Max sighed as he stepped back in from the garden, shaking his head, "Sorry guys, I gotta run... A big order just came in, so it will be all hands on deck for the next couple of days."

Jolana glanced up at the dining table, having joined the group for their lunch, "Really? Ah well, I guess that's what keeps you in business."

Hope grinned as she leant back in her chair, gnawing on a bit of a sausage, "Well, it was fun while it lasted. Definately more interesting than trying that gauntlet on my own!"

Max chuckled with a nod, scooping up a bagel for himself, "Yeah, it was actually pretty awesome. I'll see if I can get through this order quickly, come back and continue where we left off."

Tom glanced around the table, smiling contently, "I could get used to this arrangement as well... Certainly was more exciting than checking on the statitics shoved ontop my desk."

Dr Elune got up, dusting off some crumbs in the process, "Well, I hope you have fun with keeping busy, and let us know when you get a chance to come back, yeah?"

Nodding as he waved to the others, Max followed the doctor out, munching away on his bagel, "Alex is probably still doing stuff in ther Sim. Say goodbye to him for me, I don't want to interrupt."

"I'm sure Alex would understand." Smiling as they showed Max out to his pod, the doctor watch and waved until there was only a little speck in the distance.

Wondering back to the others, the doctor laughed as Alex's holographic head peeked from the top of the doorframe, "Hey there, doctor."

"Hello Alex. Having fun?" Passing under the projection, Dr Elune sat back down at the table, the others chuckling to themselves quietly.

"Yes, yes I am." Wafting through the air lazily, Alex watched the discussion from above, "Been revisiting my planjs for the sim, since you didn't fall for the trap."

Tom chuckled, looking up at Alex's projection, "Nice try, but you aren't quiote as cunning as the real deal. Which is good for us, I suppose." Picking up a peice of toast, he started nibbling on it idly, almost full from earlier.

Hope looked over at Tom with a smirk, "Not all of us are so well-versed in the art of kicking robo-ass."

Spluttering slightly on her drink, Jolana giggled as she reached for a napkin, "I was watching over in my room. The sim looked pretty intense, considering."

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Dr Elune nodded, "While I have played that kind of game before... The responivensss of Alex's VR makes it a bit different."

"Also, knowing that it is based of history, too." Sighing as he pushed away his empty plate, Tom leant forwards against the table, "Say... I had an idea."

"Hmm? What idea was that?"

"... What if Alex kept training? A mind like that, in less.. Vicious hands, and we would have a perfect guardian, across every haven."

"That is a terible idea." Everone jumped at the unexpected retort, Ren wandering in from downstairs, "That is what made the Mars indicent begin, in the first place."

"I thought that was never confirmed?" Sidling to the side to make room for Ren, Tom looked up curiously.

"... Not officially, no. But I saw the changes, and when they started. That AI was not that horrible, when it was first made."

The room went quiet, and Ren laughed nervously, rubbing the back of his head, "Ahhh, sorry. Just couldn't keep that in. As much as I like Alex, I am still wary of where those roads can lead."

Alex nodded from above in understanding, "And that is why you are helping us, right? To try and make a way to prevent that from happening again."

"... No, but it makes a very good added benefit." Chuckling as he sat down, Ren sniffed the air, "... I should have come down earlier. I may have skipped breakfast, and whatever you guys had smells delicious."

Jolana waved one of the little displays in Ren's direction, "Go nuts. We keep our pantry pretty well stocked." Glancing up at Alex, she giggled, "You bringing your real body out, or what?"

"Or what." Poking their tongue out, Alex hovered a bit closer to the ground, "Interacting like this uses much less proccessing power than an AHOR, and I am still going through the sim data right now. I'll come out in a bit."

Tom smiled softly as he watched the two, "Anyway... I am conflicted over our continued gaming sessions. I can't tell if they are a good idea, or not."

"Hmm? Care to share your view on it, then?"

"Sure. That little trip was a fun bonding experience, and we can laugh about it after with Alex... But, on the other hand, it is also a stark reminder of the worst case scenario. Ren's caution being a case in point."

"Right... Maybe Alex can shift you over to a different sim, fight alongside you as well somehow?" Humming to themself, Dr Elune considered the option.

"I would still be controlling the sim, though... Which would ghet distracting, and harder to do seemlessly." Stretching out in the air, Alex grinned, "Besides... I think nostalgia is half of the draw, for our band of gun nuts."

"This is true. Max does seem fairly invested in helping put this together." Frowning as thery put aside the cooperation idea, the doctor looked down at their empty plate, "Well, let's all go think about it, and exchange notes throughout the week. We aren't in a huge rush right now, after all."

Reaching a general concensus of nods, the groups clattered to their feet, drones shuffling in to handle the cleanup, Alex winking out as people went back to their day.

Pausing near the front door, Tom nudged at the doctor, grabbing their attention, "Oh, by the way... With those AHOR parts, any news?"

"Hmm? Oh, yeah. Laura sent some newer schematics over, I have put in a request with Greg to start assemlbing a few. We are toying with a few ideas for the actual integration part. I'll let you know once we have some prototypes."

Nodding approvingly, Tom waved goodbye, making his way slowly to his mag-pod, the doctor slipping back inside to go and look over some designs in their lab.