The next day I was escorted to another room in the apartment building. The guards left me standing at door number 413. I waited for a couple of seconds, then the door opened.

A middle-aged woman stood in the doorway, her black hair flowing down her back. Her pair of large, black eyes stared at me for a second. Her thin face looked at me, a couple of creases forming around her mouth.

“Come in, Emma.” Anna turned around and walked out of the doorway. I followed her.

Inside looked like a copy of my room. A large bed perpendicular to the door, a window looking out at the Shackleton, A pair of chairs huddled closely around a miniature table.

Anna had her back to me for a second, and then turned back to me.

“I came up with this idea. I... needed to see you before your new assignments.” She smiled weakly, the strain of the meeting weighing her down.

She gestured to the table and chairs, “Sit down. Here’s a couple snacks. Help yourself.”

I sat down slowly on a chair. I glanced at the food on the table. I grabbed an imitation of a Turkish delight and popped it into my mouth.

The sweetness of it defied my previous expectations.

“This isn’t an imitation?” I asked in astonishment.

“No, its as close as I could make it using what natural ingredients I had access to. Family recipe.” She offered a stronger smile.

“Its really good.” I replied, and then ate another two or three.

I looked back up into Anna’s face. This was who my brain was based off. I took the plunge.

“Miss Anna, I was wondering...” I didn’t finish my sentence.

Anna replied boldly, “How I view you?”

I nodded a touch.

“Alright.” She breathed. “I feel like I’m your mother. I gave birth to your mind, using that machine. I... would like to formalize that I’m your mother soon. Would you be willing to become my daughter?”

I stared at her awestruck. I thought she thought of me as an outcast, a metal body with an imitation of her brain inside. Instead she already loved me enough to want to be my mother.

I misjudged her terribly. I felt tears slowly coming into my eyes.

“Yes.” I smiled, “Mom.”

We embraced, all barriers broken. Tears welled in my eyes. “Thank you, Mom. Thank you.”

“No, thank you. You’re bringing something into my life that will give me purpose.”

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We stood there for a little while, still hugging one another. Finally, she released me. I could see tears in her eyes as well.

There was a rap on the door. I went and opened it.

Kyle Writhe stood there, and then grinned a little.

“I see the family reunion is doing fine. I hate to interrupt, but I need to show Emma a few things. It’s on her schedule, and I would equally hate it if she missed it.”

I looked back at Mom. She waved good-bye, “I’ll see you tomorrow morning.” I did likewise, and then closed the door behind me.

As I left the room, Kyle motioned for me follow him. He led me from the apartment building to the Complex, and then inside. After travelling down several corridors, he then turned into a room. When I entered, I gasped.

It was a research room, full of busy engineers and scientists. Weapons covered the walls. Several articles of armor stretched out over tables. I followed him to the rear of the chamber, where a single table stood. On the back of the table stood a little board with my name on it.

“These are some weapons we have designed for you.”

“Did you just pull me away from my mom just to look at these weapons?” I demanded.

“Today you have to decide on your weapon of choice. Tomorrow the council will give your final instructions and you will be sent out on a mission. We are running steadily out of time. Family reunions will have to take place after your mission.” Kyle uttered these comments blandly. He showed no emotion.

“Don’t you have a family!? Do you know how painful it is?” I protested.

“It will be much more painful for those your negligence has killed than the pain of separation from the mother you just met.” He snapped.

I breathed in several times. I could see his point, but I longed to be with Mother and to talk about anything. Since the parents I thought I knew didn’t exist, I never actually felt maternal love before. I decided to find the adaquent weapons as fast as possible, so that hopefully I could see Mom again by the end of the day.

I scanned them, then picked up the most interesting weapon. It looked like a gun, but it had an interesting grove on one side of it.

“Put it on your right arm.”

I did so, and it attached perfectly. I did likewise with the left-handed blaster. Kyle offered a VR helmet. I put it on. I stood in a virtual gunrange.

I aimed the pair of blasters at the ten-meter target and squeezed the pair of handholds. Pure plasma blasted out of them in two streams. The targets disappeared instantly.

I deactivated the VR and took off the helmet.

“These will do.”

Kyle smirked to himself, and then gestured to the table, still covered in an assortment of weapons, “You haven’t tried all of them.”

It took several hours to go through the seemingly endless number of weapons they designed. I finally chose the pair of plasma throwers, a foldable assault rifle, and a pair of short-ranged pistols.

“What will these do against the Androids?” I asked.

“Practically nothing. These will keep off any Chromes, or Arachnids.”

I thought for a second, and then asked, “I heard that the Alliance is supposed to attack in the very near future. In fact that they know where we are presently. Why haven’t they attacked yet?”

Kyle nodded, “They are merely gathering their forces together. They want to make sure they can strike us down in one stroke. They are gathering every single combat ship available to attack.”

“How soon can we expect the Alliance to attack?”

“A couple of days. The Shackleton is practically completed. The problem with the Shackleton, is that’s its engine has very little thrust. It will take a year for the drive to outdistance any of the Alliance forces. But by then it will be out of the solar system.”

I nodded.

“Are there any other interstellar ships, or at least ships that can go interstellar?”

Kyle took a quick glance around him, and then said, “The Alliance has built a runner-like ship. They call it Mercury, and our estimates state that it can go interstellar, if it exhausts all its fuel. It’s a one-way trip for whoever goes on it.”

“So, I assume the goal is for me to do everything I can do, even forcing Steel along, then grab the Mercury and rendezvous with the Shackleton.”

Kyle nodded, “That is the game plan that the council has laid out for you. Basically speaking. And why do you call Beta, Steel?”

I smiled, “I’ll tell you with the others at the meeting.”