Aloy and Alva were bathed in the golden light of Gaia, brain storming with each other.

“What about destroying Nemesis before it even arrives?” Alva suggested.

“We’d need some kind of interstellar launch tower…” Aloy looked at Alva. “The Zenith base?”

“Unfortunately we would need control of HEPHAESTUS to be able to forge any kind of useable missile that could travel in space.” Gaia explained.

“Nothing we’ve learnt so far comes close?” Aloy asked.

“Not close enough to what we would require.”

“What about the Odyssey?” Alva said brightly. “We could, and I can’t believe I’m saying this, we could board it and find out what’s there and use it…”

“The Odyssey was only given APOLLO with its two servitors. It does not have HEPHAESTUS or any of the other subfunctions.”

Aloy tapped her teeth together. “But the Zeniths might have something workable…or knowledge…”

“Do you think they would have left it unguarded?” Alva mused. “They didn’t seem like the kind of people who trusted others and left ‘doors unlocked’.”

“Well…what we really need is Tomas…if we could drag him away from his blasted printer.” Aloy breathed out and dropped her tense shoulders. “Give him space. Give him space…”

“Forget Nemesis then,” Alva paced, her hands doing much of her talking, “what about recapturing HEPHAESTUS? We got it once, we can do it again.”

“It wouldn’t be fooled by the same trick.” Aloy sighed, ruffling her hair, scraping her scalp with her hooked fingers. “Is there anyway to communicate with the cauldrons and shut them down, forcing it to where we could capture it?”

“Unfortunately the cauldrons are under total control of HEPHAESTUS.” Gaia explained.

“What about a back door or a workaround?” Aloy frowned. “What about creating our own robot building subfunction? We have some of the foundational work the Alphas did…”

“Without the specific expertise required to write the subfunction code, such a task would take years over months,” Gaia shook her golden head, “and there is no guarantee that it would work harmoniously with the other subfunctions or my own heuristic matrix.”

“And HEPHAESTUS would still be functioning.” Alva groaned. “We have to deal with him, don’t we?”

“At some point.”

“Wait…wouldn’t Beta have the knowledge specific to AI matrix creation?”

“It’s possible. She’s also the one who was trying to come up with a workaround to unseat HEPHAESTUS from the cauldron network.” Aloy put her hands on her hips. “Where is she? I told her we were brain storming.”

Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

“Beta is in the science lab.”

Aloy rolled her eyes. “I’ll go get her.”

“Uh…Aloy?”

“I’ll be tactful.” She promised, taking the steps out of the control centre and crossing the common room to the science lab. “Tactful. Be tactful. I can be tactful…”

“…wonderful! They fit perfectly!”

“This printer can produce almost anything and not lose any of the infinitesimal detail.” Tomas’ voice bragged.

“I was offered clothing by Zo and Aloy…but I’ve really wanted more comfortable footwear.”

“Given that their clothing is made of twigs and reeds, that doesn’t surprise me.”

“It’s not all twigs and reeds.”

“Oh yes, of course…animal hide. Dead, tanned animal hide…that reeks no matter how much time it spends in the sun.”

“The smell turned my stomach to begin with but not anymore.”

“Well…maybe if you were to wear this…you wouldn’t need to worry about the smell.”

“Oh Tomas! That’s so beautiful! And soft!”

“I bet you can’t believe it’s made from the same biological input as those reed skirts and bark shoes. Here…put it on…”

“I love it…thank you…”

Aloy couldn’t stand it any longer and stepped out into the doorway, glowering at the two of them. Tomas was holding out a tunic that was open at the front, dark blue with a hood and Beta was just slipping her right arm into the sleeve. He fussed over her, holding the left side out so she could put it on properly and tugged it close.

“It’s perfect…”

Their moment made her skin crawl.

“Am I interrupting?” She asked, her voice filled with the scathing disapproval she felt coursing through her veins.

Beta gasped, her eyes wide and Tomas stepped back, his blue eyes becoming sharp and cold.

“Aloy,” Beta swallowed, “Tomas made me some shoes…” She stuck a foot out. Aloy couldn’t even look at them, her anger growing by the second. “And clothes for himself that suit him much more than those Zenith duds…did I say that right, duds?” He nodded and a muscle in Aloy’s jaw twitched. “And he made me this jacket. All from that one printer!”

“It’s great.” Aloy said, her voice as flat as a loud gong striking the ground.

“I…I’m sure he would make you one…” Beta faltered, running out of pep and positivity.

“Not that fashion isn’t fascinating,” Aloy’s voice implied otherwise and with no room for misinterpretation, “but maybe we should be concentrating on other things like, oh I don’t know…defeating Nemesis and capturing HEPHAESTUS?”

“I already told you, you can’t beat Nemesis.” Tomas protested.

“You haven’t proven that yet,” Aloy growled at him, “I get why he’s not even trying despite having his health restored and not being tortured for information…but your lack of commitment is truly baffling, Beta.”

“Me?!” Beta exclaimed.

“Yes! You know what we’re up against and you have skill sets that we need, that we can’t possibly reproduce in time. And then I find you in the science lab playing dress up!” Aloy looked between them. “Do neither of you appreciate the enormity of what we’re facing here? We’re all going to die unless you stop acting like a couple of infatuated adolescents and start being a part of the solution!”

Beta’s face reddened. “You have no idea! None! For someone so smart, you are so unbelievably stupid!” She pushed past Aloy and darted across the common room, disappearing into the sleeping quarters, locking the door behind her.

Aloy’s teeth were so tightly gnashed together she thought she might snap them as she glared at Tomas.

“Such an inspiring speech,” he mocked, “it’s a wonder anyone could stand you long enough to agree to help.”

Aloy turned her back and stormed away from him, kicking a pot with earth in it over as she went. She made for the eastern door and walked out, striding across the ledge of rock, skirting the pool of water until she reached a platform with a pile of stones at its tip, reed baskets filled with earth, new buds starting to show.

“Argh!” Aloy yelled and sank to her knees. “I can’t do this, Varl,” she whispered to the grave before her, “I can’t manage people. I can’t stand them half of the time. I really can’t do this without you. You’re the one who got them all to listen and to stay…I can’t do that.” She scrunched her eyes shut and groaned. “They drive me mad. They’re all selfish and lazy…well, not Alva…and not Zo or Erend…or Kotallo…just…Beta and Tomas…” She looked up at the sunset of pinks, yellows and purples. “Can’t they see the big picture?”