Y's body was still in the control room with him while Brooks prepared the shuttle for launch.

There was no crew in this area; no cargo was expected and so the bay was totally empty.

This bay was rarely used, too; at the aft of the ship, between where the three massive heat radiators came out of the Craton's aft.

Most of the time it was covered in a perfect mirrored shield to deflect any light that hit it. In times of intense action, the Craton's radiators could get extremely hot, and absorbing back any of the heat that they were shedding was self-defeating.

But right now the Craton was at rest; while the radiators still glowed a dull red, the threat of re-absorbed heat was minimal.

Being back here at the aft of the ship meant that no one would see the shuttle launch, though, and that's what mattered.

"It's nearly ready," Brooks said. "Go ahead and board."

"I am," Y said.

Through the transparent aluminum windows of the launch control room, Brooks could see another body of Y's walking onto the shuttle.

"Once it is launching, I will deactivate this body and fully activate the one on the shuttle," Y continued. "In keeping with Union laws regarding my copies. While I am gone, Captain, I will leave a shell-copy of myself in a simple response mode. It will not be a complex copy of myself, merely a well-taught algorithm. My primary core on the ship will be inactivated awaiting my return or . . . well, not return."

Brooks paused, wondering if Y resented the limitations placed upon him. On Union ships that did not belong to the Ehni, they could only inhabit and control one body at a time, aside from doing minor tasks like moving them. It kept with the Union's careful stance on preventing the proliferation of artificial intelligence, which posed severe ethical questions, as well as prevented a potential drain on ship resources. If an Ehni copied themselves, then they each were their own being with their own will. There was then double the risk that they might do it again.

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Two high-powered AIs on a ship could be accommodated. But if it happened again, then any of the three might do it again, and were likely smart enough to cover their tracks and hide which did it. It would only increase the temptation and chances of a catastrophic growth.

A thousand high-powered AIs on a ship could cause a crippling drain on its systems. And each copied AI would have its own desire for self-preservation to contend with; deleting them was tantamount to murder.

"All right," Brooks said.

Y's body began to move towards the door, to go to the nearest charging alcove. But he paused, turning back. "If I may ask a favor, Captain . . ."

"Of course," Brooks said. "You're the one helping me, after all."

"Please try to keep Nor away from me while I am gone. She is more intelligent than most realize, and . . . she possesses gifts that I cannot yet comprehend. She will see through the charade with my shells, I am convinced. I do not want her be alarmed when I am not home."

Brooks nodded solemnly. "I understand, I will make sure she does not encounter you."

Y nodded, still holding there just a minute, pointedly watching him before finally walking out the door.

"I am now aboard the shuttle, Captain," Y messaged.

"I wish you a safe trip," Brooks told him.

The air was draining from the room. When it was as close to a vacuum as could be reasonably be made, the bay doors slid open.

The shuttle slid out into space beyond silently. Once it was a hundred meters from the entrance, its thrusters roared to life, and in moments it had pulled away from the ship.

"Jaya," Brooks called up to the bridge. "Sending out a milk run. Open a dash gate," he ordered.

A milk run was a fairly routine thing; sometimes the ship needed something unexpectedly, and they'd send an automated shuttle out, sending it to the nearest supply station. There was one in the system, a minor base, but the whole story was plausible enough, and as Captain he could authorize such a launch. At the station, they'd get a request from the shuttle to forward it on, which again was not an unusual request.

"I copy, Captain," Jaya replied. "Opening dashgate."

Brooks watched on the scopes until the shuttle was gone.

Once it was, he sighed. He could only wait now.

Re-pressurizing the shuttle bay, he then erased the logs, replacing them with data that would back his milk run story.

Then, through his HUD he switched to an external view. It was almost enough to convince the eyes that he was still looking through the open bay door into the blackness of space itself.

He scanned until he could see the direction that Y was heading off to. Somewhere, off that direction, he knew, was a gate that would catch Y's shuttle. He could not know where, but it was along that heading.

She was out there.

He lingered a few moments before turning off the external view and heading back towards the celebration.