaline - or. Wait. Shit. I don¡¯t know if Chilacians have adrenaline. Whatever. You were fighting, injured, and threatened. That doesn¡¯t put people in a state to think clearly, or act in the calmest and most understanding of ways.¡± He scoffed, ¡°I don¡¯t know how many times I¡¯ve shouted at people I¡¯ve been fighting alongside.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve never done something like that before.¡± TO said, ¡°I¡¯ve been in all kinds of combat simulations, and-¡° ¡°There we go.¡± Tham said as he cut TO off, ¡°Simulations. Situations where you knew at least that in that moment, nobody was actually going to die. Even if you were in pain, you would have known it wasn¡¯t a life-or-death situation.¡± He shrugged. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t have had the same reaction. Also, I very much doubt you lot had any training on how to keep your cool in those kinds of situations since they thought they zapped out the feeling parts of your brain.¡± He paused as he considered this. ¡°Huh. Maybe that¡¯s another reason why they did that shit. Easier to have psychopaths in your army than have to train up a bunch of people with feelings.¡± ¡°We were trained!¡± TO said, their ears pinning back as indignation hit them. They didn¡¯t know why, but the idea that perhaps they hadn¡¯t been properly trained bothered them. ¡°They put us though torture simulations and taught us exactly how to -¡° ¡°That¡¯s still not the same.¡± Tham said, ¡°I mean, it sucks, and I¡¯m sure they ¡®trained you¡¯ but like¡­ Why teach a fish how to swim, you know?¡± If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. The phrase rolled around in TO¡¯s head, and TO could only struggle to make sense of it until they finally said, ¡°I¡¯m not a fish.¡± ¡°Well, obviously.¡± Tham sighed. ¡°I mean, why would you teach a fish to swim? It¡¯s something they just do. So, why would they put you through the training that would teach you to keep yourself cool-headed in combat situations when you shouldn¡¯t feel any kind of stress from that, anyway?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s-¡° ¡°From what you told me, it sounds like you got high on adrenaline. Or, yeah, whatever you have for that.¡± He leaned back. ¡°And honestly? I¡¯d have done the same. Shit, I might have crawled after Kei if he threatened Ja-¡­ if he threatened anyone I cared about. Nah, I think your response was fairly calm, given everything.¡± ¡°But I yelled at Mark!¡± They protested, ¡°Just before he died! The last thing he heard was-¡° ¡°In these situations, people die hearing awful things all the time.¡± Tham said. ¡°Enemies cursing at you, other people around you shouting¡­ I worked with this kid once. He was nice, but kind of stupid. He got caught, and the authorities smashed his head against the pavement once they caught him. Basically died hearing this cop berating him.¡± He shrugged, ¡°You shouting to stop someone going off to murder your friends and family-¡° ¡°But Kei was trying to get away.¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t know that! And stopping them would have been the best outcome, anyway. Because he got away, we had to deal with that situation the other day, and we have to be on guard because they could be following us or trying to catch up to us at ScrapRock.¡± He paused, and gave TO a hard look, ¡°That doesn¡¯t mean you should be beating yourself up now for not killing Kei. You were lucky to get away alive.¡± ¡°But I could have helped Mark after that!¡± TO said, ¡°I could have gone to him, and-¡° ¡°Was there any chance that he could have been saved?¡± Tham asked. ¡°¡­Not according to DH.¡± TO said as their ears dipped, ¡°Because he was already sick, the injury-¡± ¡°And when you weren¡¯t in danger anymore, what was the first thing you did?¡± ¡°I passed out.¡± TO said as their ears burned, ¡°I should have-¡° ¡°You ¡¯should have¡® my ass,¡± Tham scoffed. ¡°That¡¯s what happens when you got enough adrenaline pumping through you to literally ignore both pain from a bullet wound, and your own¡ªfrom what I understand rather intense¡ªphobia of blood!¡± He looked over TO for several long minutes. ¡°Here¡¯s an analogy you might understand. You had your spaceship running at full speed for an entire day. The engine overheated, and you had to shut it off to let it cool down. That¡¯s basically what happened to you.¡± ¡°Other synths don¡¯t-¡° ¡°You¡¯re not a synth.¡± Tham said as he put his attention back to the game, ¡°You keep saying that yourself, and so do Flit and Snout. You¡¯re not a synth; you¡¯re Chilacian.¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± TO crossed their arms, ¡°I was trained like-¡° ¡°But you¡¯re not one.¡± Tham said again, ¡°You¡¯re Chilacian, and from what I¡¯ve seen, that¡¯s pretty normal for a Chilacian.¡± ¡°How Would you know?¡± At this, Tham laughed, ¡°What, you mean, aside from seeing how Flit, Snout, and GiDi act in these kinds of situations? You think GiDi hasn¡¯t been in a fight like that? You think GiDi¡¯s not killed anyone?¡± TO¡¯s ears dropped, their grip on their arms loosening. ¡°They did?¡± ¡°Oh, yeah.¡± Tham said, ¡°And they¡¯d do it again with a smile on their face, I¡¯m sure.¡± ¡°They wouldn¡¯t.¡± TO said as though they were simply stating a simple, well known fact. ¡°They did.¡± Tham said, ¡°Well, before you showed up, a cop followed Pearla and GiDi into the sewers.¡± They frowned. ¡°This was before we found out they had been a synth. Apparently this cop was doing some kind of investigation, and followed Pearla. When they realized that he was there, they got into a fight. The shark tased Pearla, and GiDi ripped his throat out with their claws.¡° It took TO a moment to remember hearing the phrase ¡®shark¡¯ used to refer to the local authorities, but once it did, the situation that played in their mind was almost incomprehensible to them. ¡°Wait, what?¡± As much as TO¡¯s mind tried to create what that might have looked like in their head, they couldn¡¯t. The thought of GiDi being that violent simply did not fit with the GiDi they knew! ¡°Yeah, and nobody blamed them for it, and afterwards. Pearla was still recovering from getting tased, and she¡¯s the one who dragged GiDi to safety because GiDi passed the fuck out when it was all over.¡± ¡°¡­ They never told me that.¡± ¡°Well, they don¡¯t like to talk about it.¡± Tham said. ¡°Probably like you don¡¯t like talking about what happened with Kei. So look, despite everything, I think that¡¯s one of the things that GiDi is least likely to judge you for.¡± ¡°¡­DH said that it changes how they think about me,¡± TO said, their wings tightening around their arms once more. ¡°Well, does what you just learned about GiDi change how you think about GiDi?¡± ¡°¡­Yes.¡± TO said as their ears lifted in surprise. ¡°It does.¡± ¡°Because it¡¯s not something you thought about before, right?¡± ¡°Right.¡± TO said. Even now, they still couldn¡¯t wrap their head around their small friend being able to do something like what Tham had described, but apparently they had done that. And yes, it changed how they thought of GiDi now, added something to what they knew about them. Something they never considered GiDi was capable of. ¡°So yeah, I think you¡¯re good.¡± Tham said, ¡°And honestly, if DH gets judgemental over it¡­ Well, they¡¯re lucky that they never got thrown into that situation.¡± Tham was right. Well, he was making some major assumptions, but knowing that GiDi had done something similar helped more than TO thought it would. Still, GiDi wasn¡¯t the Ankrya. Avery was the Ankrya and the decision there depended on them. At least now, TO felt that their actions with Mark wouldn¡¯t be a breaking point. If that on its own was enough for Avery to kick them out, then they¡¯d have to kick GiDi out as well. It was one less thing to worry about. Episode 424: Wake TO¡¯s uneasy sleep shattered as DH shook them awake, a finger over their lips to signal the need for silence. ¡°What is it?¡± TO signed, not wanting even a whisper to wake up the others. ¡°Avery is awake.¡± DH signed back. ¡°I just got back from the lower level. Their system was giving me alerts, and I went down about an hour or so ago. They woke up a little later, and I made sure they were stable before I came up to tell you.¡± It was hard for TO not to talk now. A thousand questions bubbled at their mouth and it was a glorious display of self-control that they could keep them from stumbling out. After a moment of thought, they finally got their hands to move and sign back the most important question. ¡°Are they ok?¡± ¡°They¡¯re stable.¡± DH signed back. ¡°But they¡¯re confused, and not entirely lucid.¡± ¡°When can I talk to them?¡± That was the main thing that TO wanted to know. ¡°I don¡¯t know yet.¡± DH signed back, ¡°Today, I¡¯m certain of that, but we want to get some tests done before that.¡± ¡°We?¡± ¡°Goretta and I. She¡¯s running scans to see if there¡¯s been any damage done, but given what we¡¯ve already seen, we think that they¡¯ll be fine.¡± ¡°What kind of damage?¡± They signed back, remembering how GiDi had been so worried about complications before. At DH¡¯s advice TO hadn¡¯t looked up what could have happened, but GiDi had, and their worry now echoed loudly in TO¡¯s mind. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that.¡± DH signed, ¡°just trust me. Try to sleep. I¡¯ll tell Avery you¡¯re anxious to see them, and when they¡¯re feeling up to it, I can bring you down. Ok?¡± TO nodded in response, their ears flicking low. They were happy that Avery was awake, obviously, but they hated how little they could help in this. That all they could do was sit and wait made them feel oddly itchy on the inside, made them want to move, to do something! DH leaned forward, kissed TO, and then scratched the back of their neck for a moment before getting up and heading back towards the elevator. Now that TO was more awake and DH was a further away, there were things that TO could see that they hadn¡¯t before; They noticed how disheveled DH¡¯s clothes were and realized they were wearing the dirty clothes from the day before. There were new stains scattered across the fabric, but thankfully, none of them appeared to be bloodstains. DH¡¯s ears weren¡¯t down, but they were lower than normal; exhausted. They wanted to help. More than anything TO wanted to be able to get up and help but they knew that they¡¯d be useless down there right now, and that even if they wanted to be there with DH for emotional support, the process of helping TO get up and in their chair would be more work than DH needed to do right now, and the noise would probably wake up everyone else. Silently cursing their uselessness, they watched DH disappear into the elevator, and listened to the whirr of machinery until it stopped. After several moments of silence broken by the gentle breathing and subtle shifting of the others around them, TO finally pulled DH¡¯s pillow to them and let it rest on their chest, willing their mind to slow so they could get back to sleep. ¡®I¡¯m so useless right now¡¯ *Stop thinking* ¡®is Avery really going to be ok?¡¯ *Stop thinking!* ¡®Will everything be ok when Avery wakes?¡¯ *Stop Thinking*! ¡®Will I be ok when Avery wakes?¡¯ *STOP THINKING*! They held the pillow to their chest, counting their breaths. They wanted to just be happy that Avery was waking up, but the anxiety that sat in their stomach since they got on the ship wouldn¡¯t allow it. It wasn¡¯t fair. They wanted to stop thinking. ====== It was mid-afternoon before they heard anything else, and even then, it wasn¡¯t from DH or Avery. Snout came in with their ears high as they went over to where TO lay in the nest of pillows. ¡°Come on.¡± They said as they brought the wheelchair over to TO, ¡°Avery wants to see you.¡± ¡°They do?¡± TO was in the middle of doing the line exercises Lendulin had taught them and while the accuracy was improving as she said it would, the stroke they worked on when Flit spoke made their line curve off course. ¡°Why?¡± Snout chuckled, their ears twitching as they leaned over to help TO up, ¡°Because you¡¯re their friend; their family? Because they just woke up and they¡¯re probably scared and want people they trust around them?¡± Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. ¡°Right.¡± TO said, their ears flicking down. Whatever the reason was, Snout clearly hadn¡¯t been told anything and TO didn¡¯t know if that was good or bad. If Avery felt like TO was a danger to their pod, then they would have warned Flit, right? Maybe they warned DH. ¡°Why are you bringing me, not DH?¡± they asked. ¡°Well, DH insists on watching over Avery¡¯s stats while they¡¯re recovering, at least for a while.¡± They settled TO into the chair and stepped behind them to push TO to the elevator. ¡°I hope I¡¯m not too disappointing of a substitute.¡± ¡°No! it¡¯s not that at all!¡± TO said, turning painfully in their chair. TO their relief, they say only amusement on Snout¡¯s twitching ears. ¡°I understand.¡± Snout said, ¡°You¡¯ve been away from DH for the best part of the day, and you want to see them.¡± They approached the elevator, ¡°Hey, Vik, can you call-¡° ¡°It¡¯ll be here in less than a minute.¡± Vik said, not even waiting for Snout to finish his sentence, ¡°Your timing is excellent.¡± They finished up some line of code, then looked over to Snout again, ¡°Did I hear you say that DH¡¯s is going to be down there all day?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Snout said, ¡°DH and I are helping Goretta check the stats.¡± ¡°You¡¯re helping her?¡± Vik asked. ¡°I figured that since you¡¯re a Syn- a Chilacian yourself, she¡¯d be helping you. ¡° ¡°Well, despite possessing a Chilacian brain and having some knowledge of neuroscience, Goretta is a specialist and an expert. I¡¯ll defer to her knowledge.¡± The door opened, and Snout pushed TO into the elevator. ¡°Remember, we didn¡¯t do the alterations, and ideally we weren¡¯t even supposed to know they were being done!¡± The door closed, and they went down to the basement. Far sooner than TO was ready for they were out on the lower floor and heading to the makeshift medical bay. The desire to hurry up to see that Avery was ok warred with the fear of what might happen, and so TO did nothing to either hasten or hinder the small trip. The door slid open. Inside, TO was surprised to notice Goretta¡¯s absence, but they didn¡¯t bother to ask questions about that because it was Avery, siting up in bed and slowly sipping on watered-down juice, who took all their attention. TO immediately moved to get up, wincing in pain as they forgot about their knee in that moment. They felt Snout¡¯s hand on their shoulder and heard them say something, but TO didn¡¯t listen. They willed their chair forward as fast as they could, their eyes darting over Avery, taking in every aspect of their appearance as they drew closer. There were rings under their eyes, so dark they were almost black. Avery¡¯s face had lost its roundness, and they now had a far more angular, drawn look to them. They looked tired. There was an awful wound on Avery¡¯s neck. It was clean, but a set of four nasty looking stitches bound the skin together, an angry dark blue mark running through them all. TO knew it would scar. Their skin looked oddly chalky and almost fake. It was as though they had a film over their skin. They got close enough to Avery to reach out and take their hand and discovered it to be bonier than TO expected, and their grip on TO¡¯s own hand was weaker than expected. TO closed their eyes, and took a deep breath as they held Avery¡¯s hand, feeling their weak grip and pulling up from their memory how Avery had looked before Kei attacked them. When they opened their eyes again and saw the stark contrast between then and now, the words slipped from their mouth before they could think. ¡°I should have killed Kei.¡± DH moved around the bed to approach TO, ¡°TO, don¡¯t-¡° ¡°No!¡± TO snapped, looking over at DH, ¡°Look at Avery! Look at them! Our friend! our Ankrya! Look what Kei did to them!¡± They turned back to Avery, grasping their hand with both of their own. Any fears of Avery¡¯s distaste for their actions that day burned away once they saw just how much damage Kei had done to their friend. if anything, they should have done more to stop them. ¡°I should have done something.¡± TO said. ¡°I should have done more. I should have-¡° Avery leaned forward, their forehead resting against TO¡¯s. ¡°You really are a dumbass.¡± They said, their ears twitching. ¡°You did everything you could have.¡± Their voice lowered to a soft whisper, ¡°You did everything you could. I should have listened to you.¡± Those were the last words that TO expected to hear, and for a long, drawn out moment they simply stared at their friend. Finally, they pulled Avery into a tight hug, only loosening their grip when they heard DH hastily asking them to watch the wires that were still attached to Avery. With a shaky breath, they loosened their grip before leaning into Avery, resting their face on Avery¡¯s shoulder. Hot tears of relief burned at their eyes, and while they tried to stop them from falling, they couldn¡¯t. Avery kept whispering, ¡®I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m so, so sorry¡¯ over and over as they clutched at TO, pulling them close as they could. After a moment, TO heard the door behind them slide open and closed again. They thought maybe it was GiDi and turned to look, but then saw that nobody had arrived; Snout had left. ¡°Where did Snout go?¡± TO asked, pulling back and wiping their cheeks with the back of their hand. ¡°Avery wanted to talk to us alone.¡± DH said, ¡°They said that before you got here. I intended to let Snout talk to Avery before sending them away, but...¡± They sat down on the chair normally reserved these days for Noss, ¡°But, I think we need to talk. Of course, I¡¯d rather Avery be a little more recovered before we do, but they insisted.¡± Avery nodded, wiping their eyes as well. ¡°I did.¡± They said, ¡°We have to talk, and there were so many times when I was there, under, when I couldn¡¯t wake up and I wanted to say something.¡± They shook their head, ¡°Sometimes I¡¯d wake up, but I¡¯d wake up in my head, and I¡¯d be so tired, but I could hear what was happening around me when that happened. And I tried so hard to say something, to move, to speak, but I just couldn¡¯t and I¡¯d get tired and I¡¯d fall asleep again-¡° ¡°Avery, breathe.¡± DH said. The machine attached to Avery had started beeping at a faster rate, and when DH told them to breathe, it began to slow down. ¡°This is why I asked if this could wait. You¡¯ll get too excited, and to recover-¡° ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± Avery said, taking a few more breaths, I¡¯ll be careful. I promise. I¡¯ll take it slow." Even as they spoke, TO¡¯s heart vibrated in their chest, making them feel like they were shaking all over. ¡°This is about something you heard when you were out?¡± TO asked, feeling their ears dip once more, and that awful feeling like they had swallowed something heavy settle in their stomach once more. ¡°Yes. Well, it¡¯s a bunch of stuff, and it¡¯s important.¡± Avery said. TO nodded and took a deep breath to steady themself. They didn¡¯t feel as worried now: If Avery wanted them gone from the pod they doubted that they¡¯d have embraced TO as they did. Still, that didn¡¯t mean that Avery wouldn¡¯t have rather harsh words for them. ¡°Alright.¡± TO said. ¡°Go ahead.¡± Episode 425: Idiot ¡°I hate how scared you look,¡± Avery said, ¡°So I¡¯ll make this clear as I possibly can since you end up being a giant dummy half the time. I can¡¯t believe I have to say this¡­¡± Avery sighed as they looked over TO, watching their ears and the way their wings tightened around their arms. ¡°TO, there¡¯s nothing you could ever do that would make me want you out of the pod.¡± TO¡¯s ears flushed, and they stammered out potentialities that might drive Avery to do so, but DH interrupted them, ¡°Honestly TO, why didn¡¯t you tell me you were worried about that? I¡¯d have told you that Avery wouldn¡¯t want you gone. None of us would!¡± They scoffed. ¡°You think I¡¯d even let that happen?¡± ¡°That was half the problem!¡± TO protested. ¡°I know that if anything like that ever happened, you wouldn¡¯t ¡®let¡¯ it happen! You¡¯d fight against it and if I had to leave, you¡¯d leave with me, and then you¡¯d be all alone except for me. I didn¡¯t want to risk you losing everyone else.¡± ¡°Oh, but you think I¡¯d be just fine losing you?¡± DH huffed and looked away. ¡°Avery¡¯s right. You are a giant dummy.¡± They frowned, ¡°no, that¡¯s not strong enough.¡± They frowned, their ears flicking back in concentration. ¡°DH, that¡¯s really not important right now,¡± TO said, their ears flicking parallel. ¡°Hmm,. I think it is. TO me anyway.¡± DH said, ¡°I think I want to go with ¡®black hole brain¡¯. See, I know you¡¯re really smart, but I suppose sometimes there¡¯s a black hole in your head, which sucks in all your intelligence and makes you an idiot.¡± ¡°And that¡¯s all irrelevant, anyway.¡± Avery said as they struggled not to laugh. ¡°Nobody wants you gone.¡± The only response that TO could come up with for that was ¡°Well¡­ GiDi might.¡± DH huffed and crossed their arms, their wings puffing out slightly. ¡°Honestly, I don¡¯t know why they¡¯re acting like this.¡± ¡°Because I-¡° ¡°Yes, yes,¡± DH said, waving away what TO was going to say, ¡°All the so-called awful things you¡¯ve done.¡± ¡°Hey! You said that what I did to Mark-¡° ¡°You didn¡¯t do anything to Mark.¡± DH interjected. ¡°Changed how you looked at me-¡° ¡°I didn¡¯t mean it like that!¡± DH said as their ears flicked back, now flushing as well. ¡°Yes, it changed how I thought about you because I didn¡¯t think you could go for someone like that! I didn¡¯t think you¡¯d ever go to draw blood-¡° ¡°Oh, I did,¡± Avery said as they nursed another sip of juice. ¡°You should have seen them back when we were heading into the underground to rescue you. I think if they had the opportunity, they¡¯d have torn apart any insurgent between you and them with their bare hands.¡± TO¡¯s eyes went big, their ears low, ¡°That¡¯s different, I thought that they were going to hurt-¡° ¡°And you knew that Kei would have hurt GiDi. They were going to.¡± Avery looked aside. ¡°I¡¯m just¡­ I¡¯m sorry I froze. Back then, I mean. When we first went into the sewers to find DH. I¡¯m sorry I didn¡¯t stop them.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not important.¡± TO said. ¡°It is! It¡¯s-¡° Avery gave a huff, and shook their head. ¡°Ok. Just stop, and let me talk, ok?¡± The beeping on the machines increased, and DH looked over them with their ears flicked back with concern. ¡°Maybe we should wait.¡± DH said, ¡°I don¡¯t want you getting over-excited right now.¡± ¡°No!¡± Avery said, the beeping increasing further, ¡°I¡¯m going to deal with this now!¡± Avery¡¯s eyes were open wide in panic, their ears twitching rapidly as they clutched at the thin blanket which lay draped over their lap. ¡°¡­ Alright.¡± DH said after a moment, sitting down next to them. ¡°Go ahead. Tell us what you need to.¡± Avery nodded and took a few breaths to calm themself. Slowly, the beeping gained its steady pace and DH¡¯s anxious gaze softened. Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon. ¡°Alright.¡± They said. They looked up at TO, ¡°TO. First: I¡¯d never want you out of the pod. I don¡¯t know if I should be offended that you¡¯d actually worry that, or flattered that you think I could kick you out even if I wanted to.¡± ¡°You¡¯re the Ankyra.¡± TO said, ¡°You-¡° ¡°I said to let me talk!¡± Avery snapped. ¡°Look¡­ yes, I am. That makes sense, I think. And I¡¯m happy to know that I am, that I might be. I¡¯m glad to know why I don¡¯t¡­¡± They glanced at DH, then looked down, ¡°Why I don¡¯t have feelings for anyone like you do for DH, or GiDi does for Pearla. When I found out that all our brains are unaltered¡­ I doubted it, since I don¡¯t have those feelings for anyone. I figured there must be something done to my mind, but Flit and Snout gave me the books, and said I was probably something called an Ankyra.¡± They looked back up at TO, ¡°But I don¡¯t know anything about that. I don¡¯t know what I¡¯m supposed to do. I mean, I can tell the two of you when you¡¯re being idiots, but aside from that¡­¡± ¡°As though calling TO out for being an idiot isn''t an important duty.¡± DH said. ¡°Well, from what I understand, you were twice the idiot back in training. The only difference was that you talked to GiDi about it, not me.¡± they shook their head, ¡°I don¡¯t know if someone is born to be an Ankyra, or not. I don¡¯t know if someone is just born asexual, and that makes them the Ankyra, or if they¡¯re asexual because they¡¯re an Ankyra. I don¡¯t even know if I¡¯m actually asexual, but I don¡¯t have any interest in people like that, and I have no idea what I¡¯m supposed to do as an Ankyra!¡± The beeping quickened again, and once more Avery took several long breaths, falling silent until the beeping slowed again. When it did, they looked up to TO again. ¡°You¡¯re a better Ankyra than I am. You¡¯re the one who¡¯s always fixing things, always looking out for everyone. You worked so hard to keep everyone together in training, even though it was impossible.¡± TO wanted to protest, and the words were on their tongue just as both Avery and DH gave them a stern look, making them swallow the words quietly. ¡°¡­And besides all that.¡± They said, ¡°Everything that happened, everything with Mark and Kei, that¡¯s not your fault.¡± ¡°I know it¡¯s not my fault.¡± TO muttered, ¡°But I could have done better.¡± ¡°I could have done better.¡± DH hissed, ¡°So could GiDi, and Tham... It¡¯s not your fault, it¡¯s Kei¡¯s.¡± ¡°Kei¡¯s¡­ and mine.¡± Avery said, their ears dropping. ¡°When you told me everything that was going on, with you and GiDi, and when you told me about Mark, I wasn¡¯t sure then if it was a weird dream or not, but it didn¡¯t matter. I wanted to tell you what happened. I wanted to tell you that none of it was your fault!¡± the beeping increased, and their grip tightened on the blankets, ¡°All of it was my fault.¡± ¡°No, it was Kei¡¯s fault!¡± DH said, groaning. ¡°What is it with the two of you? First TO blames themself for it all, and now you¡¯re saying it¡¯s your fault.¡± they sighed, ¡°What, because you begged us to bring them with us? Because you didn¡¯t want them killed?¡± ¡°You¡¯re not to blame for that.¡± TO said as they sat down on the edge of the bed. ¡°You were being kind. Far kinder than Kei deserved, and they turned around and attacked you for it. That¡¯s not your fault, It¡¯s there¡¯s.¡± They huffed, ¡°Well, theirs, and Outis¡¯¡± ¡°Wait, who?¡± Avery asked, their ears twitching outwards, ¡°Outis?¡± ¡°I met them in the indebted center.¡± TO said, ¡°When I got to Kei¡¯s room, I saw that the cameras were covered in this black slime, and it¡¯s one that Outis had used before to escape from us back on Arkane. They used that to disable half the cameras in the sewers, so we couldn¡¯t track where Kei was. Once Kei took off their chip, we couldn¡¯t track them at all.¡± ¡°Exactly.¡± DH said, ¡°The worst thing you did was go and see them, but that¡¯s not a bad thing, you know?¡± They took Avery¡¯s hand in their own. ¡°That was you being kind.¡± ¡°And they used that to throw us all into disarray.¡± TO huffed, ¡°They attacked you, nearly killed you for the crime of just visiting them, then tried to kill me, DH, GiDi¡­¡° DH made a motion with their hand, trying to tell TO to stop. As TO looked at Avery, they saw how low their ears were sinking. ¡°But.. that¡¯s not your fault!¡± TO said, ¡°That¡¯s entirely on them. What did you do that was so bad that you¡¯d blame yourself, anyway? You tried to keep them alive! You¡¯re not to blame for that.¡± ¡°You know.¡± DH said, their ears twitching in slight amusement, ¡°It¡¯s absolutely fascinating how you can be so clear-minded when it comes to others, but so dense when it comes to yourself.¡± ¡°We¡¯re not talking about me right now!¡± TO tried to ignore the sudden burn of their ears, ¡°We¡¯re talking about Avery, and Avery did nothing wrong!¡± ¡°I should have listened to you from the start,¡± they said, ¡°About Kei.¡± ¡°You just wanted to protect them!¡± TO insisted. ¡°And that makes sense, especially with the whole Ankyra bonding thing.¡± They glanced aside. ¡°You spent enough time with them. You¡¯d have felt something for them.¡± They groaned, rubbing their forehead, ¡°And as much as I despise them, if their brain wasn¡¯t altered as it was, I bet they would have softened towards you after being on the ship for so long.¡± ¡°But they didn¡¯t.¡± Avery said. ¡°They had an altered mind, were loyal to King Decon, and stayed loyal even after the procedure.¡± They shook their head and looked down at the blanket in their hands, and seemed surprised to see claw marks in the fabric. Flexing their hands to force the muscles to relax, they continued, ¡°I should have seen that or at least I should have believed you, TO.¡± They shook their head. ¡°I wanted them to change. We gave them a chance, and they almost killed the two of you for it. And what did I do? I wanted to give them another chance.¡± ¡°Again, you were kind.¡± DH said, We¡¯re not blaming you for that. And besides, we all agreed to bringing them with us in the end. Besides, the alternative was killing them.¡± They shrugged, their wings tightening against their arms. ¡°I didn¡¯t even want that.¡± ¡°I know.¡± Avery said, ¡°But that¡¯s not why I¡¯m at fault.¡± they took a deep breath, and without looking up from the invisible spot on the blanket which they stared at with an impressive ferocity they said, ¡°It¡¯s my fault because I set them free.¡± Episode 426; Lied Avery lay awake in the bed as TO and DH slept, both of them chirping comfortably as they did. The soft, sometimes chaotic sound made Avery feel a little better because they had come to realize that neither of them have nightmares when they chirped in their sleep. Tonight, the two were ok. DH and TO had spent plenty of time alone together, and later the three of them had relaxed and watched a show. Honestly, lying in the bed, watching a show with the two of them, it was almost like back in training when they¡¯d hide on the observation deck and watch shows on the old couches. If Avery focused really hard on the show, they could almost pretend that they were back in the training center when life was both harder and simpler at the same time. It made that awful feeling inside, that black hole that threatened to pull them in, feel less intense. Shatter-sickness. The file had mentioned that, but they didn¡¯t know if that could be the reason for what they were feeling. They couldn¡¯t even verbalize it properly, but they knew that the idea of Kei, laying chained down in that tiny room alone made it worse. Thinking about them being drugged and left unconscious while transported through millions of miles of space before waking up in a strange place around more strange people made them want to vomit. Next to them, DH shifted and stirred, muttering something, then going back to the soft chirping. Kei had chirped in their sleep as well, which was a surprising discovery to Avery. Moreso, they found that Kei chirped more than TO and DH did. Of course, Kei never had nightmares when they travelled together. They didn¡¯t start to have nightmares until after Goretta did that procedure. After that, Kei¡¯s nights seemed to be filled with relentless nightmares and the only time they seemed to sleep well was when they were heavily sedated. Avery sat up in bed as they finally gave up on the idea of sleep. Reaching over TO, they grabbed their communicator and settled back into the pillow so that they could read until they fell asleep from pure exhaustion. *¡±What do you read?"* That was the first thing Kei said to Avery that wasn¡¯t directly related to their work. Avery¡¯s confession that it was all fiction didn¡¯t seem to impress the other synth, but Kei also didn¡¯t seem upset by it. There was only one time they had seemed upset by what Avery had been reading. One day, after eating their first meal, Kei asked what kind of story they were reading the night before and Avery answered that it was a thriller. *"You should stop reading them." They said, their ears pinning back just slightly in disapproval¡± *"You don¡¯t think it¡¯s something I should read??"* ¡°*I do not. You had nightmares while you slept. Perhaps it was a result of the material you read. Nightmares will prevent you from being well rested, and your work will suffer.¡±* They hadn¡¯t known about the vast differences between their minds. Avery just knew that Kei had noticed their uneasy sleep and had cared enough to inquire about it and look for a cause. Of course, that could have been nothing. That could have simply been them wanting Avery to be rested enough to do their job properly. They didn¡¯t ask what Avery¡¯s dream was about, which was good since they once again dreamed of that simulation, of running through the burned landscape of some faraway planet, chasing rebels and shooting them. Just a simulation, that¡¯s what they told themself. They still didn¡¯t know if it was true, but they had to believe that it was. They had to believe that what they had done in that simulation was all fake. Regardless, Kei had seen them. That¡¯s what it felt like. They had been travelling for a period at least by then, and while Avery didn¡¯t know how long it took for the whole familial bonds to form, they wondered now if that was part of the reason they suddenly felt for Kei at that moment, suddenly wondered if anyone had seen them beyond the training and stats, beyond the rigid, fanatical adherence to King Decon¡¯s laws. Likely not. It was then that Avery decided to see who Kei was. Kei hated being on their own; they seemed on edge whenever Avery chose to read their files in solitude, rather than do so near Kei. Kei needed direction. The slightest variation on their daily tasks would throw them off, sparking a certain level of anxiety in them until they contacted HUR-1 for guidance, or until Avery gently suggested a change of schedule as a question, and Kei accepted it. Of course, Avery could never take over, never change the schedule for Kei. That would have gone against the chain of command. Kei hated to be idle. That was something they and TO had in common, but TO was more obvious about their dislike. Still, it was easy enough to see in Kei. Once, they had to reduce their power to minimal while riding out a solar-storm which hit them unexpectedly. For a few hours, they had to sit strapped to the chairs as the gravity was off and they couldn¡¯t even use their chips or communicators while. This was the only time they saw more obvious emotion from Kei: anxiety, fear, and anger. Now they were once more trapped and idle, only this time they were alone. It wasn¡¯t fair: Kei had been alone longer than any of them after the insurgents caught them. Being locked up in the old prisons underground hadn¡¯t done them any good: they still couldn¡¯t understand why Kei had bitten off their finger like that! No, everything that was happening was breaking Kei. The procedure was supposed to free them, right? The last several paragraphs of their file slipped through Avery¡¯s mind like water, and they were left with no memory of what they read, and they abandoned the attempt to read while their thoughts swirled in their head. They had convinced Kei to have the procedure done. They did it for Kei, right? So they wouldn¡¯t be trapped and isolated. They did it so Kei could spend time with them, and DH, and GiDi, and TO, and maybe the others would see Kei as well. Maybe, once Kei¡¯s mind settled, things would be different. Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings. Avery wanted them to be different. Had they convinced Kei to undergo the procedure for their own good¡­ Or because it was what Avery wanted? Tomorrow, it would be worse. Tomorrow, they¡¯d be put into a medicated coma. Their emotions were so raw and fierce right now that Avery couldn¡¯t imagine how scared they had to be. Scared, Trapped, Idle, Alone. It wasn¡¯t fair. It wasn¡¯t Kei¡¯s fault they were like this. They didn¡¯t even think about the consequences when they carefully detangled themself from the others and pulled on the clothes they had worn the day before. Winding their way down the sewer tunnels to the room that held Kei was an automatic action, and they didn¡¯t question it until they got to the door. Thoughts of how Kei was suffering quickly overwhelmed the moment of hesitance they felt then, and then they opened the door. Kei was awake. That didn¡¯t surprise Avery; even if they had managed to get to sleep despite the circumstances, they wouldn¡¯t have stayed asleep for long once the nightmares hit them. The dried tears across their cheeks didn¡¯t surprise them either; what else could they expect Kei to do when they were bound and helpless like this? ¡°What.¡± They hissed at Avery, ¡°What do you want? Are you here to drug me yourself this time?¡± ¡°I tried to convince them not to drug you...¡± they said. ¡°I really did.¡± ¡°And yet, you failed.¡± Kei snapped as they strained against the straps that held them down. ¡°Now, thanks to you, I¡¯m going to be drugged, and shipped off to a disconnected fragment of the galaxy with no way to contact HUR-1, or ARK-1, or *anyone* of importance.¡± ¡°Once we get to... well, once we¡¯re safe, you can escape... if you want.¡± They said, their ears dipping as they spoke. ¡°I¡¯d rather if you didn¡¯t.. but I understand if-¡° ¡°You understand nothing.¡± They said, once more straining against their straps. ¡°You used me.¡± Avery¡¯s ears went down in horror, their eyes grew wide. ¡°I didn¡¯t!¡± They protested. ¡°I never-¡° ¡°You wanted me to be like your little friends, didn¡¯t you?¡± They spat. ¡°You convinced me I¡¯d be as good as TO, that having a polished, refined mind was holding me back!¡± Avery¡¯s ears dipped. ¡°TO¡¯s mind is why they are like they are.¡± Avery said without looking at Kei, ¡°How they can think up the things they do-¡° ¡°Perhaps, but you didn¡¯t care about that, did you?¡± they strained again, drawing their claws. It was useless, though. They couldn¡¯t reach anything. ¡°You thought that procedure would make me like them, and that¡¯s what you wanted. You didn¡¯t care what I wanted, otherwise you would have helped get back to King Decon long ago.¡± ¡°I couldn¡¯t.¡± They said. ¡°You didn¡¯t even try.¡± Kei hissed, ¡°Because it wasn¡¯t what you wanted, wasn¡¯t what your friends wanted. What about what I wanted?¡± Avery didn¡¯t have any suitable response to that. Yes, there were many arguments they could make as to why they shouldn¡¯t be under King Decon¡¯s control, but if that¡¯s what Kei wanted, then should they have helped Kei get back? No. it was dangerous. They shook their head and looked back at Kei, their eyes landing on their good hand which had cuts all over the palm. Clearly, Kei had tried to scratch at the straps in an effort to get free. The blood was still wet, so Avery knew that their latest efforts were recent. Sighing, they got up and took one of the sanitary wipes from nearby, and dabbed at the wounds. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t do this. You could get an infection¡± ¡°*Of course I could; I¡¯m in a fucking sewer*¡± Avery winced: Kei never cursed before, but now they sometimes rattled off awful things and each time, it shocked Avery. They and been calmer before their first escape attempt, and even occasionally came off as somewhat friendly once the wild mood swings had subsided. The bouts of crying and screaming which suddenly shifted into a strange, manic laughter had been disconcerting enough, but the pure rage they held when they saw TO? That left Avery with this off sense of unreality. ¡°... I¡¯m sorry.¡± Avery said as they gently wiped at the blood. They were cautious at first, since Kei could have hit their hands with their claws, but after a moment, they relaxed, retracted their claws, and simply lay on the bed, glaring at the wall. ¡°... Are you really?¡± They asked after a long silence. ¡°I am.¡± Avery said. ¡°¡­Then take off the restraints.¡± Avery froze, their ears flicking back in horror. ¡°I¡­ I can¡¯t do that, Kei. If I let you go, then you could tell-¡° ¡°Obviously, I¡¯m not asking you to free me properly.¡± They huffed, ¡°I know you can¡¯t do that. I¡¯m not an idiot.¡± ¡°Then what did you mean?¡± ¡°Just take off the restraints, even for a few minutes. I just¡­¡± They stopped, their breath shuddering as their ears flicked back, ¡°I want to move. I want to have control of my own fucking body for a few minutes before I get drugged and shipped off like cargo.¡± Avery¡¯s ears relaxed. Still, they didn¡¯t move to touch the restraints. If TO was here, Avery knew they¡¯d be screaming at them not to listen. It was a trick, they¡¯d say. Kei would use the opportunity to escape, to try to stop them all, or hurt them, or report them or something. ¡°¡­ I want to.¡± Avery said. ¡°I do. I know you hate being trapped like this.¡± They glanced away as they caught the way Kei¡¯s ears burned a blotchy blue. ¡°But¡­ you know you¡¯re dangerous, right?¡± ¡°No more than you.¡± Kei said. ¡°Perhaps less, since your friends have kept me strapped down like this.¡± Avery had never gone up against Kei in combat, so they didn¡¯t know how they would manage in a fight. Still, Kei was right; they were likely far less dangerous now with an injured hand and the lingering remains of painkillers and sedatives in their body. It had only been in the last day or so that they began to eat properly once more, so they were perhaps still weakened from temporary malnourishment. ¡°... You won¡¯t try to escape?¡± Avery asked. ¡°You won¡¯t run, or hurt me, or any of my friends.¡± ¡°No, I just want to stretch, to use the latrine under my own power, and to stand upright for a few minutes before I lose full control of my body.¡± Avery flicked their eyes to the computer in the corner for a moment before looking back at Kei. ¡°Say it.¡± They said, watching Kei¡¯s ears carefully, ¡°Say specifically that you won¡¯t hurt anyone, that you won¡¯t make any attempt to escape.¡± ¡°If you let me go, I won¡¯t hurt a single creature on this awful planet, and I won¡¯t make any attempt to escape. I just want five minutes where I¡¯m not strapped down to this bed.¡± There wasn¡¯t a flicker of deceit in Kei¡¯s ears. Avery sighed, then stood up and went to the computer in the corner of the room. The straps were locked by a key-code which they had seen Goretta type in several times already, so that was easy enough to do. they heard a click behind them as the straps released. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± Avery said, ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have-¡° The words fell from their lips as they turned, and saw Kei lunge at them with their good hand, claws drawn. A jolt of fear ran through Avery, but their training took over, and they easily blocked the claw. They didn¡¯t notice the cold flash of metal coming from the side. They had paid no attention to Kei¡¯s injured hand until it pressed a sharp, icy pain against their neck. The heat of Kei¡¯s skin was a painful contrast to the cold, which only lasted a second before it exploded in heat and pain, before the blood poured from their neck and onto the floor. Avery stumbled back, a hand up to their neck where they felt the needle still sticking out of their skin. ¡°... You lied.¡± They fell backwards, the world fading in a dizzying spin of pain and confusion until they felt one more pain; a vicious smack against the back of their head. Episode 247: Infight Upon realizing that Avery had actually released Kei, TO¡¯s first feelings weren¡¯t of anger but of panic, and their thoughts revolved entirely around how to keep Avery from being locked up for the rest of their trip. They leaned forward in their chair and pressed their palms against their eyes as their mind raced, thinking of a way to make this be ok. ¡°Alright.¡± They said, more to themself than to Avery or DH. ¡°Everyone is going to want to know what happened, and we can¡¯t lie to them. Well, we can¡¯t lie GiDi, or to Pearla.¡± They took a deep breath, ¡°And of course we can¡¯t lie to Flit or Snout-¡° ¡°Wait.¡± DH said, ¡°How could Kei lie?¡± They frowned as they looked from TO to Avery. ¡°I mean, you¡¯re sure you asked them clearly like that, right?¡± ¡°I¡¯m certain.¡± Avery said. ¡°I really thought they just wanted to stretch! I asked them!¡± ¡°And their ears didn¡¯t show any sign of deception?¡± TO asked as their thought process split in two. ¡°None at all?¡± ¡°Not at all.¡± Avery said, ¡°They looked scared. Maybe panicked and angry, but they didn¡¯t look like they were lying.¡± ¡°Alright. That¡¯s its own problem.¡± TO murmured, sliding their hands down their face and clasping them in front of their mouth, ¡°But it might work to solve another problem.¡± ¡°You mean, how we tell the others what happened?¡± DH asked. ¡°How we tell Tham and the others without having them think they can¡¯t trust Avery?¡± TO released a held breath and nodded ¡°Right.¡± they said, ¡°Tham and some of the others already think that Avery was complicit.¡± ¡°I was.¡± Avery said. ¡°They¡¯re right.¡± TO shook their head, ¡°No, you weren¡¯t complicit. Kei lied to you, and somehow their ears didn¡¯t show it.¡± They sighed, dropping their hands from their face, ¡°Maybe they found some way to stretchy the truth in their head, so it didn¡¯t feel like a lie to them?¡± ¡°I was precise.¡± Avery said. ¡°I asked them clearly. I had them repeat to me what I wanted to know, and they just¡­¡± They leaned back, shaking their head, ¡°Maybe¡­ Maybe I wasn¡¯t clear. Maybe after everything that happened, my memories aren¡¯t accurate.¡± ¡°Either way, you weren¡¯t involved. Kei just used you.¡± TO said. ¡°Yes, they did!¡± Avery said, ¡°And I let them use me!¡± ¡°No, they tricked you.¡± DH said. ¡°Honestly, I think if we tell everyone what happened, tell them about the ear thing, about how it didn¡¯t look like Kei was lying, they might understand that.¡± ¡°Maybe.¡± TO said, pressing their lips together. ¡°The important thing is to keep Avery from being locked up again.¡± TO glanced at the chains that now held Avery to the bed: chains, not the hefty straps that held Kei down. TO knew they could break them, but that wouldn¡¯t help Avery in the long run. ¡°You¡¯re not listening to me!¡± Avery said. ¡°It¡¯s my fault that Kei escaped! it¡¯s my fault that you all had to rush around to get off Arkane, it¡¯s my fault that Mark died, and-¡° They stopped, their ears dipping as they looked over TO, their eyes lingering at the stump under TO¡¯s knee. ¡°¡­and it¡¯s my fault you lost your leg.¡± As much as TO wanted to say it wasn¡¯t, that Avery wasn¡¯t at fault, a part of them felt like it was and now that the initial worry over Avery had relaxed, a spark of anger rose up. They didn¡¯t want to feel that, and even now they didn¡¯t think that Avery was a danger to them like some of the others thought they were even without knowing what had happened. Still, if Avery had listened to them, had kept away from Kei and believed TO when they said that the synth was dangerous, then the awful events of that day wouldn¡¯t have occurred. Idly, TO rubbed the spot just over their knee, wishing they could scratch their missing leg. ¡°¡­ That¡¯s what I needed you to understand.¡± Avery said as they watched the way TO¡¯s ears flicked back, ¡°You were so busy blaming yourself, you didn¡¯t even realize that you¡¯re not at fault here. I am.¡± They looked down at their hands, turning the now empty cup in little circles. ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t know if there¡¯s some kind of procedure for getting rid of your Ankrya, but-¡° ¡°We¡¯re not doing that.¡± TO said, their ears flicking back for a moment as their gaze snapped up to Avery.¡± ¡°But I¡¯m a terrible Ankrya. I didn¡¯t take care of you, or DH, or GiDi, and I thought Kei-¡° ¡°Kei tricked you.¡± DH said. ¡°You asked all the right questions, and given everything you knew, it should have been safe.¡± DH squeezed Avery¡¯s shoulder before looking over to TO. ¡°Right?¡± ¡°Absolutely.¡± TO said, ¡°And Avery?¡± ¡°Yes?¡± Avery looked up at TO, their ears low in a gut-wrenching mixture of shame and sadness, their fingers clutching at the suddenly still cup. ¡°I don¡¯t care if you¡¯re our Ankrya or not. That doesn¡¯t matter. You¡¯re our friend. Family.¡± They wanted to get up and embrace their friend despite the fact that Avery wasn¡¯t as physically affectionate as others, but they couldn¡¯t because of the chair. ¡°And nothing you do or say will stop that from being true.¡± Avery¡¯s ears dipped as their eyes grew blue-ringed and big. ¡°But you lost your leg. Mark died. Kei could have killed-¡° ¡°Shush.¡± TO said, their ears flicking back once more, ¡°If it helps¡­¡± They paused, clutching at the fabric of their pants which sat pinned just over their knee. ¡°If it helps, then yes; I think that was *utterly moronic*, and I wish you had listened to me when I said that Kei was dangerous!¡± They closed their eyes and took a deep breath. ¡°¡­ And I also know that no matter what I said, you would have tried to help Kei because that¡¯s just who you are. You were careful, you asked them specifically about their intentions, and you only went there because you were worried about them. None of us had any idea that they could lie like that and if we did, then you wouldn¡¯t have let them go.¡± TO looked up at Avery¡¯s pale face, the eyes looking darker than normal in contrast, the blue around their eyes more vivid than before as they stared at TO in silence. As their own ears relaxed, TO shook their head and said, ¡°I can¡¯t blame you for making the best decision you could with the information you had¡­. And even if you had done something even more stupid, you¡¯re still family, still our Ankrya if you want to be.¡± Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon. Another moment of silence, tense and tight as a suspension wire hung in the air before it snapped with a stifled, choking sound from Avery. ¡°It¡¯s OK,¡± DH said as they put their other hand on Avery¡¯s shoulder, giving them a quick embrace from behind. ¡°We still love you.¡± With that, Avery shattered. They pressed their hands to their face and quietly sobbed as DH held them from behind. TO willed their chair forward, again wishing they could hold Avery as well. They couldn¡¯t, so they got as close as they could so they could reach up and scratch the back of Avery¡¯s neck. Was this a couple¡¯s thing? A family thing? TO didn¡¯t know what it was in proper Chilacian culture, but at that moment it didn¡¯t matter. They weren¡¯t proper Chilacians, anyway. Not Chilacians, and not synths. Right now, the only thing they were was Avery¡¯s family, and this was the only way they knew how to comfort them. ====== TO, DH, Flit, Snout, and GiDi all sat around Avery, watching Goretta as she took in the information they had given her. The octopod doctor was still half asleep; the illness that had spread among the civilians was taking all her attention at the moment and between dealing with that, treating complications, and studying the brain scans, she was left with almost no time for lesser concerns such as sleep. As she listened to Avery recount what happened, she sipped on a very strong cup of coffee, her cloth facial mask hanging around her neck. ¡°¡­ so, from what I understand, the whole lying ears thing is mostly neurological.¡± She said. ¡°It¡¯s an interesting phenomenon, and one I¡¯ve not been able to map out.¡± She sighed as she pulled out her tablet and opened a video of scans. It showed a synth¡¯s brain lighting up at different moments. ¡°if we still had them here, it would be useful to compare Kei¡¯s brain activity to yours. Perhaps I could discover a way to disable that reflex-¡° ¡°Why would you want to do that!¡± TO said, their ears flicking down, ¡°To let us lie? Why?¡± ¡°Being able to lie like that would be useful.¡± Flit said, ¡°As Kei has proven to us.¡± They huffed and leaned back, crossing their arms. ¡°Training and living under King Decon would have been easier if we could lie.¡± ¡°In some ways.¡± Snout said, leaning gently against Flit. ¡°That aside, why did this happen? How did it happen? You used our brains as a basis for the repairs to Kei¡¯s, right?¡± Goretta sighed and leaned forward, her tentacles twisting about her in tight coils as she rested her elbow on her knee and pressed her thumb and forefinger to her forehead. ¡°I have an idea why this happened.¡± She said, ¡°This kind of procedure isn¡¯t an easy science. I compiled information from all your brains, and repaired neural pathways that were supposed to be there, but weren¡¯t.¡± She replayed the video on her tablet, her black eyes reflecting the image back to them. ¡°I have theories as to how your lying tick works, but I¡¯ve not been able to look into it further since that¡¯s something that remains unchanged in natural and altered individuals. Now, If I still had the subject here, I could run some scans and compare Kei¡¯s mind to yours, but obviously I don¡¯t have my subject!¡± She gave a low growl and glared up at Avery. ¡°Why did you let them go? I told you they were unstable!¡± ¡°Avery had no idea that Kei could lie like that,¡± TO snapped, willing their chair forward to put themself between Avery and Goretta. ¡°If they had, this wouldn¡¯t have happened.¡± ¡°I said we didn¡¯t know what to expect! Now I have an odd variable that just came out of nowhere. I have no way to run any tests, no way to learn what happened, to know if I did something wrong, or if there was an issue during recovery!¡± She sat upright. ¡°You have no idea what losing Kei has done to my research!¡± ¡°Your research doesn¡¯t matter now!¡± TO snapped, ¡°It clearly didn¡¯t work! Maybe it can¡¯t work! Maybe, just maybe, once a mind is altered, you can¡¯t change it back!¡± ¡°TO.¡± Flit said as they stood up from the wall, ¡°Don¡¯t-¡° ¡°No.¡± TO hissed, ¡°We just found out that Kei can lie directly to us. If we knew that was a possibility, maybe things would be different! I lost a leg, Mark died, Avery nearly died, and all she¡¯s worried about is her *research*.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t bother trying to tell them anything.¡± GiDi said, their voice flat and their ears set at a chilling angle. ¡°They don¡¯t care unless it directly involves them.¡± TO turned on GiDi, their ears pinned back once more as their own eyes narrowed, ¡°Don¡¯t you dare.¡± They hissed, ¡°Avery is hurt. Avery was tricked-¡° ¡°Alright.¡± Flit said, suddenly standing upright with their hands clasped behind their back. Their voice suddenly had that tone it held in training, one of authority which did not tolerate being questioned or ignored. ¡°This is not an ideal situation, but fighting among ourselves isn¡¯t going to improve things. Looking for blame isn¡¯t going to improve things. Lamenting over what¡¯s done isn¡¯t going to improve things.¡± They glanced at GiDi. ¡°And sniping at each other is absolutely not going to improve things.¡± TO closed their eyes and took several long breaths. ¡°Right.¡± They said after a minute. ¡°No. You¡¯re right. It¡¯s done.¡± They took another breath, but kept their eyes closed. Right now, they had to get back into the mindset they had back in training, to lay out the pieces of the puzzle without thinking about the people involved, without thinking about blame and guilt. ¡°What we know: Kei can lie. Kei¡¯s ability to lie to our face is what allowed them to trick Avery. Now Kei is out there somewhere, probably still looking for us.¡± ¡°There¡¯s not much we can do about that.¡± Flit said. ¡°Goretta, can you do any research to see how that happened?¡± ¡°Maybe.¡± She said. ¡°The video recording and audio recordings are useless, but I do have the brain scans up until Kei got free. I can run some experiments to compare what I see. If there¡¯s enough similarities, then maybe I can see how the ear twitching thing links up neurologically.¡± She coughed softly. ¡°Though I don¡¯t know if I¡¯ll have time to do that soon.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not overly important at the moment.¡± Flit said. They looked over at Goretta, and their ears dipped slightly. ¡°Perhaps don¡¯t worry about it. You¡¯re working too hard right now, and I¡¯m worried you¡¯ll work yourself sick.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t get sick.¡± She said simply as she downed the rest of her coffee, ¡°too much to do, and not enough doctors.¡± She set her cup down and pulled the mask up over her face again. ¡°Are we done here?¡± ¡°Yes, I think we are.¡± Flit said, ¡°We know now what happened to Avery, and I think there¡¯s no immediate threat, so-¡° ¡°But¡­ I let Kei go.¡± Avery said, ¡°They¡¯re going to keep me down here, right?¡± ¡°You went to check on Kei, and they tricked you into helping him escape.¡± Flit said, ¡°It¡¯s not the first time they tried to trick us, it¡¯s just the first time they lied outright. I don¡¯t think anyone is going to have an issue with you for that.¡± ¡°If they do, I¡¯ll talk to them.¡± GiDi said, ¡°I will handle it, and I¡¯ll make sure everything is fine.¡± They looked past TO as though they weren¡¯t even there and focused on Flit. ¡°Now, if that¡¯s handled, I have other places to be.¡± Flit signed and nodded. Before TO could think of anything to say, and before DH could get out the words they were stumbling over, GiDi was gone. Episode 428: Fire Once more, TO didn¡¯t feel hungry. They picked at the little cube of food from their seemingly endless supply of bland rations, breaking it apart into pieces and chewing on what they felt they could stomach. ¡°Flit and Snout said they¡¯re going to talk to GiDi.¡± DH said as they watched TO struggle with their food. DH had finished eating earlier, and was now just sitting next to TO in their little nest of pillows and blankets, watching their mate eat. ¡°I don¡¯t know what good that¡¯ll do.¡± TO muttered. ¡°If GiDi wants to just keep being angry with me, that¡¯s what they¡¯re going to do. Clearly they have no interest in talking to me or listening to me, and I already apologized! I can¡¯t do anything else if they refuse to talk to me.¡± They sighed and popped a tiny fragment of their food into their mouth, chewing it far more slowly than needed before swallowing it. They were used to their stomach being somewhat upset when something happened, but this was different. Today, it felt less like their stomach was heavy and more like it was oddly hot. The food didn¡¯t taste right either¨Cimpressive, given this food didn¡¯t really have a taste¨Cand even the tiny fragments they ate scratched at their throat when they swallowed. ¡°I think there¡¯s something wrong with my food.¡± They muttered. ¡°Mine was fine.¡± DH said. ¡°Maybe there¡¯s something wrong just with mine.¡± ¡°They came from the same batch, packaged on the same day-¡° ¡°I know.¡± TO said, ¡°But something could have happened. There could have been some error in packaging it. Maybe it wasn¡¯t properly airtight.¡± After a moment of consideration, DH reached over and pulled a piece off of TO¡¯s nutrition cube, popping it in their mouth and chewing thoughtfully. ¡°It tastes the same to me,¡± DH said when they were done. ¡°I guess I just don¡¯t have an appetite.¡± Regardless of how they felt, TO still pulled off another tiny piece to eat. ¡°Here.¡± DH said as they passed TO one of the canned, sugary drinks, ¡°If you can¡¯t eat all of that, at least drink one of these.¡± Grateful, TO took the can and immediately took several long gulps. Somehow, the cool drink was soothing to them, seeming to calm their angry throat. ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°You ate a full cube for breakfast, and another for lunch. I think you can get away one night with a quarter of the cube and a can of Surp.¡± ¡°Surp?¡± ¡°Apparently, that¡¯s what this is called.¡± DH pointed to a decorative splash of colors on the side. ¡°This is actually lettering, but because it¡¯s so stylized, I didn¡¯t realize it was supposed to be words until the other day.¡± TO turned the can around and let their eyes linger on the seemingly chaotic design on the side. After a moment, they could recognize some of it as Galactic Common, but DH was right; the stylization kept them from being able to read it. They drank half the can before they set it down and lay back against the wall, closing their eyes and giving a soft sigh. Somehow, this was comfortable; wall felt cool on their back of their head, and the effort of keeping themself upright seemed like just too much right now. ¡°TO?¡± DH reached out, their cool fingers wrapped gently around TO¡¯s wrist, ¡°You ok?¡± ¡°Not really.¡± TO said, ¡°But you know that.¡± They sighed and let their head roll to the side so they could look at DH, ¡°What if GiDi never wants to talk to me again? What if they¡¯re always angry with me, or-¡° ¡°They won¡¯t be,¡± DH said, their fingers exerting a cool, comfortable pressure on TO, ¡°I don¡¯t know why they¡¯re being like this. I spoke to Pearla, and she thinks that GiDi has something else going on. She wouldn¡¯t say what, but she said that GiDi just needs to figure things out for themself.¡± TO sighed and let their head rest limply against the wall once more. ¡°I hope they do.¡± They said, ¡°And I hope they do before we reach Apoikia.¡± Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Because GiDi said they wanted to go back to Arkane.¡± TO said. ¡°I was hoping to convince them to stay with us.¡± Their thoughts were oddly disjointed, but even so, they let memories wash over them; finding GiDi again, stopping Kei from shooting their small friend, and watching them take charge among the civilians back on Arkane. As Flit and Snout said, GiDi was the leader of the little group of insurgents, even if they didn¡¯t realize it. ¡°¡­Maybe it would be better if they went back,¡± TO murmured after a stretch of silence. ¡°Why would you say that?¡± The reason made sense to TO, the logic that floated in their brain, the vague feelings of duty and responsibility, the connections between people that at its core had nothing to do with friendship or love, but which were powerful regardless. This feeling, the sense that it was right for GiDi to go back to Arkane, was in their head like a gas, a haze which to could see and feel and smell, but which they couldn¡¯t quite grasp. ¡°Maybe I¡¯m just tired.¡± They said. ¡°It¡¯s been a long day. I was up early, and¡­¡± ¡°And it was a hard day.¡± DH said softly, wrapping their arm around TO¡¯s shoulders before stretching a wing over them as well. ¡°And you¡¯re still recovering from your injuries.¡± They reached out and touched TO¡¯s leg just over the knee with a gentle caress that would have caused the heat to rise up in their core if they hadn¡¯t been so tired. ¡°How¡¯s your leg? You were rubbing it earlier. Does it hurt?¡± ¡°No more than usual,¡± TO said, breathing out the words more than speaking them. ¡°I just want to rest.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± DH said, shifting their hand from TO¡¯s leg to their hand, grasping the fingers as their other hand scratched the base of TO¡¯s scalp. ¡°You sleep.¡± TO felt DH pull them down, letting TO¡¯s head rest on their lap. TO wanted to protest. They knew DH had work to do, but those protests never made it beyond vague conception in their fuzzy mind. DH¡¯s hand on the back of their neck, cool and soothing, pulled them into a doze where it was hard to hold on to any thoughts for too long. They draped an arm over DH¡¯s leg and nuzzled into them as their body relaxed and their mind drifted into sleep. ====== Sometimes, TO¡¯s dreams were so mundane they¡¯d wake up confused as to where the last several hours of their day went. They didn¡¯t necessarily mind the mundane dreams because most of the time, DH was there and after a few mundane touches, the dream would often change into something far more pleasant than running scans or doing simple, basic repairs on their ship. This dream started out mundane, but didn¡¯t shift to something nicer. Once moment TO was sitting next to DH in a desk chair that was somehow big enough for them both, and the next moment they were up, checking the climate control because they just felt so hot all of a sudden. ¡°Filters are fine. Ice supply is fine.¡± ¡°Are the wings working?¡± Dream-DH asked. TO glanced up into the air ducts and found a tiny pair of disembodied synth wings, frantically flapping away. ¡°Yes, wings are working.¡± ¡°Well, maybe the issue isn¡¯t the climate control,¡± DH said. TO, who had somehow ended up inside the air ducts, crawled towards the exit, ¡°Well, what is it then?¡± They asked, feeling increasingly hotter and hotter. They climbed out, and looked up to see blue and purple, chemical fed flames rolling over the ceiling. TO cursed as they clambered out of the air duct, falling to the ground with a painless thud. ¡°The ships on fire.¡± DH said, going back to their computer, ¡°I¡¯ll run some scans to look for the source.¡± ¡°Right. I¡¯ll turn on the shower.¡± TO said, because somehow in their dream turning on the shower seemed to be the perfect way to stop a massive electrical fire. They rushed to the washroom, but when they opened the door, a wave of insects rushed out at them; the same insects that came from the gem TO saved for DH, the gift they gave their mate when they confessed. ¡°Oh, I guess they didn¡¯t all die.¡± DH said. ¡°The fire is driving them out, so that¡¯s good.¡± TO¡¯s throat began to itch. They scratched at their neck, drawing their claws and digging bloodless scratches into their skin, which did nothing to stop the sensation. The pain got worse and when they looked at the mirror in the washroom, they could see their throat expanding; ballooning up before them as they clawed. The skin cracked open, and a wave of those insects gushed out, scurrying along TO¡¯s body, falling to the floor to escape the fire that now seemed to be burning in their throat. The flames, much like the flames on the ship, were blue and purple. *That makes sense* Dream TO though, *I¡¯m a machine too.* ¡°Fuck, TO!¡± DH suddenly shouted in contrast to the level and quiet tone they had moments before. When TO looked over, DH was now standing up, their hands on TO¡¯s shoulders, ears flicking with panic. ¡°Can you wake up? Please wake up!¡± TO meant to say that they were awake, but suddenly speaking felt harder. The realization hit them that the reason it was harder was because their throat was on fire and burst open, and where before they were speaking with their mind, now they were trying to speak with their body. Then it clicked that they were dreaming. Their eyes opened quickly as they were desperate to escape the burning in their throat and the awful heat over their body, but when they woke and found themself bundled among the pillows and blankets, their body still hot and their throat still on fire. DH hovered over them, eyes wide and ears down in worry as they looked over TO. A cool hand went to TO¡¯s cheek. TO wanted to ask what was happening, but all they managed was a rough, coarse croak of ¡°wha?¡± The only response DH had was, ¡°Fuck.¡± Episode 429: Quarentine ¡°I want DH here.¡± It was a struggle to speak, and TO¡¯s throat seemed to rebel with every syllable spoken. For the first time in their life, they were distinctly aware of the different sets of vocal chords they possessed: one was far more damaged and weak than the other, so often one set would give out while they continued talking with the other. Their voice sounded wrong. ¡°I know.¡± Goretta said as she set up the small device which would constantly monitor TO¡¯s temperature. It was a thin device that stuck to their forehead, but TO was acutely aware of it, and just wanted to scrape it off. In truth, they almost felt like they could scrape off a whole layer of skin. ¡°And I don¡¯t need all this,¡± TO croaked. Waking up had been awful enough, realizing that the heat and the pain they felt were real and not just part of the dream. The moments immediately afterwards had been worse, with DH making a frantic call to Goretta, the others leaving the room, and TO ultimately being brought down to the room where Avery had been resting until the new ¡®recovery¡¯ room needed to be turned into a quarantine room. ¡°The rest of the civilians are-¡° a series of violent coughs interrupted them. ¡°They¡¯re still with the other civilian-¡° ¡°That¡¯s because we can¡¯t possibly quarantine everyone.¡± She said, ¡°And the others out there have had colds before. For most of them, it¡¯s not a big deal.¡± She sat down alongside the bed, her tentacles pulling a box forward. ¡°You, though¡­ ¡° Her communicator dinged, playing a soft song that TO didn¡¯t recognize. She pressed a button on the top to answer the call and put it on speaker. ¡°I checked everyone else,¡± DH said, not bothering with any form of greeting. They were speaking common again and while the tone they used felt more natural than it had back in training, it still felt somewhat dry and emotionless to TO. When they could see their mate¡¯s ears moving as they spoke, the lack of tone didn¡¯t bother them, but without seeing their ears, DH¡¯s voice seemed so cold and emotionless. ¡°And?¡± ¡°No fever, no throat irritation, no coughing. There is some fatigue, however-¡° ¡°However, given the situation, it¡¯s unlikely that that¡¯s a symptom.¡± Goretta said, ¡°That¡¯s good, TO is the only Synth that¡¯s sick.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not good. This shouldn¡¯t be happening.¡± Even though the tone to DH¡¯s voice was minimal, TO could still pick up a bit of frustration, or perhaps anger, as their words were clipped and fast. How angry was DH that they wanted their anger to be clear even when nobody could see their ears? ¡°TO is vaccinated-¡° Goretta gave a frustrated sigh. ¡°Yes, you¡¯re technically vaccinated. And I know you lot have the best vaccinations for even minor stuff. But a vaccination for a *cold* is still nearly impossible to maintain for an extended period. Maybe it would have worked for a year or so if you had limited exposure to the public, but you¡¯ve been out in public more than most synths even before you joined us, and you¡¯ve been trapped in close quarters on a ship with an active disease outbreak!¡± she sighed, reached into the bag on the floor, and pulled out a small pack. Carefully, she opened it up to reveal a small syringe. ¡°Another vaccine?¡± TO croaked. ¡°No. I¡¯d like to take some blood. It¡¯s just a cold, but I also don¡¯t know how a cold will actually hit your species.¡± She pulled out a large, thick rubber band. ¡°The issue is that this focused on the respiratory system, and messes with the throat as well. You have a more complicated respiratory system and more in your throat, so it could cause more problems for you.¡± All TO did in response was to turn and groan, closing their eyes as they stretched their arm out to her. They had blood tests done before, but it was a long time ago; well before they developed such issues with blood. Still, so long as they didn¡¯t have to see the blood, they were fairly certain they wouldn¡¯t have an issue with this. ¡°So what, you¡¯re running tests?¡± DH asked through the communicator. ¡°When they¡¯re done, I can visit, right?¡± ¡°What, do you think I¡¯m going to get a full workup of this cold from a blood sample?¡± She asked, ¡°It¡¯s not that simple.¡± TO winced as they felt the pinch of the needle in their arm. The pain didn¡¯t bother them so much, but the knowledge that blood was coming out of them did. ¡°No. This will give me something that I can use to see if it spreads to the rest of you, at least. It might give me some hint as to how well TO¡¯s body is fighting it too, but it won¡¯t tell me anything else.¡± ¡°Then when can I come see them!?¡± DH demanded ¡°No idea.¡± even with TO¡¯s limited understanding, they could tell her tone was flat and cold. They glanced over just to see her face, and despite her tone they could see the faint signs of something like sadness on her face-the slight medial curve up of the brows, the lowered eyelids, and a slight downward turn to her lips. The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings. ¡°That is not acceptable,¡± came DH¡¯s clipped voice. If they could see their mate, TO knew that the words would have different meaning to them. Though Galactic Common didn¡¯t require ears to add meaning, TO found that words which DH might speak in Common would still take on a different meaning in their mind depending on the movements of the ears. Without, all they had was the dictionary definition of the word, and its formalized use. ¡°I won¡¯t let TO be alone-¡° ¡°They won¡¯t be alone, not really.¡± Goretta said. ¡°I¡¯ll be checking in regularly, and you¡¯ll be able to talk to them all day long if you want.¡± ¡°But I won¡¯t be there. It¡¯s not the same.¡± ¡°Look.¡± Goretta said as she pulled the needle from TO¡¯s arm, applying gauze and pressure immediately after. ¡°As I said before, I¡¯m not an expect of infectious disease. That¡¯s a complex specialization which I respect, despite having little to no interest in it myself. Cross-species infectious diseases is an even more complex specialization, and one which I know absolutely nothing about!¡± She pulled out a handful of multicolored adhesive bandages from her kit. ¡°Which color would you like?¡± She asked. ¡°... Blue?¡± TO answered after a few moments of confusion. ¡°Right.¡± She said, her skin darkening slightly, ¡°Sorry, I don¡¯t do blood tests that often. Mostly I did that when I was working in a clinic, and I was working in a children¡¯s clinic then.¡± She pressed the blue bandage to the inside of TO¡¯s elbow. ¡°And nothing cheers up an upset kid more than a bandage of their choice and some candy.¡± ¡°We have several species up here, and this cold has infected all of them! I don¡¯t know why TO is the only one quarantined-¡° ¡°Because TO is the only Chilacian to get this cold so far.¡± She said, ¡°GiDi doesn¡¯t have it yet, but even if they did, that¡¯s different. GiDi has already been sick a few times. TO hasn¡¯t. You haven¡¯t. We¡¯re in close quarters, and I don¡¯t know what this cold is going to do to the lot of you. It could be mild, or it could be severe, since your affected anatomy is far more complex! And because I¡¯m no expert in this field, I¡¯m inclined to take the far more cautious approach here!¡± DH continued, making fierce arguments about how they could visit and be safe, about how they could take the same precautions as Goretta herself was taking and how given the close quarters they were in, keeping TO quarantined was pointless. While TO listened to the arguments, they also considered how awful they felt, how they seemed to feel hot under their skin, how air seemed to scrape through their throat, and how they felt so oddly tired and weak. ¡°Stay away.¡± TO finally croaked. Their voice was too faint for DH to hear, but Goretta heard them just fine and paused, looking at them with a brief smile. ¡°You heard that, DH?¡± ¡°Heard what?¡± Goretta brought the communicator closer to TO, who cleared their throat as best as they could before speaking as loudly as they could. ¡°Stay away.¡± They said, their voice cracking as they spoke, ¡°I don¡¯t want you to get sick.¡± ¡°But I can help!¡± DH said, ¡°I can-¡° ¡°Unless you have a magic cure, there¡¯s nothing you can do.¡± TO said. They looked up to Goretta, ¡°That¡¯s correct, right?¡± ¡°Right.¡± Goretta said, ¡°I mean, there are things that might help you heal up faster, of course. Resting, eating full meals, and keeping hydrated. I can ensure you have all you need to heal up quickly as possible.¡± She frowned. ¡°You¡¯re lucky, in a sense. This ship was designed for you, as is your food. It has all the nutrients you may need-¡° ¡°TO has been taking supplements with their meals to help their leg heal faster.¡± DH said. ¡°And they¡¯ve been...¡± They trailed off suddenly, and with only a moment of thought, TO knew why. Yesterday, they hadn¡¯t eaten their supper. They remembered picking at the food and eating what they could, but they didn¡¯t think they could actually stomach eating much. Could skipping a meal like that cause a virus to gain enough traction in their body to make them sick? ¡°And that¡¯s another issue as well.¡± Goretta said, ¡°Injured as you already are, it might be harder for your body to fight this. Honestly, that¡¯s probably why this cold was able to get a foothold in you; your body might have been slower to respond despite the vaccination due to your injury.¡± TO heard the pack at her feet zip closed, and when they looked back, the vial that contained their blood was gone. ¡°And again, I¡¯m not an expert, but I think if the virus got a hold of one of you, it¡¯ll be easier for it to hit all of you. So, yes, I¡¯m calling for quarantine.¡± Silence fell on the line. While TO absolutely hated the idea of being alone in the room for any extended period, the idea of them getting DH sick was something they hated more. Also, Avery just woke up, and DH was already worried about their health. What if Avery got sick as well? ¡°I¡¯ll be fine.¡± TO croaked. ¡°We can talk on the communicator.¡± Several long moments of silence passed before DH spoke again. ¡°What¡¯s the criteria for TO coming out of quarantine?¡± ¡°Depends on how long the symptoms last.¡± Goretta said, ¡°I¡¯ll judge by the fever, mostly. Once that breaks, I want them to have a couple of days in quarantine until I¡¯m confidant in saying they¡¯re fine.¡± ¡°Fine.¡± DH snapped. ¡°But I¡¯m checking with Snout to see about ways to speed this up.¡± Before TO could protest that there was no need, that Snout was busy, the line cut out. ¡°Well, I can¡¯t blame them.¡± Goretta said as she packed up her things, ¡°Being away from your partner is awful, especially when you know they¡¯re unwell.¡± ¡°You have a partner?¡± TO croaked, ¡°I didn¡¯t know. Are they on the ship?¡± Goretta had just gotten up and was close to the door when TO spoke. She stopped, communicator in hand, ready to press against the chip reader to open the door. ¡°I¡¯m just speaking hypothetically.¡± She said after a moment, ¡°If I had a partner, I wouldn¡¯t want to be away from them. I do not have one now.¡± TO didn¡¯t ask any more questions as she left. Though they thought that they¡¯d hate being alone, the sudden silence was an unexpected relief. They leaned back, grateful that they didn¡¯t have to have their eyes open anymore, and that they didn¡¯t have to listen or focus or look at anyone. Everything seemed to make them hurt, and they just wanted to not exist for a while. As they relaxed onto the cool pillow and let themself drift, they replayed Goretta¡¯s response in their head, trying to remember the exact tone and cadence she used. Tone was still hard for them to pick up on. Facial expressions were so much easier to understand, but Goretta had her back to them when she responded to their question. Despite that, TO got the feeling that their question had somehow been a painful one to her and her answer, even more so. Episode 430: Scans TO was positive that the medication they took for the sickness affecting them had tranquilizers added to them since they fell asleep almost immediately once left alone, and only woke up briefly as Goretta came to check on them and give them medication. What were they being given? Painkillers they recognized as they were the same small pastel pills they had been taking since DH took them off the more powerful painkillers. There was another pill, thin and white, which would prevent infection from their wound. A third pill, large and blue. They knew what that one was for, but for some reason, it was like they couldn¡¯t reach the information in their mind. It was much like when they were sitting paces away from something, couldn¡¯t reach, and didn¡¯t want to bother to move to get it because that would require getting help, getting into their chair, and moving from where they were. They hadn¡¯t forgotten; they were just too tired to reach the information in their mind. Then there were two new medications whose names TO didn¡¯t care about. All they knew was that they one would make the fever go down, and the other was supposed to make their lungs stronger. Any other moments of wakefulness were so dreamlike that TO couldn¡¯t tell if they really happened or not. They had no idea how long had passed, or what time of day it was on either the Arkanian clock or in standard Galactic time, but when they finally woke up enough to hold on to thoughts for longer than seconds Goretta was back in the room with them. She sat as far away from TO as she could, a mask over her face as she typed out frantic notes while looking at pictures projected in the air before her. TO gazed at the projections in silence for a while before recognizing the twisted maze of tightly coiled lines, separated into three neat, almost triangular tri-spheres. ¡°Brains?¡± Goretta jolted, her skin flashed suddenly white, and she made a sound that was somewhere between a whine and a yelp before looking up at TO. ¡°You startled me.¡± She said, her skin deepening once more, shifting to a reddish brown colour. ¡°I thought you were asleep.¡± ¡°I was.¡± TO croaked. They were awake, but they wished they weren¡¯t. Everything felt heavy, and their throat felt like it had layers of gunk coating it. They struggled to sit up, looking for something to drink. ¡°One second.¡± Goretta said as she got up and went over to the bed. She pressed a button on the edge of the bed, and the head of the bed rose up, putting TO in a sitting position. A can of Syrp was put in their hand, a long straw sticking out of the mouth. ¡°Need help with this?¡± ¡°I can feed myself.¡± TO said, their ears flicking back as they shakily held the drink to their lips, ¡°I¡¯m just tired.¡± ¡°Since you¡¯re awake, we can try some food as well.¡± She said, sending a message on her communicator, ¡°Though, given a Chilacians increased metabolism, I was considering putting you on IV nutrients.¡± TO grunted and drank more in an attempt to clear away the gunk that covered their throat. A short time later, there was a knock on the door. Goretta slipped out and quickly returned with one of the nutrient cubes in its packaging. She placed it on a wheeled tray, which she slid over TO¡¯s lap. ¡°Here.¡± she said as she brought it forward. ¡°Do you want me to break it up for you?¡± TO¡¯s only response was a baleful glance as they set down their drink before opening the package and starting the process of breaking down the cube into bite-sized pieces. ¡°Alright.¡± Goretta said, ¡°Need anything else, let me know.¡± ¡°Right.¡± TO croaked. They watched Goretta go back to the little table she had set up in the corner and throw her focus back onto the projection before her. TO knew they were synth brains that she was looking at: there were a few species with tri-spheric brains like they had, though as far as TO knew they were the only brains that seemed so perfectly round. ¡°¡­That¡¯s not mine, is it?¡± TO asked again, their voice scraping from their throat. Goretta glanced up from her work, surprised. ¡°What?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not a scan of my brain, is it?¡± They asked again, straining to see the lettering on the projection. ¡°It¡¯s not.¡± She said just as TO located the small, shining lettering in the lower right corner. There was a name there, but even backwards, they could tell it wasn¡¯t theirs. ¡°It¡¯s Chilacian though.¡± TO said, squinting as they studied the projection. ¡°No. A synth. They have a ¡®normal¡¯ synth brain, right?¡± Goretta fell silent for a moment, resting her chin on her hand as her tentacles gently turned on the floor. ¡°How would you know that?¡± ¡°The part near the top.¡± They said, ¡°When you let the light patterns go through the image, there¡¯s not a lot of activity there. On mine, and on DH and GiDi, that area has a lot of reds and yellows. On this one, there¡¯s only a little activity, and it¡¯s blue and green.¡± They glanced at the other projection, their eyes seeking out the letting there. Thankfully, it was easier to read backwards than the first one. ¡°Ah, that one is GiDi¡¯s.¡± This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report. ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± She said. ¡°It¡¯s GiDi¡¯s. Do you know why that part of the brain lights up so much?¡± ¡°Because that one has been altered, and GiDi¡¯s hasn¡¯t,¡± TO said, their ears twitching slightly in amusement, ¡°But, as for why that is, no, I don¡¯t.¡± They pursed their lips, going over what they knew about the procedure that occurred when they were in the tank, being fed artificial memories doomed to be forgotten. ¡°I suppose that¡¯s the-¡° They stopped, coughing violently as one set of vocal cords suddenly began a violent protest against their continued use. TO reached out to the table near the bed and grabbed their water bottle. They took a long chug, grateful to have something to soothe their throat other than the sugary drink, but when they were done, their ears flicked back and their snout wrinkling as they took in the aftertaste. ¡°DH added some kind of supplement to your water while you were asleep.¡± Goretta said, ¡°It may taste a little odd.¡± TO sniffed at the water again and while they couldn¡¯t determine a specific scent, there was something different about it. Even drinking it again didn¡¯t help them identify that it was. ¡°Right.¡± TO said, clearing their throat as best as possible. ¡°The brains. I suppose that the front part is the part that gets changed the most when synths are being developed in the tank. ¡° ¡°Exactly.¡± She said. ¡°A commonality among many species is the presence of a singular section of the brain which deals with emotions.¡± Goretta pulled up another screen displaying a Chilacian brain with no alternations. ¡°It¡¯s not everything that¡¯s been altered, of course, but a lot of work was done here. Some of the more complex fixes are here, actually.¡± She zoomed into a specific part of the brain located in the middle. ¡°This here is your limbic system, as far as I can tell. It-¡° she paused, frowning. ¡°What?¡± TO asked, ¡°Is it something bad?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m just making sure I explain this simply. I¡¯m used to speaking in depth about this to professionals.¡± She pursed her lips, then continued, ¡°Basically, this is what makes you feel your emotions. When you get excited and your heart races, or you¡¯re embarrassed and your skin flushes¡­ or I guess just your ears, for you. None of that is in your control. The frontal lobe helps you deal with it, to put it simply.¡± She sighed and leaned back, her eyes darting between the two images. ¡°What are you looking for?¡± TO asked after the silence had stretched on for longer than was comfortable. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Goretta said as she leaned forward, her hand hovering over a small folding keyboard before her. ¡°Answers. Solutions. I knew that it would take some time for Kei to settle with their emotions. Everything was repaired, so it was as it should have been, and I expected some kind of issue, of course, but not as extreme as it ended up being.¡± ¡°You think you could have stopped Kei from attacking?¡± ¡°Oh, probably not.¡± She said, speaking with unhesitating confidence. ¡°At that point, what¡¯s done is done. I had hoped they¡¯d be more corporative, of course. In the end, their upbringing, for lack of better words, was vastly different from yours. For a synth, yours was unique; You had friends around you the whole time, and you had the ability to question what was happening, even if you never pursued those questions until you came to us. Kei never had any of that so their reactions would be much different.¡± she paused, chewing on her lower lip as she looked over the two scans, ¡°I don¡¯t know. Maybe I¡¯m looking for some way to make it easier, and some reason why their ears stopped signaling their lies. Despite my best efforts, I¡¯ve not isolated the part that fires the whole ear-lying response.¡± ¡°Is it that important?¡± TO asked. They found a way to talk that didn¡¯t hurt so much, but made their voice sound somewhat airy and deeper than normal. Still, it was better than the alternative. ¡°I don¡¯t think any of us want that done.¡± ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter.¡± She muttered, ¡°I need to know why it happened. That wasn¡¯t intentional. If I¡¯m to do the procedure again, I need to know what I did wrong this time.¡± TO fell silent, once more straining to read the lettering which glowed, tiny and backwards, on the projection. After another quiet moment, they could make out what it said. ¡°Who is Kirela?¡± She stopped, her hands hovering over the small keyboard once more while her tentacles tightened into small curls. ¡°¡­ Where did you hear that name?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t.¡± TO said, ¡°I read it. It¡¯s on the projection.¡± She looked around for a moment in confusion until her eyes landed on the small lettering in the corner of the projection. ¡°I forgot that was even there.¡± ¡°They¡¯re a synth.¡± TO stated, ¡°Their brain seems to be like a normal synth¡¯s brain. But if they¡¯re a normal synth, why would they have a name and not a call number?¡± They coughed and took another sip of their drink. Yes, speaking like this was easier, but their throat still dried out too quickly, and it still hurt. ¡°It¡¯s nobody you know.¡± She said, going back to her work, ¡°They came to Arkane several years ago, back when Flit was sending any many ¡®strange¡¯ synths our way as possible. They came with a strange synth, but they were ¡®normal¡¯. In the end, we sent them to Apoikia. The Chilacians there gave them the name when they ended up in a pod, so-¡° ¡°What?¡± TO¡¯s voice cracked on the word, and they fell into a fit of coughing. It took a moment for the fit to stop and it was only then they could painfully croak, ¡°I thought normal synths couldn¡¯t bond like that¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know much about that.¡± She said, ¡°But here is what I do know: The strange synth was the one who was supposed to be ¡®in charge¡¯ on their mission. When we told them what was happening, they were cooperative and wanted to go to Apoikia. They told Kirela that was what they were doing, and Kirela went with it.¡± She shrugged. ¡°Flit said it had to do with the chain of command. Because the other one was their superior, Kirela did as they were told.¡± ¡°I see,¡± TO said, leaning back again. So, there was a strange synth over on Apoikia, just living and not being angry that weren¡¯t helping King Decon? How were they not angry like Kei had been? Did they know exactly what was going on, or not? What did the other synth tell them? They frowned, their ears flicking back slightly, ¡°What¡¯s the other one¡¯s name?¡± They asked. Goretta shrugged, ¡°Not sure.¡± She said. ¡°Well, what was their number before they went to Arkane?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know: Ark-something.¡± She paused. ¡°Kirela¡¯s was Ark-27, so I suppose it was Ark-26. That¡¯s how it works, right?¡± ¡°Right.¡± TO said. they lay back, sipping their drink and thinking about how specific Goretta¡¯s memory for names was in this moment. Episode 431: Presence ¡°Goretta promises me that you¡¯re not going to die,¡± DH said. Their ears showed no deception, but they did show worry, concern, and uncertainty. ¡°She promises me that while your symptoms are a little worse than those who have Unilung or bi-lungs, she swears that-¡° ¡°TO will be fine.¡± Goretta said, her voice carrying over the communicator despite the fact that she wasn¡¯t on screen. ¡°They¡¯re already getting better. Fever broke this morning. They are, as they say, ¡®on the mend¡¯¡° ¡°But I feel worse now.¡± TO croaked. They had done everything they were told; they had slept, taken the medication, slept, ate all they could stomach, slept, kept hydrated, and of course slept as much as they could. The first day passed in a haze, with only a few brief conversations staying in their memory. Today had been worse. Yes, as Goretta said, the fever had broken and the heat that seemed to come from under their skin faded off, but the problem was that they weren¡¯t able to sleep as much today as they did yesterday. Clearly, their medication did not have any sedatives in it. Goretta came on the screen, pushing DH aside gently. ¡°You¡¯ll be fine.¡± She said, ¡°You were awake all day, and your fever is down. I¡¯m not particularly worried-¡° TO Interrupted Goretta with a series of sneezes before turning and grabbing a handful of tissues nearby, blowing their nose with what was in their mind a disgusting trumpeting sound before adding the tissues to the pile in the garbage next to them. They had always felt that disposable tissues were so wasteful and didn¡¯t understand why civilians used them. Needless to say, their opinions had changed within the last day. ¡°What if they choke on mucus?¡± DH asked as their ears flicked down, ¡°I have seen civilian case studies-¡° Goretta sighed, rubbing her temple and shaking her head. ¡°Maybe if they were a newborn, or comatose, or needed to be on assisted breathing or something like that. Right now, they¡¯re breathing just fine.¡± She looked into the camera, ¡°TO, you¡¯re going to feel better in the morning. Now, best practice has always been forty hours after fever breaks until you¡¯re not considered contagious anymore.¡± She frowned. ¡°But I¡¯m told it¡¯ll be only a couple of days before we get to Scraprock, so just to be careful since this is a new sickness being introduced to species that doesn¡¯t really get sick, I¡¯d like you to stay there until we land¡± A couple of days wasn¡¯t precise enough for them. ¡°How many hours?¡± They asked. ¡°Galactic hours.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not doing a countdown.¡± DH said, sighing as their ears went parallel to the ground. ¡°That¡¯s going to make it worse. Just try to rest. I¡¯ll keep you on the communicator with me, and tomorrow, Goretta will spend some extra time down there if she has a chance.¡± ¡°I will have a chance.¡± She said, ¡°I try to take an hour a day, at least to just rest and do something for me that isn¡¯t eating, sleeping, or bathing. I don¡¯t do that. I¡¯ll lose my mind.¡± ¡°See? Just try to rest.¡± DH said, ¡°You¡¯ll feel better faster that way.¡± They didn¡¯t know about that. Worst of all; they knew that while they might try their best, eventually both Goretta and DH had to sleep, and they couldn¡¯t very well ask one of them to stay up the whole night just to keep them company. Though, given the way, Goretta was focused on those brains scans - apparently that was what she did ¡®just for her¡¯- they believe Goretta would gladly take the excuse to stay up all night to work on that while TO slept. ¡°Fine.¡± TO croaked as they lay back in bed. ¡°We¡¯ll watch a show later.¡± ¡°How, you can¡¯t come down here-¡° ¡°We can still watch the same thing, just... apart.¡± TO sighed again, ¡°How¡¯s Avery.¡± They asked. They hated how little they knew about what was going on up there. ¡°They¡¯re up there with you now. Are they doing ok? Did they talk to GiDi?¡± ¡°They¡¯re doing well.¡± DH said, their ears relaxing a little, ¡°Appetite is the biggest concern. They¡¯ve been surviving off IV nutrition for a while now, so their stomach isn¡¯t used to having food it in anymore and given they had issues with their stomach before this, that might take a while.¡± If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. ¡°But, they¡¯ll be ok?¡± ¡°They¡¯re eating enough for now.¡± DH said, ¡°Though they have to eat smaller portions more frequently, and if they can¡¯t keep down what they eat, we¡¯ll have to put the IV in again for a while.¡± They realized that DH never answered their question about GiDi, but they also realized in almost the same moment that it perhaps wasn¡¯t a good time for Avery to get involved. ¡°It¡¯ll be good to get out of here.¡± TO said, stopping once more to blow their snout, ¡°It¡¯s not fair that I get sick just after Avery wakes up, and I can¡¯t spend time with them.¡± They gave a dramatic sigh. ¡°I can¡¯t wait to be better, so I can just spend time with everyone. Well.. mostly everyone.¡± Their ears flicked down as they thought of GiDi, and in desperate desire to change the topic, they said, ¡°What else happened today?¡± ¡°Oh, just the normal stuff.¡± DH said, ¡°It wasn¡¯t an interesting day-¡° ¡°Tell me about it, anyway.¡± TO said, leaning back and relaxing against the pillow behind them, ¡°I missed the mundane day to day.¡± Their ears quirked up. ¡°Honestly, with the whole knee thing, and now with getting sick, I miss being able to just go about and do the normal chores. You know; check the filters, do basic maintenance on the engine.¡± DH chuckled and shook their head, ¡°What, you want me to tell you about how engine 3 had a shaky valve today?¡± ¡°Nothing would make me happier right now,¡± TO said, ¡°Except maybe an instant cure for this cold, and a new leg.¡± ¡°Well, since I can¡¯t make that happen, let me tell you all about the shaky valve on Engine 3.¡± ====== In their defense, DH did their best. They spoke about every mundane aspect of their day until their own throat was nearly as hoarse as TOs. Once that was done, they set up a musical for them to listen to¡ªSomething they had seen a dozen times already and which TO wouldn¡¯t have to focus too hard on. It would have been nicer to have their mate there with them, but if that couldn¡¯t happen, and if the cost of seeing DH in person right now was getting them sick, then TO wasn¡¯t willing to pay that price. For now, this was fine. Watching the show, and knowing that DH was watching with them even when their mate didn¡¯t speak. As the time passed, DH curled up in the little nest of pillows and blankets with the sound turned down low and TO could pretend that they were together, lying in bed and watching movies. Even once DH finally fell asleep and their communicator fell from their hand and turned the view sideways, TO was still happy to hear the gentle breathing and soft chirping coming from DH. Still, they knew what was about to happen. With DH asleep, the chip that synced to their communicator recorded the lowered stats, and the communicator went into sleep mode. The comforting sounds of their mate just existing were suddenly replaced with silence, and a dull blue screen with white lettering that read ¡°Signal failed.¡± For several minutes they let the screen float in the air before them, unwilling it turn it off by themself. After several minutes with no input, the projection went out. Darkness flooded the room, leaving TO blinded for a brief moment before their eyes adjusted properly and used the scant light provided by the machinery nearby to make sense of what they were seeing. Of course, there wasn¡¯t much there: The machines next to them, most of which were now turned off since they didn¡¯t have to record all of Avery¡¯s vitals, the table in the corner where tomorrow Goretta would sit and pour over the brain scans once more, and the wheelchair which sat next to their bed. It was too quiet. Despite the sound of the ship operating around them, it was far too quiet for TO¡¯s comfort. When was the last time they were alone overnight? Well, of course, last night they had been alone, but that wasn¡¯t the same. One moment they were talking to DH on the communicator, and then suddenly it was the next day. Sleep had taken them quickly and deeply, so the time they were alone went unnoticed. When was the last time they had felt the absence of others so keenly? Their wings tightened around them as they remembered the night after GiDi left the training centre, and the brief period when DH insisted on avoiding them. That night, alone in their bunk, believing that they¡¯d never see GiDi again and now knowing when or if DH would ever talk to them again, was still one of the worst of their lives. How had Avery managed being along for so long in their room? How had Kei? They shook their head and turned over. No, there was no need for them to think about that kind of thing. DH was just above them and they would see them again in the morning. They would see DH, and Avery, and Flit, and Snout. Constance would probably rush up to them again, another fierce hug that would hurt their knee slightly, but TO didn¡¯t think they¡¯d mind it. Lendulin, Pearla, and Petra would all come to see them once this sickness had passed. Messages had been exchanged between the lot of them most of the day, but it wasn¡¯t conversation; just comments. TO tried not to think about how GiDi wouldn¡¯t be happy to see them, nor about how they didn¡¯t seem to have time to fix things with GiDi anymore. Quarantined as they were, there was no way TO could make things better with GiDi, who hadn¡¯t even sent them a message since this cold hit them. With a gesture, TO flicked their communicator back on and rolled over on their side. With a few quick commands, they once more turned on the musical they had been watching with DH and let the music play as they took one of the pillows and hugged it close. Tomorrow, they¡¯d see DH again, even if it was only through their communicator. They¡¯d spend another evening talking, hearing about the day, and once more they would be able to listen to DH until they fell asleep. Hopefully, they¡¯d reach Scraprock before too long. Episode 432: Scraprock At first, TO was worried that there seemed to be no preparations made for their landing on Scraprock, or at least none which had been communicated to them. When they finally asked DH about it, their mate¡¯s projection gave them an amused ear flick. ¡°You mean you haven¡¯t researched the place at all?¡± They asked. ¡°Look it up later. It¡¯ll give you something to do if you¡¯re still awake once I¡¯m asleep.¡± They had done just that, and when Scraprock came into view as they began their approach, TO felt even more foolish for their concerns than they did when they first did their deeper research. Scraprock wasn¡¯t a planet. It wasn¡¯t even a moon, not like the mining facility that Avery went to when they started their placement. Scraprock was a collection of asteroids hooked together with chains and scrap. Old, broken down ships had been used to build shelters that spanned over the asteroids and even further out, creating a rough doughnut which spun in space. Their own ship pulled up alongside the structure, connecting with a small section that jutted out into space and allowed them to dock as they would with another ship. Flit volunteered to stay behind on the ship for now, as they would have to manually tether the ship to Scraprock and use the smaller emergency ship to disembark before landing on the makeshift landing platform set up on what TO would later understand was considered the ¡°Right¡± side of the ship. Apparently, this was because of the way the people of Scraprock had simulated gravity. ¡°Centrifugal gravity simulation?¡± TO asked as DH held them, preparing to shift from their ship¡¯s own artificial gravity to that of Scraprock. ¡°Well, I imagine they can¡¯t get the tech or power supply needed for electromagnetic field manipulation.¡± DH said with a grunt as they brought TO to the door. There was a moment of Disorientation where at one moment they were more or less upright, and as the two went through the door and left the artificial gravity field of their ship, back suddenly become down and they rolled onto the floor in an attempt to steady themselves. Sensation fought with perception, and it took a moment for TO to convince themself that they were in fact laying on the floor and not being pushed forcefully against the wall. It took several minutes for DH and TO to orient themselves properly and get TO back in the chair, but once that was all done, the world suddenly seemed right again, and gravity seemed to be pulled them down. They had arrived at Scraprock. ====== The flurry of activity that followed after their arrival on Scraprock quickly took over any concerns TO might have had about most anything else. They weren¡¯t entirely sure how many people the small refuge could handle at once, but there was apparently a protocol for processing people once they arrived. Surprisingly, this didn¡¯t involve any formal government identification. Instead, a small group of people rushed in and began talking to others, seemingly at random. At one point someone came over to TO, put a large tablet in their hand, and gave instructions on creating a fake identification file for each person. Despite several moments of initial confusion, TO quickly began working at the task given to them while DH rushed off to help with medical issues. Hours passed as they worked, food was brought to them, which they thoughtlessly ate as they continued to compile pictures, making up names or reconfiguring names as they worked through people. In the cramped, cluttered room allotted for this job, TO worked for hours until the dull pain in their knee became obvious, and the line began to thin. It wasn¡¯t much longer until someone who TO didn¡¯t recognize came up to them, with DH following behind. ¡°I didn¡¯t even realize how long it¡¯s been!¡± DH said, their ears flicking back in worry as they approached, ¡°Your knee must be killing you!¡± ¡°It¡¯s not so bad,¡± TO said even as they rubbed their knee, trying to add pressure in just the right place so that they didn¡¯t hurt themself. ¡°I was distracted. I didn¡¯t notice the time passing either.¡± ¡°I think most of us have been the same.¡± The other person said. They were a strange species with skin of interwoven crystals. ¡°We got word that you were coming here, and we had to scramble to make sure everything was prepared for you all.¡± There was a strange clicking that came from their voice, but it was different from the clicking that came from deep within the throats of themself and DH: this sounding more like stones hitting off one another inside their mouth. Was the inside of their mouth also formed of strange crystals? Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit. ¡°It¡¯s been a busy day.¡± DH said, and for a moment they allowed their exhaustion to show in drooping ears and blue-ringed eyes. ¡°If you have a mat or a blanket, we can rest on somewhere-¡° ¡°Rooms.¡± They said, ¡°Probably not as fancy as you¡¯re used to from your time as synths...¡± there was a sudden strange flex of the crystals over his body, but TO couldn¡¯t tell if that was a sign of anger or nervousness. ¡°But it¡¯s something. It¡¯s quiet, clean, and comfortable." DH nodded, forcing their lips into a smile despite the nervous tilt to their ears, ¡°Thank you.¡± They said, ¡°I¡¯m-¡° ¡°Dhana.¡± The Civilian said, ¡°That¡¯s the name on your new identification. Best to get used to it.¡± They paused, and their skin tightened again, ¡°Though, I suppose for you that won¡¯t be-¡° ¡°They prefer to go by DH,¡± TO said, ¡°And I go by TO. Though, my ¡®new ID¡® says I¡¯m Tihona.¡± ¡°You remember that?¡± DH asked as they looked down at TO. In response, TO could only give DH a steady look with their ears parallel to the ground. ¡°Right. Of course you remember. You probably remember every name you¡¯ve changed today.¡± ¡°I do, actually.¡± TO said, their ears perking up and twitching in amusement. They turned to the crystal skinned civilian, ¡°And you are-" ¡°Azizi.¡± They said, and as they spoke, a small collection of crystals on their forehead brightened slightly. ¡°It/Its.¡± While people used different pronouns all across the galaxy, it was still odd to see someone with the pronoun of ¡®it¡¯. Maybe who would possess such a pronoun from their culture would abandon it in favor of the neutral they/them, since It/its was viewed by so much of the galaxy as an insult. ¡°My people are sentient rocks, and possess no sense of gender.¡± The cluster of crystals on their forehead darkened. ¡°Historically, we have considered ourselves with the pronouns ¡®it¡¯ and while many of my kin are happy to bend to the preferences of the wider galactic society-¡° ¡°I¡¯m happy to use ¡®it¡¯¡± TO said, a hand up, ¡°I was just-¡° Surprised, and uncertain.¡± Azizi said, quickly and correctly finishing TO¡¯s sentence. ¡°But I see now that you are bothered by upsetting me, and so I accept your wordless apology.¡± ¡°Ok.¡± DH said, pinching the bridge of their snout. ¡°Are you able to read minds or something?¡± The crystal on Azizi¡¯s forehead seemed to flicker, and it shook its head. ¡°No, blissfully, I lack that specific skill. However, my partner is a NuChilac, so I am exceedingly familiar with the way your ears flick in communication.¡± ¡°NuChilac?¡± TO asked, their ears flicking. They knew they had never heard that name before. ¡°Apologies.¡± It said, the crystals once more flickering with light. ¡°NuChilac. New Chilacians. It¡¯s what we call synths who, well, aren¡¯t synths anymore.¡± it tilted its head. ¡°You¡¯ve not heard that before? You¡¯d be one, wouldn¡¯t you be?¡± TO¡¯s only response was silence. NuChilac. They hadn¡¯t heard that before. Had FIit or Snout? or GiDi? ¡°Someone like us?¡± TO asked again, leaning forward in their chair as they spoke, ¡°You mean, someone who went through all the synth training and-¡° ¡°Yes.¡± Azizi said, its crystals darkening. ¡°They did undergo all the... procedures that synths do.¡± ¡°But their minds are like ours?¡± Azizi was silent for a few moments, its head tilted, the crystals embedded in its forehead flickering strangely and in a way that almost felt like a pattern, which one which TO couldn¡¯t quite place. ¡°Well, somewhat. I don¡¯t know how much of your mind has been damaged by the procedures-¡° ¡°Damaged?¡± ¡°-but I imagine that there¡¯s enough left intact which allows you some level of free will at least.¡± their crystal darkened again, ¡°And I will not apologize if my choice of words has offended you. What was done to them, and to you for that matter, was intentional brain damage. If you still have devotion to Decon, then I will be keeping my mate away from -¡° ¡°We don¡¯t.¡± DH said as their ears flicked down, ¡°I promise we don¡¯t. It¡¯s just...¡± TO looked up at DH, who only looked back in confusion. What was it? Hearing the phrase felt odd to TO, as though they were talking about a synth dying. Synths didn¡¯t die: they were repurposed. Brain damage was something that could happen to a synth, but it wasn¡¯t something that happened in the tank. Brain damage felt like something unintentional, which would keep them from functioning as they should. What happened to them in the tank was all to ensure they functioned as expected. ¡°It¡¯s been a very long day.¡± DH said, putting their hand on TO¡¯s shoulder. They locked eyes again, and TO could see DH¡¯s ears flicker with worry and affection. Without thinking, TO reached up and put their own hand over DH¡¯s. ¡°And there¡¯s been a lot of new information for us as of late.¡± ¡°Ah, I see,¡± Azizi said, its crystals once more lightening up as they watched DH and TO. ¡°Ah, I see.¡± They said, ¡°Yes.. forgive me. We have had a couple of NuChilacs come though here who still held great devotion to Decon, and each time it left my mate... well, unwell, to say the least.¡± It gave a brief nod. ¡°But I imagine it has been a long trip. And, of course, I do apologize for doubting you.¡± it looked at DH as their crystals lit up, and an awkward smile forced its way onto Azizi¡¯s crystalline lips. ¡°I should have recognized you from the news broadcast. I didn¡¯t at first but-¡° It¡¯s eyes flickered to DH¡¯s scars, ¡°But I recognize those scars now. You are the one who revealed themself to the galaxy as a synth.¡± they dipped their head again, ¡°Dangerous, and you absolutely invoked Decon¡¯s ire in doing that. You also saved many lives.¡± ¡°It was TO¡¯s idea.¡± They muttered, looking away as their ears dipped and flushed. ¡°I just did what they said to do.¡± They fell silent, their ears twitching awkwardly as DH tried to think of something to say. ¡°My apologies again,¡± they said, and once more, the crystals over their skin seemed to tighten. ¡°You need rest, and I am keeping you from that. Let me bring you to your rooms.¡± Episode 433: Specalized ¡°Things are still rather chaotic.¡± Azizi said as they led TO and DH down a long, dimly lit hallway, ¡°So, right now we¡¯re just putting people where we have room. We¡¯ll organize more tomorrow and get more permanent housing for people staying here longer than others.¡± ¡°That¡¯s fine.¡± TO said. They could have pointed out that their accommodations in the last few weeks have ranged from isolation to overcrowded ships to a fairly decent room and bed, which was located within the ancient sewers of Arkane. Whatever Scraprock offered for them would be better than that. ¡°Here we go.¡± Azizi said as it stopped by a door. Quickly checking its communicator, it said, ¡°This one should be empty, so Dhana-¡° They looked purposefully at DH, as though reminding them of their new name, ¡°You can go in here, and Tihona, you¡¯ll be-¡° ¡°We¡¯ll be together,¡± DH said. From behind their head, TO could hear the way DH¡¯s hand gripped on the rubber of the wheelchair. ¡°We¡¯re not going to be separated.¡± ¡°That¡¯s fine.¡± Azizi said, ¡°But it may be a little cramped-¡° ¡°We don¡¯t care.¡± DH said, their ears pinning back as though ready to argue the point. ¡°That¡¯s really not a problem.¡± TO said, ¡°We¡¯ve gotten used to crowded living spaces. But, there¡¯s another issue: There¡¯s a child that¡¯s supposed to be with us. Her name is Constance, and she-¡° ¡°All children are accounted for. I can say that much.¡± Azizi said as it quickly pulled up more information on its communicator. ¡°Constance Clora Skimmer. She¡¯s listed with you on your new identifications.¡± It glanced up. ¡°You organized all the paperwork, I understand. It was exceptional. Made my job easy.¡± ¡°Thanks.¡± TO said as their ears flattened out, ¡°But where is she?¡± A trickle of panic began seeping into them. They didn¡¯t know where Constance was. That was ok before when they were on a ship and there weren¡¯t many places she could go, but now they were on Scraprock and TO had no idea what dangers were hidden on this makeshift planet, and she was their responsibility! ¡°She¡¯s only six.¡± Azizi said, ¡°So, she¡¯s in medical. Most children don¡¯t leave their home planets before they turn ten unless there¡¯s a good reason, so most don¡¯t receive their general off-planet vaccinations until they turn eight or nine. When they get here, we give them the vaccinations and monitor them overnight at least. If you like, I can have a notification sent to you once she¡¯s ready to leave medical.¡± ¡°Can I speak a with her?¡± TO asked, ¡°Is she alright, I -¡° ¡°Normally, I¡¯d say that it wouldn¡¯t be a problem, but I think it¡¯s far later than you realize it is. It¡¯s basically the middle of the night for her. The vaccinations often make them sleepy as well, so she¡¯s most likely fast asleep by now. Still, I¡¯ll make sure you¡¯re notified as soon as she wakes.¡± Azizi reached into their pocket and pulled out a small card, ¡°Here, keycard for your room. Press it to the reader on the inside of the door to lock it, and do the same to unlock. The light over the door will turn red when it¡¯s locked.¡± It gestured over the door to a small panel light which was currently off. ¡°I¡¯ll see about getting you a family room tomorrow. Might be crowded while we¡¯re getting people where they need to go, but we¡¯ll get it organized.¡± ¡°Shouldn¡¯t I check on her, or-¡° ¡°I did.¡± DH said, their hand brushing against the back of TO¡¯s neck and causing their ears to warm, ¡°I was in medical most of the time, remember?¡± ¡°Of course I remember.¡± TO snapped as their ears flushed deeper. ¡°I just didn¡¯t connect those facts.¡± ¡°A long day.¡± Azizi said, the crystals on their forehead glittering in a mixture of purple and pink, ¡°You rest. I¡¯ll make sure you¡¯re informed when Constance wakes.¡± It put a note in its communicator, closed it, and then gave a quick type of bow with their neck before turning and heading down the hallway. ¡°Well.¡± DH said once they were out of sight, ¡°Let¡¯s see what this place has in store.¡± As they entered the room, they realized that while Azizi called it cramped, and while it might have been sparse compared to the nicer places they had stayed, it was practically a luxury compared to what they had grown accustomed to. The room was round and the darker, slightly green walls absorbed much of the light from the warm, toned LED lights. Every surface was matte, and with the warm, dimmer lights and darker walls, everything was just easy to look at. As the door slid closed behind them, a comfortable quiet overtook them and, for the first time in ages, it was like the constant array of noise all around them faded off. Yes, the translators in their ears blocked out much of the din, but it wasn¡¯t the same as proper quiet. ¡°The walls.¡± DH said as they looked around, ¡°Look, they¡¯re sound proofed.¡± This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there. TO looked, focusing in the dim to see the texture of the wall. Indeed, the wall had a repeating, uneven texture, and seemed to be lined with fabric of some kind. TO willed their chair forward, looking around at everything in the room. There was a table at the perfect height for synths, a single screen in a wall which was currently covered with a curtain to prevent reflection, and another door on the far end of the room. When TO when to look, their heart seemed to flutter as Inside, was a proper bath. It wasn¡¯t as large as the one in the hotel they had to stay back when they used the wormhole, or even as big as they had in training, but it was a proper bath. It had jets for massaging muscles, and unlike the ¡®baths¡¯ in the old sewers, it was properly clean. The walls were clean, and despite being clearly waterproof, they were still matte in texture. The sound still seemed to get absorbed into the walls, and the lights overhead were dim and comfortably warm. ¡°These rooms were made especially for synths.¡± TO said, speaking just as they realized this fact. The round room would make it harder for sound to bounce about in such a way that would cause their ears to ring, and the material of the walls also helped by absorbing some sound. The matte surfaces prevented any harsh reflections and glare, and even the lights themselves were quiet, the warm tone proving easy on the eyes. ¡°I know.¡± DH said, ¡°Come here, I found the bed.¡± TO backed away from the small washroom and turned to see what DH had found. They hadn¡¯t seen the bed at first and didn¡¯t even know where one would go as the room at its widest point might have let TO and DH lay down on the floor, their heads touching and their feet pressed up against the walls. However, when they looked, they saw that the bed had been set into the wall, covered by a panel. When the panel pulled away, it revealed a pod much like the kind they had slept in back in training. It was so similar that TO expected to see the same thin mat, the thin blanket, and the tiny speakers set in the corner. None of that was true: The sleeping pod opened up to show an area twice the size their pods in training had been. It was deeper; the pod sinking down about a foot above the sleeping mat, and when DH pushed down on it they could see their mate¡¯s hand sink down showing the softeners of their new sleeping area. There were more pillows than they needed, visibly thick blankets, and the thing that was most different was that the pod was rounded, not rectangular. ¡°The walls in here are screens.¡± DH muttered as they reached out and touched the wall. As their hand pressed against it for a moment, the area around there had suddenly lit up, and a set of options asking if them to sync up a chip or a communicator came up. ¡°And it¡¯s better for our wings.¡± DH said, looking at the rounded pod, ¡°We can stretch more. Honestly, we could fit three or four of us in here if we wanted to. One of us could sleep with our wings stretched out.¡± ¡°Maybe I¡¯ll be able to fly in my dreams.¡± TO said with a chuckle. Even thinking about it made their wings feel itchy. ¡°And the roundness will make sound easier on our ears, and look-¡° They ran their hand over the pod¡¯s walls, ¡°It¡¯s soft. More like fabric than a wall. The screen must be projected.¡± ¡°It absorbs sound.¡± TO said. ¡°These rooms they were made for us. They were made to absorb sound and light, and keep things at a level that keeps up perfectly comfortable.¡± Rooms made specifically for them, and designed with more than simple stark functionality and efficiency in mind. It was a room designed with the intent of giving them somewhere comfortable to rest. A room for NuChilacians. ====== After taking baths that were far too long than they needed to be and stripping off their now worn and dingy clothes, the two gratefully flopped into the sleeping pod. DH helped TO first, of course, who stretched their wings out as far as they could go. While their wings couldn¡¯t stretch out all the way¨Cthey didn¡¯t expect to find that in any bed, at least not one in space¨Cthey could stretch out their full body, their toes only just touching the edge of the pod. They revelled in the space for a moment until DH flopped in after them, shaking the bed before they turned in towards TO. Without a word, they wrapped their arms around TO and pulled them in close. ¡°I missed this.¡± They said, nuzzling the back of TO¡¯s neck. Ears flushing, TO nodded and shifted back into DH. The ability to have DH embrace them, to feel their breath on their neck and wafting past their twitching ears, to have DH¡¯s skin against their own, had almost become foreign to them. ¡°Me too.¡± TO finally whispered back. After another moment, they relaxed into DH much like they had into the bath, reveling in the warmth. They hadn¡¯t even pulled the plush blankets over themselves yet, and TO felt entirely comfortable. ¡°Your leg is healing well.¡± DH murmured against TO¡¯s neck. ¡°Does it hurt?¡± ¡°Surprisingly, no.¡± TO said. In truth, they didn¡¯t know if they were just getting used to the pain and relegating it to background noise in their body or not, but even so, the pain in their knee wasn¡¯t bad. DH ran their arm over TO¡¯s side, draping their hand across their stomach before letting their fingers drift down, fingertips brushing against TO¡¯s hip bones to make their body shiver and their ears warm as the sensation slowly drew that distracting heat which the pain and stress and cramped quarters had pushed aside. It suddenly struck them how long it had been since they and DH had been together like this, since they had an opportunity to be together. A moment later, their hands dipped lower. TO inhaled sharply, their eyes widening at DH¡¯s uncharacteristically bold touches. ¡°DH?¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t want to-¡° ¡°No! I do!¡± TO said, groaning and pressing their hands to their face at just how desperate they had sounded in that moment. ¡°I do. I just... You¡¯re not normally so-¡° Their voice cut out, a discordant chirp replacing comprehensible speech as DH kissed the back of TO¡¯s right ear. With agonizing slowness, DH kissed up the length of TO¡¯s ears, their lips cooling TO¡¯s flushed ears until they got to the top where they gently nipped at the edge and drew an embarrassing mix between a gasp and a squeak from TO¡¯s throat. ¡°No, I¡¯m not normally ¡®so¡¯, you¡¯re right¡± They whispered as they kissed back towards the base of TO¡¯s ears, ¡°Is that a problem?¡± they tightened their embrace on TO, their hand pulling TO¡¯s hips back as another searing hot kiss pressed just where their ear met their head. The pooling, desperate pressure and heat spiraled in them, and they leaned their head back against DH, cursing softly. ¡°Never a problem.¡± They said, their voice soft and mewling, ¡°Please, don¡¯t stop.¡± EPisode 434: Comfort TO lay curled up against DH, their head resting on DH¡¯s chest, DH¡¯s wings wrapped around them. On DH¡¯s stomach, their hands rested one atop the other, their fingers twined. With their mind blissfully blank, TO was happy to watch the rise and fall of their hands as DH breathed. ¡°We¡¯ve never been able to do this before.¡± DH said, their voice sounding oddly far away. ¡°Of course we have.¡± TO said as their ears twitched. ¡°We¡¯ve done this kind of stuff before.¡± Their ears flushed as they recalled some of the compromising and frankly embarrassing positions they had been in, the positions they allowed themself to be in. The heat in their ears spread to their cheeks and the back of their neck as they remembered it. ¡°I know.¡± DH said as their ears flushed as well, ¡°But... This was different.¡± They said. ¡°We don¡¯t have anything to rush off to, nothing to worry about. We have our own room for now... it¡¯s odd to be able to just relax afterwards." They gave an awkward chuckle. ¡°Even the odd time we could relax, it was like we had to get as much relaxation in as we could before everything went wrong again. I know there are still things to do, but there¡¯s nothing we need to worry about tomorrow, or even the next day.¡± TO nuzzled into DH¡¯s chest, ignoring the heat in their ears as they ran their thumb over DH¡¯s hand. ¡°Well.¡± they said, ¡°You were different too.¡± ¡°No, I wasn¡¯t.¡± DH said, their ears burning even as they flicked to show their attempt at deception. ¡°I can tell you¡¯re lying.¡± TO said as their ears flattened out. ¡°Something was different. You were a lot more-¡° DH groaned, ¡°TO, please.¡± ¡°Enthusiastic and forceful.¡± They ignored their own embarrassment for a moment. ¡°It was new. Novel.¡± They pressed a light kiss to DH¡¯s chest, ¡°I liked -¡° ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± DH said, ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to-¡° ¡°Don¡¯t you dare finish that statement!¡± TO said, ¡°I hope you did ¡®mean to¡¯!¡± Ears still flushed, DH tightened their grip on TO, their wing pressing against them comfortably. ¡°I miss you.¡± They said. ¡°I mean... I missed us being able to do this during the trip, but...¡± ¡°But?¡± TO looked up, ears flicking back as they listened, as they saw the way DH¡¯s ears flicked down. ¡°You nearly died.¡± They said, ¡°And you got sick, and I was worried about you and I missed you-¡° ¡°I missed you too,¡± TO said, ¡°And I missed this.¡± ¡°I thought I¡¯d never have this again.¡± DH said after several silent minutes. ¡°We got there, and you were just lying on the floor, covered in blood...¡± It took TO a moment to realize they meant just after Kei escaped, and for the first time, they realized how awful that must have been for DH. If the roles were reversed, TO knew they would be entirely besides themself. ¡°And then you were in pain because of your injury, and had so many medications going through you, and we didn¡¯t have any time to ourselves, so even though I wanted to just be with you, I couldn¡¯t. and then you got sick-¡° ¡°I¡¯m here now.¡± TO whispered as they tightened their fingers around DH¡¯s hand. ¡°I know.¡± DH said. Their free hand came up behind TO¡¯s head to scratch at their neck. ¡°But I didn¡¯t know if you would be sometimes, and whenever I thought about that, I just thought about all the times we had been together, and all the times I couldn¡¯t really relax because I was thinking that proper synths don¡¯t do that kind of thing, and-¡° TO reached up with their free hand, palm against DH¡¯s cheek, their fingers against their ear, ¡°We¡¯re not proper synths.¡± TO said, ¡°We¡¯re not even Synths. We¡¯re Chilacians.¡± ¡°NuChilacians?¡± DH said with a chuckle. ¡°Maybe.¡± TO said. They fell silent, and just as TO was beginning to drift off to sleep, an alert sounded on the walls of their pod. === Door: Visitor ===If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. DH groaned and covered their face with their wing to hide the alert, but the soft, bell-like chiming continued. After another moment, DH groaned and got up. ¡°I¡¯ll get it,¡± TO said with a groan. ¡°You¡¯ll stay there.¡± DH said as their ear flicked in amusement, ¡°How would you get to the door without me? Or even to your chair?¡± ¡°Ah, right.¡± TO said, their ears flushing for an entirely different reason this time. DH deranged themself from TO, opened the pod door, and rolled out of bed. The pod door slid shut behind them, so TO couldn¡¯t hear what was going on outside. Quickly, they checked their communicator to see if they had a message. Maybe it was something about Constance? There were no new alerts on their communicator, so they figured that it wasn¡¯t that. A moment later, DH came back to the pod. Wordlessly, they climbed in, grabbed the heavy blanket, and pulled TO into their embrace once more with their arms and wings. ¡°Who was it?¡± TO asked, already nuzzling into DH¡¯s chest, content and warm. ¡°Nothing that can¡¯t wait until tomorrow.¡± DH said. TO¡¯s ears flicked, ¡°What was it?¡± They asked again, ¡°Are we needed, or-¡° ¡°It¡¯s not an emergency.¡± DH said, ¡°And... I don¡¯t want to think about it right now. All I want now is to be here with you, to relax and sleep and enjoy being here with you after all ... That.¡± Their ears flushed again. ¡°I didn¡¯t feel bad while we were-¡° their ears flushed, ¡°Well, during, but now-¡° ¡°You feel bad?¡± ¡°Not when we¡¯re like this.¡± A moment passed before TO relaxed against DH with a contented sigh. They knew what DH meant, and knew how DH¡¯s presence had always stifled the shame they might feel after being so intimate with them, or even by themself. ¡°Alright.¡± They said ¡°Whatever it was, it¡¯s tomorrow¡¯s problem.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°I love you, DH.¡± TO wrapped their arms around DH, their hands clasping together at the small of DH¡¯s back. ¡°I love you too.¡± ====== TO and DH woke up early, even without alarms. It took them a moment to realize where they were, and after checking their communicators to see that there were no messages waiting for them or urgent calls for help, they curled into one another again and dozed for an additional hour, then cuddled for yet another. It was a luxury that TO never considered they would have, never even knew they¡¯d want until they had it now. Would it be like this from now on? TO knew that there would be days where they had to get up and do stuff, but would they have these long, peaceful mornings where they didn¡¯t have to rush around to do things? Days where they didn¡¯t have a full schedule of duties, and where there weren¡¯t a million things to do just to keep everyone around them alive? A comfortable life. Even as they thought about that, they wondered what life would be like on Apokia. If this small makeshift settlement in space was this comfortable for them, what would the Chilacian home world be like? Finally, they pulled themselves up and out of bed, less out of necessity and more out of a combination of hunger and restlessness. Their clothes in the washroom were more or less clean and dry, though they knew they would have to find their bags with the rest of their stuff in it. As they got dressed and prepared for the day. TO¡¯s mind slowly fired up, and listed off things that had to be done. If Constance wasn¡¯t awake yet, they¡¯d have to go and see if everything was alright. Yes, they didn¡¯t have any notifications saying she wasn¡¯t, but they wanted to check, anyway. They¡¯d have to check on Avery as well. Ideally, Avery would have had their own room, but TO knew that they wouldn¡¯t have liked that. They hadn¡¯t been in a position to resolve that problem themself, but had sent off a message to the one ScrapRock contact they had to ensure that Avery wasn¡¯t alone. They also wanted to check on Lendulin and Petra. Where were those two planning to go? Did they even have a plan? These were the things they were thinking as DH helped them into their chair and made their way to the door. A hundred thoughts, a hundred things to do. It didn¡¯t bother them: They liked having things to do, especially when these things weren¡¯t life or death, and didn¡¯t need to be taken care of as soon as possible. No, they liked it when they could make a list, and figure out what was most important to get done, what was least important, and what was most important to them specifically. They were so invested in organizing all this that they didn¡¯t realize at first that someone was waiting for them as the door opened. They quickly saved what they were working on and glanced up, expecting Azizi to be there, or Maybe Flit or Snout. They didn¡¯t expect GiDi to be there. Moreover, they didn¡¯t expect GiDi to be there, standing before them with low ears and huge eyes. After everything that had happened, they especially didn¡¯t expect GiDi to fall to their knees next to TO, and wrap their arms and wings around them before sobbing into TO¡¯s chest. Shock, surprising, and pure confusion flooded them as their small friend wept, and all TO could do was hold them, rubbing their back and scratching the back of GiDi¡¯s neck in an attempt to calm them down. They were so surprised that they didn¡¯t even notice Avery standing there until GiDi began to calm down. ¡°What happened?¡± TO asked, trying to figure out what would put their friend in a state like this. Later, they would realize that when GiDi collapsed on them like that, that they had entirely forgotten about everything that happened before. All they cared about in that moment was that GiDi was hurt. ¡°Well... Nothing happened, specifically.¡± Avery said, frowning at DH, ¡°But they¡¯ve been desperate to talk to you since they got sick, and DH wouldn¡¯t let them!¡± DH¡¯s ears flicked back, ¡°I had good reason!¡± DH said, ¡°Every time those two spoke since the incident, TO has ended up entirely shattered, and-¡° ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± TO said quickly, holding GiDi close. ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± They rested their head atop GiDi¡¯s and let their friend rest in their lap. ¡°That doesn¡¯t matter now.¡± Avery sighed. ¡°You all are idiots.¡± They said, ¡°I wonder if the role of the ¡®Ankrya¡¯ is to be the only one who can think right.¡± They shook their head, and looked into the Room, ¡°Got enough space for us? I think we all need to talk.¡± Episode 435: Practiced It took GiDi a while to calm down once they all went into TO and DH¡¯s room, their words coming out between tears in chaotic arrangements that made little sense. Still, they eventually calmed down, their low ears settling slightly as they sat sheepishly on one of the foldable chairs they found tucked under the table in the center of the room. ¡°You didn¡¯t tell me that they wanted to talk to me.¡± TO said to DH, ¡°How long were they-¡° ¡°All while you were sick.¡± Avery said before DH could answer. ¡°And I understood that-¡° ¡°I was awful.¡± GiDi said with a soft sniffle, ¡°The things I said to you.¡± Avery took GiDi¡¯s hand and gently squeezed their fingers. ¡°But I don¡¯t understand why they couldn¡¯t speak to TO today.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t understand why I couldn¡¯t talk to GiDi while I was sick.¡± TO said as they turned to DH. DH¡¯s ears were also rather low now, and as TO spoke a faint blush cross their ears. ¡°You were sick.¡± They said, ¡°And I knew you probably wouldn¡¯t be doing so well, being isolated away from us, and I just didn¡¯t want anything to upset you more.¡± They sighed as their ears flicked back, dipping in sadness and shame. ¡°I was trying to protect you.¡± ¡°And I told GiDi that it might not be a good time to talk to TO while they were sick.¡± Avery said, ¡°I said basically the same thing. They¡¯re sick, they¡¯re isolated, and if you two talk this out, it¡¯s probably going to be an emotional conversation-¡° ¡°Or GiDi would say more awful lies about TO.¡± DH said as their eyes narrowed, ¡°And then TO would be upset, and I wouldn¡¯t be able to be there with them!¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have done that!¡± GiDi said, though immediately as they said that, their ears dipped back again, flushing, ¡°I mean, I know I did, but-¡° ¡°But nothing.¡± DH said, ¡°The last couple of times you and TO ¡®interacted¡¯, it ended with me picking up the pieces.¡± They leaned forward in their chair, their hands tightly clasped before them on the table, ¡°You blamed TO for Mark¡¯s death.¡± GiDi¡¯s ears dropped once more, and they focused their eyes on their hands. ¡°... I shouldn¡¯t have done that.¡± ¡°No, you shouldn¡¯t have.¡± DH said with pinned back ears. ¡°It wasn¡¯t fair, and it wasn¡¯t true-¡° ¡°That¡¯s debatable.¡± TO muttered. ¡°Though I don¡¯t know what else I could have done.¡± A long moment of silence spread over the room, and after a bit, Avery nudged GiDi. Their small friend swallowed hard and kept deliberate, direct eye contact with their hands as they spoke. ¡°I was upset.¡± They said. ¡°I am well aware.¡± DH said. It was clear that they were going to say more, but a quick look from Avery made them change their mind. ¡°I was upset. I had a plan, and it worked, and I was proud of it. For a few minutes, I was just very proud of it, and then TO started yelling at me.¡± ¡°And I shouldn¡¯t have-¡° TO began their apology anew, but Avery held up a hand to them as well. ¡°TO started yelling at me, and I was upset, and I just thought that it wasn¡¯t fair. Yes, it was a risky plan, and people could have died, but nobody did! And TO pulls off risky plans all the time, and they don¡¯t always work. Sometimes they fail, sometimes people get hurt.. and sometimes, people die. Like Mark.¡± It was at this point that TO picked up on the practiced cadence of GiDi¡¯s words, and it occurred to them that GiDi may have been practicing this with Avery, struggling to find the right words to say all this time. ¡°And afterwards, I was angry. I was still angry days later. I just wanted...¡± they sighed, ¡°I told you what I wanted already.¡± They said, ¡°I wanted you to be proud of me.¡± ¡°I am!¡± TO said. ¡°But you never said that before.¡± GiDi said, ¡°And I was upset and I was mad, and I just thought about how your plans don¡¯t always work and...¡± They stopped, closing their eyes as they took several long breaths. ¡°I... lashed out.¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s a way to put it.¡± DH muttered. ¡°DH, like you¡¯ve never messed up before.¡± Avery said.Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings. ¡°I never said anything like-¡° ¡°DH, stop.¡± TO said, reaching out and scratching the back of DH¡¯s neck for a moment, getting them to calm down and getting their ears to relax. After another few moments, they finally asked, ¡°What changed?¡± GiDi looked up, looking at TO for the first time, their eyes flicking to TO¡¯s eyes and ears. ¡°What?¡± ¡°What changed?¡± TO asked again. ¡°You were mad. You lashed out. I thought you¡¯d never speak to me again.¡± A few more moments of silence passed before GiDi spoke again. ¡°I thought you were going to die.¡± ¡°They weren¡¯t going to die.¡± DH said, I stopped worrying about that as soon as their fever broke, but-¡° ¡°But nothing.¡± GiDi said, ¡°We¡¯re not supposed to get sick like this. We¡¯re supposed to be vaccinated, and get regular upkeep. We haven¡¯t been exposed to all this-¡° ¡°I Heard you were already sick once.¡± TO said, ¡°Before we showed up.¡± ¡°Well, yes,¡± GiDi said, their ears flushing once again, ¡°But that was different. I wasn¡¯t quarantined, and I didn¡¯t have a fever like you did. I just felt awful for a few days. I also wasn¡¯t recovering from an amputation! There¡¯s so much that could have gone wrong! You could have gotten some kind of severe chest infection that could have turned into pneumonia and killed you!¡± ¡°... Well, that¡¯s a bit extreme.¡± Avery said, ¡°Though, one civilian did pass from the cold.¡± ¡°Yes, they did.¡± DH said as their ears lowered, ¡°But they were also very old, they were sick, and they had other complications.¡± ¡°And TO was injured, stressed, and recovering from a surgery! their immune system could have been shot, and-¡° At this, DH gave a frustrated sigh, their ears pinning back as they looked at GiDi In disbelief. ¡°I told you not to go reading up on this!¡± they said. ¡°But there was so much information on this, and -¡° ¡°And as I told you before, you¡¯ll go, and you¡¯ll read every single little thing that can go wrong, and you¡¯ll obsess over that. You¡¯ll find the worst situations with the least probability, and you¡¯ll convince yourself that it¡¯s going to happen, and panic.¡± ¡°You were worried too!¡± ¡°I know I was.¡± DH, ¡°but unlike you, I wasn¡¯t driving myself crazy with every little possibility.¡± ¡°Ok, that aside,¡± Avery said as they held a hand up before themself ¡°Why couldn¡¯t you let GiDi see TO last night?¡± ¡°Yeah! As soon as I was able, I got your room number and came right down here!¡± GiDi said, ¡°But you said that now wasn¡¯t the time. I asked if TO was ok, and you said yes, and you weren¡¯t lying, so I figured that TO didn¡¯t want to talk to me now!¡± They looked towards TO, not quite looking them in the face, ¡°I mean, I wouldn¡¯t have blamed you, but still...¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t even know you showed up last night.¡± TO said, ¡°DH just said it was something that could wait for morning.¡± All eyes fell on DH, who remained silent for several long moments before sighing. ¡°TO was happy last night.¡± They said as their ears flushed, ¡°Their knee felt better, their cold is gone, and there¡¯s nothing big hanging over us right now.¡± DH shrugged, ¡°And I wanted to spend some time with them without something being wrong.¡± They looked to TO, their fingers lacing through TO¡¯s. ¡°We were comfortable last night. Happy. I didn¡¯t want anything to ruin that.¡± They paused and looked away. ¡°... Maybe I did that last night more for me than for you.¡± GiDi cleared their throat. ¡°... I just wanted to tell you what I did.¡± They said, slipping back into that practiced way of speaking, ¡°That I¡¯m sorry. That I was angry, and... and that even if I was right to be hurt or angry, I shouldn¡¯t have treated you like I did.¡± Practiced. As though GiDi had recited this a hundred times before. It was different from the way they used to talk in training, though, different from the carefully conditioned phrases they had implanted in their heads. From the way GiDi¡¯s ears moved, TO could tell that they meant what they were saying, and the way they recited the words was probably more because they had practiced it over and over to make sure they said it right. TO dipped their head, thinking for several long minutes, wishing they had considered how to say what they wanted to beforehand, wishing they had the same practice that GiDi obviously had. ¡°I used to just worry about you a lot.¡± They finally said, ¡°I worried about DH too, but DH and I both worried about you.¡± ¡°It was a scary time.¡± DH muttered. ¡°And when you were taken away from the training center, I thought I¡¯d never see you again. Later, I thought for sure you got captured by the insurgents or something. I thought maybe they were hurting you, torturing you for information!¡± ¡°Why would you think that?¡± GiDi said as their ears twitched in confusion. ¡°It¡¯s a long story.¡± DH said. ¡°And then we found, and you were fine. You were more than fine. You found a mate, you ended up leading the whole insurgency on Arkane-¡° GiDi¡¯s ears flushed, ¡°I wasn¡¯t leading anything-¡° ¡°Shush, you were, and you know it. Anyone would know it,¡± TO said. ¡°You went out of your way to save us, kept the insurgency going, organized the escape...¡± They looked up at GiDi as their ears perked up slightly, ¡°And your plan to get Tham and the others out of the holding center worked. You tricked me, at any rate.¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s only because I knew from Pearla that you were going on a date-night kind of thing, so I figured-¡° ¡°That¡¯s all part of planning.¡± TO said firmly, ¡°You had your resources, and you used them.¡± They looked down again, ¡°And... While I was terrified out of my mind when our ship and Kei¡¯s started racing towards one another... It was a good plan. And it worked.¡± GiDi glanced up at TO, their ears twitching, their blue-ringed eyes growing watery. ¡°I guess I was also ¡®lashing out¡¯ because I was scared back then.¡± TO admitted, borrowing GiDi¡¯s own phrasing. ¡°But I¡¯ve always been proud of you. You¡¯ve done things that I honestly don¡¯t think I could have done. You¡¯ve survived things I really don¡¯t think I could have, and you did something I entirely failed to do.¡± ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± GiDi asked, their voice breaking slightly. ¡°You kept our family together.¡± It would take GiDi and TO another ten minutes to calm down enough that they could leave the room and find something to eat, but it was different now. This was a relief; a weight taken off of them, which had been almost unbearable. They were ok; Their family was ok.¡± Episode 436:Chef When the four of them finally left their rooms, it was due to hunger. TO and DH had slept a lot longer than they thought and the emptiness in their stomachs had escalated to where they felt as though the bottom of their stomachs had fallen away and left them hollow. After checking in with Azizi to see if Constance was awake - she wasn''t, and Azizi confirmed that given the vaccinations and the travelling they had done, that was normal for her species- TO decided that it was indeed time for food. They didn''t know where the cafeteria would be but thanks to GiDi it seemed like they wouldn''t have to go searching. "I just messaged Pearla." They said, "She was up and about earlier than me, and she found a place for us to eat." They looked at their communicator, frowning. "She says that she''s in the ''Social District'', and that if we walk around the hallway here, we should find an elevator to take us there. Fourth floor, she says." they grinned, "I guess it''s a bit like the rings on Okoia, but instead of the central ring being government buildings and homes, it''s the..." They paused and thought about it for a moment, "Huh. I don''t know what''s in the center of this." "Me neither." TO said, "Centrifugal gravity simulation is practically archaic by now and I''ve never studied it myself. For all I know, it could be nothing." they took out their communicator and began searching for information, but as soon as they did they saw that they couldn''t access any of the normal information sources they normally would have. "That''s odd." "What is?" DH asked as they looked over TO''s shoulder. Upon seeing the error message, they nodded. "Makes sense." DH said as their ears dipped back, "If Scraprock is a rogue settlement, they wouldn''t be able to use the normal Galactic network." "Great." TO muttered. "But, wait, we were able to access stuff on the screens in our room." "Probably a closed network." DH said. "Limited information and files." TO nodded and put away their communicator. The idea that they could be closed off like that left them feeling uneasy, though the biggest consolation was that it seemed they could contact one another just fine, so while they were cut off from the rest of the galaxy, they weren''t cut off from their pod. Eventually, they found a rough, worn, industrial style elevator. It was with dread that they allowed themself to be pushed in but as soon as it started moving TO could tell that it had been soundproofed to protect their ears from the clattering and noise that civilian elevators normally created. The buttons before them were all numbered, and names sat scratched into the metal on the side: Engine Room, Temporary housing, Permanent housing, and live-in care were there, along with different floors for various types of technology, recreation, and, of course, the social level. It moved slowly as they descended to the inner layers. Despite no stop being called for at the floors in between, the elevator seemed to stop and wait at each floor. "Won''t gravity feel stronger at the lower levels?" DH asked, "I mean, if we''re getting closer to the center of Scraprock, wouldn''t the center rings move faster?" "It''s likely that the inner rings move more slowly than the outer rings, so the sense of gravity stays the same." TO said after a few minutes of careful thought. "That would explain why we keeps stopping at every floor. It''s probably waiting to link up to the next level." "Pearla says she found a place we *need* to go to eat." GiDi said as they checked their communicator. Clearly, they had little concern for how the gravity here worked. "She emphasizes ''need''. I have no idea why, or what we''ll be seeing there, but she''s also going to meet us there." While DH followed GiDi, pushing TO along as they went, TO finally had a chance to look around a little more. In the hallways so far there wasn''t much to see but now there were windows that showed the massive array of stars and distant swirling nebulae in space. As TO got closer though, they could see that they weren''t windows at all. Much like the "windows" at the CottageCore Club, which showed flower-filled fields on a breezy summer day, these windows were actually screens showing the massive void of space before them. Well, it made sense: large windows like this in space would be very expensive, and difficult to maintain. Easy enough for a synth ship, but far less feasible for a rogue settlement hurdling through space. It wasn''t long before they arrived, passing through a set of large sliding doors to reveal something that looked like a mix between the Outer Ring, and the Entertainment district on Arkane. The area was just a single short hallway, but there was a mass of booths and shops. A mix of smells and sounds permeated the area, along with a clash of colours which allowed it the excitement of the entertainment district, but with the chaos and makeshift vibe of the Outer Ring. Despite the added noise here, the sound was still comfortable to TO''s ears. They didn''t know how this was, given the walls were a mash of different materials, but for the moment they were just happy that their ears didn''t ache with echoed sound coming from all over.The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. "There she is!" GiDi''s excited voice caught TO''s attention and they watched as GiDi ran ahead, catching up to Pearla who was sitting at a booth with her tail tightly wrapped around a stool to keep her stable as she sat . GiDi ran up to her and caught her in an embrace before leaning forward and planting a long, tender kiss on her lips. "Missed me, did you?" She asked with a grin once they pulled away. "It was only a night." "I don''t want to be away from you for even a single night!" GiDi protested their ears flicking down, their eyes growing wide in an obvious pout. "Why didn''t the two of you stay together?" TO asked once they caught up with the two. "I went to sleep much earlier." Pearla said. "I was exhausted, so they just gave me a room and I went to sleep. I figured someone would tell GiDi where I was, but it was all so chaotic once we got here." She turned back to GiDi, placing her hand on their arm. "You''re ok though?" She asked. She glanced quickly at TO again, "Everything is ok? You weren''t alone all night were you?" "They were with Tham and I." They said. "Everything is ok. The idiots managed to do this magical thing called ''communicating'' and-" "Shush you." TO said, nudging Avery with their elbow. They looked back to Pearla but their attention was taken by the cook behind her. The cook originally had their back to the others but as they turned to set down a tray of food TO realized that the cook was actually a synth. "You''re a synth!" DH said, staring at the cook with big eyes. "Not quite." The cook said, their ears twitching with amusement, "NuChilacian." "Flit must have been busy!" GiDi said softly. "They sent you here too?" The cook''s ears twitched in confusion, "Flit?" "Yeah, the retiree that got us out of the training centre." the cook shook their head, ears perking up once more, "Ah, no, I didn''t come here from a training center." They said, "I was on assignment." "Your placement?" DH asked, "On Arkane?" They shook their head again, "No no, on Assignment. I finished my placement." They gestured to the food, "Doesn''t matter. Pearla here ordered food for all of you, and it''s just about ready." Pearla grinned, "I was looking for a meal myself when I found this place." She said, "This is Ramanar. They run this little stand." "It''s as big as it can be, given the location." They said with a grin, "But to be fair, I very much doubt there''s a market for my kind of food on most planets." "I dunno, I like it." Pearla said. DH brought TO to a lower table at the end of the stand where they could eat comfortably in their chair before sitting on the stool next to them. "Your kind of food?" DH asked. "You''ll see." they said as they set another tray down next before TO. "But even if I cooked more mainstream food, I imagine if I tried to open a place on any planet, I''d be arrested pretty quickly." They forced their lips into a grin, their ears up and flicking back slightly, "I''m a wanted felon after all." "A wanted felon?" GiDi said, stopping just as they reached towards the tray of food. "What did you do?" "What did I actually do, or what are the charges?" They asked. "For the former, I exist. I think, and I act for myself. The charges are murder, but I didn''t do that." They frowned, their ears flicking slightly, "well, correction. I have killed people, but that was in the line of duty. I didn''t murder the person who I''m charged to have killed." "Front lines?" TO asked, "I thought front line synths didn''t do a placement." "Not front lines." They said with another amused ear twitch. "Sometimes, Decon will promise a synth bodyguard to the ruling families of planets he takes over. A sign of faith, status symbol, and a way to protect the families that bow to him. That''s where I was before I got away." They nodded at the tray before TO "Go ahead though: eat." TO lifted the lid of the tray, and immediately the smell hit them, wafting upwards and drawing them forward. After going back to the tasteless cubes the scent of flavored food made their mouth water. The bowl was filled with a collection of multicoloured shapes, some of which had obviously different textures, and some which seemed to have an almost identical texture as the cubes they ate in training and on the ship. To the side of the dish, there was a single long stick. TO took it, and skewered a green, round piece of food, and popped it into their mouth. Crunchy outside, soft inside. Slightly sweet. They had to bite into it with their teeth, but after doing that the rest of the morsel seemed to dissolve on their tongue, a new flavour emerging as it did, and a satisfying fizzing rising up as the crunchy part melted into the soft. Their eyes widened as they tried to hold the morsel in for as long as possible to enjoy the flavor longer but all too soon the flavour was gone and they had no choice but to swallow what was left. Wordlessly, they stabbed another piece - this one red and shaped like a triangle. it was slightly shiny and when they bit into it a jelly-like substance spread over their tongue - one which was almost savory and sweet at the same time. It was by far the best food they ever ate, and for the next twenty minutes they sat there, entirely focused on the meal before them. Episode 437: Place ¡°We¡¯re coming back here every single day of our stay,¡± DH said, grinning as they watched TO finish their second helping. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen them eat so much in a single sitting.¡± Ramanar¡¯s ears flushed blue, perking up in joy as they watched TO eat, ¡°Well, there¡¯s not many who focus on food for NuChilacians, so I¡¯m glad my work¡¯s paid off!¡± They said. ¡°I got some recipes from the Chilacians on Apoikia, but there was something about them that just didn¡¯t hit right. Given I have a limited test group here, it took a while to figure out the problem. I mean, Chilacian food is *fine*, really, but there¡¯s just something about it that doesn¡¯t hit right for us.¡± ¡°Why not?¡± TO asked as they ate their last morsel. ¡°Well, the issue was the texture, mostly.¡± Ramanar said, ¡°The taste was mostly fine, but we got used to a certain textures. Now, that doesn¡¯t mean we don¡¯t like different textures, but there¡¯s a certain mouth-feel that seems to orbit around the texture of the meal cubes from training. Merging the tastes of Chilacian food with a combination of those textures seems to hit all the right spots.¡± They shook their head, ¡°My partner said it probably had to do with early conditioning to the food we were used to, but that¡¯s well out of my field of expertise.¡± ¡°Partner?¡± TO asked. ¡°Is your partner another Synth as well?¡± ¡°NuChilacian.¡± they say, ¡°And no, he¡¯s not.¡± They said, ¡°My Partner is a lovely Panarth, and he works in the engine room.¡± TO frowned and reached for their communicator to check what that was, but then realized that they couldn¡¯t use it like that right now. It didn¡¯t matter in the end, as they remembered that the name ¡°Panarth¡± was the common name for another wide-ranging species called MegaParnathropoda. ¡°A climate controlled environment is not really the environment they like to stay in.¡± TO said as their ears flicked back. ¡°True. They normally prefer more extreme environments, but that¡¯s why he works in the engine room. Or the exhaust systems. Or just about anywhere that¡¯s more dangerous for anyone else to go.¡± ¡°Right.¡± TO said. Another synth- no, Chilacian-, no, NuChilacian who had a mate of a different species. It seemed to be very common. ¡°Do you know Azizi?¡± ¡°I know of it.¡± Ramanar said, ¡°why, do you need them?¡± ¡°Well, no, but I knew that they have a NuChilacian partner, and I wanted to know if all of you were in the same pod.¡± Ramanar¡¯s ears twitched in amusement, their lips quickly twitching up in a smile that TO recognized as the same kind that they used around non-Chilacians. It occurred to them that perhaps this NuChilacian had been doing this for so long around so many other species that it was just reflexive at this point. Would it ever be so reflexive for TO themself? ¡°We don¡¯t really bother with that kind of complex hierarchy,¡± they said. ¡°I mean, Pods and Ankyras, and the whole formality in the way that pods form?¡± They shook their head, ¡°No. It¡¯s honestly a bit of a bother, at least for me.¡± ¡°... Avery is our Ankrya.¡± TO said as they glanced at Avery, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with-¡° ¡°Oh! oh nothing¡¯s wrong with it!¡± Ramanar said, their ears twitching down, coloring slightly as they realized they may have said something they shouldn¡¯t have. ¡°No, nothing wrong with it at all! But we just don¡¯t bother with it a lot here.¡± They shrugged, ¡°Most of the ¡®pods¡¯ if you want to call them that are really just...¡± Their ears flicked back and twitched as they considered how to phrase this, ¡°Ok. Look. We have big families here, and lots of the people in those families aren¡¯t NuChilacian.¡± ¡°We have the same.¡± GiDi said as they glanced at Pearla. ¡°I know. And that¡¯s good!¡± Ramanar insisted. ¡°But, look.¡± They sighed, their wings tightening around their arms. ¡°I don¡¯t mean any offense. If you want to do the whole pod thing and have an Ankyra, go for it! But...¡± They shrugged, ¡°We just have lots of close friends, and we consider them family. Some of our friends cycle. Some can¡¯t. Most are capable of pack bonding, but that¡¯s not essential. We just choose the people we like, and we make those people our families.¡± They shrugged. ¡°It works for us, and it feels a lot less complicated.¡±You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story. ¡°But what about the whole Shatter-Sickness thing?¡± TO said, ¡°I mean, does that kind of set-up have any effect on your Ankyra in that way?¡± ¡°Well, again, we don¡¯t have ¡®Ankyras¡¯.¡± Ramanar said. ¡°Just some of us don¡¯t cycle. As for ¡®Shatter Sickness.¡¯¡± They shrugged. ¡°We know about it, obviously.¡± While the Chilacians like to keep to themselves a lot, they were happy to send us information to help us. Most of the information I¡¯ve read about it was mostly preventative." Preventative didn¡¯t help TO if Avery already had Shatter Sickness. Yes, at this moment Avery seemed fine - they were eating well, and they had seen themself that morning. Still, they had only been around Avery a short time since their friend had woken up, and until TO was certain that they would be fine, they still wanted to get to Apoikia ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to offend you or anything.¡± Ramanar said, ¡°I think there¡¯s a small group that formed a pod, but even then it¡¯s small, and I think the only difference is that they purposefully call themselves a ¡®pod¡¯ and have an Ankyra. Most of the others have decided to just go with this more casual setup.¡± ¡°How many others?¡± GiDi asked? ¡°How many other NuChilacians are there here?¡± Ramanar let out a long breath as they closed their eyes. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t know offhand.¡± They said, ¡°The ones that stick around? I¡¯d say there¡¯s a hundred, maybe a hundred and twenty, maybe?¡± TO¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°A hundred and... that many?¡± They asked, ¡°How are there that many-¡° ¡°Well, it¡¯s not a lot, really.¡± They said, ¡°I mean, I thought the same thing when I first learned that, but...¡± They frowned and looked around, their eyes landing on all the different booths around them. As TO followed their gaze, they saw that there were several other NuChilacians in different booths. Some were simply walking around, and TO even saw one NuChilacian with a blue-skinned humanoid, their ears flicking with lust as they gazed at someone who was obviously their mate. TO¡¯s own ears burned, and they looked away. The last time TO had seen anything like that, it had been Flit and Snout, and they weren¡¯t supposed to see that! Watching a synth like them being so at-ease in public with their affection made a jolt of panic run through TO. ¡°This seems to be the place that most of us decided to stay.¡± They finally said, ¡°Here or Apoikia, anyway. It¡¯s comfortable here, and there¡¯s so many of us that we¡¯ve had the chance to build the ship to accommodate us!¡± They gestured around. ¡°The sound doesn¡¯t echo off the walls like it would in most other places. The lights don¡¯t flicker and give us headaches. We¡¯ve been able to make a whole community that¡¯s made for *our* comfort.¡± they shook their head, smiling as they looked down at some of the food they¡¯ve been preparing. ¡°I¡¯ve even had time to make food *specifically* for our species. I¡¯ve been able to work to make food that appears to our taste, dietary needs, and textural preferences.¡± They gestured to some of the small shapes, which it seemed they were about to fry in oil. ¡°Judging from recipes that I got from Apoikia, this stuff would never work out there; their tastes are different. But us? NuChilacians who came from a training center? We need more subtle tastes and smells, and the textures we prefer are very different from what you¡¯d find in nature.¡± They smiled at the food. ¡°This place, it¡¯s made for us. Not for Synths, and not for Chilacians. It¡¯s made for people like us.¡± they looked back at TO ¡°And... because of that, a lot of us stay here. It¡¯s comfortable.¡± ¡°Comfortable on a spaceship?¡± Pearla asked, ¡°I mean, I know it¡¯s technically not a spaceship, but- ¡° ¡°In an artificial living facility, yes.¡± They said, ¡°Climate controlled down to the last detail. I¡¯ll tell you this: I¡¯d rather stay here for the rest of my life than have to live on a planet again.¡± They shuddered. ¡°It¡¯s too open. Too big, and too uncontrollable.¡± ¡°But there¡¯s so much that can go wrong on a ship!¡± Pearla said, ¡°I mean, if one of your systems breaks down-¡° ¡°We can fix it.¡± Ramanar said quickly. ¡°If an asteroid is heading towards us, we can move. We don¡¯t have to worry about storms, earthquakes, floods, or volcanos. You can¡¯t just move your planet, can you!? No, if someone is coming at you from outer space, all you can do is either get off the planet, or hope you survive it.¡± ¡°... so you¡¯re just planning to live here?¡± TO asked, ¡°On Scraprock?¡± ¡°I do live here.¡± They said, smiling, ¡°And I¡¯m very happy here. Happier than I¡¯ve ever been in my entire life. I have a family, a mate, I feel comfortable, and I can play around with food just to make it look *Fun*!¡± They held up a delicate-looking piece of food which looked like a bloomed flower. ¡°look, I spent hours figuring out how to make this bloom like it does. Is it necessary? No! But it¡¯s fun. It looks pretty.¡± They smiled at TO, ¡°I can just... focus on making my food nicer, if I want to, and that¡¯s considered valuable here; important.¡± Their ears suddenly dipped. ¡°I mean. Not that everything you do has to be important or valuable.¡± They said quickly. ¡°I... keep having to remind myself of that. If I struggle with it too much, I try to learn a new thing just because I can.¡± They frowned as they looked around. ¡°Apparently, it¡¯s not healthy to just worry about being useful.¡± They huffed, ¡°I don¡¯t get that, though. I mean, everything should add some value to life, even if it¡¯s not practical value, right?¡± ¡°Right.¡± TO said, even though they weren¡¯t entirely sure what Ramanar was talking about. ¡°But... that aside, you¡¯re happy here? You¡¯re happy living here, and making this food?¡± Ramanar nodded, ¡°Yes.¡± They said ¡°I¡¯m very happy here.¡± They said as they put the small fried flower on a round, green edible plate, and passed it to TO. ¡°I¡¯m happy with things being peaceful and calm. Well, as calm as it can be.¡± Their ears flicked once more in amusement. ¡°I hope you¡¯ll be happy here too, for as long as you end up staying.¡± Episode 438: Family TO''s communicator went off as they were still sitting at the booth, enjoying the feeling of a full stomach. They checked their chip, the message flickering before them on a simple, short-range signal. -Tihona- -Constance is awake.- The spartan message was followed only by brief directions telling TO where they had to go. "Constance is awake." TO said as they willed their chair forward. "I need to go see her." they looked over the directions- they were fairly simple despite the fact that TO had no idea where most things were here on Scraprock. Just as they finished committing the direction to memory, DH''s communicator went off as well. "You got the same message?" TO asked, "I have the instructions, and I think I can figure them out, so-" "I didn''t get the same message." DH said as their ears dipped down. They looked at TO, "I''m sorry, I have to go." "Wait, what? Why?" TO turned in their chair, almost hurting their back with how fast they moved, "What''s wrong?" "Oh, nothing''s wrong." DH insisted. "Vik and I have been in contact with people for a while here to trade for the materials we''d need to make your new prosthetic. Vik handled the trading for us since apparently he''s got contacts here, and now we have everytyhing we need." Their ears flicked up slightly, "So... I really want to go and get started on that." Despite the fact that they had already spent the night together TO didn''t want to let DH go, didn''t want to spend a second longer than necessary out of their mate''s company. What made them ok with this, what made them want DH to go off and work on the prosthetic wasn''t the fact that TO knew they needed it, but how DH''s ears twitched and flicked in excitement at the prospect of getting to work on it. "You go on." TO said with a grin, "I can go check on Constance." "Are you sure?" "Yes. you''re excited, so I want you to go have fun." DH''s ears dropped once more, "It''s not that!" they said even as their ears drooped, "You need it, so-" "I need it, and you''re excited to work on it." They said, "I can''t wait to see it." DH beamed for a moment, their ears flicking up before dropping once more, "You know, I''d rather not have to make it. I wish you still had-" "I know." TO said, "Now go on. I want to see what you make." DH smiled broadly once more, kissed TO quickly, then took off down the hallway. "Well, at least the two of you got a little better at talking." GiDi said as their ears twitched in amusement, "I feel like back in training, this would have been a whole thing." "I''m surprised it''s not a ''whole thing'' now!" Avery said, their ears twitching the same as GiDi''s. "Funny." TO said as their ears flicked down, flushing blue from the brief but unexpected kiss. "While you two laugh about that, I''m going to go check in on Constance." "Don''t be so sour." GiDi said, falling into line behind TO, "Obviously we''ll go with you." "Yes." Avery said, "I understand that ''Constance'' is part of our family now, so, it feels proper that we should all go see her." ====== There were no issues with picking up Constance, much to TO''s profound amazement. They got to the medical ward where many young children were in various stages of sleep thanks to the vaccinations they had been given and a drowsy looking Constance sitting in a comfortable chair near the door. A quick sign off, followed by a brief explanation of potential rare side effects and TO was rolling out of the medical ward with Constance half asleep on their lap, her tail curled behind the chair and hooked comfortably into a band that TO hadn''t noticed before. It reminded them that this chair had once belonged to her father. In her half asleep state, did she think that TO was him?The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation. Was she ok? OR at least, would she be ok? TO knew that when they thought they had lost GiDi forever it had taken a while before they felt steady again, before their friend''s absence didn''t dominate their mind. Would it be the same for her? "... She''s doing well." Avery said as they walked. "Well enough anyway, all things considered." As TO glanced up at them, Avery''s ears gave a subtle twitch, "When she was feeling better, I spent some time with her. Lots of time, actually." "She was very worried about you." GiDi said, "I know you got to talk to her a little over your communicator when you were sick, but she was still worried about you." "You say that as though you weren''t worried." Avery said, "I kind of hated it when you and Constance spent any time together because you''d both come away from it more panicked over TO than before!" "I didn''t know the two of you taking care of her." "Well, she''s part of the pod now, isn''t she?" Avery said, "You took her in and all." "I think it takes more than that." TO said as their ears dipped, "I should have asked you -" Avery made a dismissive sound, their ears flattening out as they waved their hand, "Nonsense." They said, "You took her in, she''s family." "I''m pretty sure I''m supposed to-" "I really enjoyed breakfast today." Avery said suddenly. "I mean, the food was good, but I really enjoyed talking to Ramanar. Hearing them talk about how casual things are here made me feel a lot better." They looked down at TO, "So, If I can just be casual about all this, then I''d rather be. I don''t want to have to make all the decisions." Their ears flicked in amusement, "Though, I am happy to be the only one with brains when the rest of you are being idiots." TO''s ears pinned back slightly, a blue flush darkening them. A defensive response was ready on their tongue, but then GiDi''s communicator went off. As GiDi checked the message TO could tell just from watching the way GiDi''s eyes grew bigger and their way their ears flicked up, that the message was from Pearla. "it was-" "Pearla?" TO said with twitching ears. GiDi''s ears dipped down, flushing. "Was I that obvious?" "You''re all that obvious." Avery said. "What did Pearl have to say?" GiDi''s ears burned, but they continued on. "She''s awake, and things are calming down. lots of people have gotten off Scraprock already and they''re getting a chance to breathe now. Found a place we can meet up with them and get our chips synced up to the network they have here." ''When is eveyone else leaving?" TO asked, "I mean..." they paused. GiDi hadn''t agreed to coming back to Apoikia with them yet. They were lucky enough that they convinced GiDi to come to ScrapRock and they didn''t want to push their luck by assuming they''d go to Apoikia just yet, especially after they had just gotten on speaking terms yet. "Well, we''re not going anywhere yet" GiDi said, "Obviously." They glanced at TO, chuckling as TO''s ears flicked in confusion, "Well, I''m not leaving until you''re healed up properly. Pearla said she''d stay until then as well. If Pearla is staying then Tham is also staying." they smiled at TO, "What, you didn''t think We''d split up, did you?" "... I did." TO said, their ears flicking back in confusion, "You said you were going to stay on Arkane-" GiDi sighed, "I want to go back." They said, "I want to fight, to do something to make things better! but right now, I can''t. Arkane is safe, but it''s still under martial law and there''s a much stronger synth presence there. If we were even able to get past the blockade alive, I''m worried that being would just put Arkane in danger again." their eyes narrowed, "I suppose that''s the point. They''re saying ''don''t try to change things, you''ll just get people hurt.''" "so... What are you going to do?" TO asked. "We could stay here." Avery said, "It''s safe, there''s plenty of supplies, relatively self-sufficient, and lots of NuChilacians-" "What about Apoikia?" TO said, their ears flicking in panic, "Don''t you want to go there?" "You want me to go there." Avery said, "Because you think I have that Shatter-Sickness." "You don''t think you do?" TO asked. Avery fell silent for a while as they walked, "I don''t know." They finally admitted, "I don''t know enough about it. I want to say no, that I''m fine." "But you''re not fine?" TO ventured, breaking the long beat of silence that followed. "Not always." They finally admitted. "I''m keeping busy. I''m around people. But, I still think about Kei a lot, and I just keep thinking maybe I could have done something more" They held up their hand as TO opened their mouth to speak, "I know, you don''t think I could have, and I can''t think of anything else I could have done, but I keep wondering if there was something that I missed, that we missed." their ears flicked down, and they were quiet for another moment before they said, "I don''t know if what i''m feeling is a normal reaction, or if it''s shatter-sickness. I don''t know if it''s getting better or worse or just different." "...Then if it''s safe, you should go to Apoikia." GiDi said. "If nothing else, it''ll confirm that it''s not Shatter Sickness." "Then you''ll come too?" TO didn''t expect Avery to be the one to ask GiDi that, but they could have kissed their friend for doing it. GiDi looked away, their ears flicking down as they stared out the screens that simulated the vast, swirling void of space. "If Pearla will come with me, then yes... I''ll go." That simple sentence, while not confirmation, was more than enough for TO for now. Episode 439: Plans As soon as TO entered the room which GiDi led them to, they were attacked immediately. Well, perhaps ¡®attacked¡¯ wasn¡¯t quite the right word, but the sudden tackle and the arms around their chest felt like an attack. A jolt of fear ran through them until they realized it was just Petra, hugging them firmly. Constance didn¡¯t wake, but she did murmur in discontent as she shifted to get comfortable once more. ¡°I thought I wouldn¡¯t see you again!¡± she said, ¡°You dumbass, I knew you were sick, but I thought you were better, and then I got your room number but you weren¡¯t there-¡° ¡°She¡¯s been beside herself.¡± Lendulin said as she wheeled herself forward. She had a new chair now, one with a customized section around the bottom which held her tail comfortably. Much like the chair TO and DH had given her back on Arkane, this one was motorized. ¡°You like my new wheels?¡± She said, grinning as she made the chair spin, ¡°Donated by the good people of Scraprock, and altered by a lovely, tech savvy NuChilacian to be far more comfortable than any chair I¡¯ve ever had.¡± ¡°Tech savvy? do you mean DH?¡± TO asked, looking around as though DH might be in the room. ¡°Oh, no no,¡± she said, ¡°I mean, I don¡¯t know who would be more tech savvy, but this was another one. In one of the lower levels, there¡¯s a tech recycling section, and the NuChilacian who runs it fiddles with the tech. It didn¡¯t take them any time at all to alter my chair to fit my tail.¡± ¡°They said their name was Gear.¡± Petra said, finally pulling away from TO. ¡°Er, sorry, no, he said his name was gear.¡± ¡°He? none of us have-¡° ¡°This one introduced himself as ¡®he/him¡¯ so, he¡¯s he/him.¡± TO nodded slowly. Well, it made sense; if freed synths could choose their own name, choose their own clothes, and their professions, then why couldn¡¯t they choose their own gender? ¡°I¡¯ll have to introduce DH.¡± They said, ¡°Maybe they¡¯d want to meet him.¡± Pearla, after taking a moment to smooch GiDi properly, made her way over to see TO and Constance. ¡°She ok?¡± she asked. ¡°Odd for her to be asleep-¡° ¡°She got all her essential vaccinations.¡± TO said, ¡°She¡¯ll be a bit sleepy for the rest of the day.¡± Pearla nodded. ¡°Ah, yeah, those accelerated schedules can be a pain. Still, better than the alternative.¡± She says, ¡°I¡¯ve heard of diseases out there that just make me want to vomit.¡± ¡°Agreed.¡± TO said, their expression darkening, ¡°And I promise you, you¡¯ve only seen a fraction of what¡¯s actually out there.¡± They gently lifted Constance, ¡°Do you have a bed or a cot here for-¡° Before TO could finish what they were saying, Constance stirred to wakefulness. ¡°Hmm, what?¡± she looked around, and saw TO in the process of lifting her off the chair, ¡°What, what¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Oh, nothing.¡± TO said, letting her rest in their lap once more, ¡°I wondered if Pearla had a bed where you could-¡° ¡°No no, I¡¯m fine.¡± She said with a yawn, ¡°I¡¯m awake. I want to stay here.¡± Pearla smiled and straightened up. ¡°That¡¯s fine.¡± She said as she leaned in to get a better look at her, ¡°How are you doing, sweetie?¡± ¡°Good.¡± she said, yawning again, ¡°Can I go swimming now?¡± A low, clicking chuckle ran through TO¡¯s chest, causing Constance to look at them in defiance. ¡°That¡¯s not funny! I haven¡¯t been able to swim in-¡° ¡°I didn¡¯t think it was funny,¡± they said with a smile, ¡°Just... Honestly, I feel the same way about flying.¡± ¡°You can really fly?¡± she asked, looking at their wings. ¡°I never saw you fly before, though. I never saw a Synth flying, not for real. Some people have wings just to look pretty, so that¡¯s what I thought yours were.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know if they¡¯re pretty.¡± TO said, stretching their scarred wing out so she could see the long, silvery gashes against the otherwise light-blue membrane. ¡°See this? When this happened, it took ages for my wings to heal up enough for me to fly. I hated it. I was checking every day to see if I could fly, but I was told I¡¯d only hurt myself if I flew too soon.¡± The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. Constance pouted, giving TO as much of a glare as she could. ¡°My tail isn¡¯t hurt, though.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s not, but you¡¯re sleepy and tired, and need to rest. If you swim when you¡¯re tired, you could hurt yourself.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t drown.¡± She huffed. ¡°Well, that¡¯s good.¡± TO said, ¡°But what if you hit your tail off something and injured it? Then you wouldn¡¯t be able to swim at all for weeks.¡± ¡°Tell you what,¡± Lendulin said. ¡°You rest up for one more day and tomorrow, I¡¯ll take you to the swimming tank and we can swim as long as we want.¡± She leaned in, as though sharing a secret, ¡°I heard they have hunting tanks too. They¡¯ll release fish we can hunt down and chomp on. Would you like that?¡± She tried to maintain her pout, but the promise of swimming and hunting in the water seemed to interest her ¡°... Yeah.¡± ¡°Then promise me you¡¯ll rest up today so we can spend the whole day together tomorrow!¡± TO expected her to promise right away, but instead, she looked up at TO, ¡°Is that ok?¡± she asked, ¡°May I?¡± TO blinked in response. ¡°I.. sure?¡± They said, uncertain why she was asking them. ¡°So long as you feel up to it-¡° Before they could finish, Constance wrapped her small arms around TO¡¯s neck. ¡°Thank you.¡± She said. ¡°That means you have to rest,¡± Lendulin said, suppressing a grin. ¡°Now, I know you want to say here with TO, but will you try to rest?¡± She nodded. ¡°I can rest here.¡± Still somewhat confused over what had just happened, TO shrugged and turned back to Petra and Lendulin. ¡°Are you two staying here?¡± They asked, ¡°Or are you leaving?¡± ¡°You wanna get rid of us that fast?¡± Petra said, sticking her pointed tongue out at TO. ¡°That¡¯s not what I mean!¡± TO said, their ears flicking down instantly. ¡°I know, I know,¡± Petra said with a laugh. ¡°And... we don¡¯t know, honestly.¡± ¡°We can¡¯t really go back to Arkane.¡± Lendulin said. ¡°We¡¯re both on lists now. If we went back, it wouldn¡¯t be long before the authorities grabbed us, questioned us, and then-¡° ¡°And then they¡¯d deport us to one of the lunar mines.¡± Petra snapped. ¡°That¡¯s what they do with problems, and we¡¯re problems now.¡± ¡°Yeah, and I suppose that after the whole thing in Thalassia, I wouldn¡¯t be able to get my old job back, anyway.¡± Lendulin said. ¡°Though, if I stay, I suppose I don¡¯t really need it.¡± She grinned at TO, taking in their confused expression. ¡°If I stay here, I can help out by doing repairs on the water systems-¡° ¡°Or by painting.¡± Petra said, ¡°She¡¯s being modest, but a few of the residents here saw some stuff she was working on, and already asked her if she¡¯d do work for them if she decided to stay. Of course, they said her work reminded them of a *certain painter¡¯s* work, and when I told them that she was actually something of his ghost painter, they offered her more work!¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t have to say that, though.¡± Lendulin said, ¡°I¡¯d rather just move on, do my own work if I¡¯m able.¡± ¡°And let that asshole take credit for what you already did!?¡± she rolled her eyes. ¡°Well, it¡¯s not like anyone will believe us anyway, and we can¡¯t really do an interview.¡± ¡°Well, won¡¯t people think something is up when he¡¯s not painting anymore?¡± TO asked, ¡°If he¡¯s not producing anything-¡° ¡°She¡¯s stated in recent interviews that his ¡®traumatic¡¯ experience in Thalassia, followed by the horrid conditions he¡¯s had to endure in lockdown, has thrown him into a state of artist¡¯s block.¡± She scoffed, ¡°He was on one of the first emergency pods out of Thalassia, and his hardships probably involve not being able to get the imported deserts he likes.¡± ¡°... All that to say that staying here is honestly kind of appealing to me,¡± Lendulin finally said. ¡°I just don¡¯t know how I like being on a spaceship all the time, but the idea of a clean place to swim every day, decent food, and the ability to paint and sign my own name on my work is tempting.¡± ¡°And if she stays, I¡¯ll likely stay.¡± Petra said. ¡°What about the rest of you?¡± TO shook their head, ¡°We¡¯re going to Apoikia as soon as I¡¯m ready.¡± They said, ¡°DH is working on a prosthetic leg for me, and it¡¯ll take some healing time after that, and then I¡¯ll have to learn how to walk on it, and fly... ¡° ¡°I¡¯d be lying if I said I wasn¡¯t disappointed.¡± Petra said, ¡°But I also expected you¡¯d go off there. Honestly, if I found out that what I knew about my race was all a lie, I¡¯d want to go learn more, too.¡± She turned to Pearla. ¡°What about you? Gonna try to go back to Arkane?¡± ¡°Depends.¡± She said, looking at GiDi, ¡°Where are you going? We were going to go back to Arkane, but we talked about that -¡° ¡°And it¡¯s not a good idea right now,¡± GiDi said, sighing. ¡°I don¡¯t know what I want to do now, long term. But, I¡¯ll go to Apoikia If you¡¯ll go with me.¡± ¡°Would they welcome me there?¡± She asked. ¡°I¡¯m not a Chilacian.¡± ¡°Constance is coming with us,¡± TO said. ¡°So, we already have one non-Chilacian coming.¡± ¡°I think Goretta is going there, too.¡± Tham said. Tham had been quiet all this time, sitting in the corner, just watching what was going on. ¡°So, I¡¯d assume so.¡± Pearla nodded, then turned to GiDi, ¡°And If I¡¯m going, Tham is going-¡° ¡°What?!¡± Tham said, rising up from where he leaned against the wall, his skin darkening. ¡°Me? but, I¡¯m not-¡° ¡°You¡¯re family.¡± Pearla said, ¡°If you¡¯re family, you¡¯re going. Unless you got somewhere else to be?¡± Tham muttered angrily for a moment, then shrugged. ¡°Fine, fine. Better than being stuck here, anyway...¡± ¡°There.¡± Pearla said, ¡°I won¡¯t be the only non-Chilacian there.¡± She grinned at TO, ¡°So, sorry, but the ship is going to be a little crowded on the way there.¡± TO could only grin. After the trip to Scraprock, TO was certain they could handle a few extra people on board. Of course, even if they had to get to Apoikia in their little emergency ship, TO would have been happy to have all of them crowded into the tiny vehicle, so long as they stayed together. Episode 440: Accomidations It was a couple of hours later when everyone began to leave what TO had come to realize later was a cafe, desperate for food, naps, showers, or even just some quiet time to themselves after so long stuck in a ship shoulder to shoulder. They expected GiDi to take off with Pearla right away, but to TO¡¯s surprise, GiDi insisted on taking TO to explore more of Scraprock while Avery went to go find Lake. They hadn¡¯t seen or spoken to Lake since the incident on Arkane. The incident. An odd way to think about it now. The incident. The Incident that lost TO their leg, and cost Mark his life. Avery was worried about Lake, and insisted and going to go see him if he was still on Scraprock. In the end, it was just TO, GiDi, and the sleeping Constance strolling through the hallways. Despite the fact that TO was able to push themself, GiDi was quick to offer their held. Maybe they had forgotten about the alterations to their chair, or maybe they just wanted to help in any way they could. TO didn¡¯t mind either way; it took dedicated focused to make the chair move, and with GiDi pushing them, they could enjoy the view. ¡°... I do miss our old training center sometimes.¡± GiDi said, ¡°At least, I miss the Observation deck.¡± They reached out and set their fingertips on the ¡®window¡¯, causing the image to distort slightly. ¡°It was a real window, and it showed us real space, and-¡° ¡°We were lucky to have the view that we did.¡± TO pointed out, ¡°Most of space is just an empty void. Well, visually, anyway.¡± they looked at the screens, eying the view of an unending stream of moving nebulas and asteroids. ¡°Though, honestly, I would prefer just being able to see outside, or at least having the option. Even if they had it like our screens in our ship, where it just shows us what¡¯s outside.¡± ¡°But why not have real windows?¡± ¡°Too hard to maintain, too expensive.¡± They shrugged. ¡°The observation deck on the training ship, that was obviously built for a reason, and probably intended to show off. But it¡¯s just not in use now, and even removing the glass at this stage would be expensive.¡± ¡°... Do you ever miss the training center?¡± GiDi asked, ¡°I mean, not all of it, not the situation, but the center itself...¡± TO fell quiet for a few moments as they considered GiDi¡¯s question. ¡°I suppose, sometimes.¡± They said, ¡°I miss the showers, and the bath.¡± They added. ¡°And the lights didn¡¯t hurt my eyes. Sound wasn¡¯t echoing off all over the place.¡± They fell silent as they saw a Nu-Chilacian turn a corner. They passed by, silent save for a brief nod exchanged, and a friendly flick of the ears. When they were out of earshot, TO continued, ¡°Though, I suppose since there¡¯s so many others, and they helped build this place, it¡¯s not surprising that this place is similar. It¡¯s a lot like the training center.¡± They pursed their lips as they passed a section of the hallway which had been patched with a piece of brightly colored red metal. ¡°Though, without the funding, obviously.¡± ¡°What do you think Apoikia will be like?¡± they asked after several moments of silence. ¡°Think it¡¯ll be better than this?¡± ¡°Probably.¡± TO murmured. They had no idea what to expect, since they had no idea about the planet itself. Details sent to them were quick and limited, often only holding encrypted files. They refused to say anything about the state of their planet, anything that might give a clue as to where they were. For all TO knew, they weren¡¯t even living on a planet: They could have been on a ship as well. ¡°We don¡¯t even know where it is.¡± TO said. ¡°No, we don¡¯t.¡± GiDi stopped in front of a section of the windows that showed a swirling nebula in the distance. ¡°Flit does, apparently, but they¡¯ve been sworn to secrecy.¡± ¡°Eventually, they¡¯ll have to give us coordinates.¡± TO muttered. ¡°I know. They¡¯re just very secretive.¡± It made sense that they were secretive. If the existence of a group of unaltered Chilacians became public knowledge, TO knew that Decon would work to make their existence a matter only for historical records. He nearly destroyed Arkane to save face, and a discovery like this, that he didn¡¯t create synths form nothing, wouldn¡¯t show him in the best of lights. There would be too many questions from civilians and synths alike. Proper, fully altered, proper synths would be easy to take deceive - just tell them its lies and a synth like Kei¨Cor what Kei had been like¨Cwould accept the word of king Decon without hesitation. Most of the officers and trainers, and any synth with a specialized profession, were strange in some way. Hitting that perfect balance where they were, their brain was altered enough to be loyal, but not so much that it affected their cognition. If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. A truth like ¡®King Decon lied about creating you¡¯ would be the first spark in a series of fires in their mind, shattering Decon¡¯s infallibility. ¡°Will Apoikia be ok for her?¡± GiDi asked, nodding at Constance. ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t it be?¡± TO asked, frowning, ¡°Goretta is going to come too, and Pearla-¡° ¡°not like that.¡± GiDi said quickly, ¡°I mean.. well, like how things on Arkane were too loud and bright all the time.¡± they said, ¡°Will there be water for her to swim in? Food she can eat?¡± TO¡¯s ears dipped. ¡°You think it won¡¯t be?¡± They asked, ¡°I Know she¡¯d be better with her own people, but-¡° ¡°Oh, please don¡¯t¡¯ be stupid about this, too.¡± GiDi said, shaking their head,. ¡°What do you mean?¡± TO asked, their ears flicking down, ¡°I¡¯m not stupid, It¡¯s a real concern-¡° ¡°I mean, ¡®don¡¯t be stupid.¡¯¡± GiDi said, keeping their voice low enough that it wouldn¡¯t¡¯ disturb Constance, ¡°That clearly, this kid is devoted to you already.¡± ¡°she shouldn¡¯t be,¡± TO said softly, ¡°Her father-¡° ¡°Don¡¯t¡¯ start that again either.¡± GiDi said, gently pressing on the top of TO¡¯s head with their forefinger. ¡°She¡¯s more comfortable around us than any of the other kids were on the ship, and she¡¯s attached to you specifically.¡± TO lowered their voice, ¡°Only because her father told her to go with me.¡± ¡°Maybe that¡¯s enough.¡± GiDi said with a shrug. ¡°Some species have a link with their parents. Some don¡¯t. Maybe his approval of you is enough in this case. I Don¡¯t know. The point is, she¡¯s attached to you, and after what she¡¯s been through, I wouldn¡¯t dream of separating her from you. But her accommodations will be something we need to keep in mind.¡± They nodded as GiDi pushed them on down the hallway. They knew that already, of course: They didn¡¯t want to keep Constance from swimming any more than they wanted to be kept from flying. But, it would be fine, they were certain of that. Apoikia had to have a good water supply in order to support an entire society of Chilacians, so as far as TO was concerned, the chances of Constance having nowhere to swim was minimal. TO¡¯s Communicator went off. Honestly, it had been going off more and more through the day, and at first they seemed to jolt every time, expecting bad news. They weren¡¯t used to them being used for just normal, casual conversation, for sharing pictures and jokes. They weren¡¯t used to getting so many messages asking them how they were doing without needing something. It was nice, but the frequent messages were making them a little anxious. They forced themself to count to thirty before answering the communicator. To their surprise, it was actually an important message this time! ===== TO- Your leg is ready. We can do the surgery any time. -DH ===== ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± GiDi said, their ears flicking back in worry. For a moment, TO didn¡¯t know why GiDi seemed worried, but then, as the moment passed, they had the opportunity to feel their own feelings. The news that their leg was ready would have at least made them hopeful. The idea that they¡¯d be able to walk on their own power, to fly again, that they¡¯d be able to help out more should have made them exceedingly happy. The moment DH told them that the leg was ready, though, that¡¯s not what they thought of. No, it was the word ¡®surgery¡¯ that pulled their entire focus, and made them think of being unconscious once more, made them think of Avery, and of waking up without a right leg. They thought of blood, but much like last time they saw it, they felt the strangest disconnect between themselves and that thought. It took GiDi shaking their shoulder to pull them out of their thoughts and when TO looked up at their friend; they realized that they hadn¡¯t said a word since reading the message. ¡°Sorry.¡± TO muttered, their ears warming. "Nothing''s wrong. My leg is ready." ¡°Nothing¡¯s wrong. My leg is ready.¡± GiDi¡¯s ears perked up immediately. ¡°It is? Already?¡± They turned TO around, already pushing them back towards where DH and Vik were working. ¡°I guess it¡¯s not really surprising. DH has been working on this in their spare time since the incident, and now that there¡¯s here, of course, they¡¯d throw all their attention into it. Really, I should be surprised that they didn¡¯t work through all last night-¡° ¡°Wait, wait!¡± TO said, suddenly willing the breaks on their chair to Lock, ¡°Do... Do we have to go right now?¡± The sudden movement, along with TO¡¯s raised voice, startled Constance from her sleep, and she looked up bleary-eyed at TO. ¡°Is it morning?¡± She muttered, still half asleep. ¡°It¡¯s not morning.¡± GiDi said, their ears relaxing, ¡°But TO¡¯s new leg is ready.¡± She murmured, her tail tightening around TO as she hid her face in their shoulder. ¡°... Ok, her, I can understand being less excited.¡± GiDi said, ¡°But you? I thought you¡¯d want-¡° ¡°I do,¡± TO said, their ears warming, ¡°It¡¯s just... sudden.¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s good.¡± GiDi said, once more pushing TO down the hallway, ¡°You¡¯ll get your leg, and before you know it, you¡¯ll be all healed up and flying and running around!¡± Flying. Yes, they had to keep their mind on that. Once they had their leg, then they could fly again. They wouldn¡¯t have to rely on the chair, and they could get to Apoikia. They had to get to Apoikia, to make sure that Avery was OK, and to find the people who could help them. they had to find their own people - people like themselves, with minds that had never been altered by King Decon. Yes, they had to do this. They wanted to have their new leg! they just really didn¡¯t want to endure surgery. Episode 441: Odds It seemed as though no time at all had passed between getting the call from DH and getting to the Medical Centre of ScrapRock. There, DH talked about how they, Vik, and Goretta had made the leg, and how it would work. To a point, it would be similar to Flit¡¯s leg. It would interface with nerves and send signals to the leg itself so that it could move. The biggest difference would be on how it attached. Rather than have the nerves communicate though nodes on the skin, they would first be attaching a type of receiver for the prosthetic onto what remained of TO¡¯s leg. This receiver would connect directly to what remained of the nerves, and would allow for a ¡®more fluid and natural control of the leg.¡¯ ¡°It should even be able to relay some sensation!¡± DH said, getting more and more excited as they spoke, ¡°I mean, just pressure, really. I figured that would be better than nothing.¡± ¡°It¡¯s far more difficult to reproduce actual sensations, and that¡¯s still something that¡¯s being worked on... But pressure can be done.¡± Goretta added. ¡°I don¡¯t know why someone would want to experience pain if they could turn it off on one part of their body.¡± Vik said, ¡°But hey, that¡¯s just me.¡± The three fell into a discussion of prosthetics, but TO wasn¡¯t listening to that. Instead, they were replaying what was said about the process of attaching the socket. *"At an estimate, 8-10 hours. Of course, that¡¯s if there''re no complications...*" It was Goretta who rattled off the number like it was no big issue, and DH had gone on, continuing to talk about how certain systems ran, how the leg powered itself, and all kinds of things that TO didn¡¯t understand but which they¡¯d be happy to listen to if they weren¡¯t so worried otherwise. 8-10 hours, asleep, on a table, with DH covered in their blood and picking at their nerves. They had had a dream like this once before, hadn¡¯t they? ¡°Will it hurt?¡± TO hadn¡¯t realized that Constance had woken up until she spoke, her simple, innocent words cutting through the slew of medical jargon. From the looks of surprise from the others, nobody else had realized she was awake either. ¡°TO won¡¯t be awake for it.¡± Goretta said, softening her voice as she spoke to Constance, ¡°We¡¯ll give them medicine that¡¯ll make them sleep right through it, and they won¡¯t feel a thing.¡± ¡°Will they get an infection?¡± She said, saying the word ¡®infection,¡¯ in a careful, practiced tone. ¡°You said dad couldn¡¯t have a surgery because of infection.¡± The mood shifted instantly, with most everyone looking at something they were working on, at the wall, the floor, or just anywhere save for at Constance. Goretta was the exception as she came forward, her tentacles curling under her as she brought herself to Constance¡¯s level. ¡°Hey lovely.¡± She said, ¡°You know, you¡¯re right: Infection can be a real concern when it comes to surgery. If someone is already very, very sick, then they have a much better chance of getting an infection!¡± ¡°Like my dad?¡± She asked. TO could feel her tail press into their side, her little hand grasping at their shirt. ¡°Yes, like your dad.¡± Goretta said, ¡°And with your dad, we were in an old sewer, and we didn¡¯t have a nice clean place to do the surgery. The weaker or sicker a person is, the more risks there are with surgeries. So, in the sewers, there was a higher chance of infection.¡± ¡°That¡¯s why he got so sick.¡± She says. ¡°And why he didn¡¯t wanna come with us?¡± TO frowned, and was about to open their mouth to speak when Goretta shot them a warning glance. ¡°Right.¡± She said. ¡°He didn¡¯t think he¡¯d get better, so he wanted to stay behind and help where he could.¡± ¡°And help TO.¡± She said, ¡°Right?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Constance said. ¡°Now, as for TO!¡± She pointed at TO, smiling at Constance as she did. ¡°TO is younger than your dad was. Their body is different too, and able to fight off infection better. TO is in excellent shape, all things considered, had all their vaccinations, and they had a source of food that gives them all the good things their body needs to heal and fight off infection. We also have a cleaner place to work here, nicer tools, and a wider range of antibiotics to use in case they get an infection!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± DH said quickly, ¡°In fact, our ship has antibiotics that are specialized for synths!¡± Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation. When Constance looked at DH in confusion for a moment, Goretta continued talking instead, ¡°They mean they have medication that¡¯s trained really hard, and learned how to fight infections in people like TO and DH, but not anyone else. So, that medication is going to be very effective!¡± Constance still wasn¡¯t convinced, and while TO hadn¡¯t considered the potential complications before, there was now a myriad list of things that could go wrong were now buzzing through their head. Infection? That probably wasn¡¯t really a concern, but they were in a makeshift rogue community in the middle of nowhere. What if there were mechanical issues while the surgery was taking place? What if an essential piece of equipment broke mid-surgery? With if, like with Avery, they simply didn¡¯t wake up after the surgery? What if they didn¡¯t wake up at all? ¡°Does TO need the surgery?¡± Constance asked, frowning as she thought through the issue. ¡°They got a nice chair, and they don¡¯t need to go places where their chair won¡¯t fit, right? And they have their wings-¡° ¡°I can¡¯t fly with just my wings.¡± TO said, their ears suddenly flicking down in panic. ¡°But you don¡¯t use your feet to fly!¡± Constance said. ¡°Sweetie, it¡¯s like how you still need your arms when you swim,¡± Goretta said. ¡°I mean, you use your arms to push yourself into the water, right?¡± ¡°Yes, like that,¡± TO said, their ears flicking in uncertainty. They didn¡¯t know how close the two situations were, but they were going to go with that, ¡°I need legs to take off, and to land, and to help me keep my balance in the air.¡± Constance looked up at TO with a confusing, almost unreadable expression. She looked so much like a synth that they kept watching the fins on her head to get a good read on the expression, but they couldn¡¯t couldn¡¯t quite manage it. Concerned? No, maybe more doubtful. ¡°They¡¯ll be OK,¡± Goretta said, her ever-calm voice drawing Constance¡¯s gaze. ¡°I promise.¡± Constance frowned, and looked back at TO, ¡°Do you promise?¡± TO didn¡¯t know how well Constance could really read their ears, but would place a bet that she wouldn¡¯t be able to recognize the telltale twitching of lying ears if she saw them. It would be easy to lie to her, most likely. ¡°I won¡¯t promise.¡± They said firmly after a pause. ¡°The odds that I will be fine are excellent, from what everyone has said.¡± They looked up at DH, ¡°Right?¡± DH blinked and nodded. ¡°less than 1% chance of you getting an infection in the first place.¡± They said. ¡°Less than .1% that you¡¯d die from it with all the resources we have, and how healthy you are.¡± They hadn¡¯t heard the actual stats before, just the medical details. Hearing the number calmed them more than anything else. ¡°Honestly, that¡¯s a reasonable risk. On our ship, we faced deadly odds like that all the time! Rogue space-junk hitting their ship, sudden, unexpected failure of life-support systems, and destabilizing gravitational interference have a similar or even greater chance! I mean, even here on Scraprock-¡° They finally saw Goretta gesturing at them, and realized that it may not be wise to talk about all this to Goretta, a young child, while they were in a patchwork space station. ¡°What TO means-¡° Goretta said, ¡°Is that whatever we do has risks. Even when you go swimming, there are risks.¡± ¡°Heck, even getting out of bed,¡± Vik said, though he didn¡¯t look up from his computer. ¡°I can promise that I think it¡¯s the right thing to do.¡± TO said, ¡°and that, after weighing the risks, it¡¯s the best thing for me to do.¡± It was easier to convince themself of that as they spoke to Constance, easier to ignore their fear and focus only on the reason, the odds, and the logic. Constance was silent for a while before glancing back at TO¡¯s wings again. ¡°.. if you can fly again. Will you take me flying?¡± TO chuckled as their ears flicked in amusement. ¡°I¡¯ll do my best.¡± They said. ====== Constance wasn¡¯t allowed into the procedure room, despite how she begged to be there, even crying as TO got Pearla and Lendulin to take care of her, and bring her away from the medical center. It was explained several times about contamination, and how it would be boring, and long, and in Goretta¡¯s words, ¡®kind of gross.¡¯ Eventually, she allowed Constance and Lendulin to lead her away. TO agreed that she shouldn¡¯t be there. They agreed that having her in the room would be the worst possible thing. And yet, in that moment, they wished that the small child was there so that they could calm her down with the cool logic that they had presented to her in the first place. It was easy to feel calm when they were working to keep the child calm, but nearly impossible with her gone. Once the door closed on the room, and TO was helped out of their clothes and onto the cool, metal table, the panic returned to them. They remembered the juvenile synth. They had been set upon a table like this for the dissection. DH¡¯s hand brushed against TO¡¯s cheek, drawing their focus. ¡°Scared?¡± ¡°A little.¡± TO admitted. ¡°A lot.¡± DH said. ¡°I can see it in your ears.¡± ¡°I said it before: this surgery is relatively non-invasive, just long and painful.¡± Goretta said. ¡°There¡¯s still risks with non-invasive surgeries.¡± TO said. ¡°There are,¡± Goretta admitted, ¡°and we¡¯re not in a state-of-the-art medical center right now. But, you have one of very few neurosurgeons in the galaxy with in-depth knowledge and experience in working with Chilacian and Synth nervous systems. You also have an experienced synth doctor -¡° ¡°Production officer.¡± Snout muttered, ¡°Former. I was a medical officer before they choose me for production training.¡± Goretta continued, ignoring Snout, ¡°And you have one excellent medical trainee who would do anything to keep you safe and healthy.¡± DH¡¯s ears flushed as she spoke, but they nodded as they leaned forward with a sedation mask in one hand. ¡°I won¡¯t let anything happen to you.¡± They said as they gently kissed TO¡¯s forehead. ¡°I promise.¡± As DH pulled away, TO leaned up and quickly kissed them, their lips brushing together only for a moment. ¡°I know.¡± They said. DH couldn¡¯t promise that nothing bad would happen, but as TO inhaled the gas that pulled their mind into sleep, they realized there was nothing more comforting than knowing that DH was going to be with them, protecting them. Episode 442: Re-learning The five weeks TO endured after the surgery were the longest they had ever suffered. They thought at first that they¡¯d be able to walk right after the surgery was done. They even hoped they¡¯d be able to move as they had before, since the leg was so specially designed. This was not the case. The initial recovery period involved them simply lying on their bed in a recovery room, doing nothing. At first, it wasn¡¯t so bad; people visited and their chip was synced to the secured network that Scraprock had rigged so they could research whatever they liked. Still, that got boring after the first. DH, Flit, and Snout all did their best to visit frequently, but they had their own things to do. Constance, DH, and Avery spent the most time with them, but DH was working on projects with Vik, Constance was studying daily at the Scraprock school, and Avery was still working on their own daily physio while making time not only to visit DH, but to see everyone. The only thing that got TO through the fatally boring recovery period was a simple fact that DH told them upon realizing how long they¡¯d be bedridden. *There¡¯s a huge flight room on Scraprock* The promise of a flight room, a place where TO could fly for as long as they wanted day after day, was the thing that occupied their mind through recovery. Their studying turned from the political and cultural studies they had done to more advanced flying techniques. They even ventured into the world of HSF - Hardcore Stunt flying- and watched in a mixture of admiration, desire, and terror as they watched other winged species fly in ways that TO had previously thought impossible. There were even guides on how to perform techniques normally limited by wing type. TO thought their flying skills were top tier. Of course, why shouldn¡¯t they? They had been one of the best in training, and King Decon¡¯s synths had the best skills in the Galaxy. Now, it was clear that their skills were just ok. They were a strong flyer - they could glide longer than their peers, and swoop around small spaces with more precision than many others. Some people they were watching now had skills that far surpassed their own! They did amazing mid-air stunts and daring maneuvers that TO wouldn¡¯t have tried before. Moves that made their little game of diving and swooping up at the last second seem childish. They¡¯d get better, they told themself. When they could fly again, they¡¯d work every day to get to this level. When they tired of study, they played flight simulation games to practice the techniques they saw - though this wouldn¡¯t help them at all with the muscle memory it would take to actually learn the moves. When they tired of that, they practiced drawing by reproducing different wing types on the drawing tablet - not a learning tablet, one that had been given to them but from where it came from TO couldn¡¯t say. They¡¯d draw all kinds of wings, with and without feathers, focusing on the differences that made different types of wings work in different ways. After that, they drew what they thought the flight room might look like. A combination of styles, some much like the flight simulation that Flit had put them in once, some more like the more industrial flight room they had in training. They didn¡¯t really care what it looked like though, so long as they could fly again. It had been so long since they had been able to just fly for fun. Now, the five weeks had passed and TO was finally given the ok to start flying again with their new leg, they suffered a major disappointment. They weren¡¯t disappointed in the room - it was huge, the patchwork vibe of the ship making it look like the metal had grown out organically to create perches and obstacles for them to fly around - They were disappointed in themself. The first time they tried to fly they approached the edge with a slight limp, and quickly jumped off like they had so many times back in training. They dropped, as they always did, then spread their wings to slip into a glide. It was a basic maneuver - the most basic! it was one of the first things they learned to do in training - step off, and glide. At first, they weren¡¯t even expected to flap and rise up, just glide safely to the floor! This first time after their surgery, TO couldn¡¯t even do that. Yes, their new leg was weighted the same as their old one, and they could feel some sensations of pressure when they walked or when something touched the thin membrane that covered it, but they couldn¡¯t feel it¡¯s presence like they could their hands or their good leg so they compensated too much for the weight, and spun. They might have been able to adjust quickly in the air¨Cthey knew how!¨Cbut the moment they shifted and corrected their positioning it was as though their wings just weren¡¯t strong enough, and they quickly crumpled up as TO fell to the floor. Well, almost to the floor. If they had been back in training, they would have died, or at the very least suffered major injuries. Here, they fell into a safety net and ended up with the wind knocked from them and a severely bruised ego. Their ego wasn¡¯t helped by DH, who glided down after them, gracefully catching the nearby ladder which led back to the takeoff platform. ¡°You alright?¡± They asked as they climbed down the last few rungs, stepping onto the small metal platform to the side. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± TO hissed, more in embarrassment than actual anger, which DH could easily tell by the flush to TO¡¯s ears. ¡°Apparently, I¡¯ve just lost the ability to fly.¡± Despite DH¡¯s effort to hold back a chuckle, TO could see the amused flick of their mate¡¯s ears. ¡°You have a new leg, you¡¯ve been bedridden or wheelchair bound for weeks, and you¡¯ve not been able to fly regularly since we left training. Your muscles atrophied, and your body¡¯s adjusting to the new leg. It¡¯ll take time!¡± You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story. TO muttered curses under their breath as they struggled to their feet. They could see DH nearby, making quick movements, wanting to run and help TO get up but holding themself back. As embarrassing as it was to struggle with something so simple, TO was grateful that DH didn¡¯t just rush to help them. Most people, DH included, jumped to help them if they stumbled with their new leg, or even fell down, and it bothered TO a lot more than they wanted to admit. They had to figure this out on their own, get used to doing the hard things against if they wanted to improve quickly. Besides, there was no reason anyone should be worried about them. Failure here wasn¡¯t a matter of life or death. Even this failure, which would have once cost them their life, or at least heavy injuries, was essentially harmless. It took several minutes to get from where they had fallen to the platform, and longer than they¡¯d have liked to climb up the ladder to the upper platform. They had to go slowly as their muscles seemed to tire out more quickly now, and they kept missing their footing with the prosthetic leg. Finally, they got to the upper platform, rolling onto their back as they breathed a sigh of relief. Their muscles burned, and their wings felt heavy and cumbersome. ¡°Maybe that¡¯s enough for now.¡± DH said as they knelt next to TO, ¡°Maybe we came here too early. We can do other exercises, though! We can-¡° ¡°No.¡± TO hissed, rolling onto their stomach and pushing themself up again, ¡°No. No, I¡¯m not leaving it like this!¡± DH knelt next to TO, a hand on their shaking shoulder, ¡°Hey, look... it¡¯s gonna take a while, you know? You¡¯re not going to be back at your old level overnight!¡± ¡°Maybe not.¡± TO said as they pushed themself up to their knees, and then to their feet. They looked around, their eyes wide, their ears pinned with spite and frustration as they took in their surroundings, ¡°But at the very least... I should be able to make it from this side of the platform-¡± They pointed to the other side of the circular room, ¡°To the platform over there.¡± ¡°TO...¡± DH said as TO walked once more towards the edge, trying to suppress the limp that plagued them, trying to at least pretend that they could feel their leg. It was their leg, it was handcrafted for them by people who loved and cared about them! It would be a part of them! And before this day was done, they would fly again. Or at least glide. ¡°I have to figure this out!¡± TO said as their ears pinned back. They could do this once before, they should be able to do it again! ¡°... Please don¡¯t hurt yourself.¡± DH said, ¡°I know you want to do this, but-¡° ¡°I won¡¯t hurt myself.¡± They said. As they glanced back at DH, they saw the doubt in their mate¡¯s eyes, and they knew that DH was just worried about them. In that moment, a part of them wanted to just give up for the day just for DH, to go back to their room and rest their tired muscles and take the worried expression from DH¡¯s face. They couldn¡¯t, though. ¡°I have to.¡± They said, ¡°Please. I have to fly again!¡± DH pursed their lips, their ears twitching in a mix of worry and sympathy. ¡°Alright.¡± They finally said, just as TO was worried that they would insist that they rest, ¡°I¡¯m here. I¡¯ll help... but if you do actually hurt yourself, we have to stop.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t hurt myself.¡± TO said, standing at the edge and focusing on the platform on the other side, ¡°I¡¯ll succeed.¡± ====== Hours later, exhausted and sore, TO soaked in a hot mineral bath back in their room while DH carefully rubbed just between their wings on their back, massaging the muscles in an attempt to make them feel better. The pain was worth it, as was every bruise they had earned from each fall. TO had done it. They had flown over to the other side of the room. Yes, they ached all over and they didn¡¯t even know if they¡¯d be able to get out of bed tomorrow, but they were content. Even their frustration had temporarily seeped away with their minor success. ¡°You know it¡¯s going to take a while, right?¡± DH said as they finished their massage on TO¡¯s back. ¡°You did really well today, but you have to do basic exercises with your wings every day, and it could take years before you¡¯re at the same level you were before-¡° ¡°I know.¡± TO said, sinking into the tub as far as they could and letting the heat from the steaming water seep into their muscles. ¡°But I flew today, and I¡¯ll fly more tomorrow. I can remember the basic flight training we got before and I can use that to help me improve faster. And who knows, maybe the Chilacians will have something to help me! ¡°Maybe.¡± DH said, smiling. They came around to the other side of the massive tub and pulled off the simple one-piece dress they wore that day, dropping it into the small laundry machine set into the wall. ¡°Constance is alright?¡± TO asked as DH slipped into the water. ¡°She¡¯s fine.¡± They promised, ¡°Last I checked, she fell asleep listening to some kids¡¯ music and drawing.¡± After TO¡¯s surgery, Constance begged and pleaded to be allowed to stay in the same room as TO overnight, and in all honesty TO had no problem with that. Sometimes, she slept in the pod with DH and TO, but other times she slept in a small cot nearby. It took a few weeks for her to feel comfortable enough to spend the night elsewhere, and when that happened, either Avery took care of her for the evening, or Pearla and GiDi. Lendulin often took her for the day to go swimming as well, and if she did, it was likely that afterwards she would just collapse, exhausted, in Lendulin¡¯s room once they were done. For the most part, though, she stayed with TO and DH. ¡°Are we her parents?¡± DH asked out of nowhere. ¡°She had parents.¡± TO said, their ears dipping. ¡°I know, but we pretty well adopted her, right?¡± They said. ¡°I mean, she¡¯s a child in our pod now, isn¡¯t she? And you¡¯re the one that Luke said to watch over her, so that would make you her parent, and since I¡¯m your partner-¡° TO pursed their lips, their ears twitching thoughtfully, ¡°I suppose.¡± They said, ¡°I hadn¡¯t thought of it that way.¡± they admitted, ¡°I suppose we are.¡± DH chuckled as they sunk into the hot water. ¡°Should we tell Flit and Snout that they¡¯re grandparents, then?¡± TO grinned and closed their eyes as they leaned back. They felt as though they might fall asleep, but a moment later, they felt pressure on their prosthetic. When they looked up, DH had their hand on it under the water. ¡°No issues with this in the water, then?¡± They asked. ¡°We¡¯ve kept you limited to showers so far, to keep the leg from being fully submerged. It should be fully waterproof, but-¡° ¡°No problems.¡± They said, ¡°I kind of even felt the water when I put my leg in the tub. It was like putting my leg into water that was exactly the same temperature as my body.¡± ¡°Good.¡± DH said, leaning back once more. ¡°I¡¯m just glad that you¡¯re ok, that the leg is working. I¡¯m glad that everything just feels so...¡± They paused, considering their words, ¡°I don¡¯t know. Peaceful?¡± TO nodded, ¡°Peaceful.¡± They agreed. They had to go to Apoikia still, but there was no rush, and no risk of being separated. There were no looming threats, no hiding from authorities, no fear of sudden attack, capture, or correction. for the first time, everything felt safe.