Carter finished up his target practice with a satisfied grunt. It wasn't his best shooting, but it was at the upper edge of what he used to be able to do back when he worked security, meaning he hadn't lost that edge at least. Moreover, the girl seemed to finally accept the choice he'd made for the next captain of their little fleet and was wrapping up her report of their current situation. "So it'll be another few days before the new ship is complete."

Carter shrugged. "That's fine. I think everyone needed a little downtime anyway. All this constant fighting has been wearing us thin. How much longer could we safely stay where we're at anyway?"

The girl shrugged. "It's hard to say, but the intense radiation from the nearby star bouncing around this asteroid field should mask our presence to all but the most thorough scans. However, we are in a somewhat precarious position since we can't get any closer to the central systems without attracting unwanted attention, so if they manage to find us, we'll have a fight on our hands."

Carter sighed. "Well, let's hope that lady luck smiles on us then... Speaking of, how's the vixen doing? She seemed a little...off last time I spoke with her." Remembering she'd know anything he said to the girl, he held up his hands. "Not that it's a problem or anything! I'm just worried about her, is all."

The girl was silent momentarily as if debating what she should say, though there was a better than even chance she was consulting with the vixen to get permission to speak about her. Finally, the girl looked up. "My other self went through some...difficult times before her thoughts and memories were integrated into myself. A little while ago, back when we were ambushed, she went through something similar. It brought to the surface long-buried memories and their corresponding emotions. In some ways, her new form allows her to distance herself from the traumas of her mortal years, but in others, it prevents the pain from ever fading, and it is as fresh now as it was centuries ago."

That made sense, but it also raised other questions. "But now that she exists as a digital entity, couldn't she just delete the memories she doesn't want?"

The girl shrugged. "Yeah, I suppose so. I noticed you got pretty tense in our last fight. A simple frontal lobotomy would help keep those strong emotions in check. Would you like me to schedule the treatment for you sometime soon?"

Carter wasn't so dense as to miss the obvious comparison. "Alright, point made. No deleting memories just because they're traumatic."

The girl nodded. "I won't say it's not tempting. We've all gone through things we'd like to forget, but if you start messing with prominent foundational memories, you risk changing yourself into something new. You might not even be sapient afterward, instead reverting to just another program with no genuine self-determination. Intelligent, but no longer alive."

Carter shook his head again. "This is all a bit too much for someone like me to fully wrap my head around. I've never been one to philosophize about the meaning of life or the definition of it, for that matter, but I'll take your word for it. Still, is there anything I can do to be of help?

The girl looked up at Carter and grinned as if in on a secret. "Oh, do you want to help her? I thought the two of you were always fighting?"

That made Carter chuckle. "Yeah, well, maybe that's just because we're too much alike in some ways. Not the tormenting mortals to appease my long-lost traumas kind of way, but we both became loners and sought out life on a ship away from other people rather than deal with society, for example. In some ways, she's kind of like the crazy, bloodthirsty older sister I never wanted or asked for!"

The girl chuckled. "She said she'll get you back for calling her the older sister."

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Carter shook his head in exasperation. "Of course, that's the only part she had a problem with! Besides, how could she not be? She's been around for hundreds, if not thousands of years! I've been around for thirty-five!"

The girl grinned. "Well, if you ask her, she's an eternal thirty-two, but I'll leave the rest of the debate up to you two to work out."

They walked on in silence for a moment before the girl spoke again. "What about you? Are you happy here?"

Carter laughed and joked. "I wasn't aware my happiness was a factor worthy of consideration!"

The girl gave Carter a look that clearly expressed the unspoken words, "Are you done?"

Carter sobered up his behavior and considered what she'd said. "Well, honestly, I hadn't thought about it, but yeah, I suppose I am. For all the flaws you each possess, and it's a lot, in case you were wondering, you're at least straightforward about what you want and expect. In a way, it's quite refreshing. I've seen and done things I would never have dreamed of and even made a difference in the galaxy. Maybe not a big difference, but more than I would have ever made on my own. Don't get me wrong, I'm not exactly walking around feeling giddy with a big grin on my face, and in fact, I'm kind of worried all this stress is starting to give me an ulcer, but on the whole, I'd say yes, I'm more or less happy on board the Sybil."

The girl smiled to herself, and Carter noticed she was swinging her arms a bit more energetically as she walked. "Good. Glad to hear it!"

This time, Carter grinned, figuring it was time to turn the tables. "What about you? Are you happy with your current captain?"

The girl paused and thought a moment. "Well, I suppose so. You certainly adapted to life on me better than most, although that might just be because you survived longer than most. However, you've also integrated yourself with all three of me better than past captains. Usually, my captains latch on to one, maybe two personalities, but no one's ever really bonded with all three of me, even if your relationship with one of me is more like a bickering brother than a close friend. Still, it's nice to find company that can keep up with me after all this time."

That left Carter feeling a little bemused. "You know, only you could take a sincere compliment and make it that confusing! I still can't really bring myself to think of you as all the same person at your core!"

The girl choked back some laughter, which made Carter suspicious. "What was that about?"

The girl grinned as she answered. "Just so you know, this isn't coming from me, but to quote your big sis, 'That's okay, we don't expect our pet cockroach on a leash to understand the way our minds work!'"

Carter shook his head and growled. "I take it back. She's not just an older sister. She's an evil step-sister!"

Erik was lying on the ground, his arms spread wide as he struggled to catch his breath. Vanessa towered over him. "You did well, my lady, though your endurance still needs work."

Finally getting enough breath to speak, Erik answered her. "I thought you said my 'endurance issues' were genetic."

Vanessa nodded. "That they are, my lady. As I have a limited sample size, it's impossible to say if it's your species or just you as an individual, but it's not something you can fully overcome just through hard work. However, that means it's all the more important for you to work to lessen your disadvantage to the greatest extent possible. Unless, of course, you'd like to reconsider my offer..."

Erik sat up with a grunt and shook his head. "No, thank you! I know you've got all the faith in the world in your progenitor, but I don't particularly like the idea of someone rooting around in my genetic code and then making drastic changes to my body! Especially since you're not certain it would work!"

Vanessa shook her head. "If it didn't work, she could always get you back to your original state. There is minimal risk in the procedure."

Erik shook his head again. "Still no!"

Vanessa nodded. "Very well. There is also the option of looking into others of your kind."

Erik fought back the urge to growl for real. He knew she meant well. "We've been over this. I don't trust that pirate! He was probably just making up whatever story he could to save his hide. Besides, it's not like we even know where to start looking! What we're currently doing is as good as any other options we've got!"

Vanessa nodded and offered Erik a hand to help him get the rest of the way to his feet. "Very well. In that case, why don't you take a warm shower to get clean and energize yourself? I will prepare something for us to eat."

The thought of food brought the cheer back as Erik nodded and took her hand. "That sounds great! A steak, please, extra rare!"

Vanessa easily hauled the larger Erik to his feet. "Of course, my lady."